Getting Comfortable with PeopleSoft Navigation

Transcription

1 FMS120,, FMS714, FMS721 Getting Comfortable with Navigation The purpose of this guide is to explain the general layout of the pages and provide explanations of commonly used navigational buttons and links. Before you begin... After completing this guide, you will be able to: Access Recognize navigational elements Use common buttons or icons Sign out of How do I sign in to? 1. Sign in to the NUPortal at nuportal.northwestern.edu 2. Click the Staff tab, Finance and Budget tab, and then click the Login to link from the left navigation pane. Who has access? All users who can access directly Additional Resources Visit the Project Café training website for additional resources Where to get help? For assistance, contact NUIT Support Center at HELP (4357) or consultant@northwestern.edu. Getting Comfortable with Navigation FMS120,, GL714, GL721 1

2 FMS120,, FMS714, FMS721 Step 2: Recognizing commonly used navigation elements The Home page appears. 1. Menu Panel The menu panel contains menus, folders, and pages. Click next to a menu item to see more options. Search Type in the name of a page you want to find in the Search box and then click or press Enter to see the results. 2. Quick Menu This header appears at the top of every page. Click a link (underlined word) to do these common tasks: Home Return to the Home page. Add to Favorites Add commonly used folders or pages to your My Favorites list at the top of the menu panel. Sign out Sign out of your secure session. Getting Comfortable with Navigation FMS120,, GL714, GL721 2

3 FMS120,, FMS714, FMS721 Step 3: Navigating through menus, folders, and pages Use the menu panel to open menus, folders, and pages. In the example below, the menu is selected from the menu panel. The menu is expanded, showing the folders beneath it. These folders also appear as icons on the right side of the screen. Pages are stored in each folder. Pages are useful for completing tasks. Getting Comfortable with Navigation FMS120,, GL714, GL721 3

4 FMS120,, FMS714, FMS721 Using breadcrumbs to find your way.... In this example, the user selected the menu from the menu panel. Then they selected the Journals folder. This is an example of the navigation clues that appear on the Journals page. Getting Comfortable with Navigation FMS120,, GL714, GL721 4

5 FMS120,, FMS714, FMS721 Step 4: Explore your options with page tabs and links Page tabs and links provide additional options. Tabs appear near the top of the page and links appear near the bottom of the page. The page tabs and links provide the same options. This example shows the tabs and links on the Create/Update Journal Entries page. Getting Comfortable with Navigation FMS120,, GL714, GL721 5

6 FMS120,, FMS714, FMS721 Step 5: Using common page features Many pages use drop-down menus and icons to make additional options available. Use these tools to help you enter information. Getting Comfortable with Navigation FMS120,, GL714, GL721 6

7 FMS120,, FMS714, FMS721 Step 6: Setting up My Favorites You can save pages or folders that you use frequently by adding them to the My Favorites menu. This will allow you to quickly open these items. Getting Comfortable with Navigation FMS120,, GL714, GL721 7

8 Step 6b: Name and access your My Favorites Getting Comfortable with Navigation FMS120,, GL714, GL721 8

9 Step 7: Understanding commonly used buttons Button Description Click the Save button each time when you are finished entering information on a page. You will lose your information if you leave the page without clicking the Save button! Click the Clear button to clear all information entered on a page. Click the Cancel button to cancel an action. Click the Delete button to delete a row or item. Step 8: Signing out of Click the Sign out link to securely exit. Getting Comfortable with Navigation FMS120,, GL714, GL721 9

