BusinessPLUSTM Financial Modules Accounts Payable Accounts Payable is a powerful and integrated tool for managing vendor payments. Logical integration of the Purchasing, General Ledger, Encumbrances, Accounts Receivable, Fixed Assets, and other modules reduces data entry and makes your staff more efficient. BusinessPLUS offers two methods for processing vendor payments: post now and pay later (open hold) and post and pay at the same time (immediate pay). You can use either or both methods as dictated by your business practices and needs. In addition, the void, typed, and reserved module offers seamless processing exceptions voided checks, manually issued checks, and reversals of checks previously issued. Accounts Receivable/Cash Receipts Accounts Receivable/Cash Receipts is designed to manage a wide variety of customers and charges. Powerful features allow classification of customers, classification of charges, streamlined cashiering, and easy access to payment status or history. The solution has extensive reporting capabilities and provides all needed information to the user through a user-friendly, interactive inquiry. Bank Reconciliation Bank Reconciliation is the central repository of check and deposit information generated by other BusinessPLUS modules. With Bank Reconciliation, you can track and report on all checks issued and deposits received by BusinessPLUS. Automatic reconciliation with electronic bank statements is also supported. Bank Reconciliation is integrated with Accounts Payable, Payroll, and Accounts Receivable/Cash Receipts. Bid Online Bid Online streamlines the bid process to create efficiency for districts and their vendors, and lowers costs through greater product selection. Every step of the exchange of bid information between organization and vendor is addressed, from vendor notification to response assistance to bid evaluation. Bid Online is fully integrated with BusinessPLUS Purchasing and Bid/Quote Management. The Bid Online interface walks administrators through the creation of a bid, automating steps of the process based on the information provided. Organizations can improve productivity by reducing data entry and create efficiency by automating aspects of the bid process. An important function of Bid Online is to increase the number of vendor responses for bids by providing more visibility for bids via an external website. Bid Online also automatically notifies vendors of new postings, amendments, and awards via email. Finally, because vendors continually update the database, the list of potential bidders is always growing. With a larger pool of bidders, districts can choose the best combination of quality and cost. Bid/Quote Management Bid/Quote Management allows users to record and track verbal quotes, written quotes, and formal bids. Through completion of all purchases, this solution provides complete information from the original request to the purchase order. Access to information is straightforward and easy. The solution includes standard reports and immediate online inquiry to any data in the module. Security-protected reports can be run at the user s networked computer or online. Budgeting A collection of flexible tools, Budgeting is designed to help districts create and analyze current and future year s budgets. When developing budgets, current and prior year s budget and/or actual information is available for manipulation and set up as what if scenarios. The module is extremely functional; for example, in creating a budget, users can control the time period in which changes can be made on a budget-version-by-budget-version basis. The module can also define individually budgeted items (equipment purchases, travel requirements, etc.) within a given General Ledger or Job Ledger account.
Contract Management With Contract Management, multiple contracts can be recorded within a master contract. The solution allows you to specify multiple-year contracts, one-time or recurring contracts, multiple levels of required approvals, and multiple vendor contracts within a master contract. Contract Management also supports the creation of purchasing/encumbrance entries and the automatic transfer of information into BusinessPLUS Accounts Payable. Fixed Assets Flexible and interactive, Fixed Assets is designed to help you monitor and report on all capitalized and non-capitalized fixed assets. Track assets and related information from the time of acquisition until they are purged from the Fixed Assets database. In addition to monitoring, Fixed Assets also performs a number of depreciation calculations and makes all required entries to the General Ledger. General Ledger General Ledger is the heart of BusinessPLUS financial solution. Every subsidiary module integrates to it in detail and/or summary. After creating budgets in the General Ledger, users can generate financial and management reports/inquiries. Grants Management BusinessPLUS Grants Management tracks projects from the initial proposal to closing. Grants Management can be divided into the grant life cycles such as the proposal, award, budgeting and cost sharing projections, sponsor billing, memo and reporting needs, and grant closure. Additional types of grant activity may be created through user-defined functions. In addition to capturing grant activity, the grant module can make related Accounts Receivable billing entries. Job/Project Accounting Ledger Job/Project Accounting Ledger is a separate, yet integrated function of the General Ledger. General Ledger and Job/Project Accounting Ledger transactions may be keyed simultaneously; thus, the two ledgers are fully integrated, never out of balance, and transactions need only be entered once. With