The Expense module allows users to create, code, and submit expense items.

1. Select Admin > Portal Settings > Expense.
2. Expand the General Configuration section.
3. 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.
4. To assign a default attachment type to expense reports, select an attachment type from the dropdown for Assign Attachment Type for Expense Attachments.
5. 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.
6. 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. To limit Cost Codes available, see Cost Code Lookup for Equipment Expense Example
   • (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).
     Note: If you are processing SM Work Order expenses through Payroll, use the portal setting SM Pay Type for SM Expenses Processed Through Payroll to specify the SM Pay Type to enable for each SM company.
7. In Expense Posting Mode, select whether to have expenses processed through Accounts Payable or Payroll:
   • Accounts Payable: 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.
   • Payroll: 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 Accounts Payable as the Expense Posting Mode unless you are posting non-credit card expenses to Accounts Payable. See Configure Expense Credit Cards for more detail.
8. If you would like the Transaction Date on new expense items to default to a blank date, enable the portal setting Default New Transactions to Blank Date. This does not apply to Quick Add.
9. 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.
   • To restrict the number of days past the transaction date that users can submit an expense item, configure the portal setting Restrict Transaction Date to a certain number of days. This setting does not apply to Expense Admins.
10. If you are processing your expenses through Accounts Payable, 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.
11. 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.
12. Expand the Tax Modifications section.
13. 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)
14. To assign users access to modules and set up expense reviewer groups, select Admin > User Access. In the Module Bundle dropdown, choose Expense.
    1. 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.
    2. If your expenses are being processed through Accounts Payable (Expense Posting Mode is set to Accounts Payable), 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.
15. To configure expense approval, you can assign approver groups on the User Access page and/or in Approval Permissions. See About Expense Approval Assignments for additional information.

    • In Admin > User Access > Module Bundle > Expense, you can assign an Expense Reviewer Group to a user. Expense Reviewer Groups pull from the Invoice Reviewer Groups and Timesheet Reviewer Groups set up in Vista HQ Reviewer Group.

      Note: Users must be assigned to the expense reviewer group that you select in order for submitted expenses to go through the approval process.
      • 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 want expense lines coded to jobs to go to those assigned as an Invoice Reviewer in JC Jobs in Vista, enable portal setting Enable Job Reviewer Expense Approvers. If enabled, all expense lines coded to a job will go to the HQ Reviewer Group assigned to the Invoice Reviewer group in JC Jobs.
      • 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.
      • If you want expense lines coded to Equipment or to an EM Work Order to go to those assigned to the Invoice Reviewer Group on the EM Department in Vista, enable the portal setting Enable EM Department Reviewer Group on Equipment and EM Work Order Coded Expenses.
      • If you process expenses through Accounts Payable, you have the option to route expense items coded to Expense to the Reviewer Group assigned to the GL Account on the GL Chart of Accounts in Vista. To do this, enable the portal setting Enable GL Reviewer Expense Approvers. If no reviewer group is assigned to the GL Account, expense items coded to Expense will route based on default expense approval assignments.

    • You can also assign expense approvers using the Approval Permissions page in the web portal. See Assign Approval Permissions for details.

      • Approvers assigned on the Approval Permissions page are based on employee groups created in the portal.
      • Expense approval assignments made on the Approval Permission page do not support serial approval. Only one approver is required to approve the expense. Only one approver is required to approve the expense.
      • If a user has been assigned an Expense Reviewer Group in User Access and expense approvers in Approval Permissions, reviewers from both groups will be able to approve expense items. Expenses will flow through Expense Reviewer Group sequences as usual.
16. 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.