Sharing the Vision: Accounts Payable

 Contributed by Amanda Lockhart Davis

I've had the pleasure of being here at UVA since early December, digging into the nuts and bolts of my job as Director of Accounts Payable, getting to know my team, and learning about the needs of our customers.

I joined the procurement team knowing we'd be working through the continuous improvements that come after a large system implementation and the associated business process changes.  After these first few months of getting settled and identifying priorities, I wanted to share with you my vision for accounts payable moving forward: 

1. Organize  - Prioritize - Solution:  This is step
one, and it's ongoing and overarching.  Our work has many
interdependencies, and we're still sorting through many challenges post-go-live
of Workday Financials.  With your input and the partnership of our
internal teams, our team is prioritizing the issues that are causing the most
pain to you and our vendors and getting solutions in place as quickly as
possible.

2. Obtain the necessary education and training for myself and my team: For
us to serve our partners across Grounds and our vendors in the community, we
need to bring our best selves to our jobs.  To do that, we need to have
all the skills and tools required to best do our jobs.  I've been focused
on getting our team up to speed on the tools UVAFinance uses to
manage customer issues and the systems we need access to in order to
troubleshoot those issues.

3. Partner with our stakeholders and stay regularly engaged:  Who
are our stakeholders?  If you're reading this, you are a
stakeholder!  You're a finance partner at UVA!  We also serve our
internal team in UVAFinance and vendors in the community.  Our team's
priority is to provide excellent service to all, and that means we must listen
to you continually and understand your needs.  This means you'll see us
listening in at meetings and you'll be hearing from us in communication
channels.  We're carefully monitoring the cases in AskFinance and working
not only to solve individual cases but also to improve our processes based on
the trends we see.

4.  Prepare my team for a successful year: I knew coming
into this role that the team I was joining was amazing, and I've not been
disappointed.  As this wonderful group's leader, I have the task of
keeping their morale up and keeping their best interests at heart, and that's a
goal I take seriously.  

I look forward to getting to know many more of you in the schools and units
this spring.  Look for more from me in upcoming meetings and here in the
UVAFinance blog!  As always, if you have questions or concerns about
accounts payable, please reach out to us at askfinance@virginia.edu.

 

UVA Appoints Augie Maurelli as Vice President for Finance and Chief Financial Officer

The University of Virginia announced on February 21 that Augie Maurelli has been appointed vice president for finance and chief financial officer.

Maurelli is an experienced financial leader in higher education and has served as associate vice president for financial operations at the University since December 2019. He previously served as associate vice president for strategy and operations in University Finance at the University of Delaware and held leadership roles in athletics both there and at Georgetown University.

As the leader of the UVAFinance organization and the University’s CFO, Maurelli reports to Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Jennifer (J.J.) Wagner Davis. He will work closely with each member of the University’s executive leadership team and partners across Grounds.

Maurelli is responsible for overseeing the University’s consolidated financial statements, along with developing financial strategy and plans for the effective allocation of resources to support UVA’s key strategic initiatives and priorities. He will provide strategic financial oversight of the Academic Division’s operating budget and collaborate with UVA Health finance leaders who oversee its operating budget, each over $2 billion annually. In addition, he will steward the University’s assets, and provide financial counsel to help UVA reach its ambitious goals.

“Augie joined our team during a multi-year strategic transformation of our finance operations. He dove right into learning about UVA and quickly began to collaborate with partners across Grounds,” Davis said. “When we all needed to begin working remotely at the onset of the pandemic, Augie continued to work closely with colleagues throughout the University. He spearheaded a governance committee that oversaw the creation of a new chart of accounts and managed multiple workstreams associated with the transformation. He earned a reputation as a leader who spent time working through the details with partners.”

UVA President Jim Ryan endorsed the selection. “Augie brings years of experience and strategic thinking to this role, and his collaborative leadership style will be an asset to the University,” he said. “I’m grateful to those who participated in the search process, and I’m excited to continue to work with Augie in the years ahead.”

Maurelli holds a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from The Johns Hopkins University and an MBA from Georgetown University. He worked for a Fortune 500 company after earning his undergraduate degree and for Goldman Sachs and MCG Capital during and after business school.

A lifelong athlete, Maurelli spent five years in a leadership role with Georgetown University’s Athletics Department. There he created the Hoya Leadership Academy, a life skills and leadership development program, and worked with the GU Business office on budgeting and reporting tools, and cost-savings initiatives. In his 10 years at the University of Delaware, Maurelli was involved in fundraising and capital projects, financial and operational leadership in athletics, and fiscal oversight and strategy at the institutional level.