10 Creating Actuals Journals Using This training guide describes the process for creating and editing/budget checking journals. These are the first and second steps in the journal lifecycle of creating, editing, reviewing, and posting. Permission to create journals online through the interface is very limited due to the powerful nature of this type of access. Most users will create journals through the Actuals Journal Portal and a limited number of approved users will create journals using the Journal Spreadsheet. Before you begin... Upon completion of this guide you will be able to: Create a journal entry Edit and budget check the journal entry Things you need to know to complete this process: Basic knowledge of ChartFields and chart strings Understanding of budget and spending controls associated with ChartFields Applicable NU policies This process is used to record any financial activity on any chart strings including: Correcting expense (to expense) from one chart string to another Correcting revenue (to revenue) from one chart string to another Recording both revenue and expense chart strings on the same journal Creating an internal sales journal for the sale of goods or services to another unit (recharge center) Recording transactions using balance sheet accounts Who has access? Access to create journals directly in is limited to Accounting Services, Budget Office, Controller s Office, and ASRSP. How do I sign in to? 1. Sign in to the NUPortal at nuportal.northwestern.edu 2. Click the Staff tab, Finance and Budget tab, and then click the Login to link from the left navigation pane. Additional Resources Visit the Project Café website for additional training materials Visit the NUPortal to access the Chart of Accounts crosswalk Review the 90-day policy for journal entries Where do I get help? For assistance, contact NUIT Support Center at HELP (4357) or consultant@northwestern.edu. Creating Actuals Journals Using 1

11 Step 1: Create a journal entry Journal entries record Northwestern s financial transactions. They are made in a double entry system, where debits equal credits. Note: Only menus that you have access to appear. Creating Actuals Journals Using 2

12 Step 1: Create a journal entry (continued) The Create/Update Journal Entries page appears. Creating Actuals Journals Using 3

13 Step 2: Enter the required Header information Long Description Enter useful information here. Only the first 30 characters from this field will appear on associated reports. For example, to supplies. Ledger Group This defaults to ACTUALS. All actual journals post to the ACTUALS ledger. Do not change it. Source This identifies what person or system created the journal. Reference Number This field is not required, but may be useful for reporting. Information entered here will display on reports that pull from the journal header. Transaction Code The information for this field is system generated. Do not change it. Adjusting Entry This menu defaults to Non-Adjusting Entry. It should only be changed to Adjusting Entry for adjusting entries made during period 998 (year-end adjusting period). Creating Actuals Journals Using 4

14 Step 3: Enter journal lines information Before you begin: You can only delete a journal before you save it. To delete an unsaved journal, select Delete from the Process menu, and then click Process. To delete a saved journal contact your manager. The An Type (next to the Activity ChartField) will be generated by the system. This field does not require additional entry or changes. The Reference field (next to the Amount box) is not required. If there is reference information for a journal, type it here. For example, journals created in FAMIS (Facilities Management system) have a reference number. This information appears on reports that pull information from the accounting lines. If you are correcting a transaction, enter the ID of the transaction you are correcting. The Journal Line Description field (located on the far right of the journal line) auto-populates with the Account code description. You may delete this description and type something more meaningful that describes the transaction. Creating Actuals Journals Using 5

15 Step 3: Enter the line information (continued) This is an example of a correction journal. An expense that was wrongly charged to Account code (Computers- Capital) is now charged to Account code (Paper and Office Supplies). Click the Save button, to save your journal at any time if you do not have the time or information to finish it. If you do not know the complete ChartField value, narrow the search by typing 1 or 2 digits of the value in the ChartField, and then click. A maximum of 300 targeted search results will appear. Now that the journal is saved, the Journal ID changes from NEXT to a number. Creating Actuals Journals Using 6

16 Step 4: Edit and budget check a journal entry A chart string must have a budget (at least $0) for the journal to pass the edit/budget check. The journal must pass the edit and budget check to post. Debits and credits must balance. A Processing message appears during the edit and budget check. Additional Resources: Visit the NU Portal nuportal.northwestern.edu to access the budget policies. Creating Actuals Journals Using 7

