Tip #1: Finance and HR Communications
As of now, we are open! The Tuesday Tips and Weekly Status Call will continue to keep you aware and informed throughout the suspension of in-class instruction and remote-operating procedures. We will highlight resources that are timely to the situation as well as standard items and tips. Please provide suggestions and feedback to help us serve you better. These can be sent to [email protected] to route to the communications team. To raise awareness of special considerations during this time, we will continue to compile this list of helpful guidelines and resources. Both HR and Finance have updates on our webpages about how our offices are operating. Thanks so much for all that you are doing during this time!
Tip #2: UGA – Remote System Access
As UGA offices move to telework options, staff and faculty may need to consider their UGA ArchPass Duo authentication as some systems require additional authentication when working off campus. We suggest planning to run VPN at all times to provide an extra layer of security and to ensure more seamless access. The following systems will require VPN in addition to ArchPass Duo for remote access: UGA Financial Management, UGAmart, Simpler and the Data Warehouse. Systems that only require ArchPass Duo are OneUSG Connect and UGAJobs.
Tip #3: Finance – Mail and Receiving Services
Mail & Receiving Services will continue to pick-up and deliver mail and deliveries as close to a normal schedule as possible. However, we understand you may require other arrangements. Based on discussions with many departments, there are generally three service scenarios your department may want to consider. Submitting your request in one of these formats, as noted in the templates below, will be helpful as we schedule arrangements for all departments. Please email your US mail delivery requests to Susan Baxter ([email protected]) and email your package/other delivery requests to Dwayne Weaver ([email protected]). Additional information about Mail and Receiving Services can be found as a News Item. This notification was included in physical mail deliveries on Monday, March 16.
Tip #4: Finance – Sponsored Projects and COVID-19 Effects on Federally Funded Research
The Council on Government Relations (COGR) has posted an update related to proposal submission flexibility, award receipt and award administration during the public health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This report contains information that includes travel fees and costs associated with event cancellation due to COVID-19, that can be charged to NIH grants and other helpful information like expanded pre-award spending.
The Office of Research has launched a webpage to assist with questions that you may have regarding sustaining research activities during this unprecedented time.
Tip #5: Finance – Purchasing: Urgent Purchases of IT Devices [WSC]
Updated purchasing information is outlined in the Urgent Purchases of IT Devices Proactive Planning for Business Continuity memo. You should continue to order IT devices through UGAmart purchase order or PCard. Devices purchased via PCard may not exceed a unit price of $2,999.99 or the card’s Single Transaction Limit, if lower.
However, if time constraints make normal purchasing methods unfeasible, faculty and staff may temporarily purchase these IT devices using personal funds and submit for reimbursement. Before purchasing a laptop or IT device using personal funds, faculty/staff must review the Urgent Purchases of IT Devices – Proactive Planning for Business Continuity memo for guidance and requirements. The link is also posted on UGAmart, the Procurement homepage and the OneSource Business Continuity Planning page.This temporary purchasing method may be used until May 1, 2020 with the possibility of extension to be evaluated at a later date.
Tip #6: Finance – Travel & Expenses: Travel Cancellations [WSC]
With the suspension of non-essential travel, as per the second Archnews on March 13, your unit may have a lot of questions about travel cancellation processing. Business travel approvals, including decisions on whether travel is non-essential, are unit-based decisions made between faculty, staff and their leadership. Such decisions should be informed by the particular circumstances and any travel advisories as noted by the CDC and UGA’s Coronavirus Information and Resources webpage.
We have developed Guidance on Travel Planning and Cancellations, which includes scenarios and examples on reimbursement for use by units and travelers. Additional related information is outlined in the FAQs found in the Travel Policy.
Tip #7: Finance – Accounts Payable: Payment Request DBA Search Field [WSC]
There is a new DBA Search Field in the Fluid Payment Request Center from an enhancement submitted to the Business Services Advisory Group (BSAG)!This search field will only yield results for suppliers that have a DBA name listed on their supplier profile.The search field is sensitive to characters, thus searching for “Chickfila” will not yield any suppliers. Searching by either by “Chick” or “Chick-Fil-A” will yield results.Please also note that if there is no DBA name set up on a supplier’s profile, the search will not yield any results. This enhancement was included in the March 14 Financial Management & Budget Management Operating System Maintenance.
Tip #8: Finance – Budget Management: BPSS [WSC]
With Budget Planning and Salary Setting approaching, the March 12 Weekly Status Call presentation gave some additional updated information on these processes and practices. If you participate in this process, please take a moment to review the information in the presentation slides.
Tip #9: OneUSG Connect – Faculty Contract Delivery View [WSC]
As we look forward toward the 2020 faculty contract delivery, there has been added functionality to view the prior-year faculty contract within the Faculty Contracts tab. Additional screenshots and views can be found in the March 5 Weekly Status Call!
Tip #10: OneUSG Connect – Changes from the 6.0 Release [WSC]
OneUSG Connect will come back online tomorrow morning, Wednesday, March 18. The upgrade will result in a number of updates to the system including a new Compensation Summary and an Auto-Enrollment Matrix. For details on the update, please see the OneUSG Connect Release Notes, or the March 12 Weekly Status Call.
Known Issue Updates:
System: OneUSG Connect
Title: Alternate Approver
Status: Active
Overview: When employees accept a delegation request in OneUSG Connect for a time, absence request, or workflow transaction approvals, the appropriate roles are added to the employee’s user profile, but the delegation is not activated.
Workaround: Please continue to utilize this resource. OneUSG Support is aware of this issue and working on a resolution. Updates will be posted to the USG Known Issues page.
System: Finance
Title: EDR Requires Refresh of Current Combo Code
Status: Active
Overview: Incorrect accounting entries will be created if an Express Direct Retro (EDR) transaction is not entered in a specific manner.
Workaround: Best practice is to review accounting entries associated with EDR transactions. The Payroll Expense Detail query in System Manager Reporting can be run to see all transactions associated with an employee.
*This is a synopsis of updated Known Issues. For more details and updates, please visit the Known Issues page or contact the OneSource Service Desk at [email protected] or 706-542-0202.
Upcoming Training, Updates and Reminders:
Due to the current circumstances, trainings will operate on a case-by-case basis. The Training Team will contact currently registered participants directly if webinars are to be moved or cancelled. Please review the Training Website for the most up-to-date information on training webinars.
System Maintenance and Releases:
- UGA Systems: Find updates posted at status.uga.edu
- Friday, March 20: Financial Management & Budget Management Operating System Maintenance
- USG Systems: Find updates posted at status.usg.edu
- Friday, March 27 – 31: OneUSG Connect Upgrade & GA Tech onboarding
The OneSource Roadmap page includes enhancements as well as current timelines for system upgrades and known maintenance. To submit a suggestion for an enhancement, please email us at [email protected].
Known Issues information is posted and updated regularly.
Submit a tip: Do you have tip to share? Email it to us at [email protected].
You can find all the Tuesday Tip emails on the Tuesday Tips resource page on the OneSource website.
