FAQ
The Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) videos used below are also found on our YouTube FAQ Playlist.
- 1 Getting Started
- 2 Overcoming Common Errors
- 3 Accounts Payable (AP)
- 3.1 How do I process the invoice entry screen?
- 3.2 How can I set up a new AP offset account to use in invoice entry?
- 3.3 How do I make changes on an invoice that has been journalized?
- 3.4 How do I write a check with an Arabic vendor name?
- 3.5 Why can I not reconcile AP to GL using the Aged Open Payables report and what I should do instead?
- 3.6 What is the best way to create 1099 forms?
- 3.7 How do I validate before posting checks?
- 3.8 How do I ensure invoices are journalized prior to close (Invoice Journalization Revision)?
- 3.9 How to remove incorrect AP Offset Accounts?
- 3.10 How do I use the AP Invoices Lines report to understand how invoices are coded?
- 3.11 How to upload Invoices via AP Auto Invoices?
- 3.11.1 Process Overview
- 3.11.2 How to prepare the Auto invoices import template?
- 3.11.3 How to import an invoice with one line item and no tax?
- 3.11.4 How to import an invoice with one line item and VAT tax?
- 3.11.5 How to import an invoice with one line item and Withholding Tax?
- 3.11.6 How to import an invoice with two or more line items and no Tax?
- 3.11.7 How to import an invoice with two or more line items and VAT at Invoice Level?
- 3.11.8 How to import an invoice with two or more line items and VAT at line level?
- 3.11.9 How to import an invoice with two or more line items and Withholding tax at Invoice Level?
- 3.11.10 How to import and invoice with two or more line items and Withholding tax at line level?
- 4 Currency Conversion
- 5 General Ledger
- 5.1 How do I set up a journal to affect Beginning Balance?
- 5.2 Why is the Current Year Beginning Balance out of balance after Prior Year Adjusting entries (and how do I fix it)?
- 5.3 How do I reprint Posting Logs?
- 5.4 How do I reverse a journal?
- 5.5 How do I create a new account and attach it to the chartmaster?
- 5.6 How do I unlock journal posting?
- 5.7 How do I transfer cash from one source currency account to another source currency account?
- 5.8 How do I see how journals were converted from one currency to another?
- 5.9 How do I find who posted a journal (Standard reports that show the posting users)?
- 5.10 How to submit the VAT return from IDEAS using the Making Tax Digital (MTD) for VAT feature?
- 6 Joint Interest Billing (JIB)
- 7 System Security
- 8 Technical Details
- 9 Purchasing (PD)
- 10 Hosting (IFS Cloud)
- 11 iApprove
Getting Started
How do I get started with IFS IDEAS hosting?
Please go to the Get Started with IFS Hosting page for instructions.
What install options should I use - reinstall, upgrade, server, workstation?
The Upgrade option installs all of the exe and report files and also runs all the scripts necessary against the database. The Database Only option only runs the database scripts. The Database Only option is for clients that have multiple profiles using the same application files. For example, the business may have one set of application files that are used against 10 different databases (profiles). They run the upgrade once against one of the profiles to update all of the exe’s and reports. They then run the Database Only option against the other 9 databases to update them with the necessary table and stored procedure changes.
There is a difference in “Server” vs. “Workstation” upgrade, similar to how it worked in the pre-6.x versions. If you are running a “Server” upgrade, the application files as well as the database should be upgraded during the single process. However, if you run a “Workstation” upgrade, only the application files will be upgraded with the process, so in this scenario, you would additionally need to run a “Server” upgrade on the server or run a “Database Only” upgrade.
Overcoming Common Errors
How can I upload a backup of my database or other large file to the P2 Store?
Please follow the steps below to upload your database, or other large file, to the P2 Store.
Select “Portal Login”
Enter your portal username and password
Select “Login”
On the landing page, select “My Files”
Select the “Add” button (or "Add Large File if your file is larger than 2GB in size)
Choose your file, and enter this case number in the field that says, “P2 Customer Portal case”
Describe the file in the “Notes” field; example: “Database backup”
Select “Upload”
The screen will refresh and you should now see that file in your list of files.
Please note in your case that your file has uploaded, and your note will notify the Support Consultant that your file is now available for review; you can now logout of the P2 Store.
How do I reset my column width for grids with very wide columns?"
Each module contains MISC settings to store the column width. You need to reset your column width MISC settings. Once you do that, go back to the screen and the width will "reset" to an appropriate size.
