This article provides step-by-step guidance for implementing the AP Feed Extension in your CyberGrants system. Following this process will help ensure a successful implementation that meets your organization's needs. 

Pre-Implementation Planning 

Step 1: Define Your Payment Process Requirements 

Before beginning the implementation process, you'll need to clearly define the details of your payment workflow.  

• Take time to document which CyberGrants proposal types will use the AP Feed and which payment statuses should trigger inclusion in the feed.
• Consider whether you'll need a Vendor Feed Extension (**Link to "Vendor Feed Extension Overview" article) in conjunction with the AP Feed to manage vendor information effectively.
• Also, determine your frequency requirements for file transmission (daily, weekly, etc.) and any currency needs, such as whether you require single currency or multi-currency support. 

Example: If you want to automate payments for employee giving programs but handle community grants manually, specify that only employee giving proposal types should be included in the AP Feed. 

Step 2: Identify Custom Field Requirements 

Examine your payment process to determine if you need additional data in your AP Feed beyond the standard fields. The extension allows for up to five custom fields to be included in the outbound feed.  

• Document the source location of these fields, specifying whether they should come from the request, organization, payee, or payment records.
• Make sure to confirm field formats and any special handling requirements with your finance team to ensure compatibility with your AP system. 

Example: If your AP system requires a department code or cost center, you might need to include these as custom fields in your AP Feed. 

Step 3: Establish SFTP Connection Details 

Working with your IT department is crucial for setting up the secure file transfer infrastructure. You'll need to either set up a new SFTP server or identify an existing one for file transfers.  

• Document all connection credentials and file path information that will be needed during implementation.
• It's important to confirm that firewall permissions are properly configured to allow connections from Bonterra's systems.
• Additionally, establish clear file naming conventions to ensure consistent identification of files in both systems. 

Step 4: Review Implementation Plan with Internal Stakeholders 

Before proceeding with implementation, gather your key internal stakeholders to review the planned approach.  

Share your requirements thoroughly with relevant teams, including Finance, IT, and Grants Management. This collaborative review ensures alignment with organizational processes and policies before development begins.  

• Make sure to document formal approval from necessary stakeholders and identify specific individuals who will participate in testing from both the grants and finance teams.  

This cross-functional involvement helps ensure all perspectives are considered during implementation. 

Implementation Process 

Step 5: Work with Your Implementation Team 

Schedule a comprehensive meeting with your CyberGrants Implementation team to present your defined requirements and discuss implementation options in detail. During this meeting, you'll review the implementation timeline together and address any questions or concerns about the process.  

• This is also the time to confirm which workflow option you'll use (with or without Vendor Feed) based on your organization's needs.  

The implementation team will provide guidance on best practices and help identify any potential issues before development begins. 

Step 6: Develop and Review Specifications 

After your initial meeting, CyberGrants will provide detailed specifications for your AP Feed implementation.  

Review these specifications carefully, with particular attention to the file formats for both outbound and inbound files, field mappings and transformations, process flow and status updates, and error handling procedures.  

• It's critical that you confirm these specifications match your expectations and needs before approving them to proceed with development.
• Remember that any changes requested after specification approval may impact on both the timeline and costs. 

Step 7: Prepare Your AP Department 

While development is underway, focus on preparing your Accounts Payable department for the new process.  

Share the file specifications with your AP department or system administrators to ensure they understand the format and requirements.

• Verify they can both accept the outbound file format and provide the required return file format as specified.
• Work together to establish clear processes for handling exceptions or errors that may arise during processing.
• If needed, schedule training sessions for AP staff to familiarize them with the new workflow and their responsibilities within it. 

Step 8: Participate in Testing 

Once development is complete, your active participation in the User Acceptance Testing (UAT) process becomes essential for success. Test all scenarios where your AP Feed should apply to verify the system behaves as expected in each case.  

• The implementation requires completion of at least three successful end-to-end file tests as part of the validation process.  

During testing, document any issues you encounter and report them promptly to the implementation team for resolution.  

Your thorough testing helps ensure a smooth transition to production. 

Step 9: Final Approval and Implementation 

After successful completion of testing, you'll need to provide formal sign-off on the UAT results to indicate your satisfaction with the implementation.  

• Work with the implementation team to confirm the timing for production deployment and prepare internal communications to inform users about the new process.
• Develop and deliver any necessary training to ensure all users understand how to work with the new system.
• Schedule a specific go-live date that works for all stakeholders involved in the process.

Post-Implementation Management 

Step 10: Monitor Initial Operations 

After implementation, dedicate resources to closely monitor the first several cycles of the AP Feed process. This monitoring period is crucial for identifying any issues that weren't apparent during testing.  

• Verify that outbound files are being generated correctly according to the specifications and confirm that inbound files are being processed properly without errors.
• Check that payment statuses are updating as expected when payments are processed.
• Keep detailed documentation of any issues or questions that arise during this initial period for follow-up with support if needed. 

Step 11: Establish Ongoing Management Procedures 

Developing comprehensive procedures for ongoing management will help ensure the long-term success of your AP Feed implementation.  

• Create a plan for regular review of AP Feed performance, including periodic checks for accuracy and efficiency.
• Establish clear protocols for handling exceptions or errors that may occur during normal operations.
• Document the process for communicating with Bonterra support when assistance is needed, including appropriate contact information and expected response times.
• Also, create specific procedures for managing refunds and reissues, which require manual processing outside the automated AP Feed workflow. 

Step 12: Plan for Annual Review 

The AP Feed Extension allows one change per calendar year, so planning for this update is important.  

Schedule an annual review of your AP Feed configuration that involves stakeholders from all affected departments.  

• During this review, evaluate the effectiveness of the current implementation and identify potential improvements that could enhance your payment processes.
• After determining the most valuable change to implement, work with your CyberGrants representative to plan and schedule the update within your allowed annual modification. 

Step 13: Document Governance Procedures 

Establishing clear governance for your AP Feed Extension helps maintain consistency and control over time.  

Create documentation that clearly outlines who in your organization has the authority to request changes to the AP Feed configuration.  

• Define the formal approval process required before any changes are submitted to CyberGrants.
• Develop standardized methods for documenting and communicating changes to all stakeholders who might be affected by modifications.
• Establish rigorous protocols for testing and validating changes before they are applied to your production environment. 

Important Considerations 

• Refunds and Reissues - These must be performed manually within the CyberGrants application. The resulting transactions will then be picked up in the next AP file transmission.
• Currency Requirements - Payments must be processed in either the currency specified in the outbound file or your account's base currency.
• Custom Field Limitations - Custom fields in the feeds are limited to data from the request, organization, payee, and payment only.
• Automation Requirement - All AP Feeds must be fully automated. After release to production, there will not be any ad-hoc manual processing of the feed. 

• What is the AP Feed Extension?