Introduction to Internal Billing
Twenty to thirty percent of all the money spent annually at Harvard is spent internally. This translates into hundreds of thousands of internal billing transactions at the University each year. Internal billing can be a simple transaction between one University department and another: someone at HGSE may want to purchase a book from the Law School's Negotiation Project, for instance, or one department in FAS might want to reimburse another for its share of a program expense. Most of the dollars that are transferred from one department to another, however, result from internal billing from the Harvard service centers to the rest of the University.

What is a "Service Center"? Harvard's service centers are departments that provide products or services such as catering, computer hardware and software, transportation and parking, or photocopying - for a fee. When they provide their services, the departments, their clients, are billed - through internal billing. Information about the following service centers is included in this guide.

Countway Library

The Harvard Faculty Club

Harvard University Dining Services (Crimson Catering)

University Health Services

University Information Services
Harvard Printing and Publications
Technology Services
Telephone and Telecommunications

University Operations Services
Engineering and Utilities
Environmental Health and Safety
Facilities Maintenance Operations

Transportation Services (includes Parking)
HMS Parking Office
HMS Mail & Receiving
HMS Security

How Service Centers Bill: The service centers process many more bills than the average University department. The Harvard Faculty Club, for instance, submits an average of 500 charges each week. UIS has thousands of charges to process every month. Because transactions are generally submitted in batches rather than entered separately by one individual, tracking down errors or making coding changes often seem difficult and bureaucratic to the service users - the schools and departments.

Caues of Confusion: Since the spring of 1999, a group of administrators from across campus (see below for a list of participants) have monitored the internal billing process and have identified several areas, in particular, that are causing confusion:

Backup information: Schools and departments need to know how to obtain more information about the charges that appear on their listings. Knowing how to get backup documents for charges would be helpful.

Recommended object codes: While having accurate coding is the responsibility of the school or department, there are some object codes that are not allowable for the service centers and cannot be processed. Having a recommended list of object codes for each service department would make it easier for the schools and departments to charge expenses correctly.

Making changes/getting help: As projects change or end, particularly those that are grant-funded, it would be helpful to the people actually paying the bills in the schools and departments to know how to change coding and whom to call for help.

Back-up Materials: The following provides information on obtaining backup details about transactions, recommended object codes, and names and/or phone numbers of contacts who can help in each of the service centers. This guide will be updated annually. If there is other information that should be included, please send your suggestions to susan_shefte@harvard.edu or to any of the Harvard Internal Billing Group members.

Members of the Harvard Internal Billing Group: Judy Burg HSPH, Alyson Conover DIV, Kevin Cullen Faculty Club, Kern Eaker OSR, Mac Howland UHS, Karen Hurst UIS/Technology Services, Connie Mugnai KSG, Penny Kaligian UIS, Gail Pisapio FAS, Mary Maloley/Dave Kirby UOS, Paula Markman HPRE, Chris Merlan Harvard University Dining Services, Joanne Silva/Laurie Gamble UIS/Telephone, Paul Upson HLS, Rosalyn Segal and Kathy Irvine-Tasker HMS.

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Information on Internal Billing by Service Center
Countway Library
OBTAINING BACKUP MATERIALS: Photocopy cards-photocopy of billing form is provided upon request when turning form in at the Circulation Desk. Fines-generated by HOLLIS, states name of book and when it was due. Document delivery (aka Countway Express)-Interlibrary loan generally sends a copy of request to the department so that the department can write the account number on request. If account number is given over the phone, copy of request will be sent to department.

CONTACT PERSON FOR BILLING QUESTIONS: Photocopy cards, contact Joshua Paker at 617-432-2467. Copy of fines, contact Circulation Desk at 617-432-2136. Copy of document delivery, contact Document Delivery Desk at 617-432-2631.

SETTING UP OR CHANGING CODING: Contact Joshua Parker at 617-432-2467.

RECOMMENDED OBJECT CODES:

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The Harvard Faculty Club
OBTAINING BACKUP MATERIALS: Restaurant dining room checks are made available to guests at the conclusion of their meal. For department charges, the diner should submit these receipts to his/her department financial office. Additional copies are available, if necessary, after the Club's sales audit, which is generally two business days after the transaction. If you need a copy of a dining room check, call 617-495-5758, x1003. For private functions, detailed banquet checks are mailed to the event contact person within five business days following each event. For bedrooms, guests are provided with detailed bills (folios) at checkout, and the Faculty Club staff is developing a system to mail copies to sponsoring departments. When all else fails, the Faculty Club Accounts Receivable department can be called at 617-495-5758 x1003.

