Please bookmark this page and check it regularly for
advisories and useful suggestions for using BEN Financials.
The most recent advisories and tips appear at the top. When a
problem has been resolved, RESOLVED and the date will appear
in the right hand column for five business days and then the item
will be removed from the list and placed into the
Advisories Archive.
| Posted Date |
Application |
Symptom/Tip |
Advisory/Detail |
| 11/15/11 |
BEN Pays/ MarkView |
Unable to view images for invoices with a creation date (GL Date) 7 years or older |
End-users will receive the following message when trying to view an image for an invoice with a creation date (GL Date) 7 years or older in BEN Financials.
“Could not retrieve image from: 'https://benimgprd02.isc-seo.upenn.edu: 4443/mvasdtm/markview/01704794.tif? application=WEBCLIENT&documentID=1339120&pageNumber=1&path=/data02/oms29/4/7/9/4/01704794.tif'.”
If the image is needed, end-users should contact BEN Admin at benadmin@lists.upenn.edu.
|
| 10/14/11 |
BEN Financials |
SUN JRE v1.6.0_24 or higher needed to access BEN Financials. JRE is NOT required for end-users that only have access to the Requisitioner responsibility or use the Shopper Role. Additionally, no change is necessary for MAC users since this change comes to the O/S directly with updates. |
As of October 14th, all BEN Financials users should have JRE v1.6.0_24 or higher (JRE version 1.7.x will not be supported) installed on their workstations.
Use this link to verify the version of JRE that is installed on the workstation, http://java.com/en/download/installed.jsp. The recommended practice to obtain a supported version of JRE is to download it from the BEN server. Simply remove the existing version from the user’s workstation and the user will then be prompted to download the JRE when logging into BEN Financials.
If you have any questions: End-users should contact their school/ center LSP http://www.upenn.edu/computing/view/support/ LSPs should contact the ISC Provider Desk at 215.898.4017 or prodesk@isc.upenn.edu
UPDATED 12/05/11 - An exploit has recently been released that takes advantage of a vulnerability that exists in many of the released versions of Java. Therefore, it is recommended that BEN users utilize SUN JRE version 1.6.0_29. To download version 1.6.0_29 please visit http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp. As a reminder, DO NOT upgrade to upgrade to Java 7, as it is not yet certified for BEN.
Further update details: The vulnerability exists in Oracle Java SE JDK and JRE 7 (1.7.0) and JRE 6 Update 27 (1.6.0_27) and earlier. ISC is planning to update the Java client package delivered by the BEN server as soon as possible so that it provides JRE 6 Update 29. Until that time, the BEN server will continue to deliver the vulnerable JRE 6 Update 24 to systems that connect and that do not yet have JRE installed. For this reason, please be sure to pre-install JRE 6 Update 29 on any systems that will be accessing BEN Financials for the first time over the next several days. We will send another message to this list to let you know when the server has been updated to deliver JRE 6 Update 29.
UPDATED 12/16/11 - The BEN Financials server has been updated and it now delivers JRE 6 Update 29 to workstations that connect to BEN and do not yet have JRE installed. Effective Monday, December 19, Java 6 Update 29 (1.6.0_29) will be the only version of JRE that will be supported for use with BEN Financials.
NOTE: JRE version 1.7 is not supported
|
| 9/9/11 |
BEN Buys |
Error message received when user attempts to view ‘Requisitions I Have Approved’ |
RESOLVED 9/12/2011
End-users reported they were not able to view details for requisitions they have approved and received an “ERROR PAGE” when performing the following steps:
From the Requisitions Home Page
- Under My Notifications, click on ‘Full List’
- Click on ‘Approvals’ tab
- From the drop down list select ‘Requisitions I Have Approved’
- When selecting a Requisition number or requisition description, “ERROR PAGE” is received with the following message details: You have encountered an unexpected error. Please contact your System Administrator for assistance.
|
| 5/18/11 |
BEN Financials |
‘Forgot Password’ function is not generating emails |
RESOLVED 9/23/2011
For detailed instructions on how to change your password using the BEN Self-Service Password Changer, click here
Currently, there is a problem with the BEN Financials “Forgot Password’ function. End-users who have forgotten their password can follow the instructions below as a temporary workaround to reset their password.
