# Presentation: 913638

## Agricultural Research Service (ARS) FFIS Overview

## A NEW LANGUAGE

- Zoom

- Clone Docs

- Dupline

- Feeders

- SUSF

- FLAGS

- Doc Type

- EASILY AUDITABLE

## Overview

- Why FFIS?
- How are we implementing?
- When are we implementing?

## FFIS is Like an Onion

- We have been learning as we go.
- Items we will cover
- FFIS System
- Vendor Information
- Accounting Code Structure
- Budget and Program Levels
- Training

## FFIS Functionality

- Integrated financial management system
- Budget execution and stringent budget controls
- Accounting through a daily general journal that provides an official audit trail for each transaction, double entry accounting
- Reporting - internal and external to the Department, OMB, Treasury, and GAO
- Budget at the management unit level

## FFIS Functionality

- CRIS - In or out of FFIS?
- Level of detail in a SGL system
- Complexity of operating
- Audit implications
- Need for accountability vs. accounting
- CRIS accountability
- LOTS to be used in FY 2002
- LOTS replaced in FY 2003

## FFIS Functionality

- Implementation
- Keep it simple in year 1
- Expand capability in years 2 & 3
- Mainframe system accessed via the USDA intranet & internet
- Conversion of all financial records from 1997 to 2001, and all no year funds; data clean up is critical this fiscal year.

## FFIS Functionality

- Implementation (Continued)
- Vendor Information:  all entities that receive payments or that provide funds to ARS have to be in the FFIS Vendor Table.
- For conversion all existing obligations and receivables will have to have a valid Vendor in the Vendor table
- All new PRCH transactions beginning late June will have to have valid Vendor information in the Vendor Table

## Fully Integrated FFIS Financial Components

**Disbursement**

**Budget Execution**

**General Ledger**

**Payments**

**Accounts**** ****Receivable**

**Reporting**

**Spending**

## Four Components of FFIS

**Documents**

**Reports**

**Journals**

**Tables**

## Documents

- FFIS document screens are the means by which financial transactions are recorded in the system.
- Financial data entered through documents will update the appropriate inquiry tables, general journals, and the general ledger tables.
- Financial transactions can be entered directly into FFIS, or information can be brought into FFIS through an interface (PRCH, TRVL, PCMS feeder systems, and Payroll).

**Documents**

## What Is the Accounting Code Classification Structure(ACCS)?

## Basic Concept of the ACCS

- In FFIS, the ACCS will provide a framework for:
- Establishing budget structures
- Collecting and distributing costs
- Producing agency and department-wide reports
- Identical structure to our existing accounting code  2015306910

## ACCS Short-hand Code 

- Example:
- 2015306910 contains the following values
- Position 1 = budget fiscal year
- Positions 2 - 3 = fund 01
- Positions 4 - 5 = division (area) – 53 (PWA)
- Positions 4 -10 = account number – infers Location and MU
- This is identical to our current accounting code, but it does much more in FFIS.

## What Are the ACCS Elements?

- Budget Fiscal Year	   FUND &FUN2		02
- Fund			   FUND &FUN2		01
- Division		   DVSN			19
- Organization		   ORGN			1925
- Program		   PGMT			011925100
- Report Category	   RPTG			4PRM
- Revenue Source	   RSRC			0170
- Budget Object Code   BOCT			2670

**Element**

**Table**

**ARS Example**

## Budget Levels Referenced With Agency Terms & FFIS Terms

- Appropriation/ Apportionment
- Allocation
- Allotment
- Suballotment

- Agency
- Area
- Management Unit
- Object Class

- Fund
- Division
- Program
- Budget Object Code

**Budget Level**

**Agency Terms**

**FFIS Terms**

## FFIS Budget Levels

- Represents a budget distribution hierarchy
- Each level must include the budget elements of the level above it

**Appropriation        (****Agency****)**

**Apportionment**** (Agency/Area)**

**Allocation****                    (Area)**

**Allotment****              (Management Unit)**

**Suballotment****           (Object Class)**

## What Is Budget Execution in FFIS?

## Budget Execution Processes Supported by FFIS

- Management of government funds
- Automation of the budgeting process
- Records online all financial activity associated with an agency’s budget
- Distributes funds
- Monitors the spending of funds at all budget levels and enforces limits on spending
- Provides data to help agencies shift budgetary resources to meet changing needs

## Establishing FFIS Spending Controls

- FFIS spending control functionality will allow USDA to:
- Comply with OMB circular A-34, “instructions on budget execution”
- When funds are apportioned by OMB, the sum of the obligations and expenditures cannot exceed the apportionment
- Availability of funds must be verified prior to creating an obligation
- Absolute funds control will be established at the appropriation and apportionment level

## FFIS Training

- Training
- Need to train about 450 people
- Training will be done July - September
- Maximum class size 20 - held at Area Office
- FFIS basic training will be 5 full days and cover
- 1 Day - overview of system navigation and policy
- 1/2 Day -  budget execution
- 2 1/2 Days - spending and document numbering
- 1 Day  - SUSF management

## FFIS Training

- Late September 1/2 day video training on BRIO Software.  BRIO is a client server software used to download and manipulate reports from the USDA Data Warehouse
- ARS will have 10 standard Agency reports that have been developed to meet our basic information requirements.  Additional training will be provided, method and time TBD.
- Additional training will be developed for special needs and further implementation.

## Questions?????

- Steve

- Diane

- Carol

- John