Beginning Balances - Balance Sheet

Prepare the list of balance sheet balances to transfer to e-automate from your prior software system for which you do not plan to maintain transaction-level detail in a subsidiary ledger in e-automate.

Copy the General Ledger Import spreadsheet (GLImport.xls) from its location on your e-automate server to your local PC. If you installed e-automate on the server or on a per-machine basis in the default location, this file should be located at C:\Program Files (x86)\ECI\e-automate\Utilities. If you installed e-automate on a per-user basis in the default location, this file should be located at  C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local\ECI\e-automate\Utilities.
Note: If you cannot view this file location, see the Unhide Files and Folders in Windows topic.

In Excel, open your copy of the General Ledger Import spreadsheet (GLImport.xls).

To process data using this spreadsheet utility, you must enable the spreadsheet utility's macros in Excel. If you have macros disabled in Excel, a security warning appears below the Excel ribbon (or below the menu bar if the ribbon is hidden), indicating active content/macros have been disabled. To enable active content/macros for this spreadsheet utility, use a process similar to the following based on your version of Excel:

In Excel 2010 or 2013, click [Enable Content] to allow the active content/macros to run when you process this spreadsheet utility.

In Excel 2007 do the following:

Click [Options] in the security area to open the Microsoft Office Security Options window.

In the Microsoft Office Security Options window, select the Enable this content radio button.

Click [OK] to close the window.

In the Period Override field, enter the 4-digit year and the 2-digit period of that year that identify the accounting period before your go-live date on e-automate.  Example: If your company is on a calendar-year accounting system with 12 periods per year and your go-live date is in July of 2017, then enter in the Period Override field 201706 (for Period 6 of the Year 2017).

Using the list of balance sheet balances to transfer from your prior software system, populate the Journal Ref Number, Journal Description, Account Number, Department, Branch, Division, Customer, Job Number, Description, Amount, Reversing, and Date columns using this table and the guidelines that follow:
 

Column Name	Required	Validated	E-automate Use	Acceptable Values
Journal Ref Number	ü	ü	A unique number to identify this journal entry. Use this same Journal Ref Number and Journal Description for all rows that are part of the same journal entry, and list these rows in consecutive order in this spreadsheet. Note: When the data is imported, e-automate displays this number at the beginning of the Description field in the following format: [Journal Ref Number: Description].	Unique alphanumeric number up to 15 characters.
Journal Description	ü	ü	Description of the journal entry.	Alphanumeric text up to 255 characters. Journal entries that relate to one another must have the same journal description. This allows the system to find matching journal descriptions and look at their corresponding amounts to verify that the debits and credits balance. Note: Unbalanced General Ledger entries are not allowed in e-automate.
Account Number	ü	ü	The GL account number from e-automate to which the journal entry will post.	Log in to e-automate, and go to Accounting > General Ledger Accounts. On the General Ledger Accounts window, the Account number column displays the acceptable values.
Department		ü	Leave this field blank. E-automate does not use this field at this time.
Branch			The company branch with which the journal entry will be associated. If you do not have branching turned on, enter main.	If not using branches: enter main. If using branches: Log in to e-automate, and go to Accounting > Branches. If branching is enabled, e-automate displays the Branches window. The Branch number column displays the acceptable values.
Division		ü	Leave this field blank. E-automate does not use this field at this time.
Customer		ü	Leave this field blank. E-automate does not use this field at this time.
Job Number		ü	Leave this field blank. E-automate does not use this field at this time.
Description			A brief description of the journal entry.	You can enter whatever you would like in this field.
Amount			The amount being posted with this journal entry. See the Account Class Table to determine if the amount should be entered as a Debit or a Credit. Note: To enter a number as a Debit, enter a positive number; to enter a number as a Credit, enter a negative number.	Any dollar amount.
Reversing	ü	ü	An indicator to designate the journal entry as reversing (TRUE) or not reversing (FALSE). When TRUE, e-automate posts the defined journal entry in the current period and a reversing entry in the subsequent period.	TRUE or FALSE Verify that all rows for the same General Ledger journal entry have the same value. Typically, this value will be FALSE for adding initial balance sheet balances.
Date			The date on which this journal entry is to post.	The last date in the prior accounting period.

 

Enter only one account per row.

Create a unique Journal Description for each General Ledger journal entry.

Use the same Journal Ref Number and same Journal Description for all rows that should be processed as part of the same General Ledger journal entry. (Remember, Journal Descriptions must be unique for each General Ledger journal entry)

Once you have entered all your balance sheet numbers, sum the Amount column and verify the total equals the Net Income shown on your Balance Sheet.  If the totals do not match, review and correct the numbers in the Amount column as necessary until these totals match.  When the sum of the Amount column equals the Net Income shown on your Balance Sheet, add a final line expensed to the Opening Balance Clearing (OBE) account.
Note: If you summed the Amount column by adding an Excel formula to the spreadsheet (e.g., clicking Excel's [AutoSum] button to add an =SUM(ColumnRow:ColumnRow) formula to sum the amounts in the Amount column), remove the formula after you have verified that the Amount column's total equals the Net Income shown on your Balance Sheet.

Use any available Excel feature (for example, copy, paste, paste special, auto-fill) to transfer this data from your other software to these columns on the GLImport spreadsheet.

Verify the data transferred to the GLImport spreadsheet as expected. If you import dates with two-digit years, Excel converts the dates to four-digit years using your system’s regional date settings.

If you re-arrange, insert, remove, and/or hide any columns when entering the data for import, be sure to restore the original column sequence as listed in Step 7 and unhide the columns before processing the import.

