Creating and Maintaining Reason Codes and Categories

Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to create reason categories and codes for workflow steps.

Reason Codes and Categories Overview

Use the Reason Category and Codes tool to define standardized reasons for returning part or all of an expense report to an employee. When a processor returns a report, they must select a reason code. This mandatory step allows the company to track and analyze return reasons, supporting targeted employee training and policy review.

When the processor selects Send Back to Employee, the Send Back Report dialog box displays all available reason codes set by the administrator. The processor selects the appropriate code(s) and selects OK to return the report to the employee.

The image displays a Workflows page with the Reason Category and Codes tab highlighted. The toolbar shows Save, New (highlighted), and Remove. A table lists two columns: Reason Code and Reason Category. One row shows Missing Expense Details under Reason Code and Missing Details under Reason Category.

Note

The Reason Category options are directly tied to Cognos reports and are therefore not customizable.

Configure Reason Codes and Categories

To create reason codes:

Steps

  1. On the Workflows page in Expense Admin, select the Reason Category and Codes tab, and then select New.

    The image displays a Workflows page with the Reason Category and Codes tab highlighted and the New button highlighted. The toolbar includes Save, New, and Remove. A table shows two columns: Reason Code and Reason Category. One row lists Missing Expense Details under Reason Code and Missing Details under Reason Category.

  2. Enter the Reason Code which is generic text of the most popular reasons a processor may reject a report, and then select the Reason Category that matches the reason code created. When you’re done, select the Save button.

    The image displays a Workflows page with the Reason Category and Codes tab open. The Save button is highlighted. A table lists Reason Code and Reason Category. The highlighted row shows Out of Policy Expense paired with Outside Of Policy. New and Remove buttons sit beside Save.

Summary

  • Define standardized reasons for returning expense reports to employees.
  • Use reason codes to track and analyze report rejection reasons.
  • Manage reason codes and categories in Expense Admin > Workflows.
  • Improve employee training and policy review with data-driven insights.
  • Note that Reason Categories are linked to Cognos reports and are not customizable.

Learning

SAP FacebookSAP YoutubeSAP LinkedIn