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AP Process

How do I find out the payment status of an invoice or reimbursement?

Payment status is available in Ariba using the Payment Loop feature for BPO, PO and Non-PO invoice payments, as well as Payment to Individual (XP), eReimbursement (XR), and eTravel Expense Report (ER) transactions.

For BPO, PO and Non-PO invoice payments, such as payment dates and payment numbers will show on the Payments tab, which can be reached by clicking through from the Summary tab > Invoices tab >  Invoice ID > Reconciliation tab > Reconciliation ID > Payments tab > Payment ID.

For Payment to Individual (XP), eReimbursement (XR), and eTravel Expense Report (ER) transactions, payment status and details are shown in the Payment Details section on the Summary page of the XP, XR or ER once the transaction has been fully approved and payment has been processed.

See guidance on our website: https://finance.uw.edu/ps/how-to-pay/payment-status-terms-timelines-delays

Please note that wire payment details are not included with the Payment Loop feature.

Once my ARIBA invoice says Reconciled, how long does it take for the Payments tab to show the information?

When Invoice Reconciliation has started in ARIBA (an IR is available on the Reconciliation tab), the Payments tab will show up as well.

  • On the day the invoice status changes from Reconciling to Reconciled, the Approved Amount of the invoice will show on the Payments tab.
  • The following day, more payment information will begin showing up in the ARIBA Payments tab, like the Doc Seq Invoice No. (DSI number) and Invoice Status, followed by the Scheduled Pay Date and the Check Number, and finally with the Check Date, which is the date the payment is issued.
    • Funds availability for ePayables is indicated by receipt of the Remittance Advice document the supplier will receive when funds are available on the card.
    • Funds availability for ACH payments is based on the supplier's bank's posting procedures.
  • The Check Clear Date will show when the information is available, and also depends on processing by the supplier and payment type (paper checks may take 30 days or more to update).

Note: This is the best-case scenario, assuming there are no errors (such as a closed budget number) that would prevent the payment from being processed.

What does "Scheduled" mean on the Payments tab information? I thought we were not scheduling ARIBA payments yet.

Currently the UW is not able to schedule the payment date for ARIBA invoices.

The Payments tab does show a status of "Scheduled" which cannot be changed.

To view the payment information for an ARIBA invoice:

  1. Verify the Invoice status is Reconciled and the Reconciliation status is Paying
  2. Click the Reconciliation ID to see the Payments tab
  3. After clicking on the Payment ID, you will be able to view the Transaction Details for the payment information, which will gradually fill in as the payment goes through processing.

See more guidance for the ARIBA Payment Loop on our website: https://finance.uw.edu/ps/how-to-pay/payment-status-terms-timelines-delays

Approval

Who is put on the approval graph for Non-Catalog Orders or BPOs?

Non-Catalog Orders and BPOs use the same approval process as eProcurement catalog orders. When you assign a budget number to an item, then the Approvers and Watchers will be added based on the eProcurement ASTRA roles that are in effect for the budgets/organizations involved. 

Ariba

What is an "Exception Item?"

Most Exception Items may now be ordered through ARIBA. For more information, see the Exception Item list.

Will the supplier automatically send me an order confirmation for a manual Non-Catalog order?

No. If you wish to receive confirmation from the supplier that they received the order, then add a comment when creating the Non-Catalog requisition and state that you wish to receive confirmation. Include your contact information for where the confirmation should be sent and mark the comment as Visible to Supplier. This step does NOT apply to Non-Catalog orders for Ariba-Enabled suppliers. When an Ariba-Enabled supplier confirms order receipt on the Ariba Network, an email is sent to the preparer. You do not need to request a confirmation. 

I need help with a subaward Blanket Purchase Order (BPO).

Please visit the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) webpage about outgoing subawards, which contains guidance on initiating subaward BPOs. 

How do I change the budget number for my Catalog and Non-Catalog PO in ARIBA?

If you need to change your budget number, budget distribution, or PCA codes on a current ARIBA Catalog or Non-Catalog order, you can do so by filling out the Change/Close Order Request form.

Can I use ARIBA to order from foreign suppliers?

Yes, BPO and Non-Catalog Ordering allow users to place orders with foreign suppliers.

How do I change the PCA codes for my ARIBA Purchase Orders?

If you need to change your budget number, budget distribution, or PCA codes on a current ARIBA Catalog or Non-Catalog order, you can do so by filling out the Change/Close Order Request form.  If you need to change information on a current Blanket Purchase Order, visit the Changing or Closing Blanket Purchase Orders (BPO) page for instructions.

Can I use ARIBA BPO to order M&E items?

Yes, you can use ARIBA BPO for M&E orders

How do I resolve an error showing "The line item contains one or more invalid flields?"

The error that shows on a requisition as "The line item contains one or more invalid flields" is most likely due to the Description of the line item. If the Description on a line item is more than 240 characters, it will trigger an error to the preparer, but many times the preparer can't figure out why.

 

To resolve: Click on the Approval Flow tab. Instead of the normal approval flow, you will see an error that says "The approval flow cannot be displayed because the Ariba system found the following error or missing fields." Below that, the line item with the description causing the error will be listed, along with a better description of the error. Here is an example: "Line Item 1, Description: Full Description can be no longer than 240 characters." The preparer must edit the description down to 240 characters or less in order to submit the request.

