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Epicor ERP Implementation User

Guide
10.2.600
Disclaimer
This document and its contents, including the viewpoints, dates and functional content expressed herein are the
proprietary copyrighted property of Epicor Software Corporation, are intended for informational purposes only and
are believed to be accurate as of its date of publication. However, Epicor Software Corporation makes no guarantee,
representations or warranties with regard to the enclosed information and specifically disclaims any applicable implied
warranties, such as fitness for a particular purpose, merchantability, satisfactory quality or reasonable skill and care.
As each user of Epicor software is likely to be unique in their requirements in the use of such software and their business
processes, users of this document are always advised to discuss the content of this document with their Epicor support
representative, account manager and/or consulting personnel. All information contained herein is subject to change
without notice and changes to this document since printing and other important information about the software
product are made or published in release notes, and you are urged to obtain the current release notes for the software
product. The usage of any Epicor software shall be pursuant to an Epicor end user license agreement and the performance
of any consulting services by Epicor personnel shall be pursuant to Epicor's services terms and conditions. Usage of the
solution(s) described in this document with other Epicor software or third party products may require the purchase of
licenses for such other products. Where any software is expressed to be compliant with applicable laws or other statutory
or regulatory requirements in this document, such compliance is not a warranty and is based solely on Epicor's current
understanding of such laws and requirements. All laws and requirements are subject to varying interpretations as well
as to change and accordingly, Epicor cannot guarantee that the software will be compliant and up to date with such
changes. All statements of platform and product compatibility in this document shall be considered individually in
relation to the products referred to in the relevant statement, i.e., where any Epicor software is stated to be compatible
with one product and also stated to be compatible with another product, it should not be interpreted that such Epicor
software is compatible with both of the products running at the same time on the same platform or environment.
Additionally platform or product compatibility may require the application of Epicor or third-party updates, patches
and/or service packs and Epicor has no responsibility for compatibility issues which may be caused by updates, patches
and/or service packs released by third parties after the date of publication of this document. Epicor, Business Inspired
and the Epicor logo are trademarks of Epicor Software Corporation, registered in the United States, certain other
countries and/or the EU. All other trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. Copyright ©
Epicor Software Corporation 2020. All rights reserved. Not for distribution or republication. Information in this document
is subject to Epicor license agreement(s).

10.2.600
Revision: May 20, 2020 10:33 a.m.
Total pages: 827
sys.ditaval
Epicor ERP Implementation User Guide Contents

Contents
Introduction..........................................................................................................................17

Chapter 1: Company Configuration...............................................................18


Company Maintenance..................................................................................................................................18
General Settings.....................................................................................................................................18
Access Options.......................................................................................................................................20
Email and Reporting...............................................................................................................................22
BAQ External Datasources.......................................................................................................................26
Company Configuration................................................................................................................................28
Detail......................................................................................................................................................28
All Modules............................................................................................................................................31
General...........................................................................................................................................31
Localization.....................................................................................................................................32
Detail.......................................................................................................................................32
Intrastat...................................................................................................................................34
Currency.........................................................................................................................................43
GL Control......................................................................................................................................45
Taxes...............................................................................................................................................46
Configure Tax Settings.............................................................................................................46
Tax Interface............................................................................................................................48
Sales.......................................................................................................................................................53
Opportunity/Quote..........................................................................................................................53
Order..............................................................................................................................................55
Primary Order Options..............................................................................................................55
Shipping and Other Options.....................................................................................................58
Customer Relationship Management (CRM)....................................................................................60
Case Management..........................................................................................................................62
Demand..........................................................................................................................................63
Production..............................................................................................................................................65
Job..................................................................................................................................................65
Data Collection................................................................................................................................70
Product Lifecycle Management (PLM)...............................................................................................72
Quality Assurance (QA)....................................................................................................................73
Material Requirements Planning (MRP)............................................................................................74
Materials................................................................................................................................................77
Inventory.........................................................................................................................................77
General Inventory Options........................................................................................................77
Lot Inventory Options...............................................................................................................80
Purchase..........................................................................................................................................80
Shipping Receiving..........................................................................................................................83

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Contents Epicor ERP Implementation User Guide

Serial Mask Formats.........................................................................................................................86


Finance...................................................................................................................................................88
Accounts Receivable........................................................................................................................88
General....................................................................................................................................88
Natural Accounts......................................................................................................................93
Individual Deposit Invoice Tracking...........................................................................................94
Additional Settings...................................................................................................................96
Accounts Payable............................................................................................................................97
Primary AP Options..................................................................................................................97
Enable Invoice Dates and Other Options...................................................................................99
General Ledger..............................................................................................................................101
Payroll...........................................................................................................................................103
Payment Instruments.....................................................................................................................104
Maintenance........................................................................................................................................106
Services................................................................................................................................................107
Field Service...................................................................................................................................107
Project Billing.................................................................................................................................109
License Tracker.....................................................................................................................................111
Retrieve License Info......................................................................................................................111
Image Defaults.....................................................................................................................................112
Set Image Defaults........................................................................................................................112
Multi-Companies.........................................................................................................................................114
External System Maintenance...............................................................................................................115
Enter an External System...............................................................................................................116
External Company Maintenance...........................................................................................................120
Select External System...................................................................................................................120
Establish Field Translations.............................................................................................................121
External Company Configuration..........................................................................................................122
Define Company Information........................................................................................................122
Create External Sites and Warehouses...........................................................................................124
Enter Multi-Company Details.........................................................................................................125
Set Up Epicor Commerce Connect.................................................................................................129
Initialize Multi-Company Records...................................................................................................131
Global Tables........................................................................................................................................132
Define Global Tables......................................................................................................................132

Chapter 2: Sites..............................................................................................135
Site Details...................................................................................................................................................135
Site Maintenance..................................................................................................................................135
Planning........................................................................................................................................136
Address and Comments................................................................................................................140
GL Controls (Sites).........................................................................................................................142
Site Configurations......................................................................................................................................143
Select the Site.......................................................................................................................................143

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Epicor ERP Implementation User Guide Contents

Inventory Management.........................................................................................................................144
General.........................................................................................................................................144
Detail.....................................................................................................................................144
GL Control (Inventory)............................................................................................................148
Shared Warehouses.......................................................................................................................149
Transfer Definition.........................................................................................................................150
Transfer Detail........................................................................................................................150
GL Control (Transfer Inventory)...............................................................................................152
Transfer Resources.........................................................................................................................154
Serial Tracking...............................................................................................................................156
Cycle Count..................................................................................................................................157
Cycle Count Detail.................................................................................................................157
ABC Codes.............................................................................................................................158
Time and Expense.................................................................................................................................162
Time..............................................................................................................................................162
Expense.........................................................................................................................................165
Production Management......................................................................................................................168
External MES.................................................................................................................................172
Maintenance Management...................................................................................................................173
Advanced Material Management (AMM)..............................................................................................174
Fulfillment Workbench..................................................................................................................174
Material Queue.............................................................................................................................175
Picking..........................................................................................................................................177
Package Control............................................................................................................................178
Shipping Receiving................................................................................................................................180
General (Shipping Receiving).........................................................................................................180
General - International...................................................................................................................182
Billing............................................................................................................................................184
FedEx............................................................................................................................................186
UPS...............................................................................................................................................188
Site Costs.....................................................................................................................................................190
Production Calendars...................................................................................................................................193
Create the Calendar.............................................................................................................................193
Non-Working Days...............................................................................................................................194
Where Used..........................................................................................................................................195
Week Numbers.....................................................................................................................................196

Chapter 3: Part Parameters...........................................................................198


Part Classes..................................................................................................................................................198
Create a Part Class................................................................................................................................199
Sites and Part Classes............................................................................................................................200
Units of Measure.........................................................................................................................................202
Unit of Measure Maintenance...............................................................................................................202
Unit of Measure Class Maintenance......................................................................................................204

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Contents Epicor ERP Implementation User Guide

Add UOM Codes..................................................................................................................................205


Serial Number Masks............................................................................................................................206
Restricted Substances...................................................................................................................................207
Substance Maintenance........................................................................................................................207
Substance Restriction Type Maintenance...............................................................................................208
Reference Designators.................................................................................................................................209
Reference Category Maintenance.........................................................................................................210
Image Management.....................................................................................................................................210
Image Category Maintenance...............................................................................................................211
Add an Image Category.................................................................................................................211
Add an Image Subcategory............................................................................................................212
Image Maintenance..............................................................................................................................213
Add an Image to the Database......................................................................................................213
Import Images...............................................................................................................................214
Import an Image Directory.............................................................................................................219
Image Export.................................................................................................................................222

Chapter 4: Personnel.....................................................................................224
Persons and Contacts...................................................................................................................................224
Contact Creation..................................................................................................................................224
Additional Contact Information............................................................................................................226
Links.....................................................................................................................................................227
Actions Menu Functions.......................................................................................................................229
Shifts...........................................................................................................................................................230
Add a Shift...........................................................................................................................................230
Shift Breaks..........................................................................................................................................232
Payroll Employees........................................................................................................................................232
Add a Payroll Employee........................................................................................................................233
Payroll, Deduction, and Tax Information................................................................................................235
Employees...................................................................................................................................................239
Add a New Employee...........................................................................................................................240
Employee Production Information.........................................................................................................242
Role Codes...........................................................................................................................................243
Employee Calendar...............................................................................................................................244
Time and Expense Approvals.................................................................................................................245
Warehouse Teams.......................................................................................................................................248
Create a Warehouse Team....................................................................................................................248
Users...........................................................................................................................................................252
Create a User........................................................................................................................................253
Define Account Settings and Actions....................................................................................................254
Define ERP Options...............................................................................................................................256
User Privileges.......................................................................................................................................257
Define Tools Options.....................................................................................................................257
Define Access Options...................................................................................................................260

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Epicor ERP Implementation User Guide Contents

Define System Options..................................................................................................................262


Define Enterprise Search Options...................................................................................................264
Define UI Options..........................................................................................................................265
Companies...........................................................................................................................................266
Add Companies.............................................................................................................................266

Chapter 5: Warehouses and Bins..................................................................268


Warehouse Maintenance.............................................................................................................................268
Create a Warehouse.............................................................................................................................268
GL Controls..........................................................................................................................................270
Warehouse Zones........................................................................................................................................271
Warehouse Bin Sizes....................................................................................................................................272
Warehouse Bins...........................................................................................................................................273
Warehouse Bin Setup Wizard.......................................................................................................................276

Chapter 6: Multi-Currencies..........................................................................279
Multiple Currencies......................................................................................................................................279
Link Global Currency............................................................................................................................282
GL Control............................................................................................................................................285
Rate Types...................................................................................................................................................285
Link Global Rate Type...........................................................................................................................287
Conversion Rules..................................................................................................................................287
Exchange Rates............................................................................................................................................289
Import Exchange Rates.........................................................................................................................290
Rounding Engine.........................................................................................................................................291
Currency Master Maintenance..............................................................................................................291
Company Configuration.......................................................................................................................293
Customer Maintenance........................................................................................................................295

Chapter 7: General Ledger............................................................................298


Fiscal Calendars...........................................................................................................................................298
Add Fiscal Calendar..............................................................................................................................298
Add Fiscal Years....................................................................................................................................299
Add Fiscal Periods.................................................................................................................................300
Chart of Accounts........................................................................................................................................301
Define Segment Values.........................................................................................................................303
Additional Segments.............................................................................................................................304
Modify Display Order............................................................................................................................306
COA Categories...........................................................................................................................................307
GL COA Reference Types.............................................................................................................................309
Create Account Masks..........................................................................................................................310
Restricted Functions.....................................................................................................................................312
Account Segment Values.............................................................................................................................312

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Contents Epicor ERP Implementation User Guide

Natural Account Options......................................................................................................................314


Detail............................................................................................................................................314
Currency Account..........................................................................................................................316
Segment Options...........................................................................................................................318
Restrictions....................................................................................................................................319
Actions - Mass Update GL Accounts.....................................................................................................319
Natural Account Mass Update......................................................................................................................321
Detail....................................................................................................................................................321
Filter.....................................................................................................................................................322
COA Category...............................................................................................................................322
Natural Accounts...........................................................................................................................323
Update Options....................................................................................................................................324
Update Options - Detail.................................................................................................................324
Currency Account..........................................................................................................................326
Currency Grid................................................................................................................................328
Segment Options...........................................................................................................................329
Restrictions....................................................................................................................................330
Print Edit List and Run Update Process..................................................................................................331
General Ledger Accounts.............................................................................................................................336
Generate GL Accounts..........................................................................................................................337
Target Segments Definition...........................................................................................................338
Preview and Generate Accounts....................................................................................................341
Delete Accounts...................................................................................................................................344
Self-Balancing Segments..............................................................................................................................350
GL Account Budgets....................................................................................................................................351
GL Account Allocations................................................................................................................................353
Enter Allocation Detail Lines..................................................................................................................354
GL Control Types.........................................................................................................................................355
GL Controls.................................................................................................................................................358
Journal Codes..............................................................................................................................................359
Recurring Journal Entry................................................................................................................................360
Recurring Journal Entry - Header...........................................................................................................360
Recurring Journal Entry - Detail.............................................................................................................362
Recurring Journal Entry – Generate Recurring Journals..........................................................................363
Recurring Journal Entry - Schedule........................................................................................................363
Accounting Segment Mapping.....................................................................................................................365
COA Mapping......................................................................................................................................366
Account Mapping..........................................................................................................................366
Segment Mapping.........................................................................................................................366
Global Transform Mapping...................................................................................................................367
Global COA Segment Transform....................................................................................................368
Books..........................................................................................................................................................369
Retained Earnings.................................................................................................................................371
Report..................................................................................................................................................372
Revaluation...........................................................................................................................................373

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Epicor ERP Implementation User Guide Contents

Posting.................................................................................................................................................374
Source Book Details.......................................................................................................................374
Posting Details...............................................................................................................................376
Validations....................................................................................................................................376
Conversion....................................................................................................................................377
Lookup Tables Setup....................................................................................................................................378
Lookup Table Links...............................................................................................................................381
GL Transaction Types...................................................................................................................................381
Select Transaction Type.........................................................................................................................382
Create a Revision..................................................................................................................................383
Incoming Document Line......................................................................................................................385
Add a Book..........................................................................................................................................387
Daily Balances Setup....................................................................................................................................390
Daily Balances Setup - Copy GL Account Masks....................................................................................391
Consolidation..............................................................................................................................................392
Consolidation Rate Type Maintenance..................................................................................................393
Consolidation Type Maintenance..........................................................................................................394
Consolidation Definition Maintenance..................................................................................................396
Consolidation Definition Maintenance - Detail...............................................................................396
Consolidation Definition Maintenance – Source Detail...................................................................397
Financial Report Designer.............................................................................................................................399

Chapter 8: Legal Numbers.............................................................................404


Transaction Document Types.......................................................................................................................404
Legal Numbers.............................................................................................................................................406
Format..................................................................................................................................................409
Default Sequences................................................................................................................................412
Alternate Prefixes and Sequences..........................................................................................................413
Document Types...................................................................................................................................414
Change History.....................................................................................................................................415

Chapter 9: Global Tax Engine.......................................................................417


Cents Override.............................................................................................................................................417
Tax Report Categories..................................................................................................................................418
Legal Text....................................................................................................................................................419
Tax Jurisdictions...........................................................................................................................................420
Tax Boxes.....................................................................................................................................................421
Custom Tax Algorithms................................................................................................................................423
Tax Types.....................................................................................................................................................425
Create a Tax Type.................................................................................................................................425
Rates....................................................................................................................................................428
Enter Rate Codes...........................................................................................................................428
Define Effective Rates....................................................................................................................429
Specify Exemptions........................................................................................................................430

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Contents Epicor ERP Implementation User Guide

Add Tax Boxes...............................................................................................................................431


Add GL Controls............................................................................................................................433
International Descriptions.....................................................................................................................433
European Union Data...........................................................................................................................434
Product Tax Categories................................................................................................................................435
Tax Liabilities................................................................................................................................................436
Add Tax Types......................................................................................................................................437
Tax Authorities.............................................................................................................................................439

Chapter 10: Electronic Interfaces..................................................................440


Electronic Interfaces.....................................................................................................................................440
Create an Electronic Interface...............................................................................................................441
Properties.............................................................................................................................................443
Property Values.....................................................................................................................................444
Pay Methods................................................................................................................................................444
Create a Pay Method............................................................................................................................445
Additional AP.......................................................................................................................................447
Additional AR.......................................................................................................................................448
Electronic Reports........................................................................................................................................449

Chapter 11: Automatic Data Processing......................................................451


The System Agent........................................................................................................................................451
Modify the System Agent.....................................................................................................................452
Create a Schedule.................................................................................................................................454
Task Agent Rules..................................................................................................................................456
Edit Task Agent Rules....................................................................................................................457
Task Agent Rules Hierarchy............................................................................................................460
View Task Parameters...........................................................................................................................460
Select a Schedule..................................................................................................................................461
Process Set Maintenance..............................................................................................................................463
Create a Process Set.............................................................................................................................463
Add Tasks to a Process Set....................................................................................................................464
Schedule a Process Set..........................................................................................................................467
System Monitor...........................................................................................................................................468
Use the System Monitor........................................................................................................................468
Define Retrieval Properties....................................................................................................................470

Chapter 12: Enterprise Content Management............................................473


Attachments Setup......................................................................................................................................473
Attachment Types.................................................................................................................................473
File System....................................................................................................................................474
SharePoint.....................................................................................................................................475
DocStar.........................................................................................................................................477

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Epicor ERP Implementation User Guide Contents

Integrate DocStar with Epicor Identity Provider.......................................................................478


DropBox........................................................................................................................................485
Setting Up DropBox Account..................................................................................................486
Configuring DropBox Storage Type........................................................................................487
Google Drive.................................................................................................................................487
Setting Up Google Service Account........................................................................................488
Link Service Account to Folder on Google Drive......................................................................488
Configuring Google Drive Storage Type..................................................................................489
Document Types...................................................................................................................................490
File Transfer Modes Explained...............................................................................................................495
Document Type Controls......................................................................................................................495
File Attachment Maintenance...............................................................................................................496
Clear SharePoint and DocStar Cache.....................................................................................................498
Third Party Parameters.................................................................................................................................503
Document Type Metadata....................................................................................................................503
External File References.........................................................................................................................505
Document Associations.........................................................................................................................506
Attaching Files.............................................................................................................................................508
Attach File to Record............................................................................................................................508
Attached Files in Action........................................................................................................................510

Chapter 13: Reporting Tools.........................................................................512


SSRS Integration..........................................................................................................................................512
Reporting Setup...........................................................................................................................................513
Report Type Configuration....................................................................................................................513
Printer Maintenance.............................................................................................................................515
Work Station Maintenance...................................................................................................................517
Report Data Definition.................................................................................................................................519
Create a Report Definition....................................................................................................................520
Add and Modify Report Labels..............................................................................................................522
Add Report Tables................................................................................................................................524
Add Calculated Fields...........................................................................................................................526
Exclude/Include Fields and Field Labels..................................................................................................528
Add Data Filtering Criteria....................................................................................................................530
Add Fields from Linked Tables...............................................................................................................533
Add Table Relationships........................................................................................................................535
Add Relationship Parameters................................................................................................................537
Export and Import Data Definitions.......................................................................................................538
Report Style Maintenance............................................................................................................................542
Create a Report Style............................................................................................................................542
Report Style Details...............................................................................................................................543
Add SSRS Printers.................................................................................................................................546
Create a Routing Rule...........................................................................................................................548
Design a Routing Rule...........................................................................................................................549

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Contents Epicor ERP Implementation User Guide

Copy Report Styles................................................................................................................................552


Download SSRS Report.........................................................................................................................554
Upload SSRS Report..............................................................................................................................556
Add an Image to SSRS Report...............................................................................................................557
Menu Deployment.......................................................................................................................................558
Add SSRS Report..................................................................................................................................558
Add Legacy SSRS Report.......................................................................................................................561
Report Form Customization.........................................................................................................................564
Customize a Report Form.....................................................................................................................564
Rendering Reports.......................................................................................................................................571
Report Options and Filters.....................................................................................................................571
Server Printer Options...........................................................................................................................577
Client Printer Options...........................................................................................................................580
Print Preview.........................................................................................................................................583
E-Mail Report........................................................................................................................................585
Generate Report...................................................................................................................................588
Generate Only...............................................................................................................................588
Generate for Design......................................................................................................................590
The System Monitor..............................................................................................................................594
Auto Printing with BPM........................................................................................................................597
Bartender Labels..........................................................................................................................................597
Verify the Report Style..........................................................................................................................598
Create a Data Directive.........................................................................................................................599
Define the Condition............................................................................................................................601
Select the Report..................................................................................................................................606
Set Up Report Options..........................................................................................................................607
Set Up Report Parameters.....................................................................................................................608
Activate the Directive............................................................................................................................610
Test the Directive..................................................................................................................................612
BAQ/EI Reports............................................................................................................................................615
Create a Report Definition....................................................................................................................616
Add Data Source..................................................................................................................................616
Add Relationship..................................................................................................................................618
Create Report Criteria Set.....................................................................................................................620
Add Criteria Prompt......................................................................................................................621
Add Criteria Filter..........................................................................................................................625
Add Criteria Mapping....................................................................................................................627
Preview Submission Form......................................................................................................................628
Create Report Style...............................................................................................................................628
Add Menu Item for Report....................................................................................................................629
Case Studies - Advanced Print Routing.........................................................................................................632
AR Invoice Forms by Currency...............................................................................................................632
Create Alternate Report Styles.......................................................................................................632
Create Currencies Report Style......................................................................................................634
Design Routing Rule......................................................................................................................635

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Epicor ERP Implementation User Guide Contents

Select Break Column.....................................................................................................................636


Add Peso Filter..............................................................................................................................637
Add Alternate Style.......................................................................................................................639
Create Euro Workflow...................................................................................................................641
Create Default Workflow...............................................................................................................642
Activate Routing Rule....................................................................................................................644
Customer Statement E-Mail..................................................................................................................645
Create E-Mail Style........................................................................................................................645
Create Rule...................................................................................................................................647
Select Break Column.....................................................................................................................648
Design E-Mail Template.................................................................................................................649
Activate Routing Rule....................................................................................................................654
Test Routing Rule..........................................................................................................................655
Overdue Jobs........................................................................................................................................657
Create Overdue Jobs Style.............................................................................................................657
Create Routing Rule......................................................................................................................659
Select Break Column.....................................................................................................................660
Define Condition...........................................................................................................................661
Add Print Action............................................................................................................................665
Activate Routing Rule....................................................................................................................666
Routing Rule and Auto Print.................................................................................................................668
Create Order Preview Style............................................................................................................669
Design Rule...................................................................................................................................671
Locate Table..................................................................................................................................674
Add Standard Directive..................................................................................................................675
Add Action....................................................................................................................................678
Define Report Parameters..............................................................................................................681
Test BPM.......................................................................................................................................685
Electronic Report Files..................................................................................................................................688
Add Electronic Report Definition...........................................................................................................689
Define Generation Options...................................................................................................................691
Create New XML Output File................................................................................................................692
Import Sample XML..............................................................................................................................693
Map Sample XML to Data Source.........................................................................................................696
Add New Elements...............................................................................................................................698
Enable Electronic Report Definition on Report Style...............................................................................702
Add Menu Item for Report....................................................................................................................703
Generate Electronic Report File.............................................................................................................705
Submit Generated File..........................................................................................................................708
Troubleshooting...........................................................................................................................................712
Parent Columns and Child Columns Don't Have Type-matching Columns.............................................712

Chapter 14: Security......................................................................................714


Authentication (User Identity) Security..........................................................................................................714

10.2.600 13
Contents Epicor ERP Implementation User Guide

Epicor Account Authentication.............................................................................................................715


Password Policy Maintenance........................................................................................................715
Define Password Policy...........................................................................................................715
Expire All Passwords...............................................................................................................717
Password Management.................................................................................................................719
Password Options...................................................................................................................719
Account Lockouts..........................................................................................................................720
Account Lockout Policy..........................................................................................................720
Track Locked Accounts...........................................................................................................722
Unlock Accounts....................................................................................................................722
Automatic Sign On........................................................................................................................725
Allow Automatic Sign On.......................................................................................................725
Windows Account Authentication........................................................................................................729
Password Policy (Windows)............................................................................................................729
Account Lockout Policy (Windows)................................................................................................731
Single Sign On...............................................................................................................................734
Set Up User Account..............................................................................................................734
Configure the Server..............................................................................................................735
Configure the Application Server............................................................................................737
Configure the Client...............................................................................................................738
Authorization (Interface) Security.................................................................................................................741
Security Groups and Users....................................................................................................................741
Security Group Maintenance.........................................................................................................741
Create a Security Group.........................................................................................................742
User Account Maintenance............................................................................................................742
Assign User Rights..................................................................................................................743
Assign User Groups................................................................................................................745
Assign User Companies and Sites...........................................................................................747
Security Logic Hierarchy.................................................................................................................749
Run Time Argument Menu Control.......................................................................................................750
Menu Maintenance..............................................................................................................................753
Create a Security ID.......................................................................................................................753
Select Groups and Users................................................................................................................755
Assign Menu Security....................................................................................................................758
Handheld / MES Menu Security Maintenance........................................................................................760
Assign Handheld / MES Menu Security Privileges............................................................................762
Reset Handheld / MES Menu Security Access Privileges..................................................................763
Service Security Maintenance................................................................................................................763
Service (Business Object) Security...................................................................................................764
Select Groups and Users................................................................................................................765
Method Security............................................................................................................................768
Select Groups and Users................................................................................................................769
Field Security Maintenance...................................................................................................................772
Assign Global Field Security...........................................................................................................772
Group and User Field Security........................................................................................................773

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Epicor ERP Implementation User Guide Contents

Test Field Security..........................................................................................................................776


Review Field Security Settings........................................................................................................777
Reset a Field..................................................................................................................................779
Reset a Table.................................................................................................................................779
Data Masking................................................................................................................................780
System Activity Log...............................................................................................................................782
Activate the Log............................................................................................................................782
Run the System Activity Log...........................................................................................................783
Purge Selected Records..................................................................................................................786
Security Reports....................................................................................................................................787
Menu Security Report....................................................................................................................787
Change Log Report.......................................................................................................................789
Users/Groups Report......................................................................................................................790
User Session Log Report................................................................................................................791
Logon Failure Audit Report............................................................................................................792

Chapter 15: Startup Configurations.............................................................794


Configuration Settings File...........................................................................................................................794
Configuration File Location...................................................................................................................794
Locate the Files..............................................................................................................................794
Make a Copy of Default........................................................................................................................795
Multiple Configuration Files..................................................................................................................795
The Configuration Editor......................................................................................................................795
Launch the Configuration Editor....................................................................................................795
Configuration Editor Interface.......................................................................................................796
Configuration Settings List....................................................................................................................799
Application Settings.......................................................................................................................799
User Settings.................................................................................................................................808
Deployment Settings.....................................................................................................................813
Help Settings.................................................................................................................................815
Sort Settings..................................................................................................................................816
Run Time Arguments...................................................................................................................................817
Activate Run Time Arguments...............................................................................................................817
Run Time Arguments List......................................................................................................................820

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Contents Epicor ERP Implementation User Guide

16 10.2.600
Epicor ERP Implementation User Guide Introduction |

Introduction

Your Epicor application contains a number of setup programs, module parameters, and interface conventions.
These items configure the application to match the business practices, network, and system requirements for
your organization. You can fine-tune the application to reflect your day-to-day production cycle, define the
multiple currencies through which you conduct business, and set up financial books for different reporting
purposes. You can also set up report generation defaults, file attachments, security, and other system wide
parameters.
Use the Epicor Implementation User Guide to review these options. This material is intended for system managers
and other individuals responsible for setting up various areas of the Epicor application. Leverage this guide as a
starting point for understanding implementation options, as it contains an overview of the available interface
features, major setup programs, and system functionality.
This guide begins with information about the interface and the tools available to improve your use of the
application. It next examines the company wide settings you define for each module. The guide then explores
the supply side options for each Site within your company as well as the high-level settings for part records. It
then explores the financial setup programs you can leverage to add multiple currencies, create books, define
your chart of accounts, and fine-tune the posting rules. The final chapters describe how you can automatically
populate data in reports and trackers, attach external files to Epicor records, modify system reports, define user
security, and configure workstations.
Help topics and education courses are also available that provide more information on each item described in
this guide. You should also work with your consultant before making any final decisions on how to best set up
the application. When you configure the application to closely match your business and system needs, you
maximize your investment in the Epicor application.

10.2.600 17
Chapter 1 | Company Configuration Epicor ERP Implementation User Guide

Chapter 1: Company Configuration

A company is the base maintenance record within your Epicor application. System administrators must set up at least
one company in the Epicor Administration Console for the application to run. If your organization has a multi-site
license, system administrators can create multiple companies that reflect the different business functions within your
organization.
Each company has its own set of application programs. You enter the overall system options for the company through
Company Maintenance. Use this program to enter the company's address, integrate the company with features like
Web Access and Enterprise Search, define reporting options, set up attachment libraries, and other options. You then
use the Company Configuration program to define how the company interacts with each licensed module. Most
modules have general parameters you define through this key program, like the starting numbers for quotes and
invoices, Material Requirements Planning (MRP) parameters, service calls job prefixes, landed cost default options, and
so on. Lastly, you then use multi-company programs like External System Maintenance and External Company
Maintenance to indicate how the companies within your organization interact with each other.
Secure access to each company through User Account Security Maintenance by defining the companies users can and
cannot. Users can only add records to companies for which they have access, and they are prevented from displaying
programs in a secured company. When they have access rights to multiple companies, users move between them by
expanding different company nodes in the Menu tile (Modern Shell interface) or the Main Menu tree view (Classic
interface). Users within each company can engineer parts, make sales orders, request quotes, manage financial
information, and so on. Besides being different in name, you can further define the separate companies by assigning
different visual styles to each company. When users switch between companies, they can then identify the current
company based on the different look of the interface.
This chapter focuses on the options you define in Company Maintenance, Company Configuration, and the
multi-company programs. For information on styles, review the Styling chapter in the Epicor ICE User Experience and
Customization Guide. For information on security, review the Security chapter found later in this guide.

Company Maintenance

After a system administrator creates a company through the Epicor Administration Console, you can then access
this company's settings from the ERP's Company Maintenance program.
Use Company Maintenance to set up the overall parameters for the new company. Define these options to modify
the application to best fit each company within your organization. This set up program contains the overall
options used across the company. For example, use this program to specify the company's default address, make
email and reporting setup, or add external BAQ sources.
Menu Path: System Setup > Company/Site Maintenance > Company Maintenance

This program is not available in Epicor Web Access.

General Settings

The General Settings sheet defines the overall settings for the current company. Use this sheet to enter the
company's physical address and the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) addresses for Service Connect, Enterprise
Search, Performance Canvas, and so on.

1. The fields at the top of the sheet display read-only information defined when the system administrator
created the company in the Epicor Administration Console. The Company field displays the identifier

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for the current company, while the Product and Edition fields display the application (typically Epicor or
ICE) and version IDs.

2. Use the Name, Address, City, State/Prov, and Postal Code fields to enter the physical address for the
current company.

3. Enter the Country in which this company resides. The country you enter determines default values such as
currency, language, tax region, ship via, and the printed address format for new customers and suppliers.
The Country value is also used for VAT reporting.

4. Enter the primary Phone and Fax numbers for this company.

5. From the Time Zone drop-down list, select the time zone for your company.

If not set, the application will use the application server


time zone.

6. If this company will integrate data with Epicor Service Connect, enter the Full Domain Name of the
server where the Service Connect application is installed.

Make sure the SSL certificate used in your installation


references the same name.

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7. Now enter the User and Password for the user account that has rights to access Service Connect.

8. To make sure this company is linked to Service Connect, click the Test Connection button. If the Epicor
application can locate the server and the user account you entered is valid, a dialog box displays indicating
the connection is established.

9. Now click the UBAQ Workflow Package drop-down list to select the Service Connect workflow package
for this company. Workflow packages are created using the External Business Activity Query Designer,
and these items are the Service Connect equivalent of a physical folder. You use workflow pages to store
document processes.

When you design an updatable business activity query


(BAQ), this setting is used when you click the New button
on Update > Update Processing sheet. The package name
that displays is the default workflow package selected
here in Company Maintenance. However if you need, you
override this default package and select or create a
different one.

To learn how to integrate ESC with Epicor ERP, read the Epicor ERP and Epicor Service Connect
Interoperability topics found in Application Help.

10. Use the Logo Image group box to specify a logo image for your company. The logo displays on your Home
Page.
There are no limitations on size for logos that can be selected. The height and width adjust to fit in the
available space, maintaining the logo's aspect ratio.

Access Options

You define how this company connects to various features on the General Settings sheet. Additional settings
are also available on this sheet.

1. If you want to track all the transactions users perform within the company, select the System Activities
check box. These transactions display on a system log. This feature is useful for tracking issues.

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2. Personalizations are interface changes users can make to match the Epicor application to their specific needs.
If you wish to track the personalizations made within the current company, select the Personalization
check box.

3. In the Enterprise Search section, specify the Search URL where the Enterprise Search application is installed.
This activates this search program. Enterprise Search is an optional search application which you can use to
retrieve content from your Epicor application and then launch specific programs to display the data.

If a Search URL value is entered in the configuration


settings file (for example, local.sysconfig), that URL
overrides the value entered here. The Enterprise Search
functionality is described in the Searches chapter within
the Epicor ICE Tools User Guide.

4. If this Search URL is used by all companies in the organization, select the Global URL check box. Users from
another company can then search for records in the current company.

5. Use the fields in the Web Access section to set up the Epicor Web Access (EWA) interface for this company.
The Web Access URL defines the uniform resource locator for the web forms. Enter the location where
users can access EWA; for example: http://lis-t60/ EpicorWeb

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6. The MetaData Output Path defines the directory location used by this company to receive metadata. This
directory path indicates where metadata generated through the EWA is stored. This metadata is required
for the Epicor Web Access forms to run properly. Enter the directory path into this field; for example:
C:\Inetpub\wwwroot\EpicorWeb

7. The Performance Canvas URL defines the web location for your Epicor Enterprise Performance Management
(EEPM) Server. Once you define this web location, you can place performance canvases directly on your
Menu tile (Modern Shell interface) or Main Menu tree view (Classic interface). You can also embed canvases
within dashboards.

8. Use the Home Page Layout drop-down list to define a default layout for the current company. When new
users log in, this default company Home Page layout displays. If users make modifications to this layout,
they can always restore it to the default layout you defined on this drop-down list.

To learn how to create Modern Home Page Layouts review


the Personalization chapter in the Customization User
Guide or the Home Page Layouts section in the application
help. To learn more about Kinetic Home Page
personalization, refer to the Kinetic help.

9. Select the Dynamic Grid Currency Columns Format check box if you want each currency to be displayed
in its own numeric format. Clear (de-select) this check box if you want the base currency format to be
displayed on all currencies in grid columns.

10. The Epicor Help URL is the uniform resource locator (URL) for the application help system. When users
launch the application help, the system looks for the help source files in this server location.

11. Select the Global URL check box to indicate the Epicor Help URL is the central location for the application
help across all companies within your organization. Users from other companies then access the application
help from this global URL location.

12. The Education Courses URL is the uniform resource locator (URL) for the Epicor education courses. When
users launch the embedded courses, the system looks for the embedded courses source files in this server
location.

13. Select the Global URL check box to indicate the Education Courses URL is the central location for the
embedded courses across all companies within your organization. Users from other companies then launch
the embedded courses from this global URL location.

Email and Reporting

You define email and reporting options on the Email and Reporting sheet. Users within this company can then
send and receive global alert email and print reports.

1. The Port field defines the email link port number for email messages sent within the current company. Enter
an unused port number within this field. This port is used when sending a global alert with an attachment.
When the user opens the alert and clicks on the attachment, the application retrieves the correct data in
the program related to the alert.

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2. The Global Alert From fields define the Email Address and Email Label used on global alerts. When a
global alert is sent, it uses this address to send the email. These values also display on the global alert email.

3. Use the Allowed Report Style drop-down list to select what report systems are available within the current
company. Available options are SSRS Only and Crystal and SSRS. Typically you select the SSRS Only option,
but if you are moving to the SSRS report writer and you still need to use Crystal Reports, select the Crystal
and SSRS option.

Epicor ERP does not support Crystal Reports. If your


organization has an earlier Epicor version that used Crystal
Reports, you should update reports and reporting
functions to SSRS. To help you with your conversion to
SSRS reports, the Crystal Reports versions of the standard
reports are available on EPICWeb in the Epicor ERP >
Downloads area. These reports are compressed in a .zip
file you can download and expand in a folder on your
server.

4. The Work Station Method defines the method used to calculate the Workstation ID. This identifier generates
when the application determines what reports a user can print or preview automatically in the System
Monitor. The default option uses Computer Name + Session ID.
Due to security restrictions enforced by web browsers, the System Monitor will only show reports submitted
from Epicor web Access, if the field is set to User ID. All other methods require access to the information
not available to web browsers.

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5. Enter the Epicor SSRS Portal this company will use to link with the SQL Server Report Portal web site.
when you create custom SSRS reports that use ODBC, you must specify this URL.

You can use the Configure Epicor SSRS Service utility to


verify the URL you enter here. On the server where the
Epicor SSRS components are installed, navigate to Start
> Programs > Epicor Software > Epicor SQL Report
Monitor and select Configure Epi SSRS Service. The URL
displays in the Epi SSRS site field on the Configure the
SQL Server Report Portal screen.

6. Select the SSRS Printer Option this company uses to determine which printers a report is sent for printing.
Available options:
• Client and Server Printing -- The default option, indicates reports will first attempt to print on any
printers directly linked to the client. If no client printers are available, the report will then attempt to print
on any printers connected to the server.
• Client Printing Only -- Indicates reports will only be sent to printers connected to clients.
• Server Printing Only -- Indicates reports will only be sent to printers connected to servers.

7. Use the EDI Processing drop-down list to specify whether you want to process EDI on Server or on Client.

8. Use the Auto-Print Defaults section to indicate the default Reports Printer and Labels Printer. Select
the printers this company will use by default from these drop-down lists.
You create printer records within Printer Maintenance. Default printers and other report options are
described later in this guide within Reporting Tools chapter.

9. Enter a user account in the ODBC Connection fields to define the default user account this company needs
for an Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) connection. If you will generate Crystal Reports within this
company, this default user account connects with SQL server and users can then generate Crystal Reports.
Enter the user name and password you need in these fields.

10. Use the fields in the SMTP section to connect this company with external email. The SMTP Server field
defines the name of the server that handles this email, while the Port defines the port number used on the
SMTP Server. You can specify if SMTP communication should be encrypted using the SSL (TLS) protocol.
You can connect to the SMTP Server using the following ways:
• Authenticate Anonymously - used for performing anonymous access to your exchange server. In order
to use this feature, anonymous access must be allowed on the SMTP server.
• Use Specified Credentials - used to connect to your email server using the specified account. When
selected, this option enables User and Password fields. Use these fields to enter your SMTP account
credentials.
If Use Specified Credentials is selected, but no User name is entered, the application uses the AppPool
account to connect to SMTP server.

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If you change your SMTP settings, stop and restart the


Task Agent service. The Epicor application can then
re-initialize with your new email configuration.

11. The default SQL Server for Reporting Services (SSRS) report server location is set up in the Epicor
Administration Console. However if this server will be in a different location for this company, select the
Override Defaults check box. The fields in the SSRS Report Server group box activate.

12. Enter the Base URL (Uniform Resource Locator) for the alternate SSRS Report Server. This value is typically
http://<localhost>/ReportServer.

To find the value you need to enter in this field, go to the


server machine and launch Reporting Services
Configuration Manager. From the tree view, click the Web
Service URL icon. The value displays in the Report Server
Web Service URLs section.

13. Defines the Server Name of the database for the Report Server. The value you enter in this field depends
on how you have set up your system. This database can be:
• The same database used by the Epicor application -- Although this set up is not recommended,
your report server database can be the same as your main database.
• A separate database on the SQL Server -- This set up method is most common, as the report data
then populates this separate database on the server.

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• A database on a different SQL Server -- The report data from the Epicor application is sent to another
server dedicated to SSRS report processing. If you are a larger organization, you may set up your system
in this way to improve performance.

14. Click the Authentication drop-down list to indicate how the SQL Server user account is validated by the
Epicor application. Available options:
• Windows Authentication -- Select this option to login using the user credentials from the Internet
Information Services (IIS) site. Created dynamic by IIS, this user is called IIS APPOOL/<application pool
name>. Once you select this option, this user account automatically populates the User and Password
fields.
• SQL Server Authentication -- Select this option to login using an administrator account you set up for
SQL Server. Once you select this option, you need to enter your Login and Password.

15. Enter the User name and Password for the user account that has access to the server machine.

16. Use the SQL DB Name drop-down list to define the name of the SQL Server database that contains the
data from where you want the reports to generate.

17. When you finish enter the values you need for your alternate SSRS Report Server location, click the Test
Connection button. If the Epicor application can find the alternate SSRS server, a dialog box displays verifies
the connection.

BAQ External Datasources

Use the BAQ External Datasources sheet to enable external datasources for the current company.
Through this sheet, you indicate which external business activity queries (BAQs) are activate in the current company.
You can also configure which of the available filters (from the Datasource Type associated with the each of the
chosen External Datasources) to use, or skip when External BAQs are executed in this company. Using this
approach, different companies can user the same External Datasource/DatasourceType but bypass or execute
the filters differently. You can then incorporate these external BAQs on dashboards.
For more details on this feature, review the External Business Activity Queries chapter in the Epicor ICE Tools User
Guide.

1. In the Datasources grid, based on Company Visibility and Owning Company, all datasources on the server,
or within the Tenancy (SaaS installations) appear as available for enabling.

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2. Select the Enabled check box for each datasource you want available in the current company. Only the
datasources you enable can be selected in the External BAQ Designer.

3. To skip security checking for the selected datasource, in the Datasources grid, select the Skip Filter check
box.
For the selected datasource, Filter Groups and Filter Definitions grids become unavailable.

4. To skip security checking for a specific group defined for the selected datasource, in the Filter Groups grid,
select the Skip Filter check box.

In External Datasource Type Maintenance, you can create


multiple filter groups. The selected external datasource
retrieves the required data based on datasource type
settings. For example, you can filter the external data by

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a specific company you want to display in a dashboard.


However you later may want to display data in the
dashboard from all companies. Select the Skip Filter check
box to ignore the filtering for the selected group.

5. If the selected filter group uses a BAQ constant to filter the data, use the Filter Definitions grid to override
this constant. The current value of the selected constant displays in the ConstantValue field.

6. If you wish to override the default BAQ constant by applying a custom value, clear the Use Default check
box and enter a custom constant in the FilterValue field.

7. When you finish selecting options for the current company, click Save.

Company Configuration

The Company Configuration program defines how modules run and interact within each company. Before you
begin live use of the Epicor application, the main options for each module should be defined. Work with your
system administrator to determine the options best match your business needs.
Menu Path: System Setup > Company/Site Maintenance > Company Configuration

Detail

You define the primary information for each company on the Detail sheet.

1. The Company field displays the identifier for the current company, while the Product field displays the
specific application (typically Epicor or ICE) for which this company is used.

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2. The Company Info section contains the name, address, and phone number for the current company.

3. Use the Account Number field to enter your Epicor Account information.
Contact you Epicor account manager to get the correct customer account number.

4. The Federal ID displays the identifier you use when filing national taxes for the current company.

5. The Tax ID contains the identifier you use when filing state/province and local taxes for the current company.

6. The Tax Liability field indicates the tax liability region for this company. Each tax liability record defines the
national, regional, and local taxes for which this company is charged. For more information on tax liability
(region) records, review the General Ledger chapter later in this guide.

7. The Base Currency Code section displays information about the main, or base, currency used for most
transactions within the company. The Currency ID (identifier), Name, and decimals available for specific
transaction types display. For more information, review the Multi-Currencies chapter later in this guide.

8. If your company sends records using Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), the identifier for this company displays
within the EDI Code field.

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9. The Production Calendar defines how many days during the year sites within this company manufacture
product. This item is the calendar that displays by default for sites and other records; if you need, you can
select a different production calendar on these records. You create production calendars within Production
Calendar Maintenance. This program is explored later in the Sites chapter.

10. The Fiscal Calendar defines the financial periods used by default for transactions that occur within this
company. You create fiscal calendars within Fiscal Calendar Maintenance. This program is explored later
in the General Ledger chapter.

11. Use the Employment Code field to select either the 941 (Option R) tax form or the 944 (Option F) tax form,
depending on the tax form the employer files. This selection is used in the W2 Processing program during
W2 form export. Available options are Regular Form 941 and Regular Form 944.

12. The Kind of Employer section defines the classification for the employing company. These classifications
are useful when the current company is a government entity. Available options:
• Federal Government
• State and Local Governmental Employer
• Tax Exempt Employer
• State and Local Tax Exempt Employer
• None Apply

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All Modules

The All Modules sheets contain parameters which apply across all modules within the company. These sheets
define the default values for sites, warehouses, costing methods, currencies, and so on.

General

Use the Modules > All Modules > General sheet to define overall parameters for options that affect multiple
modules.

1. The Default Site value indicates the main site used for most transactions. You can override this selection
within other programs. For more information on creating and configuring site records, review the Sites
chapter later in this guide.

2. The Site Cost ID indicates the default site cost identifier (ID) for costing parts in multiple sites. For example,
if three sites share the same cost set, they then use the same costing method (Average, FIFO, FIFO Lot, Last,
Lot, or Standard) for parts they manufacture.

3. In the Quantity Display Decimal field, enter a value to indicate the number of decimals used for displaying
quantities in grid fields. For example, if Quantity Display Decimals is set to 4, quantities display as 12.3426;
if Quantity Display Decimals is set to 2, quantities display as 12.34. You use settings in the UOM Maintenance
> Detail sheet to define, by UOM code, quantity decimal displays for non-grid fields.

4. Use the Default Warehouse fields to define the primary warehouses for General use, Receiving materials,
and Shipping product. Notice you can also define the default shipping and receiving bins. For more
information on warehouses and bins, review the Warehouses and Bins chapter later in this guide.

5. The COA Master drop-down list indicates the Chart of Accounts used with the current company. You
can create COA records that match the financial needs of businesses throughout your organization. You
create COA records within Chart of Accounts Structure Maintenance; this program is explored later in the
General Ledger chapter.

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6. The Costing Method section indicates how the cost of parts issued or shipped is calculated within this
company. The available Cost Methods are Average, Standard, Last, and FIFO. For information on costing
methods, review the Part section in the Inventory Management chapter in the Epicor Application User Guide
or view the Job Costing Technical Reference Guide in the application help (navigate to the Production
Management > Job Management > Working With... node.

7. You specify how often the change log updates by selecting a Collection Method option. These options
include Daily, By User, and Each Transaction.

Localization

You access the Localization sheets to set up the localization options this company uses. If this company exists in
a locality that has additional legal requirements, use these sheets to define these requirements.

Detail

The Modules > All Modules > Localization > Detail sheet contains fields where you define financial requirements
and Restrictions on Hazardous Substances (RoHS) options for each localization available on the current company.

1. The Localization field displays the country from the CSF license selected for the company in Epicor
Administration Console. Depending on the country, different fields on this sheet activate.

2. If this localization permits red storno transactions, use the Red Storno Option drop-down list to define
how the current company handles these transactions. Available options:
• Not Allowed - Red Storno is unavailable in the Automatic Transaction Reversal, Document Type, and
Journal Entry programs.
• Allowed in Automatic Transaction Reversal Only - Red Storno is available in the Automatic Transaction
Reversal program, but unavailable in the Document Type and Journal Entry programs.

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• Allowed - Red Storno is available in all programs.

3. Select the Enable Substances and Restrictions check box to activate the Restrictions on Hazardous
Substances (RoHS) functionality. All material quantities used in purchased and manufactured materials are
then totaled (rolled-up) and validated against RoHS specifications.

4. Select the Synchronize substance weight check box to indicate whether two or more restriction types of
a material or operations should share the same substances. If synchronized, then the weight for those
substances is only entered once per material or operation.

5. Select the Stop at First Failure check box to specify the roll-up for a restriction type will stop the transaction
when it first fails; otherwise the application validates compliance for each additional material and operation.

For more information on setting up the RoHS functionality,


review the Restricted Substances section in Part Parameters
chapter later in this guide.

6. Use the check boxes in the Copy Exchange Rate group box to define which financial documents will copy
and display the exchange rate from the original invoice. Available options:
• AR Credit Memos
• AR Correction Invoices
• AR Cancellation Invoices
• AP Debit Memos
• AP Correction Invoices

7. Select the Allow Invoices to be overpaid check box to indicate cash can be over-allocated against an
invoice to give it a credit balance. The overpayment is left as a balance on the same chart of account (usually
AR Chart of Account) as if it were an invoice. Use the AR Apply Credit Memo and Write-Off and
Adjustment processes to record the invoice overpayment.

8. If this localization accepts prepayments against AP invoices through automatic processing, select the Apply
Pre Pymt Automatically check box.

9. Use the fields in the Official Registration group box to define how this company is legally registered for
this localization. Research the legal requirements for the locality to determine what values to enter in these
fields.

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Intrastat

Use the sheets under the Intrastat tab to define the Intrastat options for the localized company. You can use
these sheets to define the options for Internationalization related to Intrastat codes and reporting.

Detail

You define the primary Intrastat options for the company on the Modules > All Modules > Localization > Intrastat
> Detail sheet.

1. Select the Active check box to activate Intrastat functionality for the current company.

2. Use the Description options to define the source from which the Description text originates. Available
options:
• None
• From Part
• From Commodity Code

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3. Now use the Period Format options to define how the fiscal period displays on Intrastat transactions.
Available options:
• MMYY – Two-Digit Month and Year
• YYYYMM – Four-Digit Year and Two-Digit Month

4. Select the Border Crossing check box to track entry and exit points for Intrastat reporting. If you select this
check box, you can specify the Intrastat country entry or exit code for a customer, customer shipping method,
supplier, and supplier purchase point.

Selecting this check box activates the Country Exit field


in both Customer Maintenance and Ship Via Maintenance,
and the Country Entry field in both Supplier Maintenance
and Supplier Purchase Point Maintenance.

5. Select the Country of Origin Required check box to indicate Intrastat invoices require the country of origin
to be listed.

6. Enter the official Arrival submission code. For example, in the United Kingdom, this value is A.

7. Likewise enter the official Despatch submission code. For example, in the United Kingdom, this value is D.

These Flow values help custom authorities provide their


national authorities with statistics on the despatches and
arrivals of goods. If you use these values for a period of
time and then change them, you may experience
unexpected results on the Intrastat report. If you filter this
report by flow (Despatch or Arrival), any transactions that
use the old Flow value do not display.

8. Enter the Default Region used as the primary region on Intrastat transactions.

9. The Currency Indicator field defines how the currency amount is submitted on Intrastat transactions. Unless
you need to track the currency submission type, you should leave this field blank. Typically Intrastat
transactions are recorded in the base currency. However during the switch to the Euro, some countries
required a 1 or a 2 to indicate whether the submission was in legacy or Euro currency.

10. Use the Starting Intrastat Ref field to enter a starting number for additional manual entries. For example,
you could enter 10000 in this field; you could use this value for sorting later.

Receipt > Normal

You use the Receipt sheets to define how to this company receives goods through Intrastat transactions. The
Modules > All Modules > Localization > Intrastat > Receipt > Normal sheet handles typical receipt transactions.

1. Click the Flow drop-down list to indicate whether normal receipts are handled by Arrival or Despatch
designation. The designation value you entered on the Detail sheet is then used to identify these transactions.

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2. The Transaction Type identifies the nature of the receipt transaction.

3. Use the Spec field to identify the specification code for the receipt transaction.

Receipt > Returned Goods

You use the Modules > All Modules > Localization > Intrastat > Receipt > Returned Goods sheet to record Intrastat
transactions for returned goods.

1. Click the Flow drop-down list to indicate whether returned goods are handled by Arrival or Despatch
designation. The designation value you entered on the Detail sheet is then used to identify these transactions.

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2. The Transaction Type identifies the nature of the returned goods transaction.

3. Use the Spec field to identify the specification code for the returned goods transaction.

4. If you need, select the Generate 2nd Line check box to record an additional transaction in the Intrastat
report file for debit memos. This activates the additional fields for the debit memo transaction.

5. Enter the Flow, Transaction Type, and Spec values you will use for the debit memo statistics.

Shipment > Normal

Use the Shipment sheets to define how this company ships goods through Intrastat transactions. The Modules
> All Modules > Localization > Intrastat > Shipment > Normal sheet handles typical shipment transactions.

1. Click the Flow drop-down list to indicate whether normal shipments are handled by Arrival or Despatch
designation. The designation value you entered on the Detail sheet is then used to identify these transactions.

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2. The Transaction Type identifies the nature of the shipment transaction.

3. Use the Spec field to identify the specification code for the shipment transaction.

Shipment > Returned Goods

You use the Modules > All Modules > Localization > Intrastat > Shipment > Returned Goods sheet to record
Intrastat transactions for returned goods.

1. Click the Flow drop-down list to indicate whether returned goods are handled by Arrival or Despatch
designation. The designation value you entered on the Detail sheet is then used to identify these transactions.

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2. The Transaction Type identifies the nature of the returned goods transaction.

3. Use the Spec field to identify the specification code for the returned goods transaction.

4. If you need, select the Generate 2nd Line check box to record an additional transaction in the Intrastat
report file for credit memos. This activates the additional fields for the credit memo transaction.

5. Enter the Flow, Transaction Type, and Spec values you will use for the credit memo statistics.

Percent at Border

Use the Percent at Border sheet to enter the percentage of the miscellaneous charges applied to Intrastat
transactions for different countries.

1. To add a new percent at border value, click the New button above the Percent at Border grid.

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2. Click the Destination Country drop-down list and select the country you need.

3. Enter the % At Border value. This value defines the percentage that will be used to calculated the
miscellaneous charges applied to Intrastat transactions for the selected country.

Additional Tax Information

Click the Additional Tax Information sheet to add additional tax information for a selected localization.

1. In the Tax Info fields, enter the information you want to include on the Intrastat records.

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2. When you finish updating the fields, click Save.

Invoice Banking Reference

Use the Invoice Banking Reference sheet to set up optical character recognition (OCR) numbers for use on sales
and purchase invoices. OCRs are used in some countries, such as Finland and Sweden, on sales and purchase
invoices. These values are used when the files are imported and exported.
To set up optical character recognition:

1. The Length field defines the maximum OCR length to be allowed. This value is a localization setting for
Sweden, Finland, and Estonia.

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2. Use the Derived From drop-down list to indicate from where the banking reference numbers (OCRs)
originate. Available options:
• Internal Number
• Legal Number

3. Enter the Default Algorithm the reference will use to configure the format of the legal number. This legal
number is used for invoices.

4. Select the Use Banking Reference Number check box to indicate optical character recognition (OCR)
numbers are used as banking reference numbers. This localization is required for Sweden, Finland, and
Estonia.

5. If you need, select the Use Account Reference Number check box to indicate an account reference number
is used as a banking reference on an AR invoice.

6. Select the Validate Bank Branch ID check box to activate validation on the Bank Branch ID field. Only
identifiers that exist in the database can be selected on customer bank, supplier bank, or bank accounts.

7. Select the Validate IBAN check box to activate validation for the International Bank Account Number
(IBAN) field. Only identifiers that exist in the database can be selected on customer bank, supplier bank, or
bank accounts.

8. When you finish setting up localization options, click Save.

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Currency

Use the Currency sheet to define which currency conversion rules are used for transactions within the current
company. You mainly select Rate Types on this sheet; these records define how source currencies convert to
amounts in a specific target currency. You also define the rate locking options, bank funds transfer, and sub-ledger
revaluation options on this sheet.
For more information on setting up multiple currencies, review the Multi-Currencies chapter later in this guide.
To define currency options:

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1. Click the Company General drop-down list to define the rate type used for all transactions that do not fall
in the sales, purchasing, production, or other financial areas.

2. The rate type selected on the Sales and Invoicing drop-down list defines the conversion rules for sales
orders and AR invoices.

3. Click the Purchase and Expenditure drop-down list to define the rate type used for all purchase orders
and AP invoices.

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4. Use the Inventory and Production drop-down list to define the rate type used for all stock quantities and
production expenses that occur between sites located in different countries.

5. The rate type selected on the Fixed Assets drop-down list defines the conversion rules used for all financial
transactions that involve the assets of the current company - items such as facilities, production equipment,
and computers.

6. Use the Payroll drop-down list to define the rate type used for employee expenses that require international
transactions.

7. Click the Cash Management drop-down list to define the rate type used for multiple currency transactions
that involve cash amounts.

8. Use the Expenses drop-down list to indicate the default rate type used in Expense Entry when the expense
currency is different from the claim currency.

9. Select a Rate Locking Option for the current company. Available options:
• Force 1:1 rate for the same currencies – The default option, this causes the amount used on the
source transaction to be used on the target transaction, regardless of whether the exchange rate is or
is not locked.
• Always use locked rate conversion through base - Specifies the amount on the source transaction
uses the exchange rate defined on the base currency. The converted amount is then converted again
using the exchange rate for the target currency. This option calculates changes made to the exchange
rates with the base currency defined for this company.

10. Select the Currency Exchange Difference you need to define how the application calculates exchange
rate amounts for source and target bank transactions for bank fund transfers. Available options:
• Always use default rates
• Use explicit transfer amount, or use default
• Use explicit transfer amount or use source amount

11. Use the Sub-Leger Revaluation drop-down lists to determine how amounts are re-valued on certain
financial documents. When the Currency Revaluation process runs, it uses the methods defined on this
sheet. You define methods for AR Invoices, AP Invoices, Bank Accounts, and Petty Cash Desk amounts.
Available options:
• Immediate Reverse
• No Reverse

12. In the Substitution Rate Type field, you can select an alternative currency rate type specifically for use in
the Currency Revaluation Process.
This may be legal or corporate requirement.

13. When you finish setting up the multi-currency options, click Save.

GL Control

Use the GL Control sheets to define the default accounts and journal codes available during the posting process
for the current company. This sheet specifies company-level general ledger (GL) controls for Accounts Receivable
(AR), Accounts Payable (AP), and other modules. The Epicor application uses these GL controls if no GL control
is available when a GL transaction is posted.

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GL control types define the contexts and entities required for a GL control; GL controls define the account and
journal contexts used on specific transactions. For more information on GL controls and GL control types, review
the General Ledger chapter.
To add a GL control:

1. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New GL Control.

2. Now click the Type button to find and select the GL control type that contains the account contexts you
need. For example, AR Account.

3. Next click the Control button to find and select a GL control contained by the selected GL control type.

4. Continue to add the GL control types you need for the current company. When you finish, click Save.

Taxes

Use the Taxes sheets to set up taxes for multiple types of business documents in Epicor ERP modules and define
how the application interacts with the Avalara® AvaTax® service.

Configure Tax Settings

Use the Detail sheet to configure tax settings in Epicor ERP modules.
To configure tax settings in Epicor ERP modules:

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1. Select the Calculate Taxes for Quotes check box for the entered quotes to automatically calculate taxes
based on Expected Qty, Tax Liability, Line Product Tax Category, and the Tax Rate date.

2. Select the Calculate Taxes for Customer Shipments check box if taxes should be calculated and printed
on packing slips for shipped customer items.

3. Select the Ready to Calculate check box if new AR invoices will, by default, have their Ready to Calculate
check boxes selected. This lets sales taxes be automatically calculated against the AR invoice.

4. Select the Customer specific Tax Rules check box if the tax rounding and calculation level (line or total)
is defined according to the rules set for on each customer. If clear, the tax rounding is defined according to
rules set for the order or invoice currency; and the sales tax calculation level (line or total) is defined according
to the company flag.

5. Select the Allow Confirmation Taxes check box if the Tax Confirmation Process will be enabled for AR
invoices. Upon receipt of a confirmation document from a customer, you can enter the confirmation date
and update the tax tables by using this process.

6. Select the Adjust Document Level Taxes To Sum check box if for the Document Level tax types, the
invoice total tax amounts in base and reporting currencies are converted from the total amount in Document
currency.

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7. Select the PO/AP Tax Reported at Line Level check box to indicate that taxes are calculated for AP Invoices
at the line level. Taxes are calculated for each release separately, considering both product tax category and
tax exemptions. This calculation applies to all tax collection methods.

When the check box is cleared, taxes calculate at the


document level.

8. Select the Calculate Taxes for Purchase Orders check box if taxes should be calculated for purchase
orders. When entering or editing a specific purchase order, you specify if taxes should be calculated for
associated purchase order detail lines designated as taxable when you select the Ready to Process check
box in the Purchase Order Entry > Summary or Header > Detail sheets.

9. Select the PO Line Taxable check box if purchase order, requisition or PO suggestion detail lines are normally
taxable.

10. Select the Calculate Taxes for Receipts check box if taxes should be calculated for receipts. This check
box is disabled if you have not selected the Calculate Taxes for Purchase Orders check box.

11. Select the Include Duty on Taxable Amount check box if duty should be included in taxable amounts on
receipt lines.

12. Select the Default Tax Settings from PO/Receipt check box to use the Tax Category, Tax Exempt, and
Taxable options from the referenced PO Receipt Line, or referenced PO Line/Release as defaults for Tax
Category and Tax Exempt of AP Invoice Line. Clear this check box for the Tax Category and Tax Exempt
of AP Invoice Line to be defined from scratch.

If the Taxable check box is selected for a PO Line/Release


or PO Receipt Line, the line is considered Taxable. If the
Taxable check box is clear, the line is Tax Exempt, and
the default exemption text comes from the Supplier Tax
ID (when not empty), or is Non-taxable.

13. Select the Ready to Calculate check box if new AP invoices will, by default, have their Ready to Calculate
check boxes selected.

14. Select the Tax Entry Mode in GL Journal value to enable selecting tax entry modes and reporting taxes
in the GL Journal Entry.

15. Select the Default Tax Liability value to default tax liability for the tax line in the General Ledger.

16. Select the Default Tax Type value to default tax type for the tax line in the General Ledger.

17. When you finish setting up the tax options, click Save.

Tax Interface

Use the Tax Interface sheet to define how the application interacts with the Avalara® AvaTax® service. This service
eliminates determining the sales tax jurisdictions of ship-to addresses, maintaining tax codes and rates, and
tracking jurisdiction-specific and commodity-specific taxation rules.
To use this functionality, you need to purchase licenses for both Epicor Tax Connect and Avalara® AvaTax®. For
an overview of this functionality, review the Epicor Tax Connect topic within application help.

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Set Up Tax Interface

Access the Modules > All Modules > Taxes > Tax Interface sheet to enter connection information and security
settings. These options determine how Epicor Tax Connect integrates with Avalara® AvaTax® to validate addresses
and calculate taxes. You can also test the tax service connection on this sheet.
To define how this company calculates taxes:

1. Select the Tax Connect Enabled check box to activate Epicor Tax Connect. When you indicate this
company automatically calculates taxes (Tax Calculation Enabled) and validates addresses (Address Validation
Enabled), this tax information is automatically passed along to the AvaTax® service.

The Currency ID must adhere to ISO 4217 currency codes


in order to work with Tax Connect.

2. To test the data being sent to Avalara, select the Debug Mode check box. The files sent and received from
Avalara are not deleted; you can then review them.

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3. Click the Test Connection button to validate the connection to the Epicor Tax Connect interface. After the
connection is tested, a window appears indicating whether the connection was successful. If not, an error
message displays explaining why the connection failed.

You can clear the Tax Connect Enabled check box and
then click the Test Connection button to verify this
functionality is working internally. When you are satisfied
with the results, activate Epicor Tax Connect.

4. Enter the AvaTax® service URL (Uniform Resource Locator) to specify the location where the Epicor application
automatically sends tax and address validation information.

5. Use the Request Timeout field to determine how much time passes before the connection to the
AvaTax® service is disconnected. When the application cannot detect any activity (requests), this time interval
must pass before the application disconnects the service. Enter the value in seconds.

6. The Account User Name value specifies the account user name or number used by Avalara® to verify this
application can use AvaTax®.

7. The Key/Password field defines the account key or password used by Avalara® to verify this application
can use AvaTax®.

8. Click the Text Case drop-down list to specify the case used by Epicor Tax Connect and the AvaTax® service
to validate the addresses. Available options:
• Default
• Upper
• Mixed

9. Select the Address Validation Enabled check box to activate the address validation functionality. This
activates the Validate Address options available on Actions menus within Customer Maintenance, AR
Invoice Entry, and other programs. Users can also run the Bulk Address Validation process, which
validates all the addresses through a recurring schedule.

10. Select the Tax Calculation Enabled check box to indicate tax calculations are run using Epicor Tax Connect
and then sent to the AvaTax® service. If AR invoices or sales orders are selected for tax calculations, sales
taxes calculations automatically generate.
As described in previous sections in this chapter, you indicate invoices and sales orders use Epicor Tax Connect
by selecting the Ready to Calculate check boxes on the Modules > Finance > Accounts Receivable and the
Modules > Finance > Accounts Payable sheets and the Ready to Process check box on the Modules > Sales
> Order sheet. You can also activate the Tax Connect functionality on specific invoices in AR Invoice Entry
and AP Invoice Entry; the Summary sheets in both programs have Ready to Calculate check boxes. You can
active this functionality on specific sales orders as well; the Sales Order Entry > Summary sheet has a Ready
to Process check box.
If the Tax Calculation Enabled check box is not selected, the standard sales tax calculations run by default.

When the Tax Connect Enabled check box is not selected,


both the Address Validation Enabled and Tax Calculation
Enabled check boxes are still available. You can then both
set up the functionality and test the connection without
passing this information externally out to the AvaTax®
service.

