Path: Accounting > Universal Financial
The Universal Financial Interface (UFI) module is an optional interface used to transfer data between WebTMA and some financial applications (e.g., PeopleSoft, Banner, etc.).
When you elect to use UFI, all account numbers in WebTMA records use the UFI format and relate to similar numbers in your organization's accounting database outside of WebTMA. The Account # field on windows such as Work Order can accommodate as many as 100 characters. The view is limited to the length of the field.
Getting Started with UFI
Before you start the setup process, please contact the experts at your organization who know the details about accounts. For instance, the UFI module accommodates variable length account segments, but you must specify the maximum length of the segment.
The person at your company who knows these details can help you answer setup questions that apply exclusively to your firm. An exception to this is Microsoft Dynamics GP (see below for details) where all account numbers are set up in the Dynamics GP application itself.
Communication with your accounting database is facilitated by a web service that runs at your site. This service is written using the .NET framework. It needs to be hosted on a computer with Microsoft Windows software and the appropriate Microsoft .NET framework installed.
You also have the option to import accounts using the Universal Interface in WebTMA.
Details on Universal Import are outlined in UFI - Account Import.
For WebTMA SaaS clients, make sure the host computer is accessible from the Internet. For On-Premise clients, the computer must be accessible to the server running the WebTMA application.
UFI Module Processes
Validation consists of the database connection and segment definitions. The database connection can be made directly to the accounting database or to a flat file.
These do not apply to Dynamics GP. Please see the next topic, Microsoft Dynamics GP, for details.
Creating output consists of templates and assigning the templates.
During the validation process:
- WebTMA and the financial application exchange data either directly or to a flat file.
- The financial back end (e.g., PeopleSoft, Banner, etc.) transfers segments of their information to the selected database. A segment is a portion of an account number.
- The WebTMA database connects to the selected location.
During the Post Charges function of WebTMA, data is extracted from WebTMA. The data can be configured to send to a flat file or a database.
Microsoft Dynamics GP
Since the connection between Dynamics GP and WebTMA is a direct link, the only information that applies is found in the Database Connection section of UFI Setup.
The account numbers are transferred into WebTMA from Dynamics GP, and a review of any data imported from WebTMA takes place in the Microsoft Dynamics GP application.
CAUTION: While Dynamics GP allows as many as ten (10) account number segments, WebTMA can accommodate only nine (9) segments.