Accounts Payable information

The request was successful.

Dear Open University,

Can we please request the following information;

Part 1 Total invoice processing

• How many invoices did accounts payable process in the 12 months from Jan 18 to Dec and for what total value
• How many suppliers were these invoices paid to?

Part 2 Single use suppliers

Of the total invoices processed how many were for suppliers that were only used one time one in that period (a single purchase order or invoice) and how many were for suppliers used 3 times of less?

Please complete the table below which shows the breakdown of one time suppliers by detailed purchase category

Purchasing Category Volume (one time supplier invoices) Value (one time supplier invoices)
e.g. IT subcontractors
e.g. Editorial contributors

Part 3 Low value order processing

Do you use any of the below approaches to processing low value orders (tick box)

• Procurement cards
• PO flipping (conversion or purchase orders to invoices)
• A manual sign off process outside of the standard approvals process
• They follow the standard procurement process
• Other

Yours faithfully,

John Clancy

Freedom-of-Information, Open University

Dear Mr Clancy

I am writing to acknowledge receipt of your Freedom of Information Request.

Your request is receiving our attention and you will hear from us again within 20 working days.

Yours sincerely
Mel Augusto

Miss Mel Augusto | Information Rights Assistant
Information Rights, University Secretary’s Office
The Open University, Level 5, Charles Pinfold Building, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA
Tel: +44 (0) 1908 653994
Email: [Open University request email]

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Freedom-of-Information, Open University

2 Attachments

Dear John

 

Thank you for your Freedom of Information request.

 

I can confirm that the Open University holds the information which
constitutes information falling within the scope of your request.  Please
see below for the answers to your request which I have highlighted in
orange;

 

Part 1 Total invoice processing

 

•            How many invoices did accounts payable process in the 12
months from Jan 18 to Dec and for what total value

36k invoices totalling £140m

 

•            How many suppliers were these invoices paid to?

3,593

 

Part 2 Single use suppliers

 

Of the total invoices processed how many were for suppliers that were only
used one time one in that period (a single purchase order or invoice) and
how many were for suppliers used 3 times of less?

One time = 1,744, 2-3 times = 787, therefore 2,531 3 times or less

 

Please complete the table below which shows the breakdown of one time
suppliers by detailed purchase category

 

Purchasing Category                       Volume (one time supplier
invoices)                         Value (one time supplier invoices)

e.g. IT subcontractors             

e.g. Editorial contributors        

                    

The above information you seek is held by the Open University but the Open
University is exempted from supplying the information under section 12 of
the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Section 12 applies where the time
taken to extract the data exceeds 18 hours. The range of categories on
which data is held combined with the need to manually look into each
invoice for each of the items set out above would individually amount to
substantially more than 18 hours to extract the requested data: we
approximate there are 2,531 invoices which would involve estimate 5-10
minutes on average per invoice to investigate.

 

Part 3 Low value order processing

 

Do you use any of the below approaches to processing low value orders
(tick box)

 

•             Procurement cards - Yes

•             PO flipping (conversion or purchase orders to invoices) - No

•             A manual sign off process outside of the standard approvals
process - No

•             They follow the standard procurement process - Yes

•             Other - No

 

As there are exemptions applied in this response, you have the right to
have your application reviewed.  If you wish to do so please email
[1][email address] with ‘Freedom of Information review’
in the subject line.  You should explain why you believe the University
has not observed the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act. 
Freedom of Information Appeals are considered by the University Secretary
or his delegate.

 

Regards

 

Mel Augusto

 

[2]rule.png

Miss Mel Augusto | Information Rights Assistant

Information Rights, University Secretary’s Office

The Open University, Level 5, Charles Pinfold Building, Walton Hall,
Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA
Tel: +44 (0) 1908 653994

Email: [3][Open University request email]  

[4]rule.png

[5]Freedom of Information Publication Scheme

 

 

 

 

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