Travel and Expense Process Step Checklist for Task Force Review

Purpose: Pilot Sample Process Alignment 'Best Practice' Step Checklist for Managing Travel and Expenses in ctcLink. The step checklist has a number of blue BRANCH boxes where a question is being posed. These are intended to aid those using this guide to next the next step based on the answer to the question posed (for example, who is performing the task may use different Quick Reference Guides to perform that task with unique navigational paths and security requirements.)

Audience: Travel & Expense Task Force for vetting business process steps and validating college alignment to 'Best Practice' standards.

This guide is under construction.

Review Washington State Travel Policy Information

POLICY RESOURCES

Although many colleges have local travel policies, the Office of Financial Management (OFM) outlines Travel Management Requirements and Restrictions in Chapter 10 of the State Administrative & Accounting Manual (SAAM).

OFM provides Washington state per diem rates on their OFM Website for Travel. This page also provides a number of reference material links designed to help agencies better understand and fulfill travel requirements. A subset of those resource links are provided below for the convenience of task force reviewing the steps in travel outline in this guide:

Security for People Involved in Travel and Expense

The work in processing Travel and Expenses is handled by 5 forms of staff. The security roles and the access granted by those roles are outlined below:

Travelers: These are either employees at your college requesting to travel. Employee's ability to access travel related pages comes from the ZZ PeopleSoft User security role that is dynamically granted to all employees. They can however be students, for example those involved in athletic activities where a coach is arranging their travel and securing an advance for their meals.

Delegated Submitter*: Although employees can submit their own travel requests, often the burden of training staff to self-manage this work is difficult for college staff, especially in high turnover positions. It can be efficient for colleges to somewhat centralize the data entry responsibilities into specific positions already trained to aid staff in submitted travel requests. In such a case the college will want to ensure those who have been delegated the responsibility for travel request submissions are properly setup in ctcLink. In order to do so the individual doing this setup will need the access necessary to setup those delegated submitters in the system by ensuring they are assigned the following role:

ZZ Expenses User Admin
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Manage Employee Information>Load Employee Data
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Manage Employee Information>Update Profile
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Manage Expenses Security>Authorize Expense Users

Business/Finance Office: The responsibilities of this person are...

ZZ Expenses Manager
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Approve Transactions>Approve Transactions
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Approve Transactions>Modify Approved Transactions
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Cash Advance>Delete
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Central Entry>Cash Advance>Create Cash Advance
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Central Entry>Cash Advance>Print Cash Advances
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Central Entry>Expense Report>Create Report
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Central Entry>Expense Report>Print Report
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Central Entry>Travel Authorization>Create/Modify
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Central Entry>Travel Authorization>Print Travel Authorization
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Expense Report>Create Express
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Expense Report>Delete
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Expenses WorkCenter
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Manage Accounting>Expense Rpt Budget Exceptions
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Manage Accounting>Travel Auth Budget Exceptions
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Real-Time Analysis>Review Transaction in Progress
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Travel and Expense Center>Cash Advance>View a Cash Advance
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Travel and Expense Center>Expense Report>View an Expense Report
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Travel and Expense Center>Travel Authorization>View Travel Authorization
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Travel Authorization>Delete

Expense Approver: In order for submitted forms to become ready for processing they must go through the college's Approval Workflow.

Staff responsible for reviewing and responding (approving, denying or "pushing back") to travel request submissions must be setup to do so. The security role listed below is a dynamic role that is automatically applied to the security User Profiles of Supervisors and Travel & Expenses Assigned Approvers (Grant/Project Managers, .

starting with the approval security role outlined below. In addition, if the approver wants to view activities related to those submissions they will need the additional security roles listed below (depending on the college policies for what an approver should be able to see):

