AP Batch Control Processing

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Batch Control Processing

Voucher control groups are groups of vouchers that you want to process together for specific control or verification.
You can use control groups for a variety of purposes. You may want to maintain tight control over vouchers to make
sure they are all balanced before being posted, paid, and filed away for posterity. Or you can also let individual
vouchers post as they are entered and balanced.
You can use control groups to divide large numbers of vouchers among data entry clerks while retaining centralized
control of voucher processing. Another way to use control groups is to take advantage of separate processing rules
for vouchers from different Vendors or for different Business Units. For example, you may apply a different set of
Chart Field editing rules to one control group for a particular Business Unit than for others. Control groups are also
useful for maintaining control over batch voucher processing.
Topics

Using control groups

Setting up voucher control groups
Entering control groups
Understanding control group accounting options
Modifying vouchering options 1
Setting vouchering options 2
Setting sales/use tax options
Changing VAT processing options
Viewing voucher status
Control group register
Updating control group status
Approving groups for posting
Deleting control groups

Using Control Groups

Control groups are used to group a number of Vouchers together into one batch. This concept provides an efficient
means of controlling, filing and retrieving vouchers. As you enter vouchers into a Control Group, the system keeps
track of running totals. When the number of vouchers and the gross amount match the values entered by the
Supervisor, the group is ready for review. If you like, you can have the system automatically put the balanced group
in a Ready for Review status. When you enter the next voucher, the system selects the next group in the queue.
A Control Group must be assigned to an Operator before any Vouchers can be entered. Any Operator can assign a
Control group to either themselves or to another Operator, but only the Operator who has been assigned the specific
Control Group, can actually enter Vouchers into that specific group. If there are multiple groups, the system selects
the earliest group in the queue.
The Reference Number allocated to a Control Group is simply a sequential 6 digit number, which starts at 000001
for each Business Unit, then continues to increment indefinitely.

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AP Batch Control Processing

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Setting up Voucher Control Groups

You define, assign, and review voucher Control Groups in the Enter Voucher Information, Use, Group Information
panel group.
In the Vouchers Total and Assignment Entry panel you enter control totals that you will use to verify entry of
vouchers for the group. In this panel you can also assign a specific Payables Operator and a status to the group.
The Group Information panel group also contains optional Accounting Options, Vouchering Options, Sales/Use Tax
Options, and VAT Options panels that enable you to specify processing overrides for the Control Group, just as in
Business Units, Origins, and Vendors.
The Vouchers panel in the Information group displays the status of all vouchers that are entered into a group. In this
panel you can also change the control totals.

Entering Control Groups

.
To add a Control Group, select Group Information, Total and Assignment Entry, and the action Add. The system
will prompt you for a Business Unit and Control Group ID.

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Author M.Medel Espinoza

AP Batch Control Processing

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In the Total and Assignment Entry panel you enter Control Totals and assign the group to an Operator. The Gross
Amt (Amount) should equal the gross amount of all vouchers that you include in the Control Group, regardless of
currency.
Control totals: Run a tape
Turn on Run a Tape to have the system give you the equivalent of a simple adding machine in which to sum the
individual vouchers. Enter each voucher amount in the Adding Tape scroll box and use F7 to add more entries. The
cumulative amount and number of entries are shown in the Gross Amt and Vouchers fields respectively under
Control Totals. After you add up all the vouchers for the group, you can optionally turn off Run a Tape, and just
store the totals in the database. This action deletes the detail entries in the tape and enables the Control Totals edit
boxes. If you want to re-enter the voucher amounts, you can erase the existing totals by turning the Run a Tape
option off and then on again.
If you do not use the Run a Tape feature, enter the total number of Vouchers in the Control Group.
Actual Totals : displays real time totals of what has actually been entered into the system for that group.
Differences : contain the amount by which the control and actual totals differ. A Control Group is in balance when
Differences equal 0.
Assigning Control Groups to Operators
You can assign multiple Control Groups simultaneously to one Operator. When you Save the panel, the system
enters the date and time that you Assigned the Control Group as well as an estimated Due date and time. You can
override this setting if you wish. If you enter a Due time before saving, the system will accept it and not overwrite
it. If you assign an Operator to the group but you do not change the status to Assigned, the system will ask you if
you want to change the status of the group to Assigned when you save it. As Operators enter vouchers into the
system, the vouchers are placed in the earliest Control Groups assigned to an Operator. The Operator can override
this if necessary by clearing the Group field or prompting on it and selecting a new group to enter.
Control Group status
OPEN
Means that a Control Group has been allocated a number, but has not yet been assigned to an Operator ( i.e. Group
cannot be used )
ASSIGNED
Means that vouchers can now be entered into the Control Group by the person who has been assigned that group.
READY FOR REVIEW
Means that Adhoc Vouchers have been entered, and now are waiting to be approved.
VERIFIED
For Adhoc Vouchers it means that all Vouchers in that group have now been approved. For PO Vouchers, it means
that all Vouchers for that Group have now been entered.
In order for an Operator to enter Vouchers into the Control Group, you must set the Status of the Control Group to
Assigned. These statuses can be changed automatically by the Payables system or manually by the user.
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without the written permission of Rockwell Automation
Author M.Medel Espinoza

