SHORT CUTS TO PAYMENT:
1. The invoice and the statement:
In most cases, the County pays on separate invoices instead of monthly statements. Find out before you spend weeks waiting for payment only to learn that a statement is needed in addition to your invoices.

2. Identify the receiving agency on the invoice.  Do not send the invoice to the purchasing office or the user unless specifically requested to do so on the purchase order. Read the purchase order terms carefully for invoicing instructions.

3. Have clear indication on the invoice as to where the material went.  The street address, division and department name should be on the invoice. Local government mail is received and distributed from a central mail room to each addressee. If no department or division name is indicated on the invoice or on the envelope, it may wander for days between purchasing, accounting and other departments.

4. Mail the invoices separately from the statements.  A common procedure in governmental mail rooms is to send statements to the using agency and all invoices to the Accounts Payable Department.  If both are in the same envelope, the entire package will be sent to Accounts Payable possible causing delay.
    (A) Do not include invoice with packing material.
    (B) Invoices for more than one agency should be mailed separate.

5. Payment terms.  Be sure that your payment terms are in bold letters on your invoice. The Accounts Payable office usually has instruction to "Get that discount", so take advantage of this philosophy for early payment. If your bid terms are different from your pre-printed invoice terms, change the pre-printed form to match the bid and the purchase order. When these entries vary, the paper work comes to a halt and is set aside for resolution.

6. Purchase Order Number/Vendor Number.  Make sure the Purchase Order Number, Vendor Number, and Phone Number are referenced on all correspondence, especially invoices.

7. Train your own invoicing staff.  Payments will be delayed by charging sales tax when the local government is tax exempt, using different nomenclature than shown on the purchase order for the items delivered, not sending an original and a copy of the invoice when required in the bid spec or on the purchase order and not following the billing instructions on the original purchase order.

8. Ask for help.  Many firms always get paid on time while others wait. Following the above guidelines may help in getting paid  on time but an additional bit of insurance is to know who processes invoices for payment in the Using Department and Accounting Department. Don't hesitate to call if you feel that payment is slowing down. Contact Accounts Payable if the Using Department is not available.
 

THE COMPUTER
Computer errors are the nemesis of all vendors. Go outside the programmed steps built into the computer and payment may be delayed. There are a few basic problem areas you should be aware of.

1. Invoice amount:  Does your invoice exactly match the original purchase order in dollars and cents and in the payment terms? If the original order was changed, be sure you request a new, amended purchase order to be sure that the original computer entry is updated.

2. Addresses:  Is your firm name and address exactly as shown on the original purchase order? William Jones Co. is
entirely different from W. Jones Co. in the memory of a computer. The computer also knows you by a number. When you see a vendor number on a purchase order, try to include that vendor number on the invoice. If you do, the chances are that any errors in the firm name or the address will be negated by the correct vendor number, as the vendor number takes precedence in processing. Be sure to clearly note any recent change of name, address, phone number, so we can update our records.

3. Purchase order numbers:  The best security entry on any invoices is the original purchase order number. With this information, the payment clerk or the computer can identify you faster.