This training guide describes the process of correcting journal errors which are discovered during the edit/budget check process.

Transcription

1 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 PeopleSoft? 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 PeopleSoft 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

2 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. 2

3 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). 3

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

5 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. 5

6 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. 6

7 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. 7

8 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. 8

9 In a Nutshell... 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. 9

10 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)

11 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 11

12 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. 12

13 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. 13

14 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. 14

15 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.) 15