Here's my form. If I were entering data into this grant inception to date cost analysis I'd need to include all of these fields. If I didn't know already which line items to enter for the account codes for each cost I could look it up in the table on the right.
I created the form this way because this is the basic organization of the university's accounting system. Org numbers tell you who is spending the money. Fund numbers tell you the project you're spending it on. Account codes tell you what kind of cost you're incurring. Account codes are organized into basic types of costs called line items. The reports I will be creating in Access will show grant costs by line item.
Before you can spend money you have to have an authorized budget. To spend money you either create an obligation to spend (encumbrance) or get a check cut directly (expenditure). The remaining balance is the amount of the budget left after you spend the money.
Truthfully I will not be entering data into this inception to date database. I will be downloading the data monthly from a query in the unversity relational database called Databrowser.
3 comments:
I didn't know that before about the University, thanks!
I really like the form you've designed. It's simple and looks very user friendly.
On a side note, what happens if someone spends money and the budget isn't authorized?
When I spend unauthorized funds, I just end up in the doghouse (um - at home - haven't tried it yet at work)!
Mike:
The accounting system won't let you enter transactions if there is no budget available. If you can't enter and complete a transaction you can't spend the money.
It's a good control.
Me
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