CONTACT PERSON FOR BILLING QUESTIONS: Rita Lam (Accounts Receivable) 617-495-5758 x1003.

SETTING UP OR CHANGING CODING: The Club is not currently able to "hold" standard coding for patrons. Coding must be provided for each visit at the time the visit is arranged. If coding for a prior visit needs to be changed and this is not feasible through the customer's own accounting department, the Faculty Club's Accounts Receivable department can be contacted at 617-495-5758 x 1003.

RECOMMENDED OBJECT CODES:

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Harvard University Dining Services (Crimson Catering)
OBTAINING BACKUP MATERIALS: Crimson Catering always faxes a copy of a contract for users to sign and fax back before the event occurs. This hard copy contract provides full billing information.

CONTACT PERSON FOR BILLING QUESTIONS: Contact the Catering Office at 617-496-6000.

SETTING UP OR CHANGING CODING: Crimson Catering enters coding on an event-by-event basis. There is no default coding. If coding for a particular bill needs to be changed, contact the Catering Office at 617-496-6000.

RECOMMENDED OBJECT CODES:

University Health Services
OBTAINING BACKUP MATERIALS: Billing backup can be furnished on request. In many instances it consists of a pre-arranged memo sent/brought to UHS by the patient prior to the rendering of medical service. The memo should contain the patient's departmental charge code. Timing of billing tends to vary with the complexity of service.

CONTACT PERSON FOR BILLING QUESTIONS: University Health Services Patient Accounts: 617-496-8700 (kc@uhs.harvard.edu).

SETTING UP OR CHANGING CODING: UHS Patient Accounts 617-496-8700; email: kc@uhs.harvard.edu

RECOMMENDED OBJECT CODES:

University Information Services - Harvard Printing and Publishing (HPPS) Print, Copy, Copier Rental, and Mail Services
OBTAINING BACKUP MATERIALS: HPPS customers are sent a paper statement that itemizes their charges by job description, job ticket number, person placing the order, and job total. The statement typically has a default billing code-but the individual jobs may be charged to different variations within the same tub and org (e.g. the activity or object code may differ based on the product or the customer's use of the activity code). HPPS statements are currently printed and mailed to customers two weeks after month-end close.

CONTACT PERSON FOR BILLING QUESTIONS: For billing/back-up information customers can contact the UIS Accounting Office at 617-496-3848, or e-mail louise_o'connell@harvard.edu . Customers may also contact the HPPS Billing Office at 617-495-2175, ext. 224.

SETTING UP OR CHANGING CODING: Though HPPS systems do retain billing codes in history files, customers are asked to provide a billing code with each job order for verification purposes. To make any changes to the way a customer account is set-up, customers should call the HPPS Billing Office at 617-495-2175, ext. 224.

RECOMMENDED OBJECT CODES:

University Information Services - Technology Services Technology Products Center Sales, Site Licensing, Repairs and Service Contracts, Product Rentals, Desktop and Lan Support
OBTAINING BACKUP MATERIALS: When departments receive a service or product from Technology Services, an itemized copy of the receipt is given to the person who receives the service or product. The receipt contains the price of the service or product requested. Departments are sent a copy of the invoice with the charges for the service or product that was purchased. The invoice is sent to either the person who requested the service or product or to the financial group for that department. The customer may reference the call number/order number when needing to request backup information. At this time, backup information is not available online. All service or product information is entered into the Technology Services database when a customer places an order. Therefore the customer may request backup information on an order (preferably using the call number or order number) even before the invoice is received.

CONTACT PERSON FOR BILLING QUESTIONS: Technology Services billing and back-up information requests should be referred to the UIS Accounting Office: call 617-495-0413 or send e-mail to paula_stangenberg@harvard.edu. Questions about computer products: Call 495-5450 or send an e-mail to TPC@harvard.edu. Questions about site licensing: Call 496-7483(SITE) or send an e-mail to site@harvard.edu Questions about repair operations: Call 496-8324 (TECH) or send an e-mail to dispatch@harvard.edu.

