Finance without an internet connection

Discuss questions around local unit policies for budgeting, reconciling, etc. This forum should not contain specific financial or membership information.
drepouille
Senior Member
Posts: 2859
Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2007 6:06 pm
Location: Plattsmouth, NE

Finance without an internet connection

#1

Post by drepouille »

Our DSL modem is down, and we had a YW fundraiser last night, checks to be printed, and transfers to be made, so I had to be creative today.

1. To print checks, I set up a Hot Spot on my Android phone, and connected the clerk computer to the Hot Spot. This also allowed us to transfer funds to the stake for YW Camp.
2. To deposit the money collected at the fundraiser, we took the clerk computer to the nearest meetinghouse, and connected it to all the peripherals in an available clerk's office.

Does it seem weird that we can print checks anywhere using LCR Finance, but we must use MLS via a church firewall to create a donation batch?
Dana Repouille, Plattsmouth, Nebraska
eblood66
Senior Member
Posts: 3907
Joined: Mon Sep 24, 2007 9:17 am
Location: Cumming, GA, USA

Re: Finance without an internet connection

#2

Post by eblood66 »

The joys of technology :).

Although technically you have the capability of printing checks anywhere, the policy (as stated in LCR at the top of the Print Checks tag) is that checks can only be printed on the unit computer and printer. I've not seen any such restriction on entering EFT reimbursements or entering transfers in LCR. I think they probably don't want blank check stock being taken home.

I expect the next enhancement for LCR Finance will be to add donation support. But I expect we'll still be required to do at on the unit computer.
drepouille
Senior Member
Posts: 2859
Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2007 6:06 pm
Location: Plattsmouth, NE

Re: Finance without an internet connection

#3

Post by drepouille »

I came very close to taking the check stock home with me today, and printing the checks there. However, I realized that I would still need two signatures on the checks, so I would not have gained anything from doing so.

By the way, we received three reimbursement requests today. One was a quick and easy EFT. The other two members have not enabled EFT, so they will have to wait a week for their checks to be printed.
Dana Repouille, Plattsmouth, Nebraska
russellhltn
Community Administrator
Posts: 34422
Joined: Sat Jan 20, 2007 2:53 pm
Location: U.S.

Re: Finance without an internet connection

#4

Post by russellhltn »

drepouille wrote:Does it seem weird that we can print checks anywhere using LCR Finance, but we must use MLS via a church firewall to create a donation batch?
Careful, the developers may have simply overlooked that. <grin>
Have you searched the Help Center? Try doing a Google search and adding "site:churchofjesuschrist.org/help" to the search criteria.

So we can better help you, please edit your Profile to include your general location.
scgallafent
Church Employee
Church Employee
Posts: 3025
Joined: Mon Feb 09, 2009 4:55 pm
Location: Riverton, Utah

Re: Finance without an internet connection

#5

Post by scgallafent »

russellhltn wrote:
drepouille wrote:Does it seem weird that we can print checks anywhere using LCR Finance, but we must use MLS via a church firewall to create a donation batch?
Careful, the developers may have simply overlooked that. <grin>
drepouille wrote:I came very close to taking the check stock home with me today, and printing the checks there.
The developers didn't overlook that. If you had tried to physically print checks from outside the meetinghouse, you would have been reminded of the policy.
drepouille
Senior Member
Posts: 2859
Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2007 6:06 pm
Location: Plattsmouth, NE

Re: Finance without an internet connection

#6

Post by drepouille »

Maybe I was not paying attention, so I did not see that reminder. We printed checks using the clerk's computer while it was tethered to the mobile Hot Spot provided by my cell phone. So our connection to LCR was not passing through the Church firewall. We also scanned and uploaded receipts for some new reimbursement requests while using that Hot Spot.
Dana Repouille, Plattsmouth, Nebraska
scgallafent
Church Employee
Church Employee
Posts: 3025
Joined: Mon Feb 09, 2009 4:55 pm
Location: Riverton, Utah

Re: Finance without an internet connection

#7

Post by scgallafent »

drepouille wrote:Maybe I was not paying attention, so I did not see that reminder. We printed checks using the clerk's computer while it was tethered to the mobile Hot Spot provided by my cell phone. So our connection to LCR was not passing through the Church firewall. We also scanned and uploaded receipts for some new reimbursement requests while using that Hot Spot.
It should have given you a warning. I'll run into one of those developers later today and let him know.

Uploading receipts outside of the firewall is fine.
drepouille
Senior Member
Posts: 2859
Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2007 6:06 pm
Location: Plattsmouth, NE

Re: Finance without an internet connection

#8

Post by drepouille »

OK, I see it now!
Checks should be printed, according to church policy, only on the unit computer and printer.
Dana Repouille, Plattsmouth, Nebraska
scgallafent
Church Employee
Church Employee
Posts: 3025
Joined: Mon Feb 09, 2009 4:55 pm
Location: Riverton, Utah

Re: Finance without an internet connection

#9

Post by scgallafent »

scgallafent wrote:It should have given you a warning. I'll run into one of those developers later today and let him know.
You don't get an on-screen warning, but the IP address is logged when checks are printed.
drepouille
Senior Member
Posts: 2859
Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2007 6:06 pm
Location: Plattsmouth, NE

Re: Finance without an internet connection

#10

Post by drepouille »

Since our Windstream DSL modem died, our bishop and stake president are working with the FM to switch to Charter. That should increase our download speed from 3 Mbps to 100 Mbps. That would be nice.
Dana Repouille, Plattsmouth, Nebraska
Post Reply

Return to “Local Unit Finance”