eDog Online User Guide

General Ledger Web Applications
Online User Guide

Table of Contents
Last Updated: March 10, 2004
To go to a specific section of this guide,
simply click on an underlined link.

Introduction
Purpose of General Ledger Web Applications (GL Web Apps)
    Features and Benefits
    What’s Available and When
    What’s Not Available

Hardware and Software Requirements
Necessary Hardware
Supported Software

Getting into the System
    Logging In
        Accessing the Data
        VUnet ID Information
        E-Password Information
        Changing Your E-Password
    Logging Out

Monthly Accounting Reports - View or Print
    Entering Selection Critera
        Center
        Fiscal Year
        Report Period
        Available Reports
        Submit
        Printing Reports
        Saving Reports
    Resetting Selection Criteria
    Questions

Monthly Summary Data - View or Download
    Entering Selection Criteria
        Center
        Fiscal Year
        Report Period
        Data Template
        View or Download
        Select Columns to Display
        Additional Selection Criteria
        Submit
    Drilling Down to Transaction Detail When Viewing Data in the Web Browser
        Low-Level Centers
        Sumto Centers
    Resetting Selection Criteria
    Questions

Detailed Transaction Data - View or Download
    Entering Selection Criteria
        Center
        Fiscal Year
        Report Period
        Data Template
        View or Download
        Select Columns to Display
        Additional Selection Criteria
        Submit
    Resetting Selection Criteria
    Questions

Online Signoff of GL Transactions
    Entering Selection Criteria
        Center
        Fiscal Year
        Report Period
        Approver
        Approval Status
        Submit
    Resetting Selection Criteria
    Certifying Your Review
    Confirming the Certification of Your Review
    Questions

Security Access - Privilege Management

Performance Tips
    Download Time
    Horizontal Scroll Bars
    Timeouts
    Users with Access to Large Numbers of Centers

Glossary of Terms

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Introduction

Purpose of General Ledger
The purpose of the General Ledger Web Applications is to allow multiple users to access general ledger data easier and faster.

Features and Benefits
- View and print monthly accounting reports for periods starting September 2000
- View and print the encumbrance report for periods starting January 2003
- View, download, and print account balance information as well as transaction detail
- Obtain prior months’ balance and transaction data anytime for periods starting July 1999
- Obtain current period account balance information and transactions that have posted to the general ledger
- Perform transactions research online using views and drilldowns
- Select only the fields you want for downloads
- Signoff on your review of your centers by report period and fiscal year
- Access for multiple users to the same general ledger data
- Available on or off campus approximately 20 hours a day, 7 days a week. (Note: The application is typically unavailable each night from approximately 9:00 p.m. until 1:00 a.m. for daily processing.)

What's Available and When
Following is a description of each menu item in eDog, along with its typical time of update. Please note that the eDog application is typically unavailable each night from approximately 9:00 p.m. until 1:00 a.m. for daily processing.

Monthly Accounting Reports – You can view or print copies of monthly accounting reports that are currently generated for particular centers. For information on which reports are available, please click here. The majority of these reports are available online from September 2000 forward. Others, such as the MD092--Report of Prior Period Transactions and the VUP0200--Encumbrance Report, are available from January 2003 forward. Monthly Accounting Reports are updated each month within 36 hours of month-end close, which is at the end of the 4th business day of each month.

Monthly Summary Data – You can view or download monthly summary data. You can view raw data or data that is formatted in a report template, and you can download the data to Excel or to a comma-delimited text file. You can also drilldown on actual expenditure totals to obtain lists of transactions that comprise those totals. This data is available online from July 1999 forward. Monthly Summary Data is updated nightly from approximately 9:00 p.m. until 1:00 a.m.

Detailed Transaction Data – You can view or download detailed transaction data. You can view raw data or data that is formatted in a report template. You can also download the data to Excel or to a comma-delimited text file. This data is available online from July 1999 forward. Detailed Transaction Data is updated nightly from approximately 9:00 p.m. until 1:00 a.m.

Online Signoff of GL Transactions – If you have the eDog Trans Approver role assignment, you can certify that transactions have been recorded properly in the appropriate center. Specifically, you can access the signoff log and use it to approve transactions by center for a specific report period and fiscal year. You can also use different search criteria to change the results shown in the signoff log. This feature is available from January 2004 forward.

Security Access (Privilege Management) – This tab links you to the login page for Privilege Management, a web application dedicated solely to security access management. With Privilege Management, you can view the list of centers that you are authorized to access. You can perform a search on this list using center, VUnet ID, employee name, or employee ID as the search criterion. You can view each center number, center responsible person, and center name, along with the list of VUnet ID´s and corresponding employee names that have access to each particular center. You can also view the roll-up structure of the centers to which you have access (i.e. which low-level centers roll-up to which sumto centers).

