Cal Answers Financials Training Resources
Cal Answers Financials* Basic Navigation Training
Want to learn how to navigate the Cal Answers Financials General Ledger & Multi-Year subject areas to access, format and print your data tables?
Review the Cal Answers Financials Basic Navigation Training slide presentation
At the end of this training you will have practiced:
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Logging in and accessing the Cal Answers Financials General Ledger and Multi-Year dashboard reports
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Applying filters to access unit-specific financial data sourced nightly from BFS
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Managing the layout of the data tables by moving and hiding columns
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Saving customized views of your data for future reference and sharing with your colleagues
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Printing and exporting data tables and charts
This training is open to all UC Berkeley staff and faculty who have access to Cal Answers Financials reporting dashboards. If you have access to the BAIRS Financial Reporting module you were automatically granted access to Cal Answers Financials.
Not sure if you have Financials access?
Review the FAQ How do I find out if I have access to Cal Answers Financials? for how to check your current access levels.
You can learn how to request Cal Answers Financials access on the Access Financials page.
* This hands-on functionality class is trained in the Cal Answers Financials General Ledger dashboards, but all of the functionality covered is subject area agnostic and works the same in all Cal Answers subject areas, including Human Resources Reporting, Payroll and Student Data.
Current Employee Composite Benefit Rate (CBR)
- Getting Started with Current Employee CBR: Provides an overview to on how to use the Current Employee CBR dashboard.
- Current Employee CBR Wiki: Visit the wiki page for Current Employee CBR.
- Webinar Recording 8.13.20
Multi-Year Reporting
- Getting Started with Multi-Year Reporting: Provides an overview to accessing Cal Answers and navigating the Multi-Year Reporting dashboard tab prompts to pull General Ledger data over custom reporting periods that can span multiple fiscal years. (PDF)
- Multi-Year Reporting Wiki: Visit the wiki page for Multi-Year Reporting.
- Learn how to use the Multi-Year Reporting & Chartfield Lookup dashboards by downloading and watching this pre-recorded webinar.
- Cal Answers Top 10 Finance Dashboard Tips job aid created to help our newest report runners work with the Cal Answers Finance prompts and data tables reports.
Chartfield Lookup
- Getting Started with the Chartfield Lookup Dashboard: Provides step-by-step instructions for accessing Cal Answers and navigating the Chartfield Lookup dashboard tab prompts to search for chartfield elements. (PDF)
- Chartfield Lookup Wiki: Visit the wiki page for the Chartfield Lookup dashboard.
- Learn how to use the Multi-Year Reporting & Chartfield Lookup dashboards by downloading and watching this pre-recorded webinar.
Financial Management Reporting
- Getting Started with Ad Hoc Analysis Finance: A resource quide for working in the Custom Query Ad Hoc Analysis area of Cal Answers.
- Financial Management Reporting Overview video: An overview of each of the reports in the Financial Management Reporting dashboard. (video)
- Getting Started with Financial Management Reporting: An introduction to the Financial Management Reporting dashboard and details on each of the reports in the dashboard. (PDF)
- Cal Answers Basic Navigation Learning Map: A linear guide to a comprehensive set of the latest training materials to support you in getting started working with the all of the Cal Answers dashboard reports. (PDF)
- Financial Management Reporting Wiki: Visit the wiki page for more information on each of the Financial Management Reporting dashboard pages and a dictionary of terms.
- Cal Answers Top 10 Finance Dashboard Tips job aid created to help our newest report runners work with the Cal Answers Finance prompts and data tables reports.
- Cal Answers Financials Basic Navigation Slide Presentation
Fund Deficits Reporting
- Getting Started with Fund Deficits Reporting: An overview of the Deficits To Be Cleared and Waivers and Tolerance reports in the Fund Deficits Reporting dashboard. (PDF)
- Cal Answers Basic Navigation Learning Map: A linear guide to a comprehensive set of the latest training materials to support you in getting started working with the all of the Cal Answers dashboard reports.
- Fund Deficits Reporting Wiki: Visit the wiki page for Fund Deficits Reporting.
General Ledger Reporting
- Getting Started with General Ledger (GL) Reporting: Updated 10.04.18 to include details on the new Encumbrance Reporting tab. An overview of the reports in the GL Reporting dashboard.
- Getting Started with Ad Hoc Analysis Finance: A resource quide for working in the Custom Query Ad Hoc Analysis area of Cal Answers.
- Cal Answers Basic Navigation Learning Map: A linear guide to a comprehensive set of the latest training materials to support you in getting started working with the all of the Cal Answers dashboard reports. (PDF)
- General Ledger Reporting Wiki: Visit the wiki page for General Ledger Reporting.
- Cal Answers Top 10 Finance Dashboard Tips job aid created to help our newest report runners work with the Cal Answers Finance prompts and data tables reports.
