Overview

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This article covers how to enter basic Commitment data via Task 7.2 Enter Basic Commitment Data, which is the second step of entering a Commitment record in the Resource Commitment Tracking Tool (RCTT)

• The following steps are for users of Excel Smart View
• How to Enter Basic Commitment Data in EPBCS via the EPBCS web application is a separate article 

Critical Concepts

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• Task 7.2 Enter Basic Commitment Data is a data entry form that captures most basic information about a Commitment, except Commitment Amounts
• This form displays all Commitment records under a selected POV, but data should only be entered on Source Commitment records (primarily Base Commitment, occasionally Reclass Commitment)
• Data should not be entered on Transfer In Commitment records, as these are the view-only records produced for the Destination
• Cell colors have meaning:
  
  • Light orange fields indicate data has been entered but not saved - all data must be saved by clicking the Submit Data button in the Smart View Excel ribbon before proceeding to the next task
  • Pale yellow fields with data indicate data in the field has been saved and submitted to the database
  • Grey fields are view-only
  • Red fields require input before Commitment can be finalized
• Special characters can cause issues in databases, and should not be used in values or descriptions, for more information on special characters, see Oracle's article on Naming Restrictions for Dimensions, Members, and Aliases
• Additional data entry, including Commitment Amounts, are entered in Task 7.3 Enter Commitment Details
  
  

Steps to Take

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Navigating to Task 7.2 Enter Basic Commitment Data in Smart View

1. Open Excel workbook and connect to EPBCS Planning environment
   
2. Login using Single Sign-On
3. In the Private Connections Smart View panel, expand each node in the connection panel by clicking the ‘+’ symbols until you see the Task Lists folder, then click on the ‘+’ symbol next to Task Lists to populate the list of commitment tracking forms
   
   
   
   
4. Double-click 7 - Create and Manage Commitments to expand the Task List - this will result in a new view in the panel
   
   
   
   
5. Double-click task 7.2 Enter Basic Commitment Data to render the form in the active Excel sheet

Locating Commitment Record

1. With Task 7.2 form open in the sheet, search for the relevant CTID by using the Ctrl + F key combination
2. Click the Find All or Find Next buttons until you navigate to the correct Base Commitment or Reclass Commitment record
   
   

Note:

• From the POV, you may change the Financial Unit selection to the Financial Unit you are working on in order to narrow down the results in the form
• Likewise, if you are unable to find the CTID you are looking for, make sure your Financial Unit selection is broad enough
• You are able to select a single Financial Unit or a parent level member of the Financial Unit hierarchy
  
  

Enter Basic Commitment Data

1. Once you have located the correct record, enter the name of your Commitment in the CT Name - Description field and click Submit Data within the Smart View Excel ribbon
   
   Note: When you make any edits to the form, the cell you are editing will turn light orange. When you click on the Submit Data button, the cell will turn back to pale yellow to indicate that the data has been submitted to the database
   
   
   
   
2. In the CT Source Task field, select a Task (if desired) from the drop-down menu
   
   Note: Task is an optional field - you can record task information if you wish to report on it for potential use in PPM budgets. This field does not impact the rest of your Source chart string selections or the way the resources are ultimately transferred on the General Ledger
   
   
3. In the CT Start Date field, enter a start date for the Commitment - you can either enter the date manually in m/d/yy format, or double click on the cell and select the date from the calendar
   
   
   
   
4. In the CT End Date field, enter an end date for the Commitment - you can either enter the date manually in m/d/yy format, or double click on the cell and and select the date from the calendar
   
   • If your Commitment has a budget type of Recurring, your end date should correspond to the last day of the fiscal year in which your Commitment began (i.e., a Commitment with a CT Start Date of 7/1/20 should have a CT End Date of 6/30/21)
   • This ends resource transfers through the Resource Commitment Tracking Tool as the amounts are shifted to be transferred through Recurring Base Budget allocations in the following year
5. In the CT Initiate Date field, enter a date only if resource transfers should begin on a date other than the CT Start Date (i.e., the Commitment technically began at the beginning of the year, but resource transfers did not begin until a few months later)
   
   • If the date entered in CT Start Date is earlier than the date entered in CT Initiate Date, then the month of the Initiate Date will incorporate the full Commitment Amount due since the CT Start Date
6. The CT Lump Sum Month field should be used to indicate the month in which a lump sum transfer of the entire commitment amount should occur
   
