The Ledger

The Ledger Lowdown: Vendor Tax ID Woes

Jennifer Maroney — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:49:00 GMT

Hey blog readers! We are often asked why Accounts Payable users are not able to update a vendor tax ID, so I thought this would be a helpful topic to talk about today.

Beginning in The Financial Edge version 7.70 we implemented personal information security. This additional security option allows you to specify which users can view and edit information such as Social Security Number, credit card numbers, bank account numbers, and vendor tax IDs. To ensure this personal information is secure, the personal information options are not marked when you create a new security group or update from a version prior to 7.70.

To be able to update the field, adjust the Shared Component Personal Information options in the users' security group. For complete steps, take a look at Knowledgebase solution BB181316.

Make sure you only assign rights to personal information for users that need to access it in order to perform their job. If you are not sure what rights are appropriate, check out What is Blackbaud's recommendation for personal information best practices?

Talk to you soon!

Make it Feel Like Home: The FE Home Page

Jennifer Maroney — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:56:00 GMT

Do you run the same saved reports and queries daily, weekly, or monthly? Save yourself time by adding links to them on your Home page. This simple process will help streamline your regular tasks by accessing common FE reports and queries, websites, or non-Blackbaud products, such as Word or Excel, from one location. Remember, these settings follow your user name, so you don't have to worry about resetting them, or doing more work , if you switch workstations.

The first thing you want to do is set FE to start on the Home page. To configure this, select Tools, Options from the menu bar, select the General tab, and then select Home from the Start on this page drop-down list.

If you have several items for a given task, such as the reports, spreadsheets, and queries needed for reconciliation, create a folder to keep organized. To add a new folder to the Home page, follow these steps:

Select Favorites, Organize favorites from the menu bar.
Highlight the appropriate home page and click New Folder.
Enter the name of the new folder and click OK.

Ok, now that you have set FE to open on the Home page of your choice and created any necessary folders, it's time to create the links.

For links to FE reports or queries:

Open the report or query and select Favorites, Add to Favorites from the menu bar.
Enter a name and description.
In the Create in field, select the modules name, such as Accounts Receivable, for the link to display on the Home page or the folder listed below the module name to add the link to the folder on the Home page.
Click OK.

For links to non-Blackbaud products or website:

Drag the saved file into the FE shell. You will see the document open and display within the shell.
Note: To create a shortcut to a Web page, right-click the desktop, and select New, Shortcut. Paste the entire URL in the location box and click Next. Enter a name for the shortcut and click Finish. Drag the shortcut on the desktop into the FE Shell.
Select Favorites, Add Page to Favorites from the menu bar.
Enter a name and description.
In the Create in field, select the modules name, such as Accounts Receivable, for the link to display on the Home page or the folder listed below the module name to add the link to the folder on the Home page.
Click OK.

Make sure you also add links to our online resources for quick reference.

Knowledgebase: http://kb.blackbaud.com
FAQs: http://www.blackbaud.com/support/faqs/fe7.aspx
User Guides: http://www.blackbaud.com/support/guides/fe.aspx
Newsletter back issues: http://www.blackbaud.com/support/newsletters/supnewsletters.aspx
The Financial Edge Forums: http://forums.blackbaud.com/forums/4.aspx
The Ledger blog: http://forums.blackbaud.com/blogs/financialedge/default.aspx

Stay tuned for more helpful hints to make The Financial Edge feel more like... home.

Talk to you soon!

Keep that Chart of Accounts from Exploding

Gregory Heath — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:48:00 GMT

Resist the urge to add yet another account segment or code, and instead consider the following:

Lifespan
Budgeting
Equity Retention
Transaction Balancing

The above points will help you decide which of the following transactional characteristics is appropriate:

Projects
Transaction Codes
Account Attributes
Transaction Attributes
Project Attributes

While the above have different abilities, each can at least be reported on. For example, I can use a Transaction Attribute to report activity group by Location without creating additional Accounts.

