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1 MANAGEX DOCUMENTATION LICENSE The following text and the ManageX program are copyrighted (C) in 1985, 1986, & 1987 by R.A. Kelly. They are published by Integra Computing. You may use ManageX I on a single computer, provided that you do not use it in a business with more than 15 employees and that you accept the terms of the following AGREEMENT. You may distribute ManageX I, as long as this license and the following disclaimer, agree- ment and instructions accompany the program. You may not distribute ManageX I if any of its accompanying files or this documentation has been altered. No fee may be charged for ManageX I, nor may ManageX I be bundled with (or in any way accompany or be used as an incentive to purchase or lease) any other product or service, without the express written consent of R.A. Kelly. All rights not expressly granted in the above paragraph are reserved in R.A. Kelly. ManageX is a trademark of Integra Computing. DISCLAIMER Though ManageX and its predecessors have been under development since 1984, ManageX may contain design and programming flaws. Before using ANY software on a regular basis, try estimating the potential harm that could result from your reliance upon it. Please don't use ManageX unless you are willing to assume the associated risks. MANAGEX AND ITS INSTRUCTIONS ARE PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND (INCLUDING THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANT- ABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE). NO ORAL OR WRITTEN INFORMATION OR ADVICE PROVIDED BY INTEGRA, ITS DEALERS, DISTRIBUTORS, AGENTS, OR EMPLOYEES SHALL CREATE A WARRANTY OF ANY KIND REGARDING MANAGEX, AND YOU MAY NOT RELY UPON SUCH INFORMATION OR ADVICE. USE OF MANAGEX IS ENTIRELY AT YOUR OWN RISK. NEITHER INTEGRA NOR ANYONE ELSE WHO HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE CREATION, PRODUCTION, OR DELIVERY OF MANAGEX SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, AND LOSS OF BUSINESS INFORMATION) ARISING FROM THE USE OF (OR INABILITY TO USE) MANAGEX, EVEN THOUGH INTEGRA MAY BE ADVISED THAT SUCH DAMAGES ARE POSSIBLE. THIS DISCLAIMER APPLIES TO ALL PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE VERSIONS OF MANAGEX, AS WELL AS TO UPGRADES, AUGMENTATIONS, EXTENSIONS, EXTRA MODULES, AND MODIFICATIONS OF THE PROGRAM THAT MAY BE PROVIDED TO YOU. AGREEMENT As used in this documentation, the term "ManageX", if not followed by a series or version designation, means any version or series of ManageX provided to you now or in the future. 2 Your attempt to use ManageX constitutes your acceptance of the terms set forth in the foregoing LICENSE and DISCLAIMER (which are incorporated into this Agreement). Your attempt to use ManageX also constitutes your agreement that if you bring any legal action relating to ManageX, 1) your sole remedy for the damages for which any defendant is found liable (including direct, indirect, incidental and consequential damages) will be the recovery from that defendant of whatever you will have paid to register as a ManageX user; and 2) you will pay the defen- dants' attorneys fees and other legal costs. The terms of this agreement are governed by Georgia law. If any of this Agreement's terms shall be held invalid to any extent, the remainder of this Agreement shall be unaffected by such invalidity. THE ABOVE PARAGRAPHS CONSTITUTE THE ENTIRE AGREEMENT BETWEEN YOU AND INTEGRA. NO ORAL OR WRITTEN COMMUNICATION, INFORMATION, OR ADVICE FROM ANY SOURCE MAY ALTER THE AGREEMENT AS SET FORTH ABOVE. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OF IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR OF LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO SOME OF THE ABOVE EXCLUSIONS AND LIMITATIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. YOU MAY HAVE OTHER RIGHTS WHICH MAY VARY FROM STATE TO STATE. 3 NOTE: This is an abridged version of the instructions. Registration will entitle you to COMPLETE documentation on disk. MANAGEX I INSTRUCTIONS TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 4 SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION 9 SECTION 2 SETTING UP 10 SECTION 3 MAIN MENU 11 SECTION 4 CASE MODULE 14 SECTION 5 SERVICES/FEES MODULE 15 SECTION 6 DISBURSEMENTS MODULE 16 SECTION 7 RECEIPTS MODULE 17 SECTION 8 BILLS 19 SECTION 9 ADJUSTMENTS 20 SECTION 10 CODES, CATEGORIES, AREAS OF BUSINESS 21 SECTION 11 MESSAGES 22 SECTION 12 RETAINERS AND OTHER ACCOUNTS 23 SECTION 13 USING MANAGEX WITH OLD CASES 4 NOTE: Please remember to distribute only copies of the ORIGINAL ManageX files. Don't pass on copies that you've already had on your hard disk, because using the program customizes it for YOU. SECTION 1. INTRODUCTION NOTE: Remember, this documentation is a severely abridged version of what is provided to users who register. Sec.1.A WHAT MANAGEX WILL DO ManageX is based upon the proposition that it is usually best to send a statement to each client at some regular interval, preferably every month. Even when nothing is due from the client for work done during that period, a statement should be sent, if for no other reason, to let him know that you're still thinking of