Applesauce
Accounts Receivable
User's Manual
Requires:
Mac OSX (G4, G5 PPC or Intel), Windows 2000, XP, or Vista. Uses your existing
MySQLDatabase, PostgreSQLDatabase
or creates its own Built-in Database.
Contents: (top)
Contents
General Conventions
Getting Started
Start Screen
Enter Company Data
Edit Sales/Pymts Departments
Creating and Editing Discounts
Installing Customer Accounts
Viewing Your Account Records
Displaying Lists
Posting Transactions
Editing Customer Records
Editing Transactions
Printing Statements
Printing Reports
Monthly Closing Procedures
Archives
Deleting Records
Menu Items
Backups
Fine Print
General Conventions: (top)
Text Colors: Black text generally indicates data that is either read-only, or in a saved state. Blue text indicates that an item is editable. Red text indicates that an item has been edited but not yet saved.
Navigation: Generally Speaking, the Enter Key or Return Key will perform the action indicated. The Tab Key will activate an alternate action, such as traversing the buttons and other relevant items on a window. Mouse clicks can be used at any time to select editfields or fire buttons, but if a button action is inappropriate at the time, nothing will happen.
Macintosh and Windows navigation is almost identical, with a few minor appearance differences. This version of the User's Manual has Macintosh screen shots (last version was Windows), but there is little difference other than operating system appearance.
Getting Started: (top)
1.
Download the appropriate version (Mac or Win) from http://www. tradersbend.com.
Windows version comes with an Install Wizard; the Mac version is a disk
image. They will contain the application file, and two sub-folders called
Applesauce Art and HTML Help. Keep all of these items in the same folder.
If you move or delete them, the Help Menu won't work, the program may
quit; and artwork within the application will fail to appear.
2. Mac users: Drag the application folder to its permanent location on
your hard drive, which is usually the Applications folder. To remove the
program entirely, including the database, simply delete the entire Applesauce
Accounts Receivable folder. PostgreSQL and MySQL database users consult
appropriate documentation to remove those databases. The REALSQL database
is removed when the Applesauce Accounts Receivable folder is deleted.
To update the application, replace only the application, art, and help
file, inside the folder and your data will remain intact.
Windows users: The Installer will place the application folder in your
Program Files directory. Use the Uninstall utility to remove the program,
and delete the DBPrefs file and the DBFolder which contains the REALSQL
database. PostgreSQL and MySQL database users consult appropriate documentation
to remove those databases.
3. Double click on the application icon to start the program.
The first time you use Applesauce, you will be presented with a dialog
box asking for some basic information about the database you wish to use.
DATABASE INFORMATION SCREEN
From the Database Type menu, select the MySQLDatabase, PostgreSQLDatabase
or REALSQLDatabase.
You
can use the MySQLDatabase or the PostgreSQLDatabase if you already have
one installed on your machine, or have access to one on a network server.
These databases will work with Applesauce on any platform.
The REALSQLDatabase is created by Applesauce and it lives in the same
folder as Applesauce.
MySQLDatabase: In the Host field, enter the address (server.domain_name.com)
of a working remote MySQLDatabase to which you have access and permissions.
If the MySQLDatabase is running on the same machine as Applesauce, enter
"localhost". (no quotes)
In the Port field, the default is 3306 and should work unless you know
the port number to your MySQLDatabase Server is different. If it is, change
the default accordingly.
In the Database Name field, enter the name you wish to give to the database
that will hold your accounts receivable data. Any name will do, or you
can leave the default called arpdb.
In the User Name field, enter the name under which you are authorized
to access the MySQLDatabase Server.
In the Password field, enter your MySQLDatabase Server password. Note
that while your password doesn’t appear in the field, this is not an encrypted
password. Applesauce should only be used in a secure environment. If your
MySQLDatabase fails to connect, first check the above items. If it still
fails to connect, it is probably set up to use a different password scheme.
In that case we suggest you restart and use the REALSQLDatabase instead.
PostgreSQLDatabase: Process is the same as MySQLDatabase, except
the Port default is 5432.
REALSQLDatabase: This is an excellent built-in option. It will work on either Windows or Mac OSX machines.
Enter a name for your REALSQLDatabase, or use the default, arpdb. The other fields are dimmed because you don’t need them for the REALSQLDatabase. REALSQLDatabase is the default on the Information box. If you don't know which one to use, this is always a safe bet.
Click
the Save button.
Start Screen: (top)
START SCREEN - PRE REGISTRATION and DEMO MODE
Applesauce
will access or create the database and all the necessary database tables,
and open the Start Screen. If Applesauce cannot access your database with
the information you have provided, it will give you a failure notice and
quit.
A successful first connection will result in a small text file called
“DBPrefs.txt” being created in the same folder as your Applesauce program.
Applesauce will use it during subsequent startups. If the first connection
is unsuccessful, the file will be deleted as the program quits.
If
you are using the REALSQLDatabase option, a second item will appear inside
a folder called DBFolder, in the same folder as your Applesauce program.
It will have the name you entered in the Preferences window, with an extension
of .rbs.
At the top of the start screen you will see a field that reads "Enter
Owner's Name", followed by fields that read "Enter Email Address",
and "Enter Serial Number" (Once you register, these fields disappear
and are replaced with the Applesauce logo).
To run Applesauce in demo mode, ignore these fields, and do not click
the “Register” button. You can just start using the program. Demo mode
is fully functional but will quit after 500 uses. Use demo mode to practice,
evaluate, and get familiar with the program. Do not use demo mode for
important data. If you want to purchase ($49 US) a registered copy, mail
a check or money order to Lobsinger Consulting, P.O. Box 326, Newkirk,
OK 74647. Include your Name, email address, and snail mail address. We'll
send you a registration number as soon as your payment clears. If you
have questions, call 580 362-2269, or email us at applesauce@tradersbend.com
using a subject of “Applesauce Service Request” to avoid being spamtrapped.