AP Batch Control Processing

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Understanding Control Group Accounting Options

Under Accounting Date you can elect to use a date other than the control hierarchy default by turning on Use
Current Date, or Use a Specific Date. You can also Specify an Accounting Entry Template.
Posting Timing lets you determine when it is valid to allow accounting entries to be produced for the Vouchers that
comprise a Control Group. You can choose Post Vouchers Individually in which case Vouchers post as soon as each
one is ready, or Post Only when the Group is Balanced.
With Payment Timing options you can choose to Pay Vouchers Individually or Pay Only when Group is Balanced.
Under Actions you can control whether Vouchers in the Control Group as a whole can be posted or paid. The state
of the Post Group check box is determined by the control hierarchy. Turn off Post Group and the Payables system
will not post this Control Group, regardless of whether the Control Group is in balance or whether individual
vouchers in the Control Group are ready to post.
You can also use the Actions option to control how Control Groups will monitor posting in the system. For
example, when you (as a supervisor) assign Control Groups in the morning, you might turn off the Post Group
check box. As Operators complete their groups, you can review each group for completeness, update their statuses
to Verified, and then turn on the Post Group option as you sign off on each Control Group.

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AP Batch Control Processing

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Alternatively, you may wish to let Control Groups post as they balance. Set the Posting Timing to Post Only when
Group Balanced and turn on the Post Group option. When the posting process runs, it will detect groups that are
verified and in balance, and post all Vouchers in those groups.
If youre using Control Groups strictly as a means of equally dividing up work and dont care to use the control total
features that it offers, choose a Posting Timing of Post Vouchers Individually and turn on the Post Group option. If
a Voucher in the group is postable, it will post regardless of the condition of other Vouchers in the group or of the
group as a whole.
Also within Actions, you can specify whether a Control Group must be verified before it can be paid. Turn on the
Only Pay Verified Groups option and, if the group is not verified, the payment process will not pay this Control
Group, regardless of whether the Control Group is in balance or whether individual Vouchers in the Control Group
are ready to be paid.

Modifying Vouchering Options 1

The Vouchering Options 1 panel enables you to specify a Voucher Approval method different from the default
assigned in the control hierarchy. For some Control Groups you may want the Vouchers to be pre-approved, and for
others you may want to specify special instructions for workflow approval.
You can change the Voucher Currency from the control hierarchy default for a particular Control Group.
On this panel you can also elect to Specify the Document Type for Document Sequencing.
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AP Batch Control Processing

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Setting Vouchering Options 2

You can set special overrides at the Control Group level for Duplicate Invoice Checking, ChartField Editing, and
Voucher Balancing. As with other default hierarchy levels, you can simply choose to default all options from the
higher level, in this case Origin.
For each of the options, you can also specify what action to take if duplicate invoices are found, ChartField
validation fails, or a Voucher group is out of balance.

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Author M.Medel Espinoza

AP Batch Control Processing

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Setting Sales/Use Tax Options

You change the Ship To Location for sales/use tax processing from the control hierarchy default by selecting
Specify and entering a Ship To and SUT Destination location.
You can also Specify the Sales Tax Tolerance as a fixed Amount and a Percent. If you choose to Specify the Sales
Tax Tolerance, you must enter a Currency Code and Rate Type.
The Sales Tax Tolerance determines the allowable difference between the sum of the sales tax amounts for each
Voucher line and the total amount entered on the header. If there is a discrepancy, the system compares the amount
of difference agains the Sales Tax Tolerance rules. If the difference is within tolerance, the Voucher is accepted. If
the difference is out of tolerance, you will be alerted with a warning message to check for input errors.
You can describe the tolerance as a Percent of gross and a fixed Amount. You can set the system to check against
the Percent first and if it is out of tolerance, check against the Amount. If both are exceeded, a warning is issued. If
Percent is exceeded and Amount is not, as in the case of a low Voucher amount, the tolerance is met and the Voucher
is saved without issuing a warning.

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This document contains proprietary information belonging to Rockwell Automation. It may not be reproduced in whole or in part, nor disclosed
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Author M.Medel Espinoza

AP Batch Control Processing

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Changing VAT Processing Options

You can redefine VAT processing options for Vouchers at the Control Group level on the Group Information, VAT
Options panel. By default, the Control Group will acquire the VAT processing options you defined at the Origin or
Business Unit level.

