The Business Master (3rd Edition)

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PC-AP Version 1.7 Copyright 1992, Jerry Medlin PROGRAM DESCRIPTION PC-AP is an accounts payable program for small and medium size businesses. The program runs on a IBM PC or compatible computer with one disk drive and at least 256k memory. PC-AP is a Shareware program. You are encouraged to give copies to anyone who might use it. If you like the program and find it useful, please contribute $35 to: Jerry Medlin 1461 Sproul Ave. Napa, Ca. 94559 To order using Master Card or Visa, call (707) 255-4475. Your contribution will entitle you to a copy of the latest version of the program and telephone assistance, should you require it. You will also receive a program which will allow you to customize some features of PC-AP. A complete description of the customizing program is contained at the end of this manual. PC-AP is designed to work hand in hand with PC-GL, a General Ledger Accounting Program. Each invoice entry must be assigned an expense code or account number and those account numbers must correspond to the account numbers in the PC-GL chart of accounts. You must have the chart of accounts file from PC-GL on the data disk at all times in order for PC-AP to function. The file name of the PC-GL chart of accounts file is PC-GL.COA. To run the program, simply type "PC-AP". If you want to specify a drive and path for your data, just add the drive and path description after the program name. i.e. type "PC-AP B:" to use the B drive for data files. A menu is then displayed for operator selection: Enter or Change Vendors Enter, Change or Select Invoices Print Checks For Invoices Selected Print Check Listing Print Invoice Listing Print Vendor Activity Report Print Mailing Labels Print Vendor Listing Print Account Summary Start a New Accounting Period Export Vendor Data to ASCII File Save Data and End When inputting information, the plus <+> key has the same effect as the return or enter key. Numerical information is entered "calculator style". The decimal point is placed automatically. The minus <-> key enters a negative number. This makes using the numeric key pad even easier. PC-AP is fast because it works with data in random access memory, but the capacity is limited by available memory. Available memory is shared by the data. With more vendors on file, fewer invoices can be entered and vice-versa. PC-AP allows a maximum of 2000 vendors and 2000 invoices per accounting period, with 512k of memory. With 256k, the capacity is reduced to about 300 vendors and 300 invoices. Each time the menu is displayed, the number of invoices that can be added is printed at the bottom of the screen. This number may be limited by either memory size, available disk space, or limited to an absolute maximum of 2000. Since a power interruption will result in loosing all the data currently entered into the program, occasionally save your data back to the disk. This is done by selecting End Processing from the menu. The current data will be saved to the disk, then you will be asked "Do you want to end ?". Just answer with an "N" and you may resume processing. THE PROCESSING CYCLE As you receive invoices or statements to pay during the month, enter them into the program using the "Enter, Change or Select Invoices" selection. If you receive an invoice from a vendor not on file, you must go to "Enter or Change Vendors" and enter that vendor's information before entering the invoice. When you are ready to pay bills, select the invoices to pay, then print the checks. The invoices selected for each vendor will automatically be combined and a single check printed for each vendor. The check number and check date will be added to the invoice, indicating that it has been paid. If the printer jams and you wish to reprint a check, use the <C> change key to change the check number to blank spaces then mark it for payment again. At the end of the processing period (usually a month), print reports to retain a permanent record of the month's activity. Reports can be printed in any order and as often as desired. If you discover an error in any of the reports, correct the problem and reprint the report. Once you are satisfied the monthly information is correct, start a new accounting period and send the invoices to the PC-GL General Ledger program by using the START A NEW ACCOUNTING PERIOD selection from the menu. Paid invoices (checks) are added to a file on the data disk named AP_TO_GL.TRN. This file is read into the PC-GL General Ledger program from the command mode of the ENTER OR CHANGE TRANSACTIONS selection by choosing the <R> Read PC-AP Transactions command. The choice "<R> Read PC-AP Transactions" only appears if you have transactions to read. Only paid invoices (checks) are posted. If you need accrual accounting, the program can be modified to post on an accrual basis. All of the paid invoices (checks) are saved in a file to be reviewed by the PRINT VENDOR ACTIVITY REPORT. The unpaid invoices are carried over into the next accounting period. ENTER OR CHANGE VENDORS Vendor information is entered and changed using this selection from the menu. Enter the following information for each vendor: Vendor name - Two lines of 31 characters each are available. If you only want a single line for the name, leave line two blank. The blank second line is omitted from mailing labels and checks. When checks or invoices are posted from PC-AP to PC-GL, the first line of the vendor name is used for the description. Since descriptions for the PC-GL General Ledger program are limited to a length of 21 characters, only the first 21 characters of the vendor name is posted to PC- GL. The small down arrow indicates the position of the 21st character, so you