DBA OperatingGuide

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2 Operating Guide

Updated: April 2010 Copyright © 2005-2010 DBA Software Inc. All rights reserved.

Table of Contents

Operating Guide 3

Table of Contents

Introduction___________________________________ 15

Online Help (F1)__________________________________________ 16

1. File ________________________________________ 17

1-1. Change Password _______________________________________ 18

1-2. User Email Settings______________________________________ 19

1-3. Data Import_____________________________________________ 21

Overview _______________________________________________ 21 Phase 1 – Export Data into Excel ____________________________ 22 Phase 2 – Edit Spreadsheet ________________________________ 23 Phase 3 – Import Data _____________________________________ 25 Data Import – Customers ___________________________________ 30 Data Import – Customer Contacts ____________________________ 35 Data Import – Delivery Addresses ____________________________ 37 Data Import – Suppliers ____________________________________ 40 Data Import – Supplier Contacts _____________________________ 44 Data Import – Stock Items __________________________________ 46 Data Import – Item Sources _________________________________ 51 Data Import – Base Prices __________________________________ 54 Data Import – Qty Price Breaks ______________________________ 56 Data Import – BOM Routings ________________________________ 57 Data Import – BOM Components_____________________________ 61

1-4. Data Export ____________________________________________ 65

1-5. Data Dictionary _________________________________________ 71

1-6. Initial Stock Qty Import ___________________________________ 72

1-7. AR Beginning Balances __________________________________ 75

1-8. AP Beginning Balances __________________________________ 77

2. Admin______________________________________ 81

2-1. User Setup _____________________________________________ 82

2-2. Current Online Users ____________________________________ 86

2-3. Database Optimizer______________________________________ 87

2-4. Upgrade License ________________________________________ 88

2-5. Run Command File ______________________________________ 89

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2-6. Main Setup _____________________________________________ 90

Main Tab________________________________________________ 90 Options Tab _____________________________________________ 92 Quote Letter Tab__________________________________________ 94 Email Tab _______________________________________________ 96

2-7. Accounting Configuration_________________________________ 98

2-8. System Defaults________________________________________ 102

3. Utilities ____________________________________ 103

3-1. Spreadsheet Generators _________________________________ 104

3-2. Database Queries_______________________________________ 105

3-3. Forms Edit ____________________________________________ 107

Labels _________________________________________________ 113

3-4. Forms Update Utility ____________________________________ 123

3-5. User-Defined Fields _____________________________________ 125

3-6. User-Defined Menus ____________________________________ 126

4. Inventory __________________________________ 127

Overview_______________________________________________ 128

4-1. Inventory Setup ________________________________________ 130

4-1A. Inventory Defaults ___________________________________ 130 4-1B. Stock Items – List Tab _______________________________ 133 4-1C. Item Categories_____________________________________ 134 4-1D. Lot/Serial Control ___________________________________ 136 4-1E. Locations__________________________________________ 143 4-1F. Location Groups ____________________________________ 149 4-1G. Location Repair_____________________________________ 152 4-1H. Warranty Codes ____________________________________ 154

4-2. Stock Items____________________________________________ 155

List Tab________________________________________________ 155 Detail Tab ______________________________________________ 159 Locations Tab ___________________________________________ 163 Sources Tab ____________________________________________ 167 Lot/Serial Tab ___________________________________________ 170 Additional Tab___________________________________________ 176

4-3. Descriptors____________________________________________ 179

List Tab________________________________________________ 180 Detail Tab ______________________________________________ 180

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Additional Tab __________________________________________ 182

4-4. Sales Kits _____________________________________________ 184

4-5. Stock Adjustments _____________________________________ 186

4-6. Stock Transfer _________________________________________ 195

4-7. Stock Counts __________________________________________ 199

4-8. Change Inventory Cost __________________________________ 206

4-9. Reconcile Book Values__________________________________ 208

4-10. Inventory Data Views __________________________________ 210

4-11. Inventory Reports _____________________________________ 216

4-11A. Inventory Value____________________________________ 216 4-11B. Inventory Transactions ______________________________ 219 4-11C. Trxns – Item/Characteristic __________________________ 219 4-11D. Trxns – Characteristic/Item __________________________ 219 4-11E. Trxns – Serial Number ______________________________ 219 4-11F. Stock Item Labels __________________________________ 220

5. BOM (Bills of Material) _______________________ 223

Overview ______________________________________________ 224

5-1. BOM Setup ____________________________________________ 226

5-1A. BOM Defaults ______________________________________ 226 5-1B. Machines _________________________________________ 229 5-1C. Sequence Templates ________________________________ 231 5-1D. Task Templates ____________________________________ 236

5-2. Work Centers __________________________________________ 238

5-3. Bills of Material ________________________________________ 244

List Tab _______________________________________________ 244 Revisions Tab __________________________________________ 247 Routing Tab ____________________________________________ 249 Components Tab ________________________________________ 255 Outputs Tab ____________________________________________ 260 Indented View Tab _______________________________________ 262 Tree View Tab __________________________________________ 263

5-4. Estimated Purchase Costs _______________________________ 264

5-5. Cost Rollup ___________________________________________ 267

5-6. Where Used Inquiry_____________________________________ 274

5-7. BOM Reports __________________________________________ 275

5-7A. Multi-Level BOM ____________________________________ 275

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5-7B. Costed BOM _______________________________________ 276

6. Sales ______________________________________ 279

Overview _________________________________________________ 281

6-1. Sales Setup____________________________________________ 283

6-1A. Sales Defaults______________________________________ 283 6-1B. Customers – List Tab ________________________________ 284 6-1C. Customer Types ____________________________________ 285 6-1D. Customer Terms ____________________________________ 286 6-1E. Contact Types______________________________________ 288 6-1F. Sales Regions ______________________________________ 289 6-1G. Lead Sources ______________________________________ 290 6-1H. SO Types _________________________________________ 291 6-1I. Ship Methods _______________________________________ 294 6-1J. Sales Rep Types ____________________________________ 295 6-1K. Sales Reps ________________________________________ 296 6-1L. Commission Codes __________________________________ 298

6-2. Pricing & Discounts_____________________________________ 300

6-2A. Base Prices________________________________________ 300 6-2B. Price Levels________________________________________ 304 6-2C. Discounts _________________________________________ 306 6-2D. Discount Codes_____________________________________ 308 6-2E. Contract Prices _____________________________________ 310

6-3. Customers ____________________________________________ 312

List Tab________________________________________________ 312 Detail Tab – Main Side-Tab ________________________________ 313 Detail Tab – Delivery & Billing Side-Tab_______________________ 318 Additional Tab – Main Side-Tab _____________________________ 319 Additional Tab – Documents Side-Tab________________________ 320

6-4. Credit Manager_________________________________________ 321

6-5. Sales Orders___________________________________________ 326

Workflow_______________________________________________ 326 List Tab________________________________________________ 327 Header Tab_____________________________________________ 332 Details Tab _____________________________________________ 339 Shipping Tab____________________________________________ 351 Invoicing Tab ___________________________________________ 356

6-6. Order Picking __________________________________________ 361

6-7. Quotes________________________________________________ 375

Estimating Tools _________________________________________ 376

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Screen Details __________________________________________ 377

6-8. Sales Order Inquiry _____________________________________ 382

6-9. Sales Data Views _______________________________________ 384

6-10. Sales Reports_________________________________________ 391

6-10A. Sales Order Summary ______________________________ 391 6-10B. Sales Order Detail _________________________________ 391 6-10C. Open Items Listing _________________________________ 392 6-10D. Available to Ship___________________________________ 392 6-10E. Base Prices & Costs________________________________ 392 6-10F. Invoice Listing _____________________________________ 393 6-10G. Sales by Customer_________________________________ 393 6-10H. Sales by Customer Type ____________________________ 393 6-10I. Sales by Commission Code___________________________ 394 6-10J. Sales Ranked by Customer __________________________ 394 6-10K. Profit Margin by Customer ___________________________ 394 6-10L. Sales by Item _____________________________________ 395 6-10M. Sales by Item Category _____________________________ 395 6-10N. Sales Ranked by Item ______________________________ 395 6-10O. Profit Margin by Item _______________________________ 395 6-10P. Warranty Sheet____________________________________ 396 6-10Q. Warranty Listing ___________________________________ 396

6A. RMA Processing___________________________ 397

How does an RMA work?__________________________________ 397 Recommended Workflow__________________________________ 398

6A-1. RMA Setup___________________________________________ 399

RMA SO Type __________________________________________ 399 RMA Form Creation ______________________________________ 400 Alternate Item ID’s _______________________________________ 401

6A-2. RMA Processing ______________________________________ 403

RMA Creation___________________________________________ 403 Returning an undamaged item to stock _______________________ 404 Returning a used item to stock______________________________ 404 Sending a replacement item _______________________________ 404 Scrapping a returned item _________________________________ 405 Issuing a credit memo ____________________________________ 405 Converting the RMA to a sales order_________________________ 406 Zero value invoicing ______________________________________ 406 Sending a customer refund ________________________________ 406

6A-3. Repairing a Product ___________________________________ 408

6A-4. Remanufacturing a Product_____________________________ 412

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6A-5. Disassembling a Product _______________________________ 415

7. MRP_______________________________________ 417

Overview _________________________________________________ 418

7-1. MRP Setup ____________________________________________ 421

7-1A. MRP Defaults ______________________________________ 421 7-1B. Shop Calendar _____________________________________ 424

7-2. MRP Settings __________________________________________ 426

Usage History Inquiry _____________________________________ 430 Production History Inquiry _________________________________ 430 Delivery History Inquiry____________________________________ 430

7-3. MRP__________________________________________________ 432

Step 1 – Generate Jobs for CTO Items _______________________ 433 Step 2 – Generate Jobs for Net Demand ______________________ 435 Step 3 – Generate Planned POs ____________________________ 439 Scheduling & Converting Planned Jobs _______________________ 446 Scheduling Planned Jobs __________________________________ 451 Converting Planned Jobs into Actual Jobs _____________________ 457

7-4. Work Center Scheduling _________________________________ 460

7-5. Job Scheduling ________________________________________ 467

7-6. PO Scheduling _________________________________________ 471

7-7. Delivery Date Estimator__________________________________ 473

7-8. MRP Reports __________________________________________ 475

7-8A. Master Job Schedule ________________________________ 475 7-8B. Job Outputs Schedule________________________________ 475 7-8C. Work Center Schedule _______________________________ 475 7-8D. Machine Schedule __________________________________ 476 7-8E. Subcontract WC Schedule ____________________________ 476

8. Jobs ______________________________________ 477

Overview_______________________________________________ 477

8-1. Jobs Setup ____________________________________________ 481

8-1A. Job Defaults _______________________________________ 481 8-1B. Job Labor Defaults __________________________________ 484 8-1C. Worker Types ______________________________________ 486 8-1D. Job Types _________________________________________ 487

8-2. Workers_______________________________________________ 490

8-3. Job Control Panel ______________________________________ 492

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Release Jobs Screen_____________________________________ 492 Process Jobs Screen _____________________________________ 495 Close Jobs Screen _______________________________________ 500

8-4. Jobs _________________________________________________ 503

Job Workflow ___________________________________________ 503 List Tab _______________________________________________ 504 Header Tab ____________________________________________ 507 Routing Tab ____________________________________________ 512 Details Tab _____________________________________________ 521

8-5. Job Travelers __________________________________________ 531

8-6. Subcontract Services ___________________________________ 533

8-7. Job Issues ____________________________________________ 539

8-8. Job Tracking & Labor ___________________________________ 551

Overview ______________________________________________ 551 Screen Details __________________________________________ 552

8-9. Job Receipts __________________________________________ 563

8-10. Job Inquiry ___________________________________________ 579

8-11. Job Data Views _______________________________________ 581

8-12. Job Reports __________________________________________ 588

8-12A. Job Profit ________________________________________ 588 8-12B. Job Cost _________________________________________ 588 8-12C. Job Transactions __________________________________ 588 8-12D. WIP Value _______________________________________ 589

8A. Using Custom Items _______________________ 591

9. Purch (Purchasing)__________________________ 595

Overview ______________________________________________ 596

9-1. Purchasing Setup ______________________________________ 598

9-1A. Purchasing Defaults _________________________________ 598 9-1B. Suppliers – List Tab _________________________________ 599 9-1C. Supplier Types _____________________________________ 600 9-1D. Supplier Terms _____________________________________ 601 9-1E. Contact Types _____________________________________ 603 9-1F. Supplier Regions ___________________________________ 604 9-1G. Supplier Codes_____________________________________ 605 9-1H. PO Types _________________________________________ 606

9-2. Suppliers _____________________________________________ 608

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List Tab________________________________________________ 608 Detail Tab – Main Side-Tab ________________________________ 609 Detail Tab – Physical Addresses Side-Tab ____________________ 612 Additional Tab – Main Side-Tab _____________________________ 613 Additional Tab – Documents Side-Tab________________________ 613

9-3. Manufacturers _________________________________________ 615

9-4. Purchase Orders _______________________________________ 617

PO Workflow____________________________________________ 617 List Tab________________________________________________ 618 Header Tab_____________________________________________ 620 Details Tab _____________________________________________ 623

9-5. PO Receipts ___________________________________________ 630

9-6. PO Invoices ___________________________________________ 643

9-7. Purchase Prices – Items _________________________________ 650

9-8. Purchase Prices – Descriptors____________________________ 652

9-9. Purchasing Reports_____________________________________ 653

9-9A. PO Print / Reprint ___________________________________ 653 9-9B. PO Listing _________________________________________ 653 9-9C. PO Receipts _______________________________________ 653 9-9D. Received Not Invoiced _______________________________ 653 9-9E. Purchases by Item / Descriptor_________________________ 654 9-9F. Purchases by Supplier _______________________________ 654

10. Notes (Notes & Documents)__________________ 655

10-1. Activity Notes_________________________________________ 656

Activity Notes Setup ______________________________________ 656 Entering a new activity note ________________________________ 657 Accessing and creating notes from other screens _______________ 659 Activity Notes Action Report ________________________________ 659 My Action List ___________________________________________ 660

10-2. Documents Directory___________________________________ 661

Overview_______________________________________________ 661 Document Group Setup ___________________________________ 661 Documents Directory Entry_________________________________ 662 Documents Directory Screen _______________________________ 663

11. AR (Accounts Receivable) ___________________ 665

11-1. Accounts Receivable Setup _____________________________ 666

11-1A. AR Payment Types _________________________________ 666

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11-2. Customer Payments ___________________________________ 667

11-3. Customer Deposits ____________________________________ 671

11-4. Customer Statements __________________________________ 675

11-5. AR Data Views ________________________________________ 676

11-6. AR Reports___________________________________________ 682

11-6A. Payment Report ___________________________________ 682 11-6B. Customer Transactions _____________________________ 682 11-6C. Customer Detail Aging ______________________________ 682 11-6D. Customer Summary Aging ___________________________ 682 11-6E. Customer Past Due Aging ___________________________ 682

12. AP (Accounts Payable) _____________________ 683

12-1. Accounts Payable Setup _______________________________ 684

12-1A. AP Payment Types_________________________________ 684

12-2. Supplier Invoices______________________________________ 685

12-3. Recurring Invoices ____________________________________ 690

12-4. Payment Processing ___________________________________ 693

12-5. Payments Register ____________________________________ 699

12-6. Misc Credit Card Charges ______________________________ 701

12-7. Credit Card Payment___________________________________ 704

12-8. AP Data Views ________________________________________ 706

12-9. AP Reports___________________________________________ 712

12-9A. Payments Due ____________________________________ 712 12-9B. Supplier Detail Aging _______________________________ 712 12-9C. Supplier Summary Aging ____________________________ 712 12-9D. Supplier Past Due Aging ____________________________ 712 12-9E. 1099 Tax Form ____________________________________ 712

13. GL (General Ledger)________________________ 713

13-1. General Ledger Setup __________________________________ 714

13-1A. Accounting Periods_________________________________ 714 13-1B. Account Classes & Groups___________________________ 716 13-1C. Chart of Accounts__________________________________ 719 13-1D. Account Assignments_______________________________ 740 13-1E. Budget Names ____________________________________ 753

13-1F. Currency Table ______________________________________ 754

13-1G. COA Conversion __________________________________ 755

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13-1H. Clear Account Balances _____________________________ 762

13-2. Journal Entry _________________________________________ 763

13-3. Payroll Import_________________________________________ 769

13-4. Financial Cutoff Date___________________________________ 772

13-5. Batch Posting_________________________________________ 773

13-6. Batch History _________________________________________ 775

13-7. GL Spreadsheet Generator ______________________________ 776

Creating a new spreadsheet________________________________ 777 Generating your spreadsheet _______________________________ 780 Column filtering & grouping ________________________________ 781 Output Options __________________________________________ 781

13-8. GL Reports ___________________________________________ 782

13-8A. Journal Report_____________________________________ 782 13-8B. Transaction Listing _________________________________ 782 13-8C. Absorbed Mfg Costs ________________________________ 783 13-8D. Trial Balance______________________________________ 784 13-8E. Balance Sheet_____________________________________ 784 13-8F. Income Statement __________________________________ 785

13A. Period End & Year End_____________________ 787

Period End Procedures ___________________________________ 787 Fiscal Year End _________________________________________ 793

13B. Posting Specifications _____________________ 794

13C. Payroll Accounting ________________________ 804

Overview_______________________________________________ 804 Payroll Setup ___________________________________________ 805 Payroll Transfer to DBA ___________________________________ 808

14. Bank (Banking) ____________________________ 809

14-1. Banking Setup ________________________________________ 810

14-1A. Banking Accounts __________________________________ 810

14-2. Bank Deposits ________________________________________ 815

14-3. Bank Account Transfer _________________________________ 818

14-4. Merchant Account Transfer _____________________________ 820

14-5. Account Reconciliation_________________________________ 823

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14-6. Account Balances Inquiry ______________________________ 828

15. Tax (Taxation) _____________________________ 829

Overview ______________________________________________ 829

15-1. Tax Defaults __________________________________________ 831

15-2. Tax Authorities _______________________________________ 834

15-3. Tax Codes ___________________________________________ 835

15-4. Tax Groups___________________________________________ 837

15-5. Tax Group Matrix______________________________________ 838

15-6. Taxation Data Views ___________________________________ 839

15-7. Tax Reports __________________________________________ 846

15-7A. Tax Code Activity __________________________________ 846 15-7B. Tax Summary _____________________________________ 846

16. Transfer (Financial Transfer)_________________ 847

16-1. Financial Transfer Defaults _____________________________ 848

16-2. AR Invoice Transfer____________________________________ 850

Advance Setup__________________________________________ 851 Screen Details __________________________________________ 852 Data Transfer ___________________________________________ 855

16-3. PO Invoice Transfer____________________________________ 856

Advance Setup__________________________________________ 857 Screen Details __________________________________________ 858 Data Transfer ___________________________________________ 861

16-4. GL Transfer __________________________________________ 862

Advance Setup__________________________________________ 862 Status Tab _____________________________________________ 864 Transfer Tab____________________________________________ 866 History Tab_____________________________________________ 869

17. Help _____________________________________ 871

17-1. DBA Help ____________________________________________ 872

17-2. Online Support Center _________________________________ 874

17-3. User Guides __________________________________________ 876

Product Updates ________________________________________ 876

17-4. Web Links____________________________________________ 880

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17-5. Web Links Setup ______________________________________ 881

17-6. DBA Help Setup _______________________________________ 882

17-7. About DBA Manufacturing ______________________________ 883

17. Backup Manager ___________________________ 885

Appendix A – Converting to DBA Financials _______ 887

Introduction_____________________________________________ 887 Conversion to DBA Financials ______________________________ 888

Introduction

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Introduction Welcome to DBA Manufacturing, a small business ERP system that includes order entry, planning, production, purchasing, inventory, invoicing, and accounting. The typical company using DBA is a manufacturing business with 5-25+ computer users.

Designed for self-implementation Unlike mid-market ERP systems, which require you to spend tens of thousands of dollars for onsite services, we’ve designed DBA for self-implementation. Your primary resource tool for self-implementation is our Implementation Planner guide and workbook.

Implementation Planner If you are just getting started with DBA, the place to begin is with our Implementation Planner guide and workbook. The Implementation Planner provides you with a step-by-step methodology for getting DBA installed, implemented, and running smoothly. If you precisely follow the steps outlined in the Implementation Planner, apply our recommendations, use our support resources, and invest time and effort, you can implement DBA on your own.

Use the Implementation Planner for direction Use the Implementation Planner to manage and direct your activities in terms of what tasks to perform and in what order as you move through the four phases of implementation -- Installation, Setup, Rehearsal, and Startup Day.

Use this guide for reference The Implementation Planner lists all the tasks to be performed, but within any given task, use the Operating Guide for the specific operational details of the system’s modules, screens, inquiries, and reports.

Manufacturing Efficiency Guide No company becomes an efficient manufacturer overnight. It takes time to get fundamental methods and processes in place and to change the company culture to adapt to them. We recommend that once a quarter you go through the 16 fundamental issues in the Manufacturing Efficiency Guide and give your

Introduction

16 Operating Guide

company a score on each. This quarterly process will identify your weak spots and enable you to gauge your progress over time.

Online Help (F1)

All the contents of this Operating Guide can also be found in the system’s online Help. While you are in any screen, press the F1 key to link to the Help topic for that screen. You can also go to Help – DBA Help and locate topics using the table of Contents or you can search for topics using the Index or Search tabs.

1. File

Operating Guide 17

1. File The File menu is where you will find file-related utilities such as Data Import and Data Export. Menu options include:

Main Menu • File • Data Import • Data Export • Data Dictionary

Startup Day • Initial Stock Qty Import • AR Beginning Balances • AP Beginning Balances

1-1. Change Password

18 Operating Guide

1-1. Change Password (File – Change Password)

Use this screen to change your system password.

Password Length & Case-Sensitivity The password can be up to 15-characters long and is not case-sensitive.

Changing Your Password: • Enter your Current Password.

• Next, enter your New Password.

• Enter your new password once again in the Confirm Password field.

• Click OK. If your current password is not recognized or the two entries of your new password are not the same, you will receive a message advising you to make your entries once again. When your new password is accepted, you will receive a confirmation message.

1-2. User Email Settings

Operating Guide 19

1-2. User Email Settings (File – User Email Settings)

This screen is for users who manage their own Email setup, such as their user name and password. These settings are identical to those on the Email tab in the User Setup screen, where Email setup is managed by the system administrator. If a user does not personally manage his or her Email setup, we suggest that you use password security to deny that user access to this screen.

Email Option This setting defaults to the system Email Option selected in the Main Setup screen. The default setting can be overridden here at the user level, if needed. Two Email server options are available:

SMTP Email Client (Recommended) This option will send outbound Emails directly from DBA via an SMTP gateway.

NOTE: With this option, all customer/supplier Emails sent from DBA are stored in the system’s database and can be read by clicking the History button within the Customers screen and Suppliers screen.

Legacy Exchange Server Support Only select this option if you have an older version of Microsoft Exchange Server (version 5.5 or earlier) that does not support an SMTP gateway.

NOTE: With this option, Emails are not stored in the system’s database.

Other Fields

Reply-To Email Address This defaults to the Company Email Address setting in the Main Setup screen. If you want Emails sent by this user to have a personal ‘Reply-To’

1-2. User Email Settings

20 Operating Guide

address instead of the company ‘Reply-To’ Email address, enter that Email address in this field.

Outbound Mail Server (SMTP) This field is only visible when the SMTP Email Client option is selected above. Specify the address of the outbound SMTP server, which is in a ‘gateway.company.com’ format (such as ‘smtp.msn.com’ or ‘mail.pacbell.com’).

Port This field is only visible when the SMTP Email Client option is selected above. Enter the port that is required by your outbound SMTP server. Most typically this is a setting of ‘25.’

Authentication Required for Outbound Email This field is only visible when the SMTP Email Client option is selected above. Select this checkbox if this user’s SMTP server requires user authentication. When selected, two additional fields become visible.

User Name Enter this user’s authentication user name.

Password Enter this user’s authentication password.

1-3. Data Import

Operating Guide 21

1-3. Data Import (File – Data Import)

Training Course Support Center – Videos–Setup – Data Import

Overview Import Tables The Data Import screen is used during the Setup phase of implementation (as specified in the Implementation Planner guide) and enables you to import the following master tables:

• Customers • Customer Contacts • Delivery Addresses • Suppliers • Supplier Contacts • Stock Items • Item Sources • Base Prices • Qty Break Prices • BOM Routings • BOM Components

Import Process The import process goes like this.

• For each table listed above, you export the data from your old system. You either export the data directly into an Excel spreadsheet or you take your export file and convert it into an Excel spreadsheet.

• You then edit your Excel spreadsheet so that the data conform to the requirements of the DBA system.

• Once your spreadsheet is finalized, you map each of its columns to its corresponding field in DBA and then you import the data in a single batch transaction.

The specific steps in the data import process are detailed in the next three sections.

1-3. Data Import

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Phase 1 – Export Data into Excel Most accounting systems include a data export utility that will enable you to export some or all of the master tables listed at the beginning of this chapter.

Export directly into Excel, if you can If your data export utility can create an export file directly in Excel format, do so. If you cannot export directly into an Excel spreadsheet, we recommend that you export into a comma delimited text file format that you can then import into an Excel spreadsheet. Your text file is typically saved as a *.txt file type.

Importing a text file into Excel If you need to import a comma delimited text file into Excel, do so as follows:

• Open a new Excel spreadsheet.

• Click Data – Import External Data – Import Data.

• Select your comma delimited text file.

• Specify Delimited as the file type and click Next.

• On the next screen, select Comma as the Delimiter and click Next.

• Verify the settings on the next screen and click Finish.

• Click OK on the final screen. Your data should now be visible and organized into columns on your spreadsheet.

• Click File – Save As and save your spreadsheets as either an *.xls or *.csv file type, according to what is required by each DBA import table as listed below.

o Customers *.xls o Customer Contacts *.xls o Delivery Addresses *.xls o Suppliers *.xls o Supplier Contacts *.xls o Stock Items *.xls o Item Sources *.csv o Base Prices *.xls o Qty Break Prices *.xls o BOM Routings *.csv o BOM Components *.csv o Initial Stock Qty’s *.csv

1-3. Data Import

Operating Guide 23

Phase 2 – Edit Spreadsheet In this second phase you will edit your spreadsheet so that it conforms to the requirements of the DBA system.

Step 1 – Assign Column Headings Identify each of your spreadsheet columns as to its contents and give it a column heading in row one that matches or approximates the column names specified for each DBA import table.

Step 2 – Reorganize Column Order To facilitate the import process, you can reorganize your columns so that they are in the same left-to-right sequence as the corresponding fields in DBA.

Step 3 – Delete Non-Matching Columns Delete any columns in your spreadsheet that do not have a matching field in DBA.

Step 4 – Edit Columns as Required Review each column for any editing that may be required and alter your data accordingly. For example, you may have Y/N (yes/No) values in a column that need to be converted into T/F (True/False) values in DBA. You can use search and replace to convert such values to the DBA format. As another example, if your old system uses codes to represent customers and suppliers, you will want to convert these codes to full names in your spreadsheet to take advantage of DBA’s 50-character identification format. Some columns must contain matching values with supporting tables in DBA that might not have existed in your old system or might have gone by different code names. In such cases, you must enter or change such values to match the supporting table values in DBA. All such editing considerations are documented later in this chapter for each import table.

1-3. Data Import

24 Operating Guide

Editing Tools The following tools are available within Excel that can help you edit your export data to conform to DBA’s requirements. Click Help within Excel for detailed instructions.

Find & Replace You can highlight a column and then use the Find & Replace function to mass change a value. For example, if you need to convert all the ‘Y’ (yes) values in a column to ‘T’ (true), this function can find all ‘Y’ values and replace them with ‘T’ values.

Move Columns You can use Cut and Paste to move columns to any desired left-to-right order. This can be useful if you choose to structure your spreadsheet in the same column order as the import specifications.

Split Columns You can use the Text to Columns function to split the data within a single column into multiple columns. For example, your old system may store the city, state, and postal code for an address within a single field. The Text to Columns function can split these values out by comma and/or space separators into separate columns, as required by DBA. After the split is done, some manual editing is usually required to make sure all the text was split correctly.

NOTE: When you split a column, always temporarily move it to the far right position in your spreadsheet so that the new columns that get created do not overwrite any other columns.

Merge Columns You can merge data from two columns into one column by creating a third column and populating that column with a merge formula, such as:

=(A7&” “&B7) For example, your old system may store a contact name in two fields, one for the first name and one for the last name. In DBA, the contact name is a single field. Using a merge formula, you can combine the contents of two columns into a single column.

1-3. Data Import

Operating Guide 25

Phase 3 – Import Data The final step is to import the data. For most tables, this is done using a multi-step Import Wizard. Routings and bills of material are imported using a single Mapping Screen, and item sources and initial stock quantities are imported directly. Here is a listing of the means by which each table is imported.

• Customers Import Wizard • Customer Contacts Import Wizard • Delivery Addresses Import Wizard • Suppliers Import Wizard • Supplier Contacts Import Wizard • Stock Items Import Wizard • Item Sources Direct • Base Prices Import Wizard • Qty Break Prices Import Wizard • BOM Routings Mapping Screen • BOM Components Mapping Screen • Initial Stock Qty’s Direct

Using the Import Wizard Close other applications and import on your file server The Import Wizard consumes lots of memory, so close all your other applications while using it.

NOTE: If you are on a network, perform your major master table data imports on your file server rather than on a workstation. Ongoing imports, which are small in size, such as importing additional customers or BOMs, can be done on your local workstation.

Opening Screen (File – Data Import) On the Data Import opening screen, select the table to be imported and click OK.

1-3. Data Import

26 Operating Guide

Step 1 Screen – Select Excel File Option On the Step 1 screen, select the Excel File option. Click Next to continue.

Step 2 Screen – Navigate to Excel File On the Step 2 screen, navigate to your Excel spreadsheet file. Click Next to continue.

1-3. Data Import

Operating Guide 27

Step 4 Screen – Enter First Row Setting The program skips the Step 3 screen and takes you to the Step 4 screen.

Because your spreadsheet contains a row of column headings, indicate in the First Row field that the import begins on row 2.

Step 6 Screen – Map Columns to DBA Fields The program skips the Step 5 screen and takes you to the Step 6 screen. On this screen, you will map each column on your spreadsheet to its corresponding field in DBA.

Your spreadsheet columns are displayed on this screen. Click each column heading and select the corresponding DBA field from the drop down list. The drop down list looks like this:

1-3. Data Import

28 Operating Guide

Step 9 Screen – Save Specifications and Perform Import After all your columns are mapped, click Next. This takes you to the Step 7 screen. Skip this screen by clicking Next. This takes you to the Step 8 screen, which is for final review. Click Next. This takes you to the Step 9 screen, shown here.

1-3. Data Import

Operating Guide 29

Save Specifications Before you actually begin the import, you should save your settings by clicking the Specifications button in the lower left.

Give your specifications a name so that they can be re-loaded if you need to run the import again.

Execute Button The final step is to click the Execute button, which runs the actual import.

Error Log If the program detects any invalid entries, it will give you a list in an error log screen. You must make appropriate corrections and run the import again. When errors occur, usually, you’ve got values in your spreadsheet that do not match up with the values in their corresponding sub-tables in DBA. In your spreadsheet, make sure you don’t have any spaces in front of a field value. Make sure the case agrees with the case of the corresponding names on the DBA side. You may also be missing a value in a required field, such as a blank Customer Type. So make sure you correct each record that is listed in the error log.

Re-Running the Import When you run the import again, you can reload your previous settings by going to the Step 1 screen and clicking the Specifications button. Highlight your specifications in the list and click the Load button. All your original mapping specs will be reloaded. You can click through the screens and go right to the Step 9 screen and run the import again. If along the way, you change any of the screen settings, on the Step 9 screen, click the Specifications button and save your specifications once again. If you click Execute and the import runs without encountering any errors, your records will be imported and you will be notified that the records were imported successfully.

Data Import - Customers

30 Operating Guide

Data Import – Customers (File – Data Import – Customers)

Supporting Tables Some or all of the following tables must be created in advance before you can import your customers. Refer to the Implementation Planner guide for details.

Tax Codes In USA and Canadian tax environments, Tax Codes are assigned at the customer level, in which case you must set up all your Tax Codes in advance of importing customers. In VAT/GST environments, a system level default sales Tax Code is used, in which case no advance setup is required.

Customer Types Each customer is assigned to a Customer Type.

Customer Terms Payment terms are assigned to each customer, so you must set up your Customer Terms table.

Sales Regions Sales Regions are optional and help you organize your customers geographically.

Sales Reps & Commission Codes Sales Rep Types, Sales Reps, and Commission Codes should be set up if you pay commissions to sales reps.

Lead Sources Lead Sources are optional and help you gather statistics on where your new customer leads are coming from.

Ship Methods The ship methods table determines the preferred shipping method for each customer.

Price Levels If you will be differentiating pricing among your customers using Price Levels, you must set up your Price Levels in advance.

Discount Codes If you will be differentiating pricing among customers using Discount Codes, you must set up your Discount Codes in advance.

*.xls File Format Make sure you save the Customers spreadsheet as an *.xls file type, which is the format required by the Import Wizard.


Operating Guide 31

Spreadsheet Columns Your spreadsheet can consist of some or all of the following columns. Be sure and insert a title in row one of each column heading so that the column can be identified during the import process.

Customer Name (Required) What is called the Customer Name in DBA might be called the “customer code” in your old system. This is the key field that uniquely identifies the customer record.

NOTE: If your old system uses a short code to identify the customer instead of the full name as in DBA, you can store the short code in the X-Ref Code field, which is described further below.

Editing The Customer Name is a 50-character field that is the primary identification for the customer on screens and reports. We suggest you use the customer’s full name so that it is readily identifiable to your users. If the customer ID in your old system is a code rather than a name, we suggest you replace it with the customer’s actual name. One way to do this is to cut and paste the Trading Name column (see next) into this column.

NOTE: Each Customer Name must be unique. So if you have two or more customer accounts with the same name, which is common when you sell to companies that have multiple facilities, make each name unique, such as by appending the city or some other identifier in parenthesis following the name.

Trading Name (Required) This is the name that prints on quotes, acknowledgments, packing slips, and invoices. Unlike the Customer Name, duplicate values are allowed. Normally, the Customer Name and the Trading Name are the same except in cases where the Customer Name has been appended to avoid duplicate values.

X-Ref Code If you are using DBA with an outside accounting system, it may be that the customer is identified in the outside system with a short code instead of the full customer name as in DBA. For financial transfer purposes, you can store the short code in this field, which is one of the fields available for transfer in the AR Invoice Transfer screen. When you import the AR invoice transfer file into your outside system, this field is mapped to the customer code in your outside system.

Customer Payment Terms Any value in this column must correspond to a code in the Customer Terms table.


32 Operating Guide

Customer Notes These are freeform notes stored against the customer. There is no specific limit to the length of this field.

Price Level All values in this column must correspond to a Price Level code in DBA. Price Levels are optional.

Discount Code All values in this column must correspond to a Discount Code in DBA. Discount Codes are optional.

Currency Code Multi-currency processing is under development and not currently available.

Customer Type The Customer Type might be called a customer “class” or “category” in your old system. If a value is not specified, the program assigns the system’s default Customer Type. Any value in this column must correspond to a code in the Customer Types table.

Sales Region The Sales Region is optional and organizes customers by geography. Any value in this column must correspond to a code in the Sales Regions table.

Commission Code In your old system, the equivalent to what is called a Commission Code in DBA is probably a salesperson name or number assigned to the customer. Any value in this column must correspond to a code in the Commission Codes table.

Editing The Commission Code almost surely is a new table in DBA that can be used to replace your default sales person setting, if applicable. See the Sales Reps and Commission Codes videos in the Customer Setup training course for details on how the Commission Code works. Cut and paste your Commission Codes into your spreadsheet.

Lead Source The Lead Source is an optional field that tells you where the customer first found out about your company. Any value in this column must correspond to a code in the Lead Sources table.

Address 1 This is usually the street address or PO Box associated with the billing address.


Operating Guide 33

Delivery Addresses Each customer’s delivery addresses are stored in a separate Delivery Addresses sub-table that allows for multiple addresses per customer. In some systems, delivery addresses are each stored in the customer table as a customer record. If this is the case, you should copy your spreadsheet to another name, so that you now have two spreadsheets. One spreadsheet will be used for customer import and one for delivery address import. In your customer spreadsheet, you should delete all rows that represent delivery addresses. In your delivery address spreadsheet, you should delete all rows that represent billing addresses. See the next chapter for details on importing your delivery addresses.

Address 2 Most systems also have a second address line that is often used for the office, unit, or suite number.

City The City associated with the billing address.

State The State or Province associated with the billing address.

Zip Code/Postal Code The Postal Code associated with the billing address.

Country The Country associated with the billing address.

Phone Number This is a company-level setting that is not for a specific contact person.

Fax Number This is a company-level setting that is not for a specific contact person.

Mobile Phone Number This is a company-level setting that is not for a specific contact person.

Email Address This is a company-level setting that is not for a specific contact person.

Web Address The customer’s URL.

Tax Code If you are in a VAT/GST tax environment, leave this column blank because you will not assign tax codes at the customer level. If you are in a USA or Canadian tax environment, you most likely have some sort of tax code assigned to the customer in your old system. It may be called a “tax group”,


34 Operating Guide

“tax ID”, or some other such name. You may be able to replicate these tax codes in the Tax Codes table in DBA, in which case you can import the values in this column without changes. If you create new Tax Codes in DBA, you must manually assign the values in this column.

Credit Limit Open aging plus new sales orders are not permitted to exceed this amount.

Ship Method The customer’s preferred ship method might be called a “ship via” or some other name in your old system. Any value in this column must correspond to a code in the Ship Methods table.

Tax Reference Number You can export the customer’s Tax Number, which might be called “resale number” or “registration ID” in your old system.

Bank Name You can export a Bank Name, if such a field exists in your old system.

Bank Account No You can export a Bank Account number, if such a field exists in your old system.

User Defined Field 1-6 User-Defined Date Field 1-6 DBA includes a total of six user defined fields, each of which is identified with its own number. Within a numbered field, it can have a text value in the User-Defined Field or a date value in the User-Defined Date Field, but it cannot have a value in both fields.

Date Field Format If you enter a date value in a User-Defined Date Field, it must conform to the Short Date format defined in the Regional and Language Options found in the Windows Control Panel on your file server.

Spreadsheet Import The Customers spreadsheet is imported using the Import Wizard. See Phase 3 – Import Data at the beginning of this chapter for instructions.

Data Import – Customer Contacts

Operating Guide 35

Data Import – Customer Contacts (File – Data Import – Customer Contacts)

Customer Contacts are imported separately from Customers because they are stored in a separate sub-table that allows for multiple contacts per customer.

Supporting Tables Some or all of the following tables must be created in advance before you can import your Customer Contacts. Refer to the Implementation Planner guide for details.

Customers You must import or enter all your Customers before you can import customer contacts. See the previous chapter for details.

Contact Types Contact Types are used to classify contacts and are set up in the Sales – Sales Setup – Contact Types screen.

*.xls File Format Make sure you save the Customer Contacts spreadsheet as an *.xls file type, which is the format required by the Import Wizard.


Customer Name (Required) This field links the contact to the customer and must be identical to the Customer Name in the customer record.

NOTE: If when you imported your customers you changed the Customer Name, you must change the Customer Name column on your spreadsheet to match the new names.

Contact Name (Required) The name of the contact person.

Contact Type Contact Types are used to classify contacts and must correspond to a record in the Contact Types table.

Phone Number The contact person’s phone number.

Data Import – Customer Contacts

36 Operating Guide

Fax The contact person’s fax number.

Email Address The contact person’s Email address.

Mobile Phone The contact person’s cell phone number.

Description A reference note that further describes the contact person.

Spreadsheet Import The Customer Contacts spreadsheet is imported using the Import Wizard. See Phase 3 – Import Data at the beginning of this chapter for instructions.

Data Import – Delivery Addresses

Operating Guide 37

Data Import – Delivery Addresses (File – Data Import – Delivery Addresses)

Each customer’s delivery addresses are stored in a separate Delivery Addresses sub-table that allows for multiple addresses per customer. In some systems, delivery addresses are each stored in the customer table as a customer record. If this is the case, you should copy your Customers spreadsheet to another name and use the second version for Delivery Addresses. Delete all rows that represent billing addresses.

Supporting Tables Some or all of the following tables must be created in advance before you can import your customer Delivery Addresses. Refer to the Implementation Planner guide for details.

Customers You must import or enter all your Customers before you can import delivery addresses.

Customer Contacts You can optionally assign a contact person from the Customer Contacts table to the delivery address.

Ship Methods You can optionally assign a shipping method from the Ship Methods table to the delivery address.

Tax Codes In USA and Canadian tax environments, Tax Codes are often assigned at the delivery address level, in which case you must set up all your Tax Codes in advance of importing delivery addresses. In VAT/GST environments, a system level default sales Tax Code is used, in which case no advance setup is required.

*.xls File Format Make sure you save the Delivery Addresses spreadsheet as an *.xls file type, which is the format required by the Import Wizard.



38 Operating Guide

Customer Name (Required) The Customer Name is the customer ID that links the delivery address to a particular customer.

NOTE: If when you imported your customers you changed the Customer Name, you must change the Customer Name column on your spreadsheet to match the new names.

Delivery Name (Required) The Delivery Name is the name of the delivery address location.

Address 1 This is the street address associated with the delivery address.


City The City associated with the delivery address.

State The State or Province associated with the delivery address.

Zip Code/Postal Code The Postal Code associated with the delivery address.

Country The Country associated with the delivery address.

Contact This is the main contact person at the delivery location.

NOTE: This field does not have to correspond to a record in the Customer Contacts table.

Phone Number The phone number associated with the contact person or delivery address location.

Fax Number The fax number associated with the contact person or delivery address location.

Ship Method The customer’s preferred ship method might be called a “ship via” or some other name in your old system. Any value in this column must correspond to a code in the Ship Methods table.

Tax Code If you are in a VAT/GST tax environment, leave this column blank because you will not assign tax codes at the delivery address level. If you are in a


Operating Guide 39

USA or Canadian tax environment, you have the option of leaving this blank, in which case the Tax Code assigned to the customer is used, or you can assign a Tax Code against the delivery address as an exception. Any values used in this column must correspond to values in the Tax Codes table.

Spreadsheet Import The Delivery Addresses spreadsheet is imported using the Import Wizard. See Phase 3 – Import Data at the beginning of this chapter for instructions.

Data Import – Suppliers

40 Operating Guide

Data Import – Suppliers (File – Data Import – Suppliers)

Supporting Tables Some or all of the following tables must be created in advance before you can import your Suppliers. Refer to the Implementation Planner guide for details.

Supplier Types Each supplier is assigned to a Supplier Type.

Supplier Terms Payment terms are assigned to each supplier, so you must set up your Supplier Terms table.

Supplier Regions Supplier Regions are optional and help you organize your suppliers geographically.

Supplier Codes Supplier Codes are optional and are user-defined codes that can be used for any classification purpose.

*.xls File Format Make sure you save the Suppliers spreadsheet as an *.xls file type, which is the format required by the Import Wizard.


Supplier Name (Required) What is called the Supplier Name in DBA might be called the “supplier code” in your old system. This is the key field that uniquely identifies the supplier record.

NOTE: If your old system uses a short code to identify the supplier instead of the full name as in DBA, you can store the short code in the X-Ref Code field, which is described further below.

Editing The Supplier Name is a 50-character field that is the primary identification for the supplier on screens and reports. We suggest you use the supplier’s full name so that it is readily identifiable to your users. If the supplier ID in your old system is a code rather than a name, we suggest


Operating Guide 41

you replace it with the supplier’s actual name. One way to do this is to cut and paste the Trading Name column (see next) into this column.

NOTE: Each Supplier Name must be unique. So if you have two or more supplier accounts with the same name, make each name unique, such as by appending the city or some other identifier in parenthesis following the name.

Trading Name (Required) This is the name that prints on purchase orders. Unlike the Supplier Name, duplicate values are allowed. Normally, the Supplier Name and the Trading Name are the same except in cases where the Supplier Name has been appended to avoid duplicate values.

X-Ref Code If you are using DBA with an outside accounting system, it may be that the supplier is identified in the outside system with a short code instead of the full supplier name as in DBA. For financial transfer purposes, you can store the short code in this field, which is one of the fields available for transfer in the PO Invoice Transfer screen. When you import the PO invoice transfer file into your outside system, this field is mapped to the supplier code in your outside system.

Payment Terms Any value in this column must correspond to a code in the Supplier Terms table.

Notes These are freeform notes stored against the customer. There is no specific limit to the length of this field.

Currency Code Multi-currency processing is under development and not currently available.

Supplier Type The Supplier Type might be called a supplier “class” or “category” in your old system. If a value is not specified, the program assigns the system’s default Supplier Type. Any value in this column must correspond to a code in the Supplier Types table.

Supplier Region The Supplier Region is optional and organizes suppliers by geography. Any value in this column must correspond to a code in the Supplier Regions table.

Supplier Code The Supplier Code is a user-defined code that can be used for any classification purpose. Any value in this column must correspond to a code in the Supplier Codes table.


42 Operating Guide

Address 1 This is usually the street address or PO box associated with the mailing address.


City The City associated with the mailing address.

State The State or Province associated with the mailing address.

Zip Code/Postal Code The Postal Code associated with the mailing address.

Country The Country associated with the mailing address.

Phone Number This is a company-level setting that is not for a specific contact person.

Fax Number This is a company-level setting that is not for a specific contact person.

Email Address This is a company-level setting that is not for a specific contact person.

Web Address The supplier’s URL.

Tax Code We recommend that you leave this field blank because purchase taxation is almost always handled by a system level default purchase Tax Code rather than tax codes assigned at the supplier level.

Ship Method Your preferred Ship Method might be called a “ship via” or some other name in your old system.

Tax Reference Number You can export the supplier’s Tax Number, which might be called “resale number” or “registration ID” in your old system.

Bank Name You can export a Bank Name, if such a field exists in your old system.

Bank Account No You can export a Bank Account number, if such a field exists in your old system.


Operating Guide 43



Spreadsheet Import The Suppliers spreadsheet is imported using the Import Wizard. See Phase 3 – Import Data at the beginning of this chapter for instructions.

Data Import – Supplier Contacts

44 Operating Guide

Data Import – Supplier Contacts (File – Data Import – Supplier Contacts)

Supplier Contacts are imported separately from Suppliers because they are stored in a separate sub-table that allows for multiple contacts per supplier.

Supporting Tables Some or all of the following tables must be created in advance before you can import your Supplier Contacts. Refer to the Implementation Planner guide for details.

Suppliers You must import or enter all your Suppliers before you can import supplier contacts. See the previous chapter for details.

Contact Types Contact Types are used to classify contacts and are set up in the Purch – Purchasing Setup – Contact Types screen.

*.xls File Format Make sure you save the Supplier Contacts spreadsheet as an *.xls file type, which is the format required by the Import Wizard.


Supplier Name (Required) This field links the contact to the supplier and must be identical to the Supplier Name in the supplier record.

NOTE: If when you imported your suppliers you changed the Supplier Name, you must change the Supplier Name column on your spreadsheet to match the new names.

Contact Name (Required) The name of the contact person.

Contact Type Contact Types are used to classify contacts and must correspond to a record in the Contact Types table.

Phone Number The contact person’s phone number.

Data Import – Supplier Contacts

Operating Guide 45

Fax The contact person’s fax number.

Email Address The contact person’s Email address.

Mobile Phone The contact person’s cell phone number.

Description A reference note that further describes the contact person.

Spreadsheet Import The Supplier Contacts spreadsheet is imported using the Import Wizard. See Phase 3 – Import Data at the beginning of this chapter for instructions.

Data Import – Stock Items

46 Operating Guide

Data Import – Stock Items (File – Data Import – Stock Items)

Supporting Tables Some or all of the following tables must be created in advance before you can import your Stock Items. Refer to the Implementation Planner guide for details.

Item Categories (Required) Each item is assigned to an Item Category for classification purposes.

Locations Each item can optionally be assigned to a default Issue Location and Receipt Location.

*.xls File Format Make sure you save the Stock Items spreadsheet as an *.xls file type, which is the format required by the Import Wizard.


Item ID (Required) The first column is what is called the Item ID in DBA. In some systems this is called a “part number”; in others an “item code”.

CAUTION: Do not edit your Item ID’s in the spreadsheet. Other tables, such as your bills of material, will be keyed to these same Item ID’s, so if you change them here you will get mis-matched tables and orphaned records.

Description (Required) In DBA the Description is 50 characters long. If yours is longer or is comprised of two fields, you’ll have to do some editing here to get it to fit the DBA Description field size.

Stocking UM (Required) This should be your stocking unit of measure. If you also have a purchasing unit of measure, it will be dealt with later when you import your Item Sources.

Item Category (Required) The Item Category might be called an item “type” or “class” in your old system. The values in this column must correspond to records in the Item Categories table.


Operating Guide 47

Mfg or Purch (Required) In DBA, all manufactured items are given a value of ‘M’ and all purchased items a value of ‘P’. You should insert a column in your spreadsheet and then assign M’s or P’s to all items.

Item Notes This field is for freeform notes against the item.

Estimated Cost If your old system has a “fixed” or “standard” cost for the item, populate this field with that value. If not, populate this field with the item’s “average” cost or “inventory” cost.

NOTE1: When this field gets imported, this value also populates the item’s Inventory Cost and Last Cost fields. The Inventory Cost will get updated again on system startup day when you import Initial Stock Qty’s. NOTE2: Technically, it is not necessary to import an Estimated Cost for ‘M’ items because for those items it gets calculated by the Cost Rollup based on your BOM routing and component costs. It is harmless, however, to import the cost on ‘M’ items and not worth the effort to delete them because they will be overwritten when you eventually run the Cost Rollup.

Primary Location The next two columns represent each item’s default Primary Location and default Receipt Location. In most cases, the two locations are the same, unless you receive into a QC inspection location and transfer items to another location after they’ve been inspected.

NOTE1: You must have your Locations table already set up in DBA before you create your spreadsheet. See the Locations Setup training course for more information. It is unlikely that you duplicated the locations from your old system. But if you did, you can use the exported values. If the DBA locations are new, you need to go down this column and assign each item to a Primary Location and Receipt Location. Use copy and paste to make sure the location names don’t contain any typing errors. NOTE2: If you don’t want to deal with locations until later, you can assign all items to the default Primary Location and default Receipt Location specified in the Inventory Defaults screen and then reassign them later at the item level once you’ve decided on your locations strategy.

Receipt Location See previous.


48 Operating Guide

Reorder Level This is the item’s Reorder Level, which might be referred to as a “reorder point” in your old system.

Min Order This is the item’s Min Order amount, used in MRP.

Lead Days This is the item’s Lead Days setting, sometime referred to as “lead time” in other systems. For ‘P’ (purchased) items, this is the total number of days normally required to receive the item from its default supplier. For ‘M’ (manufactured) items, this is the number of days normally required before a job can be started, to account for advance preparation time or time required to make lower level subassemblies.

Whole No Rounding (T, F) Enter a ‘T’ if the item is always ordered and stocked in whole number increments. Enter an ‘F’ if the item can be stocked in a decimal quantity.

Order Multiple This is an MRP setting that rounds PO and job quantities so that they are always divisible by a specified increment. For example, a particular item might always have to be ordered in multiples of one hundred, such as 100, 200, 300, etc.

Custom to Order (M Items Only) T/F This is an MRP setting that identifies when an item is always made to customer order and is customized in some manner such that it can’t be stocked or shipped to other customers. Enter a ‘T’ against such items. If the item is not customized and can be shipped to any customers, enter an ‘F’. If you leave the column blank, items are assigned ‘F’ by default.

Job Days (M Items Only) This is an MRP setting that represents the typical number of production days required from job release through job finish. This setting applies to ‘M’ items only.

Run Size (M Items Only) This is an MRP setting that represents the most typical job quantity for this item.

Drawing No This setting applies to ‘M’ items only.

Drawing Title This setting applies to ‘M’ items only.

Unit Weight The weight (pounds, kilos, etc.) associated with one unit of the item.


Operating Guide 49

Unit Volume The volume (cubic feet, meters, etc.) associated with one unit of the item.

Standard Pack Size The number of units included in one shipping pack (carton, pallet, etc.) for the item.

Conversion Factor This is a dimension field for reference only.

Fixed Width This is a dimension field for reference only.

Fixed Length This is a dimension field for reference only.

Proportion This is a dimension field for reference only.

Tax Code In the vast majority of cases, a tax code does not need to be specified at the item level and this field can be left blank. This is because line item taxation is usually governed at the sales order or purchase order header level. Only if the item requires a tax code exception do you need to make an entry into this column. Any values in this column must correspond to values in the Tax Codes table.

Warranty Code Any value in this column must correspond to a record in the Warranty Codes table.

UPC Bar Code This is a cross-reference ID number used in association with UPC bar coding.

Path to Picture File This specifies the location of a graphical image associated with this item.




50 Operating Guide

Spreadsheet Import The Stock Items spreadsheet is imported using the Import Wizard. See Phase 3 – Import Data at the beginning of this chapter for instructions.

Data Import – Item Sources

Operating Guide 51

Data Import – Item Sources (File – Data Import – Item Sources)

Item Sources are imported separately from Stock Items so that you can specify multiple Suppliers per item. If your old system only includes a single Preferred Supplier that is part of your item master table, you still must import that information separately from your stock items. We suggest you take your Stock Items spreadsheet, which contains the Preferred Supplier field, and do a “save as” to a different name to create an Item Sources spreadsheet. Once created, you can then delete all the unneeded columns to get your spreadsheet to conform to the specifications listed below.

Alternates, Complementary, Customer X-Refs Not Included The Item Sources import deals with Suppliers and Manufacturers only. Alternate, Complementary, and Customer cross-references are not included and must be entered manually.

Supporting Tables Some or all of the following tables must be created in advance before you can import your Item Sources. Refer to the Implementation Planner guide for details.

Stock Items (Required) All your purchased items must be entered or imported before you can assign Item Sources.

Suppliers (Required) All Suppliers specified as Item Sources must be set up first in the Suppliers table.

Manufacturers Manufacturers are optional. Any Manufacturers specified must correspond to records in the Manufacturers table.

*.csv File Format Make sure you save the Item Sources spreadsheet as a *.csv file type. The Item Sources spreadsheet is imported directly without use of the Import Wizard.

Spreadsheet Columns Your spreadsheet must consist of all of the following columns.

NOTE: The columns in this spreadsheet must be in the exact order listed. We recommend inserting column headings in row one for identification purposes.


52 Operating Guide

Item ID (Required) The Item ID to which the item source is linked. Any value in the column must correspond to a record in the Stock Items table.

Supplier (Required) The Supplier that is the source for this item. Any value in the column must correspond to a record in the Suppliers table.

NOTE: When you specify multiple Suppliers against one item, the Supplier in the first position will be designated by the program as the Default Supplier.

Supplier Part # (Required) You must specify the supplier’s part number. If you do not know the supplier’s part number, use the DBA Item ID.

Description You can optionally specify the supplier’s Description for the item, if it differs from the item’s Description.

NOTE: Be sure and create this column, even if it contains no values.

UM You can optionally specify the supplier’s unit of measure for the item, if it differs from the item’s stocking unit of measure.


Multiplier This is used to calculate the supplier’s order quantity if the supplier sells the item in a different unit of measure than your stocking unit of measure. The DBA quantity is multiplied by this amount to arrive at the supplier’s quantity. Here are two examples:

Stock in Buy in Multiplier FT YARD .333 FT INCH 12


Manufacturer You can optionally specify a Manufacturer within this Supplier record. Any value in the column must correspond to a record in the Manufacturers table.


Mfg Part # You can optionally specify a Manufacturer part number within this Supplier record.


Operating Guide 53

Spreadsheet Import Your Item Sources spreadsheet is imported directly without the aid of the Import Wizard. You simply navigate to your spreadsheet file in the screen shown below. Select the checkbox underneath if row one of your spreadsheet is used for column headings. Click the Import button to start the import process. If any errors are found, they are listed Errors tab. Correct the errors in your spreadsheet, then run the import again.

Import Item Sources Screen

Data Import – Base Prices

54 Operating Guide

Data Import – Base Prices (File – Data Import – Base Prices)

Base Prices are imported separately from Stock Items because they are stored in a different table. If your old system includes a Base Price that is part of your item master table, we suggest you take your Stock Items spreadsheet, which contains the Base Price field, and do a “save as” to a different name to create a Base Prices spreadsheet. Once created, you can then delete all the unneeded columns to get your spreadsheet to conform to the specifications listed below.

Qty Price Breaks are imported separately If you have additional prices based on quantity, those Qty Break Prices are imported separately from Base Prices. See the next section for details.

Supporting Tables The following table must be created in advance before you can import your Base Prices. Refer to the Implementation Planner guide for details.

Stock Items (Required) All the items you sell must be entered or imported before you can assign Base Prices.

*.xls File Format Make sure you save the Base Prices spreadsheet as an *.xls file type, which is the format required by the Import Wizard.

Spreadsheet Columns Your spreadsheet must include the following columns. Be sure and insert a title in row one of each column heading so that the column can be identified during the import process.

Item ID (Required) The Item ID to which the item source is linked. Any value in the column must correspond to a record in the Stock Items table.

Next Price (Required) The Base Price actually gets imported into the Next Price field.

Data Import – Base Prices

Operating Guide 55

Spreadsheet Import The Base Prices spreadsheet is imported using the Import Wizard. See Phase 3 – Import Data at the beginning of this chapter for instructions.

Final Step – Mass Update Base Prices The Base Price was actually imported into the Next Price field. As a final step, go to the Sales – Pricing & Discounts – Base Prices screen and click the Mass Update button. This process copies the Next Price into the Base Price field and clears the Next Price field for a future entry.

Data Import – Qty Price Breaks

56 Operating Guide

Data Import – Qty Price Breaks (File – Data Import – Qty Price Breaks)

Qty Price Breaks are imported separately from Base Prices because they are stored in a different table that allows for multiple break prices against an item.

Supporting Table The following table must be created in advance before you can import your Base Prices. Refer to the Implementation Planner guide for details.

Base Prices (Required) You must first enter or import Base Prices before you can import Qty Break Prices.

*.xls File Format Make sure you save the Qty Break Prices spreadsheet as an *.xls file type, which is the format required by the Import Wizard.


Item ID (Required) The Item ID to which quantity break price is linked. Any value in the column must correspond to a record in the Stock Items table.

Price This is the quantity break Price.

NOTE: Leave this field blank if you enter a % of Base value.

Quantity (Required) This is the Quantity at which the Price takes effect.

% of Base As an alternative to a specific Price, you can enter a % of Base, which is a decimal number. For example, if you want the quantity break to be 80.5% of Base Price, enter ‘80.5’.

NOTE: Leave this field blank if you enter a Price value.

Spreadsheet Import The Qty Break Prices spreadsheet is imported using the Import Wizard. See Phase 3 – Import Data at the beginning of this chapter for instructions.

Data Import – BOM Routings

Operating Guide 57

Data Import – BOM Routings (Data Import – BOM Routings)

Supporting Tables Some or all of the following tables must be created in advance before you can import your BOM Routings. Refer to the Implementation Planner guide for details.

Stock Items (Required) All your ‘M’ items should be entered or imported before you can import BOM Routings.

Work Centers (Required) Each routing sequence must be assigned to a Work Center.

Machines You can optionally assign a routing sequence to particular Machine.

Suppliers All Suppliers that provide subcontract services must be entered or imported before you can import BOM Routings.

Revision Names If you use revisions, each routing sequence must be assigned to a Revision name. All revision names must be set up in the Revision Names table before you can import BOM Routings.

*.csv File Format Make sure you save the BOM Routings spreadsheet as a *.csv file type, which is required by the Import BOM Routings screen.


Parent ID (Required) This is the ‘M’ item associated with the routing sequence. Any value in this field must correspond to a record in the Stock Items table.

Revision Each routing sequence must be assigned to a Revision name. If you don’t use revisions, you can leave this field blank and the program will populate it with your system Default Revision.


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Sequence (Required) This is the ID number that identifies this routing sequence and determines the sequence sort order.

Description This is the sequence Description, which describes the production process or service to be performed.

Work Center (Required) Each routing sequence must be assigned to a Work Center. Any value in the column must correspond for a record in the Work Centers table.

Machine Each routing sequence can optionally be assigned to a Machine. Any value in this column must correspond to a record in the Machines table.

Setup Hours These are the setup hours required to prepare this sequence.

NOTE: Setup Hours must be in decimal format. If your old system stores this in hours, minutes, and seconds, you must convert all the values in this column into decimal numbers. 30 minutes, for example, would be ‘.5’ hours.

Items/Process If you leave this blank, the import program will give it a value of ‘1’.

Processes/Hr This is your cycle time or production rate.

No Persons This determines the number of persons required to perform the sequence. If you leave this column blank, the import program assigns it a value of ‘1’.

Backflush (T/F) Enter a ‘T’ if the labor for this sequence is to be backflushed based on items completed. Enter an ‘F’ if the labor hours are to be collected and entered from time sheets. If you leave this column blank, the import program assigns it a value of ‘T’.

Days to Next This is an optional field that specifies an interval in days between this sequence and the next sequence.

Traveler Notes This is the freeform text that documents the process to be performed.

Subcontract: Supplier If this sequence is associated with a subcontract service stage, this is the Supplier that performs the service.


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Subcontract: Days to Next This is the lead time for the subcontract service.

Subcontract: Cost This is the estimated unit Cost of the subcontract service.

Subcontract: UM This is the unit of measure associated with the subcontract service.

Subcontract: PO Notes These are the freeform notes that flow from the job to the subcontract service PO.

Spreadsheet Import The BOM Routings spreadsheet is imported using the Import BOM Routings screen shown below.

1. Column headings This checkbox is selected by default and tells the program to skip row one of the spreadsheet because it contains column headings.

2. Choose the import file Click the 3-dot button to navigate to your *.csv file, which is your spreadsheet.

3. Map the import file columns. Om this step you will map each DBA field, where applicable, to the corresponding column on your spreadsheet. Field explanations are as follows:

Your Data Click the down arrow and select the column heading from your spreadsheet that matches the DBA Field.


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Required This checkbox is selected when the field is required, which means all rows in your spreadsheet must have a value. Non-required fields do not have to be mapped to a spreadsheet column.

DBA Field This is the descriptive name of the field in DBA.

Type, Len ‘C’ in the Type column indicates an alphanumeric field with a limit of so many characters as specified in the Len column. ‘N’ in the Type column indicates a numeric field.

Info You can click the button in this column for additional information regarding this field.

DBA Field Name This is the actual name of the field in the database.

4. Import When you are done with your mapping, click the Import button. The program will attempt to import your data. If any errors are found, the data will not be imported and you will be given an error report. You should print out the report and make corrections to your spreadsheet.

NOTE: After you print out your report, do not close the Import Routings screen. If you do so, you’ll have to re-do all your mappings once again.

When the program is able run through the data without finding any errors, it will then ask you if you wish to import the data. Click Yes and all the data on the spreadsheet will be imported.

Copyright Notice Portions of this import program Copyright 2005-2006 White Peak Software Inc

Data Import – BOM Components

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Data Import – BOM Components (File – Data Import – BOM Components)

Supporting Tables Some or all of the following tables must be created in advance before you can import your BOM Components. Refer to the Implementation Planner guide for details.

Stock Items (Required) All BOM parent items and components should be entered or imported before you can import BOM Components.

Revision Names If you use revisions, each component must be assigned to a Revision name. All revision names must be set up in the Revision Names table before you can import BOM Components.

Routings Routings should be entered or imported before BOM Components so that components can be assigned to the routing sequences in which they are consumed.

Descriptors We do not recommend using Descriptors as BOM Components, but if you choose to do so, you must first create them manually in the Descriptors screen.

*.csv File Format Make sure you save the BOM Components spreadsheet as a *.csv file type, which is required by the Import BOM Components screen.


Parent ID (Required) This is the ‘M’ item associated with the component. Any value in this field must correspond to a record in the Stock Items table.

Revision Each component must be assigned to a Revision name. If you don’t use revisions, you can leave this field blank and the program will populate it with your system Default Revision.


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Component (Required) Values in this column must correspond to a record in the Stock Items table.

Line No The Line No field enables you to bring in your existing line numbers. If you leave this column blank, the import program will assign line numbers in the order that it imports your components, and will number then in increments of 10. If the components look to be in the correct order on your spreadsheet, you can delete the Line No column and the components will come into DBA uniformly numbered as 10, 20, 30 etc.

Sequence You can optionally assign each component to the routing Sequence in which it is consumed.

Type (S/D) Stock Item components should be identified with an ‘S’ and Descriptors with a ‘D’. If you leave this column blank, the import program defaults this value to ‘S’.

Usage Qty (Required) This is the quantity required to make one unit of the parent item. Decimal quantities are permitted.

Scrap % This is the expected scrap percentage associated with the component.

NOTE: You may need to edit the Scrap % field values. Some systems use a yield factor instead of a scrap percentage. 90% yield is the opposite of a 10% scrap factor like we use in DBA. So if your old system uses yield, you must convert the values in this column to their opposite values.

From Date This is the date the component was added to the BOM.

Thru Date This is the date the component was removed from the BOM.

Notes These are freeform notes associated with the component.


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Spreadsheet Import The BOM Components spreadsheet is imported using the Import BOM Components screen shown below.

1. Column headings This checkbox is selected by default and tells the program to skip row one of the spreadsheet because it contains column headings.

2. Choose the import file Click the 3-dot button to navigate to your *.csv file, which is your spreadsheet.

3. Map the import file columns. Om this step you will map each DBA field, where applicable, to the corresponding column on your spreadsheet. Field explanations are as follows:

Your Data Click the down arrow and select the column heading from your spreadsheet that matches the DBA Field.

Required This checkbox is selected when the field is required, which means all rows in your spreadsheet must have a value. Non-required fields do not have to be mapped to a spreadsheet column.

DBA Field This is the descriptive name of the field in DBA.

Type, Len ‘C’ in the Type column indicates an alphanumeric field with a limit of so many characters as specified in the Len column. ‘N’ in the Type column indicates a numeric field.


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Info You can click the button in this column for additional information regarding this field.

DBA Field Name This is the actual name of the field in the database.

4. Import When you are done with your mapping, click the Import button. The program will attempt to import your data. If any errors are found, the data will not be imported and you will be given an error report. You should print out the report and make corrections to your spreadsheet.

NOTE: After you print out your report, do not close the Import BOM Components screen. If you do so, you’ll have to re-do all your mappings once again.

When the program is able run through the data without finding any errors, it will then ask you if you wish to import the data. Click Yes and all the data on the spreadsheet will be imported.

Copyright Notice Portions of this import program Copyright 2005-2006 White Peak Software Inc

1-4. Data Export

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1-4. Data Export (File – Data Export)

You can export data from any table in the system using the Data Export screen. To start the export process, highlight the table you wish to export from and then click the Export button.

Data Dictionary (File – Data Dictionary) A list of system tables and field definitions can be found in the Data Dictionary, which is presented in a Help file format.

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Step 1 – Select File Format

On this screen you will select the file format of your export file. A variety of format options are listed on the screen. Once your selection is made, click the Next button.

Step 2 – Selection Options

Additional options are selected on this screen. The File Origin will default to ‘ANSI (Windows).’ Do not change this. If you are not exporting the entire file, insert a check into the Selected records only checkbox. If you want to include column titles in your export file, select the Include column titles checkbox. If you want a blank line between the column headings and the first export record, select the Add a blank line after field names checkbox. If your target system stores empty field values as zeroes, clear the Blank if zero? checkbox. If empty fields are stored with blank values, select this checkbox.

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Click Next to continue.

Step 3 – Select Field Delimiters

This screen is displayed if you selected the text (*.txt) file format. First, indicate whether your export file is to be in Delimited or Fixed Width format. Delimited means that data fields are separated with a defined character such as a semicolon, comma, space, etc. Fixed Width means that your export file fields have fixed lengths such that each field’s first character can be defined position within the record. If you selected Delimited, choose one of the following to represent the field separator used in your export file.

Tab Tab can be used as a separator in Word documents or when Excel spreadsheets are saved as *.txt documents.

Semicolon Can be used as a separator in a Word document.

Comma This is the most common delimiter used when creating text-based export files. You can also use comma separators with Word documents or when Excel spreadsheets are saved as *.csv documents.

Space You can use a space to separate words within a Word document (if each word is a separate field) or when Excel spreadsheets are saved as *.pm documents.

None Can be used when there is only one field to export and no delimiters are required.

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Other You can use any symbol you wish to separate fields. Enter the symbol you wish to use in the field to the right of this option.

In the Record Separator field, chose one of the following to indicate what separates each record in your export file.

• CRLF Carriage Return / Line Feed • CR Carriage Return only • LF Line Feed only

Enter a symbol in the Text Qualifier field if non-numeric text fields (such as customer and supplier names) are surrounded by a symbol such as a quotation mark, which is a common format with *.txt files. Click Next to continue.

Step 4 – Field Formatting

In this step you define the properties of each field to be exported. You can format the field Title, including the Caption (English description), its Alignment (left, center, or right justified), and its Background color and Font. You can also format the data’s Alignment, Background, and Font as well. Click Next to continue.

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Step 5 – Header and Footer

In this screen you can enter header and footer text that will accompany your export file. Click Next to continue.

Step 6 – Define Layout This screen only appears for some export file formats (such as Adobe Acrobat). You can define the layout of the data, including whether you want it in columnar, reverse columnar, or tabular format, as well as your color style preference. Click Next to continue.

Saving specifications for future use You can save your export settings so that they can be used again without having to go through all the setup steps. To do so, click the Specifications button at lower left. A screen will appear containing a list of all your saved export specifications for this table. Click the Save button and you can enter a name for this set of specifications as well as a path to the source file. When done, click OK and the name will be added to the list of available specifications.

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Step 7 – Export Data

Give your file a path (using the navigation button, if you’d like) and file name in the Export to a File field. If you want to break up your export into more than one file, you can set a size limit using the Records per File? field. This might be useful if you are exporting to a spreadsheet that can only hold a certain number of lines. The program will automatically create multiple export files and number then with a suffix of ‘1’, ‘2’, ‘3’, etc. You can then select an action to occur after the file is exported. For example, you can automatically view the contents of the file, or you can e-mail the file with it as an automatic attachment. When your entries are completed, click the Execute button to run the export routine.

Re-exporting using saved specs To re-export using saved specs, select the Export option on the opening screen, highlight the table you wish to export from, then click the Export button. On the next screen, click the Specifications button in the lower left portion of the opening screen. Highlight the item you want in the list of available specifications window, then click the Load button. This will load all your saved settings into the export wizard screens. You can now cycle through the screens and change any settings you wish. When done, click the Execute button on the last screen to run the export routine.

1-5. Data Dictionary

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1-5. Data Dictionary (File – Data Dictionary)

The Data Dictionary is a PDF document that provides a listing of relevant system tables and field names. This can be of a useful reference resource when using the Data Export or Database Queries utilities.

1-6. Initial Stock Qty Import

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1-6. Initial Stock Qty Import (File – Startup Day – Initial Stock Qty Import)

Import only on startup day On system “startup day” you will cease using your old system for sales orders, make jobs, and purchasing, and you will begin performing those activities exclusively in DBA. As of startup day, you must import or enter your current stock quantities in DBA so that you have an accurate beginning inventory.

Assign items to characteristics after stock quantity import Stock items should not be assigned to tracking characteristics such as lot and serial control until after you import initial stock quantities. After initial stock quantities are imported, you can then assign items to characteristics on the Characteristics tab of the Stock Items screen. As you do so, the program requires you to allocate the stock on hand to characteristic values.

If you’ve already assigned items to characteristics: The Initial Stock Qty Import rejects stock items that are assigned to characteristics. So if you’ve already assigned items to characteristics, you have two options:

• You can clear all characteristic assignments using the Item Characteristics screen so that you can run the initial stock quantity import and then reassign characteristics afterwards.

• You can delete the items assigned to characteristics from your import spreadsheet, then run the import on all items without characteristics, then you can manually enter initial stock quantities for items with characteristics using the Stock Adjustments screen.

Supporting Tables The following tables must be created in advance before you can import your Initial Stock Quantities. Refer to the Implementation Planner guide for details.

Stock Items (Required) All your Stock Items must be entered or imported before you can assign Initial Stock Quantities.

Locations (Required) Each stock quantity must be associated with a Location.

*.csv File Format Make sure you save the Initial Stock Qty’s spreadsheet as a *.csv file type. The Initial Stock Qty’s spreadsheet is imported directly without use of the Import Wizard.


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Spreadsheet Columns Your spreadsheet must consist of all of following columns.

NOTE: The columns in this spreadsheet must be in the exact order listed. We recommend inserting column headings in row one for identification purposes.

Item ID (Required) Each item will have one row for each Location with a Stock Qty. So if an item has stock in three locations, it will be given three rows in the spreadsheet.

NOTE: Do not import items assigned to Tracking Characteristics. Initial stock quantities for such items must be manually entered in the Stock Adjustments screen.

Location (Required) This is the Location associated with the Stock Qty.

Stock Qty This is the stock on hand at this Location.

Inventory Cost This is the current “average” cost or “inventory” cost for the item in your old system.

NOTE1: If an item has multiple rows in the spreadsheet, repeat this cost value in each row. NOTE2: Even though the Inventory Cost already received a value when you imported the Estimated Cost during the Stock Items import, it is updated during the Initial Stock Qty’s import to reflect the most recent value prior to system startup day.

Spreadsheet Import Your Initial Stock Qty’s spreadsheet is imported directly without the aid of the Import Wizard. You simply navigate to your spreadsheet file in the screen shown below. Select the checkbox underneath if row one of your spreadsheet is used for column headings. You have the option of entering a Reference note that will be inserted into the transaction history of each item. Click the Import button to start the import process. If any errors are found, they are listed Errors tab. Correct the errors in your spreadsheet, then run the import again.


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Import Initial Stock Qty’s Screen

1-7. AR Beginning Balances

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1-7. AR Beginning Balances (File – Startup Day – AR Beginning Balances)

Use this screen to enter unpaid customer invoices as of system startup day. NOTE: Any entries made in this screen will not post to the General Ledger. The sole purpose of this screen is to get these entries into the open aging so that customer payments associated with these invoices can be processed within DBA.

List Tab All customers are listed on this screen, along with beginning balance information derived from entries made through this screen.

Customer This customer ID is displayed in this field.

Beg Balance The grand total of all invoice amounts entered is displayed in this field.

# Invoices The amount displayed in this field is the number of invoices that comprise the Beg Balance.

Trading Name The customer’s Trading Name, which is the name that prints on order documents, is displayed for reference purposes.

Invoices Tab To enter one or more invoices for a customer, highlight the applicable Customer and click the Invoices tab. On the Invoices tab, make entries to the following fields:

1-7. AR Beginning Balances

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Invoice No Enter the original invoice number.

Invoice Date Enter the original invoice date.

Remaining Amt Enter the unpaid amount.

Payment Terms This field is optional. If you select from the payment terms table, the program will automatically establish the Due Date based on the terms selected.

Due Date You can accept the Due Date established by the Payment Terms or you can manually select any date you wish.

Posted After you click the Update button, this read-only checkbox is automatically selected and informs you that your entry has been posted to the open invoice table.

Update Button Enter all the open invoices for the customer. When you are finished, click the Update button. The Posted checkbox will be updated against each invoice, indicating that it has been saved to the open invoices table.

1-8. AP Beginning Balances

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1-8. AP Beginning Balances (File – Startup Day – AP Beginning Balances)

Use this screen to enter unpaid supplier invoices as of system startup day. NOTE: Any entries made in this screen will not post to the General Ledger. The sole purpose of this screen is to get these entries into the open aging so that supplier payments associated with these invoices can be processed within DBA.

List Tab Previously created beginning balance supplier invoices are listed on this screen in descending invoice date order. You can view the detail behind any invoice by highlighting it and clicking the Detail tab.

New Button Click this button to create a new beginning balance supplier invoice. You are taken to the Detail tab, which is cleared for new record entry.

Edit Button Click this button to change an existing beginning balance invoice without having to delete it and re-enter it from scratch.

Reverse Button Click this button to delete the highlighted beginning balance invoice.

Detail Tab

You can enter a new beginning balance supplier invoice on this screen (by clicking New while on the List tab) or you can view the details of an existing supplier invoice record.


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NOTE: This screen is a special version of the Supplier Invoices screen that does not post to the General Ledger.

General Information

Supplier Select the Supplier from the lookup.

Invoice No Enter the supplier invoice number.

Invoice Date Enter the supplier invoice date, which is the date used for aging and payment processing purposes.

GL Post Date This date defaults to today’s date. No GL posting occurs, so leave this date as is.

Pay Ref Leave this blank.

Net Amt Enter the remaining invoice amount, which is the amount that has not yet been paid.

Tax Amt In most cases, tax is not relevant to a beginning balance invoice, in which case you should clear this field.

NOTE: In some countries the tax portion of invoices is tracked separately. If this is the case, enter the remaining tax amount.

Invoice Total This read-only field is the sum of the Net Amt and Tax Amt.

Tax Code This setting is irrelevant to a beginning balance invoice and can be left as is.

Payment & Selection Amts This panel has no relevance to a beginning balance invoice.

Payment Terms

Payment Terms The default Supplier Terms code assigned to this supplier is selected by default. You can make an alternate selection, if you wish.

Due Date The Due Date for invoice payment is automatically calculated according to the Days and From Month End values associated with the Supplier Terms code. You can manually override this date, if you wish.


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Days, From End of Month, Discount %, Discount Days These read-only fields display the details associated with the selected Supplier Terms code.

Distribution Grid Only one line is entered with a beginning balance invoice. To make an entry, click the New button.

Net Amt The program inserts the Net Amt from the upper panel into this field. Leave this as is.

Tax Amt The program automatically inserts the Tax Amt from the upper panel into this field. Leave this as is.

Total Amt This read-only field is the sum of the Net Amt and Tax Amt.

Pay Hold If you do not wish for all or a portion of this invoice to be paid at this time (perhaps because of a dispute with the supplier), you can select this checkbox, which prevents this line’s amount from being selected and paid in the Payment Processing screen.

Reference You can enter a short note against this line for reference purposes on this screen only.

Supplier Invoice Notes You can enter freeform notes in this panel for reference on this screen only.

Payments Tab This tab has no relevance to a beginning balance invoice.


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2. Admin

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2. Admin The Admin menu is where you find applications used by the system administrator to set up users and configure the system. Menu options include:

Admin • User Setup • Current Online Users • Upgrade License • Run Command File • Main Setup • Accounting Configuration • System Defaults

2-1. User Setup

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2-1. User Setup (Admin – User Setup)

Use this screen to create user accounts and to manage user settings.

List Tab User accounts are created on this tab.

Creating a new user To create a new user, click the New button. Enter a User Name, which is the name used to log into the system. Enter a first and last name. If this user is to have “administrator” status, which allows access to certain screens that are off limits to other users, select the Administrator checkbox.

Active User Checkbox Even though you can set up an unlimited number of users, the number of users that can be designated as active users (via selection of the Active User checkbox) is limited by the # of Licensed Users displayed in the upper right corner of the screen. Only active users will be allowed to log on to the system.

Change Password Screen When each new user is created, the system assigns that user a password of ‘pass’. The user can log into the system and go to the File – Change Password screen and can then change the password to one of his or her choice.

Password Length & Case-Sensitivity The password can be up to 15-characters long and is not case-sensitive.

Copy User Button Many users have identical setup profiles. You can create a new user by highlighting an existing user and clicking the Copy User button. Enter the new User Name. This will copy all the highlighted user’s settings to the new user.

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Module Security Tab

Use this tab to assign security permissions to the system’s menu options. Note that the checkboxes in the left column remove entire menus, while those to the right remove individual menu options.

NOTE: Each user will only see the menu options he or she has permission to access. Options without access permission will be invisible.

User Defaults Tab Two settings are located on this tab.

Allow Grids to be Customized Some entry grids in the system can be customized by changing the order and width of grid columns. Each time the user exits the screen and returns to it, the customized settings are lost. If you want this user’s settings to be retained and not lost, select this checkbox.

Linked Worker No This user can be set up as a worker in the Jobs – Workers screen. This field links the user to that worker record. If there are any open Activity Notes tied to this worker, they are automatically displayed in the Notes – My Action List screen.

Document Groups Tab DBA offers a Documents Directory, which provides links to key company documents such as employee manuals, contracts, warranties, instruction manuals, etc. Use this tab to list the Document Groups to which this user is to have access. See chapter 10 for more information on the Documents Directory.

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SO/Job Types Tab All your Sales Order Types and Job Types are listed on this screen. Select the checkbox against each type to which this user is to have access.

Screen Locks Tab If this user occupies a “locked” screen, that screen is listed on this tab. A locked screen is not accessible to other users. The system administrator can unlock a locked screen by clearing the checkbox preceding the screen name. This unlocking capability is only needed in situations where the user is in a locked screen and experiences a system failure, such as the computer being turned off. The program still thinks the user is in the locked screen and thus the screen cannot be used by anyone. In this case, clearing the locked screen frees it up for access to other users. At present, the Batch Posting screen on the GL menu is the only screen in the system that locks out other users in the manner described.

Email Tab User Email settings are entered on this tab.

Email Option This setting defaults to the system Email Option selected in the Main Setup screen. The default setting can be overridden here at the user level, if needed. Two Email server options are available:



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Other Fields

Reply-To Email Address This defaults to the Company Email Address setting in the Main Setup screen. If you want Emails sent by this user to have a personal ‘Reply-To’ address instead of the company ‘Reply-To’ Email address, enter that Email address in this field.

Outbound Mail Server (SMTP) This field is only visible when the SMTP Email Client option is selected above. Specify the address of the outbound SMTP server, which is in a ‘gateway.company.com’ format (such as ‘smtp.msn.com’ or ‘mail.pacbell.com’).

Port This field is only visible when the SMTP Email Client option is selected above. Enter the port that is required by your outbound SMTP server. Most typically this is a setting of ‘25.’

Authentication Required for Outbound Email This field is only visible when the SMTP Email Client option is selected above. Select this checkbox if this user’s SMTP server requires user authentication. When selected, two additional fields become visible.

User Name Enter this user’s authentication user name.

Password Enter this user’s authentication password.

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2-2. Current Online Users (Admin – Current Online Users)

The system administrator can use this screen to view the current users that are logged into the system and to remove users.

Removing a user In the case of a power failure or a user shutting off his or her computer without exiting DBA first, the program still assumes the user is logged on. When this happens, you might reach your maximum user limit even though the number of physical users has not. To remove a user, highlight the user and click the Delete button. If you reach your maximum user limit if you reach your maximum user limit and attempt to log in as the administrator, you will automatically be taken to this screen where you can remove a user(s) to make room for you to get into the system.

Field Explanations

Computer Name This is the name assigned by Windows to the user’s computer.

User ID The User ID assigned in the User Setup screen.

Login Time The date and time the user logged in.

Unique ID This is a unique record identifier generated by the program.

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2-3. Database Optimizer (Admin – Database Optimizer)

This utility can be run periodically (such as weekly or monthly) to optimize this company’s database indices for maximum performance.

NOTE: All users must exit DBA and all outside connections to this company’s database must be released before you will be permitted to run this program.

Two options are available:

Full Optimization When you run this program during off-hours, select this option.

Quick Optimization If you need immediate optimization during working hours and you wish to minimize system down-time, select this option. It will perform a partial optimization that can help solve an immediate performance problem. You can then run the Full Optimization option later during off-hours.

Run Button Click this button to begin processing. You are then presented with this message:

“Before processing can begin, leave this screen open while you exit out of DBA. After you’ve existed DBA, click the Continue button.”

Exit out of DBA, then click the Continue button and processing will begin.

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2-4. Upgrade License (Admin – Upgrade License)

The system administrator uses this screen to install a new license key whenever annual maintenance is renewed or additional users are purchased.

License Key The license key is sent to you by Email. It consists of two components – a Company Name and Serial Number – that are cut and pasted from the Email into this screen.

License Key Installation Copy the Company Name from the Email and paste it into the first field on the screen. Copy the Serial Number from the Email and paste it into the second field on the screen.

NOTE: Do not attempt to manually change the Company Name or it will not match the Serial Number and you cannot continue.

Click Continue, which closes the screen.

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2-5. Run Command File (Admin – Run Command File)

There may be occasions where we send you a file to repair a problem, such as a forgotten password. You will install the file as directed somewhere on your file server or local computer. You will then use this screen to navigate to the file. Once you locate the file, click the Run button to execute the procedure.

2-6. Main Setup

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2-6. Main Setup (Admin – Main Setup)

This screen is where you enter a number of default settings that tailor the system to your operational preferences.

Main Tab Your Company Info In this section you can enter your address and contact details. This information optionally prints on some documents and is for reference purposes. Your company name cannot be edited and is determined by the encrypted serial number that you entered during system installation or via the File – Administrator – Upgrade License screen. If you need the name changed, let us know and we will e-mail you a new serial number. The following are some other settings located on the Main tab.

SO/Job Numbering

Auto SO/Job Numbering Select this checkbox if you want sales orders and jobs automatically numbered. In general, automatic numbering is used in most situations.

Next No Enter a value here if Auto SO/Job Numbering is selected. It establishes the job number on the next sales order or job created. Because of the way the computer sorts numbers, do not enter a number such as 1 or else the result will be that number 10 or number 100 sorts before number 2, 3, etc. on lists

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and reports. We recommend a starting number such as 10000 or 100000, which will create sequential numbers such as 10001, 10002, 10003, etc.

Multi-Currency (in development)

Activate A system-wide multi-currency capability is under development, but is not currently available. Clear the Activate checkbox for the time being.

Invoice & Credit Printing

Setting Sub-Tab

Your Invoice Name This is a user-defined title that prints at the top of invoices. Typically, this would be ‘INVOICE’, but can be any name you wish.

Your Credit Name This is a user-defined title that prints on invoices when the total amount is negative. Typical names would be ‘CREDIT MEMO’ or ‘CREDIT NOTE’.

Your Shipping Name Enter a user-defined name that identifies shipping charges on the sales order Shipping screen and in the footer of the customer invoice. For example, you might want to use a name such as ‘Freight’ or ‘Shipping & Handling’.

Invoice No Sub-Tab Invoice Prefix This is the invoice prefix that will be used for all invoices, regardless of job or sales order type. Next Invoice No. This number establishes the invoice number on the next invoice created. Because of the way the computer sorts job numbers, do not enter a number such as 1 or else the result will be that invoice 10 or invoice 100 sorts before invoice 2, 3, etc. on lists and reports. We recommend a starting number such as 10000 or 100000, which will create sequential numbers such as 10001, 10002, 10003, etc.

Payment Rounding

Tolerance Value It is common for customer payments to vary somewhat from the exact amount owed. If the variance on a customer’s payment falls within the value entered in this field, the variance will be accepted and the invoice marked as paid.

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Options Tab

Additional Options

Display link to online demos Clear this checkbox if you wish to make the Online Demos icon and link on the main menu invisible.

Display printer dialog screen Select this checkbox if you want the printer dialog screen presented when printing forms and reports. This will allow you to change printers or print selections. Do not select if all your printing is to the same printer and you never change settings.

Display print preview Select this checkbox if you want a screen preview of each report or document before printing.

Maximize print preview If you always want the screen preview of your reports and documents maximized to fill the entire screen, select this checkbox. If you do not select this option, it will occupy a smaller window and can be maximized manually if so desired.

Check for available updates at program sign-in Select this checkbox if you want administrator-level users to be presented with update download files upon program sign-in each time a new product update becomes available. We recommend that you select this option unless the update checking causes problems with your anti-virus or firewall software.

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Profitability Options

Margin or Markup You have a choice of using ‘margin’ or ‘markup’ in conjunction with the job profit shown on the job header screen as well as job detail lines where you can calculate a price based on a margin or markup over cost.

• A margin is a profit margin. For example, if an item costs you $80 and you wish to make a 20% profit margin, you would divide 80 by .8 (the inverse of .2) to arrive at a selling price of $100.

• A markup is a multiplier. For example, if an item costs you $80 and you wish to mark it up by 25%, you would multiply 80 x 1.25 to arrive at a selling price of $100.

Both methods get you to the same result. Choose the method you are most comfortable using.

% for Warning You can set a percentage here such that if the job profit shown on the job header screen falls below this percentage, it will be highlighted in red to bring it to your attention.

Menu Activations Button This button is only visible on databases in use prior to April 2008. Click this to launch the Menu Activations screen, which can be used to de-activate older screens and reports that are no longer in use.

Printer Page Size Select Letter (USA) for standard U.S. page size printing or A4 (International) for international page size printing.

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Quote Letter Tab

Default Style You can select one of four quote styles, described as follows. This serves as the default style when creating new service jobs and sales orders, but once the job is created you can change to any of these styles.

Formal This is a formal quote document, similar in style to that of an invoice.

Letter The quote will be in the form of a letter with the quoted price in the body of the letter.

Letter with Detail The quote will be in the form of a letter with the quoted price and quote details in the body of the letter.

Multi-Option This is the same as the Formal quote style, but there is no quote total. Use this style with sales order quotes when you want to list several independently quoted items on one document.

Header The Header text is the main body of the quote letter that precedes the quote details.

Summary The Summary text is a 50-character description that is used to label the quote total on the printed quote. It could be something like ‘We are pleased to quote a special price of’ or anything along those lines.

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Footer The Footer text prints after the Summary text and is used for closing comments and a complimentary close type signature block.

Selecting quote formats for editing If you wish to edit a quote layout, you must select a layout first. To do so, open a Sales Quote or Service Job, click on its Quote Style tab (located on the side of the sales quote or job header screen), and select the quote style you wish to modify. You can open an existing quote/job or new quote/job; it doesn’t matter for this purpose. Next, go to Utilities – Forms Edit – Quote Layout and the quote format you’ve selected will be presented for editing.

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Email Tab

Upper Panel

Company Email Address Enter your company’s default ‘Reply-To’ Email address. If you wish to establish a different ‘Reply-To’ address at the user level, you can do so in the Email tab of the User Setup screen.

Email Settings (All Users) These settings apply to all users.

Default Document Type When quotes, acknowledgments, invoices, and purchase orders are Emailed as attachments, this is the document format to which they will be converted. Your choices are ‘RTF’, ‘TEXT’, ‘EXCEL’, and ‘PDF’. The system is supplied with ‘PDF’ as the default setting.

Email Docs – Customers & Suppliers Select this checkbox if you want the Email Documents setting selected by default when new records are created in the Customers and Suppliers screens.

Default Email Message Enter the text used as the default message body text in the Emails to which you attach quotes, acknowledgments, invoices, and purchase orders.

Default Email Option Two Email server options are available:

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Default Email Settings This panel is only visible when the SMTP Email Client option is selected above.

SMTP Host Name Specify the address of your outbound SMTP server, which is in a ‘gateway.company.com’ format (such as ‘smtp.msn.com’ or ‘mail.pacbell.com’).

Port Enter the port that is required by your outbound SMTP server. Most typically this is a setting of ‘25.’’

Save Settings for All Users Button Click this button to copy the following settings from this screen to corresponding settings in the User Setup screen against all existing users:

• Company Email Address (Reply-To Email Address) • Outgoing Mail Server (SMTP) • Port

If you are setting up Email for the first time: If you have already set up users in the User Setup screen and are setting up Email for the first time, be sure and click this button to populate these settings against all your users.

User-Level Settings If you require individual Email settings at the user level, such as authentication credentials or exceptions to these default settings (such as a different Reply-To Address), make those settings on the Email tab of the User Setup screen.

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2-7. Accounting Configuration (Admin – Accounting Configuration)

This screen is used to configure your accounting system either to use DBA’s integrated financial modules or to transfer summarized financial data to an outside system.

When should the Financial Transfer option be used? Ideally, the DBA financial modules should be used to take full advantage of our “small business ERP” architecture, where all core business functions are processed within a single, integrated system that is scaled for small businesses. There are situations, however, where using the DBA financial modules is not possible. Most typically, this is when a company or branch office is connected to a corporate ERP system, but wishes to use DBA as its manufacturing solution. To address this need, we offer the Financial Transfer option, which enables financial applications to be handled by an outside system.

How the Financial Transfer Works The Financial Transfer option deactivates the DBA financial modules (AR, AP, Banking) and activates the Financial Transfer module. Core functions are divided between the two systems as follows:

• DBA is used for inventory, bills of material, sales orders, MRP, jobs, and purchasing, all of which post to the DBA general ledger.

• The outside system is used for receivables, payables, banking, overall general ledger, and payroll.

Only three items are exported or manually transferred from DBA to the outside system:

• Customer Invoices (Summarized)

• PO Invoices (Summarized)

• GL Account Totals (Period End) Only summarized information is transferred to the outside system, which is all that is needed for payment processing and GL updating. All line item and transactional detail remains in DBA and provides a complete audit trail.

If you are coming from a low-end accounting system: If you are coming from a low-end accounting system such as QuickBooks® or Peachtree®, we recommend using the DBA financial modules to take full advantage of our “small business ERP” architecture. Not only is an integrated system more efficient and easier to manage, but a QuickBooks or Peachtree chart of accounts cannot function effectively in a manufacturing environment where so much of your activity revolves around work


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in process. By contrast, the DBA standard chart of accounts is optimized out of the box for a manufacturing company and is structured to handle work in process and absorption costing of direct labor and factory overhead.

QuickBooks Transfer If you intend to use the Financial Transfer with QuickBooks and wish to import data instead of using the manual transfer method, a third party utility, the Transaction Pro Import Wizard, is required. For information on setting up and using this utility, refer to our QuickBooks Transfer white paper, which can be found in the Documents – White Papers area of the online support center.

Screen Details

Two options are listed on the screen:

DBA Financial Modules DBA is supplied with this option selected by default, which activates the integrated financial modules of Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, and Banking.

Financial Transfer Select this option to activate the Financial Transfer menu and deactivate the Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, and Banking modules.

Next Button Click this button to continue the configuration process.

If you change to the Financial Transfer option: If you change from using DBA financials to the Financial Transfer utility, all your supplier invoices will go through a conversion process on this screen where they are flagged as “transferred.” This prevents those invoices from


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being listed for transfer in the PO Invoice Transfer screen, which would interfere with the accounting startup process in the other system.

• You are presented with the Convert Supplier Invoices screen. In the grid you see a list of suppliers and the number of invoices associated with each.

• If you want a listing of these invoices, you can select the printout option. If you don’t want a listing, select the Continue with Conversion option.

• Click the Convert button and conversion is completed. On the next screen, all your customer invoices will go through a conversion process where they are flagged as “transferred.” This prevents those invoices from being listed for transfer in the AR Invoice Transfer screen, which would interfere with the accounting startup process in the other system.


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• You are presented with the Convert Customer Invoices screen. In the grid you see a list of customers and the number of invoices associated with each.


• Click the Convert button and conversion is completed.

If you change to DBA Financials: If you change from the Financial Transfer utility to DBA financials, all your previously transferred supplier invoices will go through a conversion process on this screen where they are marked as “paid.” This prevents those invoices from being listed on your newly activated AP aging inquiries and reports, which would interfere with the accounting startup process.

• You are presented with the Convert Supplier Invoices screen. In the grid you see a list of suppliers and the number of invoices associated with each.


• Click the Convert button and conversion is completed. On the next screen, all your previously transferred customer invoices will go through a conversion process where they are marked as “paid.” This prevents those invoices from showing up on your newly activated AR aging inquiries and reports, which would interfere with the accounting startup process.

• You are presented with the Convert Customer Invoices screen. In the grid you see a list of customers and the number of invoices associated with each.


• Click the Convert button and conversion is completed.

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2-8. System Defaults (Admin – System Defaults)

Default Values Tab On this tab you can set up default values for various master table and transaction entry screens. Using default settings where applicable will enable new records to be entered more quickly and easily.

Default Screen Sizes Tab On this tab you can set default screen sizes (‘Maximized’ or ‘Normal’) for many of the system’s major screens. If you want a screen to expand when launched to the full width of your monitor, select the ‘Maximized’ setting.

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3. Utilities The Utilities menu is where you find miscellaneous utility programs related to data analysis, forms editing, and system customization. Menu options include:

Utilities • Database Queries • Forms Edit • Forms Update Utility • User-Defined Fields • User-Defined Menus

3-1. Spreadsheet Generators

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3-1. Spreadsheet Generators (Utilities – Spreadsheet Generators)

The spreadsheet generators are legacy reporting screens that will ultimately be replaced with Data Views. Until those Data Views become available, these screens remain in the system for customers that use them.

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3-2. Database Queries (Utilities – Database Queries)

You can use this utility to write and retrieve SQL queries to the database tables and output the results to an Excel-compatible spreadsheet that is supplied with the system.

NOTE: If you use this utility to write your own queries, a basic familiarity with simple programming expressions is required.

A series of sample queries are provided that you can use as actual queries or as samples to follow when writing your own queries.

Query Screen

To get to the Query screen, click the Queries menu option at the top of the spreadsheet. From the drop-down menu, click the Query option. The fields and buttons on this screen are described as follows.

Retrieving a Saved Query Use this screen to write your query. If you wish to retrieve a saved query, click the Query List button and select a saved query from the list. Once its contents display in the SQL panel, you can click OK and the query screen will close. The query output will now be displayed in the spreadsheet. Once the contents are displayed in the spreadsheet, you can save the spreadsheet with a name of your choice. Your spreadsheet file is Excel-compatible and can therefore be opened within Excel once it is created and saved.

Tables In this window are listed all the database tables. You can select a table and click the Add Table to SQL button to add the table to the SQL panel at right.

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Fields In this window are listed the fields within the table currently highlighted in the Tables window. You can select each field to be included in your query and click on the Add Field to SQL button to add the field to the SQL panel at right.

SQL Your SQL statement (query) is entered in this panel.

Writing a Query Adding Tables Add tables to the SQL statement by selecting from the Tables window and clicking the Add Table to SQL button.

Adding Fields Add fields to the SQL statement by selecting from the Fields window and clicking the Add Field to SQL button.

Keywords Add keywords by clicking SQL in the top left corner and selecting the Add Keywords option. Values include: *, Sum, Count, From, Where

Operators Add operators by clicking SQL in the top left corner and selecting the Add Operators option. Values include: >, <, =. <>, +, -, /

Parameter Add a parameter by clicking SQL in the top left corner and selecting the Add Parameter option. This will add your parameter name to the query (preceded with a colon). When the query is run you will be asked to enter a value, which the query will take into account. For example you may wish to have a query of ‘select * from Jobs where Jobno = :para’. When running the query Parameter ‘para’ will appear for you to enter your job number.

Saving Your Query If you wish to save your query for future use, click the Save Query button. You are presented with a list of saved queries. Click the Add button and give your query a name. When finished, click the OK button.

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3-3. Forms Edit (Utilities – Forms Edit Menu)

DBA uses the following forms and labels, which are listed on the Forms Edit menu as follows:

Main Menu • Acknowledgment • Check • Customer Statement • Invoice • Line Item Label • Packing List • Purchase Order • Quote • Shipping Label • 1099 Tax Form

Labels • Item • Job Receipts • PO Receipts • Templates

Training Course Support Center – Videos–Setup – Forms Customization

Graphical Print Format All forms, labels, and reports print in graphical format on any Windows-compatible laser or ink jet printer.

Editable Layouts (RTM’s) Forms layouts are stored in an *.rtm file format (which we refer to as RTM layouts) that can be edited. You can add logos, bar codes, fields, or you can change fonts, layouts, and graphics. See further below for instructions on doing so.

Letter and A4 Formats During initial system installation as well as the installation of interim updates, you are asked if you use the U.S. 8-1/2 x 11 Letter format or the international A4 page size. Based on your answer, a complete set of Letter or A4 RTM layouts for all the system forms and reports are loaded into your x:\Program Files\DBA Manufacturing\Reports folder.

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Also, in the Admin – Main Setup – Options Tab you have a Print Page Size setting with a choice of ‘Letter’ or ‘A4’. This determines the Windows Print function’s Page Size setting when printing forms and reports from DBA.

RTM Layout Names The following are the standard RTM layouts supplied with the system. Form RTM File Name Description Acknowledgment ppacknowledgment -- Check ch-Stub-Stub-Check.rtm

ch-Check-Stub-Stub.rtm ch-Check-Stub.rtm ch-Stub-Check.rtm ch-Stub-Check-Stub

Invoice ppInvoice Invoice ppInvoiceFX Foreign Currency Version ppInvoiceRemittance Invoice w/Remittance ppInvoiceRemittanceFX Foreign Currency Version Item Label ppReportLabels -- Line Item Label lblShiplines -- Packing List ppShip -- Quote ppQuote Formal or Multi-Option Style ppQuoteLetter Letter Style ppQuoteLetterDetail Letter with Detail Style Purchase Order ppOrder Purchase Order or RFQ Shipping Label lblShipment --

Forms Edit Locations The above listed RTM layouts can be edited within the following screens. Form Edit Location Acknowledgment Utilities – Forms Edit – Acknowledgment Check Utilities – Forms Edit – Check Invoice Utilities – Forms Edit – Invoice

NOTE: You must create at least one actual invoice in the system before you can edit an invoice RTM layout.

Item Label Utilities – Forms Edit – Item Labels Line Item Label Utilities – Forms Edit – Line Item Labels Packing List Utilities – Forms Edit – Packing List

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Quote Utilities – Forms Edit – Quote Purchase Order Utilities – Forms Edit – Purchase Order Shipping Label Utilities – Forms Edit – Shipping Labels

Forms Default Designations The following forms allow for default designations, meaning that the particular RTM layout used can be designated at the order type, customer, and supplier level. This enables you to create custom layouts for particular situations, such as when a customer requires special wording. Form Default Designation Acknowledgment Sales Order Type (Sales – Sales Setup – Sales Order

Types) Customer (Sales – Customers – Detail Tab – Forms Sub-Tab). This default setting overrides that of the Sales Order Type.

Check Bank Account (Bank – Banking Setup – Bank Accounts) Invoice Sales Order Type (Sales – Sales Setup – Sales Order

Types) Customer (Sales – Customers – Detail Tab – Forms Sib-Tab). This default setting overrides that of the Sales Order Type.

Quote Main Setup (Admin – Main Setup – Quote Letter Tab) Sales Quote (Sales – Sales Quotes – Quote Style Tab). This setting can be changed for any given sales quote and overrides the default setting in the Main Setup screen.

Packing List Sales Order Type (Sales – Sales Setup – Sales Order Types) Customer (Sales – Customers – Detail Tab – Forms Sub-Tab). This default setting overrides that of the Sales Order Type.

Purchase Order Purchase Order Type (Purch – Purchasing Setup – Purchase Order Types) Supplier (Purch – Suppliers – Detail Tab – Forms Sub-Tab). This default setting overrides that of the Purchase Order Type.

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Forms Suppliers The one form that is still commonly supplied by outside printers is AP Checks. Refer to the online support center (see the Checks and Forms folder) for a list of suppliers.

DBA Classic Compatible Forms RTM layouts are available that are compatible with DBA Classic forms. These can be downloaded from the online support center.

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Form Editing Instructions

To edit a particular form, navigate to the appropriate Forms Edit Location listed above and display the RTM layout.

CAUTION: When customizing an invoice, packing list, or purchase order, be sure and save the standard layout to a different name (using File – Save as) before making any changes.

