Supplier Payment Information

Purchase to Pay

The Purchase to Pay team are based within the councils Financial Management Unit and are responsible for the administration of the eProcurement, Accounts Payable, Procurement card systems and the payment of invoices on behalf of West Lothian Council.

eProcurement

eProcurement is a means of enabling business to business commerce, via the internet.  It allows West Lothian Council to effectively control its expenditure for goods and services, while achieving greater value for money through procurement activities.  PECOS (Professional Electronic Commerce Online System) has been adapted by West Lothian Council as its eProcurement platform.

Paying Invoices on Time

Invoices are paid to suppliers when goods or services have been received.  West Lothian Council Processes approximately 160,000 invoices per annum.  We make payment within 30 days of the invoice date on a valid invoice.

All Scottish Local Authorities have a statutory obligation to make payment within 30 days of receipt of a valid invoice.  In 2015/16, West Lothian council set a target for paying 96% of invoices on time and exceeded its performance by paying 96.1% of invoices on time.

You can help pay invoices on time by;

• Providing invoices in a valid format which include the order number
• Directing your invoice to the appropriate recipient
• Submitting electronic invoices

Failure to provide invoices with the correct information will result in your invoice being returned to you unpaid.  The payment terms following resubmission will take effect from the receipt date of the corrected invoice.

Electronic Invoicing

The council is committed to electronic service delivery and is continuing to develop relationships with its suppliers through the receipt of electronic invoices.  Please contact eprocadmin@westlothian.gov.uk if you are interested in learning  more about the ability to submit electronic invoices to the council.

Invoice Payment Schedule

The council performs a payment run on a daily basis to increase the ability to pay suppliers on time.  It takes three working days following a payment run for the money to reach a bank account.

Our Payment Method

The council provides 100% of its payments by BACS (Bank Automated Clearing Services)  with electronic remittances distributed by e-mail.  The advantages of payment by BACS includes;

• Quicker payment with no need to wait for a cheque to clear
• Increased reliability as cheques can get lost in the post
• Time savings from removing the need for handling and banking of cheques

If you change your bank or contact details, please contact; accountspayable@westlothian.gov.uk.

Construction Companies

Contractors and Sub-Contractors within the construction industry who supply services to the council must be registered with HMRC's Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) before they can be paid by the council.  Follow this link to find out more about Registering with the Construction Industry Scheme (opens new window)

Contact Details

If you have supplied goods or services to the council and have a query about getting paid then the Purchase to Pay team can help you.  E-mail: accountspayable@westlothian.gov.uk or telephone: 01506 281291.

Opening hours are 08:30 to 13:00 Monday-Friday for  telephone contacts, although, voicemail will be available outwith these hours.

Service Standards

We will do the following;

• Deliver best value by paying suppliers and sending payment remittance advice electronically.
• Pay amounts invoiced within 30 days of receipt.
• E-mail remittance advice on the same day we make payment.
• Repay electronic payment failures within three working days of failure being reported.
• Change any details we have on file, including changes to your bank details, address or payment methods, within 3 working days of receipt.

Complaints, Comments and Compliments

With effect from 28th March 2013, the Scottish Government, the Scottish Parliament and all Scottish Local Authorities now require to use the SPSO complaints handling procedure.

If you are unhappy with the service provided by the Purchase to Pay team or we have not done something we said we would, please let us know.  Problems can arise without our knowledge so we welcome the opportunity to put matters right. We also like to hear when a service is delivered well. In both cases, we value your opinion.

In the first instance we would ask you to follow the Financial Management Unit's own complaint procedure.  Most problems can be dealt with quickly by people closest to the situation.  If you are unhappy with the response from the Financial Management Unit, you can escalate your complaint through the council formal procedures by downloading .