UD Financial System - Glossary of Terms

A

Account
(PeopleSoft): The mandatory 6-character alphanumeric Chartfield which characterizes a transaction as to the kind of thing that is being bought or that is creating revenue (eg. 141000: Office Supplies).
Corresponds to the legacy 3-digit Object Code (eg. 410: Office Supplies).
Translated from legacy Object Codes by the Crosswalk utility.
Relationship to legacy values described in the Conventions for Conversion.
Queries lookup translations in the record GL_ACCOUNT_TBL.
Values are enumerated here.

(Legacy): The 11-digit code which designated financial activity in a certain department, for a certain purpose...(eg. 01-1-01-1111-00). Replaced in PeopleSoft by a series of Chartfields which similarly categorize all financial budgets and transactions.

Accounting Period
Generally, an accounting period is the equivalent of a calendar month. There are 12 regular accounting periods within the University's fiscal year (July though June). An accounting period "opens" at the start of a new calendar month and "closes" at the end of the month. However, the University uses additional accounting periods such as: 0 (zero) which represents a beginning balance rolled forward from the prior year; and adjusting periods 991 and 992, which occur after accounting period 12 has been closed.
Values are enumerated here.

Adjustment Period
A specified period of time in which adjusting financial transactions are brought into the financial system at the end of a fiscal year. Regular fiscal periods are 1 through 12; an adjustment period would follow fiscal period 12. The University's two (2) adjustment periods have been defined as 991 and 992.
Values are enumerated along with regular accounting periods here.

Allocation
A process by which journals are generated and posted within the accounting system. The process involves the identification of a monetary pool and the determination of a basis by which the monetary pool will be automatically calculated and distributed to a pre-selected set of purposes.

B

Business Unit
A corporation or a subset of a corporation that is independent with regard to one or more operational or accounting functions. Functionally at UD there is only one (UOD01) and it is identical to the SET_ID. Queries and Reports may run faster and more efficiently if these are specified in the criteria, even though in our system they have no effect on the recordset that is returned.

C

Calendar
A feature in the accounting system that identifies particular events and periods related to a calendar or fiscal year. For instance, the University's business calendar indicates the days of the week in which it maintains regular business hours. It also includes the dates that the University and Banks are closed due to holidays. Other calendars include:
  • Academic year calendar, which begins with the month of September
  • Fiscal year calendar which begins with July
  • Federal year calendar which begins with October
  • Regular Calendar year which begins with January.

Values are enumerated here.

Chartfields
The "Super-Key" data fields which provide the system with the basic structure to segregate and categorize transactional and budget data. Two chartfields are mandatory for every transaction: A third is required for salary items Others are optional or are filled by default by SpeedTypes.

Class
The 3-character alphanumeric Chartfield which identifies the full-time faculty member or the staff position to which salary items apply.
Corresponds to the legacy 3-digit "Line number".
Relationship to legacy values described in the Conventions for Conversion.
Queries lookup translations in the record CLASS_CF_TBL.

Criteria
A device of the reporting tool PS Query. Criteria is a tab in Query Manager where data selection is narrowed by specifying conditions that data must meet in order to be retrieved by the query.

Crosswalk
A PeopleSoft application to translate the old legacy account codes into the corresponding new PeopleSoft Chartfields. Anyone can logon to that crosswalk using the (case sensitive) User ID=crosswalk and Password=crosswalk. Details and a link to the Crosswalk utility are also on this website.

Crystal
Report writing tool used with PeopleSoft Query (as well as other programs).

D

Data Dictionary
A collection of definitions, field descriptions, and examples of the Records/Tables that UD users will most commonly include in their queries and reports.

Data Warehouse
A repository of financial data from the old legacy system that was accessed using MS access and Oracle. This data was generated from the Legacy MVS General accounting system and was updated nightly. This system will be replaced by using queries from the reporting instance of the PeopleSoft Financials system. The data warehouse will continue to be updated for one year after the conversion.

Decode
A device of the reporting tool PS Query. Decode allows you to create a field whose value is conditional upon a logical expression. The general format is the following: DECODE(statement to evaluate, thing to evaluate statement against, value if true, value if false).

Department
The 5-digit numeric Chartfield which identifies the administrative budget unit controling one or more Purposes (eg. 02537 = English).
Relationship to legacy values described in the Conventions for Conversion.
Queries lookup translations in the record DEPT_TBL.

E

Effective Date
The date on which a particular record becomes active. One can predate information to add historical data to the system, or postdate information in order to enter it before it actually goes into effect.

