Lesson 1.5: Vendor and Employee File Maintenance Lesson Overview

Objective: At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

  • Describe the Vendor and Employee Maintenance area and files.
Vendor Maintenance

A vendor is any individual or entity that does business with FEMA. This can include:

  • Commercial businesses.
  • Federal, state, and local government agencies.
  • Organizations.
  • Individuals receiving disaster benefits.
  • Employees for travel purposes.

You access vendor maintenance files from the IFMIS Main Menu by clicking on each of the following: Disbursements Subsystem>Vendor Maintenance>Vendor Maintenance.

IFMIS path to the Vendor Maintenance Area: Disbursements Subsystem, Vendor Maintenance folder, and Vendor Maintenance record
Vendor Maintenance Area

Vendor maintenance is not part of the commitment process but is an important IFMIS function widely used throughout FEMA.

Within the Vendor Maintenance area are the options to:

  1. Add new vendor master.
  2. Modify vendor information.
  3. Delete vendor master.
    • Note: When a vendor file is deleted, it is no longer available to the user, but stays in the database in an inactive state and can be reactivated by authorized users.
  4. List vendor information.
  5. Lookup vendor by alpha key.
  6. Payee processing.
  7. Lookup DUNS (Data Universal Numbering System) number plus 4. 
Vendor Maintenance Menu with seven options to add vendors, modify vendor information, delete vendors, list vendor information, lookup vendors, payee processing, and lookup DUNS number
Vendor Files

Vendor files contain information such as:

  • Individual vendor numbers:
    • This unique number identifies each vendor, or remit to vendor, with a separate record in the vendor file.
  • Addresses.
  • Phone numbers.
  • Points of contact.
  • Banking information for electronic funds transfers.
  • Payments to date. 
IFMIS vendor data for ABC Computers, including vendor ID, contact information, points of contact, banking information for electronic funds transfers, and payments to date
Employee Maintenance

The FEMA Finance Center (FFC) moved employee vendor information within IFMIS to the Employee Maintenance page.

As a result of this transition, the Vendor ID Number or the Social Security Number previously used to identify employees in the vendor tables has been replaced with the Employee ID Number (E#).

Screenshot of IFMIS Main Menu with Employee Maintenance highlighted
Employee Maintenance File

The employee maintenance file separates FEMA employees from all other vendors in the system by E numbers (#).

The E#:

  • Is the same number used in the employee’s travel system profile and in Travel Authorizations (TAs).
  • Allows funds to be obligated in IFMIS on the same E# that is on the TA.
  • Is found in the Disbursements Subsystem within IFMIS.

When a employee file is deleted, it:

  • Is no longer available to view.
  • Stays in the database in an inactive state.
  • Can be reactivated by authorized users.
Employee Maintenance Menu

Use the Employee Maintenance menu to search for and view an employee file:

  • Option 4 allows you to search by E#:
    • Type in the E#.
  • Option 5 allows you to search by Employee Name:
    • Type in the Employee name in the following format: LAST, FIRST M (middle initial):
      • DOE, JOHN M
      • DOE JR, JOHN M
      • DOE SMITH, JOHN M **Note: If the name is hyphenated, use a space to separate the names not a hyphen.

Once you select option 4 or 5, click on Next to continue and view the employee file as needed.

Employee Maintenance Menu screenshot showing: 1. add new employee master 2. modify employee information 3. delete employee master 4. list employee information 5. display employees by alpha key 6.payee processing
Lesson 1.5 Summary
This lesson covered:
  • Vendor maintenance.
  • Employee maintenance.

The next lesson presents Accounting Classification Code Structure (ACCS).