Customizing invoices WARNING: You must create at least one actual invoice in the system before you can edit an invoice RTM layout.

Navigating to different layouts for the same form Some forms have multiple RTM layouts, such as invoices, packing lists, and purchase orders. When you access the form through the Forms Edit menu, the system will display the first RTM format it finds. To navigate to the particular format you wish to edit, click File – Open and navigate to the appropriate RTM file.

Adding fields to forms • Open the form.

• Pay attention to the warning message. Do not delete any fields already on the form.

• Create a DBText box in which to add the field (the DBText box can be created by clicking the button 9th from the right, with the capital A and the white piece of paper on it at the top of the form).

• Place the DBText box wherever you wish on the form.

• There will be two dropdown boxes that appear at the top toolbar of the form after you place the DBText box.

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• Choose the Table or ‘Data Pipeline’ that contains the field from the dropdown menu in the left box.

• Choose Field from the menu on the right

• A list of table and field definitions is available for reference in the File – Data Dictionary.

• Click File – Save.

• Then after saving it, click File – Close.

Adding bar code fields to forms VIDEO CLIP: A video clip in the online support center covers adding bar codes to forms.

• Open the form.

• On the toolbar at the top of the screen, click the Bar Code icon (10th from the left) for non-database fields. Use the DB Bar Code icon (17th from the left) for system database fields. Then, in the desired location within the report, click the mouse to create the bar code field.

• Once a DB Bar Code field has been created, you can associate database fields by clicking the field with your mouse, then selecting VIEW/TOOLBARS/DATA TREES and associate the desired data field with the bar code.

• If you need to change the format of the bar code field, right click on the field, click CONFIGURE and edit the TYPE from the drop down listing.

• Use File – Save or File – Save As to save your form changes.

Adding your logo to forms VIDEO CLIP: A video clip in the online support center covers adding logos to forms.

• Open the form.

• On the top toolbar, click the Image icon (seventh icon from the left).

• Click your mouse into the body of the document. An Image box should now appear.

• Drag the Image box to the desired location in the form and resize it as needed.

• Right click inside the Image box and select Picture from the listing.

• Browse the path to where your image is stored and click OK to load the image. Please be aware that not all image formats are supported.

• Use File – Save or File – Save As to save your form changes.

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Labels (Utilities – Forms Edit – Labels)

Use the screens on the Labels sub-menu to create customized labels.

Training Course Support Center – Videos–Setup – Item Labels Setup

Label Types Three types of labels are available:

Stock Item Labels These are general item labels for item identification or packaging purposes that are printed from the Stock Item Labels screen as needed. You can also print thee labels via the Labels button on the Stock Items and Stock Adjustments screens. Stock item labels are used for these purposes:

• Relabeling existing stock

• Shipping labels

Job Receipt Labels These are item labels that are printed directly from transactions in the Job Receipts screen as part of your job processing workflow. Job receipt labels are used for these purposes:

• Manufactured item product packaging

• Manufactured item warehouse identification, including tracking characteristics such as lot and serial numbers

• CTO (custom to order) item labeling with linked job and sales order information

PO Receipt Labels These are item labels that are printed directly from transactions in the PO Receipts screen as part of your PO processing workflow. PO receipt labels are used for these purposes:

• Purchased resale item product packaging

• Purchased item warehouse identification, including tracking characteristics such as lot and serial numbers, or linked PO information

Label Templates “Label templates” are used to provide standard page size specifications for your labels. When you create a customized label, you can originate it from a template so that the page size fits the desired label size and destination printer.

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Label Printing The standard labels supplied with the system are designed to print on a continuous roll label printer with 4 inch wide labels. The default label sizes are 4 x 2 and 4 x 4. Our design and testing has been done on the Zebra LP 2844Z, shown below, but you can use any continuous roll printer.

NOTE: For more information on this printer, see this web page: http://www.zebra.com/id/zebra/na/en/index/products/printers/desktop/lp2844.html

Label Customization (Utilities – Forms Edit – Labels – Stock Item Label) (Utilities – Forms Edit – Labels – Job Receipt Label) (Utilities – Forms Edit – Labels – PO Receipt Label)

Each of the three label editing screens – Stock Item Label, Job Receipt Label, and PO Receipt Label – work the same way as described in this section.

Screen Details

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Grid Fields You can create multiple label formats within each label type, all of which are listed in this grid.

Name This is the name that identifies each label format for selection at time of label printing.

Source • If the label source is ‘System Defined’, it means that this is a standard

label format supplied with the system, which cannot be edited.

• If the label source is ‘User Defined’, it means the label format was created by you and can be edited for custom requirements.

Default Using the Set as Default button, you can select one label format in the list to be the default version at time of printing.

Buttons

New Click this button to create a new label format. You are presented with this screen:

Screen Details

New Report Name Give your label format a name in this field.

Custom, From Template • Select the Custom option if you wish to establish the page setup

specifications for this label format from scratch.

• Select the From Template option if you wish to select a “label template” that has already been given page setup specifications. Select a template from the lookup in the Template Name field.

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Save Button Click this button to save your new label format. If you had selected the Custom option, you are presented with this screen, which enables you to establish your page size specifications:

Copy Click this button to copy the selected label format to a new label format. A New Report Name field becomes visible at the top of the grid. Enter your new label v format name, then click the Save button. All the layout and page size specifications from the selected label format are copied over to the new label format.

Edit Click this button to launch the forms edit screen, shown below. On this screen you can perform all the standard editing functions, including adding fields from the data pipeline, adding barcodes, and customizing field labels and fonts.

NOTE: We suggest you study the data pipelines, which have been populated from many related tables so that virtually any relevant data associated with items, jobs, linked sales orders, and purchase orders can be brought into your labels. NOTE2: You cannot edit a label format with a ‘system defined’ source, which is a standard label format supplied with the system. Use the

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Copy feature to copy a system defined label format to a new label format if you wish to edit its layout.

Tracking Characteristics Be aware that ‘system defined’ item labels are set up to automatically print tracking characteristic values (such as lot and serial numbers) as a sub-report to the main layout. Characteristic descriptions and values print in a vertical “stack” format underneath the main layout.

Edit Name Click this button to change the name of one of your ‘user defined’ label formats. A New Report Name field becomes visible at the top of the grid. Enter the new label format name, then click the Save button.

Additional Info Click this button to create a customized text field that gets added to the data pipeline so that it can be included on this label format. At time of printing, the user will be prompted to enter a text value that then gets printed on the label. You are presented with this screen:

Screen Details You can create any number of pipeline fields for use with this label format.

Buttons

Add Click this button to add a new pipeline field. The fields in the upper panel become active for data entry.

Edit Click this button to edit the selected pipeline field. Its fields get inserted into the upper panel for editing. .

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Delete Click this button to delete the selected pipeline field in the grid below.

Save Click this button to save your entries in the upper panel to the grid below.

Upper Panel

Pipeline Field Name This is the field name that gets listed in the data pipeline when you add fields to your form layout. The program provides a sequential default value of ‘ADDINFO1’, ‘ADDINFO2’, etc., but you can type in your own field name, if you wish.

NOTE: To find this field in the data pipeline, select the ‘Additional Info’ data set. Within that data set, the field name is the name entered in this field followed by ‘_VAL’ such as this example:

ADDINFO1_VAL

Allow Blank If at time of printing you want the text entry into this field to be optional, select this checkbox. If you want text entry to be mandatory, clear this checkbox.

Heading This is an optional field label that can accompany the text that gets entered by the user. For example, if you want the user to enter the current room temperature in the text entry field, you could have a heading of ‘Temp:’ precede the text entered by the user.

NOTE1: To find this field in the data pipeline, select the ‘Additional Info’ data set. Within that data set, select the data pipeline field name entered above followed by ‘_HDR’ such as this example:

ADDINFO1_HDR NOTE2: You can leave this field blank and use a standard field label on your form layout as an alternative. If, however, you wish to use the Show Heading When Blank feature (see next), you should enter a Header and use it as the field label.

Show Heading When Blank If you always want the heading to be printed on the label, even if the user does not enter a text value, select this checkbox. If you only want the heading to print when it is accompanied by a text value entered by the user, clear this checkbox.

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Default Value This is an optional field that inserts a default text value into this field at time of printing. The user can accept the default value of over-type it with a different text value.

Set as Default Click this button to make the selected label format the default label format at time of printing.

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Label Templates (Utilities – Forms Edit – Labels – Label Templates)

“Label templates” are used to store sets of standard page setup specifications that can be used to originate user defined label formats. The system is supplied with two ‘system defined’ label templates (4 x 2 and 4 x 4), both of which are formatted for 4 inch wide continuous roll label printers.

Screen Details

Grid Fields

Name This is the name that identifies each label template.

Source • If the template source is ‘System Defined’, it means that this is a standard

template supplied with the system, which cannot be edited.

• If the template source is ‘User Defined’, it means the template was created by you and can be edited for custom requirements.

Default You can select one template in the list to be the default template at time of template selection when originating new label formats.

Buttons

New Click this button to create a new template. You are presented with this screen:

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Screen Details

New Report Name Give your template a name in this field.

Save Button Click this button to save your new template.

Copy Click this button to copy the selected template to a new template. A New Report Name field becomes visible at the top of the grid. Enter your new template name, then click the Save button. The page size specifications from the selected template are copied over to the new template.

Edit Click this button to edit the page setup for this template. The forms edit screen is displayed. Click File – Page Setup to launch this screen, within which you can specify the printer, paper size, and other page setup settings.

NOTE: You cannot edit a template with a ‘system defined’ source, which is a standard template supplied with the system. Use the Copy feature to copy a system defined template to a new template if you wish to edit its page setup.

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Edit Name Click this button to change the name of one of your ‘user defined’ templates. A New Report Name field becomes visible at the top of the grid. Enter the new template name, then click the Save button.

Additional Info This button is not relevant to templates and is grayed out.

Set as Default Click this button to make the selected label version the default label version at time of printing.

3-4. Forms Update Utility

Operating Guide 123

3-4. Forms Update Utility (Utilities – Forms Update Utility)

Forms are normally updated to reflect any programming changes during product updates. If you did not update your forms during a product update, you can use this screen to do so.

Training Videos Support Center – Videos–Setup – Forms Customization – Product Updates

Screen Details You are first asked Do you have any customized forms?

• If you have created one or more custom form layouts, select the top radio button – Yes, Update Customized Forms. The program will locate your customized RTM layouts and update them, when feasible, with any programming changes associated with the update. All your non-customized forms will be updated with the latest versions.

• If you have not customized any forms, select the second radio button – No, Restore Default Forms. The program will update your system with a fresh set of the latest standard form layouts.

Next, once again select your paper size.

• Select Letter for standard USA paper size.

• Select A4 for standard international paper size. Click Next to continue.

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If you had selected Yes, Update Customized Forms, your custom form layouts are listed in this screen. Click Update to continue.

If you had selected No, Restore Default Forms, this screen is presented, which informs you that your existing form layouts are being saved in a backup folder named RestoreRTMBackup as a safety precaution. Click Restore to begin processing.

3-5. User-Defined Fields

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3-5. User-Defined Fields (Utilities – User-Defined Fields)

You can add up to six user-defined fields to any of the following database tables: Customers, Suppliers, Items, Jobs, and Purchase Orders. In the upper window, highlight the table to which you wish to add fields. Below the window, specify the Number of Additional Fields you wish to add. In the Additional 1 Field Name, give the field a name. This is the name that will appear on entry screens.

Select the Date Field checkbox if this field is used to hold a date. If this is not a date field, you are presented with a Validate checkbox. A validated field is one where the user must select from a list of pre-determined values. If you select the Validate checkbox, you are presented with a List button. Click the button and enter the list of valid selections. When the user is presented with this field on an entry screen, the field will be accompanied by a drop down list from which the user can make a selection. When your entries are complete, click the OK button.

Adding user-defined fields to opening list screens Using the following screens, you can add user-defined fields created through this screen to your opening list screens. Once in the opening list, these fields can be sorted, filtered, printed, and exported to Excel in the same manner as standard fields.

• Inventory – Inventory Setup – Stock Items List Tab • Sales – Sales Setup – Customers List Tab • Purch – Purchasing Setup – Suppliers List Tab

3-6. User-Defined Menus

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3-6. User-Defined Menus (Utilities – User-Defined Menus)

This screen enables you to add your own programs to the standard system menus and security system. This can be used for selecting custom reports or for linking to outside applications. When you add a menu item on this screen, it automatically is added to the Module Security tab in the User Setup screen and can then be given security access permission for each of your users. Parameters can be passed with the exe file. This is achieved by including the opening and closing square brackets around the parameters (e.g.: word.exe [releasenotes.doc]). There are four built-in variables for allowing more integration with external reports and programs; these are: {APPPATH} {DBPATH} {USER} {PASSWORD}. Each of these is replaced with the actual values when the menu item is executed – also the symbols {} are needed for these to function.

• The {APPPATH} variable is replaced by the path of the main ‘ejsme’ application program.

• The {DBPATH} variable is replaced by the current database path and can only be used as a parameter (Useful for external reports).

• The {USER} & {PASSWORD} variables are replaced by the user name and passwords and is needed for running reports from the menu that have been developed with the system’s built-in Report Writer. The syntax if a report called ‘ItemValue’ had been developed and was located under a folder called ‘InventoryReports’ would be: {APPPATH}ejrw.exe [{DBPATH} {USER} {PASSWORD} InventoryReports ItemValue].

NOTE: The text that represents the variables within the ‘{ }’ brackets is not meant to be replaced with actual user names, passwords, or paths. The text must be entered literally as ‘APPPATH’, ‘DBPATH’, ‘USER’, and ‘PASSWORD’.

4. Inventory

Operating Guide 127

4. Inventory The Inventory menu is where you will find all applications related to the maintenance of items and their stock quantities. Menu options include:

Inventory Inventory Setup • Inventory Defaults • Stock Items – List Tab • Item Categories • Item Characteristics • Locations • Location Groups • Location Repair • Warranty Codes

Main Menu • Stock Items • Descriptors • Sales Kits • Stock Adjustments • Stock Transfer • Stock Counts • Change Inventory Costs • Reconcile Book Value • Alter Characteristics

Data Views • Stock On Hand • Stock Item List

Reports • Inventory Value • Inventory Transactions • Trxns – Item / Characteristic • Trxns – Characteristic / Item • Trxns – Serial Number

4. Inventory

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Overview The Inventory module is where you create your items and locations and manage stock on hand.

Where are items created? Physical items that you make or purchase are created and maintained in the Stock Items screen. Intangible (non-physical) items, typically used for billable services, credit memos, and miscellaneous purchases, are created and maintained in the Descriptors screen.

How are locations used? DBA is a location-based inventory system where a location is specified against all inventory transactions. Locations are user-defined and can represent bins, shelves, racks, staging areas, service vehicles, or trucks. If you don’t wish to use locations, you can create a single default location to which all stock on hand is assigned. Each item is assigned a default receipt location and a primary storage location.

How does on hand stock get increased? Manufactured items are received to stock through the Job Receipts screen. Purchased items are received to stock through the PO Receipts screen.

How does on hand stock get decreased? Stock is issued to jobs through the Job Issues screen. Stock is picked for sales orders through the Order Picking screen.

How do on hand stock quantities get corrected? Stock on hand can be counted and updated via the Stock Counts screen to account for any discrepancies. Stock Counts can be conducted as needed as part of a cycle counting strategy or to conduct a formal physical inventory (stock take). Any changes in inventory value get posted to your Adjustments – Inventory account.

How is stock transferred from one location to another? Stock is transferred from one location to another via the Stock Transfer screen. You can transfer one item at a time or a set of items from a source location.

Can on hand stock go negative? In a location-based inventory system, the on hand stock quantity within a location is not allowed to go negative. This prevents inventory transactions from being processed out of order, such as shipping manufacturing items before they’ve been received to stock.

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Where do manufactured item costs come from? Manufactured items are received to stock through the Job Receipts screen. Partial receipts of job output item(s) made during mid-job are costed at the estimated unit job cost. Final job receipts are costed at an actual unit cost whereby all job costs are fully absorbed into the cost of the job output item(s). The cost of new stock receipts is averaged into the cost of any stock on hand.

Where do purchased item costs come from? Purchased items are received to stock through the PO Receipts screen at the PO unit cost. The cost of new stock receipts is averaged into the cost of any stock on hand.

How can inventory costs be changed? You can change the unit Inventory Cost of any item through the Change Inventory Costs screen. The change in value gets posted to your Adjustments – Inventory account.

How does overall inventory value get calculated? Overall inventory value is based on each item’s on hand quantity multiplied by its unit Inventory Cost, summed for all items. Details can be found in the Inventory Value report.

How does stock get tracked by lot and serial number? Items can be assigned to Tracking Characteristics, which include lot number, serial number, expiration date, and revision. Each time stock is received, issued, picked, or counted, the item’s characteristic values must be specified. Inventory transactions can be traced by characteristic through the Transactions by Characteristic reports.

Real-Time Inventory Option In DBA you have the option of updating inventory in real time. Stock can be received, picked for orders, or issued to jobs via the screen first. Afterwards, a Dispatch List is printed and is used as a guide for physically storing or gathering the stock. The Dispatch List is sorted in location order to provide an efficient route through the warehouse, and any lot numbers, serial numbers, or other tracking characteristics are specified. Real-time inventory updating is superior to after-the-fact updating from pick or issue lists. It gives your users confidence that when they view any item’s inventory status, it accurately reflects all recent transactions. Real-time updating prevents transactions from being entered out of sequence, such as shipping an item before it has been received to stock from a job.

4-1A. Inventory Defaults

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4-1. Inventory Setup 4-1A. Inventory Defaults (Inventory – Inventory Setup – Inventory Defaults)

Use this screen to enter default settings that affect inventory costing and locations.

Training Video Support Center – Videos–Setup – Stock Items Setup

Segment: Setup – Defaults

4. Inventory

Operating Guide 131

Details Decimal Places

Unit Cost This setting establishes the number of decimal places you prefer for inventory costing (Inventory Cost, Last Cost, Estimated Cost) and purchasing. If you purchase small parts such as screws, washers, o-rings, etc., you normally require 4-decimals, and in some cases, 5-decimals to provide appropriate costing precision in purchase orders and for receiving such items into inventory and jobs. The allowable range is 2-6 decimal places.

Unit Price This setting establishes the number of decimal places you prefer for selling prices in the Sales Orders, Base Prices, Contract Pricing and Descriptors screens. The allowable range is 2-6 decimal places.

Stock Item Defaults Each time you create a new record in the Stock Items screen, the following fields will be given default values that can be accepted or overridden.

UM Enter your most common stocking unit of measure, such as ‘EA’.

M or P Select ‘M’ if the majority of your new items are manufactured. Select ‘P’ if the majority of your new items are purchased.

Receipt Location Each stock item is assigned to a Receipt Location and a Primary Location. Often, both locations are the same. Sometimes, however, an item is received into a temporary Receipt Location, which can be an inspection area or ‘placeholder’ location that is used until an actual location is known. Typically your default Receipt Location will be one of these three types:

Placeholder Location A ‘placeholder’ location is not a physical location. It is a temporary location used until an item is assigned an actual Receipt Location. For example, you could create a location named ‘ASSIGN’ that is the default Receipt Location given to items when they are first created. Any item with an ‘ASSIGN’ Receipt Location ultimately needs to be assigned an actual Receipt Location before inventory transactions occur.

Receiving Area If received items commonly go through an inspection and labeling process, you can create a ‘receiving area’ location to which all items can be received. After items pass inspection and get labeled, you can then use the Stock Transfer screen to transfer items to their final destinations in the warehouse or out on the shop floor.

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Universal Location You may have a smaller facility where stock is easy to find and location control is not needed. In this case, create a single ‘universal’ location with a name such as ‘MAIN’ and use it as the default Receipt Location and Primary Location. All items and transactions will be automatically posted to this one location.

Primary Location Select a default Primary Location that gets assigned to stock items when they first get created. Typically, the default Primary Location will be a ‘placeholder’ location or a ‘universal’ location. See above for explanations.

Descriptor Default

UM Enter the most common unit of measure used with Descriptors, such as ‘EA’.

Picking & Issues

When Stock is in Multiple Locations: This setting controls the Pre-Fill option in the Order Picking and Job Issues screens. Two options are available:

Require Location Selection Select this option if you don’t have a Pre-Fill preference when stock is in two or more locations. This setting forces the user to make a location selection.

Pre-Fill from Primary Location Select this option if you always want to Pre-Fill from the item’s Primary Location, even when stock is in two or more locations.

4-1B. Stock Items List

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4-1B. Stock Items – List Tab (Inventory – Inventory Setup – Stock Items – List Tab)

Use these screens to configure the opening List screen in the Stock Items screen. You can designate which fields you want displayed and you can change column heading names.

Details All available fields are displayed in the left hand Field Name column. In the middle Display Label column you can change the name that displays on the screen column heading. The right hand Visible column can be set to ‘Yes’ on any fields you wish to display and ‘No’ on any you want suppressed.

Advanced Tab When the customer reaches a certain size, the time it takes to load, sort, and display the information in the List tab can slow down noticeably. If so, you can optimize the list by limiting the number of records that get loaded at one time. You will find this setting on the Advanced tab. If you limit the number of records, this does not restrict your access to any data; it merely loads a certain number of records at-a-time into the screen.

NOTE: When you limit the records, you lose the ability to click on the grid column headings for sorting and filtering purposes.

After you change the maximum number of records setting, click the Save & Close button.

4-1C. Item Categories

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4-1C. Item Categories (Inventory – Inventory Setup – Item Categories)

Use this screen to create Item Categories to organize your stock items and descriptors into groups for reporting purposes.

Training Video Support Center – Videos–Setup – Stock Items Setup

Segment: Setup – Item Categories

Details Each stock item must be assigned to an Item Category. User-defined Item Categories enable you to organize your stock items and descriptors into groups. Each Item Category can be assigned an up to 20-character Category ID and an accompanying 50-character Description. Item Categories are used for the following purposes:

Sales & COGS Posting Sales and Cost of Goods Sold can be broken out by Item Category in the Account Assignments screen.

Discounts You have the capability of assigning different discount percentages within Discount Code by Item Category. For example, you may have one discount percentage for new products and a different discount percentage for spare parts.

Sales Analysis Sales can be subtotaled by Item Category in the Sales by Item Category report.

Inventory Value You can filter the Inventory Value report by Item Category.

4-1C. Item Categories

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Stock Counts Stock items can be selected by Item Category for counting in the Stock Counts screen.

Lists & Lookups The Item Category is commonly provided as a filter within various lookup and list screens.

Suggestions The system is supplied with the following Item Categories. You are welcome to use them or you can delete them and create your own.

PRODUCT: Products for Sale Products made or purchased primarily for sale to customers should be assigned to this category. An item can function as a ‘PRODUCT’ when sold as a spare part and as a ‘PART’ when used in jobs. Where dual functionality exists, assign the item to the category that accounts for the most usage.

NOTE: If you wish to break out your sales in the General Ledger by Item Category, you should create multiple categories instead of a single ‘PRODUCT’ category.

SUBASSY: Subassemblies Manufactured items used primarily as components in jobs should be assigned to this category. An item can function as a ‘SUBASSY’ when used in jobs and as a ‘PRODUCT’ when sold as a spare. Where dual functionality exists, assign the item to the category that accounts for the most usage.

PART: Purchased Parts Purchased parts used primarily as components in jobs should be assigned to this category. An item can function as a ‘PART’ when used in jobs and as a ‘PRODUCT’ when sold as a spare part. Where dual functionality exists, assign the item to the category that accounts for the most usage.

NOTE: As an alternative to a single PART’ category, you have the option of creating multiple such categories. Refer to the Sample Company for examples.

RAWMAT: Raw Materials Purchased raw materials such as metal, plastic, rubber, wood, wire, paint, etc. should be assigned to this category.

NOTE: As an alternative to a single RAWMAT’ category, you have the option of creating multiple such categories. Refer to the Sample Company for examples.

DESCRIPTOR: Non-Stock Descriptors All non-stock descriptors should be assigned to this category.

4-1D. Lot/Serial Control

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4-1D. Lot/Serial Control (Inventory – Inventory Setup – Lot/Serial Control)

Use this screen to assign items to lot and serial tracking characteristics. When an item is assigned to a characteristic, each time it is received, issued, picked, or counted, its characteristic values must be recorded.

Training Course Support Center – Videos–Setup – Lot & Serial Control Setup

Use the four standard characteristics Currently, the system is supplied with these four standard characteristics. If you are on an older system that lacks these characteristics, you can create them in this screen.

LOTNO: Lot No A lot number identifies a particular production or purchase batch of an item. If you have a product problem, it can be traced back to a particular lot number so that remedial action can be taken.

SERIALNO: Serial No A serial number is a unique ID number assigned to each unit produced or purchased of an item.

EXPIRYDATE: Expiration This characteristic is used to track the expiration date of perishable products

REVISION: Revision If you have manufactured products with multiple revisions where you stock old and new revisions, this characteristic is used to differentiate the revisions on hand.

NOTE: Do not use this characteristic for purchased items.


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Screen Details

Characteristics

Upper Panel

Include Inactive By default, only active characteristics are displayed in the list. Select this checkbox to include inactive characteristics as well.

Grid

Characteristic ID Enter an up to 20-character code that is the primary identifier for the characteristic record.

Description This is the text that identifies the characteristic on inventory processing screens. We recommend that you enter a short name to conserve screen space, such as ‘Lot No’, ‘Serial No’, ‘Expiration’, and ‘Revision’.

Type The Type determines the characteristic’s data type. Three types are available:

Date This characteristic can only be given a date value.

Number This characteristic can only be given a numeric value.

Text This characteristic’s values can be freeform alphanumeric text.


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Serialized When this checkbox is selected, it means that this is a serial type characteristic where a unique serial number is assigned to each unit when it is initially received to stock.

Active This checkbox is only visible when the Include Inactive checkbox is selected in the upper panel. When this checkbox is selected, it means the characteristic is active and available for assignment to items. When cleared, it means that the characteristic cannot be assigned to items and is not visible when processing job and PO receipts.

NOTE: You must remove all item assignments before you are permitted to deactivate a characteristic.

Lower Panel

+ Click this button to create a new characteristic. You are presented with this screen:

Enter the Characteristic ID, Description, Serialized checkbox, and Type. If the Type is set to ‘Table’, the screen expands and you can enter a table of allowable values. Click Save and the characteristic will be added to the grid above. ▬ Click this button to delete the characteristic. You can only delete a characteristic if it is not currently assigned to any items and there is no transaction history.

Items Assigned to ‘Xxxxxxxx’ In this lower grid you can assign or un-assign stock items to the characteristic selected in the upper grid.

Grid

Item ID, Description These read-only fields identify the stock item assigned to this characteristic.


Operating Guide 139

Char1, Char2… All the characteristics to which this item is assigned are listed in these columns.

Lower Panel

+ Click this button to add a stock item to the list of items assigned to this characteristic. You are presented with this screen:

The current characteristic is pre-selected, but you can also select any of the other available characteristics while you are on this screen. Click Update to continue. You are then presented with this screen:

In this screen you must assign values for the new characteristic to existing stock on hand. For each location listed, click the Add button. This opens up the New Qty and characteristic field to its right, which is ‘Lot No’ in the screen example


140 Operating Guide

above. Enter a quantity and a characteristic value; in this case, the lot number. If you wish to allocate the stock in one location to two or more characteristic values, click the Add button once again and a new line is opened so that you can enter another quantity and characteristic value. Use the Delete button to delete a line if you make an incorrect entry. Click the Update button to save your entries. The button will not be active until the New Qty amounts within each location equal the Current Qty. ▬ Click this button to delete this item’s assignment to this characteristic. You are presented with this screen:

The characteristic’s checkbox is cleared. While you are on this screen, you can delete other characteristic assignments, if needed. Click Update to continue. You are presented with this screen:


Operating Guide 141

This screen shows you what the on hand stock status will be once the characteristic assignment is removed. Click the Update button to complete the removal process.

NOTE: When you remove a characteristic assignment, be aware that you will not have access to any of the characteristic’s values in the item’s transaction history.

Characteristic Definition Use this panel to edit the properties associated with the characteristic selected in the grid at left.

Edit Click this button and you are presented with this screen for any non-serialized characteristic.

You can either change the Description, which is the text that is displayed on inventory processing screens, or if the Type is ‘Table’, you can make changes to the table of allowable values. If this is a Serialized characteristic, you are presented with this screen:

This screen enables you to define serialization at the item level and displays the item selected in the grid at lower left.


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You have the option of entering text in the Serialized Label field, which overrides the standard characteristic Description on inventory processing screens. So if you wish to give this item’s characteristic a custom field label use this field. Otherwise, leave it blank. Select Manual if you wish to assign serial numbers manually. Select Automatic if you wish the program to assign serial numbers automatically. When you select Automatic, additional fields are displayed. First, establish an overall Length for your serial number. You can optionally enter a fixed value Prefix or Suffix to the core number. In the Counter field, establish the number that will be assigned to the next receipt transaction. This number gets incremented automatically with each new receipt transaction.

4-1E. Locations

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4-1E. Locations (Inventory – Inventory Setup – Locations)

“Locations” are used to represent the physical location of on hand stock. Locations are an important element in your inventory management system and should be given careful thought.

Training Course Support Center – Videos–Setup – Locations Setup

If you don’t wish to use locations: You may have a smaller facility where stock is easy to find and location control is not needed. In this case, create a single ‘universal’ location with a name such as ‘MAIN’ and use it as the default Receipt Location and Primary Location. All items and transactions will be automatically posted to this one location.

Types and Uses of Locations Locations are user-defined and can be organized to fit your inventory needs. Listed here are various types of locations for you to consider as you set up your inventory management system.

Bin / Rack / Shelf Locations are used to represent the specific bin, rack, and shelf locations within storage areas. These location ID’s typically are structured in three segments, separated by dashes, as follows:

Warehouse – Area/Aisle – Bin/Shelf/Rack Number

“Assign” Location An “assign” location can be useful if you are constantly creating new stock items and you don’t always know at the time of creation where the item will be physically stored in the warehouse. An “assign” location is not a physical location. It is a temporary location used until an item is assigned an actual Receipt Location and Issue Location. If you want all your item location assignments to start out with the “assign” location, create the “assign” location first, perhaps with a location ID of ‘ASSIGN’. Then go to the Inventory Defaults screen and select the “assign” location as the system default Receipt Location and Primary Location. Whenever a new stock item is created, it is given the “assign” location as its default Receipt Location and Primary Location. Whenever you see an item with an “assign” location or you encounter an inventory transaction designated to the “assign” location, it is your signal that you need to give that item its permanent location assignments.

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“Find” Location A “find” location is used with items that do not have permanent locations. These might be items that are procured or manufactured only on occasion and can be stored in any allowable location within a general area. Create a location with a location ID of ‘FIND’. Where applicable, assign this location as the item’s default Receipt Location and Primary Location. When you see the “find” location on a receiving screen, it is your signal to find an actual location.

Inspection Location Some items must be inspected and labeled before they are put away in the warehouse or issued to the shop floor. In this case, you can create an “inspection” location and designate it as the default Receipt Location against any items that require inspection upon receipt. After inspection is completed, the Stock Transfer screen is used to transfer the stock from the “inspection” location to its final location.

Work Center Location Not all items are stored in the warehouse. Raw materials and components that are purchased for jobs can be received directly to the work center where they are consumed. Make to order subassembly items are usually passed on to the next work center rather than received to warehouse locations. You can create locations to represent each work center that has a receiving staging area and you can designate such work centers as the default Receipt Location against items that are received directly to work centers.

Shipping Location Products that are made or purchased to order can be received directly to a shipping location rather than a warehouse location. You can therefore create a “shipping” location, which represents a general staging area for pending shipments. Designate it as the default Receipt Location against any item that is received directly to shipping.

Service Vehicle Location You may have service vehicles used by field technicians or salespeople that have a small parts inventory. Each such vehicle can be given its own location, so that you can track and replenish field inventories. Service vehicle locations are not assigned as default locations because they are always secondary locations rather than primary locations. The Stock Transfer screen will be used periodically to replenish service vehicle stock from each item’s primary storage location.

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Transit Location If you transfer stock between two warehouses, you can create a “transit” location to represent the interval between the time stock is picked from one warehouse and received into the other. The Stock Transfer screen is used to transfer stock quantities from the source locations to the “transit” location, which may be your own truck or a commercial shipper. When the items arrive at the target destination, the Stock Transfer screen is used to transfer stock quantities from the “transit” location to final locations.

List Tab

Grid

Location ID Enter an up to 10-character code that identifies this location.

Description (Required) Enter an up to 50-character description that accompanies the Location ID on lookups and screens. One possible use for this field is to describe the location type, such as ‘Rack’, ‘Floor Area’, ‘Bin’, etc. Transitory locations (see next) can be described as ‘Assign a Location’, ‘Find a Location’, ‘Inspection Area’, etc.

Transitory Selecting this checkbox identifies this as a “transitory” location, where stock is stored on a temporary basis to perform a process or transfer. Stock quantities in transitory locations are displayed for reference purposes, but are not available for picking or issuing in the Order Picking and Job Issues screens. Select his checkbox on these types of Locations:

• “Assign” Location

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• “Find” Location • Inspection Location • Transit Location

Active This checkbox is automatically selected when a new location record is created. Active locations may contain stock quantities and are available for picking, issuing, and receiving transactions. If a location is no longer in use (because it no longer exists or has been renamed), clear this checkbox.

NOTE: You are not permitted to clear this checkbox if the location has a stock quantity. In such cases, use the Stock Transfer screen to transfer stock to an Active location and then you can clear this checkbox.

Lower Panel

Notes You can enter freeform notes against each location for reference purposes on this screen.

Buttons

Save This button is visible when one or more new locations have been entered, but not yet saved. Click this button to save your entries.

Cancel Click this button to cancel any new entries that have not yet been saved.

Add Click this button to create a new location record in the entry grid.

Delete Click this button to delete a selected location.

NOTE: You cannot delete a location if it has a stock quantity, transaction history, or is assigned to any stock items or location groups. As an alternative to deletion, you can clear the Active checkbox.

Inventory Click this button to view current stock in this Location.

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Location Groups Tab “Location groups”, which are sets of stock items with common location assignments (see next chapter), can be assigned to the selected location on this tab.

Upper Panel

Location ID, Description The location selected on the List tab is displayed for reference.

Grid

Location Group, Description This is the location group currently assigned to this location.

Buttons

Assign Click this button to assign a location group to this location. You are presented with a Location Groups lookup, from which you can make a selection.

Remove Click this button to remove the selected location group from the list.

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Stock Items Tab On this tab are listed all stock items that are either directly assigned to the selected location or are indirectly assigned through a location group.

Upper Panel

Location ID, Description The location selected on the List tab is displayed for reference.

Display Grid

Item ID, Description This identifies the stock item that is either directly assigned to this location or is indirectly assigned to it through a location group.

Primary This checkbox is selected when this location is designated as the item’s Primary Location.

Receipt This checkbox is selected when this location is designated as the item’s Receipt Location.

Loc Group This checkbox is selected when this item is assigned to this location through a location group.

Additional This checkbox is selected when this item is assigned directly to this location as an additional location to its Primary Location and Receipt Location.

4-1F. Location Groups

Operating Guide 149

4-1F. Location Groups (Inventory – Inventory Setup – Location Groups)

User-defined “location groups” enable you to assign allowable locations to a set of stock items as an alternative to assigning locations one item at a time. For example, all your sheet metal items might be allowed storage in a particular rack area. Instead of assigning the allowable rack locations to each sheet metal item, you can create a location group to represent your sheet metal items and assign allowable locations to it. Any item that is assigned to the sheet metal location group is indirectly assigned to all its allowable locations.

List Tab Location groups are created on this tab.

Grid

Location Group Enter an up to 20-character code that identifies this location group.

Description Enter an up to 50-character description that accompanies the location group on lookups.

Buttons

New Click this button to open a new line for location group entry.

Delete Click this button to delete the selected location group.


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Locations Tab Allowable locations are assigned to the selected location group on this tab.

Upper Panel

Location Group, Description These fields identify the location group currently selected on the List tab.

Grid

Location In this column are listed all the allowable locations that are assigned to this location group.

Description This is the description associated with the location.

Buttons

Assign Click this button to assign a location to this location group. You are presented with a Locations lookup, from which you can make a selection.

Remove Click this button to remove the selected location from the list.


Operating Guide 151

Stock Items Tab The stock items assigned to this location group are displayed on this tab.

Upper Panel

Location Group, Description These fields identify the location group currently selected on the List tab.

Grid

Item ID The stock items assigned to this location group are listed in this column.

Description This is the description associated with the stock item.

Buttons

Edit Click this button to access a screen that is identical to the Locations tab in the Stock Items screen. This enables you to change any of the location settings against the selected stock item.

4-1G. Location Repair

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4-1G. Location Repair (Inventory – Inventory Setup – Location Repair)

This screen is a utility is used to repair inventory transaction records that contain invalid locations. In general, this is only needed on older systems that once allowed “blank” locations or freeform typing instead of lookup selection.

Presented on System Startup This screen is automatically presented to users with Administrator level security when DBA gets launched. It identifies any invalid stock locations – such as a “blank” location that was once a permitted value – and enables you to designate a valid location that will replace it across all relevant data tables. Make sure all your invalid locations are cleaned up before you resume system operation.

Screen Details

Grid

Invalid Location The program automatically detects any invalid locations and lists them in this column. You must replace each invalid location with a valid location in the field at right.

On Hand Qty This is the total of an on hand stock that is currently in this invalid location.

Valid Location A valid location must be selected from the lookup in this field. This location will replace the invalid location. Any on hand stock in the invalid location will be transferred to this location.

NOTE: If you need to create a new location, you can do so by clicking the Locations button, which launches the Locations screen.

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Reassigning the “Blank” Location You cannot reassign the blank location to a location that contains any stock quantities. If you do not have an empty location available, create a temporary “placeholder” location and reassign the blank location to it. After you run the Update process, go to the Stock Transfer screen to view all items that have stock in the placeholder location. After you verify where these items and quantities are actually located, use the Stock Transfer screen to transfer stock from the placeholder location to actual locations. After all quantities are transferred out of the placeholder location, deactivate that location in the Locations screen.

Buttons

Update This button becomes visible once all invalid locations have been assigned to valid locations. Click this button to initiate the repair process.

Stock Click this button to view a list of any stock items that have an on hand stock quantity within the invalid location.

Locations Click this button to launch the Locations screen, from which you can add or remove locations.

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4-1H. Warranty Codes (Inventory – Inventory Setup – Warranty Codes)

Warranty Codes can be set up to identify the various warranties that accompany your products (such as ‘90 Days Parts Only’ or ‘1-Year Parts & Labor’, etc.). Warranty Codes can be assigned to Stock Items and Descriptors on the Additional tab of those screens.

How are Warranty Codes used? In sales order detail lines, a Warranty Code field can be activated through the Sales Order Types – Screen Config button. You can print a Sales – Reports – Warranty Sheet to accompany a packing list or invoice. It lists any warranties associated with the order and the products that are covered. You can also print a Sales – Reports – Warranty Listing that lists warranties by Customer. You can use this report to determine whether a service event is covered under warranty or not.

Screen Details

You can enter an up to 15-character Warranty ID and accompanying 50-character Description.

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4-2. Stock Items (Inventory – Stock Items … or Item Icon)

Use this screen to enter your Stock Items. Any item that is capable of being stocked is considered a Stock Item, even if it is never stocked.

Training Courses Support Center – Videos–Setup – Stock Items Setup Support Center – Videos–Conceptual – Inventory Costs

List Tab By default, all your items with a Status of ‘Active’ are listed on this screen for selection.

Customizing the columns Use the Inventory – Inventory Setup – Stock Items – List Tab screen to customize the list columns. You can designate which fields you want displayed and you can change column heading names.

Lower Panel This panel is located along the bottom of the screen and is used to filter the contents of the list.

Magnifying Glass Icon (Lookup) Click this icon to launch a lookup screen that enables you to filter the opening list a variety of ways.

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Top Row In the top row are located several checkboxes that can be used to filter the contents of the opening list. Refer further below for field explanations.

Search Mode Two radio button options are offered:

General In this mode you can enter Search Text in the next field and then you can select checkboxes against whichever fields or sub-tables listed below that you want included in the search. This mode is called “General” because it is a general search where each checkbox selected expands the list of potential matches. Think of this mode as an “or” type condition, such as “I want to search the Item ID or the Supp Part # or the Mfg Part #.” You would use this mode when you are not sure which field or table the text string is stored in.

Search Text Enter the text string to be searched in this field. A text string can be any combination of alpha characters, numbers, punctuation marks, or spaces.

Search Item ID – Starts With If your Search Text value is the beginning portion of an Item ID, select this field to make the search significantly faster.

Detailed In this mode you can enter a text string or select a value from a lookup in one or more of the fields listed below to narrow your search. Think of this mode as an “and” type condition, such as “I want to search for an item with “red” in the description and it is supplied by ACME Paint supplies.” You would use this mode when you are sure which field or table your text string or value is stored in.

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Item ID – Starts With If the text string entered in this field is the beginning portion of an Item ID, select this field to make the search significantly faster.

Reset Button Each time you access this screen, the settings are retained from the previous time you were in this screen. Click this button to clear your previous settings and restore the default selections.

Search Button Once your entries and selections are completed, click this button to initiate the search. When the search is completed, the opening List will be limited to stock items that match your search criteria.

Mfg Select this checkbox if you wish to include ‘M’ (manufactured) items in the list.

Purch Select this checkbox if you wish to include ‘P’ (purchased) items in the list.

Active Select this checkbox if you wish to include items with a Status of ‘Active’ in the list.

Inactive Select this checkbox if you wish to include items with a Status of ‘Inactive’ in the list.

Normal Select this checkbox if you wish to include items that are not Custom (see next) in the list.

Custom Select this checkbox if you wish to include Custom Outputs in the list. Custom Outputs are generated during sales order entry by the Custom

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Output Generator and are used for one-off custom manufactured items, project jobs, and repair jobs.

Search Field You can enter a text string in this field and click the magnifying glass button to limit the list to columns containing that text string.

Buttons

New Click this button to create a new Stock Item. You are taken to the Detail tab, which is cleared for new data entry.

Notes Click this button to get a listing of past Activity Notes for this item. From this screen you can also create new Activity Notes.

Labels Click this button to launch the Stock Item Labels screen, from which you can print item labels for this item for product identification or packaging purposes.

History Clicking this button provides a listing of the highlighted item’s inventory transactions, including the transaction type, the location, and the cost.

Qty by Char Click this button to see this item’s current stock quantity for each set of Tracking Characteristics within each location.

Qty by Loc Click this button to view current stock quantity by Stock Location.

Stock Status Click this button to view this item’s complete stock status, including stock availability, projected stock, current supply and demand details, and MRP settings.

Where Used Click this button to get a listing of all BOM parents for which the highlighted item is a component along with the item’s corresponding Usage Qty.

Sell Prices Click this button to link to this item’s record in the Base Prices screen.

Buy Prices Click this button to link to this item’s record in the Purchase Prices – Items screen.

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Detail Tab

Stock Item

Item ID (Required) This is an up to 30-character alphanumeric code that is used to identify the item.

Description (Required) This is an up to 60-character mandatory field that accompanies the item ID on screens and reports.

UM (Required) This is an up to 8-character mandatory field that defines the item’s unit of measure (EA, LB, KILO, FT, MTR, GAL, etc.).

Mfg or Purch (Required) Select ‘M’ if this item is manufactured and ‘P’ if it is purchased. M items are allowed to have bills of material and to be job outputs.

Item Category (Required) Each item must be assigned to an Item Category. Item Categories are used to organize your stock items and descriptors into groups for reporting purposes.

Bar Code This field can store an alternate number for bar coding, such as a UPC code. This field is for reference only and has no current use.

Creation Date This is the date the item record was first created. It defaults to today’s date, but can be overridden.

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Status A new item defaults to a Status of ‘Active’. If you change the Status to ‘Non-Active’, the item will be filtered out of the opening List tab.

Unit Costs

Inventory Cost This is the unit cost used for the calculation of invoice cost of goods sold and for job costing when items are issued from stock to jobs. Here are a few things to consider regarding the Inventory Cost.

When a stock item is issued or shipped: When a stock item is issued to a job or shipped to a customer, the item’s unit Inventory Cost remains unchanged.

When a stock item is received: Whenever a stock item is received, either through a PO receipts or a job receipts, its Inventory Cost is recalculated by averaging the PO or job cost into the cost of any stock on hand, according to the following formula:

Cost Calculation Variables Receipt Value = Units Received x PO Unit Cost or Job Unit Cost Book Value = General Ledger Value of Units on Hand (based on the sum of all historical debit and credit transactions) Total Units = Units Received + Units on Hand

Cost Calculation Formula If Units on Hand are zero or greater after receipt:

New Inventory Cost = (Receipt Value + Book Value) / Total Units If Units on Hand are negative after receipt:

Inventory Cost remains as it was prior to receipt

Changing the Inventory Cost: If you wish to change the item’s Inventory Cost, you can do so using the Inventory – Change Inventory Cost screen.

Last Cost This is a display-only reference field that shows the cost associated with the most recent receipt of this item.

Estimated Cost The Estimated Cost is used as a variable in the bill of material Cost Rollup and as a variable in the calculation of estimated job costs.

M Items: The Estimated Cost cannot be changed in this screen. To recalculate a manufactured item’s Estimated Cost, you must use the BOM – Cost

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Rollup screen. You can view a breakdown of the item’s cost elements by clicking the 3-dot button to the right of this field.

P Items: The Estimated Cost can be manually updated by clicking the ‘pointing-hand’ icon to the right of this field. You can also mass update the Estimated Cost by making it equal to the Last Cost via the BOM – Estimated Purchase Costs screen.

Tax Code Source These settings determine the source of the Tax Code against sales order and purchase order lines for this stock item.

Order Header When you select this option, the Tax Code specified in the sales order or purchase order header determines the source of the sales order or purchase order line’s Tax Code for this item.

Exception Select this option if this item is to receive an exception Tax Code that overrides the sales order or purchase order header Tax Code. A Tax Code field becomes visible to the right. Select a Tax Code from the lookup. In general, a tax code exception is designated when the item is non-taxable, in which case a non-taxable Tax Code should be selected. Another tax code exception is when the item bears a special tax rate, such as an excise tax.

Tax Group This checkbox is only visible when the Tax Group Matrix option is selected in the Tax Defaults screen. Tax groups enable you to designate exception tax codes at the line item level that only apply to certain destinations or sources. A Tax Group field becomes visible to the right. Select a Tax Group from the lookup. When an item assigned to a Tax Group encounters a customer or supplier that is also assigned to a Tax Group, the two Tax Groups are matched in the Tax Group Matrix to determine the Tax Code that gets used in the sales order or purchase order line.

Unit Price

Base Price The Base Price is the item’s “list” price and serves as a reference price for the calculation of price levels and contract prices. If you click the ‘pointing hand’ icon, you are taken to the Base Prices screen where you can create a base price record for the item. When that screen is closed, you are returned to this screen.

MRP Sub-Tab On the MRP sub-tab are planning settings used by the MRP screen. These settings are normally entered and maintained in the MRP – MRP Settings

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screen, which uses a grid format that is more suited for entering settings across multiple items. See chapter 7 for details.

Mfg Sub-Tab

Default Revision This field displays your current Default Revision for reference purposes and is only visible if Revisions are activated in the BOM Setup screen.

Drawing No The current drawing number for this item. This field value prints in the header section of the job traveler.

Title This is the description of the product that appears in the Title block of a drawing. This field value prints in the header section of the job traveler

Dimensions Sub-Tab

Shipping & Packaging

Unit Weight This is the weight of one stocking unit (UM) of the item. This value is used by the sales order Shipping screen to calculate the total weight of the shipment.

Unit Volume This is the volume (cubic feet, cubic meters) of one stocking unit (UM) of the item. This value is used by the sales order Shipping screen to calculate the total volume of the shipment.

Std Pack This is the number of pieces of this item per shipping package (box, carton, container, pallet, etc.). This value is used by the sales order Shipping screen to calculate the total number of packs that comprise the shipment.

Dimensional Info The fields in this panel are for reference only and have no current use outside this screen.

SO/PO Notes You can enter unlimited freeform text in this notes field. This text is passed into the Line Notes associated with quote, sales order, and purchase order detail lines.

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Locations Tab Default and allowable inventory locations are assigned to the item on this tab.

Training Course Support Center – Videos–Setup – Locations Setup

Upper Panel

Receipt Location This setting is initially populated by the Receipt Location designated in the Inventory Defaults screen, but can be overridden with a selection from the lookup. This location is the default location when processing transactions in the Job Receipts and PO Receipts screens.

New Items Using an “assign” location as the Receipt Location in the Inventory Defaults screen can be useful if you are constantly creating new stock items and you don’t always know at the time of creation where the item will be physically stored in the warehouse. When you see an item with an “assign” location, it is your signal that you need to give that item its permanent location assignments.

Items without Permanent Locations A “find” location can be used with items that do not have permanent locations. These might be items that are procured or manufactured only on occasion and can be stored in any allowable location within a general area. When you see a “find” location on a receiving screen, it is your signal to find an actual location among the item’s allowable locations.

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Inspected Items If the item requires inspection and/or labeling, it can be received by default into an “inspection” location. After it passes inspection and/or labeling, the Stock Transfer screen is used to transfer the stock to its Primary Location in the warehouse.

Make to Order Subassemblies Make to order subassemblies are usually received into a “work center” location rather than a warehouse location.

Buy for Job Items Purchased items that are procured only when required by jobs are usually received into a “work center” location rather than a warehouse location.

Make to Order Items Make to order items are usually received to a “shipping” location for shipment directly to customers.

Primary Location This setting is initially populated by the Primary Location designated in the Inventory Defaults screen, but can be overridden with a selection from the lookup. The Primary Location is flagged as the item’s primary storage location when picking or issuing stock in the Order Picking and Job Issues screens.

NOTE: It is common for the Receipt Location and Primary Location to be the same location.

Items without Permanent Locations If the item does not have a permanent location, meaning that it can be stored in any of its allowable locations, we recommend that you use a “find” location as the Primary Location. This lets you know that stock can be found among allowable locations rather than a specific location.

Capacity This is an optional field. You can enter the maximum quantity of this item that can be stored within the Receipt Location or any of the allowable locations in the grid below. Only make an entry to this field when the location is a specific bin, rack, or shelf. When receiving items to stock, the Capacity setting helps you know which bins, racks, or shelves are full and which ones have room for additional storage.

NOTE: General staging areas and “transitory” locations are not devoted to the storage of one item at a time and are therefore not suitable for the Capacity setting.

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Additional Locations Some items can be stored in other locations besides the Receipt Location and Primary Location. The options in this middle panel enable you to designate additional allowable locations for the item.

Location Group Select this option if you wish to assign the item to a Location Group. A Location group is a set of allowable locations that can be shared by common types of items. For example, you may have a set of racks that can be used for all your sheet metal items. That set of racks can be represented by a location group. Location groups are created in the Inventory – Inventory Setup – Locations Groups screen.

NOTE: When this option is selected, a new panel is displayed containing a Location Group field. Select a location group from the lookup.

Assign by Location As an alternative to using a location group, where locations are shared by multiple items, select this option to designate one or more additional locations that apply just to this item. Typically, these would be specific “overflow” locations or locations in other warehouses.

None Select this option when you do not want to allow any locations other than the Receipt Location and Primary Location.

Grid Additional locations are listed in this grid. When the Location Group option is selected, all the locations within the location group are listed and cannot be changed. When the Assign by Location option is selected, you can add and remove locations from the list.

Location ID, Description These fields identify the location.

Transitory When selected, this checkbox indicates that this is a “transitory” location, which is a location where stock is stored on a temporary basis to perform a process or transfer. Stock quantities in transitory locations are displayed for reference purposes, but are not available for picking or issuing in the Order Picking and Job Issues screens. “Assign”, “find”, “inspection”, and “transit” locations are typically “transitory” locations.

Capacity You can optionally enter the maximum quantity of this item that can be stored within this location. Only make an entry to this field when the location is a specific bin, rack, or shelf. When receiving items to stock, the Capacity

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setting helps you know which bins, racks, or shelves are full and which ones have room for additional storage.

NOTE: General staging areas and “transitory” locations are not devoted to the storage of one item at a time and are therefore not suitable for the Capacity setting.

Buttons

+ This button is only visible when the Assign by Location option is selected. Click this button to add a location to the list of allowable locations. ▬ This button is only visible when the Assign by Location option is selected. Click this button to delete a location from the list of allowable locations.

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Sources Tab Sources of supply and cross-references are entered on this screen.

Upper Panel

M or P This read-only field indicates whether the item is manufactured (M) or purchased (P).

Default Supplier This field is visible on P items only. Select your preferred Supplier for this item. MRP will specify this Supplier when it generates suggested POs.

NOTE: The lookup is confined to suppliers already assigned to this item, so you must add a supplier to the list on the Suppliers sub-tab before it can be designated as the Default Supplier. When only one supplier is assigned to the item, it is automatically designed as the Default Supplier once you exit the Sources tab.

Default Manufacturer This field is visible on P items only. If you want to source the item from a specific Manufacturer, select your preferred Manufacturer in this field. MRP will specify this Manufacturer when it generates suggested POs.

NOTE1: The lookup is confined to manufacturers already assigned to this item, so you must add a manufacturer to the list on the Manufacturers sub-tab or on the supplier’s Line Card before it can be designated as the Default Manufacturer.

Suppliers Sub-Tab The Default Supplier is automatically added to the Suppliers sub-tab. On this tab you can select additional Suppliers for the item.

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Supplier Part No Both the DBA Item ID and the Supplier Part No are referenced in he Purchase Orders screen and on the printed PO. If you leave this field blank, the DBA Item ID will be used as the Supplier Part No.

Description This is for reference only. The DBA Description is the only description referenced in the Purchase Orders screen and on the printed PO.

UM This is the supplier’s unit of measure. Both the stocking UM and the supplier’s UM are referenced in he Purchase Orders screen and on the printed PO.

Multiplier This is used to calculate the supplier’s order quantity if the supplier sells the item in a different UM than your stocking UM. The DBA quantity is multiplied by the Multiplier to arrive at the supplier’s quantity. Here are two examples:

Stock in Buy in Multiplier FT YARD .333 FT INCH 12

Both quantities are referenced in the Purchase Orders screen and on the printed PO. The program assigns a default value of ‘1’ to this field.

Line Card In this grid you can select the Manufacturers and Mfgr Part Nos that are carried by the Supplier highlighted above. These two fields are referenced in the Purchase Orders screen and on the printed PO.

NOTE: Each Manufacturer must be created first in the Purch – Manufacturers screen. Each Mfgr Part No is created in the Manufacturers sub-tab of this screen.

Manufacturers Sub-Tab The Default Manufacturer is automatically added to this sub-tab. On this tab you can specify additional Manufacturers and you can enter each corresponding Mfgr Part No.

NOTE: Each Manufacturer must be created first in the Purch – Manufacturers screen.

Alternates Sub-Tab Alternates represent substitute items that can be swapped into jobs or sales orders when this item is not available. Alternates are available as a cross-reference on some item lookups and optionally print on the Multi-Level BOM and Costed BOM reports.

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Complementary Sub-Tab Complementary items are similar or compatible with this item, but not a one-for-one substitute. An example of a Complementary item would be where a ½ horsepower motor is the standard component, but if there are none in stock, a ¾ horsepower motor could be used instead. Complementary items are available as a cross-reference on some item lookups.

Customers Sub-Tab If you have customers that want their part number to print on invoices and packing lists, you can specify those Customers and Customer Part Nos on this screen. The Customer Part No is available as a field for inclusion on customized quotes, acknowledgements, packing lists, and invoices.

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Lot/Serial Tab One or more lot and serial tracking “characteristics” can be assigned to the item on this tab. Characteristics enable you to track stock on hand by lot number, serial number, expiration date, or revision.

When the item is assigned to a characteristic, each time it is received, issued, picked, or counted, its characteristic values must be recorded.

When not to use When considering whether to use characteristics or not, a good guideline to follow is this:

Characteristic tracking should only be used in situations that cannot be handled by unique item ID’s.

Use characteristics when you have no other choice, which would be the case with lot control, serial control, and expiration date. Do not use characteristics to avoid setting up item ID’s. Whenever an item has different versions – such as painted or unpainted – always differentiate the two versions with unique item ID’s.

Limitations Be aware of these two limitations with characteristics.

Costing The system does not track costs by characteristic. Each item’s Inventory Cost is an average of the receipt costs for the stock on hand. If variations of an item have different costs that affect job costing or cost of sales, use unique item ID’s rather than characteristics.

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Pricing You cannot establish prices by characteristic; only by item ID. If variations of an item require different pricing, use unique item ID’s rather than characteristics.

Use the four standard characteristics Currently, the system is supplied with these four standard characteristics. If you are on an older system that lacks these characteristics, you can create them in the Inventory – Inventory Setup – Item Characteristics screen.

LOTNO: Lot No A lot number identifies a particular production or purchase batch of an item. If you have a product problem, it can be traced back to a particular lot number so that remedial action can be taken.

SERIALNO: Serial No A serial number is a unique ID number assigned to each unit produced or purchased of an item.

EXPIRYDATE: Expiration This characteristic is used to track the expiration date of perishable products

REVISION: Revision If you have manufactured products with multiple revisions where you stock old and new revisions, this characteristic is used to differentiate the revisions on hand.

NOTE: Do not use this characteristic for purchased items.

Screen Details Upper Panel

Add Button Click this button to launch the Add/Edit Item Characteristics screen, shown below.

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Select the Assigned checkbox against each characteristic you wish to assign to the item. Click Update to continue. If the item is assigned to a Serialized characteristic, you are presented with the following screen:

Serial Characteristic Definition

This screen enables you to define serialization at the item level and displays the item selected in the grid at lower left. You have the option of entering text in the Serialized Label field, which overrides the standard characteristic Description on inventory processing screens. So if you wish to give this item’s characteristic a custom field label use this field. Otherwise, leave it blank. Select Manual if you wish to assign serial numbers manually. Select Automatic if you wish the program to assign serial numbers automatically. When you select Automatic, additional fields are displayed.

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First, establish an overall Length for your serial number. You can optionally enter a fixed value Prefix or Suffix to the core number. In the Counter field, establish the number that will be assigned to the next receipt transaction. This number gets incremented automatically with each new receipt transaction.

If the characteristic is not serialized or you have finished defining the serialized characteristic, you are then presented with this screen:

In this screen you must assign values for the new characteristic(s) to existing stock on hand. For each location listed, click the Add button. This opens up the New Qty and characteristic field to its right, which is ‘Lot No’ in the screen example above. Enter a quantity and a characteristic value; in this case, the lot number. If you wish to allocate the stock in one location to two or more characteristic values, click the Add button once again and a new line is opened so that you can enter another quantity and characteristic value. Use the Delete button to delete a line if you make an incorrect entry. Click the Update button to save your entries. The button will not be active until the New Qty amounts within each location equal the Current Qty.

Remove Button Click this button to launch the Remove Item Characteristics screen, shown below.

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Clear the Assigned checkbox against each characteristic that is to be un-assigned from the item. Click Update to continue. You are presented with this screen:

This screen shows you what the on hand stock status will be once the characteristic assignment is removed. Click the Update button to complete the removal process.

NOTE: When you remove a characteristic assignment, be aware that you will not have access to any of the characteristic’s values in the item’s transaction history.

Char History Button Click this button to launch this screen, which shows you when each characteristic assignment against this item was added or removed.

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Grid All the available characteristics are listed in the grid.

Assigned When this checkbox is selected, it indicates that the item is assigned to this characteristic.

• If you select this checkbox, you are presented with the same Add/Edit Item Characteristics screen that gets launched by clicking the Add button. See the Add Button above for details.

• If you clear this checkbox, you are presented with the same Remove Item Characteristics screen that gets launched by clicking the Remove button. See the Remove button above for details.

Characteristic ID This code is the characteristic’s primary identifier.

Description This is the text that identifies the characteristic on inventory processing screens.

Type The Type determines the characteristic’s data type. Four types are used:

Date This characteristic can only be given a date value.

Number This characteristic can only be given a numeric value.

Table This characteristic’s values must be selected from a table of allowable values.

Text This characteristic’s values can be freeform alphanumeric text.

Show on Docs Select this checkbox if you want this item’s characteristic values listed on the packing list associated with each customer shipment.

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Additional Tab

Main Side-Tab

Storing an Image If you wish to store a graphical image of the item for reference on this screen, right click on the left panel and select the Load Picture option. You will be presented with a selection screen. Navigate to the desired image and select it and it will display on the screen. To clear the image, right click on the image and select the Clear Picture option.

User-Defined Fields If you created any user-defined fields in the Admin – User-Defined Fields screen, those fields are entered on this panel.

Warranty Code If this item is covered by a warranty, select its Warranty Code in this field.

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Documents Side-Tab

On this screen you can attach documents (such as drawings, specifications, etc.) or files of any kind that relate to this item.

Edit Documents To link to a document, click the Edit Document panel at the bottom of the screen.

Description Enter the description that will display on the Document List panel.

File Location If a document is only to be used by you, you can specify a File Location to your local computer. If the document is to be shared with others, it should be stored on the central file server.

Copy to Job From the drop-down list, select ‘Yes’ if you want this document to be linked to jobs when the Retrieve Linked Customer / Item / Descriptor Documents button is clicked on the Additional side-tab off the Header tab in the Jobs screen.

Print With In a future version of DBA, this document will automatically be printed when the job traveler is printed. Select ‘Yes’ from the drop-down list if you want this feature when it becomes available.

Storing an Image If you wish to store a graphical image of the item, you can do so on this screen. Double click on the upper right panel and you will be presented with a selection screen. Navigate to the desired image and select it and it will display on the Characteristics screen. The image is for reference purposes on this screen and

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prints on the Multi-Level BOM and Costed BOM reports, pick lists, and the job traveler.

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4-3. Descriptors (Inventory – Descriptors … or Desc icon)

Descriptors are non-inventory items used to identify labor charges, miscellaneous charges, and miscellaneous purchases.

Training Course Support Center – Videos–Setup – Descriptors Setup

Uses of Descriptors Descriptors are used for the following purposes:

Credit Memos Credit memos are required from time to time to make adjustments to customer account balances for product returns, price adjustments, write-offs to bad debt, and other such things. A credit memo in DBA is simply an invoice with a negative total amount. Credit memo line items are descriptors with negative prices. GL posting is determined by mapping the descriptor’s Item Category to the appropriate sales account in the Account Assignments screen.

Labor Charges If you charge customers for labor on invoices, labor is set up as a Descriptor and is entered as a sales order line item. You might set up several labor Descriptors, each with a different Base Price, if you charge different rates for different services.

Miscellaneous Charges Any other charges that might be included in your invoices, whether they are for shipping, engineering fees, permits, etc., can be set with Descriptors and prices. Any price can be overridden at the time of sales order entry.

Miscellaneous Purchases If you use purchase orders for non-job, non-inventory purposes – for miscellaneous items such as office supplies, shop supplies, furniture, equipment, etc. – you can represent each category of these purchases with a Descriptor. These Descriptors can be assigned to GL Accounts in the Purchasing – Exceptions tab in the Account Assignments screen. When entering a PO line item, you can modify the category Descriptor with a specific description for the item being purchased.

Sales Kits A “sales kit” is a set of items that gets copied into a sales order along with the sales kit parent item, which is represented by a descriptor. Sales kits are created in the Inventory – Sales Kits screen.

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List Tab All your Descriptors are listed on this screen.

Detail Tab

Descriptor

Descriptor ID (Required) This is an up to 20-character alphanumeric code used to identify the descriptor.

Description (Required) This is an up to 50-character Description that accompanies the Descriptor ID on screens and reports.

UM (Required) This is the Descriptor’s unit of measure (EA, HR, etc.), which can be up to 8-characters.

Type (Required) Select one of these three descriptor Types:

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Purpose Type Credit Memo MISC Labor Charge: LABOR Misc Charge MISC Sales Kit MISC Misc Purchase MISC

You would normally not use any of these Types, which are cost elements used elsewhere by the program: SETUP, SUBCON, FIXOH, VAROH, SHIP.

Category (Required) Each Descriptor must be assigned to an Item Category. Item Categories are used to organize your stock items and descriptors into groups for reporting and GL posting purposes.

Estimated Cost With labor and miscellaneous charges, this cost is used as the invoice cost of sales. With miscellaneous purchases, this is used as the Unit Cost in PO lines when there is not an entry in the Purchase Prices – Descriptors screen.

Sell Price The Sell Price is used in sales orders for labor charges or miscellaneous charges.

Default Supplier This is the preferred Supplier for miscellaneous purchases.

Tax Code Source These settings determine the source of the Tax Code against sales order and purchase order lines for this descriptor.

Order Header When you select this option, the Tax Code specified in the sales order or purchase order header determines the source of the sales order or purchase order line’s Tax Code for this descriptor.

Exception Select this option if this descriptor is to receive an exception Tax Code that overrides the sales order or purchase order header Tax Code. A Tax Code field becomes visible to the right. Select a Tax Code from the lookup. In general, a tax code exception is designated when the descriptor is non-taxable, in which case a non-taxable Tax Code should be selected. Another tax code exception is when the descriptor bears a special tax rate, such as an excise tax.

Tax Group This checkbox is only visible when the Tax Group Matrix option is selected in the Tax Defaults screen. Tax groups enable you to designate exception tax codes at the line item level that only apply to certain destinations or sources.

4-3. Descriptors

182 Operating Guide

A Tax Group field becomes visible to the right. Select a Tax Group from the lookup. When a descriptor assigned to a Tax Group encounters a customer or supplier that is also assigned to a Tax Group, the two Tax Groups are matched in the Tax Group Matrix to determine the Tax Code that gets used in the sales order or purchase order line.

SO/PO Notes You can enter unlimited freeform text in this notes field. This text is passed into the Line Notes associated with quote, sales order, and purchase order detail lines.

Additional Tab

Dimensional Info The information on this panel is for reference only and is not used in any other screens and reports.

Documents List In this panel you can attach documents (such as drawings, specifications, etc.) or files of any kind that relate to this descriptor.




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Other Info

Warranty Code If there is a Warranty Code associated with this descriptor, select one from the lookup.

4-4. Sales Kits

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4-4. Sales Kits (Inventory – Sales Kits)

Sales Kits enable you to copy in a set of line items into a sales order (using the Copy Details button), identified by a Parent Descriptor. When you set up the Sales Kit, you can specify whether the selling price is at the parent level or component level.

NOTE: Sales Kits are gathered together at time of shipping and are never assembled or stocked.

Training Video Support Center – Videos–Setup – Descriptors Setup

Segment: Sales Kits

List Tab Descriptors with Sales Kits are listed on this screen.

New Button To create a new Sales Kit, click this button and select a parent Descriptor from the lookup list.

Detail Tab Upper Panel

Descriptor ID This is the parent Descriptor to which the Kitset components are assigned.

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Kitset Components Sub-Tab

Use Parent Price • If you select this checkbox, prices are applied to the parent Descriptor, but

not to kit components.

• If you clear this checkbox, prices are applied to the parent Descriptor and to kit components.

Type Select ‘Stock’ if the component is to be a Stock Item. Select ‘Descriptor’ if the component is to be a Descriptor.

Reference ID This is the component’s Item ID or Descriptor ID.

Qty This Qty gets multiplied by the parent Descriptor quantity when the Sales Kit is copied into a sales order.

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4-5. Stock Adjustments (Inventory – Stock Adjustments)

Use this screen to adjust an item’s on hand stock quantity.

Do not bypass standard processes Do not use stock adjustments to bypass a standard process. Always use the inventory processing screens (Stock Transfer, Stock Counts, Order Picking, Job Issues, Job Receipts, PO Receipts) for inventory transactions. Doing so maintains the integrity of your cost reporting and GL posting. For example, never receive stock by making a stock adjustment. Always receive stock through the Job Receipts or PO Receipts screens. As another example, do not return unused material from jobs by making a stock adjustment. Instead, use the Return feature in the Job Issues screen to return unused material to stock.

Purposes of Adjustments Stock adjustments should only be used on occasion, for these purposes:

Non-Sale Usage An example of non-sale usage is when items are taken from stock for use as sales samples, perhaps for use at a trade show. The expense will be posted to your Adjustments – Inventory account.

Non-Job Usage An example of non-job usage is when items are taken from stock for internal use in a research and development project. The expense will be posted to your Adjustments – Inventory account.

Count Adjustment When making an inventory transaction, you may notice that the stock count within a location is not correct, in which case you can make a stock adjustment to correct the count.

NOTE: For formal stock count verification, use the Stock Counts screen instead of this screen because it is optimized for stock counting.


Operating Guide 187

List Tab Stock items are listed on this tab where they can be selected for adjustment. The current stock on hand (all locations) is displayed for reference.

Increase Button Click this button to increase the quantity of stock on hand for the selected item. You are presented with this screen:

Upper Panel

Item ID, Description, Cost These fields identify the item being adjusted and its current Inventory Cost.

Trxn Cost This is the cost that will be applied to this transaction. It defaults to the item’s Inventory Cost.


188 Operating Guide

Reference The text “Stock Adjustment” is displayed by default, but can be overridden. This provides a reference note in the transaction record that explains the reason for or purpose of the adjustment.

+ – By default, one line is presented in the grid below. Click the plus sign button to add additional lines if you are increasing stock in multiple locations or to specify multiple characteristic values. Click the minus sign button to delete lines.

Grid Enter a line in this grid for each quantity associated with each location and set of characteristic values.

Increased Qty Enter the increase in stock quantity associated with the location and characteristic values in the fields at right.

NOTE: If you enter a quantity that causes the total quantity in this location to exceed this item/location Capacity setting, you are given a warning.

Location This field value defaults to the item’s default Receipt Location. You can make an alternative selection from this lookup screen.

Only allowable locations for this item are listed. If you wish to use a non-allowed location, clear the Allowed Only checkbox in the lower panel and the list will be expanded to all locations. The Receipt and Primary checkboxes identify the item’s default Receipt Location and Primary Location. The Capacity field shows you how many units of the item can be stored in the location. You can view the stock on hand within a location by clicking the magnifying glass icon in the lower panel, which presents this screen


Operating Guide 189

This inquiry screen enables you to find an open location that is not currently occupied.

Receipt This checkbox is selected when the location at left is the item’s default Receipt Location. This is for reference purposes only.

Characteristic Fields If the item is assigned to one or more tracking characteristics (such as lot or serial control), each characteristic is represented by its own field, which is identified by the characteristic’s Description. You are required to enter a value against each characteristic, which, depending on the characteristic, can be a date, a number, a lookup on a table of allowable values, or freeform text.

Lower Panel

Update Button After your entries are completed, click this button to update the transaction. The total amount is debited to your Inventory account and the offsetting credit is to your Adjustments – Inventory account.

Cancel Button Click this button to cancel your entries. No updating will take place.

Decrease Button Click this button to decrease the quantity of stock on hand for the selected item. You are presented with this screen:


190 Operating Guide

Upper Panel

Item ID, Description, Cost These fields identify the item being adjusted and its current Inventory Cost.

Trxn Cost This is the cost that will be applied to this transaction, which is the item’s current Inventory Cost. This cost cannot be changed.

Reference The text “Stock Adjustment” is displayed by default, but can be overridden. This provides a reference note in the transaction record that explains the reason for or purpose of the adjustment.

Grid All available stock is listed in the grid. Each line represents a set of characteristic values within a location.

Decreased Qty Enter the decrease in stock quantity associated with the location and characteristic values in the fields at right.

NOTE: If this is a “transitory” location, the text “<Transitory>” is displayed in red. You are not permitted to use stock in a transitory location, but that stock is listed in the grid for reference purposes. Stock may be in an “inspection” location, for example, waiting to get inspected before being transferred to a final destination location.

Location This is the location associated with the stock quantity and set of characteristic values to the right.

Primary This checkbox is selected when the location at left is the item’s Primary Location. This is for reference purposes only.


Operating Guide 191

Stock Qty This is the current on hand stock quantity associated with this location and set of characteristic values.

Characteristic Fields If the item is assigned to one or more tracking characteristics (such as lot or serial control), each characteristic value is represented by its own field, which is identified by the characteristic’s Description.

Projected Qty This is the quantity that will be associated with this location and characteristic set after the transaction is updated.

NOTE: The projected quantity cannot be less than zero. A negative stock quantity is not permitted.

Lower Panel

Update Button After your entries are completed, click this button to update the transaction. The total amount is debited to your Adjustments – Inventory account and the offsetting credit is to your Inventory account.

Cancel Button Click this button to cancel your entries. No updating will take place.

Chg Lot/Ser Button Click this button to change a lot/serial characteristic value within an item’s stock on hand. For example, stock may have been received and given an incorrect lot number. You can use this screen to list the lot numbers currently on hand for the item so that you can change the erroneous lot number value.

Screen Details


192 Operating Guide

Upper Panel

Characteristic Select the characteristic you wish to change.

Item ID Select the item that requires the change in characteristic value. The lookup is confined to items assigned to the characteristic specified at left. Load Button You must click this button to populate the grid below.

Alter Button When you entries are completed in the grid below, click this button to apply the changes to the item’s stock on hand.

NOTE: Altering a characteristic value has no effect on the general ledger.

Grid All stock on hand for the item and characteristic specified in the upper panel is listed in the grid. Each line is a unique location/characteristic value combination.

NOTE: The grid remains empty until you click the Load button in the upper panel.

Current Inventory

Item ID The Item ID selected above is repeated here for reference purposes.

Location This is the location associated with the on hand quantity and characteristic value at right.

Characteristic Field The characteristic value associated with this line is displayed in this field.

Alter Qty

On Hand Qty The current on hand stock quantity for this characteristic value within this location is displayed in this field.

Alter Qty You must click the Add button to the right to make this field available for entry. Enter the quantity to be changed to a different characteristic value in the field at right that is now visible where the Add button was located.


Operating Guide 193

NOTE: The Alter Qty is not allowed to exceed the On Hand Qty.

Alter Inventory Detail

Add Button Click this button to initiate a characteristic value change for this line. After clicking this button, it is replaced by a field where you specify the changed characteristic value. The Alter Qty field at left becomes an entry field where you enter the quantity subject to the characteristic value change.

Multiple Value Change Whenever a line is opened up for a change in characteristic value, another Add button becomes visible below the line. If you wish to change a portion of the on hand quantity to a second characteristic value, click the Add button and another line opens up within which you can enter another alter quantity and characteristic value.

Characteristic Fields When the Add button is clicked, this field becomes visible for entry of the changed characteristic value.

Location When the Add button is clicked, this field becomes visible, for reference purposes.

Projected Qty This is the quantity that will be associated with this location/characteristic value after the alter quantity is updated.

Delete Button If you click the Add button and then decide you don’t wish to make the entry, click this button to delete the line.

Print Labels Button Click this button to launch the Stock Item Labels screen, from which you can print item labels for this item for product identification or packaging purposes.

Current Inventory Tab This tab is an inquiry screen that displays current stock on hand, broken out by each set of characteristic values within a location.


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Transactions Tab This tab is an inquiry screen that provides a listing of past inventory transactions associated with all the inventory processing screens (Stock Adjustments, Stock Transfer, Stock Counts, Order Picking, Job Issues, Job Receipts, PO Receipts).

Upper Panel

Include “X” year’s history By default, one year’s history is displayed in the grid. You can use this setting to expand the number of years that comprise the list.

4-6. Stock Transfer

Operating Guide 195

4-6. Stock Transfer (Inventory – Stock Transfer)

Use this screen to transfer stock from a source location to one or more destination locations. You can transfer stock from multiple source locations for a single item or for multiple items from a single source location.

Transitory Locations This screen is especially useful with “transitory” locations, such as “inspection” and “transit” locations.

Inspection Location In the case of an “inspection” location, you can receive a set of items on a PO to the inspection location. After inspection is completed, you can use this screen to make a single transaction that transfers stock from the inspection location to each item’s final destination location.

Transit Location In the case of a “transit” location, which is a location that represents your truck or a commercial shipper, you can use this screen to transfer stock for a set of items into the transit location. Each location/item transfer is a separate transaction. When the set of items is received at the destination warehouse, you can make a single transaction in this screen to transfer stock from the transit location to each item’s final destination location.

Screen Details

4-6. Stock Transfer

196 Operating Guide

Choose Stock to Transfer

Location Select the source location from which you wish to transfer stock. If you leave this field blank and you specify an Item ID at right, all locations with current stock on hand for the item are listed.

NOTE: You can leave this field blank if you specify an item at right or vice-versa, but both fields cannot be left blank.

Item ID If you are transferring stock associated with one item, select that item from the lookup. If you are transferring stock associated with two or more items, leave this field blank.

NOTE: You can leave this field blank if you specify a location at left or vice-versa, but both fields cannot be left blank.

Load Button You must click this button to populate the grid below with all stock on hand within the location(s) and item(s) specified at left.

Transfer Button After your entries are made in the grid below, click this button to process the transaction.

NOTE: A stock transfer does not create a general ledger transaction.

Grid All stock on hand within the location(s) and item(s) specified in the upper panel are displayed in the grid.

NOTE: The grid remains empty until you click the Load button in the upper panel.

Current Inventory

Item ID Each item is given its own “block” of lines within this panel. Each line represents a location and set of characteristic values.

Location This is the source location associated with the On Hand Qty at right.

Characteristic Fields If the item is assigned to one or more tracking characteristics (such as lot or serial control), each characteristic value is represented by its own field, which is identified by the characteristic’s Description.

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Transfer Qtys

On Hand Qty The current on hand stock quantity for this set of characteristic values within this location is displayed in this field.

Transfer Qty You must click the Add button to the right to make this field available for entry. Enter the quantity to be transferred from the source location at left to the destination Location field at right that is now visible where the Add button was located.

NOTE: The Transfer Qty is not allowed to exceed the On Hand Qty.

Transfer Inventory Details

Add Button Click this button to initiate a transfer for this line. After clicking this button, it is replaced by a Location field where you specify the destination location. The Transfer Qty field to the left becomes an entry field where you enter the quantity to be transferred. If the item has characteristics, the characteristic values are now visible to the right of the Location field.

Multi-Location Transfer Whenever a line is opened up for transfer to a destination location, another Add button becomes visible below the line. If you wish to transfer a quantity to a second destination location, click the Add button and another line opens up within which you can enter another transfer quantity and destination location.

Location When the Add button is clicked, this field becomes visible. Select the destination location from the following lookup.

Only allowable locations for this item are listed. If you wish to use a non-allowed location, clear the Allowed Only checkbox in the lower panel and the list will be expanded to all locations.

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198 Operating Guide

The Receipt and Primary checkboxes identify the item’s default Receipt Location and Primary Location. The Capacity field shows you how many units of the item can be stored in the location. You can view the stock on hand within a location by clicking the magnifying glass icon in the lower panel, which presents this screen


Characteristic Fields Any characteristic values associated with this line become visible to the right of the destination Location field, for reference purposes.

Projected Qty This is the quantity that will be associated with this location and characteristic set after the transfer is updated.

Delete Button If you click the Add button and then decide you don’t wish to make the entry, click this button to delete the line.

4-7. Stock Counts

Operating Guide 199

4-7. Stock Counts (Inventory – Stock Counts)

Use this screen to enter physical inventory counts (stock takes). Stock counts are usually done for batches of items, but a batch can be of any size, including a single item.

Training Video Support Center – Videos–Setup – Lot & Serial Control Setup

Segment: Stock Counts

“Freezing” your inventory When you generate a stock count set of items to be counted, you must count those items immediately. During that time, the stock being counted should be “frozen”, meaning that it is quarantined from use. If you are required to perform a complete physical inventory, this is normally done over a weekend or holiday while the factory is idle.

Cycle Counts We do not recommend complete physical inventories as a means towards maintaining accurate stock quantities. Complete physicals involve excessive numbers of items and are prone to errors. The better method is “cycle counting” whereby you conduct a program of smaller counts that are performed in rotation on a steady basis. Cycle counts can be based on location groups, ranges of locations, item categories, or particular items. High dollar, high volume items, for example, merit more frequent counting than low dollar, low volume items.

Stock counts are not the total solution If your inventory is error-prone, these errors disrupt the planning process and reduce factory throughput. Stock counts can help reduce errors, but they are not the total solution. Errors are a symptom of other problems and no cycle counting program can keep up with errors that are occurring system-wide. One source of errors is inaccurate bills of material. The planning process is only as good as the specifications it is provided with, so strive for 100% accuracy in your bills of material. The other source of errors is poor procedures. Enter stock issues and receipts in real-time, if possible. Consider using dispatch lists where you pick or issue stock on the screen first and then your record your transactions. Install computer workstations out in the factory and have work center supervisors make their own entries.

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List Tab A stock count consists of a pre-determined list of items to be counted. On the opening List tab is displayed a list of any stock counts that are in progress.

New Button To initiate a new stock count, click this button, which launches the Stock Count Selection screen.

Update Button After your counts are entered and reviewed, return to the List tab and click this button. Each item’s stock quantity gets adjusted and you are then presented with the Updated Stock Count report.

Display Updated Stock Counts Select this checkbox in the lower panel to display updated stock counts in the list above.

Stock Count Selection Screen

This screen is launched when you click the New button from the List tab. Use this screen to generate a set of items to be counted.

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Stock Count Description Enter a brief description of your stock count. This description displays in each counted item’s History inquiry.

Location Group You can include all or selected location groups in the stock count. Location groups are sets of allowable locations for similar items.

Location You can include all or selected locations in the stock count.

Item Category You can include items within all or selected item categories in the stock count.

Item ID You can limit your stock count to a range of items. If you want to include all items, leave these fields blank.

Include Locations with Zero Qty Locations with zero stock on hand are excluded from the stock count. If for some reason you want empty locations includes, select this checkbox.

Ok When you have completed your selections, click this button to generate your stock count item set. You are returned to the list screen where you see your stock count listed with a Status of ‘New’.

Stock Count Worksheet Print Button Once you have generated the stock count set, from the List tab click the Print button to print the Stock Count Worksheet. Use this worksheet to record the actual counts. When the Stock Count Worksheet gets printed, the stock count’s Status changes from ‘New’ to ‘Printed’.

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202 Operating Guide

Detail Tab – Standard Side-Tab

Stock count entries are made on the Detail tab with the Standard side-tab selected.

Grid

Location A line is opened for each combination of the following:

• Stock Item • Location • Lot/Serial Characteristic Set

Item ID Click on this column heading if you wish to sort the list by item.

Stock This column displays the stock quantity for this location/item/characteristic set.

Count Enter the new count for this location/item/characteristic set in this column.

Lot/Serial Count If the item requires lot/serial control, you cannot enter a count in this screen. Instead, you must click the +/- Lot/Serial Stock Adjustment button in the lower panel to increase or decrease stock quantities in the Stock Adjustments screen.

Variance As you make each entry, any difference between the Stock quantity and the Count quantity is reflected in this column.

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Operating Guide 203

Is it necessary to enter counts for all items? Technically, you only have to enter a Count quantity on items that differ from the Stock quantity. Only items with a Variance amount will be adjusted, so any items without a Count will be left unchanged when the stock count gets updated. If you only enter counts with variances, be sure to mark them as you go on the Stock Count Worksheet so that you don’t overlook any entries.

Lower Panel

+/- Lot/Serial Stock Adjustment Stock counts cannot be entered in this screen for items that require lot and serial control. Click this button to access the Stock Adjustments screen for this item.

The screen shows current stock by location and characteristic set. You can click the Increase or Decrease button to adjust stock quantities as needed to match the count on the worksheet. You also can click the Chg Lot/Ser button to alter a characteristic value, if needed.

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Updating Inventory Update Button After your counts are entered and reviewed, return to the List tab and click this button. Each item’s stock quantity gets adjusted and you are then presented with the Updated Stock Count report.

NOTE: Today’s date is used as the general ledger transaction date, regardless of the date the stock count list was created.

Updated Stock Count Report This report prints automatically and lists each item’s Variance, the Unit Cost (the item’s current Inventory Cost) and the Loss (or gain) that gets posted as a debit or credit to your Adjustments – Inventory account.

Backdating to a Prior Period If you are taking a stock count at the end of a period (or your fiscal year) and you want the change in value to effect the prior period, be sure and complete the stock count and update it before the new period begins. If you happen to update the stock count a few days into the new period and you want the change in inventory value to be reflected in the prior period, a journal entry is required. First, create a new asset account called Stock Count Variance and locate it adjacent to your Inventory account. Determine the total amount of the stock count variance and whether your total inventory value increased or decreased. If your total inventory value increased, make two separate journal entries for the total variance amount: First, make this journal entry:

Post Date: Last Day of Prior Period Debit: Stock Count Variance (Asset) Credit: Adjustments – Inventory (Cost of Sales)

Then make this journal entry: Post Date: Stock Count Update Date in Current Period Debit: Adjustments – Inventory (Cost of Sales) Credit: Stock Count Variance (Asset) If your total inventory value decreased, make two separate journal entries for the total variance amount: First, make this journal entry:

Post Date: Last Day of Prior Period

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Debit: Adjustments – Inventory (Cost of Sales) Credit: Stock Count Variance (Asset)

Then make this journal entry: Post Date: Stock Count Update Date in Current Period Debit: Stock Count Variance (Asset)

Credit: Adjustments – Inventory (Cost of Sales)

4-8. Change Inventory Cost

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4-8. Change Inventory Cost (Inventory – Change Inventory Cost)

Use this screen to change the unit Inventory Cost of one or more stock items.

Training Video Support Center – Videos–Conceptual – Inventory Costing

Segment: Inventory Cost Change

Screen Details

Selection Filters Use the settings in the upper panel to generate a list of items in the Item List sub-tab.

Item ID Leave this field blank if you want the list to include all your stock items. If you want to narrow the list down, each character you enter restricts the list to items beginning with the characters entered in this field. For example, in the sample company all the red wagon items begin with ‘1080’. So if you type ‘1080’ in this field and click the Create List button, the list will only include items beginning with ‘1080’.

Description This field provides an additional filter. You can leave it blank if you want all Descriptions within the item list, but if you want to narrow the list to items containing specific Descriptions, each character you enter restricts the list to Descriptions beginning with the characters entered in this field.

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Select All Categories This checkbox provides an additional filter. If you clear the checkbox, a list of Item Categories displays below the checkbox. You can select one or more Item Categories and your list will be restricted just to items within those categories.

Create List Button Once your entries are completed in the upper panel, click this button to generate the list in the Item List sub-tab.

Hide Filter Panel Button Once your list is generated, you can click this button to hide the upper panel and make more room on the screen for your list. Your filter selections remain displayed just above the Item List sub-tab. When the upper panel is hidden, a Show Filter Panel button becomes visible, which you can click it you wish to make the upper panel visible again.

Item List Sub-Tab Your list of items is displayed in the grid on this sub-tab. Each item’s current Est Cost, Last Cost, and Inv Cost are displayed for reference purposes. .

Mass Replace Button Clicking this button gives you the option of populating the New Cost column with each item’s Last Cost or Estimated Cost when it differs from its current Inventory Cost.

New Cost Enter the item’s new Inventory Cost in this field. You are not obligated to make an entry on every item in the list – only on those where a cost change is needed.

NOTE: You are not allowed to change the cost if the item currently has a zero or negative stock quantity.

Clear Button Click this button if you wish to completely clear the New Cost column.

Update Button When your entries are completed, click this button and the new cost will take effect.

This cost change is accomplished by a set of inventory transactions made in the background. All stock is deducted from all locations at the current Inventory Cost and is then added back in at the new Inventory Cost. The posting date is the current system date and the default Reference assigned to the inventory transaction is ‘Change Inventory Cost’.

4-9. Reconcile Book Values

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4-9. Reconcile Book Values (Inventory – Reconcile Book Values)

Use this screen to reconcile Book Value with “actual value” on all items where there is a discrepancy between the two values.

What is Book Value? Book Value is the sum of all General Ledger debit and credit transactions made against a stock item.

What is “actual value?” “Actual value” is each item’s stock quantity multiplied by its current Inventory Cost.

What causes a discrepancy between the two values? Minor discrepancies can occur when inventory transactions involving multiple decimal places are rounded up or down when posted to the general ledger, which stores monetary amounts in two decimal places. Prior to July 2009, an item’s stock quantity was allowed to go negative when issues and receipts were entered out of sequence. When stock was received at a new cost while stock was negative, the stock receipt cost, which is a calculated average, could differ from the receipt cost that was posted to the general ledger. As of build 388 the system no longer allows stock to go negative, which eliminates negative stock as a source of cost discrepancies.

What does this screen do? This screen compares each item’s Book Value with its actual value. When a discrepancy between the two values is found, the Book Value is adjusted so that it is made equal to the actual value.

How often should this be run? We recommend that you Reconcile Book Values as a routine procedure at each period end.

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Screen Details

When the screen launches, it automatically goes through all your stock items and lists any item that has a discrepancy between its Units * Cost and Book Value. The Reconcile checkbox is automatically selected against each item. When you click the Reconcile button, Book Value is adjusted for all items that have this checkbox selected.

Ledger Posting If Book Value is too high against an item, this transaction is made to the General Ledger.

Debit Adjustments – Inventory Credit Inventory

If Book Value is too low against an item, this transaction is made to the General Ledger.

Debit Inventory Credit Adjustments – Inventory

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4-10. Inventory Data Views (Inventory – Data Views)

The Data View utility is a reporting tool used throughout DBA that enables you to filter, sort, and group your data to create your own inquiries, spreadsheets, and reports. It organizes related data from multiple tables without requiring “joins” and other complicated programming procedures.

Inventory Data Views Two data views are provided on the Inventory menu:

Stock On Hand This data view focuses on stock quantities, inventory costs, and locations: Standard layouts include:

• All Fields • Qty by Location • Item by Location • Qty by Item Category

Stock Item List This data view focuses on item settings, such as item categories, default suppliers, and MRP settings. Standard layouts include:

• All Fields • Basic Item List by Item Category • Basic Item Listing • Items by Default Supplier • Reorder Levels

Selection Screen


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When you click on a data view menu option, you are first presented with a selection screen that is similar to the selection screen used with reports. Use this screen to filter and limit your data view.

View Button Once your selections are completed, click the View button to advance to the Select Layout screen.

Select Layout Screen

Next, you are presented with the Select Layout screen. Each layout is a configuration of selected fields that are grouped and sorted to present a particular data view. In a sense, each layout is a custom report.

Layout Type Layouts with a Type of ‘System’ are standard layouts supplied with the system. ‘System’ layouts cannot be changed, but they can be modified and saved to another layout name. Any layouts saved to a new name are identified as ‘User’ types.

Default Layout One layout is designated as the ‘Default’ layout, which is your most commonly used data view. Assigning the default layout is done on the Layout List screen (see further below). The default layout is always selected at the top of the list when the Select Layout screen is presented.

Load Button Click the Load button to generate the data view. Be aware that some data views may take several minutes to generate, depending on the size of the data set and the number of data fields involved. This is because each column in the data view is individually indexed to enable column sorting.


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Quick Load Button If you click the Quick Load option, the columns are not indexed, which significantly reduces data view generation time. So if you are generating a large data set and you don’t need column sorting, use the Quick Load option.

Data View Screen

The data set and layout you selected is displayed in the Data View screen, which is a grid that displays all the available fields and associated records.

Column Sorting You can re-sort the data view by clicking on any of the column headings, which will then sort the entire list by that column. Click the heading a second time and the sort order will change from ascending to descending order or vice-versa.

Grouping You can create list groupings by dragging a column heading into the header panel above the column headings. For example, if you drag the Category column heading into the header panel, the lines are then grouped by item category. You can even have a group within a group. For example, you could drag the M or P column heading into the header panel, which would form ‘M’ and ‘P’ sub-groups within each item category.

+ - Buttons These two buttons become visible at the top of the screen when you use the grouping feature. Initially the groups are displayed in “collapsed” mode without data rows being visible. Click the ‘+’ button to “expand” the view so that the data rows become visible. Click the ‘-‘ button to collapse the view.

Column Footer Total You can create a total amount at the footer of any column by right clicking on the lower panel directly below the column. The following options are available:


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Sum This option is available on numeric columns only. It provides a grand total of all the column values.

Min This option is available on numeric columns only. It lists the lowest value within the column.

Max This option is available on numeric columns only. It lists the highest value within the column.

Count This gives you a count of the number of records within the column.

Average This option is available on numeric columns only. This gives you a mean average of the values within the column.

Customize Button

The data view can be limited to just the columns you want by dragging unwanted column headings off the screen. This is done using the Customize button, which presents a box in the lower right corner of the screen. To remove a column, drag its column heading and drop it into the box. Continue removing fields one by one until you are left with the columns you want.

NOTE: Most data view layouts are supplied with optional column headings already dragged into the Customize box. If you wish to use any of these columns, drag the column heading out of the box and drop it onto the column heading row in the desired position.

Output Button Once the data on the screen are to your satisfaction, click the Output button to transfer the data view into one of the following formats.

• Output to Excel • Output to HTML • Output to Text • Output to Printer


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Output to Excel, HTML, Text When you select any of these options, you are prompted to save the file to a name and location.

Output to Printer When you select this option, a print preview screen is displayed. You can click File – Page Setup to select various options that will change the report appearance. When the format is to your satisfaction, click the Print button.

Layout List Button

Click this button to display the Layout List screen, which provides a listing of available layouts.

Load Button Click this button to generate a new data view for the selected layout.

Set as Default Button Click this button to designate the selected layout as the ‘Default’ layout. The default layout is always selected at the top of the list whenever the layout list is presented.

Delete Button Click this button to delete the selected layout from the list.

NOTE: You cannot delete a ‘System’ type layout.


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Save Layout Button

After customizing your data view, you can click this button to update an existing layout or to save your changes to a new layout. Two options are presented:

Update Existing Layout Select this option and click the Save button to save your customization changes to the existing layout.

NOTE: This option is not available for ‘System’ layout types. To customize a ‘System’ layout, you must save your changes to a new layout name.

Create New Layout Select this option to save your customization changes to a new layout name. Enter the name in the Layout Name field and click the Save button.

4-1. Inventory Reports

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4-11A. Inventory Value (Inventory – Reports – Inventory Value)

Use this report to get any type of listing of inventory value, which can be overall inventory value or value by item category, location or other breakdowns.

Training Videos Support Center – Videos–Conceptual – Inventory Costing

Segment: Inventory Value Support Center – Videos–How Do I? – General Ledger Training Course

Segment: Inventory and WIP Accounts

How is Inventory valued in DBA? Each item’s inventory value is its on hand stock quantity multiplied by its current unit Inventory Cost. Total inventory value is the sum of the inventory value of all stock items.

This is a period end reconciliation report At the end of each period, this report is run to reconcile your Inventory GL account with the actual inventory value listed on this report.

Always run Reconcile Book Values first Before you run this report for period end reconciliation, always run the Inventory – Reconcile Book Values screen first, which makes adjustments to your Inventory GL account to account for minor discrepancies that can occur between actual value and Book Value when an item’s stock quantity goes negative.

Selection Screen Date Options

Value as of a date You have the option of back-dating this report if you wish to see Inventory Value as of a past date. The As of date defaults to today’s date.

NOTE: If you select any date earlier than today’s date, be aware that the Est Cost and Inv Cost columns are not included in the report. This is because past values for these fields are not stored anywhere and cannot reliably be re-created.


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Change in value between 2 dates You also have the option of listing the change in Inventory Value between two dates. When you select this option, From and Thru date fields are visible below for your data range selection.

NOTE: When you select this option, be aware that the Est Cost and Inv Cost columns are not included in the report. This is because past values for these fields are not stored anywhere and cannot reliably be re-created.

Sorting Options You can sort the lines on the report one of three ways:

Sort by item ID Select this option if you want to sort the port as a contiguous list in Item ID order.

Sort by description Select this option if you want to sort the port as a contiguous list in item Description order.

Sort/subtotal by category This option organizes the report into separate headings and subtotals by Item Category.

Print category subtotals only Select this checkbox if you want a single Inventory Value within each Item Category with no item detail.

Other Options

Include items with 0 value / 0 UOH Select this checkbox if you want all item listed on the report, even when there is no value or stock quantity.

Print transaction detail Only select this option when you are listing a change in value between two dates. Following each item is a listing of all the inventory transactions that occurred within the date range. This can be useful when you are trying to track down the cause of a suspicious looking value.

Item ID You can limit the report to one item, a from/thru range of items, or all items.

Item category You can include items belonging to all Item Categories or you can select the Some option to limit the report to items belongings to one or more specific Item Categories.


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Item Status Select All if you want ‘Active’ and ‘Non-Active’ Status items listed on the report. Select Some if you wish to include or exclude a Status.

Item Source Select All if you want ‘Manufactured’ and ‘Purchased’ items listed on the report. Select Some if you wish to include or exclude one of these sources.

Report Book Value Book Value represents the sum of the Inventory account debit and credit entries made to the General Ledger.

Period End Reconciliation At each period end you should compare total book value with the balance sheet value of your Inventory account. If there is a discrepancy between the two values, you should make the following journal entry. If the report value is greater than the ledger value, post the difference to these accounts:

Debit Inventory Credit Adjustments – Inventory

If the report value is less than the ledger value, post the difference to these accounts:

Debit Adjustments – Inventory Credit Inventory


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4-11B. Inventory Transactions (Inventory – Reports – Inventory Transactions)

Use this report to get a listing of inventory transactions for an item, including the Date, Location, transaction Type, Qty, and Cost. You can limit the report to one or a range of Item ID’s or Item Categories, a date range, and selected Transaction Types.

Transactions Inquiry The same information on this report can be viewed by clicking the History button on the Stock Items screen or the Transactions tab on the Stock Adjustments screen.

4-11C. Trxns – Item/Characteristic (Inventory – Reports – Trxns – Item/Characteristic) Use this report to trace the history of which tracking characteristics were associated with a particular item. You can filter the report by a date range, by selected Characteristics, by Transaction Type, and by Item ID.

4-11D. Trxns – Characteristic/Item (Inventory – Reports – Trxns – Characteristic/Item)

Use this report to trace the history of which items were associated with a particular tracking characteristic. You can filter the report by a date range, by selected Characteristics, by Transaction Type, and by Item ID.

4-11E. Trxns – Serial Number (Inventory – Reports – Trxns – Serial Number) Use this report to trace the history of which serial numbers were associated with a particular item. You can filter the report by a date range, by Transaction Type, and by Item ID.


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4-11F. Stock Item Labels (Inventory – Reports – Stock Item Labels)

Use this screen to print item labels as needed for product identification or packaging purposes.

Selection Screen

Upper Panel

Report Form Use the lookup in this field to select a label format. The default label format designated in the Forms Edit – Stock Item Label screen is selected by default.

Select Item

Item ID Select a stock item from the lookup in this field.;

Select Stock The item’s stock on hand is displayed, listed by location and characteristic set. Select the stock that you wish to label.

Select Characteristics to Print The tracking characteristics assigned to this item are listed in this panel and are selected by default for printing. If you don’t want a characteristic to be printed, clear its checkbox.

Additional Information If this label format requires any ‘Additional Info’ text fields, they are listed in this panel.


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Req If this checkbox is selected, the user is required to enter a Value.

Header This is the user-defined field label that identifies the Value at right.

Value Enter freeform text in this field.

Print Button Click this button to begin printing. You are first presented with this print preview screen:

Click the printer icon in the upper left corner to begin printing. You are presented with the standard Windows Print screen, as follows:


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The printer Name defaults to the printer designated in the page setup against this label format. Select an alternate printer, if applicable. For multiple copies, enter a value in the Number of copies field.

5. BOM (Bills of Material)

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5. BOM (Bills of Material) On the BOM menu you will find all applications related to the entry and maintenance of your bills of material and routings.

BOM Setup • BOM Defaults • Machines • Sequence Templates • Task Templates • Revision Names

Main Menu • Work Centers • Bills of Material • Estimated Purchase Costs • Cost Rollup • Where Used Inquiry

Reports • Multi-Level BOM • Costed BOM


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Overview What are bills of material? “Bills of material” (BOMs) are used to define the manufacturing specifications for your products or those you make on behalf of others. These specifications include “outputs”, a “routing”, and “components.”

What is an “output?” An “output” refers to a finished item produced from a BOM. Most BOMs are only defined with one output, which is the BOM “parent”, but you can also define “secondary” outputs for bi-products and co-products. Secondary outputs are used by batch process manufacturers, remanufacturers, and disassemblers.

What is the “routing?” The BOM’s “routing” can be thought of as a “bill of labor.” In the routing you define the setup, labor, and subcontract service sequences that comprise the manufacturing process.

What are the “components?” The “components” are the subassemblies, parts, and materials that comprise the physical product.

How are BOMs used? BOMs are used by the MRP screen to generate jobs for manufactured items in response to customer orders and your desired stocking levels. MRP uses each item’s BOM specifications to create the job’s routing and BOM.

So jobs also have BOMs? Yes, job’s have their own BOM. The parent item’s BOM is copied to the job and its component usage quantities are multiplied by the job’s make quantity. Once the job’s BOM has been created, it can be modified for any special requirements.

How are BOMs costed? The Cost Rollup screen calculates a total estimated cost for the BOM parent. Each purchased component has an estimated cost from inventory. Each work center is given hourly rates for setup, labor, and overhead which get applied to each routing sequence. Estimated costs for subcontract services are maintained in routing sequences. The Cost Rollup calculates all these costs up through all the subassemblies in the product structure to arrive at the total estimated cost for the BOM parent. If the BOM includes secondary outputs, a portion of the parent item’s cost is allocated to each output on a percentage basis.


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What is the BOM estimated cost used for? BOM estimated costs are helpful for product pricing decisions. You also benefit by continuous monitoring of work center hourly rates, which keeps you in touch with your labor and overhead costs.

Is the BOM estimated cost compared to actual job cost? Not directly. When the job gets created from the parent item’s BOM, the program calculates an estimated job cost. If you modify the job’s BOM specifications, the estimated job cost gets changed accordingly. It is the estimated job cost that gets compared to actual job cost.

Is a BOM required to create a job? No it is not. You can create jobs for “custom outputs”, which are one-off items for which there is no BOM going into the job. Once the job is created for the custom output, you can define all the routing and component specifications in the job itself without reference to any outside BOM. Custom outputs are used for custom manufacturing, project jobs, and repair jobs.

What about products with revisions? DBA offers multiple “revisions”, which are alternate BOM specifications for the same parent item. Revisions are used for two purposes:

• The most common purpose is to maintain a progressive history of product engineering changes. Each time a product’s manufacturing specifications are changed, the product is given a new revision number.

• Batch process manufacturers (food, chemicals, plastics, etc.) use revisions to define manufacturing specifications for each batch size of a product.

In either case, one revision is designated as the Default Revision, which is considered to be the item’s active revision and is the one used by MRP to generate planned jobs and by the Cost Rollup for estimated cost calculations.

How are subassemblies handled? A “subassembly” is a standard BOM that happens to be a component in one or more higher-level BOMs. Each subassembly is defined with its own separate BOM and is made on its own job and gets issued other jobs that require it. DBA also offers “phantom assemblies”, which are sets of components that get pulled into the parent BOM at time of job creation.

NOTE: Phantom assemblies are never stocked, sold, or manufactured on their own jobs.

5-1A. BOM Defaults

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5-1. BOM Setup

5-1A. BOM Defaults (BOM – BOM Setup – BOM Defaults)

Carefully consider the following options and make the appropriate settings before actually entering any BOMs.

Training Videos Support Center – Videos–Setup – BOM Defaults

BOM Options To activate any of the following BOM options, select the corresponding checkbox.

