Closing Out the Year in Skyward: Business Suite Edition

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From general prep to module-specific checkboxes, here's how to make sure your rollover process is clean, compliant, and done right the first time.    Please note: This checklist includes only general considerations. It is important to be aware of any specific processes required by your state. You may want to access our online documentation for Financial Management, Account Management, Year-End, and Fiscal Year-End Processes to reference additional items to consider in preparation for year-end and state-specific items.   Jump to the Qmlativ checklist.   Jump to the SMS 2.0 checklist.   Qmlativ Checklist
	Qmlativ Finance
+ Pre-Year-End Items 0/10   Complete all current year financial processing. Complete all data entry and corrections prior to proceeding with the Finance Year-End process. Examples of processes to complete include updating journal entries and cash receipts, closing purchase orders, processing accounts payable runs, and approving expense reimbursements.   Verify all invoices are closed or processed through an accounts payable run in the current fiscal year. Select Menu > Administrative Access > Accounts Payable > Invoice under Features. Confirm the filter is set to Non-History and filter the list by the current fiscal year. Expected Result: No records to display. Review any records that do display to determine whether they should be processed through an Accounts Payable Run or deleted.   Complete all accounts payable check runs. Select Menu > Administrative Access > Accounts Payable > Accounts Payable Run under Features. Confirm the filter is set to Current Accounts Payable Runs. Expected Result: No records to display. Review any records that do display to determine whether the run should be completed or deleted.   Close all purchase orders that will not be used in the next fiscal year and move any purchase orders that will be used to the next fiscal year. Select Menu > Administrative Access > Purchasing > Purchase Order. Confirm the filter is set to Non-History and filter the list by the current fiscal year. Expected Result: No records to display. Review any records that do display to determine whether they should be processed or deleted. Select Purchase Order History Update to process a utility that will move any purchase orders with a liquidation status of Closed No Longer Receiving or Fully Received to History status.   Complete or delete all cash receipt deposits for the current fiscal year, including cash receipts for Benefit Management or Accounts Receivable. Select Menu > Administrative Access > Account > Cash Receipt Deposit under Features. Confirm that the filter is set to Non-History. Expected Result: No records to display. Review any records that do display to determine whether they should be processed or deleted.   Update or delete all journal entries for the current fiscal year. Select Menu > Administrative Access > Account > Journal Entry under Features. Confirm the Filter is set to Non-History. Expected Result: No records to display. Review any records that do display to determine whether they should be processed or deleted.   Run the Addition/Disposal Update and the Depreciation Update for the current fiscal year to tie Asset values to the general ledger.   Complete or delete all budget amendments for the current fiscal year. Select Menu > Administrative Access > Budgeting > Budget Amendment under Features. Confirm the filter is set to Non-History. Expected Result: No records to display. Review any records that do display to determine whether they should be processed or deleted.   Complete or delete all payroll runs for the current fiscal year. Select Menu > Administrative Access > Payroll > Payroll Run under Features. Confirm the filter is set to Payrolls Not In History. Expected Result: No records to display. Review any records that do display to determine whether they should be processed or deleted.   Approve or Deny all Warehouse Requests that are Waiting for Approval. Select Menu > Administrative Access > Warehouse > Warehouse Requests under Features. Confirm the filter is set to Unsubmitted/Waiting for Approval and filter the list by the current fiscal year. Expected Result: No records to display. Review any records that do display to determine whether they should be approved or denied.       + Year-End Items 0/8   Note: Unless otherwise noted, the following process can be found by selecting Menu > Administrative Access > Year End > Finance Year End. Each of these steps is optional in Skyward and some may be performed in a different order than the one outlined here. The required steps may vary depending on the modules used by your district.   Lock the system while running the fiscal year-end process. Select Menu > Administrative Access > Year End > Fiscal Year End > Lock Fiscal Year under FINALIZE OLD FISCAL YEAR.   Add a new fiscal year record to use for the processes that follow. Enter the Fiscal Year, Start Date and End Date in the appropriate fields. Select Save.   Run either the Roll Year-End Encumbrances process or the Expense Open Purchase Orders process. The process required for your district is determined by your financial or state practices. Only one of the processes is required.   