Introduction

Sometimes users need to have the ability to control what GL Accounts are being used including being able to overwrite a default value when needed. To allow users a way of quickly specifying a different GL Account we have implemented a feature that can do this in a couple of ways. This FAQ will outline how this feature works and the ways in which Accounts can be quickly replaced.

This feature has been implemented on the following Record Views: Journal Entry, AP Invoice / Credit Memo, AP Purchase Order, and Sales Order.

GL Account Formats and Segments

A GL Account Format is the GL Account Segments that make up the structure of your company's GL Accounts.

Companies may have set up their GL Account Format with 2, 3 or maybe 4 Segments. For the purpose of this document the examples and information provided refer to a GL Account Format with 3 Segments with Segment 1 being 4 digits, Segment 2 being 3 digits and Segment 3 being 2 digits long.

Using separators to replace an Account Segment

When users just want a quick way to change a particular Account segment, for example to a different profit center, the '-' separator will be used to determine which segment is being replaced.

For example:

1. “1000-” → replaces the first segment

2. “-111-” → replaces a matching middle segment

3. “-10” → replaces the last segment

The default or saved Account can be updated by entering a new account segment value along with the separator to quickly replace an account with a new account value (for example an account in the same division but different department), or search for an account based on the account segment(s) entered. 

For example, if the line item Account displays ‘6110-200-10 - Repairs & Maintenance: Plant’ and a user enters '-12' and an active account number '6110-200-12' exists, the Account field will be automatically updated to display the new account number and account description. 

Note: Users can only replace an account with active accounts that are set to the 'Use in XX' property in the GL Accounts master file for the appropriate transaction.

• Journal Entries and Accrue & Reverse Journals - Use in GL

• AP Invoice and AP Credit Memo - Use in AP

• Purchase Order - Use in AP

• Sales Order - Use in SO  

Using the “Account Segment for Quick Replacement” Preference to replace an Account Segment

The "Account Segment for Quick Replacement" preference in Financial >> Configuration >> Preferences can be set for the most commonly replaced Account Segment to allow for the account to be updated automatically based on the segment value entered without the segment separator. 

For example:

• The Account Format in NorthScope is set up with three segments, broken down as follows: Segment 1 = "Account" and is 4 digits long, Segment 2 = "Division" and is 3 digits long and Segment 3 = "Department" and is 2 digits long.

• Account Segment for Quick Replacement Financial Preference is set to ‘3 - Department’

• User opens an Invoice Record View with a line item Account of ‘6110-200-10 - Repairs & Maintenance: Plant’

• User types in ‘12’ in the Purchase GL Account field where the current account was displayed

• NorthScope uses the entry of ‘12’ combined with the Account Segment for Quick Replacement preference of ‘3 - Department’ to determine the ‘12’ is referencing the department segment of the GL Account and does one of two things:

  • Defaults the Purchase GL Account to the only account that matches, if there’s only one, reading “6110-200-12 – [Account Description]”.

  • Displays the Account Lookup with all the Accounts available that match the value entered for the user to select the correct account.

Note: Users may only replace an account with active accounts that are set to the corresponding 'Use in XX' property in the GL Accounts master file. 

Searching for / Replacing an Account using the Account Description

When users want to find an Account using the Account Description, part or all of the description can be entered into the Account field to search for it.  If multiple active accounts exist that match the description entered, the Account Lookup will open displaying these results for the user to select the account.

If the value entered by the user results in only one matching Account Description, then the Account will be replaced to that one result and the lookup will not open.

Exceptions: If the Account Description contains a numeric value that is also the same numeric value contained in an Account Segment for a different Account Number and the user enters that numeric value in the Account field to search, if the rules mentioned in the previous section to perform an account quick replacement are met, then this will default the Account that matches the Account Number and not the account that matches the Account Description.  If users wish to find the account using the description another value contained in that description would need to be entered together with the numeric value. 

For example, the following accounts are configured in the system:

1000-000-00 – 401(k) Contribution Payable

6040-200-00 – 401k: Plant

4030-200-00 – Plant Sales – Grocery Supplies

4030-401-00 – Plant Sales – Ice

The Account Segment for Quick Replacement Financial Preference is set to ‘2 – Division’ and the user has a transaction with a line item and the Account value is set to ‘4030-200-00 – Plant Sales – Grocery Supplies’.

If the user enters the value ‘401’ in the Account field, the value will be quickly replaced to ‘4030-401-00 – Plant Sales – Ice’ because the match was found in the segment configured in the quick replacement preference. If the preference was set to another segment value or set to blank and the same ‘401’ value was entered, then the Account lookup would open containing all Account values across any segment and descriptions containing the value ‘401’. 

If the preference value is needing to be set to ‘2 – Division’ and the user wants to find the accounts that contain 401 in the Account Description as opposed to the Account Number, then in this example, the user would need to enter ‘401(‘, or ‘401k’ to return the Accounts ‘1000-000-00’ or ‘6040-200-00’ respectively.

 The following special characters are not supported in Search and will need to be omitted in the Search for Accounts:

%

&

_

[

|

,

‘

“

/