Creating a Concur Travel Request

Step One:

From the Concur Home Page (accessed through your KU Single Sign On (SSO) at concur.ku.edu):

1. Select + New
2. Choose Start a Request

Step Two:

On the Create New Request (or Request Header) page:

1. Complete all required fields indicated with a red asterisk next to the field title and any of the optional fields necessary to assist in the completion and approval of your TR. See the Request Header Field Descriptions below for details on each field.
2. Select the Create Request button at the bottom right to go to the Expected Expenses page where you will enter your estimated travel expenses.

Required Request Header Field Descriptions:

• Request/Trip Name - Required naming convention:  Enter name as Destination City, State or Country and Dates of Travel.
  • Example:  Phoenix, AZ 08/08/21-08/12/21
  • 32-character limit  
  • This format is for Trip Name consistency across campus.
• Request/Trip Business Start & End Dates - Dates your business expense Start and End.
• Destination City - Start typing the destination city and Concur will provide a list of global destinations available to select from. The Destination Country will auto-populate based on your Destination City selected. 
  • Email fsku@ku.edu if the destination you are traveling to is not listed and they will add it.
  • If you anticipate traveling to more than one city and/or country, select where you plan to spend most of your time and indicated the other locations in the Additional Information field.
• Trip Type - Select appropriate Trip Type from the drop-down list. 
  • Only Out-of-State and International TRs are required by policy.  However, some departments require their travelers to have a TR for all travel regardless of location.
• Traveler Type - Select appropriate Traveler Type from the drop-down list.
• Request/Trip Purpose - Select appropriate Trip Purpose from the drop-down list.
• Personal Travel - Answer using the drop-down list.  If yes is selected, please enter personal travel dates in the Personal Dates of Travel field.
• Funding String - Consists of the Legal Entity, Cost Center, Fund, Project, CF1 and Reimbursable fields.  The Legal Entity and Cost Center will auto-populate based on the traveler's HR Legal Entity and Cost Center records. This is NOT always the correct funding for your trip.  Please be sure to determine the funding before completing your TR.
  • The funding string fields can be changed to the funding indicated by your department's budget manager, AMS Grant Coordinator, or person awarding travel funds as needed for each travel request. If you know your funding, you can search for your Cost Center, Fund, Project, CF1 and Reimbursable by either name (TEXT) or number (CODE).
  • If you do not know your exact funding string, please indicate what you know of your funding for the trip in the Additional Information field and your SSC or travel processor will complete the funding string.
• Additional Information - This field has a 500 character limit and is VERY IMPORTANT in helping the SSC and Approvers to complete and approve your TR.  Please include the following information:
  • Explain trip's business purpose(s).
    • i.e. Presenting at Annual Innovators Conference -or- Collect soil samples for XYZ research project.
  • Specify the university funding source(s) that will be used for the trip expenses.
    • i.e. $1000 award from CLAS faculty travel fund -or- Funding from NIH grant -or- $500 approved dept. travel award & the remainder from my John Smith Endowment account.
  • Explain form of payment you plan to use for trip expenses.
    • i.e. Trip expenses will be on my KU p-card -or- Paying trip expenses with my personal card, will seek reimbursement. 
  • If applicable, explain special circumstances or any expenses you will not be seeking reimbursement for.
    • i.e. Staying with family-will not have lodging expenses. -or- The conference holder is directly purchasing my airfare-will not be have airfare expense. 
  • List other destinations if your trip is multi-destination.
  • Provide a list of additional travelers if traveling with non-employee students that will not be seeking reimbursement for any travel expense.
    • NOTE: For group travel, all employees need their own TR and TRs need to be created by the SSC for non-employee students that will seek travel expense reimbursement.
  • List any exception reasons for booking outside of Concur/CTP if applicable.
    • i.e. Reserved hotel directly to get conference room rate.
• Comments for: Reconcilers/Approvers/Central Audit - This field is not required.  It is used by reconcilers, approvers, and central audit to share information as the TR is in the system workflow.  Travelers do not need to enter anything in this field.

Step Three:

On the Expected Expenses page, estimate ALL your travel expenses that will be paid for or reimbursed by KU, KUCR or KUEA funds before submitting  the Request.

