Workshop Catalogue

Learn about the Financial Services department and the various resources we offer in support of your financial management responsibilities.

Learn the basics of our financial management systems, including terminology and how to navigate the Financial Information System (FIS or Oracle) and its applications, including purchasing (iProcurement), expense reimbursements (iExpense), reporting (General Ledger) and the Invoice Approval System (MarkView).

What are account codes and why are they important? Understanding TMU’s seven segment, twenty-eight digit Chart of Accounts (COA) is imperative in order to initiate transactions and effectively analyze and manage your accounting activities. Chart of Accounts and Account Codes is an introductory workshop that teaches you all about the COA’s purpose, importance and how-tos, including how to request new cost centres.

The Introduction to Purchasing (iProcurement) workshop will introduce you to the process for creating requisitions, which are required for the purchase of goods or services over $5000. You will gain an understanding of the different steps and approvals that turn a purchase requisition into a purchase order. We will share important tips to help you make effective and efficient selections in procuring goods and services that fit your department’s needs.

This course will review basic terminology used in the general ledger to help manage your budgets. This course is part one of the general ledger series, providing important information on systems key terms that you will interact with throughout the financial system.

Introduction to Reporting (General Ledger Inquiry) leads participants through the Financial Information System (FIS or Oracle) (opens in new window)  reporting inquiry forms, e.g. Actual, Encumbrance, Budget, etc. Learn about the different types and levels of data available through these inquiries, and how you can apply this knowledge to facilitate your day-to-day functions in FIS. This session is part two of the general ledger series.

Prerequisites: Understand the General Ledger (self-directed)

The Running and Exporting FIS Reports workshop helps Financial Information System (FIS or Oracle) users understand how to read and interpret key system reports in both summary (total) and detail (actual) formats. Learn the basics of FIS reporting (General Ledger), including how to run, view and print reports for monthly, fiscal year and project year funds. We also cover terminology like budgets, actual, encumbrances and Budget Balance Availables (BBAs), and provide an overview of the role account codes play in these functions. This session will also include a review of a sample report and will tie it back to the inquiry forms profiled in previous series sessions.

Participants will leave with step-by-step instructions for exporting FIS reports into Microsoft Excel, which makes it easier to analyze and forecast budgets and other financial activities. We will also touch on the financial reporting integration with Google Workspace applications in a hands-on demo which will save users time in parsing reports from text format to Excel.

Prerequisites: Understanding the General Ledger (self-directed), Introduction to Reporting (General Ledger Inquiry) (virtual workshop)

The Introduction to Expense Reimbursements (iExpense) workshop delivers valuable information about submitting claims for personal reimbursement and university Purchasing Card (P-Card) transactions. Learn how to enter claims easily and accurately through hands-on examples in the Financial Information System (FIS or Oracle) expense reimbursements (iExpense) application for processing expense receipts.

Building on the fundamentals introduced in Introduction to Reporting (General Ledger Inquiry), the Reviewing General Journal Entries workshop shows you how to find details that support budget and actual transactions, as well as non-salary encumbrances. Learn how to access the Invoice Approval System (MarkView) journal entries, invoice payments, budget transfers and more.

In this course you will learn various tips and tricks for running financial reports. We will review how to run a custom report and financial statement generator (FSG) in an Excel format, as well as discuss the functionalities available and the limitations for this report type.

In this module we provide an overview of how you can review and monitor open purchase order encumbrances.

In this course we will review the functionality that allows users to run specific 'TMU' and financial statement generator (FSG) reports directly to Google Sheets, saving you time in parsing reports from text format.

Prerequisites: Understanding the General Ledger (self-directed), Introduction to Reporting (General Ledger Inquiry) (virtual workshop), Running and Exporting FIS Reports (virtual workshop)

Invoice Approval System (MarkView) users who participate in departmental purchasing and payments processes will benefit from the Self-Service Invoices workshop, which provides guidelines on allowable expenses. Workshop participants have the opportunity to practice self-service invoicing in the Invoice Approval System, where low dollar value invoices can be processed without the need for a purchase requisition.

Participants in the Approving Documents workshop will learn how to apply various methods to approve documents in the Invoice Approval System (MarkView) and the Financial Information System (FIS or Oracle). The session covers expense and purchase requisition approval workflows and teaches users how to administer invoice approvals using the imaging system.

This course will provide participants with an overview of the entire purchasing and payables process from beginning to end. The session will cover topics from identifying the goods or services required, all the way through to payment of the vendor and payment options. This course will also provide an overview of purchasing governance, non competitive procurements, P-Card use, self service invoicing and expense reimbursement. You will learn how to apply the university’s Purchasing Policy and Purchasing Procedure, as well as Ontario’s Broader Public Sector Accountability Act (external link) , to ensure purchasing practices that are fair and consistent.

Learn about the many advantages of using a Purchasing Card (P-card), the university’s employee credit card for approved low dollar value purchases and travel expenses. The Purchasing Card workshop covers what the P-Card can be used for and the Purchasing Card Policy that governs its use.

A clearly defined budget is among the most important tools in sound financial management. Attend the Preparing and Managing Budgets workshop to learn how to create a detailed budget that works for you. We explore line item budgeting for both incomes and expenses, and explain the difference between budgeting at the line item level versus pool level. Leave with a set of essential tips for monitoring budgets and year-end planning, including carry-forward calculations, accruals and important deadlines.

Learn how to complete monthly salary reconciliations effectively and efficiently in the Expense Reconciliation (Salary and Non-Salary) workshop. Develop your understanding of the salary encumbrance process and salary expense reports, and review information in the Financial Information System (FIS or Oracle) that is applicable to you.

This course explains and reviews the project cycle from beginning to end. Learn about the funding sources as well as the roles and responsibilities associated with the financial management of externally- and internally-funded projects.

In this module we will provide an overview of how you can review and monitor open purchase order encumbrances.

The Faculty and Staff Travel Reimbursements and Policy workshop explains the different policies that govern employee travel expense reimbursements. Topics covered include the Business Travel Policy, the Faculty and Staff Reimbursement Policy, the Travel Card Policy and reimbursement of alcoholic beverage expenses.

The Faculty Professional Expense Reimbursement (PERF) fund self-directed course will examine the PERF procedure and process for reimbursing faculty for professional expenses in accordance with the collective agreement.

Managing research funding is a critical piece of the lifecycle of a project. This course will provide an overview of roles, responsibilities and guidelines to help you through the project’s administrative tasks.

Did you know that the university offers a convenient, easy-to-use online system that supports the administration of conference and event registration fees? Attend the Conference and Event Payment System (ePly) workshop to learn how to use ePly, including how to determine whether or not you should charge HST.

This course is intended for clients that are handling cash, cheques, money orders and drafts. The course will provide an overview of best practices and overarching policies.

This course is intended for clients that have or are requesting a department petty cash fund. It will provide an overview of university policies, alternatives to petty cash and roles and responsibilities.

TMU’s Bank Accounts and Merchants Accounts Policy aims to ensure clear accountability and proper management of bank and merchant (credit card) accounts and speaks to the parameters around which employees can claim reimbursement through petty cash.