may choose to keep the first line of the vendor name short and use the second line for the remainder of the vendor name. Vendor Code - A ten character code is used to sort vendors and also to post invoices and checks to the vendor's account. In most cases, you will want to enter the vendor's last name, followed by as much of the first name as will fit in the remaining characters. For instance, if the vendor's name is Jerry Medlin, the vendor code would be MEDLINJERR. Notice that all capital letters are used. If you enter lower case letters, they are changed to upper case automatically. Also, notice no spaces are included in the vendor code. The program prevents you from entering a previously used vendor code. If a customer code includes a tilde character (~), the customer will be deleted when the account is paid. This allows you to enter one time customers and have the program automatically delete them when they are no longer active. Street Address - Up to 31 characters for the street address. City State & Zip - Up to 31 characters for the city, state and zip code. Auto Invoice Amt - Here you can enter fixed monthly payments such as a loan payment. Each month, the amount is entered as an invoice, when you select <A> Auto Bill from the Enter, Change or Select Invoices selection. If the amount is different each month, just enter a zero. Default Acct No. - This is the PC-GL account number to which payments to this vendor are usually posted. You must enter a default account number, although you may enter a different account number when posting. The default account number is also used for automatic entries. Auto Invoice Date - The day of the month the Auto Invoice Amount is due. This can be a number between 1 and 31 and will be used as both the invoice date and due date for the invoice generated by the "auto invoice" feature. YTD Invoices & YTD Checks Written - These numbers are maintained by the program and are printed here for your information. You change them using the <C> Change option, if you desire. At the beginning of the year, set these numbers to zero using the <Z> Zero YTD Balances. Pressing the Escape key during entry takes you back to the previous field. Pressing the Escape key at the first name entry takes you to the command mode. The command mode allows you to scroll up and down through the vendor names, delete vendors, change vendor information and do a quick check on the balances for a vendor or an invoice. Pressing the Escape key from command mode takes you back to the menu. The available commands are listed at the bottom of the screen. ENTER, CHANGE OR SELECT INVOICES This selection allows you to enter invoices and select them for payment. Each invoice entry includes the check number and date of the check used to pay the invoice. When an invoice is first entered, the check number and date are blank. The check number and date are filled in when the invoice is paid. Since a single check can be used to pay more than one invoice, the same check number may appear with several invoices. The check amount is the total of all of the invoice entries with the same check number. Invoice amounts are entered as positive numbers using the plus <+> or enter key. Discounts and adjustments are entered as negative numbers using the minus <-> key (enter the number then press the minus key). Enter the following information for each invoice: Vendor Code - The 10 character code for each vendor is used to post an invoice. If you want to enter the same vendor code as the previous invoice, just press <Enter>. You need enter only as much of the vendor code as necessary to distinguish it from any other code. As you enter the vendor code, a list of the possible matches appears at the bottom of the screen. Pressing <Enter> accepts the vendor code at the beginning of the list. The vendor's name will then be printed at the bottom of the screen, so you can be sure you are posting to the correct vendor account. Invoice Date - Enter the date on the invoice as MODA form. The date of June fourth would be entered 0604 with no dash or slash. Due Date - Enter the date payment is due. Invoices can be sorted by due date, if desired. Invoice number - Enter up to 14 characters for the invoice number. Alphabetic characters are allowed, so you can use this field for a short description, if you like. Account Number - Enter the account number this invoice will be charged to. As you enter the account number, a list of possible account numbers and descriptions is printed at the bottom of the screen. Pressing <Enter> accepts the account number at the beginning of the list. Account numbers come from the PC-GL program. Amount - Enter the amount of the invoice. The number is entered "calculator style" with the decimal point automatically placed at two decimal places. Pressing the F10 key calls up a 4 function calculator and the calculated result may be inserted by pressing <Enter> twice. Pressing the <Enter> key on any entry except the amount, defaults to the previous value. This allows you to make multiple entries for an invoice with the same vendor, date or invoice number by just pressing <Enter>. To enter a discount, make an entry with the same invoice number and date, with the discount amount entered as a negative number. Negative numbers are entered by first entering the number and then pressing the minus <-> key. To partially pay an invoice, you must break the invoice into two entries. Enter one line for the amount you want to pay, and another line - with the same invoice number and date - for the remainder of the total invoice amount. Then pay the first item. Pressing the Escape key during entry takes you back to the previous field. Pressing the Escape key at the first entry position takes you to the command