Period End FAQs

This page contains Frequently Asked Questions and technical notes about the year-end, month-end, and day-end procedures in DDMS and Ensite Pro software. For quarter-end (item update) procedures, please see the O/PUS FAQs.

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On this page:

Day-End
Month-End
General Year-End

Year-End Hints: Your 2008 RoadMap-Specific KeyOps Is Online Now
Year-End Hints: 2008 Training, Shutdown & Backup Procedures
Year-End Journal Archives
Year-End Payables and Tax Forms
Year-End General Ledger
Year-End Last Minute Hints

Day-End

If I do day-end procedures manually, what are the steps?

Updated! Year End 2008 Key Ops newsletter This newsletter provides brief instructions all period-ending procedures, including day end. For day-end, it summarizes: printing invoices, printing point-of-sale tendered totals, verifying and releasing A/R batches, printing the daily invoice register, printing and releasing A/P batches, printing and releasing G/L batches, flushing completed orders to the sales journal, printing an open pick report, printing an O/E exceptions reports, purging completed P/Os, running an aged A/R trial balance report, and verifying A/R totals. It also covers suspending and reactivating automated procedure files, and making inventory counts.

How do I monitor, interpret, and apply the information in my daily reports?

New 2008! Using Daily Reports (pdf) Learn to interpret and apply the information in your daily reports. Monitoring daily accounting activity helps you identify discrepancies quickly and prevents their source from becoming obscured as days and weeks pass. This document covers how to use your daily reports and other system tools to ensure your A/R, A/P and G/L information balances at the end of each day. Learn how to put the Open Pick Report, Exceptions reports, POS Tender Totals Report, Daily Invoice Register, and the President's Screen to work for you.

How do I protect my DDMS data for dedicated day-end procedures?

Protecting Your Data for Dedicated Procedures (pdf) Some DDMS system maintenance functions must be done in a dedicated environment. Dedicated functions are procedures that can only be performed when no one else is using the system, or, if performed while others are using certain system files, can corrupt the files or lock up the system. Learn what steps to take to protect these files before you commence these dedicated procedures.

My day-end proc failed. How do I reprint my reports?

Printing day-end reports manually (pdf) How to print some daily reports manually if your day-end proc fails (file: dayend-reports.pdf)

How do I request a new or upgraded automated day-end proc file for Ensite Pro?

Custom Day-End/Month-End Proc - Terms Agreement & Request Form (pdf) To initiate a request for a custom day-end and/or month end proc, whether new or upgrade, complete this request form and fax the signed copy to ECi Sales. See also the specifications form.

Custom Day-End/Month-End Proc File Specifications Form (pdf) Once you have agreed to the terms, you will be asked to fill out this form to specify the steps and special requirements for your day-end and month-end proc(s) so that our developer can complete the work.

See also Going Paperless: Operational & Billing Efficiencies (pdf) Eliminate the costs of postage, paper, and forms by faxing or e-mailing invoices and statements with Autocomm II. This session also includes information on paperless reporting capabilities such as saving monthly and daily reports to text files, setting up multiple printers to save your text file reports for automated procs, and importing into Excel.

See also Procs Like a Pro (pdf) Proc (procedure) files can automate many of your routine procedures. From simple tasks like day-end procedures and reports to complex functions that can calculate their own date limits and modify databases, proc files can be that extra manpower you need. Learn how to run proc files as completely unattended automated functions, or set them up as an interactive program to prompt for key information and then run procedures based on user input.

See also Proc file commands that do not work under Windows (pdf) Lists the proc commands and variables that you cannot use in procs that run on the Windows platform.

Month-End

If I do month-end procedures manually, what are the steps?

Year End 2008 Key Ops newsletter This newsletter provides brief instructions on all period-ending procedures, including month-end. For month-end, it summarizes: printing the auto-bill invoices, creating finance charges, changing the current period, journalizing customer history/service quality/sales totals/hits, executing vendor period end, journalizing inventory history, journalizing MTD sales figures, journalizing inventory for the serialized/machine/service module, renaming sales journals, merging monthly journals into a yearly journal, running an aged A/R trial balance report, printing a monthly sales tax report, printing an A/P trial balance, purging and journalizing completed A/P incoices, creating and printing finance charges, purging A/R, printing statements, and building the cost of goods sold report. It also covers suspending and reactivating automated procedure files, and making inventory counts.

How do I get more out of month-end?

New 2008! Getting More From Month-End (pdf) Discover new ways to use DDMS system reports to manage and grow your business. Month-end procedures are required to establish your company’s financial status as of a given date. However, month-end also provides an opportunity to analyze your business and identify trends. This document looks at additional reports you can run as part of your month-end process that will help you analyze your sales activity and identify risk areas and opportunities for growth.

How do I protect my DDMS data for dedicated month-end procedures?

How do I rename my sales journals at month-end?

File# 84: Renaming Sales Journals Learn how to select a sales journal naming convention that meets DDMS system constraints and rename sales journals without encountering problems caused by duplicate file names (file:rename-salesj.pdf)

How do I merge my sales history into one fiscal-year journal?

File #85: Merging Sales Journals Learn to build a single sales journal for an entire fiscal year to make reporting simpler; at the end of each month, you move completed invoices into this year's journal (file:merge-jour.pdf)

How do I post deposit payments on furniture orders?

File #254: Posting Deposits on Furniture Orders (pdf) A common misconception is that posting a deposit does the same thing as using a pay code of prepay. Learn the important differences between these two types of advance payments and how to ensure that you are posting deposits properly.

How do I request a new or upgraded automated month-end proc file for Ensite Pro?

General Year-End

What are the year-end procedures in general?: Year End 2008 Key Ops newsletter This newsletter provides brief instructions all period-ending procedures, including year-end. For year-end, it summarizes: to what extent year-end procedures also do month-end procedures, what to do whether your fiscal year coincides with December or any other month, printing an item catalog master listing; printing a customer master listing with history, printing a full YTD sales analysis, executing serialized inventory year-end procedure for depreciation, copying V-AUX vendor history, changing the current period, resetting finance charges, journalizing customer history/service quality/sales totals/hits, printing 1099s, executing vendor period end, journalizing inventory history, journalizing YTD sales figures, running an aged A/R trial balance report, renaming sales journals, printing W-2 forms, closing payroll, opening the new year's general ledger, and posting retained earnings. It also covers suspending and reactivating your Web storefront and any automated procedure files, and making inventory counts.
What is the maintenance schedule and advice for ASP customers?: Year-End 2007 Key Ops for ASP Customers
This Special ASP Edition includes all the updated features of the standard Year-End KeyOps. However, the ASP Year-End Road Map, ASP Year-End Tips, ASP Year-End Backup and Day-End Schedule, FAQs on Renaming and Merging Sales Journals, and all other procedures do not include any steps that do not apply to ASP customers.
What if I'm a UNIX customer?: Year-End 2007 Key Ops for UNIX Customers
This Special UNIX Edition includes all the updated features of the standard Year-End KeyOps. However, the ShutDown and Backup steps and all other procedures do not include any steps that do not apply the UNIX operating system.

Year-End Hints: Your 2008 RoadMap-Specific KeyOps Is Online Now

Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2008 — Once again we look ahead to a whirlwind holiday season, with year-end procedures in the wintry mix! This is the first in a series of weekly messages to help you prepare for year-end. The focus of this message is what's new this year, the recommended way to read our revised Year-End KeyOps newsletter, choosing a road map that fits your business, and starting your checklists to prepare to close this year's business.

What's New & Improved for Year-End KeyOps 2008?

Our 20th annual KeyOps, Year-End 2008 Edition, is published and now available on our Web site (www.ddms.com/support/pubs/keyops.htm).

What's New for Year-End 2008:

Greener Than Ever: The Year-End KeyOps 2008 newsletter is published only online in Adobe Reader PDF format, as part of ongoing initiatives to go green and paperless.

Last Chance for Some Optional Reports: During year-end procedures, you have one last chance to run certain YTD reports based on current history. On pages 14-15, we have clarified instructions on Item Catalog Master Listing Sorted by Hits, Customer Master Listing Sorted by Sales or Hits, and Full Sales Analysis. For more detailed instructions on these reports, see Period-End FAQs
(www.ddms.com/support/faq/period-end.htm).

EBS SQL app users: In DDMS 8.16 and higher, you can use EBS SQL Import Panel to schedule or run a delta “changes only” sync of various data. This sync should be done before renaming your journals. We've revised related instructions in Shutdown on page 6, Tips on page 4, and FAQs on pages 13 & 16.

Graphical users, no more waiting to close General Ledger: In DDMS 8.13 and higher, use the Close G/L Period feature to reopen prior year periods for batch postings, and re-close afterward. We've revised the General Ledger section on pages 19-21 to reflect the featureset of 8.13 and higher.

