With the changes to Account Maintenance (formally known as Add/Change/Delete), the page below includes some of the most frequently asked questions about how this area works.
Security and Permissions
Q: I have updated an account code, however the option 'Apply changes to Master Chart & Buildings' is not available to tick; how can I access this option?
A: A user must have the permission Data Entry > 'Apply Account changes to Master Chart & Buildings' allowed in Security Setup.
Q: We have marked Creditors inactive in the past &/or hidden in the new interface as we do not want them to be used; are we able to restrict who can mark & unmark a creditor as hidden?
A: Yes, there is a security permission in the category of Creditors called "Show/Hide creditors for selection"; if a user does not have this permission allowed, they will not be able to change the Hide setting.
Q: What security permission is now used to control adding and editing Bank Account details, and do contact cards hold this information for individuals and companies?
A: There is one permission, which is "Add or Edit contact bank account".
Account Maintenance
Q: When opening the Account Maintenance window, some codes are greyed, and some are selectable. Why is this, and can I remove the ones I don't need to view?
A: To allow for accurate reporting from StrataMax & DocMax, Account Codes that may have been previously deleted from such actions as Delete Codes, or if they have been ticked for Restrict Access, will appear greyed out like this. To toggle between current and hidden codes, tick the Show Hidden/Restricted tick box. If an account code has been restricted and is required, use the pencil icon and untick Restrict Access.
Q: In prior versions, we could use Master Chart Filter to add an account code to multiple buildings; how do I do this now that Master Chart Filter is no longer available?
A: From the Master Chart select Account Maintenance and then click on the button to copy account to other buildings. This will allow you to tag multiple buildings.
Q: We allowed Account Managers to change the Account Code Name (Description) to suit the requirements per building; can we still do this and how do we avoid this updating other buildings?
A: From the Account Maintenance menu, click on edit pencil of the required account code and update the 'Description' field. If only updating the 'Description' for the building you are in, ensure 'Apply Changes to Master Chart & Buildings' is unticked.
Q: If we use the option Apply Changes to Master Chart & Buildings; will this update the account code in all buildings?
A: The account code changes will only be applied to buildings where the account code description prior to the edit matches. For instance if changing 01401 from Admin Investment to Investment Admin Fund; the changes will only be applied to account code 01401 where the description is Admin Investment. This is consistent with how the old Master Chart Filter worked.
Debtor Maintenance
Q: At times we record tenants details in the Debtor for billing purposes, however, we like to keep the roll lot linked to the debtor; can we still do this and is there anything we should be aware of?
A: Links can still be used and when created the user will be warned that the account names do not match. To avoid updating the Debtor with any incorrect details you must remove the link before completing a Change of Details in the roll. You can update the roll Contact Card if required, as this will not change the Debtor information, as it uses its own contact card.
Creditor Maintenance
The Creditor 'Default Account Code' number identifies the Master Chart Creditor record used for the Creditor. This may differ to the 'Account Code' number in the building, and is populated as part of a Building Transfer. During the Building Transfer, creditors in the building are matched to the Master Chart based on matching BSB, Bank Account and ABN or Contact Name, and this field is populated if a match is found.
When the Creditor 'Default Account Code' field is blank, this means there is no matching Creditor in the Master Chart. You can add a record to the Master Chart by unticking the Hide tick box and the allocated number may differ, however, the Creditor details will be aligned.
Currently, we still recommend using the Change Code Number process after a building transfer using the Post Building Transfer Process, so creditors in the building are using the same code from the Master Chart. As the Payments enhancements are due to be released very soon, this process may be skipped until updated and payment for the local building can be completed independently in the interim.
Q. When entering a creditor invoice that uses a contact for BPay when is the CRN validated to ensure that the reference is correct.
A. Entering the creditor invoice provides the field for the CRN number and is validated at the entry stage. This avoids incorrect numbers being entered and having to edit or reverse any transaction.
Q: When selecting a Creditor to be paid by EFT, we are unable to save Bank Account details and we cannot save the record. How do we enter the bank account details?
A: The bank account details are stored within the contact card; click on the contact card icon (i) indicated below and edit the contact, ensuring all required details are included (the security permission "Add or Edit contact bank account" is required to update the bank account fields). Storing the bank account & ABN details within the contact card allows for consistent recording of individuals' & companies details in StrataMax. This allows the contact to be used for various positions, and also allows for merge tools based on the ABN and/or Bank Accounts.
Q: We have edited the bank account for a Creditor Contact and are receiving a prompt about the "Effective/Current BSB" and to "Please attach the source document containing the bank account details".