Encumbrances - see Obligations

Expression
A device of the reporting tool PS Query. Expressions enable you to create pseudo-columns made up of mathematical calculations based on actual fields in a table.

F

Field
A discreet piece of data stored within a record. For example, a record of (People) might contain separate fields like (Name, Birthdate, and Gender).

Fiscal Year
The University's fiscal year runs from July though June. July 1, 2003 through June 30, 2004 is represented as fiscal year "2004."

Fund
The 5-character alpha Chartfield which identifies the type of UD funding to which a certain Purpose belongs, and thereby implies a set of budgetary and accounting rules that pertain to those Purposes (eg. OPBAS: Basic Operating)
Corresponds to first two segments of the legacy "Account code" (eg. 01-1-...).
Relationship to legacy values described in the Conventions for Conversion.
Queries lookup translations in the record FUND_TBL, and details in FUND_ATTRIB_TBL, and FUND_ATTRIB_VAL.

Fund Types
The Legacy system categorized Account codes broadly according to the first two segments of those Account Codes. The Account Type declared the source of funding, the intention of its expenditures, and certain rules that applied to it (Could a balance be carried across fiscal years?; Was it self-supporting?; etc.)
Values are enumerated and related to certain digits in the PeopleSoft CHARTFIELD1 "Purpose". here.

G

H

I

J

Join
A device of the reporting tool PS Query. A join retrieves data from more than one table, presenting the data as if it came from one table. Query links the tables, based on common fields, and links the rows on the two tables by common values in the shared fields.

Journal
A document that enters financial data into a financial accounting system.

Journal Source
Characterizes the origin or type of a transaction. Mimics the legacy "tran-code". Not to be confused with Chartfield2 "Source" . Journal Source will identify the subsystem that entered a financial transaction into the financial system. This is not a chartfield for input entry by a financial system user. It is a "behind-the-scenes" field that gets populated as transactions enter the financial system. It will appear on reports and queries to help users identify where the transaction originated.
Queries lookup translations in the record SOURCE_TBL.
Values are enumerated here.

K

Key Fields
The set of fields that are specified as Key fields for a record uniquely identify no more than one entry or row in that record. In a record of Employees, for instance, an "Employee-ID" number might well be a Key field, while "Name" probably would not. There might easily be two John Smiths. In a record of paychecks, Employee-ID might again be one Key, but not the only one. Each employee gets more than one paycheck, so another Key field like "Date" would be needed. Because records have indexes for their Key fields, queries are much more efficient when values for Keys are specified as the first criteria.

L

Labor Allocation Module (LAM)
A UD process that is "bolted on" to PeopleSoft Financials. The purpose of the LAM is to spread salaries for certain employees to the proper distributions for each pay within the PeopleSoft Financials system. LAM Training is being developed as one of the courses to prepare users for this financial system.

LAM - see Labor Allocation Module

Level
The section of a tree that organizes groups of nodes of comparable hierarchical significance.

M

N

Node
An individual item on a tree. Nodes summarize detail values or other nodes, and may or may not roll up into other nodes or levels.

nVision
Report writing tool delivered with PeopleSoft Financials that is based on MicroSoft Excel.

O

Obligations
(Encumbrances) Anticipated disbursements (both salary and non-salary) not yet executed by a voucher or payroll. Salaries are automatically encumbered and disencumbered by the Labor Allocation Module (LAM) and Payroll process. Purchase Orders will also be automatically encumbered and disencumbered. Other anticipated disbursements will be manually maintained.
Queries and reports will draw summary information about each obligation/encumbrance in the record UOD_OBLIG_HDR, and further detail in its child record UOD_OBLIG_DTL.

Object Code
In the legacy system this 3-digit code trailed the "Account Code" and characterized a transaction as to the kind of thing that was being bought or creating revenue (eg. 410: Office Supplies).
Replace in PeopleSoft by the Charfield Account (eg. 141000: Office Supplies).
Translation from legacy Object Code to PeopleSoft Account is provided by the Crosswalk utility.
Relationship to account values is described in the Conventions for Conversion.

P

PeopleBooks
Reference material furnished by PeopleSoft. The pdf-format PeopleBooks can be browsed via an index and search component. The context-sensitive "help" links that are on each page while you are logged onto the PeopleSoft Financial System bring you to pertinent sections of the PeopleBooks and facilitate printing just those pertinent sections.