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11. Enter the Tax ID Prefix you want to use. This value identifies any sales tax records automatically generated
by Epicor Tax Connect.

12. Click the Default Tax Category drop-down list to specify the sales tax category used by default when a
category is not available for the sales order and/or AR invoice transaction. All sales tax categories available
within the application display on this list.

13. When you finish setting up the taxing options, click Save.

Test Epicor Tax Connect

You can use the Actions menu to activate Epicor Tax Connect, test the connection to the Avalara® AvaTax® service,
and validate the company’s current address. These menu options are a shortcut to identical functions found on
the Tax Interface sheet.
To run these Actions menu options:

1. Click Actions > Tax Connect > Tax Connect Enabled to activate Epicor Tax Connect. This option is
identical to the Tax Connect Enabled check box. When you indicate this company automatically calculates
taxes (Tax Calculation Enabled) and validates addresses (Address Validation Enabled), this tax information
is automatically passed along to the AvaTax® service.

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If Epicor Tax Connect is active, a check appears next to this option. You can deactivate Epicor Tax Connect
from this menu to run setup and testing tasks.

2. When you select the Test Connection option, a window appears indicating either the connection succeeded
or failed. If there was an error, correct the issue and then test the connection again.

3. When you select the Validate Address option, the current company’s address is validated against the Epicor
Tax Connect parameters. When the process is complete, the Address Validation window displays. Use this
program to review the results of the validation and update the address if needed.

For more information about the validation process, review


the Address Validation topics within application help.

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Sales

You set up the company configuration for the Opportunity/Quote Management, Order Management, Customer
Relationship Management (CRM), and Case Management modules through the Sales sheets. This section describes
the options available for each module.

Opportunity/Quote

Use the fields on the Modules > Sales > Quote sheet to define global parameters for the Opportunity/Quote
module.
To modify the Opportunity/Quote options:

1. Enter the Starting Quote number you wish to use for the first quote created in Opportunity/Quote Entry.
Quote numbers generate automatically by the Epicor application by adding “1” to the highest quote number
available in the database. If you do not enter a value in this field, the quotes begin with 1 and increase from
this number.

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2. Select the Generate Quantities From Price Breaks check box to indicate you want quantities and related
price breaks to display during Quote Entry. Price list information must be entered for the parts, and customers
must be assigned that price list. Quantities and price breaks then automatically display on each quote.

3. Select the Refresh Worksheet on Demand check box to indicate you want the Quote Worksheet to
both refresh automatically through a regular time interval and manually when a user presses the Refresh
button.

4. Enter the Expiration Days value for your quotes. This specifies how many days your quotes are considered
active by the Epicor application. This value is added to the quote date to calculate the Expire Date on each
quote.

5. The Follow Up Days number defines how many days after a quote generates your sales staff should wait
before contacting the customer again. This value is added to the quote date to calculate the Follow Up
Date on each quote.

6. The Days to Quote value specifies how many days after a quote is entered it becomes due. This value is
added to the current date to calculate the default Due Date on each quote.

7. Select the Prevent Changes check box to indicate users cannot make changes to quotes marked as Quoted.
Users can then only add or update memos associated with the quote.

8. Select the Create Audit Log check box to indicate users are required to enter a brief memo description
whenever they change a quote marked as Quoted. This option is available if you select the Prevent Changes
check box.

To view the log of all the quote changes, launch


Opportunity/Quote Entry, from the Actions menu, select
the Audit Log option.

9. Use the Quote Form Messages fields to enter standard text that appears on the bottom of each quote.

10. Select the Get Costs from Inventory check box to get costs from the material costs from inventory instead
of the material costs from the quote. Clear the box to use material costs from the quote. This is a default
only. You can override the setting on the Get details screen.

11. Default Expected Quantity To - determines how the Expected Quantity defaults when creating a quote.
There are two settings for this field: Constant and First Quantity Break. Note that if you choose Constant,
you must enter a value in the field to the right to be used as the default Expected Qty.
When you enter a quote line in Quote Management, the Expected Qty will default based on the setting
here. If the Expected Qty is set to default to a constant, the value in the quote details will be rounded
according to the UOM rounding options selected for the part. If the Expected Qty is set to default to a
quantity break and the user entering the quote changes the quantity fo the first quantity break then the
Expected Qty will be refreshed.

12. Default Order Qty to Expected Qty - Select this box if the Order Qty should be updated when the
Expected Qty from the quote changes.

13. When you finish defining the quote options, click Save.

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Order

Leverage the fields on the Modules > Sales > Order sheet to define global parameters for the Order Management
module.

Primary Order Options

1. Enter the Starting Order number for the first sales order created in Sales Order Entry. Sales order numbers
generate automatically by adding 1 to the highest number available in the database. If you do not enter a
value in this field, the sales orders begin with 1 and increase from this number.

2. Enter the Starting RMA number for the first return material authorization (RMA) created in RMA Processing.
RMA numbers generate automatically by adding 1 to the highest number available in the database. If you
do not enter a value in this field, the RMA numbers begin with 1 and increase from this number.

You can manually enter sales order and RMA numbers.


To do this, enter 99999 as the Starting Order and/or
Starting RMA value, then enter the numbers you want in
Sales Order Entry and RMA Processing. The numbers you
enter must be smaller than the number in the Starting
Order and Starting RMA fields.

3. Select the Book Sales Orders check box to indicate audit entries are created for changes made to sales
orders. The application then writes audit entries any time sales order lines are added, changed, deleted, or
voided. This information displays in the Sales Order Tracker.

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4. When you click the Apply Order Based Discounts Automatically check box, you activate the automatic
pricing system. The application applies discounts based on the quantity for each sales order line, the total
value of the order, or both.

5. Select the Ready to Process check box to indicate new sales orders will have their Ready to Process check
boxes selected. Sales taxes can then be automatically calculated against the AR invoice created for this sales
order.

If you use the Tax Connect functionality (Avalara®


AvaTax®), this check box also indicates that sales taxes
are automatically calculated and validated through this
third party tax service. For an overview of the Tax Connect
functionality, review the Tax Interface section later in this
chapter.

6. Select the Ready to Process for Orders from Quote check box to indicate that a new sales order that is
created directly from a quote will have their Ready to Process check box selected. Sales taxes can then be
automatically calculated against the AR invoice created for the sales order.

If you use the Tax Connect functionality (Avalara®


AvaTax®), this check box also indicates that sales taxes
are automatically calculated and validated through this
third party tax service. For an overview of the Tax Connect
functionality, review the Tax Interface section later in this
chapter.

7. The Ready to Fulfill check box is only enabled if you use the Advanced Material Management license.
Select this check box, if you have this license, to determine the default setting for the Ready to Fulfill check
box located in Sales Order Entry.

This check box remains disabled and unselected for users


without the Advanced Material Management license.

8. Click the Discount Rounding Options drop-down list to specify the rounding method applied to the unit
price or the line value. Available options:
• Round net price by extended amount
• Round net price by unit price
• Round discount by extended amount
• Round discount by unit price

9. Enter the Days Lookup for Order From History value to specify the number of days that display in the
Build Order From History program. This program, available in Sales Order Entry from the Actions menu,
displays information on past orders for the customer selected on the sales order.

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10. Use the Credit / Aging Limit Actions options to indicate how you want the application to alert you when
customers exceed their credit limit or are on aging hold. Available options:
• Sales Order - These options specify what occurs when you enter or change a sales order for a customer
on credit or aging hold. If you select Warn, a message alert displays, but you can continue processing
the order. If you select Stop, a message alert displays and the sales order cannot be processed.

For more information on customer credit, review the


Customer Credit Manager topics within the application
help.

• Shipment - These options specify what occurs when you enter or change a packing slip for a customer
on credit or aging hold. If you select Warn, a message alert displays, but you can continue processing
the packing slip. If you select Stop, a message alert displays and the packing slip cannot be processed.

11. The Retain Credit Override check box works as follows:


• Clear (default) - If you remove a customer from credit hold (either manually or via Mass Credit Information
Update), the Credit Override field is cleared in all sales orders for that customer. Therefore, if you
subsequently place the customer back on credit hold, all their orders are placed on hold again.
• Selected - If you remove a customer from credit hold, or place the customer back on credit hold, the
Credit Override field remains unchanged. In this way, the Credit Override setting is not lost when a
customer is removed from credit hold then subsequently placed back on hold.

You can only select the Credit Override check box on a


sales order if the customer is currently on credit hold.

12. Select the Keep Line Quantity Constant check box to indicate the total quantity on each sales order detail
line cannot change. As you add releases to an order line, all release quantities must equal the original line
order quantity.

Release 1 cannot be deleted or shipped before other


releases. When Release 1 is shipped or closed, other
releases for the line automatically close. To avoid this
situation, the Ship Date for Release 1 should be the date
when you want the last release to be shipped. You receive
a warning message if you attempt to close Release 1 when
the other releases have not already shipped.

13. When you select the Allow Project/WBS Phase To Be Defined check box, you can display the project or
WBS phase linked to a sales order.

14. Select the Base Currency as secondary price list check box so when a customer uses a currency other
than the base currency, the Epicor application will access a price list that uses the base currency to calculate
the amounts.

15. The Default Line Type drop-down list defines the typical purpose for each sales order line. Available options:
• Project
• Manufactured
• No Job

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Shipping and Other Options

1. Click the Use Referenced Invoice Costs check box to specify the invoice reference is required on RMA
(Return Materials Authorization) transactions for invoice costing.

2. The Request Move for Passed Items and Request Move for Failed Items check boxes are for those
companies that have Advanced Material Management licences. These determine the default setting of the
Request Move checkbox in RMA Disposition when an item passes or fails the inspection process.

3. The Allow Multiple Credit Invoices check box is selected by default, meaning that multiple credit invoices
can be created against the same RMA. If at least one credit invoice has already been created and you try to
create a new invoice, a warning message will display. If you answer yes, a credit memo invoice is created.
If you answer no, the request will be cancelled.
Clear this check box if you do not wish to create multiple credit invoices against the same RMA. If one
invoice has already been created, the Add Credit Memo button on the Summary > Credits sheet in Return
Material Authorization will be disabled.

4. Enter the Invoice Group Prefix for counter sales orders. Counter sales are sales orders where the customer
takes the parts directly out of your distribution center. All invoices generated from counter sales group
together using this prefix value.

5. Use the Ship Via drop-down list to specify a default ship via code for counter sales. Each sales transaction
requires a ship via code, and the value you select becomes the default code.

6. Enter the Starting BOL # for the first bill of lading number. Bill of lading numbers generate automatically
by adding 1 to the highest number available in the database. If you do not enter a value in this field, the

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bill of lading numbers begin with 1 and increase from this number. This field allows the user to synchronize
the bill of lading numbers and the packing slip numbers.

7. Enter the Starting Packing Slip number for the first packing slip created in the shipping programs. Packing
slip numbers generate automatically by adding 1 to the highest number available in the database. If you do
not enter a value in this field, the packing slip numbers begin with 1 and increase from this number.

8. Select the Allow Shipment from any Job check box to indicate orders can be shipped from a job in
Customer Shipment Entry. All jobs can be shipped, even if the job does not have a demand link for the order
release. If you clear this check box, all shipments without job links are automatically placed against inventory.

9. Select the Save Shipment for Invoicing check box to indicate customer shipments entered in the
Shipping/Receiving module are available for the Get Shipments function in AR Invoice Entry. You can then
create AR invoices from shipping information. Typically you should select this check box if your company
uses the Accounts Receivable module.

10. When you select the Allow Change Shipping Address check box, you indicate shipping address changes
can occur during shipment entry. For example, if you are using Customer Shipment Entry and you attempt
to add a new release that contains a different ship to address, a warning message appears, but the new
release can be added. If this check box is clear, you cannot enter releases that do not have valid ship to
addresses.

11. Enter the Invoice Group Prefix for invoices that automatically generate for customer shipments that use
Evaluated Receipt Settlement and Self – Billing (ERS). Customers use this billing type to pay invoices based
on packing slip information.

12. Select the transaction Document Type used to generate legal numbers for invoices created automatically
at the shipment.

You create document types using Transaction Document


Type Maintenance. A document type links a system
transaction to a unique legal number that generates when
the transaction is printed. This maintenance program is
located in the Financial Management > Accounts
Receivable > Setup folder.

13. Use the Cash Group Prefix and Invoice Group Prefix to specify the prefixes for cash groups and invoice
groups generated for credit card payments. These invoices then display together using the prefixes you
specify in these fields.

14. Select the Default Bank you want to use for cash payments. This default bank can be changed on specific
sales orders.
To define the bank account for credit card payments, use the Bank Account field on the Processors
sheet in the Credit Card Configuration program.

15. Select the Asynchronous Shipping check box to continue using Customer Shipment Entry for order
shipments while waiting for another order to complete processing.
You can create your next shipment at the same time you are processing an invoice and cash receipt for a
credit card by selecting this check box.

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16. Select an option from the Default Create drop-down list to specify how the application processes parts
that do not have part master records. Available options:

You create part records using Part Maintenance. This


maintenance program is located in the Sales Management
> Order Management > Setup folder.

• Buy To Order - The part number is identified as a BTO part. On the sales order, the Epicor application
automatically selects the Buy To Order check box and clears the Make Direct check box.
• Make to Order - The part number is identified as a Make Direct part. On the sales order, the application
automatically selects the Make Direct check box and clears the Buy To Order check box.

17. Select the Raise PO’s on CTP Confirmation check box to specify whether purchase orders or PO suggestions
generate for BTO and drop shipped parts. You run this functionality on the Capable to Promise program
available from the Actions menu in Sales Order Entry.
If the Raise PO’s on CTP Confirmation option is active, selecting the Confirm check box on a sales order
causes purchase orders to generate. If this option is not active, selecting the Confirm check box causes PO
suggestions to generate instead.

18. When you finish defining the sales order options, click Save.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

Use the Modules > Sales > CRM sheet to define the options for the Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
module.
To define the CRM options:

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1. Click the Task Set drop-down list to specify the default task set you want to use when working with leads,
opportunities, and quotes.

2. Click the Territory drop-down list to specify the default sales territory to assign to suspects and prospects
on opportunities or quotes.

3. Enter the Number of CRM Calls shown value to specify the maximum number of calls that automatically
populate when loading CRM calls from another application.

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4. Click the drop-down lists in the Campaign group box to define default marketing campaigns for specific
marketing activities. Available lists:
• Marketing – Defines the campaign used to schedule events.

You create campaign records in Marketing Campaign


Maintenance. This maintenance program is located in
the Sales Management > Customer Relationship
Management > Setup folder.

• Web Marketing – Specifies the campaign used for web activities.


• Inter-Company Marketing – Specifies the campaign used for inter-company events.

5. Click the Win drop-down list to specify the default reason code that displays when a customer accepts a
quote.

You create reason codes in Reason Code Maintenance.


This maintenance program is located in the Sales
Management > Customer Relationship Management >
Setup folder.

6. Click the Loss drop-down list to specify the default reason code that displays when a customer rejects a
quote.

7. Use the Task field to specify whether by default each reason code task is approved or rejected.

8. Select the Close Tasks to Milestone check box to indicate when a milestone is closed, any open tasks
related to this milestone also automatically close. Selecting this option saves time, as you no longer need to
manually close each task.

9. Select the Close Tasks on Lose check box to indicate you want tasks to close when the Lose status is
assigned to an opportunity or a quote. Select this option when you follow a procedure that allows a Lose
action to occur. Selecting this option saves time, as you no longer need to manually close each task.

10. When you select the Territory Security on Sales Orders check box, you restrict access to sales orders in
both Sales Order Entry and Sales Order Tracker. Salespeople can then only display sales orders linked to their
respective sales territories in these programs.

11. When you finish defining the CRM options, click Save.

Case Management

Use the options on the Modules > Sales > Case Management sheet to define the options for this module.
To define help desk options:

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1. Click the Workflow Group button to find and select the default workflow group used for help desk tasks.
Each workflow group contains both a task set and list of users that work on these tasks.

You create workflow groups in Workflow Group


Maintenance. This maintenance program is located in the
Sales Management > Case Management > Setup folder.

2. Click the Task Set drop-down list to select a default task set for new Help Desk cases.

3. Select the Auto Complete Tasks check box to indicate you can automatically complete Help Desk tasks
when you indicate a workflow stage is complete.

4. When you finish defining the Case Management options, click Save.

Demand

Leverage the Modules > Sales > Demand sheet to define options for the Demand Management module.
To set up the Demand module options:

1. Select the Check Unfirm Schedules check box to indicate unfirm schedules are included in the Lead
Time calculation. Unfirm releases cannot be turned into jobs.

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2. Select the Check Forecast Schedules check box to indicate forecast schedules are included in the Lead
Time calculation.

Lead Time is the total estimated time required to


manufacture all levels of an assembly.

3. Click the Action drop-down list to specify what happens when you run the Close program. This program
is available on the Actions menu in Demand Entry. Available options:
• Cancel Releases - Automatically cancels sales order releases for closed demand schedules received from
customer trading partners.
• Delete Releases - Automatically deletes sales order releases for closed demand schedules received from
customer trading partners.

4. Select the Automatically Match All check box to indicate the Demand Matching program automatically
matches all new demand schedules and potential sales order releases. Although this program is available
from the Actions menu in Demand Entry, selecting this check box causes it to run as a continuous process.
You then do not need to launch this program and manually select matches.

5. Click the Import Folder button to specify the default folder that receives imported sales demand files.

6. Select the Consider Working Days in the Delivery Days Calculation check box to indicate the Delivery
Days fields on customer records are used to specify how many days are required to ship a part quantity

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from your manufacturing center to a customer trading partner. The Epicor application then uses this additional
date interval to calculate Ship By Dates when you use the Need By Date to determine demand.

You create customer records in Customer Maintenance.


This maintenance program is located in the Sales
Management > Demand Management > Setup folder.

7. Select the Perform Price Tolerance Check When Customer Price Higher than Unit Price check box to
indicate that the EDI/Management module should perform tolerance checks for this company if the Customer
Unit Price exceeds your current Unit Price by more than the percentage amount specified in the Unit Price
Difference Tolerance field in Customer Entry.
By default, this check box is clear.

8. When you finish defining the Demand Management options, click Save.

Production

You set up the company configuration for the Job Management, Data Collection, Production Lifecycle Management
(PLM), Quality Assurance (QA), and Material Requirements Planning (MRP) modules through the Production
sheets. This section describes the options available for each module.

Job

Use the Modules > Production > Job sheet to define the options for the Job Management module.
Available options:

1. Use the options in the Labor group box to define what prompts you want to appear during time entry or
data collection entry. Available prompt options:
• Resource Prompt – Users are required to select a Resource ID on time entries.
• Scrap Reasons – Users are prompted to enter a Scrap Rework reason on time entries.
• Rework Reasons – Users are prompted to enter a Rework reason on time entries.
• Labor to Payroll – Transfers labor hours from the Job Management module to the Payroll module. If
you want to enter your payroll manually, or if you do not have the Payroll module, clear this check box.
• Advanced labor Rates – Select this check box to be able to enter Service labor rates used to bill a
service call. If you select this check box you can define labor rates values in Service Contract Entry,
Customer Maintenance (customer and ship to customers), and Employee Maintenance. The values
defined in these programs include Expense Code, Rate Type, Rate Multiplier, and Fixed Rate.
If you clear this check box, the Labor Rate defined in the Employee Maintenance > Production Info sheet
is used instead.

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2. Use the Time Format options to define the format for Clock In and Clock Out entries. These options only
define how times are entered. After they are saved, the entries display as decimal values. Available options:
• Hours/Minutes
• Hours/Hundredths

Using the Hours/Hundredths format, a Clock In time of


13.30 and Clock Out time of 14.45 creates a labor
transaction of 1.25 hours, not 1.15 hours.

3. There are two fields in the Job Number Generation section. First, enter the Length the Epicor application
uses for sequential numbers on all or a portion of your job numbers. The maximum value you can enter is
9.
Also enter the value you want for the Next job number. This number is inserted in the Job Number field
whenever you use the Next Job Number function in Job Entry.

You can choose to always use the Year reference followed


by a dash (-) as the first 3 characters of every job number,
and then assign sequential numbers. To use this
numbering scheme, enter the first 3 characters in the
field, and then select to insert the next sequential number.
The sequential number is as long as the value you enter
in the Length field.

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4. Select the Quick Job ID numbering method the module uses when creating jobs in the Order Job Wizard.
Available options:
• Next Job – Generates the next available job number by default.
• Order Release – Generates a job number that combines the Order Number, Order Line Number,
and Release Number.

5. Click the Default Standard Format drop-down list to define the default Production Standard on
operations. The Production Standard is an estimate of the production time required to complete an operation.
Available options:
• Cycles/Minute
• Cycles/Hour
• Fixed Hours
• Hours/Piece
• Minutes/Piece
• Operations/Piece
• Operations/Hour
• Operations/Minute
• Pieces/Hour
• Pieces/Minute
If you select either Hours/Piece or Minutes/Piece, you must next define how many pieces are worked on
during the operation. You can select Each, /100, /1000, and /10000.
If you select either Cycles/Minute or Cycles/Hour, you must next define how many pieces are produced
during a machine cycle.

6. Select the Global Reschedule Started Operations check box to indicate started operations can be
rescheduled by either the Global Scheduling or Job Scheduling programs. If this check box is clear,
operations with labor reported against them cannot be rescheduled.

7. Select the Allow Scheduling Before Today check box to indicate jobs can be scheduled with Start Dates
before the current date. Clear this check box so all jobs begin scheduling from the current date forward
into the production calendar.

For more information about scheduling, review the


Scheduling module topics and the Scheduling Technical
Reference Guide within application help.

8. Select the Prompt to allow Scheduling an Unengineered Job check box to indicate that the system is
to display a message when the user attempts to schedule a job that is not marked as Engineered in Job
Entry. If the user responds Yes to the displayed message, it indicates that the system can mark the job an
Engineered and to schedule the job accordingly. If the user responds no, the job remains clear and the job
cannot be schedule and the user has to manually mark the job as ready for engineering.

9. Select Enable Scheduling Debug Log to create a log for troubleshooting scheduling issues. Select Include
Extra Details to record additional data to the log file. The log shows information such as the parameters
of the scheduling engine, the version of the program, the processing and times of each operation that is
scheduled, resources, resource groups, and capabilities. You can use the information in this log to diagnose
scheduling problems.

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10. When you select Allow Move Jobs Across Sites and you are running in Multi-Job mode, if you are working
with a group of jobs that includes a job in another site, the scheduling engine will treat that job as part of
the group and any rescheduling efforts will also reschedule the job in the other site. This works for any site;
it is not limited to the site where the user is logged on.

11. Use the Change Impact Grace Periods to define the date ranges during which jobs can complete before
or after the Due Date and still be considered on time. These values display on the Schedule Impact report.
Available fields:
• Early Grace Period (Days) – Defines the number days ahead of the job's Due Date the job is considered
on time. For example, you enter an Early Grace Period (Days) value of 4. If a job is scheduled to end 5
days ahead of schedule, it is considered Early. If the job is scheduled to end 4 days ahead of schedule,
it is considered On Time.
• Late Grace Period (Days) – Defines the number days after the job's Due Date the job is considered on
time. For example, you enter a Late Grace Period (Days) value of 1. If a job is scheduled to end 1 day
late, the job is still considered On Time. If the job is scheduled to end 2 days after the Due Date, the job
is considered Late.

If you enter a zero in either field, it indicates you do not


want to use this grace period.

12. Enter the Kanban Prefix to define the default prefix assigned to Kanban job identifiers. When the application
generates Kanban receipts, it adds this prefix to the generated job numbers.

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13. Select the Prevent Changes check box to indicate users cannot make changes to jobs selected as Engineered.
Users can then only add or edit memos and select or clear user-defined check boxes. When you select the
Prevent Changes check box, you activate the Create Audit Log check box. This indicates when users make
changes to check boxes on the job header, they must enter memo descriptions for each change.

14. Click the Relieved by drop-down list to define how you wish to remove load on operations. Load is the
total number of hours remaining on an operation, including setup and production. You can relieve load
using Hours, Quantity, and Cost.

Most companies calculate load based on Quantity


(Quantity Remaining * Estimated Hours per Piece).
However, if you manufacture one piece quantities and
cannot report them, you can calculate load through Hours
(Estimated Hours - Actual Hours) or Cost (Estimated Cost
- Actual Cost).

15. Select the Change Impact Price List you will use on the Schedule Impact report. This price list contains
prices for your company’s finished goods. The Schedule Impact report uses these prices to calculate the
value of job demand not related to order releases, so select a price list you want to use to measure the
effects of schedule changes.

16. Use the Direct Ship Standard Cost Job Variances radio button options to define the method you use to
record variances from jobs you ship direct. Available options:
• Post to Cost of Sales – The default option, this method causes job variances to post in the Cost of Sales
(COS) account.
• Post to Product Group – Causes job variances to post to the account selected on the part’s Product
Group.

17. Select the Enable Mfg Cost Elements check box to activate the alternate Split Cost Elements job estimate
calculation. This calculation provides detailed job cost analysis by totaling the cost buckets independently
throughout each job’s method of manufacturing. It then arrives at separate material, labor, burden,
subcontract, and material burden (if used) total cost values for the highest level assembly.
In contrast, the default job estimate calculation totals all the cost buckets on each assembly in the material
bucket, then adds this material value to the material cost bucket on the next level assembly. This process
continues throughout each level in the method of manufacturing.

You review the analysis generated by the Split Cost


Elements calculation within the Job Tracker. For more
information, review the Job Costing Technical Reference
Guide located within the application help.

18. You can enter up to five User Defined Check Off Labels. These labels display next to custom check boxes
on the Job Entry > Job Header sheet, and they indicate where the job is at within its production cycle.
When you define these labels, you customize Job Entry to display the labels and the check off boxes.
After these check boxes display in Job Entry, you activate the global alert that monitors each check off box.
This causes a global alert to be sent to users who need to know this specific task is complete.

To learn about global alerts, review the Global Alerts


Maintenance help topics or the Global Alerts chapter in
the Epicor ICE Tools User Guide. To learn how to
customize a program, review the Customization help

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topics or the Epicor ICE User Experience and


Customization Guide.

19. Select the Get Costs from Jobs check box to get costs from a job template instead of the material costs
from inventory. Clear the box to use material costs from inventory. This is only a default. You can override
the setting on the Get Details screen.

20. When you finish defining the Job Management options, click Save.

Data Collection

Use the Modules > Production > Data Collection sheet to define the options for the Data Collection module
(which includes Handheld and MES functions). The Data Collection module configuration settings also define
several job default values.
To set up Data Collection options:

1. Select the Calc Idle Time check box to indicate idle time entries generate in the Data Collection module.
Idle time records the difference between employee total time and the sum of all the reported labor detail
transactions.

2. The Default Site field displays the primary Site for the current company. You cannot change this value.

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3. The Resource Group drop-down list specifies the resource group against which idle time entries are recorded.
When you select the Calc Idle Time check box, you must select a resource group.

4. Select an Indirect Labor code against which idle time entries are recorded. When you select the Calc Idle
Time check box, you must select an Indirect Labor code.

5. Select the Use Shop Warnings check box to generate shop warning messages when specific conditions
occur in the database. These warnings display in multiple programs throughout the Epicor application.

6. Enter the number of Weeks to Keep Warnings during which shop warnings are stored in the application.
When a Data Collection user logs into the application, any warnings generated before this Weeks to Keep
Warnings value are deleted.

7. Select the Prevent First Article Bypass check box to cause materials defined as first articles to go through
First Article Inspection after they are finished in the Work Queue.

8. When you select the Consider Grace for Labor Detail check box, you indicate the Clock-In and Clock-Out
Allowance times display on the Labor Edit report. If this check box is clear, the actual Clock-In and Clock-Out
times display for late clock-ins and early clock-outs on the Labor Detail report.

You define the clock-in allowance time as 10, and the


clock-in allowance time as 2. Your first shift starts at 7:00
a.m. John clocks in at 6:50. His clock-in time is adjusted
to 7:00, since it falls within the 10-minute early allowance.

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Jane clocks in at 7:03. Her clock-in time will remain at


7:03, because it falls outside the 2-minute late allowance.

9. Use the Clock In Allowance Time fields to define how many minutes before and after a scheduled shift
starts an employee can clock in and still be considered as starting on time. You enter this range in the Early
and Late fields.

10. Use the Clock Out Allowance Time fields to define how many minutes before and after a scheduled shift
ends an employee can clock in and still be considered as starting on time. You enter this range in the Early
and Late fields.

11. Select a Default Shift for the current company. When you add an employee in Employee Maintenance,
this default shift value automatically displays on the new record. For more information on Employee
Maintenance, review Chapter 5: Personnel.

12. When you finish defining the Data Collection options, click Save.

Product Lifecycle Management (PLM)

Use the Modules > Production > PLM sheet to define the options for the Product Lifecycle Management (PLM)
module.
Available options:

1. Enter the PLM Export Directory from which you export Product Lifecycle Management files. You then
import these files in the PLM third party application.

2. Click the ECO Group drop-down list to select the default ID for the Engineering Change Order (ECO) group.
This ECO group is used for BOM data downloaded from Product Lifecycle Management.

3. When you finish defining the Product Lifecycle Management options, click Save.

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Quality Assurance (QA)

Use the Modules > Production > QA sheet to define the options for the Quality Assurance module.
To set up Quality Assurance options:

1. The Default Site field displays the Site you use at this company for inspections. You cannot change this
value.

2. Click the Default Inspection Warehouse drop-down list to specify the default warehouse used for inspecting
received parts.

3. Use the Initialization Options to define the starting numbers for Non-Conformance IDs and Corrective
Action IDs. These identifier numbers generate automatically by adding “1” to the highest number available
in the database. If you do not enter a value in these fields, these numbers begin with 1 and increase from
this number.

4. Select the Move Costs to DMR check box to indicate you want the default action for failed assemblies to
move their costs to the Discrepant Material Report (DMR).

Assembly costs are not removed from the job when the
assembly is in inspection; the application only removes
them when the assembly fails inspection and moves to

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DMR. This check box only applies to assemblies. Material


costs are removed from the job when they are moved to
inspection.

5. If the Advanced Material Management license is enabled, the Request Move for Passed Items and
Request Move for Failed Items determine the settings of the corresponding Request Move check boxes
in Inspection Processing, RMA Disposition, and in DMR Processing. If Advanced Material Management is
not enabled, these fields will be disabled and unchecked.

6. Select the IQS Active checkbox to enable integration with the IQS Advanced Quality module. This checkbox
enables movement of data in both directions, from the Epicor application to IQS and vice versa.

7. This activates the Export Folder... button. Click this button to find and select the folder that will contain
the records you will export to IQS. For example: C:\Epicor3Data\ServiceConnect\AQM\DataExportOut

8. Click the Synchronize.. button to launch a Mass Data update. This sends all the records in the static data
files synchronized with IQS to the selected Export Folder. The IQS Advanced Quality module will then use
these files to update data.

9. When you finish defining the Quality Assurance options, click Save.

Material Requirements Planning (MRP)

Use the Modules > Production > MRP sheet to define the Material Requirements Planning (MRP) module options.
To set up Material Requirements Planning options:

1. Define the Forecast Window you need. This window is a date range around the forecast date in which
sales order demand is included in the overall forecast. You enter two values:
• Days Before – Specifies the number of days before the actual forecast date that the forecast includes
sales order demand.
• Days After – Specifies the number of days after the actual forecast date that the forecast includes sales
order demand.

For example, if you enter 15 in both the Days Before and


Days After fields, then a forecast for November 20, 2015
includes all sales orders whose required Due Dates occur
on November 5 – December 5.

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2. The Suggest Job Prefixes section displays the prefix values for jobs generated by MRP. These prefixes are
added to the Job IDs to identify and group MRP jobs. Available options:
• Unfirm Job Prefix – The prefix initially added to Job IDs generated by MRP. Unfirm jobs are suggestions
production managers review to decide whether the job will be produced.
• Firm Job Prefix – The prefix that replaces the Unfirm Job Prefix on a Job ID when production managers
select the Firm check box on an MRP job.

If you have a multi-plant environment, these values display


as read only values in Company Configuration; you enter
these prefix values for specific sites in Site Configuration.
The prefix values identify the plant that produces the job
as well. For more information, review the Sites chapter
later in this guide.

3. In addition to the job prefixes, you also determine how MRP generates Job ID numbers. You do this by
selecting an option in the MRP Job ID group box. Available options:
• Next Job – Generated jobs use the next highest available job number.
• Order Release – If the sales order release is defined as Make to Order, MRP generates job identifiers
from the sales orders, using the Sales Order – Line – Release number format. However, if the sales
order release is not Make to Order, MRP uses the next highest available job number.

4. Use the Default Import Format drop-down list to identify the format to use when sales history data is
imported from external forecast solutions. The format defines the data imported in the file; valid options
include combinations of Customer, Part, and Plant.

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5. Use the Default Export Format drop-down list to identify the format to use when sales history data is
exported to external forecast solutions. The format defines the data exported in the file; valid options include
combinations of Customer, Part, and Plant.

For new companies, run Conversion 10870 to make the


export formats available. To do this, navigate to Start >
Programs > Epicor > Epicor Admin Tools. Click Run
Conversion Program and locate conversion 10870. From
the Conversion menu, select Run Conversion Program.

6. Use the Forecast Periods drop-down list to specify what fiscal periods this company uses for the forecast
import and export process. This value determines the Periods Per Year value. Available options:
• Day
• Week
• Month
• Quarter
• Semester
• Year

7. The Periods Per Year value identifies the number of forecast periods per year. Typically this field populates
based on the Forecast Periods value; however, if you select Day or Week for the Forecast Period, you can
edit this value.

8. Select the Replace Missing Values check box to indicate forecast periods with zero demand will still export
with the forecast data.

9. The Import Day determines the forecast date for each imported forecast period. The number you enter
here depends on the Forecast Period you select. Valid entries:
• Day — The only valid entry is 1
• Week — Valid entries are 1 - 7
• Month — Valid entries are 1 - 31
• Quarter — Valid entries are 1 - 93
• Semester — Valid entries are 1 - 186
• Year — Valid entries are 1 - 365

10. When you finish defining the MRP options, click Save.

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Materials

Through the Materials sheets, you set up the company configuration for the Inventory Management, Purchase
Management, and Shipping/Receiving modules. This section describes the options available for each module.
You can also review the options for serial mask formats.

Inventory

Use the General and Lot sheets to define the options for the Inventory Management module.

General Inventory Options

The Modules > Materials > Inventory > General sheet contains options for Engineering Change Orders (ECO),
bar codes, transfer orders, and stock provision reports. Define these options to reflect the current company’s
inventory process flow.
To set up general inventory options:

1. Select the Print Bar Codes check box to indicate bar codes can be printed on certain reports/forms.

For on-premise installations, in addition to selecting the


Print Bar Codes check box, you must also install the Epicor
Bar 39 font in the Windows/Fonts directory. You can then
use the Bar Code option on any reports/forms that use
Crystal Reports. Note that this font is already installed in
the Epicor ERP Cloud.

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2. When you click the Use Inventory Adjustment Reasons check box, you specify reason codes are required
to enter inventory and cost adjustments. You enter these changes in the Cost Adjustments and Quantity
Adjustments programs.

3. Select the Stop on UOM Rounding if No Rounding Selected check box to indicate users will be stopped
from using a unit of measure (UOM) value that violates UOM standards of number of decimals and rules
for rounding. Clear this check box if values should be truncated (as if using the Round Down option) without
displaying a message to the user.

If you change the setting of this check box, you must


restart Internet Information Services (IIS) for the change
to take effect.

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4. Select the Unapprove Revision On Check Out option to cause the status of part revisions to automatically
change. When users check out an Engineering Change Order (ECO), the part revision’s status automatically
changes to Unapproved.

5. Select the Verify Password on Check In option to indicate user passwords are verified during Revision
approvals and check-in/out processes.

6. When you click the Workflow Required check box, both a workflow group and task set must be selected
on Engineering Change Order (ECO) requests.

7. Select the Single User check box to limit each ECO Group to only have one user. Users check out these
groups in the Engineering Workbench. If the check box is clear, specific revisions within a group are locked
instead.

8. Select the Allow Express Part Checkout option to activate the Express Part Checkout program. Users
can then check out a part revision through this program as well as the Engineering Workbench.

9. Enter the Transfer Order Number Length to determine how many digits you need in transfer order
numbers.

10. Next, enter the Starting Transfer Order Number. Transfer order numbers generate automatically by
adding “1” to the highest number available in the database. If you do not enter a value in this field, the
transfer orders begin with 1 and increase from this number.

For example, if you enter 4 in the Transfer Order Number


Length field and your Starting Transfer Order Number is
20, the Epicor application fills in the remaining two digits
with zeroes. The first transfer order number will be 0020.

11. Select the Automatically Receive TO's for intersite Job Receipt to Jobs check box to indicate transfer
orders should automatically be recorded against their receiving jobs.

12. You can select a Default Slow Moving Format Code to use on the Slow Moving Stock Provision report.
This report calculates stock provisions for slow moving stock and also calculates the value of obsolete stock.

13. You can select a Default Excess Format Code to use on the Excess Stock Provision report. This report
calculates stock provisions for the excess stock and also calculates the value of obsolete stock.

For more information on this report, review the Stock


Provision Report Format Maintenance topics in the
application help.

14. If your company uses the Package Control functionality, available with the Advanced Material
Management module, you can identify the number of levels in which you can nest a child PCID within a
parent PCID. You enter a numeric value, from one to five, and that number defines the maximum number
of levels available in a parent and child PCID relationship at the company level.

Currently, the functionality for this field is not available.


The functionality will be added in a future release.

15. When you finish defining your general inventory options, click Save.

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Lot Inventory Options

Use the Modules > Materials > Inventory > Lot sheet to define lot attribute default values at the company level.
Whenever a new lot is created or used for a specific part, these attributes can be required, tracked or not tracked.
They sort information that can be tracked at the lot level. Additionally you can specify whether the application
should not prompt you on the different stages of part processing regarding the lot attributes setup.
The default attributes you select on this sheet display in Part Maintenance on the Lots > Attributes sheet. These
values can be overridden on specific part records.
To set up lot inventory options:

1. Specify the part processing stages where you should not receive prompts from the application regarding
the lot attributes setup.

2. Specify for each attribute whether you want to make it required, tracked or not tracked for the lot controlled
parts in the current company.

3. Select this check box to override the default lot number.

4. When you finish, click Save.

Purchase

Use the Modules > Materials > Purchase sheet to define the default purchasing options for the Purchase
Management module.
To set up purchasing options:

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1. Enter the Starting PO number. Purchase order numbers generate automatically by adding “1” to the highest
number available in the database. If you do not enter a value in this field, the purchase orders begin with
1 and increase from this number.

2. Enter the Starting RFQ number. Request For Quote (RFQ) numbers generate automatically by adding “1”
to the highest number available in the database. If you do not enter a value in this field, the RFQs begin
with 1 and increase from this number.

You can manually enter purchase order and RFQ numbers.


To do this, enter 99999 as the Starting PO and/or Starting
RFQ value, then enter the numbers you want in Purchase
Order Entry and Request For Quote Entry. The numbers
you enter must be smaller than the number in the Starting
PO and Starting RFQ fields.

3. Use the Default Quantity options to define the quantity users can change on the purchase order detail
line. Available options:
• Our
• Supplier

4. Select the Enable Sourcing check box to activate the Epicor Sourcing functionality. This internet web
auction application integrates with Request for Quotes (RFQ) Entry. You leverage this functionality to
make RFQ lines available for online bidding from suppliers.

When buyers post their RFQs to Epicor Sourcing, suppliers


can place bids against the RFQ lines. Each record has a
time limit, so when this limit is reached, bidding on the
RFQ closes. Buyers can then use the Sourcing application
to determine which bid to accept. To purchase this
separate internet application, contact your Epicor Account
Manager.

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5. In the Sourcing URL field, define the uniform resource locator (URL) that contains the Epicor Sourcing
application. Epicor Sourcing is then integrated with your Epicor application.

6. Now enter the Username and Password for the individual who can launch Epicor Sourcing. This user then
creates sourcing (auction) events.

7. Enter the Purchasing Company you need for consolidated purchasing. If your organization has the Multi-Site
Management license, you can create consolidated purchase orders. The selected company is the central
purchasing company for these purchase orders. Consolidated purchase orders control purchases for separate
companies and sites across your organization.

8. Use the Global Currency Code drop-down list to specify the default currency for consolidated purchase
orders. When a consolidated purchase order is created by the purchasing company and sent to a receiving
company, the application converts the purchase orders base currency to this global currency. For more
information, review the Multi-Currencies chapter later in this guide.

9. Use the Close Release At drop-down list to specify the to specify the point (Arrival, Receipt or Invoice) at
which the Epicor application should assign a Closed status to purchase order and container release lines.

10. Select the Allow linked PO changes check box to indicate purchase orders used for inter-company trading
automatically update when these POs are modified.

11. If your organization uses the Purchase Contracts Management module, the Purchase Schedule Mode field
specifies how related demand requirements should be handled for this company.
• Select Schedule Fixed in Period to designate that demand for the resulting purchase schedule delivery
dates should not be moved forward but remain on the calculated delivery dates.
• Select Schedule Forward One Period to designate that demand requirements for a part should be
pulled forward in time to the next earlier delivery date, within the established (overall) delivery date
schedule.
You can override this at the site level in the Site Configuration program.

12. Select the Prompt to Override Price check box if an Overriding Supplier Price List - Confirm? prompt should
display when a user overrides the displayed unit prices in purchase order, purchase order suggestion or
requisition detail lines that come from associated price lists.

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13. Select the Disable Override Price List if you wish to disable access to the Override Price List check box in
the Purchase Order Entry > Lines > Detail, New PO Suggestion Entry > Suggestion > Detail or Requisition
Entry > Lines > Detail sheet. This prevents user override of the displayed unit prices that come from associated
supplier price lists.

14. When you finish defining your purchasing options, click Save.

Shipping Receiving

Use the Modules > Materials > Shipping Receiving sheet to define the options for the Shipping/Receiving module.
The Landed Cost options on this sheet are available if your organization has a Landed Cost license.
To set up shipping and receiving options:

1. Click the Default Misc Freight Code drop-down list to specify the default miscellaneous charge used on
customer shipments.

2. Select the Staging Required check box to activate the shipment staging logic. This logic tracks the status
of each shipment by displaying Open, Closed, Freighted, and so on.

3. Some countries require packing slips display the value of the shipped goods. If you select the Calculate
Prices check box, you indicate prices are calculated and printed on packing slips for both customer and
transfer order shipments. If you select the Calculate Taxes for Customer Shipments check box, this check
box is selected by default.

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4. Select the Allow Shipments for Orders on Hold check box to give users the ability to process shipments
for sales orders placed on credit hold. Sales orders are placed on hold either manually or automatically
through demand contracts.

5. Use the Receipt Default Quantity options to indicate how quantity charges are calculated for receipt lines.
Available options:
• Our Qty
• Supplier Qty

6. Select the Use Last Warehouse/Bin check box to display the same warehouse and bin used for the last
receipt of the same part number on the same packing slip. It designates how the Warehouse and Bin fields
should behave when you create multiple receipt lines for a part that is lot controlled, or for when you receive
multiple shipments on different days for a part purchased on a single purchase order.

7. The options in the Container Tracking Defaults section define how this module tracks discrepant materials.
Select the PO Release Shipping Option to specify how to handle discrepant quantities between the original
PO release and the shipped quantity. Likewise, select the PO Release Receipt Option to specify how to
handle discrepant quantities between the original PO release and the received quantity. Available options:
• None
• Create New
• Ship Short

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8. When you select the Allow Landed Cost In Receipt Entry check box, you indicate landed costs can be
calculated in Receipt Entry and Container Receipt Entry.

9. Select the Apply Landed Cost After Receipt check box so users can apply landed costs to posted receipts.

10. Select the Allow Split Container Shipment check box so users can divide the quantities in container
shipments.

11. Select the Allow Transfer of Indirect Costs check box so users can transfer indirect costs to multiple
shipments when invoices apply against two or more shipments.

12. Select the Allow Update of PO Transaction Value check box so users can update duty calculations.
Activating this option does not affect the purchase order value of received goods.

13. To shut off the uplift percentage calculation, select the Disable Uplift Percent check box.

14. Select the Default Disburse Method this module uses to disburse landed costs to a shipment. Available
options:
• Value
• Quantity
• Weight
• Volume
• Material

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15. Select the Allow update of Supplier Price when Receiving check box to indicate supplier price updates
can modify purchase order lines when these lines are received. The Epicor application uses the supplier prices
specified at time of receipt for all subsequent processing such as costing, invoicing, accounting, stock and
job updates.

Supplier prices can only be updated at time of receipt for


internally managed inventory items. They cannot be
adjusted for externally managed (customer or
supplier-owned) or contract purchase order inventory
items.

Selecting this check box activates both the Percentage Tolerance and Monetary Tolerance fields.

16. The Percentage Tolerance value specifies the price adjustment tolerance you allow when users update
purchase order prices at time of receipt. If a price exceeds this tolerance percentage, you can either Stop
the transaction or Warn the user through an alert. You can also enter the Monetary Tolerance value you
need. Use this value to specify the supplier price adjustment tolerance you allow when users update purchase
order prices at time of receipt.

If 1.50 is entered in the Monetary Tolerance field, users


can only enter supplier price adjustments within 1.5 of
the extended value, based on the original PO unit price.
If the extended value is 100.00, the supplier price
adjustments can only change through a plus or minus 1.5
value — in this case, 99.50 - 101.50.

17. Use the Supplier Price Limit Action radio button options to determine whether price adjustments that
exceed either tolerance cause the application to Warn a user through an alert message or Stop the
transaction.

18. When you finish defining the shipping and receiving options, click Save.

Serial Mask Formats

Use the Modules > Materials > Serial Mask Formats sheet to define the options for the Serial Mask Formats
module. You can define a serial number mask by setting up internal codes. The masked fields translate to the
characters you define; you can use the default standard English characters or create your own.
To set up serial mask options:

1. Enter the Alphanumeric Character that represents an alphanumeric character in the mask (for example,
5, A, or a). The default is the ampersand (&).

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2. Use the Alpha Only Character field to specify the mask character used to represent an alpha character
(for example, [a to z] or [A to Z]). The default is the commercial At sign (@).

3. Enter the Numeric Only Character that represents a numeric character (for example, [0 to 9]). The default
is the pound sign (#).

4. In the Mandatory Character of any Format field, enter the character that represents a mandatory variable
for any alphanumeric character. The default is the question mark (^). For example, if you enter 2^ in the
mask, when a serial number is created, the ^ must be replaced by a character.

5. Enter the Optional Alphanumeric Character value to specify the mask value that represents any
alphanumeric character that may be needed in the serial number. The default is the exclamation point (!).
This character is always the last character in a mask.

6. In the Strip Character field, enter the mask character that represents any removed characters when the
internal serial number is created. The default is a Tilde (~). This character can only be at the front or back
of a mask.

7. The Day Character field specifies the mask character used to represent the day of the year. The default is
the letter D. The mask character replaces two characters of the serial number.

8. Enter the Month Character that represents the month of the year; the default value is the letter M. This
mask character replaces two characters of the serial number.

9. In the Two Number Year Characters field, enter the mask characters that represent the year. The default
is YY. The mask characters replace two characters of the serial number.

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10. The Four Number Year Characters field specifies the four mask characters used to represent the year. The
default is YYYY. The mask characters replace four characters of the serial number.

11. The Part Number Representation Character specifies the two mask characters used for the part number.
These characters are entered as <Px>, where P is the default for the part number and x is the number of
characters of the part number. For example, if the part number is DS4000-1 and <P6> is entered in the
mask, then DS4000 will be included in the serial number.

12. The Example Strings group box displays example characters and strings that display in the serial mask
example. This example displays in other programs. Available example fields:
• Alpha Numeric Example Character
• Alpha Only Example Character
• Part Number Replacement Example String

13. When you finish defining the serial mask options, click Save.

Finance

Use the Finance sheets to set up the company configuration for the Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable,
General Ledger, Payroll and Asset Management modules. This section describes the options available for each
module. You also define how the company integrates with Tax Connect and uses payment instruments.

Accounts Receivable

Modify the sheets under the Accounts Receivable tabs to define the default values that affect operation of
Accounts Receivable (AR) processes and programs.

General

The Modules > Finance > Accounts Receivable > General sheet has several overall settings that define how
the Accounts Receivable (AR) module functions.

Primary AR Options
To set up general AR options:

1. Enter the Starting Invoice number. Invoice numbers generate automatically by adding 1 to the highest
number available in the database. If you do not enter a value in this field, the invoices begin with 1 and
increase from this number.

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2. Select the Use copy number check box if you want to be able to print AR invoices and credit memos in
the draft mode and non-draft mode with copy number in the invoice header.
You can use this functionality everywhere AR invoices can be printed: AR Invoice Entry, AR Invoice Tracker,
Posted Invoice Update, and AR Invoice Mass Print. With this functionality enabled, when you print AR invoices
and credit memos, you can select the Draft Copy check box to print a special draft copy of the invoice with
the following information:
• DRAFT COPY instead of Invoice/Credit Memo
• INTERNAL USE ONLY - NOT SUITABLE FOR TAX PURPOSES
• Page number of the total number of pages
• Invoice date
• Printed At followed by the date and timestamp of the print time
• The copy number, invoice number, legal number, and the customer's tax ID are not printed
If you clear the Draft Copy check box, a common non-draft copy of the invoice is printed. In the non-draft
mode, when an unposted invoice is printed, or when a posted invoice is printed for the first time, the original
invoice without a copy number is printed. Each time you reprint a posted AR invoice, the copy number is
incremented by 1 and is printed on the invoice header along with the following information:
• First print Date and time
• Page number of the total number of pages
• Invoice date
• Printed At followed by the date and timestamp of the print time

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• The copy number, invoice number, legal number, and customer's tax ID are also printed

3. Select the Exchange Rate Date to use with the Accounts Receivable module. This value defines the date
this module uses to determine the date for the exchange rate value. Available options:

Some European countries require you use the Invoice


Date.

4. Select the Use Shipment Date for Invoice Date check box to indicate you want the Shipment Date to
also be used as the Issued Date. If this check box is clear, the Invoice Date is used for the Issued Date instead.

5. Enter the Tolerance level the AR module uses for rounding calculations. This value determines the tolerance
amount the AR module allows for rounding differences that may happen when invoices are settled in a
different currency from the invoice currency. You can enter a value up to six decimals.

6. Select the Prorate Discount to Line check box to indicate the credit value linked to invoices and sales
orders can change amounts on all detail lines on these records. These transactions are typically negotiated
discounts for a settlement. This feature also updates taxes associated with the original invoice, as well as
discounts and sales commissions from the original sales order.

The posting engine tracks the pro-rated tax values on


gross amounts, displaying these amounts for sales and
tax analysis. Because separate GL accounts can be used
for sales and discounts at each tax rate, you can then
verify the tax value from the corresponding discounted
sales account values.

7. Select the Enable Terms on Credit Memos to calculate settlement discounts for credit memos in AR. The
application then calculates and updates settlement discount data (dates and amounts) for a credit memo
in the same way it does for invoices, but with negative amounts. When you select this check box, the Less
Discount field becomes available on the Cash Receipts Entry > A/R Receipt > Detail sheet.

You will need to enter cash discounts manually in payment


routines for debit memos created before this check box
was activated.

8. Select the Use A/R Clearing Accounting check box to indicate invoice transactions post to the AR clearing
accounts.

9. In the Credit/Aging Limit Actions pane, select the action that should occur when you create miscellaneous
invoices for a customer on credit or aging hold.
• Warn - A warning message displays when you create a miscellaneous AR invoice. You can continue with
entry.
• Stop Entry - An error message displays when you create a miscellaneous AR invoice and you cannot
continue with entry.
• Stop Post - An error message is written to the System Monitor when you try to post a miscellaneous
AR invoice and the invoice does not post.
• Ignore - Customer credit and aging settings are ignored when posting miscellaneous AR invoices. This
is the default setting.

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10. If legal numbers are required for your locality, select the AR Invoices and Credit Memos check box. Legal
numbers then display on AR invoices and credit memos. Users then need to print a transaction to generate
a legal number. If this check box is clear, legal numbers generate when you post a transaction. For more
information, review the Legal Numbers chapter later in this guide.

Finance Charges and Other Options

1. Use the Finance Charge Options to determine how the AR module calculates additional late charges.
Available options:
• Calculation Based on Days Overdue – Indicates finance charges are based on how many days an
invoice is overdue. It then calculates the finance charge percentage against past due invoice amounts
during these date ranges.
• Calculations Based on Invoice Amount – Indicates finance charges are calculated by multiplying the
Finance Charge Percent against the current invoice amount.

2. If the Percentage Based on Invoice Amount check box is selected, you can select the Once Per Invoice
check box. This indicates a finance charge generates once for each overdue invoice. If this check box is clear,
a new finance charge generates against each overdue invoice whenever the Process Finance/Late
Charges program runs.

You enter finance charges and rates using Finance/Late


Charge Maintenance; you generate finance charges by
running the Process Finance/Late Charges program. These

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programs are located in the Accounts Receivable Setup


and General Operations folders.

3. Select the Combine With Reminder Letter check box to indicate reminder letters will contain information
related to late charges.

4. When you select the Allow Invoice Settlement in Different Currency check box, you specify an AR
invoice can be created in one currency but paid in a different currency.

Selecting this check box activates fields in Cash Receipts


Entry, these fields are found on the AR Receipt > Header
> Currency sheet. You can then use this sheet to receive
payment against an invoice in a different currency.

5. Click the Preferred Bank drop-down list to specify a preferred bank for cash receipts from sales.

6. Select the Enable Invoice Dates Set Up check box to define automatic date calculations for AR invoices.
This option activates all the fields in the Invoice Dates Set Up group box.

7. Use the Apply fields to define how the Apply Date value is automatically generated on AR invoices. The
Apply Date is the date on which an invoice is applied to a GL journal. Available options:
• Amend – This check box is selected automatically to allow users to amend the Apply Date independently.
It cannot be changed.
• Defaults – Use this drop-down list to indicate whether the Apply Date defaults from the Ship Date,
the Invoice Date, or a Group Apply.
• Linking – Use this drop-down list to indicate you want the Apply Date to be used as the default value
for another date. You can select None, Ship Date, or Invoice Date.

8. Use the Shipment fields to define how the Shipment Date value automatically generates on AR invoices.
Available options:
• Amend – Select this check box to allow users to amend this date independently.
• Defaults – Indicates the Ship Date is always the date of the last delivery to the customer. You cannot
change this value.
• Linking – Use this drop-down list to indicate you want the Shipment Date to be used as the default
value for another date. You can select None, Apply Date, or Invoice Date.

9. Use the Tax Point fields to define how the Tax Point Date value automatically generates on AR invoices.
This date is used to determine when taxes are calculated against an AR invoice and this value is also used
as the Tax Report Date. Available options:
• Amend –Select this check box to allow users to amend this date independently.
• Defaults – Indicates the Tax Date defaults from either the Ship Date, the Invoice Date, or the Apply
Date.
• Linking – Use this drop-down list to indicate you want the Tax Point Date to be used as the default value
for another date. You can select None, Apply Date, Ship Date, or Invoice Date.

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10. Use the Tax Rate fields to define how the Tax Rate value is automatically calculated on AR invoices. The
tax rate active on the date indicated through these fields defines the rate calculated against the AR invoice.
Available options:
• Amend – Select this check box to allow users to amend this date independently.
• Defaults – Indicates the Tax Rate value defaults from either the Ship Date, the Invoice Date, or the
Apply Date.
• Linking – Use this drop-down list to indicate you want the date on which the tax rate calculates used
as a default for another date. You can select None, Apply Date, Ship Date, Invoice Date, or Tax
Point Date.

11. Use the Tax Rate Credit fields to define how the Tax Rate Credit value is automatically calculated on AR
invoices. The credit rate active on the date indicated through these fields defines the credit rate calculated
against the AR invoice. Available options:
• Amend – Select this check box to allow users to amend this date independently.
• Defaults – Indicates the Tax Rate value defaults from either the Credit Date on which the credit value
was entered or the Applied Invoice Date on which the invoice was recorded in the general ledger.

12. Click the Default Aging Report Format Code drop-down list to specify the default format code for aging
AR when running the Aged Receivables report.

13. As part of SEPA payments in Europe, Creditors (billers) can collect funds from a debtor's (payer's) account
as long as a signed mandate is granted by the debtor to the creditor. A mandate authorizes the creditor to
collect a payment and to instruct the debtor's bank to pay those collections. Use the Mandate Counter
field to enter a starting value for new mandate records. The application will number new mandates using
this starting value and then get the next number.

14. Use the Real Time Update check box for automatic balance updates when a new AR movement is created.
This is required for an accurate AR Reconciliation Report. This check box is selected by default. If this check
box is clear, the Balance Update process will need to be run prior to creating an AR Reconciliation Report.

15. Use the Negative Amounts group of check boxes to define how negative quantities and discount amounts
are treated on AR invoice lines. The following check boxes are available and selected by default:
• Allow Negative Discount - Clear this check box to prevent entry of negative discount amounts on AR
invoice lines.
• Allow Negative Quantity - Clear this check box to prevent entry of negative quantity on AR invoice
lines.

16. When you finish setting up the accounts receivable options, click Save.

Natural Accounts

Use the Modules > Finance > Accounts Receivable > Natural Accounts sheet to designate relationship classes
used to define national accounts. The sheet specifies the classes for relationships where customers share credit,
reporting, and payer sold-to accounts.
To set up national account relationship options:

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1. National account customers can share credit. To activate this function, select the check box next to the
Credit Checking button. Then click this button to find and select the relationship class.

You set up national accounts using both Relationship


Class Maintenance and National Account Relationship
Maintenance. These programs are located in the Financial
Management > Accounts Receivable > Setup folder.

2. National accounts can define reporting relationships based on markets or other criteria. You activate this
national account function by selecting the check box next to the Reports button. Then click this button to
select the relationship class you need.

3. You can also establish payer-sold-to relationships. Through these relationships, a payer customer pays for
a sold to customer who receives invoices. To activate this national account function, select the check box
next to the Payer-Bill To button. Then click this button to find and select the relationship class.

4. Select the Across National Account check box to indicate your company accepts payments from any
customer within the national account. This feature then ignores parent-child relationships when determining
from whom you receive payment.

5. When you finish setting up national accounts, click Save.

Individual Deposit Invoice Tracking

Use the Modules > Finance > Accounts Receivable > Individual Deposit Invoice Tracking sheet to set up
how you handle deposit invoices for taxes. The tax is calculated based on the options you select on this sheet;
the default setting allocates a deposit invoice against a sales order without collecting taxes.
To set up general deposit invoice tracking:

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1. Click the Invoice Deposit Tax Treatment drop-down list to specify how taxes are charged on deposit
invoices. Available options:
• No Tax - Default setting.
• Tax Shipment Net movement - Charges tax on net goods.
• Reverse tax on shipment invoice - Reversal of original tax at original rate.
• Reverse tax by invoice match - Independent deposits and subsequent matching (method used by
Russia).

2. Select the Product Tax Category to use for the deposit invoices. Product tax categories classify different
products and services based on taxes, so you can assign a specific tax rate to a specific product tax category.

You create these categories in Product Tax Category


Maintenance. This program is available in the Financial
Management > Accounts Receivable > Setup folder; click
the Tax Product Category icon.

3. Select the Require Deposit Invoice check box to indicate deposit invoices are mandatory for payments.

4. If the Require Deposit Invoice check box is clear, you can enter an Invoice Days Delay value. Use this
field to define how many days you allow for a late deposit invoice.

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5. Click the Deposit Transaction Document Type drop-down list to specify what transaction type will assign
legal numbers to deposit invoices.

Transaction document types define the kinds of


documents assigned to legal number sequences. You
create these types in Transaction Document Type
Maintenance. This program is located in the Financial
Management > Accounts Receivable > Setup folder.

6. Select the Deposit Invoices show prior linked Deposit Invoices check box to indicate each deposit
invoice can display a previous deposit invoice. This invoice is linked to the current deposit invoice.

7. If you set the Invoice Deposit Tax Treatment drop-down list to the Tax Shipment Net Movement
option, then the Allow shipment invoice with negative net tax elements check box becomes available.
If it is selected, you can process shipment invoices with negative tax amounts.
This situation occurs if the shipment invoice contains items that use a different rate from the rate for the
deposit invoice. If this check box is clear, this off-set can only be for items in the same tax type. Separate
credits are then needed for unmatched values.

8. When you finish setting up deposit invoice tracking, click Save.

Additional Settings

Use the Modules > Finance > Accounts Receivable > Additional Settings sheet to define additional Accounts
Receivable settings.

1. In the Maximum Amount Per Invoice field, enter the maximum write off amount per AR invoice when
you write off an invoice in Cash Receipt Entry.

2. Select the Allow Negative Write Off check box to allow negative write offs in Cash Receipt Entry to
retain the overpayment if a customer has overpaid a transaction.

3. Select this Controlled Credit Memo Entry check box to activate the controlled credit memo entry business
rule. When the check box is selected, the totals of credit memos referencing sales order lines or invoice lines

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cannot be greater than the ordered, shipped, or invoiced totals of that order line. This feature is mandatory
in Portugal.

4. Select the Mandatory Printing of Remittance Slip check box to prohibit cash receipt posting if the
remittance slip is not printed (deposit slips are not affected by this switch).

5. When you finish, click Save on the Standard toolbar.

Accounts Payable

Use the Modules > Finance > Accounts Payable sheet to define options for the Accounts Payable (AP) module.

Primary AP Options

To set up accounts payable options:

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1. Select the Save Receipts for Invoicing check box so users can create accounts payable invoices from
receipts. PO receipt information entered in the Shipping/Receiving module is then available to use on billing
lines in AP Invoice Entry.

2. Select the Allow Multiple Invoicing of Receipts check box to allow more than one invoice against a
receipt line. The check box is clear by default.

3. Select the AP Purchase Type check box to specify the Purchase Code field is available in Purchase Order
Entry on the Lines > Detail sheet. Purchase codes contain an extra debit and credit GL account required for
some European financial localities.

4. Select the Exchange Rate Date to use with the Accounts Payable module. This value defines the date this
module uses to determine the date for the exchange rate value. Available options:
• Apply Date
• Invoice Date

Some European countries require you use the Invoice


Date.

5. Select the Always Take Discount check box to cause discounts to always calculate during AP payment
entry, regardless of the Discount Due Date. If you clear this check box, discounts are only calculated if the
Payment Date is on or before the Discount Due Date. Users can override the discount amount on specific
payments.

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6. Click the Enable Terms on Debit Memos check box to calculate settlement discounts for debit memos in
AP and modify terms for debit memos in AP Invoice Entry.

You will need to enter cash discounts manually in


payments for debit memos created before you activated
this check box.

7. When you select the Auto Create Supplier for Employee check box, each time you enter an employee
record, a supplier record is generated. You use this functionality for processing expenses.

8. Enter the Supplier ID Prefix to include when you automatically create a supplier record from an employee
record. This prefix is added to each Supplier ID, making it easier to locate and identify these supplier records.

9. Click the Default Aging Report Format Code drop-down list to select the default code for aging accounts
payable records on the Aged Payables report.

10. Use the options in the Manual GRNI Clearing group box to define tolerance for transactions created during
cleanup of not yet invoiced receipts to help reconcile the AP clearing accounts. Available options:
• Days Outstanding
• Tolerance Amount
• Tolerance Percentage

11. When you select the Accept rounding at Invoice Entry check box, you indicate rounding differences
automatically post with AP invoices. If this check box is clear, users must manually balance transactions with
rounding differences.

12. Enter the Tolerance at Payment level the AP module uses for rounding calculations. This value determines
the tolerance amount the AP module allows for rounding differences that may happen when invoices are
settled in a different currency from the invoice currency. You can enter a value up to six decimals.

Enable Invoice Dates and Other Options

1. If your company uses the Central AP Invoice Payment functionality, click the Parent Company drop-down
list to select the company that makes these central payments. To activate this functionality, both the subsidiary
(child) company and parent company must select the same parent company from this drop-down list.

After a subsidiary posts an AP invoice, the parent company


receives this invoice and turns it into an AP invoice within
its database. After the parent company pays the invoice,
a payment history memo is sent to the subsidiary database
and this memo is attached to the original AP invoice.

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2. If legal numbers are required for your locality, select the Required for AP Invoice and Debit Memos check
box. Legal numbers then display on AP invoices and debit memos. For more information, review the Legal
Numbers chapter in the Implementation User Guide.

3. Use the Based on Date drop-down list to select the date on which the legal numbers are calculated. The
available options include:
• Invoice Date
• Apply Date

4. Click the Enable Invoice Dates Set Up check box to define automatic date calculations for AP invoices.
Selecting this check box activates the fields within the Invoice Dates Set Up group box.

5. Use the Apply fields to define how the Apply Date value is automatically generated on AP invoices. The
Apply Date is the date on which an invoice is applied to a GL journal. Available options:
• Amend – This check box is selected automatically to allow users to amend the Apply Date independently.
It cannot be changed.
• Defaults – Use this drop-down list to indicate whether the Apply Date defaults from the Group Apply
dates.
• Linking – Use this drop-down list to indicate you want the Apply Date to be used as the default value
for another date. You can select None or Invoice Date.

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6. Use the Tax Point fields to define how the Tax Point Date value automatically generates on AP invoices.
This date is used to determine when taxes are calculated against an AP invoice and this value is also used
as the Tax Report Date. Available options:
• Amend – Select this check box to allow users to amend this date independently.
• Defaults – Indicates the Tax Date defaults from the Apply Date.
• Linking – Use this drop-down list to indicate you want the Tax Point Date to be used as the default value
for another date. You can select None, Apply Date, or Invoice Date.