Gift & Endowment Reporting
- Getting Started with Gift & Endowment Reporting: (Updated 5.18.18) An overview of the reports in the Gift & Endowment Reporting dashboard including the new Gifts in Suspense Accounting report. (PDF)
- Gift & Endowment Reporting Learning Map: A linear guide to a comprehensive set of the latest training materials to support you in getting started working with the Gift & Endowment Reporting dashboard.
- Gift & Endowment Reporting Wiki: Visit the wiki page for more information on each of the Gift & Endowment Report pages and a dictionary of terms.
HR Reporting Job Aids
Employee Change Tracking
This report is for UCPath Data from March 2019 going forward.
Personnel Changes
This tab identifies active and inactive employees who entered and left your organization within the date range and indicates if they are hires, terminations, and/or transfers. This tab displays results only when one of these changes has happened. Run the Job Data by Date Range report tab in the Workforce Detail Dashboard to see full details for individual employees and the histories of their records.
Employee Job Changes
This tab identifies active employees who had a change in employee class, job code, supervisor, pay rate, employee status, and/or position number within the date range. This tab displays results only when one of these changes has happened, and shows the final-state change for the effective date. Run the Job Data by Date Range report tab in the Workforce Detail Dashboard to see final-state and non-final-state changes broken out by effective sequence.
- Employee Change Tracking Webinar 3.18.2020: Overview of the Employee Change Tracking dashboard
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Employee Change Tracking job aid:Overview of the new Employee Change Tracking dashboard and key call-outs.
Legacy Campus Position Management
Due to conversion to UCPath, data in this report is frozen as of March 8, 2019.
Position Funding
This tab displays the list of positions in your organization and their chartstring distribution-level information as of the date in the “As of Date” filter field. That means that it pulls from the effective row for that date (the one with the most recent effective date that is equal to or less than the date indicated).
Position Exception
This tab displays position-level and associated job-level data about current positions that are flagged as having one or more "exceptions." Exceptions include: Reports To Mismatch, FTE Mismatch, Position Override in Use, Position Overallocated, Appt End Dt Passed, Dept ID Mismatch, Job Code Mismatch, and Location Code Mismatch.
Position Roster
This tab shows information about the positions and their employees in your organization. It displays position-level as well as associated job-level data, such as the incumbent employee, drawing only on current rows.
Legacy Workforce Detail Dashboard
Due to conversion to UCPath, data in this report is frozen as of March 8, 2019.
Job Data
This tab displays job-level information about Employees, Contingent Workers, and Persons of Interest as of the date in the “As of Date” filter field. That means that it pulls from the effective row for that date (the one with the most recent effective date that is equal to or less than the date indicated) for each record in HCM.
Job Data by Date Range
This tab displays the same information as above, but allows the user to search for HCM rows that fall within a user-entered date range. The date range can refer to the effective dates of the rows,the date on which the rows were entered, or the appointment end date associated with the rows, depending on which option the user selects. The user can also select whether they want to include only current records (records that are still effective as of the date the report is run) or show all records, including historical and future records.
Job Earnings Distribution
This tab displays some job-level data as well as distribution-level data for employees as of the date in the “As of Date” filter field. That means that it pulls from the effective HCM row for that date (the one with the most recent effective date that is equal to or less than the date indicated) for each record in HCM. This report shows each chartstring distribution and its associated percentage that will be used for an employee’s payroll activity.
Job Earnings Distribution by Date Range
This tab displays the same information as above, but allows the user to search for HCM rows that fall within a user-entered date range. The date range can refer to the effective dates of the rows, the date on which the rows were entered, or the appointment end date associated with the rows, depending on which option the user selects. The user can also select whether they want to include only current records (records that are still effective as of the date the report is run), include only records with salary changes, or include all records.
Termination and Org Change
This tab displays the Employees who had a change from one Org Node to another, or were terminated from University employment. You must select a range of Effective Dates to run this report. Additional filters are available to look up individuals by various criteria. The report includes current information as well as the Prior Org Node, Prior Supervisor, Prior Job Code and Prior Job Description.
- Legacy HR Workforce Detail job aid: Overview of the Legacy Workforce Detail dashboards and key call-outs about the reports.
Position Management
This report is for UCPath data from March 2019 going forward.
Position Roster
This tab shows your organization's roster of filled and vacant positions as well as information about position incumbents to help you manage your personnel and determine your remaining capacity to hire.
Position Funding
This tab shows your organization's roster of filled and vacant positions as well the associated funding for each of those positions to help you manage the chartstrings payroll is charged to. Filled and vacant positions that have no funding associated with them will not show in this tab.
Exceptions
This tab shows the actions you need to take for the position in UCPath, as indicated by the various exception flags.
