The buying of goods and services through the Shared Services (IBC) portal is a quick and easy process, when all the steps are followed. To avoid delays in receiving your goods and possible delays in payment to your suppliers, there are several things you can do to help.
Ensure you raise a purchase order (PO) before the point of ordering goods or services
- Approved purchase orders can be viewed under the Purchasing Analysis report, this includes the total value of the order, and the amount that has been goods receipted (if applicable) and invoiced to date.
- With new suppliers - POs can only be raised once they have a vendor record and have completed registration for supplier self-service.
- If you are unable to find an appropriate supplier record, the Supplier Master app can be used to search for a record. If the required result is not returned, a new supplier record will need to be created.
- Make sure you are using the right PO type: you can use Catalogue order (eStore), simple shop or service shop.
- If you need to make a low value, one-off payment, a purchasing card pay be quicker and more appropriate.
Complete the goods receipt or approve the service order invoice
- As the buyer check ‘My Inbox’ on the Shared Services (IBC) portal to ensure there are no items awaiting your approval.
- There is new guidance for inbox items: Invoices Pending Review/Action | Staff and managers (hants.gov.uk)
- Check with the approver that it has not routed to them due to a price block.
- If you do not know who the buyer is, you can check this using the Purchasing Analysis report under ‘Shopping – Reports’.
Check if the payment is overdue
- If a Supplier is chasing payment, is the invoice still within the agreed terms? The first day of the payment terms begins when Shared Services receive a valid invoice. If the invoice has been submitted without a PO or with an incorrect PO, then the invoice will be rejected and the payment terms will not begin until it has been resubmitted with the correct PO.
- Has the payment been posted? You can check if a payment for a supplier has been posted through the ‘View Supplier Invoice report’ - search by ‘Invoice Reference’ in the invoice search box (using the ‘Reference Number’ field).
Supplier self-service
Has the supplier registered for self-service? This is the best way for suppliers to track the progress of their invoices.
If the supplier hasn’t registered, guidance is available to support them with this process
If, after ensuring the above items have been considered, you still cannot resolve the issue around a returned invoice, then you need to advise the supplier to contact the IBC directly.
Responsibilities of the supplier
You can help suppliers ensure they are submitting invoices with all of the required information and in the correct format by directing them to the guidance pages on getting paid. You can also direct suppliers to this page if they have any queries regarding invoicing, payment terms or remittances.
