Streamlining the Accounts Payable Process with GovAP
Carver County, MN
Carver County, MN
Population: 108,626
Product: GovAP
Depts: County-wide
Customer Since: 2017
Carver County began looking for a solution to help automate the Accounts Payable processes that would reduce manual data entry, improve vendor and account coding, and provide an electronic audit trail of changes made as the invoice passed through the approval processes. With their current process using paper invoice forms that were routed interoffice mail to each signer, they didn’t know where an invoice was at in the approval process and didn’t have the ability to search for an invoice until manual signatures were finalized and the data was entered into their financial system. They needed a software solution that tracked information real-time and the County selected RTVision’s GovAP application to help them do so.
When implementing the web-based GovAP application, one of Carver County’s primary goals was to streamline the claims process and improve efficiency across departments.
“One of the biggest benefits we’ve seen has been the ability to turn claims around quickly, even when individuals are working remotely. When COVID-19 hit, our processes Countywide, related to claims, changed very little and we didn’t skip a beat.”
GovAP integrates with IFS as well as cost accounting systems such as CPT and New Roads, allowing information to be entered once and then exported to multiple systems after approvals are completed, eliminating the need for duplicate data entry.
The application stores invoice data in a single, secure, and searchable location, with configurable access rights that determine who can view or edit information before and after approval. Additional security features, including multi-factor authentication and invoice data redaction, help protect invoices containing sensitive information.
Invoice templates enable staff to process frequently received invoices more efficiently, while field validation rules help reduce coding errors that might otherwise go unnoticed in a paper-based process.
Vendors also benefit from greater visibility into the approval process. Vendors who email invoices directly into the application automatically receive a confirmation email that the invoice has been received, along with a link that allows them to check the status of their submission at any time.
“Everyone is on the same page from the person inputting the claim, all the way to the final approver. Comments left, or changes made, are sent as notifications to everyone… only allowing certain codes to be chosen is also helpful so that potential errors are found before getting to Finance.”
“We are able to give our auditors their own login, and can use reports to efficiently pull invoices that will include all comments and associated data in one spot. This has sped up the turn around time for audit testing significantly.”
-Account Supervisor at Carver County, MN
The platform has also improved audit readiness and significantly reduced the effort required to support audit requests by providing a complete digital audit trail for every invoice. With invoices, approvals, comments, and supporting documentation available in one place, staff can respond to audit requests in minutes instead of days, improving transparency, reducing administrative burden, and increasing confidence in the accuracy of financial records.