Budget Checks & Overspend
ESM Purchase™ ESM Consumer Role™
Purpose: This guide helps you understand how ESM Purchase™ checks your budget in real time during checkout and what happens if a purchase exceeds your available budget.
Before you begin:
1) You are logged into ESM Purchase™ ESM Consumer Role™ (see How to Log Into ESM).
2) You are on the checkout screen and have entered a GL Acct Code.
How Budget Checks Work
Figure 1: Checkout screen — real-time budget impact display
When you enter a GL Acct Code at checkout, the system automatically displays:
• Total Budget — the full amount allocated to that budget line.
• Amount Spent — funds already committed or spent to date.
• On Reserve — requisitions currently in the approval workflow.
• Projected Impact — how your current purchase affects the remaining balance, updated in real time as you adjust quantities.
| Note: All budget figures are pulled in real time from your institution's ERP system via direct integration. Contact <insert institution Finance contact name> if figures appear incorrect. |
Overspend Scenarios
| Institution Setting | What Happens When You Exceed Budget |
|---|---|
| Block Overspend | The system prevents submission. You must enter a valid account code with sufficient funds before you can submit. |
| Allow Overspend with Alternative Routing | The system allows submission but routes the requisition through a separate approval path for overspend authorization. |
| Note: Your institution's overspend setting is configured by your system administrator. If you are unsure of your institution's overspend policy, contact <insert institution system administrator / Finance contact name>. Additional spend policy guidelines can be found at <insert institution URL>. |
Steps — If Your Purchase Is Blocked
Figure 2: Overspend warning on checkout screen
1. Review the overspend warning displayed on the checkout screen.
2. Select one of the following options:
a. Enter a different GL Acct Code with sufficient available budget.
b. Split the transaction across multiple account codes so no single line exceeds its budget (see Entering and Managing Account Codes).
c. Reduce the quantity or total value of the purchase to bring it within available budget.
d. Contact your budget manager or <insert institution Finance contact name> to request a budget adjustment before resubmitting.
3. Once a valid account code is in place and no overspend warning is shown, select Submit.
| NOTE ✓ You're done when: No overspend warning is displayed and the Submit button is active. |
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