Finanical
Systems
User Group
Meeting
June 24, 2014
Agenda
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Markview Upgrade – the new viewer
Staples Advantage – Update
Permanent Delegation – what you need to know
Questions????
Markview 8
• Why are we upgrading
o Take advantage of a newer viewer
• Easier to view images
• Save documents to PDF
o Ability to pull an invoice that has been sent to a user in error
Markview 8
• When
o Upgrade is currently scheduled for the weekend of July 18th
• How will this impact me?
o System will be unavailable from July 18 @ 4pm until July 21st @ 8am
o After the upgrade all users will view images using the ‘new viewer’
Markview 8
• Markview Home: WebInbox> AP INVOICES:
Markview 8
Let’s take a look-
Delegation of Financial Signing
Authority
:
Delegation of Financial Signing Authority
Related Policies
• Purchasing Policy:
 ensures ethical, efficient and accountable practices are used for procuring goods
and services,
 emphasizes sound business processes for competitive bids and procurement
transactions demonstrating open, fair and transparent methodologies.
• Execution of Contracts Policy:
 specifies the signing authorities required for Contracts entered into on behalf of
the University.
• Approval Authority Schedule Policy:
 specifies the signing authorities required for various types of purchases and
expense reimbursements.
Delegation of Financial Signing Authority
Ryerson is committed to
“effective and efficient management of University’s finances”.
Only those employees with appropriate approval authority are authorized
to approve financial transactions.
The Delegation of Financial Signing Authority policy:
 facilitates efficient decision-making by allowing the authority & responsibility to
approve financial transactions to be assigned,
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ensures that decisions & actions are taken by appropriate approval levels,
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maintains fiscal integrity and creates a sound internal control environment; and
Policy: Purpose & Scope
Purpose:
 establishes principles that govern the delegation of financial signing authority;
 supports the accountability of financial transactions;
 supports the open, fair and transparent management of financial activities.
Scope:
 Applies to all faculty & staff who wish to delegate their financial signing
authority to another employee.
 Does not apply to, or include, financial signing authority for Human
Resources activities (e.g. hiring and compensation).
2 Types of Delegated Financial Signing
Authority
Temporary Delegation
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Temporary absences (vacation or leave) of an employee with permanent authority.
approval of your supervisor is not required.
Delegation is for a specific period - has a Start & End date,
delegated individual receives all of the authority and limits of the delegator.
delegation process is electronic – no forms to complete
Generally not for a period >3 months, could be longer; should not exceed 1 year.
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You can temporarily delegate your financial approval authority to another employee (peer, one level down OR up
any number of levels, per Policy) if you will be away for vacation or leave and unable to respond to requests for
the approval of financial documents.
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To delegate, follow the ‘Vacation Rules’ steps available at any one of the following forms to delegate signing
authority for purchase requisitions and/or expense reimbursement approvals,
o OGF GL: Other / Notifications
o OGF: iProcurement, Requisitions, Notifications, or
o OGF: iExpense Approvals
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Step-by-step screenshot instructions are available at
http://www.ryerson.ca/content/dam/financialservices/about/systems/documents/Vacati
on%20Rules%20To%20Transfer%20Notifications.pdf
Temporary Delegation
Markview Accounts Payable Invoice Approvals,
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To delegate financial signing authority, use the Alternate User Assignment option within
Markview. Note: This action moves the delegator’s Markview INBOX to the individual
receiving the delegation for the indicated period of time.
The delegator will not have access to those documents during the period the INBOX is
assigned.
Step-by-step screenshot instructions are available from:
http://www.ryerson.ca/content/dam/financialservices/about/systems/documents/Altern
ateUserAssignment.pdf
You can
o extended or rescinded the delegation your return occurs earlier or later than originally
expected.
o To rescind temporarily-delegated signing authority, the delegator should use the same
process as was used to assign it.
Permanent Delegation
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Can permanently delegate some/all of their financial signing authority to another employee,
approval of the Delegator’s supervisor is required,
delegated for an indeterminate time frame - has a START date and but generally no END date,
An official Delegation of Financial Signing Authority Form must be completed.
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Term Contracts: Although permanent if Delegator or the one being delegated to has a term
contract - it may be advantageous to set a defined END date for a delegation. Indicate the end
date and who (if anybody) will be replacing that person at the contract end date.