ZZ Expenses Approval
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Approve Transactions>Approve Transactions
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Central Entry>Cash Advance>Print Cash Advances
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Central Entry>Expense Report>Print Report
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Central Entry>Travel Authorization>Print Travel Authorization
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Process Expenses>Review Payments>Employee Expense History
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Process Expenses>Review Payments>Payment History
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Travel and Expense Center>Cash Advance>View a Cash Advance
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Travel and Expense Center>Expense Report>View an Expense Report
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Travel and Expense Center>Travel Authorization>View Travel Authorization
ZZ Expenses Reporting
  • Main Menu>Employee Self-Service>Travel and Expenses>Cash Advances>Print Advance
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Central Entry>Cash Advance>Print Cash Advances
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Central Entry>Expense Report>Print Report
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Central Entry>Travel Authorization>Print Travel Authorization
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Manage Accounting>Print Reports>Cash Advance Aging by Dept
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Manage Accounting>Print Reports>Cash Advances by Dept
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Manage Accounting>Print Reports>Employee Average Expenses
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Manage Accounting>Print Reports>Employee Top Spenders
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Manage Accounting>Print Reports>Employee Trends
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Manage Accounting>Print Reports>Employee Violation Amounts
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Manage Accounting>Print Reports>Expense Transaction by Dept
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Manage Accounting>Print Reports>GL Balancing Report
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Manage Accounting>Print Reports>Overdue Credit Card Data
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Manage Accounting>Print Reports>Standard Budgets
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Manage Accounting>Print Reports>Supplier Payment Reports
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Manage Accounting>Print Reports>Total Merchant Costs Report
ZD Expenses Inquiry
  • Main Menu>Employee Self-Service>Travel and Expenses>Review Expense History
  • Main Menu>Employee Self-Service>Travel and Expenses>Review Payments
  • Main Menu>Employee Self-Service>Travel and Expenses>Review Payroll Payments
  • Main Menu>Employee Self-Service>Travel and Expenses>Travel Authorizations>View Travel Authorization
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Cash Advances>Review Advance
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Manage Accounting>View/Adjust Accounting Entries>Cash Advance Acctg Entries
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Manage Accounting>View/Adjust Accounting Entries>Expense Report Acctg Entries
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Manage Accounting>View/Adjust Accounting Entries>Period End Acctg Entries
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Process Expenses>Review Payments>Employee Expense History
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Process Expenses>Review Payments>Payment History
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Process Expenses>Review Payments>Supplier Payments
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Real-Time Analysis>Predicted Expense Summary
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Travel and Expense Center>Cash Advance>View a Cash Advance
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Travel and Expense Center>Expense Report>View an Expense Report
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Travel and Expense Center>Travel Authorization>View Travel Authorization
ZD CC Budget Inquiry
  • Main Menu>Commitment Control>Review Budget Check Exceptions>Travel and Expenses>Expense Sheet
  • Main Menu>Commitment Control>Review Budget Check Exceptions>Travel and Expenses>Travel Authorization
ZZ Expenses Local Config
  • Main Menu>Set Up Financials/Supply Chain>Product Related>Expenses>Management>Approval Setup>Approver Assignment

Travel Admin: The travel administrator has is typically a staff member in the business/finance office and at many institutions is a single individual for whom administering travel is their primary responsibility. The access associated with this staff member can be distributed to other staff in the business/finance office and is broken down across multiple security roles as outlined below:

