Skip to main content
Documentation
Documentation
Administrator Guide
Last Updated: 2023-06-23
Concept: Changing Charge Code Combinations

Concept: Changing Charge Code Combinations

Changing the structure of a charge code or the underlying allocation system, such as Workday Financials, SAP, Oracle, Coupa, or Ariba can significantly impact VNDLY processes and data. Because of this, only VNDLY Professional Services can change the design or structure of a charge code. In addition, the sensitive nature of financial data and the complexity of migrating charge codes necessitates Professional Services engagement.
Requirements
Changing a charge code requires:
  • Charge code migration of existing data from job, work order, SOW, time, and expenses.
  • New invoicing requirements that might necessitate invoice file updates.
  • Updates by development to custom developed invoices.
  • Updates by development to custom reports that use charge codes for fields, filters, and parameters.
Impacts
To understand the impact of changing a charge code, consider:
Charge Code Touchpoint
Where Assigned or Used
Effect of Change
Jobs
Assigned at creation
Migration of existing data
Work Orders
Maintained on work order
Migration of existing data
Time entry
Logged against
Migration of existing data
Expenses
Logged against
Migration of existing data
Invoices
Flow to invoice
Changes to invoice structure from new requirements
Financial systems
Traced for cost allocation
Updates required
Resource managers
Can be linked to charge code
Updates required
Reporting (VNDLY)
Used to track spending
Custom reports that use charge codes need updates
Process
Charge code migration includes multiple phases, beginning with initial requirements and ending with production deployment.
To understand the phases in the migration process, consider:
Phase
Steps
Requirements Gathering and Analysis
This phase determines the scope and complexity of the change.
  • Determine Key Field Changes:
     Identify if the customer is adding or removing fields that relate to the uniqueness of a charge code combination (the key fields).
  • Identify Usage:
    Determine if the charge codes are used in timesheets and/or expenses, as these require specific migration steps.
  • Identify Customizations:
     Catalog all custom developed invoices and reports that reference existing charge code segments to ensure they are updated.
Configuration and Development
This phase involves applying the new configuration and making required updates.
  • Make Configuration Changes:
    Apply the new charge code configuration through the Workday Only Administration Tool (for VNDLY configuration).
  • Update Reports/Exports:
     Identify and update any reports or exports using the changed fields.
  • Update Invoice Display:
     Update the invoice line item display name if the field was used in the Charge Code display name.
  • Development Updates:
     Update custom developed invoices to accommodate the new structure.
Migration and Script Execution
This phase involves migrating existing data to the new structure, often requiring the use of specific scripts and management commands.
See the Decision Flow for details of the nature of the change.
  • Request Mapping Files:
     Request mapping files for the following instances as needed:
    • All but closed and canceled jobs.
    • Work orders.
    • Statement of work (settings and unit payments).
    • Time and expenses (if these are open assignment and not restricted by work order).
  • Work Orders and Jobs Migration:
    VNDLY migrates the identified jobs, work orders, and SOWs using migration commands and the provided data files.
  • Time and Expense Migration:
    These migrate based on the work orders and jobs when the charge codes for time and expenses are restricted based on the work order. Otherwise, these migrate separately,
  • Statement of Work Migration:
     The SOW migration is complex and requires assistance from Product & Technology.
Testing and Validation
Thorough testing is crucial to ensure data integrity and system functionality.
  • Unit Testing:
     Test the new charge Code Configuration and updated customizations.
  • Integration Testing:
    Verify data flow between VNDLY and the Financial System (such as Workday Financials or SAP) using the new Charge Code structure.
  • User Acceptance Testing (UAT):
    Business users must validate that existing data (migrated Jobs, work orders, time, expenses) functions correctly and that new Invoices and reports are accurate.
Decision Flow
The decision flow shows the steps of the migration based on the nature of the change.
Decision:
 Are you seeking to change Financial Systems or capture additional attribures for existing charge code combinations?
  • Yes (System Change) Decision:
     Is you current invoice (if you are using VNDLY invoicing) a custom developed invoice?
    When the answer is Yes to any of these questions, a migration is required:
    Are these additional attributes key fields?
    Does this materially alter selection?
    Are new tables being added?
    Is an integration required to import these attributes?
    Are there additional attributes that must be transmitted in downstream integrations?
  • No (Additional Attributes) Decision:
     Is you current invoice (if you use VNDLY invoicing) a custom developed invoice?
    When the answer is No, then only new description columns are added to the charge code.
Role of Professional Services
You can expect Professional Services to perform these steps:
  • Scripting and Data Migration:
    The migration of existing data in jobs, work orders, SOWs, timesheets, and expenses requires specialized scripts and management commands that only Workday VNDLY technical consultants can execute.
  • Invoice and Report Development:
     Custom developed invoices and reports must be updated by development resources who know the VNDLY codebase and report structure.
  • Risk Mitigation:
    Professional Services teams ensure a controlled, systematic migration process to minimize errors, especially those that could arise from key field changes in the charge code combination.
  • P&T Engagement:
     Certain activities, such as migrating expenses (if no script is available), require direct engagement with the Product & Technology (P&T) team, and Professional Services typically coordinates this engagement.
Depending on the complexity of the change and the volume of data, the number of hours required of Professional Services can range from 40 to 60 hours for a simple charge code migration to 100 to 160+ hours for a complex charge code migration.