The Budget module, the second of five modules comprising the Westchester County Vendor Portal, is now online.
The Westchester County Vendor Portal streamlines activities related to vendor contract processing for not-for-profits. The portal will be comprised of several modules, the remaining of which will be released in 2015. In all, they are the:
- Vendor Document Repository (live)
- Budget (live)
- Claim
- Performance Reporting
- Program Integrity Module
The Vendor Portal user guide has been updated with the budget module instructions. We encourage vendors to download and read the Vendor Portal user guide prior to accessing the Vendor Portal.
For an idea of how the complete system will work, here is a synposis of each module:
Vendor Document Repository Module
The repository allows vendors to upload and save scanned images of required supporting documents and then, appropriately link them to each county contract. This system significantly reduces the amount of paper being mailed between vendors and the county.
Budget Module
The Budget module allows vendors to create and manage budgets for contracts into which they will be entering with the county, as a result of proposals submitted either in response to a county RFP or another procurement process. Departments will be able to view the budget online, send comments to the vendor regarding items in the budget and accept or reject the budget. Once a contract has been executed, if the vendor's costs change, they will also be able to use this system to request a budget modification.
Claim Module
The Claim module will be the next one to be developed. It will allow vendors to submit invoices online as they provide services against an executed contract. This module will accept invoices at the intervals specified in the contract and will allow the vendor to upload scanned images of the invoice, receipts and other documents necessary to justify the amounts requested. The system will verify the amounts for each cost item against the previously approved budget and indicate the balance available for each cost item. Departments will review the submitted information and accept or reject claims. If a claim is approved, the system will automatically initiate a PRC transaction within the county financial system.
Performance Reporting Module
The Performance Reporting module will be developed once the Claim Module is live. Within this module, county departments will define performance indicators for each contract. Vendors will then report the values for each indicator in a given contract. This information could be the number of residents served, success rates, outcomes as a percentage of the number of clients or other pertinent information based on the requirements of the different contracts.
Program Integrity Module
This module examines payments made to each agency across all their county contracts to determine whether agencies are receiving appropriate payments within the terms of their contracts and are in compliance with both state and federal guidelines.
Additional information will be available as each module is released.