ZZ Expenses Processing
  • Main Menu>Employee Self-Service>Travel and Expenses>Cash Advances>Print Advance
  • Main Menu>Employee Self-Service>Travel and Expenses>Expense Reports>Print Report
  • Main Menu>Employee Self-Service>Travel and Expenses>Travel Authorizations>Cancel
  • Main Menu>Employee Self-Service>Travel and Expenses>Travel Authorizations>Create/Modify
  • Main Menu>Employee Self-Service>Travel and Expenses>Travel Authorizations>Print Authorization
  • Main Menu>Employee Self-Service>Travel and Expenses>Travel Authorizations>View
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Approve Transactions>Approve Transactions
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Approve Transactions>Modify Approved Transactions
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Cash Advance>Delete
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Cash Advances>Delete Advance
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Cash Advances>Review Advance
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Central Entry>Cash Advance>Print Cash Advances
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Central Entry>Expense Report>Print Report
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Central Entry>Travel Authorization>Print Travel Authorization
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Expense Report>Delete
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Expenses WorkCenter
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Manage Accounting>Expense Rpt Budget Exceptions
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Manage Accounting>PE Accrual Expense Exceptions
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Manage Accounting>Period End Accrual Exceptions
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Manage Accounting>Reconcile Airline Tickets
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Manage Accounting>Reconcile Cash Advance
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Manage Accounting>Request Budget Checking
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Manage Accounting>Rollover Travel Authorization
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Manage Accounting>Travel Auth Budget Exceptions
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Manage Accounting>View/Adjust Accounting Entries>Adjust Paid Expenses
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Manage Accounting>View/Adjust Accounting Entries>Cash Advance Acctg Entries
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Manage Accounting>View/Adjust Accounting Entries>Expense Report Acctg Entries
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Manage Accounting>View/Adjust Accounting Entries>Mark Expense Report for Unpost
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Manage Accounting>View/Adjust Accounting Entries>Period End Acctg Entries
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Manage Accounting>View/Adjust Accounting Entries>Update Unposted Expense Report
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Process Expenses>Cancel Travel Authorizations
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Process Expenses>Close Expenses>Mark Cash Advance for Close
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Process Expenses>Close Expenses>Mark Expense Report for Close
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Process Expenses>Expense Processing
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Process Expenses>Period End Accrual Delete
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Process Expenses>Period End Accrual Processing
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Process Expenses>Review Payments>Employee Expense History
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Process Expenses>Review Payments>Journal Entries
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Process Expenses>Review Payments>Payment History
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Process Expenses>Update Staged Payments>Cash Advance Payments
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Process Expenses>Update Staged Payments>Expense Report Payments
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Process Expenses>Update Staged Payments>Supplier Payments
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Process Expenses>Verify Receipts>Receipts Received
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Process Expenses>Verify Receipts>Validate Against Expenses
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Real-Time Analysis>Predicted Expense Summary
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Real-Time Analysis>Review Transaction in Progress
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Real-Time Analysis>Update Expenses Pagelet Info
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Travel and Expense Center>Cash Advance>View a Cash Advance
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Travel and Expense Center>Expense Report>View an Expense Report
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Travel and Expense Center>Travel Authorization>View a Travel Authorization
ZZ Expenses User Admin
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Manage Employee Information>Load Employee Data
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Manage Employee Information>Update Profile
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Manage Expenses Security>Authorize Expense Users
ZZ Expenses Workcenter
  • Main Menu>Employee Self-Service>Travel and Expenses>Cash Advances>Print Advance
  • Main Menu>Employee Self-Service>Travel and Expenses>Expense Reports>Create Express
  • Main Menu>Employee Self-Service>Travel and Expenses>My Wallet
  • Main Menu>Employee Self-Service>Travel and Expenses>Review Expense History
  • Main Menu>Employee Self-Service>Travel and Expenses>Travel Authorizations>Create/Modify
  • Main Menu>Employee Self-Service>Travel and Expenses>Travel Authorizations>Print Authorization
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Cash Advances>Delete Advance
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Cash Advances>Request Advance
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Cash Advances>Review Advance
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Real-Time Analysis>Review Transaction in Progress
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Travel and Expense Center>Cash Advance>View a Cash Advance
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Travel and Expense Center>Expense Report>View an Expense Report
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Travel and Expense Center>Travel Authorization>View a Travel Authorization
ZZ Expenses Reassign
  • Main Menu>Travel and Expenses>Manage Expenses Security>Reassign Approval Work
Prerequisite: Establishing and Verifying Traveler Profile
  1. Determine if this travel or expense requires a Travel Authorization form to be completed. [Need guidance? - Refer to Policy section]
  1. Verify Employee if Properly Onboarded with a Traveler Profile

BRANCH: Who is Doing This Step (Admin or Employee)?

