Finance Frequently Asked Questions
Finance Frequently Asked Questions
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Access and
Security -top-
How do I log on to the new systems?
- The new Finance and buyND systems are accessed
by logging on to insideND.
All faculty and staff should be able to log on to insideND
using their netID and password through a standard Web
browser (see Workstation
Configuration Requirements for supported browsers).
On the staff tab within insideND, there is a Procurement
section with a link to buyND, and a Financial
Management section with a link to Finance System - Queries.
You will only see the link to Finance System - Queries
if you have been set up as a budget administrator in the
new Finance system.
How do I access the Finance system when I'm off campus?
- For security purposes, a Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection is required to access the Finance System-Query from an offsite location. The VPN connection permits remote systems to access the ND network as if they were physically located on the ND campus network.
If you do not currently have VPN setup on your computer, you can go to http://oit.nd.edu/security/vpn.shtml to receive instructions on setting up a VPN connection. If you have questions, you may contact the OIT Help Desk at 574-631-8111 or oithelp@nd.edu. Note: a VPN connection is not required for accessing buyND.
How do I get set up for access to my accounts
on the new system?
- Users that have access to GLIQ or buyND should
automatically be set up for access to the equivalent accounts
in the new systems. If you find that you do not have access
to the appropriate accounts, please fill out the Request
for Access Form on the Forms page (NEW FISCAL YEAR 2004-2005)
of the Controller’s
Group Web site. Also, please see the Access
and Security page for more information on this topic.
What is Fund-Org Security, and how is it assigned?
For brand new accounts, will I still have to request
access to the account?
- Yes, you will need to fill out the Request for Access
Form on the Forms tab (NEW FISCAL YEAR 2004-2005) of the Controller’s
Group Web site.
When I look in the Account Access Inquiry, not
all my accounts are listed. What should I do?
In the Account Access Inquiry option, I get an
error when I try to access my list of accounts.
- If you have access to more than 100 accounts, you will
not be able to see your account list on this screen. Contact
the Controller's Group
to obtain a list of your accounts.
Will inactivated accounts be accessible in the
Finance system?
- Yes, inactive accounts will continue to be accessible.
However, when querying against an inactive account, you
will need to be careful to select a reporting period during
which the account was active.
Account Codes
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How do I know which account code to use?
- Visit the Controller's
Group Web site for a list of frequently used account
codes. You can also find out how your old object codes
translate to the new account code numbering by using the
Chart of Accounts Translator in the Financial Management section of the Staff tab on insideND.
Will the new account numbers have a one-to-one
relationship to the former IFAS codes?
- There is not a one-to-one relationship. However, there
are resources to assist in converting to the new FOAPAL
numbering system. There is a Chart of Accounts Translator available in the Financial Management section of the Staff tab on insideND.
Will there still be account names?
- Yes. A 35 character description is defined for every
element of FOAPAL. Note however, that a FOAPAL string
is a combination of six elements--that combination does
not have a name or description.
Where should I expense miscellaneous charges, since
there is no longer a Miscellaneous code?
- Miscellaneous expenses should be charged to the Supplies
account, or any other appropriate account code.
I used to have a Travel account code, now there
is no general Travel account, what should I do?
- See the bottom of the Forms page for more information about how to report travel expenses.
Activity
Codes -top-
What Activity Codes are available for me to use?
- There will be a number of Activity Codes available for
anyone at the University to use. Other Activity Codes
will only be used by specific departments. The
Controller's Group Web site
has a list of available Activity Codes.
When will FY04-05 budgets be distributed?
- FY04-05 unrestricted budgets will be distributed June 7-18. FY04-05 restricted budgets will be distributed in August.
Business
Objects -top-
I have heard that people using the new financial
system will need to learn MS Access in order to use Business
Objects. Is this true?
- Business Objects will be our campus-wide reporting
tool. We will not be rolling out or supporting the use
of MS Access as a reporting tool with the new financial
system - it is also not a front end to Business Objects.
Business Objects will be initially rolled out to a select
number of individuals who need more powerful ad hoc reporting
than self service Finance provides. We believe that the
self service applications provided by the system will
provide the majority of end users similar (if not more)
information than they receive today. As we learn more,
we will rollout Business Objects to other campus users
as it is required/needed.