What's Not Available
- Ability to run excessively large queries and downloads
- Selected monthly accounting reports (click here to view the list of available reports)
- Other data and reports that are normally distributed with paper monthly accounting reports
(telecommunications, work order, revenue & usage, and student accounts receivable)

Hardware and Software Requirements

Necessary Hardware
The system will work on a PC or Macintosh capable of running an Internet browser.

Supported Software
- For best results:

1. Windows 95 or above is recommended for PC users, and Mac OS Version 8.6 or above is recommended for Macintosh users.

2. The system will run on Netscape Navigator and Netscape Communicator 4.7 or above; however, Netscape 7.0 or above is recommended.

3. Internet Explorer 6.0.2800 or above is recommended as the web browser for all General Ledger Web Applications (especially for viewing and printing "Monthly Accounting Reports"); versions of Internet Explorer below 5.0 are not supported. The latest version of Internet Explorer can be downloaded through the Microsoft home page.

The system support staff will evaluate and upgrade the General Ledger Web Applications as new web browser versions are released by Netscape and Microsoft; however, users should expect a reasonable time lag between the release of new web browser software and the necessary changes to the General Ledger Web Applications system.

Getting into the System

Logging In
To log into the system, go to the Vanderbilt E-Business Home Page (www.vanderbilt.edu/ebiz). From there, click on “eDog”. A VUnet ID and e-password are required.

Accessing the Data
In order for an individual to access this data, written communication must be sent to the appropriate financial office from the center-responsible person, the business officer in the department, the department chair, or some other individual that would logically have authority to grant this access. For further details, please click here to open the "eDog Access Instructions" document.

VUnet ID Information
VUnet ID is the means for Vanderbilt users to identify themselves to certain services on VUnet, the campus data network. You will have the same VUnet ID for as long as you remain a student or employee of Vanderbilt. If you do not already have a VUnet ID, you may obtain it through the process for obtaining an e-password (see below).

E-Password Information
The e-password ("enhanced password") is the latest, most secure way of identifying yourself to online services at Vanderbilt. It was designed to balance the desire for online access to information and services with the need to keep data safe from unauthorized access. Enhanced security requirements of e-password help ensure that only you have access to your information and services. If you do not have an e-password, please click here.

Changing Your E-Password
It is recommended that you update your e-password frequently in order to maintain the highest level of security. As the e-password system matures, some mandatory updating requirements may be implemented in coordination with other applications.

Logging Out
To maintain the highest level of security, it is very important to log out after you have finished using the GL Web Apps. You can logout by clicking the "Logout" button at the top of most screens or you can simply exit your browser.

Monthly Accounting Reports - View or Print
This option will provide you with the ability to view or print copies of monthly accounting reports, including the encumbrance report.

Entering Selection Criteria

Center
You can choose whether you would like to view reports for the low-level centers (centers with ten digits) or the sumto centers (centers with six or fewer characters) to which you have access; simply click on the corresponding radio button.

Under the center list box, you can choose whether you want to view only your active centers, only your inactive centers, or all of your centers. You can do this by selecting the appropriate radio button.

Active Centers include:
- All centers with transactional activity in the most recently closed month
- All centers with summary account balances (current month or YTD actual amounts only) as of the most recently closed month

Inactive Centers include:
- All centers with no transactional activity AND no summary account balances (current month or YTD actual amounts only) as of the
most recently closed month

All Centers include both active and inactive centers.

Once you have chosen the types of centers you would like to view, scroll through the list of centers until you find the applicable center number(s). You can choose a single center or multiple centers, depending upon the number of report selections you make within the available reports list box. If you select a single report, you may select multiple centers (up to 2500). If you select multiple reports, you may only select a single center. The center list box consists of helpful identifying information including (from left to right) center number, center name, center-responsible person, and center status (open or closed).

Open centers are currently used by departments to record financial transactions. Closed centers are not currently used by departments and have been officially frozen in the general ledger system by the Department of Finance, the Office of Financial Affairs, or the Office of Contract & Grant Accounting. (Please note that all accounts within a center must be closed individually to prevent transactions from posting to the center; however, accounts are occasionally re-opened to permit transactions to post.) If you have questions about the status of a particular center, please call the appropriate financial office.

To select one particular center, click on that center to highlight your choice. To select multiple consecutive centers, hold down the SHIFT key while you choose centers with your mouse. To select multiple non-consecutive centers, hold down the CTRL key while you choose centers with your mouse.

Fiscal Year
Using the drop-down menu, select the fiscal year you are interested in viewing. Fiscal year "July 2000 – June 2001" is the first fiscal year available.

Report Period
Select the month you are interested in viewing by clicking the radio button to the left of the name. You can only choose one month at a time. Please note that monthly accounting reports are not available for months prior to September 2000.

Available Reports
You can choose a single report or multiple reports, depending upon the number of center selections you make within the center list box. If you select a single center, you may select multiple reports. If you select multiple centers, you may only select a single report. The available reports list box consists of helpful identifying information including the report number and report name. Click here to view the list of report descriptions. To select all of the reports within the available reports list box, simply click on the "All Reports" button that is displayed above and to the right of the available reports list box. Please note that if you click on the "All Reports" button, you may only select a single center.