ADMIN Entry

  1. Verify An Authorized Expense User is Established (if needed) to Create Documents on a Traveler's Behalf (Admin).
  2. Admin Verifies the Traveler Profile "Default" on the Organizational Data tab is set to the correct College Business Unit (if employed at more than one college)

Admin: Navigator>Travel and Expense>Manage Employee Information>Update Profile -Organizational Data (Tab)

  1. Verify Transportation ID is created for employee. Employee: Employee Self Service>Travel and Expenses>Review/Edit Profile -Transportation Information (Tab)

EMPLOYEE Validation of Entry

  1. Employee Verifies the Traveler Profile "Default" on the Organizational Data tab is set to the correct College Business Unit (if employed at more than one college) and the default chartstring applies correctly for their travel experience.

Employee Navigation: Employee Self Service>Travel and Expenses>Review/Edit Profile - Employee Data (Tab)

  1. Verify Transportation ID is created for employee. Employee: Employee Self Service>Travel and Expenses>Review/Edit Profile -Transportation Information (Tab)

Before travel occurs there are travel requests that should be submitted in advance of travel. The following sections address how the steps (in darker blue) are executed in ctcLink. The light blue sections above are steps that occur outside of ctcLink, but relate to the overall travel experience.

Travel Authorizations

Pro Tip Prep Step: Confirm the Default Accounting (or Accounting Defaults) are setup properly. This is the budget code (Chartfield value) that will be added in the Accounting Details section of a Travel Authorization. Ask the supervisor or budget office what value is appropriate to charge the right budget.

Grant/Project related travel will require additional field values (PCBU, Project, Activity) to properly charge to the correct budget if that budget is associated with a grant/project.

Note: Users cannot update their own Expenses Profile, where there a Default Accounting chartfield value is set on their Default Profile, but CAN edit the Default Accounting Chartfield value when creating or modifying a Travel Authorization.

Request Travel Authorization

TRAINING AVAILABLE

Creating Travel Authorizations (includes a 3 minute video demo)

BRANCH: Who is Doing This Step (Admin or Employee)

ADMIN Entry

  1. Create a new Travel Authorization to Input travel information and Travel Authorization (TA) - Same step can be used to search for an existing, incomplete TA that is "In Progress."
  2. Admin notes Employee's EMPLID (or sufficient information to use search utility) and pertinent travel information (in state/out of state, distance from home, hotel costs, per diem rate, mileage, airfare cost estimate - if required, conference/training fees, covered meals, etc.) to create the TA on behalf of the employee.
  3. Save Travel Authorization (supports interim saves until completed).
  4. Admin Submit Travel Authorization for Approval on Behalf of Employee.

EMPLOYEE Entry

  1. Employee gathers pertinent travel information (in state/out of state, distance from home, hotel costs, per diem rate, mileage, airfare cost estimate - if required, conference/training fees, covered meals, etc.) to create the TA.
  2. Employee/Admin enters Business Purpose, Project Expenses and associated Accounting Details (Budget/Chartstring).
  3. Save Travel Authorization (supports interim saves until completed).
  4. Employee Submits Travel Authorization for Approval

BRANCH: Will the Employee or Admin Use a Tile or Menu Based Access to Create this Travel Authorization?

The Quick Reference Guide (QRG) below shows both the Fluid Tile and Menu Based navigation to creating a Travel Authorization.

The Process Alignment Task Force recommends the use of Fluid Tile, as this method has the longest guarantee of Oracle update support.

If the traveler encounters errors when working in their TA, they can work through and correct those errors prior to submission.

• QRG: Correcting Travel Authorization Errors (Traveler)

Other situations can arise related to creating, copying, updating, canceling or submitting a travel authorization. The following QRGs outline how to handle those situations:

How to Rollover Travel Authorization encumbrances into the next period, if they have not been applied to an Expense Report:

• QRG: Rolling Over Travel Authorizations (Travel Administrators)

A group of staff are all traveling to the same conference. If one has completed their Travel Authorization (TA), it can be copied to use as the basis for creating TAs for others, or if the same trip was taken previously, the employee can leverage the previous TA to begin a new one.

• QRG: Copy and Existing Travel Authorization (Traveler)

If the traveler needs to view an existing or in-progress TA.

• QRG: View Travel Authorization

When the traveler is ready to submit their Traveler Authorization.

