UF Bridges -- FAQs for Travel and Expense

Travel and Expense

Using the Travel and Expense Module

Setup/Configuration of Travel and Expense

Q. As a Department Security Administrator (DSA), do I need to request a role to everyone who travels?
Q. As a Department Security Administrator, when should I use the Access Request System to request security setup for the Travel and Expense module?
Q. How can I find out who can do travel and expense for others?
Q. How do I verify the Authorize Approver Setup for a DeptID?
Q. Which security roles have access to view Travel and Expense > Define Security > Authorize Approvers/Authorize Users?

Using the Travel and Expense Module

I cannot create Travel Authorizations / Expense Reports for other people in my department.
This problem has to do with Travel Originators not being associated with the Travelers that they're going to be creating workflow for. Although the UF_EX_ORIGINATOR role gives an individual the ability to create travel on behalf of another employee, it does not specify which employees they can create travel for. If an Originator is not associated with any travelers, the system will prompt them to create a TA / Expense Report in their name rather than allowing them to search for the UserID of the person they're creating it for.

In order to associate Originators with Travelers, the Department Security Administrator will need to go into the Financials Setup page in the Access Request System for each of the users that need to have Travel workflow created for them. Under the Travel and Expense tab, there is a section entitled People that can create Expense Reports for me that will allow them to associate the Traveler with the appropriate Originator. Your Department Security Administrator will need to make sure to add a new effective date every time they make changes to this part of the system. If a new effective date is not added, the Originators will not be associated with the Travelers and an error message will be received.

I cannot submit a Travel Authorization / Expense Report because I'm getting an error message saying that there are no approvers assigned to my department.
There are actually a couple of different issues that could be causing users to experience this problem, the most obvious being that there is not an approver setup. To resolve this, you simply need to fill out the Authorize Approvers form at the Bridges Web site and fax it in to the travel office. Another reason for this is that many departments are setup with sub-departments that do not have approvers assigned. For example, if DeptID 99990000 is setup with approvers it does not necessarily mean that DeptID 99991000 is setup. Again, this can be resolved by filling out the Approvers and faxing it in to the travel office.

I cannot approve a Travel Authorization or Expense Report because the Approve button never shows up.
This could be caused by a couple of different things. The first reason is because budget checking has not occurred. The budget checking process for travel workflow occurs twice a day, at noon and midnight, so you will need to wait until one of these processes has occurred before the approve button will show up.

The second has to do with the budget not being setup properly, or the wrong Chart Field information being used when the Travel Authorization / Expense Report was created. If this is the case, you will want to check with your local budget administrator to make sure that the chartfield values being used are correct.

If the chartfield values are correct and you still cannot see the Approve button, there may be a problem with the budget that has caused a budget exception error. Your budget administrator can view budget exception errors by navigating to Commitment Control > Review Budget Check Exceptions > Travel Authorization / Expense Sheet. If there were insufficient funds in the budget at the time that the travel transaction was created, you'll need to have the Approver for the transaction Deny and return it to the originator. The originator can then resubmit the transaction for approval.

I inadvertently submitted a Travel Authorization / Expense Report, and there was a mistake. How to I get it back to make changes or delete it?
If this happens, you will need to speak with the Approver for the Travel Authorization / Expense Report to have them Deny the transaction and then mark the checkbox on the approval page labeled Return to User. Once it has been denied and returned, you will then be able to make changes and re-submit it.

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How do I create a Travel Authorization / Expense Report for an individual that is not a UF Employee?
You'll first need to contact your Directory Coordinator and have them create a UFID in the UF directory for the person if necessary, and then contact the travel office to have them added to the Expenses system. Visit the myUFL toolkits page for additional information and instructions.

I cannot enter a Travel Authorization, even though my Department Security Administrator says that I'm setup in the Access Request System to do travel for that person.
If this is the case, you'll want to make sure that the person you're doing travel on behalf of is marked as an Active employee in the HR system. Users that are not currently marked as active (example: Faculty Members on leave for the summer) cannot have travel workflow created on their behalf. To determine if this is the problem, you'll want to contact your department's Human Resources administrator.

