System Narrative
Online Processing
Company Controls
Data Entry
System Reporting
Vendor Controls
Processing Flows
PO Input Flow
AP Input Flow
Receiver Input
Check Write Processing Flow
Check Reconciliation Flow
Report Write Flow
GL Interface Processing Flow
Master File Purge

System Narrative

The Accounts Payable/Purchase Control System provides a company with the opportunity to control and track the expenditure process throughout the cycle of:

• determining which vendor should receive the order

• placing an order with the vendor

• printing the purchase order document

• receiving the ordered goods

• inspecting the goods

• processing the invoice

• deciding whom to pay and how much

• paying for the items

• balancing the checkbook

• allocating the costs to the general ledger

• reporting tax information to various authorities

• saving all of the information to history

If the Project Accounting System (PA) has been purchased and installed, the Accounts Payable/Purchase Control System can perform a before-the-fact audit to ensure that a particular purchase order or invoice has been authorized for a given project or work unit. If accepted, this project-related purchase order and/or invoice can be passed directly to PA, avoiding any keying effort into that system.

The Accounts Payable/Purchase Control System provides a broad range of capabilities for controlling, tracking and paying for a company's expenditures. The system also produces extensive management and accounting reports, as well as interfaces to other systems. Some features of the system are listed below.

The ACH Payment module facilitates EFT processing by allowing for automatic deposit of payments in lieu of printing and distributing regular checks. A file in standard ACH format with transmittal coding is produced for any company/bank combination. Payment notices for the vendor are automatically produced. A vendor can be flagged to receive normal checks or EFT deposits.

Automatic Interface Module (AIM) provides Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) processing. High volume vendors can submit invoices electronically to save on the keying effort.

Blanket orders provide the ability to enter and maintain a buying agreement or an intent to buy agreement with a vendor. The blanket order establishes dollar and quantity guidelines, as well as other default information for purchase order releases from the blanket order

Cash Requirements Forecasting shows future cash commitments based on both invoices and purchase orders.

The Check Reconciliation Subsystem matches outstanding checks with the bank clearing transactions to ensure against missing checks, discrepancies, etc.

The Data Mapping Facility allows users to alter screens or create new ones without requiring programmers to change programs This includes adding fields, removing fields, changing edits, rearranging the layout, etc.

Detail Receiver Tracking provides complete receiver history and allows optional invoice to receiver matching, expanding the matching capabilities. In addition to the normal three-way matching feature, the voucher may optionally be matched to a specific receipt.

Employee Expense/Advance Tracking maintains data on all payments made to or for each employee.

The General Report Writer allows for the creation of customized reports from the current and/or history files. The General Report Writer has simple title and subtitle formatting, multi-detail line capability, all arithmetic functions (including and/or conditions) and work fields of varying sizes.

The FAST-HELP® facility provides the ability to obtain help text about screens, error messages and individual fields online with the press of a single key. This comprehensive help facility retrieves information similar to that found in the data dictionary and displays it on the screen. Data from the help text can be brought back onto the screen using the smart cursor capability. The data can be modified to fit your specific needs and new fields can be added to customize it for your company.

Inquiry-Assisted Entry permits data that is already in the system to be used to create new transactions. For example, the vendor information will default to the purchase order or voucher when entered in the vendor number field.

The interface to the Data Design General Ledger System or the customized interface to any other general ledger system validates distribution accounts upon entry and transmits posting records to the general ledger.

The interface to the Data Design Project Accounting System prevents ordering or invoicing unapproved items and transmits commitments and expenditures to Project Accounting.

The Item Master is a comprehensive and easily maintained database of information on items you purchase. It helps speed the purchasing process, makes orders more accurate and provides information on sources and descriptions of commonly purchased goods and services. An item database also provides a convenient link to inventory, accounts receivable and order entry systems.

Mainframe-to-PC Link (LINK) permits mainframe information to be downloaded to personal computers for use with an electronic spreadsheet.

Model vouchers or purchase orders allow rapid entry of new documents from pre-defined standard documents or distribution lists. Any existing document on the current master files can be used as a model.

Multi-Bank processing allows check writing against several banks or bank accounts in a single check run. Different company/bank combinations can share the same check stock without operator intervention or multiple check runs.

Multi-Company capability allows numerous organizational entities to process independently while sharing the same programs and files.

The multiple distribution capability allows multiple account distributions for each line of a purchase order and its receipts, as well as for each line of any type of voucher.

Adds additional lines to a PO-related invoice for miscellaneous charges that do not appear on the purchase order, and therefore cannot be matched. Often it is used for paying such things as pallet charges, restocking charges or for taking vendor credits and allowances.

The system enables online real-time entry of all information into the system with full editing and validation.

The system provides online inquiry of the master files. The length of time records are available for inquiry is controlled at the company level.

The online interrupt command allows the user to temporarily interrupt the current online activity, switch to other screens to research a problem, then return automatically to the original screen. Up to nine (9) levels of interrupt can be defined and active at any one time. The interrupt command can be used in Accounts Payable, in another Data Design application or in VIEW.

Online Real-time Query Module (VIEW) permits the creation of ad hoc online report definitions and the immediate creation of those reports without requiring batch runs.

Paint is used to paint new screens, download and upload capabilities from and to a mainframe computer and validate entries for both files and inputs.

Password Security prevents individuals from accessing terminals, screens, functions and company data without pre-approval. Optionally, the CICS User ID and password (from RACF, Top Secret, etc.) can be used as the User ID and password into the Data Design system.

Payment Controls guard against the entry of duplicate invoices, determine which vouchers are paid and ensure that advantageous discounts are taken.

Purchase Order Control permits pre-authorization of all expenditures and matches purchase orders, receipts and invoices.

Recurring payment capability automatically creates periodic contract payments from a single repeat payment master voucher.

Provides an automated approach to requisition approval, a global view of requisitions and purchase order creation from the approved requisitions.

Standard Report Controls allow the user to control report sequence, report totals, page breaks and selection criteria for standard reports.

For all domestic vendors, the state abbreviations and ZIP codes are validated against USPS standards.

Eliminates the need to enter dates and check and report controls on a daily basis. Check cycles, as well as weekly and monthly cycles, can be scheduled a year or more in advance. The system also maintains the starting check number for the next check cycle. Reports can be printed, in a calendar format, to show the scheduled cycles.

Use Tax Accrual and reporting ensures proper handling of all use tax-related expenditures, whether billed or not.

The VISTA online report writer allows you to create customized reports or output files from up to five files via online entry of specifications. Records can be selected across multiple files under the same application or across multiple applications. Mathematical calculations and field comparisons can be specified. Reports viewed online or in batch may be sorted by report request and headings and detail lines. Line spacing, page breaks and total definitions may also be specified.

1099 Processing withholding and reporting complies with all current IRS regulations, including Combined Federal and State 1099 Reporting.