Finance Tables In Peoplesoft

PeopleSoft Finance tables form the backbone of financial data management within the PeopleSoft Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. Understanding their structure and purpose is crucial for financial professionals and system administrators alike. These tables store a vast amount of information related to accounting, procurement, asset management, and treasury functions, enabling accurate reporting and analysis.

ChartFields: The Foundation

The core of PeopleSoft Finance lies in its ChartField structure. ChartFields are essentially segments of the accounting key, used to categorize and classify financial transactions. Common ChartFields include:

• Business Unit: Represents a separate entity within the organization (e.g., a subsidiary, department).
• Account: Identifies the specific type of transaction (e.g., revenue, expense, asset).
• Department: Tracks expenses and revenue at the departmental level.
• Fund Code: Used for organizations with specific funding sources, such as government entities or non-profits.
• Project: Assigns transactions to specific projects for tracking and reporting.

These and other ChartFields, stored in tables like GL_ACCOUNT_TBL (General Ledger Account Table) and DEPT_TBL (Department Table), are combined to create a unique ChartField combination, which acts as the primary key for financial transactions.

Key Financial Tables

Beyond ChartFields, several other tables are critical for managing financial data:

• LEDGER and LEDGER_KK: These tables store summarized financial data from journals. The LEDGER table holds actual data, while LEDGER_KK contains budget and commitment control information.
• JOURNAL_HEADER and JOURNAL_LINE: These tables store detailed journal entry information, including debit and credit amounts, descriptions, and ChartField combinations.
• AP_VOUCHER and related tables (e.g., AP_VCHR_LINE, AP_PYMNT_TBL): These tables manage Accounts Payable data, including vendor information, invoice details, and payment history.
• AR_ITEM and related tables (e.g., AR_CUST_TBL, AR_PAYMENT): These tables manage Accounts Receivable data, including customer information, invoice details, and payment application.
• Asset Management tables: These tables, starting with ASSET, manage asset information, including acquisition cost, depreciation, and disposal.

Reporting and Data Analysis

The data stored in these tables is used for various reporting and analysis purposes. PeopleSoft provides tools like PS/Query, PeopleSoft nVision, and integration with external reporting tools to extract and analyze this data. Understanding the relationships between these tables and the underlying data structure is crucial for creating accurate and meaningful financial reports.

Customization and Extension

Organizations often customize PeopleSoft Finance tables to meet their specific needs. This can involve adding custom ChartFields, creating new tables to store additional data, or modifying existing tables. While customization can enhance functionality, it’s important to carefully consider the impact on system performance and future upgrades.

In conclusion, PeopleSoft Finance tables are essential for managing and analyzing financial data within the PeopleSoft ERP system. A thorough understanding of these tables, their structure, and their relationships is vital for financial professionals and system administrators to effectively use the system and generate accurate financial reports.