17 Step 5: Check the status of the journal Journal Status Codes: N = No status; needs to be edited V = Valid journal; edits are complete E = Journal or Budget has errors Budget Status Codes: N = No Status; needs to be edited V = Entry passed budget checking with or without warnings E = Journal failed to pass budget checking What happens next? If the edit process returns an error, click the Errors tab, or the underlined status code link to review the errors. To learn how to correct journal and budget errors, see this training guide: Correcting Common Actuals Journal Errors. To edit and budget check multiple journal entries see this training guide: Manually Batch Editing and Budget Checking Actuals Journals. To learn how to check the status of your journals, see this training guide: Searching for Actuals Journals. Creating Actuals Journals Using 8

18 In a Nutshell... Creating a Journal Entry in Process Overview Step 1: Create a journal entry Journals Journal Entries Create/Update Journal Entries Step 2: Enter the required header information Step 3: Enter journal lines information Step 4: Edit and budget check the journal entry Step 5: Check the status of the journal What happens next? If the edit process returns an error, click the Errors tab, or the underlined status code link to review the errors. To learn how to correct journal and budget errors, see this training guide: Correcting Common Actuals Journal Errors. To edit and budget check multiple journal entries see this training guide: Manually Batch Editing and Budget Checking Actuals Journals. To learn how to check the status of your journals, see this training guide: Searching for Actuals Journals. Creating Actuals Journals Using 9

19 and FMS714 Searching for Actuals Journals This training guide describes the process of using search pages to find ACTUALS journals that have been entered into the. Before you begin... Upon completion of this guide you will be able to: Decide which search tools are best suited for your search Conduct a journal search using search pages Use search criteria to narrow your journal search What is this process used for? Finding journals that are not valid Identifying journals that were not approved (recycle) Searching for journals that need to be reviewed Searching for journals that need to be posted Searching for journals that have been posted Who has access? Access to inquiry pages is given to all people who can access the module (not through the portal). How do I sign in to? 1. Sign in to the NUPortal at nuportal.northwestern.edu 2. Click the Staff or Faculty tab, Finance and Budget tab, and then click the Login to link from the left navigation pane. Additional Resources Visit the Project Café website for additional training materials Where do I get help? For assistance, contact NUIT Support Center at HELP (4357) or consultant@northwestern.edu. Searching for Actuals Journals and GL714 1

20 and FMS714 Determining which Search Tool to Use You can search for journals using the Journal Inquiry Search page or the Create/Update Journals page. Both pages offer many of the same search options, but only the Create/Update page lets you change or approve journals. See Appendix A for the full list of search parameters. If you are looking for journals that might require a change, you should use the Create/Update Journal Entries page. Use this table to help you decide which search page to use. Do you want to find journals... Create/Update page Journal Inquiry page That have errors? X That are not valid (need to be edited or budget checked)? X That need to be reviewed? X For change or approval? X That were not approved (recycle)? X That need to be posted? X That have been posted? X X In Suspended Activity status (suspense)? X Created by a single user by NetID? X According to budget check status? X Specific journals meeting your criteria? X X Searching for Actuals Journals and GL714 2

21 and FMS714 Searching for Journals Using the Create/Update Journals Page Step 1: Enter the search criteria Quick Navigation: From the Menu panel, click Journals Journal Entry Create/Update Journal Entries. Narrow the search using operators to limit the search results. Each search page uses some of the following operators. Operator Meaning Operator Meaning = Equals >= Greater than or equal to not = Not equal to in Searches for items in a list. Enclose list items in quotation marks and separate them with commas. Example: , < Less than begins with First character or word <= Less than or equal to between Part of a range > Greater than contains Result must contain the search value, but it may contain more information Searching for Actuals Journals and GL714 3

22 and FMS714 Step 2: Enter the search criteria (continued) All searches require a Business Unit. NWUNV is the only Business Unit. Enter criteria in every field that is relevant to your search. In this example, the user is searching for journals that are valid, which come from the ONL source. Searching for Actuals Journals and GL714 4

23 and FMS714 Step 3: View the search results Searching for Actuals Journals and GL714 5

