Overview

Background

Both SAAS and SLC accounts have historically had specific coding implemented into the SITS/eFinancials interface so that the fees invoices show in eFIn with an invoice number representing the student uun.  This uun is not sufficiently unique to allow use of the existing eFIn invoice allocation routines as the invoice number is not sufficiently unique because a student may have multiple fees invoices..

The first phase of this project has undertaken an options appraisal to determine which elements of the process could be amended and/or automated to improve the allocation of payments, utilising existing eFin routines wherever possible. It has also looked at  what changes could be made to enable the reversal of individual payment transactions in the event of changes.

The results of these findings will inform the design and development work.

Scope

• To evaluate options for amending and/or automating all or parts of the student fees invoices & credit notes cash allocation process for SAAS and SLC payments, these options have included : -
  • developing software scipts to supplement the data supplied by Registry so that payments can be more easily allocated using manual eFin routines
  • enhancing JAMS to automatically load & allocate the payments data supplied by Registry (this option has been subsequently discarded)
  • developing a new system to automatically load & allocate the payments data supplied by Registry
• To develop and/or implement the chosen option(s) for automation
• To evaluate options for providing a more formal and frequent reconciliation process between EUCLID and eFinancials for SAAS/SLC accounts
• To develop and/or implement the chosen option(s) for reconciliation

The following eFinancials sales ledger accounts are the only ones that are within the scope of this project: -

• F10200 - SAAS undergraduate
• Fxxxxx - SAAS postgraduate
• F10000 - Student Loan Company undergraduate
• Fxxxxx - SLC postgraduate

Out of Scope

• Other Fee Paying Authorities (FPAs) also provide funding for student course fees but these are of lower value and complexity and will not be included within the scope of this project
• SAAS and SLC have other accounts but these relate to previous years' payments and are outside of the scope of this project 

Objectives

• To automate all or parts of the invoice allocation process for SAAS and SLC payments 
• To provide a means of reconciling eFInancials to EUCLID on a more frequent basis  

Deliverables

•  tbc based on the outcome of the options appraisal

Benefits

• Reduction of time spent by Income Section on manual invoice allocation, freeing them up to deal with the more complex payment issues
• Reduction of keying errors
• Enhanced student experience as the finance channel will accutely reflect the status of fees invoices being funded by SAAS/SLC
• Reduction of queries to Registry Fees and Income Section 

Success Criteria

• SAAS and SLC payments are able to be correctly matched against the corresponding student invoice in eFinancials
• An individual invoice line can be reversed without the need for reversing other invoices
• Invoices for which payment has been received are correctly shown as paid in the student finance channel
• EUCLID and eFIn SAAS/SLC details reconcile
• Other parts of eFin are not detrementially affected