To select one particular report, click on that report to highlight your choice. To select multiple consecutive reports, hold down the SHIFT key while you choose reports with your mouse. To select multiple non-consecutive reports, hold down the CTRL key while you choose reports with your mouse.

Submit
Once you have completed your selections, please click the "Submit" button. The report (s) for the center (s) that you selected will be displayed in the word processing program that you have installed on your computer. If you selected a report/center/fiscal year/report period combination for which no report files were generated, you will receive notification in a list format within your word processing program. The report (s) you will see on the screen are identical to the report (s) that the general ledger system generates. Only transactions that have an effective date in the month selected and that were posted prior to the 5th business day of the next month, will appear in the current month activity on the reports. Year-to-date actual amounts include all activity with an effective date on or before the month selected.

Printing Reports
You can print the report (s) displayed on the screen as you would print any other document within your word processing program.

Saving Reports
You can save report(s) displayed on the screen as you would save any other document within your word processing program.

Resetting Selection Criteria
In the upper right and the lower right hand corners of the screen, you will find a "Reset" button. Click this button if you would like to clear all of the current selections on the screen.

Questions
If you have questions, please contact the appropriate person or financial office:
        Hospital & Clinic - Charlotte Frey (3-5314 or charlotte.frey@vanderbilt.edu)
        Medical Center Other & Auxiliaries - Alison Williams (2-2752 or alison.williams@vanderbilt.edu)
        School of Nursing - Marianne Whitaker (2-2180 or marianne.whitaker@vanderbilt.edu)
        School of Medicine -
                        Jane Zubulake (3-3444 or jane.zubulake@vanderbilt.edu) or
                        Kate Gibson (2-8859 or kathryn.s.gibson@vanderbilt.edu)
        School of Medicine/Nursing Grants, Gifts, and Contracts –
                        Paula Yarbrough (2-2794 or paula.yarbrough@vanderbilt.edu) or
                        Steve Todd (2-3002 or steve.todd@vanderbilt.edu)
        Vanderbilt Health Services - Tommy Hollinden (3-1474 or thomas.hollinden@vanderbilt.edu)
        Office of Financial Affairs - (3-6601 or accounting@vanderbilt.edu)
        Office of Contract & Grant Accounting (3-6655)

Monthly Summary Data - View or Download
This option will provide you with the ability to view or download monthly summary data.

Entering Selection Criteria

Center
You can choose whether you would like to view or download data for the low-level centers (centers with ten digits) or the sumto centers (centers with six or fewer characters) to which you have access; simply click on the corresponding radio button. If you request monthly summary data for a high-level sumto center (with hundreds or thousands of sumto centers and low-level centers below it), you may encounter system limitations that will not provide the data. However, if any of the available monthly accounting reports were created for the high-level sumto center, then you can access those reports through the "Monthly Accounting Reports" option on the menu.

Inactive Centers include:
- All centers with no transactional activity AND no summary account balances (current month or YTD actual amounts only) as of the
most recently closed monthÂ

All Centers include both active and inactive centers.

Once you have chosen the types of centers you would like to view, scroll through the list of centers until you find the applicable center number(s). The center list box consists of helpful identifying information including (from left to right) center number, center name, center-responsible person, and center status (open or closed).

Open centers are currently used by departments to record financial transactions. Closed centers are not currently used by departments and have been officially frozen in the general ledger system by the Department of Finance, the Office of Financial Affairs, or the Office of Contract & Grant Accounting. (Please note that all accounts within a center must be closed individually to prevent transactions from posting to the center; however, accounts are occasionally re-opened to permit transactions to post.) If you have questions about the status of a particular center, please call the appropriate financial office.

To select one particular center, click on that center to highlight your choice. To select multiple consecutive centers, hold down the SHIFT key while you choose centers with your mouse. To select multiple non-consecutive centers, hold down the CTRL key while you choose centers with your mouse.

Fiscal Year
Using the drop-down menu, select the fiscal year from which you wish to obtain data. Fiscal year July 1999 – June 2000 is the first fiscal year available.

Report Period
Select the month(s) you are interested in viewing by clicking the check box(es) to the left of the name(s). You may choose more than one month at a time; however, if you select non-consecutive months, YTD amounts will include all prior months up to and including the most recent month selected. (If you select a month in progress, you will see the most recent information available for transactions that posted through the previous day.Â In other words, Actual, Budget Original, Budget Revised, and Project amounts are updated daily.Â However, the encumbrance amount updates on a monthly basis, as is the current process in the general ledger system.Â If you select a future month, you will see the appropriate budget data, zeroes for current month actual amounts, and YTD actual amounts through the most recent month available.)

