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Frequently Asked Questions

General

The last four digits of the JV Reference number identify the department responsible. Refer to the assigned JV list to determine the contact name and phone number. If the JV was posted prior to October 2002, and the last four digits of the Reference number are higher then 1400, contact Accounting Systems Administration at 919-684-2752 for more information.

You can post to the closing period until noon on the third business day after the last day of the period (Day +3).  After that time, only those with CLS3 access can post until approximately 2PM on Day +5.  The next fiscal period is open during this time so please be sure to check the period and posting date on any JVs or uploads you submit during this time.

Note: The exception to this rule is year end. Please refer to the fiscal calendar for more information on the year-end deadline. 

 

The reference number on your financial report will determine the appropriate department to call. If the reference number starts with: 1) “DC” - contact the Bursars Office at 919-684-3531, 2) “IC” - contact Employee Travel & Reimbursement at 919-668-3877) “JV” – refer to the Assigned JV List.
If you are looking for information on any JV dated prior to October 2002 and the reference number is higher than 1400, contact Accounting Systems Administration at 919-684-2752.  
If you are missing a copy of a vendor invoice, contact Accounts Payable at 919-684-3112.

Go to the online form to change your listing. You will need your Duke Unique ID to make any changes.

Yes, see GAP 200.135 Acquisition of Goods and Services Overview for guidance of what method to use in order to acquire a good or service.

The Cost Object Request form must be completed and faxed or mailed back to Accounting Systems Administration. The form can be downloaded from the web. On the form, check the Change box, enter the cost object, and fill in the new document recipient.

Accounts Payable

The reference number on your financial report will determine the appropriate department to call. If the reference number starts with: 1) “DC” - contact the Bursars Office at 919-684-3531, 2) “IC” - contact Employee Travel & Reimbursement at 919-668-3877) “JV” – refer to the Assigned JV List.
If you are looking for information on any JV dated prior to October 2002 and the reference number is higher than 1400, contact Accounting Systems Administration at 919-684-2752.  
If you are missing a copy of a vendor invoice, contact Accounts Payable at 919-684-3112.

Call 919-684-3112 for Accounts Payable Customer Service, and have the following information prior to calling:
  • Vendor Name
  • Purchase Order number (If applicable)
  • Invoice number
  • Invoice amount
  • Invoice date

Processing time is generally one to two weeks.  Vendor terms will determine when the request will process for payment.  All payments are made with net 30 day terms unless the payment qualifies for different terms per GAP 200.136, Accounts Payable Check Request and a request for a change in payment terms is noted in the Comment Section on the electronic check request.  Net 30 means the check will be printed and mailed 30 days from the invoice date.  Checks are printed on Mondays and Wednesdays.  When a holiday falls on a Monday, a check run will be generated the Friday prior and Tuesday and Thursday the week of.  When the type of payment qualifies for special pick up, you will be contacted when the check is available.*

No. All payments to students and employees are handled by Employee Travel & Reimbursement, or Payroll. Please visit their websites for more information.

The quickest way to get your check request processed is to submit it electronically, with Priority Level 1.; Monitor the status of the check request and ask your approvers to approve the request as soon as it reaches them. Once the check request has been approved, call Corporate Accounts Payable (919-684-3112) and ask to speak to a Check Request Auditor. You would then be able to explain the circumstances and ask for a quick turn around. Please provide the Check Request Auditor with the check request number to be approved, and her or she can expedite processing for you.

An Accounts Payable Check Request for an emergency must be submitted electronically and receive immediate departmental and funding source approval. The request must route  to Corporate Accounts Payable by 10:00 AM on Mondays and Wednesdays for that day's payment run. Call Corporate Accounts Payable (919-684-3112) and ask to speak to a member of the management team to relay the urgency of the situation. Please provide the management team with the check request number to be approved.

For personal services, an ICC form is required for every check request submission. See the Forms page. The only exception would be for honorariums and guest speakers. For additional information, refer to GAPs 200.128 and 200.129.

No, Social Security numbers are not required, with the exception of Per Diem requests. However, please note that Accounts Payable Check Requests cannot be used for employees or students. These must be requested on a Miscellaneous Reimbursement Form and sent to Employee Travel and Reimbursement.

Documentation attached should be the backup or invoice; no additional copies are required.

No, to reduce the risk of checks being misdirected and for proper internal controls, the address on the check must be the vendor address.

For a Standing Order or a Purchase Order, an Accounts Payable Check Request is not needed. The invoice is submitted directly to Accounts Payable with the Purchase Order number referenced on the invoice.

No.  With the Implementation of imaging, AP will no longer send copies of any invoices. Please visit the SAP website for instructions on viewing images.  Departments are able to view electronic check requests via the Check Request Utility Tool.  Please view the online tutorial on how to use this tool for more information.

