Original publication date: September, 2008

SBA Form 641 Revisions

Softshare has received a lot of questions lately regarding SBA’s proposed changes to SBA Form 641; specifically, whether WebCATS will be ready to capture the new information beginning October 1, 2008. The answer is a resounding “Yes!” In fact, there are no new data elements in the new 641 that WebCATS doesn’t already capture.

Of course, just because WebCATS is capturing the data, that doesn’t guarantee it’s being uploaded to EDMIS. Once the revised 641 goes into effect, Softshare will likely need to make a few minor modifications to the EDMIS Export module to ensure that the “new” data is included in your exports. We’ll roll out these modifications to you in December to ensure that they’re in place before you perform your Q1 2009 exports. (At that time, you’ll also receive an updated 641 report in WebCATS.)

To reiterate, the proposed revisions to SBA Form 641 don’t require any database changes in WebCATS—only changes in WinCATS’ EDMIS export module, which will be programmed well before your first FY 2009 export is required.

Want more detail? Below, we’ve highlighted all the 641 changes and exactly how they affect—or don’t affect—Softshare WebCATS and WinCATS:

• Line 19. What prompted you to contact us?
  Besides the minor wording change from “inspired” to “prompted,” one new check box was added for “SBA Web site.” In addition, the previous check boxes of “SBA” and “Bank” were changed to “SBA District” and “Lender” respectively. In WebCATS, the options available under the Referral From field found in a client record will reflect these new and modified options by October 1.
• Line 20. Are you currently in business?
  The question changed from “Is the client currently in business?” to “Are you currently in business?” This is a minor wording change that has no effect on the underlying data captured.
• Line 26. Are you a home based business?
  The question changed from “Is this a home based business?” to “Are you a home based business?” Like line 20, this is a minor wording change and has no effect on the underlying data captured.
• Line 26a. Are you 8(a) certified?
  Although this is a brand new field on the 641, WebCATS has long tracked a client’s 8(a) certification status from the client record. All that’s left to do is incorporate 8(a) certification status into your EDMIS exports—something that the next build of WinCATS will support.
• Line 43. SBA or Resource Partner Service Contributed to the Following.
  Two new categories have been added here to track whether certifications or SBA financial assistance was obtained as a result of ongoing center assistance. Out of the five specific certifications and SBA assistance types tracked on this form, WebCATS has long accounted for four of them. Only the “Community Express” loan is new, and your database was recently updated with this new loan type so that it can be recorded as an investment record. When the next build of WinCATS is released, the EDMIS export will include certifications and assistance acquired as a result of ongoing center assistance.
• Line 45. Type of Session.
  Besides the minor wording change from “counseling” to “session,” two new types of sessions were added here: Prep and Update. Prep and Update sessions are session types that WinCATS has been handling under the hood since the start of FY 2008. For example, WinCATS has been submitting follow-up counseling sessions with preparation time only to EDMIS as Prep sessions. Similarly, WinCATS has been submitting all investment sessions as Update sessions.
• Line 49. Counselor(s) Name.
  The new text added to this line item is for clarification purposes. Softshare ‘CATS has tracked and uploaded multiple counselor names per counseling session since the advent of EDMIS.
• Line 50a. Contact Hours.
  The explanatory text added to this line item is intended to clarify contact time when multiple counselors participate in a counseling session. SBA wants to ensure that contact time is recorded according to the amount of contact time the client received, regardless of how many counselors participated. For example, if three counselors participate in a counseling session that lasts 45 minutes, only 45 minutes should be recorded as contact time, not two hours and 15 minutes. WinCATS uploads whatever contact time you enter into this field, so it is up to you to understand what SBA is looking for here.
• Line 50b. Prep Hours.
  The explanatory text added to this line item is intended to clarify preparation time when multiple counselors participate in a counseling session. Unlike contact time, SBA wants preparation time to reflect the efforts of all counselors participating. For example, if two counselors spend 30 minutes each preparing for a counseling session, the preparation time should be recorded as one hour. WinCATS uploads whatever preparation time you enter into this field, so it is up to you to understand what SBA is looking for here.
• Line 50c. Travel Hours.
  The explanatory text added to this line item is intended to clarify travel time when multiple counselors travel to a client’s location. According to SBA, travel time should be the total amount of time it takes roundtrip to travel to and from a client’s location, regardless of how many counselors made the trip. This logic is easy to follow if all counselors involved are traveling together, but what if they’re coming from two different centers? Should individual travel times be summed in that case? Softshare contacted Bruce Purdy for clarification and he stated that, as of now, there is no official policy regarding multiple-counselor travel time. He promised to bring it up at the next summit, but suggested that for the meantime, centers enter travel time that is “reasonable and prudent.” WinCATS uploads whatever travel time you enter into this field so, for now, it is up to you to decide what is reasonable and prudent.
• Line 51. Did more than one Counselor participate in this counseling session?
  Previously, this line item was applicable to initial counseling sessions only, but this restriction has been removed. In addition, the revised line item focuses solely on counting counselors whereas previously it counted the number of people “other than the person completing the form.” As described in line 49, ‘CATS has tracked and uploaded counselor information for many years now so it will be no problem for the next build of WinCATS to upload counselor numbers as well.
  

© 2010 Softshare, Inc. All rights reserved. This article is part of an archive of Softshare newsletter articles dating back several years. Some of the screenshots, procedures, or information contained within this article may no longer be 100% accurate or relevant, as Softshare's software and services are very fluid. Thank you for your understanding.