Spend category hierarchies (level 5) will be updated to create logical groupings of expenses. These groupings will help provide a level of visibility that is inbetween the high-level Supplies and Services view, and the granular spend category level. Below are a few examples of logical expense groupings the changes will create.
Computer, Audiovisual, and Copying Services Maintenance and Repair Services Financial, Accounting, and Legal Services HVAC, Electrical and Electronic Components
Once the hierarchy changes are made, the "Sources and Uses - Variance Analysis" report will be updated to bring in the level 5 spend category hierarchies. This will allow you to expand supplies and services and view spend associated with the updated hierarchies. You will still have the option to drill/expand to view at the individual spend category level if you have the need.
New functionality will be available starting Friday, February 14 , which will allow business travelers to email or mobile scan receipts into Workday. The functionality uses AI to read receipts and create a Quick Expense record. The Quick Expense will not automatically generate payment or reconcile PCard transactions. The Quick Expense must be linked to an Expense Report to finalize processing. See the full post for more details.
Requirements have been updated to provide guidance on how employee vs independent contractor work at Ohio State should be classified.
If you plan to hire certain types of individuals or businesses for work in your area, you must follow these requirements to ensure they are correctly classified as employees or independent contractors. The Independent Contractor Guidelines provide an overview of the process for how to evaluate independent contractors and are available on the Purchasing website.
Additionally an Independent Contractor form is available on the Policies and Forms page of the Business and Finance website. This form is a decision-making and documentation tool which is to be used by departments when purchasing services from individuals.
Fastenal is the contracted supplier for building maintenance supplies and janitorial products. University purchases for these items must go through Buckeye Buy. And if you’re a frequent user of the Fastenal catalog in the supplier website section of Buckeye Buy, you may be able to save time with order templates.
Effective January 28 , the International Acknowledgement of Understanding Questionnaire will include additional acknowledgement content, such as Travel Documentation Requirements, Accident and Sickness Insurance (War Exclusion Disclaimer), International Ground Transportation and Fly America Act Requirements. The International Acknowledgement of Understanding Questionnaire was originally established with the release of university wide Travel Guidelines to acknowledge health and safety risks with international travel.
The traveler (faculty/staff only) must complete the International Acknowledgement of Understanding Questionnaire in Workday for a Spend Authorization with an international destination in order to proceed to next approval steps. If travelers are not prompted in Workday, the PDF version of the form can be accessed through Travel Policies and Forms .
Contact the Travel Office with questions at travel@osu.edu or 614-292-9290.
A new spend category has been created for Catering Equipment Rental (SC11037). Please use this spend category for the service of renting out specialized equipment and tools used for catering events, parties, and gatherings, such as: Tableware (e.g., plates, glasses, cutlery, napkins), Beverageware (e.g., cups, mugs, wine glasses), Event furniture (e.g., tables, chairs, linen), Party tents, Serving equipment (e.g., chafing dishes, food warmers, platters, serving trays), and Bar equipment (e.g., cocktail shakers, ice buckets, bar counters).
These rentals provide the necessary gear to prepare, serve, and store food without having to purchase these items outright.
Effective January 15 , the sheet and report user interface within Adaptive Planning will be updated. The blue banner will be removed on all report and sheet pages and all search fields and data tables will have rounded corners. Additionally, the Add New button will move to a new location below the top menu bar on the report overview and sheet overview pages. The functionality on these pages will remain the same. See the full post to preview the new look.
A new report group, Financial Transactions Awaiting Action, has been released. This report includes three different reports that provide a list and the status of journal, accounting adjustment, and asset transactions that are awaiting an approval or to-do step. To run this report group, users can go to the "Schedule a Report" task and search for "Financial Transactions Awaiting Action." Once the prompts are entered and the report group runs, all reports will be available in one Excel spreadsheet.
In preparation for the combined federal and state filing changes, the Payee Setup Form along with the Miscellaneous Payee and Miscellaneous Payment Request tasks will be updated to include additional address prompts for 1099 income reporting when the state in which work is performed differs from the state associated with the payee’s primary address. The changes listed in the full post will occur on January 17.
Please do not begin entering FY26 blanket purchase orders until April 14, 2025. More information and detailed instructions on creating FY26 blanket purchase orders is forthcoming.
