Workbench Batches

Batches are created for Workbench transactions in the following manner:

BATCH NUMBERS

The batch numbers are automatically generated by the system using the convention set up in the maintenance of the Control File.
This convention is based on any combination of LYYT where:

• L = Location Batch prefix
• YY = Financial Year
• T = Transaction Type Number which is hard coded in the application.
• Together with a suffix of sequence digits

The period on the transaction is determined by the Year / Period on the batch of the transaction. The batch Year / Period is the Year / period relating to the entered Batch date, or the next open period. The entered Batch Date defaults to "todays" date and may be edited to the date of your choice.

We will look at entering Job Purchases as an example of batch selection.

You can select an existing batch by clicking on the batch list box and selecting a batch already created and displayed in the list.

BATCH SETUP

• You can create a new batch by selecting the at the right of the list box.
• This will bring up a New Batch Set Up screen.

The Batch Type, Period, Creator, Location and Batch Number have all been generated by the system.

You enter the Batch Date and Reference.

The Batch Date is "today's" date but can be edited.

Select the Financial Company that this Batch relates to if there is more than one Financial Company in use.

The Period is determined by the Batch Date. It will be the Period corresponding to the Batch Date or the next open period from the Control File. Should you wish to post to a preceding open period then change the Batch Date to correspond to that Period?

Note that the period that the transaction falls into is determined by the Period not the Batch Date.

CONTROL FILE SHOWING PERIOD ENDS

Batch Control

Batches are controlled primarily through the Batch Control Screen. It is in this screen that you:

View the batch summary. This shows the status of each batch. There is a wide ranging filter for selection purposes. Enter your selection of Batch No's (if required) and Periods. Select the checkbox for the types and statuses of batches to be displayed and click the Filter button

• View & print the batch
• Export batches
• View the Batch list of batches selected.
• Print the Batch List
• Close Batches.

Batches may be closed and exported at any time during the period.

CLOSING BATCHES

• Batches can be closed in the data entry screens or by checking the 'Closed' checkbox on the Batch Control screen. For Adjustment type batches, a batch can only be closed in the data entry screen, as an Adjustment batch must balance to zero before it can be closed.
• When a batch is Closed, a Batch Edit List should always be printed for that batch and filed. Batch printing can be done from the menu item 'Batch Lists', or from the button on the Batch Control screen. This printout is an essential part of the audit trail for data exported from Workbench to the financial software.
• A Closed batch can only be opened from the Batch Control screen
• Closed batches cannot be changed – when a Closed batch is displayed on screen the data is Read Only.

EXPORTING BATCHES

To export a batch, it must be Closed, and cannot have been previously exported (if a batch has been exported it will have an 'Exported' date displayed on the Batch Control screen)

Select the batches you wish to export e.g. AP Invoices. With the filtered list displayed on screen, print a Batch List using the Preview button. This listing gives totals by batch number, with a total of all the batches being exported. It is a useful audit report when a number of batches are being exported at once.

Before exporting any batch, ensure that you have previously printed a Batch Edit List for all batches being exported.

Clicking on the 'black arrow' on the Batch Control screen will export the displayed batches.

The process which follows will depend on the financial software being used. Some exports update the financial software on line, others create a data file which is then imported into the financial software.

A batch can be re-exported by removing the 'Exported' date for that batch. Note that this should ONLY be done when the previous export has been confirmed as unsuccessful (e.g. an export file was deleted by mistake by the user). The user must ensure that re-exporting will not result in duplicate data in the financials

For every exported batch, the user must verify that the value of the exported batch (from the printed Batch Edit List) reconciles with the data imported into the financial software. This is an essential audit function which must be carried out for every batch. It is suggested that when this check has been done, the relevant Workbench Batch Edit List is signed off as correct.
The most common source of reconciliation questions is for batches where additional data has been entered after the Batch Edit List has been printed.

CLOSING ACCOUNTING PERIODS

Periods are closed in the 'Control Period Ends' Screen. This provides for control over the period into which transactions will be posted.

• Periods can be closed for:
  'All' transactions – all batch types
  'AP' transactions only
  'PO' transactions only
  'AR' transactions only
  'Stock' transactions only
  'Other' transaction only
  'Forecast' transactions only
  'Time' transactions only

• The period on the transaction is determined by the Year / Period on the batch of the transaction. The batch Year / Period is the Year / period relating to the entered Batch date, or the next open period.

• It is recommended that future periods be closed to avoid posting to unintended periods resulting from incorrect date entries

DEFAULT YEAR / PERIOD

• The 'Current Period' entry on the 'General' tab in 'Control File Maintenance' is the default source of the Year / Period in report selection and enquiry screens. It does not control any period posting dates. These all come from the settings in the Period Ends tab