Data Template
Using the drop-down list box, select the format in which you would like to view or download the data. If you choose a particular data template, you will receive the data organized in the same manner as the report that is equivalent to the data template. (Please note that data templates, though they contain the same information, are NOT identical to the paper reports that are available in the Monthly Accounting Reports menu item.) In addition, if you choose a particular data template, you may select only one center and one report period when viewing or downloading data. If you choose "None (Rows of Raw Data)," you can view or download multiple centers and/or multiple report periods; you can also choose the columns you wish to display under "Select Columns to Display," and you can specify "Additional Selection Criteria," both of which are located at the bottom of the web page.

Select Columns to Display
If you chose "None (Rows of Raw Data)" for "Data Template," you can select which columns you would like to have in the data you obtain. By default, all of the columns are selected. Definitions of the column headings are listed below.

Definitions of Columns

Center Number – An alphanumeric field with ten or fewer characters that is assigned to a particular department or project.

Center Name – An alphanumeric field that identifies a particular department or project. For grants, it is usually the grant number assigned by the funding agency.

Center Description – An extended version of the "Center Name."

Fiscal Year – The twelve month reporting period in which the data is recorded. Vanderbilt is on a July 1 - June 30 fiscal year.

Report Period – The specific month within a fiscal year.

Account Number – Five-digit numeric field into which financial transactions are recorded.

Account Name – An alphanumeric field that describes the type of financial transactions recorded in the corresponding account number.

Current Month Actual – The balance of a specific account for a specified report period (month). The "Current Month Actual" amount will equal the sum of transactions in the specified report period (month) for revenue and expenses accounts (34000 and above). The "Current Month Actual" amount will equal the month-end balance for asset and liability accounts (10000 to 33100).

Current Month Budget – The original budget balance approved at the beginning of the fiscal year for a specified report period (month). (Generally, the Medical Center records monthly "Current Month Budget" amounts while other areas record the entire "Annual Budget Amount" in the first reporting period, and in that case, the other monthly "Current Month Budget" amounts for report periods 2-12 will appear as zeroes and this column will be of no use.)

YTD Actual Amt – Total amount of the transactions for the fiscal year to date. Note that the YTD Actual Amount for asset and liability accounts (10000 to 33100) will appear as zero. The drilldown from asset and liability accounts will reveal the month-to-month changes in the balances of those accounts, if any. If there were no transactions or balance activity in the YTD Actual Amount, the drilldown will return a message saying that "No data matches the criteria you selected."

YTD Budget Amt – The sum of original "Current Month Budget" amounts from July through the report period requested. (Generally, the Medical Center records monthly "Current Month Budget" amounts while other areas record the entire "Annual Budget Amount" in the first reporting period, and in that case, all "YTD Budget Amounts" will be equal to the "Annual Budget Amount" and this column will be of no use.)

Annual Budget Amount – The sum of original "Current Month Budget" amounts for an entire fiscal year (July through June).

Current Month Revised Budget – The current budget amount for a specified report period that may differ from the original "Current Month Budget" amount due to revisions made since the beginning of the fiscal year. (Generally, the Medical Center records monthly "Current Month Revised Budget" amounts while other areas record the entire "Annual Revised Budget Amount" in the first reporting period, and in that case, the other monthly "Current Month Revised Budget" amounts for report periods 2-12 will appear as zeroes and this column will be of no use.)

YTD Revised Budget Amt – The sum of "Current Month Revised Budget" amounts from July through the report period requested. (Generally, the Medical Center records monthly "Current Month Revised Budget" amounts while other areas record the entire "Annual Revised Budget Amount" in the first reporting period, and in that case, all "YTD Revised Budget Amounts" will be equal to the "Annual Revised Budget Amount" and this column will be of no use.)

Annual Revised Budget Amt – The sum of "Current Month Revised Budget" amounts for an entire fiscal year (July through June). It may differ from the original "Annual Budget Amount" due to revisions made since the beginning of the fiscal year.

Project Amt – The balance for a project at the end of the last fiscal year, which has accrued since the inception of the particular project. It is frequently used for grants and other restricted centers.

YTD Project Amt – Project-to-date amount. The balance for a project, which has accrued since the beginning of the project. It includes both prior and current fiscal year data, and it is frequently used for grants and other restricted centers.

Encumbrance Amt – The amount for which purchase orders are outstanding (unpaid). Please note that encumbrance amounts are not available for months prior to June 2000.

Additional Selection Criteria
If you chose "None (Rows of Raw Data)" for "Data Template," you can specify additional criteria for the "YTD Actual Amount," the "Actual Amount," the "Account," and an "Account Range." To do so, choose the qualifier you wish to use from the appropriate dropdown menu and then type your criteria in the adjacent box. For example, to specify all accounts greater than 60000, select "Greater than" in the dropdown menu next to the word "Account" and then type 60000 in the adjacent box. If you specify selection criteria for more than one field, the system will obtain data that meets ALL of your specifications.

Please note that you can specify additional search criteria for a specific account or for an account range, but not for both.

Submit
Once you have completed your selections, please click the "Submit" button to go to the data.

