cats:procedures:accounting:isolateperiod

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Isolating a period creates a separate folder of data that preserves the state of the data as of the date of isolation. This allows users to review the accounting, traffic, and invoice information as it was on a specific date. Isolated areas are also essential for closing the accounting year and providing accurate end of month numbers.

A few tips about isolations:

  • Typically, isolations are done on a month-end basis. However, you can choose to create periods only for each quarter or even on a weekly basis.
  • CATS has room for 18 accounting periods. These periods correspond with the columns on accounting reports.
  • Isolations should be done after all traffic data has been entered into the system, but isolating a period should be done as close to the first day of the next month (or period) as possible to get the most accurate traffic data.

To isolate a period, go to Maintenance > General Maintenance > Account Update > Isolate a Period.

Accessing the isolate a period area.

The current list of periods available to isolate will be displayed. Select the period to isolate and ensure that, for new isolations, the setup is as shown in the image below.

  • Isolate period - Use the drop down to choose the period you want to isolate.
    Click here for example
  • Isolate as of - This date will be the date of the isolate period.
  • Isolation scope - Complete
  • New isolation - Create New Isolation
  • Auxiliary files - Overwrite
  • Acct/Recalc,Ck Contracts - Check box for Yes
  • Reindex - Leave un-checked for No

Then choose Apply to continue.

Select the options shown and a period to isolate. Press apply when finished.

If there are any pending (unposted) invoices for the current or previous periods, CATS will display a list. Select HTML > Open in Browser to print the list of invoices or Exit to proceed.

List of Pending Invoices. Select Print to print the list or Exit to proceed

CATS will ask you if you wish to continue. Select Yes to continue with the isolation process or No to leave the process and either delete or post the invoices.

Choose Yes to keep isolating or No to return to the main menu.
Invoices from the current year should be posted or deleted before making a final year-end isolation - an isolation used to close the year.

You will need to choose where to print the isolation progress report. Pick an output to continue.

Select an output for the progress report.

If you choose Yes, CATS will ask when you want to begin the isolation. Select Start Now to begin the isolation procedure.

Choose Start Now to begin the isolation proceess.

As files are copied to the isolation, the progress will be displayed in the upper-right corner of the screen.

Progress of the isolation.

When CATS has finished with the isolation, you will see a notification in the top-right of the screen that declares the isolation is finished. To close this message and return to the isolated area, click the mouse or press any keyboard key.

Isolation successful message. Press any key to continue.

You will now be in the isolated area. You can identify if you are in an isolated area by looking at the message in the top-right of the screen, which identifies the name of the area you are in.

Information about which isolated area you are currently in is displayed.

Occasionally, you may need to re-isolate a period you have previously captured in an isolation. CATS allows you to do so, with a limited scope. Choose Re-Isolate and then Apply to continue.

Re isolate a period
Accounting transactions and invoices can be entered into the current area and CATS can pull back-dated items into an isolation via re-isolation.

Updating an Existing Isolation

To pull newly entered transactions with dates from a previous month into an existing isolated area, you must first determine what type of information you wish to capture. Begin the isolation process as described above, but you will need to change the Scope of the isolation.

Choose a scope for this re-isolation.

Options for Scope of the Re-isolation:

  • Transaction File Only - Only copy accounting ledger items.
  • Futures Trades Only - Only copy futures trades.
  • Don't Overwrite Futures - Copy all but futures trades.
  • Start With Locations (No copying) - Use this only to back out location changes from the isolated area, using the history file.
  • Inventory Transactions - Copy only invoices.

Depending on what you choose, CATS will copy certain files into the isolated area.

Here is the typical setup we recommend for re-isolating a period, barring the scope as discussed above.

Re-isolation Setup for non-scope choices.

When the selections are correct, follow the steps above to continue with the re-isolation.

Creating a New Isolated Period

You can also choose to create a new isolated area for a period that has already been isolated. CATS will prompt you to do this if you choose Scope: Complete. If you want to move the existing isolation to a new folder, you can do so by choosing Yes.

Create new Isolation and copy old.

This will allow you to keep two separate sets of data for one area.

If you attempt to isolate a period that has already been isolated, you will see the following warning.
Isolation exists choose re-isolate instead.
  • cats/procedures/accounting/isolateperiod.1566923784.txt.gz
  • Last modified: 2019/08/27 16:36
  • by jen