Thanks to all of you for your efforts to control expenses during FY 2016. 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, or inform us of any billing delays 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.
Maura A. McNerney
Vice President, Controller
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 instruction and reporting dates in this Postal Bulletin supplement procedures followed during the normal monthly or quarterly reporting schedule.
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.
To ensure timely processing of purchase request, expense requisitions and requests for contract awards or contract modifications for FY 2016 should be submitted to Supply Management before August 31. Requisitions for capital purchases will be accepted by Supply Management through September 9.
Also, organizations should limit capital commitments, particularly for Postal Service support equipment, to essential needs. The schedule for Supply Management processing is as follows:
FY 2016, Expense and Capital requisitions and requests for contract actions should be submitted to Supply Management before August 31.
For FY 2016, Expense and Capital requisition requests for contract actions should be submittd to Supply Management before August 1, 2016. Any requests received after this date will not be guaranteed for award and delivery by September 30, 2016.
For FY 2017, Expense and Capital requisition requests for contract actions that require a start date before October 1, 2016, should be submitted to Supply Management before August 1, 2016. Any requests received after this date will not be guaranteed for award by September 30, 2016.
Electronic files must be transmitted to Accounting Services as follows:
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.
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, August 26 to process invoices.
3. Supply Management will process all requisitions for the issuance of contracts against FY 2016 funds according to the following priorities:
Priority 1 — Capital commitment requisitions.
Priority 2 — Expense commitment requisitions.
Year-end closing, FY 2016:
1. Monthly accruals for HQ expenses will be processed as normal and as communicated to the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) and their budget coordinators. Note: Any unusual⁄non-monthly expense should be communicated to the ELT budget coordinators as a possible adjustment to the normal ELT accrual.
2. All HQ accruals will be accrued at the ELT or VP finance level.
3. Certified invoices for goods and services received by September 30 must be received by Accounting Servics, San Mateo, no later than Monday, October 3. All invoices not received by San Mateo by October 3, 2016, will be processed in October 2016, and paid in FY 2017.
The table below describes the schedule for submitting forms by the required submission date.
*Do not place orders for DVD or eBuy purchases from September 28 through October 1, 2016, except for critical needs.
Address questions concerning these instructions to the appropriate Accounting Services location or Finance office indicated in the table above.
— Corporate Accounting, Controller, 7-21-16