Windows Navigation:
Mouse: Click on the function button, or function button sub-menu item, or select the function you want from the menu bar.
Tab Key: Will traverse the function buttons once the program is registered.
Arrow Keys: Will traverse the function buttons once the program is registered..
Enter or Return Key: Will fire the selected function button and either take you to the selected function window, or show a drop down sub-menu.
Up/Down Arrow Keys: Use to select an item from a sub-menu.
Macintosh Navigation:
Mouse: Click on the function button or click the function you want from the menubar. If a sub-menu appears, click on the sub-function you need.
Enter Company Data: (top)
COMPANY DATA SCREEN
Note
that when the Edit Company Data page opens, the text in all data fields
is black, which means it is not editable yet. When you use the Start button,
the text changes to blue. This means it is editable. When you enter new
data, the textcolor changes to red, indicating that it has been changed
but not yet saved.
Company Information section: Tab through the fields replacing "No
Entry" with the appropriate information about your business. You
may use the Tab, Enter or Return key if you wish.
Reports Tabpanel: Enter a Fixed Width Font from the popup menu
that you wish to use for printing reports. Courier New is suggested as
it is on most machines and works well. You may experiment and can always
change again later.
Enter a Variable Width Font from the next popup menu. Arial seems to work
well and is on most machines. You may experiment to see what works best
for you.
In the Statement Blurb field, enter a message you wish to be printed at
the bottom of each statement. Most businesses use this to document finance
charge policy. Tab, Enter or Return key will take you to the Tax, Finance-Charge
Rates Tabpanel.
Tax, Finance-Charge Rates Tabpanel: The Sales Tax Scope field should
hold the name of your most local sales-taxing authority, usually your
city.
Fill
in the rates for State, County, and City sales taxes you are required
to charge. Some states allow the merchant to keep a small percentage of
the taxes they collect as payment for serving as a tax collector. If your
state allows such remuneration, enter the rates where appropriate. (Use
decimal format i.e.: .015 for 1.5%)
Finance Charge Rate: If you have a finance or carrying charge you levy
on past due accounts, enter the monthly percentage rate here. (Use decimal
format i.e.: .015 for 1.5%) Enter zero (0) in any fields that do not apply.
Closing Date: Enter the number of the day you want to close your books
each month and Applesauce Accounts Receivable will remind you when the
day arrives. If you enter 28, 30 or 31 as the closing date, Applesauce
assumes you mean the last day of the month and automatically corrects
for short and long months.
NOTE: Be sure your system date is set correctly
each time you use Applesauce Accounts Receivable. If the system date is
incorrect, data loss could eventually occur. Transaction, Closing, and
Archiving dates could be incorrect.
Sales-Commission
Rates Tabpanel: You may enter commission rates for up to five sales
representatives. (Use decimal format i.e.: .015 for 1.5%). Save your work.
Windows Navigation:
Mouse: Click on any editfield to make changes. Clicking on Save saves. Clicking on End doesn't. Mouse click also opens popup menus and allows menu item selection.
Tab Key: Will traverse the editfields, tab panels and buttons, then repeat.
Enter or Return Key: Will traverse the editfields and tab panels until all information has been entered, then activate the Save button, save your work, and set focus to the End button.
Up/Down Arrow Keys: allow selection of popup menu items.
Macintosh Navigation:
Mouse: Click on any editfield to make changes. Clicking on Save saves. Clicking on End doesn't. Mouse click also opens popup menus and allows menu item selection.
Tab Key: Will traverse the editfields, tab panels and buttons, then repeat.
Enter or Return Key: Will traverse the editfields and tab panels until all information has been entered, then activate the Save button, save your work, set focus to the End button.
Up/Down Arrow Keys: allow selection of popup menu items.
Edit Sales/Pymts Departments: (top)
From the Start Screen, select “Edit Sales/Pymts Departments” from the
submenu on the Company Data button.
The Edit/Create Transaction Departments dialog appears. Click the Start
button to set focus to the Transaction Type listbox at the top. It offers
4 choices: Edit Sales, Edit Pymts, New Sales, and New Pymt. Choose the
one you need.
If you choose Edit Sales, or Edit Pymts, a list of existing Sales or
Payment Departments appears in the Department Name listbox. Choose the
Department you want to edit and press Continue. A blank Department Editor
window appears.
If you chose New Sales or New Pymt, then there is nothing to appear
in the Department Name listbox, so just press Continue and a blank Department
Editor window appears.
When a customer charges something to his account, you use the appropriate
Sales Department to post the transaction. Here is where you determine
what those departments are. Likewise, Payment Departments provide you
with a list of your company's approved Payment methods, like Cash, Check,
Money Order, Visa Card, etc. When a customer pays on his account, you
use the appropriate Pymt Department to post the transaction.
Applesauce is very flexible. The simplest Sales Department setup is
created for you by Applesauce, called General Mdse. Click the Edit Sales
item and you will see it in the listbox to the right, along with the
default Sales Tax department that the program creates from your Company
data.
If you click on the Edit Pymts item, Applesauce will show you a list
of payment departments. Applesauce creates one Pymt Dept for you called
“Check”.
If you want to return to the Start Screen, click the End button.
Creating a New Sales or Payment Department
Click Start, and then select New Sales or New Pymt from the Transaction
Type listbox. Click Continue to bring up the Department Editor window,
which initially shows a blank form.
When you click the Edit button to edit an existing department, that
departments data appears on the form. The Dept. Heading field receives
the focus and you can begin editing.
If you are creating a new department, the blank form will have a Create
button instead of an Edit button. Click on the Create button and the
next available department number will be inserted in the Dept. Number
field, and the cursor will appear in the Dept. Heading field so you
can enter a Department name.