“I’m excited to have the opportunity to lead the talented team in UVAFinance and to continue to build on our partnerships across the University,” Maurelli said. “My background has given me a holistic understanding of fiscal leadership, and I can think of no better place to continue my career than here at the University of Virginia as we strive to be both a great and good institution.

“Since moving here in 2019, my family and I have loved being a part of the community here at UVA and in Charlottesville. We have gotten to know so many incredible people and I am honored to call many of them colleagues.”

Davis expressed her appreciation to the search committee, chaired by Senior Vice President for Operations and State Government Relations Colette Sheehy, for identifying candidates for the leadership post. The committee included a diverse group of faculty, staff and team members drawn from across the University community.

“Colette Sheehy and the entire search committee did a tremendous job identifying and reviewing a diverse pool of exceptionally qualified candidates from across the nation for this critical position,” Davis said. “I am thrilled to be able to promote a talented leader from within our own organization.”

New Senior Sourcing Specialist brings Enthusiasm, On-Grounds Experience to PSDS

Amanda Williamson just joined UVAFinance as a Senior Sourcing Specialist with Procurement & Supplier Diversity Services. Just prior, she was a Finance Generalist for UVA's Facilities
Management. Before working in finance, Williamson worked for both the academic and hospital service desks.

Williamson's experience across Grounds has helped prepare her for her new role, specifically her understanding of policies and procedures.

"In this position, I am performing cradle-to-grave functions for the procurement of goods and services with firms, while complying with State procurement laws and University policies and procedures," she shares.

Having always worked in customer service and valuing the relationships she built in Facilities Management, Williamson found many benefits to joining PSDS. 

Williamson and her husband

"I was looking for a way to step into a more service role, while still being able to utilize the skills and knowledge that I had gathered in finance," she says.  "This team is known for being knowledgeable problem solvers under excellent management and I look forward to adding to that reputation."

PSDS positions require fact-finding and verification, which Williamson finds a welcome challenge in her position. She shares that the wealth of resources positions her for success and a lot of information digging.

"I think my biggest challenge will be knowing when and how to
use my resources.  There are so many guidelines, rules, suggestions, laws,
etc. that knowing where to look to verify and find information will be
essential."

The team has enthusiastically welcomed Williamson, "The people that I have met have been fantastic. 
Everyone has been so friendly and welcoming."

  

Not that she's choosing a favorite but with comradery a part of the role, Williamson shares, "Frank is
the best part so far. He has so much knowledge to share and his documentation is on point.  He has a great attitude and makes work enjoyable."

Williamson as a UVA baby

Williamson's roots at UVA are deep and that gives her extra pride in the work she does. 

"My parents were both in college here and I was born at Martha Jefferson hospital while they were in married student quarters," she shares. "My grandmother was full Korean and married a soldier and moved to the U.S. All three of her children graduated from UVA and all eight of her grandchildren went to college.

Outside of work, Williamson and her husband enjoy time with their large blended family. Williamson also fills her time with family get-togethers, horseback riding,
cooking, and reading. 

AskFinance or OSP-Help?

Trainers and functional experts in finance and OSP, working with our support folks on the Ask Finance team and OSP-Help have been working together to sort out the grants-related questions that come into both areas.  Their aim is to best serve you, our partners across Grounds. 

A lot of the confusion around grants stems from the two units sitting organizationally, plus the transition from Oracle to Workday Financials.

In some instances, your grant questions could either be answered by UVAFinance or by OSP, depending on what the question is, and that makes it very confusing for both you as the asker and sometimes for us, too! 

You can ALWAYS inquire with the AskFinance Team with any grants question, and the OSP team is always happy to help with any question, too -- one way or another, either team will get you to the right person or resource to answer your question.  However, we know it sometimes takes a little extra time for us to sort out the questions on our end, so we wanted to share with you the guidance we developed for the internal teams on where to direct the grants questions. 

