UCF Financials 8.9 Finance and Accounting. Glossary

Transcription

1 UCF Financials 8.9 Finance and Accounting Glossary Updated 03/24/2006

2 Table of Contents A...1 Account... 1 Accounting Date... 1 Accounting Period... 1 Accounts Payable Module... 1 Actuals Ledger... 1 Add Row Button... 1 Add to Favorites Link... 1 Adjusting Entry... 2 Allocation... 2 Alternate Account... 2 Alternate Search Keys... 2 Application... 2 As-Is Process Mapping... 2 Asset Management... 2 Attributes... 2 Audit Tracking... 3 B...3 Batch Processes... 3 Benchmarking... 3 Browser... 3 Budget Check... 3 Budget Period... 3 Budget Year... 3 Business Unit... 3 Buyer... 4 Calendar Button... 4 ii

3 Cancel Button... 4 Capture Data... 4 Category... 4 Change Control... 4 Change Management (CM)... 4 Chart of Accounts (COA)... 5 ChartField Combination Edit... 5 ChartFields... 5 Checkbox... 5 Check Status... 5 Child... 5 Clear Button... 5 Click... 5 Close Button... 5 COBOL... 6 Collapsed Menu... 6 Component... 6 Control Group... 6 Control Hierarchy... 6 Conversion... 6 Cross-Train... 6 Crosswalk... 6 Crystal... 6 Customization... 7 D...8 DAL... 8 Data Configuration and Conversion... 8 Data Integrity... 8 Database... 8 Delete Row Button... 8 Department... 8 iii

4 Depreciation... 8 Design Phase... 9 Detail Lines Button... 9 Detail Tree... 9 Dialog Box... 9 Dispatch... 9 Document... 9 Double-click... 9 Drag... 9 Drill Down... 9 Dynamic Tree... 9 E...10 Edit Table Effective Date Encumbrance or Pre-Encumbrance End-User End-User Training Expand Menu Button Extract F...11 FAQs Favorites Field Financials FTP Fit/Gap Functional Team Fund Code G...12 General Ledger Module GL Account iv

5 Go-Live Graphical User Interface (GUI) H...13 Home Page Hot Key I...14 Implementation Include History Button Inquiry Interface Internet Intranet Invoice Item J...15 Journal Journal Line K...16 Key Field Knowledge Transfer L...17 LAN LAN Line Ledger Ledger Group Level Link Location Lookup Button M...18 Matching v

6 Matching - three way Matching - two way Matching - four way Menu Milestone Modifications (MODs) Modules N...19 Node Navigation Header Next In List Button nplosion nvision O...20 OCA OK Button Online Journal Entry Operator Operator Security Organization Origin P...21 Page Parent Payment Information Button Payment Terms PeopleSoft Personalizations Phase/Development Posting Pre-encumbrance vi

7 Previous In List Button Process Process Instance Process Scheduler Production Database Program Code Project (Grant) Prototyping Purchasing Module Purchasing Order Reference Q...24 Query R...25 Receiver Record Reengineering Report Scope Requisition Requisition Number Return Button RFP RFQ Roll-out Roll-up Run Control S...27 Save Button Schedule Scheduled Payments Button Search Button Search Keys vii

8 Session Time Out SetID Ship To Show All Columns Button Sibling Sign out SpeedChart SpeedType SQL SQR Statistics Code Sub-Class Summary Tree T...30 Tab Table TableSet Task Bar TimeSpans Transaction Date Translate Table Tree U...32 UOM Upgrade User ID V...33 Vanilla Vendor Vendor Address Vendor Location viii