Will the OIT be providing support for Business
Objects?
- We would expect that the individuals receiving training
on Business Objects will become super users and be able
to be experts in their area. The OIT will provide some
support for more sophisticated or complex reporting needs.
Ongoing training opportunities will also be offered for
Business Objects.
Check Requisitions -top-
How do I do a check requisition in the new finance system?
- Visit the NEW FISCAL YEAR 2004-2005 section on the Forms page of the Controller's Group Web site to obtain the revised Check Requisition form.
Electronic
Interfaces / Uploads -top-
How are electronic internal file upload errors
to be corrected and resubmitted?
- If the dataset fails the system edits that happen before
the loading process, an email message listing the rejected
documents and error messages will be sent to the submitter.
The submitter is responsible for correcting the error
and then re-submitting the file. If an error is detected
in a document after the loading process, then the document
is suspended in the Finance system and can be corrected
by the Controller's Office.
What is my System ID?
- Each interfacing system will be assigned a System ID.
This code will be stored in the Finance system and be
validated by the interface process to ensure accurate
and authorized files to be processed. The System Ids will
be defined after integration testing.
Encumbrances
Why can't I see encumbrances on expenses for my
asset and liabilities accounts?
- The Finance system does not support encumbrances against
asset or liability accounts (account numbers that start
with 1 are asset accounts, account numbers that start
with 2 are liability accounts). If you need to see this
data, please contact the Controller's Group for assistance.
What are commitments?
- Commitments are the same thing as Encumbrances.
Excel Downloads
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How can I download budget information to a spreadsheet?
- After you run a query in the
Finance system, you will see two choices towards the bottom
of the screen, "Download selected ledger items"
and "Download all ledger items." The first will
only download the columns selected in your query, the
second will download all columns, even if the column does
not appear in the query results.
Why do computation columns I created not appear
when I download to Excel?
- The computation columns appears on your screen, but
it is actually not a part of the database, and so does
not appear when you download to Excel. However, you can
easily use a formula in Excel to recreate the computation
in your spreadsheet.
Is there a way to download data to an existing,
formatted spreadsheet or does it always have to go to a
new unformatted sheet?
- Downloaded data will always be exported to a new unformatted
spreadsheet. If you create a template and save a blank
copy however, you can use the 'copy/paste special values'
function in the Edit dropdown menu in Excel to copy the
raw data from the download spreadsheet into your formatted
template.
FOAPAL General
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What is a FOAPAL?
- The chart of accounts structure in the new Finance
system is composed of six elements: Fund, Organization,
Account, Program, Activity, and Location. Each elemlent
is a string of digits (or alphanumeric). This string of
elements is used to record a financial transaction. FOAPAL
will be used for classification, budgeting, recording
and reporting. Read below to find out more. Also see the "What's
a FOAPAL" document for additonal detail.
What do the six elements in FOAPAL mean?
- Fund - is the source from which the funds are drawn. Includes the following fund groups: Unrestricted Funds, Restricted Funds, Student Loan Funds, Endowment Funds, Plant Funds, Agency Funds.
- Organization - identifies the school/college/division/department and is designed to reflect the current University organization structure. The unrestricted budget unit in the old system is similar to the new Organization code.
- Account - identifies the category of activity, such as revenue, expense and transfer. The object code in the old system is similar to the new Account code.
- Program - identifies the purpose of the related financial transactions, within the context of the University’s major activities, such as instruction, research, public service, etc.
- Activity - Optional account string segment designed for short duration projects, special events, recurring campus events involving one or multiple departments (e.g. Commencement)
- Location - Optional accounting string element primarily used with the fixed asset module to designate physical places or sites, such as building and room number. Required for capital purchases (e.g. 1097 Loftus All-Sport Facility)
How do I find out my new FOAPAL numbers?
Have any paper forms been revised to ask for FOAPALs
instead of old account numbers?
- Yes, many forms have been revised to accomodate the new FOAPAL. See the Forms page for additional detail.
I am a GLIQ user, will this system still be available
after July 1, 2004?
- GLIQ will continue to be available after July 1, 2004
for viewing financial history.
Go-Live Preparation
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At what point do we transfer to FOAPAL?
- The new Finance system will become the system of record
beginning in fiscal year 2005. Beginning July 1, 2004,
all FY05 transactions will be recorded in the new system.
