University of Wisconsin-Madison

Please take note of the following information:

• Automated Purchasing Card Application
• Changes to Travel Policies Resulting from Passage of the 2011-13 Compensation Plan
• Change to UW-Madison Travel Pre-Approval Process
• Cost Transfer Workflow Tool Implemented
• e-Reimbursement Enhancement Implemented
• Free For All
• Accounting Services Updates Available as RSS Feed
• Payment Request Automation Project

Automated Purchasing Card Application Process

Effective Monday, January 9, 2012, all cardholder applicants are encouraged to use the new Purchasing Card automated application process when applying for a new card.  Although the old paper form will still be available, we hope applicants and Site Managers will find the new process to be a time-saving, beneficial alternative.

The link to the new application is available on the purchasing card “How to Enroll” webpage. The cardholder begins the process by completing the online form with the required contact, funding and card limit information. The appropriate department and site manager is selected from a drop down list and the form is routed on to the site manager for approval.   Once approved, the form is routed on to the Dean’s Office for Divisional review and approval. Card applications listing a federal fund as the default coding are subsequently routed on to Research and Sponsored Programs for approval before the form reaches its final destination in Accounting Services where the UW-Madison purchasing card data base, “MAPCAPP” is updated and the application is processed. If the application is rejected at any point in time, the form will be returned to the Site Manager with any relevant notes attached.

The new process includes an e-mail confirmation after each approval step, as well as an application tracking system for all involved in the application process.  The application tracking information is included in each e-mail confirmation message sent. 

The new process is currently limited to new card requests only.  For the time being, all purchasing card changes and deletions will still be handled via the Cardholder Account Set Up form located on the purchasing card forms page.  Business Services intends to expand the automated process to include all card requests in the near future.

Changes to Travel Policies Resulting from Passage of the 2011-13 Compensation Plan

With passage of the 2011-13 Compensation Plan changes were made to the travel policies. For more information please read this memo.

Change to UW-Madison Travel Pre-Approval Process

UW-Madison will again require the completion of the Out of State Travel Approval Form. For more information please see the Out of State Travel Approval Form Memo.

Cost Transfer Workflow Tool Implemented

We are pleased to announce the campus-wide roll-out of the new Cost Transfer Workflow Tool which will be available to all campus faculty and staff on May 2, 2011.  The tool is a web-based form and routing system that will be used to process both non-salary and salary cost transfers.  It includes a work flow from the Initiator to the Dean or Director’s administrative unit before the transfer is processed into the Shared Financial System.  For transfers involving sponsored projects (fund 144 or 133), there is an additional work flow approval in Research and Sponsored Programs. Access to the new tool is available to any user with a Net ID with the exception of undergraduate students.

We believe you will find this tool to be convenient and useful.  However, please keep in mind that it is better to determine the funding of a transaction correctly prior to its initial posting; rather than to process cost transfers to move charges after the initial posting.  Tools such as the ProValue Services for Purchasing Card charges  and Pre-posting allocation tool (PAT) for MDS and DoIT charges are encouraged as proactive alternatives to the Cost Transfer Work Flow Tool.

If you have questions or suggestions for improvement, please contact APR_CT_Workflow@lists.wisc.edu and the APR Cost Transfer team will assist you.

For more information, please visit the Cost Transfer Workflow Tool page.

e-Reimbursement Enhancement Implemented

An e-Reimbursement enhancement has been implemented that provides the following benefits:

• allows and requires all travelers with a current UW Madison appointment or an appointment ended within the past year to claim expenses through their employee profile
• eliminates access problems caused when a UW Madison appointment ends and the traveler has recent, outstanding expenses
• allows newly hired UW Madison employees with a future start date to be reimbursed for interview, relocation, and other travel expenses through their employee profile, rather than as a non-employee
• provides further access flexibility for employees who have appointments at both UW Madison and another UW campus

Refer to the chart for updated e-Reimbursement eligibility, access, submission, and payment information.

Free For All

With today’s budget cuts and everyone having to do more with less, it is hard to believe a person can actually succeed at getting something for nothing. The State’s contract with Fox World Travel is providing us with exactly that—free tickets at absolutely no cost and with no strings attached. Free tickets for past airfare booked—it really is that simple. If you, your department, and/or travel arranger are not currently taking advantage of the new Cliqbook system, it’s time to get started. Go to the Cliqbook web page to complete the registration page online and you’re ready to set up your profile.

Each airline ticket booked through Cliqbook and Fox World Travel results in an airfare credit from the airline that can be redeemed for free airfare. Each quarter the credits are awarded to Cliqbook users by calling the Fox World Reservation Desk on a first come, first serve basis. There is no service fee for this service. The use of Cliqbook not only provides us with free airfare, it also provides reporting capabilities that put our UW System campuses in a more favorable position for future price negotiations. If you haven’t already done so, set up your user profile now, in advance of booking your travel, so you’ll be ready to take advantage of the free tickets when they become available.

Kudos to the three big users of the Cliqbook system the first half of calendar year 2010: Medical School; School of Business; and Letters and Sciences. If you’re not currently a Cliqbook user, jump on the bandwagon and procrastinate no longer! Set up a profile, print off the Traveler Guide or Travel Arranger Guide so everything you need is at your fingertips, and start using Cliqbook today.

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Accounting Services Updates Available as RSS Feed

Updates that occur on the Accounting Services web pages for policy, procedure, and the e‑Reimbursement system are now available from a RSS (Really Simple Syndication or Rich Site Summary) feed. Those who are accustomed to using a RSS reader will need to add the RSS feed URL, http://www.bussvc.wisc.edu/acct/rss/tabannounce.xml, to subscribe. All announcements are also posted on the Announcement tab of the Travel and Expense Reimbursement web pages.

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Payment Request Automation Project

Business Services is working with a campus project team to evaluate and enhance the Payment Request Tool that was originally developed by the College of Engineering Dean’s Office. The campus representatives on the team include Gene Masters, Katie Canales, Eric Thornton and Rose Budig.

Based on the team’s analysis and recommendation, the tool will incorporate the business rules for various payment types, including account codes, information for taxes, required documents/attachments and instructions. The updated rules will be implemented in the tool and be available to campus in December 2010. The tool’s URL is https://admin.engr.wisc.edu/uw_pay_request/.

Other improvement suggestions that will be implemented in calendar year 2011 include:

• Explore the possibility to load files for prize, award and scholarship payments.
• Be able to save a completed form for repeated future use of similar payments.
• Link the tool to edits program to verify funding information.
• Link the tool to the SFS vendor look up to search, verify, select and retrieve vendor information from vendor file into the tool.

Users can submit the payment requests and the attached documents electronically to Accounting Services for processing.

Please send your questions/comments to hramer@bussvc.wisc.edu or any of the campus representatives on the team.

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