Workaround –
EFFECTIVE 5/18/11; use workaround until further notice
- Click on the ‘Forgot your password?’ link at: https://benfprod.isc-seo.upenn.edu/OA_HTML/AppsLocalLogin.jsp
- Send an email to benadmin@lists.upenn.edu stating you have submitted a request to reset your password
- Someone from BEN Admin will advise you when your request has been manually submitted
- End-user will receive an email from “Secure Share” containing the link to retrieve their temporary password
- End-user will enter the temporary password to access BEN Financials
If you have any questions, feel free to call BEN Helps at 215.746.4357
|
| 2/16/11 |
BEN Buys |
Error messages received when user attempts to use a Deliver-To (Ship-To) Location that has been deactivated |
A process has been put in place to clean-up any Deliver-To (Ship-To) Locations that have never been used and/or have not been used for some time.
Below are a few examples of messages end-users will receive when using a location that has been deactivated.
In Requisitioner:
User Preferences> My Profile
If an end-user tries to change their default Deliver-To Location to a location that has been deactivated, they will receive the following message:
• ERROR – Select a valid value
Requisitions Checkout Process
If an end-user changes/ updates a requisition and the Deliver-To Location on one or more lines has been deactivated, they will receive the following message:
• ERROR – Deliver-To Location is invalid
Receiving
When entering receipts for one or more PO Lines, an end-user will receive the following message after they select the ‘Submit’ button on the Receive Items - Review and Submit screen:
• ERROR – Receipts cannot be created for the selected items because of one of the following reasons:
- The deliver-to location specified on the associated order line is invalid.
In PO Manager:
Enter Receipts
When entering receipts for one or more PO Lines, an end-user will receive the following message if there is not a Location displayed on the form when attempting to save the receipt(s).
• FRM-40202: Field must be entered
NOTE: In each of these instances, the Deliver-To (Ship-To) Location is a required field. Enter an active/valid location and proceed through the process.
- To reactivate a Deliver-To (Ship-To) Location, send an email request to purchsup@exchange.upenn.edu. When providing the location, use the format as its displayed in BEN Financials (i.e. MED-CANCER 223)
- To add a new Deliver-To (Ship-To) Location, complete the request form that can be found at: http://www.purchasing.upenn.edu/forms/ship-to_loc.php
|
| 2/16/11 |
BEN Buys |
Creating requisitions using Firefox v.3.0.19 or higher |
An end-user currently using Firefox versions 3.0.19 or higher in BEN Buys may receive a blank screen during the requisition check-out process. The following behaviors have been reported recently.
On the “Checkout: Requisition Information” page:
- If an end-user hits the ‘Next’ button instead of ‘Edit Lines’ (if they are required to enter and/or edit Delivery, Account information or Attachments), the “Check Funds” message is received and once the user confirms the message, a blank page is displayed.
- If an end-user goes into ‘Edit Lines’, enters the account information and hits the Continue button instead of Check Funds, the “Check Funds” message is received and once the user confirms the message, a blank page is displayed.
Current Workaround – if a blank page is displayed, you can “Refresh/ Reload” the page or click on the back browser button.
|
| 2/16/11 |
BEN Pays |
Invoice information is cutoff when image is printed |
If invoice information is cutoff when an image is printed, check the following settings:
From MarkView:
- While viewing an image, click on the “Print” button
- From the Print setup page, verify the Image Size is “Letter- 8.5 width – 11 height”
If invoice information is cutoff when an image is printed, check the following settings:
From an Internet Browser:
- Select “File> Page Setup” from the menu options
- Verify ALL Margins are set to 0.25 (inches)
Try printing the image again. If you continue to experience problems, report the problem to BEN Helps by calling 215.746.4357.
|
| 1/13/05 |
BEN Financials |
Unable to export line detail information [by selecting File> Export from within BEN Financials] into an Excel spreadsheet |
UPDATED 02/10/11
If you continue to experience a problem exporting information from BEN Financials after completing the steps for “Configuring Excel” (which can be found on the BEN Financials Desktop Requirements page), refer to the following instructions to be sure your system has the correct Internet settings.
