About

The Campus Cafe General Ledger module controls all financial transactions in all modules. Through a hierarchy, this module ensures entered transactions conform with your accounting procedures . Some institutions use third-party accounting systems, but the structure of the general ledger will control transactions or journal entries exported to another system.

Campus Cafe recommends using standard accounting numbering and a Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) compliant hierarchy when setting up your chart of accounts. We recommend you follow this model since it allows a flexible reporting structure while keeping the general ledger numbers consistent. Another benefit is the reduction of keystrokes. Additionally, following GAAP typically means you can also follow standards set by the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO).

This module adheres to all Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and uses a double entry system to create audit trails for all transactions.

Features include:

• Unlimited concurrent years for general ledgers and budgets can be processed simultaneously.

• Hierarchical system lets you define major levels such as fund and function, as well as sub-levels such as cost centers, which automatically total into functions and funds.

• The ability to create and change general ledger accounts with changes automatically reflected in reports, graphs, and queries.

• Automatic posting of all cash receipts, cash disbursements, revenues, and expenses, with detail and summary reports provided.

• Automated cross-matching for key clearing accounts. For example, match all student refunds posted through the student account with actual payment vouchers entered for payment back to student.

• Recurring journal entries and automatic reversing eliminates duplication of repetitive monthly entries and accruals.

• Extensive audit trails for all transactions performed at the general ledger level and for all subsidiary ledgers.

• Reporting through Microsoft SSRS base reports includes financial reports such as the Comparative Budgetary (P&L) reports and Balance Sheets at various levels. You can also write your own SSRS reports.

• Cumulative year-to-date general ledger detail reports. General ledger detail displays up-to-date detail transactions and outstanding encumbrances, with budget totals for comparison to actuals.

• Departmental access for real-time cost center profit & loss reporting with permissions to limit access to sensitive data as needed (e.g. salary information).

• Auditor's trial balance and worksheet.

• Trial balances are available in a variety of sorts (e.g. by fund, function, cost center or by other user defined criteria).

• User defined monthly and year-to-date standard reporting system. Flexible structure allows creation of customized budget vs. actual statements for month and YTD and balance sheets for each fund or on a consolidated basis.

• Year-end can be closed as soon as necessary with no interruption of operations. The new year can then be started without waiting for final entries. The previous year can be reopened as often as needed and auditor's adjustments are automatically carried forward. In essence, you may work on the current year, previous year, and next year's G/L and budget on a simultaneous basis. All posting and management of different year's files is handled by Campus Cafe.

• Budgeting system allows flexible allocation of year-to-date amounts for monthly periods.

• Budget statements reflect actual activity as well as amounts and transactions encumbered.

• A project expense tracking (PET) system can track and report activities for capital projects and grants, as well as scholarships, grants, and other entities and budgets that span multiple fiscal years or fall outside of normal budgetary operations. This activity is recorded at a level that is subsidiary to the general ledger to allow detailed and flexible reports without adding a large number of records to the general ledger.

  • You can define project attributes. For example, the manager, overall budget, start and end dates, description, purpose and other restrictions.

  • A project can be divided into an unlimited number of sub-projects. This allows for tighter budget controls and reporting with drill downs to the sub-project and individual account level.

  • The project tracking and management system integrates with Campus Cafe’s budgeting and purchase order modules, ensuring data integrity, and preventing over budget items without proper authority.

  • Transactions can be distributed to projects through account payable entry, cash receipts entry, or general journal entry.

  • Projects can be reported in a flexible manner with selection on all attributes. Reports can be broken down by year month or overall time span with drill down capability to view transaction detail.

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