ASK THE DMAS/FRS EXPERT

Q & A SESSION

HELD AT GABLES CAMPUS – MARCH 23, 2010

2

DMAS Screens & Their Functions

QUESTION

I work mostly with Sponsored accounts (start with 6) so I frequently use FRS/SPM screens but I would like to know more about the different DMAS screens and what information is available to help me with my everyday functions?  

ANSWER

DMAS-Account Menu Screens Account Summary Open Commitments Account Transactions by Month (All

sub-objects) Account Detail (YTD by sub-object)

Other Helpful DMAS Menus: Department Menu Purchasing Menu Sponsored Awards

Equivalent DMAS screens: FRS 019 – Account Summary FRS 652 – Account Attributes

3

Sub-Object Codes for Revenue & Expenses

QUESTION

When reviewing transactions in DMAS, where do we look up what sub-object codes represent?

When submitting an e-check requisition and the Controller’s Office is in the approval loop, how do I know what would be the acceptable sub-object code for the expense?

ANSWER

A listing and explanations are found in the Accounting Information section of the Controller’s Office web site

Make sure you select the most appropriate sub-object for the type of expenditure being made from the available sub-objects

This is extremely important for tax return purposes as we have to group the expenses by their natural classification

4

Transaction Dates

QUESTION

Are dates listed on journal entry transactions the date they were entered into the system or the date that shows on the supporting documents?

ANSWER

It varies depending on if a subsystem feed or a manual journal entry transactionPCard sub system transactions

(Batch Ref ID GEDA) reflect the date listed as the mapping date on the Purchasing Card Mapping Schedule

Journal entries entered into FRS by the Controller’s Office data entry staff reflect an automated system date (the day they enter the transaction) regardless of what date is on the Journal Entry form

5

Reference 1 and Reference 2 Fields

QUESTION

I can’t figure out what some of the Reference 1 and Reference 2 fields in DMAS stand for and why sometimes they are blank.

Are there any rules for these fields as it does not seem to be consistent from one transaction to another?

I have found CTX Batch # transactions with No Description – why is that? 

ANSWER

First, look at Batch Ref ID to see what subsystem or individual originated the transaction

Ref 1, Ref 2 fields as well as the Description field should provide the DMAS/FRS user with useful information

The Ref 1 and 2 fields are optional so that explains why they are sometimes left blank

# of characters (including spaces) Description – 20 Ref 1 – 7 Ref 2 – 7

If you’re not sure what the values represent & need a better explanation, contact the individual listed on the Controller’s Batch Ref Listing for that transaction

6

Indicator Codes

QUESTION

What do the letters P, F and N on the Indicator Code column refer to?

Sometimes there is a D and C but sometimes the field is totally blank

I also see this PFN column on the Journal Entry form found in the Forms section of the Controller’s Office web-site

ANSWER

P, F, N – Encumbrances P – partial decrease F – decrease entire PO balance N - no decrease (liquidation) - GEDA

D – Debit or left blank to default An entry increasing expenses or

decreasing revenues, increasing assets, decreasing liabilities or fund balance

C – Credit or left blank to default An entry decreasing expenses or

increasing revenues, increasing liabilities or fund balance, or decreasing assets

7

Transactions with the View Document Image Globe

QUESTION

Why do some transactions in DMAS have the View Document Image globe in the last column and some do not?

ANSWER

The following Batch Ref ID transactions appear with the globe DEGA (Disbursements)

• Imaged since Fiscal Year 2003• DEGA Patient Refunds not imaged• DEGA Req., BERF and eChecks – contact Nick

Dabraio - Controller’s Office APD (Journal Entries)

• Imaged since March 2005

Usually there is a two week or so delay in image appearing, but if you run into older transaction not imaged, then contact the department as there may have been an issue.

Contact data custodian for backup or explanation of the charge if the documentation is not available as an imaged document on DMAS

8

Best Practices for Reconciling Accounts

QUESTION

What is the Best Practice for reconciling accounts?

How do the DMAS/FRS users in this class reconcile their accounts?

ANSWER

Analyze monthly reports including Report 90, Labor Distribution & Salary Encumbrance Report 

Track account information in  DMAS & download to Excel as starting point for reconciliation

Review of overall financial standing of accounts - BBA/ABA formulas

Examine detailed  transactions posted to the account on a monthly basis

Prepare findings and follow up

Tools Provided FR90 and other RDS reports Online Systems - DMAS and FRS

To Do List Checking balance of accounts Examination of transaction details on a monthly

basis Review back up documentation Follow up on issues encountered

9

Open Commitments (Encumbrances) That Maybe Should Not be Outstanding

QUESTION

I am reviewing Open Encumbrances and ran into one that I think should be closed out. How should I go about this now and on and on-going basis?

Also, how can the Controller’s Office help me?

Are there any automated monthly reports that reflect outstanding encumbrances on accounts instead of using the Purchasing system?

