UCPath Salary Cost Transfer (SCT) Redesign
Completed as of November 13, 2023
The goal of the UCPath SCT Redesign is to build a new Salary Cost Transfer Tool that meets business requirements and reduces current complexity when performing SCT-related entry (Direct Retro) and processing.
Why are we implementing this project?
This project will:
- Create a custom Salary Cost Transfer Tool in UCPath that utilizes the Labor Ledger data directly
- Develop a modular design framework that separates required SCT functionality into smaller, more manageable components integrated together into a single solution
- Generate GL payroll accounting transactions
- Provide summary and detail labor ledger results generated from a single source
- Maintain ability to support multiple ledgers and COAs
- Transfer Costs
- Transfer costs based on a complete transaction (transaction includes assessment data)
- Acts like a GL journal entry process
- Reduce the amount of "re-calculation"
- Transfer costs based on a complete transaction (transaction includes assessment data)
What is the timeline?
The project was kicked off on August 2021 with an estimated go-live of November 2023.
- UAT: August 2023 – October 2023
- UCPath Center Training Updates: October 2023 – December 2023
- Local Training Updates: July 2023 – December 2023
- Cutover: November 6, 2023 – November 13, 2023*
- Go-Live: November 13, 2023
What are the features of the new SCT Tool?
The Direct Retro Salary Cost Transfer Change Video provides a high-level overview of the features of the new SCT tool.
Most SCT business processes will remain the same. However, page display, additional edits, and added automation will change.
The new tool will have many new features for transactors that use Salary Cost Transfer frequently. While this is not an exhaustive list, users can expect the following changes:
| Area | New Features |
| Search Page |
|
| Entry Page |
|
| Work-Study Related |
Work-study SCTs will have new processing options. When processing a SCT transaction involving Work Study funds, several options appear in a drop-down. Once you select one WS eligible line, all WS eligible lines in the same paycheck will automatically be selected:
|
When would I use the old Direct Retro module vs. the new SCT tool?
Transactions that are not eligible for the new SCT tool will route to the old Direct Retro module based on the criteria below:
- The existing (old) Direct Retro module will be used for expenses paid prior to 10/4/2021 or have had a Direct Retro performed on the same paycheck prior to the new SCT go-live.
- The new SCT tool will be used for expenses paid on or after 10/4/2021 and have not had a Direct Retro performed on the same paycheck.
Project Participants
| Location Roles | Participant Names |
| Project Manager | Sylvia Jeung |
| OCM Manager | Monique Pascucci |
SCT Redesign Preparation
Are there any project demos I can watch and refer to?
Prepare for the changes coming with the Salary Cost Transfer Redesign by watching recorded project demo sessions below.
| Date | Demo Title |
| 08/25/22 | Work-Study Demo |
| 07/12/22 | Restricted SCT Module Demo |
| 05/19/22 | Unrestricted SCT Module Demo |
Using the New Salary Cost Transfer Tool in UCPath Topic Based Zoom
The Using the New Salary Cost Transfer Tool in UCPath Topic Based Zoom was held on Wednesday, November 15, 2023.
Resources & Useful Links
Local Job Aids:
- How to Submit a Salary Cost Transfer (Unrestricted Funds)
- This job aid describes how to process a Salary Cost Transfer (SCT) for Unrestricted Funds.
- How to Submit a Salary Cost Transfer (Restricted Funds)
- This job aid describes how to process a Salary Cost Transfer (SCT) for Restricted Funds.
- How to Submit a Salary Cost Transfer (Work-Study)
Try It Yourself! Simulations:
- Salary Cost Transfer Simulations: Unrestricted, Restricted, and Work-Study
- Click through our locally created SCT simulation to try out the new changes for yourself, at your own pace!
UCPC Job Aids & UPK's
- Salary Cost Transfer for Unrestricted Funds
- Salary Cost Transfer for Restricted Funds
- Salary Cost Transfer for Work Study Funds
- Approve Salary Cost Transfer Transaction
- UPK Simulation: Enter a Salary Cost Transfer for Unrestricted Funds
- UPK Simulation: Enter a Salary Cost Transfer for Restricted Funds
- UPK Simulation: Enter a Salary Cost Transfer for Work Study Funds - Apply WS
- UPK Simulation: Enter a Salary Cost Transfer for Work Study Funds - Leave As Is
Cutover Preparation
The UCPath General Ledger will be unavailable from Monday, November 6 @ 12:01 am – Monday, November 13 @ 12:01 am in order to implement the November Release projects.
