Accounts Receivable Concepts

A number of files are used to maintain accounts receivable information. You'll find it helpful to be familiar with these files; this familiarity can help prevent errors, and help you troubleshoot any errors that do occur. Each of these files is listed below, along with the function it serves:

 

AR-BATCH 

Contains daily accounts receivable posting transactions. In the AR-BATCH file, the accounts receivable transactions are grouped by batch numbers. This file is used when printing the A/R Batch Report.

AR-CHECK 

Contains check information when you post payments. This file is deleted when you release batches. You can use this file when creating custom reports through the Report Writer.

AR-INDEX 

Links invoices to customer account numbers. This index lets you quickly search for invoices when using the accounts receivable application.

AR-MASTER 

Contains all accounts receivable posting transactions (manual and automated). AR-MASTER is known as the accounts receivable journal file. The information in the AR-MASTER file is used to produce accounts receivable reports, with the exception of the A/R Batch Report.

AR-PO-IND 

This optional index links a customer's invoices to his purchase order numbers. If you create this index, you can use purchase order numbers to search for invoices when using the Accounts Receivable application.

AR-PURGE 

This temporary file contains the invoices you save when you purge (delete) from accounts receivable. (Normally, this file exists only while the purge procedure is taking place.)

AR-SPECIAL 

Contains accounts receivable special text lines that you have added to postings. You can include information from the AR-SPECIAL file when printing accounts receivable reports.

CHARTFILE 

Contains the general ledger chart of accounts.

JNL-AR 

Contains the invoices that you save (archive) when purging them from the AR-MASTER file. (You can give this file a different name.)

JNL-AR-SPC 

Contains archived accounts receivable special text lines.

P-DEPOSIT

Contains information for graphical deposits.

P-TOTDEP

Contains information for graphical deposits.

 

 

Additional Files Affected by Accounts Receivable:

The Accounts Receivable application works closely with the order entry, general ledger, and customer history modules. The accounts receivable application updates the following files that pertain to these modules:

 

C-AUX 

Contains customer history information. The accounts receivable information in the C-AUX file includes the customer's last payment, the amount of the last payment, the last check number, and the current balance. In addition, the C-AUX file contains aged accounts receivable totals, such as the accounts receivable balances that are 30, 60, and 90 days old. When you post accounts receivable transactions, the C-AUX file is updated. This information is displayed in the Customer History window. The information from the C-AUX file is also used to produce accounts receivable reports.

C-MASTER 

Contains information that identifies a customer. This file also includes credit limit information. The information from the C-MASTER file is also used to produce accounts receivable reports.

C-INDEX 

This index links customer names to their account numbers. The information from the C-INDEX file is used when you print accounts receivable reports.

GL-BATCH 

This temporary file contains general ledger postings until they are released. If the Auto Post parameter in the (L2) G/L Master Numbers screen is set to Y, the accounts receivable transactions are automatically posted to general ledger. This automatic posting occurs when you release accounts receivable batches as part of your day-end procedures. (For more information about the Auto Post parameter, see Parameters.)

GL-MASTER 

This is the journal file for the general ledger. It contains general ledger postings that have been released from the GL-BATCH file.

JOUR-P 

This optional file contains information on which invoices have been paid. It also includes information on partial payments. If you pay sales commissions on paid invoices, the JOUR-P file is used to calculate these commissions. If you maintain a JOUR-P file, this file is updated each time you post a payment in the A/R application. The JOUR-P file is created only if you set the Commissions/Taxes on Paid Invoices field to Y or Z in the (LŲ) Global Master Parameters screen.

PR-BA-DAY 

This file contains the daily accounts receivable totals, which are displayed in the (PDA) President's A/R screen. It's also used to calculate month-to-date and quarterly accounts receivable totals.

PR-BA-YTD 

This file contains the accounts receivable totals for the year-to-date, which are displayed in the (PDA) screen.