him. The minimum period for which a client may be billed is one cal- endar month. Each bill will include all transactions from the begin- ning of the first month covered by the bill to the end of the last month covered. A bill may be re-prepared for the same calendar month (or months) several times. For example, if it were now January 15, and you wanted to send Mr. Smith's bill for work done so far this month, the bill prepared by ManageX would cover all work done during the entire month of January (the beginning of the first month covered by the bill is January 1, and the end of the last month covered is January 31). However, since no work will have been done after the fifteenth, the bill will effectively be one for only the period from January 1 to January 15. If, in February, you subsequently printed a Smith January bill, the bill prepared would show work done during the entire month, in- cluding 1) a recap of what had already been shown on the previous January bill and 2) what had been done from the 16th to the 31st. You may not request a bill for only the period from January 16 to January 31, since, as mentioned above, the minimum billing period is one calendar month. But don't worry. Mr. Smith will NOT be charged again for the work already reflected in the first bill. The second bill will SHOW that work for a second time (as a recap), but will not CHARGE him a second time for it. Of course, if Mr. Smith had sent any payments since the first bill was mailed, those payments would also be reflected on the second bill. Each bill sent out for any period of time reflects the most current status of the client's ac- count with you for that period. ManageX is unique in that it allows you to prepare bills for the same period many times, not just once. Correcting and resubmitting bills to your clients present no problem to ManageX. Sec.1.C.2 Case Names, Case Numbers, & Master Record Numbers ManageX considers each matter handled by the firm to be a case. This nomenclature, ideal for accountants and lawyers, is also suitable for other professionals willing to adapt. Each case will be assigned a Case Name, a Case Number and a "MasterRcrd" Number. The Case Name 5 is simply a convenient name by which you can recognize the case, such as "Smith Project" or "State v. Williams". The Case Number is used by the program to locate the case record in the computer's data files. It may be in the same format as that used by your firm to manually file the paperwork pertaining to that case. The MasterRcrd Number is used to link up to 500 subordinate case records to their master record. Each case is subordinate to its master. If a case is indepen- dent (that is, not subordinate to another), then it is its OWN mas- ter, and its Case Number and MasterRcrd Number will be the same. If, however, it is subordinate to another, then the other's Case Number will be the subordinate's MasterRcrd Number. For example, if case number 2 were subordinate to case number 1, then case 2's MasterRcrd Number would be "1" (case 1, being its own master, would also be assigned MasterRcrd Number 1). When would you want to subordinate one case to another? Assume, that you and Mr. Smith had a retainer agreement whereby he would pay you $150 per month for any services he needed from you at any time. You might set up a case record with the Case Name, "Smith Retainer" and the Case Number, "SMITJO1". If Mr. Smith subsequently asked you to help him with a building contract, you might do one of two things. One would be to charge the time you spend working on the contract to the "Smith Retainer" (SMITJO1) case. The other would be to establish a separate case record, perhaps named "Smith Contract" and possibly numbered "SMITJO2". If you want- ed to make sure that both Mr. Smith's cases were linked for easy subsequent identification, you would assign to the new SMITJO2 case the MasterRcrd Number, "SMITJO1". A graphic representation of this master-subordinate relationship follows: MASTER SUBORDINATES Case #: SmitJo1 Case Name: Smith Retainer Case #: SmitJo1 MasterRcrd #: SmitJo1 Case Name: Smith Retainer MasterRcrd #: SmitJo1 Case #: SmitJo2 Case Name: Smith Contract MasterRcrd #: SmitJo1 As can be seen, the SMITJO1 case is its own master, and it also acts as a master for the SMITJO2 case. In the future, whenever you want to look through ALL of Mr. Smith's cases, it will be easy, because they all have the same MasterRcrd Number. MasterRcrd Numbers LINK several cases together for future reference. Now, on to a related matter. Unlike some other programs, ManageX does not require you to set up a separate "client record" before you open any case (or "matter") records for the client. Each ManageX case record contains both matter AND client information. Hence, if you have a client for whom you do not expect to be handling more than one matter, you need open only ONE record (a case record) for him, rather than TWO (a client record and a matter record). If, subsequent to your having opened that single record for him, the client comes to you with more work, you may either: 1) do that addi- tional work under the same case already opened, or 2) set up another case for him. If you do the latter, you may, though you do not HAVE to, link the two cases by making the first record the second's Mas- terRcrd. 