Revisions Selecting this option exposes the Revisions tab in the Bills of Material screen.

Revisions enable you to define multiple sets of manufacturing specifications against a single BOM parent.

NOTE: Revisions are limited in the sense that you cannot maintain a Base Price against each revision, nor does the Cost Rollup maintain estimated costs for any revision other than the item’s default revision. If you need these capabilities, use unique item ID’s and separate bills of material instead of revisions.

Only select this checkbox if either of these two purposes applies to your company:

Engineering History You use revisions to maintain a progressive history of product engineering changes. Each time a product’s manufacturing

5-1A. BOM Defaults

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specifications are changed, the product is given a new revision number.

Batch Processing You are a batch process manufacturer (food, chemicals, plastics, etc.). You use revisions to define manufacturing specifications for each batch size of your products.

Default Revision Name This field is only visible when the Revisions checkbox is selected. This is the Revision Name that is assigned by default to each new BOM that gets created.

If you want to use a name other than the ‘DEFAULT’ name supplied with the system, go to the BOM – BOM Setup – Revision Names screen, create the desired Revision Name, then return to this screen and select that name in this field.

Routings Routings enable you to define your manufacturing processes in sequential operations assigned to work centers. Activate Routings if you plan on doing any labor tracking. Routings are covered in detail in the next chapter.

Outputs Outputs refer to the finished products that result from the manufacturing process. You have the option of defining multiple Outputs, which enables the production of bi-products or co-products from a single BOM and job. If all your products consist of a single Output, do not select the Outputs checkbox. If some of your products have multiple outputs, select the Outputs checkbox.

References Any number of References can be assigned to a BOM component, accompanied by a Qty. References optionally print on the job traveler and are used to represent drawing number references or component locations on products such as circuit boards. If you clear this checkbox, the References sub-tab in the lower portion of the bill of material Components screen will not be visible.

Batch Size Only select this checkbox if you are a batch process manufacturer (food, chemicals, plastics, etc.) where you define different batch sizes within your Revisions. This setting exposes the Batch Size field within each Revision. You then define the materials required to make each particular batch size.

Phantom Option

Display Phantom parents in job details We recommend that you select this option.

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Component Options Selection of checkboxes in this section activate corresponding fields in the Components tab of the Bills of Material screen.

Fixed or Variable Select this checkbox if you want the ability to designate the Usage Qty of a component to be a fixed amount, regardless of how many items are being made or how large the batch size is.

Scrap % Select this checkbox if you want the ability to define a scrap percentage that will proportionally increase the quantity required of the component at time of job creation.

From / Thru Dates Select this checkbox if you want the ability to define effective date ranges for BOM components.

Sequence Select this checkbox if you want the ability to assign components to the routing sequences within which they are used.

Line Item Brackets ‘Line item brackets’ are freeform line items that are inserted into the job Details screen to mark the beginning and end of a phantom assembly. Otherwise, the phantom components would blend in with other components and would not easily be recognized as being a group of items. In the Phantom – Start fields, enter the Reference ID and Description that will comprise the freeform line that is inserted prior to your phantom components. In the Phantom – End fields, enter the Reference ID and Description that will comprise the freeform line that is inserted after your phantom components.

5-1B. Machines

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5-1B. Machines (BOM – BOM Setup – Machines)

Machines are set up and assigned to Work Centers and are used to schedule routing sequences to occur on specific Machines. The use of machines is optional.

Training Video Support Center – Videos–Setup – Work Centers & Machines

Segment: Machines

Do not create when the Work Center has one Machine If the Work Center consists of one Machine, it is not necessary to create a Machine because the Work Center and Machine are one and the same.

Create Machines when the Work Center has a set of Machines If the Work Center consists of a set of interchangeable Machines, we recommend that you create Machines so that routing sequences can be assigned to the appropriate Machine at time of production.

A Work Center should not have different Machines Do not create a Work Center that consists of different Machines. Split the Work Center into separate Work Centers for each type of Machine. A Work Center should only consist of interchangeable Machines.

Field Explanations Machine ID You can assign an up to 20-character code that identifies this Machine.

Description Enter an up to 50-character Description that accompanies the Machine ID on lookups.

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Work Center Assign this Machine to the Work Center where it is located.

Notes You can enter unlimited Notes against this Machine.

5-1C. Sequence Templates

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5-1C. Sequence Templates (BOM – BOM Setup – Sequence Templates)

“Sequence templates” are used to create a library of standard routing sequence specifications that can be used to originate bills of material and job routing sequences.

Training Course Support Center – Videos–Setup – Routings Entry

Grid Fields

Template ID Click the New button to create a new sequence template record, each of which is identified by a 7-character template ID. We recommend that you identify each template with a number rather than an alpha code.

Group Numbering We recommend that you number your templates in related groups so that similar processes are listed together in lookups for easy selection. For example, all your shearing processes could be in the ‘1000’ series, all your forming processes in the ‘2000’ series, all your assembly processes in the ‘3000’ series, and so forth.

Description Enter an up to 50-character description for this process, which will print on the job traveler.

NOTE: On subcontract sequences, this description is also carried forward to the PO that is generated and sent to your service supplier.

Work Center (Required) Select a work center from the lookup. It can be an inside work center or an outside work center for subcontract services such as plating, painting, and heat-treating.


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Machine Only assign a machine when this process must be run on a particular machine. If the work center contains interchangeable machines, leave this field blank.

Center Panel – Cycle Times If the sequence template selected above is assigned to an inside work center, the following set of fields displays, all related to this template’s “cycle times” (production rates).

Setup Hours Enter the total setup time for this sequence template, expressed in decimal hours. For example, 30 minutes would be entered as ‘.5’.

NOTE: This field is initially populated by the work center’s default Setup Hours value, which can be overridden.

Time / Process Cycle time is expressed in terms of “processes.” A process can be an assembly operation, a hit from a punch press, a mold cycle, etc. A process can produce a single part or several parts at a time. Enter the time (hours, minutes, seconds) required for this process.

NOTE1: As an alternative to making a time entry, you can enter the Processes / Hr (see next), which automatically calculates the Time / Process. NOTE2: The maximum number of hours you can enter in this field is 24 hours. If you have a cycle time longer than 24 hours, leave this field blank and use the Processes / Hr field instead. In that field, enter time based on this formula: 1 / # Hours. A cycle time of 40 hours, therefore, would be given a Processes / Hr value of ‘.025’. (When you do this, the Time / Process field receives a nonsensical value, which you can safely ignore). NOTE3: This field is initially populated by the work center’s default Time / Process value, which can be overridden.

Processes / Hr As an alternative to entering a Time / Process, you can express the cycle time in terms of Processes / Hr. The entry of either field automatically updates the other.

NOTE: This field is initially populated by the work center’s default Processes / Hr value, which can be overridden.

Items / Process If each process yields one unit of this item, leave this field at the default setting of ‘1’. If each process yields a set of items (such as with a multi-cavity mold), enter the number of items in this field. The Time / Process is divided


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by the Items / Process to determine the time required to make one unit of this item.

NOTE: This field is initially populated by the work center’s default Items / Process value, which can be overridden.

# Persons For costing purposes only, enter the number of persons required to perform this process. The program assigns a default value of ‘1’. This setting handles these two cost scenarios:

Teams Some processes require a fixed “team” size. An automatic assembly table, for example, may require a team of three operators, in which case you would enter a ‘3’ in this field. The work center’s hourly labor cost gets multiplied by the number of team members.

NOTE: Do not use a fixed “team” with non-machine, assembly type work centers where you can temporarily assign multiple workers to a given job. In a packaging department, for example, where jobs are normally packaged by one person, for an unusually large job you could assign four workers to do packaging. In this case you have temporarily expanded the work center’s capacity (Job Hours / Day setting), but the packaging process itself is still the same and the # Persons should remain set to ‘1’.

Multiple Jobs Sometimes one worker runs several jobs simultaneously. A molding machine operator, for example, may run four presses and four different jobs at the same time. In this case you would enter ‘.25’ in this field. The work center’s hourly labor cost gets multiplied by this amount and is therefore shared among all four jobs.

NOTE: When multiple job sequences are performed by a single worker, we recommend that the labor Trxn Type (see below) for each such sequence be set to the ‘Backflush’ option.

Days to Next This represents the number of workdays between the completion of this sequence and the start of the next sequence. This setting is used with cycle times for three purposes:

Move Time There may be a predictable move time involved in getting these parts from this work center to the next.

Forced wait time Sometimes an item must wait before it can move on to the next process. A painted part might require drying time, for example.


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Overlap This can also be a negative number for situations where items produced on one routing sequence can be started in the next sequence without having to wait for the entire run to be completed before doing so. In scheduling terminology this is referred to as “overlap.”

Trxn Type This field is only visible when the Transaction Type option is set to ‘Both’ in the Job Labor Defaults screen. Two options are available from the drop-down list.

Backflush If you intend to track completions only and not actual hours against this work center, select this option.

NOTE: It is not practical or even possible to collect actual labor hours against some processes. When one operator runs several machines and jobs at the same time, for example, it is not practical to collect and allocate the labor to each job. In such cases, select the ‘Backflush’ option.

Labor If you intend to collect actual setup and labor hours against this work center, select this option.

Traveler Notes You can enter unlimited freeform notes to describe the process to be performed. These notes print on the job traveler and provide instructions to your shop personnel.

Center Panel – Subcontract Services If the sequence template selected above is assigned to an outside work center designated as a Subcontract type, the following fields are displayed in the center panel:

Supplier This is the supplier that performs the subcontract service.


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NOTE: This field is initially populated by the work center’s default Supplier.

Supp Price This is the price charged by the supplier for the subcontract service.

NOTE: This field is initially populated by the work center’s default Cost value.

Supp UM This is the supplier’s unit of measure, which may differ from your unit of measure. For example, a heat-treater might charge you by the pound or kilo for pricing purposes, but that price is translated in the BOM routing sequence (using the Multiplier) into the Est Cost, which conforms to the BOM Parent’s unit of measure.

NOTE: This field is initially populated by the work center’s default UM.

Multiplier If the Supp Price and the BOM routing sequence’s Est Cost have different units of measure, the Multiplier is used to translate the Supp Price into an Est Cost, using this formula:

Supp Price * Multiplier = Est Cost NOTE: This field is given a value of ‘1’ by default.

Calculating the Multiplier To calculate the Multiplier value, use this formula:

Supplier Qty / Your Qty = Multiplier For example, let’s say the BOM parent weighs 10 pounds and the supplier prices the subcontract service by the pound. Using our formula, the Multiplier would be ‘10’, as follows:

10 lbs / 1 BOM Parent = 10

Days to Next This is the number of days it takes to get the parts sent out, completed, and received back from the supplier.

NOTE: This field is initially populated by the work center’s default Days to Next value, which can be overridden

Traveler Notes The notes entered here print on the job traveler. These notes are for shop personnel and are not passed over to the PO that ultimately gets generated for this subcontract service.

PO Notes The notes entered here get passed into the PO that ultimately gets generated for this subcontract service. These notes do not print on the job traveler.

5-1D. Task Templates

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5-1D. Task Templates (BOM – BOM Setup – Task Templates)

“Task templates” are used to create a library of standard routing task specifications that can be copied as needed into bill of material and job routing sequences. . Tasks can be used to break a routing sequence down into specific steps. All this information prints on the job traveler.

NOTE: Tasks are for documentation purposes only (such as inspection procedures) and have no effect on costing or scheduling.

Field Explanations

Template ID Click the New button to create a new task template record, each of which is identified by an 8-character template ID. We recommend that you identify each template with a number rather than an alpha code.

Group Numbering We recommend that you number your templates in related groups so that similar tasks are listed together in lookups for easy selection. For example, all your inspection tasks could be in the ‘1000’ series, all your material handling tasks in the ‘2000’ series, all your documentation tasks in the ‘3000’ series, and so forth.

Description Enter an up to 50-character description of this task.

Task Notes Enter freeform notes to further describe this task.

5-1D. Revision Names

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5-1E. Revision Names (BOM – BOM Setup – Revision Names)

Use this screen to create a table of pre-defined Revision Names that will be used in the Bills of Material screen to label your Revisions.

Field Explanations

Revision Name You can enter an up to 20-character Revision Name.

NOTE: The system is supplied with a ‘DEFAULT’ Revision Name, which is used as the Default Revision Name in the BOM Defaults screen. If you wish to use a different default name, create it in this screen, then go to BOM Defaults and select it as the Default Revision Name.

• Typical Revision Names would be ‘Revision 1’, ‘Revision 2’, ‘Revision A’, Revision B’, etc.

• If you are using Revision Names for batch sizes, use names that best describe each batch size.

Description Enter an up to 50-character Description to accompany the Revision Name on lookups.

5-2. Work Centers

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5-2. Work Centers (BOM – BOM Setup – Work Centers)

Work Centers organize the factory into specific work areas. You can also define “subcontract” Work Centers to represent outside processing services such as plating, painting, and heat-treating.

Training Course Support Center – Videos–Setup – Work Centers & Machines

How are Work Centers used? Work Centers are used for the following purposes:

Sequence Assignments Each routing Sequence is assigned to a Work Center and optionally to a Machine within that Work Center.

Costing Each Work Center stores hourly costing rates for setup, labor, and overhead. These rates are used by the Cost Rollup to calculate the Estimated Cost of manufactured items and are also used to calculate estimated and actual job costs.

Job Traveler The Job Traveler is organized by sequential routing Sequences / Work Centers and provides your workers with manufacturing specifications.

Job Scheduling In the Work Center Scheduling screen you can enter Work Center capacity settings that MRP uses to schedule suggested jobs.

Machine Scheduling You can optionally create Machines (see next section) and assign them to Work Centers. When the Work Center consists of a set of interchangeable Machines, using Machines enables routing Sequences to be assigned to the appropriate Machine at time of production.

Work Center Scheduling On a daily basis you can schedule jobs and machines and produce a Daily Dispatch List that gets sent out to the shop floor to advise which jobs are to be run next.

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Detail Tab

Header Section

Work Center ID Enter an up to 12-character code that identifies the Work Center on screens, lookups, and reports.

Description Enter an up to 50-character description to accompany the Work Center ID.

Subcontract It this is an outside Work Center used to represent subcontract services such as painting, plating, and heat-treating, select this checkbox, which changes some of the entry fields in the screens below.

Hourly Costing Rates The Hourly Costing Rates panel will not be visible when the Subcontract checkbox is selected in the header panel. On this panel you enter the costing rates that are applied to your routing sequences for job costing and the Cost Rollup calculations.

Labor This hourly rate will be applied to the (Time / Process x Items / Process) values within each routing sequence to determine the routing sequence’s Labor cost.

Setup This hourly rate will be applied to the Setup Hours value within each routing sequence to determine the sequence’s Setup cost.

Fixed Overhead This hourly rate will be applied to your labor and setup hours [(Time / Process x Items / Process) + Setup Hours] within each routing sequence to determine the routing sequence’s Fixed Overhead cost.

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How is this rate determined? We recommend that you use a single Fixed Overhead rate across all your Work Centers, based on this formula:

Last 3-Mos Factory Overhead Cost / Last 3-Mos Direct Labor Hours Factory Overhead Cost can be derived from the Income Statement. This is the Factory Overhead account group total after backing out the Absorbed Labor account. Direct Labor Hours can be derived from the Routing Trxns section of the Job Transactions report. Use total of all setup and labor hours reported.

NOTE: When you are first starting the system, you may not have this data available, so make your best guess at a rate and adjust it each month as data accumulate.

Variable Overhead This hourly rate will be applied to your labor and setup hours [(Time / Process x Items / Process) + Setup Hours] within each routing sequence to determine the sequence’s Variable Overhead cost.

NOTE: We suggest you leave this field blank unless you have a specific cost accounting purpose for using it.

Production Rate Defaults The Production Rate Defaults panel will not be visible when the Subcontract checkbox is selected in the header panel. On this sub-tab you define default production rates for setup and labor that are used when entering new routing sequences in bills of material and jobs. These default values can then be accepted or overridden.

NOTE: These fields are optional. If there is no consistency in labor and setup within the routing sequences assigned to this Work Center, it is not necessary to enter values in these fields.

Setup Enter the typical Setup time required to set up a routing sequence within this Work Center. Enter the time in decimal hours. For example, 45 minutes is entered as ‘.75’.

Time / Process Production is expressed in terms of ‘processes’. A process can be an assembly operation, a hit from a punch press, a mold cycle, etc. A process can produce a single part or many parts at a time. The Time / Process is expressed in decimal hours. This field automatically calculates the Processes / Hour field and vice-versa.

NOTE: The maximum number of hours you can enter in this field is 24 hours. If you have a cycle time longer than 24 hours, leave this field blank and use the Processes / Hr field instead. In that field, enter time

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based on this formula: 1 / # Hours. A cycle time of 40 hours, therefore, would be given a Processes / Hr value of ‘.025’. (When you do this, the Time / Process field receives a nonsensical value, which you can safely ignore).

Processes / Hour A ‘process’ is each event or cycle within a production process, such as an assembly operation, a hit on a punch press, a shot from a mold, etc. If you express your production rates in this manner, you can enter the number of processes per hour in this field. As an alternative, you can enter the Time / Process (see previous), which will automatically calculate the Processes / Hour for you.

Items / Process For a most operations, one part is produced per process, which is why the default for this field is set to ‘1’. With molds and certain tools, however, multiple parts can be produced per process. If so, enter the number of parts per process in this field.

Capacity / Scheduling Panel The Capacity / Scheduling panel will not be visible when the Subcontract checkbox is selected in the header panel. These settings are used by MRP for scheduling planned jobs.

NOTE: These fields are not needed until you actually begin scheduling new jobs, at which time they can be also be updated through the MRP – Work Center Scheduling screen.

Total Hours / Day This is the total number of hours available within the Work Center, including all machines or all workers. For example, if you have three machines, each operating 10 hours a day, the total hours capacity per day for the work center is ‘30’.

Job Hours / Day This is the maximum number of hours that can be allocated to any given job per day. In the example given directly above, even though the Work Center has a total capacity of 30 hours, it is unlikely that a single job will be run on all three machines. In most cases, only one machine can be devoted to one job, in which case the maximum job hours per day in our example would be ‘10’. For job scheduling purposes, estimated setup and labor hours for each routing sequence assigned to this Work Center are divided by the Job Hours / Day to translate hours into job days as part of the overall Job Days calculation for the manufactured item.

Queue Days Leave this setting blank. It has no function at this time.

5-2. Work Centers

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Buffer Days This setting enables you to add in a safety buffer to the job schedule to account for the unforeseen delays common to manufacturing environments – such as machinery repairs, worker or material unavailability, unexpected rework, etc. The Buffer Days specified here will be added to the calculated Job Days for each routing sequence assigned to this Work Center.

Subcontract Defaults Panel The Subcontract Defaults panel is only visible when the Subcontract checkbox is selected in the header panel.

Supplier This serves as the default Supplier when entering a new routing sequence in the Bills of Material screen, which can be overridden at the BOM level.

Cost This serves as the default Est Cost and Supp Price when entering a new routing sequence in the Bills of Material screen, which can be overridden at the BOM level.

UM This serves as the default Supp UM when entering a new routing sequence in the Bills of Material screen, which can be overridden at the BOM level.

Days to Next This serves as the default Days to Next value when entering a new routing sequence in the Bills of Material screen, which can be overridden at the BOM level. For subcontract services, the Days to Next represents the number of lead-time days it takes to get the parts sent out, completed, and received from the supplier.

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Machines Tab

When you click the Machines tab, you will see a listing of machines assigned to this Work Center, for reference purposes only. See the next section for information on setting up Machines.

5-3. Bills of Material

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5-3. Bills of Material (BOM – Bills of Material ... or BOM Icon)

Use this screen to enter manufacturing specifications for your finished items and subassemblies.

List Tab On this tab are listed all your active bills of material (BOMs).

Training Course Support Center – Videos–Setup – New BOM Entry

Field Explanations

Parent Item ID This is the BOM “parent” item, which is its “primary output.” Click the New button to add a parent item to the list.

NOTE1: Only ‘M’ (manufactured) items can have a BOM. NOTE2: An item defined in any BOM as a “secondary output” (see the Outputs tab) cannot have a BOM of its own.

Description This field displays the parent item’s Description, which is maintained in the Stock Items screen.

UM This field displays the parent item’s UM, which is maintained in the Stock Items screen.


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Default Revision This column is only visible when the Revisions option is selected in the BOM Defaults screen. The specifications entered against the default revision are the ones used by MRP for job generation and by the Cost Rollup for cost calculations.

Phantom If you want this BOM to function as a “phantom assembly”, select this checkbox.

NOTE: If the BOM has one or more routing sequences, you are not permitted to select this checkbox.

It is important to know the difference between a “subassembly” and a phantom assembly, explained as follows:

Subassembly A “subassembly”, which is a term used for any BOM that is a component in other BOMs, is always made on its own job and is then issued from stock as a component to the jobs that require it. The parent item and the subassembly are always made on separate jobs.

NOTE: There is no functional difference between a top-level BOM and a subassembly BOM. “Subassembly” is merely a term used to describe a BOM that happens to be located at a lower-level within a product structure.

Phantom Assembly A phantom assembly is a set of components that is never assembled on its own job and is never stocked or sold. Instead, the phantom’s components are pulled into the job of the BOM parent item at time of job creation. The parent and the phantom are always assembled in the same job.

Phantom Assembly Limitations • A phantom assembly cannot have a routing. Any processes dealing

with the phantom components must be defined in the BOM parent’s routing.

• A phantom assembly is never stocked. Phantom components are always assembled to order.

• A phantom assembly is never sold and cannot be given a Base Price or Contract Price. If you need to sell the assembly occasionally as a spare part, you should create a separate item ID for that version so that it can be made on its own (with a routing), included in the MRP generation, stocked, and sold.


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Buttons

New Click this button to create a new BOM record. It launches the New Bill of Material screen, which contains these fields.

BOM Item ID From the lookup, select the BOM parent item. The lookup only lists ‘M’ (manufactured) items that do not yet have a BOM or that are not already used a secondary output on one or more bills of material.

Default Revision Name The system Default Revision Name from the BOM Defaults screen is automatically assigned, but can be overridden with a different selection from the lookup.

Create Button Click this button to create the BOM record and close the screen.

Copy Use this button to create a new BOM by copying an existing BOMs specifications. Select the BOM you wish to copy from and click this button, which launches the Copy BOM screen. Screen details are as follows:

Copy BOM from: The program inserts the currently selected BOM parent into this field for your reference.

Create BOM for: From the lookup, select the new BOM parent item. The lookup only lists ‘M’ (manufactured) items that do not yet have a BOM.

Create Button Click this button to create the BOM record and close the screen.


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Revisions Tab This tab is only visible when the Revisions option is selected in the BOM Defaults screen.

This tab governs the tabs to the right Whichever revision is highlighted in this tab determines the contents on all the tab screens to the right of the Revisions tab.

Screen Details Revisions

Revision Select a revision name created in the BOM – BOM Setup – Revision Names screen.

Batch Size This field is only visible when the Batch Size option is selected in the BOM Defaults screen.

The batch size is used by process manufacturers (food, chemicals, plastics, etc.) who make their products in batches. Each batch size can require different proportions of certain ingredients.

UM This field is only visible when the Batch Size option is selected in the BOM Defaults screen. This is the unit of measure relative to the batch size (LITERS, GALLONS, VAT, TANK, etc.).

Description Enter an up to 50-character description that accompanies the revision name on lookups.


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Creation Date When the revision is created, the system date is recorded in this field.

Buttons

New Click this button to create a new revision.

Copy Use this button to create a new revision and associated specifications by copying an existing revision. Select the revision you wish to copy from and click this button, which launches the Copy Revision screen. Screen details are as follows:

Copy BOM from: The program inserts the selected BOM parent into this panel for your reference.

Revision The program inserts the selected revision into this panel for your reference.

Create New BOM for: The program inserts the BOM parent in this field.

Revision Select a name for the new revision from the lookup in this field.

Create Button Click this button to create the new revision and associated specifications and close the screen.


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Routing Tab Setup, labor, and subcontract service specifications are entered on the Routing tab. These specifications are used for cost calculations, job scheduling, and process documentation for printing on the job traveler.

NOTE: The Routing tab is not visible when the BOM parent is a phantom assembly.

Training Course Support Center – Videos–Setup – Routing Entry

Sequences

Sequence Click the New button to create a new sequence record. The program automatically assigns a sequence number, which you can override if you wish.

NOTE: You can freely renumber sequences when needed. For example, you may need to insert a sequence between two existing sequences, in which case you would renumber the “downstream” sequences to make room for the new Sequence.

Sequence Template Copy You have the option of selecting a “sequence template” from the lookup, which creates this sequence using the template’s specifications. Once the sequence is created, it can than be edited as needed.


NOTE: On subcontract sequences, this Description is also carried forward to the PO that is generated and sent to your service supplier.


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NOTE: As a rule of thumb, no two consecutive sequences should both be assigned to the same work center. Each sequence should normally flow from one work center to a different work center. Attempts at assigning consecutive sequences to the same work center suggest that you are either breaking down your processes too finely or that your work centers are too broadly defined. If you need a finer breakdown of processes within a sequence, consider using Tasks (see below).

Machine Only assign a machine when this item must be run on a particular machine. If the work center contains interchangeable machines, leave this field blank.

Center Panel – Cycle Times If the sequence selected above is assigned to an inside work center, the following set of fields displays, all related to this sequence’s “cycle times” (production rates).

Setup Hours Enter the total setup time for this sequence, expressed in decimal hours. For example, 30 minutes would be entered as ‘.5’.

NOTE: This field is initially populated by the work center’s default Setup value, which can be overridden manually or copied over by a sequence template.

Time / Process Cycle time is expressed in terms of “processes.” A process can be an assembly operation, a hit from a punch press, a mold cycle, etc. A process can produce a single part or several parts at a time. Enter the time (hours, minutes, seconds) required for each process.

NOTE1: As an alternative to making a time entry, you can enter the Processes / Hr (see next), which automatically calculates the Time / Process. NOTE2: The maximum number of hours you can enter in this field is 24 hours. If you have a cycle time longer than 24 hours, leave this field blank and use the Processes / Hr field instead. In that field, enter time based on this formula: 1 / # Hours. A cycle time of 40 hours, therefore, would be given a Processes / Hr value of ‘.025’. (When you do this, the Time / Process field receives a nonsensical, value which you can safely ignore).


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NOTE3: This field is initially populated by the work center’s default Time / Process value, which can be overridden manually or copied over by a sequence template.

Processes / Hr As an alternative to entering Time / Process, you can express the cycle time in terms of Processes / Hr. The entry of either field automatically updates the other.

NOTE: This field is initially populated by the work center’s default Processes / Hr value, which can be overridden manually or copied over by a sequence template.

Items / Process If each process yields one unit of this item, leave this field at the default setting of ‘1’. If each process yields a set of items (such as with a multi-cavity mold), enter the number of items in this field. The Time / Process is divided by the Items / Process to determine the time required to make one unit of this item.

NOTE: This field is initially populated by the work center’s default Items / Process value, which can be overridden manually or copied over by a sequence template.






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Trxn Type This field is only visible when the Routing Trxn Type option is set to ‘Both’ in the Job Labor Defaults screen. Two options are available from the drop-down list.




Traveler Notes You can enter unlimited freeform notes to describe the process to be performed in this sequence. These notes print on the job traveler and provide instructions to your shop personnel.

Center Panel – Subcontract Services If the sequence selected above is assigned to an outside work center designated as a Subcontract type, the following fields are displayed in the center panel:


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Est Cost This is the estimated cost that is used by the Cost Rollup to help calculate the total estimated cost for the BOM Parent. It is calculated by the program as follows:

Supp Price * Multiplier = Est Cost NOTE: This field is initially populated by the work center’s default Cost value.

UM This is the unit of measure associated with the BOM Parent and its Est Cost.



Supp UM This is the supplier’s unit of measure, which may differ from your unit of measure. For example, a heat-treater might charge you by the pound or kilo for pricing purposes, but that price is translated (using the Multiplier) into the Est Cost, which conforms to the BOM Parent’s unit of measure.


Multiplier If the Supp Price and Est Cost have different units of measure, the Multiplier is used to translate the Supp Price into an Est Cost, using this formula:

Supp Price * Multiplier = Est Cost


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NOTE: This field is given a value of ‘1’ by default.


Supplier Qty / Your Qty = Multiplier For example, let’s say the BOM parent weighs 10 pounds and the supplier prices the subcontract service by the pound. Using our formula, the Multiplier would be ‘10’, as follows:

10 lbs / 1 BOM Parent = 10


NOTE: This field is initially populated by the work center’s default Days to Next value, which can be overridden manually or copied over by a sequence template.


PO Notes The notes entered here get passed into the PO that ultimately gets generated for this subcontract service. These notes do not print on the job traveler.

Tasks “Tasks” can be used to break the sequence down into specific steps. All this information prints on the job traveler.


Task You can enter a task name or you can select a “task template” from the lookup. Task templates are maintained in the BOM – BOM Setup – Task Templates screen.


Notes Sub-Tab Enter freeform notes to further describe this task.


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Components Tab Subassemblies and materials are entered on the Components tab.

Training Course Support Center – Videos–Setup – BOM Components Entry

Grid Fields

Sequence This field is only visible if the Routings and Sequence checkboxes are selected in the BOM Defaults screen. This is the routing sequence within which this component gets consumed. When a job gets created, this component will print within this sequence on the job traveler. Sequence assignment also enables job materials and components to be selectively issued by work center in the Job Issues screen.

NOTE: Sequence selection is optional. Unassigned lines print in a No Sequence Allocated section at the end of the job traveler.

Line No The line number is automatically assigned by the program in increments of 10 and is for reference and sorting purposes. Because it is common for multiple instances of a component to occur throughout a BOM, the line number identifies one instance from the other. You can manually override the line number.

Type Enter or select an ‘S’ if this component is a stock item. Enter or select a ‘D’ if this component is a descriptor.

Component, Description Select an item or descriptor from the lookup. The description is automatically displayed.


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Usage Qty If the Revisions checkbox is not selected in BOM Defaults, enter the quantity of this component required to make one unit of the parent item. If the Revisions checkbox is selected in BOM Defaults, enter the quantity required to make one Batch Size defined against this revision.

UM This is the unit of measure (EA, LB, etc.) for the component.

Fixed or Variable This field is only visible if the Fixed or Variable checkbox is selected in BOM Defaults. When not visible, the field value is hidden and is automatically set to ‘V’. If the quantity required for this component varies proportionally with the job quantity of the parent item, set this field to ‘V’ (variable). Most materials, subassemblies, and subcontract services have variable quantities, which is why the default is set to ‘V’. If the quantity required for this component is to be a fixed amount regardless of the parent item quantity being manufactured, set this field to ‘F’ (Fixed). Some batch processes, for example, require a fixed amount of an ingredient, regardless of batch size. Or there could be a situation where a service charge or fee is levied that does not vary with the quantity being manufactured.

Scrap % This field is only visible if the Scrap % checkbox is selected in BOM Setup. This is the anticipated scrap for this component, expressed as a percentage of the usage quantity. When a job gets created, this percentage is added to the total quantity allocated for this component to insure that sufficient material is planned for to account for anticipated scrap. The cost associated with the scrap percentage is also incorporated in the Cost Rollup. The job quantity is adjusted for scrap as follows:

Allocated Qty / (1 – (Scrap % / 100)) = Job Qty

From Date / Thru Date These fields are only visible if the From / Thru Dates checkbox is selected in BOM Defaults. This is the date range within which the component becomes effective. The From Date defaults to the system date at time of initial entry and the Thru Date is left blank unless you enter a date. When a job gets created, only components with current effective dates at the time of job creation are included in the job details.


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Notes Sub-Tab

Job Notes You can enter freeform text in this notes field. This text is passed into the Line Notes associated with job detail lines created from this BOM. These notes print on the job traveler underneath the component.

Reference Designators Reference designators, which are used by circuit board manufacturers to indicate location coordinates, are often listed n the Job Notes rather than the References sub-table (see next). This is because the job notes print directly with the component, whereas the References print as a sub-report at the end of the job traveler. Either method – Job Notes or References – conveys the information, so which one to use is a matter of personal preference.

References Sub-Tab This sub-tab is only visible when the References option is selected in the BOM Defaults screen. References enable you to define a sub-table of reference information against a component and print as a sub-report at the end of the job traveler.

Reference This can be a location coordinate, a drawing bubble number, or for any table that has a one-to-many relationship with the component. You can enter as many reference records as you wish. To create a new record, click on this panel first and then click the New button.

Qty This is an optional field. It represents the quantity against this reference in relation to one unit of the BOM parent.


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Speed Entry Button “Speed entry” helps you enter components as rapidly as possible and is especially useful when entering large numbers of components. Click the Speed Entry button to launch the Speed Entry screen.

NOTE: You can use speed entry as often as you wish. You can enter a few components, transfer them, enter a few more, transfer them, and so forth.

Speed Entry Screen

Upper Panel

Stock Items or Descriptors Choose whether you want to select Stock Items or Descriptors. All your stock items or descriptors will display in the selection grid.

Sequence If you want the items selected to all be assigned to a particular routing sequence, make a selection in this field.

Item Selection

Item ID or Descriptor ID Start typing the item ID or descriptor ID. As you type each character, the cursor will progressively move to the item with the closest match. Once you find the item you are looking for, press Enter and the cursor will move to the Qty field where you can enter the order quantity.

Lower Grid After entering the quantity, press Enter and you will see your entry displayed in the lower grid. The cursor moves to the left-hand column where you can immediately make another selection.


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Using the mouse is not necessary You don’t have to use the mouse to make your selections. You can press Enter to move back and forth from the Item ID or Descriptor ID field to the Qty field and to make your selections. You can use your arrow keys to navigate up or down the columns. You can, of course, also use the mouse, if you wish.

Description Search Use this field to narrow the contents of the main selection grid only to items that contain the text you enter. Once you enter your text, click the lookup icon to the left and the main grid displays the items with matching text. Once you make a selection, the grid repopulates itself with all your items. If you make a search and don’t select an item, click the ‘X’ button and the grid will repopulate with all items.

Item Category You can click on this column heading to sort the list by item category. You can also click the down arrow in the column heading to filter the list to a particular item category.

De-Selecting Items To de-select an item, highlight it in the lower display grid and click the Delete button.

Transfer Button Your item selections and quantities are displayed in the lower grid in the order that they were selected. When your selections are completed, click the Transfer button and the items and quantities will be transferred to the Components tab.

Re-Sequence Button When you click this button, all Line No values are renumbered in increments of ‘10’, beginning with ‘10’. The current sort order is not changed.


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Outputs Tab This tab is only visible when the Outputs option is selected in the BOM Defaults screen. Use this screen to enter any “secondary outputs” that may exist for bi-products or co-products.

Upper Panel

Primary Output The BOM parent is referred to as the “primary output” when jobs are originated from this BOM.

Description The BOM parent’s description is displayed for reference only.

Cost Ratio This is the primary output’s percentage share of the BOM’s estimated cost as well as its percentage share of estimated and actual job cost for jobs originated from this BOM. The program calculates this value using this formula:

100 - Secondary Ratios = Cost Ratio

Secondary Ratios This is the sum of the Cost Ratio values in the Secondary Outputs grid.

Grid Fields

Secondary Output Select one or more secondary outputs in this column.

NOTE: A secondary output cannot be a BOM parent in another BOM. The lookup is confined to ‘M’ (manufactured) items that do not have BOM records.

Secondary outputs can be used for these purposes:


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Bi-Products and Co-Products Batch process manufacturers (food, chemicals, plastics, etc.) often have bi-product and co-products that get produced during the course of a job.

Disassembly Disassembly jobs are a form of reverse manufacturing in which multiple outputs are yielded from a single input.

Description The item’s description (from the Stock Items screen) is displayed for reference only.

Usage Qty Enter the output quantity of this item that corresponds with one unit of the primary output.

If you are using Batch Sizes If you are using batch sizes in your revisions, enter the output quantity that corresponds with this revision’s batch size

UM The item’s UM (from the Stock Items screen) is displayed for reference only.

Cost Ratio Enter this output’s relative share of overall cost, using your “best guess” estimate. The cost ratio is used by the Cost Rollup and Job Receipts screens to allocate total cost to each output.

NOTE: When you enter a cost ratio, the primary output’s cost ratio is adjusted so that the sum of all cost ratios equals ‘100’.

From Date / Thru Date These fields are only visible if the From / Thru Dates checkbox is selected in BOM Defaults. This is the date range within which the secondary output becomes effective. The From Date defaults to the system date at time of initial entry and the Thru Date is left blank unless you enter a date. When a job gets created, only secondary outputs with current effective dates at the time of job creation are included in the job details.

Job Notes Panel You can enter freeform text in this notes field. This text is passed into the Line Notes associated with job detail lines created from this BOM.


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Indented View Tab Use this tab to get a grid view of this BOM’s entire product structure, including all lower-level subassemblies, phantom assemblies, and their associated components.

Screen Details There is only one new field on this tab:

Level The components in this BOM are all assigned to Level ‘1’. If a Level ‘1’ component is a subassembly or phantom assembly, its components are assigned to Level ‘2’. If a Level ‘2’ component is a subassembly or phantom assembly, its components are assigned to Level ‘3’, and so forth.


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Tree View Tab Use this tab to get a tree view of this BOM’s entire product structure, including all lower-level subassemblies, phantom assemblies, and their associated components.

Buttons

Multi-Level Click this button to change the inquiry from a Single Level view to a Multi-Level view.

Single Level Click this button to change the inquiry from a Multi-Level view to a Single Level view.

Show Grid Click this button to make the grid cells visible.

5-4. Estimated Purchase Costs

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5-4. Estimated Purchase Costs (BOM – Estimated Purchase Costs)

Use this screen to periodically change the unit Estimated Cost for purchased items.

Purpose Each item’s unit Estimated Cost is a fixed value that only changes when you change it. In the case of purchased items, the estimated cost is changed using this screen. In the case of manufactured items, the estimated cost is changed by running the Cost Rollup. Estimated costs for purchased items are incorporated in the cost rollup of manufactured items, so it is important to periodically update purchased item estimated costs to achieve accurate cost rollups.

Use the Mass Change option Many companies have thousands of purchase items. Where this is the case, maintaining estimated costs manually would be highly time consuming. As an alternative to manual entry, we recommend that you use the Mass Change option to update the unit Estimated Cost on all your purchased items with each item’s Last Cost.

How often? We suggest you run the Mass Change option at least once per accounting period. For best results, run the mass change option on your purchased items and a batch rollup on all your manufactured items once a week.

Screen Details


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Selection Filters Use the settings in the upper panel to generate a list of items in the Item List sub-tab.

Item ID Leave this field blank if you want the list to include all your purchased stock items. If you want to narrow the list down, each character you enter restricts the list to items beginning with the characters entered in this field. For example, in the sample company all the red wagon items begin with ‘1080’. So if you type ‘1080’ in this field and click the Create List button, the list will only include items beginning with ‘1080’.

Description This field provides an additional filter. You can leave it blank if you want all Descriptions within the item list, but if you want to narrow the list to items containing specific Descriptions, each character you enter restricts the list to Descriptions beginning with the characters entered in this field.

Select All Categories This checkbox provides an additional filter. If you clear the checkbox, a list of Item Categories displays below the checkbox. You can select one or more Item Categories and your list will be restricted just to purchased items within those categories.

Create List Button Once your entries are completed in the upper panel, click this button to generate the list in the Item List sub-tab.

Hide Filter Panel Button Once your list is generated, you can click this button to hide the upper panel and make more room on the screen for your list. Your filter selections remain displayed just above the Item List sub-tab. When the upper panel is hidden, a Show Filter Panel button becomes visible, which you can click it you wish to make the upper panel visible again.

Item List Sub-Tab Your list of items is displayed in the grid on this sub-tab. Each item’s current Inv Cost, Last Cost, and Est Cost are displayed for reference purposes.

Mass Replace Button Clicking this button gives you the option of populating the New Cost column with each item’s Last Cost or Inventory Cost.

New Cost Enter the item’s new Estimated Cost in this field. You are not obligated to make an entry on every item in the list – only on those where a cost change is needed.


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Clear Button Click this button if you wish to completely clear the New Cost column.

Update Button When your entries are completed, click this button and the new cost will take effect.

5-5. Cost Rollup

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5-5. Cost Rollup (BOM – Cost Rollup)

This screen is used to calculate the Estimated Cost of your ‘M’ (manufactured) items) based on their BOM specifications.

Training Video Support Center – Videos–How Do I? – Manufacturing Training Course

Segment: Cost Rollup

Overview What are the benefits of the Estimated Cost calculation? The Estimated Cost calculation provides three primary benefits:

• An accurate Estimated Cost on the ‘M’ (manufactured) items you sell helps you assess profit margins and establish product prices.

• An accurate Estimated Cost on subassembly items (BOMs that go into other BOMs) is an important element in the calculation of estimated job costs for comparison with actual job costs.

• The cost management process – refining your Routing cycle times based on estimated versus actual job performance, refining Work Center hourly rates for setup, labor, and overhead, and updating your ‘P’ item Estimated Costs – keeps you focused on costs and their implications.

How often should costs be rolled up? The Cost Rollup should be run after making any set of significant changes to BOM routing details, work center hourly rates, or updating ‘P’ (purchased) item costs in the Estimated Purchase Costs screen. You can run the Cost Rollup as often as you wish because it has no effect on inventory value or any other accounting impact.

Cost Elements The Estimated Cost of a manufactured item is broken out into these seven Cost Elements on screens and reports:

Cost Element Description Mat. Material Setup. Setup Labor. Labor FixOH. Fixed Overhead VarOH. Variable Overhead Subcon. Subcontract Service Misc. Miscellaneous

5-5. Cost Rollup

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Cost Sources Costs are calculated for each Cost Element as follows:

Material All ‘P’ (purchased) item BOM components are considered Material. The Estimated Cost of each ‘P’ item component is multiplied by its Usage Qty. Material costs are totaled up for each subassembly and phantom assembly in the product structure and are then multiplied by each assembly’s indented Usage Quantity. Those lower-level costs are then added to the Material cost of the BOM parent to arrive at the total Material cost for the product.

Setup Each routing sequence’s Setup Hours are multiplied by the Work Center hourly Setup rate and are then divided by the BOM parent’s Run Size setting (or Batch Size when Batches are activated) to translate the Setup cost into a “per unit” cost. Setup costs are totaled up for each subassembly and phantom assembly in the product structure and are then multiplied by each assembly’s indented Usage Quantity. Those lower-level costs are then added to the Setup cost of the BOM parent to arrive at the total Setup cost for the product.

Labor Each routing sequence’s Labor hours (Time Process / Items/Process) are multiplied by the Work Center hourly Labor rate, which is then multiplied by the # Persons setting. Labor costs are totaled up for each subassembly and phantom assembly in the product structure and are then multiplied by each assembly’s indented Usage Quantity. Those lower-level costs are then added to the Labor cost of the BOM parent to arrive at the total Labor cost for the product.

Overhead Each routing sequence’s Setup Hours plus Labor hours (Time Process / Items/Process) are multiplied by the Work Center hourly Overhead rate. Overhead costs are totaled up for each subassembly and phantom assembly in the product structure and are then multiplied by each assembly’s indented Usage Quantity. Those lower-level costs are then added to the Overhead cost of the BOM parent to arrive at the total Overhead cost for the product.

Subcontract Service Subcontract routing sequence Cost values are totaled up for each subassembly and phantom assembly in the product structure and are then multiplied by each assembly’s indented Usage Quantity. Those lower-level costs are then added to the Subcontract Service cost of the BOM parent to arrive at the total Subcontract Service cost for the product.

Miscellaneous You can use Descriptors with a Descriptor Type of ‘MISC’ as BOM components to account for Miscellaneous costs. The Estimated Cost of each

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such Descriptor component is multiplied by its Usage Qty. Miscellaneous costs are totaled up for each subassembly and phantom assembly in the product structure and are then multiplied by each assembly’s indented Usage Quantity. Those lower-level costs are then added to the Miscellaneous cost of the BOM parent to arrive at the total Miscellaneous cost for the product.

Multiple Revisions If your products have multiple revisions, be aware that the Cost Rollup only rolls up costs for each item’s Default Revision. If you wish to roll up the cost on a revision other than the default revision, you must go to the Bills of Material screen and temporarily change the item’s Default Revision. Run the rollup and then change the Default Revision back to what it was.

Screen Details

Upper Panel

BOM Element When the screen is launched, your top level BOM parent items (those that are not a subassembly in another BOM) are listed in the upper panel. If you clear the Top Level Items checkbox in the center panel, all your BOM parent items are listed, regardless of level.

NOTE: you can right-click on the BOM parent item to display a menu of additional options. You can view the item’s cost details within a grid and you can print the BOM tree.

Revision When you double-click on the BOM parent item, the Revision element becomes visible. When the Default Revision checkbox is selected in the center panel, the item’s Default Revision name is listed as the only element. When the Default Revision checkbox is cleared, all the parent

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item’s other non-default Revision names are listed as elements following the Components element.

NOTE: This BOM Element is not visible when the Revisions option is not selected in the BOM Defaults screen.

Routing When you double-click on the BOM parent item, the Routing element becomes visible when the Routings checkbox is selected in the center panel.

NOTE: you can right-click on the Routing element to display a menu of additional options. You can view the Routing cost details within a grid and you can print the BOM tree.

Sequences Routing Sequence elements become visible when you double-click on the Routing element. The following columns become visible to the right:

NOTE: you can right-click on the Sequence element to display a menu of additional options. You can view the Sequence cost details within a grid and you can print the BOM tree.

Work Center This is the Work Center to which this routing Sequence is assigned.

Machine ID This is the Machine ID to which this routing Sequence is assigned.

Components When you double-click on the BOM parent item, the Components element becomes visible.

Reference ID’s When you double-click on the Components element, the component Reference ID elements are listed.

NOTE1: If the Reference ID element is a subassembly, you can double-click on it to open up another level of BOM Elements pertaining to its BOM. NOTE2: you can right-click on the Reference ID element to display a menu of additional options. You can view the item or descriptor’s cost details within a grid and you can print the BOM tree.

The following columns become visible to the right:

Usage Qty This is the component’s Usage Qty multiplied by its parent item’s Usage Qty.

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UM This is the component’s UM (from the Stock Items screen or Descriptors screen)

Scrap % This is the components Scrap % setting from the BOM.

Total Qty This is the total usage quantity after the Scrap % has been applied to the Usage Qty.

Est Cost This is the item or descriptor’s unit Estimated Cost.

Total Cost This is the Total Qty multiplied by the Est Cost and represents the Total Cost for this component.

Description The Description associated with BOM parent item or the item or descriptor Component element is displayed in this column. If you are using Batch Sizes, the Batch Size is displayed in this field against Revision elements.

Est Cost The unit Estimated Cost of the BOM parent item or Component item or descriptor is displayed in this field.

Center Panel

Top Level Items When this checkbox is selected, only top-level BOM parent items (those that are not a subassembly in another BOM) are displayed in the upper panel. When this checkbox is cleared, all BOM parent items are displayed, regardless of level.

Default Revision This checkbox is only visible when the Revisions option is selected in the BOM Defaults screen. When selected, only the parent item’s Default Revision displays as a BOM Element in the upper panel. When cleared, the parent item’s other non-default Revision elements are displayed following the Component element.

Routings When this checkbox is selected, the Routing element displays in the upper panel.

Description Search In the entry field to the right of the Routings checkbox you can perform a text search among all BOM parent item Descriptions. Enter your text, then click

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the magnifying glass icon and the upper panel will list all BOM parent items with a Description that contains that text string.

Item ID No matter what element is highlighted above within a product structure, this field displays the BOM parent Item ID at the top of the structure.

Est Cost This is the current unit Estimated Cost of the Item ID to the left.

Last Update The date and time when the Est Cost was last rolled up for this item is displayed in this field.

Revision This field is only visible when the Revisions option is selected in the BOM Defaults screen. It displays the Default Revision name for the Item ID to the left.

NOTE: The Cost Rollup only calculates costs for the Default Revision. If you want to calculate the cost for one of the item’s other Revisions, you must go to the Bills of Material screen, temporarily make the other Revision the Default Revision, run the rollup, then go back and restore the Default Revision to its prior designation.

Batch Size This field is only visible when the Batch Sizes option is selected in the BOM Defaults screen. It displays the Batch Size associated with the item’s Default Revision.

Lower Grid The lower grid provides a cost summary of the Item ID in the center panel.

NOTE: you can right-click on any Cost Element to see the underlying cost details.

Cost Class Column The Cost Elements for this item hat have costs are listed in this column. Possible values include:

Cost Element Description Mat. Material Setup. Setup Labor. Labor FixOH. Fixed Overhead VarOH. Variable Overhead Subcon. Subcontract Service Misc. Miscellaneous

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Routing Cost Column In this column are displayed the routing costs directly associating with fabricating or assembling this item.

Lower Levels Column This column displays the material costs for the item as well as the routing and material costs associated with all lower-level subassemblies.

Total Cost Column This column displays the sum of the Routing Cost and Lower Levels cost for each Cost Element. The grand total cost at the bottom of the column is the item’s Estimated Cost.

Primary, Output #1, Output #2 … Columns If this item has multiple outputs, additional columns display to the right of the Total Cost column. In the column headings you see the Primary output, Output #1, Output #2 and so forth. Also in each heading is the output’s Cost Ratio percentage. Each Total Cost value is multiplied by each column’s Cost Ratio to determine its share of the cost. The grand total cost at the bottom of column is each output item’s Estimated Cost.

Single Rollup Button Click this button to roll up the cost for the currently highlighted item in the upper panel. The Single Rollup takes much less time than the Batch Rollup option.

Batch Rollup Button Click this button to roll up the cost for all your ‘M’ items. This may take several minutes depending on how many items and components are involved.

NOTE: We recommend that you always mass update your ‘P’ item estimated costs in the Estimated Purchase Costs screen before you run the Batch Rollup.

Links Button Click this button to link directly to the item’s bill of material, where you can make immediate changes to its routing or components.

“Key” Icon The objects in the tree are represented by different icons. To get a listing of what each icon represents, click the key icon in the lower right portion of the button panel.

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5-6. Where Used Inquiry (BOM – Where Used Inquiry)

Use this screen to specify a particular component and get a listing of all BOMs containing that component.

Select an item from the opening list, click OK, and you are presented with a list of BOMs that contain the item, including its Usage Qty.

Full Collapse Button Click this button to get a single-level listing of the parent items to which this component is directly assigned.

Full Expand Button If the parent item to which this component is assigned is a subassembly within a product structure, click this button to get a view of the higher level parents that contain the subassembly and therefore indirectly contain this component.

5-7. BOM Reports

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5-7. BOM Reports

5-7A. Multi-Level BOM (BOM – Reports – Multi-Level BOM)

Use this report to get a listing of your BOM specifications.

Selection Options Print multiple levels Select this checkbox if you wish to list the entire product structure, including subassemblies, phantom assemblies, and their associated components.

Print BOM notes Select this checkbox if you wish to include the Notes entered against the BOM Parent.

Print BOM detail line notes Select this checkbox if you wish to include Notes entered against components.

Print substitutes Select his checkbox if you wish to print any Alternates that are cross-referenced to component items on the Sources tab of the Stock Items screen.

Print suppliers Select this checkbox if you with to print Suppliers that are cross-referenced to component items on the Sources tab of the Stock Items screen.

Print references Select this checkbox if you wish to print any component Reference designators.

Print effectivity dates Select this checkbox if you wish to print component Date Added and Date Removed values.

Print scrap % Select this checkbox if you wish to include any component Scrap percentages.

Number of decimals for component qty You can specify how many decimal places you wish displayed for the component Usage Qty. The default value is ‘6’.

Component effectivity dates Select the first option if you want to list all components, regardless of their Date Added and Date Removed values. Select the second option if you wish to list only components effective as of a specific date. When you select the second option, a date selection field displays and defaults to today’s date.

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Parent items You can select one item, a from/thru range of items, or list all items on the report.

Parent item categories You can limit the report to items belonging to selected or all Item Categories.

Parent item status You can limit the report to items that have a Status of ‘Active’ or ‘In-Active’.

5-7B. Costed BOM (BOM – Reports – Costed BOM)

Use this report to a cost breakdown of your BOMs. NOTE: If you have multiple Revisions, this report only lists your Default Revision. If you need a cost breakdown on some other Revision, you must temporarily make it the Default Revision.

Selection Options Print multiple levels Select this checkbox if you wish to list the entire product structure, including subassemblies, phantom assemblies, and their associated components.

Print BOM notes Select this checkbox if you wish to include the Notes entered against the BOM Parent.

Print BOM detail line notes Select this checkbox if you wish to include Notes entered against components.

Print substitutes Select his checkbox if you wish to print any Alternates that are cross-referenced to component items on the Sources tab of the Stock Items screen.

Print suppliers Select this checkbox if you with to print Suppliers that are cross-referenced to component items on the Sources tab of the Stock Items screen.

Print references Select this checkbox if you wish to print any component Reference designators.

Number of decimals for component qty You can specify how many decimal places you wish displayed for the component Usage Qty. The default value is ‘6’.

Parent items You can select one item, a from/thru range of items, or list all items on the report.

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Revision The item’s Default Revision is listed for reference only.

Parent item categories You can limit the report to items belonging to selected or all Item Categories.

Parent item status You can limit the report to items that have a Status of ‘Active’ or ‘In-Active’.

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6. Sales

Operating Guide 279

6. Sales The Sales menu is where you will find all sales-related tables and applications, including customers, pricing and discounts, sales orders, sales quotes, and sales reports. Menu options include:

Sales Sales Setup • Sales Defaults • Customers List • Customer Types • Customer Terms • Contact Types • Sales Regions • Lead Sources • SO Types • Ship Methods • Sales Rep Types • Sales Reps • Commission Codes

Pricing & Discounts • Base Prices • Price Levels • Discounts • Discount Codes • Contract Pricing

Main Menu • Customers • Credit Manager • Sales Orders • Order Picking • Quotes • Sales Order Inquiry

Data Views • Open Sales Orders • Sales Order Bookings • Picked/Shipped Not Invoiced

Reports • Sales Order Summary • Sales Order Detail

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• Open Items Listing • Available to Ship • Base Prices & Costs • Invoice Listing • Sales by Customer • Sales by Customer Type • Sales by Commission Code • Sales Ranked by Customer • Profit Margin by Customer • Sales by Item/Descriptor • Sales by Item Category • Sales by Descriptor Type • Sales Ranked by Item/Descriptor • Profit Margin by Item • Warranty Sheet • Warranty Listing

6. Sales

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Overview Sales orders drive the planning system. For MTO (make to order) items, MRP generates jobs directly from sales order lines. For all other manufactured items, MRP compares sales order requirements with projected stock within each item’s planning period and generates jobs as needed. MRP then generates all the POs needed to fulfill net demand associated by these job requirements.

What is a sales order? All customer orders, whether for items or services, are entered as sales orders. Each line item is given a Required Date for planning purposes.

Is a sales order the same as an invoice? No, they are two separate things. You can generate multiple invoices from a single sales order. You may have backorders, for example, that get invoiced later when stock becomes available, or you may enter an order with scheduled shipments on different dates.

How are sales orders created? A sales order can be converted from a quote entered in the Sales Quotes screen or it can be entered from scratch in the Sales Orders screen. It can also be copied from a previous order. For make to order items, the Delivery Date Estimator is used to calculate the item’s Required Date.

How is pricing handled? If the sales order derived from a sales quote, the quoted price is used. If you enter the sales order and the item has a Contract Price with your customer, that price is used. If not, the item’s Price Level price is used. If you don’t use Price Levels, the item’s Base Price is used. Against the Price Level or Base Price is applied the customer’s Discount for this item, if the customer is assigned to a Discount Code. You also have the option of entering a price from scratch.

What happens after the sales order gets created? Items that are made or purchased to stock can be picked for shipment immediately. For items made to order, MRP generates jobs and schedules them to meet sales order Required Dates.

How are orders picked for shipment? On a daily basis, the Shipment Planner lookup in the Order Picking screen is used to determine which sales orders are ready to ship. Each sales order is physically picked and processed on the screen in priority order, using either a pick list or dispatch list for guidance in the warehouse.

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How are shipments made? Once a sales order is picked, which can be partially or in full, a shipment is generated on the Shipping tab of the Sales Orders screen. Against the shipment you can print a packing list, shipping labels, and enter shipping charges.

How does the invoice get created? Shipments are converted into invoices on the Invoicing tab of the Sales Orders screen. Invoices can be printed or Emailed to the customer.

How are RMAs handled? An RMA (returned merchandise authorization) is initiated as a quote to keep it is ignored by MRP and kept separate from regular sales orders. When returned items are received and assessed, the quote is converted into a sales order for final processing, which may involve returning the item to stock, repairing the item, issuing a credit memo, etc.

6-1A. Sales Defaults

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6-1. Sales Setup

6-1A. Sales Defaults (Sales – Sales Setup – Sales Defaults)

This screen is reserved for future options.

6-1B. Customers List

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6-1B. Customers – List Tab (Sales – Sales Setup – Customers – List Tab)

Use this screen to configure the opening List tab of the Customers screen. You can designate which fields you want displayed and you can change column heading names.


Advanced Tab When the customer list reaches a certain size, the time it takes to load, sort, and display the information in the List tab can slow down noticeably. If so, you can optimize the list by limiting the number of records that get loaded at one time. You will find this setting on the Advanced tab. If you limit the number of records, this does not restrict your access to any data; it merely loads a certain number of records at-a-time into the screen.

NOTE: When you limit the records is, you lose the ability to click on the grid column headings for sorting and filtering purposes.


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6-1C. Customer Types (Sales – Sales Setup – Customer Types)

Customer Types are user-defined codes that categorize your customers into groups for reporting and sorting purposes. Another use is the ability to assign prices and sales commissions to Customer Types.

Training Video Support Center – Videos–Setup – Customer Setup

Segment: Customer Types

Field Explanations

Customer Type & Description Enter an 8-character Customer Type code and accompanying 50-character description.

NOTE: Leave the ‘MTS’ type as is. This is used by the system for internal purposes.

Price Level If all customers within this type are to receive the same Price Level, select the appropriate price level in this field. If customers of this type receive Base Prices, leave this field blank.

Discount Code If all customers within this type are to receive the same Discount Code, select the appropriate discount code in this field. If customers of this type do not receive discounts, leave this field blank.

Setting the Default Customer Type You can establish a default Customer Type by highlighting the desired line item and clicking the Set as Default button. You will see the Default Customer Type displayed at the top of the screen. When you create a new customer, the Default Customer Type will automatically be assigned to the customer, which can then be overridden, if desired.

6-1D. Customer Terms

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6-1D. Customer Terms (Sales – Sales Setup – Customer Terms)

Use this screen to set up your customer terms table, which are the payment terms offered to your customers.


Segment: Customer Terms

Grid Fields

Description This identifies the payment term and is the text that will print on invoices.

Credit Card? This field is only visible when the ‘DBA Financial Modules’ option is selected in the Accounting Configuration screen. Select this checkbox if the customer payment associated with this term is to be made by credit card. At time of invoice posting, you will be prompted to post the payment to the merchant Banking Account specified in the lower panel of this screen.

NOTE: When this checkbox is selected, the fields to the right are grayed out and given zero and blank values and the Banking Account and Default Payment Type fields become visible in the lower panel.

Days Due This is the number of days within which the payment is due.

From End of Month If the number of days due is calculated from the end of the month, a common practice in some countries, select the From End of Month checkbox. If the number of days due is calculated from the invoice date, leave this checkbox blank.

Discount % If a discount is due for prompt payment, enter a Discount %. A two and a half percent discount would be entered as ‘2.5.’

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Discount Days This is the number of days within which the discount can be taken.

Lower Panel

Banking Account This field is only visible when the Credit Card? checkbox is selected above. Select the banking account to which this credit card payment is to be posted. By default, the lookup is limited to ‘Merchant’ type banking accounts, but you can select the Bank Accounts checkbox in the lower panel to include ‘Bank Account’ types in the lookup list.

Default Payment Type Select the payment type associated with this type of credit card payment. The lookup is limited to payment types against which the payment method in the AR – Accounts Receivable Setup – Payment Types screen is set to ‘CCARD’.

Button

Set as Default You can designate one of your terms as the default by highlighting it and clicking the Set as Default button. After doing so, you will see the Default Terms displayed in the upper panel. When you create a new customer record, the Default Terms is assigned by default.

6-1E. Contact Types

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6-1E. Contact Types (Sales – Sales Setup – Contact Types)

Contact Types are user-defined codes used to categorize customer and supplier Contacts into categories such as ‘Sales’, ‘Accounts Payable’, etc.

NOTE: This same table is used with the Customers and Suppliers screens.


Segment: Contact Types

Field Explanations

Type Enter an up to 20-character contact Type code.

Description Enter an up to 50-character Description to accompany the contact Type in lookups.

6-1F. Sales Regions

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6-1F. Sales Regions (Sales – Sales Setup – Sales Regions)

Sales Regions are user-defined codes that organize your customers into sales regions or territories for analysis purposes.


Segment: Sales Regions

Field Explanations

Sales Region Enter an up to 20-character Sales Region code.

Description Enter an up to 50-character Description to accompany the Sales Region in lookups.

6-1G. Lead Sources

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6-1G. Lead Sources (Sales – Sales Setup – Lead Sources)

Lead Sources are user-defined codes that help you track the lead source (advertising, directories, word-of-mouth, etc.) from which the customer first learned of your products or services.


Segment: Lead Sources

Field Explanations

Lead Source ID Enter an up to 10-character Lead Source ID.

Description Enter an up to 50-character Description to accompany the Lead Source in lookups.

6-1H. SO Types

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6-1H. SO Types (Sales – Sales Setup – SO Types)

When you create a sales order, it is assigned to an SO Type. SO Types can be used to categorize different types of orders and to give each order type its own form layouts and other settings.

List Tab Your existing SO Types and their primary settings are listed on this screen.

New Button Click this button to create a new SO Type. Clicking the button takes you to the Details tab, which is cleared and ready for new entries.

Set as Default This button is used to designate the SO Type that gets selected by default each time a new sales order is created. Highlight the desired SO Type, then click this button. You will see the Default SO Type displayed in the upper panel.

Details Tab

General Info

SO Type ID Enter an up to 8-character code that identifies this SO Type on lists and lookups.

Description Enter an up to 50-character Description that accompanies the SO Type ID on screens and lookups.

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Prefix Enter an up to 4-character Prefix that precedes the numeric portion of the sales order number. An alpha prefix makes it easy to recognize the type when looking at a sales order number.

Non-Active If you no longer wish to use this SO Type, select this checkbox. It will no longer be available for selection when creating new sales orders.

Detail Options

Activate Shipping Tab Clear this checkbox if you don’t intend to create shipments with this SO Type. If you use this type for walk-in “counter sales”, you don’t need to create packing lists and enter shipping charges, in which case the sales order Shipping tab does not need to be activated. Acknowledgment Layout Quote Layout Packing List Layout Invoice Layout Leave these field blank if you want to use the default layout for each of these forms. If you create a custom layout for this SO Type, use the lookup to select your custom RTM layout. See chapter 3 for more details on forms editing.

Screen Config Button This button provides access to the Screen Config window, within which you can activate and deactivate various fields on sales orders assigned to this SO Type.

NOTE: You must have Administrator level user security to be permitted to access this screen.

SO Header The following optional set of fields is not selected by default, but may be selected if you wish.

Service Only If you use the Service Assets screen, which is a legacy application that is no longer furnished with the standard product, select this option to activate the Service ID field in the sales order header screen.

Costs & Profit If you select this checkbox, the Est Costs, Margin %, and Profit fields display in the sales order Header screen. For most companies this information is not relevant to order entry and we recommend that you leave this checkbox cleared.

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SO Lines The following field options are not selected by default, but may be selected if you wish.

Est Cost This is the item’s unit Estimated Cost at the time the sales order line was created. For most companies this information is not relevant to order entry and we recommend that you leave this checkbox cleared.

Act Cost This is the actual unit cost of the quantity picked to-date. For most companies this information is not relevant to order entry and we recommend that you leave this checkbox cleared.

Margin or Markup This is the Margin or Markup (depending on your Profitability setting in the Sales Defaults screen) of the net Price over Est Cost. For most companies this information is not relevant to order entry and we recommend that you leave this checkbox cleared.

Total Cost This field displays the total estimated cost, which is the line’s Qty multiplied by the Est Cost. For most companies this information is not relevant to order entry and we recommend that you leave this checkbox cleared.

Ref Date Do not activate this field. This is a legacy feature that will be removed from the system in a future product build.

Ref Code Do not activate this field. This is a legacy feature that will be removed from the system in a future product build.

Warranty Code If you provide warranties with your items, select this checkbox to make the Warranty Code field visible.

NOTE: You only need to make this field visible if you have occasional need to change the Warranty Code.

6-1I. Ship Methods

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6-1I. Ship Methods (Sales – Sales Setup – Ship Methods)

Use this screen to set up a table of standard Ship Methods. You can assign a default Ship Method to each customer and you can specify the Ship Method during sales order entry.


Setup: Ship Methods

List Tab Your existing Ship Methods are listed on this screen.

Detail Tab Ship Method Enter the Ship Method code which can be up to 30-characters in length.

Description Enter an up to 50-character Description that accompanies the Ship Method on lookups.

Ship Charge (Optional) You have the option of entering a Ship Charge. If you do so, this amount will automatically be used for the Shipping Charges that get applied to Shipments assigned to this Ship Method. Typically, shipping charges are not known in advance of shipment, in which case you would leave this field blank. The Ship Charge may have use in situations where fixed “shipping & handling” fees are published in price lists and catalogs.

6-1J. Sales Rep Types

Operating Guide 295

6-1J. Sales Rep Types (Sales – Sales Setup – Sales Rep Types)

Sales Rep Types are user-defined codes that enable you to organize your Sales Reps into categories.


Segment: Sales Rep Types

Field Explanations

Rep Type Enter an up to 20-character alphanumeric Rep Type code.

Description Enter an up to 50-character Description to accompany the Rep Type on lookups.

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6-1K. Sales Reps (Sales – Sales Setup – Sales Reps)

Use this screen to set up your Sales Reps. Sales Reps are then assigned to Commission Codes (see next), which are then assigned to customers.


Segment: Sales Reps

List Tab Your existing Sales Reps are listed on this screen.

New Button Click New to create a new Sales Rep. Clicking this button takes you to the Detail tab, which is cleared for new entries.

Detail Tab

Upper Panel

Rep ID Enter an up to 10-character code to identify this Sales Rep.

Description Enter an up to 50-character Description to accompany the Sales Rep code on screens and lookups.

Type You must assign this Sales Rep to a Sales Rep Type.

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More Information The fields in this panel are self-explanatory and are for reference on this screen only. They are not used elsewhere in the system.

Notes You can enter unlimited Notes against this Sales Rep. Notes are for reference on this screen only and are not used elsewhere in the system.

6-1L. Commission Codes

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6-1L. Commission Codes (Sales – Sales Setup – Commission Codes)

The Commission Code determines which Sales Rep(s) gets credit for each sales order. Each customer is optionally assigned a default Commission Code, which can be overridden at time of sales order entry. Multiple Sales Reps can be assigned to a Commission Code to accommodate split commissions.


Segment: Commission Codes

Screen Details

New Button To create a new Commission Code, click the New button. A drop-down list displays below the button. Select the Commission Code option. If an existing Commission Code is highlighted and you wish to assign a Sales Rep to it, click the New button and select the Sales Rep option from the drop-down list below the button.

Upper Grid

Commission Code Enter an up to 20-character Commission Code.

Description Enter an up to 50-character Description to accompany the Commission Code in lookups.

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Lower Grid The lower grid displays the Sales Reps assigned to the Commission Code highlighted in the upper grid. Multiple Sales Reps can be assigned to a Commission Code to accommodate split commissions.

Rep ID This is a read-only field.

Description This is a read-only field.

Type This is a read-only field.

Share (%) This field is for reference only and is the percentage portion of the commission allocated to each Sales Rep.

NOTE: You are not permitted to exit the grid until the percentages entered in this column have a total of ‘100’.

6-2A. Base Prices

300 Operating Guide

6-2. Pricing & Discounts 6-2A. Base Prices (Sales – Pricing & Discounts – Base Prices)

Use this screen to enter Base Prices for your stock items. The Base Price can be the actual price charged to customers or it can be a reference price for the calculation of Price Level prices or Contract Prices.

Training Course Support Center – Videos–Setup – Base Prices

Base Price Tab

Grid Columns

Item ID, Item Description, UM These fields identify the stock item.

Current Base This is the item’s current Base Price. It cannot be entered directly. Instead, you enter or calculate (using the Mass Change button) a Next Base price and then you use the Update or Mass Update button to copy the Next Base value to the Current Base field.

Next Base This is the next base price. This field enables you to prepare your next set of prices in advance of the date the prices go into effect. The Next Base value gets copied to the Current Base field using the Update or Mass Update button when the new price is to go into effect. The Next Base can be entered manually or it can be automatically calculated as a percentage of the current Base Price or the item’s Estimated Cost using the Mass Change button.

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Last Update This is the date that the Current Base price went into effect.

Last Base This was the Base Price prior to the Current Base price.

Est Cost This is the item’s current unit Estimated Cost, for reference purposes.

Item Category This is the item’s Item Category, for reference purposes.

Lower Panel

Category Filter Use the lookup in this field to limit the grid to one or more Item Categories.

Search for Item ID You can enter a text string and click Refresh to limit the screen to just those item ID’s that contain that text string. For example, if all your wagon item ID’s begin with ‘1080’, enter ‘1080’ and click Refresh and the screen will be limited to just your wagon items.

Buttons

New Use this button to add a new line to the grid. After the new line is created, use the lookup in the Item ID field to select a stock item.

Mass Change Use this button to calculate Next Price values for all items currently displayed in the grid, based on a percentage of Current Base or each item’s Estimated Cost.

NOTE: You can filter the contents of the grid using the Category Filter or Search for Item ID function in the panel below the grid.

When this button is clicked, this screen is displayed:

6-2A. Base Prices

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Screen Details

Calculate new base prices by: Select the Increasing option if you wish to raise prices. Select the Decreasing option if you wish to lower prices.

The value of: Select the Current Base Price option if you want the new prices to be calculated from each item’s Current Base price. Select the Current Estimated Cost option if you want the new prices to be calculated from each item’s Est Cost.

By this percentage: Enter the percentage used in the new price calculation. For example, if you wish to raise current prices 10 percent, enter ’10.00%’.

Apply Button After your entries are completed, click this button to apply the price change. When you close the screen, the Next Price column in the grid will be populated with the new prices. You can then edit any of the new prices manually, as needed.

Update Use this button to update the Current Base price with the Next Base price for the item currently selected in the grid. The following processing takes place:

• The Current Base price is copied to the Last Base price.

• The Last Updated field is updated with today’s date.

• The Next Base price is copied to the Current Base price.

• The Next Base price is cleared.

Mass Update Use this button to update the Current Base price with the Next Base price for all items with Next Base values. The same processed listed under the Update button for one item (see previous) are applied to all items with Next Base values.

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Qty Breaks Tab This tab is used to enter quantity break prices for the item selected on the Base Price tab. A quantity break price overrides the item’s Base Price when a certain quantity is ordered.

Upper Panel

Item ID, Description, UM These fields identify the item selected on the Base Price tab.

Grid Fields

Break Qty When a quantity is ordered equal to or greater than this quantity up to the next highest Break Qty, this quantity break price overrides the item’s Base Price.

% of Base If you always want the quantity break price to be a fixed multiplier of the Base Price, enter the multiplier in this field. For example, if you want the quantity break price to be 10% lower than Base Price, enter ’90.00’. The advantage to this method is that whenever you change the Base Price, the quantity break prices automatically change as well.

NOTE: The % of Base method is recommended if you will be regularly using the Mass Update function.

Price As an alternative to the % of Base method, you can enter the quantity break price directly in this field.

NOTE: If you use the direct entry method, be aware that each time you change an item’s Base Price, you must remember to change the quantity break prices as well.

6-2B. Price Levels

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6-2B. Price Levels (Sales – Pricing & Discounts – Price Levels)

Price Levels enable you to establish different price lists for different types of customers based on a fixed multiplier applied to Base Prices. For example, one Price Level might be used for retail customers, another for dealers, and another for OEM’s.

What screens use Price Levels? Price Levels are used in the following screens:

Customer Types You can enter a Price Level against each Customer Type (Sales – Sales Setup – Customer Types). Whenever you assign a new customer to a Customer Type, this price level is used as the default Price Level against the customer.

Customers Screen On the Pricing sub-tab of the main Customers screen, you can specify a default Price Level that is the default used when entering sales orders.

Sales Orders A Price Level field is located on the Details side-tab in the Customer section of the sales order header screen. It defaults to the value stored against the customer, but can be changed for any given sales order.

Training Course Support Center – Videos–Setup – Price Levels

Field Explanations

Price Level Enter a 20-character code to identify this Price Level.

Description This is a 50-character Description that accompanies the Price Level.

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% of Base This is the multiplier that will be applied to the Base Price to calculate the Price Level price for any item. For example, if you want a Price Level’s prices to be 25% less than their Base Prices, enter ’75.00’ in this field.

Round To If you want all prices within a Price Level to be rounded up to a particular increment, enter than increment in this field. For example, you might want all prices to be rounded to 95 cents, in which case you would enter ‘.95’ in this field.

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6-2C. Discounts (Sales – Pricing & Discounts – Discounts)

Once your Discount Codes are set up, use this screen to assign discount percentages to item categories or individual items. You can assign a single discount percentage or you can also enter quantity-based discounts.

Training Course Support Center – Videos–Setup – Discounts

Discount Codes Tab All your Discount Codes are listed on this screen. The entries in the Item Categories tab pertain to whichever Discount Code is highlighted on this screen.

Item Categories Tab

Use this screen to assign discount percentages. Two levels of specificity are provided:

Different Discounts by Item Category Discount percentages are assigned to each Item Category to which it applies. This enables you to apply different discount percentages to different types of items. If you want a discount to apply to all your items, it must be assigned to each and every Item Category. To assign a discount to an Item Category, click the New button and select the Item Category. Leave the Item ID field blank. Enter the discount percentage in the Discount % field.

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Different Discounts by Item You may want to give special discounts for specific items as an exception to the Item Category discount. To do so, you must create an entry on this screen for each such item. To do so, click the New button and select the item’s Item Category. Select the Item ID, then enter the discount percentage in the Discount % field.

Qty Breaks Tab The entries in this screen pertain to whichever line is currently highlighted in the Item Categories tab screen. Enter the Break Qty, which is either a total price or number of units being ordered, either of which determines the level at which a quantity discount is applied. The Discount Basis displayed in the header panel indicates which basis is being used. Enter the discount percentage in the Discount % field. A 35% discount is entered as ’35.00’.

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6-2D. Discount Codes (Sales – Pricing & Discounts – Discount Codes)

Discount Codes enable you to establish sets of discounts that can be assigned to different groups of customers.

Training Course Support Center – Videos–Setup – Discounts

How are Discount Codes used? Discount Codes enable you to establish sets of discounts that can be assigned to different groups of customers. For example, your dealers might receive a standard 25% discount, distributors might receive 40%, and OEM’s 50%. Within a Discount Code, discounts can vary by item category or item. A customer could receive one discount for new products and a different discount for spare parts. Quantity discounts can also be established based on the total price of the item or number of units sold. Discounts are applied to Base Prices and Price Level prices. They do not apply to Contract Prices.

What screens use Discount Codes? Discount Codes are used in the following screens:

Customer Types You can enter a Discount Code against each Customer Type (Sales – Sales Setup – Customer Types). Whenever you assign a new customer to a Customer Type, this discount code is used as the default Discount Code against the customer.

Customers Screen On the Pricing sub-tab of the main Customers screen, you can specify a default Discount Code that is the default used when entering sales orders.

Sales Orders A Discount Code field is located on the Details side-tab in the Customer section of the sales order header screen. It defaults to the value stored against the customer, but can be changed for any given sales order.

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Field Explanations

Discount Code Enter a 20-character code to identify this Discount Code.

Description This is a 50-character Description that accompanies the Discount Code.

Discount Basis If your discounts vary by quantity, the Discount Basis determines whether the quantity to be used is the number of Units sold or the total Price of the item.

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6-2E. Contract Prices (Sales – Pricing & Discounts – Contract Pricing sub-menu)

Contract Prices are exceptions to Base Prices, Price Level prices, and Discounts. These are special prices given to specific customers or groups of customers, often with an expiration date.

Training Course Support Center – Videos–Setup – Contract Pricing

Sales Order Pricing Hierarchy During sales order line item entry, pricing is determined by the following hierarchy:

1. First, the program looks for a Contract Price. If one is found, it will be used. A Discount will not be applied.

2. If a Contract Price is not found, the program then looks for a Price Level price. If one is found, it uses that price and applies a Discount, if applicable.

3. Finally, if a Price Level price is not found, the program uses the Base Price and applies a Discount, if applicable.

Contract Pricing Screens The following screens are available for contract price entry.

Pricing – Customer / Item Use this screen to establish a contract price for one stock item that applies to a particular customer.

Pricing – Customer Type / Item Use this screen to establish a contract price for one stock item that applies to customer types rather than one customer.

Pricing – Customer / Descriptor Use this screen to establish a contract price for one non-stock descriptor that applies to a particular customer.

Pricing – Customer Type / Descriptor Use this screen to establish a contract price for one non-stock descriptor that applies to customer types rather than one customer.

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Field Explanations

Contract Price You have the option of enter a contract price in this field or you can enter a multiplier in the next field.

Multiplier An entry in this field functions as a multiplier against the item or descriptor’s Base Price during sales order entry. For example, if your Base Price is $10.00 and you want the contract price to be 75% of Base Price ($7.50), enter a ‘.75’ in this field.

From Date This is a mandatory entry field that defines the date when the contract price becomes effective. It is pre-filled with the system date but can be overridden if desired.

Thru Date This date establishes an expiration date for the contract price. If you do not want an expiration date, leave this field blank.

Notes You can enter freeform text for reference purposes on this screen.

6-3. Customers

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6-3. Customers (Sales – Customers … or Cust Icon)

Use this screen to set up and maintain your customers.

Training Courses Support Center–Videos – Setup – Data Import Support Center–Videos – Setup – Customer Setup

List Tab Your existing customers are listed on this screen.

Customizing the list Use the Sales – Sales Setup – Customers–List Tab screen to customize the list. You can designate which fields you want displayed and you can change column heading names.

New Button Click this button to create a new customer record.

Email Button If you wish to send an Email to this customer, click this button to launch the system’s Email client form. The customer’s Email address is inserted into the To: field.

Notes Button Clicking this button launches the Activity Notes screen where you can view past Activity Notes against this customer and create new activity notes.

History Button Clicking this button displays customer history in the following tabs:

Invoices This tab provides a listing of this customer’s past invoices.

Emails This tab lists all the past Emails sent to this customer.

Notes This tab lists all past Activity Notes for this customer.

Balances Button Click this button to get a listing of unpaid invoices and open deposits.

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Detail Tab – Main Side-Tab

Customer Name (Required) This unique ID is a 50-character field that identifies the customer record and is what displays on screens, lookups, and reports. We suggest you enter the customer’s full name.

NOTE: Each Customer Name must be unique. So if you have two or more customer accounts with the same name, which is common when you sell to companies that have multiple facilities, make each name unique, such as by appending the city or some other identifier in parenthesis following the name.

Trading Name (Required) When you click into this field, it is automatically given the same value as the Customer Name, when can then be changed, if needed. The Trading Name is the name that prints on quotes, acknowledgments, packing slips, and invoices. Unlike the Customer Name, duplicate values are allowed. Normally, the Customer Name and the Trading Name are the same except in cases where the Customer Name has been appended to avoid duplicate values.

Address Details This is the customer’s primary mailing address. Delivery addresses are entered on the Delivery & Billing side-tab.

Phone, Mobile, Fax, Email, Web These are the contact settings for this customer’s main office and do not pertain to a specific Contact. Contacts are entered on the Additional tab. Each Contact record has its own Phone, Mobile, Fax, and Email settings.

Currency This field is only visible when Multi-Currency is activated in the Main Setup screen.

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NOTE: Multi-currency capability is still under development and is not recommended for use at this time.

X-Ref Code If you are using DBA with an outside accounting system, it may be that the customer is identified in the outside system with a short code instead of the full customer name as in DBA. For financial transfer purposes, you can store the short code in this field, which is one of the fields available for transfer in the AR Invoice Transfer screen. When you import the AR invoice transfer file into your outside system, this field is mapped to the customer code in your outside system.

Creation Date This is the date this customer record was created. You can change this date, if you wish.

Status When you create a new record, its status is set to ‘Active’. You can change the status to ‘Non-Active’. At the present time this setting is for reference only.

Payment Terms This is a standard payment terms record from the Customer Terms table. These are the default Payment Terms that get applied to this customer during sales order entry. When you create a new customer, the default record from the Customer Terms table is automatically selected and can then be changed, if applicable.

From End of Month This read-only checkbox is selected if the number of days due is calculated from the end of the month, a common practice in some countries.

Days This read-only field displays the number of days from the invoice date or end of month that establishes the invoice Due Date.

Printing Options

Receives Statement When this checkbox is selected, this customer is not excluded when printing Customer Statements. When you create a new customer record, this checkbox is selected by default.

Email Documents When this checkbox is selected, when printing quotes, acknowledgments, and invoices you are given the option of Emailing the document. .

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Tax Code Source These settings determine the source of the sales order header Tax Code for this customer’s orders.

Default When you select this option, the default Sales Tax Code specified in the Tax Defaults screen is used as the sales order header Tax Code. In VAT/GST environments, this is the typical setting because the default Sales Tax Code applies to most orders.

Exception Select this option if this customer’s sales order header Tax Code is to be different than the system default tax code. A Tax Code field becomes visible to the right so that you can select a tax code from its lookup. This setting is typically used with USA and Canadian taxation where the shipment destination is what determines the sales order header Tax Code.

Non-Taxable Customer If the customer is non-taxable, which is common with USA taxation when the customer is purchasing for resale, make sure that the tax code source is a non-taxable tax code.

• If your system default tax code is non-taxable, select Default as the tax code source.

• If your system default tax code is taxable, then assign the customer to a non-taxable tax code Exception.

Multiple Delivery Addresses If this customer has multiple delivery addresses, you have the option of specifying a Tax Code against each delivery address, if it differs from the Exception tax code specified against the main address. See “Delivery Addresses” further below for details.

Tax Group This checkbox is only visible when the Tax Group Matrix option is selected in the Tax Defaults screen. Tax groups enable you to designate exception tax codes at the line item level that only apply to certain destinations and items. A Tax Group field becomes visible to the right. Select a Tax Group from the lookup. When an item or descriptor assigned to a Tax Group encounters a customer that is also assigned to a Tax Group, the two Tax Groups are matched in the Tax Group Matrix to determine the Tax Code that gets used in the sales order line.

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Classification

Customer Type (Required) You must assign the customer to a Customer Type. When you create a new customer record, the default Customer Type is automatically selected and can then be changed, if applicable.

Sales Region You can optionally assign this customer to a Sales Region.

Comm Code You can optionally assign this customer to a Commission Code. This is the default Commission Code that gets applied to sales orders for this customer.

Lead Source You can optionally assign this customer to a Lead Source.

Notes Sub-Tab You can enter unlimited Notes against this customer. These Notes are for reference on this screen only.

Ordering & Shipping Sub-Tab

Requires PO on All Orders When you select this checkbox you will not be allowed to create a new sales order for this customer if the PO No field is blank in the New Sales Order screen. You also cannot print an invoice if the PO No field is blank in the sales order Header tab.

Ship Method You can optionally assign a Ship Method. This is the default Ship Method that gets applied to sales orders for this customer.

Pricing Sub-Tab When you create a new customer record, these two settings are populated with the default Price Level and Discount Code assigned to this Customer Type.

Price Level You can optionally assign a Price Level, if applicable. This is the default Price Level that gets applied to sales orders for this customer.

Discount Code You can optionally assign a Discount Code, Ship Method, if applicable. This is the default Ship Method that gets applied to sales orders for this customer.

Financial Sub-Tab The three fields on this sub-tab – Tax Reference Number, Bank Name, and Bank Account Number – are for reference only and are not used outside of this screen.

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Forms Sub-Tab Use the fields on this sub-tab to specify customized forms layouts (RTM files) for this customer. When you leave any of these fields blank, the standard form layout is used. See chapter 3 for details on how to customize forms. You can specify custom layouts on this sub-tab for the following forms:

• Acknowledgment • Quote • Invoice • Packing List

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Detail Tab – Delivery & Billing Side-Tab

Delivery Addresses In this grid you can enter multiple delivery addresses for this customer.

Default This checkbox can only be selected against one delivery address. It designates it as the default Ship to address that gets applied to sales orders for this customer.

Delivery Name This is the name that accompanies the delivery address in the Ship to sub-tab in sales orders and the Ship to section on order documents.

Address Fields Enter the physical delivery address in the Address Line 1, Address Line 2, City, State, Postal Code, and Country fields.

Tax Source This field is only visible when the Sales Tax Basis is set to ‘Delivery’ in the Tax Defaults screen. The field value defaults to ‘Main Address’, but you can select ‘Delivery Address’ from the drop-down list if you wish to specify a Tax Code in the field at right that overrides the Tax Code specified against the main address.

Tax Code This field is only visible when the Sales Tax Basis is set to ‘Delivery’ in the Tax Defaults screen. If the Tax Source field at left is set to ‘Delivery Address’, you can select a Tax Code in this field that will be used as the sales order header Tax Code instead of the Tax Code specified against the main address. This setting is typically used in for USA and Canadian taxation where the shipment destination is what determines the sales order header Tax Code.

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Contact You can specify a Contact person at this address. This name gets transferred to the Ship to Contract field during sales order entry.

Phone, Fax The Phone and Fax number associated with this delivery destination are stored there for reference, but do not transfer to the sales order.

Ship Method You can optionally assign a Ship Method. This is the default Ship Method that gets applied to sales orders shipped to this address. If left blank, the Ship Method stored against the main address is used.

Billing Customer

Billing Name You can select a Billing Name (which is a separate customer record) if you wish this customer’s invoices to be billed to another account for payment purposes. Typically this is used when sales are made to branch offices, but payment is made by a central office. During sales order entry, this customer is the Sold to account and the Billing Name customer is the Bill to account. This customer is referenced on sales reports and the Billing Name customer on accounts receivable reports.

Additional Tab – Main Side-Tab Contacts

Main Contact Name You can select one of the Contacts from the grid below to be designated as the Main Contact at this company.

Type Select a Contact Type, which are user-defined contact categories.

Contact This is the contact’s full name.

Description Use this field to describe the contact’s position or function.

Phone, Fax, Email, If this is the Main Contact, these contact details transfer to the Contact sub-tab during sales order entry.

Mobile This field is for reference in this screen and does not transfer to the sales order.

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Additional Tab – Documents Side-Tab







6-4. Credit Manager

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6-4. Credit Manager (Sales – Credit Manager)

This screen is used to manage the customer credit checking process. You can establish a credit limit against each customer, provide warnings at time of order entry, and block the ability to enter new orders or pick orders for shipment.

Screen Details

Grid All your active customers are listed in the grid.

Alerts When a number is displayed in this column, it means that there are open “alerts” against this customer. Each “alert” is a notification to the user during sales order entry or quote conversion that the customer is over its credit limit. You can click the Alerts button on the right panel to view the date and time each alert occurred and who the user was that received the alert.

Remedial Actions The person in charge of credit management should check the Credit Manager screen once per day to see if any alerts have taken place. If so, some remedial action should be taken, such as these follow-up steps:

• Contact the customer to make payment arrangements.

• Change the content of the customer’s warning message.

• Block the ability to enter additional sales orders.

• Block the ability to pick any current orders for shipment.

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Customer The customer name is displayed for reference.

Limit? Select this checkbox if you wish to enter a credit limit in the field at right.

Credit Limit This is the customer’s credit limit. In order to make an entry, you must first select the CL? checkbox at left.

What does it do? Whenever you convert a quote, create or access a sales order, exit the Details tab of the Sales Orders screen after making any entries, or use the Speed Entry or Copy Details functions, the customer’s credit limit is checked. If the credit limit is exceeded by any combination of open invoices, open sales orders, and open deposits, the user is presented with this screen and an “alert” is registered against the customer (see the Alerts field above for details).

Warn SO Select this checkbox if you wish to enter an SO Warning Message in the bottom panel.

Block SO Select this checkbox if you wish to prohibit entry of any new sales orders for this customer. When the user attempts to enter a new sales order, this screen is presented, which blocks the sales order from being created.

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Block Pick Select this checkbox if you wish to block the ability to pick any of this customer’s sales orders for shipment. When the user attempts to use the Order Picking screen for any sales order associated with this customer, this screen is presented, which prevents any entries from being made.

Lower Panel

SO Warning Message When the Warn SO checkbox is selected in the grid above, you can enter freeform text in this panel that is used as a warning message against this customer. Whenever you convert a quote or create or access a sales order, the user is presented with the following screen. The warning message is also displayed whenever the credit limit status screen or sales order blocking screen is presented.

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Buttons

Close Click this button to exit the screen. Any entries you’ve made are automatically saved.

Cancel Click this button to cancel any entries made against the customer that is currently selected.

Alerts An “alert” is a notification to the user during sales order entry or quote conversion that the customer is over its credit limit. Click this button to launch the following screen to view the date and time each alert occurred and who the user was that received the alert.

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Clearing Alerts Alerts are classified as “un-cleared” until you formally clear them by clicking the Clear button. Until you take remedial follow-up action to respond to the alert(s) (see the Alerts field above for details), do not clear the alert(s). After you’ve taken appropriate remedial action, you should then clear the alert(s).

NOTE: Only un-cleared alerts are displayed by default. If you wish to view all historical alerts for this customer, select the All Alerts option at the bottom of the screen.

Credit Status Click this button to launch this inquiry screen, which displays the current credit status of the selected customer.

6-5. Sales Orders

326 Operating Guide

6-5. Sales Orders (Sales – Sales Orders)

Use this screen to enter, ship, and invoice customer orders. In DBA all customer orders are entered as sales orders.

Workflow A sales order goes through the following phases and steps.

Phase 1 – Quoting (Optional) • Enter quote (Quotes) • Print/Email quote (Quotes – Quote button) • Convert quote to sales order (Quotes – Convert button)

Phase 2 – Order Entry • Enter sales order (Sales Orders) • Print/Email acknowledgment (Sales Orders – Acknowledge button)

Phase 3 – Order Picking • Review Shipment Planner screen and select highest priority order for

picking (Order Picking – SO No lookup) • Option A – Print pick list (Order Picking – Picking Tab – Print button), pick

stock, then make order picking entries (Order Picking) • Option B – Make order picking entries (Order Picking), print dispatch list

(Order Picking – Batch History Tab – Print button), then pick stock

• Continue returning to Shipment Planner screen to select next priority order for picking (Order Picking – SO No lookup) until all orders capable of being shipped are picked.

Phase 4 – Shipping • Create shipment from picked stock (Sales Orders – Shipping sub-tab) • Print packing list (Sales Orders – Shipping sub-tab – Print button) • Print shipping labels (Sales Orders – Shipping sub-tab – Print button) • Enter shipping charges (Sales Orders – Shipping tab)

Phase 5 – Invoicing • Convert shipment to invoice (Sales Orders – Invoicing sub-tab) • Preview invoice (Sales Orders – Invoicing sub-tab – Preview button) • Print/Email invoice (Sales Orders – Invoicing sub-tab – Invoice button) • Optionally batch print invoices (Invoices)

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List Tab All or selected sales orders are listed on this screen, depending on the Status filters selected in the lower panel. You can highlight a sales order and then click any of the tabs to the right to enter order details.

Lower Panel

Template, Ordered, Invoiced, Finished, Closed Select or clear the checkboxes in this panel to filter the list above by sales order Status.

Save as Defaults Button Each user can preserve his or her Status checkbox settings by clicking this button. Each time the screen launches, these settings will be selected by default.

Refresh Button Click this button after selecting or clearing any Status checkboxes or entering any search text to re-display the list above.

Search for the following text You can enter text in this field and then click the Refresh button to limit the list to SO Names containing that text string.

Links Button You can click this button to link to the following screens. After closing the linked screen, you are returned to this screen.

• Order Picking • Generate Planned Jobs

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New Order Button Click this button to create a new sales order. You are presented with the New Sales Order screen.

New Sales Order Screen

Sales Order Type Your default SO Type is displayed, but you can make another selection, if you wish.

Order Entry Option This option is selected by default and indicates that you wish to create a sales order through manual entry.

Customer You must select a customer from the lookup.

Promise Date This is the date the customer expects the order to be shipped. It defaults to today’s date. The date selected here is used as the default Required Date when each sales order line item is created.

PO Number You can optionally enter the customer’s PO number, if applicable.

OK Button After your selections and entries have been made, click this button to create the sales order. After this screen closes, you are taken to the Header tab.

Credit Checking The following credit checking is done, per the settings against this customer in the Credit Manager screen:

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• If there is an SO Warning Message against this customer, the warning message is displayed.

• If the customer has exceeded its credit limit, the Credit Status screen is displayed, which creates an “alert” in the Credit Manager screen.

• If the Block SO setting is selected against this customer, the sales order is prohibited from being created.

Copy SO Option Select this option if you wish to originate the new sales order by copying one of this customer’s previous sales orders.

NOTE: When the new sales order gets created, prices and discounts are updated to current prices and customer pricing and discount settings.

When this option is selected, two additional fields are displayed in a new panel at the bottom of the screen:

Sales Order From the lookup, select the pervious sales order you wish to copy.

Qty Factor If you wish to increase the order quantities, whatever number you enter here will be multiplied against each order quantity on the sales order being copied. The default value is ‘1’.

Copy Template Option Select this option if you wish to originate the new sales order by copying a sales order “template.” See the Create Template Option section below for information on how sales order templates are created and used.

When this option is selected, two additional fields are displayed in a new panel at the bottom of the screen:

Template Select a template from the lookup.

Qty Factor If you wish to increase the template quantities, whatever number you enter here will be multiplied against each order quantity on the template being copied. The default value is ‘1’.

Create Template Option Select this option to create a sales order “template” rather than a sales order. The screen changes to this configuration:

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How templates are used A sales order template is used to represent a recurring type of order where the same set of line items is ordered each time. Rather than enter line items from scratch with each new order, you can originate the order from a template.

NOTE: You also have the option of copying in one or more templates into an existing sales order using the Copy Detail button on the Details tab.

When you create a new template, most of the fields on the Header tab are invisible. A customer is not specified. On the Details tab, enter the line items that comprise the template. When entering quantities, be aware that each line item’s Qty can be multiplied by a Quantity Factor at time of sales order creation.

NOTE: Do not enter prices because when a sales order gets generated from the template, each customer’s pricing rules are applied to the line items and overwrite any prices stored in the template.

Field Explanations

Type Select the origination type. Three options are available:

Normal Select this option if you wish to create the template from scratch.

Copy SO Select this option if you wish to create the template by copying an existing sales order.

Copy Template Select this option if you wish to create the template by copying an existing template.

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Template Name Give the template a name that identifies it on lookups.

Sales Order This field is visible when the Copy SO option is selected. Select the sales order from the lookup from which the template is to be copied.

Template This field is visible when the Copy Template option is selected. Select the template from the lookup from which the new template is to be copied.

Qty Factor This field is only visible when the Copy SO or Copy Template option is selected. If you wish to increase the template quantities, whatever number you enter here will be multiplied against each order quantity on the sales order or template being copied. The default value is ‘1’.

Acknowledge Button Click this button to print an acknowledgment for the highlighted sales order, which can be sent to the customer to verify the details of the order. The acknowledgment can also be used as a pro-forma invoice.

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Header Tab

Main Side-Tab

Header Info

SO No The sales order number consists of an alpha prefix, which is the prefix associated with this SO Type, and a number, which is incremented from the Next No setting in the SO/Job Numbering panel on the Main Setup screen.

Description This is an up to 50-character name or description of the order that prints in the invoice header.

Type This field displays the SO Type that was selected when the sales order was created.

NOTE: This setting cannot be changed. If it must be changed, the only remedy is to delete the sales order and create it once again against the desired SO Type.

Status The sales order has five possible Status values, some of which are automatically assigned by the program and some manually.

ORDERED The sales order is given a status of ‘ORDERED’ when it is created.

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INVOICED When the first invoice gets printed, the program automatically changes the status to ‘INVOICED’.

FINISHED When all lines are fully invoiced, the program automatically changes the status to ‘FINISHED’.

CLOSED If after printing an invoice the program detects that all lines have been invoiced, you are asked if you wish to change the status to ‘CLOSED’. If you don’t close the order at that time, you can manually change the status to ‘CLOSED’ at a later time.

Reopening a CLOSED Sales Order You can reopen a sales order at any time by manually changing its status from ‘CLOSED’ back to ‘ORDERED’.

Notes Sub-Tab

Default Promise Date This is the date the customer expects the order to be shipped. It defaults to today’s date. The date selected here is used as the default Required Date when each sales order line item is created.

Notes Unlimited freeform notes can be entered in this panel. The Notes entered here print on the acknowledgment.

Creation Sub-Tab

Creation Date The program automatically assigns today’s date as the Creation Date when the sales order is created.

Created by The program inserts the first name and last name associated with the current logged on user into this field.

Terms Sub-Tab

Payment Terms This field automatically displays the default Payment Terms code stored against this customer, but it can be overridden with another selection.

Days This field is for reference only and is the number of days when the invoice becomes due for payment.

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From End of Month This checkbox is for reference only. When selected, the Days due are calculated from the end of the month rather than the invoice date – a common practice in some countries.

Credit Status Button Click this button to view the Credit Status inquiry, which calculates the customer’s available credit by comparing its credit limit with open invoices, open sales orders, and open deposits.

Middle Panel

Tax Code This is the Tax Code that will be applied by default to all line items unless a tax code exception has been defined against the line’s stock item or descriptor. The source of this tax code is reference in the Tax Code Source field at right.

NOTE: If you change the Tax Code after line items already exist, that tax code will replace the Tax Code at line item level for all lines with a Tax Code Source of ‘Header’.

Tax Code Source This field identifies the source of the Tax Code at left. There are four possible sources:

Sales Tax Default The Tax Code at left is the system level default Sales Tax Code designated in the Tax Defaults screen.

Customer The Tax Code at left is the tax code Exception designated against this customer in the Customers screen.

Delivery Address The Tax Code at left is the Tax Code designated against the delivery address record in the Customers screen.

Manual The Tax Code at left has been manually changed though selection of a tax code from the lookup.

Service ID This field is only visible when the Service Only option is selected in the Screen Config settings for this SO Type in the SO Types screen. This field is only used with the old Service Assets screen, which is a legacy application that is no longer furnished with the standard product. You can select a service asset from the lookup, which ties this sales order to the asset’s service history report.

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Sold to Sub-Tab

Name This is the customer that was selected on the New Sales Order screen when the sales order was initially created.

NOTE: You cannot change the customer selection after the sales order is created. If you selected the wrong customer by mistake, you must delete this sales order and create a new sales order with the correct customer designation.

Address, City, State, Code, Country This is the primary address for this customer and will be the billing address unless there is a Bill to customer (see next). You can modify the address for this particular sales order, if you wish.

Bill to Sub-Tab NOTE: This sub-tab is only visible when the Sold to customer is linked to a Billing Customer in the Customers screen.

Invoices generated from this sales order are billed to the customer and address on this sub-tab. The actual sale for order tracking and sales analysis remains associated with the customer on the Sold to sub-tab.

Ship to Sub-Tab The delivery name and address for this sales order are located on this sub-tab. When the sales order is created, this tab is populated by the default delivery address for this customer. If the customer does not have any delivery address records, this tab is populated by the customer’s name and main address. You can select an alternate delivery address from the lookup in the

NOTE: At time of shipment, in the Shipping screen you have the option of selecting an alternate delivery address from this customer’s delivery address table or you can manually enter an alternate delivery address. Whatever changes you make on the Shipping screen are automatically applied to the fields on this sub-tab.

Name This is the Name stored against the delivery address record. You can select an alternate delivery address from the lookup, if you wish.

Address, City, State, Code, Country These are the delivery address details.

Ship Method The default Ship Method stored against the delivery address record is automatically selected. If there is not a Ship Method stored against the delivery address, the Ship Method stored against the customer is used. You can make an alternate selection from the lookup.

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Pricing Sub-Tab

Commission Code The default Commission Code (if applicable) stored against the Sold to customer record is automatically selected, but you can make an alternate selection, if you wish.

Price Level The default Price Level (if applicable) stored against the Sold to customer record is automatically selected, but you can make an alternate selection, if you wish.

Discount Code The default Discount Code (if applicable) stored against the Sold to customer record is automatically selected, but you can make an alternate selection, if you wish.

Currency, Exchange Rate, Exchange Style These fields are only visible when the Multi-Currency option is activated in the Main Setup screen.

NOTE: Multi-currency capability is under development and is not recommended for use at this time.

Contact Sub-Tab

Sold to Contact This is the Main Contact Name stored against the Sold to customer. You can use the lookup button to select an alternate contact, if you wish, or you can manually enter a contact name.

Phone, Fax, Email The program first checks if the Sold to Contact’s record contains values for these fields and, if found, uses those values. Otherwise, the values stored against the main customer record are used. You also have the option of manual entry.

Email Documents This checkbox defaults to the setting maintained against the Sold To customer master record. When selected you are given the option of sending invoices via Email at time of printing.

Ship to Contact This defaults to the Contact stored against the delivery address record in the Customers screen. You also have the option of manual entry.

Contract ID This field pertains to the old Service Contracts screen, which is a legacy application no longer furnished with the standard product. You can select a service contract from the lookup, which adds this sales order to the service contract’s sales order history inquiry.

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PO No This is the customer’s purchase order number, which prints on acknowledgments, packing lists and invoices.

Values Panel This panel is only visible when the Cost & Profit, Price & Tax, and Both Prices & Costs options are selected via the Screen Config button on the SO Types screen for this SO Type.

Total Price This is the sum of all the line item price totals.

Sales Tax This is the sum of all the line item sales tax totals.

Total This is the sum of the Total Price and Sales Tax amounts.

Est Costs This is the sum of all the line item Total Cost values.

Margin % or Markup % This is the “margin” or “markup” percentage of Total Price over Est Costs. Whether margin or markup is used depends on the Profitability Options setting in the Main Setup screen.

Profit This is the difference between Total Price and Est Costs.

Additional Side-Tab Documents Panel In this panel you can attach documents (such as drawings, specifications, etc.) or files of any kind that relate to this sales order.

Retrieve Linked Customer / Item / Descriptor Documents Button Click this button to add any documents to the upper panel that are currently linked to this order’s customer or any of its item or descriptor line items.

Link/Edit Document Button To link to a document, click the Edit Document panel at the bottom of the screen.


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User-Defined Fields If you created any user-defined fields in the Admin – User-Defined Fields screen, those field values are entered on this panel.

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Details Tab

Lines Side-Tab

Sales order line items are entered on this tab.

Availability Button This button is only visible when the highlighted line has a Line Type of ‘Stock’. Click this button to view the Stock Status inquiry, which shows available and projected stock, as well as demand supply details.

Delivery Button This button is only visible when an ‘M’ item is currently selected in the grid below. It launches the Delivery Date Estimator screen, which can be used to help calculate the line item’s Required Date.