24 and FMS714 Searching for Journals Using the Journal Inquiry Page The Journal Inquiry page is best used for finding: Journals that have been posted Journals in Suspended Activity status (suspense) Journals created by a single user by NetID Step 1: Create an Inquiry Name In this example, the user is searching for journals created by one user. Inquiry names are saved like Run Control IDs. Inquiry names and search options are saved in the system and may be reused at a later date. Searching for Actuals Journals and GL714 6

25 and FMS714 Step 2: Enter your search criteria Enter search parameters that are relevant to your search. In this example, the search will find all journals for NetID CDM399 for the month of February 2008 (period 6). Searching for Actuals Journals and GL714 7

26 and FMS714 Step 3: View the search results All journals that meet the search criteria are displayed. You can click a Journal ID link to view the journal. What happens next? The ability to search for journals is important to daily journal processing and tracking. However, there may be times when you need a journal-related report that you can print or send electronically. To find out more information about journalrelated reports, see the Running a Report in training guide or the Report Matrix and Templates. Searching for Actuals Journals and GL714 8

27 and FMS714 In a Nutshell... Process Overview Determine which search tool to use These are the important differences between the two search pages: Use the Create/Update Journals page to... Use the Inquiry search page to... Search for journals that you need to change (journals cannot be updated from the Inquiry search page) Search for journals according to budget check status Search for journals by User (NetID) Search for journals by Suspense Status Searching for Journals Using the Create/Update Journals Page Step 1: Navigate to the search page Journals Journal Entry Create/Update Journal Entries Step 2: Enter the search criteria Step 3: View the search results Searching for Journals Using the Journal Inquiry Page Step 1: Create an Inquiry Name: Journals Review Financial Information Journals Add New Value tab Step 2: Enter the search criteria Step 3: View the search results What happens next? The ability to search for journals is important to daily journal processing and tracking. However, there may be times when you need a journal-related report that you can print or send electronically. To find out more information about journalrelated reports, see the How to Run a Report in training guide or the Report Matrix and Templates. Searching for Actuals Journals and GL714 9

28 and FMS714 Appendix A: Journal Search Parameters This table lists the available search parameters for the Journal Inquiry page and the Create/Update Journals page. X means that the page uses the parameter. Parameter Create/ Update Journals Inquiry Page Description Business Unit or Unit x x Both parameter names search for the same thing. Enter NWUNV if it doesn t default. Ledger x Enter ACTUALS Year x Fiscal Year From Period x Enter the accounting period (1-12, 998). Click the magnifying glass to view the details. The journal date that was entered when the journal was created determines which accounting period the journal will post to. To Period x Enter the accounting period (1-12, 998). Click the magnifying glass to view the details. Suspense Status (Suspended activity) x 0 No Suspense Transactions 1 Suspense Transactions 2 Correction Journal Created 3 Correction Journal Posted Journal ID x x The system-generated Journal ID number Journal Date or Date x x Both parameter names search for the same thing. The date the journal was created. Journal Header Status or Status x x Both parameter names search for the same thing. Searching for Actuals Journals and GL714 10

29 and FMS714 Parameter Journal Header Status or Status (continued) Appendix A: Journal Search Parameters Create/ Update Journals x Inquiry Page x D E I M N P T U Description Deleted journal was deleted. Permission to delete journals is restricted. Deleting journals deletes the Journal ID from all records. Error on Journal Journal has been edited and has errors. The journal has been recycled (not allowed to post) and you must correct errors before it can post. Posting Error - Repost Posting is incomplete because of posting problems. For example, the system might have crashed after the reversal journal is created but before the original journal is actually posted. Repost as soon as possible. Valid SJE Model Do not post This is a valid standard journal entry model used to generate standard journal entries; the model journal cannot be posted. Only journals generated from the model may post. Edit Required No Status Posted to Ledger Incomplete -The journal is saved, but will not be processed unless it is updated. Unposted - You have unposted the journal entry from the ledger or ledgers where it was originally posted. It cannot be reposted. Permission to unpost journals is restricted. Source x x The Source code used for journal creation. This will be a subsystem source code, ONL, or a user source code. Currency x USD is currently the only supported currency. Searching for Actuals Journals and GL714 11

