Volume 4 Issue 3 - February 2021

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Recent release highlights

Many new enhancements have been added in both USAS-R and USPS-R since the beginning of CY2021.   Here is a summary of what took place:

USPS-R:

  • Save and Recall feature added to the canned reports listed below.  This feature basically replaces Classic's 'Save/Recall' (aka save sets) allowing you to save report entries under a specified name so that you can recall it at a later time. You can create several 'save sets' under each report.  Very convenient!
    • Employee Earnings Register
    • Payment Transaction Status
    • STRS
    • SERS Per Pay
    • CENSUS
    • Benefit Obligation by Account
    • Benefit Obligation by Employee
    • AFFORD
  • Additional flexibility added to posting attendance entries to current or future payrolls. Before posting your attendance, you now have the option to modify the pay type, description, units, rate, retire hours and (future only) effective date.
    • If you change the pay type to MIS, you can now modify the supplemental flag, supplemental tax option, retire flag, account, employer distribution flag, and leave projection flag.
    • If the pay type is changed to TRM, you can modify the supplemental flag, supplemental tax option, and retire flag.
  • Grid performance was improved on Payroll Items and Adjustments.  Also performance was improved in certain areas during payroll processing such as modifying the payroll, validating and posting payroll, un-posting payrolls, etc.
  • Mass Load improvements made.  Gone are the days when you had to select a specific payroll item or payroll item configuration type to mass load. The system has replaced those with two new importable entities:
    • Payroll Item: one spreadsheet may now contain multiple employees with multiple payroll item types
    • Payroll Item Configuration: one spreadsheet may now contain multiple payroll item configuration types
  • Also added the ability to Mass Load User Adjustment Payables.  Please refer to the mass load documentation in USPS-R for further information.

USAS-R:

  • The ability to email AR Billings is available.  As long as the associated customer has a valid email address, districts can send billings electronically. Just a few simple set up steps (with help from your ITC) and you are on your way. Please refer to the Email Billings section of the Accounts Receivable documentation for further details.
  • The ability to post AP Invoices via CSV file was implemented on the latest USAS-R release.  This feature is accessible via the Import button on the AP Invoice grid and works similarly to the Receipt import.  For your convenience, a template spreadsheet containing the correct headings is available for you to download.  Step-by-step instructions on creating the spreadsheet as well as importing it are provided in the AP Import section of the AP Invoice chapter in the USAS-R User manual.

  • A Repair option has been added to Purchase Orders to allow users to change the PO date, vendor or the account code if the PO/PO charge does not have any payments posted against it.  Any associated outstanding invoices/payables will also be updated.  The new feature replaces similar options available in Classic's VERINV.  Please refer to the Repair option in the Purchase Order chapter in the USAS-R manual for further information.
  • Ability to clone an existing Federal Assistance Detail record.

Adding Query Parameters to Template Reports 

Many of the existing template reports provide default 'query parameters' under the "Query Options" tab so that you can filter your report (Example of Cash Summary listed below).

However, if you want to customize a template report in order to add additional query parameters to it, here's how:

  1. Openthe report definition via the report manager grid.
  2. Click on the 'Configure Filters' tab which contains the existing query parameters on the report definition.
  3. Select a property (from the list of "Properties" on the left) you want to add as an additional parameter.  It will be listed under the 'Display Name' column.
  4. Select an Operation (click here for more details on the 'Configure filter's operations)
  5. In the Filter Value, you can either:

    1. enter a specific value and it will default to that value every time you run the report. NOTE: it will not display as a parameter under the Query options; or 

    2. create a function: param("name","default value","label") which displays as a query parameter under the Query option.  The creation of a function then allows you to enter the filter of your choice when generating the report.

  will display as  when generating the report. 

Useful links:



Job Calendars

Allow for the creation, copying and mass changing of calendars. There is a Day Count Totals feature giving you totals for specific time periods as well as a custom date range option.  Job Calendars are necessary before new contracts are created for an upcoming contract year. Click here for more information about Job calendars


REDESIGN STATUS

348

Sites Live on Redesign

198

Total Wave 7 Sites

17

Participating ITCs

538

Total Districts Participating


Please view the Current List of Districts & Status to see a comprehensive list of school districts along with their ITC, implementation status and the wave they are scheduled to migrate from Classic to Redesign.

The following terminology is used to determine where in the implementation process the entity is currently at:

  • Implementing: The ITC is running test imports and balancing reports on the entity.  The district and ITC are working to schedule dates to begin dual processing and go live.

  • Paralleling: The entity is inputting all production transactions into both Classic and Redesign.

  • Live: The entity is using Redesign for production processing; no parallel processing is being performed;  Classic is available in 'read-only' mode.


Did You Know?

For the 2021 OASBO Virtual Annual Conference, SSDT will create a pre-recorded track that will be available to conference attendees.  The track is called "Optimizing Business Processes with State Software Redesign" which will cover specific tips/tricks and FAQs in both USAS/USPS to assist with daily processing.