Enhancements to Request Tracking
Managers and Payroll Coordinators Request Tracking Enhancements The Request Tracking application has been enhanced...
Shoppers to Receive Automatic P.O. Email Notifications
New Feature: Shoppers to Receive Automatic P.O. Email Notifications
We have received feedback from many shoppers requesting notification when a purchase order is sent to the vendor. We are pleased to announce that effective April 27, shoppers will automatically receive email notifications when a purchase order is generated and transmitted to the vendor. The P.O. notification contains basic information including P.O. number, value and shopping cart number.
Additional Sessions Added: New Funds Management Reporting Training
Funds Management Report Users
Due to popular demand, we are adding new Basic and Intermediate labs for the new Funds Management reports. Please register at This Link (scroll to the New Funds Management Reports sections) for one of the following sections:
Additional Sessions:
| Name | Date | Campus |
| New Funds Management Reports (Basic) | Friday, May. 11 (2 Sessions) |
CRC |
| New Funds Management Reports (Intermediate) | Monday, May. 7 | CRC |
| New Funds Management Reports (Intermediate) | Thursday, May. 17 | CRC |
| New Funds Management Reports (Intermediate) | Wednesday, May. 23 | CRC |
| New Funds Management Reports (Basic) | Monday, May. 7 | BUMC |
| New Funds Management Reports (Basic) | Wednesday, May. 9 | BUMC |
Register for New Funds Management Reporting Training
Funds Management Report Users
BUworks is pleased to announce an upcoming series of SAP Business Warehouse (BW) Reporting computer labs during which attendees will work with the new Funds Management reports that were announced at the Spring Management Conference.
Enhancements to Personnel Action (PA) and Organizational Management (OM) Forms Effective April 27
Managers and Payroll Coordinators,
In response to community feedback, enhancements are being made to the Personnel Action (PA) and Organizational Management (OM) forms to improve overall usability and reporting capabilities. The first set of enhancements will be implemented and effective April 27. These changes are highlighted below. Additional enhancements are scheduled and will be announced in May.
Enhancements to PA Forms:
- “Position Revision” Form Renamed to “Employee Position Update”
The Position Revision form has been renamed to Employee Position Update to reduce confusion by more accurately describing the forms purpose. The effective date label which appeared on the forms has also been renamed to Employee Position Update Effective Date.
- “Percent Time Employed” Input Field Expanded to Include Two Decimals
The Percent Time Employed field now allows for the entry of two additional decimal places. This enhancement improves the calculation of annual salary, merit increases and reporting of hours. As changes are made to the time percentages, the “regular hours” fields will be updated on the relevant PA forms.
- Additional Reason Types Added to Forms – Quick Reference Information Available
A specific “reason” must be selected from a drop-down list when completing a Position Change, Transfer or Employee Position Update form. BUworks has added additional reason types for processing position changes, transfers and employee position updates. Quick reference information, which includes definitions of these reason types as well as guidance on when to use specific reasons, is available by clicking this link.
Enhancements to OM Forms:
- Enhancements to the Budget Tab
The following fields have been added to the Budget tab, Current Year Budget Amount, Recurring Budget Amount and Position Planning No. The Budget office will be maintaining these fields. - Master Cost Center now appears on “Position Detail” tab
Previously, initiators could not enter a master cost center for a position on the OM form. Only the Budget office could maintain this information on a position. As part of this enhancement, master cost center now appears on the “Position Detail” tab so a user may enter a suggested master cost center. The Budget office has the ability to change the proposed master cost center if required.
If you have any questions please contact the IT Help Center at ithelp@bu.edu or 617-353-4357.
Sincerely,
Shridhar Kulkarni
Director, Human Capital Management
BUworks
New Funds Management Reports
Readiness Leaders and Power Users,
Please pass this message on to members of your team who may be interested in this information.
As many of you know, Financial Affairs and the Budget Office led working group sessions with the university community to develop more user friendly and streamlined “Budget to Actuals” reports for end users. After much effort, work and dedication from our working group, BUworks, and IS&T, we are pleased to announce the launch of these new Funds Management reports.