1. Select the Add button, then select the name of an Expense Type you want to estimate. 
2. Enter the total estimated Amount - not the daily rate (hotel/car rental) to be paid for or reimbursed by state, research, or endowment "university" funds, and add a Comment such as method of payment or other helpful information as needed. 
   • Note: If your travel will be fully paid for by an entity other than KU (state), KUCR (research), or KUEA (endowment), in step 1 select the Personal/Non Reimbursable expense type.  Then in step 2 enter the amount as $0.00, add a comment explaining the external funding, and select Save.  Then finish Step Four to document your trip in the Concur system for institutional compliance and insurance coverage purposes. EXAMPLE:
3. Select Save. 
   • Note: The Allocate button is for split funding which will be completed later if needed by your SSC or travel processor.
4. Repeat steps 1, 2, and 3 for each estimated travel expense type until your total university or research trip expense estimate is complete. 
   • Note: The meals per diem and mileage rates are already configured into the system for the Meals and Incidentals and Mileage expense types. When selected and saved they will auto-calculate the total meals or mileage estimates based on the trip days and/or number of miles entered.

Users should estimate and include all expected trip-related expenses to be paid for or reimbursed by university funding, such as airfare, hotel, registration, car rental or taxi, mileage, parking, tolls, and meals in their request. With these expenses included in your request, an approver can make a more informed approval decision based on the entire trip cost and more accurately encumber travel costs.  EXAMPLE:  

If your trip is KUCR project funded and you wish to request a Cash Advance this is done while creating your Travel Request.  To do so, once you have your Travel Request trip information entered:

• Select Request Details.
• Choose Add Cash Advance.
• Enter requested Cash Advance Amount, Justification or the business purpose of trip, and Comments as to need/use of the advance.
• Select Save.

• Cash Advance Amount - This field is not required, but needed if you wish to request a Cash Advance from your Research funds.  Enter the amount of your requested cash advance if travel expenses are KURES funding.  Cash Advances are not allowed on UKANS or Endowment funding.
• Justification - This field is not required, but needed if you wish to request a Cash Advance from your Research funds.  Enter business purpose of travel related to grant.
• Cash Advance Comment - This field is not required, but needed if you wish to request a Cash Advance from your Research funds.  Enter any additional information necessary to explain the need and use of for Cash Advance in order be considered for approval. 
  • NOTE:  The Cash Advance portion of the TR routes to the KUCR central office for review and approval after the TR has been approved by the Cost Object (funding) approver.  Cash Advances will be paid no more than 30 days prior to travel.

Note:  Cash Advances are only allowable on KURES research funded travel.

Step Four:

With all your Expected Expense estimates and Cash Advance if applicable entered:

1. Select Attachments to attach documents to help support your travel, such as:
   • supervisor approval email
   • travel award confirmation email
   • designated funding email
   • attendee list
   • conference or meeting agenda, etc.
   • NOTE: Please do not attach actual travel receipts here in your TR.  Receipts need to be either submitted to your SSC or uploaded into Concur Expense.
2. Select Submit Request. 
3. A pop-up box will appear to confirm.  Select Accept & Submit. 

The Travel Request will then route to two consecutive review/approval levels:

• SSC or travel processor (Fund Coder/Verification) - for TR review and entry of appropriate Funding String. The Fund Coder is the individual assigned to support the Cost Center in the Request Header.  This role is specific to Concur Travel Requests.
• Cost Object Approver (COA) - for TR review and approval of funding for the trip.  The COA is the individual(s) assigned to approve all transactions for the Cost Center(s) entered in the TR.  This role applies to all financial transactions for a given Cost Center (Concur TRs, Travel & P-Card Expense Reports, FITC Requisitions and Invoices, etc.).

Upon Cost Object approval, if the Travel Request contains a Cash Advance request it will route to the KUCR central office for review and final approval.  If it does not, the TR has completed its final approval. 

Upon final approval, an email supplying the TR details is sent to the traveler's HR Supervisor and the traveler indicating that a Concur Travel Request has been Approved.  Also, by selecting Requests from the menu bar at the top of the Concur screen, travelers can see the status of their TRs on the Manage Requests REQUEST LIBRARY screen.