NUFinancials Approval Process: Budget Journals

This guide for approving NUFinancials budget journals is designed to be used by those with the Approver role.

IMPORTANT NOTES

• If one journal line cannot be approved, the whole journal must be sent back or placed on hold.

Step 1: Retrieve budget journal

1. Navigate to Approval Inbox in NUFinancials: nufin.northwestern.edu.
   1. If you do not have the Approval tile on your homepage, follow this navigation: NavBar > Approvals
   2. Select the Journal.

Step 2: Review line item(s) for accuracy

Verify the following items: 

• Chart strings are correct (Check Fund, Dept, Account, and Project if applicable)
• Description makes sense in relationship to the chart strings
• Amount is appropriate

Step 3: Approve, Send Back, or Hold

Based on your evaluation of the budget journal, select one of the following actions: Approve, Send Back, or Hold.

Approve

Approve if all line items are correct, appropriate, and consistent with NU policies. 

• Be sure that all line items are selected
• Optional: In Enter Approver Comments field, enter any necessary comments.
• Click the Pending Approval link to view comments. Your comments are seen by all subsequent levels of Approvers.
• Click Approve.
• The Approve button cannot be used (turns gray).

What happens next?

• Click the Return to Inbox link to return to your workflow inbox.
• The budget journal is removed from your workflow inbox (and from the workflow inbox of any pooled approvers at your level).
• If there are additional levels of approval, budget journal proceeds to next level.
• System generates e-mail notification to the Submitter when budget journal is fully approved.

Send Back

Send back if there are errors or insufficiencies that should be corrected by the Submitter. 

• Be sure that all line items are selected
• In Enter Approver Comments field, enter specific reason(s) why the budget journal is not approved at this time. Click the Pending Approval link to view comments. Your comments are seen by all subsequent levels of Approvers.
• Click Send Back.

What happens next?

• Click the Return to Inbox link to return to your workflow inbox.
• The Submitter receives e-mail with Approver Comments about why the journal was sent back.
• The budget journal is removed from your workflow inbox (and from the workflow inbox of any pooled approvers at your level).
• The Submitter modifies budget journal and resubmits for approval (workflow is reinitiated from the beginning). Or, the Submitter may request deletion of the budget journal.

Hold

Hold a journal if further research is needed by Approver before making a decision. Journals placed on hold are exempted from an automatic 3-day timeout. When placed on hold, workflow is suspended indefinitely until Approver takes further action. Approver is responsible for timely management of journals placed on hold for further research. 

• Optional: In Enter Approver Comments field, enter specific reason(s) why budget journal is not approved at this time. Click the Pending Approval link to view comments. Your comments are seen by all subsequent levels of Approvers.
• Click Hold.

What happens next?

• The budget journal remains in all Approvers workflow inboxes.
• Click the Return to Inbox link to return to your workflow inbox.
• Submitter is not notified when a budget journal is placed on hold.
• Submitter is responsible for tracking journals and determining how to best proceed if a journal has not been approved in a timely manner. The Submitter may request deletion of the budget journal.

For additional assistance please contact the IT Support Center at 847-491-4357 (1-HELP) or email servicedesk@northwestern.edu.