What were previously known as Temporary Custodian Funds will now be requested as Cash Advance for Research Participants and issued through the Spend Authorization process in Workday. This document provides step-by-step instructions to request a cash advance for research participant payments and how to complete the related expense report under the new process.
What were previously known as Temporary Custodian Funds are now requested as Cash Advance for Research Participants and issued through the Spend Authorization process in Workday. This document provides step-by-step instructions to request a cash advance for research participant payments and how to complete the related expense report under the new process.
As of Fall 2023, the Property Control Team conducts online Q&A Sessions each month via Microsoft Teams. Materials and an invite to access the session will be sent to all who registered at least two business days in advance of the training. Late registrations can be coordinated by emailing Dawn Rekoske.
These optional sessions are open to all persons interested in understanding the Capital Equipment Policies and Procedures, including Department Property Administrators (DPAs), Primary Investigators, and Financial Specialists. The session will review a specific Capital Equipment topic and provide an open forum for people to ask questions they might have. Please be advised that this Q&A session does not replace the standard required training for new Department Property Administrators.
Update 12/22/23: Additional sessions will be held over the winter and spring, please see the Capital Equipment webpage for more details and related links.
The Property Control Team is excited to announce the new Canvas Department Property Administrator (DPA) training is now live and open for registration on the OHRD website. This course provides an overview of policies and procedures that have been established to support the proper stewardship of capital equipment. It covers the DPA’s roles and responsibilities along with the procedures for disposing of assets, fabrications, gifts in kind, upgrades, loans, inventory, and transfers of equipment. The estimated time to complete the training is 75 minutes.
This course is now required for all new Department Property Administrators.
This course is recommended for all Department Property Administrators.
The above link will take you to register for the course and then it will immediately lead you into the training. If you want to register and complete the course at a later time, or start the training and do not finish in one session, do not use the link above. After registering, go to your Canvas profile and find the training among your Canvas courses. You can access Canvas at canvas.wisc.edu or through the MyUW Canvas tile.
If you have any difficulty accessing the course, email Dawn Rekoske for assistance.
Hello Department Property Administrators and Financial Staff,
We’re happy to share the news there is a new search tool available in WISER for viewing your capital equipment assets in almost real-time (updated nightly). This search tool has been over 2 years in the making, and was highly requested from the Departmental Property Administrators (DPAs) community.
The “Find Capital Equipment Assets” search is intended for DPA and financial staff usage. This allows departments to create their own ad hoc reporting on their capital equipment. Searches can be run to find all capital equipment for a particular department, a specific PI, an award/project used to purchase, a physical location, or a combination of other search criteria.
This search tool is intended to offer general capital equipment information to our internal campus community. Please continue to direct any external requests for capital reporting, audit documentation, and transfer negotiations to the Division of Business Services Property Control team at property@bussvc.wisc.edu.
Eventually, we plan for this search tool to replace our current “Capital Equipment Reports by Division” Box report. We will stop providing those reports in Box at the end of this fiscal year (June 30, 2022).
Please note: if you are a DPA but do not have access to WISER, please fill out the Wiser Access Authorization Form and submit it through your department/division. Keep running Box reports in the meantime through the end of the Fiscal Year.
Please see the “WISER Find Capital Equipment Assets” help sheet for a guide to using the search tool. Feel free to reach out to our team if you have any questions that aren’t covered in the attachment.
Thank you,
Property Control Team – Business Services
Use this form to request equipment fabrication for a unique, special purpose, stand-alone piece of equipment over 5000 USD. The completed form is sent to UW–Madison Property Control.
The “FY21 Physical Inventory Schedule” is now available on our Property Control page located under the section titled “Department Property Administrator Information”.
Under the guidance of UW System policy 300-Interim 02, an extension was granted to all FY20 inventories in progress allowing for completion of the inventory by June 30, 2021. The “FY20 Physical Inventory Schedule” located on the Property Control website has also been updated to offer insight towards the FY20 inventories carried over to FY21.
All campus units required to finalize FY20 inventories or selected to initiate an FY21 physical inventory have been personally contacted by Property Control. DPAs received an email from Property Control on 1/28/21, reminding those not selected of the higher risk of loss during these difficult times. The DPA is encouraged to conduct an assessment of assets upon their return to campus. If you are a listed DPA and did not receive the communication please reach out to Property Control via email at property@bussvc.wisc.edu.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison has merchant accounts which accept payment for goods sold and services rendered via payment card transactions. All merchants who accept payments via payment card must comply must comply with Policy UW-3031 and the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS). The purpose of this procedure is to provide a framework for the disciplinary steps that will be taken in the event a UW–Madison merchant account is found to be non-compliant with Policy UW-3031 and the PCI DSS. Persistent noncompliance after the enactment of the disciplinary steps described in this procedure may result in the suspension or termination of the non-compliant merchant account.