Also, I'm always impressed by individuals who can tell me exactly what account '01-4512-22-3-84' is without reference. Instead of referencing numerical code tables, or worse sticky notes, you can book transactions using plain English.

The table below outlines the basics of each characteristic.

Characteristic	Retain Equity?	Budget?	Require to Balance?	How many can you define?
Project	Yes	Yes	Yes	Unlimited
Transaction Code	Yes	Yes*	Yes	Five
Transaction Attributes	No	No	No	Unlimited
Account Attributes	No	No	No	Unlimited
Project Attributes	No	No	No	Unlimited

Now that you know account segments aren't the only show in town ... be kind to your Chart of Accounts and keep it from exploding.

Create a Cookie Cutter Journal Entry Batch

Geoff Sharbrough — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:35:00 GMT

Do you enter the same journal entry batches each month for utility bills or have a grant that receives the same percentage of funds on a regular basis? Hate having to create the same batch each month? Then recurring batches are here to save you time and the worries of an incorrectly keyed journal entry.

Recurring batches are templates that can be loaded to quickly create regular batches. There are two types of recurring batches: Recurring Amount and Recurring Percent. Recurring Percentage batches are useful if you have regularly occurring transactions that require the same percentage of debit and credit amounts. Recurring Amount batches are useful if the batches post to the same accounts each time. If they post with the same amount you can enter the amount, or if the amounts fluctuate you can omit this information in the Recurring Amount batch.

To create a Recurring batch template, select the type of Recurring batch from the batch type dropdown menu in Journal Entry. Create the batch as normal, giving it a Batch ID and description. You can then enter your transactions and any distributions that you want to include in the Recurring batch. For more information on creating a Recurring batch check out Knowledgebase BB92224.

So you've got a recurring batch template set up, now what? You can easily create a regular batch from the recurring batch template by creating a new regular batch. Once the new regular batch has been created, you can select to load the recurring batch template by selecting Batch, Use Recurring Batch from the menu bar. Select the recurring batch template with the pre-defined transactions that you want to use, then enter a post date and a transaction amount in the appropriate fields, and click OK to populate the preset information into the batch. Enter any additional transactions or edit distributions as needed. You have now created an open batch that you can save, validate, and post!

Payroll Post Notes: Update Compensation Types with Ease

Jennifer Maroney — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:00:00 GMT

Do you have employees receiving pay raises or do you need to update benefits and deductions? Don't go through the process of first changing the existing record to inactive and then adding a new record, trying to remember the options selected on the original record; do it all at once using the Change Compensation Wizard. This wizard allows you to copy and update an existing pay type, benefit, or deduction while replacing the existing record.

Before we continue, I should let you know exactly what happens when you use this handy dandy wizard. The existing compensation type will be expired on the date of your choosing and the new updated compensation type will be automatically added to the employee record. Nothing too complicated, but I wanted to let you know that both compensation records will remain on the record as a paper trail.

Here's how to use the Change Compensation Wizard:

In Records, Employees, open the employee record.
Select the Compensation/Deductions tab.
Click Change Compensation.
In the Change Compensation Wizard, select Copy Existing [compensation type].
In the ID field, click the binoculars and select a compensation type to copy.
Note: You must select a compensation type currently assigned to the employee.
Mark the Expire this [compensation type] checkbox and enter an effective end date.
Mark the Increase/Decrease [compensation type] using checkbox and enter an amount.
Note: To increase the [compensation type], enter a positive number. To decrease the benefit, enter a negative number.
Click OK.

The new compensation type will become effective the day after the existing compensation type expires.

Enjoy your extra time and talk to you soon!

Due-to/Due-From Vs. Transfer Accounts

Wade Sexton — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:13:00 GMT

Have you ever wondered whether you should use a Due-to/Due-from account or a Transfer account? Well, that I cannot tell you. However, what I can tell you is the difference between the two account types so that you can make a decision as to which one to use.

