Account Number Definition

The account number is defined to the system through a Reference File category.  Account/Center Defaults (category 107) records identify account number options.  One such option is an edit mask.  The specified edit masks are used to validate that specific digits of the account number are alphabetic, numeric, or blank.  If the company and location key fields on the Reference File are blank, edit masks are system-wide (global).  If only the company or both the company and location key fields are entered, edit masks pertain to a specific company or to a specific location.  When multiple levels of edit records are entered, the system validates entered account numbers against the lowest level of edit record on the Reference File.  That is, a location edit is used for validation instead of a company or global edit.  If no account number edit records are entered, account description records are not used to validate that having specific values appears in specific positions of the account number.

The Account Description (category 113) records on the Reference File define the account numbers that can be used in the system.  These records also contain the default account description and the account type.  The account type (asset, liability, retained earnings, income, expense or suspense) is used to determine how to maintain account amounts.  If accounts should be available for use by all locations (global), the company and location key fields on the account description records are blank.  If accounts should be Restricted for use in either a specific company or a specific location, only the company or both the company and location key fields on the account description records.  These records may be optional depending on the account/center defaults (category 107).  If these records are required, they are stored at the same level as the account/center defaults.  This allows accounts that belong solely to a legal entity, for example fixed assets, to be defined as available only to that specific legal entity.  Global accounts, such as payroll expenses, can be defined to all legal entities to ensure account number consistency over all entities.

After the account number edit records and all account descriptions are entered, center descriptions can be entered.  Account/Center Master File records can be created regardless of whether centers are defined.