Chrome River Expense Reporting
The University of Michigan will be upgrading its expense reporting system to a new software solution called Chrome River, with a target go-live date of August 1, 2024. The current expense management system, Concur, will be retired on September 30, 2024.
Why are we changing expense reporting systems?
This initiative is a direct response 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.
What can you do now to prepare for the transition?
-
Take advantage of the available training opportunities—secure your spot at the sessions most relevant to your role.
-
Address any pending transactions in Concur prior to the stipulated cutoff dates. To review any outstanding transactions, log in to your Concur profile or visit this Tableau report.
-
Mark your calendar with the key dates below to ensure seamless operation during this transition.
Default Expense Report Approvers
Default expense report approvers have been loaded into Chrome River. A list of the approvers loaded into Chrome River who have not yet completed the approver training, and all of the people for which they are an approver (employee), is available for departments to review.
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
The week of July 29, a report will be available to review approvers and delegates on Chrome River profiles. In addition, an eForm will be made available to submit requests to change the default approver on a Chrome River profile. More information will be provided when the form is available.
Important Upcoming Dates
To assist with your planning and ensure you have all the necessary details, we have included several major dates in the table below. For your convenience, simply click each date and the deadline will be added to your Google calendar or click here to add the full calendar. Outlook users can download this .ics file and import it to Outlook calendar.
| Transaction | Concur Date | Chrome River Date |
|---|---|---|
| Update Default Expense Report Approver 1 | Update in Concur no later than 7/12/24 | Will be uploaded into Chrome River |
| Update expense report delegates | Update in Concur no later than 7/12/24 | Will be uploaded into Chrome River |
|
Cash advance reconciliation expense reports |
Final day to submit AND approve: 7/12/24 |
First day to create in Chrome River: 8/1/24 |
|
PCard/CTA Transactions |
Final date to load: 7/15/24 |
First day to load in Chrome River: 8/1/24 (will include all 7/16-7/31 transactions) |
|
Cash advance requests |
Final day to request: 7/26/24 |
First day to request in Chrome River: 8/1/24 |
|
Full Out-of-Pocket expense reports |
Final day to submit AND approve in Concur: 7/31/24 |
First day to create in Chrome River: 8/1/24 |
|
SSC Users |
Final day to request PCard/CTA transactions to be reconciled in Concur: 8/21/24 |
Begin creating all possible reports in Chrome River on 8/1/24 |
|
Expense reports with PCard/CTA transactions (mileage and per diem will be allowable) |
Final day to submit AND approve in Concur: 9/15/24 |
First day to create in Chrome River: 8/1/24 (will only contain transactions loaded 7/16 and later) |
Please note there are three blackout periods associated with the Chrome River go-live date of August 1:
-
July 13 to 31 —During this time, cash advance expense reports cannot be submitted through either U-M expense tool. Report submission will resume 8/1 through the new expense system, Chrome River.
-
July 27 to 31—During this time, requests for a cash advance cannot be submitted through either U-M expense tool. Request submission will resume 8/1 through the new expense system, Chrome River.
-
For any emergency requests that arise during the blackout dates, contact Accounting Customer Service at [email protected].
-
-
July 16 to 31—During this time, new PCard and CTA transactions will not be loaded into Concur. These transactions will all be available in your Chrome River profile when you log in on August 1, 2024.
Training Opportunities
Beginning in mid-June, we will be hosting a series of training sessions designed to introduce you to Chrome River and prepare you for the upcoming 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.
Instructor Led: This session will include an overview of policies and expectations for approvers, a demo of the approval process, and time to complete a MyLinc quiz to certify your successful completion of the approver training.
- July 24, 2024 – 2-3pm – Register Here
- August 6, 2024 – 11am-12pm – Register Here
On-Demand: Ideal for individuals who review and approve expense reports, but would like to complete the training on their own time.
Introduction to Chrome River
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.
- July 25, 2024 – 2-3pm – Register Here
- July 29, 2024 – 10-11am – Register Here
- August 7, 2024 – 2:30-3:30pm – Register Here
- August 20, 2024 – 12-1pm – Register Here
- September 4, 2024 – 2-3pm – Register Here
- September 18, 2024 – 11am-12pm – Register Here
Chrome River Q&A/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.
- August 12, 2024 – 10-11am – Add to calendar
- August 26, 2024 – 2-3pm – Add to calendar
- September 9, 2024 – 10-11am – Add to calendar
- September 23, 2024 – 2-3pm – Add to calendar
Zoom link for all sessions: https://umich.zoom.us/j/
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 session will cover 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.
- On demand training
- Live training sessions
For more information on the SSC report creation process and eForm updates, please visit the SSC website.
Announcements
- 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