FY04 transaction will continue to be recorded in IFAS
until final closing.
Will there be a way to “play” in the
new system before Go-Live?
- After attending a training session, you will be provided
with log on instructions to buyND or Finance
Self Service.
What is insideND?
insideND: Notre Dame's new
Web site for Web applications, content, and community
insideND is an exciting new Web site
for faculty, staff, and students. The site is a one-stop
destination that aggregates many familiar ND Web sites,
allowing you to sign into just one site to do most university
business. insideND provides users with a customizable interface,
allowing each of us to organize information the way we best
relate to it.
With insideND you can:
- Check your ND email
- Buy online with eProcurement
- Get the lastest weather forecast
- Access the campus directory
- Find out what movies are playing
on campus and around town
- Log into Corporate Time
- Check your budget
- Read news from Notre Dame, The
New York Times and other leading news services
- And much more!
In the coming months, look for even more content and services
to be offered through insideND. For easy access, set your
browser homepage to http://inside.nd.edu.
Internet
Browsers -top-
What Internet Browers should I use to access the
Finance and buyND systems?
How many sessions can I open simultaneously?
- The Finance system allows one session only. However,
users of Internet Native Banner are allowed multiple sessions.
Why am I locked out of Finance Self Service?
- If you exit from Finance Self Service, but still are logged on to insideND, you will not be able to get back into Finance Self Service until you close and re-open insideND. The insideND website holds your log-on information to Finance Self Service in a cookie, and re-opening insideND lets it know that you have logged off.
Location
Codes -top-
Is the Location code a requirement for all fixed
asset orders? Or just the capitalized assets?
- Location is an optional FOAPAL segment. It is not truly
“required”, but for a fixed asset record to
be processed, capitalized account codes must be entered
for the record and a location code will be required. Follow
the link to the Controller's
Group Web site to obtain a list of valid location
codes.
Can I use the new Finance system on a Mac?
- Yes, Finance self service 6.0 is compatible with version
10.0 MAC operating system.
Navigation
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I'm having trouble getting the "trees" in INB to work correctly. What do I do?
- A possible cause may be if you are a left-handed mouse user. There is a known bug with the system and left-handed mouse settings. You will need to install the correct drivers for your mouse to fix this problem. Drivers for your mouse may be available at http://www.microsoft.com or your mouse vendor's Web site. If you are uncertain of what you should be installing, please contact your technical support personnel or the OIT Help Desk at 1-8111.
I can’t see the auto hint line in the Internet
Native Banner
- Maximize your window by clicking on the center icon
on the right hand side of the Title bar.
How can I see the form and menu names next to the
description?
- From the menu bar, click on File, then preferences.
On the preferences form is the option FORM Name Display
Option. From the drop down box, select Display in Menu
Bar Options Only. Click the OK button on the bottom right
corner of the form. You must exit the Finance system and
log in again to see the preference change.
How do I make the system open to my personal menu?
- From the menu bar, click on File, then Preferences.
From the preferences form, select Open Menu Options (top
of the form) In the User Default field, type PERSONAL
then press the tab key and My Banner will display in the
description field. Click the OK button on the bottom right
corner of the form. You must exit the system and log in
again to see the preference change.
New FOAPAL
Requests -top-
How do I add a new Fund, Organization, Account,
or Program?
- The Controller’s Office will be responsible for
the maintenance of the chart of accounts. Units will submit
requests for new FOAPAL codes. Request for new codes must
comply with standards developed and maintained by the
Controller’s Office. The Controller’s Office
will assist campus units in determining the FOAPAL combinations
that will best meet their operational and reporting needs.
How are new FOAPAL’s requested?
- Requests for new FOAPALs are processed by the Controller’s Group.
See the Access & Security page for detail on how to initiate this process.
How will payroll detail be reported after July
1st?
- Payroll detailed information will be delivered through
insideND (available week of July 19, 2004). Using a Web browser, the user selects a report.
The appropriate report pages are retrieved and assembled
as a PDF file which can be viewed via Adobe Reader. As
an option, the report can be downloaded as a txt file.
Will payroll summary information be available in
Finance Self Service?
- Yes, payroll summary information will be available in
Finance Self Service.