Note: If you are still only using text-based software or if you have not loaded DDMS 8.13 or higher, the updated instructions in the 2008 edition do not apply. Please refer to the 2007 edition of the Year-End KeyOps
(www.ddms.com/support/pubs/koarchive.htm).

Throughout the newsletter, we've updated filenames, years, and page numbers as needed. As always, you will find timely answers and checklists on: using DDMS® navigation conventions, personalizing your Roadmap of period-end procedures, printing tax forms, and archiving this year’s data.

Note: UNIX and ASP dealers will receive separate instructions via email.

Can I Get A KeyOps Tailored to My RoadMap?

Yes! We did not design the newsletter to be read from cover to cover: you only need to read and perform the procedures that apply to your situation.

The Year-End KeyOps has three sets of period-ending instructions, or RoadMaps (Calendar 12, Tax Month 12, and Fiscal Y). At the top of each page of the Year-End Keyops, three “Roadsigns” (as shown at right) are intended to help guide you along the Year-End RoadMap (on page 3) that applies to you.

To make it easier to follow the right set of instructions, we extracted three handy digital (Adobe Reader PDF) editions that are tailored to each year-end roadmap.

If you close your books in December, you'll need the Calendar 12 edition indicated by the square calendar-shaped icon. This ensures you complete only the General Month-End steps along with the (MK-Y) Year-End procedures, but not the (MK-M) Month-End Only in December. (See "Should I do Month-End Only Before I do Year-End," below). In addition, you'll print IRS tax forms for any U.S. employees and contractors and complete Payroll closing procedures.
If you close your books in any other month, you'll need two editions indicated by a similar six-sided shape, depending on what month it is:
- The Tax Month 12 edition is to be completed in December. For your U.S. employees and contractors, you'll print IRS tax forms and complete Payroll closing procedures. You'll also complete (MK-M) steps under Month-End Only in December along with General Month-End, but not (MK-Y) Year-End procedures.
- The Fiscal Y edition is for the month when you complete General Month-End steps, the (MK-Y) Year-End steps, and closing G/L steps.

The best way to determine which edition to use — and to have access to the PDF files — is to answer a few questions online (www.ddms.com/support/pubs/roadmap/).

Should I do Month-End Only Before I do Year-End?

No. If you are closing your books in December, DO NOT perform the "Month-End Only in December" steps on page 9 of the standard edition.

NOTE: The (MK) programs are designed to execute similar tasks at month-end and year-end. If you perform the (MK-Y) Year-End procedures after the (MK-M) Month-End Only in December, you have processed files and moved data to fields for the previous period twice. Afterward, the only solution is to restore your files from the backup tape made prior to executing (MK-M) month-end steps, and then instead do General Month-End and then Year-End (MK-Y).

Just follow the Road Map that applies to your business, and you will be completing the proper procedures in the recommended sequence.

For best results, answer a few questions online to determine which RoadMap is best for you, and get access to a RoadMap-specific edition of your year-end instructions (www.ddms.com/support/pubs/roadmap/).

How do I Navigate Text-Based or Graphical Screens?

Although DDMS developers have made significant progress in converting many reports to graphical SQL format, we are still a couple of phases away from having period-ending procedures completely graphical.

Each checklist step in the Year-End KeyOps newsletter includes the DDMS graphical path to a screen, right after the original text-based screen name.

For example, the first step under Day-End Procedures shows the way to launch the text-based function of transmitting credit card verifications for final payment:

     (TR-P) or Reports Menu icon > Standard O/E Reports > [P]

As another example, the first step under Opening General Ledger shows the way to launch the graphical Chart of Accounts window, where you verify that you've added any new accounts and assigned their categories for financial reporting purposes:

     (J) Chart of Accounts Master screen or General Ledger icon > Chart of Accounts icon

You'll find the first icon in the DDMS main menu group, and double-click icons.

Note: Whenever you enter a text-based screen, make sure your CAPS LOCK key is on. Lower-case text will not be recognized by the text-based applications.

When you see letters enclosed in parentheses "()", they refer to a text-based menu selection. For example, to get from the text-based master menu to (TR) Standard O/E Reports, you would press the T and R keys in quick succession on your keyboard.

When you see letters enclosed in brackets "[]", they refer to an action code or report selection. For example, in the (TR) Standard O/E Reports screen, you can select [B] Invoices by pressing the B key on your keyboard.

For more details on our interface conventions, see page 2 of the Year-End KeyOps newsletter.

What Do I Do First to Prepare for Year-End?

Consider using this checklist of 7 steps to prepare in advance:

__ Answer a few questions online to determine which RoadMap is best for you, and get access to a RoadMap-specific edition of your year-end instructions
(www.ddms.com/support/pubs/roadmap/). Read all procedures that are required for your business, and be sure you understand all your steps.
__ Read "Year-End Tips" on page 4 and plan accordingly. For example: Check your (LM1) Period End Procedures parameters, and make sure the month number is set for when you intend to perform each year-end procedure. Plan to update your federal tax tables for payroll between your last payroll in 2007 and your first payroll for 2008; we will notify you via email when the updated instructions are published. Also, please note ECi offices are scheduled to be closed for national holidays.
__ As you read your Year-End KeyOps, we recommend highlighting each step's checkboxes. For example: Pencil in questions to ask your Support Team. Highlight one color for steps you must do. Highlight another color for steps you will postpone, but need to return to later. Cross out steps you do not have to do. When you actually perform each step, place a checkmark in that step's box to keep track of where you are.

To markup your PDF files the paperless way, the latest free Adobe Reader desktop software (link to Adobe download) lets you use Comment tools to highlight and cross out text (links to Adobe help) and add "sticky notes" (links to Adobe help) and checkmarks using a Sign-Here stamp (links to Adobe help). (Comment tools do not appear in browsers, but are in the desktop Reader software once you save the PDF & open it on your machine.)
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html
http://help.adobe.com/en_US/Reader/8.0/help.html

__ If you have contractors and/or employees in the United States, read "FAQs on Preparing to Print 1099s and W-2s in December" on page 5 and plan accordingly. For example, order appropriate stock to print your tax forms. For each contract laborer in your Vendor database, make sure the vendor ID is entered in the Acct # field, so it will print properly on the 1099.
__ Use the "Worksheet: My Renamed Journals" on the last page of your Year-End KeyOps. For example, look up each journal parameter screen and note the unit or volume where the journal resides. Then, compare the recommended naming conventions to the filenames you used for previous years; If your naming conventions differ, mark them on the worksheet.
__ Check for related year-end messages on our Web site.
www.ddms.com/support/massfax.htm
__ For detailed instructions, see your online help and related Period-End FAQs www.ddms.com/support/faq/period-end.htm

If you have questions about your procedures after these preparatory steps, contact ECi DDMS Technical Support as soon as possible.

What Year-End Hints are Coming Up?

We will continue to email you practical Year-End Hints every week through the end of the year. These hints are answers to the frequently asked questions we get every year, along with the questions we are getting this season.

Here's a sample of upcoming topics (dates subject to change):

Nov. 26: Training, Shutdown and Backup Procedures
Dec. 5: General Ledger and Related Topics
Dec. 12: Vendor, Payroll, and Printing 1099 and W-2 Forms
Dec. 19: Renaming and Merging Journals
Dec. 26: Last-Minute Year-End Hints

We'll post all these hints on the Period-End FAQs and Mass Emails pages of our Web site.

I Have Other Questions. How Do I Contact Support?

Avoid waiting for the answers you need at the end of the year. Get your questions taken care of now. As always, you can contact ECi DDMS Technical Support four ways:

online: https://support.eci2.com
email: support@eci2.com
toll-free: 800-366-4778
fax: 682-831-9909

If you have feedback or comments on the Key Ops newsletter itself, please email keyops@ddms.com. We welcome your suggestions!

Year-End Hints: Training, Shutdown, and Backup Procedures

Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2008 — This is the second in a series of weekly messages to help you prepare for year-end. The focus of this message is to proactively start your checklists, locate training to help you prepare to close this year's business, and answer frequently asked questions about Web storefront maintenance schedules and DDMS shutdown and backup procedures. To that end, this message covers the following timely topics:

How Can I Be Proactive and Avoid the Year-End Crunch?

As you know, year-end is the busiest time of the year for ECi DDMS Technical Support. Our call load may triple on some days. Some people wait until they're almost closing their books before they look at the latest Year- End KeyOps. Unfortunately, that means everyone has questions as the same time, and waits longer for Support at crunch time.

We encourage customers to take proactive steps early on, using the resources that our Year-End Task Force is making available:

Use our brief online questionnaire to determine which RoadMap is best for you, and get access to a specialized edition of the year-end instructions (www.ddms.com/support/pubs/roadmap/).
Read the Year-End KeyOps newsletter for the latest updated procedures. Highlight and mark it up to fit your business needs.