Give your department a meaningful name in the Dept. Heading field.
Next, enter the name of the type of information you want the operator
to use to identify each individual transaction in the ID Type field.
This can be something like "Stock #", or "Clerk"
or "Part #" or "Check #", or whatever else might
serve the purpose. Short is better.
Most sales transactions are subject to sales tax, which is the default.
If not, uncheck the Sales Tax checkbox.
If you want to charge a minimum price, enter it in the Minimum Amt field,
and any charges amounting to less than the Minimum you specify will
always be increased to the minimum. Larger amounts than the minimum
will, of course, be honored.
A Contra department is something that isn't what it appears to be.
A Contra Sales Department is one that looks like a sale, but actually
isn't. Like Sales Taxes, which you have to collect for the government.
A
Contra Payment Department might be for Write-Offs that seem like payments
because they give credit to the customer, but don't result in any money
in your pocket.
If you are creating a Contra department, check the box.
Price Factors are the elements that make up the amount you charge for
your goods or services. In the simplest transactions, the price factors
are the price of whatever it is you sell and the number of them that
you sell. In this example you would have 2 Price factors: (Rate x Quantity)
which equal the Amount you want to charge your customer.
Sometimes you might want to have the computer determine the rate or
the size from other factors. Want ads in a newspaper might be computed
as the number of words times the rate per word times the number of publications.
So you would have three price factors: ((Word Rate) x (Words x Runs))
which equal the Amount you want to charge.
You
must always have at least two price factors, representing the amount
you are charging (Rate), and the number of those items you are charging
for (Size).
Sometimes you might want to have even more complex formulas using up
to six price factors.
But no matter how complex your formula, it can usually be broken down
into a Rate (the money part) and a Size (the non-money part). Then,
the Rate part times the Size part must equal the Amount you are charging
your customer.
Tip: Plan out your formula on paper in
advance and it will be easier to enter.
Determine how many Price Factors your department will have. Give them
names in the Price Factor Name fields. If you know the values and want
them to become part of the formula, enter them in the Price Factor Value
fields. If they change with each transaction, leave them blank for now,
and the operator can add them at posting time.
If you need to change a number, or correct your spelling, just mouse
back and do it. If you want to back out entirely, click the Cancel button.
When you have all the information needed in step one, continue pressing
the Enter or Return key until the Enter button activates, fires, and
takes you to Step Two.
In step two, you will enter temporary working values (just like an operator would at posting time) for all of the Price Factor Value fields you left blank in step one. Values you entered in step one are already shown in their respective fields in step two, so you can just tab or return past them. Unused Price Factor fields do not appear in Step Two.
You must enter a working value for each blank field in order for the program to create a department formula. The program will not let you advance past a field that needs a value entered.
When you have working values in all the necessary fields, the Continue button will take you to Step Three.
In our simple example you would click the Price button, the "*" button, and the Quantity button (Rate x Size), and the Enter Amount Formula button. Your formula appears on the right in the Amount Formula field: Amt * Qty.
The Rate is the money part. Enter the Rate Formula by clicking the Price button. The Rate Formula appears on the right in the Rate Formula field: Amt
The Size is the non-money part. Enter the Size Formula by clicking the Quantity button. The Size Formula appears on the right in the Size Formula field: Qty
TIP: If your particular design won't break down easily into a Rate and Size segment, you can use the entire formula for the Rate segment, and a Quantity Price Factor of 1 for the Size segment.
When all three items are entered, the Test button activates. Press Test, and using the step one values and the step two values that you previously entered, the program will compute the size, rate, and price for you. If your formula generates a valid result, the size part times the rate part will equal the price part. If it doesn't, the computer will advise you that the formula is invalid. (If your minimum is higher than what your working variables generate, the minimum price will appear instead of the actual price)
If all is well, click the Continue button to go to the final step.
If
you wish, you can test your new department formula using new working
variables to see how it behaves. The information box on the left shows
you your current formulas; the box on the right is exactly like the
one the operator will use on the Posting window at posting time.
The first field in the test box is where the operator enters information
unique to this transaction, like the Invoice number, Check number, Clerk's
initials, product description, or whatever is appropriate. Short is
better.
Navigate through the rest of the fields, entering values in the blanks.
When all the information is entered, the Calculate button will activate
and compute the amount of the sale or credit.
The save button (in this case) saves your department formula for use
on the Posting window. No actual transaction is saved here.
Tip: You can override any value in the
posting box by changing it. If the Quantity in the formula calls for
"1" and you have sold 2 items, simply change it to "2".
If for some reason this transaction is not taxable (church sale?), just
change the Sales Tax checkbox. You can override formula values in this
test box, as well as in the real transaction box on the Posting window.
If you are confident in your ability to create department formulas and
don't want to use the Test Box, just simply hit the Save button to commit
the formula to disc.
Payment department setup is very similar to Sales Department setup,
except that you will only need two price factors: the Amount tendered
and the Quantity (which is normally “1”). Both appear automatically
in a new Payment Department setup.
Deleting Sales or Payment Departments is easy, and explained later.
Windows Navigation:
Mouse: Click on any editfield to make changes. Clicking on Save saves. Clicking on Done doesn't.
Tab Key: Will traverse the editfields, tab panels and buttons, then repeat.
Enter or Return Key: Will traverse the editfields and tab panels until all information has been entered, then activate the Save button, save your work, and set default to the End/Cancel button.
Macintosh Navigation:
Mouse: Click on any editfield to make changes. Clicking on any button fires that button if appropriate.
Tab Key: Will traverse the editfields, tab panels and buttons, then repeat.
Enter or Return Key: Will traverse the editfields and tab panels until all necessary information has been entered, then activate the Continue button so you can go to the next step in the process. When all sections have been completed, the Save button will become default, save your work, and set default to the End/Cancel button.