Paper Reports
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Will I continue to receive monthly financial reports
on paper?
- The Controller's Office will work with campus units
that need to receive paper copies of financial reports.
Generally, the campus will be encouraged to do as much
on the system as possible, but we recognize that paper
reports will be needed in some circumstances.
Query/Reporting
- General -top-
Is the information in Finance System- Queries current
data?
- The new Finance System provides real-time current data.
As transactions are entered in the system, any query you
run will reflect the new information immediately.
Can I view transaction detail in the Finance System?
- Yes, displayed values with links for drill down to
supporting information will be available in the new system.
You can view transaction detail with a simple mouse click.
Content for purchase orders, accounts payable invoices,
checks and journal vouchers can be viewed online. The
connection relationship between the various documents
is presented automatically as you drill down from summary
to detailed information. However, on July 1 you will not
be able to view any scanned images of invoices. This functionality
will most likely be in place by the end of 2004. If you
need a copy of an invoice, you can contact the Controller's
Group and they will send it to you.
When will I be able to see the Transaction Detail Report, Summary Budget Control Report, and Encumbrances Daily Report?
- The above reports will be available through insideND beginning the week of July 19th.
What other features are available in the new Finance
System?
- Saved Query Templates-regular queries can be saved
as shared templates or personal templates to reduce repeated
reporting requirements.
- Budget Variance - computation of budget variances and
other calculations can be done.
- Flexible Column Display- columns can be added to a
query to calculate additional values for analysis (e.g.
displaying the remaining balance as a percentage of the
budget).
- Grant Inception to Date – reporting from the
same Web page used for fiscal year-based queries. When
you enter a grant code as part of the query, inception
to date information is automatically displayed.
- Fiscal Year Comparisons-comparisons of two fiscal years
and two fiscal periods will be available in FY06.
How can I query against all my accounts in one
query?
- If you perform a query using "Select Budget Query
by Account", and leave the account number field blank,
all accounts from a particular Fund-Org will be shown.
How do I delete a query that I created from my
list?
- At this time you are not able to delete queries that
you create. The Controller's Group is developing a process
to handle deleting queries.
Query/Reporting
- Budget -top-
How do I query my Budget?
- The Finance System is a powerful tool for departmental
managers, sponsored-research PIs and project managers
for accessing up-to-the-minute information about the spending
activities in their departments. Detailed, hands-on training
will be provided to everyone who needs to view budgets
in the new Finance system. See the Training
Info page for details. There is also helpful documentation available on the Manuals & Documentation page.
How do I see budget status for budgets spanning
multiple fiscal years (e.g. capital projects)? Will we be
able to see project-to-date or year-to-date status?
- Beginning July 1, the Finance System grant function
can be used to track project budgets that span multiple
fiscal years. Budgets will be se tup in the grant function
for new capital projects created after July, but
this functionality will not apply to existing project
budgets.
Will I be able to see the actual scanned invoice
in the budget query module?
- This functionality will not be available on July 1,
but a software application will be implemented to support
this eventually. Current estimates are that this functionality
will be available within six months.
Does the "User ID" field in the Journal
Voucher Header view represent the person that actually input
the JV?
Restricted
Funds
How can I look up activity in restricted fund accounts
(e.g. scholarship spending accounts)?
- You can use the same budget query process as that used
for unrestricted budget units. This should show incoming
revenues such as gifts and investment income, as well
as expenditures.
Rule Class Codes
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What are rule class codes?
- The rule class codes specify how the transaction will
be posted in the Finance system and to what ledgers, operating,
general and /or encumbrance. Many rule codes are designed
for specific systems or purposes, such as p-card , AP
invoices or grant activity. There are many uses of journal
vouchers-the rule class codes define the use of the JV
and its accounting treatment in the Finance system. A
list of rule class codes will be posted to the Controller's
Group Web site.
Telephone
Charges -top-
Where can I access the monthly telephone line
and toll charges detail?
- Telecommunication line
and toll monthly detail reports will be accessed through the staff tab of insideND (available week of July 19, 2004). Using insideND,
the user selects a report. The appropriate report pages
are retrieved and assembled as a PDF file which can be
viewed via Adobe Reader. As an option, the report can
be downloaded as a txt file. It will be a static report,
not dynamic and not searchable.
