Support Services

Includes: budget management, invoice and payment processing, contract administration, utilities management, district-wide landline accounts, wireless management.

Billie Salas, Manager (23 years with M&O, manager 4 years) 11 employees

The Support Services Department is responsible for Budget Management; Invoice and Payment Processing; Contract Administration; Utilities Management; District wide Landline Accounts; and Wireless Management.

The Department manager works closely with the APS Accounts Payable and Finance personnel in running the financial aspects of M&O smoothly. Ms. Salas is responsible for managing the budget funds to pay for materials, equipment, fleet fuel, contractor services, and District wide utilities. Observing procurement rules and procedures, she reviews and approves all M&O’s invoicing for processing through the Purchasing and Accounts Payable Departments.

In recent years, Ms. Salas has cultivated better communication with M&O managers to more accurately reserve budget funds required for services and materials provided by contractors and vendors, generally for large planned projects. In knowing the managers’ upcoming needs, Support Services can allocate funds proactively rather than reactively – more precisely earmarking monies from the correct designated funding source. And in the managers being aware of budget limitations, they can set priorities and meet the District’s most critical demands without budget shortfalls.

The successful collaboration with department heads has reduced purchase orders (guarantee of payment) by 90%, resulting in fast tracking the start of projects; a significant reduction in paperwork; dramatically reducing time in the requisition and approvals process; and faster payment to vendors. By proactively managing capital funds, M&O doesn’t exhaust their budget and overextend with new invoices coming in.

Support Services main focus is managing Senate Bill funds more efficiently. As illustrated by the following figures, Support Services is continuously challenged by managing M&O’s decreasing budgets and rising costs:

Highlights

Managing additional funding of Roofing and Portable Moving Shops

Support Services staff are now responsible for managing the additional funding for the roofing and portable moving personnel and projects relocated to M&O from Facilities Design + Construction.

Addition of fiscal management for four charter schools

New to APS is the management of expenses for four charter schools. A memo of Understanding was signed between APS and each individual charter school in fiscal year 2009-10. Funding for materials and services are provided from separate sources, not included in M&O’s operational budget. Utility and maintenance expenses are filtered through Support Services, requiring monitoring of all invoices and expending appropriately, critical for accountability.

Strengthened knowledge and use of Lawson, the complex District wide pay system database

• Identifying “open” purchase orders due to remaining balances after the completion of work or the cancellation of projects.
• Working with APS Procurement buyers and Finance Department in closing “open,” which are actually “suspended” purchase orders, so available but inaccessible funds may be freed for needed work projects.
• As of July 1, 2010, $1,342,439 worth of open purchase orders have been identified, which includes both completed POs with balances and commitments to vendors for scheduled work.
• Perfecting use of Lawson to eliminate mistakes and programming errors.
• Better coordinating the M&O pay system – Budget Status Report (BSR) – with Lawson to manage funds and budgets more precisely and efficiently.

Goals

2010-11 Goals

• On BSR database create a report to indicate potential balances on encumbered purchase orders and implement more Crystal Reporting.
• Having available open PO reports from Lawson and M&O’s BSR allows real time comparison of data and budget balances. It is critical during budget limitations and shortages and directly affects maintenance/repair of District’s needs.
  (All decisions for District expenses are based on needs, including safety issues, preventative maintenance, directives, and available budgets. Support Services is the support system for all M&O departments, taking all facets into consideration and meeting the day-to-day challenges while avoiding interruption of services M&O provides to the District.)