Finance

Fiscal Year 2011 Closing Guidance: Message from the Controller

I ask that each of you continue your efforts to control expenses. It is important that we carry this effort through to the end of the fiscal year by controlling discretionary activ­ity. This does not mean curtailing business, but it does mean making prudent choices by deferring or eliminating noncritical activity, and purchasing goods or services throughout the year, rather than at the end of the fiscal year, simply because there are available budget funds. Please encourage your contractors to bill us in a timely manner for goods received and services rendered, so we can recognize the expense before the end of the fiscal year.

The following instructions will assist you, when appro­priate, in helping the Postal Service™ close its financial books in a timely and efficient manner.

Tim O’Reilly
Vice President, Controller

I. Instructions for Fiscal Year 2011 Closing

All organizations are requested to limit their expendi­tures to essential spending. Accordingly, all vice presidents should review discretionary spending to ensure the Postal Service attains its financial target for this fiscal year (FY).

The instructions and reporting dates in this Postal Bulle­tin supplement procedures followed during the normal monthly or quarterly reporting schedule.

II. Fiscal Year

The Postal Service prepares its annual reports on a gov­ernment FY basis, which comprises 365 days (366 in leap years), always ending on September 30.

III. End of Year Processing Activities and Timelines, Contract Modifications, and Requisitions

Capital and expense requisitions and requests for con­tract modifications will not be accepted by Supply Man­agement after September 2.

Capital purchase card transactions will be accepted by Supply Management through September 12. Note: If the transaction is not processed by the vendor within the VISA monthly cut-off (i.e., September 18), the transaction will be applied to FY 2012.

Also, organizations should limit capital commitments, particularly for Postal Service support equipment, to essential needs.

The schedule for Supply Management processing is as follows:

For requisitions received…

Funds are processed as follows…

On or before September 2, 2011

Supply Management will issue the required contract or modification for Accounting Services, San Mateo, to process against FY 2011 funds.

On or after September 3, 2011

Supply Management will issue the required contract or modification for Accounting Services, San Mateo, to process against FY 2012 funds.

Hardcopy paper commitment documents must be for­warded to Accounting Services, San Mateo, no later than Friday, September 16.

Electronic files must be transmitted to Accounting Ser­vices as follows:

Send electronic files for...

To...

No later than...

Contract Authoring and Management System (CAMS)

San Mateo

September 30, 2011

Facilities capital commitments and expense payments

St. Louis

September 30, 2011

Appropriate receiving reports or certified invoices for goods and services received by September 30 must be received by Accounting Services, San Mateo, no later than Monday, October 3.

Note:  

1. Expedite processing of receiving reports and certi­fied invoices as these documents are used to charge expense to the proper FY.

2. Additionally, review contracts to ensure sufficient funds are available by Friday, September 2 to pro­cess invoices.

3. Supply Management will process all requisitions for the issuance of contracts against FY 2011 funds ac­cording to the following priorities:

Priority 1 — Capital commitment requisitions.

Priority 2 — Expense commitment requisitions.

IV. Accruals

Year-end Closing:

1. Goods received and services rendered through September 30, 2011, will no longer be accrued at a finance number level. Only invoices certified and re­ceived by San Mateo by Monday, October 3, will be charged to FY 2011.

Headquarters budget coordinators, engineering coordi­nators, IT coordinators, and the Office of Inspector General will be required to meet with Corporate Financial Reporting to discuss accrual amounts for both capital and expense items. Accruals must meet the minimums of $20,000 cumulative per finance number, and additionally each invoice must be at least $5,000.

V. Submission Schedules (Appendix)

The table below describes the schedule for submitting forms by required submission date.

 

Form #

Item

Submit by

Submit to

Received by Date

N/A

Back pay awards

All offices

Eagan

August 2

PS 7381

Requisition for Supplies, Services, or Equipment

All offices

Supply Management (HQ)

September 2

PS 1233

Project Financial Change/Completion Report (to add site prep cost to an existing assets or CIP)

St. Louis

San Mateo

September 9

PS 17

Stamp Requisition/Stamp Return

Field offices

SSC/SDO

September 12

PS 1839

Payment Record for Carrier Drive Out Agreements

Field offices

Scanning & Imaging Ctr.

September 12

PS 1164-A

Claim for Reimbursement for Postal Supervisors (for Employee Business Expenses only)

Field offices

Scanning & Imaging Ctr.

September 12

N/A

E-mail from HQ Asset Mgmt. Budget & cost analyst to add inventory items to fixed assets or CIP

Topeka, KS

San Mateo

September 12

PS 969

Material Recycling and Disposal (retirement)

Field Offices

San Mateo

September 16

PS 2880

Physical Inventory — Certification/Adjustments (retirement or addition)

Field Offices

San Mateo

September 16

N/A

Hardcopy paper commitment documents

Supply Management (HQ)

San Mateo

September 16

PS 8232

Payment for Personal Services Contracts

Field offices

Scanning & Imaging Ctr.

