State ASAP Users Group Meeting
ASAP State User Group Meeting
In conjunction with the
National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers, and Treasurers
(NASACT)
Indianapolis, IN
March 15, 2004
8:30 a.m. - 12:00 Noon
Introductions /General Remarks:
Christine Ricci, Manager of the Customer Liaison Staff, began the meeting with introductions of the panel members: Elizabeth Oldenburg, Director of the ASAP Program Office; Jerry Scribner, State Representative of the ASAP Customer Board from Oklahoma; Carol Cole, Regional Operations; Christopher Tighe, Development Staff; Randa Yoak and Jennifer Criss, Bureau of the Public Debt, and Margie Springer, Customer Liaison Staff.
Christine surveyed the audience to see how many participants are using ASAP.gov - about half. She then introduced Jerry Scribner. Jerry gave an overview of the Customer Board responsibilities and explained that Board members represent ASAP user communities. As one of the two state representatives currently on the Board, Jerry asked if anyone would be interested in becoming a Board member, they should contact Christine.
Latest News for State Users
Enrolling New Users:
Christine provided an outline of the time frames associated with new enrollments. The initial cutoff for enrollments was September 30, 2003, in preparation for ASAP.gov implementation. The date for new enrollments has not been finalized; although new individual users may begin enrolling in early April. New enrollment forms for Payment Requestors have been posted to FMS's web site (www.fms.treas.gov/asap). Fields have been added to capture email and contact information.
Legacy ASAP Cutoff:
ASAP Legacy system will remain in place until we complete a fail over test to ASAP.gov's contingency site. We will be monitoring users who continue to use the legacy system access. Users will be notified prior to the cutoff of the legacy ASAP access.
Training Options:
Christine described the multi-faceted training approach for ASAP.gov. Training options included nationwide face-to-face training in January in Washington, DC, San Francisco, Kansas City, Philadelphia, Denver, and Las Vegas.
FMS is planning to conduct classroom training in Washington, DC and at its Regional Financial Center (RFC) locations in San Francisco, Kansas City, and Philadelphia monthly through October. Christine also discussed additional methods of training available: a web-based tutorial which is a demo on how to complete each type of function in ASAP.gov; an interactive training platform that mimics production by accessing a copy of the user's own data to conduct test transactions; and a robust online Help system with 'Help for this Step' assistance.
Liz added that the training application is currently located in a test environment and recent load testing has impacted the availability of the training application. FMS plans to move the training application to a separate platform which will improve its performance and availability.
Questions & Answers:
Q: Will an announcement be posted on FMS's web site for training?
A: Yes, the information will be posted on the web site at www.fms.treas.gov/asap
Q: Will an email be sent out once the training platform is moved out of the test environment?
A: Yes, an email will be sent to all users.
Q: What should users do if they haven't received important notifications or emails from ASAP.gov?
A: Users should contact us if they notice that coworkers or other users are receiving notifications or emails that they are not receiving. When important messages are emailed to users from ASAP.gov, FMS will also post the messages on the FMS web site and will notify users with a separate email to FMS web site subscribers. We highly recommend users subscribe for automatic email notification on the FMS ASAP web site
Change Management Process:
Christine discussed the Change Management Process where users can request changes or enhancements to the ASAP.gov system. The Form and Instructions are posted on FMS's ASAP web site (www.fms.treas.gov).
Christine provided an overview of the web site addresses available:
Questions & Answers:
Q: What needs to be done to change or delete a user's access?
A: To change or delete a user's access, the organization's authorizing official needs to submit the "ASAP Organization Enrollment and User ID Request Form" to their servicing RFC.
Q: Is it possible to submit enrollment forms via the Internet?
A: Yes.
Q: We were told by the Kansas City Financial Center (KFC) that they will only accept paper forms.
A: KFC will accept forms over the Internet but the organization must contact KFC prior to submitting the forms.
New Features:
Before beginning his live demo of the ASAP.gov system, Chris acknowledged that some users were having difficulty using the system. After extensive research, we discovered that a browser patch was needed for users utilizing Internet Explorer (IE) Version 6.0.2 to correct the problems of being redirected to the homepage or experiencing 'Page Not Found' error messages. Liz offered copies of the browser patch instructions to the participants. The patch instructions are also located on the FMS ASAP web site. A small number of users continue to have access problems after installing the patch. We are working very closely with those users to resolve access issues.
