Tech Forum

As I understand things, MLS now comes with some prepopulated (standard) sub-categories for budget and other. Users can add custom sub-categories under the standard ones. If a unit ever requires having their data refreshed with a setup file, will the custom subcategories be preserved or do they get rolled up into their standard sub-category? Are certain levels or types of sub-categories preserved or lost in the setup file process?

We are re-doing our budget after a boundary change and would like to use only sub-categories that will not be lost in the setup file process. Thanks.

(I have searched this topic in the forum & wiki. Sorry in advance if I have missed it.)

Setup files are usually sent to fix errors. The one time I remember receiving one to fix a CUBS transition issue, I was cautioned that all my expenses would be recategorized to the CUBS default sub-category level. So for example, if I created a sub-subcategory under Miscellaneous for Music, after the setup file, any expenses that had been charged to that sub-subcategory would now be charged against Miscellaneous.

I seem to remember, however, that nothing got recategorized at all. Still, the analyst warned me it might and had me print to pdf reports showing balances, etc before the setup file was sent so that I could recreate balances afterwards if necessary.

I am confused, however, by how this affects you in your situation. If you are already working in MLS to create the budget, you should be fine. Setup files as I understand them are used to fix problems. It sounds like you have a functioning MLS. I don't see how a boundary change/realignment is going to affect your categories nor do I see why that would require a setup file.

holmsro wrote:As I understand things, MLS now comes with some prepopulated (standard) sub-categories for budget and other. Users can add custom sub-categories under the standard ones. If a unit ever requires having their data refreshed with a setup file, will the custom subcategories be preserved or do they get rolled up into their standard sub-category? Are certain levels or types of sub-categories preserved or lost in the setup file process?

When our stake processed a setup file, we didn't lose any categories, and transactions retained their categorization, but there were two things that we had to fix:

1. Some old (previously inactive) categories became active again, and some active categories became inactive. But that was easy enough to fix.
2. Some subcategory balances were incorrect. It seemed to be an adjustment of balances forward. The overall totals were fine within the Budget and Other categories (actually finally correct now), but I had to make some transfers (dated in last year) to make the balances correct again.

So it's important to print out your reports ahead of time so that you will know the correct balances.