Banner Information

   Forms
   Banner Reports
   Oracle Reports
   Simplified Data Access Views

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Forms

Data is entered through forms, such as the Requisition Entry Form (FPAREQN) which is used to create a requisition. When you save the data the system returns to you a system-generated RQ number, such as R0000015. Once the requisition is written, you can always go back and view the requisition by going to an inquiry form, such as the Requisition Inquiry Form (FPIREQN) and entering the requisition number.
 

Banner Reports

Banner comes with many baseline formatted reports. To view budget information, you would use Organization Budget Status Form (FGIBDST). This returns budget information to the screen. However, if you need more complete information you probably would prefer a printed report. The Budget Status Report (FGRBDSC) lets you print a complete list of all transactions against your budget. There are many of these baseline Banner reports.
 

Oracle Reports

These are customized reports to give an institution precise data. They are usually used for reports that have the same formatting and content (although they can be parameter driven to give specific information or variable information as needed). They need to be written and maintained by the institution's programming staff.

An example of an Oracle report is the Seat Count Report (SYRSEAT)

SYRSEAT produces a comprehensive seat count report, including cross listed classes, date class closed, census date, wait list information, subtotals by department. Parameters can limit it to one college or one division or one department. Used by instructional/division offices. Designed primarily for Executive Vice President to analyze/manage enrollment.
 

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The Banner Bookshelf has complete on-line documentation for Banner 5. In Banner 5, the Bookshelf does not use the icon on the toolbar as it did in Banner 4. Therefore, all sites have installed the bookshelf on their servers so that staff may access the bookshelf at any time. Once you click on the bkshlf5x.pdf file, Bookshelf opens in Adobe and you click on the systems and modules you want to research. Follow the instructions below to access the Banner 5 Bookshelf at your site:

Information Services, Anaheim Campus
	Go to H:\Banner Documentation\Banner 5.x Bookshelf
	Click on bkshlf5x.pdf
District Offices, Anaheim Campus
	Go to H:\Banner Documentation\Banner 5.x Bookshelf
	Click on bkshlf5x.pdf
Cypress College
	Go to J:\Banner Documentation\Banner 5.x Bookshelf
	Click on bkshlf5x.pdf
Fullerton College
	Go to J:\Banner Documentation\Banner 5.x Bookshelf
	Click on bkshlf5x.pdf

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   How to Copy a Stores Requisition
   Printing Requisitions
   Deleting an Item from a Requisition
   Editing a Rejected Requisition

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How to Copy a Stores Requisition

If you have a stores requisition that has been completed and approved, you can copy it!  Go to the requisition form,  FPAREQN.  There are 2 "icon buttons" next to the requisition box: Search and Copy.  When you point to the icon you will see a pop up description.  Click on the button for Copy.  This brings up a box that says "Copy Requisition."  Enter in the stores requisition that you want to copy.  Remember, if it has not been completed and approved you cannot copy the requisition!  If you cannot remember the stores requisition number you can click on the flash light to search for it.  Otherwise enter the RQ number and click OK.  This copies the requisition.  The new number will show up in the Requisition box. Write this number down. Notice that in the status bar Banner tells you that this is a stores req and to use FSAREQN to edit the requisition.  Click on the red door.  Go into FSAREQN, enter the RQ number and Next Block.  Edit what you need to and submit the new requisition!

Printing Requisitions

Question: I really like having a hard copy of any requisitions I create. Is there an easy way to print an RQ?

Answer:  Here are a few answers for you:

FPARQST is Banner's "print requisition form." An RQ must be completed and approved before it can be printed. You would print to the database, saving the output and reformatting to your  word processing package. Complete detailed instructions are listed on page 23 of your Requisitions, Stores and Approvals  handout you received in class. This will give you a printout of all items you ordered and the detailed description, or item text. It will not give any information on the budget numbers that you used. To some, this is complicated, takes too many steps and does not give all of the information they would like to have.

It is suggested that only the last "screen" of your requisition is printed, which is the Commodity and Accounting Information screen. Click on the printer icon on your tool bar. Follow the prompts where you will click on OK. The "screen" will then print on your attached printer. This will not give all of the information about your RQ, but it will give:

• the RQ number
• the date you entered the RQ and the date you want the product delivered by
• the first four (4) items that you are ordering
• the first three (3) budget numbers you are using

When it prints, it will give you a screen shot taking up half of the page. This allows room for notes such as RQ was rejected on mm-dd-yy and resubmitted on mm-dd; RQ was approved on mm-dd; RQ was turned into PO #, etc. This should give you enough information but if necessary, you can go into FPIREQN, the inquiry form, and look at the detail online.

Some would rather have something that shows more items than the accounting data. For this use FOICOMM. Enter in the REQ for the Document Type and the RQ # you want to look at and press Next Block. If you want a printed copy of this, click on the printer icon on the tool bar. This form will show you the following information:

• the vendor name
• the transaction date (the date you entered the RQ)
• the first 11 items, the brief description, the quantity ordered
• the total amount of the RQ
• there is a link under options to show you the accounting information

Again, this will give you sufficient information for your records.

