The Invoice Types Batching Method form is accessed via Contract Administration / Batch Control / Invoice Type Batching. This option enables viewing and editing of the invoice type batching method.
This is ostensibly the same file as the the Invoice Types in Fleet System Management. However, it is also made available here so that those performing contract administration tasks can edit the Batching code and Batching Method fields.
The form is split into three areas. These are the Titlebar, the Invoice Types Batching Method Record Table and the column of Command Buttons at the bottom of the form.
In addition to displaying the form name the Title Bar provides a number of useful buttons.
This form displays a record table of all the fields held within the invoice type record:
The invoice type number e.g. 4.
A full textual description of the invoice type.
Selection of the down-arrow-button immediately to the right of this field displays the three alternatives available which are as follows:
S= SalesLedger
B= Budget
P = Purchase Ledger
This code denotes to what area the Invoice Type is applicable.
This field defaults to a value of S for user created invoice types numbered over 100.
(Make-up) Source Code
The Make-up source letter. It is left blank if the item is not a Make-up item. Selection of the ellipsis button (...) immediately to the right of this field displays a list of all the existing make-up characters e.g. ERental - Initial.
Selection of the ellipsis button (...) immediately to the right of this field displays the alternatives available which are as follows:
- BBroker Payments
- DDisposal Costs
- FFinance Repayments
- IInsurance Renewals
- LRFL Renewals
- MMaintenance Invoices
- PPurchase Invoices
- SSales Invoices
- bMotor Club Renewals
- fFixed Penalty Notices
These are the batching code letters which are used to denote the appropriate invoice batch to be used when the batches are constructed by the system. This field is initially set up as the Batch Type in System Maintenance.
This field defaults to a value of S for user created invoice types numbered over 100.
Washout Posted
A checkbox which, if ticked, denotes whether this item becomes part of the termination washout posting routine.
Batching Method
The batching method code. This is nearly always set to A for automatic. Users are not allowed access to these codes. This field is initially set up as the Batching Method in System Maintenance.
A selection of D (Debit) or C (Credit) is available dependent upon which "leg" of the posting is to be ignored. A setting of D stops the system from making a posting of the relevant Debit postings for that invoice type.
Selection of D denotes the debit side is ignored by the system.
Selection of C denotes the credit side is ignored by the system.
FinalWashout Special
The field is not used.
This may override the value in a Sales Batch for this Invoice Type. The batch may be set for consolidated invoicing but this field can override this and generate an invoice for each vehicle.
There are a number of reconciliation methods which may be used:
F = Full. Sends full details out to the NL e.g. if there are fifty vehicles then fifty transactions go to accounts.
T = Totals Only. Sends a total for the fifty vehicles only.
I = Ignore. The system writes values to Ipend but not to the NL. etc
The following three fields are used in conjunction with the Payment Types table and Contract Admin 1 Tab within Address Group Management to allow the credit department to identify the invoice type from the sales ledger transaction form, to set the due date of invoices at an invoice type level and to select different invoice types for direct debit collections on specific dates for each customer rather than selecting all invoices for that customer and deleting those which should not be taken.
The final processing from these fields populates part of the customer reference field on the sales ledger account with the invoice type number allowing easy identification.
It also populates part of the same reference field with a payment type and date e.g. DD21, DD30, CH??, etc, initially defined within the Payment Types table and then held within the Contract Admin 1 Tab at Address Group level; this can be used to select individual documents for direct debit payment within a customer's account on specific days of the month. e.g. an initial rental invoice to be taken by direct debit on the 21st of the month would have a reference which started 001DD21. The payment type code (within the Address Group Contract Admin 1 Tab has been extended to 4 characters to accommodate this.
Finally the solution populates the due date of the invoice from information set at the invoice type level allowing different due dates for specific invoices.
Fleet Transaction Indicator
A user-defined code which is the Sales Invoice NL customer reference indicator which aids the credit department in identification of the invoice type from the sales ledger transaction form.
Note: At the point of posting from ipend into accounts the NL.invbf reference field gets written out. The system reads the invoice type from the ipend entry and populates the first 3 characters of the NL.invbf.REFERENC field with this invoice type number. This must be converted from numeric to alpha with leading zeros as required.
Use Credit Terms Override?