ANSWER

Review Open Commitments screen in DMAS to see a listing of sub-objects with amounts in Current column

Check for 06/01/09 dates which may signal that this encumbrance has rolled over from previous fiscal years and should be -0- by now

There could be a small chance of system issues that need analysis and a manual correction by the Controller’s Office

There is a monthly report available - Open Commitments Status section on RDS monthly FR90 reflects a Current Amount column which is the result of the Open Commitment Current Amount (OCCA) formula

10

Closing Out Open PO Encumbrances

QUESTION

What process should be used to close out/cancel PO’s that are old and should not be open?

Should I have documents dated 2009 closed or is it too late? How do I know if a PO was fully closed out?

Do these Open Encumbrances on PO’s affect my bottom line?

ANSWER

The Purchasing Department has tutorials on their website that discuss this topic

First, do a review in DMAS: Go to the Account Menu Enter your Account Select Open Commitments Sub-Object listing includes Vendor, Date,

Document # OCCA formula - Current Amount is indeed

affecting your Budget Balance Available (BBA)

Make sure invoices have been paid prior to closing out any PO

Submit Purchase Requisition confirming the request for a change or cancellation

Purchase Order Remaining Balance (PORB) = 0 and OCCA = 0 when PO is fully closed out

11

Closing Out Open PO Encumbrances (Continued)

List POs that need to be closed out.

12

Encumbrance Transactions with Same Amount Appearing Multiple Times

QUESTION

I am a bit confused on how encumbrance transactions post. I was told there are four

encumbrances and one Journal Entry for 1 transaction but is that right?

I am wondering if the system is duplicating encumbrance transactions – is that possible?

ANSWER There is no such ratio of encumbrance transactions to

journal entries and it is unlikely there are duplicates An encumbrance (D-debit )is set up for the requisition

(Req # shows in Ref 1). Encumbrance is reversed (C-credit) & you see the

Req. # (Ref 1) and PO # (Ref 2) as the requisition is closed out to make way for the actual PO.

PO is set up (D) in the Indicator Code column.  PO # now appears in Ref 1 & Purch Req # appears in Ref 2.

The actual Journal Entry (APD) shows with an Indicator Code of F (Final liquidation of encumbrance).  PO is in Ref 1 and Invoice # is shown in Ref 2 field.

The encumbrance is now -0- (you can check this by going to Open Commitments screen. The F in the APD batch closes out the encumbrance without the need for another transaction.

P(partial liquidation) - the encumbrance would still be open for the pending amount.  Then you could have more payments decreasing the encumbrance. 

13

Purchase Orders – Payment Terms, Dates

QUESTION

With the relatively new Net 60 payment policy we have, do the 60 days start counting from the document date or from the date we submitted it?

ANSWER

The Net 60 days payment term starts counting based on the invoice date not the PO/document date.

 The memo from Susan Montes was the communication that went out to the University.  We updated PO’s individually and new vendors/new contracts were established with the new terms.  The last step was to change all vendors in the system that were Net 30 to Net 60 so the PO’s would automatically be set up with the new terms

 The new terms have been printing on our purchase orders since approximately March 2009 so most vendors have received the notification if they have received a paper purchase order from us in the past year

14

Invoices and Vendor Information found in DMAS

QUESTION

How do I look up invoices and vendors in the DMAS system?

How about if I receive an invoice from a vendor that I think may have been paid/received by another department?

ANSWER

To find an invoice in DMAS Go to the Purchasing Menu Type the PO # & click on Invoices The invoices for the PO will be

displayed To find a vendor in DMAS

Go to the Purchasing Menu Click Vendor Information and type

in the name of the vendor Click on Lookup Vendor

If you don’t have access to the other department, then you need assistance from Purchasing-UMeNET

15

Locating Vendor Payments

QUESTION

Can you search for all invoices paid for a particular vendor rather than looking it up by sub-object and totaling everything up?

ANSWER

Go to Purchasing Menu

Click on Vendor Information

Enter full or partial vendor name and click Lookup Vendor

Select from Vendor List

Do you have the following green buttons at the bottom of the Vendor Information screen: Browse Vendor Documents Browse Vendor Invoices Browse Vendor Vouchers

If not, you need additional access from Purchasing – form to be submitted

16

Check Issued but has it been Cashed

QUESTION

How can I see (in DMAS) if a check has been cashed?

ANSWER

We do not image the checks before they are mailed out

UM only receives the image from the bank after the check has been cashed or deposited by the Payee

E-Check Disb (040) Transaction Ref 1 – Check Req. # Ref 2 – Check #

• If there is a View option, then check has been cashed

• Front and back of check will display

eCheck Menu – Document Inquiry – to view Check Number

Purchase Req check – Ref 2 Invoice # to get to view CK. #

17

Stop Payment, Check Replacement and Cancelled Check Procedures

QUESTION

Is there a way to see (in DMAS) if a replacement check has been issued?

How about if the replacement check is presented for payment?

ANSWER

DMAS will not reflect replacement check transactions

The General Account Dept. of the Controller’s Office handles Stop Payments and issuing of replacement checks

Instructions and forms to place a Stop Payment, request a replacement check, cancel a check and inquiry as to the check cased status are found in the FORMS section of the Controller’s web site

THANK YOU from Terry Diaz and Vivian KayeFOR PARTICIPATING in

the CONTROLLER’S OFFICE SESSION