CDER: How Can I Go Paperless?

Good question! We've heard from many of you that you want to adopt a paperless process. The common questions are: "What do we need to do?" and "How do we know that we are ready?"

This little guide will serve as a checklist of what you need to do to be eligible to go paperless. Once your office performs all of the activities below for every order, you will be ready to let the PCard team at CDER (P-CardTeam@fda.hhs.gov) know that you are ready to move forward. They will work with you to establish a firm timeline to go paperless.

Start all purchase requests in the IntraMall.

This is your only approved path to go paperless. In addition, it is a fast & easy way to automatically create a Visa Request Form, capture financial data, ensure that audit requirements are being met, and automate your purchase log.

Do all receiving online through the IntraMall.

 Enter date received for all orders. This is an easy way to comply with audit requirements. Anyone who has access to the order can enter receiving-- both requestors and buyers. By receiving online in the IntraMall, you'll be  able to reconcile all charges relating to the invoice.

Upload packing slips.

 In your order details view, you can upload any supporting documents for your order. Packing slips are super-important because they are a requirement for audit. The invoice is automatically uploaded into your order, so you  don't have to worry about that.

Reconcile weekly in the IntraMall.

 This is a no-brainer. The IntraMall makes transaction matching and reconciliation easy. No more flipping through paper bank statements and putting together paper folders for your AOs. Your bank data will appear in your account weekly (Thursdays) so you can reconcile a week at a time. This makes the end-of-month activity much smoother.

Ensure that your AO approves your statement.

 When you approve your statement at the end of the period, your statement will flow to your AO for review and approval. Once approved, your statement will remain available for review. 

Reconcile 3 consecutive months in the IntraMall.

 To be eligible to go paperless, your office needs to successfully reconcile 3 full months of purchase card transactions.