Drilling Down When Viewing Data in the Web Browser

Low-Level Centers
If you chose "View in Web Browser," you can click on a Current Month or YTD Actual Amount to obtain a list of the detailed transactions that comprise that number. (You cannot drill down on subtotals and totals.)

Sumto Centers
If you chose "View in Web Browser," you can click on an account number to view the center totals that comprise the data for that account in the sumto center. These center totals are for centers that directly roll-up to the particular sumto center, which may include both sumto and low-level centers.

Resetting Selection Criteria
In the upper right and the lower right hand corners of the screen, you will find a "Reset" button. Click this button if you would like to clear all of the current selections on the screen.

Detailed Transaction Data - View or Download
This option will provide you with the ability to view or download detailed transactions for low-level centers.

Entering Selection Criteria

Center
Under the center list box, you can choose whether you want to view only your active centers, only your inactive centers, or all of your centers. You can do this by selecting the appropriate radio button.

Active Centers include:
- All centers with transactional activity in the most recently closed month
- All centers with summary account balances (current month or YTD actual amounts only) as of the most recently closed month

Inactive Centers include:
- All centers with no transactional activity AND no summary account balances (current month or YTD actual amounts only) as of the
most recently closed month

All Centers include both active and inactive centers.

Once you have chosen the types of centers you would like to view, scroll through the list of centers until you find the applicable center numbers(s). The center list box consists of helpful identifying information including (from left to right) center number, center name, center-responsible person, and center status (open or closed).

Open centers are currently used by departments to record financial transactions. Closed centers are not currently used by departments and have been officially frozen in the general ledger system by the Department of Finance, the Office of Financial Affairs, or the Office of Contract & Grant Accounting. (Please note that all accounts within a center must be closed individually to prevent transactions from posting to the center; however, accounts are occasionally re-opened to permit transactions to post.) If you have questions about the status of a particular center, please call the appropriate financial office.

To select one particular center, click on that center to highlight your choice. To select multiple consecutive centers, hold down the SHIFT key while you choose centers with your mouse. To select multiple non-consecutive centers, hold down the CTRL key while you choose centers with your mouse.

Fiscal Year
Using the dropdown menu, select the fiscal year from which you wish to obtain data. Fiscal year July 1999 - June 2000 is the first fiscal year available.

Report Period
Select the period(s) you are interested in viewing by clicking the check box(es) to the left of the name(s). You may choose more than one month at a time. "Current Open Period" is the month in progress that has not yet closed in the general ledger system. All transactions that have posted since the last month-end close, including those with effective dates in other months (prior period adjustments and retro entries), will appear in the "Current Open Period." At the same time, prior period adjustments and retro entries will appear in the appropriate month based on their effective dates. You may choose more than one month at a time unless "Current Open Period" is selected. If "Current Open Period" is selected, you may not choose any additional months.

Data Template
Using the drop-down list box, select the format in which you would like to view or download the data. If you choose "Report of Transactions," you will receive the data organized in the same manner as that report. In addition, if you choose "Report of Transactions," you may select only one center and one closed report period (not "Current Open Period") when viewing or downloading data. If you choose "None (Rows of Raw Data)," you can view or download multiple centers and/or multiple report periods; you can also choose the fields you wish to display under "Select Columns to Display," and you can specify "Additional Selection Criteria," both of which are located at the bottom of the web page.

View or Download
Using the radio buttons, you can choose among viewing the data in your web browser, downloading the data into Excel, or downloading the data into a comma-delimited text file. However, if you are using a Macintosh computer, you may experience difficulties if you try to "Download to Excel."

Select Columns to Display
If you chose "None (Rows of Raw Data)" for "Data Template," you can select which columns you would like to have in the data you obtain. By default, the selected columns are the fields that normally appear on the Report of Transactions (MD091). Definitions of the column headings are listed below.

Definitions of Columns

Center Number – An alphanumeric field with ten or fewer characters that is assigned to a particular department or project.

Center Name – An alphanumeric field that identifies a particular department or project. For grants, it is usually the grant number assigned by the funding agency.

Center Description – An extended version of the "Center Name."

Account Number – Five-digit numeric field into which financial transactions are recorded.

Account Name – An alphanumeric field that describes the type of financial transactions recorded in the corresponding account number.

Effective Date – The date that the transaction will be represented in the general ledger system.

Posted Journal Amount – The amount of the specific transaction.

Fiscal Year – The twelve month reporting period in which the data is recorded. Vanderbilt is on a July 1 - June 30 fiscal year.

Report Period – The specific month within a fiscal year.

Posted Journal Status – The field that indicates the type of posting: (O) on-line, (B) batch.

Journal ID – A five digit alphanumeric field which identifies the source of a specific transaction. Click here for list of journal entry identifier numbers.

Journal Sequence Number – A system generated number assigned when a journal entry is entered into the general ledger system.

Journal Trans Code – Indicates the type of journal entry: (P) prior period (current year); (C) current period; (R) retroactive(prior year); (A) accrual (current period only); (B) accrual reversal.

