To: Heads of State Agencies and Human Resource Directors

Subject: GFS Conversion

Issue Date: February 14, 1996

The Division of Administration is preparing to implement a new statewide accounting system, the Government Financial Accounting System (GFS), to replace the existing FACS system. This will involve changing the cost center, project, and salary object code values on the records of all agencies now using FACS. Because such data is also recorded in the statewide AM45 Position Control and CS02 Personnel systems, these, too, will have to be updated. The conversion efforts for all three systems are scheduled for completion for July 1, 1996.

To assist the agencies using these systems, the Division's Office of Information Services (OIS) technical staff is planning to develop programming to convert the affected data on personnel and position records. Reports of all changes made or rejected will be provided to the agencies. This documentation will include SF-1s (one copy each for the agency and Civil Service), SF-20s, and error reports indicating which records could not be updated and why. Civil Service also will provide instructions on how to correct the data on any rejected records. To the greatest extent possible, these conversions are being automated.

The following are the changes scheduled to be implemented:

Cost Centers

Cost Centers will now be called GFS ORGs and will be identified as such both on-line and on reports. Although the data format of a GFS ORG will be four alphanumeric characters (preceded by a"0" in AM45PC) instead of five digits, the GFS ORG field will still consist of five character spaces, the first of which will be "0". This data will be converted in AM45PC.

Division Numbers

Division numbers will be converted based upon the data on the ISIS/GFS cost center conversion table. They will continue to match the home (1st) GFS ORGs of positions in agencies historically requiring such a match. This data will be converted in AM45PC and CS02, and corresponding new agency/division/unit records will be established in the CS02/AM45PC reference files.

Salary Object Codes
Salary object codes will now be identified as Objects and still will consist of four digits. Most object values are changing (e.g. "2112" becomes "2100") and will be converted on both personnel and position records.

Projects and Detail Objects

Projects and Detail Objects will now be identified as "Reporting Categories" and "Sub-Objects", respectively. These fields will be deleted from the position control system both on-line and on reports.

Further details regarding these changes, as well as information regarding actions to be taken prior to the conversions, will be issued in future general circulars. In the interim, you may contact your agency accounting divisions for more specific information on the changes in cost center and salary object data. It is important that you analyze the impact these changes will have on your internal agency personnel and/or position tracking systems, and that you notify your information systems/data processing staff accordingly. While the Division-planned conversions affect only agencies reported on the ISIS/GFS cost center conversion table, some non-FACS (non-GFS) agencies may use the same record formats in their internal information systems. These agencies may direct their questions to Division staff members assigned to the GFS development team at 504-342-0900 or Linc 421-0900.

Sincerely,

Herbert L. Sumrall
Director