Fuels and Finance Analysis System - Highways
Quick Start Guide for Highway Finance
This guide is designed to serve as a starting point for users to understand how the FASH web application will fit into the process of gathering and reporting FHWA Forms 531/532 and certain other items of related information. The application will be improved and extended over time, and further integrated with other FHWA systems as they are brought online.
From a technical standpoint, replacing a traditional 'standalone application' with a 'web application' eliminates most of the user's responsibilities and problems typically involved in installing, maintaining and updating software. To use a web application you and your computer/network administrator(s) are not bothered with installing, configuring, keeping track of updates, re-installing updates or re-configuring hardly anything. As long as your PC meets rather reasonable minimum requirements you have only to remember the address of the website (url), your username/password and learn how to use the application for your purposes. You might notice changes appearing from time to time or you might not; either way, the functionality will remain rather intuitive and consistant with what you've seen before.
The scope of the FASH application (at this time) is to make it easier for users to manage and accurately report information related to FHWA Forms 531/532 through a system which is integrated with the processing and reporting that occurs at FHWA Headquarters.
Some of the more notable benefits of the application are that it:
· Eliminates some redundant data entry
· Provides mechanisms to 'import' much of the data if entered elsewhere
· Displays instructions for gathering each item of data
· Prevents some common data entry mistakes
· Validates some important consistencies that should be maintained across data appearing on other forms
· Has interfaces to submit data and receive feedback from analysts at headquarters.
Let's jump right in and take a tour of some of the more practical functionality.
1. Preparations for this excercise
Your PC - When it comes to web applications, system requirements are mostly about the browser. In this case the application is only assured to run on Microsoft Internet Explorer Version 6.0, so your PC must meet those requirements. You'll also need Adobe Acrobat Reader version 5.0.
Other Required Information - aside from the information for forms 531/532 you'll need information from other forms. Providing this information is NOT a prerequisite for entering other data, but it will be needed before the process can be completed. This information is found on forms:
· FHWA-536 (Local Finance)
· FHWA-539 (State Toll)
· FHWA-541, 542, 543 (Debt)
· FHWA-566 (Motor Vehicle)
· FHWA-556 (Motor Fuel)
If you're going to import data - from Excel (Revision 2000 or greater from the office of policy website) files or Xml files (generated by the previous Highway Finance Data collection tool), you'll need to locate those files.
2. Basics - You'll need to enter a small user profile to continue
A responsibility of the user is to maintain their own contact information in the system. Enter it once, change it when neccessary, and the system will plug it in where needed. Most of the information is taken straight from UPACS, here's where you add a few additional facts.
3. Everything gets divided between the funds that are administered by your State. Identify them here to continue (unless you're importing data).
The funds administered by States must be identified through a short setup process as a prerequisite to entering the financial data of the forms 531/532. The list of funds can be later modified as needed. You won't need to complete this section manually if you are importing data, since the information will be extracted automatically.
To identify to the system the list of accounts that are available for use on your forms, click on the 'Accounts' link of the main menu. A screen titled 'Manage Accounts' will appear and is divided by two tabs labeled 'User-Defined' and 'Series-106'. Selecting the 'Series-106' tab displays a list of accounts that appear in Highway Taxes and Fees. Selecting the 'User-Defined' tab reveals a section of the screen that shows a list of any accounts/funds etc that have been identfied in the system. This is NOT the screen where funds are assigned for use on a particular year's form.
We will walk through the steps of identifying a new account to the system, and then go on to create an 'Object of Expenditure' which can be likened to a sub-account.
4. Compile information needed from the list of forms in Step 1.
Several items of information taken from the forms listed in the first step are used to validate your forms 531/532. This information is not crucial enough to be a prerequisite for other data entry, but it will be needed before your form can be validated and submitted.
5. Create your first combined form 531/532 in the system
After completing the beforementioned prerequisites, the process of entering a combined form 531/532 should be rather straightforward. There are two ways to enter financial data: by importing it or entering it manually.
To Import Data - locate the desired XML or Excel files and then follow these steps.
1) The screen will change to reveal an area divided by yet another row of tabs.
2) Go through each tab, filling the labeled fields where possible.
3) You can always come back to this area later.
4) Save your work using the 'Save' button on the bottom of the screen.
To Enter the data manually - First note that the system will not allow access to areas that are affected by unsatisfied prerequisites. Assuming these prerequisites are met, we can continue through the following steps.
1) The screen changes to present (among other things) a 'Create New Form' button as well as a table of forms that already exist in the system.
2) If there are forms present in the table, note values already showing in the 'Year' column shown. You won't be able to create a new form for a year that is already used.
3) Note the 'Modify' button that can later be used to revise the forms already created.
1) The screen will change to reveal a collection of tabbed data entry areas. The 'Header Information' tab will be selected.
2) Mid-way down the screen, find the 'Filing Year' field and enter a year that has not yet been used in the system.
3) Assuming that the prerequisite User Profile information was entered, most of the other fields on the screen should automatically be filled. Fill in whatever fields are still missing.
4) Click the link for 'Help' in the top right area of the screen if you need more thorough instructions on this (or any) screen.
5) Save your work by clicking the 'Save' button on the bottom of the screen.
1) The screen will change to reveal an area divided by yet another row of tabs.
2) Go through each tab, filling the labeled fields where possible.
3) You can always come back to this area later.
4) Save your work using the 'Save' button on the bottom of the screen.
1) The screen will change to reveal a list of available accounts (that you entered in prerequisite steps).
2) Highlight the name of an account on the list to the left, then click the 'Add' button to have it added to the list of 'Selected Accounts' shown on the right. Repeat this step for every account that needs to be used on the current form.
3) The 'Remove' and 'Clear' buttons may be used to remove items from the list of selected accounts.
4) Save your work by using the 'Save' button on the bottom of the screen.
1) The screen will change to reveal the main financial data entry section of the application. Two list boxes in the upper area of the screen work together to allow navigation between pages and sections of the forms 531/532 while a table of links to individual items allows entry/revision of the values and comments for those items.
2) Look to the top left of this area to find a listbox labeled 'Form/Page'. Click on this listbox to view a short list of forms and their pages that are available in the system. Select one of them.
3) With respect to the page chosen on the 'Form/Page' listbox, the 'Item' listbox will refresh to contain the list of sections existing on that page. Select an item from this list, then click the 'Go' button to refresh the screen.
4) The table below these listboxes will contain a list of line items relevant to the Form/Page and Item (section) selected on the lists. Click on the description of an item in this table.
5) The screen will change to reveal data entry fields for 'Amount' and 'Comments'. Fill in these fields where relevant.
6) Look to the bottom of this table for a button labeled 'Add Miscellaneous Item'. Click this button to add a new row to the table in situations where your state uses a customized line item description. The new row will appear labeled 'New Miscellaneous Item'. Click on this description to reveal data entry fields for 'Amount', 'Value' and 'Description' (where you insert the custom description used by your state). Edit these values where relevant.
7) Your work is saved as you navigate around between fields in this area. Use the 'Save' button before moving to other areas of the application to assure that your last item modified is not discarded.
Many errors and inconsistancies in your data can be identified by viewing the 'Validation Report'. To validate your form follow these steps.
7. Submit your form
A form which has had its validation issues resolved is ready to be submitted. Follow these steps through the process.