9 View All Link Voucher W...34 WebCT Wildcards ix

10 A Account The ChartField that is the detailed breakdown for a Balance Sheet and Income Statement. This ChartField captures the nature of the financial transaction that is entered into the system. UCF uses five account types: A = Asset, L = Liability, Q = Equity, E = Expense, and R = Revenue. The Account field is six numeric characters. The first digit also reflects the type of account: 1 = Assets, 2 = Fixed Assets, 3 = Current Liabilities, 4 = Long Term Liabilities, 5 = Equity Fund Balance, 6 = Revenue, and 7 = Expenses. Accounting Date The date a transaction is recognized in the financial system as opposed to the date the transaction was entered into the system (although the two dates can be the same). The accounting date determines the period in the general ledger to which the transaction is to be posted. You can only select an accounting date that falls within an open period in the ledger to which you are posting. Accounting Period A particular month in UCF's fiscal year, which is July 1 through June 30. The Accounting Period 1 in the fiscal year 2003 represents July Accounts Payable Module The UCF Financials module that automates voucher processing to pay vendors in a timely manner for goods or services purchased. Some users will enter data into the module, while others will check on a status (inquire) in the module. Actuals Ledger The ledger that contains all actual revenues, expenditures, assets, liabilities, and fund balances as well as encumbrances and pre-encumbrances. This ledger is the current source for financial reports. Add Row Button The button ( ) that adds a row of data to an entry when clicked. A row in a voucher or requisition would be added using this button. Add to Favorites Link The link that adds commonly used pages to the My Favorites component so they are quickly accessible. Glossary 1

11 Adjusting Entry A journal entry consisting of year-end adjustments. Adjusting entries are segregated from the regular accounting period so as not to distort period-to-period results and are recorded in period 998. Only Finance and Accounting makes adjusting entries. Allocation The process of spreading a common cost or investment income over several funds, projects, programs, or departments. Alternate Account The Chartfield used for statutory reporting requirements. The Alternate Account field is six numeric characters. It is associated with the Account chartfield. Alternate Search Keys Alternate search keys use data fields that provide a path, in addition to Primary Search Keys, to table data. Fields that are marked as alternate search keys appear in the bottom part of a search box on a UCF Financials page. Application A complete, self-contained program that performs a specific function directly for users. For example, UCF Financials 8.9 is an application. As-Is Process Mapping The process of capturing in graphics what a current process looks like. Asset Management The UCF Financials module used to track taggable property items. Asset tag numbers, location and depreciation are tracked in this module. Attributes Codes that provide additional information related to certain chartfields including Account, Department, Project, and Fund Code. This information was previously stored in separate files such as the Grants Information and Expansions Option files. Attributes allow additional reporting by groups as needed. Glossary 2

12 Audit Tracking Data-entry audit tracking creates a record of all changes made to data after the first entry, dating and tracking these changes for auditing purposes. B Batch Processes COBOL or SQR programs scheduled to run on a regular basis, usually during non-business hours. Examples are nightly voucher posting and journal generation. Benchmarking The process of identifying, learning, and adapting outstanding practices and processes from any organization, anywhere in the world, to help an organization improve its performance. Benchmarks are numbers, ratios and performance indicators that help answer the question, What needs improvement? This process is performed as part of a software implementation or upgrade project. Browser The system used to gain access to the Internet, such as Internet Explorer. UCF Financials is a browser-based system. Budget Check The process of ensuring that a pending expenditure is covered by budgeted funds. If the amount left unspent in a budget is less than the amount needed for an expense, the expenditure will fail budget checking and will not be allowed. A successful budget check results in the decrease in available funds. Budget checking is performed on requisitions, purchase orders, vouchers and journal entries. Budget Period The period being budgeted for, which is a year for UCF, and which the system checks and updates during transaction processing. Budget Year The ChartField used to define valid budget years when establishing budgets. Business Unit The highest-level key structure that must be on every transaction. This ChartField defines a corporation or an organizational entity that maintains its own business activity. UCF Financials General Ledger Glossary 3

13 business units pass journals to General Ledger units. UCF Financials Purchasing business units share vendor, purchase order, and receiving information with UCF Financials Payables units in the same SetID. Buyer A buyer is the UCF Financials term for the person that can source requisitions into Purchase Orders or who creates purchases orders directly. At UCF there are three areas that perform that UCF Financials function. The Purchasing Agents in the Purchasing department are generally considered to best fit the common definition of buyer. However, the Accounts Payable travel processors perform buying functions in UCF Financials, as does a Vendor's Payable representative. Calendar Button The button ( ) that, when clicked, opens a calendar to make it easier to choose a date in a field. Cancel Button The button that clears the page along with any data that was entered or changed. The system does not warn you to save changes when Cancel is clicked. Click Cancel if you entered data incorrectly and want to begin again. Capture Data The process of entering information in a system. Once captured, data can be tracked, reported on, etc. Category A grouping of default information that applies to all items within that category. The purchasing attributes of an item category are assigned as defaults to any item in that category. Each requisition and purchase order item must be placed in a category, and many field values will be defaulted to the requisition or purchase order. Change Control The process of planning, documenting, communicating, and executing changes to infrastructure, services, or processes. A change is defined as any modification in the systems environment that has the potential to impact more than one user. Change Management (CM) The process of maximizing performance throughout the UCF Financials upgrade implementation by minimizing disruption and accelerating the acceptance of change. Glossary 4

