A significant improvement to an existing state process is forthcoming! Upgrading to STAARS will convert the “Green Slip” process, used for documenting and tracking payment voucher errors to resolution, to a paperless process.
Currently, agencies deliver paper (hard) copies of payment voucher requests to the Department of Finance Comptroller’s Office Accounts Payable Section. The Accounts Payable Section receives a hard copy request form, audits the document and matches it up with the CAS electronic document. If the hard copy or electronic document has an audit exception, then the Accounts Payable Section fills out the Green Slip form identifying the problem and attaches it to the hard copy document. They put the hard copy document in the agency’s lock box located at the Comptroller’s Office for pickup, or they mail it to out of town agencies. They put the electronic document on hold awaiting a response. The agency receives the payment voucher with the Green Slip attached and corrects the problem or cancels the payment voucher. They send the corrected hard and/or electronic copy of the payment vouchers back through the delivery process for approval. This process is very time consuming and may delay payment for several days.
Once STAARS is implemented, the hard copy payment vouchers will go away and only the electronic version of the document will exist. Instead of using a hard copy Green Slip, the Accounts Payable Section will identify an audit exception through a comment on the electronic document. For example, if the electronic payment voucher has the wrong object/sub-object combination that requires a correction, they will attach a comment and reject the electronic document. The rejected document and attached comment will follow an electronic workflow route back to the original initiator at the agency. The agency initiator will make the corrections in STAARS and will resubmit the electronic document, through workflow, to the Accounts Payable Section of the Comptroller’s Office for approval. The Accounts Payable auditor will verify the corrective action has been selected and will approve the voucher. The need for printing a hard copy payment voucher; filling out a hard copy green slip; in-person delivery; in-person pick-up and duplicative activities is eliminated. The business process and business rules will be incorporated in STAARS and the user community will experience a more streamlined and centralized process.