FBI_Centralized_Invoice_Announcement March_2016(1).pdf

Federal Bureau of Investigation 935 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20535

March 2016

Dear Industry Partner:

The purpose of this letter is to notify you of a process change for the submission of your company’s commercial invoices to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for payment. This new central invoicing process is described below, which applies to all commercial invoices submitted after April 1, 2016.

BACKGROUND:

From October 2015 to February 2016, the FBI Finance Division conducted a Centralized Invoicing pilot, as part of a larger

Payments Initiative to improve our payment process to commercial vendors. Based on vendor input and the overall process improvement, the FBI will now proceed with deploying this central invoice submission process change to all commercial vendors. This letter notifies all remaining affected commercial vendors of this process change, and provides guidance on future invoice submissions. This Central Invoice process change is a step in the direction of implementing electronic invoicing business processes by FY 2018, per OMB direction and the FBI’s vision. The FBI continuously strives to improve its vendor services, working closely with our vendors to process invoices and payments in a timely, efficient and transparent manner.

INVOICE SUBMISSION PROCESS:

Guidance (effective April 1, 2016): All commercial invoices shall be submitted via the following new process:

The invoice should be attached to an email, and sent to the following address: central_invoices@ic.fbi.gov o It is imperative that the invoice contains current and accurate contract information (contract/order number), otherwise risks being rejected.

Upon receipt of the invoice, a confirmation email will be sent back to the sending email address. At this point the invoice is considered received, and will begin processing through the FBI’s internal payment systems.

o Please note, invoices received before 5pm EST (Monday-Friday) will be considered “received” that business day. Any invoice received after 5pm EST will be considered “received” and will be entered into the invoice system on the following business day.

CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

For existing contracts/orders, the Contracting Officer will incorporate the language associated with the new invoice process (i.e., the new submission address) the next time a modification is issued to the active contract/order.

All new contracts/orders will contain the new language/process at the time of award.

FAQs:

What is the centralized invoice process change?

o Rather than invoices being submitted de-centrally to your FBI representative or address specified in your contract, invoices must now be submitted centrally to one email location: central_invoices@ic.fbi.gov. From here, Vendors will receive a confirmation receipt email, and the invoice will be entered into the FBI’s internal workflow system.

Does this centralized invoice submission change apply to all FBI contracts?

o No. The new submission process (central_invoices@ic.fbi.gov) applies to overt commercial invoices only. All other payment methods (covert, direct expense, etc.) will not change and invoices should continue to be submitted through normal mechanisms.

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How does this impact my payment processing?

o Based on data from the pilot, the FBI reduced the timeline for paying commercial vendors. As the FBI increases the scale of invoices submitted centrally via the new process (central_invoices@ic.fbi.gov), the FBI seeks to continue these process improvements.

If I have a question related to my contract, who do I contact?

o The Contracting Officer/Contract Specialist or designated Point of Contact (POC) as outlined in your contract/order.

If I have questions or issues submitting invoices through the new process, who do I contact?

o Vendors experiencing any logistical/technical issues in submitting invoices should contact Bill Huntington, w.huntington@ic.fbi.gov.

Is there a size limit to the invoice my company submits?

o The max email file size which can be accepted is 10MB. For any invoices which have supporting documentation larger than 10MB, please contact Bill Huntington, w.huntington@ic.fbi.gov to arrange for an alternate submission method.

What action does my company need to take?

o 1) Provide this letter to relevant stakeholders (i.e., accounting departments, contract managers, etc.).

o 2) Ensure all invoices submitted contain current information (e.g., contract/order number) o 2) Ensure that all future commercial invoices are submitted via the new method (central_invoices@ic.fbi.gov)

Additionally, as part of the Payments Initiative, in summer 2015 the FBI rolled out a Vendor Payment Inquiry Service. This service is intended to provide our vendor community with increased customer service regarding payment matters. Vendors should continue to contact the Contracting Officer listed on your contract for routine questions, such as those related to contract terms, conditions and invoice payment status. However, Vendors still experiencing payment challenges have the opportunity to contact: FBI_vendor_inquiry@ic.fbi.gov after the payment due date has passed. Please include a copy of the invoice as well as the Contract/Purchase Order number and the name of your Contracting Officer. The Vendor Payment

Inquiry team will confirm receipt of email within 24 hours, research the invoice issue, and provide a response and/or interim status within three business days.

Thank you for your partnership with the FBI, and the services/goods provided in support of our national security and law enforcement missions. We are committed to improving your vendor experience with the FBI. Should your company have any questions or concerns, we encourage you to contact your Contracting Officer.

Sincerely, Finance Division

Federal Bureau of Investigation