Do not enter any data in—or delete any data from—the Result column (unless instructed to do so); e-automate uses this column during processing.

If you use formulas to populate your columns, be sure to copy and paste the values.

Click the [Import to e-automate] button.

Enter your User ID.

Enter your Password.

Select the appropriate Profile.

Click [OK]. E-automate displays the Backup Needed window.

Click [OK]. E-automate displays the Confirm Database window.

If you are in the correct database, click [Yes]. If not, click [No] to exit; or click [Change Database] to return to the login window, and return to Step 13. When you click [Yes] to confirm the database, e-automate processes the import.

When you process the import, e-automate displays the results of the import using the Result columns. If e-automate accepts a row (record) as valid, the Result column displays ‘Success.’  If e-automate does not accept a row (record) as valid, the Result column displays the reason the record was not accepted (for example, ‘***Journal difference must be 0.00’).
Note: E-automate does not import a journal entry unless all rows for that journal entry are accepted as valid.

For each journal entry for which any row does not list ‘Success’ in the Result column:

Review the error message displayed in the Result column, and make the necessary correction(s).

Clear the Result column for every row for the same journal entry (that is, where the Journal Ref Number and Journal Description are the same for each row).

When you are ready to re-try inserting the records into the e-automate database, click the [Import into e-automate] button.

When the import is processed, e-automate updates the Result column. If e-automate does not list ‘Success’ in the Result column for all rows for the same journal entry, repeat Steps a – c—reviewing the error messages, making the appropriate changes, and re-trying to insert the rows—until you have inserted all your records.

To verify the data imported as expected, do the following:

Log in to e-automate.

From the e-automate menu, select Accounting > General Ledger > Journal Entries to open the GL Journal Entries window.

Select the appropriate journal entry from the grid, and click [Edit] to open the Edit General Ledger Journal Entry window. The Entry details grid displays all the lines for the journal entry. The Summary region should list a Difference of $0.00.

Prepare the list of balance sheet balances to transfer to e-automate from your prior software system for which you do not plan to maintain transaction-level detail in a subsidiary ledger in e-automate.

From the e-automate menu, select Accounting > General Ledger > Change Period. E-automate opens the Change Period window.

In the General Ledger row, the Session Override column, use the lookups to select the period and year of the period immediately prior to the current period.

Click [OK] to re-open the selected period for this session only for the current workstation.

If you changed the year to select the prior period, e-automate displays a dialogue box indicating you may need to reclose the year. Click [OK] to acknowledge the message. You will not need to reclose the year since the data you are entering is for the period prior to your go-live date on e-automate.

From the e-automate menu, select Accounting > General Ledger > Journal Entries. E-automate opens the GL Journal Entries window.

Click [New] to open the New General Ledger Journal Entry window.

In the Entry Type field, verify the type is Normal.

In the Date field, enter the last date in the prior accounting period.

In the Reference field, enter a unique number or let e-automate assign the next available number.

In the Description field, enter Beginning Balances – Balance Sheet.

In the Entry details region, do the following:

In the General Ledger Account field, use the Lookup icon to select your first Asset account.

Leave the General Ledger Department field blank; e-automate does not departmentalize the balance sheet.

If your company uses branches, use the lookup for the Branch field to select the appropriate branch.

In the Description field, make no change to accept the default description.

Use the Account Class Table to determine if the income statement amount should be entered as a positive value in the Debit field or as a positive value in the Credit field based on the Account Class (Asset, Capital, Liability) and the sign (positive or negative) of the amount you are entering. For example, if the account is an Asset account and has a positive value, enter the amount as a positive value in the Debit field. If the account is an Asset account and has a negative value, enter the amount as a positive value in the Credit field.

Click [QuickAdd] to add this balance sheet balance to the Entry details grid.

Repeat Steps a – f for each Asset, Capital, and Liability balance sheet balance to transfer to e-automate from your prior software system for which you do not plan to maintain transaction-level detail in a subsidiary ledger in e-automate.

Verify the balance information is correct for each account listed in the Entry details grid.

Verify the Entry details grid does not include any lines for accounts for any of the following modules if you plan to record transaction-level detail for that module (subsidiary ledger) in e-automate: AR (Accounts Receivable), AP (Accounts Payable), CB (Cashbook), Inventory, Deferred Contract Revenue, and Fixed Assets.

Once you have entered all the account balances, enter one final line to balance the general ledger transaction. In the General Ledger Account field, use the lookup to select your Opening Balance Clearing account or an account of your choice.

Leave the General Ledger Department field blank; e-automate does not departmentalize the balance sheet.

If your company uses branches, use the lookup for the Branch field to select the appropriate branch.

In the Summary region, if the Difference is positive, enter the Difference amount in the Credit field. If the Difference is negative, enter the Difference amount in the Debit field.

Click [QuickAdd] to add this entry to the Entry details grid.

In the Summary region, verify the Difference is $0.00. If it is not, do the following:

Select the Opening Balance Clearing line from the Entry details grid.

Click [Edit] to open the Edit General Ledger Journal Entry Detail window.

Change the amount in the Debit or Credit field as appropriate to set the Difference in the Summary region to $0.00.

Click [OK] to save the edit.

Repeat Steps i – iv if necessary until the Difference in the Summary region is $0.00.

Once the transaction is balanced (the Difference in the Summary region is $0.00), click [OK] to save the journal entry and to close the New General Ledger Journal Entry window.

You can verify your Balance Sheet account balances by running a Balance Sheet Report as of the end of the previous period. Note: If you have not imported or entered your reconciled accounts, those balances will remain without your prior system balance until you have imported those balances into e-automate.

Run the Balance Sheet ReportRun the Balance Sheet Report