How do I look for my BPOs in ARIBA?
Search for Contracts, and enter the BPO reference number (BPOxxx) in the Contract ID field.
 
For Contract Requests (BPOs that have not yet been approved), search for Contract Requests and enter the CR reference number. in the Contract Request ID field.
Where do I enter tax and freight on a CR?

Approximated tax and freight are included in the Tolerances field.  Make sure to account for tax and freight when calculating the Maximum Amount you want to spend with a supplier.

How do I find out the payment status of an invoice or reimbursement?

Payment status is available in Ariba using the Payment Loop feature for BPO, PO and Non-PO invoice payments, as well as Payment to Individual (XP), eReimbursement (XR), and eTravel Expense Report (ER) transactions.

For BPO, PO and Non-PO invoice payments, such as payment dates and payment numbers will show on the Payments tab, which can be reached by clicking through from the Summary tab > Invoices tab >  Invoice ID > Reconciliation tab > Reconciliation ID > Payments tab > Payment ID.

For Payment to Individual (XP), eReimbursement (XR), and eTravel Expense Report (ER) transactions, payment status and details are shown in the Payment Details section on the Summary page of the XP, XR or ER once the transaction has been fully approved and payment has been processed.

See guidance on our website: https://finance.uw.edu/ps/how-to-pay/payment-status-terms-timelines-delays

Please note that wire payment details are not included with the Payment Loop feature.

I am creating a Subaward BPO. Why isn't ARIBA letting me change the line item's account code from 03-62 to something else?

For all OSP BPOs, the default codes cannot be anything other than 03-62 (subcontract).

Can I submit a Non-PO over the Direct Buy Limit?

No. Non-PO Invoicing is still subject to the Direct Buy Limit. 

What is the process to cancel an ARIBA purchase order (PO)?

To cancel an ARIBA purchase order, the preparer who placed the order must contact the supplier. Best practice is to add a Comment to the EI purchase order stating the order is canceled, detailing to whom you spoke, and any other pertinent information.

After canceling the order with the supplier, you must close the purchase order (PO) and remove the open balance from the budget.  To close Catalog and Non-Catalog POs, use the Change/Close Order Request Form.  For Blanket Purchase Orders (BPO), visit the Closing or Changing Blanket Purchase Orders page and follow the step-by-step instructions on how to close a BPO.  

I cannot select or find my preferred supplier. Where can I get help?

If you cannot select or find your preferred supplier, please visit the ARIBA Buying Portal. There are links to common questions and requests in its Help section.

Can attachments be deleted from ARIBA?

Comments and attachments can be deleted while the document (requisition, Non-PO, etc.) is in Composing status. This applies to Requisitions, Expense Reports, Reimbursements, Payments to Individuals (P2I) and Non-PO Invoices. When a document is withdrawn after being submitted, the status returns to Composing, and the attachments can then be deleted. Attachments cannot be deleted if the document is in a status other than Composing.

Can I search for invoices that have been rejected?

To search for rejected invoices:

  1. Click Search in the blue command bar.
  2. Select Invoice from the drop-down.
  3. Ensure the Status field is visible in the Search Filter window. If it is not, click the Search Options link in the upper right-hand corner, and select Status.
  4. Click on the drop-down arrow for the Status field and select Rejected.
  5. Optionally, you can add other search filters such as Supplier and Invoice Date.
  6. Click Search.
  7. Rejected invoices meeting the Search filter criteria should appear in the Search Results.
How do I receive against a BPO?

Visit the Receiving section of the Blanket Purchase Orders page, for guidance.

To learn more about the Receiving functionality in ARIBA, visit the receiving page.

 

What if I find an Open Balance that should not be on my budget?

Review the order in ARIBA. If the balance should not be open, you must close the purchase order (PO), which will remove the open balance from the budget.  To close Catalog and Non-Catalog POs, use the Change/Close Order Request Form.  For Blanket Purchase Orders (BPO), visit the Closing or Changing Blanket Purchase Orders page and follow the step-by-step instructions on how to close a BPO.  

How can I tell if my invoice reject request for a BPO has been processed?

You will see a status of Rejected on the Invoices Tab of the BPO. If the status of the Invoice is Reconciled, that means that the invoice has been released for payment.

To determine the status of the BPO Invoice for invoices paid or rejected prior to the 9r2 deployment:

  1. Navigate to the invoice detail by clicking on the Invoice ID
  2. Click on the Reconciliation Tab of the invoice to see if the status is Rejected or Paying.
What do I do if I am locked out of ARIBA?

Occasionally users will attempt to log into ARIBA too many times with incorrect information. When this happens, you will see the screenshot below, which includes the message "Maximum login attempts exceeded. Account for user [UWNetID] has been disabled. Contact your administrator for assistance."

To have your account unlocked:

  1. Take a screenshot of the lockout page
  2. In an email, attach the screenshot and request for your account to be unlocked.  Include your Name and UW NetID
  3. Subject Line of the email must be:  ARIBA Lockout
  4. Send the email to: PCSHelp@uw.edu