HR Project Training Registration Now Open    top

Do you initiate personnel actions? Verify the payroll using the TAD or the Pay-Zee? Run HR reports from AWS? Supervise an overtime-eligible staff member? If so, you may need training on Harvard's new PeopleSoft systems, which go live on September 23.

Notes

Once you are registered, you will receive a confirmation email, and three days before class, a reminder email from our registration system if you have an email address in the centrally managed Harvard University ID system. If you think you are registered but have not received a confirmation, please contact your local registrar who can look up your status online.

Please contact your local registrar if you need to cancel or reschedule. Don't be a no show: it hurts other staff members who could be trained sooner or at a time that is more convenient for them.

Caution

Staff members at FAS, SPH, and HMS will be using local systems to process personnel actions even after PeopleSoft has been implemented by the University. In most cases, our training offerings in this topic area are not appropriate for staff from those schools. Local HR offices will be announcing their own training offerings about using local systems such as FAS's ASPERIN and SPH's WASABI.

In a similar vein, reporting for time reporters will be delivered by local units across the University because of the need and desire to explain local business process differences. Local HR and financial officers will be customizing training materials for time reporters provided by the Project. Dates, times, and locations for local time reporter training will be announced at your school or unit. The HR Project will provide open enrollment training (all are welcome; it won't be department specific) for time approvers, keepers, adjusters, and administrators.

Fixed Assets: Capitalizing Equipment Purchases    top

Since changes to the University policy were implemented in FY01, there has been some confusion as to whether or not equipment purchases should be capitalized.

The equipment decision tree has been developed to help you distinguish capital equipment purchases from noncapital equipment purchases. The decision tree will also help you identify the correct range of object codes to use when acquiring equipment.

Also included for your reference are three equipment decision tree examples. These examples demonstrate the use of the tree to determine the appropriate action for different types of equipment acquisitions.

If you have any questions about the equipment decision tree or Harvard's capital equipment policy, please feel free to contact Beth Doherty in the Office of Fixed Asset Accounting at 617-495-3766.

Accounts Receivable: Payroll Deductions    top

Harvard's Central Accounts Receivable department offers individuals who are on the Harvard University payroll the option of having their AR charges deducted from their paycheck. You may elect to have all invoices deducted monthly or to have only certain types of charges deducted. You will also retain the ability to review and, if necessary, dispute the charges prior to the payroll deduction. It's an easy, painless way to ensure that invoices are paid in a timely fashion without having to write a check for them.

The process is simple:

We encourage all administrators in those local units that bill individuals for goods or services to promote this alternative to your customers.

If you have any questions or concerns about this process, please call Kathy Hallmann, AR Supervisor, at (617) 495-4598.

Accounts Receivable: Change to the Outstanding
Customer Aging Summary Report    top

You may notice a change, which was put into effect on July 2, to the aging buckets on the Outstanding Customer Aging Summary report.

Several AR users have told us that the column labeled "91-180 Days" is too wide a range to be meaningful. Therefore, that column has been eliminated; in its place are columns for invoices 91-120 days past due and invoices 121-180 days past due. You will also notice that we have eliminated the column "361 days+."

To illustrate:

We hope that these changes provide a more meaningful report for our users.

About the e-News   top

The Financial Administration publishes this semi-monthly electronic newsletter for users of Harvard University's financial, HR, and reporting 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 administrative systems;
• information about new University 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