Process the Fiscal Year Audit.   Process the Beginning Balances Audit.   Copy Workflow Templates from the current fiscal year to the new fiscal year.   Roll Warehouse Requests.   Run the Close Fiscal Year process. The fiscal year can be closed after all corrections identified during the prior steps have been made.       + Post-Year-End Items 0/4   Note: Some of these steps are optional in Skyward and some may be performed in a different order than the one outlined here. The required steps may vary depending on the modules used by your district.   Clear the System Lock. Select Menu > Administrative Access > System > Clear System Lock under Utilities. This must be completed to allow non-Super Users to log in to Skyward.   Add the next year invoice number for Accounts Receivable. Select Menu > Administrative Access > Accounts Receivable > Invoice Group. Confirm that the correct fiscal year is selected in the upper left corner of the screen next to the Skyward logo. Select Mass Assign Next Invoice Number.   Add the next year Purchase Order number for purchasing groups. Select Menu > Administrative Access > Purchasing > Purchasing Group. Confirm that the correct fiscal year is selected in the upper left corner of the screen next to the Skyward logo. Select Mass Assign Next Purchase Order Number.   Verify that all security users and approvers for financial approval processes are accurate for the upcoming year. Review the Users and Approval Tasks tabs of each of the following groups and adjust for the upcoming year: Account: Cash Receipt Group and Journal Entry Group Accounts Payable: Credit Card Group, Expense Reimbursement Group, and Invoice Group Accounts Receivable: Invoice Group Budgeting: Budget Amendment Group Purchasing: Purchasing Group Warehouse: Warehouse Request Group
	Qmlativ Human Resources
+ Pre-Year-End Items 0/10   Note: It may be necessary to move on to the year-end processing checklist before you have completed all items on this pre-year-end checklist. For example, if you will be running payroll during the last week of the fiscal year, you may decide to complete the items on the year-end processing checklist before that payroll is complete. By doing so, you’ll leave yourself enough time to prepare for the new year. All steps are optional in the system but may be required according to your district's policies and practices.   Substitute Tracking Verify that there are no uncalculated substitute transactions. Select Menu> Administrative Access > Substitute Tracking. Select Substitute Transaction under Features. Filter this list by the Substitute Transaction Status Column to identify any transactions with a status of Uncalculated. If any Uncalculated Transactions are found, those transactions need to be calculated and paid in a payroll in the fiscal year that is ending. If the transaction is incorrect and should not be paid, delete it. If the transaction is needed for history, but the substitute has already been paid, the transaction can be set to a status of Skipped Payroll.   Verify that there are no unselected substitute tracking timesheets. Select Menu > Administrative Access > Substitute Tracking. Select Unselected Timesheets under Features. Expected Result: The screen displays the message No records to display. Review any records that appear on this screen. Select these transactions into a Payroll Run in the fiscal year that is ending, or use options found under the drop-down triangle to either move the transaction to history status without payroll or delete the timesheet.   Time Off Verify that there are no time off requests waiting for approval. Select Menu > Administrative Access > Time Off > Time Off Transactions under Features. Select the Skyward Filter: Waiting for Approval. Expected Result: No records to display. Review any records that appear on this screen. Approve, Deny, or delete any request with a Transaction Date that is before the end of the current fiscal year.     Position Enter appropriate values in the Next Year Intent field on employee assignments. Select Menu > Administrative Access > Position > Assignment under Features. Choose the appropriate Fiscal Year from the drop-down list in the upper-left corner of the screen next to the Skyward logo. Identify Assignments for employees that are not returning in the next fiscal year. Open these assignments and select a Next Year Intent that indicates this assignment should not roll to the next year. For example, during the Clone Assignments step of the Human Resources Year-End process, a filter can exclude assignments with a Next Year Intent of “Do Not Roll” or “Resigned.” The excluded assignments will not clone to the next year’s Assignment List.   Make any intended Human Resources code or record corrections before proceeding with the Human Resources Year End clone processes. The Human Resources Year End > Clone Human Resources Codes, Clone Positions, and Clone Assignments processes clone dozens of fiscal year-specific codes and records from the current/ending fiscal year to the next year. Errors in the data found after running the clone processes will need to be corrected in both fiscal years. For example, correct known typos in codes or descriptions before cloning the codes to the next fiscal year.   