OPERATING LEVEL AGREEMENT
“DRAFT”
Product & Branch Accounting,
Network and Service Delivery.
ons to be a
are highli
Author : Marie Cockett
Version : 0.5 Draft
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0. Document Control
0.1 Document History
Version I Date Reason
0.1 12/11/08 Initial draft
0.2 19/11/200 IReview by Lead Team & Andy
8 Winn
0.3 27/11/200 IReview by P&BA managers
8
0.4 27/11/200 IReview by Tracy Mather
8
0.5 27/11/200 IDeliverables added from
8 Andrew Thompson & John
Breedon
0.2 Approval Authorities
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Name Area Signature Date
Rod Product & Branch
Ismay Accounting
Network
Service Delivery
0.3 Abbreviations
Abbreviat I Definition
ion
A&L Alliance & Leicester
AP Automated Payments
EDS Electronic Data System
EFC Electronic Filing Cabinet
NS&1 National Savings & Investments
OLA Operating Level Agreement
P&BA Product & Branch Accounting
Rems
Remittances
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CONTENTS
i>
2. Operating Level Agreement... .
3. Dependencie:
. Document Contro
Introduction & Purpose
0.1 Document History.
0.2 Approval Authorities
0.3 Abbreviations.
aa
Overview.
Ana
2.1 Transaction Corrections issued by P&BA
2.1.1 Cheques to EDS (processing centre), Cash Rems_& Unpaid Cheques .
2.1.2 AP underpayments & Personal Banking underpayments....
2.1.3 Client related errors - A&L, ATMs (all types), First rate pre-order & travellers cheques.
Moneygram, NS&I, automated payments & Travel insurance ...
2.1.4 Automated Payment Overpayments and Personal Banking Overpayments
2.1.5 Fraudulent Cash Cheques
2.1.6 Bureau Rems, Camelot, DVLA, Paystation, Personal Banking, Postal Orders, Suspense.
Quantum. Vouchers & Government Services ...
2.1.7 Debit Cards...
2.1.8 Saving Stamps
2.1.9 Stock transaction correction:
2.1.10 Fraud Investigations.
1.11 Aged / Large volume / value Transaction Corrections.
1.12 Acceptance of Transaction Corrections .
Enquiries between Branches and P&BA ..
1 Underpayment of a Transaction.
ua
2.2.2 Overpayment of a Transaction.
Telephone Enquiries from Branches...
4 Enquiries to Branches
5 Transaction Correction enquirie:
2.3 Disputes .
2.3.1 Network responsibilities
2 P&BA responsibilities ..
2.4 Branch Trading
2.
Settle Centrally & Debt Recovery ..
2.7 Network Conduct Cases and investigations
2.9 Conformance & Helpline queries
2.9.1 Monthly Reporting.
2.9.4 Helpline queries to PRBA
2.9.5 Branch Non-conformance
2.10 Opening Hour:
2.10.1 Product & Branch Accounting.
2.10.2 Service Delivery helpline (NBSC)
2.11 Review & day to day Relationship.
2.11.1 Quarterly review ...
2.11.4 Day to Day Contacts
3.1 National Federation of Subpostmasters
3.2 Clients & Joint Venture Partners
3.4 Cash, Bureau & Stock...
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1. Introduction & Purpose
1.1 Overview
This Operating Level Agreement is between Product
& Branch Accounting, Network and Service
Delivery.
The agreement is for the interaction with Post
Office Branches, with regards to Transaction
Corrections, Debt recovery and response to
queries.
Product & Branch Accounting, Network and Service
Delivery will use all its reasonable endeavours
to ensure that the timescales are met.
1.2 Timescales
The commencement date for the OLA is the 1** April
2009
It will be reviewed at the quarterly Network
Relationship meeting
2. Operating Level Agreement
2.1 Transaction Corrections issued by P&BA
The following section sets out the normal
timescales for the issuing of Transaction
Corrections to Branches, by Product & Branch
Accounting.