On the Internet Explorer browser
- SelectTools> Internet Options
- Click on the Security tab, then click the Custom Level button located at the bottom of the page
- Scroll down and make sure Automatic prompting for file downloads and File Download are Enabled
- Click OK
- If you receive the following Warning message, “Are you sure you want to change the security settings for this zone”, select Yes
- Click OK
|
| 12/7/10 |
BEN Balances |
In Journal Entry responsibilities, querying journal entries created with the Category = 16 G&C OV90 |
End-users will receive the following message, “FRM-40350: Query caused no records to be retrieved” when trying to query a posted or unposted journal entry created with the Category = 16 G&C OV90.
Once the journal is created & saved, 16 G&C is automatically added before each batch name which allows ORS to query these journals easier and approve them prior to posting.
When end-users query the journal, it is strongly recommended to use a wildcard (%) before and after the batch name to retrieve any results that match the search criteria entered.
NOTE: Wildcards (%) are not required when entering search criteria in the Journal Name field.
|
| 12/3/10 |
BEN Buys/ BEN Assets |
Tabs, Carriage Returns, Special Characters, etc. cannot be used in the ‘Description’ field when creating a Requisition for an Asset |
When creating a requisition for an asset (using object codes 1870, 1871, 1872, 1874 or 1877), refrain from tabbing, using carriage returns and/or special characters in the Description field(s) to avoid truncating fields on various Property Management reports. |
| 10/25/10 |
BEN Financials |
Users may experience the inability to reprint reports and inability to log back into an expired BEN Financials session. |
BEN Financials users are required to have the Sun Java Runtime Environment (JRE) installed on their workstation. It was recently discovered that there are issues related to mismanaged cookie sessions and printing with the Sun JRE version 1.6.18 through 1.6.20. Common symptoms are the inability to reprint reports and inability to log back in to an expired BEN Financials session.
If you experience any of these problems please contact your LSP to check the version of Sun JRE that is installed on your workstation. If the version is greater than or equal to 1.6.18 the software should be removed. The next time the user logs into BEN Financials the server will push down the server version of JRE, currently 1.6.15.
Note: The Sun JRE software is NOT required for end users who only have access to the Requisitioner responsibility.
|
| 10/20/10 |
BEN Balances |
In Journal Entry responsibilities, viewing journal entries created with the Category = 07 G & C Adj and posted prior to Oct 4, 2010 |
When end-users view a journal entry with the Category and Journal Line Context = 07 G & C Adj, the content boxes (Original Batch ID & Original Trans Date) are no longer displayed. The only information displayed is, Context = 07 G & C ADJ
NOTE: If an end-user views a journal entry with Category = 07 G & C Adj and Journal Line Context box = 02 Adj Prev Tx, the content boxes (Original Batch Name & Original Trans Date) will be displayed.
|
| 7/20/10 |
BEN Balances |
In Journal Entry- G&C Cost Transfers responsibility, an error is received if an end-user bypasses the message to ‘update the journal line flexfield’ |
An end-user will experience the following behavior if the context flexfield information is not entered on the journal entry line(s):
In Journal Entry- G&C Cost Transfers responsibility:
- Complete the journal header
- On the journal lines, enter the account information
- Tab to the context flexfield at the end of the line
- If you click ‘Enter’, ‘OK’ or ‘Cancel’ button to close out of the context box, you will receive an error “Update the journal line flexfield”
- Click ‘OK’ to close the message pop-up box
- If you close out of the context box a second time, the error is received again. This time, you are not able to click the ‘OK’ button to close out of the message
- The screen is frozen and your work will be lost *Unlike receiving the double warning message when creating a journal entry that has a control total violation, the journal will not save any changes made*
- The end-user will have to cancel their current session in BEN and create the journal entry again.
