PDF version of this newsletter.

KUALI Update

Starting in late 2008, the stakeholders of IU’s Kuali Financial System (KFS) implementation project [Financial Management Services, Office of Procurement Services, and University Budget Office] began intensive analysis of our current financial and purchasing systems and the new KFS. This required identification of what parts of IU’s current financial and purchasing systems were different from the new KFS and how KFS would need to be customized to match IU’s business processes. The work, including a fit-gap analysis between KFS and FIS/EPIC, as well as decisions about document and data conversions, was completed in 2010. Also, in fall 2009, the Kuali Foundation completed and delivered KFS 3.0, the version of the Kuali Financial System that IU has chosen to implement.

In May 2010, Financial Management Services (FMS) and University Information Technology Services (UITS) implemented Phase II of the Kuali Labor Ledger, General Ledger and Year-End Closing processes at Indiana University. To remain in sync with the underlying KFS Chart and Ledger data structures, changes were also made to some Decision Support data group and report objects.

The phased releases of KFS have introduced some significant improvements to our ledger processing environment. To read more about these improvements see: KFS Phase 2 Release of Labor and GL.

The IU KFS project team has estimated resource needs which has resulted in a revision of the timeline for KFS implementation.The new timeline will see all of the new KFS end user functionality implemented at the same time – December, 2012. At that time, the FIS and EPIC will cease to be used at IU. KFS will contain all financial and purchasing information and transactions (including historical data), in one interface.In addition, users will now be able to access all kinds of supporting and relevant additional information easily from the KFS home page, such as policies, IUIE reports, training schedules, tutorials, help desk support, documentation, and more.

Click here to see the KFS Implementation Timeline color chart or the text version.

Work has begun on customizing the documentation and online help that comes with the delivered KFS application, as well as revising IU’s training classes and materials to reflect the new look and feel of KFS. Fortunately for IU FIS and EPIC users, the functionality of both IU’s systems was the basis for the Kuali financial and procurement product, so IU users of KFS will be able to easily apply their FIS and EPIC experience to the KFS application.
For the most part, IU’s procedures, processes, and policies remain intact in the delivered KFS application.

The KFS stakeholders are also working with UITS to design a Kuali portal for IU faculty and staff. It will be delivered in OneStart, and will initially encompass both Kuali products that IU will implement in the next two years: Kuali Financial System (KFS) and Kuali Coeus (KCIU – Research Administration).

For current information about both the KFS (Kuali Financial System) and KC (Kuali Coeus – Research Administration), go to http://kuali.iu.edu/.

Accounts Receivable, Auxiliary Accounting, Capital Assets, and Student Loan Administration Depts.

Random Spot Audits

In Fiscal Year 2011, Financial Management Services (FMS) staff will begin random spot audits for capital assets. The goal of the spot audits will be to access the effectiveness of our inventory procedures and the accuracy of inventory records.

Approximately 60% of the assets selected for the spot audit will be selected strategically with the other 40% selected at random. FMS staff will work with the asset representative on each campus to help with the preparation, organization and completion of the spot audits.

The “strategic” sample will be primarily based on four factors:

1. Audit findings from State Board
   
   
2. Issues identified during physical inventory
   
   
3. Recommendations from the campus capital asset function
   
   
4. FMS staff will be reviewing the movement/updates of assets prior to and after an inventory. This review will provide our office with a sense of the timeliness of retirements and asset/location updates.If a large number of movement/updates occur during this review, the organization will have a higher likelihood of being included in a spot audit.

• Friday, October 29th:  Variance Analysis due from orgs to Auxiliary Accounting (fmsaux@indiana.edu).
  
  
• Friday, November 5th:  Follow-Up questions will be distributed to orgs regarding their Variance Analysis.
  
  
• Friday, November 12th:  Answers to follow-up questions due from orgs to Auxiliary Accounting (fmsaux@indiana.edu).

Expanded FMS Training

FMS Training has a link on the FMS home page which lists all FMS training and detailed explanations of each training session. Topics cover training in FIS, Payroll, TIME, and special financial topics.

