A fully electronic payment mechanism has also been developed for use on large contracts. This process follows the same processing concepts of the Purchase Card Program except, in lieu of a purchase card, the vendor receives orders from the various VA field facilities. When vendors have questions about the payment of an invoice, they retain the option of calling to talk to a staff representative. However, two new options are available. Once the system is accessed, menus guide the vendor through the query process.
Callers respond to programmed instructions to access their payment status information.
Summary Technology has enabled the AFC and the AAC to reengineer their processes and better serve their customers through more timely and accurate processing and better management control, while also downsizing operations to make them more efficient. By 1997, the AFC staffing level is projected to decrease by over 28 percent, from 320 in 1990 to 230. VA is one of six Federal agencies authorized to pilot a Franchise Fund operation. Using the Franchise Fund as a vehicle, the AFC and AAC together will make the above electronic solutions available to other government agencies through servicing agreements whereby VA provides complete turnkey paperless solutions. This will assist other agencies in meeting their goals while eliminating redundant operations and systems, ultimately driving down the cost of government.