Once assigned, key fields like customer code, vendor code and item number
cannot be changed in the standard software. Yet sometimes you may find it
necessary to change one, some or all of them. Let's take a look at
why you may want to change these key fields and the utilities you can use
to do it for you.
Do any of these scenarios sound familiar?
When you created your customer codes years ago, you used their phone
number because, "Who ever changes their phone number, right?" Or, you used
a meaningless incremental number for your customer codes and now you always
have to take the extra steps to search by name - slowing up your
data entry.
You assigned your item numbers based on the manufacturer's code and now
the manufacturer has changed their numbering. Or, the item coding structure
you created years ago doesn't handle your increased product lines.
Someone accidentally created two different codes for the same vendor,
and for the past year you find that half of the invoices were posted using
each one, making your YTD totals misleading.
Because of what a key field does and how it works, you can't just change
it like a description or address field. However, the good news is that there
are utilities available that allow you to change these codes and, if
appropriate, even merge records together!
But wait! Why is this so difficult that you need a separate utility?
When dealing with
computer files, a key field is the unique value that is assigned to each
record that ensures that a particular key is only created once and which
allows the information associated with that key to be found.
For example, once you assign a customer code to someone, you cannot assign
that code again to anyone else. And, it is that code that you use in your
system when you want to create an invoice or receive a payment associated
with that customer.
So, if you looked inside your Accounts Receivable files, you would see
the customer code referenced in most of them. And, if you consider additional
modules like Order Entry and Sales Analysis, you would see the customer code
referenced in many of those files as well.
Because of this complexity, and the need to change all of the references
to the codes simultaneously, the Change utility installs right inside of
your Sage Accpac System Manager and provides an interface similar to what
you are already familiar with.
The utility will allow you to perform the following actions:
Change - Change the specified code for all records throughout the system.
Combine - Combine multiple codes to one specified code
for all records throughout the system.
Copy - Copy the record information from a specified code
to a new record.
The Change utilities are available for the following key fields:
General Ledger Account Code
Accounts Receivable Customer Number
Accounts Payable Vendor Number
Inventory Control Item Number
Project Management Contract Number
If you would like to discuss how changes to your coding system may benefit
you, or to
see the changer utilities in action, please contact
Alan Ogilvie at 604-552-4008 or info@computerworks.bc.ca.
