STARS Transactions That Create Hold File Records​

Introduction

An asset purchased using STARS, Payment Services, or P-Card may create a record automatically into the FAS Hold File, based on how the purchase is fiscally coded.

Payment Services and P-Card transactions are uploaded to STARS in a nightly process, so Payment Services and P-Card transactions become STARS transactions, and any STARS process described here applies to those applications.

The agency must select an asset in the FAS Hold File and either enter the asset in FAS or delete it from the Hold File if it does not need to be recorded.

Overview of the STARS to FAS Process

A transaction entered in STARS, Payment Services, or P-Card will contain various fiscal codes (e.g., a transaction code, a property number, etc.). Certain transaction codes used with specific subobject codes can require you to enter a property number and a component number. This combination of fiscal codes can create a record in FAS automatically.

Generally, when an asset is purchased, the expenditure is entered in STARS, Payment Services, or P-Card as follows:

  • A 230 or a 236 transaction code is used with a subobject code in the 6000 capital outlay range.
  • The combination of most 6000 range of subobject codes with the 230 or 236 transaction codes will require you to enter a property number and component number.
  • Assets may be purchased using subobject codes in the 5000 operating expense range. If so, a Capitalization Indicator (CI) of either F or must be entered as well as a property number and a component number. An in the Capitalization Indicator (CI) field will create a FAS Hold File record. A W is used for construction in progress. The Capitalization Indicator in STARS, Payment Services, or P-Card could be considered as the "FAS indicator".

Once all STARS batches have been processed, FAS scans for each transaction with a Property and Component number, or a CI indicator of 'F'.

These transactions create records in the FAS Hold File. You can then either add the asset to FAS or delete it from the Hold File. After the records are processed successfully, they will remain in the Hold File until they are purged during the nightly FAS batch cycle.

General Rules

STARS contains 'edits' (rules in the program) that require a property number and a component number be entered on certain transactions, but not allowed for other transactions, and also determine if a STARS transaction should be automatically entered into the FAS Hold File.

Rule 1

The FAS indicator on the Organizational Control (OC) Table 25 is a Y. This means that your agency is using FAS as its fixed asset application.

Rule 2

Either:

a. The STARS subobject has a Property Class indicator, which is its “FAS indicator". The subobject determines the FAS asset class and the FAS transaction code you should use.

or

b. The Capitalization Indicator (CI) on the STARS Data Entry Screen or Payment Services or P-Card screen is an 'F'. This is the “FAS indicator" for these applications.

Rule 3

 Either:

a. The Transaction Code (TC) posting sequence equals '5' and its Expenditure Subobject equals 'I' (input) or 'R' (required).

or

b. The Transaction Code (TC) posting sequence equals '1' and its Revenue Subobject equals 'I' (input) or 'R' (required).

FAS Combines STARS/ Payment Services Transactions

When purchasing an asset, you may make multiple entries in STARS or Payment Services in order to record multiple funding sources (Fund, Budget Unit, PCA, Index, Grant, or Project). During the STARS to FAS process, FAS will combine these multiple entries into a few FAS Hold File records. There are certain rules FAS uses in determining how to combine the STARS transactions:

1. FAS looks for STARS transactions with the same Property Number, Component Number, Asset class, and Transaction Code type. (Asset Class is determined by the expenditure subobject code used in the STARS transaction, and the subobject's Property Class indicator. The asset classes include:

  • 1 - Land
  • 2 - Buildings
  • 3 - Improvements Other Than Buildings
  • 4 - Machinery and Equipment

2.  Once FAS determines that the transactions have the same Property Number, Component Number, Asset Class, and Transaction Code type, it combines the data in the following ways:

  • The amounts are combined into a single grand total. This total is the Acquisition/Disposition/Transfer amount (ADT AMT).
  • For each unique funding source combination, the Fund, Fund Detail, and Budget Unit are displayed, and the amounts are grouped together as a sub-total. These sub-totals are displayed on the second data screen of the property record called the Funding Source Screen.
  • If you may have more than 10 funding source combinations, the tenth line will contain the sum of the amounts for line 10, 11, 12, etc. The funding source information will reflect the original information from line 10.
  • For each unique PCA, Index, Grant and Phase, or Project and Phase, a unique field is displayed. For each displayed field, the amount shown will be the sum of all the records that matched the displayed field.

3. FAS will create only one record for each entry that has the same the Property Number, Component Number, and Asset Class. The amounts are added together and is the ADT AMT on FAS. Sub-total amounts are seen on the Funding Source Screen and on the Optional Funding Source Screen in FAS.