6 Though ManageX does not REQUIRE you to do so, you may set up something comparable to a separate "client record" for each client before opening actual cases for him. To do so, you would actually set up a "case" record for the client and use it as a MasterRcrd for the several matters that you handle for him. After all, a "client record" does nothing more than link several cases together under one client, and a ManageX MasterRcrd can serve the same function. You would tell ManageX that this record is intended to serve as a simple client record by beginning its "case" name with an asterisk. An example of a "client" record follows: MASTER SUBORDINATES Case #: SmitJo1 Case Name: Smith Retainer Case #: SmitJo MasterRcrd #: SmitJo Case Name: *John Smith Cases MasterRcrd #: SmitJo Case #: SmitJo2 Case Name: Smith Contract MasterRcrd #: SmitJo In the above example, the SMITJO record is a "client" record, which contains only the client's name, address, salutation, billing interval, and a "case" name beginning with an asterisk (any other information filled in will be disregarded by ManageX, since this is only a "client", not a real "case", record). Sec.1.D.2 Control characters On-screen instructions will frequently instruct you to press control characters. A control character is represented graphically as a letter preceded by an up caret (eg: ^A or ^H). If you are instructed to press a control character, you must hold the Ctrl key down, while simultaneously pressing the appropriate letter key. For example, to press ^O, hold down the Ctrl key and tap the "O" (or "o") key. Do not actually press the up carrot key; the up carrot is used merely as a graphic representation of the control key. Sec.1.D.4 Entering Numbers When prices or other monetary figures are entered, never enter a dollar sign, comma or any symbol other than a minus sign. If, for instance, a price were $9,999.95, you would enter only "9999.95", not "$9999.95" or "9,999.95". Sec.1.D.5 Pausing When you find the computer in the middle of some lengthy proce- dure, such as printing a report, and you want to pause, press the space bar. Doing so will cause the process to stop until you press the space bar again. This use of the space bar will not work in all of the program's operational modes, but it will in most. Sec.1.D.6 Aborting If, instead of wishing that the computer pause in the middle of a procedure, you prefer to abort that procedure altogether, press ESC (the Escape key). As with the space bar, this key may not work in all parts of the program, and it may take a few seconds to work. 7 Sec.1.D.7 Printer Toggling Whenever you are about to have a report printed on the screen, and you would prefer that it be printed on your printer, press ^P before the report preparation begins. ^P is the printing toggle, and it turns the flow of data to the printer on and off. Sec.1.D.9 EDIT.COM There are a few files which will need to be created or modified by ManageX's text editor, EDIT.COM, before you can realize the full potential of the program. For instance, you may want to custom- ize the return address file, so that your correct address will be reflected on bills prepared by ManageX. EDIT.COM manipulates simple industry-standard ASCII code. An extra facility is the ability to imbed printer codes in the text pre- pared with EDIT.COM. If, for instance, you want your printer to switch to letter-quality mode when it prepares bills, you could place the appropriate printer code (available in your printer's manual) at the top of the return address file. To imbed any control character (such as the escape character), press ^P first. For instance, to imbed "esc N", actually enter "^P esc N". You may access EDIT.COM from ManageX's MAIN MENU by pressing ^E (for "Edit"). Sec.1.D.10 Deciding which module to use Use of ManageX requires your understanding its basic modular organization. Each choice in the MAIN MENU corresponds to a differ- ent module. There is a SERVICE/FEE module, a BILLING module, a DIS- BURSEMENTS module, and so on. Whenever you want to do ANYTHING in this program, you should go to the module whose subject matter most probably encompasses what you want to do. For instance, to run a report showing all your services performed during any period, you would go to the SERVICES/FEES module. There may be times when your first guess as to the proper module is incorrect. In that case, take a second guess, and you'll be right. Note that a disbursement is an amount ADVANCED or PAID BY YOU for something. It must be entered in the DISBURSEMENTS module. If, for instance, you have paid filing costs of $55, this expenditure is a dis- bursement. Do not enter it on a time slip in the SERVICE/FEE module. Receipts are often a source of confusion. Remember that they are money PAID TO YOU, that is, money that you intend to put into YOUR coffers. Money given to you in trust is NOT a receipt. If a client gives you $100 and you intend to put it into trust for him, DO NOT enter it as a receipt. That $100 should be entered into your books as a deposit into a trust account (if you have ManageX III or IV, your books will be completely integrated into the program and will accessible within moments). That $100 is not meant to be a pre- sent payment to you for past or future services; rather, it is meant to be placed into trust for the client. At some future time, you might withdraw part or all of it from the trust account as a payment to you, but, until that time, it is not a RECEIPT; it is merely money given to you in trust. Remember, money given to you is a RECEIPT only if it is going directly into YOUR pocket. 