Processing Claims and Reimbursements

Administrators can review partner-submitted expense claims and process reimbursements through the Salesforce administrative interface, providing comprehensive control over claim validation, approval decisions, and payment processing. The claims processing workflow enables detailed evaluation of expense documentation, individual claim approval or rejection, reimbursement authorization, and payment method tracking for complete program financial oversight and partner relationship management.

Requirements

To process claims and reimbursements, users must be assigned a security role with the following permissions:

• Employee System Role or Administrator System Role
• MDF Expense Claims: Read (Controlled By Parent) and Edit permissions
• Campaign Reimbursement: Read (Controlled By Parent), Create, and Edit permissions
• MDF Request: Read (All) for context and budget tracking
• Campaign: Read (All) for campaign reference and validation
• Access to Salesforce MDF claims management functionality

Understanding Claims Processing Workflow

Administrative Claims Interface

Salesforce-Based Claims Management: All expense claims review and processing activities occur within the Salesforce administrative interface, providing comprehensive integration with CRM workflows and financial tracking capabilities.

Campaign-Level Claims Organization: Claims are organized by approved campaigns, enabling administrators to review expenses against original campaign specifications and approved funding amounts.

Individual Claim Processing: Each expense claim receives independent review and approval decisions, supporting granular control over reimbursement authorization and program compliance.

Claims Review Architecture

Documentation Validation: Comprehensive review of supporting documentation including receipts, invoices, execution proof, and payment verification for expense legitimacy validation.

Amount Verification: Claims amount validation against approved campaign amounts, reimbursement percentages, and reasonable expense guidelines for program compliance.

Campaign Alignment Assessment: Claims evaluation against original campaign scope, approved activities, and execution timelines for strategic alignment verification.

Accessing Claims for Review

Navigation to Claims Management

Manage Claims Interface Access

1. Navigate to the MDF Request record in Salesforce
2. Locate the Manage Claims option (available through the record actions or overflow menu)
3. Click Manage Claims to open the Manage Fund Claims interface

Claims List Interface

• Display submitted claims with key information including partner details, campaign references, claim amounts, and submission dates
• Filter claims by status, partner, campaign, or submission date for efficient review management
• Access individual claim details for comprehensive review and processing decisions

Claims Organization and Filtering

Campaign-Based Grouping

• View claims organized by approved campaigns for context and campaign budget tracking
• Access campaign specifications and approval details for informed claims evaluation
• Monitor total claims against approved campaign amounts and reimbursement percentages

Status-Based Management

• Filter claims by processing status including Submitted, Pending, Approved, Rejected, and Reimbursed for workflow efficiency
• Prioritize claims based on submission date, amount, or partner relationship importance
• Track claims processing timelines and administrative response requirements

Using the Manage Fund Claims Interface

The Manage Fund Claims interface provides a centralized workspace for reviewing, approving, and processing partner expense claims. The interface is organized into two primary tabs that correspond to different stages of the claims workflow.

Review Tab

The Review tab displays all claims that are pending administrative review, including newly submitted claims and claims marked as Pending.

Available Actions in the Review Tab:

Claim Status Options

Claims progress through the following status values during the review and reimbursement workflow:

Reimburse Tab

The Reimburse tab displays all Approved claims that are ready to be marked as reimbursed. Once a claim is approved in the Review tab, it automatically moves to the Reimburse tab for final processing.

Reimburse Tab Workflow:

1. Review the list of approved claims ready for reimbursement
2. Select one or more claims to process
3. Click the reimbursement action to open the Reimbursement Information dialog
4. Complete the reimbursement details
5. Save to mark the claim(s) as reimbursed

Entering Reimbursement Information

When marking a claim as reimbursed, the Reimbursement Information dialog allows administrators to record payment details that are shared with the partner in the Partner Portal.

Reimbursement Information Fields:

Reviewing Individual Claims

Claims Documentation Assessment

Supporting Documentation Review

1. Access uploaded receipts, invoices, vendor payments, and execution proof for each claim using the View Attachments action
2. Verify documentation authenticity, completeness, and alignment with claimed expenses
3. Validate expense dates against approved campaign timelines and execution periods

Documentation Quality Evaluation

• Assess receipt and invoice clarity, completeness, and professional appearance for validation confidence
• Review payment verification including bank statements, credit card records, or payment confirmations
• Evaluate execution proof including screenshots, photographs, or performance reports for campaign completion validation

Expense Amount Validation

Campaign Budget Alignment

• Compare claim amounts against approved campaign budgets and reimbursement percentages
• Calculate total claims against individual campaigns to prevent over-reimbursement
• Monitor campaign-level spending patterns and budget utilization for program oversight

Reasonable Expense Assessment

• Evaluate expense amounts for market reasonableness and campaign scope appropriateness
• Consider expense types against approved campaign activities and marketing objectives
• Assess expense timing alignment with campaign execution periods and approved schedules

Campaign Scope Verification

Activity Alignment Review

• Verify claimed expenses align with approved campaign scope and marketing activities
• Assess expense categories against original campaign descriptions and approved plans
• Evaluate expense legitimacy within context of approved marketing objectives and execution strategies

Timeline Compliance Assessment

• Confirm expense dates fall within approved campaign execution periods
• Validate claim submission timing against campaign deadlines and program requirements
• Assess execution timeline reasonableness and campaign completion evidence

Claims Approval and Rejection

Individual Claim Decisions

Claim Approval Process

For valid claims meeting approval criteria:

1. Approve Claim: Select the claim(s) and use Approve Selected Claims to grant approval for reimbursement processing
2. Approval Amount: Specify approved reimbursement amount if different from claimed amount
3. Approval Notes: Add internal documentation of approval rationale and processing instructions
4. Reimbursement Authorization: Approved claims automatically move to the Reimburse tab for payment processing

