Glossary

The Activity code in FIS is a new tracking opportunity associated with a Work Order covering items such as Administration, Advising, Committee Release, Contract Activity, etc.

The Activity codes and the object codes are not the same! It is just a coincidence that they are both three digit numbers.

When using the current appointment system and in FIS, the default activity code should always be presented as the option to select. We are not currently using the activity codes for reporting; however, they are being developed with the anticipation that they can be used to capture more granular details in the future when we are ready to use this functionality. 

In the Employee Portal, Work Orders have been set up to track activity in the same way that FRS cost centres capture financial information. Work Orders have been assigned a default Activity Code and this new element is intended to reflect the purpose of the Work Order (previously called cost centre) itself.  

Examples include:

• Administration
• Instruction
• Student support
• Contract activity
• Research
• Retail operations, and so on

When the Unit4 Student Management (U4SM) system is brought online, this area could be used to also track course and section data.

As an example, in the HRIS Appointment process, if a technical or support employee is charged to an instructional Work Order (previously called cost centre) such as the Bachelor of Science in Nursing, the appropriate Activity Code to use is 208 - Instruction, which is the default activity related to instructional departments (pending section information from SRS). When that same individual is charged to a non-instructional area like the dean's faculty Work Order, then the appropriate activity code to use is 201 - Faculty Administration.

When using the HRIS Appointment Creation and Change forms, please use the default codes provided in the translation document for the work order you're charging appointments to.  Unfortunately, we haven't been able to "fix" (hard code) the Activity Code for each work order, which would be ideal. As the configuration stands now, we know the Activity Codes may be used a bit inconsistently until we can hard code the element to the work order. Our goal is to continue working to improve the configuration in the system so the defaults are automatic and then of course, reporting can be consistently relied upon.

See IntellAgent for more details.

You will always receive notification of your Tasks via the Task list. In some cases, you may also receive an Alert to remind you to check a particular task if it has not been addressed in a timely manner or if it has been forwarded from the original user to someone else.

The new VIU budget structure was implemented with the new Finance module to support reporting at the different levels. It should not be confused with the HR organizational structure that will eventually support position-to-position oversight responsibilities (time sheet approvals, absence management, requisition approvals, etc.)

Budget overview - video transcript.txt 

This Budget Structure Cheat Sheet may assist as you follow along with the video. 

President = Institution oversight

Executive = 3 Senior Budget Holders areas of budget oversight

Branch = AVP level of budget oversight

Division = Budget Division Areas of Responsibility as identified in the Consolidated Resource Plan (see page 17)

Subdivision = portion of Division to reflect different budget oversight requirements, i.e. directors or managers within the Division.

Cost centre = areas of business within the Subdivision, i.e. Accounts Payable Department, which is within the Accounting Services Subdivision, which is within the Financial Services Division

Project = Different projects within a Cost Centre, i.e. Culinary Arts – Nanaimo or Culinary Arts –Cowichan are both unique projects in the Culinary Arts Cost Centre

(NOTE: can have 99 projects per Cost Centre, per fund)

Work Order = similar to FRS Cost Centre, Work Orders allow for tracking of individual activity within projects, i.e. Culinary Arts – Instruction and Culinary Arts Field Trips and competitions are both unique work orders in the Culinary Arts  - Nanaimo Project.

(NOTE: can have 999 Work Orders for each Project)

For those who used the Financial Records System (FRS) you may want some clarity regarding the institutional transition from FRS cost centres and FRS object codes to Work Orders, account Numbers and activity Codes used by the Human Resource Information System (HRIS) and Financial Information System (FIS). Here is a basic explanation followed by a more detailed one for deeper understanding.

Simple version:

The FRS Cost Centre is mapped to the FIS  (formerly UBW) Work Order.

The FRS Object Code is mapped to the FIS (formerly UBW) Account number.

For example:

• Existing FRS Cost Centre 2030 English is identical to Work Order 12225-1-1 (for English in FIS)
• Existing FRS Object Code 215 for CUPE Complement is identical to Account 5200 in FIS

The Activity Code in FIS is a new tracking opportunity for us that is associated with a Work Order. This covers items such as Administration, Advising, Committee Release, Contract Activity, etc.