8 Likewise, a disbursement is money paid by YOU, from YOUR FIRM's accounts, not from a trust account. DO NOT enter as a disbursement any payment from a trust account. Remember, it is not a disbursement unless it comes from your firm's own funds. Do not read further until you understand the discussion, so far. Sometimes, the item you wish to enter does not seem to fit well into the main categories of services/fees, disbursements, and re- ceipts. For instance, an established client's current (at the time you first enter his data into ManageX's files) balance is not strict- ly a "fee", since it does not apply to a specific single event or transaction. Nevertheless, it must be entered somewhere. The AD- JUSTMENTS module exists for the purpose of adjusting client bills for things that do not seem to fit well into the categories discussed above. If, for instance, you wished to decrease the amount due re- flected on a bill, you would probably wish to register an adjustment in the form of a write-off. 9 SECTION 2. SETTING UP When you first begin using ManageX, you will have to answer a series of CUSTOMIZING questions. Very brief explanations follow: -> Drive used for ManageX: Enter the letter designation (C,D, etc.) of the hard disk containing the MANAGEX subdirectory. -> Lines to Letterhead Bottom: If not using letterhead, leave as zero; otherwise, count lines (6 per inch) to bottom of letterhead printing. -> Indent used for Addresses: column (from left margin) where printing of addresses on bills should begin. If unsure, leave as zero. -> Minimum Time: Minimum # of minutes charged per time slip. -> Hourly Rates: Rate 1 should be your standard rate; alternate rates may be filled in as Rates 2 thru 6. If there are more than one time- keeper, enter one or two rates for each. You could, for instance, be assigned rates 1 and 2, while rates 3 and 4 might apply to someone else in the organization. Please note that ManageX III and IV allow up to six rates for EACH of fifteen timekeepers. -> Colors: 0=blk; 1=blu; 2=grn; 3=cyan; 4=red; 5=mgnta; 6=brwn; 7=lgtGry; 8=drkGray; 9=lgtBlu; 10=lgtGrn; 11=lgtCyan; 12=lgtRed; 13=lgtMgnta; 14=Ylw; 15=white. The first time you use ManageX each month, you will be asked whether you want to create that month's files. Answer Yes by pressing "Y", unless, for some reason you do NOT want to create them. Next, a message will appear, asking, "Do you want to erase un- needed monthly data files?". Keeping some old files may be useful for referencing data from previous months, but how many old files you preserve depends upon how much hard disk space you are willing to de- vote to ManageX, and how much you need for other uses. If you want to clear up some hard disk space by erasing old monthly files, and if you have not already taken care of that matter, press "Y" (for "Yes, I do want to..."). Make sure, however, that you have floppy archive copies of the files about to be erased. You never know when you may need to retrieve some old data which has been deleted from the hard disk. If you have not made the archives AND prepared ALL bills which will draw upon data compiled during the months you are considering deleting, you should NOT delete those months' files. If you answer "Y", ManageX will ask for the month whose files are to be erased. After confirming that bills and archives have been pre- pared for that month, ManageX will erase the old data files for you. Then, files for the current month will be created, and you will be taken to the MAIN MENU. 10 SECTION 3. MAIN MENU [self-explanatory] 11 SECTION 4. CASE MODULE Sec.4.A (M)AKE A NEW RECORD If you press "M", you will be asked to give ManageX a Case Num- ber for the new case. After you enter it, you will be taken into the Edit mode, where you can fill in other information pertaining to that case. If the case you are entering is one that was opened before you began using ManageX, please read Section 13 of these instructions. Sec.4.A.1 MasterRcrd Number You will note that this number has already been assigned. It is always initially presumed that a case's master is that case, itself. If you wish to change it, just use the cursor control and delete keys to do so. Once the new masterRcrd number has been entered, ManageX will search for that case to confirm its existence. If it cannot find the masterRcrd, it will tell you so. If it does find the masterRcrd, certain common information will be transferred from that case to the new one you are now creating. A subordinate case MUST NOT be entered into the file before the master to which it refers. A masterRcrd must always have been en- tered into the case file BEFORE its subordinates. Sec.4.A.2 Area of Business If you do not know the area of business or its