All Platforms:
Use the mouse to click on Formula Calculator buttons in Step Three. Other navigation modes are inappropriate.
But first, a word about Discount Types…
Applesauce allows you to create several different types of discounts,
and as many different discounts of each type as you might need for your
business.
1. Dollar Discounts apply to All Accounts and All Departments, and is
based upon sales dollars during your business month.
2. Unit Discounts apply to All Accounts and All Departments and is based
upon product units purchased during your business month.
3. Frequency Discounts apply to All Accounts and All Departments and is
based upon an account's frequency of purchases during your business month.
4. Department Discounts apply to All Accounts who have purchased from
any Selected Department and can be based upon sales dollars, units of
product, or frequency of purchase.
Flat or Sliding Scale Discounts can be designed up to four levels deep
and can be based upon sales dollars, units of product, or purchase frequency.
They can apply to All Departments or any one Selected Department.
By design, Applesauce will only give discounts to accounts in good standing
with no past due balances.
Naming Convention: Applesauce will automatically establish the Type of
each discount you create. You give it a unique name. If you don't give
it a unique name, it will use the Type as the Name. Unique names allow
you to create as many different discounts of any Type as you might need.
Not giving it a unique name means you can only have one discount of that
Type.
You can create a very flexible discount policy for your business by carefully
choosing the type and design of discounts you offer your customers. Or
you can choose not to institute any discounts at all.
Applesauce creates an All Depts Dollar Discount type with a unique name
of Example All Depts Dollar Discount for you when you first run the program.
It gives All Accounts and All Departments a 2% Discount on the dollar
volume each customer spent with you during the month, regardless of what
they bought. If you wanted, you could create another All Depts Dollar
Discount type that would give a 3% Discount on the dollar volume each
customer spent with you during the month, as long as you gave it a unique
name, say, "My 3% Global Discount".
From the Start Window, select the Company Data button and choose Edit
Discount Departments from the submenu. The Edit or Create Discounts dialog
appears.
Editing An Existing Discount
If you wish to edit an existing Discount, you can click on the Start button,
select Edit Existing from the first listbox, and a list of existing discounts
will appear in the second listbox at the top. You can select the one you
wish to edit by double clicking on it, selecting it with the mouse, or
by using the Up/Down Arrow keys
| Using the "Greater Than", "But Less Than" and "Rate Is" fields, you could set up a single level discount like this: | ||
| Product Volume Greater Than 0 | But Less Than (blank) | Rate is .01 |
| Product Volume Greater Than (blank) | But Less Than (blank) | Rate Is (blank) |
| Product Volume Greater Than (blank) | But Less Than (blank) | Rate Is (blank) |
| Product Volume Greater Than (blank) | Rate Is (blank) | |
| which would give 1¢ discount for every unit purchased during the period. | ||
| Or you could set up a 2 level sliding scale discount like this: | ||
| Product Volume Greater Than 0 | But Less Than 101 | Rate is .01 |
| Product Volume Greater Than 100 | But Less Than (blank) | Rate is .02 |
| Product Volume Greater Than (blank) | But Less Than (blank) | Rate Is (blank) |
| Product Volume Greater Than (blank) | Rate Is (blank) | |
| which would give a 1¢ discount per unit to all customers who purchased up to 100 units of product and 2¢ per unit discount to all customers who purchased over 100 units of product. | ||
| Or you could set up a 3 level sliding scale discount like this: | ||
| Product Volume Greater Than 0 | But Less Than 101 | Rate is .01 |
| Product Volume Greater Than 100 | But Less Than 201 | Rate is .02 |
| Product Volume Greater Than 200 | But Less Than (blank) | Rate is .03 |
| Product Volume Greater Than (blank) | Rate is (blank) | |
| which would give a 1¢ discount per unit to all customers who purchased up to 100 units of product and 2¢ per unit discount to all customers who purchased between 101 and 200 units of product, and a 3¢ discount per unit to all customers who purchased over 200 units. | ||
| Or you could set up a four level sliding scale discount like this: | ||
| Product Volume Greater Than 0 | But Less Than 101 | Rate is .01 |
| Product Volume Greater Than 100 | But Less Than 201 | Rate is .02 |
| Product Volume Greater Than 200 | But Less Than 301 | Rate is .03 |
| Product Volume Greater Than 300 | Rate is .04 | |
| which would give a discount per unit sold of from 1¢ per unit to 4¢ per unit depending upon how many units the customer purchased. | ||
Navigate to the Test Amt field and type a number representing Units Sold,
and press the enter key. The discount rate appears in the Rate field,
and the discount amount appears in the Discount field. The Keep button
also activates. If the answers are correct for the test amount you entered,
then your discount is correct. Click on the Keep button to confirm and
activate the Save button.
If the rate or discount answers are not what you want, hit the Tab key
to set focus to the Revise button. When you press Enter on the Revise
button you can edit your entries from the beginning.
If your discount is correct, press the Save button and your new discount
will appear in the listbox.
Windows Navigation:
Mouse: Click on any editfield to make changes. Clicking on Save saves. Clicking on End doesn't. Clicking on other buttons will work if appropriate and do nothing if not appropriate.
Tab Key: Will traverse the editfields and buttons, and then repeat.
Enter or Return Key: Will traverse the editfields until all information has been entered, then activate the Save button, save your work, and set default to the End button.
Macintosh Navigation:
Mouse: Click on any editfield to make changes. Clicking on Save saves. Clicking on End doesn't. Clicking on other buttons will work if appropriate and do nothing if not appropriate.
Tab Key: Will traverse the editfields and buttons, and then repeat.
Enter or Return Key: Will traverse the editfields until all information has been entered, then activate the Save button, save your work, and set default to the End button.
