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Conference ilbbak::us_sales_service

Title:	US_SALES_SERVICE
Notice:	Please register in note 2; DVNs in note 31
Moderator:	MCIS3::JDAIGNEAULT

Created:	Thu May 16 1991
Last Modified:	Tue Sep 03 1996
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	226
Total number of notes:	1486

61.0. "Expense Reports" by RCOCER::MICKOL (Greetings from Rochester, NY) Sat Jan 04 1992 01:49

I'm in Sales Support for a named account and with the arrival of the New
Management System, I'm traveling much more than I had before or I ever thought 
I would. This, of course, results in many hours spent gathering receipts,
filling out expense reports, responding to questions from Finance, correcting 
and re-filling out expense reports, etc.

I've been thinking of submitting a Delta suggestion regarding this, but I 
thought I throw it out here for discussion. I utilize the EXPENSE automated 
expense report tool, but still find that it takes an inordinate amount of time 
to complete the required paperwork. Some of the time saved by the automated 
software is taken up pasting the postscript output together so Finance has 
their 'pocket' for receipts.

Isn't there something that can be done to streamline the administrative 
process for those of us that travel frequently? A 'per diem' allowance
might help. If the corpoartion is expecting more work from fewer people, then 
I think everything should be done to reduce the red tape and admin overhead 
we all have to deal with.

Your thoughts?

Regards,

Jim

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
61.1	Staple it.	SOLVIT::BKING		`Sat Jan 04 1992 15:46`	5
	Not to be "cute", but the "need" for a pocket is questionable. What's wrong with a staple? Expense reports got processed a long time before someone "invented" the pocket. BAK
61.2		JMPSRV::MICKOL	Greetings from Rochester, NY	`Sun Jan 05 1992 01:13`	6
	Well, when I started using the automated expense report program I tried stapling the receipts to the expense report. After a few months I got a form letter from the FMC (Financial Management Center) telling me that although they had no problem with the postscript document, it needed to have the pocket just like the standard expense report forms.
61.3	I put receits in an envelope and staple to form	ODIXIE::WALLS	Beautiful Atlanta, GA	`Sun Jan 05 1992 16:53`	6
	I use the automated expense form but I place my receits in an envelope with my name, badge number, w/e date, cc and then staple it to the printed postscript form. I have yet to receive any letter from finance that this was not acceptable. CW
61.4	Use an envelope	NEWVAX::PAVLICEK	Zot, the Ethical Hacker	`Wed Jan 08 1992 15:13`	14
	re: .3 The staple-the-envelope-to-the-form technique is in use by our entire district (Digital Services, but it should make no difference). We used to waste time with the glue-the-form-into-a-pocket business, but then we received the word that someone in Finance had decided to make the change for the better. So, staple an envelope to the form and drop in the receipts. If finance complains, check the name. I'll bet it's some local person who hasn't found out that streamlining overhead processes is crucial to our business success! -- Russ
61.5	How about a workstation interface?	USRCV1::SOJDAL		`Wed Jan 08 1992 16:14`	11
	The automated expense forms are nice but using this s-l-l-o-o-w-w. In fact, except for the row and column addition, I can do these faster by hand. However, doing things like this manually is a giant step backwards and we should be moving the other way. Does anyone have a point-and-click workstation or PC based tool instead? I realize this won't help everyone but for those who have access to a windowing device it would really help! Isn't this the kind of solution we try to sell to our customers?
61.6	Why deal with a paper form at all?	HTBPAS::SNAZZY::DUANE	Send lawyers, guns & money	`Wed Mar 11 1992 19:59`	14
	My big question is why must we deal with the paper form at all? I mean if a dinosaur of an organization like the IRS can provide electronic tax return filing, it would seem that electronic expense reporting should be possible. What would be needed would be a user interface like the current EXPENSE program, with a feature for a tracking number added. The user would fill in the electronic expense form, then mail it to the group responsible for processing. Additional documentation such as receipts and the like could be sent in under separate cover or filed in special envelopes with a space provided to write in the tracking number. If the receipts are only required in the event of an audit or for clarification, they should probably remain in the local office. With the big push to drive decision-making down to where the rubber meets the road, it is really only logical that the receipts should stay local. d