FIN How-to: Creating Journal Entries

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In the Finance System (FIN), there is a central navigation path for all journal entry types, regardless if the journal entry is an actual journal entry, a budget journal entry, etc.

1. Log into the Finance System.
2. From the Finance & Accounting homepage, click on the Create/Update Journal Entries tile.
3. On the Add a New Value page, confirm the Journal Date and select Add.
   
   On the Header page
4. The Long Description is where you will enter the journal description detail. You have 254 characters available in this field.
5. Confirm the appropriate Ledger Group on the Header page is identified.
6. The Journal Source Code will default and is tied to your User ID. The journal source code is an important piece of information on your financial reports.
7. Select Attachments to add supporting documentation for this journal entry now.
   … Or, if you’re processing multiple journals, you can add attachments later using the Upload Journal Attachment page. See FIN How-to: Adding Attachments to learn more. 
8. Click Add Attachment.
9. Click Choose File.
10. Locate and select the file on your computer and click Open.
11. Click Upload.
12. If you wish, insert a file description in the Description field.
13. Click OK. The Attachments link on the Header page should now have a numerical value in parentheses. This indicates that the file was successfully attached.
14. After completing the information on the Header page, select the Lines page.
    
    On the Lines page
     
15. The Lines section will default with Line 1. Enter the appropriate SpeedType in the SpeedType field and select tab on your keyboard. Clicking tab on your keyboard after you enter the SpeedType will populate the other ChartField information for Fund, Org, and Program or Project.
    
    Note: If you work with projects, you should always enter the SpeedType on a journal line instead of the FOPPS. The SpeedType will default additional required fields for projects such as PC Bus Unit and Activity ID.
     
16. Enter the Account. When you enter the Account, the Account Description will populate the Journal Line Description field. This should be changed to reflect the purpose of the transaction.
17. Enter the Amount.
18. For Project Related Journal Entries, you will need to complete the AN Type field. This is the Analysis Type, and it affects what is billed for the project.
     
    • GLE if the Account ChartField value is an expense (between 400000-989999)
    • GLR if the Account ChartField value is a revenue (between 200000-399999)
    • BAL if the Account ChartField value is a balance sheet transaction (<=199999)
    • In budget journal entries, enter BUD.
       
19. To add an additional line to the journal entry, click the plus sign (insert lines button). You can add multiple lines at one time by changing the number in the Lines to Add field.
20. Repeat the steps in this section for additional lines.
21. Click Save. The Finance System will assign a Journal ID to the Journal Entry.
22. After you have entered and saved a journal entry, you must run the Edit Journal process to ensure that the journal entry is validated. You validate a journal entry to ensure:
     
    • Your Fund and Account combination is valid; (For example, you cannot pay for an official function with alcohol using a Fund 10 SpeedType)
    • You are not using the Cash control account (000100)
    • You are not using a Budget-Only Account (Budget Pool Account) (such as 480000 Office Admin General Budget) on an Actual Journal Entry; and,
    • The Actual Journal Entry is in balance (your debits equal your credits)
       
23. The Edit Journal process is completed on the Lines Page. Select Edit Journal in the Process dropdown menu. Prior to completing the Edit Journal process, the Journal Status will be N, meaning “Not yet edited.”
24. Click Process.
25. After the Edit Journal process runs, the Journal Status field will reflect either V for Valid status or E for Error status. You can check the error by selecting the Errors tab.
    
    To submit the JE
     
26. Once the journal is validated, you will submit the journal for approval. On the lines page, you can select Submit Journal from the Process dropdown menu, then click Process.
    To be able to see that the journal has been submitted, you can also submit the journal from the Approvals page by clicking the Submit button. This will initiate Workflow, and route the journal for approval.
27. After the journal has been submitted, the Approval Stages area will appear.
28. You can view the approval flow under the Approval Stages section. Click Multiple Approvers to see who the journal routed to for approval.