Expense Submittal System
To create a report, use the menu on the left. All the option that you need are fould under the "Create Report" section. Start with the "Start New Report" and use each sub-menu option sequentially to add your travel receipts/expenses, mileage claim, account for advance/returned funds. When you have entered your information you should save your work with the Save Report to Server option. You can enter a report in as many sessions as you want to. When you have completed your report you need to submit is for approval.
The Top Banner Functions
The links on the banner are used to display the report that you are working on so you can edit it, show this manual, contact support personnel, and logout of ESS. It is always a good idea to logout of ESS rather than just closing you browser. When you use the logout checks are preformed that will help prevent data loss.
Left-side Menu Options
The menu on the left-side of your browser contains the following options:
Create Report
Start New Report - This link will display a screen that allows you to enter the trip purpose. Each report needs to have at least one purpose. A purpose often describes a trip and the reason you took it. Sometimes a purpose is not associated with a trip, but is otherwise business related so describe why you needed to incurred the expense.
Add Receipts - Use this screen to enter any expense that is not a hotel bill or mileage claim. ESS is a receipt based screen so enter your expenses from the reciepts that you have collected. There may be some expenses where receipts are not required, you can enter them here also. This screen allows entry of up to five receipts/ expenses on one screen. If you need more, you can call this screen multiple times. A group of five entries can only be tied to one purpose or currency. If you have more than one purpose or currency, you will need to enter your receipts/expenses on multiple screens.
Add Mileage - Use this screen to make a mileage claim. You can use this screen multiple times.
Add Hotel Receipt - This screen lets you enter a Hotel receipt. It will expense the primary amount to lodging expense while letting you breakout items such as laundry and meals to their appropriate expense categories. You can use this screen multiple times.
Enter an Advance - If you have taken a cash advance, you can use this screen to account for it. The amount of the advance is normally netted against your reimbursement amount. To see which, if any, advances are assigned to you, you can use the Pre-Populated Charges Wizard above.
Returned Funds - This allows you to account for any payments that you are including with this report. Normally you'll only use this option if you have taken an advance and are returning a portion of it with the report.
Add Another Purpose - It is possible to have more than two purposes on one report. In other words, you can combine two trips on one report. If you have more than one purpose, make sure you tie your receipts/expenses to the correct trip or purpose.
Save Report to Server - This option saves the report that you are currently working on to the Web server. This will give you access to the report, via the ListYour Reports option, at a later time. Make sure that you always save your report or you will lose it.
Get Reimbursed
Submit for Approval. - This option submits the report for approval and reimbursement. Reports are routed prior to payment for approval. If you use this option twice (or more) the latest report will override a previous report, unless the previous report has been paid already. As part of the submission process, a guideline compliance check is performed. You must submit every report for approval to get paid.
Information
Printable Display - This displays a screen of the currently open report that is suitable for printing. There is a link, as part of the display, that will invoke Windows print routine.
List Your Reports - Use this option to list the report that you have saved and submitted. You can select a report for viewing and editing. This option also gives the current status of the report if it has already been submitted.
Report History - If you want to view or checkup on a report that you have already submitted, use this option. You can also look at reports that you have signed on or that have been submitted by a subordinate.
Simple Inquiries - This is a list of canned reports that allow you to look at your expenses and expenses of subordinates over a time period. Consult with you A/P manager for further information.
Maintenance
Approve Reports - If you are responsible for approving expense reports, use this option to select and signoff on the reports you are responsible for. If you are an approver, you should get in the habit of checking this option routinely.
Close Current Report - This option will close the current report you are working on and provide a 'blank' report so you can fill it out.
Copy Report - This option will make a new copy of a report that you have open. This allows you to "reuse" old reports as templates for new ones. Important to remember, the report that is being copied is the one that is open. Use the Your Reports option to select a report for copying. After you have used this option, the report that is open will be the copy.
Manage Personal Data - This option allows you to edit and delete information in your personal database.
Recover Charges - This is used to restore items, that have already been selected for reporting, back to the prepopulated charges list that displays in the Prepopulated Charges wizard.
Logout - Exits the system and returns to a specified home page.