Cognos Planning – FAQ’s

Your supervisor will need to send an email to Allison Hanson (alhanson1@stthomas.edu) requesting you to be setup with access to Cognos Planning. Please keep in mind that users who are set up with “edit” or “submit” access to the Cognos Planning system will have access to the revenue, compensation detail by employee and other expenses for such departments.

How do I access Cognos Planning?

You can access Cognos Planning from the Controller’s Office website at the following link:

http://www.stthomas.edu/controllersoffice/planning.htm

It will bring you to Cognos 8 Welcome page, then click under Plan and Forecast “Contributor”. Then choose the “UST Institutional Budget” application.

I have an Apple Macintosh (Mac) Computer, how do I access Cognos Planning?

1. Launch the Safari web browser

2. Enter the following web address: https://webdesk.stthomas.edu

3. Log in entering your UST username and password

4. Click on IE

5. Then go to the University of St. Thomas website: www.stthomas.edu

6. From there go to the Controller’s Office website and click the links to Cognos Planning

7. You will be promoted for your username and password again enter – ust\username and password

8. You will be logged into Cognos 8

9. From the Cognos 8 Welcome Page, under Plan and Forecast, click “Contributor

10. You will want to access the “UST Institutional Budget” application.

11. After you are done, make sure to logout.

How do I log onto Cognos Planning and get started entering my department’s budget request?

From the Controller’s Office website – “Click to access Cognos Planning”. The link will bring you to the Cognos Planning Website. From there you will “Click to access Cognos Planning”. This will bring you into Cognos Planning, you should not need a username and password to access the system, it recognizes your security based on who is logged onto the computer.

The first screen will provide you with general information. It will show you the budgets for which you have access to enter data or review, you may need to expand the hierarchy. You can expand the hierarchy by clicking the “+” sign next to the roll-up level. Click on the budget you would like to enter data for on the left side of the screen, you will then need to click the budget on the right side of the screen to open the worksheet.

In order to start editing your department’s budget you will need to take ownership of the index by clicking the ownership icon

What do the different color circle icons mean?

Not started – No changes have been saved to the data, although the budget may have been opened for editing

Work in progress – The data was saved but not submitted. You can change and submit data in this state

Locked – The data was submitted and the budget was locked. Data can only be viewed in this state. If a budget is rejected, its returns to Work in progress.

Incomplete – At least one index belonging to this roll-up is not started. Data in this state is aggregated. The incomplete status applies only to review roll-ups

Ready – All budgets belonging to the reviewer roll-up are locked. The data is ready to be submitted to the next level in the hierarchy.

Currently being edited or annotated - The budget is open for editing or annotating. An edit session is ended by the user closing the worksheet, or by submitting the budget.

What do the icons mean across the top of the worksheet?

Take Ownership - To edit data

Save -To save the data changes you entered

Print -The current tab is printed

Annotations -You can annotate a cell, tab or model

Suppress Zeros -You can suppress zeros for page, row or columns.

Submit -Submit the index or organization roll-up for approval by next reviewer

Reject -The state of a rejected index item changes from locked to work in progress

Help -Budget Instructions, Budget Calendar, ReportNet Reports, and Cognos Planning Help

How can I change the font size of the Congos Planning data, so that more information is included on the screen?

From you desktop; right click the mouse, choose properties, then select the settings tab and change the screen resolution to 1280 x 1024 pixels, click apply, then ok

How do I navigate in the Cognos Planning Software?

To open the Budget worksheets click on the index listed on the screen to the right of the organizational tree. When you first open the budget worksheet you will need to take ownership. To take ownership you click the ownership button , so that you can edit the data.

You will notice there are several different tabs across the top of the screen (Budget Req, Tuition Rev, Res Hall Rev, Comp Detail, New Posn Req, Cap Sum, Cap Bud Req, and Major Remdl/Ren Req).

The tabs titled Internal Use and Internal Use R are for the Controller’s Office use, you will not need to enter information on these tabs.