Payroll Verify that there are no unselected timesheets. Select Menu > Administrative Access > Payroll > Unselected Timesheets under Features. Expected Result: No records to display. Review any records that appear on this screen. Include the employees in a payroll in the fiscal year that is ending or delete the unselected timesheets, if the employee should not be paid.   Verify that there are no incomplete Timesheet Sets. Select Menu > Administrative Access > Payroll > Timesheet Set under Features. Select the Skyward Filter Incomplete. Expected Result: No records to display. Review any records that appear on this screen. Process the Payroll Runs for those timesheet sets in the fiscal year that is ending or delete them, if appropriate.   Verify that there are no incomplete Payroll Runs. Select Menu > Administrative Access > Payroll > Payroll Run under Features. Select the Skyward Filter Payrolls Not in History. Expected Result: No records to display. Review any records that appear on this screen. Process the Payroll Runs in the fiscal year that is ending or delete them, if appropriate.   Update “Locked by HR” on the fiscal year record. Select Menu > Administrative Access > District > Fiscal Year under Features. Open the record for the fiscal year that is ending and check the box for Locked by HR. Click Save Changes near the top left of the screen. This locks all fiscal year-specific Human Resources codes for the selected fiscal year. Adding, deleting or editing any codes or records for the locked fiscal year is now prohibited. Examples of codes and records that are now locked include calendars, matrices, pay schedules, positions, assignments, and assignment details. Locking the fiscal year prevents accidental changes to a past fiscal year’s records.   Benefit Management Clone Benefit Management codes. Select Menu > Administrative Access > Benefit Management. Select Clone Benefit Management Codes under Utilities. The Clone Benefit Management Codes utility is used when the current Sub-Plans, Employee Plans, and Deduction/Benefit Schedules need to be cloned to a future plan so you can allow open enrollment for your employees. This process can be completed at any time during the year. Before running this process, the benefit management sub plans, the employee plans, and the deduction/benefit schedules must be configured.   After the year-end process is complete, the Fiscal Year can be unlocked if additional changes to the current fiscal year are anticipated. Keep in mind that changes made to the codes or records in the current fiscal year may also need to be made in the future fiscal year. After all changes to the current fiscal year have been completed, relock the fiscal year.     + Year-End Items 0/10     Note: Unless otherwise noted, the following process can be found by selecting Menu > Administrative Access > Year End > Human Resources Year End. Each of these steps is optional in Skyward and some may be performed in a different order than the one outlined here. The required steps may vary depending on the modules used by your district. The clone processes will not overwrite records or codes that already exist in the new fiscal year.   Before you begin, select Menu > Administrative Access > District > Fiscal Year, open the record for the fiscal year that is ending, and confirm that the box for “Locked by HR” is checked.   Select Menu > Administrative Access > Year End. Select Delete Human Resources Codes under Utilities. Choose the new fiscal year from the Fiscal Year drop-down list and click Next. Click Run Process. This utility will clear out any codes that may have been accidentally created during the process of migrating to Skyward or by having the wrong fiscal year selected when manually adding codes. Check with other staff members who may have been setting up codes for the upcoming year before running this process.   Run the Clone Human Resources Codes process to copy codes to the next fiscal year. The Source Fiscal Year is the year you are cloning records from. The Target Fiscal Year is the new year you are cloning records to. Clone Calendar Events and choose the next year date for each cloned event. You may choose which Calendar Events to clone to the next year by selecting the appropriate drop-down options under the headings for Process New Option and Process Existing Option. Select the correct date for next year under the heading for Next Year Date. Clone Calendars and update the start and end date for each cloned calendar. Choose which calendars to clone to the next year by checking or unchecking the box next to each calendar record. Select the correct Start Date and End Date for each calendar to be cloned into the next year.   (Optional) Run the Add Positions and Assignments from Staff Planning process. This process allows Positions and Assignments that exist in the Staff Planning module to be cloned to the Position module for the next year.     (Optional) Run the Clone Positions process to create Position records in the next fiscal year. Use the Position Filters or Advanced Filter to select the Positions to be cloned into the next fiscal year.   (Optional) Run the Clone Assignments process to create Assignment records in the next fiscal year. Use the Assignment Filters or the Advanced Filter to select the Assignments to be cloned into the next fiscal year. Select Next Year Intent codes to choose which Assignments should roll to the next year. Next Year Intent codes that indicate Assignments that don’t roll must be unchecked. Run the Clone Organization Charts process to create Organization Chart records in the next fiscal year. This process clones all Organization Charts from the Source Fiscal Year to the Target Fiscal Year. Run the Clone Substitute Pay Scales process to create Substitute Pay Scale records in the next fiscal year. Complete this process after all Substitute Transactions for the previous fiscal year have been calculated and processed through a Payroll Run. Run the Update Time Off Transactions process. This process will associate employee Time Off Transactions that have a date in the new fiscal year with the employee’s Assignment in that fiscal year.   After completing the cloning processes, perform any maintenance to the codes and records in the new fiscal year. Such maintenance may include performing a Step Increase for matrices, making other adjustments to salaries or hourly rates, allocating Time Off, making changes to Position and Assignment codes and records, and adding any new Positions or Assignments for the next year.     + Post-Year-End Items 0/23   Substitute Tracking Make changes that reflect any new policies or records for the new fiscal year. Examples of items to review include the Pay Scale Codes and Substitute Pay Scales. Time Tracking Make changes that reflect any new policies or records for the fiscal year. Examples of items to review include Employee Time Tracking Group and Assignment Time Tracking Group Codes, Organization Charts, and approval processes. Time Off Update Allocation Schedules. Run the utility to Mass Clone Allocation Schedules. Add new Allocation Schedules for time off allocations to be processed in the new year. Make changes that reflect any new policies or records for the new fiscal year. Examples of items to review include Entitlement, Time Off Type and Time Off Reason codes, Organization Charts, and approval processes. Process any allocations scheduled for the beginning of the new fiscal year. Employee Make changes that reflect any new policies or records for the new fiscal year. Examples of items to review include the Calendar and Calendar Event codes. Update Employee Profile information. Examples of items to review include Years of Experience, Employment, Tax Information, and Emergency Contacts. Use the Mass Increment Years of Experience utility to update records for groups of employees, if appropriate. Position Make changes that reflect any new policies or records for the new fiscal year. Examples of items to review include Matrix codes, Organization Charts, FTE Groups, Position Type codes and Assignment Type codes. Run the Step Increase utility, if necessary. This utility will add a Placement record to the selected employee’s profile that moves the employee up a step on a matrix. Make changes to Positions. Examples of items to review in the Position List include Start Date, Stop Date, Hours Per Day, Calendar, and Budgeted FTE. Make changes to Assignments. Examples of items to review in the Assignment List include Assignment Total Pay, Start Date, Stop Date, Hours Per Day, FTE, Entitlement, and Assignment Schedule. If this is your district’s first year with Skyward, you may need to switch the Salary Calculation Method from Entered to the appropriate method. Add new Assignment records for employees that are new hires or are changing jobs in the new year. Payroll Add new pay schedule details for all payrolls to be processed in the new fiscal year. Adjust the appropriate Payroll codes, such as Benefit or Deduction codes, pay types, or timesheet groups, as necessary. Make changes to pay type and position type defaults in the Deduction List and Benefit List areas of the Payroll module. If necessary, run the Mass Add Employee Benefits or Deductions utility to add deductions or benefits to assignment pay types en masse, based on the pay type and position type defaults set up in the last step. Run the Audit Salary Pay utility. If assignment pay type information updates are necessary (account distributions or deductions/benefits), make those modifications in the Assignment Pay Type List. Verify that all salary pay amounts are correct. In the Payroll module, go to the Assignment Pay Type List area. Create payroll runs and select the pay schedule details for all payroll runs to be processed in the new fiscal year. Benefit Management Update Sub-Plan Rates for the new coverage dates. Use the Mass Update Coverage Months utility to update employees to the new rates. Input employee insurance adds, drops, and coverage changes. After the last payroll from the previous coverage year and prior to the first payroll on the new coverage year, use the Mass Update Employee Payroll Data utility to update employee insurance deduction and benefit amounts.

