Update from Other Ledgers - Nominal

Your nominal ledger system is often linked to other Datafile Software systems such as the sales and purchase ledgers, and payroll. This option enables you to extract details of all the transactions from these linked systems.The program writes nominal ledger transactions and updates the appropriate nominal ledger accounts.

You can also update your nominal from any Datafile Software database format file or CSV file. You can use this feature to update details from other applications such as stock control or job costing, or from your own ProFiler applications. The Datafile Software fixed asset register application is built using the ProFiler application generator and you can update the monthly depreciation from there into the nominal.

As a final option, you can even update from other Datafile Software nominal ledger transaction files.You might use this, for example, where you want to consolidate several company nominal ledgers into a group holding company nominal ledger.

Checks are built into this part of the program to ensure that transactions within the originating system which have already been updated to the nominal ledger are not transferred again. A report gives details of all the postings made by the program.

In view of the major computer processing which occurs whenever you use this process, it is strongly recommended that you make a backup of all files before running any of these menu choices.

Select Nominal Update Definition

The option exists, for non-Compact users, to define more than one set of update processes (see Nominal Configuration later). For example, a number of divisions may run their own sales, purchase and nominal ledgers, but you want to consolidate these into one nominal ledger. You need a set of update procedures for each of these divisions. Another common example occurs when you have both weekly and monthly payrolls, so need an update procedure for each.

If configured, then on selection of the option to update from other ledgers you are prompted to select the definition to update with. Select as required.

Note

Update from Which System

If not using the multiple updating definitions then you are presented with a list of the applications you have defined for update (sales, purchase and payroll).

If using the multiple updating options then you are presented with a list of systems that you have defined in this update (sales, purchase, payroll, other nominal transaction database, and an external DFD or CSV file). If only one system is defined for update within the definition then this is automatically selected for you.

Update Procedure

Once you’ve selected the application from which you wish to update, some initial processes occur to check that the update can proceed.

First you must confirm the input database pathname. Press <Enter> to accept the pathname offered or overtype with the pathname required.The program won’t continue until a valid database pathname is entered and the file successfully opened.

The range of input records to be updated is shown and may be overtyped. When updating from sales and purchase ledgers the system knows from which record to start processing. With other files it offers 1 as the starting number (you should check this carefully).For example, the payroll should always process all department records but when updating from another nominal transaction file, and not clearing the input file afterwards, you only want to process transactions added since the last update. You can overtype with a different record range if so required.

Warning

For the External Datafile Database option you will not be prompted to confirm the input record range but you may be asked to complete the standard selection criteria screen instead which does allow confirmation of the record range in addition to other criteria.

Note

Missing Mandatory Accounts

After confirming the input records range the program checks the update definition. For the sales and purchase updates the system must know the ‘control’ accounts such as the sales tax control to post the tax element of the transactions. If a control account is not defined, or a set control account does not exist, then you are warned accordingly and you cannot proceed.

If this warning is displayed you need to check the nominal System Profiles and, if using the multiple update definition, the definition itself within the Application User Facilities to ensure that all control accounts are set correctly.

Post to Nominal Period

Now you must specify to which period of the nominal ledger to post this update. The year in this either C for the current year, or P for the previous year (provided it is still open). The period number defaults with the current nominal ledger period (but see below for sales/purchase), but you can overtype with a different period.

When updating from sales and purchase ledgers the period number and year shown are those as set for the sales/purchase application (rather than the nominal period). You would (almost) never change these period numbers.

The date given is the period end date, but you may overtype it with another date — for example, the week-end date for a weekly payroll. The date must be in the date range of the period specified. If updating from the sales or purchase ledger, and allowing updating of forward transactions you will also be prompted for the forward transaction date which will default to the end of the next period.

Commence Update

You are ready to start the update process, and you have one last option to exit from the procedure. If you select the CLOSE button you are returned to the nominal ledger menu without any updating having been done.

If you select PRINT updating commences after you have confirmed the print device to output the update report to. A commentary is given on the screen so that you can see the progress of this updating run, and a report is printed to log the actions taken for each input transaction.

At the end of the update the following message is displayed:

Press <Enter> and you are returned to the nominal ledger main menu.

You should review the update to see if any input transactions were rejected. In most cases rejected transactions are posted to a suspense account.You can examine why they were rejected (usually they were missing, or had an invalid, nominal account code) and raise a journal to clear them from suspense.

In the case of sales and purchase ledger updates, a summary is also given of the value of transactions posted. You should check this against the sales and purchase ledger control summaries to ensure that the figures cross check.

Exception Conditions

A number of problems could occur under certain conditions:

If no transactions are found for updating (for instance, if the update has just been run and is being repeated by mistake) the message ‘No Input Details found for Updating’ is given. This is not serious, but you should check why there were no details. You may have used the wrong file, or it has been updated to the wrong nominal ledger

If you have already updated the sales and purchase ledgers into the nominal and no transactions have been posted to them since that time you are told ‘No Additional Transactions for Updating’. Again this is not serious. There’s no point in continuing, however, so you might as well take the advice and <Escape> back to the nominal ledger menu

If the nominal transaction file becomes full then you are told ‘Nominal Transaction File Full - Not All Data Updated. You Must Go Back to Backup’. This is very serious. You definitely need to restore a backup, expand the nominal ledger transaction file, and have another go at updating.

Updates from Sales and Purchase Ledgers

The sales and purchase ledger period end menus, and possibly the payroll period end as well, allow the ability to update the nominal ledger. These procedures actually run the options as outlined above. In the case of the sales and purchase ledger after you chosen the update definition, if using the multiple update definition, then the remaining options such as the posting dates are automatically set for you and you only choose to commence the update.

Calling Individual Update Options

Premier users can amend their menus to call individual update options in the same way as Datafile have pre-set a call to the sales and purchase updates to the nominal within the ledgers period end menu. For more detail on menu configuration refer to the Configuration Guide.

The nominal ledger uses the parameter 5000 to call the update procedure but you can call the individual update options with the menu parameters listed below.

If using the multiple updating definition file then you are given a list of the update definitions and the system will automatically select the appropriate update within that definition.You can append the definition number to the end of the parameter number below to automatically select the update definition as well – for example if want to call the sales ledger update from the fourth update definition the menu parameter would be 500104.

5001 Update from the Sales Ledger Transaction file.

5002 Update from the Purchase Ledger transaction file.

5003 Update from Payroll Department file.

5004 Update from Nominal Transactions file

5005 Update from another Datafile Database.

5006 Update from a CSV file.