When do I AskFinance - only when grant worktag/s are involved:

• If you would ask the same question if it was a Gift or a Designated – not specific to Grants. Ex. I’m using a Grant worktag, but I don’t know how to complete an Accounting Journal.
• Questions about procurement transactions.
• Questions about restricted spend categories on Supplier Invoice Requests.
• Questions about F&A or Fringe Benefits calculation.
• Questions about F&A Revenue Allocation Profiles (forward to Office of Budget & Planning).
• Questions about transactions that are stuck.
• Questions related to Workday or UBI reports.
• Questions related to requests made in Workday (Request Based Access) for departmental Grant roles (Grant Manager, Grant Financial Analyst, Grant Certifier)

When do I ask OSP (osp-help@virgina.edu):

• Anything related to Award set up in ResearchUVA PBH or Workday.
• Requests to change Award Analyst.
• Questions about Award or Grant funding or budget in Workday or ResearchUVA PBH.
• Questions about SIS Allowed flag in Workday.
• Questions about cost sharing, fabrication, program income grants in Workday or ResearchUVA PBH.
• Questions about or requests to change spend restrictions on a grant.
• Questions about the allowability of costs on grants.
• Questions related to Award or Grant Start and End dates or Lifecycle statuses.
• Questions related to F&A rates on grants.
• Questions related to Sponsors assigned to Awards.
• Questions related to sub-award invoices.
• Requests to change the Award ID (either legacy G Award number or ResearchUVA PBH proposal/Award ID).
• Requests to change Cost Centers on a grant.

Note that requests for actions taken to new or existing awards should be taken in Research UVA Powered by Huron via the Award Mod Request (AMR) activity. These include:

• Requests for rebudgeting between grants.
• Requests for early terminations.
• Requests to change the PI.

CommunityHub to Sunset in April

If you worked closely with the Finance Strategic Transformation project and/or UBI, you probably got pretty familiar with the Online Community, otherwise known as the CommunityHub. 

 For over six years, this space has been a place for folks across Grounds to access resources, ask and answer questions, and share ideas.  

With both FST and UBI having stable support options available, the Online Community will be phased out gradually this spring and sunset by April 19.  Plans are being made to make resources easily available via other existing channels, so watch for more details in the coming weeks.

Cartwright to Lead PSDS as Interim Director

Mark Cartwright

Mark Cartwright, Director of Supplier Diversity, has stepped into the role of Interim Director of PSDS as the search for a permanent Director of PSDS continues.

Cartwright, who has led Supplier Diversity for over a year, has a long and varied background in leading procurement teams in both academia and private companies. His experience includes launching the supplier diversity program at Virginia Tech and a stint as Special Assistant to the Governor of Virginia, heading up the Commonwealth’s supplier diversity efforts. Cartwright is also a Certified Professional in Supply Management and Supplier Diversity and has a Doctor of Business Administration in Supply Chain Management and Logistics.

UVAFinance is grateful for Cartwright's experience and expertise during this ongoing transition and thankful to all those on the PSDS team who have continued to step up and help out to keep operations running as smoothly as possible.

Workday Reporting Update: Did you see this?

There were so many updates in last week's Finance Reporting & Analytics Release Notes, you may have missed one of the most interesting highlights, the new Expense Budget Vs. Actual, or Simple "BBA" report. 

This new Budget Variance report provides a simple view of Expenses in a format that is modeled on the old “BBA report” in UBI and Recon@. It shows the fiscal year Budget, MTD and YTD Actuals, open Commitments & Obligations, and variance by Spend Line Item and Category. You can use prompts to run by any combination of Worktags. All amounts are drillable to see the details or slice and dice by additional attributes.

This report was designed with input from our Fiscal Administrator Reporting Focus Group and provides a simple budget management tool for anyone who is responsible for managing expenses to a budget.
This report only includes transactions charged to a Spend Category.

Check out more goodies from current and past Reporting & Analytics releases on the UVAFinance Website. 

Research Administrative Dashboard 3.0 illustrates great collaboration across Grounds

One of the most well-loved and useful UBI modules for UVA researchers and research administrators has long been the Research Administrative Dashboard or RAD module.  With its ability to give clear grant and post-award insights, it's easy to see why everyone thought it was, well, pretty rad.  

After Workday Financials went live in July 2022, the Business Intelligence & Data Analytics Team went to work quickly to reassemble the dashboard, this time pulling the necessary data from Workday Financials.  They collaborated with the Enterprise Data Warehouse Team and the University Business Intelligence Team to get the data they needed and build the dashboard.

