Always have the contract in front of you!

When you are billing the Department of Defense (DoD) in Wide Area Workflow (WAWF), always have a copy of your contract before you. Not only is the information you need to enter in WAWF in the contract, if there are questions, the contract will usually show your Contracting Officer (lower right corner of front page) contact information. Most of the codes you will use in doing Electronic Commerce with the DoD are right there on the front page of your contract. Sometimes your own salespersons will not realize that you need the contract itself, that their invoices do not necessarily provide you all the information you need. For example, when either the Acceptor (whose contact information is also likely to be in the contract) of your goods or services OR the Pay Official who reviews your invoice checks it out, they compare your invoice to... THE CONTRACT! And if your invoice does not match the contract, well, that really increases the likelihood of delay in getting your payment. Your DoD business will improve greatly – if you follow the contract as closely as possible – and that will speed up your cash flow. The accountants working for you are wonderful, but accountants who are working for someone else (like the DoD) do not see any reason to expedite your payments if you do not fill out their forms correctly. On the other hand, if you have done your part correctly, the Prompt Payment Act insures you will at least receive interest payments from the DoD if payment is delayed. So keep a copy of that contract in front of you as you submit in WAWF. Your company will thank you for it. Remember, billing the Department of Defense through Wide Area Workflow is like explaining to a person (the DoD) who (institutionally) has an IQ of 50 WHY they owe you money. The burden of clear communications IS on you.