Permanent Delegation
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All requests for permanent delegation of financial signing authority must be submitted to the
Manager, Systems & Training (Financial Services) via a completed Permanent Delegation of
Financial Signing Authority FORM, see link - 3 working days is required for implementation.
http://www.ryerson.ca/financialservices/about/services/forms/index.html
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Form requires the approval signature of the
 person delegating the signing authority on the cost centre/accounts to be charged,
 staff member accepting the delegation of financial signing authority and
 delegator’s supervisor.
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Delegators can rescind a permanent delegation by providing the Manager, Systems & Training
(Financial Services) with written instructions on the change, including name of the employee,
effective date of change and name of the person (if any) replacing this individual.
Permanent Delegation of Financial Signing Authority
Appointed Approver Approach
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Senior Executives (VP and above) elects to use an Appointed Approver Approach,
which permits an employee reporting to the approver to access the financial system
under their own ID and password to approve specific transactions on their
supervisor’s behalf.
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Delegator must specifically communicate this choice to the Manager, Systems &
Training (Financial Services) as the approval level of the person delegating the
responsibility must be changed, the transactions are recorded under the delegated
person’s own ID and PASSWORD.
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For audit purposes, the individual to whom the online approval has been delegated
must retain a copy of the transaction approval document (with the Approver’s original
signature) for seven (7) years.
Principles of Delegations of Financial Signing Authority
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Original authority, accountability and responsibility is conferred upon employees by one of 4 ways
 the Ryerson Act,
 Ryerson Bylaws,
 a resolution of the Board, or
 as a result of the budget process.
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Authority & Responsibility can be delegated, Accountability cannot. Accountability for the
results and manner in which responsibilities and authority are discharged remains with the
individual to whom the responsibility and authority was originally conferred.
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can only delegate financial signing authority to a University employee. Non-university personnel consultants, visiting professors, etc. cannot be delegated NY approval authority.
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The delegation of financial authority to an individual, also confers authority on that individual’s
supervisor.
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The use of signature stamps or pre-signed forms is not acceptable.
Delegation of Financial
Signing Authority
Policy Principles
1
Financial signing authority “Approval” resides with a “position” not the
“person”
Approval authority remains with a position even after personnel turnover unless
the direct supervisor explicitly changes that.
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All transactions >= $5,000 (purchase requisitions, expense reimbursements,
P-Card transactions, etc.,) require a minimum of 2 signatures – Requestor &
Approver.
A transaction cannot be split to circumvent approval requirements.
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You can only delegate to the MAXIMUM of your limit AND for the Cost
Centre(s) and/or Account(s) you have responsibility for.
Delegation of Financial Signing Authority
Policy Principles
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An Approver can delegate 1 LEVEL DOWN, to a PEER or UP ANY
NUMBER of LEVELS.
 “1 LEVEL DOWN” is defined as a position that reports directly to you.
 “UP ANY NUMBER of LEVELS” is defined as a position that you report directly
to, or your supervisor reports to.
 Peer – in academic areas, faculty & other chairs
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To permanently delegate Authority “down” require the approval of their
supervisor regardless of the limit being assigned.
7.
Individuals on a term appointment can only delegate approval authority
to the end of their appointment
Delegation of Financial Signing Authority
Policy Principles
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Individuals choosing to temporarily delegate Authority “down” (for vacation or leaves
of 8 weeks or less) do not require the approval of their supervisor.
 Individuals on vacation or leave who must use the financial system supplied
process to assign that responsibility – MarkView Alternate User Assignment,
Oracle Notifications Vacation Rules AND Oracle iExpense Vacation Rule are the
specific ways to do so.
 Individuals using the “appointed approver approach” must either temporary
delegate their authority electronically or seek FS assistance to do so
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An approver retains the right to revoke or change a “delegated authority” at any
time.
 A person with accountability over a specific area or activity can revoke or change
previously delegated financial signing authorities and limits at any time.
 New incumbents to a position with signing authority, can change or re-assign
previously delegated authorities and limits.
Delegation of Financial Signing Authority
Policy Principles
10 Appointed Approver Approach (AAA): “Approvers” who cannot electronically
approve transactions can elect to utilize this approach. A person reporting to them
accesses the financial system UNDER their own ID & PASSWORD and approves
specific transactions based on the granted approval.
 Only senior executives (VP and above) can choose this Approach, .
 a copy of all transactional document with the original signature must be
retained for 7 years.