mode. The command mode allows you to scroll up and down through the entries and delete and change entries. From the command mode, press the <A> Auto Invoice key to automatically post the amount entered for each vendor as an auto invoice amount. The <S> Sort Invoices command quickly sorts all of the invoices. You may choose to sort by vendor code, invoice date, due date, invoice number, account number, check number or check date. Or, of course, you can do no sorting at all. The program doesn't require any sorting and doesn't care which order the invoices are in. But, if you want to sort by due date, for instance, it would make it easier to choose which invoices to pay. You can start at the top of the invoice listing and pay bills starting with the oldest, until you run out of money. Once invoices are sorted, they stay in that order until you sort them again. So, if you want invoices to remain in the original order, don't sort them. You may jump directly to Enter or Change Vendors by selecting <V> Enter Vendors. After the new vendor is entered, you will return to Enter, Change or Select Invoices. Pressing the Escape key from command mode takes you back to the menu. All the available commands are at the bottom of the screen, and are chosen by a single keystroke. THE BANK BALANCE A bank balance is always displayed at the upper right of your screen whenever you are in "Enter, Change or Select Invoices". For this bank balance to be correct you must have: 1) The correct ending balance for the previous period in account number 103 in the PC-GL chart of accounts. 2) Any deposits or adjustments for the current month entered as paid invoices (checks). Since checks are entered as positive <+> numbers, bank deposits must be entered as negative <-> numbers. The deposits should be posted to one or more "vendors". For example, deposits could be posted to a vendor named "Deposits" with a vendor code of "DEPOSITS". The account number should be either a sales account number such as 511 or, CASH ON HAND, account 102. When you start a new month, the deposits are posted along with the checks to the PC-GL General Ledger program. In addition, the difference between checks and deposits is posted to account 103, Cash in Bank. An alternate way to enter bank deposits is to enter them directly into PC-GL as credit <-> entries to sales or accounts receivable or cash on hand with a corresponding debit <+> entry to account 103, Cash in Bank. If you wish to use some account number other than 103 for the bank account, you may use the APCONFIG program to do so. SELECTING CHECKS FOR PAYMENT Before a check is written to pay an invoice, it must be marked for payment. This is done by using the up and down arrows to find the invoice and then pressing the asterisk <*> key. The word "pay" will then appear in the check number field for the invoice, indicating it has been marked for payment. The <T> Total command prints the total of all invoices paid, unpaid and marked for payment. Check this total before printing checks, to make sure you haven't selected more invoices for payment than you have money in the bank. You can also print the invoice listing to get a printed listing of invoices selected for payment. The <V> Vendor Total command totals invoices for only one vendor. PRINT CHECKS FOR INVOICES SELECTED This menu selection prints a check for each vendor with unpaid invoices marked for payment. Multiple entries with the same invoice number are combined on the check stub. If more than 13 lines are required to print the check stub for a vendor, multiple checks are written. Before printing begins, you are asked for a beginning check number. This number is used on the first check written. Subsequent checks are numbered sequentially. The check date is the same as the system date entered when your computer starts up. If you want to postdate checks, you must exit the program and change the system date. Checks are printed on a common pre printed accounts payable check from New England Business Services (NEBS). Order the checks pre printed and numbered. You will need to send a voided check with your account number, your company name and address, and the beginning check number to: NEBS, 500 Main Street, Groton, MA 01470. You can get pricing and order information by calling NEBS at 1-800-388-3810. The form number is 9020 and the mail code number is 95111. To print checks, set the printer to begin printing just under "DATE" on the first page of the check form. The APCONFIG program allows you to choose two other check styles, including the same check form used by the PC-PR payroll writing program. (NEBS form number 9025). The APCONFIG program is provided to all registered users. Additional information about the APCONFIG program is provided at the end of this manual. PRINTING REPORTS The first time you choose a printed report from the menu you will be asked to enter a report date. This date is used on all reports. If you want to change the report date you must end processing and start over, otherwise the same report date will be used on all reports printed during a posting session. On some reports, you will be asked to enter a beginning and ending vendor code for the report. This feature allows you to print partial reports or to print a report for only a single vendor. If you want to print reports for all vendors starting at the first vendor, just press <Enter> twice. Next, you will be asked to choose whether you want to print the report to the printer <Enter>, to the screen <S> or to a file <F>. If you choose to print to a file, you will be asked for a file name. The report is then saved as an ASCII file. (These files are not readable by PC-AP, but can be viewed and changed with a text editor and used by other programs that can read