7. Use the Tax Rate fields to define how the Tax Rate value is automatically calculated on AP invoices. The
tax rate active on the date indicated through these fields defines the rate calculated against the AP invoice.
Available options:
• Amend – Select this check box to allow users to amend this date independently.
• Defaults – Indicates the Tax Rate value defaults from the Apply Date.
• Linking – Use this drop-down list to indicate you want the date on which the tax rate calculates used
as a default for another date. You can select None, Apply Date, and Invoice Date, or Tax Point Date.

8. If your company uses deferred expense accounting, use the Deferred Expense Currency drop-down list
to specify what document currency is used for each book in deferred expense recognition. The available
options include:
• Base Currency
• Book Currency

9. Click the Accounting Option drop-down list to define how the application handles logged invoices. Available
options:
• Account for Taxes causes the payables and tax accounts to directly post. Expenses are posted to suspense
accounts.
• Authorization Tracking only creates invoices for authorization. When users post invoices, these invoices
do not affect the general ledger.
• Book All to Suspense Accounts causes payables, tax, and expenses to post to corresponding suspense
accounts.

10. Select the Auto Approve Logged Invoices check box to indicate when a logged invoice is posted, it is
also automatically approved. If you selected Authorization Tracking as the Accounting Option, this field is
not available.

11. Leverage the Available Users and Authorized Admins lists to indicate which users are authorized to
approve logged AP invoices. Select the users you want from the Available Users list and then click the Right
Arrow button to move them to the Authorized Admins list.

12. When you finish setting up the accounts payable options, click Save.

General Ledger

Leverage the Modules > Finance > General Ledger sheet to define the options for the General Ledger (GL) module.
To set up general ledger options:

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1. Select the System Interfaces you wish to link to the General Ledger module. Transactions posted to the
interfaces you select also create GL journal transactions. Available options:
• Accounts Payable
• Accounts Receivable
• Payroll
• Inventory
When you activate the Inventory check box, you can post Inventory, WIP, and Cost of Sales information to
your general ledger. Within the Capture WIP/COS Activity program, the Post to General Ledger check
box is available. However before you select the Inventory check box, be sure to review the Company section
within the Inventory Transactions Technical Reference Guide within application help.

Select the system interface options after you enter the


initial GL balances. If you select an interface before you
enter these transactions, you receive a warning message
each time you post. You can ignore these warnings; they
stop displaying after you post transactions to the general
ledger.

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2. Select the Allow Unbalanced Manual General Journal Entries check box so unbalanced journal entries
can be posted to the general ledger. A warning message still displays so you can verify all unbalanced journal
entries.

3. Select the Use current date when matching GL transactions check box to specify GL transactions pull
the current system date when users run the GL Transaction Matching program. Clear this check box to use
the last Apply Date for the matched transactions instead.

4. When you select the Batch Balances check box, you maintain GL balance records in batch mode instead
of real-time.

5. If the check box is not selected, you can select the Batch Daily Balances check box. The GL module then
maintains GL daily balances in batch mode instead of real-time.

6. If this company will use multiple books, select the Default Book Mode for entries made in these books.
Available options:
• Single Book - The selected book’s fiscal calendar, currency, and COA of the selected book are the
defaults.
• Multi Book - The current company’s fiscal calendar, currency, and the Master COA are the defaults.

7. Click the Default Journal Code drop-down list to define the journal used for entering transactions. These
codes group journals associated with posting processes. You create these codes in Journal Code
Maintenance; review the application help for more details on journal codes.

8. Select the Default Opening Journal Code to define the journal code you wish to use for starting journals.

9. Select the Default Closing Journal Code to define the journal code you wish to use for closing journals.

10. Select this check box if you want to keep revision history when the revisions are updated during posting
rules conversion.

11. When you finish selecting the general ledger options, click Save.

Payroll

Use the Modules > Finance > Payroll sheet to define the options for the Payroll module.
To set up payroll options:

1. The Start Date field specifies the date on which you begin payroll processing. You can modify this date
until you enter a payroll transaction in Payroll Check Entry; this field then becomes read-only.

Be sure to begin payroll processing at the beginning of a


quarter.

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2. If you run payroll semimonthly (twice a month), enter the 2nd Period Start Day value. This specifies the
day of the month on which the second payroll run in each month should begin.

3. You can also select the Print Rates check box. This causes the pay rates to display on the payroll checks.

4. Select the HCM Integration Enabled to indicate Epicor Human Capital Management (HCM) is integrated
with the Payroll module. Records are then linked from Epicor HCM to Payroll Employee Maintenance
and Person/Contact Maintenance.

5. Select a Check Print Order option to define the sequence through which payroll checks print. Available
options:
• Department
• Employee ID
• Employee Name
• Supervisor ID

6. When you finish setting up the payroll options, click Save.

Payment Instruments

Use the Modules > Finance > Payment Instruments sheet to define parameters for both Accounts Receivable (AR)
and Accounts Payable (AP) payment instruments. You first determine the stage at which a payment instrument
is recorded in the general ledger and then assign starting numbers for them. Additionally for AR payment
instrument processing, you select default statuses for each stage.

You set up statuses for payment instrument stages in Payment


Instrument Status Maintenance. After you enter these statuses,
return to Company Configuration to select these status options.
You can then return to Payment Instrument Status Maintenance
and define your GL controls. For more information on statuses,

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review application help; to learn more about GL controls, review


Chapter 8: General Ledger.

To set up the payment instrument functionality:

1. Click the First GL Update Stage drop-down list to define the first AR payment instrument stage that
requires GL posting.

2. Select the Create GL Journal for Status Changes check box to indicate whether a GL journal entry is
automatically created when a status change occurs for the same GL control.

3. The Default Statuses group box contains a series of drop-down lists that define default statuses available
for payment instruments. Available statuses:
• Unapproved
• Portfolio
• Apply to Bank

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• Settled Status
• Cancelled Status

As a payment instrument progresses, it goes through a


number of stages. Within a stage, there can be multiple
statuses. For example, during the Accounts Receivable
(AR) Portfolio stage, there could be both the Portfolio
Signed and Portfolio Posted statuses. Set up multiple
statuses for any of the stages as required for your payment
instrument process.

4. Enter the Starting Number for the first number used for the AR payment numbering sequences.

5. Enter the Number of Digits available for AR payment instrument numbers.

6. You set up a similar series of options for AP payment instruments. Use the First GL Update Stage drop-down
list to define the first AP payment instrument that requires GL posting.

7. Enter the Starting Number for the first number used for the AP payment numbering sequences.

8. Enter the Number of Digits available for AP payment instrument numbers.

9. When you finish defining the payment instrument options, click Save.

Maintenance

Use the Modules > Maintenance sheet to specify the default job template and starting prefix for maintenance
jobs. These default values are used in the Maintenance Management module.
To define the maintenance parameters:

1. Click the Template button to find and select the template job used for the current company’s maintenance
jobs. When users run the Maintenance Plan Processor program, these jobs generate using this template.
The job template contains the details (operations, assemblies, and materials) for each maintenance job.
The job template you select on this sheet is the overall default for the module. You can override this template
on a specific site within the Site Configuration program. Likewise, when the Maintenance Plan Processor
generates jobs for equipment plans, it first uses any job templates selected on equipment records. You
create equipment records in Equipment Maintenance.

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2. Enter the starting Job Prefix automatically used on identifiers for maintenance jobs. When the Maintenance
Plan Processor generates jobs, this prefix is added to the front of these job numbers.
This job prefix is the overall default for the module. You can override the job prefix on a specific site within
the Site Configuration program.

For more information on the Site Configuration program,


review the Sites chapter later in this guide. For information
on the Maintenance features, review the Maintenance
chapter in the Epicor Application User Guide. You can
also find additional details in the application help.

3. When you finish setting up the maintenance parameters, click Save.

Services

You set up the company configuration for the Field Service and Project Billing modules using the Services sheets.
This section describes the options available for each module.

Field Service

Use the Modules > Services > Field Service sheet to define the default settings for service contracts and service
jobs.
To define the field service parameters:

1. Enter the Starting Contract number for the first contract created in Service Contract Entry. Service
contract numbers generate automatically by adding “1” to the highest number available in the database.
If you do not enter a value in this field, the service contracts begin with 1 and increase from the current
number.

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2. Enter the Starting Service Call number for the first service call entered in Service Call Center. Service call
numbers generate automatically by adding “1” to the highest number available in the database. If you do
not enter a value in this field, the service call numbers begin with 1 and increase from the current number.

3. In the Service Call Job Prefix field, define the prefix used on service call job numbers. When you create a
job through Service Job Entry, this prefix is automatically added to the job number. You can then locate
service jobs more easily.

4. Select the Contract Startup Mode check box to indicate existing service contracts are invoiced and updatable
at both the Contract Header and Line level. Use this option when you add existing service contracts to the
Field Service module.

While the Contract Startup Mode check box is selected,


all service contracts can be modified. Be sure to clear the
check box after you finish entering existing contracts.

5. The Default Site field displays the Site used for service calls. You cannot change this Site value. To learn
more about configuring sites, review the Sites chapter later in this guide.

6. Click the Default Resource Group drop-down list to specify the default resource group used for service
calls. The values defined on the selected resource group determine the costs on service jobs. You create
resource groups using Resource Group Maintenance. For more information, review application help.

7. Select an option from the Product Group drop-down list to specify the default product group for service
calls. This product group is used when the part selected on a field service job does not have a product group
assigned to it.

Because the Field Service job hierarchy does not look at


general ledger accounts linked to product groups, these
GL accounts are not used. You create these records in
Product Group Maintenance; for more information, review
this topic within application help.

8. Select the Print Prices on Service Tickets check box to indicate prices are automatically printed on all
tickets for service calls.

9. Enter the Expiration Horizon to define how many days before the service contract Expire Date a contract
can be renewed. If the current date plus the Expiration Horizon is greater than or equal to the Expire Date
on a contract, the Field Service module determines the contract will soon expire. The application notifies
you the contract is ready for renewal.

10. Enter the Renewal Period. This value determines the number of days after a contract’s Expire Date the
contract can be renewed. If you enter a zero in this field, all expired contracts can be renewed at any time.

11. When you finish defining the field service parameters, click Save.

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Project Billing

Use the Modules > Services > Project Billing sheet to enter project billing settings for the current company. You
can set the default invoice method and the default values for role codes, revenue recognition, rates, and tax
categories.
To define the project billing parameters:

1. Click the Default Invoicing Method drop-down list to define the method used for new projects. Available
options:
• Customer Shipment
• Milestone Billing
• Fixed Fee
• Time and Materials
• Cost Plus
• Progress Payments
Users can override this method on specific projects in Project Entry.

2. Select the Default Validate Employee Role to Operation Role check box if you want Project Entry to
automatically validate project role codes when employees enter labor against an operation linked to project

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job. If this check box is clear, the Epicor application does not validate the employee and operation roles,
and each employee can enter any project role code available on the employee’s record.

You can also validate the project role codes on a specific


project in Project Entry. To do this, navigate to the
Contract > Detail sheet and select the Validate Employee
Role to Operation Role check box.

You create role codes in Role Code Maintenance; for more information, review application help or the
Epicor Application User Guide. You create employee records and link role codes to them in Employee
Maintenance. To learn more about this program, review the Personnel chapter later in this guide.

3. Select the Allow Validate Role to be Changed per Project check box so users can change the Derive
Project Rates From values on specific projects. Within Project Entry, this drop-down list is available on the
Contract > Detail sheet.

4. Click the Default Location for Role Code in Labor Booking drop-down list to define where the application
finds role codes. Available options:
• Employee
• Operation

5. Click the Default Revenue Recognition Method drop-down list to specify the default revenue recognition
method used in Project Entry. This default value displays on the Contract > Detail sheet. Available options:
• On Invoice
• Labor Booking Recognition
• Manual Recognition
• Actual Burden Recognition
• None (This indicates revenue is not recognized in Project Entry.)

6. Select the Allow Revenue Recognition Method to be Changed per Project check box so users can
change the Revenue Recognition method on specific projects. When you select this option, the Revenue
Recognition Method drop-down list activates in Project Entry.

7. Click the Revenue Recognition Journal Reversal drop-down list to determine the journal reversal process
for project billing. Available options:
• Reverse in Following Period (available if the Manual Recognition method is selected)
• Reverse on Project Close
• Reverse on Invoice/Shipment

8. Select the Include Quotes without link to SO to Projected Revenue check box to include quotes without
links to sales orders in the projected revenue calculation for projects. Clear this box if quotes should be
excluded.

9. Click the Default Derive Project Rates From drop-down list to define the source from which project rates
calculate. The rates selected on this source are then used to determine project costs. Available options:
• Hierarchical
• Project
• Employee Only

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• Role Only

10. Select the Allow Override at Project Level check box to activate the Derive Project Rates From drop-down
list in Project Entry. Users can then select different rate sources on specific projects.

11. Tax Categories classify different products and services based on taxes. When a group of products needs
a different rate from the rate selected on the tax type, this alternate rate can be assigned to the product
tax category. You assign these tax categories to different project billing categories. Available project billing
categories:
• Material (If you do not select a Material option, the application uses the standard tax category.)
• Labor
• Other Direct Cost (If you do not select an Other Direct Cost option, the application uses the miscellaneous
charge tax category.)
• Burden
• Subcontract
• Fee
• Billing Schedule
For more information on these categories, review the Product Tax Categories section the Global Tax Engine
chapter found later in this guide.

12. Select the Allow Sales Order To Be Defined On Project/WBS Phase check box so users can select sales
orders on both projects and Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) phases within Project Entry.

13. Select the Automatically Load All Releases to WBS Phase check box to pull in all sales order releases
into WBS phases.

14. When you finish selecting the project billing options, click Save.

License Tracker

Use the License Tracker sheet to view the licensing information for the selected company.

Retrieve License Info

View the license properties, including basic information such as license modules, and country specific functionality
included in the installation.

1. In Company Configuration, navigate to the License Tracker sheet.

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2. Click Retrieve License Info to view the licensing information.

3. View the results.

Image Defaults

Use the Image Defaults sheet to set up image default directories to simplify searches for pictures throughout the
application. You can set up different default locations for image searches based on the type of picture you need.
Set search defaults for parts, employees, payroll employees, assets, and configurator parts. You can override the
default folders when performing a search, if necessary.

Set Image Defaults

Use the Image Defaults sheet to set the default image category and subcategory for image searches. These default
values are used throughout the system in searches for images.

1. Click the New button from the Standard toolbar and select New Image Default Category.

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2. In the Application field, select a type of image for which you want to set defaults. For example, select
Parts to set defaults for part image searches.

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3. Click the Category button to search for and select the category to use as a default.
Note that you must set up categories in Image Category Maintenance and make sure they are active.

4. Click the Subcategory button to search for and select the subcategory to use as a default.

5. Click Save.

Multi-Companies

Use the Multi-Site functionality to share data across your organization. Leverage these features to share global
master records like charts of accounts (COAs), customers, parts, and suppliers, coordinate purchasing between
your divisions, consolidate financial data, and other internal data sharing activities. Implement the features you
need to better coordinate the diverse activities of your entire organization.
You can set up companies to share data for the following features:
• Global COA - Define a COA once in a parent company, then distribute it automatically to subsidiary companies
via the multi-company process. This includes the COA structure and categories, and optionally also segment
values and general ledger accounts.
• Global Records — Share master records across your multi-site environment. These master records, called
global records, synchronize across the database, ensuring the same data is used by invoices, sales orders,
packing slips, and other entry records.

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• Global Customer Credit – Use the Global Customer Credit functionality to create and enforce a credit limit
for a specific customer for all companies within your organization.
• Inter-Company Purchase Orders – Create Inter-Company Purchase Orders (ICPOs) and suggestions between
multiple companies.
• AP Invoice Automation — Automate creating AP invoices for inter-company trading transactions. An AP
invoice is automatically created for the purchasing company and an AR invoice is automatically created for
the selling company.
• Consolidated Purchasing — Consolidated purchasing centralizes purchasing and AP functions across multiple
companies. Use this functionality to define the central purchasing, or parent company. Then define the other
receiving, or child, companies who receive PO releases from the parent company.
• Central AP Invoice Payments —Pay for subsidiary AP invoices at the corporate (parent) level. The corporate
parent then has greater control over the AP process throughout your organization, as all AP invoices flow
through the main (parent) company.
• Multi-Company Journals and, GL Allocations, and AP Allocations – Use the Multi-Company Journals and
Allocations functionality to distribute amounts from a parent company to one or more subsidiary (child)
companies.
• Multi-Company Consolidation – Pull together, or consolidate, the fiscal books of one or more child companies
within a parent company. The consolidation relationship can be a single child company to a single parent
company, multiple child companies to a single parent company, or multiple child companies to multiple parent
companies.
• Multi-Company Dashboards – Create multi-company dashboards that can display data from multiple companies
through global business activity queries.
• Multi-Company Configurator – Manage configured parts in a multi-company enterprise. These functions
automate business situations in which a Sales company configures and sells products designed and
manufactured in another company.

The information in this section is intended as an overview of


multi-company relationships. To learn more details, review the
Multi-Site Company Technical Reference Guide available within
application help.

External System Maintenance

Access External System Maintenance to add or update the connection string you use to transfer data between
multiple companies within your database. You can transfer data between multiple companies through different
connection string methods.
If your system uses multiple databases that each contain a separate company, you must set up an external system
that uses the SERVICEBUS transfer method. This third party application links multiple databases and then transfers
® ®
the multi-company data. The Epicor ERP application uses either Microsoft Service Bus for Windows Server
® ®
(SBWS) or Microsoft Azure Service Bus to connect the external system.
If your system has multiple companies contained within a single database, set up an external system that uses
the DIRECT transfer method. This method links the outbound and inbound tables together between multiple
companies. However because these companies are all on the same database, you do not need to use Service
Bus.
®
If your organization uses Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) , your external system connects to this third party
application using the PLM transfer method.
Menu Path: System Setup > External System Integration > Setup > External System Maintenance

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Enter an External System


® ®
To set up a connection string using Microsoft Azure Service Bus:

1. Click the External System button to find and select the Multi-Company external system.

The Epicor application installs with default external


systems. However you can create a new external system
by clicking the New button. Your new external system
must match an available External System identifier.

2. Notice the Transfer Method displays the SERVICEBUS option.

3. Select the Financial System check box to indicate this external system links to an external financial system.
If this box is selected, you can only connect to one external company.

4. Now enter the Server FQDN or Azure URI you use to connect the Epicor ERP application to Service Bus.
Enter the Universal Resource Identifier you use for the Azure Service Bus.

If you use Microsoft Service Bus for Windows Server, you


enter the Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) in this
field. The FQDN must contain the complete domain name.
It has two parts, a hostname and a domain name.

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5. If you use Service Bus for Windows Server, enter the Namespace you have set up for this connection.
However for this example, you use Azure Service Bus, so you do not enter a value in this field.

6. Now define the TCP Runtime Port (Transmission Control Protocol) you use to communicate with the remote
machine. This external system can then connect with Service Bus to move data between the computers
connected through this external system. The default port is 9354, but you can set up access through a
different port number.

7. The HTTP Management Port is the port you use to manage the Service Bus connection in Hyper Text
Transfer Protocol (HTTP). The default port is 9355, but you can set up access through a different port number.

8. Because this example is setting up Azure Service Bus, you enter Shared Access Key to authenticate the
data transferred through this external system. Enter these values:

a. Issuer Key Name - Enter name for the key you use to secure this external system to Azure Service Bus.

b. Issuer Secret - Enter the shared key you use for Azure Service Bus.

9. If you log into Service Bus using Windows credentials, you must enter these values in the Windows Logon
Credentials section:

a. Domain - Enter your Windows Domain in this field.

b. User Name - Enter the user account that connects to the Windows domain.

c. Password - Enter the password for the user account that connects to the Windows domain.

d. Token Provider - Defines the service you use to issue security tokens for Service Bus. These tokens
examine the target transaction and applies appropriate credentials so the data transaction is secure.
Available options:
• Windows -- The default token provider, use this option when Service Bus is installed inside the
Windows domain.
• OAuth -- An alternate token provider, you may need to use this option when Service Bus is installed
outside the Windows domain.

10. Instead of entering the connection string through these separate fields, you can manually enter the entire
connection string at once. Click the Advanced... button.

11. The Advanced Service Bus Settings window displays.

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12. Manually enter the connection string.

13. Click OK.

14. Click Save.

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15. Now click the Test Connection button.

16. If the Epicor ERP application can connect to Service Bus, a dialog box displays indicating the Service Bus
connection is successful. If you receive an error, update the connection fields and click the Test Connection
button again.

17. Click OK.

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External Company Maintenance

Use External Company Maintenance to either establish direct relationships with companies within the same
database or create remote connections to companies on other databases. You create external company records
to pass data to and from the current company to an external company. For example, you can create an external
company record so the current company can share global customer, part, supplier and financial data with the
external company.
To do this, you first indicate which external system the Epicor application will use with the external company.
You then create an external company record for each outside company you want to share data with the current
company. To complete the relationship, you then launch External Company Maintenance within the other company
and enter a matching external company record.
Menu Path: System Setup > External System Integration > Setup > External Company Maintenance

This program is not available in Epicor Web Access.

Select External System


You begin by first selecting the external system and then creating the external company record.

1. Click the External System drop-down list to select the external system. The previous section describes how
you set up external system records.

2. The Transfer Method field displays how the external company linked to this system shares data with the
current company.

3. Now click the New button.

4. Enter the External Company ID and Name for the new external company.

5. The List Delimiter field displays the character that separates the fields during a data transfer. You cannot
change this value.

6. Enter the Server URL (uniform resource locator) for the application server this external company will use.

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7. When you finish, click Save.

Establish Field Translations

You can establish field translations between the values of your internal fields with external fields. Use this sheet
when you want data from a field in your current company to transfer into an external financial system.

1. Select a table from the Tables List.

2. The fields available in this table display in the Fields List.

3. Select the field for which you want to create a translation.

4. Now click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New Translation.

5. The Database Value defines the source field for the translation.

6. The Inbound Value defines the target field that receives the data from the translated field.

7. Select the Default Value check box to indicate the value of the translated field is the same as the field
highlighted on the Fields List.

8. Continue to add the field translations you need. When you finish, click Save.

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External Company Configuration

Use External Company Configuration to configure direct relationships with companies in the same database or
configure remote connections to companies on other databases using Service Bus, Mobile Connect, Commerce
Connect, and so on.
You first create external company records in External Company Maintenance to pass data to (and from) the
current company to (and from) an external company. In a multi-company environment you can create an external
company so that you can share global customer, part, supplier and financial data with the external company. To
do this, you first indicate which external system the Epicor application will use with the external company. The
external system defines the connection method.
Once you define external company records, you configure the data relationships between the two external
companies. You define the specific types of interactions you want to occur between the companies - like sending
customer data, supplier data, PO suggestions, and so on for each record. You can also set up the Inter-Company
Trading functionality in this program, defining the two companies involved in this trading relationship.
Menu Path: System Setup > External System Integration > Setup > External Company Configuration

This program is not available in Epicor Web Access.

Define Company Information

To begin, you first select an external company you created in External Company Maintenance. You can then
define how this company will interact with the other company.

1. Click the External System drop-down list to select the external system. The previous section describes how
you set up external system records.

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2. The Transfer Method field displays how the external company linked to this system shares data with the
current company.

3. Click the External Company ID... button to find and select the external company record you need.

4. Now define the available options for the external company. Select the AP Invoice Discount check box if
the discount amount by line must be captured and sent to the external company (or a third-party Financials
package). This check box is available if the Transfer Method is Direct.

5. Select the Send Acknowledgments check box if an acknowledgment must be sent to the current company
when this external company receives a record. This check box is available if the Transfer Method is Generic.

6. If this external company supports inter-company trading, select the Enable check box; this activates the
fields in the Inter-Company Trading group box. Through this functionality, you create Inter-Company
Purchase Orders (ICPOs) and suggestions.

7. Enter the Transfer Days to External Company value. This value determines the number of days required
to transfer an order from one company to the other company. This number is subtracted from the purchase
order Need By Date to determine the correct need by date for the purchase order.

8. Now define the inter-company relationship between the two companies. In the Supplier ID field, enter the
identifier for the current external company; in the Partner Customer ID field, enter the identifier for the
linking external company.

9. Do the same for the second pair of fields. In the Customer ID field, enter the identifier for the current
external company; in the Partner Supplier ID field, enter the identifier for the linking external company.

10. Now use the check boxes in the Modules group box to indicate what records transfer to this external
company. Each check box causes a specific set of records to be sent. Available options:
• Send Customer
• Send Prospect
• Send Suspect
• Send Part
• Send Pack
• Send Supplier
• Send AP Invoices
• Send AR Invoices
• Send PO Suggestions – If this external company uses consolidated purchasing, you must select this
check box so demand from this external company creates purchase order suggestions in the central
purchasing company.
• Receive AP Invoices
• Receive AR Invoices
• Send Person/Contact
• Send Configurator

11. When you finish entering the external company’s information, click Save.

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Create External Sites and Warehouses

If you are setting up child companies for consolidated purchasing, you must create an external company record
for the central purchasing company in each child company. These external company records must also indicate
the external sites and warehouses that receive goods from the consolidated purchase orders.

For a step-by-step walkthrough on setting up consolidated


purchasing, review the Consolidated Purchasing – Setup topic
in the Multi-Site Technical Reference Guide.

To add external sites and warehouses:

1. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New External Site.

2. Enter the unique Site ID and Name that identifies this external site.

3. Enter the Address, City, State/Prov, and Postal Code.

4. Click the Country drop-down list and select the country where the site resides.

You create country records using Country Maintenance.


This program is located in multiple Setup folders on the
Main Menu, including the Customer Relationship
Management and Accounts Receivable Setup folders.

5. Enter the Phone and Fax contact information for this site.

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6. Now enter the Default Warehouse for this site. This identifier defines the site that receives goods through
consolidated purchase orders.

7. You must also define the external warehouses used for consolidated purchasing. To do this, click the Down
Arrow next to the New button; select New External Warehouse.

8. Enter the Warehouse ID and Name for this external warehouse. This warehouse is located within the
external site.

9. Next enter the Address, City, State/Prov, and Postal Code.

10. Click the Country drop-down list and select the country where the warehouse resides.

11. Continue to add the external sites and warehouses you need. When you finish, click Save.

Enter Multi-Company Details

Use the Detail > Multi-Company > Detail sheet to enter the settings this external company uses to share financial
data with the current company. These settings define the Central AP Payment, Consolidated Purchasing, and
Multi-Company GL Journal multi-company features.

1. Enter the PONum Warning Point at which the application alerts the central purchasing company that this
receiving company is near its PONum Reorder Point limit. The central purchasing company then gives this
child receiving company more PO numbers for independent purchases.

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2. Now enter the PONum Block Size amount. This value defines how many new purchase order numbers the
central purchasing company assigns to this receiving company when it reaches its PONum Reorder Point.
This value indicates how many POs this child company can create on their own, ensuring unique numbers
are created for each purchase order.

For example, you set up an external company record for


the West Blue company and configure the consolidated
purchasing functionality. You indicate the West Blue
company can have 40 PO numbers available within its
PONum Block Size value. You then enter the PONum
Warning Point value, which you define as 10. Lastly, you
enter a PONum Reorder Point value of 5. The central
purchasing company assigns PO numbers 116-155 as the
block. When a user creates a purchase order with a
number of 145, a warning message alerts the user that
the available PO numbers are running out. When a user
creates a PO that uses 150, the central purchasing
company gives West Blue a new block of 40 PO numbers.

3. Enter the PONum Reorder Point at which the central purchasing company assigns more purchase order
numbers to this receiving company.

4. Enter the Invoice Group Prefix automatically placed on identifiers for AP invoice groups paid centrally at
the corporate location.

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5. Click the Legal Number drop-down list to define the method used to generate legal numbers on central
AP payments. Available options:
• None - Legal numbers are not used on central AP payments.
• Use Original - Combines the Source Company Code with the original subsidiary’s legal number. The
Source Company Code is added as a prefix.

If the corporate rules are set to manually create legal


numbers, only the Use Original option available. If you
use the Generate New option, the system will not
display the new legal number in a separate dialog box
instead; the system just creates the number. For more
information, review the Legal Numbers chapter later
in this guide.

• Generate New - Causes the system to generate new legal numbers following the rules defined at the
corporate location.

6. Select the Send GL Accounts check box to indicate this external company can move intercompany
transactions out to subsidiary (child) company databases. These subsidiary companies then automatically
receive these transactions into a GL intercompany account.

7. Select the Send Multi-Company Segments Only check box to indicate only chart of account segment
values defined as multi-company segments are sent for either GL Journals, GL Allocations, or AP Allocations.
This multi-company setting is only available on controlled segments.

8. Enter the Journal Group Prefix automatically placed on any journal groups that process intercompany
transactions.

9. Select the Allow GJ Allocations to check box to indicate this external company can receive General Ledger
allocations in the selected GL Intercompany account. These allocations are first entered at the corporate, or
parent, location and are then automatically entered into this external company’s database.

10. Select the Allow AP Allocations to check box to indicate this external company can receive Accounts
Payable allocations from the corporate (parent) database. You can then automatically distribute expense
amounts across several accounts.

11. If you select the Offset each Entry Line check box, each multi-company line in an inter-company journal
will have an offsetting line. Each offsetting line is assigned to the inter-company account. If you leave the
check box clear, the following rules apply:
• If the inter-company account is a currency account, the journal will have an offsetting line for the
inter-company account for each multi-company line.
• If the inter-company account is not a currency account, but the multi-company lines balance each other,
there will be no line for the inter-company account.
• If the inter-company account is not a currency account and the multi-company lines do not balance
each other, the journal will have a single offsetting line for the inter-company account.

12. Use the Send Global COA check box to subscribe a subsidiary company to receive global COA updates. If
you select the check box, you must also select from two options in the drop-down list:
• Send Selected Segments - When you set a COA to Global, this option will transfer:
• COA structure defined in Chart of Account Structure Maintenance.
• COA segments marked as Global Segment in Chart of Account Structure Maintenance.

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• Segment values for global segments whose Global Segment Values check box is selected.
• Account categories.

• Send All Segments and GL Accounts - When you set a COA to Global:
• Transfers the COA structure defined in Chart of Account Maintenance.
• All COA Segments, regardless of their Global Segment status, will transfer to the subsidiary company.
• All COA segment values for Controlled segments, regardless of their Global Segment Values status,
will transfer to the subsidiary company.
• Account categories transfer to subsidiary company.
• GL accounts and their descriptions transfer to the subsidiary company (the Multi-Company flag on
GL accounts is NOT transferred).

If you select the Send All Segments and GL Accounts


option, and set a chart of accounts to Global, the current
settings for the Global Segment and Global Segment
Values check boxes are ignored. All segments and
segment values for controlled segments, and all GL
accounts, will transfer to the subsidiary company.

13. Now add the general ledger controls you need. To do this, click the Down Arrow next to the New button;
select New External Company GL Control.

14. Click the Type button to find and select the external company GL control type.

15. Next click the Control button to find and select the external company GL control.

16. When you finish defining the multi-company options, click Save.

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Set Up Epicor Commerce Connect

Use the ECC sheet to define settings used in the interface between the Epicor ERP application and the external
server hosting Epicor Commerce Connect (ECC).
These settings include the URL for the ECC server and the identifier for the Epicor ERP user who can access the
ECC server. For consumer ECC transactions, you can also designate a default customer code and miscellaneous
charge code.

1. Find and select an external company that uses the Customer Connect or Supplier Connect External System.

2. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New External ECC.

3. Enter the ECC URL (Uniform Resource Locator) for the external ECC server. This address can be an internally
hosted Linux server, or one hosted in an Epicor data center.
Specifies the URL The Epicor application uses this value when you run the synchronization processes.

4. Now enter the User ID and Password for the Epicor user who can access the external ECC server. You
must enter a valid user account. You create these accounts in User Account Security Maintenance; for
more details, review the application help.

5. In the Timeout field, enter the length of time in seconds that the synchronization process should wait for
a response from the ECC web site before timing out.

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6. In the Recycle Count field, enter the number of times the synchronization process should attempt to
reprocess a previously failed synchronization.

7. Select the default Customer (Customer Connect) or Supplier (Supplier Connect) identifier for ECC consumer
transactions. The Epicor application assigns this as the default customer/supplier for cash or credit card
consumers who use web orders.

8. Optionally, select a Misc Charge Code to specify a default miscellaneous charge code. These miscellaneous
charges can include standard shipping and order processing fees you charge on web orders.

Miscellaneous charges only apply to customer/consumer


transactions; you do not use them on supplier
transactions.

9. Optionally, select a Discount Code to specify a default discount code for web orders.

Discount codes only apply to customer/consumer


transactions; you do not use them on supplier
transactions.

10. Optionally, select the Use Location check box to use this location when synchronizing stock inquiries and
created orders with the ECC web site. If this check box is not selected, the synchronization process uses the
standard Brand web site.

The Use Location option only applies to


customer/consumer transactions; you do not use them
on supplier transactions.

11. Optionally, select a Task Set to specify a default task set code (if any) assigned to quote transactions created
in Consumer Connect and Customer Connect. The task set defines a workflow, which is a series of tasks
organized in sequential order. Task sets can either guide or control the process within your sales environment.

Task set codes only apply to customer/consumer


transactions; you do not use them on supplier
transactions.

12. If you are using Document Management, optionally select a Document Type ID used to the storage location
for downloaded ECC files on the ERP server.

Document type IDs only apply to customer/consumer


transactions; you do not use them on supplier
transactions.

13. Enter a Customer ID Prefix to specify a prefix that affixes to a sequential number for new records thorugh
ECC-Customer Connect. You can then use this prefix to search in Customer Maintenance for any new
Customer Connect customers and can change their customer ID to a more meaningful ID with the Change
ID button.

14. Optionally, click Test ECC Connection to test the connection between the Epicor application and the ECC
environment, based on the current parameters defined in this sheet.

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15. When you finish setting up ECC, click Save.

Now when you run the ECC Customer/Consumer Synchronization and ECC Supplier Synchronization processes,
the Epicor application uses these parameters synchronize customer master, customer part, customer web order
and supplier master file information with the external server hosting Epicor Commerce Connect.

Initialize Multi-Company Records

When you finish setting up the external company, use the Actions menu options to activate data transfers.
To initialize multi-company records:

1. Click the Actions menu.

2. Run the Initialize/Send Multi-Company GL Account option to activate the Multi-Company Journal
functionality. This option is available when you select the Send G/L Accounts check box on the
Multi-Company > Detail sheet. This sheet is described in the Enter Multi-Company Details section above.

3. Run the Initialize Multi-Company Global Part/Customer/Supplier/Person


Contact/Currency/Rate/Group/Exchange Rates/Lookup Tables option to refresh global records between
the current company and the selected external company.

A record is defined as a global record when its Global


check box is selected. This check box is available on the
detail sheet within the part, customer, supplier, rate types,
and currency maintenance programs.

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4. Select the Initialize/Send Enterprise Configurator option to send a configuration created in the current
company to the external company.

You create enterprise configurations within the


Configuration Designer. For more information, refer to
the Configuration Designer topics and the Configurator
Technical Reference Guide in the application help.

5. Select the Initialize Global COA option to send global chart of accounts records from the current company
to the selected external company.

To send global COA records, the relevant COA must be


set to global, and the Send Global COA option must be
activated on the Multi-Company > Detail sheet. This
sheet is described in the Enter Multi-Company Details
section above. For more details on the global COA setup,
review the General Ledger chapter in this Implementation
User Guide.

6. Select the Initialize/Send Data for Consolidation Monitor option to refresh details of consolidations between
the current company and the selected external company. This enables you to view up-to-date records in the
Consolidation Monitor in the external company, including items created but not yet posted.
For more details on multi-company consolidation, review the General Ledger chapters in this Implementation
User Guide, and also in the Application User Guide.

7. You can change the transfer method used on a Multi-Company external system. To do this, select an external
company that uses either the Multi-Company Direct or the Multi-Company Service Bus external system.
After you indicate which system you use, select either the Convert to Multi-Company Direct or Convert
to Multi-Company Service Bus option.

8. You can also change the transfer method used on an Enterprise Configurator external system. To do this,
select an external company that uses either the Enterprise Configurator Direct or the Enterprise Configurator
Service Bus external system. After you indicate which system you use, select either the Convert to Enterprise
Configurator Direct or Convert to Enterprise Configurator Service Bus option.

Global Tables

Use Global Table Maintenance to specify which fields update when global records are pulled into your current
company. Leverage this program to define which global fields are linked when you integrate data; the selected
fields update with information passed along from the global record.
Several master tables share data between multiple companies. Available shared tables include CUSTOMER,
SUPPLIER (VENDOR), PART, and CURRENCY.
Menu Path: System Setup > External System Integration > Setup > Global Table

Define Global Tables

Do the following to set up the global tables you will use.

1. Click the System drop-down list to indicate which global system you need to update. Available options:
• All Systems

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• Customer Connect
• Generic
• Multi-Company
• PLM
• Supplier Connect

If you select All Systems, you update all the global tables.
If you select Multi- Company, only the multi-company
tables update.

2. Click the Company drop-down list to specify the external company. The default value is All Companies,
but all external company records display on this list.

3. In the Tree View, select the table you wish to edit.

4. After you select a table, its ID appears in the Table field.

5. The Available Choices column initially contains all the fields in the selected global table. To specify you
want one of these fields to update globally, highlight it from this list.

6. Click the Right Arrow button.

7. To move all the fields, click the Double-Right Arrow button.

8. The selected field(s) moves to the Selected Choices list.

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9. Continue to move the fields you need. When you finish, click Save.

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Chapter 2: Sites

You use site records to set up the locations, buildings, or areas within a company where manufacturing and other
business is conducted. You must have at least one site record in a company. If your organization has a multi-site license,
you can create multiple sites, according to your requirements.
You first create sites within Site Maintenance. These records contain the basic information required to define the sites
within the current company. You then indicate how each site interacts within other modules through the Site
Configuration Control program. This program is similar to Company Configuration. You select a specific site and then
define various options for each module.

Site Details

You enter the primary information for each site within Site Maintenance. Items you define include parameters
such as Production Preparation Time, Rough Cut Horizon, and the Production Calendar. You can also define the
cost set, which determines the costing method used for the parts manufactured at this site. Lastly, you set up
the transfer order parameters this site follows when fulfilling internal sales orders.
Menu Path: Material Management > Inventory Management > Setup > Site Maintenance

Site Maintenance
To create a new site record in Site Maintenance:

1. Click New on the Standard toolbar.

2. Enter the Site identifier for the new site. This value displays within various programs and reports; enter an
identifier that helps you quickly locate the site.

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3. Enter the Name for the site. This text displays on various programs and reports.

4. If your company has multiple sites, a maintenance team from one site can be responsible for maintenance
for one or more other sites. If equipment maintenance is performed by a team from another site, click the
Maintenance Site drop-down list to select this site.

5. From the Time Zone drop-down menu, select appropriate time zone for the location of your site. This is
the time zone from which you determine the time stamps that you place against transactional activities at
your site. When you select a time zone, the application automatically adjusts for Daylight Savings time. This
is useful for multi-site companies.

6. The Site Cost ID specifies the default costing identifier for the site. It indicates a reference to a cost set –
which defines the costing method (Standard, Average, Last, FIFO) used to calculate costs for all the parts
manufactured within sites that share the cost set.

For more information on job costing, review the Job


Costing Technical Reference Guide in the application help.

7. You can define how this site handles transfer orders from other areas within your company. Select the Auto
Create Transfer Order on Firming Requirements check box to indicate transfer orders are created when
the demand requirement is marked firm.

8. Select the Single Line per Transfer Order check box to indicate when transfer orders automatically
generate, each suggestion creates a separate transfer order.

9. Click the Allow Shipment without a Transfer Order drop-down list to define how shipments are handled
when a transfer request is sent to this site that does not have a transfer order linked to it. Available options:
• Allow – The transfer request is automatically added to the shipment without warnings.
• Stop – The application prevents the transaction, so the user is unable to add the transfer request to the
shipment.
• Warn – An alert message displays, but the user can decide whether to proceed or cancel the transfer
shipment request.

10. Enter the Auto Confirm Window Days value to specify the number of days before a suggestion is
automatically converted to a firm requirement.

11. In the Manager Name field, enter the name of the person in charge of the current site.

12. When you finish entering the site details, click Save.

Planning

1. In the Intrastat Region field, enter the region this site uses for Intrastat reporting. Intrastat logic is used to
facilitate business transactions that take place in Europe or other locations which require this type of reporting.

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2. The Prod Preparation Time field defines how many days this site requires to prepare and engineer a job
before it can be released for manufacturing. This value is used during Material Requirements Planning (MRP)
processing to add an additional amount of preparation time to the Planned Action Date on job suggestions
and unfirm jobs.

For more information on MRP, review the Material


Requirements Planning chapter in the Epicor Application
User Guide. You can also review the MRP Technical
Reference Guide in the application help.

3. The Kit Time field determines how many days are needed to assemble a part within the current site. MRP
processing uses this value to calculate the End Date for any material in the assembly of the parent site.

4. Click the Scheduling Send Ahead For drop-down list to define whether the scheduling engine uses the
start-to-start job operation offset for Production Time or Setup Time. Available options:
• Setup – Causes a secondary operation with a start-to-start relationship to begin setup X minutes after
the production starts on the primary operation. The minutes are defined on the operation.
• Production – Causes production time of the secondary operation to start X minutes after the production
starts on the primary operation. The minutes are defined on the operation.

To learn more about the scheduling engine and features,


review the Scheduling chapter in the Epicor Application
User Guide, or the Scheduling Technical Reference Guide
in the application help.

5. Select the Override Scheduling Constraints check box to indicate you can freely move jobs on scheduling
boards. You can move any jobs created in this site to different positions on the schedule, ignoring both

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material constraints and subcontract purchase orders. You adjust job schedules within the scheduling boards
on their Move Job windows.
If this check box is not selected (clear), you can only move jobs to points in the schedule where material and
subcontract PO quantities are at least partially available.

6. Next, select the Use Dynamic Days of Supply in Lead Time check box to activate the Use Dynamic
Days calculation. This calculation generates specific material requirements when a new purchase suggestion
may not satisfy demand at the correct point in the lead time window (MRP Scheduled Start Date + Standard
Lead Time).

7. Select the Allow Consumption of Minimum Qty check box to activate the Consume Minimum Quantity
calculation. When you activate this calculation, you cause both the MRP and PO Suggestion processes to
use another level of lead time calculations. When the On-Hand Quantity falls below the Safety Stock
Quantity within the purchase lead time, an additional set of Urgent Planning parameters activate.

You define these parameters on part-site records within


Part Maintenance. To learn more about part records,
review the Part Parameters chapter.

8. Enter the Supplier Due Date Horizon value to define the number of days from the purchase order (PO)
release due date that the Scheduling engine considers incoming purchase order releases for this site to be
late. Available to Promise (ATP) and Capable to Promise (CTP) also use this setting to determine if incoming
PO releases for the supplier should be considered in their calculations as a potential sources of supply.

The application uses this value only if a Supplier Due Date


horizon value has not been defined in Supplier
Maintenance for the supplier associated with a given PO
release.

9. Click the Calendar ID button to find and select the production calendar used to manufacture parts within
this site. By default, the production calendar selected on the company record is used, but you can select a
different production calendar if you need. Review the Production Calendar section later in this chapter for
more information.

10. Enter the Finite Horizon value to define how many days are added to the Schedule Start Date during
MRP processing. Any jobs with Start Date values during this date range are scheduled finitely - which means
load is not placed against a resource when it does not have the capacity to handle it. However any jobs with
Start Date values outside this range are scheduled infinitely - which means that load can be placed against
a resource above its capacity to handle it.

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You can enhance scheduling performance by defining an


Overload Horizon time frame, which is typically the
number of days you manage overloaded resources. You
can then use the Shop Load Graph and the Overload
Informer to manage overload in the site within this relative
time frame without loading data beyond the point you
currently need to manage.

11. In the Overload Horizon field, enter a value to define the number of days from the current date the
scheduling engine uses to place overloaded resource records within the Shop Load table. These overloaded
resource records display in both the Shop Load Graph and the Overload Informer.

12. In the Rough Cut Horizon field, enter the point in the schedule where jobs are calculated using Rough
Cut Scheduling. This feature schedules jobs using the Need By Dates and Lead Time values on each
material and operation to determine how much time is required for each job to finish. However this data,
or load, is not recorded against your resources, which reduces the processing time needed to generate the
overall schedule.

13. Enter the Auto Firm Horizon value to specify how many days MRP monitors to determine when to create
firm jobs. If demand is placed within the number of days you enter, the MRP Process automatically creates
firm jobs from these demand records.

14. In the Unfirm Series Horizon field, enter a number of days from the current system date (Today) where
the unfirm jobs created by MRP generate with a job number that uses the Firm Job Prefix value; this indicates
these jobs are ready to engineer and schedule. Any jobs generated outside of this date range use the Unfirm
Job Prefix value for their numbers.

15. Select the Forced Start Times check box to force times to be Start to Start when scheduling operations.
Start to Start is an operation relationship that assumes you want to start two operations at the same time.
In reality, however, you will likely start the first, or predecessor, operation before the second, or subsequent,

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operation. By default, this relationship uses the Queue Time at the subsequent operation, as this calculation
does not assume that the subsequent operation starts as soon as the parts arrive at the resource.

16. Select the Forced End Times check box to force times to be Finish to Finish when scheduling operations.
Finish to Finish is a scheduling relationship that defines how two operations interact with each other. By
using this relationship, you indicate that the two operations will finish at about the same time.

17. The Multi-Job functionality makes it possible to schedule and re-arrange manufacturing jobs for a parent
assembly and its child subassemblies (called predecessor and successor) all at the same time. If this functionality
is in use, use the options within the Multi-Job section to define if successor and predecessor jobs should
scheduled and automatically loaded to the Job Scheduling Board. Available options:
• Schedule Multi-Job
• Auto Load Successor Jobs
• Auto Load Predecessor Jobs
• Minimize WIP

18. The Manufacturing Lead Time calculation determines how long it takes, in days, to receive materials and
manufacture part quantities at each subassembly level. This calculation then uses these values to total how
long it takes, in days, to complete the final assembly. Use the options within the Include in Manufacturing
Lead Time Calculation section to define which lead times associated with this site are included in this
calculation. Available options:
• Lead Time
• Transfer Lead Time
• Receive Time
• Kit Time
• Rough Cut Parameters
This pane also includes an Auto Consume Window (%) field, which lets you check if there is availability
of material on the required date plus the percentage (of the manufacturing lead time) entered in this field.
The purpose is so that you can look ahead for a few days to see if there is a better time to schedule the job
based on availability. Enter a value here between 1 and 100.
This field is also found in Part Maintenance on the Part > Sites > Planning sheet. This field takes the default
value from what is entered in Site Maintenance.
For example, subassembly DSS-100 requires 10 pieces and there is an original pull quantity of 2. The job
bounces forward and is scheduled on 7/25 when the worker tries to pull the remaining quantity. If only 3
more pieces are available (for a total of 5 of the necessary 10), there is still not enough for the requirement.
The window percentage is added to calculate a new date when the material should be reviewed to see if
the complete quantity needed is available to pull.

19. When you finish entering the site planning parameters, click Save.

Address and Comments


Use the Address and Comments sheets to define the location and enter any additional information you need to
include with the site record.
To add the site address and comments:

1. Navigate to the Address sheet to enter the mailing location for the site.

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2. Enter the Address, City, State/Prov, and Postal Code information.

3. Click the Country drop-down list and select the country where the site resides.

You create country records using Country Maintenance.


This program is located in multiple Setup folders on the
Main Menu, including the Customer Relationship
Management and Accounts Receivable Setup folders.

4. Enter the Phone and Fax contact information.

5. Navigate to the Comments sheet to either enter or review additional information about this site.

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6. The Site Comments field displays the information. Enter any comments you need in this field.

7. When you finish, click Save.

GL Controls (Sites)
Use the GL Controls sheets to define the default accounts and journal codes available during the posting process.
Financial transactions placed against this site use these GL controls to determine journal and account contexts.
You can associate one or more GL controls to this site record, but each GL control must belong to a different GL
control type. These GL controls determine the different account contexts used when users post financial transactions
against this site.
To add GL controls for the site:

1. Navigate to the GL Controls > Detail sheet.

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2. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New Site GL Control.

3. Click the Type button to find and select a GL control type. This defines the contexts and business entities
required for a GL control set.

4. Next, click the Control button to find and select the GL control you need. All controls of the selected GL
control type display in the search results.

5. When you have selected the GL control, click Save.

For more information on GL control types and GL controls, review the General Ledger chapter.

Site Configurations

Use Site Configuration Control to set up how each site interacts with various functions such as Inventory
Management, Production Management, and Shipping/Receiving. You first create site records through Site
Maintenance. You then select each site record within Site Configuration Control to define its module and function
parameters.
Menu Path: System Setup > Company/Site Maintenance > Site Configuration

This program is not available in Epicor Web Access.

Select the Site


To select the site or sites you want to configure:

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1. Click the Site button to find and select the site you need. You can also select all the sites available in the
current company.

2. The sites you select display in the Tree View. Select the site you need to configure.

3. On the Detail sheet, the Site and Name of the selected site display.

4. Click the Modules tab to begin configuring the site.

The next sections describe what you set up on each site record.

Inventory Management

Use the Inventory Management sheets to define the warehouses, serial tracking default values, transfer order
definitions, and resources for each site.

General
You define warehouse, data collection, and field service defaults on the General sheets. You also specify the GL
controls used for the current site.

Detail
To enter the main warehouse and resource group parameters for the site on the Detail sheet:

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1. Navigate to the Modules > Inventory Management > General > Detail sheet.

2. Click the Receiving drop-down list to define the default receiving warehouse for part quantities manufactured
within the current plant. This warehouse is the default option displayed within Receipt Entry.

3. Notice you can also select the default bin that receives these part quantities. Click the Bin button to find
and select this default bin; only bins created for the selected warehouse are available.

4. Use the Shipping drop-down list and its Bin field to define the primary shipping warehouse and bin for
the current plant. By default, all shipments sent from this plant use this warehouse and bin to store the
shipping quantities.

5. Select the default DMR Processing warehouse and Bin. These selections determine the warehouse and
bin used for processing Discrepant Material Requests (DMR) records. By default, all DMR quantities entered
for the current plant are stored in this warehouse and bin.

6. Use the Inspection drop-down list and its Bin field to define the default warehouse used for part quantity
inspections. The selected warehouse and bin values are the default options that display in Receipt Entry;
they define where inspected quantities are stored.

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7. Select the General warehouse for the current plant. All part quantities not stored within the Receiving,
Shipping, DMR Processing, and Inspection warehouses move to this warehouse instead.

You create warehouses using Warehouse Maintenance,


and you create bins using Warehouse Bin Maintenance.
To learn more, review the Warehouses and Bins chapter.
Information on these records is also available in the
application help.

8. Idle Time classifies periods in the schedule during which no Setup or Production work is taking place.
When you select the Calc Idle Time check box, the Epicor application determines how much idle time occurs
on resource groups available in this plant.

9. If you select the Calc Idle Time check box, you must also select a Resource Group. A resource group defines
specific work areas and production teams in the current plant. Click this drop-down list to select the resource
group you need.

You create resources groups in Resource Group


Maintenance. This program is located in the Production
Management > Job Management > Setup folder. For

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more information on resource groups, review the


Engineering chapter in the Epicor Application User Guide
or the resource group topics in the application help.

10. If you have an installed Purchase Contracts Management license, the Purchase Schedule Mode field
specifies how related demand requirements should be handled for this plant. Select Schedule Fixed in
Period is designated that demand for the resulting purchase schedule delivery dates should not be moved
forward but remain on the calculated delivery dates. Select Schedule Forward One Period to designate
that demand requirements for a part should be pulled forward in time to the next earlier delivery date,
within the established (overall) delivery date schedule. The default comes from Company Maintenance but
you can override it for specific sites.

11. If you select the Calc Idle Time check box, you must select an Indirect Labor code from the drop-down list.
This code classifies any time entries not applied against Setup or Production tasks.

You create indirect labor codes using Indirect Labor Code


Maintenance. This program is located in the Production
Management > Job Management > Setup folder. For
more information on indirect labor codes, review the
application help.

12. Displays the Time Zone Offset value you need for this site. This value indicates how many time zones away
from the server the current plant is located. This field is for display only. If you previously inputted a time
tone offset value, this value is still recognized. However, if you need to update the time zone offset value,
you use the Time Zone field in Site Maintenance to enter the time zone for your selected site.
Data Collection records the time zone for each site for all transactions that require time values. The base
time zone is the zone defined for the server. Because of this, the site record is configured to indicate how
many time zones away from the server base time zone the current plant is located.

For example, the server is in Minneapolis. One of the sites


is in New York City, and another site is in Honolulu. A
third plant is in Minneapolis. The Time Zone Offset for
the Minneapolis site is 0. The New York City site has a
Time Zone Offset of 1. The Honolulu site has a Time Zone
Offset of –5.

13. In the Field Service Defaults section, click the Resource Group drop-down list to select the default group
that display on service calls created for the current plant. For more information, review the Field Service
chapter within the Epicor Application User Guide.

14. Select the Default in the Order Shipping Warehouse/Bin check box to indicate the default warehouse
and bin for a customer shipment should be the packing location for the order release, as identified on the
originating order (if available). Clear this check box to use the default primary warehouse and bin established
for the part and current plant in the Part Maintenance > Part > sites > Warehouses > Primary Bin sheet. This
applies to both pack out and standard shipments.

15. Select the Part Lead Time check box to specify if Capable to Promise (CTP) calculations, when determining
whether an order can be filled on the requested shipment date for this site, should include all demand for
the part when comparing demand against all expected supply within the part's lead time.

16. Specify if CTP should create firm, unfirm or no jobs when processing Make To Order and Make To Order
order release items for which there is there is insufficient supply available to cover demand.

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17. When you finish setting up the inventory default values, click Save.

GL Control (Inventory)
Use the GL Control sheet to define the default accounts and journal codes available during the posting process
for inventory transactions at this site.
You can associate one or more GL controls to this inventory configuration, but each GL control must belong to
a different GL control type. These GL controls determine the different account contexts used when users post
inventory transactions against this site.

1. Navigate to the Modules > Inventory Management > General > GL Control > Detail sheet.

2. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New Inventory GL Control.

3. Click the Type button to select a GL control type. This defines the contexts and business entities required
for a GL control set.

4. Next, click the Control button to find and select the GL control you need. All the controls of the selected
GL control type display in the search results.

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5. When you finish selecting the GL controls, click Save.

For more information on GL control types and GL controls, review the General Ledger chapter.

Shared Warehouses
Use the Shared Warehouses sheet to link warehouses so you can issue and receive parts between them. A shared
warehouse is a warehouse that belongs to a different site, but when you link it to the current site configuration,
you can directly issue and receive parts through this shared warehouse.

For example, your sheet metal (SM) warehouse is set up in your


Main site. You want to issue parts from and receive parts into
this warehouse while you are logged into your West site. When
you open the West site record in Site Configuration Control,
navigate to the Shared Warehouse sheet. Select the Main site
as the remote site and then move the SM warehouse into the
Shared Warehouses group box.

To use this functionality, at least one additional site record must be set up for the current company. You can
then select this record as the remote site and then define which warehouses this remote site shares.

1. Navigate to the Modules > Inventory Management > Shared Warehouses sheet.

2. Click the Remote Site drop-down list to select the site through which you want to share warehouses. All
sites in the current company display on this list.

3. The Remote Site Available Warehouses list displays the warehouses available to share with the current
site. Select a warehouse on this list.

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4. Click the Right Arrow button.

5. The selected warehouse now displays in the Shared Warehouses list. This list contains the warehouses
currently shared with the selected remote site.

6. You can also remove a specific warehouse, multiple warehouses, or all warehouses from this group box. To
do this, highlight it on the Shared Warehouses list.

7. Click the Left Arrow button. The warehouse moves back to the Remote Site Available Warehouses list.

8. Share the warehouses you need. When you finish, click Save.

Transfer Definition
A transfer order is an inter-company request for a specific part quantity. Use the Transfer Definition sheets to
define how the current site handles transfer orders it requests from other sites. You also define the GL controls
you use with the transfer definitions.

Transfer Detail
The values on the Transfer Definition > Detail sheet define the main parameters for transfer orders originating
from this site to another site. To create a transfer definition for each site record in the current company:

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1. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New Transfer Definition.

2. Navigate to the Modules > Inventory Management > Transfer Definition > Detail sheet.

3. Click the To Site button to find and select the site which will receive the transferred part quantities.

4. When you select or enter a site within the To Site field, the Description from its record displays in this field.

5. Enter the Estimated Transfer Days it will take to move quantities to the selected destination site. This
value is used to determine scheduling and Due Date values.

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6. Click the Default Transfer Ship Via drop-down list to define the transportation method used to ship
quantities to the destination site.

You create ship via records using Ship Via Maintenance.


This program is located in several setup folders, including
the Material Management > Shipping Receiving > Setup
folder. For more information, review the Ship Via
Maintenance topics within the application help.

7. Click the Transfer Sales Category drop-down list to select the category for quantity transfers between
the current site and the receiving site. You use these categories to group sales orders on reports and trackers.

You create sales categories using Sales Category


Maintenance. This program is located in several setup
folders, including the Sales Management > Order
Management > Setup folder. For more information, review
the Sales Category Maintenance topics in the application
help.

8. Select the InterDivisional Accounting check box to indicate transfer order transactions post to the general
ledger using interdivisional accounting standards.

9. Enter the Transfer Order Number Prefix for the transfer orders generated through this multi-plant
relationship. This prefix value is added to the front of each transfer order number so you can locate and
group these records on reports and trackers.

10. Click the Transfer Order Pick drop-down list to define from which warehouse the transferred part quantities
are shipped.

11. Next, click the Bin button to find and select the bin that stores the transferred part quantities before they
are shipped.

12. Continue to add the transfer definitions for other sites. When you finish, click Save.

GL Control (Transfer Inventory)


Use the GL Control sheet to define the default accounts and journal codes available during the posting process
for transfer inventory transactions at this site.
You can associate one or more GL controls to this transfer definition, but each GL control must belong to a
different GL control type. These GL controls determine the different account contexts used when users post
inventory transactions against the current transfer definition.

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1. Navigate to the Modules > Inventory Management > Transfer Definition > GL Control > Detail sheet.

2. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New Transfer Definition GL Control.

3. Next, click the Type button to select a GL control type. This defines the contexts and business entities
required for a GL control set.

4. Click the Control button to find and select the GL control you need. All the controls linked to the selected
GL control type display on the search results.

5. When you finish selecting the GL controls, click Save.

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For more information on GL control types and GL controls, review the General Ledger chapter.

Transfer Resources
Use the Transfer Resources sheet to transfer resource groups and warehouses from one site to another site. When
a resource or a warehouse is moved to a new site, it is no longer available in the previous site.

1. Navigate to the Modules > Inventory Management > Transfer Resources sheet.

2. Click the To Remote Site drop-down list to define which site will receive the resource groups and/or the
warehouses. The sites available in the current company display on this list.

3. Highlight a resource group in the Available Resource Groups list.

4. Click the Right Arrow button.

5. The resource group displays in the Selected Resource Groups list.

6. Highlight a warehouse in the Available Warehouses list.

7. Click the Right Arrow button.

If you need to move all the resource groups and/or


warehouses to the remote site, click the Double Right
Arrow buttons. If you need to remove all the resource
groups and/or warehouses from the remote site, click the
Double Left Arrow buttons.

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8. The warehouse displays in the Selected Warehouses list.

9. To review how these changes affect the sites, click the Test Transfer button.

10. The Site Test Transfer window displays. Select the report options you need.

11. Click the Print Preview button. Review the report so see what changes will occur as a result of the transfer.

12. If you are satisfied with the changes, return to Site Configuration Control. Click the Transfer
Resources button.

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Serial Tracking
Use the Serial Tracking sheet to define how the current site generates serial numbers.
The Epicor application can display the entire history of all transactions involving a serial tracked part. A serial
number can be added through purchase receipts, transfer receipts, order receipts, RMA receipts, job receipts,
quantity adjustments, or cycle counting.
To define the serial tracking options:

1. Navigate to the Modules > Inventory Management > Serial Tracking sheet.

2. Click the Serial Tracking Options drop-down list to define how serial numbers are tracked through this
site configuration. Available options:
• Full Serial Tracking – Activates all serial number tracing functions, requiring users to assign serial
numbers for all part transactions. If you want to change this option later, you can change to Outbound
Serial Tracking if no uninvoiced shipments, open cycle counts, or physical inventory quantities are currently
in the database. You must also change the Lower Level Tracking option to Outbound Serial Tracking.
You can change to the No Serial Tracking option if there are no open cycle counts or physical inventory.
• Outbound Serial Tracking – Activates serial number tracing for shipments from sales orders and transfer
orders. Through this option, you do not need to define serial numbers for all transactions. However when
a serial tracked part is shipped, you must enter its serial number. If you want to change this option later,
you can change to Full Serial Tracking if no inventory quantities are available in the current site’s
warehouses. You can change to No Serial Tracking without restrictions.
• No Serial Tracking – Turns off serial numbering. If you want to change this option later, you can use
Outbound Serial Tracking if no uninvoiced shipments are currently in the database. You can change to
Full Serial Tracking if no inventory quantities are available.

3. Select the Record Serial Numbers On Inventory Moves check box so a serial number is entered whenever
a serial tracked part moves between bins in the same warehouse. When you select Full Serial Tracking, you
can select this check box.

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4. Click the Lower Level Serial Tracking Options drop-down list to define whether serial numbers from
child component parts must be linked to the serial number for the parent finished product. Available options:
• Full Lower Level Serial Tracking – When serially tracked components are used to manufacture a parent
part quantity, lower level serial numbers for each received component part are required. A window
displays that lists all parts entered on the receipt. You can then enter the component serial numbers for
parts used to manufacture the top level serial tracked part.
• Outbound Serial Tracking Only – When a serial tracked part is shipped on a sales order or transfer
order, you must enter serial numbers for the component parts.
• No Lower Level Serial Tracking – Turns off the lower level serial number tracing.

5. Click the Serial Matching Warning drop-down list to define what warnings can appear during the job
receipt process. These warnings occur when component serial numbers do not match the top level serial
numbers. If the No Lower Level Tracking option is selected, this drop-down list is not available. Available
options:
• No Warnings – Turns off the warning alert messages.
• Warn but Allow Processing – When component serial numbers must be matched with the parent
part, a warning displays. However, you can ignore this warning and continue to process the receipt
without matching these serial numbers.
• Warn and Do Not Allow Processing – When component serial numbers must be matched, a warning
displays. You must match all component serial numbers before you can save the job receipt.

6. When you finish defining the serial number options, click Save.

Cycle Count
Use the sheets under the Cycle Count tab to define the parameters used for inventory counting and cycle counting
with this site configuration.

Cycle Count Detail


The Cycle Count > Detail sheet displays the main items you modify to determine how cycle counting is run in
the current site.
To define the cycle counting options:

1. Navigate to the Modules > Inventory Management > Cycle Count > Detail sheet.

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2. Click the Cycle Count Selection Method drop-down list to define how count items are selected. Available
options:
• Repetitive - Divides selected count items equally among the number of count days in the cycle period.
The method includes all items that match the selection criteria, regardless of the total number of selected
items. As long as items are not removed from the list, all items are counted according to the specified
cycle interval.
• Random - Uses an algorithm to randomly select counted parts based on selection parameters defined
for the specific ABC code. The method selects parts randomly and then divides them equally based on
the number of count cycles available in each cycle period.

In some situations, the Epicor application does not select


all parts for cycle counting through these methods. To
track these part quantities, the Cycle Count Status report
displays part quantities either overdue for a cycle count
or not counted since a specified date. Use this report to
determine whether to add or delete parts from the
selection process.

3. Click the Cycle Count Calendar button to find and select the production calendar used to generate cycle
schedules through Cycle Count Schedule Maintenance. Review the Production Calendars section later
in this chapter for more information.

4. When you finish setting up your cycle count options, click Save.

To learn more about cycle counting, review the Inventory


Management chapter in the Epicor Application User Guide
or the cycle counting topics in the application help.

ABC Codes
Use the ABC Codes > Detail sheet to configure ABC codes to match the cycle counting process you run at the
current site. You first create ABC codes and enter their default values within ABC Code Maintenance. However
the values you enter on this sheet override these default ABC Code values to define the specific counting processes
for the current site.
To define the ABC code options:

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1. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New ABC Code.

2. Navigate to the Modules > Inventory Management > Cycle Count > AbcCodes > Detail sheet.

3. Click the ABC Code button to find and select the existing ABC code you want to modify.

4. Select the Exclude From Cycle Count check box to indicate parts linked to the selected ABC code are only
counted during physical inventory and not included during cycle counting.

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5. Select the Override Stock Validation check box to cause the stock valuation for the current site to be used
instead of the stock valuation defined on the ABC code. Enter this alternate valuation in the accompanying
Stock Valuation Percent field.

6. The Stock Valuation Percent defines how stock is valued for the site configuration. When the Calculate
ABC Codes program is run (located in the Material Management > Inventory Management > General
Operations folder), it determines total stock valuation for each part. Usage, on-hand quantities, and/or
projected usage factors can be included in the total value calculation.
If the same percentage is entered for multiple ABC codes, the Calculate ABC Codes program uses the first
occurrence of a duplicate percentage and ignores the second occurrence, since it evaluates ABC codes in
alphabetical order.

For example, if you enter 80.0 for ABC Code A, the


Calculate ABC Codes program assigns Code A to inventory
items that represent 80% of the total inventory value. If
you enter 95.0 for ABC Code B, the Calculate ABC Codes
program assigns Code B to inventory items that represent
the next 15% of the total inventory value. Enter 100.0
for ABC Code C to assign this code to inventory items
that represent the remaining 5% of the total inventory
value.

