Traditionally, the Department of Defense (DoD) acquisition process has been paper-based, labor intensive, and heavily dependent upon manual and repetitive data inputs from multiple functional communities. The DoD Paperless Contracting initiative was created in response to the DoD Comptroller's Management Reform Memorandum #2 of 21 May 1997 -- Moving to a Paper-free Contracting Process. The Department of Defense (DoD) Wide Area Workflow (PIEE) began as a Paperless Contracting prototype application to eliminate paper from the Receipt/Acceptance and Invoice/Payment process of the DoD contracting life cycle. It became operational in FY99.

Procurement Integrated Enterprise Environment WAWF application is a secure Web-based system for electronic invoicing, receipt and acceptance. See the Figure below. WAWF creates a virtual folder to combine the three documents required to pay a Vendor - the Contract, the Invoice, and the Receiving Report. The WAWF application enables electronic form submission of Invoices, government inspection, and acceptance documents in order to support DoD's goal of moving to a paperless acquisition process. It provides the technology for government contractors and authorized DoD personnel to generate, capture, and process receipt and payment-related documentation, via interactive Web-based applications. Authorized DoD users are notified of pending actions by e-mail and are presented with a collection of documents required to process the contracting or financial action. It uses Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) to electronically bind the digital signature to provide non-refutable proof that the user (electronically) signed the document with the contents. More importantly, WAWF helps to mitigate interest penalty payments due to lost or misplaced documents and highlights Vendor offered discounts so that the DoD benefits on both fronts, in addition to streamlining the whole process from weeks to days or minutes. Benefits include online access and full spectrum view of document status, minimized re-keying and improving data accuracy, eliminating unmatched disbursements and making all documentation required for payment easily accessible. WAWF is the system that allows DoD to reach its e-invoicing goals and reduce interest penalties due to lost or misplaced documents. WAWF was known as PIEE until release 5.6.0 in 2014 when the name was changed to Invoice, Receipt, Acceptance, and Property Transfer(WAWF).

The graphic provides a depiction of the general PIEE functionality. It portrays different ways Vendors interact with PIEE via FTP, web, or EDI (all EDI transactions are done through GEX - Global Exchange Services). It also shows how government officials including Inspector, Acceptor, Reviewer, Approver, LPO Reviewer, LPO, and Pay Official interact with PIEE. In addition, it shows the interactions between PIEE and the SAM system, DAASC, EDA, Accounting Systems, Logistic Systems, UID Registry, Property System, and the Entitlement Systems.

NOTE:

• SAM (System for Award Management) - CAGE Code information is pulled from here.
• DAASC (Defense Automatic Addressing System Center) - DoDAAC information is pulled from here.
• EDA (Electronic Data Access) - contract information and CLIN information is pulled from here.
• GEX (Global Exchange Services) - converts Vendor EDI format to a WAWF User Defined Format (UDF).

• Elimination Of Paper-Based Support Functions: Labor savings are realized by eliminating manual entry of data across programs. From a management and cost savings standpoint, the implementation of WAWF will eliminate numerous support functions required for the current paper-based process. With the electronic capture, storage, and retrieval of required documents, the supporting infrastructure that includes mail, file, and copy rooms and their associated personnel, no longer need to be maintained.
• Global Accessibility: Multiple users will be able to globally access documents, which will streamline processing, reduce the need for re-typing, improve accuracy, and provide real-time processing and access to document status. WAWF users will be able to research discrepancies, history, or status related to past payment, shipment, or invoices, without having to involve individuals from other organizations within the process.
• Eliminates Lost Or Misplaced Documents: All documents are stored in one place that is accessible over the Web. A DoD Vendor is able to submit his/her Invoices electronically, and access contract payment records and status. Lead-time from mail transit of documents will be eliminated. It increases cost efficiency (e.g. cheaper to move/store "electrons" than "paper").
• Accuracy Of Documents: Current problems such as unmatched disbursements, duplicate payments, and payment delays can be alleviated using WAWF.
• Secure & Auditable Transactions: Access to appropriate functions and documents will be controlled through the user registration process. In addition, Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) certificates will be used to verify user identification, and to digitally sign documents when required.
• Enables DoD To Take Maximum Benefit Of Discounts: Government personnel can maximize Vendor-offered discounts because WAWF highlights those documents first. WAWF improves a Vendors ability to get paid on time since the documents go through extensive edit checking up front. Any problems with the submitted documents are immediately flagged to the Vendor for correction.
• Enables Timely & Accurate Payments: DoD Vendors have experienced tremendous benefits by using WAWF. WAWF is capable of taking in EDI X12 files as well as FTP batch files. Vendors who are able to electronically connect, system-to-system, are seeing a decrease in the time it takes to generate a document and get it into government hands for acceptance. What normally took 10 days can now be accomplished in 1 day, if not minutes.
• Decreases Interest Penalties: Since WAWF decreases processing time by several orders of magnitude, the system will reduce greatly the number of Prompt Payment Act (PPA) violations.