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Administrator Guide
Last Updated: 2026-03-13
Example: Set Up Award Budget Checks for Specific Worktags

Example: Set Up Award Budget Checks for Specific Worktags

This example illustrates how to implement a budget check for award-related spending with specific object class worktags.
You're an award contract specialist at Alma Mater University (USA). You want to implement a budget check for your direct spends on the award line for AWD-125. As part of the approval process, you want Workday to check your spend transactions in a given period to ensure that the total expenses on:
  • Salaries don't exceed 100,000 USD.
  • Supplies don't exceed 50,000 USD.
  • Constructions don't exceed 100,000 USD.
You want the budget check to:
  • Fail when the transaction amount causes the total spend for the specific worktags to exceed the planned amount for the budgetary period.
  • Pass credit transactions automatically.
  • Include reserved journals.
  • Allow budget to accumulate from previous award entry periods.
  • Apply to actuals, encumbrance, and pre-encumbrance ledger types.
  • Create and approve award AWD-125.
  • Add the
    Check Budget
     action step to the transaction business processes of the grant expenditure. Example: Add the
    Check Budget
     step to the
    Accounting Journal Event
     business process if you want to create accounting journals to charge to the grant.
  • Security:
    Manage: Project Budget
     domain in the Projects functional area.
  1. Access the AWD-125: Athletic Foundation - Sports Park 08/01/2020 (version 0) award.
  2. On the
    Plan
     tab, click
    Create Budget Template
     and enter these values:
    Option Description
    Plan Structure
    Award
    Company
    Alma Mater University (USA)
    Award
    AWD-125: Athletic Foundation - Sports Park 08/01/2020 (version 0)
    Default Entry Type
    Award
  3. Click
    OK
     and
    Done
    .
  4. Click
    Edit Budget Check Options
     and enter these values:
    Option Description
    Plan Structure
    Award
    Company
    Alma Mater University (USA)
    Plan Name
    AWD-125: Athletic Foundation - Sports Park 08/01/2020 (version 0)
  5. Click
    OK
    .
  6. Enter these values on the
    Award
     tab:
    Option Description
    Enable Budget Check
    Select
    Include Reserved Journal Lines
    Select
    Allow Credit Transactions to Pass
    Select
    Budget Check Option
    Warn
    Evaluation Date
    Budget Date
    Cumulative Control Periods
    Select this check box, and select the
    Control by Award Entry Period
     option.
    Ledger Types for Budget Check
    Select
    Actuals
    ,
    Encumbrance
    , and
    Pre-Encumbrance
    .
  7. Click
    OK
     and
    Done
    .
  8. Click
    Maintain Budget
    .
  9. Click
    OK
    .
  10. Add plan lines with these values:
    Ledger Account/Summary
    Worktags
    AW 1 Annual Amount
    AW 2 Annual Amount
    6000: Salaries
    Object Class: Federal Programs: 1000 Personnel
    Grant: 125 Athletic Foundation- Sports Park
    100,000.00
    100,000.00
    6730: Supplies
    Object Class: Federal Programs: 5000 Supplies
    Grant: 125 Athletic Foundation- Sports Park
    50,000.00
    50,000.00
    6800: Construction
    Object Class: Federal Programs: 6000 Contractual
    Grant: 125 Athletic Foundation- Sports Park
    100,000.00
    100,000.00
  11. Click
    OK
     and
    Done
    .
  12. Click
    Submit Budget
    .
  13. Click
    OK
    .
You can now do budget checks on your award spending. Workday checks all spend transactions against the budget before approving the transactions. When a transaction contains the same dimensions (ledger account, object class, and grant worktags) as those specified on a plan line, and the amount is:
  • At or below the budget balance on the plan line, award budget check passes.
  • Over the budget balance on the plan line, award budget check fails. You can view the exception from the
    Budget Check Exceptions
     report.
When a transaction doesn't contain all the required dimensions on the plan lines, Workday skips the budget check for the transaction.
You can use the
Budget Check Exceptions
 report to view details of any budget check exceptions.