14 Chart of Accounts (COA) The foundation of the UCF Financials accounting system. The Chart of Accounts provides each business unit, fund, department, program, project/grant, and account with a unique identification number and a common language for identifying financial transactions. ChartField Combination Edit Also called Combo Edit, the process of editing journal lines for valid ChartField combinations, based on user-defined rules. ChartFields The individual components, or fields, that when combined make up the ChartField string, which defines the accounting structure. UCF uses Account, Department, Project, Fund, and Program chartfields. Checkbox A dialog box, usually square, that records an on or off value. Certain functions can be selected by clicking in a checkbox and placing a checkmark ( ) in the box. Clicking a checked box removes the checkmark and deselects the item. Check Status Using various functions used in UCF Financials to inquire about requisitions, purchase orders, vouchers, or assets. Child A node on a tree linked to another, higher-level node (referred to as the parent). A node can be a child and a parent at the same time depending on its location within the tree. Clear Button The button that removes typed text from all fields on the page, so that you can start over and enter new data in each field. This button is typically only displayed on search pages. Click Quickly pressing and releasing the left mouse button once. Close Button The X in the upper right corner of an open page or window. When clicked, the current window closes. Glossary 5

15 COBOL A programming language used to write some programs in UCF Financials. Collapsed Menu Menus can be collapsed or hidden to display more room on a page. Collapsed Menus can be expanded when needed by clicking on the expand menu button ( ) Component A group of related pages that are displayed by clicking tabs on the top of each page. Think of a component as something that contains all the pages needed to perform a task, such as add a voucher or requisition. Components are accessed via the Menu. Control Group A mechanism to group vouchers together for controlling voucher input in UCF Financials Payables. Control Groups are generally used for reviewing input and approving vouchers. Control Hierarchy The relationship between business units, origins, vendors, and control groups in UCF Financials Payables that defines which processing data will be automatically entered on each voucher. Conversion In an implementation or upgrade, conversion refers to the process of loading data from the existing system or version to the new one. The conversion process involves identifying the data that must be brought forward, mapping the data to the appropriate fields, and finally, loading the clean, compatible data into the new system or version. Cross-Train To train employees to perform more than one job. Crosswalk The translation of a legacy value to a UCF Financials value. A crosswalk table was developed to identify all the old legacy chartfield values and their updated UCF Financials chartfields. Crystal One of the reporting tools used by UCF Financials. Crystal is short for Crystal Reports. Crystal is especially suited for Accounts Payable and Purchasing data. Glossary 6

16 Customization Modifications to delivered software. Customization can be expensive and makes updating the software more difficult. For that reason, UCF s Finance and Accounting department has limited customization as much as possible. Where possible, a business practice may be modified to fit the software rather than changing the software to fit existing practices. Glossary 7

17 D DAL Departmental Authorization List, used to determine who can review and approve requisitions and other financial documents. Data Configuration and Conversion The process by which data from current UCF Financials system is transferred to the database in the new, upgraded UCF Financials system. Data Integrity A system is only as valuable as the data it uses. For UCF Financials reports to be valuable, the information they contain must be accurate and up to date. The usefulness of the system depends on the integrity of that data, that is, the data must be accurate and consistent. UCF Financials has many edits in place to validate the data input. Examples of these edits include combo edits, lookup buttons on fields, etc. Database A collection of similar information stored in a single place. UCF Financials uses Oracle as its database management system. UCF Financials is comprised of a relational database, meaning that data is stored in many tables that relate to each other through common fields. Delete Row Button The button ( ) that removes a row of data when clicked. For example, if you have an extra row in a requisition, it can be deleted by clicking the row and clicking on this button. Department The Department ChartField represents the detailed breakdown of campus organization structures. Combined with other ChartField values, they form the basis for department budgets that track expenditures and revenues. Departments were formerly known as year-to-date accounts. When entering data, either the Department or Project chartfield is required. The Department field is eight numeric characters. Depreciation The reduction in value of an asset or taggable item. Glossary 8

