HOW TO: Create New Attributes Values for Project and Budget Lines
An attribute is a thing or subject – anything or any subject – to which we want to assign a label that can be recorded and reported on in the system.
Examples of attributes:
Region |
Products |
Dept |
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Project |
Asset Types |
Staff |
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Site |
Currency |
Absence Types |
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Typically, only records that are “static” in nature should be recorded as attributes. The following would not make good candidates for attributes due to their transactional nature:
Wages |
Reversals |
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Loans |
Purchases |
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Absences |
Vehicle maintenance |
Relations are attributes that also serve as containers or logical groupings of other attributes. In the image below, Departments and Resource IDs (Staff) are both attributes, but resources can be linked to departments in a "1 to many" relationship:
“Department” is therefore a relation of “Resource.
The system already contains all the attributes and relations required for the system to record and produce meaningful information and reports. If an attribute does not exist please log a ticket with ERP Support (erpsupport@medicalteams.org).
The rest of this document describes the process for adding attribute values, adding the data that is required to populate each attribute. For example, the Dept. attribute would include Global Programs, Finance and IST as attribute values.
METHOD:
. To add a, carry out the following steps:
- Log in to UBW (Web) and navigate to the Attribute Masterfile screen via the Common menu which can be found listed in the Homescreen menu down the left-hand side of the screen. From there, navigate to the Attribute and relations section:
Alternatively you can navigate to the screen using the search criteria at the top right hand corner of the screen.
2. To add values to the Project or Budget Line attributes, start by typing the name of the required Attribute into the Attribute field:
3. To add a new code value, tab out into the Attribute Value field and type in the name of the new code and the description in the Description field. Project Attribute codes should only be 6 characters long. The Description field can
Note: The “Period to” field can function as an effect “Status=Closed” field if it is in the past.
4. Relations – these are other attributes to which the Project and BL codes have to be linked in order to maintain the data integrity of the system and facilitate meaningufl reporting. The relations required for Projects include:
- Institution
- Finance Approval
- Project type
- Donor
Finance Approval refers to the Project Accountant responsible for approving GL transactions linked to that project.
Note also that the lifespan of the project can be limited using the Date to: field: this becomes an
Effective “Status=Closed” field if in the past.
POTENTIAL ISSUES & ERRORS
5. Relation value does not exist
Possible causes:
- One or more of the attributes in the Relations tab does not exist
- One or more of the attributes in the Relations tab has a “Date to” value in the past.