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Delivery Date Estimator Screen

Field Explanations

BOM Item ID The line item Reference ID is displayed in this read-only field.

Description This is the item’s Description from the item master record.

Make Qty The line item Qty is automatically inserted into this field.

Lead Days This is the item’s Lead Days setting from the MRP Settings screen. It can be overridden in this screen, if you wish.

Job Start Date The Job Start Date is determined by the adding the number of Lead Days to today’s date. If that date falls on a non-valid workday on the shop calendar, the date will be rounded forward to the first available date. You can manually change this date, if you wish.

Job Days This is the value maintained in the MRP Settings screen. If you do not create a value in the Calc Job Days field, this value is used as the one displayed in the Est Job Days field (see below).

Calc Job Days If you click the button in this field, the Job Days Calculator screen will display and calculates the job days required based on the quantity being made and current work center and routing settings. When you close the screen, the calculated total displays in the Calc Job Days

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field. When the Calc Job Days field is given a value, it becomes the one used in the Est Job Days field (see below).

Est Job Days If there is a value in the Calc Job Days field, it is used as the Est Job Days value. If the Calc Job Days field is blank, the Job Days field value is used as the Est Job Days value. The Est Job Days is used to forward schedule the job from the Job Start Date. The program counts forward from the Job Start Date to establish the Est Delivery Date, skipping over any non-valid days on the shop calendar.

Est Delivery Date Click the button in this field to calculate the estimated delivery date, based on the entries and calculations described above. When the screen is closed, this date will be inserted into the line’s Required Date field.

Lines Sub-Tab

Line No This field is used by the program for sorting purposes. The line items normally sort in Line No. order unless you click on any of the column headings to change the sort order.

Line Type You must select one of the following Line Types:

Stock Select this Line Type if you wish to enter a stock item.

Descriptor Select this Line Type if you wish to enter a descriptor.

Custom Select this Line Type if you wish to use the Custom Item Generator to create a custom item for “one-off” jobs.

Reference ID The value in this field varies according to Line Type.

Stock You must select the stock item from the lookup.

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Lookup Details

Progressive Matching You can immediately start typing the Item ID (or Description) and each character progressively moves the cursor closer to the desired record.

Search Description Click this checkbox and you can enter all or a portion of the item’s Description. Click the magnifying glass icon and the list will be limited only to Descriptions that contain that text string.

Mfg or Purch You can select or clear these checkboxes to limit the list to just manufactured or purchased items.

Advanced Click this checkbox and you are presented with a window containing these advanced filtering options.

Active or InActive Select or clear these checkboxes to limit the search to just items with a Status of ‘Active’ or ‘In-Active’.

Custom Select this checkbox if you wish to limit the search to Custom items that were previously created by the Custom Item Generator.

Item ID You can enter a portion of the Item ID to limit the search to items containing that text string.

Description You can enter a portion of the Item ID to limit the search to items containing that character string.

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Category You can limit the search to items belong to a particular Item Category.

Supplier You can limit the search to items that are cross-referenced to a particular supplier.

Supplier Part # You can enter all or a portion of the Supplier Part No and the list will be limited to items with Supplier Part No’s that contain this character string.

Manufacturer You can limit the search to items that are cross-referenced to a particular Manufacturer.

Manufacturer Part # You can enter all or a portion of the Manufacturer Part No and the list will be limited to items with Manufacturer Part No’s that contain this character string.

Customer You can limit the search to items that are cross-referenced to a particular customer.

Search Button After you’ve made your selections, click this button. The screen will close and the results of your search will be listed in the main lookup grid.

Base Price > 0 This checkbox is selected by default and limits the list to items with a Base Price. Clear this checkbox if you wish to list all items, including those without selling prices.

Descriptor You must select the descriptor from the lookup.

Custom After you select the ‘Custom’ Line Type, you are presented with the Custom Item Generator screen. That screen creates a custom item that will be used by MRP to generate a custom job, using that item as the job’s primary output.

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Custom Item Generator

Field Explanations

Custom Item ID The Custom Item ID is used as the line’s Reference ID and is generated by the program. It cannot be modified.

Description (Required) Enter the Description of the Custom Item ID. This is a required field.

UM The UM default value derives from the Custom Item Generator setting in the Job Defaults screen, but can be overridden, if you wish.

Customer Part No This is an optional field. If you are making a custom item on behalf of a customer who identifies the item with a part number, enter the Customer Part No in this field. This is for reference only on the Customers sub-tab within the Sources tab in the Stock Items screen when viewing the custom item record.

Lead Days The Lead Days amount derives from the Custom Item Generator setting in the Job Defaults screen, but can be overridden, if you wish.

Job Days The Job Days amount derives from the Custom Item Generator setting in the Job Defaults screen, but can be overridden, if you wish.

Est Delivery This is an estimated delivery date, calculated forward from today’s date by adding the Lead Days to the Job Days, skipping over any non-valid workdays defined on the shop calendar.

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Use as Req Date This checkbox is selected by default. When selected, the Est Delivery date will be used as the line’s Required Date.

Description The source for this field value varies according to Line Type. Regardless of its source, this value can be modified.

Stock This is the Description from the stock item’s master record.

Descriptor This is the Description from the descriptor’s master record.

Custom This is the Description that was entered in the Custom Item Generator screen when this line was created.

Qty This amount is manually entered and is the line item’s order quantity.

Act Qty This amount is for reference only and is the quantity picked to date.

UM This value denotes the line item’s unit of measure, such as ‘EA’, ‘LB’, etc. The source for this field value varies according to Line Type. Regardless of its source, this value can be modified.

Stock This is the UM from the stock item’s master record.

Descriptor This is the UM from the descriptor’s master record.

Custom This is the UM that was entered in the Custom Item Generator screen when this line was created.

Reference Price The source of the Reference Price varies according the Line Type. Regardless of its source, this price can be modified.

Stock & Descriptor • If a Contract Price exists for this line item and customer combination, it

takes precedence over other prices.

• If there is no Contract Price and this line item is a stock item or descriptor, its Base Price is used. If this customer is assigned to a Price Level, a multiplier is applied to the Base Price according to the % of Base setting against the Price Level.

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Custom The Reference Price is manually entered.

Discount If this customer is assigned to a Discount Code, the discount percentage is inserted into this field. This field may be left blank if you don’t offer discounts. The percentage can vary within Discount Code depending on the settings made in the Discounts screen. Regardless of its source, you can modify the percentage, If you wish, or enter it from scratch for a ‘Custom’ Line Type.

Price This is the unit selling price, which is calculated by applying the Discount to the Reference Price.

NOTE: When the Discount field is blank, the Reference Price and the Price are the same value.

Total Price This amount is calculated by multiplying the Qty by the Price.

Est Cost This field is only visible when the Est Cost option is selected via the Screen Config button on the SO Types screen. This is the stock item or descriptor’s unit Estimated Cost at the time the line was created.

Act Cost This read-only field is only visible when the Act Cost option is selected via the Screen Config button on the SO Types screen. This is the actual unit cost of the quantity picked to date.

Total Cost This field is only visible when the Total Cost option is selected via the Screen Config button on the SO Types screen. This field displays the total estimated cost, which is the line’s Qty multiplied by the Est Cost.

Margin or Markup This field is only visible when the Margin or Markup option is selected via the Screen Config button on the SO Types screen. This is the Margin or Markup (depending on your Profitability setting in the Sales Defaults screen) of the net Price over Est Cost.

Changing the Margin or Markup You can change the Margin or Markup percentage by clicking the 3-dot button in this field. You are presented with a screen within which you can enter the new percentage. When you click OK, the Price will be adjusted to reflect the new Margin or Markup.

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Total Tax This field displays the sales tax total for this line item. It is calculated by applying the Tax Rate percentage associated with the Tax Code at right to the total price. You can manually override this amount, if you wish.

Non-Taxable Lines If an item or descriptor is always non-taxable, regardless of customer, a non-taxable tax code Exception should be assigned against the stock item or descriptor. A non-taxable Tax Code has a zero percentage tax rate.

Tax Source This field value indicates the source of the Tax Code at right. There are five possible values:

Header The Tax Code at right is the Tax Code from the sales order Header tab.

Item The Tax Code at right is a tax code Exception designated in the stock item master record.

Descriptor The Tax Code at right is a tax code Exception designated in the descriptor master record.

Tax Matrix The Tax Code at right derives from the Tax Group Matrix and is determined by the Tax Group associated with the Sold To customer master record combined with the Tax Group associated with the item or descriptor master record.

Manual The Tax Code at right was selected manually from the lookup.

Tax Code Each line item is assigned to a Tax Code, which gets its default value from the Tax Source indicated at left. You can manually select a tax code exception from the lookup.

NOTE: A Tax Code can be taxable or non-taxable. A non-taxable Tax Code has a zero percentage tax rate.

Required Date This date is used by MRP as the “demand” date for planning suggested jobs and POs. If this is a make to order item, you can click the Delivery button in the upper panel to launch the Delivery Date Estimator screen, which can help you calculate an estimated delivery date that can be used as the Required Date.

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CTO Job This read-only field pertains to ‘CTO’ (custom to order) items only. When MRP generates a job directly from this sales order line, the linked job number is displayed in this field.

Warranty Code This field is only visible when the Warranty Code option is selected via the Screen Config button on the SO Types screen. When this stock item or descriptor is assigned to a Warranty Code, it displays in this field. When this field is visible, you have the option of making an alternate selection.

Notes Side-Tab

Line Notes The Line Notes from the stock item or descriptor master record get passed into this notes field. This text is printed underneath this line item on these documents:

• Quote • Acknowledgment

Invoice Notes The text entered in this notes field is printed underneath this line item on the invoice.

Buttons

New Line Click this button to create a new line item. The program creates a new row in the grid and increments the previous Line No by ‘10’. The Line Type defaults to ‘Stock’ and the cursor is positioned in the Reference ID field.

Speed Entry The Speed Entry function helps you enter order detail lines as rapidly as possible and is especially useful when entering large numbers of line items. Click the Speed Entry button to launch the Speed Entry screen.

NOTE: You can use Speed Entry as often as you wish within an order. You can enter a few lines, transfer them, enter a few more, transfer them, and so forth.

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Speed Entry Screen

Upper Panel


Item Selection

Item ID or Descriptor ID Start typing the Item ID or Descriptor ID. As you type each character, the cursor will progressively move to the item with the closest match. Once you find the item you are looking for, press Enter and the cursor will move to the Qty field where you can enter the order quantity.



Description Search Use this field to narrow the contents of the main selection grid only to items that contain the text you enter. Once you enter your text, click the lookup icon to the left and the main grid displays the items

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with matching text. Once you make a selection, the grid repopulates itself with all your items. If you make a search and don’t select an item, click the ‘X’ button and the grid will repopulate with all items.

Item Category You can click on this column heading to sort the list by Item Category. You can also click the down arrow in the column heading to filter the list to a particular Item Category.


Transfer Button Your item selections and quantities are displayed in the lower grid in the order that they were selected. When your selections are completed, click the Transfer button and the items and quantities will be transferred to the Details tab.

Copy Detail When you click this button, two options are presented in the Copy Details screen.

Template You have the option of copying in a set of line items from a sales order template. After you select the Template option and click OK, you are presented with a list of available templates. Highlight the desired template, then enter a Qty Factor, if applicable, which is a multiplier that gets applied to each template line item’s quantity to determine each sales order line item Qty. Click the Transfer button to transfer the template line items into the sales order.

Sales Kit You have the option of copying in a sales kit, which consists of a parent descriptor and a set of kit components. After you select the Sales Kit option and click OK, you are presented with a selection screen. Select a sales kit descriptor from the lookup, then enter a Qty Factor, if applicable, which is a multiplier that gets applied to the parent descriptor and each component’s kit quantity to determine each sales order line item Qty. Click OK to transfer the sales kit into the sales order.

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Shipping Tab NOTE: The Shipping tab is only visible when the Activate Shipping Tab checkbox is selected in the SO Types screen for this order’s SO Type.

Training Videos Support Center – Videos–How Do I? – Sales Order Training Course

Segments: Shipment Creation, Shipment Documents, UPS and Fedex, Shipment Reversal

What is a shipment? A shipment is a set of line items from this sales order that were shipped on a particular date to a particular delivery address. A packing list and shipping labels can be printed for each shipment. Shipping charges can be entered against the shipment and will flow through to the invoice.

How do shipments interact with invoices? Invoices are generated from shipments. Each invoice consists of all line items that have shipped quantities that have not yet been invoiced. Each line item’s invoice quantity is the “shipped not invoiced” quantity.

How do items get included on a shipment? Each shipment automatically includes all line items that were picked (via the Order Picking screen) since the previous shipment.

Shipments also include non-stock descriptors Shipments are also comprised of descriptor line items that were picked for invoicing purposes. Descriptors are used for credit memos, service labor charges, and miscellaneous charges. Descriptor line items are not included on the packing list, but are included in the invoice that gets generated from the shipment.

When would an SO Type not include shipments? If you create an SO Type in the SO Types screen for handling walk-in “counter” sales, there is no need for an intervening shipment because the customer picks up the order items in person. In this case, picked items can be invoiced without a shipment being generated first.

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Main Side-Tab

Upper Grid All shipments for this sales order are listed in this grid. The fields in the lower panel display the details for the shipment highlighted in the grid.

Buttons

New Shipment Click this button to create a new shipment. If items have not yet been picked for shipment, you are asked:

‘No Items have been picked for shipment. Do you wish to pick Items now?’

If you click Yes, you are presented with the Order Picking screen. You can then pick the order. When the Order Picking screen finishes its processing, you are returned to this screen. The shipment is automatically generated and includes the items you just picked.

Delete If you notice errors on your packing list, you can click this button to delete the shipment, correct the source of the errors, and then generate a new shipment.

NOTE: You cannot delete a shipment when its Invoiced checkbox is selected. You must reverse the Invoice and then you can delete the shipment.

Print When you click this button, two options are presented in a drop-down list.

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Packing List Select this option to prints a packing list that gets included with the physical shipment. If there is a custom layout stored against this customer, it is used. If there is no layout at the customer level, the program checks for a custom layout stored against this SO Type and uses it. If one is not found against the SO Type, the standard layout is used.

NOTE: If you do not want no charge line items to print on the packing list, select the Exclude zero value Items from Packing List checkbox. The other option is to click the Details side tab and clear the Print checkbox from any items that are not to be printed.

Shipping Labels Select this option to print shipping address labels that get applied to packages. On the Print Labels screen you specify the Number of Labels, which defaults to the Packs amount on the Shipping screen.

Lower Panel

Shipment No Each shipment is identified by a unique number that is sequentially assigned by the program, beginning with ‘1’. The Shipment No cannot be modified.

Shipment Date This defaults to today’s date, but can be overridden with another selection.

Invoiced This read-only checkbox is automatically selected when this shipment gets invoiced.

NOTE: Once the shipment is invoiced, no further changes to shipment details are permitted.

Ship Method This defaults to the Ship Method specified on the Ship-to sub-tab of the Header screen. If you select a different delivery address, the Ship Method stored against that address will be used. If there is not one stored against the delivery address record, the Ship Method stored against the Sold To customer’s master record is used. You can also manually select a Ship Method from the lookup.

Shipment Description You can optionally enter a shipment description for reference purposes, which prints in the header of the packing list.

Delivery Name, Address, City, State, Code, Country, Contact These fields are the Name, address, and Contact specified on the Ship To sub-tab on the Header tab. You can use the lookup to select an alternate delivery address from among this customer’s delivery addresses.

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NOTE: Any changes you make to the fields on this screen automatically update the corresponding fields on the Ship To sub-tab on the Header tab.

Packs The program divides each item’s shipment Qty by its Std Pack setting in the Stock Items screen and sums the amounts for all line items to arrive at the total number of packs that comprise this shipment. You can manually override this amount.

Total Weight The program multiplies each item’s shipment Qty by its Unit Weight setting in the Stock Items screen and sums the amounts for all line items to arrive at the Total Weight for this shipment. You can manually override this amount.

Total Volume The program multiplies each item’s shipment Qty by its Unit Volume setting in the Stock Items screen and sums the amounts for all line items to arrive at the Total Volume for this shipment. You can manually override this amount.

Trace ID If your shipping provider gives you a tracking number, you can enter it in this field, for reference purposes only.

Shipping Charges If there is a Ship Charge stored against the Ship Method, that amount is inserted into this field. Otherwise, shipping charges are entered manually.

How it works When Shipping Charges and Ship Tax (if applicable, see next) are given values, a line item is automatically added at the end of the sales order. It is a ‘Freeform’ Line Type with a Reference ID of ‘Shipping’. The line’s Description is whatever you enter in the Shipment Description field, which defaults to “Shipping” but can be changed to whatever description you wish.

NOTE: Freeform ‘Shipping’ lines do not print as line items on the invoice. Instead, total shipping charges print in the subtotal footer area and are labeled with the Your Ship Name setting from the Sales Setup screen.

Tax This field is only visible when the Tax Shipping checkbox is selected against the Tax Code specified in the Header tab. Sales tax is automatically applied to the Shipping Charges based on the tax code’s tax rate percentage.

Total This field is only visible when the Tax field is visible. It is the sum of the Shipping Charges and Tax amounts.

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Shipment Notes You can enter unlimited notes for reference purposes in the Shipment Notes area of the screen. These notes print on the packing list.

Exclude zero-value items from Packing List Select this checkbox if you wish to exclude no charge line items from the packing list.

Details Side-Tab

Upper Panel The fields on the upper panel – Shipment No, Shipment Description, Shipment Date, Ship Method -- are for reference only and identify the currently selected shipment.

Line Items Grid All the items that comprise the shipment are listed in this grid. All the fields are for reference only and are self-explanatory, except for the Print checkbox.

Print Select this checkbox if you wish to exclude a line item from printing on the packing list. You might, for example, have items for labor charges that are not relevant to a packing list, which normally is confined to a listing of physical items.

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Invoicing Tab Training Videos Support Center – Videos–How Do I? – Sales Order Training Course

Segments: Invoice Creation, Invoice Customization, Invoice Reversal

How are Invoices created? Invoices are automatically generated from shipments or from picked items.

• When the Shipping tab is active, all line items and quantities associated with shipments that have not yet been invoiced are included in the invoice.

• When the Shipping tab is not active, all line items with quantities picked since the previous invoice are included in the invoice.

When you click the Invoicing tab and items are ready to be invoiced, you are asked:

Do you wish to create an Invoice? Click Yes and the invoice is created and listed in the grid.

How does an invoice get posted to the general ledger? When an invoice is first created, it is in preview form only and technically does not exist until it gets posted. An invoice gets posted to the general ledger when it is formally printed or Emailed and its Status changes to ‘Printed.’

Can a separate invoice be generated for each shipment? Be aware that each invoice is a blend of the shipments that have accumulated since the previous invoice. So if you create multiple shipments from a single sales order and you wish to generate a separate invoice that corresponds to each shipment, you must generate an invoice immediately after each shipment before you create the next shipment.

How are credit memos created? When you print an invoice with a negative Total Amt, the printed title on the invoice changes from the Your Invoice Name specified in the Sales Setup screen to the Your Credit Name specified in that same screen. Sometimes you need to create a credit memo to adjust a customer’s account balance. For example, you may need to write off a customer’s balance to “Bad Debt.” To do this, create a descriptor that describes the adjustment and assign it to an Item Category that can be mapped in the Sales tab of the Account Assignments screen to the appropriate GL account. Enter the descriptor in a sales order and give it a negative price for the amount of the adjustment. Pick the order, generate a shipment (if applicable), then create the credit memo.

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Invoice and Credit Memo Forms Titles You can specify your own forms titles for invoices and credit memos via the Your Invoice Name and Your Credit Name settings in the Sales Defaults screen.

Screen Details

Click for Preview of selected Invoice Click this icon if you wish to preview the invoice on the screen and to adjust printing options. You are first presented with the Print Options screen.

Print Options Screen This screen lists the invoice line items, prices, and quantities and is used to exclude selected line items from printing.

Don’t Print If you wish to exclude a particular line item from printing on the invoice, select this checkbox. This is usually done with zero-value line items.

NOTE: The total price on the invoice is unaffected by this setting and will still reflect the price of any non-printed line items.

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Invoices Grid All invoices that have been created against this sales order are listed in this grid.

Invoice No This field is left blank until the Status changes to ‘Printed’. The program assigns the Invoice No based on the Invoice Prefix and Next Invoice No settings in the Sales Defaults screen.

Invoice Date This field defaults to today’s date, but can be overridden with another selection prior to printing the invoice.

Status The system assigns three possible values to this field:

Blank When the invoice is initially created, the Status is blank.

Printed The Status changes to ‘Printed’ once the invoice is printed or Emailed.

GL Posting NOTE: It is when the invoice status changes to ‘Printed’ that the invoice is posted to the general ledger and to the sales history table.

Credited When you click the Reverse button to reverse a ‘Printed’ invoice, the Status changes to ‘Credited’.

Net Amt This field displays the total price exclusive of Shipping and Tax.

Shipping This field displays the total shipping charges on this Invoice.

Tax This field displays the total tax on this invoice.

Total Amt This is the sum of the Net Amt, Shipping, and Tax amounts.

Deposit If an advance deposit has been applied against this Invoice, the amount is displayed in this field.

Deposit Processing If a deposit has been entered in the AR – Customer Deposits screen against this sales order, when you create the invoice you are presented with this prompt:

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An open Deposit exists against this Sales Order. Do you wish to apply the Deposit towards this Invoice?

If you click OK, you are presented with this prompt: Up to $__ can be applied. Apply how much?

You can then apply all or a portion of the open deposit amount against the invoice.

Due Date This is the invoice payment due date, which is based on the Payment Terms specified in the Terms sub-tab on the Header tab.

Print on Statement When you reverse an invoice to correct for errors, the original invoice is retained and a “reversing” invoice with offsetting negative quantities and prices is created. If you wish to exclude both of these invoices from printing on the customer statement, select ‘No’ in this field.

New Invoice Button If you don’t create the invoice at the time you click the Invoicing tab, once you are on the Invoicing screen you can click this button to create a new invoice.

Delete Button When a selected invoice’s Status is blank, you can delete it by clicking this button.

NOTE: You cannot delete a ‘Printed’ Status invoice. You must reverse it instead (see next).

Reverse Button When a selected invoice’s Status is ‘Printed’, you can create a “reversing” Invoice (with offsetting negative quantities and prices) by clicking this button. The original invoice is retained and both invoices are given a Status of ‘Credited’.

NOTE: If you wish to exclude both of these invoices from printing on the customer statement, select ‘No’ in the Print on Statement field against each of these invoices.

Print Buttons Panel

Invoice Button Click this button to print the selected invoice. You are first presented with the Print Options screen.

NOTE: When the invoice is printed, its Status changes to ‘Printed’ and it is posted to sales history and to the general ledger.

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Print Options Screen This screen lists the invoice line items, prices, and quantities and is used to exclude selected line items from printing.

NOTE: If you had already made Don’t Print selections on this screen when you previewed the invoice, those settings are retained when the screen gets presented again here.

Don’t Print If you wish to exclude a particular line item from printing on the invoice, select this checkbox. This is usually done with zero-value line items.

NOTE: The total price on the invoice is unaffected by this setting and will still reflect the price of any non-printed line items.

Yes for Email, No for Preview If the Email Documents checkbox is selected in the Contact sub-tab of the Header tab, you are presented with this prompt after closing the Print Options screen. If the checkbox is not selected, the invoice is previewed on the screen and can be printed by clicking the Printer icon.

• If you click Yes, you are presented with the standard Email client form, pre-filled with the Message Body Default Text for this user from the User Setup screen.

• If you click No, the invoice is previewed on the screen and can be printed by clicking the Printer icon.

Credit Card Payment Prompt If this sales order’s Payment Terms is specified as a ‘Credit Card’ type in the Customer Terms screen, you are prompted to record the customer’s payment. If you click Yes to the prompt, the Customer Payments screen is presented. The Banking Account, Payment Type, and Amount to Pay fields are pre-filled. Click the Update button and the credit card payment will be processed.

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6-6. Order Picking (Sales – Order Picking)

This screen is used to plan and pick stock for sales order shipments.

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Segments: Shipment Planning, Pick List, Order Picking

Shipment Planner This screen includes a Shipment Planner lookup tool that lists which orders are ready to ship, prioritized by earliest required date. Starting with the first ready to ship order, you pick stock from available locations. After picking each order, you return to the Shipment Planner, which is now updated to reflect the sales order you just picked and the effect the transactions have on your remaining sales orders.

Picking Methods Two picking methods are available.

Pick List Method With this option, you print a “pick list” from this screen and use it as a guide to physically pick the stock listed required to fill the order. The pick list can optionally list all available stock by location and by tracking characteristics (such as lot and serial numbers). After stock is picked, you return immediately to this screen to record your transactions.

Dispatch List Method With this option, you pick stock on this screen first, including quantities by location and any tracking characteristics that are required (such as lot and serial numbers). You then print a “dispatch list” and use it to as a guide to physically pick the stock. The dispatch list sorts the picked items in location order to provide an efficient route through the warehouse. If stock is not found in the location listed on the dispatch list, you can return to this screen, find the original transaction, and click the Return button to partially or fully reverse the original transaction. You can then make a new entry with the correct information.

Which picking method is best? For an inventory management system to be efficient, it is essential that inventory be updated in real time, as transactions actually occur. Real-time inventory updating gives your users confidence that when they view any item’s inventory status, it accurately reflects all recent transactions. Real-time updating prevents

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transactions from being entered out of sequence, such as shipping an item before it has been received to stock from a job. Either picking method can work well. If you use the “pick list” method, it is essential that picking transactions be recorded on this screen immediately after each order is picked. To facilitate this, we recommend that warehouse personnel be given access to computer workstations so they can make their own entries. If you want to guarantee real-time inventory updating, use the “dispatch list” picking method because items are “pre-picked” on the screen before they are physically picked. If you use this method, be sure to always physically pick stock immediately after printing the dispatch list.

There is no transaction “back-dating” in DBA All inventory transactions throughout the DBA system are dated as of their entry date. There is no ability to “back-date” transactions after the fact. For example, if you pick stock on Friday, but you don’t get around to entering the transactions on the Order Picking screen until Tuesday, as far as the system is concerned, that stock was picked on Tuesday, not Friday.

Screen Details

Upper Panel

SO No When you click the button in this field, you are presented with the Shipment Planner screen, which is used to determine the next sales order to pick based on priority and available stock.

Shipment Planner Screen All sales orders with un-picked quantities remaining are listed in this screen in priority order, based on earliest required date.

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Process one order at a time The Shipment Planner only works if you pick and update one sales order at a time, in the sort order listed. This is because stock that gets picked for the highest priority sales on one order is not available for subsequent priority sales orders that also call for the same items. Only by updating inventory after each sales order is picked can available stock be progressively consumed in priority order.

Field Explanations

Earliest Required This is the earliest Required Date among this sales order’s line items. Sales orders are listed by earliest required date first, which is considered to be highest priority. When two or more sales orders have the same earliest required date, they are listed by oldest sales order within that date.

NOTE: If you wish to give one sales order priority over another, it is done by moving line item Required Dates up on the higher priority order or back on the lower priority order.

SO No This is the sales order number.

Description This is the Description from the sales order header tab, which defaults to the customer name but can be used to provide a brief description of the order.

Ready When this checkbox is selected, it means that if this were the next sales order picked, all of its line items with remaining quantities have available stock and therefore the remainder of the order can be shipped in full.

Green Color & Bold Text To provide a visual cue as to which sales orders are ready to ship in full (if it is the next sales order picked), any line with the Ready checkbox selected is displayed with green and bold text.

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Lines Ready If this were the next sales order to be picked, this is the number of line items that have available stock.

Lines Not Ready If this were the next sales order to be picked, this is the number of line items that do not have sufficient stock to be shipped in full.

Lines Complete This is the number of line items that have already been shipped in full. This helps give you a feel for whether the sales order has not been shipped yet or if it is a “backorder”, meaning that it has been shipped, but one or more items were not in stock at time of shipment and must be shipped later.

Last Picked This is the date of the last picking transaction for this ales order. If you determine from the Lines Complete amount that this is a backorder, this date gives you a feel for how “old” the backorder is.

Customer This is the Sold To customer associated with this sales order.

Trading Name This is the Trading Name associated with this customer’s master record, which is the name that prints on documents.

Description, Customer, Trading Name These fields help identify the sales order currently displayed on the screen.

Picking Tab Buttons

Pick List Click this button to print a “pick list.” The pick list provides a listing of the stock items to be picked (descriptor line items are not included). After printing the pick list, you physically pick the order and indicate on the pick list the locations and characteristics associated with your transactions. You then return to this screen to record your transactions and update inventory. Before printing, you are presented with this selection screen:

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Report Options Use the Print checkbox to select or de-select the fields you want included on the pick list. You can change the order by clicking into the Sort Order field on those cells in the grid that are not grayed out.

Stock Qtys (Recommended) We recommend that you select this option, which lists available stock on hand by location and characteristic sets. This makes it much easier to find stock and to indicate from which location stock was picked and what characteristics were used.

Orientation You can select the Portrait or Landscape option to achieve a vertical or horizontal style printing layout.

Select SO Lines Select this option if you wish to limit the pick list to selected line items. When you select this checkbox, a panel displays below within which you can select or de-select the Include checkbox to determine which lines get printed.

Print Button After your selections are completed, click this button to print the pick list. Here is a sample:

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Pre-Fill Click this button to “pre-fill” the Picked Qty column in the grid against line items where a selection process is not required, which occurs under the following conditions:

• Stock is only on hand in one location.

• Stock on hand is equal to or greater than the line item’s remaining quantity.

• Stock on hand consists of only one set of characteristics (such as a single lot number).

• The line item is a descriptor.

Pre-filling from the primary location You have the option of limiting pre-filling to each item’s Primary Location and ignoring stock on hand in secondary locations. To achieve this, go to the Inventory Defaults screen and in the When Stock Is in Multiple Locations panel, select the Pre-Fill from Primary Location option.

Update After your entries are completed, click this button to perform the following processes:

• Each item’s stock on hand is reduced at the designated locations and for the selected characteristics.

• Transactions are posted to the item history and sales order batch history tables.

• The Act Qty is increased against each sales order line item.

• The total inventory cost associated with each line item transaction is debited to your Picked Not Invoiced account and an offsetting credit is posted to your Inventory account.

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SO Lines All of this sales order’s line items are displayed in the grid and are sorted Line No order.

Picked Qty When this field is not grayed out, you can enter the picked quantity. When the field is grayed out, direct entry is prohibited and you must make entries in the Pick Detail tab below.

NOTE1: When the Picked Qty is equal to the Remaining quantity, this amount is displayed in bold blue text, which gives you a visual cue that this line item has been picked in full. NOTE2: Negative stock on hand is not permitted. Therefore, you cannot enter a Picked Qty greater than the On Hand quantity. NOTE3: Over-picking is not permitted. The Picked Qty cannot exceed the line item’s Remaining quantity. If you wish to pick and ship a greater quantity than the order Qty, you must go into the sales order and either increase the line item’s order Qty or add a new line for the excess quantity. You can then return to this screen and pick the additional quantity.

Direct Entry The Picked Qty field is available for direct entry under these conditions:

• Stock on hand in the primary location is equal or greater than the line item’s required quantity and the When Stock Is in Multiple Locations setting in the Inventory Defaults screen is set to the Pre-Fill from Primary Location option.

• All stock on hand must have the same characteristics set.


Pick Detail Required The field is grayed out under these conditions and entries must be made in the Pick Detail sub-tab:

• Stock is on hand in two or more locations and the When Stock Is in Multiple Locations setting in the Inventory Defaults screen is set to the Require Location Selection option.

• Stock on hand consists of multiple characteristic sets.

Remaining This is the line item’s remaining quantity, which is its quantity picked to date subtracted from its Order Qty.

On Hand This is the total stock on hand among all locations.

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NOTE1: This amount is displayed in bold red text when it is less than the Remaining quantity. This gives you a visual cue that this line item cannot be picked in full. NOTE2: This field is left blank on descriptor line items.

Line No, Reference ID, Description These fields identify the line item.

Order Qty, UM This is the line item’s order quantity and unit of measure.

Unit Cost This is the unit cost that will get applied to this picking transaction. In the case of a stock item, this is the item’s current Inventory Cost. In the case of a descriptor, this is its current Estimated Cost.

Line Type ‘Stock’ indicates that this line item is a stock item. ‘Descriptor’ indicates that this line item is a descriptor.

Required This is the line item’s Required Date.

Pick Detail Sub-Tab

Upper Panel

Line No, Ref ID These fields identify the line item highlighted in the SO Lines grid above.

Magnifying Glass Icon Click this icon to launch the Stock Status inquiry screen for this stock item.

Qty to Pick This is the quantity to be picked, which is equal to the line item’s Remaining quantity in the grid above.

Tot Pick Qty This is the total Picked Qty in the grid below.

Balance This is the Tot Pick Qty subtracted from the Qty to Pick, which is the balance remaining to be picked in order to pick this line item in full.

Grid Fields Each line in the grid represents the stock on hand for each location and unique set of characteristic values.

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Picked Qty Enter the quantity to be picked against this location and set of characteristic values.

NOTE1: Negative stock on hand is not permitted. Therefore, you cannot enter a Picked Qty greater than the Stock Qty. NOTE2: When the word ‘Transitory’ is displayed in red text, it indicates that this is a ‘Transitory’ location from which stock cannot be picked. Transitory locations are used for a temporary process such as inspection. Using the Stock Transfer screen, stock must be transferred from the transitory location to a non-transitory location and then the stock can be picked for shipment.

Location This is the location associated with this stock quantity.

Primary This read-only checkbox identifies the stock item’s Primary Location (as designated in the Stock Items screen).

Transitory This read-only checkbox is only visible when a “transitory” location is displayed. A location flagged as Transitory is used for a temporary process such as inspection or transfer between warehouses. Stock cannot be picked from a transitory location, but transitory stock is displayed here for reference purposes so that you are aware of its existence.

Stock Qty This is the quantity on hand associated with this location and set of characteristic values.

Characteristic Fields The remaining columns are only visible when the item is assigned to tracking characteristics such as lot and serial control.

Transactions Sub-Tab All previously updated picking transactions for this line item are displayed on this sub-tab.

Return Button Click this button to return all or a portion of the transaction quantity to stock or to reverse a picking transaction that was made in error. You are presented with this screen:

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Field Explanations

Received Qty This is the quantity to be returned to stock. It defaults to the full transaction quantity, but you can decrease the quantity if you wish to return a partial quantity to stock.

Location This is the location to which the stock will be returned. It defaults to the transaction location, but you can use the lookup to select an alternate location, if applicable.

Receipt This read-only checkbox is selected for reference when this location is the item’s default Receipt Location, as designated in the Stock Items screen.

Capacity This reference field is this item’s storage capacity for this location.

NOTE: If you want to view existing stock in any location, use the lookup in the Location field and on the location lookup screen, click the magnifying glass icon in the lower panel to view any location’s stock on hand.

Batch History Tab Each time the Update process occurs, all the transactions associated with the update are assigned to a “batch” number. This sales order’s batches are listed on this tab.

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Upper Panel

Display Batch History This checkbox is selected by default. When selected, the screen is occupied by two grids: a listing of batches in the upper grid and a listing of Batch Transactions in the lower grid, limited to the batches selected in the upper grid. If you clear this checkbox, the Batch Transactions grid occupies the entire screen and lists all transactions for all batches.

Dispatch Button This button is only visible when the Display Batch History checkbox is selected at left. You have the option of picking stock on the Picking tab before you physically pick the stock from the warehouse. After Update processing is completed, you can immediately access this tab and click this button to print a “dispatch list” to use as a guide for physically picking the stock.

NOTE: Click the selection checkbox to the left of each batch you want included in the dispatch list. You can combine multiple batches into one dispatch list, if you wish.

After clicking the Dispatch button, you are presented with this screen:

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Dispatch Options Use the Print checkbox to select or de-select the fields you want included on the dispatch list. You can change the order by clicking into the Sort Order field on those cells in the grid that are not grayed out.


Print Button After your selections are completed, click this button to print the dispatch list. Here is a sample:

Upper Grid All update batches for this sales order are displayed in this grid.

NOTE: This grid is only visible when the Display Batch History checkbox is selected at left.

Selection (Checkbox) This checkbox is selected by default against all batches that have a blank value in the Last Printed column. Selecting this checkbox serves two purposes:

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• This batch will be included in the dispatch list when you print it via the Dispatch button.

• This batch’s transactions are displayed in the Batch Transactions grid below.

Batch No This number identifies the batch and is automatically assigned by the program.

NOTE: Each Batch No is unique such that no two sales orders ever have batches with the same batch numbers.

Batch Date This field shows the date and time the batch was created.

Last Printed When you print a hard copy of the dispatch list, the date and time is captured in this field.

NOTE1: This field does not get updated when you preview the dispatch list. It only gets updated when you print a hard copy on your printer. NOTE2: This field only gets updated the first time you print the dispatch list. It does not get updated when you reprint the dispatch list.

Batch Transactions Grid When the Display Batch History checkbox in the upper panel is cleared, this grid occupies the entire screen and provides a listing of all picking transactions for this sales order. When the Display Batch History checkbox in the upper panel is selected, this grid occupies the lower half of the screen and only lists transactions associated with batches that are selected (via the checkbox) in the Batch History grid above.

NOTE: Transactions displayed in bold blue text are associated with the batch that is currently highlighted in the upper grid.

Button

Output Click this button to output the contents of the grid to an Excel spreadsheet, text file, HTML file, or to the printer.

Transactions Grid • If the Display Batch History checkbox at the top of the screen is selected,

picking transactions associated with the batches selected in the upper grid are listed in this grid.

NOTE: Transactions displayed in bold blue text are associated with the batch selected in the upper grid.

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• If the Display Batch History checkbox at the top of the screen is cleared, all picking transactions associated with all batches are listed in this grid.

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6-7. Quotes (Sales – Quotes)

“Quotes” are used to send customers or prospects formal price quotations. If the quote gets accepted, it can be converted into a sales order.

Use quotes for RMAs Quotes are also used to originate RMAs (Returned Merchandise Authorization). Initiating an RMA using a quote prevents MRP from including RMA items when it calculates net demand, because quotes are ignored by MRP. When the RMA items are received and inspected, the quote is converted to a sales order for final disposition of the RMA. For more information on RMAs, see chapter 6A, RMA Processing.

Training Courses Support Center – Videos–How Do I? – Quoting Training Course Support Center – Videos–How Do I? – RMA Training Course

How are quote line items created? If you have a product line and furnish a quote on standard products, quote line items are already created and you would enter the quote exactly in the same manner as entering a sales order. If you are job shop or custom manufacturer quoting a new item from scratch, during line item entry you would select a Line Type of ‘Custom’ and use the Custom Item Generator to create a custom output ID.

How are quote prices determined? If you have a product line, the quote has identical functionality to a sales order, including pricing and discount rules. You can therefore set up the customer or prospect with an optional Price Level and/or Discount Code and enter quote details the same way you would enter a sales order. If you are a job shop or custom manufacturer, you can create a record for your custom item in the Bills of Material screen and enter routing and component details. You can use the Cost Rollup screen to calculate an Estimated Cost for the custom item, which you can then add a margin or markup to establish the quote price.

How are multiple quantities and prices handled? You can quote multiple quantities and prices for the same item on separate lines within the quote. Within each line the Cost Rollup can be used to recalculate the Estimated Cost to reflect the lower Setup costs associated with greater quantities.

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Estimating Tools The BOM is an ideal estimating tool The Bills of Material screen is ideally suited as an estimating tool because you can enter routing and component details against your custom item and then use the Cost Rollup to calculate an Estimated Cost. An extra benefit is that when the quote becomes a firm order, most of the manufacturing setup is already completed.

Multi-Level Cost Estimates Another benefit to using Bills of Material for estimating is that the Cost Rollup rolls up the cost of lower-level subassemblies into the BOM parent’s Estimated Cost. You can therefore calculate estimate costs on complex, multi-level products, if needed.

Estimating Tips & Tools Non-Active Status Over time you will accumulate many custom ID’s associated with quotes that were never converted into orders. In the Stock Items screen you can change an item’s Status to ‘Inactive’, which removes the item from active lookups.

Sequence Templates You can save time by creating a library of Sequence Templates to represent all your standard labor operations. When you enter Routing details in the Bills of Material screen for your custom item, you can copy in Sequence Templates (complete with cycle times and traveler notes) instead of entering routing Sequences from scratch.

BOM Copy You can create a new BOM by copying an existing BOM, so when you quote an item that is similar to another item, copy the other BOM and then edit the new BOM for any differences.

Phantom Assemblies If the items you quote are combinations of modular sets of components, you can represent a set of components with a Phantom Assembly. Instead of entering each component in a set from scratch, simply specify the phantom parent item in the BOM and the Cost Rollup will roll up the cost of all its components. When you create a job from the BOM, the phantom assembly components get pulled into the job.

Material Costs The Estimated Cost of each ‘P’ (Purchased) item is used by the Cost Rollup to estimate material costs. You can periodically use the Estimated Purchase Costs screen to batch update Estimated Costs with each item’s Last Costs or Inventory Cost. You can also manually update Estimates Costs on new items or critical cost items.

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Screen Details Quote entry is virtually identical to sales order entry. In this chapter we focus on specific features that are relevant to quoting.

List Tab All or selected quotes are listed on this screen, depending on the Status filters selected in the lower panel.

New Quote Button Click this button to create a new quote. You are presented with the New Quote screen. Just as with sales orders, you have the option of originating the quote by copying a previous quote or copying in a sales order Template.

NOTE: Quotes use the same SO Types as sales orders.

Quote Button Click this button to print the highlighted quote.

NOTE: Before printing a quote, you can go to the Quote Style side-tab off the Header tab and review your settings. You can, for example, change the header, summary, or footer text within your Letter Contents. You also can change the Report Style to any of the four options (Formal, Letter, Letter with Detail, Multi-Option).

Yes for Email, No for Preview If the Email Documents checkbox is selected in the Contact sub-tab of the Header tab, you are presented with this prompt. If the checkbox is not selected, the quote is previewed on the screen and can be printed by clicking the Printer icon.

• If you click Yes, you are presented with the standard Email client form, pre-filled with the Message Body Default Text for this user from the Main Setup screen.

• If you click No, the quote is previewed on the screen and can be printed by clicking the Printer icon.

Convert Button Click this button to convert the quote into a sales order. When you do so, the quote is previewed on the screen. When you close the preview screen, you are asked if you wish to go directly to the Sales Orders screen. Click Yes and you will see the quote included on the List tab of the Sales Orders screen with a Status of ‘ORDERED’.

Before you convert: Before you convert the quote, you should review it and edit it to reflect the final order details. You may have quoted multiple quantities and prices for an

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item on multiple lines, for example, in which case you would delete the lines that were not ordered.

After conversion, review the Sales Order Once the sales order exists, you should review the Promise Date and line item Required Dates. You can click the button in the line item Required Date field to access the Delivery Date Estimator, which can help you calculate the Required Date and re-set the Promise Date.

Header Tab Header Info

Quote No Quotes and sales orders share the same numbering.

Status When a quote is created, it is given a Status of ‘QUOTED’. When a quote expires without being converted into an order, you can change its Status to ‘CLOSED’,

Pricing Sub-Tab If you are quoting products with Base Price records, the settings on this tab affect pricing and discount rules.

Quote Style Side-Tab Before you print the quote, you can adjust your Quote Style settings on this side-tab.

NOTE: Default values for these settings are made in the Quote Defaults screen.

Default Style You can select one of four quote styles, described as follows.

Formal This is a formal quote document, similar in style to that of an invoice.

Letter The quote will be in the form of a letter with the quoted price in the body of the letter.

Letter with Detail The quote will be in the form of a letter with the quoted price and quote details in the body of the letter.

Multi-Option This is the same as the Formal quote style, but there is no quote total. Use this style with sales order quotes when you want to list several independently quoted items on one document.

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Header The Header text is the main body of the quote letter that precedes the quote details.

Summary The Summary text is a 50-character description that is used to label the quote total on the printed quote. It could be something like ‘We are pleased to quote a special price of’ or anything along those lines.

Footer The Footer text prints after the Summary text and is used for closing comments and a complimentary close type signature block.

Details Tab Quote line items are entered on this tab. The following are the key fields involved in quoting.

Line Type Select the ‘Custom” Line Type if you wish to use the Custom Item Generator to create a custom output item for “one-off” jobs.

Reference ID Select the item you are quoting from the lookup. The item must be set up in advance in the Stock Items screen.

NOTE: If you wish to quote multiple quantities and prices for the same item, enter the same item on multiple lines, each with its won quantity and price.

If you had selected the ‘Custom’ Line Type in the previous field, you are presented with the Custom Item Generator screen. That screen creates an Output ID that will be used by MRP to generate a custom job.


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Field Explanations

Custom Item ID The Custom Item ID is used as the line’s Reference ID and is generated by the program. It cannot be modified.

Description (Required) Enter the Description of the Custom Item ID. This is a required field.

UM The UM default value derives from the Custom Item Generator setting in the Job Defaults screen, but can be overridden, if you wish.

Customer Part No This is an optional field. If you are making a custom item on behalf of a customer who identifies the item with a part number, enter the Customer Part No in this field. This is for reference only on the Customers sub-tab within the Sources tab in the Stock Items screen when viewing the custom item record.

Lead Days The Lead Days amount derives from the Custom Item Generator setting in the Job Defaults screen, but can be overridden, if you wish.

Job Days The Job Days amount derives from the Custom Item Generator setting in the Job Defaults screen, but can be overridden, if you wish.

Est Delivery This is an estimated delivery date, calculated forward from today’s date by adding the Lead Days to the Job Days, skipping over any non-valid workdays defined on the shop calendar.

Use as Req Date This checkbox is selected by default. When selected, the Est Delivery date will be used as the line’s Required Date.

Reference Price If the item you are quoting has a Contract Price or Base Price, standard sales order pricing rules apply to this field.

Discount If this customer is assigned to a Discount Code that affects this item, the discount percentage is inserted into this field.

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Net Price This is the quote price, which is calculated by applying the Discount to the Reference Price when values exist in those fields.

Est Cost This is the item’s Estimated Cost at the time the line was created.

Margin or Markup This is the Margin or Markup (depending on your Profitability setting in the Sales Defaults screen) of the net Price over Est Cost.

Changing the Margin or Markup You can change the Margin or Markup percentage by clicking the button in this field. You are presented with a screen within which you can enter the new percentage. When you click OK, the Net Price will be adjusted to reflect the new Margin or Markup. Any Discount percentage will be zeroed out and the Reference Price will be made equal to the Net Price.

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6-8. Sales Order Inquiry (Sales – Sales Order Inquiry)

This screen enables users to inquire on the status of a sales order and to review associated shipments and invoices.

Screen Details

Selection

SO No, QUOTED, ORDERED, INVOICED, FINISHED, CLOSED Select a sales order from the lookup. You can filter the lookup list by selecting or clearing the Status checkboxes to the right of the SO No field.

SO Description, Status, Customer These fields are for reference only.

Status Tab

Upper Grid All line items are listed in this grid. You can view each item’s order Qty, the quantity picked to date, and the Required Date.

Characteristics This checkbox is selected when the item has tracking characteristics.

History Sub-Tab The actual pick transactions for the highlighted item in the upper grid are displayed in this lower grid. You view the Picked Date and the picked Qty.

Shipments Tab

Upper Grid All shipments associated with this sales order are listed in the upper grid.

6-8. Sales Order Inquiry

Operating Guide 383

Line Items Grid The line items associated with the shipment highlighted in the upper grid are listed in the lower grid.

Invoices Tab

Upper Grid All invoices associated with this sales order are listed in the upper grid, including totals for line items, shipping, and tax.

Line Items Grid The line items associated with the invoice highlighted in the upper grid are listed in the lower grid, including price and tax detail.

6-9. Sales Data Views

384 Operating Guide


(Sales – Data Views)


Sales Data Views Three data views are provided on the Sales menu:

Open Sales Orders Use this data view to list open sales order detail or summary information. Standard layouts include:

• Summary Totals + Invoiced TD • SO Line Remaining

Sales Order Bookings Use this data view to list detailed or summarized booked orders within a range of creation dates. This data view enables you to track orders received (booked) as an alternative to sales reports, which track invoiced orders. Standard layouts include:

• Summary Totals Excluding Sales Tax • Summary Totals Including Sales Tax

Pick Ship Invoice Status Use this data view to get a listing of sales orders that have line items with these conditions: Picked Not Invoiced, Picked Not Shipped, Shipped Not Invoiced. Standard layouts include:

• Picked Not Invoiced • PNI by Sales Order


Operating Guide 385

Selection Screen





386 Operating Guide






Data View Screen



Operating Guide 387


Grouping You can create list groupings by dragging a column heading into the header panel above the column headings. For example, if you drag an Invoice Number column heading into the header panel, the lines are then grouped by invoice number. You can even have a group within a group. For example, you could drag a Customer Name column heading into the header panel, which would form a sub-group within invoice numbers.









388 Operating Guide

Customize Button








Operating Guide 389

Layout List Button






Save Layout Button




390 Operating Guide



6-10. Sales Reports

Operating Guide 391

6-10. Sales Reports

6-10A. Sales Order Summary (Sales – Reports – Sales Order Summary)

The report enables you to assess your order bookings and order backlog.

Order Bookings You can sort the report by a range of Creation Dates, which are the dates orders were “booked.” This enables you to track the total value of booked orders by week or month or any other period.

Order Backlog The report breaks out sales order value into Invoiced TD and Non-Invoiced amounts. The Non-Invoiced value represents your total order backlog.

6-10B. Sales Order Detail (Sales – Reports – Sales Order Detail)

This report enables you to assess the status of individual sales orders and to estimate future shipment volume by date ranges.

Order Status The report lists the original order quantity, the quantity picked to date, and the remaining quantity.

Order Value The report also lists unit prices, total price, and the value remaining to be shipped.

Linked Jobs The report shows you whether MRP has created a Linked Job or it will display the word “Planned” when the line item is to be picked from stock.

6-10. Sales Reports

392 Operating Guide

6-10C. Open Items Listing (Sales – Reports – Open Items Listing)

This report enables you to view all the open orders for any given stock item or descriptor. You can use this report in conjunction with the Available to Ship report to plan which orders are ready for picking. Within each item or descriptor, you get a listing of the sales orders with remaining quantities for that line item. Within each sales order line item you see the original order quantity, the actual quantity picked to date, the remaining quantity to be shipped, and the required date.

6-10D. Available to Ship (Sales – Reports – Available to Ship)

This report displays the on hand stock for items with open sales order quantities. You can see the stock on hand and how much can be allocated to each order. You can use this report in conjunction with the Open Items Listing to plan which orders are ready for picking.

6-10E. Base Prices & Costs (Sales – Reports – Base Prices & Costs)

Use this report to get a listing of your Base Prices and associated margins over Estimated Cost.

Base Price Listing The report lists current Base Prices for all or selected Stock Items or Item Categories.

Next Price Listing You can optionally include Next Prices on the report to compare current prices with future prices.

Margin / Markup Analysis The repot calculates the margin or markup (depending on your Profitability setting in the Sales Defaults screen) over each item’s Estimated Cost. Each item’s Last Cost and Inventory Cost are also displayed for reference. You also have the option of limiting the report to items below a specified markup or margin so that you can isolate your least profitable items.

6-10. Sales Reports

Operating Guide 393

6-10F. Invoice Listing (Sales – Reports – Invoice Listing)

Use this report to get a listing of invoices within a range of invoice dates or payment due dates.

6-10G. Sales by Customer (Sales – Reports – Sales by Customer)

This report provides a breakdown of each customer’s sales within a specified date range. You can run the report in summary mode, which gives you invoice totals, or in detail mode, which itemizes sales by line item detail. You have the option of including tax and shipping or excluding them from the report.

6-10H. Sales by Customer Type (Sales – Reports – Sales by Customer Type)

This report provides a breakdown of sales by Customer Type within a specified date range. You can run the report in summary mode, which gives you invoice totals, or in detail mode, which itemizes sales by line item detail. You have the option of including tax and shipping or excluding them from the report.

6-10. Sales Reports

394 Operating Guide

6-10I. Sales by Commission Code (Sales – Reports – Sales by Commission Code)

This report provides a breakdown of sales by Commission Code within a specified date range.

NOTE: DBA does not calculate sales commissions. Using the data on this report, you can manually calculate commissions due and attach the report as backup to the commission check.

You have the option of limiting the report to a single Sales Rep. This isolates the Sales Rep’s sales and is especially useful when the Sales Rep is assigned to multiple Commission Codes. You can run the report in summary mode, which gives you invoice totals, or in detail mode, which itemizes sales by line item detail. You have the option of including tax and shipping or excluding them from the report.

6-10J. Sales Ranked by Customer (Sales – Reports – Sales Ranked by Customer)

This report lists total sales for each customer within a specified date range, sorted in highest-to-lowest total order. You have the option of including tax and shipping or excluding them from the report.

6-10K. Profit Margin by Customer (Sales – Reports – Profit Margin by Customer)

This report provides a breakdown of each customer’s sales and profit margins within a specified date range. You can run the report in summary mode, which gives you invoice totals, or in detail mode, which itemizes sales and profit margins line item detail. You have the option of including tax and shipping or excluding them from the report.

6-10. Sales Reports

Operating Guide 395

6-10L. Sales by Item (Sales – Reports – Sales by Item)

This report provides you a breakdown of each item and descriptor’s sales within a specified date range. You can limit the report to one or a range of stock items and descriptors.

6-10M. Sales by Item Category (Sales – Reports – Sales by Item Category)

This report provides a breakdown of sales by Item Category within a specified date range. You can run the report in summary mode, which gives you invoice totals, or in detail mode, which itemizes sales by line item detail.

6-10N. Sales Ranked by Item (Sales – Reports – Sales Ranked by Item)

This report lists total sales for each stock item and descriptor within a specified date range, sorted in highest-to-lowest total order. You can limit the report to one or a range of stock items and descriptors.

6-10O. Profit Margin by Item (Sales – Reports – Profit Margin by Item)

This report provides a breakdown of each stock item’s sales and profit margins within a specified date range. You can run the report in summary mode, which gives you invoice totals, or in detail mode, which itemizes sales and profit margins line item detail.

6-10. Sales Reports

396 Operating Guide

6-10P. Warranty Sheet (Sales – Reports – Warranty Sheet)

You can print a Warranty Sheet to accompany a packing list or invoice. It lists any warranties associated with the order and the products that are covered.

6-10Q. Warranty Listing (Sales – Reports – Warranty Listing)

This report lists warranties by customer. You can use this report to determine whether a service event is covered under warranty or not.

6A. RMA Processing

Operating Guide 397

6A. RMA Processing RMA (Returned Merchandise Authorization) processing is a common requirement among manufacturing companies. An RMA system should be able to do the following:

• RMA entry of items expected to be returned by customer • RMA number for customer product labeling • RMA printout for customer notification and receiving purposes • Open RMA tracking • Ability to return undamaged items to stock • Ability to remanufacture used items for resale • Ability to repair items for return to customer • Zero value invoicing for warranty repair • Credit memos for returned item credit • Customer refunds through Accounts Payable

All of this can be done in DBA if you follow the recommended procedures outlined in this chapter.

Training Course Support Center – Videos–How Do I? – RMA Training Course

How does an RMA work? It starts with an RMA request RMA processing is a common requirement among manufacturing companies. Typically, the customer requests an RMA in order to return an item.

Why returns happen A return can be for a variety of reasons. You may have a return policy within so many days of shipment, which is a requirement with web orders. The product may be defective and is being returned for replacement under warranty or to be repaired. You may remanufacture used versions of your products for resale and you pay customers to return used “cores.”

RMA Creation Whatever the reason for the return is, you create an RMA by means of a sales quote and you give the customer the RMA number. The customer references this number with the item that gets shipped back to you.

Item Assessment When the returned item is received, the RMA is used to identify the customer and the item being received, along with any notes stating the reason for the RMA.

6A. RMA Processing

398 Operating Guide

The item is then assessed to determine what needs to be done to process and resolve the RMA.

Possible Resolutions You may need to return the item to stock as a new or used version of the item. You may have to repair the item and return it to the customer. You may have to issue the customer a credit memo for compensation or issue a customer refund check.

Recommended Workflow An RMA is entered as a sales order, but it is not an actual order. You therefore don’t want to mix RMAs with actual sales orders and you don’t want MRP to consider RMA line items when calculating net demand.

Use an RMA SO Type To prevent RMAs from being mixed with actual sales orders, we recommend that you create an SO Type that is used exclusively for RMAs. This way your RMAs can be isolated from regular sales orders on screens and reports.

Initiate each RMA as a quote To keep RMA sales orders out of MRP net demand calculations, we recommend that each RMA be created as a quote, using the Quotes screen. A sales quote is an actual sales order with a Status of ‘QUOTED’. Any such sales order is ignored by MRP.

Assess the item, then convert the RMA to a sales order Once the RMA item is received, you assess the item, decide what further processing is required, and adjust the RMA accordingly. You then convert the quote to a sales order and then proceed with final processing. This can involve issuing the customer a credit memo, returning the item to stock, repairing the item and returning it to the customer, scrapping the item, or refurbishing it for resale as a used item.

6A-1. RMA Setup

Operating Guide 399

6A-1. RMA Setup

RMA SO Type (Sales – Sales Setup – SO Types)

We recommend that you use an RMA SO Type exclusively for RMA sales orders. This enables you to keep your RMAs separate from your actual sales orders on screens and reports. Newer DBA systems are supplied with an ‘RMA’ SO Type. If this is the case with your system, you can skip the rest of this section. If your system does not have an ‘RMA’ SO Type, you can easily create one. Go to the SO Types screen and click the New button. Make the following entries:

Detail Tab SO Type ID We suggest you enter ‘RMA’.

Description Enter a description such as ‘Returned Merchandize Authorization’.

Prefix We suggest you enter a prefix such as ‘R’, ‘RM’, or ‘RMA’.

Activate Shipping Tab We recommend that you select this checkbox so that you have the capability of shipping RMA items back to the customer.

Screen Config Button We suggest you select the following checkboxes:

TaxandService UM Customer Reference Price Tax Only Discount Line No Price Line Type Total Price Reference ID Sales Tax Description Tax Code Qty Required Date Act Qty Linked Job

6A-1. RMA Setup

400 Operating Guide

RMA Form Creation If you need a printout of your RMA, either to send to the customer or for use by your receiving department, you can modify the standard Quote layout to convert it into an RMA printout.

Training Course Support Center – Videos–Setup – Forms Customization

Save layout to a new name Go to Utilities – Forms Edit – Quote. After the Quote layout displays (ppQuote.rtm), click File, then Save As. Save the layout to a new name, such as ‘RMA.rtm’.

Edit the Layout Now edit the layout. You will want to change the main title to “RMA’. To do this, you must hide the existing title and add a new field on top of it with the new title. This process is covered in detail in the Forms Customization training course, which is located in the Videos – Setup area of the online support center. Most likely you will want to hide the Price and Amount fields; perhaps others. When you are done, save your changes and close the screen.

Add layout to your Sales Order Type Go to Sales – Sales Setup – SO Types and select your RMA SO Type. Click the Detail tab. In the Quote Layout field, select your new RMA layout from the lookup. Click OK.

Printing or Emailing an RMA After you enter an RMA in the Quotes screen, click the Quote button to print the RMA form or Email it to your customer.

6A-1. RMA Setup

Operating Guide 401

Alternate Item ID’s When processing an RMA, you cannot always use the returned item’s standard Item ID (part number). In some cases, you must use an alternate ID to represent the “used” version of the item.

Use the standard ID when the product is undamaged If the returned item is completely undamaged and can be returned to stock for resale as is, you can use the item’s standard Item ID to process the RMA.

Used Version If the returned item is functional, but has been used by the customer, and you wish to resell it, you cannot use the item’s standard Item ID because the used version is technically a different item. It has a different inventory cost and selling price. In this case, you must create an alternate Item ID that represents the “used” version.

Apply a prefix or suffix to the standard Item ID One way to create a “used” Item ID is to add a prefix or suffix to the standard Item ID. The letter ‘U’ for example, for used, could be appended on the end of the regular item ID, perhaps preceded by a dash.

The used version is a ‘P’ item The used version should be designated as a ‘P’ (purchased) item rather than a manufactured item because it has no bill of material and is technically purchased from customers.

Estimated Cost If you pay customers for used products for remanufacturing purposes, against the used version Item ID, enter an Estimated Cost that represents the typical price you pay for the used item. If you don’t pay customers for used items, leave the estimated cost at zero.

Remanufactured Products Some returned items are cleaned up, repaired, given new components. Repainted, and sold as a “remanufactured” version. In this case, the remanufactured version must be given its own Item ID. A remanufactured item is an ‘M’ (manufactured) item and is given its own bill of material that contains the replacement components and secondary outputs that might be yielded during the refurbishment process.

Item Categories When you create different versions of the same item, give some thought to your Item Categories. You may want used or remanufactured versions to be in separate categories so that their sales and cost of goods sold can be listed separately on the income statement from your regular item sales.

6A-1. RMA Setup

402 Operating Guide

To summarize, only use the standard Item ID when the return item is undamaged and has never been used. If the returned item has been used by the customer, give the used version its own Item ID, perhaps with a prefix or suffix appended to the standard Item ID, and make it a purchased item. If the returned item gets refurbished for resale as a remanufactured version, give it a unique Item ID and make it a manufactured item with its own bill of material.

6A-2. RMA Processing

Operating Guide 403


RMA Creation (Sales – Quotes)

An RMA is always started as a quote in the Quotes screen and is converted later to a sales order after the returned item is received and assessed for further processing.

Giving the customer an RMA number A common practice is for the customer to request permission to return an item for credit or repair. Often the customer is given an RMA number and is instructed to label the returned items with that number. This way the receiving department knows what to do with the items when they are physically received. To give the customer an RMA number, simply create a quote. On the New Quote screen, select your RMA SO Type. When you get to the Header screen you immediately see the RMA number in the Quote No field, which is the number you can give to your customer. You may also want to enter header Notes to describe the purpose of the return for the benefit of your receiving department.

Line item entry is optional at this point You may want to stop at this point and enter line item details later once the returned items have been received and assessed for follow up processing. Or you may want to go ahead and enter the specific line items that have been authorized for return. You have the option of establishing a price now or you can leave the price at zero and wait until the item is received before you decide on what price will be credited back to the customer.

RMA Printing (Optional) You can print the RMA or Email it to the customer by clicking the Quote button. A customized version of the quote is used as the RMA form. See the RMA Form section earlier in this chapter for more information.

What’s next? After the return item is received and assessed, you then decide on appropriate follow up processing, which may include any of the following events:

• You send out an immediate replacement. • You return an undamaged item to stock. • You return a used item to stock.


404 Operating Guide

• You scrap the product • You repair the product and return it to the customer

In the next several sections we will outline how each of these events is performed.

Returning an undamaged item to stock In this scenario, the returned item is fully undamaged and has never been used and can therefore be returned to stock for resale as a new item.

Line Item Entry Go into your RMA quote. If a line item already exists for the returned item, change the quantity to a negative Qty. If you don’t have a line item, create one using the item’s standard Item ID and enter a negative Qty. After the RMA is converted to a sales order and gets picked, the negative quantity causes the item to be received back to stock. Enter the Price that will be credited to the customer when the RMA gets invoiced. This price may be the original amount paid or it may be less if you charge a restocking fee.

Returning a used item to stock In this scenario, the returned item is in good condition but has been used by the customer. It cannot be returned to stock as a new item, but it can be received to stock as a “used” item for resale.

Line Item Entry Go into your RMA quote. If a line item exists for the item’s standard Item ID, delete the line. Enter a new line for the “used” version of the item, which has an alternate Item ID. Enter a negative Qty. After the RMA is converted to a sales order and gets picked, the negative quantity causes the used item to be received to stock. Enter the appropriate Price that is credited to the customer for used products.

Sending a replacement item In this scenario you have assessed that the returned item is defective and the customer is to receive a replacement item at no charge.

Line Item Entry Go into your RMA quote. The first thing to do is to make sure you have a line item for the replacement shipment. If the returned item already has a line item, make sure it has a positive Qty. If the line item does not exist, create one and enter a positive Qty. When the RMA quote gets converted to a sales order and


Operating Guide 405

the line item gets picked, the positive quantity is what creates a shipment to the customer for the replacement item. The second thing to do is to resolve what to do with the actual returned item. If it is unusable and is to be scrapped, do nothing further. If it can be received to a stock as a used version, create a second line item for the “used” version, which has an alternate Item ID of its own. Make sure this second line item has a negative Qty so that it gets received to stock.

Scrapping a returned item In this scenario you assess the returned item and determine it is damaged beyond any use as a used version or remanufactured version. Therefore, it should be scrapped.

Line Item Entry Go into the quote RMA. If the line item already exists, delete it. This means that no further processing will be done against the item. Physically scrap the returned item. If the customer is to receive credit for the returned item, enter a line item for a descriptor that has been set up for this type of credit memo. When using a descriptor, do not enter a negative quantity. Enter a negative price instead.

Issuing a credit memo Issuing credit memos against the customer account for returned items is common with RMA processing. It is important that you understand how a credit memo is created.

Any invoice with a negative total amount is automatically converted into a credit memo at time of invoice creation. The form title changes from ‘INVOICE’ to ‘CREDIT MEMO’ based on the name settings entered in Main Setup.

How does any given line’s Total Price become a negative amount?

Stock items are given a negative quantity If the line item is a standard or used version of an item to be returned to stock, it is given a negative Qty. The negative Qty is multiplied by the Price and the result is a negative Total Price.

Descriptors are given a negative quantity Descriptors are used for giving credit when there is nothing physically to be returned to stock. In this case, the Qty is a positive amount and the Price is negative (simply enter a minus sign in front of the price). The Qty is multiplied by the negative Price and the result is a negative Total Price.


406 Operating Guide

Converting the RMA to a sales order Once the returned item has been assessed and the quote RMA has been modified for final processing, your next step is to convert the RMA from a quote to a sales order. Once the RMA has been converted into a sales order, it can be picked, shipped, and invoiced in the normal fashion.

Quote Conversion To convert the RMA, perform the following steps on the Quotes screen.

• Select the RMA on the opening List tab and click the Convert button.

• At the prompt, click No to preview the RMA on the screen.

• Click the Close button to close the preview screen.

• You are prompted to go directly to the sales order screen. Click Yes. You now see the RMA on the List tab of the Sales Orders screen. The RMA is now a live sales order and you can proceed with picking, shipping, and invoicing it in the normal fashion.

Zero value invoicing Zero-value invoices are common with RMA processing. There are occasions where you need to replace returned items at no charge. Even though there is no charge, you still want to create an invoice for two reasons:

• The invoice generates a cost of goods sold for the replacement item that needs to be reflected in your General Ledger.

• The invoice gives you and your customer a record of the no charge shipment.

Prices are not required to generate an invoice. Any items that have been shipped but not yet invoiced will be included in the invoice, whether they have a price or not.

Sending a customer refund The standard method for compensating the customer for a return is to issue a credit memo. A credit memo is fine when you have an ongoing relationship with the customer because the credit memo can be applied against other invoices. If your relationship with the customer is on a one-time basis, however, you may be required to refund the customer his money. This can only be done through Accounts Payable.


Operating Guide 407

The Customer must be set up as a Supplier In order to send a payment through Accounts Payable, a supplier is required. Therefore, you must set up the customer as a supplier. Once that is done, you will make a transaction on the AR side that zeroes out the customer’s balance and then you will create a supplier invoice on the AP side, against which you can make a payment. Follow this sequence of events:

• Let’s say the customer has a credit memo in the amount of $1000. Go to the Customer Payments screen and select the customer.

• Against the credit memo in the lower grid, enter $1000 in the Discount field, then click Update to process the transaction. This zeroes out the customer’s account in the Accounts Receivable side of the system.

• Go to the Suppliers screen and set up this customer as a supplier.

• Go to the Supplier Invoices screen and enter a supplier invoice in the amount of $1000. In the lower grid, select your AR Discounts Taken account in the GL Account field.

• Finally, go to the Payment Processing screen and select and pay the supplier invoice in the normal fashion.

6A-3. Repairing a Product

408 Operating Guide

6A-3. Repairing a Product Training Video Support Center – Videos–How Do I? – Manufacturing Training Course

Segment: Repair Jobs

“Custom” items are used for repair work If you repair products on behalf of customers, you can use jobs to organize and track the costs of your repair jobs. Repair jobs are quite different than manufacturing jobs, so it is important not to mix the two. Repair jobs should be given their own Job Type and repair work should not be conducted under the item’s standard Item ID. Instead, repair work is performed using DBA’s “custom” item capability, described further below.

“Repair” Job Type Setup (Jobs – Jobs Setup – Job Types) Go to the Job Types screen and click the New button. Make the following entries:

Detail Tab

Job Type ID We suggest you enter an identifier code of ‘REPAIR’.

Description Enter a description such as ‘Repair Job’.

Prefix Enter a prefix such as ‘R’ for “repair” or ‘RJ’ for “repair job.”

Default Status Unlike manufacturing jobs which are released in coordination with a start date, repair jobs are typically released as soon as they are created, in which case you would set the Default Status to ‘RELEASED’.

Custom Item Setup (Jobs – Jobs Setup – Job Defaults) Repair jobs do not use the item’s standard Item ID as the job’s primary output. A “custom” Item ID is used instead. A custom ID is generated on-the-fly during sales order entry and is used on a one-time basis for one particular repair job. Job costs are accumulated against the custom item and eventually flow back to the sales order as the cost of goods sold for the repair work performed.


Operating Guide 409

Job Cost Basis

Job Receipts Make sure your Job Receipts Costing Basis is set to Actual Job Cost.


Item ID Prefix All custom items will be identified by this prefix, followed by a sequential number. The combination of the prefix and number constitutes the Reference ID number that is used in sales orders, MRP, and jobs to identify the custom item (repair job output). We recommend that you use the letter ‘Z’, which will keep all your custom items listed at the very end of lookups and reports. This keeps custom items from being intermingled with your permanent Item ID’s.

Next ID No This displays the number that will be assigned to the next custom item that gets generated. We recommend a beginning number of 100000.

NOTE: Do not start with a number such as ‘1’. If you do so, on reports and screen listings, ‘10’ will sort before ‘1’, ‘20’ before ‘2’, etc.

Item Category All custom items, when created, will be automatically assigned to this Item Category. We suggest you create a special Item Category for repair purposes. You can then go to the Account Assignments screen and on the Sales tab, Exceptions sub-tab, you can give this Item Category its own Sales and COGS accounts.

UM All custom items, when created, will be automatically assigned this UM. At time of custom item generation, you can override this default. For repair purposes, this is normally set to ‘EA’.

Lead Days All custom items, when created, will be automatically assigned this Lead Days setting for MRP planning purposes. At time of custom item generation, you can override this default. For repair purposes this is normally left blank.

Job Days All custom items, when created, will be automatically assigned this Job Days setting for MRP planning purposes. At time of custom item generation, you can override this default.

Custom Item Generation (Sales – Quotes or Sales Orders) Custom items for repair jobs are generated during quote entry (if originated during an RMA) or sales order entry.


410 Operating Guide

When you enter a new line, select the ‘Custom’ option from the drop-down list in the Line Type field. You are then presented with the Custom Item Generator screen, which presents the following fields:

Custom Item ID This identification number is automatically generated by the program and will be used as the Reference ID in the sales order line. It cannot be modified.

Description Enter the Description of the repair job. This is a required field.

UM The default UM from the Job Defaults screen is automatically inserted into this field, but can be overridden.

Customer Part No This is an optional field. If you are making the custom item on behalf of a customer who identifies the item with a part number, enter the Customer Part No in this field. This number will be stored against the custom item and can print on the customer invoice as a cross-reference.

Lead Days The default Lead Days setting from the Job Defaults screen is automatically inserted into this field, but can be overridden.

Job Days The default Job Days setting from the Job Defaults screen is automatically inserted into this field, but can be overridden. Enter the estimated number of days you think will be required to complete the repair work. You can enter a decimal quantity.

Est Delivery This is an estimated delivery date, calculated forward from today’s date by adding the Lead Days to the Job Days, while skipping over any non-valid workdays within the Job Days time frame.

Use as Req Date When this checkbox is selected, the Est Delivery date will be used as the sales order line’s Required Date.

Once you close the Custom Item Generator screen, the Custom Item ID is displayed in the line item Reference ID field, and following it you will see your custom Description and UM. Take note that the Line Type setting changes from ‘Custom’ to ‘Stock’. This is because the custom item has now been given a record in the Stock Items table so that the item is treated by jobs as if it were a stock item. This way the repair job costs can follow the item into stock and then back to the sales order in as the cost of goods sold when the custom item gets picked.


Operating Guide 411

Generating the Repair Job (MRP – MRP) The repair job is created by MRP when you select the Generate Jobs from SO Lines option.

NOTE: Be sure and change the Job Type setting to your repair Job Type.

RMA Sequence of Events In this scenario the customer sends a product to you for repair. The repair might be done under warranty or for a fee. Follow this sequence of events.

• Create an RMA in the Quotes screen.

• Enter a new line. Select a Line Type of ‘Custom’. In the Custom Item Generator screen, enter a brief Description of the repair work to be performed. Enter the Lead Days that elapse before the job can be started as well as the Job Days setting, which is the estimated days it will take to do the repair work. Click OK. The custom item that gets created will be used as the output on the repair job.

• The product is received and inspected to assess what repair might be required.

• Enter line Notes as required to describe the repair work to be performed.

• If you need to give your customer an estimated price, enter the Price and click the Quote button to print or Email the form, which is a customized version of the quote assigned to the RMA SO Type.

• Convert the RMA quote to a sales order.

• Use the MRP screen to generate a job for the custom item.

• Perform the job by entering labor and material as required. When the job is completed, enter a receipt in the Job Issues & Receipts screen. The job cost is the custom item’s Inventory Cost.

• Go to the RMA and enter a final price. If the repair was done under warranty free of charge, enter a price of zero which will result in a zero value invoice.

• Pick the RMA in the normal fashion. The Inventory Cost for the custom item will eventually become its Cost of Goods Sold.

• Create a shipment and print a packing list.

• Generate the invoice.

6A-4. Remanufacturing a Product

412 Operating Guide

6A-4. Remanufacturing a Product RMAs are used to track and process the return of used “core” items from customers that are used to create remanufactured versions of products.

What is a remanufactured product? A remanufactured product is a used version that has been refurbished for resale as a remanufactured item. Rebuilt engines, for example, are remanufactured products. A remanufactured bill of material consists of the used version (“core”) as well as the parts needed for refurbishment. The routing is confined to the steps needed in the refurbishment process. The remanufactured version has its own unique cost and selling price.

A remanufactured version should have its own Item ID A remanufactured version of a product is distinctly different than the standard version or used version and should have its own Item ID. This way it can have its own bill of material, routing, cost, and selling price.

Remanufactured Item Setup

Stock Items Screen Item ID We suggest you add a prefix or suffix to the standard Item ID to differentiate the remanufactured version from the standard version.

Description You should add reference to “remanufactured” within the item’s standard description.

UM Same as standard version.

Mfg / Purch Select ‘M’ for “Manufactured.”

Item Category You may to assign the remanufactured version to its own Item Category. This way you can go to the Account Assignments screen and on the Sales tab, Exceptions sub-tab, give this Item Category its own Sales and COGS accounts.

Bills of Material Screen The remanufactured Item ID is the parent item The BOM is created using the remanufactured Item ID as the parent item.


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The “used” version is the core component The key difference between the standard BOM and remanufactured BOM is that the latter’s main component is the “used” version of the product, commonly referred to as the “core” component. Therefore, a remanufactured product involves three Item ID’s – one for the “standard” version, one for the “used” version and one for the “remanufactured” version. In the remanufactured BOM, the Components should consist of the used version core component, as well as all the parts that are needed for refurbishment.

Used parts can be defined as outputs If during the refurbishment process you replace some used parts with new parts and the used parts have use elsewhere, the used parts can be entered on the Outputs tab. This way the used parts will be received to stock when you report your job receipts. Be sure to select “used” Item ID’s for these type of outputs. Use the Cost Ratio to give each output its share of total job cost. If you consider these used parts to be “free”, leave the Cost Ratio at ‘0%’.

Remanufactured Routing The remanufactured Routing should be confined to just the labor steps required in the refurbishment process.

Planning Availability of used cores is the limiting factor The planning process tends to be more manual in nature with remanufactured products compared to standard products. The decision to create a job is based as much or more on the availability of used “cores” as it is on actual demand from customers. Without a supply of cores, there is nothing to remanufacture.

The MRP process is the same Using MRP is essentially the same with remanufactured products as it is with standard products. MRP will suggest jobs in response to net demand within the remanufactured item’s planning period. MRP also gives you the option of generating jobs directly from sales order lines.

Jobs Remanufacturing jobs are less standardized Technically, the process for making a remanufactured item is exactly the same as making a regular manufactured item. The difference is more in the style of manufacturing rather than in the way the job is created and processed.


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The job itself tends to be less standardized. You can start out the job with a pre-determined bill of material and routing, but during the course of the job you may have to use different components or perform different labor steps, all depending on what is required by the condition of the used products you are refurbishing.

Job processing steps are exactly the same Apart from the differences in the style of manufacturing, the actual job processing steps – creating the job, modifying job details, issuing components from stock, reporting labor, entering job receipts – is exactly the same with remanufactured items as it is with regular manufactured items.

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6A-5. Disassembling a Product RMAs are used to track and process returned items from customers that are disassembled so that used components can be stocked for resale or use in remanufacturing.

What is disassembly? “Disassembly” is the opposite of “assembly.” This requires a reverse bill of material. A conventional BOM’s components are “inputs” that are consumed during the course of the job. With a disassembly BOM, the components are “outputs” that are received to stock during the course of the job.

Bill of Material Setup A disassembly BOM, like any BOM, requires a parent item, which is considered the “primary” output. All other outputs are considered “secondary” outputs.

The most significant output should be the BOM parent Te output item you consider to be the most significant should be designated as the primary output and is used as the BOM parent item. Therefore, the primary output item must be set up as an ‘M’ (manufactured) item.

The routing is confined to disassembly labor The routing should be confined to the steps that are involved in the disassembly process.

The “used” version is the core component The main and often only BOM component (input) in a disassembly BOM is the “used” version of the product, commonly referred to as the “core” component, which originated through an RMA.

Disassembled parts are “outputs”, not “components” The used parts that are disassembled from the core component are set up on the Outputs tab. Each output is given a percentage of the total job cost in the Cost Ratio field. The total job cost is a combination of the disassembly labor involved as well as the cost of the core component.

Planning Disassembly jobs are planned manually Unlike standard manufacturing jobs, which are generated by MRP in response to net demand or sales order lines, disassembly jobs are created manually, which can be done by selecting the New Job option on the MRP screen to create a suggested job. Once you’ve created the suggested job, you can convert it to an actual job in the normal fashion.

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Jobs Disassembly jobs are less standardized Technically, a disassembly job is the same as a standard manufacturing job in the sense that you will apply labor to the job and you will issue the core component (the product being disassembled) to the job from stock. The job itself tends to be less standardized. You can start out the job with a set of pre-determined outputs and a routing, but during the course of the job you may find that some of the outputs are unusable, or unexpected outputs are discovered, or unanticipated labor steps are required.

Job processing steps are the same The actual job processing steps – creating the job, modifying job details, issuing the core component from stock, reporting labor – is the same with disassembly jobs as it is with regular manufacturing jobs.

Job receipts involve multiple outputs The key difference between a disassembly job and a regular manufacturing job is that the disassembly job involves multiple outputs instead of a single output. When you process job receipts in the Job Issues & Receipts screen, you are presented with numerous output lines. As you process each line, its cost is determined by its Cost Ratio, which is its percentage share of the overall job cost.

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7. MRP On the MRP menu you will find all screens and reports related to the creation and scheduling of jobs and POs.

MRP MRP Setup • MRP Defaults • Shop Calendar

Main Menu • MRP Settings • MRP • Work Center Scheduling • Job Scheduling • PO Scheduling • Delivery Date Estimator

Reports • Master Job Schedule • Job Outputs Schedule • Work Center Schedule • Machine Schedule • Subcontract WC Schedule

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Overview Push and Pull Planning Push and pull planning styles are both accommodated. For “push” style planning where orders are fulfilled from stock, MRP will generate jobs and POs to replenish stock against desired reorder levels. For “pull” style planning where you only manufacture or purchase in response to actual demand, MRP generates jobs and POs only when orders are received. You can freely mix the two styles and use push planning for some items and pull planning for others.

Unique “Single Bucket” MRP MRP generates suggested jobs and POs using a unique “single bucket” architecture that is fast, easy to follow, and ideal for make-to-order, make-to-stock, and mixed-mode environments. A single time bucket (planning period) automatically varies in length with each item, based on the item’s lead time. Items that can be replenished in just a few days are given short planning periods and items that take several weeks to manufacture or procure are given longer planning periods. MRP only reacts to the net demand within each item’s planning period. When net demand exceeds the item’s reorder level, which can be set to zero for make-to-order items, MRP generates one job or PO per item. All demand outside of the planning period is ignored because it can be dealt with later when that demand eventually falls into the planning period. By ignoring all the detail outside of each item’s planning period, MRP runs quickly and is easy to follow.

Dynamic Job Scheduling The multi-level MRP generation of planned jobs pauses at each level so that jobs can be dynamically scheduled backward from required dates, when possible. This combines MRP and scheduling into one process and produces accurate job schedules down through all levels of your product structures.

Transparency of Information Within each item’s Drill-Down and Job Days Calculator screens, all the numbers that were used to generate the planned job and PO details are fully transparent and traceable.

Job & PO Rescheduling Actual jobs and POs can be rescheduled to reflect changing shop conditions. You can see on screen when jobs or POs are early or late relative to required dates.

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Work Center Scheduling Daily work center dispatch lists are created and sent to the shop floor for work assignments. Jobs are prioritized using an On Time Ratio, which assures that jobs running behind schedule are given priority over jobs that are running ahead of schedule.

Machine Scheduling With a work center that has interchangeable machines, you can designate jobs for specific machines and print a daily dispatch list of machine assignments.

Delivery Date Estimating If you are a make-to-order manufacturer, quoting your customer realistic delivery dates helps the planning system meet its targets. The Delivery Date Estimator can be used to quote delivery dates based on a combination of preparation time, the quantity to be made, and current shop conditions.

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MRP Setup Your planning settings are the key to success with the MRP module. If you establish accurate reorder levels and lead times, you can significantly reduce inventory and shortages and improve delivery performance and factory throughput. Before you use the MRP module, settings are to be made within the following screens:

MRP Defaults On this screen you can activate or deactivate selected fields to tailor MRP and scheduling to suit your company’s preferences.

Shop Calendar The shop calendar is used to define weekends and holidays when the factory is not available for production. Non-working days are skipped over when job start and finish dates and PO due dates are scheduled.

Work Center Scheduling Work center capacity settings are made on this screen, including hours per day as well as buffer days to add “slack” to the schedule.

MRP Settings These settings on this screen apply to your items and are used by MRP to generate planned jobs and POs. Settings include reorder level, minimum order quantity, lead days, job days, order multiple, and run size.

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7-1. MRP Setup

7-1A. MRP Defaults (MRP – MRP Setup – MRP Defaults)

On this screen you can activate or deactivate selected fields to tailor MRP and scheduling to your company’s preferences. Field explanations are as follows:

Whole No Rounding This is an MRP setting that enables you to establish whether MRP suggested order quantities are to allow decimalized amounts or only whole number amounts (integers). You setting can be made at the stock item level. Two options are available:

• If all your items are subject to whole number rounding, choose the Auto-Select radio button. Whenever you create a new stock item, its Whole No Rounding checkbox will automatically be selected.

• If some of your items are subject to whole number rounding and some are to be decimalized, choose the Do Not Select radio button.

Finally, if all your items are to be treated with the same setting, you can select the Hide Field checkbox, which makes the following fields invisible:

• Stock Items - Whole No Rounding field • MRP Settings - Whole No field

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Use Order Multiple The Order Multiple setting is used if you have some items that are always ordered or made in a multiple of a particular quantity. MRP will round suggested order quantities up to the nearest amount divisible by the Order Multiple. If the Order Multiple has no role to play in your planning process, clear this checkbox. Doing so makes the following fields invisible:

• Stock Items – Order Multiple field

• MRP Settings – Multiple field

• MRP – Drill-Down Inquiry – Projected tab – Order Multiple field

Use Overlap This setting enables you to schedule subassembly jobs to run partially in parallel with higher level jobs. When a job is scheduled for an item, the Overlap Days represent the number of days after the job’s start date when its subassemblies will be required. If Overlap Days has no role to play in your planning process, which would be the case if all your products have single-level BOMs, then clear this checkbox. Doing so makes the following fields invisible:

• Stock Items – Overlap Days field • MRP Settings – Overlap field • MRP – Planned Jobs screen – Overlap field • Make Jobs – Scheduling tab – Overlap field • Job Scheduling – Jobs tab – Overlap field • Job Scheduling – Linked Jobs tab – Overlap field

Use Buffer Days This work center setting enables you to add a safety buffer to the job schedule to account for the unforeseen delays common to manufacturing environments – such as machinery repairs, worker or material unavailability, unexpected rework, etc. Buffer Days are commonly used to add “slack” to the schedule. If the Buffer Days setting has no role to play in your planning process, clear this checkbox. Doing so makes the following fields invisible:

• Work Centers – Buffer Days field • Job Days Calculator – Buffer Days field • Work Center Scheduling – Buffer Days field • Remaining Days Calculator – Buffer Days field

Use Queue Days Leave this setting blank. It has no function at this time.

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MRP Interval Enter the normal number of days that elapse between MRP runs. This sets a default for the MRP Interval Days setting that is specified when MRP generates jobs and POs.

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7-1B. Shop Calendar (Planning – Planning Setup – Shop Calendar)

The Shop Calendar is used to establish the days of the week the factory is in operation and which days of the year it is closed due to holidays. When jobs and POs are scheduled, the program skips over all non-operating days defined on the calendar.

Calendar Date Range • Each time any user logs into DBA that has security access to the Shop

Calendar, if the Thru Date is less than one year from today, the user is prompted to extend the calendar to the end of the second calendar year from today.

• Each time MRP is generated, if the Thru Date is less than two years from today, the user is prompted to extend the calendar to the end of the third calendar year from today.

You can extend the calendar well beyond the minimums described above. When you do so, leave the From Date as is. You can extend the Thru Date as far into the future as you wish. After changing the Thru Date, click the Update button to generate the additional days in the calendar table.

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Weekly Pattern In the Weekly Pattern panel, select the checkbox under each day of the week that is available for production.

Holidays If the factory is to be closed for one or a range of holiday or vacation days, enter the date range in the Holidays grid, along with a Description.

Printing or Previewing the Calendar Click the printer icon in the lower left to get a printout of the Shop Calendar. Click the icon to preview the printout on the screen.

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7-2. MRP Settings (MRP – MRP Settings)

Use this screen to maintain various MRP settings stored against each of your stock items. These settings determine reorder levels, minimum order quantities, lead-times, and other variables used by MRP to generate planned jobs and POs.

Training Videos Support Center – Videos–How Do I? – Manufacturing Training Course

Segments: MTO Settings, Job Days, MRP Settings Support Center – Videos–How Do I? – Purchasing Training Course

Segments: MRP Settings

Screen Details Upper Panel

Manufactured Items or Purchase Items These checkboxes determine which stock items will display in the grid list. You can confine the list to just manufactured items, just purchased items, or both.

Display Description Because the Description column takes up so much space on the grid, you have the option of clearing this checkbox to make the Description and UM fields invisible so that more of the entry fields will be visible.

Item Category With this setting you can further limit the list to one or selected Item Categories.

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Grid Fields

Item ID, Description, UM These are read-only reference fields that help you identify each stock item.

M or P This is a read-only field that tells you if the item is normally manufactured (M) or purchased (P).

Reorder Level MRP will suggest jobs or POs whenever current and projected supply and demand cause on-hand stock to fall below this level within the item’s planning period.

Reorder Level MRP will suggest jobs or POs whenever current and projected supply and demand cause on-hand stock to fall below this level within the item’s planning period.

How to Calculate At a minimum, your reorder level should cover the item’s daily usage multiplied by its total Lead Days plus Job Days. For example, if you sell and use 120 units a month, or four per day on average, and the item has a total of 20 Lead Days plus Job Days, four units per day multiplied by 20 days suggests a reorder level of 80. To play it safe, you could bump the quantity from 80 to 90 or 100. If the item’s demand is relatively steady, less of a safety factor is needed. On the other hand, if demand for the item is highly volatile, add a safety factor high enough to cover expected variations in demand. If you don’t stock the item and make it only when sales orders call for it, set the reorder level to zero. MRP will suggest a job quantity that covers just the amounts needed to fulfill customer orders. If the item is designated as a ‘CTO’ item (see below), set the reorder level to zero.

Min Order Whenever MRP suggests a job or purchase order for this item, this is the minimum quantity that will be suggested.

CTO This field is only visible when the Manufactured Items checkbox is selected and is an abbreviation for ‘custom to order’. MRP generates jobs directly from sales order lines for CTO items only. A manufactured item should only be designated as ‘CTO’ if it meets these criteria:

• The item is a finished item sold directly to the customer. Subassemblies should not be designated as CTO items.

• The item is always made to order such that the job quantity is always exactly equal to the quantity ordered by the customer.

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• The item is customized in some manner such that it is unique for a particular customer order and can’t be shipped to other customers.

• The item is never stocked, which means that excess quantities cannot be made and shipped at a later date.

Lead Days This field is used differently, depending on whether the item is purchased or manufactured.

NOTE: The Lead Days includes all calendar days and does not exclude non-workdays defined on the shop calendar. Therefore, if you want to the Lead Days to represent one week, enter 7-days.

Purchased Items For planning purposes, this is the number of days allocated to account for the time it takes receive this item after sending a PO to the supplier.

Manufactured Items For planning purposes, this is the number of days allocated to account for the preparation time required before you can begin a job for this item. It is rare that a job can be started the day you receive an order for the item. You may need some time to order material or to complete subassemblies that are required, and there may be a typical waiting period at the job’s first work center. MRP uses the Lead Days plus the item’s Job Days plus the interval between MRP runs to determine the planning period for each manufactured item.

Job Days This field is only relevant to manufactured items and is invisible when the Manufactured Items checkbox is cleared. It represents the number of actual production days it takes to make this item, based on making the Run Size. When creating new jobs, this value is used to backward schedule the job from its finish date or to forward schedule the job from its start date. Two methods of entry are available:

Manual Entry – No Routing If this item does not have a routing, the Job Days amount must be entered manually. Do not include weekends or other off-days in this amount.

Job Days Calculator If this item is defined with a routing, you can click the button in this field to display the Job Days Calculator. This screen calculates and assigns each routing sequence a Job Days amount, based on current work center and routing settings. These Job Days amounts are totaled to arrive at the Calculated Job Days for the item. You can accept the calculated amount or manually override it if you wish.

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Job Days Calculator

Overlap This field is optional and is only visible when the Use Overlap checkbox is selected in the MRP Defaults screen. It is only relevant to manufactured items and is invisible when the Manufactured Items checkbox is cleared. When a job is scheduled for this item, the Overlap Days represent the number of days after the job’s start date when its subassemblies will be required. This setting is used by MRP for scheduling Make-to-Order subassembly jobs linked to higher level jobs.

Whole No This field is not visible when the Whole No Rounding – Hide Field checkbox is selected in the MRP Defaults screen. This field name is an abbreviation for Whole No Rounding. If you select this checkbox, MRP will suggest job or PO quantities rounded up to the nearest whole number. Select this checkbox for any items that are not purchased or manufactured in fractional decimal quantities.

Multiple This is an abbreviation of the Order Multiple setting. If you always order or make this item in a multiple of a particular quantity, you can enter that quantity in this field and MRP will round suggested order quantities up to the nearest amount divisible by the Order Multiple. For example, if you always order this item in multiples of 500, MRP will round up suggested order quantities to amounts such as ‘500’, ‘1000’, ‘1500’, ‘2000’, etc.

Run Size This field is only relevant to manufactured items and is invisible when the Manufactured Items checkbox is cleared. It represents the most typical job quantity for this item. This value is used by the Cost Rollup to amortize the item’s setup cost to a per-unit cost. (Each routing sequence Setup cost is divided by the Run Size). It is also used by the Job Days Calculator to calculate the typical Job Days required to manufacture this item.

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Usage History Inquiry The Usage sub-tab is visible on M and P items and presents an inquiry screen that shows you the past 12-months usage of the item, broken out by month and averaged by quarter. “Usage” refers to total sales and job issues. This primary purpose of this inquiry is to help establish the item’s Reorder Level.

Production History Inquiry The Production sub-tab is visible on M items only. It displays job history beginning with your most recent finished job. Only jobs with an Actual Finish date are included in this list.

This inquiry is used to help establish each item’s Lead Days and Job Days settings. A Lead Days value is calculated for each job in the list, which is the number of calendar days between the job’s Creation Date and its Released Date. A Job Days value is calculated for each job in the list, which is the number of valid workdays (as defined in the shop calendar) between its Released Date and its Actual Finish date.

Delivery History Inquiry The Delivery sub-tab is visible on P items only. It displays purchase receipts history beginning with your most recent receipt.

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The primary purpose of this inquiry is to help establish each item’s Lead Days. A Delivery Days amount is calculated for each receipt, which is the number of calendar days between the PO Creation Date and the actual Receipt Date for the item.

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7-3. MRP (MRP – MRP)

Running MRP is a 3-step process Each time you run MRP, you will go through the following three steps.

Step 1 – Generate Planned Jobs for CTO Items You always start by generating jobs directly from sales order lines for ‘CTO’ (custom to order) items.

Step 2 – Generate Planned Jobs for Net Demand The next step is to generate jobs for your non-CTO manufactured items and subassemblies by replenishing stock according to projected supply and demand and desired stocking levels.

Step 3 – Generate Planned POs After all your jobs are generated, the final step is to generate POs for the purchased items needed by the new jobs and to replenish stock in accordance with desired stocking levels.

How often should MRP be run? The answer to this question depends on your volume of orders, but MRP is typically run on a daily basis or in some cases, every 2-3 days. Planning is a continuous process that never stops. The more frequently you run MRP, the more quickly you will be able to respond to new orders and associated requirements.

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Step 1 – Generate Jobs for CTO Items The first step in the MRP process is to generate, schedule, and convert planned jobs for your ‘CTO’ (custom to order) manufactured items.

CTO Items If you have items that are always customized in some manner and made to each customer’s order, select the item’s CTO checkbox setting in the MRP Settings screen

Generating Planned Jobs for CTO Items (MRP – MRP – Generate Button) To generate planned jobs from sales order lines for CTO items, click the Generate button on the MRP screen, which displays the MRP Generation Options window. Select the Generate Planned Jobs for CTO Items option and click OK. You will now see the Generate Planned Jobs for CTO Items selection screen displayed.

On this screen, you can limit the generation to one, a range, or all sales orders. You can also limit the generation to one or a range of stock items.

Generate Button Once your selections are completed, click the Generate button. You will receive a message informing you when the generation is completed. After you click the Close button, you will see your planned jobs listed on the Planned Jobs sub-tab of the MRP screen.

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Planned Jobs Screen

Scheduling and converting planned jobs After your planned jobs are generated, they must be scheduled and converted to actual jobs before you move on to step 3 in the MRP process. See Scheduling & Converting Planned Jobs, later in this chapter for complete details.

Multi-level generation of CTO subassemblies After you convert planned jobs into actual jobs, MRP will check the newly created jobs for any subassemblies that are designated as CTO items. If any are found, MRP will automatically generate another round of planned jobs for the subassemblies, with dates offset from the first round of jobs. This second round of jobs can then be scheduled and converted to planned jobs. If after doing so, MRP detects CTO subassemblies within this second round of jobs, it will again generate another round of planned jobs with dates offset from the previous round. This cycle is repeated down through all levels of the product structures.

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Step 2 – Generate Jobs for Net Demand The second step in the MRP process is to generate, schedule, and convert planned jobs for your manufactured items that are not designated as CTO items. This second round of planned job generation responds to overall net demand for each item rather than to individual customer orders, and does so relative to stock on hand, planned stocking levels, and minimum order quantities.

Generating Planned Jobs for Net Demand (MRP – MRP – Generate Button) To generate planned jobs for items that are not CTO items, click the Generate button on the MRP screen, which displays the MRP Generation Options window. Select the Generate Planned Jobs for Net Demand option and click OK. You will now see the Generate Planned Jobs for Net Demand selection screen displayed, which contains the following selection options.

Planning Period The MRP generation assesses total current and projected demand and supply within a “planning period.” This planning period varies for each item and consists of the item’s Lead Days plus Job Days plus the amount you specify in the MRP Interval Days field.

NOTE: The program expands the Job Days amount by a percentage equal to a ratio of the number of workdays vs. non-workdays defined on the shop calendar to ensure that weekends are accounted for in the planning period calculation.

The purpose of the planning period is to limit the MRP generation so that it only focuses on items that need attention now. Any demand for an item that falls outside of its planning period can safely be ignored and dealt with later.

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Items that can be manufactured or replenished quickly are automatically assigned short planning periods and don’t get included in the MRP generation until close to their required dates. This keeps inventory to a minimum and reduces the number of MRP items to be analyzed. On the other hand, items with longer lead-times, such as those with lengthy production cycles or that have to be imported from overseas, are automatically assigned longer planning periods.

MRP Interval Days This field value defaults to the MRP Interval Days setting in the MRP Defaults screen, but can be overridden, if you wish. This amount should be equal to or greater than the interval days between MRP runs. For example, if you run MRP once every three days, the MRP Interval Days entry should be ‘3’ or greater so that this interval is included in the planning period. If you are a conservative planner and wish to have a safety factor, you could add a few more days to the planning period. So, in our example above, rather than set the MRP Interval Days to ‘3’ to cover the interval between MRP runs, you could set it to ‘5 days to cover the interval and add a little extra safety margin.

Item ID You can limit the generation one or a range of stock items, if you wish.

Item Category You can limit the generation to selected item categories, if you wish.

Generate Button Once your selections are completed, click the Generate button. After you are informed that the generation was successfully completed, click the Close button and you will see your planned jobs listed on the Planned Jobs sub-tab of the MRP screen.

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How the MRP generation works Each manufactured item within the selection range is processed one at a time and goes through the following four steps.

1. Establish the item’s planning period First, the program establishes the planning period for the item, which is the sum of the item’s Lead Days and Job Days settings (from the MRP Settings screen) plus the amount specified in the MRP Interval Days field on the Generate Planned Jobs selection screen.

2. Calculate net demand within the planning period The total supply within the item’s planning period is comprised of:

• Stock on Hand • Job Outputs • Planned Jobs

The total demand within the item’s planning period is comprised of:

• Sales Orders • Job Inputs

The difference between total supply and total demand is the Net Demand for the item.

3. Generate a planned job, if required • If Net Demand is zero or less, a planned job will not be generated.

• If Net Demand is greater than zero, it is then compared with the item’s Reorder Level (from the MRP Settings screen).

• If Net Demand is equal to or greater than the Reorder Level, a planned job will be generated with a Plan Qty equal to the Net Demand. If that amount is less than the item’s Min Order amount (from the MRP Settings screen), the Min Order amount will be used as the Plan Qty.

• If Net Demand is less than the Reorder Level, a planned job will be generated with a Plan Qty equal to the Net Demand plus the difference between Net Demand and the Reorder Level. If that amount is less than the item’s Min Order amount, the Min Order amount will be used as the Plan Qty.

4. Establish the Required Date and Pegged To settings • The planned job’s Required date will be set equal to the earliest demand

date within the item’s planning period when projected stock goes negative.

• The planned job’s Pegged To field will be populated with the job or sales order number associated with the Required date.

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Scheduling and converting planned jobs After your planned jobs are generated, they must be scheduled and converted to actual jobs before you move on to step 3 in the MRP process. See Scheduling & Converting Planned Jobs later in this chapter for complete details.

Multi-Level Generation After you convert planned jobs into actual jobs, MRP will check the newly created jobs for any subassemblies. If any subassembly items are found that need ordering, MRP will automatically generate another round of planned jobs for those items, with dates offset from the first round of jobs. This second round of jobs can then be scheduled and converted to planned jobs. If after doing so, MRP detects subassemblies within this second round of jobs, it will again generate another round of planned jobs, when needed, with dates offset from the previous round (when possible). This cycle is repeated down through all levels of the product structures.

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Step 3 – Generate Planned POs After all your jobs are generated, the final step is to generate POs for the purchased items needed by the new jobs and to replenish stock in accordance with desired stocking levels. The MRP planned PO generation responds to overall net demand for each item relative to jobs and sales orders, stock on hand, planned stocking levels, and minimum order quantities.

Generating planned POs (MRP – MRP – Generate Button) To generate planned POs for items that are not Make-to-Order items, click the Generate button on the MRP screen, which displays the MRP Generation Options window. Select the Generate Planned POs radio button and click OK. You will now see the Generate Planned POs selection screen displayed, which contains the following selection options.

Planning Period The MRP generation assesses total current and projected demand and supply within a planning period. This planning period varies for each item and consists of the item’s Lead Days plus the amount specified in the MRP Interval Days field. The purpose of the planning period is to limit the MRP generation so that it only focuses on items that need attention now. Any demand for an item that falls outside of its planning period can safely be ignored and dealt with later. Items that can be manufactured or replenished quickly are automatically assigned short planning periods and don’t get included in the MRP generation until close to their required dates. This keeps inventory to a minimum and reduces the number of MRP items to be analyzed.

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On the other hand, items with longer lead-times, such as those that have to be imported from overseas, are automatically assigned longer planning periods.

MRP Interval Days This field value defaults to the MRP Interval Days setting in the MRP Defaults screen, but can be overridden, if you wish. This amount should be equal to or greater than the interval days between MRP runs. For example, if you run MRP once every three days, the MRP Interval Days should be ‘3’ or greater so that this interval is included in the planning period. If you are a conservative planner and wish to have a safety factor, you could add a few more days to the planning period. So, in our example above, rather than set the MRP Interval Days to ‘3’ to cover the interval between MRP runs, you could set it to ‘6’ days to cover the interval and add a little extra safety margin.

Item ID You can limit the generation one or a range of stock items, if you wish.

Item Category You can limit the generation to selected item categories, if you wish.

Generate Button Once your selections are completed, click the Generate button. After you are informed that the generation was successfully completed, click the Close button and you will see your planned POs listed on the Planned POs sub-tab of the MRP screen.

How the MRP generation works Each manufactured item within the selection range is processed one at a time and goes through the following four steps.

1. Establish the item’s planning period First, the program establishes the planning period for the item, which is the sum of the item’s Lead Days setting (from the MRP Settings screen) plus the amount specified in the MRP Interval Days field on the Generate Planned POs selection screen.

2. Calculate net demand within the planning period The total supply within the item’s planning period is comprised of:

• Stock on Hand • Purchase Orders • Planned POs

The total demand within the item’s planning period is comprised of:

• Sales Orders • Job Inputs

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The difference between total supply and total demand is the Net Demand for the item.

3. Generate the planned PO, if required • If Net Demand is zero or less, a planned PO will not be generated. If Net Demand is greater than zero, it is then compared with the item’s Reorder Level (from the MRP Settings screen).

