Overview of Reference Tables

Budget Preparation's reference table options let you view and maintain Organization Chart, Account List, and Project List records. You do not have to create these records from scratch. The system copies them from Fund Accounting during the extraction process. If needed, you can add new records to the tables in Budget Preparation and if needed, delete records that are no longer used.

Of particular interest are the budget projection fields unique to Budget Preparation's Organization Chart, Account List, and Project List tables. These fields enable you to associate percentages with specific accounts, budget units, and project codes assist in preparing your budget.

The percentages specify budget increases or decreases that your budget administrators can apply to selected Expenditure, Revenue, and Project Ledger records using the Apply/Move Budget option. You can also enter percentages to determine the projected expenditures or revenues for the current year.

The introductory section describes the following topics fundamental to table setup:

• How each table's records are used
• Standard layout of table pages
• Procedure for adding table records
• Standard search, print, update and delete procedures for table pages

Important

Before employees start applying budget projections to ledger records, make sure the necessary records exist in the Budget Preparation reference tables and that these records have the correct projection percentages.

Budget Preparation Tables

Following are summaries describing the Budget Preparation table options:

Account List contains codes for the accounts used in your General Ledger, Expenditure Ledger, Revenue Ledger, and Project Ledger. You can record planned budget increases or decreases on an account-by-account basis by assigning percentages to the appropriate Account List records. You can define percentages at the Requested, Recommended, and Future Year levels.

Iteration List lets you create versions of your budget which can be loaded into Budget Preparation and saved to reflect the current budget data. Your employees can work with an iteration to see how the budget looks with specific projections applied.

Iterations are associated with budgetary phases in the Iteration List. For complete information on how to set up iterations and phases, refer to Budget Iterations.

New Year Fund Rollover table lets you identify Level 1 Organization Chart records (funds) that undergo code changes from one year to the next. In this table, you associate the current year fund numbers with the new codes for the upcoming budget year.

The fund numbers are changed when you use the Extract Information option. The New Year Fund Rollover table and Extract Information option are described Begin Budget Process.

Organization Chart contains your organization's reporting structure for accounting purposes. It lets you define records for up to ten reporting levels. Organization Chart records are tied to account codes, thereby forming your General Ledger, Expenditure Ledger, and Revenue Ledger accounts.

You can record planned budget increases or decreases tied to Organization Chart records by assigning percentages to the table records. You can define percentages at the Requested, Recommended, and Future Year levels.

Phases table allows you to tie additional budgetary approval levels to the three main Budget Preparation levels: Requested, Recommended, and Approved. You also apply phases if you use Budget Preparation's iteration function. This enables you to create versions of your budget that employees can update and interchange until a final budget is reached.

A phase holds a set of three final iterations, one each for expenditures, revenues, and projects. If you do not use iterations, you do not need to set up phases. For information, refer to Phases Table.

Project List contains codes and reporting structure for the projects you track in terms of expense and revenue. This table also allows you to assign planned budget increases or decreases on a project-by-project basis applying percentages to the appropriate project records. You can define percentages at the Requested, Recommended, and Future Year levels. If you do not use project accounting, you do not need to set up records in this table.

Table Page Layout

Search Criteria section contains fields for defining selection criteria. The system retrieves and displays table records matching the criteria. The search section usually includes the Advanced button, which allows you to perform advanced searches.

List section displays search results. The section includes a row of information for each record retrieved by a search. Double-click a listed record to access the full record in either the detail section or a separate detail page, depending on the table.

Detail section displays all the fields that combine to form a table record. You add and update the table's records in this section. In some cases, a table's fields appear in a single section. In others, the fields are grouped in tabs.

Standard Table Procedures

Following are the standard procedures for adding, updating, deleting, and printing records using Budget Preparation's reference table options. For specific information on a table, refer to the appropriate section.

Adding table records

1. Select Budget Preparation > Reference Tables > Reference Tables, and then select the table option.
2. Click Add New.
3. Complete the page's fields.
4. Click OK to save the record.

Updating table records

Updating a record involves changing fields in an existing table record. Generally, you can change any fields in a table record except for its key fields. These fields display but cannot be accessed because they identify the record.

1. Select Budget Preparation > Reference Tables > Reference Tables, and then select the table option.
2. In the Search Criteria section, enter criteria identifying the records to list, and then click Find. To run an advanced search, use the Advanced button.
3. In the List section, select the record you want to update, and then click OK to display it.
4. Change the page's fields as needed.
5. Click OK to save the record.

Deleting table records

Before deleting a table record, make sure it is not used elsewhere in your database. Generally, you should only use the delete function for records that are no longer used or were entered in error.

1. Select Budget Preparation > Reference Tables > Reference Tables, and then select the table option.
2. In the Search Criteria section, enter criteria identifying the records to list, and then click Find. To run an advanced search, use the Advanced button.
3. Select the record you want to delete.
4. Click Delete.
5. In the confirmation dialog, click Yes to delete the record.

Important

Wait until you complete your final extraction of Fund Accounting data before deleting table records in Budget Preparation. If a record deleted in Budget Preparation still exists in Fund Accounting for the current fiscal year, it will be re-copied into your database if you run another extraction.

Generating table reports

The toolbar on table pages displays a Print item for generating reports selected records. You can include all of a table's records in a report or limit the report to records that meet specific criteria.

1. Select Budget Preparation > Reference Tables > Reference Tables, and then select the table option.
2. In the Search Criteria section, enter criteria identifying the records to list, and then click Find. To run an advanced search, use the Advanced button.
3. Click Print.
4. In the Print window, specify how you want to generate the report, and then click OK.