Department Name in QuickSearch

Big Business 6.0.4 adds a Search option for Department Name as text. The existing Department search option finds a single match by having you choose from a dropdown list.

The new option lets you search for partial matches if, for example, you use Departments for tracking Jobs, Workorders, or Referral sources, and need to find multiple matches sharing a common beginning or contents. (6028)

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• Quote QuickSearch
• Sales Order QuickSearch
• Invoice QuickSearch
• Purchase Order QuickSearch
• Bill QuickSearch
• Employee QuickSearch
• Posting QuickSearch

  Department on Invoice and Bill Categories

Big Business 8.6 adds Department to the Categories on Invoices and Bills.

This Solution describes this feature. (6289)

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Switch to the Category tab of the Invoice or Bill to edit the Department on each Posting. If needed you can edit the Amount of Default Postings, Delete, or Add new Postings.

List the same Category more than once for multiple Departments.

Invoice Department is automatically assigned to all Postings including Categories without a Department specified.

If the Employee Preference to make Departments Manditory is enabled you must select Department at the top.

  Import Quote Department

Department on the Quote Line Item Import is updated to find a matching Department.

Prior to this change it would import any text and match the Department on invoicing. Now it matches the Department to an entry in the list, only, and fixes Quotes Search.

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  Using the Department Tag

This Solution provides instructions for splitting single items across Departments or profit centers. (3228)

  Chapter 209 Department Admin

Keeping in mind that an entire transaction is attributed to one Department, you may want to split shared expenses, such as phone bills, across multiple Departments.

Use the General Journal tool will give you more control. Each Posting on a General Journal has its own Department Tag. Making a periodic, summary correction often makes more sense (two offsetting entries to the same Category, "from" one Department, "to" another).

  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)

Next: Access Privileges

  Chapter 209 Department Admin

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.

  Profit & Loss Reporting by Department

This Solution describes the tracking of multiple profit centers within one Company File, using the Department tag on transactions. (3227)

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Big Business includes the ability generate Departmentalized Profit & Loss Statements, allowing you to track multiple profit centers. By tagging each and every transaction which impacts a particular profit center with a Department tag, you enable the Bookkeeper, "Profit & Loss Statement by Department" Report to isolate that department's activity.


To create the necessary Department tags:
1. On any transaction, select Show List from the Department Pull-Down menu.
2. Type a Department name in the Add to Department List field.
3. Click the Add button.

When entering transactions, enter the beginning of the Department name, and Big Business will fill in the Department or open the Show List window. By using unique beginnings to Department names, you can simplify your data entry to just a few characters for filling in the Department. Use "Sales-ABC" and "Service-ABC," rather than "ABC Sales" and "ABC Service."

To check that all transactions have been assigned a Department:
• Check that your various Departmental Profit & Loss Statements add up to the comprehensive Profit & Loss Statement.
• Use QuickSeaches for transactions. By searching for "Department is...(blank)" you can find those transactions that did not have a Department assigned.

  Department On Make A Payment To Vendor

Department On Make A Payment lets you filter the Bills displayed on the Make A Payment to display only those for the selected Department. (6193)

Next: Department On Make A Payment To Other

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To include Department on Make A Payment To Vendor screen:
1. Go to the Banking toolbar to Banking Prefs.
2. Click the checkbox for Department On Make A Payment.
3. Click OK to Save Banking Prefs.

Changes take effect the next time you Sign In.

To use Department on Make A Payment To Vendor:

1. Select a Vendor
This displays all of the Vendor's Bills.
2. Select a Department
This displays only the Bills with the selected Vendor and Department.

  Department On Make A Payment To Other

Department On Make A Payment To Other lets you enter a Department for use by Departmental Profit and Loss Statements. (6227)

Next: Report Options

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Make A Payment to Other includes the Department next to Pay To The Order Of.

  Profit and Loss by Department

Profit and Loss by Department exports Profit and Loss results for Departments, Unclassified (entries without a Department), and Totals. (6976)

Report Changes

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Profit and Loss by Departments exports Profit and Loss results for Departments, Unclassified (entries without a Department), and Total.

A Date dialog asks for a Date Range.

The report includes columns for Account Group, Account Code, Account Name, and the Departments, Unclassified, and Total.

The report includes all Profit and Loss Accounts when running, and skips any that have no Postings.