How the VIP Suite Supports Public Sector Operations

Public sector ERP software shouldn’t require translation. You should be able to look at a system and clearly understand what you're looking at, what problem it solves, how it fits into daily operations, and how to do what you need to do.

The VIP Suite from Software Solutions, Inc. was built with that exact goal in mind. Each module serves a defined operational purpose, and all of them share the same underlying database. No duplicate entry. No reconciliation gymnastics. No disconnected workflows. Just a system that works the way you need it to.

Let’s take the tour.

VIP Accounting

VIP Accounting is the core of the Visual Intelligence Portfolio® and the primary system of record for financial data. It supports public-sector fund accounting and is used by organizations with both simple and highly complex charts of accounts.

Finance teams rely on VIP Accounting to manage general ledger activity, pay vendors, control budgets, reconcile banks, track projects, and report financial results. The system supports up to nine account segments, making it flexible enough for utilities, municipalities, and special districts with detailed reporting needs.

Because all other VIP modules post directly to accounting, financial data stays consistent across the organization. Payroll, utility billing, purchasing, and AP automation all write back to the same ledger—eliminating manual journal entries and after-the-fact corrections.

In day-to-day use, VIP Accounting supports activities like recurring journal entries, vendor and 1099 invoice tracking, purchasing approvals with built-in budget checks, grant and project tracking across multiple years, and capital improvement planning tied directly to funding sources. Reporting tools allow staff to export data, build dashboards, and group accounts dynamically.

And it works seamlessly across desktop, tablet, and phone. Because finance doesn’t stop when there's a snowstorm...

Key capabilities include:

• General Ledger

• Purchasing & Departmental Purchasing

• Budgeting

• Accounts Payable

• Miscellaneous Receipts

• Asset Management

• Treasury Management

• Capital Improvement tracking

• Approval Workflows

• General Billing

With your VIP purchase, you get a free Audit Packet feature in our software. We consulted with state auditors to determine what information is viewed during audits. From this information, we created a packet download for you to give to state or independent auditors to make the audit process easier.

Simply select the year and VIP module (Accounting, Utility Billing, or Payroll), set the parameters of the file download, export the files to a specific location, and send to the auditor. And you're done. Easy as that. 

VIP Budgeting & Analytics

VIP Budgeting & Analytics works directly with VIP Accounting to manage operational budgets, personnel budgets, forecasting, and financial reporting. Instead of relying on external spreadsheets, budget data lives inside the same system as actual financial results.

Departments can enter budget requests with supporting details, comments, and worksheets, while finance teams maintain control through workflows and approvals. Decision-makers can review and adjust requests throughout the process, using live data and historical trends to inform changes.

Outside of budget season, this module becomes a financial analysis and reporting engine. Users can create dashboards, run what-if scenarios, analyze multi-year trends, and generate real-time reports with a single click. Reports can be delivered automatically in Word, Excel, or PDF format—reducing the manual effort typically required to prepare financial books and presentations.

Features include:

• Operational & Personnel Budgeting

• Advanced Report Designers

• Cloud Analytics

• Scheduler

• Word & Excel Publishers

We also have friendly, responsive customer support. Many of our support calls are resolved in under 2 hours. The majority of tickets are solved the same day, reinforcing our commitment to reliable financial management ERP software support.

VIP AP Automation

VIP AP Automation modernizes the procure-to-pay process by automating invoice intake, approval routing, and payment processing. AP teams no longer manage multiple workflows depending on payment type; instead, all invoices follow a single, consistent process.

Invoices are routed electronically for approval, creating clear audit trails and reducing processing time. Payments are issued on your behalf, with reconciliation details provided once transactions are complete. Vendors interact through a portal, which improves visibility and reduces inquiries about payment status.

From an operational standpoint, organizations use AP Automation to reduce the cost and risk associated with physical checks, limit exposure to fraud by avoiding storage of vendor banking data, and improve vendor relationships through clearer communication and faster payments.

This solution includes:

• Accounts Payable (Procure-to-Pay) Automation

• Vendor Portal

And because it integrates directly with VIP Accounting, you gain efficiency without sacrificing accuracy.

"I am able to run more reports for myself and Council. The workflow process for requisitions and time entry has streamlined these processes and reduced staff time. The utility billing and online portal with Invoice Cloud has almost eliminated calls the middle of the month to make water bill payments."
-Jeremiah C., Finance Director at City of Wyoming, OH

VIP Utility Billing

VIP Utility Billing supports utilities and municipalities that manage high volumes of customer accounts, services, and meter data. It integrates billing, accounts receivable, work orders, inventory, and customer communication into one system.

Office and field staff work from the same data, whether managing rates, dispatching work orders, or reviewing account histories. Meter integrations, GIS connectivity, and mobile work orders reduce redundant entry and speed up service delivery.

The system supports flexible billing scenarios, payment plans, budget billing, deposit tracking, landlord tracking, and general billing for non-utility charges. Built-in alerts, approval workflows, and audit trails help reduce billing errors while maintaining control.

Financial activity flows directly into VIP Accounting, giving finance teams immediate visibility into receivables and revenue.

Included functionality:

• Utility Billing & Accounts Receivable

• AMR/AMI integration

• Lockbox processing

• Backflow management

• Approval Workflows

• Work Orders & Mobile Work Orders

• Web Portal for customers

• Inventory Control

Because billing shouldn’t be the weak link in your operation. Bills and payments are actually one of the primary citizen touchpoints your agency has. And what citizens experience here shapes how they view your entire organization.

VIP Payroll & HR

VIP Payroll & HR is designed to handle the real complexity of public sector payroll: multiple pay groups, pensions, deductions, reporting requirements, and strict posting controls.

