Allocating Deviation Bank Funds
#1
Gets Weekends Off
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Joined APC: Mar 2017
Posts: 100
Allocating Deviation Bank Funds
I am working on my Aug Expense Report which is due tomorrow and, for the first time, I have spent more during the month than the current month bank allowances. I am trying to figure out how to allocate funds from previous months. I know where to look for the deviation bank balance but it only shows what is available for Sep and Oct...not Aug. Can someone explain to me how to do this?
Allocating Hotel Funds is easy...there is a button to do it right on the bottom of the Expense Report input screen. Why can't we do the same thing for Deviation Bank Funds? I have heard you have to wait for the report to close out and then go back in. Is that true?
Doesn't seem like it needs to be this hard. Just put two options at the bottom of the Expense Report screen...one for available Hotel Bank funds and one for available Deviation bank funds. Then you could allocate how much you want to apply from either/both banks.
Thanks
Allocating Hotel Funds is easy...there is a button to do it right on the bottom of the Expense Report input screen. Why can't we do the same thing for Deviation Bank Funds? I have heard you have to wait for the report to close out and then go back in. Is that true?
Doesn't seem like it needs to be this hard. Just put two options at the bottom of the Expense Report screen...one for available Hotel Bank funds and one for available Deviation bank funds. Then you could allocate how much you want to apply from either/both banks.
Thanks
#3
The process is automated, so you do nothing. Just submit the report. The only "allocation" you do manually is with the hotel funds.
If you have DBA from previous months carrying forward, it will be applied automatically once the report with the deficit and the report producing the DBA are closed out. Sometimes they'll still generate the message notifying you of the upcoming payroll deduction (and may even actually deduct it), but then it gets reversed once the DBA transfer gets through the system.
I'm not saying the following opinion applies to your situation above, but you mentioned the hotel button, so I'll throw this out. The hotel fund option at the bottom is probably not the way to go about using that particular pot of money (unless you have total SA on your situation). Since potential DBA dollars from the next month may become available (revisions, etc.), you may end up with future funds that can be applied backwards to cover any deficit in the travel report being submitted. If you use hotel money during your travel report submission, it can't be undone. Better to try to use all the $$ with the half-life before the hotel money. Once you know for sure you need the hotel bank, just submit an Insite report.
If you have DBA from previous months carrying forward, it will be applied automatically once the report with the deficit and the report producing the DBA are closed out. Sometimes they'll still generate the message notifying you of the upcoming payroll deduction (and may even actually deduct it), but then it gets reversed once the DBA transfer gets through the system.
I'm not saying the following opinion applies to your situation above, but you mentioned the hotel button, so I'll throw this out. The hotel fund option at the bottom is probably not the way to go about using that particular pot of money (unless you have total SA on your situation). Since potential DBA dollars from the next month may become available (revisions, etc.), you may end up with future funds that can be applied backwards to cover any deficit in the travel report being submitted. If you use hotel money during your travel report submission, it can't be undone. Better to try to use all the $$ with the half-life before the hotel money. Once you know for sure you need the hotel bank, just submit an Insite report.
#4
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Joined APC: Dec 2013
Position: FedEx A-300 Captain
Posts: 125
"Once you know for sure you need the hotel bank, just submit an Insite report."
I'm not an expert but I'm pretty sure once you close out the report you can no longer go back and apply hotel funds. They have to be applied before you close the report. Also, mempurpleflyer suggested having two buttons at the bottom of the report like the hotel application button. That's an outstanding idea. This process of bank draft and bank deposit is so cumbersome and ridiculous for a company like Fedex.
I'm not an expert but I'm pretty sure once you close out the report you can no longer go back and apply hotel funds. They have to be applied before you close the report. Also, mempurpleflyer suggested having two buttons at the bottom of the report like the hotel application button. That's an outstanding idea. This process of bank draft and bank deposit is so cumbersome and ridiculous for a company like Fedex.
#5
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Joined APC: Aug 2012
Posts: 711
"Once you know for sure you need the hotel bank, just submit an Insite report."
I'm not an expert but I'm pretty sure once you close out the report you can no longer go back and apply hotel funds. They have to be applied before you close the report. Also, mempurpleflyer suggested having two buttons at the bottom of the report like the hotel application button. That's an outstanding idea. This process of bank draft and bank deposit is so cumbersome and ridiculous for a company like Fedex.
I'm not an expert but I'm pretty sure once you close out the report you can no longer go back and apply hotel funds. They have to be applied before you close the report. Also, mempurpleflyer suggested having two buttons at the bottom of the report like the hotel application button. That's an outstanding idea. This process of bank draft and bank deposit is so cumbersome and ridiculous for a company like Fedex.
#6
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Joined APC: Mar 2017
Posts: 100
As was mentioned though, this process seems more complicated than necessary. Having to go in after the report closes via an INSITE report to "fix" things just doesn't seem like a good process.
#7
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Joined APC: Nov 2016
Posts: 936
Thanks for all the input guys. I didn't realize the DBA fund allocation was automatic.
As was mentioned though, this process seems more complicated than necessary. Having to go in after the report closes via an INSITE report to "fix" things just doesn't seem like a good process.
As was mentioned though, this process seems more complicated than necessary. Having to go in after the report closes via an INSITE report to "fix" things just doesn't seem like a good process.
#8
I ended up creating a spread sheet to track all this stuff. Mainly so I can go back and make sure I'm getting reimbursed for anything taken that's going to be given back. But, also just to make sure I'm optimizing the use of my $$. As we've always done, I try to slide expenses backwards to ensure I've used up as much $$ in that past month as possible (before the excess gets cut in half). That was normal ops even under the old contract. However, in some months, those slides have intentionally created hundreds in deficits (one close to $1000) on some reports. Then those deficits are covered by DBA from past reports being applied forward.
Maybe this stuff is obvious to some, but it helps me to see it laid out. My takeaway is to really examine any expense you have the option to slide backwards. Take a look at previous month's DBA as they carry forward and what will be available in relation to those potential slides. Even if the previous DBA won't cover it all, the deficit may end up being far less than that of the current month if you didn't slide. The option to apply DBA backwards one month may end up taking care of that small deficit when the excess created by the slide becomes available.
Now my brain hurts....
#9
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Joined APC: Nov 2016
Posts: 936
I keep a running track, not that hard, but it sometimes takes three weeks to close out a report and 7 out of my least 10 say corrected. I have no way of knowing what was corrected, they don't highlight what they corrected.
#10
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Thread Starter
Joined APC: Mar 2017
Posts: 100
Ok, I submitted my Aug report. I do have some DBA dollars from previous months that will automatically be applied, but not enough...there is still a deficit. I have a surplus in Sep. When I submit my Sep report, is there a way to use some of the surplus and apply it backwards to Aug? If so, exactly how do you do that?
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