Create Step-Down Allocations

Use Create Step-Down Allocations to generate the journal entry transactions for the defined allocations.  An allocation account (control account), which is created during Step-Down Allocation Maintenance, defines how to automatically disburse a period balance from one account to other accounts.  For example, you can set up an allocation to disburse the balance of the total telephone expense among various departments.  You can select which allocations you want to generate at this time.

Tips:

• Usually, you run this program once per period, although there may be circumstances where you create allocation journal entries at different times within the Period, or even more than once per Period.

• This program creates journal entries with the AL Journal Code.

• The reference for the created journal entries is Step-down.

• The transaction description for the created journal entries comes from the step-down header description.

• To see the journal entries created for the allocations, print the general journal listing.

• For more information about allocations, see Understanding Step-Down Allocations.

Directions:

To see directions for...

• Opening Create Step-Down Allocations, click More.

  1.  Click Daily Work from the Menu Bar.

  2.  Click Create Step-Down Allocations.
  
  Tip:  Or, use the keyboard shortcut:  [ALT] [a] [c].
  
  
  Note:  You may also be able to access the General Ledger menu while in another INVISION module.  To activate the General Ledger menu in another module, the G/L Application Control must be set up for the module during installation.

   

  Create Step-Down Allocations Window Example:

  

   

• Creating Allocation journal entry transactions for a period, click More.

   

  Note:  To create the journal entries for a Allocation Account:

  1.  Specify the Posting Date and Period.

  2.  To see the existing Allocation Accounts, click Retrieve .

  3.  Enter data for the Step Accounts:
  
  If the Allocation Type is 2 (Variable Percent) or 3 (Variable Amount), update the percent or amount fields for the Step Accounts:
  
  Tip:  Skip this step for Types 1 (Fixed Percent) & 4 (Based on Another Account).

  1. Click to highlight the Step Account for the appropriate Allocation Account in the Account List.

  2. Change the percent or dollar amount.

  3. Click Save.

  4. Repeat for all Step Accounts with variables.

  4.  Create the journal entries for the allocations:

  1. Click to highlight the Allocation Account in the Allocation List.

  2. In the Created drop-down list, click Y(es).

  3. To create the journal entry transactions for the Allocation Account, click Save.

  4. Repeat for all Allocation Accounts that you want to process at this time.

   

  Create Step-Down Allocations Window Options Tip:  To see more information about a field, click the hyperlink for the field name.
  Posting Date	To accept the system date as the Posting Date, press [TAB].  Or, you can enter a different Posting Date.  (mmddccyy - century and slashes optional) Tip:  If the Posting Date is outside the Closing Date for the Period, you will see the following message: If the entered date is correct, click OK.  Or, to enter a different date, click Cancel.
  Period	To specify the Period for the allocation journal entry transactions, click a Period in the drop-down list.  (predefined) Tips: If the Period is closed, you will see the following message: If the you want to enter the step-down allocations in a closed Period, click OK.  Or, to enter a different Period, click Cancel. To open a Period, change the Period Open Option during Period Descriptions Maintenance.
  	To display the defined Allocation Accounts, click Retrieve, or press [ENTER]. Keyboard shortcut:  [ALT + t]
  Allocation Account Prompts Tip:  Allocation Accounts are also referred to as Allocation Accounts.
  Allocation Account	Displays the Allocation Account Number for the highlighted row. Tip:  To select an Allocation Account, click to highlight the appropriate row in the Allocation List.
  Header Description	Displays the Step-Down Header Description for the Allocation Account Number in the highlighted row.
  Allocation Type	Displays the number and description of the Allocation Type for the highlighted Allocation Number.  (predefined)
  Lines	Displays the number of Step Accounts associated with the highlighted Allocation Account.
  Step Account Prompts
  Step-To Account	Displays the Step Account Number and Account Description for the highlighted Step Account row. Tip:  To select a Step Account Number, click to highlight the appropriate row in the Allocation List.
  Fixed Percent	Displays the fixed Allocation Percent defined for the highlighted Step Account. Note:  This field appears only for Allocation Type 1 - Fixed Percent accounts.
  Percent	Enter the variable Allocation Percent for the highlighted Step Account. Note:  This field appears only for Allocation Type 2 - Variable Percent accounts.
  Total Percent	Displays the Total Allocation Percent for the Step Accounts associated with an Allocation Account. Notes: The Total Percent must equal 100 to create the allocation journal entry transactions. This field appears only for Allocation Type 2 - Variable Percent accounts.
  Amount	Enter the variable Allocation Amount for the highlighted Step Account. Note:  This field appears only for Allocation Type 3 - Variable Amount accounts.
  Total Amount	Displays the Total Allocation Amount for the Step Accounts associated with an Allocation Account. Tip:  The Total Amount usually is the same as the Period Balance listed for the Allocation Account in the Allocation List. Note:  This field appears only for Allocation Type 3 - Variable Amount accounts.
  Based on Another Account	Displays the Base Account Number and Account Description for the highlighted Step Account. Note:  This field appears only for Allocation Type 4 - Based on Another Account accounts.
  Create	To create the journal entry transactions for the highlighted Allocation Account, click Y(es) in the drop-down list. To omit creating the journal entry transactions, click No in the drop-down list.. Tip:  This field is disabled when a Step Account is highlighted.
  Allocation List
  Allocation List	Allocation Account Row:  Each Allocation Account Row includes the following fields: Allocation Account:  Allocation Account Number Description:  Step-Down Header Description Type:  Allocation Type Period Balance Created:  Displays whether you have already created the transactions for the specified Period.  [Y(es) or N(o)] Step Account Row:  There can be several Step Accounts listed under each associated Allocation Account.  Each Step Account Row contains the following fields: Step Account:  Step Account Number Description:  Account Description Percent:  Allocation Percent  (For Allocation Type 2 only) Allocation Amount:  (For Allocation Type 3 only)
  Icons
  	To display or hide the Step Accounts that are displayed in the Allocation List, click to toggle the Expand/Collapse icon.
  	The New icon is not active in this program.
  	The Delete icon is not active in this program.
  	Click Save... To save changes to a highlighted Step Account Or, to generate the journal entry transactions for a highlighted Allocation Account (if Created = Yes). Notes: You will see the following message when the journal entry transactions are created or when Step Account changes are saved: If you try to create a Step-Down Allocation more than once during a Period, you will see the following warning.  In some cases this may be intentional.  Click OK to create the journal entry transactions again for this period, or click Cancel if you do not want to create the journal entries. If the Period Balance is 0 (zero) for the saved Allocation Account, you will see the following message and the journal entry transactions will not be created. Tip:  You may need to post a journal entry for the Allocation Account. If the percentages for the Type 2 (Variable Percent) Step Accounts are less than 100%, you will see the following message.  Correct the Step Account percentages before continuing. If the percentages for the Type 2 (Variable Percent) Step Accounts exceed 100%, you will see the following message.  Correct the Step Account percentages before continuing. If the total of the Allocation Amounts for the Type 3 (Variable Amount) Step Accounts does not add up to the Period Balance for the Allocation Account, you will see the following message.  Correct the Step Account amounts before continuing.
  	To escape from the routine, click Completed. Or, click Close .