Inter Company Interfaces In Sap
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SAP BusinessObjects Intercompany User Guide ■ SAP BusinessObjects Intercompany 7.5
2009-02-23
Copyright
© 2009 SAP® BusinessObjects™. All rights reserved. SAP BusinessObjects and its logos, BusinessObjects, Crystal Reports®, SAP BusinessObjects Rapid Mart™, SAP BusinessObjects Data Insight™, SAP BusinessObjects Desktop Intelligence™, SAP BusinessObjects Rapid Marts®, SAP BusinessObjects Watchlist Security™, SAP BusinessObjects Web Intelligence®, and Xcelsius® are trademarks or registered trademarks of Business Objects, an SAP company and/or affiliated companies in the United States and/or other countries. SAP® is a registered trademark of SAP AG in Germany and/or other countries. All other names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owners. 2009-02-23
Contents
Chapter 1
Introduction to SAP BusinessObjects Intercompany......................7 Introduction to the documentation...............................................................8 If you encounter a problem..........................................................................8
Chapter 2
General interface information...........................................................11 Languages.................................................................................................11 To select the application language............................................................11 Saving changes in the database...............................................................11 Navigation bar............................................................................................12 Navigation in list boxes..............................................................................12
Chapter 3
General user tasks.............................................................................13 Logging in to the application......................................................................13 To log in to the application.........................................................................13 Changing your user information................................................................14 Filters.........................................................................................................15 Balances page display filters.....................................................................15 Ad hoc page filters.....................................................................................17
Chapter 4
The reconciliation process...............................................................19 Starting the reconciliation process.............................................................19 Balances pages.........................................................................................20 Detail by partners page..............................................................................20 Detail by parent accounts page.................................................................21 Detail by transaction currencies page.......................................................21
3
Contents
Detail by child accounts page....................................................................22 Creating and opening balances.................................................................23 To select a declaring company..................................................................24 To select a period.......................................................................................24 To create or open a balance row...............................................................24 Entering amounts in balances...................................................................25 Journal account resets...............................................................................25 Attaching a standard comment to a balance.............................................26 Attaching a file to a balance.......................................................................27 Entering a comment for a balance.............................................................28 Communicating with the partner via statuses and actions........................29 Resetting and removing balances.............................................................30 Freezing a company balance....................................................................31 Freezing the balances of a company and its partners...............................31 Company-partner relationships.................................................................32 Entering invoice amounts..........................................................................33 To enter an invoice.....................................................................................34 Invoice updates..........................................................................................35 Invoice comments......................................................................................36 Invoice standard comments.......................................................................37 Attaching a file to an invoice......................................................................38 Why match invoices?.................................................................................39 Tracking progress via emails.....................................................................43 To start or stop receiving detailed emails..................................................44 Tracking progress via reports....................................................................44 Report contents.........................................................................................44 Deleting reports.........................................................................................47 Exporting financial data.............................................................................48 Exporting journals......................................................................................48 Exporting balances....................................................................................49 Exporting balances to SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation......52 Exporting invoices......................................................................................54
4
Contents
Chapter 5
Administration of the application.....................................................57 Managing database connections...............................................................57 Managing database user connections.......................................................57 Managing connections to different databases...........................................58 Database maintenance..............................................................................58 Defining the database structure.................................................................59 Starting and stopping the reconciliation process.......................................59 The database structure..............................................................................60 Metadata....................................................................................................61 Periods.......................................................................................................63 Currencies.................................................................................................68 Company groups.......................................................................................73 Companies.................................................................................................74 Users.........................................................................................................79 User groups...............................................................................................91 Account groups..........................................................................................92 Materiality values.......................................................................................97 Journal accounts........................................................................................99 Accounts..................................................................................................101 Standard comments.................................................................................108 Forced agreements..................................................................................109 Templates for data import and export......................................................113 Importing data..........................................................................................147 Exporting metadata..................................................................................154 Consulting import and export results.......................................................159 General administrative tasks...................................................................159 Freezing and unfreezing company balances...........................................159 Invoice matching......................................................................................162 Email........................................................................................................168 Statuses...................................................................................................172 Reconciliations.........................................................................................179 Difference calculation type.......................................................................181 Categories...............................................................................................182
5
Contents
Data entry period.....................................................................................182 Audit ID....................................................................................................183 Default flow..............................................................................................183 Reports....................................................................................................184 Purging balances and invoices................................................................189 Balance and invoice interface display.....................................................190 Deleting invoices by company, parent or child account...........................191 Decimals in balances...............................................................................193 Archiving balances...................................................................................193 The application login page text................................................................194 Digit grouping symbols............................................................................195 Chapter 6
Glossary............................................................................................197
Appendix A
More Information..............................................................................201
Index
6
205
Introduction to SAP BusinessObjects Intercompany
Introduction to SAP BusinessObjects Intercompany
SAP BusinessObjects Intercompany is a web application that enables you to manage the reconciliation process.
In the application, reconciliations are dealt with as follows: •
Peer-to-peer reconciliations are in real time. The head office does not validate peer-to-peer reconciliations; only the companies that perform the transactions are involved in reconciling the balances.
•
Adjustments are made when necessary.
•
The head office ensures that the reconciliation process is trouble free, and acts as referee when differences remain.
•
Amounts are integrated in the consolidation packages.
The reconciliation process works as follows: •
The Administrator configures the reconciliation process by configuring the database and connections, and then starts the process.
•
Users of all profiles log in to the application to perform specific tasks in the reconciliation process.
•
At the end of the reconciliation process, the Administrator runs a forced agreement, then freezes balances.
•
Users then export the balance amounts and journals.
7
Introduction to SAP BusinessObjects Intercompany
Introduction to the documentation The user documentation offers general and in-depth information on the application. There are four types of user: •
The Administrator defines the database objects.
•
Interactive Users add, modify, and delete balances and invoices, perform invoice matching, import and export balances and invoices, and create reports and freeze companies.
•
Power Users monitor the progress of the companies within their scope of responsibility. Power users can also export balances and invoices, build reports, and freeze and unfreeze companies.
•
View Users consult data and monitor how balances are progressing. View Users can also export balances and invoices and build reports.
Related Topics
•
User profiles on page 80
If you encounter a problem If you do not find the answers you need in the documentation, inform the internal corporate correspondent. This correspondent groups questions and presents them to SAP Business Objects software support. The correspondent must be able to provide the following information:
8
•
The software version installed on your workstation
•
The computer environment used, for example, Web, Citrix, or Windows
•
The type of database and the version, for example, Oracle, MSSQL Server, or IBM DB2
•
The server and client workstation operating systems
•
The network connection, such as RNIS, WAN, or LAN, and any other software components used, such as Internet Explorer, IIS, or Apache
Introduction to SAP BusinessObjects Intercompany
•
The exact content of the messages that appeared on your screen when the error occurred
•
A description of what occurred and what action you were performing at the time
•
How you tried to solve the problem
Do not hesitate to send the correspondent any screen shots, reports, error messages, or any other element to help solve the problem.
9
Introduction to SAP BusinessObjects Intercompany
10
General interface information
General interface information
The application offers shortcuts and links to help you move easily and quickly between tabs and pages.
Languages The Administrator assigns a default language that affects all text components of the web site pages, for example, tabs, commands, windows, and online help, and all of the names and descriptions stored in the database. Users can change the language.
To select the application language 1. Click the Language link. The "Language" dialog box appears. 2. Click the language you want to apply. The dialog box closes and the web page text is changed to the language you selected.
Saving changes in the database Once you have created an object, the Update button replaces the Create button and is used to save any changes you make including: •
changes made to an object
•
balances entered
11
General interface information
Navigation bar The navigation bar consist of the following tabs that correspond to the main functions in the application: •
Balances, for all users
•
Import/Export, for Administrators and Interactive Users
•
Reports, for all users
•
Administration, for Administrators
Navigation in list boxes In the selection lists, the following icons enable you to: Return to the first page
Return to the previous page
Go to the next page
Go to the last page
12
General user tasks
General user tasks
This section explains how to: •
log in to the application
•
change your user information
•
delete objects
•
work with filters
Logging in to the application Once the Administrator has started the reconciliation process, users log in to the application using the user name and password assigned to them by the Administrator. Note:
• •
If the reconciliation process is not running, you cannot connect to the application. The Administrator assigns a language to each user. When a user connects to the application, the application opens in the language that has been assigned to that particular user. Users can change the language.
Related Topics
•
Languages on page 11
To log in to the application 1. Enter the Internet address provided by the Administrator in your web browser. 2. Enter your user name and password.
13
General user tasks
Note:
The password is case sensitive, however the user name is not, for example you can enter it indiscriminately in uppercase or lowercase letters. 3. Click Log On. Note:
If you have problems connecting, contact your Administrator.
4.
•
If this is not the first time you have logged in, the Balances tab appears displaying the balances.
•
If you are logging in for the first time, you need to change your password and then select a period.
Select the company on which you want to work by clicking right of the current company name.
to the
Note:
To log out of the application, click the Log off link.
Changing your user information In Administration > Your Profile, users can change the following information about themselves: •
Name
•
Password
•
Email address
•
Phone and fax numbers
•
Address
•
Some users can also choose whether they want to receive detailed emails.
Users also have the following options:
14
•
store the last balances page used in the memory.
•
display the code and description of objects displayed in the balances page.
General user tasks
Related Topics
•
Tracking progress via emails on page 43
Filters Users create filters to customize the information on a page. At any time these restrictions can be deactivated so that all application objects appear on screen. A "Balance" page display filter for a specific company can be saved and affects the "Balance" page view every time a user opens the page, until the filter is deactivated. An ad hoc filter uses the Search options when available to limit the informations shown on a page. The filter lasts only as long as the user views the page before changing to another page.
Balances page display filters Users create filters to customize the options displayed in the "Balances" pages. At any time the restrictions can be deactivated so that all application objects appear on screen. Note:
• •
The filters defined are applied to the current company and period. When the filters are activated, Filtered appears to the right of the Filter button on the balances page.
Related Topics
•
Account groups on page 92
To set a Balances page filter 1. Click Filter in the navigation bar. 2. To filter by a Status in currency pages and when entering child amounts, click
and select a status.
15
General user tasks
3. To filter by a Group Status in partner and parent account pages, select one of the following: • Agreed • Not Agreed 4. To filter by a Matching Difference in the Group currency, select >= or <= and enter a threshold amount. 5. To set the Partner with which the current company performed the transaction, click and select a company code. 6. To filter by accounts affected by the transaction: a. Click . b. Activate the accounts. c. Click Select. 7.
To filter by an Account Group, click list.
and select a group from the
8.
To filter by the transaction currency, click and select the currency from the list. 9. To filter by a partner's timestamp, for example when the partner last made changes to the balances in question, activate one of the following: • Start/Finish Set the start and finish date and time. •
Last Hours Type the number of timestamp hours in a 24 hour period.
10. Click Apply.
To store the last balances page used in the memory 1. In the Administration tab, click Your Profile. 2. Activate Remember Last Balance Page. 3. Click Update.
16
General user tasks
To activate code and description display in the Balances page navigation row To ensure that the navigation row is not too long, you can choose to display only the codes. 1. In the Administration tab, click Your Profile. 2. From the Balance Page Navigation Option list, select one of the following: • Show Code • Show Description • Show Both 3. Click Update.
To remove a filter and display all objects in the Balances page 1. Click Filter in the navigation bar. 2. Click Clear. The filter is removed and all objects appear in the balances page.
Toggling between filters To toggle filters in the balances page click the Toggle Filters link in the navigation bar. Note:
If this link is not displayed, it means that no filters have been defined in the "System Filter" page.
Ad hoc page filters Use ad hoc filters to select the objects you want to display in the current page. These filters are not stored in the memory.
17
General user tasks
For example, the user changes the page parameters and then navigates through the company pages, making changes and then saving the changes. The filter is stored in the memory. When the user goes to Administration > Metadata > Currencies, the filter is gone.
To create an ad hoc filter 1. In a page with the Search feature, select the criteria from the list or enter text in the relevant text boxes. Tip:
If there is a long list of companies, and you want to find a company quickly, enter the first letters of the company's name. 2. Click Search.
18
The reconciliation process
The reconciliation process
During the reconciliation process, different users perform different tasks: •
Administrators import balances.
•
Interactive Users enter data and load the balances.
•
Power Users monitor the progress of the companies in their scope of responsibility by consulting balances and using reports. Power also act as referees when two companies do not agree, for example by adding comments, and can freeze company balances.
•
View Users consult data and monitor how balances are progressing by consulting balances and reports.
Related Topics
• • •
User profiles on page 80 Balances pages on page 20 Importing data on page 147
Starting the reconciliation process Once the Administrator has configured the database, the reconciliation process can start. Note:
Once the process is started, the Administrator cannot make any changes to the database structure. The Administrator starts the process in two ways: •
automatically
•
manually
Users then have access to the database and are able to enter their data.
19
The reconciliation process
Related Topics
•
Starting and stopping the reconciliation process on page 59
Balances pages There are two ways of loading balances: •
Manual data entry, which involves creating and entering an amount for a balance by the Administrator or Interactive User
•
Import from a file by the Administrator or Interactive User
A balance is an amount entered in the database. There are four types of pages: •
"Detail by partners"
•
"Detail by parent accounts"
•
"Detail by transaction currencies"
•
"Detail by child accounts "
You access these pages via the Balances tab. The column headers and order are defined by the Administrator. Related Topics
• •
Importing data on page 147 Entering amounts in balances on page 25
Detail by partners page The "Detail by partners" page offers an overview of how the current company and its partners are progressing with the reconciliation. The "Detail by partners" page can include: •
20
the Partner Status column, which indicates the status of the relationship between your company and the partner. The status is either "Agreed" or "Not Agreed".
The reconciliation process
•
the Group Difference column, which indicates differences in User Group currency.
•
the Contact column. Click the envelope icon to contact the company.
•
the Balance Count column, which indicates the number of amounts entered.
•
the Company Timestamp column, which indicates when the balances were last changed.
•
the Their Timestamp column, which indicates when the partner's balances were last changed.
Detail by parent accounts page The "Detail by parent accounts" page offers an overview of how the current company and the selected partner are progressing with the reconciliation for all of the accounts. The "Detail by parent accounts" page can include: •
the Group Status column, which indicates the status of a particular parent account: this is either agreed or not agreed.
•
the Group Amount column, which indicates amounts in User Group currency.
•
the Balance Count column, which indicates the number of amounts entered.
•
the Timestamp column, which indicates when the balances were last changed.
Detail by transaction currencies page The "Detail by transaction currencies" page offers an overview of how the current company and the selected partner are progressing with the reconciliation for the selected account and all the transaction currencies. The "Detail by transaction currencies" page can include:
21
The reconciliation process
•
the Currency Code column, which indicates the transaction currency codes.
•
the Transaction Status column, which indicates the status of the balance.
•
the Transaction Amount column, which indicates the amounts expressed in transaction currency.
•
the Local Amount column, which indicates the amounts expressed in local currency.
•
the Group Amount column, which indicates the amounts expressed in User Group currency.
•
the Balance Count column, which indicates the number of amounts entered.
•
the Standard Comment column
•
the Comment column
•
the File column
•
the Timestamp column
Related Topics
•
Status symbols and descriptions on page 172
Detail by child accounts page The "Detail by child accounts" page enables you to enter or consult amounts. It also displays the breakdown of the balances. The "Detail by child accounts" page can include:
22
•
The Transaction Amount and Local Amount columns, which enable you to enter balance amounts in transaction and local currency for each child account (depending on the Administrator's choice).
•
The Reset Transaction Journal and Reset Local Journal columns, which enable you to define changed amounts as original amounts. These columns are useful for calculating differences stored in the journal accounts.
•
The post-it icon, indicating that a comment has been entered.
The reconciliation process
•
The paperclip icon, indicating that a file has been attached.
•
Key entry text fields, indicating a child account data entry row.
•
The Group Amount column, which converts the local or transaction currency amounts, depending on the Administrator's choice, into the User Group currency.
•
The Side column, indicating the status of the current parent account.
Note:
If there are invoices in the database, the Invoices column appears. Related Topics
• •
Matching invoices on page 180 Status symbols and descriptions on page 172
Creating and opening balances All users can view and export balances; however only Administrators and Interactive Users can import, create and modify balances. The Administrator defines the declaring companies and the periods to which each user has access. To create or open balances, the Administrator or Interactive User selects the following: •
a declaring company The declaring company is the company the current user is working on.
•
a period The period is the date to which the amounts are linked.
•
a partner
•
an account
•
a currency The transaction currency may be imposed by the Administrator. If this is the case, the Administrator or Interactive User must enter all the amounts in the transaction currency chosen by the Administrator.
23
The reconciliation process
The Administrator or Interactive User can select another currency. If a default transaction currency has been defined by the Administrator, it appears in the "Currency" field. When users log in for the first time, they must select a period and the company on which they want to work. The system memorizes the period and company selected for the next time users log in. However, users can change the period and company whenever required if there are several periods and/or companies available. Related Topics
•
Translating amounts on page 71
To select a declaring company 1.
In the navigation bar, click to the right of the current company. 2. In the Companies dialog box, select a company. The balances page for the company appears.
To select a period 1.
In the navigation bar, click to the right of the current period. 2. In the Periods dialog box, select a period. The balances page for the period appears.
To create or open a balance row The Add/Access Balance button is only available when the reconciliation process is running. 1. In the companies, partners or currencies pages, click Add/Access Balance. Depending on which type of page you are in, the "Partner" and "Account" fields may already be filled in.
24
The reconciliation process
Note:
If the Currency field is already filled in, then the Administrator has chosen the transaction currency. You can select another currency to use when entering amounts. 2. Select the required objects. 3. Click Create.
Entering amounts in balances You enter amounts in the "Detail by child accounts" page. The decimal symbol used depends on the application server's regional settings. The Administrator previously defined how Group currency amounts are calculated on the basis of the amounts entered. Note:
Calculations are defined using absolute values; it is important to use the minus (-) sign for negative amounts. Click Update to save the amounts entered in the database. Note:
If the Administrator has authorized the use of invoices and activated Invoices Drive Balances in the Administration > Settings > Invoice Settings, each time you click Update, a message appears indicating that the balance amounts and the sum of invoices linked to the balances no longer correspond. Related Topics
•
Detail by child accounts page on page 22
Journal account resets If an error is made when entering data, you can enter the correct amount and define it as the original amount. The correct amount is then taken into consideration when the difference is calculated. When the Administrator has assigned each child account to a journal account, the following columns appear in the currency pages in which amounts are entered: •
Reset Transaction Journal
25
The reconciliation process
•
Reset Local Journal This column appears when you can enter local currency amounts.
The original amount is the amount stored in the initial accounting system. The amount stored in the journal account, linked to the child account in which data is entered, is the difference between the first and last amounts saved in the database. The difference is called the adjustment amount. Related Topics
•
Journal accounts on page 99
To reset a transaction journal amount 1. In the page for entering amounts, enter the amount to be defined as the original amount in the Transaction Amount column. 2. Activate the Reset Transaction Journal column. 3. Click Update.
Attaching a standard comment to a balance Standard comments are pre-defined by the Administrator. The post-it icon indicates that a standard comment is attached. To consult a standard comment, in the Comments column click the post-it icon displayed beside the child account with the comment you want to consult.
To attach a standard comment 1. In the Standard Comment column, click the plus icon displayed beside the child account containing the amount to which you want to add the comment. 2. Select the required standard comment from the list. 3. Click OK. 4. Click Update. The post-it icon appears in the "Standard Comment" column.
26
The reconciliation process
To delete a standard comment 1. In the Standard Comments column, click the post-it icon displayed beside the child account with the comment you want to delete. 2. Select - from the list. 3. Click OK. 4. Click Update.
Attaching a file to a balance Note:
Files in HTML format are not allowed. The paperclip icon indicates that a file is attached. To consult a file attached to a balance, in the File column click the paperclip icon. The file opens.
To attach a file to a balance 1. In the File column, click the + icon displayed in the row of the child account to which you want to attach the file. 2. Click Browse. 3. In the "Choose file" dialog box, select the relevant file. 4. Click Open. 5. Click Attach.
To delete an attached file from a balance 1. In the File column, click the - icon. 2. Click Delete.
27
The reconciliation process
Entering a comment for a balance The Administrators, Interactive User, or Power User can enter a comment for each amount, for example to explain why an amount was entered or provide extra information about a particular balance. The post-it icon indicates that a comment has been entered by the company and that it can be changed. The declaring company that entered the comment sees this icon. The post-it icon with a little padlock indicates that a comment has been entered by the company and cannot be changed. The partner sees this icon. To consult a comment entered for a balance, click a post-it icon displayed beside the child account containing the amount with the comment you want to consult. The dialog box enabling you to consult the comment appears. Note:
Comments can be entered depending on the balance states and the setting defined by the Administrator. You can enter comments for certain states.
To enter a comment for a balance 1. In the "Comments" column, click the plus icon displayed beside the child account containing the amount to which you want to add the comment. 2. Enter your comment. 3. Click OK. 4. In the balance page, click Update. The post-it icon appears in the "Comments" column of the "Detail by Child Accounts" page.
To delete a comment entered for a balance 1. In the "Comments" column, click the post-it icon displayed beside the child account with the comment you want to delete. 2. Delete the comment. 3. Click OK.
28
The reconciliation process
4. In the balance page, click Update. The post-it icon disappears from the "Comments" column in the "Detail by Child Accounts" page.
Communicating with the partner via statuses and actions Statuses and actions enable companies to communicate with each other regarding how the balances are progressing. When you select a status, a dialog box appears and you select the action you want to perform. For example, the Canadian Food company has requested the balances be reopened in order to change an amount. The UK Snacks company responds to this request. The UK Snacks user clicks the status. In the dialog box, UK Snacks accepts the balances be reopened so that Canadian Food can change their amount. The changes are saved. Another status replaces the first to indicate that UK Snacks accepted the request to reopen the balance. If the necessary settings have been configured by the Administrator, each status change generates an automatic email to the company users enabling them to keep track of progress. Related Topics
• • • • •
Statuses and actions on page 176 Matching invoices on page 180 User Group statuses on page 174 Status symbols and descriptions on page 172 Tracking progress via emails on page 43
To make a request or respond to a request 1. In the page used for entering balances, click the company status icon. 2. In the "Action" section of the "Change Event" panel, click the link corresponding to your response to the request. 3. In the page for entering balances, click Update.
29
The reconciliation process
The previous status is replaced by a new status.
Resetting and removing balances Certain users are authorized to reset or delete amounts, including: •
Administrators - authorized to change any balance in any company.
•
Interactive Users - authorized to change only the balances belonging to the companies to which they have access. Note:
The balances of frozen companies cannot be reset or removed. Deleting and resetting a company's data is performed in a single action. This has the following impact: •
If the partners have not loaded the balances, all the amounts and balance rows are deleted.
•
If one or more partners have already loaded balances, only the amounts loaded by the declaring company are reset. However, the balances and other amounts remain the same.
Note:
This action is performed when the reconciliation process is running. Related Topics
•
Authorizing Power Users to freeze companies with unmatched balances on page 160
To reset or remove company balances 1. In the Administration tab, select Companies under "Metadata". 2. Click the link for the company on which you want to perform the action. 3. Click Reset/Remove Balances. A confirmation message appears. 4. Click OK.
30
The reconciliation process
Freezing a company balance Once balances are frozen, no changes can be made to them. Declaring companies are responsible for deciding when the balances are to be frozen once all of the work is complete and when the partners can no longer make any changes. By default, any users, except View Users, can freeze their company balances if they have been agreed. However, if the Administrator defined the necessary configuration before starting the process, users can also freeze all their company balances whether they are agreed or not.
Freezing the balances of a company and its partners If a balance is frozen, neither the declaring company nor any of its partners can change it. Note:
•
•
If an error has been made, only Administrators can unfreeze company balances, unless the Administrator gives Power Users the right to freeze companies. If the Administrator authorizes companies to freeze balances only when they have been agreed, the companies can freeze balances only in the "Company Agreed To Differ" and "Partner Agreed To Differ" states.
Related Topics
• •
Freezing a company balance on page 31 Authorizing Power Users to freeze companies with unmatched balances on page 160 • Statuses on page 172
To freeze the balances of a company and of all its partners 1. Do one of the following:
31
The reconciliation process
•
Click the Balances tab. The "Detail by partners" page appears.
•
Select Administration > Companies > [company to be frozen]. The selected company's page appears.
2. Click Freeze Company. A confirmation message appears. 3. Click OK.
Company-partner relationships If a balance is frozen, neither the declaring company nor its partner can change it. For example, if a user freezes the balances belonging to company 01 and its partner 04, no further balances can be added for either company. On the other hand, this does not affect the balances entered relating to company 01 by its partner 08. Balances can still be added for both companies. To freeze a company-partner pair, both companies must freeze their balances. In another example, the US Mag company has frozen the company-partner pair, so the snowflake icon appears at the end of its line in the balance table. However, there is no icon in front of the US Music company on the balances page, which means that its balances are not frozen. As a result, the balances for the company-partner pair are only partially frozen. The snowflake icon in front of the company code and name on the Balances page indicates that the US Music company has also frozen the company-partner pair. As a result, the balances for the company-partner pair are now frozen. Note:
You must freeze balances before exporting them. If the balances for a company-partner pair have only been frozen by one company, only the
32
The reconciliation process
balances belonging to that company are exported. The balances belonging to the company which did not perform a freeze operation are not exported.
To freeze/unfreeze the relationship between a company and a single partner 1. Click the Balances tab. 2. Click the required partner. The parent account page appears. 3. Click Freeze Relationship or Unfreeze Relationship. A confirmation dialog box appears. 4. Click OK.
To freeze/unfreeze the balances of a company against all its partners 1. Click the Balances tab. 2. Click Freeze Company or Unfreeze Company. A confirmation dialog box appears. 3. Click OK. Note:
If a relationship has been frozen by a company, and you then try to freeze the company, the partner relationship remains frozen.
Entering invoice amounts All users can view and export invoices; however only Administrators and Interactive Users can import, create, delete, and modify invoices. If the invoice reference already exists, the Administrators and Interactive Users can: •
replace the existing amount
33
The reconciliation process
•
add the new amount to the existing amount
If the Administrator previously specified that the creation of invoices would generate balances containing the sum of the invoice amounts, Administrators and Interactive Users can also automatically recalculate the balance based on the invoice amount. When Administrators and Interactive Users import and manually enter invoices, the balances created contain amounts which are the sums of the invoices linked to the balances. The balances are created for the same company, partner, transaction currency, and account as the corresponding invoices. You can access the invoices by navigating through the balances pages. Related Topics
•
Invoice matching on page 162
To enter an invoice 1. In the "Detail by child accounts" page used for entering balances, click in the invoice column. Note:
The Invoice label can be customized. Another term may therefore appear here. 2. Click Add Invoice. 3. Click to add an invoice to another child account (other than the one open) in the Account field. 4. Enter the following information in the relevant fields: • the invoice reference •
the invoice amount in the transaction currency
•
the invoice amount in the local currency
5. Select Override or Aggregate. 6. If you want the balance to be recalculated based on the invoice amount, select the Update Balance option.
34
The reconciliation process
Note:
This option only appears if the option has been selected in the Global Parameters menu. 7. Click Create. The new invoice appears in the list.
Invoice updates Once an invoice has been entered manually or imported, an Administrators or Interactive User can change the following information: •
the invoice reference
•
the child account to which it is assigned
•
the transaction amount
•
the local amount
For each invoice, the Administrator, Interactive User, or Power User can add, modify, or delete: •
a comment
•
a standard comment
•
a file
Note:
If the invoice is included in an invoice group, it cannot be changed and the link to the group is displayed. If the Administrator has chosen to activate them, the fields below are also available to provide additional information on the invoices. •
The Invoice Group ID field specifies the group ID reference associated to the invoice. The Invoice Group ID field is not an editable field as it is system generated. Note:
The Invoice Group ID field is only displayed if Invoice Level Matching has been activated.
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The reconciliation process
•
The following text type fields: Invoice Text 1, Invoice Text 2, Invoice Text 3, Invoice Text 4, Invoice Text 5. If the Administrator predefined the "Invoice Text 1" and "Invoice Text 2" fields, the user can use the list to select the predefined text required.
•
The following amount type fields: Invoice Amount 1, Invoice Amount 2, Invoice Amount 3.
•
The following date type fields: Date Amount 1, Date Amount 2, Date Amount3. A calendar is available beside each date type field.
Related Topics
• • • • •
Additional fields for invoices on page 166 Deleting invoices by company, parent or child account on page 191 Attaching a file to an invoice on page 38 Invoice comments on page 36 Balance and invoice interface display on page 190
Invoice comments Use a comment in an invoice to explain, for example, why an amount was entered or to provide extra information about a particular invoice. The post-it icon indicates that a comment has been entered by a company and can be changed. The declaring company that entered the comment sees this icon. The post-it icon with a little padlock indicates that a comment has been entered by a company and cannot be changed. The partner can see the icon.
To enter a comment for an invoice 1. Select the Balances tab. 2. Navigate through the balances to the "Detail by child accounts" page. 3. In the Invoice Reference column, click the invoice to which you want to add a comment. 4. In the invoice edit page, click next to "Comment".
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The reconciliation process
5. In the Comment field, enter your comment. 6. Click OK. 7. In the invoice page, click Update. The post-it icon appears in the "Comments" column in the "Invoices" page.
To consult a comment entered for an invoice 1. 2. 3. 4.
Select the Balances tab. Navigate through the balances to the "Invoices" page. In the Invoice Reference column, select a reference. In the invoice edit page, click the post-it icon for the invoice whose comment you want to consult. The comment appears.
To delete a comment entered for an invoice 1. Select the Balances tab. 2. Navigate through the balances to the "Invoices" page. 3. In the Invoice Reference column, click the invoice whose comment you want to delete . 4. In the invoice edit page, click the post-it icon. 5. Delete the text in the text box. 6. Click OK. 7. In the invoice edit page, click Update. The post-it icon disappears from the "Comments" field in the "Invoices" page.
Invoice standard comments You can select a standard comment for each amount in an invoice. Comments are pre-defined by the Administrator.
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The reconciliation process
Related Topics
•
Freezing and unfreezing company balances on page 159
To attach a standard comment to an invoice 1. In the Invoices page, click the invoice to which you want to attach a standard comment. 2. In the invoice edit page, click next to "Standard Comment". 3. Select the required standard comment from the list. 4. Click OK. 5. In the invoice page, click Update. The standard comment text appears in the "Standard Comment" column.
To delete a standard comment from an invoice 1. In the Invoices page, click the invoice in which you want to delete a standard comment. 2. In the invoice edit page, click next to "Standard Comment". 3. Select - from the list. 4. Click OK, then Update. The standard comment text disappears from the "Standard Comment" column.
Attaching a file to an invoice Note:
Files in HTML format are not allowed. The paperclip icon indicates that a file is attached. To consult a file attached to an invoice, in the File column of the Invoices for page, click the paperclip icon. The file opens.
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The reconciliation process
To attach a file to an invoice 1. In the "Invoices" page, click the invoice to which you want to attach a file. 2. In the invoice edit page, click next to "File". 3. Click Browse. 4. In the "Choose File" dialog box, select the relevant file. 5. Click Open. 6. Click Attach.
To delete a file from an invoice 1. In the File field of the Invoices page, click 2. Click Delete.
.
Why match invoices? If the Administrator has authorized the use of invoices, an Administrator or Interactive User can match company invoices with those of the partner, making it easier to match the balances declared. Matching invoices is not compulsory. However, it does enable you to understand why differences exist between the balances declared in the declaring company's accounts and those declared in the partner's accounts. If the necessary settings have been configured by the Administrator, invoices can also be matched using the standard comments. Related Topics
•
Matching invoices on page 180
Auto matching invoices When importing invoices, the declaring company's invoices are compared to the partner's. The invoices matched automatically:
39
The reconciliation process
•
have the same transaction reference
•
contain the same transaction amount
You can consult invoices via the data entry page for child accounts. •
The following icon tells you that the total of the invoices is equal to the balance in the child account:
•
The following icon tells you that the total of the invoices differs from the balance in the child account:
To consult invoices for a currency transaction 1. Select the Balances tab. 2. Navigate through the balances to the "Detail by child accounts" page. 3. In the Invoices column, click one of the following icons:
The "Invoices" page appears. Note:
In this page, you can: •
consult comments entered by the partner
•
sort the "Invoice Reference", "Transaction Amount", and "Local Amount" columns Note:
Cancel the sort by clicking the following icon:
•
delete the invoices
•
display and hide the additional columns
Related Topics
• •
40
Detail by child accounts page on page 22 Deleting invoices by company, parent or child account on page 191
The reconciliation process
Matching invoices manually If some invoices were not matched during the automatic matching process being run, the Administrator or Interactive User can manually match the remaining invoices. Note:
Even if all of the invoices are not matched, this does not block the reconciliation process. Manually matching the declaring company's invoices with those of the partner creates an invoice group. Note:
When performing this task, you can find that one declaring company's invoice corresponds to more than one of the partner's invoices or vice versa.
To match invoices manually 1. Select the Balances tab. 2. Navigate through the balances to the "Detail by child accounts" page. 3. Click Match Invoices. The "Invoice Match" page appears. Note:
In this page, you can: •
consult comments entered by the partner
•
sort the "Invoice Reference", "Transaction Amount", and "Local Amount" columns Note:
Cancel the sort by clicking the following icon:
•
delete the invoices
•
display and hide the additional columns
The green check mark icon appears next to the invoices that have been matched. The red X icon appears next to the invoices that have not been
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The reconciliation process
matched. The invoices that do not have any particular status are unassigned. 4. Click the following icon corresponding to the invoice you want to match:
The Invoice Group page appears. If an invoice group has not already been created, the Create button becomes available. 5. Click Create. Note:
To add other declaring company invoices or partner invoices to the group, click Modify Members. 6. Do one of the following: • In the Assigned column, select the invoices required. •
Click Assign All Ourside or Assign All Theirside to assign all the invoices for the company or the partner.
•
To unassign all invoices to either the company or partner, click Un-Assign All Ourside or Un-Assign All Theirside.
7. Click Update. If all of the invoice amounts have been matched, the green check mark icon appears next to the invoice group. If all of the invoice amounts have not been matched, the red X icon appears next to the invoice group. You are able to see that there is still a variance. The status of the parent accounts is also unmatched. Note:
If you did not select a partner invoice, the invoice group has a red X icon and the status of the parent accounts is also unmatched. 8. To match invoices using standard comments and apply the same standard comment to all the invoices in the group, in the Standard Comment column, click the post-it icon for your company. 9. In the dialog box used to select the standard comment, select the standard comment required.
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The reconciliation process
10. Click Close. All the invoices belonging to your company now have the same standard comment. The partner must now perform the same operation and select the same standard comment for the invoices to be matched. Related Topics
•
Deleting invoices by company, parent or child account on page 191
Matching invoices using standard comments If activated by the Administrator, invoices can also be matched using their standard comments. To match the invoices, the same standard comment must be applied to all the invoices making up the invoice group. If different standard comments are used for the invoices of the declaring company and those belonging to the partner, the group of invoices is considered as unmatched. If the same standard comments are used for the invoices of the declaring company and those belonging to the partner, the group of invoices is considered as matched, even if differences exist. Related Topics
•
To match invoices manually on page 41
Tracking progress via emails To keep track of the progress made regarding the balances: •
Interactive Users and Administrators receive summary emails which provide a condensed report of the balance states.
•
Any users authorized by the Administrator to receive detailed emails can decide whether or not they want to receive emails when connected to the application. Detailed emails inform the user of events such as the partner requesting a balance be removed. Thus informed, the user can connect to the application and respond to the partner by performing an action.
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The reconciliation process
Related Topics
•
Automatic detailed emails on page 169
To start or stop receiving detailed emails 1. In the Administration tab, click the Your Profile link. 2. In the "Your Profile" page, activate or deactivate the Receive Detailed Emails option as required. Note:
If you do not have this option, you have been assigned a user profile that is not authorized to receive detailed emails. 3. Click Update.
Tracking progress via reports In order to analyze the differences and monitor the reconciliation process, all users can generate reports. Note:
The reports available depend on the configuration defined by the user. Related Topics
•
Reports on page 184
Report contents You can define reports based on the following criteria:
44
Report component
Description
Period
The current period is selected by default. However, you can select another period.
The reconciliation process
Report component
Description
Company
The current company is selected by default. However, you can select another company.
Partner
The partner with which the selected company performed transactions.
Transaction currency Accounts
Accounts affected by the transaction
Account group
Status
A status is used in currency pages and in pages for entering amounts for child accounts
Group status
The group status is used in partner pages and parent account pages
Reporting company Company Group Partner Company Group
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The reconciliation process
Report component
Description
Excluded Company Group
In this case, the amounts assigned to the company's company groups are all displayed except those assigned to the company group selected in the "Excluded Company Group" field.
Excluded Partner Company Group
In this case, the amounts assigned to the partner's company groups are all displayed except those assigned to the company group selected in the "Excluded Partner Company Group" field.
Difference
Difference is for report types that have a calculated difference.
Start Finish
Format
"Start" and "Finish" define the period in which the balances were changed. The format of the reports can be RPT, Excel, HTML, Word, Text, or PDF.
Note:
The Difference Analysis report also contains a column that displays the standard comments linked to the child account of the declaring company. You can specify how information should be displayed in the Difference Analysis report, filtering by: •
46
account code
The reconciliation process
•
transaction currency
•
status
Related Topics
•
Account groups on page 92
To build a report 1. 2. 3. 4.
In the Reports tab, click the link for the report type you want to display. Select the report contents. From the Format list, select the format you want to use. Click Build. The Cancel button appears enabling you to interrupt the process if necessary. Once the report has been built, a link appears at the bottom of the page.
5. Click the link. The report appears.
Deleting reports Users can delete the reports they have built. The Administrator can also delete reports by date. Related Topics
•
To delete reports on page 188
To delete a report 1. Select the Reports tab. All the reports that have been created for each report type are listed. 2. Click the red X icon to the right of the report to delete the report.
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The reconciliation process
A confirmation message appears. 3. Click OK.
Exporting financial data All users can export balance, invoice, and journal data. Only the Administrator can export companies, accounts, users, groups, and user group and group company relationships. Information on this type of export is described in the section called Exporting metadata. Related Topics
•
Exporting metadata on page 154
Exporting journals If the Administrator authorized the use of journal accounts, any user can export the amounts stored in the journal account to files. The file can then be imported into the source accounting system. Note:
You must freeze a company's balances before you can export them. Journal accounts are exported via an Administrator-defined template. The export operation automatically generates a file. When the export is complete, the "Summary" page displays the results of the export. Related Topics
• •
Consulting export results on page 157 Journal accounts on page 99
To export journals 1. In the Import/Export tab under "Export Data", click Export Journals. 2. From the Template list, select the template you want to use. 3. To specify which companies' journal amounts are to be exported, activate Use Company Filter.
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The reconciliation process
The "Company" and "Filter Criteria (Company Code)" fields appears. 4.
Click
to select companies.
Tip:
If you are exporting one company, or companies with a code that start with the same character, you can type the codes in the "Filter Criteria" field. 5. Click Export. The file is exported and the "Summary" page appears displaying the results of the export. Related Topics
•
Consulting export results on page 157
Exporting balances Any user can export the amounts stored in the application database to a file that can then be imported into the consolidation system. The types of balance export files are: •
Balances for general balance export templates Balance exports use only the amounts stored in frozen child accounts.
•
Subtotal Balances for subtotal balance export templates Subtotal Balance exports use only the amounts stored in frozen parent accounts.
•
Analysis Balances for analysis balance export templates Balance exports use only the amounts stored in unfrozen child accounts for analysis.
•
Analysis Subtotal Balances for subtotal analysis balance export templates Balance exports use only the amounts stored in unfrozen parent accounts for analysis.
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The reconciliation process
Note:
Each type of balance export uses a specific template defined by the Administrator. The export files can be filtered by: •
Companies
•
Partners
•
Reporting companies
When exporting balances or sub-totals, you can also specify that all of the periods should be taken into account. If this option is not activate, only the balances for the current period are exported. Related Topics
• •
Balance templates on page 120 Exporting balances to SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation on page 52
To export balance amounts 1. In the Import/Export tab, click the link for the relevant export type. 2. Select a template. 3. To specify the companies whose amounts you want to export, activate Use Company Filter and click
to select companies.
Tip:
If you are exporting one company, or companies with a code that start with the same character, you can type the codes in the "Filter Criteria" field. 4. To specify the partners whose amounts you want to export, activate Use Partner Filter and click
to select partners.
Tip:
If you are exporting one company, or companies with a code that start with the same character, you can type the codes in the "Filter Criteria" field.
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The reconciliation process
5. To specify the reporting companies whose amounts you want to export, activate Use Reporting Company Filter and click companies.
to select reporting
Tip:
If you are exporting one company, or companies with a code that start with the same character, you can type the codes in the "Filter Criteria" field. 6. To restrict the export data to companies or partners, choose the appropriate option in the "Use Data Filter" list: • Ours exports data only for companies to whom you have access •
Theirs exports data only for partners of companies to whom you have access
•
Both exports data for both companies and partners
Note:
This option is available only when the Administrator has activated Data Filter Enabled in the Administration > Settings > Balance Settings menu. 7. To export balances or sub-totals for all periods, activate All Periods. Note:
Do not activate this option if you want to export balances only for the current period. 8. Click Export. The file is exported and the "Summary" page appears displaying the results of the export. Related Topics
• •
Consulting export results on page 157 Exporting balance amounts to SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation on page 126 • Balance templates on page 120
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The reconciliation process
Exporting balances to SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation Any user can export the amounts stored in a database directly to a SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation database. The reconciliation process must be started before exporting balances to SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation. Note:
When you export balance amounts to SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation, only the local amount is exported; the transaction amount is not exported.
To export balance amounts to SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation 1. In the Import/Export tab, select Export Balances to SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation. Note:
The "Data Source" field is filled by default with the data source name set by the Administrator. 2. In the User Name field, type the name of the SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation user. Note:
To export balances to SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation from the application, SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation users must be declared as being allowed access to the application. 3. In the User Password field, type the SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation password if there is one. 4. To export the balance comments, activate Export Comments. 5. To specify the companies whose amounts you want to export, activate Use Company Filter, and click
52
to select companies.
