GCSS TERMS

Cost Center

A unit of the organization from a costing perspective; used to collect costs and to track and manage costs for responsibility segments of the Army.

Authorized To Forecast

The GCSS-Army Demand Analysis process which recommends additions to and deletions from the Authorized Stockage List (ASL).

MRP Exception Message

(Created during the GCSS-Army planning run): Refers to an individual MRP element displayed MRP Exception Messages identify imbalances between supply and demand and usually require action on the part of the Stock Control Manager or Clerk to correct.

Bill of Materials (BOM):

A Bill of Material is a complete, formally structured list of the components that makes up a product or assembly. A BOM represents a parent/child relationship between a weapon system or end item, its assemblies, its subassembly components, together with the item number, quantity and unit of measure.

Outbound Delivery Monitor (OBD)

A GCSS-Army process that allows a manager to view of all Outbound Deliveries. Outbound Deliveries are goods placed into customer bins for pickup or staged for delivery.

Purchase Order (PO) Document Types

A TWO digit character code (45) used to Identify the type of Purchase Order transaction being performed.

Work Center

A Work Center is used to define work organizations/resources (people, tools and equipment) to be used in the maintenance processing to plan and execute the actual work.

Material BOM (Bill of Materials or Component Listing)

A complete formally structured list of the components that makes up an End Item. Work Order (PB01)

Internal Order

A cost object that can be used to plan, collect and settle costs of special projects or tasks within an organization.

Activity Types

A cost object that represents a group of resources within a cost center. These resource groups have capacity and a unit of measure such as: labor hours, machine hours, square footage, etc. Activity types are consumed and used to produce the products and services of the organization.

Primary Cost Elements

A cost or revenue-relevant item in the chart of accounts, for which a corresponding general ledger (G/L) account exists in Financial Accounting (FI).

Maintenance Significant Part (MSP)

A critical, repairable, and typically high dollar readiness driver.

Plant 2000 or 2001

A data element used to designate the financial category of material. Plant 2000 is Operation and Maintenance Activity (OMA) and is used to identify all items in organizational Supply. Plant 2001 is Army Working Capital Fund (AWCF) which is items in the Retail Supply System.

General Ledger Account Master

A data record containing information that controls how data is entered into a G/L account and how that account is managed.

Available Allotment

A distribution of budget authority to an execution level accounting entity. It authorizes the incurrence of obligation with a specified amount. Sub-allotment may be used to further sub-divide the budget authority.

Schedule Manager (SCMA)

A function that enables, or simplifies, the definition, scheduling, execution and control of periodically recurring tasks, such as period-end closing.

Individual Property Listing

A listing of equipment or supplies issued to a person. Equivalent to a Hand Receipt.

Consolidated Property Listing (Unit Roll Up)

A listing that captures all assets for a Force Element and its subordinate elements. Generated in Microsoft Excel, this listing can be easily manipulated to extract relevant information.

Bill of Material (BOM)

A maintenance bill of material (BOM) is a complete structured list of the components making up a piece of equipment or assembly.

Projects

A major part of the internal processes of an organization and are structured according to the project work.

Configurable Material

A materiel that has more than one allowable configurations based on interchangeable weapon systems/weapon sub-systems and components.

Notification

A notification is the alert process that informs an end user that some type of action is required for Army equipment.

Posting Period

A period within a fiscal year, such as a particular month, for which GCSS-Army transaction figures are updated. Every GCSS-Army transaction that is posted is assigned to a particular posting period. The transaction figures are then updated for this period.

Material Requirements Planning (MRP)

A process within GCSS-Army that calculates the quantities needed to satisfy projected consumption or to meet immediate requirements. The planned and the exact requirements quantities trigger the net requirements calculation. The system calculates net requirements for all materials that are to be planned.

Purchase Requisition (PR)

A request from a customer to a supplier (PBO, SSA or External Vendor) to deliver a quantity of material or to perform services at a given point in time, before converting the PR to a Purchase Order (PO).

Material Reservation

A request or instruction to procure a quantity of a material so that it is available at a specific time.

Movement Type

A three digit code that identifies the reason and type of material movement that is being conducted in GCSS-Army.

Proprietary Accounts

Accounts in the USSGL that contain records of the receipts of funds from the U.S. Treasury and the proper classification of assets, liabilities and net position.

Budgetary Accounts

Accounts in the United States Standard General Ledger (USSGL) that record the appropriation, appointment, allocation, commitment, obligation and expenditure process.

Resource Related Billing (RRB)

Accumulates the expenses for a WBSE incurred in each period that can be invoiced.

G/L Balances

Amounts resulting from the difference between the debit and credit side of an account.

Allotment

An allotment is a distribution of budget authority to an execution level accounting entity. It authorizes the incurrence of obligations within a specified amount. Sub allotments may be used to further subdivide the budget authority.

Bill of Materials (BOM)

An exploded view of a component, end item, or other equipment allowing users to view the authorized parts.

