The accounting system component of STEP FORWARD assumes that data is usually captured from specific documents or their electronic equivalents (STEP FORWARD's generated transactions), and is often account sensitive e.g. Quantity is normally associated with Inventory but not with Bank Charges. The document-driven characteristic of accounting contributes to making the process of accounting (recording what happened or is supposed to happen) simple in that the primary accounting entry can be defined for each Source Document, except for Journal Entries, e.g.:

• a check (cheque) is always a credit to a specific bank account;
• a supplier's (vendor's) invoice is always a credit to accounts payable (in an A/P environment)

The Source Documents definitions are used:

• in identifying the physical source of the data;
• to establish the default Primary GL Account definition;
• as a Transaction Template Trigger option, alone or in conjunction with GL Account Numbers and the sign attached to the Amount;
• as a means of retrieving data by originating source;
• as a means of defining data entry methods for different situations e.g. real-time, batch, document driven;
• defining data as Actual, Restatement, Budget, and Forecast;
• as a means of defining Check writing options;
• and whatever other purpose the Configurator may conceive.

Regardless as to how simple your needs are, it is mandatory to define at least one Source Document.

Components explained
Source Documents

Name = Short form, eight (8) alpha-numeric characters
Description = Long form
e.g. Name = JE; Description = Journal Entry (both the Name & Description will be displayed in the title bar of the Input Screen during accounting data entry).

Primary GL Account

The default setting for the Prefix and Number components of the Primary GL Account is * (wild card = any Prefix, any Number) with the $ Sign default being Any (+ or -).

Replace the default asterisk (*) settings, whenever a Primary GL Account combination can be determined e.g. if  the Source Document is a Sales Invoice then specify the Prefix, if any, and the GL Number  which identifies Accounts Receivable and assuming that you use this Source Document only for Charge Sales (assuming that Credit Notes are a different Source Document), then the Sign should be selected as +.

The impact on Accounting Data Entry, when the Primary GL Account is specified:
Upon starting a New Document (the Source Document will be the same as the one previously used or newly specified), the Accounting Data Entry window will display the applicable Transaction Template with the Prefix and GL Number already loaded as per the Source definition.

Document features are divided into three specific components

• Type
  The database records dealing with accounting transactions are segmented into four options*:
  
  
  • Actual
    regular data. This is the default setting, with the Restatement switch Off.
    
    
  • Actual - Restatement*
    usually associated with a special Journal Entry source document used to record accounting data which restates actual data for a specific purpose (e.g. inter-company eliminations) without disturbing actual data (i.e. data so processed is stored with a special designation which permits inclusion or exclusion of the restatement data during report generation). To define this condition the Actual radio button should be selected and the Restatement switch must be On.
    

  When producing Financial Statements, you may want to include the Restatement data layer for statements that are directed at third parties such as banks, regulatory agencies, etc.; however, you will probably exclude the restatements from management reports.
  

  • Budget
    usually associated with a special Journal Entry source document used to record the original budget data or any corrections of mistakes (see Budget - Restatement). To define this condition the Budget radio button should be selected and the Restatement switch should be Off.
    
    
  • Budget - Restatement*
    usually associated with a special Journal Entry source document that modifies the Budget due to changing expectations. Similar to the Actual - Restatement in that the data is stored with a special designation which permits inclusion or exclusion of the restatement budget data during report generation. Thus, Budget data alone = Budget; however, Budget combined with Budget-Restatement = Forecast. To define this condition the "Budget" radio button should be selected and the Restatement switch must be On.

  * Please Note:
  Although these four options are listed under Type, this group is internally (and, therefore, for retrieval purposes) segregated into Document type (Actual or Budget) and Document class (Regular or Restatement). Document type and Document class are usually used in tandem:

• Done when ...
  Two options are available: Running total is zero, and "Doc" button clicked
• Running total is zero
  The impact on Accounting Data Entry, when this selection is chosen:

  the new document (New - Doc) feature is activated automatically whenever a number of Records (transaction lines) achieve zero balance status (i.e. the debits and credits of the document involved, consisting of a number of transaction records which are displayed in the line browser, sum up to zero). When this happens:

  • the line browser is refreshed; and
  • the input window is refreshed to accept the first transaction line (record) of the next document of the same Source (if a different source document is to be entered, click the "New - Source" button); and,
  • the document status is set to Completed.

 

• Doc button clicked
  This is the default setting. The impact on Accounting Data Entry, when this selection is chosen:
  Once a source document has been selected, all transaction lines being entered will be deemed to be part of the same document until the "New - Doc" button is clicked. Once clicked, the Document is saved with the Document Status set to Completed (if the document is zero-balanced) or Suspended (if the document is out of balance or mandatory data is missing).

• When done ...
  Three options are available: Save only, Save & post, and Hold.
  
  
  • Save only
    The impact on Accounting Data Entry, when this selection is chosen:
    A "done" document, whether Completed or Suspended is saved  automatically (written from volatile memory to the transaction database tables).
    
    
  • Save & post
    The impact on Accounting Data Entry, when this selection is chosen:
    A "done" document that is Completed will be saved automatically and posted (written from volatile memory to the transaction tables and have the GL Summary table updated). Suspended documents set for "save&post" will be ignored (retained in volatile memory) until Completed status is achieved.

    Take Note:
    As part of Save, the document is assigned a unique document number (transparent to the user);
    Suspended documents may be saved by selecting the Document  > Save selected menu item.

  • Hold
    This is the default option. When this option is selected, the so designated Source document  remains in volatile memory until a Save selected or Save All menu item is selected.
    

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