"We knew the need for the RAD Dashboard would come up quickly," says Bradley Kurtz, senior finance data and tech analyst and primary developer on the project.  As soon as Workday Financials had enough financial data in the system to work with after go-live, Kurtz, along with a broad group of grant administrators across Grounds, began working on translating the needs of principal investigators into a new, improved version of RAD, one iterative version at a time.

VIDEO:  Bradley Kurtz walks us through the RAD Dashboard on YouTube

As Kurtz points out, the data model for the RAD Dashboard itself is relatively simple, but it pulls in huge amounts of data from a variety of sources and requires a tremendous amount of thought from a wide array of UVA research administrators, working closely with their respective PIs, to build something that allows for meaningful comparison and self-sufficiency.

The first iteration post-go-live was made available this past autumn, to much excitement from the research community.  RAD 2.0 provided insight into award spending vs. budget, which was a big first step, just getting the Qlik app to pull journal lines from the new system.

RAD 3.0, released just this past Thursday, February 16, takes a further step toward complete award visibility by offering FA spending vs. obligations.  Kurtz explains that in this latest iteration, the app allows users to see how much money they have consumed at a given point in time, and how much money and time they have left, essential in order for them not to overspend on their grant.  

Access Research Administration Dashboard (RAD) 3.0 by visiting the UBI hub and searching for "Workday Rad"

Crystal Lamm, a unit administrator in Biomedical Engineering, affirms that RAD 3.0 should go a long way toward providing useful information for administrators and faculty. 

"Faculty have been struggling to get a handle on their grant financials since the implementation of the new systems and with RAD, we've put something in place that's going to be so helpful, and that means a lot to me," she says.

While RAD 3.0 offers significant improvements upon the offerings of RAD 2.0, PIs and administrators can be assured that more radical leaps are in the works.  Kurtz and his group of collaborators are keeping at it, with a goal of pulling graduate assistant data from SAFM, so that FA data can be figured in for student workers, as well as getting data from Research UVA powered by Huron.  

"Getting Huron in the loop means that we'll have the entire life cycle, from requesting the award, working through OSP, through the closure of the award, to when the award has been finalized, all as a 360-degree view in the RAD dashboard, with flexible filters, searchable, and with calculations on budget vs. actuals," says Kurtz.  He adds that the team is also planning to include data on clinical trials in the next iteration of RAD.

Gina Correll of the Biocomplexity Institute has been part of the group working closely with Kurtz on RAD and says she has received rave reviews on the dashboard from faculty in her area.  

"Previously, the data wasn't as immediate and dynamic, but now they can get the different elements they need, and it can be as detailed or as general as they require," she says.  She has found the collaborative effort between administrators and the data analytics team quite rewarding, because of how the feedback they share gets put to use.

"It's a challenging time when you change systems," she says, "but the analytics team really listened to our feedback and we've seen the tool evolve.  They don't wait until it's perfect to make something that's useful available.  They put it out there, get feedback, and then make it even better."

Speaking for the data analytics team, Kurtz says the great feedback has indeed been important.  "OSP and the grant administrators have all just dove in and worked with their PIs to get great feedback," he says.

At the end of the day, Lamm sums it up best:  "You want to feel like what you're doing is helpful, and this is one of those projects I know will make a difference to the University."

Meet the Workday Support Team

As a part of the Finance Strategic Transformation project, new systems were implemented and processes were changed.  To support our users across Grounds, UVAFinance also created new teams within central finance as a part of the transformation.  The Ask Finance Team likely springs to your mind first as one of those new teams.

Another new team that was also created as part of the project to support Workday Finance users is the aptly named Workday Support Team, headed up by Sue Clements. 

The team consists of a wide variety of experts who have both a breadth and depth of experience from working in different areas of UVAFinance as well as working with Workday at other organizations.  Their priorities include troubleshooting Workday Finance, adjusting the configuration and business processes to resolve issues, as well as reviewing and assisting with business process failures.

The team also functions as the highest level of support for the cases that come in through Ask Finance.  They're where the really thorny questions related to system configuration end up -- the ones that can't be addressed by functional expertise, but instead, need someone who can take a metaphorical "look under the hood."  The Workday Support Team has solved over 1300 such cases since go-live on July 1, 2022. 

The team will continue to work behind the scenes to work out the issues with Workday Finance, but they will also be looking toward the future, working on implementing new functionality to improve the system and adjusting the current configuration to address user needs as they develop.

