Suspense Description of Service (DOS) Codes

Suspense DOS codes are a holdover from the old system many years ago. When the current Personnel/Payroll system was implemented it contained no provision for suspense codes. UCLA contracted with ISI and Systemwide to develop the capability which was currently being used by several campuses including SF. It was our understanding that this would be part of the base, but over the years other campuses stopped using suspense codes and this became a UCLA unique modification. Suspense DOS codes allow distributions to be set up in "abeyance" with an ending date. Once that ending date has passed, the distribution reverts to active. Suspense DOS codes are used extensively in the area of Health Science Compensation plans to accurately reflect permanent salaries on the Staffing List. They are also used in situations where departments desire to pay employees biweekly but must maintain permanent records on Sub 1 in order to receive the appropriate amount of merit and range adjustment funding. Virtually all of the uses of suspense DOS codes have to do with meeting requirements--primarily budgetary--not having to do directly with pay. UCLA would be more than happy to eliminate the suspense DOS codes if we could resolve these staffing and funding issues.

On an ongoing basis the impact is not significant. There is, however, a significant impact in processing mass updates such as merits and range adjustments since the system sees the ending date and does not recognize that this is actually a permanent distribution that is currently in suspense status.

Laser Checks

Laser printed checks eliminate the need for numbered check stock as well as for a separate process for signing checks. Checks are printed in the form of self-contained mailers which are run through a Glue-Fold machine where they are folded, perforated, and sealed for distribution. Significant savings in labor, storage expense for check stock and elimination of need for envelopes and expense of stuffing checks.

Insignificant.

ASAP

Local version of PAN routing.

UCLA had already designed ASAP which was in use for other systems. It was felt that in order to be effective any post authorization system would need to be the same for all applications so that departments could, within the same vehicle, view notices for payroll as well as purchasing transactions. For the most part, ASAP simply takes the PAN notice and puts it into the ASAP system.

Minor impact.

I-4 Processing

Does not drop active appointments

UCLA does not enter an I-4 separation date for any employee with an active appointment on the EDB regardless of the last time they were paid. There are literally thousands of employees on the EDB who are employed intermittently and are set up with variable appointments with either an indefinite ending date or an ending date a year or two into the future. These employees are throughout the campus including ushers in athletics, UNEX instructors, seasonal help in cultural and recreational affairs, etc. Because the time for which they are being paid is Regular time it doesnât make a lot of sense to just give them a separate DOS code. Also, offering the option of separate DOS codes could lead to abuses.

Significant. System releases are continually overlaying our local code in spite of our best efforts to monitor local code. When code is overlaid and employees separated through the I-4 process, it creates extensive workloads for departments who must quickly re-instate hundreds of employees in a very short time frame in order to pay them on time.

Benefits enrollment; IDOC forms

Designed as an option for departments to assist with the insurance enrollment process. Departments can enter insurance enrollments online, print out the insurance IDOC, and give it to the employee to review and sign. This then becomes the "official" enrollment document. The intent was to minimize data entry errors by allowing the employee to review and sign based on the information actually entered into the system. Currently in limited use.

Insignificant

Account Fund Profile (AFP)

Use campus Financial System tables instead of Account Fund Profile.

Personnel/Payroll System was linked to the Account Fund Profile currently in use by the UCLA Financial System. This linkage eliminates the need to maintain to separate systems as well as the difficulty with keeping separate systems in sync.

Minor Impact

Expense Distribution

Different object code structure.

A decision was made some years back that departments would rather see their payroll costs categorized by type of employee rather than the standard groupings. The Expense Distribution remains the same except for additional totals and the entries passed to the ledger. The UCLA object codes are broken down into Staff Career, Staff Casual, Ladder Rank Faculty, etc. Benefit charges are aggregated so that rather than seeing charges for all workers Compensation for example, the department will see a charge in the ledger for Benefits Staff Career, Benefits Ladder Rank Faculty, etc. All of the individual detail is on the Expense Distribution.

Minor. The only time there is any impact is when new object codes are added to accommodate new charges such as IAP. Anytime new object codes are added UCLA must then map those object codes into our structure.

Payroll Time Reporting

Selection by distribution department code.

This change was made to correct what we believe to be a design problem with PTR and was made in anticipation of a base system release.

Insignificant