18 Design Phase The early phase of a project in which the team creates a vision, determines specific objectives and requirements, develops new processes, and decides how technology will be used to support the objectives. Detail Lines Button The button ( ) that displays chartfield information about each item on a document, such as a voucher. Detail Tree A tree that employs ranges of detail values (such as accounts) under each node; you must specify the detail values. Dialog Box A box that appears on-screen that asks the user for input, or relays information to the user. Dispatch The act of sending purchase orders to vendors via phone, fax, or hard copy. Document An entity in the system, such as a voucher or purchase order. Documents are both paperless entities held within the system or hard (paper) copies. Double-click Quickly pressing and releasing the left mouse button twice. Drag Holding the mouse button down while moving it to a different position on screen. The scroll bar is clicked and dragged (moved) so more items in a list can be viewed. Drill Down The act of moving from the general to the specific. By drilling down you can examine the data underlying any summarized form of information in UCF Financials Dynamic Tree A tree that takes its detail values (Dynamic Details) directly from a table in the database, rather than from a range of values. Glossary 9

19 E Edit Table A table on the database that has its own record definition, such as the Department table. As fields are entered into the UCF Financials application, they can be validated against an edit table to ensure data integrity throughout the system. Effective Date The date on which a task takes effect. Users can predate information to add historical data to the system, or postdate information in order to enter it before it actually goes into effect. The Effective Date usually defaults to the system s current date. Encumbrance or Pre-Encumbrance A UCF accounting method that reserves funds from a department s budget for an anticipated expenditure. Funds are pre-encumbered when a requisition is created and encumbered when a purchase order is issued. The budget-checking process in UCF Financials encumbers funds to hold them from being used by another process. Funds can be encumbered by budget checking a voucher, journal entry or purchase order. End-User Individuals who will view or modify information contained in the new system. End-users use UCF Financials for data entry, viewing sets of information, running reports, managing business processes, etc. End-User Training The training of individuals who directly depend on and use information contained in the new system. Such training information includes how to perform data entry, run reports, etc. End-user training for many users will be in the WebCT format, which UCF also uses for many courses. Expand Menu Button The button ( ) that displays the hidden, or collapsed, Menu. Extract The files extracted from the source systems and used by load programs to convert data into the UCF Financials database. Glossary 10

20 F FAQs Frequently Asked Questions, a document that lists the most frequently asked questions and answers about specific topics. Favorites A way to bookmark pages you frequently open in UCF Financials. Favorites are specific to your user ID. Once a favorite is added, it is maintained in the My Favorites folder shown on the Menu. Field The smallest entity for containing data. Many fields are contained in a record. For example, the journal header record contains such fields as journal date, journal ID, description and reference. Financials The application name that represents the UCF Financials modules of Accounts Payables, Purchasing, General Ledger, and Asset Management installed at UCF. FTP File Transfer Protocol, a set of communication rules governing transmitting and receiving data. Fit/Gap The analysis that compares existing business processes with UCF Financials functionality to see where we need to change our processes and where we need to customize the software. Functional Team The team that works on redesigning processes and applying new technology in a business area (function). The four functional areas that the UCF Financials Implementation Project focuses are General Ledger, Accounts Payable, Purchasing and Asset Management. Fund Code The ChartField value that is the lowest level at which UCF Financials can generate a Trial Balance. A Fund Code organizes transactions by like-kind activities. This value defines fiscal and accounting entity with a self-balancing set of accounts recording cash and/or other resources together with all related liabilities and fund balance. The Fund ChartField and its corresponding attributes provide the necessary information for system reporting. The Fund Code field is five numeric characters. Glossary 11

21 G General Ledger Module The module that provides the structures departments use for recording income and expenses. The basic building block of the General Ledger is the chart of accounts, the data the system needs to capture on all transactions. GL Account The ChartField used to classify the nature of the balance sheet, revenue, expenditure, transfer, or budget financial transaction. Also referred to as an account. Go-Live The day departments across UCF will begin using the upgraded UCF Financials system, May 1, Graphical User Interface (GUI) A graphical (rather than purely textual) user interface to a computer. GUI (pronounced GOO-ee) elements include windows, pull-down menus, buttons, scroll bars, icons, and the mouse. A system s graphical user interface (GUI), along with its input devices, is sometimes referred to as its look-andfeel. Glossary 12