7. Select the Override Count Frequency check box to indicate the value entered in the accompanying Count
Frequency field is used instead of the value defined on the ABC code.

8. Enter the Count Frequency value to designate how often parts assigned to this ABC code are counted.
This value specifies the number of days between each count cycle.

For example, ABC code A items require counting every


60 days, so you enter 60 in this field. When you select
parts for cycle counting, the Epicor application selects all
A items not counted within the past 60 days.

9. Select the Calculate Percent check box to indicate the value entered in the accompanying Percent Tolerance
field is used to control discrepancy tolerances in cycle or physical inventory counts. If a part is defined as out

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of tolerance, you can post adjustments to the inventory quantity using a Count Discrepancy Reason code
in Count Cycle Maintenance.

10. Next, enter the Percent Tolerance value to designate the percentage difference between the pre-count
quantity and the actual count quantity. This value defines how much variation you allow for each count.
Enter zero (0) to indicate you do not accept any percentage variance. A percentage higher than zero indicates
a percentage difference between the pre-count quantity and the actual count quantity, by more than this
value, is considered out of tolerance. This result is then included on count variance reports.

For example, enter 10.5 if the percentage difference


between the pre-count quantity and the actual count
quantity can vary by no more than 10.5 percent.

11. Select the Calculate Quantity check box to indicate the value defined in the accompanying Quantity
Tolerance field is used to control quantity discrepancies. If the calculated difference between the pre-count
quantity and actual count quantity is greater than the specified tolerance, the Count Variance
Calculation/Report displays these parts. You can post adjustments to the inventory quantity using a Count
Discrepancy Reason code in Count Cycle Maintenance.

12. Enter the Quantity Tolerance value to designate the difference between the pre-count quantity and actual
count quantity you allow in this site. Enter zero (0) to specify you do not accept any quantity variance. A
value higher than zero indicates a quantity difference between the pre-count quantity and the actual count
quantity, by more than this value, is considered out of tolerance. This result is then included on count variance
reports.

For example, enter 10 if the calculated difference between


the pre-count quantity and actual count quantity for a
part can vary by no more than 10.

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13. Select the Calculate Value check box to indicate the monetary value defined in the accompanying Value
Tolerance field is used to control cost discrepancies.

14. Enter the Value Tolerance to indicate the difference you accept between a part quantity’s pre-count cost
and actual count cost. Enter zero (0) to indicate any monetary variance is out of tolerance. A number higher
than zero indicates a cost amount difference between the pre-count value and the actual count value, by
more than this cost limit, is considered out of tolerance. This result is then included on count variance reports.
You can post adjustments to the inventory quantity using a Count Discrepancy Reason code in Count Cycle
Maintenance.

For example, enter 100.00 if the cost difference between


the pre-count quantity and the actual cycle count quantity
can vary by no more than $100.00.

15. Make adjustments to other ABC codes as you need. When you finish, click Save.

Additionally, the Epicor application overrides ABC code count parameters defined on the site configuration
through values you can define in the following programs:
• Part Maintenance – Cycle count settings are defined for specific parts/warehouse relationships on the Part >
sites > Warehouses > Cycle Count > Physical Inv sheet.
• Warehouse Maintenance – Cycle count settings are defined for warehouses on the Cycle Count/Physical
Inventory sheet.
• Part Maintenance – Cycle count settings are defined for specific site/part relationships on the Part > Sites >
Sites > Cycle Count\Physical Inv sheet.
Any values entered in the above locations override the values on the site configuration. Use these cycle count
settings to precisely determine how each part quantity is included in cycle counting.

Time and Expense


Use the sheets under the Time and Expense tab to define the default values for time and expense entries and
approvals for the current site configuration. You set the default values for record entries, approvals, supervisor
rights, approval logic, and default workflow groups.

Time
Time transactions are labor hours entered by employees and submitted for approval through Time and Expense
Entry. Use the Time sheet to define the approvals process for these transactions.
To define the time entry options:

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1. Navigate to the Modules > Time and Expense > Time sheet.

2. Select the Restrict Entry check box to limit which employees can enter time transactions for other employees.
You then use Employee Maintenance to indicate which users have these access rights. For more information
about setting up employees, review Chapter 5: Personnel.

3. Select the Supervisor Allowed Entry check box to indicate supervisors can enter, modify, and delete time
transactions for employees they supervise. You indicate which employees are supervisors in Employee
Maintenance.

4. Select the Submit on Save check box to indicate time entries are automatically submitted for approval after
users save them to the database.

5. When you select the Approval Required check box, all time entries submitted by employees must be
approved by the approvers assigned to the workflow task.

You create a time entry approval process by assigning


approver roles to employee records, and then selecting
these roles on task sets. These task sets are, in turn,
selected on workflow groups. For more information,
review the Time Management chapter in the Epicor
Application User Guide.

6. If you select the MES Labor Approval Required check box, all time entries entered through the
Manufacturing Execution System (MES) interface must be approved by the approvers assigned to the
workflow task.

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7. Select the Approver Allowed to Delete Transaction check box to indicate all approvers can add and
remove time transactions.

8. Select the Approver Allowed to Modify Submitted Transaction check box to indicate all approvers can
update time transactions.

9. Click the Create Default Approval Workflows button to display a separate workflow window. Use this
window to define what workflows are required for time entries.

You can also create a default approval workflow by


clicking the Actions menu and selecting the Create Default
Approval Workflows option.

10. Select the workflow approvals you need. Available options:


• Multi Level Approval
• Supervisor Approval
• Project Manager Approval
• PM and Supervisor Approval

11. When you finish selecting the workflow options, click OK.

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12. You return to the Site Configuration Control > Time and Expense > Time sheet.

13. Click the Indirect Approval Logic drop-down list to specify the indirect method for approving production
time transactions submitted by employees. Available options:
• Automatic – Time entries are approved automatically when users submit them.
• Employee – Time entries are approved by employees as defined on their records in Employee Maintenance.

14. Next, click the Production Approval Logic drop-down list to select the approval method used for approving
production time transactions submitted by employees. Available options:
• Automatic – Time entries are approved automatically when users submit them.
• Employee – Time transactions are approved by employees as defined on their records in Employee
Maintenance.

15. Click the Time Workflow Group drop-down list to select the workflow group used for time transactions
entered for the current Site. You create workflow groups in Workflow Group Maintenance; review the
application help for more information.

16. When you finish defining the time parameters, click Save.

Expense
Expense transactions are reimbursable expenses entered by employees and submitted for approval in Time and
Expense Entry. Use the Expense sheet to define the approvals process for these expense transactions.
To define the expense entry options:

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1. Navigate to the Modules > Time and Expense > Expense sheet.

2. Select the Restrict Entry check box to limit which employees can enter expense transactions for other
employees. You then use Employee Maintenance to indicate which users have these access rights. For
more information about setting up employees, review Chapter 5: Personnel.

3. Select the Supervisor Allowed Entry check box to indicate supervisors can enter, modify, and delete
expense transactions for employees they supervise. You indicate which employees are supervisors through
Employee Maintenance.

4. Select the Submit on Save check box to indicate expense entries are automatically submitted for approval
after users save them to the database.

5. When you select the Approval Required check box, all expense entries submitted by employees must be
approved by the approvers assigned to the workflow task.

You create an expense entry approval process by assigning


approver roles to employee records, and then selecting
these roles on task sets. These task sets are, in turn,
selected on workflow groups. For more information,
review the Expense Management chapter in the Epicor
Application User Guide.

6. Click the Create Default Approval Workflows button to display a separate workflow window. Use this
window to determine what workflows are required for expense workflows. To create a default approval
from the Actions menu, select Create Default Approval Workflows.

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7. Select the workflow approvals you need. Available options:


• Multi Level Approval
• Supervisor Approval
• Project Manager Approval
• PM and Supervisor Approval

8. When you finish selecting the workflow options, click OK.

9. Select the Approver Allowed to Delete Transaction check box to indicate all approvers can add and
remove expense transactions.

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10. Select the Approver Allowed to Modify Submitted Transaction check box to indicate all approvers can
update expense transactions.

11. Click the Indirect Approval Logic drop-down list to select the indirect method used for approving production
expense transactions submitted by employees. Available options:
• Automatic – Expense entries are approved automatically when users submit them.
• Employee – Expense transactions are approved by employees as defined on their records in Employee
Maintenance.

12. Click the Expense Workflow Group drop-down list to select the workflow group used for expense
transactions entered for the current Site. You create workflow group in Workflow Group Maintenance;
review the application help for more information.

13. When you finish entering the expense options, click Save.

Production Management

Use the Production Management sheet to determine how this site and its warehouses generate production
records like Kanban jobs and Material Requirements Planning (MRP) unfirm jobs. You also define how some
production, labor and burden calculations are handled.
The options you select on this sheet affect the Job Management, Scheduling, Engineering, Material Requirements
Planning, Data Collection, and Quality Assurance modules.
To define the production management options:

1. Navigate to the Modules > Production Management > General sheet.

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2. Kanban is a parts-movement system that controls costs and increases efficiency on a production line. Enter
the Kanban Prefix you want automatically placed on all generated Kanban jobs. The Epicor application
assigns this prefix to job numbers it generates for Kanban receipts, based on the current job number sequence
defined for the site.

For example, if the next available job number is 1110, it


assigns a Kanban job number of KBM1110 for a Kanban
receipt.

3. Material Requirements Planning (MRP) is a set of planning tools you use to both estimate potential demand
and propose supply that may answer this demand. Unfirm jobs are potential jobs you can review to determine
whether they should become firm jobs for production. Enter the Unfirm Job Prefix you want to automatically
add to unfirm job numbers.

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4. Enter the Firm Job Prefix that replaces the Unfirm Job Prefix when the Firm box is selected on an unfirm
job.

Both the unfirm and firm prefix values help you locate
these jobs in the Job Manager, Job Entry, and other
programs. Be sure to enter both a Firm Job Prefix and an
Unfirm Job Prefix on this sheet. If the site configuration
has a Firm Job Prefix but does not have an Unfirm Job
Prefix, users can cause errors by manually entering job
numbers in Job Entry.

5. Use the Change Part Action drop-down menu to select the action the system will take when a user attempts
to change a part number of a part that has already had a material quantity issued. The options include:
• None - Indicates that no action is to be taken by the system when a user attempts to change a part
number and allows the part number change to occur.
• Warn - Indicates that the system warns the user but allows the change to the part number, even with
material issued.
• Error - Indicates that the system warns the user that material is issued for the original part number and
does not allow the change in part number to occur.

6. Production Yield is a feature that recalculates the yield of a job when its operations result in under or over
quantity production. Select the Production Yield Default check box to cause the application to monitor
the production yield of any job that uses parts stored in this site. Selecting this option also causes the
Production Yield check box to activate on job records.

For the Production Yield calculation to work correctly,


each operation must also have one or more production
yield recalculation actions defined in Operation
Maintenance.

7. If you select the Production Yield Default check box, you must specify which action occurs once the application
completes recalculating the yield. Select the Send Adjustment Alert check box to automatically send an
alert when the application determines a quantity adjustment must be made on a job.

8. If you select the Production Yield Default check box, you can also select the Adjust Job Quantities check
box. This causes the application to automatically apply a quantity adjustment against a job changed by the
Production Yield calculation. This feature recalculates production quantities on operations above or below
the original estimates.

Be sure to select either one or both check boxes. If you


select both the Send Adjustment Alert and Adjust Job
Quantities check boxes, the alert displays information
about the automatic quantity adjustment. If you only
select the Send Adjustment Alert check box, the alert
displays the adjustment quantity recommended by the
Production Yield calculation. If both check boxes are clear,
the Production Yield recalculation does not result in any
action.

9. Select the Only Include Posted Labor in Project Analysis check box to cause project analysis results to
only display labor transactions posted to the general ledger.

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10. Click the Job Pick and the Bin drop-down lists to select the warehouse and bin that stocks quantities for
parts used on manufactured jobs in this site.

11. Select the Suppress Sales Order Make Direct Job Warning check box to prevent a warning to display
when a sales order release will be made direct. This option indicates the quantity ordered on the release is
manufactured on a job instead of being pulled from inventory.

12. Select the Apply Burdens to all Operation Resources check box to cause burden costs to be totaled for
operations with multiple resource groups. If this check box is clear, the burden amount is added to the first
operation, but the burden amounts are placed separately against each resource.

13. If you select the Autocomplete Setup check box, the Setup is marked as Complete and load for Setup
Hours is relieved when production for an operation is marked as Complete. The setup time is not relieved
if the operation is not marked as Complete or the Autocomplete Setup check box is clear.

14. The Use Third Party Scheduling Software check box is used to disable Epicor ERP scheduling functionality
when using a third party scheduling software. When you select this option, some applications are completely
disabled. Others are partially functional with some buttons and Action menu options disabled.

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15. Select the Include Completed Qtys/Hours in Send Ahead Calculations check box to include completed
quantities in the Send Ahead calculation in job scheduling. If this check box is clear each time a job is
scheduled, then the full Send Ahead quantity is used in all calculations. If selected, then the full Send Ahead
quantity minus completed quantity/time is used.

16. Use the Assign Material Dates field to specify when scheduling dates should be assigned. During Job
Entry, material due dates will default from related operations based on the option selected in this field.
Select an option from the drop-down list:
• Unengineered - Material due dates will default from attached operations even if the job is unengineered.
• Engineered (Default) - Material due dates will default from the attached operation only if the job is
engineered.
• Scheduling - Material due dates will be assigned only during scheduling.

17. Use the Warehouse field to specify a default warehouse for Planning Contracts. This warehouse displays
in the Planning Contract > Header > Detail > Warehouse field.

Only warehouse with a bin marked as Contract will


display in the drop-down list.

18. When you finish defining the production management options, click Save.

External MES

Use the External MES sheet to define site integration with a selected external MES type. In this sheet define the
Output and Input locations for the data to travel from the Epicor application to the external MES and vice versa.

External MES is a service integrated into the Epicor application.


It has certain validations which are used as a type of
automatization.

1. Navigate to the Modules > Production Management > External MES sheet.

2. Select the External MES Integration check box to enable integration for this site. If you select this check
box, all fields on the sheet are activated.

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3. Click the Output Location button to find and select the location for the data flow from the Epicor application
into the external MES.

4. Click the Input Location button to search for and select the location for the data flow from the external
MES into the Epicor application.

5. In the External MES Type field, select the external MES with which you want this site to integrate.

6. When you have defined the integration, click Save.

Maintenance Management

Use the Maintenance Management sheet to specify the starting prefix for maintenance jobs and to select the
default maintenance job template used for maintenance plans. You enter the default template and prefix in
Company Configuration, but you can enter different values in this sheet for a specific site configuration. For more
information on the company default values, review the Company Configuration chapter.
To define the site maintenance management options:

1. Navigate to the Modules > Maintenance Management sheet.

2. Click the Template Job button to find and select the template job used for the current site’s maintenance
jobs. When users run the Maintenance Plan Processor, these jobs generate using this template. The job
template contains the details (operations, assemblies, and materials) for each maintenance job.

While the job template you select on this sheet is the


overall default for the site, when the Maintenance Plan
Processor generates jobs for equipment plans, it first uses
any job templates selected on equipment records. You
create equipment records in Equipment Maintenance.

3. Enter the starting Job Prefix automatically used on identifiers for maintenance jobs. When the Maintenance
Plan Processor generates jobs, this prefix is added to the front of these job numbers.

4. When you finish setting up the maintenance parameters, click Save.

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Advanced Material Management (AMM)

Use the Advanced Material Management sheet to activate advanced inventory parameters for the current site
configuration.
The fields are for use with the Advanced Material Management license.

Fulfillment Workbench

Use the Fulfillment Workbench sheet to define the settings for the Fulfillment Workbench including how it sorts
sales orders, jobs, and transfer orders in search results, default priority codes for replenishment move requests,
and if sales order releases need to be marked as Ready to Fulfill to load.

1. Navigate to the AMM > Fulfillment Workbench sheet.

2. Click the drop-down lists in the Fulfillment Workbench Defaults section box to define how quantity
search results sort for sales orders, jobs, and transfer orders. You select these default search options
respectively on the SO Inventory Search Sort, Job Inventory Search Sort, and Xfer Inventory Search
Sort drop-down lists. Available options:
• FIFO - Sorts results in order by First In, First Out records.
• LIFO - Sorts results in order by Last In, Last Out records.
• Bin Ascending - Sorts results by bin in ascending order.
• Bin Descending - Sorts results by bin in descending order.
• Quantity Ascending - Sorts results by quantity in ascending order.
• Quantity Descending - Sorts results by quantity in descending order.

You can override these default values by defining alternate


options for allocation templates you create in Allocation
Template Maintenance; you then select these templates
in the Fulfillment Workbench. You can also directly

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override these search defaults when you process


allocations in the Fulfillment Workbench.

3. Click the Default Net Weight UOM drop-down list to select the unit of measure used to calculate weight
values (for example, Kilograms, Pounds) that display in the Selected Weight field in the Fulfillment
Workbench. The options available from the Weight UOM Class display on this drop-down list.

4. Now click the Default Net Volume UOM drop-down list to select the unit of measure used to calculate
volumes (for example, Cubic Centimeters, Cubic Inches) that display in the Selected Volume field in the
Fulfillment Workbench. The options available from the Volume UOM Class display on this list.

You enter units of measure and units of measure classes


in UOM Maintenance and UOM Class Maintenance. For
more information on these setup programs, review the
Part Parameters chapter, or review the Unit of Measure
topics in the application help.

5. Select the Require Ready to Fulfill check box to determine if the Ready to Fulfill check box on the header
sheet of sales order needs to be selected to load a sales order release into the Fulfillment Workbench at the
site level. If this check box is selected, only those releases whose sales order with the Ready to Fulfill check
box selected can load into the Fulfillment Workbench. If this check box remains unselected, the applicaiton
does not take into consideration the Ready to Fulfill check box on a sales order. -

Allocations made in a manner outside of the Fulfillment


Workbench, such as through the creation of a customer
shipment, will allocate for the order release without taking
this flag into consideration.

Material Queue

Use the Material Queue sheet to define the parameters to be used by the Material Queue including the priority
levels for pick, putaway, and replenishment priority levels, and the action to be taken against a sales order with
a pick transactions.

1. Navigate to the AMM > Material Queue sheet.

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2. Click the Pick Transaction Priority drop-down list to define the priority level for pick transactions in the
Material Queue. When pick transactions are inserted from the Fulfillment Workbench into this queue, they
use this priority level. These priority levels rank transactions by importance, suggesting the order in which
users should process these transactions. The available priority levels are 1-9; 1 has the highest priority, while
9 has the lowest priority. The default priority level, if the fields is left blank, is 9.

3. Next, click the Putaway Transaction Priority drop-down list to define the priority level for putaway
transactions in the Material Queue. When putaway transactions are inserted from the Fulfillment Workbench
into this queue, they use this priority level. The available options are 1-9; 1 indicates the highest priority level
and 9 indicates the lowest priority level. The default priority level assigned, if left blank, is 9.

4. Click the Replenish Bin To Bin Priority drop-down list to define the priority level for bin-to-bin replenishment
transactions. These transactions display on the Replenishment Workbench in the Move sheet. The available
options are 1-9. If you do not select a value from this drop-down list, the default priority level assigned to
these transactions is 9 (least priority).

5. Select the Lock Orders On Pick check box to prevent users from modifying sales order lines after a pick
transaction is placed against the line. These users can then pick material quantities for the entire sales order.

Example The Lock Order on Pick check box is selected.


User A runs a transaction that requires a pick transaction
for part 3498 on sales order 123, line 1. There are four
other detail lines on sales order 123. Because User A has
run a pick against SO 123, the other lines are not
accessible by User B or User C. Only User A can pick part
quantities for sales order 123.

6. Select the Sort Queue by Priority check box to cause the Material Queue to sort transactions in the
following order:
• Priority
• Bin
• Sequence Number

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Picking

Use the Picking sheet to define parameters for picking transactions including, orders to be released for picking,
job release inventory reservations, and handheld transaction selection.

1. Navigate to the AMM > Picking sheet.

2. Select the Reserve Inventory on Job Release check box to indicate jobs automatically keep, or reserve,
inventory when these records are released.

3. Select the Unpack to Picked Status check box to define what occurs when users unpack or delete packing
slip lines. If this check box is selected and a line is deleted/unpacked, the inventory used on both Direct Pack
and Procedural Pack records is assigned the Picked status. As an allocation record generates, these records
are added to picked orders.
If this check box is clear and a line is deleted/unpacked, inventory on Direct Pack records is assigned the
Available status and the application does not create an allocation record. However if this check box is clear
and a line is deleted/unpacked on Procedural Pack records, this inventory is assigned the Picking status. The
application generates an allocation record, the Warehouse/Bin becomes the location from which the quantity
was picked, and the line is not added to picked orders.

4. Select the Allow Credit Hold Orders to be Released for Picking check box so users can pick orders for
customers currently on credit hold. These sales orders can then be fulfilled as normal.

5. Select the Allow partially reserved or allocated SO to be Released for Picking check box so users can
pick partially reserved or allocated sales order releases. When the Epicor application determines whether a
sales order released can be picked, it ignores the Ship Order Company and Ship Line Complete check
boxes.

6. Enter the Handheld Auto-Select Transactions Max value to define how many material queue transactions
are automatically selected on the Handheld MES interface. This saves time, as users do not need to manually
select these transactions on their handheld devices.

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Package Control

Use the Package Control sheet to define the parameters for the package control functionality.

You have access to the Package Control pane if you have an


AMM license. For access to the Advanced Package Control
pane you additionally need an Advanced Package Control
license.

1. Navigate to the AMM > Package Control sheet.

2. Select the Enable Package Control check box to indicate that Package Control functionality is enabled for
the current site. When you select this check box, this enables package control related fields. Clear this check
box to disable package control functionality for the current site.

3. Select the Void when empty check box to automatically void a PCID when it becomes empty. This field
defaults as unselected. It is only enabled if you select the Package Control check box.

4. From the Consume Returnables dropdown, select the point during the process that you want to decrement
the inventory amount for returnable containers. Returnable containers are those internal parts that you mark
as Returnable in Package Code Maintenance which contain the items associated to the PCID. The available
options are Picking, Production of PCID, or Shipping. You want to determine the point of consumption
of a container to ensure that the inventory quantity for your containers is accurate.

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When you select the Picking option, you indicate that you intend to consume a returnable container at the
time when you pick a sales order into a PCID. If you select the Production of PCID option, this indicates that
you intend to consume the returnable container when you move a PCID into inventory by a program such
as Job Receipt to Inventory by PCID, or when you create a PCID in Ad hoc PCID or Repack Reclass. If
you select the Shipping option, you indicate that you want to consume the returnable container when you
ship the PCID from programs such as Customer Shipment Entry.

5. From the Consume Expendables dropdown, select the point during the process that you want to decrement
the inventory amount for expendable containers. The expendable containers are those internal parts that
you mark as Expendable in Package Code Maintenance. The available options are Picking, Production
of PCID, or Shipping. You determine the point of consumption to ensure that the quantity for your
containers is accurate.
When you select the Picking option, this means you intend to consume an expendable container at the time
when you pick on a sales order. If you select the Production of PCID option, this indicates that you intend
to consume the expendable container when you move a PCID into inventory by a program such as Job
Receipt to Inventory by PCID, or when you create a PCID in Ad hoc PCID or Repack/Reclass. If you
select the Shipping option, you indicate that you want to consume the expendable container when you ship
the PCID from programs such as Customer Shipment Entry.

6. In the Maximum Number of PCIDs to Generate field, enter a numeric value that determines the maximum
number of PCIDs the system can generate during a process that generates a PCID in programs such as Ad
Hoc PCID. For example, you enter the numeric value 5 in this field. This indicates that for a PCID you intend
to generate, you can create five labels.

By default, this field is blank. If the field is blank, there is


no maximum number of PCIDs that can be generated.

7. Select the Enforce Job Receipt to Inventory check box to indicate if package control enforcement is
applied during Job Receipt to Inventory. Select this check box to enforce package control processing during
the Job Receipt to Inventory transactions. Clear this check box to disregard package control processing
during Job Receipt to Inventory transactions. This check box defaults as unchecked.
When you clear this flag, this indicates that the inventory is incremented and puts a move on the queue
from WIP to inventory (the inventory is available immediately). If you select this flag, this means that you
increase the on-hand quantities only after you complete the putaway move. This means that the inventory
is not available until you move it to an inventory bin.

8. From the Default Repack Reason Code drop-down list, select the default Reason Code for a Repack
transaction. The Reason Codes available in the drop-down menu are codes that are previously defined in
Reason Code Maintenance.

9. From the Time and Expense Default Employee ID dropdown, select the default employee for package
control transactions for Time and Expense entries. This list includes Active employees.

10. In the Supervisor Override Password field, enter a password that can override package control processing
procedures for a supervisor.

11. In the Minimum Job Output Generate Interval field, enter the minimum number of seconds between
PCID generations in Job Output by PCID. If you generate a PCID and then attempt to generate the second
PCID within the minimum generate time interval, it will fail.

If the value is set to 0, there is no restriction.

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12. Use the Maximum Job Output Reprint Window field to specify the maximum number of minutes after
the current time a PCID can be reprinted in Job Output by PCID. If you generate a PCID and then select
Reprint after the number of minutes specified in this field, an error appears and you will not be able to
reprint.

If the value is set to 0, there is no restriction.

13. In the Maximum Ad Hoc Job Output Job Window field, enter the date range window that a job displays
in the job search window or can be manually entered and selected in Ad Hoc Job Output by PCID. The
value is the number of days before and after the current day that defines the date range window. The job
start date is compared to the date range window and, if the date falls outside of the window, it is not
available to be viewed in Ad Hoc Job Output by PCID.

The date range window is up to and including the


maximum number of days before and after the current
day.

If the value is set to 0, there is no restriction.

14. Use the Maximum Partial Job Window field to specify the date range window that a job displays in the
job search window or can be manually entered and selected in Partial PCID. The value is the number of
days before and after the current day that defines the date range window. The job start date is compared
to the date range window and, if the date falls outside of the window, it is not available to be viewed in
Partial PCID.

The date range window is up to and including the


maximum number of days before and after the current
day.

If the value is set to 0, there is no restriction.

15. Click Save.

Shipping Receiving

Use the sheets under the Shipping Receiving tab to define the default shipping manifest parameters for the
current site configuration. You can set up manifest parameters for General, General International, FedEx, and
UPS shipping. You also define the Billing parameters.

General (Shipping Receiving)


Use the General sheet to establish default carrier options for the site configuration. These options define default
values for shipments of parts manufactured in this site. This information is sent to the manifest system where
the Pack ID is freighted.

You can change these default values in Customer Shipment


Entry.

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To define the general carrier options:

1. Navigate to the Modules > Shipping Receiving > General sheet.

2. Select the Saturday Delivery check box to indicate this site can receive shipments on Saturday.

3. To indicate this site can send shipments on Saturday, select the Saturday Pickup check box.

4. Select the Residential Delivery check box to specify shipments will arrive at a home or residence.

5. Select the Signature Required check box to indicate all shipments received at this site must have their
receipts signed by a site manager or other employee.

6. To indicate this site only received and delivers shipping documents, select the Documents Only check box.

7. Select the Apply Charge check box to add a handling fee for shipments sent from this site. This activates
the Charge field; enter the additional charge amount in this field.

8. To indicate value insurance is available for shipments from the current plan, select the Declared Value check
box.

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9. Collect On Delivery (COD) is a financial transaction where payment for shipments occurs when shipments
are received instead of being paid in advance. Select the COD check box to indicate payment is required
for all shipments from the current site.

The COD amount defaults from the first sales order added
to the pack, and this value is not recalculated on
shipments when users close them.

10. Additional COD options are available. Select the Add Freight to Amount check box to indicate the freight
COD amount is added to the final amount on all shipments from this site.

11. Select the Cashiers Check/Money Order Required check box to specify a cashier’s check or a money
order is required for COD payments.

12. To disable the pack out functionality in Customer Shipment Entry, select the Disable Pack Out check box.
Users cannot access the Pack Out sheet in Customer Shipment Entry.

13. When you finish defining the general shipping options, click Save.

General - International
Use the General International sheet to define carrier options for international shipments sent from this site. You
indicate which shipping documents are required for internationally shipping items. You also define the freight
forwarder who assists with the export process at the current site.
The options on this sheet are the default values in Customer Shipment Entry. If you need, you can change these
options on specific shipments. This shipping information is then sent to the manifest system that freights the
pack record.
To define the international general carrier options:

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1. Navigate to the Modules > Shipping Receiving > General - Intl sheet.

2. Select the International Shipment check box to indicate this site sends out international shipments. This
activates the rest of the fields on this sheet.

3. A Certificate of Origin document certifies the shipment quantity was completely manufactured in a specific
country. When you select the Certificate of Origin Required check box, you indicate these documents
are needed on international shipments from this site.

4. A commercial invoice is needed when dutiable, or non-document, goods are shipped internationally. To
satisfy Customs requirements, you must enter a complete description of these goods on these invoices.
Select the Commercial Invoice Required check box to indicate these invoices are required on shipments
from this site.

5. When you select the HazardousShipment check box, you indicate hazardous materials are both shipped
and received through this site.

6. Select the Export Declaration Required check box to indicate a Shipper’s Export Declaration (SED) or
Electronic Export Information (EEI) document is needed for international shipments from this site. These
documents track export statistics and help control the export process.

7. A Shipper’s Letter of Instructions document provides shipping information to the freight forwarder, ensuring
accurate movement of products internationally. Often this document includes billing terms for freight and
other charges, and it may also provide distribution and preparation instructions. Select the Shipper’s Letter
of Instruction check box to indicate these documents are needed.

8. Now enter the contact information for the Freight Forwarder who handles international shipments for
the current site. These shipping agents are familiar with the import rules and regulations of foreign countries,
the export regulations of the United States and other countries, the methods of shipping, and the documents

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related to foreign trade. Enter the ID, Name, Contact, Address, City, State, and Postal Code for the
freight forwarder.

9. Click the Country drop-down list and select the country where the freight forwarder resides.

You create country records using Country Maintenance.


This program is located in multiple Setup folders on the
Main Menu, including the Customer Relationship
Management and Accounts Receivable Setup folders.

10. Enter the main Phone number you use to contact the freight forwarder.

11. When you finish defining the international carrier options, click Save.

Billing
You create billing types to define the various ways shipments are paid by this site. The information from each
billing type is sent to the manifest functionality. You can create as many billing types as you need.
To enter billing types:

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1. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New Billing Type.

2. Navigate to the Modules > Shipping Receiving > Billing > Detail sheet.

3. Click the Billing Type drop-down list to specify a freight billing option for this site. Available options:
• Consignee
• Fedex Prepaid
• Shipper

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• UPS Cost And Freight

4. Depending on the option you select, a different billing code is automatically selected in the Billing Code
field. However, if another code is available, you can select this alternate code from the Navigation toolbar.

5. Enter the Account number that records transactions for this billing type. You need to enter an account
number when the billing type is Fedex Collect, UPS Freight Collect, or Third Party.

6. Next, enter the Address, City, State, and Postal Code for the payer. You need to enter the payer address
on Third Party billing types.

7. Click the Country drop-down list and select the country where the third party payer resides.

You create country records using Country Maintenance.


This program is located in multiple Setup folders on the
Main Menu, including the Customer Relationship
Management and Accounts Receivable Setup folders.

8. Enter the Phone number for the third party payer.

9. Click the List sheet to review all the billing types currently defined for this site configuration.

10. When you finish adding billing types, click Save.

FedEx
If FedEx is the shipping service the current site uses, enter the freight information settings on the FedEx sheet.
To define the FedEx options:

1. Navigate to the Modules > Shipping Receiving > FedEx sheet.

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2. Select the COD check box to specify FedEx shipments are sent as Collect On Delivery (COD). When you
select this check box, you activate the Ground Collection Type radio button options.

3. The Ground Collection Type radio button options determine the means of payment for the FedEx shipment.
Available options:
• Any Payment
• Guaranteed Funds
• Currency

4. Select the Notification check box to indicate an email message is sent when the shipment reaches its
destination. When you select this check box, you activate the Email Addresses field.

5. Enter the Email Addresses for the individuals who receive notifications when a shipment from this site
reaches its destination. Be sure to separate each email address with a comma.

6. Select the Home Delivery check box to specify the shipment can arrive using the home delivery service.
Selecting this check box activates the Date, Phone, and Instructions fields.

7. Click the Date drop-down list to select when the home delivery shipment is received. You can also enter
the date directly.

8. Enter the Phone number for the contact who will receive the home delivery.

9. Next, enter any additional Instructions required for the home delivery.

10. If you need additional information to accompany the shipment, enter this text in the Reference Notes field.

11. Select the Non Standard Packaging check box to indicate this shipment does not use typical, standard
packaging.

12. If this shipment is critical, select the Priority Alert check box. This status is then assigned to the shipment.

13. When you finish entering the FedEx options, click Save.

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UPS
If UPS is the shipping service the current Site uses, enter the freight information settings on the UPS sheet. This
sheet also contains the Quantum View notification functionality. When you select the Notify check box, you can
then enter all the email addresses that receives notifications when a UPS shipment is sent, fails to arrive, and/or
successfully arrives.
To define the UPS options:

1. Navigate to the Modules > Shipping Receiving > UPS sheet.

2. Select the Delivery Confirmation option this Site requires for UPS shipments. Available options:
• No Signature Required – Indicates a written signature is not required to receive the UPS package.
• Adult Required – Indicates an adult must sign for the received UPS package.
• Confirmation Required – Indicates the UPS shipment requires a written signature to complete delivery.
• Verbal Confirmation – Indicates that only a spoken acknowledgement is required to receive the UPS
package.

3. If the shipment requires more handling then a normal shipment, select the Additional Handling check
box.

4. Use the Reference Information fields to enter additional text you want to include with the UPS shipment.
Five reference fields are available.

5. The Quantum View notification functionality is a service from UPS that helps individuals receiving UPS
shipments track their progress. Select the Notify check box to specify shipments sent from this Site use this
UPS service. Selecting this check box activates the Ship From Company and Memo fields.

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6. Enter the Ship From Company from which the UPS package will be sent.

7. Next, enter a Memo you want to display with this Quantum View UPS shipment.

8. Use the Quantum View features to indicate who receives email notifications during the shipment process.
To do this, click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New UPS Email Address.

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9. Enter the Email Address for the individual who will receive Quantum View notifications.

10. If this person needs to be notified when a shipment is sent, select the Shipment Notification check box.

11. Select the Failure Notification check box if the person must be notified when the shipment does not arrive
at the Quantum View email address.

12. To send an electronic notification to this person when the UPS shipment is delivered, select the Delivery
Notification check box.

13. Continue to add all the Quantum View email addresses you need. Click the Quantum View List sheet to
view these individuals and their selected UPS notifications.

14. When you finish defining the UPS options, click Save.

Site Costs

You use Site Cost Maintenance to create cost sets. Each cost set defines the costing method calculations run
against parts manufactured within the sites linked to the cost set. These records make sure the same costing
method is used for all sites included in this cost set. You select cost sets in the Costing Workbench. During the
standard cost rollup calculation, the application uses the selected cost set as a source for the calculated unit cost
amounts.

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If different costing methods are needed for some sites, create a separate cost set for each method. The unit cost
results are then consistent for all sites which use this method. Although you can link sites with different costing
methods to the same cost set, Epicor recommends you use separate costs sets for each method.

For more information on how cost sets are used in the Costing
Workbench, refer to the Costing Workbench > Group Detail
topic in the application help.

Menu Path: System Setup > Company/Site Maintenance > Site Cost Maintenance
To create a cost set:

1. Click New on the Standard toolbar.

2. In the Site Cost ID field, enter a unique identifier for the cost set.

3. Enter a Description for the cost set. This text displays on the Copy from Site Cost ID drop-down list on
the Costing Workbench.

4. Click the Primary Site drop-down list to select the site considered the main site for this cost set. When you
select this Site option in the Costing Workbench, the specified cost set displays by default.

5. Select the Load Alternate Methods check box to indicate alternate costing methods are used for the
What-If calculation in the Costing Workbench. The What-If calculation generates an estimated cost based
on potential factors.

6. To indicate these lot size settings are used in the What-If calculation in the Costing Workbench, select the
Load Costing Lot Sizes check box.

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7. Select the Enable FIFO Layers check box to maintain First In, First Out (FIFO) costs layers as secondary costs
for non-FIFO costed parts. Any issue or receipt of the part consumes or creates PartFIFOCost records to
reflect the movement of FIFO quantities and costs. This process is identical to how the Epicor application
updates/consumes FIFO costed parts.

The FIFO cost layers created for non-FIFO parts are typically
used for tracking. If this check box is selected, the same
validations apply to non-FIFO parts, as the Epicor
application prevents the FIFO costs/quantities from going
negative. You still receive FIFO negative quantity errors
when the FIFO layer is enabled; these errors stop you from
processing the transaction.

8. To specify job and shipment costs are updated when a user enter a purchase adjustment, select the Update
Issue to Job/Shipment Costs check box.

9. Select the Skip Revision Cost Rollup check box to indicate the Costing Workbench will ignore the method
of manufacturing defined for a purchased part that has an approved revision. Costs are then not calculated
for the purchased part through its method. Instead, the Costing Workbench uses the cost method selected
for the part in Part Maintenance to determine its cost.

10. When you finish setting up the cost set, click Save.

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Production Calendars

Each production calendar defines the working days and non-working days available during the year, as well as
the number of hours available for production each working day. You use Production Calendar Maintenance to
define the calendar you follow within your manufacturing center and other business areas.
You may need different production calendars for different sites. You can also select production calendars on
resource groups and suppliers.
Menu Path: Production Management > Job Management > Setup > Production Calendar

This program is not available in Epicor Web Access.

Create the Calendar


To create a new production calendar:

1. Click New on the Standard toolbar.

2. In the Calendar ID field, enter a unique identifier for the calendar. This value displays on several programs
and reports.

3. Enter a Description that includes the purpose of the calendar. This text displays on Production
Calendar drop-down lists throughout the Epicor application.

4. Use the Default Hours Per Day field to define how many hours are available for work each day. The value
you enter here determines the number of Hour check boxes that activate within the Days and Hours grid.

5. Within the Days and Hours grid, define the specific hours during which work is carried out.

6. To select all the hours for a specific day, click the Day (Monday, Tuesday, and so on) button. To clear all
the hours, click this button again.

7. Click the specific Hour button (1, 2, 3, and so on) to select this hour for every day of the week. To clear all
the hours for the specific time, click this button again.

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Non-Working Days
Use the Working Days sheets to define how many working days and non-working days are available during the
current production calendar.

1. To define non-working days by month, click the Month sheet.

2. Highlight a date on the Month calendar.

3. Click the Toggle Day button.


The selected day is now defined as a Non-Working Day. The scheduling engine and other functions skip
this date when determining what days are available for production.

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4. To define all non-working days for the current year, click the Year sheet.

5. Highlight a date on the Calendar.

6. Click the Toggle Day button.

Where Used
Use the sheets under the Where Used tab to review all sites, resource groups, and suppliers that currently use
this production calendar:
To review these items:

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1. Click the Where Used tab.

2. For this example, you click the Site sheet.

3. All the sites that use the current production calendar display on the Sites grid.

Week Numbers
Use the Week Numbers sheet to define both week numbers and ranges for the current production calendar. You
use week numbers to define purchase order contracts for suppliers.

For more information on purchase contracts, review the


Purchasing chapter in the Epicor Application User Guide.

To add a range of weeks:

1. From the Actions menu, select Add Week Range.

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2. The Add Week Range window displays.

3. Enter the Starting Week Number to identify the week range you want to add.

4. Next, enter the Starting Year and select a Starting Date for the week range. You must select a Monday for
the Starting Date.

5. Enter the Number of Weeks you want to include in the range.

6. Click the Create Week Numbers button.

7. The Production Week Numbers grid displays the range of weeks you generated.

8. When you finish creating your production calendar, click Save on the Standard toolbar.

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Chapter 3: Part Parameters

You create part records for manufactured, sales kit, and purchased parts. These part records are then used throughout
the application on quotes, sales orders, purchase orders, jobs, AR invoices, and so on. You create part records within
Part Maintenance; this program is available in several locations throughout the Epicor application, like Job Management
and Inventory Management.
However, before you can create part records, you need to set up some global parameters that define how you
organization tracks parts in the application. You can organize all your parts through part classes, which help you
generate organized reports. You should also enter the units of measure your manufactured and purchased parts use
for purchasing, inventory, and sales.
If you track parts through serial numbers, the Serial Number Mask functionality helps create a regular method for
generating serial numbers. International governing localities have rules for limiting the use of hazardous substances;
you can define the hazardous substances contained in the parts you buy and sell. If you sell complex products like
electronic equipment, you can also indicate the reference designators you use with these products.
If you want to attach photos or images of parts to part records, you must import the photos into the database and
organize them so that you can easily find them. Use the Image Management functionality to create categorization tags
for all images (parts, photos of employees, or other images) and to keep your pictures convenient for application
browses and searches.

Part Classes

Part classes categorize and organize your parts. Although not required by the Epicor application, part classes are
used for reporting purposes and also define information about parts stored within inventory. Part classes can
indicate whether inspections are required for received part quantities, which buyer is responsible for purchasing
parts through this class, and what action should be taken when a part quantity becomes negative.
For example, if you have three distinct types of raw materials, create three part classes to review the stock status
and other inventory reports for the different types.
Use Part Class Maintenance to establish part classes for inventory parts. Part classes are assigned to each part in
Part Maintenance.
Main Menu Path: Material Management > Inventory Management > Setup > Part Class

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Create a Part Class

To create a new part class:

1. Click New on the Standard toolbar.

2. Enter a unique identifier for the Part Class. Use a meaningful ID, because on some reports where space is
limited, you may only see this ID.

3. Enter a Description for the part class.

4. The Buyer defines the individual responsible for purchasing parts in this class. An optional value, if you enter
a buyer in this field, all purchase orders for parts in this class are assigned this buyer by default. If you need,
you can override the default buyer on specific part records.

5. When this part class is for purchased parts, click the Approved Suppliers button to find and select the
suppliers used for this part class. These suppliers are then available for all parts in this part class during the
purchasing requisition process.

6. Select the Inspection Required check box to indicate parts assigned to this class must be inspected when
you receive them. If you enter a receipt for any part in this class, you will automatically receive it to inspection.

7. When you select the Requisitions check box, you indicate this part class is available for requisitions through
Requisition Entry. If you requisition a part, you can assign it to any class which has this feature active.

8. Select the Split PO Line check box to indicate that purchase suggestions for part records with unique
Purchasing comments generate a different purchase order line for each part entry.

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9. You use consolidated purchasing to control purchasing and AP functions across multiple companies. Through
this functionality, you can set up global requirements and global purchase orders. You select the
Consolidated Purchasing check box to activate this functionality on a part class.

Consolidated Purchasing requires the Multi-Site


Management license. For more information, review the
Multi-Site Management documentation and the Multi-Site
Technical Reference Guide in the application help.

10. You use the Negative Quantity Action options to determine what action activates when transactions
against parts in the part class cause the on-hand quantity to become negative. Available options:
• Warn – Causes an error message to display, but the inventory transaction can continue.
• Stop – Causes an error message to display and the inventory transaction does not complete the update
process.
• None – Causes the transaction to process without any error messages.

11. If you need to track parts in this class for Intrastat reporting, link it to a Default Commodity Code. Besides
the reporting feature, a commodity code can also identify whether you need to enter a weight or secondary
quantity on invoices for the part.

If you do not have Intrastat functionality, you can still use


this field. Your industry may have a recognized external
coding system, and you can enter these external reference
codes in this field.

The code you select here becomes the default for all parts linked to this class, but you can select a different
commodity code on a part record. This field activates when you select the Internationalization option within
Company Configuration.

12. When you must post AP invoices into two set of accounts for legal reporting in Europe, select a Purchase
Type Code. This links the part class to the extra debit and credit GL accounts required for Intrastat financial
reporting.

13. When you finish, click Save.

Sites and Part Classes

Use the Site sheet to establish planning parameters for a part class and site combination. These default parameters
apply to all parts assigned to the part class, but you can override these parameters on Part-Site details in Part
Maintenance.
To add a part to a part class:

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1. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New Site.

2. Select the Owner Site you need for this part class. All sites available within the current company display
on this drop-down list.

3. If the part class is for manufactured items, Receive Time indicates how many days are required to move
the assembly either to stock or to the next job. During scheduling, this additional time buffer is added to
the Due Date on a job.
If the part class is for purchased or transferred items, Receive Time defines how many days it takes to receive
and inspect the parts. This time buffer is subtracted from the Demand Date to give suppliers the correct
Supply Date.

4. The Planning Time Fence field indicates a time limit for changes within this part class. This value is the
number of days from the current system date that the application does not consider demand transactions
requiring supply changes. However, all demand transactions outside of this time limit are processed as
normal.

5. The Reschedule Out Time Delta field controls when Material Requirements Planning (MRP) sends messages
to Reschedule Out orders. The value you enter defines a number of days. Any reschedule out message either
less than or equal to this value does not generate a change suggestion message.

6. The Reschedule In Time Delta field controls when Material Requirements Planning (MRP) sends messages
to Reschedule In orders. The value you enter defines a number of days. Any reschedule in message either
less than or equal to this value does not generate a change suggestion message.

7. When you finish setting up the part class, click Save.

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Units of Measure

You leverage the Units of Measure functionality to define the measuring values your organization uses for both
manufactured and purchased parts. You can define different unit of measure (UOM) codes for the same part; it
can use one UOM within inventory, another UOM for selling to customers, and a third UOM for purchasing from
suppliers.
You can enter the units of measure that best reflect your business practices, and then group related UOMs under
a unit of measure class. When you select a UOM class, only the UOMs contained within that class are available
on the record.

Unit of Measure Maintenance

Use Unit of Measure Maintenance to create all the unit of measure codes available within the application. Examples
of UOM codes include weights and measures such as Cubic Centimeters, Each, Feet, Box, and Case.
A primary inventory (or base) UOM code must be defined for every part. This base value indicates the main UOM
used to record inventory balances.
Main Menu Path: Production Management > Engineering > Setup > UOM
To create a new UOM:

1. Click New on the Standard toolbar.

2. Enter a unique identifier for the UOM.

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3. Enter a Description for this UOM code. In this example, you enter Box.

4. The Symbol field indicates how the UOM code prints on reports and documents throughout the Epicor
application. For example, the UOM code for square meter is SQM, but you enter Sq Mtrs in this field. The
Sq Mtrs value is printed on reports and documents.

5. If fractional quantities are allowed, you can click the Rounding drop-down list and select an option for this
UOM code. Available options: Round Up, Round Down, No Rounding, and Math Rounding.

6. Select the Allow Decimals check box to indicate users can enter fractional quantities for parts which use
this UOM code. If this check box is clear, users can only enter whole quantities for parts that use this code.

7. If the Allow Decimal check box is selected, the Decimals field activates. Use this field to define the maximum
number of decimals users can enter for quantities in this unit of measure.

8. When the Active check box is selected, it indicates UOM code can be used to measure part quantities. If
this check box is clear, this UOM is no longer available for use.

9. Click the Description sheet to enter a longer explanation for the unit of measure code.

10. Continue to create more UOM codes as you need. When you finish, click Save.

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Unit of Measure Class Maintenance

Launch UOM Class Maintenance to define unit of measure class codes you later assign to parts in Part Maintenance.
A UOM Class code contains a bundled set of UOM codes, like Bag, Box, Case, and Pallet, which then convert to
a single base unit of measure.
Main Menu Path: Production Management > Engineering > Setup > UOM Class
To create a new UOM class:

1. Click New on the Standard toolbar.

2. Enter the Class ID you want for the UOM class. In most cases, the Class ID must be identical to the value
selected on the Class Type drop-down list. Only one UOM class can be defined for each class type. The
exception is the Other Class Type; in this case, you can enter a unique class identifier to create your own
UOM classes.

3. Enter a Description for the UOM Class.

4. Select the Class Type you need from the drop-down list. These system assigned values define the type of
UOM codes which make up the class. Available options:
• Length – Calculates lengths like feet, centimeters, and yards.
• Area – Calculates areas like square feet, cubic centimeters, and square yards.
• Weight – Calculates weights like pounds, tons, and grams.
• Volume – Calculates volumes like square feet, cubic centimeters, and square yards.
• Count – Calculates counts like each, box, and carton.
• Time – Calculates times like seconds, minutes, and hours.
• On the Fly – Calculates on case-by-case basis for specific orders or quotes.
• Other – A UOM class that you use to create a user-defined UOM class.

5. Select the System Default check box to indicate this UOM class is the default value that displays within
Part Maintenance.

6. By default, the Active check box is selected. This indicates users can select this UOM class within Part
Maintenance.

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7. When you finish, click Save.

Add UOM Codes

You can now add the UOM codes to the class. One UOM code must be selected as the Base UOM; all the other
UOM codes then convert to this base value.
To add the UOM codes to the class:

1. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New UOM Conversion.

2. Click the UOM Code drop-down list to select the code you want added to the class. All the UOM codes
you created through UOM Maintenance display on this list.

3. If Other was selected for the Class Type on the Detail sheet, select the Part Specific check box to create
a UOM class that does not use conversion factors.

4. Use the Conversion Factor fields to specify the factor operator and value required to convert between the
current unit of measure code and the Base UOM. For example, if the base UOM is Each and ten units are
packed into a Case, enter multiply as the factor operator and 10 as the value - 10 Each units equal one Case
unit.

5. If this value is the primary unit of measure you want for this UOM class, select the Base UOM check box.
All the other UOM codes within this class must convert to this primary UOM.

6. Select the Default UOM check box if you want the current UOM code to be the default Inventory UOM
code for parts that use this class.

7. By default, the Active check box is selected, which indicates this UOM code can be used on part records.

8. (Optional) If you are using Package Control ID (PCID) functions, select a Package Code to associate with
this UOM code. This allows you designate the type of packaging that should be used for transactions
expressed in a given unit of measure.

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9. Select Default if this package code is the default for this UOM class

10. Specify the Display Sequence for the package code. This controls the selection or drop down list sequencing
when a transaction field prompts for entry of a package code.

11. Continue to add the UOM codes you need to the UOM class. When you finish, click Save on the Standard
toolbar.

Serial Number Masks

Use Serial Mask Maintenance to create a serial number format update record, or mask, which changes the format
of a supplier’s serial number to a format compatible to your serial number system.
Main Menu Path: Material Management > Inventory Management > Setup > Serial Masking
To create a new serial mask:

1. Click New on the Standard toolbar.

2. Enter a unique identifier for the Serial Mask. The identifier can use the available default characters, but it
can also use characters you define on the company record.

3. Enter a Description that identifies the purpose of the serial mask.

4. By default, the Active check box is selected. This indicates the serial mask is available in Part Maintenance.
When the Is Used check box is selected, it indicates this serial mask is used by various part records. It can
no longer be deleted from the application.

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5. A serial mask can either be one of the following types:


• Validation Type - This serial mask only validates existing serial numbers and cannot be used as a mask
for generating new serial numbers.
• Generation Type – This serial mask only generates new serial numbers and cannot be used as a mask
for validating existing serial numbers.

6. Use the Prefix Length and Suffix Length fields to indicate how many numeric fields are available at the
beginning and the end of the serial number.

7. Enter the Mask format you want for the serial numbers. You must enter valid characters within this field;
review the Default Mask Characters and Serial Number Examples topic within application help for a complete
list. You can also define additional characters within Company Configuration. When you leave this field,
the program checks the characters to make sure they are valid.

8. If the Generation Type option is selected, the Starting Sequence field displays the beginning sequence
for the serial numbers. It validates the positions defined for the &, @, or # characters.

9. The Example field displays a sample of a serial number created through this mask.

10. The Characters Used field indicates how many characters are used for these serial numbers.

11. When you finish, click Save.

Restricted Substances

Use the Restrictions that is in the Certain Hazardous Substances (RoHS) functionality to indicate that current
material used on parts complies with the weight limits defined for hazardous substances in electronic equipment.
Different legislative bodies, such as the European Union or the state of California, have defined these weight
limits to reduce accumulation in landfills.
Use the following programs to define the hazardous materials within the products you buy or sell. You can then
select these materials on part records and other records. To complete the process, run a verification program to
determine whether the product meets the standards for a selected locality.

Substance Maintenance

You enter the hazardous substances within Substance Maintenance. Examples of hazardous substances include
Lead (Pb), Mercury (Hg), and Cadmium (Cd). Several of these substances are already defined within the application,
but if you need, use this program to enter additional hazardous substances.
You later group these restricted substances through Substance Restriction Type Maintenance.
Main Menu Path: Production Management > Engineering > Setup > Substance
To enter a substance record:

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1. Click New on the Standard toolbar.

2. Enter a unique identifier for the Substance. This value displays on several programs throughout the
application.

3. Enter a Description for the hazardous substance.

4. When you finish, click Save.

Substance Restriction Type Maintenance

Use Substance Restriction Type Maintenance to define the types of restrictions you can later select on part records,
jobs, and so on. Each type contains a series of substances designated as hazardous by the governing locality.
Each substance can also be assigned the lowest level threshold percentage allowed by the governing body
Main Menu Path: Production Management > Engineering > Setup > Substance Restriction Type
To create a new substance restriction type:

1. Click New on the Standard toolbar.

2. In the Type field, enter a unique identifier for the restriction type.

3. Enter a Description for the restriction type.

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4. Select the Validate Compliance check box to indicate this substance restriction type requires the weight
amounts on specific quantities be validated. When you select this check box, you activate the other available
check boxes.

5. If you want to activate validation for a specific function, select its corresponding check box. Available options:
Purchase Suggestions / Purchase Orders, Request For Quote, and Sales Orders.

6. By default, the Inactive check box is clear. When this check box is clear, it indicates the current substance
restriction type is available (active) to use.

7. You are now ready to identify the substances included with this restriction type. Click the Down Arrow
next to the New button; select New Substance.

8. Click the Substance button to find and select a substance you defined within Substance Maintenance.

9. The Description of the substance displays by default.

10. Enter the Threshold percentage required by this governing entity. The percentage of the product by weight
cannot exceed this percentage.

11. Repeat these steps to add the substances you need to this type. When you finish, click Save.

You can now select this type on several records throughout your Epicor application. You can then run a validation
process to make sure the part quantity does not exceed the RoHS standards. This validation functionality is
explored in the Engineering and Job Management chapters within the Epicor Application User Guide.

Reference Designators

Use the Reference Designators functionality to define the reference designators related to the current material
on a bill of materials.
In the electronics industry, reference designators are used in schematics and printed circuit board layouts to label
components. For example, in a circuit board, each component is usually labeled with reference designators such
as R1, Q1, C1. To identify each component directly on the circuit board, the reference designator text is printed
next to the component.
You add reference designators on part, job, and quote records. Each reference designator can be added as a
series using the Add Range button or entered manually within the methods. You can also add XYZ board
coordinates, rotation, and comment text for each reference designator.
To begin using this functionality, you create reference categories.

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Reference Category Maintenance

Use Reference Category Maintenance to define the categories used to group materials for reference designator
assignment. After the Reference Categories are defined, you assign them to specific parts in Part Maintenance.
Once a category is assigned to a part, it cannot be deleted.
Main Menu Path: Production Management > Engineering > Setup > Reference Category
To create a new reference category:

1. Click New on the Standard toolbar.

2. Enter the Reference Category identifier you want for this record.

3. Enter a Description that helps users understand the purpose of the reference category.

4. In the Prefix field, enter the starting characters used by this category.

5. In the Suffix field, enter the ending characters used by this category.

6. Continue to create the references categories you need. When you finish, click Save.

Image Management

Many manufacturing organizations use digital images created outside of the Epicor application. Your Human
Resources team may have employee ID photos they need to link to an employee record. Engineers may need to
maintain pictures of part revisions or assemblies. Importing these photos and storing them in a customized folder
structure within the application database makes these images accessible to all, keeps them organized, and
convenient to browse and search.
As part of standard functionality in Epicor ERP, you can set up a photo library of pictures for use with the product
configurator, parts, employee photos or any other purpose. Images that are saved in the application database
load much faster in the application than images that are stored in the file system, are accessible in environments
where the file system is not available for workstations (such as SaaS), and can be shared between companies.
There is also the added benefit of convenience, as you can manage the images within Epicor ERP.

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To manage pictures in your database, you define categories and subcategories for the images, setting up an
organized way of tagging and storing your pictures. Once this is established, you can import images either
individually, as a batch, or you can import an entire directory of images. Imported images are stored in a master
table and can be accessed from various programs throughout the application, including the product configurator,
part records, and employee records.

System performance for any form using images is affected by


image size. To determine an acceptable standard for your
environment, run tests in your test environment. Be aware that
many image generating applications (such as cameras) default
to a very large image size.

Image Category Maintenance

Use Image Category Maintenance to set up a system for tagging the image files you store in your database. You
can create image category and subcategory folders here, and then choose these folders to use when saving or
importing images. Create this tagging structure to keep your images organized by type or use.
To maintain a clean image library, it is important to set up and logical and functional file structure from the start.
Your organizational methods will depend on what kinds of images you wish to store and how you wish to store
them.

Example Smithfield Electrical Company manufactures electrical


components and parts and maintains an image database of all
items in inventory. To keep the images organized and easy to
find, they set up the following image categories: Batteries,
Connectors, Electrical Tools, and Switches. For each image
category, they set up appropriate subcategories. For example,
the Batteries category includes Batteries, Battery Isolators, and
Battery Cables. When pictures are imported into the database,
they are saved into the appropriate category.

Add an Image Category

To add an image category:

1. Click the New button on the Standard toolbar and select New Category:

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2. In the Category field, enter a name for the folder.

3. Enter a Category Description. For example: Batteries.

4. Click Save.

Add an Image Subcategory

To add a subcategory to an existing category:

1. Click the Category button to find and select the category to which you wish to add a subcategory.

2. To add a subcategory beneath a category, click the New button on the Standard toolbar and select New
Subcategory:

3. In the SubCategory field, enter a name for the folder.

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4. Enter a Description. For example: Battery Cables.

5. To see other subcategories entered for this category, click the List sheet:

6. Each Image Subcategory for the Image Category is shown in the grid.

7. The expanded Tree View also shows the file structure.

8. When you are finished, click Save.

Image Maintenance

Use Image Maintenance to import images from outside of the application to the Epicor ERP database. You can
import a single image, multiple images at once, or an entire directory of images together. You can also export
images from the database. This is especially useful if you have a development database where you stage your
data and images, and a live production database, and you need to move the images between the two.
To keep the files organized, be sure to use Image Category Maintenance to set up an appropriate tagging structure
prior to importing pictures. You should also determine standards for naming images. Naming conventions, in
addition to an organized and well-planned categories, will make it easier to find an image when you need it.

Example Smithfield Electric Company names all of its part


images using a combination of the type of part, the part
number, and the size of the part. The following are image
names for Smithfield parts: BATTERY-7569304-2inl,
TOOL-452CRIMP-24gWIRE, and TOOL-1201234-TermRemoval.
Smithfield uses a different naming convention for employee
photos: last name followed by first name. The following are
image names for Smithfield employees: JACKSON_WILL,
BARNETT_LISA, and SCHNIEDER_JAMES.

Add an Image to the Database

1. Click the New button.

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2. Click the Browse button to search for and select an image on your local computer or your company's
network.
Once you select an image, a preview shows in the box above the Browse button. Pertinent information
about the image file displays, including its size, dimensions, and type.

3. Enter an Image Name for the selected picture.


If you will be importing a large number of images, remember to use a naming convention for the files. For
example, name the image file the same as the part number.

4. Click the Category button to find and select an image category.

5. Click the Subcategory button to find and select an image subcategory.


Specifying a Category and Subcategory makes it easier for you to find the image during searches.

6. Click Save.

Import Images

Use the Import Images option on the Actions menu to import multiple images at the same time.

1. Click the Actions menu and select Import Images.

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2. In the Method field, select Single Image or Multiple Images.

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3. Click the button to the right of the Select Image(s) field to browse for the image or images you want to
import.
You can choose only .jpg, .jpeg, .bmp, and .png files.

4. Select the image(s) to import.


Click and hold the Ctrl key to select multiple files.

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5. Click Open.

6. The image filename displays in the Select Image(s) field. If you selected multiple images, all of the filenames
are listed and delimited by asterisk (*) characters.

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7. Click the Category button to search for and select the folder where you will store the images.

8. Click the Subcategory button to find and select a subfolder.

9. Select the Remove Extensions check box to automatically remove the file extension from the name during
the import.

10. Select the Update Duplicates check box to overwrite existing image files with files you import with the
same names.

11. Select the Rename Duplicates check box to rename the imported files if there are files in the database
with the same names.

12. Click Import.

13. A message displays that the import process completed successfully.


Click OK.

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Import an Image Directory

1. Click the Actions menu and select Import Images.

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2. In the Method field, select Directory.

3. Click the button to the right of the Select Directory field to browse for the directory you want to import.
You can import only .jpg, .jpeg, .bmp, and .png files.

4. Select the directory and click OK.

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5. The directory page displays in the Select Directory field.

6. If you have previously exported the images from Epicor ERP and have a file holding the image category and
subcategory info for these images, you can import it back into ERP. Select the Import Image
Category/Subcategory Info from File check box and then select the file.

7. Click the Category button to search for and select the folder where you will store the images.

8. Click the Subcategory button to find and select a subfolder.

9. Select the Remove Extensions check box to automatically remove the file extension from the name during
the import.

10. Select the Update Duplicates check box to overwrite existing image files with files you import with the
same names.

11. Select the Rename Duplicates check box to rename the imported files if there are files in the database
with the same names.

12. Click Import.

13. A message displays that the import process completed successfully.


Click OK.

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Image Export

Use the Image Export option to export images from your Epicor database.

1. Click the Actions menu and select Image Export.

2. The Image Export window displays.

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3. Select the Export Image Category/Subcategory Info to File check box if you want to export a file of
the category and subcategory information for the images. This file can then be used if re-importing the
images into the ERP application.

4. Click Export Directory to search for and select the directory to where the images should be exported.

5. To select the images to export, click the Filter sheet.

6. On the Filter sheet, click Image to search for and select the images you want to export.

7. From the main menu bar, click Process.

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Chapter 4: Personnel

The tasks and responsibilities each employee performs within your organization can be reflected within the Epicor
application. You do this by creating person, employee, and warehouse team records. This ensures each person is
accurately and consistently entered in the application. This prevents users from adding duplicate records and reducing
confusion when employees enter records in multiple programs.
You set up personnel data by first entering person/contact records. These records contain primary details about each
person, whether an internal employee or an external customer or supplier contact, such as address and phone
information. These details are then synchronized on other records linked to each person contact record, ensuring
consistency of this basic information.
Once your person contact records are entered, you next launch Payroll Employee Maintenance (if you use the Payroll
module) to enter information required for payroll check processing. Payroll employee records share data with shop
employee records. You enter these records through Employee Maintenance to define individuals who do manufacturing
work within your organization. Through this program, you define the rights each employee has in the application. You
can also add production information, role codes, and production calendars to each employee.
Lastly, you can create warehouse teams and assign shop employees to these teams. These teams monitor and initiate
the inventory transactions that occur within the current company.
You should enter these records when you first set up the application and then update these records as needed to
reflect changes in employment.

Persons and Contacts

Various individuals within your organization may have multiple roles that you need to reflect in your data. Likewise,
outside individuals within customer and supplier organizations may have multiple roles as well. To keep accurate
records of these individuals, use Person/Contact Maintenance. The records you enter here can then be used on
various employee, buyer, customer, supplier, and other records throughout the application. You can also use
this tool to pull in any global people/contacts you need from other companies.
Additionally, Person/Contact Maintenance can be used as a tracker tool to see where each contact is referenced
on various setup records. You can also create records that use the contact; through this feature, you indicate
what records should be created and then immediately launch the respective maintenance program.
Main Menu Path: Sales Management > Order Management > Setup > Person / Contact

Contact Creation

You first enter the primary details about the individual. To create a new contact record:

1. Click New on the Standard toolbar.

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2. Enter the Contact ID. The Contact ID is a numerical value that identifies the contact record throughout the
application. You can enter this number directly, but the application can also automatically assign an ID
number.

3. Enter the Name for the contact. This value is the default name that displays when this contact record is
selected within other maintenance records (such as customers, buyers, employees, and so on).

4. Use the Function, Role, Title, and Reports To fields to define the position this person has within the
organization.

5. Enter the contact’s primary Email address.

If you define an email address here, then anywhere in the


application where the email address displays, you can
right-mouse click to open your default email application
to send an email using this email address. The email
configuration in Company Maintenance must be set up
to enable the email context menu option.

6. If this person is a contact you want to use across companies within your organization, click the Global check
box.

7. If you are creating a contact record for an internal employee, click the User ID button to find and select the
user account you need.

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8. Use the fields in the Address section to define the contact information for this individual.

9. Use the fields in the Phone/Fax section to enter all of the phone numbers for this individual.

10. The Person Contact Link List grid displays all the maintenance records that use this contact record. As you
add more links, this grid displays the links for the current contact record.

11. When you finish, click Save.

Additional Contact Information

Use the other sheets within this program to add more details, like web information and a photo file, to the
contact record.
To add other information:

1. Click the Name Details tab to enter more information about the contact’s name.

2. The Display Name field displays the default name that displays within other maintenance programs.

3. Enter the Prefix, Initials, First Name, Middle Name, Last Name, and Suffix information for this contact.

4. If you want to attach a picture file to this contact record, click the Photo tab. Use the fields on this sheet
to find and select the photo.

Use Image Maintenance to batch import photos of


contacts, employees, and other images to be stored in
the Epicor database. For more information on how to
import pictures, see the chapter on Part Parameters.