To markup your PDF files the paperless way, the latest free Adobe Reader desktop software lets you use Comment tools to highlight and cross out text (Adobe help ») and add "sticky notes" (Adobe help ») and checkmarks using a Sign-Here stamp (Adobe help »). (Comment tools do not appear in browsers, but are in the desktop Reader software once you save the PDF & open it on your machine.)
www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html
http://help.adobe.com/en_US/Reader/8.0/help.html

Read the weekly Year-End Hints email messages, posted on our Period-End FAQs page
(www.ddms.com/support/faq/period-end.htm).
Attend one of our Year-End Free Training refresher sessions (www.ddms.com/training/free/).
Invite a co-worker delegate to join the Year-End Free Training refresher session just in case you need them to fill in for you.
If the Year-End KeyOps, documentation, and training leave you with specific unresolved questions, call us as far in advance as possible. Your ECi DDMS support team is happy to answer.

The year-end call load crunch prevents your support team from providing individualized, step-by-step walk-throughs. However, if you have unexpected extenuating circumstances at year-end, such as the untimely death or disabling of a key operator and trained delegates, an ECi DDMS Support Manager can certainly authorize additional assistance.

How Can I get Training on Year-End Procedures

Join one of our free two-hour Web-based training sessions where you can learn how to:

Select the right RoadMap out of three sets of year-end procedures, or find your RoadMap-specific edition of the Year-End KeyOps based on when your company's financial year starts.
Navigate the period-ending parameters, reports, and applications in both text-based and graphical interfaces.
Set up parameters that can make your year-end procedures go more smoothly, including where to look up passwords, setting the Month # for Year-End for Vendor and other databases, locating journal parameter lists, tax form printing, and updating federal payroll tax tables when they're published.
Understand the general flow of period-ending processes to determine, for example, which optional reports should be printed now to reflect current history, and which may be skipped until later.
Complete system shutdown, day-end, month-end, year-end, payroll, and general ledger procedures in the proper sequence, including new steps to sync your EBS SQL data properly before archiving journals.
Use the "My Renamed Journals" worksheet to note where your archives reside on your system, noting the difference between the volume serial and the unit number, and mark any differences in your naming conventions.
Account for new General Ledger accounts, cost of goods sold, and retained earnings in the proper period and with the proper entries.

You can choose from two dates:

Wednesday, Dec. 17th 1-3pm CST
Monday, Dec. 22, 10-12 am CST

Seats are limited. Each Web session will welcome up to 50 concurrent connections on a first-come, first-served basis. You and your co-workers can join us from one office.

No need to register. For connection instructions, see "Free Web-Based Training for December: Year-End Procedures"
(to be published soon on www.ddms.com/training/free).

Where Can I Find Detailed Instructions for Year-End?

Year-End Key Ops is intended to supplement, but not replace, your online help and Period-End training. Its instructions are not meant to be exhaustive field-by-field documentation. For additional instructions after you've navigated to a screen, please refer to online help. In Ensite Pro, select Contents from the Help menu.

For more detailed instructions on procedures, we've compiled the following links:

System Shutdown. Frequently, the cause of an incomplete backup is failure to properly shut down TBL Server before performing a backup. Your system will not back up any file that is currently being used. See the tech note, Protecting Your Data for Dedicated Procedures.
www.ddms.com/resources/support/faq/utilities/maintmode.pdf
File Backup. For information about ensuring you are backing up your new SQL data, what options to select in your Windows backup, making sure your backups are good, and restoring files, see FAQs on Backups.
www.ddms.com/support/faq/utilities.htm#bak
Day-End and Month-End. Most dealers use automated procedure files, or "procs," to run their day-end and month-end procedures. At year-end, you may find it more convenient to do these steps manually rather than wait for the procs to finish. Some standard settings and keystrokes are shown in the form to request a new proc file.
www.ddms.com/support/faq/period-end.htm#day
Year-End. All our current Year-End Hints messages and related FAQ files are posted on our Web site under General Year-End FAQs.
www.ddms.com/support/faq/period-end.htm#general
Payroll Tax procedures in Accounting FAQs
www.ddms.com/support/faq/accounting.htm#tx
Payroll and Personnel online help topics
www.ddms.com/Resources/help/personnel/Personnel.htm
Vendor Additional Period-End Procedures in online help
www.ddms.com/Resources/help/vendor/Vendor.htm
Closing General Ledger. For notes about G/L journal parameters, retained earnings, and posting to last year's G/L after you've closed it, See General Ledger information under Accounting FAQs
www.ddms.com/support/faq/accounting.htm#gl
Inventory Counts. For details on setting up stocking classes, clearing on-hand quantities, taking and entering physical counts, G/L adjustments, using critical inventory reports (such as the On-Hand Catalog Report and the Inventory Extended Dollars Report), and maintaining accurate inventory (including the optional Cycle Counts program), see the handout, Count Less, Sell More.
www.ddms.com/Resources/Support/faq/inventory/InvCtrl.pdf

We hope these resources are helpful! If the Year-End KeyOps, documentation, and training leave you with specific unresolved questions, call us as far in advance as possible. Your ECI² support team is happy to answer.

Why Set "Site Offline for Maintenance" at Period-End?

During your DDMS period-end and maintenance procedures, your ECinteractive™/is.D-Force®2 Web server is unable to connect to your DDMS customer and item backend databases. However, the Web server will still be able to notify you via email that users are trying to access your site, and will show a Scheduled Maintenance message.

This feature is helpful whenever your DDMS server and/or TBLUtilities are shut down or otherwise inaccessible for:

DDMS backup
Day-end
Month-end
Quarter-end
Year-end
DDMS software updates
Other maintenance while utilities are shut down
Other connection issues (that require you to contact your Internet Service Provider to resolve)
Other DDMS server issues (that require you to contact your ECI2 Support team to resolve)

By default, your ECinteractive™/is.D-Force®2 site displays the following message if it cannot connect to your DDMS server gateway: "An error has occurred while communicating with the dealer host system. Please try refreshing your browser in a few seconds. If the problem continues, please contact customer support. We apologize for this inconvenience. Thank you."

When such gateway GOA exceptions occur, the system will also notify not only server administrators, but also the dealer and ECi DDMS support personnel. The email notification reports: "ECinteractive Exception: An error occurred when accessing the socket: No connection could be made because the target machine actively refused it."

If you do not wish to receive this email notification during your DDMS period-end procedures, please set up your ECinteractive Site Maintenance schedule.

For detailed instructions, see page 6 of standard 2008 Year-End Key Ops newsletter (www.ddms.com/support/pubs/keyops.htm), or see the ECinteractive FAQs for Specific Features under the topic, "How do I set up my Offline for Maintenance Page?" (www.ddms.com/support/doc/ecinteractive.htm#feat).

Why Should I Perform Backup More Than Once?

Following the recommended sequence of saving backups and audit trail tapes for your Road Map can save you significant time by avoiding rework:

We recommend backing up your data immediately before performing the day-end procedures. This will ensure you can restore your system in case problems occur during day-end procedures.
We recommend backing up your data again immediately before performing the month-end procedures. This will ensure you can restore your system in case problems occur during month-end and year-end procedures without the need to re-do day-end procedures.
After finishing Month-end/Year-end, you have the option of backing up your data again. This will ensure you can restore your system in case problems occur after month-end/year-end procedures without the need to re-do those procedures. Once again, this step is optional.

Why Do I Have to Shut Down TBL During Backups?

Occasionally, ECI² Technical Support receives calls from customers trying to restore DDMS files from a backup tape. In some cases, we have found that the customer's backup is incomplete, and the files cannot be restored.

As you may know, the system will not back up any file that is currently being used. The cause of the incomplete backup is usually failure to complete a simple step: shutting down TBL Server before performing a backup. Many crucial DDMS files remain open when TBL Server is running, so it is important to shut down TBL Server to ensure a complete backup.

For detailed instructions on backing up your DDMS files, see File #243: Backing Up Your DDMS Files in Microsoft(R) Windows 2000 (www.ddms.com/resources/support/faq/windows/backup.pdf).
To learn how to verify that your backups are good, see the updated File #86: Making Sure Your Backups Are Good (www.ddms.com/Resources/Support/faq/utilities/verifybackups.pdf). Note: If your backup log shows errors or skipped files, contact Support.
To learn how to restore files from a backup tape, see File #92: Restoring From Backups under Windows 2000 (www.ddms.com/Resources/Support/faq/windows/restore-win2k.pdf).

Year-End Hints: Renaming and Merging Journals for Year-End 2007

Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2007 — This is the second in a series of weekly messages to help you prepare for year-end. This message answers frequently asked questions about renaming your journals. It covers the following timely topics:

What If I Get an Error While Renaming New Journal Files?

We have updated the journal renaming procedures to ensure that your history screens and reports for Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, and Purchase Order include all the indices, acknowledgement, invoice, and special line details you expect. (See page 16 of your Year-End 2007 KeyOps Newsletter.)

