Financial Management Systems Getting Started
How to Determine Security Access and Training Needs
- Click the subject area that relates to your job duties.
- Under Recommended Training, see your options for courses and on-demand overviews.
Launch on-demand overviews for more information about each area and its security roles. - Within each subject area, find job aids for completing the security access forms for each role.
- Consult the Training Sequence for Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced level courses.
Downloadable spreadsheet of this list: FFRA Training for New Users Spreadsheet 
All FFRA Systems Users
| Will you be... | Recommended Training |
|---|---|
| Using Northwestern's financial management systems for the first time? | FFRA Systems Overview |
| Authorized to see financial data? | Chart String Overview |
Security Access Forms - All FFRA Systems Users
- How to Request Access: Row Level Security Access - Express
- Security Form: Express Security Access Form
- How to Request Access: Row Level Security Access - General
- Security Form: General Security Access Form
Approvals
| Will you be... | Recommended Training: |
|---|---|
| Approving financial transactions? | FMS804 Approvals and Workflow |
Security Access Forms - Approvals
- How to Request Access: Workflow - Express Form
- Security Form: Express Security Access Form
- How to Request Access: Workflow - General Form
- Security Form: General Security Access Form
Expense Reporting and Reimbursement
| Will you be... | Recommended Training |
|---|---|
| involved in expense reporting and reimbursement? | Expense Reimbursement Overview |
| submitting your own expense reports for reimbursement? | FMS807 Employee Expense Reports |
| submitting expense reports for other employees (as a proxy)? | FMS807 Employee Expense Reports |
| checking the progress of reimbursements for yourself or other employees? | FMS807 Employee Expense Reports |
| submitting expense reports for others who are not employees? | FMS832 Payment Requests |
| checking the progress of reimbursements for others who are not employees? | FMS832 Payment Requests |
Security Access Forms - Expense Reporting and Reimbursement
- How to Request Access: Expenses - Express Form
- Security Form: Express Security Access Form
- How to Request Access: Expenses - General Form
- Security Form: General Security Access Form
Procurement (Purchasing)
| Will you be... | Recommended Training |
|---|---|
| involved in procuring goods or services? | Procurement Overview |
| identifying goods or services for purchase from iBuyNU? | FMS801 Shopping iBuyNU |
| submitting a request for goods or services for review and approval? | FMS803 Requester Basic Topics |
| FMS804 Approvals and Workflow | |
| responsible for reviewing and approving requests for goods and services? | FMS804 Approvals and Workflow |
| entering receipt confirmations for purchases? | Receiving Overview |
| FMS803 Requester Basic Topics | |
| FMS815 Requester Advanced Topics | |
| checking to see if purchases have been approved and paid? | Purchase to Payment Lifespan |
| Matching and Tolerance Overview | |
| FMS815 Requester Advanced Topics | |
| requesting updates or changes to purchase orders? | FMS815 Requester Advanced Topics |
| requesting direct payment for goods or services? | FMS832 Payment Requests |
Security Access Forms - Procurement (Purchasing)
- How to Request Access: Procurement - Express Form
- Security Form: Express Security Access Form
- How to Request Access: Procurement - General Form
- Security Form: General Security Access Form
Financial Reporting
| Will you be... | Recommended Training |
|---|---|
| Using reports to monitor financial activity in your school/department/program? | Financial Reporting Overview |
| Reading financial reports or explaining financial reports to others? | |
| Running financial reports? | FMS112 Run and Schedule Cognos Reports |
| Authoring your own ad hoc reports in Cognos? | FMS103 Cognos Query Studio |
Security Access Forms - Financial Reporting
- How to Request Access: Reporting - Express Form
- Security Form: Express Security Access Form
- How to Request Access: Reporting - General Form
- Security Form: General Security Access Form
Actuals Journals (General Ledger)
| Will you be... | Recommended Training |
|---|---|
| using actuals journals to record transactions? | Actuals Journals Overview |
| correcting transactions previously posted to the General Ledger? | FMS711 Actuals Journals |
| transferring live funds from one chart string to another? | FMS711 Actuals Journals |
