There are three AWE Workflow processes used by Expenses that must be created under the local SetID, CAApproval for Cash Advance, ERApproval for Expense Reports, and TAApproval for Travel Authorizations.

There are a number of settings that must be configured based on the decisions from the local institution.

Definition Notification could be used to modify the global notification process for the approvals to a local notification process.

Timeout Options must be configured using the standard WorkDays calendar and local setup for approval escalations.

Admin Role must be set for the local institution.

Local decisions will be incorporated for Auto Approval.

The Stages order will be determined by the local institution.

Paths Details will be configured to align with the Transaction Definition for the local escalation (re-routing) rules.

Paths Criteria must be configured and set to “Is Not Null”

Steps Details will be configured to align with local institution decisions for number of approvers required at each step.

Steps Criteria must be configured and set to “Is Not Null”.

Navigation: NavBar > Navigator > Enterprise Components > Approvals > Approvals > Approval Process SetupSecurity: ZD Purchasing Local Config

Menu: EOAW_APPROVAL_WORKFLOW
Component: EOAW_PRCS
Page: EOAW_PRCS_MAIN
Action: N/A

This is one of two Business Unit settings used to activate Expenses for the business unit.

Rate Type is set to the standard CRRNT.

Bank Code is the local bank code configured by Treasury.

Bank Account is the local bank account code configured by Treasury  typically the same account used for AP.

Payment Method: Local decision for default payment method for Expenses. Choices are System Check and ACH.

Accounting Date: Can select ‘Use Current Date’ or ‘Use Specific Date’  recommend ‘Use Current Date’ otherwise the month end close would cause the institution to manually update specific date every month.

Budget Checking Required Before EX Approval: This is a local decision. Institution can choose to require budget checking BEFORE first approval can be completed or can be unchecked meaning that budget checking can be done at any stage of the approval process. Selection of the latter would necessitate a business process to identify the responsible stage (approver type) for completing the budget checking as it is required before payment staging can be accomplished.

Approval Preference: This is a local decision. After approval action will the system: proceed to the next transaction or return to the approval list? This may seem like a simple decision, yet needs to be carefully considered as all approvers will be getting the same action. This action can’t be customized for individual preference.

Navigation: NavBar > Navigator > Set Up Financials/Supply Chain > Business Unit Related > Expenses > Expenses Options

Security: ZD Expenses Central Conf Inq
Menu: ESTABLISH_BUSINESS_UNITS
Component: BUS_UNIT_OPT_EX
Page: BUS_UNIT_OPT_EX
Action: N/A

This is the second of the Business Unit settings used to activate and setup Expenses for the business unit. Time reporting is not used in Expenses in ctcLink. All Time reporting configuration will be skipped.

There are five tabs of information that must be configured for the business unit to use Expenses in ctcLink. 

Business Unit 1 (tab 1)

Standard defaults for Default Information are used. Country: USA, Template: Standard.

Advance Options: If the local institution allows cash advances then the check box for allow cash advance is checked. The Max Advance Amount for BU must also be set for greater than zero in order for cash advances to be authorized.  The maximum amount is defined as the maximum amount of unreconciled cash advance that a traveler can have open.

At this time we do not use Twilio.

Payment Information: A default location must be configured for the local institution. This is typically the default AP location.

Total Amount Limits is not used in ctcLink.

Receipt Amount: What is the minimum receipt amount required by the local institution travel policies?  OFM sets the minimum receipt amount at $50.00.

Payroll Gross Up Estimate is not used.

Change Expense Type from My Wallet Download: We are not using this feature in ctcLink.

Cash Advance Doc Type: We are not using special document types. ctcLink uses the default doc types and therefore this is blank.

Expense Report Doc Type: We are not using special document types. ctcLink uses the default doc types and therefore this is blank.

Override: This is a local institutional decision. Placing a check in the Override Authorized Amounts allows travelers to enter amounts greater than the ‘per diem’ amounts that are configured for ctcLink. ctcLink uses the global per diem tables as set by CONUS. ctcLink doesn’t use the PeopleSoft per diem tables so the next check box is unchecked. ctcLink doesn’t use Group Location therefore that is also unchecked.

Period End Accruals: Standard is to have Accrue Unprocessed Expenses and Accrue Billable Expenses checked.

Business Unit 2 (Tab 2)

Global Journal Generator Templates are selected.

Grace Period: Local institution decisions.