When you are on a selected tab you will also need to choose the fiscal year or account codes depending on the tab. For example on the “Comp Detail” tab you will need to select the fiscal year that you would like to adjust from the drop down list at the top as well as the compensation account code from the drop down list.

The screen is gray and I am unable to enter the budget requests?

You will need to take owernership of the index by clicking the ownership icon

How do I eliminate the rows with $0’s?

To eliminate the rows with zeros you will need to click the suppress zeros icon and then click the suppress zeros rows.

How do I enter information on the various tabs?

Click here to view the Cognos Planning training video.

Do I need to calculate the fringe benefits budget?

No, the fringe benefits budget will automatically be calculated for you based on the FY07 actual fringe benefits in your department as a percent of the full-time and part-time wages. It will be included on the “Budget Req” tab account code 680 – Fringe Benefits.

Do I need to include a compensation increase?

No, the estimated salary rate increase will be automatically calculated based on the compensation; it will appear on the “Budget Req” tab in the following account codes:

- 61118 – Sal-Faculty-Full Time-Budget

- 61128 – Sal-Faculty-Part Time-Budget

- 62118 – Sal-Admin-Full Time-Budget

- 62128 – Sal-Admin-Part Time-Budget

- 63118 – Hourly-Full Time-Budget

- 63128 – Hourly-Part Time-Budget

- 64128 – Student-Budget

How do I save the budget requests that I have entered into Cognos Planning?

To save the budget requests you will need to click on the save icon at the top of the screen.

Can others change what I submitted?

Yes, other users who have access to your budget can take ownership of your index and make changes. Supervisors are requested to annotate any changes in the cells that were changes or to send an email to the department head.

How do I approve a budget?

You will need to click the submit icon to submit the budget to the next level of approval.

Can I add additional notes into Cognos Planning?

There are two options for attending notes:

You can add an annotation to a cell, by clicking the , then cell, then add and a comment box with appear that you can enter your note.
You can add a document to a cell, by clicking the , then cell, then add, you will then need to find the source file location by clicking the “…” and entering a document name then click ok.

I am unable to click the submit icon to approve an organizational roll-up level, why?

You will need to verify if the circle icon next to the roll-up is green for the roll-up level similar to this example below, if not one of the indexes may not be locked and therefore you are unable to submit the roll-up to the next level of approval.

How do I access the ReportNet Reports?

You will need to click the help icon and it will provide you with a link to the ReportNet Reports.

Can I view a report of the information that I just entered into Cognos Planning?

Yes, the ReportNet reports read the Cognos Planning data real-time.

I ran the ReportNet reports and the data that I entered into Cognos Planning was not included?

You need to save your changes in Cognos Planning. The data that you enter into Cognos Planning is blue until you save your changes, then it will turn black.

How do I print the ReportNet report in PDF Format?

Click the printer icon above the report to the left.

Do not click Print under the File menu from the very top-left of the screen or the print button on the internet browser.

I have additional ReportNet Questions?

Please refer to the ReportNet Frequently Asked Questions & Assistance list at the following link: http://www.stthomas.edu/controllersoffice/Reportnet.htm

What is the EVP/VP Budget Review Week, and what do I need to do?

The EVP/VP’s will be meeting with Deans, AVP’s and selected department heads to review their FY 08 Projection, FY 09 Budget requests and future years projections.

You will need to bring the “Budget Review Week” ReportNet report with you to the meetings along with any additional information you would like to provide the EVP/VP’s regarding your budget submissions.

The Budget Review Week report is available at the following link:

Who can I contact for assistance with Cognos Planning?

For questions regarding budgeted operations or restricted funds, contact:

Allison Hanson x2-6189 alhanson1@stthomas.edu

Gail Foote x2-6142 glfoote@stthomas.edu

For questions regarding compensation detail, contact:

Bryan Strain x2-6516 bestrain@stthomas.edu