30 and FMS714 Appendix A: Journal Search Parameters Parameter Create/ Update Journals Inquiry Page Stat x Not used by NU Document Type x Not used by NU Description User x NetID of the user who created the journal Documents Sequence # x x Not used by NU Sort By x Sort by the search results by Journal ID or the Journal Date Max Rows x Enter the maximum number of rows you want the search to display Line Business Unit x NWUNV is the only Business Unit NU is using Budget Checking Header Status x Error in Budget Check - The journal entry failed to pass budget checking. You must correct the error before you can continue processing. Not Budget Checked - Budget Processor has not processed the journal entry. Valid Budget Check - The entry passed budget checking and the process updated the control budget ledger. Searching for Actuals Journals and GL714 12

31 and FMS714 Common Journal Searches Use this job aid to help you determine which search criteria to use for common searches. These search parameters are available from both the Journal Inquiry page and the Create/Update Journal page. Journals with errors search parameters Search Field Operator Description Business Unit = NWUNV Defaults based on user preferences Journal Header Status Not = Valid Edits Complete Source = Source code if applicable Journals not approved search parameters Search Field Operator Description Business Unit = NWUNV Journal Header Status = Incomplete Source = Choose the correct source code to narrow search to incomplete journals by source Leave this blank if you want to find all unapproved journals Journals not posted search parameters Search Field Operator Description Business Unit = NWUNV Journal Header Status Not = Posted Source Choose the correct source code to narrow search to incomplete journals by source Leave this blank if you want to find all unapproved journals Searching for Actuals Journals and GL714 13

32 Correcting Common Actuals Journal Errors This training guide describes the process of correcting journal errors which are discovered during the edit/budget check process. Before you begin... Upon completion of this guide you will be able to: Correct common journal header errors Correct combination edit errors Correct common budget errors Things I need to know to before attempting this process: The correct chart strings for your transactions How to create a journal entry Who has access? Access to correct journal header and line errors is given to Accounting Services, Budget Office, Controller s Office, and ASRSP. How do I sign in to? 1. Sign in to the NU portal at nuportal.northwestern.edu 2. Click the Staff or Faculty tab, Finance and Budget tab, and then click the Login to link from the left navigation pane. Additional Resources Visit the Project Café website for additional training materials Where do I get help? For assistance, contact NUIT Support Center at HELP (4357) or consultant@northwestern.edu. Correcting Common Actuals Journal Errors 1

33 Step 1: Find the journal that needs correction Ways of knowing a journal has errors: The journal header status = E (when viewed from the Lines tab/page). The journal does not pass edit and budget check. The batch process Message Log says there are header or line errors in the journal(s). The Journal Edit Errors report shows journals with errors. A search by Journal Header Status = Errors or Budget Checking Header Status = Error returns journals with errors. Quick navigation: From the Menu panel, click Journals Journal Entry Create/Update Journal Entries Find an Existing Value. Use the search tool to find your journal. Correcting Common Journal Errors 2

34 Step 2: Find the error(s) Click the Lines tab if the journal does not open to the Lines page. To post a journal, the Journal Status and the Budget Status must equal V (Valid). Correcting Common Journal Errors 3

35 Step 3: Interpret the error messages The Errors page appears. Consult Appendix A Combination Error Messages to find the solutions to each error message. Correcting Common Journal Errors 4

36 Step 4: Fix the journal error(s) Based on information gathered from Appendix A, follow these steps to fix the journal. The Accounting Services: Chart String Construction Rules job aid may also be helpful. The following message appears. Click OK. Correcting Common Journal Errors 5

37 Step 5: Check to see if all errors are corrected The following message appears. Click OK. The budget check process found budget errors. The journal is not ready to post. Scroll to the bottom of the page to check the Journal Status and Budget Status. Correcting Common Journal Errors 6