The reconciliation process
Tip:
If you are exporting one company, or companies with a code that start with the same character, you can type the codes in the "Filter Criteria" field. 6. To further filter the balance amounts exported, specify the partners whose amounts you want to export by activating Use Partner Filter, and click to select partners. Tip:
If you are exporting one company, or companies with a code that start with the same character, you can type the codes in the "Filter Criteria" field. 7. To specify the reporting companies whose amounts you want to export, activate Use Reporting Company Filter, and click companies.
to select reporting
Tip:
If you are exporting one company, or companies with a code that start with the same character, you can type the codes in the "Filter Criteria" field. 8. To export balance amounts for all periods, activate All Periods. 9. Set the following SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation options if necessary: • Delete Target Data BeforeHand •
Load Rows Containing Zero Value Amount Note:
You cannot export balance amounts of 0 to SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation unless you activate this option. •
Replace Existing Amounts
•
Execute Package Rules
•
Execute Package Controls
•
Publish The Package
10. Click Export.
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The reconciliation process
The balances are exported to SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation and the "Summary" page appears displaying the results of the export. Related Topics
•
Consulting export results on page 157
Exporting invoices Any user can export invoices to a file. Note:
Invoices are exported via a template defined by the Administrator. The export operation automatically generates a file.
To export invoices 1. In the Import/Export tab, click Export Invoices. 2. Select a template. 3. To specify the companies whose invoices you want to export, activate Use Company Filter and click
to select companies.
Tip:
If you are exporting one company, or companies with a code that start with the same character, you can type the codes in the "Filter Criteria" field. 4. To specify the partners whose amounts you want to export, activate Use Partner Filter and click
to select partners.
Tip:
If you are exporting one company, or companies with a code that start with the same character, you can type the codes in the "Filter Criteria" field. 5. To restrict the export data to companies or partners, choose the appropriate option in the Use Data Filter list:
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The reconciliation process
•
Ours exports data only for companies to whom you have access
•
Theirs exports data only for partners of companies to whom you have access
•
Both exports data for both companies and partners
Note:
This option is available only when the Administrator has activated Data Filter Enabled in Administration > Settings > Balance Settings. 6. To export balance amounts for all periods, activate All Periods. 7. Click Export. The file is exported and the "Summary" page appears displaying the results of the export. Related Topics
•
Consulting export results on page 157
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The reconciliation process
56
Administration of the application
Administration of the application
Managing database connections This section explains how to: •
disconnect users and find out which users are logged on
•
manage database connections
•
maintain the database
Managing database user connections Using the Logged on Users utility, the Administrator can tell which users are connected at a particular point in time and which periods they are working on. The Administrator can disconnect all users (except other Administrators). Caution:
Any users logged on when this happens may lose their work.
To disconnect users 1. In the Administration tab, select Logged On Users. 2. Click Log Non-Administrators off system. A confirmation message appears. 3. Click OK.
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Administration of the application
Managing connections to different databases The Administrator can: •
assign several databases to the application. This operation is performed in the application control panel.
•
select the database that users can access in application.
Note:
• •
The Administrator must stop the reconciliation process to change databases. The Administrator can disconnect any other users that might be connected.
To set a database connection 1. 2. 3. 4.
In the SAP BusinessObjects Administration Console, click Add. Enter the data source information Click Test Connection, then OK. Select the server and click Connect.
Database maintenance If there are problems with performance or calculations, the Administrator can set up the following operations in Administration > Maintenance: •
automatic recalculations of all of the amounts. The Recalc button is used to recalculate the balances if they have not been updated, for example after the currencies have been changed in the database. Amounts in the user group currency and differences can be recalculated for each balance. As a consequence, the states are also changed.
•
58
refresh the list and update the processing percentage.
Administration of the application
Defining the database structure This section explains to Administrators how to configure the database structure. Note:
You need to stop the reconciliation process, if it is running, before you make updates to the database.
Starting and stopping the reconciliation process Caution:
When the Administrator stops the process, all the users who are logged in are automatically logged out and may lose their work. The Administrator can start and stop the process in two ways: •
Manually
•
Automatically In this case, the process starts automatically on the start date specified. Users can then enter their balances. The process stops automatically on the end date specified. Only the Administrator then has access to the database.
Caution:
The process must be stopped for the Administrator to be able to create or modify the application database structure. If the process is running, the metadata objects cannot be changed.
To manually start the reconciliation process 1. In the Administration tab, select Process. 2. Click Start.
To manually stop the reconciliation process 1. In the Administration tab, select Process.
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Administration of the application
2. Click Stop.
To automatically start and stop the reconciliation process 1. In the Administration tab, select System > Process. 2. If you are changing an existing reconciliation process, click Stop. 3. In the Process Start Date field, do one of the following: • Enter the required date using a DD/MM/YYYY format. • Click the calendar icon and choose the required date in the calendar that appears. 4. In the Process End Date field, do one of the following: • Enter the required date using a DD/MM/YYYY format. • Click the calendar icon and choose the required date in the calendar that appears. 5. Click Start if this is the first time you are setting up the reconciliation process, or Update if you are updating an existing reconciliation process,. 6. Click Save. The process starts and stops automatically on the dates specified.
The database structure The Administrator defines all the objects that make up the database structure in the following order: Database objects
Optional
Periods Currencies Groups Companies
60
X
Administration of the application
Database objects
Optional
Users User Groups Account Groups Materiality values
X
Journal Accounts
X
Accounts Standard Comments
X
Forced Agreement
X
Metadata Metadata objects in the database include: •
users
•
user groups
•
companies
•
company groups
Creating metadata objects Create metadata objects: •
by directly entering them manually
•
by importing them from files
Even if the majority of objects can be imported, it is necessary to enter certain objects to ensure metadata consistency.
61
Administration of the application
Note:
Users and User Groups can be created and changed while the reconciliation process is running.
Deleting metadata objects It is generally not possible to delete a metadata object if it is already linked to another object. For example, you cannot delete a currency if it has already been defined as the local currency for a company. The Administrator can delete: •
one or more related metadata objects, like a currency, a company, or an account.
•
a group of related metadata objects, like all of the companies or all of the accounts.
To delete a metadata object 1. Stop the reconciliation process. 2. In the page that lists the relevant metadata objects, for example, in Ad ministration > Currencies, click the red X icon to the right of the object that you want to delete. A confirmation message appears. 3. Click OK. 4. Restart the reconciliation process.
To delete a group of related metadata objects 1. Stop the reconciliation process. 2. In the page that lists the relevant metadata objects, for example, in Ad ministration > Currencies, click Purge Currencies. A confirmation message appears. 3. Click OK. 4. Restart the reconciliation process.
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Administration of the application
Activating and deactivating a metadata object You can authorize or deny the use of each metadata object in the balances. Caution:
No changes can be made if the reconciliation process is running and if balances exist. You can activate or deactivate companies when the process is stopped, even if the existing balances have not been purged. The icons in the Status column specify whether or not the company is active: •
The green check mark icon indicates that the company is active.
•
The red X indicates that the company is inactive.
To activate or deactivate an object, go to the object's page and do one of the following: •
check the Inactive box so that the object cannot be used in balances.
•
deactivate the Inactive box so that the object can be used in balances.
Periods Periods are defined by a start date and an end date. These dates determine the period to which the amounts that are entered or imported for balances are linked. The periods defined in the application should be the same as those used in the consolidation system to which the amounts are exported. The following objects are linked to any given period: •
Materiality thresholds
•
Currency rates
•
The Frozen status for companies
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Administration of the application
Note:
In a new database, the Administrator must create at least one period to have access to the application functions.
Period properties The process start and end dates determine the period during which users can access the database to work on their balances. Before and after this period, only the Administrator has access to the database. A period is characterized by the following properties: •
A name The name is compulsory. No two periods have the same name.
•
A start date
•
An end date
•
A status The status specifies whether the period is open, closed, archived or restored.
•
You can also specify if the rates used by default for the period are correct.
Related Topics
• • •
Opening and closing periods on page 66 Archiving balances on page 193 Rates for new periods on page 65
Creating periods In a new database, the Administrator must create at least one period to have access to all the the application functions. When you create a period, the materiality thresholds and rates are carried over from the previous period and applied to the new period. When frozen companies are carried over to a new period, they are no longer frozen in the new period.
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Administration of the application
As soon as a period has been created, it can be selected in the navigation bar.
To create a period 1. In the Administration tab, select Periods. 2. ClickAdd New. The "Create Period" page appears. 3. In the Code field, enter the name assigned to the period. 4. In the "Description" box, enter a long name. 5. In the Start and End fields, enter the dates or select them in the calendar using the calendar icon. 6. Click Create. The "Status" and "Clear Warning" fields appears. Related Topics
•
To confirm rates for a period on page 66
Rates for new periods When you create a period, the rates from the previous period are used by default. They are called estimated rates. In the "Periods" page, in the "Currency Rate Confirmed" column, the red X icon indicates that the rates are estimated. The Administrator can: •
approve rates if they are correct for the new period.
•
in the case of incorrect rates, enter the correct rates for the period.
The rates can be confirmed: •
period by period
•
for all the periods at once
Note:
These operations are only applied to open periods.
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Administration of the application
Related Topics
•
Currencies on page 68
To confirm rates for a period 1. In the Administration tab, select Periods. 2. Click the link for the estimated period that you want to confirm. The selected period's page appears. 3. Activate the box in the Clear Warning field. 4. Click Update. In the "Periods" page, the warning icon in the "Currency Rates Confirmed" column has disappeared for the period.
Opening and closing periods The Administrator can: •
open periods so that users can enter balances.
•
close periods so that periods available to users are in read-only mode. Once a period is closed, the Administrator can no longer make changes to the materiality thresholds, rate or company status, or freeze or unfreeze companies.
Note:
Periods are not closed or opened definitively. When the Administrator opens a closed period, the companies frozen before the period was closed remain frozen. Once the period is reopened, the companies can be unfrozen. When a period is created, it is open by default. The Administrator can open and close: •
each period one by one
•
all the periods at once
Related Topics
•
66
Freezing and unfreezing company balances on page 159
Administration of the application
To open a period 1. In the Administration tab, select Periods. 2. Click the link for the period you want to open. The selected period's page appears. 3. Click Open Period. 4. Click Update.
To open all of the periods at once 1. In the Administration tab, select Periods. 2. Click Open All Periods.
To close a period 1. In the Administration tab, select Periods. 2. Click the link for the period you want to close. The selected period's page appears. 3. Click Close Period. 4. Click Update.
To close all the periods at once 1. In the Administration tab, select Periods. 2. Click Close All Periods.
Deleting periods The Administrator cannot delete a period while it is selected in the navigation bar. If the Administrator tries to delete a period that is in use by another user, a warning message appears. The Administrator can find out which periods are in use by selecting Logged On Users in the Administration tab. Related Topics
• •
Managing database user connections on page 57 Deleting metadata objects on page 62
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Administration of the application
Currencies When a company is created, the Administrator assigns it a currency. In the application, currencies are entered one by one. The currencies the Administrator defines are: •
The User Group currency, used by the Head Office as a base currency.
•
The local currency or company currency.
•
The transaction currency, amounts entered in balances are expressed in the transaction currency.
•
The default currency, which appears by default when adding or accessing a balance. The users are free to select another transaction currency.
The Administrator must follow the steps in the order listed below: •
Create the currencies by: •
entering them directly in the application.
•
importing currencies contained in a .csv or .txt file using an import template.
•
Define the User Group currency among all the currencies previously created.
•
Optionally, define the default transaction currency.
•
Define the mode for translating amounts.
The currencies are identical for all the periods. However, rates are specifically defined by period. Note:
When you create a period, the rates entered for the previous period are applied to the new period. You can then change the rates for the new period. Related Topics
• • •
68
Periods on page 63 The User Group Currency on page 71 Translating amounts on page 71
Administration of the application
•
Currency templates on page 132
Currency properties A currency has the following properties: •
A currency code. The code is compulsory. No two currencies have the same code and each code must consist of a maximum of three characters.
•
A description (optional)
•
Rates: •
Opening Rate
•
Average Rate
•
Closing Rate
The rates are defined by period. All the rates are quoted against the User Group currency. They can be expressed using two valuation methods: •
Multiply The local currency value is expressed on the basis of a variable quantity of the User Group currency. When you create a currency, the default valuation method is multiply.
•
Divide The value of a unit of User Group currency is expressed on the basis of a variable quantity of the local currency.
•
Inactive, when activated, means that the currency is not used for balances.
•
Divided Rate, when activated, the divide valuation method for the rates defined is used. By default, the multiplication method is used.
Note:
For users who do not have Administrator rights, the Currencies information appears in read-only mode. Only the Administrator has read-write access to this page.
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Administration of the application
Related Topics
•
Periods on page 63
To enter a currency 1.
In the navigation bar, click to the right of the current period. 2. In the "Periods" dialog box, click the link for the period you want to apply. Note:
The period you select is important because the currency rates you define are specific to that period. 3. In the Administration tab, select Currencies. 4. In the "Currencies" page, click Add New. 5. In the "Create Currency" page, enter the relevant information in the following fields: • Code • Description • Opening Rate • Average Rate • Closing Rate Note:
The numbers you enter in the Opening Rate, Average Rate and Closing Rate fields should be greater than zero. 6. 7. 8. 9.
If you do not want the currency to be used in balances, activate Inactive. Click Create. To apply the divide valuation method, activate Divide. Click Update.
To copy existing rates for all currencies to open periods 1. In the Administration tab, select Currencies. 2. In the "Currencies" page, click Copy Rates To All Open Periods. A confirmation message appears. 3. Click OK.
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Administration of the application
The User Group Currency The User Group Currency is the reporting currency used by the Head Office as a base currency, against which all of the other currencies can be quoted. The Administrator must select the User Group currency from the currencies in the database using the application. It cannot be imported. Note:
The User Group currency can be changed or deleted later only if all of the balances in the database are deleted.
To define the User Group currency 1. In the Administration tab, select Settings > Metadata Settings . 2. From the Group Currency list, select a transaction currency. The transaction currency is the currency in which transactions are performed. Amounts entered in balances are expressed in the transaction currency. 3.
Click
to select a default currency.
The default transaction currency appears when adding or accessing a balance. However, the users are free to select another transaction currency. The default transaction currency can be changed at any time by the Administrator. 4. Click Update.
Translating amounts The diagram below illustrates how transaction amounts are translated into User Group amounts.
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Administration of the application
There are two ways of translating amounts in the application: •
All the amounts are translated from local currency amounts into the User Group currency. In this case, users can enter their amounts in the local currency and in the transaction currency.
•
All the amounts are translated from transaction currency amounts into the User Group currency. In this case, users can only enter their amounts in the transaction currency.
You can request that amounts be calculated automatically in the local currency using amounts entered in the transaction currency. Note:
•
•
You can also define a mode enabling you to select, for each parent account, which of the two translation modes should be used to translate the amounts. Once chosen, the translation mode cannot be changed unless the process is stopped and the database contains no balances.
Related Topics
•
The User Group Currency on page 71
To define the method for translating amounts 1. In the Administration tab, select Settings > Balance Settings. 2. From the Group Amount Source list, select one of the following commands:
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Administration of the application
•
Local amount to Group amount - to translate local currency amounts into group currency amounts.
•
Transaction amount to Group amount - to translate transaction currency amounts into group currency amounts.
•
Mixed Mode - to be able to select one of the two translation modes for each parent account.
3. If you want the local currency amounts to be automatically recalculated using transaction currency amounts, activate Auto Recalculate Local Amount. Note:
This option is only available for "Local amount to Group amount" and "Transaction amount to Group amount". 4. Click Update.
Company groups Companies are grouped into company groups. For example, the Canadian Food and US Food companies make up the Food company group. Creating a company group is optional. A company group has a: •
unique code Note:
No two company groups have the same code. •
name
You create company groups in the application by entering them manually or by importing them. Once you have created the company groups, you can link them to companies: •
In the application via: •
the company page
•
the company groups page
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Administration of the application
•
Via an import
Related Topics
• • •
To add a company on page 77 To create a company group on page 74 Company templates on page 127
To create a company group 1. 2. 3. 4.
In the Administration tab, select Company groups. Click Add New. Enter the relevant information in the Code and Description fields. Click Create. The Companies button appears.
5. To link one or more companies to the current company group, click Companies. 6. Check the boxes corresponding to the companies you want to link to the company group. 7. Click Update.
Companies A company can be linked to: •
a user group
•
a reporting company The reporting company is the company to which the current company is assigned. Note:
If you want to link a company to a reporting company, they must both have the same local currency. •
one or more company groups
You link companies to user groups:
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Administration of the application
•
when you create the company
•
when you create a user group
Related Topics
• •
Company groups on page 73 User groups on page 91
Declaring companies and partners A declaring company enters balances that correspond to transactions with another company, the partner, entered in the system. Declaring companies make requests to delete or change balances. The partner receives requests from the declaring company. Example: Companies A and B exchange transactions, enter and then reconcile their balances •
From company A's point of view: A is the declaring company and B is the partner.
•
From company B's point of view: B is the declaring company and A is the partner.
Companies and reporting companies A company becomes a reporting company when it exports, and thus reports, the balances to the consolidation system. A reporting company can be made up of one or more companies. All the companies (companies and reporting companies) enter balances, but only the reporting companies export their balances (their own balances and those belonging to the companies linked to them) to the consolidation system.
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Administration of the application
Company properties Note:
If you are not an Administrator, the company information appears as read-only content. A company has the following properties: •
a unique code
•
a description
•
a Reporting Currency specifies the local currency used by the company
•
a Reporting Company specifies the reporting company to which the current company is assigned Companies are not necessarily assigned to a reporting company.
•
one of the following states: •
Active, which means that the company can be used in balances.
•
Inactive, which means that the company cannot be used in balances. The Inactive check box, when activated in the company's edit panel, means that balances cannot be entered for the company. Note:
The Administrator can activate or deactivate a company if the reconciliation process has been stopped. •
Frozen, which means that the company balances and the balances belonging to all its partners cannot be changed. Note:
The Frozen status is defined by period. •
the Frozen Time Stamp specifies the date and time that the balances of the current company were last frozen
The Reset/Remove Balances button is used to remove and reset balances. The Freeze Company button is used to freeze companies. The Company groups button opens a page in which you can assign the company to a company group. The User Groups button opens a page in which you can
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Administration of the application
assign the company to a user group. The Delete Invoices button deletes all of the invoices for the current company. Note:
Delete Invoices is visible only when invoices exist in the database. Company Contacts lists users who can be contacted if necessary. Related Topics
• • • • •
Defining users as company contacts on page 80 Deleting invoices by company, parent or child account on page 191 Freezing and unfreezing company balances on page 159 Resetting and removing balances on page 30 Periods on page 63
Adding a company The Administrator can add companies in two ways: •
by entering them directly in the application.
•
by importing companies contained in a .csv or .txt file using a template.
Related Topics
• •
Company templates on page 127 To add a company on page 77
To add a company 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
In the Administration tab, select Companies. Click Add New. Enter a unique alphanumeric Code. Type a Description. From the Reporting Currency list, choose the local currency. Click Create. If you want to link the company to a reporting company or define the
company as a reporting company, click Company field. 8. Do one of the following:
next to the Reporting
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Administration of the application
•
Click the link for the reporting company you want to link to the company you are creating. Note:
If you want to link a company to a reporting company, they must both have the same local currency. •
Click the link for the current company to define it as the reporting company.
9. If you want to link the current company to a company group, click Company Groups. Note:
You can also link a company to a company group via the corresponding company group page. 10. Activate the box next to the company group or groups you want the company to be linked to. 11. If you want to link the current company to a user group, click User Groups. Note:
You can also link a company to a user group in the relevant User Group page. 12. Activate the box next to the relevant user group. 13. Click Update. Related Topics
• •
To create a company group on page 74 To create a User Group on page 92
Deleting companies The following limitations apply to deleting companies:
78
•
Only Administrators can delete companies.
•
A company cannot be deleted while it is a selection in the navigation bar.
•
If an Administrator tries to delete a company in use by another Administrator, a warning message appears and the operation must be confirmed or canceled.
Administration of the application
•
Company used in a balance cannot be deleted.
To delete the company metadata object, follow the instructions for deleting metadata objects. Related Topics
•
Deleting metadata objects on page 62
Users The Administrator links users to user groups to include them in the reconciliation process. The Administrator creates users in two ways: •
by entering them directly in the application.
•
by importing user metadata contained in a .csv or .txt file using a template.
A user is linked to a user group, which defines the companies to which the user has access. A user can also be defined as a company contact. Related Topics
• • •
User groups on page 91 User templates on page 141 Defining users as company contacts on page 80
User properties A user is characterized by the following properties: •
an authentication mode Users are authenticated by an integrated authentication, an LDAP directory, or a CMS server. For more information, see the SAP BusinessObjects Intercompany Administration Guide.
•
a unique alphanumeric code
•
a description
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Administration of the application
•
a user profile that specifies the functions to which the user has access.
•
a default language This language is displayed by default when the user logs in, although the user can also change the displayed language at login.
•
a password
•
an email address The user can receive emails containing progress reports.
•
a telephone number
•
a mobile telephone number
•
a fax number
•
an address
Related Topics
• •
Automatic detailed emails on page 169 User profiles on page 80
Defining users as company contacts The Administrator can specify which user types are company contacts. When a user group is created, all of the users belonging to the user types selected are automatically defined as company contacts.
To define users as company contacts 1. In the Administration tab, select Emails. 2. In the Can be company contact column, select the required user types. 3. Click Update.
User profiles User profiles enable you to define which functions users are able to access. There are four user profiles in the application:
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Administration of the application
•
Administrator The Administrator profile can execute all functions, but the other profiles can only execute the functions as detailed in the tables below.
•
Interactive User
•
Power User
•
View User
Functions by user profile Interactive User
Power User
View User
X
X
X
X
Balance attachments: add/modify/delete
X
X
X
Balance attachments: open
X
X
X
Balance comments: add/modify/delete
X
X
X
Balance comments: read
X
X
X
X
Balance reports: run
X
X
X
X
Functions
Administrator
Account groups: create/modify/delete
X
Account groups: view
X
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Administration of the application
82
Functions
Administrator
Interactive User
Power User
View User
Balances: create
X
X
Balances: export balances/subtotal balances/analysis balances/analysis subtotal balances
X
X
X
X
Balances: export to SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation
X
X
X
X
Balances: import
X
X
Balances: import bulk
X
Balances: modify
X
Balances: purge (all periods)
X
Balances: reset/remove (specific company)
X
X
Balances: view
X
X
X
X
X
Administration of the application
Interactive User
Power User
View User
X
X
X
X
Currencies and rates: view
X
X
X
X
Currencies: create/modify/delete
X
Currency rates: copy to all periods
X
Database connection configuration
X
Detailed emails: configure (states)
X
user groups: create/modify/delete
X
user groups: view
X
X
X
X
Filters: apply/clear
X
X
X
X
Functions
Administrator
Companies: create/modify/delete
X
Companies: select and view
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Administration of the application
84
Interactive User
Power User
View User
X
X
X
X
Freeze (specific) company
X
X
X
Freeze/unfreeze (all) companies
X
Freeze/unfreeze companies across periods
X
Global emails: send
X
Global parameters: update
X
User Groups: create/modify/delete
X
Help file: view
X
X
X
Functions
Administrator
Forced agreements: enable/disable/rollback/run
X
Forced agreements: view
X
Administration of the application
Functions
Administrator
Interactive User
Power User
View User
Imports/exports (own) previous: consult/delete
X
X
X
X
Imports/exports previous: consult/delete (all) previous
X
Intercompany license details: view
X
X
X
X
Interface configuration
X
Invoice additional fields: dd/modify/delete (text/amount/date fields)
X
X
Invoice attachments: add/modify/delete
X
X
X
Invoice comments: add/modify/delete
X
X
X
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Administration of the application
86
Functions
Administrator
Interactive User
Power User
View User
Invoice details: modify (invoice reference/invoice account/txn and local amounts)
X
X
Invoice matching functions: perform
X
X
Invoice reports: run
X
X
X
X
Invoice standard comments: add/modify/delete
X
X
X
Invoice text validation: create/modify/delete
X
Invoice text validation: view
X
X
X
X
Invoices (Child Account Invoice page): view
X
X
X
X
Invoices (Edit Invoice page): view
X
X
X
X
Administration of the application
Functions
Administrator
Interactive User
Power User
View User
Invoices (specific company): delete
X
X
Invoices Un-assigned / Un-matched / Agreed / Comment Matched (from Parent Account Invoice page): view
X
X
X
X
Invoices: add/delete
X
X
Invoices: export
X
X
X
X
Invoices: import
X
X
Invoices: purge (all periods)
X
Journal accounts: create/modify/delete
X
Journal accounts: view
X
X
X
X
Journals: export
X
X
X
X
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Administration of the application
88
Functions
Administrator
Interactive User
Power User
View User
Journals: reset (manual/import)
X
X
Language: select
X
X
X
X
Login text configuration
X
Maintenance: run
X
Materiality: create/modify/delete
X
Materiality: view
X
X
X
X
Metadata: export
X
Metadata: import
X
Period: select
X
X
X
X
Periods: open / close / archive / delete
X
Administration of the application
Functions
Administrator
Interactive User
Power User
View User
Personal profile: update (except User Name and User Type)
X
X
X
X
Reconciliation process: start/stop
X
Report configuration
X
Standard comments: add/modify/delete
X
X
X
Standard comments: create
X
Standard comments: view
X
X
X
States: manage
X
Summary email time configuration
X
Summary emails: receive
X
X
X
X
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Administration of the application
Functions
Administrator
System health checks
X
Template configuration
X
Unfreeze (specific company)
X
Users logged on: view
X
Users: create/modify/delete
X
Users: forced log off
X
Working files (import/export/report): delete
X
Your Details: viewing
X
Creating users Only the Administrator can create users.
90
Interactive User
Power User
View User
X
X
X
X
Administration of the application
In the application, users are entered one by one.
To create a user 1. In the Administration tab, select Users. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
Click Add New. Enter the password. Enter a unique user code. Enter the Email Address, Telephone Number, Fax Number, Address and Mobile Number fields. From the User Profile list, select a profile. From the Default Language list, select a language. If you want the user to receive detailed emails, activate Receive Detailed Emails. Click Create.
Related Topics
•
Addressees of detailed emails on page 170
User groups The Administrator links companies and users together to create a user group. When users log in to enter balances, they can only access the companies defined in their user groups. Note:
Administrator users have access to all of the companies. Some users are automatically defined as company contacts. A user group has the following properties: •
a unique code
•
a description
•
associated companies and users
Related Topics
•
Defining users as company contacts on page 80
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Administration of the application
Creating user groups Only the Administrator can create user groups. The Administrator can create user groups in two ways: •
by entering them directly in the application.
•
by importing user groups as metadata objects contained in a .csv or .txt file.
Related Topics
•
User Group templates on page 145
To create a User Group 1. 2. 3. 4.
In the Administration tab, select User Groups. Click Add New. Enter the Code and Description. Click Create. The Users and Companies buttons appear.
5. To assign companies to the user group, click Companies. 6. Activate the boxes next to the companies you want to assign to the user group. 7. Click Update. 8. To assign users to the user group, click Users. 9. Activate the boxes next to the users you want to assign to the user group. 10. Click Update.
Account groups An account group is a group of accounts which have similar accounting characteristics. There are three default top level account groups in the application: •
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Profit and Loss (P&L)
Administration of the application
•
Balance Sheet
•
Off Balance Sheet (Off BS)
Each parent account should be assigned to a top level account group. A top level account group enables you to define the account sign that is linked to the group. Parent Account Group
Sign Expenses: -
P&L Income: + Balance sheet (BS)
+
Off BS
+
Note:
Calculations are defined using absolute values, therefore it is important to place the minus (-) sign in front of negative amounts.
Account subgroups Account subgroups enable you to apply additional restrictions to the information displayed in the balances via filters and in the reports. They use the same calculation type as the top level account group to which they are assigned. Parent accounts can be assigned to an account subgroup or a parent account group, or both.
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Administration of the application
Example: Top Level Account Group with subgroups
The Balance Sheet Top Level Account Group is delivered with the application by default. The Administrator then creates subgroups: •
Assets, which is the parent account group.
•
Fixed Assets and Work-in-Progress, which are subgroups belonging to Assets.
The Tangible Assets parent account is linked to the BS top level account group and to the Fixed Assets subgroup. The Intangible Assets parent account is linked to the BS top level account group, to the Assets group and to the Fixed Assets subgroup. The Finished Goods in Progress and Services in Progress parent accounts are linked to the BS top level account group, to the Assets group and to the Work-in-Progress subgroup. In the balances and reports, you can choose to display different accounts depending on the account group selected:
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Administration of the application
•
All of the accounts contained in the balance sheet top level account group appear: Tangible Assets, Intangible Assets, Finished Goods in Progress and Services in Progress.
•
All of the accounts contained in the Assets account group appear: Intangible Assets, Finished Goods in Progress and Services in Progress. The Tangible Assets parent account does not appear because it is not linked to the Assets group.
•
All of the accounts contained in the Fixed Assets subgroup are displayed: Tangible assets and Intangible assets. Note: The Tangible Assets parent account appears if you select the Balance Sheet and Fixed Assets groups. However, it is not linked to the Assets group and does not appear if only this group is selected.
Related Topics
•
Tracking progress via reports on page 44
Account group properties An account group has the following properties: •
a unique account code
•
a description of the account group
•
the Top Level Account Group to which the parent account group is assigned
•
the Parent Account Group to which the account group is assigned Note:
You can only edit the "Parent Account Group" field if all balances have been purged from the database. •
a calculation type defined for the top level account group.
When you create parent accounts, the account groups defined are assigned to them.
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Administration of the application
Related Topics
• •
Parent accounts on page 102 Child account properties on page 104
Creating account groups The Administrator can create: •
Parent account groups, for example subgroups that are directly linked to one of the three default top level account groups delivered with the application.
•
Account groups, for example subgroups that are directly linked to a parent account group.
To create a group of accounts, you should first of all create the corresponding parent account group. Note:
You cannot import account groups.
To create a parent account group 1. In the Administration tab, select Account Groups. 2. Click Add New. 3. Enter an unique Account Group code and a description. 4. To select the Top Level Account Group, click and select the group to which you want to assign the group you are creating. In the Top Level Account Group field, the selected group's name appears. In the Calculation Type field, the calculation defined for the Top Level Account Group selected appears in the dropdown list box and the box is deactivated. 5. Click Create.
To create an account group 1. In the Administration tab, select Account Groups. 2. Click Add New. 3. Enter a unique Account Group code and a description.
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Administration of the application
4. 5.
To select the Top Level Account Group, click To select the Parent Account Group, click
. .
Note:
You can only edit this field if all balances have been purged from the database. 6. Select the parent account group to which you want to assign the account group you are creating. In the "Parent Account Group" field, the selected group's name appears. In the "Calculation Type" field, the calculation defined for the Top Level Account Group to which the parent account group is assigned appears in the list box, and the box is deactivated. 7. Click Create. In the Top Level Account Group field, the group's name appears.
Materiality values A materiality threshold is expressed in group currency and determines whether a balance is reconciled. If the difference is below materiality, the balance is reconciled. If the difference is above materiality, the balance is not reconciled. Each materiality threshold is set at an appropriate level for each parent account. For example, it can be set at 1,000 for increases in working capital accounts and 0 for cash flow accounts. Materiality thresholds are defined by periods. As soon as you create the first period, the default materiality threshold values appear for Balance Sheet, Off Balance Sheet, and Profit and Loss for a parent account. A materiality has the following properties: •
A unique materiality name
•
A materiality value
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Administration of the application
Materiality values can be changed at any time by the Administrator when the reconciliation process is not running. Related Topics
• •
Accounts on page 101 Periods on page 63
Creating a materiality Materiality thresholds cannot be imported. The Administrator: •
Creates the required materiality threshold names and values.
•
Activates the materiality threshold. Note:
This operation can only be performed when the reconciliation process is stopped and there are no balances in the database.
To create a materiality 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
In the navigation bar, click to the right of the current period to select the link for the period you want to use. In the Administration tab, select Materialities. Click Add New. Enter a unique code and a description. In the Threshold field, type the relevant value. Click Create. In the Administration tab, Settings > Metadata Settings. Activate Materialities Threshold Defined. Note:
You can only perform this operation when the reconciliation process is not running and there are no balances in the database. 9. Click Update.
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Administration of the application
Journal accounts Journal accounts store the differences between the first and last amounts entered for child accounts. The differences can then be exported via a journal to the accounting system containing the original data. The Administrator authorizes and forbids the creation of journal accounts. If the Administrator authorizes the creation of journals: •
each child account is linked to a journal account. Note:
Several child accounts can be assigned to the same journal account. •
journals can be exported to the source accounting system.
A journal account is characterized by the following properties: •
A unique journal account code
•
A journal account name
Example: A balance contains the following amounts •
Transaction amount = 1,000
•
Local amount = 2,000
The amounts can be changed in the application: •
Transaction amount = 1,500
•
Local amount = 3,000
The following amounts are stored in the journal accounts: •
Transaction amount adjustment = 500 (1,500 - 1,000)
•
Local amount adjustment = 1,000 (3,000 - 2,000)
Journal account definition process 1. The Administrator authorizes the creation of journal accounts.
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Administration of the application
2. The Administrator creates journal accounts. 3. The Administrator assigns each child account to a journal account when creating the child accounts. Note:
Journal accounts are exported at the end of the reconciliation process. Related Topics
• • •
Authorizing the creation of journal accounts on page 100 Creating journal accounts on page 100 To create child accounts on page 105
Authorizing the creation of journal accounts The Administrator authorizes the creation of journal accounts. Note:
An Administrator can only authorize or deny the creation of journal accounts when the process is stopped and there are no balances in the database.
To authorize the creation of journal accounts 1. In the Administration tab, select Settings > Metadata Settings. 2. Activate Journal Account Enabled. 3. Click Update.
Creating journal accounts Journal accounts are created by Administrators: •
by entering them directly in the application.
•
by importing journals as metadata in a .csv or .txt file.
As soon as you create journal accounts, additional columns appears in the balances. Related Topics
•
100
To create a journal account on page 101
Administration of the application
• •
Detail by child accounts page on page 22 Journal Account templates on page 146
To create a journal account 1. 2. 3. 4.
In the Administration tab, select Journal Accounts. Click Add New. Enter a unique code and description. Click Create.
Accounts There are three types of account: •
child accounts
•
parent accounts
•
adjustment accounts
Parent accounts group together child accounts.
To create a parent account, and assign child accounts and another parent account to it: •
Create a parent account.
•
Create a second parent account.
•
Create a child account and assign it to the first parent account.
•
Create a child account and assign it to the second parent account.
•
Link the two parent accounts.
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Administration of the application
Note:
Other child accounts can then be assigned to the parent account. To link a parent account to child accounts and to link two parent accounts, all the objects need to have the same: •
Top Level Account Group and other account groups
•
Currency Rate
•
Materiality, if a materiality threshold has been defined
•
Translation mode, if it has not been previously defined for all the accounts
The Administrator creates accounts in two ways: •
by entering them directly in the application.
•
by importing accounts as metadata contained in a .csv or .txt file.
Related Topics
• • • •
Creating child accounts on page 105 Creating parent accounts on page 103 Forced agreements on page 109 Account templates on page 115
Parent accounts A parent account groups together accounts used to reconcile intercompany transactions. A parent account has the following properties:
102
•
a unique account code
•
an account description
•
a top level account group
•
a currency rate type
•
optionally, a translation mode, if it has not been previously defined for all of the accounts
•
a materiality, if the Administrator previously decided that currency rates would be used
Administration of the application
•
a positive or negative balance sign This sign specifies to be assigned to amounts in the account currently open. To match invoices, you must specify the sign to be given to amounts in the account currently open.
•
the applicable counterparty account
You must link parent accounts to: •
one or more child accounts
•
another parent account
•
one or more account groups.
Reconciliations are carried out using parent companies in the application. The Administrator can select one of two reconciliation types. Related Topics
• • • • •
Reconciliations on page 179 Account groups on page 92 Currency properties on page 69 Translating amounts on page 71 Materiality values on page 97
Creating parent accounts The Administrator must create the parent accounts before: •
assigning child accounts to them
•
linking parent accounts to one another (in pairs)
To create parent accounts 1. 2. 3. 4.
In the Administration tab, select Accounts. Click Add New. Enter a unique code and a description. Select the relevant information from the Currency Rate Type and Top Level Account Group lists. 5. If the Materiality list is activated, select a materiality. 6. If the Group list is activated, select a mode.
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7. If the Balance Sign list is activated, select a sign. 8. Click Create. 9. Click Account Groups to select the account groups you want to link to the parent account.
Child accounts Users enter amounts into child accounts. Child accounts must belong to parent accounts. The balance in a child account can be broken down into different invoices. Related Topics
•
Invoice matching on page 162
Child account properties A child account has the following properties: •
a unique code
•
an account description
•
a link to a parent account
•
definitions for the following objects for the parent account to which the child accounts is linked, as well as for the child accounts: •
a Top Level Account Group
•
a Currency Rate Type
•
if necessary, a materiality, if the Administrator previously decided that currency rates would be used.
If no amount translation mode has been previously defined for all the accounts, the child account uses the same mode as the parent account to which it is linked. You link child accounts to:
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•
a parent account
•
optionally, a journal account
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To do so, the Administrator must have previously authorized the use of journal accounts and created them. You can also specify whether the current parent account is used in balances. Related Topics
• • • • •
Currency properties on page 69 Matching invoices on page 180 Journal accounts on page 99 Account groups on page 92 Materiality values on page 97
Creating child accounts Once the parent accounts are created, the Administrator can create child accounts. The child accounts are linked to the parent accounts.
To create child accounts 1. 2. 3. 4.
In the Administration tab, select Accounts. Click Add New. Enter a unique code and a description. Select the same information defined in the parent account from the Currency Rate Type and Top Level Account Group lists. 5. If the Materiality list is activated, select the same materiality limit as the parent account. 6. In the Parent Account field, click . The "Parent Account" dialog box appears, listing all of the parent accounts that have the same currency rate, top level account group and materiality as those you selected. 7. Click the link for the parent account you want to assign the child account. The selected parent account appears in the "Parent Account" field. 8.
In the Journal Account field, click
.
The "Journal Account" dialog box appears, listing the journal accounts defined in the database. 9. Click the link for the journal account you want to assign the child account.
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The journal account selected appears in the "Journal Account" field. 10. Click Create. The Materiality, Currency Rate, Top Level Account Group, Group Row Source and Balance Sign fields are grayed out. The linked parent company appears on the right of the page.
Linking child accounts to parent accounts Once the parent and child accounts have been created, the Administrator can link the accounts via: •
the child account page
•
the parent account page Restriction:
Parent and child accounts can only be linked if they use the same currency rate, top level account group, and materiality. Note:
If forced agreement is authorized for a child account linked to a parent account, an adjustment account is created automatically and linked to the parent account. Related Topics
•
Forced agreements on page 109
To link to a parent account in the child account page 1. In the Administration tab, select Accounts. 2. Click the link for the child account you want to assign to a parent account. 3. In the Parent Account field, click . The "Parent Account" dialog box appears, listing all of the other parent accounts that have the same currency rate, top level account group, and materiality as the current child account. 4. Click the link for the parent account to which you want to assign the current child account. The selected parent account appears in the "Parent Account" field.
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5. Click Update.
To link a child account in the parent account page 1. In the Administration tab, select Accounts. 2. Click the link for the parent account. 3. In the Child Accounts section, click Add Child Accounts. The "Child Accounts" dialog box appears, listing all of the other child accounts that have the same currency rate, top level account group, and materiality as the current parent account. 4. Activate the box corresponding to the child account that you want to assign the parent account. 5. Click OK. In the parent account page, the child account you selected appears in the "Child Accounts" list.
Linking two parent accounts After creating the parent and child accounts, the Administrator can link parent accounts.
To link parent accounts 1. In the Administration tab, select Accounts. 2. Click one of the two parent accounts you want to link. 3. In the Partner Account field, click . The "Partner Account" dialog box appears, listing all of the parent accounts that do not have a partner and that have the same currency rate, top level account group, and materiality as the selected parent account. 4. Click the link for the parent account to which you want to link the current parent account. 5. Click Update. The partner account appears on the right of the page.
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Deleting a parent account If the Administrator deletes a parent account: •
all the child accounts linked to it are also deleted.
•
the partner parent account linked to it can no longer be used.
To delete the parent account, click the red X on the row of the account in Administration > Accounts.
Account flows The application manages account flows. A default account flow is defined by the Administrator. When you import accounts, you can also import the flows linked to them. If you do so, the flows are then stored in the application as follows: •
P6000-F00
•
P6000-F99
When entering accounts, the separator used is the one defined in the template for importing accounts. Related Topics
•
Account templates on page 115
Standard comments Standard comments enable you to explain why an amount was entered for a balances or invoice. For example, use VAT as a standard comment to explain differences due to VAT (Value-added tax) problems. Standard comments can be used as criteria for matching invoices. The Administrator can create predefine standard comments.
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Related Topics
• • • • • •
Matching invoices using standard comments on page 43 Invoice matching on page 162 Entering a comment for a balance on page 28 Invoice comments on page 36 Communicating with the partner via statuses and actions on page 29 Attaching a standard comment to a balance on page 26
To create pre-defined standard comment 1. 2. 3. 4.
In the Administration tab, select Standard Comments. Click Add New. Enter a unique code and a description. From the Type list, select Balance or Invoice. Note:
As the term Invoice can be customized, it may have been replaced by another term in the list. 5. Click Create.
Forced agreements A forced agreement enables an Administrator to adjust the remaining differences automatically at the end of the process. Forced agreements are not compulsory.
Setting up the forced agreement process For forced agreements to run on all accounts simultaneously at the end of the process, the Administrator must do the following: •
Authorize use of the forced agreement process.
•
Designate, for each pair of parent accounts, the "Forced Agreement Winner"; the one that has entered the correct amount.