Cash Advance Overdue: How many days until a Cash Advance is considered overdue? PeopleSoft default is 90 days.  

Credit Card Data Overdue: ctcLink doesn’t use travel credit cards so this will be left at the default of 30 days.

Inactive Employee Submissions: Does the institution allow the submission of expense report on behalf of an inactive (i.e. separated) employee, if so, how long after that employee’s inactivation can an Expense Report be submitted? (Time Reports not used).

The last Grace Period settings can be used to control whether Expense Report line items are allowed, not allowed, or require some kind of exception comment before being processed; there are two options that can be selected:

Exception Comments Required - Number of days after a line item’s date that after which the user is required to add an extra comment. If this option is selected and the days field is left blank, no exception comments are required for any line item, regardless of how long ago the date was.

Disallow Transactions - Number of days after a line item’s date that after which the line item is not allowed to be processed. If this option is selected and the days field is left blank, all line items are allowed regardless of how long ago the date was.

Auto Approval Thresholds: If Auto Approval has been selected by the local institution then this is where that is defined. The institution can stipulate a monetary amount threshold or a % variance from the Travel Authorization.

Distance Accumulation Calendar: Standard configuration is to ‘Use Specified Calendar’ and use the monthly 01 calendar.

GPS Calculator Options: This configuration will allow the local institution to add a GPS mileage calculator to the Fluid Expense Report every time the Expense Type Transportation Mileage is selected.  If select to use, check Display Distance Calculator. Will comments be required to override determined mileage? Check is yes.  Road Preference selections are Highway or Local, Route Preference is Fastest or Shortest.

Business Unit Privileges settings allow you to set a default Employee Privilege Template for all Employees set up under that Business Unit.  The Employee Privilege Templates are different from the Approval Privilege Templates used in the approval definition.  You can associate one configured Employee Privilege Template or none if no default should be applied. There are three globally defined Employee Privilege Templates: Employee, Consultant and Vice President. Employee limits the traveler’s ability to interact with fields except the default accounting for the document; Consultant can only modify accounting GL chartfields at the line level; and Vice President has full access.

The Receipts Required settings correspond to a Receipt verification step that can be built into the local institution T&E approvals.  You can identify what line items (or even users) need verification, and whether you require users to enter comments for items they have marked as not having a receipt. The system does not make any attempt at automatic verification or matching; it simply flags line items that the “Receipt Verifier” will need to mark off before approvals continue.

The main Receipt Configuration settings control whether you require receipts at a Business Unit level or not and whether you have a minimum threshold if you do:

Receipt Required  Since we do not use the T&E credit card feed functionality, the only real options are “Always” or “Never”

Minimum Receipt Amount - The amount a line item can be at or above to require a receipt.

Line items with amounts greater than this amount can still be filtered out using the Exception settings on this configuration page

The No Rule Default Comment settings are invoked when a traveler submits a line item that configuration says requires a receipt but they have flagged as not having included one:

Comments Required  If selected, travelers must enter a comment if they don’t have a receipt for a line item that requires one

Unlabeled Comment Box - This text box will become available once the Comments Required box is checked; here the local institution can specify default text that appears in the comment box for line items missing a required receipt. This could be an actual comment or an instructional message. There is a 60 character limit for the default message. [Example: Written authorization from VP required for missing receipt]

The Exceptions settings are optional and used to identify combinations of Expense Types (e.g. Registration, Miscellaneous) and Payment Types (e.g. Employee, PCard) that are treated differently than the standard rule defined at the top of this page:

Attributes tab - Where you select a specific Expense Type (or “All Values”) and a specific Payment Type (or “All Values”), whether that combination requires a receipt or not, and a minimum line item amount if one is required.

OFM - State Administrative & Accounting Manual (10.80.40) provides the receipt and documentation requirements. Receipts are not required for Day parking fees, transit fares, tolls, taxis & shuttles. Meal receipts are governed by agency policy.

Navigation: NavBar > Navigator > Set Up Financials/Supply Chain > Business Unit Related > Expenses > Expenses Definition

Security: ZD Expenses Central Conf Inq
Menu: ESTABLISH_BUSINESS_UNITS
Component: BUS_UNIT_TBL_EX
Page: BUS_UNIT_TBL_EX1
Action: N/A

Defining each approver type by local SetID, identifies and links approver category to routing chartfield. Routing chartfield will be local institution decision. Most commonly used routing chartfields are Department, Project and Operating Unit.