Deleting an Item from a Requisition

Question: I have an item on an RQ that I no longer need to order. The RQ has not been submitted yet. Is there an easy way of removing that item from the RQ?

Answer: Yes, there is! Get into the requisition by going into FPAREQN. Enter your RQ number and press Next Block until you are at the "Commodity" block. Select the item you wish to remove by using the down arrow key on your keyboard. You can remove the item by doing one of the following:

• Using the Menu bar, click on RECORD, REMOVE
  
• Using the Tool bar, click on the icon for DELETE RECORD (5th icon from the left)
  
• Using the keyboard, press SHIFT + F6

This will remove the item and anything associated with that item, such as item text.  You may need to force Banner to recalculate its accounting.  To do this, click on Next Block and tab through the accounting information.

Remember, you can only alter RQs that have NOT been submitted. If you have already submitted the RQ and realize you need to remove an item, you will have to have someone in the approval queue reject the RQ.  Once rejected, you can go back into the RQ, remove the item as outlined above and resubmit.

Editing a Rejected Requisition

Question: I had an RQ rejected because I used the wrong budget number. I go into FPAREQN to fix it, press next block to go to the accounting data and Banner goes right over it giving me the green button to submit it. How can I get to the accounting data to fix it?

Answer:  When an RQ is rejected it is put into a "not completed" state, which then allows you to go back into FPAREQN, enter in the RQ number and fix the error.  When you are at the commodity block and do a Next Block, because the budget number is already entered, and the money is balanced it thinks that you want to submit it and jumps right over the budget block.  Banner does not know that the budget number is incorrect for that particular purchase. So, if you get the submit button, just click on Previous Block (or control + page up) to go to the previous block, which is the accounting information. You can make your changes and resubmit with the corrected budget number.

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Did you know that you do not have to stick to the default password you were given when you received access to BANNER? You can, in fact, change your password to anything you would like it to be. How? By using the Oracle Password Change form GUAPSWD.

Sign into Banner and enter in GUAPSWD in the Direct Access box. You will go to the form shown:

• Enter your CURRENT password.
• Press [tab]
• Enter in your NEW password
• Press [tab]
• Verify your NEW password by entering it again.
• Click on OK.

You have now changed your password!

A Few Tips on Selecting Passwords

Passwords are used to help protect data integrity. Therefore, when you are selecting a password you want to keep in mind the following:

• Do not use words that are easy to figure out, such as your spouse's name or children's names, your favorite author or musician, etc.
  
• Do not use dates such as births, anniversaries, etc.
  
• Do make it something that is easily remembered. 
  
• Use something that only you may know, such as your first pet's name, the street name that you grew up on, etc.
  
• Use a combination of alpha and numeric characters. Example: hugs4me
  
• You can even use a combination of two totally random words and a number. Example: home8work
  
• Change your password every so often!

One other note on Banner passwords . . . 

If you change your password for the PROD_DB database, it does not mean that your password was changed for all Banner databases! Each database is a separate database. Therefore, you may have a user id in TRNG_DB, but unless you changed the password for that as well, you will still have the default password.

Now you know everything there is to know about changing passwords! Have fun coming up with a suitable password for yourself.

Banner and Oracle 
Error Messages

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Does Banner sometimes do things you don't expect? It happens to us here in Information Services, too. However, there are a few hints that may help you before you need to call to the Help Desk.

Always check the Auto Hint Line which appears at the bottom of the screen. If you don't get the results you expect, it usually tells you the reason.

Problem: You are searching for a student named Dominguez and the following message displays on the Auto Hint Line:

   FRM-40301:Query caused no records to be retrieved. Re-enter.
   Record 1/1

Solution: This message is telling you that there are no records matching the information you put in the search screen.

Some of the reasons could be:

• Banner is case sensitive.
  If you searched for dominguez instead of Dominguez, you probably won't find it. If you search for pfe instead of PFE (Partnership for Excellence), it won't be found.
• There simply are no records that meet the criteria you specified.
• You made a typing error, i.e., Domingues. Correct and retry.

Then there are the Oracle Errors:

These are more serious and are not the result of operator error. Some examples are:

ORA-03114. Post form trigger raised - unhandled exception.

FRM-40735: PRE-UPDATE trigger raised unhandled exception ORA-01031. Record 1/1
 

What to do:

• Write down the error and what form you were using when it occurred.
• Click on Help (from pull-down menu), then click on Display Error. This will contain detailed information that will assist IS in trouble-shooting the problem. The message displayed has a top portion which contains code, but the bottom is more explicit, such as "Insufficient privileges." That message means you have a query, but you do not have update capabilities to the form you just used.

Since these errors are frequently lengthy:

• Do a screen shot, by pressing the "Print Screen" key while the error message dialog box displays. This copies it to the clipboard.
• Open your word processing program and paste the clipboard to the screen. Now you can save the message as a document and send it electronically to Information Services.