Business Matters February 2016

Upcoming Business Forum

Thank you for attending the Business Forum on Thursday, February 4. The February 2016 Business Forum Presentation Slides are available on the Business Forum web page.

Please take a moment to complete the 2016 Business Forum Evaluation and share your feedback regarding the quarterly Business Forum.

The next Business Forum is scheduled for Tuesday, May 3, 2016 from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm in Baker 240. The meeting will be broadcast via Adobe Connect and can be accessed here: May Business Forum Broadcast. Please mark your calendars.

Questions? Contact finhr@ohio.edu or 740.593.1893.

Open Enrollment

The annual Benefits Open Enrollment period is planned for April 4 through April 22, 2016. Benefit changes and elections made during this Open Enrollment period will take effect in July 2016. The Benefits Office is currently working to offer online enrollment directly through My Personal Information (MPI). 

This year, benefits-eligible employees must participate in Open Enrollment to select new vision and possibly dental plan options. Vision and dental benefits may be waived unless selected during Open Enrollment. The Benefits Office is finalizing the dental plan options and will communicate details as soon as possible. The Benefits Advisory Council is evaluating a Short Term Disability option and details regarding the decision will be shared once finalized. Plan coverage options, instructions for utilizing MPI to elect benefits, and general informational sessions will be announced closer to the Open Enrollment start date.

As a reminder, Open Enrollment is the annual opportunity OHIO employees have to make changes to their benefits coverage plan options including: increasing/decreasing coverage; adding/dropping covered dependents; enrolling in flexible spending accounts and to opt out of parking (Athens campus only). In compliance with Federal regulations, other than during the annual Open Enrollment period, employees can only change their benefits if a qualifying event occurs. Review the December 2015 Business Matters article for more details regarding qualifying events.

For more information about Open Enrollment, visit the Benefits Open Enrollment.

Questions? Contact the Benefits Office at benefits@ohio.edu  or 740.593.1636.

2015 W-2 Now Available

As of January 25, 2016, the 2015 W-2s are now available online through My Personal Information (MPI). Employees have been notified via e-mail. W-2s were mailed to former employees and employees that did not request electronic delivery as of January 31, 2016.

Steps to Access Your W-2 via MPI:

1. Log in to MPI with your OHIO ID.
   1.  If you have trouble logging in, please review the tips included on the log in screen. If you have not yet established your OHIO security questions, you will not be able to access MPI. If you still have trouble, contact the Help Desk at 740.593.1222.
2. Expand the “My Personal Information” Tab.
3. Click “W-2 Wage and Tax Statements.”

Occasionally, employees are confused when their gross earnings on their W-2 do not match the gross earnings on their final pay slip of the calendar year. Please refer to the instructions in the  January Business Matters to help reconcile the two forms.

Questions? Contact the Employee Service Center at uhr@ohio.edu or 740.593.1636.

Health Insurance Info for Filing 2015 Income Tax Return

The following summarizes the health care information required to file your taxes.

Reporting the cost of health care on form W-2: Beginning in 2012, employers were required to report the cost of your health plan coverage on form W-2. This cost is reported in Box 12 of the W-2 and per IRS guidelines is based on the full cost of health insurance including the amount paid by both the University and the employee. The amount reported in Box 12 is not taxable.

Health care coverage – Qualifying offer: When filing your personal tax return for calendar year 2015 you may be required to indicate if you had qualifying health care coverage for you and any covered dependents (if filing jointly) by checking a box on line 61 of IRS Form 1040 or by completing IRS form 8965. All employee health plans offered by the university meet the qualifying health care coverage requirements.

New 1095-C Form Related to Health Care and Your Income Tax Return: By March 31, 2016, the University is required to provide certain employees with a new tax form called the 1095-C that will contain important information about their health care coverage in 2015.

Employees who will receive the new Health Care Form meet both points below:

• Were enrolled in health care coverage from Ohio University at any point in 2015
• Worked an average of 30 or more hours per week or were considered a full- time employee in 2015

While information on form 1095-C may assist in preparing a return, it is not required. Individual taxpayers should file their tax returns as they normally would. Like last year, taxpayers can prepare and file their returns using other information about their health insurance as noted in the Health Care Coverage – Qualifying Offer section above. In future years the 1095-C form is scheduled to be a required form for individual tax payers. To view the blank 1095-C form, visit the IRS website.

More details were mailed to benefits-eligible employees on January 19 and published in the UHR releases health insurance information related to tax filing announcement on January 20.

Questions? Contact the Employee Service Center at uhr@ohio.edu or 740.593.1636.

