Chrome River Expense Reporting

Chrome River is live!

The University of Michigan has upgraded its expense reporting system to a new software solution called Chrome River, which is live as of August 1, 2024. The previous expense management system, Concur, was retired on September 30, 2024.

Why did we change expense reporting systems?

This initiative directly responded to campus and partner feedback, desiring a system with:

  • Better functionality, service, and user experience
  • Streamlined integration with new travel partner (Collegiate Travel Planners)
  • More sophisticated reporting

In partnership with the Shared Services Center, Information & Technology Services, and collaborators across campus and Michigan Medicine, this initiative aims to provide a “Next in Class” expense reporting experience for all users. 

Contact Us

Default Expense Report Approvers

Default expense report approvers have been loaded into Chrome River. When loading approvers into Chrome River, the following process was followed:

  • Approvers were transferred from Concur profiles (Default Expense Report Approver 1 as of July 12)
  • If there was no Concur default approver, the Supervisor in the employee’s MPathways HR profile was used
  • If no Supervisor was identified in MPathways, the Department Manager in MPathways was used

If a department needs to make an update to a Chrome River approver:

  1. Reach out to the department manager to determine who the appropriate default approver should be.
  2. View the tableau report of Chrome River approvers to determine which employees an approver is listed for.
  3. Review the Chrome River: Default Approver job aid for instructions on how to submit an update request.
  4. Submit approver update requests through the Expense Report Default Approver Change Request form.
If you are unable to submit your report with your current default approver, you have three options:
  1. Default Approver Override: Check the “Default Approver Override” box in the report header. Submit and add a trained approver when prompted.
  2. Update Default Approver: Request to change your default approver to one who is trained.
  3. Get Approver Trained: Contact your current approver and ask them to complete the Chrome River approver training course and assessment.

    Training Opportunities

    Register to attend one of our training sessions designed to introduce you to Chrome River and prepare you for the transition. To help you get the most out of this platform, we are offering a variety of sessions tailored to different skill levels and user roles. For those unable to attend, recorded sessions and resource materials will be made available after the completion of the training program.

    Chrome River Approver Training

    Required for individuals who review and approve expense reports, even if previously completed for Concur. 

    On-Demand: Ideal for individuals who review and approve expense reports, but would like to complete the training on their own time.

     

    Chrome River Training/Demo

    Instructor Led: Ideal for all users who create expense reports for themselves or others. This session will cover the basics of navigation, expense creation, and report submission. There will be a live demo of the system, tips and tricks, and time for Q&A.

    Zoom link for all sessions: https://umich.zoom.us/j/97330976833

    Meeting ID: 973 3097 6833
    Passcode: 253097

     

    Chrome River Office Hours

    Ideal for users who use Chrome River to submit and/or approve expense reports. These virtual office hour/Q&A sessions are an opportunity to connect with the Expense team, ask questions, and get support for using Chrome River once the system goes live. 

    Zoom link for all sessions: https://umich.zoom.us/j/97330976833

    Meeting ID: 973 3097 6833
    Passcode: 253097

    SSC Expense Submission Process Training

    Ideal for users who submit their expenses for themselves or others to the SSC (Shared Services Center) for expense report creation. This training covers the basics of submitting via the eForm, accessing your ticket and submitting your report once the SSC creates it. *If you approve reports for your department that are created by the SSC, you will need to take one of the Chrome River Approver Training options.

    For more information on the SSC report creation process and eForm updates, please visit the SSC website.

    Announcements

    • Chrome River is live!—Resources, dates, and support – Read more here
    • The University Record: New expense reporting system coming in AugustRead more here
    • Chrome River Update from Procurement Services AVP, CPO & Shared Services Center AVP – Read more here
    • Chrome River training available in June – Read more here
    • Get a sneak peek at Chrome River (U-M’s new expense reporting system) – Read more here
    • U-M’s expense reporting software to be upgraded this summer – Read more here

    Resources

    Policies/Guidelines

    • Expense reporting webpage Visit the Procurement Services expense reporting webpage for announcements, policy information, and FAQ.

    • Chrome River best practices webpage – Visit the Procurement Services Chrome River webpage for information on best practices and how to use the expense reporting system.

    FAQ

    How do I obtain a copy of a Concur report?

    Navigate to https://apps.procurement.finance.umich.edu/secure/concur/ReportGrabber.cfm
    • You will need to use SSO
    • The app will automatically open with a list of your own reports from Concur
    The PDF download will include the report summary, all expense line details, and all attachments/receipts included in the report. Please note that a full repository of reports is expected to be available by the end of January 2025. The automated process is working to load the newest Concur reports first. Any reports that are not available in the repository can be requested from the Expense Team in Procurement Services using this form. For additional information, please read our knowledge base article Obtaining PDF of Concur Report.

    Why did I receive a $0 receipt from CTP?

    You will receive two receipts in Chrome River for hotel and car rental bookings. One will be for the CTP booking fee, the other will show $0.00 as no payment is due to the hotel or rental car company at the time of the booking. These receipts should be deleted in Chrome River as the hotel and rental car companies will be paid directly and will issue receipts at the time of payment.

    Will we be able to link our Uber/Lyft accounts to Chrome River so our receipts automatically populate there?

    For services like Uber and Lyft, once the user updates their Business Profile in the service apps to point to Chrome River as their expense provider, you would start getting the receipts for that user. You can read more about Uber here and about Lyft here.

    Who will have access to Chrome River?

    Everyone with an employee relationship to U-M will have access to Chrome River, just like the current setup with Concur.
    See all Chrome River Expense Management FAQ