United States Department of Agriculture	Office of the Chief Financial Officer	National Finance Center	P.O. Box 60000 New Orleans Louisiana 70160

INQUIRY 14-07, Procedural Change In Requesting TMGT Updates

This bulletin revises and standardizes the process for requesting updates to the Table Management System (TMGT).

Currently, the National Finance Center (NFC) receives TMGT table change requests via several different methods, i.e., written correspondence, faxes and e-mails. In an attempt to ensure proper and timely processing of agency TMGT updates and to standardize the TMGT submission process, NFC has established a new e-mail address for the submission of TMGT table change requests.

Effective July 21, 2008, agency offices may begin to submit TMGT requests to this new e-mail address. For an interim period to allow agencies time to transition to the new submission requirement (i.e., that all TMGT change requests must be submitted via e-mail), NFC will accept TMGT change requests received via written correspondence and faxes until August 18, 2008. Any TMGT change request received after August 18, 2008, that is not submitted to the appropriate e-mail address will be returned unprocessed to the office that submitted the request.

To help eliminate delays in the processing of your TMGT change requests, agencies should follow the procedures described below:

• Ensure that TMGT change requests submitted to NFC are by authorized agency representatives whose names appear on Table 063, Contact Type 03. Any request submitted by an individual not identified on Table 063 will be returned unprocessed to the sender.
• Ensure that requests contain all data necessary for a successful table update, by including a screen print of the relevant table with the applicable data filled in for each table entry required. Many agencies already adhere to this process and do so by capturing the screen, saving it in a word processing format, and adding the variable data to the blank screen(s) captured.
• Ensure that each request includes the applicable department/agency name and the authorized sender's name, e-mail address, and telephone number.

When a request is received in the TMGT mailbox, an automatic e-mail response will be sent to the sender's e-mail address to confirm receipt of the request. NFC processes valid requests within 5 business days of receipt and TMGT updates apply to the system in a real-time environment (i.e., immediately upon the successful completion of the entry process).

Exception to Submitting TMGT Requests to NFC.TMGT@usda.gov

There is an exception to submitting TMGT table change requests. The exception is when a single change request requires 100 or more changes to any one of the four tables identified in Attachment 1. In these cases when a request includes 100 or more changes to a table, the agency must submit the request to NFC.GESDREQUEST@usda.gov instead of the new TMGT e-mail address. The reason for this exception is that requests of 100 or more changes are processed systemically through a system batch process in lieu of being processed manually by the payroll operations staff. Requests sent to the NFC.GESDREQUEST@usda.gov e-mail address must adhere to the proper file format (i.e., the required record layout). See Attachment 1 for instructions on obtaining this record layout information.

Note: If agencies are submitting requests for changes to the Payroll/Personnel System that also require updates to TMGT tables, these requests (i.e., requests that combine system change needs with TMGT table updates) must continue to be submitted to the NFC.GESDREQUEST@usda.gov e-mail address.

Agency Update Access to TMGT

NFC maintains and updates all tables within TMGT; however, agencies can request and be granted access to update some TMGT tables. The specific tables that users may update are: TM001, Personnel Office Identifier Name and Address; TM003, T&A Contact Point Name and Address; TM005, Agency Organizational Structure; TM022, Payroll/Personnel Document Report; TM063, Department/Agency/Bureau Contact; TM102, Pay/Pers Download Table; TM103, TMGT Download Table and TM105, Earnings Statement Messages. To get TMGT table access, agencies must request access to these tables through their agency's NFC security officer.

Please note that the TMGT mailbox will be staffed by personnel who only maintain TMGT table requests; therefore, requests other than those pertaining to TMGT updates will be returned to the sender for resubmission to the proper entity.

The TMGT procedure, which is available online at the NFC Web site, has been updated to include the information in this bulletin. To view and/or print this procedure, go to the NFC Home Page (www.nfc.usda.gov) and click the Publications link at the top of the page. At the Publications page right-hand menu, click Bulletins by Title/Chapter, then search for TMGT on the list provided.

EmpowHR Table Updates

TMGT changes do not update immediately to EmpowHR related tables. Some tables are updated in the EmpowHR application with a system batch load that is completed on a weekly basis. All other tables are manually updated by the EmpowHR Help Desk. Refer to Attachment 2, which provides detailed information about this process and identifies which EmpowHR tables are updated via a system batch load.

For questions about policy/regulations, contact your Agriculture Payroll/Personnel User Group (AGPUG) representative or Committee for Agriculture Payroll/Personnel System (CAPPS) representative. Please refer questions about TMGT to the Payroll/Personnel Call Center at 504-255-4630.

/s/
JOHN S. WHITE , Acting Director
Government Employees Services Division