Training Available for New Absence Management Tool

As a reminder, effective March 1, 2016, all salaried employees paid on a semi-monthly basis will perform absence management in My Personal Information (MPI). The new Absence Management feature will enable employees paid on a salaried semi-monthly basis to submit work absence-related information electronically in MPI, eliminating the need to complete a paper form for Paid Time Off (PTO).

A variety of training materials are available to ensure employees are prepared to use Absence Management. Training videos, an Employee Quick Start Guide and user manuals are available on the Absence Management. The Employee Training Video shows employees how to view PTO accrual balances, query for projected accrual balances when planning for future time off, submit a planned absence request, submit a confirmed absence, view absence history and the automated routing of electronic absence requests. The Manager Training Video demonstrates how to take action on employees' requests.

In addition to the above listed training materials, several in-person demonstrations are scheduled across campus to walk through the new tool. The demonstrations will occur from February 15 through February 29. Please click the link below to register. Dates, locations and times are detailed on the Absence Management Registration page.

Additional communication will be sent to all impacted employees via email. Please do not attempt to utilize Absence Management until formally notified to do so.

Questions? Contact the Employee Service Center at uhr@ohio.edu or 740.593.1636.

Professional Services Unauthorized on PCard

As a reminder, PCard payments should not be made to independent contractors for professional services. According to Ohio Policy 55.074, contracted or personal service providers are unauthorized purchases. Some common examples of these prohibited PCard transactions are DJ services, catering, photography services, and rentals, among others. View the Contract Services web page for assistance with the proper procedures for procuring these types of services.

PCard purchases should be limited to travel expenses and the purchase of small-dollar goods.

Questions? Contact financecustomercare@ohio.edu or 740.597.6446.

New Buckets in BobcatBUY & Monthend Close

Beginning in early February, two new buckets will be added to BobcatBUY (BCB). The purpose of these new buckets is to alleviate Purchase Order (PO) and invoice integration failures associated with requisition entry into in one accounting period when the PO is not created until a subsequent accounting period. 

These new BCB buckets will be titled “Month End” and “Future Fiscal Month End Catch All” and have been set to capture requests that are not in the current accounting period.

The BCB buckets work exactly like the yearend future fiscal and past fiscal year buckets, except on a monthly basis. P2P Services will correct date issues within BCB and no additional action is necessary by the end user.

Questions? Contact financecustomercare@ohio.edu or 740.597.6446.

JPMC PCard Reissuance

Planning continues for required JPMC PCard reissuance as a result of the new chip technology in the credit card industry. Reissuance will begin during the week of April 4, 2016.

Planning Unit Liaisons have been contacted to determine the optimal distribution mechanism for their units.   

There are three models for PCard distribution. Each college and planning unit must select one of the below: 

1. Cardholders will be issued new cards from their central Planning Unit for a defined time period with unclaimed cards returned to Finance Customer Care for pickup by cardholder.
2. Cardholders will pick up their new cards in Finance Customer Care.
3. Cardholders will be issued cards in at Baker Center in Bobcat Depot for a one week period (April 4, 2016 – April 8, 2016) with unclaimed cards returned to Finance Customer Care for pickup by cardholder.

Similar to the last JPMC reissuance, the reissuance will not include a new application process. PCards and CV cards will be reissued from existing active cards. On January 27, 2016, a listing of active cardholders was sent to the Planning Unit Liaison or CFAO to confirm the cards that should be reissued. New cards issued will expire in Fall 2019.

Questions? Contact financecustomercare@ohio.edu or 740.597.6446.

Verifying "Remit To" Addresses in BobcatBUY

Delays in to suppliers/payees often occur when the “Remit To” address on the invoice submitted does not match the “Remit To” address that the supplier has indicated on their certified submission on the OHIO Substitute W-9. It is important to verify that the supplier being selected in BCB by the shopper/requisitioner at the requisition stage matches the documentation that the supplier/payee has provided to you for submission so that you can ensure that the “Remit To” address is correct and on file. 

How to verify “Remit To” Address in BOBCATBUY

1. Select the “Supplier Management Icon” on the Left-hand side of BOBCATBUY.
2. Select “Manage Suppliers.”
3. Select “Search for a Supplier.”
4. Type in the “Name of your Supplier.”
5. Select "Go."
6. Navigate to the “Contacts and Locations Tab” on the Left hand side of the Supplier Profile Screen.
7. Select the “Arrow” to the left of Contracts and Locations Tab to expand choices.
8. Select “Addresses Tab.”
9. Select on any site marked as “Remittance” or “Primary Remittance” to see address information to the far left.

Questions? Contact financecustomercare@ohio.edu or 740.597.6446.

Procure to Pay Contract Web Page 

The Procure to Pay (P2P) Contract and Insurance web page offers detailed information with step-by-step process guidelines on how to process your P2P contracts. It also includes the “Contract and Insurance Grid Decision Matrix” which describes the type of service being performed with the insurance and contract type requirements.