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When a child account is linked to a parent account, an adjustment account is created automatically and linked to the parent account. At the end of the cycle, once the forced agreement process has been run, the difference is stored in the adjustment account of the parent account and the balance is matched. Adjustment accounts are automatically created when the forced agreement process is run. Their codes are made up of the name of the account adjusted plus an extension. The extension: •
is defined by the Administrator.
•
is made up of a maximum of 8 characters.
•
is valid for all adjustment accounts.
•
can be changed at any time.
By default, when the forced agreement process is run, the balances entered for loser accounts which have a "Partner Submitted" status are deleted. However, the Administrator can decide to retain these balances. Related Topics
• •
Forced agreements on page 109 Accounts on page 101
To authorize a forced agreement 1. In the Administration tab, select Forced Agreement Settings. 2. Activate Forced Agreement Enabled.
To designate the Forced Agreement Winner parent accounts 1. In the Administration tab, select Accounts. 2. Click the link for the parent account you want to designate as the "Forced Agreement Winner". 3. Activate Forced Agreement Winner. 4. Click Update.
To define the adjustment account extension 1. In the Administration tab, select Setting > Metadata Settings.
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2. In the Adjustment Account Extension field, enter the text you want to define as the extension. Note:
The extension field is limited to eight characters. Related Topics
•
To authorize a forced agreement on page 110
To retain loser accounts which have a Partner Submitted status 1. In the Administration tab, select Forced Agreement Settings. 2. From the Forced Agreement Behavior list, select Keep Partners. 3. Click Update.
Running the forced agreement process Administrators run this operation once the balances have been entered. The reconciliation process must be stopped when running forced agreements. Once the operation is performed, the process can be started again. Restriction:
The forced agreement process should be the last operation performed on the balances as it may change the amounts. Note:
• •
Once the process is finished, the Forced Agreement Run box is activated automatically in Administration > Forced Agreement Settings. If there is a balance in the non-winning account but not in the winning account, the amount in the non-winning account is posted to the adjustment account on forced agreement.
Once the forced agreement process is complete, the Administrator can consult the log files containing the process history. If there is an error, the Administrator can restore the amounts as they were before the forced agreement process was run. Related Topics
• •
To manually start the reconciliation process on page 59 To automatically start and stop the reconciliation process on page 60
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To run the forced agreement process 1. Stop the reconciliation process. 2. In the navigation bar, click Period to select the period for which you want to run the forced agreement. 3. In the Administration tab, select Run Forced Agreement. Note:
This option is only available if the forced agreement process is authorized. 4. Click Run Forced Agreement. Related Topics
•
To authorize a forced agreement on page 110
To restore data after running the forced agreement process 1. In the Administration tab, select Roll Back Forced Agreement. Note:
This option is only available if the forced agreement process is authorized. 2. Click Roll Back Forced Agreement. Related Topics
•
To authorize a forced agreement on page 110
To consult log files after running the forced agreement process 1. In the Administration tab, select Settings > Forced Agreement Settings. 2. Click View History. The "Forced Agreement History" page appears listing all of the processes that have been run. 3. To display the adjustments made after a process was run, click the "File Location" link for the process.
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Templates for data import and export Only the Administrator can create templates. Templates match the data in a file from one database to another. Because a corporation can have branch offices or subsidiary companies with different database systems operating in different countries using different currencies, templates ease financial data entry and reconciliation, as well as master database maintenance of users, companies, and currencies. Note:
When an Administrator modifies an existing template fields, all templates based on these fields are automatically updated. The following table lists the objects that are imported and exported, and which templates they use: Object
Import
Export
Accounts
X
X
Account/Journal Account Relationships
X
X
Account Groups
X
Balances
X
Analysis Balances
X X
Companies
X
X
Company Groups
X
X
Currencies
X
X
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Object
Import
Export
Invoices
X
X
Journals Journal Accounts
X X
Subtotal Balance
X X
User/User Group Relationships
X
X
User Group/Company Relationships
X
X
User Groups
X
X
Users
X
X
The Administrator does the following so that data can be imported or exported: •
Configure the template fields for each object.
•
Configure a file template.
Template lists Once the Administrator creates file templates, they are available in the template list for a specific category of import template. For example, when the Administrator saves a new company template, then goes to Import/Export > Company Templates, the new template is listed.
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Note:
For users who do not have Administrator rights, these objects appears in read-only mode. The template lists include: •
The Code column lists the template names defined in the database.
•
The Description column lists the template descriptions defined in the database.
•
The Status column indicates whether the template can be used or not. The green check mark indicates that the template is valid and can be used. If the red X appears, the template is invalid.
•
The fourth column contains the delete icon. If you no longer need a template, click the delete X to remove the template.
Account templates To create an account template, the Administrator needs to do the following: •
Configure the template fields.
•
Configure a file template that matches the file to import or the database to which a file is to be exported.
The following figure shows some of the fields available in a template, and how they need to correspond with items in an Excel worksheet.
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Configuring the account template fields The Administrator configures the template fields in Import/Export > Account Template Fields. Account import templates contain the following fields: •
Ignore When certain fields in the import file cannot be processed by the application or the database to which the export file will be sent, the Administrator must use the "Ignore" field so that the system does not include the field.
•
Account Code
•
Account Flow Code If the accounts are linked to flows in the file, you will select the Use Account Flows option when you create the template, and enter the separator used in the import file in the "Flow Delimiter" field. The field is used with Partner Account Flow Code.
•
Materiality Code If there is no materiality in the import file, either enter a default type field name or select a default materiality later when you create a template.
•
Currency Rate Type If there is no currency rate in the file, either enter a default currency rate field name or select a default currency rate later when you create a template.
•
Account Group Code
•
Account Description
•
Parent Account Code
•
Partner Account Code
•
Partner Account Flow Code The field is used with Account Flow Code.
•
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Account Status
Administration of the application
The "Account Status" field displays for each reporting company whether or not it can be used in balances, or if it should be stored in the database for use at a later date. When you create the template in Import/Export > Account Templates, you activate Import Status Information and define the active and inactive status indicators. •
Forced Agreement
•
Group Amount Source
•
Balance Sign This field enables you to specify the sign to be assigned to amounts in the account currently open. To match invoices, you must specify the sign to be given to amounts in the account currently open.
Once the Administrator has populated the fields, templates can be created in Import/Export > Account Templates.
Configuring an account template Once the Administrator has populated the template field names in Import/Export > Account Template Fields, templates can be created in Import/Export > Account Templates. The following fields are required: •
Account Code
•
Account Description
•
Currency Rate Type
•
Account Flow Code, if the accounts are linked to flows in the file
To configure an account file template 1. 2. 3. 4.
In Import/Export > Account Templates, click Add New. Type a unique code. Type a template description. From the "Fields Per Line" list, select the number of fields you want to include in the file.
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Note:
This number determines how many fields appears in the window that are available when you click Define Fields. 5. Enter a character in the "Field Delimiter" that the file will use to separate the columns. 6. Click Create. 7. Click Define Fields. 8. In the "Field Definition" page, select the fields that you want to include. Note:
The order of the fields must correspond to the file you are importing or to the database to which the file will be exported. 9. When you have selected the fields, click Update. 10. From the "Skip Lines" list, select the number of lines in the top of the file that should not be imported or exported. For example, if you do not want to import the header row in the file, select 1. Only the second line onwards is imported. 11. If there are no materiality, translation or account group fields in the file, activate the following options and select values from the lists: • Use Default Materiality Type •
Use Default Currency Rate Type
•
Use Default Account Group
12. If the import file contains account flows, activate Use Account Flows and type in the "Flow Delimiter" field the character that is used for the account flow pairs in the import file. 13. Activate Import Status Information if you have a file that includes the "Currency Status" field. You need to define the following status indicators:
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•
Type an indicator in the "Active Status Indicator" text box if you have a template that includes the "Currency Status" field.
•
Type an indicator in the "Inactive Status Indicator" text box if you have a template that includes the "Currency Status" field.
Administration of the application
14. If the forced agreement winners are included in the file, activate Import Forced Agreement Information and indicate in the "Forced Agreement Winner Indicator" field how the forced agreement winners are identified in the file. 15. Activate Use Account Sign to specify the sign to be assigned to amounts in the account currently open for positive and negative indicators. 16. Click Update. The template is saved to the "Account Templates" list. Note:
The Administrator can access the template in the "Account Templates" list at any time to update the details.
Account/Journal Account Relationships templates Account/journal account relationship templates use the following fields: •
Ignore When certain fields in the import file cannot be processed by the application or the database to which the export file will be sent, the Administrator must use the "Ignore" field so that the system does not include the field.
•
Account Code
•
Journal Account Code
Note:
You need to import the journal accounts before you can import the user/user group relationships. Related Topics
• • •
To configure an import or export file template on page 131 Journal accounts on page 99 Accounts on page 101
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Account Group templates Account group templates use the following fields: •
Ignore When certain fields in the import file cannot be processed by the application or the database to which the export file will be sent, the Administrator must use the "Ignore" field so that the system does not include the field.
•
Account Group Code
•
Account Group Description
•
Top Level Account Group Code
•
Parent Account Group Code
Related Topics
• •
To configure an import or export file template on page 131 Account groups on page 92
Balance templates To create a balance template the Administrator needs to do the following: •
Configure the template fields.
•
Configure a file template that matches the file to import or the database to which a file is to be exported. Note:
Calculations are defined using absolute values; it is important to place the minus (-) sign before negative amounts in the import file. Note:
The decimal symbol used depends on the application server's regional settings. The following figure shows some of the fields available in a template, and how they need to correspond with items in an Excel worksheet.
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Configuring the balance template fields The Administrator configures the template field names in Import/Export for the following types of balance files: •
Balance Import Template Fields for import templates
•
Balance Export Template Fields for general balance export templates Balance exports use only the amounts stored in frozen child accounts. The template is also available for "Analysis Balances" exports that use only the amounts stored in unfrozen child accounts for analysis.
•
Subtotal Balance Export Template Fields for subtotal balance export templates Subtotal Balance exports use only the amounts stored in frozen parent accounts. The template is also available for "Analysis Subtotal Balances" exports that use only the amounts stored in unfrozen parent accounts for analysis.
Balance templates contain the following fields: •
Ignore When certain fields in the import file cannot be processed by the application or database to which the export file will be sent, the Administrator must use the Ignore field so that the system does not include the field.
•
Period Code
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•
Company Code
•
Local Currency Code
•
Account Code
•
Partner Code
•
Transaction Currency Code If there is no transaction currency in the import file, either enter a default transaction currency name in the field or enter a transaction currency in the "Transaction Currency Code" field when you create a template.
•
Amount Indicator If there are transaction fields in the file for both the local currency and the transaction currency amount, you activate the Expect Two Lines Per Transaction option when you create a template.
•
Amount If you use the Amount Indicator field in a template, the account field also needs to be included in the template.
•
Transaction Amount This field is not used if the Amount Indicator field is used.
•
First analysis to Tenth analysis correspond to the fields in the import or export file that are not fields in the application. For example, balances are exported to a file that is then used to import the balances into the consolidation system. In the consolidation system, Products is used as an object, but it is not an SAP BusinessObjects Intercompany field. You can enter Products in the "First analysis" field. You can then select the Products field in the import template.
•
Account Flow Code If the accounts are linked to flows in the application and the flows and account codes are separate in the balance file, then you select the Use Account Flows option when creating the template, and enter a separator used in the file in the "File Delimiter" field.
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Note:
For import file templates, the separator used must be identical to the one used in the account import file. •
Standard Comment Code Imported standard comments can be used as criteria for matching invoices. If the import file contains a standard comment which does not exist in the application, an error appears in the log file.
•
Balance Comment
The following fields are also used in the Balance Export templates: • Reporting Company Code •
Category Code
•
Group Amount
•
Timestamp
•
Company Group Code Note:
If a company is linked to several company groups, only the information for the first company group will be exported. •
Their Company Group Code
•
Their Reporting Company Code
•
Parent Account Code
•
Audit ID Code
•
Flow Code
•
Data Entry Period Code
The following fields are also used in the Subtotal Balance Export templates: • Their Group Amount • Their Transaction Amount • Balance Status
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Related Topics
•
Matching invoices on page 180
Configuring a balance template Once the Administrator has populated the template field names in Import/Export > Balance Import Template Field Names, templates can be created in Import/Export. The following fields are required: •
Company Code
•
Partner Code
•
Account Code
•
If there is no transaction currency in the file and no field name is specified, enter a transaction currency in the Transaction Currency Code field.
•
If there are transaction fields in the file for both the local currency and the transaction currency amount, activate the Expect Two Lines Per Transaction option and you need to include the Amount field in the template.
•
If the accounts are linked to flows in the application and the flows and account codes are separate in the balance file, select the Use Account Flows option when creating the template, and enter a separator in the Flow Delimiter field.
To configure a balance file template 1. In Import/Export, select one of the following: • Balance Import Templates, to create an import template. •
2. 3. 4. 5.
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Balance Export Templates or Subtotal Balance Export Template, to create an export template.
Click Add New. Type a unique code. Type a description. From the "Fields Per Line" list, select the number of fields you want to include in the file.
Administration of the application
Note:
This number determines how many fields appears in the window that are available when you click Definite Fields. 6. Enter a character in the "Field Delimiter" text box that the file will use to separate the columns. 7. Click Create. 8. Click Define Fields. 9. In the "Field Definition" page, select the fields that you want to include. Note:
The order of the fields must correspond to the file you are importing or to the database to which the file will be exported. 10. When you have selected the fields, click Update. 11. In the template, select the number of lines in the top of the file that should not be imported or exported from the "Skip Lines" list. For example, if you do not want to import the header row in the file, select 1. Only the second line onwards is imported. 12. Activate Expect Two Lines Per Transaction to enter the following: • "Local Amount Indicator", which must match the local amount indicator in the file. •
"Transaction Amount Indicator" which must match the transaction amount indicator in the file.
13. Activate Use Account Flows if there are flows linked to the accounts and type a "Flow Deliminator". 14. For import templates, activate Use Default Transaction Currency to specify a Default Transaction Currency. Note:
If there is no transaction currency in the file, the currency specified in this field is used by default for all the amounts in the file. 15. For import templates, activate Use Default Transaction Amount to specify a "Default Transaction Amount". Note:
If there are no transaction currency amounts in the file, the amount specified in this field is used by default.
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16. Click Update. The template is saved to the applicable balance templates list. Note:
The Administrator can update the templates in the balance templates lists at any time.
Exporting balance amounts to SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation Any user can export the amounts stored in the application database directly to an SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation database. However, before balances can be exported the Administrator needs to set: •
a data source and web services URL
•
global parameters
Note:
To export balances, the company or companies whose balances are to be exported must be frozen, and the reconciliation process must be running when exporting balances. Related Topics
•
Exporting balances to SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation on page 52 • Setting the SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation parameters on page 127 • Setting the data source and web services on page 126
Setting the data source and web services You must set the SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation data source and web services URL in order to export balance amounts from the application to SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation. The data source references the SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation database to which you export the SAP BusinessObjects Intercompany balance amounts. The web services URL enables you to connect to the SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation data source.
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To set the data source and Web services URL Caution:
Stop the reconciliation process before executing the following steps. 1. In the Administration tab, select Settings > SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation Settings. 2. In the "Discovery File URL" text box, type the web services URL. 3. Enter the default user code and password. 4. Click Update.
Setting the SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation parameters In order for SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation to correctly interpret and store the exported data, you must set values for certain parameters.
To set the SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation parameters 1. Stop the reconciliation process, if it is running. 2. In the Administration tab, select Settings > SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation Settings . 3. In the following fields, enter the values as specified in the SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation configuration: • "Category Code" • "Flow Code" • "Data Entry Period Code" • "Audit ID Code" 4. Click Update.
Company templates To create a company template the Administrator needs to do the following: •
Configure the template fields.
•
Configure a file template that matches the file to import or the database to which a file is to be exported.
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The following figure shows some of the fields available in a template, and how they need to correspond with items in an Excel worksheet.
Configuring the company template fields The Administrator configures the template fields in Import/Export > Company Template Fields. Company templates contain the following fields: •
Ignore When the application or destination database cannot process certain fields in the import file, the Administrator uses the "Ignore" field so that the import file does not include the field.
•
Company Code
•
Company Group Code If the company group is included in the file, activate the Import Company Groups option when you create the template in Import/Export > Company Templates.
•
Company Description
•
Reporting Company Code If the reporting company is included in the file, activate the Import Reporting Companies option in the template.
•
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Currency Code
Administration of the application
•
Company Status The "Company Status" field displays for each reporting entity whether or not it can be used in balances or stored in the database for use at a later date. When you create the template in Import/Export > Company Templates, you activate Import Status Information and define the active and inactive status indicators.
Once the Administrator has populated the fields, templates can be created in Import/Export > Company Templates.
Configuring a company template Once the Administrator has populated the template field names in Import/Export > Company Template Fields, templates can be created in Import/Export > Company Templates. The following fields are required: •
Company Code
•
Company Description
•
Currency Code
•
Company Group Codes, if the company group is in the file
•
Reporting Company Code, if the reporting company is in the file
To configure a company file template 1. 2. 3. 4.
In Import/Export > Company Templates, click Add New. Type a unique code. Type a description. From the "Fields Per Line" list, select the number of fields you want to include in the file. Note:
This number determines how many fields appears in the window that are available when you click Define Fields. 5. Enter a character in the "Field Delimiter" that the file will use to separate the columns.
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6. Activate Import Company Groups if the company group field exists in the file. If you activate this option, the company group field is available after you have defined the fields. Note:
Once you have created the template with this option deactivated, you cannot return and activate it in the update mode. 7. Activate Import Reporting Company if you have a file that includes the "Reporting Company Code" field. If you activate this option, the "Reporting Company" field is available after you have defined the fields. 8. Click Create. 9. Click Define Fields. 10. In the "Field Definition" page, select the fields that you want to include. Note:
The order of the fields must correspond to the file you are importing or to the database to which the file will be exported. 11. When you have selected the fields, click Update. 12. In the template, select the number of lines in the top of the file that should not be imported or exported from the "Skip Lines" list. For example, if you do not want to import the header row in the file, select 1. Only the second line onwards is imported. 13. Activate Import Status Information if you have a file that includes the "Currency Status" field. You need to define the following status indicators: •
Type an indicator in the "Active Status Indicator" text box if you have a template that includes the "Currency Status" field.
•
Type an indicator in the "Inactive Status Indicator" text box if you have a template that includes the "Currency Status" field.
14. Click Update. The template is saved to the "Company Templates" list.
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Note:
The Administrator can access the template in the "Company Templates" list at any time to update the details.
Company group templates Company group templates use the following fields: •
Ignore When certain fields in the import file cannot be processed by the application or the database to which the export file will be sent, the Administrator must use the "Ignore" field so that the system does not include the field.
•
Company Group Code
•
Company Group Description
Related Topics
•
Company groups on page 73
To configure an import or export file template 1. In Import/Export, select one of the following: • Import Account Groups or Export Account Groups. • Import Company Group or Export Company Group • Import User Group or Export User Group • Import User/User Group Relationship or Export User/User Group Relationship • Import User Group/Company Relationship or Export User Group/Company Relationship • Import Journal Accounts or Export Journal Accounts • Import Account/Journal Account Relationship or Export Account/Journal Account Relationship 2. Click Add New. 3. Type a unique code. 4. Type a description.
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5. From the "Fields Per Line" list, select the number of fields you want to include in the file. Note:
This number determines how many fields appears in the window that are available when you click Define Fields. 6. Enter a character in the "Field Delimiter" that the file will use to separate the columns. 7. Click Create. 8. Click Define Fields. 9. In the "Field Definition" page, select the fields that you want to include. Note:
The order of the fields must correspond to the file you are importing or to the database to which the file will be exported. 10. When you have selected the fields, click Update. 11. In the template, select the number of lines in the top of the file that should not be imported or exported from the "Skip Lines" list. For example, if you do not want to import the header row in the file, select 1. Only the second line onwards is imported. 12. Click Update. The template is saved to the template list.
Currency templates To create a currency template the Administrator needs to do the following: •
Configure the template fields for the currency.
•
Configure a file template that matches the file to import or the database to which a file is to be exported.
The following figure shows some of the fields available in a template, and how they need to correspond with items in an Excel worksheet.
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Configuring the currency template fields The Administrator configures the template field names in Import/Export > Currency Template Fields. Currency templates contain the following fields: •
Ignore When certain fields in the import file cannot be processed by the application or the database to which the export file will be sent, the Administrator must use the Ignore field so that the system does not include the field.
•
Currency Code
•
Currency Description
•
Currency Opening Rate
•
Currency Average Rate
•
Currency Closing Rate
•
Currency Status
•
Currency Rate Type
Once the Administrator has populated the fields, templates can be created in Import/Export > Currency Templates. The Administrator can update the currency template field name entries at any time.
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Configuring a currency template Once the Administrator has populated the template fields in Import/Export > Currency Template Fields, templates can be created in Import/Export > Currency Templates. The following fields are required: •
Currency Code
•
Currency Description
•
Currency Opening Rate
•
Currency Average Rate
To configure a currency file template 1. 2. 3. 4.
In Import/Export > Currency Templates, click Add New. Type a unique code. Type a description. From the "Fields Per Line" list, select the number of fields you want to include in the file. Note:
This number determines how many fields appears in the window that are available when you click "Define Fields". 5. Enter a character in the "Field Delimiter" box that the file will use to separate the columns. 6. Activate Use Define Period to identify the period to which the currency rates are linked. 7. Click Create. 8. Click Define Fields. 9. In the "Field Definition" page, select the fields that you want to include. Note:
The order of the fields must correspond to the file you are importing or to the database to which the file will be exported. 10. When you have selected the fields, click Update. 11. In the template, select the number of lines in the top of the file that should not be imported or exported from the "Skip Lines" list.
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For example, if you do not want to import the header row in the file, select 1. Only the second line onwards is imported. 12. Activate Import Status Information if you have a template that includes the "Currency Status" field and want to import the currency status information. You need to define the following status indicators: •
Type an indicator in the "Active Status Indicator" text box if you have a template that includes the "Currency Status" field.
•
Type an indicator in the "Inactive Status Indicator" text box if you have a template that includes the "Currency Status" field.
13. Activate Import Rate Type Information to define the valuation methods used for the currencies: • In "Multiply Indicator" text box, type a character to represent rates using the multiply format. •
In "Divide Indicator" text box, type a character to represent rates using the divide format.
14. Click Update. The template is saved to the "Currency Templates" list.
Invoice templates To create an invoice template the Administrator needs to do the following: •
Configure the template fields.
•
Configure a file template that matches the file to import or the database to which a file is to be exported.
The following figure shows some of the fields available in a template, and how they need to correspond with items in an Excel worksheet.
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Note:
There may be certain fields in the file that cannot be processed by the application. If this is the case, users must use the Ignore field so that the system does not include the field.
Configuring the invoice template fields The Administrator configures the template fields in Import/Export > Invoice Template Fields. Invoice templates contain the following fields: •
Ignore When certain fields in the import file cannot be processed by the application or database to which the export file will be sent, the Administrator must use the Ignore field so that the system does not include the field.
•
Period
•
Company Code
•
Local Currency Code
•
Account Code
•
Partner Code
•
Transaction Currency Code If there is no transaction currency in the import file, either enter a default transaction currency name in the field or enter a transaction currency in the "Transaction Currency Code" field when you create a template.
•
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Local Amount
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•
Transaction Amount
•
Standard Comment Code Imported standard comments can be used as criteria for matching invoices. If the import file contains a standard comment which does not exist in the application, an error appears in the log file.
•
Invoice Group ID
•
Invoice Reference When importing or exporting an invoice that has no reference in the import file, you can assign a default reference to it.
•
Invoice Text, Invoice Date and Invoice Amount fields are used for objects not mentioned in the field names above. Note:
If an object in the import file does not exist in the application, an error can appear in the log file. •
Invoice Comment
Related Topics
•
Matching invoices on page 180
Configuring an invoice template Once the Administrator has populated the template fields in Import/Export > Invoice Template Fields, templates can be created in Import/Export > Invoice Templates. The following fields are required: •
Company Code
•
Partner Code
•
Account Code
•
Invoice Reference
•
Transaction Amount
•
Transaction Currency Code
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To configure an invoice file template 1. In Import/Export > Invoice Templates, click Add New. 2. Type a unique code. 3. Type a description. 4. From the "Fields Per Line" list, select the number of fields you want to include in the file. Note:
This number determines how many fields appears in the window that are available when you click Define Fields. 5. Enter a character in the "Field Delimiter" box that the file will use to separate the columns. 6. Click Create. 7. Click Define Fields. 8. In the "Field Definition" page, select the fields that you want to include. Note:
The order of the fields must correspond to the file you are importing or to the database to which the file will be exported. 9. When you have selected the fields, click Update. 10. In the template, select the number of lines in the top of the file that should not be imported or exported from the "Skip Lines" list. For example, if you do not want to import the header row in the file, select 1. Only the second line onwards is imported. 11. Activate Use Default Reference to import and assign a "Default Reference" to an invoice that has no reference in the file. 12. Click Update. The template is saved to the "Invoice Templates" list.
Journal Export templates A user selects a Journal Export template to export amounts stored in journal accounts to files, which can be imported into another accounting system.
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Configuring the journal export template fields The Administrator configures the template fields in Import/Export > Journal Export Template Fields. Journal templates contain the following fields: •
Ignore When certain fields in the import file cannot be processed by the application or the database to which the export file will be sent, the Administrator must use the "Ignore" field so that the system does not include the field.
•
Period Code
•
Company Code
•
Account Code
•
Partner Code
•
Transaction Currency Code If there is no transaction currency in the import file, either enter a default transaction currency name in the field or enter a transaction currency in the "Transaction Currency Code" field when you create a template.
•
Local Amount Adjustment
•
Transaction Amount Adjustment
•
Original Local Amount
•
Original Transaction Amount
•
Journal Account Code
Configuring a journal export template Once the Administrator has populated the template fields in Import/Export > Journal Export Template Fields, templates can be created in Import/Export > Journal Export Templates. The following fields are required: •
Company Code
•
Partner Code
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•
Journal Account Code
•
Transaction Currency Code
•
At least one of the following fields must be used: • •
Transaction Amount Adjustment Local Amount Adjustment
To configure a journal export file template 1. 2. 3. 4.
In Import/Export > Journal Export Templates, click Add New. Type a unique code. Type a description. From the "Fields Per Line" list, select the number of fields you want to include in the file. Note:
This number determines how many fields appears in the window that are available when you click Define Fields. 5. Enter a character in the "Field Delimiter" text box that the file will use to separate the columns. 6. Click Create. 7. Click Define Fields. 8. In the "Field Definition" page, select the fields that you want to include. Note:
The order of the fields must correspond to the file you are importing or to the database to which the file will be exported. 9. When you have selected the fields, click Update. 10. In the template, select the number of lines in the top of the file that should not be imported or exported from the "Skip Lines" list. For example, if you do not want to import the header row in the file, select 1. Only the second line onwards is imported. 11. Click Update. The template is saved to the "Journal Export Template" list.
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User templates To create a user template the Administrator needs to do the following: •
Configure the template fields.
•
Configure a file template that matches the file to import or the database to which a file is to be exported.
The following figure shows some of the fields available in a template, and how they need to correspond with items in an Excel worksheet.
Configuring the user template fields The Administrator configures the template field names in Import/Export > User Template Fields. User templates use the following fields: •
Ignore
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When certain fields in the import file cannot be processed by the application or the database to which the export file will be sent, the Administrator must use the "Ignore" field so that the system does not include the field. •
User Code
•
User Description
•
User Profile Code The types of users, based on the application access rights, are: •
Administrator
•
Interactive User
•
Power User
•
View User
•
User Language
•
User Email Address
•
User Phone
•
User Fax
•
User Address
•
User Mobile
•
User Password If there is no password in the file, type a default password in the User Password field. Alternatively, type a password in the Default Password field when you create a template.
•
User Can Receive Detailed Emails Include this field in your template and file as a flag. Use 0 to indicate that the users should receive detailed emails, or a 1 to indicate that the user should not receive them.
•
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Once the Administrator has populated the fields, templates can be created in Import/Export > User Templates. The Administrator can update the user template field entries at any time. Related Topics
•
Addressees of detailed emails on page 170
Configuring a user template Once the Administrator has populated the template fields in Import/Export > User Template Fields, templates can be created in Import/Export > User Templates. The following fields are required: •
User Code
•
User Description
•
User Profile Code
•
User Language
•
User Password
To configure a user file template 1. 2. 3. 4.
In Import/Export > User Templates, click Add New. Type a unique code. Type a description. From the "Fields Per Line" list, select the number of fields you want to include in the file. Note:
This number determines how many fields appears in the window that are available when you click Define Fields. 5. Enter a character in the "Field Delimiter" text box that the file will use to separate the columns. 6. If you want to set a default password, in case there is no default password in the file, activate Use Default Password box and enter in the "Default Password" text box. 7. Click Create. 8. Click Define Fields.
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9. In the "Field Definition" page, select the fields that you want to include. Note:
The order of the fields must correspond to the file you are importing or to the database to which the file will be exported. 10. When you have selected the fields, click Update. 11. From the "Skip Lines" list, select the number of lines in the top of the file that should not be imported or exported. For example, if you do not want to import the header row in the file, select 1. Only the second line onwards is imported. 12. Click Update. The template is saved to the "User Templates" list.
User/User Group Relationship templates User/user group relationship templates use the following fields: •
Ignore When certain fields in the import file cannot be processed by the application or the database to which the export file will be sent, the Administrator must use the "Ignore" field so that the system does not include the field.
•
User Code
•
User Group Code
Note:
You need to import the user groups before you can import the user/user group relationships. Related Topics
• • •
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To configure an import or export file template on page 131 User groups on page 91 Users on page 79
Administration of the application
User Group templates The User Groups import involves the following tasks: •
Import the User Groups.
•
Link User Groups and users.
•
Link User Groups and companies.
User group templates use the following fields: •
Ignore When certain fields in the import file cannot be processed by the application or the database to which the export file will be sent, the Administrator must use the "Ignore" field so that the system does not include the field.
•
User Group Code
•
User Group Description
Related Topics
• •
To configure an import or export file template on page 131 User groups on page 91
User Group/Company Relationship templates User group/company relationship templates use the following fields: •
Ignore When certain fields in the import file cannot be processed by the application or the database to which the export file will be sent, the Administrator must use the "Ignore" field so that the system does not include the field.
•
User Group Code
•
Company Code
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Note:
You need to import the user groups before you can import the user group/company relationship file. The user group/company relationship import file enables you to define which companies belong to which User Groups. Related Topics
• • •
To configure an import or export file template on page 131 User groups on page 91 Companies on page 74
Journal Account templates Journal accounts are imported in the following order: •
Import journal accounts to define the journal account codes and description.
•
Import the account/journal account relationships to define which journal accounts are linked to which accounts.
Journal account templates use the following fields: •
Ignore When certain fields in the import file cannot be processed by the application or the database to which the export file will be sent, the Administrator must use the "Ignore" field so that the system does not include the field.
•
Journal Account Code
•
Journal Account Description
Related Topics
• •
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To configure an import or export file template on page 131 Journal accounts on page 99
Administration of the application
Importing data Instead of manually entering all of the metadata objects in the application, a group of related metadata objects in a .csv or .txt file is imported into the company database. If the import data does not match the fields existing in the company database, the Administrator creates templates that define how the data is entered into the database. Before importing the data, verify that the import files are correctly formatted. The type of file you can import depends on your profile: Import file
Profile allowed to import the file
Currency
Administrator
Company
Administrator
Account
Administrator
User
Administrator
Company Group
Administrator
User Group
Administrator
User/User Group Relationships
Administrator
User Group/Company Relationships
Administrator
Account Groups
Administrator
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Import file
Profile allowed to import the file
Journal Accounts
Administrator
Account/Journal Account Relationships
Administrator
Balance
Administrator, Interactive User
Invoice
Administrator, Interactive User
Bulk balance or invoice
Administrator
To be able to import, the Administrator must specify: •
the name of the template to be used, if applicable
•
the language in which the descriptions are entered in the import file where applicable
•
the path to the import file
When the import is complete, the "Summary" page appears displaying the results of the import. Related Topics
• • • •
To import balance amounts via an import template on page 149 Templates for data import and export on page 113 Import order on page 153 Consulting import results on page 153
To import metadata objects using an import template 1. In the Import/Export tab, select the type of import that is appropriate to your file.
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2. From the Template list, select a template. 3. From the Language list, select the language used in the import file. Note:
A language is not required if you are importing Account/Journal Account Relationship, User Group/Company Relationship or User/User Group Relationship files. 4. To specify the path to the import file, do one of the following: • Type the file path and name in the Source Data File field. • Click Browse. a. In the "Choose file" box, migrate to and then select the import file. b. Click Open. 5. Click Import. Note:
If the import has been put in the import queue, you can cancel the import by clicking Cancel. When the import is complete the "Summary" page appears displaying the results of the import. Related Topics
• • •
Templates for data import and export on page 113 Import queue on page 154 Consulting import results on page 153
To import balance amounts via an import template 1. In the Import/Export tab, click one of the following: • Import Balances if you are importing a file of balances The users in charge of entering data import their balances when the process is running. In this case, the maximum number of lines that can be imported is 1000. •
Bulk Import Balance if you are importing a bulk balance file
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There is no limit to the number of lines that can be imported in this way. The reconciliation process must be stopped before the Administrator can run this type of import. 2. From the Template list, select a template. 3. Activate Reset Local Amount Journals to define the local currency amounts as original amounts. 4. Activate Reset Transaction Amount Journals to define the transaction currency amounts as original amounts. 5. To specify the path to the import file, do one of the following: • Type the file path and name in the Source Data File field. •
Click Browse. a. In the "Choose file" box, migrate to and then select the import file. b. Click Open.
6. Click Import. Note:
If the import has been put in the import queue, you can cancel the import by clicking Cancel. When the import is complete the "Summary" page appears displaying the results of the import. Related Topics
• • •
Templates for data import and export on page 113 Import queue on page 154 Consulting import results on page 153
Importing invoices To import invoices: •
users must have a file containing the amounts to be imported. Invoices always contain positive amounts. To be able to match them, you must specify the sign to be used for amounts in all of the accounts.
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Note:
The decimal symbol used depends on the application server's regional settings. •
users must also select an import template created by the Administrator. A mapping between the application fields and the import file fields is defined by the Administrator in the import templates.
Related Topics
•
Parent accounts on page 102
Replacing or totaling invoice balances When importing invoices that have already been imported into the application under the same reference, transaction currency, account, company and partner, you can specify whether or not: •
The imported amounts must replace the existing invoice amounts.
•
The amounts should be added to the existing invoice amounts.
Note:
If an identical invoice exists in the application and it is matched, it is not replaced or aggregated with the invoice in the import file.
To import invoices 1. In the Import/Export tab, select one of the following: • Import Invoices The import file should not contain more than 1000 rows. If it does, you have to perform a block import. •
Bulk Import Invoices There is no limit to the number of lines that can be imported in this way. Before an Administrator can perform this type of import, the reconciliation process needs to be stopped and all of the users logged off.
2. From the Template list, select a template. 3. To have the imported balances replace the existing balances, activate Override Existing.
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If you do not activate the option, the imported balances are added to existing balances. 4. Activate Create/Update Balances if you want balances created for invoices that do not contain any amounts. When you import invoices, balances are created even if the invoices do not contain any amounts. The default amount entered is 0. The balances are created for the same company, partner, transaction currency and account as the corresponding invoices. Note:
If the Administrator activated Invoices Drive Balances in Administration > Settings > Invoice Settings, the Create/Update Balance option is activated by default. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Select a date format from the list. Enter a Thousand Separator. Enter a Decimal Separator. To specify the path to the import file, do one of the following: • Type the file path and name in the Source Data File field. • Click Browse. a. In the "Choose file" box, migrate to and then select the import file. b. Click Open.
9. Click Import. Note:
If the import has been put in the import queue, you can cancel the import by clicking Cancel. When the import is complete the "Summary" page appears displaying the results of the import. Related Topics
• •
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Import queue on page 154 Consulting import results on page 153
Administration of the application
Import order When setting up the database, an Administrator imports objects in the following order: •
Currencies
•
Company Groups (optional)
•
Companies when relevant, including reporting companies and company groups
•
Account Groups
•
Accounts
•
Journal Accounts (optional)
•
Account/Journal Account Relationships (optional)
•
Users
•
User Groups
•
User/User Group Relationships
•
User Group/Company Relationships
Balance and invoice transaction data is imported during the reconciliation process.
Consulting import results The import "Summary" page includes: •
the "Status" field, which indicates whether or not the import was successful
•
the name of the template used
•
the "Data File Path", which indicates the import file location
•
the "Processed Line Count", which indicates the number of lines imported
•
the error count
•
The "Log File Path"
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If there were errors, this line appears indicating the link to a file containing all of the errors found during the import. You can consult this page at a later date at Import/Export > Previous Imports/Exports.
Import queue All the imports are placed in a queue. When one import finishes, the next one in the queue is started. The following operations are considered as priorities: •
updating currencies
•
updating materiality thresholds
•
running the forced agreement process
•
archiving and restoring periods
•
copying rates
Import operations are also placed lower in the queue when another operation considered as a higher priority is being run. When a user runs an import operation, the "Progress Report" page appears, indicating the operation's position in the import queue. Click Cancel to delete the import from the queue and cancel the import. The Administrator can also delete imports from the queue by clicking the red X icon in the Administration > Maintenance page.
Exporting metadata Before exporting the data files, verify that they are formatted to match the destination database. The type of file you can export depends on your profile:
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Export file
Profile allowed to export the file
Companies
Administrator
Accounts
Administrator
Users
Administrator
User Groups
Administrator
User / User Group Relationships
Administrator
User Group / Company Relationships
Administrator
Subtotal Balances
Administrator, Interactive User, Power User, View User
Analysis Balances
Administrator, Interactive User, Power User, View User
Analysis Subtotal Balances
Administrator, Interactive User, Power User, View User
Balances
Administrator, Interactive User, Power User, View User
Invoices
Administrator, Interactive User, Power User, View User
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Export file
Profile allowed to export the file
Journals
Administrator, Interactive User, Power User, View User
The information on exporting the following is in this section: •
Accounts
•
Account Groups
•
Account/Journal Account Relationships
•
Companies
•
Journal Accounts
•
Users
•
User Groups
•
User/User Group Relationships
•
User Group/Company Relationships
Information on exporting balance, invoice, and journal files is offered in the reconciliation process section called Exporting financial data. Related Topics
•
Exporting financial data on page 48
Selecting the character set for exports Two character sets can be used for export files: •
ASCII
•
Unicode
The Administrator specifies the set to be used before any exports are performed.
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To select the character set for exports 1. In the Administration tab, select Settings > Import/Export Settings. 2. From the Export File Encoding list, select a set type. 3. Click Update.
To export data 1. In the Import/Export tab, select an export option. Note:
Only an Administrator can export companies, accounts, users, user groups, user group relationships, or group company relationships. If you are exporting invoices, journals, or balances, go to the section in the documentation on exporting financial data. 2. Select a template. 3. Select a language. 4. If you are exporting currencies, enter thousand and decimal separators. Note:
The separator should correspond to that used by the database that will receive the export data. 5.
To filter the data exported, activate Use Filter, and click filter items.
to select
6. Click Export. The file is exported and the "Summary" page appears displaying the results of the export. Related Topics
• •
Exporting financial data on page 48 Consulting export results on page 157
Consulting export results When you finish exporting a file, the "Summary" page appears. The "Summary" page includes the following information: •
The Status indicates the success of the export.
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•
The Template
•
The Data File Path field displays a link to the log file generated by the export.
•
The Processed Line Count
•
The Error Count indicates the number of errors that occurred during the export.
•
The Log File Path
You can consult this page at a later date at Import/Export > Previous Import/Export. Related Topics
•
Consulting import and export results on page 159
Enabling the data filter for financial data exports You can apply a data filter to exports to see: •
only your company data
•
only partner data where they have data declared against you
•
data for both your company and the partner.
You must enable the data filter in order to access it in the balance and invoice export pages.
To enable the data filter for balance and invoice exports 1. In the Administration tab, select Settings > Balance Settings. 2. Activate Data Filter Enabled. 3. Click Update. The "Use Data Filter" field is now visible in the balance and invoice export pages.
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Consulting import and export results A page containing the results of the import or export performed can be consulted as soon as the operation is complete. This page is stored in the application and can be consulted at any time.
To consult import or export results 1. In the Import/Export tab, click Previous Imports/Exports. 2. In the Start Date column, click the link for the import or export results you want to consult. 3. In the "Summary" page, to consult the error log file click the error log link.
General administrative tasks Freezing and unfreezing company balances When the company balances are frozen, neither the declaring company nor the partner can change them. Balances can be frozen or unfrozen in: •
balances pages
•
company pages
The Administrator can freeze all the balances for all the companies simultaneously and unfreeze the balances for a company if a user froze it by mistake.
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Authorizing unmatched company balances to be frozen Neither the declaring company nor the partner can access frozen balances. The declaring company decides when all of the work is complete and the partner can no longer make any changes. Note:
If an error has been made, only Administrators can unfreeze company balances, unless the Administrator gives Power Users the right to freeze companies. By default, only company balances that are agreed to can be frozen. The Administrator can also authorize users to freeze their company balances whether they have been agreed to or not. Note:
If the Administrator authorizes companies to freeze their balances only when the balances are agreed to, the companies cannot do so when they have the Company Agreed To Differ and Partner Agreed To Differ statuses activated. Related Topics
•
Freezing company balances at the end of the reconciliation process on page 161 • Statuses on page 172
To authorize companies to freeze unmatched balances 1. In the Administration tab, select Settings > Balance Settings. 2. Activate Unmatched Balance Freezing Allowed. 3. Click Update.
Authorizing Power Users to freeze companies with unmatched balances In Administration > Settings > Balance Settings, the Administrator can enable Power Users to freeze and unfreeze companies with unmatched
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balances, even if the Group Row Difference option is selected for Group Amount Matching, and the Unmatched Balance Freezing Allowed option is not activated.
To authorize Power Users to freeze and unfreeze unmatched balances 1. In the Administration tab, select Settings > Balance Settings. 2. Activate Unmatched Balance Freezing by Power User Allowed. 3. Click Update.
