In Expense Management, allow users to assign GL Account numbers directly without having to use Expense categories.

Expense management forces companies to create and maintain "Expense Categories" so users can select them instead of selecting the actual GL Account numbers that are already created and maintained. Give companies the option to choose whether they want to use GL Account numbers or Expense Categories in the Expense management system. 

Our users (employees seeking reimbursement or that have credit cards) are expected to know their GL Account numbers and their budgets.  We should not be forced to maintain a entirely separate list of expense categories when the GL account numbers already exist and users know how to use them.

  • Anne Craige
  • May 1 2019
  • Needs review
  • Attach files
  • Kirstin McDonald commented
    14 Aug 06:18pm

    We have been using EM for the past year and, except for the initial tedium during setup and creating all the categories, rules, etc, it has been working for us. Using the Database and qureries, we were able to add/edit/delete GL codes easily so users had access to the ones they needed.

    Now BB has removed that ability and I have to create a new Approval Rule Group everytime we need to give a user or a group access to a code that wasn't part of the original setup. And the users have to remember which group to select when adding an expense.

    This is beyong the pale. Whose bright idea was it to take away editing rights and create more work for the sys admins???

    Come on BB... do better.

  • Guest commented
    22 May, 2023 08:52pm

    Yes please allow us to disable this feature. We got around it by making only one expense category called "credit card purchases" but it is not necessary to have this feature. Just allow users to turn this off and then you can have the best of both worlds.

  • Jennifer Kurtz commented
    13 Jan, 2022 08:47am

    THIS! There are too many combinations of account number/project/grant to try to encompass all possible transactions. Especially as using this for approvals of all invoices, not just credit cards.

  • Anne Craige commented
    19 Oct, 2021 06:09pm

    Hello - I see a comment from Julia Petit below regarding giving some feedback. I don't remember receiving anything from her on that so I never had that chance to provide that feedback. The link no longer works. Is there someone I can talk to about this and provide some feedback on this? Thank you!


  • Lisa Ackendorf commented
    1 Mar, 2021 11:30pm

    Absolutely! I want to set up expense management for our company but the use of expense categories is making me re-think it. We use Purchase Orders through WebPortal. It would be much better if we could just set up users with a drop down of the GL account codes they are approved to use instead of expense categories.

  • Nate Adams commented
    17 Sep, 2019 07:53pm

    I agree, this would have saved me some work from the outset. On the other hand, since I can set up an Expense category to automatically have a project number, it is useful for users who might forget to enter a project code by accident. It would be nice to choose between the two systems.

  • Guest commented
    11 Sep, 2019 05:34pm

    AMEN!  Expense categories totally create another layer of system fields that have to be maintained.  Our users are also expected to know their GL codes.

  • Julia Petit commented
    1 May, 2019 03:33pm

    Hi Anne,  thanks so much for this feedback.  We're currently researching this and have a few ideas that we need customers' feedback on.  If you'd be open to a quick chat, I have some times posted here.  Just note "Expense Categories" at the time of sign up :)

    Thanks!