• If Net Demand is equal to or greater than the Reorder Level, a planned PO will be generated with a Plan Qty equal to the Net Demand. If that amount is less than the item’s Min Order amount (from the MRP Settings screen), the Min Order amount will be used as the Plan Qty.

• If Net Demand is less than the Reorder Level, a planned PO will be generated with a Plan Qty equal to the Net Demand plus the difference between Net Demand and the Reorder Level. If that amount is less than the item’s Min Order amount, the Min Order amount will be used as the Plan Qty.

4. Establish the Required Date • The planned POs Required date will be set equal to the earliest demand

date within the item’s planning period.

Planned POs Screen (MRP – MRP – Planned POs Tab)

Field Explanations Item ID This is the Item to be purchased. Only stock items are given planned POs in the MRP screen. Use the Subcontract Services screen to generate POs from jobs for non-stock descriptors and freeform lines.

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Convert This checkbox is selected after you have reviewed the planned PO. It indicates that the planned PO been accepted, edited (if needed), and is ready for conversion into an actual PO.

Description The item’s Description is displayed in this field, for reference purposes. The Description occupies a good deal of width on the screen that obscures some of the fields to the right. You can clear the Display Description checkbox in the upper panel to suppress the Description and make more fields visible.

UM The item’s unit of measure is displayed in this field, for reference purposes. If you clear the Display Description checkbox in the upper panel, this field becomes invisible.

Plan Qty The Plan Qty is equal to the amount required to satisfy net demand within the item’s planning period or the item’s Reorder Level, whichever is greater. If that quantity is less than the item’s Min Order quantity, the Plan Qty will be made equal to the Min Order quantity. This field is for reference only and cannot be modified.

Required This date is equal to the earliest demand date within the items’ planning period when projected stock goes negative. If projected stock does not go negative, this date is forward scheduled from today’s date by the number of Lead Days specified, rounding up to the nearest valid workday on the shop calendar. Normally, this date is left as is, but can be changed, if you wish.

PO Qty This is the quantity you wish to purchase for this item. The MRP generation automatically sets this amount equal to the Plan Qty, but you can change it, if you wish. You may, for example, wish to purchase an extra amount for stock.

Lead Days This is the number of days typically required to get this item from the supplier. This field automatically displays the item’s Lead Days setting maintained in the MRP – MRP Settings screen. It can be changed, if you wish.

Order Date The Order date is scheduled backward from the PO Due Date by the number of Lead Days specified. If this date falls on a non-workday defined on the shop calendar, the program will count continue scheduling backwards until it finds the first available workday.

NOTE: If backward scheduling causes this date to be earlier than today’s date, today’s date is used as the Order Date because it is not physically possible to place an order earlier than today.

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PO Due Date When possible, the MRP generation automatically sets the PO Due Date equal to the Required Date, but it can be changed, if you wish. You may, for example, wish to receive the items a couple of days earlier than its Required Date, as a safety factor.

NOTE: If this date causes the Order Date to be earlier than today’s date, the planned PO will be forward scheduled from today’s date by the number of Lead Days specified, rounding up to the nearest valid workday on the shop calendar. This may cause the PO Due Date to be later than its Required date (see Days Late field).

Days Late If the Due Date is later than the Required date, the interval number of calendar days between the two dates is displayed in this field. This alerts you to the fact that you must move out the Required date of the Pegged to job or sales order or arrange to expedite this item fro your supplier.

Pegged to This field, which cannot be modified, displays the job or sales order number that has the earliest required date within the planning period when projected stock goes negative. If the planned PO is generated to replenish the item’s Reorder Level and there are no demand items within the planning period, “To-Stock’ will display in this field.

Supplier The Default Supplier from the Stock Items screen is automatically selected by the MRP generation, but you can select a different supplier, if you wish.

Drill-Down Tab To the right of the Planned POs sub-tab is the Drill-Down sub-tab. On the Drill-Down screen, you can view all the supply and demand detail that resulted in the planned PO generation. To view the drill-down detail on any item, highlight its planned PO line and click the Drill-Down sub-tab. Alternatively, double-click on any planned PO line and it will launch the Drill-Down screen for the item.

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Projected Tab On the Projected sub-tab within the Drill-Down screen, you see item’s Current Stock on-hand in the upper panel, and in the rid you see all supply and demand for the item within the planning period, in date order. If you have not yet made any changes to the generated Plan Qty and/pr Order Date and PO Due Date settings, you will notice two aspects in the supply and demand listing.

• Because it is tied to the earliest demand date within the planning period when projected stock goes negative (when possible – see next), you will see your planned PO adjacent to the job or sales order associated with that demand date.

• If the planned PO could not be backward scheduled from that demand date because it would have to be ordered earlier than today’s date, which is not possible, the planned PO is forward scheduled from today’s date. When this happens, you will notice that projected stock goes negative prior to the planned POs due date.

• The Available Qty column shows you a projected stock on-hand quantity by date. On the last item in the list, the Available Qty is normally equal to or greater than the item’s Reorder Level. This is because MRP replenishes stock within the planning period at least up your desired stocking level. When this amount is greater than the item’s Reorder Level, it is because the item has a Min Order setting that pushed replenishment beyond your minimum stocking level.

Summary Tab On the Summary sub-tab within the Drill-Down screen, you see the item’s MRP settings and a summary of the amounts by transaction type that comprise the Available Qty as of the end of the item’s planning period.

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Adjusting item MRP settings While you are planning your POs, you may wish to adjust various item MRP settings such as Reorder Level and Min Order. You can do so without leaving the screen by clicking the MRP Setting button while you have a planned job highlighted. This automatically launches the MRP Settings screen and highlights the current item. Once you close the MRP Settings screen, you are returned to the Planned POs screen.

Creating new planned POs from scratch There may be times when you want to create a planned PO from scratch. To create a new planned PO, while in the Planned POs screen, click the New Line button. You can then select an Item ID, enter the Order Qty, Lead Days, and PO Due Date.

Converting planned POs into actual POs Convert Checkbox Once you have reviewed and finalized the Order Qty, Order Date, and PO Due Date settings for each planned PO, select its Convert checkbox. This lets you know that you have completed your planning for that PO.

Convert Button After you have completed your planning and all your planned POs have their Convert checkbox selected, click the Convert button, which launches the Convert Planned POs screen.

Accept the default PO Type or make another selection. If you wish to group all items designated for a supplier on a single PO, select the One PO per Supplier radio button. If you want each item on its own separate PO, select the One PO for each item radio button. After your settings are completed, click OK and the actual POs will be created.

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Scheduling & Converting Planned Jobs Job scheduling occurs within steps 2 and 3 of the MRP process. Because job scheduling is so fundamentally important to the manufacturing process, we’ve given it its own chapter. In this chapter we cover the following topics:

• Using the Planned Jobs screen • How job scheduling works • Manual Job Days entry • Using the Job Days Calculator • Using the Drill-Down screen • Changing item MRP settings • Converting planned jobs into actual jobs • Multi-level generation of lower-level subassemblies • Job scheduling tips

Planned Jobs Screen (MRP – MRP – Planned Jobs Tab)

The records listed on this screen were generated either in step 2 of the MRP process (generating planned jobs for Make-to-Order items) or in step 3 (generating planned jobs for manufactured items).

Field Explanations – Main Grid Item ID This is the Item to be manufactured. Only stock items with a setting of ‘M’ for Manufactured receive planned jobs. The item is not required to have a bill of

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material; however, when you convert a planned job for an item that does not a BOM, you will receive a warning that a BOM does not exist.

Convert This checkbox is selected after you have scheduled the job (see next section). It indicates that the planned job has been accepted, scheduled, and is ready for conversion into a live job.

Description The item’s Description is displayed in this field, for reference purposes. The Description occupies a good deal of width on the screen that obscures some of the fields to the right. You can clear the Display Description checkbox in the upper panel to suppress the Description and make more fields visible.

UM The item’s unit of measure is displayed in this field, for reference purposes. If you clear the Display Description checkbox in the upper panel, this field becomes invisible.

Plan Qty If the planned job is generated from a sales order line, this quantity is the sales order line item order Qty. If the item is a Make-to-Order item needed as a subassembly for another job, the Plan Qty is the amount needed just for that job. Otherwise, the Plan Qty is equal to the amount required to satisfy net demand within the item’s planning period or the item’s Reorder Level, whichever is greater. If that quantity is less than the item’s Min Order quantity, the Plan Qty will be made equal to the Min Order quantity. This field is for reference only and cannot be modified.

Required This is the planned job’s Required date, which flows through to the job header when the planned job is converted into a live job. The following are the possible sources for this date:

• If the planned job is generated from a sales order line, this date is equal to the Required Date maintained within the sales order line.

• If the planned job is generated for a Make-to-Order item that is a subassembly in a higher-level job, the higher-level job’s Start Date is used as its Required date. If the higher-level job has an Overlap setting, this job’s Required date is equal to the higher-level job’s Start Date plus the number of Overlap days forward, skipping over non-workdays defined on the shop calendar.

• If the planned job is generated against net demand, the Required date is the earliest demand date within the item’s planning period when projected stock goes negative. If projected stock does not go negative, which can happen when replenishing stock levels, the planned job is forward

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scheduled from today’s date and this date is set equal to the planned job’s Finish Date.

Date Type Once a planned job is converted to a live job, its Required may or may not be subject to change, depending on its Date Type. Three settings are used.

Linked If this job is formally linked to a sales order line item or a higher-level job, its Date Type is set to ‘Linked’. If the sales order or higher-level job’s required date changes, the Job Scheduling screen will change this job’s Required Date as well in order to keep dates aligned with one another.

Floating If this job was created in response to net demand, its Date Type is set to ‘Floating’. Each time the Job Scheduling screen is accessed, the program will recalculate this job’s Required Date based on the earliest date within the output item’s planning period when projected stock goes negative.

Fixed If you want the job’s Required Date to stay fixed, regardless of changing requirements elsewhere, you can manually set the Date Type to ‘Fixed’. When you do so, the Job Scheduling screen will not attempt to reschedule the job’s Required Date.

Job Qty This is the quantity you wish to manufacture for this item. The MRP generation automatically sets this amount equal to the Plan Qty, but you can change it, if you wish. You may, for example, wish to make an extra amount for stock.

Job Start The Job Start date is scheduled backward from the Job Finish date by the number of Job Days (located in the lower panel) plus any non-workdays such as weekends and holidays (as defined on the shop calendar). If backward scheduling causes the Job Start date less the items’ Lead Days to be earlier than today’s date, which is not physically possible, the planned job will be forward scheduled from today’s date. The Lead Days will be added to today’s date to establish the Job Start date, rounded up to the nearest valid workday on the shop calendar. The Job Days specified will be added to the Job Start date to establish the Job Finish date, rounded up to the nearest valid workday on the shop calendar.

Job Finish The MRP generation automatically sets the Job Finish date equal to the Required date (when possible), but it can be changed, if you wish. You may,

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for example, wish to complete the job a couple of days earlier than its Required date, as a safety factor. If setting the Job Finish date equal to the Required date causes the Job Start date less the items’ Lead Days to be earlier than today’s date, which is not physically possible, the planned job will be forward scheduled from today’s date. The Lead Days will be added to today’s date to establish the Job Start date, rounded up to the nearest valid workday on the shop calendar. The Job Days specified will be added to the Job Start date to establish the Job Finish date, rounded up to the nearest valid workday on the shop calendar.

Days Late If the Job Finish date is later than its Required date, the interval number of calendar days between the two dates is displayed in this field. This alerts you to the fact that you must either move the Required date out or expedite the job schedule (perhaps by working overtime) to meet the Required date.

Pegged to This field, which cannot be modified, displays the following information:

• If the planned job is generated directly from a sales order line, the sales order number is displayed in this field.

• If the planned job is generated for a Make-to-Order item that is a subassembly within a higher-level job, that higher-level job number is displayed in this field.

• If the planned job is generated from net demand, this is the number of the job or sales order with the earliest required date within the planning period when projected stock goes negative.

• If the planned job is generated to replenish the item’s Reorder Level and there are no demand items within the planning period where projected stock goes negative, “To-Stock’ will display in this field.

MTO MTO is an abbreviation for Make-to-Order. If the planned job is generated from a sales order line or is a Make-to-Order item generated as a subassembly from a higher-level job, this checkbox is selected, for reference purposes only. It cannot be modified.

Field Explanations – Lower Panel Job Days This is the number of production days anticipated to complete the job from start to finish. It includes setup hours, labor hours, turnaround time for subcontract services, move time between work centers, waiting time at the work center, and safety buffers. The Job Days does not include non-working days such as weekends and holidays (as defined on the shop calendar).

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This field automatically displays the item’s Job Days setting maintained in the MRP – MRP Settings screen. It can be manually overridden or you can click the button in the field to bring up the Job Days Calculator, which will generate the Job Days for you (if your BOM has a routing). See chapter 5-13, Scheduling Planned Jobs, for more information.

Lead Days This setting is maintained in the MRP – MRP Settings screen and is the number of days it normally takes before you can begin a job for this item.

Overlap Days This field is only visible if the Use Overlap checkbox is selected in the MRP & Scheduling Defaults screen. If this is a Make-to-Order job linked to a higher level job and that job has an Overlap setting, its value is displayed in the field, which cannot be edited. This job’s Required Date is equal to the higher level job’s Start Date, plus Overlap Days forward, skipping over any non-valid workdays defined on the shop calendar.

Revision The item’s default bill of material Revision is automatically displayed in this field. If for some reason you wish to use a Revision other than the default Revision, you can select an alternate Revision from the lookup.

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Scheduling Planned Jobs (MRP – MRP – Planned Jobs Tab)

How job scheduling works Planned jobs are dynamically scheduled before they are converted to actual jobs. In doing so, MRP and job scheduling are blended into a single function. Job scheduling is based around the Job Days setting, which can be manually entered or automatically calculated based on current work center settings. The Job Days is the number of production days anticipated to complete the job from start to finish. It includes setup hours, labor hours, turnaround time for subcontract services, move time between work centers, waiting time at the work center, and safety buffers. The Job Days does not include non-working days such as weekends and holidays (as defined on the shop calendar).

Planned jobs are normally backward scheduled The program will then take the Job Finish date, which is normally equal to the Required Date (the promise date given to the customer or the start date of a higher-level job – less Overlap) and will count days backwards by the number of Job Days plus any non-workdays such as weekends and holidays (as defined on the shop calendar) to establish the Job Start date.

Planned jobs are forward scheduled when necessary If setting the Job Finish date equal to the Required date causes the Job Start date less the items’ Lead Days to be earlier than today’s date, which is not physically possible, the planned job will be forward scheduled from today’s date. The Lead Days will be added to today’s date to establish the Job Start date, rounded up to the nearest valid workday on the shop calendar. The Job Days specified will be added to the Job Start date to establish the Job Finish date, rounded up to the nearest valid workday on the shop calendar. When this is the case, the job will not be completed in time to meet its Required date. You must therefore either move the Required date out or arrange to expedite the job schedule, perhaps by working overtime.

Once the job is scheduled, select the Convert checkbox Once the Job Start and Job Finish dates are to your satisfaction, you select the planned job’s Convert checkbox and move on to schedule the next planned job. Job scheduling is a process that aligns your required dates with realistic production schedules. The key factor is achieving realistic production schedules is the Job Days amount, which can be manually entered or automatically generated by the Job Days Calculator.

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Job Days – Manual Entry If you do not use routings in your bills of material or if your routings do not contain reasonably accurate setup hours and production rates, you must manually enter the Job Days amount. Enter the Job Days field based on your best guess as to how many days the job will require to get through the factory from start through completion. Do not include weekends or holidays in the Job Days amount. If your products have consistently predictable production times, you can assign each item a default Job Days amount in the MRP – MRP Settings screen, which will automatically flow into your planned jobs. You can then accept the default Job Days amount or override it for any exceptions.

Job Days Calculator If you use routings and they contain reasonably accurate setup hours and labor rates, you can use the Job Days Calculator to generate the planned job’s Job Days amount for you. To activate the Job Days Calculator, click the button in the Job Days field, which brings up the Job Days Calculator screen.

In the upper panel you will see the Calculated Job Days field, which is the grand total of the individual Job Days amounts calculated for each routing sequence. This amount is repeated in the Job Days entry field, which you can accept or override if you wish to round or change the calculated amount. When you click the Close button, the Job Days amount is inserted into the planned job’s Job Days field.

Field Explanations – Main Grid Sequence This field identifies the routing sequence, also referred to as a “stage.”

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Work Center This is the Work Center within which this Sequence will be performed.

Job Days This represents the total estimated Job Days that will be required to complete this Sequence. It is the sum of the following fields: Setup Days, Labor Days, Days Next, Queue, and Buffer.

Setup Days This is the estimated setup time for this Sequence, translated from hours into job days, based on this work center’s daily capacity. The formula used is:

Setup Hours / Job Hours/Day

Labor Days This is the estimated labor time for this Sequence, translated from hours into job days, based on this work center’s daily capacity. The formula used is:

(Make Qty x Time/Proc x Items/Proc) / Job Hrs/Day

Days Next This is the Days to Next setting from the item’s routing. It is the number of workdays that occurs between the completion of this routing sequence and the start of the next sequence, apart from and not including the setup and labor time involved in this routing sequence. For example, a painted part might require 3-days of drying time or a part might need a day or two to get from work center to the next. This can also be a negative number for situations where parts produced on one routing sequence can be started in the next sequence without having to wait for the entire run to be completed before doing so. In scheduling terms this is referred to as “overlap.” For subcontract services, Days to Next refers to the number of days it takes to get the parts sent out, completed, and received back from the supplier.

Queue This is the Queue Days setting maintained in this Work Center. It represents the estimated number of days an item must wait in this work center before production can begin. Typically, this field is only used with “bottleneck” work centers where there is a finite capacity associated with a machine or some other physical constraint that limits production to a set amount each day.

Buffer This is the Buffer Days setting maintained in this Work Center. It enables you to add in a safety buffer to the job schedule to account for the unforeseen delays common to manufacturing environments – such as machinery repairs, worker or material unavailability, unexpected rework, etc.

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Field Explanations – Lower Panel Job Hrs/Day This is the Job Hours/Day setting maintained in this Work Center. It represents the maximum number of hours that can be allocated to any given job per day. Estimated setup and labor hours are divided by the Job Hours / Day to translate hours into job days as part of the overall Job Days calculation for the item.

Setup Hrs This is the Setup Hours value maintained in the item’s routing. It represents the total estimated setup time for this Sequence, expressed in decimal hours.

Time/Proc This is the Time / Process value maintained in the item’s routing, translated into decimal hours. Production is expressed in terms of ‘processes’. A process can be an assembly operation, a hit from a punch press, a mold cycle, etc. A process can produce a single part or many parts at a time.

Items/Proc This is the Items/Process value maintained in the item’s routing. It represents the number of parts produced per process. The Time/Process is multiplied by the Items/Proc to determine how much time is required to make a single part.

Labor Hours This is the total estimated labor hours for this Sequence, which is calculated using this formula: Make Qty x Time/Proc x Items/Proc

Drill-Down Tab To the right of the Planned Jobs sub-tab is the Drill-Down sub-tab. On the Drill-Down screen, you can view all the supply and demand detail that resulted in the planned job generation.

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To view the drill-down detail on any item, highlight its planned job line and click the Drill-Down sub-tab. Alternatively, double-click on any planned job line and it will launch the Drill-Down screen for the item.

Projected Tab On the Projected sub-tab within the Drill-Down screen, you see item’s Current Stock on-hand in the upper panel, and in the grid you see all supply and demand for the item within the planning period, in date order. If you have not yet made any changes to the generated Plan Qty and/pr Job Start and Job Finish settings, you will notice two aspects in the supply and demand listing.

• Because it is tied to the earliest demand date within the planning period, you will see your planned job at or near the top of the list.

• The Available Qty column shows you a projected stock on-hand quantity by date. On the last item in the list, the Available Qty is normally equal to or greater than the item’s Reorder Level. This is because MRP replenishes stock within the planning period at least up to your desired stocking level. When this amount is greater than the item’s Reorder Level, it is because the item has a Min Order setting that pushed replenishment beyond your minimum stocking level.

Summary Tab On the Summary sub-tab within the Drill-Down screen, you see the item’s MRP settings and a summary of the amounts by transaction type that comprise the Available Qty as of the end of the item’s planning period.

Reset Planning Period At the bottom of the Drill-Down screen is the Reset Planning Period button. If you wish to see additional supply and demand detail beyond the planning period that was used in the MRP generation, you can click this button and change the planning period that governs the contents of the Drill-Down screen. On a critical item, for example, you may wish to look out a week or two beyond the MRP planning period to see if there are any unusual requirements on the horizon.

NOTE: Changing the Planning Period will display additional detail for reference purposes, but it has no effect on the planned jobs that have already been generated.

Adjusting item MRP settings While you are planning your jobs, you may wish to adjust various item MRP settings such as Reorder Level and Min Order. You can do so without leaving the screen by clicking the MRP Setting button while you have a planned job highlighted. This automatically launches the MRP

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Settings screen and highlights the current item. Once you close the MRP Settings screen, you are returned to the Planned Jobs screen.

Creating new planned jobs from scratch There may be times when you wish to create a planned job from scratch. You may, for example, wish to split one planned job into two jobs. You could reduce the quantity on the original planned job, and then create a new planned job for the remaining quantity. To create a new planned job, while in the Planned Jobs screen, click the New Line button. You can then select an Item ID, enter the Job Qty and Required Date, then schedule the job back from its Job Finish date using the Job Days setting.

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Converting Planned Jobs into Actual Jobs (MRP – MRP – Planned Jobs Tab)

Convert Checkbox Once you finalize the Job Qty, Job Start, and Job Finish settings for each planned job, select its Convert checkbox. This lets you know that you have completed your planning and scheduling for that job.

Convert Button After you have completed your planning and all your planned jobs have their Convert checkbox selected, click the Convert button, which launches the Convert Planned Jobs screen.

IMPORTANT: Always complete the planning and scheduling process for all your planned jobs and then convert them in a single batch. If you convert jobs one at a time, planned jobs for lower-level subassemblies could end up fragmented rather than consolidate into single jobs.

In the Convert Planned Jobs screen are listed all the planned jobs marked for conversion. It gives you one last opportunity to review the list. If for any reason you do not wish to proceed with converting any particular job, you can clear its Convert checkbox. Once the list of jobs is to your satisfaction, click the Convert button and the jobs will be converted into actual Make Jobs.

NOTE: If any item does not have a bill of material, you will receive a warning and are asked if you wish to create the job anyway. If you proceed, a job will be created without any details.

When the conversion is completed, you will receive one of two messages.

• If the newly created jobs contain subassemblies for which there is already sufficient supply within each item’s planning period, you will be notified that the planned jobs were successfully converted.

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• If the newly created jobs contain subassemblies that require planned jobs of their own, you will be notified that the program has automatically created additional planned jobs for lower-level subassemblies. In this case, you must schedule and convert another round of planned jobs. See the next section for details.

Multi-Level Generation When the program finishes converting planned jobs into actual jobs, it automatically generates additional planned jobs, when applicable, for subassemblies within the newly created jobs. The dates for this second round of planned jobs are scheduled back from the job start dates of the previous set of jobs. Planned job generation for lower-level subassemblies varies depending on the subassembly item’s Make-to-Order setting.

• If the subassembly is a Make-to-Order item, MRP will generate a planned job solely for the amount required on the originating job. Existing stock and other requirements are not taken into account. On the Planned Jobs screen, all planned jobs generated in this manner have their MTO checkbox selected.

• If the subassembly is not a Make-to-Order item, MRP will generate a planned job on an as-needed basis, based on net demand within the planning period in relation to the desired stocking level and minimum order quantity.

When you are converting sales order lines Planned job generation from sales order lines ignores net demand and always results on a one-to-one relationship between the required quantity and the job quantity. Net demand is not considered. The same applies for planned jobs that get generated for lower-level subassemblies. Planned jobs will only be generated for Make-to-Order subassembly items and will only be for the amount required. If you have multi-level products where the entire product structure is made to order, set up subassembly items as Make-to-Order items and use the Generate Planned Jobs for SO Lines function to generate jobs for the entire structure. On the other hand, if only the top level item is made to order, use the Generate Planned Jobs for SO Lines function solely for the generation and conversion of your top level jobs. Afterwards, run the Generate Planned Jobs function for your subassemblies, which will be planned in response to net demand.

Continue the process through all levels After you convert the additional set of planned jobs for subassembly items, the program will repeat the process and generate another round of planned jobs, if required, for the next level of subassemblies within subassemblies. Each new set of jobs is scheduled back from the start dates of the previous set of jobs, when possible.

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NOTE: If backward scheduling causes the planned job’s start date less lead days to be earlier than today’s date, which is not physically possible, the planned job will be forward scheduled from today’s date and will be late in regards to its required date. Your remedy is to move the higher level job’s schedule out or you must expedite this job, perhaps by working overtime, to meet its required date.

This cycle of planned jobs and conversions will continue down through all levels of the product structure until no further subassemblies are encountered.

MRP and job scheduling are blended into a single process This level-by-level generation process enables you to dynamically schedule jobs at each level in coordination with their required dates. Thus, it blends MRP and job scheduling into a single process.

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7-4. Work Center Scheduling (MRP – Work Center Scheduling)

Use this screen to establish your work center capacity settings and to schedule your work centers on a daily basis.


Segments: Capacity, Work Scheduling

WC scheduling is the key to meeting job schedules MRP generates and schedules jobs at the overall start and finish date level. The next phase of job scheduling occurs daily at the work center and machine level. At this level, scheduling is not about assigning start and finish dates, but about assigning the sort order in which jobs are run. When a job arrives at a work center, it must compete with other jobs that are also be waiting in the work center queue. Deciding which job to run next is they key factor in determining how successful you will be in meeting your overall job schedules. When work center scheduling is done properly, you will always give priority to jobs that are on the tightest schedule. Jobs that are running ahead of schedule have sufficient slack time to wait and be run later. When all your work centers are scheduled in correct priority sequence, they function in harmony. When one work center gets out of synch, however, it can adversely affect the entire factory – especially if it is a bottleneck work center with limited capacity. The old expression “a chain is only as strong as its weakest link” applies fittingly to work center scheduling. The Work Center Scheduling screen is used to prioritize each of your work centers and to produce a daily Work Center Dispatch List that can be used out on the factory floor for work assignments.

Timely job tracking is a requirement In order to use work center scheduling, you must enter items completed and scrapped at each routing sequence. This must be done daily – ideally out on the factory floor at the time sequences are completed, or no later than the end of the day or first thing the next morning. Entering routing sequence completions is done through the Jobs – Job Tracking & Labor screen. You do not have to collect and enter labor hours, which is optional and for job costing purposes. All that is needed for scheduling purposes is for you to enter the items completed and scrapped at each routing sequence. This requires minimal data entry and is well worth the effort.


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List Tab

The opening List tab displays all your in-house work centers. Subcontract work centers are not included in the list.

Last Printed Each time you print the Work Center Dispatch List, the Last Printed date field will be updated. This enables you to easily see which work centers have been scheduled or not, which is usually done on a daily basis. Highlight the work center you wish to schedule and than click the Schedule tab.

Schedule Tab – Upper Panel Use the upper panel to select and filter the jobs that will be listed in the scheduling grid. You can also change work center scheduling settings. Field explanations are as follows:

Work Center & Description The current Work Center and its Description are listed at the top of the screen for reference purposes.

Job Hours / Day This is the maximum number of hours that can be allocated to any given job per day. Even though a work center may have three machines each running 16 hours a day, for a total capacity of 48 hours, any given job will usually run on only one machine, in which case the maximum Job Hours / Day would be 16. The Setup Hrs and Labor Hrs are divided by this amount to translate them into Job Days for scheduling purposes.

NOTE: Some work centers have, in a sense, almost unlimited capacity, especially assembly and packaging type work centers where there are no machines involved. With such work centers, sufficient labor can be quickly allocated to the work center on an as needed basis. Where


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this is the case, assign the work center a relatively high Job Hours / Day amount. For example, if you have the ability, when needed, to put as many as 10 people on a job for an 8-hour shift, give the work center a Job Hours / Day setting of ‘80’.

Total Hours / Day This is the total number of hours available within the work center, including all machines or all workers. For example, if you have three machines, each operating 16 hours a day, the Total Hours / Day is 48. The total Queue Hours are divided by this amount to translate them into Calculated Queue Days.

Buffer Days This is an optional setting that is visible if the Use Buffer Days checkbox is selected in the MRP Defaults screen. The Buffer Days setting enables you to add a safety buffer to the job schedule to account for the unforeseen delays common to manufacturing environments – such as machinery repairs, worker or material unavailability, unexpected rework, etc. The Buffer Days specified here will be added to the calculated Job Days for each routing sequence assigned to this work center.

Queue Hours This is the total remaining Setup Hrs and Labor Hrs for all routing Sequences that have a Status of ‘Next’ or ‘Started’. This represents the approximate time a job arriving at the work center must wait before production on it can begin.

Calculated Queue Days This field is only visible when the Use Queue Days checkbox is selected in the MRP Defaults screen. This field is for reference only. The Queue Hours are divided by the Total Hours / Day to translate them into Calculated Queue Days. This represents the approximate number of days a job arriving at the work center must wait before production on it can begin.

Queue Days This is an optional setting that is visible if the Use Queue Days checkbox is selected in the MRP Defaults screen. The Queue Days represents the approximate number of days a job arriving at the work center must wait before production on it can begin. When the Job Days Calculator is used in MRP to schedule new jobs, this number of days is added to each routing sequence assigned to this work center. You can use the Calculated Queue Days as a reference to help establish this setting.

NOTE: Only use this setting with “bottleneck” work centers where there is a finite capacity associated with a machine or some other physical constraint that limits production to a set amount each day.

Machines This screen is also used to schedule specific Machines within the work center. If you select ‘All’, all job Sequences are displayed, including those


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already assigned to machines and those that are still un-assigned. You can then finish making machine assignments or you can re-assign machines. If you select ‘None’, only routing Sequences that do not have machine assignments are displayed.

Next, Started, Open You can filter the contents of the scheduling grid below by selecting or clearing these checkboxes, which pertain to the current Status of each routing Sequence. Normally, ‘Open’ status sequences are excluded from the list because their jobs have not yet been started in the work center previous to this one and therefore have no direct scheduling relevance to this work center.

Display Job Name If you wish to see the Job Name displayed in the scheduling grid, select this checkbox.

Scheduling Grid In the scheduling grid are listed the job routing sequences that you have selected. Use this grid to assign the sort order of production. Once the sort order is determined, you print the Work Center Dispatch List, which is sent to the factory floor and is used for work assignments. Field explanations are as follows.

Sort No Each time this screen is launched, the jobs in the scheduling grid are sorted in Critical Ratio order (see next field) and are assigned a sequential Sort No in this field in ascending increments of 10. If you wish to change the sort order – such as to put a rush job at the top of the list, do so by changing the Sort No value. For example, if you give a job a Sort No of ‘1’ and then re-sort the column by clicking the Sort No column heading, that job will be sorted at the top of the list.


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C-Ratio This is an abbreviation for Critical Ratio. This ratio tells you whether a job is running ahead of or behind schedule, using the following formula.

Available workdays to job finish date / remaining job days A job with a critical ratio of ‘1’ is running exactly on time. Any job with a critical ratio less than ‘1’ is running late, and any with a critical ration greater than ‘1’ is running ahead of schedule.

Therefore, whenever possible, always run jobs in critical ratio order, from lowest to highest.

If you follow this guideline, you will avoid needlessly working on jobs that have plenty of time to be done later and you will be focusing on the jobs that need attention the most. Schedule the entire factory in this manner and more jobs will get completed on time with fewer bottlenecks and less expediting. Obviously there are exceptions to any rule – such as the unexpected rush order from a key customer that has to take priority – but whenever you can, use the critical ratio so that your work centers work in harmony rather than against each other.

FORMULA DETAIL: The number of workdays to the job finish date is calculated by taking the number of days from today’s date to the job’s scheduled Finish Date and subtracting any non-workdays within that interval (as defined in the shop calendar). The remaining job days for each Sequence is calculated as follows: Job Days + Days to Next + Rem Job Days.

Job No The job number associated with this routing Sequence.

Job Name This field is only visible if the Display Job Name checkbox in the upper panel is selected.

Sequence This is the routing Sequence assigned to this work center.

Status This is the current Status of this Sequence. Values can be ‘Next’, ‘Started’, or ‘Open’. Sequences with a Status of ‘Closed’ are excluded from the list.

Rem Qty This is the remaining quantity to be made within this Sequence. It is calculated by this formula:

Start Qty – Completed Qty – Scrapped Qty = Remaining Qty


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Setup Hrs This amount represents the remaining Setup Hours required for this Sequence. If the Status is ‘Started’, this amount is zero. If the status is ‘Next’ or ‘Open’, this amount is calculated using this formula:

Planned Setup Hours – Actual Setup Hrs = remaining Setup Hrs If the result is negative, this amount will be set to zero.

Labor Hrs This amount represents the remaining Labor Hours required to complete this Sequence and is calculated using this formula:

Rem Qty x Time/Proc x Items/Proc = remaining Labor Hrs

Print All lines that have this checkbox selected will be included on the Work Center Dispatch List. If you wish to exclude a job from the dispatch list, clear this checkbox.

Machine This is the Machine currently assigned to this Sequence. If blank, a machine has not yet been assigned. You can assign a machine or change a machine assignment by selecting a machine from the lookup.

Queue Hrs This field is only populated if this Sequence has a Status of ‘Next’ or ‘Started’ and uses this formula.

Setup Hrs + Job Hours = Queue Hrs

Lower Panel

Seq Job Days This is the estimated number of Job Days required to complete the remaining setup and labor in this Sequence. It is used as a variable in the Critical Ratio formula and is calculated as follows:

(Setup Hrs + Labor Hrs) / Job Hours/Day = Job Days

Days to Next This field display the Days to Next setting in this Sequence. It is used as a variable in the Critical Ratio formula.

Rem Job Days This field displays the estimated Job Days required to complete all remaining Sequences that follow this Sequence. It is used as a variable in the Critical Ratio formula. This amount is determined using the Job Days Calculator, limited to remaining Sequences. To view the Job Days Calculator screen, click the button in this field.


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Job Finish Date The job’s current Finish Date, which is used as a variable in the Critical Ratio formula.

Linking to the Job Scheduling screen While you are in the Work Center Scheduling screen, you will occasionally wish to reschedule an existing, perhaps because its Critical Ratio is sufficiently below ‘1’ that you know the job cannot physically be finished on time. When this is the case, you can click the Schedule Job button to launch the Job Scheduling screen (see next chapter). When you do so, the current job will be selected. After you reschedule the job and perhaps also the sales order or higher-level job to which it is linked, you can close the screen and you will be returned to this screen.

Printing the Work Center Dispatch List The ultimate purpose for using the Work Center Scheduling screen is to produce the Work Center Dispatch List, which is sent daily to the shop floor and is used for work assignments. When the scheduling grid is sorted to your satisfaction and final Print checkbox selections are made, click the Dispatch List button to print the dispatch list. Each time you do so, the Last Printed field in the List tab will be updated with today’s date. The report provides a list by Work Center of the jobs to be run and their sort order. The Machine column displays each job’s machine assignment, if applicable.

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7-5. Job Scheduling (MRP – Job Scheduling)

MRP generates and schedules jobs in response to customer orders and net demand. Once jobs are created, however, their schedules often change, for a variety of reasons:

• Rush jobs are inserted into the schedule for key customers • Equipment breaks down • Key employees are ill and you are short-handed • A supplier fails to deliver material on time • Items are made improperly and have to be reworked • A supplier delivers defective items or material • The factory suffers a power outage • Customers reschedule or cancel orders

The list is endless. The point being made is that the manufacturing environment is one of constant and unpredictable change. The Job Scheduling screen is designed to help you reschedule jobs in response to changes such as those listed above.


Segment: Job Rescheduling

Screen Details

Upper Panel The settings in the upper panel are used to filter the list of jobs displayed in the grid below it.

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Job Status - Released, New Use these checkboxes to filter the list on the Jobs tab to the job’s Status. By default, the ‘Released’ Status is selected.

Job Filter Job scheduling differs depending on whether a job is formally linked to sales order or other jobs or whether a job exists to fulfill net demand. Two checkbox settings are offered:

Linked Jobs Linked Jobs are jobs that are formally linked to sales order line items or to higher-level jobs. This screen reschedules linked job Required Dates so that all dates within the job “chain” remain synchronized.

Net Demand Jobs Net Demand Jobs are jobs that were created to fulfill overall demand. They are not formally linked to specific requirements. This screen reschedules Required Dates in accordance to changes in net demand.

Display Job Name The Job Name field occupies display space and may not be relevant to you, so normally it is not displayed in the grid. If you want the Job Name displayed, select this checkbox.

Limit to Days Early & Days Late This screen reschedules job Required Dates, but does not reschedule the actual job start and finish dates. Changes to job start and finish dates are always done manually. What the screen does is inform you when jobs are early or late in relation to their required dates. With that information, you can decide whether a job is to be moved up or back in the schedule. Using the Days Late and Days Early filters, you can limit the screen just to jobs that are ‘x’ number of days late or ‘x’ number of days early.

Jobs Tab After making your filtering selections in the upper panel, the list of jobs available for rescheduling displays in the main grid. You can click on any of the column headings to resort the screen in different views.

Job No This is the job number that identifies this job.

Status This is the job’s current Status, which can be ‘New’ or ‘Released’. This column is only visible when both the New and Released checkboxes are selected in the upper panel.

Job Name This field is only visible if the Display Job Name checkbox in the upper panel is selected.

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Output ID This is the job’s primary output item. If the job has multiple outputs, the primary output is the one with the lowest Line No.

Overlap This field is only visible if the Use Overlap checkbox is selected in the MRP Defaults screen. If a lower-level job is linked to this job, this is the number of days past this job’s Start Date when the subassembly will be required. When there is no Overlap, the Start Date of this job is used as the Required Date for the lower-level job.

Job Start This is the job’s current Start Date. This date can only be changed if the job has not yet been started. If you change this date, the Required dates of all linked jobs in the “chain” are automatically rescheduled.

Job Finish This is the job’s current Finish Date, which can freely be changed as desired.

Required This is the job’s Required Date. This date gets rescheduled based on its Date Type (see next) each time you launch the Job Scheduling screen or each time you make a change to a linked job or sales order.

Date Type The job’s Required Date may or may not be subject to change, depending on its Date Type. Three settings are used, described as follows:

Linked If this job is formally linked to a sales order line item or a higher-level job, its Date Type is set to ‘Linked’. If the sales order or higher-level job’s required date changes, the Job Scheduling screen reschedules this job’s Required Date as well in order to keep dates aligned within the job “chain.”

Floating If this job was created in response to net demand, its Date Type is set to ‘Floating’. The Job Scheduling screen reschedules this job’s Required Date by pegging it to the earliest date within the output item’s planning period when projected stock goes negative.

Fixed If you want the job’s Required Date to stay fixed, regardless of changing requirements elsewhere, you can manually set the Date Type to ‘Fixed’. When you do so, the Job Scheduling screen will not reschedule the job’s Required Date.

Linked to If this job is linked to a sales order, the sales order number is displayed in this field. If this job is a subassembly linked to a higher-level job, the higher level job number is displayed in this field.

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Days Late If the Job Finish date or today’s date (whichever is greater) is later than the job’s Required date, this is the difference between the two dates.

Days Early If the Job Finish date or today’s date (whichever is greater) is earlier than the job’s Required date, this is the difference between the two dates.

Lower Panel

Output Description This field displays the output item’s Description, for reference purposes.

Revision This field stores the bill of material Revision that was used to create the job’s routing and line item details. It is only visible if the Revisions checkbox is selected in the BOM Defaults screen.

Job Qty This is the original job quantity for the job’s primary output item.

Actual Qty This is the actual quantity of the job’s primary item receipted (finished) to date.

Linked Jobs Tab This sub-tab is visible when the highlighted job has a value in its Req by field. This inquiry screen displays the “chain” of linked jobs, including (where applicable) the sales order that originated the chain (displayed in the upper panel), the job linked to that sales order, and any Make-to-Order subassembly jobs that are formally linked to other jobs within the chain. If a scheduling change is required by any job in the chain, this inquiry shows you the impact that change has on linked jobs so that you can make appropriate changes to linked job schedules.

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7-6. PO Scheduling (MRP – PO Scheduling)

This screen is used to reschedule purchase order Due Dates in response to changing requirements. It can also be used as an inquiry to monitor late POs.

Training Course Support Center – Videos–How Do I? – Purchasing Training Course

Segment: Late POs

Screen Details

Upper Panel The settings in the upper panel are used to filter the list of PO lines displayed in the grid below.

PO Filter Two filters are available that determine what type of PO lines are included in the grid.

Stock Item POs Select this checkbox to include PO lines for stock item purchases.

Subcon/Misc POs Select this checkbox to include PO lines for subcontract services or miscellaneous purchases.

Display Description The line item Description field occupies significant display space in the grid and can be hidden by clearing this checkbox.

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Limit to Days Early & Days Late This screen reschedules purchase order Required Dates, but does not reschedule the actual Due Dates. Changes to purchase order Due Dates are always made manually. What the screen does is inform you when POs are early or late in relation to their required dates. With that information, you can decide whether a PO is to be moved up or back in the schedule. Using the Days Late and Days Early filters, you can limit the screen just to POs that are ‘x’ number of days late or ‘x’ number of days early.

POs Tab After making your filtering selections in the upper panel, the list of POs available for rescheduling displays in the main grid. You can click on any of the column headings to resort the screen in different views.

Reference ID This is the PO line item, which can be a stock item, descriptor, or freeform item.

Description This is the line item’s Description. If you clear the Display Description checkbox in the upper panel, this column becomes invisible.

PO No This is the number that identifies this purchase order.

Rem Qty This is the original order quantity less the quantity received to-date.

Required This date is automatically rescheduled each time this screen is launched. This is the earliest date within the item’s planning period when projected stock goes negative.

Due Date This is the line item’s current Due Date. The program does not reschedule this date. Any changes are made manually as required. If you need to reprint the PO to inform the supplier of date changes, you link to the PO Print/Reprint screen via the Links button.

Days Late If the line item’s Due Date or today’s date (whichever is greater) is later than its Required date, this is the difference between the two dates.

Days Early If the line item’s Due Date or today’s date (whichever is greater) is earlier than its Required date, this is the difference between the two dates.

7-7. Delivery Date Estimator

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7-7. Delivery Date Estimator (MRP – Delivery Date Estimator)

An important element in successful job scheduling is to quote realistic delivery dates at the time customer orders are accepted. If you quote overly optimistic dates that can’t be met within the confines of available capacity and resources, all that will be accomplished is to put undue stress on the overall schedule and failure to deliver jobs on time. The Delivery Date Estimator screen is designed to help you quote accurate delivery dates to your customers. You can enter any quantity for any item with a bill of material and the program will calculate the estimated Job Days based on current work center settings and the quantity you wish to make. You can also manipulate the item’s Lead Days setting to determine when the job can be realistically started.

Training Video Support Center – Videos–How Do I? – Sales Order Training Course

Segment: Required Dates

Screen Details

Field explanations are as follows:

BOM Item ID Enter the Item ID of the product for which you wish to quote a delivery date. The product must be defined with a bill of material.

Description The item’s Description is displayed for reference purposes and cannot be edited.

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Make Qty Enter the quantity to be made. This affects the Job Days calculation – the larger the quantity, the longer it will take to complete the job.

Lead Days This comes from the value maintained in the MRP Settings screen, but can be changed here, if desired. If changed here, it does not affect the value in the MRP Settings screen. The Job Start Date is determined by the adding the number of Lead Days to today’s date. If that date falls on a non-valid workday on the shop calendar, the date will be rounded forward to the first available date.

Job Start Date The Job Start Date is determined by the adding the number of Lead Days to today’s date. If that date falls on a non-valid workday on the shop calendar, the date will be rounded forward to the first available date. You can manually change this date, if you wish.

Job Days This is the value maintained in the MRP Settings screen. If you do not create a value in the Calc Job Days field, this value is used as the one displayed in the Est Job Days field (see below).

Calc Job Days If you click the button in this field, the Job Days Calculator screen will display and calculated the job days required based on the quantity being made and current work center and routing settings. When you close the screen, the calculated total displays in the Calc Job Days field. When the Calc Job Days field is given a value, it becomes the one used in the Est Job Days field (see below).

Est Job Days If there is a value in the Calc Job Days field, it is used as the Est Job Days value. If the Calc Job Days field is blank, the Job Days field value is used as the Est Job Days value. The Est Job Days is used to forward schedule the job from the Job Start Date. The program counts forward from the Job Start Date to establish the Est Delivery Date, skipping over any non-valid days on the shop calendar.

Est Delivery Date This is the estimated delivery date, based on the entries and calculations described above. Obviously you can use this date as the promise date to your customer or you can modify it as you see fit.

7-8. MRP Reports

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7-8. MRP Reports

7-8A. Master Job Schedule (MRP – Reports – Master Job Schedule)

This report provides a listing of all your jobs with the point of reference being the job number and job name. Within each job is listed its scheduled start date, finish date, required date, and customer. A variety of filtering, selection, and sorting options are included.

7-8B. Job Outputs Schedule (MRP – Reports – Job Outputs Schedule)

This report provides a listing of all your jobs with the point of reference being the primary output item being made on each job. Within each job is listed its scheduled start date, finish date, required date, and customer. A variety of filtering, selection, and sorting options are included.

7-8C. Work Center Schedule (MRP – Reports – Work Center Schedule)

Use this report to get a listing of open routing sequences within each work center. This report gives you a broad overview of all open jobs that eventually will pass through each work center. For a listing of daily job assignments within each work center, we recommend the Work Center Dispatch List (see below).

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7-8D. Machine Schedule (MRP – Reports – Machine Schedule)

Use this report to get a listing of open routing sequences scheduled for each machine within a work center. This report gives you a broad overview of all open jobs that eventually will run on the machine. For a listing of daily job assignments for each machine, we recommend the Work Center Dispatch List as the better alternative (see next).

7-8E. Subcontract WC Schedule (MRP – Reports – Subcontract WC Schedule)

This report provides a listing of open jobs scheduled for each subcontract work center. Subcontract work centers are used to represent outside processing services such as plating, painting, and heat-treating.

8. Jobs

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8. Jobs The Jobs menu is where you find all job-related tables and applications. Menu options include:

Jobs Jobs Setup • Job Defaults • Job Labor Defaults • Worker Types • Job Types

Main Menu • Workers • Job Control Panel • Jobs • Job Travelers • Subcontract Services • Job Issues • Job Tracking & labor • Job Receipts • Job Inquiry

Reports • Job Profit • Job Cost • Job Cost Summary • Job Transactions • Worker Hours • WIP Value • Task Follow-up

Overview What are Jobs used for? Jobs are used for any type of process where labor, material, and subcontract services are applied towards an “output.” In DBA most jobs are used for manufacturing where the output is a finished product, but jobs can also be used for projects, item repair, remanufacturing, and disassembly.

Job Elements All jobs are comprised of three main elements:

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Outputs Each job has a “primary output”, which can be a finished product, a project, or a repair item. Jobs can also have secondary outputs, which can be co-products, bi-products, or disassembled parts. Job costs are collected and applied to the primary output and are allocated to secondary outputs by percentage ratios.

Routing Process details are entered in the job “routing.” Each routing sequence specifies the work center and estimated setup and labor time, as well as subcontract services performed by outside suppliers. Routing details are used for job scheduling, job tracking, and labor and overhead costing.

Components “Components” are the subassemblies and materials that are required to fabricate, assemble, or repair the job’s outputs.

Where do job details come from? Job details originate from bills of material or are entered within the job, sometimes against a “custom” output.

Bills of Material Most typically, job details originate from a bill of material. Once the job is created, however, you can then freely modify or expand the job details for special requirements.

Custom Outputs You can also originate a job using a “custom” output, which represents a “one-off” job that is not intended to be run again. Custom manufactured items, projects, and some repair jobs fall into this category. When a job is originated with a custom output, all the job details are entered or copied in from phantom assemblies after the job is created.

How are jobs planned and created? All jobs are created in the MRP screen, which also schedules the jobs and generates suggested jobs for subassemblies and suggested POs for components. Jobs are created three ways:

Generated from SO lines Jobs are generated directly from sales order lines for MTO (Make to Order) items and custom items.

Generated from net demand MRP generates suggested jobs for manufactured items based on net demand (stock + projected supply + projected demand + reorder level) within each item’s planning period (the overall time it takes to plan and make the item).

Manually created Within MRP you also have the option of manually creating jobs.

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How are jobs processed? Job processing has four main elements:

Job Release Jobs are released to the factory floor using the Job Control Panel screen.

Subcontract Services POs for subcontract services such as plating, painting, and heat-treating are generated via the Subcontract Services screen.

Job Issues Subassemblies and components are issued from stock to the job via the Job Issues screen.

Job Tracking & Labor The progress of jobs out on the shop floor can be can be tracked through the “backflushing” of completed items in each routing sequence or you have the option of collecting and recording actual labor hours. All of this is done in the Job Tracking & Labor screen.

Job Receipts Finished job outputs are reported in the Job Receipts screen.

Job Close Jobs are closed using the Job Control Panel screen.

How are job costs estimated? Each job is given an estimated job cost based on the job details. The breakdown of estimated costs can be viewed in the Job Inquiry screen. Estimated costs derive from these sources:

Material For costing purposes, job components are labeled as “material.” Each component’s Estimated Cost from its item master record at the time component was added to the job is used as its estimated job cost.

Setup, Labor, and Overhead Setup and labor time in the job routing is multiplied by the work center rates for setup, labor, and overhead that were in effect at the time the routing details were added to the job to arrive at the estimated job cost for labor and overhead.

Subcontract Services Subcontract services are represented by job detail lines. The line’s Est Cost is used to help calculate the job estimated cost.

How are actual job costs applied? Actual job costs can be reviewed in the Job Inquiry or Job Cost report and are costed as follows:

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Material Subassemblies and components are issued to the job at each item’s current Inventory Cost.

Setup, Labor, & Overhead Setup and labor that is “backflushed” based on item completions are costed based on job routing times multiplied by current work center rates for setup, labor, and overhead. The entry of setup and labor hours can be costed at current work center rates (recommended) or can optionally be costed at worker pay rates.

Subcontract Services Subcontract services are costed using the PO receipt cost.

Job Receipts Partial job receipts that are recorded before final job completion are costed at the estimated job cost. Final job receipts made after all costs are collected can be made at actual job cost whereby the cost of all job inputs is fully absorbed into the cost of the job output(s). You also have the option of costing all outputs at estimated job cost.

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8-1. Jobs Setup

8-1A. Job Defaults (Jobs – Jobs Setup – Job Defaults)

Use this screen to establish default settings associated with job processing.


Segment: Receipt Cost Basis

Screen Details

Costing

Job Receipts Cost Basis This setting enables you to select the method of costing that will update the item’s inventory Cost when receipts of finished job output items are reported via the Job Receipts screen. Two costing methods are available:

Actual Job Cost If you select this option, the final receipt quantity is given a unit cost derived from balancing total job “input” costs with total job “output” costs. When the job is closed net WIP is zero and there is no variance to be

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posted to your Adjustments – WIP account. Any partial receipts made prior to the final receipt are given a unit cost derived from the total estimated job cost.

Estimated Job Cost If you select this option, all job receipts are given a unit cost derived from the total estimated job cost. When the job is closed, there is usually a WIP balance that results in a variance being posted to your Adjustments – WIP account.

Which cost basis is best? From an accounting standpoint, each method works equally well and conforms to accepted accounting standards. If you go with the Estimated Job Cost basis, do not worry about the job closing variance – this is normal and expected in manufacturing environments. From a convenience standpoint, the Estimated Job Cost basis is easier to manage because you can freely make partial and final receipts without having to worry whether all input costs are accounted for. If you go with the Actual Job Cost basis, you must be careful on the final receipt that all input costs are accounted for. Does not the Actual Job Cost basis provide more accurate costs of goods sold on invoices? Yes it can, but only if all your job receipts are made as a single receipt at the end of the job. If you frequently make partial receipts, your costs of goods sold will be a blend of estimated and actual costs and will not necessarily be more accurate than always using the estimated job cost. If your objective is to analyze actual job costs, do not do so by analyzing the invoice cost of goods sold, which is an accounting cost, but not always an actual cost. Instead, use the Job Cost report, which provides a comparison of estimated versus actual job costs.

Permissions

Allow Status change in job header screen If you select this checkbox, users can release and close jobs directly in the job header screen, as an alternative to doing so in the Job Control Panel screen. We suggest you allow this for now because you can always clear this checkbox later if you see the need to restrict this capability.

Options

Custom Items If you want the ability to generate “custom” items on-the-fly within sales orders, select this feature. Custom items are one-time items where routing and line item detail is entered in the job instead of in advance in a formal bill of material.

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Copy Previous Job Details Select this checkbox if you want the ability to copy job lines from another job into the current job. In general, this feature is only used when making custom items.

Custom Item Generator This penal is only visible when the Custom Items checkbox is selected.

Item ID Prefix All custom items will be identified by this prefix, followed by a sequential number. The combination of the prefix and number constitutes the Reference ID number that is used in sales orders, MRP, and jobs to identify the custom item. We recommend that you use the letter ‘Z’, which will keep all your custom items listed at the very end of lookups and reports. This keeps custom items from being intermingled with your permanent Item ID’s.

Next ID No This displays the number that will be assigned to the next custom item that gets generated. We recommend a beginning number of 100000.

NOTE: Do not start with a number such as ‘1’. If you do so, on reports and screen listings, ‘10’ will sort before ‘1’, ‘20’ before ‘2’, etc.

Item Category All custom items, when created, will be automatically assigned to this Item Category. We suggest you create a special Item Category solely for this purpose, perhaps also with an ID code beginning with ‘Z’ (such as Z-CUSTOM) to differentiate your custom items from permanent stock items.

UM All custom items, when created, will be automatically assigned this UM. At time of custom item generation, you can override this default.

Lead Days All custom items, when created, will be automatically assigned this Lead Days setting for MRP planning purposes. At time of custom item generation, you can override this default.

Job Days All custom items, when created, will be automatically assigned this Job Days setting for MRP planning purposes. At time of custom item generation, you can override this default.

8-1B. Job Labor Defaults

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8-1B. Job Labor Defaults (Jobs – Jobs Setup – Job Labor Defaults)

Use this screen to establish default settings for job labor processing in the Job Tracking & Labor screen.


Segments: Shop Rates, Labor Cost Basis, Labor Method

Screen Details

Transaction Type Option The Job Tracking & Labor screen offers two transaction type entry modes: Backflush and Labor Hours Entry. Select the transaction type that suits your company, or both if you wish to use both entry modes.

Backflush In Backflush mode, you only enter items completed or scrapped. The program “backflushes” setup and labor hours based on the estimated setup hours and production rates entered in the job Routing tab. Work center rates are applied to the backflushed hours for calculation of job costs.

Labor Hours Entry In Labor Hours Entry mode, you enter actual labor and setup hours as well as items completed and scrapped. The program will cost the job based on the hours entered at your choice of either work center rates or employee wage rates.

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Both If you want to enter some jobs in Backflush mode and some in Labor Hours Entry mode, select this option.

Display Options

Display Subcontract Sequences Subcontract routing sequences are normally not a labor entry function and their associated completion quantity is updated through the PO Receipts screen rather than the Job Tracking & Labor screen. If you want the ability to enter a Scrap Qty against a subcontract sequence or you want subcontract sequences displayed for reference purposes, select this checkbox.

Display Scrap Qty If you track scrapped as well as completed job items, select this checkbox and the Scrap Qty entry field will become visible.

Display Costs when Backflushing In Backflush entry mode, job costs for labor, setup, and overhead are calculated based on your job routing settings. If you wish to view these costs while entering Sequence completion and scrap quantities, select this checkbox.

Display Pay Rate when Cost Basis = Work Center Rate In Labor Hours Entry mode, jobs can be costed at work center rates or worker pay rates. Even when costing jobs at work center rates, you still may wish to select the worker’s Pay Rate for purposes of reporting overtime hours on the Worker Job Hours report. If this is the case, select this checkbox and the Pay Rate field will be visible.

Display Warning when Compl Qty + Scrap Qty > Remaining Qty If on a routing sequence you report more completions and scrap quantities than the job calls for, select this checkbox and a warning will be presented when this happens. We recommend that you start with this option selected because you can always turn it off later if it is not needed.

8-1C. Worker Types

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8-1C. Worker Types (Misc – Worker Types)

“Worker types” are user-defined fields that enable you to organize your production workers into categories for sorting and reporting purposes.

Field Explanations Worker Type You can enter an up to 15-character worker type ID code.

Description You can enter an up to 50-character description to accompany the Worker Type on lookups.

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8-1D. Job Types (Jobs – Jobs Setup – Job Types)

When you create a job, it is assigned to a “job type.” Job types can be used to categorize different types of orders and to give each order type its own settings.

Three Job Types Three job types are supplied with the system. We suggest that you use these and only create new job types if you have a particular need.

MAKE This is the default job type and is used for all manufacturing jobs. When created, ‘MAKE’ jobs are given a default status of ‘NEW’, which gets changed later to ‘RELEASED’ when the job is released to the factory floor.

NOTE: If you want to keep things simple, you can use this one job type for all your jobs, including repair jobs and project jobs. Job types are for classification purposes only and do not affect the way jobs are processed.

REPAIR You have the option of using this job type for service, repair, and maintenance jobs. When created, ‘REPAIR’ jobs are given a default status of ‘RELEASED’.

PROJECT You have the option of using this job type for project jobs. Unlike repair jobs, which are short in duration, project jobs are longer-term and go through “phases”, which can be represented by routing sequences. When created, ‘PROJECT’ jobs are given a default status of ‘RELEASED’.

List Tab Your existing job types and their primary settings are listed on this screen.

New Button Click this button to create a new job type. Clicking the button takes you to the Detail tab, which is cleared and ready for new entries.

Set as Default This button is used to designate the job type that gets selected by default in the MRP screen and each time a new job is created. Highlight the desired job type, then click this button. You will see the Default Job Type displayed in the upper panel.

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Detail Tab

General Info

Job Type ID Enter an up to 8-character code that identifies this job type on lists and lookups.

Description Enter an up to 50-character Description that accompanies the Job Type ID on screens and lookups.

Prefix Enter an up to 4-character prefix that precedes the numeric portion of the job number. An alpha prefix makes it easy to recognize the type when looking at a job number.

Default Status When a new job is created, it will be given a default status of ‘NEW’ or ‘RELEASED’.

NOTE: We recommend that manufacturing jobs be given a default status of ‘NEW’ and that service and project jobs be given a default status of ‘RELEASED’.

Non-Active If you no longer wish to use this job type, select this checkbox. It will no longer be available for selection when creating new sales orders.

Screen Config Button This button provides access to the Screen Config window, within which you can activate and deactivate various fields on sales orders assigned to this job type.

NOTE: You must have administrator level user security to be permitted to access this screen.

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Job Lines The following field options are not selected by default, but may be selected if you wish.

Act Cost This is the average unit cost of the line item quantity issued to-date. This information is available in more detail on the Job Inquiry screen. For most companies, this information is not relevant to job entry and we recommend that you leave this checkbox cleared.

Total Cost This field displays the total estimated cost, which is the line’s Qty multiplied by the value in the Est Cost field. For most companies this information is not relevant to job entry and we recommend that you leave this checkbox cleared.

Ref Date Do not activate this field. This is a legacy feature that will be removed from the system in a future product build.

Ref Code Do not activate this field. This is a legacy feature that will be removed from the system in a future product build.

Completed Do not activate this field. This is a legacy feature that will be removed from the system in a future product build.

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8-2. Workers (Jobs – Workers)

Use this screen to enter production workers against whom you will record setup and labor hours in the Job Tracking & Labor screen.

List Tab The opening List tab is displays only workers with a status of ‘Active’. You can select the Inactive checkbox in the bottom panel if you wish to also include inactive workers.

Detail Tab Worker Each worker is identified with a 4-character number.

First Name & M.I. Enter the worker’s first name and middle initial. This is a 15-character field.

Last Name Enter the worker’s last name. This is a 20-character field.

Hour Rate 1-4 If the Job Cost Basis for Labor Hours is set to Work Center Rates in the Job Labor Defaults screen, leave these fields blank. If the Job Cost Basis for Labor Hours is set to Worker Pay Rates, make entries in these fields.

How are these rates used? These are the pay rates that can be specified during Job Tracking & Labor entry. During labor entry, the rate number (1, 2, 3, or 4) is selected, but the actual hourly amount is not displayed. Hour Rate 1 is the default rate and is normally the Worker’s base pay rate. Hour Rates 2-4 can be used

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to represent overtime pay or to establish pay rates for different classes of work.

8-3. Job Control Panel

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8-3. Job Control Panel (Jobs – Job Control Panel)

This screen has three primary functions:

Job Release Jobs are released to the shop floor via the Job Release screen. Jobs should only be released to the shop floor when the factory is ready for them. If you release jobs prematurely, it is counter-productive because it clogs up the schedule and work areas with excessive material.

Job Processing The Process Jobs screen informs you which job processes have been completed or not (sequences, hours, subcontract services, issues) and provides drill down inquiries as well as links to all the job processing screens.

Job Close Finished jobs are closed via the Close Jobs screen.

Release Jobs Screen This screen is accessed by clicking the Release Jobs option in the upper panel.


Segment: Job Release

Grid Fields All jobs with a status of ‘NEW’ are listed in the grid.

Job No This number identifies the job.


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Job Name This is a brief description of the job.

Req by If the job is linked to a sales order or job line, the sales order or job number is displayed in this field.

Start Date This is the job’s scheduled start date.

Release Select this checkbox against each job you wish to release to the factory floor.

Magnifying Glass Icon Click this icon in the far right column to display the Job Stock Status inquiry, shown below. This inquiry enables you to verify that stock is available to proceed with starting the job.

Field Explanations

Line No, Item ID, Description These fields identify the job detail line item.

On Hand This is the total stock on hand across all locations.

(-) Job Qty This is the quantity required for this job.

(-) Pending Release This is the total quantity required for this item among all other jobs currently selected for release in the Release Jobs screen of the Job Control Panel.

(-) Released Qty This is the remaining quantity required for this item among all jobs currently released and listed on the Process Jobs screen in the Job Control Panel.

(=) Shortage If there is a value in this field, it means that there is not enough stock on hand to satisfy this job and all jobs that are either released or selected for release to the factory floor. You may need to delay releasing this job until sufficient stock becomes available for all its job detail lines. This amount is calculated as follows:


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On Hand -Job Qty - Pending Release - Released Qty = Shortage

Pending Supply If this is an ‘M’ (manufactured) item, this is the total remaining output quantity associated with jobs currently planned or in production for this item. In the case of ‘P’ (purchased) item, this is the total remaining quantity on open POs for this item.

SO Demand This is the total remaining quantity on open sales orders for this item.

Magnifying Glass Icon (Lower Panel) If you wish to view the details behind the column totals on any given item, click this icon to launch the standard Stock Status inquiry.

Lower Panel

Output ID / Description These fields identify the job’s primary output item and description.

Qty, UM This is the primary output’s job quantity and unit of measure.

Customer If this job is linked to a sales order line, this is the customer associated with that sales order.

Buttons

Select All Click this button to select the Release checkbox against all jobs listed.

De-Select All Click this button to clear the Release checkbox against all jobs listed.

Update Once you’ve finished selecting jobs to be released, click this button, which does the following:

• Changes the job’s status from ‘NEW’ to ‘RELEASED’.

• The job’s Released Date is updated with today’s date. This is considered to be the job’s actual start date for analysis purposes.

Traveler Click this button to print a job traveler for the selected job.


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Process Jobs Screen This screen is accessed by clicking the Process Jobs option in the upper panel.

Grid Fields All jobs with a status of ‘RELEASED’ are listed in this grid.




Finish Date This is the job’s scheduled finish date, which is for reference only. If you wish to change this date, click the Links button and navigate to the Job Scheduling screen.

Seq Status This field displays the status of this job’s routing sequences.

• A value of ‘None’, which is displayed in a red cell, means that none of the job’s routing sequences have a status of ‘Closed’.

• A value of ‘Some’, which is displayed in a yellow cell, means that some of the job’s routing sequences have a status of ‘Closed’.

• A value of ‘All’, which is displayed in a green cell, means that all of the job’s routing sequences have a status of ‘Closed’.

You can click on the lookup icon to launch this screen, which shows you the sequence status details:


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Hours Status This field displays the status of this job’s non-subcontract routing sequence labor hours.

• A value of ‘None’, which is displayed in a red cell, means that no labor hours have been entered or backflushed against any of this job’s non-subcontract routing sequences.

• A value of ‘Some’, which is displayed in a yellow cell, means that some labor hours have been entered or backflushed against some, but not all, of this job’s non-subcontract routing sequences.

• A value of ‘All’, which is displayed in a green cell, means that some labor hours have been entered or backflushed against all this job’s non-subcontract routing sequences.

NOTE: Be aware that even though some labor hours have been reported against each sequence, it does not guarantee that all labor hours have been reported.

You can click on the lookup icon to launch this screen, which shows you the non-subcontract sequence status details, including estimated versus actual hours:

Subcon Status This field displays the status of this job’s subcontract purchase orders.

• A value of ‘None’, which is displayed in a red cell, means that none of this job’s linked subcontract POs have a receipt quantity.


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• A value of ‘Some’, which is displayed in a yellow cell, means that some of this job’s linked subcontract POs have a receipt quantity.

• A value of ‘Review’, which is displayed in a green cell, means that all of this job’s linked subcontract POs have receipt quantities, but one or more still has a partial quantity remaining to be received.

• A value of ‘All’, which is displayed in a green cell, means that all this job’s linked subcontract POs have been fully received.

You can click on the lookup icon to launch this screen, which shows you the details of this job’s linked subcontract POs:

Issues Status This field displays the status of this job’s issues to job detail lines.

• A value of ‘None’, which is displayed in a red cell, means that no job issue quantities have been made against any non-subcontract job detail lines.

• A value of ‘Some’, which is displayed in a yellow cell, means that some issue quantities have been made against some non-subcontract job detail lines.

• A value of ‘Review’, which is displayed in a green cell, means that issue quantities have been made against all of the non-subcontract job detail lines, but one or more lines still has a partial quantity remaining to be issued.

• A value of ‘All’, which is displayed in a green cell, means that issue quantities have been made against all of the non-subcontract job detail lines and there are no partial quantities remaining to be issued.

You can click on the lookup icon to launch this screen, which shows you the job issue details:


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Job Status All jobs on this screen have a job status of ‘RELEASED’. You can change the job status for these two purposes:

• If no job processing transactions have yet occurred, you can change the job status from ‘RELEASED’ to ‘NEW’ if you decide to release the job at a later time.

• If you have decided that the job is finished, even though not all job processing has been completed, you can change the job status from ‘RELEASED’ to ‘FINISHED’.

Lower Panel




Links Button The Job Control Panel provides a single screen from which you can perform all job processing functions. Click the Links button and from the drop-down list you can link to any of the following screens and reports:

• Jobs • Job Issues • Job Tracking & Labor • Job Receipts • Job Scheduling • Job Inquiry


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• Job Cost • Job Transactions

When you close any of the above screens, you are returned to the Job Control Panel.


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Close Jobs Screen All jobs with a status of ‘FINISHED’ are listed on this screen, which is accessed by clicking the Close Jobs option in the upper panel. ‘FINISHED’ means that all job processing transactions are fully completed and the job is ready to be formally closed. Closing a job signifies that it is fully completed and processed. Once closed, no further entries to the job are allowed. Some companies formally close jobs only after a ‘sign off’ procedure is completed where key personnel review the job and make sure it is fully processed, invoiced, all costs accounted for, etc.


Segment: Job Close, Job Reopen

Grid Columns


Status All jobs listed on this screen have a status of ‘FINISHED’.



Actual Finish This is the date when the final job processing transaction was completed, at which time the job’s status changed from ‘RELEASED’ to ‘FINISHED’.


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Job Status All jobs on this screen have a job status of ‘FINISHED’. If you wish to perform additional job processing transactions, you can change the job status from ‘FINISHED’ to ‘RELEASED’.

Variance This is the difference between total job input costs (labor, material, overhead, subcontract services) and total output costs (job receipts). When total input costs exceed total output costs, this is a positive amount. When total output costs exceed total input costs, this is s negative amount.

Job Receipts Cost Basis When the Job Receipts Cost Basis is set to the Actual Job Cost option in the Job Defaults screen, you would normally not expect a variance because the final job receipt transaction uses a calculated cost that balances total input costs with total output costs. When the Job Receipts Cost Basis is set to the Estimated Job Cost option in the Job Defaults screen, a variance is expected and normal.

Close Select this checkbox for each job you wish to close.

Lower Panel




Select All Button Click this button to select the Close checkbox on all jobs listed.

De-Select All Button Click this button to clear the Close checkbox on all jobs listed.

Update Button Click this button to close all jobs that have the Close checkbox selected. The following processing takes place:

• The job’s status changes from ‘FINISHED’ to ‘CLOSED’.

• If there is a positive Variance amount, a debit is made for that amount to your Adjustments – WIP account and an offsetting credit is made to your Work in Process account.


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• If there is a negative Variance amount, a debit is made for that amount to your Work in Process account and an offsetting credit is made to your WIP Adjustments – WIP account.

Reopening a closed job A closed job can be reopened so that additional transactions can be made, if needed. You cannot reopen a closed job through the Job Control Panel. You must go to the Jobs screen and locate the job by selecting the Closed checkbox in the lower panel of the opening List screen and clicking the Refresh button Once you find your closed job, go to the job Header tab and change the Status setting from ‘CLOSED’ to ‘RELEASED’. You can then make additional transactions.

NOTE: When the job is reopened, if a job Variance was posted to the general ledger when the job was originally closed, the program generates a reversing entry with a posting date equal to the current date.

Once you are finished making additional transactions, the job can be closed once again through the Job Control Panel.

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8-4. Jobs (Jobs – Jobs)

Jobs are used to make or service “outputs”, such as finished items or subassemblies, using “inputs”, which are the labor, materials, and subcontract services used to make or repair the outputs. Jobs are also used for item repair and projects, where the primary output is a custom item linked to a sales order line.

Training Videos Support Center – Videos – How Do I? – Manufacturing Training Course

Segments; Job Creation, Service Jobs, Repair Jobs, Project Jobs, Rescheduling, Job Qty Change, Job Modification

Job Workflow Phase 1 – Job Creation • Generate job either directly from sales order line or in response to net

demand (MRP)

• Modify or add job details, if applicable, using the Copy Detail button or direct entry (Jobs)

Phase 2 – Job Release • Release job when first work center is ready (Job Control Panel)

• Print job traveler (Job Control Panel)

Phase 3 – Job Processing • Issue material and components from stock and to jobs (Job Issues)

o Option A – Print issue list (Job Issues – Issuing Tab – Print button), pick stock, then make job issue entries (Job Issues)

o Option B – Make job issue entries (Job Issues), print dispatch list (Job Issues – Batch History Tab – Print button), then pick stock

• Generate POs for subcontract services, if applicable (Subcontract Services)

• Enter job routing sequence completions and/or labor hours (Job Tracking & Labor)

• Receive POs directly to job for subcontract services (PO Receipts)

• Enter job receipts (Job Receipts)

Phase 4 – Job Close • Close finished jobs (Job Control Panel)

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List Tab Display Grid Jobs are listed in the grid can be selected for viewing and editing.

Lower Panel

New, Released, Finished, Closed You can select and clear these checkboxes to filter the grid by job Status. After you’ve made your selections, click the Refresh button to apply the filtering to the list.

Save as Defaults Button Click this button to save your filtering selections as defaults that display each time the screen is displayed.

NOTE: Default settings are saved at the user-level and do not apply company-wide.

Search for the following text You can enter a string of text characters and click the Refresh button to limit the list to Job Names containing that text string.

Links Button This button enables you to link to other job-related screens and reports without having to exit this screen. You are presented with a list of menu options related to job processing and reporting. When you link to one of these screens, the current job is inserted into that screen without requiring a selection. When you close that screen, you are returned to this screen.

New Job Button Click this button to create a new job. You are presented with the New Job screen.

NOTE: When you are using DBA as recommended, virtually all your jobs are created through MRP or from sales order lines and not directly from the Jobs screen.

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New Job Screen

Job Type

Job Type This displays your default job type, but you can make an alternate selection, if you wish.

Status This read-only field displays the default status for this job type.

BOM

BOM Parent & Revision Select a BOM parent item and revision from the lookup. The parent ID is displayed in this field and the revision is displayed below it.

Qty Enter the quantity you wish to make.

Default Revisions This checkbox is selected by default and limits the lookup in the BOM & Revision field to current revisions only. If you clear this checkbox, the lookup displays all revisions.

Scheduling

Forward from Start Date This option is selected by default and activates the Start Date field below. The job will be scheduled forward from the start date.

Backward from Finish Date This option activates the Finish Date field below. The job will be backward scheduled by the finish date.

Start Date When this field is active, it defaults to today’s date, plus the Lead Days amount. When this field is grayed out, it is automatically calculated by

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subtracting the Job Days amount from the Finish Date, skipping over any non-workdays defined on the shop calendar.

Finish Date This field defaults to today’s date plus the Lead Days and Job Days amounts, skipping over any non-workdays defined on the shop calendar.

Lead Days By default, this displays the BOM parent item’s Lead Days setting from the MRP Settings screen. You can alter this setting, if you wish.

Job Days By default, this displays the BOM parent item’s Job Days setting from the MRP Settings screen. You can alter this setting, if you wish, either manually or by clicking the button and using the Job Days Calculator.

Required Date When the job is created, the BOM parent will become the job’s primary output. This is the Required Date that will be assigned to the primary output’s job detail line.

Same as Finish This checkbox is selected by default and forces the Required Date to be equal to the Finish Date. If you wish to make the two dates different, clear this checkbox and then you can manually change the Required Date.

OK Button Click this button to generate the job and close the screen.

Delete Button Click this button to delete the selected job.

NOTE: You are not permitted to delete a job that has had any actual transactions. If you don’t intend to finish the job, go to the Header tab and change the job’s Status to ‘FINISHED’. You can then close the job in the Job Control Panel screen.

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Header Tab

Header Info

Job No The job number consists of an alpha prefix, which is the prefix associated with this job type, and a number, which is incremented from the Next No setting in the SO/Job Numbering panel on the Main Setup screen.

Name This is an up to 50-character name that provides a brief description of the job on lookups, screens, and reports. When jobs are created, the program creates a name using the BOM parent ID followed by the quantity and the parent’s description, separated by dashes. You can override this with any name you wish.

Type This field displays the job type that was selected when the job was created.

NOTE: This setting cannot be changed. If it must be changed, the only remedy is to delete the job and create it once again against the desired job type.

Status The field has four possible values, each described below. The default value is determined by the Default Status setting assigned to this job type.

NOTE: If the Status Change in Job Header option is selected in the Job Defaults screen, you can change the status from ‘NEW’ to ‘RELEASED’ or from ‘FINISHED’ to ‘CLOSED’ directly in this screen as an alternative to doing so in the Job Control Panel screen.

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NEW This status identifies a job that has not yet been released to the factory floor for processing.

RELEASED This status identifies a job that has been released to the factory floor and is in process. Jobs are released via the Job Control Panel screen.

FINISHED When all job processing is completed (all components have issue quantities, subcontract PO quantities are fully received or scrapped, all routing sequences are closed, and all outputs received), the program changes the job’s status to ‘FINISHED’ and inserts the current date into the Actual Finish date field.

CLOSED This status identifies a job that has been formally closed, meaning that no further transactions are to be made. Jobs are closed through the Job Control Panel screen. Refer to that screen for details on the job close process.

Reopening a closed job A closed job can be reopened so that additional transactions can be made, if needed. You cannot reopen a closed job through the Job Control Panel. You must go to the Jobs screen and locate the job by selecting the Closed checkbox in the lower panel of the opening List screen and clicking the Refresh button Once you find your closed job, go to the job Header tab and change the Status setting from ‘CLOSED’ to ‘RELEASED’. You can then make additional transactions.

NOTE: When the job is reopened, if a job Variance was posted to the general ledger when the job was originally closed, the program generates a reversing entry with a posting date equal to the current date.

Once you are finished making additional transactions, the job can be closed once again through the Job Control Panel.

Outputs Sub-Tab Each job can have one or more “outputs”, which are finished items, completed services, or bi-products or co-products.

Item ID, Description These fields identify the output item.

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UM This is the output item’s unit of measure.

Qty This is the expected quantity to be completed.

Act Qty This is the actual quantity received to date.

Revision This field is only visible if it is selected as a Screen Config option in the Job Types screen for this job type. This is the revision associated with the BOM parent item that was used to originate this job.

Cost Ratio When there are multiple outputs, each output is given a percentage share of total job cost, displayed in this field.

Scheduling Sub-Tab

Start Date This is the job’s scheduled start date, which was established at the time of job creation. It can be changed here or in the Job Scheduling screen.

Finish Date This is the job’s scheduled finish date, which was established at the time of job creation. It can be changed here or in the Job Scheduling screen.

Overlap This is the number of days after the job’s scheduled start date when job subassembly components are required. This field is only visible when the Use Overlap option is selected in the MRP Defaults screen.

Required This is the date that the job’s primary output is needed. It is determined three possible ways:

• If the job is linked to a sales order line item, this is the line item’s Required Date.

• If the job’s primary output is needed as a component in another job, this date is that job’s Start Date plus its Overlap days.

• If this job is not linked to a sales order or another job, this is the Required Date that was established at the time the job was created.

Req by When the job is linked to a sales order or job line item, the sales order or job number is displayed in this field. When the job is for stock replenishment only, the text ‘Stock’ displays in this field.

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Required by Inquiry You can click the button within the field to view the Required by inquiry, which displays the “chain” of jobs, including all their respective scheduling and required dates.

Date Type There are three possible values for this read-only field:

Linked When the job is linked to a sales order line item or job component, its ate type is set to ‘Linked’.

Floating If this job was created by MRP in response to net demand, its date type is set to ‘Floating’.

Fixed The date type can be set to ‘Fixed’ in the Job Scheduling screen to prevent the Required date from being changed.

Released This is the date the job’s status was changed from ‘NEW’ to ‘RELEASED’.

Actual Finish This is the date the job’s status was changed from ‘RELEASED’ to ‘FINISHED’.

Creation Sub-Tab

Creation Date The program automatically assigns today’s date as the creation date when the job is created.

Created by The program inserts the first name and last name associated with the current logged on user into this field.

Notes Sub-Tab On this sub-tab you can enter free-form job notes for reference on the screen and on the job traveler.

Required by Sub-Tab This sub-tab is only visible when the job is linked to a sales order line item.

SO No This the sales order number to which this job is linked.

Line No This is the sales order line number to which this job is linked.

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Required This is the linked sales order line item’s Required Date.

Customer This is the linked sales order’s Sold to customer.

Additional Side-Tab

Documents Panel In this panel you can attach documents (such as drawings, specifications, etc.) or files of any kind that relate to this job.

Retrieve Linked Customer / Item / Descriptor Documents Button Click this button to add any documents to the upper panel that are currently linked to this job’s customer or any of its item or descriptor line items.

Link/Edit Document Button To link to a document, click the Edit Document panel at the bottom of the screen.



User-Defined Fields If you created any user-defined fields in the Utilities – User-Defined Fields screen, those fields are entered on this panel.

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Routing Tab Setup, labor, and subcontract service specifications are entered on the Routing tab. When the job originates from a BOM, these specifications are copied in from the BOM’s routing and can then be modified, if needed. You can also manually enter or modify sequences as needed.

NOTE: All the details on this screen print on the job traveler.

Sequences

Sequence Click the New button to create a new sequence record. The program automatically assigns a sequence number, which you can override if you wish.

Sequence Template Copy You have the option of selecting a “sequence template” from the lookup, which copies its specifications to this sequence. The sequence template ID gets appended to the Sequence number. Sequence templates are commonly used processes that are stored in the BOM – BOM Setup – Sequence Templates screen. Once the sequence template is copied into the job routing, it can be edited as needed.


NOTE: On Subcontract Sequences, this description is copied to the linked job line’s Description (see further below) and ultimately flows through to the PO that gets generated by the Subcontract Services screen.

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NOTE: As a rule of thumb, no two consecutive sequences should both be assigned to the same work center. Each sequence should normally flow from one work center to a different work center. Attempts at assigning consecutive sequences to the same work center suggest that you are either breaking down your processes too finely or that your work centers are too broadly defined. If you need a finer breakdown of processes within a sequence, consider using Tasks (see below).

Machine Only assign a machine when this item must be run on a particular machine. If the work center contains interchangeable machines, leave this field blank.

Status This field is for reference only and is automatically updated when transactions are made in the Job Tracking & Labor screen. There are four possible values:

Open No completions have been reported to this sequence or to the sequence preceding it.

Next Completions have been reported to the sequence preceding this one, which means this sequence is the next one to be performed.

Started Completions have been reported to this sequence, but there is still a quantity remaining to be completed, which means this sequence has been started, but is not yet closed.

Closed This sequence is fully completed, meaning that the quantity completed and scrapped equals the sequence’s scheduled start quantity.

Start Qty For the first sequence, this equals the quantity of the job’s primary output item. For each subsequent sequence, this is the previous sequence’s start quantity minus its scrapped quantity.

Completed This is the total number of completions entered to date in the Job Tracking & Labor screen.

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Scrapped This is the total number of scrapped transactions entered to date in the Job Tracking & Labor screen.

Center Panel – Cycle Times If the sequence selected above is assigned to an inside work center, the following set of fields displays, all related to this sequence’s “cycle times” (production rates).

Setup Hours Enter the total setup time for this sequence, expressed in decimal hours. For example, 30 minutes would be entered as ‘.5’.

NOTE: This field is initially populated by the work center’s default Setup value, which can be overridden manually or copied over by a sequence template.

Time / Process Cycle time is expressed in terms of “processes.” A process can be an assembly operation, a hit from a punch press, a mold cycle, etc. A process can produce a single part or several parts at a time. Enter the time (hours, minutes, seconds) required for each process.

NOTE1: As an alternative to making a time entry, you can enter the Processes / Hr (see next), which automatically calculates the Time / Process. NOTE2: The maximum number of hours you can enter in this field is 24 hours. If you have a cycle time longer than 24 hours, leave this field blank and use the Processes / Hr field instead. In that field, enter time based on this formula: 1 / # Hours. A cycle time of 40 hours, therefore, would be given a Processes / Hr value of ‘.025’. (When you do this, the Time / Process field receives a nonsensical, value which you can safely ignore). NOTE3: This field is initially populated by the work center’s default Time / Process value, which can be overridden manually or copied over by a sequence template.

Processes / Hr As an alternative to entering Time / Process, you can express the cycle time in terms of Processes / Hr. The entry of either field automatically updates the other.

NOTE: This field is initially populated by the work center’s default Processes / Hr value, which can be overridden manually or copied over by a sequence template.

Items / Process If each process yields one unit of this item, leave this field at the default setting of ‘1’. If each process yields a set of items (such as with a multi-cavity

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mold), enter the number of items in this field. The Time / Process is divided by the Items / Process to determine the time required to make one unit of this item.

NOTE: This field is initially populated by the work center’s default Items / Process value, which can be overridden manually or copied over by a sequence template.








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Trxn Type This field is only visible when the Routing Trxn Type option is set to ‘Both’ in the Job Labor Defaults screen. Two options are available from the drop-down list.




Traveler Notes You can enter unlimited freeform notes to describe the process to be performed in this sequence. These notes print on the job traveler and provide instructions to your shop personnel.

Center Panel – Subcontract Services If the sequence selected above is assigned to an outside work center designated as a Subcontract type, the following fields are displayed in the center panel:

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Line No When this sequence gets assigned to a subcontract work center (when the job is originated from a BOM or when the sequence is manually entered) the program automatically generates a linked job detail line. The linked line’s Line No is displayed in this field. The linked line contains information that is used to generate a PO within the Subcontract Services screen for the subcontract service.



Est Cost This is the estimated cost that is used to help calculate the total estimated job cost. It is calculated by the program as follows:

Supp Price * Multiplier = Est Cost NOTE: This field is initially populated by the work center’s default Cost value.

UM This is the unit of measure associated with the job’s primary output.



Supp UM This is the supplier’s unit of measure, which may differ from the primary output’s unit of measure. For example, a heat-treater might charge you by

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the pound or kilo for pricing purposes, but that price is translated (using the Multiplier) into the Est Cost, which conforms to the primary output’s unit of measure.



Supp Price * Multiplier = Est Cost NOTE: This field is given a value of ‘1’ by default.


Supplier Qty / Qty = Multiplier For example, let’s say the primary output weighs 10 pounds and the supplier prices the subcontract service by the pound. Using our formula, the Multiplier would be ‘10’, as follows:

10 lbs / 1 Output = 10


NOTE: This field is initially populated by the work center’s default Days to Next value, which can be overridden manually or copied over by a sequence template.


Linked Line Fields The linked job detail line contains the following field values. All this information is passed over to the PO that ultimately gets generated by the Subcontract Services screen.

Sequence The routing sequence number is automatically assigned to this field.

Line No The program automatically adds this job line to the end of the list and increments the previous Line No by ‘10’.

Line Type The program automatically assigns this a Line Type of ‘Freeform’.

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Reference ID The program assigns a Reference ID that consists of the word ‘Service’ followed by a dash and then the item ID of the job’s primary output. An example would be:

Service – 1080-000

Cost Class The program assigns this job detail line a Cost Class of ‘SUBCON’.

Description The Description from the sequence is copied to this field.

Qty This is made equal to the line item Qty associated with the job’s primary output.

UM When the job gets originated from a BOM, this is the UM from the BOM’s routing sequence. When this sequence is entered manually, this is populated by the work center’s default UM.

Est Cost When the job gets originated from a BOM, this is the Est Cost from the BOM’s routing sequence. When this sequence is entered manually, this is populated by the work center’s default Cost.

Subcon Supplier When the job gets originated from a BOM, this is the Supplier from the BOM’s routing sequence. When this sequence is entered manually, this is populated by the work center’s default Supplier.

Notes (Side-Tab) The text in this notes field gets passed into the PO line that gets generated by the Subcontract Services screen. If this line originates from a BOM, the PO Notes from the BOM routing sequence get passed into this notes field.

Tasks “Tasks” can be used to break the sequence down into specific steps. All this information prints on the job traveler.


Task You can enter a task name or you can select a “task template” from the lookup. Task templates are maintained in the BOM – BOM Setup – Task Templates screen.

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Follow-up, Status Do not use these fields. These are legacy features that will be removed from the system in a future product build.

Notes Sub-Tab You can enter freeform notes to further describe this task. This text prints on the job traveler.

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Details Tab Job detail lines for materials, components, subassemblies, and subcontract services are maintained in the Details tab.

Upper Panel

Availability Button This button is visible when a stock item is selected in the grid below. Click this to display the item’s Stock Status inquiry, which lists all current supply and demand details.

Inputs, Outputs • Click the Inputs option to view job “inputs” in the grid, which are line items

that get consumed during the course of the job.

• Click the Outputs option to view job “outputs” in the grid, which are line items that get produced during the course of the job.

All, Qty’s, Purchase • Click the All radio button to view all the columns in the grid below.

• Click the Qty’s radio button to limit the columns in the grid below to those that pertain to quantities (Qty, Act Qty).

• Click the Purchase radio button to limit the columns in the grid below to those that pertain to subcontract service POs (Subcon Supplier, Subcon PO).

Lines – Inputs The following fields are displayed when the Inputs option is selected in the upper panel.

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Sequence This is the job routing sequence within which this line item gets consumed. The line item will print within this sequence on the job traveler. Sequence assignment also enables job materials and components to be selectively issued by work center in the Job Issues screen.

NOTE: Sequence selection is optional. Unassigned lines print in a No Sequence Allocated section at the end of the job traveler.

Line No The line number is used to sort components on the job traveler and on screens and reports. When you create new lines, the program automatically assigns the line number in increments of ‘10’. You can override this value, and blanks and duplicates are allowed.

Line Type From the drop down list, select ‘Stock’ to select a stock item in the Reference ID field and ‘Descriptor’ to select a descriptor. When you click the New Line button, ‘Stock’ is selected by default.

NOTE: When the line gets generated from a subcontract service routing Sequence, the program assigns a line type of ‘Freeform’.

Reference ID The value in this field varies according to Line Type.

Stock You must select the stock item from the lookup.

Lookup Details

Progressive Matching You can immediately start typing the Item ID (or Description) and each character progressively moves the cursor closer to the desired record.

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Search Description Click this checkbox and you can enter all or a portion of the item’s Description. Click the magnifying glass icon and the list will be limited only to Descriptions that contain that text string.

Mfg or Purch You can select or clear these checkboxes to limit the list to just manufactured or purchased items.

Advanced Click this checkbox and you are presented with a window containing these advanced filtering options.

Active or InActive Select or clear these checkboxes to limit the search to just items with a Status of ‘Active’ or ‘In-Active’.

Custom Select this checkbox if you wish to limit the search to Custom items that were previously created by the Custom Item Generator.

Item ID You can enter a portion of the Item ID to limit the search to items containing that text string.

Description You can enter a portion of the Item ID to limit the search to items containing that character string.

Category You can limit the search to items belong to a particular Item Category.

Supplier You can limit the search to items that are cross-referenced to a particular supplier.

Supplier Part # You can enter all or a portion of the Supplier Part No and the list will be limited to items with Supplier Part No’s that contain this character string.

Manufacturer You can limit the search to items that are cross-referenced to a particular Manufacturer.

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Manufacturer Part # You can enter all or a portion of the Manufacturer Part No and the list will be limited to items with Manufacturer Part No’s that contain this character string.

Customer You can limit the search to items that are cross-referenced to a particular customer.

Search Button After you’ve made your selections, click this button. The screen will close and the results of your search will be listed in the main lookup grid.

Descriptor You must select the descriptor from the lookup.

Freeform When the line item is a “Freeform’ line generated from a subcontract service routing sequence, the program assigns a reference ID that consists of the word ‘Service’ followed by a dash and then the item ID of the job’s primary output. An example would be:

Service – 1080-000

Cost Class This read-only field is for reference only and is used by the program for GL posting purposes. Its value depends on the line type as follows:

Stock Items Stock items are given a cost class of ‘Stock’.

Descriptors The cost class for descriptors is the Descriptor Type assigned to each descriptor master record. ‘MISC’ is the most common descriptor type used in jobs.

Freeform Freeform lines are used for subcontract services and are given a cost class of ‘SUBCON’.

Description The source of the description depends on the Line Type. In all cases the default description can be modified.

Stock Item The Description from the item’s master record is copied into this field.

Descriptor The Description from the descriptor’s master record is copied into this field.

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Freeform When the line item is generated from a subcontract service routing sequence, the sequence Description is copied into this field. It can be modified, if you wish.

Qty This is the quantity required for this line item.

Act Qty This amount is for reference only.

• In the case of stock items, this is the quantity issued to date via the Job Issues screen.

• In the case of descriptors with a Subcon Supplier specified, this is the quantity received to date via the PO Receipts screen. .

• In the case of descriptors without a Subcon Supplier specified, this is the quantity issued to date via the Job Issues screen.

• In the case of freeform subcontract service lines, this is the quantity received to date via the PO Receipts screen.

UM This is the line item’s unit of measure, such as ‘EA’, ‘LB’, etc. Its source varies according to line type.

Stock This is the UM from the stock item’s master record.

Descriptor This is the UM from the descriptor’s master record.

Freeform When this line gets generated from the subcontract job routing sequence, the UM value in the routing sequence is passed into this field.

Est Cost This is the line item’s estimated cost. Its source depends on the line type.

Stock Item This is the stock item’s Estimated Cost as of the time the job line was created.

Descriptor This is the descriptor’s Estimated Cost as of the time the job line was created.

Freeform When this line gets generated from the subcontract job routing sequence, the Est Cost value in the routing sequence is passed into this field.

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Act Cost This field is only visible if it is selected as a Screen Config option in the Job Types screen for this job type. It displays an average actual unit cost based on the Total Cost divided by the Act Qty.

Total Cost This field is only visible if it is selected as a Screen Config option in the Job Types screen for this job type. This is the total actual cost issued or received to date.

Subcon Supplier When this job detail line gets converted to a PO in the Subcontract Services screen, this will be the PO supplier. Its source depends on the line type.

Descriptor This is the Default Supplier from the descriptor master record. Only descriptors with a descriptor type of ‘MISC’, ‘SHIP’, or ‘SUBCON’ are permitted to have a value in this field. An alternate supplier can be selected from the lookup.

Freeform This is the Supplier specified in the linked subcontract job routing sequence from which this job detail line originated. An alternate supplier can be selected from the lookup.

Subcon PO When this job detail line gets converted to a PO in the Subcontract Services screen, the PO number is saved to this field.

Phantom If this line item is a phantom assembly parent item, this read-only checkbox is selected. The phantom assembly parent represents a set of line items further below and is not a physical item that gets made or issued.

CTO Job This read-only field pertains to ‘CTO’ (custom to order) items only. When MRP generates a job directly from this job line, the linked job number is displayed in this field.

Lines – Outputs The following fields are displayed when the Outputs option is selected in the upper panel.

Reference ID The output’s item ID is displayed in this field.

Description The Description from the item’s master record is copied into this field. It can be modified, if you wish.

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Qty This is the expected make quantity for this item.

Act Qty This amount is for reference only and is the quantity received to date via the Job Receipts screen.

UM This value denotes the line item’s unit of measure, such as ‘EA’, ‘LB’, etc. and is the UM from the item’s master record.

Act Cost This field is only visible if it is selected as a Screen Config option in the Job Types screen for this job type. It displays an average actual unit cost based on the Total Cost divided by the Act Qty.

Total Cost This field is only visible if it is selected as a Screen Config option in the Job Types screen for this job type. This is the total actual cost received to date.

Cost Ratio When outputs are received to stock in the Job Receipts screen, each output is given a share of total job cost based on the percentage in this field.

NOTE: When you enter or modify a cost ratio on a secondary output, the primary output’s cost ratio is adjusted so that the sum of all cost ratios equals ‘100’.

Notes Side-Tab

Line Notes The source of this notes field text depends on the line type.

Stock, Descriptor If this job detail line originated from a BOM component with Job Notes text stored against it, that text is passed into this notes field and can optionally print on the job traveler.

Freeform When the job originates from a BOM, any PO Notes text stored against the subcontract service routing sequence is passed into this field. These notes are transferred to the subcontract service PO line when it gets generated from this job detail line in the Subcontract Services screen.

Buttons

New Line Click this button to create a new line item. The program creates a new row in the grid and increments the previous line number Line No by ‘10’. The Line Type defaults to ‘Stock’ and the cursor is positioned in the Reference ID field.

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Speed Entry The Speed Entry function helps you enter job lines as rapidly as possible and is especially useful when entering large numbers of line items. Click the Speed Entry button to launch the Speed Entry screen.

NOTE: You can use speed entry as often as you wish within a job. You can enter a few lines, transfer them, enter a few more, transfer them, and so forth.

Speed Entry Screen

Upper Panel


Item Selection



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Description Search Use this field to narrow the contents of the main selection grid only to items that contain the text you enter. Once you enter your text, click the lookup icon to the left and the main grid displays the items with matching text. Once you make a selection, the grid repopulates itself with all your items. If you make a search and don’t select an item, click the ‘X’ button and the grid will repopulate with all items.




Copy Detail Three options are available for copying sets of job details into the job.

Phantom You can copy in a phantom assembly, which is a special BOM that represents a set of components. After you select the phantom parent, two other settings are available:

Multiplier Each phantom component usage quantity will be multiplied by the amount entered in this field.

Sequence If you want the phantom parent and all its components to be assigned to a routing sequence, make a selection in this field.

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Previous Job This option is only visible when the job is created for a “custom” item and the job does not yet have any routing sequences or components entered. You also must have the Copy Previous Job Details option selected in the Job Defaults screen. After you select the previous job, enter a Multiplier.

Multiplier The first job routing sequence’s start quantity and each job detail line’s quantity will be multiplied by the amount entered in this field.

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8-5. Job Travelers (Jobs – Job Travelers)

The job traveler is a document that “travels” with the job as it progresses through the shop. It contains all the routing and component specifications needed to perform the job.

Job Control Panel Recommended Even though you can print job travelers from this screen, we recommend that you print job travelers concurrent with releasing jobs to the factory floor in the Job Control Panel screen. On the Release Jobs screen in the Job Control Panel, click the Traveler button to print a job traveler for the job selected in the grid.


Segment: Job Traveler

Selection Screen

Job Number You can print a traveler for one job or some jobs. If you select the some jobs option, additional options display. You can print a from/thru range of jobs, one or a range of job start dates, and you can limit jobs to those of one or selected job types.

Print Job Notes Select this checkbox if you wish to include job header notes on the traveler.

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Print Routing Summary Section If you want a “mini-traveler” you can select this option and clear the remaining options. This prints a short traveler that lists routing sequences with minimal detail.

Routing Detail Sections You can selectively include various options in the routing detail section of the traveler, including tasks, labor, material, notes, and barcodes.

For closed stages print If you reprint a traveler during the course of the job, you can exclude closed routing sequences from the printout.

Bill of Materials You normally print Routing Detail Sections or you select the Print BOM Grouped by Component Type option, but not both. Otherwise, you get duplicate listings of components. Only print the latter option when you don’t use routings.

References You can optionally print component references and sort them by component / reference or by reference / component.

Save as defaults button Click this button to save the current selections for re-use.

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8-6. Subcontract Services (Jobs – Subcontract Services)

Use this screen to generate POs for subcontract services (such as painting, plating, and heat-treating) that are performed during the course of jobs.


Segment: Subcontract Services

How are subcontract services defined in jobs? Subcontract services are defined in the job Routing tab as a routing sequence, for scheduling purposes, and in the job Details tab as a job line, for purposes of PO generation in this screen. The job line gets created automatically when the routing sequence is created.

Descriptor Purchases This screen is also used to generate POs for any job lines where the line item is a descriptor with a descriptor type of ‘MISC’, ‘SHIP’, or ‘SUBCON’ and a Subcon Supplier is specified in the job detail line. If a Subcon Supplier is not specified, the descriptor is assumed to be for issuing instead of purchasing and will be listed on the Job Issues screen for processing rather than this screen.

When are subcontract POs generated? Unlike POs for purchased items, which are generated in advance of jobs, subcontract service POs are generated only when they are needed, which is during the course of the job when a job routing sequence alls for items to be sent out for outside processing.

Screen Details


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Upper Panel

Grid Contents

All Jobs, One Jobs • Select the All Jobs option to display all subcontract service job detail

lines that have not yet been converted to POs. This option is selected by default when you launch this screen from the MRP menu.

• Select the One Job option to limit the grid contents to job detail lines pertaining to the Job Number specified in the field that becomes visible at right.

NOTE: If you link to this screen directly from the Job Control Panel screen, the One Job option is automatically selected for the job selected in the Job Control Panel.

Grid Fields NOTE: Only job detail lines associated with ‘RELEASED’ status jobs are listed in the grid.

Convert Select this checkbox if you wish to generate a PO line from this job detail line.

Job No This identifies the job associated with this job detail line.

Sequence This identifies the routing sequence associated with this job detail line.

Seq Status The sequence Status lets you know when the job detail line is ready for PO generation. Two values are relevant to this screen:

Open This status tells you that PO generation is not needed at this time. ‘Open” status means that no receipts or completions have been reported to the sequence preceding this sequence.

Next This status tells you that the item is ready or soon to be ready for PO generation. ‘Next’ status means that completions have been reported to the routing sequence preceding this sequence, which means that this sequence is the next one to be performed.

Job Line No This identifies the line number associated with this job detail line.

Reference ID Subcontract service line items created from routing sequences are identified by the word ‘Service’ followed by a dash and then the primary job output’s


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item ID. For example, a subcontract service performed on the red wagon in the sample company is given this reference ID: Service - 1080-000 In the case of a descriptor detail line, this is the Descriptor ID.

Description In the case of subcontract service line items created from routing sequences, the line item description is identical to the routing sequence description. In the case of descriptor line items, this is the descriptor’s description.

NOTE: Any change you make to this field value in this screen will also change this field value in the job detail line.

Qty This is the job detail line quantity.

UM This is the job detail line’s unit of measure.

Est Cost This is the estimated cost in the job detail line that is used to help calculate the total estimated job cost. It is calculated by the program as follows:

Supp Price * Multiplier = Est Cost NOTE: Any change you make to this field value in this screen will also change this field value in the job detail line.

Supp Price This is the price charged by the supplier for the subcontract service. It is stored in the job routing sequence associated with this job detail line.

NOTE: Any change you make to this field value in this screen will also change this field value in the job routing sequence associated with this job detail line.

Supp UM This is the supplier’s unit of measure, which is stored in the routing sequence associated with this job detail line. It may differ from the job detail line unit of measure. For example, a heat-treater might charge you by the pound or kilo for pricing purposes, but that price is translated (using the Multiplier) into the job line’s Est Cost and UM.




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Supp Price * Multiplier = Est Cost

Calculating the Multiplier Normally the Multiplier is left as is, but you can change it in this screen if needed. To calculate the Multiplier value, use this formula:

Supplier Qty / Your UM Qty = Multiplier For example, let’s say the job’s primary output weighs 10 pounds and the supplier prices the subcontract service by the pound. Using our formula, the Multiplier would be ‘10’, as follows:

10 lbs / 1 Each = 10

Days to Next This field is stored in the job routing sequence associated with this job detail line. This amount is the number of days it takes to get the job items sent out, completed, and received back from the supplier.


PO Due Date This is the date that will be used as the PO line’s Due Date when this job detail line gets converted to a PO line. This defaults to a future date based on adding the Days to Next to today’s date.

Supplier This is the supplier that will be assigned to the PO generated from this job detail line and any other lines flagged for conversion for this supplier.

NOTE: Any change you make to this field value in this screen will also change this field value in the job detail line.

PO Notes The PO Notes stored against the job routing sequence associated with the job detail line selected above is displayed in this freeform notes field and can be edited on this screen. These notes get passed into the PO line that gets generated from this job detail line.

NOTE: Any change you make to the notes here in this screen will also change the PO Notes in the job routing sequence.

Job Info Panel This panel provides general information about the job associated with the job detail line selected above, including the job’s primary output, linked customer, and job quantity.


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Buttons

Select All Click this button to select the Convert checkbox on all lines listed in the grid.

Convert Click this button to convert all lines with the Convert checkbox selected to PO lines. A single PO will be created for each supplier for all the line items assigned to that supplier. The following screen is presented in succession for each supplier so that you can specify a PO Type prior to each PO being created.

PO Detail Line The following fields in each new PO line pertain to subcontract services:

Due Date The Due Date specified in the Subcontract Services screen is passed into the Due Date field in the PO line.

Subcon Job The job number associated with the job detail line is passed into the Subcon Job field in the PO line. This links the PO line to its corresponding job detail line so that when the PO is received, the job line’s Act Qty and Act Cost values are automatically updated.

Sequence The job routing sequence associated with the job detail line is passed into the Sequence field in the PO line. This links the PO line to its corresponding job routing sequence so that when the PO is received, the sequence’s Compl Qty is automatically updated.

Notes The PO Notes specified in the Subcontract Services screen are passed into the PO line’s Notes.

Job Detail Line The following field is updated in the job when the PO line is created.