- Position Management Webinar 12.5.2019: Overview of the Position Management dashboard.
- Position Management Webinar 12.12.2019: Overview of the Position Management dashboard.
- Position Management job aid: Overview of the new UCPath Position Management dashboard and key call-outs.
Workforce Detail Dashboard
Job Data As of Date
This tab displays job and position level data about Employees and Contingent Workers as of the date in the “As of Date” filter field. That means that it pulls from the effective row for that date.
Job Data by Date Range
This tab displays job and position level data about Employees and Contingent Workers, but allows the user to search for rows that fall within a user-entered date range. The date range can refer to the effective dates of the rows, the dates on which the rows were entered, the expected end dates associated with the rows, the visa end dates associated with the rows, or the probation end dates associated with the rows, depending on which option the user selects. The user can also select whether they want to include only current records (records that are still effective as of the date the report is run), show only rows showing jobs that will be automatically terminated on their end date, show only rows with salary changes, or show all records, including historical and future records.
Compensation Data As of Date
This tab displays information about the components of employee pay. It shows information from the position and job level, and associates it with the various compensation types and rates that make up the salaries of employees as of the date in the “As of Date” filter field. That means that it pulls from the effective row for that date.
Compensation Data by Date Range
This tab displays information about the components of employee pay. It shows information from the position and job level, and associates it with the various compensation types and rates that make up the salaries of employees. It allows the user to search for rows that fall within a user-entered date range. The date range can refer to the effective dates of the rows, the dates on which the rows were entered, the expected end dates associated with the rows, the visa end dates associated with the rows, or the probation end dates associated with the rows, depending on which option the user selects. The user can also select whether they want to include only current records (records that are still effective as of the date the report is run), show only rows showing jobs that will be automatically terminated on their end date, show only rows with salary changes, or show all records, including historical and future records.
Job Funding Information As of Date
This tab displays job-level data, distribution-level data, and additional pay for employees as of the date in the “As of Date” filter field. This means it pulls from the effective UCPath or legacy HCM row for that date (the one with the most recent effective date that is equal to or less than the date indicated). This report shows each chartstring distribution and its associated distribution percentage used for an employee’s payroll activity.
Job Funding Information by Date Range
This tab displays the same information as above, but allows the user to search for UCPath and legacy HCM rows that fall within a user-entered date range. The date range can refer to various dates, depending on which option the user selects. The user can also select what type of records to include.
- HR Workforce Detail Webinar 8.15.2019: Overview of the Workforce Detail Dashboard's Job Data, Compensation Data, and Job Funding Information tabs.
- HR Workforce Detail Webinar 8.8.2019: Overview of the Workforce Detail Dashboard's Job Data, Compensation Data, and Job Funding Information tabs.
- HR Workforce Detail Job Data Webinar 5.13.2019: Overview of changes for the new UCPath Workforce Detail Dashboard's Job Data tabs.
- HR Workforce Detail job aid: (updated 7.25.19) Overview of the new UCPath Workforce Detail Dashboard and key call-outs.
Compensation Summary
Select Staff
This tab shows the average salary and average compa-ratio for job codes across campus based on the methodology used by the Central HR Compensation Team for its compensation recommendations.
- Staff Compensation Summary job aid: Overview of the Staff Compensation Summary dashboard
- HR Compensation Summary job aid: Overview of the legacy Compensation Summary dashboard and key call-outs about the reports. This dashboard is no longer available.
Employee Crosswalk
Use this lookup to see the UCPath Employee ID and Legacy Employee ID for a particular or list of employees. Employees will have legacy employee IDs if they were active in legacy HCM on or before 1/1/2019.
- Employee Crosswalk job aid: Overview of Employee Crosswalk dashboard.
Payroll Dashboard
- Getting Started with the Payroll Dashboard: provides an overview for accessing Cal Answers and navigating the Payroll dashboard to search for data from the UCPath system. (PDF)
- Cal Answers Basic Navigation Learning Map: A linear guide to a comprehensive set of the latest training materials to support you in getting started working with the all of the Cal Answers dashboard reports.
- Payroll Dashboard Wiki: Visit the wiki page for the Payroll dashboard.
Cal Answers Basics
Cal Answers Financials is available through the Cal Answers tool. There are helpful features of this tool common to all dashboards. Review the training resources below for basic functionality tips that will also apply to Financials. You can access Cal Answers training materials at calanswers.berkeley.edu/training
- Basic Navigation Learning Map
- Excluding Columns (1 min.)
- Changes You Can Make to Tables (3 min.)
- Features You'll Find Below Tables (3 min.)
- Page Options Menu Customizations (3 min.)
- How to export your saved customization to a PDF (pdf) - Instructions on how to export a saved customization to a PDF document.