Purchase Order Requisition (Finance Enterprise)

In this introduction we will briefly cover a basic Purchase Order Requisition (PR) workflow in order to demonstrate how to utilize Finance Enterprise.

For a quickguide version of these instructions, download the instructions here. Note: You will need to login with your Union College credentials to access this documentation.

If you're encountering issues with Finance Enterprise after your official training, please do not hesitate to reach out to Purchasing for any questions or guidance.

Finance Enterprise is an upgrade to ONESolution, Union College's pre-existing ERP system, and is entirely web based. If you already have a login to ONESolution, your credentials for access to Finance Enterprise should be the same username and password.

If you are experiencing issues logging into Finance Enterprise, please create a ITS Helpdesk Ticket, being sure when browsing the Service Catalog to select the Finance Enterprise (Previously ONESolution) Account Access Modification Request.

1. Navigate to the Finance Enterprise login page at https://finance.union.edu. This website is only accessible while on Union College's VPN or while on-site on campus.
2. Following the screenshot below, enter in your Finance Enterprise login, prefacing the Username with Union\ while doing so.

Once logged into Finance Enterprise, you will be brought to your Workspace. A Workspace is a general starting area for most common processes. Most links you will be able to access are those that will provide you with either reports or information common to your regular purchasing procedures. For this overview, we will focus on the Purchasing Workspace and the Purchase Order Entry module.

On the referenced screenshot below, The Purchasing Workspace is selected with three items highlighted in various colors:

• In green is the Purchase Order Entry (POUPPR) module, which we will cover further in this overview.
• In red is the Purchase Order Inquiry (POIQ) module, which will allow you to research pre-existing purchase orders that are within Finance Enterprise AND those that were within ONESolution.
• In blue is the Vendor Inquiry (PEIQ) module, which will allow you to research and look up vendors currently within our system.

By default the POUPPR screen is set to a search function, much like One Solution when bringing up the module for the first time. If you’re searching for a PR that has yet to pass along in the workflow you can use this function to do so, especially if you’re needing to make changes to the request before you approve it.

Pressing the + at the top left of the screen will change the request screen from Search mode into Add mode, giving the user the ability to create a PR (Purchase Order Requisition).

After doing so, the options for searching will minimize to the left (accessible again by clicking the magnifying glass on the left side menu bars) and we’re ready to begin the PR creation process. Items notated with an asterisk are either required or should be verified during PR creation.

The first start to the creation process is generating a PR number for the desired PO. On the right side of the blank PR* field, click the icon to generate a PR.SEED (A PR number).

Once the PR.SEED has been generated, please review the following sections to ensure they are correct or properly filled in.

Sec cd (Security Code) is the department that the order is being placed for. Most individuals will only have access to the department they belong to so options will likely be straightforward.

The Vendor ID can not only be found within the PEIQ (Vendor Inquiry) screen but can also be searched for by clicking on the icon directly to the right of the Vendor ID* field.

Remit to ID (for the majority of PRs) will likely be the same as the Vendor ID as most vendors Union College does business with have matching origins of their products as well as their bill-to.

Previously, vendor contact information was requested to be listed in the notes area of the PR process. Thankfully, with Finance Enterprise, a new section has been added labeled as Vendor Contact* and Vendor Email*. Both are required and should be filled out in their entirety. This will help simplify and organize the PR submission process so less delays are encountered.

If a name is not known for a Vendor Contact, you can always list N/A in the field however Procurement will need the Vendor Email to be filled out appropriately for the PO process to be completed.

Union Attn* field should be filled out as whomever the internal Union College contact for this PR would be.

PO Type* field will normally remain as P, representing a typical purchase order, but can be changed when needed.

• Changing the type to B would generate the PO as a Blanket Purchase Order, used mainly for purchase orders that span extended periods of time with a varying total cost, often covering multiple accounts.
  Note: Be mindful that a Blanket Purchase Order will not immediately encumber the department's budget.
  Note: Be sure to check "Pay by Amount" when selecting the Blanket Purchase Order option to ensure proper account processing of the order.
• Changing the type to C would generate the PO as a Contract Purchase Order, used only for those purchases covered by a pre established contract between the vendor and Union College.

Requisition codes that are standard are already pre-filled but can be added to as needed. One in particular infrequently used code is AT, which attaches all non-internal attachments associated with the PR (invoices, quotes, other attachments) to the finalized PO that is sent to the vendor. If you’re unsure of what Requisition Codes to utilize, simply keep the pre-filled codes and continue with the PR process.

Please ensure both the Ship To ID and Bill To ID are appropriate for your PR. Your Ship To ID should represent the department receiving the product or service and Bill To ID will always represent Accounts Payable in the field. If you need to select a different department as your Ship to ID, click the icon directly to the right of the field and search accordingly.

Further down the PR creation page is where you will specify the line items of the PR, listing the Quantity, Unit Price, and Item description for each line item. Item Number* represents the current line item on display. Additional line items can be added by clicking the Add button and multiple lines can be viewed by the icon on the far left of the same gray line.

Notes can also be added in the Notes tab, in case special instructions are needed in order to process the PO.

When reaching the Account section, you can + Add Account if needing to add a separate GL Account (Acct Key) to split the costs of the Purchase Requisition. Otherwise, simply add the appropriate GL Account and Object Code for the line item.

Once all of your previous information has been entered, you will need to upload any and all supporting documentation to the PR, such as quotes, invoices, and/or bid sheets associated with the purchase. Navigate to the paperclip icon on the left side of the screen. After clicking it, you will be prompted to enter a description of the attachment, select the file, and choose an attach definition. The attach definition should reflect the nature of the attachment.

• Choose PO_Change if the attachment relates to a change in the PO after it has been issued. (Not yet available)
• Choose POAttach for any standard attachments, such as quotes or invoices, that do not contain sensitive, internal information that can be shared with the vendor. Note: If AT is used in the Requisition Codes section of your PR, these documents will be sent to the vendor alongside the finished PO.
• Choose POAttach_Internal for any non-standard attachments such as bid sheets that contain sensitive information that should not be shared with the vendor.

Once all of your details have been verified, double checked, and you’re ready to finalize the PR to send through the workflow, select the Save icon on the right side of the screen. After doing so, the PR is introduced to the workflow.

The workflow in Finance Enterprise starts with your approval or rejection.

There are two easy ways to approve or reject any PR in the workflow: access your Task List within the Workspace area of Finance Enterprise OR access the email generated by Finance Enterprise and simply reply to it according to its instructions listed within the body of the message.

For this overview, navigate back to the main workspace tab and find the Task List located on the left side of the Workspace.

With your Task List pulled up, you should see a list of PRs currently in your workflow. Upon clicking the individual line, the PR will expand so you may review the details.

Once you’ve reviewed all the applicable info, you can click on the button highlighted in green for each individual PR OR you can click on the button highlighted in blue for approving multiple PRs at once.

Note: By clicking the "In Office" icon (directly right of the highlighted blue Approval All option), you can tell the system to switch you to "Out of Office" which instructs Finance Enterprise to circumvent you in the approval process and chooses an alternative member in your place. This is commonly used for approvers in the workflow when they know PRs will be needed to approve but unable to approve them at that point in time. Clicking the icon again will set you back to "In Office" and should be utilized when back from vacation, sick time, etc.

Once Approve has been selected, the PR will move through the workflow, sending email notifications for those involved in the approval process, and will prompt them to either reply to the email OR log in to their Task List to continue the process.

As more efficiencies and suggestions surface, this process may change over time. Be sure to reach out to Purchasing with any issues you may encounter and we'll do our best to make this process as streamlined as possible.