MARS ADVANTAGE User's Guide

About This Manual

A Standardized Manual

Typographical Conventions

Related Information

Introduction

Overview of MARS ADVANTAGE

Automated Accounting for Funds

Multiple Bases of Accounting

Integration with the Budget

Standard Accounting Processes

Flexible Account Classification

MARS ADVANTAGE Security

The Database

The Role of Master Tables

Master Table Structure

Master Table Maintenance

Summary Ledgers

Open Item Ledgers

Grant and Project Ledgers

History Ledgers

Document Listing (SUSF) Window

Archive Program

Reconciliation between Tables and Ledgers

Systems Assurance Processing

Overall System Operation

Annual Functions

Need for Backups

The Chart of Accounts

Flexible Account Code Structure

Chart of Accounts - Issues and Concepts

Defining the Chart of Accounts

Coded and Inferred Attributes

Available Hierarchies

Fund Hierarchies

Agency Hierarchies

Organization Hierarchies

Agency/Organization/Sub-Organization Hierarchies

Activity Hierarchies

Function Hierarchies

Object Hierarchies

Sub-Object Hierarchies

Revenue Source Hierarchies

Sub-Revenue Source

Balance Sheet Account Hierarchies

Bank Account Code

Cash Account Code

Balance Sheet Account Codes

System Controls and Options

Budgetary Controls

Allotment Control Option

Use Presence Control

Allotment Frequency

Allotment Include Encumbrance

Control Indicator

Appropriation Control Option

Use Presence Control

Budget Authority Option

Budget Fiscal Year Must Equal Fiscal Year Indicator

Expense Budget Control Option

Revenue Budget Control Option

Expense Budget Activity Option

Expense Budget Function Option

Expense Budget Organization Option

JV Cash Indicator Required

Miscellaneous Vendor Indicator

Revenue Budget Activity Option

Revenue Budget Organization Option

Reporting Category Option (Balance Sheet Transactions)

Reporting Category Required on Revenue Transaction Option

Reporting Category Required on Spending Transaction Option

Sub-Object Required Option

Sub-Organization Entry Options

Sub-Revenue Source Required Option

Expenditure Cycle Controls

Cash Edit Option

Cash Edit Pool Fund

Internal Cash Voucher Option

JV Payroll Encumbrances

Payment Tolerance Percent or Amount

Object is Related to Payroll Option

Scheduled Payment Options

Stop Vendor Payment Option

Summarize Disbursements Option

Vendor/Commodity Control Option

Vendor Control Option

Miscellaneous Options

Account Balance Option

Backup Withholding Indicator

Backup Withholding Option

Backup Withholding Rate

Finance Charge Option

Fund Balance Option

Project/Job Precedence Option

Number of Prenote Days

Obligation Carry Option

Plan Frequency Option

Prior Document Reference Option

Project Accounting

Update Real Time Ledger Option

Validate FBSA Option

Vendor Name Option

Enable Code Verification Option

View Voided Checks Option

Warrant Clearing Fund Option

Subsystem Options

Advanced Budget Preparation Option

Advanced Receivables Option

Debt Management Option

Extended Purchasing Option

Fixed Assets History Option

Inventory Control Option

Job Cost Option

Job Number Required Options

Project Billing Option

Reports

Issues and Concepts

Report Parameters

Specifying a Date Range

List of Standard Reports

Extended Budgeting

Definition of Terms

Budget Fiscal Year and Accounting Fiscal Year

Multi-Year Budgeting

Entering Amounts on Budget Transactions

Appropriations (Appropriation Programs)

Implementing Appropriations

Defining Appropriations

Testing Appropriation Amounts

Accounting Model and the Ledger

Appropriation Tables

Allotments (Allotment Programs)

Use Presence Control

Implementing Allotments

Allotment Include Encumbrance

Control Indicator

Defining Allotments

Testing Allotment Amounts

Accounting Model and the Ledger

Allotment Tables

Expense Budgets

Implementing an Expense Budget

Defining Expense Budget Lines

Accounting Model and the Ledger

Expense Budget Tables

Revenue Budgets

Implementing Revenue Budgets

Defining Revenue Budget Lines

Logic Tests on Revenue Budget Amounts

Accounting Model and the Ledger

Internal Budgeting

Expenditure Accounting

Definition of Terms

Referencing Facility

Open Items Tables

Canceling Documents

Accounting Basis for Expenditure Processing

Account Code Structure

Expenditure Entry Options

Budgetary Controls

Organization, Activity, and Function Options

Fund Balance Control

Prior Document Reference Option

Prior-Year Encumbrances and the Obligation Carry Forward Option

Internal Purchases

Vendor-Related Research

Miscellaneous Vendor Indicator

Vendor Alternate Address

Other Vendor Information

Requisition Documents

Requisition Accounting Model and Ledger

Requisition Document

Purchase Order Documents

Reopening Closed Purchase Orders

Logic Tests on Purchase Order Amounts

Purchase Order Text (POTX)