Freezing company balances at the end of the reconciliation process At the end of the process, the Administrator freezes all of the balances, agreed or not, for all of the companies: •
for the current period
•
for all of the periods
Balances for the current period can be frozen or unfrozen, regardless of whether or not the reconciliation process is running. Balances can be frozen or unfrozen for all of the periods only if: •
the reconciliation process is stopped
•
there are no users connected
Note:
Unfreezing balances for all of the companies and periods enables you to recalculate the balances and take any changes into account, for example rate changes. Related Topics
•
Database maintenance on page 58
To freeze all of the company balances 1. In the Administration tab, select Companies. 2. Click Freeze Companies. A confirmation message appears.
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3. Click OK.
To unfreeze company balances 1. Do one of the following: •
Click the Balances tab. The "Detail by Partners" page appears.
•
Select Administration > Companies > [company to be unfrozen]. The selected company's page appears.
2. Click Unfreeze Company. A confirmation message appears. 3. Click OK.
To freeze/unfreeze balances for all of the companies and periods 1. Stop the reconciliation process. 2. Select Administration > Periods. 3. In the Periods page, click Freeze Companies or Unfreeze Companies. A confirmation message appears. 4. Click OK.
Invoice matching If invoice matching is included in the application license, you can break down the balances in child accounts into different invoices. This enables users to compare the invoices entered by the declaring company and the partner. Invoices enable you to analyze differences in greater detail. Even if the invoices are not matched, this does not block the reconciliation process.
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Creating balances by importing/creating invoices The Administrator authorizes the use of invoices in Administrator > Settings > Invoice Settings. Depending on the option activated by the Administrator in "Invoice Matching", the balances linked to the invoices, which are imported or manually entered, are created differently. Option
Description When you import invoices, balances are created, even if the invoices do not contain any amounts, with the default amount of 0.
Invoices Create Zero Balances
The balances are created for the same company, partner, transaction currency and account as the corresponding invoices. You can access the invoices by navigating through the balances pages.
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Option
Description When you import or manually enter invoices, the balances created contain amounts which are the sums of the invoices linked to the balances. The balances are created for the same company, partner, transaction currency and account as the corresponding invoices. You can access the invoices by navigating through the balances pages. Note:
Invoices Drive Balances
If the Administrator authorized the use of invoices and activated Invoices Drive Balances: • each time a user updates the balances, a message appears indicating that the balance amounts and the sum of invoices linked to the balances no longer correspond.
• each time a user imports invoices, the user can optionally select Create/Update Balances.
Activate this option to allow users to update balances only by invoice. Balance update by invoice only
Note:
This option is available when you activate Invoices Drive Balances.
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Option
Description
Invoices Match on Standard Comment
Invoices are matched if they have the same standard comment.
Invoice Substitution Behaviour
If an invoice which is created manually or imported already exists in the database, the user can choose to override the existing amount or aggregate it with the new amount. The Administrator sets the default option in the "Invoice Settings".
Note:
If the Administrator does not activate the options described above, the invoices are loaded in the database but are not available in the application. No balances are created. You can only access the invoices when the relevant balances have been created. Related Topics
• • •
Invoice templates on page 135 Matching invoices on page 180 Entering invoice amounts on page 33
Authorizing invoices matching via standard comments Only invoices which have the same standard comment may be matched. This means that the company and the partner have justified the differences between their invoices via the same standard comment. If the invoices have the same standard comment, they are matched even though differences exist. Related Topics
• •
Statuses on page 172 Freezing and unfreezing company balances on page 159
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Additional fields for invoices The Administrator can customize fields to provide more information on the invoice amounts. By default, these fields are not available; the Administrator activates them. The Administrator can also predefine the content of two of these fields, called Invoice Text 1 and Invoice Text 2 by default. Note:
Predefining these fields allows the invoice import to be validated. If the import file contains a text which does not exist in the application, an error appears in the log file. The predefined texts can then be used: •
for each invoice In the Balance tab invoice pages, the lists for the Invoice Text 1 and Invoice Text 2 fields can be used to select their contents.
•
when importing invoices
Related Topics
• • • •
Invoice templates on page 135 Invoice updates on page 35 To predefine the content of the Invoice Text 1 and 2 fields on page 167 To activate invoice fields on page 166
To activate invoice fields 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Stop the reconciliation process. In the Administration tab, select Settings > Invoices for Child Account. In the Code column, click the link for the field you want to display. Activate Visible. Change the caption text, if necessary. Follow the same procedure for each field you want to display. Click Update.
Related Topics
•
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To predefine the content of the Invoice Text 1 and 2 fields 1. Stop the reconciliation process. 2. In the Administration tab, select Settings > Invoice Settings. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
Activate Invoice Text Validation. Click Update. In the Administration tab, select Settings > Invoice Text Validation. Click Add New. In the Text Valid Code field, type a unique text code. Enter a description. In the Text Valid Value field, type the text name that should appear in the invoice text lists in invoices. 10. Select one or both options: Invoice Text 1 and Invoice Text 2. 11. Click Create.
To authorize the use of invoices 1. In the Administration tab, select Settings > Invoice Settings. 2. Select one of the following options: • For the balances created by the invoice import to contain the amount 0, activate Invoices Create Zero Balances. •
For the balances created by the invoice import to contain the sum of the corresponding invoices, activate Invoices Drive Balances.
Note:
If an invoice which is created manually or imported already exists in the database, the user can choose to override the existing amount or aggregate it with the new amount. The Administrator sets the default option beforehand from the Invoice Substitution Behaviour list. 3. For invoices to be matched if they have the same standard comment, activate Invoices Match on Standard Comments. Note:
You must then create standard comments that users can select for their invoices. 4. If you want to use a term other than invoice, enter the chosen term: • in the singular, in the Invoice Singular Caption.
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•
in the plural, in the Invoices Plural Caption.
By default, the term invoice, also in the plural, appears throughout the application. The Administrator can choose to use a different term. If this is the case, the Administrator must enter both the singular and the plural form. The terms chosen are taken into account throughout the application, for example in the reports and log files. The terms used must not exceed 32 characters. 5. Click Update. Related Topics
•
Freezing and unfreezing company balances on page 159
Email There are two main categories of email: •
Global emails, which are sent by the Administrator to the company contacts required.
•
Emails sent to users in charge of entering data to help them to track the progress of invoices. In this category, there are two types of email: •
Detailed Emails
•
Summary Emails
The Administrator must specify the following email settings beforehand: •
•
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the email address for: •
source of detailed and summary emails
•
list of users who can receive summary emails
the folder in which all the emails are stored
Administration of the application
Global emails The Administrator can send a global email at any time during the process whether it is stopped or not. The email is sent to all the users: •
who are defined as company contacts
•
who have an email address
To send a global email 1. 2. 3. 4.
In the Administration tab, select Send Global Email. In the Subject field, type the subject of the email. In the Text box, type the email text. Click Send.
Automatic detailed emails Each time the status of a balance changes, the application can generate an automatic email. These emails inform the declaring company and partner of any changes in the status of the current balance. The Administrator: •
decides which statuses generates an automatic email.
•
defines what is included in the mail.
•
specifies which users receive emails.
By default, every time the status of a balance changes, an automatic email is sent. However, the Administrator can choose not to send detailed emails for certain statuses. In this case, status information is not included in the summary emails either. The Administrator defines the text that accompanies each status change indicated in the emails. The following information is available by default: •
the meaning of the status.
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•
what the user should do.
Related Topics
•
Statuses on page 172
To define and activate automatic detailed emails 1. In the Administration tab, select Statuses. 2. Click the link for the relevant status. 3. In the Email Message Line 1 and Email Message Line 2 text boxes, the default text that appears in the emails appears. Change this text as necessary. 4. Activate Send Email Notification to send the emails automatically. 5. Click Update.
To stop emails being sent automatically for a status 1. In the Administration tab, select Statuses. 2. Click the link for the relevant status. 3. Deactivate Send Email Notification. Note:
The current status information is no longer included in the summary emails. 4. Click Update.
Addressees of detailed emails The Administrator specifies which types of user can receive detailed emails. Users defined as recipients for detailed emails can choose not to receive them once logged in. Related Topics
•
To start or stop receiving detailed emails on page 44
To select users that will receive detailed emails 1. In the Administration tab, select Emails. 2. In the Can receive detailed emails column, select the required user types. 3. Click Update.
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4. 5. 6. 7.
In the Administration tab, select Users. Select the link for the user you want to activate to receive emails. Activate Receive Detailed Emails. Click Update.
Automatic summary emails A summary email is a condensed form of a detailed email. It lists the status changes that have occurred since the last summary email was sent. Note:
If the Administrator has not activated Send Email Notification for a status in Administration > Statuses, the status information is not included in the summary emails. During the reconciliation process, the Administrator can send several summary emails per day. The Administrator defines at what times the emails are sent automatically. Only users that meet the following conditions are able to receive summary emails: •
The user type is Administrator, Interactive User, or Power User.
•
The user has an email address.
To define the times when summary emails are automatically sent 1. In the Administration tab, select Emails. 2. Click Create Email Event. A new row appears. 3. In the "Summary Email Events" section, select the hour and minutes for when you want the first summary email to be sent automatically. 4. Click Update. 5. To send a second email automatically, repeat the procedure from step 2 as necessary.
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Statuses Balance and User Group statuses enable you to see how the reconciliation of balances is progressing. All the statuses and User Groups of statuses delivered with are listed at Administration > Statuses. The Administrator cannot create additional statuses; however, the existing statuses can be modified. User Group statuses are used for partner and parent account pages. Balance statuses are used for currency rate pages and pages used to enter amounts in child accounts. A status is characterized by the following properties: •
symbol
•
description, which can be defined
•
automatic emails when a status changes
•
comments attached to balances which have this status
•
default description
Related Topics
•
Automatic detailed emails on page 169
Status symbols and descriptions Symbols identify the status of balances and user groups.
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Balance statuses Symbol
Default description
Description
Open
A balance has been created but no amounts have been entered yet.
Agreed
The balance is agreed.
Company Agreed To Differ
If the declaring company does not want to correct its amount, it asks the partner to accept the difference.
Partner Agreed To Differ
If the partner does not want to correct its amount, it asks the declaring company to accept the difference.
Agreed To Differ
The company or partner accepts the difference.
Unmatched
The balance is not reconciled.
Company Reopened
The balance was reconciled, but the declaring company requests it be reopened in order to make changes.
Partner Reopened
The balance was reconciled, but the partner requests it be reopened in order to make changes.
Forced Unmatched
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Symbol
Default description
Description A request for the balances to be reopened has been accepted.
Company Deleted
The balance was not reconciled and the declaring company wants to delete it.
Partner Deleted
The balance was not reconciled and the partner wants to delete it.
Company Submitted
Only the company has entered amounts.
Partner Submitted
Only the partner has entered amounts.
Forced Agreement
The balance was reconciled automatically when the Administrator ran the forced agreement process.
Note:
If the Administrator authorized all the companies to freeze only agreed balances, the companies cannot freeze balances with Company Agreed To Differ and Partner Agreed To Differ statuses. Related Topics
•
Freezing and unfreezing company balances on page 159
User Group statuses The User Group statuses depend on the difference calculated. When a materiality value has been defined:
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•
If the difference is greater than the materiality value set, the status is Unmatched.
•
If the difference is less than the materiality value set, the status is Agreed.
When no materiality value has been defined: •
If there is no difference, the status is Group Row Agreed. Note:
The "Group Row Agreed" status does not mean that no request has been made to change a balance. •
If there is a difference, other than 0, the status is Group Row Unmatched. Symbol
Default description
Description The balance is agreed.
Group Row Agreed No changes are required. The balance is not reconciled. Group Row Unmatched
Changes must be made to match the balances. The companies must go to the currency and account pages to make the changes.
To change status labels 1. 2. 3. 4.
In the Administration tab, select Statuses. Click the link for the status label you want to change. In the Description field, enter the relevant label. In the Email Message Line 1 text box, enter the text for the row in the email that explains the status. 5. In the Email Message Line 2 text box, enter the text for the row in the email that explains what the user must do.
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6. Activate Send Email Notification for an email to be sent automatically each time this status is used. 7. To authorize modifications to the local amount for the current status, activate Local Amount Editable. For each status, you can specify if the local amounts or transaction amounts or both can be modified for balances which have this status. By default, balance amount modifications are authorized for the following statuses but can be modified by the Administrator: •
Open
•
Unmatched
•
Forced Unmatched
•
Company Child Account Error
•
Partner Child Account Error
•
Company Submitted
•
Partner Submitted
8. To authorize modifications to the transaction amount for the current status, activate Transaction Amount Editable. 9. If you want to authorize comments for the current status in the balances pages, activate Comment Editable. Comments are authorized via the statuses by default as long as the balance is not frozen or agreed. The Administrator can, however, change the default as required. If you do not want to authorize comments for the current status, deactivate Comment Editable. 10. Click Update.
Statuses and actions An action is a response to a company or partner's request. Statuses and actions alternate as follows:
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•
Starting status: request from the company/partner.
•
Action: response from the partner/company.
Administration of the application
•
Status resulting from the action.
In each status's page, all of the actions and statuses resulting from the actions for the given status are listed. A reconciliation mode is used when reconciling balances. Related Topics
•
Reconciliations on page 179
Reconciliations without discrepancies There are two possible scenarios: •
The declaring company and the partner enter the same amounts.
•
The difference between the amounts entered by both is less than or equal to the materiality value defined.
Example: The materiality value is USD 1,500.
The difference is USD 1,000. It is therefore below the materiality level. Therefore the balance is agreed. Company Enters USD 10,000 Resulting status: Company Submitted
Partner Enters: nothing Resulting status: Partner Submitted
Enters: USD 9,000
Resulting status: Agreed
Reconciliations with discrepancies A situation can arise whereby the declaring company and partner do not immediately agree about how to deal with a non-reconciled balance.
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Example: The materiality value is USD 500 (User Group currency)
The difference (USD 200) is below the materiality value. Therefore the balance is agreed. Company Partner Amount entered 10,000 USD
Phase 1
Resulting status: Submitted
Resulting status: Partner Submitted Enters: 10,000 USD
Resulting status: Agreed Phase 2 The balance is agreed.
Phase 3
The declaring company forgot to enter an amount. It requests that the balance be reopened.
Status: Partner Reopened
Action: Reopen Status: Company Reopen The partner accepts the request to reopen the balance. Phase 4
Action: Accept Status: Forced Unmatched The balance is reopened.
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The declaring company enters the amount it forgot (USD 200) and saves the balance.
Status: Agreed
Status: Agreed
Reopening agreed balances When dealing with states generated from a reopened agreed balance, the Administrator can choose one of the following sequences of actions: •
Agreed - Reopen - Company Reopened
•
Agreed - Reopen - Forced Unmatched
Related Topics
•
Reconciliations on page 179
To define the sequence of actions to be performed when an agreed balance is reopened 1. Select Administration > Settings > Balance Settings. 2. In the Status Transition section, select the required options. 3. Click Update.
Reconciliations The Administrator specifies how balances are reconciled. This is useful when: •
a materiality value is being used
•
the amounts are entered in several transaction currencies for the same parent account
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Reconciling balances in group currency If several transaction currencies are used for the same parent account, amounts can be reconciled in two ways: •
If the total difference at group row level is greater than materiality, the status for the group row is Unmatched, even if the statuses of the balances in individual currencies are agreed. The total group row difference is more important than the individual balance states for each currency. For example, if materiality is set at 100 dollars and the reconciliation mode is "Group Row Unmatched", the differences calculated in the two transaction currencies are both less than materiality. However, the status of the parent account remains unmatched since the total difference in the parent account is greater than the materiality threshold.
•
If the balance status for each currency is Agreed, the status for the group row total is Agreed even if the difference at group row level is greater than materiality. Here, the individual currency balance statuses are more important than the total group row difference. For example, if materiality is set at 1000 dollars and the reconciliation mode is Balance Statuses, the differences calculated in the two balances are both less than materiality. The status of the parent account is "Agreed" even though the total difference is greater than the materiality threshold.
Note:
If only one transaction currency is used, the first method is applied. If there is no materiality threshold, neither method is use. The amount translation mode can then no longer be changed unless the process is stopped and there are no balances in the database.
Matching invoices Matching invoices enables users to compare the invoices of the declaring company and the partner to analyze differences in greater detail. Even if the invoices are not matched, this does not block the reconciliation process.
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Related Topics
•
Why match invoices? on page 39
To select the reconciliation mode 1. In the Administration tab, select Settings > Balance Settings. 2. From the Group Amount Matching list, select the method required. 3. Click Update. Related Topics
•
Invoice matching on page 162
Difference calculation type The Administrator selects the difference calculation type, which specifies how to calculate the difference between the company balance total and the partner balance total on the partner page.
To set the difference calculation type 1. In the Administration tab, select Settings > Balance Settings. 2. In the Total Difference Calculation list under Balance Matching, choose one of the following options: • Select Total Ourside + Total Theirside to have the partner balance total added to the company balance total. For example, if the partner balance total is expressed as a negative number, an expenditures account for example, the negative balance total is added to the positive balance total to obtain the total difference. •
Select Sum Ourside - Theirside to have the partner balance total subtracted from the company balance total.
3. Click Update.
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Categories When the reconciliation process is not running, the Administrator defines the category for the amounts to be entered during the next process. Note:
The settings for the parameter need to correspond to those contained in the consolidation system to which the amounts are exported at the end of the process.
To set the category 1. In the Administration tab, select Settings > SAP BusinessObjects Metadata Settings. 2. Type an entry in Category. 3. Click Update.
Data entry period When the reconciliation process is not running, the Administrator defines the data entry period for the amounts to be entered during the next process. Note:
The settings for the parameter need to correspond to those contained in the consolidation system to which the amounts are exported at the end of the process.
To set the data entry period 1. In the Administration tab, select Settings > SAP BusinessObjects Metadata Settings. 2. Type an entry in Data Entry Period Code. 3. Click Update.
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Audit ID When the reconciliation process is not running, the Administrator defines the audit ID for the amounts to be entered during the next process. Note:
The settings for the parameter need to correspond to those contained in the consolidation system to which the amounts are exported at the end of the process.
To set the audit ID 1. In the Administration tab, select Settings > SAP BusinessObjects Metadata Settings. 2. Enter an Audit ID Code. 3. Click Update.
Default flow When the reconciliation process is not running, the Administrator defines the default flow for the amounts to be entered during the next process. The Administrator can set a default flow if the accounts are not linked to flows in the application. Note:
The settings set for the following parameters need to correspond to those contained in the consolidation system to which the amounts are exported at the end of the process.
To set a flow 1. In the Administration tab, select Settings > SAP BusinessObjects Metadata Settings. 2. Enter a Flow Code. 3. Click Update.
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Reports In order to analyze the differences and monitor the reconciliation process, users generate reports. The Administrator defines the: •
types of report can be used among all the report types available
•
information to display in each type of report
•
formats to make available
•
the display of the reports
Related Topics
•
To delete reports on page 188
Balance reports The balance reports include: •
Audit This report provides you with an overview of how declaring companies and partners are progressing with the reconciliation.
•
Balance By Reporting Company This report contains the same information as a "Balance" report, except that when several companies are included in the same reporting company, the amounts entered in the accounts by each one in local and group currency are totaled and arranged by reporting company.
•
Balance After new balances have been imported, this report enables you to check that all of the amounts have been correctly imported. When exporting, this report enables you to check the amounts exported.
•
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Difference Analysis
Administration of the application
This report provides you with detailed information on amounts at various levels in order to help you understand why differences exist. •
Difference Analysis Summary This report has the same format as the "Difference Analysis" report, but shows only the difference at the parent account level. Child account, transaction/local and transaction difference columns are not included.
•
Progress This report enables you to analyze the discrepancies that exist in the parent accounts and those that exist for each type of currency. It also provides you with an overview of the total difference in each accounting schedule.
•
Progress By Parent Account This report enables you to analyze amounts in greater detail than in the Progress report: amounts are analyzed for each declaring company/partner pair for all parent company accounts where a discrepancy exists.
•
Account By Partner This report contains the amounts entered in child accounts, arranged by partner. They appear in local and group currency.
•
Parent Account By Partner This report contains the amounts calculated in the parent accounts, arranged by partner. They appear in local and group currency.
•
Multi Period This report enables you to compare the amounts by period. The maximum number of periods allowed is six.
Invoice reports The invoice reports include: •
Invoices by Account
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This report contains the amounts entered in the child accounts and the total invoices assigned to them, along with any differences found. •
Invoices by Parent Account This report contains the amounts entered in the parent accounts and the total invoices assigned to them, along with any differences found. All of the invoices assigned to the parent company's child accounts are taken into account.
•
Matched Invoices This report contains a list of the matched invoices and specifies whether or not the invoices were reconciled manually or automatically.
•
Unassigned Unmatched Invoices This report contains a list of the invoices which are unmatched or unassigned to an invoice group. The sub-totals and differences are also included in this report. For the partner, however only the amounts in the transaction currency are displayed.
•
Detailed Unassigned Unmatched Invoices This report contains a list of the invoices which are unmatched or unassigned to an invoice group. The sub-totals and differences are also included in this report. For the partner, the following information is displayed: accounts, invoice references, amounts in the local currency and amounts in the transaction currency.
Activating report types and columns The Administrator defines: •
What types of report can be used by the users among all the report types available.
•
What information is displayed in each type of report. This includes selecting the column headers to be included in the report.
To activate/deactivate a report type and columns 1. In the Administration tab, select Reports. 2. Click the link for the relevant report type.
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3. To make this format available to other users, activate Enabled. To make this format unavailable to other users, deactivate Enabled. 4. To select columns, activate the relevant boxes under the Visible Columns. 5. Click Update.
Report formats The Administrator selects from the formats users can use for reports: • • • • • •
Excel HTML Text PDF Crystal Reports (RPT) Word
To select a report format 1. In the Administration tab, select Reports > Report Formats. 2. Activate formats to make them available to other users. To make a format unavailable to other users, deactivate it. 3. Click Update.
Report interface styles The Administrator defines how reports appear by selecting font characteristics for the following report elements: •
Title
•
Normal The "Normal" element includes the user, group currency, period, declaring company, or partner, corresponding to the filters defined.
•
Headings This row contains the column headers.
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•
GrandTotal This row contains all of the totals, such as total balances entered, total amounts in group currency, or total difference in group currency.
•
High, Medium, and Low
Note:
All of the objects can be modified if necessary.
To define how reports are presented 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
In the Administration tab, select Reports. Click the link for the object whose style you want to define. Select a font from the Font list. Select a font size from the Font Size list. Click
to change the Font Color.
6.
Click to change the Background Color. 7. Activate the following text settings as required: • Bold •
Italic
•
Underlined
8. Select a text alignment. 9. Click Update.
To delete reports Administrators can delete reports by date. 1. In the Administration tab, select Reports > Delete. 2. Click the calendar icon to select the creation date and time of the reports you want to delete. 3. Click Update.
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Purging balances and invoices When work has been completed on the balances and invoices for one or more periods and the Administrator decides that the data is no longer needed, the Administrator can delete: •
the balances and invoices by period Note:
You cannot delete balances without deleting the invoices. •
the invoices by period
•
all of the balances and invoices for all of the periods
Tip:
To purge all of the balances and invoices from the database, the Administrator must first close all of the periods. Related Topics
•
Opening and closing periods on page 66
To purge balances and invoices simultaneously 1. Stop the reconciliation process. 2. In the Administration tab, select Purge Balances/Invoices. 3. To purge the balances for certain periods, select the periods in the "Purge Balances" column. 4. Click Purge. Caution:
The data is permanently deleted from the database.
To purge invoices 1. Stop the reconciliation process. 2. In the Administration tab, select Purge Balances/Invoices.
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3. To purge invoices for certain periods, select the periods in the "Purge Invoices" column. 4. Click Purge. Caution:
The data is permanently deleted from the database.
To purge balances and invoices for all of the periods 1. Stop the reconciliation process. 2. In the Administration tab, select Purge Balances/Invoices. 3. Click Purge All.
Balance and invoice interface display The Administrator can change the default presentation of: •
partners with which the declaring company has performed transactions
•
all parent accounts used in the current company's balances
•
all transaction currencies used in the current company's balances
•
all child accounts in which amounts have been entered
•
all invoices belonging to a child account
•
all invoices belonging to a parent account
•
the groups of invoices
The Administrator defines the order in which the columns are displayed for each page and its interface appearance.
To define the column interface display 1. In the Administration tab, select Settings. 2. Click the link for the view whose columns you want to rearrange. 3. Use the up arrow and down arrow icons to change the order of the columns.
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4. In the Code column, click the link for the column whose display you want to define. 5. Change the code or description, if necessary. 6. To change the column width, enter a number in the Width text box. 7. Select one of the following column header alignments: • Right •
Center
•
Left
8. If you do not want the column to be displayed, deactivate Visible. 9. Click Update.
Deleting invoices by company, parent or child account Administrators and Interactive Users can delete invoices linked to: •
a company
•
a parent account
•
a child account
The Administrator can also purge all of the invoices. Related Topics
•
Purging balances and invoices on page 189
To delete invoices by company 1. In the Administration tab, select Companies. 2. In the "Companies" page, click the link for the company whose invoices you want to delete. 3. Click Delete Invoices. A confirmation message appears.
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4. Click OK.
To delete invoices by parent account 1. 2. 3. 4.
Select the Balances tab. Navigate through the balances to the "Detail by child accounts" page. Click Match Invoices. Do one of the following: • To delete all of the invoices linked to a parent account, click Delete. • To delete a single invoice, click the red X icon. A confirmation message appears.
5. Click OK. Note:
If you have deleted all of the invoices, all of the invoice groups are also deleted. If you have not deleted all of the invoices and the deleted invoices belong to an invoice group, the group is unmatched. If the invoice groups do not contain any invoices belonging to the declaring company, they are deleted.
To delete invoices by child account 1. Select the Balances tab. 2. Navigate through the balances to the "Detail by child accounts" page. 3. In the Invoices column, click one of the following icons:
4. Do one of the following: • To delete all of the invoices linked to a child account, click Delete. • To delete a single invoice, click the red X icon. A confirmation message appears. 5. Click OK.
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Note:
If the deleted invoice belongs to an invoice group, the group is unmatched. If the invoice group does not contain any invoices belonging to the declaring company, it is deleted.
Decimals in balances The Administrator decides whether or not the decimal figures in the balances are stored in the database. If the Administrator decides to store the decimals, they appear in the Balances tab. If they are not stored, they are not displayed. Figures with decimals appear as follows: 102.25. Figures without decimals appear as follows: 102. Note:
The decimal symbol used depends on the application server's regional settings.
To store decimals in the database 1. In the Administration tab, select Settings > Balance Settings. 2. To store the decimals, deactivate Do Not Store Amount Decimal. If you do not want to store the decimals, activate Do not store decimals. 3. Click Update.
Archiving balances When work has been completed on the balances for one or more periods, the Administrator can archive the balances by period for use at a later time. Archived periods cannot be viewed or accessed by other users. The Administrator can restore the required balances by period at any time.
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Note:
The period must be closed in order to be able to archive its balances. Related Topics
•
Opening and closing periods on page 66
To archive balances by period 1. In the Administration tab, select Periods. 2. Select the closed period you want to archive. Note:
The currently selected period cannot be archived. If you want to archive it, you must first select another period. 3. Click Archive Period. 4. Click Update.
To restore archived balances by period 1. 2. 3. 4.
In the Administration tab, click Periods. Select the archived period you want to restore. Click Restore Period. Click Update.
The application login page text The Administrator can customize the text that appears on the application login page, and choose to display it instead of the default text. Tip:
Display the Administrator email address in the login page. Use the following syntax: ad [email protected]
Do not forget to replace [email protected] with the correct address.
194
Administration of the application
To display a customized login page text 1. In the Administration tab, select Settings > Login Text. 2. In the data entry box at the top of the page, type in the text that you want to appear on the login page. 3. Deactivate Replace With Default. Note:
To replace the custom text with the default text, activate Replace With Default. 4. Click Update.
Digit grouping symbols The Administrator activates the digit grouping symbol for balance and invoice amount export files. Note:
The symbol used is the one defined in the application server's regional options. For example: •
When the symbol defined on the server is a comma, the amounts appears as follows: 1,000,000.
•
When the Administrator decides that no symbol is to be used, the amounts appears as follows: 1000000.
To activate the digit grouping symbol 1. In the Administration tab, select Settings > Import/Export Settings. 2. To use the symbol defined on the server when exporting amounts, activate Export Thousand Separators. Note:
If you do not want to use the symbol defined on the server when exporting amounts, deactivate Export Thousand Separators. 3. Click Update.
195
Administration of the application
196
Glossary
Glossary
The following terms are used in the application. Term
Definition
Account
Object for which a transaction is performed. There are two types of account: parent accounts and child accounts.
Account Group Group of accounts. There are three account group levels: top level account group, parent account group and account group. Actions
An action is a response to a company or partner's request. Requests are made via statuses.
Balance
Line in which an amount can be entered. A balance is created by specifying the declaring company, the partner, the parent account, or the transaction currency.
Bulk Import Bal- There is no limit to the number of lines that can be ance imported in this way. Only the Administrator can perform this type of import when the process is stopped and all the users are logged off. Child Account
Data entry account, such as Goods in Progress or WIP, that depends on a parent account, for example Finished Goods in Progress.
Company
Companies make up user groups. A company can be a declaring company, a partner or a reporting company.
Company Con- User assigned to a company via a user group. tact
197
Glossary
Term
Definition
Company Currency
Local reporting currency assigned to each company. Synonym: Local Currency.
Partner
Company that records the transactions performed with other companies. The declaring company enters balances. The difference between a declaring company (ours) and a partner (theirs) only depends on your point of view. The partner receives requests from the declaring company.
Declaring Com- Company that records the transactions performed pany with other companies. The declaring company enters balances. The difference between a declaring company (ours) and a partner (theirs) only depends on your point of view. Declaring companies make requests to delete or change balances.
198
Detailed Email
Email sent automatically each time a balance status changes.
Divide
Valuation method which uses one unit of foreign currency as the base currency and calculates the equivalent amount in the national currency.
Company Group
Group of similar companies that are involved in the same sector of activity.
Filter
Restricts the objects displayed. You can use filters to display certain objects on the current page. You can also use filters in the balances and reports.
Forced Agreement
Process run by the Administrator at the end of the process to adjust the remaining differences automatically. The process can be reversed, for example the amounts that were stored in the database before the forced agreement process was run are restored.
Glossary
Term
Definition
Freezing
Operation enabling you to prevent any changes being made to the balances. You can freeze the balances of one or more companies. To be able to export balances and subtotals, the balances containing the amounts to be exported must be frozen.
User Group
Group of users and companies that enables you to determine which companies each user works on.
Group Currency Currency used by the headquarters or when reporting. All the amounts entered in local and/or in transaction currency are automatically translated into the group currency. Journal Accounts
Journal accounts store the differences between the first and last amounts entered for one or several child accounts. The differences can then be exported via a journal to the accounting system containing the original data.
Local Currency Local reporting currency assigned to each company. Synonym: Company Currency. Materiality
Amount expressed in the group currency enabling you to determine whether an amount is agreed or not. If the difference is below materiality, the balance is reconciled. If the difference is above materiality, the balance is not reconciled.
Multiply
Valuation method which uses the national currency as the base currency and calculates the equivalent in a foreign currency.
Parent Account Account whose amount is the sum of the amounts entered in the child accounts assigned to it. Period
A period is defined by a start date and an end date. These dates determine the period to which the amounts that are entered or imported for balances are linked.
199
Glossary
Term
Definition
Purge
Action enabling you to delete a group of objects, for example, all the currencies or all the balances.
Report
Document used to display balance amounts.
Reporting Com- Company which user groups together several pany companies. Standard Com- Predefined comment entered by the Administrator ment providing an explanation for the amount. Status
Indicator specifying how the reconciliation process is progressing, such as "Agreed To Differ" or "Agreed". For an object, the indicator specifies whether or not it can be used in balances, such as active or inactive currency.
Summary Email Email containing a summary of the detailed emails. It lists the status changes that have occurred since the last summary email was sent.
200
Top Level Account Group
Group of accounts which have similar accounting characteristics. The account group defines the sign to be used for the accounts.
Transaction Currency
Currency used for transactions between the companies.
Unfreezing
Action enabling you to make changes to balances. This action is performed after a freezing action.
More Information
More Information
Information Resource
Location
SAP BusinessObjects product information
http://www.sap.com Select http://help.sap.com > SAP BusinessObjects. You can access the most up-to-date documentation covering all SAP BusinessObjects products and their deployment at the SAP Help Portal. You can download PDF versions or installable HTML libraries.
SAP Help Portal
Certain guides are stored on the SAP Service Marketplace and are not available from the SAP Help Portal. These guides are listed on the Help Portal accompanied by a link to the SAP Service Marketplace. Customers with a maintenance agreement have an authorized user ID to access this site. To obtain an ID, contact your customer support representative.
201
More Information
Information Resource
Location
SAP Service Marketplace
http://service.sap.com/bosap-support > Documentation • Installation guides: https://service.sap.com/bosap-inst guides • Release notes: http://service.sap.com/releasenotes The SAP Service Marketplace stores certain installation guides, upgrade and migration guides, deployment guides, release notes and Supported Platforms documents. Customers with a maintenance agreement have an authorized user ID to access this site. Contact your customer support representative to obtain an ID. If you are redirected to the SAP Service Marketplace from the SAP Help Portal, use the menu in the navigation pane on the left to locate the category containing the documentation you want to access.
Developer resources SAP BusinessObjects articles on the SAP Community Network
https://boc.sdn.sap.com/developer/library https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/businessobjects-sdklibrary
https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/boc/businessobjects-articles These articles were formerly known as technical papers.
https://service.sap.com/notes Notes Forums on the SAP Community Network
These notes were formerly known as Knowledge Base articles.
https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/scn/forums http://www.sap.com/services/education
Training
202
From traditional classroom learning to targeted e-learning seminars, we can offer a training package to suit your learning needs and preferred learning style.
More Information
Information Resource
Location
http://service.sap.com/bosap-support
Online customer support
The SAP Support Portal contains information about Customer Support programs and services. It also has links to a wide range of technical information and downloads. Customers with a maintenance agreement have an authorized user ID to access this site. To obtain an ID, contact your customer support representative.
http://www.sap.com/services/bysubject/businessobjectscon sulting Consulting
Consultants can accompany you from the initial analysis stage to the delivery of your deployment project. Expertise is available in topics such as relational and multidimensional databases, connectivity, database design tools, and customized embedding technology.
203
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204
Index A account flows 108 account groups creating 96 defining 92 definition (glossary) 197 properties 95 subgroups 93 top level account groups 96 account subgroups 93 account templates configuring 117 accounts defining 101 definition (glossary) 197 exporting 157 importing 148 templates 115 actions defining 176 definition (glossary) 197 adjustment accounts defining extensions 110 amount translation defining 72 amounts translating 71 audit ID setting 183 authorizing freeze 160 authorizing freeze by Power user 161 authorizing freeze by Power users 160
B balance export configuring a template 124 balance import configuring a template 124 balance template configuring 124
balance templates configuring 124 balances 160, 161 activate code or description 17 ad hoc filters 17 archiving 193, 194 attaching files 27 attaching standard comment 26 authorizing freeze 160 bulk importing 149 child accounts 22 column interface display 190 communicating via statuses 29 creating 23, 24 creating by importing invoices 163 currencies 21 decimal display 193 definition (glossary) 197 deleting a comment 28 digit grouping 195 displaying all the objects 17 entering 25 entering a comment 28 exporting 49, 50, 126 exporting using SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation 52 freeze 31, 33 freezing 32, 159, 161 importing 149 interface display 190 journal account resets 25 opening 23, 24 pages for entering data 20 parent accounts 21 partners 20 purging 189 purging for all periods 190 reconciling 180 removing 30 reopening after agreed 179 resetting 30 restoring 194 selecting declaring companies 24
205
Index
balances (continued) selecting periods 24 setting filter 15 statuses 173 templates 120 toggling filters 17 unfreezing 159 bulk import balances definition (glossary) 197
C categories setting 182 child accounts 104 assigning to parent accounts 106, 107 balance page 22 creating 105 definition (glossary) 197 properties 104 comments consulting balances 28 deleting in balances 28 deleting in invoices 37 in balances 28 in invoices 36, 37 companies adding 77 declaring companies 75 defining 74 definition (glossary) 197 deleting 78 exporting 157 freezing 31 importing 148 properties 76 reporting companies 75 templates 127 companies and periods freezing 162 unfreezing 162 company balance unfreezing 162 company contacts definition (glossary) 197 company currencies definition (glossary) 197
206
company groups creating 74 defining 73 definition (glossary) 197 company templates configuring 129 currencies 68 balance page 21 copying to open periods 70 defining for user group 71 entering 70 exporting 157 importing 148 properties 69 templates 132 usergroup 71 currency templates configuring 134
D data exporting 48 importing 147 data entry period setting 182 database maintenance 58 managing connections 58 metadata 61 objects 60 saving changes 11 setting the connection 58 decimals not storing 193 storing 193 declaring companies defining 75 definition (glossary) 197 default currency 71 default flow setting 183 detailed emails definition (glossary) 197 difference calculation 181 setting 181
Index
digits group symbol 195 divide definition (glossary) 197
E emails defining 168 defining automatic detailed emails 169 defining automatic summary emails 171 defining global emails 169 defining send times 171 for tracking progress 43 receiving 44 selecting recipients 170 sending automatically 170 stopping 170 export balances 49, 50, 52 digit grouping symbol 195 financial data 48 invoices 54 journals 48 export results consulting 157 exports consulting the results 159
F fields account group templates 120 account templates 116, 117 account/journal account relationship templates 119 company group templates 131 company templates 128 currency templates 133 invoice templates 136 journal accounts templates 146 journal export templates 139 user group templates 145 user group/company relationship templates 145 user templates 141 user/user group relationship templates 144
files attaching balances 27 attaching to invoices 38, 39 consulting, balances 27 deleting from invoices 39 deleting, balances 27 filters 15 ad hoc 17 balances display 15 definition (glossary) 197 deleting 17 for exports 158 setting for balance display 15, 17 toggling in balance display 17 flows setting 183 forced agreement definition (glossary) 197 forced agreements 109 adjustment account extension 110 authorizing 110 consulting the history 112 retaining submitted loser accounts 111 rolling back 112 running 111, 112 setting up 109 freeze balances 31, 33 freezing definition (glossary) 197
G global emails sending 169 group currencies definition (glossary) 197
I import queue 154 import results consulting 153 imports consulting the results 159 intercompany reconciliation processes starting 59
207
Index
intercompany reconciliation processes (continued) stopping 59 invoice templates configuring 137, 138 invoices 180 activating additional fields 167 activating fields for import 166 attaching files 38, 39 attaching standard comments 38 authorizing matching 167 auto matching 39 column interface display 190 consulting 40 consulting comments 37 creating balances by importing invoices 163 deleting 191 deleting a comment 37 deleting attached files 39 deleting by child account 192 deleting by company 191 deleting by parent account 192 deleting standard comments 38 entering 34 entering a comment 36 entering amounts 33 exporting 54 importing 150, 151 interface display 190 manually matching 41 matching 39, 162 matching using standard comments 165 matching with standard comments 41, 43 purging 189 purging for all periods 190 standard comments 37 templates 135 updating 35
J journal accounts authorizing 100 creating 100, 101 defining 99 definition (glossary) 197 resetting balances 25
208
journal amounts resetting transactions 26 journal export templates configuring 139, 140 journals exporting 48 templates 138
L languages interface 11 selecting 11 local currencies definition (glossary) 197 logging in 13 login text defining 194, 195
M matching difference calculation 181 selecting a method 181 setting the difference calculation 181 materiality creating 98 defining 97 definition (glossary) 197 metadata activating 63 character set 156, 157 creating 61 deleting 62 exporting 154, 157 import order 153 importing 148 multiply definition (glossary) 197
N navigation bar 12 navigation icons 12
Index
O objects activating 63 deactivating 63 overview navigation bar 12 reconciliations 7
P parent accounts 102 assigning child accounts 106, 107 assigning parent accounts 107 balance page 21 creating 103 definition (glossary) 197 deleting 108 designating the winning accounts 110 linking to other parent accounts 107 partners balance page 20 defining 75 definition (glossary) 197 periods archiving 194 closing 66, 67 closing (all) 67 creating 64, 65 defining 63 defining rates 65, 66 definition (glossary) 197 deleting 67 opening 66, 67 opening all 67 properties 64 restoring 194 personal information updating 14 purge definition (glossary) 197
R reconciliation process 19 reconciliations 179 balances in group currency 180
reconciliations (continued) matching invoices 180 overview 7 starting 19 starting process 59 statuses 177 stopping process 59 reporting companies defining 75 definition (glossary) 197 reports activating 186 activating report types and columns 186 balance 184 building 44, 47 deactivating 186 defining 184 defining the layout 188 definition (glossary) 197 deleting 47 deleting by date 188 for tracking progress 44 formats 187 interface styles 187 invoice 185
S standard comments attaching to balances 26 attaching to invoices 38 consulting, balances 26 creating 109 defining 108 definition (glossary) 197 deleting from invoices 38 in invoices 37 matching in invoices 41, 43 status definition (glossary) 197 statuses and actions 176 balances 173 changing labels 175 defining 172 in balances 29 reconciliations 177
209
Index
statuses (continued) stopping emails notifications to 170 user groups 174 summary emails definition (glossary) 197
transaction currencies definition (glossary) 197 transaction currency 71 translating amounts 71 defining method 72
T
U
templates account 115 account groups 120 account/journal account relationships 119 accounts 116, 117 balances 120 companies 128 company 127 company groups 131 currencies 133 currency 132 defining 113 invoice 135 invoices 136 journal 138 journal accounts 146 journals 139 template list 114 user group/company relationships 145 user groups 145 user/user group relationships 144 users 141, 143 top level account groups definition (glossary) 197
unfreezing definition (glossary) 197 user connections 57 user groups creating 92 definition (glossary) 197 statuses 174 user profiles tasks performed 19 user templates 141 configuring 143 usergroups defining 91 users creating 90, 91 defining 79 defining as company contacts 80 disconnecting 57 exporting 157 functions by profile 81 importing 148 profiles 80 properties 79
210
2009-02-23
Copyright
© 2009 SAP® BusinessObjects™. All rights reserved. SAP BusinessObjects and its logos, BusinessObjects, Crystal Reports®, SAP BusinessObjects Rapid Mart™, SAP BusinessObjects Data Insight™, SAP BusinessObjects Desktop Intelligence™, SAP BusinessObjects Rapid Marts®, SAP BusinessObjects Watchlist Security™, SAP BusinessObjects Web Intelligence®, and Xcelsius® are trademarks or registered trademarks of Business Objects, an SAP company and/or affiliated companies in the United States and/or other countries. SAP® is a registered trademark of SAP AG in Germany and/or other countries. All other names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owners. 2009-02-23
Contents
Chapter 1
Introduction to SAP BusinessObjects Intercompany......................7 Introduction to the documentation...............................................................8 If you encounter a problem..........................................................................8
Chapter 2
General interface information...........................................................11 Languages.................................................................................................11 To select the application language............................................................11 Saving changes in the database...............................................................11 Navigation bar............................................................................................12 Navigation in list boxes..............................................................................12
Chapter 3
General user tasks.............................................................................13 Logging in to the application......................................................................13 To log in to the application.........................................................................13 Changing your user information................................................................14 Filters.........................................................................................................15 Balances page display filters.....................................................................15 Ad hoc page filters.....................................................................................17
Chapter 4
The reconciliation process...............................................................19 Starting the reconciliation process.............................................................19 Balances pages.........................................................................................20 Detail by partners page..............................................................................20 Detail by parent accounts page.................................................................21 Detail by transaction currencies page.......................................................21
3
Contents
Detail by child accounts page....................................................................22 Creating and opening balances.................................................................23 To select a declaring company..................................................................24 To select a period.......................................................................................24 To create or open a balance row...............................................................24 Entering amounts in balances...................................................................25 Journal account resets...............................................................................25 Attaching a standard comment to a balance.............................................26 Attaching a file to a balance.......................................................................27 Entering a comment for a balance.............................................................28 Communicating with the partner via statuses and actions........................29 Resetting and removing balances.............................................................30 Freezing a company balance....................................................................31 Freezing the balances of a company and its partners...............................31 Company-partner relationships.................................................................32 Entering invoice amounts..........................................................................33 To enter an invoice.....................................................................................34 Invoice updates..........................................................................................35 Invoice comments......................................................................................36 Invoice standard comments.......................................................................37 Attaching a file to an invoice......................................................................38 Why match invoices?.................................................................................39 Tracking progress via emails.....................................................................43 To start or stop receiving detailed emails..................................................44 Tracking progress via reports....................................................................44 Report contents.........................................................................................44 Deleting reports.........................................................................................47 Exporting financial data.............................................................................48 Exporting journals......................................................................................48 Exporting balances....................................................................................49 Exporting balances to SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation......52 Exporting invoices......................................................................................54
4
Contents
Chapter 5
Administration of the application.....................................................57 Managing database connections...............................................................57 Managing database user connections.......................................................57 Managing connections to different databases...........................................58 Database maintenance..............................................................................58 Defining the database structure.................................................................59 Starting and stopping the reconciliation process.......................................59 The database structure..............................................................................60 Metadata....................................................................................................61 Periods.......................................................................................................63 Currencies.................................................................................................68 Company groups.......................................................................................73 Companies.................................................................................................74 Users.........................................................................................................79 User groups...............................................................................................91 Account groups..........................................................................................92 Materiality values.......................................................................................97 Journal accounts........................................................................................99 Accounts..................................................................................................101 Standard comments.................................................................................108 Forced agreements..................................................................................109 Templates for data import and export......................................................113 Importing data..........................................................................................147 Exporting metadata..................................................................................154 Consulting import and export results.......................................................159 General administrative tasks...................................................................159 Freezing and unfreezing company balances...........................................159 Invoice matching......................................................................................162 Email........................................................................................................168 Statuses...................................................................................................172 Reconciliations.........................................................................................179 Difference calculation type.......................................................................181 Categories...............................................................................................182
5
Contents
Data entry period.....................................................................................182 Audit ID....................................................................................................183 Default flow..............................................................................................183 Reports....................................................................................................184 Purging balances and invoices................................................................189 Balance and invoice interface display.....................................................190 Deleting invoices by company, parent or child account...........................191 Decimals in balances...............................................................................193 Archiving balances...................................................................................193 The application login page text................................................................194 Digit grouping symbols............................................................................195 Chapter 6
Glossary............................................................................................197
Appendix A
More Information..............................................................................201
Index
6
205
Introduction to SAP BusinessObjects Intercompany
Introduction to SAP BusinessObjects Intercompany
SAP BusinessObjects Intercompany is a web application that enables you to manage the reconciliation process.
