Exploring the Basics of Processing Reports

Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to learn about processing reports.

Unit Overview

This unit is designed for processors looking to enhance their skills in managing and processing expense reports. With clear, step-by-step instructions and practical examples, this course will equip you with the essential skills needed for effective expense report management.

By the end of the unit, you will:

  • Learn how to efficiently process expense reports.
  • Handle exceptions.
  • Customize report views.
  • Run queries.
  • Summarize the essential tasks and best practices for processing expenses.
  • Manage receipts and attachments.
  • Access additional resources.

Introduction to Process Reports

Streamlining Expense Reports

Managing expense reports efficiently is crucial for maintaining accurate financial records. The process begins with setting up the report view, where processors can customize columns and preferences to suit their needs. This ensures that all necessary information is readily accessible.

The Process Reports page in the expense management system is the tool where you can manage and review expense reports efficiently.

Once the setup is complete, you can search for specific reports using various criteria, such as employee name or report status. You can also mark reports for review, approve them, or send them back to employees for modifications. These steps help streamline the workflow and ensure that expense reports are processed accurately and promptly.

Understanding Approval Statuses

Approval statuses in expense processing play a crucial role in managing and tracking the progress of expense reports. Each status indicates a specific stage in the approval workflow, helping processors and employees understand the current state of a report.

StatusDescription
Submitted & Pending Approval

When an expense report is marked as Submitted & Pending Approval, it means that the report is awaiting review by an approver. This status indicates that the report has been submitted and is in the queue for evaluation.

The approver will examine the report to ensure all necessary information and documentation are included. If everything is in order, the approver will move the report to the next stage.

Approved

Once the approver reviews and accepts the report, its status changes to Approved. This indicates that the report has met all requirements, including the Processor approval, and is ready for payment processing.

At this stage, the finance team can proceed with reimbursing the employee or processing the payment. The Approved status signifies the completion of the approval workflow for that report.

Send Back to Employee

If there are issues or additional information required, the report may be Sent Back to Employee. This status allows the employee to make necessary adjustments before resubmission.

The employee will need to review the feedback provided by the approver, correct any errors, or add missing information. Once the revisions are made, the report can be resubmitted for approval.

Approved & In Accounting Review

If a report has been approved by the approver, it will show as Approved & In Accounting Review. This allows the Processor to know that they need to perform their review.

Expense Processor Role

Key Responsibilities of an Expense Processor

The role of an expense processor is crucial in managing and streamlining the expense reporting process. They are responsible for setting up and customizing the expense report view, ensuring that all necessary columns are included and arranged appropriately. This helps in providing a clear and organized view of the expense data, making it easier to review and approve reports.

Expense processors also review and approve expense reports. They verify that all required receipts are attached and that the expenses comply with company policies. Additionally, they manage exceptions and ensure that any flagged issues are resolved before final approval. This meticulous process ensures accuracy and compliance in the expense reporting system.

Assign the Expense Processor Role

Steps

  1. Navigate to the Expense Settings page. Log in to your Concur account and under the Administration, select Expense Settings.

  2. Access User Accounts. Under the Access To Concur section, locate User Accounts. Select theEdit button on the User Accounts panel. The Users page opens.

    3. The image shows the Settings page in Concur Expense. At the top left, there is a gear icon next to the text Settings. Below it, there is a yellow alert banner indicating Alerts: 2. The Access To Concur section is displayed underneath, featuring two boxes. The first box on the left is labeled User Accounts with a brief description: Set up and manage your Concur users and their permissions. There is an Edit button outlined in yellow within this box. The second box on the right is labeled Translations with the description: Provide translations for any labels and text you added to Concur. This box also has an Edit button. In the top right corner, there is a dropdown menu labeled Product with Expense selected, and a link to View Basic Settings below it.

  3. Select the user. On the Users page, browse through the list of users. Select the name of the user to whom you wish to assign the processor role.

    4. The image displays the Users management page in Concur Expense. At the top, the heading Users is prominent, followed by a description: Use the Add Users button below to add users one at a time (manually), or by importing through a spreadsheet. Below this, there is an Add Users button on the left side. To the right, there is a search bar with the placeholder text Search by Name, Email, or Manager. The page is currently set to show Active Users. Below these controls, there's a section titled Manage Users (8). This section contains a table with columns for Last Name, First Name, Email, Manager, and Status. Each column has sorting icons. A user (Arranda) is highlighted with a yellow border.

  4. Edit user Permissions. On the Edit User page, scroll down to the Products section. Under the Permissions section, locate the Administer category.

    5. The image shows a user interface for managing expense settings. At the top, navigation tabs include Expense, Invoice, Purchase Request, and Reporting, with Expense selected. The section is titled Settings with a button labeled Expense Delegates. There is an unchecked checkbox titled Exempt from Expense Type Limit rules. The Expense Policy Group is set to UK, and Reimbursement Method to Company Check (via Accounts Payable). Under Permissions: Submit category has Can Submit Expense Reports checked, and Manager set to Expense Invoice, Approver. Approve category has Can Approve Expense Reports checked. Administer category has Can Administer Cash Advance checked, while Can Administer and Can Process Expense Reports are unchecked.

  5. Enable processor role. In the Administer category, find the checkbox Can Process Expense Reports. To enable the checkbox, select it.

    Note

    If you have the Administer role assigned, you automatically have the necessary permissions to process expense reports. For users without the Administer role, you must enable the checkbox Can Process Expense Reports to grant them the specific permissions required to process expense reports.
    The image shows an interface for managing expense settings. Navigation tabs include Expense, Invoice, Purchase Request, and Reporting, with Expense selected. The Settings section has an Expense Delegates button. An unchecked checkbox is labeled Exempt from Expense Type Limit rules. The Expense Policy Group is UK, and Reimbursement Method is Company Check (via Accounts Payable). Permissions are divided into Submit, Approve, and Administer categories. Submit has Can Submit Expense Reports checked, with Manager set to Expense Invoice, Approver. Approve has Can Approve Expense Reports checked. In Administer, Can Administer Cash Advance is checked, while Can Administer and Can Process Expense Reports (highlighted in yellow) are unchecked.

  6. Save changes. After enabling the checkbox, scroll down to the bottom on the page. Choose the Save button to apply and enable the changes.

    The image displays an expense management interface with tabs like Expense, Invoice, Purchase Request, and Reporting, with Expense selected. The Settings section has an Expense Delegates button and an unchecked Exempt from Expense Type Limit rules checkbox. The Expense Policy Group is set to UK, and Reimbursement Method to Company Check (via Accounts Payable). Permissions include Submit (Can Submit Expense Reports checked, Manager set to Expense Invoice, Approver), Approve (Can Approve Expense Reports checked), and Administer (Can Process Expense Reports and Can Administer Cash Advance checked, Can Administer unchecked). A Multi-Factor Authentication Reset section includes a Reset button. There are Save (highlighted in yellow) and Cancel buttons.

    Following these steps, you will successfully assign the processor role to the selected user.

    Caution

    If you are a processor, you cannot process your own expense report. This is to help safeguard the approval workflow from any fraud activity.

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