Debit/Credit Code – The D/C indicates whether the transaction is a debit or credit. If the transaction is a credit, the transaction amount will contain a negative sign (-).

Trans Description – A brief description of the transaction that often includes an individual name, a vendor, or a short phrase describing the transaction.

Expanded Trans Descr – Information describing the transaction (in addition to the "Trans Description").

Journal Source – The name of the person creating the transaction or the name of the system processing the transaction into the general ledger system.

Journal Posted Date – The date that the transaction is posted to the general ledger system.

Journal Type – Indicates whether the transaction being processed uses an account number that is real (R) or statistical (S).

Sub-Ledger ID – A single-character field that indicates the type of sub-ledger used. It may be (R) Accounts Receivable, (W) Work Order, or (P) Patent.

Sub-Ledger Account – An assigned number in the sub-ledger system. Accounts Receivable often uses an employee assigned number or a social security number for students. The Work Order system uses the work order number and the Patent system uses the year and patent number.

Additional Selection Criteria
If you chose "None (Rows of Raw Data)" for "Data Template," you can specify additional selection criteria for the "Journal ID," the "Posted Journal Amount," the "Effective Date," the "Account," and an "Account Range." To do so, choose the qualifier you wish to use from the appropriate dropdown menu and then type your criteria in the adjacent box(es). For example, to specify all accounts greater than 60000, select "Greater than" in the dropdown menu next to the word "Account" and then type 60000 in the adjacent box. If you specify selection criteria for more than one field, the system will obtain data that meets ALL of your specifications.

Please note that you can specify additional search criteria for a specific account or for an account range, but not for both.

Submit
Once you have completed your selections, please click the "Submit" button to go to the data.



Resetting Selection Criteria
In the upper right and the lower right hand corners of the screen, you will find a "Reset" button. Click this button if you would like to clear all of the current selections on the screen.

Online Signoff of GL Transactions
If you have the eDog Trans Approver role, this option will provide you with the ability to certify your review of a center’s transactions for a specific report period and fiscal year.Â

Entering Selection Criteria
The selection criteria you specify on the first screen will determine what is displayed on the second screen, which is the signoff log.

Center
Scroll through the list of centers until you find the center number(s) for which you want to certify your review or view approval status. In order for a center to appear in the list box it must meet the following criteria: (1) you must have an eDog Trans Approver role assignment on the center AND (2) the center must have had transactions post to it from the time the eDog Trans Approver role assignment was made.Â The center list box consists of helpful identifying information including (from left to right) center number, center name, center-responsible person, and center status (open or closed).

There are three ways you can filter the centers displayed in the center list box:

#1 – Filter by Center Type: You can choose whether you would like to view the center list box populated with low-level centers (centers with ten digits) or the sumto centers (centers with six or fewer characters) to which you have access; simply click on the corresponding radio button.Â If you select a sumto center, the signoff log will be populated with all of the low-level centers that roll-up to the sumto and that have had transactions post to them.

#2 – Filter by Center or Center Name: You can search for a range of centers or a specific center by “Center” or “Center Name,” using the qualifier “Equals,” “Begins with,” “Contains,” or “Greater than.”Â You would make your selections from the first two dropdown boxes and enter the appropriate search criteria in the third box, then click Search.

#3 – Filter by Role: Some users have security authorization to view general ledger reports and data for more centers than they can actually sign off on.Â By default, the center list box displays the centers where you have the eDog Trans Approver role.Â If you deselect the checkbox and click Search, the center list box will be populated with centers where you have the eDog Viewer role without the eDog Trans Approver role.

Fiscal Year
Using the list box, select the fiscal year for which you wish to signoff on your center(s). Fiscal year July 2003 - June 2004 is the first fiscal year available. All available fiscal years are selected by default.

Report Period
Select the report period(s) for which you want to signoff on your centers by clicking the check box(es) to the left of the name(s). All months are selected by default.

Approver
Use the Approver filter to search for a specific person who has signed off on the centers you selected in your center list box.Â You can search by “VUnet ID” or “VUnet ID Name” using the qualifier “Equals,” “Begins with,” “Contains,” or “Greater than.”

Approval Status
Use the Approval Status dropdown box to view center/report period/fiscal year combinations that are Unapproved, Approved, or All (both Unapproved and Approved).Â By default, Unapproved is selected so that the signoff log will be populated with all center/report period/fiscal year combinations that are pending your approval.

Submit
Once you have completed your selections, please click the "Submit" button to go to the signoff log.

Resetting Selection Criteria
In the lower right hand corner of the screen, you will find a "Reset" button. Click this button if you would like to clear all of the current selections on the screen.

Certifying Your Review
On the signoff log page, you have the capability to select the center/report period/fiscal year combinations for which you want to certify your review.Â To do so, first review the certification statement displayed at the top of the page.Â This policy statement outlines departmental financial responsibilities and states that you (or a member of your staff) have reconciled the MD091 and MD092 (if applicable) to the appropriate source documents and initiated any follow-up necessary to rectify discrepancies.Â

Next, to certify that you have performed your departmental financial responsibilities relating to the review of the transactions for a specific center/report period/fiscal year, click the checkbox associated with it.Â

Then, click Submit.

