Invoice Focus Group Meeting Minutes: February 25, 2003

Present:

Michelle Best, Joan Hendershot, Jamie Maguire, Suzanne Posluszny, Julie Kaufman (recorder)

Reviewed and approved minutes from the 12/2/02 meeting.

1. Analysis Project

Julie explained the analysis project that she, Robin, Jamie, Kayla, Gracemary, Cathy and Elaine have been working on.  She reported on some of the types of problems that they have been identifying, namely: claim problems, receiving problems, booksets, failed subscriptions, false encumbrances, and irregularly received but encumbered yearly.

2. Booksets

A. Identification

• The group then discussed how to identify booksets.  Mainly this is done by looking at the RLIN ID.  If it has a "B" in it then it is a bookset.  If it has a "C" in it then it is a musical score (which is similar to a bookset.)  Another way to identify booksets is when the invoice states, "published in ## volumes."

• Once a bookset is identified, the fund code should be checked.  All booksets should have an S fund code.  If it does not, a request should be sent to Gracemary to have it changed.

B. Handling Booksets and IREY Serials

The group then brainstormed about possible ways of handling booksets and IREY serials to give to Gracemary.
Some ideas were:

• to give them a different fund code (besides P or S) that will designate them as being different.  Money could be encumbered and then freed to pay other bills if not paid by a certain point in the fiscal year.

• to set them up as "order renews" and pay (only on the years that they are received) from monographic funds.

• to mark the records in some way so that a report could be run each year to see which titles should be received and paid for.

C. Firm Orders

The group then briefly discussed firm orders.  We reviewed when it is necessary to have one created, and to notify Gracemary when there are inadequate funds for payment.

D. Recurring Orders

• Joan then brought up a problem that has been occurring with the recurring orders.  When a mixed shipment is received at ALEX the serials are checked in and the monographs are sent to Kati at TSB for processing.  The invoice is sent too, and the problem has been that the invoice is either not paid for an extended period of time or is not paid at all.  This then causes problems with the vendors (ie. Bernan) who will put our account on hold until they receive payment... which often means that issues are not sent, which causes claiming problems, etc.  Suzanne concurred that this is the case at LSM as well.

• It was suggested that we communicate this problem to Kati at TSB and establish a standard for noting that an invoice is enclosed with the shipment and should be paid as a priority.  Julie volunteered to email Kati about this issue with the possible notes the group suggested for consideration: "priority," "please process for payment," "mixed shipment," and "invoice enclosed."  She will then notify the group as to Kati's response.

Next meeting @ LSM, date and time TBA