a separate customer-defined General Ledger and Job/Project Accounting Ledger account structure, the required organizational hierarchy for both can be effectively modeled. Also, Job/Project Accounting Ledger can cross all General Ledger structural boundaries, such as fund and function. Position Budgeting Position Budgeting creates a budget for the next fiscal year based on the existing data from the Human Resource and Payroll modules. Several budget models may be created and used simultaneously. Highly flexible utilities enable imported data to be manipulated until the desired budget results are obtained. Since the data is imported into the Position Budgeting module, there is no danger of affecting live human resource or payroll data. Project Allocation Project Allocation is a separate, yet integrated function to the Job/Project Accounting Ledger. Project expense allocation rules can be established at the time of project setup and will drive posting to the Job/Project Accounting Ledger from all modules. Data entry from Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable/Cash Receipts, Purchasing, Payroll, and other core modules requires only the project number reference to complete all account postings and secondary allocation transactions. PunchOut PunchOut helps streamline the purchasing process by allowing your organization to shop directly on a vendor s website using negotiated pricing and catalogs. When a user checks out from the website, PunchOut seamlessly imports their shopping cart as a BusinessPLUS requisition, which is preencumbered and follows your standard workflow approval routing. When the purchase order is finalized in BusinessPLUS, it is electronically transmitted to the vendor to initiate the order. In essence, PunchOut integrates the supplier website with your BusinessPLUS Purchasing module. Many vendors already support PunchOut technology and have developed catalogs designed specifically for the PunchOut process. When a vendor authorizes your organization to use its PunchOut catalog, the catalog items
listed on the website can be customized to your organization and offered at a discounted price. BusinessPLUS has a single setup screen, which simplifies implementation and enables your staff to configure new vendors easily. Purchasing The Purchasing module is a powerful tool for a wide range of purchasing applications. Centralize control of your district s purchasing operations, while distributing the requisition entry, with optional management approval, to your departments. Easily track items through the receiving cycle. The Purchasing module also includes an optional, automatic interface to the Encumbrance, Accounts Payable and Fixed Assets modules. Stores Inventory/Warehouse The Stores Inventory/Warehouse module is designed to account for purchased assets being held in inventory until needed by a subunit of the organization or sold to third parties. To account for assets from the time they are received until they are distributed, this solution features three major functions: receiving, inventory control, and order processing as well as optional automatic interfaces to the Purchasing, Accounts Receivable, and General Ledger modules. Since it integrates with the Person/Entity database; Stores Inventory/Warehouse does not require a separate entry of vendor/customer information. Student Activities Improve efficiency by shifting the data entry workload associated with student activities (i.e. clubs, organizations, associations, etc.) from your administrative offices to the individuals directly involved with those activities. The Student Activities module allows an approved organization representative to record money collected, establish spending limits, request checks, and complete other financial functions. The intuitive screens allow users to access and utilize the solution with little to no training. Safeguards ensure data entered does not exceed specified limits, sensitive information is inaccessible outside the organization, and all records travel through automated workflow models for proper approval processing. Vendor Online An easy-to-use, interactive solution, Vendor Online assists districts in managing district vendors. Easily track and store information on purchase orders and invoices. Quickly administer disbursement information. Vendors are able to upload invoices and supporting documentation for approval as well as manage online bidding. Work Order Management Work Order Management is designed to encompass work order definition, detail estimation, processing, billing, and charge back. All information pertaining to the work order is tracked from the original user request to detail estimates, online approvals, assignment of resources (both personnel and equipment), the capturing of work order activity, and the closing of the work order itself. While creating new work orders, users can access information from other BusinessPLUS applications. For example, materials tracked in Stores Inventory/Warehouse, staffing and rate information from Payroll, and equipment from Fixed Assets are easily accessible. BusinessPLUSTM Human Resources Modules Employee Online Employee Online allows district employees to modify, correct, and update their personnel records online. The application is fully integrated with the Human Resources module, enabling authorized users to access up-to-the-minute information. Employees can access their personnel records, including current contact, direct deposit, benefit package, insurance information, and more. By automating many of the typical Human Resource processes, Employee Online provides instant anytime access to employees while easing the burden on administrative roles.