How do I overcome "Posting is locked by another process?"
Please see "How do I unlock journal posting?"
Accounts Payable (AP)
How do I process the invoice entry screen?
Please watch this video playlist to learn more about the invoice entry screen.
How can I set up a new AP offset account to use in invoice entry?
How do I make changes on an invoice that has been journalized?
Find your answer in this short video - Watch this video:
If you made a coding mistake after the invoice has been journalized, this set of steps will show you how to properly make an update.
In the Journalize menu, find the "Create Account Payable Journal" option and then use the "Reverse Invoice Posting" feature.
How do I write a check with an Arabic vendor name?
Enable the Alternate Language feature.
Store the Arabic name in the alternate name field in the vendor record.
Create a secondary check format that uses the alternate name for the payee.
Select the secondary check format when needing to print with an Arabic vendor name.
Why can I not reconcile AP to GL using the Aged Open Payables report and what I should do instead?
IDEAS is period-based system. AP is date-based, but GL is period-based. The Aged Open Payables report cannot be used for reconciliation because it is possible to enter a transaction in AP to the current period but with a transaction date for the next period.
Instead of using the Aged Open Payables report to reconcile, use the AP Reconciliation Reports (Reconciliation Report and Reconciliation Detail Report) found in the AP Reports menu option.
What is the best way to create 1099 forms?
An option popular with customers is to purchase a 1099 Express license, export the information from IDEAS and then import and generate the forms in 1099 Express.
Go to http://1099express.com
Purchase the appropriate license
Print a 1099 report from IDEAS that gives all of the pertinent information required
Send the IDEAS report to Excel
Import the Excel data into 1099 Express and print out the 1099s
In IFS IDEAS, you can designate in the vendor record that the vendor is a 1099 vendor. By doing this, the 1099 flag for each invoice that is raised for the vendor is automatically marked as 1099. If the vendor has services and goods on the same invoice, you have the option to mark the invoice as 1099 for the entire invoice or line by line. At the end of the year or at any point in the year you can run the 1099 report and it will list all vendors that have had invoices entered with a 1099 designation and what the 1099 amount is. You can export that to Excel and send that to 1099 Express for printing the 1099s. There is also a utility to allow you to mark on or off an invoice to correct the 1099 designation for the invoice.
You can find the 1099 information under the "IVA" tab in the Vendor screen.
If you want to change the tab name to read "1099," you can do that by adding the below "AP Miscellaneous" VAR code to 1099 - see the below picture:
In the Vendor Maintenance screen you will see a 1099 tab. If there is a tax ID in the field, then invoices for the vendor will default to 1099 in the Invoice Entry screen.
The Default tab of the Invoice Entry screen holds the 1099 options. With a tax ID in the 1099 tab of the Vendor record, the 1099 option is checked by default for the invoice. It also defaults to invoice level meaning the entire amount of the invoice will be recorded as a 1099 payment.
If you check the Line Level option, then on the Lines tab, there will be a cell to indicate if the line qualifies for 1099 or not.
How do I validate before posting checks?
At month end, ensure checks are journalized for posting to General Ledger. Use this report to help determine:
Has the check been journalized?
What is the accounting period for the check?
What is the accounting year for the check?
How do I ensure invoices are journalized prior to close (Invoice Journalization Revision)?
Ensure invoices are journalized prior to close by reviewing this report.
How to remove incorrect AP Offset Accounts?
If someone adds the wrong code to a currency by mistake, you may need to remove it.
How do I use the AP Invoices Lines report to understand how invoices are coded?
Gain an understanding of how invoices are coded by viewing the details of how the cost is coded.
How to upload Invoices via AP Auto Invoices?
Process Overview
Watch this video introduction to the AP Auto invoices Process
How to prepare the Auto invoices import template?
The following video provides details about how to prepare the template. Refer to the next case scenarios as well for additional details.
Here is a sample of the upload template
How to import an invoice with one line item and no tax?
The following video details the process. Below are the templates used for this example.
How to import an invoice with one line item and VAT tax?
The following video details the process. Below are the templates used for this example.
How to import an invoice with one line item and Withholding Tax?
The following video details the process. Below are the templates used for this example.
How to import an invoice with two or more line items and no Tax?
The following video details the process. Below are the templates used for this example.
How to import an invoice with two or more line items and VAT at Invoice Level?