number, and if you would like some help, press the inquiry key, F1. You will be shown the contents of the M-LBAREA.DAT file, which contains a listing of all the business categories and their corresponding numbers. When you find the area that fits this case, enter its number and procede to the next item. See the CODES, AREAS OF BUSINESS section for instructions on how you may change the M-LBAREA.DAT file. Sec.4.A.9 Methods of Charging Your Clients If you have an arrangement with your client whereby he is to pay you a certain amount each month until his debt is paid, enter that amount as the "MonthlyPmnt". If the MonthlyPmnt is zero, ManageX will assume that the client is supposed to pay the whole balance shown on each bill. If the MonthlyPmnt item is greater than zero, each bill for this case will contain a statement reminding the client that he need pay no more than the MonthlyPmnt, even though it may be less than the total balance due. Also, if the MonthlyPmnt is greater than zero, ManageX will NOT calculate interest for this case, even though you specify an interest rate, as discussed below. NOTE: Don't confuse a MonthlyPmnt with a Monthly Retainer A "retainer" is a regular monthly payment which is due you, whether or not the client has an outstanding balance at the time a bill is prepared. The MonthlyPmnt is due ONLY if the client has an outstanding balance. The MonthlyPmnt is a payment on a debt, while the retainer is a sum paid to you regularly in order to keep you "on the line", ready to provide services at the drop of a hat. Note that ManageX uses the term, "retainer", to mean a recurring 12 payment made to the firm each month by the client. Some firms, however, use the term to mean a fixed fee paid in advance by the cli- ent. If a case is to be charged a fixed fee (even though you may call it a "retainer"), it should be entered next to the "Fixed Fee" item, whether or not it is to be paid in advance; if it IS paid in advance, you should, as soon as possible, enter the payment in the RECEIPTS module, or, if appropriate, enter it as a trust account de- posit in your books (which are completely integrated into the pro- gram if you have ManageX III or IV). NOTE: The Fixed, Contingent, or Retainer fee that you enter in this CASE module is merely a reminder that you intend to charge such a fee at some future date. Your entry in THIS module will not result in a charge to the client. After all, how can the program know WHEN you wish to charge the fee? When you determine that it is time for you to charge a fee of some sort, you need simply make a fee record in the SERVICES/FEES module. For instance, while you are working on a contingent fee case, ManageX will not calculate any charges for work done (since it will have no hourly rate at which to do the figuring). When you finally win the case, take a few seconds to manually calculate the recovery per- centage due you and enter that amount as a fee in the SER- VICES/FEES module. The next bill that goes out will contain that charge. Sec.4.B (E)DIT/EXAMINE A CASE If you do not know the case number (of the case you wish to edit) and would like some help, press F1. You will be shown a list of all the cases on the disk. To narrow the search, you should press the first letter of the client's last name just before you press F1. If you precede F1 with a letter, you will be shown only those cases whose client last names begin with that letter.] Sec.4.C (H)UNT FOR SOME INFO If you press "H" while in the CASES MENU, you will be taken to a Hunt Gates display. Here, you are to select the gates you want to apply to the search through the case file. The Hunt Gates allow passage of only those records which contain information consistent with the Hunt Gate parameters you select. For example, if you wanted to find records of all clients who work for a certain company, you would enter a portion of the company name at item D (assuming that you consistently used the Addrs1 line for company names). If you wanted to find all cases with a certain masterRcrd number, you would enter a portion of that number at item A. Entering something at both A and D would narrow the search to only those cases whose MasterRcrd Numbers and Addrs1's contained matches for items A and D. Hunt routine searches for any item whose entry is alphanumeric (as opposed to strictly numeric) may be made on the basis of partial entries. For instance, if you wished to find all cases whose Addrs1's were either "Smith Enterprises" or "Smith, Inc", you would need to enter only "Smith" at item D. All cases whose Addrs1's con- tained "Smith" would be shown to you. Included among these cases might be "Jones and Smith, Ltd" and "The John Smith Company". Any case whose Addrs1 contained "Smith" would be included. 