BLM - Collections and Billings System (CBS)
Investment ID: 010-000000094
Overview
Program Title
BLM - Collections and Billings System (CBS)
Description
The Collections and Billings System (CBS) is a major web-based intranet application for the collection of BLM revenue and issues bills for amounts due to the BLM. The system was initiated in 1995 and is owned by the Associate Director of the National Operations Center. The system is used by over 1300 BLM users located from Washington, DC to Alaska. CBS was developed to create a single system that was easy for the customer (BLM Field Office personnel) to use, eliminate the many labor-intensive manual processes and duplication of data entry into multiple resource systems, standardize the business processes throughout the bureau, and provide BLM managers and staff with accurate and timely information. Since CBS has been in production, it has helped the BLM obtain annual unqualified audit opinions by providing accountability of funds, security of information, and audit trails of all transactions.
Type of Program
Major IT Investments
Multi-Agency Category
Not Applicable
Associated Websites
https://www.blm.gov
Investment Detail
Return on Investment (ROI) and costs:
The CBS ROI is based on comparing manual processes with the cost savings of automated processes for a variety of business functions. Additional qualitative returns include: assist in producing Unqualified Audit Opinions, providing Internal Controls to Decrease Fraud and Abuse, assist in gathering financial information for data-calls and assist in serial number validations with the Land Records application. CBS also provides a common gateway that allows BLM to send all their revenue data to FBMS from multiple resource systems. CBS received payments of approximately $877 million in FY2020, while IT costs were $10.6 million in FY2020. ROI - 8,274%
Benefits:
CBS benefits include helping BLM to obtain unqualified audit opinions by providing accountability of funds, security of information, separation of duties, and audit trails of all transactions. BLM management routinely uses CBS reports to make business decisions related to planning, process and systems analysis, cost determination, and risk assessments. CBS has improved BLM's ability to quickly respond to financial legislation and reporting requirements, while adding payment options (cash, credit card, Automated Clearing House - ACH transactions, or check) for customers. The funds that used to be accounted for manually, are now put under accounting control at the time of receipt providing a complete, detailed audit trail. CBS has fully automated hundreds of manual or partially automated labor-intensive processes in the field saving BLM over $5.619 million in FY 2017. CBS enforces hundreds of unique and specific business rules in compliance with BLM regulations.
Other benefits include the following:
- CBS provides a secure system for collections and billings, that is customer-centric, accurate, timely, and minimizes the opportunities for errors.
- CBS supports non-financial users who work with bills, collections, payments, receivables, etc., without them being required to know general ledger accounts or basic accounting functions.
- CBS interfaces to DOI s financial system of record allowing the exchange and posting of collections information to the general ledger.
Outcomes achieved or planned:
The number of interfaces between CBS and other BLM systems being maintained has continued to rise, but the cost of operating older technology has increased. CBS is in the process of adding mobile applications offered through Pay.gov that will allow our recreations site greater flexibility and improved customer experience. Also, Point of Sale (POS) capability is currently being analyzed.
Planned performance measures:
This investment aids in the implementation of the Department of the Interior's FY 2018-2022 Strategic Plan. Specifically, Strategy #2: Provide dependable and efficient information technology within Goal #3: Prioritize DOI infrastructure needs and reduce deferred maintenance backlog, reads as follows: Information Management and Technology (IMT) provides modern and secure technology solutions to advance the DOI s ability to deliver programs and services to the public and our customers. The Performance Reference Model (PRM) Agency Strategic Objective code for this is 010SO18255.
The CBS ROI is based on comparing manual processes with the cost savings of automated processes for a variety of business functions. Additional qualitative returns include: assist in producing Unqualified Audit Opinions, providing Internal Controls to Decrease Fraud and Abuse, assist in gathering financial information for data-calls and assist in serial number validations with the Land Records application. CBS also provides a common gateway that allows BLM to send all their revenue data to FBMS from multiple resource systems. CBS received payments of approximately $877 million in FY2020, while IT costs were $10.6 million in FY2020. ROI - 8,274%
Benefits:
CBS benefits include helping BLM to obtain unqualified audit opinions by providing accountability of funds, security of information, separation of duties, and audit trails of all transactions. BLM management routinely uses CBS reports to make business decisions related to planning, process and systems analysis, cost determination, and risk assessments. CBS has improved BLM's ability to quickly respond to financial legislation and reporting requirements, while adding payment options (cash, credit card, Automated Clearing House - ACH transactions, or check) for customers. The funds that used to be accounted for manually, are now put under accounting control at the time of receipt providing a complete, detailed audit trail. CBS has fully automated hundreds of manual or partially automated labor-intensive processes in the field saving BLM over $5.619 million in FY 2017. CBS enforces hundreds of unique and specific business rules in compliance with BLM regulations.
Other benefits include the following:
- CBS provides a secure system for collections and billings, that is customer-centric, accurate, timely, and minimizes the opportunities for errors.
- CBS supports non-financial users who work with bills, collections, payments, receivables, etc., without them being required to know general ledger accounts or basic accounting functions.
- CBS interfaces to DOI s financial system of record allowing the exchange and posting of collections information to the general ledger.
Outcomes achieved or planned:
The number of interfaces between CBS and other BLM systems being maintained has continued to rise, but the cost of operating older technology has increased. CBS is in the process of adding mobile applications offered through Pay.gov that will allow our recreations site greater flexibility and improved customer experience. Also, Point of Sale (POS) capability is currently being analyzed.
Planned performance measures:
This investment aids in the implementation of the Department of the Interior's FY 2018-2022 Strategic Plan. Specifically, Strategy #2: Provide dependable and efficient information technology within Goal #3: Prioritize DOI infrastructure needs and reduce deferred maintenance backlog, reads as follows: Information Management and Technology (IMT) provides modern and secure technology solutions to advance the DOI s ability to deliver programs and services to the public and our customers. The Performance Reference Model (PRM) Agency Strategic Objective code for this is 010SO18255.