CFOB Newsletters

CFOBrief. Not just a number.

October 2021 Edition

  1. Calendar of deadlines and events
  2. Archives
  3. Submit an article

Thank You for Your Support – myEMS(SAP)-PSCD Stabilization is Progressing Really Well

The DARS Replacement Project (DRP) team is very pleased with the Public Service Collections and Disbursements (PSCD) system's successful implementation, and acknowledges that this success is thanks in part to the Super User network and the collaboration of several stakeholders across ESDC and CRA. The DRP Super User network was comprised of over 120 employees from all ESDC programs, directorates and regions, as well as employees from our key project stakeholder CRA. This network was a huge success from its earliest project stages, greatly contributing to the delivery of a fully comprehensive PSCD.

Between giving critical insight in the design, testing and training phases, this network connected employee-level Subject Matter Experts across ESDC and CRA to look at system changes from both a user perspective and a more program/role-specific level. Super Users also spent months collaborating with the DRP training team, sharing program knowledge and guiding the course development team with real-life business scenarios to make training more effective and accurate. After the go-live, Super Users provided unparalleled front end user support to ensure overpayment and collection operations ran seamlessly through this transition. Based on these partnerships, training material for over 40 courses was developed, resulting in 7,500+ employees being trained on the new PSCD solution!

This success took years of extensive planning, development, and testing and thanks to these efforts, effective April 6, 2021, the myEMS(SAP)-Public Service Collections and Disbursements (PSCD) system was successfully implemented and is currently up and running! DRP Team worked around the clock to ensure the migration of all critical financial data from the Departmental Accounts Receivable System (DARS) and the Program systems into SAP-PSCD.

As expected, with any new system implementation, users have questions and encounter issues as they familiarize themselves with the new technology and business processes. In the case of PSCD, user questions continue to be addressed and resolved in a timely fashion, allowing users to flag issues and get answers with minimal interruptions to their work.

This is only the beginning of a great collaborative effort. As the DRP team continues to find new ways to enhance PSCD, improvements will be implemented in staggered releases. PSCD's next set of enhancements are scheduled for release in late 2021.

Payment on Due Date

As you are most likely aware, the Government of Canada Directive on Payments requires that payment to suppliers be issued within 30 calendar days following the receipt of an invoice. After this period, the department is subject to paying interest fees, which are easily avoidable. You can help paying our suppliers in a timely fashion by adopting the following simple practices:

  • Raise awareness with staff on the 30-day payment deadlines and the Directive on Payments;
  • Stamp each invoice with the date of receipt as soon as it is received;
  • Process invoices regularly, and avoid accumulating them and sending them in batches;
  • Ensure Section 34 approvals are obtained in a timely manner; and
  • Activate a Blanket Acting Designation Memorandum (BADM) when the approver is out of office.

For the 2021-2022 fiscal year, ESDC is currently at a 94% rate of compliance. While this result is commendable, we encourage you to take additional steps to reach the 95% target set by TBS.

Be proactive:
The Accounts Payable team requires 14 days to process an invoice, which leaves branches with 16 days to review, process and approve them. It is strongly recommended that you settle invoices as soon as possible to help ESDC meet the 30-day payment delay.

To obtain more information on the required documentation to process an invoice, please consult the Accounts Payable section of the iService page.

ESDC's New Acquisition Card Provider

Effective October 1, 2021, the National Bank of Canada (NBC) will replace Desjardins as ESDC's new acquisition card provider. Cardholders should be receiving their new NBC MasterCard through regular postal service by the end of September 2021.

If you are currently an acquisition cardholder and have not already submitted your request for a card with the new provider, please do so right away. If you are interested in becoming an acquisition cardholder, please visit the iService page for instructions on how to obtain an acquisition card.

