Contact us at:
fad_communications@harvard.edu
Or via the UIS Helpdesk, 6-2001

an electronic newsletter for users of Harvard University's
financial systems, policies, and procedures

The Who, What, When & Why --
Some Background   back to top

Since early 1999, financial administrators at Harvard have been processing general and travel-related reimbursements to employees, as well as corporate card payments to American Express on their behalf, using the System for Travel and Reimbursement (STAR).

Due to user dissatisfaction with the complexity and performance of the system, Financial Administration -- together with an advisory board representing every major department and a group of 75 pilot end users -- began a project about a year ago to modify the Web Voucher system to support these key business functions. Pilot users have found Web Voucher far easier to use than STAR, and appreciate being able to use one system to process both vendor payments and reimbursements.

Rollout of the enchanced Web Voucher system began in mid-February and will continue through May 31. Click here if you are uncertain when your department will cut over to the new system. STAR will be closed to all users on May 31, and decommissioned on June 30. 2001. A way to view old STAR transactions will be made available.

All travel advances taken in STAR must be settled in STAR prior to May 31. Any advances not settled will be written off and charged to the department. Balances will not be carried over to the Web Voucher system.

Once your department cuts over, Web Voucher will be the system to use for:

  • Corporate and non-corporate vendor payments, including honoraria paid to invited guests;
  • Reimbursements to both employees and non-employees for out-of-pocket expenses incurred in the conduct of University business;
  • Processing payments to and credits from American Express on behalf of corporate cardholders;
  • Requesting and settling employee travel advances;
  • Petty cash fund replenishment.

The University continues to encourage use of the PCard as the preferred method to pay for high-volume, low-dollar amount purchases. The PCard holder application is available online here.

How to Use the Information in this Issue

The information contained in this issue explains how the new process and redesigned system will work. Reading this issue carefully, or attending a 90-minute briefing, should enable experienced Web Voucher users to begin processing reimbursements and American Express payments successfully.

For new hires and STAR proxies transitioning to Web Voucher, we urge you to attend a half-day, hands-on training described later in this issue. Reading this issue will provide a helpful introduction but is probably not sufficient to fully understand how to process these transactions.

 


Business Process Overview   back to top

In general terms, how will the new reimbursement process work?

Step 1: An individual (employee or non-employee) incurs a University-related expense and submits receipts.

Step 2: A Web Voucher preparer creates a reimbursement request online by selecting Create Reimbursement from the Web Voucher main menu (click here for a screen shot on doing this) and submits it to his or her local approver, along with receipts and a hard-copy cover sheet signed by the traveller or reimbursee.

Step 3: The local approver checks the reimbursement request to make sure it is reasonable, allowable, properly documented, consistent with University policy, and charged to the right 33-digit account coding. If it meets these criteria, the reimbursement request (actually just another kind of web voucher) is approved online, with related paperwork sent to the Travel Office, Holyoke 365. Vendor invoices should continue to be submitted to Accounts Payable, Holyoke 380, for processing and payment. (Note: Non-employee reimbursements should now be prepared using the Create Reimbursement screen instead of the Create Web Voucher screen.)

Step 4: The Travel Office audits each reimbursement request for:

  • a cover sheet with the traveler / reimbursee signature; a complete business purpose that includes the who, what, where, when, and why of the expenses to be reimbursed; details about which expenses were related to airfare, ground transportation, lodging, and business meals; and the system-generated web voucher number noted;

  • original receipts for all items of $75 or more, or a Missing Receipt Affidavit signed by the individual and the approver;

  • detailed receipts for all hotel stays (also known as hotel "folios") with personal charges crossed out and subtracted from the amount being requested.

Note: The cover sheet can be in the form of the Web Voucher Confirmation Screen (Receipt Report Screen) or a Receipt Report Screen with detail captured on the Universal Expense Form. More on this later.

If the reimbursement request passes pre-audit for these items and it is approved in the Web Voucher system, it is processed for immediate payment. Employees receive checks at their office address (direct deposit of reimbursements to a designated employee bank account should be available later this year). Non-employees receive reimbursements at the pay site maintained for them in the central vendor file.

