Distributed Journal Entry

As discussed in the July BU$INE$$ MATTER$, Distributed Journal Entry, is a process that allows campus users to prepare and upload journal entries to Oracle Ebiz.  The process uses an Excel-based journal entry template that is populated, by the user, with the lines of a journal entry.  The Excel template is available to campus from the Finance Forms webpage.

Advantages to the new tool include:

• Allows for one journal entry for both General Ledger and Grant accounts
• Allows one journal entry for all of the following acount types:
  • Foundation,
  • Grants (including sponsored, capital and internal awards),
  • Student Organizations, and
  • Operating Accounts
• Puts campus in control of the timing of the journal entry (JE), and
• Provides automatic validation of account numbers

The process uses an application called the Journal Entry Tool (JET) to upload the journal entry to Oracle Ebiz.

There are two roles involved with the Distributed Journal Entry process, the Preparer completes the excel journal entry template and the Processor uses JET to upload the JE to Oracle. Individuals can have one or both roles as decided by the planning unit CFAO.

As each planning unit considers who in their area will be granted access as a Processor, please keep in mind the following suggestions:

• If you have users who infrequently prepare and submit JE’s today, you may want them to be a Preparer only and designate an individual in your planning unit to be the Processor for their entries. 
• A planning unit may choose to have very few Preparers/Processors, or they may choose to have multiple Preparers/Processors.  There’s no limit to the number of Preparers or Processors a unit can have, and one person can perform both roles on the same JE. 
• Each planning unit will be different depending on size, staffing, and other factors but should ensure that they are choosing people that understand accounting procedures (i.e., debits and credits); planning unit or departmental internal controls; and unit specific approval procedures.  

Training for Preparers and Processors is available through the PDP website. Preparer training is available to everyone and is a required prerequisite for Processor training.  If an individual is interested in taking the Processor course please check with your respective CFAO to determine if you have been identified as an approved Processor for your planning unit.  Once an individual completes the Processor training, the course attendee will receive an email certification indicating the Processor training has been completed.  This email must be forwarded to the respective planning unit CFAO who can forward the certification email along with their approval to the OIT Service Desk requesting access to the Oracle Ebiz JET role. 

Questions?  Contact Kris Sano at sanok@ohio.edu or 740-597-9933.

University Transitions to JET Effective Thursday, November 7, 2019

Beginning on Thursday, November 7, 2019, accounting corrections, journal entries and internal billings must be submitted using the JET to process.  Any excel forms that are received by Finance after November 6, 2019 will be returned to the department to process using JET. 

Requesting Processor Access to JET

Once an employee has finished both the Distributed Journal Entries 1: Preparers course and the Distributed Journal Entries II: Processors course the Processor needs to request access to JET using the following process:

• Go to "My Grades" to access your grade for the Distributed Journal Entries II course in Blackboard. If you completed the course successfully, you will see a green/white checkmark as your grade. Email a screen capture of this grade to your planning unit CFAO. If you do not know the CFAO for your department or planning unit, please see the Employee Lookup Dashboard in OBI. The name of the planning unit CFAO is listed in the column entitled "Organization CFAO."
• It is the responsibility of your planning unit CFAO to forward your email, including your grades and your Ohio ID, to the IT Service Desk (servicedesk@ohio.edu) requesting the Oracle Ebiz OUJE: Journal Entry Tool responsibility. The IT Service Desk will process the request as an IT ticket and will notify the CFAO when access has been granted.
• After access is granted, you can login to JET and begin processing Journal entries.
• Processors who have taken this training and received access should no longer send Journal entries to the Finance mailbox effective the day that they have access to JET.

For questions related to your role in the Distributed Journal Entry Process, please contact your planning unit CFAO.

For all other questions, please contact Finance Customer Care at 740.597.6446 or via email at financecustomercare@ohio.edu.