Due-to/Due-from accounts are similar to liability accounts in that they maintain a balance at the end of the year that is carried forward to the next year. Therefore, Due-to/Due-from accounts appear on your Balance Sheet. This account type is usually used for transferring money between companies.

Transfer accounts, on the other hand, are similar to an expense account whose balance is closed into the fund balance account at the end of the year. Therefore, Transfer accounts appear on your Income Statement. This account type is usually used for balancing transactions across funds.

So, still not sure which type to use? I suggest you speak with a CPA for an answer to that question.

Journal References Are Supposed to Mean Something?

Jennifer Maroney — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 12:11:00 GMT

Do you ever wonder what the transaction Reference column on the General Ledger Report or Post Report means? If you do, then this post is for you! The Reference, also known as journal reference, is created when you post from subsidiary ledgers (AP, AR, FA, CR, SB, and PY) or in detail from The Raiser's Edge. The journal reference defaults are defined in Configuration, can be customized for your organization's needs, and can even be defined for each transaction type.

Journal references are displayed on:

The transaction detail on an account record
The post report
The Journal Entry batch
All General Ledger reports where Reference is an available field

There are a few things to keep in mind when you set up your journal references. First, the total number of characters in a journal reference cannot exceed 50 characters. Secondly, changes to journal references are not retroactive, so the changes will only affect items that are not yet posted. Finally, when you create the references, make sure you include necessary details for an effective audit trail.

So let's get to the process...

For FE subsidiary ledgers, go to Configuration and click Posting Information. Then highlight the transaction type and select the appropriate field names and field lengths. Remember to define the journal reference for both the debit and credit side of transactions by marking the Debit or Credit option in the dark gray bar.

To define the journal reference in RE, go to Configuration, click General Ledger, and select the field names and lengths; you will see a sample of the journal reference at the bottom of the screen.

Don't see what you want? You can add custom fields to FE or RE by clicking Fields and entering the new name. Not sure how or why you would need a custom field? Try using them to emphasize specific transaction types such as INT- for Interfund entries and APPL- for Application entries.

For more information on customizing journal references or step-by-step instructions, take a look at the Posting Information section of the RE or subledger Configuration Guides.

The Straight Line Breakdown

Haley Campbell — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 12:23:00 GMT

Straight line depreciation is one of the most common methods used when depreciating assets. Have you ever wondered about the list of conventions, and what they mean, and what they do? I hope these explanations help you understand which depreciation convention is right for your assets!

Full Month

Depreciation begins with the first month in service
Equal depreciation amount every month, determined by the total number of months in service
Continues throughout useful life

Mid Month:

If the date in service is before the 16^th, a full month's worth of depreciation calculates the asset's first month
$0 is charged in the first month if Date in Service is after the 15^th

An ‘extra' month is added to the asset's useful life to compensate for the amount not charged in the first month of life.

Zero Month:

No depreciation is calculated in the asset's first month in service
Beginning with the second month, depreciates like Full Month convention

Full Year:

An entire year's worth of depreciations calculates in the first year, regardless of the month in service date.

During the first year, the annual depreciation will be distributed over the number of periods in service for the first year. Example: If the asset is placed in service in the third period, then the first year's depreciation will be evenly distributed between periods three through twelve.

After the first year, the asset will depreciate in the same manner as Full Month.

Half Year:

One half of a normal year's depreciation will be depreciated in the first year.

The actual amount of depreciation will be distributed over the number of periods the asset is in service during the first year.

Beginning with the second year, a full years' depreciation is taken
Continues until the last year, when an additional half year's depreciation is taken. This is like the Half Month convention we discussed earlier. The additional year is added to compensate for the half year skipped in the beginning of the asset's life.

Zero Year:

Just like Zero Month, no depreciation is calculated in the first year of service
In the first period of the asset's second year, depreciation will begin calculating in the same manner as Full Month.

