True Blue Fusion
Understanding POETAF and Project Management in Oracle Cloud
As part of the True Blue Fusion (TBF) transition to Oracle Cloud, MTSU is introducing a new approach to managing financial activity for grants, faculty funds, and other project-based work. This new structure centers on Oracle Project Management (PM) and the POETAF string, which together provide more detailed tracking and improved financial visibility.
What Is a Project in Oracle and How Are These Funds Captured?
In Oracle, a Project represents a defined scope of work that requires detailed financial tracking. At MTSU, projects will primarily include sponsored research, faculty funds, and capital projects, while certain funds, such as departmental or college-level F&A, internal grants, agency funds, and other non-project activity, will not be managed in projects. These activities are managed within the Project Management module, which supports detailed reporting within the broader financial system. To capture project-related transactions, Oracle uses the POETAF string.
POETAF stands for:
P
PROJECT
O
EXPENDITURE ORGANIZATION
E
EXPENDITURE TYPE
T
TASK
A
AWARD
F
FUND
Categories of Projects in Project Management
POETAF and the Chart of Accounts (CoA)
In addition to the Chart of Accounts (CoA) segments, the POETAF segments are designed for project cost collection, allowing for more precise tracking of project activity:
- Chart of Accounts (CoA): Used for non-project activity and routed directly to the General Ledger
- POETAF (Project Cost Collection): Used for project-related activity and routed through Project Management before posting to the General Ledger. When a project number is entered, it automatically supplies the underlying chart of accounts elements, reducing the need to enter the full chart string.
This distinction enables more detailed tracking, stronger reporting, and better alignment between project activity and institutional financials. For project-related activity, Banner index numbers will be replaced with Project numbers, which function similarly by grouping key financial information. Non-project activity will continue to use the Chart of Accounts.
Understanding Project Structure
Oracle organizes project financials using a structured hierarchy: Award 鈥� Project 鈥� Task. At go-live, MTSU will generally use a one-to-one-to-one structure (one award, one project, one task), with limited exceptions.
- Award
The funding source supporting the project - Project
The overall body of work - Task
A breakdown of work within the project
Each project must have at least one task and is funded by an Award. An Award may include external funding (e.g., grants) or internal funding (e.g., cost share or matching funds).
Grants and Sponsored Research will be established as separate Projects, ensuring that all related activities are centralized. Faculty funds will typically be managed within a single Project per faculty member, with multiple funding sources, such as startup funds, provost-sponsored grants, faculty F&A, and other discretionary funding, set up as separate awards within that project. Departmental or college-level F&A funds are not included in this structure.
Faculty funds will follow a simplified structure where a faculty member will have one primary Project, and multiple funding sources will be established as Awards within that Project.
Examples include:
- F&A (Facilities & Administrative) funds
- Startup funds
- Provost-sponsored faculty grants (instructional enhancement, professional development, travel, etc.)
Every Project must have a designated Project Manager responsible for approving transactions, while the Principal Investigator (PI) remains a separate role, although one individual may serve in both capacities. Faculty will also gain access to an Oracle dashboard that provides visibility into their projects, funding, and financial activity鈥攔epresenting a significant shift for those who have not previously used Banner.
Looking Ahead
The TBF team continues to enhance project reporting capabilities to support a smooth transition. These improvements aim to:
- Deliver clearer, more actionable financial insights
- Strengthen reporting and analytics
- Support better decision-making across projects
Additional training resources will be available ahead of go-live to help faculty and staff confidently navigate Oracle鈥檚 Project Management features.