Confirming the Certification of Your Review
Once you click Submit on the signoff log page, you are brought to the Confirmation Page.Â Here, you have another opportunity to read the certification statement and confirm that you do indeed want to certify your review of the center(s)/report period(s)/fiscal year(s) that you specified on the prior page.Â To officially certify your review of the records you selected on the signoff log, you would click Approve.Â Once you click Approve, eDog would record your signoff.Â Once this action is taken, it is not possible to change the approval status from Approved to Unapproved.Â

If you are unsure and want to perform further analysis on any transactions in question, you would click Cancel.

Security Access - Privilege Management

Choose this option to view in Privilege Management the list of centers and sumto centers that you are authorized to access. Privilege Management is a web application dedicated solely to security access management that allows you to search, view, and export eDog security role assignments.

For further information on the Privilege Management application, please click here for the Privilege Management User Guide.

Performance Tips

Download Time
A "large" download will take longer. The definition of "large" varies but can be thought of as any download for multiple centers and/or multiple report periods. If you attempt to download large amounts of data, you may receive a server error (timeout) if the web server can’t get the data from the database in the allotted time. Thus, for download purposes, select only the information that you need. In addition, large numbers of users on the system at one time (i.e. immediately following month-end close) may increase download time.

General Ledger Web Apps is NOT intended to replace large volume/wholesale downloads of monthly transactional information from the general ledger system. Such usage will negatively impact system performance for all users. Wholesale, large volume downloads into shadow systems should still be done from the general ledger system. Additionally, an application governor exists that will automatically terminate any single download request that exceeds a preset amount of time.

Horizontal Scroll Bars
If you have to scroll horizontally across any screen to view all of the selections, you can alter the screen resolution by changing your screen settings on the desktop or you can reduce the font size in your web browser. (To change the font size in Internet Explorer, select "View" on the menu bar and then select "Text Size.")

Timeouts
If you allow your browser to remain on the same web page with no activity (within GL Web Apps) for more than 30 minutes, the application will terminate your session and you will have to login again.

Users With Access to Large Numbers of Centers
Users with access to more than 2,500 centers will be prompted to narrow their selection to (a) centers containing the same first 3 numbers, i.e. centers that "Begin with xxx" or (b) center "Equals xxxxxxxxxx." Such users should be aware that loading time may be slightly impaired due to the large volume of information to which they have access. Narrowing the selection to be as specific as possible will enhance performance.

Glossary of Terms

Account Name – An alphanumeric field that describes the type of financial transactions recorded in the corresponding account number.

Account Number – Five-digit numeric field into which financial transactions are recorded.

Active Centers – A center is classified as "active" if it has transactional activity in the most recent month available OR summary account balances (current month or YTD actual amounts only) as of the most recently closed month.

Annual Budget Amount – The sum of original "Current Month Budget" amounts for an entire fiscal year (July through June).

Budget Percentage of Expenditures and Encumbrances (% Exp and Enc) – The amount is calculated by adding the "YTD Actual Amount" and the "Encumbrances" and then dividing by the "Annual Revised Budget Amount."

Center Description – An extended version of the "Center Name."

Center Name – An alphanumeric field that identifies a particular department or project. For grants, it is usually the grant number assigned by the funding agency.

Center Number – An alphanumeric field with ten or fewer characters that is assigned to a particular department or project.

Closed Centers – Centers that are not currently used by departments and have been officially frozen in the general ledger system by the Department of Finance, the Office of Accounting, or the Office of Contract & Grant Accounting. (Please note that all accounts within a center must be closed individually to prevent transactions from posting to the center; however, accounts are occasionally re-opened to permit transactions to post.) If you have questions about the status of a particular center, please call the appropriate financial office.

Current Month Revised Budget – The current budget amount for a specified report period that may differ from the original "Current Month Budget" amount due to revisions made since the beginning of the fiscal year. (Generally, the Medical Center records monthly "Current Month Revised Budget" amounts while other areas record the entire "Annual Revised Budget Amount" in the first reporting period, and in that case, the other monthly "Current Month Revised Budget" amounts for report periods 2-12 will appear as zeroes and this column will be of no use.)

Current Open Period – The month in progress that has not yet closed in the general ledger system. All transactions that have posted since the last month-end close, including those with effective dates in other months (prior period adjustments and retro entries), will appear in the "Current Open Period." After the month reflected in the "Current Open Period," transactions will appear in the appropriate month based on their effective dates.

