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Design collaboration for accounts package

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    Design collaboration for accounts package

    Hello

    Anyone interested in collaborating on a full accounts package.

    I already have a simple system tracking debits and credits, cheque writing, VAT tracking, simple stock control and extensive reporting.

    Now I want to move it up a gear or two.

    I'm in the UK so I have to pay particular attention to VAT tax although I think any tax system could be adapted to suit fairly easily

    Regards

    John
    Failure makes improvements

    #2
    Re: Design collaboration for accounts package

    Hi John

    I'd be interested in working with you on this. I'm based in Guernsey so it should be easy to work together if you want.

    I have done quite a lot of work on an integrated package and tested various linkable ledgers/modules i.e. Nominal, Sales, Purchases, Stock, Invoicing, Job Costing with VAT at various rates. These are now being linked which will take me some months as it is a spare time project.

    The testing was done on v6 and v7 but all of it works in v8 which I am now using so that it is Vista compatible. We would have to agree on the spec required i.e tables and sets. I can send you samples of these.

    My system allows for sets of accounts for multi-businesses as it is being designed for accountants to use as well as owners of one or more businesses. I have not attempted to include cheque writing yet but do have a Payroll system which is easy enough to link in.

    I tend to use mainly Action Scripting for most coding during the test stages. This can be converted to xbasic easily later.

    Mike

    Comment


      #3
      Re: Design collaboration for accounts package

      Hello Mike

      Your system sounds more advanced than mine.

      At present I get my information back out in a meaning way through reporting that filters on key fields in a single table.

      I have ideas in my head on how to take it to the next stage, which is probably where you are.

      I think we should communicate through the message board so as anyone who is interested can see what we are up to.

      This assumes you are not looking for a commercial end for this.

      I too work with action scripting and when I need code use the script recorder and then play about with it to get the desired results.

      I run three small limited companies which have to submit audited accounts for IR purposes combined turnover about �1,000,000

      Regards and here's to working together

      John
      Failure makes improvements

      Comment


        #4
        Re: Design collaboration for accounts package

        Hi John.

        I am happy to work with you to help achieve what you want if no-one else wants to join us. Two minds are better than one.

        After that it may be possible to develop your application into a commercial package but that is not important to me in the first place. Having said that it could be interesting in due course if other UK A5 users pooled resources to develop, test and market a variety of commercial applications!

        I am intrigued that you can achieve such a lot using just the one table!

        Let me know where to go from here.

        Best wishes. Mike

        Comment


          #5
          Re: Design collaboration for accounts package

          Hi Mike

          What I found over the years with Alpha was that I used to create too many tables and particularly forms. I appreciate the need for not having too many records in one table but frankly with the amount of grunt in an up to date PC that point is less of an issue.

          How I achieve this is by having very carefully chosen fields that I can create filters with. For instance. My category field acts like a nominal code so with having a number of predefined values (simple lookup) and allowing other entries I can create summary values in reports.

          Include a week of year, vat quarter VATed and reconciled fields and I can produce just about any report that my accountant requires. Some are saved other I do on a adhoc basis.

          Stick a few buttons on a form with intelligent filtering and you can produce masses of information about the data in fields on a form.

          For example, with my main input form I can print remittance slips, cheques, look at all previous payments to current record, between dates, spending today and on and on it goes.

          I see forms as a means to enter and edit data only. I use reports to view data. This method prevents accidental changes or deletions.

          My accountant wants me to move to a more "grown up" system
          so under pressure I will make the move

          Regards

          John

          See the attached jpeg
          Failure makes improvements

          Comment


            #6
            Re: Design collaboration for accounts package

            Hi again John

            I see what you mean - I'm impressed with the way you can simplify things.

            Your debits_credits system seems to be for bank account entries only but I may be wrong. It does not appear to cope with split entries e.g. a payment of �200 received of which �50 is for last year's debtors and �150 for this year's sales.

            I have a Chart of Accounts table for the various headings, a transactions header table describing the transaction type e.g. invoice or nominal journal and a transactions tail table for e.g. the invoice line items or the depreciation entries - in the latter the debits total must agree to the credits total.

            That is an over simplification which illustrates the nominal ledger system only - other tables include customer and supplier names/addresses, vat codes/rates etc. I have other tables which allow for differing Charts of accounts for differing businesses each of which can have accounts for various trading periods.