Questions? Contact financecustomercare@ohio.edu or 740.597.6446.

Purchase Order Closures

Procure to Pay Services (P2P) automatically closes Purchase Orders (POs) throughout the year with the following criteria:

• Any general PO that is 60 days old or older, and has a difference between encumbered amount and billed amount of +/-$5.00 or less
• Any fully satisfied Direct Payment that is 30 days or older

All remaining POs must be closed using the PO Closure Request Form in BOBCATBUY.  All other requests to close POs will be returned to the requester to be submitted in BCB. 

At Fiscal Yearend, all Blanket POs and Service Agreements will automatically be closed. New Blanket and Service POs must be created each Fiscal Year.

Questions? Contact financecustomercare@ohio.edu or 740.597.6446.

PCI Compliance

The Payment Card Industry (PCI) (i.e. VISA, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, etc.) has a set of data security standards designed to ensure that all businesses that process, store, or transmit credit card information maintain a secure environment. Businesses that are found to be out of compliance with their security standards may be subject to fines by credit card processing institutions. Ohio University has approximately 60 credit card processing areas (merchants) across the University. Each merchant needs to be reviewed annually to ensure PCI compliance.

The University has contracted with McGladrey to assist with the annual requirements for Payment Card Industry compliance. McGladrey will be helping with the following tasks:

• Review business process documentation, policies, and procedures at each merchant location to ensure information is accurate, complete, and compliant with applicable data security standards
• Prepare business process documentation, policies, and procedures where needed
• Determine the merchant level for each credit card processing location and identify the applicable PCI self-assessment questionnaire for each merchant
• Help each merchant complete the self-assessment questionnaire
• Determine which areas need network security scans performed
• Identify security gaps at each merchant location and prepare a plan to resolve those gaps
• Compile PCI compliance certifications for third-party vendors where applicable
• Complete a university-wide PCI DSS compliance summary report which outlines the status of our data security environment, documentation, policies, gaps, and plans to resolve any identified gaps/issues

The PCI Compliance project is expected to begin the week of February 15 and conclude by May 31, 2016.

Questions? Contact financecustomercare@ohio.edu or 740.597.6446.

FY 2017 Budget Calendar & Timeline

The Budget Office has provided updates on the FY17 Budget Process and Timeline per the e-mail sent to Budget Contacts on January 28. Please reference the BPA website for the updated FY 2017 Budget Timeline.

Questions? Contact your Budget Planning & Analysis contact or e-mail budgetplanning@ohio.edu.

Grants Accounting Manager Position Filled

As a follow up to the Grants Accounting Reorganization article in the December 2015 Business Matters, on February 10, 2016, Michelle Allison accepted the position of Manager, Grants Accounting. This position has been vacant since July 2014. Michelle has 14 years of experience in Grants Accounting and has been overseeing the day to day activities which she will now manage.

Questions? Contact Cindy Perry at perryc@ohio.edu or 740.593.1871.

The Chart of Accounts Redesign Project Progresses

The Chart of Accounts Redesign (COA) Project Team will finalize the segment values and is working to create a prototype of the COA in the system. Based on feedback from the RC Strategy group, the Natural Account segment will now be referred to as the Object Segment due to confusion regarding the term "Account". The COA Partner Group has been involved in defining new Activity and Object segments. The RC Technical Group and RC Strategy Group will validate and provide feedback on the new value sets as they are completed.

Beginning in February, pilot groups from the COA Partner Group have been chosen to participate in a pilot mapping for the proof of concept testing that will occur during the prototyping phase. The pilot groups are the College of Arts & Sciences, Heritage College of Medicine, College of Engineering and Regional Campuses. These pilot groups were carefully chosen to ensure that a broad representation of concepts are tested during the prototyping phase. In addition to testing the COA concepts, the groups will also assist in testing the mapping worksheets that have been assembled and assist the COA Project Team in developing the necessary documentation and information needed for the mapping exercise to be completed by campus. During this prototype testing several key concepts will be demonstrated such as intra-intercompany transactions and parent-child relationships.

To inform and educate users about the COA Redesign Project, Awareness Demonstrations, open forums to showcase the new COA and gather feedback, are planned for Spring 2016. The feedback gathered during the demonstrations will be used to validate the new COA and provide insight into how users will be impacted across campus.

In an effort to provide another avenue for communication regarding the Chart of Accounts Redesign project, the COA Redesign website (www.ohio.edu/finance/coa) launched on February 18. This website includes campus awareness events, campus involvement opportunities, news and announcements, project team members and FAQs. Please continue to review Compass and Business Matters for additional details about the COA Redesign Project.

Questions or feedback? Contact the Chart of Accounts Project Team at coa@ohio.edu