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Online Procure-to-Pay FAQs

General System Usage

Which web browsers can I use to access the PeopleSoft EnterpriseOne web application?

I left my EnterpriseOne session idle for a while and the system timed out.  What should I do?

Web-Based Training

I enter my NRAO user ID and password into the web-based training login page, but I can't get into the training.  How do I get access to the web-based training?

Once I am in the web-based training, I am unable to view the entire screen.  The buttons at the bottom right are cut off, so I can't navigate through the training.  How do I address this?

Entering Requisitions

How do I know which type of requisition I need to submit?

I get an error message that reads "Business Unit Number Invalid" when filling out the requisition header.  How do I find out the correct number to enter in the Business Unit field?

I get an error message that reads "Address Number ? Invalid" when filling out the requisition header.  What am I doing wrong?

How do I supply recommended vendor information?

How do I supply vendor information on a credit card order?

Does the system send an e-mail to the approver every time I make a change to a requisition and resave it?

I am interrupted frequently throughout the day.  How can I prevent the system from timing out and losing my unsubmitted requisitions?

I entered the wrong Business Unit (Approval Route Code) when I initially entered my requisition.  Now the requisition is following the wrong approval route.  How do I correct this?

Reviewing Requisitions

How do I find out where my requisition is in the procurement process?

How do I find out the PO number for my requisition?

Approving Requisitions

I try to view the header attachments when reviewing a requisition, but nothing happens.  How do I view the attachments?

When I get e-mail from the EnterpriseOne system telling me that there is a requisition for me to approve, the message includes a link.  I click on the link, but it opens up my default browser, which is not approved for use with EnterpriseOne.  What should I do?

General System Usage

Which web browsers can I use to access the PeopleSoft EnterpriseOne web application?

  • Windows users must use Internet Explorer version 6.  (This should be available on all NRAO Windows computers.)
  • Linux users should use browsers based on Mozilla 1.6 and 1.7.
  • MAC OS/X users should use Safari 1.2.
  • In addition, you will need to:
    • Allow session cookies and popups from the PeopleSoft Web servers.
    • Ensure that Java and Javascript are enabled.
    • Have a PDF viewer installed, such as Adobe Acrobat Reader.  (Most NRAO systems should already have one.)

In the past, the NRAO Computing Security Committee has strongly advocated against using Internet Explorer where possible.  This is still true for outside internet sites, but not for internal NRAO sites such as the PeopleSoft portal.  It will be necessary to use IE on Windows systems for this specific purpose at the present time.

I left my EnterpriseOne session idle for a while and the system timed out.  What should I do?

  • You should return to the EnterpriseOne login screen to log back in to the system.  PLEASE NOTE that any unsaved work you had open when the system timed out is lost.

Web-Based Training

I enter my NRAO user ID and password into the web-based training login page, but I can't get into the training.  How do I get access to the web-based training?

  • The web-based training is not part of the NRAO system itself, and it requires different login information.  The correct user ID is nrao, and the password is procure.

Once I am in the web-based training, I am unable to view the entire screen.  The buttons at the bottom right are cut off, so I can't navigate through the training.  How do I address this?

  • The training screen requires a screen resolution greater than 800x600 pixels.  If your monitor is set to a lower resolution, just increase the setting.  If your monitor cannot be set higher, it is recommended that you use a different computer to take the training.

PLEASE NOTE:  You do not need to be on the NRAO system to access the web-based training.  You can take it from a home computer, if desired.

Entering Requisitions

How do I know which type of requisition I need to submit?

There are four types of requisitions within the NRAO procurement process:

  • The first is a purchase-to-account requisition.  This is the "regular" requisition that most NRAO employees will submit ? it should be used when you are requesting a certain quantity of items at a certain cost.  Buyers will use this requisition to place your order, usually by producing a purchase order.
  • The second type is a credit card order.  This type of requisition should be used only when a department or division credit is being used to place an order ? you are essentially going in after the fact to document the order.  Credit card orders do not go to the Buyers at all.
  • The third type is a lump-sum or sub-contract requisition.  This type of requisition is used mainly for contract work or orders where there is no quantity of material that will be received by NRAO.  It is entered in much the same way as a purchase-to-account requisition, except that there is no quantity ordered or unit cost.
  • The fourth and last type is a warehouse requisition.  Only warehouse personnel should place warehouse requisitions ? they are used to order parts or materials that are inventoried in the Green Bank or Socorro warehouses.

I get an error message that reads "Business Unit Number Invalid" when filling out the requisition header.  How do I find out the correct number to enter in the Business Unit field?

  • The Business Unit number (also referred to as the Approval Route Code) is based on the account number for your order.  This is the number that you used to enter at the top of your paper requisition.  To find the correct Business Unit number, refer to the Approval Route Cross Reference available on the Online Procure-to-Pay Resources page.

I get an error message that reads "Address Number ? Invalid" when filling out the requisition header.  What am I doing wrong?

  • Nothing, actually.  The procurement system expects you to complete the Supplier/Empl field first, before filling in any other fields.  If you don't, the system sees that the Supplier/Empl field is blank and displays the error message.  As soon as you complete the Supplier/Empl field, the error message will go away.

How do I supply recommended vendor information?