22 H Home Page The page that first displays when you sign in successfully to UCF Financials. The Home Page displays the Menu expanded on the left side of your screen. Your security level determines the types of options that display on your Home Page. To return to the UCF Financials Home Page, click the Home link. Hot Key Hot keys are a combination of keys that, when pressed at the same time, perform a task. For example, pressing Alt+5 opens the lookup page for accepted field values. For a list of all UCF Financials hot keys, see the FNNV110 Basic Navigation course. Glossary 13

23 I Implementation The activities and steps involved in the initial roll out of the UCF Financials system. Include History Button The button that displays all rows of data: current, future, and history. Inquiry A UCF Financials capability that enables you to view information that resides in the system. An inquiry is the capability to check the status of documents such as requisitions, vouchers, and purchase orders. Interface A method by which data is electronically transmitted from one computer system to another. Interfaces link non-ucf Financials applications to UCF Financials applications and vice-versa. Internet An interconnected system of networks that connects computers around the world via the TCP/IP protocol. Intranet The portion of the Internet hosted by UCF. The Intranet commonly refers to all workstations and servers contained within the UCF network. Invoice In UCF Financials terminology, an invoice is the document a vendor submits to request payment for goods or services delivered. The invoice is paid in the Financials system through a voucher. Item A code used to represent an inventory item. Glossary 14

24 J Journal A batch of accounting entries entered online or input from a feeder system (payables, receivables, asset management, and so on) to the General Ledger. Consists of multiple journal lines and one Journal Header, identified by the Journal ID. Information about the journal as a whole is stored in the Journal Header table. Journal Line A record storing one line of a double-sided, balanced entry for a given journal. The sum of the monetary amounts for the journal lines in one journal totals zero (debits = credits). Glossary 15

25 K Key Field A field that by itself, or in combination with one or more fields, identifies a unique row of data. Knowledge Transfer A training method in which users of the UCF Financials application acquire knowledge about application tasks. This training method is intended for only a small audience and will be executed prior to the upgrade through user participation in project related activities. Glossary 16

26 L LAN Local Area Network, a system that links together electronic office equipment, such as computers (mainframe and PCs) and printers, and forms a network typically within an office or a building. LAN Line A cable that links computers, terminals, and workstations with each other or with central servers to share data, printers, information, programs, disks, etc. Ledger A set of posted balances that represent a set of books for a business unit. UCF Financials General Ledger supports detail, multiple, and summary ledgers. Ledger Group In the UCF Financials General Ledger module, a group of ledgers consisting of one primary ledger and any number of secondary ledgers. Level A section of a tree that organizes groups of nodes. Link A jump to another page. Links appear as underlined text. To display the associated page, move your mouse over the link until a little hand appears and click once. Location The location on campus where Central Receiving will deliver the received goods. Used on purchase orders, locations identify all company addresses; for example, one address to receive bills, another for shipping, a third for postal deliveries, and a separate street address. Each address has a different location number. Lookup Button The button ( ) next to a field that displays a table of dynamic values from the database when clicked. Glossary 17

27 M Matching The process of applying system match control rules against vouchers, purchase orders, and receiver documents, ensuring that an invoice being entered reflects the amount ordered and received before it is approved for payment. Matching - three way The system process of matching vouchers, purchase orders, and receipts. Matching - two way The system process of matching vouchers and purchase orders. Matching - four way The system process of matching vouchers, purchase orders and inspection documents. Menu A list of components that display on the left side of each UCF Financials page. Click a Menu title to open a component and view the component s pages. Milestone A significant accomplishment in an implementation or upgrade project. Modifications (MODs) Changes to the delivered, vanilla version of the UCF Financials software. Each time a modification is made, the complexity, time and cost of upgrading the software is magnified. Modifications have been kept to a minimum in the UCF Financials project. Modules Groupings of software programs that collectively support a specific business function. The current UCF Financials system contains four modules: General Ledger, Accounts Payable, Asset Management and Purchasing. Glossary 18

28 N Node An individual item on a tree. Nodes summarize detail values or other nodes, and may or may not roll up into other nodes or levels. Navigation Header The header area on the top of a page in UCF Financials that remains static as you navigate through pages. The navigation header contains a link that will always return you to your Home Page. There is also a Sign Out link on the navigation header. Next In List Button The button that displays the next data row in your search results grid. This button is not available if you did not select the data row from a search results grid, there was only one row in the grid, or this is the last row in the grid. nplosion A UCF Financials nvision feature that enables you to expand rows and columns in your spreadsheet to underlying details, as in drilldown. nvision A comprehensive Excel-based reporting tool used with UCF Financials that supports interactive focused reporting with a querying approach to accessing the database. nvision is especially suited for analysis of general ledger data. Glossary 19

