Our Mission
As part of the Office of General Services (OGS), the Business Services Center (BSC) is New York State’s central office for processing human resource and finance transactions common across agencies. Our efforts increase efficiencies, lower costs, and support agencies as they focus on core mission activities. Services are delivered by a highly motivated workforce committed to providing exceptional customer service.
Our History
In the 2012-13 Executive Budget, the establishment of a Business Services Center to increase efficiencies and effectiveness by standardizing and streamlining transactional Human Resources (HR) and Finance services that are common across agencies. The BSC was launched on September 27, 2012, and continues to evolve.
Our Services
Human Resources
- Benefits
- Payroll
- Records Management
- Time & Attendance
Finance Resources
- Accounts Payable
- Accounts Receivable
- Credit Cards
- Purchasing
- Travel & Expense
Customer Support
- Customer Inquiries
- BSC Help Center Accounts
- Customer Service
What We Do
Human Resources
Benefits Administration
Provide services for statewide benefits programs, including health insurance and retirement. Enroll agency employees in NYS benefits, including medical, vision, dental, and process employee benefits enrollment changes. In addition, the BSC provides customer onboarding/offboarding packets to Agency HR Liaisons for distribution to employees. The BSC will process and track onboarding/offboarding forms submitted to the BSC by employees.
Personnel and Payroll
We process payroll transactions for customer agency employees, including salary calculations, raises, longevity payments, performance advances, tax withholdings, deductions, direct deposits, loans, arrears, and retirement contributions. We also identify and/or resolve employee overpayments and underpayments and submit agency-approved miscellaneous payments to OSC. In addition, the BSC processes agency submitted HCM templates and submits certain transactions to the Department of Civil Service and the Office of the State Comptroller.
Records Management
Working with the Department of Civil Service, we record and update customer agency personnel data in various HR systems, including beneficiary and change-of-address updates.
Time & Attendance
We set up and maintain employee time records using the Leave & Accrual Tracking System (LATS-NY). We can help you understand attendance and leave rules and how they impact you and help you fill out your timesheet or resolve errors when completing it. We also monitor payment related information on approved timesheets to ensure that the payment information does not conflict with other entries on the timesheets.
Finance
Accounts Payable
We are responsible for processing invoices, including interagency bills, for payment to vendors on behalf of our customer agencies. We leverage the SFS to streamline the processing and approval of these invoices as part of a procure to pay process. Payments that we process are made in accordance with State laws and regulations and are made at the most advantageous time for New York State to maximize discounts earned and minimize interest paid.
Accounts Receivable
We apply receipt of payments to customer agency accounts and provide initial follow-up through the issuance of dunning letters.
Credit Card Administration
We are the state’s credit card administrator for statewide travel and purchasing cards. We monitor new card orders and account profiles in SFS, maintain credit card application templates, and pay the bill each month. The BSC facilitates credit card rebate journals for Agency distribution and ensures that rebate information is posted to the rebate website link.
Purchasing
We are your source for guidance on the state’s purchasing process. Leveraging the Statewide Financial System (SFS), the BSC reviews procurements for compliance with state requirements and issues purchase orders and purchase order change notices to vendors on behalf of our customer agencies. We support the agency purchasing process using the BSC Buy Desk to supplement agency buying activities and we perform Invitations for Bids (IFBs), Request for Quotes (RFQs), and minibids against OGS centralized contracts. Additionally, the BSC administers OGS-negotiated lease contracts and processes one-time lease purchase agreements (OPLs).
Travel & Expense
We advise employees on travel rules and procedures, audit and process employee travel and expense reimbursement, and answer questions related to expense reports and travel policies.
Customer Support
We provide front-line support to our customers. We answer questions and help our customers with forms, applications, and web-based systems. Our goals are first-time resolution and customer service excellence.
Work With Us
Why Join the BSC?
Join the BSC for a chance to shape customer service across the state. The BSC supports New York State employees statewide! BSC staff are encouraged and given the opportunity to enhance and expand critical skills, including analytical and problem-solving skills, and developing management and leadership abilities.
Our Structure & Oversight
The OGS Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner for Shared Services oversee all OGS program areas, including the Business Services Center. The BSC is organized into operational teams within the New York State Office of General Services:
- The finance team executes finance transactions on behalf of state agency customers.
- The human resources team manages and executes HR transactions on behalf of customer agencies.
- The administrative services team manages the onboarding and training of new BSC staff. They are the primary link between the BSC and customer agencies through liaisons.
- The data and analytics team ensures the BSC is working towards metric-based performance goals.
- The customer support team assist agency employees with financial and HR inquiries.