This procedure applies to all UW–Madison departments that accept payment cards via payment card terminals. This procedure should be understood by all relevant personnel including Divisional Business Representatives (DBRs), Site Managers, and Operators of the merchant accounts.
If a merchant does not appropriately store, process, or transmit cardholder data as defined by Policy UW-3031, deficiencies exist in that merchant account’s standard operating procedures. As a result, these deficiencies deem the merchant account non-compliant with the PCI governance framework. Deficiencies in a merchant’s ability to appropriately secure cardholder data is the foundation of a potential data breach. Acts of PCI noncompliance and data breaches may result in reputational damages, loss of customer confidence and loyalty, and a potential loss of gift and grant donors.
The ability to accept payment card transactions is a convenient and efficient method of collecting revenue owed to the University. This method of payment is a privilege granted to the University by the contracted acquirer, Elavon, and the payment card brands Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express. If a merchant account is not in compliance with the PCI DSS or a data breach occurs, these agencies have the authority to assess fines for noncompliance. These fines begin anywhere between the range of $5,000 to $100,000 per month for violating PCI DSS, depending on the length of noncompliance. These fines would accumulate quickly and could result in hundreds of thousands of dollars in monetary damages.
Further, if Elavon or the payment card brands find the University noncompliant, UW–Madison’s ability to accept payment cards could potentially be revoked. This decision would require departments to find alternative ways to collect revenue and could result in a decline in sales.
The Division of Business Services Cash Management team and Division of Information Technology (DoIT) Cybersecurity team will jointly conduct a review of campus merchant accounts’ level of compliance on an annual basis and complete a risk assessment. Each risk assessment will document the review team’s opinion of the merchant’s level of compliance with the PCI DSS. A disciplinary step would be implemented if any non-compliant practices are identified.
All risk assessments which have a level of noncompliance will be presented to the merchant’s Divisional Business Representative for review and signature. Below are examples of possible noncompliance:
Level 0 – No instances of noncompliance identified.
Level 1 – Minor instance(s) of noncompliance identified. Compliant procedures must be implemented as of the next annual review.
Incomplete PCI Security Awareness Training
Incomplete PCI Operator Training
Missing or incomplete device inspection logs
Missing merchant standard operating procedures
Level 2 – Significant instance(s) of noncompliance identified. Compliant procedures must be implemented as of a designated deadline which has been agreed upon with the merchant.
Working with unsupported technology or non-approved Service Providers
Lack of security regarding access to physical devices and technology
Inability or neglect to provide documentation indicating appropriate security of e-commerce merchant accounts(s); missing the signed Service Provider’s Attestation of Compliance (AoC)
Unauthorized or unsecured storing of cardholder data
Inappropriate use of e-commerce merchant accounts or inappropriate use of in-person or over-the-phone transaction processing
Failure to implement appropriate procedures to resolve Level 1 noncompliance
Failure to complete the annual Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ)
If a deficiency in compliance was identified and agreed upon by the merchant in a previous review, the PCI review team will follow up and evaluate the merchant’s progress towards achieving compliance. If measurable progress has not been made towards achieving compliance, the following disciplinary steps will be executed in this order:
Requirement to attend an in-person PCI Training
Notification from PCI review team of Level 1 noncompliance
Notification from PCI review team of Level 2 noncompliance
Temporary suspension of merchant account for up to 9 months
UW–Madison Non-Sponsored AR and Billing utilizes the shared customer file for UW System that is managed in collaboration by the Division of Business Services (DoBS) and UW System Shared Services. Departments can request new external customers by following the Create Customer Profile job aid or submitting the Submit Customer Inbound EIB.
Departments will upload invoices to Workday using a shared customer file. Invoices will be sent to the customer through an automated nightly process. The Division of Business Services will process all transactions related to the invoices from that point.
Invoices can be entered as either one-time or installment. Payment terms generally will be Net 30, unless an exception has been approved by DoBS.
Departments can request new external customers by submitting the Customer EIB. Customers can have multiple contacts and locations. Modifications to existing customer information including additional contacts or locations should be requested through the uwmsnar@bussvc.wisc.edu mailbox. DoBS will review each customer request to ensure compliance with export control lists such as OFAC.
The following steps represent the overall process for requesting new customers:
If the customer is already set up but a different contact or location is needed, follow the instructions on the Edit Customer Contact job aid, or upload the Put Customer Contact Inbound Template EIB.
DoBS will review the customer information and ensure the customer is not on any export control lists such as OFAC.