13 NOTE: This valuable partial entry feature is contained in the Hunt mode of every ManageX module. It is applicable to only alphanumeric items (those which may contain either letters or numbers). It does not apply to dates, amounts, and a few other items. To find cases applicable to a certain areas of business range, set Gates F and G accordingly. If all your divorce areas were numbered between 100 and 150, you would set Gate F to "100" and Gate G to "150" if you wanted to look for all your divorce work. To find only a SINGLE area of business, both Gates F and G (that is, both the lowest and the highest area of law to be reported) should be identical. Any gate that is left blank will be considered to be open, al- lowing ANY record to pass through. In other words, each record will be deemed to meet that gate's criterion, and, assuming that all the other gates' criteria are also met, will be displayed during the hunt. To begin the hunt, press F6. For a printout of the hunt, press ^P at some time before you press F6. Once the Hunting process begins, you will be shown the data for each record conforming to the Hunt gates you have established. If you have chosen to display "One-Line" summaries (gate Q), data for each conforming record will appear on one line. The program will then automatically search for the next conforming record, display it, then look for the next one, and so on. You may make the program pause in its searching by pressing ^S or the space bar. Pressing ESC will abort the hunting process. If you have chosen the "Full-Screen" summaries display (gate Q), the data shown for each conforming record will appear on a screen identical to that used in the Edit mode. Only one conforming file's data will be displayed on the screen at one time. Unlike the One- Line summaries routine, this one will not search for the next conforming file unless you press F6 to indicate that you wish to move on. If you want to abort the Hunt routine, press ESC instead of F6. 14 SECTION 5. SERVICES/FEES MODULE Sec.5.A (M)AKE A TIME SLIP OR FEE RECORD Sec.5.A.6 Abbreviations Description entries may be shortened (and disk space saved) through the use of abbreviations or office codes (such codes are contained in a file named M-LBCODE.DAT, and you may use EDIT.COM to customize this file's codes for your own use -- see the CODES sec- tion). To enter a service code, simply type it and end it with a backslash. Assume, for example, that the code for "Office Conference with" were "OC". If you wished to enter an office conference with Mr. Smith, you could enter either "Office Conference with Mr. Smith" or "OC\Mr. Smith". If you entered the latter, you could be saving time by typing fewer characters and also saving disk space. ManageX would know what "OC\" means. If you subsequently prepared a bill containing the service description, "OC\Mr. Smith", ManageX would actually type out "Office Conference with Mr. Smith". If you need to see a listing of the acceptable codes, press the inquiry key, F1. If you press F1, you will be shown the contents of the M-LBCODE.DAT file (which contains not only codes, but also income/ expense categories). Sec.5.A.11 Next Time Slip To finish the service record entry and move on, press F6. Mana- geX will then automatically take you to another time slip/fee entry record to be filled out. If you do not need to make any more en- tries, just press F6 again. Sec.5.D (Z)IP TO A TIME SLIP As you go through a day, you will often find yourself working on several cases simultaneously. As you perform a task for each, you should enter it onto a time slip. Of course, you may make out a separate time slip for each task performed. But, alternatively, you may use thihs (Z)ip function to add each new service performed for a case to the first time slip opened that day for that case. When the time slip appears, add to it as you wish. If you want to begin the automatic timer, press ^T; to stop the timer, press ^T again (or press F6 or esc). When the auto timer stops, the dollar value of this most recent time block will be added to the time slip's previous total. Thus, every time you zip to a time slip during the day, you may keep adding to the total time and dollar amount by simply pressing ^T when you begin and end your entry. This feature is most useful if you keep ManageX in the computer's memory at all times, through the use of a multi-tasking program like DoubleDOS or DESQview. 15 SECTION 6. DISBURSEMENTS MODULE Sec.6.A (M)AKE A DISBURSEMENT Sec.6.A.2 Expense Category If you wish to later be able to sort your disbursements by cate- gory, enter the category number (1 to 9999) here. If you are in doubt about the appropriate category number, press F1 for a listing. Doing so will result in displaying the contents of the M-LBCODE.DAT file (which contains not only codes, but also income/expense cate- gories). If M-LBCODE.DAT does not have the category you wish, remem- ber that you may modify it with EDIT.COM to suit your individual needs (see the CODES section). Sec.6.C (H)UNT FOR INFO These Hunt Gates are similar to those found elsewhere. At the end of a hunt sequence, there will be a series of hunt totals. Included in the Hunt Totals are the total charges. The totals account only for those records shown during the hunt. Charges for other records will not be included. For instance, if you abort a hunt by pressing the ESC key, the charges for the records which WOULD HAVE BEEN SHOWN (but for your having pressed ESC) will not be in- cluded in the totals. "AdvncChrgd" is the total of disbursements charged to the various cases followed by ManageX. "AdvncNOTchrgd" is the total of disburse- ments which were made on behalf of cases, but which are NOT being charged to those cases. "Non-CaseTot" is the total of disbursements made by the firm for matters not involving cases. NOTE: An `advance' is any disbursement made on behalf of a client. The reason ManageX follows advances as a special category of disbursement is that they may be treated dif- ferently, for tax purposes, from other business expenses. 