Installing Customer Accounts: (top)
INSTALL ACTIVE ACCOUNTS SCREEN
The best time to transfer your existing accounts to Applesauce Accounts
Receivable is after you have closed out the month using your old system.
This insures that prior ageing is retained intact. You may enter new accounts
at any time.
From the Start Page, push the New Account button. The Account Information
window opens.
You can fill in as much or as little information about each account as
you wish, but you must have a unique Account Number and an Account Name
for each account.
Clicking on the Start button causes a dialog box to appear that will assist
you in procuring the next available Account Number.
An Account Number consists of a letter prefix from A to Z, and a 3 digit
number from 001 to 999. This means that you can have nearly 26,000 Accounts.
If you use a Prefix letter that is easily associated with the Account
Name, it makes life easier, but is not required. In other words, if the
account name is Chicago Iron Works, you could use C for the prefix to
make it easier to remember. The computer will assign the number part using
the next available number. If you delete an account, the computer will
reclaim that number the next time you enter a new account with the same
prefix letter. This prevents gaps and insures that you can always have
the maximum number of accounts.
Enter data in each field and tab to the next. When you get to the Current
field, its name changes to Credit Balance. If your account has a Credit
Balance, enter it here. Otherwise, Tab to the next field.
If
your account has existing balances due, enter them in these fields as
appropriate. For brand new accounts, or accounts with neither a credit
balance nor a balance due, leave the fields blank.
Save your data with the Save button, and default jumps to the End button.
Click End to return to the Start Screen, or Tab to the Start button to
enter information for another new account.
Windows Navigation:
Mouse: Click on any editfield to make changes. Clicking on Save saves. Clicking on End doesn't. Clicking on buttons will work if appropriate and do nothing if not appropriate.
Tab Key: Will traverse the editfields and buttons, and then repeat.
Enter or Return Key: Will traverse the editfields until all information has been entered, then activate the Save button, save your work, and set default to the End button.
Macintosh Navigation:
Mouse: Click on any editfield to make changes. Clicking on Save saves. Clicking on End doesn't. Clicking on buttons will work if appropriate and do nothing if not appropriate.
Tab Key: Will traverse the editfields and buttons, and then repeat.
Enter or Return Key: Will traverse the editfields until all information has been entered, then activate the Save button, save your work, and set default to the End button.
All Platforms:
Tab Key, Enter Key, and Return Key will NOT allow you to continue until you have an Account Number and an Account Name entered.
Viewing Your Account Records: (top)
DISPLAY ACCOUNT SCREEN
There are two tabpanels on the Display Account window. The Financial Transactions
tabpanel shows all of the current financial transactions that have been
posted since the last closing day. The Year To Date tabpanel shows you
a month by month report of purchases and payments made by this account
as of the last closing date.
Financial Transactions Tabpanel: You can print a hardcopy using
the Print button; you can edit the account contact information by pressing
the Edit button. Or you can double click any transaction (except Balance
Forward transactions) in the transaction listbox and edit that transaction.
If you press the Post button, you can open the Posting window and post
new transactions to the account. If you need to view another account,
use the Get Another Account button. And of course, you can use the End
button to return to the Start Screen.
Year To Date Tabpanel: Provides you with a month by month Purchase
and Payment record for the account, with totals to date of last closing
at the bottom.
If you need a report from the previous year, use the Get Last Year button
to toggle between the current year and the previous year's statistics.
Use the Print button to print a copy of either report.
If you need to send an email message to the account, click on the email
address field. If you want to visit the account's website, click on the
web address field.
Windows Navigation:
Mouse: Clicking on buttons will work if appropriate and do nothing if not appropriate.
Tab Key: Will traverse the buttons, then repeat.
Enter or Return Key: Will fire the default button.
Left/Right Arrow Keys: Will toggle between Financial tabpanel and Year To Date tabpanel
Macintosh Navigation:
Mouse: Clicking on buttons will work if appropriate and do nothing if not appropriate.
Tab Key: Will traverse the buttons, and then repeat.
Enter or Return Key: Will fire the default button.
Left/Right Arrow Keys: Will toggle between Financial tabpanel and Year To Date tabpanel.
Displaying Lists: (top)
ACCOUNT LIST SCREEN
The Select button sets focus to the popup menu that contains all of the various list categories that are available. Choose the appropriate item from the popup menu, and the list appears in the large listbox.
Windows Navigation:
Mouse: Clicking on buttons will work if appropriate and do nothing if not appropriate.
Tab Key: Will traverse the items on the screen as appropriate, then repeat.
Enter or Return Key: Will fire the default button.
Up/Down Arrow Keys: Will select list categories from the popup menu and individual accounts from the listbox for display or editing.
Macintosh Navigation:
Mouse: Clicking on buttons will work if appropriate and do nothing if not appropriate.
Tab Key: Will traverse the items on the screen as appropriate, then repeat.
Enter or Return Key: Will fire the default button.
Up/Down Arrow Keys: Will select list categories from the popup menu and individual accounts from the listbox for display or editing.
The account information appears on the screen. Click the Start button
to set focus to the Sales listbox. If you are posting a Payment, use
the Tab or Right Arrow key to transfer focus to the Payments listbox.
Select the department to which you wish to post from the active (Sales
or Payment) listbox. Enter to confirm your selection and then press
the Select button to open the Transaction box for the department you
have selected.
The Department Name is at the top of this box.
Next is a reference field where you may enter some type of identification
for the transaction. It could be an invoice number, a stock number,
a description of services or merchandise, the name of the clerk who
handled the transaction or anything else that works for your business.
Short descriptions work best as long ones will be truncated when printed
due to space limitations.
The Price Factors you defined when you created the Transaction Department
will appear. If you entered PERMANENT price factor values, they will
show in blue text in the appropriate fields. Some price factor value
fields may be blank, ready for operator input. Unused Price Factor fields
will not appear at all.