For Internet Explorer Users:
- From the tools menu in IE
- Click on Internet Options
- Click on "General" tab (if not already there)
- In the middle of the "General" tab is a section entitled "Temporary Internet Files"
- In this section click "Settings"
- Under "Check for Newer Versions of Stored Pages", make sure "Every visit to the page" is selected"
- Click "ok"
- Click "ok"
For Netscape Users:
- From the Edit menu in Netscape
- Click on Preferences
- Double click on "Advanced"
- Click on "Cache"
- In the middle of the popup box, you will see the statement: "Compare the page in the cache to the page on the network."
- Make sure "Every time I view the page" is selected
Chris explained that we are aware of the problems with inquiries and reports and that we are working with the Federal Reserve development team to correct the problems as soon as possible. Chris also encouraged the audience not to switch back and forth between using legacy access and ASAP.gov unless they were using the legacy access to retrieve inquires and reports.
Chris gave a live demonstration of ASAP.gov functionality including "Initiate a Payment Request "Create a Template," (where users can create readily accessible lists of frequently used accounts from which to draw funds), "Create a Payment Schedule," and "Warehouse a Payment" (where users can enter a payment request for a future settlement date).
Liz explained that ASAP.gov is a new front end to the same existing ASAP database, so all user data is still in the system.
Questions & Answers:
Q: Does the screen differ for the type of role you have?
A: Yes. ASAP.gov is role based and users can only access the functions available for their role.
Q: Are interstate authorizations limited to five in ASAP.gov?
A: No, but FMS is aware of a problem that ASAP.gov will give users a false error about unbalanced totals in certain cases. We are in the process of correcting this problem and it should be resolved soon.
Q: On Step 2 of "Initiate Payment Request," why does ASAP distinguish between total accounts that match my criteria and those available for payment requests?
A: Based on your selection criteria in Step 1 of "Initiate Payment Request," ASAP.gov will search for accounts that match your criteria. In Step 2, ASAP.gov displays the number of accounts that matched your criteria and the number of accounts from which payments can be drawn. The difference in total matching accounts and those available for requesting payments represents accounts with a status of either suspended or closed.
Q: After installing the IE patch a template previously created is no longer available. What do I do?
A: You should contact your servicing RFC so that they can troubleshoot and determine if they need to issue a problem report to the FRB.
Q: If a Template was created in the Legacy mainframe system, is it available in ASAP.gov?
A: Templates created in Legacy should be available in ASAP.gov; however, we are aware of a problem that will not allow you to access legacy created templates in ASAP.gov. We are working to fix this bug as soon as possible.
Q: If there's a new Template with a similar name as the one in the Legacy mainframe system, should the old one be deleted?
A: Neither legacy ASAP nor ASAP.gov will allow you to create a template with the same name.
Q: Will the balances appear?
A: Balances will show in Initiate a Payment Request, not in Create a Template.
Q: Why do people use Templates?
A: Templates are a shortcut to a group of accounts from which you draw on a regular basis.
Q: Why do notifications that have been read continue to display as "unread?"
A: To complete a transaction in ASAP.gov, you must complete all steps. After reading the notification, you must change the status to "read" and click "continue" and confirm the change by clicking "submit."
Q: Can a payment schedule be created to generate a payment request every second Thursday?
A: Yes. The schedule can be created for up to one year.
Tips for Using ASAP.gov
Carol Cole advised that some responsibilities have recently changed. The Regional Financial Centers (RFCs) are responsible for day-to-day operations, application problems, and functionality. It is the responsibility of the RFCs to report problems to the FRB so that problems can be tracked using the Production Problems Report (PPR) log.
The Central Business Application Function (CBAF) staff of the Richmond FRB is now responsible for all Password Resets. When logging onto ASAP.gov for the first time, you will be asked to change your password and supply answers to three Secondary Authentication Questions. If you contact the CBAF Help Desk to get your password reset, the ASAP CBAF staff will verify your identity over the phone by asking you one or more of the Secondary Authentication Questions. This will ensure that only the appropriate person will have access to his or her user ID.
The phone number for the Voice Response System (VRS) password resets has been changed to (800) 333-7010. Please note that the Minneapolis Federal Reserve now refers to the VRS "FedPhone" when calling for your password reset.