DoBS will complete or send back the task in Workday as needed.
Creating a Bill
Bills can be entered as either one-time or installment. Payment terms will be Net 30, unless an exception has been approved by DoBS.
The following steps represent the overall process for creating a bill:
Follow the Create Customer Invoice Event job aid or upload the Submit Customer Invoice Inbound EIB.
The following journal entries are a sample of what will post when the bills are generated:
External customer:
Debit: Selling Department Accounts Receivable (#6200) XXXX
Credit: Selling Department Revenue XXXX
Cancellation or Adjustment of an invoice
Adjustments and cancellations need to include explanation for the adjustment. This procedure should not be used to write off a debt. For instructions on how to write off a debt, please refer to Write-off and Collection procedure.
The following steps represent the overall process for requesting a cancelation or adjustment of an invoice:
Follow the job aid (job aids being created) instructions to create a credit invoice or upload the Submit Customer Invoice Adjustment Inbound Template EIB
Follow the job aid (job aids being created) instructions to create a credit invoice and rebill a new invoice
The credit invoice or rebilled invoice will route for approval through Workday. Once the task has been fully approved, the transaction will post to the customer account and the original invoice will be zeroed out.
The following journal entries are samples of what will post after a cancellation or adjustment is processed:
External customer:
Debit: Selling Department Revenue XXXX
Credit: Selling Department Accounts Receivable XXXX
Write off and Collection
(Non-Sponsored receivable balances will be managed centrally by the Division of Business Services.)
Once an invoice is generated the customer will receive a monthly statement. If payment is not received, the customer will receive dunning letters each month after the due date. Once the invoice reaches 90 days past due, write offs and collection activities will be managed centrally by the Division of Business Services (DoBS) in collaboration with UW–Madison divisions and departments. Write off and collection activities need to be processed timely to ensure responsible stewardship of UW–Madison resources.
The following steps represent the overall process for collection efforts:
Statements will be sent for all outstanding invoices regardless of the due date on or around the 15th of the month.
Dunning letters (reminder notices) will be issued by DoBS monthly on or around the 15th. Dunning letters will begin after 30 days past due and will continue to be sent until the debt is cleared.
At 90 days, DoBS will reach out to the billing department to discuss collections. A decision needs to be made at that time if the invoice should be sent to a collection agency, the state of Wisconsin Department of Revenue or written off. If the department is working with the customer on payment, a note can be placed on the invoice in Workday providing details on the expected date of resolution.
The following steps represent the overall process for requesting a write-off:
Write-off transactions are initiated through workflow in SFS. Follow the Bad Debt Write off job aid.
Write-offs over $1,000 require Dean or Director and DoBS approval.
Write-offs must include an explanation.
The following journal entry is a sample of what will post after a write off has been processed:
Debit: Selling Department contra-revenue account (#9312) XXXX
Credit: Selling Department accounts receivable account (#6200) XXXX
Declined Payment
To handle customer payments that have been declined for any reason including insufficient funds, closed bank accounts, etc.
The following steps represent the overall process for a declined payment:
Notification received that a credit card or check payment has been declined.
Business Services will reverse the payment in SFS and will reinstate the debt outstanding.
Business Services will apply an NSF fee of $25 to the customer account for the declined payment.
The customer will receive an updated invoice reflecting the additional fee.
The NSF fee will be used to offset the bank fees UWMSN incurs. The NSF fee will not be distributed to the department.
The following journal entries are samples of what will post when a declined payment is posted:
Credit: Central funding string for bank fee transactions $25.00
Refunding a Payment
Refunding a payment is specifically for transactions that have been processed through centralized Accounts Receivable. Refunds may become necessary as a result of duplicate or overpayments made by customers or adjustments and cancellations of invoices that result in overpayments.
The following steps represent the overall process for requesting a refund:
Refunds can be requested for either a payment on account or a credit invoice adjustment
Any duplicate payments received by customers will be placed on account for the customer. DoBS will work collaboratively with departments to determine if the payment needs to be refunded or can be applied to other open invoices.
Jan. 19, 2021 – Procedure number updated from 100.1 to 3077.1 in new numbering system.
July 7, 2025 – Updated to combine 3077.1-6 base; changes for Workday.
This communication is intended for departments that currently submit RoR requests to the Cash Management team for approval.
Cash Management will be granting approval on a case-by-case basis for use of the voucher upload process to facilitate handling and processing of large batches of refund requests. Voucher uploads are intended to expedite processing of repetitive or large quantities of payments. Please email cashmgt@bussvc.wisc.edu for additional information on this process.
Please note that any refunds relating to Covid-19 activities should be coded to the appropriate Covid Account Codes. Please refer to the link below: