Account Groups

Account groups are used to associate an ordered set of account segments with a billing entity, such as a crew, a space, or a building. By creating an account group, the administrator creates an account string template, establishing the type and format of the account strings that can be associated with a entity using that account group.

For example, an administrator can create an account group named Maintenance, that includes the Fund, Organization, and Program segments, in that order, separated by dashes. If he then creates a crew, and associates the Maintenance account group with it, all account strings defined for that crew must follow the fund-organization-program format.

Account group definitions can contain more than just the set of ordered account strings. They can indicate whether account strings must be specified using an account index, whether certain segments are required or optional, or whether a billing type can also be associated with the account group.

When defining the NPFA account parameters for an entity, an account group must be selected before any account segments can be associated with it. The settings you define here determine the options available in the Accounts pane for entities using this account group.

To open the Account Groups page:

  1. Open the Administration Menu page.

  2. Under the NPFA ADMIN heading, click Account Groups.

ClosedAdd an Account Group

To add a new Account Group:

  1. Click the Add Account Group link.

    The Add Account Group dialog box opens.

  2. In the Account Group field, enter a name for the account group.

    The account group name must be unique. This is the value that will be displayed to users.

  3. In the Account Entity field, select the type of entity that this account group can be associated with.

    The values that appear in this drop-down menu indicate the types of entities that have Accounts panes on their Create/Edit pages when NPFA is enabled. Selecting an entity indicates that this account group will be a selectable option on the Accounts pane when defining account strings for the entity.

    Note:

    To create the account group that will be associated with work order billing, select the Maintenance Billing account entity. Only one account group can be associated with the Maintenance Billing entity.

    To create an account group that will be used to track grants using with complex allocations, select the Complex Allocation account entity.

    Once you select an account entity for an account group, it is permanent and cannot be changed.

  4. In the Allow Multiple Accounts field, select Yes to allow multiple accounts to be associated with this account group.

  5. In the Active field, select Yes to make this account group active.

    Inactive values remain in the system, but are not displayed to users.

  6. In the Enable Billing Type field, select Yes to enable the Billing Type field on the Accounts pane for the entity.

    If enabled, the user can select a billing type in addition to the account group when setting up an account. The billing type determines whether actual or estimated values are used when billing and the percentage of markup used.

  7. In the Tab Order field, enter a numeric value.

    The Tab Order indicates the position, in menus, where this value will be listed. Lower numbered values are displayed toward the top of the list. Values will the same tab order will be sorted alphabetically.

  8. Skip the Combo Validation field. This feature is not currently implemented and will be more fully defined in a future release.

  9. In the Default Delimiter field, enter the character that will be used to separate account segments.

    For example, if you select a dash, account strings will be formatted 111-222-333. If you select a default delimiter, you can override the delimiter for a particular segment, if required.

  10. Determine the Chart of Accounts settings.

    1. In the Use field, select Yes to display a Chart of Accounts field in the Add Account String dialog box when defining an account string for the entity.

    2. In the Required field, select Yes to require the user to select a chart of accounts when defining an account string for the entity.

    3. In the Use LOV field, select Yes to display the Chart of Accounts field as a drop-down menu containing valid values.

      If set to No, the Chart of Accounts field appears as a text entry field, and users must type a valid value into it.

    4. Skip the Validation field. This feature is not currently implemented and will be more fully defined in a future release.

    Clicking the Configuration link open the Chart of Accounts page.

  11. Determine the Account Index settings.

    1. In the Use field, select Yes to display an Account Index field in the Add Account String dialog box when defining an account string for the entity.

    2. In the Required field, select Yes to require the user to select an index when defining an account string for the entity.

    3. In the Use LOV field, select Yes to display the Account Index field as a drop-down menu containing valid index values.

      If set to No, the Account Index field appears as a text entry field, and users must type a valid account index value into it.

    4. Skip the Validation field. This feature is not currently implemented and will be more fully defined in a future release.

    Clicking the Configuration link open the Account Indices page.

  12. Click ADD.

    The account group parameters are displayed at the top of the page. The Account Segments pane appears at the bottom of the page, allowing you to define the account string format by selecting the required segments.

  13. For each segment you want to add:

    1. In the Account Segment field, select the segment you want to add.

    2. Click the Add Account Segment link.

      The account segment is added to the list

    3. In the Delimiter field, enter the delimiting character you want to include after this segment.

      Any value you enter overrides the default delimiter for this segment only. This value is ignored for the last segment.

    4. In the Order field, enter a value to change the order of this segment in the account string.

      By default, segments are listed in the order in which they are selected. If you enter a value, you can move a segment's position and the page will update to display the new order.

    5. In the Required field, select Yes to require the user to enter a value for the segment.

    6. In the Use LOV field select Yes to display a list of valid segment values when entering an account string segment.

    7. Skip the Validation field. This feature is not currently implemented and will be more fully defined in a future release.

    Clicking the Configuration link open the Account Segments page. Clicking the DELETE button removes the segment from the list.

  14. Click UPDATE.

ClosedEdit an Account Group

Accounts groups can be modified, for example, if you want to change the value that users see, you can modify the account group name. You cannot modify the Account Entity associated with an account group.

To edit an account group:

  1. In the Account Group field, select an account segment to edit.

  2. Click the Edit Account Group link.

  3. Modify any of the following values:

    • Account Group – the name of the account group

    • Allow Multiple Accounts – indicates that multiple accounts can be associated with the account group

    • Active – Yes indicates that the account group is active (displayed to the user)

    • Enable Billing Type – indicates whether the user can associate a billing type with accounts using this account group

    • Tab Order – the position in which the account group will be displayed in drop-down menus

    • Default Delimiter – the default character used to separate segments

    • Chart of Accounts – select values to indicate whether the Chart of Accounts field will be displayed, whether selecting a value is required, and whether the field will appear as a drop-down menu

    • Account Index – select values to indicate whether the Account Index field will be displayed, whether selecting a value is required, and whether the field will appear as a drop-down menu

  4. Click UPDATE.

  5. To modify the associated account segments, change any of the following values and then click UPDATE:

    • Delimiter – the character that separates this segment from the next segment (ignored for the last segment)
    • Order – the order in which this segment appears in the account string
    • Required – Yes indicates that the user is required to specify a value for this segment
    • Use LOV – Yes indicates that a list of valid values will appear when the user enters this field

    Once the required modifications are made, click UPDATE.

  6. If you want to remove a segment from the account group, click the DELETE button to the right of the segment.

ClosedDelete an Account Group

Account groups can be deleted if they are no longer needed or were entered in error. You cannot delete an account group that has been used. Therefore, if any billable entities are using this account group to define an account string, the account group cannot be deleted.

If an account group has been used but is no longer needed, you can edit it and make it Inactive to prevent it from being displayed to users.

To delete an account group:

  1. In the Account Group field, select the account group you want to delete.

  2. Click the Edit Account Group link.

  3. Click the Delete link in the top right corner of the dialog box.

    If the Delete link is not displayed, this account group is in use and cannot be deleted.

    A dialog box opens asking you to confirm your choice.

  4. Click OK.

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