In the application, reconciliations are dealt with as follows: •
Peer-to-peer reconciliations are in real time. The head office does not validate peer-to-peer reconciliations; only the companies that perform the transactions are involved in reconciling the balances.
•
Adjustments are made when necessary.
•
The head office ensures that the reconciliation process is trouble free, and acts as referee when differences remain.
•
Amounts are integrated in the consolidation packages.
The reconciliation process works as follows: •
The Administrator configures the reconciliation process by configuring the database and connections, and then starts the process.
•
Users of all profiles log in to the application to perform specific tasks in the reconciliation process.
•
At the end of the reconciliation process, the Administrator runs a forced agreement, then freezes balances.
•
Users then export the balance amounts and journals.
7
Introduction to SAP BusinessObjects Intercompany
Introduction to the documentation The user documentation offers general and in-depth information on the application. There are four types of user: •
The Administrator defines the database objects.
•
Interactive Users add, modify, and delete balances and invoices, perform invoice matching, import and export balances and invoices, and create reports and freeze companies.
•
Power Users monitor the progress of the companies within their scope of responsibility. Power users can also export balances and invoices, build reports, and freeze and unfreeze companies.
•
View Users consult data and monitor how balances are progressing. View Users can also export balances and invoices and build reports.
Related Topics
•
User profiles on page 80
If you encounter a problem If you do not find the answers you need in the documentation, inform the internal corporate correspondent. This correspondent groups questions and presents them to SAP Business Objects software support. The correspondent must be able to provide the following information:
8
•
The software version installed on your workstation
•
The computer environment used, for example, Web, Citrix, or Windows
•
The type of database and the version, for example, Oracle, MSSQL Server, or IBM DB2
•
The server and client workstation operating systems
•
The network connection, such as RNIS, WAN, or LAN, and any other software components used, such as Internet Explorer, IIS, or Apache
Introduction to SAP BusinessObjects Intercompany
•
The exact content of the messages that appeared on your screen when the error occurred
•
A description of what occurred and what action you were performing at the time
•
How you tried to solve the problem
Do not hesitate to send the correspondent any screen shots, reports, error messages, or any other element to help solve the problem.
9
Introduction to SAP BusinessObjects Intercompany
10
General interface information
General interface information
The application offers shortcuts and links to help you move easily and quickly between tabs and pages.
Languages The Administrator assigns a default language that affects all text components of the web site pages, for example, tabs, commands, windows, and online help, and all of the names and descriptions stored in the database. Users can change the language.
To select the application language 1. Click the Language link. The "Language" dialog box appears. 2. Click the language you want to apply. The dialog box closes and the web page text is changed to the language you selected.
Saving changes in the database Once you have created an object, the Update button replaces the Create button and is used to save any changes you make including: •
changes made to an object
•
balances entered
11
General interface information
Navigation bar The navigation bar consist of the following tabs that correspond to the main functions in the application: •
Balances, for all users
•
Import/Export, for Administrators and Interactive Users
•
Reports, for all users
•
Administration, for Administrators
Navigation in list boxes In the selection lists, the following icons enable you to: Return to the first page
Return to the previous page
Go to the next page
Go to the last page
12
General user tasks
General user tasks
This section explains how to: •
log in to the application
•
change your user information
•
delete objects
•
work with filters
Logging in to the application Once the Administrator has started the reconciliation process, users log in to the application using the user name and password assigned to them by the Administrator. Note:
• •
If the reconciliation process is not running, you cannot connect to the application. The Administrator assigns a language to each user. When a user connects to the application, the application opens in the language that has been assigned to that particular user. Users can change the language.
Related Topics
•
Languages on page 11
To log in to the application 1. Enter the Internet address provided by the Administrator in your web browser. 2. Enter your user name and password.
13
General user tasks
Note:
The password is case sensitive, however the user name is not, for example you can enter it indiscriminately in uppercase or lowercase letters. 3. Click Log On. Note:
If you have problems connecting, contact your Administrator.
4.
•
If this is not the first time you have logged in, the Balances tab appears displaying the balances.
•
If you are logging in for the first time, you need to change your password and then select a period.
Select the company on which you want to work by clicking right of the current company name.
to the
Note:
To log out of the application, click the Log off link.
Changing your user information In Administration > Your Profile, users can change the following information about themselves: •
Name
•
Password
•
Email address
•
Phone and fax numbers
•
Address
•
Some users can also choose whether they want to receive detailed emails.
Users also have the following options:
14
•
store the last balances page used in the memory.
•
display the code and description of objects displayed in the balances page.
General user tasks
Related Topics
•
Tracking progress via emails on page 43
Filters Users create filters to customize the information on a page. At any time these restrictions can be deactivated so that all application objects appear on screen. A "Balance" page display filter for a specific company can be saved and affects the "Balance" page view every time a user opens the page, until the filter is deactivated. An ad hoc filter uses the Search options when available to limit the informations shown on a page. The filter lasts only as long as the user views the page before changing to another page.
Balances page display filters Users create filters to customize the options displayed in the "Balances" pages. At any time the restrictions can be deactivated so that all application objects appear on screen. Note:
• •
The filters defined are applied to the current company and period. When the filters are activated, Filtered appears to the right of the Filter button on the balances page.
Related Topics
•
Account groups on page 92
To set a Balances page filter 1. Click Filter in the navigation bar. 2. To filter by a Status in currency pages and when entering child amounts, click
and select a status.
15
General user tasks
3. To filter by a Group Status in partner and parent account pages, select one of the following: • Agreed • Not Agreed 4. To filter by a Matching Difference in the Group currency, select >= or <= and enter a threshold amount. 5. To set the Partner with which the current company performed the transaction, click and select a company code. 6. To filter by accounts affected by the transaction: a. Click . b. Activate the accounts. c. Click Select. 7.
To filter by an Account Group, click list.
and select a group from the
8.
To filter by the transaction currency, click and select the currency from the list. 9. To filter by a partner's timestamp, for example when the partner last made changes to the balances in question, activate one of the following: • Start/Finish Set the start and finish date and time. •
Last Hours Type the number of timestamp hours in a 24 hour period.
10. Click Apply.
To store the last balances page used in the memory 1. In the Administration tab, click Your Profile. 2. Activate Remember Last Balance Page. 3. Click Update.
16
General user tasks
To activate code and description display in the Balances page navigation row To ensure that the navigation row is not too long, you can choose to display only the codes. 1. In the Administration tab, click Your Profile. 2. From the Balance Page Navigation Option list, select one of the following: • Show Code • Show Description • Show Both 3. Click Update.
To remove a filter and display all objects in the Balances page 1. Click Filter in the navigation bar. 2. Click Clear. The filter is removed and all objects appear in the balances page.
Toggling between filters To toggle filters in the balances page click the Toggle Filters link in the navigation bar. Note:
If this link is not displayed, it means that no filters have been defined in the "System Filter" page.
Ad hoc page filters Use ad hoc filters to select the objects you want to display in the current page. These filters are not stored in the memory.
17
General user tasks
For example, the user changes the page parameters and then navigates through the company pages, making changes and then saving the changes. The filter is stored in the memory. When the user goes to Administration > Metadata > Currencies, the filter is gone.
To create an ad hoc filter 1. In a page with the Search feature, select the criteria from the list or enter text in the relevant text boxes. Tip:
If there is a long list of companies, and you want to find a company quickly, enter the first letters of the company's name. 2. Click Search.
18
The reconciliation process
The reconciliation process
During the reconciliation process, different users perform different tasks: •
Administrators import balances.
•
Interactive Users enter data and load the balances.
•
Power Users monitor the progress of the companies in their scope of responsibility by consulting balances and using reports. Power also act as referees when two companies do not agree, for example by adding comments, and can freeze company balances.
•
View Users consult data and monitor how balances are progressing by consulting balances and reports.
Related Topics
• • •
User profiles on page 80 Balances pages on page 20 Importing data on page 147
Starting the reconciliation process Once the Administrator has configured the database, the reconciliation process can start. Note:
Once the process is started, the Administrator cannot make any changes to the database structure. The Administrator starts the process in two ways: •
automatically
•
manually
Users then have access to the database and are able to enter their data.
19
The reconciliation process
Related Topics
•
Starting and stopping the reconciliation process on page 59
Balances pages There are two ways of loading balances: •
Manual data entry, which involves creating and entering an amount for a balance by the Administrator or Interactive User
•
Import from a file by the Administrator or Interactive User
A balance is an amount entered in the database. There are four types of pages: •
"Detail by partners"
•
"Detail by parent accounts"
•
"Detail by transaction currencies"
•
"Detail by child accounts "
You access these pages via the Balances tab. The column headers and order are defined by the Administrator. Related Topics
• •
Importing data on page 147 Entering amounts in balances on page 25
Detail by partners page The "Detail by partners" page offers an overview of how the current company and its partners are progressing with the reconciliation. The "Detail by partners" page can include: •
20
the Partner Status column, which indicates the status of the relationship between your company and the partner. The status is either "Agreed" or "Not Agreed".
The reconciliation process
•
the Group Difference column, which indicates differences in User Group currency.
•
the Contact column. Click the envelope icon to contact the company.
•
the Balance Count column, which indicates the number of amounts entered.
•
the Company Timestamp column, which indicates when the balances were last changed.
•
the Their Timestamp column, which indicates when the partner's balances were last changed.
Detail by parent accounts page The "Detail by parent accounts" page offers an overview of how the current company and the selected partner are progressing with the reconciliation for all of the accounts. The "Detail by parent accounts" page can include: •
the Group Status column, which indicates the status of a particular parent account: this is either agreed or not agreed.
•
the Group Amount column, which indicates amounts in User Group currency.
•
the Balance Count column, which indicates the number of amounts entered.
•
the Timestamp column, which indicates when the balances were last changed.
Detail by transaction currencies page The "Detail by transaction currencies" page offers an overview of how the current company and the selected partner are progressing with the reconciliation for the selected account and all the transaction currencies. The "Detail by transaction currencies" page can include:
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The reconciliation process
•
the Currency Code column, which indicates the transaction currency codes.
•
the Transaction Status column, which indicates the status of the balance.
•
the Transaction Amount column, which indicates the amounts expressed in transaction currency.
•
the Local Amount column, which indicates the amounts expressed in local currency.
•
the Group Amount column, which indicates the amounts expressed in User Group currency.
•
the Balance Count column, which indicates the number of amounts entered.
•
the Standard Comment column
•
the Comment column
•
the File column
•
the Timestamp column
Related Topics
•
Status symbols and descriptions on page 172
Detail by child accounts page The "Detail by child accounts" page enables you to enter or consult amounts. It also displays the breakdown of the balances. The "Detail by child accounts" page can include:
22
•
The Transaction Amount and Local Amount columns, which enable you to enter balance amounts in transaction and local currency for each child account (depending on the Administrator's choice).
•
The Reset Transaction Journal and Reset Local Journal columns, which enable you to define changed amounts as original amounts. These columns are useful for calculating differences stored in the journal accounts.
•
The post-it icon, indicating that a comment has been entered.
The reconciliation process
•
The paperclip icon, indicating that a file has been attached.
•
Key entry text fields, indicating a child account data entry row.
•
The Group Amount column, which converts the local or transaction currency amounts, depending on the Administrator's choice, into the User Group currency.
•
The Side column, indicating the status of the current parent account.
Note:
If there are invoices in the database, the Invoices column appears. Related Topics
• •
Matching invoices on page 180 Status symbols and descriptions on page 172
Creating and opening balances All users can view and export balances; however only Administrators and Interactive Users can import, create and modify balances. The Administrator defines the declaring companies and the periods to which each user has access. To create or open balances, the Administrator or Interactive User selects the following: •
a declaring company The declaring company is the company the current user is working on.
•
a period The period is the date to which the amounts are linked.
•
a partner
•
an account
•
a currency The transaction currency may be imposed by the Administrator. If this is the case, the Administrator or Interactive User must enter all the amounts in the transaction currency chosen by the Administrator.
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The reconciliation process
The Administrator or Interactive User can select another currency. If a default transaction currency has been defined by the Administrator, it appears in the "Currency" field. When users log in for the first time, they must select a period and the company on which they want to work. The system memorizes the period and company selected for the next time users log in. However, users can change the period and company whenever required if there are several periods and/or companies available. Related Topics
•
Translating amounts on page 71
To select a declaring company 1.
In the navigation bar, click to the right of the current company. 2. In the Companies dialog box, select a company. The balances page for the company appears.
To select a period 1.
In the navigation bar, click to the right of the current period. 2. In the Periods dialog box, select a period. The balances page for the period appears.
To create or open a balance row The Add/Access Balance button is only available when the reconciliation process is running. 1. In the companies, partners or currencies pages, click Add/Access Balance. Depending on which type of page you are in, the "Partner" and "Account" fields may already be filled in.
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The reconciliation process
Note:
If the Currency field is already filled in, then the Administrator has chosen the transaction currency. You can select another currency to use when entering amounts. 2. Select the required objects. 3. Click Create.
Entering amounts in balances You enter amounts in the "Detail by child accounts" page. The decimal symbol used depends on the application server's regional settings. The Administrator previously defined how Group currency amounts are calculated on the basis of the amounts entered. Note:
Calculations are defined using absolute values; it is important to use the minus (-) sign for negative amounts. Click Update to save the amounts entered in the database. Note:
If the Administrator has authorized the use of invoices and activated Invoices Drive Balances in the Administration > Settings > Invoice Settings, each time you click Update, a message appears indicating that the balance amounts and the sum of invoices linked to the balances no longer correspond. Related Topics
•
Detail by child accounts page on page 22
Journal account resets If an error is made when entering data, you can enter the correct amount and define it as the original amount. The correct amount is then taken into consideration when the difference is calculated. When the Administrator has assigned each child account to a journal account, the following columns appear in the currency pages in which amounts are entered: •
Reset Transaction Journal
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The reconciliation process
•
Reset Local Journal This column appears when you can enter local currency amounts.
The original amount is the amount stored in the initial accounting system. The amount stored in the journal account, linked to the child account in which data is entered, is the difference between the first and last amounts saved in the database. The difference is called the adjustment amount. Related Topics
•
Journal accounts on page 99
To reset a transaction journal amount 1. In the page for entering amounts, enter the amount to be defined as the original amount in the Transaction Amount column. 2. Activate the Reset Transaction Journal column. 3. Click Update.
Attaching a standard comment to a balance Standard comments are pre-defined by the Administrator. The post-it icon indicates that a standard comment is attached. To consult a standard comment, in the Comments column click the post-it icon displayed beside the child account with the comment you want to consult.
To attach a standard comment 1. In the Standard Comment column, click the plus icon displayed beside the child account containing the amount to which you want to add the comment. 2. Select the required standard comment from the list. 3. Click OK. 4. Click Update. The post-it icon appears in the "Standard Comment" column.
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The reconciliation process
To delete a standard comment 1. In the Standard Comments column, click the post-it icon displayed beside the child account with the comment you want to delete. 2. Select - from the list. 3. Click OK. 4. Click Update.
Attaching a file to a balance Note:
Files in HTML format are not allowed. The paperclip icon indicates that a file is attached. To consult a file attached to a balance, in the File column click the paperclip icon. The file opens.
To attach a file to a balance 1. In the File column, click the + icon displayed in the row of the child account to which you want to attach the file. 2. Click Browse. 3. In the "Choose file" dialog box, select the relevant file. 4. Click Open. 5. Click Attach.
To delete an attached file from a balance 1. In the File column, click the - icon. 2. Click Delete.
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The reconciliation process
Entering a comment for a balance The Administrators, Interactive User, or Power User can enter a comment for each amount, for example to explain why an amount was entered or provide extra information about a particular balance. The post-it icon indicates that a comment has been entered by the company and that it can be changed. The declaring company that entered the comment sees this icon. The post-it icon with a little padlock indicates that a comment has been entered by the company and cannot be changed. The partner sees this icon. To consult a comment entered for a balance, click a post-it icon displayed beside the child account containing the amount with the comment you want to consult. The dialog box enabling you to consult the comment appears. Note:
Comments can be entered depending on the balance states and the setting defined by the Administrator. You can enter comments for certain states.
To enter a comment for a balance 1. In the "Comments" column, click the plus icon displayed beside the child account containing the amount to which you want to add the comment. 2. Enter your comment. 3. Click OK. 4. In the balance page, click Update. The post-it icon appears in the "Comments" column of the "Detail by Child Accounts" page.
To delete a comment entered for a balance 1. In the "Comments" column, click the post-it icon displayed beside the child account with the comment you want to delete. 2. Delete the comment. 3. Click OK.
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The reconciliation process
4. In the balance page, click Update. The post-it icon disappears from the "Comments" column in the "Detail by Child Accounts" page.
Communicating with the partner via statuses and actions Statuses and actions enable companies to communicate with each other regarding how the balances are progressing. When you select a status, a dialog box appears and you select the action you want to perform. For example, the Canadian Food company has requested the balances be reopened in order to change an amount. The UK Snacks company responds to this request. The UK Snacks user clicks the status. In the dialog box, UK Snacks accepts the balances be reopened so that Canadian Food can change their amount. The changes are saved. Another status replaces the first to indicate that UK Snacks accepted the request to reopen the balance. If the necessary settings have been configured by the Administrator, each status change generates an automatic email to the company users enabling them to keep track of progress. Related Topics
• • • • •
Statuses and actions on page 176 Matching invoices on page 180 User Group statuses on page 174 Status symbols and descriptions on page 172 Tracking progress via emails on page 43
To make a request or respond to a request 1. In the page used for entering balances, click the company status icon. 2. In the "Action" section of the "Change Event" panel, click the link corresponding to your response to the request. 3. In the page for entering balances, click Update.
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The previous status is replaced by a new status.
Resetting and removing balances Certain users are authorized to reset or delete amounts, including: •
Administrators - authorized to change any balance in any company.
•
Interactive Users - authorized to change only the balances belonging to the companies to which they have access. Note:
The balances of frozen companies cannot be reset or removed. Deleting and resetting a company's data is performed in a single action. This has the following impact: •
If the partners have not loaded the balances, all the amounts and balance rows are deleted.
•
If one or more partners have already loaded balances, only the amounts loaded by the declaring company are reset. However, the balances and other amounts remain the same.
Note:
This action is performed when the reconciliation process is running. Related Topics
•
Authorizing Power Users to freeze companies with unmatched balances on page 160
To reset or remove company balances 1. In the Administration tab, select Companies under "Metadata". 2. Click the link for the company on which you want to perform the action. 3. Click Reset/Remove Balances. A confirmation message appears. 4. Click OK.
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Freezing a company balance Once balances are frozen, no changes can be made to them. Declaring companies are responsible for deciding when the balances are to be frozen once all of the work is complete and when the partners can no longer make any changes. By default, any users, except View Users, can freeze their company balances if they have been agreed. However, if the Administrator defined the necessary configuration before starting the process, users can also freeze all their company balances whether they are agreed or not.
Freezing the balances of a company and its partners If a balance is frozen, neither the declaring company nor any of its partners can change it. Note:
•
•
If an error has been made, only Administrators can unfreeze company balances, unless the Administrator gives Power Users the right to freeze companies. If the Administrator authorizes companies to freeze balances only when they have been agreed, the companies can freeze balances only in the "Company Agreed To Differ" and "Partner Agreed To Differ" states.
Related Topics
• •
Freezing a company balance on page 31 Authorizing Power Users to freeze companies with unmatched balances on page 160 • Statuses on page 172
To freeze the balances of a company and of all its partners 1. Do one of the following:
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The reconciliation process
•
Click the Balances tab. The "Detail by partners" page appears.
•
Select Administration > Companies > [company to be frozen]. The selected company's page appears.
2. Click Freeze Company. A confirmation message appears. 3. Click OK.
Company-partner relationships If a balance is frozen, neither the declaring company nor its partner can change it. For example, if a user freezes the balances belonging to company 01 and its partner 04, no further balances can be added for either company. On the other hand, this does not affect the balances entered relating to company 01 by its partner 08. Balances can still be added for both companies. To freeze a company-partner pair, both companies must freeze their balances. In another example, the US Mag company has frozen the company-partner pair, so the snowflake icon appears at the end of its line in the balance table. However, there is no icon in front of the US Music company on the balances page, which means that its balances are not frozen. As a result, the balances for the company-partner pair are only partially frozen. The snowflake icon in front of the company code and name on the Balances page indicates that the US Music company has also frozen the company-partner pair. As a result, the balances for the company-partner pair are now frozen. Note:
You must freeze balances before exporting them. If the balances for a company-partner pair have only been frozen by one company, only the
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The reconciliation process
balances belonging to that company are exported. The balances belonging to the company which did not perform a freeze operation are not exported.
To freeze/unfreeze the relationship between a company and a single partner 1. Click the Balances tab. 2. Click the required partner. The parent account page appears. 3. Click Freeze Relationship or Unfreeze Relationship. A confirmation dialog box appears. 4. Click OK.
To freeze/unfreeze the balances of a company against all its partners 1. Click the Balances tab. 2. Click Freeze Company or Unfreeze Company. A confirmation dialog box appears. 3. Click OK. Note:
If a relationship has been frozen by a company, and you then try to freeze the company, the partner relationship remains frozen.
Entering invoice amounts All users can view and export invoices; however only Administrators and Interactive Users can import, create, delete, and modify invoices. If the invoice reference already exists, the Administrators and Interactive Users can: •
replace the existing amount
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•
add the new amount to the existing amount
If the Administrator previously specified that the creation of invoices would generate balances containing the sum of the invoice amounts, Administrators and Interactive Users can also automatically recalculate the balance based on the invoice amount. When Administrators and Interactive Users import and manually enter invoices, the balances created contain amounts which are the sums of the invoices linked to the balances. The balances are created for the same company, partner, transaction currency, and account as the corresponding invoices. You can access the invoices by navigating through the balances pages. Related Topics
•
Invoice matching on page 162
To enter an invoice 1. In the "Detail by child accounts" page used for entering balances, click in the invoice column. Note:
The Invoice label can be customized. Another term may therefore appear here. 2. Click Add Invoice. 3. Click to add an invoice to another child account (other than the one open) in the Account field. 4. Enter the following information in the relevant fields: • the invoice reference •
the invoice amount in the transaction currency
•
the invoice amount in the local currency
5. Select Override or Aggregate. 6. If you want the balance to be recalculated based on the invoice amount, select the Update Balance option.
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Note:
This option only appears if the option has been selected in the Global Parameters menu. 7. Click Create. The new invoice appears in the list.
Invoice updates Once an invoice has been entered manually or imported, an Administrators or Interactive User can change the following information: •
the invoice reference
•
the child account to which it is assigned
•
the transaction amount
•
the local amount
For each invoice, the Administrator, Interactive User, or Power User can add, modify, or delete: •
a comment
•
a standard comment
•
a file
Note:
If the invoice is included in an invoice group, it cannot be changed and the link to the group is displayed. If the Administrator has chosen to activate them, the fields below are also available to provide additional information on the invoices. •
The Invoice Group ID field specifies the group ID reference associated to the invoice. The Invoice Group ID field is not an editable field as it is system generated. Note:
The Invoice Group ID field is only displayed if Invoice Level Matching has been activated.
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•
The following text type fields: Invoice Text 1, Invoice Text 2, Invoice Text 3, Invoice Text 4, Invoice Text 5. If the Administrator predefined the "Invoice Text 1" and "Invoice Text 2" fields, the user can use the list to select the predefined text required.
•
The following amount type fields: Invoice Amount 1, Invoice Amount 2, Invoice Amount 3.
•
The following date type fields: Date Amount 1, Date Amount 2, Date Amount3. A calendar is available beside each date type field.
Related Topics
• • • • •
Additional fields for invoices on page 166 Deleting invoices by company, parent or child account on page 191 Attaching a file to an invoice on page 38 Invoice comments on page 36 Balance and invoice interface display on page 190
Invoice comments Use a comment in an invoice to explain, for example, why an amount was entered or to provide extra information about a particular invoice. The post-it icon indicates that a comment has been entered by a company and can be changed. The declaring company that entered the comment sees this icon. The post-it icon with a little padlock indicates that a comment has been entered by a company and cannot be changed. The partner can see the icon.
To enter a comment for an invoice 1. Select the Balances tab. 2. Navigate through the balances to the "Detail by child accounts" page. 3. In the Invoice Reference column, click the invoice to which you want to add a comment. 4. In the invoice edit page, click next to "Comment".
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5. In the Comment field, enter your comment. 6. Click OK. 7. In the invoice page, click Update. The post-it icon appears in the "Comments" column in the "Invoices" page.
To consult a comment entered for an invoice 1. 2. 3. 4.
Select the Balances tab. Navigate through the balances to the "Invoices" page. In the Invoice Reference column, select a reference. In the invoice edit page, click the post-it icon for the invoice whose comment you want to consult. The comment appears.
To delete a comment entered for an invoice 1. Select the Balances tab. 2. Navigate through the balances to the "Invoices" page. 3. In the Invoice Reference column, click the invoice whose comment you want to delete . 4. In the invoice edit page, click the post-it icon. 5. Delete the text in the text box. 6. Click OK. 7. In the invoice edit page, click Update. The post-it icon disappears from the "Comments" field in the "Invoices" page.
Invoice standard comments You can select a standard comment for each amount in an invoice. Comments are pre-defined by the Administrator.
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Related Topics
•
Freezing and unfreezing company balances on page 159
To attach a standard comment to an invoice 1. In the Invoices page, click the invoice to which you want to attach a standard comment. 2. In the invoice edit page, click next to "Standard Comment". 3. Select the required standard comment from the list. 4. Click OK. 5. In the invoice page, click Update. The standard comment text appears in the "Standard Comment" column.
To delete a standard comment from an invoice 1. In the Invoices page, click the invoice in which you want to delete a standard comment. 2. In the invoice edit page, click next to "Standard Comment". 3. Select - from the list. 4. Click OK, then Update. The standard comment text disappears from the "Standard Comment" column.
Attaching a file to an invoice Note:
Files in HTML format are not allowed. The paperclip icon indicates that a file is attached. To consult a file attached to an invoice, in the File column of the Invoices for page, click the paperclip icon. The file opens.
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To attach a file to an invoice 1. In the "Invoices" page, click the invoice to which you want to attach a file. 2. In the invoice edit page, click next to "File". 3. Click Browse. 4. In the "Choose File" dialog box, select the relevant file. 5. Click Open. 6. Click Attach.
To delete a file from an invoice 1. In the File field of the Invoices page, click 2. Click Delete.
.
Why match invoices? If the Administrator has authorized the use of invoices, an Administrator or Interactive User can match company invoices with those of the partner, making it easier to match the balances declared. Matching invoices is not compulsory. However, it does enable you to understand why differences exist between the balances declared in the declaring company's accounts and those declared in the partner's accounts. If the necessary settings have been configured by the Administrator, invoices can also be matched using the standard comments. Related Topics
•
Matching invoices on page 180
Auto matching invoices When importing invoices, the declaring company's invoices are compared to the partner's. The invoices matched automatically:
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The reconciliation process
•
have the same transaction reference
•
contain the same transaction amount
You can consult invoices via the data entry page for child accounts. •
The following icon tells you that the total of the invoices is equal to the balance in the child account:
•
The following icon tells you that the total of the invoices differs from the balance in the child account:
To consult invoices for a currency transaction 1. Select the Balances tab. 2. Navigate through the balances to the "Detail by child accounts" page. 3. In the Invoices column, click one of the following icons:
The "Invoices" page appears. Note:
In this page, you can: •
consult comments entered by the partner
•
sort the "Invoice Reference", "Transaction Amount", and "Local Amount" columns Note:
Cancel the sort by clicking the following icon:
•
delete the invoices
•
display and hide the additional columns
Related Topics
• •
40
Detail by child accounts page on page 22 Deleting invoices by company, parent or child account on page 191
The reconciliation process
Matching invoices manually If some invoices were not matched during the automatic matching process being run, the Administrator or Interactive User can manually match the remaining invoices. Note:
Even if all of the invoices are not matched, this does not block the reconciliation process. Manually matching the declaring company's invoices with those of the partner creates an invoice group. Note:
When performing this task, you can find that one declaring company's invoice corresponds to more than one of the partner's invoices or vice versa.
To match invoices manually 1. Select the Balances tab. 2. Navigate through the balances to the "Detail by child accounts" page. 3. Click Match Invoices. The "Invoice Match" page appears. Note:
In this page, you can: •
consult comments entered by the partner
•
sort the "Invoice Reference", "Transaction Amount", and "Local Amount" columns Note:
Cancel the sort by clicking the following icon:
•
delete the invoices
•
display and hide the additional columns
The green check mark icon appears next to the invoices that have been matched. The red X icon appears next to the invoices that have not been
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The reconciliation process
matched. The invoices that do not have any particular status are unassigned. 4. Click the following icon corresponding to the invoice you want to match:
The Invoice Group page appears. If an invoice group has not already been created, the Create button becomes available. 5. Click Create. Note:
To add other declaring company invoices or partner invoices to the group, click Modify Members. 6. Do one of the following: • In the Assigned column, select the invoices required. •
Click Assign All Ourside or Assign All Theirside to assign all the invoices for the company or the partner.
•
To unassign all invoices to either the company or partner, click Un-Assign All Ourside or Un-Assign All Theirside.
7. Click Update. If all of the invoice amounts have been matched, the green check mark icon appears next to the invoice group. If all of the invoice amounts have not been matched, the red X icon appears next to the invoice group. You are able to see that there is still a variance. The status of the parent accounts is also unmatched. Note:
If you did not select a partner invoice, the invoice group has a red X icon and the status of the parent accounts is also unmatched. 8. To match invoices using standard comments and apply the same standard comment to all the invoices in the group, in the Standard Comment column, click the post-it icon for your company. 9. In the dialog box used to select the standard comment, select the standard comment required.
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10. Click Close. All the invoices belonging to your company now have the same standard comment. The partner must now perform the same operation and select the same standard comment for the invoices to be matched. Related Topics
•
Deleting invoices by company, parent or child account on page 191
Matching invoices using standard comments If activated by the Administrator, invoices can also be matched using their standard comments. To match the invoices, the same standard comment must be applied to all the invoices making up the invoice group. If different standard comments are used for the invoices of the declaring company and those belonging to the partner, the group of invoices is considered as unmatched. If the same standard comments are used for the invoices of the declaring company and those belonging to the partner, the group of invoices is considered as matched, even if differences exist. Related Topics
•
To match invoices manually on page 41
Tracking progress via emails To keep track of the progress made regarding the balances: •
Interactive Users and Administrators receive summary emails which provide a condensed report of the balance states.
•
Any users authorized by the Administrator to receive detailed emails can decide whether or not they want to receive emails when connected to the application. Detailed emails inform the user of events such as the partner requesting a balance be removed. Thus informed, the user can connect to the application and respond to the partner by performing an action.
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The reconciliation process
Related Topics
•
Automatic detailed emails on page 169
To start or stop receiving detailed emails 1. In the Administration tab, click the Your Profile link. 2. In the "Your Profile" page, activate or deactivate the Receive Detailed Emails option as required. Note:
If you do not have this option, you have been assigned a user profile that is not authorized to receive detailed emails. 3. Click Update.
Tracking progress via reports In order to analyze the differences and monitor the reconciliation process, all users can generate reports. Note:
The reports available depend on the configuration defined by the user. Related Topics
•
Reports on page 184
Report contents You can define reports based on the following criteria:
44
Report component
Description
Period
The current period is selected by default. However, you can select another period.
The reconciliation process
Report component
Description
Company
The current company is selected by default. However, you can select another company.
Partner
The partner with which the selected company performed transactions.
Transaction currency Accounts
Accounts affected by the transaction
Account group
Status
A status is used in currency pages and in pages for entering amounts for child accounts
Group status
The group status is used in partner pages and parent account pages
Reporting company Company Group Partner Company Group
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Report component
Description
Excluded Company Group
In this case, the amounts assigned to the company's company groups are all displayed except those assigned to the company group selected in the "Excluded Company Group" field.
Excluded Partner Company Group
In this case, the amounts assigned to the partner's company groups are all displayed except those assigned to the company group selected in the "Excluded Partner Company Group" field.
Difference
Difference is for report types that have a calculated difference.
Start Finish
Format
"Start" and "Finish" define the period in which the balances were changed. The format of the reports can be RPT, Excel, HTML, Word, Text, or PDF.
Note:
The Difference Analysis report also contains a column that displays the standard comments linked to the child account of the declaring company. You can specify how information should be displayed in the Difference Analysis report, filtering by: •
46
account code
The reconciliation process
•
transaction currency
•
status
Related Topics
•
Account groups on page 92
To build a report 1. 2. 3. 4.
In the Reports tab, click the link for the report type you want to display. Select the report contents. From the Format list, select the format you want to use. Click Build. The Cancel button appears enabling you to interrupt the process if necessary. Once the report has been built, a link appears at the bottom of the page.
5. Click the link. The report appears.
Deleting reports Users can delete the reports they have built. The Administrator can also delete reports by date. Related Topics
•
To delete reports on page 188
To delete a report 1. Select the Reports tab. All the reports that have been created for each report type are listed. 2. Click the red X icon to the right of the report to delete the report.
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A confirmation message appears. 3. Click OK.
Exporting financial data All users can export balance, invoice, and journal data. Only the Administrator can export companies, accounts, users, groups, and user group and group company relationships. Information on this type of export is described in the section called Exporting metadata. Related Topics
•
Exporting metadata on page 154
Exporting journals If the Administrator authorized the use of journal accounts, any user can export the amounts stored in the journal account to files. The file can then be imported into the source accounting system. Note:
You must freeze a company's balances before you can export them. Journal accounts are exported via an Administrator-defined template. The export operation automatically generates a file. When the export is complete, the "Summary" page displays the results of the export. Related Topics
• •
Consulting export results on page 157 Journal accounts on page 99
To export journals 1. In the Import/Export tab under "Export Data", click Export Journals. 2. From the Template list, select the template you want to use. 3. To specify which companies' journal amounts are to be exported, activate Use Company Filter.
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The "Company" and "Filter Criteria (Company Code)" fields appears. 4.
Click
to select companies.
Tip:
If you are exporting one company, or companies with a code that start with the same character, you can type the codes in the "Filter Criteria" field. 5. Click Export. The file is exported and the "Summary" page appears displaying the results of the export. Related Topics
•
Consulting export results on page 157
Exporting balances Any user can export the amounts stored in the application database to a file that can then be imported into the consolidation system. The types of balance export files are: •
Balances for general balance export templates Balance exports use only the amounts stored in frozen child accounts.
•
Subtotal Balances for subtotal balance export templates Subtotal Balance exports use only the amounts stored in frozen parent accounts.
•
Analysis Balances for analysis balance export templates Balance exports use only the amounts stored in unfrozen child accounts for analysis.
•
Analysis Subtotal Balances for subtotal analysis balance export templates Balance exports use only the amounts stored in unfrozen parent accounts for analysis.
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Note:
Each type of balance export uses a specific template defined by the Administrator. The export files can be filtered by: •
Companies
•
Partners
•
Reporting companies
When exporting balances or sub-totals, you can also specify that all of the periods should be taken into account. If this option is not activate, only the balances for the current period are exported. Related Topics
• •
Balance templates on page 120 Exporting balances to SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation on page 52
To export balance amounts 1. In the Import/Export tab, click the link for the relevant export type. 2. Select a template. 3. To specify the companies whose amounts you want to export, activate Use Company Filter and click
to select companies.
Tip:
If you are exporting one company, or companies with a code that start with the same character, you can type the codes in the "Filter Criteria" field. 4. To specify the partners whose amounts you want to export, activate Use Partner Filter and click
to select partners.
Tip:
If you are exporting one company, or companies with a code that start with the same character, you can type the codes in the "Filter Criteria" field.
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5. To specify the reporting companies whose amounts you want to export, activate Use Reporting Company Filter and click companies.
to select reporting
Tip:
If you are exporting one company, or companies with a code that start with the same character, you can type the codes in the "Filter Criteria" field. 6. To restrict the export data to companies or partners, choose the appropriate option in the "Use Data Filter" list: • Ours exports data only for companies to whom you have access •
Theirs exports data only for partners of companies to whom you have access
•
Both exports data for both companies and partners
Note:
This option is available only when the Administrator has activated Data Filter Enabled in the Administration > Settings > Balance Settings menu. 7. To export balances or sub-totals for all periods, activate All Periods. Note:
Do not activate this option if you want to export balances only for the current period. 8. Click Export. The file is exported and the "Summary" page appears displaying the results of the export. Related Topics
• •
Consulting export results on page 157 Exporting balance amounts to SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation on page 126 • Balance templates on page 120
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The reconciliation process
Exporting balances to SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation Any user can export the amounts stored in a database directly to a SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation database. The reconciliation process must be started before exporting balances to SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation. Note:
When you export balance amounts to SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation, only the local amount is exported; the transaction amount is not exported.
To export balance amounts to SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation 1. In the Import/Export tab, select Export Balances to SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation. Note:
The "Data Source" field is filled by default with the data source name set by the Administrator. 2. In the User Name field, type the name of the SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation user. Note:
To export balances to SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation from the application, SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation users must be declared as being allowed access to the application. 3. In the User Password field, type the SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation password if there is one. 4. To export the balance comments, activate Export Comments. 5. To specify the companies whose amounts you want to export, activate Use Company Filter, and click
52
to select companies.