The Activity Codes and the Object Codes are NOT the same! It is just a coincidence that they are both three digit numbers.

This is the access point for employees to get into the cloud based system to use the HRIS and FIS modules.

The system was  originally known as UBW or ERP and is now officially the Employee Portal.

This is the revised name (effective Aug 2020) of the cloud-based software that VIU chose as a result of Project AURORA (A Unified Renewal of Related Applications) to provide an enterprise-wide change to our core support systems and business processes. It was originally called UBW.

VIU calls the main module the HRIS and the new finance modules (called FIS) was added in July 2021. The logo in the top corner of the product says Unit4 ERP as of August 2020.

This is the VIU name for the Finance module that became part of the cloud-based software that VIU chose as a result of Project AURORA (A Unified Renewal of Related Applications) to provide an enterprise-wide change to our core support systems and business processes.   

The product that was originally called UBW when it was launched in Jan 2020 and rebranded by the vendor (Unit4) in August 2020 to ERP. This houses these modules. The current main module is known internally at VIU as HRIS and the new Finance module added into the Employee Portal in July 2021 is known internally at VIU as FIS.

The logo in the top corner of the product says Unit4 ERP as of August 2020.

The previous reporting system used by VIU for maintaining Financial records. 

Used for data entry. In the Employee Portal there are many forms that are built-in, but there are also many that can be custom built. A form is typically used to enter data that gets passed along to another user who can then use that data to officially set up or enter data into the system.

An example of this is an Appointment Form where data is entered and then sent to HR who uses this data to set up a new employee in the HRIS module.

Another example is the form screen accessed by employees via Payroll Deductions Management to enter their request to have an amount deducted from their pay for McLotto. This form is Submitted by the employee and it flows through to the payroll team who use that data to set up the McLotto deduction in the employee's pay record. The form itself is data only and is not technically set-up in the HRIS until the appropriate person actually sets it up in the system after verification of details.

This is the VIU name for the main module in the cloud-based software that VIU chose as a result of Project AURORA (A Unified Renewal of Related Applications) to provide an enterprise-wide change to our core support systems and business processes.   

The product was originally called UBW when it was launched in Jan 2020 and was rebranded by the vendor (Unit4) in August 2020 to ERP. This main module is known internally at VIU as HRIS and it is accessed via the Employee Portal, which is the entire system. The logo in the top corner of the product says Unit4 ERP as of August 2020.

An IntellAgent is a notification of an event which is sent through the Unit4 Employee Portal system directly to an individual or a group. An event typically involves a change to the data such as an updated record or new record added. The system continually checks for events and when an event occurs, it will automatically generate and send out the notification to the appropriate person(s). This notification will come via an email to the employee or as an Employee Portal system Alert.

Examples of IntellAgents:

• an email sent to an employee reminding them of an expiring First Aid certification
• a notice to a manager of an upcoming employee evaluation

Email notification
If you receive an email with this subject line, it is not spam; it is an IntellAgent from HR:

Subject: HR – Unit4 – (subject of IntellAgent)

Alert notification
A system alert IntellAgent would show up in the Employee Portal as seen below. As we start to roll-out alerts, you will be encouraged to login to the Portal daily or weekly to view these in-system alerts.

You can tell that you have an internal Alert by seeing a number in an orange box located by the bell icon

In the previous Financial Record System (FRS), the three digit code identified a type of transaction (e.g. Travel). In the new FIS this number is known as the Account code and the main number is four digits. 

The user that originally filled in and submitted a form.

A product code is a unique seven digit identifier assigned to a supply-type or service-type product for purchase. Operational product codes start with “A” and a select amount for Blanket Purchase Orders with “B," and capital product codes start with “C.”

