Understanding and managing Travel And Expense (T&E) is a crucial part of administrative tasks for faculty and staff within the University of Missouri System. This guide clarifies what T&E is, when to use it, and how the system operates to ensure smooth processing of university-related expenses. By utilizing the T&E system effectively, employees can streamline their expense reporting and reimbursement processes, allowing them to focus on their core responsibilities within the university.
Understanding Travel and Expense (T&E) within the UM System
What is T&E?
Within the University of Missouri System, Travel and Expense (T&E) refers to the electronic system built on the PeopleSoft platform designed to manage and document employee travel and business-related expenses. For university employees receiving their paycheck from the university, T&E is the designated tool for several key processes. It’s primarily used to officially authorize university-related travel, request cash advances for travel expenditures, and process reimbursements for out-of-pocket expenses incurred while conducting university business. It is important for employees to always consider the most economical and compliant method for purchasing goods and services, referring to the University Procurement Guidelines for specific guidance.
When Should You Use T&E?
The University of Missouri System mandates the use of T&E for specific circumstances related to travel and expense management. Here are the primary situations where utilizing the T&E system is required:
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Travel Authorization: Before embarking on any university-related travel, employees must use T&E to formally document and obtain authorization for their trip. This ensures proper approvals and adherence to university travel policies.
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Expense Reimbursement: T&E is essential for seeking reimbursement for a variety of business expenses paid personally by the employee. These include, but are not limited to:
- Business Meals: Expenses incurred for meals that are business-related.
- Business Mileage: Mileage accrued while using a personal vehicle for university business.
- Non-Overnight Business Travel: Expenses related to business travel that does not include an overnight stay.
- Overnight Business Travel: Costs associated with business trips that require overnight stays.
- Foreign Business Travel: Expenses related to international business travel.
- Approved Moving Expenses: Reimbursement for moving expenses that have been pre-approved by the university.
- Non-Travel Business Expenses: Reimbursement for other approved business expenses that are not directly related to travel.
How the T&E System Works: A Step-by-Step Guide to Expense Reporting
To effectively utilize the T&E system for travel and expense management, understanding the workflow is crucial. Here is a detailed breakdown of how the T&E system operates within the University of Missouri System:
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Expense Incurrence and Personal Payment: The process begins when university-related travel occurs, or business expenses are incurred. Crucially, these expenses are initially paid out-of-pocket by the university employee.
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Expense Report Creation: Following the incurrence of expenses, an expense report must be created within the T&E system. This task can be performed either by the employee who incurred the expenses or by a designated travel delegate on their behalf. Detailed instructions on creating expense reports are available in the T&E Cardholder/Traveler Training Guide.
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Receipt and Document Attachment: A critical step in the process is to attach all necessary receipts and supporting documentation to the electronic expense report. This must be done in accordance with established University Business Policies to ensure compliance and facilitate smooth processing.
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Expense Report Submission: Once the expense report is complete and all documentation is attached, the creator must formally submit the report through the T&E system. Upon submission, the report automatically enters the designated approval workflow.
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Approval Workflow Routing: The approval workflow is an electronic routing system that directs the expense report through various levels of approval based on the financial chartfields to which the expenses are charged. These approval levels typically include:
- Project Manager: If a grant chartfield is used to allocate expenses, the expense report is routed to the Principal Investigator identified in the University’s Grants Module.
- Fiscal Reviewer: This level includes approvers at different organizational levels within the financial hierarchy, such as DeptNode, SubDeptNode, and DeptID levels, as defined in the FIN Authorization system.
- Accounting Office: The final level of approval within the workflow is the Accounts Payable Shared Service Center. These approvers, also known as PrePay Auditors, are responsible for the final verification and processing of expense reports.
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Verification and Release for Payment: Approvers at the Accounts Payable Shared Services Center meticulously review all information provided in the expense report and attached documentation. Following verification, they will either release the expense report for payment processing within the PeopleSoft Production system, or, if there are questions or discrepancies, they will send the report back to the originating department for clarification and corrections.
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Expense Report Payment: Once the expense report has successfully navigated all required levels of approval, it is processed for payment.
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Employee Reimbursement via ACH: Reimbursements are issued to employees via Automated Clearing House (ACH) transfer. The payment is typically initiated on the night the expense report receives final approval. By default, the system uses the bank account employees have designated for their university payroll. However, employees have the flexibility to modify this within their T&E profile under “user preferences” if they wish to use a different account for expense reimbursements.
By understanding and correctly utilizing the T&E system, University of Missouri System employees can efficiently manage their travel and expense reimbursements, ensuring compliance with university policies and a smooth financial process.