Payroll

Payroll Conference
A payroll conference for central payroll processors will be held October 11-12 in Indianapolis at University Place at IUPUI. The conference is open only to central payroll processors.

For more information contact Mary Byrde, Director of Payroll and Customer Service.

Tax Reporting

The FMS tax web pages have much to offer at Tax Forms and Publications. Check it out!

Link to our university exempt forms page where you can download our IRS determination letter that describes us as a 501(c)(3) organization and access to the sales tax exemption certificates for purchases in IN and other states.  

Fiscal Officer Development Series (FODS)

IU's FODS program now beginning its 11th year, has a web presence at http://www.fms.indiana.edu/avpfms/FODShome.asp.

Enrollments for the FODS Class of 2010-11 are already full for this academic year, you may see the curriculum for 2010-2011 to learn what topics are covered each year.

The question is often asked, “What can our department do to benefit our vendors with prompt, accurate payment? They have done the work; they deserve to be paid.”

Vendor orders and payments are best served via the EPIC system design that Purchase Orders precede the good or service. The order is clearly communicated and the vendor will bill with the Purchase Order number directly to Accounts Payable for prompt processing. It is not beneficial to the vendor to have the invoice touched multiple times. It is contrary to audit procedure for departments to receive or to deliver bills. The number one contribution a department user can make to benefit vendor payment is to provide the Purchase Order number up front and to instruct the vendor to bill using the Purchase order number. Here is a link that provides guidance to vendors for being paid promptly, how to query the status of the invoice, and whom to contact in Accounts Payable with questions:
http://www.indiana.edu/~purchase/partnerships/billing.shtml. The vendor will appreciate that you share this information. The vendor will appreciate your efforts to pay promptly and accurately.  

So where is Accounts Payable located now? In One Place for All Campuses!

At the February 18, 2010 Board of Trustees meeting, Neil Theobald, VPCFO, announced that Indiana University would centralize Accounts Payable functions. Accounts Payable and Accounting Services management and staff have worked diligently since the announcement to implement this directive. Effective Monday, June 14, 2010, all Indiana University Accounts Payable functions shifted to Financial Management Services in University Administration in Bloomington

Accounts Payable activity includes three primary work functions:

1. Invoices: Processing of invoices and credit memos against purchase orders in EPIC.
2. DVs: FIS Disbursement Voucher review for accuracy and policy compliance.
3. P-cards: US Bank procurement card statement and receipt auditing for policy compliance.

IU AP goal: pay vendor timely and accurately. POs in advance of goods and services, PO#s on invoices, and invoices delivered directly to IU AP will benefit the payment process. Vendors should contact AP with questions about billing and disbursement.

New software tools for P-cards and DVs were implemented, providing department staff with two options for submitting supporting paperwork for DV transactions and credit card statements and receipt documentation for P-card transactions.  PDF files may be uploaded through a CAS Authenticated Upload Tool, accessed via a link on the FMS AP web page at: http://www.fms.indiana.edu/ap/home.asp.

AP staff is available to assist with questions about the Upload Tool functionality. This team can be contacted via the AP staff page at http://www.fms.indiana.edu/ap/acct_pay_staff.asp.

See FMS Staff Changes below to see how AP has reorganized into teams.

FMS Staff Changes

AVP Office:

• Donna Taylor, is retiring September 30th after 32 years with IU.
• Cynthia Hughes has been hired to replace Donna as the Accounting Associate in Financial and Administrative Services. Cindy is currently working in IU’s Purchasing Department as an Institutional Purchasing Representative. Cindy will begin working on September 20, overlapping with Donna for almost two weeks to get to know the FAS operation.
  
• Alan Okazaki, Assistant Director Administration and VPCFO Fiscal Officer, is leaving October 8th to pursue a new career in theatre as a wonderful oportunity has presented itself.

• Sally Link, Manager of Cost Accounting and Bank Reconciliations, left FMS to become the Director of Finance and Administration for Document Service Centers.
  