The reconciliation process
Tip:
If you are exporting one company, or companies with a code that start with the same character, you can type the codes in the "Filter Criteria" field. 6. To further filter the balance amounts exported, specify the partners whose amounts you want to export by activating Use Partner Filter, and click to select partners. Tip:
If you are exporting one company, or companies with a code that start with the same character, you can type the codes in the "Filter Criteria" field. 7. To specify the reporting companies whose amounts you want to export, activate Use Reporting Company Filter, and click companies.
to select reporting
Tip:
If you are exporting one company, or companies with a code that start with the same character, you can type the codes in the "Filter Criteria" field. 8. To export balance amounts for all periods, activate All Periods. 9. Set the following SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation options if necessary: • Delete Target Data BeforeHand •
Load Rows Containing Zero Value Amount Note:
You cannot export balance amounts of 0 to SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation unless you activate this option. •
Replace Existing Amounts
•
Execute Package Rules
•
Execute Package Controls
•
Publish The Package
10. Click Export.
53
The reconciliation process
The balances are exported to SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation and the "Summary" page appears displaying the results of the export. Related Topics
•
Consulting export results on page 157
Exporting invoices Any user can export invoices to a file. Note:
Invoices are exported via a template defined by the Administrator. The export operation automatically generates a file.
To export invoices 1. In the Import/Export tab, click Export Invoices. 2. Select a template. 3. To specify the companies whose invoices you want to export, activate Use Company Filter and click
to select companies.
Tip:
If you are exporting one company, or companies with a code that start with the same character, you can type the codes in the "Filter Criteria" field. 4. To specify the partners whose amounts you want to export, activate Use Partner Filter and click
to select partners.
Tip:
If you are exporting one company, or companies with a code that start with the same character, you can type the codes in the "Filter Criteria" field. 5. To restrict the export data to companies or partners, choose the appropriate option in the Use Data Filter list:
54
The reconciliation process
•
Ours exports data only for companies to whom you have access
•
Theirs exports data only for partners of companies to whom you have access
•
Both exports data for both companies and partners
Note:
This option is available only when the Administrator has activated Data Filter Enabled in Administration > Settings > Balance Settings. 6. To export balance amounts for all periods, activate All Periods. 7. Click Export. The file is exported and the "Summary" page appears displaying the results of the export. Related Topics
•
Consulting export results on page 157
55
The reconciliation process
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Administration of the application
Administration of the application
Managing database connections This section explains how to: •
disconnect users and find out which users are logged on
•
manage database connections
•
maintain the database
Managing database user connections Using the Logged on Users utility, the Administrator can tell which users are connected at a particular point in time and which periods they are working on. The Administrator can disconnect all users (except other Administrators). Caution:
Any users logged on when this happens may lose their work.
To disconnect users 1. In the Administration tab, select Logged On Users. 2. Click Log Non-Administrators off system. A confirmation message appears. 3. Click OK.
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Administration of the application
Managing connections to different databases The Administrator can: •
assign several databases to the application. This operation is performed in the application control panel.
•
select the database that users can access in application.
Note:
• •
The Administrator must stop the reconciliation process to change databases. The Administrator can disconnect any other users that might be connected.
To set a database connection 1. 2. 3. 4.
In the SAP BusinessObjects Administration Console, click Add. Enter the data source information Click Test Connection, then OK. Select the server and click Connect.
Database maintenance If there are problems with performance or calculations, the Administrator can set up the following operations in Administration > Maintenance: •
automatic recalculations of all of the amounts. The Recalc button is used to recalculate the balances if they have not been updated, for example after the currencies have been changed in the database. Amounts in the user group currency and differences can be recalculated for each balance. As a consequence, the states are also changed.
•
58
refresh the list and update the processing percentage.
Administration of the application
Defining the database structure This section explains to Administrators how to configure the database structure. Note:
You need to stop the reconciliation process, if it is running, before you make updates to the database.
Starting and stopping the reconciliation process Caution:
When the Administrator stops the process, all the users who are logged in are automatically logged out and may lose their work. The Administrator can start and stop the process in two ways: •
Manually
•
Automatically In this case, the process starts automatically on the start date specified. Users can then enter their balances. The process stops automatically on the end date specified. Only the Administrator then has access to the database.
Caution:
The process must be stopped for the Administrator to be able to create or modify the application database structure. If the process is running, the metadata objects cannot be changed.
To manually start the reconciliation process 1. In the Administration tab, select Process. 2. Click Start.
To manually stop the reconciliation process 1. In the Administration tab, select Process.
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Administration of the application
2. Click Stop.
To automatically start and stop the reconciliation process 1. In the Administration tab, select System > Process. 2. If you are changing an existing reconciliation process, click Stop. 3. In the Process Start Date field, do one of the following: • Enter the required date using a DD/MM/YYYY format. • Click the calendar icon and choose the required date in the calendar that appears. 4. In the Process End Date field, do one of the following: • Enter the required date using a DD/MM/YYYY format. • Click the calendar icon and choose the required date in the calendar that appears. 5. Click Start if this is the first time you are setting up the reconciliation process, or Update if you are updating an existing reconciliation process,. 6. Click Save. The process starts and stops automatically on the dates specified.
The database structure The Administrator defines all the objects that make up the database structure in the following order: Database objects
Optional
Periods Currencies Groups Companies
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X
Administration of the application
Database objects
Optional
Users User Groups Account Groups Materiality values
X
Journal Accounts
X
Accounts Standard Comments
X
Forced Agreement
X
Metadata Metadata objects in the database include: •
users
•
user groups
•
companies
•
company groups
Creating metadata objects Create metadata objects: •
by directly entering them manually
•
by importing them from files
Even if the majority of objects can be imported, it is necessary to enter certain objects to ensure metadata consistency.
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Administration of the application
Note:
Users and User Groups can be created and changed while the reconciliation process is running.
Deleting metadata objects It is generally not possible to delete a metadata object if it is already linked to another object. For example, you cannot delete a currency if it has already been defined as the local currency for a company. The Administrator can delete: •
one or more related metadata objects, like a currency, a company, or an account.
•
a group of related metadata objects, like all of the companies or all of the accounts.
To delete a metadata object 1. Stop the reconciliation process. 2. In the page that lists the relevant metadata objects, for example, in Ad ministration > Currencies, click the red X icon to the right of the object that you want to delete. A confirmation message appears. 3. Click OK. 4. Restart the reconciliation process.
To delete a group of related metadata objects 1. Stop the reconciliation process. 2. In the page that lists the relevant metadata objects, for example, in Ad ministration > Currencies, click Purge Currencies. A confirmation message appears. 3. Click OK. 4. Restart the reconciliation process.
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Administration of the application
Activating and deactivating a metadata object You can authorize or deny the use of each metadata object in the balances. Caution:
No changes can be made if the reconciliation process is running and if balances exist. You can activate or deactivate companies when the process is stopped, even if the existing balances have not been purged. The icons in the Status column specify whether or not the company is active: •
The green check mark icon indicates that the company is active.
•
The red X indicates that the company is inactive.
To activate or deactivate an object, go to the object's page and do one of the following: •
check the Inactive box so that the object cannot be used in balances.
•
deactivate the Inactive box so that the object can be used in balances.
Periods Periods are defined by a start date and an end date. These dates determine the period to which the amounts that are entered or imported for balances are linked. The periods defined in the application should be the same as those used in the consolidation system to which the amounts are exported. The following objects are linked to any given period: •
Materiality thresholds
•
Currency rates
•
The Frozen status for companies
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Administration of the application
Note:
In a new database, the Administrator must create at least one period to have access to the application functions.
Period properties The process start and end dates determine the period during which users can access the database to work on their balances. Before and after this period, only the Administrator has access to the database. A period is characterized by the following properties: •
A name The name is compulsory. No two periods have the same name.
•
A start date
•
An end date
•
A status The status specifies whether the period is open, closed, archived or restored.
•
You can also specify if the rates used by default for the period are correct.
Related Topics
• • •
Opening and closing periods on page 66 Archiving balances on page 193 Rates for new periods on page 65
Creating periods In a new database, the Administrator must create at least one period to have access to all the the application functions. When you create a period, the materiality thresholds and rates are carried over from the previous period and applied to the new period. When frozen companies are carried over to a new period, they are no longer frozen in the new period.
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Administration of the application
As soon as a period has been created, it can be selected in the navigation bar.
To create a period 1. In the Administration tab, select Periods. 2. ClickAdd New. The "Create Period" page appears. 3. In the Code field, enter the name assigned to the period. 4. In the "Description" box, enter a long name. 5. In the Start and End fields, enter the dates or select them in the calendar using the calendar icon. 6. Click Create. The "Status" and "Clear Warning" fields appears. Related Topics
•
To confirm rates for a period on page 66
Rates for new periods When you create a period, the rates from the previous period are used by default. They are called estimated rates. In the "Periods" page, in the "Currency Rate Confirmed" column, the red X icon indicates that the rates are estimated. The Administrator can: •
approve rates if they are correct for the new period.
•
in the case of incorrect rates, enter the correct rates for the period.
The rates can be confirmed: •
period by period
•
for all the periods at once
Note:
These operations are only applied to open periods.
65
Administration of the application
Related Topics
•
Currencies on page 68
To confirm rates for a period 1. In the Administration tab, select Periods. 2. Click the link for the estimated period that you want to confirm. The selected period's page appears. 3. Activate the box in the Clear Warning field. 4. Click Update. In the "Periods" page, the warning icon in the "Currency Rates Confirmed" column has disappeared for the period.
Opening and closing periods The Administrator can: •
open periods so that users can enter balances.
•
close periods so that periods available to users are in read-only mode. Once a period is closed, the Administrator can no longer make changes to the materiality thresholds, rate or company status, or freeze or unfreeze companies.
Note:
Periods are not closed or opened definitively. When the Administrator opens a closed period, the companies frozen before the period was closed remain frozen. Once the period is reopened, the companies can be unfrozen. When a period is created, it is open by default. The Administrator can open and close: •
each period one by one
•
all the periods at once
Related Topics
•
66
Freezing and unfreezing company balances on page 159
Administration of the application
To open a period 1. In the Administration tab, select Periods. 2. Click the link for the period you want to open. The selected period's page appears. 3. Click Open Period. 4. Click Update.
To open all of the periods at once 1. In the Administration tab, select Periods. 2. Click Open All Periods.
To close a period 1. In the Administration tab, select Periods. 2. Click the link for the period you want to close. The selected period's page appears. 3. Click Close Period. 4. Click Update.
To close all the periods at once 1. In the Administration tab, select Periods. 2. Click Close All Periods.
Deleting periods The Administrator cannot delete a period while it is selected in the navigation bar. If the Administrator tries to delete a period that is in use by another user, a warning message appears. The Administrator can find out which periods are in use by selecting Logged On Users in the Administration tab. Related Topics
• •
Managing database user connections on page 57 Deleting metadata objects on page 62
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Administration of the application
Currencies When a company is created, the Administrator assigns it a currency. In the application, currencies are entered one by one. The currencies the Administrator defines are: •
The User Group currency, used by the Head Office as a base currency.
•
The local currency or company currency.
•
The transaction currency, amounts entered in balances are expressed in the transaction currency.
•
The default currency, which appears by default when adding or accessing a balance. The users are free to select another transaction currency.
The Administrator must follow the steps in the order listed below: •
Create the currencies by: •
entering them directly in the application.
•
importing currencies contained in a .csv or .txt file using an import template.
•
Define the User Group currency among all the currencies previously created.
•
Optionally, define the default transaction currency.
•
Define the mode for translating amounts.
The currencies are identical for all the periods. However, rates are specifically defined by period. Note:
When you create a period, the rates entered for the previous period are applied to the new period. You can then change the rates for the new period. Related Topics
• • •
68
Periods on page 63 The User Group Currency on page 71 Translating amounts on page 71
Administration of the application
•
Currency templates on page 132
Currency properties A currency has the following properties: •
A currency code. The code is compulsory. No two currencies have the same code and each code must consist of a maximum of three characters.
•
A description (optional)
•
Rates: •
Opening Rate
•
Average Rate
•
Closing Rate
The rates are defined by period. All the rates are quoted against the User Group currency. They can be expressed using two valuation methods: •
Multiply The local currency value is expressed on the basis of a variable quantity of the User Group currency. When you create a currency, the default valuation method is multiply.
•
Divide The value of a unit of User Group currency is expressed on the basis of a variable quantity of the local currency.
•
Inactive, when activated, means that the currency is not used for balances.
•
Divided Rate, when activated, the divide valuation method for the rates defined is used. By default, the multiplication method is used.
Note:
For users who do not have Administrator rights, the Currencies information appears in read-only mode. Only the Administrator has read-write access to this page.
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Administration of the application
Related Topics
•
Periods on page 63
To enter a currency 1.
In the navigation bar, click to the right of the current period. 2. In the "Periods" dialog box, click the link for the period you want to apply. Note:
The period you select is important because the currency rates you define are specific to that period. 3. In the Administration tab, select Currencies. 4. In the "Currencies" page, click Add New. 5. In the "Create Currency" page, enter the relevant information in the following fields: • Code • Description • Opening Rate • Average Rate • Closing Rate Note:
The numbers you enter in the Opening Rate, Average Rate and Closing Rate fields should be greater than zero. 6. 7. 8. 9.
If you do not want the currency to be used in balances, activate Inactive. Click Create. To apply the divide valuation method, activate Divide. Click Update.
To copy existing rates for all currencies to open periods 1. In the Administration tab, select Currencies. 2. In the "Currencies" page, click Copy Rates To All Open Periods. A confirmation message appears. 3. Click OK.
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Administration of the application
The User Group Currency The User Group Currency is the reporting currency used by the Head Office as a base currency, against which all of the other currencies can be quoted. The Administrator must select the User Group currency from the currencies in the database using the application. It cannot be imported. Note:
The User Group currency can be changed or deleted later only if all of the balances in the database are deleted.
To define the User Group currency 1. In the Administration tab, select Settings > Metadata Settings . 2. From the Group Currency list, select a transaction currency. The transaction currency is the currency in which transactions are performed. Amounts entered in balances are expressed in the transaction currency. 3.
Click
to select a default currency.
The default transaction currency appears when adding or accessing a balance. However, the users are free to select another transaction currency. The default transaction currency can be changed at any time by the Administrator. 4. Click Update.
Translating amounts The diagram below illustrates how transaction amounts are translated into User Group amounts.
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Administration of the application
There are two ways of translating amounts in the application: •
All the amounts are translated from local currency amounts into the User Group currency. In this case, users can enter their amounts in the local currency and in the transaction currency.
•
All the amounts are translated from transaction currency amounts into the User Group currency. In this case, users can only enter their amounts in the transaction currency.
You can request that amounts be calculated automatically in the local currency using amounts entered in the transaction currency. Note:
•
•
You can also define a mode enabling you to select, for each parent account, which of the two translation modes should be used to translate the amounts. Once chosen, the translation mode cannot be changed unless the process is stopped and the database contains no balances.
Related Topics
•
The User Group Currency on page 71
To define the method for translating amounts 1. In the Administration tab, select Settings > Balance Settings. 2. From the Group Amount Source list, select one of the following commands:
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Administration of the application
•
Local amount to Group amount - to translate local currency amounts into group currency amounts.
•
Transaction amount to Group amount - to translate transaction currency amounts into group currency amounts.
•
Mixed Mode - to be able to select one of the two translation modes for each parent account.
3. If you want the local currency amounts to be automatically recalculated using transaction currency amounts, activate Auto Recalculate Local Amount. Note:
This option is only available for "Local amount to Group amount" and "Transaction amount to Group amount". 4. Click Update.
Company groups Companies are grouped into company groups. For example, the Canadian Food and US Food companies make up the Food company group. Creating a company group is optional. A company group has a: •
unique code Note:
No two company groups have the same code. •
name
You create company groups in the application by entering them manually or by importing them. Once you have created the company groups, you can link them to companies: •
In the application via: •
the company page
•
the company groups page
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Administration of the application
•
Via an import
Related Topics
• • •
To add a company on page 77 To create a company group on page 74 Company templates on page 127
To create a company group 1. 2. 3. 4.
In the Administration tab, select Company groups. Click Add New. Enter the relevant information in the Code and Description fields. Click Create. The Companies button appears.
5. To link one or more companies to the current company group, click Companies. 6. Check the boxes corresponding to the companies you want to link to the company group. 7. Click Update.
Companies A company can be linked to: •
a user group
•
a reporting company The reporting company is the company to which the current company is assigned. Note:
If you want to link a company to a reporting company, they must both have the same local currency. •
one or more company groups
You link companies to user groups:
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Administration of the application
•
when you create the company
•
when you create a user group
Related Topics
• •
Company groups on page 73 User groups on page 91
Declaring companies and partners A declaring company enters balances that correspond to transactions with another company, the partner, entered in the system. Declaring companies make requests to delete or change balances. The partner receives requests from the declaring company. Example: Companies A and B exchange transactions, enter and then reconcile their balances •
From company A's point of view: A is the declaring company and B is the partner.
•
From company B's point of view: B is the declaring company and A is the partner.
Companies and reporting companies A company becomes a reporting company when it exports, and thus reports, the balances to the consolidation system. A reporting company can be made up of one or more companies. All the companies (companies and reporting companies) enter balances, but only the reporting companies export their balances (their own balances and those belonging to the companies linked to them) to the consolidation system.
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Administration of the application
Company properties Note:
If you are not an Administrator, the company information appears as read-only content. A company has the following properties: •
a unique code
•
a description
•
a Reporting Currency specifies the local currency used by the company
•
a Reporting Company specifies the reporting company to which the current company is assigned Companies are not necessarily assigned to a reporting company.
•
one of the following states: •
Active, which means that the company can be used in balances.
•
Inactive, which means that the company cannot be used in balances. The Inactive check box, when activated in the company's edit panel, means that balances cannot be entered for the company. Note:
The Administrator can activate or deactivate a company if the reconciliation process has been stopped. •
Frozen, which means that the company balances and the balances belonging to all its partners cannot be changed. Note:
The Frozen status is defined by period. •
the Frozen Time Stamp specifies the date and time that the balances of the current company were last frozen
The Reset/Remove Balances button is used to remove and reset balances. The Freeze Company button is used to freeze companies. The Company groups button opens a page in which you can assign the company to a company group. The User Groups button opens a page in which you can
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Administration of the application
assign the company to a user group. The Delete Invoices button deletes all of the invoices for the current company. Note:
Delete Invoices is visible only when invoices exist in the database. Company Contacts lists users who can be contacted if necessary. Related Topics
• • • • •
Defining users as company contacts on page 80 Deleting invoices by company, parent or child account on page 191 Freezing and unfreezing company balances on page 159 Resetting and removing balances on page 30 Periods on page 63
Adding a company The Administrator can add companies in two ways: •
by entering them directly in the application.
•
by importing companies contained in a .csv or .txt file using a template.
Related Topics
• •
Company templates on page 127 To add a company on page 77
To add a company 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
In the Administration tab, select Companies. Click Add New. Enter a unique alphanumeric Code. Type a Description. From the Reporting Currency list, choose the local currency. Click Create. If you want to link the company to a reporting company or define the
company as a reporting company, click Company field. 8. Do one of the following:
next to the Reporting
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Administration of the application
•
Click the link for the reporting company you want to link to the company you are creating. Note:
If you want to link a company to a reporting company, they must both have the same local currency. •
Click the link for the current company to define it as the reporting company.
9. If you want to link the current company to a company group, click Company Groups. Note:
You can also link a company to a company group via the corresponding company group page. 10. Activate the box next to the company group or groups you want the company to be linked to. 11. If you want to link the current company to a user group, click User Groups. Note:
You can also link a company to a user group in the relevant User Group page. 12. Activate the box next to the relevant user group. 13. Click Update. Related Topics
• •
To create a company group on page 74 To create a User Group on page 92
Deleting companies The following limitations apply to deleting companies:
78
•
Only Administrators can delete companies.
•
A company cannot be deleted while it is a selection in the navigation bar.
•
If an Administrator tries to delete a company in use by another Administrator, a warning message appears and the operation must be confirmed or canceled.
Administration of the application
•
Company used in a balance cannot be deleted.
To delete the company metadata object, follow the instructions for deleting metadata objects. Related Topics
•
Deleting metadata objects on page 62
Users The Administrator links users to user groups to include them in the reconciliation process. The Administrator creates users in two ways: •
by entering them directly in the application.
•
by importing user metadata contained in a .csv or .txt file using a template.
A user is linked to a user group, which defines the companies to which the user has access. A user can also be defined as a company contact. Related Topics
• • •
User groups on page 91 User templates on page 141 Defining users as company contacts on page 80
User properties A user is characterized by the following properties: •
an authentication mode Users are authenticated by an integrated authentication, an LDAP directory, or a CMS server. For more information, see the SAP BusinessObjects Intercompany Administration Guide.
•
a unique alphanumeric code
•
a description
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Administration of the application
•
a user profile that specifies the functions to which the user has access.
•
a default language This language is displayed by default when the user logs in, although the user can also change the displayed language at login.
•
a password
•
an email address The user can receive emails containing progress reports.
•
a telephone number
•
a mobile telephone number
•
a fax number
•
an address
Related Topics
• •
Automatic detailed emails on page 169 User profiles on page 80
Defining users as company contacts The Administrator can specify which user types are company contacts. When a user group is created, all of the users belonging to the user types selected are automatically defined as company contacts.
To define users as company contacts 1. In the Administration tab, select Emails. 2. In the Can be company contact column, select the required user types. 3. Click Update.
User profiles User profiles enable you to define which functions users are able to access. There are four user profiles in the application:
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Administration of the application
•
Administrator The Administrator profile can execute all functions, but the other profiles can only execute the functions as detailed in the tables below.
•
Interactive User
•
Power User
•
View User
Functions by user profile Interactive User
Power User
View User
X
X
X
X
Balance attachments: add/modify/delete
X
X
X
Balance attachments: open
X
X
X
Balance comments: add/modify/delete
X
X
X
Balance comments: read
X
X
X
X
Balance reports: run
X
X
X
X
Functions
Administrator
Account groups: create/modify/delete
X
Account groups: view
X
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Administration of the application
82
Functions
Administrator
Interactive User
Power User
View User
Balances: create
X
X
Balances: export balances/subtotal balances/analysis balances/analysis subtotal balances
X
X
X
X
Balances: export to SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation
X
X
X
X
Balances: import
X
X
Balances: import bulk
X
Balances: modify
X
Balances: purge (all periods)
X
Balances: reset/remove (specific company)
X
X
Balances: view
X
X
X
X
X
Administration of the application
Interactive User
Power User
View User
X
X
X
X
Currencies and rates: view
X
X
X
X
Currencies: create/modify/delete
X
Currency rates: copy to all periods
X
Database connection configuration
X
Detailed emails: configure (states)
X
user groups: create/modify/delete
X
user groups: view
X
X
X
X
Filters: apply/clear
X
X
X
X
Functions
Administrator
Companies: create/modify/delete
X
Companies: select and view
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Administration of the application
84
Interactive User
Power User
View User
X
X
X
X
Freeze (specific) company
X
X
X
Freeze/unfreeze (all) companies
X
Freeze/unfreeze companies across periods
X
Global emails: send
X
Global parameters: update
X
User Groups: create/modify/delete
X
Help file: view
X
X
X
Functions
Administrator
Forced agreements: enable/disable/rollback/run
X
Forced agreements: view
X
Administration of the application
Functions
Administrator
Interactive User
Power User
View User
Imports/exports (own) previous: consult/delete
X
X
X
X
Imports/exports previous: consult/delete (all) previous
X
Intercompany license details: view
X
X
X
X
Interface configuration
X
Invoice additional fields: dd/modify/delete (text/amount/date fields)
X
X
Invoice attachments: add/modify/delete
X
X
X
Invoice comments: add/modify/delete
X
X
X
85
Administration of the application
86
Functions
Administrator
Interactive User
Power User
View User
Invoice details: modify (invoice reference/invoice account/txn and local amounts)
X
X
Invoice matching functions: perform
X
X
Invoice reports: run
X
X
X
X
Invoice standard comments: add/modify/delete
X
X
X
Invoice text validation: create/modify/delete
X
Invoice text validation: view
X
X
X
X
Invoices (Child Account Invoice page): view
X
X
X
X
Invoices (Edit Invoice page): view
X
X
X
X
Administration of the application
Functions
Administrator
Interactive User
Power User
View User
Invoices (specific company): delete
X
X
Invoices Un-assigned / Un-matched / Agreed / Comment Matched (from Parent Account Invoice page): view
X
X
X
X
Invoices: add/delete
X
X
Invoices: export
X
X
X
X
Invoices: import
X
X
Invoices: purge (all periods)
X
Journal accounts: create/modify/delete
X
Journal accounts: view
X
X
X
X
Journals: export
X
X
X
X
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Administration of the application
88
Functions
Administrator
Interactive User
Power User
View User
Journals: reset (manual/import)
X
X
Language: select
X
X
X
X
Login text configuration
X
Maintenance: run
X
Materiality: create/modify/delete
X
Materiality: view
X
X
X
X
Metadata: export
X
Metadata: import
X
Period: select
X
X
X
X
Periods: open / close / archive / delete
X
Administration of the application
Functions
Administrator
Interactive User
Power User
View User
Personal profile: update (except User Name and User Type)
X
X
X
X
Reconciliation process: start/stop
X
Report configuration
X
Standard comments: add/modify/delete
X
X
X
Standard comments: create
X
Standard comments: view
X
X
X
States: manage
X
Summary email time configuration
X
Summary emails: receive
X
X
X
X
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Administration of the application
Functions
Administrator
System health checks
X
Template configuration
X
Unfreeze (specific company)
X
Users logged on: view
X
Users: create/modify/delete
X
Users: forced log off
X
Working files (import/export/report): delete
X
Your Details: viewing
X
Creating users Only the Administrator can create users.
90
Interactive User
Power User
View User
X
X
X
X
Administration of the application
In the application, users are entered one by one.
To create a user 1. In the Administration tab, select Users. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
Click Add New. Enter the password. Enter a unique user code. Enter the Email Address, Telephone Number, Fax Number, Address and Mobile Number fields. From the User Profile list, select a profile. From the Default Language list, select a language. If you want the user to receive detailed emails, activate Receive Detailed Emails. Click Create.
Related Topics
•
Addressees of detailed emails on page 170
User groups The Administrator links companies and users together to create a user group. When users log in to enter balances, they can only access the companies defined in their user groups. Note:
Administrator users have access to all of the companies. Some users are automatically defined as company contacts. A user group has the following properties: •
a unique code
•
a description
•
associated companies and users
Related Topics
•
Defining users as company contacts on page 80
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Administration of the application
Creating user groups Only the Administrator can create user groups. The Administrator can create user groups in two ways: •
by entering them directly in the application.
•
by importing user groups as metadata objects contained in a .csv or .txt file.
Related Topics
•
User Group templates on page 145
To create a User Group 1. 2. 3. 4.
In the Administration tab, select User Groups. Click Add New. Enter the Code and Description. Click Create. The Users and Companies buttons appear.
5. To assign companies to the user group, click Companies. 6. Activate the boxes next to the companies you want to assign to the user group. 7. Click Update. 8. To assign users to the user group, click Users. 9. Activate the boxes next to the users you want to assign to the user group. 10. Click Update.
Account groups An account group is a group of accounts which have similar accounting characteristics. There are three default top level account groups in the application: •
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Profit and Loss (P&L)
Administration of the application
•
Balance Sheet
•
Off Balance Sheet (Off BS)
Each parent account should be assigned to a top level account group. A top level account group enables you to define the account sign that is linked to the group. Parent Account Group
Sign Expenses: -
P&L Income: + Balance sheet (BS)
+
Off BS
+
Note:
Calculations are defined using absolute values, therefore it is important to place the minus (-) sign in front of negative amounts.
Account subgroups Account subgroups enable you to apply additional restrictions to the information displayed in the balances via filters and in the reports. They use the same calculation type as the top level account group to which they are assigned. Parent accounts can be assigned to an account subgroup or a parent account group, or both.
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Administration of the application
Example: Top Level Account Group with subgroups
The Balance Sheet Top Level Account Group is delivered with the application by default. The Administrator then creates subgroups: •
Assets, which is the parent account group.
•
Fixed Assets and Work-in-Progress, which are subgroups belonging to Assets.
The Tangible Assets parent account is linked to the BS top level account group and to the Fixed Assets subgroup. The Intangible Assets parent account is linked to the BS top level account group, to the Assets group and to the Fixed Assets subgroup. The Finished Goods in Progress and Services in Progress parent accounts are linked to the BS top level account group, to the Assets group and to the Work-in-Progress subgroup. In the balances and reports, you can choose to display different accounts depending on the account group selected:
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Administration of the application
•
All of the accounts contained in the balance sheet top level account group appear: Tangible Assets, Intangible Assets, Finished Goods in Progress and Services in Progress.
•
All of the accounts contained in the Assets account group appear: Intangible Assets, Finished Goods in Progress and Services in Progress. The Tangible Assets parent account does not appear because it is not linked to the Assets group.
•
All of the accounts contained in the Fixed Assets subgroup are displayed: Tangible assets and Intangible assets. Note: The Tangible Assets parent account appears if you select the Balance Sheet and Fixed Assets groups. However, it is not linked to the Assets group and does not appear if only this group is selected.
Related Topics
•
Tracking progress via reports on page 44
Account group properties An account group has the following properties: •
a unique account code
•
a description of the account group
•
the Top Level Account Group to which the parent account group is assigned
•
the Parent Account Group to which the account group is assigned Note:
You can only edit the "Parent Account Group" field if all balances have been purged from the database. •
a calculation type defined for the top level account group.
When you create parent accounts, the account groups defined are assigned to them.
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Administration of the application
Related Topics
• •
Parent accounts on page 102 Child account properties on page 104
Creating account groups The Administrator can create: •
Parent account groups, for example subgroups that are directly linked to one of the three default top level account groups delivered with the application.
•
Account groups, for example subgroups that are directly linked to a parent account group.
To create a group of accounts, you should first of all create the corresponding parent account group. Note:
You cannot import account groups.
To create a parent account group 1. In the Administration tab, select Account Groups. 2. Click Add New. 3. Enter an unique Account Group code and a description. 4. To select the Top Level Account Group, click and select the group to which you want to assign the group you are creating. In the Top Level Account Group field, the selected group's name appears. In the Calculation Type field, the calculation defined for the Top Level Account Group selected appears in the dropdown list box and the box is deactivated. 5. Click Create.
To create an account group 1. In the Administration tab, select Account Groups. 2. Click Add New. 3. Enter a unique Account Group code and a description.
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Administration of the application
4. 5.
To select the Top Level Account Group, click To select the Parent Account Group, click
. .
Note:
You can only edit this field if all balances have been purged from the database. 6. Select the parent account group to which you want to assign the account group you are creating. In the "Parent Account Group" field, the selected group's name appears. In the "Calculation Type" field, the calculation defined for the Top Level Account Group to which the parent account group is assigned appears in the list box, and the box is deactivated. 7. Click Create. In the Top Level Account Group field, the group's name appears.
Materiality values A materiality threshold is expressed in group currency and determines whether a balance is reconciled. If the difference is below materiality, the balance is reconciled. If the difference is above materiality, the balance is not reconciled. Each materiality threshold is set at an appropriate level for each parent account. For example, it can be set at 1,000 for increases in working capital accounts and 0 for cash flow accounts. Materiality thresholds are defined by periods. As soon as you create the first period, the default materiality threshold values appear for Balance Sheet, Off Balance Sheet, and Profit and Loss for a parent account. A materiality has the following properties: •
A unique materiality name
•
A materiality value
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Administration of the application
Materiality values can be changed at any time by the Administrator when the reconciliation process is not running. Related Topics
• •
Accounts on page 101 Periods on page 63
Creating a materiality Materiality thresholds cannot be imported. The Administrator: •
Creates the required materiality threshold names and values.
•
Activates the materiality threshold. Note:
This operation can only be performed when the reconciliation process is stopped and there are no balances in the database.
To create a materiality 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
In the navigation bar, click to the right of the current period to select the link for the period you want to use. In the Administration tab, select Materialities. Click Add New. Enter a unique code and a description. In the Threshold field, type the relevant value. Click Create. In the Administration tab, Settings > Metadata Settings. Activate Materialities Threshold Defined. Note:
You can only perform this operation when the reconciliation process is not running and there are no balances in the database. 9. Click Update.
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Administration of the application
Journal accounts Journal accounts store the differences between the first and last amounts entered for child accounts. The differences can then be exported via a journal to the accounting system containing the original data. The Administrator authorizes and forbids the creation of journal accounts. If the Administrator authorizes the creation of journals: •
each child account is linked to a journal account. Note:
Several child accounts can be assigned to the same journal account. •
journals can be exported to the source accounting system.
A journal account is characterized by the following properties: •
A unique journal account code
•
A journal account name
Example: A balance contains the following amounts •
Transaction amount = 1,000
•
Local amount = 2,000
The amounts can be changed in the application: •
Transaction amount = 1,500
•
Local amount = 3,000
The following amounts are stored in the journal accounts: •
Transaction amount adjustment = 500 (1,500 - 1,000)
•
Local amount adjustment = 1,000 (3,000 - 2,000)
Journal account definition process 1. The Administrator authorizes the creation of journal accounts.
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Administration of the application
2. The Administrator creates journal accounts. 3. The Administrator assigns each child account to a journal account when creating the child accounts. Note:
Journal accounts are exported at the end of the reconciliation process. Related Topics
• • •
Authorizing the creation of journal accounts on page 100 Creating journal accounts on page 100 To create child accounts on page 105
Authorizing the creation of journal accounts The Administrator authorizes the creation of journal accounts. Note:
An Administrator can only authorize or deny the creation of journal accounts when the process is stopped and there are no balances in the database.
To authorize the creation of journal accounts 1. In the Administration tab, select Settings > Metadata Settings. 2. Activate Journal Account Enabled. 3. Click Update.
Creating journal accounts Journal accounts are created by Administrators: •
by entering them directly in the application.
•
by importing journals as metadata in a .csv or .txt file.
As soon as you create journal accounts, additional columns appears in the balances. Related Topics
•
100
To create a journal account on page 101
Administration of the application
• •
Detail by child accounts page on page 22 Journal Account templates on page 146
To create a journal account 1. 2. 3. 4.
In the Administration tab, select Journal Accounts. Click Add New. Enter a unique code and description. Click Create.
Accounts There are three types of account: •
child accounts
•
parent accounts
•
adjustment accounts
Parent accounts group together child accounts.
To create a parent account, and assign child accounts and another parent account to it: •
Create a parent account.
•
Create a second parent account.
•
Create a child account and assign it to the first parent account.
•
Create a child account and assign it to the second parent account.
•
Link the two parent accounts.
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Administration of the application
Note:
Other child accounts can then be assigned to the parent account. To link a parent account to child accounts and to link two parent accounts, all the objects need to have the same: •
Top Level Account Group and other account groups
•
Currency Rate
•
Materiality, if a materiality threshold has been defined
•
Translation mode, if it has not been previously defined for all the accounts
The Administrator creates accounts in two ways: •
by entering them directly in the application.
•
by importing accounts as metadata contained in a .csv or .txt file.
Related Topics
• • • •
Creating child accounts on page 105 Creating parent accounts on page 103 Forced agreements on page 109 Account templates on page 115
Parent accounts A parent account groups together accounts used to reconcile intercompany transactions. A parent account has the following properties:
102
•
a unique account code
•
an account description
•
a top level account group
•
a currency rate type
•
optionally, a translation mode, if it has not been previously defined for all of the accounts
•
a materiality, if the Administrator previously decided that currency rates would be used
Administration of the application
•
a positive or negative balance sign This sign specifies to be assigned to amounts in the account currently open. To match invoices, you must specify the sign to be given to amounts in the account currently open.
•
the applicable counterparty account
You must link parent accounts to: •
one or more child accounts
•
another parent account
•
one or more account groups.
Reconciliations are carried out using parent companies in the application. The Administrator can select one of two reconciliation types. Related Topics
• • • • •
Reconciliations on page 179 Account groups on page 92 Currency properties on page 69 Translating amounts on page 71 Materiality values on page 97
Creating parent accounts The Administrator must create the parent accounts before: •
assigning child accounts to them
•
linking parent accounts to one another (in pairs)
To create parent accounts 1. 2. 3. 4.
In the Administration tab, select Accounts. Click Add New. Enter a unique code and a description. Select the relevant information from the Currency Rate Type and Top Level Account Group lists. 5. If the Materiality list is activated, select a materiality. 6. If the Group list is activated, select a mode.
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Administration of the application
7. If the Balance Sign list is activated, select a sign. 8. Click Create. 9. Click Account Groups to select the account groups you want to link to the parent account.
Child accounts Users enter amounts into child accounts. Child accounts must belong to parent accounts. The balance in a child account can be broken down into different invoices. Related Topics
•
Invoice matching on page 162
Child account properties A child account has the following properties: •
a unique code
•
an account description
•
a link to a parent account
•
definitions for the following objects for the parent account to which the child accounts is linked, as well as for the child accounts: •
a Top Level Account Group
•
a Currency Rate Type
•
if necessary, a materiality, if the Administrator previously decided that currency rates would be used.
If no amount translation mode has been previously defined for all the accounts, the child account uses the same mode as the parent account to which it is linked. You link child accounts to:
104
•
a parent account
•
optionally, a journal account
Administration of the application
To do so, the Administrator must have previously authorized the use of journal accounts and created them. You can also specify whether the current parent account is used in balances. Related Topics
• • • • •
Currency properties on page 69 Matching invoices on page 180 Journal accounts on page 99 Account groups on page 92 Materiality values on page 97
Creating child accounts Once the parent accounts are created, the Administrator can create child accounts. The child accounts are linked to the parent accounts.
To create child accounts 1. 2. 3. 4.
In the Administration tab, select Accounts. Click Add New. Enter a unique code and a description. Select the same information defined in the parent account from the Currency Rate Type and Top Level Account Group lists. 5. If the Materiality list is activated, select the same materiality limit as the parent account. 6. In the Parent Account field, click . The "Parent Account" dialog box appears, listing all of the parent accounts that have the same currency rate, top level account group and materiality as those you selected. 7. Click the link for the parent account you want to assign the child account. The selected parent account appears in the "Parent Account" field. 8.
In the Journal Account field, click
.
The "Journal Account" dialog box appears, listing the journal accounts defined in the database. 9. Click the link for the journal account you want to assign the child account.
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Administration of the application
The journal account selected appears in the "Journal Account" field. 10. Click Create. The Materiality, Currency Rate, Top Level Account Group, Group Row Source and Balance Sign fields are grayed out. The linked parent company appears on the right of the page.
Linking child accounts to parent accounts Once the parent and child accounts have been created, the Administrator can link the accounts via: •
the child account page
•
the parent account page Restriction:
Parent and child accounts can only be linked if they use the same currency rate, top level account group, and materiality. Note:
If forced agreement is authorized for a child account linked to a parent account, an adjustment account is created automatically and linked to the parent account. Related Topics
•
Forced agreements on page 109
To link to a parent account in the child account page 1. In the Administration tab, select Accounts. 2. Click the link for the child account you want to assign to a parent account. 3. In the Parent Account field, click . The "Parent Account" dialog box appears, listing all of the other parent accounts that have the same currency rate, top level account group, and materiality as the current child account. 4. Click the link for the parent account to which you want to assign the current child account. The selected parent account appears in the "Parent Account" field.
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Administration of the application
5. Click Update.
To link a child account in the parent account page 1. In the Administration tab, select Accounts. 2. Click the link for the parent account. 3. In the Child Accounts section, click Add Child Accounts. The "Child Accounts" dialog box appears, listing all of the other child accounts that have the same currency rate, top level account group, and materiality as the current parent account. 4. Activate the box corresponding to the child account that you want to assign the parent account. 5. Click OK. In the parent account page, the child account you selected appears in the "Child Accounts" list.
Linking two parent accounts After creating the parent and child accounts, the Administrator can link parent accounts.
To link parent accounts 1. In the Administration tab, select Accounts. 2. Click one of the two parent accounts you want to link. 3. In the Partner Account field, click . The "Partner Account" dialog box appears, listing all of the parent accounts that do not have a partner and that have the same currency rate, top level account group, and materiality as the selected parent account. 4. Click the link for the parent account to which you want to link the current parent account. 5. Click Update. The partner account appears on the right of the page.
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Administration of the application
Deleting a parent account If the Administrator deletes a parent account: •
all the child accounts linked to it are also deleted.
•
the partner parent account linked to it can no longer be used.
To delete the parent account, click the red X on the row of the account in Administration > Accounts.
Account flows The application manages account flows. A default account flow is defined by the Administrator. When you import accounts, you can also import the flows linked to them. If you do so, the flows are then stored in the application as follows: •
P6000-F00
•
P6000-F99
When entering accounts, the separator used is the one defined in the template for importing accounts. Related Topics
•
Account templates on page 115
Standard comments Standard comments enable you to explain why an amount was entered for a balances or invoice. For example, use VAT as a standard comment to explain differences due to VAT (Value-added tax) problems. Standard comments can be used as criteria for matching invoices. The Administrator can create predefine standard comments.
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Administration of the application
Related Topics
• • • • • •
Matching invoices using standard comments on page 43 Invoice matching on page 162 Entering a comment for a balance on page 28 Invoice comments on page 36 Communicating with the partner via statuses and actions on page 29 Attaching a standard comment to a balance on page 26
To create pre-defined standard comment 1. 2. 3. 4.
In the Administration tab, select Standard Comments. Click Add New. Enter a unique code and a description. From the Type list, select Balance or Invoice. Note:
As the term Invoice can be customized, it may have been replaced by another term in the list. 5. Click Create.
Forced agreements A forced agreement enables an Administrator to adjust the remaining differences automatically at the end of the process. Forced agreements are not compulsory.
Setting up the forced agreement process For forced agreements to run on all accounts simultaneously at the end of the process, the Administrator must do the following: •
Authorize use of the forced agreement process.
•
Designate, for each pair of parent accounts, the "Forced Agreement Winner"; the one that has entered the correct amount.
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Administration of the application
When a child account is linked to a parent account, an adjustment account is created automatically and linked to the parent account. At the end of the cycle, once the forced agreement process has been run, the difference is stored in the adjustment account of the parent account and the balance is matched. Adjustment accounts are automatically created when the forced agreement process is run. Their codes are made up of the name of the account adjusted plus an extension. The extension: •
is defined by the Administrator.
