Building a Kuali Chart of Accounts
Vince Schimizzi, Michigan State University
Claire Tyson, San Joaquin Delta College
Kim Yeoh, Cornell University
Agenda
I. Kuali Financial System
(KFS) Key Chart
Features
– Chart
– Organization
– Account/Sub-account
– Fund/Sub-fund
– Function
– Object/Sub-object
– Project Code
– Extended Attributes
II. Laying the Groundwork
– Reporting requirements
– Multiple charts
– Organizational hierarchies
– Security/Workflow
– Chart Document Routing
III. Chart Experiences and
Challenges
– San Joaquin Delta College
– Cornell University
– Michigan State University
Kuali Financial System (KFS)
Key Chart Features
KFS Chart Features
Chart
• An aggregation of related accounts (e.g.
campus, auxiliary activities)
• Individual charts report to higher level
charts
KFS Chart Features
Organization
• A unit of activity typically represented by a
department (e.g. Chemistry is a department in the College of Natural
Science at MSU).
• Organizational structure facilitates
workflow in KFS, strengthening internal
controls
KFS Chart Features
Account/Sub-account
• Specific identifier for a pool of funds
assigned to a specific organization for a
specific function (e.g. a grant account).
• Accounts report up through organizations
• Sub-accounts achieve further division of an
account for internal reporting purposes
Organization Hierarchy
with Accounts/Sub-Accounts
University
Campus
Division
Department
Program A
Program B
Account
Account
Sub-acct 1
Sub-acct 2
KFS Chart Features
Fund/Sub-fund
• Accounts also map to sub fund groups and
then to fund groups (i.e. sub-fund is an attribute of account
number).
• For those that use fund accounting, an
account may belong to
– FUND – restricted
– SUB FUND – grants / sponsored
programs
KFS Chart Features
Function
• Higher education function code is an
attribute of account used in the creation of
functional classification financial reports
• Enables multiple views and levels of
reporting
KFS Chart Features
Object/Sub-object
• Transaction descriptor (asset, liability, fund balance, revenue,
expense)
• Object codes map to levels and then to
consolidations
• Object codes also map to object codes of higher
level charts allowing for the rollup to an
institutional chart for external reporting
• Reports to functionality enables multiple chart of
accounts
KFS Chart Features
Project Code
• Specific transaction attribute
• Established and approved at the
organization level
• Example: Inter-department project
KFS Chart Features
Extended Attributes
• Can be used throughout Chart (e.g. Orgs, Accounts, Object
Codes, etc.)
• Implementation
– Set of developer instructions to use additional table as
an extension of an existing table
– Can be supplemented with support tables to control
related data and structure
• Example
– Linking otherwise unrelated organizational units
Laying the Groundwork
Laying the Groundwork
Reporting Requirements
Questions related to:
• Reporting
–
–
–
–
Institutional financial reporting (external)
Summarized management reporting
Departmental detail
Online queries
• Structure of Institution
– Campuses (organizational units)
– Fund accounting
• Higher Ed Functions
Laying the Groundwork
Multiple Charts
Questions to ask…
• Does the institution need multiple charts?
– For separate campuses
– For Auxiliary operations
• Will interfaced systems be able to
accommodate multiple charts?
• Does there need to be a high level chart for
institutional financial reporting?
Laying the Groundwork
Organizational Hierarchies
Questions to ask…
• Should the institution model its
organizational hierarchy based on:
– lines of authority
– lines of business (disciplines, auxiliaries, etc.)
– system security schemas
– reporting requirements
Laying the Groundwork
Security/Workflow
Questions to ask…
• Will the established chart accounts facilitate
use of the institution’s security management
tool?
• Will the organizational hierarchy enable
desired workflow requirements?
• How can KFS hierarchies and workflow
support the institution’s internal control
policies?
Laying the Groundwork
Chart Document Routing
•The routing sequence of the primary chart documents occur
as follows:
– Account – fiscal officer, org hierarchy, campus chart manager,
university chart manager, special conditions routing
– Account Delegate - fiscal officer, org hierarchy, special conditions
routing
– Organization - org hierarchy, campus chart manager, university
chart manager
– Object Code - campus chart manager, university chart manager
– Sub Accounts/Sub Objects - fiscal officer, org hierarchy, special
conditions routing
– Project Code - org hierarchy
Chart Experiences and Challenges
San Joaquin Delta College
Objectives
• Purpose of a Financial System
–
–
–
–
Data for Decision Making
Financial Tracking
Categorizations
Reporting
• Fulfill Institutional needs for financial data
• Mirror Financial System Org Hierarchy to
Operational Structure
San Joaquin Delta College
Starting with the End in Mind
• Financial Reporting
– Internal
• Management Reports
• Department Accountability
• Online queries
– External
• GASB / FASB requirements
• Federal reporting
• State reporting
• Other
San Joaquin Delta College
KFS Training / Implementation
• Changes
–
–
–
–
–
Campus buy in
Top 3 internal report wish list
Hands on Training
Old to New mapping
What stays the same
Cornell University
Change Management for KFS
• Decentralized campus
• Significant change (not a bad thing!)
• How/when to get campus involvement
– Local module teams
– Start up phase planning (meetings with major campus
colleges/divisions)
– Demos/presentations
– Kuali Days
Cornell University
Reporting Requirements
• Financial reporting (external) vs
management reporting
• Shadow systems
• Faculty reporting
• “Funding Year” reporting
Cornell University
Forward-looking Configuration
• Support the reporting requirements at many
levels
– Use of extended attributes
• Standardization vs flexibility
– Organization level (extended attribute)
– Object codes
– Project code
Michigan State University
KFS Considerations
• Multiple reporting structures vs. a
hierarchical organization structure in KFS.
• Object code groupings (external reporting vs. institutional
budgeting vs. individual deptartment/account needs)
• “User Defined” attributes
• Overall change management