A checkbox which, when ticked, allows specification of the due date Credit Terms for the selected invoice type taken from the NL Terms of Business grid (accessed via Nominal Ledger / Miscellaneous Options / Terms of Business) e.g. 30 - 30 days net.
Credit Terms
If the Use Credit Terms Override? checkbox is ticked above then selection of the ellipsis button immediately to the right of this field enables selection from the NL Terms of Business grid (accessed via Nominal Ledger / Miscellaneous Options / Terms of Business) options e.g. 30 - 30 days net. This enables specification of the invoice due date.
Currently the due date of a sales ledger document is calculated from the credit terms on the sales ledger header (SL.accts.CRDTERMS) when the daybooks are printed. For sales ledger invoice types (FM.invtype.LEDGER='S') this checkbox enables the specification of payment terms for the selected invoice type. The payment terms available are held in a table in NL.terms. One of the codes in the table is applied to each invoice type that requires a due date to be derived differently from the standard held on the SL.accts.CRDTERMS.
When posting records to NL.invbf, if the FM.invtype.LEDGER = S and FM.invtype.USETERMS is ticked, then the NL.terms record that correlates to the FM.invtype.CRDTERMS entry for that invoice type is utilised.
The list displays up to a maximum of twenty four invoice type records at any one time. To view the remaining records the Scroll Bar to the right of the form can be operated in a number of ways:
To edit the invoice types batching method record table a single-right-click of the mouse in any of the columns displays a small menu box with the following options:
- Edit Row
Allows values for the selected invoice type record to be edited. Alternatively, single-left-click into the row, enter the appropriate data and use the Tab key to move to the next column.
- Copy
Enables the invoice type values for one record to be copied to other records.
- Filter
Presents a Selection Criteria Box which enables selection of only those records meeting the selection criteria for the column upon which the filter is selected to operate. The following mutually exclusive selection criteria option buttons/fields are available:
- Equals
Searches the selected column for a description matching that entered in the data entry box at the bottom of the form. Any records equaling the criteria are displayed.
- Not Equal
Searches the selected column for a description matching that entered in the data entry box at the bottom of the form. Any records equaling the criteria are not displayed.
- Greater Than
Searches the selected column for any records with a text character string which is alphabetically higher than the character(s) entered in the data entry box at the bottom of the form. Any records greater than the criteria are displayed.
- Less Than
Searches the selected column for any records with a text character string which is alphabetically lower than the character(s) entered in the data entry box at the bottom of the form. Any records less than the criteria are displayed.
- Contains
Searches the selected column for any records with a text character string containing the character(s) entered in the data entry box at the bottom of the form. Any records meeting the criteria are displayed.
- Range
Searches the selected column for any records with a text character string which is alphabetically equal to or between the character(s) entered in the two data entry box at the bottom of the form. Any records meeting the criteria are displayed.
- No Filter
No filter is applied to the record search. The Reset command button also activates the "No Filter" option.
A number of command buttons are available. Some buttons are context sensitive and are greyed-out and only become available dependent upon the particular process that is being accessed. The full list of command buttons is as follows:
Exits the Invoice Types Batching Method form and returns to the Batch Control Menu.
Provides online access to a context sensitive Help form.
Sorts the records by the chosen keypath. Upon selection, a Keypath List Box is displayed from which the appropriate keypath (if there is more than one) is selected.
Redisplays the records on the form with any new modifications.
A checkbox that, when ticked, sorts the records in descending order.
A checkbox that, when ticked, automatically redisplays all records on the form after an amendment.
Restricts a Sort by allowing entry of a text string for the agreement number from which to start.
Restricts a Sort by allowing entry of a text string for the agreement number at which to finish.
The purpose of this field is to allow the display of a user-defined selection of fields for every record. This is intended to reduce data entry errors. This operation can be performed for one field or a number of fields at the same time by double-clicking on each required field to be viewed and selecting the OK command button.
Selection of this button displays a further form that provides an Ad-hoc Report Generator for the creation of quick query reports to form. An enquiry is formulated by completing a simple set of verbs and field names. A saved formulated query can be retrieved for future use.
Displays each field in a record by row, with the field name in the left-hand column and the field data in the right hand column. Within this option, records may be created, amended or deleted.