We are pleased to announce improvements to the Department Accounts Receivable (formerly Sundry Debtor) process. Department Accounts Receivable (Dept A/R) is the amount due to UCSF from an external customer for payment of goods supplied and/or services already rendered. Dept A/R does not apply to sponsored projects, UCSF Health, or student/employee receivables.
Changes to the process were based on stakeholder survey responses and interviews. The improvements were designed to make the Dept A/R process easier and more efficient for participating departments without requiring modifications to the UCSF financial system.
Who Should Use the Dept A/R Process
Departments that regularly provide facilities, goods, and/or services to external (non-University of California) customers and do not collect payment at the time the good or service was provided should adopt the new Dept A/R process.
Users of the former Sundry Debtor process will convert to the Dept A/R process. Key changes for these users are adoption of the new invoice and use of the new report in MyReports.
Key Benefits of the Dept A/R Process
Less work for department staff:
- Standardized invoice and billing process
- Centralized payment and deposit handling
- Centrally recorded accounting entries
- Next day access to invoice and accounts receivable information by running a report in MyReports rather than sorting through a PDF file. Report options include:
- View invoice information to determine payment status or to review chartstring information
- View an ‘aging report’ to identify invoices with outstanding balances that may require follow-up
- View a ‘customer report’ to support customer interaction
- View invoices by Dept ID, department contact, customer, contract number, or invoice number
- Eliminates need for year-end accruals of outstanding invoices
Visibility of true department financial status:
- Revenue and accounts receivable recorded immediately
- Improved tracking and reporting
- New Department Accounts Receivable Report in MyReports
- Ability to include contract number on invoices and financial entries
- Separation of Dept A/R from sponsored project and other payments by new Account numbers and bank accounts
How to Get Started
Review the updated information about Dept A/R on the Controller’s Office website:
- Overview and Handling Dept A/R
- Submitting Dept A/R Invoices and the Dept A/R Invoice Form
- Monitoring Dept A/R
- MyReports Department Accounts Receivable Report
Consider attending office hours from 1 to 2 p.m. on the third Thursday of every month. During this group session, you can watch an overview of the new Dept A/R process and ask questions about adopting it in your department.
- Click here (opens in new window) to join at the start of office hours.
- You must log into your UCSF Zoom account to join.
Departments that participated in the previous Sundry Debtor process should start using the new Dept A/R Invoice Form immediately. Departments that have not previously participated in the Sundry Debtor process (including departments that currently manage their own accounts receivable and want to switch) should follow the steps in Submitting Dept A/R Invoices.
MyReports users with the Financial Role can access the new Department Accounts Receivable Report on the Operational Reports tab; a new access request is not needed.
Departments that choose not to participate in the new Dept A/R process will continue to manage their own accounts receivable. Look for more information about required process changes for these departments, including use of a new bank account, in future editions of the Controller’s Office Newsletter.
If you have questions about Dept A/R, send email to [email protected].