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Create a Vendor
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Occasionally, you may be unable to locate the correct vendor in the AP Vendor Master file (or in the FFE Purchasing Requisitions module). In such cases, the system will guide you through a series of steps to request creation, or “assignment”, of the necessary vendor record. You will accomplish this procedure by using the Vendor Create module located in the FinSys section (Financial Systems) at my.columbia.edu (aka, the My Columbia portal).
Starting at FinSys
You don’t need to enter the Vendor Create module via AP/CAR. You have the option of navigating directly to the My Columbia portal, and as long as you have administrative access to the portal, you will see a tab at the top of your screen that reads FinSys. This stands for Financial Systems, or, the systems managed by the Finance Division in conjunction with CUIT.
Select the FinSys tab, then navigate down the page to the Vendor Create link. Click on this link to get started.
Starting in AP/CAR
In AP/CAR, after clicking Invoice and New Invoice on the top toolbar of the Pending Invoices screen, enter a search string in the Vendor field and click the Vendor button. CAR then searches the vendor file for one or more matches. If the system is unable to find any matches, a window will appear.
- Click OK.
- You will be returned to the Vendor Selection window.
- Click Cancel in the Vendor Selection window.
A window appears verifying your request to create a new vendor record in the AP Vendor Master file.
Click OK
You will be automatically taken to the VENDOR CREATE REQUEST SYSTEM which resides on the CUIT Financial Systems Website (part of the my.columbia portal), also called FINSYS. Look in the AP/CAR section.
(You can also access this website directly at http://my.columbia.edu )
OVERVIEW:
In the Vendor Create request web site, you will be prompted to enter all pertinent vendor information so that the system can create the vendor record which will in turn be reviewed by Accounts Payable.
This new vendor request will need to be released by AP Vendor Management prior to final processing of a payment. As part of the review process conducted by Vendor Management the vendor will need to be validated internally. Once all information is received and the validation is completed the vendor will be approved and available in AP/CAR. (Please note that for all vendor record change requests, such as address updates, a revised and signed W9 or W8 form will need to be submitted in order to complete the vendor modification.)
CREATING A NEW VENDOR RECORD – 10 EASY STEPS
Follow the following 10 basic steps in order to create a new vendor record in the system:
STEP 1 - LOGIN
At the CUIT Financial Systems homepage: Click on the Financial Systems Logo to Log in
At the Finsys User ID entry point: Enter in your UNI Logon ID
This takes you to the Financial System - Modules interface. (see above)
Click on Vendor Create in the Accounts Payable section.
STEP 2 – VERIFY BASIC VENDOR INFORMATION
To get started, choose the New button at the bottom of the My Pending Requests screen.
You will also see any pending new vendor requests listed as open items. To View, Edit or Delete an open item, click the square box to the left of the vendor record, and choose the appropriate action button (View, Edit or Delete), then follow instructions to complete the action.
To continue creating a new vendor, enter the Vendor Name in the Edit Basic Information screen.
Click the Save + Continue at the bottom of the screen. You will be taken to the first of many questionairre screens.
You also have the option to Save + Exit (saving your vendor information in case you need to return and complete the transaction); No Save + Exit (to simply exit); or Reset (to clear the response field and re-enter).
However, if you choose a vendor that already exists in the Master Vendor File, you will be taken to a screen that explains this fact, shows the various current listings for the vendor, along with directions on how to proceed.
W-9 Information
Please Note:
All U.S. based businesses including corporations, consultants, and sole proprietors are required to submit Fom W9 to the Vendor Management group in Accounts Payable prior to being approved as a vendor in the system.
The completed/signed page 1 of the form should be faxed to Vendor Management at (212) 851-7904.
For more information on the University's W-9 policy, please see the complete W-9 policy at:
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/administration/policylibrary/responsible_office/acpy.html
STEP 3 - ANSWER A SERIES OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THE VENDOR
If you have chosen a vendor that does not already exist in the system, you will then encounter a series of questionnaire screens that must be responded to before the system will allow you to complete entering primary vendor contact information. When helpful, iinstructions will be posted below the question to help you make your choice. Choose the appropriate answer in the Response section.
If a mistake or omission is made during this process, you may be notified by a small red text message at the top left corner of screen.
Here are some typical questions (in order) with accompanying screen grabs. Note that you may encounter a different series or order of questions depending upon how you respond on various screens
EXAMPLE QUESTIONNAIRE STRING:
Q1 - What is the nature of the payment being made to the vendor?
This information is important to the Vendor Management group so that the vendor is set up correctly in the system. Make the selection that most resembles the vendor you are trying to set up. If none of the selections reflect the type of payment you need to have made, select the Save + Exit button and contact the Vendor Management group at vendormaintenance@columbia.edu. Otherwise, after responding, select Save + Continue.
Q2 - Is the vendor a Columbia University Employee (faculty, post-doc, administration)?
AP needs to know what affiliation the vendor has with the University. For example, if the vendor has no direct affiliation with Columbia (such as an outside corporation or contractor), click “No”. In other words, if the proposed vendor is a student or employee, select “Yes”; or if an outside company, contractor, or consultant, select “No”.
Choose Save + Continue to go to the next screen.
Q3 - Is this payment solely for goods?
The system is trying to verify whether proper purchasing procedures have been followed as well as identifying the specifics of the vendor.
Q4 - Is the vendor a non-resident alient or a foreign entity?
For proper record formatting, AP needs to know if the vendor is a foreign entity without a US Tax ID.
STEP 4 – ENTER TAX ID INFORMATION
If the vendor is a University employee, student or faculty member, enter in their SSN. If the vendor is an outside company or contractor and uses only their SSN, enter that in, then request vendor to fill out a W-9 form. If the new vendor uses a Federal Tax ID, enter that in, then request vendor to fill out a W-9 Form. W-9 form should be faxed to AP Vendor Management at 851-7904.
