Unimarket’s Budget Check/Validation is a real-time visibility tool designed to help organizations monitor spending against internal allocations. It is important to distinguish this from ERP-level "hard stops"; while Unimarket can be configured to block transactions, it is most commonly used as a warning-based system to inform users of their budget status.

Core Principles

• Real-Time Integration: Spending is tracked against both "Spent" funds (Invoices) and "Committed" funds (Open POs and Pending Requisitions).
• Cross-Supplier Support: If a requisition contains items from multiple suppliers (cross-supplier checkout), the budget check is applied simultaneously to every GL (FOAPAL) accounting string designated on the requisition.
• Add-On Feature: This module is an optional add-on that must be enabled by a Unimarket Customer Success Manager.

Technical Foundation: The Financial Hierarchy

Before budgets can be tracked, a Financial Hierarchy must be defined. This maps your existing Account Code (FOAPAL) segments into budget "Cost Centers."

Configuration Rules

To ensure data integrity, specific rules apply to the segments used in a hierarchy:

• No Optional Parts: Any account code segment marked as "Optional" cannot be part of the hierarchy.
• No Regex Parts: Segments validated via Regular Expressions (Regex) are ineligible.
• No Existing Hierarchies: If a segment is already part of a pre-existing hierarchy in the Account Code setup, it cannot be used for Budgets.

Real-Time Validation & Configuration Options

Validation occurs when a user selects Checkout. The system performs a real-time check to confirm that the GL (FOAPAL) accounting string entered, have sufficient funds.

Best Practice: Regularly review the Unimarket GRNI (Goods Received Not Invoiced) report. Closing old, unused orders "releases" those committed funds back into the available budget pool, ensuring your "Remaining Budget" figures are accurate.

Configuration Scenarios

Communities can choose how the system behaves when funds are insufficient:

Approval Process & Budget Check Triggers

The budget check is also integrated into the community's Approval Process, to ensure assigned delegated approver oversight.

• Routing Flow: Requisitions that are submitted will route to the Approval Process at steps configured with the validate-account-code attribute, and to the delegated approvers assigned to action those requisitions.
  • The community's Approval Process can be seen by going to the Administration module > Approvals > Process tab > in the Approvable Type field, select Requisitions:

• Budget Check Trigger: The budget check is triggered at any approval step that contains the attribute validate-account-code.

The Approver Experience 

• Automatic Execution: When an approver clicks the Approve or Decline icon, the system automatically performs the budget check and displays the results immediately.
• Warning Mode: If Option 2 (Warning) is active, the approver will receive a warning if the budget is exceeded. Like the buyer, the approver must click 'Approve' a second time to confirm they wish to authorize the request despite the budget status.

Validation History

The system maintains a strict audit trail of budget overrides. If a user or approver proceeds through a warning, their information is recorded in the requisition's permanent record.

• Viewing History: To view the budget checking history, navigate to the specific requisition > select More Actions > click Validation.

Allocation and Periods

Budgets are allocated to specific "Budget Centers" for defined timeframes:

• Periods: Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, or Annual.
• Starting Period: Must align with the start of a month or quarter (except for Weekly).
• Upload Methods: Amounts can be loaded manually via the UI or automated via sFTP using CSV templates.

Fiscal Year-End (FYE) Behavior

• Crossover Logic: During the June/July transition, the system validates spend against the active periods.
• Authorized Overrides: Users can typically proceed through these warnings, to ensure critical new-year ordering continues while Finance finalizes the budget load.