A: The Approve Bank Account Change configuration has been set and will require approval of all bank account changes. Refer to our article on Bank Account Change Approval Process.
Q: We have noticed some creditors that had previously been deleted now appear in some buildings again. Why is this?
A: In the past, StrataMax held a record in every financial year for a creditor; this allowed a creditor to be deleted from the current & old year if there was no activity, however, retained in prior years where transactions exist. To assist in reducing database & backup sizes, now only a single record for a creditor in a building exists and is required if the creditor has had activity. The option ‘Hide – don’t show in selection screens’ can be used to prevent the creditor from being displayed in selection screens unless the ‘show inactive’ option is selected.
The creditor record is required to avoid errors when running reports, looking up payments, invoices etc. A creditor can only be deleted if it has had no activity across all financial years. To assist in reducing old data, it is recommended to use the Data Health Dashboard to manage the retention of Lost Buildings and also Historic Financial Years.
Q: Why has the function 'Default Account Code' been added into Creditor Maintenance?
A: Creditor Account Codes will become less relevant with the use of Default Account Codes. In the past, having two account codes meant both would need to be updated if changes were required as they were separate records; now if the Default Account Code is populated with a different number, it doesn't matter which record is updated as information will update in both records. This helps reduce post building transfer tasks.
Q: In Creditor Maintenance, there is an option 'Current Building Only'; why would I need to use this option?
A: This option is defaulted to being ticked, however, at times the user may need to add a Creditor to the building that is already in another building but not in your Master Chart. Untick this option and then search for the required Creditor, and select Add to Current Building. While this option is unticked, Creditors from all buildings and the Master Chart are displayed, therefore duplicates may appear. Creditors that are not already in the building the user is in will not show an account code number.
Q: When we select a Contact to add to the Creditor record, a message appears stating the contact is already set as a Creditor however no positions are listed in the Contact Card. How do I find this Creditor?
A: In Creditors Management, unselect Current Building Only and the Creditor should then be able to be located. Contact Cards do not list positions for Lost Buildings, therefore it is likely the Contact Card is associated with a Creditor, however it is only used in Lost Buildings.
Q: We have transferred a building that contained several creditors that are in our Master Chart, however the Default Account Code was not populated; why is this and what should we do?
A: This can occur when data in the Creditor records do not match. During the transfer in, if the BSB, Bank Account Number and ABN or Contact Name of a creditor in the building matches a Master Chart Creditor, the field will be populated with the Master Chart Account Code. If those did not match and you have a Creditor in the Master Chart; it is recommended to use the Change Code process, however you may need to review the data to ensure the correct details are kept.
Q: We have transferred a building that contained several creditors that we have never used; do we need to add them to the Master Chart?
A: It is no longer a requirement to add Creditors to the Master Chart with the changes coming to Payments etc. If you do want to create a Master Chart record, untick the Hide option and the next available Master Chart Creditor Code will populate; there is no need to edit the number as it does not have to match the buildings Creditor Account Code. You cannot enter a Creditor Code that has already been used.
Q: How do we add an additional ABN to a creditor?
A: A creditor cannot have more than one ABN, so a second creditor contact card with the same details (name, address, email, etc.) would need to be created with a different ABN, and use the Location ID field to define the second, third, etc. contact with the same ABN. Use the Location ID field to define the next contact that uses the same ABN.
Q: How do we add an additional bank account to a creditor?
A: A creditor cannot have more than one bank account, so a second creditor contact card with the same details (name, addr. email, etc.) would need to be created with a different bank account, and may require the Location ID field to be complete if the ABN is the same.
Q: How do we view the logs of changes due to the old function that was called Master Chart Filter?
A: In Log Viewer search for the Category of Filter.log.
Q: How do we report the last activity date of Creditors now?
A: Use Search Creditors to report the last activity date. Search Creditors allows a user to configure which fields to include, allows for reporting one or multiple buildings, and exports to Excel.
Q: How do I remove or delete a creditor from a building?
A: If the creditor has not been used in the building, a red cross will appear next to the record, enabling you to delete it from the building in Creditor Maintenance. If the creditor has been used and is no longer required in a building, you can use the pencil icon to edit the local creditor area and select Hide, which will hide the record and prevent it from being used. Note: Creditors that are used in the current and last financial year cannot be deleted due to reporting purposes.
Data Links
Q: In Western Australia the outstanding amount for utility billing must be included on certificates, therefore the lot must be linked to the debtor; has this changed with the new data links?
A: At this stage you can link the Roll and Debtor records, however, you must remove the link before completing a Change of Details. You can update the roll Contact Card if required and this will not change the Debtor information.