ASCII files.) The report is printed to a file exactly as it would be printed to a printer. PRINT CHECK LISTING To provide an adequate audit trail, this report should be printed and retained before closing out the month. It lists all the checks written for the accounting period sorted by check number. You will be asked if you wish to have account numbers included. Checks broken down into more than one account number will be printed on multiple lines if account numbers are included. If no account numbers are included, only one line per check will be required. PRINT INVOICE LISTING You may print all of the invoices or just unpaid invoices. Print this report at the end of the processing period. You can also print the invoice listing before printing checks, to get a summary of how many checks are to be printed. This helps avoid the embarrassment of printing more checks than you have money in the bank. Before printing, you can sort the invoices if you wish. PRINT VENDOR ACTIVITY REPORT This report is a summary of activity for a vendor for the last 6 accounting periods. If you choose to print the report for all vendors, you can expect the report to take a considerable amount of time to print. A more practical way to use this report is to print it for a single vendor to resolve problems. The number of accounting periods saved can be changed using the APCONFIG program. The maximum is 16 months. PRINT MAILING LABELS As long as you have all of this vendor information on your computer, you might as well use it to print mailing labels. You can print labels for all the vendors or only one vendor. Labels are printed on standard 15/16ths peel off labels with one inch spacing between labels. To align the printer, use the selection process to print a single label. PRINT VENDOR LISTING Occasionally, you will want to print a listing of all of the vendors on file. This report includes all of the vendor information on the "Enter or Change Vendors" input screen. PRINT ACCOUNT SUMMARY This report tells you how much you owe, broken down by general ledger account number. It is especially useful for making a monthly journal entries to the general ledger program to adjust for accrual basis accounting. START A NEW ACCOUNTING PERIOD When you have printed all the reports you need, and all is in order, you can complete the accounting period. All of the paid invoices and deposits are then saved to a file for use with the Print Vendor Activity Report. Paid invoices and deposits for the last 6 accounting periods are saved on the data disk in a series of files. The most current entries are saved in the file named AP1.INV and the next most current in AP2.INV The oldest entries are eventually saved in the file named AP6.INV. All unpaid invoices are carried over to the new month. All paid invoices (checks written) and deposits entered are saved to a file named AP_TO_GL.TRN along with a balancing entry to account 103. To read this file into PC-GL, you must go to the command mode of the ENTER OR CHANGE TRANSACTIONS selection of PC- GL and press <R> for Read PC-AP Transactions. This will transfer all of the transactions into the PC-GL program as if they had been typed from the keyboard. This can be done at any time. So, to post PC-AP transactions to PC-GL you must: 1) Start a new period with PC-AP. 2) Run PC-GL and select ENTER OR CHANGE TRANSACTIONS. 3) Press Escape to get to the Command Mode. 4) Select <R> for Read PC-AP Transactions. In addition to the checks written and deposits entered, a single debit or credit entry to account 103, Cash in Bank is created to complete the posting process. You may use the APCONFIG program to change this account number if you wish. Of course, any of these automatically posted items can be edited and changed in PC-GL after posting. The program assumes you are on a cash basis of accounting. Only the invoices actually paid during the month are posted. If your accounting is on an accrual basis, you may modify the program using the APCONFIG program, so all of the invoices ENTERED for the month are posted to PC-GL. If you have selected accrual accounting, no automatic entry to account 103 will be made. You must enter the offsetting credit to the ACCOUNTS PAYABLE account. In addition, you must make two more entries in PC-GL to reflect the payment of invoices during the month: A debit <+> to ACCOUNTS PAYABLE and a credit <-> to CASH IN BANK. The amount for that entry should be obtained from the PC-AP Check Listing report. Just because your business is on an accrual basis, doesn't mean you must choose the accrual method for posting PC-AP transactions to PC-GL. Most businesses on an accrual basis still post transactions on a cash basis, and only make an accrual adjustment at the end of the month or year. The Print Account Summary report will give you the amount of unpaid invoices broken down by account number you need for the journal entry. EXPORT VENDOR DATA This selection creates a file on the logged disk drive and subdirectory called PC-AP.PRN which can be read by programs like Lotus 123 and Reflex. Textual data in the vendor file is surrounded by quotation marks. You can then read the data into Lotus 123 by using the /File/Import/Numbers command. Be sure no names or addresses in your vendor file contain quotation marks before exporting vendor data. SAVE DATA AND END When processing is completed, you must exit the program using this selection. Do not end processing by just turning off the computer. You will lose any data entered since the last save operation. If you just want to save the current data to the disk without ending, answer "N" to the question "Do you want to end processing?" and you will return to the menu. USING THE CONFIGURATION PROGRAM The configuration program (APCONFIG.EXE) is