Subcon PO This field in the job detail line is populated with the new PO number, which links this line to the PO. The existence of a value ion this field is


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how the Subcontract Services screen determines whether or not a PO line has been generated from the job detail line.

Convert & Print Click this button if you wish to print out each PO as it gets created. The same processing described above for the Convert button still occurs, but after each PO is created, you are presented with the PO print preview screen, from which you can click the printer icon to print out the PO.

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8-7. Job Issues (Jobs – Job Issues)

This screen is used to issue stock to jobs.


Segments: Job Issues, Stock Returns

Issuing Methods Two issuing methods are available.

Issue List Method With this option, you print an “issue list” from this screen and use it as a guide to physically issue the stock listed and required by the job. The issue list can optionally list all available stock by location and by tracking characteristics (such as lot and serial numbers). After stock is issued, you return immediately to this screen to record your transactions.

Dispatch List Method With this option, you issue stock on this screen first, including quantities by location and any tracking characteristics that are required (such as lot and serial numbers). You then print a “dispatch list” and use it to as a guide to physically issue the stock. The dispatch list sorts the issued items in location order to provide an efficient route through the warehouse. If stock is not found in the location listed on the dispatch list, you can return to this screen, find the original transaction, and click the Return button to partially or fully reverse the original transaction. You can then make a new entry with the correct information.

Which issuing method is best? For an inventory management system to be efficient, it is essential that inventory be updated in real time, as transactions actually occur. Real-time inventory updating gives your users confidence that when they view any item’s inventory status, it accurately reflects all recent transactions. Real-time updating prevents transactions from being entered out of sequence, such as shipping an item before it has been received to stock from a job. Either issuing method can work well. If you use the “issue list” method, it is essential that issuing transactions be recorded on this screen immediately after each job is issued. To facilitate this, we recommend that warehouse personnel be given access to computer workstations so they can make their own entries. If you want to guarantee real-time inventory updating, use the “dispatch list” issuing method because items are “pre-issued” on the screen before they are

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physically issued. If you use this method, be sure to always physically issue stock immediately after printing the dispatch list.

There is no transaction “back-dating” in DBA All inventory transactions throughout the DBA system are dated as of their entry date. There is no ability to “back-date” transactions after the fact. For example, if you issue stock on Friday, but you don’t get around to entering the transactions on the Job Issues screen until Tuesday, as far as the system is concerned, that stock was issued on Tuesday, not Friday.

Screen Details

Upper Panel

Job No This identifies the job being processed. The lookup is confined to jobs with a status of ‘RELEASED’.

Job Name, Status These fields help identify the job currently displayed on the screen.

Issuing Tab Upper Panel

Limit Work Center To: Ideally, stock is issued as needed to each work center where it is consumed, rather than to the job as a whole. You can use this filter to limit the job detail lines in the grid below to just those assigned to a particular work center. The lookup is limited to just those work centers that pertain to this job.

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Issue List Button Click this button to print an “issue list.” The issue list provides a listing of the stock items to be issued (descriptor line items are not included). After printing the issue list, you physically issue the job and indicate on the issue list the locations and characteristics associated with your transactions. You then return to this screen to record your transactions and update inventory. Before printing, you are presented with this selection screen:

Report Options Use the Print checkbox to select or de-select the fields you want included on the issue list. You can change the order by clicking into the Sort Order field on those cells in the grid that are not grayed out.

Stock Qtys (Recommended) We recommend that you select this option, which lists available stock on hand by location and characteristic sets. This makes it much easier to find stock and to indicate from which location stock was issued and what characteristics were used.


Select Job Lines Select this option if you wish to limit the issue list to selected job detail lines. When you select this checkbox, a panel displays below within which you can select or de-select the Include checkbox to determine which lines get printed.

Print Button After your selections are completed, click this button to print the issue list. Here is a sample:

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Pre-Fill Button Click this button to “pre-fill” the Issued Qty column in the grid against job detail lines where a selection process is not required, which occurs under the following conditions:

• Stock is only on hand in one location.

• Stock on hand is equal to or greater than the line item’s remaining quantity.

• Stock on hand consists of only one set of characteristics (such as a single lot number).


Pre-filling from the primary location You have the option of limiting pre-filling to each item’s Primary Location and ignoring stock on hand in secondary locations. To achieve this, go to the Inventory Defaults screen and in the When Stock Is in Multiple Locations panel, select the Pre-Fill from Primary Location option.

Update Button After your entries are completed, click this button to perform the following processes:

• Each item’s stock on hand is reduced at the designated locations and for the selected characteristics.

• Transactions are posted to the item history and job batch history tables.

• The Act Qty is increased against each job detail line.

• The total inventory cost associated with each line item transaction is debited to your Work in Process account and an offsetting credit is posted to your Inventory account.

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Job Lines All of this sales order’s line items are displayed in the grid and are sorted Line No order.

Issued Qty When this field is not grayed out, you can enter the issued quantity. When the field is grayed out, direct entry is prohibited and you must make entries in the Issue Detail sub-tab below.

NOTE1: When the Issued Qty is equal to the Remaining quantity, this amount is displayed in bold blue text, which gives you a visual cue that this line item has been picked in full. NOTE2: Negative stock on hand is not permitted. Therefore, you cannot enter an Issued Qty greater than the On Hand quantity.

Direct Entry The Issued Qty field is available for direct entry under these conditions:

• Stock on hand in the primary location is equal or greater than the line item’s required quantity and the When Stock Is in Multiple Locations setting in the Inventory Defaults screen is set to the Pre-Fill from Primary Location option.

• All stock on hand must have the same characteristics set.


Issue Detail Required The field is grayed out under these conditions and entries must be made in the Issue Detail sub-tab:

• Stock is on hand in two or more locations and the When Stock Is in Multiple Locations setting in the Inventory Defaults screen is set to the Require Location Selection option.

• Stock on hand consists of multiple characteristic sets.

Remaining This is the line item’s remaining quantity, which is its quantity issued to date subtracted from its Job Qty.

On Hand This is the total stock on hand among all locations.

NOTE1: This amount is displayed in bold red text when it is less than the Remaining quantity. This gives you a visual cue that this line item cannot be picked in full. NOTE2: This field is left blank on descriptor line items.

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Sequence This is the job routing sequence to which this job detail line is assigned.

Work Center This is the work center associated with the job routing sequence in the field at left.

Line No, Reference ID, Description These fields identify the line item.

Job Qty, UM This is the line item’s job quantity and unit of measure.

Unit Cost This is the unit cost that will get applied to this issuing transaction. In the case of a stock item, this is the item’s current Inventory Cost. In the case of a descriptor, this is its current Estimated Cost.

Cost Class This is the Cost Class value from the job detail line.

Issue Detail Sub-Tab

Upper Panel

Line No, Ref ID These fields identify the line item highlighted in the Job Lines grid above.

Magnifying Glass Icon Click this icon to launch the Stock Status inquiry screen for this stock item.

Qty to Issue This is the quantity to be issued, which is equal to the line item’s Remaining quantity in the grid above.

Tot Issue Qty This is the total Issued Qty in the grid below.

Balance This is the Tot Issue Qty subtracted from the Qty to Issue, which is the balance remaining to be issued in order to issue this line item in full.

Grid Fields Each line in the grid represents the stock on hand for each location and unique set of characteristic values.

Issued Qty Enter the quantity to be issued against this location and set of characteristic values.

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NOTE1: Negative stock on hand is not permitted. Therefore, you cannot enter an Issued Qty greater than the Stock Qty. NOTE2: When the word ‘Transitory’ is displayed in red text, it indicates that this is a ‘Transitory’ location from which stock cannot be issued. Transitory locations are used for a temporary process such as inspection. Using the Stock Transfer screen, stock must be transferred from the transitory location to a non-transitory location and then the stock can be issued to jobs.

Location This is the location associated with this stock quantity.

Primary This read-only checkbox identifies the stock item’s Primary Location (as designated in the Stock Items screen).

Transitory This read-only checkbox is only visible when a “transitory” location is displayed. A location flagged as Transitory is used for a temporary process such as inspection or transfer between warehouses. Stock cannot be picked from a transitory location, but transitory stock is displayed here for reference purposes so that you are aware of its existence.

Stock Qty This is the quantity on hand associated with this location and set of characteristic values.

Characteristic Fields The remaining columns are only visible when the item is assigned to tracking characteristics such as lot and serial control.

Transactions Sub-Tab All previously updated issuing transactions for this line item are displayed on this sub-tab.

Return Button Click this button to return all or a portion of the transaction quantity to stock or to reverse an issuing transaction that was made in error. You are presented with this screen:

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Field Explanations

Received Qty This is the quantity to be returned to stock. It defaults to the full transaction quantity, but you can decrease the quantity if you wish to return a partial quantity to stock.

Location This is the location to which the stock will be returned. It defaults to the transaction location, but you can use the lookup to select an alternate location, if applicable.

Receipt This read-only checkbox is selected for reference when this location is the item’s default Receipt Location, as designated in the Stock Items screen.

Capacity This reference field is this item’s storage capacity for this location.

NOTE: If you want to view existing stock in any location, use the lookup in the Location field and on the location lookup screen, click the magnifying glass icon in the lower panel to view any location’s stock on hand.

Batch History Tab Each time the Update process occurs, all the transactions associated with the update are assigned to a “batch” number. This job’s batches are listed on this tab.

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Upper Panel


Dispatch Button This button is only visible when the Display Batch History checkbox is selected at left. You have the option of picking stock on the Issuing tab before you physically issue the stock from the warehouse. After Update processing is completed, you can immediately access this tab and click this button to print a “dispatch list” to use as a guide for physically issuing the stock.



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Upper Grid All update batches for this job are displayed in this grid.


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NOTE: Each Batch No is unique such that no two jobs ever have batches with the same batch numbers.




Batch Transactions Grid When the Display Batch History checkbox in the upper panel is cleared, this grid occupies the entire screen and provides a listing of all issuing transactions for this job. When the Display Batch History checkbox in the upper panel is selected, this grid occupies the lower half of the screen and only lists transactions associated with batches that are selected (via the checkbox) in the Batch History grid above.


Button


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issuing transactions associated with the batches selected in the upper grid are listed in this grid.


• If the Display Batch History checkbox at the top of the screen is cleared, all issuing transactions associated with all batches are listed in this grid.

8-8. Job Tracking & Labor

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8-8. Job Tracking & Labor (Jobs – Job Tracking & Labor)

Use this screen to track item completions in your routing sequences and to optionally record setup and labor hours.


Segments: Labor Cost Basis, Labor Method, Job Labor Tracking

Overview Real-time completions entry is recommended Jobs are tracked by item completions at each routing sequence, not by labor hours. If you want real-time job tracking, it can be achieved by simply locating one or more computers out on the shop floor and having each shop supervisor enter his or her department’s sequence completions in real-time. Because completions entry is so quick and easy, there’s no good reason not to do it. Real-time job tracking is one of the biggest benefits you can achieve with a manufacturing system and is easily achievable without a costly data collection system.

Labor hours can be entered by the back office Labor hours entry is for job costing and cycle time assessment and not for job tracking. Therefore, unlike completions there is no need to enter labor hours in real time. Ideally, labor hours would bed entered at the end of each shift. Each worker’s hours should be recorded on a daily time card, broken out by job and routing sequence. Completion quantities are not needed if you follow our recommendation and have them entered by shop supervisors.

Job labor entry is independent from payroll time keeping Job labor entry in DBA is completely independent from payroll time keeping. This enables you to use any payroll system or service you wish, as well as any time and attendance hardware and software system that collects and tracks payroll hours. The labor hours that are collected in DBA are for job costing and cycle time assessment, not for payroll time keeping. We recommend that job labor hours be costed at work center or shop rates, which are averages, rather than pay rates. On an overall basis, some variance between job labor cost and payroll direct labor cost is normal and expected.


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Two Entry Modes The Job Tracking & Labor screen offers two entry modes: Backflush and Labor Hours Entry.

Backflush In this mode you only enter items completed or scrapped. The program “backflushes” setup and labor hours based on the estimated setup hours and cycle times from the job Routing screen. Work center rates are applied to the backflushed hours for calculation of job costs.

Labor Hours Entry In this mode you enter actual labor and setup hours as well as items completed and scrapped. The program costs the job based on the hours entered at your choice of either work center rates or worker pay rates.

Screen Details

Upper Panel Selection

Job No You can select a job from the lookup.

NOTE1: If you link to this screen via the Links button in the Jobs screen, the Job No is automatically selected and displayed. NOTE2: You are only permitted to make entries when the job Status is ‘RELEASED’.

Job Name, Customer, Status These fields are for reference only.

Links Button Click this button to link directly to other job-related screens. When you select an option from the drop-down list, the program inserts this job into the target screen. When you close the target screen, you are returned to this screen.

Transactions Tab Sub-Tabs

Backflush When the job contains one or more routing sequences with a Trxn Type of ‘Backflush’, the Backflush sub-tab is visible.

Labor Hours Entry When the job contains one or more routing sequences with a Trxn Type of ‘Labor’, the Labor Hours Entry sub-tab is visible.


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Subcontract Scrap When the job contains one or more routing sequences assigned to a Subcontract work center, the Subcontract Scrap sub-tab is visible.

Backflush Sub-Tab Labor hours entry is not always worth the effort Collecting and entering labor and setup hours is time-consuming. Some companies, especially those with many small jobs, have little to gain putting in the effort required to collect labor and setup time. Job tracking -- knowing what has been completed and what remains to be done – is far more important.

Enter completions without hours Routing sequences listed on the Backflush sub-tab only require the entry of completion and scrap quantities without any labor or setup hours. The program “backflushes” labor and setup hours based on the estimated setup hours and cycle times in the job Routing screen.

Upper Panel

Work Date This is the date the completions were actually made. It defaults to today’s date, but may be overridden.

Pre-Fill Button When you are on a job sequence in the grid below, you can click this button to make the Compl Qty equal to the Remaining quantity.

Pre-Fill All Button You may prefer to update all the job routing sequences in a single batch entry at the end of the job. To do so, click the Pre-Fill All button and the Remaining quantity will be copied into the Comp Qty column for all routing sequences in the grid.


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Update Button You can make multiple entries in the grid. When you are finished, click this button to process your entries, which does the following:

• Updates each routing sequence’s Start Qty, Compl TD, and Scrap TD fields.

• The routing sequence’s actual Setup, Labor, Fixed Overhead, and Variable Overhead costs are updated by the following formulas:

Setup Sequence Setup Hrs * Work Center Setup rate Labor (Compl Qty + Scrap Qty) * Work Center Labor rate * # Persons / (Sequence Items/Process * Sequence Processes/Hr) Fixed Overhead (Compl Qty + Scrap Qty) * Work Center Fixed Overhead rate / (Sequence Items/Process * Sequence Processes/Hr) + Sequence Setup Hrs * Work Center Fixed Overhead rate Variable Overhead (Compl Qty + Scrap Qty) * Work Center Variable Overhead rate / (Sequence Items/Process * Sequence Processes/Hr) + Sequence Setup Hrs * Work Center Variable Overhead rate

Grid Columns

Sequence This read-only field displays the job routing Sequence. All Sequences with a Trxn Type of ‘Backflush’ are listed.

Work Center This read-only field displays the Work Center to which the Sequence is assigned.

Status This read-only field is automatically updated as entries get updated. There are four possible values:

Open No completions have been reported to this routing sequence or to the sequence preceding it.

Next Completions have been reported to the routing sequence preceding this one, which means this routing sequence is the next one to be performed.


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Started Completions have been reported to this routing sequence, but there is still a quantity remaining to be completed, which means this routing sequence has been started, but is not yet closed.

Closed This routing sequence is fully completed, meaning that the quantity completed and scrapped equals the sequence’s scheduled start quantity.

Remaining This is a read-only field that displays the quantity remaining to be completed, based on the following formula:

Start Qty – (Completed TD + Scrapped TD)

Compl Qty Enter the amount completed in this field. This is not an accumulated total to-date, but an individual transaction. You can make several such transactions to the same sequence over the course of the job. When this line gets updated, the amount entered will be added to the Compl TD amount displayed to the right.

Scrap Qty Enter the amount scrapped in this field. This is not an accumulated total to-date, but an individual transaction. You can make several such transactions to the same sequence over the course of the job. When this line gets updated, the amount entered will be added to the Scrap TD amount displayed to the right.

Compl TD This read-only field displays the accumulated Compl Qty transactions to-date.

Scrap TD This read-only field displays the accumulated Scrap Qty transactions to-date.

# Persons This field is for reference only and displays the # Persons setting for this job routing sequence. The hourly labor rate is multiplied by this amount when calculating the Labor Cost at right.

Setup Cost The field is for reference only. When you enter the first completion or scrap quantity (any amount) against a sequence, the program assumes that setup has been completed and backflushes the job routing Setup Hrs using the work center Setup rate.

Labor Cost The field is for reference only. When you enter completion or scrap quantities against a Sequence, the program backflushes the labor hours based on the job routing Time / Process and Items / Process settings. The work center


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Labor rate is applied to those hours and is multiplied by the # Persons to determine the Labor Cost.

Labor Hours Entry Sub-Tab On this sub-tab you enter labor and setup hours as well as items completed and scrapped.

Making a series of entries for a worker This screen is optimized for entering a series of entries for one worker across multiple jobs. After making an entry on one job, when you select the next job, the Work Date and Worker fields remain unchanged. So if during the course of a day, the worker performs several jobs, you can make a series of entries to different jobs without having to re-select the Worker each time.

Upper Panel

Work Date This is the date the work was actually performed. It defaults to today’s date, but may be overridden.

Worker Before sequences are displayed, you must first select the Worker number. The worker’s last name is displayed adjacent to this field for reference purposes.

Update Button You can make multiple entries in the grid. When you are finished, click this button to process your entries, which does the following:

• Updates each routing sequence’s Start Qty, Compl TD, and Scrap TD fields.

• The routing sequence’s actual Setup, Labor, Fixed Overhead, and Variable Overhead costs are updated by the following formulas:


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Setup If Cost Basis = Work Center Rate:

Setup Hours * Work Center Setup rate If Cost Basis = Worker Pay Rate:

Setup Hours * Worker Hour Rate X Labor If Cost Basis = Work Center Rate:

Labor Hours * Work Center Labor rate If Cost Basis = Worker Pay Rate:

Labor Hours * Worker Hour Rate Fixed Overhead (Setup Hours + Labor Hours) * Work Center Fixed Overhead rate Variable Overhead (Setup Hours + Labor Hours) * Work Center Variable Overhead rate

Grid Columns




Open No completions have been reported to this routing sequence or to the sequence preceding it.

Next Completions have been reported to the routing sequence preceding this one, which means this routing sequence is the next one to be performed.

Started Completions have been reported to this routing sequence, but there is still a quantity remaining to be completed, which means this routing sequence has been started, but is not yet closed.


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Closed This routing sequence is fully completed, meaning that the quantity completed and scrapped equals the sequence’s scheduled start quantity.

Pay Rate This field is only visible when the Cost Basis option is set to Worker Pay Rate in the Job Labor Defaults screen. Four rates are available: ‘Hour Rate 1’, ‘Hour Rate 2’, ‘Hour Rate 3’, and ‘Hour Rate 4’.

Setup Hrs Enter the actual Setup time (in decimal hours) for each transaction, when applicable.

Decimal Hours Calculator If you click the button within the Setup Hrs or Labor Hrs field, a screen is presented that calculates decimal hours based on the entry of a Start Time and End Time.

You can also enter a Break Start and Break End time if you wish to deduct time for lunch or some other break during the work period. After entering the start and end times, click Calculate and you will see the Decimal Hours displayed. Click OK and the screen will close and the result inserted into the Setup Hours or Labor Hrs fields.

Labor Hrs Enter the actual Labor time (in decimal hours) for each transaction, when applicable.

NOTE: The Decimal Hours Calculator (see pervious field) can be accessed by clicking the button in this field and is used to convert start and end times into decimal hours.



Compl Qty Enter the amount completed in this field. This is not an accumulated total to-date, but an individual transaction. You can make several such transactions to the same sequence over the course of the job. When this line gets


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updated, the amount entered will be added to the Compl TD amount displayed to the right.




Subcontract Scrap Sub-Tab Subcontract processing is done via PO Receipts Subcontract routing sequences are updated during PO Receipts entry and are not processed within the Job Tracking & Labor screen, unless a scrap quantity is to be entered.

If your supplier scraps any items: If the subcontract service PO is under-received because the supplier scrapped some items, you can use the Subcontract Scrap sub-tab to enter the Scrap Qty.

Upper Panel

Work Date This is the date the items were scrapped. It defaults to today’s date, but may be overridden.


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Update Button When your entries are completed in the grid below, click this button. It updates the Scrap TD amount for each job sequence affected.

NOTE: There is no cost associated with a scrap transaction.

Grid Columns




Open No PO receipts have occurred for this routing sequence or any completions to the sequence preceding it.

Next Completions have been reported to the routing sequence preceding this one, which means this routing sequence is the next one to occur.

Started PO receipts have been made to this routing sequence, but there is still a quantity remaining to be received, which means this routing sequence has been started, but is not yet closed.

Closed This routing sequence is fully received, meaning that the quantity completed and scrapped equals the sequence’s scheduled start quantity.





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Status Tab The Status tab is for inquiry purposes only At a glance you can see the progress of the job. Within each routing sequence is displayed the start quantity, items completed, items scrapped, completion percentage, and the sequence status.

Job History Tab All backflush and labor hours transactions entered against the job are listed in this screen for reference purposes, providing a complete audit trail. You also can use this screen to reverse any entries made in error.

Backflush View When you click the Backflush radio button you see all transactions that were made on the Backflush sub-tab.


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Labor Hours Entry View When you click the Labor Hours Entry radio button you see all transactions that were made on the Labor Hours Entry sub-tab.

Reversing a Transaction If any transaction contains errors, you can reverse it by highlighting the transaction and clicking the Reverse button. You are presented with this screen. For audit trail purposes, the original transaction remains and the program creates a separate reversal transaction.

Normally the date of the reversal transaction would be today’s date, which is the default value displayed in the Reversal Date field. You can, however, select an earlier date, as long as it is not prior to the system-wide Financial Cutoff Date. Once date selection is completed, click the Reverse Transaction button. You will now see your transaction listed on the History tab, highlighted in red to identify it as a reversal transaction.

Worker History Tab If you are making a series of entries for a single worker, you can click the Worker History tab to view all labor transactions for the worker across all jobs, not just the current job displayed in the upper panel.

8-9. Job Receipts

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8-9. Job Receipts (Jobs – Job Receipts)

Use this screen to receive job “outputs” to stock. Once in stock, finished items are available for shipment to customers or issuing to other jobs.


Segments: Receipt Cost Basis, Job Receipts

Job Receipts Cost Basis An important setting that affects the cost calculations used by this screen is the Job Receipts Cost Basis in the Job Defaults screen. Two options are available:

Actual Job Cost If you select this option, the final receipt quantity is given a unit cost derived from balancing total job “input” costs with total job “output” costs. When the job is closed net WIP is zero and there is no variance to be posted to your Adjustments – WIP account. Any partial receipts made prior to the final receipt are given a unit cost derived from the total estimated job cost.

Estimated Job Cost If you select this option, all job receipts are given a unit cost derived from the total estimated job cost. When the job is closed, there is usually a WIP balance that results in a variance being posted to your Adjustments – WIP account.

Which cost basis is best? From an accounting standpoint, each method works equally well and conforms to accepted accounting standards. If you go with the Estimated Job Cost basis, do not worry about the job closing variance – this is normal and expected in manufacturing environments. From a convenience standpoint, the Estimated Job Cost basis is easier to manage because you can freely make partial and final receipts without having to worry whether all input costs are accounted for. If you go with the Actual Job Cost basis, you must be careful on the final receipt that all input costs are accounted for. Does not the Actual Job Cost basis provide more accurate costs of goods sold on invoices? Yes it can, but only if all your job receipts are made as a single receipt at the end of the job. If you frequently make partial receipts, your costs of goods sold will be a blend of estimated and actual costs and will not necessarily be more accurate than always using the estimated job cost. If your objective is to analyze actual job costs, do not do so by analyzing the invoice cost of goods sold, which is an accounting cost, but not always an actual

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cost. Instead, use the Job Cost report, which provides a comparison of estimated versus actual job costs.

Upper Panel

Job No This identifies the job being processed. The lookup is confined to jobs with a status of ‘RELEASED’.

Name, Status These fields help identify the job currently displayed on the screen.

Status Indicators These four “status indicators” enable you to quickly determine if job input processing is completed. This is especially helpful when the Actual Job Cost basis is selected in Job Labor Defaults where accurate input costs are needed to calculate the unit cost on the final receipt transaction.

Seq Status This field displays the status of this job’s routing sequences.

• A value of ‘None’, which is displayed in a red cell, means that none of the job’s routing sequences have a status of ‘Closed’.

• A value of ‘Some’, which is displayed in a yellow cell, means that some of the job’s routing sequences have a status of ‘Closed’.

• A value of ‘All’, which is displayed in a green cell, means that all of the job’s routing sequences have a status of ‘Closed’.

You can click on the lookup icon to launch this screen, which shows you the sequence status details:

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Hours Status This field displays the status of this job’s non-subcontract routing sequence labor hours.

• A value of ‘None’, which is displayed in a red cell, means that no labor hours have been entered or backflushed against any of this job’s non-subcontract routing sequences.

• A value of ‘Some’, which is displayed in a yellow cell, means that some labor hours have been entered or backflushed against some, but not all, of this job’s non-subcontract routing sequences.

• A value of ‘All’, which is displayed in a green cell, means that some labor hours have been entered or backflushed against all this job’s non-subcontract routing sequences.

NOTE: Be aware that even though some labor hours have been reported against each sequence, it does not guarantee that all labor hours have been reported.

You can click on the lookup icon to launch this screen, which shows you the non-subcontract sequence status details, including estimated versus actual hours:

Subcon Status This field displays the status of this job’s subcontract purchase orders.

• A value of ‘None’, which is displayed in a red cell, means that none of this job’s linked subcontract POs have a receipt quantity.

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• A value of ‘Some’, which is displayed in a yellow cell, means that some of this job’s linked subcontract POs have a receipt quantity.

• A value of ‘Review’, which is displayed in a green cell, means that all of this job’s linked subcontract POs have receipt quantities, but one or more still has a partial quantity remaining to be received.

• A value of ‘All’, which is displayed in a green cell, means that all this job’s linked subcontract POs have been fully received.

You can click on the lookup icon to launch this screen, which shows you the details of this job’s linked subcontract POs:

Issues Status This field displays the status of this job’s issues to job detail lines.

• A value of ‘None’, which is displayed in a red cell, means that no job issue quantities have been made against any non-subcontract job detail lines.

• A value of ‘Some’, which is displayed in a yellow cell, means that some issue quantities have been made against some non-subcontract job detail lines.

• A value of ‘Review’, which is displayed in a green cell, means that issue quantities have been made against all of the non-subcontract job detail lines, but one or more lines still has a partial quantity remaining to be issued.

• A value of ‘All’, which is displayed in a green cell, means that issue quantities have been made against all of the non-subcontract job detail lines and there are no partial quantities remaining to be issued.

You can click on the lookup icon to launch this screen, which shows you the job issue details:

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Receipts Tab Upper Grid All job outputs are listed in the upper grid. The grid includes one row per output and expands in size as needed.

Item ID, Description, UM These fields identify the output item.

Remaining This is the original job quantity, less any receipt quantities to date, less any accumulated scrap reported to job routing sequences.

Orig Qty This is the original job quantity.

Cost Ratio Each output’s cost ration is its percentage share of the total estimated and actual job cost.

Middle Panel

Pre-Fill Button Click this button to make the selected output’s Receipt Qty in the middle panel equal to its Remaining Qty.

NOTE: This button is grayed out if the item has one or more characteristics, in which case pre-filling is not permitted.

Update Button Click this button to update the transaction. The following processing is performed:

• Stock on hand for this item is increased by the receipt quantity.

• The item’s Inventory Cost is updated by adding the total receipt cost to the current inventory value and then dividing that amount by the total units on hand.

• The total receipt cost is debited to your Inventory account and an offsetting amount is credited to your Work in Process account.

• If this is the final receipt quantity, meaning that there is no remaining quantity, and all four status indicators are green in color, the job’s status changes from ‘RELEASED’ to ‘FINISHED’.

Item ID, Description, UM These fields identify the output selected in the grid above.

Job Qty This is the job quantity associated with this output’s job detail line.

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Scrapped Qty This is the total accumulated scrap quantity reported to this job’s routing sequence’s in the Job Tracking & Labor screen.

NOTE: This quantity only pertains to scrap associated with the job’s primary output.

Received Qty This is the quantity received to date through this screen for this output item.

Remaining Qty This is the quantity remaining to be received, which is calculated as follows:

Job Qty - Scrapped Qty - Received Qty = Remaining Qty

Cost Ratio This is this outputs item’s percentage share of the total estimated and actual job cost.

Est Job Cost This is the unit estimated job cost for this output item, which is calculated using this formula:

Total Est Job Cost * Cost Ratio / Remaining Qty = Est Job Cost

Suggested Cost This is the suggested unit cost to be inserted into the Receipt Unit Cost field below to be applied to this receipt transaction.

NOTE: This field is not given a value until you enter a Receipt Qty below.

• If the Job Receipts Cost Basis in the Job Defaults screen is set to the Estimated Job Cost basis, this is always equal to the Est Job Cost calculated in the field above. The text ‘(Est Job Cost)’ is displayed at right for reference.

• If the Job Receipts Cost Basis in the Job Defaults screen is set to the Actual Job Cost basis and you are entering a Receipt Qty that is less than the Remaining Qty, the Est Job Cost calculated in the field above is used. The text ‘(Est Job Cost)’ is displayed at right for reference.

• If the Job Receipts Cost Basis in the Job Defaults screen is set to the Actual Job Cost basis and you are entering a Receipt Qty that is equal to or greater than the Remaining Qty (which is considered by the program to be the final receipt transaction) and all four status indicators above are green in color, an actual unit job cost is calculated using this formula, which balances this item’s total input costs with its total receipt costs:

Total Job Cost * Cost Ratio – Receipt Costs TD / Receipt Qty = Actual Unit Cost

The text ‘(Actual Job Cost)’ is displayed at right for reference.

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NOTE: Only one transaction is considered to be the final receipt transaction. Any additional transactions, including reversales, are given the Est Job Cost.

Receipt Entry

Receipt Qty This is the quantity that will be received to stock.

NOTE: If the output item is assigned to one or more characteristics, this field is grayed out and you must specify quantities and characteristic values in the Receipt Details sub-tab below.

Receipt Unit Cost This is the unit cost that will be applied to this receipt transaction. The Suggested Cost is inserted into this field by default, but can be overridden, if you wish.

Total Receipt Cost This field becomes visible when a Receipt Qty is entered. This is the total cost that will be applied to this receipt transaction, which is calculated using this formula:

Receipt Qty * Receipt Unit Cost = Total Receipt Cost

WIP Variance This field is only visible when the Receipt Qty is equal to the Remaining Qty, which is considered by the program to be the final receipt quantity. This is the difference between total input costs and total receipt costs for this item, which will be posted to your Adjustments – WIP account. You can click on the magnifying glass icon in this field to see the calculations.

NOTE: If the Job Receipts Cost Basis in the Job Defaults screen is set to the Estimated Job Cost basis, a WIP variance is normal and expected.

Receipt Details Sub-Tab

+ – By default, one line is presented in the grid below. Click the plus sign button to add additional lines if you are receiving stock to multiple locations or to specify multiple characteristic values. Click the minus sign button to delete lines.

Magnifying Glass Icon Click this icon to launch the Stock Status inquiry for this item.

Receipt Qty (Serialized Items) This field is only visible when the item requires serial number control. Enter the receipt quantity in this field or click the button in this field and you are presented with this screen:

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570 Operating Guide

Screen Details

Receipt Qty Enter the receipt quantity for the location specified at right.

Location All the serialized receipts that will be generated by this screen will be received into this location.

Serial No Enter the starting serial number. If this item is designed for automatic serial number generation in the Item Characteristics screen, the next available serial number is automatically inserted into this field.

OK Button When you click this button, the screen closes and serial numbers are automatically generated for the specified quantity. Each serial number gets its own line in the Receipt Details grid.


Received Qty Enter the receipt quantity associated with the location and characteristic values in the fields at right.



8-9. Job Receipts

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Characteristic Fields If the item is assigned to one or more tracking characteristics (such as lot or serial control), each characteristic is represented by its own field, which is identified by the characteristic’s Description. You are required to enter a value against each characteristic, which, depending on the characteristic, can be a date, a number, a lookup on a table of allowable values, or freeform text.

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Transactions Sub-Tab All previously updated receipt transactions for this item are displayed on this sub-tab.

Reverse Button Click this button to reverse a receipt transaction that was made in error. You are presented with this screen:

Screen Details All stock on hand for this item across all locations and characteristic sets is displayed in the grid.

Issued Qty This is the quantity of this item to be issued (returned) from stock back to the PO. It defaults either to the original transaction quantity or the current on hand quantity in the transaction location, whichever is lowest. You can accept the default quantity or enter a lower quantity, if you wish.

NOTE: The Issued Qty cannot exceed the current on hand quantity for this location. Once stock in this location has been picked for shipment or issued to jobs, it is not available for reversal.

Location This is the location from which the stock will be issued back to the job.

Primary This read-only checkbox is selected for reference when this location is the item’s default Primary Location, as designated in the Stock Items screen.

Stock Qty This is the current stock on hand quantity for this location.

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Projected Qty This is the projected stock on hand for this location after this reversal transaction is processed.

Reverse Button Click this button to process this reversal transaction. The original transaction and the reversal transaction are both displayed in red text.

Batch History Tab Each time the Update process occurs, all the transactions associated with the update are assigned to a “batch” number. This job’s receipt batches are listed on this tab.

Upper Panel


Dispatch Button This button is only visible when the Display Batch History checkbox is selected at left. You have the option of receiving stock on the Receipts tab before you physically transfer it to its destination location. After Update processing is completed, you can immediately access this tab and click this button to print a “dispatch list” to use as a guide for physically moving the stock to its final destination.

8-9. Job Receipts

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Upper Grid All update batches for this job are displayed in this grid.

8-9. Job Receipts

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NOTE: Each Batch No is unique such that no two jobs ever have batches with the same batch numbers.






Buttons

Label Click this button to print item labels for the selected transaction. You are first presented with this selection screen.

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Screen Details

Upper Panel

Report Form Use the lookup in this field to select a label format. The default label format designated in the Forms Edit – Job Receipt Label screen is selected by default.

Select Characteristics to Print The tracking characteristics associated with this receipt transaction are listed in this panel and are selected by default for printing. If you don’t want a characteristic to be printed, clear its checkbox.






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8-9. Job Receipts

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8-10. Job Inquiry

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8-10. Job Inquiry (Jobs – Job Inquiry)

Use this screen to view the details of current or past jobs, including current job status and job costs.


Segment: Job Costing

Upper Panel The upper panel displays job header information.

Status Tab Click this tab to view the status of current jobs.

• On the Routing, Job Lines, and Outputs sub-tabs, you can see the status of each routing sequence or job line. In the lower grid you see the transaction detail associated with the sequence or job line in the upper grid.

Job Costs Tab Click this tab to get a breakdown of job costs.

• The Summary sub-tab gives you are a total job cost for each of the system’s standard cost elements: Material, Labor, Setup, Subcontract, Fixed Overhead, Variable Overhead, and Misc.

• The Routing sub-tab displays total costs by sequence in the upper grid and displays the underlying transactions behind each sequence in the lower grid.

• The Job Lines sub-tab displays total costs by job line in the upper grid and displays the underlying transactions behind each job line in the lower grid.

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• The Outputs sub-tab displays total costs for each job output in the upper grid and displays the underlying transactions behind each output in the lower grid.

8-11. Job Data Views

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(Jobs – Data Views)


Job Data Views Five data views are provided on the Jobs menu:

Total Job Hours Use this data view to list job hours and work center completion quantities. Standard layouts include:

• Hours by Work Center and Primary Output • Hours by Primary Output and Job • Worker Job Hours • Worker Job Hours by Day

Closed Job Cost Summary Use this data view to get a listing of summarized job costs, including a comparison of estimated versus actual cost. Standard layouts include:

• Unit Cost by Primary Output

Closed Job Performance Use this data view to get a listing of estimated versus actual job hours. Standard layouts include:

• Estimated vs Actual Hours • Estimated vs Actual Hours and Setup

Work Center Performance Use this data view to get a listing of estimated versus actual job hours within each work center. Standard layouts include:

• Est vs Actual by WC and Primary Output

Worker Performance Use this data view to get a listing of estimated versus actual job hours by worker. Standard layouts include:

• Est vs Actual by Worker • Est vs Actual (all columns) • Est vs Actual by Primary Output, Worker • Est vs Actual: Primary Output, WC, Worker


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Selection Screen





Operating Guide 583






Data View Screen



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Grouping You can create list groupings by dragging a column heading into the header panel above the column headings. For example, if you drag a Work Center column heading into the header panel, the lines are then grouped by work center. You can even have a group within a group. For example, you could drag a Job No column heading into the header panel, which would form a sub-group within each work center.









Operating Guide 585

Customize Button








586 Operating Guide

Layout List Button






Save Layout Button




Operating Guide 587



8-12. Job Reports

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8-12. Job Reports

8-12A. Job Profit (Jobs – Reports – Job Profit)

This report provides a comparison of estimated versus actual costs and profits, both at the summary level and optionally at the routing sequence and line item level. You also have the option of listing total costs or unit costs, which are total costs divided by the number of finished job outputs.



8-12B. Job Cost (Jobs – Reports – Job Cost)

This report is the same as the Job Profit report except that it does not include any profit comparisons – only cost comparisons.



8-12C. Job Transactions (Jobs – Reports – Job Transactions)

This report lists all job transactions, either for a single job or range of jobs. Transactions are grouped and subtotaled by routing transactions, line item transactions, subcontract transactions, and receipt transactions.

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8-12D. WIP Value (Jobs – Reports – WIP Value)

This report calculates the value of work in process as of the current date and time the report is run, broken out by job. The WIP value on any given job is its total input costs minus job receipt costs.


Segment: WIP Value

8-12. Job Reports

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8A. Using Custom Items

Operating Guide 591

8A. Using Custom Items Where are custom items used? “Custom” items can be used in the following applications:

• Making “one-off” items • In-house repair jobs • Projects

What is a “custom” item? A “custom” item is a special type of item ID (part number) that is generated during quote or sales order entry to represent a “one-off” item, repair, or project. Instead of expending effort to create permanent Item ID’s for one-time purposes that clutter up your item list, custom items get generated automatically and can be filtered out of lookups and lists.

How is a custom item generated? During quote or sales order line item entry, you select the ‘Custom’ option from the drop-down list in the Line Type field, which launches the Custom Item Generator screen, shown below.

The Custom Item ID is generated automatically. You simply enter a Description, a Customer Part No (if applicable). The Item Category, Lead Days, and Job Days display default values, but can be changed if needed. Click OK and the custom item is created and inserted into the quote or sales order line.

Where are custom item defaults entered? Custom item defaults are set up in the Jobs – Jobs Setup – Job Defaults screen, shown below.


592 Operating Guide

In the Options panel, select the Custom Items checkbox, which exposes the Custom Item Generator panel. You can designate an Item ID Prefix and a Next ID No, which together constitute the Custom Item ID that gets generated during quote and sales order entry. Select a default Item Category, UM, Lead Days, and Job Days.

What is a special in-house repair job? Not all jobs are for the purpose of manufacturing a product. For example, you may need to perform rework on returned products. You may want to overhaul or refurbish used products. Any unusual job of this nature can fall into the “repair job” category.

What about field service? If you go out in the field to service customer products and you bill for parts and labor, you would not use the Jobs module. Instead, you would use sales orders. You can create a special SO Type (if you wish) for field service billing where you can apply charges for parts and labor directly in the sales order. In-house service jobs, on the other hand, are done in the factory where the job architecture is useful for scheduling and collecting costs.

What is a project job? Unlike manufactured products, which are made in multiple quantities, a project is where you build a single entity. Construction type jobs, for example, are project


Operating Guide 593

jobs by nature. Project jobs linked to sales order lines enable you to apply work in process type accounting to a customer’s project. Projects are often completed in phases or stages. The job routing is ideal for this because each routing sequence can represent a phase of the project.

Why is a custom item needed? The custom item is required for these purposes:

• In a quote or sales order, the custom item is used for pricing and billing purposes, as well as the cost of goods sold.

• A bill of material can be entered against the custom item for manufacturing specifications.

• The custom item provides an “output” for jobs, against which costs can be collected and passed through to the linked sales order.

How is a custom item used for quoting? Once you create a custom item within a quote, you can then go to the Bills of Material screen and enter routing and component specifications. In the MRP Settings screen you can select a Run Size equal to the quantity you are quoting and then you can use the Cost Rollup to calculate an estimated cost. Apply an appropriate markup or margin to the cost to establish the quote price. If the customer accepts the quote, it is converted into a sales order, at which point a job can be generated.

NOTE: If you expect to make this item on a repetitive basis, you can create a permanent Item ID in the Stock Items screen and then use the Copy button in the Bills of Material screen to copy the custom item bill of material to the permanent item.

How does a job get generated for the custom item? When the custom item gets created, it is flagged as an MTO (make to order) item. The Generate Jobs from SO lines option in MRP is used to generate jobs directly from sales order MTO line items. When the job is generated, the sales order line item’s Linked Job field is populated with the job number.

Where do job details come from? If you created a bill of material against the custom item, it’s routing and component details will be automatically copied into the new job. If there is not bill of material, the new job starts out empty of any detail except for the custom item “output.” You can use the Copy Detail button to copy details from a previous job or to copy in one or more phantom assemblies, which are sets of parts that can be used to represent “building block” options. You also can enter routing and job detail lines from scratch.


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How are job receipts used? At the end of the job you will enter the job receipt quantity, which is the number of finished items completed. The program suggests a unit cost that represents the actual cost of the job. You can enter partial receipts during the course of the job. In the case of a project job, you may wish to bill your customer for a percentage of the job as various phases or stages are completed. Because the project job “output” has a quantity of ‘1’, you would enter a decimal amount as the job receipt to represent a percentage of the job. For example, to complete 25% of the job, you would enter a job receipt quantity of ‘.25’.

Where does the job receipt go? Technically, the job receipt goes into inventory, even though custom items are not for stock. The custom item is only received into inventory on paper. As soon as the receipt is in stock, you use the Order Picking screen to pick it item(s) for shipment and invoicing. The custom item, therefore, is used to temporarily store the cost of the job. As soon as you pick the order and invoice the customer, the cost immediately flows out of inventory and becomes the cost of goods sold. This is how your job cost ultimately gets passed to the invoice.

How are Sales and COGS posted to the General Ledger? The Sales and COGS (cost of goods sold) account posting for custom items is determined by the Item Category to which the custom item gets assigned at time of creation. Therefore, you would normally want to assign custom manufactured items to their own Item Category, service items to their Item Category, and projects to their own Item Category. Item Categories are mapped to specific Sales and COGS accounts in the Sales – Exceptions tab of the Account Assignments screen.

9. Purch (Purchasing)

Operating Guide 595

9. Purch (Purchasing) The Purch menu is where you find all purchasing-related tables and applications, including suppliers, purchase prices, and purchase orders. Menu options include:

Purch Purchasing Setup • Purchasing Defaults • Suppliers List Tab • Supplier Types • Supplier Terms • Contact Types • Supplier Regions • Supplier Codes • PO Types

Main Menu • Suppliers • Manufacturers • Purchase Orders • PO Receipts • PO Invoices • Purchase Prices – Items • Purchase Prices – Descriptors

Reports • PO Print / Reprint • PO Listing • PO Receipts • Received Not Invoiced • Purchases by Item • Purchases by Supplier


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Overview Purchase orders are an integral element in the planning system and ensure that material is on hand when needed by jobs and sales orders. POs are also used for purchasing subcontract services and miscellaneous purchases that are not related to inventory and jobs.

Training Course Support Center – Videos–How Do I? – Purchasing Training Course

How are POs created? • POs for stock items related to jobs and inventory are generated by the MRP

screen.

• POs for subcontract services such as plating, painting, and heat-treating are generated by the Subcontract Services screen.

• POs for miscellaneous purchases such as shop and office supplies, printing, equipment, furniture, etc. are entered manually in the Purchase Orders screen.

Where do PO prices come from? You have the option of storing supplier prices in the Purchase Prices – Stock Items and Purchase Prices – Descriptors screens. When a price is not found, in the case of stock items the program uses the item’s Last Cost, and in the case of descriptors the program uses the descriptor’s Estimated Cost.

What about supplier part numbers and units of measure? In the Sources tab of the Stock Items screen you can store the supplier’s part number, unit of measure, and unit of measure conversion multiplier for cross-reference purposes. These cross-references are visible in the Purchase Orders screen and are printed on the PO for the benefit of the supplier.

What about manufacturer part numbers? In the Sources tab of the Stock Items screen you also have the option of defining manufacturers and manufacturer part numbers and you can add them to the line cards of suppliers who carry them. These cross-references are visible in the Purchase Orders screen and are printed on the PO for the benefit of the supplier.

How are subcontract services purchased? The Subcontract Services screen generates POs for subcontract services such as plating, painting, and heat-treating. These POs are generated directly from job lines and are linked to them. When subcontract service POs are received, job costs and routing sequence status settings are automatically updated.


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Can POs be used for miscellaneous purchases? You can manually enter POs for non-inventory, not job purchases such as shop and office supplies or for the purchase of equipment, furniture, and other assets. Descriptors can be set up to represent GL accounts, categories, or specific items and are optionally assigned to specific GL accounts in the Account Assignments screen.

NOTE: If you are using the Financial Transfer in conjunction with an outside accounting system, we recommend that miscellaneous purchases by done in your outside purchasing module and that purchasing in DBA be confined to POs for inventory and jobs.

How are POs received? All POs are received in the PO Receipts screen. In that screen you can process items with tracking characteristics such as lot and serial number. Multiple receipts can be made against the PO.

Can POs be received directly to jobs? POs for subcontract services are received directly to jobs in terms of job costing and updating the routing sequence status. Stock items are received to stock first and are then issued to jobs when needed via the Job Issues screen.

How are POs invoiced? Supplier invoices are entered and matched against POs in the PO Invoices screen. Multiple receipts and invoices can be processed against a PO. Once the PO is fully received and invoiced, it is automatically closed by the program.

Are POs required for all supplier bills? POs are only required for inventory and job-related purchases. For other expenses, you have the option of entering bills directly in the Supplier Invoices screen without a PO. Most bills such as rent, utilities, shipping, etc. are entered in this manner without POs.

NOTE: If you are using the Financial Transfer utility in conjunction with an outside accounting system, all your non-PO supplier bills are to be entered in the accounts payable module in your outside system.

9-1A. Purchasing Defaults

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9-1. Purchasing Setup

9-1A. Purchasing Defaults (Purch – Purchasing Setup – Purchasing Defaults)

PO Prefix A PO number consists of an alphabetical prefix followed by a sequentially assigned number. Enter the PO Prefix that will be assigned to all your PO numbers. You might for example, want all PO numbers to begin with “PO” or “P” so that POs are readily distinguishable from sales orders and jobs.

Next PO No A sequentially assigned number follows the PO Prefix and constitutes the second portion of the PO number. The numeric value in this field establishes the number that will be assigned to the next PO created. Because of the way numbers get sorted, do not enter a number such as 1 or else the result will be that PO 10 or PO 100 sorts before PO 2, 3, etc. on lists and reports. We recommend a starting number such as 10000 or 100000, which will create sequential numbers such as 10001, 10002, 10003, etc.

Next PO Receipt No Each PO receipt gets assigned a PO Receipt No. The numeric value in this field establishes the number that will be assigned to the next receipt created. Because of the way numbers are sorted, do not enter a number such as 1 or else the result will be that receipt 10 or receipt 100 sorts before receipt 2, 3, etc. on lists and reports. We recommend a starting number such as 10000 or 100000, which will create sequential numbers such as 10001, 10002, 10003, etc.

9-1B. Suppliers List

Operating Guide 599

9-1B. Suppliers – List Tab (Purch – Purchasing Setup – Suppliers – List Tab)

Use this screen to configure the opening List tab of the Suppliers screen. You can designate which fields you want displayed and you can change column heading names.


Advanced Tab When the supplier list reaches a certain size, the time it takes to load, sort, and display the information in the List tab can slow down noticeably. If so, you can optimize the list by limiting the number of records that get loaded at one time. You will find this setting on the Advanced tab. If you limit the number of records, this does not restrict your access to any data; it merely loads a certain number of records at-a-time into the screen.

NOTE: When you limit the records is, you lose the ability to click on the grid column headings for sorting and filtering purposes.


9-1C. Supplier Types

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9-1C. Supplier Types (Purch – Purchasing Setup – Supplier Types)

Supplier Types are user-defined codes that categorize your suppliers into groups for reporting and sorting purposes.

Training Video Support Center – Videos–Setup – Supplier Setup

Segment: Supplier Types

Field Explanations

Supplier Type & Description Enter an 8-character Supplier Type code and accompanying 50-character description.

Setting the Default Supplier Type You can establish a default Supplier Type by highlighting the desired line item and clicking the Set as Default button. You will see the Default Supplier Type displayed at the top of the screen. When you create a new supplier, the Default Supplier Type is automatically assigned to the supplier, which can then be overridden, if desired.

9-1D. Supplier Terms

Operating Guide 601

9-1D. Supplier Terms (Purch – Purchasing Setup - Supplier Terms)

Use this screen to set up your Supplier Terms table, which are the payment terms offered by your suppliers.


Segment: Supplier Terms

Grid Fields

Description This identifies the payment term and is the text that will print on invoices.

Credit Card? This field is only visible when the ‘DBA Financial Modules’ option is selected in the Accounting Configuration screen. Select this checkbox if the supplier payment associated with this term is to be made by credit card. At time of supplier invoice posting, you will be prompted to post the payment from the credit card Banking Account specified in the lower panel of this screen.

NOTE: When this checkbox is selected, the fields to the right are grayed out and given zero and blank values and the Banking Account and Default Payment Type fields become visible in the lower panel.

Days Due This is the number of days within which the payment is due.

From End of Month If the number of days due is calculated from the end of the month, a common practice in some countries, select the From End of Month checkbox. If the number of days due is calculated from the invoice date, leave this checkbox blank.

Discount % If a discount is due for prompt payment, enter a Discount %. A two and a half percent discount would be entered as ‘2.5.’

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Discount Days This is the number of days within which the discount can be taken.

Lower Panel

Banking Account This field is only visible when the Credit Card? checkbox is selected above. Select the bank account from which this credit card payment is to be posted. The lookup is limited to ‘Credit Card’ type bank accounts.

Default Payment Type Select the payment type associated with credit card payments. The lookup is limited to payment types against which the payment method in the AP Payment Types screen is set to ‘CCARD’.

Button

Set as Default You can designate one of your terms as the default by highlighting it and clicking the Set as Default button. After doing so, you will see the Default Terms displayed in the upper panel. When you create a new supplier record, the Default Terms is assigned by default.

9-1E. Contact Types

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9-1E. Contact Types (Purch – Purchasing Setup – Contact Types)

Contact Types are user-defined codes used to categorize supplier and customer Contacts into categories such as ‘Sales’, ‘Accounts Payable’, etc.

NOTE: This same table is used with the Customers and Suppliers screens.


Segment: Contact Types

Field Explanations

Type Enter an up to 20-character contact Type code.

Description Enter an up to 50-character Description to accompany the contact Type in lookups.

9-1F. Supplier Regions

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9-1F. Supplier Regions (Purch – Purchasing Setup – Supplier Regions)

Supplier Regions are user-defined codes that organize your suppliers into regions or territories for analysis purposes.


Segment: Supplier Regions

Field Explanations

Sales Region Enter an up to 20-character Supplier Region code.

Description Enter an up to 50-character Description to accompany the Supplier Region in lookups.

9-1G. Supplier Codes

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9-1G. Supplier Codes (Purch – Purchasing Setup – Supplier Codes)

Supplier Codes give you another user-defined code that can be used for categorizing suppliers for reporting and analysis purposes.

Field Explanations

Supplier Code Enter an up to 20-character Supplier Code.

Description Enter an up to 50-character Description to accompany the Supplier Code in lookups.

9-1H. PO Types

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9-1H. PO Types (Purch – Purchasing Setup – PO Types)

When you create a PO, it is assigned to a PO Type. PO Types can be used to categorize different types of POs and to give each PO Type its own form layout and other settings.

Training Video Support Center – Videos–How Do I? – Purchasing Training Course

Segment: PO Types

Screen Details PO Type Enter an up to 8-character code to identify the PO Type.

Description Enter an up to 50-character Description to further identify the PO type.

Prefix Enter an up to 4-character Prefix that will precede the PO number. This distinguishes one PO Type from another.

Auto Numbering If you want the system to automatically assign the next available PO number, select this checkbox. Some companies prefer to manually assign PO numbers, in which case you would clear this checkbox.

PO Layout If you wish to use a customized PO form layout for this PO Type, you can create one by editing the standard PO format and saving it to a different name. The new format name is entered here (you can use the browse button to locate and select the *.rtm file). When entering the name it is not necessary to type the ‘*.rtm’ extension.

9-1G. Supplier Codes

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Set as Default Button This button is used to designate the PO Type that gets selected by default each time a new PO is created. Highlight the desired PO Type, then click this button. You will see the Default PO Type displayed in the upper panel.

9-2. Suppliers

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9-2. Suppliers (Purch – Suppliers … or Supp Icon)

Use this screen to set up and maintain your suppliers.


Segment: New Supplier Entry

List Tab Your existing suppliers are listed on this screen.

Customizing the list Use the Purch – Purchasing Setup – Suppliers List Tab screen to customize the list. You can designate which fields you want displayed and you can change column heading names.

New Button Click this button to create a new supplier record.

Email Button If you wish to send an Email to this supplier, click this button to launch the system’s Email client form. The supplier’s Email address is inserted into the To: field.

Notes Button Clicking this button launches the Activity Notes screen where you can view past activity notes against this supplier and create new activity notes.

History Button Clicking this button displays supplier history in the following tabs:

Invoices This tab provides a listing of this supplier’s past invoices.

Emails This tab lists all the past Emails sent to this supplier.

Notes This tab lists all past activity notes for this supplier.

9-2. Suppliers

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Detail Tab – Main Side-Tab

Supplier Name (Required) This unique ID is a 50-character field that identifies the supplier record and is what displays on screens, lookups, and reports. We suggest you enter the supplier’s full name.

NOTE: Each supplier name must be unique. So if you have two or more suppliers with the same name, make each name unique, such as by appending the city or some other identifier in parenthesis following the name.

Trading Name (Required) When you click into this field, it is automatically given the same value as the Supplier Name, when can then be changed, if needed. The Trading Name is the name that prints on purchase orders. Unlike the Supplier Name, duplicate values are allowed. Normally, the Supplier Name and the Trading Name are the same except in cases where the Supplier Name has been appended to avoid duplicate values.

Address Details This is the Supplier’s primary mailing address. Physical addresses are entered on the Physical Addresses side-tab.

Phone, Mobile, Fax, Email, Web These are the contact settings for this supplier’s main office and do not pertain to a specific contact. Contacts are entered on the Additional tab. Each contact record has its own Phone, Mobile, Fax, and Email settings.

X-Ref Code If you are using DBA with an outside accounting system, it may be that the supplier is identified in the outside system with a short code instead of the full supplier name as in DBA. For financial transfer purposes, you can store the

9-2. Suppliers

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short code in this field, which is one of the fields available for transfer in the PO Invoice Transfer screen. When you import the PO invoice transfer file into your outside system, this field is mapped to the supplier code in your outside system.

Creation Date This is the date this supplier record was created. You can change this date, if you wish.

Status When you create a new record, its status is set to ‘Active’. You can change the status to ‘Non-Active’. At the present time this setting is for reference only.

Payment Terms This is a standard payment terms record from the Supplier Terms table. These are the default Payment Terms that get applied during supplier invoice entry.

From End of Month This read-only checkbox is selected if the number of days due is calculated from the end of the month, a common practice in some countries.

Days This read-only field displays the number of days from the invoice date or end of month that establishes the invoice due date.

Printing Options

Email Documents If this checkbox is selected, when printing POs you are given the option of Emailing the document.

Tax Code Source These settings determine the source of the purchase order header Tax Code for this supplier’s POs.

Default When you select this option, the default Purchase Tax Code specified in the Tax Defaults screen is used as the purchase order header Tax Code.

Exception Select this option if this supplier’s purchase order header Tax Code is to be different than the system default tax code. A Tax Code field becomes visible to the right so that you can select a tax code from its lookup.

Non-Taxable Supplier If the supplier is non-taxable, which is common with USA taxation when you purchase for resale, make sure that the tax code source is a non-taxable Tax Code.

9-2. Suppliers

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• If your system default tax code is non-taxable, select Default as the tax code source.

• If your system default tax code is taxable, then assign the supplier to a non-taxable tax code Exception.

Tax Group This checkbox is only visible when the Tax Group Matrix option is selected in the Tax Defaults screen. Tax groups enable you to designate exception tax codes at the line item level hat only apply to particular sources and items. When you select this checkbox, a Tax Group field becomes visible to the right. Select a Tax Group from the lookup. When an item or descriptor assigned to a Tax Group encounters a supplier that is also assigned to a Tax Group, the two Tax Groups are matched in the Tax Group Matrix to determine the Tax Code that gets used in the PO line.

Classification

Supplier Type (Required) You must assign the supplier to a Supplier Type. When you create a new supplier record, the default supplier type is automatically selected and can then be changed, if applicable.

Supplier Region You can optionally assign this supplier to a supplier region.

Supplier Code You can optionally assign this supplier to a user-defined supplier code.

Notes Sub-Tab You can enter unlimited notes against this supplier. These notes are for reference on this screen only.

Shipping Sub-Tab

Ship Method You can select a Ship Method from the lookup, which is used as the default Ship Method for this supplier’s purchase orders.

Tax / Financial Sub-Tab

Tax ID Number, Bank Name, Bank Account Number These three fields are for reference only and are not used outside of this screen.

Print 1099 This option is for USA tax reporting. Year end 1099 forms will be printed for all suppliers with this option selected.

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Forms Sub-Tab Use the fields on this sub-tab to specify customized forms layouts (RTM files) for this supplier. When you leave any of these fields blank, the standard form layout is used. See chapter 3 for details on how to customize forms. You can specify custom layouts on this sub-tab for the following forms:

• PO Quote • PO

GL Account Sub-Tab

Default GL Account Select the GL account that will be applied to invoices created in the Supplier Invoices screen.

NOTE: This setting has no purpose when you are using the Financial Transfer utility in conjunction with an outside accounting system and can therefore be left blank.

Detail Tab – Physical Addresses Side-Tab

Physical Addresses In this grid you can enter multiple physical addresses for this supplier.

Physical Name This is the name that identifies the address on this screen and in lookups. This name does not transfer to the PO.

Address Fields Enter the physical delivery address in the Address Line 1, Address Line 2, City, State, Postal Code, and Country fields.

Contact, Phone, Fax, Email You can specify a contact person and contact details at this address for reference on this screen only.

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Additional Tab – Main Side-Tab Contacts

Main Contact Name You can select one of the contacts from the grid below to be designated as the main contact at this company.

Type Select a contact type, which are user-defined contact categories.

Contact This is the contact’s full name.

Description Use this field to describe the contact’s position or function.

Phone, Fax, Email, Mobile These fields are for reference in this screen and do not transfer to the PO.


Additional Tab – Documents Side-Tab


9-2. Suppliers

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9-3. Manufacturers

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9-3. Manufacturers (Purch - Manufacturers)

In some industries, certain purchased items can only be sourced from approved manufacturers. In DBA you can set up Manufacturers in this screen and assign them to specific stock items on the Sources tab of the Stock Items screen. An item’s Manufacturers and Mfgr Part No can be specified on purchase orders.

Training Video Support Center – Videos–How Do I? – Purchasing Training Course

Segment: Manufacturers

Manufacturers Tab

Field Explanations

Manufacturer Enter an up to 50-character Manufacturer name that will display on screens and print on POs.

Web, Phone, Fax, Email, Note These optional fields are for reference only and are not used anywhere outside of this screen.

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Items Tab When a Manufacturer is highlighted in the Manufacturers tab, you can click the Items tab to get a listing of the stock items supplied by this Manufacturer.

NOTE: This screen is for reference only. Mfgr Part No creation and Manufacturer assignments to items is done via the Sources tab of the Stock Items screen.

Upper Grid In the upper grid are listed all the stock items cross-referenced to this manufacturer.

Item ID This is the stock item’s Item ID.

Description This is the stock item’s Description from the Stock Items screen.

Mfgr Part No This is the manufacturer’s part number for the item.

Suppliers Grid When an item is highlighted in the upper grid, the lower grid displays the suppliers that carry this Manufacturer Part No on their Line Card in the Sources tab of the Stock Items screen.

Supplier This is the Supplier ID.

Supplier Part No When the Supplier has its own Supplier Part No for the item, it is displayed in this field.

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9-4. Purchase Orders (Purch – Purchase Orders)

Use this screen to modify POs created by the MRP and Subcontract Services screens or to manually enter POs for miscellaneous purchases.

Training Videos Support Center – Videos–How Do I? – Purchasing Training Course

Segments: Stock Item POs, Subcontract POs, Miscellaneous POs

How are POs created? POs are created three ways:

MRP Screen (Stock Items) All your stock item purchases for inventory and jobs should be generated via the MRP screen.

Subcontract Services (Subcontract Services) All your subcontract service POs as well as job-related descriptor POs should be generated from job lines in the Subcontract Services screen.

Purchase Orders Screen (Miscellaneous Purchases) All your non-inventory, non-job purchases for things such as supplies and equipment are entered manually via the Purchase Orders screen using descriptors.

NOTE: If you are using the Financial Transfer utility in conjunction with an outside accounting system, we recommend that you confine purchasing in DBA to inventory and job requirements and that you use your outside system for miscellaneous purchases.

PO Workflow Phase 1 – PO Creation • Generate POs for stock items (MRP)

• Generate POs from job lines for subcontract services (Subcontract Services)

• Enter POs for miscellaneous purchases (Purchase Orders)

• Print/Email POs (Purchase Orders – Print PO button)

Phase 2 – PO Receiving • Receive POs (PO Receipts)

Phase 3 – PO Matching • Match supplier invoices with PO lines (PO Invoices)


618 Operating Guide

List Tab All or selected POs are listed on this screen, depending on the Status filters selected in the lower panel. You can highlight a PO and then click any of the tabs to the right to enter order details.

Lower Panel

Quote, Opened, Printed, Closed Select or clear the checkboxes in this panel to filter the list above by PO Status.

Save as Defaults Button Each user can preserve his or her Status checkbox settings by clicking this button. Each time the screen launches, these settings will be selected by default.

Refresh Button Click this button after selecting or clearing any Status checkboxes or entering any search text to re-display the list above.

Search for the following text You can enter text in this field and then click the Refresh button to limit the list to Description column values containing that text string.

Links Button You can click this button to link to the following screens. After closing the linked screen, you are returned to this screen.

• PO Receipts • PO Invoices • Suppliers


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New PO Button Click this button to create a new PO. You are presented with the PO Type Selection screen, which displays your default PO Type. You can select an alternate PO Type, if you wish. Click OK and the new PO is generated and you are taken to the Header screen.

NOTE: If the Auto PO Number option is cleared in the PO Types screen for this PO Type, you are also presented with a PO Number field for manual entry of the number.

Copy PO Button Use this button to copy the selected POs details to a new PO.

• You are first presented with a supplier selection screen. By default, the supplier on the original PO is selected, but you can make an alternate selection if you wish to purchase from a different supplier.

• After selecting the supplier, you are presented with the PO Type Selection screen, which displays your default PO type. You can select an alternate PO type, if you wish. Click OK and the new PO is generated and you are taken to the Header tab.

NOTE: When you copy a previous PO, prices and costs are updated with current values and pricing rules.

Print PO Button Click this button to print or Email the printed PO for the highlighted PO.

Yes for Email, No for Preview If the Email Documents checkbox is selected in the Contact Details sub-tab of the Header tab, you are presented with this prompt. If the checkbox is not selected, the PO is previewed on the screen and can be printed by clicking the printer icon.

• If you click Yes, you are presented with the standard Email client form, pre-filled with the Message Body Default Text for this user from the Main Setup screen.

• If you click No, the PO is previewed on the screen and can be printed by clicking the printer icon.


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Header Tab Supplier selection and associated details are entered on this screen.

Purchase Order

PO No The program automatically assigns the PO number, using the Type Prefix from the PO Types screen for this PO type and the Next PO No setting from the Purchasing Defaults screen. If the Auto PO Number option is cleared against this PO type, the numeric portion of the PO number is entered manually when you click the New PO button.

Description You can optionally enter an up to 50-character description of the PO that is used as a reference on screens and reports.

Creation Date This is the date the PO was created. It defaults to the system date, but can be overridden, if desired.

Status Normally this field is automatically updated by the program unless you wish to use the PO as a quote or manually close or reopen a closed PO.

Automatic Status – Opened, Printed, Closed When a PO is created, its status is automatically set to ‘Opened’. When you print the PO, its status changes to ‘Printed’. As each received line gets matched in the PO Invoices screen, its Line Status value changes from ‘Open’ to ‘Closed’. Once all lines are ‘Closed’, the PO status changes to ‘Closed’.


Operating Guide 621

Quote Status You can manually change the status to ‘Quote’ if you wish to use the PO to request a quote from a supplier. ‘Quote’ status POs are ignored by the MRP screen when calculating net demand for items.

Manual Close If the PO has under-received lines that aren’t to be received in full, you have the option of manually closing the PO by changing the status to ‘Closed’. When you do so, you receive a message that the status of all line items will be changed to ‘Closed’ as well.

Reopening a Closed PO You can reopen a closed PO in the event you wish to add new line items or increase the quantity on an existing line item. To do so, change the status from ‘Closed’ to ‘Opened’.

Notes You can enter unlimited text in the Notes panel, which print on the printed PO.

PO Type The PO type that was selected during PO generation or creation displays in this read-only field.

Due Date This field sets a default Due Date for each line item entered, which can be overridden at the line item level.

Tax Code This is the Tax Code that will be applied by default to all line items unless a tax code exception has been defined against the line’s stock item or descriptor. The source of this tax code is reference in the Tax Code Source field at right.

NOTE: If you change the Tax Code after line items already exist, that tax code will replace the Tax Code at line item level for all lines with a Tax Code Source of ‘Header’.

Tax Code Source This field identifies the source of the Tax Code at left. There are three possible sources:

Purchase Tax Default The Tax Code at left is the system level default Purchase Tax Code designated in the Tax Defaults screen.

Supplier The Tax Code at left is the tax code Exception designated against this supplier in the Suppliers screen.


622 Operating Guide

Manual The Tax Code at left has been manually changed though selection of a tax code from the lookup.

Supplier Detail

Supplier If you are entering a new PO, select the supplier from the lookup.

Creating a new Supplier To create a new supplier, type the supplier ID in this field. When you exit the field, you receive a message that the supplier doe not exist and that you can click Yes to make another selection or No to create a new supplier record. When you click No you are taken to the Suppliers screen where you can set up the new supplier. When you close that screen you are returned to this screen.

Trade Name This read-only field displays the supplier’s Trading Name maintained in the Suppliers screen for this supplier, which is the name that will print on the printed PO.

Address, City, State, Code, Country This is the PO mailing address, which defaults to the values maintained in the Suppliers screen for this supplier. You can override the default values, if you wish.

Contact This defaults to the Main Contact maintained in the Suppliers screen for this supplier. You can make an alternate selection from the lookup or you can make a manual entry.

Ship Method This defaults to the Ship Method maintained in the Suppliers screen for this supplier. You can make an alternate selection from the lookup, if you wish.

Delivery Address This address defaults to your company’s address from the Main Setup screen. You are free to change the address when needed.

Order Value

Order Value This is the sum of all the PO line item Total Cost amounts.

Tax This is the sum of all the PO line item Tax amounts.

Total Value This is the sum of the Order Value and Tax amounts.


Operating Guide 623

Contact Details Sub-Tab Phone, Fax, Mobile Email, Supplier Code These fields are for reference purposes and default to the contact settings stored on the Details tab of the Suppliers screen for this supplier. They can be overridden, if desired.

Email Documents This checkbox defaults to the setting maintained in the Suppliers screen for this supplier. When selected you will be given the option of sending POs via Email at time of printing.

Supplier Code This defaults to value maintained in the Suppliers screen for this supplier. You can make an alternate selection from the lookup, if you wish.

Additional Side-Tab Additional Fields If you created any user-defined fields in the Admin – User-Defined Fields screen, those field values are entered on this panel.

Details Tab PO lines are modified or entered from scratch on this screen.

Upper Grid

Line No As each line is created, it gets assigned a sequential line number in increments of ‘10’. This identifies the line and controls the sort order on the printed PO.


624 Operating Guide

Line Type From the drop-down list you can select ‘Stock’ to enter a stock item and ‘Descriptor’ to enter a descriptor. When the PO line was generated for a subcontract service in the Subcontract Services screen, ‘SUBCON’ displays in this field.

Reference ID This is the stock Item ID or Descriptor ID. In the case of subcontract services, this is the text “Service – ” followed by the Item ID of the item being serviced.

Description The Description from the stock item or descriptor master record is displayed. IN the case of subcontract services, the Description from the originating job line is displayed.

NOTE: You can modify the description, if you wish. This capability is most commonly used with descriptors where the descriptor represents a general category of purchases. On each particular purchase you type in the description for the specific item you are buying.

Order Qty This is the quantity being ordered, expressed in the item’s stocking unit of measure or the descriptor’s unit of measure.

Qty Received This read-only field displays the quantity received to-date.

UM This is the item’s stocking unit of measure or the descriptor’s unit of measure.

Unit Cost This is the unit cost of this line item that, when received, is used to update the item’s Inventory Cost (in the case of stock items) or the job line’s Act Cost (in the case of descriptors or subcontract service lines with Subcon Job values). The unit cost derives from four possible sources:

• If a supplier price is maintained in the Purchase Prices – Items or Purchase Prices – Descriptors screen for this line item/supplier combination, that price is used as the Supplier Price (see below), which is then translated by the Multiplier and Exchange Rate (if applicable) to establish the Unit Cost.

• If a supplier price is not found and the line item is a stock item, the item’s Last Cost is used as the Unit Cost.

• If a supplier price is not found and the item is a descriptor, the descriptor’s Estimated Cost is used as the Unit Cost.

• In the case of subcontract services, the Supp Price in the job subcontract routing sequence gets passed into the Supplier Price field (see below),


Operating Guide 625

which is then translated by the Multiplier and Exchange Rate (if applicable) to establish the Unit Cost.

Ext Cost This read-only field is the result of the Order Qty multiplied by the Unit Cost.

Total Tax This field displays the purchase tax total for this line item. It is calculated by applying the Tax Rate percentage associated with the Tax Code at right to the total price. You can manually override this amount, if you wish.

Non-Taxable Lines If an item or descriptor is always non-taxable, regardless of supplier, a non-taxable tax code Exception should be assigned against the stock item or descriptor. A non-taxable Tax Code has a zero percentage tax rate.

Tax Source This field value indicates the source of the Tax Code at right. There are five possible values:

Header The Tax Code at right is the Tax Code from the purchase order Header tab.

Item The Tax Code at right is a tax code Exception designated in the stock item master record.

Descriptor The Tax Code at right is a tax code Exception designated in the descriptor master record.

Tax Matrix The Tax Code at right derives from the Tax Group Matrix and is determined by the Tax Group associated with the supplier master record combined with the Tax Group associated with the item or descriptor master record.

Manual The Tax Code at right was selected manually from the lookup.

Tax Code Each line item is assigned to a Tax Code, which gets its default value from the Tax Source indicated at left. You can manually select a tax code exception from the lookup.

NOTE: A Tax Code can be taxable or non-taxable. A non-taxable Tax Code has a zero percentage tax rate.


626 Operating Guide

Due Date When entering a new line, this automatically defaults to the Due Date from the header tab, but can be overridden.

NOTE: If you wish to schedule multiple deliveries for an item, enter a separate line for each delivery, each with its own Due Date.

Subcon Job If this PO line was generated from the Subcontract Services screen, this identifies the job to which it is linked.

Sequence If this PO line was generated from the Subcontract Services screen, this identifies the job routing sequence to which it is linked.

Line Status Once a line is fully received and matched in the PO Invoices screen, the line status automatically changes to ‘Closed’. All lines must be “Closed’ before the PO can be closed at the header level. If for some reason you will not be matching the original line quantity, usually because you accepted an under-shipment from the supplier, you can manually set the line status to ‘Closed’ so that the PO can be closed.

X-Refs Sub-Tab

Supplier Part No This is the Reference ID that prints on the PO. When the item has a Supplier Part No maintained on the Sources tab of the Stock Items screen for this supplier, it displays in this field. If not, the line’s Reference ID in the upper grid is copied into this field. You can manually override this field, if you wish.

Supplier Qty It is not uncommon for a supplier to sell an item in a different unit of measure than the item’s stocking unit of measure. The Supplier Qty is multiplied by the Multiplier value to establish the Order Qty. Conversely, the Order Qty is divided by the Multiplier to establish the Supplier Qty. So if you change the quantity in this field, it changes the Order Qty, and vice-versa.

NOTE: The Supplier Qty is the Qty that prints on the PO. The actual Order Qty also prints in a cross-reference section underneath the Reference ID.

Supplier UM This is the UM that prints on the PO. If the item has a UM maintained in its Sources tab of the Stock Items screen for this supplier, it will display in this field. If not, this line item’s UM from the grid above copies into this field. You can manually override this entry, if you wish.


Operating Guide 627

Multiplier The Supplier Qty is multiplied by this factor to establish the Order Qty in the grid above. If the item has a Multiplier maintained in the Sources tab of the Stock Items screen for this supplier, it displays in this field. If not, this field is automatically assigned a value of ‘1’. You can manually override this amount, if you wish.

Supplier Price If a record exists in the Purchase Prices – Items screen for this item, that price is pulled into this field. The Supplier Price is then translated into the Unit Cost value, using this formula: Supplier Price * Multiplier = Unit Cost If this PO is being submitted to the supplier in a foreign currency, the formula is this:

Price * Multiplier / Exchange Rate = Unit Cost

Mfgr Part No This read-only field is only visible on stock items and prints on the PO. It displays the Mfgr Part No assigned to this Manufacturer for this item.

Manufacturer When a new line is created, the item’s Default Manufacturer is inserted into this field. You can select an alternate Manufacturer from the lookup, if you wish.

Notes Sub-Tab PO line notes print on the PO and originate from these sources:

• When a PO line is generated by MRP or created manually, the SO/PO Notes stored against the item or descriptor master record are transferred into this notes field.

• When a PO line is generated from the Subcontract Services screen, the Line Notes from the originating job detail line are transferred into this notes field.

New Line Button Click this button to open a new line in the upper grid. The Line No increments by a value of ‘10’ over the highest existing Line No and the Line Type defaults to the setting specified in the Admin – System Defaults screen.

Speed Entry Button The Speed Entry function helps you enter order detail lines as rapidly as possible and is especially useful when entering large numbers of line items. Click the Speed Entry button to launch the Speed Entry screen.


628 Operating Guide

NOTE: You can use speed entry as often as you wish within a PO. You can enter a few lines, transfer them, enter a few more, transfer them, and so forth.

Speed Entry Screen

Upper Panel


Item Selection




Description Search Use this field to narrow the contents of the main selection grid only to items that contain the text you enter. Once you enter your text, click


Operating Guide 629

the lookup icon to the left and the main grid displays the items with matching text. Once you make a selection, the grid repopulates itself with all your items. If you make a search and don’t select an item, click the ‘X’ button and the grid will repopulate with all items.




9-5. PO Receipts

630 Operating Guide

9-5. PO Receipts 4(Purch – PO Receipts)

Use this screen to receive PO line items.


Segments: PO Receipts, Returns

Opening Lookup When you select the PO Receipts menu option, you are presented with this lookup screen, from which you select the PO you wish to receive against.

Lower Panel

PO No If you are looking for a specific PO number, you can begin typing the number in this field and the grid is progressively matched to each character entered.

Supplier If you are looking for a specific supplier, you can begin typing the supplier name in this field and the grid is progressively matched to each character entered.

Opened, Printed You can select or clear these checkboxes to limit the list to POs with a status of ‘Opened’ or ‘Closed’.

9-5. PO Receipts

Operating Guide 631

Upper Panel

PO No This identifies the PO being received.

Supplier This is the supplier associated with this PO.

Document No You can enter the supplier’s packing list number or any other document reference on this field.

Trading Name The Trading Name is the supplier name used on the printed PO.

Receipt Notes You can enter freeform notes against each receipt. These notes are stored with the receipt record and print on the Receipt List.

Receipts Tab Upper Panel

Show Supplier Info Select this checkbox to display supplier cross-reference information. A second line opens beneath each PO line and displays the Supplier Part No, Supplier Qty, Supplier UM, Supplier Price, Supplier Currency, Manufacturer Part No, and Manufacturer.

Pre-Fill Button Click this button to make the Receipt Qty equal to the Remaining Qty for all lines in the grid that do not require entry of characteristic values. Stock will be received to each item’s Primary Location.

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632 Operating Guide

Update Button Once your entries are completed, click this button to process the transaction. The Receipt Qty column will be cleared and the Remaining column will reflect the transactions that just took place. The following processing is performed:

• The on hand quantity of each stock item is increased by its receipt quantity.

• Each stock item’s Inventory Cost is updated by adding the total receipt cost to the current inventory value and then dividing that amount by the total units on hand.

• Each stock item’s Last Cost is updated with the unit receipt cost.

• For each subcontract service or descriptor linked to a job, the job detail line’s Act Qty and Act Cost are updated, as well as the associated job routing sequence Compl Qty.

• In the case of each stock item, a debit amount equal to the total receipt cost is made to your Inventory account and a offsetting credit is made to Received Not Invoiced.

• In the case of subcontract service and descriptors linked to jobs, two posting transactions are made for an amount equal to the receipt cost. The first is a debit to Absorbed Subcontract Cost and a credit to Received Not Invoiced. The second is a debit to Work in Process and a credit to Absorbed Subcontract Cost.

• In the case of descriptors not linked to jobs, a debit amount equal to the receipt cost is made to either a Misc Purchase Exception account or to your default Misc Purchases account and an offsetting credit is made to Received Not Invoiced.

PO Lines Grid

Receipt Qty • If this is a stock item, enter the amount received to the item’s Receipt

Location in this field or click the Pre-Fill button to copy the Remaining quantity into this field.

NOTE: If you wish to receive stock to a location other than the item’s Primary Location, or if the item requires characteristic values, you must make your entries in the Receipt Details sub-tab below rather than in this field.

• If this is a subcontract service or descriptor, enter the amount received in this field or click the Pre-Fill button to copy the Remaining quantity into this field.

Remaining This is the original order quantity less all receipts to date for this line item.

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Operating Guide 633

Line No This is the PO line number associated with this line item.

Reference ID, Description These fields identify the stock item, descriptor, or subcontract service being received.

Order Qty This is the original order quantity for this line item.

UM This is the unit of measure associated with the Order Qty.

Unit Cost This is the Unit Cost value from this PO line that will be the unit cost that gets applied to the receipt transaction. You can change this cost, if you wish.

NOTE: Any change you make to the cost here does not change the Unit Cost in the PO line. If the reason for the cost change was an incorrect cost and you expect to make future receipts, you should change the Unit Cost in the PO line.

Subcon Job If this is s subcontract service or descriptor linked to a job, that job number is displayed in this field.

Seq If this is a subcontract service or descriptor linked to a job, this is the job routing sequence associated with that job detail line.

Due Date This is the Due Date stored against this PO line, which is displayed for reference purposes.

Shortage OK If this line still has a remaining quantity, but you do not expect any further receipts, select this checkbox. This enables the PO line to be automatically closed after it is fully matched in the PO Invoices screen, even though the original order quantity has not been received.

Receipt Details Sub-Tab This tab is only visible when a stock item is selected above. This sub-tab is used to specify destination locations and characteristic values.

+ – By default, one line is presented in the grid below. Click the plus sign button to add additional lines if you are receiving stock to multiple locations or to specify multiple characteristic values. Click the minus sign button to delete lines.

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634 Operating Guide

Magnifying Glass Icon Click this icon to launch the Stock Status inquiry for this item.

Receipt Qty (Serialized Items) This field is only visible when the item requires serial number control. Enter the receipt quantity in this field or click the button in this field and you are presented with this screen:

Screen Details

Receipt Qty Enter the receipt quantity for the location specified at right.

Location All the serialized receipts that will be generated by this screen will be received into this location.

Serial No Enter the starting serial number. If this item is designed for automatic serial number generation in the Item Characteristics screen, the next available serial number is automatically inserted into this field.

OK Button When you click this button, the screen closes and serial numbers are automatically generated for the specified quantity. Each serial number gets its own line in the Receipt Details grid.


Received Qty Enter the receipt quantity associated with the location and characteristic values in the fields at right.

9-5. PO Receipts

Operating Guide 635






Characteristic Fields If the item is assigned to one or more tracking characteristics (such as lot or serial control), each characteristic is represented by its own field, which

9-5. PO Receipts

636 Operating Guide

is identified by the characteristic’s Description. You are required to enter a value against each characteristic, which, depending on the characteristic, can be a date, a number, a lookup on a table of allowable values, or freeform text.

Transactions Sub-Tab All previously updated receipt transactions for this item are displayed on this sub-tab.

Reverse Button Click this button to reverse a receipt transaction that was made in error. You are presented with this screen:

Screen Details All stock on hand for this item across all locations and characteristic sets is displayed in the grid.

Issued Qty This is the quantity of this item to be issued (returned) from stock back to the PO. It defaults either to the original transaction quantity or the current on hand quantity in the transaction location, whichever is lowest. You can accept the default quantity or enter a lower quantity, if you wish.

NOTE: The Issued Qty cannot exceed the current on hand quantity for this location. Once stock in this location has been picked for shipment or issued to jobs, it is not available for reversal.

Location This is the location from which the stock will be issued back to the job.

Primary This read-only checkbox is selected for reference when this location is the item’s default Primary Location, as designated in the Stock Items screen.

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Operating Guide 637

Stock Qty This is the current stock on hand quantity for this location.

Projected Qty This is the projected stock on hand for this location after this reversal transaction is processed.

Reverse Button Click this button to process this reversal transaction. The original transaction and the reversal transaction are both displayed in red text.

Batch History Tab Each time the Update process occurs, all the transactions associated with the update are assigned to a “batch” number. This POs receipt batches are listed on this tab.

Upper Panel


Dispatch Button This button is only visible when the Display Batch History checkbox is selected at left. You have the option of receiving stock on the Receipts tab before you physically transfer it to its destination location. After Update processing is completed, you can immediately access this tab and click this button to print a “dispatch list” to use as a guide for physically moving the stock to its final destination.

9-5. PO Receipts

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Receipt List Button Click this button to view or print a Receipt List for the selected batch, shown below, which lists all the details associated with the batch.

9-5. PO Receipts

Operating Guide 639

NOTE: Each receipt batch is identified with a sequentially assigned PO Receipt No.

Upper Grid All update batches for this PO are displayed in this grid.






NOTE: Each Batch No is unique such that no two POs ever have batches with the same batch numbers.




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Buttons

Label Click this button to print item labels for the selected transaction. You are first presented with this selection screen.

Screen Details

Upper Panel

Report Form Use the lookup in this field to select a label format. The default label format designated in the Forms Edit – PO Receipt Label screen is selected by default.

Select Characteristics to Print The tracking characteristics associated with this receipt transaction are listed in this panel and are selected by default for printing. If you don’t want a characteristic to be printed, clear its checkbox.



9-5. PO Receipts

Operating Guide 641







9-5. PO Receipts

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9-6. PO Invoices

Operating Guide 643

9-6. PO Invoices (Purch – PO Invoices)

Supplier invoices related to purchase orders are entered and matched with POs in this screen.

NOTE: Supplier invoices for bills and expenses that are not tied to purchase orders are entered in the AP – Supplier Invoices screen.


Segments: PO Invoices, PO Invoice Reversal, PO Closing, Returns

Why are invoices matched with POs? The invoice/PO matching process serves two purposes.

• First, it provides a formal means of comparing the supplier invoice with your PO to make sure that you were billed correctly.

• Secondly, whenever a line is closed (meaning that it is fully matched), and discrepancy between PO line receipt costs and invoice costs is posted to your RNI Adjustments account, which keeps your Received Not Invoiced account accurate.

List Tab Previously created PO Invoices are listed on this screen in descending invoice date order. You can view the detail behind any invoice by highlighting it and clicking the Detail tab.

Upper Panel

Non-Paid Invoices This checkbox is selected by default, which limits the list to PO invoices that have not yet been paid through the AP – Payment Processing screen.

NOTE: Non-paid PO invoices can be reversed. Once an invoice has been partially or fully paid, it cannot be reversed.

Partially Paid Invoices Select this checkbox if you wish to expand the list to include PO invoices that have been partially paid.

Fully Paid Invoices Select this checkbox if you wish to expand the list to include PO invoices that have been fully paid.

9-6. PO Invoices

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New Button Click this button to create a new PO invoice. You are taken to the Detail tab, which is cleared for new record entry.

Reverse Button Click this button to reverse the highlighted PO invoice. This deletes the PO invoice record and generates reversing entries in the General Ledger.

NOTE: You cannot reverse a PO invoice once it has been partially or fully paid.

Detail Tab You can enter a new PO invoice on this screen (by clicking New while on the List tab) or you can view the details of an existing PO invoice record.

Upper Panel

Supplier Select the Supplier from the lookup. Once the Supplier is selected, all PO lines that have been received but not yet invoiced are displayed in the lower grid.



PO Filter You can select a PO from the lookup to limit the lines in the lower grid to those belonging to that PO. The lookup lists all POs that have receipts that have no yet been invoiced.

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GL Post Date The Invoice Date is used for aging and payment processing purposes, whereas the GL Post Date, which defaults to today’s date, is the date used to record the invoice liability in the General Ledger. Only the GL Post Date is subject to the Financial Cutoff Date, so you are permitted to enter an Invoice Date that falls within a closed period.

Net Amt Enter the net invoice amount less tax and shipping.

NOTE: If you transact with this supplier in a foreign currency, enter this amount in the foreign currency.

Net Amt – Matched As each PO line gets matched in the lower grid, the Supp Price is added to the total in this read-only field.

Tax Enter the total tax amount in this field.


Tax – Matched As each PO line gets matched in the lower grid, the Tax Total is added to the total in this read-only field.

Shipping Enter the total shipping charges in this field.


Shipping – Matched As each Shipping Charges line gets created (and automatically matched) in the lower grid, the line’s Supp Price is added to the total in this read-only field.

Add Button Click this button to simultaneously create and match a Shipping Charges line in the grid below. You are presented with a screen with these entry fields:

PO Number When the invoice pertains to more than one PO, select the PO to which this Shipping Charges line will be added.

Tax Code You can accept the default or select the Tax Code that applies to this PO.

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Shipping Charges This defaults to the amount in the Shipping field at left. You can lower this amount, save this record, and add another shipping charges line to a different PO, if you wish.

Shipping Tax If the Tax Shipping option is selected against this Tax Code, tax is calculated and displayed in this field.

OK Click this button to create and match the Shipping Charges line in the grid below.

Invoice Total This read-only field is the sum of the Net Amt, Tax, and Shipping values.

Pay Reference The Invoice No is automatically inserted into this field and ultimately flows through to the printed check stub when this invoice is paid. You can override this with any text you wish.


Days, From Month End, Disc Days, Discount % These read-only fields display the details associated with the selected Supplier Terms code.


Currency This section is only visible if this supplier is assigned to a foreign currency. The Currency code is displayed, for reference purposes. All amounts entered or matched in this screen are to be done so in the foreign currency.

Lower Grid The lower grid is used to match invoice prices and tax amounts to PO lines.

PO Receipts Section PO receipt information is displayed in the left portion of the grid.

NOTE: Quantities and prices are displayed in the supplier’s unit of measure and currency so that it corresponds with the information presented on the supplier invoice.

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PO No This identifies the PO to which this line is associated.

Supplier Part No For matching purposes, the supplier’s part number is displayed. If one does not exist, the line’s Reference ID is displayed.

Supp Qty, UM This is the quantity received but not yet invoiced for this PO line, expressed in the supplier’s unit of measure.

Supp Price This is the PO line’s unit Supplier Price.

Supplier Invoice Section Supplier invoice related columns are displayed in the right portion of the grid and correspond to the columns in the PO Receipts section to the left.

Match By default the Supp Qty and Supp Price fields have identical values in the PO Receipts and Supplier Invoice sections. If the actual supplier invoice has different values, change the quantity or price in the Supplier Invoice section. If the Tax Total is not correct, change it. Once all the values in the Supplier Invoice section agree with the actual invoice, select this checkbox.

Matched Totals When the Match checkbox is selected, the Net Amt – Matched field in the upper panel is incremented by the Supp Qty multiplied by the Supp Price. The Tax – Matched field is incremented by the line’s Tax Total.

Supp Qty Change this amount if the quantity on the actual invoice differs from the default value.

What if the invoice quantity is not correct? If the supplier is billing you for a different quantity than you actually received, you have two options:

• Your first option is to cancel invoice entry, contact the supplier, and request a corrected invoice.

• Your second option is to enter the invoice as is and then request the supplier to issue you a credit memo or additional billing to correct for the quantity error.

9-6. PO Invoices

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Manually Closing a Line When the receipt quantity on a PO line is fully matched with the invoice quantity, the program automatically changes the line’s Line Status from ‘Open’ to ‘Closed’ when Update is clicked. If the invoice quantity is less than the quantity received (perhaps because the supplier sent you an overage amount at no charge), you can close the line by going to the Purchase Orders screen and manually changing the line’s Line Status to ‘Closed’.

Supp Price Change this amount if the price on the actual invoice differs from the default value.

NOTE: When you change the Supp Price, you are asked if you wish to change the item’s Last Cost. We recommend that you do so for accuracy purposes because the Last Cost is used as the next PO Unit Cost when no record exists in the Purchase Prices table.

What if the invoice price is not correct? If the supplier is billing you for an incorrect price, you have two options:

• Your first option is to cancel invoice entry, contact the supplier, and request a corrected invoice.

• Your second option is to enter the invoice as is and then request the supplier to issue you a credit memo or additional billing to correct for the pricing error.

Updating purchase prices If you maintain prices in the Purchase Prices – Items and Purchase Prices – Descriptors screens and you change the Supp Price in this screen, you can click the Links button to link to either of those screens to change the supplier / line item price record.

Inventory and job cost adjustments Be aware that when you change the Supp Price, the program does not retroactively change inventory and job costs. Whatever the supplier price was at the time of PO receipt is the cost that was used to update inventory or job costs. If a supplier price discrepancy is severe enough to warrant adjusting costs, your potential remedies are as follows:

• In the case of inventory, you can click the Links button and link to the Change Inventory Cost screen to change the item’s unit Inventory Cost. Be aware, however, that there is no guarantee that stock has not already been issued to jobs or shipped to customers

9-6. PO Invoices

Operating Guide 649

at the erroneous cost. If there is still stock on hand, its cost can be adjusted.

• In the case of jobs, you can correct the cost of a job line item as follows. Go to the Job Issues & Receipts screen and perform a reverse issue by entering a negative issue quantity against the item. Now that the item has been returned to stock, use the Change Inventory Cost screen to change its unit Inventory Cost. Now go back to the Job Issues & Receipts screen and issue the item to the job once again at the new cost.

Links Button Click this button to present a drop-down list, from which you can link to any of the following screens. After closing the linked screen, you are returned to this screen where you can resume invoice entry.

• Stock Items • Descriptors • Change Inventory Cost • Purchase Prices – Items • Purchase Prices – Descriptors • Suppliers

Update Button Click this button to create the PO invoice record. It only becomes an active button when all three Matched fields have equal values their corresponding fields at left (Net Amt, Tax, Shipping). Clicking this button does the following:

• A supplier invoice record is created. The invoice is listed in the Supplier Invoices and Payment Processing screens.

• In regards to GL posting, matched invoice amounts are debited to Received Not Invoiced, tax totals are debited to Purchase Tax, and shipping amounts are debited to PO Shipping Cost. The offsetting credit entry is to Accounts Payable.

• If a PO line’s total invoiced quantity matches its order quantity, its Line Status is changed from ‘Open’ to ‘Closed’.

• When a PO line gets closed, the program compares total receipt costs with total invoice costs and posts any difference to your RNI Adjustments account, which keeps your Received Not Invoiced account balance accurate.

Credit Card Payment Prompt If this invoice’s Payment Terms is specified as a ‘Credit Card’ type in the Supplier Terms screen, you are prompted to record your payment. If you click Yes to the prompt, the Payment Processing screen is presented. The Payment Type, Bank Account, and Pay Amt fields are pre-filled. Click the Pay button and your credit card payment will be processed.

9-7. Purchase Prices – Items

650 Operating Guide

9-7. Purchase Prices – Items (Purch – Purchase Prices – Items)

Purchase prices can be established by supplier for specific stock items.

PO Pricing Hierarchy When POs are automatically generated or manually entered, the Supplier Price is determined by the following hierarchy:

• First, the program looks for a supplier price in the Purchase Prices – Items screen. If a current supplier price is found, it is used as the Supplier Price in the PO line.

• If a supplier price is not found, the item’s Last Cost is inserted into the PO line’s Unit Cost field, which automatically updates the PO line’s Supplier Price value.

Field Explanations

Supplier Select the supplier to which this price applies.

Item ID Select the stock item to which this price applies.

Purchase Price Enter the supplier’s price.

NOTE: During PO entry this price is multiplied by the Multiplier stored against this item/supplier in the Sources tab of the Stock Items screen to update the PO line’s Unit Cost. This accommodates situations where the supplier sells in a different unit of measure than your stocking unit of measure.

From Date This is a mandatory entry field that defines the date when the supplier price becomes effective. It is pre-filled with the system date but can be overridden if desired.

9-7. Purchase Prices – Items

Operating Guide 651

Thru Date This date establishes an expiration date for the supplier price. If an expiration date is not applicable, leave this field blank.

Notes You can enter freeform text for reference purposes on this screen.

9-8. Purchase Prices – Descriptors

652 Operating Guide

9-8. Purchase Prices – Descriptors (Purch – Purchase Prices – Descriptors)

Purchase prices can be established by supplier for specific descriptors.

PO Pricing Hierarchy When POs are automatically generated or manually entered, the Supplier Price is determined by the following hierarchy:

• First, the program looks for a supplier price in the Purchase Prices – Descriptors screen. If a current supplier price is found, it is used as the Supplier Price in the PO line.

• If a supplier price is not found, the descriptor’s Estimated Cost is inserted into the PO line’s Unit Cost field, which automatically updates the PO line’s Supplier Price value.

Field Explanations

Supplier Select the supplier to which this price applies.

Descriptor Select the descriptor to which this price applies.

Purchase Price Enter the supplier’s price.

From Date This is a mandatory entry field that defines the date when the supplier price becomes effective. It is pre-filled with the system date but can be overridden if desired.

Thru Date This date establishes an expiration date for the supplier price. If an expiration date is not applicable, leave this field blank.

7-9. Purchasing Reports

Operating Guide 653


9-9A. PO Print / Reprint (Purch – Reports – PO Print / Reprint)

Use this option to print a PO as an alternative to using the Print PO button on the Purchase Orders screen.

9-9B. PO Listing (Purch – Reports – PO Listing)

This report provides a listing of open or closed purchase orders in summary or detail mode.

9-9C. PO Receipts (Purch – Reports – PO Receipts)

This report provides a listing of purchase order receipts, broken out by purchase order.

9-9D. Received Not Invoiced (Purch – Reports – Received Not Invoiced)

This report provides a listing of PO lines that have been received but not yet matched with supplier invoices in the PO Invoices screen.

NOTE: The total value on this report should agree with the value of your Received Not Invoiced account.


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9-9E. Purchases by Item / Descriptor (Purch – Reports – Purchases by Item / Descriptor)

This report provides a history of purchases within selected stock items and descriptors.

9-9F. Purchases by Supplier (Purch – Reports – Purchases by Supplier)

This report provides a history of purchases by selected suppliers.

10. Notes (Notes & Documents)

Operating Guide 655

10. Notes (Notes & Documents) On the Notes menu you will find all screens and reports related to Activity Notes, and the Documents Directory. Menu options are as follows:

Notes Notes & Documents Setup • Activity Note Types • Activity Analysis Codes • Document Groups • Documents Directory Setup

Main Menu • My Action List • Activity Notes • Action Report • Documents Directory

10-1. Activity Notes

656 Operating Guide

10-1. Activity Notes ‘Activity notes’ provide a contact management capability whereby you can record contact events and schedule follow-up events. Unlike contact managers, which are usually confined to customers and prospects, you can also use activity notes in relation to suppliers, jobs, items, and descriptors.

Activity Notes Setup

Activity Note Types (Notes – Notes & Documents Setup – Activity Note Types)

Use this screen to create ‘activity note types’, which allow you to organize your activity notes into meaningful categories for sorting and analysis purposes. For example, SALES could be used for sales calls, OVERDUE could be used for follow-up on overdue accounts, and PROJECT could be used for notes related to internal projects.

Activity Analysis Codes (Notes – Notes & Documents Setup – Activity Analysis Codes)


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Use this screen to create ‘activity analysis codes’, which provide a further level of categorization within activity note types. These codes can be used for analytical purposes.

Entering a new activity note (Notes – Activity Notes Screen)

To enter a new activity note, go to the Activity Notes Screen and click the New button, which starts a new line in the grid where you can enter the following fields:

Source This field is used as a filter on the Activity Notes Action Report and lets you know to which of the following the note is related:

• Job • General (nothing specific) • Customer • Supplier • Item • Descriptor

Reference Depending on the Source selection, this field is used for selection of the particular customer, supplier, item, etc. If the Source is ‘General’, no lookup is provided and you can enter any reference you wish.

Note Type Note Types are user-defined in the Notes – Activity Notes Setup – Activity Note Types screen. These enable you to organize your activity notes into meaningful categories for sorting and analysis purposes. For example, SALES could be used for sales calls, OVERDUE could be used for follow-up on overdue accounts, and PROJECT could be used for notes related to internal projects.


658 Operating Guide

Action Date This is the date that follow-up action is to take place. This may be the date you plan on making a sales or collection call, to check with a supplier on a delivery, to see the status of an engineering change, etc.

Description This is a short description of the activity note that is a reference on screens and reports.

Responsibility This is the worker number of the person who is responsible for resolving whatever tasks are associated with the activity note.

Creation Date The date the activity note was first created. This lets you know how old the activity note is.

Notes You can click on the icon in this field to display a notepad within which you can enter text to document the activity note.

Status An activity note can have a Status of ‘Open’ or ‘Closed’ or you can enter freeform text to create your own status. The bottom panel of the screen contains checkboxes that enable you to filter the screen list by ‘Open’, ‘Closed’, and ‘Other’ status. Freeform text status falls under the ‘Other’ category.

Analysis Code This is a user-defined code created in the Notes – Activity Notes Setup – Activity Analysis Codes screen, which provides a further level of categorization within activity note types. These codes can be used for analytical purposes.

Duration This field has no current use.


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Accessing and creating notes from other screens In each of the following screens, you can click the Notes button to see any open activity notes for that particular source. While in that screen, you can click the New button to create a new activity note. The program will automatically populate the Source field with the associated item, job, customer, supplier, etc.

• Customers • Suppliers • Jobs • Sales Orders • Stock Items • Descriptors

Activity Notes Action Report (Notes – Action Report) Use this report to get a listing of activity notes, usually for follow-up purposes, but it can also be used for historical reporting on closed activity notes. You can limit the report to a range of action dates, to all status notes or just open or closed notes, and you can selectively include notes from any or all note sources.


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My Action List (Notes – My Action List)

In the Admin – User Setup screen, each user can be assigned to a Linked Worker, which links that user to a worker record in the Jobs - Workers screen. Each activity note is assigned to a worker number in the Responsible field. When a user clicks on the My Action List, all open activity notes assigned to his or her linked worker number are displayed on the screen. This provides a convenient means for each user to quickly view his or her task list.

10-2. Documents Directory

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10-2. Documents Directory Overview The ‘Documents Directory’ provides a document management capability that lets you organize and store company documents (policy manuals, technical guides, drawings, contracts, etc.) on the file server with password-protected access permissions for your personnel. The Documents Directory consists of the following elements.

Document Groups Each document will be assigned to a ‘document group’ set up in the Document Group Setup screen, which enables you to organize documents into logical categories for retrieval and security purposes.

Documents Directory On the Documents Directory Entry screen, each document is assigned to a document group and is given a path to its location on the central file server.

User Setup On the Document Groups tab of the User Setup screen, each user is assigned to appropriate document groups. This determines which groups will be visible to the user on the Documents Directory screen.

Documents Directory Screen The Documents Directory screen is where actual viewing of the documents takes place. The user selects a document group, highlights a document, then clicks the View button to view the document on the screen and print it out, if desired.

Document Group Setup (Notes – Notes & Documents Setup – Document Group Setup)

Each Documents Directory document will be assigned to a ‘document group’ set up in the Document Group Setup screen, which enables you to organize documents into logical categories for retrieval and security purposes.


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Each group of documents is given an up to 30-character Group ID and accompanying Group Name.

Documents Directory Entry (Admin – Documents Directory)

Each Documents Directory document will be assigned to a document group and given a path to its location on this screen. Select a Document Group to which this document will be assigned. Enter the Description of the document that will be displayed within the Documents Directory screen. In the Doc Path field, enter the full path to the document’s location on the file server. You can click the Browse button and navigate to the location.


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Documents Directory Screen (Notes – Documents Directory)

The ‘Documents Directory’ provides a document management capability that lets you organize and store company documents (policy manuals, technical guides, drawings, contracts, etc.) on the file server with password-protected access permissions for your personnel. Actual viewing of documents takes place on this screen. The user will see only those documents groups to which he or she is assigned on the Document Groups tab of the User Setup Screen. To view a document, double click on a document group (identified with a ‘book’ icon), then highlight the document you wish to view and click the View button.

NOTE: The opening process uses the registered File Types identified in ‘Folder Options’ on the Control Panel of your PC to determine which program to run to display the document. For example, a *.doc file runs Microsoft Word, a *.pdf runs Acrobat Reader, etc.


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11. AR (Accounts Receivable)

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11. AR (Accounts Receivable) On the AR menu you will find all screens and reports related to Accounts Receivable. Menu options include:

AR Accounts Receivable Setup • Payment Types

Main Menu • Customer Payments • Customer Deposits • Customer Statements

Data Views • Customer Aging

Reports • Payment Report • Customer Transactions • Customer Detail Aging • Customer Summary Aging • Customer Past Due Aging

Training Course Support Center – Videos–How Do I? – Accounts Receivable Training Course

11-1. Accounts Receivable Setup

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11-1. Accounts Receivable Setup

11-1A. AR Payment Types (AR – Accounts Receivable Setup – AR Payment Types)

User-defined payment types are used to classify and control the processing of customer payments. Whenever you receive a customer payment, you must specify the payment type.

Field Explanations

Payment Type Enter an up to 10-character code to identify the payment type on lookups and screens.