NOTE: As you rename the journal files, if the file is not found or does not exist, first double-check that you typed the filename and unit correctly. If you entered them correctly, check your parameters to see if your system has been creating those files:

For JNL-AR-SPC, rename to JNL-Ø7-SPC. This file contains special text lines from archived paid account receivable invoices, if the Journalize Purged Invoices parameter in your (LA2) A/R Parameters screen is set to X. You'll find this file on the same volume as JNL-AR and JNL-AR-POI; check your (LA4) parameters for the volume serial.
For JNL-AR-POI, rename to JNL-Ø7-POI. This file stores the purged A/R invoices that contain purchase order numbers, if the Build Customer P/O Index field in your (LA2) A/R Parameters screen is set to Y. Again, you'll find this file on the same volume as JNL-AR and JNL-AR-SPC; check your (LA4) parameters for the volume serial.
For JOUR-P-SPC, rename to 2ØØ7-P-SPC. This file contains archived special text lines (comments) from purchase orders. It is built if your Archive Specials during Purge field in your (LF) Purchase Order Parameters screen is set to Y. You'll find this file on the same volume as JOUR-PO; check your (LF2) parameters for the volume serial.
For JOUR-P-ACK, rename to 2ØØ7-P-ACK. This file is an acknowledgement index to match your received invoices to your original purchase orders. It is built when you purge your completed purchase orders or when you reindex JOUR-PO from the (SR) Purchase Order Reports screen, as long as your Build Ack. Index for JOUR-PO field in your (LF) Purchase Order Parameters screen is set to Y. Again, you'll find this file on the same volume as JOUR-PO; check your (LF2) parameters for the volume serial.
For JOUR-P-IND, rename to 2ØØ7-P-IND. This file is an index that lets you view purchase orders in item number order. The original JOUR-P-IND is created when you reindex JOUR-PO. You can use the text-based (SR-R) Purchase Order Reports screen to reindex archived P/O journals. If you reindex 2ØØ7-PO, it will create 2ØØ7-P-IND, but reindexing takes much longer than renaming. Again, you'll find this file on the same volume as JOUR-PO; check your (LF2) parameters for the volume serial.

For more information on these files, see the online help topic, Understanding Accounts Receivable Files and Understanding Purchasing Files.

How Do I Use the Worksheet: My Renamed Journals?

For your personal reference, the back page of the Year-End 2007 KeyOps Newsletter features a Worksheet: My Renamed Journals.

The worksheet is designed for you to review your naming conventions for the journals you rename throughout month-end, year-end, payroll, and general ledger procedures. It includes the new index, acknowledgement, and specials files. The last column shows any journal parameter screens that should be updated with your renamed journals, so that your history applications can find the data.

If your archive journals use a different naming convention or unit/volume serial, note it on the worksheet. We hope this worksheet proves helpful to you!

When and How Do I Rename My A/P, A/R, and P/O Journals?

Renaming accounts payable, accounts receivable, and purchase order journal files in the (ZF7) screen is a mandatory step among your year-end procedures. It ensures that you properly archive your growing data, as your business grows and the software is enhanced. The act of renaming these journals notably speeds up the response time of A/P History, A/R History, and P/O History and related applications.

First, make sure you are following the “Year-End Roadmap” on page 3 of the December 2007 Year-End Key Ops newsletter. Before renaming these journals, you should have completed the year’s final A/P, A/R, and P/O purges during your general month-end procedures.

"FAQs on Renaming A/P, A/R, and P/O Journals" on page 16 include the following instructions:

"Should I Rename A/P, A/R, or P/O Journals?" pinpoints the best time to rename Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, and Purchase Order journals, and lists the exact steps along with recommended naming conventions that adhere to DDMS system constraints.
"How Do I Access Renamed A/P, A/R, or P/O Journals?" lists the exact steps to list each renamed journal in its corresponding parameter screen, along with an important note if you use Electronic Invoicing.

When and How Do I Rename My Sales Journals?

Renaming your sales journals is a dedicated function that is part of the general month-end procedures.

First, make sure you are following the “Year-End Roadmap” on page 3 of the December 2007 Year-End Key Ops newsletter. Before renaming your sales journals, you should have completed the following procedures:

Suspend Web Storefront and procs
Shutdown and backup
Day-end procedures (particularly steps related to printing and releasing order entry and accounts receivable batches, and flushing orders to JOUR-S)
Month-end procedures (particularly changing the current business period, various period-ending steps,and, if applicable, the auto-billing steps.
Then, follow the instructions on page 12 of the December 2007 Year-End Key Ops newsletter, "FAQs on Renaming and Merging Sales Journals":
"When Do I Rename My Sales Journals?" summarizes the preparations that must be completed before renaming sales journals.
"How Do I Choose a Naming Convention?" describes the DDMS system constraints on naming sales journals, and how to ensure you can store 120 sales journals on one volume.
"Why do These Errors Occur When I Rename Sales Journals?" describes two common errors, why they may occur, and how to eliminate them.
"Can I Merge Sales Journals into a Single-Year-to-Date File?" lists the exact steps to merge sales journals to make reporting easier.

Remember, everyone MUST be out of Order Entry and at the main menu before you rename your sales journals. However, going into maintenance mode or stopping TBL Utilities is not absolutely necessary for this particular procedure. If you see “File Operations Failed” during the procedure, this means another process in TBL Server is accessing JOUR-S; simply Stop Utilities in TBL Server, and try again..

Note: DDMS uses the (LGA) Sales Journal Parameters screen when retrieving order history. When renaming journals, specify Y at the “Update (LGA) Journal Names When copying or Renaming” prompt. This will ensure that order history searches will include the renamed journals.

For more detailed instructions, see File #84: Renaming Sales Journals.

Is the (MI-M) Merging Monthly Sales Journals a Required Step?

No, merging monthly sales journals is completely optional. But it is frequently used to create a yearly sales journal to make year-end reporting easier.

For more information, see “Can I Merge my Sales Journals into a Single Year-to-Date File?” on page 12 of your 2007 Year-End Key Ops newsletter.

What's the recommended sales journal renaming convention?

2007! File# 84: Renaming Sales Journals shows how to select a sales journal naming convention that meets DDMS system constraints and rename sales journals without encountering problems caused by duplicate file names (file:rename-salesj.pdf)

How can I make it easier to report on a year's worth of sales?

2007! File #85: Merging Sales Journals shows you how to build a single sales journal for an entire fiscal year to make reporting simpler; at the end of each month, you move completed invoices into this year's journal (file:merge-jour.pdf)

Where can I archive multiple years of purged P/O journals?

Suppose you want to keep multiple years of purged P/O journals. If you are using the (SRR) screen, you must create identical P/O archive journals and purge each journal by a different date range. For detailed instructions, see File #235: Purging Purchase Order Journals By Date Range (pdf).

Year-End Hints: Preparing Vendor & Payroll Data To Print 1099 & W-2 Tax Forms

Friday, Dec. 7, 2007 — This is the third in a series of weekly messages with hints to help you prepare for year-end 2007 procedures. This message answers frequently asked questions about payroll, tax tables, the vendor year-end function, and printing W-2 and 1099 forms. It covers the following timely topics:

How Should I Prepare to Print W-2s and 1099s?

As you plan ahead for vendor and payroll year-end procedures, be sure to order appropriate stock and adjust vendor IDs or parameters as needed.

The Year-End Key Ops newsletter (www.ddms.com/support/pubs/keyops.htm) includes "FAQs on Preparing to Print 1099s and W-2s" on page 5 with the following topics:

"Should I Print Dot Matrix?" Learn the rationale behind our recommendation. We have a list of some commonly used carbonless form stock.
"Should I Print Laser?" Some adjustments are necessary to print W-2s and 1099s on a laser printer. We have a list of some commonly used laser form stock.
"How do I Set Up W-2 and 1099 Laser Printing Parameters?" Learn the exact steps to adjust your parameters for laser printing.
"How Do I Set Up My Printer?" Note the characters per inch and lines per page settings that may be required.
"How Do I Print Names Correctly on W-2 Forms?" Use the Swap Name parameter if employee names are entered last name first in the Personnel Master database. If you do not use the Swap Name parameter, the spacing will be incorrect.

New! How do I Get the New IRS W-2 Tax Form Formats?

The U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has changed the W-2 Tax Withholding form for the year 2007.

If you do not use the DDMS Payroll applications or if you do not run W-2s at year-end, no action is necessary.
If you print W-2s from your DDMS system, the IRS changes require new formats so employee social security number will print in the proper box.

You can obtain the new formats two ways:

The new formats are included in Ensite Pro 8.13 and higher, a major software release (see www.ddms.com/support/release/whatsnew/ep813.htm). We will be happy to ship this software update to you via United Parcel Service (UPS) Ground. Please send a software update request to support@eci2.com, and include your DDMS account number, contact name, company name, shipping address, and phone number.
For dealers who are not yet loading 8.13, the formats are available for download from our Web site (www.ddms.com/support/download/w2/). Please follow the instructions on that download page.