Even though you may have PERMANENT values showing, you may over-ride
them with operator input if need be. You may be giving a brother-in-law
a cut rate on his auto repairs and want to change the PERMANENT rate
of $50 per hour to $25 per hour. Applesauce lets you do that if you
wish. If the PERMANENT rate is what you want to use, simply tab, enter,
or return without changing it, and go on to the next field.
You can also over-ride the Sales Tax checkbox by simply changing it
with the mouse or space bar.
When the Calculate button activates, press Enter or Return once more
to see the results that will be posted to the account. The Save button
activates. If the amount is incorrect, you can back out entirely by
clicking on the "Unselect" button and starting over. If the
amount is correct, press the Enter or Return key once more to save your
transaction to the database.
If the sale is taxable, another transaction box will be automatically
opened for you with the information needed to post the tax transaction
already entered. Tap the Enter or Return key through the fields and
Save the tax transaction.
If you are finished posting, press the End button to return to the Start
Screen. If you have other transactions to make for the same account,
tab to the Start button and select another posting department. If you
need to post transactions to another account, tab to the Change Acct
button to open the Account Selection window.
You may use the left and right arrow keys to alternate between the Sales
listbox and the Payments listbox. Or simply mouse over the one you want
to select. Then you may use the up and down arrow keys to select any
department listed in the active listbox. Or you could select a department
by double clicking it with the mouse, like we did earlier.
Notice that when you are entering transaction information, the Current
Month and Ageing field groups automatically update when you hit the
Calculate button. If you Unselect, these fields revert to their original
values.
Notice also that the only fields you can change have white backgrounds
and blue text. Changes or values you have entered appear in red text.
Once a transaction is saved, the text changes to black.
Under the Current Month heading, the Balance Forward field shows any
balance carried forward from the previous month. The Credits field shows
all payments that have been made so far this month, including adjustments,
write offs, or other contra payments. The Charges field shows all of
the charges that have been made to the account so far this period to
date. It includes all product or service charges, as well as any taxes
or other contra sales charges. Finally, the Current Balance shows how
much the account owes you right now.
Under the Ageing heading, the Current field indicates all charges made
to the account this period to date. The 30, 60, and 90 day fields indicate
how much of the Balance due you is 30, 60, or 90 Days (or more) old.
The total of the Current, 30, 60, and 90 day fields equals the Current
Balance.
Posting Payments is just like posting sales transactions. Select the
payment department from the Payments listbox on the right. Enter the
appropriate reference description (check number, clerk number, credit
card auth number, etc), then the amount. Calculate, and Save.
Payments are always subtracted from the 90 Days or older balance first,
down to the current amount.
If you are finished posting to one account and want to go to another
one, click on the Change Acct button to go back to the account selection
dialog window.
The Select button will select whatever department is highlighted in
whichever listbox you have activated. The Unselect button will clear
whatever department is visible in the Transaction box. If it contains
unsaved changes, they will be discarded and account totals will revert
to their last saved status.
If you are finished posting, click on the End button to return to the
Start Screen.
Windows Navigation:
Mouse: Clicking on buttons will work if appropriate and do nothing if not appropriate.
Tab Key: Will traverse the editfields and buttons, and then repeat.
Enter or Return Key: Will fire the default button.
Up/Down Arrow Keys: Will highlight a department from the active listbox.
Left/Right Arrow Keys: Will switch between Sales and Payment listboxes.
MouseOver: Will also enable whichever listbox the mouse cursor is over.
Macintosh Navigation:
Mouse: Clicking on buttons will work if appropriate and do nothing if not appropriate.
Tab Key: Will traverse the editfields and buttons, and then repeat.
Enter or Return Key: Will fire the default button.
Up/Down Arrow Keys: Will highlight a department from the active listbox.
Left/Right Arrow Keys: Will switch between Sales and Payment listboxes.
MouseOver: Will also enable whichever listbox the mouse cursor is over.
When the Master Records Editor window appears, it will contain all of the account's information in black text. If you need to change anything in the white fields, you may do so by clicking on the "Edit" button at the bottom of the window. The text of all editable fields turns blue. Fields with a yellow background can not be edited, and their text remains black.
Navigate by mouse, tab, enter, or return key and make your changes, which turn red to show that they have been changed, but not yet saved. Click the Save button to save your changes.
You may click the End button at any time to return to the Start Screen. Any unsaved changes will be discarded.
If the transaction showing is not the one you want to edit, tab to the Get Next Record button and use the enter key to navigate through the transaction records until you get to the correct one. Then tab back to the Edit button and edit the transaction.
There are four editable fields (white background), but the text is black to start with. Push the "Edit" button and the text in those fields turns blue. Tabbing through them will allow you to change the text as necessary. To fire the Save button, as in other windows, you must use the Enter or Return key when the button has the focus. Push the Enter or Return key to save your changes.
If you need to edit another transaction record for the same account, navigate to the "Get Next Tx Record" button again and select the record you want. You can repeat the process until you are finished making corrections.
Applesauce will automatically correct the balance in the record you edit, as well as any subsequent records in the transaction chain. If your changes reflect a change in the unit count or purchase frequency, they will also be automatically corrected for you.
When you are finished editing transactions, click on the End button to return to the Start Screen.
Windows Navigation:
Mouse: Clicking on buttons will work if appropriate and do nothing if not appropriate.
Tab Key: Will traverse the editfields and buttons, then repeat.
Enter or Return Key: Will traverse the editfields and fire the default button.
Macintosh Navigation:
Mouse: Clicking on buttons will work if appropriate and do nothing if not appropriate.
Tab Key: Will traverse the editfields and buttons, and then repeat.
Enter or Return Key: Will traverse the editfields and fire the default button.
