This topic contains the steps required to create a system for your company’s use, and defines the various processes involved in setting up a new system.
In Ledger Maintenance, you can create a ledger ID that determines the structure of the general ledger account number, number of periods, period labels, and starting dates. In addition to defining the account number, there are settings for each account element: Define Type, Define Company, and Validate.
The Define Type check box indicates the element that functions as the account code where the account types (AS, LI, EQ, EX, IC) are defined. The Define Company check box identifies which element represents a company, and for which element intercompany elimination accounts can be defined. The Validate check box indicates that each element must have defined valid entries.
The total account number you create can be up to 38 characters in length, including 10 separators. This means you can have up to 10 different parts, or elements of the account structure. Any length and grouping of account elements is acceptable. We recommend the account structure reflect the company structure. Therefore if your company has 10 divisions, and 2 branches above that, your account structure would be Branch (2), Division (3), Account Code (5), or XX-XXX-XXXXX, for example.
The Apprise system ID concept allows you to define separate systems that operate individually in the same physical database using a different logical database.
Note You can only create the number of system ID's that your company has licensed.
To set up your company, create a new system ID in System ID Maintenance, as well as all the required defaults (displayed in red). When you finish creating a system ID, the System ID Default Selection window appears, and allows you to select default data for the system ID. Then, the Check DRP window appears. In this window, click the Start button in the ribbon to update the system ID with all required data for using DRP.
You can also use multiple system ID's to share data between companies. For example, if you have two companies and you would like to share the general ledger information, but need to keep all other data separate, you have the ability to do so.
After creating a new system ID, you can create users in User Profile Maintenance or by importing users in User Profile Import. If you create users in User Profile Maintenance, you can manually create the users or you can use Active Directory to create users for a Windows domain.
You have the option to assign users to a default system ID. If a new user needs to have access to two or more system ID's, you must use User System ID Access.
You can assign users to or remove users from a system ID. Users can only switch to system ID's to which they are assigned. Users may be assigned to more than one system ID, but there is only one default system ID per user.
To switch your system ID, use System ID Update.
If you plan to use user groups, you may define them at this point. There are no ramifications for setting up user groups at a later time, unless you are planning to set up the entire security structure at this point. User groups allow you to set up security for a group; any users assigned to that group are subject to the security. You can create user groups in User Group Maintenance. You may define a user group, as well as assign users to the group and set up program security for the group.
Note At this time, you can either set up the general ledger chart of accounts or program security, whichever is more important to you.
The first step in setting up security is to set the default program access in Set Default Security Access Maintenance. Default access defines whether specific user groups or users should by default have access to all menu items. If this is the case, you can grant access to all menu items for the specific user or user group. If, on the other hand, the user or user group will not have access to the menu items, it is more efficient to start by revoking access to all.
The next step is to define the user/user group’s access on a per menu item basis. In Menu Security Maintenance, you can set up security for each menu item. In User or Group Security Maintenance, you can select the user or user group whose access you want to edit. You can then grant or revoke access to menu items. You have the option to do this at a module level, menu level, or individual menu item level. Security will be activated at the time of login.
If you are unsure of what the status of access is for groups or users, run Program Access Inquiry. This will provide you with an overview of your security.
After setting up the general ledger account structure, you may define the values for each account element in Account Element Maintenance. The previous step defines the structure or skeleton of the whole account number. For each grouping or element you have created you need to define the individual values. So, continuing with the above account structure example, you would define valid company codes, branches, and account numbers. You could define 00, 02, and 04 as valid company codes, and 100 and 200 as branches. You could then create all the valid account numbers, assigning them an account type.
In addition, it is valuable to use concise but illustrative descriptions. The descriptions you create here will be used to create the short and detail descriptions in Account Maintenance. You have the ability to edit the descriptions when you create the accounts, but it is simpler to have them default correctly. For example, if you create branch NE with the description Northeast and branch DEV for Development, a full account description for the petty cash account would be Northeast Development Petty Cash.
Note Creating account elements does not create general ledger accounts.