Action: need to dis
products at the c
make sense and also
; uded around t
transaction corr
they
if anything should be
wording & explanations on the
2.1.1 Cheques to EDS (processing centre), Cash
Rems _& Unpaid Cheques
Transaction corrections will be issued within
1 month of the transaction date, with the
exception of missing cheques.
In the case of missing cheques, sometimes
these need to be queried with the Client or
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Customer. In these cases the Branch will be
contacted within 3 months, to be aware of the
potential issue and its value, and for the
branch to provide the relevant information.
These Transaction Corrections will be issued
within 6 months.
2.1.2 AP underpayments & Personal Banking
underpayments
Transaction corrections will be issued within
1 month of the enquiry being received by
P&BA.
2.1.3 Client related errors - A&L, ATMs (all
types), First rate pre-order & travellers
cheques, Moneygram, NS&I, automated payments &
Travel insurance
If a difference needs to be queried with a
Client then the Branch will be contacted
within 3 months, to be aware of the potential
issue and its value, and for the branch to
provide the relevant information. The issue
will then be queried with the Client.
Transaction Corrections will be issued within
6 months.
2.1.4 Automated Payment Overpayments and Personal
Banking Overpayments
These have to be queried with the Client and
Customer. A Transaction Correction will only
be issued if the Client and Customer agrees
and these can take up to 2 years.
2.1.5 Fraudulent Cash Cheques
These are alerted to Product & Branch
Accounting by the Alliance & Leicester.
Transaction Corrections will be issued within
4 months of the transaction date.
2.1.6 Bureau Rems, Camelot, DVLA, Paystation,
Personal Banking, Postal Orders, Suspense,
Quantum, Vouchers & Government Services
These areas are matched using the Branch
Trading periods and Transaction corrections
will be issued within 2 month of the
transaction date.
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2.1.7 Debit Cards
This is dependant on when we receive the
chargeback from the bank. A transaction
correction will be issued within 6 months of
the transaction date.
2.1.8 Saving Stamps
Saving Stamps transaction corrections will be
issued within 3 month of the transaction
date.
2.1.9 Stock transaction corrections
Branches must report a stock surplus or
shortage to the helpline and follow the
standard process. The transaction corrections
will be issued within 3 months of the date
the surplus or shortage is reported.
If a Branch does not follow this process then
the transaction correction will not be
issued. The same applies to any expected
transaction corrections for incorrect stock
adjustments.
2.1.10 Fraud Investigations
If there is a fraud investigation into any
Branches, this could delay the Transaction
Corrections being issued. This means the
timescales detailed above are unlikely to be
met.
Action: need to agree at the conformance
workshop, what if additional losses occur as a
result - who is liable?
2.1.11 Aged / Large volume / value Transaction
Corrections
Product & Branch Accounting will ensure that
significant or widespread issues with regard
to aged, high volume, high value will be
communicated to the Network and Service
Delivery in advance of the Transaction
Corrections being issued. Product & Branch
Accounting will communicate to the Network
and Service Delivery through the relationship
manager in P&BA.
Action: need to agree at the conformance
workshop, the age, volume and value levels.
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2.1.12 Acceptance of Transaction Corrections
Branches will ensure that all Transaction
Corrections are accepted within 1 week of
receipt. Refer to section 2.3 for any
disputes and section 2.4 if this affects
Branch Trading. If a Transaction Correction
arrives on Branch Trading day, the branch has
to action it before they can roll their
branch trading period.
If a branch receives compensating transaction
corrections, they must settle these both in
the same way, either both make good or both
settle centrally.
2.2 Enquiries between Branches and P&BA
The following section sets out the normal
timescales for the response to enquiries from
Branches, by Product & Branch Accounting.
2.2.1 Underpayment of a Transaction
P&BA will respond to the branch and issue a
Transaction correction within 1 month of the
enquiry being received in Pé&BA.
2.2.2 Overpayment of a Transaction
P&BA will follow up with the Client /
Customer on behalf of the Branch, but these
could take up to 2 years to resolve (it could
be a customer only has an annual statement
and does not check them) and are dependant on
the Client / Customers agreement. If the
Client / Customer does not agree then the
branch will be held liable and payment will
be requested.
