Invoice Payment Self-Service and Transparency

About the Program

Category: Information Technology (Best in Category)

Year: 2017

To improve financial transparency and efficiency, the County Auditor’s Office launched an online Vendor Self-Service (VSS) application on May 1, 2016 that provides County invoice payment data to the public in an efficient, cost-effective, and easily accessible manner. The VSS is available on the Travis County Texas website at https://financialtransparency.traviscountytx.gov/VSS/. VSS is an easy to use, interactive online solution that allows users (County staff as well as vendors and the general public) to access detailed invoice and payment data in a tabular format. With VSS, users can: 1) verify the status of invoice payments, including travel reimbursements for County staff; 2) determine which invoices were paid with a specific check or Automated Clearing House (ACH) payment; and 3) review invoice history and select invoice payment information for export. VSS features allow users to easily search and sort/filter the data by vendor name, invoice number, invoice date, and payment number. An internet browser is the only required software to access the VSS application. VSS has provided financial transparency for invoice payments by providing data from the County’s financial ERP system in a format that is searchable and exportable. It has also resulted in expanded vendor outreach, engagement, and improved customer service with information that is easily accessible online and that is updated daily for accountability and transparency. Efficiency has been achieved with the reduction in volume of public information payment requests received and handled via email and phone by both Auditor’s Office disbursements staff as well as County departmental staff.