September 19

N/A

All Recognition and Incentive Awards*

All offices

eAwards

September 22

N/A

Government Printing Office

Supply Management (HQ)

San Mateo

September 23

PS 8162

Capital Property Record

Field Offices

San Mateo

September 23

Spreadsheet Capitalization

Addition, adjustment, add-on, etc.

Program Managers through HQ Payable

San Mateo

September 23

PS 4541

Order-Invoice for Vehicle Repair (commercial work order)

Field offices

Support VMF

September 23

PS 4503

Vehicle Delivery Control Sheet

VMF

San Mateo

September 23

PS 4587

Request to Repair, Replace, or Dispose of Postal-Owned Vehicle

VMF

San Mateo

September 23

SF 97

The U.S. Government Certificate of Release of a Motor Vehicle

Field offices

San Mateo

September 23

PS 1902

Justification for Billing Accounts Receivable (nonpayroll)

Field Offices

San Mateo

September 23

N/A

eTravel (approving official)

All offices

St. Louis

September 26

N/A

eTravel (receipts)

All offices

Back Office

September 26

PS 8049

Vehicle Hire Pay Adjustment

Field offices

St. Louis

September 26

N/A

Vehicle Hire Payment Certification reports

Field offices

Support VMF

September 26

N/A

Tort claims

All offices

Scanning & Imaging Ctr.

September 26

PS 8230

Authorization for Payment

All offices

Scanning & Imaging Ctr.

September 27

PS 3533

Application for Refund of Fees, Products and Withdrawal of Customer Accounts

Field offices

Scanning & Imaging Ctr.

September 27

N/A

Government Travel Account (GTA)

St. Louis

St. Louis

September 29

N/A

Telecommunications (CMIS)

Raleigh Network Operations

San Mateo

September 29

PS 3637-G

Batch Header for Official Mail (attach supporting documents)

Field offices

Scanning & Imaging Ctr.

September 30

N/A

CTEL

Profitline

San Mateo

September 30

N/A

Arbitration — related payments

All offices

San Mateo

September 30

PS 2146

Employee’s Claim for Personal Property

All offices

San Mateo

September 30

N/A

Commitments (CAMS) through APEX-CAMS electronic interface

Supply Management (HQ)

San Mateo

September 30

N/A

Direct vendor delivery (DVD) and eBuy**

Topeka MDC

San Mateo

September 30

N/A

eBuy utilities

All offices

eBuy Post/Certify Module

September 30

N/A

Material Distribution Mgmt. Sys. (MDIMS) invoices

Topeka, KS

San Mateo

September 30

N/A

National Customer Mgmt. Sys. (NCMS) invoices

Stamp Fulfillment Services

San Mateo

September 30

N/A

Program Cost Tracking Sys. (PCTS) invoices

PCTS Systems Administrator

San Mateo

September 30

N/A

UTIL — Energy Initiatives

Energy United/NISC

San Mateo

September 30

N/A

Inter-Agency Payment and Collection (IPAC) certified invoices

Field Offices

San Mateo

September 30

N/A

National Transportation Services (NTSP)

Supply Management (HQ)

San Mateo

September 30

PS 1129

Cashier Reimbursement Voucher and/or Accountability Report (Imprest fund)

All offices (Imprest)

San Mateo

September 30

N/A

Gasoline credit card (fleet card)

U.S. Bank

San Mateo

October 1

N/A

Project facility system

Facilities

St. Louis

October 1

N/A

Money order vouchers

Field offices

St. Louis

October 1

NA

Solution for Enterprise Asset Management (SEAM)

Topeka KS

San Mateo

October 1

N/A

BPA cover sheets

All offices

San Mateo

October 3

N/A

National Service Agreement (NSA) certified invoices

Mgr. of Pricing Strategy

San Mateo

October 3

N/A

Capital and expense receiving report

All offices

San Mateo

October 3

N/A

Certified invoices — supplies and services, bulk fuel and oil purchases, motor vehicle parts, nonmetered heating fuel

All offices

San Mateo

October 3

N/A

U.S. Bank VISA accrual

U.S. Bank

San Mateo

October 3

N/A

Relocation Management Firm (RMF) accruals

Accounting, (HQ)

Relocation

October 4

N/A

Commercial Bank Reconciliations

U.S. Bank, JP Morgan Chase, and Citibank

Eagan

October 6

* Per PMG memo dated July 1, awards for nonbargaining employees are suspended.

** Do not place orders for DVD or eBuy purchases from October 1 through October 3, 2011, except for critical needs.

Address questions concerning these instructions to the appropriate Accounting Services location or Finance office indi­cated in table above.

27O