  • By adding a text attachment to the header level of the requisition.  Almost all requisitions should include recommended vendor information ? it is vital information for the Buyers when placing your order.
  • If you need instructions on how to add a text attachment, refer to the Requisition Entry and Review user manual or to the appropriate Quick Reference Guide.

How do I supply vendor information on a credit card order?

  • By adding a text attachment to the last line item on the requisition.  This text attachment will print out on the receiving document, enabling the receiving department to match up the order with the shipment arriving at the dock.
  • You should not enter the vendor number in the Supplier/Empl field ? on credit card orders, this field should contain the system ID number (referred to as the address book number) for the credit card used to place the order.
  • If you need instructions on how to add a text attachment, refer to the Requisition Entry and Review user manual or to the appropriate Quick Reference Guide.

Does the system send an e-mail to the approver every time I make a change to a requisition and resave it?

  • Yes, an "Approval Required" e-mail is sent to the first approver for a requisition each time you open the requisition, make a change, and click the OK button.

I am interrupted frequently throughout the day.  How can I prevent the system from timing out and losing my unsubmitted requisitions?

  • You cannot prevent the system from timing out if you leave it idle for a period of time, but there is a process for submitting your requisition (and thus saving the information in it), and then placing a hold code on it so that the approver will not act on it.  This process is described in the Requisition Entry and Review manual.
  • If you find that you are using this function frequently, you may enter the HC hold code on all your requisitions when you first enter the header information.  That way, if you are interrupted while entering items in your requisition, you simply click the OK button to save your data.  You will then need to release the hold code in order to complete your requisition.

I entered the wrong Business Unit (Approval Route Code) when I initially entered my requisition.  Now the requisition is following the wrong approval route.  How do I correct this?

  • When you enter a Business Unit in the requisition header, the system takes that number and copies it to the Approval Code field (which is also visible on the header screen)  This is the field that directly controls how the requisition is routed for approval.
  • Unfortunately, users will not be able to change that Approval Code field if they have made a mistake.  Even when they update the Business Unit field, the Approval Code field does not change, and the requisition will continue to go to the incorrect approval route.
  • In cases where you have entered an incorrect Business Unit (and thus an incorrect Approval Route Code), here is the procedure:
  • If the requisition has already been approved, first contact a Buyer to reset the status of the original requisition.  This enables the requisition to be cancelled later.
  • Copy the original requisition to a new requisition, being sure to update the Business Unit both on the requisition header and on the individual lines (it is very important to update it in both places).
  • Submit the new requisition, which will follow the new/correct approval route.
  • Cancel the original requisition (the one with the incorrect approval route).
  • The procedures for copying and canceling a requisition are described in the Requisition Entry and Review manual.

Reviewing Requisitions

How do I find out where my requisition is in the procurement process?

  • Determining the status of your requisition is a multi-step process.  First, you should use Requisition Order Inquiry to look up your requisition and view the status codes for each line.  The Last Status and Next Status codes, when taken together, will tell you whether your requisition is awaiting approval, has been approved but is waiting to be ordered, or has been converted to a PO and ordered with the vendor.
  • Refer to the status code charts in the How to Review a Submitted Requisition section of the Requisition Entry and Review manual for details.
  • Once you know the status of your requisition, you're ready to find out more.
  • If your requisition is awaiting approval, you can find out who it's waiting on.  Use Requisitions Awaiting Approval to locate your requisitions waiting for approval.  The listing for your requisition will show what person is currently responsible for approving it.  (You can also see the complete approval history and pending approvals for your requisition by clicking on the Row button and selecting Status Summary.)
  • If your requisition has been approved, but no order has been placed, you may contact the Buyer(s) for your location to find out more.
  • If the order has been placed for your requisition, you can search for the resulting PO to find out the vendor, delivery date, and other details.  (See next item.)

How do I find out the PO number for my requisition?

  • Once you have determined that the order for your requisition has been placed (as described in the previous item), you can search for the resulting PO to find out the vendor, delivery date, and other details.  This process is described in the How to Find and Review a Purchase Order section of the Requisition Entry and Review user manual.

Approving Requisitions

I try to view the header attachments when reviewing a requisition, but nothing happens.  How do I view the attachments?

  • The inability to view header attachments through the normal approval review process is a known issue in the PeopleSoft EnterpriseOne web environment.  Until it is fixed, you can get around this bug by viewing the requisition directly from within the approval review workflow.  Refer to the document Workaround: Viewing Header Attachments in Requisition Approval for detailed instructions.

When I get e-mail from the EnterpriseOne system telling me that there is a requisition for me to approve, the message includes a link.  I click on the link, but it opens up my default browser, which is not approved for use with EnterpriseOne.  What should I do?

  • When a user clicks on the link in an e-mail notification, the link will be opened in the user's default web browser, which is not necessarily Internet Explorer (or another supported browser, depending on the platform).  Users whose default web browser is something other than IE (for Windows) or Mozilla 1.6 and 1.7 (for Linux) should open EnterpriseOne in a supported browser and follow the instructions in the Requisition Approval user manual rather than using the e-mail link.
HTML Markup Modified on Tuesday, 11-Jul-2006 13:42:17 EDTBy Carolyn White