• QRG: Submitting a Travel Authorization (Traveler)

If a traveler needs to cancel a Travel Authorization.

• QRG: Canceling a Travel Authorization (Traveler)

If a traveler has already submitted their TA, but the approvers could not get through the approval process before the travel occurred, then the approver(s) must push back the TA in order for the TA to be canceled or deleted.

Travel Authorization - Approval Workflow

Each Travel Authorization must be submitted for budget checking and approval by multiple staff on campus. The Travel Authorization MUST get through all approvals prior to the date of travel for it to be used as the basis for creating an Expense Report.

Each college is uniquely configured for their chosen Travel Authorization Approval Workflow Engine (AWE). This is considered Local Configuration. Each college can be provided (on request) with a document showing all the local configuration decisions made and can work with SBCTC if changes are needed for their approval workflow process. Keep in mind, the more complex the approval workflow process the higher the likelihood that Travel Authorizations (TA) will be stuck in the approval process past the date of travel.

This will create a major issue in your TA process and will prevent the data being automatically loaded into the Expense Report.  

There are a number of "approvers" that can be added to the Travel Authorization approval path:

Reviewer: Reviews Travel Authorization for compliance with policy and procedure, typically associated with the Travel Coordinator or Department Administrator.

Supervisor: Approves absence for travel and accuracy review.

Expense Approver: Approves use of the funds as a Budget Manager or Accounts Payable staff.

Project Manager: (Only if the Project ID exists in the Chartfield values) Approves use of funds as a Budget Manager for Grants.

VP Approval: Approves Out of State Travel.

President: Approves International Travel.

PrePay Auditor: Reviews for completeness and accuracy in compliance with policy, typically associated with the Finance Office.

Sample Approval Workflow Visuals
Cash Advances

Request Cash Advance

A request for Cash Advance (CA) is a Travel document created to facilitate payment to the traveler before travel; and can be applied across multiple Expense Reports. A Cash Advance can be created at the time of Creating a Travel Authorization, or anytime sufficiently in advance of travel to allow for the request to process through all approval layers and check generation. 
 

Consult staff at your college (supervisor, travel coordinator) to determine if this is an allowed request, if so begin to create the Cash Advance request by following the steps in the link below. All steps can be input by the Traveler or a Delegated Submitter as empowered by the Travel Administrator adding the Delegated Submitter as an "Authorized Expense User" on the Traveler's Profile.
 

Because a cash advance often requires substantiating documentation travelers will need to attach the substantiating documentation to their request.

If the traveler encounters errors when working in their TA, they can work through and correct those errors prior to submission.

Other situations can arise related to  creating, copying, updating, canceling or submitting a Cash Advance. The following QRGs outline how to handle those situations:

When the traveler is ready to submit their Cash Advance request for approval based on the local college approval configuration. If the need for a Cash Advance changes the traveler can cancel it even after submission. This may be necessary if the traveler submits a request before confirming that the college allows such requests.

If the traveler wants to view or print a copy of their Cash Advance.

If a traveler has begun creating Cash Advance only to realize that they college does not do Cash Advances, they can choose to delete that request.

Cash Advance - Approval Workflow

Once a Cash Advance has been created, it must be submitted for approvals through an Approval Workflow. Cash Advances are required to go through an Approval Workflow, similar to the Travel Authorizations, but do not have to follow the same path as TAs. These decisions are made by each college determining their local configuration.

There are a number of "approvers" that can be added to the Cash Advance approval path:

Reviewer: Reviews  Travel Authorization for compliance with policy and procedure, typically  associated with the Travel Coordinator or Department Administrator.

Supervisor: Approves absence for travel and accuracy review.

Expense Approver: Approves use of the funds as a Budget Manager or Accounts Payable staff.

PrePay Auditor: Reviews for completeness and accuracy in compliance with policy, typically associated with the Finance Office.
 