38 Step 6: Interpret the budget errors A new window appears. See Appendix B Budget Errors to see what the error message means and how to fix it. Correcting Common Journal Errors 7

39 Step 7: Communicate or fix the budget error The error detail (drill down) appears. If you have permission to create a budget journal to fix the error you should do so. If the chart string belongs to another department or unit, communicate the problem and follow your department s process for resolving the issue. Appendix B offers these solutions for the No Budget Exists error message: Complete a budget journal to create a budget for the chart string. Change the funding on the transaction to charge a chart string that has sufficient budget available. What happens next? For more information on completing a budget journal, see this training guide: Adjusting Your School or Unit s Budget Using the Budget Portal. After your journal has been corrected, it should be reviewed and then posted. If your journal has a budget error, see this training guide: Budget Portal Troubleshooting. If you modify a journal that you did not create, please notify the journal creator. Correcting Common Journal Errors 8

40 In a Nutshell... Correcting Common Journal Errors Process Overview Step 1: Find the journal that needs correction Journals Journal Entry Create/Update Journal Entries Find an Existing Value tab Step 2: Find the error(s) Step 3: Interpret the error messages See Appendix A Combination Error Messages See the Accounting Services: Chart String Construction Rules job aid Step 4: Fix the journal error(s) Step 5: Check to see if all errors are corrected Step 6: Interpret the budget errors Appendix B Budget Errors Step 7: Communicate or fix the budget error What happens next? For more information on completing a budget journal, see this training guide: Adjusting Your School or Unit s Budget Using the Budget Portal. After your journal has been corrected, it should be reviewed and then posted. If your journal has a budget error, see this training guide: Budget Portal Troubleshooting. If you modify a journal that you did not create, please notify the journal creator. Correcting Common Journal Errors 9

41 Appendix A Combination Error Messages Combination errors occur when the values used in two related fields are not configured in an allowable way. These are possible combination errors. Error Message Combo error for fields in group FND_PRJ Explanation An error exists in either the Fund or Project ChartField. These are possible solutions. Try one or more of the following: 1. Is the Project ID is missing? Project # s are required for all funds except Is the Project ID incorrectly applied? Funds Project must begin with: Project ID is not allowed or use (Gift Clearing) Correcting Common Journal Errors 10

42 Appendix A Combination Error Messages Error Message Combo error for fields in group ACT_FND Combo error for fields in group ACT_DPT Combo error for fields in group ACT_DPT_EX Combo error for fields in group FND_ACT Explanation The Fund is missing. A Fund value is required on every transaction. An error exists in the Account and/or Dept ChartFields. These are possible solutions. Try one or more of the following: 1. Is it a balance sheet transaction? Remove the Dept ID value. Dept IDs are not allowed for balance sheet transactions and cannot be used in conjunction with Accounts that begin with a 1, 2, or 3. Contact your unit s budget or financial manager. 2. Is it a revenue transaction? Enter a Dept ID. Use a revenue Account code that begins with 4 or Is it an expense transaction? Enter a Dept ID. Use an expense Account code that begins with 6 or Is it a transfer? Enter a Dept ID. Use a transfer Account code that begins with 8. Dept ID cannot be used on transactions. An error exists in the Fund and/or Account ChartFields. Did you use an allowable Account code for the Fund value? Fund Associated Rule 030 Only Account codes that begin with 1, 2, or 3 are allowed 330 Account codes that begin with 6 or 7 are not allowed Account codes that begin with 8 are not allowed Correcting Common Journal Errors 11

