How to submit a Travel Expense Claim

Munis v2017.1 How to submit a Travel Expense Claim For Out of Town Conferences/Events

Table of Contents What Do I Need to Know Before I Get Started? 3 Employee Self Service (ESS) 3 MUNIS Vendor Number 3 Soft Copy vs. Hard Copy 4 Required Attachments for Travel Expense Claims 4 Data Entry 5 Administrative Reg. Bus-05: Travel Expenses and Reimbursements 5 Web Site References 5 How to Submit a Travel Expense Claim in ESS 6 Entering Travel Expense Claim Details 9 Entering Expense Information 11 Attaching the Receipts (Soft Copy) 15 Submitting Your Travel Expense Claim 17 Saving the Travel Expense Claim 18 Editing a saved Travel Claim 19 Tracking Submitted Claims 22 Expense Claim Status 23 Editing/Deleting Submitted Claims 24 Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q.) 25 Travel Expense Claims 26 2

What Do I Need to Know Before I Get Started? Reimbursements for TRAVEL expenses incurred while traveling to an out of town conference or similar events are initiated by the employee via Employee Self Service (ESS). ALL RECEIPTS and supporting documentation justifying the items purchased MUST be attached electronically at the time the claim is submitted in ESS. The flowchart below illustrates the process for mileage and travel expense reimbursements. Employee Self Service (ESS) Employee Self Service is available for ALL district employees. It can be accessed 24 hours a day, seven days a week from any computer with internet service. USERNAME: e-number without the e and leading zeros 0 (example 12345) PASSWORD: Last 4 digits of your Social Security Number (if logging in for the first time) If an employee has logged in before but forgot their password they may visit http://www.nisd.net/ess for instructions on how to reset the password. MUNIS Vendor Number If this is the FIRST TIME submitting a Travel expense claim in ESS, please have the campus or department secretary/bookkeeper contact the Purchasing Department at Purchasing@nisd.net to ensure that a valid vendor record exists on file for the individual. The employee will not be able to Save the Claim and proceed with the process without a MUNIS vendor number on file! 3

Soft Copy vs. Hard Copy Generally documents (receipts) are available in TWO formats: hard copy and soft copy. A hard copy is the actual physical form of the document, usually printed onto copy paper. A soft copy is the version of the document that is still on the computer. Soft copies can include Microsoft Word documents, Adobe PDFs, and picture images. For reimbursement claims, it is helpful to SAVE these soft copies to a location on your computer that you can easily access (i.e. Desktop). Required Attachments for Travel Expense Claims ALL supporting documentation MUST be in a soft copy format. Please refer to the following table for a list of required attachments: FILES TO ATTACH TO EXPENSE CLAIM EXPENSE ITEM REQUIRED ATTACHMENT o Travel Authorization Request (TAR) o The TAR is not required to be attached unless associated with Federal Programs. o Airfare o Flight Itinerary with cost information and/or proof of payment. o Per Diem o Conference agendas must be attached to provide justification for per diem. If the conference/event offered breakfast, lunch, etc. the employee cannot claim per diem for that meal. o Lodging/Hotel o Itemized hotel receipts (breakdown of expenses) must be attached. NISD will not reimburse employees for expenses related to internet, room service, etc. * In the event the employee is paying meals and/or lodging for another employee, an explanation - statement explaining who and why - must be provided. o Mileage o Maps with directions (Google Maps, Map Quest, etc.) o Parking, Taxi/Shuttle, Rental Car o Receipts related to these expenses must be attached. o Registration o Event registration receipt. * Approved travel and mileage reimbursements that do not meet current IRS regulations will be taxable to the employee. 4