Significance of Sequence Numbers

Each processing night, FAS extracts all successfully posted STARS transactions that have a Property and Component number. The transactions are combined as described and placed in the FAS Hold File.

The Hold File is a temporary area where records await final coding to be entered (such as quantity, class code, and location). When a STARS transaction is automatically entered in the Hold File, a sequence number is automatically added to the record. The first sequence number is usually 0001. For multiple records extracted with the same property and component number, a sequence number of 0002 will be assigned to the second record, 0003 to the third, etc.

Once the STARS/ Payment Services transaction is in the FAS Hold File, select the record from the Hold File and enter the asset information.

Select the Record from the Hold File

1. Type 32 at the FAS Main Menu and press ENTER to open the Hold File.

2. Type R in the FUNCTION field.

3. Press ENTER to display a list of records (type N in the FUNCTION field and then press ENTER to 'scroll' to the next page of records) or type the specific Property Number and Component Number, and then press ENTER.

The SRC column will display an 'S' if the record came from STARS or an 'F' if the record was entered directly FAS.

4. Type an S in the FUNCTION field then press TAB until you reach the space in the S/X column, next to the record.

5. Type either an S or an X in the space next to the record and press ENTER to open the S033 screen.

Enter Asset Information in the STARS Generated to FAS Data Entry Screen (S033)

Verify that the Property Number and Component Number are correct.

1. Type a C (to change/update) in the FUNCTION field if the Property and Component Numbers are correct.

2. Type an A in the FUNCTION field if the Property and Component Numbers are incorrect. Then enter a new Property and Component Number.

3. Review the transaction code (FAS TC) to be sure it matches the class of the asset (Land, Building, etc.). Only transaction codes A01 - A04 are entered on the S033 screen. If the transaction code is incorrect for the asset class, enter the correct transaction code.

4. Do not change the REF PROP (Reference Property) or REF COMP (Reference Component) number. Reference Property and Component Numbers are in the STARS transaction and copied to the FAS Hold File record. The Reference numbers are required fields for transactions processed through screen S033. The Reference Property and Component Number are sometimes referred to the 'parent' or 'trailer' record.

5. The remaining fields that you will need to enter are based on the Transaction Code and class of asset or other information as required by your agency. See the FAS Data Entry Fields table below for descriptions of these fields.

6. Press F7 to review the Funding Sources and verify the Fund/Budget Unit/Amount to be applied to this asset. There are two screens that display funding source – Required Funding Sources (S034) and Optional Funding Sources (S34A).

  • The Required Funding Sources screen S034 contains Budget Unit, Fund, Fund Detail, and Amount.
  • If your agency tracks assets by PCA, Index, Grant and Phase, or Project and Phase, press F8 and review Optional Funding Sources screen S34A. This is optional to make changes if needed.
  • If the required funding sources are incorrect, delete the record, enter expenditure adjustments in STARS and then enter the asset directly in FAS.

7. Press F6 to return to the S033 screen.

8. Press F1 or ENTER to save. The asset record will remain in the Hold file until it is released. You can view it in the FAS Property File (S040) and the Hold File. If you have changed the Property or Component number, the original “parent" record will be automatically removed from the Hold file after the new Property/Component number has been released.

If you have corrected any problems related to error messages but do not have acquisition release authority, an 'INVALID APPROVAL LEVEL' message will be displayed and the STATUS field will display an 'H' for hold status. The record will require an operator with the appropriate approval level to release the transaction.

If you do have acquisition release authority, the status of the FAS Hold File record will show a 'P', for successfully posted (i.e., the STATUS field in the reference area will be 'P'). 

Release the FAS Transaction

The person with release authority will need to do the following:

1. Type 32 (FAS Hold File) at the FAS Main Menu and press ENTER.

2. Type R in the FUNCTION field, enter the agency number (if needed), and press ENTER to recall the records. (You can enter the specific Property Number and Component Number, and then press ENTER.) To 'scroll' through the records, type N in the FUNCTION field and then press ENTER.

3. Type S in the FUNCTION field then press TAB until the cursor is in the S/X column and next to the record to release.

4. Type either an S or an X next to the record and press ENTER.

5. Review the selected record.

6. If the record is correct, type in the FUNCTION field to approve the transaction.

7. Press F1 or ENTER to save. The POSTING STATUS on the record should reflect 'P' for posted.

  • If the selected record is incorrect, exit the record. Notify the data entry person of the necessary changes. Once the changes are made, bring up the record and approve it as described above.

8. Press F3 to return to the Hold File.