Reimbursement System Approvals

• How to Assign WD Security Roles
• Approval Flow
• Workday Security Roles
• Travel Services Review

How are Security Roles assigned in Workday? 

UW Academy: Security Roles are assigned through a Security Role Request on Workday. Please note that users requesting a security role change must contact their department administrator or supervisor before submitting a request. 

UW Medicine: Please contact your supervisor or administrator to obtain the correct security role(s) based on your job duties. 

Approval Flow

Spend Authorization

1. Funding Approver (CC/Grant/Project Manager)
2. Expense Partner (Travel Services) - See Travel Services Review

Expense Report

1. Compliance Approver (SE Expense Specialist or UWM Travel Expense Specialist)
2. Funding Approver (CC/Grant/Project Manager)
3. Expense Partner (Travel Services) - See Travel Services Review

Miscellaneous Payment

1. Funding Approver (CC/Grant/Project Manager)
2. Compliance Approver (SE Requisition Specialist)
3. Expense Partner (Travel Services)

Workday Security Roles

Initiator: Expense Data Entry Specialist OR Miscellaneous Payment Data Entry Specialist

Responsibilities: 

• Initiate and complete spend authorization and/or expense report for themselves or on behalf of another traveler (EDES)
• Ensures spend authorizations are reconciled and closed for accurate accounting (EDES)
• Initiate and complete miscellaneous payment request on behalf of another traveler (MPDES)
• Completes report in accordance with UW and department policy
• Attaches all required documentation (receipts, approvals, etc.)
• Ensures documentation is in accordance with retention & scanning policy set forth by UW Records Management

Compliance Approver: Shared Environment Expense/Requisition Specialist or UWM Travel Expense Specialist

Responsibilities:

• Reviews report in entirety to confirm adherence to UW and department policy
• Ensures documentation is in accordance with retention & scanning policy set forth by UW Records Management
• Ensures all expenses are necessary and critical to UW business, obtained at the most economical logical cost
• Ensures same expenses have not been previously reimbursed on an expense report or other payment module
• Edit expense line items if necessary and add documentation if missing. The report can be sent back to the preparer to make changes when needed.

Funding Approver: Cost Center Manager, Project Manager, Grant Manager

Responsibilities:

• Reviews report in entirety to confirm adherence to budget/funding policy
• Encouraged to review report in entirety to confirm adherence to UW and department policy as a back up to compliance role

Travel Services Review

• Travel will focus the approval review on the high-risk flag(s) that prompted our approval
• Approval does not constitute a complete review of the travel reimbursement request¹. 

• Travel reimbursement requests will be reviewed for approval within 3-5 business days once they arrive in the Expense Partner's queue. 

2026 Review for High-Risk Flags: 

¹Travel may perform random reviews to conduct a risk analysis

² Please note that at this current time, all Miscellaneous Payment Requests with the "Non-Employee Travel (SC2566)" Spend Category will be reviewed by Travel Services.