Debit/Credit Code – The D/C indicates whether the transaction is a debit or credit. If the transaction is a credit, the transaction amount will be followed with a negative sign (-).

eDog – The common name for the General Ledger Web Applications (GL Web Apps). It is a combination of an initialism and an acronym that is derived from Electronic Distribution of General Ledger Data.

eDog Trans Approver – The eDog role which enables the user to certify his/her review of the transactions that posted to his/her center for a specific report period and fiscal year.

eDog Viewer – The eDog role which enables the user to view general ledger reports and data for his/her centers.

Effective Date – The date that the transaction will be represented in the general ledger system.

Encumbrance Amt – The amount for which purchase orders are outstanding (unpaid). Please note that encumbrance amounts are not available for months prior to June 2000.

E-Password – "Enhanced Password." It is the latest, most secure way of identifying yourself to online services at Vanderbilt. Enhanced security requirements of e-password help ensure that only you have access to your information and services. For more information about e-passwords, please click here.

Expanded Trans Descr – Information describing the transaction (in addition to the "Trans Description").

Fiscal Year – The twelve month reporting period in which the data is recorded. Vanderbilt is on a July 1 - June 30 fiscal year.

Inactive Centers – A center is classified as "inactive" if it has no transactional activity in the most recent month available AND no summary account balances (current month or YTD actual amounts only) as of the most recently closed month.

Journal ID – A five digit alphanumeric field which identifies the source of a specific transaction. Click here for the list of journal entry identifier numbers.

Journal Posted Date – The date that the transaction is posted to the general ledger system.

Journal Sequence Number – A system generated number assigned when a journal entry is entered into the general ledger system.

Journal Source – The name of the person creating the transaction or the name of the system processing the transaction into the general ledger system.

Journal Trans Code – Indicates the type of journal entry: (P) prior period (current year); (C) current period; (R) retroactive(prior year); (A) accrual (current period only); (B) accrual reversal.

Journal Type – Indicates whether the transaction being processed uses an account number that is real (R) or statistical (S).

Low-Level Center – Ten-digit numeric field assigned to a particular department or project.

Most Recently Closed Month – The last month that has been closed in the general ledger system and uploaded into the General Ledger Web Applications. It is updated by the 7th business day of each month.

Open Centers – Centers that are currently used by departments to record financial transactions and have not been officially frozen in the general ledger system by the Department of Finance, the Office of Financial Affairs, or the Office of Contract & Grant Accounting.

Original Budget – Appears only on paper reports and is the same as "Annual Budget Amount."

Posted Journal Amount – The amount of the specific transaction.

Posted Journal Status – The field that indicates the type of posting: (O) on-line, (B) batch.

Report Period – The specific month within a fiscal year.

Revenue/Expended Current Month – Same as "Actual Amount."

Revenue/Expended Year-to-Date – Same as "YTD Actual Amount."

Revised Budget – Appears only on paper reports and is the same as the "Annual Revised Budget Amount."

Revised Budget Balance Available – The amount is calculated by subtracting the "Encumbrances" from the "Revised Budget Balance Before Encumbrances."

Revised Budget Balance Before Encumbrances – The amount is calculated by subtracting the "YTD Actual Amount" from the "Current Month Revised Budget" amount.

Sub-Ledger ID – A single-character field that indicates the type of sub-ledger used. It may be (R) Accounts Receivable, (W) Work Order, or (P) Patent.

Sub-Ledger Account – An assigned number in the sub-ledger system. Accounts Receivable often uses an employee assigned number or social security number for students. The Work Order system uses the work order number and the Patent system uses the year and patent number.

Sumto Center – An alphanumeric field with six or fewer characters that represents the summary of a group of low level centers.

Trans Description – A brief description of the transaction that often includes an individual name, a vendor, or a short phrase describing the transaction.

VUnet ID – The means for Vanderbilt users to identify themselves to certain services on VUnet, the campus data network. You will have the same VUnet ID for as long as you remain a student or employee of Vanderbilt.

YTD Actual Amt – Total amount of the transactions for the fiscal year to date. Note that the YTD Actual Amount for asset and liability accounts (10000 to 33100) will appear as zero. The drilldown from asset and liability accounts will reveal the month-to-month changes in the balances of those accounts, if any. If there were no transactions or balance activity in the YTD Actual Amount, the drilldown will return a message saying that "No data matches the criteria you selected."

YTD Budget Amt – The sum of original "Current Month Budget" amounts from July through the report period requested. (Generally, the Medical Center records monthly "Current Month Budget" amounts while other areas record the entire "Annual Budget Amount" in the first reporting period, and in that case, all "YTD Budget Amounts" will be equal to the "Annual Budget Amount" and this column will be of no use.)

YTD Revised Budget Amt – The sum of "Current Month Revised Budget" amounts from July through the report period requested. (Generally, the Medical Center records monthly "Current Month Revised Budget" amounts while other areas record the entire "Annual Revised Budget Amount" in the first reporting period, and in that case, all "YTD Revised Budget Amounts" will be equal to the "Annual Revised Budget Amount" and this column will be of no use.)

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Content Owner: Office of Financial Affairs
E-mail: ofa@vanderbilt.edu