Quantum Finance FAQs : Security Access

Is journal batch as invoice number in ATLAS?

No, invoice number exists in accounts payable. Here we are talking about manual journals, so there is no invoice concept in the manual journal GE.

Do we have a detail guidance/explanatory note to each column's function and each selected item, i.e., Category - Accrual/Adjustment/YE entry, etc.?

Yes. You can use the guided learning feature to guide you through the process.

Cost centre is the same as department, right?

Yes.

In the COA Project means Output, what does Interagency and Future mean?

Interagency – in case there is a journal between UNDP and UN Women, it is for inter-agency transactions. Future it doesn't have any meaning right now. That's why it's always 0. But in the future, if there is a change in business or operations and we need an extra field, we can use it.

Could you please explain again the difference between journal batch and journal?

The journal batch is the highest level, and within one journal batch you can have multiple journals. The journal batch is one unique name per month, whereas journal names can repeat as much as you want.

Is the project equivalent of the outcome? Or is the project the award?

Will the accounting date dictate the conversion date for currency exchanges?

Yes. The system will automatically convert currencies based on the selected accounting date’s conversion rate.

Will the inter-agency ledger process change between Atlas and Quantum?

Yes. The difference between Atlas and Quantum is that you are only interacting under UNDP Ledger. You don't see the other agency’s ledger anymore. Every agency has its own ledger. When you do an entry, you're only doing it for UNDP.

When I write "0" in future segment, a message appears saying "The interagency value must be 0 for non-interagency accounts" and there is not another option to choose.

This is what we call cross-validation (combo in Atlas) rules. This is to prevent certain accounts from being created. You cannot combine a standard account with an inter-agency account.

There seems the donor code for UNDP 00012 changed to 000012 (4 zeros) ... are there more changes like this?

It is only in the case of the donors where you need to add one additional zero in Quantum.

It is possible to attach the support documentation in the GLJE?

Yes. Under Journal -> Show More -> Attachments

in Atlas, we have "OnDemand" to VDO demo on each type of transaction we do, also in addition there's a "Job Aid" - if at least a similar tool to "Job Aid" is available for Quantum, would really help user to follow a step-by-step transaction.

Yes. There is a Guided Learning feature in Quantum that will walk you through a process step-by-step.

Does Quantum allow to allocate more budget than the resources available?

Right now the control on this one is absolute, meaning that if you don't have the funds, the transaction will not go unless you request an override.

You cannot spend more than is available, otherwise the transaction will fail and say: “no budget available’’.

When you make entry or do the validations, especially the validation of the transaction in Atlas, Atlas will provide the information whether there is a shortage of resources or the budget. So, what happens in the quantum? Does it also provide the information in the same level or not?

In Quantum you can do a “fund check” which will tell you whether you have the resources or not.

in Journal Category I saw "Fund Transfer". When do we use "Fund Transfer" vs "Adjustment"?

The list is a work in progress, and it will be reduced. I think you will see less categories than what you have right now. And as I said, it doesn't have an impact. So, if you are in country office and you want to make a funded transfer, you can use adjustments and it will go to all countries.

Can conversion date be different from accounting date?

It shouldn’t be. You shouldn’t change this date.

Is the Implementing Agent code part of the account?

No, it is not.

Will account in sequence number be visible in the account activity analysis report?

No.

So, Quantum in Journals is checking only against cash availability, and not budget availability? How about in payments (=Atlas vouchers)?

It will check both.

Will there be possibility to use multicurrency in a GLJE? For example, this has been the case in Atlas to correct some transactions related to VAT account 14056, using local currency and USD.

Yes. We can use multiple currencies in the same zone.

We use GLJ for reversals or corrections or clearance of exceptions and all that not unusually implementing codes are important and that of accounts code. But as per the quantum or your presentation, I have not seen any.

The direction in Quantum is that we need to move away from the GL and do things in the subledger. And in the subledger I believe there is an implementing agent. I think in the payables there is a field for implementing agent, but this implementing agent does not come to the GL because it's not part of the chart for account.

How do we do the filing and finding of the supporting documents, for instance in the case of an audit.

You can do a search for the posted journals. When you look for posted journals in a period, you will be able to find the sequence, and you can always go back into the journal.

Currently, CO have a different platform to work on AP voucher, then GSSC pick up and work on this AP in Atlas (as part of the clustering) – how will this work in quantum among CO vs. GSSC when rolling out on 9-Jan-2023, seem CO work directly without GSSC's involvement?

This is a question for the Accounts Payable team.

How GSSC Revenue will sync with Quantum? Donor agreements and deposit of contributions requires in Oracle CX the full COA including the Implementing

This is a question for RA.

So, about that reconciliation with Project Budgets? I don't see that AAA is doing this, which other report will show expenses against activities and IP?

Question for the AP and PPM.

Is GL still official source of reporting to Donor?

Yes, the GL should be the source where the donor reporting is done.

We sometime recover costs with GLJE which needs full COA. How can we manage this?

The full COA is the 9 segments of the process. The chart of accounts will not change – it will only be these 9 segments. And any adjustments you need to do, or cleaning again, you need to go to the subledger and not to the Ledger.

In which sections we will study reports at project level? I tried to select the project in AAA report to run, but it's either a bug, or not working... so which report can be used to analyze project expenses?

The AAA report can be used. You need to select a specific project.

Is it possible to download a GLJE with multiple lines to excel and then modify to create a new one?

Yes. You can export any journal to excel and edit the cells.