Data Entry Always use CAPS LOCK when entering data in ESS. Administrative Reg. Bus-05: Travel Expenses and Reimbursements Administrative Regulation (BUS-05) outlines all requirements pertaining to the approval and reimbursement of travel expenses which include: mileage, public transportation, meal reimbursements, accommodations, travel reports, and any expense restrictions. For further explanation of each travel expense please refer to Administrative Regulation (BUS-05) located on Northside ISD s Employee Connection. Web Site References MUNIS Resource Center: http://munis.nisd.net The MUNIS Resource Center holds the most current MUNIS instructional material. Employee Self Service Resource Center: http://nisd.net/ess/ The Employee Self Service center offers a wide range of instructional videos and guides that will help you get the most of ESS. On this page you will also find a link to the ESS log in screen. Accounts Payable Website: https://nisd.net/employees/department/accounts-payable Periodically, there may be changes to reimbursement rate. The Accounts Payable website has the most up-to-date travel forms. 5

How to Submit a Travel Expense Claim in ESS Once all receipt attachments have been gathered and saved proceed to enter the claim in ESS. STEP 1. From the NISD Homepage, under Employee Links (drop-down menu), CLICK on EMPLOYEE SELF SERVICE. STEP 2. From the ESS Resource homepage, CLICK on the EMPLOYEE SELF SERVICE link. 6

STEP 3. CLICK on the Log In icon located at the top right of the screen. STEP 4. USER NAME: enter the "Employee Number" without the e and leading zeros 0 STEP 5. PASSWORD: enter the password. STEP 6. CLICK on the LOG IN button. STEP 7. CLICK on the EMPLOYEE SELF SERVICE panel (left-hand side). 7

STEP 8. CLICK on the EXPENSE REPORTS panel (see below): STEP 9. CLICK on the ADD CLAIM panel (see below): 8

Entering Travel Expense Claim Details Once the ADD CLAIM link has been selected the Claim Details screen will appear: **Remember use ALL CAPS** STEP 1. CLAIM TYPE: Select TRAVEL EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT from the drop-down menu. STEP 2. DEPARTMENT: Please select the respective DEPARTMENT/CAMPUS from the drop-down menu. STEP 3. DESCRIPTION: Enter a brief description of the claim (i.e. 2017 TCEA CONFERENCE). STEP 4. START DATE: Enter the first day of the travel event (the arrival date). STEP 5. START TIME: Enter the start time of the travel event (the arrival time). 9

STEP 6. END DATE: Enter the last day of the travel event (the return date). STEP 7. END TIME: Enter the end time of the travel event (the return time). STEP 8. CLICK on the CONTINUE button. 10

Entering Expense Information The Expenses and Receipts screen displays the information previously entered and selected. STEP 1. CLICK on the plus button to expand the LOCATION section. STEP 2. Enter the DESTINATION CITY and DESTINATION STATE. 11

STEP 3. CLICK on the plus button to expand the PER DIEM EXPENSES section. STEP 4. CLICK on the check boxes to include the allowable meals incurred during the travel event (breakfast, lunch, and dinner). REMINDER: Administrative Regulation (BUS-05) outlines all requirements pertaining to the approval and reimbursement of travel expenses which include: mileage, public transportation, meal reimbursements, accommodations, travel reports, and any expense restrictions. STEP 5. CLICK on the plus button to expand the UNIT EXPENSES section. STEP 6. CLICK on the ADD AN EXPENSE link. 12

STEP 7. From the Expense Information screen: STEP 8. EXPENSE TYPE drop-down menu: Select the applicable expense. a. AIRFARE b. LODGING/HOTEL c. MILEAGE d. MISC TRAVEL EXP e. PARKING FEES f. REGISTRATION g. RENTAL CAR h. TAXI/SHUTTLE i. TRAVEL ALLOWANCE (ATHLETICS DEPT. ONLY) 13

For example if requesting reimbursement for a hotel stay: STEP 9. EXPENSE TYPE drop-down menu: Select the LODGING/HOTEL. STEP 10. QUANTITY field: Enter the expense quantity. (Ex: one night stay in a hotel, enter quantity of 1). STEP 11. DATE INCURRED field: Provide the final day of lodging. STEP 12. AMOUNT ($) field: Enter the amount ($) of the expense. (Ex: the price per night for the hotel stay). STEP 13. COMMENTS field: Enter a brief description such as HAMPTON INN 1-NIGHT STAY. STEP 14. CLICK on the SAVE EXPENSE button. NOTE: If multiple expenses incurred on the trip will be included, CLICK Expense link to add another expense. the Add an 14

