NASA’s e-Invoicing Solution

E-invoicing will simplify NASA’s invoice payment process by eliminating many of the manual steps in the current process and providing capabilities that the current systems and processes do not. An electronic invoicing solution would interface with SAP. Because invoices can be submitted by vendors as data elements via a vendor portal or vendor network, OCR can be eliminated over time.

NASA Has Selected WAWF as its eInvoicing Solution

Currently NASA process 80,000 invoices per year (57% by email, 35% by mail, 6% by fax, 2% by FTP). NASA’s current invoice payment process requires manual intervention at almost every step in the process. Manual intervention decreases speed and accuracy and adds to the cost per invoice.

For example, invoices are prepared and scanned by document imaging personnel. Invoices submitted in unusual formats are not recognized by the OCR software and must be keyed manually. Because OCR software occasionally misreads data, important data elements extracted from each invoice must be checked line by line against the source document.

Vendor Payment Processors (VPP’s) match invoices with contracts and review invoices to identify elements that may be grounds for rejection. VPP’s validate the invoices against contract payment terms and manually key invoice information into SAP. VPP’s route invoices for costing and approval in AWMS and/or SAP.

Invoices that do not contain the information needed to constitute a proper invoice can be rejected at the source before processing. An electronic invoicing solution can automate the matching of invoice with contracts. Going to WAWF has many major benefits: provides vendors with an electronic mechanism to submit invoices; improved payment cycle time that reduces late payments and interest penalties; and eliminates manual scanning requirements for paper invoices to name a few.

Source: https://answers.nssc.nasa.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/6491