Account and Transaction Pick Lists

One of the most popular features introduced in Release 6.2 were the Order Processing pick list options that allowed you to list Sales or Purchase orders based on selection criteria and process these orders as required – updating the order, printing documents, etc.An equivalent facility has now been added to the Sales and Purchase Ledger allowing up to nine pick lists to be defined against the sales/purchase accounts file and a further nine pick lists against the sales/purchase transaction file.

These new features would allow you to list purchase invoices that are unauthorised and allow authorisation, sales accounts without contact details and allow entry of these details, and so on.

Account Pick Lists

Selecting an account pick list allows the usual selection criteria options and the filter options that are available within the Credit Control Manager. Once criteria/filters set the appropriate accounts are listed.

On an Account Pick List the following options are available:

Enquiry – links to the Sales / Purchase Account Enquiry function for the highlighted account.Note that unless restricted by selection criteria prospect accounts will be include in the list and this option is not applicable for this type of account.

Zoom – links to the Ledger Enquiry for the highlighted account.

Update – links to the standard account maintenance screen to allow update of account details.

Edit – allows a pop-up form for quick edit of up to sixteen items from the account record.

Document – allows quick print of a statement for the highlighted account record.

Excel – outputs the pick list to an Excel spreadsheet.

Note - If edit / update of an account record means the entry no longer match the selection criteria then the entry is greyed out and can no longer be selected. Also note that the Update and Edit functions require an exclusive record lock on the account record.

Transaction Pick Lists

Again selecting a transaction pick list gives the standard selection criteria and record filter options and, once confirmed, the requested transaction details are listed.

On a Transaction Pick List the following options are available:

Enquiry – links to the sales/purchase account enquiry for the account of the highlighted transaction.

Zoom – links to the ledger enquiry for the account of the highlighted transaction. If configured to link directly to the transaction list then the reference filter is set to restrict the list to the reference of the highlighted transaction (this can then be cleared to list all transactions as required)

Status – allows setting / clearing of the status for the transaction. Transaction status could be the B-Bad Debt (S/L only), Contra, Disputed, Unauthorised (P/L only), or P-to-Pay (P/L only)

Edit – allows update of up to sixteen items on the transaction record. Particular care should be taken when setting the items allowed for update. If include the nominal code as an update item then <F4-Select> is available to select the nominal code but edit will not be allowed if the transaction has already been updated to the nominal ledger.

Excel – outputs the transaction list to Excel

Notes – allows edit/view of any notes set against the transaction record (this relates to the Notes feature introduced in Release 6.2)

Note that, as with the account list, if a transaction is updated so that it no longer matches any set filter criteria then the entry is ‘greyed out’ and no further action allowed against this transaction. If use the Status / Edit functions then a U-Usage record lock is placed against the account record and on save will apply a wait lock on the transaction file to update the change – if the wait lock cannot be applied then the update is rejected and you will have to try again later.

Installation

Application User Facilities

To configure the account and transaction pick lists you need to update parameters within the Application User Facilities. To set these options select Installation from the main menu followed by Application Manager and then Application User Facilities. Select the Sales or Purchase Ledger application as required and then select the Maintain Accounts option, the account and transaction pick lists can be configured from this menu by selecting either Definable Account Pick Lists or Definable Transaction Pick Lists as required.

Selecting the Pick List menu option offers a list of up to nine definitions that can be updated / set as required.

Update Which Entry (1-9)– select the entry number of the pick list definition you wish to create / update.

Pick Title – enter title for the account / transaction pick list. This title is displayed as the form header when using the pick list at run-time.

Specify Default Selection Criteria – set any default criteria to be applied. If not set then criteria can still be entered manually at run-time.

Allow Changes to Selection Criteria – if any default criteria set then this option controls whether the operator can amend the default criteria or not.

Remember Changes to Selection Criteria – if default criteria set and allowing changes to the criteria then this option controls whether any changes to the default criteria are remembered for next use.

Start from Header Slot Number – each Datafile Database has ten slot or control numbers that contain ‘record numbers’ used as starting points for processing within the system. Many of these slots are used for internal processing, particularly on the Sales and Purchase transaction files, but others can be maintained within your own ProFiler applications. This option asks if you wish to use one of the slot numbers as the starting point for the records to be updated – you can reference a system used slot number such as ‘first transaction this period’ on the sales/purchase transaction file if required (no updating of the slot numbers takes place within the account/transaction pick list)

Items to Display – select up to ten items to be displayed from the account / transaction file (as appropriate)

Sort on Items – select up to four items from the account / transaction file upon which the pick list is to be sorted. Also set whether these sort items are to be processed in ascending or descending sequence.

Allow View Action – set whether the Account Enquiry option is to be allowed against the account record (or the account of the transaction record)

Allow Zoom Action – set whether the pick list can link to the Ledger Enquiry for the highlighted account record.

If Zoom (C/R/O Trans) – if zoom allowed set whether you wish to automatically display the transaction list by selecting whether you wish to view current, retained or outstanding transactions. If this option set on at transaction pick list the system also automatically updates the reference filter range to match the reference of the highlighted transaction.

Allow Excel Action – set whether you allow output of the pick list to an Excel spreadsheet.

Allow Edit Action – set whether you wish to allow edit of nominated items on the account / transaction record.

Allow Update Action - applying to account pick lists only this option if set allows use of an UPDATE button to update the account record using the standard customer / supplier account maintenance screens.

Allow Document Action / Which Document Entry No – applying to account pick lists only this option when set allows for print of an account statement for the highlighted account record.

Allow Status Action – applying to transaction pick lists only this option allows amendment of the transaction status (P-to-Pay, U-Unauthorised, B-Bad Debt, etc.)

Allow Notes Action – applying to transaction pick lists only this option allows view / update of any notes recorded against the transaction record.

Include / Exclude Items – this option allows you to set additional filter options against the account / transaction database. You may, for example, have flags on the account record to indicate whether the customer is a ‘Trade Customer’ setting this flag as a filter item allows you to select easily at run-time whether you wish to exclude trade customers or only include trade customers.

For each filter item you select the data item you wish to filter on, the heading displayed on screen (if left blank the data item name is used), whether you wish to default to including or excluding records based on this filter. The filter options work on a blank / non-blank status when including or excluding but, for X-type items, you can also set enable a ‘Check Equal’ function that would allow run-time entry of a value to match when including or excluding records.

Edit Action Items / Update – select up to sixteen items from the account or transaction record as appropriate to be displayed in the edit function and also set whether the operator is allowed to update this item.Care should be taken when selecting the items to update as, except in one special case, normal validation rules are not applied. The one exception to this rule is the nominal code item as, if selected on a transaction pick list, <F4-Select> is allowed to validate the code and update would only be allowed when the transaction has not been updated to the nominal ledger.

Menu Design

The pick list options need to be added as required to the Sales / Purchase Ledger menu. To add a new menu option sign-on as the CONFIGuser and select Application Menu Design, choose the menu to update (the main Sales Ledger menu is SL.D03, or you may wish to add to the utility menu which is SLUTIL.D03) and then select to update either the left or right-hand menu. Move down to a blank menu entry and enter the title required then press <Enter> to enter the menu parameters.

Applic, Program or Notes P-Program

Menu Name or Program Path SL.EXE / PL.EXE

Parameter 791x for Account Pick Lists, 792x for Transaction Pick Lists (where X corresponds to the definition entry number required)

NB: Other options can be set as required.