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EBS Financial System Support

Introduction and Basic System Information

Updated: 12/7/15

Training Materials

Guides

Action List - Preferences

Updated: 12/7/15

Steps

  1. Click the action list button near the top of every screen to access the Action List.
  2. Click the preferences button in the upper right-hand corner to change action list preferences. You can change:
    • Refresh rates – how often the action list is to be refreshed
    • Page size – the number of items to be displayed on a single page
    • Email notifications – how often email notifications are sent (None, Daily, Weekly or Immediate)
    • Whether or not to receive primary and secondary delegate emails
    • Fields displayed – which fields are displayed
    • Colors – color code by Route Status
  3. Click the save button to save the preferences.

Helpful Hints

  • Click a column heading in the action list to sort on that column.

Action List - Processing Items

Updated: 12/7/15

Steps

  1. Log into the EBS portal via the EBS Support site (http://ebs.msu.edu) using your MSU NetID and password.
  2. Click the Finance System tab.
  3. Click the Finance System Inbox link. The Action List appears.
  4. Click the Id of the e-doc you wish to process. The e-doc opens.
  5. Review the e-doc and click the approve button to approve it and continue workflow.
  6. Click the close button to close the e-doc. The item disappears from your inbox.

Variations

  • By default you receive an email when an item is added to your action list. You can change those preferences.

  • If you are already in the finance system, click the action list button at the top of the screen to access the action list.

  • At step 5, to disapprove an e-doc, click the disapprove button and enter a reason for the disapproval. The initiator and any previous approvers receive an Acknowledgement request notifying them of the disapproval.

  • At step 5, if the request is an acknowledgement or FYI request, an acknowledge or FYI button appears rather than approve and disapprove buttons. Click the appropriate button to respond to the request.

Ad Hoc Route an e-Doc

Updated: 12/7/15

Steps

  1. Within the e-doc, click the show button to open the Ad Hoc Recipients tab.
  2. Select the Action Requested (for either Person Requests or Ad Hoc Group Requests):
    • FYI (For Your Information) – routes the e-doc to a group’s or individual’s action list. This does not interrupt the regular routing process.
    • Approve – routes the e-doc for additional approval and interrupts the routing process. Routing is resumed after the e-doc attains the additional approval(s).
    • Complete – routes the e-doc to an individual or group who will complete the e-doc. This interrupts the regular routing process. Routing is resumed once the e-doc is completed and submitted.
    • Acknowledge – routes the e-doc to a group’s or individual’s action list for acknowledgment. This does not interrupt the regular routing process.
  3. Click in the Person field and enter the MSU ID or look up person the person you want to ad hoc route your e-doc.
  4. Click the add button in the Actions column to save your ad hoc request.

Variations

  • To ad hoc route to a group, click in the Names text box and enter the group name or look up a group name. Performing a lookup also retrieves and enters data in the Namespace Code text box.

  • To ad hoc route an e-doc once it is in workflow, click the send ad hoc request action button after completing the above process.

Finance Search Tips

Updated: 12/7/15

  • Anytime you are searching in the finance system, use wildcards (asterisk*).

  • Use the asterisk (*) wherever you would expect to find a space or a special character. For example, a search for A*T*&*T will find AT&T. This company is in the system as AT & T with a space between T and &, and another space between & and T.

  • Use the asterisk before and after a word to search for results that contain that information anywhere in the field. Additional information can be before and/or after the search item.

  • When entering something to search on, the results are returned for an exact match only.

  • More results are returned if you limit your search criteria. For example, if you are looking for a building in the system, enter *computer*. This will bring back “Computer Ctr.” If you search for *computer center* no results are returned since center is abbreviated.

  • If a company is known by an acronym, try searching for both the acronym as well as the full name. For example, UPS is in the system as United Parcel Services.

  • Some companies are in the system under a parent company, so when searching for a company it is helpful to search using the company’s tax ID number.

  • You can search using multiple search filters. For example, if you are looking for an account you can search under an organization code and fiscal officer at the same time.

  • Once your results are returned you can sort a column alphabetically by clicking on the column heading.

  • You can bring up the first 500 results of an item by clicking the search button without entering any filters (just click search). Use this only as a last resort since there are many items that have more than 500 results (accounts for example). You can also use this to get examples of different criteria contents.

Find e-Docs Still in Workflow

Updated: 12/7/15

Steps

  1. Click the doc search button in the upper left corner of the Financial System window.
  2. Click on the detailed search button in the gray bar.
  3. Complete the following fields:
    • Initiator: MSU Net ID of the initiator
    • Status: ENROUTE
  4. Click the search button.
  5. Click on the appropriate e-doc number in the Document/Notification Id column.
  6. At the bottom of the e-doc, find the Route Log tab and click on the show button.
  7. The individual(s) on the Pending Action Request tab currently have the e-doc in their action list.

Notes

  • If you do not know the individual’s MSU Net ID, click on the magnifying glass to the left of the Initiator field.

  • If you only want to search for e-docs created during a specific time period, enter the appropriate dates in the Date Created From and Date Created To fields.

  • If you need the contact information for the person listed in the Route Log, click on their name and then the Contact tab in the new window.

Adding and Deleting Notes and Attachments

Updated: 12/7/15

All e-docs

Note and Attachments can be added at all stages of an e-doc (initiated, enroute, final, disapproved, etc).

Upon clicking the add button, the notes and attachments will stick without any further action.

Initiator/Approver

Users who initiate an e-doc or have the e-doc in their action list pending approval can add notes and attachments and will receive a delete button for their own Notes and Attachments added prior to taking action.

Clicking save will still allow deletion of Notes and Attachments prior to approving or submitting.

Delete button will not display once approved or submitted, even if document routes back to you.

Ad Hoc Routing

If you ad hoc route a document without taking action on it, you must use the save button to add a new note or attachment.

You will be able to delete your own notes and attachments until you approve or disapprove the e-doc.

Special Conditions

If you need to delete an attachment and you do not have a delete button, you can submit a request to Accounting at accounting@ctlr.msu.edu referencing the e-doc number, which attachment, and reason for deletion. Requests for deleted attachments should be limited to those attachments containing sensitive information.