These reports are located in their own folder on the left hand side of the Reporting tab of BUworks Central. They are named New FM Account Summary Reports. Included in this folder are the following reports:
- Unrestricted Budget to Actual by Fund Center (FC)
- Unrestricted Budget to Actual by FC GL/CI Detail
- Designated/Restricted Balance & Activity
- Designated/Restricted Balance Activity GL/CI Detail
- Transaction Detail
- Transaction Detail/Payroll Detail (Authorized Users)
These reports follow the same principles of the Grants Management reports as they give a more focused view and allow for drill down capabilities. They do differ from the Grants Management reports since they still allow for the use of free characteristics and filters at the end user’s discretion. Since these reports are intended for financial administrators and not faculty, we wanted to still provide flexibility to departments.
You will also notice the new Designated/Restricted Balance reports allow you to see both the fund balance and actual detail transactions in the same report.
As we prepare for year-end, the Budget Office and the Comptroller’s Office will be working with BUworks to offer training on these new reports. BUworks will be sending out a communication shortly.
Below are two links to the work instructions for these reports:
Thank you again for all your patience and help as we work to make our new system better.Preview
Gillian Emmons - University Comptroller, Financial Affairs
Derek Howe - Vice President, Budget and Planning
Document Control Number is back
Readiness Leaders and Power Users
With help from BUworks, Accounts Payable, and the Financial Affairs Systems Group, and responding to the many and enthusiastic requests we have had from departmental administrators, we are pleased to be bringing back the Document Control number for travel and expense advances or reimbursements and non-PO disbursements.
Beginning today, when you go to the Financial Affairs “forms” web page, and download one of these forms, the form will be generated with a unique document control number, and when you complete the form and forward it to Accounts Payable, the AP staff will enter the number into the newly designated “Document Control Number” field in SAP.
The “drilldown to detailed transaction” option contained in the new family of FM reports, as described at the Management Conference last week, will includes the Document Control Number. In addition, as soon as departments begin using the pre-numbered forms (be sure to download a new form for each new request), if you have your document control number, and your transaction has been entered into SAP by Accounts Payable, the AP team will be able to locate your document for you in the system and let you know its status.
Thank you again for all your patience and help as we work to make our new system better.
Sincerely,
Gillian Emmons
University Comptroller
Boston University
881 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA
617-353-2290
gcemmons@bu.edu
Department Security Administrator (DSA) List
Responsibility for requesting and approving changes to BUworks security access will transition from the BUworks Readiness Leaders to Department Security Administrators (DSAs) and Data Trustees on May 18. In advance of the transition, a listing of Department Security Administrators organized by department is now available to help you identify your DSA. Additional information on the new security access process will be communicated prior to to the transition.
- Department Security Administrators By Department – April 12, 2012
Spring Management Conference: BUworks Update
BUworks Program Sponsor, Tracy Schroeder and Vice President Auxiliary Services, Peter Smokowski presented an update on the BUworks Program to Spring Management Conference attendees on April 11. Topics include updates on key initiatives, Phase 3 deliverables, training and support.
• View the BUworks Program Update Presentation – April 11, 2012
New Report Available – Order Tracking Report
Shoppers and Approvers
In response to customer feedback, development of a new “Order Tracking” report has been completed. This new report provides users the ability to:
Verify whether a Purchase Order has been sent to a supplier
- Display Shopping Cart and Purchase Order information for authorized fund centers including:
- Related Invoices
- Ability to drill down to PO status detail report.
- Variable Screen allows filtering by:
- Specific shopping cart or purchase order
- Requestor
- Cost Object (Fund Center, Order, WBS Element)
The data in the report is refreshed overnight, therefore the detail for a PO created today will be available tomorrow.
Click here for instructions on how to access and run this report.
If you have any questions please contact the IT Help Center at ithelp@bu.edu or 617-353-4357.
Planned Outage – BUworks Employee Learning Solutions Website
The BUworks Employee Learning Solutions website will be offline from Thursday, April 5, 4:00 p.m. through Monday, April 9, 8:00 a.m. as we perform planned system upgrades and introduce improved online help capabilities. During this outage you will not be able to access online work instructions, quick reference guides or simulations. Additional information on new online help and updated support tools will be communicated early next week. If you experience any issues after the system is restored, please contact the IT Help Center at ithelp@bu.edu or 617-353-4357.