NUFinancials Approval Process: Actuals Journals

This guide for approving NUFinancials actuals 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.
• Accounting Services will delete all actuals journals that are not posted by month-end close.
• Attachments may be added by department level approvers.

Step 1: Retrieve Actuals journal

1. Navigate to Approval Inbox on NUFinancials: northwestern.edu.
2. Click the number next to Actuals Journal.
3. Click a Journal ID number.

Step 2: Review line item(s) for accuracy

You are viewing the entire journal. All transaction lines are gray. You may see lines that use chart strings that you do not recognize. These chart strings may belong to another approver. By clicking Approve, you are approving all the lines that use chart strings for which you are an approver. Verify the following items:

• The appropriate journal type was selected according to the purpose of the journal.
• Transaction is consistent with NU policy
• The chart strings are correct for the purpose of the transaction.
• The amount is appropriate:
• Ignore increases to the total debits and credits caused by lines that say Cash-Due To-From Offset. These are system-generated lines that do not affect your chart string budgets.
• Make sure the amount signs are correct: a debit (positive number) takes dollars; a credit shows a - sign before the number and gives dollars.
• Click the Complete link next to 90-day Justification Form and review the explanations (if applicable). If the journal uses a grant chart string, an electronic 90-day justification form should be attached. The form should include the signature of the primary investigator for the grant. If an electronic form is not attached, a paper copy must be faxed or mailed to ASRSP.
• Supporting documentation is attached (as applicable).

Step 3: Approve, Send Back, or Hold

Based on your evaluation of the journal, click: Approve, Send Back, or Hold. 

Approve

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

• You may enter optional comments in the Comments Journal comments may be viewed by anyone with NUFinancials General Ledger Journal Entry access.
• Click Approve.

What happens next?

Click Return to Inbox to return to your workflow inbox. 

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

Send Back

Send the journal back or place it on hold if you cannot approve it. 

• Enter comments in the Comments Enter the reason(s) why the journal cannot be approved.
• Click the Pending Approval link (near the top of the page) to view comments. Journal comments may be viewed by anyone with NUFinancials General Ledger Journal Entry access.
• Click Send Back.
• Click the Return to Inbox link to return to your workflow inbox.

What happens next?

Submitter receives e-mail including approver comments that explain why the journal was sent back. 

• The journal is removed from workflow inbox of any pooled approvers at the same level.
• If the journal requires modification, the Submitter modifies the journal and resubmits it to workflow.
• If the journal does not require modification, it is automatically deleted at month-end close.

Hold

Hold the journal if you need to do further research before you make a decision. When placed on hold, workflow is suspended until you take further action. You are responsible for the timely management of journals that you place on hold. Actuals journals left on hold at month-end close will be deleted by Accounting Services. 

• To view comments from other approvers, click Pending Approval (near the top of the page). Journal comments may be viewed by anyone with NUFinancials General Ledger Journal Entry access.
• In the Comments box, enter the reason(s) why journal cannot be approved at this time.
• Click Hold.

What happens next?

• Click the Return to Inbox link to return to your workflow inbox.
• The journal remains in the Approver's workflow inbox.
• The Submitter is not notified when a journal is placed on hold.