29 O OCA Other Cost Accumulator, also known as the Financial Statement Code. In the Chart of Accounts, the OCA code is the last three digits of the five-digit Fund Code. OK Button The button that accepts the data entered and then redisplays the previous page. The OK button is the not the same as the Save button. Online Journal Entry The act of entering journal entries on the computer. Files are updated as soon as journal entries are entered at terminals or received over communications lines. Operator When performing a search on the database, operators help define a specific range or value and work in conjunction with another value you specify. These fields contain a drop-down list of predefined operators such as equal to, between, more than, less than, etc. Operator Security The UCF Financials structure that limits user s access rights to relevant functionality within the application. Organization The ChartField that identifies the financial management organizational entity associated with a particular financial transaction. UCF is not using this chartfield, but it will appear on some pages. Origin An entry point for transactions into UCF Financials. Origins can designate both online and background interfaces and can be defined to have their own editing and default options. For example, users have separate voucher and purchase order origins. Glossary 20

30 P Page A UCF Financials term for a screen or window where data is entered or viewed by the end-user. Pages appear in your browser (Internet Explorer) window and are opened when their links are clicked. Parent A tree node linked to lower-level nodes or details that roll up into it. Payment Information Button The button ( ) that displays a page showing the date a voucher was paid and related details when clicked. Payment Terms The attribute that determines due dates, discount dates and amounts, and due and discount grace periods. It can be set for a vendor, then accepted or overridden for a specific voucher. PeopleSoft Integrated software systems that provide a wide variety of applications to assist in the day-to-day execution and operation of business processes. In January 2005, PeopleSoft merged with Oracle Corporation. At UC, Oracle s PeopleSoft Enterprise General Ledger, Accounts Payable, Asset Management, and Purchasing modules interact with each other to comprise the application known collectively as UCF Financials. Personalizations The task that customizes the way data is displayed in UCF Financials. Personalization categories include General Options, International & Regional Settings, System and Application Messages, and Navigation Personalizations. The options that display depend on the user s security level. Phase/Development The process of upgrading UCF Financials involves several phases. In order to meet the needs of UCF, the software must be slightly modified and business processes must be analyzed and updated. The method for this involves such phases as the planning phase, design phase, development or construction phase, and the testing phase. Glossary 21

31 Posting The process by which accounting entries are created or updated. The entry does not become official until it is posted. Vouchers and journal entries are examples of items that are posted. Pre-encumbrance The UCF Financials requisition process holds funds so that another requisition can not request funds over a budgeted amount. When a requisition is turned into a purchase order, those funds become encumbered, rather than pre-encumbered. Previous In List Button The button that displays the previous data row from your search results grid. This button is not available if you did not select the data row from a search results grid, there was only one row in the grid, or this is the first row in the grid. Process A set of linked activities that create a result. A process may perform an action such as a budget check or produce a report. Process Instance The number the system assigns each job that runs in background processing. Process Scheduler The entity that is used to schedule and kick-off tasks behind the scenes in UCF Financials. The Process Scheduler can run several kinds of processes such as COBOL and Crystal Reporting on a regular schedule or at your request. Production Database The area where all business transactions occur in a live, real-time fashion (as opposed to a test environment). Program Code Used to sort transactions by primary budget categories. This field is currently populated with the value ZZ and remains available for use by UCF. Glossary 22

32 Project (Grant) This ChartField is required for transactions with a project budget. When entering data, either the project or department will be required. The department equates to UCF departments, while projects equate to University grants, contracts, or construction projects with specific beginning and ending dates. These were formerly known as life-to-date accounts, and often lasted for several years. Projects will also represent some auxiliary accounts with specified budget periods. The Project field is eight numeric characters. Prototyping The process of designing solutions using a software application where the design increasingly improves until the project s goals are met. A working model is continuously developed until the final prototype is completed, which is then used to create the production system. Purchasing Module The module that provides support and automation of the business processes involved in the purchasing of raw materials, goods, or services. Purchasing Order Reference A freeform field on the purchase order header limited to 30 characters. If a requisition was used as a basis of the purchase order, the system would populate this field with the requisition number. Glossary 23