What W-2 and 1099 Stock Should I Order?

REMINDER: Be sure to your order your W-2 and 1099 stock early! You may use the recommended form stock provided by TOPS(R) or locate comparable stock from another vendor. For more information, see “FAQs on Preparing to Print 1099s and W-2s” on page 5 of the Year-End 2007 Key Ops newsletter (www.ddms.com/support/pubs/keyops.htm).

Both the W-2 and 1099 report formats in DDMS print "2-up," where there are two employee records per page, and each record is 8 1/2" wide x 5 1/2" tall.

Last year, we noticed a discrepancy in the way the names are printed on one of the forms, which may affect the way you wish to set your Personnel records and parameters. Please see the following article.

How Do I Set my (LH-N) Personnel Parameters?

We recommend that in the Personnel Screen, H-N, you use the “last name first” naming scheme. In other words, the last name is followed by a comma and then the first name, as in “DOE, JANE.”

Before printing W-2 forms, check the employee names in the (H-N) Personnel Master screen (in Ensite Pro, double-click the Personnel Menu icon, and double-click the Personnel icon). The (H) Personnel Master screen appears.

If all personnel records show the last name first, followed by a comma (such as “DOE, JANE”), no changes are needed in the Personnel Master database.

If any personnel records show the first name first (as in “JANE DOE”), please select the [C] Change action code and use the last name first scheme (“DOE, JANE”).

After all payroll records use the last name first scheme, you should still enable the Swap Name parameter as instructed on page 5 of the Year-End Key Ops (www.ddms.com/support/pubs/keyops.htm). To do so:

(LH-N) or Keyop Menu icon > Parameters icon > [H] Payroll/Salesperson: At the “Do You Wish Salesperson Program?” prompt, type N.
The Swap Name parameter in the middle of the screen must be set to Y.

If you choose not to follow this recommendation, you may see a slight spacing discrepancy on the top "Employer" copy of the W2 form. When the names in your Personnel records are shown with first name first (as in “JANE DOE”), part of the name may overlap some text on the top of the W-2 form. All other forms print everything properly; this slight spacing discrepancy only affects the top “Employer” copy. If you wish to avoid this spacing discrepancy, follow the steps above to use the "last name first" scheme in your personnel master and enable Swap Name.

How Do I Use Ensite Pro's Vendor Settings to Print 1099s?

As of Ensite Pro Version 8.10.42 and above, new fields and prompts are available to help you print 1099-MISC forms.

The Vendor Remit/Settings tab has a set of three new fields under 1099 Settings, as shown below.

Select the 1099 Required option for each vendor who is a contract laborer in the United States.
In the Tax ID field, enter the payee's tax identification number that should be printed on the 1099-MISC form.
In the Print YTD Amount in Box field, you can specify where it should print on the 1099-misc form, indicates the type of miscellaneous income you are reporting this vendor, such as rents (1), royalties (2), other income (3), federal income tax withheld (4), and so on.

To determine what Tax ID and YTD Box number to use in these fields, please refer to the IRS instructions for the 1099-MISC form (http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1099msc.pdf).

The (VD-4) Personnel/Payroll Reports screen option to print 1099s gives you a new prompt, as shown below in bold: "Only print Vendors with the field "1099 Required" checked Y/N?" If you checkmarked the 1099 Required option in your Vendor Remit/Settings tab for your U.S. contract laborers, answer Y to this prompt.

15:47:53        (V) Personnel/Payroll Reports  rev. (10/30/03)          12/05/06
================================================================================
  A. Print Personnel Report.
  B. Print Payroll Register.    Type ?. (P=Period, C=Check Reg, Q=Qrtly)
                                Release Checks Y/N ?.  Period ?12

  C. Print Payroll Checks.      Alignment Form Y/N ?.  Starting Check #........

  D. Print State & Fed Reports. Type ?.                Code From ?. To ?.
                                1. State Quarterly     3. Federal W/2's
                                2. State PIT & SDI     4. Federal 1099's

  E. Historical Reports.        Type ?.                P=Period Y=Year ?.
                                1. Deductions Register 4. Wage Summary
                                2. 401k Deductions     5. SRA Deductions
                                3. Cafe Deductions
  Order (N=Name, #=Number) ?.                      From ?../../..   To ?../../..
  From Name ?.............................. #....  Dept. From ?.... To ?....
  To Name   ?.............................. #....  Group From ?.    To ?.
  Only print Vendors with the field "1099 Required" checked Y/N ?.
                            Printer ?P1  Copies ? 1
================================================================================
                          Enter Requested Function [.]

For detailed instructions on using these new features, see your online help.

How Do I Update my (L4) Federal Payroll Tables for 2008?

Each year-end, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service publishes new payroll tax withholding amounts applicable for wages paid in the upcoming year.

To reflect these tax changes, you must update your (L4) Federal Payroll Tables screen before your first payroll for 2008. The best time to make this update is after you close Payroll and print all reports and W-2s for 2007. Some reports in the payroll-closing procedures read from the (L4) screen, including W-2s.

Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2007 — The IRS has published the new federal tax withholding tables that are applicable for wages paid in 2008, as published in IRS Publication 15, “Circular E, Employer's Tax Guide (Including 2008 Wage Withholding and Advance Earned Income Credit Payment Tables),” which has been revised effective January 2008 (www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p15.pdf).

Before you print payroll checks for wages paid in 2008, please complete these four steps:

Make sure you have obtained the new W-2 Report Formats. As we announced previously, the IRS also made a change to the W-2 forms for the 2007 tax year. The IRS changes require new W-2 report formats so employee social security numbers will print in the proper box. The new W-2 formats are available in Ensite Pro™ 8.13 and higher, or via download from our Web site (www.ddms.com/support/download/w2/).
Make sure you have closed Payroll and printed all reports and W-2s for 2007. For more information, see pages 5 and 17-18 of the standard Year-End Key Ops (www.ddms.com/support/pubs/keyops.htm). Also see the related Year-End Hints on Preparing Vendor and Payroll Data to Print 1099 and W-2 Tax Forms on our Period-End FAQs online ( www.ddms.com/support/faq/period-end.htm#yrPayTax).
Adjust the federal tax withholding amounts on your (L4) Federal Payroll Tables parameters screen. To assist you in this procedure, we have published an updated FAQ file #2, Setting (L4) Federal Payroll Taxes for 2008 on our Web site (www.ddms.com/Resources/Support/faq/accounting/FedTax08.pdf).
Adjust the parameters as needed on your (L5) State Payroll Tables screen. Although we traditionally provide information for setting up federal payroll tax tables, we have always asked dealers to research their own state payroll taxes. Each state has its own laws; the cost of keeping up with the tax rates for every state is prohibitive for DDMS. Please consult your state resources.

After completing these steps, you are ready to print your first payroll checks for 2008.

You are responsible for determining exactly how the tax laws affect your payroll. Please consult your accountant and the IRS Web site (www.irs.gov).

How Do I Postpone the Vendor Year-End Function?

Executing Vendor Period End performs the year-end function for Vendors. It moves the amount displayed in YTD Total in the Vendor database to Last Year Total.

Some dealers want to postpone the vendor year-end function until they can post outstanding invoices. If you postpone vendor year-end, you must not print or release any checks for the new fiscal year.

Note: If you are using 1099s (contract labor forms), you must Execute Vendor Period End at the end of the calendar year, after you have run your 1099s. If you are not using 1099s, you may perform this step at the close of your fiscal year or calendar year.

During your year-end procedures, you can postpone the vendor year-end function when you are in the (MK) Period End Functions screen (In graphical software, double-click the Keyop Menu icon, then double-click the Operational Procedures icon, and select [K] Period End Procedures). To postpone this function, space out the letter Y in the Execute Vendor Period End field.

After posting outstanding invoices, when you are ready to complete vendor year-end, go back to the (MK) screen and space through every field in this screen except the Execute Vendor Period End field, where you must specify Y.

Updated for 2008! File #2: Setting (L4) Federal Payroll Tables for 2008 (file: fedtax08.pdf) These payroll tax withholding amounts are applicable for wages paid in 2008, as published in IRS Publication 15, “Circular E, Employer's Tax Guide (Including 2008 Wage Withholding and Advance Earned Income Credit Payment Tables),” which has been revised effective January 2008. When you perform your year-end procedures, you must update your (L4) Federal Payroll Tables screen to reflect these tax changes according to these instructions. The time to do so is after you have closed 2007 payroll and printed all 2007 payroll reports and W-2 forms, but before you run your first payroll of 2008.

Year-End Hints: General Ledger and Related Topics for Year-End 2007

Thursday, Dec. 20, 2007 — This is the fifth in a series of weekly messages with hints to help you prepare for year-end procedures. This message answers frequently asked questions about general ledger, changing the current period, finance charges, and similar topics. It covers the following timely topics:

How Do I Prepare for General Ledger Closing Procedures??