You might want to apply any discounts your customers have earned, and figure finance charges for customers with past due balances. We’ll talk about those items in a little while. For now, just take a look at the Print Statements screen to see how it works.
From the Start Screen, push the Statements button and select the All Statements submenu item which brings up the Print Monthly Statements window.
This window gives you the option of printing monthly statements for all of your accounts, which is the default. But you can also choose to print statements for accounts with past due balances if you choose. Make your choice from the radio buttons in the window and click Continue. Your printer will take over and spool the statements for printing. Wait until the spooling is complete and press the End button to return to the Start Screen.
You can also print individual account statements whenever you wish. The procedure is the same, except that you choose the One Statement submenu from the Statements button on the Start Screen.
Windows Navigation:
Mouse: Clicking on buttons will work if appropriate and do nothing if not appropriate.
Tab Key: Will traverse the buttons, and then repeat.
Enter or Return Key: Will fire the default button.
Macintosh Navigation:
Mouse: Clicking on buttons will work if appropriate and do nothing if not appropriate.
Tab Key: Will traverse the buttons, and then repeat.
Enter or Return Key: Will fire the default button
All Platforms:
Mouse: Click to change radio buttons.
At the end of each billing cycle, on or as soon after your designated
closing date as possible, there are several things you needs to do:
First:
Post Discounts, if any. (Menu Bar>Data Entry> Discounts)
Second: Post Finance Charges. (Menu Bar>Data Entry>Finance
Charges)
Third: Manually Backup Your Database To Zip Disc or CD
Fourth: Print Monthly Statements (Start Screen>Statements button>All
Statements)
Fifth: Print All Necessary Reports. (Start Screen>Reports)
Sixth: Close The Books. (Menu Bar>Data Entry> Close Month)
Under the Data Entry Menu in the Menu Bar, you will find three items that are disabled most of the time. They are Discounts, Finance Charges, and Close Month. The only time these items become enabled is on your designated Closing Date each month. They stay enabled until you close the month.
Applesauce Accounts Receivable reminds you when it is time to close your month when you use the program on your closing day. The reminders continue to appear until you do close the month.
Closing your monthly billing cycle is the last thing you should do every month. This process moves all of the month's financial transactions into a rolling 12 month archive so you have read-only access to them for a full year without resorting to off-premises backups on disc or CD. Once the archive is created, all of the current transactions are disposed of, Ageing is updated, and the balances forward are rolled over as the first entry of the next billing cycle for each account.
It is important to note that in order for the 12 month rolling archive to be accurate, be sure your system date is set correctly, otherwise your transaction dates will be inaccurate, your designated closing date may be inaccurate, and your monthly archives may also be inaccurate.
CHECK YOUR SYSTEM DATE EVERYTIME YOU START UP APPLESAUCE ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE TO BE SURE THE DATE IS CORRECT. FAILURE TO DO SO MAY RESULT IN INACCURATE DATA STORAGE AND DATA LOSS.
Each month on your closing date, three items become active under the Data Entry menu. These tasks should be performed as part of the month-end procedure. They are Discounts, Finance Charges, and Close Month. This concerns Closing the Month.
In order to close the books, select Data Entry>Close Month from the Menu Bar. Then a dialog window will appear asking you to confirm that you wish to close the month's transactions, a notice showing today's date, the month that the current records will be archived into, and a Checklist of things you should have already done before getting here.
Click the Start button and the first item in the checklist gets the focus. If you have completed posting all charges and payments for the month, use the spacebar or mouse to check the checkbox. The enter or return key takes you to the next checkbox, then the next until they are all checked and the Continue button gets the default.
The program will NOT close the month unless all of the checkboxes are checked. So check each one, even if you don't need to perform a particular action. This means that if you have chosen NOT to give discounts, that's OK. But check the checkbox anyway so the program knows you didn't just forget to do it.
If all is well, click the Continue button. When the process is complete, click the End button and take the rest of the month off.
Notice
that Discounts, Finance Charges, and Close Month are all grayed out under
the Data Entry menu after you close the month. This is to prevent you
from accidentally closing the month twice. They will stay grayed out until
your next closing date.
A small dialog box appears asking you to confirm that you want to delete this item. If you are deleting an account and there is a balance due on the account, it tells you how much. It also tells you if there are any records in the archives of the past 12 months. Then you have the information you need to either Delete the account or Cancel and back out.
Usually, you wouldn't want to delete any account with a balance due, or one with records still in the archives because without the account information, you have no way of accessing those records. When you're finished, click on the End button to return to the Start Screen. The best time to delete account records is after you have backed up your system and closed the month, and before you post anything else to the account. That way, the most current records are in the backup and archives.
Edit Menu
Edit Company Data – Allows you to enter or edit information and preferences about your company.
Edit Customer Data – Allows you to edit or add information about your customers.
Edit Transaction Data – Allows you to modify an incorrect customer transaction.
Delete Customer – Allows you to permanently remove all information about a customer, including transactions and archived records.
Edit Sales/Pymt Formulas – Allows you to edit or add a sales or payment department.
Delete Sales/Pymt Formulas – Allows you to remove a sales or payment department.
Edit Discount Type – Allows you to modify or create a discount.
Delete Discount Type – Allows you to remove a discount.
Data Entry Menu
Post – Allows you to post sales or payment transactions to an account.
The Data Entry Menu also contains three items that are disabled most of the time. The only time they become active is on your designated Closing Date, and they stay active until you close your month. These three items are Discounts, Finance Charges, and Close Month.
Discounts. - The Discounts menu item allows you to automatically figure and post discounts to your transaction files. Selecting this menu item brings up the Calculate Discount window. You choose the discount you wish to apply from the selection box at the top, push the Continue button, and Applesauce chooses the qualifying accounts and posts the discount transactions. When it is finished, choose the End button to return to the Start Window, or, if you need to apply other discounts, tab to the Start button and select the next discount to apply.