2.2.3 Telephone Enquiries from Branches
P&BA will respond to all telephone enquiries,
within 2 working days, this may be an update
on the query or a resolution.
2.2.4 Enguiries to Branches
P&BA will at times ask Branches to provide
information to assist in the investigation
process, e.g. a cheque listing. The branch
will provide these within 1 week.
2.2.5 Transaction Correction enquiries
The branch must ring the contact on the
Transaction Correction, this may be Product
and Branch Accounting or it maybe the
helpline.
2.3 Disputes
The following section outlines the
responsibilities with regards to disputes.
2.3.1 Network responsibilities
All disputes will be supported with the
relevant documentation and will be provided
to P&BA within 1 week of receiving a
Transaction Correction.
Action: need to agree at the conformance
workshop, what happens if they do not meet the
2.3.2 P&BA responsibilities
An initial response will be provided within 1
week. This will either be a resolution or an
update with an expected timeframe for
resolution. If a customer or client is
involved this could take up to 6 months. If
the Client / Customer does not agree then the
branch will be held liable and payment will
be requested.
Provide copies of any NFSP cases dealt with
by P&BA to the Contract manager and store on
the EFC.
2.4 Branch Trading
Branches will complete their Branch Trading on
the stated date for their Branch Trading Group.
In exceptional circumstances this can be
completed on the following day.
Action: need to confirm this is in the knowledge
base
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If there is any problems in completing Branch
Trading, Branches will seek advice from the
helpline {
2.5 Branch Discrepancies
On Completion of Branch Trading, Branches may
have a Branch Discrepancy; this will be
investigated to understand the cause of this
discrepancy. The Branch will then contact the
helpline i} and advise that a
Transaction Correction is expected. This needs to
be specific to include the product / transaction
type, date and value.
Service Delivery will then report these to
Product & Branch Accounting for action.
2.6 Settle Centrally & Debt Recovery
If a transaction correction or branch discrepancy
has been settled centrally, then an invoice or
credit advice will be sent to the branch
following the branch trading for settlement by
the branch.
Branch should pay any invoices promptly within 10
working days of receipt. Failure to do so will
result in the monthly deduction from remuneration
Network Contract managers will give concurrence
to any deductions from remuneration over £1,000
Branches must have no more than one month’s
invoice being deducted from remuneration at any
one time
Network Contract managers will contact the branch
if they continue to have invoices which go for
deduction from remuneration.
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BDMs make the final decision on high value write
offs, which are posted to their cost centres.
Action:
this i
need to agree the value and agree how
s_ done
2.7 Network Conduct Cases and investigations
P&BA will provide an accurate summary of the
transaction corrections, issued, accepted and
outstanding within 2 working days of the request
being made by the Contract Manager
P&BA will provide an accurate summary of
outstanding debt held in the settled centrally
account for a branch within 2 working days of the
request being made by the Contract Manager
P&BA will provide an accurate summary of any
other debt for a branch within 2 working days of
the request being made
Action: need to agree should this be P&BA
P&BA to provide accurate details for Branch
Trading balancing results, showing discrepancies
committed on horizon, for a branch for the
previous 12 months prior to a given date (this
may be the date of a suspension for example)
within 2 working days of the request being made.
P&BA to provide the date of last branch trading
with response
P&BA and Network to agree a quicker timescales on
a case by case basis for urgent requests.
2.8 Measurement
To measure this Operating Level Agreement in its
entirety would require a lot of resource.
Therefore, in the short term, this agreement will
be measured on an exceptions basis. Any instances
where the agreement has not been met will be
reported, with the relevant information, to the
following people.
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Name Area Email Address
Andy P & BA Andrew. winné
Winn
Network
Service
Delivery
In the longer term measures and reports will be
developed to monitor the delivery of this
agreement.