VISA Desjardins is no longer issuing new cards but current cardholders will still be able to purchase using their existing card up until the transition date. Cardholders will still have access to Visa IntelliLink Spend Management (VISM) and be able to reconcile any VISA monthly statement in myEMS (SAP) for a few months after the changeover. They should not destroy their VISA Desjardins card until they have received and activated their new NBC MasterCard. Any new card requests will be actioned with the new acquisition card provider and will be usable effective October 1, 2021.

NBC has provided online training resources for both cardholders and administrators.

  • The Smart Data platform is for use by cardholders and administrators.
  • The Client Centre platform is for use by administrators only.
  • The training video links are available on the Acquisition Card (AC) Program page on iService.

N.B. You will need to log off the ESDC network temporarily in order to watch the YouTube videos.

To ensure a seamless transition, the National Acquisition Card Program team has created a frequently asked question (FAQ) sheet that will address general concerns and provide information regarding this transition. If you wish to learn more about this departmental program, you are encouraged to check out the Acquisition Card (AC) Program page on iService.

If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact the National Acquisition Card Program Team nc-purchasing_portal@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca.

ESDC Reservation System

The National Real Property Management team has recently launched the ESDC Reservation System to support a gradual, healthy and safe return to the workplace.

This tool is used to reserve access to a workstation in the workplace and is being tested now in several ESDC sites across the country. Currently, the system is only being used in select locations and for employees whose presence in the workplace is required.

The ESDC Reservation System will facilitate your return to the workplace by providing a tool to book a physically distanced workstation for the day. With a focus on health and safety, the ESDC Reservation System along with clear business processes and rules, will help limit capacity in the workspace as well as provide the capacity for contact tracing.

Beyond the pandemic, the ESDC Reservation system is only one component of the ESDC Workplace that will contribute to a vision of a more modern and flexible workplace for all ESDC employees.

An iService page for the ESDC Reservation System is now live. Visit the site for news on deployment, roles, user guides, FAQs, a demo video, and a link to the system. Please note that the reservation system is not yet available for general use and should only be used for testing when you are asked to do so. Stay tuned for further instruction from the National Real Property team and your manager.

Should have any questions about this system, please contact the Integrated Workplace Management Systems mailbox at GIAO / CAFM (EDSC/ESDC) edsc.giao-cafm.esdc@hrdc-drhc.net.

CFOB Q1 Service Standards Results

Continuing to build on the 2020/21 CFOB Service Standard results, we are happy to share the results for the first quarter of 2021-2022.

Below are a few interesting highlights from this quarter:

  • The Q1 service standard rate for Refunds on Accounts Receivables has decreased by 29% from the average service standard rate of 69% in FY 20-21. The Q1 delays were caused by the implementation of the new SAP-PSCD (SAP Public Sector Collections and Disbursements) module in April, as the roll-out led to increased workload and additional time required for employees to become familiar with new procedures.
  • The number of Individual Designated Travel Cards that were either issued, replaced or cancelled has increased by 55% from Q4 of the last fiscal year to Q1 of the current fiscal year. Approximately 99% of the requests were processed within 10 business days of receipt of required documentation and approvals.
  • In fiscal year 2020-21, there were a total of 133 Project Management Information Solution (PMIS) general requests sent to the Enterprise Project Management Office (EPMO) Mailbox handled at Tier 1 level within 2 business days. The volume of requests in Q1 this fiscal year has exceeded last year's total volume by 58%; all while maintaining a 100% service standard rate.
  • The number of project management advice and general requests sent to the Enterprise Project Management Office (EPMO) mailbox requiring Tier 2 support has approximately tripled in volume since Q4 of the last fiscal year. Despite the increase in volume, 96% of the requests in Q1 were responded to within 5 business days.
  • The volume of myEMS Service Desk requests received in Q1 of fiscal year 21-22 has increased by approximately 162% in comparison with the final quarter of fiscal year 20-21. All incidents continue to be responded to within 1 business day.

As we review and post results for each quarter, our goal is to continuously improve the information shared.