Procurement Office > For Employees > E-RAS Frequently Asked Questions

E-RAS Frequently Asked Questions

General Information

How do I log on?

How do I log on?
Find the log on link on the E-RAS home page. You must have a Lotus Notes account and log-on with your Lotus Notes Internet Password.

Troubleshooting Guide

For information on obtaining a Lotus Notes account:
View Lotus Notes - Account Information.
If you are unable to log in to the Electronic Record of Authorized Signatures (E-RAS) Online System:
You may need to change your Lotus Notes internet password (in Adobe PDF format).
If you experience trouble following these instructions, you can contact Client Support at (631) 632-9800 and request additional assistance. Let them know you "need help setting your Lotus Notes internet password."
If you tried all of the above and still cannot access the Electronic Record of Authorized Signatures (E-RAS) Online System:
Please email Application Support for Administration and give a detailed description of the problem you are experiencing including any error messages or prompts. Please make sure your subject line of the email includes "Electronic Record of Authorized Signatures (E-RAS) Online System."

I do not see my accounts after I log on

I do not see my accounts after I log on.
You are not listed as the account director on the State or RF Project account.

If you believe this is incorrect, please contact:

For State Accounts: Accounting Services at (631) 632-6040
For RF Project Accounts: Office of Grants Management at (631) 632-9038
For SBF Accounts: Stony Brook Foundation Business Office at (631) 632-6536

Changes made by any of the offices above will be reflected in E-RAS on the following Monday.

What is E-RAS Advanced?

What is E-RAS Advanced?
E-RAS Advanced is a Lotus Notes client-based version of E-RAS created for users that manage many accounts.

Can I still submit a paper account correction form instead of using E-RAS?

Can I still submit a paper account correction form instead of using E-RAS?
It is strongly recommended that Account Directors use E-RAS instead of submitting paper account change forms. Effective October 1, 2009 paper forms will no longer be sent to Account Directors when a new RF account is created.

I have State, RF and SBF accounts. Do I need to submit my SBID and signature to both Procurement and Grants Management?

I have State, RF and SBF accounts. Do I need to submit my SBID and signature to both Procurement and Grants Management?
No, since E-RAS is a university database only one form needs to be submitted to Procurement, Zip=6000. It will appear on all your accounts.

Using E-RAS

What is the definition of Account Director?

What is the definition of Account Director?
An Account Director has primary authority to commit and spend account funds. Only the Account Director can delegate authority to Account Assistants and Signatory Delegates.

What is the definition of Account Assistant?

What is the definition of Account Assistant?
An Account Assistant is an individual appointed by the Account Director. Once appointed has the authority to act on behalf of the Account Director to assign Signatory Delegates and additional Account Assistants. Account Assistants do not have the authority to commit or spend account funds unless they are also designated as a Signatory Delegate.

What is the definition of Signatory Delegate?

What is the definition of Signatory Delegate?
A Signatory Delegate is an individual appointed by the Account Director, or Account Assistant, and has the authority to commit or spend account funds on behalf of the Account Director. Signatory Delegates can be granted full or limited authority over account funds.
In E-RAS, the Signatory Delegate role alone will not grant access to see any account information. Only Account Directors and/or Account Assistants will be able to log-in to view account information.

How do I add a Signatory Delegate?

How do I add a Signatory Delegate?
  1. Obtain the SBIDs of your Delegates.
  2. Log on to E-RAS.
  3. Click on the account number that you wish to add a Delegate to.
  4. Click on the Add/Remove/Confirm Delegates button.
  5. You have the ability to add up to 10 Delegates for each account.
  6. Fill-in the SBID of your first Delegate in any available row.
  7. Fill-in the Level of Authority if necessary.
  8. Repeat for each of your Delegates.
  9. Click on the Validate Stony Brook IDs button.
  10. If the SBIDs of your Delegates are valid, you will see their full names appear.
  11. Click on the I Confirm the Above is Correct button.

How do I remove a Signatory Delegate?