Period
Generally, an accounting period is the equivalent of a calendar month. There are 12 regular accounting periods within the University's fiscal year (July though June). An accounting period "opens" at the start of a new calendar month and "closes" at the end of the month. However, the University uses additional accounting periods such as: 0 (zero) which represents a beginning balance rolled forward from the prior year; and adjusting periods 991 and 992, which occur after accounting period 12 has been closed.
Values are enumerated here.

Program
The 5-character alphanumeric Chartfield which identifies the origination of revenues or the destination of expenses (eg. INST1: Instruction). Aggregates categories in a broader sense than does the "Account" chartfield. Applies to multiple "Purposes".
Corresponds roughly to third segment of the legacy "Account code" (eg. ##-#-01-...).
Relationship to legacy values described in the Conventions for Conversion.
Queries lookup translations in the record PROGRAM_TBL.

Project
The 15-character alphanumeric Chartfield which identifies contract and grant activities and facilities projects (eg. ARTC37211199000). Subdivides activity within a particular "Purpose" (eg. ARTC372111) by adding designators for fiscal year, building, or other coded details.
Relationship to legacy values described in the Conventions for Conversion.
Queries lookup translations in the record PROJECT_ID_VW.

Purpose (CHARTFIELD1)
The 10-character (or fewer) alphanumeric Chartfield which identifies a discrete block of money used to make expenditures, collect revenues, or track assetts and liabilities (eg. PLSC11).
Corresponds to the legacy 11-digit or 14-digit Account Code (eg. 1-1-01-2170-00).
Translated from legacy Account Codes by the Crosswalk utility.
Relationship to legacy values described in the Conventions for Conversion.
Queries lookup translations in the record CHARTFIELD1_TBL.

Q

Query
Report writing tool within PeopleSoft. Introduction to Query training has been developed at UD, as has a Data Dictionary of the records that UD users will most commonly include in their queries. Also useful are the PeopleBooks reference and context sensitive "help" links that are available while logged onto the PeopleSoft Financial System.

R

Record
A fundamental container where data is stored in PeopleSoft by rows (entries) and columns (fields). The term record is used interchangeably with the term table. A record/table models a class of real-world objects (eg. People) with a row for each individual in that class (eg. one person) and columns/fields for each datum stored for that individual (eg. name, birthdate, gender).
Tables/records are the basis for the reporting tool Query. The records that UD users will most commonly include in their queries are defined in a Data Dictionary.

Report Manager
A menu selection under the "Reporting Tools" in the Navigation Bar. This is where PeopleSoft reports are viewed and scheduled.

Run Control ID
A type of online page that is used to begin a process, such as running or viewing a report. Run control pages generally start some type of program that manipulates data in some way.

S

SET_ID
Designates the set of Control Tables to which the system has access. Functionally at UD there is only one (UOD01) and it is identical to the Business Unit. Queries and Reports may run faster and more efficiently if these are specified in the criteria, even though in our system they have no effect on the recordset that is returned.

Source

SpeedType
10-character field which provides default values for several chartfields. Expedites filling in forms with default values by entering this one field instead of each one separately.
Queries lookup translations in the record SPEEDTYP_TBL.

SQL
Structured Query Language - a language that enters, manipulates and selects data from the PeopleSoft database. SQL is generated by PS Query and the underlying SQL code may be viewed in a query by selecting the "View SQL" tab.

T

Table
A fundamental container where data is stored in PeopleSoft by rows (entries) and columns (fields). The term record is used interchangeably with the term table. A record/table models a class of real-world objects (eg. People) with a row for each individual in that class (eg. one person) and columns/fields for each datum stored for that individual (eg. name, birthdate, gender).
Tables/records are the basis for the reporting tool Query. The records that UD users will most commonly include in their queries are defined in a Data Dictionary.

Tree
The graphical hierarchy in PeopleSoft systems that displays the relationship between all accounting units (for example, colleges, departments, projects, accounts) and determines roll-up hierarchies.

U

Userfield
The 10-character alphanumeric Chartfield which tags transactions with a code that each UDFS user can interpret as (s)he finds useful (eg. USRVAL1 might mean "Paris" to one user or department, but mean "Fall lecture series" to another).
No correspondence to legacy system.
Enumerated, but not defined in the record CHARTFIELD3_TBL.

V

Voucher
A document that creates a payment to a vendor.
Queries will find information about each voucher in the record VOUCHER and details about each line of that voucher in the child record VOUCHER_LINE.

W

X

Y

Z

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Please direct UD-Financial questions to the approriate office as referenced on the Help guide of this site
Website comments to Allan Fanjoy, fanjoy@udel.edu
Last modified: Monday, 16-Jun-2003 14:50:27 EDT