How to use and understand funding worktags and revenue and spend categories when purchasing, billing, making payments, transferring funds, and managing reimbursements at UW–Madison.
This page provides guidance on the Foundation Data Model (FDM). This information can sometimes be referred to as the “Chart of Accounts.” Terminology from SFS/WISER changed with the adoption of Workday in July 2025. “Worktags” replaced fundings strings and “revenue and spend categories” replaced account codes.
Note: the FDM Maintenance tool, FDM Mapping tool, and SFS Crosswalk linked below are all subject to change.
Searching Workday Worktags and requesting changes
The FDM Maintenance tool can be used to look up, adjust, or request new programs, gifts, projects, and cost centers. For information on Grants, refer to the Research and Sponsored Programs (RSP) Award Acceptance and Set-up page and specific Job Aids on Grants.
Workday FDM Mapping Rules is a crosswalk that links SFS funding strings to their equivalent Workday worktags. (Note: This tool is limited to conversion data and will not be updated for changes since conversion data has been generated.)
Revenue and spend categories
Revenue and spend categories in Workday are used in place of account codes, which were used in SFS. You can reference the SFS Account Code to Workday Revenue / Spend Category Crosswalk to help determine which revenue or spend category to use.
Notes about the crosswalk:
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- Review the “Tips” tab for how to run through the crosswalk.
- Spend and revenue categories with “Conversion” in the title should not be used for current transactions. These are only for conversion data from prior to FY26.
Additional description of spend and revenue categories are available in the FDM Maintenance tool. To find the details:
- Select: “Look Up & Request Change”
- Change “Workday Type” to “Spend Category” or “Revenue Category.”
- If desired, add the search tool specific spend or revenue category number to limit results.
- Select the spend or revenue category you are seeking more detail about. If available, a description will be at the bottom of the pop out.
Workday Conversion Data
Data from prior to FY26 is “conversion” data in Workday. This data will appear in Workday in a summarized format. Details for these transactions can be found in WISER until WISER is decommissioned.
To identify the original funding string of conversion data in Workday, review the journal line memo in Workday. It will be formatted in the following manner: “UWMSNdeptxxfundprogramprojectaccountclass”. This shows the full SFS funding string were the data was in SFS. Since this is summarized data, dollar amounts may not match each individual line in WISER and instead are a group of lines that have the same funding string.
Example of how to find a transaction line in Workday from a prior year: Reviewing Conversion Data in Workday (Box link)
WISER Chart of Accounts
A funding string is a collection of several chartfields used to record and classify a transaction.
This is an accordion element with a series of buttons that open and close related content panels.
Account code
A four digit numerical value that categorizes the nature of the transaction. Account code types are Expense, Revenue and Balance Sheet.
Fund Code/Appropriations
A three-digit numerical value that categorizes the State Appropriation for the transaction.
Common categories:
- GPR – General Purpose Revenue – General purpose revenues consist of general taxes, miscellaneous receipts and revenues collected by state agencies which are deposited into the general fund, and are available for appropriation by the legislature. Fund 101 for example.
- PR – Program Revenue – Program revenues consist of revenues which are deposited into the general fund and are credited by law to an appropriation to finance a specified program or state agency. Fund 128 for example.
Department IDs
A six-digit numerical value identifying the organizational structure the transaction is charged/credited to. In Legacy this was referred to as the UDDS. The first two digits represent Division, the second two digits represent Department, and the last two digits represent Sub-Department. For example department 037780 represents:
03 – Division of Business Services
77- Department of Materials Distribution Services (MDS)
80 – Sub-Department of Surplus With a Purpose (SWAP)
- Organizational Edits – Also commonly referred to as org edits, department edits, combos or “The Tree.” These define all of the fund-program combinations that are valid for a department. This is one of the more common edit errors users will encounter.
- Department ID Search Tool
Program codes
A one digit alpha or numerical value identifying the activity type of the transaction. Based on the Financial Accounting and Reporting Manual for Higher Education, published by the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO).
- 0 – Student Services
- 1 – Institutional Support
- 2 – Instruction
- 3 – Hospitals
- 4 – Research
- 5 – Public Service
- 6 – Academic Support
- 7 – Physical Plant
- 8 – Auxiliary Enterprises
- 9 – Financial Aid
- F – Farm Operations
- R – Revenue
Class codes
Four to five character alphanumeric values to further categorizes the nature of the transaction. Most of the time this is optional, but is required in a few cases when used in combination with certain account codes.
- Class Codes identifying building/grounds – class codes for Buildings are 4 digit numerical values. Add leading zeros to the Facility Numbers displayed on the list that are less than 4 characters. For example Facility Number 2 on the list would be class code 0002.
- Sales Tax Class Codes (xlsx)
- Travel and Expense Class Codes (xlsx)
Project ID
Seven character alphanumeric values used to capture all the transactions associated with a specific grant, contract or activity. Project IDs are optional in many cases, but are required when used in combination with funds 114, 133, 135, 138, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 150, 161, 233 and 236. Projects can be sponsored or non-sponsored.
Project ID formats
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- Created 05/31/2015 or later: ααα#### – created in sequential order (i.e. AAC1234)
- Created between 2008 and 05/12/2015 – PRJ##αα (i.e. PRJ25AF)
- Created before 2008 – ###αα## (where the first 3 #s represent fund i.e 233FS40 would be a gift project)
Sponsored projects
- Projects on funds 133 (non-federal grants) and 144 (federal grants) are managed by RSP. See the RSP Accountant Search for contacts for specific RSP projects.
- Fund 135 – WARF Grants – Contact VCRGE Accounting to request new projects or modify existing projects
- Fund 142-143 -CALS
- Fund 145-148 – Federal Aid
Non-sponsored projects
- Fund 233 – Gifts
- Fund 161 – Trust Funds – Contact the Office of Trust Funds to request new projects of modify existing ones
- Projects on all other funds