How do I remove a Signatory Delegate?
  1. Locate the Stony Brook Identification (SBID) number of the Delegate you wish to remove, and delete that number.
  2. Click on the Validate Stony Brook IDs button. The Delegate's name will be cleared.

What is the Level of Authority field?

What is the Level of Authority field?
Each Signatory Delegate has an accompanying Level of Authority field where Account Directors can specify the limitation of the user's access. If this field is left empty, full authority is assumed. Otherwise, authority will be limited to whatever you type in the Level of Authority field.

What does full authority allow my delegate to do?

What does full authority allow my delegate to do?
Leaving the Level of Authority field that is next to the delegate's name empty or typing in the word 'Full' is equivalent to granting full authority to that delegate. Full authority authorizes your delegate to commit or spend account funds on (This is not an exhaustive list.):
  • Cash Payment Vouchers (CPV)
  • Personnel forms
  • Purchase Requisitions

How do I limit the authority of my Delegates?

How do I limit the authority of my Delegates?
Each Signatory Delegate has an accompanying Level of Authority field where Account Directors can specify the limitation of the user's access.

How do I acknowledge (confirm) that my Delegates are up to date?

How do I acknowledge (confirm) that my Delegates are up to date?
  1. Click on an account number.
  2. If you do not need to make any changes to your Delegates, click on the I Confirm the Above is Correct button.

I type in an SBID of a Delegate and it says it is invalid.

I type in an SBID of a Delegate and it says it is invalid.
Please make sure that the SBID of the Delegate is correct and that the person is still active at Stony Brook. If the person is no longer active at SB, you must delete the Delegate by erasing the person's SBID.
Note: You cannot submit any account changes until all SBIDs are shown as valid.
If you are certain that an SBID entered is valid, but E-RAS is showing it as invalid, please contact the Documents section in the Procurement Office at (631) 632-6050 for assistance.

How do I add an Account Assistant?

How do I add an Account Assistant?
Click on an account number. Click on the 'Add/Remove/Confirm Delegates' button. Click on the 'Account Assistants' button.
Once the Account Director designates someone as an Account Assistant, that individual can add Signatory Delegates on behalf of the Account Director.

Do Account Assistants need to be listed as a Delegate to encumber account funds?

Do Account Assistants need to be listed as a Delegate to encumber account funds?
Yes. Account Assistants, unlike Account Directors, do not have automatic signatory authority unless they are listed as a Delegate.

If I am the Account Director, do I still need to list myself as a Delegate?

If I am the Account Director, do I still need to list myself as a Delegate?
No. Account Directors automatically have signatory authority.

My account shows that it has been suspended, how do I correct that?

My account shows that it has been suspended, how do I correct that?
Accounts are automatically suspended if they have not been confirmed for a year or longer. Look for the accounts that have been identified as suspended and confirm that the Delegate information is accurate by clicking on 'I Confirm the Above is Correct' button.

How do I change the Account Director or account description?

How do I change the Account Director or account description?
Account Directors and account descriptions can only be changed by the Accounting Office for State accounts and Office of Sponsored Programs for RF accounts.
Please follow the procedures below to request these changes:
For State Accounts:
Please contact your VP Coordinator for changes to the Account Director and/or account description. The VP Coordinator will communicate the changes to the Accounting Office.
For Research Accounts:
As the E-RAS online system is only intended to Delegate authorized signatories, and not for the purpose of changing Account Directors or account descriptions, to initiate those changes please contact your Grant/Contract Administrator in the Office of Sponsored Programs at (631) 632-9949. To find your OSP Administrator click on their link here: http://www.stonybrook.edu/research/osp/grantsadministrator.shtml
For Stony Brook Foundation Accounts:
Please contact the Stony Brook Foundation Business Office for changes to the Account Director and/or account description.
View the forms to change Account Signatures and Account Assistants.

Contact Us

If you have other questions not listed in this FAQ, please contact:

State Accounts: The Documents section of the Procurement office at (631) 632-6050.
RF Accounts: The Office of Grants Management at (631) 632-9038.
SBF Accounts: Stony Brook Foundation Business Office at (631) 632-6536.