Historically, the University has had separate charge codes for equipment costing less than $500 and more than $500. On July 1, 2000, this threshold will change to $5,000. (Note that it is already at $5,000 for HMS and HSDM.) Therefore, beginning July 1, tubs will need to charge computer equipment purchases with a unit cost of less than $5,000 to object code 6750. The recommended codes below reflect this change.

SETTING UP OR CHANGING CODING: Billing codes are provided by customers at the time of service and/or product is requested. To change billing codes, see "Contact Person for Billing Questions," above.

RECOMMENDED OBJECT CODES:

CONTACT PERSON FOR BILLING QUESTIONS: Contact telecom_billing@harvard.edu for changes, corrections, mailings, etc. This is checked daily and acknowledged via email response to the requestor. Departments can also call 617-495-5487. Please note that any change requests must be made in writing (email, fax, memo). Other questions on Telecom Services: telecom_orders@harvard.edu

SETTING UP OR CHANGING CODING: See "Contact Person for Billing Questions," above.

RECOMMENDED OBJECT CODES:

University Operation Services - Facilities Maintenance Operations, Environmental Health and Safety, Engineering and Utilities,Transportation Services (includes Parking)
OBTAINING BACKUP MATERIALS: UOS billing occurs monthly due to the use of feeds. Backup information is available online. Customers can access several online web reports by going to the UOS home page (www.uos.harvard.edu). Currently reports include: Project and Work Order Reports, Utilities Usage Report, Labor Report. UOS no longer distributes paper reports.

CONTACT PERSON FOR BILLING QUESTIONS: Facilities Maintenance Operations Issues contact Robert Martino at 617-496-2178. Engineering and Utilities contact Tom Kumasaka at 617-496-9555. Environmental Health and Safety contact Mary Cunningham at 617-495-3255. Transportation Services contact David Harris at 617-496-5916. Don't know which group to call? Call Dave Kirby at 617-495-5311 or Mary E. Maloley at 496-8680.

SETTING UP OR CHANGING CODING: The request, if it's short and only a couple of changes to a project or two, can be done verbally over the phone with the aforementioned UOS service specific representatives (see "Contact Person for Billing Questions, above). Mass changes should be made in spreadsheet format, with the project number, old coding and new coding. This should be sent to Dave Kirby at 175 North Harvard Street.

RECOMMENDED OBJECT CODES:

HMS Parking Office
OBTAINING BACKUP MATERIALS: The HMS Parking Office sends out documentation on a monthly basis to departments that provide specific detail (names of parkers, name of individual requesting parking, dates, daily rates, department/location, and 33 digit coding) relating to parking charges.

CONTACT PERSON FOR BILLING QUESTIONS: Contact Tom Leslie at 617-432-1111.

SETTING UP OR CHANGING CODING: Account coding for parking services is normally established for customers at the time service is requested. Account coding or changes, contact Tom Leslie at 617-432-1111.

RECOMMENDED OBJECT CODES: 8267-Parking, Other Services.

HMS Mail and Receiving
OBTAINING BACKUP MATERIALS: Copies of order forms for alcohol and UPS services are mailed out to departments upon request. Charges for US Mail are journaled to departments on a monthly basis. Details behind US Mail charges are included in the description fields of the journals.

CONTACT PERSON FOR BILLING QUESTIONS: Manager of Mail & Receiving: Ed O'Brien AT 617-432-7909. Alcohol Purchases and UPS services: Calvin Lorlike at 617-432-1718. Mail Services: Jose Maldonardo at 617-432-1513.

SETTING UP OR CHANGING CODING: Account coding for Mail & Receiving services is normally established for customers at the time service is requested. Any requests for account coding or changes should be directed to the contacts listed above.

RECOMMENDED OBJECT CODES:

HMS Security
OBTAINING BACKUP MATERIALS: A copy of the detail that supports security services is available upon request. The internal journals include all supporting data (dates and name of events) for services provided.

CONTACT PERSON FOR BILLING QUESTIONS: Terry Donadio at 617-432-1366, or Abby McGarry at 617-432-2299.

SETTING UP OR CHANGING CODING: Account coding for Security Services can be set up for customers at the time service is requested. Any requests for account coding or changes should be directed to the contacts listed above.

RECOMMENDED OBJECT CODES: 7290-Security Services, GENERAL

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