2.9 Conformance & Helpline queries
2.9.1 Monthly Reporting
Product & Branch Accounting will provide a
monthly report of Transaction Corrections to
the Network General managers. P&BA will also
provide a monthly worst branch report to the
Network
Action: need to develop the worst branch report
2.9.2 Knowledge Base
Product & Branch Accounting will provide
regular updates to ensure that the Knowledge
Base scripts are up to date to deal with the
incoming calls.
2.9.3 Intervention
Product & Branch Accounting will request
intervention calls from Service Delivery to
deal with specific issues.
2.9.4 Helpline queries to P&BA
Product & Branch Accounting will respond to
requests from the Service Delivery helpline
within 10 working days of request.
2.9.5 Branch Non-conformance
Although the responsibility for conformance
clearly sits with the Network and Multiple
Partners, Product & Branch Accounting and
Service Delivery will work with the Network,
Crown offices and Multiple Partners to
address conformance issues.
2.10 Opening Hours
2.10.1 Product & Branch Accounting
Product & Branch Accounting will be available
to take phone calls between 8.00 am and
5.00pm, Monday to Friday (excluding Public
holidays). If Branches want to contact P&BA
out of hours, they can also use the email
address branch.contro and
someone from Product & Branch Accounting will
call them back, within 2 working days. This
email address can also be used to arrange an
out of hours call.
2.10.2 Service Delivery helpline (NBSC)
The helpline will be available on branch
trading days until 8pm on Branch Trading
balancing days.
2.11 Review & day to day Relationship
2.11.1 Quarterly review
A quarterly review meeting is in place lead
by Marie Cockett and attended by Andy Winn,
Paul Dann, John Breedon, Glenn Chester and
Karen Arnold. This group, together with the
relevant guests, will review this Operating
Level Agreement at least annually.
2.11.2 P&BA Contacts
P&BA to provide details of contacts within
P&BA at regular intervals
Network to provide details of contacts within
the Network at regular intervals
Service Delivery to provide details of
contacts within Service Delivery at regular
intervals
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2.11.3 Changes
P&BA to provide details of any changes to the
Network & Service Delivery, in advance of
implementation, to enable impact assessment
by Network & Service Delivery
Network to provide details of any changes to
the P&BA & Service Delivery, in advance of
implementation, to enable impact assessment
by P&BA & Service Delivery
Service Delivery to provide details of any
changes to the P&BA & Network, in advance of
implementation, to enable impact assessment
by P&BA & Network
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2.11.4 Day to Day Contacts
Name Role Area Email Telephon
Marie Branch Conformance & PéBA. [tf t—CSsS
Cockett Liaison
Andy Winn Relationship Manager P&BA i
Paul Dann Agents Debt accounting P&BA
John Breedon INational Contract Manager Network
North i
Glenn Contract Manager, Central Network
Chester Hl
Karen Arnold IContract Manager, North Network I}
Central England Hl '
Cathy Multiples & Crown P&BA i
Macdonald Accounting, Fraud & i i
conformance
Alison Financial Services & Bill P&BA
Bolsover Payment . .
Service
Deliver
y
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3. Dependencies
In order to delivery the levels / timescales in
this agreement, the following dependencies need
to be met.
3.1 National Federation of Subpostmasters
Agreement must to be sought from the NFSP to
the timescales in this document
3.2 Clients & Joint Venture Partners
Timescales for data feeds, enquiries and
evidence requests must to be agreed with
Client Banks, A&L, Bank of Ireland, Hanco,
First Rate, Moneygram, NS&I, Camelot, DVLA,
Post Office Ltd Banks, Quantum and the
Passport Service to enable the timescales in
this document to be achieved
3.3 Suppliers
Timescales for data feeds, enquiries and
evidence requests must to be agreed with EDS,
Steria and Fujitsu to enable the timescales
in this document to be achieved
3.4 Cash, Bureau & Stock
Timescales for data feeds, enquiries and
evidence requests must to be agreed with Cash
Services, Cash Centres, Hemel Hempstead,
Swindon and Royal Mail Service Delivery to
enable the timescales in this document to be
achieved