I get an error message that I've entered an 'Invalid Chart Field Combination' when I try to create a Travel Authorization / Expense Report that is sponsored by a grant.
The chartfield combinations required for travel funded by Sponsored Programs need to be entered in a specific sequence, in order to be recognized by PeopleSoft. Visit the myUFL toolkits page for additional information and instructions.

The city that I'm traveling to is not listed in PeopleSoft. How do I get it added to the system?
To get a city added to the system you will need to contact the UF Travel Office at 392-1245.

If you need to create a Travel Authorization right away and the location is not already in PeopleSoft, it is acceptable to use the nearest Metropolitan city as the location. For example, if you were traveling to Lake Mary, FL and the location was not already in PeopleSoft - it would be acceptable to use Orlando as the location. You'll want to keep in mind that this exception only applies to Travel Authorizations and not to Expense Reports.

You'll want to make absolutely certain that the location does not already exist before contacting the Help Desk.

I'm not sure what information I'm supposed to use for the 'Default Accounting for this Expense'. What should I use?
The best way to find out this information is to speak with your department's budget administrator to find out which accounts they want you to use. You can also retrieve this information using the MyUFL system, if you know the old Flair object codes. This is done by navigating to Bridges Transition > Flair Object Code Mapping, and entering in the object code.

The department approver for Travel is on vacation or out sick. How do I forward the approval for Travel Authorizations / Expense Reports to someone else?
In the event of unscheduled absences, the Travel Office can be contacted at (352) 392-1245 to reassign the work. You will need to provide them with the name and UFID of both the person whose workflow will be forwarded and the person to be receiving the workflow, along with the dates in which it will be forwarded.

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When I try and submit a Travel Authorization / Expense Report I get an error message that says 'cannot assign work to yourself'. What is the problem?
This particular error message is somewhat misleading. Although the error message would seem to indicate that there is some kind of problem with the assignment of work, it is actually related to the chartfields that are being used in the Default Accounting for this Expense section. If you're receiving this error, you'll want to check with your department's budget administrator to verify the chartfields that you're using. The most common reason for this error is people not entering in a value for the "Bud Ref" field. If the travel is funded by a grant, you'll want to make sure to follow the appropriate process for entering grant funded chartfield values.

I'm getting an error message that states 'you do not have access to this component' when I try to approve a Travel Authorization / Expense Report. Why is this?
This error means that although you are configured to approve travel in the Financials Setup, you do not have the security role in place to allow you to do so. To fix this, you'll want to speak with you Department Security Administrator and have them request the UF_EX_APPROVER role for you.

I'm creating a Travel Authorization / Expense Report and received an error message that says 'highlighted fields are required', but it doesn't show me any highlighted fields.
The reason for this is that a required field on an expense line item was not filled in. You'll want to go back through each line item that you have on the Travel Authorization / Expense Report and verify that you have all the required fields filled in. Most frequently, the Payment Type field on an expense line item is inadvertently being left blank.

How do I approve travel?
The Travel and Expenses for Approvers guide on the myUFL toolkits page will walk you through the process of approving travel.

How do I budget check travel transactions?
Budget checking is done automatically in a batch process. Travel Authorizations are done every night; Expense Reports are done at noon and midnight.

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What are the different levels of approval?
There is only one level of approval for all travel workflow. Although you can assign multiple approvers to a DeptID, each is required to approve or deny travel workflow. If there are multiple approvers setup each must approve the Travel Authorization, Cash Advance, or Expense for it to be given an "Approved" status. However, only one has to deny the travel transaction for it to have a "Denied" status.

How do I find locations?
The Finding Default Locations in Travel and Expenses guide on the myUFL toolkits page will walk you through the process of finding travel locations on the Bridges Web site.

Where can I find GSA rates?
Rates are available on-line for federal GSA rates for domestic or foreign travel rates.

Why can't PeopleSoft find a GSA rate for me?
Unfortunately, PeopleSoft cannot automatically look up the GSA rate associated with a specific location at this time. As of right now, this feature is planned for a future release.
What about time of departure and time of return?
Time of departure and time of return does still have an impact on how much a Traveler can collect for Meals reimbursement. The same rules apply as before, the only difference is the rate (allowance) amount. If you have any questions on how this works, you can call the travel office at 392-1245.