 

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SMS 2.0 Checklist 

 

 

	Finance Checklist
+ Purchase Orders 0/6   In Preparation: Set up next year’s starting purchase order/ requisition number. Doing so will enable your team to create purchase orders and requisitions in the new fiscal year. To expedite this process, a utility can be used to mass establish these starting numbers.   Ensure all purchase orders that should be rolled into the new year are in an open status. Be sure to update any batch status or reversal purchase orders as well as close out any POs that were fully received.   Run a list of open purchase orders you intend to roll forward, and verify the Reserve for Encumbrance balance equals the balance of the remaining encumbrance of the PO.   Ensure all WIP requisitions for the old fiscal year are either deleted if they are not needed, or fully approved and updated to Open status as a Purchase Order if they should be rolled forward.   Year-End Process: Run the Encumbrance Carry Forward or Expense Open Purchase Order processes. The encumbrance carry forward process will roll any remaining encumbrances into the new fiscal year. For the Encumbrance Carry Forward Process, if the amount is included in the budget, it will be reflected in the revised budget and may be reported with the Budget Carry Forward field. The expense open PO process will charge any remaining encumbrances in the old year and roll the purchase order into a new year with (typically) a liability account.   After: If you notice any negative encumbrances in the new fiscal year, run the Encumbrance Carry Forward process with the closure date set to the last day of the old fiscal year. A negative encumbrance could have occurred if a PO that was encumbered in a previous fiscal year got expensed in the new fiscal year.       + Accounts Payable 0/7   In Preparation: Ensure all accounts payable invoices are in an open status and update any batch status or reversal invoices.   Complete check processing for any invoices that should be posted to the old fiscal year.   Set up next year’s wire transfer and accounts payable ACH (automated clearing house) starting number.   Year-End Process: If you are using pending receiving, roll any outstanding invoices into the new fiscal year.   Verify that all open invoices are outstanding.   Run the Open Invoice History Report using the last day of the fiscal year as the report date. Verify that the balance in the Accounts Payable Accrual Liability reconciles the open invoice amount.   Run and review the following from FM\AM\AU\DI\AI: Master/Detail Invoice Activity Audit, Fix AP History Invoices Audit, as well as review Credit Card Activity, Check Requests, and Expense Reimbursement. Verify all check runs have been completed and posted for the closing year.     + Accounts Receivable 0/7   In Preparation: Clear all batch activity by updating or deleting. If any batch activity exists, the year-end process cannot proceed.   Verify that reversal records have been updated for all fiscal years.   Update all batch payments.   Run the Open to History update to verify that all fully paid, open invoices have been moved to history status.   Verify that all Accounts Receivable refunds have been processed for the fiscal year.   Run the Accounts Receivable Aging report through the last day of the fiscal year with a sort by accrual account and a page break on accrual account.   Verify the total due vs. Accounts Receivable asset accrual account balance.       + General Inputs 0/3   In Preparation: Verify that there are no WIP and batch activity entries in the following areas: Journal Entries, Cash Receipts, Accounts Receivable, Student Billing, and Previous Year Adjustments.   Approve or deny any submitted journal entries.   Delete or update any WIP or batch activity, as appropriate.       + Budget Management 0/3   In Preparation: Verify that there is no WIP and batch activity in the Budget Revisions or Budget Transfers area.   Approve or deny any submitted transfers.   Delete or update any WIP or Batch activity, as appropriate.       + Inventory 0/1   In Preparation: Complete the Year-End Expense Process, the Year-End Requisition Roll, or Cancel Requisition Quantities using the Inventory Year-End Requisition Roll process. (It's only necessary to run one of these three processes. Consult our online documentation for more details.)       + Fixed Assets 0/3   In Preparation: Tie asset values to the general ledger by batch updating any addition/disposal records.   Year-End Process: Run Depreciation.   After: Add the depreciation schedule for the new fiscal year. Once it is added, you will be able to run Depreciation for the new fiscal year.       + Accounts Management 0/6   In Preparation: Create next year’s starting batch numbers. These numbers will allow staff members to enter journal entries, cash receipts, and make accounts receivable entries during the upcoming fiscal year.   Verify all entries for the fiscal year have been recorded, including entries that may be done annually or infrequently. Reconcile all bank statements, cash accounts, payroll liability accounts, Accounts Payable liability accounts, and inter-fund accounts through the last month of the fiscal year.   Run the Fiscal Year-End verification report. This report ensures there are no pending transactions that will prevent closing the previous fiscal year.   Year-End Process: Complete the Fiscal Year-End process, the final step to closing out the year. Districts have 6 months from the last day of the previous fiscal year to complete this process. (Note - if you choose to run the fiscal year-end close process prior to the completion of the audit, you can use Prior Year Adjustments to enter any audit adjustments.)   Verify all entries for the fiscal year have been recorded, including entries that may be done annually or infrequently.   Reconcile all bank statements, cash accounts, payroll liability accounts, Accounts Payable liability accounts, and inter-fund accounts through the last month of the fiscal year.