Initially you should verify that the check has issued and has not been cashed. Step by Step instructions are located at on the SAP website. You will also see notes in SAP stating that the check may have been returned. If the check is still open and no return notification is present, a cancellation and reissue of the check can be requested. Please contact Accounts Payable Customer Service at 919-684-3112 for this request. Please also note that if the check was mailed to the correct address, we generally require a 30 day waiting period from the issue date before the check will be reissued.

Please send the check to Box 104131, with an explanation for cancellation.

No, we may be in receipt of the invoice, however, it could be held up for processing issues, missing information, etc. To prevent duplication, please contact Accounts Payable customer service at 919-684-3112 first to verify invoice status.

A goods receipt is a SAP transaction that is sometimes required on a Purchase Order to allow the department to properly track when items are received and when the expense posts. This must be completed by the "goods recipient" or other end user to release the invoice payment. Please visit the SAP website for step-by-step instructions.

Please review the step-by-step instructions on Reconciliation and Documents. There you will see a section about how to see if a check has been issued.

The formula to use depends on the percentage of taxes to be withheld.  Please see below for the formulas to gross up for the most commonly seen tax withholding percentages.
  • Payment subject to 4% NC withholding from Nonresidents for Personal Services: divide payment amount by 0.96 (example: payment to be received is $2,000.00, the amount to enter on the check request is $2,083.33)
  • Payment subject to 34% Foreign National tax withholding on compensation for services rendered in North Carolina (30% Federal, 4% NC State): divide payment by 0.66 (example: payment to be received is $1,000.00, the amount to enter on the check request is $1,515.15)
  • Payment subject to 30% Foreign National tax withholding on compensation for services rendered outside of North Carolina (but still in the U.S.): divide payment by 0.7 (example: payment to be received is $1,000.00, the amount to enter on the check request is $1,428.57)
  • Any other possible percentage -- call Accounts Payable (919-684-3112) for assistance.
 

Please watch this online video tutorial on how to foward SAP workflows.

To create a substitute, please watch this online video tutorial on how to share your SAP Workflow Inbox.
If you are the substitute and need to access the workflows that are sent to the person primarily responsible for the workflows, please watch this online video tutorial on how to invoke substitution.

Valuated Goods Receipt

When purchase orders require valuated goods receipt, the following conditions apply:

  • Goods receipt must be completed to authorize payment to the vendor for all lines of the PO.
  • The accounting event occurs when the goods receipt is performed. 
  • If the goods receipt occurs before the invoice is entered, the goods receipt assumes the value of the purchase order. Once invoice is entered, the posted expense adjusts to reflect the value reflected on the invoice
  • If the goods receipt occurs after the invoice is entered the goods receipt assumes the value of the invoice.
  • If items are returned to the vendor, a goods return must be entered against the PO line in order for a credit to be posted against the cost object. 
  • The GRIR clearing account (190600) is used as the offset account for the expense posting (goods receipt), credit posting (goods return) or the vendor liability posting (invoice entry). The GRIR account is balanced and cleared when the goods receipt quantity and the invoice entry quantity are the same. The balancing ensures the funding source is appropriately adjusted.
  • In the event of a price block, the posted expense will align with the amount of the invoice.  If the price is to be adjusted to a lower amount (such as the PO value), funding source will only be adjusted once a credit is receive from the vendor. 
  • Process is the same for single or multi-line purchase orders.

Non-valuated Goods Receipt

When purchase orders require non-valuated goods receipt, the following conditions apply:

  • Goods receipt must be completed to authorize payment to the vendor for all lines of the PO.
  • Posting the invoice is what creates the expense to the funding source.
  • Credits from a vendor post to the funding source once the credit from the vendor is posted. 
  • In the event of a price block, the posted expense will align with the amount of the invoice.  If the price is to be adjusted to a lower amount (such as the PO value), funding source will only be adjusted once a credit is receive from the vendor. 
  • Process is the same for single or multi-line purchase orders.

Electronic Accounts Payable Check Requests

Yes, an email will be sent to Ad-hoc approvers indicating they have a check request in the Universal Worklist that requires approval.

SAP uses the International Standards Organizations abbreviation for countries.  US is the ISO abbreviation for the United States of America. 

To effectively search for G/L codes, use the wild card, “*”, before and after the code to ensure G/L codes are returned. 

Yes, however, a warning message displays indicating that a request typically has attachments.

The Close button does not Save, it closes the AP Check Request.  Any information that has not been saved, will be lost.  Select Save frequently to ensure information is being captured in the request. 

No.  If ACH is the standard payment method associated with a vendor’s record there is no need to select the Wire Transfer button and attach the wire form.  If this is not the standard payment method, Treasury does have the ability to send funds via ACH to US financial institutions and the Wire Transfer button and appropriate form would need to be submitted.  If you are unsure of the payment method associated with the vendor, - please contact Corporate Accounts Payable at 684-3112. 