During the scheduled downtime, employees, managers, and transactors will not have access to any UCPath General Ledger pages, and will not be able to submit any Direct Retros or Funding Entries. Please plan for this downtime and complete necessary UCPath activities prior to the outage.
What do I need to do to prepare for the cutover?
Take action on ALL pending High-Risk Direct Retros by Tuesday, October 31
ALL High-Risk Direct Retros must be approved at the department level by Tuesday, October 31, 2023 at 11:59 pm. Any transaction approved after this date might not be approved by SPF and will be cancelled.
Take action on ALL pending Low-Risk Direct Retros or Funding Transactions by Friday, November 3
ALL Low-Risk Direct Retros and Funding Entries that are pending must be approved or cancelled by November 3, 2023 EOD (end of day).
After November 3, any direct retro and funding transactions in pending status will be cancelled by the UCPath Center. If you do not work with your department to approve your pending transaction, the transaction must be re-entered after launch on November 13.
Be aware of the UCPath GL Downtime
During the scheduled downtime from Monday, November 6 @ 12:01 am – Monday, November 13 @ 12:01 am, employees, managers, and transactors will not have access to the UCPath General Ledger pages and functionality, and will not be able to submit any Direct Retros or Funding Entries. Please plan for this downtime and complete the necessary UCPath activities before the outage.
Clear your browser cache
Clear your browser cache before logging into UCPath on Monday, November 13.
Using the Direct Retro Summary Report
Watch the How to Run the Direct Retro Summary Report Micro Learning Video here:
ALL Direct Retros that are pending must be approved or cancelled by November 3, 2023 EOD (end of day). Direct Retros that are pending approval and are HIGH Risk need to be approved at the department level by October 31, 2023 EOD.
You can use the Direct Retro Summary Report located in the Business Analytics Hub (BAH) under HR/Payroll to identify Direct Retros that are pending.
If you do not have access to this report, please submit an access request for the Payroll Accounting & Reconciliation category using the UCPath Cognos Reports Access Request form here.
- We advise that you focus first on any High Risk DR’s that are pending approval. You can search for high risk direct retros by choosing “Select all” under the “Search High Risk Categories” parameter on the Direct Retro Summary Report. Search for Direct Retro’s with a status of “Initiated,” and “Pending Approval” under the “Direct Retro Status Fields” parameter on the report.
- We advise that you focus second on any Direct Retros that were Created within the last 12 months. Leave the “Direct Retro Creation Date Range” as the Current Date and filter on the “Creation Date” column of the report. Search for Direct Retro’s with a status of “Initiated,” and “Pending Approval” under the “Direct Retro Status Fields” parameter on the report.
- Finally, we advise that you focus and any Direct Retros greater than 12 months. Leave the “Direct Retro Creation Date Range” as the Current Date and filter on the Creation Date column of the report. Search for Direct Retro’s with a status of “Initiated,” and “Pending Approval” under the “Direct Retro Status Fields” parameter on the report.
Direct Retros that are pending approval after the deadlines mentioned above will be cancelled.
For additional assistance using the Direct Retro Summary Report, please submit a ticket to Budget & Finance Support.
Post Go-Live Support
Office Hours
Drop in to our November Release Office Hours and bring any questions you may have about the November Release projects:
| Date & Time | Calendar Links |
| Wednesday, November 22, 2023 @ 9:00 am - 10:00 am | |
| Monday, November 27, 2023 @ 9:00 am - 10:00 am | |
| Wednesday, November 29, 2023 @ 11:00 am - 12:00 pm | |
| Monday December 4, 2023 @ 11:00 am - 12:00 pm | |
| Wednesday, December 6, 2023 @ 11:00 am - 12:00 pm | |
| Monday, December 11, 2023 @ 9:00 am - 10:00 am | |
| Wednesday, December 13, 2023 @ 11:00 am - 12:00 pm |
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the approvals show in the same worklist as Direct Retro?