16 SECTION 7. RECEIPTS MODULE [Little in this module is different from the others already discussed] 17 SECTION 8. BILLS Sec.8.A.1 Composition of Bills Bills consist of six parts: 1 a return address; 2 a client name, address and salutation, drawn from the appropriate case's record at the time of the bill's preparation; 3 an opening statement; 4 a basic data section drawn from transaction data at the time of the bill's preparation; 5 a closing statement; and 6 a signature block. Sec.8.A.2 Return Address File The return address must be contained in a file called "M- RETADD.LTR". Whenever ManageX prepares a bill, it will find this file and print it onto the statement. The file should be created with EDIT.COM before you try to prepare any statements. If it is not on the disk when a statement is prepared, no return address will be printed. If you plan to use letterhead stationery, erase M- RETADD.LTR from the disk and make sure that you have entered the correct figure for the number of "Lines from paper top to letterhead printing bottom" in the MAIN MENU's (^C)ustomize routine. After the return address (if such a file exists) is printed, ManageX will print the statement date, followed by the client's name, address, and salutation (as stored in the Case record of the case for which the statement is being prepared). The statement date will begin in the same column as the top line of the return address IF the M- RETADD.LTR files exists; otherwise, it will appear at the left mar- gin. If the format chosen for the case whose bill is being prepared ends with a minus (eg: "8-"), then no salutation will be printed. Between the client address and the salutation will appear a short reference ("RE:") section, which will include the case Number and case Name. Sec.8.A.3 Opening Statement Next comes the opening portion of the bill, which should include any remarks you wish to precede the details of the statement. An example would be, Following is a summary of the services we have recently rendered in your behalf. The opening portion must be in a file named "M-BLOPEN.LTR", which is included with the ManageX program as an example. You may modify it with EDIT.COM to suit your purposes. After the opening portion is printed, ManageX will print the statement details. This part of the statement consists of a listing of all services, fees, disbursements, income, etc., pertaining to the case whose statement is being prepared for a certain month. 18 Sec.8.A.4 Closing Statement The closing portion of the bill should include any remarks you wish to follow the details of the statement. An example would be, Please promptly pay any amount shown above as being due this firm. Thank you. The closing file for a bill with a balance owed is "M-BLOWED.- LTR", while that for a bill with a zero or credit balance must be "M-BLCRDT.LTR". Sec.8.A.5 Signature Block The signature block portion of the bill also requires a file created by EDIT.COM. To create such a file, press ^E at the MAIN MENU, press `S' when the EDIT menu appears. Then create the signature block in any fashion you desire. If you do not want a signature block printed on your statements, erase the "M-SGNxxx.LTR" file from your hard disk. Sec.8.B PREPARING A BILL [self explanatory] Sec.8.D. STATEMENT RE-PREPARATION You should avoid having a bill prepared for a month preceding one for which another bill has already been prepared. For example, if February's bill has already been prepared, and you subsequently have January's prepared again, you will also have to re-prepare February's. The reason for this is that the beginning balance for the bill already prepared for February will have been based upon the ending balance for the January bill already prepared. If you were now to go back and change January's bill, the January ending balance might not be the same as it had been before. Therefore, the beginning balance for the February bill already prepared might no longer be accurate. Only if you prepare February's bill again will all beginning and ending balances become consistent again. 