Where can I find the most up-to-date information on current Travel reimbursement policies? Can I still use the Travel Handbook?
Since the UF Travel handbook is currently under revision, we recommend that all questions regarding current travel policy be directed to the Travel Office at 392-1245.

Can I use SpeedCharts for Travel and Expense?
SpeedCharts are provided in many myUFL financial systems to simplify the completion of a department's required ChartField string(s). An instruction guide is available called “ Using SpeedCharts for ChartField Strings” on Visit the myUFL toolkits page.SpeedCharts are not available for Travel and Expense because, unlike other myUFL financial systems, users must regularly update their department, fund, and other applicable ChartFields.

For Travel and Expense, users should use the Default Accounting link on the General Information page of Travel Authorizations or Expense Reports to populate all lines of those transactions with the same ChartField distribution. This link will also work for split distributions should that be necessary. If you need to change every line, simply change the Default Accounting as was described in the training course, "Get Up and Go: Travel and Expense in myUFL."

Setup/Configuration of Travel and Expense

As a Department Security Administrator (DSA), do I need to request a role to everyone who travels?
It depends. All employees automatically have the UF_EX_Inquirer role, which provides the ability to view their travel and expense information in My Self Service. While a role does not need to be requested for them, the Department Security Administrator (DSA) will need to assign them an originator using the Access Request System.

For those who will be entering travel and expense on behalf of others, you should assign the role of UF_EX_Originator. For those faculty and staff who travel frequently and want to enter their own travel and expense, you should assign the role of UF_EX_Traveler. Training is required for the Originator and Traveler roles but not the self-service (Inquirer) role. The UF_EX_Approver is assigned by the UF Travel Office when you submit the Authorize Approver form.

As a Department Security Administrator, when should I use the Access Request System to request security setup for the Travel and Expense module?
You should use the Access Request System to request all Travel and Expense security roles (i.e., those begin with UF_EX) except for the UF_EX_INQUIRER role. The UF_EX_INQUIRER role is a self-service, universal role that is automatically assigned to all UF employees. The myUFL Menu navigation to request the security role is: Access Request System > Requests > Manage Request. In general, the individual will have permission to view and/or update the pages associate with the applicable security role within 24 hours.

You should also use the Access Request System to associate UF_EX_ORIGINATOR(s) to University travelers who are active UF employees in PeopleSoft. The menu navigation and steps to complete this setup is as follows:

Access Request System>Requests>Financial Setup - The system will display the Data Entry Default panel.
Insert a new Effective Date Row by clicking on the plus (+) key located to the right. - This will allow you to make necessary changes/updates to the required panel.
Click on the Travel & Expense tab.
Scroll down to the “People who can enter expense reports for me” Section.
To add a new value, simply click on the plus (+) key located on the right and enter the “User ID” of the UF_EX_ORIGINATOR.
To delete a value, simply click the minus (-) key also located on the right.

How can I find out who can do travel and expense for others?
Ex_Originators, Ex_Approvers, Ex_Analysts can use the following navigation to determine the Ex_Originators assigned to an individual. Navigation: Travel and Expenses >Define Security > Authorize User. You must enter the traveler's UFID in the EmplID field and the system will display a list of authorize users (Ex_Originators) who can prepare transactions for the traveler.

How do I verify the Authorize Approver Setup for a DeptID?
Menu navigation: Travel and Expense > Define Security > Authorize Approvers. The search page will appear. You must enter "UFLOR" in the GL Business Unit field, the 8-digit DeptID and click search. The system will display the Authorize Approver Setup for the specific DeptID.

Which security roles have access to view Travel and Expense > Define Security > Authorize Approvers/Authorize Users?
UF_Ex_Approver; UF_Ex_ Anaylst; UF_Ex_Originator. The reference security roles have display only capability. If no matching value message is received when searching for a value, then you must apply the appropriate procedures to request add of a new value.

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