Duplicate Vendors?

Wade Sexton — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 18:39:00 GMT

Many times vendors are entered into FE twice by accident. This is usually done because a user cannot find a vendor and then assumes that the vendor has never been entered into the system.

Fortunately this problem can be resolved easily and quickly. There is an option called Merge Vendors located in Administration. This will allow you to combine the two vendors into one, activity and all.

As you can see, there are two fields on this screen. So what's the difference? Well, Primary vendor is the record you would like to merge into or the record that will remain. Duplicate vendor is the record you would like to merge into the primary vendor or the record that will be removed.

So let's say we want to merge two vendor records.

Be sure you have a current backup.

Begin by selecting the vendor records by clicking on the binoculars and browsing for the records. Then click Merge Now to combine the two records into one: the primary record. It's as simple as that!

Oh and by the way, this same process is available in Accounts Receivable for clients.

Purging Records

Karen Badham — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:17:00 GMT

Have you ever wanted a record, or a group of records just gone? I mean completely gone. This is something you can do in The Financial Edge. We call it purging records.

Why would you want to purge records? There are a variety of reasons. You may need to purge records to make corrections, such as needing to reprint a check using the same check number. Purging records may also improve database performance. For example, if your vendor Activity tabs take a long time to load, it may be beneficial to purge old vendor activity. Purging records to help with performance issues should be a last resort after trying the steps in How to troubleshoot performance issues.

But wait! Before you continue, understand that purging records removes them permanently from the database and they can never be recovered. We always recommend creating a backup of your database before completing a purge process. This way if you need to review the purged information, you can use the back up.

Here are the records that can be purged in The Financial Edge:

Need to Record Handwritten Checks?

Jennifer Maroney — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:13:00 GMT

If you handwrite a check to a vendor, how do you record the payment and reflect the invoice as paid? Record a manual check. The manual check allows you to enter the payment and select the invoice(s) paid by the handwritten check.

Before you can record a manual check, you need to make sure your bank is configured to allow them. In Banks, click Edit account details under General tasks. On the Bank Account screen, select the Payments tab. In the Transaction Type column, locate Manual Check for AP. Mark the Allow? checkbox and select the appropriate Numbering option from the drop-down list. Depending on the Numbering option selected, you may also need to enter a Next Number, which is the starting number. Click Save and Close and you're ready to enter your handwritten check.

To record the check:

In Banks, select the appropriate bank.
Under Payment Tasks, click Create a manual Accounts Payable check.
Select the vendor name.
Enter the invoice and check information.
Select the Invoices tab.
Mark the Pay? checkbox for the invoice(s) paid by the manual check.
Select File, Record and Close from the menu bar.

That's it you're done. Happy check writing! Talk to you soon.

F9 for The Financial Edge Reporting Wizard

William McGuire — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 04:05:00 GMT

So I have been using and testing F9 for The Financial Edge (F9) for a few months now. There are several things I love about this Excel tool, but the one piece I endorse over the rest is the reporting wizard. The reporting wizard has tremendous flexibility, is easy to use, and you can turn a blank spreadsheet into a completed financial report in no time at all. Not only is the report quick and easy to set up, the cells are formatted to allow the report criteria to be changed and then recalculated simply by pressing F9 on your keyboard.

The reporting wizard also provides amazing options for reporting. For example, if you would like to run a report for 2008 and then run the report for 2009, all you need to do is change the fiscal year on the report and press F9. In a matter of seconds you have a brand new report for 2009.

What I love most about the reporting wizard is the ability to not only define the fields that appear in the rows but also the fields that appear in the column headers. For example, if I am looking for a report that shows all my Revenue accounts and how much balance they have in each project, I can create this report in about 1 minute using the report wizard. I first define what accounts I would like to appear in the rows and then define what projects I would like to appear in the columns simply following the wizard and choosing what accounts and projects to define.