Next, you must set up the valid account numbers in Account Maintenance or import accounts in General Ledger Account Import. To set up a new account in Account Maintenance, click the New button in the ribbon, and type in the account number you want to create. When you type in a full account number, the default description and detail descriptions default from the descriptions of the elements you have defined. The type will also default, and the account will default to Credit or Debit, based on the type. You can change all of these options, including the descriptions, without any repercussions on any other accounts.
If you want to select from a list of elements and associate them, use the G/L Elements button. When you click this button, G/L Prompting displays and allows you to select from the list of valid groups you created in the previous step.
Account types include the standard AS (Asset), LI (Liability), IC (Income), EQ (Equity), and EX (Expense), along with SM (Summary), VA (Variable Allocation), FA (Fixed Allocation), and ST (Statistical) account types. In addition, you must select a category to associate with the account. Categories are used both internally and for ratio calculations. For example, any accounts that you want to use as cash accounts, must be associated with the category Cash. The accounts where your accounts payable are recorded are considered A/P Trade accounts.
Many programs in Apprise use default accounts to reduce the amount of data entry. You can define the default account in each category in System General Ledger Account Maintenance. Assign one default account to each category. The required accounts are listed below; these accounts must be assigned before any users are able to access the modules. You can also create new general ledger Categories in General Ledger Category Maintenance. Note that statistical accounts should be assigned the Statistical category.
The following categories are required:
A/P Clearing
A/P Discounts
A/P Other
A/P Trade
A/P Write-off
A/R Absorption
A/R Discount
A/R Other
A/R Trade
A/R Write-Off
Cash
Currency Exchange Gain/Loss
Finance Charge
Inventory
Retained Earnings
Note After setting up default general ledger accounts, click the File menu at the top-left of the Main Menu window, and select Tools > Clear Menu Cache. This will clear the menu cache so that you can access the Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable modules. You must also log out of Apprise and log back in before the modules will appear. If the modules do not properly appear, verify that you have set up all required default general ledger accounts.
Before entering transactions, default options must be set in the different module control windows. Each module has a control table that defines the module's default options, such as the posting method, aging categories, current periods and years, sanity amounts, etc.
The following windows are used:
Customer Service Control Maintenance - Controls defaults for the Customer Service module.
Purchasing Control Maintenance - Controls defaults for the Purchasing module.
Warehouse Management Control Maintenance: Controls defaults for the Warehouse Management module.
EDI Control Maintenance - Controls defaults for the Electronic Data Interchange module.
Accounts Payable Control Maintenance : Controls defaults for the Accounts Payable module.
Accounts Receivable Control Maintenance: Controls defaults for the Accounts Receivable module.
Manufacturing Control Maintenance: Controls defaults for the Manufacturing module.
Ledger Maintenance: Controls defaults for the General Ledger module.
Note After you have completed the above steps, you able to begin using the system. We strongly suggest that you also review the following sections and complete the described setup, as appropriate to your system.
The following are additional options that should be reviewed before entering or importing data.
Currency and currency exchange rates - These are necessary if you will be running the system using multiple currencies. For more information, see Currency Maintenance and Currency Exchange Rate Maintenance.
Payment terms - These are required for most transactions. For more information, see Payment Terms Maintenance.
Program security (optional) - You may want to restrict or grant access to certain programs or entire menus on a user or system-wide level. To set up security options, use the Security menu.
Projects (optional) - Consider setting up general ledger projects for the different modules. When you define a general ledger account, you can indicate that it require a project number. There are also project reports and inquiries for tracking journal entries. This is an optional feature in the system. For more information, see Project Maintenance.
Sales type and sales representatives - These are required for many transactions. For more information, see Sales Type Maintenance and Sales Representative Maintenance.
Territories and shippers (optional) - Customers can be grouped by territories; shippers can also be associated with customers. Both of these are optional and are for informational purposes only. For more information, see Sales Territory Maintenance and Shipper Maintenance.
After completing the system setup, you can begin entering supplier and customer data. Customer Maintenance and Supplier Maintenance are the main windows for entering customer and supplier information. You may want to consider the following options before setting up your customers and suppliers.
