Real-Time Faxing of NCAS Purchase Orders

The NCAS has been enhanced to allow agencies to fax purchase orders to vendors real-time. The fax will be produced directly from the on-line purchase order file, as opposed to faxing an already-printed purchase order. Because the fax is produced from a file, rather than from a printed document, agencies will not be able to sign these purchase orders.

The fax file will be routed through a central server at the Office of the State Controller (OSC). If the fax cannot be completed, due to a wrong or busy number or an equipment problem, OSC Client Support will contact the agency buyer with the purchase order number and the reason for the failure. Depending on the nature of the problem, the agency can either rectify the problem and send the fax again, or can reprint the purchase order in the nightly batch process and send out a printed purchase order the next day.

Security for the real-time faxing function is controlled by NCAS operator ID number. Before any buyer can send purchase orders via on-line faxing, the agency must request that such authority be given to that buyer’s operator ID via screen OPD. Such requests must be made to OSC Client Support, who will set up the buyer with on-line faxing authority.

The vendor setup record (screen VSU) retains the vendor’s fax number in a separate field from the regular phone number. This number can be viewed on inquiry screen VOS for all trade vendors. If this number is included as a part of the vendor record, then the fax number will default automatically during the on-line faxing procedure. Although OSC Client Support will solicit the fax number from the vendor, it is the responsibility of agency buyers to supply this number at the time the vendor is added. In addition, agency buyers should correct any erroneous fax numbers via the VSU screen using the CHGE Paying Entity.

The PSC screen is used by agency buyers today to print real-time purchase orders, and also to set purchase orders to print in batch during nightly processing. This screen also is used to fax purchase orders on-line. As always, the buyer selects the desired purchase order and displays its current status. If the vendor record (screen VSU) contains the vendor’s fax number, it is displayed at this time in the lower right-hand corner of the screen. If the number is incorrect or missing, the buyer can change or add it on this screen, or the buyer can accept the default fax number.

Once the new PO status is entered and the fax number is verified, the buyer need only type "X" or any character in the FAX PO ONLINE field and press Enter to send the fax to the vendor.

When the buyer presses Enter, the fax is sent, and the screen message tells the buyer that the PO has been printed (or faxed). The status changes to 8 (printed) immediately. If the buyer finds that the default fax number is not correct, requiring a change on screen PSC, he or she must immediately send a notice to OSC Client Support via the VSU screen and the CHGE Paying Entity, to change the default fax number. This will cause the correct fax number to default in the future.
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