Needs are escalated to the Workday Finance Support Team through askfinance@virginia.edu

Recent Expense Updates

These expense updates were previously shared with your Expense Ambassador, so don't hesitate to reach out to them if you have questions or concerns. 

1. File Types for Attachments:  Workday supports image files such as JPG, PDF, PNG, or GIF for viewing and printing but does not support DOC, DOCX, or XLS for printing. Users should not include DOC, DOCX, or XLS files since they will not be able to print. We often need to print PDFs with receipts for grants and other audits.
2. Delegating Approvals while on Vacation/Leave:  Please help us spread the word to approvers that they must delegate their approval responsibilities when on vacation or leave. We've had numerous reports get "stuck" waiting for an approver who is away. This can cause cards to be suspended and delayed reimbursements.
3. Expense Item Update: Software Licenses & Subscriptions is now mapped to spend category SC0309 Rent Software
4. Error Message Improvements: We are working through all error messages to add context and directional information where we can. Hopefully, this will help users know where the error is that needs to be corrected. We will send more details once these updates are complete.
5. Gift Card Reporting: The gift card reporting process has changed with Workday Expenses. When expensing gift cards for employees paid using a T&E card, please use the expense item Employee Award Taxable. Enter the names of each gift card recipient and the dollar amount of the gift card. This information will be included in a feed to Payroll, resulting in the employee having a gift tax deducted from their pay. The previous process of submitting this information to AskHR@virginia.edu is no longer required. If both processes are completed, this may result in the employee being taxed twice. (Gift cards are not allowed to be personally purchased and reimbursed.)  

Read more about Gift Card Reporting on the blog.

Change to Gift Card Reporting Process

The gift card reporting process has changed with Workday Expenses. When expensing gift cards for employees paid using a T&E card, please use the expense item Employee Award Taxable. Enter the names of each gift card recipient and the dollar amount of the gift card. This information will be included in a feed to Payroll, resulting in the employee having a gift tax deducted from their pay. 

The previous process of submitting this information to AskHR@virginia.edu is no longer required. If both processes are completed, this may result in the employee being taxed twice. (Gift cards are not allowed to be personally purchased and reimbursed.)

There is one exception! Employees may opt to purchase gift cards via the Marketplace using American Gift Card. Because this method does not include documentation of the employee for whom the gift card was purchased, you will need to use the previous process and submit the information to AskHR@virginia.edu.

Take the Plastic-Free Pledge!

UVA Sustainability invites you to take the Plastic Free 2023 Pledge Today!

The University of Virginia’s 2030 Sustainability Plan includes a goal to reduce the total amount of waste to 30% of 2010 levels by 2030. To achieve this, the University must significantly reduce single-use plastics.

In 2021, UVA began prohibiting the purchase of plastic food service items, plastic water bottles, and plastic bags. In addition to ensuring UVA funds aren’t used to purchase these materials, this pledge seeks to encourage individuals to help further reduce single-use plastics. 

Everyone at UVA – students, staff, and faculty – is invited to take the #PlasticFree2023 pledge to reduce the use of single-use plastics.

View and sign the pledge here.

Reporting & Analytics Release Notes: February 9

 

Finance Reporting and Analytics Release Notes for February 9 have been posted to the UVAFinance website.  This update includes significant new reports and modifications that have been released since January 12^th as well as known issues that we are investigating or working on currently.  This update includes a new Expense Budget vs. Actual or Simple "BBA" report for Workday!

 Quick Tips of the Month:

·    When using the Prompt fields in Workday reports,
you can quickly do a multi-select of your search results by using Crtl-A then
Enter to select all available values.

·       To speed up the search when using the Worktags
prompt field, type in the worktag prefix or Worktag field name along with the
value you are looking for.  For example,
if I know that I want to select the MBU level for Batten, I can search “CH4
Batten” or if I know my Grant name contains “Electron” but don’t know the ID,
search “Grant Electron” instead of just “Electron”.

A friendly reminder that you always find this information and more reporting resources at: 

Business Intelligence & Analytics | UVA Finance (virginia.edu)

 

UVAFinance Welcomes Sarah May

The May Family

Sarah May joined UVAFinance at the end of January, coming from UVA Athletics, where she served in various roles for nine years, most recently as Associate Athletics Director for Business Operations. May says that while she greatly enjoyed her work and her team, she found herself ready for a new focus.

The New Year brought a variety of different financial activities, less familiar worktags, and a lot more zeroes into Sarah May’s life, all via her new position in UVAFinance as a Senior Financial Analyst in Financial Reporting and Accounting.