You will usually apply discounts once a month, only after all other transactions have been posted, but before you print statements. If you forget and run a discount a second time during the month, the program will not give double discounts. It will only give the discount for qualifying purchases not already discounted (if any) during that period. Note that accounts which receive discounts do not get finance charges, and accounts which receive finance charges do not receive discounts.
Remember that If you apply a discount to a particular Sales Department, and then give another discount that applies to All Departments, the accounts receiving the Sales Department specific discount will also receive the All Departments discount as well. Be judicious in creating any discount policy for your company.
Finance Charges - If you elect to apply a finance charge to past due amounts, this menu item will do the work for you. Click the Continue button on the Calculate Finance Charges window and Applesauce will automatically choose only accounts with past due balances, calculate the charge based on the finance charge rate you previously entered in the Company Data window, and post the transactions to the appropriate accounts.
You can only apply finance charges once a month, only after all other transactions have been posted, but before you print statements and close your month. Once applied, the Finance Charge menu item becomes disabled again to prevent you from accidentally applying it twice in the same period.
Note that accounts which receive discounts do not get finance charges, and accounts which receive finance charges do not receive discounts.
Close Month - Once you have entered all transactions, applied all appropriate discounts, posted all appropriate finance charges, printed all of your statements and any reports you might need, and backed up your data, you can close out your month.
Applesauce gives you a checklist of what should be done before you close out the month, because there is no undo. When the "Close Month" dialog window appears, click the Start button and check each of the checklist items on the window.
If you come to an item you have forgotten, click the End button, go finish your chores, and come back when you are sure you’re ready to close the month.
If you don't give Discounts, or don't charge Finance Charges, check the checklist items anyway so Applesauce knows you haven't forgotten about them. It's just a reminder to do it if you need to. When all of the check boxes are checked, the Continue button becomes default and you can proceed to close the month.
Click the Continue button and Applesauce will transfer all of the month's transactions for each account over to an archive file, and create a balance forward transaction for each account for next month. When it finishes, you will notice that the Discounts, Finance Charge, and Close Month items in the menu bar are once again disabled and will stay that way until your next closing date.
Click on the End button to return to the Start Screen and take the rest of the month off.
Display Menu
One Account – Allows you to view current transactions or Year-To-Date activity for any account you choose.
Account List – Allows you to view various lists of accounts.
Archives – Allows you to view and print transaction activity for any account for any of the previous 12 months without resorting to backup disks.
Print Reports
All Statements – Allows you to print monthly statements, or groups of statements based on their past due status.
One Statement – Allows you to print a current statement for any account you select.
Sales Recap – Allows you to print a report showing sales for the current month, broken down by sales department.
Payments Recap – Allows you to print a report showing payments for the current month, broken down by payment department.
Sales Tax Recap – Allows you to print a report showing total sales, sales tax exempt sales, and the amount of sales tax you owe for the month.
Help Menu
Contains a list of Topics in smaller sections that are helpful when using the program.
Known Issue: Occasionally on Macintosh, a Help file will not render properly when selected. Workaround is to select another help file, open and close it, and then try to reopen the one you need.
Making monthly backups of your data is always a good idea, even though Applesauce keeps a 12 month rolling archive for you. Your place might burn down. Somebody might steal your computer, or it might crash on you. Make backups.
If
you are using the REALSQLDatabase, the easiest way to backup your data
is to burn the entire Applesauce folder to a CD each month just before
you close out your books. Macintosh and Windows both come with applications
that allow you to create CDs, or you can use a third party application.
If you copy the entire folder to CD, then if you ever need to access
ancient information, you can do it directly from the CD itself without
having to reinstall anything.
If you only backup the database file in the DBFolder, then you have
to jump through hoops hiding your current database, putting the old
one in it's place, looking up your ancient data, and then reversing
the process to get the current database back in its proper home. If
the entire Applesauce folder is too large to fit on one CD, then you
have really outgrown Applesauce and need an Enterprise system. We'll
be sorry to lose you, but congratulations on your success!
If you are using the MySQLDatabase or PostgreSQLDatabase option, consult
your system administrator or the appropriate documentation for backing
up those database files.
© LOBSINGER CONSULTING & ENGINEERING
This manual and the software described in it are copyrighted, with all
rights reserved. Under the copyright laws, this manual or the software
may not be copied, in whole or part, without written consent of Lobsinger
Consulting & Engineering, except in the normal use of the software
or to make backup copies of the software. The same proprietary and copyright
notices must be affixed to any permitted copies as were affixed to the
original. This exception does not allow copies to be made for others,
whether or not sold, but all of the material purchased (with all backup
copies) may be sold, given, or loaned to another person. Under the law,
copying includes translating into another language or format.
You may use the software on any computer owned by you, or on as many
computers owned by you as you wish, but extra copies with the serial
number assigned to you installed, cannot be made for computers which
you do not own.
Trial or Demo Versions of Applesauce, clearly indicated as such on the
Splash Screen, and all original related files in the Applesauce Folder;
or copies of the original downloaded files may be freely distributed.
The Lobsinger Consulting & Engineering Logo is not trademarked,
nor is it registered in the U.S. or anywhere else. Unless you're a Greek
geek, you probably don't even know what it is. Or care.
Lobsinger Consulting and Engineering makes no warranty of any kind with
regard to this material, including, but not limited to, implied warranties
of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. Lobsinger Consulting
and Engineering shall not be liable for errors contained herein or for
incidental consequential damages in connection with the furnishing,
performance, or use of this material. Any trademarks mentioned in this
text are the property of their respective holders.
© LOBSINGER Consulting & Engineering
8210 North Trader's Bend Road
P.O. Box 326, Newkirk, OK 74647
(580) 362-2269
robert@tradersbend.com
Revised 02/17/08 ARP2008r1
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