Finance without an internet connection

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?

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.

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.

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>

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.

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.

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.

OK, I see it now!

Checks should be printed, according to church policy, only on the unit computer and printer.

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.

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.

Losing our DSL internet connection actually has some advantages:
- We are working with the stake president and the FM to switch to a cable-modem ISP.
- We may convince a few more members to donate online, since we can't process donation batches.

Silver lining, I suppose.