This year, there are no major changes to the G/L procedures in the Year-End Key Ops newsletter (www.ddms.com/support/pubs/keyops.htm).

However, we would like to remind you of an important tip related to closing general ledger at year-end:

If you are not closing general ledger on the same day you perform year-end procedures, there are important instructions on page 19 to change your G/L release password temporarily. This will help you avoid releasing batches into files that are not yet closed. Also see the article below, How Do I Keep Day-End Procs from Releasing my G/L Batch.

Several frequently asked questions (FAQs) are related to general ledger:

"FAQ: What is Period 13?" on page 21 describes what to do with postings that you do not wish to affect period 12 entries, such as devalued depreciation schedule.
“FAQ: Can COGS Print After Year-End?” on page 21 describes how to complete your cost of goods sold postings after closing general ledger, and how to print the report when you are ready.
“FAQ: Posting Retained Earnings” on page 21 explains that although you can post retained earnings any time after closing general ledger, they are generally the first new entry.
“FAQ: Why do President’s Screens Look Wrong After Year-End?” on page 24 explains that the (PDA) and (PDC) screens show last year’s figures until you actually begin business for the new fiscal year, and when new data will appear.
"WORKSHEET: My Renamed Journals" summarizes the journal renaming schedule and recommended naming conventions. It offers space for you to note the units where each journal is stored on your system, and mark any variations in your naming conventions.

New! What About the New Closing G/L Period?

Rest assured, the new Closing G/L Period feature released in Ensite Pro 8.13 last month does not affect your year-end G/L closing procedures. It merely makes easier than ever to close general ledger on the final day of the fiscal year, because it makes it possible to correct posting errors that you may discover later.

But your support teams have identified a few questions about this feature that merit some clarification:

Q: How does the new Closing G/L Period feature change my G/L closed periods?

A: Previously, only periods 12 and 13 were open to posting after closing G/L for the year.

When you install Ensite Pro 8.13 and higher, it opens the previous year's G/L periods to postings. So, for 2006, periods 1-13 are open, as are periods 1-13 of 2007. After installing version 8.13, you should close period 11 of the last fiscal year.

With the new Closing G/L Period feature in your Ensite Pro Chart of Accounts window, you determine what periods are closed in either this or last year.

Q: Why would I want to post to a closed period?

A: Here's an example: your CPA informs you that a posting from period 9 of the prior fiscal year is wrong, and needs to be corrected.

Using the Closing G/L Period feature, you can:

Post late entries to a previously closed period.
Add records to the previous year’s chart of accounts.
Change categories and subcategories.
Change the budget figures.

Q: How do I protect those periods from misentered postings?

You can set passwords for this new function in the new graphical General Ledger Close Period Passwords Parameters.

If you set up a Close G/L Period Password, you are prompted for this password when making a change to a closed business period.

If you set up a Closed Period Password, you are prompted for this different password when trying to post to a closed fiscal period. This applies to G/L posting, A/P posting, voiding checks, the (W) [E] Build Cost of Goods Sold Batch function, the (W) [F] Print Allocation Batches function, and using the (QR) [D] Print Checks function. When posting to a closed period, a warning message appears when performing any of these functions.

In addition, releasing batches to closed periods is still prohibited. So, after closing a period, if a batch contains postings to a closed period, the (W) [A] Print G/L Batch function will not release the batch until you reopen the period. The G/L Batch report warns you that no batches were released due to posting to a closed G/L period.

Q: How do I revert back to the way it was, and close those periods?

A: To resume the previous G/L flow, take these steps: First, set up passwords in the General Ledger Close Period Passwords Parameters. Then, go to the new Close G/L Period dialog box and close period 11 as instructed in the handout, Closing G/L Periods (www.ddms.com/Resources/Support/faq/accounting/gl-ClosPer.pdf).

This will limit prior-year postings to periods 12 and 13, just as before.

Q: How do I make a posting to a closed G/L period?

A: Although you can't release a G/L batch to a closed business period, you can reopen it, make postings to it as needed (even adding new G/L accounts and changing categories and budget figures), then release the batch and close the period again.

Q: How to I reopen a period for posting and releasing batches?

The new Closing G/L Period window is used to set the Current Closed Period, and all subsequent periods will be open.

For example, after following the recommendation in the documentation, the Current Closed Period is fiscal 06, period 11. All periods after that are open for posting.

But let's say you want to post to fiscal 06 period 09, which is currently closed. You need to temporarily set the Current Closed Period to the period immediately before it: fiscal 06 period 08.

When you do so, all periods after fiscal 06 period 08 are open, including period 09, 10, 11, 12, and 13, and all periods in fiscal 07.

After you make your posting to fiscal 06 period 09, and then release the batch, we recommend setting the Current Closed Period is fiscal 06, period 11.

Q: I entered my password, but why won't my G/L batch release to the old period?

A: If you have closed the period and setup the new graphical General Ledger Close Period Passwords Parameters, you can make a G/L post to a closed period by entering your password. However, releasing a batch to a closed period is still prohibited.

If you then attempt to use the the (W) [A] Print G/L Batch function to release the batch, your G/L Summation report will return the following message:

* * * * WARNING - NO BATCHES RELEASED * * * *

* * * * POSTING TO CLOSED G/L PERIOD  * * * *

If a G/L batch includes postings to a closed period, you must reopen the period in question (by setting the Current Closed Period to an earlier period), and then release the batch.

How Do I Keep Day-End Procs from Releasing my G/L Batch?

Are you still posting to periods 1-11 of the year you are ending, and therefore not quite ready to start the next? You may need some time to finish your books before you are ready to release the first general ledger batch for the new year. However, if you use a day-end proc, it probably releases these batches automatically.

To temporarily prevent your proc file from releasing G/L batches, follow these steps:

Go to the (LJ) General Ledger Parameters screen. (In graphical software, double-click the Keyop Menu icon, and then double-click the Parameters icon. When the (L) Parameters screen appears, make sure your Caps Lock is on, and type J.)
Select the [C] Change action code.
At G/L Location, accept the default location by pressing TAB, or specify a different location.
Tab to the Passwords: Release field. Carefully write down the current password; you'll need to restore this password later. If there is no password, make a note of it; you must use a temporary password to stop the proc file.
In the Passwords: Release field, type a new temporary password, specifying from one to four characters.
Save your change by pressing ENTER.

IMPORTANT: When you are ready to release the first general ledger batch for the new fiscal year, you must repeat this procedure, specifying the original password in Step 5. (If there was no password originally, press the space bar until you completely erase your temporary password.)

DDMS recommends that you disable all day-end and month-end procs before doing year-end. For detailed instructions, please see File # 27: "Disabling proc files at year-end" (www.ddms.com/Resources/Support/faq/period/proc-dis.pdf) and "Suspending/Reactivating Your Web Storefront and Procs" on page 6 of the Year-End 2007 Key Ops newsletter (www.ddms.com/support/pubs/keyops.htm).

In (MK) Change Current Period, why does Y change to M?

When your cursor is in the Change Current Period (L2) field of the (MK) Period-End Procedures screen, the bottom of the screen shows M=Month, Blank=No.

When you perform Year-End procedures, specify Y for Year-End for consistency's sake.

Please note that the system will change your Y to an M because it produces the same result. This is not an error. Both M and Y will change your current period.

E. How Do I Release My Applied Finance Charges?

After applying finance charges to G/L, you can release them during your month-end procedures. In this way, you can file the finance charges with your period-end reports, and prevent them from being mixed up with next year's A/R batches.

During your month-end procedures, you first create finance charges in the (O) screen, as described on page 13 of the standard Year-End 2007 Key Ops newsletter (www.ddms.com/support/pubs/keyops.htm).

Then, print an A/R Batch Report and release the batches. You can tab through the batch field or limit the report to batch 9XX9, where XX represents the location (For example, if your G/L location is 4, limit to batch 9049).

How Do I Avoid Chart of Account Errors If My G/L Archives Are Separate?

With few exceptions, most dealers use the recommended renaming schemes outlined in the Year-End KeyOps, and keep their archived General Ledger files in the volume serial defined in the (LØ) Global Master Parameters.

There is an issue that affects dealers who choose instead to keep archived G/L files in separate volume serial. When they try to access prior year charts of accounts, the system cannot find the CHART-CAT file. A software issue has been turned in as QC#50024, but we do not anticipate a resolution to be released before you must complete year-end procedures.

Note: No action is necessary if you keep renamed G/L Archive files with all your other G/L files in the volume serial defined in (LØ).

