Fiscal Year End (FYE) processes are essential for reporting revenue and expenses within their correct annual period. Because financial statement integrity is paramount, transactions crossing fiscal years are generally restricted. This guide provides the functional and technical framework for managing the Unimarket-to-Banner integration, during this transition.
1. Encumbrance Roll Strategies
There are two primary approaches to handling the encumbrance roll in Banner. Your choice depends on your institutional preference for a "clean break" versus operational flexibility.
Scenario 1: Hard Close
- Approach: Roll on the FY End Date (e.g., June 30). Only one fiscal year is open for procurement at a time.
- Pros: Cleaner from a Procurement perspective; fewer "wrong year" errors.
- Cons: Higher volume of manual accruals for Finance.
- Configuration: Set
FZREPRF_INV_TRANS_DATE = N.
Scenario 2: Dual FY Processing (Recommended for EasyConnect 4.5+)
- Approach: Roll approximately two weeks after the FY end date, keeping both years open briefly.
- Configuration: Set
FZREPRF_INV_TRANS_DATE = Y. - Logic: This forces the Order and Invoice into the same fiscal year. By setting the Banner Invoice transaction date to the Vendor Invoice Date (if in an open period) or the PO Transaction Date.
2. Blanket Order Management
Blanket orders should be categorized by their funding source: Operating (single year) vs. Carryover (multi-year/Grant/Capital).
Operating & Non-Carryover Blankets
- Action: Should be zeroed out and closed by the last day of the current fiscal year.
- Best Practice: Review monthly starting 60 days before FYE.
- New Year Prep: Buyers can copy the previous year's blanket in June to submit for the new year once the new fiscal year is enabled in Unimarket and open in Banner.
Carryover & Multi-Year Blankets (Grant/Capital)
The recommended approach depends on your EasyConnect code version:
| Feature | Blanket Resubmission (Pre-v4.5) | Blanket Rollover (v4.5+) |
| Recommendation | Recommended for older code sets. | Recommended for EasyConnect 4.5+. |
| Process | Close old blanket; manually resubmit new. | Include in Banner FGRENRL roll job. |
| Benefits | Clean start; invoices processed immediately. | Less manual work; maintains history/links. |
| Drawbacks | History link is severed; new PO# needed. | Cannot pay until the roll occurs in Banner. |
3. FY Roll Scenario Matrix
To avoid API errors (e.g., "Encumbrance does not exist in the fiscal year"), follow this matrix:
| Best Practice | Scenario | Order Trans Date | Invoice Date | Invoice Trans Date | Action/Resolution |
| Yes | Standard Current Year | Before June 30 | Before June 30 | Vendor Inv Date | Normal processing. |
| Yes | Old PO / New Invoice | Before June 30 | July 1 or later | Varies by Setting | If setting=Y, uses Vendor Date. If setting=N, uses Sysdate. Fix: Wait for roll or backdate to 6/30. |
| Yes | Old PO / New Receipt | After June 30 | New FY Date | New FY Date | Hold invoice until after the encumbrance roll is complete. |
| Yes | Forward Dating (Future PO) | After June 30 | After June 30 | New FY Date | Enable "Future FY" in Unimarket. Use sparingly for future expenses. |
| No | Forward Date Error | After June 30 | Before June 30 | Error | PO posted to future year but received in current. Fix: Close PO; create Retrofit in current year. |
| No | Backdating (Prior Year) | Before June 30 | Old FY Date | Old FY Date | Requires "Prior FY" enabled and EasyConnect 4.5+. |
4. Technical Logic: Date Selection
The integration uses automated logic to select transaction dates during the transition period.
Order Transaction Date Selection
- Check Roll Status: If Banner encumbrances have rolled, use System Date.
- If Not Rolled: Use the Order Date if that fiscal period is OPEN in Banner.
- Fallback: If the specific month is closed, it attempts to find the next available open period (e.g., the first day of the next month). If none, use System Date.
Invoice Transaction Date Selection
If the Order is in the New FY, the invoice follows the FZREPRF configuration:
- If Set to 'N': Invoice Transaction date = System Date.
- If Set to 'Y': Invoice Transaction date = Vendor Invoice Date (if in an open period 1-12).
- Secondary Constraint: If the Vendor Invoice Date is before the PO Transaction Date. The PO Transaction Date is used to ensure the invoice hits the valid encumbrance year.
5. Troubleshooting & FY Checklist
Before escalating an integration error during the June/July transition, verify the following:
- Banner Check: Which Fiscal Years and Periods (1-12) are currently open?
- Unimarket Check: Are the New and Prior years enabled in Community Settings?
- Roll Check: Has the Banner
FGRENRLjob been executed yet? - Encumbrance Check: View
FGIENCDto see exactly which year the PO encumbrance is currently sitting in. - Interface Check: Verify the
FZREPRF_INV_TRANS_DATEsetting with your IT team.
Pro-Tip: Many institutions temporarily disable the Unimarket Connector during the final days of the year. This causes incoming invoices to "error" in the logs. Allowing AP to manually review and resend them only once they are certain the funds will hit the correct fiscal period.