Description You can enter an up to 50-character description to accompany the Payment Type on lookups.

Method Four options are available:

CHECK Select this option for customer payments made by check.

CCARD Select this option for customer payments made by credit card.

FILE Select this option for customer payments made by electronic file transfer.

CASH Select this option for customer payments made by cash.

11-2. Customer Payments

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11-2. Customer Payments (AR – Customer Payments)

This screen is used to enter customer payments against open invoices.

Training Videos Support Center – Videos–How Do I? – Accounts Receivable Training Course

Segments: Customer Payment, Over Payment, Payment Reversal

How are credit memos created? Credit memos are sometimes needed to make adjustments to a customer’s account. Credit memos are created in the Sales Orders screen by entering a descriptor for a negative Price. You should set up a descriptor for each type of credit memo transaction you need. When you generate the invoice from the sales order, the negative amount converts it into a credit memo. GL posting is handled through each descriptor’s Item Category, which can be mapped to a specific GL account via the Sales – Exceptions tab in the Account Assignments screen.

How are customer refunds processed? In order to send a customer a cash refund, the customer must be set up as a supplier and paid through Accounts Payable. See chapter 6A, RMA Processing, for details on the steps involved in this process.

List Tab Previous payments are listed on this screen, most recent Pay Date first. To view the details of any payment, highlight the payment and click the Details tab.

New Button Click this button to enter a new customer payment. You are taken to the Details tab, which is cleared for new payment entry.

Reverse Button Click this button to reverse a customer payment. After you confirm that you wish to reverse the payment, you are asked “Is this an NSF check?” If you are reversing the payment because the bank returned the check due to insufficient funds, click Yes. If you are reversing the payment because you made an error, click No.

NOTE: You cannot reverse a non-NSF payment if it is already assigned to a deposit record in the Bank Deposits screen. You must first go to that screen and reverse the bank deposit, then you can return to this screen and reverse the customer payment.


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Processing • The original payment record is given a Status of ‘Reversed-NSF’ or

‘Reversed’.

• A reversal payment record is created that is identical to the original record except it has a negative amount. The reversal record is assigned today’s date and is given a Status of ‘Reversal-NSF’ or ‘Reversal’. Reversing entries are posted to the general ledger.

• If this is an NSF reversal, the reversal payment record flows through to the Account Reconciliation screen for matching to the bank statement.

Details Tab

Upper Panel

Customer Select the Customer from the lookup. Once selection is made, the customer’s open invoices display in the lower grid.

Payment Date This defaults to today’s date, but you can make an alternate selection if you wish.

Payment or Deposit This radio button choice is only visible when unapplied deposits (created in the Customer Deposits screen) exist against this customer. If you select Deposit, the unapplied deposits for the customer display in a panel below the Customer field. Highlight a deposit and enter the amount to be applied in the field to the right. Click the Apply Deposit button and that amount is inserted into the Payment Amount field. You can then apply that amount to specific invoices in the lower grid.


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Payment Type Select the appropriate Payment Type from the lookup. This defaults to the Customer Payment Type setting from the Admin – System Defaults screen.

Banking Account Select the banking account to which the payment will be deposited. This defaults to the Customer Payment Bank Account setting from the Admin – System Defaults screen.

Pay Ref (Check No) You must enter a reference to help identify this payment. If the customer is paying by check, enter the check number in this field.

Balance Information

Payment Amount Enter the total amount of the payment in this field.

Total This read-only amount gets updated each time entries are made in the Amount to Pay, Discount, and Rounding fields in the lower grid.

Balance to be Matched This read-only field displays the balance of the Payment Amount at left that has not yet been matched with entries in the Amount to Pay column.

NOTE: Discounts and Rounding do not affect this amount.

Grid Columns

Invoice No, Invoice Date, Due Date These read-only fields help you identify the invoices to which the payment is to be applied.

Invoice Amount This read-only field displays the original invoice amount.

Balance to Pay This is the original invoice total less all previous payments that have been made against this invoice.

Pay Select this checkbox if you want to copy the Balance to Pay amount into the Amount to Pay field.

Amount to Pay Enter the portion of the actual Payment Amount that is to be applied towards this invoice.

Discount If the customer has taken a discount for early payment, enter the discount amount in this field.


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Writing off an invoice If you wish to write off an invoice for non-payment, you have two options. The easiest option is to enter the full amount of the invoice in the Discount field. This will write off the invoice to your AR Discounts Taken account. If you wish to write off the invoice to your Bad Debt Expense account, you must create a credit memo by entering a sales order for a “bad debt” descriptor with a negative Price equal to the value of the invoice. Once you have created the credit memo, return to this screen. Enter a zero Payment Amount and enter the full Amount to Pay against the invoice and the credit memo, which applies one against the other.

Mapping the “bad debt” descriptor The “bad debt” descriptor must post to your Bad Debt Expense account, which is done through its Item Category. Create an Item Category specifically for bad debt expense. The Item Category can then be mapped to your Bad Debt Expense account via the Sales – Exceptions sub-tab in the Account Assignments screen.

Rounding It is common for some payments to be a few cents off from the actual amount owing, especially when discounts are calculated by different accounting systems. In the Main Setup screen there is a Tolerance Value setting for payment rounding. If the Balance to Pay less the Amount to Pay and Discount values is within your tolerance value, the Rounding amount is calculated and applied in order to close out this invoice.

Update Button When you are finished distributing the Payment Amount and the Balance to be Matched is zero, click this button to process the payment.

11-3. Customer Deposits

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11-3. Customer Deposits (AR – Customer Deposits)

It is common in manufacturing environments for customers to make advance payments, especially for custom or made to order products. You can enter a customer deposit, link it to a sales order, reference it on the invoice, and automatically apply the deposit to the invoice.


Segments: Customer Deposit, Applying a Deposit, Reversing a Deposit, Deposit Refund

Deposits are linked to sales orders Each deposit is linked to a sales order so that is can be referenced and applied to the invoice(s) that ultimately get generated from that sales order.

Applying deposits to invoices There are two ways to apply the deposit to the invoice: automatically at time of invoicing, or manually after invoice printing.

Applying deposits automatically During invoice creation, the program checks to see if there are any outstanding deposits entered against the sales order. If so, you are presented with this message:

There is an existing deposit held against this Customer. Do you wish to apply the deposit now?

If yes, the deposit will automatically be applied against the invoice, saving you from having to do so manually. When you print the invoice, the Deposit Amount and the Net Amt Due are both printed to the left of the invoice total.

Applying deposits manually Deposits can be manually applied to invoices in the Customer Payments screen. Refer to the previous chapter for details.

List Tab Customer deposits that have not been fully applied to invoices are listed on this screen by default. If you wish to view past deposits that have been fully applied, select the Show All checkbox in the lower panel.

New Button Click this button to create a new customer deposit transaction. You are taken to the Detail tab, which is cleared for new entries.


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Reverse Button Click this button to reverse a deposit. After you confirm that you wish to reverse the deposit, you are asked “Is this an NSF check?” If you are reversing the deposit because the bank returned the check due to insufficient funds, click Yes. If you are reversing the deposit because you made an error, click No.

NOTE: You cannot reverse a non-NSF deposit if it is already assigned to a deposit record in the Bank Deposits screen. You must first go to that screen and reverse the bank deposit, then you can return to this screen and reverse the customer deposit.

Processing • The original deposit record is flagged as ‘Reversed’ and a reversal

entry is posted to the general ledger.

• If this is an NSF reversal, the reversed deposit record flows through to the Account Reconciliation screen for matching to the bank statement.

Refund Button Click this button when you wish to refund all or a portion of the deposit in the form of an AP payment. You are prompted to enter the amount to be returned, followed by a prompt for the transaction date. You are then presented with a screen that provides the following instructions:

Additional Steps You must perform these additional steps in order to generate the refund payment.

1. Set the customer up as a supplier in the Suppliers screen. 2. Create an invoice in the Supplier Invoices screen for the amount of

the refund. NOTE: Make sure you charge this invoice to your AR Discounts Taken account.

3. Select the supplier invoice for payment through the Payment Processing screen in the normal fashion.

Report Button You can print out the highlighted deposit by clicking this button. This report could be given to the customer as a receipt record.


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Detail Tab

Deposit Detail

Deposit No This is a sequential number assigned by the system that identifies the deposit record.

Deposit Date This defaults to today’s date.

Customer Select the customer from the lookup that submitted the deposit.

Payment Type Select a Payment Type from the lookup.

Banking Account Select a banking account to which the payment will be deposited.

Pay Ref (Check No) You must enter a reference to help identify this payment. If the customer is paying by check, enter the check number in this field.

Sales Order No Select the sales order to which this deposit is linked. This is an optional field.

Original Deposit Amount Enter the total amount of the deposit in this field.

Applied Amount This read-only field displays the total amount of this deposit that has been applied to invoices.

Returned Amount This read-only field displays the total amount of this deposit that has been returned to the customer via the Refund button.


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Deposit Notes You can enter freeform notes for internal reference purposes.

11-4. Customer Statements

Operating Guide 675

11-4. Customer Statements (AR – Customer Statements)

You can periodically send reminder statements to customers that list their open invoices and remaining amounts due. In the Customers screen you can select the Receives Statement checkbox to control which customers are to receive statements or not.

Training Video Support Center – Videos–How Do I? – Accounts Receivable Training Course

Segment: Customer Statement

Printing Statements You can select a from/thru range of Customers if you wish to limit the statements to one or a range of customers.

You can enter an Up to Date, which displays the customer’s account status on the statement as of the date entered. You can then select whether you want the invoices on the statement to be sorted in Invoice No or Invoice Date order. Before and after you print statements, you are asked:

Do you wish to mark fully paid invoices so they will not appear again? If yes, all fully paid invoices will not display on future statements.

11-5. AR Data Views

676 Operating Guide

11-5. AR Data Views (AR – Data Views)


AR Data Views One data view is provided on the AR menu:

Customer Aging Use this data view to list open invoices grouped by customer. Standard layouts include:

• Customer Detail Aged by Invoice Date

Selection Screen



11-5. AR Data Views

Operating Guide 677







11-5. AR Data Views

678 Operating Guide

Data View Screen



Grouping You can create list groupings by dragging a column heading into the header panel above the column headings. For example, if you drag a Customer Name column heading into the header panel, the lines are then grouped by customer. You can even have a group within a group. For example, you could drag a PO No column heading into the header panel, which would form a PO number sub-group within each customer.




11-5. AR Data Views

Operating Guide 679





Customize Button






11-5. AR Data Views

680 Operating Guide


Layout List Button






Save Layout Button


11-5. AR Data Views

Operating Guide 681




11-6. AR Reports

682 Operating Guide

11-6. AR Reports

11-6A. Payment Report (AR – Reports – Payment Report)

This report provides a listing of payment transactions grouped by Payment Type.

11-6B. Customer Transactions (AR – Reports – Customer Transactions)

This report provides you with a listing of customer invoices and payments within any date range.

11-6C. Customer Detail Aging (AR – Reports – Customer Detail Aging)

This report provides a detailed listing of open invoices by customer and can be run for any ‘as of’ date.

11-6D. Customer Summary Aging (AR – Reports – Customer Summary Aging)

This report gives you a summarized total of receivables for each customer.

11-6E. Customer Past Due Aging (AR – Reports – Customer Past Due Aging)

This report gives you a listing by customer of open invoice amounts that are past due in relation to the payment terms due date.

12. AP (Accounts Payable)

Operating Guide 683

12. AP (Accounts Payable) The AP menu is where you find all screens and reports related to Accounts Payable. Menu options include:

AP Accounts Payable Setup • Payment Types

Main Menu • Supplier Invoices • Recurring Invoices • Payment Processing • Payments Register • Misc Credit Card Charges • Credit Card Payment

Data Views • Supplier Aging

Reports • Payments Due • Supplier Detail Aging • Supplier Summary Aging • Supplier Past Due Aging • 1099 Tax Form

Training Course Support Center – Videos–How Do I? – Accounts Payable Training Course

12-1. Accounts Payable Setup

684 Operating Guide

12-1. Accounts Payable Setup

12-1A. AP Payment Types (AP – Accounts Payable Setup – AP Payment Types)

User-defined payment types are used to classify and control the processing of supplier payments. Whenever you make a supplier payment, you must specify the payment type.

Field Explanations

Payment Type Enter an up to 10-character code to identify the payment type on lookups and screens.

Description You can enter an up to 50-character description to accompany the Payment Type on lookups.

Method Three options are available:

PRINT Select this option if this payment type’s transactions are to be paid by printed check.

MANUAL Select this option if this payment type’s transactions are to be paid by manual check.

FILE Select this option if this payment type’s transactions are to be paid by electronic file transfer.

CCARD Select this option if this payment type’s transactions are to be paid by credit card.

12-2. Supplier Invoices

Operating Guide 685

12-2. Supplier Invoices (AP – Supplier Invoices)

This screen is used to enter supplier invoices that are not related to purchase orders. Invoice amounts can be distributed across an unlimited number of GL accounts. Invoices can be immediately paid from the screen (such as by manual check).

Training Videos Support Center – Videos–How Do I? – Accounts Payable Training Course

Segments: Supplier Invoices, PO Invoices, Supplier Invoice Reversal, Supplier Credit Memo

List Tab Previously created supplier invoices are listed on this screen in descending invoice date order. You can view the detail behind any invoice by highlighting it and clicking the Detail tab.

PO invoices are included Supplier invoices created in the PO Invoices screen are also included in the list so that you get a complete listing of all invoices in one screen. When you view the Detail tab on an invoice created in the PO Invoices screen, you will notice that in the lower distribution grid there is no GL Account column because PO-related invoices are matched to line items, not to accounts.

Lower Panel

Non-Paid Invoices This checkbox is selected by default, which limits the list to supplier invoices that have not yet been paid through the AP – Payment Processing screen.

NOTE: Non-paid supplier invoices can be reversed. Once an invoice has been partially or fully paid, it cannot be reversed.

Partially Paid Invoices Select this checkbox if you wish to expand the list to include supplier invoices that have been partially paid.

Fully Paid Invoices Select this checkbox if you wish to expand the list to include supplier invoices that have been fully paid.

New Button Click this button to create a new supplier invoice. You are taken to the Detail tab, which is cleared for new record entry.


686 Operating Guide

NOTE: Make sure that the supplier invoice is not related to a PO. If it is, enter it in the PO Invoices screen instead.

Edit Button Click this button to change the due date on an existing supplier invoice. You are taken to the Detail tab where you can change the Due Date, Payment Terms, and Supplier Invoice Notes. Your changes are saved when you exit the tab.

NOTE: You cannot edit a supplier invoice once it has been partially or fully paid.

Reverse Button Click this button to reverse the highlighted supplier invoice. This deletes the invoice record and generates reversing entries in the General Ledger.

NOTE: You cannot reverse a supplier invoice once it has been partially or fully paid.

Pay Button Click this button if you wish to pay the highlighted supplier invoice. You are linked to the Payment Processing screen, where you will find this invoice selected for payment.

Detail Tab You can enter a new supplier invoice on this screen (by clicking New while on the List tab) or you can view the details of an existing supplier invoice record.

General Information

Supplier Select the Supplier from the lookup.



Operating Guide 687


GL Post Date The Invoice Date is used for aging and payment processing purposes, whereas the GL Post Date, which defaults to today’s date, is the date used to record the invoice liability in the General Ledger. Only the GL Post Date is subject to the Financial Cutoff Date, so you are permitted to enter an Invoice Date that falls within a closed period.

Pay Ref If you leave this field blank, the invoice number will print on the check stub when this invoice gets paid. If you enter text in this field, that text will print instead of the invoice number.

Net Amt Enter the net invoice amount less tax.

Tax Amt The Tax Amt is automatically calculated based on the percentage rate associated with the Tax Code, but you can override the amount, if needed.

Invoice Total This read-only field is the sum of the Net Amt and Tax Amt.

Tax Code This defaults to the Tax Code stored against this supplier. When there is no Tax Code against the supplier, the system default Tax Code – Purchases is used.

Payment & Selection Amts This section of the screen shows you the totals of your payments and entries in the distribution grid.

Paid Amt, Discounts Taken If you’ve made any payments against this supplier invoice, they are reflected in these two fields.

Pay Hold Amt, Distribution Amt These two fields reflect the totals of your entries in the distribution grid.

Un-Matched This field displays the difference between the Invoice Total in the header panel and the Distributed Amt. You are not permitted to save the invoice until this amount reaches zero.


688 Operating Guide

Payment Terms



Days, From End of Month, Discount %, Discount Days These read-only fields display the details associated with the selected Supplier Terms code.

Distribution Grid The invoice amount is allocated to one or more GL accounts in the distribution grid in the bottom portion of the screen. To make an entry, click the New button to the right of the grid.

GL Account If this supplier has a Default GL Account in its master record, that default account will automatically display in this field. You can make an alternate selection from the lookup, if you wish.

Bank & Credit Card Accounts You are not allowed to select an account that is assigned as the Asset account to a bank account or the Liability account to a credit card account. If you wish to transfer funds from one bank account to another, use the Bank Account Transfer screen. If you wish to make a payment against a credit card, use the Credit Card Payment screen.

Net Amt The program assumes that a single account distribution is being made and automatically inserts the Net Amt from the upper panel into this field. You can reduce this amount if you wish to distribute to multiple accounts.

Tax Amt The program assumes that a single account distribution is being made and automatically inserts the Tax Amt from the upper panel into this field. If you change the Net Amt at left, this amount automatically changes based on the percentage rate associated with the Tax Code in the upper panel.

Total Amt This read-only field is the sum of the Net Amt and Tax Amt.

Pay Hold If you do not wish for all or a portion of this invoice to be paid at this time (perhaps because of a dispute with the supplier), you can select this


Operating Guide 689

checkbox, which prevents this line’s amount from being selected and paid in the Payment Processing screen.

Reference You can enter a short note against this line for reference purposes on this screen only.

Supplier Invoice Notes You can enter freeform notes in this panel for reference on this screen only.

Buttons

Update Click this button to save the supplier invoice and post the distribution amounts to the general ledger.

Credit Card Payment Prompt If this invoice’s Payment Terms is specified as a ‘Credit Card’ type in the Supplier Terms screen, you are prompted to record your payment. If you click Yes to the prompt, the Payment Processing screen is presented. The Payment Type, Banking Account, and Pay Amt fields are pre-filled. Click the Pay button and your credit card payment will be processed.

Payments Tab On the Payments tab are listed all payments made against the supplier invoice currently highlighted on the List tab.

12-3. Recurring Invoices

690 Operating Guide

12-3. Recurring Invoices (AP – Recurring Invoices)

Use this screen to enter and generate supplier invoices that have fixed, recurring amounts, such as rent, loan payments, etc. Periodically you will review your recurring invoices for transfer, which converts them into actual supplier invoices. Most typically this will be done once a month.


Segments: Recurring Invoice Transfer, Recurring Invoice Creation

Screen Details The screen is divided into two panels. The upper panel displays all your recurring invoices and is used to select and transfer them to actual supplier invoices. The lower panel displays the details associated with each recurring invoice.

Upper Grid All your recurring invoices are listed in the upper grid where they can be selected for transfer, which converts them into actual invoices.

Invoice ID This read-only field identifies the recurring invoice.

Next Pay Date The Next Pay Date from the lower panel is displayed here for reference. This is the next scheduled pay date for this recurring invoice.

Invoice No Each time you transfer this invoice to an actual invoice, you must type in an invoice number. If there is no invoice number provide by the supplier, type in one of your own, perhaps using today’s date as the number.


Operating Guide 691

Trans Amount This is the Default Amount from the lower panel and is the amount that will be transferred to the actual invoice. You can change this amount on any particular transfer, if you wish.

Invoice Date This is the invoice date that will be assigned to the supplier invoice that gets created. By default, this is made equal to the Next Pay Date, but you can change it, if you wish.

Transfer Select this checkbox against any recurring invoice you wish to transfer to an actual supplier invoice.

Supplier This is the recurring invoice supplier.

Lower Panel The recurring invoice details are entered and maintained in the lower panel.

Invoice ID Enter a code that identifies the recurring invoice in the upper grid.

Description Enter an up to 50-character description to further identify the recurring invoice.

GL Account Select an account from the lookup to which this recurring invoice is to be charged.

Supplier Select the supplier associated with this recurring invoice.

Tax Code This defaults to the Tax Code stored against this supplier. If one is not stored against the supplier, the system default Purchase Tax Code is used.

Frequency From the drop-down list, select the interval at which this invoice is to be generated. You have a choice of ‘Weekly’, ‘Monthly’, ‘Quarterly’, ‘Yearly’, and ‘Other’.

NOTE: If you select ‘Other’, you must manually set the Next Pay Date each time you transfer the invoice.

Default Amount Enter the total amount of the invoice, including tax.


692 Operating Guide

Last Transaction Each time this invoice is transferred to an actual invoice, this date is incremented by the Frequency interval. You can adjust this date if needed.

Next Pay Date Each time this invoice is transferred to an actual invoice, this date is incremented by adding the Frequency interval to the Last Transaction date.

NOTE: If you had selected a Frequency of ‘Other’, you must manually set this date each time you transfer the invoice.

Recurring Invoice Notes You can enter freeform notes for reference purposes on this screen only.

New Button Click this button to create a new recurring invoice. The fields in the lower panel are cleared for new entries.

Transfer Button Click this button to transfer all recurring invoices in the upper grid that have the Transfer checkbox selected. This converts them to actual supplier invoices (which can be viewed in the Supplier Invoices screen) and increments the Last Transaction and Next Pay Date fields in the lower panel.

12-4. Payment Processing

Operating Guide 693

12-4. Payment Processing (AP – Payment Processing)

Use this screen to select supplier invoices or payment and to make payment them by check or electronic transfer.


Segments: Payment Selection, Applying a Credit Memo, Check Printing, EFT Payment, Manual Check

Upper Panel

Payment Date This defaults to today’s date, but you can select another date if you wish.

Pay All with Due Dates thru If you want to automatically select all invoices through a specific due date, select a date in this field. The Pay field in the selection grid will be selected for all invoices that fall within this date range. You can individually de-select the Pay column for any exceptions.

Pay All within Discount Period If you want to pay all invoices that are currently eligible for a discount (meaning the discount due date has not yet expired), select this checkbox. The Pay field in the selection grid will be selected for invoices that qualify for discounts.

Payment Type You must a select a Payment Type to determine whether this batch of payments is to be paid by check, credit card, etc.


694 Operating Guide

Bank Account Select the Bank Account from which this payment batch is to be paid.

Net Pay Total This read-only field displays the total value all invoices selected for payment in the selection grid.

Selection Grid All open invoices with remaining unpaid amounts are displayed in the selection grid.

Due Date This is the date the invoice is due for payment.

Remaining Amt This is the unpaid amount remaining against this invoice.

Pay Select this checkbox to select an invoice for payment. The Remaining Amt is transferred to the Pay Amt field and if the invoice is eligible for a discount, an entry is made to the Discount Amt field.

Pay Amt This is the total amount, including any discount amount that you intend to pay. Reduce this amount if you wish to pay a portion of the Remaining Amt.

Discount Amt This is the portion of the Pay Amt that will be taken for paying within the Discount Days associated with this supplier’s payment terms. If you wish to see the payment terms detail, click the Drill Down button to view the supplier invoice record.

Net Pay Amt This is the actual payment amount to be made, which is the Discount Amt subtracted from the Pay Amt.

Supplier, Invoice No, Invoice Date These read-only fields help you identify the invoice.

NOTE: If you wish to sort the screen by supplier, click the Supplier column heading.

Pay Reference You can enter a 25-character note internal reference purposes.

Pay Button Click this button to pay the selected invoices. You are presented with the Payment Preview screen.

Payment Preview Screen


Operating Guide 695

This screen displays all the invoices selected and their payment amounts and gives you a chance to review them before continuing with payment processing.

Payment Type Method This field displays the method of payment associated with this Payment Type.

• ‘PRINT’ means that you are paying by check.

• ‘MANUAL’ means that you will write a manual check.

• ‘FILE’ means that you are paying by electronic file transfer.

Reverse If you wish to exclude a selected invoice from the payment group, select its Reverse checkbox.

Register Button Click this to print a Check Register List, which is a listing of the invoices selected for payment.

Print Checks Button This button is visible when the Payment Type Method is ‘PRINT’. You are presented with the Pay Date & Starting Check No screen.

Pay Date & Starting Check No Screen


696 Operating Guide

Check Print Date This defaults to the Payment Date that was selected on the main screen. You can change it here, if you wish. This will be the GL posting date of the payment transactions.

Starting Check No You can change the Starting Check No if needed, which defaults to the next check number stored against the Bank Account.

OK Click this button to continue. You are next presented with the Print Checks screen.

Print Checks Screen This screen provides a preview of the check run. It displays each Check No, the Supplier, and the Payment Amt.

Print Checks Button Click this button to print the checks. After checks are printed, you are presented with the Check Posting screen.

Check Printing Formats Several check printing formats are available and can be modified to fit your forms. The check format is stored against the Bank Account in the Bank – Banking Setup – Bank Accounts screen.

Check Posting Screen When the checks are finished printing, you are presented with the Check Posting Screen.


Operating Guide 697

Post? If any of the checks did not print properly, you can clear its Post? checkbox and the check will be excluded from posting and can be selected and printed once again.

Post Checks Button The final step is to click this button, which posts the transactions to the General Ledger. A debit is made to Accounts Payable and a credit made to the bank account’s Asset account.

Pay Button This button is visible when the Payment Type Method is ‘MANUAL’ or ‘FILE’. You are presented with the Process Payments screen.

Process Payments Screen This screen displays a final view of the payment details.


698 Operating Guide

Pay Button Click this item and the supplier invoices will be paid. A debit will be made to Accounts Payable and a credit made to the bank account’s Asset account.

12-5. Payments Register

Operating Guide 699

12-5. Payments Register (AP – Payments Register)

All past supplier payments are listed in the Payments Register screen, which includes a void payment capability.


Segments: Payment Register, Void Payment

Screen Details

List Options

Pay Dates You can limit the list to payments made within a specified date range.

Bank Account By default, payments made from all bank accounts are listed. You can limit the list by selecting a Bank Account from the lookup.

Refresh List Button If you made selections in the Pay Dates or Bank Account fields, click this button to apply those selections to the list below.

Upper Panel – Right Portion

Transaction date for voided items If you will be voiding any payments, this is the posting date of the void transaction. This defaults to today’s date, but you can make an alternate selection if you wish.

12-5. Payments Register

700 Operating Guide

Grid Columns You can change the sort order of the screen by clicking on any of the column headings. This enables you to sort payment records by Pay Date, Check No, Supplier, or Bank Account.

Void Select this checkbox if you wish to void a payment.

NOTE: You cannot void a payment that has been reconciled through the Bank Reconciliation screen. If the payment has not yet been reconciled, ‘No’ is displayed in the Reconciled column.

Status The text ‘Void’ is displayed against any payment that has been voided.

Reconciled If the payment has not yet been reconciled, ‘No’ is displayed in this field.

Post Voids Button Click this button to void all payments that have the Void checkbox selected. This will create a GL reversal posting transaction, deletes the payment record, and restores all or a portion of the supplier invoice record to unpaid status.

12-6. Misc Credit Card Charges

Operating Guide 701

12-6. Misc Credit Card Charges (AP – Misc Credit Card Charges)

Use this screen to enter miscellaneous credit card charges such as meals, entertainment, and travel expenses. These expenses are posted to the general ledger and flow through to the Account Reconciliation screen for matching with your credit card statement.


Segments: Credit Card Charges

List Tab Grid Contents Each batch of credit card entries are listed on this tab, with the most recent batch listed first.

Buttons

New Click this button to enter a new batch of credit card entries. You are swapped to the Detail tab, which is cleared for data entry.

Reverse Click this button to reverse a batch. This creates reversal GL transactions using today’s date as the posting date.


702 Operating Guide

Detail Tab

Upper Panel

Credit Card Account Select the credit card account to which the charges were made. The lookup is limited to ‘Credit Card’ bank account types.

Reference This identifies the credit card batch on the List tab.

Status This read-only field is automatically update by the program and has the following values:

New This value is displayed while entering a new credit card batch.

Posted This value is displayed once the credit card batch has been updated.

Reversed This value is displayed after the credit card batch has been reversed.

Total Charges This read-only field is a running total of the credit amounts entered in the grid below.

Charges

Post Date This is the general ledger posting date for this credit card charge. It should be the actual date the credit card charge was made.

GL Account Select the general ledger account associated with this credit card charge.


Operating Guide 703

Description The general ledger account description displays in this field for reference only.

Payee Enter the name of the business associated with this credit card charge. This flows through to the Account Reconciliation screen for matching with your credit card statement.

Amount Enter the amount of the credit card charge in this field.

Buttons

Update Click this button to save the batch. Each charge amount is posted to the general ledger as a debit to the specified account and a credit to your credit card account.

12-7. Credit Card Payment

704 Operating Guide

12-7. Credit Card Payment (AP – Credit Card Payment)

Use this screen to make a payment against any of your credit card accounts. You have the option of making the actual payment now or creating a payable to be paid later through the Payment Processing screen.


Segments: Credit Card Payment

Screen Details

Field Explanations

Date Select the general ledger posting date, which defaults to today’s date.

Payment Amt Enter the amount you wish to pay in this field.

From Bank Account Select the bank account from which you wish to make this payment. The lookup is limited to ‘Bank Account’ banking account types.

To Credit Card Account Select the credit card account against which you wish to make a payment. The lookup is limited to ‘Credit Card’ banking account types.

12-7. Credit Card Payment

Operating Guide 705

Pay Ref This is a short reference that prints on the check stub and flows through to the Account Reconciliation screen.

Button

OK Click this button to process the payment. You are asked if you wish to make payment now or later through the Payment Processing screen.

Immediate Payment If you choose to pay immediately, the program creates a supplier invoice against the supplier associated with this credit card account. You are then presented with the Payment Processing screen, with this invoice selected for payment from the bank account designated in this screen. Click the Pay button to process the payment.

Pay Later If you choose to pay later, the program creates a supplier invoice against the supplier associated with this credit card account. The screen closes automatically. You can then pay the invoice at a later time using the Payment Processing screen.

NOTE: When you choose to pay later, the supplier invoice flows through to the Account Reconciliation screen against your credit card account as if it were an actual payment, even though it will be paid at a later date. So be aware that the payment date on the reconciliation screen will differ from the actual payment date on the credit card statement.

12-8. AP Data Views

706 Operating Guide

12-8. AP Data Views (AP – Data Views)


AP Data Views One data view is provided on the AP menu:

Supplier Aging Use this data view to list open invoices grouped by supplier. Standard layouts include:

• Supplier Detail Aged by Invoice Date

Selection Screen



12-6. AP Data Views

Operating Guide 707







12-8. AP Data Views

708 Operating Guide

Data View Screen



Grouping You can create list groupings by dragging a column heading into the header panel above the column headings. For example, if you drag a Supplier Name column heading into the header panel, the lines are then grouped by supplier.





12-6. AP Data Views

Operating Guide 709




Customize Button






12-8. AP Data Views

710 Operating Guide


Layout List Button






Save Layout Button


12-6. AP Data Views

Operating Guide 711




12-9. AP Reports

712 Operating Guide

12-9. AP Reports

12-9A. Payments Due (AP – Reports – Payments Due)

This report provides a listing of payments due by a specified Due Date.

12-9B. Supplier Detail Aging (AP – Reports – Supplier Detail Aging)

This report provides a detailed listing of open invoices by supplier and can be run for any ‘as of’ date.

12-9C. Supplier Summary Aging (AP – Reports – Supplier Summary Aging)

This report gives you a summarized total of receivables for each supplier.

12-9D. Supplier Past Due Aging (AP – Reports – Supplier Past Due Aging)

This report gives you a listing by supplier of open invoice amounts that are past due in relation to the payment terms due date.

12-9E. 1099 Tax Form (AP – Reports – 1099 Tax Form)

The 1099 Tax Form is for USA tax reporting and primarily applies to suppliers who are independent contractors. You can print this form for any supplier that has the Print 1099 checkbox selected on the Tax / Financial sub-tab on the Detail tab of the Suppliers screen. On the selection screen, the Fed ID# field value defaults to your Tax ID Number setting from the Tax Defaults screen.

13. GL (General Ledger)

Operating Guide 713

13. GL (General Ledger) The GL menu is where you find all screens and reports related to the General Ledger. Menu options include:

GL General Ledger Setup • Accounting Periods • Account Classes & Groups • Chart of Accounts • Account Assignments • Budget Names • Currency Table • COA Conversion • Clear Account Balances

Main Menu • Journal Entry • Payroll Import • Financial Cutoff Date • Batch Posting • Batch History • GL Spreadsheet Generator

Reports • Journal Report • Transaction Listing • Absorbed Mfg Costs • Trial Balance • Income Statement • Balance Sheet

Training Course Support Center – Videos–How Do I? – General Ledger Training Course

13-1A. Accounting Periods

714 Operating Guide

13-1. General Ledger Setup 13-1A. Accounting Periods (GL – General Ledger Setup – Accounting Periods)

Use this screen to define your accounting periods. Most companies use 12 monthly periods. You can, however, define as many as 99 periods within a fiscal year, which allows for 13 periods, 4-4-5 week periods, or other such schemes.

Training Videos Support Center – Videos–Setup – General Ledger Setup

Segment: Accounting Periods Support Center – Videos–How Do I? – General Ledger Training Course

Segment: Accounting Periods

Screen Details

No. of periods per year This number sets a limit to the number of periods that can be created within one fiscal year through clicks of the New button. The default setting is ‘12’.

Period No This number starts at ‘01’ within each fiscal year and is automatically incremented by ‘1’ each time you click the New button. Once this number equals the No. of periods per year value, it starts back at ‘01’ again.

NOTE: Start this at ‘01’ even if you are mid-way through the current fiscal year. In other words, define the entire year and not just a portion of it.

13-1A. Accounting Periods

Operating Guide 715

Fiscal Year When creating the first record, select your current Fiscal Year from the lookup. Each time you click the New button the Fiscal Year value will be repeated until the Period No changes back to ‘01’, at which point it will automatically advance to your next fiscal year.

Start Date On the first record, select the Start Date of the first period in your current fiscal year. Each time you click the New button, this date will advance to the first day of the next calendar month, which you can override if your periods are not based on months.

End Date On the first record, select the End Date of the first period in your current fiscal year. Each time you click the New button, this date will advance to the last day of the next calendar month, which you can override if your periods are not based on months.

Closed This is an optional setting. When you select this checkbox, the Batch Posting screen will not post any further transactions to this period. In order to post those transactions, you must return to this screen and clear this checkbox. Post the transactions, reprint financial statements for the closed period, then return to this screen and select this checkbox once again.

NOTE: We recommend that you leave this checkbox cleared and use the Financial Cutoff Date screen to prevent posting to a closed period.

Period ID This read-only field is assigned by the program and is a combination of the Fiscal Year and Period No. This identifies the period in lookups, screens, and reports.

New Button Click this button to create the next sequential period. Each time you click this button, the program automatically increments the Period No, Fiscal Year, Start Date, and End Date. If your periods are based on months, you can click this button multiple times in succession to quickly generate period records.

Create periods for several years in advance We recommend that you create periods for the current fiscal year and at least four additional fiscal years into the future.

13-1B. Account Classes & Groups

716 Operating Guide

13-1B. Account Classes & Groups (GL – General Ledger Setup – Account Classes & Groups)

This screen is used to define Account Classes and Account Groups that are used to classify and group accounts on financial statements.

Account Types Account Types are not user-defined. These are the six classic account types used by all accounting systems; Assets, Liabilities, Equity, Income, Cost of Sales, and Expenses.

Account Classes Within each Account Type you can define one or more Account Classes. Account Classes are broad classifications of Account Groups (see next) such as ‘Current Assets’ and ‘Long-Term Assets’.

Account Groups Within each Account Class you can define one or more Account Groups. Each Account Group is a set of related GL accounts. ‘Cash’, ‘Receivables’, and ‘Inventory’ are examples of Account Groups.

If you use the standard chart of accounts: We recommend that you use the standard chart of accounts that is supplied with the system and adapt your existing accounts accordingly. If you use the standard chart of accounts, you should also use the Account Classes & Groups that are supplied with the system.

Account Types Tab

Sort This field determines the printing sort order on financial statements.


Operating Guide 717

Account Type This read-only field displays the six classic account types used by all accounting systems; Assets, Liabilities, Equity, Income, Cost of Sales, and Expenses.

Title on Statements Enter the title for each Account Type that is to print on financial statements.

Account Classes & Groups Tab

Account Type The Account Type that was selected on the Account Types tab is presented in the upper panel for your reference.

Account Classes In this grid you can create multiple Account Classes within the Account Type specified in the upper panel.

Sort This field determines the printing sort order on financial statements within this Account Type.

Account Class This field identifies the Account Class and is the title that prints on financial statements.

Groups for Class: In this grid you can create multiple Account Groups within the Account Class highlighted in the grid to the left.

Sort This field determines the printing sort order on financial statements within this Account Class.

Account Group This field identifies the Account Group and is the title that prints on financial statements.


718 Operating Guide

New Button Click this button to create a new Account Class or Account Group. You are presented with a drop-down list from which you select ‘New Class’ or ‘New Group’.

Delete Button Click this button to delete an Account Class or Account Group. You are presented with a drop-down list from which you select ‘Delete Class’ or ‘Delete Group’.

13-1C. Chart of Accounts

Operating Guide 719

13-1C. Chart of Accounts (GL – General Ledger Setup – Chart of Accounts)

DBA is supplied with a standard chart of accounts that is optimized for a manufacturing company and for the DBA system.


Segments: Standard Chart of Accounts, Chart of Accounts Merge

Merge your accounts into DBA’s If you are coming from a general accounting software package, it is extremely unlikely that your current chart of accounts is suitable for use with DBA. Instead of trying to modify your chart of accounts, we recommend that you start with the DBA chart of accounts and merge your accounts into it. Merging into the DBA chart of accounts will not only save you hours and hours of trial and error, but it will insure that your General Ledger is set up correctly from day one. See Merging Your Accounts later in this chapter for details.


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List Tab

Grid

AA When this checkbox is selected, it means that this account is designated as a default posting account in the Account Assignments screen.

Buttons

New Click this button to create a new account, which swaps you to the Detail tab and clears the screen for data entry.

Change Click this button to change an existing account code to a new code. You are presented with this screen:

In the Account field, enter the new code, then click OK. All account balances, past transactions, and Account Assignments settings will be changed to the


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new code and the old code will be deleted from the chart of accounts. The Account Type, Account Class, and Account Group will remain unchanged.

CAUTION: Be aware that changing account codes will alter the appearance of past financial statements, which will now list different account codes that are possibly in a different sort order than those on the original versions. Before you change account codes, we advise you to consult with your CPA to verify that changing account codes is not in conflict with acceptable accounting practices.

Merge Click this button to merge an existing account into another account. Merging is used for simplification purposes when you wish to combine multiple accounts into fewer accounts. You are presented with this screen:

In the Account field, use the lookup to select the target account to which this account is to be merged, then click OK. All account balances, past transactions, and Account Assignments settings will be changed to the target account and the old account will be deleted from the chart of accounts.

CAUTION: Be aware that merging accounts will alter past financial statements, which will now be less detailed than the original versions. Also be aware that if you merge an account into an account of a different Account Type, you may be altering past financial results. Before you merge accounts, we advise you to consult with your CPA to verify that merging accounts is not in conflict with acceptable accounting practices.

Delete Click this button to delete an account.

NOTE: You are only allowed to delete an account if it has no past transactions and it is not currently used as a default in the Account Assignments screen (as indicated when the AA checkbox is selected).


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Mfg X-Refs This button is only visible when you are using the Financial Transfer utility in conjunction with an outside accounting system. You are presented with this screen:

In your outside system’s chart of accounts, create an Absorbed Mfg Costs account. Designate it as an Expense account and locate it among your operating expenses. Here in this screen, enter your outside system’s Absorbed Mfg Costs account in the Set X-Ref Account for the above GL Accounts to: field in the lower panel. This populates the X-Ref Account field against all the following accounts:

12200 Picked Not Invoiced 20200 Received Not Invoiced 51100 Accrued Service Labor 52200 Accrued Misc Sales Cost 52500 PO Shipping Cost 53100 Adjustments – Inventory 53300 Adjustments – Recd Not Invoiced 53400 Adjustments – WIP 54000 Absorbed Labor 55000 Absorbed Subcontract Cost 56000 Absorbed Misc Job Cost 57000 Absorbed Factory Overhead 61360 Misc Purchases 61480 Purchase Tax


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How it Works The Absorbed Mfg Costs account is a “catch all” account that consolidates all the DBA accounts listed above into one account in your outside system. At period end this account will have a credit balance that roughly offsets your actual direct labor and factory overhead costs. This serves to absorb those costs into your inventory.

Absorbed Mfg Costs Report To get a breakout of your Absorbed Mfg Costs account by the DBA accounts that comprise it, run the Absorbed Mfg Costs report, which is located on the General Ledger – Reports menu.

Lower Panel

Account Type Filters By default, the ‘ALL’ option is selected, in which case the list displays all account types. Select any of the other options to limit the list to a particular account type (Asset, Liability, Equity, Income, Cost of Sales, Expense).

Search for the following text: You can limit the list by typing in a text string and clicking the Refresh button. The list is limited to account descriptions that contain that text string.


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Detail Tab GL accounts are created or edited on this tab.

GL Account This is the number that is the primary identifier for the account.

Description Enter an up to 50-character description that accompanies the GL Account on lookups, screens, and financial statements.

X-Ref Account This field has two purposes, depending on your accounting configuration.

DBA Financial Modules If you are using the DBA financial modules, when you merge your old chart of accounts into the DBA standard chart of accounts, (see Merging Your Accounts further below), this field is used to store the account code, for reference purposes only.

Financial Transfer When you use the Financial Transfer utility in conjunction with an outside accounting system, this field is used to identify this account’s corresponding account in your outside system’s chart of accounts. It is included in the transfer output file for importing into your outside system.

Account Type The lookup in this field is used to select an Account Type – Account Class – Account Group combination. Account Type values are: Assets, Liabilities, Equity, Income, Cost of Sales, and Expenses.

Account Class The Account Class is a sub-classification within the Account Type and is created in the Account Classes & Groups screen.

Account Group The Account Group is a sub-classification within the Account Class and is created in the Account Classes & Groups screen.


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Notes This field is used to enter freeform notes against this account, for reference on this screen only.

Budget Tab One or more budgets for this account can be entered on this tab. Budget amounts can be compared actual amounts using the GL Spreadsheet Generator.

Screen Details

Budget Name Select a budget name from the lookup. You can enter budget amounts against multiple budgets in this screen. Budget names are created in the GL – General Ledger Setup – Budget Names screen.

Period ID Select the accounting period from the lookup to which this budget amount applies.

Amount Enter this period’s budget amount in this field.

New Button Click this button to create a new budget record. To facilitate entering a budget for an entire year’s accounting periods, the program automatically repeats the previous record’s Budget Name and Amount and increments the Period ID by one period.


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Transactions Tab GL transactions are listed on this tab in descending transaction date order.


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Merging Your Accounts If you are using the Financial Transfer utility in conjunction with an outside accounting system, you can skip this section.

Training Video Support Center – Videos–Setup – General Ledger Setup

Segment: Chart of Accounts Merge

Review the Chart of Accounts Specifications first Before you begin merging any accounts, study the Chart of Accounts Specifications later in this chapter to gain a familiarity with the standard chart of accounts and understanding as to why it is constructed the way it is. Perform the following steps with each account in your old system’s chart of accounts.

1. Look for a matching account in DBA Look through the DBA chart of accounts and see if you can find a matching account that corresponds to your old account code.

2. If a matching account is found, enter the X-Ref Account If you find a matching account in DBA, enter your old system’s account code in the X-Ref Account field in the Chart of Accounts screen. The X-Ref Account is used as a reference to help you transition to the new chart of accounts and it is available in lookups to help find an account. When applicable, modify the account Description to make it more meaningful to your company.

3. If a matching account is not found, create a new account If you cannot find a matching account, create a new account in the Chart of Accounts screen. When you create a new account, follow these guidelines:

New Account Creation

Find the appropriate Account Group Look through the chart of accounts and locate the appropriate Account Group within which the new account should be located.

Determine an account number Once you’ve located the Account Group, select an open account number within the group’s range of available numbers.

Create the account Once you’ve determined an open account number, click the New button and create the account. From the Type field’s lookup, select the


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appropriate Type – Account Class – Account Group combination that classifies this account.

4. Continue until all accounts are matched Continue this process until all the accounts in your old system are matched to a corresponding account in DBA, adding new accounts where required.

Chart of Accounts Specifications Training Video Support Center – Videos–Setup – General Ledger Setup

Segment: Standard Chart of Accounts

Assets

Current Assets All Account Groups associated with cash or assets that can be converted to cash within one calendar year are assigned to the ‘Current Assets’ Account Class.

Cash All accounts associated with cash on hand are assigned to the ‘Cash’ Account Group.

• Accounts 10100 – 10400 are sample bank accounts. Add, delete, or modify these accounts to match the accounts you set up in the Bank Accounts screen.

• Account 10500, Merchant Account – Credit Cards, represents the merchant account to which credit card payments from customers are received.

NOTE: Credit cards that you use for purchases are set up as bank accounts, but do not assign them to Asset accounts. Instead, assign them to Liability accounts.

• Account 10700, Undeposited Funds, represents money received but not yet deposited in a bank account. You may not have any need for this account.

Receivables All accounts associated with amounts due from customers for open account invoices are assigned to the ‘Receivables’ Account Group.

• Account 11100, AR – Tax Portion, is only needed if you are in a country where the tax portion of receivables needs to be separately tracked. If you are in the USA, you can delete this account.


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• Account 11500, Deposits – Purchases, refers to deposits that you have made in advance of purchasing some item or service. Do not confuse this with account 23100, Customer Deposits, which are deposits given to you by customers as pre-payments for jobs.

Inventory All accounts associated with the value of inventory and jobs in process are assigned to the ‘Inventory’ Account Group.

• The value of all stock on hand is represented by the 12000, Inventory account. Breakdowns by item category or location are achieved outside the GL through the Inventory Value report.

Why one Inventory account? In our experience, multiple inventory accounts (by location, item category, purchase or manufactured, finished or semi-finished, raw material or components, etc.) vastly complicate item setup and inventory account reconciliation and would be in conflict with our “alternative to over-complicated ERP systems” philosophy. A single Inventory account is sufficient for balance sheet purposes. Detailed inventory value analysis is better achieved outside the GL via the Inventory Value report, which serves as a “sub-ledger” to your Inventory account. Instead of being limited to one valuation criteria, the Inventory Value report enables you to value current and past inventory value by item, location, item category, manufactured or purchased, and changes in values between two dates. Because of the simplicity of the single Inventory account, a new stock item can be set up in DBA with only five required fields and without any accounting decisions to be made.

• The value of all work in process is represented by the 12300, Work in Process account. Breakdowns by job type are achieved outside the GL through the WIP Value report.

Why one Work in Process account? In our experience, multiple work in process accounts (by location, item category, job type, etc.) vastly complicate item setup and work in process account reconciliation and would be in conflict with our “alternative to over-complicated ERP systems” philosophy. A single Work in Process account is sufficient for balance sheet purposes. We believe that detailed work in process value analysis is better achieved outside the GL via the WIP Value report.

Long-Term Assets All Account Groups associated with plant, equipment, real estate and other capital assets, plus financial assets such as stocks or bonds that you plan on


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holding for more than one calendar year are assigned to the ‘Long-Term Assets’ Account Class.

Fixed Assets All accounts associated with capital assets such as equipment, vehicles, and buildings are assigned to the ‘Fixed Assets’ Account Group.

• Accounts 14000 – 14300 represent typical classes of fixed assets. You may wish to modify these accounts to fit your fixed asset holdings.

• Accounts 15000 – 15300 represent the accumulated depreciation that offsets the corresponding accounts in the 14000 – 14300 group.

Other Assets Any long-term financial assets such as stocks, bonds, and notes receivable are assigned to the ‘Other Assets’ Account Group.

• Only one account -- 16700, Notes Receivable - Long Term -- is offered as an example. Add or modify accounts as needed to reflect your other assets.

Liabilities

Current Liabilities All Account Groups associated with supplier credit, debts, loans, or other obligations due for payment within one calendar year are assigned to the ‘Current Liabilities’ Account Class.

Supplier Payables All accounts associated with open account purchases from suppliers are assigned to the ‘Supplier Payables’ Account Group.

• Account 20100, AP – Tax Portion, is only needed if you are in a country where the tax portion of payables needs to be separately tracked. If you are in the USA, you can delete this account.

Credit Card Accounts All credit card accounts that you use for purchases are assigned to the ‘Credit Card Accounts’ Account Group. Credit card accounts are reconciled in the same manner as bank accounts using the Bank Reconciliation screen.

• Accounts 20500, Credit Card Account A, and 20600, Credit Card Account B, are examples and should be modified to reflect your actual credit card accounts used for purchases.

Taxes Payable All accounts associated with taxes owed are assigned to the ‘Taxes Payable’ Account Group.


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Payroll Liabilities All accounts associated with payroll obligations are assigned to the ‘Payroll Liabilities’ Account Group.

Other Liabilities Miscellaneous current liability accounts are assigned to the ‘Other Liabilities’ Account Group.

• Account 23000, Accrued Expenses, is an example of an accrual account that is posted to by journal entries to anticipate future expenses. If you don’t do this type of accounting, delete this account.

• Account 23100, Customer Deposits, is posted to by the Customer Deposits screen and reflects the value of customer pre-payments for custom jobs. Technically, a deposit is a liability because you are holding someone else’s money that would have to be returned should the job be cancelled.

Long-Term Liabilities All Account Groups associated with debts, loans, or other obligations that are not due for payment for a t least one calendar year in the future are assigned to the ‘Long-Term Liabilities’ Account Class.

Long-Term Liabs All long-term liabilities are assigned to the ‘Long-Term Liabs’ Account Group.

• Account 24000, Loans Payable – Long-Term, is an example of a long-term liability account. Delete this account or modify it to reflect your actual situation.

Equity

Equity All Account Groups associated with paid-in capital, earnings, and dividends are assigned to the ‘Equity’ Account Class.

Capital All accounts associated with paid-in capital are assigned to the ‘Capital’ Account Group.

Earnings All accounts associated with current (this fiscal year) and retained earnings (past fiscal years) are assigned to the ‘Earnings’ Account Group.


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Earnings are calculated on-the-fly Account 30200, Current Earnings, and 30300, Retained Earnings, do not contain stored values like all other accounts. The value of these two accounts is calculated on-the-fly each time you print a Balance Sheet.

Distributions All accounts associated with the distribution of dividends to the owners of the business are assigned to the ‘Distributions’ Account Group.

Income

Sales Income All Account Groups associated with product and service sales are assigned to the ‘Sales Income’ Account Class.

Sales – Products All accounts associated with product sales are assigned to the ‘Sales – Products’ Account Group.

• Account 40000, Sales – Products, is designated on the Sales tab of the Account Assignments screen as a default account for all sales. In the Exceptions sub-tab you can optionally assign sales accounts by Item Category or Customer Type.

Sales – Services All accounts associated with service revenue are assigned to the ‘Sales – Services’ Account Group.

• Account 41000, Sales – Services, is a placeholder account to show you can locate your own service revenue accounts. In the Sales tab – Exceptions sub-tab of the Account Assignments screen you can assign sales accounts by Item Category to distinguish service accounts from product sales accounts. It may be that you don’t have a service side to your business, in which case you would delete this account.

Other Income Account Groups associated with non-sales, non-service revenue, such as interest income and late charges, are assigned to the ‘Other Income’ Account Class.

Shipping Income Accounts associated with customer shipping charges and costs are assigned to the ‘Shipping Income’ Account Group.


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• Accounts 42000, Shipping Income, and 42100, Shipping Cost, offset each other. Invoiced shipping charges are credited to the Shipping Income account and freight bills are debited to the Shipping Cost account.

Misc Income Accounts associated with interest income, late charges and customer payment discounts are assigned to the ‘Misc Income’ Account Group.

• Account 42300, AR Discounts Taken, is a “contra” account that offsets income by the amount of discount you offer customers for prompt payment. Although it could be considered a Cost of Sales account type, it arguably represents a price reduction rather than a cost and is therefore categorized as an Income account type.

• Account 43400, Returns & Allowances, is a contra-account. Product returns are debited to this account.

Cost of Sales

Direct Costs All Account Groups associated with direct cost of goods sold and services sold are assigned to the ‘Direct Costs’ Account Class.

Costs – Products All accounts associated with the cost of goods sold are assigned to the ‘Costs – Products’ Account Group.

• Account 50000, Cost of Goods Sold, is designated on the Sales tab of the Account Assignments screen as a default account for all cost of goods sold. In the Exceptions sub-tab you can optionally assign cost of goods sold accounts by Item Category or Customer Type. Each of your sales accounts would normally be given a corresponding cost of goods sold account.

Costs – Services All accounts associated with the cost of services sold are assigned to the ‘Costs – Services’ Account Group.

• Account 51000, Cost of Services Sold, and account 51100, Accrued Service Labor, receive offsetting amounts when you post service labor invoice amounts and have a net transaction value of zero. Even though the transaction has no net value, it does establish a value in the Cost of Services Sold account, which is used as a comparison with actual service costs (see next).

• Accounts 51200 – 51500 are your actual costs for billable service personnel. These costs should be roughly equivalent to account 51000, Cost of Services Sold, but will always have some variance.


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• The accounting for service labor is handled differently than manufacturing labor. Service labor payroll costs are direct expenses as they occur. Manufacturing direct labor costs, on the other hand, are offset by an absorbed labor account, which absorbs the labor cost into your inventory. Only when you sell your manufactured products is the labor cost realized as part of the cost of goods sold.

Misc Costs All cost of sales Account Groups that do not pertain directly or indirectly to the cost of products or services are assigned to the ‘Other Costs’ Account Class.

Fees All accounts associated with payment processing fees are assigned to the ‘Fees’ Account Group.

Misc Sales Costs All accounts associated with miscellaneous sales costs are assigned to this Account Group, which are costs associated with descriptors that have a descriptor type of ‘MISC’ or ‘SUBCON’

• Account 50000, Cost of Goods Sold, (or a COGS exception account) and account 52200, Accrued Misc Sales Cost, receive offsetting amounts when you post miscellaneous charge invoice amounts and have a net transaction value of zero. Even though the transaction has no net value, it does establish a value in the Accrued Misc Sales Cost account, which can be used as a comparison with the 52300, Actual Misc Sales Cost account.

PO Processing All accounts associated with the PO-related supplier invoices and payments are assigned to the ‘PO Processing’ Account Group.

• Account 52400, Absorbed Shipping Cost, is not currently in use but is intended for future use when a landed cost percentage will be available on stock items to add a shipping factor to inventory cost. The Absorbed Shipping Cost will be an offset account to account 52500, PO Shipping Cost, which gets posted to when you enter shipping charges on PO-related supplier invoices.

NOTE: Even though some PO shipping costs are incurred for general and administrative purchases that are not cost of sales expenses, the PO Shipping Cost account is classified as a Cost of Sales type under the assumption that most purchases are associated with inventory and work in process and ultimately are reflected in the cost of goods sold.

• Account 52600, AP Discounts Taken, is a “contra” account that offsets purchase costs by the amount of discount you receive from your supplier for prompt payment. Although it could be considered an Income account


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type, it arguably represents a price reduction rather than revenue and is therefore categorized as a Cost of Sales account type.

Indirect Costs All Account Groups associated with inventory and WIP adjustments are assigned to the ‘Indirect Costs’ Account Class.

Adjustments All accounts associated with inventory and WIP adjustments are assigned to the ‘Adjustments’ Account Group.

Absorbed Costs All Account Groups associated with costs that are absorbed into WIP are assigned to the ‘Absorbed Costs’ Account Class.

Direct Labor All accounts associated with direct manufacturing labor are assigned to the ‘Direct Labor’ Account Group.

• Account 54000, Absorbed Labor, which is an accrual account that gets updated when labor hours are entered or backflushed against jobs, should roughly equal the total value of accounts 54100 – 54500, which represent your actual direct labor costs, for a net value of zero. A variance between accrued and actual costs is common and expected. The net value within this Account Group is roughly zero because actual costs were absorbed into the costs of your products during job processing. Labor cost therefore becomes a portion of each product’s inventory value and is only realized as a sales cost at time of invoice posting as a portion of cost of goods sold.

Subcontract Services All accounts associated with job subcontract services performed by outside suppliers are assigned to the ‘Subcontract Services’ Account Group.

• Account 55000, Absorbed Subcontract Cost, which is an accrual account that gets updated when subcontract service POs are received to jobs, should roughly equal the value of account 55100, Subcontract Service Cost, which represents your actual supplier invoice costs, for a net value of zero. A variance between accrued and actual costs is not uncommon. The net value of this Account Group is roughly zero because the costs were absorbed into the costs of your products during job processing. Subcontract service cost therefore becomes a portion of each product’s inventory value and is only realized as a sales cost at time of invoice posting as a portion of cost of goods sold.


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Misc Job Cost All accounts associated with miscellaneous job costs are assigned to the ‘Misc Job Cost’ Account Group.

• Account 56000, Absorbed Misc Job Cost, which is an accrual account that gets applied jobs when miscellaneous cost POs are received, should roughly equal the value of account 56100, Misc Job Cost, which is your actual supplier invoice cost, for a net value of zero. A variance between accrued and actual costs is not uncommon. The net value of this Account Group is roughly zero because the costs were absorbed into the costs of your products during job processing. Miscellaneous job cost therefore becomes a portion of each product’s inventory value and is only realized as a sales cost at time of invoice posting as a portion of cost of goods sold.

Factory Overhead All accounts associated with running the factory are assigned to the ‘Factory Overhead’ Account Group.

• Account 57000, Absorbed Factory Overhead, which is an accrual account that gets updated when labor hours are entered or backflushed against jobs, should roughly equal the total value of accounts 58000 – 59500, which represent your actual factory overhead costs, for a net value of zero. A variance between accrued and actual costs is common and expected. The net value within this Account Group is roughly zero because the actual costs were absorbed into the cost of your products during job processing. Factory overhead cost therefore becomes a portion of each product’s inventory value and is only realized as a sales cost at time of invoice posting as a portion of cost of goods sold.

• Some monthly expenses associated with various accounts in the 58000 – 58900 range (such as utilities, rent, insurance, etc.) are single amount bills that must be divided between the factory and the office in order to isolate the cost of factory overhead.

• Accounts 59000 – 59300 cover payroll expense, taxes, and fringe benefits for all indirect labor factory personnel, including supervisors, managers, and maintenance people.

Expenses

Operating Expenses All Account Groups associated with operating the business (apart from operating the factory) are assigned to the ‘Operating Expenses; Account Class.


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Sales & Marketing All accounts associated with sales and marketing activities and personnel are assigned to the ‘Sales & Marketing’ Account Group.

General Expenses All accounts associated with general administrative expenses (apart from payroll) are assigned to the ‘General Expenses’ Account Group.

• Account 61360, Miscellaneous Purchases, is a “catch-all” account that is updated by default by any POs that are not related to inventory or jobs. If you use POs for a variety of miscellaneous purchases and wish to break them out into multiple accounts, you can create descriptors to represent each expense category and assign those descriptors to accounts in the Exceptions sub-tab of the Purchasing tab in the Account Assignments screen.

What about departmental accounting? You may be coming from an accounting system that offered the ability to designate departments in sales orders, POs, and supplier bills in order to assess “profit centers” within the company. Typically, the department is identified with a segment on the end of a core account. This departmental structure is common to “GL-centric” systems that were designed originally as financial accounting systems and were expanded over time with operational applications. In such systems, the operational applications must conform to the needs of the general ledger, which remains the prime repository of analytical information. DBA, on the other hand, is an “operational-centric” system where the operational applications of sales, jobs, inventory, and purchasing function without any direct interaction with financial accounting. The General Ledger is designed to fit the needs of the operational applications, not the other way around.

Departmental accounting is not suited for manufacturing Departmental accounting is not suitable for manufacturing accounting. Most of your manufacturing costs are comprised of labor and factory overhead, which are absorbed into the cost of your products during job processing. Labor hours and overhead allocation are automatically tracked by work center without having to specify a department at the PO or job level. A manufacturing company is not a collection of separate departments, each with its own revenues and expenses. The factory is a single entity with inter-dependent work centers. The General Ledger is not designed for manufacturing analysis other than giving you the total value of inventory and WIP and the total cost of direct labor and factory overhead. More advanced analysis such as product costing, work


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center utilization, overhead allocation, labor productivity, and other measures are achieved outside the General Ledger via manufacturing reports and inquiries.

Non-Manufacturing Purchasing In the non-manufacturing side of your business, you may want to assign purchases to individual departments such as sales, engineering, order entry, etc. To do this we suggest that you create separate sets of descriptors for each department and assign each descriptor to its appropriate expense or asset account. Each department would then create POs using its own descriptors.

NOTE: If your purchasing people think in terms of GL accounts when buying miscellaneous items, consider using the GL account code as the Descriptor ID itself. Another approach is to incorporate the account code into the descriptor’s Description, which can be typed over during PO entry to describe the particular item being purchased.

R & D All accounts associated with research and development expenses and payroll are assigned to the ‘R & D’ Account Group. Research and development can be substantial in some manufacturing companies and is arguable a form of investment that should not be mixed in with general expense accounts.

Admin Payroll All accounts associated with administrative payroll and fringe benefits are assigned to the ‘Admin Payroll’ Account Group.

Other Income/Expense All Account Groups associated with non-operating expenses are assigned to the ‘Other Income/Expense’ Account Class.

Currency All accounts associated with gains or losses due to currency fluctuations are assigned to the ‘Currency’ Account Group.

• Account 63000, Gain/Loss on Foreign Exchange, does not have any current use but will be used in the future when multi-currency processing is completed.

Asset Sales All accounts associated with the sale of property, equipment, or other assets are assigned to the ‘Asset Sales’ Account Group.


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Income Taxes All accounts associated with business income taxes are assigned to the ‘Income Taxes’ Account Group.

13-1D. Account Assignments

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13-1D. Account Assignments (GL – General Ledger Setup – Account Assignments)

General ledger posting throughout the system is controlled by the settings made in this screen. Outside of this screen there is no exposure to GL accounts anywhere in the system except for the Supplier Invoices and Journal Entry screens. This gives the accounting department complete control over the general ledger and shields non-accounting personnel from any accounting setup or decisions.


Segments: Sales and COGS Setup, Bank Account Assignments Support Center – Videos–How Do I? – Financial Transfer Training Course

Segments: Inventory and WIP Accounts, Sales and COGS Accounts, Tax and Shipping Accounts, Transfer Accounts, Absorbed Mfg Costs Accounts

If you use the standard chart of accounts: We recommend that you use the standard chart of accounts that is supplied with the system and adapt your existing accounts accordingly. If you do so, the only settings in this screen that may need modification are these:

Sales Tab – Exceptions Sub-Tab You may want to break your default Sales and COGS account combination into multiple Sales and COGS account combinations that correspond to Item Category or Customer Type.

Purchasing Tab – Exceptions Sub-Tab You may want to break your default Misc Purchases account into multiple expense or asset accounts represented by individual descriptors.

Bank Accounts Tab Each bank account is given its own asset, interest income, and bank charges account.


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Inventory Tab

Inventory (Asset) In DBA all inventory (except for work in process) is represented by a single Inventory account.

Why one Inventory account? In our experience, multiple inventory accounts (by location, item category, purchase or manufactured, finished or semi-finished, raw material or components, etc.) vastly complicate item setup and inventory account reconciliation and would be in conflict with our “alternative to over-complicated ERP systems” philosophy. A single Inventory account is sufficient for balance sheet purposes. Detailed inventory value analysis is better achieved outside the GL via the Inventory Value report, which serves as a “sub-ledger” to your Inventory account. Instead of being limited to one valuation criteria, the Inventory Value report enables you to value current and past inventory value by item, location, item category, manufactured or purchased, and changes in values between two dates. Because of the simplicity of the single Inventory account, a new stock item can be set up in DBA with only five required fields and without any accounting decisions to be made.

Inventory Adjustments (Cost of Sales) Transactions made in the Inventory Adjustments, Batch Inventory Adjustments, Change Inventory Cost, and Reconcile Book Value screens interact with this account.


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Sales Tab

Defaults Sub-Tab

Sales (Income) A default Sales account is required. In the Sales – Exceptions sub-tab you have the option of further breaking sales out by Item Categories or Customer Types.

Cost of Goods Sold (Cost of Sales) A default Cost of Goods Sold account is required. In the Sales – Exceptions sub-tab you have the option of further breaking cost of goods sold out by Item Categories or Customer Types.

Sales Tax Payable (Liability) The tax amounts on customer invoices are credited to this Liability account.

Shipping Income (Income) Customer invoice shipping charges are credited to this Income account.

Shipping Cost (Income) Freight bills pertaining to customer shipments are debited to this account. Even though it is a cost, it is usually classified as an Income account because it offsets the Shipping Income account and is usually located directly adjacent to it.

Picked Not Invoiced (Asset) The Picked Not Invoiced account temporarily stores the cost of stock items that have been picked for shipment, but have not yet been invoiced. At time of invoicing, this account gets credited and Cost of Goods Sold gets debited. This is an Asset account, located in the chart of accounts following your Inventory account.


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Accrued Service Labor (Cost of Sales) When sales order lines are picked for descriptors with a descriptor type of ‘LABOR’ or ‘SETUP’, this account is debited for the sales order line’s total estimated cost. When the invoice gets posted, this account gets debited for the same amount. This is a Cost of Sales account, usually located in the chart of accounts following your Cost of Goods Sold account(s).

Misc Sales Cost (Cost of Sales) When invoice costs are posted for any descriptors with a Descriptor Type of ‘MISC’ or ‘SUBCON’, this account is credited and the offsetting debit entry is made to Cost of Goods Sold or a COGS exception account. This is a Cost of Sales account, usually located in the chart of accounts following your Cost of Goods Sold account(s).

Exceptions Sub-Tab

Entries on this screen are optional. If you don’t make any entries, all sales will be posted to your default Sales and Cost of Good Sold accounts on the Sales – Defaults tab.

Set Exceptions by Select Item Category if you wish to break your sales out by item categories. Select Customer Type if you prefer to break out sales by type of customer.

Exceptions to Sales & COGS Defaults (Grid) • If Item Category is selected, all your Item Categories are listed in the grid.

You can optionally assign each category to a Sales Account and/or a COGS Account.

• If Customer Type is selected, all your Customer Types are listed in the grid. You can optionally assign each type to a Sales Account and/or a COGS Account.


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Jobs Tab

Work in Process (Asset) This account represents the accumulated input costs (labor, setup, material, overhead, subcontract services, miscellaneous expenses) in your make jobs, less the output cost of finished item receipts. This is an Asset account and is located in the chart of accounts immediately following your Inventory account(s).

WIP Adjustments (Cost of Sales) This account is used to bring the net Work in Process amount for each finished job to zero. When the job’s Status is changed to ‘CLOSED’, the program compares total incoming job costs with the total outgoing cost of job receipts. If a difference is found, the Work in Process account is adjusted up or down and the offset amount posted to this account. This is a Cost of Sales account, usually located in the chart of accounts following your Inventory Adjustments account.

Absorbed Labor (Cost of Sales or Expense) This account represents the labor reported or issued to jobs. Locate this account adjacent to your Direct Labor payroll account and give it the same account type (Cost of Sales or Expense). The two accounts offset each other and are a “wash” on your books (although some variance is normal and expected).

Absorbed Subcontract Cost (COS or Expense) This is a clearing account for the subcontract services that are purchased and issued to jobs. Locate this account following your Absorbed Labor and Direct Labor accounts and give it the same account type (Expense or Cost of Sales).


Operating Guide 745

Absorbed Misc Cost (COS or Expense) This is a clearing account for miscellaneous costs (fees, special packaging, etc.) that are purchased and issued to jobs. Locate this account following your Absorbed Subcontract Cost account and give it the same account type (Expense or Cost of Sales).

Absorbed Factory Overhead (COS or Expense) This account represents the factory overhead burden applied to jobs. Locate this account following your Absorbed Misc Cost account and give it the same account type (Expense or Cost of Sales). `

Absorbed Variable Overhead (Cost of Sales) This is an additional overhead account for old-style cost accounting and is not recommended unless you understand variable overhead and have a need for two overhead accounts. If you don’t want to use this account, select the same account used for Absorbed Factory Overhead (see previous).


746 Operating Guide

Purchasing Tab

Defaults Sub-Tab

Misc Purchases (Expense) DBA requires a default Misc Purchases account that is a “catch all” account for all non-inventory, non-job related purchases. You can optionally break out your miscellaneous purchases by descriptor on the Purchasing – Exceptions sub-tab.

Received Not Invoiced (Liability) This account temporarily stores the credit offset entry that is made when PO lines are received. When the supplier invoice for the PO receipt is entered, this account gets debited and Accounts Payable is credited. This is a Liability account, located following your Accounts Payable account.

RNI Adjustments (Cost of Sales) When a PO line is closed, any difference between total receipt costs and total invoice costs is posted to this account. Most likely your outside system does not have such an account. This is a Cost of Sales account, located following your WIP Adjustments account.

PO Shipping Cost (Cost of Sales) Shipping charges entered in the PO Invoices screen are debited to this account. This is a Cost of Sales account and is located following your Misc Sales Cost account.

Purchase Tax (Expense or Liability) Any tax entered in the PO Invoices screen is charged to this account. If you are subject to US-style taxation, this is normally an Expense account and applies primarily to not-for-resale purchases. If you are subject to GST-VAT style taxation, this is normally a Liability account.


Operating Guide 747

Exceptions Sub-Tab

Misc Purchases Exceptions (Expense) You can assign specific descriptors to specific Expense (or Asset) accounts in this screen to handle the posting of non-inventory, non-job purchases. Whatever assignments you make in this screen override your default Misc Purchases account.

Non-Manufacturing Purchasing In the non-manufacturing side of your business, you may want to assign purchases to individual departments such as sales, engineering, order entry, etc. To do this we suggest that you create separate sets of descriptors for each department and assign each descriptor to its appropriate expense or asset account. Each department would then create POs using its own descriptors.

NOTE: If your purchasing people think in terms of GL accounts when buying miscellaneous items, consider using the GL account code as the Descriptor ID itself. Another approach is to incorporate the account code into the descriptor’s Description, which can be typed over during PO entry to describe the particular item being purchased.


748 Operating Guide

Transfer Tab

This tab is only visible when the Financial Transfer option is selected in the Accounting Configuration screen.

AR Invoice Transfer (Asset) The AR Invoice Transfer account is a clearing account that temporarily stores the value of customer invoices that have been created in DBA but have not yet been transferred to your outside system. When an invoice gets created, this account is debited. When you use the AR Invoice Transfer screen to enter or import customer invoices in your outside system, this account is credited, which zeroes it out, and your outside system’s Accounts Receivable account gets debited.

PO Invoice Transfer (Liability) The PO Invoice Transfer account is a clearing account that temporarily stores the value of PO invoices that have been created and matched in DBA but have not yet been transferred to your outside system. When a PO invoice gets created, this account is credited. When you use the PO Invoice Transfer utility to import supplier invoices into your outside system, this account is debited, which zeroes it out, and your outside system’s Accounts Payable account gets credited.


Operating Guide 749

AR Tab This tab is only visible when the DBA Financials option is selected in the Accounting Configuration screen.

Accounts Receivable (Asset) This account represents the unpaid portion of customer invoices, exclusive of those written off to bad debt. Invoiced sales and shipping amounts are debits to this account and customer payments are credit entries.

AR – Tax Portion (Asset) If in your country it is necessary to separately track the sales tax portion of total accounts receivable, you can designate a separate GL account in this field. If you do not need this, enter your Accounts Receivable account (see previous) in this field. Locate this account following your Accounts Receivable account.

AR Discounts Taken (Income) If the customer takes a discount for early payment, the amount of the discount is debited to this Income account.

Customer Deposits (Liability) Advance payments from customers for jobs are credited to this Liability account.


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AP Tab This tab is only visible when the DBA Financials option is selected in the Accounting Configuration screen.

Accounts Payable (Liability) This account represents the unpaid portion of supplier invoices. Supplier invoice amounts are debits to this account and supplier payments are credit entries.

AP – Tax Portion (Liability) If in your country it is necessary to separately track the purchase tax portion of total accounts payable, you can designate a separate GL account in this field. If you do not need this, select your Accounts Payable account (see previous) in this field. Locate this account following your Accounts Payable account.

AP Discounts Taken (Cost of Sales) If you take a discount for early payment of a supplier invoice, the amount of the discount is credited to this Cost of Sales account.


Operating Guide 751

Banking Tab This tab is only visible when the ‘DBA Financials’ option is selected in the Accounting Configuration screen.

Bank Accounts ‘Bank Account’ type banking accounts are listed in this grid.

Banking Account All your ‘Bank Account’ type banking accounts are listed in this column.

Asset Account This is the Asset account associated with this bank account.

Interest Income In the Account Reconciliation screen, interest income from bank statements is posted to this Income account.

Bank Charges In the Account Reconciliation screen, bank charges from bank statements are posted to this Expense account.

Merchant Fees (optional) In the Account Reconciliation screen, bank statement charges associated with merchant account fees (for customer credit card payments) is posted to this Cost of Sales account.

Merchant Accounts ‘Merchant’ type banking accounts are listed in this grid.

Banking Account All your ‘Merchant’ type banking accounts are listed in this column.

Asset Account This is the Asset account associated with this merchant account.


752 Operating Guide

Credit Card Accounts ‘Credit Card’ type banking accounts are listed in this grid.

Liability Account This is the Liability account associated with this credit card account.

Credit Card Fees In the Account Reconciliation screen, credit card fees and interest charges are posted to this Expense account.

Earnings Tab

Current Earnings (Equity) Whenever you run a balance sheet, this account’s value is calculated (not stored) for the year to date.

Retained Earnings (Equity) Whenever you run a balance sheet, this account’s value is calculated (not stored) and represents accumulated earnings outside of the current fiscal year.

13-1E. Budget Names

Operating Guide 753

13-1E. Budget Names (GL – General Ledger Setup – Budget Names)

You can create multiple budgets for each GL account via the Budget tab on the Chart of Accounts screen. Budget amounts can be compared with actual amounts using the GL Spreadsheet Generator. Use this screen to give each budget a unique Budget Name.

NOTE: The Budget Name must not contain any blank spaces.

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Segment: Budgets

13-1F. Currency Table

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13-1F. Currency Table (GL – General Ledger Setup – Currency Table)

A system-wide multi-currency capability is under development, but is not currently available. Ultimately, this screen will be used to store current and historical exchange rates.

13-1G. COA Conversion

Operating Guide 755

13-1G. COA Conversion (GL – General Ledger Setup – COA Conversion)

Training Course Support Center – Videos–Setup – COA Conversion

Overview This screen is used on a one-time basis to convert your existing Chart of Accounts to DBA’s standard Chart of Accounts, which is optimized for a manufacturing company and for the DBA system.

Why the standard Chart of Accounts? Prior to May 2008, when we began supplying the Main Company with our standard Chart of Accounts, companies created their own chart of accounts from scratch. Many companies simply recreated their old accounting system’s chart of accounts in DBA and added a few new accounts for some of the DBA-specific postings. Unfortunately, using a non-manufacturing chart of accounts doesn’t work with DBA, for a variety of reasons:

• In DBA you have only two inventory accounts: Inventory and Work-in-Process. No further breakdown of inventory is provided and any such sub-accounts can no longer be used. Instead, detail inventory analysis is done outside the General Ledger using the Inventory Value report.

• In a manufacturing chart of accounts, factory operating expenses need to be clearly separated from general operating expenses and must be grouped as Cost of Sales accounts adjacent to an Absorbed Factory Overhead offset account. Non-manufacturing charts of accounts are not organized this way.

• Departmental expense accounting is common in non-manufacturing environments, but is not used in a WIP-based accounting system where work center costs are absorbed into inventory and are not directly expensed. Therefore, work center related departmental expense accounts no longer have any purpose.

• In DBA virtually all purchasing is automatically posted to your Inventory or Work-in-Process accounts, which are Asset accounts, not expenses. Most purchasing expense accounts are no longer needed except those used for miscellaneous expenses.

• In a manufacturing chart of accounts, payroll expense accounts need to be clearly separated for direct labor, indirect labor and supervision, and general clerical and administration. Direct labor expenses must be Cost of Sales accounts located adjacent to an Absorbed Labor offset account. Indirect labor and supervision must be Cost of Sales accounts located with other


756 Operating Guide

factory overhead accounts adjacent to an Absorbed Factory Overhead offset account.

The DBA standard Chart of Accounts is organized for manufacturing analytics. Its structure makes it relatively easy to determine shop rates for direct labor and factory overhead for accurate product costing. Operating costs are grouped by the following logical cost centers that apply to virtually any manufacturing company:

• Direct Labor • Factory Overhead • Sales & Marketing • Research & Development • General & Administrative

It is extremely difficult to adapt a non-manufacturing chart of accounts to meet all these manufacturing requirements. It is much easier to use the DBA standard Chart of Accounts as a template that you can then customize for the various accounts that are unique to your company.

How the COA Conversion Works The COA Conversion screen is split into an upper grid and lower grid. Your existing Chart of Accounts is displayed in the upper grid and the standard Chart of Accounts in the lower grid. Each account in the upper grid must be assigned to an account in the lower grid, which is done via drag-and-drop. You can also add and assign new accounts on the fly to the standard Chart of Accounts. When all of your existing accounts are assigned to the standard Chart of Accounts, you click Update and all your existing General Ledger data, including the Chart of Accounts, Account Assignments, Supplier default accounts, and GL transactions, will be converted to standard accounts.

NOTE: Be aware that if you reprint any past financial statements, they will be structured with different accounts (as well as Account Classes and Account Groups) and may be quite different in appearance, even if the underlying numbers are still the same.

Check with your CPA first Be aware that the COA Conversion will alter the appearance of past financial statements and possibly their financial results, especially if you change any Account Types. Before you convert your Chart of Accounts, we advise that you consult with your CPA to verify that the conversion is not in conflict with acceptable accounting practices.

If you have an empty Chart of Accounts If up to now you have not created a Chart of Accounts at all, you can use the COA Conversion screen to instantly create the standard Chart of Accounts.


Operating Guide 757

Simply launch the screen and click the Update button. Because there are no existing accounts, no matching is required.

Phase 1 – Conversion Planning Before you make assignments in the COA Conversion screen, it is best to plan your conversion on paper first to save time and achieve a smooth conversion with no surprises.

Print the standard Chart of Accounts Click the Output button at the bottom of the lower grid of the COA Conversion screen and select the ‘Output Standard COA’ option to get a printout of the standard Chart of Accounts. Your printout will look like this:

Cross-reference standard accounts to existing accounts Next, go to the Chart of Accounts screen. Take each account on the printout and find its equivalent in your Chart of Accounts. Whenever a matching account is found, enter the standard account number in its X-Ref Account field. If a matching account cannot be found, indicate so on your printout and move on to the next account on the list.

NOTE: A standard account can be cross-referenced to more than one existing account, where applicable. There may be areas where you have more account breakdown than is necessary, in which case you can consolidate multiple existing accounts by assigning them to a single standard account.

Plan any new accounts that are needed When you are finished cross-referencing all the accounts on your printout, observe the X-Ref Account column on the List tab. Any accounts with blank values are special accounts that only pertain to your company. In these cases you will be creating new standard accounts during the COA Conversion.


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In each case, decide on a new standard account number (based on its location among related accounts listed on the printout) and enter the new number in the X-Ref Account field against the existing account, followed by the word ‘New’ to let you know during the COA Conversion that a new account must be created.

Delete non-used accounts If you have any existing accounts that will never be used and have never had any transactions or assignment settings, remove them from your Chart of Accounts so they don’t clutter up the conversion process. To do so, select the account and click the Delete button.

Continue until all accounts have an X-Ref Account value Continue this process until all existing accounts have a value in the X-Ref Account field. Once this is done, you are ready to perform the actual conversion.

Phase 2 – COA Conversion You will now use the COA Conversion screen to formally assign existing accounts to standard accounts and to create new standard accounts where needed.

Begin with the first account listed in the upper grid. The X-Ref Account column displays the standard account that you cross-referenced during the Advance Planning phase.

Assigning to a Standard Account Select the account in the upper grid and drag and drop it onto the account in the lower grid that matches its X-Ref Account number. You do this by holding your left mouse button down and dragging the account onto its matching account, then releasing your mouse button.


Operating Guide 759

After doing so, the Status value in the upper grid changes to ‘Assigned’. In the lower grid the existing account is displayed in the Old Account and Old Description columns.

NOTE: If you assign multiple existing accounts to a single standard account in the lower grid, additional lines are added by the program under the standard account so that each existing account is given a value in the Old Account and Old Description columns. The number of accounts assigned to the standard account is displayed in the #Old column.

Adding a New Standard Account When an account in the upper grid has an X-Ref Account number followed by the word ‘New’, it means that a new standard account must be created. To do this, click the Add button or right click on the account and select the Add Standard Account option. You are presented with this screen:

Enter your new standard Account and Description. From the Type field lookup, select an account Type-Class-Group combination to which this new account will be assigned. Click OK and the new standard account will be created and assigned to your existing account.

Undoing an Assigned Account If you assigned an account in error and wish to undo it, select your account in the upper grid and click the Undo button. You can also right click on the account and select the Undo “Assigned” Status option.

Deleting an Existing Account When ‘Yes’ is displayed in the Can Delete column in the upper grid, it means that this account has never had any transactions posted to it or is used in any account assignment screens. This may indicate an account that is not needed.


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If you wish to delete the account instead of matching it to a standard account, click the Delete button or right click on the account and select the Delete option.

Deleting a Standard Account You can only delete a standard account that was newly added within this screen. If you wish to delete a standard account that was not added, you must finish the conversion process first and then you can delete the account in the Chart of Accounts screen using the normal account deletion process. When ‘Yes’ is displayed in the Added? column in the lower grid, it indicates that the account was newly added within this screen. To delete this account, select it and click the Delete button in the lower grid or right click and select the Delete Standard Account option. The Status value in the upper grid will be cleared for any existing accounts that were assigned to this standard account.

Saving Your Assignments You can freely leave this screen and return later to complete the assignment process. When you click the Close button, you are prompted to save your assignments.

Starting Over If midway through the process you are dissatisfied with your assignments, you can start over by simply clicking the Close button and indicating at the prompt that you do not wish to save your assignments. The next time you launch the screen, it will be cleared of any assignments.

Click Update when all existing accounts have a Status value All accounts in the upper grid must have a Status value before you will be permitted to click Update, which performs the actual conversion.

All other users must exit the system You are not permitted to run the conversion if any other users are on the system.

Make a backup before converting! Once you run the COA Conversion, there is not way to restore the old Chart of Accounts. As a safety precaution, we highly recommend that you make a backup before you run the conversion.

When you click Update and confirm that you wish to run the conversion, the program does the following:

• Deletes the existing Chart of Accounts and creates a new Chart of Accounts using the standard accounts listed in the lower grid. The X-Ref Account field in each new account is populated with the old account for reference purposes.


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• Replaces the existing account with its assigned standard account in all GL transaction records.

• Populates all default settings in the Account Assignments screen with standard accounts and replaces existing accounts with their assigned standard accounts in the Sales – Exceptions, Purchasing – Exceptions, and Banking tabs.

• Replaces the existing account with its assigned standard account in the GL Account sub-tab in the Suppliers screen.

Phase 3 – Payroll Accounts Conversion After you have completed the COA Conversion, you must change the account structure in your payroll system to conform to the new Chart of Accounts. Refer to chapter 13D, Payroll Accounting, for complete setup details.

13-1H. Clear Account Balances

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13-1H. Clear Account Balances (GL – General Ledger Setup – Clear Account Balances)

This screen is used on system startup day (or accounting startover day) to bring all your account balances down to zero. This clears the general ledger of any account balances just before new beginning balances are entered. Account balance clearing is accomplished through a batch journal entry for each fiscal year involved that is automatically created and posted by this screen. Each account with a debit balance is given an offsetting credit for the same amount and each account with a credit balance is given an offsetting debit for the same amount.

If you run this by mistake: If you run Clear Account Balances by mistake, go to the Journal Entry screen and reverse each fiscal year’s journal batch, which is done as follows:

• Select the Posted checkbox in the lower panel of the List tab. • Highlight the Journal No. • Click the Reverse button.

Screen Details NOTE: If any un-posted transactions exist, you are denied access to this screen and are advised to run the Batch Posting screen.

Journal Date Select a date that is the last day of the period prior to system startup day.

Update Button Click this button to create and post a batch journal entry for each fiscal year involved.

Preview Button Click this button to preview the posting transactions on the screen prior to update processing.

13-2. Journal Entry

Operating Guide 763

13-2. Journal Entry (GL – Journal Entry)

Use this screen to make direct debit and credit transactions to the General Ledger.

NOTE: Transactions made via this screen are posted directly to the General Ledger and bypass the Batch Posting process.

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Segments: Journal Entry Purposes, Journal Entry, Recurring Journal, Journal Reversal, Payroll Journal Entry

List Tab

Grid Columns:

Journal No This number is automatically assigned by the program when the Journal Entry is first created.

Description Each Journal Entry is given a user-defined Description when it is first created.

Journal Type ‘GJ’ is a contraction for ‘General Journal’ and ‘PR’ is a contraction for ‘Payroll Journal’.

Date This is the intended or actual posting date for all transactions associated with this Journal Entry.

13-2. Journal Entry

764 Operating Guide

Status Four possible values are:

Open The Journal Entry has been started, but is not in balance.

Balanced The Journal Entry is in balance, but has not yet been printed or posted.

Printed The Journal Entry is in balance and has been printed, but has not yet been posted.

Posted The Journal Entry has been posted to the General Ledger.

Right Panel:

New Button Click this button to start a new Journal Entry. You are presented with these two choices in a drop-down list:

General Journal Entry Select this option for all Journal Entries that are not related to payroll.

Payroll Journal Entry Select this option to manually enter payroll account summaries or detail transactions generated by your outside payroll system. Two additional entry fields are presented on the next screen: Chk No and Payee.

Payroll Import Option As an alternative to manual entry, payroll account summaries or transaction detail can be imported into the Journal Entry screen via the Payroll Import screen. See the next chapter for details.

Delete Button Click this button to delete a Journal Entry.

NOTE: You cannot delete a Journal Entry when it has a Status of ‘Posted’.

Print Button Click this button to get a printout of the transaction detail associated with the selected Journal Entry.

NOTE: You cannot print the report when the Journal Entry has a Status of ‘Open’.

Post Button Click this button to post the selected Journal Entry to the General Ledger.

13-2. Journal Entry

Operating Guide 765

NOTE: You cannot post the Journal Entry when it has a Status of ‘Open’.

Reverse Button Click this button to reverse the selected Journal Entry. This creates a reversal Journal Entry with a Status of ‘Balanced’ that consists of debit and credit transactions that are exactly the opposite of the original Journal Entry. The reversal Journal Entry should be reviewed and then posted the same as any other Journal Entry.

Lower Panel:

Open, Balanced, Printed, Posted Select these checkboxes to filter the contents of the grid by the Status value. The Open, Balanced, and Printed checkboxes are selected by default so that the list is initially limited to Journal Entries that are in process.

Details Tab

Journal Information:

Journal Date This is the posting date that will ultimately be applied to all transactions associated with this Journal Entry. It defaults to today’s date, which can be overridden with a selection from the lookup.

Journal Type This read-only field displays the Journal Type (‘General’ or ‘Payroll’) that was selected when the New button was clicked on the List tab.

Journal Status This read-only field displays the current Status of this Journal Entry, which can be ‘Open’, ‘Balanced’, ‘Printed’, or ‘Posted’.

13-2. Journal Entry

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Journal Description (Required) Enter a Description that identifies this Journal Entry on screens and reports.

Line Totals:

Debits This field displays the sum of the Debit entries in the entry grid.

Credits This field displays the sum of the Credit entries in the entry grid.

Difference This field displays the difference between total Debits and total Credits.

Notes Side-Tab Use this field to enter freeform header-level Notes against this Journal Entry. These Notes print on the General Journal Entries report that is generated by clicking the Print button.

Entry Grid:

Account Enter a valid GL Account or select one from the lookup.

Description The Account’s Description is displayed in this read-only field.

Debit, Credit You can enter an amount either in the Debit field or Credit field, but not in both. An amount is inserted by default based on the Difference value above, but can be overridden.

Notes Click the down arrow in this field to display a notepad for entry of freeform Notes against this transaction.

Chk No This field is only visible when the Journal Type is ‘Payroll’. If you are entering payroll detail for a particular payment transaction against your payroll bank account, you have the option of entering the check number in this field for reference during Bank Reconciliation. If you are entering summarized account information, leave this field blank.

Payee This field is only visible when the Journal Type is ‘Payroll’. If you are entering a payroll detail transaction associated with an employee or employer payment, you have the option of entering the payee’s name in this field for reference during Bank Reconciliation. If you are entering summarized account information, leave this field blank.

13-2. Journal Entry

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Right Panel:

Close Button Click this button to close the Details tab and return to the List tab. Your entries are automatically saved.

New Line Button Click this button to initiate a new line in the entry grid.

Cancel Button Click this button to either cancel the Journal Entry itself (if no grid entries have yet been entered) or to cancel an incomplete entry in the grid.

Delete Button Click this button to delete a line from the entry grid.

Save Journal Button Click this button to save your grid entries so that they can be recalled for use in future Journal Entries without having to be reentered each time. You are presented with this screen where you enter a Recurring Journal Description that identifies this set of entries in the Recall Journal screen.

Recall Journal Button Click this button to populate the entry grid with a saved Journal Entry. You are presented with this selection screen:

13-2. Journal Entry

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Buttons:

OK Click this button to populate the entry grid with this saved Journal Entry.

Reverse Click this button to populate the entry grid with a reversed version of this saved Journal Entry where the Debit and Credit amounts are reversed.

Cancel Click this button to close the selection screen without any action being taken.

Delete Click this button to permanently delete a saved Journal Entry from the selection list.

13-3. Payroll Import

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13-3. Payroll Import (GL – Payroll Import)

This screen is used to import payroll transaction detail or account summaries into the Journal Entry screen. Once the information is in the Journal Entry screen, it can be reviewed and posted to the General Ledger.


Segments: Payroll Setup, Payroll Journal Entry, Payroll Import, CheckMark Payroll Import

Payroll Setup Refer to chapter 13C, Payroll Accounting, for details on setting up your payroll system to conform to the DBA standard Chart of Accounts.

Detail or Summary Import? You have the option of importing the complete detail associated with each payroll payment or you can import a summary debit or credit total for each GL account.

• Whenever possible, especially if you are using an outside payroll service, we recommend importing summary information as the more efficient alternative. Importing all the payroll detail into DBA simply duplicates the detail that is stored in your payroll system and needlessly clutters up the general ledger.

• The detail options are available for companies that feel a need to reconcile their payroll bank account through the Account Reconciliation screen.

• The CheckMark options are for users of CheckMark Payroll®, which is a stand-alone payroll software package. With CheckMark you are required to import payroll detail.

File Types You can import records from a CSV file (Excel spreadsheet) or you can import a comma delimited Text file.


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Screen Details

Filename Click the 3-dot button to navigate to your import file location. You can select a file type of ‘*.txt’ or ‘*.csv’.

Start the import at line 2 of the import file If the first row or line of your import file is used for column headings, select this checkbox.

NOTE: This option is grayed out if you select any of the CheckMark Payroll options.

Journal Date Select the posting date that will be applied to your Journal Entry. Make sure this date is equal to the actual payment date of the payroll transactions.

Journal Description Enter the Journal Description that will be applied to your Journal Entry.

File Format Six file format options are available:

NOTE: If you select a Detail or Summary option below, your spreadsheet columns or text file field positions must be in the exact order listed in parentheses.

CheckMark Payroll, Employee Payments Select this option if your using CheckMark Payroll year 2009 version or later. Complete transaction detail for each employee payment gets imported.


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CheckMark Payroll, Employer Payments Select this option if your using CheckMark Payroll year 2009 version or later. Complete transaction detail for each employer payment made to payroll vendors gets imported.

Detail (Account, Amount, Check, Name) We recommend either of the two Detail options when you process payroll in house using a stand-alone payroll software package. Complete transaction detail for each employee or payroll vendor payment gets imported. Select this Detail option if each import record contains a single amount with a minus sign in front of credit values.

Detail (Account, Debit, Credit, Check, Name) Select this Detail option if each import record contains separate debit and credit amounts instead of a single amount.

Summary (Account, Amount) We recommend either of the two Summary options when you outsource payroll to a payroll service provider. Only a single debit or credit amount per GL account gets imported. Select this Summary option if each import record contains a single amount with a minus sign in front of credit amounts.

Summary (Account, Debit, Credit) Select this Summary option if each import record contains separate debit and credit amounts instead of a single amount.

Import Button Click this button to import your file. After the import is completed, you are swapped to the Journal Entry screen.

Journal Entry Screen The program creates a batch Journal Entry. Your import records are listed in the lower grid with Debit or Credit amounts. If you imported check numbers and employee or payroll vendor names, that information is displayed in the Chk No and Payee columns. The next step is to review the Journal Entry and then post it, the same way you would post any other Journal Entry. If your batch is not in balance, you must find the source of the imbalance and make appropriate corrections.

Errors Tab Your file will not be imported if any errors are encountered, which are listed on the Errors tab. Each import record within your file must have a valid GL account and an amount greater than zero. If any errors are listed, you must edit your file and make appropriate corrections, then you can attempt the import once again.

6-3. Period-End Procedures

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13-4. Financial Cutoff Date (GL – Financial Cutoff Date)

Use this screen to prevent transactions from being entered with a posting date prior to a specified Financial Cutoff Date.


Segment: Financial Cutoff Date

DBA does not have a formal “close” Be aware that DBA does not have any type of formal “closing” procedure that must be run to advance to the next accounting period or fiscal year. In DBA accounting periods exist solely for reporting purposes and are used to group GL transactions into date ranges.

A period is closed when you consider it closed Without a formal close, a period is “closed” whenever you want it to be. The Financial Cutoff Date is your form of control that prevents users from posting transactions to periods that you consider to be closed.

Screen Details

Financial Cutoff Date Select a date equal to the last day of the accounting period you consider to be “closed.” Transaction date fields throughout the system do not permit date selection prior to or equal to this date.

13-5. Batch Posting

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13-5. Batch Posting (GL – Batch Posting)

With the exception of journal entries, all financial transactions generated throughout the system are posted to the General Ledger through the Batch Posting screen. Batch Posting looks at the Account Assignments screen to determine which GL accounts are associated with each transaction. All transactions that have occurred since your last posting batch or were excluded from your last batch are available for posting.


Segment: Batch Posting

Post once a day Ideally, you should post once a day. The smaller your batch size, the easier it is to scrutinize to make sure all entries are posting to the correct accounts. Not only should you batch post once a day, but you also should do it at a quiet time when other users are not heavily active, such as at the end of the day or at lunchtime. When you post a large batch, the file server will be doing intense processing that will temporarily slow the system down for other users.

Pre-Process Ledger Transactions Button To post a batch, the first thing you do is click the Pre-Process Ledger Transactions button. This initiates a procedure where the program matches up all the un-posted transactions with the settings in the Account Assignments screen.

Message Screens After pre-processing is completed, the program will display messages, if required.

13-5. Batch Posting

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First, if you have transactions that cannot be posted because their dates fall within closed periods, you receive another message screen, which includes a list of remedies. Secondly, if you have any transactions that lack GL account assignments, another message screen is displayed that contains a list of remedies. After you close the last message screen, you will see the Finish Pre-Processing message on top of the progress bar.

Posting the batch You can now post the batch, which is done by clicking the Post button. When posting is completed, you receive a message at the top of the progress bar that informs you how many transactions were posted and how many are left un-posted, usually because they have no account assignment or they are dated to a closed period.

Show Un-Posted Transactions Button To view your un-posted transactions, click the Show Un-Posted Transactions button. In the Comment field you will see the reason why the transaction could not post. It is usually ‘NoPeriod’, which means the transaction is dated for a closed period, or ‘NoMapping’, meaning that an account assignment setting is missing.

Reversing a Batch After posting your batch, you can review your GL postings by highlighting your batch on the GL – Batch History screen and clicking the Report button. If you find errors that need account re-assignment, you can reverse the batch by clicking the Reverse button. You can then re-assign GL accounts in the GL – General Ledger Setup – Account Assignments screen and then run the Batch Posting procedure again.

13-5. Batch Posting

Operating Guide 775

13-6. Batch History (GL – Batch History)

This screen enables you to view a listing of all the GL posting batches generated via the Batch Posting screen. You can drill-down and see the detail transactions within each batch, and you can reverse a batch if you wish to make corrections and post transactions once again.

Batch Listing Display Each batch is identified with a system-generated Batch ID and a Posting Date. The Status field will show a value of ‘Posted’ or ‘Reversed’. Other information includes the No of Transactions and the Post Method.

Drill-Down Button To view the actual transactions within a batch, highlight the desired batch and click the Drill-Down button.

Batch Posting Report To get a listing of your batch detail transactions, highlight the desired batch and click the Report button. You can post daily or as little as once per period.

Reversing a Batch If after reviewing the batch posting report or the drill-down screen you discover account assignment errors that you wish to correct, you can reverse the batch by highlighting it and clicking the Reverse button. This un-posts all the transactions and changes the batch Status to ‘Reversed’. You can now re-assign GL accounts as needed in the GL – General Ledger Setup – Account Assignments screen. The next time you run the Batch Posting procedure, those reversed transactions will get posted again, this time with the corrected GL assignment settings.

13-7. GL Spreadsheet Generator

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13-7. GL Spreadsheet Generator (GL – GL Spreadsheet Generator)

Spreadsheets such as Excel are ideal for analyzing financial data. If you wish to compare financial periods from one year to the next, or compare budget projections with actual performance, the spreadsheet accommodates an unlimited number of columns, whereas a standard report can only display three or four columns at most. Once your data is in Excel, you can organize subtotals, calculate percentages, apply formulas, create graphs, link spreadsheets, and create almost any type of printed output. The GL Spreadsheet Generator is a utility that enables you to extract general ledger data out of DBA and into Excel in a variety of user-defined formats that you can re-use over and over again. Essentially, the GL Spreadsheet Generator gathers the data for you and then Excel is used to manipulate and present the data. Using DBA with Excel is a combination that provides you with almost unlimited financial analysis.


Segment: GL Spreadsheet Generator

What types of data sets can be created? The following are the types of data sets that could be generated using the GL Spreadsheet Generator:

• Comparative balance sheet by period • Changes in financial position • Best or worse case budget scenario • Budget vs. actual year-to-date • Year-to-date income statement • Comparative income for last three years • Income by period – trailing 12 months • Absorbed vs. actual overhead • Projected vs. actual sales • Gross profit by period • Absorbed vs. actual costs


Operating Guide 777

Creating a new spreadsheet To create a new spreadsheet, click the New button. You are taken to the Columns screen where you can enter the Name and Description that will be used to identify this spreadsheet on the opening List screen.

Columns Tab In the Columns tab screen you define the columns that are to be included in your data set and spreadsheet. Enter and define as many spreadsheet columns as you wish. Within your columns you can mix and match any combination of budget, actual performance, years, and date ranges.

Upper Panel

Name Enter an up to 20-character Name to identify your spreadsheet on the List tab.

Description You can enter an up 50-character Description to accompany the Name on the List tab.

Grid Columns

Column Name You must give each column a Column Name.

NOTE: This must be a single word with no spaces.

Type This refers to the type of data to be displayed in the column. You can select ‘Actual’ or any of your budgets.

Year Select ‘C’ for the current year, ‘P’ for the previous year, ‘N’ for next year, or you can specify a particular fiscal year.


778 Operating Guide

From Period - To Period Within this year, you can specify a from and to period. For example, if you want the first column to be the month of January, you would select period ‘01’ through period ‘01’. If you want the first column to be the first quarter of the year, you would select period ‘01’ through ‘03’. Or, if you want your first column to be the entire year, you would select period ‘01’ through ‘12’.

Selections Tab The Selections tab is where you select ranges of GL accounts that will populate the columns you created in the Columns tab screen.

Upper Panel

Name, Description These are read-only fields that identify your spreadsheet.

Grid Columns

Classification Your range of accounts can be determined buy any of the following:

• Account Type • Account Class • Account Group

Condition Select one of these options:

• = • <>

Select the equal sign when you want to include a range in your selection. Select ‘<>’ if you want your range to be excluded from selection. You could, for example, enter a wide range of items, such as all your expense accounts, in one line using the equal sign, and then in a second line you could exclude a small range of expenses within that first range, using the ‘<>’ condition.


Operating Guide 779

From – To The lookups in these fields are determined by your selection in the Classification field.

Connector This field cannot be blank. Your choices are:

• And • Or • GroupOr

How to use the Connector When all you are entering is one line, this field has no meaning and can be left as is. Also, if this is the last line, this field has no meaning, and can be left as is. Now let’s say you want a group of accounts from one section of your chart of accounts, and for some reason you want another group located somewhere else. You might be comparing absorbed WIP overhead versus actual overhead, for example. Select your first range on one line, and in the Connector field, select ‘Or’ and then enter your second range in line 2. Whenever you want to include separate groups of accounts like this, always use the ‘Or’ connector. You are telling the program to select this range, or this range, or this range. So think of ‘Or’ as meaning “Or also.” The ‘And’ connector is used to filter or limit a range to just some accounts within the range. Typically, this is used with multi-segment GL account code structures where a second or third segment might represent a sub-account or department. You could say I want all my office expenses ‘And’ I want only segments ranging from this value to this value. So think of ‘And’ as meaning “and within.” And let’s say you want to define another group of ranges that also contains an ‘And’ connector. End your last group line with a ‘GroupOr’ connector, which tells the program that you are defining a separate group on the next line. So ‘GroupOr’, in effect, acts like a bracket in a mathematical expression and separates one group of lines from another group of lines. So think of ‘GroupOr’ as meaning “Or also another Group.” The ‘And’ and ‘GroupOr’ connectors are typically used to isolate data to specific departments or sub-accounts. If you have single-segment GL codes, you will almost exclusively use ranges of accounts.

Show Selection Query Result Button In the background, the selection columns generate an SQL query on the GL transactions table. If you want to see the actual query that gets generated, click this button.


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Lower Panel Use these settings to determine the sort order of your spreadsheet rows. If you wish to sort the rows in GL account code order, for example, you would select ‘FullAccount’ in the Sort 1 field and leave the Sort 2 and Sort 3 fields blank.

Generating your spreadsheet Now that your spreadsheet has been set up, it can be generated whenever you wish. To do so, go to the List tab and highlight the spreadsheet you wish to run.

List Tab Year/Period for ‘Current’ columns Select the accounting period that you consider to be the “Current” period. Any Year or From Period or To Period columns with a ‘C’ setting will gather its data from this period or year. Any columns with a ‘P’ setting (Previous) will gather its data from the prior year and any columns with an ‘N’ setting (Next) will gather its data from the next year (in the case of budget amounts).

Generate Button Click this button to generate your spreadsheet. The data set you have selected is displayed in the Analysis screen, which is a spreadsheet type grid that displays all the available fields, along with all the records that comprise them. At this point, all the available fields within each GL account are displayed.