Detailed instructions are available for
Preparers by clicking Request a Reimbursement
Approvers by clicking Approve or Reassign Vouchers

 


Three Key Steps to Successfully
Creating a Voucher    back to top

In the new reimbursement process, there are three key steps that must be done correctly for a payment to go through the system smoothly.

Choosing the right reimbursee

Once on the Reimbursement Create screen, you will be asked to select a Supplier (remember, Web Voucher is a modified Oracle purchasing system...). You can do this by clicking the down arrow and searching for your reimbursee, whose name appears in the system in ALL CAPS. Check the Harvard I.D. number or address to make sure you select the right reimbursee. All STAR travellers who have received a reimbursement during the past year will be pre-loaded in the system by the time your department goes live.

If you need a new employee, a paysite different from office address, or a non-employee reimbursee set up in the system so you can process a transaction, call the Vendor Hotline at 5-2000 and be prepared to provide:

  • full name
  • remit-to address (employees default to the office address)
  • social security number (non-employee reimbursees only)
  • a completed Foreign National Information Form or a copy of the Universal Expense Form with the gray area filled out (only required for non-employee, non-U.S. citizen reimbursees)
Alternatively, you can email this information to:

AP_VendorHotline@harvard.edu
Providing a complete business purpose

STAR required you to provide a lot of information about each transaction. Web Voucher requires far less -- but a clear, complete business-related purpose remains mandatory.

The Business Purpose/Date field in the system should contain:

Who incurred this expense
What the expense entailed
Where the expense was incurred
When the expense was incurred
Why this is a Harvard expense

Here's an example:

Professor Mary Kennedy attended the American Humanities Association conference in Chicago from 1/16/01 to 1/18/01 for professional development.

If the expenses including in the report belong to multiple business purposes, the Universal Expense Form should be used as a cover sheet to make clear which expenses go with which purpose.
Submitting a cover sheet produced by one of three approved methods

There are three authorized methods to produce a cover sheet for receipt attachment and signature:

1. You can print the Receipt Report Screen (also known as the Web Voucher Confirmation Screen) directly from the Web Voucher system, attach the required receipts, and have the reimbursee sign it. This method is most appropriate for simple reimbursements.

In the system, you can print the screen anytime prior to approval or immediately after approval.

If this is the only form of documentation you are submitting for reimbursements, you must break down expenses by the Minimum Detail Requirement. This detail must identify which expenses were related to:

  • Air / Rail (Amtrak) Travel
  • Lodging
  • Ground Transportation
  • Meals - Business and Entertainment
  • Other - for example, supplies, fees, miscellaneous expenses

Each line entered in Web Voucher will flow through to your AWS2 Detailed Listing report. Like expenses can be consolidated as long as all appropriate receipts are attached.

2. For more complex reimbursements, you or the reimbursee can fill out the Universal Expense Form. Again, the form must be signed by the reimbursee.

Because the Universal Expense Form provides all the detail the Travel Office needs, you may choose to enter only summary level information in the Web Voucher system.

Each expense report submitted on a Universal Expense Form must also include a printout of the Receipt Report Screen attached to any required receipts.

3. The third approved method for producing a cover sheet is a complex Excel-based spreadsheet developed by the KSG financial office for this purpose. Using this option is a local choice that so far has been adopted only by HBS and KSG.

Caution: Please be aware that while this is an approved method for producing a cover sheet, its use will not be centrally supported during the initial rollout of the new Web Voucher system. This means that no technical, Helpdesk, functional, training, or documentation support will be provided by Central Administration. Please contact your tub financial office or Web Ex Advisory Board member with questions or for more details.

Users are encouraged to call the Helpdesk (6-2001) if they need assistance with any aspect of the Web Voucher system or completing the Universal Expense Form.

 


Processing American Express
Payments and Credits    back to top

Subject to local approval, American Express Corporate Cards are issued to University travelers at no cost. The Web Voucher system can now be used to process direct payments to American Express on behalf of the cardholder. Cardholders remain personally liable for all charges on their card, and are urged to settle both personal and University charges promptly as University policy prohibits payment of late charges.

How does this process work?

Step 1: A cardholder incurs American Express charges while travelling or entertaining on University business. The cardholder provides original receipts and a complete business purpose to the web voucher preparer.

