Capital Project
Accounting
Database “c-PAD”
Seattle University
Facilities Services
Presented by: Tim Gould
Date: August 11, 2014
Capital Project Accounting Database (c-PAD)
• Who, What, When, Where, Why, and how of c-PAD
• Test Drive/Examples
• Question & Answer
Capital Project Accounting Database (c-PAD)
• Who – Facilities Services, Administration Project
Development and Operations
• What – MS Office 2010 Access Database using
new accounting structure that ties to the
university G/L, but is not electronically linked
• Where – shared network drive split into two
pieces front-end (user-interface), and back-end
(data storage)
Capital Project Accounting Database (c-PAD)
• When – started the design in Jan 2013 (18 months to
date/under 180 billable hours)
• Why –
1.
2.
3.
SU does not have a project accounting module
incorporated into Colleague.
Project Approval Form (PAF) process needed a
centralized tracking/reporting tool.
All Project Managers (PM) were using their own Excel
files on their desktop with no visibility for AVP to
review status.
• How – using existing databases that were built to track
operating and planned maintenance expenses; hired
consultant to get us to more sophisticated reporting.
PAF PROCESS
This is the main reason for
the database as there can
be various funding sources
for one project that can’t
always be tracked in one
cost center in the G/L.
Capital Project Accounting Database (c-PAD)
• Database Structure – set up based on previous
MS Access databases for Opex and PM
• Unique Accounting – designed accounting fields
to help track smaller projects at a lower level of
detail if needed
• Parent/Child project relationships (unique parent
project numbers assigned to each PAF)

Project number tied to cost center in G/L
• Funding Sources (SGC, Gift, Department, etc.)
• Ability to track all commitments (contract and
purchase orders
• Use same chart of accounts as the G/L
Capital Project Accounting Database (c-PAD)
• Database Structure – example
PAF/Parent Project Number, Funding Source, Child
Project, Account Number (G/L Account)
14.123.01.01.62001- database string for invoice coding
Parent Project 14.123 = Pigott Building Door
replacement
01 = Space and governance funding for MAC projects
01 = Child project number
62001 = account for furniture & fixtures in G/L
Capital Project Accounting Database (c-PAD)
• Database Structure – example
PAF/Parent Project Number, Funding Source, Child
Project, Account Number (G/L Account)
14.123.01.01.62001- database string for invoice coding
Every project in c-PAD also has a specific cost center
that it rolls into in the G/L
c-PAD:
G/L cost center/accounting:
14.123.01.01.62001
73-796114-62001 where:
73 = Plant Construction (Capital)
796114 = SGC cost center
62001 = account for FF&E
Capital Project Accounting Database (c-PAD)
Database Demo
Capital Project Accounting Database (c-PAD)
Data Input
• Parent/Child Project Entry Form
•
Project number, funding source and detail budget
by account code.
• Contract and Purchase Order Entry Form
•
Auto-fills possible project-funding-account combos
• Invoice Entry Form
•
Auto-fills Invoice Form for ease of data entry with
possible combos from project, contract/PO forms
to reduce data entry errors
Capital Project Accounting Database (c-PAD)
Data Output
• Child Project Summary Report
•
Choose Parent Project and child auto-fills
• Capital Budget Review
•
Listing of all projects with budget and actual
• Invoice detail by vendor
•
All contracts open for each project by vendor
• Contract detail by vendor
•
All invoices paid by vendor for by project
Capital Project Accounting Database (c-PAD)
Q&A
Capital Project Accounting Database (c-PAD)
Timothy (Tim) Gould, MBA
gouldt@seattleu.edu
206-296-6993
Facilities Finance Manager,
Facilities Services Administration