Use the Tax Payer Identification Field for tax numbers besides social security numbers and individual taxpayer identification numbers.

While there is no specific way to identify wires, AP recommends using a high priority level to ensure visibility through the workflow process. 

No, it doesn’t take it out of workflow.  It detours it to the Ad-hoc Approver.  Once approved by the Ad-hoc Approver, the request will resume the defined workflow path.

If the vendor's address changes, a new W-9 should be attached to the check request.  Users will receive a warning message indicating that a new W-9 should be attached. 
 
Please note:  Best practice is to validate that the master data for the vendor's address is correct.  Submitters can use paperwork or information from the vendor to confirm that the address is correct. An incorrect/non-matching address could result is the vendor's check being sent to the wrong address or delays in processing the check request while Accounts Payable gets a W-9 from the vendor.   

PDF is the file format that can be used.

No, there are no changes to Duke’s standard net payment terms.  Payment terms for AP check requests are defined in GAP200.136. 

No, only the submitter can delete the attachment.

Yes, the workflow will start over.

Yes, however, you can’t approve an AP check request that you submitted.

Master Data is updated through Duke@Work.  Access is available to everyone with the SAP Finance Role through the Master Data link found on the Financial Reports page.  Please note, individuals are assigned to master data funding sources by their NetID not their position.  Master Data must be updated in the event of personnel changes. 

Based on the type of payment, this information may or may not be critical.  If Duke does not have a tax reporting requirement on the payment, select any region associated with the country where the payment is being sent.  Region is a required data field; therefore, the check will not process without it.  If there is a tax reporting requirement, please contact the vendor and ask for address and region information to help ensure tax documents are sent to the correct location.  If you are unsure as to whether or not a payment is reportable by Duke, please contact Corporate Accounts Payable at 684-3112.    

No, the list cannot be filtered and columns cannot be customized; however, you can select the column heading and sort the list. 

If you were the original submitter of the check request being copies, the copy function will copy “general” attachments and “sensitive” attachments.  If you are copying a check request that was created by a different submitter, it will only copy “general” attachments. 

Use the Oanda website at http://www.oanda.com/currency/converter/.     
Please note, the currency converter is used on the check request tool only to determine workflow routing.  Conversion can be done simply by inputting applicable amounts as seen below.
As a reminder the actual conversion value of the payment will be determined at the time the wire is sent.  This value conversion is only used as an estimate to determine workflow routing.

No.  Once added, the ad-hoc approver can’t be removed. If you encounter a problem, please contact Corporate Accounts Payable (684-3112) or email APOnlineCheck@duke.edu and ask that the workflow be forwarded. 

The formula to use is as follows, take the amount that you wish to pay the individual and divide by .64.
Example:
You wish to request a Foreign National payment and cover the Federal (30%) and State (6%) taxes.
  • Payment amount is to be $1,000.00
  • $1,000.00/.64 = $1,562.50
  • Online check amount to be entered will be $1,562.50
  • When the online check request payment is processed, SAP will deduct 30% for federal taxes and 6% for state taxes ($1,562.50*.36=$562.50)
  • Net amount of the check to the individual will be $1,000.00 ($1,562.50 - $562.50 = $1,000.00)

Yes.  The APay post date and the G/L post date are the same. 

If the check request has NOT posted for payment, users can double click on the check request number field to open a view only copy of the electronic check request.  Select the "Display Agents" button located under the "Comments" field for a complete listing of workflow routing for the check request. 
If the check request HAS posted for payment, users can double click on the check request number field.  This action will launch the SMART form used to display all information about the check request.  The last data field on the second page will include information on who approved the check request. 

Yes they can as long as it is approved by the Fiduciary of the fund.

Per GAPs 200.030 and 200.032, these cash funds require approval from the designated Fiduciary of the fund in order to replenish the fund.  As with all electronic check requests, the check request routes to department and funding source approvers.  If the Fiduciary of the fund is not in one of these approval roles, he/she should be added as an Ad Hoc approver to the check request. 

With both cost centers and WBS elements check request submitters should not use the dash between the third and fourth digit of the cost center/WBS element. 

Check requests can be locked in the UWL when connectivity is lost while the check request is open for approval.  In the event that the check request is locked during approval, select the “Cancel Assignment” button that will appear when the check request is highlighted in the UWL.   The button appears on the far left of the action buttons after the description of the check request details.  Once the screen refreshes, the status should change to “New” and the approver will be able to launch the check request.

Check requests returned for correction should be accessed through the Universal Worklist.  Once the check request is opened through the Universal Worklist, submitters can access all fields of the check request and make the necessary changes.