“I’m an excel nerd at heart,” says May. “I love crunching numbers and creating reports. Where else could I do that but here in central finance?”

The transition from a major business unit to central finance has afforded May the opportunity to sharpen her focus on the investigative work she enjoys, and it’s also allowed her to shift her perspective.

“I’m relearning everything I learned during the FST implementation. It’s definitely a different lens here – what’s material in central is very different than it is in athletics,” she observes.

Even though she’s not as focused on the same details in central, her time in athletics helps her to see the bigger picture more clearly because she knows how things are connected at all levels, and how the work done in UVAFinance impacts schools and units.

“Central finance has done a good job of building relationships and putting themselves out there,” she says, “and I’m glad to be a part of growing that.”

When she’s not diving into funds, functions, and ledgers, May and her husband Cody enjoy taking on the outdoors with their two girls: Carson, six, and Taylor, five. When they’re not hiking, camping, fishing, and swimming, you can also find them enjoying Mario Kart and movie nights together.

AP Tips & Tricks

Director of Disbursements Amanda Lockhart Davis asked her team to share some of their top suggestions for smoother sailing when working with AP transactions.  

Here's their first crop of tips and tricks; we'll have more to share in coming blog digests.

Look out for more from Davis in a future digest and meetings in the next month as she shares the next steps for UVA's disbursement strategy.

And now, the tips!

• Invoice processing:
• Supplier invoices must include a uniquely assigned invoice number that cannot be a repeat of a previously used invoice number. This number must be displayed on the supplier invoice.
• Invoices must include a PO number in the correct format (PO-1234567 for Workday & 1234567 for Oracle) for the invoice to process correctly through the system.
• When departments submit their supplier invoice requests, they should not enter an invoice received date that is earlier than the invoice date.
• Invoice/Payment Research: In Workday, the “Activity” section on a supplier invoice will show payment information. If there is no “Activity” tab then the invoice is unpaid.
• Stop Payments/Voids/Re-issues: Please ensure that the supplier has updated their payment information in payment works before requesting a stop payment if there are changes required.
• Travel & Expense:
• You can book your airfare, car, and hotel all in one itinerary. This makes it easier to track/change your reservations and also saves you from having to pay a separate booking fee. Watch this Tutorial https://uvafinance.virginia.edu/resources/booking-airline-car-and-hotel-one-itinerary-training-video
• As a best practice, be sure to review the header in your expense report before submitting it to ensure the summary is correct.
• Company Paid= Total T&E card charges expensed
• Reimbursement= Total amount requested for reimbursement

____________________________________________________________________

Related content:  Welcome New Director of Accounts Payable, Amanda Lockhart Davis

Nicole Ferretti Joins Collaborative Solutions

Nicole Ferretti

UVAFinance invites our partners across Grounds in wishing Nicole Ferretti well as she makes plans to join Collaborative Solutions, a Workday partner, later this month as Senior Principal Consultant.

Earlier this month, Ferretti reached her eight-year anniversary with UVA, having joined the University as Assistant Vice President for Financial Planning & Analysis.  Most recently, she served as the Financial Lead for the Finance Strategic Transformation Project, an experience which will serve her well as she transitions to a new role focusing on assisting other organizations to implement Workday.

We are grateful for all of her contributions to the University and UVAFinance in particular.  Thankfully, she and her family will remain in Charlottesville, so we don't have to lose touch!  

Take time with your Functions

Contributed by Danielle Hancock

The function worktag is easy to overlook. It often auto-populates, but you do still need to review it, because it describes the "why" of an expense. Function describes the mission or purpose of an expense, which is key for reporting for NACUBO, GASB, state reporting, and a host of other types of reporting. So that's pretty important!

Let's take a look at how you may encounter function and some resources that can help:

Function is required on all expenditure transactions. In most cases, it will auto-populate based on the driver worktag (Gift, Grant, Designated, or Project) you selected. In the case of a grant, you won't change the function. When using the project worktag, the multi-funding source will run and replace the auto-populated function, so you can leave it as is. If you're using a gift or designated worktag, you do need to do a quick double-check to make sure things look OK with your function.

