Business Rules

Travel, Entertainment and Moving > Standard Transaction Documents > Travel Authorization > Process Overview

Business Rules

The following business rules apply to the Travel Authorization document:

Initiation

• Arrangers and users with TEM Profiles can initiate Travel Authorizations.

• Arrangers do not need to have a TEM Profile.

• TEM Profiles can be created by, and for, any Active Faculty or Staff.

Trip Overview tab, Trip Information section:

• If the Trip Type allows Blanket Approval and the Blanket Approval checkbox is checked, expenses cannot be estimated on the TA and the TEM Profile must have a default account.

• If the Trip Type is set to Generate Encumbrance, encumbrances will be generated upon save or submit.

• If DISPLAY_PER_DIEM_URL_IND = Y, a link will display that opens the Disbursement Voucher Travel Per Diem Lookup which provides links to websites that provide per diem information.

• If OVERRIDE_PRIMARY_DESTINATION_IND = Y, then the Destination Not Found button will display and the user can enter a destination that does not exist in the per diem tables.

• If PER_DIEM_AMOUNT_EDITABLE_IND = Y, the per diem fields will be editable and the user can enter a lower amount, but cannot exceed the total per diem allowed. If N, then columns will not display for breakfast, lunch, dinner and incidentals and one column will display for Meals and Incidentals and not be editable.

Travel Advances tab:

• Travel advances payment due date must be today or later, but prior to the travel end date.

• Travel advances cannot exceed the amount of the trip.

• Parameters TRAVEL_ADVANCE_CHART, TRAVEL_ADVANCE_ACCOUNT AND TRAVEL_ADVANCE_OBJECT_CODE determine how to generate the accounting line to record the advance.

• TRAVEL_ADVANCE_OBJECT_CODE must always contain a value and the object code cannot be changed on the Travel Advance Accounting Lines.

• If TRAVEL_ADVANCE_CHART and TRAVEL_ADVANCE_ACCOUNT have values, those values will be used in the Travel Advance Accounting Lines and cannot be changed.

• If TRAVEL_ADVANCE_CHART and TRAVEL_ADVANCE_ACCOUNT do not have values, then the account with the largest encumbrance will be used in the Travel Advance Accounting Lines tab and can be edited.

• Travel Advance Accounting Lines do not route. Routing is determined by the accounts used to allocate the encumbrance or the account assigned to the TEM Profile.

Emergency Contact Information tab:

• If the Trip Type requires that Emergency Contact Information be provided, the document cannot be submitted unless it is provided.

• If the TEM Profile has Emergency Contacts, they will default into the Travel Authorization.

• Emergency Contacts will be masked to all users except traveler, arranger and Contact Reviewer role.

• This tab will not display if DISPLAY_EMERGENCY_CONTACT_IND = N.

Special Circumstances tab:

• If an amount is entered in the expense limit field, the encumbrance cannot exceed that amount.

• If meals have been claimed without lodging and it’s not the last day of a multi-day trip, justification for meals without lodging will be required.

Group tab:

• The number of travelers listed in this tab will be used to determine the allowable maximums by the multiplying the allowable amount by the number of travelers when Group Expense types are chosen.

Estimated Per Diem Expenses tab:

• If the Trip Type is set to Display Per Diem Table, the Create Per Diem button will display and Per Diem can be estimated for each day of the trip.

• If Trip Type is International and Per Diem Table is created, Accommodation fields will display. If parameter INTERNATIONAL_TRIP_REQUIRES_ACCOMMODATION_IND = Y, fields marked required must be completed before the document can be submitted.

• The Per Diem Calculation Method for the first and last day of the trip is set by Trip Type. If set to Percentage, the first and last days will be calculated based on the percentage identified in parameter FIRST_AND_LAST_DAY_PER_DIEM_PERCENTAGE. If set to Quarter, the day is divided based on the values in parameter QUARTER_DAY_TIME_TABLE, where the start and end times fall within the defined quarters determines the amount of allowed per diem.

• Lodging will be set to 0.00 on the last day.

• If Lodging is not claimed on a day where meals are claimed, justification will be required to be entered in the Special Circumstances tab, unless it’s the last day of a multi-day trip.

• If per diem, lodging or mileage is claimed in the Estimated Per Diem tab, the same expense cannot be claimed for the same day in the Expenses tab.

• If INCIDENTALS_WITH_MEALS_IND = Y, incidentals can only be claimed if at least one meal (breakfast, lunch or dinner) is claimed. If N, then the incidentals can be claimed regardless.

• PER_DIEM_CATEGORIES parameter determines which columns will display.

• PER_DIEM_MILEAGE_RATE_EXPENSE_TYPE_CODE specifies the default mileage rate type.

• If VALIDATE_DAILY_PER_DIEM_AND_INCIDENTALS_IND= Y, validate per diem against daily total versus each individual meal and incidental.

Expenses tab

• If Lodging Allowance is selected, the amount entered must be equal to or less than the amount specified in the Expense Type Object Code table for this expense type.

• If Lodging is claimed in the Estimated Per Diem tab and Lodging Allowance is claimed for the same day, a warning displays that Lodging is also being claimed.

• The Expense Type Object Code table determines for what expenses receipts and notes are required and maximum amounts and if there are amount restrictions by day or by occurrence..

• Meta Categories have been established for Expense types that have special rules, such as, Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Incidentals, Lodging, Lodging Allowance, Airline, Rental Car and Mileage. These Meta Categories control requirements such as disallowing meals to be claimed in both the per diem and the Expenses tab, to require that Class of Service and Airfare Source be completed for Airline and Class of Service be completed for Rental Car.

o If a Per Diem or Lodging expense is claimed in Expenses for the same day as claimed in the Per Diem tab, the value in the Estimated Per Diem tab will be greyed out.

o If a Hosted Meal is claimed in the Expenses tab for the same day as a meal in the Estimated Per Diem Expenses tab, the value in the Estimated Per Diem Expenses tab will be greyed out.

• If “Group” type expenses are entered, maximum amounts will be determined based on the number of travelers listed in the Group tab.

Accounting Lines Tab:

• Default Chart, Account, Sub-Account and Project Code can be defined in the TEM Profile and if completed, the Accounting Lines fields will be updated with these values.

• Object codes are read only and are determined by the Trip Type.

• If Foreign Travel Company as defined in the Disbursement Voucher Travel Company is selected in the Expenses tab and a Contracts and Grants account is used, a message will display re: the Fly America act and you will need to attach the Fly America Waiver Checklist in the Notes and Attachments tab.

• Accounting lines total must equal encumbrance amount.