Purchase Order Accounting Model and Ledger

Purchase Order Inquiry Windows

Purchase Order Documents

Payment Voucher Documents

Payment Vouchers - Issues and Concepts

Testing Payment Voucher Amounts

Accounting Model and the Ledgers

Open Voucher Inquiry Tables

Vendor Payment Voucher (P1)

Multiple Vendor Payment Voucher (MP)

Multi-Payee Payment Voucher Detail (PVV)

Payment Voucher for Procurement Card (PVC)

Payment Voucher for Procurement Desktop (PVP)

Manual Warrant Documents

Manual Warrant Fedwire

Manual Warrant/ Investment

Testing Manual Warrant Amounts

Posting Manual Warrants to Ledgers

Manual Warrant Tables

Entering Manual Warrants

Referencing a Payment Voucher

Recurring Payment Vouchers

Automated Disbursements

Voucher Preselection

Automated Disbursements - Other Issues - (Not Used in MARS)

Accounting Model and the Ledger

Check Voids Using the Check Cancellation Document

Check Voids Using the Manual Warrant Document

Check Void Examples

Accounting Model for Check Voids

Electronic Funds Transfer Cancellation

Expenditure Accounting - Special Features

Accounting Model and Prior-Year Purchase Orders

Outstanding Check Reconciliation

On-Demand Printing

Revenue Accounting

Transaction Processors

Revenue Accounting Tables

Revenue Accounting Ledgers

Revenue Accounting Reporting

Revenue Accounting Flowchart

Accounting Basis of MARS Revenue Accounting

Definition of Terms

Revenue Options and Controls

Budgetary Controls

Account Code Structure

Revenue Options (ROPT)

Revenue Options by Agency/Revenue Source (ROAR)

Open Receivable Options (OREO)

Processing Chains

Referencing Facility

Billing Profile (BPRO)

Collection Notice Cycles

Customer Information

Revenue Accounting Documents

Cash Receipt Document - Issues and Concepts

Non-Sufficient Funds Document (NF) - Issues and Concepts

Receivable Document (RE) - Issues and Concepts

Receivable Credit Memo Document (RM) - Issues and Concepts

Write-Off Document (WO) - Issues and Concepts

Special Features

External Billing

Past Due Accounts

Recurring Receivables

General Accounting

Definition of Terms

Journal Vouchers

Journal Voucher Lines

Standard Accruals and Reversals

Logic Tests on Journal Voucher Amounts

Payroll Voucher (PR) Documents

System Controls

Payroll Voucher (PR) Instructions

Interfacing Labor Disbursements to MARS

Accounting Model and the Ledger

General Accounting - Special Features

Recurring Journal Voucher Masters

Recurring Journal Vouchers Selection Examples

Automated Journal Voucher Reversal Process

Online Balance Sheet Account Balances

Online Fund Balance

Online General Ledger

Real Time Online General Ledger

Expense Budget Detail

Travel Management

Travel Documents

Offline Programs

Travel Management Ledgers

Travel Management Tables

Travel Management Flowchart

For the Travel Administrator

Defining Basic Travel Reference Tables

Defining Travel Policies

Editing and Maintaining Reference Data for Travel

For the Traveler

Travel Planning and Authorization

Accessing Travel Rules and Regulations

Using Internal Resources

Creating and Submitting the Travel Authorization (TE)

Creating and Submitting the Expense Voucher (TP)

Updating Tables with Expense Voucher (TP) Documents

Expense Processing for Internal Resources

For the Approver

Reviewing and Approving the Travel Authorization

Reviewing and Approving the Expense Voucher

For the Internal Resource Provider

Reviewing Authorized Charges

Creating and Submitting the Internal Travel Voucher (IIT)

Submitting Internal Travel Vouchers in Batch

For the Travel Accounting Staff

Multi-Vendor Payments

Accounting Model for Travel Management

Inventory Control

Inventory Accounting Events

Offline Programs

Inventory Ledger

Inventory Control Tables

Inventory Reports

Inventory Control Flowchart

Definition of Terms

Processing Chains

Referencing Facility

Maintaining Open Stock Requisitions and Transfers

Canceling Expenditure Transactions

Integration with Extended Purchasing (EPS)

Inventory Control Documents

Stock Requisition (SR) - Issues and Concepts

Pick and Issue (PI) - Issues and Concepts

Stock Issue Confirmation (CI) - Issues and Concepts

Over the Counter (OC) - Issues and Concepts

Stock Return (SN) - Issues and Concepts

Inventory Adjustment (IA) - Issues and Concepts

Physical Inventory Purchase Input (IP) - Issues and Concepts

Stock Transfer Issue (TI) - Issues and Concepts

Stock Transfer Receipt (TR) - Issues and Concepts

Special Features

Backorder Servicing

Lead Time Calculation

Forecast Demand Calculation

Reorder Point Calculation

Physical Inventory Count Procedures

Closed Transactions Table Purge

Inventory Replenishment

Extended Document Generation

Fixed Assets

Fixed Assets Documents

Offline Programs

Fixed Assets Tables

Fixed Assets Ledgers

Document Listing (SUSF)

