Commitments Application - Best Practices
This document provides a list of best practices for the Commitments Application.
- Commitments should only be created by the committing unit to avoid double entry.
- Receivables should only be created for units not in the Commitments application or if the obligating unit does not intend to create a Commitment.
- Commitments should only be made for obligations from your unit.
- Substantiate commitments by attaching documentation, including a robust description, and noting any helpful instructions or comments.
- Utilize comments when possible so the netID and timestamp are recorded.
- Add as much detail possible to both commitments and sub-commitments, including Status, Category, Keyword(s), Contacts, Description, Comments, Default Funding Source, etc.
- Be cognizant of how your sub-commitments will appear on the Receivables side.
- Use descriptive, meaningful sub-commitment titles.
- Put attachments and comments that should be visible on the Receivables side in the public sections of sub-commitments.
- Organize multi-year/ongoing commitments with multiple FYs instead of re-creating a new commitment each year.
- Create transfers in the fiscal year they should count against.
- External approval of transfers should occur at the college level.
- Routinely update commitment and sub-commitment statuses.
- Utilize the “Processed Transfers” report to check sub-commitment statuses. Once sub-commitment obligations have been fulfilled, change their statuses to “Complete.”
- Once all sub-commitments of a commitment have been fulfilled, change its status to “Complete.”
- For “Pending” commitments and sub-commitments, try to update them to “Active” once the obligation becomes firm–i.e., proposal matches are awarded, retentions are successful, etc.
- Transfers should not be initiated and verified by the same person; at least two people should be involved in the transfer workflow.