This page is about setting up dimensions and how to use them with accounting and invoices. More information about dimensions and their benefits can be found here.
Dimensions and their items are set up in Management > Accounting info > Dimensions.
In order to use buttons and functions concerning dimensions on invoice and accounting pages, items have to be created for dimensions.
Setting up dimensions
The amount of dimensions available in the Dimensions view depends on the product / contract type of Procountor in use. The maximum amount of dimensions is six. However, items of dimensions are unlimited.
Edit dimension button is used to edit the chosen dimension.
Edit items button is used to add items to the chosen dimension. Editing items includes also the possibility to set items as passive or as active.
Select file button opens a window that is used to upload a Dimension data import file.
In printable form button creates a list of all dimensions and items in the following forms:
- By dimensions, include inactive
- By dimensions, only active
- By item names, include passive
- By item names, only active
More information about dimensions-related setting in the Usage settings is found here.
Dimensions view of a receipt
Dimensions are determined in the Dimensions view of a receipt. In Invoice view and Salary slip view, the Dimensions view is opened by clicking the Go to button in the upper-right corner. In Accounting view and with journal receipts, the Dimensions view is opened by clicking the Dimensions button in the top row of the view.
If dimensions have not yet been made, the upper section of the view is empty. Respectively, if dimensions have been made, they are visible in the upper section of the view. The lower section of the view contains the receipt’s accounting entries.
Set receipt dimensions button opens the Receipt dimensions view (more information about this view under the heading “Receipt dimensions”)
Preview button opens the preview of the receipt.
Attachments button is used to view the attachments of the receipt.
Accounting button is used to go to the accounting page of the receipt.
Discussion button opens the invoice specific discussion.
Set transaction dimensions button opens the Transaction dimensions view (more information about this view under the heading “Transaction dimensions”)
Receipt dimensions
This view is used to set dimensions and items to the whole receipt. For example, if it is needed to set Expense 1 and Expense 2 items for the dimension of Project, these items are selected from the drop-down menu. New drop-down menus appear as new items are chosen for dimensions. The maximum amount of different items per one dimension is determined in the Usage settings.
The percentage of an item is added to the field under the item. The total amount of the items of one dimension must be 100 percent.
If a lot of items have been created, the search opened from the magnifying glass icon is a useful tool. The search field allows also parts of items’ names; the results will then show all items that match the partial name entered.
Entering dimensions to the receipt as a whole removes any dimensions that are set for single transactions. More about this under the next heading.
Save button saves the set dimensions.
Balance values button balances the values of last chosen items automatically in a way that the total percentage of a dimension’s items is 100 percent.
Clear values button removes all dimensions set to the receipt. A single dimension can be removed by choosing the first value (empty field) as the dimension’s item from the drop-down menu.
Add item button is used to add more items to dimensions. In order to get this button visible, the user must have access to all rights to basic accounting info.
Transaction dimensions
The Transaction dimensions view operates in the same way compared to the Receipt dimensions view. Dimensions can be added to specific rows of the receipt with Transaction dimensions. There are two ways to get to this view: either by clicking the Set transaction dimensions button or by clicking the Account no. column of a certain row.
If changes are made to one row in the Transaction dimensions view, these changes do not alter the other dimensions in the receipt.
Save button saves the set dimensions.
Balance values button balances the values of last chosen items automatically in a way that the total percentage of a dimension’s items is 100 percent.
Clear values button removes all dimensions set to the transaction. A single dimension can be removed by choosing the first value (empty field) as the dimension’s item from the drop-down menu.
Add item button is used to add more items to dimensions. In order to get this button visible, the user must have access to all rights to basic accounting info.
Dimensions in the accounting page
The receipt’s accounting page shows which dimensions and items have been added to different rows of the receipt.
Before setting dimensions, the postings have to be finished and saved with the Save button. If there is a need to change information later in the accounting page, the changes must be saved before setting dimensions.
If accounts are changed in the accounting page and the receipt contains manually set dimensions or default dimensions, the accounts of the dimensions will also change. Similarly, if dimensions are set to a single transaction, the dimension value will update with the change in the transaction row value.
If Rows to transactions button is clicked in the accounting page, the transaction dimensions will be removed, and the dimensions will be formed again with the default values.
If a transaction row is deleted, the dimensions set to the row are also removed.
If changes, that have an effect on the accounting page, are made in the Invoice view, the accounting and dimensions of the receipt are formed again as the changes are saved. This means that any manually set dimensions to the receipt are also removed.
Searching and reporting
Dimensions and items can be used as search values in the Receipt search. In these situations, the search results contain the receipts that include the searched items. On the other hand, it also possible to search receipts that do not contain dimensions at all.
Accounting reports can be examined by dimensions and their items. For example, the income statement can be opened in the following way: Every dimension code and total sum as the Presentation type and Dimensions as a New search criterion.
Dimension reports are also useful tools in tracking dimensions.
Allocated part function in accounting reports
In dimension calculation, the reports allow the use of items belonging to different dimensions to be used as search criteria so that the sums in the report are multiplied by the percentages of the selected items. These search conditions can be found by the name Allocated part: Dimension name. In addition, it is possible to select one dimension under which the sums by the selected items can be shown in columns of their own. This search condition can be found by the name Dimensions (Items field will appear after adding the search criterion). Therefore, calculation of the shares requires the use of Allocated part: Dimension name search criterion.
The principle of the calculation is that if an accounting entry has been divided into two projects in proportion 50/50 and to two cost centres in proportion 50/50, this makes four combinations, each of which has the value of 50% x 50% = 25%. And vice versa, 4 x 25% = 100% i.e. the total value of the accounting entry. The search condition functionality allows 0-6 dimensions to be included in the search and each dimension can include the desired number of items.
You can flexibly select different columns to the accounting reports. This makes it easy to define monthly or quarterly balances and comparisons to the budget or last year. These search conditions can be found by the names Report columns and Comparison data to be shown.
Examples of using the search criteria:
Objective is to include only entries belonging to Cost centre A and Project B:
- Add search condition Allocated part: Cost centre and select Item A.
- Add search condition Allocated part: Project and select Item B.
Objective is to specify the sum of a cost centre by project:
- Add search condition Allocated part: Cost centre and select Item A.
- Add search condition Dimensions (Items field will appear after adding the search criterion) and choose Project from the Dimensions drop-down menu and select B, C, D and others if needed from the Items field.
- Correspondingly, it is possible to add 3, 4, 5 or 6 dimensions (search condition Allocated part: Dimension name) and select as the dimension (search condition Dimensions and Item field that appears with it) something else.
Note! The Allocated part: Dimension name search conditions can be used with income statement and balance sheet only. They cannot be selected as search conditions with general journal or general ledger. Therefore, drill-downs from the report to general ledger are not possible; i.e. the Search transactions button is not in use when Allocated part: Dimension name search conditions have been selected.