19 SECTION 9. ADJUSTMENT MODULE [Little in this module is different from the others already discussed] 20 SECTION 10. CODES and AREAS OF BUSINESS Sec.10.A CODES (ABBREVIATIONS, CATEGORIES) The M-LBCODE.DAT file contains three types of information, all conforming to the same general format. It holds a listing of each 1) service code, 2) income category, and 3) expense category. Each line in the file consists of an abbreviation (from 1 to 3 char- acters long) and the statement being abbreviated. Other optional items are also included, as described below. You are encouraged to change this file with EDIT.COM, so that it fits your needs exactly. Go to EDIT.COM (to examine M-LBCODE.DAT) by pressing ^E when the MAIN MENU is displayed. When the EDIT.COM menu is on the screen, press `E' (for "Expense/Income/Service" file) to modify M-LBCODE.DAT. The file may have a total of up to 200 lines. The items in each line must be lined up EXACTLY, and each line must end with a carriage RETurn. The abbreviation may be from one to three characters in length and must begin in column 1. The statement being abbreviated should begin in column 6, 7, 8 or 9, and may not extend beyond column 30. The TAB key in EDIT.COM will help you align your data. You may have blank lines which contain no information, and you may have lines containing headings, but you may have no more than 200 lines. Sec.10.A.1 Income/Expense Category Numbers If you are using a line for an income or expense description, the last item (beginning at column 33) should be the income or expense category, and the first item (the abbreviation) may be left blank if you wish. That category may be any number between 1 and 9999. Do not use zero. Begin your category entry at column 33. If it is an income category, begin the entry with "I-"; if it is an expense category, begin it with "E-". For example, an income category is represented by "I-1001", while "E-2054" represents an expense category. Do NOT use the same numbers for both expense and income categories. For instance, do not designate both these categories: I-2054 and E-2054. And DO NOT USE FRACTIONS to designate categories -- only WHOLE numbers are allowed. Sec.10.A.2 Client Mark-Ups If you wish to charge clients a surcharge for your expenses in their behalf, enter, at column 60, the factor by which you wish to multiply your actual cost in order to arrive at the amount to charge your clients. For instance, if your mark-up for a particular expense category is 10%, enter 1.10; if it is 25%, enter 1.25. Sec.10.B AREAS OF BUSINESS The M-LBAREA.DAT file supplied by Integra contains a listing of the areas of business. You should edit this file to fit your needs. It should consist of no more than 24 lines (make sure that no blank lines remain at the end of the file). Each line may be up to 77 characters long. Unlike the M-LBCODE.DAT file, you are not required to line up certain information within M-LBAREA.DAT. Use EDIT.COM (^E, pressed when the MAIN MENU is displayed) to set up this file. 21 SECTION 11. MESSAGES [A full Messages section is provided to registered users] 22 SECTION 12. RETAINER, ESCROW, AND OTHER ACCOUNTS ManageX I does not have a separate Accounts module (as do ManageX III and IV), so it can't really follow retainer and trust accounts. However, you can simulate the maintenance of these accounts by using the CASES module. Simply open a case for each account that you want to follow with the program. Whenever you want to add to the balance of an "account", go to the ADJUSTMENTS module and enter a "charge" in the appropriate amount. To subtract from the "account, enter a "write-off", instead. If the "account" is an escrow for a client, you might want to give it the same case number as used by the client's case, but add an "-E*" to the end (eg: SMITJO1-E*). If it's a retainer, add an "-R*", instead. If you make sure that the retainer/escrow "account's" masterRcrd Number is exactly the same as client's Case Number, this "account" will be treated as a subordinate of the client's case. Therefore, when bills are prepared, a statement for this account will be prepared right after the client's bill, and both can be bundled in the same envelope. This isn't as elegant a solution as is provided by ManageX III's and IV's ACCOUNTS module, but it will work in many cases. When you want a report concerning accounts, you need simply set up the hunt gates correctly. Go to the hunt gate for "Case Number", and enter the unique character sequence for the accounts you want included (eg: "-R*" for all retainer accounts, or "*" for all types of accounts). Of course, this suggestion will work only if you've been following a consistent pattern in numbering your "accounts". If an "account" has nothing to do with your cases (eg: a personal savings account), you won't want a statement to be prepared for it when you go through the billing cycle. To prevent its being billed, close the "account" by pressing ^C while editing it. Note that you may continue adding to and subtracting from its balance in the ADJUSTMENTS module, even after it's closed. 23 SECTION 13. USING MANAGEX WITH OLD CASES When ManageX prepares bills, it automatically keeps up with each case's balance brought forward from the previous billing period. A problem arises, however, when ManageX prepares its first bill for a case that was opened and billed BEFORE YOU BEGAN USING the program. In this case, ManageX will have no historical data from which to derive a "balance brought forward". To avoid this problem for an old case, go to the ADJUSTMENTS (Write-offs and Adjustments) module immediately after setting up the case in the CASES module. Enter an adjustment with today's date. If the client owes you money, make it a Charge; if you owe him, make it a Write-off. The description should be something like, "Balance From Previous Bill". This special treatment is needed only for the FIRST bill ManageX prepares for each case opened before you began using the program.