43 Appendix B Budget Errors Budget errors occur when there are problems between what the budget journal is requesting and the budget that exists for that chart string. Budget is closed Budget is on hold Error Message Budgetary only [ChartField value] is not allowed for a non-budget ledger group. Budget Period is Invalid Budget Period xxxx is not valid for the CAPITAL RuleSet Explanation The budget for this chart string has been closed. The budget for this chart string has been placed on hold. The value entered for the specified ChartField is used for budget rollups only. Enter a different value. The budget period value is missing. Enter a valid budget period (fiscal year). All funds use a budget period except Capital funds (800 range). A budget period was entered when it should be blank. Remove the budget period value and then process the journal. This applies to Capital funds in the 800 range. ChartField error for value [ChartField value] The value entered for the specified ChartField is either inactive or does not exist. Enter a different value. CF (ChartField) value not at tree level. The budget journal line contains a ChartField value not at the defined tree level. A new account was created, but wasn t added to a KK_ACCOUNTS tree. Correcting Common Journal Errors 12

44 Appendix B Budget Errors Error Message Exceeds budget and is over tolerance The journal date is not in an open period for this ledger Journal is not balanced on journal totals or balancing ChartField totals Explanation The requested transaction exceeds the available budget. These are possible solutions. Try one or more of the following: Following your unit s business process. Complete a budget journal to increase the budget. Reduce the dollar amount of the transaction so that it does not exceed the budget available. Change the funding on the transaction to charge a chart string that has sufficient budget available. The journal date is not in an open accounting period. If the journal date is for a future accounting period, the journal will post when that accounting period opens. If you are trying to post to an accounting period that is closed because it is in the past, copy the journal and post the journal to an open period. You cannot post to past accounting periods. Request that the old journal be deleted. Journal is not balanced. Total debits must equal total credits. Correcting Common Journal Errors 13

45 Error Message Journal line errors exist for this header Explanation Line errors exist for this journal. Click the Errors link (near the Process menu) to view the budget errors for this journal. For journals with more than 10 lines: 1. Check the Errors Only box at the top of the page. This will display only the rows that have errors. 2. Click on the Error tab to see only the errors. No budget exists No budget exists on the chart string that has been entered. These are possible solutions. Try one or more of the following: Complete a budget journal to create a budget for the chart string. Change the funding on the transaction to charge a chart string that has sufficient budget available. Required key CF (ChartField) is blank. A required ChartField is not complete. Enter a value for the required ChartField. Correcting Common Journal Errors 14

46 Appendix B Budget Errors Error Message Spending authority over budget Explanation Deficit budgets are not allowed. The charge to the expense budget included in the transaction is greater than the expense budget for the chart string. (It may be that the Account code used with the chart string has no associated budget.) These are possible solutions. Try one or both of the following: Complete a budget journal to increase the budget so that it is greater than the expense. Revise the amount of the charge so that it is less than the budget. Transaction has account that belongs to an excluded account type. Select a different Account type. The budget journal line contains an account value that belongs to an excluded account type. (For example, a revenue account code was entered for a budget journal that is adjusting expense.) Correcting Common Journal Errors 15

47 Manually Batch Editing and Budget Checking Actuals Journals This training guide describes the process for batch editing and budget checking actuals journal entries (not budgetary) using the module. This is the second step in the journal lifecycle which consists of creating, editing, reviewing, and posting. Before you begin... Upon completion of this guide you will be able to: Create a Run Control ID Schedule a process Manually batch edit and budget check multiple journals Check the status of the journals Who has access? Accounting Services, Controller s office, ASRSP This process is used to: Verify that valid chart strings have been entered by the user (the edit process) Verify that funds are available to cover the expense and that a budget exists for the category of expense/revenue (the budget check process) How do I sign in to? 1. Sign in to the NUPortal at nuportal.northwestern.edu 2. Click the Staff or Faculty tab, Finance and Budget tab, and then click the Login to link from the left navigation pane. Additional Resources Visit the Project Café website for additional training materials Visit the NUPortal nuportal.northwestern.edu to access the Chart of Accounts crosswalk. Review the 90-day policy for journal entries Where do I get help? For assistance, contact NUIT Support Center at HELP (4357) or consultant@northwestern.edu. Manually Batch Editing and Budget Checking Actuals Journals 1