Attaching the Receipts (Soft Copy) Proceed to attach all required supporting documentation to the respective claim. REMEMBER: ALL receipts and supporting documentation MUST be in a SOFT COPY format. STEP 1. CLICK on the plus sign to expand the ATTACH RECEIPTS section. STEP 2. CLICK on the BROWSE button. STEP 3. From the Choose File to Upload screen, locate the attachment, select it, and CLICK OPEN. 15

STEP 4. The attachment(s) will display once it has been uploaded in ESS. STEP 5. To remove an attachment(s) CLICK on the REMOVE link to delete the desired attachment(s). STEP 6. To attach additional files, REPEAT STEPS 2-4 above. IMPORTANT: Ensure that the correct file is attached to the claim. Once the claim has been saved or submitted the attachment cannot be removed. If an error is made, the entire claim must be deleted and re-entered. 16

Submitting Your Travel Expense Claim Once all required supporting documentation (soft copies) has been attached users MUST review the claim for accuracy prior to submission. STEP 1. CLICK on the REVIEW button. STEP 2. Review all claim and expense details. STEP 3. If no changes are necessary, CLICK the SUBMIT CLAIM button. STEP 4. A confirmation prompt will display indicating that the expense claim was submitted successfully. 17

Saving the Travel Expense Claim Employees may save their expense claim to edit later or make any required attachments at a later time in the event they are not readily available. IMPORTANT NOTE: before a claim can be saved the claim must contain a location for both City and State fields along with at least one unit expense item. STEP 1. CLICK on the SAVE FOR LATER button at the bottom of the screen. STEP 2. The following prompt will display indicating that the claim was saved for later. STEP 3. The claim may later be accessed for editing, providing an attachment, and/or its submission. NOTE: inadvertently selecting the SAVE FOR LATER button will save the claim in anticipation that the claim will later be accessed, updated, then submitted at a future time. Should it be desired to create and then immediately submit the claim please do not elect to save the claim for later. If you receive the following error message it is most likely due to the fact that a MUNIS Vendor Record does not exist on file. Please contact the Purchasing Department at Purchasing@nisd.net to make a request to have one created. 18

Editing a saved Travel Claim A saved claim that has yet to be submitted will reflect an Entering status within the summary listing of expense reports as shown below. Users may edit these particular claims by updating or modifying the claim details such as department selection, location, expense lines, etc. Users may also make any attachments not previously included. STEP 1. Once logged in, CLICK on the EMPLOYEE SELF SERVICE panel (left-hand side). STEP 2. CLICK on the EXPENSE REPORTS panel. A listing of all the employee s respective expense claims and their statuses will be listed STEP 3. Select the desired claim to edit by selecting the Claim ID link. STEP 4. From the Claim Details screen, CLICK on the UPDATE button: 19

STEP 5. To make changes to the DEPARTMENT and DESCRIPTION fields of the claim, CLICK on the EDIT DETAILS link. NOTE: If no changes are needed to be made to the claim details proceed to STEP 7. STEP 6. From the Claim Details screen make the necessary updates. STEP 7. Select the CONTINUE button. 20

STEP 8. From the Expenses and Receipts screen make any additional edits to the LOCATION, PER DIEM EXPENSES, UNIT EXPENSES, and/or ATTACH SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS sections. No existing attachments may be deleted; however, you can attach additional support documentation. STEP 9. CLICK on the REVIEW button. STEP 10. CLICK on the SUBMIT CLAIM button. NOTE: Updates to the Start Date/Time and End Date/Time are NOT allowed once Per Diem Expenses have been saved in the claim. In order to be able to make changes to the Date/Time fields, ALL Per Diem Expenses must be removed/unchecked, Save the claim again, and go back to Update the Date/Time fields within the Claim Details screen. 21

Tracking Submitted Claims The employee can monitor the status of his/her claim(s) in ESS at any time. STEP 1. CLICK on the EXPENSE REPORTS link from the left-side bar. STEP 2. A listing of all saved and submitted claims and their respective status will display: 22

