A feeder is a system that transfers data from one computer system to another. For finance processes at the University, feeders send information from departmental databases into the PeopleSoft Financials General Ledger (PS G/L). These databases could be third-party systems or in-house programs like Access, Paradox or Dbase.

Types of Feeders

MoCode Feed

Sends a short five-character code (MoCode) that represents a string of chartfields. A conversion program turns the MoCode into a full journal entry. All MoCode feeds for a day are combined into one file and loaded nightly.

Chartfield Feed

Sends all chartfields in a ready-to-use journal format. Each feed is processed separately each night.

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Feeder Procedure & Guidelines

Because feeders move large amounts of data daily, accuracy and compliance are essential. Mistakes can stop nightly processing or create significant cleanup work. Only authorized personnel may feed transactions and this privilege depends on maintaining the integrity of the data. Follow the University鈥檚 feeder procedure and guidelines to set up new feeds and avoid errors. 

Review the Feeder Procedure

Sample Feeder Checklist

  • Source code: Must be 3 uppercase letters, exist in PS_SOURCE_TBL, and be authorized for your feeder. Consider keeping an offline lookup table for valid codes.
  • Description: Give each feeder a unique description for easier tracking.
  • Business unit: Must be valid per PS_BUS_UNIT_TBL_FS.
  • First column: 鈥淗鈥 starts a new journal; 鈥淟鈥 starts a new line.
  • MoCode: Must be valid. Verify with:
    • Select speedchart_key 
    • From sysadm.ps_speedchart_hdr a 
    • where EFF_STATUS = 'A' 
    • and a.effdt = (select max(aa.EFFDT) 
      • from sysadm.ps_speedchart_hdr aa 
      • where aa.EFFDT <= sysdate 
        • and SPEEDCHART_KEY = a.SPEEDCHART_KEY 
        • and aa.SETID = a.SETID) 
    • and a.speechart_key = [MoCode]
  • Must include a decimal.
  • No dollar signs, commas, parentheses, or other symbols.
  • Credit entries start with a negative sign.
  • Right-justify and pad left with zeros for easier review.
  • Debit and credit amounts should equal zero unless creating cash entries.
  • Backup your files before sending.
  • Review files for format issues, especially the amount field.