FM 108
Date of issue: 11 October 2000

SUN SYSTEM

INTRODUCTION

HISTORY

PACKAGES

• SunAccount: SunAccount is a complete accounting system
• SunBusiness: SunBusiness manages sales ordering, purchase ordering and purchase invoicing.
• SunQuery: SunQuery is a reporting tool operating on the database structure.
• Impromptu: Impromptu is a similar reporting tool to SunQuery for the SQL server platform.
• Vision: Vision is a drill-down enquiry tool used in Swindon Office and at the ATC.

MODULES

5.    A system-wide module is the Conversion Module.

LEDGER ACCOUNTING

General Ledger
Accounts Payable
Accounts Receivable
Client Ledger
Budgeting
Consolidation
Job Costing
Report Writers

7.     Updates to the General Ledger and to Payables/Receivables may be made simultaneously, allowing accounts to be updated in real time. Updates from SunBusiness to the Ledger may be made as required.

FIXED ASSET REGISTER

8.     The Fixed Asset Register module maintains asset and depreciation information. Depreciation can be calculated automatically. Enhancements, disposals and other information can be recorded to maintain an asset history.

CORPORATE ALLOCATIONS

9.     The Corporate Allocations module is an extension to the Ledger Accounting module. Sophisticated allocation functions can be automated. Costs may be distributed across accounts, centres, or other entities.

SALES PROCESSING

PURCHASE ORDER PROCESSING

Purchase Invoicing
Purchase Order Processing

12.     Purchase Invoicing records purchase invoices received and manages them through to approval. Purchase Order Processing manages the complete purchase order cycle.

CONVERSION MODULE

13.     Comprehensive multi-currency processing is available. Currency translation is performed on entry. Assets can be valued and depreciated separately in local and corporate currencies with this module.

CONFIGURATION

14.     SunAccount and SunBusiness operate according to the parameters set by the designer. All the accounting structures, data entry types, transaction types, documents and reporting functions are tailored to fit the business requirements. This work was carried out by the original implementation team and a number of ad-hoc enhancements have been carried out since at some Establishments. Each Establishment has a systems design document to explain how the system is structured locally and additional procedural documentation for all transactions which are in use. It is the responsibility of each Establishment to maintain its local documentation.

MANAGEMENT INFORMATION

15.     The system is structured to analyse information in a variety of ways. The main types of analysis for management information as specified by the original implementation project board were:

• Subjective analysis (ie income/expenditure analysis, or "what" money is spent on)
• An organisational structure analysis ("where" the money is spent)
• A programme/project analysis ("why" the money is spent)
• Other types of analysis for specific information requirements, such as:

- by person (payroll costing, and travel and other types of expense, if required);
- by payroll grade (for personnel purposes);
- tax analysis (VAT);
- other, for local requirements.

PUFFS

16.     The Sun Finance System was given the acronym PUFFS and implemented during 1996 and 1997 at PPARC's then five Establishments. The original implementation recognised that there would have to be a second phase, because the timescales in the first phase did not permit everything to be done that needed to be. The original implementation of the system has become known as PUFFS1 and the planned upgrade has become known as PUFFS2. The opportunity will be taken during the upgrade to incorporate requirements of Resource Accounting and Budgeting.

QUERIES

David Bennett
Finance Division, PPARC

Last updated: 29 June 2001