To make sure you can avoid this error, follow these steps when you close G/L (perhaps just after you rename GLD-MASTER):

Check the volume serial defined for G/L in your (LØ) Global Master Parameters. In Ensite Pro, double-click the Keyop Menu icon, double-click Parameters, then double-click Text-Based Parameters, and select Global Master Parameters by typing Ø. Look for the two-character volume serial shown for G/L in the lower right section.
Compare it to the volume serial defined in the (LJ1) General Ledger Archive Parameters. In Ensite Pro, double-click the Keyop Menu icon, double-click Parameters, then double-click Text-Based Parameters, then select General Ledger Parameters by typing J, and then select the [1] Archived Files action code.
- If the archive G/L volume serial defined in (LJ1) is the SAME as the G/L volume serial defined in (LØ), NO ACTION IS NECESSARY.
- If the archive G/L volume serial defined in (LJ1) is DIFFERENT than the G/L volume serial defined in (LØ), you will need to copy CHART-CAT into the G/L archive volume serial, by following the steps below.
Double-click the Keyop Menu icon, then double-click System Utilities. The (Z) Master Utilities screen opens. In the Enter Utility Type field, type C. In the Enter Subset Number field, type 2.
The Enter the File to Copy From prompt appears. Type the following: CHART-CAT
If the cursor does not automatically move to the Unit # field, press TAB.
In the Unit # field, enter the unit number on the list at the top of the screen that corresponds with the G/L volume serial name defined in (LØ).
In the Volume field, press TAB to accept the default volume serial.
The Enter the File To Copy To prompt appears. Type the following: CHART-CAT
If the cursor does not automatically move to the Unit # field, press TAB.
In the Unit # field, enter the unit number on the list at the top of the screen that corresponds with the archive G/L volume serial name defined in (LJ1).
In the Volume field, enter the unit’s volume serial and press TAB.
The “N=Normal copy R=Recover deleted records, I=No duplicate keys” prompt appears. To eliminate duplicate records when copying the file, type I
The system copies the file and repeats the prompt Enter the File To Copy From. Press the Escape key to exit.

Year-End Hints: Last Minute Tips for 2007

Thursday, Dec. 27, 2007 — This is the last in a series of weekly messages with hints to help you prepare for year-end procedures. This message answers frequently asked questions about optional year-end reports, Vendor and Payroll tax preparations, general ledger reminders, backup and shutdown reminders, purging balanced WIP information, and UNIX and ASP procedural differences. It covers the following timely topics:

New! Do I Need to Schedule Site Maintenance for Period-End?

Yes. During your DDMS period-end and maintenance procedures, your ecInteractive™/is.D-Force®2 Web server is unable to connect to your Ensite Pro™ customer and item backend databases. However, the Web server will still be able to notify you via email that users are trying to access your site, or show a Scheduled Maintenance message.

The ecInteractive/D-Force 2 system will notify you whenever an end-user tries to access your Web storefront at the same time your DDMS server and/or TBLUtilities are shut down or otherwise inaccessible for:

DDMS backup
Day-end
Month-end
Quarter-end
Year-end
Ensite Pro software updates
Other maintenance while utilities are shut down
Other connection issues (that require you to contact your Internet Service Provider to resolve)
Other DDMS server issues (that require you to contact your ECI2 Support team to resolve)

As of Version 7.3.1.1215 (QC 6411), the system is designed to display the following message in case it cannot connect to your DDMS server gateway: "An error has occurred while communicating with the dealer host system. Please try refreshing your browser in a few seconds. If the problem continues, please contact customer support. We apologize for this inconvenience. Thank you."

When such gateway GOA exceptions occur, the system will also notify not only server administrators, but also the dealer and ECI² support personnel. The email notification reports: "ecInteractive Exception: An error occurred when accessing the socket: No connection could be made because the target machine actively refused it."

If you do not wish to receive this email notification during your DDMS period-end procedures, please set up your ecInteractive Site Maintenance schedule.

For detailed instructions, see page 6 of standard 2007 Year-End Key Ops newsletter (www.ddms.com/support/pubs/keyops.htm), or see the ecInteractive FAQs for Specific Features under the topic, "How do I set up my Offline for Maintenance Page?" (www.ddms.com/support/doc/ecinteractive.htm#feat).

New! How Do I Print These Optional Year-End Reports?

On page 14 of the standard 2007 Year-End Key Ops newsletter (www.ddms.com/support/pubs/keyops.htm), the Year-End instructions give you the option to print certain optional reports before performing the year-end function for various databases.

For detailed instructions on running those optional reports, follow the links below:

(R) or Reports Menu icon > Custom Inventory Reports icon: Print an Item Catalog Master Listing sorted by hits. You can limit the sort to items with a range of hits between 1 and 9999. You may also want to limit the report to the first 2,000-5,000 records, depending on the size of your business. This step is optional. However, this is your last chance to print this
report using the current year’s history. For detailed instructions, see the FAQ
www.ddms.com/Resources/Support/faq/period/invhits.pdf
(N) or Reports Menu icon > Custom Customer Reports icon: Print a Customer Master Listing w/History. This step is optional. However, if you opt to clear the Hits in Customer History Total Sales, this is your last chance to print this report using this year’s history. You can sort by sales (www.ddms.com/Resources/Support/faq/accounting/cusrept.pdf) or hits (www.ddms.com/Resources/Support/faq/accounting/cushits.pdf).
(UR-F) or Reports Menu icon > Standard Sales Reports icon > [F]: This step is optional. But to include year-to-date figures for the current year in your Full Sales Analysis, you must print the report at this point. If you print the report after performing the year-end function for Salesperson History, the YTD column on the report will be incorrect. See the online help topic, Full Sales Analysis
www.ddms.com/Resources/help/reportsmenu/Printing_the_Sales_Analysis_Full_Report__Standard_.htm

Updated! How Do I Prepare for Year-End Tax Reporting?

If you are responsible for providing W-2 Tax Withholding Forms to employees and 1099 Contract Labor Tax Forms to certain vendors, you must perform year-ending procedures for payroll and vendors. You must print these forms at the calendar year-end in December.

You must print 1099s just before you perform the MK steps where you execute the vendor year-end function in December.

If you are on a calendar year (where you close your company’s financial books in December) you will print 1099s while performing the Year-End Procedures section (page 14 of the 2007 Year-End Key Ops newsletter).
If you are on a fiscal year (where you close your company’s financial books in any month January through November), you will print 1099s while performing the Month-End Only in December section (page 9 of the standard edition).

You must print W-2s after you complete the last payroll of 2007 and before the first payroll of 2008 (pages 17-18 of the standard edition).

There are several important preparations before you begin these year-end procedures:

Make sure you have the latest W-2 report formats. The IRS changed the W-2 Tax Withholding form for the year 2007.
- The new formats are included in Ensite Pro 8.13 and higher. We are happy to ship this software update to you via United Parcel Service (UPS) Ground. Please send a software update request to support@eci2.com, and include your DDMS account number, contact name, company name, shipping address, and phone number. See www.ddms.com/support/release/whatsnew/ep813.htm
- For dealers who are not yet loading 8.13, the formats are available for download from our Web site (www.ddms.com/support/download/w2/). Please follow the instructions on that download page.
Decide which type of printer you will use to print W-2s and 1099s (dot-matrix or laser), order appropriate form stock from your supplier, and familiarize yourself with your printer’s instructions for setting the necessary characters per inch or lines per page. For more information, see “FAQs on Printing W-2s and 1099s” on page 5 of the standard 2007 Year-End Key Ops newsletter.
Make sure employee names will print correctly on your W-2 forms, and adjust the swap name setting in (LH-N) Payroll parameters if necessary. For more information, see “How Do I Set my (LH-N) Personnel Parameters?” in the Year-End Hints for Preparing Vendor & Payroll Data (www.ddms.com/support/faq/period-end.htm#yrPayTax)and “FAQs on Printing W-2s and 1099s” on page 5 of the standard 2007 Year-End Key Ops newsletter (www.ddms.com/support/pubs/keyops.htm).
Make sure your contract laborers have provided a vendor identification number, and that you have this ID in the Acct # field of the Vendor Master record. Otherwise, this number does not appear on the 1099 form.
After closing payroll, and before you begin your first payroll of the new year, update your DDMS tax tables parameters for 2008.
At the time of this message, the IRS had not yet published new rates for 2008. We will announce via email when we have updated our instructions for updating your (L4) screen. When that is available, make certain your (L4) parameter screen matches what is shown in FAQ file # 2: Setting (L4) Federal Payroll Tables for 2008 (pdf). If necessary, update the state tax fields in the (L5) State Payroll Tables screen. You are responsible for determining exactly how the tax laws affect your payroll, and research your own state taxes. Please consult your accountant and the IRS Web site (www.irs.gov).

Should I do Month-End Only Before I do Year-End?

If you are performing year-end procedures, DO NOT perform the Month-End Only in December steps on page 9 of the standard 2007 Year-End Key Ops newsletter (www.ddms.com/support/pubs/keyops.htm). Just follow the Road Map that applies to your business, and you will be completing the proper procedures in the recommended sequence.

NOTE: The reason it is important to follow the recommended sequence is that the programs for year-end procedures are designed to execute month-end tasks as well. If you perform the Year-End Steps after the Month-End Only steps, you must first restore your files from the backup tape made prior to day-end, then re-do Day-End procedures and all steps specified in your Road Map.

