Frequent GERS Problems and Solutions
About GERS
GERS (Global Expense Reporting System) is an IBM Web based application which enables employees to electronically prepare and submit Travel expenses.
All T&E’s must be prepared using existing University Policies and Procedures. T&E’s should be entered into GERS within a 30 day period following travel.
Detailed steps can be found in the GERS T&E manual located on the University intranet under Employee Resources and then under Travel Resources: http://intranet.stjohns.edu/resources/travel
Where is the GERS Link?
The GERS link below is also located on the St. John’s intranet page under Employee Resources and then under Travel Resources. It is in the GERS Fact page. And on most SJU computers and laptops internet favorites. If not when the GERS screen appears, click on favorites and add this to your favorites list.
https://stjohns.iers.ihost.com/stjohns/applet/exc.html
After clicking on the GERS link, the program will not load (screen hangs):
This is caused by the users PC not having the proper version of JAVA loaded onto their system. Call Ext. 5000 for a Departmental IT contact to come to the desk top location and install the proper version.
How do I register with GERS:
Click on “New User Registration” the screen will ask you to enter your employee number and last name. Your employee number is the eight digit number found on the front of your Storm Card. Then follow the screens to complete the registration (verify and add information requested).
IBM (GERS) will return a user ID and temporary password (which you have to change the 1st time you log on and then every 3 months) to your SJU e-mail (Microsoft Outlook). You should receive the response typically within 1 hour but do not request the password again, because if not the system thinks it’s a breakin attempt and disables the account.
If you do not get it within 24 hrs please call ext. 5000.
GERS emails are going to Junk or Spam:
Right click on the email and choose “add sender to safe sender list”.
When a user registers an error sometimes occurs and says; “Employee Not Found In HR Table” this means that a valid campus address and campus telephone number is not listed in your personal information.
Log onto UIS and click on the Personal Tab. Proceed to click on the link “Update/Change Campus Address and Phone Number” then click on save. Exit out and wait 24 hrs for the system to update and try to register with GERS again.
If you still can not log on the next day call the Help Desk at X5000 and give them your storm card ID # so they can research further.
Other reasons for the “not found in HR Table” error can be:
· A user was once registered, but have now dropped out of the HR file feed to IBM / GERS. This can happen if your Banner information has changed and you no longer pull in the select.
· One has moved to a department which does not have a default approver for T&E’s set up in GERS.
· In order to use the GERS system, you need to have a campus address and phone number.If you change positions you can update this via the UIS or St. John’s Central. For purposes of the GERS system, if you don’t have a direct telephone # you can use the main number to your department or supervisor’s office number.
Changing your Password:
Forgot Your Password?
· Refresh the GERS link and click on “ Having trouble logging in? CLICK here for assistance”
· Follow the screen prompts and you will receive a new password to your e-mail (Microsoft Outlook) from GERS usually within 1 hour
· You will also need to change your password after 3 months. Proceed to the steps above to change your password.
· If the “Forgot your Password” link isn’t working and just states “EN_USI@2139” or the “Forgot your user id?” is stating EN_US@2140 just try again in a few minutes, that is an IBM / GERS error.
When I log-in and try to supply my password, it says: Payment Currency () not found for country (840).
· It is possible that campus phone number was just inputted in UIS today.Wait 24hrs and then your information will be pulled into GERS.
· Or your approver might not be registered in GERS.
Setting up a Preparer to Complete T&E’s on your Behalf:
A one time set-up is required to prepare a form for another employee.
Example: a Director wants a Secretary to prepare his/her T&E. First step in the process — both parties need to register in GERS.
The Director then logs into GERS and clicks on the “PROFILE” icon at the top of the form and selects “OPTIONS” in the lower left hand corner. He/she then clicks on the “PREPARE” tab and inserts the Secretary’s (preparer) name, and then clicks on “ADD” and then “DONE” to complete the process.
The Secretary (preparer) now logs into GERS and clicks on the “PREPARE” tab at the top of the form and selects the name of the Director.
You will notice that the name at the top of the form will change to the Director’s name. The Secretary (preparer) can now move forward and complete the T&E. After filling out the T&E form, it is returned to the Director for review and submission.
Preparing the T&E:
Log into GERS and click on the “NEW” icon.
Follow the numbered tabs and insert the required expense information. Note, after the T&E is completed and submitted for approval, the “TRANSMITTAL SHEET” must be faxed as the cover sheet with the receipts to the fax number provided on the transmittal sheet. The GERS Fax Number: (703) 858-2076
After you fax the receipts, to ensure the fax was received and linked probably to the T&E go into the T&E and click on “Receipts” and you will be able to view the receipts that were faxed. If it says “Receipts not found” please re-fax and follow the steps above.
Approving the T&E
The designated approver must complete the T&E process by reviewing and approving the T&E submission. Please do not approve any T&E’s that required receipts and the receipts are not showing in GERS because payment will not generate for the T&E and it will just stay in pending status till the receipts are received.