| recording revenue from internal sales from one department to another? If so, what volume of sales will you record? | |
| From 1 to 15 charges per journal? | FMS711 Actuals Journals |
| 15 charges or more per journal? | Accounting Services Journal Spreadsheet Registration |
Security Access Forms - Actual Jounals (General Ledger)
- How to Request Access: Actuals Journals - Express Form
- Security Form: Express Security Access Form
- How to Request Access: Actuals Journals - General Form
- Security Form: General Security Access Form
Revenue
| Will you be... | Recommended Training |
|---|---|
| involved in sales or in collecting revenue? | Revenue Overview |
| recording revenue from external sales or services? | FMS740 Receiving & Depositing Revenue |
Security Access Forms - Revenue
- How to Request Access: Revenue - Express Form
- Security Form: Express Security Access Form
- How to Request Access:Revenue - General Form
- Security Form: General Security Access Form
Budgeting
| Will you be... | Recommended Training |
|---|---|
| Involved in the preparation of a budget or in monitoring financial activity? | Budgeting Overview |
| Viewing the current year budget, year-to-date expenses, revenues, and balances? | FMS722 NUFinancials Budget Searches |
| Making or approving adjustments to the current year budget? | FMS720 Initiating Budget Adjustments |
| Reconciling financial activity related to your budget? If so, which type of budget: | |
| Revenue budget (external sales or internal sales) | FMS723 Reconciling Budgets |
| Expense budget (non-compensation) | FMS723 Reconciling Budgets |
| Expense budget (compensation) | myHR Training |
| Preparing the base budget for the next fiscal year? | NUPlans Training |
Security Access Forms - Budgeting
For NUPlans access, please see the NUPlans System Access/Security page.
- How to Request Access: Budgeting - Express Form
- Security Form: Express Security Access Form
For NUPlans access, please see the NUPlans System Access/Security page.
- How to Request Access: Budgeting - General Form
- Security Form: General Security Access Form
Grants Management
| Will you be... | Recommended Training |
|---|---|
| developing and tracking proposals to submission? | Sponsored Research Overview |
| preparing proposals for submission to sponsors? | FMS502 InfoEd Proposal Development |
| managing sponsored research award funds to closeout? | FMS505 Managing Sponsored Projects |
| FMS723 Reconciling Budgets | |
| reviewing and approving departmental proposals? | FMS503 InfoEd Approvals |
| reviewing and approving award transactions? | FMS804 Approvals and Workflow |
| reviewing and interpreting report data for proposals and awards? | FMS505 Managing Sponsored Projects |
| FMS504 Reports in Sponsored Research | |
| reporting effort quarterly in the Effort Reporting System (ERS)? | Effort Reporting Training |
| managing compliance with federal, local and university regulations and policies? | Office for Research Integrity |
| collecting COI sign off from key personnel on proposals? | myHR COI Training |
| reviewing and managing personnel and salaries in myHR? | myHR Training |
Security Access - Grant Meetings
- How to Request Access: How to Request Sponsored Research Security Access - Grants
- Security Form: Express Security Access Form
- Security Form: General Security Access Form
Facilities Management
| Will you be... | Recommended Training |
|---|---|
| requesting services from Facilities Management? | FMS900 FAMIS Service Requests |
| managing renovation/construction projects or a large volume of service requests? | Taught on request by Facilities Management |
Security Access Forms - Facilities Management
- How to Request Access: Facilities - Express Form
- Security Form: Express Security Access Form
- How to Request Access: Facilities - General Form
- Security Form: General Security Access Form
Asset Management
| Will you be... | Recommended Training |
|---|---|
| acquiring, managing, or reporting on assets? | Asset Management Overview |
| reporting the transfer or disposal of University assets to Accounting Services? | Asset Management Dispose/Retire and Transfer Requests Job Aid |
| viewing asset management information? | Asset Management Business Admins |
Security Access Forms - Asset Management
- How to Request Access: Assets - General Form
- Security Form: General Security Access Form
Alumni Relations and Development
| Will you be... | Recommended Training |
|---|---|
| using CATracks for alumni tracking and development activities? | CATracks Home |
Last Updated: 20 December 2018
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