Subcontract Invoice Approval

Supply Chain Management (SCM) presented a webinar on Subcontract Invoice Approval on January 26, 2022.

Other Resources

Additional resources can be found below:

Subcontract Approval Webinar Questions & Answers
Find PDF of the slides used as well as a web view of the content (below).
Subcontract Invoice Approval web page

Background & Current State

Gap Analysis for Invoice Approval Process

A. Pre-Approved, 3-10 days (+10 days if paid by wire): Campus department sends approved subcontract invoices to SCM Accounts Payable

Department specifies chartstrings, obtains approval, emails invoices to SCM
Signatures checked for authorization. Funding confirmed.
Invoices processed
Invoice payment issued to subcontractor

B. Without Pre-Approval (30-50 days): Subcontractor sends invoices directly to SCM Accounts Payable

Subcontractor send invoices to SCM
SCM checks funding, codes invoices, looks up approvers
SCM sets invoice approval in DocuSign. Resend if envelope expires.
Signatures checked. Manually save document for record keeping.
Invoices processed
Invoice payment issued to subcontractor

Short-Term Solution & Benefits

Long-Term Solution & Benefits

Steps to Expedite Invoice Payment

Department obtains signature approval from Principal Investigator (PI)* through DocuSign
Department downloads a copy of approved invoice from DocuSign**
Department emails copy of approved invoice to subcontract @ucsf.edu. Invoice imported into ImageNow system.
SCM Accounts Payable processes and pays invoice

*PI or delegated person with U242 Signature Card Authorization

**Please do not route invoices or include SCM emails in DocuSign. They will not be received or processed. DocuSign does not integrate directly into ImageNow. ImageNow is a document storage system for record retention.

Step One

Campus Department obtains signature approval through DocuSign

Ask your subcontractor to:
- Submit invoices to your campus department directly
- Discontinue emailing invoices to SCM ([email protected])
Upload the subcontract invoice into DocuSign
- On the invoice, type in the full chartstring, including Account Code
  - Ensure that the funding is active and valid
  - Ensure that the subcontract has funding available
- Route the invoice to the Principal Investigator (PI) or delegated person with U242 Signature Card Authorization to approve subcontracts*

*Please do not route invoices or include SCM emails in DocuSign. They will not be processed. DocuSign does not integrate directly into ImageNow. ImageNow is a document storage system for record retention.

Step Two

Step Three

Department emails approved invoice to [email protected]. Invoice imported into ImageNow system

Using Outlook, create a new email and attach the copy of the approved invoice
In the email subject line, type Pre-Approved as the first word
- Be sure there are no words before this in the subject line including any RE: or FW:
If you have an invoice for a foreign subcontractor type Pre-Approved International in your email subject line
- The foreign invoice must have the full bank account information for the wire payment
Send the email with attached invoice to SCM at: [email protected]

*Be sure to follow the directions above including the keywords in the email subject line, otherwise we will not be able to identify your pre-approved invoice for priority processing.

Step Four

Next Steps

Need Additional Help?

For assistance on the pre-approval process, please contact the SCM Response Team using the buttons on the Need Help? section of SCM’s website: supplychain.ucsf.edu

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