Reference Data

Overview

Maintaining, changing and inactivating reference data used by Kuali Financials documents are controlled with maintenance tables. Each module has a set of tables that are used to control values entered in the documents or system processes. Reference data can be inactivated, but not deleted to maintain referential integrity. 

There are two types of maintenance tables, complex and simple.

• Simple maintenance tables usually are just a code and a description. Simple Maintenance documents do not route for approval. Access is controlled by the Create / Maintain permissions, which are typically set at the Parent document level and can be assigned to users closest to their maintenance. For example, vendor reference data create / maintain permissions may be given to people in the Purchasing Office who maintain vendor records. Simple Maintenance documents normally have only one additional tab to create or edit reference data. The Simple maintenance documents are described below. 
• Complex maintenance tables are usually associated with primary objects, such as, Account, Object Code, Organization and Asset. These documents route for approval and usually contain a lot of data. Complex Maintenance documents will be described in their own articles.

The following table summarizes the differences: 

	Route	Initiated by	Required tabs
Simple	No	a few	one
Complex	Yes	several	one or more

 

Common Tabs

The typical maintenance document contains the Document Overview, Notes and Attachments, Ad Hoc Recipients, Route Log tabs, and an additional tab called Edit xyz tab, where xyz is the name of the table.

Edit Tab

For example, the Account Type document has the Edit Account Type tab below the Document Overview tab.  The layout and data fields within the Edit tab vary depending on the document type and whether you are creating, editing or copying the document.

The Edit tab has one section when you are creating a new value.

The tab has two sections: Previous and Proposed when you are editing or copying an existing code.

This display allows the document to serve as an audit trail for the maintenance table update history. In the Proposed section, only non-identifying fields are editable, when editing.

Creating and Editing Reference Data

New attributes or reference data can be added by either by clicking the Create New link or button; or copying an existing attribute. Reference data can also be edited.

Maintaining Reference data begins at the attributes Lookup screen.

Click Create New or Search for an existing value. Clicking Create New will open a document - shown above - to facilitate creating a new value. 

Clicking Search returns a list of values. You can also enter a value in the Search Criteria to limit your search. 

Click Edit to update an existing value; or click Copy to create a new value from an existing value. 

Tracking Changes over time

• Each maintenance document has it's own document type, so that you can use Document Search to look for updates to specific tables. Depending on the complexity of the document additional search criteria may be added when a document type is selected. Refer to Custom Searches in the Document Search article for details. 

 Reference Data by Module 

• Accounts Receivable
• Capital Assets
• Chart of Accounts 
• Contracts & Grants
• Effort Certification
• Financial Processing
• Labor Distribution
• Pre-Disbursement Processor
• Purchasing / Accounts Payable
• System 
• Rice
• Vendor