provided to all registered users. It allows you to change certain features of PC- AP. The APCONFIG.EXE program and the main program (PC-AP.EXE) should both be on the same disk drive when you configure your copy of PC-AP. Run the program by typing APCONFIG at the Dos prompt. Use the up and down arrows to move the pointer and then press <C> to change an item. You can then change the following information: Display Colors - If you have a color adapter and monitor, you can change the colors for borders, program prompts, data, and background. Allowable colors are from 0 to 15 (except for background color which can only be from 0 to 7). The display will be instantly updated as you enter the new colors. Laser Printer? - You can change the way PC-AP starts a new page. Usually, PC-AP starts a new page by counting lines until the page total equals 66 lines. If you enter a "Y" for the laser printer question, PC-AP will start a new page by issuing a form feed command. This works on most other printers too, but requires you to set the top of form before you start printing. Disk Drive and Path - Enter a drive and path designation for PC-AP data. If you want the program to read data from the B drive, enter B:. Accounting Method - This determines how invoices are posted to PC-GL. The allowable answers are "C" for cash basis accounting and "A" for accrual basis accounting. A "C" answer means any invoices paid during the month will be posted to PC-GL. An "A" answer means all invoices actually entered during the month are posted to PC-GL. Months to Save - The PC-AP program saves paid invoices on your data disk for later review with the Vendor Activity Report. Normally, the paid invoices for the previous six months are saved. You may modify this number to be anywhere from zero to 16 months. Remember, the more months of data you save, the more room you need on the data disk and the more time it will take to review a vendor's activity. Top or Bottom Stub Check - PC-AP normally prints on a check form with the stub on the top. Enter a "T" for top stub or a "B" for bottom stub. Check Number Printed on Check? - Enter "Y" for yes or "N" for no. See below for the check forms supported. Long Laser Check? - If you have a laser printer you can choose the new 11 inch long laser checks. You will not be asked this question unless you answer "Y" for laser printer. Printer For Reports (1 or 2) - For printing reports to LPT2 change this number. Printer For Checks (1 or 2) - For printing checks to LPT2 change this number. When you have finished making your changes, press the escape key to exit the program. You will then be asked if you want to save the changes. If you answer with a Y, a configuration file (PC-AP.CFG) is created. CHECKS SUPPORTED Normally, PC-AP prints on NEBS check form 9020: a top stub check with the check number printed on the check. By combining the Top/Bottom choice with the Yes/No choice for "Check Number Printed on Check", you can choose from a variety of different check styles. Use this chart to configure the PC-AP program for the proper check. NEBS Form Number Stub Location Num on Check? Long Check? ============================================================= 9020 Top Yes * 9025 Bottom No * 9024 Top No * 9027 Top No No 9215 Bottom Yes * 9039 Top No Yes * Not normally used on laser printers DATA FILES Data files are created automatically by PC-AP. If you wish to back up data files only, copy these files to another disk using the DOS copy or BACKUP command. PC-AP.VND Vendor data files with balances. PC-AP.INV Current period invoices and checks. PC-AP.CFG Configuration file created by APCONFIG. AP1.INV, AP2.INV, AP3.INV, etc. contain the previous period invoices and checks with AP1.INV the most recent. PC-AP requires that PC-GL.COA be on the same data disk or subdirectory as the other data files. HELPFUL HINTS Transactions from PC-AP are not immediately posted to PC-GL each month. You must transfer the transactions into PC-GL by going to the ENTER OR CHANGE TRANSACTIONS section of PC-GL and selecting the <R> Read PC-AP transactions selection appearing at the bottom of the screen. The only difference between an unpaid invoice and a paid invoice is the presence of a check number. So, if you want to reprint a check, just use the <C> change key to change the check number back to blank spaces. To read the transactions created by PC-AP, you must use version 3.2 or higher of PC-GL. Earlier versions will not read the transactions created by PC-AP. The escape key is always used to go back to the previous operation. From anywhere in the program, if you continue to press the escape key, you will eventually return to the main menu. When printing reports, you may pause the printing by pressing any key. To resume printing, press any key again. To quit printing, press the escape key after pausing. Each vendor must have a unique vendor code for posting. If you use numbers, the program won't object, but you should at least try the method suggested earlier in the manual. Use a vendor code made up of the vendor's last name plus as much of the first name as the 10 character limit will allow. Jane Smith would then have a code of SMITHJANE (Notice there are no spaces). This method allows rapid posting of invoices without looking up vendor numbers. The searching method allows you to quickly examine the codes for all of the Smiths by just typing SMITH, when asked for a code. The first 6 times you start a new accounting period, more disk space is required for historical files. If you have a large business and you are using floppy disks for data storage, you could run out of disk space. Occasionally check available disk space with Dos's DIR command. PC-AP is written in Turbo Pascal. The source code is available for $95.