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  4. V. Chart of Accounts (COA) Governance
  5. V.3.A General Ledger Business Unit (GLBU)

V. Chart of Accounts (COA) Governance

Guide to Financial Operations

V.3.A General Ledger Business Unit (GLBU)

V. Chart of Accounts (COA) Governance
Guide to Financial Operations

A General Ledger Business Unit (GL BU) is generally defined for each entity that maintains and reports on its own transactional data. A business unit (BU) is a required PeopleSoft configuration item that drives security, ledger set-up, and processing.

SFS implemented multiple BUs to support the State as a whole, and each agency’s and defined entity’s book of record requirement. Generally, each agency as defined by law has its own BU.

Following are general guidelines to indicate when a separate GL BU may be warranted.

  • Created by statute – If an organizational entity has been created by statute, then it may be a candidate for a GL BU.
  • Appropriation recipient – If an organizational entity receives its own appropriation, then it may be a candidate for a GL BU.
  • Fiscal year – If an entity has a different fiscal year for reporting, it may require a separate GL BU.
  • Segregation of ChartField values – ChartField values are shared across the State and within that structure, selected ChartField values can be assigned by agencies. If ChartField values cannot be shared for a specific agency a separate GL BU may be required. Independent transaction processing in the General Ledger is not considered a requirement for a separate GL BU as journal source can be used to segregate transactions.
  • Balanced set of books – Situations where a balanced set of books are required below the BU level may indicate the need for a separate GL BU.
  • Data security for New York State Classified Data – Situations that would expose confidential data that is restricted by New York State policy (e.g., oil spill-related confidential information that is stored in the SFS) is a consideration for a separate GL BU. Data security for publically-accessible data (e.g. OSC Open Books) is not considered a requirement for a separate GL BU.

A BU value is required on all transactions and is a balancing ChartField, and as such, transactions in the SFS must balance (by debits/credits) by BU. Where transactions entered by users do not balance by BU, system-generated entries will be created, based on configuration templates, to create balancing entries.

In general, BUs are five alphanumeric characters in length assigned to agencies and entities using a three-character acronym of the agency/entity followed by “01.”

A complete list of BU values; the BU Reporting Tree, which supports the roll-up of BUs by branch of government; and the General Ledger Business Unit (GL BU) Change Request Form. For additional instruction on this topic, visit the job aids published to SFS Coach. SFS Coach is accessible from the SFS home page after logging in with your SFS user ID and password.. To add or modify a GL BU, complete the COA Change request form and submitted it to [email protected].

Guide to Financial Operations

REV. 04/06/2018