33 Q Query A powerful, ad-hoc reporting tool capability used to research, tabulate, and quickly view data based on specific parameters entered by the user. Queries can be downloaded to the desktop, an Excel file, or a Crystal report. Glossary 24

34 R Receiver The individual receiving merchandise on behalf of UCF. Also, the auto-numbered receipt created in UCF Financials. Record A table containing rows of specific data. Examples are the Vendor table or record, Ledger, Voucher, Journal Line, and Journal Header tables. Reengineering The process of redesigning business processes, policies, procedures, and organizations to provide excellent service more efficiently. Reengineering includes harnessing technology to best advantage, and sometimes includes changing the way UCF does business. Report Manager Menu link which displays the Report List tab, where you can check report status and view report content. Report Scope A feature that creates multiple instances of an nvision report using a single report request. Each instance contains data specific to an individual ChartField, such as a department, or a group of ChartFields. Using Scope, each report instance can share the same layout while containing data unique to these particular ChartFields. Requisition An online request used by the requesting department when ordering products and services from external vendors, as well as travel reimbursement requests, certain payment authorizations, reimbursements other than travel, subscriptions, registrations and others. A requisition is then incorporate into a purchase order. Requisition Number A ten-digit number identifying a Requisition. Requisition numbers will be system-assigned at UCF. Return Button The button that redisplays the previous page. Glossary 25

35 RFP Request For Proposal, a formal, written instrument used for awarding contracts to vendors based on factors in addition to price, including, but not limited to, assessment of the vendor s capabilities, performance, support, service, maintenance, etc. UCF uses a statistical assessment method based on these factors as the standard for awarding a contract. RFQ Request For Quotation, the process by which UCF solicits bids or offerings from vendors for goods and services. This document details the items needed and the conditions of the purchase. Roll-out A process of training users on the new system and ensuring they have access to the system from their local workstations. Roll-up The act of totaling sums based on information tree hierarchies. You can roll-up data for any group of details that were defined as dependent with the Tree Manager. Run A button which displays the Process Scheduler Request page, where you can specify the location and define the output format for a particular job or process. Run Control The controls that enable you to predefine parameters that are later used on a process request. You create a run control the first time you run a unique process or report, and then re-use the control every time thereafter. Glossary 26

36 S Save Button The button that sends the information entered on a page to the database. Always click Save when you come to the end of a component. Upon clicking Save, the system displays the Saved message in the upper-right corner of the page. Schedule The schedule line on the purchase order identifies an item and scheduled ship quantity that may be different from the requested quantity due to item availability or shipping needs. Scheduled Payments Button If the voucher has not been paid yet, this button ( ) links to a page that contains the date the voucher should be paid along with other related information. Search Button The button that finds items matching the criteria entered on the search page. Search Keys Multiple fields in a UCF Financials table (where data is stored) can be designated as search keys. These keys appear as search criteria at the top portion of a page. These are actual key fields on the associated table. Session Time Out As a security precaution, UCF Financials is set up to warn users if there is a lack of activity for approximately 30 minutes. After approximately 30 minutes without activity, a warning message box displays and UCF Financials will automatically sign you off if there is no response to the warning message. SetID The highest-level key in the system. The accounting structure, descriptive information, and processing rules for many UCF Financials applications are defined in control tables. Control tables contain static or definitional information and are keyed by SetIDs. Glossary 27

37 Ship To The shipping location in purchase orders which indicates where the vendor brings the goods. The Ship To s are set up in a table and chosen at the time the purchase order is created. Show All Columns Button Sometimes there are too many columns of data to display on a page. Clicking the show all columns button ( ) displays the columns listed all the way on the right side of your screen. Sibling A tree node at the same level as another node, where both roll up into the same parent. Sign out Signing out terminates your user session. For security reasons, always sign-out by clicking the Sign out link on the top right of each page. When you are finished working in UCF Financials, you should sign out before closing Internet Explorer. SpeedChart An editing mechanism in UCF Financial s Accounts Payable and Purchase Order modules that defines which Chartfield values are valid in combination with each other. SpeedCharts are similar to SpeedTypes in the General Ledger module. SpeedCharts at UCF define valid Departments or Projects and Fund and Program Code combinations. SpeedType A code in the General Ledger module that can group together ChartField combinations and define which Chartfield values are valid in combination with each other. UCF defines SpeedType combinations relating to Project or Department and Fund and Program. SpeedTypes are similar to SpeedCharts in the Accounts Payable module. SQL Structured Query Language, a programming language for obtaining information from, and updating a database. SQL is the language used by the UCF Financials Query tool. Queries take the form of a command language that lets you select, insert, update, find the location of data, etc. SQR Structured Query Report Writer, one of the key reporting languages used with UCF Financials. Data is extracted from one of the UCF Financials modules and reports are generated. The UCF Financials application provides a variety of standard SQRs that summarize table information and financial data. Glossary 28

