With the latest point release, Unanet is improving the functionality of the roles assigned to users of the system. Hence, segregation of duties and access to information is easier for an organization to control.
New GL Roles within Unanet
- Cost Pool: Will allow users to make Cost Pool Calculations instead of having full GL Admin Access and permissions associated with that role.
- Bank Reconciler: This role allows the User to have the Bank Reconciliation function under the Financials General Ledger dashboard without full GL Admin access.
- Posting Manager: The Posting Manager role can post cost records (Labor, Expense, PiLoB, and others).
Conducting a Role and Org Access Assessment
With the new functionality, Unanet customers should take this opportunity to evaluate the user roles in the system to see if edits can be made to improve control. This assessment ensures that your users have the appropriate access to perform their specific job functions and maintain compliance with government regulations and security requirements.
Organization Access is another area of the Unanet configuration that is important for accessing information. This area should be reviewed in conjunction with the review of the roles since they are companion controls in Unanet.
These steps should be taken when conducting a role assessment in Unanet:
- Government Regulations Review: Get to know the government regulations, such as Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) requirements, Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), Cost Accounting Standards (CAS), etc., that your organization must adhere to when deciding the roles of your users.
- Identify the User’s role: The User’s role might include roles like administrator, manager, project manager, accounts payable poster, purchaser, subcontractor, etc. Start by identifying what specific roles the User would require within your organization.
- Determine Role Responsibilities: Define the specific responsibilities of the User and the tasks they are expected to perform in Unanet to determine the permissions and org access for each role.
- Segregation of Duties: Based on the User’s role responsibilities, ensure that the roles and permissions chosen are structured to segregate incompatible functions. This enhances internal controls and prevents fraud and conflicts of interest.
- Test Roles and Org assignments: Once you have mapped the defined permissions and roles, conduct testing to evaluate and validate the access levels granted to each user role. Test scenarios and assignments can be done for validation.
- Document User Roles and Permissions: Documentation should clearly outline the access levels, restrictions for the user roles, and organization access, and it will be helpful for future reference and audit purposes.
- Define Organizational Structure: Create a hierarchy of your organization and include departments, divisions, or subsidiaries to determine what organizations the specific roles will be allowed to access.
- Monitor and Audit Roles and Access: Regularly monitor the access and roles and review the audit logs to identify any suspicious activity or unauthorized access. This will help maintain system integrity and security of the Unanet system.
Org Access within Unanet
Assigning a role to a user in Unanet doesn’t automatically grant them access to specific data in reports; the org access needs to be assigned to the User’s profile to control permissions for either specific or all organizations.
Certain data in Unanet requires roles and correct org access settings for users to view it. For example, a person might need both the Project Manager and Bill Rate Manager roles to edit projects and see project data with bill rate information. Remember that roles can be removed from the User’s Person Profile due to organizational changes or security issues. Unanet provides detailed information within its Knowledge Center as to what roles need to be set up together to access certain information.
Redstone GCI Can Help
At Redstone GCI, our Unanet team is ready to help you implement your new GovCon ERP system or redesign your existing Unanet system. Our experts can help review your current user roles and direct you to which roles may be needed during implementation. Additionally, our team provides training and education to ensure a smooth transition after implementation. We will ensure that your organization is equipped with the necessary tools for each specific role. Let us help you enhance your Unanet system and maximize its potential.
Unanet Implementation Specialist Renee is an Unanet Implementation Specialist at Redstone Government Consulting, Inc., based in our Huntsville, Alabama office. She holds multiple Unanet certifications, including Implementation Specialist, Accounts Payable User, Accounts Receivable User, GovCon Billing & Revenue User, GovCon General Ledger User, Unanet Administrator, and Unanet Projects. Professional Experience Renee is a highly skilled and experienced professional in the field of accounting, with a strong background in working with private companies and government contractors. With years of experience in various accounting systems and roles, Renee has become an asset to any organization she works with. Renee has played an instrumental role in designing and launching a payroll system and has extensive experience in full-cycle accounting and reporting. She is proficient in data analysis and project management and is skilled in organization and time management. Renee has experience and knowledge in implementing multiple accounting systems, including Unanet, Microsoft Dynamics GP, and Quickbooks, as well as system training experience. She is skilled in General Ledger, Payroll, Cash, Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable, Data Analysis, Expense Reporting, Inventory Management, Fixed Assets, and Depreciations, and is familiar with FAR, DFARs, GAAP, CAS, and DCAA compliance. In summary, Renee Van Cleve is a highly accomplished and skilled accounting professional with diverse experience and expertise in various industries and is an asset to the Redstone GCI team.