Finance

Fiscal Year 2017 Closing Guidance: Message From the Controller

Thanks to all of you for your efforts to control expenses during fiscal year (FY) 2017. 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

I. Instructions for Fiscal Year 2017 Closing

We request that all organizations limit their expense and capital expenditures, particularly for Postal Service support equipment, to essential needs. Accordingly, all vice presidents must review discretionary spending to ensure the Postal Service attains its financial target for this fiscal year.

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 days in leap years), always ending on September 30.

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

To ensure timely processing, submit purchase requests, expense and capital requisitions, requests for contract awards, and contract modifications for FY 2017 to Supply Management for processing as follows:

Requisitions for Contract Actions (IT Hardware, Services, Software, and Telecom)

For FY 2017, the date to submit expense requisitions and requests for contract actions to Supply Management was August 1. Any requests received after this date may not be processed for award and delivery by September 30.

Requisitions for Contract Actions (Other than IT and Telecom)

For FY 2017, submit expense requisitions and requests for contract actions to Supply Management before August 31. Any requests received after this date may not be processed for award and delivery by September 30.

Requisitions for Contract Actions (Capital Purchases)

For FY 2017, submit capital requisitions and requests for contract actions by the same dates as above for expense, although Supply Management will accept requisitions through September 8. Any requests received after this date may not be processed for award by September 30.

Requisitions for FY 2018 Contract Actions

For FY 2018, submit expense and capital requisition requests for contract actions that require a start date before October 1, 2017, to Supply Management before August 1, 2017. Any requests received after this date may not be processed for award by the required start date.

FY Processing of Funds

Accounting Services, San Mateo, will process against the appropriate fiscal year funds based on contract or modification issuance in accordance with the table shown here:

 

For requisitions received…

Funds are processed as follows…

On or before
August 1, 2017

For contracts or modifications (IT Hardware, Services, Software, and Telecom) issued by September 30, Accounting Services, San Mateo, will process against FY 2017 funds

On or before
August 31, 2017

For contracts or modifications (Other than IT and Telecom) issued by September 30, Accounting Services, San Mateo, will process against FY 2017 funds.

On or before
September 8, 2017

For contracts or modifications (Capital Purchases) issued by September 30, Accounting Services, San Mateo, will process against FY 2017 funds

On or after September 1, 2017 (Expense) or
September 8, 2017 (Capital)

For contracts or modifications issued after September 30, Accounting Services, San Mateo, will process against FY 2018 funds.

Transmit electronic files to Accounting Services as follows:

 

Send electronic files for...

To...

No later than...

Contract Authoring and Management System (CAMS)

San Mateo

September 30, 2017

Facilities capital commitments and expense payments

St. Louis

September 30, 2017

IV. Payments and Accruals

Year-end closing, FY 2017:

Payments

Submit appropriate receiving reports or certified invoices for goods and services (received by September 30) to Accounting Services, San Mateo, no later than Monday, October 2.

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 25, to process invoices.

3. Supply Management will process all requisitions for the issuance of contracts against FY 2017 funds according to the following priorities:

n Priority 1 — capital commitment requisitions.

n Priority 2 — expense commitment requisitions.

Accruals

We will process monthly accruals for Headquarters (HQ) expenses as normal and as communicated to the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) and their budget coordinators. Note: Any unusual \u2044 non-monthly expense must be communicated to the ELT budget coordinators as a possible adjustment to the normal ELT accrual.

1. All HQ accruals will be accrued at the ELT or VP finance level.

2. Certified invoices for goods and services received by September 30 must be received by Accounting Services, San Mateo, no later than Monday, October 2. All invoices not received by San Mateo by October 2, will be processed in October 2017, and paid in FY 2018.

 

V. Forms and Other Required Submissions Schedule (Appendix)

The table shown here describes the schedule for submitting forms by the required dates for FY 2017 closing.

 

Form Number

Item

Submit by

Submit to

Received by Date

PS 1839

Payment Record for Carrier Drive Out Agreements

Field offices

eIWS OnLine Forms

September 8, 2017

PS 1164-A

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

Field offices

eIWS OnLine Forms

September 8, 2017

PS 17

Stamp Requisition\u2044Stamp Return

Field offices

SSC

September 8, 2017

PS 1233

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

St. Louis

San Mateo

September 15, 2017

N\u2044A

Email from accounting assistant to add inventory items to fixed assets or CIP

Topeka Material Distribution Center (MDC)

San Mateo

September 15, 2017

PS 969

Material Recycling and Disposal (Retirement)

Field offices

San Mateo

September 22, 2017

PS 2880

Physical Inventory — Certification\u2044Adjustments (Retirement or Addition)

Field offices

San Mateo

September 22, 2017

N\u2044A

All Recognition and Incentive Awards

All offices

eAwards

September 13, 2017

N\u2044A

Hard copy paper commitment documents

Supply Management (HQ)

San Mateo

September 22, 2017

N\u2044A

Government printing office

Supply Management (HQ)

San Mateo

September 15, 2017

Spreadsheet Capitalization

Addition, adjustment, add-on, etc.