Expense Claim Status ENTERING: CREATED: The claim has been saved, but NOT submitted by the sponsor/staff. This claim has been submitted to the campus or department secretary/bookkeeper. ALLOCATED: The campus bookkeeper has processed and released the claim for Administrator (i.e. Principal or Director) approval. RELEASED: APPROVED: The claim has been processed by the campus or department secretary/bookkeeper and is awaiting approval by the Principal/Director and the Accounts Payable Department. The Principal/Director and the Accounts Payable Dept. have approved your claim. REIMBURSED: Claim is complete (reimbursed). Please allow 3-4 business days for bank deposit to be completed. Employee will receive an email notification once funds have been deposited. REJECTED: Claim was rejected. Please follow up with the campus or department secretary/bookkeeper to update/edit claim. 23

Editing/Deleting Submitted Claims Employees are able to make edits/updates to their Travel expense claim(s) depending on their status: ESS Status Meaning Editable? ENTERING CREATED The claim has been saved, but NOT submitted by the employee. Claim has been submitted in ESS by employee YES, Claim must be in this status in order for employee to edit claim details, attach receipts, etc. NO, But employee has ability to delete the claim. STEP 1. Once logged in, CLICK on the EMPLOYEE SELF SERVICE panel (left-hand side). STEP 2. CLICK on the EXPENSE REPORTS panel. A listing of all the employee s respective expense claims and their statuses will be listed. STEP 3. To make edits/updates to a particular expense claim CLICK on that claim s ID link. STEP 4. The user will be directed to the Claim Details screen. CLICK on the UPDATE or DELETE button. STEP 5. Once you have made any necessary changes/edits, CLICK the REVIEW button and then SUBMIT CLAIM. 24

Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q.) FAQ #1: I cannot remember by ESS password. What can I do? ANSWER: Please contact the HelpDesk at 210-397-7700 to reset your ESS password. FAQ #2: I am creating a travel expense claim for the first time in ESS, what resources are available? ANSWER: The How to Submit a Travel Claim training guide is located on the NISD website: Employee Links/Employee Self Service/Resources FAQ #3: When I click on the SAVE FOR LATER or the SUBMIT button I receive the following error: ANSWER: If you have never received an expense reimbursement from NISD, it is possible that you may be missing a vendor record. Please contact Purchasing at Purchasing@nisd.net to ensure a valid vendor record is on file. FAQ #4: I have gathered all my receipts justifying my mileage expense claim, how do I save them in soft copy format? ANSWER (1): All campuses and departments have a scanner available for employee use. ANSWER (2): If your mobile device (cell phone, ipad, etc.) has a camera function you may take a photo of the receipt(s) and email them to your NISD email and save them for easy access. ANSWER (3): CutePDF is a useful program for converting documents to PDF (i.e. web pages, Word documents, Excel documents, etc.). To verify that your NISD workstation has this option please contact the HelpDesk at 210-397-7700. 25

Travel Expense Claims RESPONSIBILITIES EMPLOYEE BOOKKEEPER/SECRETARY Ensure travel was pre-approved on District s Travel Approval Request form. Submit claim through ESS. Route to correct department. Attach receipts and documentation. Attach mileage form. Ensure claims are correct and complete. Ensure attachments agree with claim. Check MUNIS notifications for claims. Ensure all forms, receipts, etc. are attached and correct and agree with submitted claim. Allocate claim to proper budget code for payment. Ensure travel was pre-approved on District s Travel Approval Request form. Release claim to administrative approver. Notify employee if claim is incomplete or has errors. APPROVER ACCOUNTING (A/P) Check MUNIS notifications for claims needing approval. Ensure submitted claims are complete and all supporting documentation is attached. Travel has been pre-approved. Budget code is accurate. Approve and release for payment. Ensure all documentation is attached to claim request. Notify bookkeeper/secretary if claim is incomplete or has errors. Process claim for payment. Non-compliance at any point will result in payment delays to the employee. Approved travel and mileage reimbursements that do not meet current IRS regulations will be taxable to employee. 26