Capital Project Accounting Database “c-PAD” Seattle University Facilities Services Presented by: Tim Gould Date: August 11, 2014.

Capital Project Accounting

Database “c-PAD”

Seattle University Seattle University Facilities Services Facilities Services

Presented by: Tim Gould

Date: August 11, 2014

Capital Project Accounting Database (c-PAD)Capital Project Accounting Database (c-PAD)

• Who, What, When, Where, Why, and how of c-PAD

• Test Drive/Examples

• Question & Answer

• Who – Facilities Services, Administration Project Development and Operations

• What – MS Office 2010 Access Database using new accounting structure that ties to the university G/L, but is not electronically linked

• Where – shared network drive split into two pieces front-end (user-interface), and back-end (data storage)



• When – started the design in Jan 2013 (18 months to date/under 180 billable hours)

• Why – 1. SU does not have a project accounting module incorporated

into Colleague. 2. Project Approval Form (PAF) process needed a centralized

tracking/reporting tool.3. All Project Managers (PM) were using their own Excel files

on their desktop with no visibility for AVP to review status.

• How – using existing databases that were built to track operating and planned maintenance expenses; hired consultant to get us to more sophisticated reporting.

PAF PROCESSPAF PROCESS

This is the main reason for the database as there can be various funding sources for one project that can’t always be tracked in one cost center in the G/L.


• Database Structure – set up based on previous MS Access databases for Opex and PM

• Unique Accounting – designed accounting fields to help track smaller projects at a lower level of detail if needed• Parent/Child project relationships (unique parent

project numbers assigned to each PAF) Project number tied to cost center in G/L

• Funding Sources (SGC, Gift, Department, etc.)• Ability to track all commitments (contract and

purchase orders• Use same chart of accounts as the G/L


• Database Structure – example

PAF/Parent Project Number, Funding Source, Child Project, Account Number (G/L Account)

14.123.01.01.62001- database string for invoice coding

Parent Project 14.123 = Pigott Building Door replacement

01 = Space and governance funding for MAC projects

01 = Child project number

62001 = account for furniture & fixtures in G/L


• Database Structure – example

PAF/Parent Project Number, Funding Source, Child Project, Account Number (G/L Account)

14.123.01.01.62001- database string for invoice coding

Every project in c-PAD also has a specific cost center that it rolls into in the G/L

c-PAD: G/L cost center/accounting:14.123.01.01.62001 73-796114-62001 where:

73 = Plant Construction (Capital)796114 = SGC cost center62001 = account for FF&E


Database DemoDatabase Demo


Data Input

• Parent/Child Project Entry Form• Project number, funding source and detail budget by

account code.

• Contract and Purchase Order Entry Form• Auto-fills possible project-funding-account combos

• Invoice Entry Form• Auto-fills Invoice Form for ease of data entry with

possible combos from project, contract/PO forms to reduce data entry errors


Data Output

• Child Project Summary Report• Choose Parent Project and child auto-fills

• Capital Budget Review• Listing of all projects with budget and actual

• Invoice detail by vendor• All contracts open for each project by vendor

• Contract detail by vendor• All invoices paid by vendor for by project


Q & AQ & A

Timothy (Tim) Gould, [email protected]

206-296-6993

Facilities Finance Manager,Facilities Services Administration


Capital Project Accounting Database “c-PAD” Seattle University Facilities Services Presented by: Tim Gould Date: August 11, 2014.

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