There are over 40 processes in use at HTM — processes that are essential for accurate and timely outsourced client services. In addition to accounting, payroll, human resource, and employee expense reporting processes, there are processes for managing policies, source documents, budgets, and forecasts, and processes for verifying the accuracy of our work.

Task Management Process

HTM's Task Management Process controls the tasks that make up the processes. Each task, for each client, is scheduled and assigned to an employee. The tasks for each employee, for each day, are shown in the employees Task Management Window, and include the policies specific to each client. Information including the time spent on each task, any problems encountered, and the time when the task is completed are recorded.

Several large monitors around the HTM office show the real time status of all tasks, and highlight, in bright orange, any task not on schedule.

Accounting Process

HTM's Accounting Process uses the HTM standard chart of accounts to increase accuracy and efficiency and maps those accounts to the client’s chart of accounts. All reporting is done using the client’s chart of accounts.

Payments are made by our Treasury Group, which is segmented from our Accounting Group.

Reporting for accounting is done through the Business Information Portal that shows all current and past accounting information. Balance sheet and income statement, and schedules for all balance sheet accounts are shown in standard report format in addition to graphical format with drill down capability.

Payroll Process

HTM's Payroll Process starts each month by recording and numbering each payroll change in the HTM Source Document System. The data is then entered into the payroll system, verified against the source documents, and a preliminary payroll report is sent to the client for approval.

Once the payroll is approved, a cash requirement report is sent to the client requesting funds be deposited for making the payroll, pay slips are printed in Japanese or English and sent to employees, bank transfers are initiated. At the end of each month payroll bank reconciliations are done and sent to the client along with a payroll accounting report.

Employee Expense Process

HTM's Employee Expense Process uses our bi-lingual, on-line web-based system. The client’s employees enter their expense into the system, writes the unique number given by the system onto the receipt, reviews and submits the expense items, and then mails the expense receipts to HTM using a prepaid, self-addressed envelope supplied by HTM.

Receipts received at HTM are matched to the entries made by the employee. If they match, the items are given admin approval. If not, HTM resolves the issue with the employee. The manager then reviews the expense items and approves. Items not approved are returned electronically with a note to the employee for correction and/or resubmission. After the manager’s approval, HTM reimburses the employee, and sends the employee an email report showing the items reimbursed. An accounting report is issued monthly for entry into the accounting system.

The complete employee expense history is available online using the Business Information Portal, which allows drilling down from a multi-year expense view to a single transaction.

Employee Attendance Process

HTM's Employee Attendance Process uses our online, web-based system. For employees who are paid overtime, the process insures that attendance is recorded, approved, and correctly calculated according to regulations and your policies. For all employees, the process tracks and reports vacation and sick time taken and remaining, lieu days worked and taken, travel and standby time, and leave time. This information is entered into our our payroll and HR systems

The complete attendance history is available online through the Business Information Portal, and can be graphically analyzed.

Practices and Regulations Process

HTM's Practices and Regulations Process reviews monthly any changes to business practices and regulations for accounting, tax, payroll, and HR. This information is made available to the client online and in the HTM newsletter.

Human Resource Process

HTM's Human Resource Process provides specialists to work with your management and employees on compensation, work rules, social insurance, and pension plans. The process maintains a database with complete information for each employee and provides detailed reporting on current and historical information.

Client Administration Process

HTM's Client Administration Process manages all accounting, payroll, human resource, and general administration information specific to each client. The information includes the client's accounting codes requirements, approvals required for accounting, payroll, HR, and employee expenses, copy of required signatures or seal, location of seal, vacation and sick time policy, and many other items specific to the client.

All of the specific client information is available online through the Business Information Portal.

Treasury Process

HTM's Treasury Process defines the responsibilities and methods for setting up and managing bank accounts and the process for making payments. Employees in the Treasury Group are the only ones with access to company seals and to bank accounts. The treasury process also defines the tasks for gathering and making available the client's daily bank transactions.

Financial Control Process

HTM's Financial Control Process defines the tasks for making the annual budget, the monthly update to the forecast, the monthly variance report, and the monthly cash requirement report. Actual data from the accounting and payroll process for the past, and budget data plus planned changes from budget for the future, are combined to create the forecast. Planned changes from the budget are maintained in the database allowing a detailed review of planned budget changes.

Business Information Portal Process

HTM's Business Information Portal Process defines the tasks required to set up the system for new clients, and the monthly tasks that bring together in one place all finance, accounting, tax, HR, payroll, legal documents, employee expenses, and work time activity.

In addition to standard reports, data is shown graphically allowing analysis across any time period, down to individual transactions.

Source Document Process

HTM's Source Document Process defines the tasks required to record all information received from clients and to assign a unique tracking number to that information. This process allows an audit trail from our accounting, payroll, and HR systems back to the original source documents.

The process triggers actions required by other processes, and generates reports that contain information that is entered into our accounting, HR, and payroll systems.

Document Tracking Process

HTM's Document Tracking Process defines the tasks required to track all documents that are required to be filled with government agencies and insurance providers. The requirement to file a document is defined by a combination of information from the Task Management System, the Source Document System, and the Payroll System.

Input Verification Process

HTM's Input Verification Process, using audit tables built into our accounting, payroll, and HR systems, compares data entered into these systems with the original source documents. This process is done twice: once by the processing people who entered the data, and again by processing people who did not enter the data. Since most errors are caused by incorrect data entry, this process assures those errors are found and corrected.

Output Verification Process

HTM's Output Verification Process defines the tasks required to verify that our accounting, payroll, and HR reports are complete and accurate. Since data entry has been verified to agree with the source documents, the output verification process is designed to find inconsistencies that indicate broader problems and possible missing data. This process is done by senior accounting, payroll, and HR consultants.