            All in all there are quite a few tables, sets and forms involved in my system! I do appreciate that some tables can be simple list boxes and that better use of buttons and filters could improve my own approach.

            What do you need to satisfy your accountant?

            Regards. Mike

            Comment


              #7
              Re: Design collaboration for accounts package

              Hello Mike

              I have no requirements for accounts receivable my interest is in accounts payable and income (bank deposits).

              Suppliers are taken care of by a table lookup which also fills in all the address details for a remittance slip and cheque printing, which is a standard tear out the book HBOS cheque.

              The bits you are mentioning are the parts I don't understand when it comes to accounting and hopefully I can pick it up as we go along

              John
              Failure makes improvements

              Comment


                #8
                Re: Design collaboration for accounts package

                Also

                To satisfy the accountant I need to move to a double entry system like you are using

                John
                Failure makes improvements

                Comment


                  #9
                  Re: Design collaboration for accounts package

                  OK let's just establish what else you need.

                  Do any of your businesses have any fixed assets such as office furniture, computer equipment or business vehicles? If so they will be in a section of or a note to the balance sheet prepared by your accountant - what are the headings (no need to give any figures)? If not will you have any in the future?

                  Does your existing system cover accounts payable reports at the end of the trading year i.e. supplier invoices received by you but not yet paid by you? You probably don't have this facility yet so but it should be easy to build in.

                  Your income is from interest on bank deposits and you probably post the receipts of interest already but will need to build in interest receivable at the end of the trading year. For example interest may be received on a bank deposit every 3 months and one month of this is due at the end of the year. Am I right about these needs?

                  What we are aiming for is to see whether the above features and some others not yet explored can be built into your one table system so that we can produce accurate Balance Sheets and Profit/Loss Accounts for each of your businesses.

                  I think that is achievable. It's an interesting challenge. There are many free/demo cashbook and accounts packages you can download which might be of interest too.

                  Can you let me have a zip of your present table with a few dummy records so that I can play around?

                  Regards. Mike

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Re: Design collaboration for accounts package

                    Hello Mike and John,

                    This is something of great interest to me. I have built up my system which basically does the estimating, job processing, purchase ordering and controlling of sub-contract labour of our construction based company. The next logical step was the accounts side of things and I am only in the planning stage of this, I want to get rid of our �700 annual subscription to Quickbooks! So any pointers would be greatfully received and any help I can give with anything would be freely given.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Re: Design collaboration for accounts package

                      Hi Lance

                      That sounds great. John's initial requirement is slightly different from what you have in mind. I think we have two projects here although there is common ground on the nominal ledger/accounts receivable etc. needs.

                      I can let you both have some simple demonstration applications which will teach you how a full accounting system knits together if you email me direct.

                      Also I can prepare some extra table/sets to build into your system but would need structure details of your existing ones first - a5doc or zips. Are you intending your end product for your own construction company only or for multi-businesses?

                      Best wishes. Mike

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Re: Design collaboration for accounts package

                        Welcome aboard Lance

                        Three heads are better than two

                        Mike

                        I think I need to put my present system on the back burner and build from scratch. I can then add in the bits in my present system that I need

                        Regards

                        John
                        Failure makes improvements

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Re: Design collaboration for accounts package

                          OK John. Will get back to you after the weekend. Mike

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Re: Design collaboration for accounts package

                            Hello Mike and Lance

                            Is it our intention to start with a nominal code table?

                            Mike, most nominal accounts appear to be 4 digits. Is there any reason why the can't be 5 or 6 digits or contain letters.

                            My stock falls into 3 categories economy, standard and luxury. I then want to break it down further into departments and then subgroups possibly 3 or 4 deep.

                            Can this be done with nominal codes or should this be achieved in further tables

                            John
                            Last edited by John Keogh; 06-21-2007, 03:28 AM.
                            Failure makes improvements

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Re: Design collaboration for accounts package

                              John - I think the Nominal Chart table is the starting point as all entries will be related back to that. I sent you a sample chart and table so that we can agree fields and form styles etc. before we really go for it.

                              The Nominal code field I used had more than 4 characters - think it was 8 but am not at my desk to check that right now.

                              Re your stock query, I think that the products/items need to be a separate table which can be linked to invoice lines etc later on. No problem in allowing for what yoy decribe.

                              Mike

                              Comment

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