AP Process Changes
The transition to CMiC has uncovered some challenges to our AP processes for project and accounting teams. Over the past 90 days, we’ve been working through these challenges to improve the speed & efficiency of our process. See below for some highlights of these major changes & improvements.
New Commitment Policy for Purchases over $25K
As of August 1st, Project Accountants have been rejecting any invoices over $50,000 that lack a valid commitment. As of September 1st, this threshold will drop to $25,000. This means that commitments will be REQUIRED for all purchases over $25,000. This is a critical change aimed at enforcing procurement discipline and improving visibility over large expenditures.
Workflow Adjustment for Invoices Less than $2,500
Invoices under $2,500 are now being routed to the PM only for approval and the Project Accountant is no longer part of the workflow. Approximately 70% of our invoices fall below this threshold, so this change is expected to significantly reduce the volume of approvals and streamline processing for small-dollar invoices. As a PM, please exercise extra discipline in the approval process since you are the last set of eyes on the invoice before it gets paid!
Ability to Change/Reassign Invoices
Users in operations have the ability to change the job number in the flysheet (header) in Image Manager within CMiC. This means less invoices should be returned to data entry and should result in a quicker turnaround on invoice processing and approval. Users in operations can also reassign invoices to others, rather than needing to reject them back to AP to be redirected. Additional training on this process is taking place in each of the business units. If you miss that training, please reach out to the Operational Finance Team (formerly Project Controls & Project Accounting) within your business unit for support.
Importance of Quality Rejection Notes
Users in operations will now be asked to categorize their rejections to clear up confusion and streamline the AP process. The three buckets in which you can categorize your rejection are DO NOT PAY, DATA ENTRY, and VENDOR ISSUE. Providing productive comments when rejecting invoices is extremely helpful in getting the invoice corrected or reassigned. If you have any questions regarding how to reject invoices or leave comments, please reach out to the Operational Finance Team (formerly Project Controls & Project Accounting) within your business unit for support.