Navigation: NavBar > Navigator > Set Up Financials/Supply Chain > Product Related > Expenses > Management > Approval Setup > Approver Types

Security: ZD Expenses Local Config Inq
Menu: STRUCTURE_EXPENSES
Component: EX_APPRVR_TYPE
Page: EX_APPRVR_TYPE
Action: N/A

Defines the interaction level (Add, Delete,View, Modify, and Full) by transaction type and  Approver role. Decisions for Approval Privilege Templates made through homework assignment following BPFG sessions.

Navigation: NavBar > Navigator > Set Up Financials/Supply Chain > Product Related > Expenses > Management > Approval Setup > Privilege Template

Security: ZD Expenses Local Config Inq
Menu: STRUCTURE_EXPENSES
Component: EX_PRIV_TMPL
Page: EX_PRIV_TMPL
Action: N/A

Refinement templates are used to refine and drive transactions for review and approval workflow. Created from local institution requirements. Can be refined by department, EMPLID, or expense types. Example: Institution request to have VP approval for all overnight and out of state travel.

Navigation: NavBar > Navigator > Set Up Financials/Supply Chain > Product Related > Expenses > Management > Approval Setup > Refinement Template

Security: ZD Expenses Local Config Inq
Menu: STRUCTURE_EXPENSES
Component: EX_REFINE_TMPL
Page: EX_REFINE_TMPL
Action: N/A

Approver profile pages are used to associate transaction type, privileges, refinements, and risk to an approver type. Required for functionality of Approval Workflow. Even if some of these Approver Profiles will not be used, all combinations need to be configured to support the remaining T&E approval configuration.

Navigation: NavBar > Navigator > Set Up Financials/Supply Chain > Product Related > Expenses > Management > Approval Setup > Approver Profile

Security: ZZ Expenses Local Config
Menu: STRUCTURE_EXPENSES
Component: EX_APPRVR_PROFILE
Page: EX_APPRVR_PROFILE
Action: N/A

Tab 1 - Mapping

Defines the active approver roles from the Approval Process Setup, enables amount based routing rules and threshold based auto approval.

Tab 2 - Properties

Defines what actions each Approver Type that is active from tab 1 is eligible to perform (i.e. Approve, Deny, Send Bank, Hold and Review).

Tab 3 - Rerouting Rules

Defines Rerouting Rules for the institution (must align with Approval Process Setup). Defined in days and/or hours and to whom the rerouting goes if invoked.

Navigation: NavBar > Navigator > Set Up Financials/Supply Chain > Product Related > Expenses > Management > Approval Setup > Transaction Definition

Security: ZD Expenses Local Config Inq
Menu: STRUCTURE_EXPENSES
Component: EX_TRANS_DEFN
Page: EX_TRANS_DEFN
Action: N/A

Sets up approver routing lists by business unit, transaction type, and approver type. Establish amount-based rules only if the approver type that is associated with the transaction is enabled for amount-based routing on the Transaction Definition page.

Navigation: NavBar > Navigator > Set Up Financials/Supply Chain > Product Related > Expenses > Management > Approval Setup > Approver List

Security: ZD Expenses Local Config Inq and ZZ Expenses Local Config
Menu: STRUCTURE_EXPENSES
Component: EX_APPRVR_LIST
Page: EX_APPRVR_LIST
Action: N/A

Approver Assignments are local configuration by GL Business Unit. Approver Assignments will be created based on the active roles determined by the local institution.  This is locally maintained to update as employees change roles or depart. A workbook will be collected from the institution for initial setup at go-live.

Navigation: NavBar > Navigator > Set Up Financials/Supply Chain > Product Related > Expenses > Management > Approval Setup > Approver Assignment

Security: ZD Expenses Local Config Inq and ZZ Expenses Local Config
Menu: STRUCTURE_EXPENSES
Component: EX_APPRVR_ASGN
Page: EX_APPRVR_ASGN
Action: N/A

Enables approvers to select multiple transactions to approve with one action.

Navigation: NavBar > Navigator > Set Up Financials/Supply Chain > Product Related > Expenses > Management > Approval Setup > Summary Approval Options

Security: ZD Expenses Local Config Inq
Menu: STRUCTURE_EXPENSES
Component: EX_SUM_APPR_OPT
Page: EX_SUM_APPR_OPT
Action: N/A