I am very excited about this new offering, which will be available in quarter four of this year. If you have questions or would like additional information, please take a look at our F9 user guides or contact your account manager.

Additional Account Categories

Lisa Lookadoo — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 13:10:00 GMT

What are Additional Account Categories? I'm glad you asked. They are categories that are not included in traditional accounting and are not required to complete the chart of accounts. In The Financial Edge there are four additional account categories available: Transfer, Gifts, Gains and Losses.

Transfer accounts are used for interfund transfers. These accounts are treated like expense accounts and are closed into the fund balance account at the fiscal year end.

Gifts accounts are used for recording donations from constituents. These accounts are treated like revenue accounts and are closed into the fund balance account at the fiscal year end.

Losses accounts are used for recording losses such as on the disposal of assets or on the sale of marketable securities. These accounts are treated like expense accounts and are closed into the fund balance account at the fiscal year end.

Gains accounts are used for recording gains such as on the disposal of assets or on the sale of marketable securities. These accounts are treated like revenue accounts and are closed into the fund balance account at the fiscal year end.

These additional account categories are provided to allow flexibility in the chart of accounts setup. If you decide to use these additional categories, here is how your accounting equations would work:

Balance Sheet: Assets = Liabilities + Fund Balance (or Net Assets)

Income Statement: Net Surplus/Deficit = (Revenue) - (Expense) + (Gifts) - (Transfers) + (Gains) - (Losses)

I hope this helps you decide if the additional categories will be useful for your chart of accounts.

Payroll Post Notes:Track Rehires' Length of Service

Jennifer Maroney — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 04:38:00 GMT

Do you have students that only work for you during the school year? Whatever the reason for rehiring the employee, make sure the rehire event is associated with a hire event. This allows you to accurately track the employee’s length of employment. Remember, in order to calculate payroll for an employee, the last event on their record must be associated with a hire event. Let's get to it.

The first thing you need to do is tell the system which hire event to look at when calculating tenure. In most cases this would be the most recent hire event, but you can select either the original hire event or the most recent. The tenure displays on the bottom of the employee record.

To set the tenure start date, go to Configuration, Business Rules. Then highlight Employee General and select Most recent hire date or Original hire date from the If an employee has more than one hire event, calculate tenure based on the employee's drop-down list.

Now that you have the system configured to calculate the tenure correctly, it's time to create the rehire event. If you already have the rehire event created, you can skip to the next paragraph. To create the hire event, go to Configuration, Tables. Then highlight Event ID and click New Table Entry. In the new screen that appears, enter the short and long description for the event, select Hire in the Associate with field, and click OK.

The final step is to add the rehire event to the employee record. On the HR Info tab of the Employee record, click New Event. In the Event ID field, select the rehire event ID and enter a scheduled and actual date. Save and close the employee record and you're done!

Talk to you soon.

F9 for The Financial Edge and You

William McGuire — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:33:00 GMT

"I wish I could edit the appearance of this Income Statement." "My supervisor needs this Balance Sheet to appear in a specific format and I am unable to create it." "I love the flexibility of Excel and wish I could create my Financial Reports using it.” Over the years I have heard these requests and issues several times. There is a good chance that if you are reading this, you have either wished for or experienced the same. In the past, solutions to these problems were limited but now there is an option that will bring a smile to your face. It’s called F9 for The Financial Edge (F9) and it was developed in partnership with Infor.

F9 is an Excel tool that directly integrates with your General Ledger data. It gives you the ability to create reports from scratch, either using your own formulas or through the comprehensive Reporting Wizard. You have 100% control and flexibility, and it is easy to use. There is a saying that describes the ease of F9; “If you know Excel, you know F9!”

F9 also allows you to keep saved reports and recalculate the data by simply pressing one key: that’s right, F9. Anyone in your office can use F9 as long as they have F9 and The Financial Edge installed on their workstation. Therefore, you can create a report and send it to another user to review. That user then can make formatting edits to the report and easily recalculate.