In Atlas we can see the account breakdown as well. So there won't be any account breakdown in Quantum, for instance salary accounts? We are receiving allocation to 6 salary accounts, and we are receiving separate allocation to 7 accounts.

You need to change your budget control because this one is only controlling fund and department. You need to look for fund, department and account. You change your control budget to FTA and then you do the same thing. You choose the year and then you choose all funds. And all cost centers. And all accounts and you do a search. And now my control budget there. It's controlled by fund cost center and account, and this is how you see the 70 series and the 60 series you're referring to.

When I tried repeating the steps, it also asked for the Account, under Cost Centre

When you choose accounts, choose all accounts and the system should pull everything for you

A-FA stand for what please

Fund Department Account

What is the difference between Commitment and Obligations?

We are not using commitments, that's why it is hidden. Commitments is for acquisitions, but we don't have a budget control at the requisitions, so you'll need to look only at obligations, which is equals the encumbrance, and this is for the POs and for expenditures is that prepayments and AP invoices - the AP vouchers.

Where do we go to create a journal?

You need to go home, and you need to go to general accounting on the top.

And then from general accounting, you have two options. Either you click on the journal or to the left, there is a shortcut called created Journal. If you click on this, it will take you to the correct screen.

Is there an option for a copy line function?

Yes, there is an option to duplicate a line.

Journals you are explaining now equal APJV or GLJE in Atlas?

GLJE. APJV is in the AP system. Now we are talking about manual journal GE.

what does it mean Cost Centre? Please give the equivalent in Atlas

It is a department.

Why don’t we insert a donor code?

It's optional because here my budget control is only it is at the at the fund at cost center. But if you need to enter a donor, you can go ahead. I'm just doing a demo, so I left it at zero. But if you need to enter a donor, you can do that.

What is the UNDP Future default?

Usually when we design and ERP, we keep a segment for the future. For example, UNDP changes its business design, and we need to use a new segment. We can keep this a future for now as empty and we use it in the future. So, it doesn't have any meaning right now. That's why it's always 0. But in the future, if there is a change in business or operations and we need it, we can use it.

Is the system allowed to upload excel file for big journals?

Yes.

Can we create multi-currency journals? Sometimes we need it to balance VAT account.

Yes, it is available.

Has the length of the field increased? The number of digits compared with Atlas? It seems that there are more zeros, for example.

It could be, for every donor we are adding a zero. But for the other segments, the count remains at 5.

Where can we find the database of the codes of donors, departments, to have a quick access?

Go to Quantum -> Home -> Tools ->Scheduled Processes -> Schedule New Process -> enter UN COA and hit TAB -> Choose the UN COA ValueSet Details Report -> Choose UNDP Value Set Name -> Choose the segment you want to see the values for (For donors use UN Donor Lookup_Code) -> Run the job and download the excel file.

Is there an option to print the GLJE itself?

Yes, under Batch Actions -> Print.

How do you assign the approver?

You don't assign the approver. The approval groups are given to us by the business, and we build the approval groups based on the categories. You don’t get to control who approves what.

What profiles have access for Journals approval?

It is the the finance manager, or if you are in a GSSU team or in the KL team with the reporting team. But it's not by profile, it's based on your role in the business and based on the approval group that is given to us.

And how are we able to check to whom the journal was routed for approval?

When you create a journal, you ping the journal to the manager and tell him to approve it.

You should know your manager, and this is how it works.

Under what kind of situation do we use “Journal” since “Journal” seems that it is not to correct transaction mistakes?

The major change between Atlas and Quantum is we want to move away from the GL to correct things. If entries are incorrect, you need to go to the source. If there is a problem with the AP Voucher, you need to correct it in the AP voucher, not in the GL. If there is an AR receipt that is incorrect or you want to change the donor, you need to go and do it in the AR module, not in the GL. Any transaction that you need to correct, you need to go to the subledger.

When searching, will the system show by default all journals created by all UNDP units, or just the ones created under our business unit?

There is no business unit in the GL. You can add fields like the creation date, currency, approval status etc. You can also save these search filters.

Is there any unique number created for journal as in case of GLJE?

By default, the system will not give you a number. The number will come after you post an entry. If you scroll to the right, there is an accounting sequence here that the system will generate. This is your accounting journal ID, but on the screen, you will see it only after you post it and the system will generate this number for you.

Can we create a new journal from an existing journal?

Yes, under Batch Actions -> Copy, and the system will generate a copy of the journal.

We've had some staffing changes over the course of the months. how could we find out who's in our CO approver groups?

All CO Finance Managers will be in the approver group.

What is the frequency of updating GL cube?

This job should ideally run on a daily basis.

Task Number stands for Activity Code in Atlas?

Yes.

Are we supposed to be able to generate the reports?

You need a role called UN Fin Report. Maybe you're missing this this role, which will should give you access. You're missing this role.

Anything related to roles or things like that, send a note to Leiming Yao.

Do you have to activate the Oracle function in Excel?

Yes. The ADFDI Excel add-in. There is a step-by-step guide here.

Is there an issue of the ADFDI add-in with a Mac?

It does not work with a Mac. This is a product issue; it is what the latest update says.

Please advise in what situations one journal batch with multiple journals is applicable/recommended?

For let's say area like the Arab countries, and for each country you want to create a journal. So, you can have one batch for the Arab region and then you create one journal for each country. You separate the journals, and use one batch for multiple journals.

On General Accounting screen, there is also general accounting dashboard. How/for what to use it?

It is a summary of your journals and an overview of what is going on.