Material

An item of supply or property.

Counter

An object (i.e. odometer, tachometer, etc) mounted on a piece of equipment by which readings are taken to object wear, consumption, or the reduction of a working supply.

Force Element (FE)

An organizational object, or element (such as a Brigade/Regiment, Troop/Battery/Company, Platoon, or Squad/Section), that is uniquely identified and is part of the GCSS-Army organizational structure. This structure is defined by the Modified Table of Organization and Equipment and the Table of Distribution and Allowances (MTOE/TDA). In addition to a long-text title, each FE has a system-generated, eight-digit object ID number and is assigned a UIC-based unit abbreviation.

Annual Funding Program (AFP)

Budget authority that is available for obligation only during a specified fiscal year that expires at the end of that period.

Posting Periods in Cost Management

Closing the previous CM period locks out settlement, allocations and activities from posting in the prior period. Only one CM period should be open for posting at a time.

Posting Periods in Financials

Closing/Opening FI periods control accounting periods that are open for financial posting. Only one FI period should be open for posting at a time, except posting periods 13-16 at year-end.

Deobligation

Completing a utilization notification (Formerly "Closing out a Dispatch").

Customer Master

Contains critical customer information relating to accounts and locations and unique information about customer sets. Included are agency data required to conduct logistics processes, such as Department of Defense Automatic Addressing Codes (DODAACs), Unit Identification Codes (UICs), and geographic data.

Warehouse Activity Monitor

Decision Support Tool used to monitor the status of critical processes and situations in a warehouse. The primary purpose of the WAM is to alert managers of bottlenecks occurring in the flow of assets and transactions through the warehouse. Examples are: (a) Unconfirmed Transfer Orders, (b) Open Transfer Requirements, (c) Open Posting Change Notices, and (d) Open Deliveries.

MRP Type

Defines how a material will be planned. GCSS-Army uses the following: PD - Material Requirements Planning, , VV - Forecast-based Planning, ZM - Mandatory with Safety Stock, ZP - Provisional with Safety Stock, ZV - ROP with All Requirements, ND - No Planning

Application of Funds

Determines what funds made available by a source of funds may be used for. This definition is time-dependent and therefore determines how long a fund is valid.

Equipment Master

Equipment Master is the representation of an individual asset or component in GCSS-Army. It contains the data necessary to store and maintain the description and specifications for the item and perform relevant maintenance activities. Included are critical serial numbers for air and ground systems, as well as selected sets of critical components such as critical air safety items.

Expenses

For purposes of this topic, expenses equal disbursements + increases in accounts payables.

Batch

Formerly referred to as "Condition Code." Classifies materiel in terms of readiness for issue.

Functional Area

Functional area is an FM budget object defined as a funds control element as well as an element to capture execution data. All funds will be distributed to the highest level functional area (i.e., Army) and will be further delineated to specific functional areas for the execution of funds.

Company Code-Army

Identifies tactical Army as an organization for logistics and financial accounting.

Supersession Chain (SSC)

In GCSS-Army, all substitute parts are part of a supersession chain (SSC). The SSC lists the prime number and valid substitutes within that chain.

Material BOM (Bill of Materials or Component Listing) is found in

In a Unit Supply environment a work order documents component shortages for a particular end item.

Change Order

In a Unit Supply environment this is used to add or remove items on a Shortage Annex.

Inbound Delivery

Inbound deliveries are created from purchase orders and stock transport orders as a notification and record that an item has been shipped.

Supersession Chain (SSC) Legacy equivalent:

Interchangeability and Substitutability (I&S).

Secondary Cost Element

Internal allocation account not associated with a GL account. Example: Labor Charge - REG

Billing Type

Invoices, credit memos, debit memos and cancellation documents.

Overdue Deliveries

Items ordered that have not arrived within a calculated Planned Delivery Time (PDT). In GCSS-Army PDT is calculated by individual material (NIIN).

Obligation

Legal reservation of funds by the federal government that will result in outlays, immediately or in the future. Budgetary resources must be available before obligations can be legally incurred.

Background Processing

Lower priority system tasks that can be processed in the background, while the user works interactively, via the monitor screen, on higher priority tasks.

Business Workplace (SBWP) Legacy equivalent is:

Manager Review File (MRF).

Funded Program

Master data in the Funds Management module that tracks execution of funding for specific programs or projects. Utilizes a 24 character alphanumeric field where the numbering scheme is dependent upon the project.

Material Planning Object (MPO)

Non-expendable items of equipment are identified in GCSS-Army as material planning objects (MPO). An MPO number is created for each piece of equipment. This number remains with the equipment throughout its life cycle. LINs are the building blocks for MPOs.

Stock

Non-expendable items of equipment identified in GCSS-Army as Material Planning Objects (MPO). An MPO number is created for each piece of equipment.

Project System

Optimizes business processes from project planning to carrying out the project; and enables a project progress analysis. You can plan, execute and control projects in a target-orientated and a business fashion.

