Finance Foundations – Lesson 6

Finance Reports via Argos

In this lesson you will learn: 

What finance information can be viewed using Finance Reports via Argos.

Naming and System Note

Macalester Finance reporting is delivered via a tool named Argos.   Argos is a reporting tool that displays transactions that are kept in Banner, Macalester’s Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) too.   At Macalester, people often refer to Banner and Argos as the same resource.

How can viewing Finance Reporting at Macalester help?

• View which transactions have been categorized in a particular FUND/ ORG.
• Validate an invoice, transfer of funds (JE), check request has been processed.
• Monitor your Operating Budgets expenditures and how much allocated budget remains for the Fiscal year.
• Monthly, on the 20th of the month, those employees who have access to Financial reports via Argos are sent notification the last month’s transactions are now available to view via Argos.  For employees who have been identified as responsible the budgets, these emails will have an attachment of the current Budget and Transaction Expenses by FY, that include a graph of the expenditures to date.
• Research budget spend or a category of spending for budget forecasting.

How to access Finance Reporting at Macalester

1. Access to Finance Reporting at Macalester is limited to those who have a need to monitor a budget or track transactions.   Before you can access Finance Reporting at Macalester, you will need to have approval from your supervisor.    See Finance Access & Approval to see how to request access to Macalester’s Finance Reports.
2. Once you have been granted Finance Reporting Access via Argos, you will receive a notification from Business Services.
3. To access Finance Reporting Access via Argos to go argos.macalester.edu/argos/awv/   You will be ask to provide your Macalester log in credentials.
   • If you are off campus, you will need to first connect to the Macalester network via VPN.   If you have not already connected to VPN, please find the specific instructions on how to access: 
     • Connect to VPN via macOC (gdoc)
     • Connect to VPN via Windows (gdoc)
     • Please contact the ITS Help Desk with any questions about accessing the VPN.
4. Once you access Finance Reporting via Argos, go to Business Services Reports on the left navigation.  Here you will find standard reports provided by Business Services to monitor your budgets.  Your Finance access and approval will determine if results are displayed in each type of report.   
5. Finance Reports include:

• • My Finance Access and Approval Report
  • Budget and Transaction Expense by Fiscal Year
  • Fund(s) Balance Summary by FY
  • Transaction by Date Range
  • Activity Code Report by Fiscal Year
  • Grant Transaction by Date Range
  • Also a guide to Document Codes, FOAPAL Syntax, Fiscal Periods and general account categories can be found at Accounting Cheat Sheet (gDoc)

My Finance Access and Approval Report will show your access (can see the report) and approval (can approve expenditures) for:

• Program / Operating Budgets
• Funds (including Designated, Endowed Spend, Restricted and Grants)
• To see who has approval rights for expenditures, click on a Fund/Org, and then the red “Who else has APPROVAL?” button.  A list of Macalester employees who have access and approval will display.  See Macalester Finance Approvals Explained for more information about approval levels at Macalester.

Budget and Transaction Expense by Fiscal Year will show you how the Program/ Operating budget has been spent.  This report shows by fiscal year, going back to 2008.  The current fiscal year will appear as the default.

1. Navigate by selecting a FUND + ORG
2. A red oval will appear on Account Category Totals, select the tab. To select multiple values, use the Shift or Control key, or your mouse.
3. Next, a red oval will appear on the Account Totals, select the tab.  Only Finance Expense Account Codes that have been active for the fiscal year will be listed.  To select multiple values, use the Shift or Control key, or your mouse.
4. Finally, a red oval will appear on the Transaction Detail, select the tab.  All expenses for the fiscal year – to date, will be displayed.
5. To download a PDF of the transactions, go to the Reports menu at the top and select a report:

• • Budget and Transaction – Expense by FY – Account Category Summary – a very high level rollup report of just the Account Category totals to date.
  • Budget and Transaction – Expense by FY – Account Summary – a high level rollup report of just the Finance Expense Account Codes totals for the budget to date.
  • Budget and Transaction – Expense by FY – Transaction Detail – a detailed report of each transaction for the budget to date.
  • AND Select RUN to download the report.

Fund(s) Balance Summary by FY – will show you how a Fund (NON – Program/ Operating budget) has been spent.  This report shows by fiscal year, going back to 2008.  The current fiscal year will appear as the default.

1. The default is to show a SINGLE FUND.
2. Select the Fund
3. Select the Fiscal Year
4. The Fund’s balance will display in the Fund Balance box
5. The Account Summary will display:
6. The Fund’s balance as the beginning of the Fiscal year (June 1st)
7. Any Revenue
8. Any Expenses & Compensation totals (Compensation details should directed to Employment Services / HR)
9. To see the Fund Balance for MULTIPLE funds, select the “Summary for multiple funds” button
10. Click on the funds, to select multiple values, use the Shift or Control key, or your mouse, to display the funds in the Fund Balance box.
11. To download a PDF of the transactions, go to the Reports menu at the top and select a report:

• • Fund Balance Detail by FY – a detailed report of each transaction for the fund to date, for SINGLE funds.
  • Fund Balance Summary by FY – if you selected MULTIPLE funds, the available balance for each fund selected.

Transaction by Date Range – this report can show transactions beyond a fiscal year, and can be very specific to a particular Expense Code, or very inclusive of all transacations.

1. Select the Date range – the default is the start of the current fiscal year (June 1st) to today’s date.
2. Select the FUND
3. Select the ORG
4. Next, the Account and Program Code will appear as you make your selections.  You can select a single Account code or to select multiple values, use the Shift or Control key, or your mouse.
5. Finally, select the box “Once you selected the above criteria, check her to retrieve Transaction Detail” .  The transactions will display.
6. To download a PDF of the transactions, go to the Reports menu at the top and select a report:

• • Transaction by Date Range – a detailed report of each transaction for the date range selected.

Activity Code Report by Fiscal Year – this report will display all transactions that have been categorized with a particular Activity Code. The current fiscal year will appear as the default.

1. Select the Fund.
2. Select the Org.
3. If transactions have been categorized with an Activity Code, the Activity Code will be listed.   If there are transactions without an Activity code, they can be viewed by choosing “no activity code” in the Activity Code box.
4. The transactions will display in the Report Preview box.
5. Click the “Check Box to Include Revenue” to include revenue in the report.
6. To download a PDF of the transactions, go to the Reports menu at the top and select a report:

• • Activity Code Report by Fiscal Year – a detailed report of each transaction for the Activity Code(s) selected.

Grant Transaction by Date Range – this report will show Grant related transactions.

1. Choose the Grant from the pulldown.  Active Grants are selected as the default.
2. The related Fund to the Grant will be displayed
3. Select the date range for the report.
4. Select the ORG
5. Select the PRO (Program)
6. Select the Activity Code, or if no Activity code, select “no activity code”
7. Select Account Type
8. The transactions will display.
9. To download a PDF of the transactions, go to the Reports menu at the top and select a report:

• • Grant Transaction by Date Range – a detailed report of each transaction for the date range selected.
  • To download a CSV of the transactions, go to the Reports menu at the top and select a report:
  • Grant Transaction by Date Range CSV – a detailed report of each transaction for the date range selected.

Training available

Individual or departmental training is available.  Contact Business Services Systems Manager for any requests for training or questions.

Go to Finance Foundations at Macalester to find additional lessons.