PRESENTATION TO HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS VICE PRESIDENT FINANCE AUGUST 2006

1. PRESENTATION TO HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS VICE PRESIDENT FINANCE AUGUST 2006

2. TABLE OF CONTENTS • Finance Structure • Accounts • Structure • Purchasing/Goods Received • Accounts Payable • Accounts Receivable • Payroll • Research • Monthly Reports • Contact Details • Procurement • Structure • Activities • Contact Details

3. Ailish Quinlivan Vice President Finance Lucy Gibbons Personal Assistant Procurement Accounts Strategic Planning FINANCE STRUCTURE

4. Vice President Finance Ailish Quinlivan Financial Controller John Fox Ancilliary Services & Unit Cost Departmental Secretary Bernie Greene Financial Accountant Liam Ryan Financial Info. Officer Ber O’Connell Management Accountant Declan Hannon Research Mgt Accountant David Conway Accountant Eleanor Shire Recurrent Budget Financial Accounts AGRESSO Financial System Recurrent Budget & Purchasing Research Capital Fees Office Accounts Payable Accounts Receivable Treasury Payroll Services Postgraduate Scholarships ACCOUNTS - STRUCTURE

5. Purchasing Agresso is an integrated finance system which utilises the same information for processing purchase orders, goods receiving and invoice payment. AS a result the purchase requisition and purchase order is key to ensuring that the correct items are ordered, delivered to the right place and payment made at the agreed purchase order price. A summary of the University’s Purchasing procedure is outlined below: • Each Department sources goods, prices and selects supplier in accordance with University’s Procurement procedures (www.ul.ie/procurement). • Each Department completes Purchase Requisition Form (available for on screen completion @ finance/www.ul.ie/purchasing) ensuring that, where relevant, quotation box is ticked for purchases over €2000 incl. VAT; purpose of travel given; cost centre details; appropriate authorisation(s); in addition to supplier name; address; supplier ID; goods delivery details; description of goods; quantity; net unit price; VAT rate; grand total. • Send authorised purchase requisition to Accounts Department (Purchasing – Room A2-031) where the Purchase Requisition is checked for compliance and supplier is checked for tax clearance. • Official Purchase Order is raised and sent to supplier by Accounts Department. • Purchase order details are available to view by all online users of Agresso. • Purchase Orders remain valid for 150 days. • Blanket orders can be raised on a yearly basis for items such as stationary, to reduce administration and increase delivery timeframes. • We experience a high failure rate on documents received from departments (62%) and I have a handout of the common information that is omitted from Finance forms that contribute to this failure rate.

6. Goods Delivery • Goods are delivered to Goods Inwards with suppliers’ delivery docket attached. Delivery is provisionally recorded on system. • Goods inwards delivers goods to designated room (as indicated on Purchase Requisition). • Delivery docket is sent to End User for signature (as indicated on Purchase Requisition). • End User of goods MUST sign the delivery docket to indicate acceptance of goods and return delivery docket to ‘Goods Inwards’ immediately. (If the goods delivered are unsatisfactory, Goods Inwards should be notified. Goods should be returned to supplier via Goods Inwards. If the issue remains outstanding for over 150 days, Goods Inwards should be notified to keep Purchase Order open). • Goods Inwards officially records receipt of goods using signed delivery dockets as confirmation thus allowing clearance for payment.

7. Accounts Payable • Invoices are sent directly to Accounts Department. • Accounts Payable will match the Invoice to the Purchase Order (if there is a discrepancy between the invoice and purchase order, Department are to investigate and complete amended form if required). • Accounts Department sends payment to supplier. • Where invoices are sent to Departments etc. we do not know they exist, they can go missing and we have irate suppliers on the phone wondering when they are going to get paid! • We do experience delays in Departments approving invoices in a timely manner which results in the University incurring interest charges under the Prompt Payments Act – please make sure that this doesn’t happen in your Department!

8. Accounts Receivable Cash and Cheque Receipts • Cash or cheques should be submitted to the Accounts Receivable Office, with a completed cheque/cash receipt form, quoting the account code and cost centre to which it is to be credited.  This should be done on a daily basis. A receipt will be issued to the Departments for all monies received. • Cash should be taken to the AR office by hand - never posted. Direct Lodgements • The Accounts Receivable Office should be informed of any direct lodgements made to the Bank to ensure that all receipts can be clearly identified and posted to the correct Department cost centre/account. Debtors • Debtors are sent invoices at the Departments request. A completed Invoice Requisition Form should be submitted to the AR office where the invoice will then be generated. • An Invoice Requisition form must be prepared for each service performed by the University for a customer. All details must be correctly completed including customer order number if known, customer name and address and importantly, a departmental contact. • In the event that the payment is forwarded to the Department in error, the cheque should be forwarded to the AR office, identifying the payment source and relevant invoice reference. • All debtors receive statements of account on a monthly basis and a debt collection procedure followed.

9. Payroll • Has responsibility for the timely and accurate payment of the salaries of all UL PAYE staff, and for the payment of monthly postgraduate stipends. • Manages all statutory and voluntary deductions such as VHI payments, Union subscriptions, Home Loans etc. • Liaison with the Revenue Commissioners and the Department of Social and Family Affairs in relation to University staff. • Deals with staff queries relating to PAYE and PRSI. • Issues year-end P60s, and P45s as required. • Compiles certificates of income. • The office is located in A2029 in the Main Building.

10. Research The Accounts Research Office is responsible for monitoring income and expenditure relating to research accounts, preparation of financial reports for internal and external agencies, preparation of files for audit, signing research proposal forms, opening new research accounts and providing information on the financial terms of agency agreements.

11. Monthly Reports Monthly report entitled “Actual versus budget recurrent expenditure” is circulated to all Heads of Departments via electronic mail: This report outlines: • Pay/Non Pay Budget versus actual expenditure to-date and balance available. • Summary by activity – operational analysis report for recurrent expenditure.

12. Contact Details – Accounts

13. Procurement and Contracts Manager Philip Gurnett Procurement Officer Majella O’Gorman Coop Student Procurement Assistant Karen McGrath Procurement Structure

14. Procurement Activities • Supplier selection • Creation and maintenance of Preferred supplier list • Tendering Spends from - €2000 - €50K • €50K - €250K • Above -€250K • Supplier Management • Complaints • Rating • Negotiate pricing • Supplier development

15. Procurement Activities Guidance and advise Commercial advise Supplier information Legal and procedural advise & guidance Strategic advice Training Communicate information Web site: www.ul.ie/procurement E-mail Buyers/budget holders directly

16. Contact Details - Procurement