When a check request approval is locked, the “Approve” button does not display in the Universal Worklist. Check requests can become locked due to connectivity issues with an internet browser. Instead of the “Approve” button”, users will see a “Cancel Assignment” button. Select the “Cancel Assignment” button which will release the lock on the check request. The “Approve” button” will then become available.

 A check request is canceled by accessing the check request in the Utility. Select the check request to be canceled and click the continue processing non-submitted request button. This opens the check request. Select the cancel button at the top of the form which will move the check request to a canceled status. Please note: Once canceled, the check request does not disappear. It will remain permanently in a canceled status that prevents it from being paid.

This occurs when your elements are hidden. To unhide the elements, right click on your screen. Next click “User Settings”, then click “Invisible Elements”. This will allow you to restore the hidden elements.

Cost Objects & General Ledger

The last four digits of the JV Reference number identify the department responsible. Refer to the assigned JV list to determine the contact name and phone number. If the JV was posted prior to October 2002, and the last four digits of the Reference number are higher then 1400, contact Accounting Systems Administration at 919-684-2752 for more information.

You can post to the closing period until noon on the third business day after the last day of the period (Day +3).  After that time, only those with CLS3 access can post until approximately 2PM on Day +5.  The next fiscal period is open during this time so please be sure to check the period and posting date on any JVs or uploads you submit during this time.

Note: The exception to this rule is year end. Please refer to the fiscal calendar for more information on the year-end deadline. 

 

For the University: To close a restricted cost object (3xx), the department must submit written request to the Office of Sponsored Programs. To close a non-restricted cost object, the department must indicate the closing on a cost object request form and submit the form to their Management Center (ex: Provost or Medical Center) for approval. For the Health System: To close a WBS element the department must submit a request to the Financial Planning and Analysis department. Questions regarding these requests should be directed to them at 416-6839. To close a cost/profit center the department must submit a request to the General Accounting and Financial Reporting Office. Questions regarding these requests should be directed to them at 286-6350.

Once it has been determined that a separate and specific accounting is required for an activity, each department has a central finance area where each code is approved. For the University:
  • All restricted cost objects (3xx) are sent to the Medical Center Grants & Contacts (for the Medical Center) or Office of Research Support (for other University areas).
  • All unrestricted budgeted cost objects (1xx) requests are forwarded to the Budget Office of your Management Center (ex: Provost or Medical Center) for approval.
  • For all remaining cost objects: Medical Center departments send the request to the Medical Center Finance and Resource Planning Office. The University's schools and academic departments go through the Provost Office.
For Duke Hospital or Health System:
  • WBS elements: The department must submit a request to Financial Planning and Analysis. If you have questions about submitting this request, contact them at 416-6851.
  • Cost/profit center: The department must submit a request to General Accounting and Financial Reporting. If you have questions about submitting this request, contact them at 286-6350.

To determine the correct G/L account to use when recording a transaction, you must first determine whether the transaction represents an expense (6xxxxxx), revenue (3xxxxx), asset (1xxxxx) or liability (2xxxxx). The available G/L accounts are listed and defined on the web. Once you have reviewed the list, if you still have questions, contact Accounting Systems Administration at 919-684-2752.

The Cost Object Request form must be completed and faxed or mailed back to Accounting Systems Administration. The form can be downloaded from the web. On the form, check the Change box, enter the cost object, and fill in the new document recipient.

Contact Accounting Systems Administration at 919-684-2752.

SAP

If when trying to login to Kerberos (Authentic Login) you get the message password incorrect, first make sure your caps lock button is not on. Passwords are case sensitive and must be typed in lower case. If you still get the password incorrect message, call the help desk and ask to have your password reset: OIT Help Desk: 919-684-2200 DHTS Help Desk: 919-684-2243

The reference number on your financial report will determine the appropriate department to call. If the reference number starts with: 1) “DC” - contact the Bursars Office at 919-684-3531, 2) “IC” - contact Employee Travel & Reimbursement at 919-668-3877) “JV” – refer to the Assigned JV List.
If you are looking for information on any JV dated prior to October 2002 and the reference number is higher than 1400, contact Accounting Systems Administration at 919-684-2752.  
If you are missing a copy of a vendor invoice, contact Accounts Payable at 919-684-3112.

Please review the step-by-step instructions on Reconciliation and Documents. There you will see a section about how to see if a check has been issued.

303XXXX is a WBS element and needs to be entered in the WBS Element column and not the Cost Center column. If you enter the number in the WBS Element column the error will go away.

Please watch this online video tutorial on how to foward SAP workflows.

To create a substitute, please watch this online video tutorial on how to share your SAP Workflow Inbox.
If you are the substitute and need to access the workflows that are sent to the person primarily responsible for the workflows, please watch this online video tutorial on how to invoke substitution.