Human Resources Human Resources is a comprehensive applicant/employee information solution that is fully integrated with Payroll. All portions of the solution are available interactively, and field labels and validation may be updated to accommodate your unique policies and procedures. Human Resources also provides comprehensive position control functionality, allowing the creation and modeling of budgets based on job and position assignments. Payroll Payroll is a comprehensive module designed for the complex environments often found within K-12. Such organizations often deal with a multitude of benefit packages, including 125 plans and flexible spending accounts, deferred contract pay, special tax deferrals and retirement programs, to name a few. The Payroll module elegantly manages all such requirements. It provides tax tables and calculations for all 50 states, as well as providing for city and other local taxes. With direct integration into General Ledger, Job/Project Ledger, Position Control, Budgeting, Work Order Management, Accounts Payable, and Human Resources, the Payroll module is an important part of a fully integrated financial management solution designed for organizations that have a significant portion of the budget dedicated to personnel costs. Professional Development Create and manage staff education programs online with Professional Development. Once course detail is setup, end users enjoy anytime, anywhere access to registration, class schedules, a personal record of completed coursework, and more. In addition to creating organizational efficiency, Professional Development promotes and facilitates an increasingly educated workforce in your organization. Recruitment Recruitment is a 21st-century talent acquisition tool that helps you increase the efficiency and effectiveness of your school district s hiring process by automating key tasks, reducing data entry, and maximizing the reach of your job postings. As you seek the most qualified applicants, Recruitment helps districts efficiently manage the process from the moment the position is requested through employee on-boarding. This solution helps you decentralize the legwork to hiring managers, yet maintain the quality of the recruiting effort and job applicants. And, by extending position control into the process, it assists you with ensuring compliance with district budget controls and state and federal regulations. SubTracker SubTracker provides an interface from BusinessPLUS to third-party substitute employee management systems, including Aesop, SEMS, and SubFinder. When an employee absence is reported, a substitute is called and SubTracker fills the job or moves to the next most appropriate candidate until the position is filled. Substitute employee management systems also track the details of every absence and enables reporting at every level, from the individual to the district. Timecard Online Included within the Human Resources module, Timecard Online is a self-service application that lowers the administrative burden on your organization by allowing your employees to enter their time information online. Each submission will automatically trigger the appropriate approval process based on your business rules. Timecard views are configurable, giving districts the ability to define field accessibility based on user needs. It has an interactive color-coded calendar, which allows you to view schedules at a glance, and displays leave balances for quick reference. Timecard Online is tightly integrated with Security, Payroll, and Workflow.
BusinessPLUSTM Tools Click, Drag, and Drill Make informed decisions quickly with Click, Drag, and Drill (CDD). CDD allows districts to access data within BusinessPLUS, from summary level to individual transaction detail. Create reports quickly with the information you need using CDD s point-and-click report definitions. CDD also supports linked drill-down reports, allowing administrators to interactively investigate transactions from their desktop. View scanned documents associated with transactions utilizing CDD s imaging support. CDD may be used with any Open Database Connectivity (ODBC)-supported relational database. Documents Online Documents Online is a document management application that increases productivity by helping district administrators electronically archive and retrieve documents, images, and reports within BusinessPLUS. With Documents Online, administrators can scan documents, such as invoices or resumes, and attach them to elements within BusinessPLUS. They can then retrieve relevant images for quick visual reference from BusinessPLUS. Documents Online can also archive historical ad-hoc and standard reports for future reference. Easy Laser Forms Create and print forms such as checks, purchase orders, invoices, personnel forms, and virtually any type of business form using Easy Laser Forms (ELF). Select from a number of standard forms or create custom forms by incorporating illustrated designs, such as organization seals. ELF is a pure software solution; no hardware, such as a printer board or font cartridge, is necessary. Schools Interoperability Framework (SIF) Agent Tightly integrated using database triggers and store procedures, SIF Agents are lightweight applications written primarily on a common framework, developed using Microsoft VB.NET for distribution on a Windows platform. Because they are lightweight, these agents do not require new hardware for implementation. SIF Agents which can run over a local intranet or the Internet is available for hosted and turnkey clients. They allow near real-time publishing of newly entered and changed staff data. Web Form Productivity Pack Web Form Productivity Pack is a collection of six web forms designed to help boost efficiency of a school district s business operations and support employees with managing travel, expenses, and vacation time. This package of forms provides often-requested functionality to school district employees, including: Budget Transfer Request Web Form. Allows district administrators to request a budget transfer and electronically route the request for approval. Travel Reimbursement Request Web Form. Permits employees to request reimbursement for travel expenses. Direct Reimbursement Request Web Form. Enables employees to request reimbursement for services, classroom purchases, and miscellaneous expenses. Travel Advance Request Web Form. Permits employees to request a travel advance. Personal Time Off Request Web Form. Allows employees to request time off and access their leave balance. New Vendor Request Web Form. Enables employees to request the addition of a new vendor. Workflow Workflow allows districts to model and automate various business processes by defining rule-based activities via a graphical interface. These models can be triggered by a variety of events, such as table updates, scheduled time intervals, process executions, and custom web forms. Once triggered, Workflow automatically launches various tasks as defined by the model, such as assignments, e-mail notifications and responses, table updates, Click, Drag, and, Drill (CDD) reports, document processing (Documents Online), notifications, data mining, and additional processing. Workflow models can be attached to any data entry screen or business process purchase requisitions, work order requisitions, budget transfer requests, and personnel action forms. Workflow streamlines the approval process and eliminates the requisition paper trail and manual routing steps.