Claim Rejection Process

For claims requiring rejection:

1. Reject Claim: Select the claim(s) and use Reject Selected Claims to deny the claim for reimbursement
2. Rejection Reason: Provide specific explanation for rejection including documentation deficiencies, amount concerns, or scope misalignment
3. Improvement Guidance: Offer constructive feedback for potential claim resubmission or future improvement
4. Partner Communication: Use the Add Comment feature to provide additional messaging for partner understanding

Approval Decision Documentation

Internal Record Keeping

• Document approval rationale and decision criteria for audit trail maintenance and consistency
• Record expense validation methods and documentation review outcomes for program compliance
• Maintain approval patterns and decision history for program analysis and optimization

Partner Communication Integration

• Automated notifications (if configured) inform partners of approval decisions and next steps
• Rejection communications include constructive feedback and improvement guidance for partner development
• Status updates integrate with partner portal for real-time information access and transparency

Reimbursement Processing and Tracking

Reimbursement Authorization

Approved Claims Processing

1. Navigate to the Reimburse tab in the Manage Fund Claims interface to view approved claims ready for reimbursement
2. Select the claim(s) to be reimbursed
3. Complete the Reimbursement Information dialog with Subject, Reimbursement Date, and Description
4. Save to mark the claim as Reimbursed and create the reimbursement record

Payment Method Documentation

Use the Description field in the Reimbursement Information dialog to document payment details:

• Check Payment: Record check numbers, mailing dates, and delivery confirmation for payment tracking
• Wire Transfer: Document wire transfer details, transaction numbers, and completion dates for audit trails
• Invoice Deduction: Track credit applications against partner invoices or account balances for offset processing
• Other Methods: Record alternative payment methods and transaction details for comprehensive tracking

Reimbursement Status Management

Payment Processing Tracking

1. Claim status automatically updates to Reimbursed when reimbursement information is saved
2. Reimbursement details including date and description are visible to the partner in the Partner Portal
3. The MDF Claim Reimbursement record is created and linked to the MDF Request for reporting and tracking

Partner Communication

• Partners can view reimbursement status and details in the Partner Portal
• Use the Description field to provide payment tracking information for partner financial planning and record keeping
• Maintain communication logs for relationship management and inquiry response support

Financial Tracking Integration

Program Budget Management

• Track total reimbursements against program budgets and allocation planning
• Monitor partner-level reimbursement patterns for relationship management and program optimization
• Calculate program utilization rates and financial performance metrics for strategic analysis

Claims Analytics and Reporting

• Generate reports on claims processing timelines, approval rates, and reimbursement volumes
• Analyze claims patterns by partner, campaign type, or expense category for program insights
• Track claims processing efficiency and administrative performance for workflow optimization

Bulk Claims Processing

Efficient Processing Workflows

Batch Approval Processing

• Select multiple claims in the Review tab and use Approve Selected Claims to process multiple similar claims simultaneously
• Apply consistent approval criteria across similar claim types and partners
• Coordinate batch processing with reimbursement scheduling for payment optimization

Reimbursement Batch Processing

1. Select multiple approved claims in the Reimburse tab for simultaneous reimbursement processing
2. Complete reimbursement information that applies to the batch
3. Save to update all selected claims to Reimbursed status
4. Coordinate partner communications for batch reimbursement transparency

Processing Efficiency Optimization

Streamlined Review Procedures

• Develop consistent evaluation criteria and checklists for efficient claims assessment
• Establish approval thresholds and automatic processing rules for routine claims
• Implement escalation procedures for complex or high-value claims requiring additional review

Communication Templates

• Use standardized communication templates for approval and rejection notifications
• Maintain consistent messaging for partner expectations and program transparency
• Customize communications based on claim specifics and partner relationship requirements

Best Practices for Claims Processing

Efficient Processing Management

Systematic Review Approach

• Develop consistent evaluation criteria for claims assessment ensuring fair and efficient processing decisions
• Create documentation standards and validation procedures for complex claims and expense categories
• Establish processing timelines and response expectations for partner satisfaction and program effectiveness
• Use the Pending status to communicate to partners when claims require additional review time

Decision Documentation

• Maintain comprehensive approval and rejection rationale for audit purposes and program analysis
• Record claims processing patterns and outcomes for continuous improvement and optimization
• Track partner feedback and satisfaction with processing efficiency and communication quality

Strategic Program Management

Partner Relationship Focus

• Use claims processing as partner development opportunity through constructive feedback and program education
• Maintain professional communication and transparency throughout processing to build trust and engagement
• Consider broader partner relationship when making claims decisions while maintaining program integrity

Financial Control Integration

• Balance generous reimbursement policies with responsible program budget management and sustainability
• Monitor program-wide reimbursement patterns for strategic fund allocation and planning optimization
• Integrate claims processing with broader financial planning and budget management procedures

Process Optimization

Workflow Efficiency

• Streamline claims processing workflows for reduced administrative burden and improved partner response times
• Leverage the Review and Reimburse tab structure for clear workflow progression
• Regular review and optimization of processing procedures based on volume patterns and efficiency metrics

Quality Assurance

• Implement quality review procedures for claims processing decisions and reimbursement accuracy
• Maintain audit trails and documentation standards for regulatory compliance and program oversight
• Monitor processing quality and consistency across administrative team members for program standardization

Claims processing and reimbursement management provides essential administrative capabilities for converting partner marketing investments into actual reimbursements through systematic validation, efficient processing, and comprehensive financial tracking that supports both program integrity and positive partner relationships.

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