Workflow: Understanding Accounting Date Fields and Why You Can't Back Date Beyond the Current Period or Prior Year

Have you ever tried to enter or choose a date from the date picker in an accounting form that was earlier than the current month, or prior year? Let's say the current period is September 2005 and you try to:

  • Enter 8/31/05 in the date field and tab out. The system gives you a message that the date must be between 9/1/05 and 12/31/14.
  • Choose a date earlier than the current month from the date picker, but the left-pointing arrow will not go back beyond the current month.

This issue has to do with security rights. Specifically, the security rights to Post to GL for Closed Fiscal Period, or Post to GL for Closed Fiscal Year. You need to make sure the person that is trying to enter a date earlier than the current month, or year, has "full access" to this security right in Security Group Setup.

 

You can only change access rights in the non-permanent security groups; ones which are setup by the agency.

You must have Admin or Owner level privileges to access Security Group Setup.

  1. Open the Administration Center.
  2. On the General menu, select Security Group Setup.
  1. Open Employee Setup for the person that cannot backdate to a closed period or closed fiscal year.
  2. In the Security Group Assignment section of Employee Setup, write down the Security Groups the employee belongs to.
  3. Open the Security Groups section in the Security Group Setup, and select the security group your employee belongs to.
 

If this person belongs to more than one security group, you need only change one security group to have "full access" to "Post to GL for Closed Fiscal Period" or "Post to GL for Closed Fiscal Year" for the person to be able to back date.
  1. Click Edit on the section menu. This opens the Secured Item List section. Sort the Features column so that it is in ascending order, if not already.
  2. The "Post to GL for Closed Fiscal Period" and "Post to GL for Closed Fiscal Year" are All Centers features. Scroll down until you find these security rights.
  3. Click the Access option and choose "Full Access".
  4. Click Update on the Security Groups section menu.
  5. Click Save or Save and Close.

Any form that posts to the general ledger, and has a date field, is affected by the "Post to GL for Closed Fiscal Period" security right. The general ledger has four entry points, checks, receipts, journal entries and sales. The following forms in AMS360 are affected by this security right:

Form Field

Checks

Date

Receipts

Date

Journal Entries

Journal Date

Customer Center Billing

Invoice Date

Direct Bill Commission Statement

GL Date

Direct Bill Entry Statement

GL Date