48 Step 1: Create a Run Control ID Quick navigation: From the menu panel, click Journals Process Journals Edit Journals. Run Controls: A run control is a set of instructions or parameters in that explain to the system how you want a job processed. If you enter many journals, set up a run control that will direct the system how to batch edit and budget check all your journal entries at one time. Your can reuse a Run Control ID by changing the parameters whenever necessary. From the screen above, click the Find an Existing Value, and then click Search. Click the name of the Run Control ID you want to reuse, and then follow the process covered in this guide. The recommended naming convention for a Run Control ID is process_description or just the process name. Spaces are not allowed in the ID name. (For example, edit_budget_check). Run controls are user specific. You may only use the run controls that you create. Manually Batch Editing and Budget Checking Actuals Journals 2

49 Step 2: Select the Run Control ID parameters 1. Change the Process Frequency to Always. 2. Enter a short description of the process. 3. Enter your parameters: Business Unit always = NWUNV Ledger Group always select ACTUALS for actuals journal that will post to the General Ledger. Source to pull journals by source, enter or click and then select a source code. 4. Click the Budget Check box. (The Edit box is already selected.) 5. Click Run to continue. Additional fields * indicates a required field. Mark Journal(s) to Post Do not check this box. This function does not work from this screen. Manually Batch Editing and Budget Checking Actuals Journals 3

50 Step 3: Run the process The Process Scheduler Request page appears. There are no additional Format options available for this PS/GL Journal Edit process. The Message Log output is a text file. Manually Batch Editing and Budget Checking Actuals Journals 4

51 Step 4: Check the process status The message log provides real-time updates on the status of the process. You can check the message log while the process is running. The message log reports the process errors, warnings, and successes. Manually Batch Editing and Budget Checking Actuals Journals 5

52 Step 4b: View the status for you instance number The Details link provides access to the message log for the instance number. The Distribution Status reports the status of the process. Distribution Status Queued NA Posting Posted Description The process is waiting to run. The process is still running. The journal is being processed. The message log has posted. This does not mean all the journals have posted. Check the message log to check journal posting status. Manually Batch Editing and Budget Checking Actuals Journals 6

53 Step 4c: Open the Message Log Manually Batch Editing and Budget Checking Actuals Journals 7

54 Step 4d: Review the process results What happens next? Journals with errors were discovered. One of the journals does not have a Valid status. Correct the error within the journal header or line, and then edit and budget check the journal again. See the Correcting Common Actuals Journal Errors training guide to see how to correct journal errors. Use search tools to find the status of your journals. See the Searching for Journals training guide for more information. Journals with a Valid status will be reviewed by a designated reviewer. Journals that are approved will be posted. Journals that are rejected (not approved) are changed to an Incomplete status until they are corrected or deleted. When a Warning appears after Request Statistics, it means the budget did not have sufficient funds, but the transaction was still processed. Manually Batch Editing and Budget Checking Actuals Journals 8

55 In a Nutshell... Manually Batch Editing and Budget Checking Actual Journals Process Overview: Quick navigation: Journals Process Journals Edit Journals Step 1: Create a Run Control ID Step 2: Select the Run Control ID parameters Step 3: Run the process Step 4: Check the process status Step 4b: View the status for you instance number Step 4c: Open the Message Log Step 4d: Review the process results What happens next? Journals with errors were discovered. One of the journals does not have a Valid status. Correct the error within the journal header or line, and then edit and budget check the journal again. See the Correcting Common Actuals Journal Errors training guide to see how to correct journal errors. Use search tools to find the status of your journals. See the Searching for Journals training guide for more information. Journals with a Valid status will be reviewed by a designated reviewer. Journals that are approved will be posted. Journals that are rejected (not approved) are changed to an Incomplete status until they are corrected or deleted. Manually Batch Editing and Budget Checking Actuals Journals 9