Recently released OMB Circular A-123 presents agencies with the challenging task of reducing P-Card program risk without adding complexity and burdensome policies to program management. OMB Circular Number A-123, Appendix B consolidates all government-wide charge card program management requirements and guidance from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the General Services Administration (GSA), the US Government Accountability Office (GAO), the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and other Federal agencies to “establish standard minimum requirements and best practices for government charge card programs that may be supplemented by individual agency policies and procedures.”

OMB lists several benefits of government purchase cards such as reducing administrative costs and time for purchasing and paying for goods and services while maximizing refunds when possible. However, Agency risk-avoidance policies intended to deter fraud, waste, and abuse have curtailed many of these benefits and have added administrative complexities with little overall program benefit. Automating “right actions” through commercial best practices encompassing approval workflows, funds management, and separation of duties reduces the commitment close-out cycle while achieving immediate compliance oversight through digital records management, desktop data visualization and real-time audit.

Fortunately, there is a COTS SaaS solution on the FedRAMP Marketplace that meets the requirements of OMB A-123 with workforce automations while saving money vs current P-Card management practices.

“Realization of the intended benefits in P-Card usage has created a tightrope balancing act for agencies necessitating an increase in workforce burdens and all too often, the building of homegrown systems to manage the prevention of fraud, waste, and abuse,” said Michael Tocci, CISSP, President of Paperless Innovations, Inc.

“Shared services like Actus on the #FedRAMP Marketplace provide agencies with increased cybersecurity and full accountability, compliance, and transparency over all aspects of the procurement process for goods and services while improving the work/life balance for millions of public sector employees.”