Monthly Closing Calendars

The October 2021 period in the general ledger has closed. When running your reports, please keep in mind that the reporting environment has a 24-hour delay in displaying data. The current and future month-end processing deadline schedules are located at Monthly Closing Deadlines.

Total Contract Manager (Contract+)

Total Contract Manager (TCM) has several communication methods that are tailored for specific situations. Contract Managers are encouraged to review and use the various communication methods as they will add value and increase the efficiency of their contracting process. The various step-by-step user guide, as well as the document comparing each method, can be found here under the “Procurement Contract Guides” in the “Procurement Services” section. Use this opportunity to review other related TCM guides, which all begin with “TCM”.

One of these communication methods is the Communication Center, which captures and monitors email correspondences about a contract from one central location. It differentiates between internal and external communication. Internal communication via the “internal tab” is restricted to sending messages to internal users only so Contract Managers cannot use it to message suppliers. Instead, Contract Managers should use the “external tab” for any external communications such as with suppliers. Additionally, the “external tab” can also be used to compare an email attachment to the latest version of a contract main document or another contract attachment, if both files are Microsoft Word files attached to the same contract in a .docx format.

Join Us in Training

Has it been a while since you attended one of our trainings? Do you need a refresher? Step up your job knowledge and performance by logging into FIU Develop and enrolling in any of our PantherSoft Financials trainings designed by the Financial Systems and Support Services’ (FSSS) Training and Help Desk Support group.

Training sessions are offered monthly and cover the functionalities of the PantherSoft Financials system needed to successfully process your day-to-day business and financial transactions. Topics include the essential functionalities of eProcurement (Procure to Pay), Travel & Expense, nVision Reporting, Query, Smart Internal Billing, Journal Vouchers, and ID Transfers.

Even if you have attended one of our training sessions before, we welcome you back! We regularly update our trainings and repository of resources with new details regarding system enhancements and FIU custom processes. Plus, you get professional development credit – even if you repeat a training.

FSSS is here to help, even outside of training. Our Help Desk is open every business day (Monday – Friday) from 8:30am – 5:00pm and can be reached by calling (305)348-7200 [7-7200] or by emailing controller@fiu.edu. 

Journal Workflow Project

The Controller’s Office has been working on a journal workflow project to replace the manual process associated with ID Transfers and ORED’s Cost Transfer – Transfer of Non-Payroll Charges form.  We will be scheduling a kick-off call for all budget managers/approvers in November as well as communicating the various training sessions that have been scheduled to facilitate this change in process.  For additional information you can review the ID Transfer Journal Guide. If you have any questions, please email idtransfers@fiu.edu.

Unidentified Wire Transfers and ACH Payments

The Controller’s Office occasionally receives payments that cannot be applied to the appropriate department due to inadequate information. Click here for the list of unidentified wire transfers and ACH payments as of March 2020.

To claim a payment, please contact Cash Management and provide the following information:

• payment details
• activity details
• account to which the payment should be recorded

Payments that are not identified within 45 days of the wire/ACH date will be returned to the sender.

UPS Shipments

We have seen an increase in the frequency of UPS deliveries being charged to the FIU master account. Whenever possible, the P-card should be used when scheduling the pick-up. Please make sure that the P-card is the default payment method.

To make your P-card default please follow the steps below:

If you are unable to use the P-card, it is very important that you include your activity or project number in the reference field. This will ensure that the correct department is charged once we receive the invoice.

Also, when creating the label, make sure that the return address is correct. We have seen an increase in shipments being returned to the wrong department.

If you need to have a username and password assigned – please contact Judith Gonzalez at 800.550.4184 ext. 114-2324

Departmental Card Deadlines

As a reminder, departmental card billing transactions regularly load the first business day of the month; program participants will have 10 days to process this activity in its entirety. This month’s billing statement (dated October 29, 2021) loaded into PantherSoft on November 1, 2021, and must be entirely processed by the end of the business day on November 12, 2021.

Any charges not processed by the closing deadline will be automatically charged to the cardholder’s default accounting on file and will not be eligible for a transfer. Cardholders with three unjustified non-approvals in the same fiscal year will have their card suspended until they complete a retraining session.

Additionally, cardholders with three unjustified non-approvals in the same fiscal year will have their card limits suspended until they complete a retraining session.

Travel

Help us to expedite approving Travel Authorizations, Cash Advances, and Expense Reports. Documents that have not been completely finalized and are older than 90 days will be cancelled or deleted by the Travel Department. A list of pending documents is located here. Information regarding report status abbreviations and how to close or cancel Travel Authorizations and/or Expense Reports can be found here.