	Human Resources Checklist
+ Payroll 0/5   Year-End Process: Complete the Close Fiscal Year process in PaC to capture benefits. You will not be able to run payroll one month after the start of the new fiscal year.   Verify payroll processes are complete, including payroll runs, retirement system processes, and on-behalf expense batch journal entries, as necessary.   Post Payroll Accruals as appropriate. If you post monthly accruals or use the payroll encumbrance process, reverse all accruals or liquidate all encumbrances.   Reverse any prior month salary accruals in the system or liquidate any prior Payroll Encumbrance processes.   Process Payroll Payables in accordance with your fiscal year start (July or September)to expense contracts to prior fiscal year and cut checks in the new fiscal year.       + Employee Management / Salary Negotiations 0/4     In Preparation: Create calendars and matrices for the new year. Use the same calendar code from year to year (the calendar description, however, can be unique). Using the same code will be helpful when rolling calendars in employee management and substitute tracking. It will also allow employees to request time off in the next fiscal year.   Add a unique identifier to any assignments that should not be rolled into the next fiscal year. For example, a Job Type Code called ‘terminated’ could be created and tagged to any assignments that should not be rolled into the new fiscal year. During the roll process, these assignments can easily be excluded.   Refer to our online documentation for further details on the Employee Management Year-End Checklist either to close the year in Employee Management or start the year in Salary Negotiations. The module used is typically dictated based on your state residence.   After: Use Employee Letters to create salary notices or contract letters. These forms can be displayed within Employee Access for employees to verify electronically.     + Time Off 0/3   Year-End Process: Create new year calendars if they have not already been created through Employee Management. Use the same calendar code from year to year (the calendar description, however, can be unique). Using the same code will be helpful when rolling calendars in employee management and substitute tracking. Once the new year calendar is created employees will be able to request time off in the next fiscal year.     Run Employee Setup Report in Time Off to verify Time Off Code setup for each employee prior to running allocating time. Run the report by Employee group and by Time Off code to be able to compare the setup easily from one employee to the next.     Allocate time off for the new fiscal year. Allocation amounts are determined by the Roll Code setup on an employee’s time off code. Be sure to check whether your state has any additional items to consider.     + Insurance Tracking 0/5   Year-End Process: The year in Insurance Tracking is based on when premiums are collected and when new insurance costs begin. Insurance Tracking may not coincide with your fiscal year.   Run the Insurance Tracking Roll process if necessary. This process may or may not need to be run, depending on your district’s insurance year.   Verify that all cash receipts have been entered and updated in the system.   Verify that all Estimates and/or Billings have been run and updated in the system.   Run the Insurance Tracking Roll process if necessary.       + Sub Tracking 0/2   Year-End Process: Create new year calendars. Use the same calendar code from year to year (the calendar description, however, can be unique). Using the same code will be helpful when rolling calendars.   Run Sub Tracking Year End Purge to advance the fiscal year, roll calendars, and reset each substitute’s counter for the upcoming year.     + Employee Access 0/1   Year-End Process: Update employees’ calendars attached to the Time Off tab in Profile. Updated calendars will allow employees to request date ranges of time off. Use either Mass Assign Profile Calendars (found under Time Off Date Range Entry Set Up within Employee Access) which will assign the calendar from Employee Management Plan, or the Calendar Codes Mass Change process (found within the time off utilities).       + TrueTime 0/1   Year-End Process: Update calendars on timekeeping rule groups. Doing so will assign any paid holidays or non-working days in the new year to employees’ time sheets.       + Fast Track 0/1   Year-End Process: Roll posted positions to the new employee management plan. (This process could also be handled when running the year-end processes within Employee Management.)

We hope these checklists will help you simplify your year-end processing. If you need further assistance, we're more than happy to help. Need a refresher on all the different support options available to you? Check out Know Your Skyward Support Options today! 
 

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