5. Click the Web Links tab to enter internet information for the contact.

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6. Enter the Website that you can use to contact this individual.

7. If this individual uses an instant messenger application, enter the value in the IM field.

8. If this individual has accounts on Twitter™, LinkedIn®, and Facebook®, enter these values in the respective
fields.

9. Click the Comments tab to enter any additional text you need for this individual.

Links

You create links for the contact record for any internal buyer, work force, employee, or payroll employee
maintenance record. Use this functionality to quickly add the contact record to any internal maintenance record.
To create an employee record for a contact:

1. Click the Links tab.

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2. The Context Link field displays the current record to which this contact is attached. In this example, Aaron
Christiansen is attached to a Workforce record.

3. Notice the Workforce section displays this record.

4. You now want to create an employee record for this contact. To do this, navigate to the Employee section
and select the Create check box.

5. From the Actions menu, select Create Selected Links.

6. The respective maintenance program launches. Enter any further information you need. In this example,
Employee Maintenance launches.

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7. If you want changes made to the Name, Address, Email, Phone, and other fields to automatically update
records linked to this contact, select the Sync Name, Sync Address, Sync Phone, and Sync Email check
boxes.

8. Click Save on the Standard toolbar.

Now the information you synchronized on this record is automatically updated on other records that use this
contact.

Actions Menu Functions

The Actions menu contains other features that help you enter and maintain contact records.
To use these functions:

1. Click the Actions menu.

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2. The Maintain Links option merges two contact records that represent the same person; for example, Frank
Greene and Frank Green. Use this window to merge the current person/contact record with the person/contact
record you want to keep. Any links to the internal buyer, work force, employee, or payroll employee are
pulled into the contact record as well.

3. If you use multi-site functionality, you can pull in global contacts from other companies. To do this, select
Link Person/Contact and use the window that displays to find and select the global contacts you wish to
add to the current company. Any contacts that have their Global check boxes selected can be pulled into
the current company. To learn more about the global contact feature, review the Multi-Site Technical
Reference Guide within application help.

4. If you want to link an outside file to the current contact record, select the Attachments command.

Shifts

Use Shift Maintenance to define the shift times needed in production centers, distribution centers, and other
areas of the company. These records are used for labor reporting and time collection. Each employee you enter
in Employee Maintenance will belong to a default shift record you enter in Shift Maintenance.
Data collection and shop warnings use these entries to report alerts such as Employee Clocked in Early or Employee
Clocked Out Late.
Main Menu Path: Production Management > Job Management > Setup > Shift

Add a Shift

To add a new shift:

1. Click New on the Standard toolbar.

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2. Enter the Shift number you need; this number must be greater than zero.

3. Enter a Description of the shift. For example, Day, Swing, Morning, and so on.

4. Define the Start time for the shift. These values are based on a 12-hour clock and display in hours:minutes
format. You do not need to enter the colon (:), as it displays automatically.

5. Complete the shift's duration by selecting or entering an End time.

6. The Length field automatically displays how long this shift will be in hours.

7. If this shift includes a meal break, select the Lunch check box.

8. Enter the Start and End times for the lunch break. After you enter these values, the Length field displays
how long the lunch break will take.

9. The Rate field indicates the monetary amount you pay for shift differential time against this shift. The number
you enter can be an Hourly addition or a Percent addition, depending on the radio button option you
select. For example:
• 2.00 ($2.00 per hour or 2%)
• 5.50 ($5.50 per hour or 5%)

10. Select when the Epicor application calculates shift differential pay. Available options:
• Always – Calculated against all hours reported on this shift by all employees.

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• Only when off shift – Calculated only when the shift is different than the employee’s ordinary shift.

If you need more information on this feature, review the


Shift Differential Pay topic within the application help.

Shift Breaks

You can enter additional shift breaks, other than lunch, for each shift. To add additional breaks:

1. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New Break.

2. Enter a Description for the shift break.

3. Now enter the Start and End times for the additional break. After you enter these values, the Length field
automatically updates with the length of the break.

4. Continue to add the shift breaks you need. When you finish, click Save.

Payroll Employees

If your organization has the Payroll license, you next enter employee records using Payroll Employee Maintenance.
The information you enter through this setup program defines how you pay each employee. Payroll employee
records contain the contact information, social security number, pay rate, pay type, paid time off (PTO) balance,
taxes, deductions, and other details for each employee.
You must be a selected user in Payroll Class Maintenance to access or add employee records because information
in this maintenance program is confidential. Selected users can add and edit employees in the payroll classes in
which their user IDs are selected.
Payroll employee records are different from the shop employee records used within the Job Management module.
If your company has payroll employee records and shop employee records, you add both to the application with
Payroll Employee Maintenance.

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After you add employee records, the records designated as active employees also display in the Job Management
module within Employee Maintenance. Subsequent changes made in Payroll Employee Maintenance to records
that have an active shop employee status will also reflect this status in the shop employee record.
As part of standard functionality in Epicor ERP, you can set up a photo library of pictures for use with employee
photos. Images that are saved in the application database load much faster in the application than images that
are stored in the file system, are accessible in environments where the file system is not available for workstations
(such as SaaS), and can be shared between companies. There is also the added benefit of convenience, as you
can manage the images within Epicor ERP.

System performance for any form using images is affected by


image size. To determine an acceptable standard for your
environment, run tests in your test environment. Be aware that
many image generating applications (such as cameras) default
to a very large image size.

Main Menu Path: Financial Management > Payroll > Setup > Payroll Employee

Add a Payroll Employee

To add payroll employees:

1. Click New on the Standard toolbar.

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2. In the ID field, enter a unique identifier for the employee. You can use a the employee's initials or the first
part of this person's name. This value displays in several programs and reports.

3. In the SSN field, enter the employee’s social security number. Be sure to include the punctuation required
for this social security number.

4. Click the Person / Contact button to find and select an existing contact record. The default information
entered in Person/Contact Maintenance populates the Name, Address, City, and other fields within this
group box.

5. Select the Payroll Class for this employee. Payroll Classes group together similar employees for payroll
processing and they determine who should be paid during each payroll run. Some examples include Shop
Employees and Salaried Employees.

This name must match the employee name of this person's


Social Security card. If it does not match, an error could
result that will cause a penalty.

6. The Hired field indicates the date on which this employee started to work for your company. Click the
Down Arrow to select a date from the calendar.

7. If the employee no longer works for your company, select the Terminated check box and enter the Date on
which the employee left the organization. A terminated employee is excluded from all payroll processing.

8. Click the Image Name button to search for and select a photo of the employee.
The Image Search window contains several options to help you located the specific photo you want to
attach to this employee record. Enter values in the Category and Subcategory fields to limit the results to
display images stored in a specific folder. You can also click the Import button to browse for and import a
picture on the fly.

You can set default search categories for the Image Search
in Company Configuration. See the Company
Configuration chapter for more information on how to
set the defaults.

9. Click the Supervisor button to find and select the employee who manages the current employee. This field
is required.

When you first enter employees into the application, add


those who are supervisors first, starting with the CEO.
Otherwise an employee’s supervisor will not display for
selection in the Supervisor field, which is a required field.
You cannot save an employee record unless a supervisor
is selected, but you can select an employee as his or her
own supervisor.

10. Click the User ID button to find and select the user identifier for this employee. Although not required,
some employees will need a user record to access functionality in the application.

You should create a user ID for each person that will make
material entries. Each material transaction will then be
linked to the user ID. For more information, read the User

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Account Maintenance and How do I enter Shop Employees


and Payroll Employees? Topics within application help.

11. Use the check boxes within the Roles group box to define how you want to synchronize this employee
record with an existing person/contact record. Depending on what options you select, you can cause Name,
Email, Phone Number, and other updates on this sheet to automatically refresh other records that contain
this same person/contact. Available options:
• Sync Name
• Sync Phone
• Sync Address
• Sync Email

12. Use the Roles sheet to indicate the various roles, like Service Technician, Shipping/Receiving, Shop
Supervisor, and so on this payroll employee performs.

13. When you finish entering the employee record, click Save.

Payroll, Deduction, and Tax Information

You use the fields on the Payroll > Detail sheet to indicate how the current employee is paid by your organization.
Use this sheet to define the pay type, shift, pay rate, and other key information. You also enter deduction and
tax information through the remaining sheets in this program.
To define payroll information and enter a pay rate:

1. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New Pay Rate.

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2. Click the Pay Type drop-down list to indicate what kind of pay the employee receives. Available options:
• Hourly – The employee is paid based on the number of hours worked.
• Salaried – The employee is paid a fixed amount, independent on the number of hours worked. This
employee’s pay is automatically generated through the Check Run process. These employees are not
linked to labor hours entered through the Job Management module, and are not included in any overtime
or shift differential calculations.

3. Select the Frequency option. This value determines how often the current employee is paid. Available
options:
• Weekly
• Biweekly – every two weeks
• Semimonthly – twice a month
• Monthly

4. Click the Shift drop-down list to specify the shift this employee normally works. You enter the shifts for the
current company through Shift Maintenance.

5. Click the Expense drop-down list to specify the default expense code for this employee. A required field,
this code defines the gross pay expense account number used for each labor transaction. You can enter
these account numbers through the Pay Type Maintenance program. These expense codes simplify data
entry, as longer GL account numbers do not have to be entered directly.

6. Click the Workers’ Compensation drop-down list to specify the workers’ compensation group linked to
this employee. A required field, select the group that applies to this employee from the available options.

7. Select the Third Party Sick Pay check box to indicate this employee is part of a deferred compensation
plan. This value displays on the employee’s W-2 form.

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8. Select the Retirement Plan check box to indicate this employee is included on a retirement pension plan.
This value also displays on the employee’s W-2 form.

9. When you select the Active Employee check box, you indicate this employee currently works on the shop
floor. This person is then automatically defined as an Active Shop Employee in the Job Management
module. Depending on whether you select or clear this check box, different actions occur:
• If you select this check box and the employee does not have a record within the Job Management module,
this employee’s record is automatically added to this module.
• If this check box is clear and the employee has a record within the Job Management module that does
not have any labor detail, the employee’s file is automatically deleted.
• If this check box is clear and the employee record within the Job Management module has some labor
detail, the employee’s status is set to Inactive.
You can select or clear this check box at any time

10. If you select the Active Employee check box, click the Job Department drop-down list to specify the shop
employee’s home department. This value defines a default job department for the work queue within the
Data Collection module.

11. If you select the Active Employee check box, the Labor Rate field becomes active. Use this field to specify
the hourly rate for costing this employee’s labor on jobs.

Normally, this value will be the same as the employee pay


rate, so that actual labor costs are posted to jobs. Any
additional labor costs (premium pay, benefits, and so on)
should be averaged and included in the resource group’s
burden rate. Review the Resource Group Maintenance
documentation in the application help for more
information.

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12. The Factors group box tracks the amount of Vacation time and Sick time accrued by the current employee.
The Accrual Rate fields specify the number of hours earned by the employee each pay period. The Remaining
fields display how much accrued time is currently available for this employee. The Maximum fields define
the limit of the Vacation and Sick time this employee can accrue.

13. The Overtime Threshold group box defines the point at which this employee works at the overtime pay
rate. The Per Day field specifies the overtime threshold per day, whereas the Per Week field specifies the
overtime threshold per week.

14. When you create a Pay Rate, a new row displays on the Pay Rate grid. Enter the Effective Date on which
this pay rate will begin.

15. The Pay Rate field defines the pay per hour this employee receives. After you enter this value, the Annual
Salary field automatically displays the amount this employee receives each year.

16. Use the fields on the Deductions sheet to enter voluntary deductions for the selected employee. To do this,
you click the Down Arrow next to the new button and select New Deduction.

17. Use the fields on the Taxes sheet to enter payroll taxes for the selected employee. To do this, you click the
Down Arrow next to the new button and select New Tax. If you need to include an employee on a tax
report, but that employee is exempt from this tax, select the Exempt check box on this sheet.

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18. After you finish setting up the payroll employee record, click Save.

Employees

Use Employee Maintenance to create employee records. Employees are the individuals who perform work on
jobs; their effort is recorded within Labor Entry.
Shop employee records are for tracking time and expenses on the shop floor and used with the Handheld or the
Manufacturing Execution System. These records do not contain confidential information like the social security
number but they do contain more details with regard to production.
As part of standard functionality in Epicor ERP, you can set up a photo library of pictures for use with employee
photos.

System performance for any form using images is affected by


image size. To determine an acceptable standard for your
environment, run tests in your test environment. Be aware that
many image generating applications (such as cameras) default
to a very large image size.

Menu Path: Production Management > Job Management > Setup > Employee

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Add a New Employee

To create a new employee record:

1. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New ID.

2. In the ID field, enter a unique identifier for this employee record.

3. Optionally, select the Person / Contact identifier for this employee record if one exists. If one does not
exist, the application uses the values in the employee information fields to automatically create a
person/contact record.

4. Enter the Name of the employee.

5. Use the Address, Phone, and Email fields to enter the contact information for the employee.

6. Use the Emergency section to define who should be contacted in case the employee suffers accident or
illness.

7. Click the Image Name button to search for and select a photo of the employee.
The Image Search window contains several options to help you locate the specific photo you want to attach
to this employee record. Enter values in the Category and Subcategory fields to limit the results to display
images stored in a specific folder. You can also click the Import button to browse for and import a picture
on the fly.

You can set default search categories for the Image Search
in Company Configuration. See the Company
Configuration chapter for more information on how to
set the defaults.

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8. The Status drop-down list indicates the current state of this employee’s employment. Available types are
Active and Inactive.

9. Select the Payroll Employee check box if this employee should be included during Payroll processing. Once
an employee is entered as a payroll employee, you cannot clear this check box.

10. Select the Service Technician check box if this employee can be sent out to handle Field Service calls.

11. Select the Material Handler check box if the current employee handles material quantities. You can only
assign an employee to a warehouse team within Warehouse Team Maintenance if this check box or the
Shipping/Receiving check box is selected.

12. Select the Shop Supervisor check box to indicate this person is a shop supervisor. This employee then has
access to the Supervisor tab within the MES interface.

13. Select the Shipping/Receiving check box if the shop employee works in the shipping or receiving
departments. You can only assign this employee to a warehouse team if this check box or the Material
Handler check box is selected.

14. Select the Production Worker check box if the current employee works in manufacturing part quantities.
If the Advanced Material Management module is installed, this check box is available. This employee then
has access to the Production tab within the MES interface.

15. Select the Warehouse Manager check box if the current employee manages a warehouse. Only employees
designated as a warehouse manager can access the Queue Manager for handling transactions processed
by handheld devices in a warehouse.

16. Select the Can Override Allocations check box if this shop employee can change quantity allocations for
Packing and Picking type transactions in a warehouse.

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17. Select the Contract Employee check box if this employee is currently working as a contract employee.

18. Select the appropriate Synchronization check boxes to perform a synchronization of the employee
information to other programs.

Employee Production Information

To add Production information to the employee record:

1. Click the Production Info tab.

2. Select the Shift during which this employee works. You can also define the default expense code for direct
labor code entries for this employee, the department inside which this employee works, as well as the
employee’s hourly labor rate.

If a default shift has been established at the Company


level in Company Maintenance, the company’s default
shift automatically displays in the Shift field when adding
a new employee or creating a new ID for an existing
employee.

3. Define the work hours for this employee. From the drop-down list, select the Resource Group associated
with this employee.

4. Select the Allowed to book to direct jobs check box if this employee can book time to manufacturing
jobs.

5. Select the Request Material and Report Quantity check boxes to specify if this employee is allowed to
complete these material and quantity tasks.

6. Select the Override Job check box if this shop employee can override the specifications created for a job.

7. Select the Report Scrap Quantity or the Report Non-Conf Quantity if this employee can record these
quantity types.

8. When finished, click Save on the Standard toolbar.

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Role Codes

To enter Role Code information to the employee record:

1. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New Role Code.

2. Enter the Role Code to assign to this employee. You create role codes within Role Code Maintenance.

For more information on this program, review application


help or the Time Management chapter within the Epicor
Application User Guide.

3. Enter a Description for the role code.

4. Select the Primary check box if this is a primary role code for the employee. Only one role code can be
defined as the primary role.

5. You can define role rates for this role code. To do this, click the Down Arrow next to the New button;
select New Role Rate.

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6. To define the date range for this role code, enter the Effective Date and End Date.

7. Select the Currency assigned to the role rate.

8. Enter the Charge Rate for this project role code. The rate is displayed in the designated currency code.

9. Select the Time Type from the drop-down list. Time types are created in Time Type Maintenance.

10. When you finish, click Save on the Standard toolbar.

Employee Calendar

To add calendar information to the employee record:

1. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New Calendar.

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2. Click the Calendar button to find and select a calendar for this employee.

3. Enter an Effective Start Date of this calendar for this employee.

4. Enter an End Date on this calendar.

5. When you finish, click Save on the Standard toolbar.

Time and Expense Approvals

You use the sheets under the Time and Expense tab to indicate whether this employee can approve time and/or
expense entries. You can also assign this employee to workflow groups.
To define approvals:

1. Navigate to the Time and Expense > Time > Detail sheet.

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2. If this employee cannot enter time records, select the Disallow Time Entry for user assigned to employee
check box.

3. Select the Auto Approve Time check box to indicate this employee can automatically approve time
transactions.

4. To assign a workflow group to approve time transactions, select a Workflow Group from the drop-down
list.

5. To view the workflow group you selected, click the Approval Tasks tab.

6. Expand the workflow group tree to review the different tasks defined for the workflow group.

7. You can also define expense approval rights for this employee. To do this, navigate to the Time and Expense
> Expense > Detail sheet.

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8. Select the Enter Expenses check box to allow the employee to enter expenses. An employee cannot enter
expenses in Time and Expense Entry if this check box is clear.

9. Click the Supplier button to find and select a supplier ID for this employee. The supplier ID is used to create
AP invoices for the employee when entering expenses for reimbursement.

If the employee does not have a supplier ID, you can


create one manually, or, if configured in Company
Configuration, the application can add one automatically
when you save the employee record.

10. Now define the approval workflow for expense transactions submitted by this employee. Select the Auto
Approve Expenses check box to indicate the employee can automatically approve expense transactions.

11. To assign a workflow group to approve expense transactions, select a Workflow Group from the drop-down
list.

12. To view the workflow you selected, click the Approval Tasks tab.

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13. Expand the workflow group tree to review the different tasks defined for the workflow group.

14. When you finish, click Save on the Standard toolbar.

Warehouse Teams

Use Warehouse Teams to create teams and assign shop employees to the teams. A shop employee must be
assigned to a warehouse team in order to receive processing transactions such as allocations and bin to bin
moves. You can also assign attributes, transaction types, and warehouse bin and zone information to a team.
Menu Path: Material Management > Inventory Management > Setup > Warehouse Team

Create a Warehouse Team

To create a new warehouse team:

1. Click New on the Standard toolbar.

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2. Enter the Warehouse Team identifier you want for this team.

3. Enter a Description for the warehouse team.

4. The employees who are designated to handle material quantities or shipping/receiving display in the Available
Employees section.

5. To select employees for this warehouse team, from the Available Employee list, select the employee(s)
and click the Right Arrow. Use the other arrows to make any additional changes between lists.

6. Click the Attributes tab to assign warehouse attributes to this warehouse team. Attributes are defined
using Warehouse Team Attributes.

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7. Click the Transactions tab to select available transaction types to this warehouse team.

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8. Click the Warehouses tab to assign bins, zones, and items to this warehouse team.

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9. Click Save.

Users

The previous sections of this chapter describe how to set up access for employees that primarily work in production
and inventory centers who do not need access to the full Epicor application. However, any employees who enter
quotes, sales orders, jobs, invoices, and similar records will need a user account. They can then log into the Main
Menu and launch the entry programs and run the reports they need.
User accounts also regulate security. Through these records, you can assign users security privileges and add
them to security groups. Security privileges give users access to internal application tools like customization,
styling, and business activity queries. Only users responsible for managing the use of the application should have
access to these tools. Epicor recommends you assign all users to security groups. You then simplify your security
setup, as you do not need to assign security to individual users. This approach also ensures you implement security
through an organized and clearly defined method.
This section describes how you create user accounts and assign privileges to each account. Security groups are
documented later in the chapter concerning Security.
You create user accounts through User Account Maintenance.
Menu Path: System Setup > Security Maintenance > User Account Security Maintenance

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Create a User

To create a new user account:

1. Click New on the Standard toolbar.

2. Enter the User ID for this user account. This code uniquely identifies a particular user. The user is prompted
for this ID during login for the Epicor application. If possible, enter real names to make it easier for users to
remember these identifiers. If names conflict, add initials to make each identifier unique.

3. Enter the Name, Address, City, State/Prov, Postal Code, and Country information for this user.

4. In the Office Phone, Phone, and Email fields, enter the contact information for this user.

5. Click the Language drop-down list to select the language the application needs to display when this user
logs in. For the interface to display in a different language, you must install a language pack. Contact your
Epicor Account Manager for information on the language packs currently available.

6. Click the Format Culture drop-down list to select the interface requirements for the user’s culture. Each
culture code defines the date format, number format, currency symbols, field layout, and so on applicable

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to a specific world culture. For example, a culture code can change the interface so the user can read and
enter data from right to left (instead of left to right)

To learn more about localizing a client installation, review


application help or the Localization chapter in the Epicor
ICE Tools User Guide.

7. The Single Sign-On feature allows users to log into the application using the same Login ID and Password
they use to log into their computer’s operating system (for example, Windows, Unix, Linux and so on). If
this feature is enabled by selecting the Require Single Sign-On check box found on this screen, enter the
name of the operating system Domain for the current user.

A time-saving feature, Single Sign-On causes the


application to launch without displaying the Login
window.

8. The Domain User ID defines the identifier for the current user on an operating system domain. If the Single
Sign-On feature is enabled and the Domain User ID does not match the Epicor User ID, enter the domain
identifier in this field.

Define Account Settings and Actions

You control the password on the user account in the Account Settings and Account Actions group boxes.

1. You select the Disable Account check box to inactivate the user’s account. You typically disable a user’s
account if this person is on an extended leave or has left the company.

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2. Select the Require Single Sign-On check box to cause this user to log on using the operating system logon,
bypassing the Epicor logon window.

3. The License Timeout Minutes value defines how many minutes this user account can be inactive before
the application releases the account license. This field cannot be set for less than 15 minutes.
Through this feature the user remains connected, but this person's license times out and is released for
other users. This allows additional users to log in. When the user returns, this person is automatically granted
a license (if one is available). This functionality helps maintain work environments where a user’s client
installation is idle for long periods of time and other users need to log into the application.

4. The Client Start Menu ID defines the primary menu that displays when the current user logs into the
application. Use this field to limit this user’s access to the Main Menu, as the current user can only launch
programs contained by this Menu ID.
For example, you could limit the user to only access the Production Management modules. To do this, enter
XAMN2000 as the Client Start Menu ID value. When this user launches the application, only the Production
Management folder and any modules contained below it display on the Main Menu.

You find the identifiers for specific menu items using


Menu Maintenance.

5. Both the Expire Password and Clear Password options force users to enter a password the next time
they log into the application. Select the Clear Password option to force users to enter their existing password;
select Expire Password to force users to create a new password.

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6. The Date Last Used value display the date and time stamp for the last time this user account was used and
the Password Last Changed field displays the last time the user updated the password for this user account.

7. Use the Password Expires Days to define how often this user needs to create a new password. When you
enter a value in this field, the Password Expires field displays the date on which the current user account
password will expire.

8. If this user attempts and fails to log into the application multiple times based on the threshold defined on
your account lockout policy, the user account may temporarily de-activate, or lock. When this occurs, the
Locked Out check box is selected. Until the Locked Out Until time expires, a user cannot log into the
Epicor ERP application. The Consecutive Logon Failures field displays how many times the user attempted
to login through this user account.

9. However you can manually re-activate a locked account, overriding the Locked Out Until date. To do this,
click the Actions menu and select the Unlock Account option.

For more information about implementing an account


lockout policy, review the Security chapter in the
Implementation User Guide.

Define ERP Options

You indicate how this user account interacts with some Epicor ERP features in the ERP group box.

1. Select the Allow Requisitions check box to indicate this user will display in the Requisitioner Selection
List; this list is accessible from Requisition Entry. The user can then enter requisitions through this program.

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2. Enter the Shop Tracker Refresh Minutes for this user account. This defines how often the data on the
Shop Tracker refreshes for this user.

3. The Mobile Password field indicates whether the user account has a password for Epicor Mobile Access
(EMA).

4. You can change this password by clicking the Change Mobile Password button.

5. The Change Mobile Password window displays.

6. Enter the New Password you want for this user account.

7. Now enter the same password again in the Confirm Password field.

8. Click OK.

9. When you finish entering the details for the user account, click Save.

User Privileges

You use the check boxes and settings on the Options sheet to define the additional features and tools the current
user can access. Each item you select grants privileges to an application tool or other feature.
As you enter user accounts, carefully consider what privileges each user needs. Several options are typically not
needed for normal use of the application and can slow performance, so only activate options the current user
needs.

Define Tools Options

To assign user account privileges for the application tools:

1. Click the Options tab.

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2. Select the Security Manager check box to indicate this user can access System Management folders on
the Main Menu. Users with security manager rights can define or change the profiles of themselves or other
users, set up menu security within each company they can access, and even delete companies they can
access. You grant user account access to specific companies on the Company sheet within this User Account
Security Maintenance program.
System administrators should have two user accounts - one for normal user activity and one for administrative,
security management purposes. Since administrators will usually log into the normal account, this reduces
the chance that other users access the system tools while the administrators are away from their workstations.

Some users may also have Global Security Manager rights.


This level of security is reserved for Epicor hosted
environments such as Epicor Express and Saas Standard,
so typically you do not implement security through this
access level. Global security managers can administrate
companies across tenants in an Epicor hosted
environment. Like security managers, global security users
need access to a company before they can administrate
it; you grant them access on the Company sheet within
this program.

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You can set up a group of users to have Global Security


Manager rights through the Epicor Administration
Console. If you are in a hosted environment, you can
individually add or remove Global Security Manager rights
within User Account Security Maintenance. Click the List
sheet and select/clear the Global Company Security
Manager check box.
If you de-activate Global Security Manager rights, the
current user can still have Security Manager rights.
However you cannot clear this check box if the user has
access to multiple tenants; you must first remove this user
from the other tenants before de-activating Global
Security Manager rights.

3. To give this user access to the customization tools, select the Customize Privileges check box. This user
can then create alternate versions of interfaces (forms) and make them available to everyone in the current
company. For more information, review the Customization topics within application help or the Epicor ICE
User Experience and Customization Guide.

4. Select the Allow Personalization check box to grant this user access to the personalization tools. This user
can then modify program interfaces as they need for personal use. These modified forms only display when
this user logs into the application. For more information, review the Personalization topics within application
help or the Epicor ICE User Experience and Customization Guide.

5. Select the Allow Translation check box so this user can then select different language sets and culture
formats to display. This user also has access to Language Maintenance and other localization tools. For more
information, review the Localization topics within application help or the Epicor ICE User Experience and
Customization Guide.

If this user does not work with translations, do not select


this check box. Activating this feature slows down
performance, as it causes the translation functionality to
load with each form.

6. Select the Dashboard Developer check box to give this user rights to modify and create dashboards. The
user can then modify existing dashboards and also create new dashboards. For more information, review
the Dashboard topics within application help or the Epicor ICE Tools User Guide.

7. Select the SSRS Report Designer check box to grant this user access to the SSRS report designer tools.
This user can then create, download and upload the SSRS reports, as well as move reports between multiple
environments using Solution Workbench. For more information, review the SQL Server Reporting Services
(SSRS) topics within application help.

8. To indicate this user can access the complete Business Process Management (BPM) functionality, select the
BPM Advanced User check box. This user can then launch programming tools to create custom BPM
methods and updatable business activity queries (BAQs) methods. For more information, review the Advanced
BPM topics within application help or the Epicor ICE Tools User Guide.

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9. When you select the BAQ Advanced User check box, you indicate the current user can create updatable
business activity queries (BAQs) that allow data entry in selected fields (columns). Other users can then
update the database through the BAQs this user creates.

To create updatable BAQs, the current user must also


have BPM Advanced User rights. Updatable BAQs run
through BPM methods, so the current user requires
permission for both advanced privileges.

10. Select the Allow Creation of Cross Company BAQ check box to grant this user the ability to create BAQs
that pull data from multiple companies. You then must define which companies the user account can access;
you do this on the Company sheet.

11. Solutions are bundles of customizations, BAQs, BPMs, and other modifications that can be installed on other
companies. If this user will build solutions, select the Can Create Solutions check box; this user can then
access the Solution Manager. If this user can import and install solutions, select the Can Install
Solutions check box. For more information, review the Solution Management topics within application
help or the Epicor ICE User Experience and Customization Guide.

12. Select the Can Maintain Predictive Search check box to indicate the current user can create and edit
predictive searches. These configurable search programs pull in unique search results. Selecting this check
box causes Predictive Search Entry to appear on context menus.

13. Quick Searches are configurable search programs that pull in unique search results. Select the Can Maintain
Quick Search check box to cause Quick Search Maintenance to display on context menus for this user.
Likewise, select the Can Maintain Enterprise Quick Search check box to give this user access to the
Enterprise Search Quick Entry program. For more information, review the Searches topics within application
help or the Epicor ICE Tools User Guide.

14. When you select the IoT User check box, you indicate the current user can access the Epicor IoT (Internet
of Things) solution designed to work to alongside Epicor ERP to provide improved visibility of the various
sites and site contents. This user has access to all the programs in the IoT Management module on the
Main Menu, except the IoT Configuration program. To indicate this user can access the complete IoT
functionality, including the IoT Configuration program, select the IoT Administrator check box.

Define Access Options

Review the options available in the Access Options group box.

1. To give this user the ability to change the account password, select the Allow Password Change check
box.

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2. Select the Allow Enterprise Search check box to display Enterprise Search toolbar when this user logs in.
Enterprise Search is an optional search application used to retrieve indexed content from within the application
and then quickly launch specific programs to display the data returned from the search.

3. Select the Allow Epicor Web Access check box to allow the current user to display the application through
a web browser. This web format is called Epicor Everywhere. You define how users access the Epicor
Everywhere interface within Company Configuration.

4. To give this user the ability to display the application on mobile devices, select the Allow Mobile Access check
box.

5. The options in the Enterprise Search group box define the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) this user accesses
to launch Enterprise Search. Select the Use Default URL check box to use the Enterprise Search URL defined
for the company instead of the search URL defined for the user.

6. If you do not want this user to access the default URL for an Enterprise Search, clear the Use Default URL
check box and enter the alternate address in the Search URL field. The format for this URL is:
https://SearchServerName:8098/search/SearchIndexName.

You can also override the search URL for a company by


editing the default.sysconfig file in the user’s Client

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folder and adding a value for the EnterpriseSearchURL


configuration setting. For more information, review the
Configuration Settings File topics within Application
Help or the Epicor Implementation User Guide.

Define System Options

Review the options available in the System Options group box.

1. Activate the Allow Session Impersonation check box so the current user account can be selected on
system agent and task agent services.

You should only activate this permission on accounts that


manage task agents and other features that interact with
the server. Do not select this check box on an account
used for regular daily activity.

You can enter this account in both the System Agent Maintenance and Task Agent Service
Configuration programs. This user now impersonates other users, so this person can run all reports and
processes assigned to schedules on the system agent.
You can also review task activity within the System Monitor. When you launch the System Monitor from
either the Windows Tray or the Epicor application, you can review the tasks for the companies assigned to
your user account.

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2. Select the Allow Multiple Sessions check box to specify this user can activate multiple instances of the
application. This user can then log in multiple times into the Epicor ERP application to enter data and run
processes.
However if this check box is clear (not selected), this user can only have one instance of the Epicor ERP
application open at a time. If they log into two sessions, the older session is de-activated. If this user attempts
to select an icon in the previous session, they receive an error stating this session is invalid.

3. When you select the Allow Main Menu Tabs check box, you indicate the current user can create and edit
tabs on the Main Menu. Users access this feature from the Main Menu by clicking Options > Preferences.

4. Users can annotate application help topics to contain additional information they need. These annotations
can display for a specific user or the entire company. Select the Can Edit Company Annotations check
box to indicate this user can create and edit company annotations; select the Can Edit User
Annotations check box to indicate this user can create and edit user annotations.

5. Select the Can Change Save Settings on Exit check box to indicate this user can maintain company, Site,
and language selections for the Menu. If this user launches the Modern Shell menu, this feature also saves
any changes to tile sizes, tile screen positions, and tile colors. The next time this user launches the application,
these settings display by default.

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6. Select the Can Maintain Favorites Programs check box to indicate the current user can add programs to
the Favorites Bar. The user can then click these program icons to launch them.

Define Enterprise Search Options

To override the Epicor Enterprise Search installation URL that is specified in their company (or companies):

1. In the Enterprise Search group, ensure that Use Default URL is unselected.

2. For Search URL, enter the URL of the Epicor Enterprise Search installation.
The format (assuming the default port number) for the URL is:
https://SearchServerName:8098/search/SearchIndexName. For example, if your search server name is
EpicorApps and your search index name is ErpSearch, the URL would be
https://EpicorApps:8098/search/ErpSearch.

The search URL set for companies and users can also be
overridden by editing the Epicor client .sysconfig file. Enter
a value (in the above format) for the EnterpriseSearchURL
element.

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Define UI Options

To define what user interface options this user can access:

1. In the UI Options group, select the Can Maintain Themes check box to indicate the user can access programs
available on the Options > Styling sub-menu. The Styling functionality is useful when you differentiate
one company from another company. For more information, review the Styling topics within application
help or the Epicor ICE User Experience and Customization Guide.

2. Select the Can Publish Home Page Layout check box to indicate the current user can create and modify
Home Page layouts. This user can then add/remove tiles, select colors, define favorite programs, and so on.
Other users can then select these Home Page layouts, and they can also be defined as default layouts for
new users.

3. In the Default Published Home Page Layout field, select the default Home Page layout for the current
user account. This selected layout then automatically displays when this user first logs into the Epicor ERP
application. The user can then personalize this layout as needed.

4. Click Save.

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Companies

Use the Company sheets to define the internal and external companies for which the current user has access. If
you work in a multi-company environment, each user can access one, multiple, or all companies created within
the database.
If you work in a multi-site environment, each user can also access data generated in external companies which
exist in other databases. You set up external companies within External Company Maintenance.

Add Companies

To add companies to a user account:

1. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New Company.

2. Click the Company drop-down list to select the internal company which the current user can access.

3. Click the Employee drop-down list to select the name this user enters as a shop employee within the
selected company. When this user is a shop employee, this field is required. You create employee records
within Employee Maintenance.

4. Click the Work Station drop-down list to select the workstation the user logs into when accessing the
selected company. You create workstation records in Workstation Maintenance.

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5. Select the Can Update Time for All Employees check box to indicate the current user can update time
entries for any employee in the selected company.

6. Select the Can Update Expenses for All Employees check box to indicate the current user can update
expense entries for any employee in the selected company.

7. Use the Available sites and Authorized sites sections to indicate which sites this user can access in the
selected company. To add a site to this user account, highlight it in the Available sites field and select the
Right Arrow button. The site now displays in the Authorized sites section.

8. To add an external company to the user account, click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select
New External Company.

9. Click the External Company button to find and select the external company you need.

10. Continue to add the internal and external companies you need. When you finish, click Save.

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Chapter 5: Warehouses and Bins

Warehouses and bins segregate materials so they can be easily found when you need them. Use each warehouse to
group items in your inventory. A warehouse can be a separate building or a virtual warehouse anywhere on the Site
floor. Examples of warehouses are finished goods, raw materials, inspection, and tooling. Many reports can be sorted
by warehouse as well - such as the Stock Status report.
If you need, you can further organize your inventory by creating bins. Each bin is defined by its location within the
warehouse. Typically your site managers directly control the inventory in a warehouse bin. However, you can also
indicate that bins are customer or supplier managed areas within your warehouses. The contents of these bins are then
maintained by these outside organizations, but you monitor the quantities available within them.
You must set up at least one warehouse and one bin before you can enter any parts within Part Maintenance.
The warehouse setup programs record and define the storage areas available within a site. Use these setup programs
to define each available warehouse, the individuals responsible for maintaining inventory in each warehouse, and zones
you need for the bins within each warehouse.

Warehouse Maintenance

You use Warehouse Maintenance to enter warehouse records. Any warehouses defined through this program
are automatically set up in the current site.
You can share warehouses with other sites. A shared warehouse is a warehouse that belongs to one specific
plant, but when you share it with one or more sites, you can directly issue parts from or receive parts into the
warehouse from all sites linked to it. You do this in Site Maintenance on the Shared Warehouses sheet.
Main Menu Path: Material Management > Inventory Management > Setup > Warehouse

Create a Warehouse

To create a new warehouse:

1. Click the New button on the Standard toolbar.

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2. Enter a Warehouse identifier for this record that helps you identify this warehouse later.

3. Enter a Description for the new warehouse. This concise explanation describes the purpose for the warehouse
on related programs and reports.

4. Enter the warehouse Name, Address, City, State, Postal Code, and Country to define where this
warehouse is located.

5. Enter the Manager Name of this specific warehouse.

6. Use the Package Control configurations to enable or disable package control functionality at the warehouse
level. You can use these configurations to determine the following:
• Enforce package control transactional rules in the current warehouse.
• Allow parent PCIDs to build inside the current warehouse.
• Specify if a warehouse is a Hold warehouse.
• Designate the package controlled warehouse type. The available options are: Quality, Work in Process,
and Stock.

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• Indicate if the current warehouse is the default warehouse for the selected warehouse type.

These fields are only enabled if you install the Advanced


Material Management license and select the Enable
Package Control check box on the Site Configuration
Control > AMM > Package Control sheet.

These Package Control configurations are currently display


only. Their functionality will be available in a future
release.

7. Click the Bins button to launch the Warehouse Bins program. Bins are sub-divisions of a warehouse that
further define where parts are stored. Every warehouse must have at least one bin associated with it. Later
in this chapter, the Warehouse Bin Maintenance section contains more information about this key
maintenance program.

GL Controls

Use the GL Control sheets to determine the accounts and journal codes used to post transactions against the
current warehouse. You can associate one or more GL controls with a warehouse. However, each control linked
to the warehouse must belong to a different control type.
To add GL Controls to this warehouse:

1. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New GL Control.

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2. GL Control Types group the contexts and entities required for a set of GL controls. You can enter the GL
control type directly or click the Type button to find and select a control type.

3. The controls linked to the selected control type are available. Either enter the control directly or click the
Control button to find and select the control you need.

4. When you finish setting up the warehouse, click Save on the Standard toolbar.

Warehouse Zones

When the primary warehouse information is complete, you can further organize your inventory by adding bins
to each warehouse. In order to better organize your bins, however, the Epicor application contains functionality
you should define before you actually create bins for each warehouse. Warehouse zones are one of the features
you can leverage to help better organize bins.
A zone is a group of related bins contained within a warehouse. You can group together any bins regardless of
their type or any other attributes. Warehouse zones are primarily used to satisfy orders through the Fulfillment
Workbench.
Main Menu Path: Material Management > Inventory Management > Setup > Warehouse Zone
To create a new warehouse zone:

1. Click the New button on the Standard toolbar.

2. Enter the Zone identifier; this value defines the warehouse record. This value displays within related programs
and reports.

3. Enter a Description for the warehouse zone. This value is the text which displays on drop-down lists, so
enter a concise explanation that explains the purpose for the zone.

4. When you finish, click Save.

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Warehouse Bin Sizes

In addition to zones, you can also create bin size groups that define height, length, width, and volume sizing
information for each bin. You can then select the size of a specific bin within both the Bin Setup Wizard and
Warehouse Bin Maintenance.
Main Menu Path: Material Management > Inventory Management > Setup > Warehouse Bin Size Group
To create a warehouse bin size group:

1. Click the New button on the Standard toolbar.

2. Enter the Size identifier for the group. This value displays within related programs and reports.

3. Enter a Description for the warehouse bin size. This value is the text which displays on drop-down lists, so
enter a concise explanation that explains the purpose for the size.

4. If you do not want to use the current size record, select the Inactive check box. This indicates the size does
not display on any drop-down lists throughout the application.

5. Enter the Length of the bin size. Use the accompanying drop-down list to define the unit of measure for
the length value. The unit of measure codes that display are those assigned to the Length Unit of Measure
(UOM) class within UOM Class Code Maintenance. This program is discussed earlier in Chapter 4: Part
Parameters.

6. Enter the Width of the bin size. The numeric value you enter here uses the unit of measure you defined for
the Length value.

You can also launch the Warehouse Bin program within


Warehouse Maintenance. To do this, click on the Actions
menu and select Bins.

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7. Enter the Height of the bin size. The numeric value you enter here uses the unit of measure you defined
for the Length value.

8. Enter the Volume of the bin size. Use the accompanying drop-down list to define the unit of measure for
the volume value. The unit of measure codes that display are those assigned to the Volume Unit of Measure
(UOM) class within UOM Class Code Maintenance. This program is discussed earlier in Chapter 4: Part
Parameters.

9. When you finish, click Save.

Warehouse Bins

After you define the warehouse zones and sizes you need, you are ready to create bins for a specific warehouse.
You can create as many bins as you need for each warehouse. Each warehouse must have at least one bin linked
to it.
Main Menu Path: Material Management > Inventory Management > Setup > Warehouse Bin
To create a new warehouse bin:

1. Click the New button on the Standard toolbar.

2. Enter the Bin identifier. This value displays within related programs and reports.

3. Enter a Description for the warehouse bin. This value is the text which displays on drop-down lists, so enter
a concise explanation that explains the purpose of the bin.

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4. Select the Zone inside which this bin belongs. A zone is a group of related bins within a warehouse. You
create zones within Warehouse Zone Maintenance; a previous section describes this maintenance program.

5. Select the Size group for this bin. Size groups define height, length, width, and volume dimension information
for each bin. You create size groups within Warehouse Bin Size Group Maintenance; a previous section
describes this maintenance program.

6. If you need, enter a Sequence value for the bin. This numeric value defines the order in which this bin is
sorted within various programs and reports.

7. Select the Inactive check box if you are no longer using this bin. You can only select this check box if the
bin does not contain an inventory quantity balance. Inactive bins cannot be used for new inventory
transactions.

8. To indicate that inventory quantities within the current bin should not be included within on-hand quantities,
select the Non Nettable check box. Any quantities within this bin are not available for use within the
Fulfillment Workbench.

9. If this bin can be transported to a new location, select the Portable check box. A portable bin does not
have a dedicated physical location. Portable bins are used during Order Fulfillment Processing. For more
information about this functionality, review the Sales Order Processing chapter in the Epicor Application
User Guide.

10. The Type area defines the primary function of the current bin. If the current bin is new or empty, you can
select a Type for it. Available options:
• Standard – Stores normal inventory balances owned by the current company. This option is the default
value.
• Customer Managed – Indicates the quantity stored in this bin is for a specific customer. After you select
this option, either enter the Customer ID directly or click the Customer button to find and select the
record you need. A customer-owned bin can only contain inventory quantities for the selected customer.

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• Supplier Managed – Indicates the quantity stored in this bin is for a specific supplier. After you select
this option, either enter the Supplier ID directly or click the Supplier button to find and select the record
you need. A supplier-owned bin can only contain inventory quantities for the selected supplier.

11. Enter the Aisle where the current bin is located. If the Portable check box is clear, this field is available.

The Aisle, Face, Elevation, Max Fill and Percent Fillable


fields are all used during Fulfillment Processing. For more
information about this key functionality, review the Sales
Order Processing chapter in the Epicor Application User
Guide.

12. Enter the Face within the aisle where the current bin is located. If the Portable check box is clear, this field
is available.

13. Define the Elevation (height) within the specified aisle and face where the current bin is located. A bin on
the ground level normally has an elevation of 1, while the bin directly above it has an elevation of 2. If the
Portable check box is clear, this field is available.

14. Select the Wave Replenishable check box to specify this bin is included when running wave (consolidated)
picking in the Fulfillment Workbench within this warehouse.

15. Use the Wave Max Fill field to define the maximum fillable quantity which can be stored within the bin
during Fulfillment Workbench processing. You can override this value in other programs.

16. Use the Wave Percent Fillable field to indicate how much of the total bin can be used for stock quantities
during Fulfillment Workbench processing. This defines the default percentage fillable for the bin; you can
override this value in other programs.

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17. If this bin requires user-defined parameters, you can select these parameters on the Attributes sheet. An
attribute can be any parameter you need. For example, you can have an attribute that indicates a forklift is
required to move quantities within this bin. When work is assigned on the queue, an inventory move
transaction to and from this bin indicates that a forklift needs to be assigned to a user in order to complete
the transaction. You create attributes within Warehouse Bin Attribute Maintenance.

18. When you finish, click Save.

Warehouse Bin Setup Wizard

Creating individual bins for a warehouse can be a time-consuming process. If you need to create a series of similar
bins for the same warehouse, use the Warehouse Bin Setup Wizard. You can automatically generate a series of
bins for a warehouse that follow specific criteria. You first define the criteria for the bins and then generate them.
After you review and verify the new bins, you can then define the complete details required for this new set of
bins.
Main Menu Path: Material Management > Inventory Management > Setup > Warehouse Bin Setup
Wizard
To use this wizard:

1. Click the New button on the Standard toolbar.

2. Select the Warehouse for which you want to automatically generate the bins.

3. The Format field displays the text values used to automatically generate identifiers for the new bins. In this
example, A displays, which indicates a single character string value is used to automatically generate identifiers
for this warehouse. If you need, you can change these parameters within the Bin Number Segments grid;
continue reviewing these steps for more information.

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4. Use the Limit Number of Bins to: field to define how many bins you want to automatically generate. In
this example, the process will generate five new bins.

5. The remaining fields on this sheet define the format used for automatically generating the bin identifiers.
Use the Segment drop-down list to select the data type for the identifiers. Available options are String,
Number, and Separator.

6. Use the Length field to indicate how many characters or digits are available for the bin identifiers.

7. Use the Minimum and Maximum fields to enter the range of values possible for the bin identifiers. In this
example, identifiers between A and Z are available during the bin generation.

8. When you are ready, click the Generate button.

9. The Verify sheet displays the proposed bins. Use this sheet to indicate you want to add these bin records
to the selected warehouse.

10. The bins that were generated display in the Bin column.

11. By default, the Selected check box for each bin is active. This indicates you want to create the bin. If you
do not want to create a specific bin, clear its check box.

12. If this bin already is defined for the current warehouse, its Exist check box is selected. You cannot add this
bin to the warehouse.

13. If you do not want to use any of the new bins, click Clear.

14. If you want to use all of the new bins, click Select All.

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15. When you are satisfied with your selections, click on the Commit tab.

16. The specific parameters you want for this set of bins display on this sheet, like Warehouse Zone, Size,
Sequence, and so on. Select and define the parameters you want for this bin. For information on each field,
review the previous Warehouse Bin Maintenance sections.

17. When you finish, click the Commit button.

The new bins are now added to the selected warehouse.

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Chapter 6: Multi-Currencies

Use the Currency Management functionality to define currencies, conversion rules, and currency exchange rates, and
to revalue currencies to reflect the correct up-to-date amounts. You can select the currency used for reports and
financial statements. Because of this, you can publish annual and quarterly reports in one currency and legal reports
in another currency.
The Epicor ERP application also contains a rounding engine you can leverage to indicate how currencies should round
amounts. You define the rounding rules on specific currencies. Rounding values can also be set up on companies and
customer records.

Multiple Currencies

Use Currency Master Maintenance to enter and update the currencies available within a company. You define
the currency symbols, number of decimal places, and the rounding rules for each currency. Each company must
have a base currency, which is the primary currency it uses for transactions. It can also have up to three reporting
currencies, which are currencies you can use to report amounts within various reports and programs. A company
can also have numerous transactional currencies available in order to conduct business in various countries and
localities.
The default currency for a supplier or a bill-to customer applies to their transactions unless the currency is
overridden during transaction entry. When entering sales orders, quotes, purchase orders, and invoices, you can
also view amounts in other reporting currencies by using the currency drop-down list on the Standard toolbar.

You can only select the company’s base currency, or one of


the three reporting currencies, as a GL book currency.

Menu Path: Financial Management > Currency Management > Setup > Currency Master

This program is not available in Epicor Web Access.

To add a new currency:

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1. Click New on the Standard toolbar.

2. Enter the Currency Code identifier you want for the currency. This value defines the unique internal identifier
for the currency; once you save this record, you cannot change this value.

3. Enter the Currency ID you want for this currency record. This value displays on reports and windows that
show currency information. You can change this value later if you need.

4. Enter a Description for the currency.

5. The Currency Symbol indicates the special character used for this currency. This value displays on reports
and programs near the currency amounts. Currency symbol examples include $, £, €, ¥, and so on.

6. Enter the Document Description you need. This extended explanation is printed on quotes, sales orders,
invoices, and other records that use this currency.

7. Select the Inactive check box when the current company can no longer use this currency. Users cannot
create new transactions against this currency, but any previous records that use this currency are maintained
by the application.

8. Select the Maintain Rates check box to indicate exchange values for this currency can be updated. This
check box activates the exchange rate fields for this currency within Exchange Rate Entry. This check box is
selected by default.

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9. The Base Currency check box indicates this record is the primary currency used by the company. This
currency is the default used for all transactions within the company. Only one currency can be defined as
the Base Currency.

10. The Reporting Currency check box indicates this currency can be used to display amounts on invoices,
purchase orders, sales orders, and other records (except payroll and inventory transactions). To add a reporting
currency, use the Actions > Add Reporting Currency option. This currency then becomes available on
Currency lists throughout the application.

If a currency isn't the base or a reporting currency, it is a


transactional currency. To help identify transactional
currencies on the Currency toolbar, a (Doc) value displays
after each transactional currency name.

11. Enter the Scale Factor you use to modify the actual exchange rate in order to display amounts for this
currency in a more understandable format. The actual rates within the database are not changed by this
value, but all display rates are entered by users and shown using this factor value.

12. The Number of decimals area indicates how many decimals this currency can display for unit cost amounts.
You can have between 0-5 decimals for Cost and Price amounts and 0-3 decimals for General amounts
like extended prices, tax amounts, and any amounts posted through inventory, general ledger, assets, and
banks.

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13. The Global Currency check box indicates whether this currency can be used by other companies within
your organization. Select this check box if you want to make this currency available across your entire
organization, via the multi-company process.

14. If you select the Global Lock check box (only available in a child record), any changes you make to the
global currency record in the parent do not update the local version of the currency record.
If the Global Lock check box is clear, changes you make to a global currency record also update the local
version.

15. Use the Processor field to specify the credit card processor for this currency. All credit card transactions
generated for this currency in Sales Order Entry or Cash Receipt Entry will use this processor. If not specified,
you cannot select the Credit Card check box in Sales Order Entry or Cash Receipt Entry.

16. Enter the ISO Number to process credit card amounts in this currency. In order to process credit card
amounts in multiple currencies, you must use the PaymentTrust credit card processor. This credit card
processor can also give you the ISO Number required for this currency.

17. Enter the ISO Currency Code to process credit card amounts in the selected currency. If not specified, credit
card processing uses the Currency Code value.

Link Global Currency

You can link a global currency record from another company to the current company via the Link/Unlink Currency
option. This makes use of the multi-company process.
To link a global currency and create a new currency record in the local company:

1. From the Actions menu, select Link/Unlink Currency.

To perform this action, it is not necessary to have a


currency record open.

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2. The Link Global Currency window displays.

First, you will retrieve global currency records available to link to the current company.

3. In the External Company field, you can select one external company, to limit the global currencies you
retrieve.

4. In the Currency Link Status field, you have three options:


• All - Retrieves all available global currency records (filtered by your selection in the External Company
field).
• Linked - Retrieves only global currency records that are currently linked to the company.
• Unlinked - Retrieves only global currency records that are not linked to the company.

5. Click Retrieve.

6. The Global Currency grid displays details of the global currency records you retrieve.

7. Local Currency details only display for global currencies that are already linked.

8. The Global Currency details display for all records. These are the details of the currency in the source
(Global) company.

9. When you select a currency in the grid, one of the Linking Options buttons is enabled.
Click Link Selected to link a currency that is not currently linked.

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10. The message Currency XXX does not exist, create? displays (where XXX is the global currency ID you are
linking). Click Yes.

If the currency already exists in the current company, an


error message displays instead, and asks if you want to
create a new (different) currency ID or not.

Local Currency details now display for the currency in the Global Currency grid.
Close the Link Global Currency window.

11. The new currency record displays in Currency Master Maintenance. Note the green Linked label displays.

12. The Linked Global Currency section now displays details of the global currency you linked.

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GL Control

Use the GL Control sheet to select a GL control of the Currency type, to specify the accounts and journal codes
to post gain/loss transactions in the currency.

1. From the New menu, select New GL Control.

2. In the Type field, enter Currency.

3. Click the Control button to search and select the required GL Control.

4. Click Save.

Rate Types

Use Rate Type Maintenance to apply conversion rules to currency pairs. A currency pair consists of an original,
or source, currency and a resulting, or target, currency. Each currency you add through Currency Master
Maintenance is automatically paired with another currency. This relationship displays in Rate Type Maintenance
as undefined; use this program to then define the conversion rule that applies to each currency pair.
You can have multiple rate types available to reflect different business needs. Later, you associate rate groups
with exchange rates within Exchange Rate Maintenance.

When a new company is created in a database (in Epicor


Administration Console), a new rate type is automatically
created with the Code MAIN, and the Description Main Rate
Type. If you have the Multi-Currency Management license,
you can use this rate type, and you can also create additional
rate types as required.

Menu Path: Financial Management > Currency Management > Setup > Rate Type

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To create a new rate type:

1. Click New on the Standard toolbar.

2. Enter a unique Code identifier and a Description for this rate type. These values display on several programs
and reports.

3. Optionally, click the Code button on the Base Rate Type pane to find and select the rate type you want
to use as the parent record to the current rate type. Use this field when you want the current rate type to
use conversion rules from another rate type.

4. In the Decimals field, enter the number of decimals that are used for exchange rate values. You can enter
between 0-6 in this field.

5. The Cross-Rate Currency section contains the fields you use to define the interim currency for the Cross-Rate
conversion rule or the primary interim currency for the Double-Cross Rate and Reverse Double-Cross
Rate conversion rules.

6. You can define the rounding values related to the interim amount when currencies are converted using
cross-rate rules. Select the Round check box, then use the Decimals field to indicate up to how many
decimals can be used to round.

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7. The Alternative Cross-Rate Currency section contains the fields you use to define the interim currency
for the Alternate Cross-Rate conversion rule or the secondary interim currency for the Double-Cross Rate
and Reverse Double-Cross Rate conversion rules.

8. You can define the rounding values related to the interim amount when currencies are converted using
alternative cross-rate rules. Select the Round check box, then use the Decimals field to indicate up to how
many decimals can be used to round.

9. Only available in target (child) companies If the rate type is global, and the Global Lock check box is clear,
any updates made to this rate type in the source company are also automatically sent to the current company.
If you select this check box, however, any updates made in the source company do not transfer to the
current company. This enables you to make changes to the local rate type record, independent of the source
global rate type.

10. Select the Global check box to indicate this rate type can be transferred to other companies within your
organization, via the multi-company process.

11. Clear the Inactive check box to activate the rate type. Note: You can only activate the rate type once you
have defined the Conversion Rules. When you first activate a new rate type, a message will display, to ask
if you want to enter exchange rates.

Link Global Rate Type

In Rate Type Maintenance, you can link a global rate type record from another company to the current company
via the Link/Unlink Rate Type option. This makes use of the multi-company process.
This works in exactly the same way as the Link Global Currency functionality in Currency Master Maintenance.

Conversion Rules

When you finish defining the primary values for the rate type, you can set up the currency conversion rules. To
enter conversion rules:

1. Navigate to the Conversion Rules > Detail sheet.

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2. Each currency pair displays on this sheet. Use the Tree View to navigate between the available currency
pair conversion rules.

3. The Source Currency fields display the original currency for the conversion rule.

4. The Target Currency fields display the resulting currency for the conversion rule. The conversion rule
changes amounts in the Source Currency to the Target Currency.

5. Click the Conversion Rule drop-down list to define the rule used for the conversion. Available options:
• Direct - Multiplies an amount in the source currency against the exchange rate for the target currency.
• Inverse - Divides an amount in the source currency against the exchange rate for the target currency.
• Cross-Rate - Uses an intermediate, or interim, currency to convert amounts between the source and
target currencies. The Cross-Rate currency defined on the Detail sheet is the interim currency.
• Alternate Cross-Rate - Uses an interim currency to convert amounts between the source and target
currencies. The Alternative Cross-Rate Currency defined on the Detail sheet is the interim currency.
• Double Cross-Rate - Uses two interim currencies to convert the source amount to the target amount.
Conversion is applied from Source to Cross-Rate Currency, then from Cross-Rate to Alternative Cross-Rate
Currency, then from Alternative Cross-Rate to Target Currency. Each step uses the conversion rule
specified for the corresponding currency pair, Direct or Inverse.
• Reverse Double Cross-Rate - Uses two interim currencies to convert the source amount to the target
amount. Conversion is applied from Source to Alternative Cross-Rate Currency, then from Alternative
Cross-Rate to Cross-Rate Currency, then from Cross-Rate to Target Currency. Each step uses the conversion
rule specified for the corresponding currency pair, Direct or Inverse.

6. The Display Mode indicates how the conversion rule displays within programs that display source and
target currency amounts. The currency pair displays along with an arrow indicating the direction of the
conversion and the exchange rate below it.

7. Select the Use Base Rate check box if the conversion rules from the base rate type (if one is selected) should
be used for the currency pair. If you select this check box, all other fields on this sheet are not available.

8. Select the Fixed Rate check-box to indicate whether the rate defined for this currency pair can update the
Effective Rate value. If this check box is selected, the rate is locked, or fixed, and the Effective Rate cannot
be updated by this conversion rule. If the check box is clear, however, the conversion rule uses a variable,
or float, exchange rate and this rate can be updated daily.

9. To define all the conversion rules for this rate type at the same time, use the Matrix sheet. The grid on this
sheet displays all the currency pairs and contains a drop-down list for each pair, where you select the
conversion rule you need.

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10. When you finish, click Save on the Standard toolbar.

Exchange Rates

Use Exchange Rate Maintenance to define exchange rates for currency pairs and an effective date for the rate
type to which they belong. The application uses these rates to convert amounts on multi-currency transactions.
Although you can enter these rates manually, you can also use the Exchange Rates Import program to import
rates from an external .csv file.
Menu Path: Financial Management > Currency Management > General Operations > Exchange Rate Entry
To manually enter a new exchange rate:

1. Click the Rate Type button to find and select the rate type you want. The conversion rules defined for each
currency pair update amounts using the exchange rate you enter in this program.

2. Click New on the Standard toolbar.

3. Enter the Effective Date on which the exchange rates begin. You can also click the Effective Date button
to find and select an existing exchange rate record.

4. The Source Currency, Target Currency, and Conversion Rule fields display values defined within the
rate type.

5. Enter the Rate Value you need for the currency pair.

6. If you need to record additional information, enter text in the Reference field.

7. Click the List tab to select another currency pair to update.

8. Click the Matrix tab to update all of the exchange rates for the currency pairs at the same time.

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9. When you finish, click Save.

Import Exchange Rates

To import an exchange rate list into the application:

1. From the Actions menu, select Import.

2. On the Exchange Rates Import window, click the Filename button to find and select the exchange rate
data file to import.

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3. The List Delimiter field indicates the character used to divide and organize the data within the imported
file. Enter the value you need. The default value is the comma ( , ).

4. The Date Order field defines the sequence through which dates display when the file is imported into the
application. Available formats are m/d/y and d/m/y.

5. The Number Format defines how number values are imported from the Service Connect file. Select the
format you need from the drop-down list.

6. Click OK.

Rounding Engine

Use the Rounding Engine to define locale-specific rounding requirements and rounding-related settings. This
functionality includes currency tolerances, and company tolerances. The Rounding Engine controls rounding for
currencies, sales documents, customers, payments, and cash receipts.
You define the rounding tolerances for each currency within Currency Master Maintenance. You can also define
rounding tolerances within Company Configuration and Customer Maintenance.

Currency Master Maintenance

Use Currency Master Maintenance to define the rounding settings for a selected currency. You define the rounding
tolerances on the Rounding sheet.
Menu Path: Financial Management > Currency Management > Setup > Currency Master

This program is not available in Epicor Web Access.

1. Select the currency you want to update on the Currency > Detail sheet.

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2. Navigate to the Currency > Rounding sheet.

3. The Value Type indicates the field values affected by the rounding tolerance. Notice you can define rounding
tolerances for Unit Prices, Unit Taxes, and so on.

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4. The Multiplier defines the value used when rounding amounts. This value must be a positive number. A
zero value indicates no rounding calculation occurs. The number of decimals used when entering multipliers
is the same number of decimals defined for the currency on the Currency > Detail sheet.

5. Select the Rule you need for each value from the drop-down list. Available rules:
• No Round
• Round Up
• Round Down
• Round to Nearest - round up if the remainder value of dividing the number by the multiplier is greater
or equal to half the value of the multiplier; otherwise, round down.

Company Configuration

You can define rounding tolerances in both accounts receivable (AR) and accounts payable (AP) configurations.
Company settings determine whether customer specific rounding applies. Rounding rules apply to the net unit
price when the company calculates discounts on the unit price in sales programs.
Menu Path: System Setup > Company/Site Maintenance > Company Configuration
To define the rounding tolerances in Company Configuration:

1. Navigate to the Modules > Finance > Accounts Receivable > General sheet.

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2. Enter the Tolerance value you need for the Accounts Receivable module.

3. Navigate to the Modules > Finance > Accounts Payable sheet.

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4. Enter the Tolerance value you need for the Accounts Payable module.

5. Click Save.

Customer Maintenance

You can also define rounding parameters on specific customer records. Use Customer Maintenance to define a
tax rounding rule and indicate whether the rule applies to invoice lines or totals. Customer settings override the
rounding defaults defined for the company.
Menu Path: Sales Management > Order Management > Setup > Customer
To define the rounding tolerances for a customer record:

1. On the Customer > Detail sheet, select a customer.

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2. Navigate to the Billing > Detail sheet.

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3. Select the Tax Rounding Rule you want for this customer. Available options:
• Use Rounding Rules from Currency Master
• Round Up
• Round Down
• Round to Nearest

4. Select the Tax Level for the rule. Available options:


• Per Line – Indicates the tax calculation is run against each invoice line.
• Per Invoice - Indicates the tax calculation is run against the total invoice.

5. When you finish your rounding options for this customer, click Save.

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Chapter 7: General Ledger

The general ledger is implemented through a hierarchical structure of setup records. You define default parameters
on items found at the higher levels of this hierarchy, but then modify these values as needed at lower levels to reflect
specific areas of financial activity.
The primary records you define are books. You create books for different financial purposes to reflect unique localities
or separate businesses in which your organization carries out financial activity. You can also create consolidation books
that reconcile amounts entered in multiple currencies. You then link books to specific GL transaction types. Each GL
transaction type contains posting rules you can modify to reflect reporting requirements.
The Epicor application contains chart of account features you leverage to generate account structures required by your
organization. You define the charts, account segments, self-balancing segments, natural accounts, and other accounting
features.
The account and journal contexts you create are added to maintenance records using GL control types and GL controls.
Each GL control type contains a series of parent account and journal contexts which then define what GL controls are
available through the specific type. Then each GL control contains specific account and journal contexts to determine
which accounts are updated when a transaction is placed against a selected record.
When you implement the entire general ledger functionality, you can accurately track and report the financial activity
of your company.
For more information on general ledger set up and processes, refer to the Consolidation and the General Ledger chapter
found within the Epicor Application Users Guide and the Posting Engine Technical Reference Guide found within
application help.

Fiscal Calendars

Use Fiscal Calendar Maintenance to determine the periods during which journals post. You can define multiple
fiscal calendars for use with different books. The books to which a transaction posts determine the periods to
which its journals apply.
Each fiscal calendar contains a sequence of Fiscal Years. A Fiscal Year in one calendar cannot overlap another
fiscal year, and there can be no gaps between years.
Each fiscal year contains a number of periods. A fiscal year can also contain a 13th period; use this for posting
year-end adjustments. You can then accommodate post-audit changes to the company’s financial records.
Menu Path: Financial Management > General Ledger > Setup > Fiscal Calendar

Add Fiscal Calendar

To create a new fiscal calendar:

1. Click New on the Standard toolbar.

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2. Enter the Calendar ID for this record. This identifier displays within other programs and reports.

3. Enter a Description for the fiscal calendar. Use this text to help explain the purpose of the fiscal calendar.

Add Fiscal Years

You can add as many fiscal years as you need to the fiscal calendar.

1. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New Fiscal Year.

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2. In the Fiscal Year field, enter the period of time for a fiscal year. Typically, you enter a calendar year in this
field.

3. The fiscal Year Suffix identifies the suffix used for the fiscal year; for example, Q1.

4. In the Start Date and End Date fields, enter the beginning date and the ending date for the fiscal year.

5. Enter the Number of Periods contained by the fiscal year. This value identifies how many ordinary periods
are assigned to this fiscal year.

6. Enter the Number of Closing Periods contained by the fiscal year. This value identifies how many closing
periods are assigned to this fiscal year.

7. The Previous Year and Next Year fields display the preceding and subsequent years within this fiscal
calendar.

Add Fiscal Periods

After you define how many fiscal periods are available within the current fiscal year, you can add the periods you
need. You can only create as many periods as the fiscal year allows. To do this:

1. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New Fiscal Period.

2. The Fiscal Year field displays the current fiscal year.

3. Use the Fiscal Period field to identify the fiscal period with the year. If you are creating a fiscal year that
follows the calendar year, enter values between 1 – 12.