New! Digital editions of the Year-End KeyOps are now tailored to each Roadmap (Calendar12, TaxMonth12, Fiscal Y). To determine which one you'll use now, just answer a few questions online (www.ddms.com/support/pubs/roadmap/) .

Again, only perform the Month-End Only in December steps if your fiscal year ends in any other month, January through November.

What’s Important to Remember This Year for General Ledger?

The 2007 Year-End Key Ops newsletter (www.ddms.com/support/pubs/keyops.htm) includes important information related to general ledger:

If you are not closing general ledger on the same day you perform year-end procedures, there are important instructions (on page 19 of the standard edition) to change your G/L release password temporarily. This will help you avoid releasing batches into files that are not yet closed. Also see the article, "How Do I Keep Day-End Procs from Releasing my G/L Batch" in Year-End Hints for General Ledger (www.ddms.com/support/faq/period-end.htm#yrGL).
Dealers who keep G/L archive files in a separate volume serial may encounter an error. When they try to access prior-year charts of accounts, the system cannot find the CHART-CAT file. No action is necessary if you keep renamed G/L archive files with all your other G/L files in the volume serial defined in (LØ). For more information, see “Avoid Chart of Account Errors When Keeping G/L Archives Separate” in Year-End Hints for General Ledger (www.ddms.com/support/faq/period-end.htm#yrGL).

Note: The system does not allow you to release a batch to a closed business period. If a G/L batch includes postings to a closed period, you must reopen the period in question (by setting the Current Closed Period to an earlier period), and then release the batch. Afterward, we recommend setting the Current Closed Period is set to Period 11 of your previous fiscal year. For frequently asked questions, see Year-End Hints on General Ledger (www.ddms.com/support/faq/period-end.htm#yrGL). For detailed instructions, see the handout, Closing G/L Periods (www.ddms.com/Resources/Support/faq/accounting/gl-ClosPer.pdf).

Why Should I Perform Backup More Than Once?

Following the recommended sequence of saving backups and audit trail tapes for your Road Map can save you significant time by avoiding rework:

We recommend backing up your data immediately before performing the day-end procedures. This will ensure you can restore your system in case problems occur during day-end procedures.
We recommend backing up your data again immediately before performing the year-end procedures. This will ensure you can restore your system in case problems occur during year-end procedures without the need to re-do month-end procedures.

Why Do I Have to Shut Down TBL Server During Backups?

Occasionally, ECI² Technical Support receives calls from customers trying to restore DDMS files from a backup tape. In some cases, we have found that the customer’s backup is incomplete, and the files cannot be restored.

As you may know, the system will not back up any file that is currently being used. The cause of the incomplete backup is usually failure to complete a simple step: shutting down TBL Server before performing a backup. Many important DDMS files remain open when TBL Server is running, so it is important to shut down TBL Server to ensure a complete backup.

For detailed instructions on backing up your DDMS files, see “File #243: Backing Up Your DDMS Files in Microsoft® Windows 2000 (www.ddms.com/resources/support/faq/windows/backup.pdf).”

To learn how to verify that your backups are good, see “File #86: Making Sure Your Backups Are Good (www.ddms.com/Resources/Support/faq/utilities/verifybackups.pdf).” Note: If your backup log shows errors or skipped files, contact Support.

To learn how to restore files from a backup tape, see “File #92: Restoring From Backups under Windows 2000 (www.ddms.com/Resources/Support/faq/windows/restore-win2k.pdf).”

What Is the (Z-E6) Level R Shutdown?

The (Z-E6) Level R (reboot) shutdown is commonly used to properly take your system out of maintenance mode.

During year-end, it is listed as the first step of your backup procedures, as described on page 6 of the standard 2007 Year-End Key Ops newsletter (www.ddms.com/support/pubs/keyops.htm).

For year-end procedures, a Level R shutdown is used to reboot the DDMS system, ensuring that all data in cache memory is written to the disk. Using this function also will prevent damage to your data files by clearing cache memory, closing files, and emptying buffers.

The Level R Shutdown is performed through the [ZE6] Master Utilities screen (In graphical software, double-click the Keyop Menu icon, then double-click the System Utilities screen, select the [E] View utility type, then select subset number [6] System Shutdown, and then enter level R).

For more information about checking processes and placing your system in maintenance mode, see File #261: Protecting Your Data for Dedicated Procedures (www.ddms.com/resources/support/faq/utilities/maintmode.pdf).

Which Selector Is Best for Making Inventory Counts?

We wanted to clarify some of the updates to your Inventory Count procedures beginning on page 21 of the standard 2007 Year-End Key Ops newsletter
(www.ddms.com/support/pubs/keyops.htm) :

Printing the first Inventory Extended Dollars Report IS NO LONGER OPTIONAL, because it cannot be printed later properly after you clear on-hand quantities. The initial report will allow you to identify and ajdust discrepancies when you print your second Inventory Extended Dollars Report near the end of the Inventory Count procedures.
You may have to catalog each selector in your (LR) report parameters screen so you can print it from the (R) screen.

Here are the steps on pages 21-22 of the standard Year-End KeyOps:

(R) or Reports Menu icon > Custom Inventory Reports icon: Print an Item Catalog Report showing bin locations. If your Inventory has bin locations, we recommend using them to sort the report. To print the report, choose the selector, COUNT.

If you are making a full inventory count, print a complete listing. If you are making a cycle count, limit the report to show only the items to include in the count. Limit the items to be counted by vendor, bin locations, and/or stock classes.

NOTE: You can print an Inventory Extended Dollars Report instead of a stock catalog or the Inventory Count sheet.

(R) or Reports Menu icon > Custom Inventory Reports icon: Print an Inventory Extended Dollars Report. It provides an extended dollar total of your inventory. Sort the report by department and vendor within each department. Save this report for your audit trail.

Should I Purge Furniture Work In Progress (WIP) at Year-End?

Some furniture dealers use the Work In Progress (WIP) and After-the-Fact (ATF) add-on applications to monitor and adjust cost detail as their projects progress. We recommend purging all balanced WIP and ATF information at year-end.

When you make changes to WIP information in ATF and post it, the system updates the ATF-BATCH file, which is stored on the G/L volume serial. Until you release the information, you can return to the After the Fact window and make as many corrections as necessary. After you release it, the information is removed from the After the Fact window. In addition, both the Work in Progress window and the GL-BATCH file are updated with the changes you made.

To purge balanced WIP accounts, you can use the After the Fact window. You can limit the purge to a specified cutoff date. You can also save the purged information to an archived file.

For detailed instructions, see Furniture Work in Progress www.ddms.com/Resources/Support/faq/furn/furnwip.pdf.

I’m on UNIX, not Windows. How Are My Procedures Different?

There are some minor differences in procedure for UNIX customers.

UNIX customers have a Special UNIX Edition of the Year-End Key Ops newsletter www.ddms.com/support/pubs/keyops.htm.

The December 2007 issue for UNIX is the same as the regular KeyOps for Windows customers, except that certain steps are specific to the UNIX operating system.

You can also get to the Special UNIX Edition of the Year-End Key Ops newsletter from the UNIX FAQs page (www.ddms.com/support/faq/unix.htm).

I’m an ASP Customer. How Are My Procedures Different?

There are three major differences in procedure for ASP customers, since ASP Support routinely maintains the ASP servers:

If you are an ASP customer, you may need to contact support to schedule a backup and day-end procedure, depending on when you plan to do year-end.
If your fiscal year-end does not coincide with the calendar year-end (December), NOTIFY ASP SUPPORT so we can run your normal month-end procedures at the end of this month. (We do not run normal month-end procedures for customers who are closing their books, because your year-end procedures duplicate the related month-end functions.)
Some of the month-end procedures are different, including the steps and conventions for renaming and merging sales journals, since ASP Support routinely maintains sales journals after year-end.

For more information, look for the message titled, Year-End Information for ASP Customers (www.ddms.com/support/massfax/yearend07asp.htm).

ASP customers also have a Special ASP Edition of the Year-End Key Ops newsletter (www.ddms.com/support/pubs/keyops.htm).

The December 2007 edition for ASP is revised to reflect a new ASP Year-End Backup and Day-End calendar to help you determine if you need to schedule these procedures.

You can also get to the Special ASP Edition of the Year-End Key Ops newsletter from the ASP page (www.ddms.com/support/faq/asp.htm).

Printing the Inventory Hits Report This report, which shows how many times an item has been placed on invoices this year, is an optional part of your year-end procedures (file: invhits.pdf)

Printing a customer report sorted by sales Print the optional Customer Master Listing w/History report sorted by year-to-date sales before performing the year-end function for the Customer database (file:cusrept.pdf)

Printing a customer report sorted by hits Print the optional Customer Master Listing w/History report sorted by year-to-date hits before performing the year-end function for the Customer database (file:cushits.pdf)