A product code for sales is a unique alphanumeric identifier assigned to products or services for sale. The number part of a sales product code indicates what type of product or service is being invoiced (for example, Provincial grants and contracts start with "40xx-x"). The text part of a sales product code indicates what tax is applicable to the product or service in question (for example, 4250-1 is for Grants and Contracts - Corporations (No Tax) and 4250G-1 is for Grants and Contracts - Corporations (GST)).

For the creation of sales orders, users enter in a product code first, as we've talked about. However, if they enter in a Grants and Contracts product code, they will also then need to enter in a "Grant-award" code. If you also want to define this: The "Grant-award" code is a unique 4-digit identifier that is only relevant for when Grants and Contracts are being invoiced. This code groups the customer organization for deferred revenue reporting purposes.

This is your former Employee ID. The first number has been changed from a "0" to a "3." New employees will have their numbers always start with a "3."

This video explains the change.

Your employee number has changed transcript.txt

A grouping of employees that undertake a particular task or type of task. Some Role examples:

• Payroll Clerk
• Admin Assistant
• Finance Assistant
• Dean's Assistant
• Dean
• Professor

The current proprietary system created and maintained by VIU for managing student records. 

The area in the Employee Portal where a user is presented with a list of items that they have to process in some way. This is typically approvals or rejections of items such as appointments, absences or payroll deductions. In future it will include timesheets, expenses, purchase requisitions, purchase orders, sales orders, etc.   

These employees are located throughout all departments at VIU and are assisting the institution with the technology changes that are happening as a result of Project AURORA. They receive extra training on the HRIS and FIS modules and can assist you to navigate your way around the systems and the training website. They are the go-to resource for help with navigating these changes. You can find a link to the list of them at the top of most Aurora training pages.

When an employee is sick they need to let their supervisor know each day as well as someone in their department who will record their sick time. This person is known as the TED or Time Entry Designate.

This is the original name (when we went live in January 2020) of the cloud-based software that VIU chose as a result of Project AURORA (A Unified Renewal of Related Applications) to provide an enterprise-wide change to our core support systems and business processes.   

The product was rebranded by the vendor (Unit4) in August 2020 to ERP.

VIU now calls this system the Employee Portal and it is comprised of the main HRIS and FIS modules. The logo in the top corner of the product says Unit4 ERP as of August 2020.  

This is the software vendor that was chosen by VIU as a result of Project AURORA.

For general information and updates on the Project AURORA plan go to VIU Project AURORA. You can learn about the project history and view a series of general employee videos.

The Employee Portal (both FIS and HRIS) inherently requires the term "Work Order" be used for the tracking of financial details. The VIU Facilities Services department used to also use the term "work order" though have now converted their systems and use the term "Service Request" instead. 

For those who used to use the Financial Records System (FRS) you may want some clarity regarding the institutional transition from FRS Cost Centres and FRS Object Codes to Work Orders, Account Numbers and Activity Codes used by HRIS and for FIS. Here is a basic explanation.

Simple version:

The FRS Cost Centre is mapped to the FIS  (formerly UBW) Work Order.

The FRS Object Code is mapped to the FIS (formerly UBW) Account number.

For example:

• Existing FRS Cost Centre 2030 English is identical to Work Order 12225-1-1 (for English in FIS)
• Existing FRS Object Code 215 for CUPE Complement is identical to Account 5200 in FIS

The Activity Code in FIS and used by HRIS is a new tracking opportunity for us that is associated with a Work Order. This covers items such as Administration, Advising, Committee Release, Contract Activity, etc.

The Activity Codes and the Object Codes are not the same! It is just a coincidence that they are both three digit numbers.

The FRS to FIS mapping tool can support you during the transition. 

In the Employee Portal this refers to a process that happens in the background of the system (fully controlled by VIU) that forwards information to users or groups of users in order for them to review, action and/or approve it. 

An example is an appointment that gets entered via a form. This goes to other appointment creators to check and approve and then goes to other HR personnel to enter the data and set up the record. Then the form goes to Payroll so they can set up their portion of the information and this is then passed along to another Payroll clerk to check and approve. All of this is tracked and recorded in the system to ensure integrity and for tracking purposes.