4. Enter the Start Date for the fiscal period. The default value is the day after the end date of the previous
fiscal year.

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5. Enter the End Date for the fiscal period. This defines the last date on which fiscal transactions can occur
during this period.

6. Continue to add the fiscal periods you need. When you finish, click Save on the Standard toolbar.

Chart of Accounts

Use Chart of Account Maintenance to define the structure of each company chart of accounts (COA) and the
characteristics of its segments. The application uses COAs to control entry of accounts.
Every company book must have a chart of accounts. Each book can have a different COA, or several books can
share the same COA. When you associate a book with a COA, you can then use the COA to record journals
within the book.
The company’s Master COA defines the general ledger accounts available to manually enter GL accounts. You
indicate which COA is the master within the Company Configuration program. The application uses the Master
COA to define available values in fields used for entry of general ledger accounts. For example, the application
limits entries in the GL Account field in AP Adjustment to Master COA accounts. Because of this, the Master
COA must define all accounts needed to post from these fields.
The natural account segment defines the chart segment used with the account. The first segment you save on
a COA automatically saves as its natural account. When a segment is defined as a natural account, the application
zero balances in income statement accounts and maintains balances for balance sheet accounts.
A controlled segment does not change as transactions are applied. Subsequently, controlled segments record
the primary financial history of the company. Use dynamic segments to record temporary, unique business activity.
You can link a dynamic segment to a business entity, which is a table that records data placed against customer,
supplier, part, and other entities.
If your company has the Multi-Company license, you can also make use of the Global COA functionality. This
enables you to mark a COA as Global, so the COA structure, COA categories, its segments, segment values, and
even its GL accounts, transfer to subsidiary companies via the multi-company process. Subsequent changes to
the COA in the parent (source) company also update the subsidiary COAs. However, you also have the option
to lock the subsidiary (child) COAs, so you can make changes independently of the parent, and future changes
in the parent COA do not transfer to the subsidiary.
Once you have created the chart of accounts structure, you can create values for each segment in the Account
Segment Values program.
Menu Path: Financial Management > General Ledger > Setup > Chart of Accounts
To create a new Chart of Accounts:

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1. Click New on the Standard toolbar.

2. Enter a unique Chart of Account identifier and a Description for this COA. These are the values that
display in various other programs and reports.

3. In the Separator Character field, enter the character used to separate the various segments within the
chart. A common example is a dash (-).

4. The Chart Length field indicates the maximum length of the accounts generated through this COA. This
field only populates once you have created segments.

5. If this COA is the Master COA for the current company, this check box is selected.

6. Select Create Default Categories if you want the application to create standard COA categories for the
COA.
If you leave this check box clear, you will have to manually create COA categories in COA Category
Maintenance.

7. Select the Global check box if you want this COA to transfer to subsidiary companies via the Multi-Company
process.

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This option is useful if several companies use the same COA - you only have to create the COA once, then
transfer it to the other companies.

To use the Global COA functionality, you require the


Multi-Company license.

8. The Global COA and GL Account Lock check box is only available in subsidiary companies that use the
Global COA functionality. Select this check box to sever the Global COA connection with the parent company.
Future changes to the parent COA will no longer transfer to the subsidiary. Also, local changes to the
subsidiary COA are enabled.
If you select the Global Values check box for a COA segment, the Global COA and GL Account Lock check
box is automatically selected as well.

9. Click Save.

Define Segment Values

You are now ready to define the segments that make up this COA. To define segments:

1. From the New menu, select New COA Segment.

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2. The Segment Number identifies the segment in relation to the other segments on the chart. You can create
up to as 20 segments.

3. The first segment you create is always the Natural Account.

4. Enter the Name of the segment. Typically Segment 1 is often named Natural. Some examples of other
segment names: Department, Product, Customer.

5. Enter the Maximum Length and Minimum Length for the account segment. Each segment can contain
as many as 50 characters and must have a minimum of 1 character. Each GL account string can have up to
200 characters.

The application sets a default minimum length when a


dynamic segment uses a business entity. In this case, you
cannot define a segment shorter than what is allowed for
the entity.

6. If you use the Global COA functionality, select the Global Segment check box (in the parent company) to
include this segment in the COA transfer to subsidiary companies. In a global COA, the natural account
segment is always marked as a Global Segment.

7. The Global Segment Lock check box is only available in subsidiary companies that use the Global COA
functionality. Select this check box to sever the global connection for this segment with the parent company.
Future changes to this segment in the parent COA will no longer transfer to the subsidiary. Also, local
changes to the segment in the subsidiary are now enabled.

8. If the Global Segment check box is selected, you can also select the Global Segment Values check box.
This means the actual segment values for this segment will transfer to subsidaries via the Global COA
functionality.

9. In subsidiary companies, select the Global Values Lock check box to sever the global connection for segment
values in the COA. Future changes to individual segment values in the parent COA will not transfer to the
subsidiary. If you select this check box, the Global COA and GL Account Lock check box is automatically
selected.

Additional Segments

1. For subsequent segments, you can select the Dynamic check box to indicate a segment is dynamic. The
Epicor application then defines the value of the dynamic segment based on entity references and posting
rules. If this check box is clear, it indicates this segment is controlled, and cannot be changed on the fly by
the application. For controlled segments, you have to define values in the Account Segment Values program.

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2. If this segment is dynamic, you can select the Use Business Entity check box. This check box indicates this
segment uses a business entity to define the segment value. If this check box is clear, it indicates the
application uses booking rules and lookup tables to define the segment value.

3. If you selected the Use Business Entity check box, the Business Entity drop-down list is available. Select
the business entity that will generate the dynamic values.

4. The Create Segment Values check box indicates the dynamic segment values are created automatically.
This means segment values are added when a system entity record is created. If this check box is clear, you
have to manually update business entity values.

5. Select the Balance Options you want for this account segment. Available options:
• Include in Detail Balance – Indicates the application maintains segment balances for display on reports
and trackers.
• Include in Summary Balance – Indicates the application summarizes segment balances for display on
reports and trackers.
• Opening Balance on P/L – Indicates the application maintains year-end segment balances for expense
and revenue accounts. By default, the application reduces the balances in temporary accounts to zero
at year end. If you select this option, you can maintain an income statement independent of the fiscal
year.

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6. Select the Alphanumeric check box to indicate the account segment can include both letters and numbers.

7. Click the Entry Control drop-down list to indicate whether the segment must display in general ledger
account codes. Available options:
• Mandatory – The segment must be included in general ledger accounts. The natural account segment
is always mandatory.
• By Natural Account – The segment can be either optional or mandatory for each natural account value.
You define this option within Account Segment Values Maintenance. This program is described later in
this chapter.
• Optional – General ledger accounts can be posted without this segment.
• Reference Account Mask – The segment can be either optional or mandatory, depending on the
account mask defined in GL COA Reference Type Maintenance. This program is explored later in this
chapter.

Modify Display Order

You can also modify the order in which the segments display on the current chart of accounts. To modify the
display order:

1. Navigate to the Display Order > Controlled Segments tab.

2. Highlight the segment for which you want to change the order.

3. Click the Up or Down arrows to change the sequence order.

4. Click Save on the Standard toolbar.

5. Additional Chart of Accounts functionality is available from the Actions menu. Select Update Business
Entity Segment Values to manually update specific segment values based on reference-type segments.
You can also use it for other referenced-entity segments that require manual updates.

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6. Select Rebuild Display GL Account to update the display of account segments in fields used to enter
general ledger accounts and define segment masks.

When you are ready to generate the chart of accounts, you use General Ledger Account Maintenance. This
program is described later in this chapter.

COA Categories

Use COA Category Maintenance to define the categories you need to associate with natural accounts within
Account Segment Values Maintenance. This determines how the application maintains both account balances
and the accounts that provide financial statement values.
Menu Path: Financial Management > General Ledger > Setup > COA Category
To create a new COA category:

1. In the Chart of Account field, select the COA for which you want to create a category.

2. Click New on the Standard toolbar.

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3. The green Global label displays if the selected COA is global. Otherwise, the label is gray.

4. Enter the Category ID. This identifier is used on reports and programs that do not have space to display
the full Description text.

The green Global Category label displays if this category


is also global.

5. Enter the Description for the COA category. The GL Report Wizard uses this value to label entries in financial
statements.

6. Select the Net Income check box to indicate this category reports net income values. Typically, corporate
balance sheets use Retained Earnings to describe this category.

7. Select the Enable Transaction Matching check box to indicate you can use this category to link, or match,
related transactions within the database.

8. Select the Type for the new COA category. The category is either for a Balance Sheet or an Income
Statement.

9. Use the Normal Balance options to indicate whether this category carries either a Debit or a Credit balance.

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10. Use the Parent Category drop-down list to define the main category under which this child category
displays. The GL ReportWriter uses this field to structure statements. You can define as many subcategory
levels as you need.

11. Enter the Sequence for the child category. This value determines the position of the current category in
relation to the other child categories on financial statements.

12. Use the Consolidation Type drop-down list to define the exchange rate settings used when consolidation
journals generate from the selected COA.

Refer to the Consolidation Type Maintenance topic in


this chapter for information on creating new consolidation
types.

13. When you finish, click Save on the Standard toolbar.

GL COA Reference Types

Use GL COA Reference Type to define the reference types and reference type masks you want to apply to a COA
segment. Reference type values classify campaigns, projects, and other entities with a fixed life span. Account
masks determine the general ledger accounts that include the reference-type segment; they also indicate whether
including the segment is required or optional.
Menu Path: Financial Management > General Ledger > Setup > GL COA Reference Type
To create a new reference type:

1. Click New on the Standard toolbar.

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2. Select the Chart of Account you want to contain the reference type segment.

3. Click the Segment drop-down list to define the segment to which this reference type applies.

4. Enter the Type identifier you want. You use this value to select the reference type within the Account
Segment Values program.

5. Enter a Description for the reference type. This value displays on several programs and reports.

Create Account Masks

You are now ready to create the account masks you want to associate with this reference type. To create account
masks:

1. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New Account Mask.

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2. Enter the Account Mask value you need. This value defines the general ledger accounts that use the current
reference type. You can select specific accounts or use the underscore ( _ ) as a wildcard to reference multiple
accounts.

3. Click the Reference Status drop-down list to define whether accounts that match the mask include values
defined for the selected type. Available options:
• Exclude - Blocks using reference type values with accounts that match the mask.
• Optional - Can use reference type values with accounts that match the mask.
• Required - Must use reference type values with accounts that match the mask.

4. Continue to add the account masks you need. When you finish, click Save on the Standard toolbar.

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Restricted Functions

Use Account Entry Restricted Function Maintenance to select the specific program functions you want to limit
for manual journal entry. You use these functions to restrict entries against specific natural accounts defined in
Account Segment Values.
Menu Path: Financial Management > General Ledger > Setup > Account Entry Restricted Functions

This program is not available in Epicor Web Access.

To create a new restricted function:

1. Click New on the Standard toolbar.

2. Click the Browse button to find and select the program function you want to restrict.

3. After you select the function, it displays within the Restricted Function field.

4. Enter a Description for the restricted function. This text value displays within the Account Segment Values
program.

5. The Restriction Type field indicates whether the function originates with the system (S) or is user-defined
(UD).

6. When you finish, click Save on the Standard toolbar.

Account Segment Values

Leverage the Account Segment Values program to define values for both dynamic and controlled segments. You
also define options for natural account values, including currency options, and indicate the effective dates for

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these segment values. To create account segment values, you must already have created a chart of accounts
structure.
Menu Path: Financial Management > General Ledger > Setup > Account Segment Values
To create a new account segment value:

1. In the Chart of Account field, select the COA in which you want to create segment values.
The Master COA is selected by default.

2. If the COA is global, the green Global label displays.

3. In the Segment field, select the COA segment for which you want to create values.
The natural account segment is selected by default.

4. If the segment is global, the green Global Segment label displays.

5. Click the New button on the Standard toolbar.

6. In the Segment Values field, enter a unique identifier for this record.

7. Enter the Name you want for the segment value. This value displays on several reports and programs.

8. Use the Description field to provide more information about the segment. This text displays on custom
reports and trackers.

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9. Use the Abbreviation field to enter a short form of the segment value.

Apart from the natural account segment, the Abbreviation


is used to create GL account srings in the Generate GL
Accounts process, within General Ledger Account
Maintenance.

10. If available, use the Reference Type drop-down list to indicate the reference type used to group values for
the segment. You can specify a reference type for segments associated with the GLCOARefType business
entity within Chart of Accounts Maintenance. Segments values are applied to the reference type linked with
the segment within GL COA Reference Type Maintenance.

11. Use the Category drop-down list to select the COA category you want to link to this account segment
value. This value determines how the application maintains both account balances and the accounts that
provide financial statement values.

12. The Normal Balance automatically populates according to the Category selected. This only applies for
natural account segment values.

13. Select the Active check box to indicate this account segment is available for posting transactions.

14. The Effective From Date and the To Date fields define the time period during which this account segment
value can be used for posting. If the To Date field is blank, this segment value can be used for posting
indefinitely (or end when the Active check box is clear).

Natural Account Options

Use the Natural Account Options sheets to set summarization options for natural accounts, and enter currency
account settingsYou can enable multi-currency use of the account, and determine revaluation behavior for
individual currencies associated with the natural account. You can also set specific options for the behavior of
the account, and restrict functions, to prevent certain journal entry types for the natural account value.

Detail

Use the Detail sheet to set some basic options for a natural account value.

1. Navigate to the Natural Account Options > Detail sheet.

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2. Use the Summarization drop-down list to determine whether the application summarizes the account’s
journal details when a transaction posts. When you summarize posted details, you reduce the records stored
in the database. Available options:
• Summarize - Posts a single journal that summarizes the account’s debits and credits.
• Sum Debit and Credits Separately - Posts one journal that summarizes the account’s debits and one
journal that summarizes the account’s credits.
• No Summarization - Posts journal details to the account.

The default value is defined in GL Transaction Type


Maintenance. However, you can override the default value
on this sheet.

3. Optionally select the external Analysis Code you want to link to the natural account. This code is used for
reporting purposes in some countries. You create these codes in External Financial Analysis Code Maintenance.

4. Click the Enable Transaction Matching check box to indicate journal detail records that contain this natural
account can be matched using the GL Transaction Matching program. You define the default value for this
check box in COA Category Maintenance, but you can change the default value on this sheet.

5. Select one of the options from the Statistical Data drop-down list:
• No
• Mixed
• Statistical Only

6. For Statistical and Mixed accounts, the Statistical UOM field enables. Select the Unit of Measure you want
to use for this account.

7. When you have set these basic options, click Save.

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Currency Account

Use the Currency Account sheet to determine whether a natural account is a currency account, and to set
revaluation options for any allowed currency codes. You can set the natural account to allow just one other
currency, all available currencies, or selected currencies. You also set the Revaluation Option, to determine what
kind of currency revaluation is carried out.

You can elect to use the GL Book default to determine the


revaluation option. Refer to the Book Maintenance help topic
for details on setting these defaults.

The Gain Account, Loss Account, and Accrual Account to use for revaluation can be applied to all allowed
currencies, or you can specify different accounts per currency. Alternatively, you can select a particular Currency
GL Control Context to determine where gain and loss transactions are posted.
When you specify GL accounts, you can enter an account mask instead, to limit the number of different GL
account strings items post to.
To set currency account options for a natural account:

1. Navigate to the Natural Account Options > Currency Account sheet.

2. Select the required Currency Account Type:


• Not a currency account - All other fields on the Currency Account sheet are disabled.

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• Multi-currency account - The Allow check box is selected for all applicable currencies in the grid, and
cannot be cleared.
• Single-currency account - When selected, the Allow check box is cleared for all applicable currencies.
Select the Allow the check box for the single currency you want to include.
• Restricted currencies account - The Allow check box is selected for all currencies, but you can clear
the check box for currencies you want to exclude.

3. Select a default Revaluation Option for the natural account. The drop-down list contains the following
options:
• No Revaluation
• Only Profits
• Only Losses
• Profits and Losses
• Book Default - uses the default for the GL book, which you set up in Book Maintenance.
• Set for each Currency - Use the grid to apply separate options for each currency. In the grid, the Revalue
Option field becomes active for each allowed currency.

4. Use the Credit and Debit drop-down lists to define the currency exchange rate type used to revalue amounts
posted to credit and debit accounts.

5. In the Gain Account Defaults and Loss Account Defaults panes, you can set the default GL account or
GL control context for revaluation, used to capture gains or losses occurring from exchanges.

6. If you select a Currency GL Control Context, the available contexts are taken from the Currency type GL
control.
If you select a GL control context, the corresponding GL account field is disabled.

7. If you enter a GL account, for example the Loss Account, you can use an account mask.

Use the underscore (_) to define a mask character. For


example, your chart of accounts has three segments:
Natural-Division-Department. In natural account 1200,
you set the Loss Account to 9090-__-00. When you run
GL Currency Revaluation, gains with account 1200 post
to a single natural/department combination, but to the
account's respective division.

8. If you use an account mask in the GL account, (Masked) displays in the account description field.

9. Set the Accrual Account to which reversing entries post. If no account is specified, reversing entries created
by the exchange post to the currency account.

10. Depending on the Currency Account type and Revaluation Option, you can use the currency grid to select
which currencies are allowed, select their Revalue Option, and their revaluation GL accounts.

11. Select the Allowed check box to enable a currency for this natural account.

12. Use the Revalue Option drop-down list to define revaluation behavior for the individual allowed currency.

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13. You can also define the Gain Account, Loss Account, and Accrual Account separately for each allowed
currency. These override the settings made at the natural account or book level.

You can define accounts for individual currencies for all


revaluation options, except No Revaluation.

Segment Options

The Segment Options sheet defines options that control the use of certain segments with the selected Natural
Account. To use this sheet, the selected COA must contain one or more segments that have their entry controlled
by the settings defined on specific natural account values (i.e. segments that have the option Entry Control set
to "By Natural Account" in Chart of Accounts maintenance).
To add a segment option:

1. Navigate to the Natural Account Options > Segment Options sheet.

2. Click New on the Standard toolbar.


A new line displays in the grid.

3. In the Segment field, select the COA segment whose entry control you want to set for the natural account.

4. In the Entry Control field, select from Mandatory, Optional, or Not Used.
For example, if you select Mandatory, the selected segment will be required when you use the natural
account value in a transaction.

5. Optionally, enter a Default Value. This is the default value for the segment, which will be used when the
natural account is entered in a transaction.

6. Click Save.

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Restrictions

Use the Restrictions sheet to restrict use of a natural account when users enter certain journals. You create
these restricted items in Restricted Function Maintenance.
To add a restriction to a natural account:

1. Navigate to the Natural Account Options > Restrictions sheet.

2. From the New menu, select New Restriction.


A new line is created in the grid.

3. In the Function field, select an existing restricted function from the drop-down list.

4. If you select the Blocked check box, the natural account cannot be used in the selected function.

5. Click Save.

Actions - Mass Update GL Accounts

Use the Mass Update Natural Accounts command to launch the Natural Account Mass Update program,
where you can update a group of existing natural accounts, instead of updating them one-by-one in the Account
Segment Values program.
Sometimes, you will need to review the current segment value settings before performing a mass update - this
Actions menu item then enables convenient access to the mass update program.

You can also access the Natural Account Mass Update program
from the Main Menu.

1. From the Actions menu, select Mass Update Natural Accounts.

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2. The Natural Account Mass Update program launches.

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3. The chart of accounts selected in Account Segment Values defaults into the Chart of Accounts field.

For details on this program, see the Natural Account Mass


Update topic below.

Natural Account Mass Update

The Natural Account Mass Update program enables you to quickly update options on a selected group of
natural account values, rather than updating each account individually.
You can select a group of accounts by COA Category, filter by Balance Sheet or Income Statement accounts, or
enter natural account Starting and Ending values to select an account range.
Once you have selected the natural account values you want to update, use the sheets under the Update Options
tab to specify which options you want to override or add to the existing natural accounts, including COA category,
normal balance, currency account and revaluation options, segment options, and restrictions.
Before you submit the update, you can run a preview, to ensure the changes are what you intend. You can then
run the update process.
Menu Path: Financial Management > General Ledger > Setup > Natural Account Mass Update
To mass update natural accounts:

Detail

Use the Detail sheet to select the chart of accounts whose natural accounts you want to update.

1. In the Chart of Account field, select the COA whose natural accounts you want to update.
By default, the Master chart of accounts is selected.

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2. The Balance Sheet Accounts and Income Statement Accounts fields update once you have selected
COA categories on the Filter sheets.
The read-only fields display <None Selected>, Some Selected, or All Selected.

3. The update is a process, so you can assign it to a Schedule if required.

Filter

Use the two sub-sheets under the Filter sheet to select which natural accounts you want to include in the update.

COA Category

Use the COA Category sheet to select by category the natural accounts you want to include in the update.

1. Navigate to the Filter > COA Category sheet.

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2. Use the Type pane to limit the categories you can choose in the Available COA Categories list - All,
Balance Sheet categories only, or Income Statement categories only.

3. In the Available COA Categories list, select the COA categories you want to include in the filter.

4. Click the single right arrow to move your selections to the Selected COA Categories list.

5. Alternatively, click to double right arrow to move all available categories to the selected list.

An asterisk (*) displays next to a category if there are


natural account values in that category.

Natural Accounts

Use the Natural Accounts sheet to enter a filter by natural account range.

1. Navigate to the Filter > Natural Accounts sheet.

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2. Click New.
A new line displays in the Natural Account Segment Range grid.

3. Enter a Starting Value and Ending Value for the range. These must be natural account values. You can
use the drop-down list to select valid natural account values.
You can create multiple ranges as required.

If you use COA Category filters as well as natural account


range filters, only accounts included in BOTH filters are
included.

Update Options

Use the sheets under the Update Options tab to select which options you want to add, override, or replace in
existing natural account values. In Natural Account Mass Update you will update all selected natural accounts
with the same settings you select on these sheets.

Update Options - Detail

Use the Detail sheet to select options you want to update for the natural accounts selected on the Filters sheets.
The options on the Detail sheet correspond to the fields you would use to update individual natural accounts in
Account Segment Values, on the Detail and Natural Account Options > Detail sheets.

1. Navigate to the Update Options > Detail sheet.

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2. Each parameter has an Override check box, which you must select if you want to change that parameter.
If you leave a check box clear, the corresponding parameter is not updated by the process.

3. The Category field is for selecting the COA category for the natural account values.

4. The Normal Balance must be either Debit or Credit.

5. The Reverse Balance Category is the COA category for the natural accounts when their balance is the
opposite to their Normal Balance.

6. The Active check box determines whether the natural accounts are active.
If you want to change existing natural accounts from active to inactive, select the Override check box, and
clear the Active check box.

7. You can set the Effective From Date and To Date to restrict use of the natural accounts to a certain date
range.

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8. Use the Summarization drop-down list to determine whether the application summarizes the accounts'
journal details when a transaction posts. When you summarize posted details, you reduce the records stored
in the database. Available options:
• Summarize - Posts a single journal that summarizes the account’s debits and credits.
• Sum Debit and Credits Separately - Posts one journal that summarizes the account’s debits and one
journal that summarizes the account’s credits.
• No Summarization - Posts journal details to the account.

9. The Analysis Code is used for reporting purposes in some countries. You create these codes in External
Financial Analysis Code Maintenance.

10. The Enable Transaction Matching check box indicates that journal detail records that contain the natural
account can be matched using the GL Transaction Matching program.

Currency Account

Use the Currency Account sheet to set currency options you want to update in the natural account values selected
on the Filters sheets. You determine whether the natural accounts are currency accounts, and set revaluation
options for any allowed currency codes. This sheet is similar to the Currency Account sheet used to set options
for individual natural accounts in Account Segment Values.

1. Navigate to the Update Options > Currency Account sheet.

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2. To update currency account settings, first select how the updates will affect existing options:
• Add - Existing currency options for the selected natural accounts remain unchanged, but any new options
are applied in addition to the existing options.
• Override - All existing currency options for the selected natural accounts are overridden by the options
specified on this sheet, and new options are added in addition to existing options.
• Replace - Works in the same way as Override but also deletes any options that are no longer specified
on the Currency Account sheet.
Once you select an option, other fields enable.

If you leave blank values, and select the Override option,


changes are not made to those values. However, if you
select the Replace option, blank values will clear the
existing values on the selected natural accounts.

3. In the Currency Account Type field, select the type of currency account you need for the natural accounts:
• Not a currency account
• Multi-currency account - all available currencies are set to Allow.
• Single-currency account - select a single currency to allow.
• Restricted currencies account - select several currencies to allow.

4. Use the Revaluation Option to determine which items will be revalued - No Revaluation,Profits and
Losses, Only Profits, or Only Losses. Alternatively, select Set for each Currency to enable the Revalue
Option field in the currency grid, where you can set different options for each currency that has the Allow
check box selected.

If you select the Book Default option, the revaluation


option is taken from the defaults set for the current book
in Book Maintenance.

5. If required, you can update the Rate Type for Revaluation of the selected natural account values.

6. You can select a default GL Control Context to determine where gain and loss transactions are posted.

7. Alternatively, you can set the default revaluation Gain Account and Loss Account to use for all allowed
currencies.

8. You can also set a default Accrual Account for all allowed currencies.

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Currency Grid

With certain Currency Account Type and Revaluation Option settings, you can use the Currency Grid to allow
specific currencies, and to set individual revaluation options for each currency.

1. All available Currency Codes in the company display in the grid.

2. Depending on the Currency Account Type setting, you can select the Allow check box for a single currency
or multiple currencies.
If the Currency Account Type setting is Multi-currency account, all currencies are automatically set to Allow.

3. Depending on the Revaluation Option setting (at the natural account level), you can select a particular
Revalue Option for allowed currencies.

4. Depending on the Revalue Option setting, you can set particular Gain Account, Loss Account and Accrual
Account options for individual currencies.

If you select Profits and Losses, Only Profits, or Only Losses


for a currency, but leave its account fields blank, the
natural account level defaults are used for revaluation.

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Segment Options

Use the Segment Options sheet to define the relationship between the natural account segment and other
controlled segments. You can determine that a certain segment must be used with a specific natural account.
You can only add options on this sheet if the Entry Control option for a COA segment is set to By Natural Account.
You define the Entry Control option in Chart of Accounts Structure Maintenance.

1. Navigate to the Update Options > Segment Options sheet.

2. Click New.
A new line displays in the Natural Account Segment Options grid.

3. Select how the updates will affect existing options:


• Add - Existing options for the selected natural accounts remain unchanged, but any new options are
applied in addition to the existing options.
• Override - All existing options for the selected natural accounts are overridden by the options specified
on this sheet, and new options are added in addition to existing options.
• Replace - Works in the same way as Override but also deletes any options that are no longer specified
on this sheet.

If you select Replace, but add no segment options, all


existing segment options for the selected natural accounts
will be deleted when you run the update process.

4. In the SubSegment field, select the COA segment whose entry control you want to update for the natural
accounts.

5. In the Entry Control field, select from Mandatory, Optional, or Not Used.

6. Optionally, enter a Default Value. This is the default value for the segment that will be used with the
selected natural accounts.

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Restrictions

Use the Restrictions sheet to block the use of the selected natural account values in manual journal entries
processed by a function.

1. Navigate to the Update Options > Restrictions sheet.

2. Click New.

3. Select how the updates will affect existing options:


• Add - Existing options for the selected natural accounts remain unchanged, but any new options are
applied in addition to the existing options.
• Override - All existing options for the selected natural accounts are overridden by the options specified
on this sheet, and new options are added in addition to existing options.
• Replace - Works in the same way as Override but also deletes any options that are no longer specified
on this sheet.

If you select Replace, but add no restrictions, all existing


restrictions for the selected natural accounts will be
deleted when you run the update process.

4. In the Function field, select the process you want to restrict.

5. Select the Blocked check box to block the use of the selected natural account values in the selected function.

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Print Edit List and Run Update Process

Use the Print Edit List option to open a preview report which displays the natural account updates that will be
made when you run the update process. This enables you to make sure the updates are what you intend, before
you run the process.
To view the preview report:

1. From the Actions menu, select Print Edit List.

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2. The Natural Account Segment Values Mass Update - Print Edit List window displays.

3. If you select the Display Selected Natural Accounts check box, the report will display all the natural
account segment values to be updated, and each segment value's updated/added parameters. If you clear
the check box, the report only displays the options that will be updated.

4. Click Print Preview.


You can also click Print to select a printer and print a hard copy.

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5. The Preview Natural Account Segment Values Mass Update report displays, with details of the natural
account values to be updated.

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6. At the end of the report, the selected options display.

Once you are satisfied with your selections, close the Natural Account Segment Values Mass Update - Print
Edit List window and run the update process.

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7. On the Standard toolbar, click Process.

8. The Submit Natural Account Mass Update window displays.

9. Click Submit.

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General Ledger Accounts

Use General Ledger Account Maintenance to define valid general ledger accounts for a selected COA. General
ledger accounts contain the natural account segment and other controlled segments. Use the Generate Accounts
function within this program to mass generate general ledger accounts. You can also use the Delete Accounts
function to mass delete unused GL accounts.
Menu Path: Financial Management > General Ledger > Setup > General Ledger Account
To create a new GL account:

1. Click New on the Standard toolbar.

2. Select the Chart of Accounts in which you want to create a general ledger account.

3. If the COA is global, the green Global indicator displays.

4. With a global COA, if you are working in the parent company, the read-only Global COA and GL Account
Lock check box is always clear. In a subsidiary company, this check box is selected (read-only) if the same
check box is selected in the COA in Chart of Account Structure Maintenance.

5. In the GL Account field, define a general ledger account, made up of existing controlled segment values
from the selected COA. Before you can use a COA, it must contain valid combinations (= GL accounts) of
required segment values.

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6. The Description field identifies the GL account on reports and programs. By default, this value includes the
name of the natural account and the abbreviation of the other segments. You can edit this if required.

To include the description of segment values apart from


the natural account, the Abbreviation field must be
entered in the Account Segment Values program.

7. The Global Account field is green if the selected COA is global, and the Send Global COA option is
selected and set to Send All Segments and GL Accounts in External Company Configuration.

8. Select the Multi Company check box to indicate this account can be used in inter-company processing.
This is separate from the Global COA functionality, which is covered in a separate section in this chapter.

9. Select the Override Default Description check box to indicate the Description text cannot be deleted
during automatic account updates. These updates occur when accounts are rebuilt within Chart of Accounts
Structure Maintenance.

10. Select the Preserve Activation check box to prevent the account from being deactivated during automatic
account updates. These updates occur when accounts are generated within Chart of Accounts Structure
Maintenance.

11. The Effective From Date and the To Date fields define the time period during which this general ledger
account can be used for posting. If the To Date field is blank, this account can be used for posting indefinitely
(or end when the Active check box is cleared).

12. When you finish, click Save.

Generate GL Accounts
Instead of entering each GL account combination manually, use the Generate Accounts function to create a
large number of GL accounts at once. To generate GL accounts:

1. From the Actions menu, select Generate Accounts. This functionality uses a COA’s controlled segments
and their segment values to automatically create general ledger accounts.

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2. The Generate Accounts window displays.

3. The chart of accounts selected in General Ledge Account Maintenance populates the COA field. You can
click the COA button to find and select a different chart of accounts.

4. Indicate if you want to override the options on existing accounts. Available options:
• Create New Accounts Only - Blocks the process from updating existing accounts.
• Preserve Mode - Protects existing account settings during updates.
• Override Mode - Resets all existing account settings to process defaults you have defined. The existing
accounts become inactive and their descriptions are deleted.

5. Select from two Generation Modes:


• Simple Generation - Generates accounts based on defined segment values. Use the Target Segments
Definition sheet to select specific segment values or define value ranges to use in the generation.
• Generation with copying – Generates accounts based on combinations of segment values. Use the
Source Segments Combination Definition sheet to define the combinations.

Target Segments Definition

If you selected Simple Generation in the Generation Modes pane, only the Target Segments Definition sheet
is available. Use this sheet to select specific segment values to include, or to define ranges of values to include
or exclude. you can filter natural accounts by COA category or category type (Income Statement or Balance
Sheet), or by segment values.

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1. For the natural account segment only, select the Balance Sheet or Income Statement check boxes to
include all such natural accounts in the filter.

2. The applicable account categories display in the Category Selection List field.

3. Alternatively, select the Seg Value Selection check box to launch the Account Segment Values Search,
where you can search for segment values to include in the filter.
The values you select display in the Seg Value Selection List.

4. The Category Selection check box works in a similar way, but enables you to select account categories
instead.
This option only applies to the natural account segment.

When you manually select a category in combination with


natural account segment values, the process will only run
for the natural accounts that are both selected AND linked
to the selected category.

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5. Another option is to select a range of segment values to include in the filter. Enter segment values in the
Incl. from Code and Incl. to Code fields to set the range. The segment value Abbreviation displays in
the Incl. from Name and Incl. to Name fields.

6. In a similar way, use the Excl. from Code and Excl. to Code fields to exclude a range of values from the
filter.

7. Select the Allow Blank field to include GL account combinations with the selected segment blank.

The Allow Blank option is only available for segments


whose Entry Control is Optional. If a segment has
Mandatory Entry Control, a value must always be
included for that segment in GL account combinations.

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Preview and Generate Accounts

Once you have selected the criteria for generating GL accounts, you can launch the edit list to preview the
accounts that will be created. You can then proceed with GL account generation.

1. Before you generate the GL accounts, click Preview to verify the correct GL accounts will be created.

2. The Generate Accounts - Print Edit List window displays.

3. Click Print Preview to view the Preview GL Accounts edit list.

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4. The list displays the GL account combinations that will be created, based on the settings you selected.

5. The New/Updated column displays whether a GL account is New (N) or Updated (U)

6. The Account Description also displays.

The description for all segments (except segment 1) comes


from the Abbreviation field in Account Segment
Values. If that field is empty, no description is generated
for the segment value.

7. The Active column displays whether the column is Active (Y) or Inactive (N).

8. The M/C column displays whether the GL account is set to multi-company (Y) or not (N).

9. At the end of the list, the report displays the Total New and Total Updated accounts that will be created.

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Once you have reviewed the list, exit the report and close the Generate Accounts - Print Edit List window.

10. If you are ready to create the GL accounts, click Generate.

11. The Generate GL Accounts Process window displays.

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12. Click Submit and close the window.

In the System Monitor, the Generate Accounts task


details the number of accounts that were created.

Delete Accounts
Instead of deleting accounts manually one-by-one, use the Delete Accounts functionality to delete a group or
range of unwanted GL accounts that have never been used. You have the option to delete all unused accounts
at once, or you can filter by COA categories or category types (Balance Sheet or Income Statement), or specify
ranges of segment values to include in (or exclude from) the deletion filter.

You cannot delete a GL account if:


• A transaction has been posted against the account
• The account is included in an open (unposted) journal
• The account is assigned to a GL control
• The GL Account is Global, and you are running the Delete
Accounts process in the child (subsidiary) company.

For details
on the
whole
functionality
relating to
Global GL
accounts,
refer to the
Global
COA
section
later in this
chapter.

To mass delete unused GL accounts:

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1. From the Actions menu, select Delete Accounts.

2. The Delete Accounts window displays.

3. The COA field displays the chart of accounts currently selected in General Ledger Account Maintenance.
You can select an alternative COA if required.

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4. If you want to delete all GL accounts that can be deleted, selected the Delete All Unused Accounts check
box.
In such a case, you can proceed straight the Preview and Delete steps below.

5. If you want to limit which accounts to delete, use the various options in the Target Segments Definition
grid.

6. For the natural account segment only, select the Balance Sheet or Income Statement check boxes to
include all such natural accounts in the filter.
You cannot select both these check boxes together.

7. The applicable account categories display in the Category Selection List field.

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8. Alternatively, select the Seg Value Selection check box to launch the Account Segment Values Search,
where you can search for segment values to include in the filter.

9. The values you select display in the Seg Value Selection List.

10. The Category Selection check box works in a similar way, but enables you to manually select account
categories instead. If you use this option, the Balance Sheet and Income Statement check boxes are cleared
and disabled.
The Category Selection option only applies to the natural account segment.

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The categories you filter by will only affect accounts


directly linked to those categories. Natural accounts linked
to child categories of a selected category will not be
processed.

11. You can also select a range of segment values to include in the filter. Enter segment values in the Incl. from
Code and Incl. to Code fields to set the range. The segment value Abbreviation displays in the Incl. from
Name and Incl. to Name fields.

When a category is manually selected in combination with


natural account segment values, the process will only run
for the natural accounts that are both selected AND linked
to the selected category.

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12. Use the Excl. from Code and Excl. to Code fields to exclude a range of values from the filter.

13. When you have selected the target segment filters, click Preview to check which accounts will be deleted.
The Delete Accounts - Print Edit List window displays, which enables you to launch a preview report in
the same way as the Generate Accounts process described in the previous section.

14. When you have reviewed the report, click Delete.

15. The Delete GL Accounts Process window displays.

16. Click Submit.

In the System Monitor, the Delete Accounts task details


the number of accounts that were deleted.

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Self-Balancing Segments

Use Self-Balancing Segment Maintenance to define segments used for self-balancing journals. Typically, segments
that define divisions, organizations, departments, and projects are used as self-balancing segments.
A self-balancing segment is one which automatically posts a balancing journal when a transaction occurs between
two values defined for the segment. This makes sure the book linked with the COA maintains a balanced set of
records within the segment. Self-balancing segments use the balancing and offset accounts selected within the
program.
Menu Path: Financial Management > General Ledger > Setup > Self Balancing Segment
To set up a self-balancing segment:

1. Select the Chart of Account inside which you want to create the self-balancing segment.

2. Select the Segment that you want to create the self-balancing journals. Segments which define divisions,
organizations, departments, and projects are often used for self-balancing segments.

3. Select the Self-Balancing check box to indicate you want this segment to automatically balance.

4. Use the Level field to determine the processing order when a COA has multiple self-balancing segments.
The process begins with the segment which has a 1 value.

5. Click the Balancing Account button to find and select this required account. This value defines the natural
account used to process balancing journal amounts.

6. Click the Offset Account button to find and select an account used to create offset balances when an
optional segment is self-balancing.

7. When you finish, click Save on the Standard toolbar.

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GL Account Budgets

Use GL Account Budget Maintenance to define budgets for income-statement accounts. You can include these
budgetary amounts in cash flow analysis and custom reports. You can define budgets for revenue and expense
accounts.
Menu Path: Financial Management > General Ledger > Setup > Account Budget
To create a GL account budget:

1. Select the Book that contains the account you want to budget.

2. Select the required Budget Code from the drop-down list.

3. Click the Fiscal Year button to find and select the fiscal year to which you want this budget to apply. The
fiscal calendar which contains the fiscal year determines how many periods are available in the budget. For
example, the year 2014 contains 12 periods, so in turn, this account budget uses 12 periods.

4. Click the GL Account button to find and select the account for which you want to create a budget. You
can only select accounts for income statements; the COA category linked to the account indicates whether
it is an income statement or a balance sheet account.

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5. Enter the budget Amount you want for the account. Enter a positive amount to track increases in expense
accounts or decreases to revenue accounts. Enter a negative amount to track decreases in revenue accounts
or increases to expense accounts.

When you save the budget, the application uses the


Amount and Qualifier values to create period budgets
within the Period Budget sheet.

6. Enter Stat Amount for the account. Note, that Stat Amount and Total Stat Budget Amount fields are
disabled for purely financial accounts.

7. Click the Qualifier drop-down list to indicate whether the amount applies to either the selected fiscal year
or each of its periods.

8. The Total Budget Amount field displays the budgeted amount for the fiscal year.

9. The Total Stat Budget Amount field displays the statistical budgeted amount for the fiscal year for Mixed
and Statistical Only accounts.

10. Select the Cash Flow Analysis check box to indicate budgeted amounts for the account affect entries
within the Cash Flow Tracker.

11. Click the Period Budget tab to display the budget divided by the periods within the selected fiscal year.

12. When you finish, click Save on the Standard toolbar.

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GL Account Allocations

Use GL Account Allocation Maintenance to define how you distribute periodic expenses and revenues between
accounts in a book. Typically, you use these allocations to distribute expenses among divisions, organizations,
departments, or projects; these entities are defined by a segment in the COA linked to the selected book.

You can create more complex allocations using the Advanced


Allocation functionality. Leverage this feature set to define a
series of allocations that first pulls amounts from financial
source data and then spreads these allocated amounts across
multiple target accounts. To learn about this functionality,
review the Advanced Allocations chapter in the Epicor
Application User Guide.

Menu Path: Financial Management > General Ledger > Setup > Allocation Template
To create a new GL account allocation:

1. Click the New button on the Standard toolbar.

2. In the Allocation ID field, enter a unique identifier for the GL account allocation. This identifier displays
within various programs and reports.

3. Enter a Description for the allocation. This text describes the allocation within Journal Entry; it is used to
enter allocation journals.

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4. In the Basis field, enter the purpose for the allocation. This value gives users information about the allocation,
but it does not affect the allocation processing.

5. Click the drop-down lists in the From Account section to select the Book, Account, and Description that
defines the account from which the allocation originates.

Enter Allocation Detail Lines

You are now ready to enter the detail lines you use with this allocation. To add these lines:

1. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New Allocation Line.

2. Click the G/L Account drop-down list in the GL Account Allocation Lines grid to select an account to
which a portion of the allocation amount is distributed. The book that contains the account can be different
from the book that contains the allocation.

3. Enter the Allocation Units for this detail line. This value defines how the allocation is distributed. It uses
allocation unit entries to calculate the percentages used in distributing the allocation.

4. The Percent field displays the percentage of the allocation amount distributed to the current account. As
you add detail lines to the allocation, this percentage is automatically reduced.
For example, you define three allocation lines, and each line has 50 allocation units. The Percent column
displays 33.33% for each line.

5. Continue to add allocation detail lines as you need. When you finish, click Save.

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GL Control Types

Use GL Control Type Maintenance to group contexts and entities together; these types are later used to define
GL controls. Each GL control defines the account and journal contexts used for the control type from which it is
based.
You can associate one or more GL controls with a record in a setup (Maintenance) program. Each control associated
with a record must belong to a different control type. You can then use control values when the record is applied
against a posted transaction.
The application installs with a set of predefined GL control types. These types match the programs that maintain
the codes applied to posted transactions. However, you may need to create a type to support a new accounting
process.
Menu Path: Financial Management > General Ledger > Setup > GL Control Type
To create a new GL control type:

1. Click the New button on the Standard toolbar.

2. Enter the Type value you need. This value displays on several programs and reports.

3. Enter the Description for this control type.

4. Add an account context to this control type. To do this, click the Down Arrow next to the New button;
select New Account.

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5. The Account Context sheet becomes active; it defines contexts used in GL controls based on the GL control
type. GL controls based on the type use its contexts to specify the books and accounts to which journals
post. Booking rules use the account information to define journal details.

6. In the Context field, enter the purpose for the context.

7. Select the Required check box to indicate an account must be defined for this context. You must define
the account for the GL code for this type.

8. Select the Use Master Chart check box to indicate this context requires use of a master chart. You can
only use this context for accounts defined for the master COA; the master COA displays in the accompanying
field.

9. Select the All Books check box to indicate the account context can map to multiple company books.

10. If you need, select a specific Book from this drop-down list. This limits the mapping of the context to an
account within the selected book.

11. Add a journal context to the control type. To do this, click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select
New Journal.

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12. Use the Journal Context sheet to associate journal codes with GL controls based on the type. Journal codes
can group together journals created by the posting process.

13. Add a Context and select a Journal from drop-down list on the grid.

14. Add an entity to the control type. To do this, click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New
Entity.

15. Use the Entity sheet to limit use of the GL control type to a specific entity or entities. Programs can use a
GL control if its type references an entity.

16. Select an entity from the Business Entity drop down list on the grid. A program can use a GL control if
the type on which it is based references the entity managed by the program.

17. When you finish, click Save.

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GL Controls

Use GL Control Maintenance to define the accounts and journal codes available to a specific record during the
posting processes. You define all the posting accounts used during posting within this program.
A GL control uses the account contexts and journal contexts of the control type from which it is based. You can
associate one or more GL controls with a record within a setup (Maintenance) program. Each control you associate
with a record must belong to a different control type.
You can create and modify GL controls to extend posting functionality. For example, you add a Landed Cost
context to the AP Account type in order to add a landed cost account to the AP-type control applied to a record
in Company Configuration. Ensure new account contexts are appropriate for the entities against which the type
applies.
Menu Path: Financial Management > General Ledger > Setup > GL Control Code
To create a new GL control:

1. In the Type field, select the GL control type to which the control will belong. The type determines the
account contexts, journal contexts, and business entities used by the GL control.

2. To create a new GL control, click New on the Standard toolbar.

3. Enter the Name and Description for the GL Control. These values display on several programs; use them
to identify the specific GL control.

4. Click the Account tab.

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5. Use the Account sheet to designate the accounts used by a posting process that references the control.
Click the Account button to find and select the account you need.

6. Use the Journal sheet to specify the journal codes available to a posting process that references the current
GL control.

7. When you finish, click Save.

Journal Codes

Use Journal Code Maintenance to define codes used to group journals. These groups help users track and report
on journals. Journal codes are applied to journals by associating a posting process with a GL control that references
the code. Users can then track and report on journals based on the code.
Menu Path: Financial Management > General Ledger > Setup > Journal Code
To create a new journal code:

1. Click New on the Standard toolbar.

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2. In the Journal Code field, enter a unique identifier for the journal code. When you use a journal code with
a GL control, it applies the journal code to all the journals created through the GL control.

3. Select the System Journal check box to indicate this code is applied to default journals generated by the
application.

4. Enter a Description for the journal code. This value displays on several reports and programs.

5. When you finish, click Save.

Recurring Journal Entry

Use Recurring Journal Entry to define periodic or repeating journals. To do this, you create a template for these
recurring journals and then generate the schedule of journals you need for a specified fiscal year. You can then
modify each generated journal as you need, and verify their accuracy using the edit list.
Recurring journals save you the work of manually creating journals for routine transactions. Typically, recurring
journals update accounts for flow-type transactions such as depreciation, amortization, interest expense, or
interest revenue.
Menu Path: Financial Management > General Ledger > Setup > Recurring Journal

Recurring Journal Entry - Header

The settings in the Header area determine the book, fiscal calendar, and chart of accounts of the journal. The
currency used for the journal is determined by the book you select. You can also define recurring reversals for
each journal.
To create a recurring journal:

1. Click New on the Standard toolbar.

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2. The application inserts a value in the Entry field.

3. Use the Description field to identify the record in this program, various GL reports, and Chart Tracker.

4. If you need, change the value in the Group Prefix field. The abbreviated description for the default fiscal
calendar displays as the default prefix, but if you need, you can change this value.

5. Optionally, select the Corr.Accounting (Correspondence Accounting) check box. You can specify the
credited and debited account for each line in a journal entry with correspondence accounting. This
functionality is for countries that require each individual line of a journal to have matching debit and credit
entries.

6. Use the Single-Book and Multi-Book options to define the defaults that apply to the recurring journals:
• Single-Book - Creates a recurring journal for a specific book. When you select this option, the recurring
journal uses the fiscal calendar, currency, and COA of the selected book as default values for journal
entries in the group. You must also select a book in the related field.
• Multi-Book - Creates a recurring journal for multiple books. When you select this option, the recurring
journal uses the company’s main fiscal calendar, currency, and Master COA to provide default values for
journal entries. This recurring journal can then be used across multiple books.

7. The default Calendar determines the periods used for posting.

8. The default Currency applies to amounts entered in the Detail sheet.

9. Use the Rate Type drop-down list to select the default rate type applied against journals in the group. Rate
types define the conversion rules used for multiple currencies. You can apply a different rate type to individual

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journals. When necessary, the application uses the rate type to convert an amount from the original, or
source, currency to the target currency. The rate type you select is used either to convert amounts for
currency accounts on the journal details, or to convert amounts from a company currency to a book currency
in multi-book transactions.

10. Optionally, use the REVERSE option to generate reversing entries with the recurring journals. Typically,
reversing entries are used for accrual entries.

11. When you finish, click Save.

Recurring Journal Entry - Detail


Recurring journals contain details that define the accounts to which debit and credit amounts post. Typically,
recurring journals post to the same accounts each period. You can adjust the detail amounts for a journal prior
to posting it.
To create a detail for a recurring journal:

1. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New Line.

2. The application inserts a value in the Line field. You can change the line number.

3. Enter an account in the G/L Account field. This field designates the account to which the detail amount
posts. The application validates the account you enter.

4. Use the Description field to identify the detail in this line. This description text displays in various GL reports,
the Journal Tracker, and the Chart Tracker. The journal description supplies the field default.

5. Use either the Debit field or the Credit field to enter the amount posted to the selected account. Each
detail has either a debit or credit. A detail cannot post a zero amount.

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6. If required, click the AutoBalance button to create a balancing detail based on an entered credit or debit
amount. Company options require you to enter balanced journals unless specifically overwritten.

7. When you finish, click Save on the Standard toolbar.

Recurring Journal Entry – Generate Recurring Journals


After defining journal settings, you generate the journals for a specified fiscal year. You can modify each generated
journal and use Print Edit List on the Actions menu to verify their accuracy.
To generate recurring journals:

1. From the Actions menu, select Generate Schedule for Fiscal Year.

2. The Generate Schedule window displays. In the Fiscal Year field, enter the fiscal year that contains the
periods to which the journals post and a Fiscal Year Suffix if applicable, to differentiate the fiscal year.

3. Click Generate. The application creates recurring journals for the selected year. Default dates are defined
based on the fiscal calendar that applies either to the book (single-book mode) or to the company calendar
(multi-book mode).

Recurring Journal Entry - Schedule


Use the Schedule sheet to set a journal’s Post and Apply dates and to indicate a journal is scheduled for posting.
Use this functionality to control which recurring journals post.
To schedule a journal for posting:

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1. Click the Schedule tab.

2. Find the journal you want to schedule in the grid.

3. If you need, use the Apply Date field to change the apply date of the journal. You can enter dates from
the current fiscal period selected for the journal. This period also defines the default value that displays.

4. Optionally, use the Reversal Apply Date field to change the date on which a reversing journal posts. By
default, the reversal occurs in the period following the original posting. In order to use this functionality,
you must select the Reverse option for the recurring journal.

5. If you need, use the Schedule Date field to change the date the journal posts. The scheduled date and the
apply date can be different dates.

6. In the Scheduled Status field, select Scheduled from the drop down menu to post the journal on the
schedule date.

7. When you finish, click Save on the Standard toolbar.

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Accounting Segment Mapping

Use Accounting Segment Mapping to define the mappings used to transfer journals between COAs. Mapping
transforms a segment from one COA into a segment of another COA. This functionality eliminates redefining
the posting (booking) rules that create journals.
You can use COA maps to automatically transfer posted journals between books. You associate maps with a
book and its rules in GL Transaction Type Maintenance; this program is explored later in this chapter. For example,
your current company has a financial and a legal book that use different COAs. You want to book the same
accounts payable journals to both COAs. To do so, you create a map with the financial book’s COA as the source
COA. The map links natural account segment values for AP accounts in the two COAs.
Menu Path: Financial Management > General Ledger > Setup > Accounting Segment Mapping
To create a new account segment mapping:

1. Click New on the Standard toolbar.

2. Enter the Chart of Account Map name you need. This value displays within other programs.

3. Enter a Detailed Description for the accounting segment mapping. This value helps identify the purpose
of the mapping.

4. Click the Source Chart of Account drop-down list to select the COA which contains the original, or source,
COA.

5. Select the Target Chart of Account that you want to map to the Source Chart of Account.

6. Click the Map Type drop-down list to indicate the kind of map you are creating. Available options:
• Accounts Segment Map – Creates a map for specific segments within a COA.
• GL Account Map – Creates a map that links an entire GL account.

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COA Mapping

Use the sheets under the COA Mapping tab to complete the mapping. You can link either entire GL accounts or
specific account segments.

Account Mapping

If the COA map is a GL Account map type, you link account strings between source and target accounts.
To associate an account string in the COA mapping:

1. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New GLAccount Mapping.

2. Use the Source GL Account column to specify a general ledger account from the source COA. Transactions
posted to this account also post to the corresponding target account.

3. Use the Target GL Account column to specify a general ledger account in the target COA.

4. Continue to link the account strings you need. When you finish, click Save.

Segment Mapping

If the COA map is an Accounting Segment Map type, you link specific source and target account segments
together.
To link account segments in the COA mapping:

1. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New Segment Mapping.

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2. Select the Source Segment type you wish to map. Only segments from this source type are then available
to link on the map. Available options:
• Chart
• Division
• Department
• GLReference
• Customer
• Employee

3. Select the Target Segment type you wish to map. Only segments from this target type are then available
to link. These options are the same as those available on the Source Segment column.

4. Use the Source Segment Value column to select the source segment you wish to link.

5. Complete the segment mapping by selecting a Target Segment Value. Values entered in the source
segment also now post to the target segment.

6. Continue to link the segments you need. When you finish, click Save.

Global Transform Mapping

Create a Global Transform Map only if you use the Global COA functionality, and you need to change the
Description and Abbreviation for certain segment values from one company to another.

Example You use the same chart of accounts across multiple


companies. The COA includes a Company segment, which
represents the company in which the COA resides, so all GL
transactions contain the company ID. You create a Global
Transform map to ensure the Company segment has the correct
company ID in the Description and Abbreviation.

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To create a new Global Transform map:

1. From the New menu, select New Transform Map.

2. The Global Transform indicator is green.

3. Enter a name for the Chart of Account Map.

4. Enter a suitable Description for the Global Transform map.

5. In the Source Chart of Account field, select the COA you want to map.

6. The Target Chart of Account field automatically populates with the same COA.
You cannot change this, as a Global Transform map is specificlally for use with the same COA across different
companies.

7. The Map Type field is automatically set to Accounting Segment Map.


This is the only type of mapping you can create in a Global Transform map.

8. In the External Company field, select the target company to which this mapping applies.
You can only select external companies already set up in External Company Maintenance/Configuration.
Now you are ready to set up the segment mapping(s).

Global COA Segment Transform

1. Navigate to the COA Mapping > Segment sheet.

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2. In the Source Segment field, select the required segment.

Select the segment before you create the segment


mapping.

3. From the New menu, select New Segment Mapping.

4. Select the Source Segment Value from the drop-down list.

5. Enter the Target Segment Value.

6. Enter the Abbreviation for the target segment value.

7. Enter the Description for the target segment value.

8. Click Save.
When the COA transfers to the external company via the global COA functionality, the transformed segments
in the target company display according to the changes you made.

Books

Use Book Maintenance to define the company’s books. Book settings determine its currency, chart of accounts,
and fiscal calendar. These values apply to journals posted to the book and in the generation of financial reports.
Books can record financial transactions or consolidate other books. A standard book records financial activity of
the company. Consolidation books regulate the transfer of consolidation journals between two standard books.
Typically, a company uses multiple books to display the same financial information in other contexts. Use multiple
books to value items differently in financial and statutory reports. For example, an insurance company might use

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GAAP guidelines to value investments and other items for one report, but use National Association of Insurance
Commissioners guidelines within another book. In addition, state regulations might also impact reporting, requiring
the definition of additional books.
Menu Path: Financial Management > General Ledger > Setup > Book
To create a new book:

1. Click New on the Standard toolbar.

2. In the Book field, enter a unique identifier for the book. This value displays on several reports and programs.

3. Enter the concise Description for the book. This value displays on several drop-down lists throughout the
application.

4. Select the Main Book check box to indicate the current book is the default. This book automatically displays
on all reports and trackers for the current company.

5. If you no longer want to use the book, select the Inactive check box. Users can no longer enter journal
records against this book.

6. Click the Type drop-down list to determine the primary function of the book. You can use books to either
record financial transactions or consolidate other books. Available options:
• Standard - This type records financial activity of the company and has no relationship to other books.
• Consolidation - This type merges balances from several books to create consolidated reports for the
company’s subsidiaries.

7. Click the Chart of Account drop-down list to define the Chart of Account (COA) you wish to use with the
book. Each book can have a different COA, or several books can share the same COA. The COA defines
valid general ledger accounts, available dynamic segments, and balance maintenance for segments other
than the natural account. For more information, review the Chart of Accounts Maintenance section earlier
in this chapter.

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8. Select the fiscal Calendar you want to use with this book. These calendars define the fiscal periods used
by the application to record transactions. You create fiscal calendars within Fiscal Period Maintenance; this
program is discussed earlier in this chapter.

9. Click the Book Currency drop-down list to define the currency of the book. The book currency can be used
on financial reports and in consolidations. All journal amounts post in the currency selected on the book.
Books can also store journals using transaction currencies as needed for multi-currency reporting.

10. Select the Corr Accounting check box to identify this book uses correspondence accounting rules.

Retained Earnings

The Retained Earnings sheet designates the standard account used for retained earnings for the book. The
application continually updates the retained earnings account balance with postings to the COA’s revenue and
expense accounts. As a result, the balance sheet always reflects the current balance. At year-end closing, run the
Transfer Balances process to transfer account balances to the next fiscal year.
Balance sheets report the balance in the standard retained earnings account. You can further divide the reported
retained earnings balance by substituting a segment in the retained earnings account for a corresponding segment
in the income statement. You can then split retained earnings by division, department, or another mandatory
controlled account segment. Account masks designate the relationship between the split segment and the
retained earning accounts that displays the balances.
Often, a book that uses segment substitution also uses self-balancing segments. When you create a self-balancing
segment in Self-Balancing Segment Maintenance, it enables the balancing journals to automatically post within
a segment. This ensures the book to which the journals post maintains a balanced set of records within the
segment. For more information, review the Account Segment Values Self-Balancing Segment Maintenance
sections earlier in this chapter.
To define a standard account and an account mask:

1. Navigate to the Retained Earnings sheet.

2. Click the Standard Account button to find and select this account.

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3. The Name and Description of the standard account displays in these fields. A standard account designates
a balance sheet account as the standard account used for retained earnings for the book. The application
updates the retained earnings account balance with postings to the COA’s revenue and expense accounts.

4. To add an account mask, click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New Account Mask.

5. Define the mask in the Account Mask column. This creates an account mask that splits a COA segment so
its balances can transfer to multiple retained earnings accounts.

6. Define the account in the Retained Earnings Account column. This creates an account mask for a retained
earnings account so it can display balances from a split COA segment.

Report

Use the Report sheet to define the natural account range that displays on reports for the book selected.
To define this range:

1. Navigate to the Report sheet.

2. Click the From Account button to find and select the first account in the Natural Account Range that will
display on reports.

3. Click the To Account button to find and select the last account in the Natural Account Range that will
display on reports.

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4. Enter the Level List value you need. This value defines the sub-total level list that will display on reports for
the current book.

Revaluation

Use the Revaluation sheet to set default options for GL currency revaluations on the book.
The book defaults are only used when the Revaluation Option of a currency account is set to Book Default -
you can set revaluation behavior for individual natural accounts, if they are currency accounts. For details, refer
to the Account Segment Values topic.

1. Navigate to the Revaluation sheet.

2. In the Revaluation Option field, select which items, if any, will be subject to revaluation:
• No Revaluation
• Only losses
• Only profits
• Profits and Losses

Depending on your selection, fields in the Rate Type for


Revaluation, Gain Account Defaults, and Loss
Account Defaults activate.

3. Select the currency rate type to use for Credit and Debit items.

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4. If profits will be included in revaluations, you can select a Currency GL Control Context in the Gain Account
Defaults section. The available contexts are taken from the Currency GL control type:
• Realized Gain
• Realized Loss
• Unrealized Gain
• Unrealized Loss

5. Alternatively, you can post profits to a GL Account/Mask that you enter.

6. You can specify one single GL account string for all such postings. However, you also have the option to
specify a mask for certain segments. Use the underscore (_) to denote an account mask. In this example,
you set a mask for the 2nd segment.

7. The GL account description displays. (Masked) also displays if you specified an account mask.

8. The same principles apply for losses. Select a Currency GL Control Context or enter a GL Account/Mask.

9. Click Save.

These settings are used in the GL Currency Revaluation


process for natural accounts whose Revaluation Option
is set to Book Default. For details on how to set up
revaluation options for individual natural accounts, refer
to the Account Segment Values section earlier in this
chapter.

Posting

Use the Posting sheets to configure a link to another book. This enables GL transactions generated in this linked
book to be mapped to the current book. Once the link is defined, you can apply this link to one or multiple GL
transaction types. A GL transaction type defines the processes you use to post accounts and journals. You can
automatically generate and activate transaction type revisions that use the mapping.

Source Book Details

Use the Posting > Source Book > Detail sheet to link a general ledger account, used during the posting process,
from a source book to a secondary book.

1. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New Link To Source Book.

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2. You enter the link information on the Posting > Source Book > Detail sheet.

3. Click the Map GL Transaction From Book drop-down list to select the source book you wish to use for
general ledger transaction mapping.

4. Click the Use COA Map drop-down list to specify the chart of accounts map for the selected pair of target
and source books.

5. Click the Transactional Currency drop-down list to specify the transaction currency. This value is either
the document currency or source book currency.

6. The GL Transaction Configuration section contains the fields you use to map the GL transaction types you
wish to link between the books. To activate all the available GL transaction types, click the Enable All
button. The EnableMapping check box activates on each transaction type.

7. To clear all the Enable Mapping check boxes, click the Disable All button.

8. The GL Transaction Types grid displays information on all the available transaction types. The Display
Name, Revision Code, Revision Status, and EffFromDate (Effective From Date) displays the current state
of the GL transaction type.

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9. To activate a specific GL transaction type, select the EnableMapping check box. Different actions occur
depending on whether this check box is selected or clear:
• If the EnableMapping check box is selected, the mapping setup for the link replaces the configuration
of the current book in the revision.
• If the EnableMapping check box is clear, the reference to the current book is removed from the revision.

10. When the Limited check box is selected on a GL transaction type, it indicates the type’s transaction document
and posting rules cannot be changed.

11. Click the Update Transaction Types button to complete the updates.

Posting Details

Use the Posting > Detail sheet to link rounding parameters to GL transaction type maps. These parameters control
how rounding differences are automatically handled by the posting engine.

1. Navigate to the Posting > Detail sheet.

2. Enter the Tolerance value you need for the rounding calculation.

3. The Currency field displays the currency symbol for the tolerance value.

4. Click the Account button to find and select the account used to record the rounding differences that occur
during auto balancing.

Validations

The Validations sheet defines error handling for journals posted to a specific book. By default, books ignore most
posting errors. You can change the defaults, so the book blocks and logs errors. Define validation rules at the
book level; because of this feature, you control how all issues are handled within a specific book.
To modify the validations for the current book:

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1. Navigate to the Validations sheet.

2. The Description field displays the error message that displays when a GL transaction to this book fails to
validate.

3. To change what happens when a validation rule fails, click the Action drop-down list.

4. Select an option. Depending on the validation rule, different actions are available:
• Error - This blocks posting of the journal. You can view the journal in the Review Journal.
• Ignore - No entry displays in the error log, and the journal posts to the general ledger. This method is
the default setting for most posting errors.
• Warning and Autocorrect - This logs a warning in the Review Journal and automatically corrects the
journal using a pre-defined process. For example, the autocorrect process changes the apply date for a
journal posted to a closed period to the current period.

5. When you finish setting up the book, click Save.

Conversion

Use the Posting > Conversion sheet to configure posting rules conversion settings.
To configure conversion settings for the current book:

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1. Navigate to the Conversion sheet.

2. From the Default Package for Main Book list, specify the default posting rules package. If the application
does not find an active revision with ruleset during posting rules conversion, this package is used to load
the posting rules from.

3. From the Package list, select the package for segments mapping. If the package requires mapping, the grid
becomes available.

4. In the mapping grid map segments from the selected package to the current book's segments. Select the
Not Used value if there's no need to map this segment from the current book to the package segment.

5. Click Save.

Lookup Tables Setup

Use the Lookup Tables Setup program to map database field values to segment and account values. Rules can
use lookup tables to obtain values for any COA segment. You typically use these records to define dynamic
segments.
When you use lookup tables, you reduce the amount of programming needed for a rule to define segment and
account values.
For example, you plan to define a rule in GL Transaction Type Maintenance (described later in this chapter) for
a transaction that generates when a sales order record posts. You want to define a rule that pulls the warehouse
ID from which the inventory quantities came from and then define the value of a dynamic segment based on
this ID.
Menu Path: Financial Management > General Ledger > Setup > Lookup Table

This program is not available in Epicor Web Access.

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To create a new lookup table:

1. Click New on the Standard toolbar.

2. Enter the Lookup Table identifier and Search Name field you want to use for this lookup table. Use this
value to locate this lookup table later.

3. Optionally, enter a Detailed Description of the lookup table.

4. To map the database fields, click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New Source Value
Field.

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5. Use the Source Value Fields grid to find and select the table/field you need.

6. Select the DB Table that contains the field you wish to add to the lookup table.

7. Select the DB Field you want to add to the lookup table.

8. Follow similar steps to create a target field. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New
Target Value Field.

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9. The Target Value Fields sheet displays.

10. Enter the target field details within the Target Value Fields grid.

Lookup Table Links

To add data that links between the tables:

1. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New Lookup Link.

2. Enter the database field values for Source Field and Target Field in the corresponding columns.

3. If you want to prevent this value from being changed by other companies, select the GlobalLock check
box. This value is now a static global value.

4. If this value is a global value used in multiple companies, select the GlobalLookupLink check box.

5. Continue to add the links you need. When you finish, click Save.

GL Transaction Types

A GL transaction type defines the rules your books use to post accounts and journals. The posting process provides
a unified series of rules which are applied against specific business transactions. You use GL Transaction Type
Maintenance to define the processes that post accounts and journals.
Each posting process runs one or more GL transaction types. Each GL transaction type has a set of elements -
posting codes, functions, and amounts - specific to its posting process. These elements contain data the posting
rules need to build account and journal details. It also contains a set of rules each book uses, and each rule set
can contain the functions, pre-posting rules, reference rules, and posting rules needed to post business transactions
which match the GL transaction type.