•
is made up of a maximum of 8 characters.
•
is valid for all adjustment accounts.
•
can be changed at any time.
By default, when the forced agreement process is run, the balances entered for loser accounts which have a "Partner Submitted" status are deleted. However, the Administrator can decide to retain these balances. Related Topics
• •
Forced agreements on page 109 Accounts on page 101
To authorize a forced agreement 1. In the Administration tab, select Forced Agreement Settings. 2. Activate Forced Agreement Enabled.
To designate the Forced Agreement Winner parent accounts 1. In the Administration tab, select Accounts. 2. Click the link for the parent account you want to designate as the "Forced Agreement Winner". 3. Activate Forced Agreement Winner. 4. Click Update.
To define the adjustment account extension 1. In the Administration tab, select Setting > Metadata Settings.
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Administration of the application
2. In the Adjustment Account Extension field, enter the text you want to define as the extension. Note:
The extension field is limited to eight characters. Related Topics
•
To authorize a forced agreement on page 110
To retain loser accounts which have a Partner Submitted status 1. In the Administration tab, select Forced Agreement Settings. 2. From the Forced Agreement Behavior list, select Keep Partners. 3. Click Update.
Running the forced agreement process Administrators run this operation once the balances have been entered. The reconciliation process must be stopped when running forced agreements. Once the operation is performed, the process can be started again. Restriction:
The forced agreement process should be the last operation performed on the balances as it may change the amounts. Note:
• •
Once the process is finished, the Forced Agreement Run box is activated automatically in Administration > Forced Agreement Settings. If there is a balance in the non-winning account but not in the winning account, the amount in the non-winning account is posted to the adjustment account on forced agreement.
Once the forced agreement process is complete, the Administrator can consult the log files containing the process history. If there is an error, the Administrator can restore the amounts as they were before the forced agreement process was run. Related Topics
• •
To manually start the reconciliation process on page 59 To automatically start and stop the reconciliation process on page 60
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Administration of the application
To run the forced agreement process 1. Stop the reconciliation process. 2. In the navigation bar, click Period to select the period for which you want to run the forced agreement. 3. In the Administration tab, select Run Forced Agreement. Note:
This option is only available if the forced agreement process is authorized. 4. Click Run Forced Agreement. Related Topics
•
To authorize a forced agreement on page 110
To restore data after running the forced agreement process 1. In the Administration tab, select Roll Back Forced Agreement. Note:
This option is only available if the forced agreement process is authorized. 2. Click Roll Back Forced Agreement. Related Topics
•
To authorize a forced agreement on page 110
To consult log files after running the forced agreement process 1. In the Administration tab, select Settings > Forced Agreement Settings. 2. Click View History. The "Forced Agreement History" page appears listing all of the processes that have been run. 3. To display the adjustments made after a process was run, click the "File Location" link for the process.
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Administration of the application
Templates for data import and export Only the Administrator can create templates. Templates match the data in a file from one database to another. Because a corporation can have branch offices or subsidiary companies with different database systems operating in different countries using different currencies, templates ease financial data entry and reconciliation, as well as master database maintenance of users, companies, and currencies. Note:
When an Administrator modifies an existing template fields, all templates based on these fields are automatically updated. The following table lists the objects that are imported and exported, and which templates they use: Object
Import
Export
Accounts
X
X
Account/Journal Account Relationships
X
X
Account Groups
X
Balances
X
Analysis Balances
X X
Companies
X
X
Company Groups
X
X
Currencies
X
X
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Administration of the application
Object
Import
Export
Invoices
X
X
Journals Journal Accounts
X X
Subtotal Balance
X X
User/User Group Relationships
X
X
User Group/Company Relationships
X
X
User Groups
X
X
Users
X
X
The Administrator does the following so that data can be imported or exported: •
Configure the template fields for each object.
•
Configure a file template.
Template lists Once the Administrator creates file templates, they are available in the template list for a specific category of import template. For example, when the Administrator saves a new company template, then goes to Import/Export > Company Templates, the new template is listed.
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Administration of the application
Note:
For users who do not have Administrator rights, these objects appears in read-only mode. The template lists include: •
The Code column lists the template names defined in the database.
•
The Description column lists the template descriptions defined in the database.
•
The Status column indicates whether the template can be used or not. The green check mark indicates that the template is valid and can be used. If the red X appears, the template is invalid.
•
The fourth column contains the delete icon. If you no longer need a template, click the delete X to remove the template.
Account templates To create an account template, the Administrator needs to do the following: •
Configure the template fields.
•
Configure a file template that matches the file to import or the database to which a file is to be exported.
The following figure shows some of the fields available in a template, and how they need to correspond with items in an Excel worksheet.
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Administration of the application
Configuring the account template fields The Administrator configures the template fields in Import/Export > Account Template Fields. Account import templates contain the following fields: •
Ignore When certain fields in the import file cannot be processed by the application or the database to which the export file will be sent, the Administrator must use the "Ignore" field so that the system does not include the field.
•
Account Code
•
Account Flow Code If the accounts are linked to flows in the file, you will select the Use Account Flows option when you create the template, and enter the separator used in the import file in the "Flow Delimiter" field. The field is used with Partner Account Flow Code.
•
Materiality Code If there is no materiality in the import file, either enter a default type field name or select a default materiality later when you create a template.
•
Currency Rate Type If there is no currency rate in the file, either enter a default currency rate field name or select a default currency rate later when you create a template.
•
Account Group Code
•
Account Description
•
Parent Account Code
•
Partner Account Code
•
Partner Account Flow Code The field is used with Account Flow Code.
•
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Account Status
Administration of the application
The "Account Status" field displays for each reporting company whether or not it can be used in balances, or if it should be stored in the database for use at a later date. When you create the template in Import/Export > Account Templates, you activate Import Status Information and define the active and inactive status indicators. •
Forced Agreement
•
Group Amount Source
•
Balance Sign This field enables you to specify the sign to be assigned to amounts in the account currently open. To match invoices, you must specify the sign to be given to amounts in the account currently open.
Once the Administrator has populated the fields, templates can be created in Import/Export > Account Templates.
Configuring an account template Once the Administrator has populated the template field names in Import/Export > Account Template Fields, templates can be created in Import/Export > Account Templates. The following fields are required: •
Account Code
•
Account Description
•
Currency Rate Type
•
Account Flow Code, if the accounts are linked to flows in the file
To configure an account file template 1. 2. 3. 4.
In Import/Export > Account Templates, click Add New. Type a unique code. Type a template description. From the "Fields Per Line" list, select the number of fields you want to include in the file.
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Administration of the application
Note:
This number determines how many fields appears in the window that are available when you click Define Fields. 5. Enter a character in the "Field Delimiter" that the file will use to separate the columns. 6. Click Create. 7. Click Define Fields. 8. In the "Field Definition" page, select the fields that you want to include. Note:
The order of the fields must correspond to the file you are importing or to the database to which the file will be exported. 9. When you have selected the fields, click Update. 10. From the "Skip Lines" list, select the number of lines in the top of the file that should not be imported or exported. For example, if you do not want to import the header row in the file, select 1. Only the second line onwards is imported. 11. If there are no materiality, translation or account group fields in the file, activate the following options and select values from the lists: • Use Default Materiality Type •
Use Default Currency Rate Type
•
Use Default Account Group
12. If the import file contains account flows, activate Use Account Flows and type in the "Flow Delimiter" field the character that is used for the account flow pairs in the import file. 13. Activate Import Status Information if you have a file that includes the "Currency Status" field. You need to define the following status indicators:
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•
Type an indicator in the "Active Status Indicator" text box if you have a template that includes the "Currency Status" field.
•
Type an indicator in the "Inactive Status Indicator" text box if you have a template that includes the "Currency Status" field.
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14. If the forced agreement winners are included in the file, activate Import Forced Agreement Information and indicate in the "Forced Agreement Winner Indicator" field how the forced agreement winners are identified in the file. 15. Activate Use Account Sign to specify the sign to be assigned to amounts in the account currently open for positive and negative indicators. 16. Click Update. The template is saved to the "Account Templates" list. Note:
The Administrator can access the template in the "Account Templates" list at any time to update the details.
Account/Journal Account Relationships templates Account/journal account relationship templates use the following fields: •
Ignore When certain fields in the import file cannot be processed by the application or the database to which the export file will be sent, the Administrator must use the "Ignore" field so that the system does not include the field.
•
Account Code
•
Journal Account Code
Note:
You need to import the journal accounts before you can import the user/user group relationships. Related Topics
• • •
To configure an import or export file template on page 131 Journal accounts on page 99 Accounts on page 101
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Account Group templates Account group templates use the following fields: •
Ignore When certain fields in the import file cannot be processed by the application or the database to which the export file will be sent, the Administrator must use the "Ignore" field so that the system does not include the field.
•
Account Group Code
•
Account Group Description
•
Top Level Account Group Code
•
Parent Account Group Code
Related Topics
• •
To configure an import or export file template on page 131 Account groups on page 92
Balance templates To create a balance template the Administrator needs to do the following: •
Configure the template fields.
•
Configure a file template that matches the file to import or the database to which a file is to be exported. Note:
Calculations are defined using absolute values; it is important to place the minus (-) sign before negative amounts in the import file. Note:
The decimal symbol used depends on the application server's regional settings. The following figure shows some of the fields available in a template, and how they need to correspond with items in an Excel worksheet.
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Configuring the balance template fields The Administrator configures the template field names in Import/Export for the following types of balance files: •
Balance Import Template Fields for import templates
•
Balance Export Template Fields for general balance export templates Balance exports use only the amounts stored in frozen child accounts. The template is also available for "Analysis Balances" exports that use only the amounts stored in unfrozen child accounts for analysis.
•
Subtotal Balance Export Template Fields for subtotal balance export templates Subtotal Balance exports use only the amounts stored in frozen parent accounts. The template is also available for "Analysis Subtotal Balances" exports that use only the amounts stored in unfrozen parent accounts for analysis.
Balance templates contain the following fields: •
Ignore When certain fields in the import file cannot be processed by the application or database to which the export file will be sent, the Administrator must use the Ignore field so that the system does not include the field.
•
Period Code
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•
Company Code
•
Local Currency Code
•
Account Code
•
Partner Code
•
Transaction Currency Code If there is no transaction currency in the import file, either enter a default transaction currency name in the field or enter a transaction currency in the "Transaction Currency Code" field when you create a template.
•
Amount Indicator If there are transaction fields in the file for both the local currency and the transaction currency amount, you activate the Expect Two Lines Per Transaction option when you create a template.
•
Amount If you use the Amount Indicator field in a template, the account field also needs to be included in the template.
•
Transaction Amount This field is not used if the Amount Indicator field is used.
•
First analysis to Tenth analysis correspond to the fields in the import or export file that are not fields in the application. For example, balances are exported to a file that is then used to import the balances into the consolidation system. In the consolidation system, Products is used as an object, but it is not an SAP BusinessObjects Intercompany field. You can enter Products in the "First analysis" field. You can then select the Products field in the import template.
•
Account Flow Code If the accounts are linked to flows in the application and the flows and account codes are separate in the balance file, then you select the Use Account Flows option when creating the template, and enter a separator used in the file in the "File Delimiter" field.
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Note:
For import file templates, the separator used must be identical to the one used in the account import file. •
Standard Comment Code Imported standard comments can be used as criteria for matching invoices. If the import file contains a standard comment which does not exist in the application, an error appears in the log file.
•
Balance Comment
The following fields are also used in the Balance Export templates: • Reporting Company Code •
Category Code
•
Group Amount
•
Timestamp
•
Company Group Code Note:
If a company is linked to several company groups, only the information for the first company group will be exported. •
Their Company Group Code
•
Their Reporting Company Code
•
Parent Account Code
•
Audit ID Code
•
Flow Code
•
Data Entry Period Code
The following fields are also used in the Subtotal Balance Export templates: • Their Group Amount • Their Transaction Amount • Balance Status
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Related Topics
•
Matching invoices on page 180
Configuring a balance template Once the Administrator has populated the template field names in Import/Export > Balance Import Template Field Names, templates can be created in Import/Export. The following fields are required: •
Company Code
•
Partner Code
•
Account Code
•
If there is no transaction currency in the file and no field name is specified, enter a transaction currency in the Transaction Currency Code field.
•
If there are transaction fields in the file for both the local currency and the transaction currency amount, activate the Expect Two Lines Per Transaction option and you need to include the Amount field in the template.
•
If the accounts are linked to flows in the application and the flows and account codes are separate in the balance file, select the Use Account Flows option when creating the template, and enter a separator in the Flow Delimiter field.
To configure a balance file template 1. In Import/Export, select one of the following: • Balance Import Templates, to create an import template. •
2. 3. 4. 5.
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Balance Export Templates or Subtotal Balance Export Template, to create an export template.
Click Add New. Type a unique code. Type a description. From the "Fields Per Line" list, select the number of fields you want to include in the file.
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Note:
This number determines how many fields appears in the window that are available when you click Definite Fields. 6. Enter a character in the "Field Delimiter" text box that the file will use to separate the columns. 7. Click Create. 8. Click Define Fields. 9. In the "Field Definition" page, select the fields that you want to include. Note:
The order of the fields must correspond to the file you are importing or to the database to which the file will be exported. 10. When you have selected the fields, click Update. 11. In the template, select the number of lines in the top of the file that should not be imported or exported from the "Skip Lines" list. For example, if you do not want to import the header row in the file, select 1. Only the second line onwards is imported. 12. Activate Expect Two Lines Per Transaction to enter the following: • "Local Amount Indicator", which must match the local amount indicator in the file. •
"Transaction Amount Indicator" which must match the transaction amount indicator in the file.
13. Activate Use Account Flows if there are flows linked to the accounts and type a "Flow Deliminator". 14. For import templates, activate Use Default Transaction Currency to specify a Default Transaction Currency. Note:
If there is no transaction currency in the file, the currency specified in this field is used by default for all the amounts in the file. 15. For import templates, activate Use Default Transaction Amount to specify a "Default Transaction Amount". Note:
If there are no transaction currency amounts in the file, the amount specified in this field is used by default.
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16. Click Update. The template is saved to the applicable balance templates list. Note:
The Administrator can update the templates in the balance templates lists at any time.
Exporting balance amounts to SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation Any user can export the amounts stored in the application database directly to an SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation database. However, before balances can be exported the Administrator needs to set: •
a data source and web services URL
•
global parameters
Note:
To export balances, the company or companies whose balances are to be exported must be frozen, and the reconciliation process must be running when exporting balances. Related Topics
•
Exporting balances to SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation on page 52 • Setting the SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation parameters on page 127 • Setting the data source and web services on page 126
Setting the data source and web services You must set the SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation data source and web services URL in order to export balance amounts from the application to SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation. The data source references the SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation database to which you export the SAP BusinessObjects Intercompany balance amounts. The web services URL enables you to connect to the SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation data source.
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To set the data source and Web services URL Caution:
Stop the reconciliation process before executing the following steps. 1. In the Administration tab, select Settings > SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation Settings. 2. In the "Discovery File URL" text box, type the web services URL. 3. Enter the default user code and password. 4. Click Update.
Setting the SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation parameters In order for SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation to correctly interpret and store the exported data, you must set values for certain parameters.
To set the SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation parameters 1. Stop the reconciliation process, if it is running. 2. In the Administration tab, select Settings > SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation Settings . 3. In the following fields, enter the values as specified in the SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation configuration: • "Category Code" • "Flow Code" • "Data Entry Period Code" • "Audit ID Code" 4. Click Update.
Company templates To create a company template the Administrator needs to do the following: •
Configure the template fields.
•
Configure a file template that matches the file to import or the database to which a file is to be exported.
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The following figure shows some of the fields available in a template, and how they need to correspond with items in an Excel worksheet.
Configuring the company template fields The Administrator configures the template fields in Import/Export > Company Template Fields. Company templates contain the following fields: •
Ignore When the application or destination database cannot process certain fields in the import file, the Administrator uses the "Ignore" field so that the import file does not include the field.
•
Company Code
•
Company Group Code If the company group is included in the file, activate the Import Company Groups option when you create the template in Import/Export > Company Templates.
•
Company Description
•
Reporting Company Code If the reporting company is included in the file, activate the Import Reporting Companies option in the template.
•
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Currency Code
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•
Company Status The "Company Status" field displays for each reporting entity whether or not it can be used in balances or stored in the database for use at a later date. When you create the template in Import/Export > Company Templates, you activate Import Status Information and define the active and inactive status indicators.
Once the Administrator has populated the fields, templates can be created in Import/Export > Company Templates.
Configuring a company template Once the Administrator has populated the template field names in Import/Export > Company Template Fields, templates can be created in Import/Export > Company Templates. The following fields are required: •
Company Code
•
Company Description
•
Currency Code
•
Company Group Codes, if the company group is in the file
•
Reporting Company Code, if the reporting company is in the file
To configure a company file template 1. 2. 3. 4.
In Import/Export > Company Templates, click Add New. Type a unique code. Type a description. From the "Fields Per Line" list, select the number of fields you want to include in the file. Note:
This number determines how many fields appears in the window that are available when you click Define Fields. 5. Enter a character in the "Field Delimiter" that the file will use to separate the columns.
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6. Activate Import Company Groups if the company group field exists in the file. If you activate this option, the company group field is available after you have defined the fields. Note:
Once you have created the template with this option deactivated, you cannot return and activate it in the update mode. 7. Activate Import Reporting Company if you have a file that includes the "Reporting Company Code" field. If you activate this option, the "Reporting Company" field is available after you have defined the fields. 8. Click Create. 9. Click Define Fields. 10. In the "Field Definition" page, select the fields that you want to include. Note:
The order of the fields must correspond to the file you are importing or to the database to which the file will be exported. 11. When you have selected the fields, click Update. 12. In the template, select the number of lines in the top of the file that should not be imported or exported from the "Skip Lines" list. For example, if you do not want to import the header row in the file, select 1. Only the second line onwards is imported. 13. Activate Import Status Information if you have a file that includes the "Currency Status" field. You need to define the following status indicators: •
Type an indicator in the "Active Status Indicator" text box if you have a template that includes the "Currency Status" field.
•
Type an indicator in the "Inactive Status Indicator" text box if you have a template that includes the "Currency Status" field.
14. Click Update. The template is saved to the "Company Templates" list.
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Note:
The Administrator can access the template in the "Company Templates" list at any time to update the details.
Company group templates Company group templates use the following fields: •
Ignore When certain fields in the import file cannot be processed by the application or the database to which the export file will be sent, the Administrator must use the "Ignore" field so that the system does not include the field.
•
Company Group Code
•
Company Group Description
Related Topics
•
Company groups on page 73
To configure an import or export file template 1. In Import/Export, select one of the following: • Import Account Groups or Export Account Groups. • Import Company Group or Export Company Group • Import User Group or Export User Group • Import User/User Group Relationship or Export User/User Group Relationship • Import User Group/Company Relationship or Export User Group/Company Relationship • Import Journal Accounts or Export Journal Accounts • Import Account/Journal Account Relationship or Export Account/Journal Account Relationship 2. Click Add New. 3. Type a unique code. 4. Type a description.
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5. From the "Fields Per Line" list, select the number of fields you want to include in the file. Note:
This number determines how many fields appears in the window that are available when you click Define Fields. 6. Enter a character in the "Field Delimiter" that the file will use to separate the columns. 7. Click Create. 8. Click Define Fields. 9. In the "Field Definition" page, select the fields that you want to include. Note:
The order of the fields must correspond to the file you are importing or to the database to which the file will be exported. 10. When you have selected the fields, click Update. 11. In the template, select the number of lines in the top of the file that should not be imported or exported from the "Skip Lines" list. For example, if you do not want to import the header row in the file, select 1. Only the second line onwards is imported. 12. Click Update. The template is saved to the template list.
Currency templates To create a currency template the Administrator needs to do the following: •
Configure the template fields for the currency.
•
Configure a file template that matches the file to import or the database to which a file is to be exported.
The following figure shows some of the fields available in a template, and how they need to correspond with items in an Excel worksheet.
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Configuring the currency template fields The Administrator configures the template field names in Import/Export > Currency Template Fields. Currency templates contain the following fields: •
Ignore When certain fields in the import file cannot be processed by the application or the database to which the export file will be sent, the Administrator must use the Ignore field so that the system does not include the field.
•
Currency Code
•
Currency Description
•
Currency Opening Rate
•
Currency Average Rate
•
Currency Closing Rate
•
Currency Status
•
Currency Rate Type
Once the Administrator has populated the fields, templates can be created in Import/Export > Currency Templates. The Administrator can update the currency template field name entries at any time.
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Configuring a currency template Once the Administrator has populated the template fields in Import/Export > Currency Template Fields, templates can be created in Import/Export > Currency Templates. The following fields are required: •
Currency Code
•
Currency Description
•
Currency Opening Rate
•
Currency Average Rate
To configure a currency file template 1. 2. 3. 4.
In Import/Export > Currency Templates, click Add New. Type a unique code. Type a description. From the "Fields Per Line" list, select the number of fields you want to include in the file. Note:
This number determines how many fields appears in the window that are available when you click "Define Fields". 5. Enter a character in the "Field Delimiter" box that the file will use to separate the columns. 6. Activate Use Define Period to identify the period to which the currency rates are linked. 7. Click Create. 8. Click Define Fields. 9. In the "Field Definition" page, select the fields that you want to include. Note:
The order of the fields must correspond to the file you are importing or to the database to which the file will be exported. 10. When you have selected the fields, click Update. 11. In the template, select the number of lines in the top of the file that should not be imported or exported from the "Skip Lines" list.
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For example, if you do not want to import the header row in the file, select 1. Only the second line onwards is imported. 12. Activate Import Status Information if you have a template that includes the "Currency Status" field and want to import the currency status information. You need to define the following status indicators: •
Type an indicator in the "Active Status Indicator" text box if you have a template that includes the "Currency Status" field.
•
Type an indicator in the "Inactive Status Indicator" text box if you have a template that includes the "Currency Status" field.
13. Activate Import Rate Type Information to define the valuation methods used for the currencies: • In "Multiply Indicator" text box, type a character to represent rates using the multiply format. •
In "Divide Indicator" text box, type a character to represent rates using the divide format.
14. Click Update. The template is saved to the "Currency Templates" list.
Invoice templates To create an invoice template the Administrator needs to do the following: •
Configure the template fields.
•
Configure a file template that matches the file to import or the database to which a file is to be exported.
The following figure shows some of the fields available in a template, and how they need to correspond with items in an Excel worksheet.
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Note:
There may be certain fields in the file that cannot be processed by the application. If this is the case, users must use the Ignore field so that the system does not include the field.
Configuring the invoice template fields The Administrator configures the template fields in Import/Export > Invoice Template Fields. Invoice templates contain the following fields: •
Ignore When certain fields in the import file cannot be processed by the application or database to which the export file will be sent, the Administrator must use the Ignore field so that the system does not include the field.
•
Period
•
Company Code
•
Local Currency Code
•
Account Code
•
Partner Code
•
Transaction Currency Code If there is no transaction currency in the import file, either enter a default transaction currency name in the field or enter a transaction currency in the "Transaction Currency Code" field when you create a template.
•
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Local Amount
Administration of the application
•
Transaction Amount
•
Standard Comment Code Imported standard comments can be used as criteria for matching invoices. If the import file contains a standard comment which does not exist in the application, an error appears in the log file.
•
Invoice Group ID
•
Invoice Reference When importing or exporting an invoice that has no reference in the import file, you can assign a default reference to it.
•
Invoice Text, Invoice Date and Invoice Amount fields are used for objects not mentioned in the field names above. Note:
If an object in the import file does not exist in the application, an error can appear in the log file. •
Invoice Comment
Related Topics
•
Matching invoices on page 180
Configuring an invoice template Once the Administrator has populated the template fields in Import/Export > Invoice Template Fields, templates can be created in Import/Export > Invoice Templates. The following fields are required: •
Company Code
•
Partner Code
•
Account Code
•
Invoice Reference
•
Transaction Amount
•
Transaction Currency Code
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To configure an invoice file template 1. In Import/Export > Invoice Templates, click Add New. 2. Type a unique code. 3. Type a description. 4. From the "Fields Per Line" list, select the number of fields you want to include in the file. Note:
This number determines how many fields appears in the window that are available when you click Define Fields. 5. Enter a character in the "Field Delimiter" box that the file will use to separate the columns. 6. Click Create. 7. Click Define Fields. 8. In the "Field Definition" page, select the fields that you want to include. Note:
The order of the fields must correspond to the file you are importing or to the database to which the file will be exported. 9. When you have selected the fields, click Update. 10. In the template, select the number of lines in the top of the file that should not be imported or exported from the "Skip Lines" list. For example, if you do not want to import the header row in the file, select 1. Only the second line onwards is imported. 11. Activate Use Default Reference to import and assign a "Default Reference" to an invoice that has no reference in the file. 12. Click Update. The template is saved to the "Invoice Templates" list.
Journal Export templates A user selects a Journal Export template to export amounts stored in journal accounts to files, which can be imported into another accounting system.
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Configuring the journal export template fields The Administrator configures the template fields in Import/Export > Journal Export Template Fields. Journal templates contain the following fields: •
Ignore When certain fields in the import file cannot be processed by the application or the database to which the export file will be sent, the Administrator must use the "Ignore" field so that the system does not include the field.
•
Period Code
•
Company Code
•
Account Code
•
Partner Code
•
Transaction Currency Code If there is no transaction currency in the import file, either enter a default transaction currency name in the field or enter a transaction currency in the "Transaction Currency Code" field when you create a template.
•
Local Amount Adjustment
•
Transaction Amount Adjustment
•
Original Local Amount
•
Original Transaction Amount
•
Journal Account Code
Configuring a journal export template Once the Administrator has populated the template fields in Import/Export > Journal Export Template Fields, templates can be created in Import/Export > Journal Export Templates. The following fields are required: •
Company Code
•
Partner Code
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•
Journal Account Code
•
Transaction Currency Code
•
At least one of the following fields must be used: • •
Transaction Amount Adjustment Local Amount Adjustment
To configure a journal export file template 1. 2. 3. 4.
In Import/Export > Journal Export Templates, click Add New. Type a unique code. Type a description. From the "Fields Per Line" list, select the number of fields you want to include in the file. Note:
This number determines how many fields appears in the window that are available when you click Define Fields. 5. Enter a character in the "Field Delimiter" text box that the file will use to separate the columns. 6. Click Create. 7. Click Define Fields. 8. In the "Field Definition" page, select the fields that you want to include. Note:
The order of the fields must correspond to the file you are importing or to the database to which the file will be exported. 9. When you have selected the fields, click Update. 10. In the template, select the number of lines in the top of the file that should not be imported or exported from the "Skip Lines" list. For example, if you do not want to import the header row in the file, select 1. Only the second line onwards is imported. 11. Click Update. The template is saved to the "Journal Export Template" list.
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User templates To create a user template the Administrator needs to do the following: •
Configure the template fields.
•
Configure a file template that matches the file to import or the database to which a file is to be exported.
The following figure shows some of the fields available in a template, and how they need to correspond with items in an Excel worksheet.
Configuring the user template fields The Administrator configures the template field names in Import/Export > User Template Fields. User templates use the following fields: •
Ignore
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When certain fields in the import file cannot be processed by the application or the database to which the export file will be sent, the Administrator must use the "Ignore" field so that the system does not include the field. •
User Code
•
User Description
•
User Profile Code The types of users, based on the application access rights, are: •
Administrator
•
Interactive User
•
Power User
•
View User
•
User Language
•
User Email Address
•
User Phone
•
User Fax
•
User Address
•
User Mobile
•
User Password If there is no password in the file, type a default password in the User Password field. Alternatively, type a password in the Default Password field when you create a template.
•
User Can Receive Detailed Emails Include this field in your template and file as a flag. Use 0 to indicate that the users should receive detailed emails, or a 1 to indicate that the user should not receive them.
•
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Once the Administrator has populated the fields, templates can be created in Import/Export > User Templates. The Administrator can update the user template field entries at any time. Related Topics
•
Addressees of detailed emails on page 170
Configuring a user template Once the Administrator has populated the template fields in Import/Export > User Template Fields, templates can be created in Import/Export > User Templates. The following fields are required: •
User Code
•
User Description
•
User Profile Code
•
User Language
•
User Password
To configure a user file template 1. 2. 3. 4.
In Import/Export > User Templates, click Add New. Type a unique code. Type a description. From the "Fields Per Line" list, select the number of fields you want to include in the file. Note:
This number determines how many fields appears in the window that are available when you click Define Fields. 5. Enter a character in the "Field Delimiter" text box that the file will use to separate the columns. 6. If you want to set a default password, in case there is no default password in the file, activate Use Default Password box and enter in the "Default Password" text box. 7. Click Create. 8. Click Define Fields.
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9. In the "Field Definition" page, select the fields that you want to include. Note:
The order of the fields must correspond to the file you are importing or to the database to which the file will be exported. 10. When you have selected the fields, click Update. 11. From the "Skip Lines" list, select the number of lines in the top of the file that should not be imported or exported. For example, if you do not want to import the header row in the file, select 1. Only the second line onwards is imported. 12. Click Update. The template is saved to the "User Templates" list.
User/User Group Relationship templates User/user group relationship templates use the following fields: •
Ignore When certain fields in the import file cannot be processed by the application or the database to which the export file will be sent, the Administrator must use the "Ignore" field so that the system does not include the field.
•
User Code
•
User Group Code
Note:
You need to import the user groups before you can import the user/user group relationships. Related Topics
• • •
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To configure an import or export file template on page 131 User groups on page 91 Users on page 79
Administration of the application
User Group templates The User Groups import involves the following tasks: •
Import the User Groups.
•
Link User Groups and users.
•
Link User Groups and companies.
User group templates use the following fields: •
Ignore When certain fields in the import file cannot be processed by the application or the database to which the export file will be sent, the Administrator must use the "Ignore" field so that the system does not include the field.
•
User Group Code
•
User Group Description
Related Topics
• •
To configure an import or export file template on page 131 User groups on page 91
User Group/Company Relationship templates User group/company relationship templates use the following fields: •
Ignore When certain fields in the import file cannot be processed by the application or the database to which the export file will be sent, the Administrator must use the "Ignore" field so that the system does not include the field.
•
User Group Code
•
Company Code
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Note:
You need to import the user groups before you can import the user group/company relationship file. The user group/company relationship import file enables you to define which companies belong to which User Groups. Related Topics
• • •
To configure an import or export file template on page 131 User groups on page 91 Companies on page 74
Journal Account templates Journal accounts are imported in the following order: •
Import journal accounts to define the journal account codes and description.
•
Import the account/journal account relationships to define which journal accounts are linked to which accounts.
Journal account templates use the following fields: •
Ignore When certain fields in the import file cannot be processed by the application or the database to which the export file will be sent, the Administrator must use the "Ignore" field so that the system does not include the field.
•
Journal Account Code
•
Journal Account Description
Related Topics
• •
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To configure an import or export file template on page 131 Journal accounts on page 99
Administration of the application
Importing data Instead of manually entering all of the metadata objects in the application, a group of related metadata objects in a .csv or .txt file is imported into the company database. If the import data does not match the fields existing in the company database, the Administrator creates templates that define how the data is entered into the database. Before importing the data, verify that the import files are correctly formatted. The type of file you can import depends on your profile: Import file
Profile allowed to import the file
Currency
Administrator
Company
Administrator
Account
Administrator
User
Administrator
Company Group
Administrator
User Group
Administrator
User/User Group Relationships
Administrator
User Group/Company Relationships
Administrator
Account Groups
Administrator
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Import file
Profile allowed to import the file
Journal Accounts
Administrator
Account/Journal Account Relationships
Administrator
Balance
Administrator, Interactive User
Invoice
Administrator, Interactive User
Bulk balance or invoice
Administrator
To be able to import, the Administrator must specify: •
the name of the template to be used, if applicable
•
the language in which the descriptions are entered in the import file where applicable
•
the path to the import file
When the import is complete, the "Summary" page appears displaying the results of the import. Related Topics
• • • •
To import balance amounts via an import template on page 149 Templates for data import and export on page 113 Import order on page 153 Consulting import results on page 153
To import metadata objects using an import template 1. In the Import/Export tab, select the type of import that is appropriate to your file.
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2. From the Template list, select a template. 3. From the Language list, select the language used in the import file. Note:
A language is not required if you are importing Account/Journal Account Relationship, User Group/Company Relationship or User/User Group Relationship files. 4. To specify the path to the import file, do one of the following: • Type the file path and name in the Source Data File field. • Click Browse. a. In the "Choose file" box, migrate to and then select the import file. b. Click Open. 5. Click Import. Note:
If the import has been put in the import queue, you can cancel the import by clicking Cancel. When the import is complete the "Summary" page appears displaying the results of the import. Related Topics
• • •
Templates for data import and export on page 113 Import queue on page 154 Consulting import results on page 153
To import balance amounts via an import template 1. In the Import/Export tab, click one of the following: • Import Balances if you are importing a file of balances The users in charge of entering data import their balances when the process is running. In this case, the maximum number of lines that can be imported is 1000. •
Bulk Import Balance if you are importing a bulk balance file
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There is no limit to the number of lines that can be imported in this way. The reconciliation process must be stopped before the Administrator can run this type of import. 2. From the Template list, select a template. 3. Activate Reset Local Amount Journals to define the local currency amounts as original amounts. 4. Activate Reset Transaction Amount Journals to define the transaction currency amounts as original amounts. 5. To specify the path to the import file, do one of the following: • Type the file path and name in the Source Data File field. •
Click Browse. a. In the "Choose file" box, migrate to and then select the import file. b. Click Open.
6. Click Import. Note:
If the import has been put in the import queue, you can cancel the import by clicking Cancel. When the import is complete the "Summary" page appears displaying the results of the import. Related Topics
• • •
Templates for data import and export on page 113 Import queue on page 154 Consulting import results on page 153
Importing invoices To import invoices: •
users must have a file containing the amounts to be imported. Invoices always contain positive amounts. To be able to match them, you must specify the sign to be used for amounts in all of the accounts.
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Note:
The decimal symbol used depends on the application server's regional settings. •
users must also select an import template created by the Administrator. A mapping between the application fields and the import file fields is defined by the Administrator in the import templates.
Related Topics
•
Parent accounts on page 102
Replacing or totaling invoice balances When importing invoices that have already been imported into the application under the same reference, transaction currency, account, company and partner, you can specify whether or not: •
The imported amounts must replace the existing invoice amounts.
•
The amounts should be added to the existing invoice amounts.
Note:
If an identical invoice exists in the application and it is matched, it is not replaced or aggregated with the invoice in the import file.
To import invoices 1. In the Import/Export tab, select one of the following: • Import Invoices The import file should not contain more than 1000 rows. If it does, you have to perform a block import. •
Bulk Import Invoices There is no limit to the number of lines that can be imported in this way. Before an Administrator can perform this type of import, the reconciliation process needs to be stopped and all of the users logged off.
2. From the Template list, select a template. 3. To have the imported balances replace the existing balances, activate Override Existing.
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If you do not activate the option, the imported balances are added to existing balances. 4. Activate Create/Update Balances if you want balances created for invoices that do not contain any amounts. When you import invoices, balances are created even if the invoices do not contain any amounts. The default amount entered is 0. The balances are created for the same company, partner, transaction currency and account as the corresponding invoices. Note:
If the Administrator activated Invoices Drive Balances in Administration > Settings > Invoice Settings, the Create/Update Balance option is activated by default. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Select a date format from the list. Enter a Thousand Separator. Enter a Decimal Separator. To specify the path to the import file, do one of the following: • Type the file path and name in the Source Data File field. • Click Browse. a. In the "Choose file" box, migrate to and then select the import file. b. Click Open.
9. Click Import. Note:
If the import has been put in the import queue, you can cancel the import by clicking Cancel. When the import is complete the "Summary" page appears displaying the results of the import. Related Topics
• •
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Import queue on page 154 Consulting import results on page 153
Administration of the application
Import order When setting up the database, an Administrator imports objects in the following order: •
Currencies
•
Company Groups (optional)
•
Companies when relevant, including reporting companies and company groups
•
Account Groups
•
Accounts
•
Journal Accounts (optional)
•
Account/Journal Account Relationships (optional)
•
Users
•
User Groups
•
User/User Group Relationships
•
User Group/Company Relationships
Balance and invoice transaction data is imported during the reconciliation process.
Consulting import results The import "Summary" page includes: •
the "Status" field, which indicates whether or not the import was successful
•
the name of the template used
•
the "Data File Path", which indicates the import file location
•
the "Processed Line Count", which indicates the number of lines imported
•
the error count
•
The "Log File Path"
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If there were errors, this line appears indicating the link to a file containing all of the errors found during the import. You can consult this page at a later date at Import/Export > Previous Imports/Exports.
Import queue All the imports are placed in a queue. When one import finishes, the next one in the queue is started. The following operations are considered as priorities: •
updating currencies
•
updating materiality thresholds
•
running the forced agreement process
•
archiving and restoring periods
•
copying rates
Import operations are also placed lower in the queue when another operation considered as a higher priority is being run. When a user runs an import operation, the "Progress Report" page appears, indicating the operation's position in the import queue. Click Cancel to delete the import from the queue and cancel the import. The Administrator can also delete imports from the queue by clicking the red X icon in the Administration > Maintenance page.
Exporting metadata Before exporting the data files, verify that they are formatted to match the destination database. The type of file you can export depends on your profile:
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Export file
Profile allowed to export the file
Companies
Administrator
Accounts
Administrator
Users
Administrator
User Groups
Administrator
User / User Group Relationships
Administrator
User Group / Company Relationships
Administrator
Subtotal Balances
Administrator, Interactive User, Power User, View User
Analysis Balances
Administrator, Interactive User, Power User, View User
Analysis Subtotal Balances
Administrator, Interactive User, Power User, View User
Balances
Administrator, Interactive User, Power User, View User
Invoices
Administrator, Interactive User, Power User, View User
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Export file
Profile allowed to export the file
Journals
Administrator, Interactive User, Power User, View User
The information on exporting the following is in this section: •
Accounts
•
Account Groups
•
Account/Journal Account Relationships
•
Companies
•
Journal Accounts
•
Users
•
User Groups
•
User/User Group Relationships
•
User Group/Company Relationships
Information on exporting balance, invoice, and journal files is offered in the reconciliation process section called Exporting financial data. Related Topics
•
Exporting financial data on page 48
Selecting the character set for exports Two character sets can be used for export files: •
ASCII
•
Unicode
The Administrator specifies the set to be used before any exports are performed.
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To select the character set for exports 1. In the Administration tab, select Settings > Import/Export Settings. 2. From the Export File Encoding list, select a set type. 3. Click Update.
To export data 1. In the Import/Export tab, select an export option. Note:
Only an Administrator can export companies, accounts, users, user groups, user group relationships, or group company relationships. If you are exporting invoices, journals, or balances, go to the section in the documentation on exporting financial data. 2. Select a template. 3. Select a language. 4. If you are exporting currencies, enter thousand and decimal separators. Note:
The separator should correspond to that used by the database that will receive the export data. 5.
To filter the data exported, activate Use Filter, and click filter items.
to select
6. Click Export. The file is exported and the "Summary" page appears displaying the results of the export. Related Topics
• •
Exporting financial data on page 48 Consulting export results on page 157
Consulting export results When you finish exporting a file, the "Summary" page appears. The "Summary" page includes the following information: •
The Status indicates the success of the export.
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•
The Template
•
The Data File Path field displays a link to the log file generated by the export.
•
The Processed Line Count
•
The Error Count indicates the number of errors that occurred during the export.
•
The Log File Path
You can consult this page at a later date at Import/Export > Previous Import/Export. Related Topics
•
Consulting import and export results on page 159
Enabling the data filter for financial data exports You can apply a data filter to exports to see: •
only your company data
•
only partner data where they have data declared against you
•
data for both your company and the partner.
You must enable the data filter in order to access it in the balance and invoice export pages.
To enable the data filter for balance and invoice exports 1. In the Administration tab, select Settings > Balance Settings. 2. Activate Data Filter Enabled. 3. Click Update. The "Use Data Filter" field is now visible in the balance and invoice export pages.
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Consulting import and export results A page containing the results of the import or export performed can be consulted as soon as the operation is complete. This page is stored in the application and can be consulted at any time.
To consult import or export results 1. In the Import/Export tab, click Previous Imports/Exports. 2. In the Start Date column, click the link for the import or export results you want to consult. 3. In the "Summary" page, to consult the error log file click the error log link.
General administrative tasks Freezing and unfreezing company balances When the company balances are frozen, neither the declaring company nor the partner can change them. Balances can be frozen or unfrozen in: •
balances pages
•
company pages
The Administrator can freeze all the balances for all the companies simultaneously and unfreeze the balances for a company if a user froze it by mistake.
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Authorizing unmatched company balances to be frozen Neither the declaring company nor the partner can access frozen balances. The declaring company decides when all of the work is complete and the partner can no longer make any changes. Note:
If an error has been made, only Administrators can unfreeze company balances, unless the Administrator gives Power Users the right to freeze companies. By default, only company balances that are agreed to can be frozen. The Administrator can also authorize users to freeze their company balances whether they have been agreed to or not. Note:
If the Administrator authorizes companies to freeze their balances only when the balances are agreed to, the companies cannot do so when they have the Company Agreed To Differ and Partner Agreed To Differ statuses activated. Related Topics
•
Freezing company balances at the end of the reconciliation process on page 161 • Statuses on page 172
To authorize companies to freeze unmatched balances 1. In the Administration tab, select Settings > Balance Settings. 2. Activate Unmatched Balance Freezing Allowed. 3. Click Update.
Authorizing Power Users to freeze companies with unmatched balances In Administration > Settings > Balance Settings, the Administrator can enable Power Users to freeze and unfreeze companies with unmatched
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balances, even if the Group Row Difference option is selected for Group Amount Matching, and the Unmatched Balance Freezing Allowed option is not activated.
To authorize Power Users to freeze and unfreeze unmatched balances 1. In the Administration tab, select Settings > Balance Settings. 2. Activate Unmatched Balance Freezing by Power User Allowed. 3. Click Update.