Step 2: Using the Amex Direct Pay Screen, the preparer enters required information, being careful to:

  • leave Amex as the default supplier;
  • choose the right cardholder;
  • enter a complete business purpose for each charge.

Step 3: The preparer forwards the voucher to an authorized online approver, along with the original required receipts and a reimbursement cover sheet. Using the Universal Expense Form is recommended if there are multiple business purposes.

Step 4: Once the voucher is approved in the system, the paperwork should be sent to the Travel Office, Holyoke 365, where it will be audited and paid.


Amex Credits

There are occasions when Harvard-related credits may show up on Amex statements. This can happen when a charge that has been previously paid is credited back to the card (for example, a refund on a prepaid conference fee.)

Here are the options:

  • you can use Web Voucher to make sure that Harvard receives a credit from Amex and that your 33-digit account receives the credit from Harvard. To do this, use the Amex Credit Screen, being careful to:

    • select Create Amex Credit from the main screen of Web Voucher;
    • select the right cardholder;
    • enter the credit as a positive amount even though it may appear on the statement as a negative amount;
    • enter the reason for the credit in the business purpose field;
    • enter the 33-digit account coding to be credited, which is generally the account coding originally charged, particularly for sponsored charges;
    • submit the voucher for online approval;
    • print the Receipt Report Screen, sign it, and send it to your approver.

  • you can lower the amount due on your next Amex payment by the amount of the credit, as long as new charges are equal to or greater than the credit amount. This is a simple workaround, but is really only appropriate if the new charges have the same account coding as the original charges. Not all departments will allow this workaround, so check with your local financial office first.

Once approved in the system and forwarded by your approver to the Travel Office, the credit will be processed and will appear on your AWS2 detailed listing.

 

Other Special Processes   back to top

Information about the following special, less routine Web Voucher processes is provided here for your convenience.

Special Processes
Key Points
Detailed instructions available in:
Employee travel advances

Provides cash for incidential, out-of-pocket expenses during business travel for University employees only.

$50/day max domestic
$75/day max foreign

Unallowable for major travel expenses such as airfare, lodging, or for service payment to vendors.

Must be settled within 15 days of the trip's conclusion. If not, outstanding settlement amounts will be deducted from subsequent cash advance requests. Advances not settled within 60 days will be charged to the department and considered reportable income to the recipient.

Use the Web Voucher Employee Advance Create Screen to request a travel advance.

Please note that the use of travel advances is discouraged by the University.

Use the Employee Advance Screen quick reference
Replenishing petty cash

Used by petty cash managers (also known as custodians) to replenish an existing departmental petty cash fund when it gets low.

Use the Create Web Voucher Screen to request, selecting PETTY CASH as the supplier and the custodian's name as the supplier site.

Remember to note the web voucher number on the completed petty cash log.

Replenishing a Petty Cash Account quick reference
Processing multiple invoices from the same vendor

Up to ten invoices from a single vendor at a single pay site can be combined on one web voucher provided the batch is prepared this way:

  • one line of account coding per invoice
  • invoice number and date in each line description
  • web voucher number written on each invoice in the batch
  • printout of confirmation screen used as batch cover sheet and invoices stapled to it in the order they are listed

Since this process was made available last July, 50% of multiple invoice batches received in AP have been prepared incorrectly, and were in some cases sent back to the preparer.

Please follow the Processing Multiple Invoice Vouchers closely to ensure that your vendor payments flow through the system without delay.
Special handling of vendor payments

Special handling categories include:

  • enclosures
  • use of an invoice copy rather than an original
  • emergency check service
  • pick up checks
  • changing invoice payment terms
  • bank drafts
  • wire transfers
  • voids and stops
  • short paying an invoice
  • credit memos (note: this procedure will change later this month with the FINDINI 2.0.2 release. See the March 26, 2001 e-News for more details)

Each kind of special handling request requires that you submit an accompanying form.

 Special Processes in Web Voucher quick reference
Setting default accounts and approver information in Web Voucher

Click on General Preferences from the Web Voucher main menu to set your:

  • Password
  • Default approver
  • Default account coding (you can designate some or all of your default CoA coding)

If your approver and account coding are usually the same for each web voucher you process, setting defaults will save time and keystrokes. Each web voucher (whether for a vendor payment or a reimbursement) you create will be pre-populated with your default choices. You are always free to change the information of individual web vouchers if it is different from your defaults.