It is important to keep your contact information updated and current. If your information has changed, contact your servicing RFC.
Also discussed were the new password requirements. There is a 45-day expiration period. You must use your password within 45 days or it must be reset by calling the ASAP CBAF Help Desk. Production passwords are issued via regular mail and Production IDs are sent via email. Training passwords and IDs will be sent together via email. Be aware that since ASAP.gov is now implemented, we will no longer issue legacy mainframe IDs and passwords for new enrollments.
It is important for users to remember which environment they are using. The training site looks exactly like the production site. Users can tell the difference between the two sites by looking at the URL.
Users should be aware that whether you use legacy ASAP or ASAP.gov, the transactions you initiate are posting to the same database. If you request a payment using ASAP.gov and then request it again in legacy, you will have requested two live payments and both will be initiated. Once you start using ASAP.gov access, you should no longer use legacy access to conduct your business.
When a new organization enrolls in ASAP.gov, the Federal agency must create training accounts for them before they can use the training environment. After initial enrollment, a new organization may have a lag between receiving their training IDs and having accounts available for training. New users who may be unable to access the training application can use the online training tutorial. The tutorial is also available on CD. The CD is available upon request only. We will not be automatically provide CDs to all users.
ASAP.gov sends Notifications to individual users, not to organizations as in the mainframe system. ASAP.gov will delete Notifications, whether they are read or unread, after 32 days.
ASAP.gov who conduct business for multiple organizations must have data for all their organizations linked to their ASAP.gov ID. Users who do not see all the appropriate recipient organizations should contact their servicing RFC to ensure that their data has been correctly linked to their ASAP ID. This information was originally captured using the "Data Capture Screen" in the mainframe system between July and December of 2003. If users did not complete the 'Data Capture Screen Request' for EACH ID for which are they responsible, they will not have access to all their recipients in ASAP.gov.
If users experience ASAP problems, users should capture screen prints and provide them to servicing RFC. The RFCs would prefer emailed screen prints, but faxing the screens is also acceptable. You can capture a screen print by clicking on the screen and hitting the "Print Screen" button on your keyboard (or, alternately, you can hold down "Ctrl" and hit "C"). Then, open an MS Word document and paste the screen into the document (you can paste by holding down "Ctrl" and hitting "V").
Questions & Answers:
Q: Is there a warning that the password needs to be reset?
A: Yes, there is a warning prior to the end of the 45 days. If you do not change your password before the expiration period, you will have to contact the CBAF hot line to get your password reset. Also, your password will get locked, without warning, after three unsuccessful log on attempts.
Q: Are you locked out of your password after three unsuccessful attempts within one session, or over the life of the system?
A: The lockout feature is specific to one session. If you are experiencing problems, contact the ASAP CBAF Help Desk.
Q: Does ASAP.gov have a time out feature and, if so, what does a user do if they get locked out?
A: ASAP.gov has a time out setting of 10 minutes. This means that a user's session will be automatically ended if the user does not use the system for 10 minutes. Hitting either the 'Submit' or 'Continue' button will restart the time. There is no warning before the session times out. If you time out, your session has ended and any work is lost. You should close your browser and open a new window to log back on and continue working. Users MUST not use the "Back" button at any time, including after timing out.
Q: Can users use their back button if they make a mistake on a previous step?
A: No! Users will get an error message that an 'unauthorized action was performed' and the will be returned to the previous screen.
Q: Why does the bank account number appear in legacy ASAP but not in ASAP.gov?
A: Since ASAP.gov is a web environment, we hide the account number for security reasons.
Q: Can I get a definition of the reports listed on the "Reports and Inquiries" drop down menu?
A: The report names used on the drop down menu are the same names used in the Legacy mainframe system. To get a description of every report, users can look in the old ASAP User Guide or in the ASAP.gov Help system.
Q: A question was raised about Reed Act funds (monetary distribution to states' accounts in the Unemployment Trust Fund) which are listed by dates. Will it will be possible to get balance information?
A: The Department of Labor (DOL) requested that the information be listed in that format. Jim Herbert from DOL will be able to give additional detail.
Q: Concerning Reed Act funds, a user from Wyoming noted that information from 2002 was listed wrong and asked about the process to correct the amounts.