You may not be very familiar with your functions, but you can check to see if it's correct by referring to the Function Worktag & Descriptions spreadsheet. It's easy to access this sheet right from Workday by clicking on the blue question mark next to the function box if you have Workday Digital Assist (WDA). If you don't have WDA, you can view the spreadsheet here: https://uvafinance.virginia.edu/resources/function-worktags-and-descriptionsFunction (This link is on the Workday Finance Training page under Workday General Training).

Another great resource about function is the Workday Function Overview, available in the Online Community. This gives great examples and practical scenarios of how the functions work in business situations.

Not only is it important that employees review and validate function prior to the completion of each business process, but also, preparers and approvers should review and validate (and fix, if necessary) function during the account certification process. And, of course, centrally, a review and validation cycle where transactions are reviewed at a high level for accuracy and consistency with NACUBO definitions is in process.

If you're not sure about which function to use, please always contact askfinance@virginia.edu.

More Request Based Access Tips

In the last blog digest and in our most recent Fiscal Administrators' meeting, we shared some updates and helpful tips on request-based access for our finance systems.  Based on the questions that popped up during Fiscal Admin (a great group to ask pertinent questions!), here are a few more helpful nuggets of info regarding security roles and system access: 

• If you're requesting multiple roles that require training, all training will need to be completed before the request is approved.  You may want to consider submitting separate requests for each role, especially if you are requesting a lof of roles and/or if you have an urgent need for a particular role.
• If you are requesting multiple roles, separate the ones that require training from the ones that don't so the ones that don't require training can go through more quickly. 
• What roles have required training? View here:  https://uvafinance.virginia.edu/finance-security-roles
• When an employee leaves who has created POs, how is the approval of a change order handled when they terminate employment with UVA?  If you have POs that are created by an employee who leaves the University, the owner of the PO will need to be changed.  Submit a request to AskFinance for the owner of the PO to be changed.
• When you terminate an employee in Workday, the employee is removed from their position, and the roles are still attached to the position number.  When the position is filled, they will be assigned those roles (they will need to complete training in order to receive access to the roles).  You can certainly request that the roles of a person leaving a position be assigned to another person until the position is filled.  This can be done via the request-based access process or via contacting Ask Finance.

As always, if you have questions or concerns, contact us at askfinance@virginia.edu 

________________________________________________________________

Related Content: Finance System Access Request Updates

New Senior Buyer brings Knowledge, Enthusiasm to the Team

Prior to joining the UVAFinance Procurement and Supplier Diversity team, Sara Johnson-Ward worked as the Senior Contracting Officer at the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission (VIDC), also known as the State Public Defender.

For most of her career, she has worked for the State of Virginia, with her longest tenure serving at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. She was a buyer for the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation and established a book distribution agreement with the University of Virginia Press.

"In 2004, I had my son and it became clear that I needed a position that did not require extensive travel – state procurement was the logical transition with my skill set," she shares. "I worked at the Virginia Department of Fire Programs and the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation before working at VIDC."

As the new Senior Buyer for the Services and Athletics procurement team, Johnson-Ward will be procuring conference, lodging, and ground transportation services for UVA among other goods and services.

Sara Johnson-Ward

"When I made the transition to state procurement, I set a
goal to work for a university because I enjoyed working at VMFA," she says. "As an educational organization, VMFA was a wonderful collaborative work environment. I am happy to make my way back to serve the public in the education field, and the timing was perfect."

Johnson-Ward is pleased to be a part of a supportive team and is enthusiastic about new challenges, "So
far, my biggest challenge is learning the university’s 
systems, but I enjoy learning so I am up for it!"

Comprehensive training and exploring the systems are getting her up to speed and she credits her team with an invaluable depth of knowledge in helping her acclimate.

Outside of work, you can find her on the links with her family.

"As the mom of a high school senior who has played golf since he was four, I love watching my son’s golf matches," she says. "To be outside in the fresh air and enjoy the day, is a gift. I have one season left to do this and might have to take up golf again myself! I will have more time to spend in my art studio as well."

Melody Bianchetto Retirement Reception Photos

It's not even been a week and we miss her already!  

If you'd like to relive last week when we said our fond goodbyes to Melody Bianchetto as VP of Finance (with the understanding that they're just "see you soons" in terms of her being our fellow Wahoo and neighbor), check out these Flickr photostreams and prepare to get a little misty-eyed:

Melody's Carruthers Luncheon

Melody's JPJ Reception

__________________________________________________________

Related Content:  Melody Bianchetto's "Farewell Tour" podcasts on Finance Matters - Career Reflections, DEI Reflections , Melody's "Brown Bag Series" (under "Resource Library")

Time With A Trainer: February Time Slots Available

The Training Team has made their February calendars (and in some cases, beyond) available to the UVA community on the Workday Finance Training page. 