Normally, you would not want to view all these columns. So the next step is to create your own queries, which are limited to the fields you want to include.

Customize Button The query is reduced to just the fields you want by dragging unwanted fields off the screen. This is done via the Customize button, which presents a box in the lower right corner of the screen. To remove a field, drag its column


Operating Guide 781

heading and drop it into the box. Continue removing fields one by one until you are left with the fields you want.

Save Layout Button When done, click the Save Layout button, and give your query a name. This adds your query to the Layout List. Now whenever you want to run this query again, you select it from the Layout List, click the Restore button, and your custom layout is displayed once again.

Column filtering & grouping Before you generate your final spreadsheet, you can perform additional filtering and grouping on your data set.

Column Filtering You can click the down arrow on any column heading and from the drop-down list, select a particular value. If the column is a date field, you can click the column heading down arrow, select the ‘Customize’ option, and then enter ranges of dates.

Column Sorting You can sort your list by clicking on any of the column headings, which will then sort the entire list by that column. Click the heading a second time and the sort order will change from ascending to descending, or vice-versa.

Output Options At this point, the Analysis screen is functioning as an inquiry screen. You can go a step further, however, and click the Output button to output this information into the following formats.

• Output to the printer • Output to HTML • Output to Text • Output to Excel

Output to the Printer When you select this option, a print preview screen is displayed. You can click File – Page Setup to select various options that will change the report appearance. When the format is to your satisfaction, click the Print button.

Output to HTML, Text, Excel When you select these options, you are prompted to save the file to a name and location.

13-8. GL Reports

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13-8. GL Reports

13-8A. Journal Report (GL – Reports – Journal Report)

This report provides a listing of the debit and credit details of any transaction, which are grouped within the following journal types:

• Cash Receipts • Cash Disbursements • Sales • Purchases • Jobs • Inventory • General Journal

You can limit the report to all or selected journal types, as well as any range of accounting periods, transaction dates, or entry dates.


Segment: Journal Report

13-8B. Transaction Listing (GL – Reports – Transaction Listing)

This report provides a listing of the transactions within each GL account. You can run the report by period range or date range and for any range of GL accounts.


Segment: Transaction Listing

13-8. GL Reports

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13-8C. Absorbed Mfg Costs (GL – Reports – Absorbed Mfg Costs)

This report is only visible when the Accounting Configuration is set to the Financial Transfer option, which enables DBA to be used with an outside accounting system. The Absorbed Mfg Costs account is a “catch all” expense account in your outside system that represents a blend of the following DBA accounts.

12200 Picked Not Invoiced 20200 Received Not Invoiced 51100 Accrued Service Labor 52200 Accrued Misc Sales Cost 52500 PO Shipping Cost 53100 Adjustments – Inventory 53300 Adjustments – Recd Not Invoiced 53400 Adjustments – WIP 54000 Absorbed Labor 55000 Absorbed Subcontract Cost 56000 Absorbed Misc Job Cost 57000 Absorbed Factory Overhead 61360 Misc Purchases 61480 Purchase Tax

At period end this account will have a credit balance that roughly offsets your actual direct labor and factory overhead costs. This serves to absorb those costs into your inventory. This report provides a breakout of the Absorbed Mfg Costs account total by the 14 DBA accounts that comprise it. You can run the report for any range of accounting periods.

13-8. GL Reports

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13-8D. Trial Balance (GL – Reports – Trial Balance)

This report displays the total debit, credit, and net change amount for each GL account, for any period or range of periods. The same columns are also listed on the report based on year-to-date amounts. On the selection screen, you must specify a range of periods and a range of GL accounts. If you leave these fields blank, nothing will be selected. GL accounts with no activity are normally excluded from the report, but you can select the Include zero-value accounts checkbox if you want them included. This is a summary report. For a listing of the transactions for any given GL account, use the Transaction Listing report.


Segment: Trial Balance

13-8E. Balance Sheet (GL – Reports – Balance Sheet)

The Balance Sheet is always run as of the date you specify on the selection screen. GL accounts are grouped and subtotaled by Account Type, by Account Class within Account Type, and Account Group within Account Class.


Segment: Balance Sheet

13-8. GL Reports

Operating Guide 785

13-8F. Income Statement (GL – Reports – Income Statement)

The Income Statement can be run for any range of accounting periods and any range of GL accounts. GL accounts are grouped and subtotaled by Account Type, by Account Class within Account Type, and Account Group within Account Class. If you wish to compare income across multiple periods, you must set up a spreadsheet in the GL – GL Spreadsheet Generator screen, which enables you to compare as many columns of information as you need, including income vs. budgets.


Segment: Income Statement

13-8. GL Reports

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13A. Period/Year End Procedures

Operating Guide 787

13A. Period End & Year End Period End Procedures With DBA, you do not formally “close” your periods in terms of being required to run any type of procedure to move from one period to the next. In this section we recommend five period end procedures that are good accounting practices.


Segments: Period End Procedures, Inventory and WIP Accounts, Adjustment Accounts, Absorption Accounts

Step 1 – Make period end journal entries (GL – Journal Entry)

Make period end journal entries for any accrual accounts that you maintain, such as allowance for bad debt, depreciation, etc.

Do not make journal entries to self-adjusting accounts Do not make journal entries to the following accounts except on a one-time basis to get them in balance with underlying transactions. Once these accounts are in balance, they are self-adjusting.

• Bank Accounts (10100 – 10400) • Accounts Receivable (11000) • Inventory (12000) • Work in Process (12300) • Accounts Payable (20000) • Received Not Invoiced (20200)

Step 2 – Reconcile inventory book values (Inventory – Reconcile Book Values) Run this procedure to adjust for any discrepancies between item “book value” and actual inventory value.

Step 3 – Key Accounts Review In this step you will review key GL accounts to insure their integrity and make appropriate adjustments and procedural changes.


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Bank Accounts (10100 – 10400) Each Bank Account balance should agree with the current balance displayed in the Bank Balances Inquiry screen. If it does not, make the following one-time adjusting journal entry and bank reconciliation transaction.

One-Time Adjustment On the Bank Balances Inquiry screen, compare each bank account’s Bank Balance to its GL Balance, both of which are displayed on the screen. If the Bank Balance is greater than the GL Balance, make this one-time journal entry for the difference in value:

Debit Bank Account Credit Bank Charges NEXT STEP: This journal entry will cause the bank account to be out of balance with the next bank statement by the amount of the journal entry. To correct this, go into the Bank Reconciliation screen and make a special one-time reconciliation transaction where you enter the journal entry amount in the (+) Adjustments header field as a negative amount.

If the Bank Balance is less than the GL Balance, make this one-time journal entry for the difference in value:

Debit Bank Charges Credit Bank Account NEXT STEP: This journal entry will cause the bank account to be out of balance with the next bank statement by the amount of the journal entry. To correct this, go into the Bank Reconciliation screen and make a special one-time reconciliation transaction where you enter the journal entry amount in the (+) Adjustments header field as a positive amount.

Accounts Receivable (11000) The Accounts Receivable account should equal the current value listed on the Customer Detail Aging report. If it does not, make a one-time adjusting journal entry as described further below.

Do not make ongoing journal entries The Accounts Receivable account is automatically adjusted and kept in balance as invoices and customer payments are processed. Ongoing journal entries may be harmful and should be avoided because they sever the direct relationship between Accounts Receivable value and the underlying transactions.

One-Time Adjustment Compare the grand total on the Customer Summary Aging report with your Accounts Receivable account balance on the Balance Sheet. If the amount on the report is greater than your GL balance, make this one-time journal


Operating Guide 789

entry for the difference in value, with the transaction date being the last day of the period:

Debit Accounts Receivable (11000) Credit Cost of Goods Sold (50000)

If the amount on the report is less than your GL balance, make this one-time journal entry for the difference in value, with the transaction date being the last day of the period:

Debit Cost of Goods Sold (50000) Credit Accounts Receivable (11000)

Inventory (12000) Your Inventory account balance should equal the current total listed on the Inventory Value report. If it does not, adjust it on a one-time basis as described below.

Do not make ongoing journal entries The Inventory account is automatically adjusted and kept in balance with each inventory transaction. Ongoing journal entries may be harmful and should be avoided because they sever the direct relationship between Inventory value and the underlying transactions.

Do not split the account into multiple accounts If you wish to evaluate Inventory value by M or P items, Item Category, or Location, do so using the Inventory Value report instead of adjusting the Inventory. Do not use journal entries to split your Inventory account into multiple accounts because it will sever the direct relationship between Inventory value and the underlying transactions.

One-time Adjustment Compare the current grand total on the Inventory Value report with your Inventory account balance on the Balance Sheet. If the amount on the report is greater than your GL balance, make this one-time journal entry for the difference in value, with the transaction date being the last day of the period:

Debit Inventory (12000) Credit Adjustments – Inventory (53100)


Debit Adjustments – Inventory (53100) Credit Inventory (12000)


790 Operating Guide

Work in Process (12300) Your Work in Process account balance should equal the current total listed on the WIP Value report. If it does not, adjust it on a one-time basis as follows.

Do not make ongoing journal entries The Work in Process account is automatically adjusted with each job transaction and is kept in balance when Jobs are closed. Ongoing journal entries may be harmful and should be avoided because they sever the direct relationship between Work in Process value and the underlying transactions and Job closing.

If the balance is constantly growing: If your Work in Process account balance is constantly growing, it is because users are not closing jobs, which automatically balances the account. Make sure your users close all finished jobs using the Job Control Panel.

One-time Adjustment Only perform this one-time adjustment after all finished jobs have been formally closed using the Job Control Panel. Compare the current grand total on the WIP Value report with your Work in Process account balance on the Balance Sheet. If the amount on the report is greater than your GL balance, make this one-time journal entry for the difference in value, with the transaction date being the last day of the period:

Debit Work in Process (12300) Credit Adjustments – WIP (53400)


Debit Adjustments – WIP (53400) Credit Work in Process (12300)

Accounts Payable (20000) The Accounts Payable account should equal the current value listed on the Supplier Summary Aging report. If it does not, make a one-time adjusting journal entry as described further below.

Do not make ongoing journal entries The Accounts Payable account is automatically adjusted and kept in balance as supplier invoices and payments are processed. Ongoing journal entries may be harmful and should be avoided because they sever the direct relationship between Accounts Payable value and the underlying transactions.


Operating Guide 791

One-Time Adjustment Compare the grand total on the Supplier Summary Aging report with your Accounts Payable account balance on the Balance Sheet. If the amount on the report is greater than your GL balance, make this one-time journal entry for the difference in value, with the transaction date being the last day of the period:

Debit Misc Purchases (61360) Credit Accounts Payable (20000)


Debit Accounts Payable (20000) Credit Misc Purchases (61360)

Received Not Invoiced (20200) The Received Not Invoiced account should equal the current value listed on the Received Not Invoiced report.

Do not make ongoing journal entries The Received Not Invoiced account is automatically adjusted with each PO receipt and is kept in balance as PO Invoices are processed and POs are closed. Ongoing journal entries may be harmful and should be avoided because they sever the direct relationship between Received Not Invoiced value and the underlying transactions and PO closing.

If the balance is constantly growing: If your Received Not Invoiced account balance is constantly growing, it is because users are not using the PO Invoices screen to match POs with supplier invoices, which closes PO lines and balances the Received Not Invoiced account. Make sure that all PO-related supplier invoices are created in the PO Invoices screen rather than in the Supplier Invoices screen.

One-Time Adjustment Compare the grand total on the Received Not Invoiced report with your Received Not Invoiced account balance on the Balance Sheet. If the amount on the report is greater than your GL balance, make this one-time journal entry for the difference in value, with today’s date as the transaction date:

Debit Adjustments – Recd Not Invoiced (53300) Credit Received Not Invoiced (20200)

If the amount on the report is less than your GL balance, make this one-time journal entry for the difference in value, with today’s date as the transaction date:


792 Operating Guide

Debit Received Not Invoiced Credit Adjustments – Recd Not Invoiced (53300)

Adjustments – Inventory (53100) This account balance reflects stock count discrepancies and should receive a relatively modest total each period. If a great many transactions are being posted to this account, resulting in a relatively large period end total, users are using Stock Adjustments to bypass a standard process, such as PO receipts, job receipts, or job material returns to stock. Make sure users only perform any such processes within their respective screens and never through Stock Adjustment.

NOTE: The best way to stop the abuse of stock adjustments is to deny users access to the Stock Adjustments screen through password security. Any true stock count adjustments should instead be made through the Stock Counts screen, which is designed for that purpose.

Adjustments – WIP (53400) This account balance reflects any variance between the total cost of job inputs (material, labor, overhead, subcontract service) versus the total cost of job outputs. If this account consistently accumulates a relatively large debit balance, it can be caused by these reasons:

• Users are entering finished job receipts using Stock Adjustments instead of the Job Issues & Receipts screen, which creates an imbalance between input and output costs. We recommend that you use password security to deny users access to the Stock Adjustments screen.

• Users are entering job receipts in the Job Issues & Receipts screen before all job costs have been reported, even though the screen provides a warning when input costs remain unreported. One remedy is to implement processes whereby material and labor costs are entered in as close to real time as possible. If this cannot be done, we recommend that you change the Job Receipt Cost Basis in Job Defaults from ‘Actual Job Cost’ to ‘Estimated Job Cost’, which will provide a safeguard against zero-cost receipt transactions.

Step 4 – Reset the financial cutoff date (GL – Financial Cutoff Date)

After period end journal entries have been made, we recommend that you advance the Financial Cutoff Date. Select a date equal to the last day of the accounting period you consider to be “closed.” Financial posting dates cannot be entered prior to or equal to this date.

Step 5 – Print financial statements (GL – Reports – Balance Sheet)


Operating Guide 793

(GL – Reports – Income Statement)

The final step is to print your financial statements and submit them to management.

Fiscal Year End Unlike many accounting systems, DBA does not require any special procedures to be run at fiscal year end. At fiscal year end you simply continue operating as you would at any period end. At any date during the new fiscal year you are free to make adjusting journal entries in the prior year to finalize your fiscal year end accounting.


Segment: Year End

13B. Posting Specifications

794 Operating Guide

13B. Posting Specifications This chapter provides posting specifications associated with each type of financial transaction made by the system. Specifications include the cost basis of the transaction, the cost classes involved (where applicable), the accounts that are debited and credited, and any additional information where relevant.

Stock Adjustment Basis Inventory Cost Stock Qty Increase Debit Inventory (Asset - 12000) Credit Adjustments – Inventory (Cost of Sales - 53100) Stock Qty Decrease Debit Adjustments - Inventory (Cost of Sales - 53100) Credit Inventory (12000 - Asset)

Order Picking Stock Item Basis Inventory Cost Debit Picked Not Invoiced (Asset - 12200) Credit Inventory (Asset - 12000)

Descriptor Type LABOR, SETUP Basis SO Line Est Cost Debit Picked Not Invoiced (Asset - 12200) Credit Accrued Service Labor (Cost of Sales - 51100)

Descriptor Type FIXOH, MISC, SHIP, SUBCON. VAROH Posting At time of invoicing only.

Customer Invoice – Cost of Sales Stock Item Basis Picked/Issued Cost Debit Cost of Goods Sold (Cost of Sales – 50000 or Exception)


Operating Guide 795

Credit Picked Not Invoiced (Asset - 12200)

Descriptor Type LABOR, SETUP Basis SO Line Est Cost Debit Cost of Goods Sold (Cost of Sales – 50000 or Exception) Credit Accrued Service Labor (Cost of Sales - 51100)

Descriptor Type MISC, SUBCON, FIXOH, VAROH Basis SO Line Est Cost Debit Cost of Goods Sold (Cost of Sales – 50000 or Exception) Credit Accrued Misc Sales Cost (Cost of Sales - 52200)

Descriptor Type SHIP Basis SO line Est Cost Debit Cost of Goods Sold (Cost of Sales – 50000 or Exception) Credit Absorbed Shipping Cost (Cost of Sales - 52400)

Customer Invoice – Revenue Line Item Sale Debit Accounts Receivable (Asset - 11000) Credit Sales – Products (Income – 40000 or Exception)

Line Item Tax Debit Accounts Receivable (Asset – 11000)

or, AR – Tax Portion (Asset - 11100) Credit Sales Tax Payable (Liability - 21100)

Shipping Descriptor / Freeform Type SHIP Debit Accounts Receivable (Asset - 11000) Credit Shipping Income (Income - 42000) Payment – Customer Deposit Debit Customer Deposits (Liability - 23100) Credit Accounts Receivable (Asset - 11000)


796 Operating Guide

or, AR – Tax Portion (Asset - 11100) Payment – Credit Card Terms – Non Tax Portion Debit Merchant Account – Credit Cards (Asset – 10500 or User-Defined) Credit Accounts Receivable (Asset - 11000) Payment – Credit Card Terms – Tax Portion Debit Merchant Account – Credit Cards (Asset – 10500 or User-Defined) Credit Accounts Receivable (Asset - 11000)

or, AR – Tax Portion (Asset - 11100)

Job Issue Stock Item Basis Inventory Cost Debit Work in Process (Asset - 12300) Credit Inventory (Asset - 12000)

Descriptor – Labor/Setup Type LABOR, SETUP Basis Estimated Cost Debit Work in Process (Asset - 12300) Credit Absorbed Labor (Cost of Sales - 54000)

Descriptor – Miscellaneous Type MISC Basis Estimated Cost Debit Work in Process (Asset - 12300) Credit Absorbed Misc Job Cost (Cost of Sales - 56000)

Descriptor – Overhead Type FIXOH, VAROH Basis Estimated Cost Debit Work in Process (Asset - 12300) Credit Absorbed Factory Overhead (Cost of Sales – 57000)

Descriptor - Subcontract Type SUBCON Basis Estimated Cost


Operating Guide 797

Debit Work in Process (Asset - 12300) Credit Absorbed Subcontract Cost (Cost of Sales - 55000)

Job Labor Entry Labor & Setup Basis Work Center Labor/Setup Rate or Worker Rate Debit Work in Process (Asset - 12300) Credit Absorbed Labor (Cost of Sales - 54000) Fixed Overhead Basis Work Center Fixed Overhead Rate Debit Work in Process (Asset - 12300) Credit Absorbed Factory Overhead (Cost of Sales - 57000) Variable Overhead Basis Work Center Variable Overhead Rate Debit Work in Process (Asset - 12300) Credit Absorbed Factory Overhead (Cost of Sales - 57000)

Job Receipt Basis Job Actual Cost or Job Estimated Cost Debit Inventory (Asset - 12000) Credit Work in Process (Asset - 12300)

Job Close Basis Job Actual Costs Output Costs > Input Costs Debit Work in Process (Asset - 12300) Credit Adjustments – WIP (Cost of Sales - 53400) Output Costs < Input Costs Debit Adjustments – WIP (Cost of Sales - 53400) Credit Work in Process (Asset - 12300)

Job Reopen GL Transaction Basis Reversal of Previous Job Close Postings


798 Operating Guide

Output Costs > Input Costs Debit Adjustments – WIP (Cost of Sales - 53400) Credit Work in Process (Asset - 12300) Output Costs < Input Costs Debit Work in Process (Asset - 12300) Credit Adjustments – WIP (Cost of Sales - 53400)

PO Receipt Stock Item Basis PO Receipt Cost Debit Inventory (Asset - 12000) Credit Received Not Invoiced (Liability - 20200)

Descriptor – Non-Shipping without Subcon Job Value Type MISC, LABOR, SETUP, SUBCON, FIXOH, VAROH Basis PO Receipt Cost Debit Misc Purchases (Expense – 61360 or Exception) Credit Received Not Invoiced (Liability - 20200)

Descriptor – Non-Subcontract with Subcon Job Value Type MISC, LABOR, SETUP, FIXOH, VAROH, SHIP Basis PO Receipt Cost Debit Absorbed Misc Job Cost (Cost of Sales - 56000) Credit Received Not Invoiced (Liability - 20200) -------- A Job Issue transaction occurs immediately following the PO receipt, posted as follows: Debit Work in Process (Asset - 12300) Credit Absorbed Misc Job Cost (Cost of Sales - 56000)

Descriptor – Shipping without Subcon Job Value Type SHIP Basis PO Receipt Cost Debit PO Shipping Cost (Cost of Sales - 52500) Credit Received Not Invoiced (Liability - 20200)


Operating Guide 799

Freeform or Descriptor – Subcontract with Subcon Job Value Type SUBCON Basis PO Receipt Cost Debit Absorbed Subcontract Cost (Cost of Sales - 55000) Credit Received Not Invoiced (Liability - 20200) ------- A Job Issue transaction occurs immediately following the PO receipt, posted as follows: Debit Work in Process (Asset - 12300) Credit Absorbed Subcontract Cost (Cost of Sales - 55000)

PO Invoice Matched Line Item Basis PO Receipt Cost Debit Received Not Invoiced (Liability - 20200) Credit Accounts Payable (Liability - 20000)

Line Item Tax Basis Matched PO Line Tax Debit Purchase Tax (Expense - 61480 or Liability) Credit Accounts Payable (Liability - 20000)

or, AP – Tax Portion (Liability - 20100)

Line Item Price Variance – Supplier Price > PO Cost Basis Difference between Supplier Invoice Price and PO Receipt Cost Debit Adjustments – Recd Not Invoiced (Cost of Sales - 53300) Credit Received Not Invoiced (Liability - 20200)

Line Item Price Variance – Supplier Price < PO Cost Debit Received Not Invoiced (Liability - 20200) Credit Adjustments – Recd Not Invoiced (Cost of Sales - 53300)

SHIP Line Item Basis PO Invoice Unit Price Debit PO Shipping Cost (Cost of Sales - 52500) Credit Accounts Payable (Liability - 20000) Credit Card Payment – Non Tax Portion


800 Operating Guide

Debit Accounts Payable (Liability - 20000) Credit Credit Card Account (20500 or User-Defined) Credit Card Payment – Tax Portion Debit Accounts Payable (Liability - 20000)

or, AP – Tax Portion (Liability - 20100) Credit Credit Card Account (20500 or User-Defined)

PO Line Reopen Basis Reversal of PO Invoice Price / PO Receipt Cost Variance Supplier Price > PO Cost Debit Received Not Invoiced (Liability - 20200) Credit Adjustments – Recd Not Invoiced (Cost of Sales - 53300) Supplier Price < PO Cost Debit Adjustments – Recd Not Invoiced (Cost of Sales - 53300) Credit Received Not Invoiced (Liability - 20200)

Customer Payment Customer Invoice – Non-Tax Portion Debit Bank Account (Asset - 10100 or User-Defined)

or, Merchant Account (Asset - 10500 or User-Defined) Credit Accounts Receivable (Asset - 11000)

Customer Invoice – Tax Portion Debit Bank Account (Asset - 10100 or User-Defined)

or, Merchant Account (Asset - 10500 or User-Defined) Credit Accounts Receivable (Asset - 11000)

or, AR – Tax Portion (Asset - 11100)

Customer Invoice – Discount Amount Debit AR Discounts Taken (Income - 43200) Credit Accounts Receivable (Asset - 11000)

Customer Deposit Debit Bank Account (Asset - 10100 or User-Defined)

or, Merchant Account (Asset - 10500 or User-Defined) Credit Customer Deposits (Liability - 23100)


Operating Guide 801

Supplier Invoice Non-Tax Portion Debit Expense Account (Expense - Selected) Credit Accounts Payable (Liability - 20000)

Tax Portion Debit Purchase Tax (Expense - 61480 or Liability) Credit Accounts Payable (Liability - 20000)

or, AP – Tax Portion (Liability - 20100) Payment – Non Credit Card – Non-Tax Portion Debit Accounts Payable (Liability - 20000) Credit Bank Account (Asset - 10100 or User-Defined) Payment – Non Credit Card – Tax Portion Debit Accounts Payable (Liability - 20000) or, AP – Tax Portion (Liability - 20100) Credit Bank Account (Asset - 10100 or User-Defined) Payment – Credit Card Terms – Non-Tax Portion Debit Accounts Payable (Liability - 20000) Credit Credit Card Account (Liability - 20500 or User-Defined) Payment – Credit Card Terms – Tax Portion Debit Accounts Payable (Liability - 20000) or, AP – Tax Portion (Liability - 20100) Credit Credit Card Account (Liability - 20500 or User-Defined)

Supplier Payment Non-Tax Portion Debit Accounts Payable (Liability - 20000) Credit Bank Account (Asset - 10100 or User-Defined)

or, Credit Card Account (Liability - 20500 or User-Defined)

Tax Portion Debit Accounts Payable (Liability - 20000) or, AP – Tax Portion (Liability - 20100) Credit Bank Account (Asset - 10100 or User-Defined)


802 Operating Guide

or, Credit Card Account (Liability - 20500 or User-Defined)

Discount Amount Debit Accounts Payable (Liability - 20000) Credit AP Discounts Taken (Cost of Sales - 52600)

Void Payment Non-Tax Portion Debit Bank Account (Asset - 10100 or User-Defined)

or, Credit Card Account (Liability - 20500 or User-Defined) Credit Accounts Payable (Liability - 20000)

Tax Portion Debit Bank Account (Asset - 10100 or User-Defined)

or, Credit Card Account (Liability - 20500 or User-Defined) Credit Accounts Payable (Liability - 20000) or, AP – Tax Portion (Liability - 20100)

Discount Amount Debit AP Discounts Taken (Cost of Sales - 52600) Credit Accounts Payable (Liability - 20000)

Misc Credit Card Charge Debit Expense Account (Expense - Selected) Credit Credit Card Account (Liability - 20500 or User-Defined)

Credit Card Payment Invoice Creation Debit Credit Card Account (Liability - 20500 or User-Defined) Credit Accounts Payable (Liability - 20000) Payment Debit Accounts Payable (Liability - 20000) Credit Bank Account (Asset - 10100 or User-Defined)

Bank Account Transfer Journal Entry Debit To Bank Account (Asset - Selected)


Operating Guide 803

Credit From Bank Account (Asset - Selected) Check Payment – Invoice Creation Debit To Bank Account (Asset – Selected) Credit Accounts Payable (Liability - 20000) Check Payment – Payment Debit Accounts Payable (Liability - 20000) Credit From Bank Account (Asset - Selected)

Merchant Account Transfer Debit Bank Account (Asset - 10100 or User-Defined) Credit Merchant Account (Asset - 10500 or User-Defined)

Account Reconciliation Interest Income Debit Bank Account (Asset - 10100 or User-Defined) Credit Interest Income (Income - 43000 Bank Charges Debit Bank Charges (Expense - 61040) Credit Bank Account (Asset - 10100 or User-Defined) Merchant Fees Debit Merchant Account Fees (Cost of Sales -52100) Credit Bank Account (Asset - 10100 or User-Defined) Credit Card Fees Debit Credit Card Fees (Expense - 61100) Credit Credit Card Account (Liability - 20500 or User-Defined)

13C. Payroll Accounting

804 Operating Guide

13C. Payroll Accounting Overview Payroll is an independent function Payroll is an independent function that is processed outside of the DBA system. Payroll has no connection with job costing or any other DBA functions. Because it is an independent function, there is no need to change payroll systems in order to use the DBA system.

If you are using outside financials: If you are using the Financial Transfer utility in conjunction with outside financials, you will continue using your outside system’s payroll module or payroll service as is.

If you are using DBA financials: If you are using the DBA financial modules, we advise you to continue using your existing payroll solution. The only change you will make is that concurrent with system startup day, you will change your payroll ledger accounts to be compatible with the payroll accounts in the DBA standard chart of accounts. After each payroll run you will update the DBA general ledger through the Payroll Import screen or by means of a batch Journal Entry.

Payroll outsourcing is another option If you prefer to outsource your payroll, you have the option of using a payroll service provider such as Paychex® or ADP®.

If you are using CheckMark Payroll CheckMark Payroll® is a stand-alone software package used by some DBA customers. For setup guidance, see the CheckMark Payroll Setup white paper in the Documents – White Papers area of the online support center.

Is payroll required for job costing? It is a common misconception that payroll is required for job costing. Payroll has no connection with job costing in DBA. In DBA, jobs are costed at your work center labor rate, which approximates your overall hourly cost for direct labor.

Must job hours agree with payroll hours? Not at all. Job hours and payroll hours are not the same thing and have different purposes. Collecting job labor hours is optional, whereas the reporting of payroll hours is mandatory. Production workers are not always working on jobs and have downtime for meetings, training, and other purposes. You should collect payroll hours separately from job hours using a time and attendance system of your choice.


Operating Guide 805

Payroll Setup In order to import payroll into the DBA general ledger, you must restructure your payroll system’s departments and account assignments per the following guidelines:

Departments Most payroll systems enable you to define departments. Within each department you can then establish your GL accounts for liabilities and expenses or cost of sales. You should set up the following departments to accommodate the six payroll cost categories in DBA.

Admin Direct Labor Indirect Labor R & D Sales Service

Asset Account If you are processing payroll with an in-house software package, you typically make payments out of a payroll bank account. 10200 Bank Account – Payroll If you are using a payroll service, you do not make the actual payments out of your own bank account. Instead, these payments are made on your behalf by your payroll service provider. The accounting is done as follows:

Payroll Service Invoicing When you outsource payroll, typically you receive an invoice prior to each payroll from your payroll service provider. Enter this invoice in the Supplier Invoices screen and distribute it to these two accounts:

22200 Wages Payable 61410 Payroll Service Fees

The actual payroll cost gets distributed to the Wages Payable account, which is a temporary clearing account that gets washed out when payroll is actually processed a few days later. If a service fee is charged for payroll processing, it gets distributed to the Payroll Service Fess expense account.

Liability Accounts All departments can share these liability accounts:

22000 Deductions Payable 22100 Taxes Payable


806 Operating Guide

22200 Wages Payable

Expense & Cost of Sales Accounts Below are listed the expense and cost of sales accounts associated with each department:

Admin 62100 Admin Payroll – Benefits 62200 Admin Payroll – Taxes 62300 Admin Payroll – Wages

Direct Labor 54100 Labor Payroll – Benefits 54200 Labor Payroll – Taxes 54300 Labor Payroll – Wages

Indirect Labor 59000 Indirect Payroll – Benefits 59100 Indirect Payroll – Taxes 59200 Indirect Payroll – Wages

R & D 61800 R & D Payroll – Benefits 61820 R & D Payroll – Taxes 61840 R & D Payroll – Wages

Sales 60200 Sales Payroll – Benefits 60220 Sales Payroll – Commissions 60240 Sales Payroll – Wages 60260 Sales Payroll – Taxes

Service 51200 Service Payroll – Benefits 51300 Service Payroll – Taxes 51400 Service Payroll – Wages

Employee Department Assignments Each employee is assigned to a department. In some cases an employee may be assigned to two or more departments with a percentage allocation to each. The following are definitions of each department that will help you make your employee assignments.

Admin General administrative managers, supervisors, and clerical workers are assigned to this department.


Operating Guide 807

Direct Labor Production and setup workers are assigned to this department.

Indirect Labor Factory managers, supervisors, as well as maintenance, warehouse, inspection, planning, purchasing, and shipping personnel are assigned to this department.

R & D Employees associated with product research and development are assigned to this department.

Sales Sales and marketing employees are assigned to this department.

Service Billable service workers and their supervisors are assigned to this department. “Billable service” refers to repair services performed on behalf of customers and is not to be confused with factory maintenance.


808 Operating Guide

Payroll Transfer to DBA You have three options when it comes to transferring payroll information to DBA:

Account Summary Import After each set of employee or payroll vendor payments are processed, a single debit or credit amount for each account is transferred into the general ledger using the Payroll Import screen. If you outsource payroll to a payroll service provider, we recommend that you import account summaries rather than transaction detail. Ample transaction detail reporting is available within the payroll system itself.

Account Summary Journal Entry This option must be used when you are unable to export information from your payroll system. After each set of employee or payroll vendor payments are processed, you must create a batch Journal Entry where you enter a single debit or credit amount for each account. This information can be found on your payroll summary register.

Transaction Detail Import After each set of employee or payroll vendor payments are processed, all account transactions associated with each payment are transferred into the general ledger using the Payroll Import screen.

NOTE: This method creates a great many ledger transactions that offer no reporting benefits beyond what is already available from reports within your payroll system. Unless you have a reason for all this transaction detail, we recommend that you import or enter account summary totals instead.

Payroll Import (GL – Payroll Import)

See chapter 13 for detailed instructions on using the Payroll Import screen.

14. Bank (Banking)

Operating Guide 809

14. Bank (Banking) On the Bank menu you will find all screens and reports related to your banking accounts. Menu options include:

Bank Banking Setup • Banking Accounts

Main Menu • Bank Deposits • Bank Account Transfer • Merchant Account Transfer • Account Reconciliation • Account Balances Inquiry

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14-1A. Banking Accounts

810 Operating Guide

14-1. Banking Setup

14-1A. Banking Accounts (Bank – Banking Setup – Banking Accounts)

Use this screen to set up each of your banking-related accounts, including bank accounts, merchant accounts, and credit card accounts.

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Segment: Banking Accounts

List Tab

Display Grid All your banking accounts are listed on this tab.

Lower Panel You can filter the grid contents by clearing or selecting the Bank Accounts, Credit Cards, or Merchant Accounts checkboxes.

Buttons

New Click this button to create a new account. You are swapped to the Detail tab, which is cleared for new record entry.

Delete Click this button to delete an account.


Operating Guide 811

NOTE: You will not be permitted to delete an account if it has any transaction history. If you wish to no longer use a formerly active account, click the Detail tab and clear the Active checkbox.

Detail Tab

Field Explanations

Banking Account Enter an up to 30-character name used to identify the banking account on screens, lookups, and reports.

Description Enter an up to 50-character description that further identifies the banking account.

Type Select one of these three types from the drop down list:

Bank Account Select this option if this is a cash type bank account, such as a checking or savings account.

Credit Card Select this option if this account is used for your company’s credit card purchases and expenses.

Merchant Account Select this option if this account is used for receipt of customer credit card payments. Funds are temporarily stored in this account until transferred to a designated bank account in the Merchant Account Transfer screen.

Active Clear this checkbox if this account is no longer in active use. This removes this account from lookups in the Customer Payments, Customer Deposits, and Payment Processing screens.


812 Operating Guide

Reconcile This checkbox is only visible on ‘Merchant’ Types. Normally, it is not necessary to reconcile merchant accounts because they have no interest income or bank charges, plus you can get a listing of non-transferred customer payments at any time from the Merchant Account Transfer screen. If you wish to reconcile this account through the Account Reconciliation screen, select this checkbox.

Supplier (Optional) This field is visible on ‘Bank Account’ and ‘Credit Card’ Types. It is used as follows:

Bank Account If you use the Account Transfer screen to transfer money from this bank account into another bank account by means of a deposited check (instead of an electronic file transfer), select the supplier against which a supplier invoice will be created for check payment purposes.

Credit Card Select the supplier to which payments are made against this credit card account in the Credit Card Payments screen.

Transfer To Bank Account This field is only visible on ‘Merchant’ Types. Select the bank account to which transfers are deposited from this merchant account.

GL Accounts The fields in this panel are only active when you first create a banking account record. Once the account is created, these fields remain visible for information purposes, but are grayed out. Any subsequent changes that are needed must be made in the Account Assignments screen.

Asset Account This field is only visible on ‘Bank Account’ and ‘Merchant’ Types. This is the Asset account associated with this banking account.

Interest Income This field is only visible on ‘Bank Account’ Types. In the Account Reconciliation screen, interest income from bank statements is posted to this Income account.

Bank Charges This field is only visible on ‘Bank Account’ Types. In the Account Reconciliation screen, bank charges from bank statements are posted to this Expense account.

Merchant Fees (optional) This field is only visible on ‘Bank Account’ Types. In the Account Reconciliation screen, bank statement charges associated with merchant


Operating Guide 813

account fees (for customer credit card payments) is posted to this Cost of Sales account.

Liability Account This field is only visible on ‘Credit Card’ Types. This is the Liability account associated with this credit card account.

Credit Card Fees This field is only visible on ‘Credit Card’ Types. In the Account Reconciliation screen, credit card fees and interest charges are posted to this Expense account.

Starting Check No This field is only visible on a ‘Bank Account’ Type. This is the next check number that will be used when printing checks in the Payment Processing or Account Transfer screen. This number is automatically updated after each check run.

Lines per Page This field is only visible on a ‘Bank Account’ Type. This setting controls how many remittance lines on the check stub will print before remittance printing skips over to another check stub (the second check is voided). The default setting is 9 lines per page. You may have to adjust this setting, depending on your check print format.

Check Style File Name This field is only visible on a ‘Bank Account’ Type. In this field you can select a check printing format from among the following RTM file formats, which have self-explanatory descriptions:

ch-Stub-Stub-Check.rtm ch-Check-Stub-Stub.rtm ch-Check-Stub.rtm ch-Stub-Check.rtm ch-Stub-Check-Stub

The best way to experiment and find the check format that fits your needs is to try the different formats (using sample data) within the sample company supplied with the system. Within each format you can adjust fonts, spacing, etc. using the Utilities - Forms Edit – Check screen.

Currency Text This field is only visible on a ‘Bank Account’ Type. When a check is printed, the check amount is printed both numerically and spelled out in text format. Enter the text you wish printed on the check to describe this bank account’s currency, such as “Dollars”, “Euros”, etc.

Currency Symbol This field is only visible on a ‘Bank Account’ Type. This is the currency symbol that prints on checks associated with this bank account. No lookup is


814 Operating Guide

provided. If your keyboard does have the currency character you need, you can cut and paste the currency character from a document or outside application.

Buttons

Update Click this button to save your entries.

14-2. Bank Deposits

Operating Guide 815

14-2. Bank Deposits (Bank – Bank Deposits)

Bank deposits serve two purposes:

• For bank statement reconciliation purposes, each bank deposit is a single amount that gets matched against the corresponding deposit amount on the bank statement. If you don’t create bank deposit slips, each customer payment will be itemized on the Account Reconciliation screen, which makes it difficult to match payments with bank statement deposit amounts.

• The bank deposit printout saves you the time associated with preparing bank deposits slips by hand.


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Segment: Bank Deposits

List Tab

Display Grid Previous bank deposits are listed in the grid, with the most recent deposit listed first. You can highlight any past deposit and click the Detail tab to review the deposit details.

Buttons

New Click this button to create a new deposit. You are swapped to the Detail tab, which is cleared for new deposit entry.

14-2. Bank Deposits

816 Operating Guide

Delete If you made an error and need to re-do a deposit, highlight and click this button, which deletes the deposit record.

NOTE: You cannot delete a deposit record once it has been reconciled in the Account Reconciliation screen.

Print Click this button to print a deposit slip.

NOTE: You can use the Utilities – Forms Edit – Bank Deposit Slip screen to modify the deposit slip format.

Detail Tab

Upper Panel

Bank Account Select the bank account to which the deposit is to be made. The lookup is limited to ‘Bank Account’ banking account types.

Deposit Reference This identifies the deposit on the List tab. The program automatically inserts a reference that consists of the bank account followed by today’s date, which you can override, if you wish.

Description You can enter an optional description to further identify the deposit.

Date This is the actual date of the deposit that will display in the Account Reconciliation screen.

Total Selected This read-only field displays the total amount of the payments selected in the grid below.

14-2. Bank Deposits

Operating Guide 817

Selection Grid All un-deposited payments to date with payment type methods of ‘CHECK’ or ‘CASH’ are listed in the grid.

Select Select this checkbox against each payment that is to be included in the deposit.

Buttons

Update Click this button to save your entries.

NOTE: A bank deposit does not affect the general ledger and has no financial impact.

14-3. Bank Account Transfer

818 Operating Guide

14-3. Bank Account Transfer (Bank – Bank Account Transfer)

Use this screen to transfer funds from one bank account to another. You can transfer funds via a journal entry or a supplier payment.

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Segment: Bank Acct Transfer

Field Explanations

Transfer Date Select the actual date when the transfer occurred.

Amount Enter the amount of the transfer in this field.

From Account Select the bank account from which the funds will be transferred. The lookup is limited to ‘Bank Account’ banking account types.

To Account Select the bank account to which the funds will be transferred. The lookup is limited to ‘Bank Account’ banking account types.

Transaction Type Select one of these two options:

14-3. Bank Account Transfer

Operating Guide 819

Journal Entry Select this option when you are making an electronic file transfer between accounts.

Payment Select this option when you wish to transfer funds by printing a check from the From Account and depositing it into the To Account.

Transfer/Payment Reference If this is a ‘Journal Entry’ transaction type, this is the reference that will display in the Account Reconciliation screen. If this is a ‘Payment’ transaction type, this is the reference that prints on the check stub.

Buttons

OK Click this button to process the transaction. Processing varies by transaction type as follows:

Journal Entry A journal entry is created and the transaction displays in the Account Reconciliation screen.

Payment In the background, a supplier invoice is created for the amount of the transfer against the Supplier assigned to the From Account in the Banking Accounts screen. The Payment Processing screen is then presented, pre-filled for payment to the To Account with the newly created supplier invoice selected for payment. Click the Pay button to print the check and process the payment.

NOTE: The payment is listed in the Bank Deposits screen so that it can be included with customer payments in your next bank deposit.

14-4. Merchant Account Transfer

820 Operating Guide

14-4. Merchant Account Transfer (Bank – Merchant Account Transfer)

Use this screen to transfer customer credit card payments from a merchant account to its designated bank account.

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Segment: Merchant Acct Transfer

How a Merchant Account Works When customers pay invoices by credit card, the payments do not immediately get posted to your bank account. Instead, they are posted to a ‘Merchant’ account, which is a temporary holding account. After a brief interval, the credit card processing company advises you, typically by Email, that a specified amount has been transferred to your bank account, covering one of more specified customer payments.

What this Screen Does This screen performs two functions:

• It consolidates the customer payments that comprise each transfer into a single deposit amount in the Account Reconciliation screen to match the single amount on the bank statement.

• For each customer payment amount that gets transferred, the general ledger is updated with a debit to the bank account and a credit to the merchant account.

List Tab Display Grid Previous transfer deposits are listed in the grid, with the most recent deposit listed first. You can highlight any past deposit and click the Detail tab to review the deposit details.

Buttons

New Click this button to create a new transfer deposit. You are swapped to the Detail tab, which is cleared for new transfer deposit entry.

Reverse Click this button to reverse a transfer deposit, which does the following:

• Reversing entries are made for all GL transactions associated with the original transfer deposit, using today’s date as the posting date.


Operating Guide 821

• The customer payments associated with the original transfer deposit are de-selected and are displayed for selection against a new transfer deposit.

NOTE: You cannot reverse a transfer deposit record once it has been reconciled in the Account Reconciliation screen.

Detail Tab

Upper Panel

Transfer Date This is the actual date the transfer deposit was made by the credit card processing company.

From Merchant Account Select the merchant account from which the transfer was made. The lookup is limited to ‘Merchant’ banking account types.

To Bank Account This is the bank account that received the transfer deposit. The Transfer To Bank Account assigned to this merchant account in the Banking Accounts screen is automatically selected.

Deposit Reference This identifies the deposit on the List tab and in the Account Reconciliation screen. The program automatically inserts a reference that consists of the merchant account followed by today’s date, which you can override, if you wish.

Status This field is automatically update by the program and has the following values:

New This value is displayed while entering a new transfer deposit record.


822 Operating Guide

Posted This value is displayed once the transfer deposit record has been updated.

Reversed This value is displayed after the transfer deposit record has been reversed.

Total Transfer Amount This read-only field displays the total amount of the payments selected in the grid below.

Selection Grid The grid is limited to non-transferred customer payments that have payment terms associated with this merchant account.

Select Select this checkbox against each payment that is to be included in the transfer deposit.

Buttons

Update Click this button to save your selections and post the transfer deposit record.

14-5. Account Reconciliation

Operating Guide 823

14-5. Account Reconciliation (Bank – Account Reconciliation)

Use this screen to reconcile banking accounts with monthly statements and to enter interest income and banking charges.

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Segments: Recon – Getting Started, Recon – Interest Income, Recon – Bank Charges, Recon – Merchant Fees, Recon – Ccard Fees, Recon – Matching, Recon - Reversing

Opening Screen

All your bank and credit card accounts are listed on the opening screen. To reconcile an account to its monthly statement, highlight the account and click the Reconcile button.

Merchant Accounts Merchant accounts are not listed unless the Reconcile checkbox is selected against the account in the Banking Accounts screen. Normally, it is not necessary to reconcile merchant accounts because they have no interest income or bank charges, plus you can get a listing of non-transferred customer payments at any time from the Merchant Account Transfer screen.


824 Operating Guide

Reconciliation Screen

Statement Information Using information from your bank statement, enter the following fields in the upper portion of the screen: New Statement Balance, New Statement Description, New Page No, and New Date. If this is your very first DBA reconciliation If this is the first bank statement reconciliation performed in DBA, the program allows you to make an entry in the Previous Statement Balance field, which is normally for reference only. Enter your previous balance, which is listed on your new statement. As you switch from reconciling statements in your old system to doing so in DBA, during a transition period some transactions that originated in your old system will not be displayed in the DBA side and cannot be matched. Enter these un-matched amounts in the Adjustments field so that they get reflected in your Matched Amt. You may have to make entries in the Adjustments account for one or two more months until all transactions that originated in your old system have cleared the bank. Entering Interest Income The Interest Income button is visible when reconciling a bank account. If any interest income is listed on the bank statement, click this button to make a cash receipt journal entry to your bank account.

• Enter the Interest Amt.

• Select a Transaction Date equal to the transaction date on the bank statement.

• Enter a Journal Description for reference on journal reports and screens.


Operating Guide 825

• Once your entries are completed, click Update to post the transaction. When you return to the Reconciliation screen, the interest income transaction is now listed and can be matched.

Entering Bank Charges The Bank Charges button is visible when reconciling a bank account. If any bank charges are listed on the bank statement, click this button to make a cash disbursement journal entry to your bank account.

• Enter the Bank Charge Amt.



• Once your entries are completed, click Update to post the transaction. When you return to the Reconciliation screen, the bank charges transaction is now listed and can be matched.

Entering Merchant Fees The Merchant Fees button is visible when reconciling a bank account that has been assigned a Merchant Fees account in the Account Assignments screen. If any merchant fee charges are listed on the bank statement, click this button to make a cash disbursement journal entry to your bank account.

• Enter the Merchant Fee Amt.



• Once your entries are completed, click Update to post the transaction. When you return to the Reconciliation screen, the merchant fee transaction is now listed and can be matched.

Entering Credit Card Fees The Ccard Fees button is visible when reconciling a credit card account. If any credit card fees (such as interest charges or late fees) are listed on the credit card statement, click this button to make a journal entry to your credit card account.

• Enter the Credit Card Fee Amt.

• Select a Transaction Date equal to the transaction date on the credit card statement.


• Once your entries are completed, click Update to post the transaction. When you return to the Reconciliation screen, the credit card fee transaction is now listed and can be matched.


826 Operating Guide

Matching transactions All your un-matched account transactions are listed in the lower panel. As you match each transaction with the one in your statement, select its Match checkbox.

Mass Selection If you wish to mass-select transactions for matching, click the Match All button. If you wish to un-match all your selections, click the Un-Match All button.

Matching & Un-Matched Panels In the case of bank accounts, as you match each transaction, in the Matched Amts panel you will see the Deposits, Payments, and Matched Amt totals incremented up or down. In the case of credit card accounts, as you match each transaction, in the Matched Amts panel you will see the Payments, Charges, and Matched Amt totals incremented up or down. In either case, you will not be able to click the Update button until the Difference Needed to Match is zero (green in color), which means that all transactions are fully matched.

Adjustments Account reconciliation is purely a matching function and has no effect on the general ledger. If for some reason you are unable to match transactions to fully equal your New Statement Balance, you can make an entry in the Adjustments field to bypass matching. Normally the only time you ever use the Adjustments field is during the transition from your old system, when transactions that originated in your old system do not get listed in DBA and cannot be matched. In that case, you use adjustments to reflect those un-matched entries. Reconciliation Report For a printout that lists all the information on the Reconciliation screen, perhaps to use as a worksheet, click the Report button. Completing the reconciliation Until the Difference Needed to Match value is zero, you cannot complete the reconciliation. You can freely leave the screen and come back at any time to make additional matches and entries. When the Difference Needed to Match value finally reaches zero, the Update button becomes visible. Click the Update button and the matched transactions will be marked as reconciled and will not display on future reconciliations. The reconciliation record gets saved and is used to carry forward the Previous Statement Balance to your next reconciliation.


Operating Guide 827

History Screen

You can view all past reconciliations on the History screen. To access this screen, highlight an account on the opening screen and click the History button. All past reconciliations are listed on the List tab. You can click the Details tab to see the transaction detail within any reconciliation.

Reversing a Reconciliation If for some reason you wish to re-do a previous reconciliation, highlight it on the List screen and click the Reverse button.

14-6. Account Balances Inquiry

828 Operating Guide

14-6. Account Balances Inquiry (Bank – Account Balances Inquiry)

This inquiry screen has two purposes:

• It provides you with accurate account balances, based on transactions reconciled to date with monthly statements as well as any transactions that have not yet been reconciled.

• It provides you with a sum total of all bank account and merchant account balances, showing you your total cash on hand.

• It provides you with the sum total of all your credit card account balances.

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Segment: Account Balances Inquiry

15. Tax (Taxation)

Operating Guide 829

15. Tax (Taxation) On the Tax menu you will find all screens and reports related to sales and purchase taxation.

Tax • Tax Defaults • Tax Authorities • Tax Codes • Tax Groups • Tax Group Matrix

Data Views • Sales Tax Detail • Sales Tax Summary • Tax Authority by Invoice • Tax Authority Summary

Reports • Tax Code Activity • Tax Summary

Overview Tax calculation and tracking is provided in sales orders and purchase orders so that you can collect and pay taxes in accordance with your government requirements.

Training Course Support Center – Videos–Setup – Tax Setup

Tax Codes and Tax Authorities Each percentage tax rate within a tax jurisdiction is represented by its own Tax Code. Each Tax Code is comprised of one or more Tax Authorities, each of which gets its share of the overall tax percentage. Within a particular Tax Code, for example, the tax can be shared by city, county, state, and even national Tax Authorities.

The line item Tax Code determines the tax amount In sales orders and purchase orders, each line item has its own Tax Code designation. The Tax Code determines the percentage rate that gets charged and provides tracking for tax reporting.

15. Tax (Taxation)

830 Operating Guide

What determines the line item Tax Code? If a tax code Exception is designated against the stock item or descriptor, it is used as the line item Tax Code. If a tax code exception does not exist, the Tax Code designated in the header screen is used. The vast majority of line item Tax Codes derives from the header screen.

What determines the header Tax Code? If a tax code Exception is designated against the customer or supplier, it gets used as the header Tax Code. If such a tax code exception does not exist, the system default Sales Tax Code or default Purchase Tax Code is used.

Tax Code setup is simple for international requirements In most international environments, a single Tax Code is designated as the default Sales Tax Code and default Purchase Tax Code. No further setup is required because all taxation is based on a single VAT or GST tax that applies to all sales and purchases.

USA tax setup is more complicated In the United States, instead of using a single Tax Code, tax jurisdictions exist at the city, county, and state levels and can require many Tax Codes. You also have taxable and non-taxable Tax Codes, depending on whether items are for resale or whether services are involved, which are usually non-taxable. Typically, you must set up a taxable and non-taxable Tax Code for each tax jurisdiction you sell into within each state within which you operate a physical facility.

Canadian Taxation Canadian taxation is a blend of international and USA type taxation because GST and provincial taxes are both levied.

15-1. Tax Defaults

Operating Guide 831

15-1. Tax Defaults (Tax – Tax Defaults)

Use this screen to establish your system-wide defaults for sales and purchase taxation.

Training Video Support Center – Videos–Setup – Tax Setup

Segment: Tax Defaults

Screen Details

Sales

Sales Tax Code This is the default tax code that is assigned to sales orders unless a tax code Exception is specified against the customer record.

United States Select a default sales tax code that applies to the majority of your customers. For example, if most of your customers are in your local tax jurisdiction and are taxable, you would use your local tax code as the default. On the other hand, if most of your customers are out of state and are non-taxable, you would create a non-taxable, out of state tax code and use it as the default.

International Typically, the default sales tax code is your VAT or GST tax that applies to most, if not all, your sales.

15-1. Tax Defaults

832 Operating Guide

Sales Tax Basis Against each customer record, you can optionally select a tax code Exception that gets assigned to the sales order header instead of the default sales tax code. You have two options for designating tax code exception(s) against the customer record:

Delivery Select this option if you want the ability to designate a tax code exception against customer delivery addresses in addition to assigning a tax code exception against the main address. This enables the shipment destination to determine the tax code that gets applied to the sales order, which is how taxation authority is determined in the United States.

Billing Select this option if you only want the ability to assign a tax code exception against the main address and not against delivery addresses.

Purchase

Purchase Tax Code This is the tax code that is assigned to purchase orders and supplier invoices unless a tax code Exception is specified against the supplier record.

United States Select a default purchase tax code that applies to the majority of your purchases and supplier invoices. For most manufacturers, this will be a non-taxable tax code because most purchases for resale are exempt from tax.

International Typically, the default purchase tax code is your VAT or GST tax that applies to most, if not all, your purchases.

Shipping

Non-Tax Code This default tax code is assigned to freeform sales order lines that get created when non-taxable shipping charges are entered during shipment generation.

NOTE: You must select a non-taxable tax code.

Forms Printing

Your Tax Name Enter the name you want printed in the footer area of quotes, acknowledgments, invoices, and purchase orders as a description against the tax amount. Typical names would be ‘Sales Tax’, ‘GST’, ‘VAT’, etc.

15-1. Tax Defaults

Operating Guide 833

Tax ID Number This is your tax ID number. It currently has no formal use, but is available in the data pipeline on certain forms if you need it to print on the form.

Options

Tax Group Matrix Select this checkbox if you want the option of assigning a Tax Group to customers, suppliers, items, and descriptors. In the Tax Group Matrix screen, you can assign tax codes against combinations of a customer/supplier tax group with an item/descriptor tax group.

How It Works When entering sales orders and purchase orders, if a tax group is designated against the customer or supplier and it is matched against a tax group assigned to the item or descriptor, the tax code defined against that combination of tax groups in the Tax Group Matrix screen gets assigned to the line item as an exception to the header tax code. Tax group combinations are used to designate tax code exceptions that are based on origin or destination and/or type of product or service. For example, a particular item might be subject to an excise tax or local tax that only applies to certain jurisdictions or country destinations. Using different combinations of tax groups, you can apply the special tax to some customers and not to others.

15-2. Tax Authorities

834 Operating Guide

15-2. Tax Authorities (Tax – Tax Authorities)

Tax Authorities are the government entities (federal government, province, state government, county, municipality, etc.) on whose behalf tax is levied, reported, collected, and paid.


Segment: Tax Authorities

Field Explanations Tax Authority This is the name used to identify the tax authority on screens and reports.

Print Detail Select this checkbox if you want the tax amount for this tax authority separately itemized on customer invoices in the Tax Detail section to the left of the Subtotals section. In Canada, for example, GST and provincial sales tax must be separately itemized on the invoice, in which case you would select this checkbox for each tax authority.

Supplier (Optional) In this field you can optionally select the supplier to which you pay your tax liability. This is for reference only and has no functional purpose.

15-3. Tax Codes

Operating Guide 835

15-3. Tax Codes (Tax – Tax Codes)

Tax Codes are designated within sales order and purchase order line items to determine the tax rate that gets applied. Each tax code can be comprised of multiple Tax Authorities, each of which contributes its own share of the overall tax rate.


Segment: Tax Codes

List Tab

Tax Code The tax code can be up to 10-characters in length.

Description Enter an up to 50-character description that helps identify the tax code on screens, lookups, and reports.

Tax Rate This is the total tax rate that will be charged to line items assigned to this tax code. This field is for reference only and is the sum of the Net % amounts of the tax authorities that comprise this tax code.

Non-Taxable Select this checkbox to designate this as a “non-taxable” tax code, which forces the tax rate to zero. Sales associated with this tax code are flagged as non-taxable and can be filtered from taxable sales on data views and reports.

Tax Shipping Select this checkbox if tax is to be applied to shipping charges. If selected, the Tax field becomes visible next to the shipping charges entry field in the

15-3. Tax Codes

836 Operating Guide

sales order Shipping screen and tax will automatically be applied to the shipping charges entered.

Select as Default Buttons You can select one default tax code for purchases and one for sales by selecting a tax code and clicking the Purchase or Sales button. When you do so, you will see the result reflected in the Default Purchase Tax Code and Default Sales Tax Code fields in the upper panel of the screen. These default tax codes are applied to purchase orders and sales orders whenever a customer or supplier has not been assigned to a tax code Exception.

Authorities Tab Tax Authority Select each of the tax authorities that comprise this tax code from the lookup in this field.

Tax Rate Enter the actual tax rate charged by the tax authority in this field.

Tax on Tax In some situations, a tax authority charges tax not only on the line item net amount, but also on other tax applied to the line item. If you select the Tax on Tax checkbox, its tax rate will be applied to the tax rates of all the tax authorities that precede it on the screen, the result of which is reflected in its Net % amount.

Net % This is the actual net tax rate that will be charged by this tax authority, adjusted upwards from the nominal tax rate if the Tax on Tax checkbox is selected.

15-4. Tax Groups

Operating Guide 837

15-4. Tax Groups (Tax – Tax Groups)

This screen is only visible when the Tax Group Matrix tax system is selected in the Tax Defaults screen.


Segment: Tax Group Matrix

How Tax Groups work Customers, suppliers, items, and descriptors can optionally be assigned to a Tax Group. When entering a sales order or purchase order, if there is a tax group assigned to the customer or supplier and a line item is entered that also is assigned to a tax group, the two tax groups are matched in the Tax Group Matrix to determine the Tax Code that gets applied to the line item. This capability enables you to apply tax code exceptions to line items based on the item’s destination or origin.

Screen Details

Tax Group You can enter an up to 10-character Tax Group code.

Description This is a 50-character description that helps identify the Tax Group on lookups, screens, and reports.

15-5. Tax Group Matrix

838 Operating Guide

15-5. Tax Group Matrix (Tax – Tax Group Matrix)

This screen is only visible when the Tax Group Matrix option is selected in the Tax Defaults screen.


Segment: Tax Group Matrix

How the Tax Group Matrix works See the pervious chapter on Tax Groups for information on how Tax Groups work. The Tax Group Matrix screen is where you set up your combinations of customer/supplier tax groups and item/descriptor tax groups to designate the actual Tax Code that will apply to the sales order or purchase order line item.

Make sure you set up all the possible combinations between customers/suppliers and items/descriptors that could occur.

15-6. Taxation Data Views

Operating Guide 839

15-6. Taxation Data Views (Tax – Data Views)



Segment: Tax Reporting

Taxation Data Views Four data views are provided on the Tax menu. These four data views are confined to sales tax data and are used primarily for USA sales tax reporting where in many states and localities sales have to be broken out by local tax codes or tax authorities and by taxable and non-taxable status.

Sales Tax Detail This data view shows invoice line item detail within a specified date range. This data view would be used to audit individual invoices by tax code. To get a sub-grouping by tax code, drag the Tax Code column heading into the upper blue panel. Standard layouts include:

• Details by Tax Code • Details by Invoice Number

Sales Tax Summary This data view shows summarized invoice totals within a specified date range. This data view would be used for preparing sales tax reports by tax code. To get a sub-grouping by tax code, drag the Tax Code column heading into the upper blue panel. Standard layouts include:

• Summary by Tax Code

Sales Tax Authority by Invoice This data view shows invoice line item detail within a specified date range. This data view would be used to audit individual invoices by tax authority. To get a sub-grouping by tax authority, drag the Tax Authority column heading into the upper blue panel. Standard layouts include:

• Tax Authority by Tax Code • Tax Authority by Tax Code Type

CAUTION: Do not use this data view for sales grand totals because each line item tax code can be comprised of multiple tax authorities, which causes sales grand totals to be inflated. Only use this data view for sales totals within tax authority.


840 Operating Guide

Sales Tax Authority Summary This data view shows summarized invoice totals within a specified date range. This data view would be used for preparing sales tax reports by tax authority. To get a sub-grouping by tax authority, drag the Tax Authority column heading into the upper blue panel. Standard layouts include:

• All Fields • Tax Authority by Tax Code • Tax Authority by Tax Code Type

CAUTION: Do not use this data view for sales grand totals because each line item tax code can be comprised of multiple tax authorities, which causes sales grand totals to be inflated. Only use this data view for sales totals within tax authority.

Selection Screen




Operating Guide 841








842 Operating Guide

Data View Screen



Grouping You can create list groupings by dragging a column heading into the header panel above the column headings. For example, if you drag an Invoice Number column heading into the header panel, the lines are then grouped by invoice number. You can even have a group within a group. For example, you could drag a Customer Name column heading into the header panel, which would form a sub-group within invoice numbers.





Operating Guide 843





Customize Button







844 Operating Guide


Layout List Button






Save Layout Button


Operating Guide 845





15-7. Tax Reports

846 Operating Guide

15-7. Tax Reports

These two reports are commonly used for VAT/GST taxation reporting where purchase taxes are claimed against sales taxes. Both reports can present tax information on an invoice basis or payment basis.


Segment: Tax Reporting

15-7A. Tax Code Activity (Tax – Reports – Tax Code Activity)

This report provides a detailed breakdown of Tax Code transactions within a specified date range. Purchase taxes are listed first, followed by sales taxes.

15-7B. Tax Summary (Tax – Reports – Tax Summary)

This report is a summary of tax activity with a side-by-side listing of sales taxes and purchase taxes.

16. Transfer (Financial Transfer)

Operating Guide 847

16. Transfer (Financial Transfer) The Transfer menu is only visible if you selected the Financial Transfer option in the Accounting Configuration screen. The Transfer menu includes the following financial transfer utilities:

Transfer Financial Transfer Setup • Financial Transfer Defaults

Main Menu • AR Invoice Transfer • PO Invoice Transfer • GL Transfer

16-1. Financial Transfer Defaults

848 Operating Guide

16-1. Financial Transfer Defaults (Transfer – Financial Transfer Setup – Financial Transfer Defaults)

Use this screen to set various defaults for the financial transfer utilities.

Training Video Support Center – Videos – How Do I? – Financial Transfer Training Course

Segment: Transfer Defaults

Screen Details

All Transfers

Output File Location Use this setting to designate a destination folder for your transfer files. If you leave this blank, your transfer files will be saved by default to your ProgramFiles\DBAManufacturing folder.

NOTE: If you will be transferring financial data into QuickBooks®, we recommend the following default folder on the computer where the Transaction Pro Import Wizard utility is installed:

C:\My Documents\01 Transaction Pro Importer 3.0

AR Invoice Transfer

AR Invoice Line Item ID In your outside accounting system, create a non-stock item number. Give it a description of AR Invoice Transfer. For this item’s Sales account, assign it your AR Invoice Transfer account, which is established during GL Transfer

16-1. Financial Transfer Defaults

Operating Guide 849

setup. If you are required to designate a Cost of Sales account, use the same AR Invoice Transfer account. Enter the new part number in this field so that it gets listed as a field in the AR Transfer screen.

IMPORTANT: Be sure to designate this part number as non-taxable in your outside system.

16-2. AR Invoice Transfer

850 Operating Guide

16-2. AR Invoice Transfer (Transfer – AR Invoice Transfer)

Customer invoices and credit memos are created in DBA during the sales order cycle. This screen is used to create a transfer file (Excel spreadsheet or text file) or report (for manual transfer) that contains a summarized version of each invoice or credit memo created since the last transfer. You can then import or enter this information into your outside Accounts Receivable module for collection and payment processing purposes. All invoice and credit memo detail (line items, prices, costs, and taxes) remains in the DBA invoice records for audit trail purposes.

Training Videos Support Center – Videos–How Do I? – Financial Transfer Training Course

Segments: Sales and COGS Accounts, Tax & Shipping Accounts, Transfer Accounts, Terms Codes, AR Invoice Mapping, AR Credit Mapping, Importing Invoices, Manual Transfer

Transfer AR invoices on a daily basis AR invoices and credit memos should be transferred on a daily basis so that they are available in your outside system for any immediate customer payments that are received. Daily updating insures that your open AR aging detail and Accounts Receivable account balance are always up to date and reflect your actual financial condition.

Only summarized information is transferred The only header information that gets transferred is the invoice or credit memo number, invoice or credit memo date, terms code, and customer ID. Only one line item is transferred, which is the default AR Invoice Line Item ID designated in the Financial Transfer Defaults screen. It is given a quantity of ‘1’ and the invoice total amount, including taxes and shipping, is used as its price.

Customer Address and Contact Info Many accounting system import utilities allow you to include customer address information when importing invoices and credit memos. This is useful for creating new customer records and for keeping address information synchronized between the two systems. In the AR Invoice Transfer screen you have the option of including the customer address, phone, fax, and Email fields in your transfer file.


Operating Guide 851

Advance Setup Step 1 – Create AR Invoice Transfer Account Create an AR Invoice Transfer account in our outside system’s chart of accounts. Locate it immediately following your Accounts Receivable account. Designate it as a Current Asset.

How it works This account functions as a clearing account that holds a temporary value between the time an invoice or credit memo is created in DBA and the time it gets transferred to your outside system. When the invoice or credit memo gets created, this account is debited or credited for the total value of the invoice or credit memo. When the invoice or credit memo gets transferred, this account is credited or debited for the same value, which brings its net balance to zero. The offsetting entry is a debit or credit to the Accounts Receivable account in your outside system.

Step 2 – DBA Account Cross-Reference After the transfer account is created in your outside system, go the Chart of Accounts screen in DBA. Against account 11150, AR Invoice Transfer, enter the AR Invoice Transfer account number from your outside system in the X-Ref Account field.

Step 3 – Terms Codes Make sure that the Customer Terms codes in DBA are identical to the terms codes in your outside system.


852 Operating Guide

Screen Details

Upper Panel

Ready to Transfer Select this option to display all invoices and credit memos that have been created in DBA since the last transfer.

Transferred AR Invoices Select this option to display previously transferred invoices and credit memos. To the right of this field you will see From Date and Thru Date fields become visible, which are set by default to display the past 365 days. You can expand or contract this date range, if you wish.

Display Credit memos in DBA are invoices with negative total amounts. If your outside system’s import utility can import negative and positive invoice amounts, select the ‘All’ option. If your import utility has separate imports for invoices and credit memos (which is the case with QuickBooks®), select either the ‘Invoices’ or ‘Credit Memos’ option, which limits the contents in the grid below to invoices only or to credit memos only.

NOTE: When you select the ‘Credit Memos’ option, the Total Amt column values are displayed as positive amounts, which is how they would normally be imported in most outside systems, even though technically these are negative amounts in DBA.

Include Addresses Select this checkbox if you want customer address and contact fields (address, phone, fax, Email) included in your transfer file or report. Many import utilities can pass this information into the customer record, which is used to create new customer records in the outside system and to keep this information synchronized between the two systems.


Operating Guide 853

NOTE: The address fields are extracted from the invoice header table and the phone, fax, and Email from the customer master table.

Grid – Ready to Transfer When the Ready to Transfer option is selected in the upper panel, all invoices and/or credit memos that have not yet been transferred are listed in this grid. If you will be importing these invoices, the columns in this grid correspond to the fields in the output file (Excel spreadsheet or text file).

Invoice No This is the invoice number.

Invoice Date This is the invoice date.

Customer This is the customer ID.

X-Ref Code This field is used to identify the customer in outside systems where a short code is used instead of the full customer name as in DBA. This is the X-Ref Code from the Customers screen.

PO No This is the customer’s PO No from the invoice header.

Total Amt This is the total amount of the invoice, including tax and shipping.

Due Date This is the date the invoice is due for payment, based on the customer’s payment terms.

GL Account This is the AR Invoice Transfer account from the DBA chart of accounts.

X-Ref Account This is the X-Ref Account associated with the DBA AR Invoice Transfer account and is its equivalent account in your outside chart of accounts.

Terms This is the terms code from the Customer Terms table. If you import this field, make sure that the code is identical to the terms code in your outside accounting system.

Line Item ID This is the default AR Invoice Line Item ID from the Financial Transfer Defaults screen.

Qty Always transfer a quantity ‘1’.


854 Operating Guide

Address 1-3, Country, State, Postal Code These columns are only visible when the Include Addresses option is selected. This is the customer billing address information from the invoice header.

Phone, Fax, Email These columns are only visible when the Include Addresses option is selected. This contact information is from the customer master table.

Grid – Transferred Invoices When the Transferred AR Invoices option is selected in the upper grid, all previously transferred invoices and/or credit memos within the date range specified in the upper panel are displayed in the grid.

Output Button Click this button to generate an Excel spreadsheet or text file containing the grid contents for import into the customer invoice and credit memo tables in your outside accounting system. You can select either the Output to excel or Output to text option from the drop-down list. You are then presented with the standard Windows ‘Save as’ screen. Your transfer file is given the name ‘ARInvoices_ReadyToTransfer’ or ‘ARCreditMemos_ReadyToTransfer’ and is saved to the default Output File Location specified in the Financial Transfer Defaults screen. After your output file has been created, you are asked:

Do you wish to flag these AR Invoices as Transferred? If you click Yes, the invoices will be flagged as ‘transferred’ in the database and will not be listed for transfer again.

Import Immediately Once your transfer file is created, immediately import it into your outside system. If you delay the import, there is always a chance that it can be overlooked and your transfer file gets overwritten by mistake. So always make transfer file generation and importing a single process.


Operating Guide 855

Data Transfer

File Import With most import utilities you will map the fields in your transfer file to the corresponding fields in your outside system on a one-time basis. Once the file is mapped, the mapping layout is used for all subsequent imports. Typically you will select an “import invoices” option and navigate to and select your transfer file. Most utilities will perform a validity check before the import is performed. If the file passes the validation check, the import process gets completed.

Credit Memo Import Credit memos in DBA are invoices with a negative total value. In some accounting systems, credit memos are separate entities from invoices. Where this is the case, you will map your credit memo transfer file separately from your invoice transfer file and you will perform separate imports for invoices and credit memos.

Manual Transfer As an alternative to data import, you can click the Output button and select the Output to printer option to print a report that can be used as a worksheet for manual data transfer. Create a customer invoice in your outside system (or credit memo when the total amount is negative) for each line on the report. In the header, enter the DBA invoice number and invoice date. Select the terms code, which usually comes in by default. For the line item, select your AR Invoice Transfer item and give it a quantity of 1. For the price, enter the total invoice amount.

Credit Memo Entry From time to time, customer credit memos need to be created. If the credit memo pertains to a DBA sales order transaction, always enter the credit memo in DBA in order to preserve the integrity of the audit trail. If the credit memo is purely financial, such as an adjustment to a customer’s account balance or write-off to bad debt, enter the credit memo in your outside system.

16-3. PO Invoice Transfer

856 Operating Guide

16-3. PO Invoice Transfer (Transfer – PO Invoice Transfer)

Supplier invoices and credit memos are created in DBA during the PO matching process. This screen is used to create a transfer file (Excel spreadsheet or text file) or report (for manual transfer) that contains a summarized version of each supplier invoice or credit memo created since the last transfer. You can then import or enter this information into your outside Accounts Payable module for payment scheduling and processing. All invoice and credit memo detail (accounts, amounts, and taxes) remains in the DBA invoice records for audit trail purposes.


Segments: Transfer Accounts, Terms Codes, PO Invoice Mapping, PO Credit Mapping, Importing Invoices, Manual Transfer

Transfer PO invoices on a daily basis PO invoices and credit memos should be transferred on a daily basis so that they are available in your outside system for any immediate payments that must be made. Daily updating insures that your open AP aging detail and Accounts Payable account balance are always up to date and reflect your actual financial condition.

Only summarized information is transferred The only header information that gets transferred is the invoice or credit memo number, invoice or credit memo date, terms code, and supplier ID. Only one account is involved, which is your PO Invoice Transfer account, and the amount is for the invoice or credit memo total amount, including taxes and shipping.

Supplier Address and Contact Info Many accounting system import utilities allow you to include supplier address information when importing invoices and credit memos. This is useful for creating new supplier records and for keeping address information synchronized between the two systems. In the PO Invoice Transfer screen you have the option of including the supplier address, phone, fax, and Email fields in your transfer file.


Operating Guide 857

Advance Setup Step 1 – Create PO Invoice Transfer Account Create a PO Invoice Transfer account in our outside system’s chart of accounts. Locate it immediately following your Accounts Payable account. Designate it as a Current Liability.

How it works This account functions as a clearing account that holds a temporary value between the time an invoice or credit memo is created in DBA and the time it gets transferred to your outside system. When the invoice or credit memo gets created, this account is credited or debited for the total value of the invoice or credit memo. When the invoice or credit memo gets transferred, this account is debited or credited for the same value, which brings its net balance to zero. The offsetting entry is a credit or debit to the Accounts Payable account in your outside system.

Step 2 – DBA Account Cross-Reference After the transfer account is created in your outside system, go the Chart of Accounts screen in DBA. Against account 20300, PO Invoice Transfer, enter the PO Invoice Transfer account number from your outside system in the X-Ref Account field.

Step 3 – Terms Codes Make sure that the Supplier Terms codes in DBA are identical to the terms codes in your outside system.


858 Operating Guide

Screen Details

Upper Panel

Ready to Transfer Select this option to display all PO invoices or credit memos that have been created in DBA since the last transfer.

Transferred PO Invoices Select this option to display previously transferred PO invoices or credit memos. To the right of this field you will see From Date and Thru Date fields become visible, which are set by default to display the past 365 days. You can expand or contract this date range, if you wish.

Display Credit memos in DBA are invoices with negative total amounts. If your outside system’s import utility can import negative and positive invoice amounts, select the ‘All’ option. If your import utility has separate imports for invoices and credit memos (which is the case with QuickBooks®), select either the ‘Invoices’ or ‘Credit Memos’ option, which limits your transfer file or report to invoices only or to credit memos only.

NOTE: When you select the ‘Credit Memos’ option, the Total Amt column values are displayed as positive amounts, which is how they would normally be imported in most outside systems, even though technically these are negative amounts in DBA.

Include Addresses Select this checkbox if you want supplier address and contact fields (address, phone, fax, Email) included in your transfer file. Many import utilities can pass this information into the customer record, which is used to create new supplier records in the outside system and to keep this information synchronized between the two systems.


Operating Guide 859

Grid – Ready to Transfer When the Ready to Transfer option is selected in the upper panel, all invoices and/or credit memos that have not yet been transferred are listed in this grid. If you will be importing these invoices and/or credit memos, the columns in this grid correspond to the fields in the transfer file (Excel spreadsheet or text file).

Invoice Date This is the invoice date.

Invoice No This is the invoice number.

Supplier This is the supplier ID.

X-Ref Code This field is used to identify the supplier in outside systems where a short code is used instead of the full supplier name as in DBA. This is the X-Ref Code from the Suppliers screen.

Total Amt This is the total amount of the invoice, including tax and shipping.

Due Date This is the date the invoice is due for payment, based on the supplier’s payment terms.

GL Account This is the PO Invoice Transfer account from the DBA chart of accounts.

X-Ref Account This is the X-Ref Account associated with the DBA PO Invoice Transfer account and is its matching account in your outside chart of accounts.

Terms This is the terms code from the Supplier Terms table. If you import this field, make sure that the code is identical to the terms code in your outside accounting system.

Address 1-3, Country, State, Postal Code These columns are only visible when the Include Addresses option is selected. This information comes from the supplier master table.

Phone, Fax, Email These columns are only visible when the Include Addresses option is selected. This contact information comes from the customer master table.


860 Operating Guide

Grid – Transferred Invoices When the Transferred PO Invoices option is selected in the upper grid, all previously transferred invoices within the date range specified in the upper panel are displayed in the grid.

Output Button Click this button to generate an Excel spreadsheet or text file containing the grid contents for import into the customer invoice tables in your outside accounting system. You can select either the Output to excel or Output to text option from the drop-down list. You are then presented with the standard Windows ‘Save as’ screen. Your transfer file is given the name ‘POInvoices_ReadyToTransfer’ or ‘POCreditMemos_ReadyToTransfer’ and is saved to the default Output File Location specified in the Financial Transfer Defaults screen. After your transfer file has been created, you are asked:

Do you wish to flag these PO Invoices as Transferred? If you click Yes, the invoices will be flagged as ‘transferred’ in the database and will not be listed for transfer again.

Import Immediately Once your transfer file is created, immediately import it into your outside system. If you delay the import, there is always a chance that it can be overlooked and your transfer file gets overwritten by mistake. So always make transfer file generation and importing a single process.


Operating Guide 861

Data Transfer

File Import With most import utilities you will map the fields in your import file to the corresponding fields in your outside system on a one-time basis. Once the file is mapped, the mapping layout is used for all subsequent imports. Typically you will select an “import bills” option and navigate to and select your transfer file. Most utilities will perform a validity check before the import is performed. If the file passes the validation check, the import process gets completed.

Credit Memo Import Credit memos in DBA are supplier invoices with a negative total value. In some accounting systems, credit memos are separate entities from invoices. Where this is the case, you will map your credit memo transfer file separately from your PO invoice transfer file and you will perform separate imports for PO invoices and credit memos.

Manual Transfer As an alternative to data import, you can click the Output button and select the Output to printer option to print a report that can be used as a worksheet for manual data transfer. Create a supplier bill (or credit memo when the total amount is negative) in your outside system for each line on the report. In the header, enter the DBA invoice number and invoice date. Select the terms code, which usually comes in by default. For the account, select your PO Invoice Transfer account and enter the total invoice value, including tax and shipping, as the amount.

Credit Memo Entry From time to time, supplier credit memos need to be created. If the credit memo pertains to a DBA purchase order transaction, always enter the credit memo in DBA in order to preserve the integrity of the audit trail. If the credit memo is purely financial, such as an adjustment to your account balance, enter the credit memo in your outside system.

16-5. QuickBooks Transfer

862 Operating Guide

16-4. GL Transfer (Transfer – GL Transfer)

This screen is used to transfer GL account totals at period end from DBA to your outside accounting system.

Why transfer at period end? Unlike the AR invoice and PO invoice transfers, which should be done on a daily basis, you only need to transfer the GL account totals once per period. The daily invoice transfers keep your Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable accounts fully up to date in your outside general ledger at all times, which is important for short term financial planning. The other accounts affected by DBA involve inventory, work in process, and sales and are not needed by most companies until period end when financial statements are prepared.


Segments: Inventory and WIP Accounts, Sales and COGS Accounts, Tax and Shipping Accounts, Absorbed Mfg Costs Accounts, Accounting Periods, Exporting GL Totals, GL Import, GL Journal Entry

Advance Setup Step 1 – Inventory & WIP Accounts • Verify that your outside system has one main Inventory account. DBA only

posts to one Inventory account.

• Create a Work in Process account in your outside chart of accounts. Locate it immediately following your Inventory account. Designated it as a Current Asset.

• Go to the DBA Chart of Accounts screen. Against account 12000, Inventory, enter your outside system’s Inventory account number in the X-Ref Account field. Against account 12300, Work in Process, enter your outside system’s Work in Process account number in the X-Ref Account field.

Step 2 – Sales & COGS Accounts • In your outside chart of accounts, create a default Sales account and a

default Cost of Goods Sold account. These are “catch-all” accounts for any sales that are not assigned to specific item categories or customer types.

• You can optionally create pairs of Sales and Cost of Goods Sold accounts that correspond to various item categories or customer types. These accounts may already exist, but should be reviewed.


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• Go to the DBA Chart of Accounts screen. Against account 40000, Sales – Products, enter your outside system’s default Sales account in the X-Ref Account field. Against account 5000, Cost of Goods Sold, enter your outside system’s default Cost of Goods sold account in the X-Ref Account field.

• Add Sales and Cost of Goods Sold accounts in the DBA chart of accounts that correspond to each pair of non-default Sales and Cost of Goods Sold accounts that exist in your outside system. Assign account numbers that fit into the DBA account numbering scheme. Against each of these new accounts, enter your outside system’s account number in the X-Ref Account field.

• Go to the Account Assignments screen. Navigate to the Exceptions sub-tab on the Sales tab. All your item categories or customer types are listed on this screen. Assign Sales and Cost of Goods Sold accounts against each applicable Item Category or Customer Type. Any categories or types left blank will have their sales and costs posted to the system default Sales and Cost of Goods Sold accounts.

Step 3 – Tax & Shipping Accounts • Verify that your outside chart of accounts has a Sales Tax Payable account.

If not, create one as a Current Liability account.

• Verify that your outside chart of accounts has a Shipping Income account. If not, create one as an Income account.

• Go to the DBA Chart of Accounts screen. Against account 21100, Sales Tax Payable, enter your outside system’s Sales Tax Payable account number in the X-Ref Account field. Against account 42000, Shipping Income, enter your outside system’s Shipping Income account number in the X-Ref Account field.

Step 4 – Absorbed Mfg Costs Account • In your outside chart of accounts, create an Absorbed Mfg Costs account.

Designate it as an Expense account and locate it among your operating expenses.

• Go to the DBA Chart of Accounts screen. Click the Mfg X-Refs button. Enter your outside system’s Absorbed Mfg Costs account in the Set X-Ref Account for the above GL Accounts to: field in the lower panel. This populates the X-Ref Account field against all the following accounts:

12200 Picked Not Invoiced 20200 Received Not Invoiced 51100 Accrued Service Labor 52200 Accrued Misc Sales Cost 52500 PO Shipping Cost 53100 Adjustments – Inventory 53300 Adjustments – Recd Not Invoiced 53400 Adjustments – WIP


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54000 Absorbed Labor 55000 Absorbed Subcontract Cost 56000 Absorbed Misc Job Cost 57000 Absorbed Factory Overhead 61360 Misc Purchases 61480 Purchase Tax

How it Works The Absorbed Mfg Costs account is a “catch all” account that consolidates all the DBA accounts listed above into one account in your outside system. At period end this account will have a credit balance that roughly offsets your actual direct labor and factory overhead costs. This serves to absorb those costs into your inventory.

Absorbed Mfg Costs Report To get a breakout of your Absorbed Mfg Costs account by the DBA accounts that comprise it, run the Absorbed Mfg Costs report, which is located on the General Ledger – Reports menu.

Status Tab The Status tab displays the number of GL transactions that have not yet been transferred.

Upper Panel

List by By default, the data in the grid are summarized by accounting period. For transfer purposes, leave this set to ‘Period’. You also have the option of viewing data by monthly, weekly, or daily increments.

From Period This determines the starting point of the data view in the grid below.


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Going Back ___ Periods This number determines how many periods back from today’s date are displayed in the grid. It defaults to 12 periods, but can be changed on the fly for different views of your transaction status.

Grid Fields

Period, From Date, Thru Date The period name and starting and ending dates are displayed in the first three columns.

# Trxns This column displays the total number of transactions within the date range at left, including non-transferred and transferred transactions. You can click on this field to display the transaction detail.

Transferred This column displays the number of transactions within the date range at left that have already been transferred. You can click on this field to display the transaction detail.

Remaining This column displays the number of transactions within the date range at left that have not yet been transferred. You can click on this field to display the transaction detail.

Last Column When non-transferred transactions exist, the icon in this last column is visible. You can click on this icon to open the Transfer tab and display the account summaries to be transferred.

Transfer Button Click this button to initiate a transfer for the selected period in the grid.


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Transfer Tab NOTE: Before performing a GL transfer, always run GL – Batch Posting first to ensure that all transactions have been posted to the General Ledger.

Upper Panel

From Date, Thru Date These two fields display the date range associated with this accounting period. You can manually change these dates, if you wish, which alters the contents of the grid below.

Posting Date This defaults to the Thru Date above or today’s date, whichever is earliest. This is the posting date that gets applied to all the transactions within this transfer.

Journal ID If you are importing this transfer into your outside system, your system may require a Journal ID to identify the batch journal entry. This defaults to a value of ‘DBA’, but you can override it, if you wish. If you do so, click the Apply button to apply your entry to all the rows in the grid below.

Note This is a reference note that can be included in your transfer file to help describe the journal entry in your outside system. It defaults to the period number, but you can override it, if you wish. If you do so, click the Apply button to apply your entry to all the rows in the grid below.

Transfer Date This read-only field records the actual date that the transfer took place.


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Transfer Preview

Net Debit or Net Credit Amounts This option is selected by default. A single net debit total or a single net credit total is calculated and displayed for each account.

NOTE: Select this option when importing into QuickBooks®.

Total Debit & Total Credit Amounts When this option is selected, separate debit and credit totals are calculated and displayed for each account.

Consolidate X-Ref Accounts This checkbox setting is selected by default. Each X-Ref Account in your outside system can represent multiple accounts in DBA, especially your Absorbed Mfg Costs account, which is associated with 14 DBA accounts. Selecting this checkbox consolidates the grid contents into one row per X-Ref Account, which significantly reduces the number of rows in your transfer file.

Total Debits, Total Credits, Net These read-only fields provide a grand total for all debit amounts and a grand total for all credit amounts that comprise this transfer. Total Debits should equal Total Credits and the Net amount should always be zero.

Grid Columns GL account totals to be transferred are displayed in the grid.

GL Account Each DBA account within the date range specified above with totals to be transferred is listed.

NOTE: This column is not visible when the Consolidate X-Ref Accounts option is selected in the upper panel.

X-Ref Account This is your outside system’s account number.

Debit This is the debit amount to be transferred to your general ledger for the X-Ref Account.

Credit This is the credit amount to be transferred to your general ledger for the X-Ref Account.

Net Amt This is the net difference between the Debit and Credit totals. If the total is a credit amount, a minus sign precedes the amount.


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Transfer Date This column displays the Transfer Date from the upper panel.

NOTE: Do not use this date as the posting date. Use the Posting Date instead.

Note This column displays the Note from the upper panel.

Posting Date This column displays the Posting Date from the upper panel.

Journal ID This column displays the Journal ID from the upper panel.

Description This column displays the Description associated with the DBA account.

NOTE: This column is not visible when the Consolidate X-Ref Accounts option is selected in the upper panel.

Output Button Click this button to generate an Excel spreadsheet, text file, or report containing the grid contents for import or journal entry into your outside general ledger. You can select either the Output to excel, Output to text, or Output to printer option from the drop-down list. You are then presented with the standard Windows ‘Save as’ screen. Your transfer file is given the name ‘GLTransfer’ and is saved to the default Output File Location specified in the Financial Transfer Defaults screen. After your transfer file has been created, you are asked:

Do you wish to flag the transactions behind these totals as Transferred? If you click Yes, the ledger transactions will be flagged as ‘transferred’ in the database and will not be listed for transfer again.

Transfer Immediately If you are importing GL account totals, once your transfer file is created, import it immediately into your outside system. If you delay the import, there is always a chance that it can be overlooked and your transfer file gets overwritten by mistake. So always make transfer file generation and importing a single process.

Manual journal entry is a practical alternative Because you only need to make a single transfer at period end and the so few accounts impacted in your outside system, transferring GL account totals through a manual journal entry is a practical alternative to data import.


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History Tab

All previously transferred batches can be viewed on this screen.

Include Reversed Transfers Select this checkbox if you wish to include reversed transfers in the upper grid.

Transfer History Grid All previous transfers are listed in the upper grid.

Lower Grid The account summary detail listed in the lower grid corresponds with the transfer highlighted in the upper grid.

Reverse Button If for any reason you wish to reverse a transfer, highlight that transfer in the upper grid and click this button.

NOTE: Be aware that reversing a transfer in DBA has no effect on any corresponding batch journal entered in your general ledger. So if you reverse a transfer in DBA, make sure you also reverse the corresponding batch journal entry in your general ledger.


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17. Help

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17. Help On the Help menu you will find all screens, links, and documents related to product documentation and support. Menu options include:

Help Main Menu • DBA Help • Online Support Center • User Guides • DBA Website • DBA Web Store • Web Links • Web Links Setup • DBA Help Setup • About DBA Manufacturing

17-1. DBA Help

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17-1. DBA Help (Help – DBA Help…..or F1 Key)

Use this screen to access online Help documentation for any menu option in the system.

Contents are identical to Operating Guide The Help file is an online version of the Operating Guide. Each Help topic corresponds to a chapter in the Operating Guide and has identical content.

Press F1 from any screen for Help While in any screen, press the F1 key and you will be linked directly to that screen’s Help topic.

Contents Tab As an alternative to pressing F1 from any screen, you can access Help from the DBA Help option on the Help menu. A table of contents is displayed in the left panel. Each “book” icon listed corresponds to a main menu of the system. You can click on any book icon to get a listing of the Help topics within that menu, each of which corresponds to a menu option.

Index Tab Click the Index tab for a listing of Help topics in the left panel. In the upper field type in key words or text and the program will progressively match your text to the topics below. Highlight the topic you wish to view, then click the Display button to display the selected topic in the right panel.

17-1. DBA Help

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Search Tab Click the Search tab to search for keywords within topics. Type in the text you wish to search for in the upper field, then click the List Topics button. All topics containing that text are displayed below. Highlight the topic you wish to view, then click the Display button to display the selected topic in the right panel.

Back Icon Click this icon to return to the opening Help topic.

Print Icon Click this icon to print the current topic.

17-2. Online Support Center

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17-2. Online Support Center (Help – Online Support Center)

Click this link to access the online support center.

Support Center Subscription A support center subscription is essential during implementation because your users will need access to our training videos, support tickets, and other resources. On an ongoing basis, a manufacturing system by its nature should not be operated without support. To encourage continued participation, we’ve made the subscription price affordable for any size company.

How to Order You can purchase a subscription online from our web store at www.DBAManufacturing.com or you can order by phone by calling 1-800-995-1959 or 805-461-3501.

What is included? A support center subscription gives all your users access to the following support resources.

Support Tickets • Online ticketing system manages all support incidents • Issue resolution by ticket response, phone, data review, or remote access

- whichever we determine to be most effective • Tickets can be submitted by any user, not just primary contact • Ticket queue actively managed for quick response to emergencies • Ticket tracking by issue, status, category, person, and date

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• Track support history by individual employee or entire company • Tickets stay open until resolved and can be reopened if additional help is

needed

Remote Access Troubleshooting • Remote connection to your computer through the Internet • Enables us to diagnose problems while on the phone • Same effect as being on site • Enables direct support no matter where you are located

Training Company • Copies your data into a temporary "training" company • Installs on your network server and is available to all users • Enables you to preview new versions before going live • Provides a safe training environment for new users • Enables "what if" scenarios without affecting live data

Other Support Center Resources • Training Videos • Knowledge Base • What's New

Accessing the online support center A support center subscription provides all users in your company with access to the online support center. Access to the online support center is provided within the software itself. Go to the Help menu and click the Online Support Center option. You can also access the support center through the Support page on our website (www.DBAManufacturing.com).

Each of your users can self-register Each user within your company can register and set up a personal account by clicking the Request for a New Account button and completing and submitting the registration form.

Tip – keep yourself signed in! When you sign-in to the support center, we suggest you select the checkbox labeled Keep me signed in to this site unless I sign out. If you do so, each time you access the support center, you bypass the Sign-in page and are taken directly to the support center Home page and main menu. Also, when you click on links to training videos within the system’s online Help, you are taken directly to the video without having to sign in and navigate through a menu. You stay signed indefinitely until you select the Sign Out option. Use the Exit option instead (or close your browser window) and you’ll stay perpetually signed in.

17-6. Update Guide

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17-3. User Guides (Help – User Guides)

This menu option provides a link to our User Guides web page, where you will find links to the following user guides, which are furnished in a PDF file format:

• Installation Guide • Product Update Guide • Implementation Planner • Operating Guide • Manufacturing Efficiency Guide

Each guide is described as follows:

Installation Guide Use this guide to help you with initial product installation.

Product Update Guide Use this guide to help you install product updates. Product updates are released periodically and should be promptly installed so that you are always on the current version of the product.

NOTE: See “Product Updates” below for information on our update policies and procedures.

Implementation Planner This guide provides a proven “self implementation” methodology with a step-by-step process that can be used to get DBA up and running without requiring outside help. The key to success is to perform all the implementation tasks in the recommended order.

Operating Guide This guide provides complete documentation for all the system screens and reports, as well as module overviews and process workflow guidelines.

Manufacturing Efficiency Guide Reference this guide on a periodic basis to continually improve your manufacturing efficiency. We recommend that you review the 16 fundamental issues in this guide on a quarterly basis and give your company a score on each. This quarterly process will identify your weak spots and enable you to gauge your progress over time.

Product Updates With DBA you do not purchase a particular version of the software. Instead, you invest in a license and ongoing maintenance agreement for software that is subject to continual change. Applying product updates is therefore a common occurrence for DBA users and is covered in depth in the Product Update Guide.

17-6. Update Guide

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Why you should always update Many well known software products such as Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office, and QuickBooks are sold in versions. Service packs for older versions remain available for several years and there is no obligation to upgrade to the current version. Many people commonly perceive that all software is maintained this way.

This is not the case with DBA. DBA is a highly specialized application with only one version, which is always the current build. Service packs are only available for the current build.

Our support and software maintenance model is based on the premise that all customers are on the current build. When you stay on an older build, you not only don’t benefit from new product features, but you also remain vulnerable to any problems that were fixed in later builds. It’s also easier for your users to adapt to each build incrementally than it is to skip several builds and then have to “catch up” with a large set of changes.

In conclusion -- always update. It protects your system from problems, helps us provide better support, and makes it easier for your users to keep up with changes.

Product updates are covered by annual maintenance With DBA you pay an annual maintenance fee (based on 15% of the software price paid) which entitles you to have access to all product updates at no extra charge.

Product updates are free for evaluation systems If you have installed the free single-user evaluation system, you are given access to all product updates and are welcome to apply them to the evaluation system at no charge.

Product Updates vs. Service Packs We periodically release “product updates” and “service packs”, which are explained as follows:

Product Updates A product update is a “build” made available for downloading to all DBA users, including multi-user customers as well as prospects who have installed our free single-user evaluation system. A “build” is a number that identifies each compilation of the program.

How are product updates distributed? • Typically, each product update is announced in an e-newsletter.

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• I you have administrator rights, when an update becomes available you receive a prompt when you launch DBA from which you can directly download the update file and release notes.

• You can also go to Start - All Programs - DBA Manufacturing - Utilities - Check for Updates and download any update that may be available.

Service Packs Any program fixes made between product updates are incorporated into “service packs”, which are interim builds.

How are service packs distributed? • Service packs are downloaded from the “What’s New” area of the online

support center.

• We suggest you check for service packs on e regular basis, such as once a week.

Release Notes From wherever you download a product update or service pack, whether it be from within the software or from the online support center, the download file is always accompanied by a release notes document in PDF format.

NOTE: Always review the release notes prior to updating because they may include system administrator instructions.

Preview updates using the “training company” Before going “live” with a new update, all your users can safely preview and experiment with the update on your own company data by installing our “training company” option. A new training company is made available with each update and is installed side-by-side on the same server with your live company. Once you are finished with the preview and training process, you can then apply the product update to your live company.

How is the training company distributed? • The training company can be downloaded from the “What’s New” area of

the online support center, along with installation instructions. NOTE: A support center subscription is required to access the training company download file.

Protect your investment with a support subscription It is risky to run your entire business on any software package without backup support. This is especially true with manufacturing software because of its breadth of applications and SQL database. Support protects your investment should troubleshooting be needed and exposes all your users to training videos, support tickets, and other resources.

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We’ve made our low-cost support center subscription affordable for any size company to remove the cost factor as a barrier to participation. Widespread participation keeps the cost down for all customers.

We strongly advise that any company actively using DBA get a support center subscription and keep it renewed over the life of the product.

17-7. Web Links

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17-4. Web Links (Help – Web Links)

The Web Links option provides a menu of website links that are of common interest and usefulness to your users. You can add links to this menu via the Web Links Setup screen on the Help menu.

17-8. Web Links Setup

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17-5. Web Links Setup (File – Web Links Setup)

On the Help menu is a Web Links option that provides your users with a directory of web site links that are of common and useful interest to all users. This screen is used to add selections to that menu. Enter a Description that will identify the web link on the Web Links sub-menu. Next, enter the Web Address (such as www.DBAManufacturing.com). After closing the screen you can go to Help – Web Links where you will see your link displayed.

17-9. DBA Help Setup

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17-6. DBA Help Setup (Help – DBA Help Setup)

This screen is used to view or change the location of the DBA Help file (DBAHelp6.chm), which is installed locally on each workstation.

The screen displays the current location of this workstation’s DBA Help file. You can change the location by clicking the 3-dot button to navigate to another folder. You can also type in a new folder name and it will be created for you.

NOTE: The DBA Help file will be moved to the new location the next time you launch DBA from this workstation.

17-10. About DBA Manufacturing

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17-7. About DBA Manufacturing (Help – About DBA Manufacturing)

Use this screen to identify your program version and view your current license status.

Program Version Each version of the product is identified with a “Build” number, which gets assigned each time a new version of the program gets compiled.

NOTE: When you submit support tickets, you identify your product version by the build number.

License Status This screen displays the Licensed to name associated with your license key, your current licensed User Count, and your license Exp Date.

NOTE: You license is renewed annually via payment of the annual maintenance fee. If you let your license expire, your user count changes to “1” (so that you still have access to your data) and you are no longer legally entitled to use the product.

17-10. About DBA Manufacturing

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17. Backup Manager

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17. Backup Manager It is essential that you establish a daily backup procedure to safeguard the data that you will begin accumulating during the implementation process.

Use Windows Backup Manager for now We have developed a new Backup Manager utility that is currently being tested. Until the new utility is released, for the time being we recommend that you use the Windows Backup Manager for your daily backups.

What files should be backed up? Back up your entire DBA Manufacturing folder, which is normally located at:

C:\Program Files\DBA Manufacturing

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Appendix A – Converting to DBA Financials

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Appendix A – Converting to DBA Financials This chapter is for companies currently using an outside system for financials that wish to convert to using the DBA financial modules (Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, Banking, and General Ledger).

Introduction Do you need an accounting startover? This chapter assumes that you have been successfully using the Financial Transfer utility to transfer summarized accounting data to your outside system. If you have not been doing so and wish to get a fresh start, disregard this chapter and follow the steps in Appendix A – Accounting Startover, instead.

The standard chart of accounts is recommended As of May, 2008, we began supplying a standard chart of accounts with new systems that is optimized for manufacturing companies and for the DBA system. Now a COA Conversion screen is available that enables you to convert your existing chart of accounts to the standard chart of accounts and standard account assignment settings. We recommend that all DBA customers convert to the standard chart of accounts to get the most out of the DBA accounting system.


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Conversion to DBA Financials 1. Upgrade to the latest build

If you are not on the latest product build, it is essential that you update your system to the latest version in order to have access to the COA Conversion screen and other accounting system enhancements that are needed for this conversion process.

2. Establish a conversion target date Establish a conversion target date, which is the date you will activate the DBA accounting system. The best date is the first day of an accounting period. Give yourself ample time prior to conversion day to convert your chart of accounts and restructure your payroll accounts. On the day prior to startover day you will enter beginning account balances.

3. Convert to the standard chart of accounts We recommend that all companies convert to DBA’s standard chart of accounts. In doing so, you will be assured that your chart of accounts and account assignments are 100% correct and optimized for the DBA system. If you already have a chart of accounts created, use the GL – General Ledger Setup – COA Conversion screen to convert your existing accounts to standard accounts.

4. Review exception accounts In the GL – General Ledger Setup – Account Assignments screen, you should review your exception settings.

• On the Exceptions sub-tab within the Sales tab, you can optionally break out your sales and cost of goods sold by item category or customer type.

• On the Exceptions sub-tab within the Purchasing tab, you can optionally break out your miscellaneous (non-inventory, non-job) purchases by descriptor.

Refer to chapter 13 for details.

5. Review supplier default accounts Review the default GL Account setting against your AP suppliers that do not receive formal purchase orders. This setting is found on the GL Account sub-tab within the Detail tab of the Suppliers screen.

NOTE: During this step you may also want to create any non-PO type suppliers that were used in your outside payables module, but have not yet been set up in DBA.


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6. Change payroll accounts Make sure your payroll departments and GL accounts conform to the DBA standard chart of accounts. Refer to chapter 13C, Payroll Accounting, for setup details.

7. Change accounting configuration On the day prior to conversion day, go to the Admin – Accounting Configuration screen and change to the DBA Financial Modules setting. Click Next and you are taken through a series of steps that flag your historic AR and PO Invoices as having been processed in your outside system. Refer to chapter 2-7 for details.

8. Assign bank accounts In the Account Assignments screen you must assign GL accounts against each of your bank accounts on the Bank Accounts tab.

9. Enter open customer invoices, if needed This task must be performed on the day prior to conversion day. You must enter all open customer invoices that originated in your other system in the File – Startup Day – AR Beginning Balances screen. When you are done, the AR – Reports – Customer Detail Aging report should agree with the AR aging report in your old system.

10. Enter open supplier invoices, if needed This task must be performed on the day prior to conversion day. If up to now you have been processing payables in an outside system, as of conversion day you will be entering all supplier invoices in DBA. You must enter all open supplier invoices that originated in your other system in the File – Startup Day – AP Beginning Balances screen. When you are done, the AP – Reports – Supplier Detail Aging report should agree with the AP aging report in your old system.

11. Post GL transactions This step must be performed on the day prior to conversion day. Post any accumulated ledger transactions via the Batch Posting screen. If any transactions are unable to post, you either have not completed all your account assignments setup or you have not created all your accounting periods.

12. Clear account balances, if needed The next step is to run the GL – General Ledger Setup – Clear Account Balances procedure. This procedure creates a batch journal entry that zeroes out each of your GL account balances, which effectively clears the ledger so that you can enter new beginning balances.


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13. Enter beginning account balances This step must be performed on the day prior to conversion day. You must now transfer your current account balances from your outside system to DBA. This is done manually by making a single batch entry in the Journal Entry screen.

• In your outside system, print a current balance sheet and a year-to-date income statement.

• In the Journal Entry screen, click new to create a new journal entry. Give it a Journal Date as of the last day of the prior accounting period.

• Enter a single debit or credit amount against each of your balance sheet accounts.

NOTE: Do not make an entry to your Current Earnings account, which is automatically calculated and never directly entered.

• Enter a single year-to-date debit or credit amount against each of your income statement accounts.

When your entries are completed, your journal batch should be in balance. Return to the List tab and post your journal.

14. Reconcile Inventory account In this step you will reconcile your Inventory account balance with the Inventory Value report to ensure its accuracy. Run the Inventory – Reports – Inventory Value report as of today’s date for all your stock items to establish the total value of your inventory. Compare this with the Inventory account in the general ledger.

• If the inventory value on the report is higher than the current GL balance, make this journal entry for the difference in value: Debit: 12000, Inventory Credit: 53100, Adjustments – Inventory

• If the inventory value on the report is lower than the current GL balance, make this journal entry for the difference: Debit: 53100, Adjustments – Inventory Credit: 12000, Inventory

15. Reconcile WIP account In this step you will reconcile your Work in Process account balance with the WIP Value report to ensure its accuracy. Run the Jobs – Reports – WIP Value report to establish the total value of your work in process. Compare this with the Work in Process account in the General Ledger.


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• If the total value on the report is higher than the current GL balance, make this journal entry for the difference in value: Debit: 12300, Work in Process Credit: 53400, Adjustments – WIP

• If the total value on the report is lower than the current GL balance, make this journal entry for the difference: Debit: 53400, Adjustments – WIP Credit: 12300, Work in Process

16. Reconcile bank accounts When you receive your first bank statement after conversion day, you must transition from reconciling transactions in your old system to doing so in DBA. This transition process is documented in chapter 14.