Visual showing steps for submitting an expense report for approval

After travel occurs there are steps that must be taken in ctcLink to ensure the employee is reimbursed for allowable travel expenses. The arrows in green refer to processes that must occur after the travel reimbursement request is made and may or may not be considered in scope for the Process Alignment work, determined by the Travel and Expense Task Force as they proceed with their analysis.

Expense Reports

Request Expense Reimbursement via an Expense Report

An Expense Report (ER) is Travel document created after travel to record actual cost of travel. Expense reports either substantiate for reconciliation purposes a Cash Advance received prior to travel or to request a reimbursement for travel, or an expenditure that is reimbursable. It is used for ALL Employee Reimbursements and replaces A-19 document used prior to ctcLink.

Travelers who submitted and had a Travel Authorization approved can import the TA to pre-populate all the details into the Expense Report.

If the Traveler requested and received a Cash Advance that amount must be included on the Expense Report.

Because an Expense Report often requires substantiating documentation travelers will need to attach the substantiating documentation to their request.

If you were unable to get the Travel Authorization approved prior to travel and find you must hand enter the Expense Report the Quick-Fill Feature may be a more efficient way to get lines added quickly to the Expense Report. This feature allows you to select multiple expense types to be added to your expense report. You can also determine whether you want to add one instance of the expense type or have an entry of that expense type for each day within a date range.

Another method to manually enter lines in the Expense Report is to enter, for example a Hotel Bill line for a specific date, then use that line as the copy source for creating a line for each day of the conference stay.

Sometimes the receipt being attached to expense report includes receipt details that you do not wish to claim, or lack the proper clarity. For example, your receipt might show the full payment made for parking, but part of that payment was a voucher provided by the conference. You can split the receipt to show which portion is available to reimbursement and which portion is non-reimbursable.

If a user encounters red flag errors when completing an Expense Report, the guide below provides insight into how to address the errors so the expense report can be readied for submission.

Travelers may need to gradually work on getting all the detail lines correct on their expense report so saving and returning later to modify the expense report when all receipts are found is possible using the View and Modify option, as many times as needed until ready to submit. The view option can be used even after submission to confirm what was submitted.

Other situations can arise related to  creating, copying, updating, canceling or submitting an Expense Report. The following QRGs outline how to handle those situations:

When the traveler is ready to submit their expense reimbursement request for approval based on the local college approval configuration. If the need for a Expense Report changes the traveler can cancel it even after submission.

Travelers can choose to print out an expense report for their personal records.

If a traveler has begun creating an Expense Report only to realize they don't need it they can choose to delete that request.

Expense Report - Approval Workflow

Each Expense Report must be  submitted for budget checking and approval by multiple staff on campus.  The Expense Report MUST get through all approvals prior to the generation of any reimbursement. 

If an approver is unable to review and handle a request for reimbursement they may choose to delegate that responsibility to another in their absence. The following quick reference guides are to help manage delegations requests awaiting review and approval.

Each college is uniquely configured for their chosen Expense Report Approval Workflow Engine (AWE). This is considered Local Configuration. Each college can  be provided (on request) with a document showing all the local  configuration decisions made and can work with SBCTC if changes are needed for their approval workflow process. Keep in mind, the more complex the approval workflow process the higher the likelihood that an Expense Report (request for reimbursement) will be stuck in the approval process past the legal date of a timely reimbursement. 

There are a number of "approvers" that can be added to the Expense Report approval path:

Reviewer: Reviews Expense Report for compliance with policy and procedure, typically  associated with the Travel Coordinator or Department Administrator.

Supervisor: Approves absence for travel and accuracy review.

Expense Approver: Approves use of the funds as a Budget Manager or Accounts Payable staff.

Project Manager: (Only if the Project ID exists in the Chartfield values) Approves use of funds as a Budget Manager for Grants.

VP Approval: Approves Out of State Travel reimbursement.

President: Approves International Travel reimbursement.

Pre-Pay Auditor: Reviews for completeness and accuracy in compliance with policy, typically associated with the Finance Office.

Expense Processing
Expense Reconciliation

College Self-Assessment Step Checklist

Sample Self-Assessment Step Checklist - Trave.xlsx

0 Comments

Add your comment

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.