Chapter 511 Format
Format defines the presentation of data, like numbers with decimals, to be presentable.
Prices, for example, are displayed using two decimal places such as 1.00 for one dollar. This can be changed in the Format Numbers tool in the Company card in Big Business.
This chapter provides a quick overview of formatting options or settings for reference.
MyStart My Data
My Data is a choice in the MyStart dialog that offers to install and open a Demo File.
Click, My Data, to open your own Data File from a previous version or installation. Your Data File contains all your company data, documents, and settings from before.
Your Data File has a .4DD Extension, which you can search for. If you find more that one is the largest one--the most recently modified one--that you want to copy or open.
Inventory Sales Report
Big Business includes the Inventory Sales Analysis Report which Saves To Disk and includes extensive information about inventory and sales, including quantities as of a beginning and end date, costs, adjustments, sales, margin, and turnover.
This Solution describes the Sales Analysis Report. (5968)
The Inventory Sales Analysis Report is included in the Reports tool under Items. Because it contains so much information, it only Saves To Disk, and may take a while to run as it calculates stock levels as of its beginning and end dates and summarizes all transactions in the date range.
The Inventory Sales Analysis Report contains:
• Item Code
• Description1
• Description2
• Beginning Quantity
• Beginning Total Cost
• Buy Quantity
• Buy Total Cost
• Buy Average Cost
• Adjusted Quantity
• Adjusted Total Cost
• Sell Quantity
• Sell Total Price
• Sell Average Price
• Sell Total Cost
• Sell Average Cost
• Gross Margin Percentage
• Ending Quantity
• Ending Total Cost
• Actual Turns
• Annual Turns
The Report starts with an Item Search, so can be run for any group of resulting Items. Often, it will make the most sense to select the Search:
"Inventory Item Is Yes"
to run it for active Inventoried Items, but you may also run it for a particular Item Type, those with a Last Sold Date beyond a certain date, and so on.
To open the resulting export in Excel, launch Excel, go File, Open, and choose the file. On the Text Import Wizard click Finish.
Inventory Sales by Warehouse Report
Big Business includes the Inventory Sales Analysis Report which Saves To Disk and includes extensive information about inventory and sales, including quantities as of a beginning and end date, costs, adjustments, sales, margin, and turnover.
This Solution describes the Sales Analysis Report. (5968)
The Inventory Sales Analysis Report is included in the Reports tool under Items. Because it contains so much information, it only Saves To Disk, and may take a while to run as it calculates stock levels as of its beginning and end dates and summarizes all transactions in the date range.
The Inventory Sales Analysis Report contains:
• Item Code
• Description1
• Description2
• Beginning Quantity
• Beginning Total Cost
• Buy Quantity
• Buy Total Cost
• Buy Average Cost
• Adjusted Quantity
• Adjusted Total Cost
• Sell Quantity
• Sell Total Price
• Sell Average Price
• Sell Total Cost
• Sell Average Cost
• Gross Margin Percentage
• Ending Quantity
• Ending Total Cost
• Actual Turns
• Annual Turns
The Report starts with an Item Search, so can be run for any group of resulting Items. Often, it will make the most sense to select the Search:
"Inventory Item Is Yes"
to run it for active Inventoried Items, but you may also run it for a particular Item Type, those with a Last Sold Date beyond a certain date, and so on.
To open the resulting export in Excel, launch Excel, go File, Open, and choose the file. On the Text Import Wizard click Finish.
macOS Monterey
Big Business supports MacOS Monterey with BigBusiness 15 which is certified for it.
Apple has discontinued Monterey but it is the best choice for old machines that will not take a higher operating system but that you would still like to keep in the loop.
BigBusiness 15 is Universal and runs natively on both your old Intel Macs with i5, i7 and your new Apple Silicon Macs with M2, M3 and any mix of supported MacOS.
Mac Server Requirements
Big Business Mac Server needs a current computer to run efficiently. Minimums of 16GB of Memory and 4 Cores are recommended. Any new computer will meet these.
Big Business Mac Client and Windows Client can connect to Big Business Mac Server. Each client computer needs any current system and 8GB of Memory and 2 Cores.
Mac Server Getting Started
Getting started with Big Business Server is easy. Installation takes just a few minutes. You use simple dialog boxes to set up the program with your company data. If you choose, Big Business Server can automatically set up almost everything. You can also import data from other programs.
This chapter explains how to install and set up the software. After you finish this chapter, you’ll be ready to start working with Big Business.
Mac Server Install
Mac Server is easily to install. Download Mac Server from bigbusiness.com/download/
and open the disk image, pictured, and drag the Big Business Server to Applications.
Hold the Shift key while starting Big Business Server to select a different Data File.
Mac Server Installing Clients
Installing Clients to connect to your Mac Server is as simple as possible.
Windows Server
Big Business Windows Server is software you run on one computer to connect many users.
Big Business Client is software each user runs to connect to share data and add entries. Windows Client and Mac Client can both be used from a variety of current computers.
This chapter describes the setup and benefits of this design and control it gives you.
