August, 2022 Travel Optimization Update
The summer has been busy with work to improve travel processes. The first change you may notice is that we are now the Reimbursement Processing Support Unit (RPS). As travel booking becomes more wide-spread, this new name reflects our tightened focus. We have added information about our travel optimization efforts. Some of the highlights to our work are noted below. The full status is available in the latest Travel Optimization Recommendations Update Details report.
- Receipts are no longer required for Meals & Incidentals or Fuel!
- Students and employees no longer need receipts for meals and incidental expense (M&IE) Receipts are still required for community members. Please note that receipts are still required for Business Meals.
- Reimbursement for M&IE can be made at 100% / 50% / 0% of maximum reimbursable rate.
- When a personally owned vehicle is used, reimbursement is now done on the basis of mileage.
- Student and community member reimbursements are now prioritized automatically. Thanks to a modification implemented in the Employee Service Center (ESC), this improvement will consistently move students to the front of the line!
- Traveling on University business means knowing policy and process! Travel training is now available for travelers and those who book travel. See more on our Travel Training
- Metrics continue to be a challenge but we have defined what we want to measure and are beginning to close the data gaps to get there. There are many details around metrics, so please visit our Travel Metrics page to learn more.
- The RPS staff are now aligned with colleges and divisions. We trust this change will enhance our understanding of local nuances as well as improve communication. In addition, the same staff member will both create the Expense Reimbursement document as well as enter it into PeopleSoft Financials. This change decreases handoffs and improves knowledge across the transaction. Find your RPS contact here.
- The most widely used travel policies were updated for clarity and brevity. More will be reviewed in the coming months.
- We have added several resources to Knowledge Base including:
- Blanket Travel Approval Memo
- ESC Long-Term (LT) Travel Case Submission
- ESC Travel Case Submission – Quick Reference
- Group Travel Roster Blank
- ServiceNOW! Phone App Instructions
- Top 3 Contributors to Reimbursement Re-work
- Travel Booking Certified – Booking Guide
- Travel Case Sub-States: What they are & when they change
- Travel Service: NAU Employee/Student Case Submission & Navigating in Case View
- Who is My Assigned RPS Staff Member?
A few key modifications were made to the Employee Service Center.
- Travel support services were simplified:
- Choose between Individual Travel Support or Group Travel Support.
- Individual Travel Support asks if the traveler is an NAU Employee, NAU Student, or Community Member.
- New logic-dependent data fields were added:
- If traveler is an Employee, select Duty Post via a drop down (required).
- If traveler is a Community Member, enter mailing address for reimbursement purposes (required).
- If the trip is funded by a grant, is the reimbursee a participant (Yes/No) (required).
- If a conference is the purpose of the travel, enter conference website (required).
- Use of a personal vehicle (Yes/No) (required).
What’s Coming Soon?
Several enhancements are underway and more in the short-term pipeline. Upcoming items include:
- Travel trainings available on-demand.
- Begin metrics baseline measurements.
- Continuous system and process enhancements improving data quality and availability for metrics.
- More ESC/policy improvements:
- Mouse-over help “tips.”
- Migration of a revamped Justification for Exception to Policy process.
- Ability to choose M&IE reimbursement rate of 100%, 50%, or 0%. New departure and return day reimbursement of 100% (after noon) or 50% (before noon).