Will telephone line and toll summary information
be available in the Finance System?
- Telephone line and toll charges aggregate information
will be available in the Finance System.
Terminating
FOAPALs -top-
How are FOAPAL’s terminated?
- The new accounting string differs from the old account numbering that each segment of the FOAPAL resides
in a separate validation table. These segments are linked
when used in a transaction. The Finance system does not
validate the accounting string, but rather each segment
independently. Users can submit requests to terminate
or inactivate segment codes. All changes are tracked within
the validation tables by effective date.
How do I access the Finance system when I'm off campus?
- For security purposes, a Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection is required to access the Finance
System-Query from an offsite location. The VPN connection permits remote systems to access the ND network as if they were physically located on the ND campus network.
If you do not currently have VPN setup on your computer, you can go to http://oit.nd.edu/security/vpn.shtml to receive instructions on setting up a VPN connection. If you have questions, you may contact the OIT Help Desk at 574-631-8111 or oithelp@nd.edu. Note: a VPN connection is not required for accessing buyND.
Please see the buy.nd.edu site for more information!
Adding a
Vendor -top-
I get an "ora-01031" error when trying
to add a new vendor.
- This means that you do not have sufficient privileges
to perform this task. Contact Procurement
Services for assistance.
Is there an approval process for transactions
before they are submitted?
- Yes, the system allows for routing requisitions to
the proper approvers electronically. We call this feature
“workflow”. Each department can specify a
unique workflow suited to their particular requirements.
Approvals by the Controller’s Group, Risk Management
& Safety, or other groups may also apply to certain
types of purchase transactions.
How do you get set up to be an approver?
- Each department’s top financial approver has
been contacted to provide the workflow setup specific
to his or her organization. If you wish to review the
settings requested by your department, please contact
this individual.
How does an approver know what to approve?
- An email is sent each time an approval is required.
The email contains a link which takes the approver to
the requisition approval section of the system, making
approvals quick and easy.
Is it possible for approvers to change FOAPAL
information when they’re approving?
- Yes, approvers can actually edit any detail on the
requisition. Specific line items may be rejected as well.
There is also limited ability to add additional line items.
Will DHL accept a FOAPAL
on their form?
- DHL offers a "reference field"
on the airbill paper form that accepts a maximum of 25
characters. You should record the FOAPAL for a shipment
in this field. Alternatively, you can prepare airbills
online through the Procurements Services Web site which
will accept FOAPAL (http://buy.nd.edubuying_help/buying_guide/parcel.shtml).
Impressions
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Will Impressions (business card and letterhead
supplier) accept FOAPAL?
- Yes, Impressions will be changing their online ordering
tool to accept FOAPAL.
Profile
Set-up -top-
Is Profile set-up only required one time?
- We ask all users to set up their profile before placing
their first requisition. This will ensure that the initial
requisition is correct, and it will ensure that future
requisitions can be completed quickly and accurately.
Any time there is a permanent change to your shipment
addresses or frequently-used FOAPAL codes, you will want
to change your profile to save you time when submitting
requisitions.
Status
of Purchase Orders -top-
How do I review the status of my purchase orders?
- The system permits you to view the status of a requisition
and subsequent purchase order(s) at your convenience.
From the home page, click on “My Requisitions”,
select the desired requisition, then follow the link to
the Purchase Order(s) to the right of the requisition
line. You can view full details, including approval status,
of both your requisitions and your purchase orders by
navigating the tabs at the top of each document.
Navigation
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Will the new system be faster for me?
- Yes! We have worked closely with our software vendors
to improve not only the responsiveness of the application
but also the features that offer the most time savings
opportunities. As with any computer application, there
may be occasional problems – but we are confident
the new system will save time and frustration.
How do I select my FOAPAL for items on a requisition?
- The new system permits entry of accounting codes (FOAPAL)
via 2 methods:
- Select from a pull-down list of “favorite
FOAPALs” that you define, or
- Type the numbers directly
- You may also apply a FOAPAL combination to some or all
of the requisition at once. Splits are supported by both
dollar amount and percentages.
Will commodity codes be available in a pull down
menu?
- Yes, the new system includes a list of commodity codes
from which to choose. You can also apply the same commodity
code to all line items of a requisition quickly.