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These rules are flexible and can be modified to meet the needs of a specific book. You do this by creating revisions
for each GL transaction type and then modifying its posting rules.

This section describes the main features for GL Transaction


Type Maintenance. For more details about how to use this
program, review the GL Transaction Type topics and the Posting
Engine Technical Reference Guide. This information is available
within application help.

Menu Path: Financial Management > General Ledger > Setup > GL Transaction Type

This program is not available in Epicor Web Access.

Select Transaction Type

The application installs with default GL transaction types, and you can select and display each type on the GL
Transaction Type sheet. GL transaction types define the posting process for a specific type of financial activity
like inventory, invoices, and bank reconciliation.
Each GL transaction type uses a document template and a set of posting rules to determine how programs post
transactions which match the specific type.
To select a GL transaction type:

1. Navigate to the GL Transaction Type sheet.

2. Click the GL Transaction Type button to find and select the GL transaction type you wish to review or
modify.

You can access the Posting Engine Log Viewer (PE Log
Viewer) by right-clicking this field. Use this program to
define how you want the current GL transaction type
monitored on the log file. You can then view this log to
review the financial activity.

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3. The Description field describes the accounting transaction type.

4. Select the Logging check box to enable logging for the transaction type.

Create a Revision

If you wish to modify a GL transaction type, you need to create a revision. This ensures the installed GL transaction
type is always available in case you need to restore the default posting rules and other items for the transaction
type.
When you use revisions, you can trace the journals created by posting with the different revisions. Create new
revisions so you can model and test changes in the accounting logic you may need in each company.
To create a GL transaction type revision:

1. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New Revision.

2. The New Revision window displays.

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3. Verify Create new revision by copying existing revision is selected.

4. Verify the SourceRevision is the one you want to copy.

5. Click OK.

6. The Revisions > Revision Detail sheet displays.

7. Verify the new revision is selected in the tree view. It will display as the Draft revision.

8. In the Revision ID field, enter a unique identifier for the type revision. This value displays on several application
processes.

9. Enter a Description for the revision.

10. Click the Status drop-down list to define the current state of the revision. Available options:
• Draft status indicates the revision is in development.
• Active status indicates the revision is in use or is scheduled for use.

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• Blocked status indicates an expired revision. If you wish, however, you can change this status to Active;
the revision is then available again.

11. The VBD Version and Patch VBD Version fields indicate the version levels at which this revision was
created.

12. Select the Manually review all transactions check box to cause the application to log all journal details
generated by this revision. You should only select this option while you test the revision’s posting rules.

This option does not affect logging invalid journals. You


define validation options on the Validation sheets in both
GL Transaction Type Maintenance and Book Maintenance.

Incoming Document Line

You use the Incoming Document Line tab to modify the entities, posting codes, BAQs, and amounts defined on
the document template for the current GL transaction type.
To update the incoming document line sheets:

1. Click the Revisions > Incoming Document Line > List sheet. This sheet displays all the custom document
lines available in the current GL transaction type.

2. Make a selection from the Reference List grid.

3. Use the sheets under the Entities tab to create and maintain custom entities; these items are collections of
posting codes and default settings. These settings define how elements populate in the posting rule
collections.

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4. The lines under the Amounts sheet define and maintain custom amount elements. Amount elements
typically hold transaction amounts used with posting rules.

5. The BAQ (Business Activity Query) sheets define selection criteria used to pull data for custom posting codes
and posting rules. A BAQ statement can return a value from a single field in a table or can use values from
several fields to calculate a value. BAQ statements obtain data for posting codes you add to document
templates. The templates provide data custom posting rules use.

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Add a Book

You use the Book sheets to determine how journals for this GL transaction type post to a selected book. When
you select a book on this sheet, you can define its posting rules. All rules defined for a single book are a rule set
which generates a complete journal for the book.
To add a book to the current GL transaction type:

1. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New Book.

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2. Click the Add Book button to find and select the book you want. The Description displays for your review.

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3. The Package defines the book type. Available options:


• Standard - This type records financial activity of the company and has no relationship to other books.
• Consolidation - This type merges balances from several books to create consolidated reports for the
company’s subsidiaries.

4. Select the Use Mapping check box to indicate you would like to leverage mapping to duplicate the journal
details created by rules in another book. Activate this feature so you do not need to duplicate posting rules.

5. After you select the Use Mapping check box, the Mapping from drop-down list and other related fields
activate. Use this list to select the book from which the journal details will be copied.

6. Click the Using drop-down list to define the Chart of Accounts map you want to use to transfer the journal
details.

7. Click the Transactional Currency drop-down list to indicate what currency you wish to use in the book
mapping. You can use either the Document Currency or the Source Book Currency.

8. Click the Summarize drop-down list to define how journals are summarized when posted to a book.
Available options:
• Summarize posts a single journal for an account’s debits and credits.
• Summarize debit and credits separately posts one journal that summarizes an account’s debits and
another journal that summarizes an account’s credits.
• No Summarization posts journal details to the book’s accounts.
• Use natural account settings applies account-by-account summarization. The Account Segment Values
applies summarization settings for accounts in a COA.

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9. Use the sheets under the Booking Rules tab to create, modify, or remove the posting rules defined for the
current book. Posting rules can use data to define journal details. The posting rules determine the detail’s
amount, the account to which it posts, and whether the amount debits or credits the account. To create a
new posting rule, add a rule and select appropriate values to define each modifiable option. Each rule builds
the detail field-by-field.

10. Use the Functions sheets to define reusable functions for the posting rules.

11. Use the Book Variables sheet to maintain variables for the posting rules.

12. When you finish modifying the GL transaction type, click Save.

Daily Balances Setup

Use Daily Balances Setup to maintain the daily balances for tracking and reports for a limited number of accounts.
You can use account masks to specify the COA segment or segments that supply the balances. You apply masks
to books associated with a COA. Each daily balance is selected and applied for a specific book.

Refer to the Chart of Accounts topic in this chapter for


information on selecting the balance options you want for the
account segments. Refer to the Company Configuration
chapter for information on setting up batch balance options
from the Modules > Finance > General Ledger sheet of
Company Configuration.

Menu Path: Financial Management > General Ledger > Setup > Daily Balances Setup
To create a daily balance account mask:

1. Click the Chart of Accounts drop-down list to select the COA that contains the accounts for which you
want to mask. The program displays books associated with the COA in the folder view.

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2. In the Tree View, select the book you want to use for maintaining the daily balances. When you post the
journal and the accounts are part of the specified mask, the corresponding daily balance updates.

3. Click New on the Standard toolbar to create a row in the Account Mask list.

4. In the new row, use the Account Mask field to define a mask that specifies a general ledger account or
accounts which maintain daily balances.

5. When you finish, click Save.

Daily Balances Setup - Copy GL Account Masks

Use the Copy GL Account Masks command from Daily Account Balances Setup to copy masks from one GL book
to another.

1. To use a set of existing masks in a source GL book to copy to another GL book, from the Actions menu,
select Copy GL Masks.

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2. The Copy GL Accounts Masks window displays.

3. Select a source book from the From Book drop-down list.

4. Select a target book from the To Book drop-down list.

5. Click OK. The masks are copied from the source book to the target book.

Consolidation

Consolidation is a legal process through which you merge the financial results of subsidiary companies into one
consolidated book within the parent company. The process rolls up financial results between source and target
books, typically books from a child, or subsidiary company, to a parent company or an external application. You
run this process at the end of each fiscal period or on a continuous basis and then complete the consolidation
results at the end of each fiscal year.
When consolidation is complete, you can either preview the results in an intermediate (consolidation) book in
the source company or review the final results in the parent company. If you use periodic consolidation, you can
preview the results in an intermediate book; you then later transfer the approved results to the parent company.
Through the consolidation process, you can re-calculate the financial results posted in one currency to another
currency. You can also report these results using a different fiscal calendar and chart of accounts selected on the
parent company book.
You can set up the consolidation process to handle any multi-company structure you need. Consolidations can
be a one-to-one relationship between a source subsidiary book in one company to a parent target book in another
company. You can set up a consolidation routine that consolidates transactions from multiple child companies
into one target parent company. You can also consolidate multiple child, or subsidiary books, into multiple parent
books in different companies. You might do this, for example, when the parent company is also an operational
company and needs to consolidate its results with other entities.
The financial data from the source book is transformed into the account structures defined in the intermediate
book. The chart of accounts structure matches the structure in the target book, so this data can now move from

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the intermediate book into the target book within the target company. The intermediate book transforms the
transactions into the currency, fiscal calendar, and accounting structures needed within the target book. You
use the intermediate book to verify the consolidation results before they are posted to the target book.

Details on consolidation operation programs can be found in


the General Ledger chapter in the Epicor ERP Application Guide.

The consolidation sequence:

1. The general ledger transactions post to the source book. These transactions use the posting process defined
for the source book.

2. The consolidation process begins transferring balances into the format needed for the intermediate
(consolidation) book. If the intermediate book uses a different currency, the process first converts the amounts
using the exchange rate calculated by the selected consolidated rate type and the consolidation type.
Consolidation Rate Type Maintenance defines the method used to calculate the consolidation rates.
Consolidation Type Maintenance defines the method used to calculate consolidation amounts using the
consolidation rates.

3. The balances are then transformed into the account structure required for the intermediate book.

4. The balances are calculated and adjustment transactions are created within the intermediate book.

5. Using the Multi-Company Direct Server Process (for companies that reside on the same server) or the
Multi-Company Server Process (for companies that reside on different servers), the GL transactions transfer
from the intermediate book in the source company to the target book within the parent target company.

The parent target book is updated with the transactions.

For more information on consolidation, refer to the Multi-Site


Technical Reference Guide within application help.

Consolidation Rate Type Maintenance

Use Consolidation Rate Type Maintenance to define the rate to convert balances when a source book and an
intermediate book use different currencies. You use this program in the source company.
Menu Path: Financial Management > Multi-Site > Setup > Consolidation Rate Type
To define a consolidation rate type:

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1. Click New on the Standard toolbar.

2. In the Consolidation Rate Type field, enter a unique identifier for the type. Application processes use the
value in this field.

3. Enter a Description for the type. This value will display in several programs and reports.

4. Select the Default Method used to calculate the exchange rate applied during consolidations. The selected
currency rate type determines the methods which apply to its values. Available options:
• Daily Average - Applies an average exchange rate for a consolidated period.
• Period End - Uses the exchange rate from the last day of the consolidated period.
• None - Uses the exchange rate entered in the Consolidate to Parent Entry program. This program is
discussed later in this section.

5. The Currency Rate Type field defines the rate type used for this consolidation rate type. The selected
default method uses the currency rate type conversion rules to calculate the currency amounts for the
intermediate book.

6. When you finish, click Save.

Consolidation Type Maintenance

Use Consolidation Type Maintenance to determine the method used to calculate account balances during
consolidations and to determine the consolidation rate type applied to the balances. Consolidation types can
also apply against account categories. You set up consolidation types in the source company.
After you configure all needed Consolidation Types, you can assign a consolidation type to a particular account
by specifying it in the account category. Consolidation types assigned to an account category are used in translating
all accounts that belong to that category. If a consolidation type is not specified for an account category, the
consolidation process uses the default consolidation type specified in the Consolidation Definition program.
Menu Path: Financial Management > Multi-Site > Setup > Consolidation Type
To create a consolidation type:

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1. Click New on the Standard toolbar.

2. In the Type field, enter a unique identifier for the type. This value will display on several programs and
reports.

3. Enter a Description for the type. This value will display in several programs and reports.

4. Click the Calculation Type drop-down list to select the method used to calculate account balances during
consolidations.
• Balance - Uses year-to-date amounts to determine account balances. As a result, prior-period adjustments
affect account balances which use this type. This calculation type typically applies to monetary
balance-sheet accounts.
• Period Movements - Uses period amounts to determine account balances. This type of calculation
typically applies to non-monetary balance-sheet accounts and income-statement accounts.

5. Click the Consolidation Rate Type drop-down list to select the consolidation rate type used to calculate
the exchange rate applied to account balances.

Epicor recommends the following consolidation type


settings:
• Income Statement Accounts should use a Period
Movement calculation type and a Daily Average rate
type.
• Balance Sheet Accounts (monetary assets) should use
a Balance calculation type and a Period-End rate type.
• Balance Sheet Accounts (non-monetary assets) should
use a Period Movement calculation type and a Daily
Average or Period End rate type. (This group of
accounts includes Retained Earnings accounts.)

6. When you finish, click Save.

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Consolidation Definition Maintenance

Use Consolidation Definition Maintenance to define settings that control the consolidation between source and
target books. These settings include the default values for converting amounts into the target book currency,
converting the chart of accounts structure, the consolidation mode, and definition of the consolidation target.
Each consolidation definition defines a target book and one or more source books from which the consolidation
journals originate. You enter consolidation definitions in the source company.
Consolidations can occur continuously or periodically. Continuous consolidations occur between two standard
type books. Before the consolidation process begins in continuous consolidation, all the transformations are run
in the source book using the rules defined within the posting engine. In periodic consolidations, journals post
from a source book to a target book via an intermediate book, a consolidation-type book.
If you consolidate a period that has already been consolidated, and the consolidation type is Periodic, you can
also specify whether a new consolidation will reverse and re-post the existing one (Override), or post additional
transactions for any differences (Delta).
Menu Path: Financial Management > Multi-Site > Setup > Consolidation Definition

Consolidation Definition Maintenance - Detail

Use periodic consolidation to post the financial results to the intermediate book.
To define a periodic consolidation:

1. Click New on the Standard toolbar.

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2. In the Consolidation ID field, enter a unique identifier for the consolidation. This value will display in several
programs and reports.

3. Enter a Description for the consolidate record. This value will display in several programs.

4. Click the Consolidation Type drop-down list to select Periodic. Periodic consolidations usually occur at
the end of each fiscal period.

5. Select the Immediate Transfer check box to define the consolidation as a single process. When you select
this check box, you consolidate journals simultaneously, posting to both the intermediate book and the
target book.

6. In the Intermediate Book Options pane, click the Book drop-down list to select the intermediate book
for the consolidation. You use consolidation-type books for this purpose.

7. If you need to transfer the results to a different Company, select the company that owns the book from
this drop-down list.

8. Now select the Book to which the consolidated journals post. Only books available in the selected company
display on this drop-down list.

9. If you consolidate a period that has already been consolidated, and the consolidation type is Periodic, the
Delta Generation Mode check box provides two alternatives:
• Override (check box clear) - Ignores the existing consolidation for a period, and posts the full consolidation
again; you have to reverse the original journals manually.
• Delta (check box selected) - Posts net change transactions for each account where there is a difference
between the existing consolidation and the new calculation.

10. Use settings in the Remote Options pane to post the consolidation results to an output file.

11. Select the Remote Parent check box if the consolidation process generates an output file. This file could
be used to post the journals to the book in a different ERP system.

12. If the consolidation targets another Epicor application database, select the Epicor Database check box.
You can use the Import Consolidation From Subsidiary program to import consolidation files. This
program is discussed later in this section.

13. Click the Output File button to find and select the path and name of the file to which the consolidation
journals post. The consolidation process creates a flat file in ASCII format that is used to transfer journals to
a remote parent.

14. When you finish, click Save.

Consolidation Definition Maintenance – Source Detail


You use the Source Detail sheet to define defaults for the source book or books. The consolidation mode you
select determines how much setup is required on the Source Detail sheet. You use periodic consolidation to post
journals from one more multiple source books to an intermediate book. You use continuous consolidation to
post journals from one or more source books to a target book. A continuous consolidation does not use an
intermediate book; instead, conversions are run within source books using rules defined within the posting
engine. These source books then contain the required converted balances and account structures; you select
these books as the sources on the definition.

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To define defaults for a source book:

1. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New Source Book Definition.

2. Click the Source Book drop-down list to select the book used as the source for consolidation journals.
Values in this field are limited to standard books used by the source company.

3. If the chart of accounts in the source and intermediate/ target books is different, click the COA Map ID
drop-down list to select a map that converts accounts in the source book to an intermediate/target book.
Be sure to select a map that will convert the source GL accounts into the structured required on the
Intermediate/Target GL accounts. If the target and source books have the same COA, however, leave this
field blank.

4. If you need, select the Exclude Open Periods check box to filter open periods in consolidations that use
the source book. This option limits the consolidation to closed periods.

5. In the Closing Periods field, enter the number of the last closing period available for consolidation. If you
enter a zero (0) value, you cannot consolidate closing periods separately.

6. Optionally, select the Reverse Debit / Credit check box to reverse debit and credit entries on journals
created from the source book. This option effectively reverses source book entries in the target book.

7. Click the Intermediate Journal and Target Journal drop-down lists to respectively select the journal codes
used to group consolidation journals posted to an intermediate and target book. Intermediate journals apply
only to consolidations that run in periodic mode.

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8. Click the Balance Sheet and Income Statement drop-down lists respectively to select the default
consolidation type applied to the source book’s balance sheet and income statement accounts.

These default options can be overridden by consolidation


types defined in COA Category Maintenance.

9. Click the Diff Exchange Account drop-down list to select a Difference on Exchange account for the source
book. In some cases, different consolidation rate types are applied to different accounts. Because of this,
the consolidation journal may be out of balance. The Difference on Exchange account records this
out-of-balance amount.

10. When you finish, click Save on the Standard toolbar.

Financial Report Designer

Financial Report Designer (FRD) allows you to create custom financial reports for your company. You can set up
a report, select the data and accounts that will display on the report, define the report layout, and select the
report format. FRD creates report files in an .xml format.
The financial reports are defined based on report details, rows, and columns. Each report you create may be as
simple or as complex as necessary. You can use the Report Wizard to create the basic framework for your report
and then you can provide the specific data and accounts to display on the report. Use the Report Wizard to
quickly create a standard income statement or balance sheet. Use of the Report Wizard is not mandatory. Refer
to application help for more detailed information on the Financial Report Designer.
Menu Path: Financial Management > General Ledger > Setup > Financial Report Designer

This program is not available in Epicor Web Access.

To create a report using the Report Wizard:

1. Click the New on the Standard toolbar.

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2. In the Report ID field, enter a unique identifier for this report.

3. Enter the Description for the report. This value displays on various drop-down lists throughout the application.

4. Click the Book drop-down list to select the book for which you want to create a report. The associated
COA displays in the COA field.

5. Click the Balance Level drop-down list to select the level of balance you want for your report. Available
options: Detailed Balance Account, Summary Balance Account, or Natural Account.

6. Click the Balance Frequency drop-down list to select either Period Balances or Daily Balances.

7. Click Save.

8. From the Actions menu, select Report Wizard.

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9. The Financial Report Wizard window displays.

10. Select either Income Statement or Balance Sheet, depending on the report you want.

11. Click OK.

12. The rows and columns based on your accounts display under the Specification sheets.

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13. Navigate to the Specification > Columns > List sheet.

14. Make any necessary column changes you would like for your report in the Columns grid.

15. Click Save.

16. Navigate to the Specification > Syntax Check sheet to perform a syntax check of your report.

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17. Select a report type. Available options: Income Statement, Balance Sheet, or Other.

18. Click the Syntax Check button.

19. Report errors display in the Syntax Error Report grid. Refer to application help for information to correct
any errors that display.

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Chapter 8: Legal Numbers

Some countries require you use legal numbers with company transactions. Legal numbers improve tracking and auditing
because they make sure business documents and transactions have unique sequential numbers. For example, you can
indicate within Company Configuration that legal numbers are required on all customer printed invoice and credit
documents. Legal numbers have two categories:
• Legal document numbers - These numbers are assigned to external documents like packing slips, sales invoices,
and credit memos. The number assignment occurs when the documents are posted or printed.
• Legal transaction numbers - These numbers are assigned when documents are created that do not require printing,
for example, manual journals and cash receipts.
You can generate legal numbers for financial, supply chain and manufacturing transaction documents throughout the
application.
To generate legal numbers for a transaction, the following information is required:
• At least one of the required transaction type defined in Transaction Document Type Maintenance. One must
have a selected Default for System Transaction check box.
• At least one legal number configuration for the transaction type defined in Legal Number Maintenance. The
transaction document type must be selected.
You use Transaction Document Type to associate transaction document types to system transactions. You then use
Legal Number Maintenance to define the prefixes, formats, masks, sequences, and legal text. You link number legal
number configurations to specific transaction document types.
If your Epicor application is integrated with another financial application, legal numbers can also be generated through
this external system and then returned to the Epicor application. You may then view the legal number through various
tracking programs.
You can view legal numbers in various programs, trackers, logs and reports. When you print tags, generated legal
numbers associated with the transaction print on the tag.

Transaction Document Types

Use Transaction Document Type Maintenance to define the kinds of documents assigned to legal number
sequences. The types link a transaction with a particular legal number.
Examples of system document types include AP Invoices, Promissory Notes, Petty Cash transactions, and
Withholding Taxes. Most of the system types support legal document numbers applied to internal transactions.
• Financial Management > Accounts Payable > Setup > Transaction Document Type
• Financial Management > Accounts Receivable > Setup > Transaction Document Type
• Financial Management > Cash Management > Setup > Transaction Document Type
• Financial Management > General Ledger > Setup > Transaction Document Type
To create a new document type:

1. Click New on the Standard toolbar.

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2. In the Document Type field, enter the document type you need. This value displays within Legal Number
Maintenance and in several places with entered documents, specifying document types for particular
documents.

3. In the Description field, enter a concise explanation of the document type.

4. From the System Transaction drop-down list, select the transaction type you need. For example,
• AP Invoices
• AR Invoices
• Credit Memos
• Payment Instrument AP
• Payment Instrument AR
• Manual GRNI Clearing
GRNI is the abbreviation for Goods Received Not Invoiced.

5. If you want this document type to be the default option, select the Default for System Transaction check
box. This transaction document type becomes the default for this transaction. However, you can create
other document types for this transaction.

6. Select the Red Storno check box if this document type uses reverse entry transactions. This functionality is
used for transactions within Russia and other localities that have this financial requirement (to create negative
debit and negative credit entries); this feature is sometimes called negative posting.

7. Certain localities, such as Romania, require that authorized users be assigned to transaction document types
– specifically AR Invoices and Credit Memos types. You can then track who created these transactions in
the database. To do this, click the Authorized Users sheet.

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8. Clear the All Users check box.

You cannot clear this check box if the document type is


the default option for this transaction; this occurs when
its Default for System Transaction check box is selected
on the Detail sheet. If you need authorized users, either
clear this check box or create a new document type.

9. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New Authorized User.

10. From the User ID drop-down list, select the user you need. Each user is considered a Default user, so this
check box is automatically selected.

11. Continue to add the authorized users you need. When you finish, click Save.

Legal Numbers

Use Legal Number Maintenance to configure legal number sequences and associate the sequences with document
types. You can then associate these numbers with internal transactions and external documents.
You can define multiple legal numbers for the same transaction type. For example, you can use a legal number
formatted INV-2007-000001 with a national AR invoice and AR0000001 with an exported invoice.
• Financial Management > Accounts Payable > Setup > Legal Number
• Financial Management > Accounts Receivable > Setup > Legal Number
• Financial Management > Cash Management > Setup > Legal Number
• Financial Management > General Ledger > Setup > Legal Number
To create a new legal number sequence:

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1. Click New on the Standard toolbar.

2. In the Legal Number field, enter the legal number identifier you use to locate the legal number sequence.

3. In the Description field, enter a concise explanation of the legal number purpose.

4. From the Number Type drop-down list, select the system transaction to which the Legal Number is linked.
Specific transaction document types are defined in the Transaction Document Types topic earlier in this
chapter. Also review the Document Types topic below.

5. Select the Enable Change History check box if you want to record the history of all changes made to the
legal number configuration.
If a warning window appears, click Yes to confirm that you want to log all changes to the legal number
configuration.
You can view the change history in the Change History sheet.

6. Use the fields in the Generation Type section to define how the legal number is generated. You can select
either an Automatic or Manual generation type. You can also select the Generate SSCC check box to
indicate a Serial Shipping Container Code number should also be generated for this legal number. For more
information about how to use SSCC numbers, review the Shipping and Receiving chapter in the Epicor
Application User Guide.

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7. In the Generate On field, select at what point during the transaction to generate the legal number. Available
Options:
• For Automatic Generation Types
• Save - The legal number generates when the document is saved and after the validations to save the
document are complete.
• Print - The legal number generates when the document prints and after the validations to print the
document are complete.
• Post - For financial transactions. The legal number generates when you click Submit to post the
document.
• Close - For shipping transactions. The legal number generates when the shipment has a status of
Closed, Staged or Shipped.
• Received - For receipt transactions. The legal number generates when you receive a line on the
packing slip.

• For Manual Generation Types


• Assign - The legal number generates when you manually assign it to the document, using the Actions
>Legal Numbers > Assign Legal Numbers, menu option.
• Save - When you save the document, a prompt appears where you can enter the legal number for
the document.

Based on the number type, some Generate On options


might not be available.

8. Leverage the fields available within the Prefix Type section to define how the prefixes generate for this
legal number. You can create user-defined or journal code prefixes. If you select the journal code type, you
must select the journal you need from the Journal Code drop-down list.

9. Select the Display Number After Generation check box if you want the legal number to display to the
user after generation.

10. Select the Use Pre Numbered Formats check box if you want to print the transaction and the legal number
using an installed numbering format. This check box is available when you select Automatic from the
Generation Type drop-down list.

11. Use one or more of the following check boxes to determine if you want sequences assigned by sites,
warehouses and/or by users:

a. Select the Allow Prefixes By sites check box to indicate you want sequences assigned by sites codes.

b. Select the Allow Prefixes by Warehouse check box to indicate you want sequences assigned by
warehouses.

c. Select the Allow Prefixes by Users check box to indicate you want sequences assigned by users.

12. Select the Allow change after printed check box to indicate documents can be changed after printed
with an assigned Legal Number. If this check box is clear, you cannot change the document once is printed,
your only options is to void the Legal Number, change the document, and assign a new Legal Number.

13. Use the Detail Lines in Format field to define the number of lines that can be printed using a pre-numbered
format. This field is active when the Use Pre Numbered Formats check box is selected.

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14. Select the Overrideable Prefix check box to indicate the user can change the prefix on the legal number.
This check box is available if the Type field is set to the Manual option. When you activate the Overrideable
Prefix check box, you can create alternate prefixes and alternate prefix sequences for this legal number. This
functionality is explored in the Alternate Prefixes and Sequences section later in this chapter.

15. Use the Number Option drop-down list to define how numbers generate for this legal number method.
This check box is available if the Type field is set to the Manual option. Available options:
• Sequence entered manually – The user must directly enter the number.
• Sequence system generated – The Epicor application automatically generates a number.

16. Select a Calendar to define the fiscal calendar for this legal number.

17. In the Voiding Option section, use the Automatic Void check box to determine if legal number are voided
automatically when the transaction is deleted. You can also enter a predefined voiding reason that displays
in transaction logs and in reports.

Based on the number type, different fields in this section


may be view only:
• If automatic voiding is not available for the number
type, the section is disabled.
• If only automatic voiding is available for the number
type, the Automatic Voiding check box is selected
and view only. You can update the Voiding Reason
field with a custom reason.

18. Click Save.

Format

Use the Format sheet to define the format of the legal number.
A legal number is composed of mandatory and selected optional elements. In the Format sheet, you can select
which elements to include in the legal number format and in what order the elements should appear. You can
also select to divide the different elements by standard and conditional separators. When the legal number using
the legal number configuration generates, the legal number uses the format defined in this sheet.
You can also define additional formatting information, including sequence length, separator symbols, date format
options and the free text element text.
To define a format for a legal number:

1. Click the Format sheet.

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2. In the Available Elements pane, review the elements you can select to include in the legal number
configuration and select an element.
The following elements are available for selection:
• Conditional Separator - Alternate or conditional separator used to separate elements of the legal
number. Typically, this is used to separate the fiscal year suffix.
• Day - The date the document was created
• Fiscal Year - The fiscal year of the document date, based on the fiscal calendar
• Fiscal Year Suffix - The suffix of the fiscal year of the document date, based on the fiscal calendar
• Fiscal Period - The fiscal period of the document date, based on the fiscal calendar
• Free Text - Free text to be used in legal numbers. This text can be up to 12 characters in length. This
text is defined in the Free Text field.
• Legal Number ID - The current legal number configuration
• Prefix - The main, alternative or fiscal period-specific prefix . This element is mandatory.
• Quarter - The fiscal quarter of the document date, based on the fiscal calendar. A fiscal quarter is a
number of full or not full three month ranges starting from the Fiscal Year start date.
• Separator (1,2,3,...) - Specifies the character used to separate different elements of a legal number.
The default value is the hyphen "-".
• Sequence -A unique numeric sequence for the legal number prefix. The element length defaults to 8
digits but you can change it. This element is mandatory.
• Site - Site associated with the document. If the document is not associated with a specific site, the current
site is used.
• Transaction Document Type - The transaction document type associated with the document

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3. Click the Right Arrow button.


If you want to move an element from the Selected Elements list to the Available Elements list, use the Left
Arrow. Use the double arrows to move all elements from one list to the other.

To include separators in the legal number, move the


separator elements in the Available Elements list to the
Selected Elements list and place them where you want
the separators to appear. Separators display in the
Formatted Legal Number Sample field.

4. To move a selected element up or down the Selected Elements list, click the up and down arrows.
The elements display in the legal number based on their placement in the Selected Element list. If an element
is at the top of the list, it appears first in the formatted legal number. If it is at the bottom of the list, it
appears last in the formatted legal number.

5. Enter the Sequence Length to define the length of the sequence number. Valid entries are 1-10.

6. Enter the Separator Symbol used to divide sequences within the legal numbers.

7. Enter the Alternative/Conditional Separator typically used to divide the fiscal year suffix.

8. In the Free Text field, enter the text to display in the selected Free Text element.

9. In the Fiscal Year Format field, select whether the fiscal year element should display in 2 or 4 digits.

10. In the Align Fiscal Period Length to field, specify whether the fiscal period displays with one, two or three
digits. The fiscal period ends with leading zeros.

11. Select the Add Leading Zero to 1-digit day check box if the Day element should always display in two
digits. If the day is one digit, a leading zero is added.
If clear, the Day value is displays without leading zeros.

12. Review a sample of the formatted legal number and the estimated character length of the formatted legal
number. The maximum number of characters is 30.
An indicator displays if the length is within 30 characters or if it exceeds 30 characters.
• If the legal number is under 30 characters, a green Length is OK indicator displays.
• If the legal number exceeds 30 characters, a red Length exceeds maximum indicator displays.

If the Generate SSCC check box on the Detail sheet is


selected, legal number format is
ExtensionDigit-Prefix-Sequence-AutogeneratedNumber
(The - separator does not appear).

13. Click Save.

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Default Sequences

Default sequences define the typical sequences through which the current legal number generates. You can set
up these sequences for each fiscal year, or for each period in the fiscal year. You can also indicate when this
default sequence is no longer available.
To add a default sequence:

1. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New Default Sequence.

2. A new row appears on the Default Sequences grid.

3. Enter the Transaction Year and fiscal Period (optional) during which you want this default legal number
sequence to be used.

4. If you need, define the Start Sequence and End Sequence for the current legal number. These values
determine the first and last numbers available for this sequence.

5. In the Available field, enter the number of pre-printed forms are present to use with this default sequence.

6. When this default sequence should no longer be used, select the Inactive check box.

7. When you finish, click Save.

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Alternate Prefixes and Sequences

You can create alternate prefixes and sequences for the current legal number. You can add alternate options on
the Alternate Prefix sheet when the Overrideable Prefix, Allow Prefixes by Site, Allow Prefixes by Warehouse, or
Allow Prefixes by Users check boxes are selected. Users then select these alternate legal number options as
needed.

1. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New Alternate Prefix.

2. A new row displays on the Alternate Prefixes grid.

3. Enter the Sequence Prefix.

4. If the Allow Prefixes by Site check box is selected, you can select the Site where you want to use the
alternate prefix; all sites available in the current company display on this list. You can do the same with
Warehouse and Users, if respective check boxes are selected.

5. Define the Number Option for the alternate prefix. Available options:
• Sequence entered manually – The user must directly enter the number.
• Sequence system generated – The Epicor application automatically generates a number.

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6. You next define the alternate sequences to use with each alternate prefix. You can create as many sequences
as you need. Select an alternate sequence. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New
Alternate Sequence.

7. A new row appears on the Alternate Prefix Sequences grid.

8. Enter the Transaction Year and fiscal Period during which you want this alternate legal number sequence
to be used.

9. If you need, define the Start Sequence and End Sequence for the current legal number. These values
determine the first and last numbers available for this alternate sequence.

10. Continue to define the alternate sequence; the remaining columns are identical to the columns on the
Default Sequences grid on the Default sheet. When you finish adding alternate sequences, click Save.

Document Types

Use the Document Type sheet to link the legal number with selected transaction document types. You can
associate multiple sequences with the document types selected in Customer Maintenance and AR Invoice Entry.
The available document types must not be assigned to another legal number. They must also be both active and
restricted to the legal number’s system transaction.
To link a transaction document type to a legal number:

1. Click the Document Type sheet.

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2. From the Available Document Type list, select the transaction document type.

3. Click the Right Arrow button.


If you want to move a transaction type from the Assigned Document Type list to the Available Document
type, use the Left Arrow.

4. The transaction document type will display on the Assigned Document Type list.

5. Continue to add the transaction document types you need. When you finish, click Save.

Change History

Use the Change History sheet to view a history of all changes made to the selected legal number.

For entries to appear in the change history for a legal number


configuration, the Enable Change History check box on the
Detail sheet for that legal number configuration must be
selected.

To view the change history for a legal number configuration:

1. Click the Change History sheet.

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2. Click the Retrieve button.

3. In the Change History list, review the change history entries for the selected legal number configuration.

4. Click Save.

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Chapter 9: Global Tax Engine

Use the Global Tax Engine to define tax codes, tax rates, timing of liability, and custom tax algorithms. This functionality
is flexible; you can define tax parameters for nearly every country in which you do business.
The Global Tax Engine supports three methods of tax collection:
• Invoicing – The supplier includes tax amounts on invoices and remits the taxes to authorities when payment is
received. Invoices normally include separate line items for taxes, but you can also include tax line amounts, as in
VAT.
• Withholding – The purchaser withholds a portion of the invoiced amount in order to pay the supplier’s tax liability.
Income taxes are normally collected by withholding.
• Self-assessment (reversed charge) – The taxpayer calculates the taxes owed on relevant transactions and reports
the tax to the tax authorities. Self-assessments can create single tax transactions or dual (input and output) tax
transactions.
This chapter describes the programs you use to set up the global tax engine.

Cents Override

Use Cents Override Maintenance if you need to change the normal rounding values to define the tax required
on the decimal portion of an amount. These definitions use the number of decimals defined for the base currency
of the company. Cents overrides apply to the effective rates defined in Tax Type Maintenance. This program is
explained later in this chapter.
Menu Path: Financial Management > Accounts Payable > Setup > Cents Override
To create a cents override record:

1. Click New on the Standard toolbar.

2. In the Code field, enter the code identifier for the cents override record.

3. Enter a Description for the code identifier.

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4. You enter cents override values between .00 and .99. To create a new cents override detail line, click the
Down Arrow next to the New button; select New Cent Line.

5. Enter the monetary range you need in the Cents From and Cents To fields.

6. Enter the Tax Amount you need for this cents range.

7. Continue to add more detail lines as you need. When you finish, click Save.

Tax Report Categories

Use Tax Report Category Maintenance to define categories you can then select on tax types. Tax categories are
optional parameters you may use for filtering or grouping on VAT tax reports. VAT is a consumption tax assessed
on the value added to goods and services sold in the European Union.
Menu Path: Financial Management > Accounts Payable > Setup > Tax Report Category
To create a new tax report category:

1. Click New on the Standard toolbar.

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2. In the Report Category field, enter the code identifier for the tax report category.

3. Enter a Description for this tax report category.

4. When you finish, click Save.

Legal Text

Use Legal Text Maintenance to create default text that explains the taxes that display on external documents.
The text that displays on a specific document is defined through the tax type used to calculate the tax.
Menu Path: Financial Management > Accounts Receivable > Setup > Legal Text
To create new legal text:

1. Click New on the Standard toolbar.

2. In the Legal Text Code field, enter the code identifier for the legal text record.

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3. Enter a Description for the legal text.

4. You are now ready to enter the legal text for this record. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button;
select New Tax Text Detail.

5. Use the Language drop-down list to define the language used for the legal text.

You can install several languages within your application.


For more information on installing languages, review the
Localization chapter within the Epicor ICE User Experience
and Customization Guide.

6. If you want this text to be the first value that appears when this legal text record is selected, select the
Default check box.

7. Enter the Legal Text you need.

8. Repeat these steps to add more legal text to the record. When you finish, click Save.

Tax Jurisdictions

Tax jurisdictions are the governance or authority that grants the power to tax a particular tax type. Optionally
use Tax Jurisdiction Maintenance to define an authority to which you report the taxes. You link jurisdictions to
tax types. You must associate each jurisdiction you define with at least one tax type in Tax Type Maintenance.
They may be used as a filter on VAT Tax reporting.
Menu Path: Financial Management > Accounts Payable > Setup > Tax Jurisdiction

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To create a new tax jurisdiction:

1. Click New on the Standard toolbar.

2. In the Code field, enter the code identifier for the tax jurisdiction.

3. Enter a Description that identifies this tax jurisdiction within Tax Type Maintenance. Counties, Districts,
and Cities are some examples of jurisdictions. This program is explained later in this chapter.

4. In the Tax field, enter the tax linked to the jurisdiction.

5. Click Save.

Tax Boxes

Optionally use Tax Box Maintenance to define tax boxes (the reporting values on tax returns, usually referenced
with a number); these records are used to report taxes to authorities. Tax boxes can be used with VAT tax
statements, Australian BAS statements, and tax documents sent to employees in the United States. Each tax box
defines default values you associate with rate codes in Tax Type Maintenance. You can also define the XML
element that contains tax box data transmitted electronically to taxing authorities.
The values you enter through this program are the default for the tax box selected on the rate code. However,
you can override these values on a specific rate code or add multiple records to a single rate code.
Menu Path: Financial Management > Accounts Payable > Setup > Tax Box
To create a new tax box:

1. Click New on the Standard toolbar.

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2. In the Tax Box field, enter a value for this tax box. This value identifies the tax box in application processing.
When you link a tax box to a rate code, the values defined in the tax box record are used with the rate code.
For more information, review the Tax Types section later in the chapter.

3. Enter a Description for the tax box. This description will display in several programs and reports.

4. In the XML Tag field, enter the .xml element that contains tax box data. This setting applies when the
statement on which the tax box appears is transmitted to authorities electronically. For example, the Sales
Tax Report and Sales List Report can use electronic interfaces for tax reporting.

5. Enter any additional information you need for this tax box in the Comment field. Typically this field contains
a longer description of how the code is applied and reported.

6. Now select a Source Module from the drop-down list. A required field, this option defines the record type
used for the origin of the tax box information. Available options:
• A/R Invoice
• A/P Invoice
• A/R Credit Memo
• A/P Debit Memo

7. Click the Line drop-down list to specify the acquisition sequence for the selected tax box. Available options:
• Primary/Standard – These lines are created if typical charges apply to the tax box.
• Secondary/Reversing – These lines are created if EU acquisition or reverse charges apply to the tax box

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8. Next click the Amount Type drop-down list to specify the type of amount used with this tax box. Available
options:
• Taxable Amount – This tax box is used to hold the taxable amount on the transaction. This value is the
total amount on the transaction that can be taxed, excluding tax.
• Tax Amount – This tax box is used to hold just the tax amount on the transaction. This value is the total
tax levied against the transaction.

9. Use the Box Sign drop-down list to specify the positive or negative value on the tax box. A required field,
select either the + or – option. Note that the system internally holds AR invoices with the implied negative
sign to indicate that output tax is payable. If you are not sure the selected box sign will generate the results
you want, verify your tax box settings, test your settings in a test environment.

10. When you finish, click Save.

Custom Tax Algorithms

Use Custom Tax Algorithm Maintenance to define the base value you use for tax calculations and the actual
algorithm. The standard tax algorithm multiplies the net amount, after discount amounts are subtracted, by the
applicable tax rate. Leverage this program to handle different calculations, such as taxes that directly affect other
taxes. You link custom algorithms with tax types.
Menu Path: Financial Management > Accounts Payable > Setup > Custom Tax Algorithm
To create a new custom tax algorithm:

1. Click New on the Standard toolbar.

2. In the Algorithm field, enter the algorithm identifier for this custom tax.

3. Enter a Description for this custom tax algorithm.

4. You can now create the algorithm. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New Line.

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5. The Line > Detail sheet displays.

6. Select the first operand you need from the Operand 1 drop-down list. Available options:
• NV – Net value (price after discount excluding taxes).
• GV – Gross value (all calculated taxes are included).
• SV – Sales value (before discount, excluding taxes).
• SV – Sales value (before discount, excluding taxes).
• TA – Tax amount before exemptions, tax type is defined in operand 3.
• TE – Tax amount after exemptions, tax type is defined in operand 3.
• Lxx – Result of expression in line xx.
• PT – Payment total amount.
• PI– Payment proportional amount. The paid amount is proportionally split to the underlying invoice lines.
The tax is calculated based on those tax categories.
• n – Numeric constant.

7. Click the Operator drop-down list to define the Operator you want to use to calculate this detail line.
Available options:
• + Add operand 1 and operand 2.
• * Multiply operand 1 with operand 2.
• / Divide operand 1 with operand 2.
• - Subtract operand 2 from operand 1.
• % Calculate operand 2 as a percentage value of operand 1.
• > Logical expression: If operand 1 is greater than operand 2, the line value is defined by operand 3, else
by operand 4. This operator is disabled if operand 1 or 2 is TA or TE.

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• < Logical expression: If operand 1 is less than operand 2, the line value is defined by operand 3, else by
operand 4. This operator is disabled if operand 1 or 2 is TA or TE.
• = The expression result is equal to operand 1.
• TR Calculate tax rate as defined by tax liability and product tax category.

8. Select the second operand you need from the Operand 2 drop-down list. These options are the same as
those on the Operand 1 drop-down list.

9. If the value of Operand 1 is not TE or TA and the Operator value is > or <, the Operand 3 drop-down list
is available. These options are the same as those on the Operand 1 drop-down list.

10. If the Operator value is > or <, the Operand 4 drop-down list is available. These options are the same as
those on the Operand 1 drop-down list.

11. If the Operand 1 value is TE or TA, you can select a sales tax code from the Operand 3 Tax drop-down list.

12. If the Operand 2 value is TE or TA, you can select a sales tax code from the Operand 4 Tax drop-down list.

13. If the Base Line check box is selected, it indicates this algorithm will be used as the taxable base amount;
if the Tax Line check box is selected, it indicates this algorithm will be used as the tax amount.

14. Continue to add the algorithm detail lines you need. When you finish, click Save.

Tax Types

Use Tax Type Maintenance to specify different tax types and tax rate codes for use in sales and purchases. Tax
types define the algorithm used to calculate taxes, collection method, time of recognition, tax rates, accounting
information, and other tax attributes. You first create tax codes. Tax codes each have a rate value the application
uses to calculate the tax amounts. These tax codes are later grouped under a tax liability. The tax types you enter
vary based on the localities with whom you conduct business. Refer to the Country Specific Functionality topics
in the application help for information on the tax types you set up in different countries.
For example, the Value Added Tax, or VAT, is a consumption tax assessed on the value added to goods and
services sold in the European Union locality. Any goods imported into the European Union are subject to VAT,
while goods sold outside the European Union are not subject to VAT. So a company in Great Britain has two
domestic VAT rates - an exempt rate of 0% and a standard rate of 17.5%. You must create two tax codes and
later add these tax codes to the Domestic tax region.
Another type of tax is Use Tax. Levied in the United States locality, this internal corporate tax is self-assessed
when a product is purchased by a resident of the state that issues the tax. It does not affect the invoice total,
but it does affect the general ledger. Use tax is strictly to account for storage and consumption of goods used
internally by the company in a specific state (not for resale).
Menu Path: Financial Management > Accounts Payable > Setup > Tax Type

Create a Tax Type

To create a new tax type:

1. Click New on the Standard toolbar.

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2. In the Tax ID field, enter the tax ID for this tax type.

3. Enter a Description for the tax type.

4. Click the Collection Method drop-down list to define the method to collect this type of tax. Available
methods:
• Invoicing – The tax amount is added to the amount shown on the invoice and is collected by the supplier,
as part of the total invoice value. The supplier collects and pays the taxes to the authorities. The tax
amount is usually separately specified on the invoice, and if needed, it can be included in the amount
charged for the item.
• Withholding – The purchaser is required to withhold a portion of the amount invoiced and pay this to
the authorities. These types of taxes are collected and paid by the purchaser on behalf of his supplier’s
tax liability.
• Self-Assessment – The tax payer must calculate the tax amount due on relevant transactions (sometimes
called reversed charge).This tax can apply on purchases, such as European Union (EU) purchases where
the purchaser must report VAT amounts.
• Self-Assessment, dual entry – The tax payer must create both input and output tax transactions. This
method is used for EU acquisition purchases. Since this covers both sides, the net tax value on the invoice
is zero.

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5. Use the Default Tax Timing drop-down list to define the default method to determine when and how
taxes are calculated and posted as committed tax transactions. The available options are Invoice, Partial
Payment, and Fully Paid. You use the Default Tax Timing parameter together with the collection method.

6. Use the Deposit/Adv. Billing Tax Timing drop-down list to define when and how taxes are calculated
and posted as committed tax transactions for advanced billing and deposit AR invoices. The available options
are Invoice, Partial Payment, and Fully Paid. You use the Deposit/Adv. Billing Tax Timing parameter together
with the collection method.

If there is no selected Deposit/Adv. Billing Tax Timing


value, the Default Tax Timing option is used.

7. Use the Custom Algorithm drop-down list to select a user-defined algorithm you defined within Custom
Tax Algorithm Maintenance. For more information, review the previous Custom Tax Algorithms section.

8. Click the Payment Discount Treatment drop-down list to define how a tax is calculated when an early
payment discount is given. Available options:
• Does Not Affect Tax - This value is the default.
• Payment Discount Reduces Tax - Tax is adjusted if the payment discount is taken against the amount
as a separate adjustment record at the time of recording the payment.
• Terms Discount Reduces Tax - Tax and tax base are adjusted by the possible settlement discount when
the invoice is created. This method is used in Unighted Kingdom and Ireland when settlement discount
is part of your normal terms of trade.

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9. Select the Tax Jurisdiction you need linked to this tax type. You create these records within Tax Jurisdiction
Maintenance; review this previous section for more information. You can use tax jurisdictions as selection
criteria when printing tax reports.

10. Use the Report Category drop-down list to select the tax report category you want to associate with this
tax type if required. You create these records within Tax Report Category Maintenance; review this previous
section for more information.

11. Select the Legal Text you wish to use with this tax type if applicable. You create these records within Legal
Text Maintenance; review this previous section for more information.

12. To activate Epicor Tax Connect, select the Tax Connect Calculation check box. This tax service can help
you calculate your taxes automatically. Contact your Epicor account manager for more information on this
time-saving application.

13. Select the Manual Tax Calculation check box to indicate this sales tax is manually calculated and entered.

14. When you select the Round Down Tax check box, you indicate that all tax amounts calculated through
this tax type are automatically rounded down to the nearest value.

15. If you select the Advanced Billing check box, you indicate this tax is charged on an advanced billing line.

16. When you finish, click Save.

Rates

You use the Rates sheets to enter rate code information for the current tax type. When you create a rate code,
you then further define its effective rates, tax exemption options, tax boxes, and GL controls.

Enter Rate Codes

To create a new rate code:

1. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New Rate.

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2. In the Rate Code field, enter the code identifier for the new rate. This code is used together with the tax
type to identify the rate within other financial programs, reports, and trackers.

3. Enter a Description for the rate code.

4. Click the Legal Text drop-down list to define the text that explains this tax type and rate code on external
documents. You enter the legal text options you need within Legal Text Maintenance; this program is
described earlier in this chapter.

5. Select the Default Rate check box if this rate code is the default rate used with this tax type. However, you
can override this rate through a product tax category; review the Product Tax Categories section later in this
chapter for more information.

6. When you finish, click Save.

Define Effective Rates

Use the Effective Rate sheets to define the active rates available for the current rate code.
To create an effective rate:

1. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New Effective Rate.

2. Select the Effective From date you need. This value is the date from which this rate is used when the
application calculates taxes.

3. Click the Rate Type drop-down list to select what kind of rate you are creating. Available options:
• Percentage (default)
• Fixed Value
• Graduated Rates

4. In the Percentage field, enter the tax percentage. This value is multiplied against taxable line items to
calculate tax results. If the rate type is selected to Fixed Value or Graduated Rates, this field is not available.

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5. If the selected rate type is Fixed Value, enter the specific amount for this effective rate in this field. This set
amount is used to calculate taxes.

6. If you need, enter the AP Deductible %. This field defines what percentage of the tax is deductible; this
calculation is used in countries where taxes on purchases are not levied either fully or partially. The
non-deductible amount is treated as a cost and expensed to a non-recoverable tax account.

7. Use the Currency drop-down list to define the currency this effective rate uses. The fixed tax amount and
any graduated rates are calculated using this currency.

Normally these values are always calculated in the base


currency. However if the invoice for which these taxes are
calculated is in another currency, the application
recalculates the amounts by converting the source
currency into amounts for the selected target currency
on this tax type record.

8. If you need, enter a Minimum Tax Amount. This field specifies the lowest tax amount charged through
this effective rate. If the calculated tax amount is less than this amount, no tax is charged. You indicate
whether this amount is calculated at the line or document level using the Compare At options.

9. Likewise, you can enter a Maximum Tax Amount. This field specifies the highest tax amount charged
through this effective rate. If the calculated amount is higher, the amount charge reverts to this Maximum
Tax Amount. You indicate whether this amount is calculated at the line or document level using the Compare
At options.

10. Now select the Cents Override option you wish to use with this effective rate. This value defines the tax
required on the decimal portion of an amount. You create these options using Cents Override Maintenance;
review this previous section for more information.

11. Use the Compare At radio button options to indicate at what level within the taxes are calculated. Available
options:
• Document Level – Rates are calculated at the main document level (sales order, purchase order).
• Line Level – Rates are calculated at the detail line level.

12. If the Rate Type is set to the Graduated Rates option, you can enter a series of rates on the Graduated
Rates sheets. You do this by clicking the Down Arrow next to the New button and selecting New
Graduated Rate.

13. When you finish, click Save.

Specify Exemptions

Use the Exempt sheet to specify products exempt from a tax type and rate. The exemption can be either partial
or full.
To add an exempt category:

1. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New Exempt Category.

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2. Click the Category ID drop-down list to select a product tax category exempt from this tax type and rate.
When a user adds a line to an invoice, the application verifies whether the product tax category on the detail
line is exempt for the selected tax type and rate.

3. Select the Reportable check box to indicate that sales for this tax category must still be reported to the tax
jurisdiction as gross receipts.

4. Click the Exemption drop-down list to define how the exemption is calculated. Available options:
• Reduced Base (default) – The taxable base amount is reduced with the percentage given for the
exemption.
• Reduced Rate – The tax percentage derived for the tax type is reduced with the percentage given for
the tax type.
• Fully Exempt – The tax is fully exempt and will not be reported. No tax is calculated and no tax
transactions are created for the tax type. The global tax engine ignores the tax.

5. Enter the exemption percentage in the Percent field. If this item is a full exemption but you still need to
report the amount, select either Reduced Base or Reduced Rate and enter 100%. If this category is Fully
Exempt, this percentage is 100% by default and you cannot change the value in this column.

6. When you finish, click Save.

Add Tax Boxes

Use the Tax Box sheets to link the current rate with tax boxes, the items used to report taxes to authorities. Tax
boxes can be defined for VAT tax statements, Australian BAS statements, and tax documents sent to employees
in the United States.
You create tax boxes with Tax Box Maintenance. Review the previous Tax Boxes section for more information.
Multiple tax box entries can be recorded against a single rate; for example, a box recording the gross tax-inclusive
price will have two records, one adding the taxable value and a separate entry to add the tax.
To add a tax box to a rate code:

1. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New Tax Box.

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2. Click the Box Code button to find and select the tax box you need.

3. Select a Source Module from the drop-down list. A required field, this option defines the record type used
for the origin of the tax box information. Available options:
• A/R Invoice
• A/P Invoice
• A/R Credit Memo
• A/P Debit Memo

4. Click the Line drop-down list to specify the acquisition sequence for the selected tax box. Available options:
• Primary/Standard – These lines are created if typical charges apply to the tax box.
• Secondary/Reversing – These lines are created if EU acquisition or reverse charges apply.

5. Click the Amount Type drop-down list to specify the type of amount used with this tax box. Available
options:
• Taxable Amount - This tax box is used to hold the entire taxable amount on the transaction. This value
is the total amount on the transaction that can be taxed.
• Tax Amount - This tax box is used to hold just the tax amount on the transaction. This value is the total
tax levied against the transaction.

6. Use the Box Sign drop-down list to specify the positive or negative value on the tax box. A required field,
select either the + or – option.

7. The Description field displays the concise explanation for the tax box code.

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8. When you finish, click Save.

Add GL Controls

GL Control Types group contexts and entities together that define GL controls. A GL control then uses the account
contexts and journal contexts from the control type to generate the specific accounts needed to record financial
transactions. Use the GL Control sheets to assign one or multiple GL control types and GL controls to the current
rate code.
To add a GL control:

1. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New GL Control.

2. Click the Type button to find and select the GL Control Type you want to associate with the current rate
code.

3. Click the Control button to find and select the GL Control available within the selected GL Control Type.

4. When you finish entering the rate information, click Save.

International Descriptions

You can further define the tax type by entering some information on how this tax type is used internationally.

1. Click the Description tab to enter an explanation for the tax type in another language. These foreign
language descriptions display when a different language is selected for display in the application.

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2. Click the Language drop-down list to select the specific language you wish to use for the description.

3. Enter the alternate language Description you need.

4. Click Save.

European Union Data

Use the European Union Data sheet to define information relevant to European Union regulations.

1. Click the Reverse Tax Report Category drop-down list to select the tax category you need. Tax categories
are optional parameters you can use for filtering or grouping VAT tax reports. For more information, review
the previous Tax Categories section.

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2. Enter the Direct indicator you use to identify direct sales.

3. Likewise, enter the Triangulation indicator you use to identify any triangulated sales.

4. When you finish, click Save on the Standard toolbar.

Product Tax Categories

Use Product Tax Category Maintenance to define categories used to create exemptions for a tax rate. Leverage
these category records to apply exemptions throughout the application. Product tax categories and tax liabilities
together determine the taxes and tax rates applied to company transactions.
Categories can also set a default tax rate for a type of product or service. This setting overrides the default rate
set for the tax type that contains the rate. You create rate codes in Tax Type Maintenance, but you can override
these values in this program.
Menu Path: Financial Management > Accounts Payable > Setup > Product Tax Category
To create a new product tax category:

1. Click New on the Standard toolbar.

2. In the Category field, enter a category identifier for this record. You will use this record to find the category
in other programs.

3. Enter a Description that explains the purpose of this product tax category.

4. Select the Default check box if you want to identify this product tax category as the default option. This
option then automatically displays on all Product Tax Category drop-down lists throughout the application.

5. Select the Internal Usage Taxable check box to indicate parts that use this tax category are subject to use
tax. This type of tax is levied in the United States.

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This internal corporate tax is self-assessed when a product is purchased by a resident of the state that issues
the tax. It does not affect the invoice total, but it does affect the general ledger. Use tax strictly accounts
for storage and consumption of goods used internally by the company in a specific state (not for resale).

You can automatically generate use tax amounts through


the Avalara® (Tax Connect) functionality. Use tax
automatically generates whenever sales taxes are
calculated through Avalara. After you define the use taxes
that apply for your company, Avalara automatically
generates the use tax amounts.

6. If you want to prevent this product tax from generating Intrastat transactions, select the Exclude from
Intrastat check box. For example, you select this check box to indicate this product tax is used for services.
Intrastat transactions are then not generated for this tax.

7. You are ready to add tax rates. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New Tax Rate.

8. Use the Tax Type field to indicate the tax type record you want to link to the product tax category if you
need to over-ride the default tax rate defined on the tax type. You create tax types in Tax Type Maintenance;
review this previous section for more information.

9. Select the Rate Code you want to link to the tax type. The rate codes available for the selected tax type
display on this drop-down list; this code defines the rate used for the selected product category instead of
the default tax type rate.

10. Continue to add the tax rates you need. When you finish, click Save.

Tax Liabilities

Use Tax Liability Maintenance to define the taxes the company needs to calculate from customers and suppliers.
The tax liability is the region or locality that will receive a tax amount from this invoice. This can be taxes liable
due to either your company’s tax status or the tax status of the customer or supplier.
Use Customer Maintenance or Supplier Maintenance to attach a default tax liability code to the customer or
supplier bill to and ship to addresses. The tax liability and the product tax category (which represents what has
been sold or purchased) combination determines the final taxes and rates for the transaction.
Menu Path: Financial Management > Accounts Payable > Setup > Tax Liability
To create a new tax liability:

1. Click New on the Standard toolbar.

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2. In the Tax Liability field, enter the tax liability identifier.

3. Enter a Description that explains the purpose of the tax liability record.

4. Select the Inside EU check box to indicate this tax liability is used for sales and purchases conducted within
the European Union. Note that this setting on a tax liability together with that on the company tax liability
will trigger the intrastat logic to see whether an intrastat-country border has been crossed.

5. Select the EU Third Party Trade check box to indicate any sales that use this tax liability are reported as
third party sales on the Sales List report.

6. Select the Tax Inclusive Pricing check box if this tax liability is used in tax inclusive pricing.

7. To use this tax liability in Accounts Receivable and/or Accounts Payable, select the Use in AP and Use in
AR check boxes.

8. If you want to calculate taxes for this liability record using the Tax Connect application, select the Tax
Connect Calculation check box.

9. When you finish, click Save.

Add Tax Types

You can now add the tax types you need to the liability.

1. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New Tax Type.

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2. Select the Tax Type you need from the drop-down list. You create these records within Tax Type
Maintenance; review this previous section for more information.

3. Click the Tax Method drop-down list to define how the taxes are calculated against records which use this
tax liability. Available options:
• Document Level – Taxes are multiplied against the amounts summed on the entire record (sales order,
invoice).
• Line Level – Taxes are multiplied against the amount on each detail line within a record (sales order,
AR invoice).

4. If an exemption is available for this tax type, select it from the Exemption drop-down list. Available options:
• No Exempt (0) – Default value, no exemptions are allowed for this tax type.
• Reduced Base (1) – Exemption amount is calculated by multiplying the base amount against the Exemption
%.
• Reduced Rate (2) – Exemption amount is calculated by subtracting a percentage against the tax
percentage in order to use a smaller rate.

5. If you select Reduced Base from the Exemption drop-down list, the Exemption % field is available. In this
field, enter the percentage which you want to multiply against the base amount in order to calculate the
exemption amount.

6. Continue to add the tax types you need. When you finish, click Save.

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Tax Authorities

Use Tax Authority Maintenance to define a tax authority you use when the application is integrated with another
financial system. You leverage this definition to link the authority with the customers and suppliers within your
database.
Some countries require additional separation for tax reporting within areas of their country. This value is based
on a table of tax authorities. This field is then compared against customer, ship-to location, and supplier records
for the transfer to an external tax package.
Menu Path: Financial Management > Accounts Payable > Setup > Tax Authority
To create a new tax authority:

1. Click New on the Standard toolbar.

2. In the Code field, enter the code identifier for the tax authority. This value will display in several reports and
programs.

3. Enter a Description for the tax authority. This value displays on Tax Authority drop-down lists within other
programs.

4. If you no longer want this tax authority to display on drop-down lists, select the Inactive check box.

5. When you finish, click Save.

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Chapter 10: Electronic Interfaces

You use the electronic interface functionality to activate electronic funds transfer, or EFT, for financial transactions.
The Epicor application uses plug-in files to handle any EFT format differences. Because of this, you can set up the EFT
files you need, regardless of the bank accounts involved in the fund transfers.
You also use this functionality to define the electronic formats used for generating reports. Leverage this functionality
to send tax reports in jurisdictions that require electronic delivery. You can select an electronic interface to generate
VAT tax, Sales List, and Intrastat reports.
This chapter documents how you set up electronic interfaces within the Epicor application.

Electronic Interfaces
Use Electronic Interface Maintenance to define the electronic interfaces used in both EFT and soft-format reports.
For EFT, the interface’s .cs (Source File) program formats the data to match the bank format, while the interface
properties define the fields used to send the data. For soft format reports, the .cs plug-in file and its properties
provide the formatting needed to generate a report file.
The Single Euro Payment Area (SEPA) electronic interface enables customers to make cashless Euro payments to
anyone within the SEPA area of member states, using only a single bank account and a single set of payment
tools. The SEPA initiative improves the efficiency of cross border payments as all electronic payments across the
SEPA member states are considered domestic transactions.

Before setting up a SEPA electronic interface, refer to the SEPA


Country Specific Functionality Installation Guide. Use the
SEPA-BankRef.cs file when using Optical Character Recognition
(OCR) reference numbers for single invoices. Use the
SEPA-Generic.cs file to include a free-text field to include
supplier invoice numbers on your invoices.

Menu Path: Financial Management > Accounts Payable > Setup > Electronic Interface

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Create an Electronic Interface

To create a new electronic interface:

1. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New Interface.

2. In the Interface name field, enter a unique and concise electronic interface name.

3. Select the Type option you need from the drop-down list. This value indicates the purpose of the interface.
Refer to the Application Help for a complete list of available options.
For a list of the available types, refer to the Field Help for the Type field.

4. In the Program Category drop-down list, select from two options:


• Default - Enables you to select from the list of default programs (.cs source files). These are the standard
programs delivered with the Epicor ERP system. The list of available files is compiled from folders in the
default directory: Deployment\Server\Erp\EI.
• Company Specific - Enables you to select from a list of customised files you have created specifically
for your company, and saved in the company specific directory:
Deployment\Server\Companies\{CompanyID}/EI.

To see the company-specific list, the company-specific


directory must already exist. You have to create this
directory manually when you save company-specific
customised .cs files.

5. Click the Program button to find and select the .cs (Source File) program used as a plug-in for the current
electronic interface.

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6. The Electronic Interface Files window displays a list of available files, taken from the relevant directory,
based on your Program Category selection.

7. Select the required .cs file.

8. Click OK.

9. Enter a Description for this electronic bank interface. Use this text field to enter an internal explanation for
the bank interface. This text only displays on the internal maintenance form used with this bank interface.

10. If the System Interface check box is selected, this indicates the electronic interface is delivered with the
Epicor application. You cannot make changes to such electronic interfaces.

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11. When you finish, click Save.

Properties

Use the Properties sheet to define the data required for the electronic interface. The properties you enter on this
sheet become fields on the bank interface file. If you are developing a new EFT file, locate the property format
requirements you need and then add these properties on this sheet.
To add an EFT file property:

1. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New Interface Property.

2. Enter the Property Name that identifies this EFT property. The text you enter must be unique with the
other properties defined for this bank interface.

3. Now click the Type drop-down list to define what kind of property this field will be on the bank interface.
Available options:
• Date
• Decimal
• List
• Logical
• String

4. The Minimum Length field defines the least number of characters that users can enter to save a value
within this property. If users do not enter at least this many characters, an error message displays.

5. The Maximum Length field defines the highest number of characters that users must enter to save a value
within this property. If users enter more characters than this limit, an error message displays.

6. The Number of Decimals field indicates the highest number of decimals you allow for this property. If
users attempt to enter more decimals above this limit, an error message displays.

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7. When you finish, click Save.

Property Values

If you create a property that uses the List type, you must enter property values for this list. To add a property list:

1. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New Property Value.

2. An empty row displays on the PropValue grid.

3. Enter the values you need for this list in the grid.

4. When you finish adding options on this list, click Save.

Pay Methods

Use Pay Method Maintenance to define how you will pay various transactions. You can select specific payment
methods as the default for bank accounts, customers, and suppliers. You can set up a payment method linked
to an electronic interface and then associate this payment method with specific customers or suppliers for EFT
processing.

For more information on defining pay methods for customers


and suppliers, refer to the Customer Maintenance and Supplier
Maintenance topics in the application help.

Menu Path: Financial Management > Accounts Payable > Setup > Payment Method

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Create a Pay Method

To create a new AR payment method:

1. Click New on the Standard toolbar.

2. Enter a unique identifier for the Payment Method. You select this value on drop-down lists within other
programs.

3. Click the Scope drop-down list to define whether this payment method is used with either AR or AP.

4. Click the Pay Method Type drop-down list to define how the current method processes the payments.
Options differ based on the scope you selected, either AR or AP. Some available options:
• Check Printing - Use for system generated checks.
• Electronic Interface - Use for electronic interface transfer (EFT) payments.
• Future Payment Instrument Printing - Use for system generated future-dated checks or promissory
notes for payment instruments.
• In Cash - Use when planning to pay an invoice in cash (for example using Petty Cash). Not typically used
as a form of bank transfer.
• Manual - Use when no specific payment method is defined in advance. Any method can be used when
the invoice is paid.

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• Manual Payment Instrument - Use when no system-printed form is required for a payment instrument.
• On-site - Use for an AP payment on-site.

5. If you select the Electronic Interface option on the Pay Method Type menu, the Electronic Interface
drop-down list activates. Select the electronic interface you use with the current payment method. All the
electronic interfaces you created within Electronic Interface Maintenance display on this drop-down list. For
more information about this program, review the previous section.