Windows Server Introduction
Windows Server is the multi-user version of Big Business™, the integrated business management tool from bigbusiness.com. Windows Server is based on a client/ server architecture that supports multiple simultaneous users— all your employees can access current information from the server.
Client/ server architecture divides data processing between the client and the server. The division of labor between these two parts is transparent to users. The client part is located on the user computers. Its responsibility is to display the Big Business interface and to query the server in response to user actions.
The server part is located on a designated server computer. Its responsibility is to store and manage data and provide services to the client computers across a network. To search for a set of customers, for example, users ask the client to locate certain customer cards. The client sends the request to the server, which executes the search on the server machine and returns the resulting customer cards to the client.
The benefits of client/ server architecture are increased efficiency and speed. Work is divided between the clients and the server and is intelligently managed to reduce the amount of network passes. The less network traffic, the faster the entire system works. Because all data is stored on the server, each client has immediate access to up-to-the-minute data.
Windows Server Requirements
Big Business Mac Server needs a current computer to run efficiently. Minimums of 16GB of Memory and 4 Cores are recommended. Any new computer will meet these.
Big Business Windows Client and Mac Client can connect to Big Business Windows Server. Each client computer needs any current system and 8GB of Memory and 2 Cores.
Windows Server Install
Windows Server is easily to install. download Server from bigbusiness.com/download/
and run the installer by choosing options to Keep, and for More Info, Run Anyway.
Hold the Shift key while starting Big Business Server to select a different Data File.
The installer puts a Shortcut on the Desktop that you can double-click to start.
MyStart Shift-Key
MyStart Shift-Key lets you switch Data Files when you hold the Shift key on startup.
Hold the Shift key while starting Big Business and continue holding until the dialog appears to Please Select A Data File.
Registration
Registration is the step where you enter a code into BigBusiness to enable its features.
You may run BigBusiness for a limited time in Trial Mode or with ended Subscription. Registration sets your Data File to run with your setup for some duration and version.
Registration may enable Services or Add-Ons or they may have separate registration. You will be sent emails, to your primary address, with Registration and instructions.
MyStart Server
MyStart Server enables Big Business Server to install Demo Files for testing, simplify startup for selecting your Data Files, and monitor automatic operations, like Backup.
Big Business Server is an application you run to serve your Data File to multiple people connecting with Big Business Client, to share data and coordinate data entry.
Chapter 58 MyStart
MyStart automatically installs Demo Files and helps you open your Data Files, easily.
Automating your options for testing, training, and selecting your Data File is the goal. Seamlessly connecting your second company or a new service for testing is the benefit.
Big Business covers a continuum of business needs, connecting a second company, connecting out to service like ecommerce or taxes, and MyStart lets you automate.
Versions
Versions help you coordinate your setup to avoid errors such as mismatched Clients.
Within a major version, Clients often work with Updates to Server without reinstall. Where needed, such as Database Updates within a version, Clients may need reinstall.
Versioning is updated to help within major versions.
Terms Access
Terms Access lets you set access for an employee to customer credit tools like Credit Hold, which can be used as a checkbox on Customers Search or Customer History.
Without All Access or Terms Access the employee will not be able to change Terms. Terms settings include Terms, Credit Limit, Credit Hold, and Credit Hold Days.
Automatic Access
Automatic Access lets you allow an Employee without All Access to use Automatic Actions.
Auto-Charge, for example, automatically sets Other Charges to Freight Charges. Once set if Freight Charges recalculates, Other Charges is updated.
With Automatic Access the employee can click the Auto-Charge checkbox on Orders. Auto-Charge can be preset on a Customer and only changed with Automatic Access.
Cannot Sign In
Cannot Sign In lets you lock out Employee cards that are not users or no longer active.
For example, you may have Sales Reps that are not employees, that do not sign in to Big Business, but you need in your Salesperson list. Just set them as Cannot Sign In.
Set Cannot Sign In on the Access tab of the Employee card. Or use Employees Search, Add the column Cannot Sign In to review, and select and click Update to change many.
Edit Automatic Actions
Automatic Actions allow you to select automations that a customer or an item can use.
If you are accessing customers for customer service you may not need to auto-invoice, edit their forms, or make other changes to automatic actions that help with fulfillment.
If you do, contact your system adminstrator to give you access by clicking Automatic Access on your Employee card. This change will take effect when you sign in again.
Department Mandatory
Department Mandatory lets you require a Department entry on all transactions. If you use Departmental Profit and Loss reports, this setting may help.
This Solution describes this setting. (6916)
To require Departments on all transactions:
1. Go to the Employee toolbar to Employee Prefs.
2. Click the checkbox for Department Mandatory.
3. Click OK to Save Employee Prefs.
Changes take effect the next time Employees Sign In.
Freight Terms Name
Freight Terms Name lets you search Freight Terms as text using Begins With and such. Freight Terms lets you search by choosing an entry in a dropdown for an exact match.
Freight Terms Name is available in Quote, Order, Invoice, Requisition, Purchase Order, Bill, and Employee Searches.