   • When a month is selected in this field, that same month is applied throughout the lifecycle of the Commitment
   • Leaving this field blank will guide the system to apply a monthly spread (instead of lump-sum) calculation based on Start/End/Initiate Date values
   • With a One-Time Multi-Year Commitment, if the month you select has already passed in the current fiscal year, you may enter an Initiate Date to direct the lump-sum payment to a different month
   • Changes in the CT Lump Sum Month and Initiate Date fields may lead to a double-allocation in a single year
   • Always check your distribution schedule on Task 7.3 Enter Commitment Details to verify accuracy, and use Monthly Adjustments to correct as necessary
7. In the CT Created By field, select your own name from the drop-down menu provided
8. In the CT Approved By field, select the name of the approver - generally the administrative/financial head of your unit - to record the approver of the Commitment
   
   Note: The Approver will not receive any email notifications from the RCTT, and does not take action to approve the commitment within the RCTT - this field is for reporting purposes only
   
   
9. In the CT Type (Commitment Type) field, choose a Commitment Type that describes the intended utilization of these resources (i.e., Academic Salaries)
10. In the CT Destination FinU field, select a Financial Unit from the drop-down menu
11. In the CT Destination Project Level field, select a Project Number (if applicable) from the drop-down menu
12. Confirm the CT Destination Fund is the same as the CT Source Fund previously selected
    
    Note: The Destination Fund defaults to the same fund selected for the source, to prevent unintended fund-crossing. However, if you have an approved reason to cross funds, you may select a different fund from the drop-down menu
    
    
13. Confirm the CT Destination Function is the same as the CT Source Function previously selected
    
    Note: The Destination Function defaults to the same function selected for the source, but you may select a different function from the drop-down menu
    
    
14. In the CT Destination Task  field, you may optionally select a Task from the drop-down menu - see Note under Step 2 for more information on Task fields
15. In the CT User Notes field, enter any useful contextual notes for processing - this field is optional
    
    Note: The CT User Notes field is visible to those with access to the Source Financial Unit, and are not meant to be visible to the Destination
    
    
16. In the CT Notes to Destination field, enter any useful contextual notes to which you would like the Destination to have access - this field is optional
17. If you wish to attach supporting documentation to your Commitment record, follow the steps below, otherwise, move on to Step #23
18. If needed, you may attach supporting documentation in the relevant FY column by hovering over the cell and selecting Attachments from the Action Menu
    
    
19. Within the Attachments dialog box, select the down-arrow next to Attach, and choose File
    
    
    
    
20. Your File Explorer will appear - once you have selected the appropriate file, select Open in the File Explorer dialog box
    
    
    
    
21. You should see a timestamped record of the document you uploaded - click Close to close the Attachments dialog box and return to Task 7.2 Enter Basic Commitment Data
    
    
    
    
22. After successfully attaching documentation to a cell, the cell will contain a red border to indicate the attachment
    
    • Attachments are not reportable, but are viewable within the EPBCS Web Application., while users can technically attach documents to any editable cell, best practice is to use only the FY cells created specifically for attachments in Task 7.2 Enter Basic Commitment Data
    • Only the following file formats are supported for attachments: [.csv, .xls, .xlsx, .txt, .zip, .jlf, .doc, .docx, .ppt, .pptx, .rtf, .pdf, .gdoc., .gsheet, .gslides, .msg])
      
      
23. Once all information is entered, select Submit Data from the Smart View Excel ribbon to submit all of your data entry to the database
    
    • Data entry cells should return to pale yellow to confirm that your basic Commitment data was successfully submitted
24. If you need to enter data for multiple CTIDs, repeat Steps #1-23 as needed
25. When ready to enter additional Commitment details (i.e., Commitment Amount), right-click on any cells within Columns A-G of the active commitment row
26. Select Smart View located at the bottom of the pop-up window, and select one of the Details Time Horizon views
    
    • Generally, you will want to select a View that encapsulates the duration of your Commitment, i.e. select Details 1 Year Horizon for a One-Time Commitment in the current FY, or Details 5 Year Horizon for a One-Time Multi-Year Commitment spanning between 3 and 5 years
      
      
      
      
27. This selection will generate Task 7.3 Enter Commitment Details where you can enter additional information and take action on your Commitment