Imagine simple situation, where you would like to sell to your customer in Sales Order Processing module, and then you incur simple expenses: Purchasing parts in Purchase Order Processing, allocating existing inventory items, etc. These modules are independent
They all post their transaction to General Ledger. It is always possible to implement something like Project Accounting, but in this case only few percent of powerful PA module business logic would be needed to be implemented. With older versions of Great Plains you had the option to deploy user defined fields in each module to enter Project Number. With latest version 2010, 10.0, 9.0, 8.0 new concept was introduced in General Ledger module directly – Transaction Matching. We’ll try to give you several hints on how to deploy it in simple profit tracking projects. We will base our instructions on the new interface in version 2010, where Navigation, Action, List and Information Panes are recommended:
1. Project scenario. You need to track several Sales Order Processing Invoices (for the simplicity, let’s assume that you are selling service), plus additional POP Purchase Receipts, where you are adding small parts and you do not bill them out to the customer (might be warranty coverage, free technical support). The natural way is to post all these documents all the way through GL and then track back from there
2. How you track the project. Navigate to Financial and in transaction section click on Transaction Matching – GL Transaction Link Maintenance form should open. In this form, select you Sales Account for the project. There are additional restrictions to narrow down the project related SOP Invoices, for example date range, previously unlinked, etc. Mark GL transactions associated with the project. If you are not sure about specific transaction, you can mark it and then drill down to the GL Entry (posted) and from there drill further to the source document to open up posted SOP Invoice (maybe also return). Save the Link Maintenance and create the new ones for Purchasing (where you select Purchasing account and mark project related purchase receipts or if this was outsourced service – you may do it via Payable Management based Vendor Invoices). If you expense into the project inventoried parts, consider creating the third link, where you add these transactions. Please, note, that Link works on the level of General Ledger module, and you need to identify the transactions either by value, or date or by drilling down to their originating modules (this might be considered as some inconvenience, but, Hey, this is free logic available from GL, no need to pay for Dexterity customization, Adds-on extension or consulting services)
3. Matching Group. Here is where you combine all the links into one entity. If you are still on the same first page in GP, click on Transaction Matching Group just next below. Or navigate to the same spot, as we described in paragraph above. For the older versions of Great Plains you can use traditional interface via menus: Transactions -> Financial -> Transaction Matching Group. Here the Group name naturally is your Project ID or Description (capped at thirty characters), type in the name. Click yeas in the dialog box – Create the Group? Links will be shown in the Scrolling Window. It might be a bit annoying that all the links are here, while you would like to see only the new ones. Just scroll all the way down (we can delete the links from the table on the SQL delete statement level or even archive the old processed links)
4. Project Profitability Report. Reports -> Financial -> Transaction Matching, select Link Number type, create new ID, where in Ranges, open Drop Down List and select Group, select Group entered according to the instructions in the previous paragraph. You will get the report printed, where you probably want to modify it in Report Writer by adding Summary (Credit minus Debit should equal to project profitability)
5. Transaction Matching versus Multidimensional Analysis. Well, technical MA is more powerful, as it allows you to assign Analysis Code to individual account and accounts range. However, MA doesn’t allow you to stop tracking transactions against Analysis code/group, if you already have accounts assigned in the past and transactions tracked (in SOP, POP, AR, AP). This is why we believe that Transaction Matching is better fit for tiny project management
6. Rescuing to Project Accounting. If you are larger organization, please be sure that you have seen PA module executive and technical presentation. In PA you can have such advanced features are Project Budgets, Timesheets, Expense Reports (including the ones in PDK), Vendor Invoices and more
7. Tracking mini projects in the older versions of Great Plains. As we already mentioned above, if you feel that Project Accounting module is too beefy for you, consider user defined fields in each module, where you are entering project number. Then use Crystal Reports, or Dexterity programming to link all the records on the same inquiry form or report
8. Support domestically in the USA, Canada, Mexico and internationally. This option is possible via Web Sessions, Skype or Phone conferences and direct visits onsite (in the case of the large scale project). Our consulting team speaks English, Chinese, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian, Filipino. Feel free to call us 1-866-304-3265, 1-269-605-4904, or email help@efaru.com
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