STEP 5 – INDENTIFY PAYMENT TYPE
Answer the question “What is the Payment Type?” This information is critical so that the vendor is set up correctly in AP/CAR. Generally, you would refer to the very payment request you need to process or expect to process for this vendor (i.e. company invoice, check request, an invoice lacking an invoice number but identified by an account number – like a utility bill, etc.)
STEP 6 - ENTER PERTINENT VENDOR INFORMATION
This is the main vendor contact and information form. Although not all fields are required, please fill in as completely as possible.
For all Foreign vendors, please include the complete address on lines one through four. Lines one through four should include the foreign city, foreign country and foreign zip code. Leave the city field, state field, and zip code field blank.
SOME TIPS FOR COMPLETING FORM:
NAME: Auto-generated from previous data entered.
ADDRESS: If foreign, write entire address in this space, then select FOREIGN in state pull-down menu. If a CU office address, choose CU LOCAL.
REQUEST STATUS: Indicates status of vendor request (i.e. started, working, released)
VENDOR PHONE AND FAX: Enter as follows using no extra characters (i.e. 2128543029)
VENDOR EMAIL: This is very helpful in case a vendor needs to be contacted and will help ensure smooth payment communications.
NOTES: Indicate vendor’s type of business (ex. Services manufacturing, Consultant), describing the services performed or goods received – please be specific, if possible.
STEP 7 - VERIFY INFORMATION IS CORRECT
It is important to double check the completed form against vendor information on the invoice or payment request.
When finished choose Save+Exit to keep record in working status in case you need to still verify some information, or RELEASE FOR VM APPROVAL to submit vendor record to AP for review.
You also have the option of choosing (from action buttons at bottom of screen):
Reset to clear the response form on this screen
APCAR History to review existing transaction history for this vendor in AP/CAR
Purchasing Address to edit or change the vendor’s Purchasing Address (vs. above Remit To Address)
View Log to review all previous questions and edit responses; or to return to Pending items
If you have chosen Release for VM Approval, you will be asked to confirm this choice.
Choose Confirm to send the new vendor create record to AP Vendor Management for review. Or Cancel, to stop this action.
STEP 8 - VENDOR RECORD RELEASED FOR APPROVAL CONFIRMATION
Upon release, you will be taken to the View Request Detail screen. At the top of the screen, in red, will be a message including the status of the vendor request as well as the Request ID (which should be referenced during any communications with Vendor Management).
To research the process of and data related to this vendor request, click on the View Log, APCAR History or Purchasing Address action buttons at the bottom of the screen.
Click on Pending, to continue. This action takes you to a list of “Your Pending Vendor Creation Requests”.
You will see your most recent saved vendor create request show up on the list of My Pending Questionnaires/Requests with a status of Released by Dept. This means that the vendor request will be reviewed by AP and either ACCEPTED, HELD for further information, or REJECTED. You will be notified of the status of your new vendor create request by the status on this list.
ADD ANOTHER REQUEST
At times you may find it easier to process all of your Vendor Creation Requests in one session without returning to AP CAR. To continue processing requests, click on New (at bottom of window) to repeat Steps 1-8.
STEP 9 - LOG OUT OF VENDOR CREATE
Once you have completed entering all necessary information in the ASSIGN VENDOR REQUEST SYSTEM you can exit the CUIT Financial Systems Website and return to AP/CAR in order to complete processing of invoices.
To do this:
Click on EXIT VCQ (upper right corner), which will return you to the FINANCIAL SYSTEMS- MODULES interface. Then, either close out this window or Click on LOGOUT to return to AP/CAR.
STEP 10 - RETURNING TO AP CAR to finish invoice processing
With the new vendor information correctly entered into the system, you should now be able to locate this vendor in the AP Vendor Master file.
To do this, re-enter the correct Vendor Name (remember to search for individuals last name first) or Number (i.e. P123543789) as a search string in the Vendor field and click the Vendor button. AP/CAR then again searches the vendor file for one or more “matches”.
Notice the vendor now exists in the search engine, even though it has not been reviewed by AP yet.
If you choose, you can continue to process the invoice using the pending vendor record information.
However, you will not be able to fully complete the transaction nor obtain a Voucher number until the Vendor Assignment process is completed in AP. If this process is not yet complete, you will get the following message:
Click Yes.
AP/CAR will automatically save the current invoice to the database and assign it a "working" voucher number.
You will notice in the Pending Invoices window that the Total counts in both the Working and Vendor Assignment: WAITING queues have been increased by one.
DO NOT forward original documents to Accounts Payable without Accepted Voucher Numbers.
After a Vendor Maintenance staff member assigns the new or modified vendor, he or she will electronically route the item to your Vendor Assignment: ASSIGNED queue.
NOTE: The new vendor request WILL NOT show up in the “Vendor Assignment: ASSIGNED” queue if the request was entered in FinSys but not saved in AP/CAR.
For a true listing of pending vendor requests, see the full pending item list in the FinSys Vendor Create system.
Petty Cash - All Petty Cash custodians must be set up as new vendors by the Office of the Controller and are not set up through the Vendor Create system. Learn more about setting up a Petty Cash Custodian.
LEARN THE NEXT STEP: MODIFY A VENDOR
OTHER FUNCTIONS
Search Function
You are able to search Vendor Create Requests through this utility. To do this, click on Search at the top of the screen. Then fill in the Search Results query in order to find a vendor with request status information. Click on Continue to complete the search request.
You will receive pertinent results in list form. Click on the radio button and then Continue in order to complete processing of saved requests.