38 Statistics Code The ChartField used to identify non-monetary units of measure associated with a financial transaction. UCF is not using this chartfield. Sub-Class The ChartField available for end-users which, when combined with other ChartFields, provides users with additional information. UCF is not using this chartfield. Summary Tree A tree used to roll up accounts for each type of report in summary ledgers. In a summary tree, the detail values are really nodes on a detail tree or another summary tree (known as the basis tree). Glossary 29

39 T Tab A section of a UCF Financials page that displays a related set of options and fields when the tab title is clicked. Some pages have multiple tabs. Table A uniquely identified collection of records or rows stored as an individual entity with a database. Tables are the basic unit of data storage in an Oracle database. Data is stored in rows and columns logically comparable to a spreadsheet. TableSet A group of rows across control tables identified by the same SetID. Task Bar Part of Microsoft s Windows operating system that displays on the very bottom of your screen and shows all tasks currently being run. The Start button is usually on the left side of the Task Bar. The time is usually on the right side. Some UCF Financials pages can be minimized and placed on the Task Bar. To bring a minimized page forward, click its title in the Task Bar. TimeSpans Relative periods, such as year-to-date or current period, that can be used in various UCF Financials General Ledger functions and reports when a rolling time frame, rather than a specific date, is required. TimeSpans are used extensively in nvision reporting. Transaction Date The date a transaction actually occurred as opposed to the date the transaction is recognized-the accounting date (although the two dates can be the same). Translate Table A system edit table that stores codes and translate values for the miscellaneous fields on the database that do not warrant individual edit tables of their own. Glossary 30

40 Tree The graphical hierarchy in UCF Financials that displays the relationship between all accounting units (i.e., corporate divisions, projects, reporting groups, account numbers) and determines roll-up hierarchies. Glossary 31

41 U UOM Unit of Measure, a type of unit used for quantifying things in UCF Financials. Depending on the application, units of measure might describe dimensions, weights, volumes, or amounts of locations, containers, or business activities. Examples include feet, each, dozen, pounds, work hours, and standard cost dollars. Upgrade As technology and business needs change, Oracle/PeopleSoft releases newer versions of its applications that offer additional capabilities and refined functionality. An upgrade refers to the process of bringing the existing system up to date with the latest version of the system. User ID The unique identifier used by the system to recognize you and your work. This ID, and its associated password, should be treated like your signature. Specific rights and authority are granted to you and you alone via your User ID and that authority should not be delegated or shared. Glossary 32

42 V Vanilla Oracle s PeopleSoft Enterprise Financials is a standard integrated software package built for the public sector. Vanilla is jargon that describes the base software package. Customizations, also known as system modifications, can be made to the vanilla package to meet unique processing requirements of UCF. Vendor Name of a company or individual supplying goods or services. In UCF Financials, a sequentially numbered field identifying a corporate vendor, an employee vendor, or a student vendor. Vendor Address Any address belonging to a vendor, regardless of whether it is an order from, remit to, etc. They are tied together via vendor location. Vendor Location A way to link default pricing, order, remit and return addresses together with a description. View All Link The link that displays all rows of data in grid, scroll area, or search page results list. Voucher The instrument used to pay vendors for goods or services due them by UCF. Vouchers are grouped together into Control Groups for ease of approving. Glossary 33

43 W WebCT A set of tools that facilitates the creation of an online, Internet-based training class. WebCT provides centralized access to all of the UCF Financials training courses. Wildcards Wildcards are used to search for items for which you only have partial information. The percent sign (%) is the wildcard symbol in UCF Financials (in other systems you may have used the asterisk as a wildcard). For example, when looking for a vendor, enter BOB% to return all vendors whose names start with Bob. Glossary 34