You can Specify the Declaration Point. This controls when VAT transaction information is declarable for reporting
purposes. If you choose At Invoice Time, the system will recognize VAT at invoice time; if you choose At Payment
Time, the system will recognize VAT at the time of payment.
You can Specify the Calculation Type by choosing Inclusive or Exclusive. If Inclusive, the VAT amount is not
stated separately, but is included in the merchandise amount. If Exclusive, the VAT amount is stated separately from
the goods amount.
Accept the default VAT Transaction Type or specify your choice here. The VAT Transaction Type categorizes VAT
transactions according to particular VAT accounting and reporting requirements.
The VAT Tolerance Check Indicator determines the allowable difference between the sum of the VAT amounts
calculated for each Voucher line and the total amount entered on the header. If there is a discrepancy, then the
system compares the amount of difference against these VAT tolerance rules. If the difference is within tolerance,
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Author M.Medel Espinoza

AP Batch Control Processing

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the Voucher is accepted. If the difference is out of tolerance, you will be alerted with a warning message to check
for input errors.
You can describe the tolerance as a Percent of gross and a fixed Amount. You can set the system to check against
the Percent first and if it is out of tolerance, check against the Amount. If both are exceeded, a warning is issued. If
Percent is exceeded and Amount is notas in the case of a low Voucher amountthe tolerance is met and the
Voucher is saved without issuing a warning.
You must specify the Currency for the tolerance amount and the Rate Type. The Rate Type determines the type of
rate the system uses to transfer the Voucher VAT amount into the tolerance currency.

Viewing Voucher Status

The Group Information, Voucher Status panel recaps all Vouchers entered into the Payables system under a Control
Group. This is a good place to quickly review entered Vouchers and identify discrepancies.

You can also change the Control Group control totals on this panel if, for example, the Original total was incorrect.

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Author M.Medel Espinoza

AP Batch Control Processing

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Control Group register

You can print out a Crystal report listing Vouchers by Business Unit, Control Group ID, date entered, and Voucher
number sequence by opening Enter Voucher Information, Report, Control Group Register. The system prompts for a
Run Control ID.
Select the Language for the report and enter the Report Request Parameters including the Business Unit and Control
Group ID. If you want to print the Voucher and distribution lines, turn on the Print Voucher Line and Print
Distribution Line check boxes.

Updating Control Group status

On the Enter Voucher Information, Use, Update Status - EntryPeople panel, Operators can look at the status of their
groups and mark the a group as ready for review when it is complete. An Operator can also use this panel to set a
group aside to work on other groups in the queue. Open Update Status - EntryPeople, to select a group to view.
Turn on Ready for Review to put the group into the Supervisors review queue. When the Supervisor opens the
Total and Assignment Entry panel, this group will be ready for approval.
Turn on Entry Set Aside to temporarily put this group on hold to prevent the system from automatically assigning it
during Voucher entry.

Approving Groups For Posting

If you have set up Control Groups for processing Vouchers, you can use the Enter Voucher Information, Group, Post
Group panel to display a list of all the Voucher groups that are postable for a particular Business Unit. The system
displays only Control Groups that are verified. Turn on Post for each Control Group that you want to post the next
time the posting program is run.
Vouchers in a group can be set to be postable as they are completedso the group does not have to be in balance
or only when a group is in balance. You set these defaults in the Enter Voucher Information, Use, Group
Information, Accounting Options.

Deleting Control Groups

On the Enter Voucher Information, Use, Delete Control Group panel, you can delete Control Group IDs if:

You no longer want to track them as a group after they are entered.

You entered a Control Group inadvertently.

You can also delete all or individual Vouchers within a Control Group.
Turn on Delete Control Group Record to delete the Control Group from the database and remove the Control Group
ID from each of the Vouchers listed in this panel. There are no caveats to deleting Control Group IDs. You can
reuse a deleted Control Group ID if you enter it manually as you create a new Control Group. The system wont
autoassign a Control Group number that has already been used, even if you have deleted it.
Turn on Delete Vouchers in Group to selectively delete individual Vouchers or all of them at once.

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without the written permission of Rockwell Automation
Author M.Medel Espinoza

AP Batch Control Processing

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Click the Select All button to delete all the Vouchers in the Control Group.
Click the Deselect All button to turn off the individual check boxes for the Vouchers listed in the group.
Click the Delete Selected button to proceed with the delete action youve chosen. You will be given a choice to
continue or to cancel. Just clicking the Save toolbar button will not perform the delete action.

Proprietary Information:
This document contains proprietary information belonging to Rockwell Automation. It may not be reproduced in whole or in part, nor disclosed
without the written permission of Rockwell Automation
Author M.Medel Espinoza