 Choice must be specifically communicate to the Manager, Systems &
Training (Financial Services). The approval level of the person delegating the
responsibility must be changed, as the transactions will need to be
recorded under the delegated person’s ID and PASSWORD.
 Approval Authority Schedule (AAS) requires that the Board Chair, Board
Vice Chair and President approve documents greater than $1,000,000. FS will
assume that the appointed approver approach will be used in the absence
of a relevant board resolution.
 University’s AAS references the title “DIRECTOR”, directors reporting
directly to a Vice President are entitled to have a $100,000 approval limit.
Delegation of Financial Signing Authority
Policy Principles
11 Personal Benefit
 Individuals with financial signing authority (including those delegated)
cannot approve a transaction that personally benefits them, including their
own reimbursement expense claim or the reimbursement expense claim of
an individual to whom they report.
 YOU cannot approve your own expenses, the expenses of an individual to
whom you report, or to whom your supervisor(s) report.
 You cannot delegate Financial signing authority to an individual, if in
doing so, the delegated individual will personally benefit or it otherwise
creates a conflict of interest.
12 Precedence of External Agencies Delegation Policies
 When funding is received from external agencies, if their regulations for
the delegation of signing authority are different than the University’s, their
regulations take precedence.
Responsibilities
Individuals are responsible for ensuring that:
 System ID or passwords are not shared,
 Purchase requisitions, P-Card transactions, supplier invoices and expense
reimbursement are not split in order to circumvent approval limit requirements,
 Invoice and reimbursement expense claims are for University purposes only and
complies with all applicable university and/or external granting agency policies,
 Documentation exists to substantiate a transaction - if original receipt is lost, a
Supplemental Receipt form explaining the transaction and the reason for the
missing documentation is provided before transaction approval is granted,
 DO NOT approve your own expenses, the expenses of an individual to who you
report or to whom your supervisor reports. Except where otherwise indicated,
reimbursement expenses are to be approved by at least one administrative level
higher than the person claiming the reimbursement.
Responsibilities
Internal Audit Services is responsible for:
 conducting internal audit review
 reporting policy violations.
Responsibilities
Financial Services is responsible for ensuring that the:
 delegation of signing authority business process conforms to POLICY,
 forms with the authorization of permanent delegation are retained for audit,
 hierarchies and limits are properly recorded in the financial system,
 appropriate training material is available.
Responsibilities
Delegators are responsible for ensuring that:
 accountability for the approval of financial transactions is maintained,
 Delegation of Financial Signing Authority forms are properly completed,
 where an Appointed Approver Approach has been chosen, the transaction approval files are
retained and accessible for audit (7 years).
 FS - Systems & Training is notified if they, or a delegated individual, terminates or transfers
to a new position. Appropriate adjustments must be made in the financial system (approval
hierarchy, terminating individual’s queue, etc.).
 Persons they delegate to receive appropriate training and instruction as it regards reviewing
expense transactions and receipts for appropriateness of expense, completeness, accuracy
and transactions are only approved after determining that the goods and/or services have
been received and/or completed to satisfaction.
System Access
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All financial signing authority approvals require online access to the
financial information systems, all delegated approver(s) must have their
own Oracle IDs and Passwords and suitable training –
NO SHARING of IDs and PASSWORDS.
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For more information on training and access, visit
http://www.ryerson.ca/financialservices/about/systems/index.html
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OR contact RUFIS Helpdesk at ext. 2688 or RUFIShelp@ryerson.ca.
Definitions
Board:
The Board of Governors of Ryerson University
To delegate:
To assign the power to act, make decisions or allocate resources on one’s behalf
Delegator:
The person who is delegating their financial authority
Delegated Individual:
A University employee who has been delegated authority
Director:
Pertains to the university’s Approval Authority Schedule (AAS). To be interpreted as
individuals with the title of “Director” reporting directly to a Vice President, and with
a maximum approval limit of $100,000.
Peer:
An individual who shares similar title, grade and/or responsibilities. This can include
another faculty member in a department. For Chairs/Directors, this can include a
Chair/Director in another school within the same faculty.
Down 1 Level:
A position that reports directly to the delegator.
Up a number of levels:
Positions to which the delegator or their manager reports.
Appointed Approver Approach: A process whereby an employee reporting to an approver accesses the
financial system under their own ID and password, and approves specific
transactions as authorized by the approver.
The END
QUESTIONS