NOTE: The context flexfield information must be entered for every transaction line, including the offsetting line(s)
|
| 6/10/10 |
BEN Balances |
Calendar error received in Journal Entry responsibilities |
An end-user will experience the following behavior when viewing results on a ‘reserved’ journal entry:
In Journal Entry responsibility:
- Create a Journal
- Reserve Funds
- Click on the ‘View Results’ button (which is enabled after the journal is reserved)
- Close the View Results form
- Close the Journals form (the Calendar will open)
- Close the Calendar
- At this point, the following note will appear: “CALENDAR USAGE ERROR: GLXJEENT navigated directly to Calendar (check First/Next/Previous Navigation Block properties)”
- Click “OK” button to close out of the pop-up message and return to the Enter Journals window
|
| 4/26/10 |
BEN Assets |
Querying a “retired” asset in Senior Asset Administrator |
If an end-user queries an asset in Senior Asset Administrator responsibility the day the asset has been “retired”, they will experience the following behavior:
In Senior Asset Administrator responsibility> Asset Workbench, query an Asset> click Retirements button> Ctrl F11. There will be a series of “FRM forms messages” received. To view the Retirements screen, click “OK” to close each message pop-up box.
NOTE: End-users will only experience this behavior when the “retired” status of an asset = Pending (the day an asset is retired and prior to daily jobs are run). |
| 8/17/09 |
BEN Buys |
Error message on approval notification for requisitions created with more than 35-40 lines/ distributions |
REVIEWED 1/29/2010
Users receive the following error message, “ORA-06502: PL/SQL: numeric or value error ORA-06512: at "APPS.WF_NOTIFICATION", line 5086 ORA-06512: at line 5” on the requisition approval notification for requisitions created with more than 35-40 lines/ distributions.
PLEASE NOTE: The approver can take an action (approve, reject or forward) on the notification, but the requisition line and distribution information will not be displayed in the notification as a result of the error message.
Until the technical issue causing the problem is resolved, the current workaround is to click on the ‘Requisitions’ tab from the Requisitions Home Page or go into PO Manager> Inquiry> Requisitions to view line items which were placed on the requisition.
ORIGINALLY REPORTED 9/9/09 |
| 8/13/09 |
BEN Financials |
*NEW* Process to retrieve BEN Financials Extract files |
REVIEWED 1/29/2010
Effective 8/17/2009, BEN Financials users that run report extracts (i.e.155.ORG.Detail Extract, 160. ORG Account Analysis with Payables Detail, 500.Matching Holds Extract, Copy File etc.), will retrieve their extract files by using Secure Share Exchange Service. NOTE: End-users can no longer retrieve the extract files from their home directory on the BEN Financials FTP server (Findata).
Secure Share is a secure, web-based file exchange application that is available to all Penn faculty and Staff with a valid PennKey and PennKey password. It is available at: https://medley.isc-seo.upenn.edu/secureShare/jsp/fast.do
Once the report completes successfully, an email* will be sent to the end-user notifying them that the file is ready for retrieval on the Secure Share Exchange Service. The report can then be downloaded to the end-user’s workstation. *NOTE: An email will be generated only if you have an accurate email address in Penn’s online directory. If you do not have a valid email address, no email notification will be sent, but your file will be available on Secure Share once the report extract completes.
ORIGINALLY REPORTED 8/17/2009
|
| 8/3/09 |
BEN Pays/ BEN Buys |
Ability to "Finally Close" Cancelled POs |
REVIEWED 1/29/2010
Accounts Payable now has the ability to Finally Close Cancelled Purchase Orders. This option will help end-users clean-up any "cancelled" purchase order(s) that appear on their 900. Uninvoiced Receipts report. NOTE: By Finally Closing a “Cancelled” Purchase Order, the uninvoiced receipts will drop off the 900 report.
To send a "Final Close" request to Accounts Payable: Send an email to apsup@exchange.upenn.edu. The email should include the Purchase Order Number, Buyer’s Name, Supplier Name and Reason for requesting to final close the purchase order.
ORIGINALLY REPORTED 8/03/2009
|
| 5/18/09 |
BEN Buys |
Noted Difference- Editing Charge Account(s) in "Edit Lines" during requisition checkout process |
REVIEWED 1/29/2010
While editing charge accounts in Edit Lines – all requisition lines appear (under Selected Line), although only one line was selected to be edited. Before modifying an account for a particular line item, make sure the charge account being changed is associated with the line item in which you are editing.
ORIGINALLY REPORTED 5/18/2009
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