The following video details the process. Below are the templates used for this example.
How to import an invoice with two or more line items and VAT at line level?
The following video details the process. Below are the templates used for this example.
How to import an invoice with two or more line items and Withholding tax at Invoice Level?
The following video details the process. Below are the templates used for this example.
How to import and invoice with two or more line items and Withholding tax at line level?
The following video details the process. Below are the templates used for this example.
Currency Conversion
How to create\amend account list?
Watch below or directly on YouTube to learn how to create\amend account list.
How do I calculate gain loss at the end of the month?
Watch below or directly on YouTube.
General Ledger
How do I set up a journal to affect Beginning Balance?
Why is the Current Year Beginning Balance out of balance after Prior Year Adjusting entries (and how do I fix it)?
How do I reprint Posting Logs?
You can access Posting Control Logs from the Journal Reports > Posting Logs menu item. You can access those logs regardless of whether you sent them to the printer.
How do I reverse a journal?
Reverse a journal automatically through the Reverse Batch Utility in the System Options screen in the Utilities menu.
How do I create a new account and attach it to the chartmaster?
How do I unlock journal posting?
How do I transfer cash from one source currency account to another source currency account?
How do I see how journals were converted from one currency to another?
You can see how journals were converted from one currency to another.
Option 1 - Use the Currency Conversion Analysis Report
Wath this video to see how journal line items are converted from one currency to another using the Currency Conversion Analysis Report.
Option 2 - Use the Account Inquiry Transaction "Export to Excel"
This report is more comprehensive and it includes everything, not just the journals that did conversion.
That report can be found in General Ledger > Inquiries.
How do I find who posted a journal (Standard reports that show the posting users)?
Find out who posted a journal.
How to submit the VAT return from IDEAS using the Making Tax Digital (MTD) for VAT feature?
Watch this Video to learn how
Joint Interest Billing (JIB)
How to setup an AFE so that it is picked up by JIB?
This video will help you set up an AFE so that it is picked up by the Joint Interest Billing (JIB) module.
Can IDEAS do Revenue Distribution?
Yes. Watch this short description of how to enable and configure it.
System Security
How do I activate the chartmaster audit trail?
Watch this video to learn how to activate the chartmaster audit trail.
How do I create a new IDEAS user
Creating a new IDEAS user includes two steps:
Create the username and password: Watch this Video
Define user access rights: Watch this Video
How to process the System Options Screen
Watch this video to learn how to process the system options screen
How to define and user "User Security Roles"
Watch this video to learn how to define and use user security roles
Technical Details
Is IDEAS workstation compatible with Windows 10?
Yes, IDEAS 6 workstation is compatible with Windows 10.
Common questions when upgrading from IDEAS 5 to IDEAS 6
Does IDEAS 6 require users to be local admins on their machine?
The short answer is the users do not need to be local admins on their machines. The ini and log folder are stored in a new folder on the C: drive now, not in the Windows and Program Files folders as before. Also, any processes that used to write temporary files to the app location (Program Files\Winideas) are now written to an unsecured location, defaulted to C:\IDEAS. With all of those changes, IDEAS does not use any restricted areas any more for processing purposes.
How do I shrink my database logs?
As always, check with our Database Administrator before making changes. It is also recommended to always make backup before making changes.
Check the Properties > Options of the database in SQL. If you set the property of the Recovery Model to "Simple", the system will truncate the transaction log periodically. This does not allow for a restore to a point in time, as long as that is not a requirement. If a database restore from the previous day’s backup is sufficient, this option may work for you. There is a way to keep the transaction logs sized well with the recovery model set to Full, but that requires optimization with the SQL DBA. Contact our support team to they can get you in touch with Services to help with that.
Purchasing (PD)
How do I create a new Buyer in IDEAS and eventually define\Edit approval limits?
In order to have full details about how to create a new Buyer and eventually define\amend his approval limits, please refer to the following video.
How do I create a new Location?
Watch this video to learn how to add a new location.
Hosting (IFS Cloud)
How to save a file to a folder in hosting?
Watch this video to learn about the easiest way to save a file to a folder in hosting
iApprove
How to increase file size upload & download for documents to be attached in iApprove Website?
iApprove Users are now able to add attachments from the website. The following document details the steps you need to accomplish in order to increase the file size upload & Download limit
Copyright© 2024 IFS AB. Copying prohibited. All rights reserved.