Account Setup - Gather Information

Step 1: Gather Information

	What To Do	How to Do It
A	What You Need to Know	The identity of an account is established by various input fields on the Account document where each value entered becomes an account attribute. Care must be taken to ensure that correct values are entered. Errors identified by the Accounting Office require contact with the initiator and prolong the approval process. Accordingly, before you create a new account you must determine basic information about the account.
B	Determine Chart	Determine what Chart is to be used (most typically 3, L, or S).
C	Choose Account Code	The 7-character code to be used to represent the account in KFS. Account numbers must be exactly 7 characters in length and can be any combination of letters and numbers. Account numbers must be unique within each chart. Each unit can establish its own naming convention for its accounts, as the characters used have no particular significance for the system. For example, an account for Chemistry's general expenses might be: CHEMGEN.
D	Determine Organization	The organization to which the account will belong. Each KFS account belongs to one organization. Some departments have established a number of organizations beneath (subordinate to) their main departmental organization. You will need to know which organization code to use when establishing your new account. The best way to determine the correct organization code for a new account is to use the Organization Hierarchy (50) in Decision Support.
E	Choose a Fiscal Officer	The Fiscal Officer (Account Manager) to be designated for the new account. All accounts are assigned a Fiscal Officer who is responsible for all transactions which are recorded in the account. Most transactions are automatically routed to the fiscal officer for approval. You may also specify an Account Supervisor for an account. This is an individual who is interested in the activity of an account on an ongoing basis but who is not responsible for the fiscal activity of the account. This field is optional. The account supervisor will receive an FYI copy of ALL documents processed against the account after all approvals are made.
F	About UC Information	All KFS accounts are reported to the University of California Office of the President (OP) accounting system. In this system, each account must have codes for UC Location, Account, and Fund. These three KFS account attributes must be determined before you set up an account. For additional help with determining the UC Location, Account, and Fund number for your new account, visit the Understanding UC Location, Account, and Fund page, or contact General Accounting, Extramural Accounting, the Office of Research, or your Dean/Vice Chancellor's office.
G	Select UC Location	Regardless of the KFS chart code assigned to a new account, the UC Location code is ALWAYS either 3 or L. The location L accounts are funded by the UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR). All other accounts are in UC location 3, which is the Davis campus. UC location 3 must be used for all accounts in charts 3, S, H, M, and P. UC location L must be used for all accounts in charts L and N.
H	Find UC Account	Each UC Account has a specific function, e.g., Instruction, Research, etc. The function is indicated by the first two integers of the UC account number. One of your existing KFS accounts may have the UC Account you need for your new account. The UC Account numbers used by your organization can be determined by using either the Account Lookup (11) query in Decision Support. If you need assistance, contact General Accounting.
I	Locate UC Fund	The UC Fund indicates both the funding source and a specific award. The UC Fund is of great importance to the UCD Accounting Office. It is used for reporting to agencies or donors, for the campus financial schedules and financial statements, and for reporting to the UC Office of the President. One of your existing KFS accounts may have the UC Fund you need for your new account. The UC Fund numbers used by your organization can be determined by using the Contracts and Grants Account Lookup (198) in Decision Support. The accounts can be grouped by Sub Fund Group to facilitate finding accounts from a specific agency. Use the UC Fund Lookup (236) as needed.