• John Sparks is the new Manager of Cost Accounting and Bank Reconciliations. John brings a wealth of experience in the federal government costing area, with responsibilities in his current position at IU and former positions with the State of Tennessee.
  
• David Griggs replaced John in Cost Accounting. David came to FMS from IU School of Medicine Radiology Education Dept.

• Management and Professional Team:
  
  • Charlie Sinex, Director, Accounts Payable and Records Management
    
  • Sherry Kapperman, Manager, Accounts Payable Technical Operations oversees electronic document processing and record management.
    
  • Jacob Sinex, Professional Technical Operations (1/2 time hourly). He worked in Wisconsin for 3 years as a client and technology expert of medical software.
• The RIRT Team (Rejected Invoice Resolution Team):
  Includes veteran team members Janette Bruner, Jackie Vest, and Donna Woodruff. New team members are:
  
  • Pat Akers came to AP from FMS Customer Service
    
  • Ben BrckaLorenz came to FMS from the IU School of Optometry's Community Eye Care Center.
• The DV Team (Invoices/Disbursement Vouchers):
  Includes AP veterans Tim Keene and Rose Stephens. New team members are:
  
  • Brandy Gruner came to FMS from the School of Medicine.
    
  • Rachael Harris moved from FMS Records Management to the Invoice/DV team.
    
  • Maria Steenberger came to FMS from Milwaukee, WI.
  
  
• The Hourly Team (processes clean invoices):
  
  • Leann Debruicker, hourly invoice processor, was a preschool teacher previously.
  • Geoff Hobart, hourly invoice processor, came from an IU academic office.
• The Electronic Document Processing Team:
  
  • Cheryl Jeffers, veteran AP member
    
  • Stephanie Odaffer has been with AP since June 21st. She came to FMS after graduating from IU last May with a degree in Communications.
    
  • Megan Williams, part time, began 9/13/10. She is also currently an IU graduate student.
• The Records Management Team:
  
  • Bethany Phillips, AP veteran
    
  • Aaron Spelbring is a University Records Management Assistant as of June 30th. Aaron comes with extensive archivist experience having worked in Texas, Virginia, and all over the Midwest.
    

• Niraj Agarwal, Auxiliary Accounting Consultant, left FMS July 31st upon his acceptance in the MBA class of 2012 at the Kelley School of Business-Bloomington.
  
• Noelle Manitkul is the new full-time consultant for Auxiliary Accounting. Noelle has an MBA and comes with 5 years of work experience at IUPUI.
• Joy Maddox is a part-time consultant for Auxiliary Accounting. Joy is a CPA, worked for a local CPA firm, and is an IU Kelley School of Business grad. Both Noelle and Joy began Tuesday, September 7th.
  
• Martha Barnhill, Accounts Receiveable, retired on June 30th after more than 40 years with IU.

• Vickie Fry has transferred to the Tax Reporting area (see tax area below):
• Phil Voorheis is now the Student Loans Administration Manager.
• Ann King is our Student Loans Specialist.
• Lori Nunn is our Accounting Associate.
• Lisa Canada is our Junior Collector.

• Marci Becker left FMS after 6.5 years to accept a Systems Analyst/Programmer position with UITS on July 19th.
• Lora Headdy is the new TIME/Payroll Systems Manager assuming duties left by Marci Becker and Dean Barrett. Lora comes to FMS from UHRS where she was the Lead Project Analyst.
  
• Kristina Sparks started as the new HRMS/Tax Transaction Analyst on August 20th. She came from the FMS Tax Reporting area as the University Tax Manager.
  
• Shamim Ali joined the Customer Service team coming from the IU Psychology Dept. She replaced Pat Akers now on the A/P team.
  

• Vickie Fry was named the new University Tax Manager and comes back to the FMS Tax Reporting area after having served as Manager of Student Loan Administration for several years. Vickie assumed her new duties on September 7th. In addition to tax experience, Vickie brings systems and operations experience.
  
• Jake Luckett has started in tax project support with Susan Norrell. Jake worked in Customer Service during the Spring semester as a tax assistant. He is also an accounting major in the Kelley School of Business.