A: Additional information was to be obtained from the user after the meeting.
Q: A user offered a tip for getting Reed Act information on funds for 1956, 1957, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002. In order to view the information, users must enter dashes (10-01-1956) instead of slashes (10/01/1956.
Q: How far back can data be retrieved for reports and inquiries?
A: We do not delete any data from the ASAP system. Reports can be run in one year (367 days) increments and inquiries can be run in 93 day increments going back to the life of the account. For details on specific report and inquiry parameters, see the ASAP.gov Help system.
Q: After running a report or inquiry, how long are the results available for retrieval in ASAP.gov?
A: Reports and inquiries are available for viewing or downloading for seven business days, after which time the system will automatically delete them. Users have the option to print or download the results of their reports and inquiries.
Q: How can users change their ASAP.gov passwords?
A: Users must contact CBAF to change their password.
Q: Can users use Netscape as a browser instead of IE?
A: Yes. Users can use either browser. For Netscape, users must have 4.5 or higher but ASAP does not support Netscape 6.0. For IE, ASAP supports version 4.5 or higher.
Enhancements
ASAP.gov Release 2.0 will be implemented between December 2004 and early first quarter 2005.
ASAP.gov Enrollment:
We are currently using "AE" (Automated Enrollment) to enroll users in for the ASAP system. For the first release of ASAP.gov users continue using the AE application for enrollment. In our second release, the enrollment process will be redesigned and will be completely paper less for all users.
Debt Offset:
ASAP.gov will provide the ability for an agency to offset payments it makes to recipients who have outstanding current debt with that agency. The debt offset feature will be agency specific (i.e., the Department of Education can only offset its own payments, not those made by the Department of the Interior). Liz said that the Federal Program Agencies can offset payments manually by withholding a set dollar amount from a given payment or automatically by setting a percentage that should be withheld from any payment from a given account. The debt offset feature was requested by the Department of Education but will be available to all agencies once implemented in Release 2.0.
ACH Debit Option for Returning Payments:
Users who draw too much money from an account will have the ability to return those funds by ACH debit in Release 2.0. ASAP.gov will provide a function for users to request that an ACH debit be initiated against their bank accounts for the amount they wish to return.
E-Grant Initiative:
As of October 1, 2003 all users who wish to apply for a Federal grant must have a DUNS number and must register with the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) Database. ASAP.gov is evaluating the ability to pull recipient banking data from the CCR during the enrollment process. More information will be available as the enrollment requirements are defined.
Questions & Answers:
Q: How will ASAP ensure that state users will identify the appropriate Treasurer's account for ASAP transactions if ASAP pulls banking data from the CCR based on DUNS number?
A: We understand that some users, including centralized states, have concerns about ASAP.gov using banking data from the CCR that is tied to a DUNS number. We will work with these users as we define the enrollment requirements.
Q: Can you tell us more about Pay.gov?
A: Pay.gov is used by individuals and businesses that need to remit funds to the Federal government. Pay.gov currently allows payment by credit card and ACH debit. ASAP.gov is evaluating the use of Pay.gov to initiate the ACH Debits for returning overpayments.
Panel Discussion
Q: What should be done when the authorizing official at an organization changes?
A: The head of the organization must submit a completed "ASAP Official Authorization Form" to delete the old official and add the new official. The form is available on the FMS ASAP web site. The new Authorizing Official should complete an Authorization Form. Revised Authorization Forms have been posted on the FMS ASAP web site.
Q: Once a template is created, do you have to make a draw on each account every time you use the template?
A: No. While templates are used to group accounts that are frequently used, a user can choose to draw from any accounts in the template.
Q: Is it possible to have a line of credit for borrowing from the Unemployment Trust Fund?
A: If your borrowing status needs to be increased, contact the Bureau of the Public Debt.
Q: Can Inquiries be shown by accounts on a yearly breakdown versus by day?
A: ASAP.gov offers the same inquiries and reports as legacy ASAP. If additional reports or inquiries are needed, the user should complete a "Change Management Request Form" available on the FMS ASAP web site. FMS plans to build an ad hoc reporting feature in a future release, after Release 2.0.
Q: Is there a way to spell out the names of states instead of using abbreviations?
A: We have received this as a change request but we have not scheduled a date to implement the change.
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