Many businesses are looking to streamline their supplier payment processes, both to speed up the payments and to reduce bank costs.With the advent of Internet banking it is easier than ever to upload your payment file direct into your account rather than using the traditional BACS method.

We would like to relate the story of an IMS client whose BACS update project resulted in quicker payments to suppliers, reduced bank charges, a reduction in manual payments and also time in processing.

Our client was instructed by head office to switch BACS payments to the Bank of America (BoA). In order to effect this change they needed a new file needed to be produced in a .csv format for transmission to BoA. The data in this new file came from two applications in their System 21 database, and all of the data required, needed to be maintained within System 21.

The existing BACS payment process within System 21 had already been modified to produce the new BoA BACS file, but still produced the standard BACS file. With the help of IMS the program was further modified to transmit the file to an internal server using FTP. Once transmitted to the server the BoA file was then backed up and the original deleted. The file was then transmitted to the server as file name XZZZZZZ.YY.csv.

As all of the data was already held in System 21, there was no additional data to collate and input. However the client used this opportunity to switch to the IBAN bank identification system and as part of the project the system was configured accordingly. This meant that the extra data had to be collated and input, this was taken as an opportunity to update and check all supplier bank details to ensure they had full and accurate details for all suppliers. In case there are any errors within the file, a facility was provided to refresh the non-financial data in the csv file and to re-transmit it to the server.