Customer/supplier divisions - Divisions allow you to group sets of customers or suppliers together for reporting. You can also determine finance charges by customer divisions. For more information, see Customer Division Maintenance and Supplier Division Maintenance.
Customer/supplier groups - These are secondary groupings for customers and suppliers. For more information, see Customer Group Maintenance and Supplier Group Maintenance.
Sales tax - Sales tax rates are set up in Sales Tax Rate Maintenance.
Note Posting programs have no security checking. If you allow a user access to the posting program, that user can post items without having access to the items.
By-user security allows you to restrict access to customer, suppliers, and/or general ledger accounts on a by-user basis. After security is set up properly, a user will only see accounts, suppliers, and customers to which they have access. This applies to all windows.
To limit user access to general ledger accounts, select the G/L Accounts by User check box in Ledger Maintenance. After security is activated, set up the accounts that each individual user can access in Access to Accounts by User Maintenance.
You can view user account security in Access to Accounts by User Inquiry or Access to Accounts by User Report.
To limit user access to customers, select the Customers by User check box in System ID Maintenance. The options next to the check box determine how the system will handle security for any new customers that are created. Auto indicates that all new customers will be added to every user’s list of accessible customers. Demand indicates that you must use Access to Customers By User Maintenance to add access to any new customers.
After customer security is activated, you need to set up the list of customers that an individual user can access in Access to Customers By User Maintenance. You may select all or individual customers. This can be done before activating security.
You can view user customer security in Access to Customers by User Inquiry or Access To Customers By User Report.
To limit user access to suppliers, select the Suppliers by User check box in System ID Maintenance. The options next to the check box determine how the system will handle security for any new suppliers that are created. Auto indicates that all new suppliers will be added to every user’s list of accessible suppliers. Demand indicates that you must use Access to Suppliers By User Maintenance to add any new suppliers.
After supplier security is activated, you need to set up the list of suppliers that an individual user can access. You may select all or individual suppliers. This can be done before activating security. You can view user supplier security in Access to Suppliers by User Inquiry or Access To Suppliers By User Report.
Accounts Payable module:
Supplier security is checked in all accounts payable programs. Therefore, if there is a particular supplier to which a user does not have access, the user will not be able to see or access that supplier in any of the reports, inquiries, or transaction windows.
With respect to general ledger account security, the A/P Trade account is always checked for security except in Payment Inquiry, Payment Register Report, and Payment Report.
For most accounts payable programs, it is not necessary to check A/P Expense accounts. However, the following exceptions hold true:
In Voucher Edit (regular or recurring vouchers), you must have access to all accounts.
The General Ledger Expense Detail Report is based on expense accounts. Therefore, the user must have access to the expense account to see vouchers associated with it.
In General Ledger Accounts Payable Inquiry, if you sort by expense account, you must have access to the selected account.
In Voucher On Hold Update, a user must have access to all accounts in order to put or release items from hold.
In Voucher On Hold Report, a user must have access to the A/P Trade and Expense accounts.
Accounts Receivable module:
Customer security is checked in all accounts receivable programs. Therefore, if there is a specific customer to which a user does not have access, the user is not able to see or access that customer in any of the reports, inquiries, or transaction windows.
With respect to general ledger account security, if the user does not have access to the A/R Open account (the account entered in Open Item Apply and Resolve) then the user cannot make a payment against a payment, backout/transfer a payment, or hold/release an open item.
If the user does not have access to the A/R Cash account (the account entered in Payment Apply) then the user cannot back out or transfer payments.
In reports and inquiries, the user can see all information even if they do not have access to the A/R Open account. However, if there is an on-screen account, access to the account will be checked before the report is run or data is displayed.
Note Certain reports and inquiries do not make sense with only partial accounts in them. Therefore, in order to be consistent, all accounts receivable reports and inquiries disregard security.
General Ledger module:
All general ledger accounts are checked. Journal entries will not be visible unless the user has access to all trailer accounts. However, in Project Report and Project Inquiry, users can see all information. If all information were not shown, the project information would seem inaccurate, potentially leading to other problems.
If a user does not have access to all the accounts in a summary, fixed allocation, or variable allocation account definition, the user cannot see the summary, fixed allocation, or variable allocation account.