Freezing company balances at the end of the reconciliation process At the end of the process, the Administrator freezes all of the balances, agreed or not, for all of the companies: •
for the current period
•
for all of the periods
Balances for the current period can be frozen or unfrozen, regardless of whether or not the reconciliation process is running. Balances can be frozen or unfrozen for all of the periods only if: •
the reconciliation process is stopped
•
there are no users connected
Note:
Unfreezing balances for all of the companies and periods enables you to recalculate the balances and take any changes into account, for example rate changes. Related Topics
•
Database maintenance on page 58
To freeze all of the company balances 1. In the Administration tab, select Companies. 2. Click Freeze Companies. A confirmation message appears.
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3. Click OK.
To unfreeze company balances 1. Do one of the following: •
Click the Balances tab. The "Detail by Partners" page appears.
•
Select Administration > Companies > [company to be unfrozen]. The selected company's page appears.
2. Click Unfreeze Company. A confirmation message appears. 3. Click OK.
To freeze/unfreeze balances for all of the companies and periods 1. Stop the reconciliation process. 2. Select Administration > Periods. 3. In the Periods page, click Freeze Companies or Unfreeze Companies. A confirmation message appears. 4. Click OK.
Invoice matching If invoice matching is included in the application license, you can break down the balances in child accounts into different invoices. This enables users to compare the invoices entered by the declaring company and the partner. Invoices enable you to analyze differences in greater detail. Even if the invoices are not matched, this does not block the reconciliation process.
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Creating balances by importing/creating invoices The Administrator authorizes the use of invoices in Administrator > Settings > Invoice Settings. Depending on the option activated by the Administrator in "Invoice Matching", the balances linked to the invoices, which are imported or manually entered, are created differently. Option
Description When you import invoices, balances are created, even if the invoices do not contain any amounts, with the default amount of 0.
Invoices Create Zero Balances
The balances are created for the same company, partner, transaction currency and account as the corresponding invoices. You can access the invoices by navigating through the balances pages.
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Option
Description When you import or manually enter invoices, the balances created contain amounts which are the sums of the invoices linked to the balances. The balances are created for the same company, partner, transaction currency and account as the corresponding invoices. You can access the invoices by navigating through the balances pages. Note:
Invoices Drive Balances
If the Administrator authorized the use of invoices and activated Invoices Drive Balances: • each time a user updates the balances, a message appears indicating that the balance amounts and the sum of invoices linked to the balances no longer correspond.
• each time a user imports invoices, the user can optionally select Create/Update Balances.
Activate this option to allow users to update balances only by invoice. Balance update by invoice only
Note:
This option is available when you activate Invoices Drive Balances.
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Option
Description
Invoices Match on Standard Comment
Invoices are matched if they have the same standard comment.
Invoice Substitution Behaviour
If an invoice which is created manually or imported already exists in the database, the user can choose to override the existing amount or aggregate it with the new amount. The Administrator sets the default option in the "Invoice Settings".
Note:
If the Administrator does not activate the options described above, the invoices are loaded in the database but are not available in the application. No balances are created. You can only access the invoices when the relevant balances have been created. Related Topics
• • •
Invoice templates on page 135 Matching invoices on page 180 Entering invoice amounts on page 33
Authorizing invoices matching via standard comments Only invoices which have the same standard comment may be matched. This means that the company and the partner have justified the differences between their invoices via the same standard comment. If the invoices have the same standard comment, they are matched even though differences exist. Related Topics
• •
Statuses on page 172 Freezing and unfreezing company balances on page 159
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Additional fields for invoices The Administrator can customize fields to provide more information on the invoice amounts. By default, these fields are not available; the Administrator activates them. The Administrator can also predefine the content of two of these fields, called Invoice Text 1 and Invoice Text 2 by default. Note:
Predefining these fields allows the invoice import to be validated. If the import file contains a text which does not exist in the application, an error appears in the log file. The predefined texts can then be used: •
for each invoice In the Balance tab invoice pages, the lists for the Invoice Text 1 and Invoice Text 2 fields can be used to select their contents.
•
when importing invoices
Related Topics
• • • •
Invoice templates on page 135 Invoice updates on page 35 To predefine the content of the Invoice Text 1 and 2 fields on page 167 To activate invoice fields on page 166
To activate invoice fields 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Stop the reconciliation process. In the Administration tab, select Settings > Invoices for Child Account. In the Code column, click the link for the field you want to display. Activate Visible. Change the caption text, if necessary. Follow the same procedure for each field you want to display. Click Update.
Related Topics
•
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Balance and invoice interface display on page 190
Administration of the application
To predefine the content of the Invoice Text 1 and 2 fields 1. Stop the reconciliation process. 2. In the Administration tab, select Settings > Invoice Settings. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
Activate Invoice Text Validation. Click Update. In the Administration tab, select Settings > Invoice Text Validation. Click Add New. In the Text Valid Code field, type a unique text code. Enter a description. In the Text Valid Value field, type the text name that should appear in the invoice text lists in invoices. 10. Select one or both options: Invoice Text 1 and Invoice Text 2. 11. Click Create.
To authorize the use of invoices 1. In the Administration tab, select Settings > Invoice Settings. 2. Select one of the following options: • For the balances created by the invoice import to contain the amount 0, activate Invoices Create Zero Balances. •
For the balances created by the invoice import to contain the sum of the corresponding invoices, activate Invoices Drive Balances.
Note:
If an invoice which is created manually or imported already exists in the database, the user can choose to override the existing amount or aggregate it with the new amount. The Administrator sets the default option beforehand from the Invoice Substitution Behaviour list. 3. For invoices to be matched if they have the same standard comment, activate Invoices Match on Standard Comments. Note:
You must then create standard comments that users can select for their invoices. 4. If you want to use a term other than invoice, enter the chosen term: • in the singular, in the Invoice Singular Caption.
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•
in the plural, in the Invoices Plural Caption.
By default, the term invoice, also in the plural, appears throughout the application. The Administrator can choose to use a different term. If this is the case, the Administrator must enter both the singular and the plural form. The terms chosen are taken into account throughout the application, for example in the reports and log files. The terms used must not exceed 32 characters. 5. Click Update. Related Topics
•
Freezing and unfreezing company balances on page 159
Email There are two main categories of email: •
Global emails, which are sent by the Administrator to the company contacts required.
•
Emails sent to users in charge of entering data to help them to track the progress of invoices. In this category, there are two types of email: •
Detailed Emails
•
Summary Emails
The Administrator must specify the following email settings beforehand: •
•
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the email address for: •
source of detailed and summary emails
•
list of users who can receive summary emails
the folder in which all the emails are stored
Administration of the application
Global emails The Administrator can send a global email at any time during the process whether it is stopped or not. The email is sent to all the users: •
who are defined as company contacts
•
who have an email address
To send a global email 1. 2. 3. 4.
In the Administration tab, select Send Global Email. In the Subject field, type the subject of the email. In the Text box, type the email text. Click Send.
Automatic detailed emails Each time the status of a balance changes, the application can generate an automatic email. These emails inform the declaring company and partner of any changes in the status of the current balance. The Administrator: •
decides which statuses generates an automatic email.
•
defines what is included in the mail.
•
specifies which users receive emails.
By default, every time the status of a balance changes, an automatic email is sent. However, the Administrator can choose not to send detailed emails for certain statuses. In this case, status information is not included in the summary emails either. The Administrator defines the text that accompanies each status change indicated in the emails. The following information is available by default: •
the meaning of the status.
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•
what the user should do.
Related Topics
•
Statuses on page 172
To define and activate automatic detailed emails 1. In the Administration tab, select Statuses. 2. Click the link for the relevant status. 3. In the Email Message Line 1 and Email Message Line 2 text boxes, the default text that appears in the emails appears. Change this text as necessary. 4. Activate Send Email Notification to send the emails automatically. 5. Click Update.
To stop emails being sent automatically for a status 1. In the Administration tab, select Statuses. 2. Click the link for the relevant status. 3. Deactivate Send Email Notification. Note:
The current status information is no longer included in the summary emails. 4. Click Update.
Addressees of detailed emails The Administrator specifies which types of user can receive detailed emails. Users defined as recipients for detailed emails can choose not to receive them once logged in. Related Topics
•
To start or stop receiving detailed emails on page 44
To select users that will receive detailed emails 1. In the Administration tab, select Emails. 2. In the Can receive detailed emails column, select the required user types. 3. Click Update.
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4. 5. 6. 7.
In the Administration tab, select Users. Select the link for the user you want to activate to receive emails. Activate Receive Detailed Emails. Click Update.
Automatic summary emails A summary email is a condensed form of a detailed email. It lists the status changes that have occurred since the last summary email was sent. Note:
If the Administrator has not activated Send Email Notification for a status in Administration > Statuses, the status information is not included in the summary emails. During the reconciliation process, the Administrator can send several summary emails per day. The Administrator defines at what times the emails are sent automatically. Only users that meet the following conditions are able to receive summary emails: •
The user type is Administrator, Interactive User, or Power User.
•
The user has an email address.
To define the times when summary emails are automatically sent 1. In the Administration tab, select Emails. 2. Click Create Email Event. A new row appears. 3. In the "Summary Email Events" section, select the hour and minutes for when you want the first summary email to be sent automatically. 4. Click Update. 5. To send a second email automatically, repeat the procedure from step 2 as necessary.
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Statuses Balance and User Group statuses enable you to see how the reconciliation of balances is progressing. All the statuses and User Groups of statuses delivered with are listed at Administration > Statuses. The Administrator cannot create additional statuses; however, the existing statuses can be modified. User Group statuses are used for partner and parent account pages. Balance statuses are used for currency rate pages and pages used to enter amounts in child accounts. A status is characterized by the following properties: •
symbol
•
description, which can be defined
•
automatic emails when a status changes
•
comments attached to balances which have this status
•
default description
Related Topics
•
Automatic detailed emails on page 169
Status symbols and descriptions Symbols identify the status of balances and user groups.
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Balance statuses Symbol
Default description
Description
Open
A balance has been created but no amounts have been entered yet.
Agreed
The balance is agreed.
Company Agreed To Differ
If the declaring company does not want to correct its amount, it asks the partner to accept the difference.
Partner Agreed To Differ
If the partner does not want to correct its amount, it asks the declaring company to accept the difference.
Agreed To Differ
The company or partner accepts the difference.
Unmatched
The balance is not reconciled.
Company Reopened
The balance was reconciled, but the declaring company requests it be reopened in order to make changes.
Partner Reopened
The balance was reconciled, but the partner requests it be reopened in order to make changes.
Forced Unmatched
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Symbol
Default description
Description A request for the balances to be reopened has been accepted.
Company Deleted
The balance was not reconciled and the declaring company wants to delete it.
Partner Deleted
The balance was not reconciled and the partner wants to delete it.
Company Submitted
Only the company has entered amounts.
Partner Submitted
Only the partner has entered amounts.
Forced Agreement
The balance was reconciled automatically when the Administrator ran the forced agreement process.
Note:
If the Administrator authorized all the companies to freeze only agreed balances, the companies cannot freeze balances with Company Agreed To Differ and Partner Agreed To Differ statuses. Related Topics
•
Freezing and unfreezing company balances on page 159
User Group statuses The User Group statuses depend on the difference calculated. When a materiality value has been defined:
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•
If the difference is greater than the materiality value set, the status is Unmatched.
•
If the difference is less than the materiality value set, the status is Agreed.
When no materiality value has been defined: •
If there is no difference, the status is Group Row Agreed. Note:
The "Group Row Agreed" status does not mean that no request has been made to change a balance. •
If there is a difference, other than 0, the status is Group Row Unmatched. Symbol
Default description
Description The balance is agreed.
Group Row Agreed No changes are required. The balance is not reconciled. Group Row Unmatched
Changes must be made to match the balances. The companies must go to the currency and account pages to make the changes.
To change status labels 1. 2. 3. 4.
In the Administration tab, select Statuses. Click the link for the status label you want to change. In the Description field, enter the relevant label. In the Email Message Line 1 text box, enter the text for the row in the email that explains the status. 5. In the Email Message Line 2 text box, enter the text for the row in the email that explains what the user must do.
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6. Activate Send Email Notification for an email to be sent automatically each time this status is used. 7. To authorize modifications to the local amount for the current status, activate Local Amount Editable. For each status, you can specify if the local amounts or transaction amounts or both can be modified for balances which have this status. By default, balance amount modifications are authorized for the following statuses but can be modified by the Administrator: •
Open
•
Unmatched
•
Forced Unmatched
•
Company Child Account Error
•
Partner Child Account Error
•
Company Submitted
•
Partner Submitted
8. To authorize modifications to the transaction amount for the current status, activate Transaction Amount Editable. 9. If you want to authorize comments for the current status in the balances pages, activate Comment Editable. Comments are authorized via the statuses by default as long as the balance is not frozen or agreed. The Administrator can, however, change the default as required. If you do not want to authorize comments for the current status, deactivate Comment Editable. 10. Click Update.
Statuses and actions An action is a response to a company or partner's request. Statuses and actions alternate as follows:
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•
Starting status: request from the company/partner.
•
Action: response from the partner/company.
Administration of the application
•
Status resulting from the action.
In each status's page, all of the actions and statuses resulting from the actions for the given status are listed. A reconciliation mode is used when reconciling balances. Related Topics
•
Reconciliations on page 179
Reconciliations without discrepancies There are two possible scenarios: •
The declaring company and the partner enter the same amounts.
•
The difference between the amounts entered by both is less than or equal to the materiality value defined.
Example: The materiality value is USD 1,500.
The difference is USD 1,000. It is therefore below the materiality level. Therefore the balance is agreed. Company Enters USD 10,000 Resulting status: Company Submitted
Partner Enters: nothing Resulting status: Partner Submitted
Enters: USD 9,000
Resulting status: Agreed
Reconciliations with discrepancies A situation can arise whereby the declaring company and partner do not immediately agree about how to deal with a non-reconciled balance.
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Example: The materiality value is USD 500 (User Group currency)
The difference (USD 200) is below the materiality value. Therefore the balance is agreed. Company Partner Amount entered 10,000 USD
Phase 1
Resulting status: Submitted
Resulting status: Partner Submitted Enters: 10,000 USD
Resulting status: Agreed Phase 2 The balance is agreed.
Phase 3
The declaring company forgot to enter an amount. It requests that the balance be reopened.
Status: Partner Reopened
Action: Reopen Status: Company Reopen The partner accepts the request to reopen the balance. Phase 4
Action: Accept Status: Forced Unmatched The balance is reopened.
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The declaring company enters the amount it forgot (USD 200) and saves the balance.
Status: Agreed
Status: Agreed
Reopening agreed balances When dealing with states generated from a reopened agreed balance, the Administrator can choose one of the following sequences of actions: •
Agreed - Reopen - Company Reopened
•
Agreed - Reopen - Forced Unmatched
Related Topics
•
Reconciliations on page 179
To define the sequence of actions to be performed when an agreed balance is reopened 1. Select Administration > Settings > Balance Settings. 2. In the Status Transition section, select the required options. 3. Click Update.
Reconciliations The Administrator specifies how balances are reconciled. This is useful when: •
a materiality value is being used
•
the amounts are entered in several transaction currencies for the same parent account
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Administration of the application
Reconciling balances in group currency If several transaction currencies are used for the same parent account, amounts can be reconciled in two ways: •
If the total difference at group row level is greater than materiality, the status for the group row is Unmatched, even if the statuses of the balances in individual currencies are agreed. The total group row difference is more important than the individual balance states for each currency. For example, if materiality is set at 100 dollars and the reconciliation mode is "Group Row Unmatched", the differences calculated in the two transaction currencies are both less than materiality. However, the status of the parent account remains unmatched since the total difference in the parent account is greater than the materiality threshold.
•
If the balance status for each currency is Agreed, the status for the group row total is Agreed even if the difference at group row level is greater than materiality. Here, the individual currency balance statuses are more important than the total group row difference. For example, if materiality is set at 1000 dollars and the reconciliation mode is Balance Statuses, the differences calculated in the two balances are both less than materiality. The status of the parent account is "Agreed" even though the total difference is greater than the materiality threshold.
Note:
If only one transaction currency is used, the first method is applied. If there is no materiality threshold, neither method is use. The amount translation mode can then no longer be changed unless the process is stopped and there are no balances in the database.
Matching invoices Matching invoices enables users to compare the invoices of the declaring company and the partner to analyze differences in greater detail. Even if the invoices are not matched, this does not block the reconciliation process.
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Administration of the application
Related Topics
•
Why match invoices? on page 39
To select the reconciliation mode 1. In the Administration tab, select Settings > Balance Settings. 2. From the Group Amount Matching list, select the method required. 3. Click Update. Related Topics
•
Invoice matching on page 162
Difference calculation type The Administrator selects the difference calculation type, which specifies how to calculate the difference between the company balance total and the partner balance total on the partner page.
To set the difference calculation type 1. In the Administration tab, select Settings > Balance Settings. 2. In the Total Difference Calculation list under Balance Matching, choose one of the following options: • Select Total Ourside + Total Theirside to have the partner balance total added to the company balance total. For example, if the partner balance total is expressed as a negative number, an expenditures account for example, the negative balance total is added to the positive balance total to obtain the total difference. •
Select Sum Ourside - Theirside to have the partner balance total subtracted from the company balance total.
3. Click Update.
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Administration of the application
Categories When the reconciliation process is not running, the Administrator defines the category for the amounts to be entered during the next process. Note:
The settings for the parameter need to correspond to those contained in the consolidation system to which the amounts are exported at the end of the process.
To set the category 1. In the Administration tab, select Settings > SAP BusinessObjects Metadata Settings. 2. Type an entry in Category. 3. Click Update.
Data entry period When the reconciliation process is not running, the Administrator defines the data entry period for the amounts to be entered during the next process. Note:
The settings for the parameter need to correspond to those contained in the consolidation system to which the amounts are exported at the end of the process.
To set the data entry period 1. In the Administration tab, select Settings > SAP BusinessObjects Metadata Settings. 2. Type an entry in Data Entry Period Code. 3. Click Update.
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Administration of the application
Audit ID When the reconciliation process is not running, the Administrator defines the audit ID for the amounts to be entered during the next process. Note:
The settings for the parameter need to correspond to those contained in the consolidation system to which the amounts are exported at the end of the process.
To set the audit ID 1. In the Administration tab, select Settings > SAP BusinessObjects Metadata Settings. 2. Enter an Audit ID Code. 3. Click Update.
Default flow When the reconciliation process is not running, the Administrator defines the default flow for the amounts to be entered during the next process. The Administrator can set a default flow if the accounts are not linked to flows in the application. Note:
The settings set for the following parameters need to correspond to those contained in the consolidation system to which the amounts are exported at the end of the process.
To set a flow 1. In the Administration tab, select Settings > SAP BusinessObjects Metadata Settings. 2. Enter a Flow Code. 3. Click Update.
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Administration of the application
Reports In order to analyze the differences and monitor the reconciliation process, users generate reports. The Administrator defines the: •
types of report can be used among all the report types available
•
information to display in each type of report
•
formats to make available
•
the display of the reports
Related Topics
•
To delete reports on page 188
Balance reports The balance reports include: •
Audit This report provides you with an overview of how declaring companies and partners are progressing with the reconciliation.
•
Balance By Reporting Company This report contains the same information as a "Balance" report, except that when several companies are included in the same reporting company, the amounts entered in the accounts by each one in local and group currency are totaled and arranged by reporting company.
•
Balance After new balances have been imported, this report enables you to check that all of the amounts have been correctly imported. When exporting, this report enables you to check the amounts exported.
•
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Difference Analysis
Administration of the application
This report provides you with detailed information on amounts at various levels in order to help you understand why differences exist. •
Difference Analysis Summary This report has the same format as the "Difference Analysis" report, but shows only the difference at the parent account level. Child account, transaction/local and transaction difference columns are not included.
•
Progress This report enables you to analyze the discrepancies that exist in the parent accounts and those that exist for each type of currency. It also provides you with an overview of the total difference in each accounting schedule.
•
Progress By Parent Account This report enables you to analyze amounts in greater detail than in the Progress report: amounts are analyzed for each declaring company/partner pair for all parent company accounts where a discrepancy exists.
•
Account By Partner This report contains the amounts entered in child accounts, arranged by partner. They appear in local and group currency.
•
Parent Account By Partner This report contains the amounts calculated in the parent accounts, arranged by partner. They appear in local and group currency.
•
Multi Period This report enables you to compare the amounts by period. The maximum number of periods allowed is six.
Invoice reports The invoice reports include: •
Invoices by Account
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Administration of the application
This report contains the amounts entered in the child accounts and the total invoices assigned to them, along with any differences found. •
Invoices by Parent Account This report contains the amounts entered in the parent accounts and the total invoices assigned to them, along with any differences found. All of the invoices assigned to the parent company's child accounts are taken into account.
•
Matched Invoices This report contains a list of the matched invoices and specifies whether or not the invoices were reconciled manually or automatically.
•
Unassigned Unmatched Invoices This report contains a list of the invoices which are unmatched or unassigned to an invoice group. The sub-totals and differences are also included in this report. For the partner, however only the amounts in the transaction currency are displayed.
•
Detailed Unassigned Unmatched Invoices This report contains a list of the invoices which are unmatched or unassigned to an invoice group. The sub-totals and differences are also included in this report. For the partner, the following information is displayed: accounts, invoice references, amounts in the local currency and amounts in the transaction currency.
Activating report types and columns The Administrator defines: •
What types of report can be used by the users among all the report types available.
•
What information is displayed in each type of report. This includes selecting the column headers to be included in the report.
To activate/deactivate a report type and columns 1. In the Administration tab, select Reports. 2. Click the link for the relevant report type.
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Administration of the application
3. To make this format available to other users, activate Enabled. To make this format unavailable to other users, deactivate Enabled. 4. To select columns, activate the relevant boxes under the Visible Columns. 5. Click Update.
Report formats The Administrator selects from the formats users can use for reports: • • • • • •
Excel HTML Text PDF Crystal Reports (RPT) Word
To select a report format 1. In the Administration tab, select Reports > Report Formats. 2. Activate formats to make them available to other users. To make a format unavailable to other users, deactivate it. 3. Click Update.
Report interface styles The Administrator defines how reports appear by selecting font characteristics for the following report elements: •
Title
•
Normal The "Normal" element includes the user, group currency, period, declaring company, or partner, corresponding to the filters defined.
•
Headings This row contains the column headers.
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Administration of the application
•
GrandTotal This row contains all of the totals, such as total balances entered, total amounts in group currency, or total difference in group currency.
•
High, Medium, and Low
Note:
All of the objects can be modified if necessary.
To define how reports are presented 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
In the Administration tab, select Reports. Click the link for the object whose style you want to define. Select a font from the Font list. Select a font size from the Font Size list. Click
to change the Font Color.
6.
Click to change the Background Color. 7. Activate the following text settings as required: • Bold •
Italic
•
Underlined
8. Select a text alignment. 9. Click Update.
To delete reports Administrators can delete reports by date. 1. In the Administration tab, select Reports > Delete. 2. Click the calendar icon to select the creation date and time of the reports you want to delete. 3. Click Update.
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Administration of the application
Purging balances and invoices When work has been completed on the balances and invoices for one or more periods and the Administrator decides that the data is no longer needed, the Administrator can delete: •
the balances and invoices by period Note:
You cannot delete balances without deleting the invoices. •
the invoices by period
•
all of the balances and invoices for all of the periods
Tip:
To purge all of the balances and invoices from the database, the Administrator must first close all of the periods. Related Topics
•
Opening and closing periods on page 66
To purge balances and invoices simultaneously 1. Stop the reconciliation process. 2. In the Administration tab, select Purge Balances/Invoices. 3. To purge the balances for certain periods, select the periods in the "Purge Balances" column. 4. Click Purge. Caution:
The data is permanently deleted from the database.
To purge invoices 1. Stop the reconciliation process. 2. In the Administration tab, select Purge Balances/Invoices.
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Administration of the application
3. To purge invoices for certain periods, select the periods in the "Purge Invoices" column. 4. Click Purge. Caution:
The data is permanently deleted from the database.
To purge balances and invoices for all of the periods 1. Stop the reconciliation process. 2. In the Administration tab, select Purge Balances/Invoices. 3. Click Purge All.
Balance and invoice interface display The Administrator can change the default presentation of: •
partners with which the declaring company has performed transactions
•
all parent accounts used in the current company's balances
•
all transaction currencies used in the current company's balances
•
all child accounts in which amounts have been entered
•
all invoices belonging to a child account
•
all invoices belonging to a parent account
•
the groups of invoices
The Administrator defines the order in which the columns are displayed for each page and its interface appearance.
To define the column interface display 1. In the Administration tab, select Settings. 2. Click the link for the view whose columns you want to rearrange. 3. Use the up arrow and down arrow icons to change the order of the columns.
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Administration of the application
4. In the Code column, click the link for the column whose display you want to define. 5. Change the code or description, if necessary. 6. To change the column width, enter a number in the Width text box. 7. Select one of the following column header alignments: • Right •
Center
•
Left
8. If you do not want the column to be displayed, deactivate Visible. 9. Click Update.
Deleting invoices by company, parent or child account Administrators and Interactive Users can delete invoices linked to: •
a company
•
a parent account
•
a child account
The Administrator can also purge all of the invoices. Related Topics
•
Purging balances and invoices on page 189
To delete invoices by company 1. In the Administration tab, select Companies. 2. In the "Companies" page, click the link for the company whose invoices you want to delete. 3. Click Delete Invoices. A confirmation message appears.
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Administration of the application
4. Click OK.
To delete invoices by parent account 1. 2. 3. 4.
Select the Balances tab. Navigate through the balances to the "Detail by child accounts" page. Click Match Invoices. Do one of the following: • To delete all of the invoices linked to a parent account, click Delete. • To delete a single invoice, click the red X icon. A confirmation message appears.
5. Click OK. Note:
If you have deleted all of the invoices, all of the invoice groups are also deleted. If you have not deleted all of the invoices and the deleted invoices belong to an invoice group, the group is unmatched. If the invoice groups do not contain any invoices belonging to the declaring company, they are deleted.
To delete invoices by child account 1. Select the Balances tab. 2. Navigate through the balances to the "Detail by child accounts" page. 3. In the Invoices column, click one of the following icons:
4. Do one of the following: • To delete all of the invoices linked to a child account, click Delete. • To delete a single invoice, click the red X icon. A confirmation message appears. 5. Click OK.
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Administration of the application
Note:
If the deleted invoice belongs to an invoice group, the group is unmatched. If the invoice group does not contain any invoices belonging to the declaring company, it is deleted.
Decimals in balances The Administrator decides whether or not the decimal figures in the balances are stored in the database. If the Administrator decides to store the decimals, they appear in the Balances tab. If they are not stored, they are not displayed. Figures with decimals appear as follows: 102.25. Figures without decimals appear as follows: 102. Note:
The decimal symbol used depends on the application server's regional settings.
To store decimals in the database 1. In the Administration tab, select Settings > Balance Settings. 2. To store the decimals, deactivate Do Not Store Amount Decimal. If you do not want to store the decimals, activate Do not store decimals. 3. Click Update.
Archiving balances When work has been completed on the balances for one or more periods, the Administrator can archive the balances by period for use at a later time. Archived periods cannot be viewed or accessed by other users. The Administrator can restore the required balances by period at any time.
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Administration of the application
Note:
The period must be closed in order to be able to archive its balances. Related Topics
•
Opening and closing periods on page 66
To archive balances by period 1. In the Administration tab, select Periods. 2. Select the closed period you want to archive. Note:
The currently selected period cannot be archived. If you want to archive it, you must first select another period. 3. Click Archive Period. 4. Click Update.
To restore archived balances by period 1. 2. 3. 4.
In the Administration tab, click Periods. Select the archived period you want to restore. Click Restore Period. Click Update.
The application login page text The Administrator can customize the text that appears on the application login page, and choose to display it instead of the default text. Tip:
Display the Administrator email address in the login page. Use the following syntax: ad [email protected]
Do not forget to replace [email protected] with the correct address.
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Administration of the application
To display a customized login page text 1. In the Administration tab, select Settings > Login Text. 2. In the data entry box at the top of the page, type in the text that you want to appear on the login page. 3. Deactivate Replace With Default. Note:
To replace the custom text with the default text, activate Replace With Default. 4. Click Update.
Digit grouping symbols The Administrator activates the digit grouping symbol for balance and invoice amount export files. Note:
The symbol used is the one defined in the application server's regional options. For example: •
When the symbol defined on the server is a comma, the amounts appears as follows: 1,000,000.
•
When the Administrator decides that no symbol is to be used, the amounts appears as follows: 1000000.
To activate the digit grouping symbol 1. In the Administration tab, select Settings > Import/Export Settings. 2. To use the symbol defined on the server when exporting amounts, activate Export Thousand Separators. Note:
If you do not want to use the symbol defined on the server when exporting amounts, deactivate Export Thousand Separators. 3. Click Update.
195
Administration of the application
196
Glossary
Glossary
The following terms are used in the application. Term
Definition
Account
Object for which a transaction is performed. There are two types of account: parent accounts and child accounts.
Account Group Group of accounts. There are three account group levels: top level account group, parent account group and account group. Actions
An action is a response to a company or partner's request. Requests are made via statuses.
Balance
Line in which an amount can be entered. A balance is created by specifying the declaring company, the partner, the parent account, or the transaction currency.
Bulk Import Bal- There is no limit to the number of lines that can be ance imported in this way. Only the Administrator can perform this type of import when the process is stopped and all the users are logged off. Child Account
Data entry account, such as Goods in Progress or WIP, that depends on a parent account, for example Finished Goods in Progress.
Company
Companies make up user groups. A company can be a declaring company, a partner or a reporting company.
Company Con- User assigned to a company via a user group. tact
197
Glossary
Term
Definition
Company Currency
Local reporting currency assigned to each company. Synonym: Local Currency.
Partner
Company that records the transactions performed with other companies. The declaring company enters balances. The difference between a declaring company (ours) and a partner (theirs) only depends on your point of view. The partner receives requests from the declaring company.
Declaring Com- Company that records the transactions performed pany with other companies. The declaring company enters balances. The difference between a declaring company (ours) and a partner (theirs) only depends on your point of view. Declaring companies make requests to delete or change balances.
198
Detailed Email
Email sent automatically each time a balance status changes.
Divide
Valuation method which uses one unit of foreign currency as the base currency and calculates the equivalent amount in the national currency.
Company Group
Group of similar companies that are involved in the same sector of activity.
Filter
Restricts the objects displayed. You can use filters to display certain objects on the current page. You can also use filters in the balances and reports.
Forced Agreement
Process run by the Administrator at the end of the process to adjust the remaining differences automatically. The process can be reversed, for example the amounts that were stored in the database before the forced agreement process was run are restored.
Glossary
Term
Definition
Freezing
Operation enabling you to prevent any changes being made to the balances. You can freeze the balances of one or more companies. To be able to export balances and subtotals, the balances containing the amounts to be exported must be frozen.
User Group
Group of users and companies that enables you to determine which companies each user works on.
Group Currency Currency used by the headquarters or when reporting. All the amounts entered in local and/or in transaction currency are automatically translated into the group currency. Journal Accounts
Journal accounts store the differences between the first and last amounts entered for one or several child accounts. The differences can then be exported via a journal to the accounting system containing the original data.
Local Currency Local reporting currency assigned to each company. Synonym: Company Currency. Materiality
Amount expressed in the group currency enabling you to determine whether an amount is agreed or not. If the difference is below materiality, the balance is reconciled. If the difference is above materiality, the balance is not reconciled.
Multiply
Valuation method which uses the national currency as the base currency and calculates the equivalent in a foreign currency.
Parent Account Account whose amount is the sum of the amounts entered in the child accounts assigned to it. Period
A period is defined by a start date and an end date. These dates determine the period to which the amounts that are entered or imported for balances are linked.
199
Glossary
Term
Definition
Purge
Action enabling you to delete a group of objects, for example, all the currencies or all the balances.
Report
Document used to display balance amounts.
Reporting Com- Company which user groups together several pany companies. Standard Com- Predefined comment entered by the Administrator ment providing an explanation for the amount. Status
Indicator specifying how the reconciliation process is progressing, such as "Agreed To Differ" or "Agreed". For an object, the indicator specifies whether or not it can be used in balances, such as active or inactive currency.
Summary Email Email containing a summary of the detailed emails. It lists the status changes that have occurred since the last summary email was sent.
200
Top Level Account Group
Group of accounts which have similar accounting characteristics. The account group defines the sign to be used for the accounts.
Transaction Currency
Currency used for transactions between the companies.
Unfreezing
Action enabling you to make changes to balances. This action is performed after a freezing action.
More Information
More Information
Information Resource
Location
SAP BusinessObjects product information
http://www.sap.com Select http://help.sap.com > SAP BusinessObjects. You can access the most up-to-date documentation covering all SAP BusinessObjects products and their deployment at the SAP Help Portal. You can download PDF versions or installable HTML libraries.
SAP Help Portal
Certain guides are stored on the SAP Service Marketplace and are not available from the SAP Help Portal. These guides are listed on the Help Portal accompanied by a link to the SAP Service Marketplace. Customers with a maintenance agreement have an authorized user ID to access this site. To obtain an ID, contact your customer support representative.
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http://service.sap.com/bosap-support > Documentation • Installation guides: https://service.sap.com/bosap-inst guides • Release notes: http://service.sap.com/releasenotes The SAP Service Marketplace stores certain installation guides, upgrade and migration guides, deployment guides, release notes and Supported Platforms documents. Customers with a maintenance agreement have an authorized user ID to access this site. Contact your customer support representative to obtain an ID. If you are redirected to the SAP Service Marketplace from the SAP Help Portal, use the menu in the navigation pane on the left to locate the category containing the documentation you want to access.
Developer resources SAP BusinessObjects articles on the SAP Community Network
https://boc.sdn.sap.com/developer/library https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/businessobjects-sdklibrary
https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/boc/businessobjects-articles These articles were formerly known as technical papers.
https://service.sap.com/notes Notes Forums on the SAP Community Network
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202
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The SAP Support Portal contains information about Customer Support programs and services. It also has links to a wide range of technical information and downloads. Customers with a maintenance agreement have an authorized user ID to access this site. To obtain an ID, contact your customer support representative.
http://www.sap.com/services/bysubject/businessobjectscon sulting Consulting
Consultants can accompany you from the initial analysis stage to the delivery of your deployment project. Expertise is available in topics such as relational and multidimensional databases, connectivity, database design tools, and customized embedding technology.
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204
Index A account flows 108 account groups creating 96 defining 92 definition (glossary) 197 properties 95 subgroups 93 top level account groups 96 account subgroups 93 account templates configuring 117 accounts defining 101 definition (glossary) 197 exporting 157 importing 148 templates 115 actions defining 176 definition (glossary) 197 adjustment accounts defining extensions 110 amount translation defining 72 amounts translating 71 audit ID setting 183 authorizing freeze 160 authorizing freeze by Power user 161 authorizing freeze by Power users 160
B balance export configuring a template 124 balance import configuring a template 124 balance template configuring 124
balance templates configuring 124 balances 160, 161 activate code or description 17 ad hoc filters 17 archiving 193, 194 attaching files 27 attaching standard comment 26 authorizing freeze 160 bulk importing 149 child accounts 22 column interface display 190 communicating via statuses 29 creating 23, 24 creating by importing invoices 163 currencies 21 decimal display 193 definition (glossary) 197 deleting a comment 28 digit grouping 195 displaying all the objects 17 entering 25 entering a comment 28 exporting 49, 50, 126 exporting using SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation 52 freeze 31, 33 freezing 32, 159, 161 importing 149 interface display 190 journal account resets 25 opening 23, 24 pages for entering data 20 parent accounts 21 partners 20 purging 189 purging for all periods 190 reconciling 180 removing 30 reopening after agreed 179 resetting 30 restoring 194 selecting declaring companies 24
205
Index
balances (continued) selecting periods 24 setting filter 15 statuses 173 templates 120 toggling filters 17 unfreezing 159 bulk import balances definition (glossary) 197
C categories setting 182 child accounts 104 assigning to parent accounts 106, 107 balance page 22 creating 105 definition (glossary) 197 properties 104 comments consulting balances 28 deleting in balances 28 deleting in invoices 37 in balances 28 in invoices 36, 37 companies adding 77 declaring companies 75 defining 74 definition (glossary) 197 deleting 78 exporting 157 freezing 31 importing 148 properties 76 reporting companies 75 templates 127 companies and periods freezing 162 unfreezing 162 company balance unfreezing 162 company contacts definition (glossary) 197 company currencies definition (glossary) 197
206
company groups creating 74 defining 73 definition (glossary) 197 company templates configuring 129 currencies 68 balance page 21 copying to open periods 70 defining for user group 71 entering 70 exporting 157 importing 148 properties 69 templates 132 usergroup 71 currency templates configuring 134
D data exporting 48 importing 147 data entry period setting 182 database maintenance 58 managing connections 58 metadata 61 objects 60 saving changes 11 setting the connection 58 decimals not storing 193 storing 193 declaring companies defining 75 definition (glossary) 197 default currency 71 default flow setting 183 detailed emails definition (glossary) 197 difference calculation 181 setting 181
Index
digits group symbol 195 divide definition (glossary) 197
E emails defining 168 defining automatic detailed emails 169 defining automatic summary emails 171 defining global emails 169 defining send times 171 for tracking progress 43 receiving 44 selecting recipients 170 sending automatically 170 stopping 170 export balances 49, 50, 52 digit grouping symbol 195 financial data 48 invoices 54 journals 48 export results consulting 157 exports consulting the results 159
F fields account group templates 120 account templates 116, 117 account/journal account relationship templates 119 company group templates 131 company templates 128 currency templates 133 invoice templates 136 journal accounts templates 146 journal export templates 139 user group templates 145 user group/company relationship templates 145 user templates 141 user/user group relationship templates 144
files attaching balances 27 attaching to invoices 38, 39 consulting, balances 27 deleting from invoices 39 deleting, balances 27 filters 15 ad hoc 17 balances display 15 definition (glossary) 197 deleting 17 for exports 158 setting for balance display 15, 17 toggling in balance display 17 flows setting 183 forced agreement definition (glossary) 197 forced agreements 109 adjustment account extension 110 authorizing 110 consulting the history 112 retaining submitted loser accounts 111 rolling back 112 running 111, 112 setting up 109 freeze balances 31, 33 freezing definition (glossary) 197
G global emails sending 169 group currencies definition (glossary) 197
I import queue 154 import results consulting 153 imports consulting the results 159 intercompany reconciliation processes starting 59
207
Index
intercompany reconciliation processes (continued) stopping 59 invoice templates configuring 137, 138 invoices 180 activating additional fields 167 activating fields for import 166 attaching files 38, 39 attaching standard comments 38 authorizing matching 167 auto matching 39 column interface display 190 consulting 40 consulting comments 37 creating balances by importing invoices 163 deleting 191 deleting a comment 37 deleting attached files 39 deleting by child account 192 deleting by company 191 deleting by parent account 192 deleting standard comments 38 entering 34 entering a comment 36 entering amounts 33 exporting 54 importing 150, 151 interface display 190 manually matching 41 matching 39, 162 matching using standard comments 165 matching with standard comments 41, 43 purging 189 purging for all periods 190 standard comments 37 templates 135 updating 35
J journal accounts authorizing 100 creating 100, 101 defining 99 definition (glossary) 197 resetting balances 25
208
journal amounts resetting transactions 26 journal export templates configuring 139, 140 journals exporting 48 templates 138
L languages interface 11 selecting 11 local currencies definition (glossary) 197 logging in 13 login text defining 194, 195
M matching difference calculation 181 selecting a method 181 setting the difference calculation 181 materiality creating 98 defining 97 definition (glossary) 197 metadata activating 63 character set 156, 157 creating 61 deleting 62 exporting 154, 157 import order 153 importing 148 multiply definition (glossary) 197
N navigation bar 12 navigation icons 12
Index
O objects activating 63 deactivating 63 overview navigation bar 12 reconciliations 7
P parent accounts 102 assigning child accounts 106, 107 assigning parent accounts 107 balance page 21 creating 103 definition (glossary) 197 deleting 108 designating the winning accounts 110 linking to other parent accounts 107 partners balance page 20 defining 75 definition (glossary) 197 periods archiving 194 closing 66, 67 closing (all) 67 creating 64, 65 defining 63 defining rates 65, 66 definition (glossary) 197 deleting 67 opening 66, 67 opening all 67 properties 64 restoring 194 personal information updating 14 purge definition (glossary) 197
R reconciliation process 19 reconciliations 179 balances in group currency 180
reconciliations (continued) matching invoices 180 overview 7 starting 19 starting process 59 statuses 177 stopping process 59 reporting companies defining 75 definition (glossary) 197 reports activating 186 activating report types and columns 186 balance 184 building 44, 47 deactivating 186 defining 184 defining the layout 188 definition (glossary) 197 deleting 47 deleting by date 188 for tracking progress 44 formats 187 interface styles 187 invoice 185
S standard comments attaching to balances 26 attaching to invoices 38 consulting, balances 26 creating 109 defining 108 definition (glossary) 197 deleting from invoices 38 in invoices 37 matching in invoices 41, 43 status definition (glossary) 197 statuses and actions 176 balances 173 changing labels 175 defining 172 in balances 29 reconciliations 177
209
Index
statuses (continued) stopping emails notifications to 170 user groups 174 summary emails definition (glossary) 197
transaction currencies definition (glossary) 197 transaction currency 71 translating amounts 71 defining method 72
T
U
templates account 115 account groups 120 account/journal account relationships 119 accounts 116, 117 balances 120 companies 128 company 127 company groups 131 currencies 133 currency 132 defining 113 invoice 135 invoices 136 journal 138 journal accounts 146 journals 139 template list 114 user group/company relationships 145 user groups 145 user/user group relationships 144 users 141, 143 top level account groups definition (glossary) 197
unfreezing definition (glossary) 197 user connections 57 user groups creating 92 definition (glossary) 197 statuses 174 user profiles tasks performed 19 user templates 141 configuring 143 usergroups defining 91 users creating 90, 91 defining 79 defining as company contacts 80 disconnecting 57 exporting 157 functions by profile 81 importing 148 profiles 80 properties 79
210
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