Configure Expenses
The Expense module allows users to create, code, and submit expense items.
You must be a System Admin to configure this module.
- Select Admin > Portal Settings > Expense.
- Expand the General Configuration section.
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To allow users to submit individual expense items without having to submit an
expense packet, enable Allow users to Submit individual expense
items.
Users can then submit individual expense items immediately after creating or editing them.
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Use Enabled Reimbursement
Modes to designate the reimbursement modes available to users.
Enter the first letter of the reimbursement only (see options below). Separate
multiple reimbursement modes with a comma and no spaces (for example, R,E,M).
Reimbursement mode options:
- Reimbursement (R): Allows
users to enter a Unit of Measure, Unit Cost, Quantity and Total Amount. Unit
Cost and Qty fields are available based on the Unit of Measure
selected.Note: You can edit the Unit of Measure in the portal setting List of units of measure for Expense Input.
- Entertainment (E): Allows users to search and enter customers from AR Customers in Vista, the number of Customers who had attended, and the number of Our Firm Attendees.
- Mileage (M): Allows users to enter the number of miles traveled and have the reimbursement amount calculated automatically based on an established mileage rate. The Expense Admin must configure mileage rates for each company on the Expense Posting page. See Configure Mileage Rates for details.
- Reimbursement (R): Allows
users to enter a Unit of Measure, Unit Cost, Quantity and Total Amount. Unit
Cost and Qty fields are available based on the Unit of Measure
selected.
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Use Expense Line Types to
Enable to determine how users code their expenses. Enter the
number associated with the line type to enable. Separate multiple line types
with a comma and no spaced. For example, 1,3,4,6,8. Line type options:
- (1) Job: Allows users to code to Job Cost Company, Job, Phase and Cost Type. To limit the Jobs available, see Job Override Lookup Example.
- (3) Expense: Allows users will be able to select GL Company and GL Account. To limit GL Accounts available see GL Account Override Lookup Example.
- (4) Equipment: Allows users to select EM Co, Equipment, Cost Code and EMCType, Comp Type, and Component.
- (5) EM Work Order: Allows users to select EMCo, Work Order, Work Order Item, Cost Code, EM Cost Type.
- (6) Purchase Order: Allows users to select
purchase orders and PO Items.Note: If the item is from a credit card, users will see only the PO’s that are written to the vendor associated with the employee. If the item is a reimbursement, users will see only the PO’s that are written to the vendor associated with the employee.
- (8) SM Work Order: Allows users to select SM Work
Order, Scope and SM Cost Type. To limit the SM Cost Types available, use
the portal setting SM Cost Types to Include SM Work
Orders (Admin > Portal
Settings > Expense > General
Configuration).Important: This type can only be processed in AP Posting. If you have not enabled AP posting, SM Work Order will not display in the line type drop-down in the Edit Expense Item window.
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In Expense Posting Mode, indicate whether expenses will be
processed through Accounts Payable or Payroll. Enter an A for AP only or a P for Payroll.
- AP
Only (A): Expense items will be moved into an AP
Transaction batch in Vista for processing. Expense Admins will enter the
batch month and the selected expenses will be moved to the batch as
individual invoices for each submitted expense package. To include the
AP reference number, enable the portal setting Allow APRef to be set by Expense
Admin when moving to batch.Note: SM Work orders can only be processed through AP. Users can enter SM Work order line types only if Expense Posting Mode is set to A.
- Payroll (P): Expense items will be moved into PR
Timecard Entry batch in Vista for processing. Expense Admins will select
the Pay Period, Pay Sequence, and Earn Code.Note: Credit card transactions are always processed via Accounts Payable even if the Expense Posting Mode is set to Payroll. You do not need to enable AP as the Expense Posting Mode unless you are posting non-credit card expenses to AP. See Configure Expense Credit Cards for more detail.
