Frequently Asked Questions
Overview
The Collections Information Repository (CIR) is a web-based tool that gives federal agencies information on deposits and collections. CIR streamlines financial transaction information from all collections and settlement systems into one place.
Go to the CIR home page and log in. Remember to save this URL as a favorite or bookmark on your computer for future access.
Data will be retained for seven years. However, litigation-related data is stored indefinitely.
Learn from the resources in CIR
When you log in to CIR,
- review the various Help and Reference documents
- learn how to use CIR to find the data you need
- Use CIR as your primary resource for data on collections and deposits. CIR gets data from all collections sources
System Access
CIR has implemented SSO allowing CIR user to use their Treasury Single Sign On (SSO) User Account to gain access.
Repository (CIR) will no longer be operable via Internet Explorer (IE) version 8 beginning November 2018. Users will not be able to access the CIR when using IE 8. At that time, IE 11 and Chrome will be the official supported browsers by the CIR. In preparation for this change, we encourage you to work with your agency’s IT team to begin transitioning to one of the supported CIR browsers. If you have any questions, please contact the CIR Customer Support team at 1-800-624-1373 (option #3) or 216-579-2112(option #3) or by email at CIR.customersupport@clev.frb.org.
The CIR reports interface is compatible with Internet IE 11.
Training and user support for CIR is provided through the following tools: Show-Me Demos and Job Aids.
Show-Me Demos and Job Aids are convenient, user-friendly, illustrative references that are available for agencies and financial institutions to use at any time to become familiar with specific CIR functionality.
Show-me Demos are very short videos illustrating how to accomplish certain tasks which may be new to you or performed only occasionally. They remind you quickly about the steps to take for functions such as setting preferences and scheduling reports.
Job Aids are short reference sheets, often only a few pages, which guide you through new or unfamiliar features of the system with step-by-step instructions and sample illustrations.
Reports/Data
CIR has data as soon as the source systems send it to CIR. The sources send data to CIR at least once every business day.
Financial transaction data for collections as well as program data are sent to CIR. Financial transaction data includes data on the following:
- Deposit vouchers - summarizing financial transactions involved in collections
- Financial transactions - providing detail of the financial instruments by which collections have been made
Program data provides agency-specific information regarding remittances, such as loan numbers. CIR includes this information in reports and XML extracts when the source systems provide it to CIR.
CIR receives all voucher information from all collections channels- Card Acquiring Service, Credit Gateway, Direct Voucher System, ECP, EFTPS, FRB CA$H-LINK, OTCnet (Check Capture and TGA Deposit), Pay.gov, and Stored Value Card.
Details are received solely from Card Acquiring Service, Credit Gateway, ECP, OTCnet (Check Capture only), and Pay.gov.
In the future, CIR will provide a link to the image archive, which captures images of checks and remittance documents from ECP and OTCnet so that agencies can view these images through CIR. Until then, agencies can view check images in ECP and OTCnet.
Access to data in CIR is secured in accordance with Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) of 2014, Public Law 113-283, and other federal laws and regulations for IT systems security that apply.
CIR XML extracts use Fiscal Service Transmission Message schema version 5.0.1, developed by the Fiscal Service Enterprise Data Architecture Team. If your agency is implementing a system-to-system interface between CIR and your system, your IT staff must download a set of files found on the File Transmission Page. Here you will find more information about the extracts and links to in-depth information and instructions.
Files of report data are available in formats supported by Business Objects: PDF, MS Excel, and comma-delimited.
Process Changes
CIR is not the originating source of the classification data. CIR takes what is received from the source systems and sends the vouchers (summary records) and associated classifications to the Central Accounting Reporting System (CARS, formerly GWA).
If a source system reports details, CIR also receives and stores the classification data records at the detail level along with summarizing the classifications records to be associated to the voucher. CIR supports the ability for source systems to send multiple classification records for each transaction.
If an incorrect classification is corrected directly in CARS (GWA), the correction does not flow back to CIR. In order for CIR to receive a correction, it must originate in the source system.
CIR is a reporting tool. Corrections are made directly in the source systems and channel applications.
For corrections, refer to the Voucher Correction Points of Contact (POC) List and reach out to the appropriate point of contact.
Agencies that wish to distinguish cash flows or organizations within a single ALC need a cash flow or organizational identifier at a lower level than the ALC to record and account for those activities. CIR has the capability to receive, store, and report this information from collections sources. At this time, collections sources are not reporting these identifiers in a consistent manner. Agencies need to work with their collections sources to make sure that their collections sources provide appropriate identifiers to CIR.