It should show up in your worklist if you are an approver for that transaction. You should also receive an email notification. You can also see a list of SCT transactions and the transaction status on the Review Salary Cost Transfer page.
Will the FAU Search pull up all employees on a given FAU, or will you have to enter an employee to search?
The Empl ID and Empl Rec are required fields. You can enter a chartstring segment such as Project to pull up all earnings charged for this employee on that Project.
Will we be able to change funding on the department portion for cost transfers for students on Work Study?
Check out the new Job Aid: How to Submit a Salary Cost Transfer (Work-Study) to see the steps on Corrections to Department Funding Source Only (Work Study Split was applied).
Will using combo codes generate a OTC # number for faculty on capped funds?
When you enter a capped fund you will be able to click the Calculate Cap Rule to update the OTC-Y rows.
Is there a way to request a combo code be added to UCPath? It is available for fund changes but does not show up in the SCT tool.
Combo Codes are not like indexes, they are dynamically generated based on the chartstring segments entered. Do not rely on Combo Codes.
Can you search for more than one FAU at a time in the "Process Salary Cost Transfer" screen?
No, you can only search one FAU at a time.
As an approver, is there any way to get an indicator on the SCT list of which ones are high risk?
Not on the Worklist but you can see it if you open up the transaction, there is a High Risk checkbox. There is also a column on the Direct Retro Summary Report in the Business Analytics Hub.
Watch the How to Run the Direct Retro Summary Report Micro Learning Video for more information.
Is there a difference now in 'status' between 'initiated and still working on it' vs 'initiated, submitted and ready for approval’?
Initiated and still working on it means it has not been submitted and routed for approval.
Initiated, submitted, and ready for approval means it has been routed to the local approver.
How do we process a SCT for a staff who needs to be on split funding?
You push the + button on the line you want to split and enter the chartstring(s) and update the Adjustment Amount(s) on the original line and the new line(s).
We will still need to update funding entries in UCPath, is that correct?
Yes. SCTs only move the earnings that were already charged. You need to update the funding if you need pay issued going forward to get charged to a new funding source.
If editing a paycheck with multiple earn codes, can I "select all" to see and edit all lines like the direct retro method?
Yes, you can use the Select All hyperlink at the bottom of the page to select all of the earnings in the Search Results.
They will be brought into the SCT entry page for editing. If you end up not editing some of the lines then the SCT tool will automatically remove the lines without any changes when you Submit the transaction.
If something has been direct retro'd in the past, will we need to use the direct retro tool?
Yes. If the earnings have had a DR in the past then you will be redirected to the DR tool.
For Health Sciences that deal with the Med Center to pay some of our faculty, how to we build out a chartstring if the Med Center doesn't use project numbers but use "Location" instead?
You will need to get the chartstring elements from Health System (Med Center). Check out our new resource on Chartstring Validation in UCPath
Do I have to enter all chartstring elements in order to generate the combo code?
Yes, the system generates combo codes when valid chartstring segments are entered. They no longer have to be first sent from OFC.
Will CT still post to GL on a monthly schedule like DR?
SCT transactions will post to the GL 1 x per month. This process is under review though and we may start posting more frequently in the future.
If need to type in the full chart string (which will be very time consuming) what is the point of combo codes?
You can still use Combo Codes if you are sure that is the correct one you should be using. Before using a Combo Code for the first time verify that each chartstring segment for that combo code is what you expect it to be.
For a pay period with vacation I am getting errors that new effort does not equal 100%.
Refer to the UCPath Salary Cost Transfer Troubleshooting Guide KBA.
We still need to update extend fund end date on UCPath, is that correct?
End Dates are used in UCPath if you want the system to stop charging the funding source on that date. If you do not enter a new funding source effective after that date then the system will charge the Department Default Funding Source. The End Date field in Funding Entry does not have to correspond with Project end dates in OFC. When the project end date passes you will get an error message due to the chartstring validation.
For adjustments 2021 onward, how will we know whether to use the SCT or the DR module (i.e. how will we know if DR was processed)? Is the best practice to start with the SCT and then will an error occur if a DR had been processed?
The SCT Description column in the Search Results will direct you to the correct tool.