Set a Default Coding or Approver quick reference
Logging on

When logging on, new Web Voucher users are reminded that:

User name = first 8 digits of Harvard University I.D. number

  • Example: 12345678

Initial Password = first four characters of last name (ALL CAPS), two-digit day of birth, four-digit year of birth

  • Example: the initial password created in the Web Voucher system for Jane Sumner, born on June 3, 1966, would be SUMN031966

To log on to Web Voucher (and other financial applications), go to
http://vpf-web.harvard.edu/ applications

Further information on logging on to Web Voucher and other financial applications is available on ABLE

 

Want to Learn More?      back to top

Training Opportunities

For experienced Web Voucher users, we recommend Processing Reimbursements with Web Voucher: A Briefing for Current Users (a 90-minute lecture with Q & A)

For STAR proxies who have not used Web Voucher before and for new hires, we recommend Processing Reimbursements and Vendor Payments using Web Voucher (a half-day, hands-on course)

Class schedule: vpf-web.harvard.edu/training/schedule.html

How to register: vpf-web.harvard.edu/training

Note: FAS users going live on April 30 will be contacted to register for a briefing or hands-on training. No action is needed on your part.

A redesigned and updated ABLE area with easier-to-find "how to" information able.harvard.edu/wv/wv_index.shtml
Recently updated University Travel and Entertainment Policy Manual www.travel.harvard.edu

 

Special Item: Schedule for FINDINI 2.0.2 Upgrade to Financial Systems   back to top

As described in previous issues, the University introduces upgrades, modifications, and enhancements to its enterprise financial and reporting systems in a series of software "releases."

The releases, which provide a way to bundle changes to the applications and test them in an integrated way, are called FINDINI (Financials + HUDINI). The upcoming FINDINI 2.0.2 release, originally scheduled for March 19, has been postponed by about a week to ensure that we have enough time to test fixes to problems discovered during the final phase of testing. The revised schedule requires that the financial systems be unavailable to the user community on Friday, March 23 and potentially on Monday, March 26 in order to complete the installation over a long weekend rather than two weekends, as originally planned.

The revised schedule is as follows:

Thursday, March 22

At 6 p.m., the GL, AP, AR, Application Administration, Web Voucher, Budget Tool, STAR, PCard, COA Web Maintenance Application, and Windstar systems come down. Cut-off for ADI journal processing also occurs at 6 p.m.

After nightly processing has been completed, the HDW will be refreshed. It will have all data entered through close of business on March 22 and will remain available during the upgrade.
Friday, March 23 through Sunday, March 25 Financial systems remain unavailable to the business community, but AWS2, HUDINI, and the ad hoc reporting environment remain up with data frozen as of March 22. The database underlying the applications will be upgraded, the FINDINI 2.0.2 updates installed, and a final check done to make sure the systems are production worthy.
Monday, March 26

Financial systems remain unavailable to the business community, but AWS2, HUDINI, and the ad hoc reporting environment remain up with data frozen as of March 22.

Although they will be very minor, changes affecting end users will be explained in detail in the March 26 FAD e-News. The only significant change is a new procedure for processing vendor credit memos, supported by a new screen in Web Voucher.
Tuesday, March 27 At 6 a.m., financial systems come up with FINDINI 2.0.2. functionality. Beginning at 9 a.m., ADI journals can be processed. After nightly processing, the HDW will be refreshed with any data entered on Tuesday.

Please note that if the upgrade goes as expected, it is possible that the financial systems will be available on Monday. The "splash pages" of the applications themselves will provide up-to-the-minute status on their availability.

 

About the e-News   back to top

The Financial Administration publishes this semi-monthly electronic newsletter for users of Harvard University's financial systems, policies, and procedures. Generally, the e-News is published on or around the 12th and 26th of each month.

It contains:

Updates on projects underway to build or improve University financial systems;

Information about new University financial policies, procedures, and forms;

Reminders about upcoming deadlines and cut-over dates;

Tips and tricks for working more easily or productively.

We welcome questions and suggestions for improvement from readers. If your questions are of general interest, we will answer them in future issues.

Please send comments, questions, or suggestions for improvement by email to us at: fad_communications@harvard.edu