Storage Location

Physical location where inventory is stored or virtual location where inventory is planned.

Provisions

Provisions are used for the planning of consumable items that a Unit needs to perform its tasks and missions. Examples of Provision usage are Shop Stock, ASL and Basic Load.

Consumption

Quantity of items consumed per requirement.

Component

Repair parts used to repair end items. Engines and transmissions are serialized components that are included in the GCSS-Army equipment structure.

Reimbursable Sales Order

Required in order to accumulate the costs and produce a bill. The sales order must reference a WBSE for cost collection and billing.

Material Planning Object (MPO) Legacy equivalent:

Requirements Determination, Net Asset Computation.

Settlement Rules

Rules that determine the portions of equipment maintenance costs that are settled/transferred to a cost receiver (cost center or WBSE). Examples: equipment maintenance work orders within the command structure or equipment maintenance work orders for reimbursable sales orders.

Standard Unit of Measure

Specifies which unit of measure is used for calculations in the MRP list and the stock/requirements list.

Traffic Lights

Status indicator icons displayed in GCSS-Army in the form of a traffic light. Used to prioritize of information viewed based on predetermined conditions and system settings.

Material Number Legacy equivalent:

Stock number or part number.

MRP Type Legacy equivalent:

Stockage List Code (SLC).

Foreground Processing

System tasks that are processed at a high priority by a user, interactively via the monitor screen.

Fund

The Fund master record is a separate and distinct fiscal/accounting object containing a self-balancing set of accounts used to budget and control costs and to identify the source and the use of funding. The Fund is the lowest level at which a balance sheet can be created.

Funds Center

The Funds Center record contains information about specific organizational elements in the Army that are authorized to receive, distribute, and manage funds. Utilizes a 13 character alphanumeric code for identification.

Business Workplace (SBWP):

The GCSS-Army internal communications network consisting of an EMAIL capability and a WORKFLOW messaging structure. The WORKFLOW process is used to send transactions to Materiel Managers for review.

Forecasting

The GCSS-Army process that leverages consumption history to calculate supply requirements for a period of months into the future. Forecasting occurs when historical consumption data exists for the material and location. Forecasting is typically run by MRP Area.

MRP Controller

The MRP controller is the person responsible for the availability of consumable materials for maintenance and internal customers. This individual ensures that correct materials are procured at the correct time and in the correct quantities.

Available to Promise (ATP)

The ability to check if the components on a work order are in stock.

Budget Object

The budget object is an element of the budget structure. It comprises a combination of fund, fund center and commitment item. Budget can be allocated this combination.

Consumption Base Planning

The concept of basing your planning on consumption rather than demands.

Functional Location

The hierarchical location of a component or equipment and any of its sub-components. It also represents the place at which a maintenance task is performed.

Post Goods Issue (PGI)

The issuing of supplies to a customer or external vendor.

Material Number

The material number is uses by the customer to order supply or property.

Planned Delivery Time (PDT)

The number of days elapsed from the initial generation of the Purchase Order/Stock Transport Order to the date of actual receipt of the item. PDT is captured for each Material Number that is forecasted using any approved forecasting model.

Work Order Settlement

The process of moving labor cost incurred (Activity Type Hours times Activity Price) from the work order object to a cost center associated with the work order.

MRP Planning Run

The running of a series of batch jobs in order to execute the Materiel Requirements Planning process.

Billing Document Flow

The sequence of unique documents from order to financials. For example, sales order, delivery, debit memo, billing and invoice.

MRP Area

The virtual instance where materials are planned identified by a Force Element number followed by an: UNDERBAR P (_P) indicating Provision/Consumable, UNDERBAR S (_S) indicating Stock/Property Book item

Vendor Master

This data set contains critical information for approved vendors relating to accounts and locations, and unique information relating to products and services approved for purchase. In GCSS-Army, the vendor master consists of data from the Defense Logistics Information Service's Central Contractor Registry and the DOD Routing Identifier Code.

Period-End Close

This process in Funds Management allows the tracking of encumbrance of funds during the period end or fiscal year end in order to control any adjustments that need to be made to the selected fund/fund center (UIC).

Period Closing in Material Management

Transferring material stocks to Profit Center Accounting in the course of closing operations in Materials Management.

Period-End Close Business Rules

Typically include policies and cut-off dates for P/E Closing.

Period-End Close Master Schedule

Typically includes specific dates and times to perform P/E Close activities.

Availability Control

Used to check consumable budget (budget or releases) against consumed amounts (commitment or actual postings) within a budget process.

Stock Transport Order (STO)

Used to transfer stock from plant to plant or storage location to storage location. Stock Transport Orders are used for bin-to-bin movements within the same storage location.

Multiple Posting Periods

When working with multiple entities across distant time zones, the determination of when to open/close posting is carefully analyzed. Many factors are considered including locations, time-zones, system date and work processes.