Payroll staff use VIP Payroll to process pay accurately and consistently, even when employees submit time in different ways. Time can be entered departmentally, imported from Excel, or submitted through configured workflows, all while maintaining role-based security. Once payroll is processed, wages, employer matching, and liabilities post directly to VIP Accounting, validating cash and budget before anything hits the general ledger.

Reporting is built in, too. Payroll teams generate pension reports, deduction summaries, and custom exports without recreating data in spreadsheets. During budget season, personnel budgeting tools allow finance teams to model raises, benefits, and deduction changes using real payroll data, supporting what-if scenarios.

Year-end processing stays controlled and flexible. Multiple periods can remain open, W-2s can be printed or reprinted as needed, and payroll processing continues without disruption.

Core features include:

• Payroll Processing

• eFiling Export

• Employee Management

• Time Import

• Departmental Time Entry

• Timeclock Import

In short, VIP Payroll gives public sector organizations a payroll system that prioritizes accuracy, compliance, and integration.

VIP Employee Portal

VIP Employee Portal is a secure, web-based self-service tool that gives employees direct access to their payroll and time information, without relying on HR or payroll staff to pull reports or answer routine questions.

Employees use the portal to view pay stubs and tax forms as soon as they’re posted, eliminating paper distribution and mailing costs. Accrual balances are visible at a glance, making time-off planning straightforward. When employees submit time-off requests or timecards, those requests flow into predefined approval workflows, keeping reviews consistent and documented.

Time entry through the portal supports templates, notes, and work location details. This improves accuracy and reduces follow-up questions from supervisors. Requests and submissions can also be viewed in a calendar format, helping departments manage coverage more effectively.

The portal also includes a news and information space where organizations can post announcements, benefits updates, enrollment forms, or event details. This centralizes communication in a place employees already use.

Operationally, organizations adopt the VIP Employee Portal to reduce interruptions, improve transparency, and keep employee-driven updates flowing directly into VIP Payroll without duplicate entry.

Features include access to:

• W-2s and Pay Stubs

• Accrual Balances

• Time Entry and Time Off Requests

• Workflow Approvals

• Time Card Approvals

• News, links, and internal resources

Because it’s integrated with VIP Payroll & HR, data stays accurate everywhere.

And if you need something more robust, like scheduling for fire, police, and EMT services, we have a partnership with Right Stuff Software. The information is carried over via API, and they're the only timekeeping software VIP integrates with.

"When I stepped into the payroll position, I really had no knowledge of how to use the software, but it was so user-friendly. It was really easy to pick up."
-Tori K., Payroll Specialist, Beavercreek Township

VIP Talent Management

VIP Talent Management focuses on the full employee lifecycle, starting well before payroll begins. It is used by HR teams to manage recruiting, onboarding, performance planning, and employee engagement in a single platform.

During recruiting, HR staff track applicants, manage workflows, and analyze hiring metrics like applicant sources and cost per hire. Tools like text-to-apply and interview kits help reduce friction for candidates while maintaining structure for internal teams.

Once a candidate is hired, onboarding becomes a controlled, digital process. Employment eligibility, tax forms, direct deposit, and compliance documentation are stored securely and can be completed remotely or in bulk. Digital onboarding packets help standardize the experience across departments and locations.

After onboarding, VIP Talent Management supports goal planning, performance reviews, and employee surveys. HR teams can design custom review cycles, gather feedback, recognize milestones, and track employee progress over time. Because it integrates with VIP Payroll, employee data carries forward automatically as individuals move through their careers.

Organizations use VIP Talent Management to formalize HR processes, improve visibility into workforce trends, and support retention—without introducing yet another disconnected system.

Talent tools include:

• Recruiting

• Onboarding

• Applicant Tracking System

• Performance Management

• Interview Toolkit

• Community Chat

• Employee Surveys

It even includes text-to-apply capabilities. And if you need a solution for benefits, we partnered with Bentek, a leading benefits administration platform. It's a seamless, user-friendly way to manage benefits enrollment. And it's built exclusively for the state, local, and education (SLED) market.

VIP Cloud

VIP Cloud provides secure, managed hosting using Amazon Web Services (AWS). It is designed to replace on-premise servers with a scalable, resilient environment that supports remote access and business continuity.

Organizations use VIP Cloud to reduce capital expenditures, improve disaster recovery, and offload routine IT maintenance. Automatic software updates, encryption, firewalls, and daily backups are included, along with security controls aligned to NIST and CIS frameworks.

From an operational standpoint, VIP Cloud allows teams to access the system from anywhere while maintaining high availability and reducing internal IT workload.

With VIP Cloud, you get:

• Secure hosting via AWS

• Automatic software updates

• Encryption

• Daily backups

So your team focuses on serving the community, not managing expensive servers.

Additional Services

Beyond software, SSI offers services to customers that support long-term success. These include chart of accounts renumbering, professional training, meter changeout services, cloud backup, check printing, positive pay, and digital signatures.

Available services include:

• Chart of Accounts (COA) Renumbering

• Professional Training

• Meter Changeout

• Cloud Backup

• Check Printing

• Positive Pay

• Digital Signatures

These services are typically used to support transitions, improve internal controls, or address operational bottlenecks that software alone does not resolve.

To sum it all up...

VIP Accounting, VIP Utility Billing, and VIP Payroll (the core VIP products) all operate on a single database with shared workflows and reporting. This is done by design. This structure reduces manual reconciliation, limits data duplication, and provides leadership with consistent information across departments.

If you’re evaluating ERP platforms or trying to understand how an integrated system would function within your organization, seeing how it would work for you is ideal. 

Schedule a demo to review the areas that matter most to your organization and see how the VIP Suite would operate for you.