Using Departments

Your Auto Shop Writer 8 will utilize departments by flagging  them with a one letter code.  Your first step is to design a department list.  Do this on paper so you can make changes and see how various options will work.  Then you enter them

into the system in Setup.

General Ledger

First you must set up the GL accounts that correspond to each department.  Department codes are used only for Income and Expenses.  The system will expect to at least have Income accounts for Parts, Labor, and Sublets.  You might use 40100 as the Parts Income account, 40200 as the Labor Income account, and 40300 as the Sublets Income account.

For each department, you will need to setup a sub account.  You do this by using the  Add to create a new record, and then entering the account number in the first field, and the department code in the second field.  For example, if you have three departments, A, B, and C, you will need to set up part income records for all three, plus the master account.  Lets say that A is the Mechanical Department, B is the Body Department, and C is the Electrical Department. You would create the following GL accounts for Parts Income:

 40100                Parts Income

 40100        A        Parts Income - Mechanical

 40100        B        Parts Income - Body

 40100        C        Parts Income - Electrical

You would do the same for Labor and Sublet accounts.  Anything posted to 40100 will accumulate in the first account, no matter what department is assigned.  However, entries for specific departments will be applied in the subsequent sub accounts ( A, B, and C ).

 *** SPECIAL NOTE ***  If departments are added to the system, the   computer will not add them into the totals, but will track their   individual totals, and permit reports to be run by department.  This is triggered automatically if the department function is turned on,   and accounts appear that have a department code.  Be sure to leave the department field blank if you are not using this feature.

Tools - Setup

You will select Tools - Setup - Lists - Departments from the menu.  First you will be asked if departments are to be turned on and you would answer Yes.  Then you will be asked for the master GL account numbers for Parts, Labor, and Sublets.  In our example, you would enter 40100, 40200, and 40300

.

To understand what each code means,  a list must be generated with titles for each department.  This option is presented next, and works in the same manner as all other lists, permitting the entry of codes, and descriptions.  You can enter the codes you assigned when designing your department structure.  Use letters that will most easily be remembered with the title, ie. P for Paint, B for Body, M for Mechanical.

Data Entry

When entering Parts and/or Labor, the screen provides a place to enter the department code for each individual item.  It will retain, and by default place the same department code, in successive screens, where it can be retained, modified, or removed as needed.

Reports

When running parts or labor reports, if departments are turned on in the system, you will receive a prompt for the department to be included in the report.  If all departments are to be included,   leave the field blank.

On the Workorder Reports screen, there is also a department report.  This will provide you with a summary of totals for each department you have established.

Departments are not reported in the General Ledger since they are simply subsets of the accounts.  The GL will always report on the total income in each category.