If you find yourself needing a boost on a finance task, facing a conundrum on a transaction, or needing confirmation that you've done something correctly, slide on into their schedule for a little one-on-one time!

Visit the Workday Finance Training Page and scroll down to Time with a Trainer to check trainer availability by subject area. 

This February, Catch up with The Sprint!

At least a couple of times per month, the UVAFinance Equity Action Team hosts "Sprint Discussions," informal Zoom discussions of diversity, equity, and inclusion, with topics chosen by those attending. 

Sprints are a great way to catch up with colleagues and have open, interesting talks where we all learn from one another.  We've talked about podcasts and TV shows, historical figures and current events, and much more.  

We hope you'll join us for our February Sprint Discussions, as we tackle Allyship:

Thursdays, February 9 & 23, 4 pm

• In the two February sessions, we’ll discuss Allyship. What defines a real, effective ally, and how is that different from what we sometimes see in the world around us?
• Some helpful resources to check out: 
•  The Guide to Allyship
• The Keys to Allyship
• As always, we’ll also reserve time for current events discussion.

If the Sprint Discussions aren't already on your calendar, email us at the UVAFinance Equity Action Team and we'll fix that for you!  UVAFinance Sprints are optional and open to all. 

NEW:  Beginning January 2023, THE SPRINT PODCAST

If you miss a Sprint discussion, don't worry!  We've started a short-form podcast called The Sprint where we discreetly recap the content of discussions (no recordings, no revealing of the conversations) and the resources we used so that you can stay in the loop.  Check out the Sprint podcast online.

_____________________________________________________________

Related resources:  Learn more about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in UVAFinance on the UVAFinance website. 

Improve your Well Being and Earn Rewards Through Hoos Well

Hoos Well is excited to kick off a new year offering UVA employees and team members access to evidenced-backed resources and programs that support healthy lifestyles and help meet personal physical, financial, emotional, and social well-being goals. 

Employees and spouses on the UVA or UPG Health Plan can earn up to $500 in rewards by engaging in reward-eligible activity. 

Get started with the Spark Appreciation Challenge, beginning February 2.

Related Content:  Wellness Offerings from HoosWell and FEAP

Wellness Resources: February 9, 2023

Spark Appreciation to Fire up your Well-Being
Feb 2, 12 PM
Presented by FEAP, (kick-off for Spark Appreciation Challenge)

• Did you know that practicing appreciation can help improve work relationships and general morale, and lead to a more positive work culture? Join the Spark Appreciation Challenge starting on Feb 2nd.
• Stephanie Wagner, Healthy Minds lead Trainer and board-certified health coach, will share her knowledge and kick off the challenge at the Feb 2 webinar.
• The challenge features:3 weeks of guided lessons and practices in the Healthy Minds Program app
• Assessments to track your progress
• Weekly encouragement emails with tips to bring appreciation alive at work

Enhance Inclusion & Compassion Skills

• Complete the Diversity & Inclusion on-demand program offered by eM Life which focuses on enhancing skills of inclusion and compassion by improving your ability to be self-aware, to listen and identify unconscious bias.
• You must have an EM Life account to participate in this program. eM Life is free to employees on a UVA Health Plan. Learn more about eM Life and set up an account HERE.

On-demand Financial Webinars Available  Access on-demand financial webinars on a variety of topics including: 

• Debt Management and Budgeting
• Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) – Setting Financial Goals
• Saving for Future Higher Education Expenses
• VRS Financial Literacy

___________________________________________________

Related Content:  Earn Rewards through HoosWell

Break up with your Space Heater this February

Did you know that space heaters are not allowed at UVA? 

This February 14th - 28th, abide by UVA policy and break up with your space heater! 

Space heaters are energy-intensive and can be a serious safety hazard. If you are currently using a space heater on Grounds, sign up to turn it in -- no questions asked -- for a free safe and sustainable warming alternative. After signing up, bring your space heater to the UVA ReUse Store (580 McCormick Road) and receive an electric heating pad, which uses just one-tenth of the energy but still heats effectively.

Read more and sign up on UVASustainability's website.

Records & Info Management Invites You to Learn to Manage Email Efficiently

 

Register for these or any other sessions