Fixed Assets Reports

Fixed Assets Flowchart

Accounting Models for Fixed Assets

Definition of Terms

Processing Chains

Automatic Fixed Asset Acquisition (FA) Creation

Fixed Asset Depreciation

Memo Depreciation

Accounting for Depreciation in Proprietary Funds

Accounting for Depreciation in Governmental Funds

Fixed Asset Ledger Summary

Fixed Asset Revaluation

Fixed Asset Disposition Purge

Fixed Asset History

Fixed Asset Annual Closing

Fixed Asset Reorganization (FARO)

Fixed Asset Documents

Fixed Asset Acquisition (FA) - Issues And Concepts

Fixed Assets Betterment (FB) - Issues and Concepts

Fixed Asset Modification (FC) - Issues And Concepts

Funding Source Modification (FF) - Issues and Concepts

Fixed Asset Internal Sale (FS) - Issues and Concepts

Fixed Asset Transfer (FT) - Issues and Concepts

Fixed Asset Disposition (FD) - Issues and Concepts

Repairs and Maintenance

Job Costing

Job Costing Ledgers

Job Costing Tables

Job Costing Reports

Job Costing Flowchart

Definition of Terms

Month-End Processes

Job Closing and Costing

Automatic Internal Billing

Automatic External Billing

Job Summarization and Purging

Job Costing Documents

Job Control Document (JB) - Issues and Concepts

Job Charges Document (JC) - Issues and Concepts

Special Features

Projects, Grants, and Project Billing

Project Billing Ledgers

Project Billing Tables

Project Billing Flowchart

Definition of Terms

Extended Project Accounting

Project Hierarchy

Major Functions of Extended Project Accounting

Establishment of Projects and Budgets

Aggregation of All Project-Related Data

Funds Control against Project Budgets

Multi-Year Inception to Date Budgeting

Project Document Controls

Key Concepts of Project Billing

Establishment of Project Contributors

Automation of Project Billing/Reimbursement from
Participating Funding Sources

Collection of CMIA-Specific Information

Automation of Federal Draws

Project Billing Setup

Setting Up Extended Project Accounting

Setting Up Project Billing

Changing the Status of a Project

Project Billing Documents

Project Management Documents

Accounting Documents

Project Participation Documents

Other Project Documents

The Billing Process

Billing of the Funding Sources

Controls on Project Documents

Draws and CMIA-Compliance

CMIA Fundamentals

Setting Up CMIA and the Draw Process

Processing Draws

Using the Project Billing Draw Request Window

Understanding the Draw Processes

Cost Allocation

Offline Programs

Cost Allocation Ledger and Master Tables

Cost Allocation Tables

Cost Allocation Reports

Cost Allocation Flowchart

Definition of Terms

Data Integrity Option

Defining Pool and Base Records

Cost Allocation Process

Special Features

Build Cost Allocation General Ledger

Build Object/Revenue Class and Type

Build Lower Level Organizations

Build Agency Class/Agency Association

Variable Percent Table Pre-Processor

Pool/Base Table Pre-Processor

Pool/Base Table Expansion

Compute Allocations

Allocation Ledger Summarization

Generate Journal Voucher

Monthly Closing

Period Clearing

Open Item Ledger Clearing

The Table Clearing Program

Requesting Closing and Clearing

Annual Closing and Annual Functions (Extended Budgeting)

Annual Closing Overview

Optional Year-End Accounting Period

Trial Annual Closing

Annual Closing Processing

Summarizing the Fund Balance

Summarizing Offset and Other Balance Sheet Account Entries

Closing the Year to Further Transactions

Archiving the Closed Year's Records

Annual Close and Multi-Year Appropriations

Offsetting the Multi-Year Details

Closing Multi-Year Appropriations

Clearing Closed Multi-Year Records

Backing Out Multi-Year Balancing Records

Procedures for Running Annual Closing

Annual Functions

Beginning Cash Balance

Prior Year Expenditures

Budget Ledger Purge Process

New Year Table Initialization

Purchase Order Rollover

Annual Vendor Processing

Planning

Base vs. Modified Plans

Plan Frequency and the Plan Period

Establishing Planning Units and Coding Plan Lines

Model of Plan Transactions

Preparing a Plan for a Future Fiscal Year

Implementing Plans

Changing and Adding Lines

The Plan Transaction Type

Obligation Plans (OB)

Revenue Recognition (RR)

Cash Collection Plan (CC)

Using the Obligation Plan to Support Seasonal Spending Policies

Submitting a Job Online

Selecting the Job Description

Submitting the Job

Reviewing the Results

Index