Program Managers through HQ Payable

San Mateo

September 15, 2017

PS 4503

Vehicle Delivery Control sheet

Vehicle Maintenance Facility (VMF)

Ron Rutkowski, Fleet Management

September 15, 2017

PS 4587

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

VMF

San Mateo

September 22, 2017

SF 97

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

Field offices

San Mateo

September 22, 2017

PS 1902

Justification for Billing Accounts Receivable (Non-payroll)

Field offices

San Mateo

September 15, 2017

PS 4541

Order-Invoice for Vehicle Repair (Commercial Work Order)

Field offices

Support VMF

September 15, 2017

N\u2044A

Tort claims

All offices

District Tort Claims Coordinator

September 20, 2017

N\u2044A

eTravel (approving official)

All offices

St. Louis

September 22, 2017

N\u2044A

Vehicle hire payment certification reports

Field offices

Support VMF

September 22, 2017

PS 2551

Non-Goods and Non-Services — Payment Authorization

All offices

eIWS Online Forms

September 24, 2017

PS 3533

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

Field offices

eIWS Online Forms

September 24, 2017

N\u2044A

USPS Telecom Data (TELE) invoices

Caleo

San Mateo

September 24, 2017

N\u2044A

Inter-Agency Payment and Collection (IPAC) Certified Invoices

Field offices

San Mateo

September 22, 2017

N\u2044A

National Transportation Services (NTSP)

Supply Management (HQ)

San Mateo

September 30, 2017

PS 1129

Cashier Reimbursement Voucher and\u2044or Accountability Report (Imprest fund)

All offices (Imprest)

San Mateo

September 30, 2017

N\u2044A

Government travel account (GTA)

St. Louis

St. Louis

September 22, 2017

N\u2044A

Gasoline credit card (fleet card)

U.S. Bank

San Mateo

September 22, 2017

N\u2044A

Project facility system

Facilities

St. Louis

September 22, 2017

N\u2044A

eBuy utilities

All offices

eBuy post/certify module

September 30, 2017

PS 2146

Employee’s Claim for Personal Property

All offices

San Mateo

September 29, 2017

N\u2044A

Commitments (CAMS) through APEX-CAMS electronic interface

Supply Management (HQ)

San Mateo

September 30, 2017

N\u2044A

Direct Vendor Delivery (DVD) and eBuy*

Topeka MDC

San Mateo

September 30, 2017

N\u2044A

Telecommunications Expense Management (TEMA)

Raleigh Network Operations

San Mateo

September 30, 2017

N\u2044A

Material Distribution Management System (MDIMS) invoices

Topeka MDC

San Mateo

September 30, 2017

N\u2044A

National Customer Management System (NCMS) invoices

Stamp Fulfillment Services

San Mateo

September 30, 2017

N\u2044A

Program Cost Tracking System (PCTS) invoices

PCTS Systems Administrator

San Mateo

September 30, 2017

N\u2044A

UTIL — Energy Initiatives

Energy United \u2044 NISC

San Mateo

September 30, 2017

N\u2044A

Solution for Enterprise Asset Management (SEAM)

Topeka MDC

San Mateo

September 30, 2017

N\u2044A

BPA cover sheets

All offices

San Mateo

October 2, 2017

N\u2044A

Capital and expense receiving report

All offices

San Mateo

October 2, 2017

N\u2044A

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

All offices

San Mateo

October 2, 2017

N\u2044A

National Service Agreement (NSA) — certified invoices

Manager, Pricing Strategy

San Mateo

cc: CFR

October 2, 2017

N\u2044A

U.S. Bank Visa accrual

U.S. Bank

San Mateo

October 2, 2017

N\u2044A

Relocation Management Firm (RMF) accruals

Accounting (HQ)

Relocation

October 2, 2017

N\u2044A

Commercial Bank Reconciliations

JP Morgan Chase and Citibank

Eagan

October 14, 2017

*Do not place orders for DVD or eBuy purchases from September 28 through October 1, 2017, except for critical needs.

If you have questions about these instructions, contact the appropriate Accounting Services location or Finance office indicated in the table.