Weekly Bulletin No. 843
Tuesday 22nd December
- Update from the Director of Finance
- Christmas Access
- Cyber Crime
- Personal protection equipment (PPE) products supply chain problems
- Marketplace Error 401 - update
- Brexit: Import / export of controlled goods – licensing changes
- University Covid Contingency Guidance
- Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) Credit
- Key Contactss - UFS User Audit
- Supplier Database - Browsers
- Monthly Accounting Timetable
Please note: The Finance Division (including helpdesks) will be closed from 5pm on Wednesday 23rd December 2020 to 8:30am on Monday 4th January 2021.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your help and support this year, we hope you stay safe, and wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Update from the Director of Finance
Every fortnight, Director of Finance David Hughes updates the Finance Division on key business matters. Where relevant, we will also share this news via the CUFS Bulletin to keep our wider Finance community informed.
David's latest message features a brief update regarding the Expense Management project, an update on our year-end accounts and activity the University's Treasury team has been involved in. This update can be accessed here.
Issued by Nicola Lawrence - Communications Manager
IMPORTANT: No CUFS access from 5pm on Wednesday 23rd December to 8am on Monday 4th January.
As you will be aware there is a heightened risk of cyber security activity such as phishing attacks over holiday periods.
Having assessed previous data volumes it is evident that usage of CUFS during the Christmas and New Year period is very limited. Therefore, as part of improvements made to existing CUFS data integrity and cyber security protocols, access to CUFS will be removed during the period from 5pm on Wednesday 23rd December to 8am on Monday 4th January. This will provide added protection from cyber security incidents.
This action will not impact on making payments to suppliers as a revised schedule of payment runs will be implemented for the Christmas period and communicated in the CUFS Bulletin as usual.
Cognos will be available to run reports during this time.
In the unlikely event that there is a need to raise urgent purchase orders during this period you will be able to do so using the Emergency Procurement Procedures below.
Thank you for your assistance. It is hoped by giving advanced notice that this change in approach will have limited impact. If you have any queries about this please contact FSG System Support
Issued by Michelle Bond - Head of Financial Systems
Emergency Procurement Procedures
A Template Purchase Order is available for departments to use ONLY DURING THE SHUTDOWN PERIOD AND ONLY TO BE USED IN AN EMERGENCY.
Please enter an emergency purchase order number which includes your departmental prefix for the ship-to site normally used, a sequential number and the initials of the preparer.
Ensure that your department details are entered onto the template along with the full details of the items required
It is essential that the purchase order is signed by a CUFS approver with the relevant approval level.
If a medical exemption certificate is required to accompany an order, these can be found here
Once the system is reinstated the use of this emergency purchase order should cease and new orders generated as normal. At this point full details from the Emergency Purchase Order must be entered into iProcurement as a non-catalogue order, cross-referencing the emergency order number and adding the emergency document as an attachment.
Cyber Crime
The Christmas holidays is a great time for cyber criminals to target us, both our University accounts and our personal email, social media and online shopping / bank accounts. Please take a few extra moments to consider the risks before clicking on links and attachments.
Help and further information can be found in Bulletin 832
Personal protection equipment (PPE) products supply chain problems
COVID-19 is causing serious supply chain issues for a number of personal protection equipment (‘PPE’) products. This issue is particularly acute for nitrile gloves. Suppliers to the University have frequently advised that product availability is low, lead times are long and that prices are increasing. Therefore, existing stock must be managed in a professional manner and departments are advised to issue strict guidance on the usage of nitrile gloves in order to conserve this stock. See the COVID-19 Assistance pages on the Finance Division website for more advice.
Issued by Matt Kidd - Procurement Services
Marketplace Error 401 - Update
Work has progressed well and the issue should be resolved early in the New Year.
Users currently receive the error when attempting to checkout multiple lined baskets, and all items are removed from the basket.
For this reason it is advisable to save the basket first incase it is 'lost'. Baskets of 1 or 2 lines should process as normal.
While we are aware that this inconvenient, it is only a temporary work around.
Updates will be issued as more information becomes available.
Issued by Lesley Dent - System Administrator
Brexit: Import / export of controlled goods – licensing changes
From 1 January 2021, purchases from, and sales to, the European Union (‘EU’) will be treated in the same way as current Non-EU imports / exports. This means that the import / export of controlled goods will be subject to additional checks, regulatory requirements and/or duties.
Departments must ensure that all movements of goods to / from the EU have all the necessary paperwork to avoid potential delays and/or additional costs. Departments are also advised to plan ahead and consider whether any future research or teaching activities are likely to be affected by changes in the tax and regulatory environment post-December 2020. Further guidance can be found here.
Issued by Karen Sheldon - Finance Training
University Covid Contingency Guidance
The University has provided an important update on its guidance for mitigating and tracking Covid-19 related costs. Departments and institutions are required to mitigate the University’s exposure to such costs as far as possible through continued efforts to recover related income from research and other funders, as well as through appropriate cost control.
Full guidance, which supersedes previous information issued in April 2020, can be found here, with an overview table in the appendix.
The guidance provides further information regarding:
- recording ‘residual’ costs across four broad categories, in appropriate accounts (e.g. ALBE, ALBM)
- clarification of cost categories which will be covered by the University and those where costs are only being tracked for the time being
- clarification of approach for tracking lost trading income
- treatment of residual furloughed staff costs, based on funding source
Issued by Karen Sheldon - Finance Training
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) Credit
The Finance Division has processed the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) credit into Department Accounts in the December 2020 period. The credit has been posted against Source of Fund “JUMA” and associated salary costs were moved to match off against the credit. The credit covers the period July to October 2020.
Any questions or queries relating to the credit, please contact Graham Gustard (Graham.Gustard@admin.cam.ac.uk) or Mike Sinclair (Mike.Sinclair@admin.cam.ac.uk).
Issued by Mike Sinclair - Central and Research Accounting
Key Contacts - UFS User Audit
As advised at the Financial Users Group on Wednesday 9th December:
The UFS user audit will commence on the 11th January with reports issued to Key Contacts.
The audit is to ensure that users hold the relevent access to CUFS and leavers access has been removed.
Key Contacts should check the departmental access prior to the 11th January, reports can be requested from UFS.enquiries@admin.cam.ac.uk.
Issued by Lesley Dent - System Administrator
Supplier Database - Browsers
We would like to remind users that the Supplier Database no longer works with Internet Explorer.
Issued by Paul Humphreys - Functional Analyst
Monthly Accounting Timetable
To view the status of the monthly process including the month end close dates please use the following link: Accounting Timetable
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