- AP
Only (A): Expense items will be moved into an AP
Transaction batch in Vista for processing. Expense Admins will enter the
batch month and the selected expenses will be moved to the batch as
individual invoices for each submitted expense package. To include the
AP reference number, enable the portal setting Allow APRef to be set by Expense
Admin when moving to batch.
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Expand the Company
Restrictions section, and use the available settings to limit
the companies available per line type.
- You can limit by Equipment Management, General Ledger, Job Cost, and Service Management companies.
- To restrict the available companies to the employee's own company, enable Limit Expense Coding Companies to Individual’s PRco
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If you are processing your expenses through AP,
use the portal setting PRCo to APCo Map to determine
which AP company users will be paid from.
Note: If you want to map credit card expenses to different AP companies from reimbursements, you can use the portal setting Credit Card - PRCo to APCo map override (available under Admin > Portal Settings > Expense > Credit Card). This setting overrides your PRCo to APCo map setting specifically for credit card expenses.
- Enter this value as a string that includes the employee's payroll company (in PR Employees in Vista) followed by a colon and then the AP company. For example 1:1. The payroll company
For multiple PR and AP company mappings, enter a semicolon (;) after each pairing. For example, 1:1;2:2.Important: You cannot match a single payroll company to multiple AP Companies. -
Select Admin > Admin Roles, and assign the Expense Admin.
- This user has permission to move the expenses from HR Management to Vista for processing and has access to the Expense Posting Dashboard and the Credit Card Import pages. See Admin Role Descriptions for more details.
- Expand the Tax Modifications section.
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To allow users to enter tax for expense items, use
the setting called Include Tax Amount as separate field on Expense
Input.
- If you do not want to show tax, enter the company number, a colon, and then a 0 for each company. For example, 1:0.
- If you do want to show tax, enter the company number, a colon, and then a 1. For example, 1:1. if you do. For example 1:1.
- For multiple companies, enter a semicolon (;) between each pairing. For example: 1:0;2:1)
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To assign users access to modules and set up
expense reviewer groups, select Admin > User Access. In the Module Bundle drop-down, choose
Expense.
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Assign the appropriate users to Expense Reports
permission. For more information, see Assign Users Access to Modules.
All users assigned to the Expense Reports permission have access the Expense page where they can create, code, and submit expense items.
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If your expenses are being processed
through AP (Expense Posting Mode is set to A), assign a
Vendor to each user.
If a user does not have an assigned vendor, the Expense Admin can assign one from a submitted expense item. A vendor will be assigned automtiaclly if you are using the AP Vendor link in Vista. Note that vendor assignments made on the User Access page do not update the AP Vendor link.
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In Expense Reviewer Group, select from Invoice
Reviewer Groups and Timesheet Reviewer Groups from HQ Reviewer Groups in
Vista.
For submitted expenses to go through the approval process, users must be assigned to an expense reviewer group.
- If a user is assigned from a Timesheet Reviewer Group, all reviewers assigned will be notified via email when new expense items have been submitted.
- If a user is assigned an Invoice Reviewer Group, serial approval and thresholds per expense items are supported.
- If you would like expense lines coded to jobs to go to those assigned as an Invoice Reviewer on the JC job Master in Vista, enable portal setting Enable Job Reviewer Expense Approvers (Admin > Portal Settings > Expense > Approval Modifications. If enabled, all expense lines coded to a job will go to the HQ Reviewer Group assigned to the Invoice Reviewer group on the JC Job Master.
- If the expense line is coded to a job that does not have an HQ Reviewer group assigned, the expense line will go to the HQ Reviewer Group assigned to the user on the User Access page.
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Assign the appropriate users to Expense Reports
permission. For more information, see Assign Users Access to Modules.
- To send daily reminders automatically to users who have not yet submitted expenses, enable Send Daily Reminder for Unsubmitted Expenses available under Admin > Portal Settings > Email Configuration > Email Options. You can also send reminders manually using the Send Reminder option available from More button on the Expense Posting Dashboard.