If there are any problems call the IT Help Desk at X5000
Changing the Budget Charge to on a T&E Through GERS:
The GERS system is automated to default to the users Dept. Org and Fund code. This is referred to as the users “Default Accounting”. The Account Code is typically set to charge 6601.
Should this accounting string need to be changed, the user must first check off the item in the General Tab – Expenses require allocation to more than your default cost code
You then need to choose at the bottom to change your account coding by percentage of your total T&E or by individual line item.
As you enter the T&E, you will notice at the bottom left hand the “Charge to” field. Click on the character to the right of the dropdown arrow and then proceed to change the accounting as follows:
You will have to do this for each expense entry if you choose changing account by individual line item. If you choose changing the account by percentage, you must first enter all your expenses and then proceed to click on the “Accounting Tab” located under the (Completion Tab) See next page:
Proceed to follow the same steps as above only this time you will enter the percentage that you want this T&E to be charged to the specific accounts.
Re-Printing the Transmittal Page to Fax the Receipts:
If for any reason the user does not follow the print prompt after submitting the T&E in GERS they can go back into GERS and highlight the T&E submission and then click on the printer icon located at the top of the form. It will provide the choices of print options. Proceed to print out at least the transmittal sheet and fax along with the appropriate receipts.
Approver’s name does not show on transmittal page:
That is because the preparer printed and faxed the cover page before the person that it was prepared for reviewed and submitted it to their approver. Normally the cover page is printed after it is submitted by the owner of the T&E.
A bar coded transmittal page is not generating.
No transmittal page will generate if none of the individual expenses are over $25.
If someone from org 500 is doing an expense report and charging it to org 600, who would the T&E be forwarded to for approval? Would it be to their default approver or the approver from org 500?
Depends:
1. If they are charging two Orgs, one for the default and another other than the default, then both org approvers would have to approve.
2. If they are charging only one (other than the default Org), then just the approver for that Org would approve. In the latter case, the default approver will only get a copy but does not need to approve.
The org that the person is paid from is not necessarily their home org:
In most cases it is the same, but not in all.GERS is looking at the home org.
The default org codes are based on what the person’s home org is as defined in the HR employee table. If they are in the wrong home org, then HR needs to update that.
Preparers cannot input another person’s org or accounting:
Preparers have submit the T&E with the default accounting to owner of the T&E and the owner can change the accounting and approvers etc. and then submit it.
All accounts that are posted on GERS have to have ORG.
Fr. Tri John Doe, Vincentian Frs is trying to register in GERS system and it says that he is not found on the HR table,
There are times when the Vincentian Fathers title causes the search to fail. Have them try to look up by Employee ID (which is the storm card number).
Or the Vincentian Fathers have their title as part of their last name. So, his last name would be “Doe, Vincentian Frs.”
Is GERS for non-employees of SJU?
GERS can only be accessed and registered by University employees using SJU email addresses. For contracted employee that have to be reimbursed please use the online check requisition system.
I've just checked the GERS (Tuesday AM) and it still shows the incorrect fund #.Is the upload to IBMusually reflectedimmediatelyafter upload or does it take a few days?
The upload is generally reflected within 20 minutes of our submitting the file to IBM. However, to correct the fund number on an existing T&E, you need to go into the T&E and change the accounting.
Example: I’ve checked on Jane Doe’s set up in banner. She is in org 325 as you expected. Her campus phone wasn’t made active until 12:23 PM today and so she missed today’s pull. She will be in tomorrow’s pull.
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DRAFT Error - T&E when clicking submit just shows up as Draft mode:
Ensure the box next to Work Offline is not checked off when you log in to GERS.
“NULL” error
· GERS is incompatible with Windows 7 or Windows Vista. It is only compatiable with Windoxs XP(but IT is currently working with IBM to get the support in place for Windows 7). You can check what you computer is running on by going to to “My computer, then click on “View system information”.
· Or you need JAVA installed or updated
Graduate Assistants and Doctoral Fellows:
· Graduate Asstistants and Doctoral Fellows have to be added manually to the HR Table by Human Resources (David Martinez).
· Graduate Assistants or Doctoral Fellows that are added manually to the HR table by David Martinez and still get an error message afterwards might not have an assigned approver (most times it’s Grant related and should be Christina Costello or Elizabeth Czerska)
GERS approved T&E was submitted and it’s over ten (10) business days and no payment yet:
· T&Es that require receipts and GERS has not received the receipts for it, will not cross over to Banner for payment till receipts are received. When faxing ensure you use the transmittal bar coded page as the cover sheet.
JAVA Issues:
· When the pop up from JAVA come up security blocking choose NO
· Computer should have around the JAVA Version 6 Update 20 (check under control panels).
· If JAVA is installed and it’s still not loading, try checking for virus by left clicking on the capital red M (for McAfee) on the bottom right hand corner, choose “Virus Scan” click on Demand Scan, all local drives and start, cleans up restart and re-try to log into GERS.
· Or if you get the “Null” error you might need JAVA installed or you have the wrong version of JAVA.
International Travel:
· For non USD Currency expenses paid with a credit card, please attach a copy of the credit card statement showing the charges in USD.
· For International travel, expenses must be entered in the foreign currency.
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