The Pilot Workload Reduction Project (PWRuP) is a multidepartment team that developed transaction sampling, a process that can dramatically reduce month-end financial workload.

Background: In 1999, Scripps Institute of Oceanography (SIO) formed a committee to review department monthly financial reconciliation processes. The goal was to streamline review processes, encourage full implementation of FinancialLink, and eliminate other SIO financial systems.

Findings: The committee reviewed SIO data and found that, in the average department, 60% or more of financial transactions were less than $100. Based on this finding, the SIO committee proposed a risk-based approach to reviewing financial transactions.

The Office of the Controller and Audit and Management Advisory Services (AMAS) subsequently supported this proposal and formed a campuswide PWRuP team in February 2001. Staff members from general campus, School of Medicine, and SIO make up the PWRuP team, which has developed the transaction sampling process.

The PWRuP Team followed this process to develop transaction sampling:

• AMAS performed audits to determine existing error rates within SIO departments.
• SIO recorded reconciliation time and effort before and after the transaction sampling pilot.
• A Web-based system was developed consisting of profiles and a Ledger Reviewer online tool (similar to the Ledger Annotator).
• The Office of the Controller developed a global profile based on statistical sampling of data.
• SIO piloted the program.
• The pilot committee determined if there was a reduction in workload.
• Management reporting tools were developed.

Results: On average, SIO experienced a 64% month-end financial workload savings by using the transaction sampling process.