6. Click the Output File Name button to select the directory path and file you update through the selected
electronic bank interface. An optional value, you can also specify an output file within AP Payment Entry.

7. Select the Only Bank Currency check box to indicate this payment method is limited to only use the currency
defined for the bank. Only invoices which use the bank currency can be selected within AP Payment Entry.

8. If you select AR from the Scope drop-down list, the Summarize Per Customer check box is available. Select
this check box to indicate payment records are organized and summarized by each customer record in your
database.

9. If you want the payment method to have the ability to reimburse invoices, select the Reimbursable check
box.

10. Define the Allowable Thresholds for the payment. These fields become active when you select a cash
receipt import electronic interface provided for your country for use with the AR Bank Import Workbench.
Available fields:
• Overpay Percent – For an AR payment method, this value specifies the overpayment percentage
threshold you will accept that does not raise an error when a received value is applied to an open AR
invoice amount. The overpayment is considered as on account, or the un-applied cash receipt amount.
• Underpay Percent – For an AR payment method, this value specifies the underpayment percentage
threshold you will accept that does not raise an error when a received value is applied to an open AR
invoice amount. The underpayment is considered as an AR cash receipt discount.

11. Use the fields in the Payment Instrument Options section to define the payment instrument type and
generation method for the current pay method. You can also indicate if the payment instrument is
automatically treated as approved.

12. Click the Property sheet to review the properties defined for the electronic interface selected on the current
payment method. You cannot edit these fields; they display for your information.

13. When you finish, click Save.

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Additional AP

Use the Additional AP sheet where required to add more AP information or options for an AP payment method
that uses an electronic interface type. You can define a default payment code, auto bank reconciliation, sender
reference, and registration number.

1. Navigate to the Additional AP sheet.

2. Enter the Default Payment Code you need for the AP option.

3. Select the Auto Bank Reconciliation check box to indicate a bank reconciliation entry is created when an
electronic output file generates.

4. Use the optional Sender Reference field to enter additional information you need.

5. Enter a Registration Number to define a reference number for this AP information.

6. Select the Proposed Payment check box to indicate this item is not an actual payment. You can then match
invoices to these bank payments within AP Bank File Import Workbench. For more information on this
program, review the application help.

7. When you select the Enter Payment Total check box, you indicate users can enter payment totals for
transactions which use this payment method.

8. Select the Test check box to indicate test transmissions are run when this electronic output file is created.

9. In the Statement Grouping field, specify how the payments are processed in a bank - individually or in a
batch.

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10. When you select the Interface Generated Group Id, the application uses identifiers generated via an EI
program during processing payments as batch Ids.

11. When you finish, click Save.

Additional AR

Use the Additional AR sheet where required to add more AR information or options for an AR payment method
that uses an electronic interface type. You can specify whether the application should automatically assign a
check number to each newly created AR check.

1. Click the Additional AR sheet.

2. Select the Automatic Check Numbering check box if the application should generate check numbers for
newly created AR checks. For each check, it assigns a check number prefaced by the current system date
and a unique number sequence for that payment method.

3. In the Statement Grouping field, specify how receipts are processed in a bank - as individual items or
batched items.

4. When you select the Interface Generated Group Id, the application uses identifiers generated via an EI
program during processing payments as batch Ids.

5. In the Timing field, specify at what moment the application groups AR receipts in batches - when you enter
a cash receipt or print a deposit slip.

6. In the Deposit Slips field, specify whether and how the application displays cash receipts in the Deposit
Slips Report.

7. When you finish, click Save.

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Electronic Reports

Access the Export sheet found on various reports to select the electronic interface used to generate a report. This
functionality is available within report programs that supports soft-formats. The following section uses the Sales
List report as an example.
Menu Path: Financial Management > Accounts Receivable > Reports > Sales List
To select an electronic interface for a report:

1. Use the Detail sheet to select the parameters of the report.

2. Click the Export sheet.

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3. Select the Electronic Interface you want to use for this report from the drop-down list.

4. Click the Export File button to find and select the directory path and file that will update with the EFT data.

5. Click the Generate Data button to populate the report with current data.

6. The Header group box displays the primary data at the top of the report, for example, the VAT Registration
Number (VRN). If you need, you can change these values.

7. The Detail grid displays the specific information included with this report.

8. When you finish, click Save.

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Chapter 11: Automatic Data Processing

The Epicor application contains functionality you can leverage to automatically generate data when you need it and
where you need it. This automatic data processing functionality runs at a time during your work cycle which you define.
You can automatically generate data for reports, processes, and executive dashboards.
You use this functionality to assign a specific process, report, or executive dashboard to a recurring schedule. An
application server monitors the system clock; when the application server calculates the current time matches a schedule,
this schedule activates. Any report, process, executive query, or process set linked to this schedule launches, refreshing
the selected programs with current data.
Through process sets, you can also organize the sequence during which tasks launch. You first create process sets for
various functions. You then add related programs to the process set. The process is next assigned to a schedule; when
this schedule activates, all the tasks assigned to this process set run in the sequence defined for them.
You create recurring, automatic schedules in System Agent Maintenance. Only system administrators have access to
this program. If you are not a system administrator and need a new recurring schedule, contact this person and ask
that this new schedule be created and made available. It then displays on Schedule drop-down lists throughout the
Epicor application.

The System Agent

The system agent regulates tasks sent to it from client installations. These tasks include generating reports,
processing data, and refreshing executive queries. A powerful tool, use the system agent to streamline the flow
of data processed through your Epicor ERP application.

This topic or section describes functionality or uses a process


that is only available to on-premise ERP installations.

You modify the system agent, its recurring schedules, and its task agent rules through System Agent Maintenance.
When you first install the Epicor ERP application or update your existing application, the system agent is
automatically created. The system agent is connected to an application server; the application server moves the
data from the system agent to a server, and then a task agent assigned to the application server runs the data
processing. You use the Detail sheet in System Agent Maintenance to modify how the system agent interacts
with the application server.

You create application servers and task agents through Epicor


Administration Console. This key administration program is
installed on a server. For information about how to create
application servers and task agents, review the application help
in the Epicor Administration Console.

You next use System Agent Maintenance to define schedules users can then select on reports, processes, and
executive queries. Each schedule is set up to activate at regular, specific intervals - seconds, minutes, days, weeks,
and months. When the system clock activates a schedule, all the tasks assigned to this schedule run. Depending
on the task, this could cause a specific report to generate and print, a business activity query to export, a global
alert to be sent, and so on. If a task generates an error and does not complete its process, the other tasks on the
schedule will continue to run as expected.
Then to make better use of your system resources, you can also create task agent rules. These task agent rules
divide the system agent's processing between different application servers. An application server manages how

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a specific instance of the Epicor application runs. You can set up multiple application servers to run the same
database and balance the load. You could create two application servers for the same database, but these
application servers are linked to different server machines.
You can have only one system agent, so you cannot delete it. However if the system agent is accidentally deleted
by an external method, you can create a new agent using System Agent Maintenance.

In a Multi-Tenant environment, only the Global Security


Manager user can view and edit the System Agent record
details. In other environments, only the Security Manager user
has these privileges.

Modify the System Agent

When you first install the Epicor ERP application or update your existing application to version 8.x or higher, the
default system agent is automatically created. Use the Detail sheet to indicate how the system agent interacts
with the application server.
Menu Path: System Setup > System Maintenance > System Agent

This program is not available in Epicor Web Access.

To define how the system agent interacts with the application server:

1. The current system agent displays in the Agent ID field.

2. If you need, update the Description for the system agent.

3. The Status field displays the current status for the selected system agent. This field displays either Stopped
or Started.

4. Select the Auto Start check box to automatically activate the system agent when the application server
launches.

5. Use the Processing Delay field to regulate how long it takes the system agent to process tasks. The value
you enter defines the length of time the task agent remains inactive at the end of processing loops. When
a processing loop begins, the task agent runs all available tasks. When these tasks complete, the task agent

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stays inactive (or sleeps) using this time interval. When the system clock reaches the end of this interval, the
current processing loop ends and the next processing loop begins.
If you have a fast server that can accommodate the network traffic, enter a lower number in this field. A
value of 10 indicates ten seconds must pass at the end of each processing loop before the system agent
starts the next loop; a value of 60 indicates that a minute must pass before the next loop begins.

6. The User Name and Password fields define the name and password of the user who logs onto the
application server (System AppServer). Enter the user name and password combination in these fields; this
account is validated against the existing user accounts in the database. If the application cannot find a valid
user name/password combination, an error message displays.
You can leave these fields blank if your system is set up to use one of Single Sign-On (SSO) endpoint binding
methods, such as UsernameWindowsChannel, Windows, or HttpsBinaryWindowsChannel. In this case, the
system uses your domain user ID to run the system agent. Note that when you use Windows binding, you
also need to set up your appserver Application Pool to use a domain user account that can log in to Epicor.
For more information on how you configure the application server and set up each binding option, review
the System Administration Guide.

This user account must also have permission to use the


system agent. If the account is not set up to use the
system agent, an invalid user account message displays.
You set up this permission within User Security
Maintenance; find the user account you need, navigate
to the Options sheet, and select the Allow Session
Impersonation check box.

7. If you use a load balancer to improve performance, the Appserver URL field defines the main application
server that handles load balancing. An optional field, enter the URL for this application server when you
need to improve the performance of Material Requirements Planning (MRP) sub processing or other sub
tasks. (As of this writing, only MRP currently runs as a sub task.)

The application server (AppServer) you enter must use the


same Binding Configuration as your main application
server. The endpoint binding defines how this application
server checks for authentication certificates through
Internet Information Services (IIS). You can verify whether
this application server uses the same binding by reviewing

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the properties for both application servers in the Epicor


Administration Console.

In order to launch MRP, Multi-Company logic, or BPM


Auto-Printing via REST calls, an AppServer URL pointing
to a Windows authentication binding or Epicor user
name/Password binding must be specified in this field.
Note this value cannot be set to Azure AD authentication
binding.

8. If your application server (AppServer) is set up for the UserNameSSLChannel endpoint binding type, enter
the DNS Endpoint Identity for your server. When you use this type of endpoint binding, the system
authenticates the client's connection to the application server through a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) X509
certificate. Some processes, such as Purchase Order Suggestions and Material Requirements Planning (MRP),
need to call this Domain Name System (DNS) identity to run their child tasks. Be sure to enter the machine
name in this field.

9. You next define the various directories used with the application server connection. The Server File Directory
defines the root directory for any files created by tasks run by the system agent. This directory should be a
shared location. Typically it is a local directory located on the same machine that runs the application server.
For example: \\Common\EpicorData

10. The Client File Directory defines the root directory for common client files such as configuration, photos,
and drawings. This should be a shared directory, normally on the same machine as where the application
server (AppServer) is running. It must be entered using the UNC convention. For example:
\\Common\EpicorData

11. The Client Program Directory defines the location of the server deployment directory for the client
installation. You must enter this path with the UNC convention, so typically this value uses the
\\Server\Epicor\Server format.

12. The Status group box indicates whether the system agent is Started. If it is running, this group box displays
the user who it was Started By and the Start Date.

13. When you finish modifying the system agent details, click Save on the Standard toolbar.

Create a Schedule

You create the schedules you need to handle the recurring, automatic tasks your organization requires. Users
can then select the schedules you create on all system agents. These schedules display as options on reports,
processes, and other tasks you can link to a recurring schedule.
To create a schedule:

1. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New Schedule.

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2. The Schedules > Detail sheet displays.

3. The Schedule Number defines each schedule as it is added to the system agent. This number is automatically
assigned; in this example, schedule 0 is shown.

4. Enter a Description for the schedule. For this example, you create a schedule that runs once every work
day, so you enter Daily Task Schedule here.

5. Select the Enabled check box to activate the schedule.

6. Select a Schedule Type. You can select Daily, Hourly, Interval (hours/minutes/seconds), Monthly, Once,
Start Up, Weekly, and Monthly schedule types. In this example, you select the Daily type.

7. Because this is a Daily schedule type, the day of the week options display. Select the specific days on which
you want this schedule to run. For this example, you run it every day except on Saturdays and Sundays.

If you select Interval, you specify when this schedule runs


using an hours, minutes, and/or seconds time span. If you
select Weekly, you specify the recurring day of the week
on which the schedule runs. Likewise if you select
Monthly, you specify the recurring day of the month on
which the schedule runs.
The Startup schedule type always activates each time the
user logs into the application, so it does not have options.
Likewise, the Once schedule type only activates a single
time on the date and time you define in the Next Run
field.

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8. Click the Next Run drop-down list to define the first date and time on which this schedule will run. The
program automatically displays the next date and time available based the options you select for the Schedule
Type.
If you need, you can usually change this date and time. However if you select a Weekly schedule, the next
date on which the day of the week occurs displays and you cannot change this value. This prevents activation
errors. You can still change the time on which the Weekly schedule activates.

9. When you finish, click Save on the Standard toolbar.

10. As tasks run using this schedule, you can review them within System Agent Maintenance. To do this, navigate
to the Schedules > Tasks > List sheet.

You can also review them through the System Monitor;


this program is explained later in this chapter.

Your new schedule is now available throughout the application. It can be selected on any reports, processes,
executive queries, and process sets.

Task Agent Rules

You can improve how the system agent generates reports, processes, and executive queries by creating task
agent rules that cause these system activities to run on different application servers. Through this feature, you
can create a range of task agent rules -- from general rules that affect task/report processing for an entire company
to specific rules for a selected report or process.
Task agent rules move report and process generation to different application servers. This distributes the load
more evenly across your system resources, improving performance. For example, you could create a task agent
rule that causes Material Requirements Planning (MRP) to run on a more powerful server, and then create another
task agent rule that causes reports to generate on a server with fewer resources. By distributing the load between
multiple application servers, you reduce task bottlenecks and match a report, process, or query with a machine
best suited to run it.
Before you begin creating task agent rules, you first need to set up the application servers that will run the data
processing on your system. You also should assign users to security groups; these groups organize your security
plan by indicating which users can access specific programs in the Epicor application.

Application Server Setup


You add application servers through the Epicor Administration Console, a management tool you typically install
on a server machine. This key administration tool defines how the Epicor application interacts with your system.
You use the Epicor Administration Console to add databases and application servers. Then for each application
server, you create and modify the task agent that runs its database activities. The companies you set up in the
Epicor Administration Console are then available to select on task agent rules.
For more information about how to use this administration tool, review the application help for the Epicor
Administration Console.

Security Group Setup


It is also recommended you set up security groups within the Epicor application. Security groups categorize
employees by role or department, and you create them through Security Group Maintenance. After you create
these security groups, you then assign users to these groups, controlling access to specific areas of the Epicor
application. Through User Account Security Maintenance, you indicate to which security group(s) each user
belongs. You then launch Menu Maintenance to indicate which security groups can launch specific programs.
The security groups you create are then available to select on task agent rules.

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For more information about implementing security, review the Security chapter in this user guide.

Edit Task Agent Rules

Do the following to add a rule for a task agent.

1. Click on the Actions menu and select the Edit Task Agent Rules ... option.

2. The Task Agent Rules window appears. Click the New button.

3. Select the Company for which this task agent rule will generate tasks. Only companies assigned to the
current user account display on this drop-down list. The task agent rule will then handle processing for the
selected company.

You create companies within the Epicor Administration


Console.

4. Optionally select the Security Group for the task agent rule. Whenever a user assigned to the selected
security group runs a report or process linked to this task agent rule, the application server linked to this
rule generates the system activity.

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5. Next define the Rule Type option. This value indicates what tasks are handled by the task agent rule.
Available options:
• Specific Task - Indicates this task agent rule will only run against a specific process. After you select this
rule type, you next select the process from the Process Id drop-down list.
• All Tasks - Indicates all processes are run against this task agent rule. Any time a process is launched by
users within a company or a security group, this task agent rule handles the processing.
• Specific Report - Indicates this task agent rule will only run against a specific report. After you select
this rule type, you next select the report from the Process Id drop-down list.
• All Reports - Indicates all reports are run against this task agent rule. Any time a report is launched by
users within a company or a security group, this task agent rule handles the report generation.

6. If you select either the Specific Task or the Specific Report rule type, you next select the Process Id for the
item you want the task agent rule to run. Depending on the rule type, either reports or processes display
on this drop-down list.

7. Enter the Appserver URL for the application server that will run the activity for this task agent rule. This
value links the task agent rule to the application server's location. You can find the URL for each application
server within the Epicor Administration Console.

8. Use the Endpoint Binding drop-down list to indicate how this application server checks for authentication
certificates through Internet Information Services (IIS). When a user logs into the application, the selected
method checks whether the user can access the Epicor application. Available options:
• UsernameWindowsChannel - This NET.TCP binding authenticates transactions through an Epicor
Username and Password. Windows checks for existing Epicor user accounts to authenticate logins.
• UsernameSSLChannel - This NET.TCP binding authenticates transactions using a Secure Sockets Layer
(SSL) X509 certificate. Leverage this method for application servers that handle smart client installations
when users reside in different domains. By using an SSL certificate, users from these different domains
can log into the Epicor application.
Selecting this option causes the SSL Certificate Subject Name and DNS Endpoint Identity fields to
appear. You use these fields to enter the name of your SSL certificate and the identity of the server.
• Windows - This NET.TCP binding authenticates transactions using a Windows Username and Password.
Any user with a Windows Username and Password within this domain can successfully log into the Epicor
application.
• HttpBinaryUsernameSslChannel - This HTTP binding protocol authenticates using a Secure Sockets
Layer (SSL) X509 certificate. The data transfers between the client and server using Hypertext Transfer
Protocol (HTTP). Instead of the transport, the message which contains the data transfer is encrypted.
Because this binding does not use Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS), it tends to be slower than
bindings which use HTTPS.
Use this method for application servers that handle smart client installations when users reside in different
domains. By using an SSL certificate, users from these different domains can log into the Epicor ERP
application.
Selecting this option causes the SSL Certificate Subject Name and DNS Endpoint Identity fields to appear.
You use these fields to enter the name of your SSL certificate and the identity of the server.
• HttpsBinaryUsernameChannel - This HTTPS binding authenticates transactions using an Epicor Username
and Password. The data transfers between the client and server using Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure
(HTTPS). HTTPS encrypts the data transfer.
• HttpsBinaryWindowsChannel - This HTTPS binding authenticates transactions using a Windows
Username and Password. The data transfers between the client and server using Hypertext Transfer
Protocol Secure (HTTPS).

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You can select this method for application servers that handle smart client installations and Epicor Web
Access (EWA) installations where users access the application through the same domain. Any user with
a Windows Username and Password within this domain can successfully log into the Epicor application.
• HttpsOffloadbinaryUserNameChannel - This HTTPS protocol binding is a configuration that offloads
encryption handling to an intermediary Application Request Router such as an F5.
The binding authenticates using an Epicor Username and Password token. The data transfers between
the client and server using Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS). This protocol is configured to
move encryption handling to an intermediary Application Request Router like F5 or a similar router.
• HttpsOffloadBinaryAzureChannel - This HTTPS protocol binding is a configuration that offloads
encryption handling between Epicor ERP to an intermediary Application Request Router such as an F5.
The binding authenticates using a security token by specifying a valid authentication claim between
Epicor ERP and Azure AD. The data transfers between the client and server using Hypertext Transfer
Protocol Secure (HTTPS). This protocol is configured to move encryption handling to an intermediary
Application Request Router like F5 or a similar router.

When this binding is implemented, in order to avoid


the AddressFilter mismatch error, be sure to
uncomment the AddressFilterModeAny node in
web.config as shown below:

Uncomment this element when AddressFilter mismatch at the EndpointDispatc


her happens
<AddressFilterModeAny/>

• HttpsOffloadBinaryIdpChannel - This HTTPS protocol binding is a configuration that offloads encryption


handling between Epicor ERP to an intermediary Application Request Router such as an F5.

Epicor Identity Provider is a new Global


Authentication Service that unifies various identity and
authentication mechanisms across ERP products. The
service will be made available for approved customers
in upcoming releases of Epicor ERP. By default, this
option is only available internally to Epicor.

The binding authenticates using a security token by specifying a valid authentication claim between
Epicor ERP and Epicor Identity Provider deployment. The data transfers between the client and server
using Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS). This protocol is configured to move encryption handling
to an intermediary Application Request Router like F5 or a similar router.

When this binding is implemented, in order to avoid


the AddressFilter mismatch error, be sure to
uncomment the AddressFilterModeAny node in
web.config as shown below:

Uncomment this element when AddressFilter mismatch at the EndpointDispatc


her happens
<AddressFilterModeAny/>

• HttpsBinaryAzureChannel - Use this protocol to enable authentication of ERP application users against
users in Microsoft Azure Active Directory (Azure AD).
This binding relies upon the user authenticating against Azure Active Directory and obtaining a token
to present to Epicor ERP. The data transfers between the client and server using Hypertext Transfer
Protocol Secure (HTTPS).

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• HttpsBinaryIdpChannel - Use this protocol to enable authentication of ERP application against Epicor
Identity Provider (IdP).

Epicor Identity Provider is a new Global


Authentication Service that unifies various identity and
authentication mechanisms across ERP products. The
service will be made available for approved customers
in upcoming releases of Epicor ERP. By default, this
option is only available internally to Epicor.

This binding relies upon the user authenticating against IdP and obtaining a token to present to Epicor
ERP. The data transfers between the client and server using Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS).

9. If you select either the UsernameWindowsChannel or UsernameSSLChannel endpoint binding option, enter
the User ID and Password for the account that can access this application server.

10. When you finish adding the task agent rule, click Save.
Continue to add the task agent rules you need.
If you need to remove a task agent rule, highlight it on the grid and click the Delete button.

Task Agent Rules Hierarchy

The task agent rules handle activity through a hierarchical sequence.


More specific rules have priority over less specific rules, so the task generates using the application server defined
on the more specific rule. This hierarchy:

1. Company - Security Group - Specific Report/Specific Process (highest priority)

2. Company - Security Group - All Reports/All Tasks

3. Company - Specific Report/Specific Process

4. Company - All Reports/All Tasks (lowest priority)

View Task Parameters

When tasks are assigned to a schedule, you can review and change their parameters directly through System
Agent Maintenance. You can then adjust these parameters at the same time you create/modify schedules and
task agent rules.
To view task parameters:

1. Use the Tree View to expand a schedule with tasks assigned to it. In this example, you expand the Daily
Task schedule.

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2. Now expand the Tasks node. Notice several processes are listed under this node.

3. From the Actions menu, select View Task Parameters.

4. The selected task (report, process) displays. In this example, the Multi-Company Direct Server Process window
displays.

5. Define the parameters you want to use for this process. When you finish, click the Submit button.

Select a Schedule

After you enter the schedules, you can modify programs to run using a specific schedule created on the system
agent.
These programs automatically refresh and generate data when activated by the selected schedule. This feature
is useful, for example, when you want a large report to generate overnight so it is available for review at the
beginning of your work day.

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You can select a schedule on most report and process programs. During this example, you set up the Production
Detail report to automatically generate its data each day.
Menu Path: Production Management > Job Management > Reports > Production Detail
To select a schedule:

1. Launch the report or process. In this example, the Production Detail Report window displays.

2. Select the Schedule during which you want this report to generate. Because you want this report updated
every day, you select the Daily Task Schedule option.

3. You now must indicate that you want this report to run each time the system agent launches the Daily Task
Schedule. To do this, select the Recurring check box.

4. Now indicate that these selections are the default values you want for this report. From the Actions menu,
select Save Defaults.

Notice additional commands are available from this


Actions menu. To restore the program to its original

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parameters, select Get Defaults. To clear all the current


default parameters, select Remove Defaults.

Now each time the system agent launches the Daily Task Schedule, the Production Detail report automatically
generates. You can verify this report has run by launching the System Monitor. This program is described later
in this chapter.

Process Set Maintenance

Use Process Set Maintenance to organize the order in which you want various automatic tasks to run. You create
process sets through this program. You then indicate within each process set the sequence through which each
automatic task launches.

This topic or section describes functionality or uses a process


that is only available to on-premise ERP installations.

After you create the process set, other tasks can be added to it. For example, you can add the Job Traveler (a
report), the Auto Job Close Process, and the Auto Job Completion Process to the same process set.
Later, you can launch Process Set Maintenance again to see all the tasks – executive queries, reports and processes
– that automatically run through this process set. When you are satisfied with the assigned tasks and the order
in which they run, attach the process set to a schedule; the schedule automatically launches the process set and
runs the tasks in the sequence you defined. The next section, Schedule Process Set, describes how you link a
process set to a schedule.
Menu Path: Executive Analysis > Business Activity Management > Setup > Process Set

This program is not available in Epicor Web Access.

Create a Process Set

To create a new process set:

1. Click New on the Standard toolbar.

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2. Use the Company drop-down list to define the company inside which this process set is available. Users
within this company can then select this process set. If you are in an Epicor ERP environment, you can create
process sets for either all companies or the current company. If you are in an Express or Saas Standard
environment, this drop-down list is read-only and displays the current company. In this example, select the
All option.

3. Enter the Process Set ID. This value is the identifier for this process set throughout the application. In this
example, you enter JobTasks.

4. Enter a Description for the process set. This value displays on drop-down menus throughout the application.
In this example, you enter Job Task Process Set in this field.

5. If this process set is required for the application to run correctly, select the System Process check box. Users
cannot modify or delete system process sets.

6. Select the Allow Simultaneous Processing of Tasks check box to cause the process set to asynchronously
run and complete its tasks. The tasks are then executed at the same time, improving performance. Activating
this option causes the application to ignore the task sequence defined in the Process Set Tasks grid, so
you no longer need to indicate which task must be run before another task.

7. As tasks are added to this process set, they display within the Process Set Tasks grid. No tasks are currently
added to this process set, however, so in this example, the grid is blank.

8. When you finish, click Save.

This process set is now available within the application. Executive queries, processes, and reports can be added
to this process set as you need.

Add Tasks to a Process Set

For this example, you want to add the Job Traveler report, the Auto Job Closing Process, and the Auto Job
Completion Process to your new process set.
Menu Path: Production Management > Job Management > Reports > Job Traveler
To add tasks to a process set:

1. Click the Save Process Set button.

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2. The Save to Process Set window displays.

3. Click the Process Set drop-down list and select the process set you need. For this example, you select the
process set you just created, the Job Task Process Set.

4. Click OK. The Job Traveler is added to this process set.

5. Now launch the Auto Job Closing Process. To navigate to this process:
Menu Path: Production Management > Job Management > General Operations > Auto Job Closing Process

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6. Repeat the previous steps. Click the Save Process Set button.

7. Select the Job Task Process Set and click OK.

8. To add the last task for this example, launch the Auto Job Completion Process. To navigate to this process:
Menu Path: Production Management > Job Management > General Operations > Auto Job Completion
Process

9. Repeat the previous steps. Click the Save Process Set button.

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10. Select the Job Task Process Set and click OK.

11. Now review the sequence this process set uses when it launches each task. Return to Process Set
Maintenance.

12. Click the Process Set ID button to find and select the JobTasks process set.

13. The tasks you added to this process set display within the Process Set Tasks grid.

14. Notice each task is assigned a number. In this example, the Job Traveler is run first, the Auto Job Closing
Process is run second, and the Auto Job Completion Process is run third. When a schedule activates this
process set, the tasks are launched in this order.

15. If you want to change the sequence through which these tasks run, highlight a task on the grid and click
either the Move Up or Move Down buttons. For this example, you want to close jobs before you complete
any jobs, so these tasks are in the sequence you need.

16. When you finish adjusting the task sequence, click Save.

Schedule a Process Set

To automatically activate the tasks assigned to this process set, you next must assign it to an automatic, recurring
schedule. When the schedule activates the process set, all the tasks assigned to it run in the sequence you defined.
You assign a schedule to a process set within the Schedule Process Set program.
Menu Path: Executive Analysis > Business Activity Management > General Operations > Schedule Process Set
To schedule a process set:

1. Click the Process Set drop-down list to select the process set you need. In this example, you select the
JobTasks process set.

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2. Click the Schedule drop-down list to select the schedule through which you want this process set to run.
In this example, you select the Daily Task Schedule, which indicates this process set runs its tasks once during
each work day.

3. This activates the Recurring check box. Select this check box to indicate this process set is launched by the
system agent automatically. In this example, the process set is run each day.

4. Enter a User Description that identifies the purpose of the process set. When you review tasks on the
System Monitor, this description displays.

5. When you finish, click Submit on the Standard toolbar.

Now each time the system agent launches the Daily Task Schedule, this process set activates. Each task runs in
the sequence you defined within the process set.

System Monitor

You use the System Monitor to verify the application is activating process sets and other scheduled tasks. This
program queries the status of tasks either submitted directly by users or automatically through schedules.

Use the System Monitor

The System Monitor automatically runs when you first launch the application.
To use the System Monitor:

1. From the System Tray, double-click the System Monitor icon.

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2. The System Monitor displays.

3. The Active Tasks sheet shows tasks currently in process. These include reports, processes, and executive
queries. Notice in this example, both Auto Job Closing and Auto Job Completion are currently in the active
queue, both are waiting to be processed (PENDING).

4. To can end a task, highlight it and then click Delete on the Standard toolbar.

5. Use the History Tasks sheet to review all the reports, processes, and executive queries recently run through
the application server (AppServer).

6. Use the Scheduled Tasks sheet to review and work with tasks scheduled to run at a later time.

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7. You can end a scheduled task by highlighting it and then clicking Delete.

8. You can verify that scheduled reports ran on the Reports sheet. If a report failed to generate, this situation
is indicated on this sheet as well.

Define Retrieval Properties

You use the Retrieval Properties options to control how long the System Monitor displays information and
determine how the System Monitor notifies you about errors, report results, and process results.
Though these options, you activate or disable status balloon notifications that display next to the System Monitor
icon on the Windows Tray. You define which notifications display. The options you select are linked to your user
account, so they only activate when you log into the Epicor ERP application with your account.
You also use these options to define how long report and history data displays in the System Monitor. You
determine both the interval type (days, hours, minutes, records) and the length of time these records display on
the grids. This automatically removes older records from the System Monitor, which improves performance and
makes it easier to locate the records you need to review.
To define the retrieval properties:

1. Click Actions > Retrieval Properties.

2. The Retrieval Properties window displays.

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3. Determine the status notification balloons you want to appear. Select the Popup on successful Reports
check box to display a balloon notification each time a report generates without error.

4. Select the Popup on Report Errors check box to display a balloon notification when a report fails to
generate.

5. If you want to be notified each time a process generates without error, select the Popup on successful
Processes check box.

6. To display a popup balloon when a process fails, select the Popup on Process Errors check box.

7. You next define how long you want report tasks to display on the Reports tab. Select an option from the
Report Interval Type drop-down list to measure the cutoff interval for report records. You can select a
Days, Hours, or Minutes time interval. You can also select the Records option; this limits how many records
display on the Reports tab.

8. Now define the Report Interval Span. This value defines either how much time can pass in days, hours,
or minutes before a record is removed, or the maximum number of records that can display on the Reports
tab.

9. To finish setting up the retrieval options, determine how long you want tasks to display on the History
Tasks tab. Select an option from the History Interval Type drop-down list to measure the cutoff interval
for the task records. You can select a Days, Hours, or Minutes time interval. You can also select the Records
option; this limits how many records display on the History Tasks tab.

10. Now enter a value in the History Interval Span field to define either how much time can pass in days,
hours, or minutes before a record is removed, or the maximum number of records that can display on the
History Tasks tab.

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11. When you finish selecting your options, click OK.

The System Monitor is an important tool that helps you manage the tasks you set up to run automatically. Use
this program to verify data processing generates as expected.

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Chapter 12: Enterprise Content Management

Nearly every business workflow requires documents created outside the Epicor application.
Your engineers may have an important .CAD file they need linked to a job record in order to illustrate an assembly
design. Purchase managers may want to attach a specification document to a part record so the correct part revisions
are bought from suppliers. A controller may want to attach an entry procedures document to a group of AR invoices
as a quick reference guide for new employees. Attaching these documents to a specific record within the Epicor
application makes these items readily available to any individuals within your organization who need them.
Available when you purchase the Document Management module, Enterprise Content Management contains the
features you use to manage and link outside documents to specific Epicor records. These attached documents can be
® ®
stored either in a network server file location, in a Microsoft SharePoint or DocStar site library, as well as on DropBox
or Google Drive.
Once you define where your source documents will be stored, you can then indicate which file formats are available
to attach. However, to prevent these file formats from being used everywhere, you can also restrict which formats
attach to specific Epicor records. You then further define how these files interact with the specific storage location. To
complete the setup, you indicate which third-party programs automatically launch when users select the attached file.
When you finish defining the attachment conventions for the current company, users then add the files they need to
the records which accept each file format. Users can then select these attached documents for viewing, editing, and
printing. Any documents required by a business workflow can now be available to both attach and view whenever
users within your organization need them.

Attachments Setup

You set up the primary attachment functionality through three programs – Attachment Type Maintenance,
Document Type Maintenance, and Document Type Control Maintenance. These programs define both the
content library used for automatically storing the attached files and the file formats you accept within the current
company.

Attachment Types

You begin by defining how each company interacts with an attachment content library. You can set up each
company to store documents within a file folder on a server, a SharePoint or DocStar site library, as well as in a
cloud storage - DropBox or Google Drive.
When users link files to a record within the database, they are automatically saved to the central network location
defined for the attachment type. This functionality ensures other users within the current company can select
and view these same file attachments. When you attach documents to the location specified on the client, the
credentials defined on the client installation complete the connection between the client and the server. When
you attach documents from a SharePoint library, you can use the account defined on the application pool to
complete this connection.
You set up your primary attachment libraries in Attachment Type Maintenance. Use this program to define
the specific location where users automatically store attached files in the current company.
Menu Path: System Setup > Company/Site Maintenance > Attachment Type Maintenance.
Menu Path: System Management > Document Management > Attachment Type Maintenance.
You can also set up several attachment types and use them for different document types:

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File System

Use this attachment type to store attachment in a server folder.

1. Navigate to File > New or click the New icon in the Toolbar
The entry form is activated.

2. From the Storage Type drop-down list, select File System.

3. Click the Base URI button to find a server folder that will store your file attachments.
This folder becomes the repository for the attached files. When users attach files to a record, they
automatically are placed in this server repository location.

4. Then select a file Transfer Type that will used to move file attachments to the specified file system location.
Use the default File Transfer Using Service transfer type to move the attached files to the central file
location using the application pool, simplifying security as each Windows user does not need access to the
file server location.
The Client System Direct Copy type copies the files directly from the client installation out to the central
file location. This type uses the shared directory access permissions on the client machine to determine if
the user can attach or view the files.

Here you define the default option for the company. If


necessary, you can also select different file transfer options
for specific document types in Document Type
Maintenance. This flexibility allows you using the Client
System Direct Copy transfer type to restrict access to
sensitive documents. Review the Enterprise Content
Management chapter in the Implementation User Guide
for suggestions on when to use each transfer type.

With this attachment type, Cloud ERP users can only use
the Client System Direct Copy option for transferring
files.

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5. Select the Enabled check box to apply this setup.


Enabled Attachment Types are added to the list of Storage Type options on the Document Type Maintenance
and can be tied to a specific document type.

6. Select the Company Default option.


If an attached file is not tied to any document type, it is saved to the central location specified in the default
attachment type. Adding such file results in error if no default attachment type is defined in the system.

Only one Storage Type can be marked as Company


Default.

7. Click Save.

SharePoint

Use this attachment type to store attachment on a SharePoint site.

1. In the Storage Type field, select SharePoint.

2. When you activate the SharePoint attachment type, you must enter the Base URI of the SharePoint site tied
to the current company. This value determines the web site location for the content library. Enter the
®
SharePoint location you need in this field; you can enter either a local SharePoint location or a SharePoint
®
Online location.

3. Select a file Transfer Type that will be used to move file attachments to the specified file system location.
If you select the File Transfer Using Service transfer type option, the fields of the Authentication section
activate.

4. To set up authentication for a SharePoint site:

a. Select Authentication Type.

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The available options are:


• Windows - You access this library using a local connection to your company's SharePoint site. This
authentication type requires entering a Domain, Name, and Password for the user set up to access
the SharePoint site.
® ®
• SharePoint Online - You access this library through your Microsoft Office 365 account, connecting
this library to this Microsoft Cloud location. This authentication type requires Name and Password
for the user set up to access the SharePoint Online service account.

b. Enter the required credentials.

c. Click Test Connection to verify connection to the site with the specified credentials.

If you set the Transfer Type to the Client System


Direct Copy option and the attachments are stored
in a SharePoint library, you can set up the SharePoint
logon window to display when users access the
attachments. Users will need to enter their account
credentials in this window. To do this, activate a setting
in the client's .sysconfig file. The SpLogonMode
setting is located under the <userSettings> node.
When it is set to Interactive, a logon credentials
window displays. If you use the Default setting, the
SharePoint library uses the current Windows account
credentials instead.
For more information, continue reviewing the
Implementation User Guide: the Startup
Configurations chapter details these user settings.

d. Click the Create Site Library button to create a library for the current company within the SharePoint
application. To help you identify this library, it uses the name of the current company. Users can store
attachments within this site library.

The Windows account you use to create the new site


must have access privileges to the SharePoint on
trusted domains and have SharePoint site
administration rights.

5. Enable the setup.

6. Click Save.

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DocStar

Use this attachment type to store attachment on a DocStar site.

1. In the Storage Type field, select DocStar.

2. Enter the Base URI of the DocStar repository for the current company.

3. Select a file Transfer Type that will be used to move file attachments to the specified file system location.
If you select the File Transfer Using Service transfer type option, the fields of the Authentication section
activate.

4. To set up authentication for a DocStar site:

a. Select Authentication Type.


The available options are:
• Windows - You access the DocStar repository using a Windows account to your company's DocStar
repository. This authentication type requires entering a Domain, Name, and Password for the user
set up to access the DocStar site.

Windows option uses NTLM authentication. LDAP


proxy should be installed and an authentication
provider should be configured in the DocStar
installation to make Windows authentication work.
Refer to DocStar documentation for more
information.

• User Name & Password - You access the DocStar repository using your DocStar User name and
Password. Requires Name and Password for the user set up to access the DocStar site.
• Epicor Identity Provider - You access the DocStar repository using Epicor IdP authentication. For
Client System Direct Copy method, the email address is taken from the logged in user and presented
to DocStart for authentication. For File Transfer Using Service you are asked to provide the User
Name (email address) used for integration between DocStar and Epicor Identity Provider and verify
your connection.

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For more information, see the following topic Integrate DocStar with Epicor Identity Provider.

b. Enter the required credentials.

c. Click Test Connection to verify connection to the site with the specified credentials.

d. After you define the DocStar site location and set up its authentication, you are ready to create your
company folder in the DocStar repository. Click the Create Company Folder button.
A folder is created in the DocStar repository with the same name as your Company ID, and you can store
attachments in this folder.

Once a new company folder is created in a DocStar


repository, a DocStar Security Class of the same name
gets created. Each DocStar Document Type you create
in Document Type Maintenance generates a
company sub-folder associated with the corresponding
DocStar Security Class named
<DocumentType_Company>. Administrator in
DocStar needs to assign appropriate security
permissions to DocStar Security Classes, so users can
see all documents and not only the ones they added.
For more information how to configure security, see
the available DocStar documentation.

5. You can also select the Can View in Provider check box to enable users to the view attachments on the
DocStar portal.
Now if a record has an attachment, you can right-click it in the tree view and select View in DocStar, or
click the View in DocStar button to open the DocStar repository and manage the document there. Users
may be required to provide their credentials when using the Can View in Provider option to access the
attachments in DocStar.

By default, when this option is enabled, all company users


can view the attachments in DocStar, but you can disable
this for specific users on the User Account Security
Maintenance > List sheet.

6. Enable the setup.

7. Click Save.

Integrate DocStar with Epicor Identity Provider

Learn how to integrate DocStar Enterprise Content Management application with Epicor Identity Provider.
• This integration assumes your Epicor ERP installation is configured with Epicor Identity Provider authentication
service.
• Native Epicor ERP application is configured to use Authorization Code Grant type and epicor_docstar is
added to the list of allowed scopes.

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• Similarly, epicor_docstar needs to be added to the list of allowed scopes for Server side Epicor ERP application.

Epicor Identity Provider is currently offered as an ERP Cloud


solution and the above configuration is typically performed
by the Epicor Provisioning team.

1. First, configure DocStar client in Epicor Identity Provider.

Note this action is only allowed to users with Application


Administrator or Infrastructure Administrator rights.

a. Navigate to https://login.epicor.com.

b. Invoke the User menu and select the Admin option.

c. On the Home page, select Manage Apps and click on Add New.

d. On the Select Product dialog, choose Epicor DocStar API.

e. Specify the client name and enter DocStar URL address, such as https://example.docstar.com.
This address will be registered as redirect URI.

f. Enter the client secret value. This value is a string sent to IdP by the client.
You cannot restore this secret value after save as it is stored as a hash only. Take note of the client secret
now, otherwise you will have to add another secret later.

g. Review the changes and click Finish.

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h. Take note of the client ID, you will need this value later in the process.

2. Configure Authentication Provider in DocStar.

a. Navigate to DocStar application and select the Admin option.

b. From the Company menu, click Authentication Providers and select Epicor IDP.

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c. Specify the below properties:


• Tenant id - enter your Epicor Identity Provider Tenant ID.
• Epicor IDP URL - enter Epicor Identity Provider URL, such as https://login.epicor.com.
• JS Client ID - Enter the Epicor Identity Provider DocStar application ID.
• Secret - enter the secret you specified for the DocStart client.
• Instance(s) - select an available DocStar instance(s).

d. Save your changes.

3. Import Users from Epicor Identity Provider.

a. From the Manage menu, select Users.

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b. At the bottom of the page, click Import.

c. You are now presented with the Import Users window. If there are multiple Authentication Providers
configured, verify the correct Tenant ID is selected.

d. If needed, use the Filter field to narrow down your search results and click Get.

e. Select Epicor Identity Provider user(s) you want to import into DocStar and click Import.

f. On the Users form, specify User permissions as needed.

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4. Log into DocStar application.

a. Launch the DocStar application, enter your Epicor Identity Provider email account and click Log in.

b. You are being redirected to Epicor Identity Provider to complete your login.

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c. You are now logged into DocStar using your Epicor Identity Provider account.

5. Configure Attachment Type Maintenance.

a. You can now configure Attachment Type Maintenance as follows:


• For Transfer Type, select File Transfer Using Service.
• For Authentication Type, select Epicor Identity Provider.
• Enter the User Name (email address) used for integration between DocStar and Epicor Identity
Provider and verify your connection.

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b. The process of adding and viewing attachments in DocStar is now authenticated through Epicor Identity
Provider.

DropBox

Use this storage type to keep your attachments in a DropBox account.

Prior to configuring this attachment type, you need to set up


a DropBox Business account for the current company and
obtain an access token from the DropBox service.

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Setting Up DropBox Account

This topic contains steps for creating a DropBox account and obtaining an access token.

Should DropBox change the below procedure, please use the


instructions provided in the DropBox documentation at https:
//www.dropbox.com/business.

1. Create a DropBox Business account.

2. Log into your account and navigate to the Developers > App Console page:
https://www.dropbox.com/developers/apps

3. Click the Create App button to create a new application.

4. In the Choose an API section, select one of the two options:


• DropBox API - Provides access to files only.
• DropBox Business API - Provides access to files and account administration tools.

5. Select the App folder option (recommended) in the Choose the type of access you need section.

6. Name your app - for example, Epicor Attachments.

7. Click Create App.


The app settings page displays.

8. Navigate to the OAuth 2 > Generated access token setting and click Generate.
The newly generated token value displays.

9. Copy the token value for later use in Attachment Type Maintenance.

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Configuring DropBox Storage Type

This topic contains steps for setting up your attachments to store in DropBox cloud.

1. In the Storage Type field, select DropBox.


Note that Transfer Type defaults to File Transfer Using Service and the Authentication Type is set to
DropBox Access Token.

2. Click the Import DropBox Access Token button to import the token you generated in the previous step.
The DropBox dialog window displays.

3. Paste the token value into this window and click Save.
The Imported shape lights up in the program.

4. Click Test Connection to verify access to the specified DropBox account.

5. Enable the setup.

6. Then click Save.

Google Drive

Use this storage type to keep your attachments in a Google Drive account.
Prior to configuring this attachment type, you need to set up a Google service account and generate a private
key that the current company will use to access Google Drive storage.

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Setting Up Google Service Account

This topic contains steps for setting up a service account that will be used to access your Google Drive storage
location.

Should Google change the below procedure, please follow the


steps provided by the Google Cloud Documentation on Service
Accounts.

1. Sign into your Google Drive account and navigate to the Service Accounts page of the Google Cloud
Platform Console.

2. Click Create Project.


Give it a meaningful name - for example, Epicor Attachments.

3. Click Create to finish the process.

4. In the IAM & Admin panel tree view, select Service Accounts.
The Service Accounts page displays.

5. Click the + Create Service Account button.

6. Add a name - for example, EpicorERP, and description, then click Create.
Service Account details display.

7. Click + Create Key to generate a private key that this service account will use to access the project resources.
The Create key (optional) windows pops up.

8. Select the JSON key type and click Create.


The private key file downloads to your computer. Note its location, you will need it in the next step.

9. Now navigate to the Google Cloud Platform Home and from the tree view, select APIs & Services >
Library.
The Welcome to the API Library page displays.

10. Search for and select Google Drive API.

11. On the Google Drive API page, select ENABLE.


The Overview page displays the API details.

Link Service Account to Folder on Google Drive

This topic explains how you can set up your Service Account's access to a Google Drive folder.

This process is required for the correct verification of the


account in the Epicor ERP.

1. In Google Cloud Platform, navigate to the Service Accounts page.


If you have multiple projects, select the project that contains the Service Account you need.

2. From the Service Account details, copy the account's Email.

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For example, epicorerp102600@epicor-attachments.iam.gserviceaccount.com.

3. Now go to Google Drive.

4. In the Tree View, right-click on My Drive and select New Folder.


The New Folder window pops up.

5. Add a name - for example, Epicor Shared and click Create.

6. Then right-click on this folder and select Share.


The Share with others window displays.

7. In the People field, paste the Service Account Email that you copied in Step 2.

8. Clear the Notify people check box.

9. Click OK.
To the confirmation message, click OK again.

Configuring Google Drive Storage Type

This topic contains steps for setting up you attachments to be stored in Google cloud.

1. From the Storage Type drop-down list, select Google Drive.

2. Click the Import Service Account Key button to add a JSON connection setup file provided by Google.
The Import Google Service Account Key window displays.

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3. Select the JSON file you downloaded to your computer in the previous step and click Open.
The Imported shape lights up.

4. Click Test Connection to verify access to the specified Google Drive account.

5. Enable this setup.

6. Click Save.

Document Types

Before users can attach a document, you next must set up its corresponding document type. Use Document Type
Maintenance to create the document types users need for attachments in the current company. Document types
identify the purpose of a document and indicate how the type will be stored within the application.
You can create document types for whatever purpose you need. Some examples of document types include:
• Customer Approval
• General Document
• Internal Documents
• Sales Order Contracts
• Part Specifications
Users then attach files of this type to a record which accepts this document type. By default, these documents
can be attached using the primary libraries set up in Attachment Type Maintenance. However, you can also
specify a separate attachment library for each document type. This feature gives you the flexibility to both store
documents by version and ensure the libraries do not contain too many files.
For each library, you select its File Transfer Mode; this mode determines how the files move between the storage
location and the Epicor application.
Menu Path: System Management > Document Management > Document Type Maintenance
To create a document type:

1. Click the New button.

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2. Enter the Type ID you want. This unique identifier is used internally by the application to keep track of each
document type.

3. Now enter a brief Description for the document type. This value displays on the Document Type drop-down
list on the Attachment Management window; this window displays on all records where users can attach
files.

4. Select the Storage Type you need with this document type. This value determines how the document type
uploads files within the content library.

The Storage Type field contains the list of storage types


that have been enabled for the current company in
Attachment Type Maintenance.

Available options:
• Attachment Link - Defines the file location where attachments are stored in a directory path other than
the file system. Selecting this storage type activates the Base URL field; enter the directory path for this
alternate location in this field.
• DocStar Document - Indicates that attached files that use this document type are saved within the
DocStar library defined for this company.
• DropBox - Indicates that attached files that use this document type are saved to a DropBox storage
location.
• File System Document - Indicates that attached files that use this document type are saved within the
network server folder defined for this company. Selecting this storage type activates the Base URL field;
enter the directory path for the network server folder in this field.

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• Google Drive - Indicates that attached files that use this document type are saved to a Google Drive
storage location.
• SharePoint Document - Indicates that attached files that use this document type are saved within the
®
SharePoint site library defined for this company. Selecting this storage type activates the Base URL
® ® ®
field; enter the directory path for the local SharePoint library or SharePoint Online Site (Microsoft
®
Office 365 site) in this field.

5. If this document type will store attachment files using the File System Document, SharePoint Document,
or DocStar Document storage type, this drop-down list activates. For all other document types, the value
of this field defaults to Always Use Company Level Setting and displays in read-only mode. Use this list
to define the mode this document type will use to move file attachments to the central file system location.
Available options:
• Always Use Company Level Setting - Select this mode to indicate this document type will store files
using the mode selected for its storage type in Attachment Type Maintenance.
• File Transfer Using Service - Select this transfer mode to move the attached files to the central file
location using the application pool, simplifying security as each Windows user does not need access to
the file server location.

In Epicor Cloud ERP, this option is not available for the


File System storage type.

• Client System Direct Copy - Select this mode to copy files directly from the client installation out to
the server file location. This mode uses the shared directory access permissions on the client machine to
determine if the user can attach or view the files.

If you need, you can select different file transfer modes


for specific document types. This gives you flexibility as
you could use some document types to restrict access to
sensitive files. Review the File Transfer Modes Explained
topic for suggestions on when to use each mode.

6. If you select the File System Document, SharePoint Document, or Attachment Link as the storage type option,
the Base URL field activates. Use this field to enter the directory path for the network server folder (File
® ®
System Document), local SharePoint Site (SharePoint Document), SharePoint Online Site (SharePoint
® ®
Document -- Microsoft Office 365 ), or the directory path for the alternate storage location (Attachment
Link).

7. When the File Transfer Mode is set to File Transfer Using Service or Always Use Company Level
Setting (provided the Transfer Type in the attachment type definition is set to File Transfer Using Service)
and the attachments will be stored in a SharePoint location, the Set Server Credentials button activates.
Click it to enter a different account than the logon credentials defined for this SharePoint location in the
Attachment Type Maintenance.

8. You enter the connectivity information through the SharePoint Credentials for Application Server
window. Place the account credentials in the User name and Password fields. Depending on the Logon
type you select, you enter the User name value in different formats:
• If you will select the Windows Logon type, enter the User name value in the [DomainName]\[UserName]
format.
• If you will select the SharePoint Online Logon type, enter the User name value in the [UserName]
format.

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You can remove this logon account by clicking the Set Server Credentials... button again and deleting
the account/password from this window.

9. Click the Logon type drop-down list to indicate whether you will connect to this SharePoint library through
Windows or SharePoint Online. If you select Windows, you log onto this library using a local connection
to your company's SharePoint site. If you select SharePoint Online, you log onto this library through your
® ®
Microsoft Office 365 account, connecting this library to this Microsoft Cloud location.

10. To verify you can link to this library, click the Test connection button.

If you set the File Transfer Mode to use the Client


System Direct Copy option and the attachments are
stored in a SharePoint library, you can cause the
SharePoint logon window to display when users access
the attachments. Users need to enter their account
credentials in this window. To do this, activate a setting
in the client's .sysconfig file. This setting is located under
the <userSettings> node in this file. When the
SpLogonMode setting is set to Interactive, this logon
credentials window displays. If you use the Default
setting, the SharePoint library uses the current Windows
account credentials instead.
For more information, continue reviewing the
Implementation User Guide; the Startup Configurations
chapter details these user settings.

11. When you finish defining your credentials, click OK.

12. Now select the Tree View Node Image you wish to use. The icon you select displays on the tree view when
an attached file is this document type. All icons available within the application display on this list; select
the image you need.

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You can add unique icons to the Epicor application by


using the Resource Editor. This customization utility is
described in the Customization User Guide within the
Customization Utilities chapter.

13. If you wish to limit where this document type is used, select the Reserved for Specific Tables check box.
This causes the document type to display within Document Type Control Maintenance; use this program to
define the specific records (for example, job records, AR groups, part records, and so on) this document
type can be used. The next section describes this key maintenance program.

14. Lastly, indicate whether this document type is necessary for a Receipt, a Shipment, or both transactions:
• Receipt – Select this check box if the document type is required for receipt transactions. When a part
record (Part Maintenance) indicates it needs receipt documents because its Receipt Docs Required
check box is selected, a file which uses this document type must be attached to any receipts for this part.
• Shipment - Select this check box if the document type is required for shipment transactions. When a
part record (Part Maintenance) indicates it needs shipment documents because its Shipping Docs
Required check box is selected, a file that uses this document type must be attached to any shipment
records for this part.

15. When you finish, click Save.

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File Transfer Modes Explained

When you use either a File System Location, SharePoint, or DocStar Library for storing attached files, two file
transfer modes are available - Client System Direct Copy (Direct) and File Transfer Using Service (Service).
These modes give you options for restricting file access, as you can select different modes on companies and
document types. Leverage this feature to prevent some users from accessing sensitive attachments, while granting
full access to common attached files.

In Epicor Cloud ERP, the Service mode is not available for the
File System storage type.

You use the Service option to save and retrieve files to the file storage location, typically a pre-defined folder,
using the Windows File access permissions defined for the user in the application pool. The default option, this
mode simplifies how you manage security, as each Windows User does not need access to the file server location.
You then do not need to set up file system permissions for each user.
You also use the Direct option to save and retrieve documents to a shared file storage location, as many users
will store these files in the same place. This mode uses the Windows File from the Windows User on the client
machine to determine whether this user has access to the shared file system location. If the Windows User can
access the shared location, this person may attach files to Epicor records and save them to this server directory.
The main drawback to the Direct mode is users need full and open access to storage on the server, and you may
not want to manage each user's server access. However consider using the Direct method in the following
situations:
• If the database and application servers are hosted and file system access for documents is not allowed, use
the Direct mode. This situation is typical in SaaS (Software as a Service) and cloud environments. The file
storage location you select is then local to all SaaS or cloud company users.
• If your organization has multiple geographic locations nationally and/or internationally, you may want to store
attachments to a local server accessible by most users. You will most likely use the Direct mode in this situation.
• If you have security concerns for attached files, you may want to enforce security through the Windows User
settings. Rather than setting this mode at the company, you should instead select the Direct mode on document
types so only specific users can access these attached files. You can then use the Service option on the company
or other document types so all users can access most documents.
By selecting different file transfer modes on companies and document types, you can apply the security you need
for attaching both common and sensitive files to Epicor ERP records.

Document Type Controls

Use Document Type Control Maintenance to define which document types are linked to records in specific tables
for the current company. For example, you can indicate users can only link part specification documents to the
Part table. This document type is then only available on part records and cannot be attached to a different record
(for example, a sales order).
However you can attach the same document type to multiple tables, so you can organize all your attachment
conventions through this program. Leverage this functionality to restrict what document types users can attach
throughout all the tables in the database.
If you indicate you want this document type to always display on a new record, the document type automatically
has its own node on the tree view, but no files are attached under it. Because this node always appears each
time a new record is created, users can drag and drop file attachments directly under this tree view node and
the file is immediately attached to the record in this node.

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As discussed previously, any files added to the record are automatically stored within either a file system server
directory or a SharePoint site library. The storage option selected on the document type defines the location
where the new file attachment is placed.
Menu Path: System Management > Document Management > Document Type Control
To create a document type control:

1. Click the New button.

2. Click either the Table button or the drop-down list to find and select a specific table.

3. Now click the Document Type drop-down list to select the document type you want to restrict on the
selected table. All document types which have the Reserved for Specific Tables check box selected on
their records display on this drop-down list. You select this option within Document Type Maintenance; the
previous section describes this check box.

4. If you want this document type to automatically display as a tree view node on each new record, select the
Expose In Tree check box. Users can then drag and drop files under this node. The file is automatically
attached to the current record and stored within the content library.
You activate this functionality within the Company Maintenance > Attachments sheet. If you select the
Allow Default Document check box on this sheet, the Expose in Tree check box is available within Document
Type Control Maintenance.

5. When you finish, click Save.

File Attachment Maintenance

If you set up a new file server to store your file attachments, use File Attachment Maintenance to change the
base directory path to this file server. Through this program, you update the base path for a group of file
attachments that use the same document type, preserving the links your records have to these files.
You first retrieve the current file attachments, either by pulling in all file attachments or filtering them by company
and/or document type. You next select a document type and then enter the target base path for the new file

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server. When you submit the path change, the file attachments update with the new target path. Records linked
to these file attachments now use this base path for the selected file attachments.

Note this program only updates the internal directory path to


these files. It does not move these files, so you will need to
manually place these file attachments in the new base directory
on the file server.

Menu Path: System Management > Upgrade/Mass Regeneration > Attachment Path Maintenance

This program is not available in Epicor Web Access.

To update the base path for a group of file attachments:

1. Click the Company drop-down list to either select a specific company or all available companies. Only
file attachments for the current company or all companies will display in File Attachment Maintenance.

2. Now from the document type drop-down list, select a specific document type or all document types.
Only file attachments for the selected document type or all document types will display in File Attachment
Maintenance.

3. Click the Search... button.

4. The Document Types and the Attachment File References grids populate with file attachment records.
From the Document Types grid, select a document type to review.

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5. The file attachments that use this same document type display on the Attachment File References grid.

6. Notice the Current Base Path field activates. If you need to change the original path to the file attachments,
enter the base path in this field.

7. Now enter the Target Base Path that contains the file attachments. This field defines the new path where
the file attachments are now stored.

You typically should only change the base path to the file
server. If the path name is too long, the attachment
process may not be able to locate the files.

8. Use the Batch Size field to limit how many file attachment paths update through the same server call during
the submit process.
This reduces the chance the submit process will time out before the file attachment paths update on the
attached records. When the submit process completes the update for one batch of files, it then moves on
to process the next batch. The default value is 100 records.

9. Click Submit.

All records that match the selected document type update with the Target Base Path. Now when users open file
attachments for this document type, the files use this directory path location.
To verify the base directory paths updated on the selected files, click the Search... button again to refresh the
display. The Current Base Path should now display the new base path you entered.

Clear SharePoint and DocStar Cache

As described previously, if you set the File Transfer Mode to use the Client System Direct Copy option and
the attachments are stored in a SharePoint or DocStar library, you can cause the SharePoint or DocStar logon
window to display when users access these attachments.
You activate this window by updating the client .sysconfig file for each client installation. You navigate to the
<userSettings> node and then change the <SpLogonMode> setting to the Interactive value. Now when users
accesses the SharePoint or DocStar library from these client installations, a logon window displays; users enter
account credentials to access the attachments in these libraries.

For more information on the client .sysconfig file, continue


reviewing the Implementation User Guide; the Startup
Configurations chapter details these user settings.

Users can then decide whether they want this window to save their user account credentials by selecting the
Remember me check box on this window. When users do not select this check box, the memory cache
automatically clears when they exit the application. These users must then enter their account credentials the
next time this logon window appears. However if they select the Remember Me check box, the system pulls these
credentials from the database and the logon window no longer displays.
If you need users to change these credentials, they can cause the SharePoint or DocStar logon window to display
again. To do this, they activate an option within the Preferences window. When users select the Clear SharePoint
account cache or Clear DocStar account cache check box, their credentials are removed from the database.
The next time they access an attachment in the SharePoint or DocStar library, this logon window displays again.
The following steps illustrate how you clear the SharePoint of DocStar cache to display the logon window.
Depending on your user interface, follow the steps below to access Preferences:

1. If you use the Classic interface, click the Options menu.

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2. Select the Preferences.... option.

3. If you use the Modern Shell menu, on the Home page, click the Settings tile.

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4. If you use Kinetic Home Page interface, on the Home page, go to User > More Settings.

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5. The General Options settings display.

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6. Select Preferences.
The Preferences window displays.

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7. Verify the General tab is active.

8. Select the Clear SharePoint account cache or Clear DocStar account cache check box or both.

9. Click OK.

The account credentials now clear from the database. When you access an attachment from the SharePoint or
DocStar library through this client installation, the logon window displays again and you can enter your new
credentials.
Note that after you click OK, the check box automatically clears. You need to repeat these steps to launch the
logon window again.

Third Party Parameters

You next define how the attached files interact with third-party applications. For example, you need to indicate
that attached .docx files launch automatically within Microsoft® Word®. If you use a SharePoint site library, you
must define how each document type populates information within the library table on the SharePoint site. You
also organize how external files are referenced within the Epicor database.

Document Type Metadata

Use the Attachment Metadata Maintenance program to define how document types and tables interact with
a SharePoint or DocStar site library. The metadata for any file attachments which use SharePoint or DocStar
document types is then dynamically calculated when the file is stored on a SharePoint or DocStar server.
You first use this program to define the database table and the document type. You then indicate how the
metadata for this document type/table configuration interacts with your SharePoint or DocStar site library. When
users attach a file for this table and document type, the metadata is calculated using the parameters defined in
this maintenance program. The file is then correctly added to the SharePoint or DocStar site.
Menu Path: System Management > Document Management > Document Type Metadata
To define metadata for a SharePoint or DocStar document type:

1. Click the New button.

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2. Click either the Table button or the drop-down list to find and select a specific database table.

3. Now select the Document Type for which you need to define attachment metadata. Attachments that use
this document type and then are linked to the selected table have their metadata dynamically calculated
using the parameters you define in the other fields on this sheet.

4. Enter the Column Name you need to associate with this table and document type. This value indicates the
column on the SharePoint or DocStar site library to which this document type is saved. When a user adds
a file attachment that uses the current table/document type configuration, the file is stored within this
SharePoint/DocStar column.

5. Enter the Display Name used with this metadata. This value defines the group name for the attachments
on the SharePoint or DocStar site library. Any attached files that use the current table/document type
configuration display in SharePoint or DocStar under this name.
By default, the Description text value from the selected document type displays in this field. You can change
this value if necessary.

6. The Database Mapping field defines the specific table and column within the database to which the
attachment files are linked (mapped). When users attach files that use this table/document type configuration,
they map to this table/column name. Enter the <table>.<column name> value you need.

If you are not sure which table/column name you should


use, launch the Data Dictionary Viewer. This program
displays all the database tables and their respective
columns. Main Path:System Setup > System
Maintenance > Data Dictionary Viewer.

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7. Optionally, select the Required check box to indicate users can only store attachments to this SharePoint
or DocStar column using this table/document type configuration. If you do not select this check box, users
can attach files to this SharePoint or DocStar column using other table/document configurations.

8. Select the Allow Override check box to indicate users can manually change these metadata values before
the file is saved to the SharePoint or DocStar site library. When this option is selected, users can update the
Metadata Value fields within the Attachment Management window. If you do not select this check box,
the Metadata Value fields display as read-only and cannot be changed.

9. When you finish, click Save.

External File References

Use External File Reference Maintenance to define and categorize any external files you need for the current
company. You first create a reference number for the file, link the external file to this number, and then define
its details. Typically you record certification documents through this program.
Menu Path: System Management > Document Management > Document Management
To create an external file reference:

1. Click the New button.

2. The Reference Number is automatically assigned to the external file once the new record is saved.

3. Select a Type option for the external file reference from the drop-down list. The list displays entries defined
through Document Type Maintenance.

4. Either click the File Name button to find and select the external file, or directly enter the directory path and
name for this external file.

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5. Enter the Description you need for this external file. Be sure to enter a value which clearly defines the
purpose of the external file.

6. When you finish, click Save.

The external file is now linked to the reference.

Document Associations

To complete the attachment setup, you need to associate each file extension with a third-party application. This
third party application displays the attached files which use this file extension. You use Document Association
Maintenance to define file associations for the current company.
You specify the command lines required to launch the file within the third-party application. When a user views
a document that contains the extension defined in the association, the file opens immediately within the third-party
application. This prevents the Open With window from appearing every time users select a file with this extension.

AutoVu 20.0 is not compatible with the Enterprise Content


Management functionality. If you wish to display AutoVu files,
be sure to use AutoVu 19.0 or earlier.

You can also define how files with this extension print for each document association.
Menu Path: System Management > Document Management > Document Association
To create a file association:

1. Click the New button.

2. Enter the file Extension you wish to link to this association record. When a user views or prints an attached
file with this file extension, the corresponding view and print commands are used.

3. Next, enter a brief Description for the document association. This value identifies the purpose for the
document association. For example: Bitmap

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4. Define the View Command which runs when users right-click an attached file and select View from the
context menu. This command launches the third-party application linked to this file extension and
automatically displays the selected file.
This command includes one variable, &1, which specifies the currently highlighted filename. You can cause
many Windows applications, such as the Microsoft Office® Suite, to append a filename to the command
line in order to open that file when the command is run. Things to consider:
• If the path to the application is included in the Windows path statement for the workstation, you only
need to specify the .EXE in this command line. For example: mspaint.exe “&1”
• If the path to the application is not included in the Windows path statement for the workstation, then
you need to specify the entire path to the .EXE. For example: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft
Office\Office12\WINWORD.exe “&1”
• If this command line calls a 32-bit application, such as Microsoft Office, then the filename (or the &1
variable representing the filename) must be enclosed in quotation marks. However, if this command line
calls a 16-bit application, such as the version of AutoVue shipped with the Enterprise Content Management
module, the filename must not be enclosed in quotation marks. For example: avwin.exe &1

5. Define the Print Command which runs when users right-click an attached file and select Print from the
context menu. This command launches the third-party application linked to this file extension and
automatically sends the selected file to the default printer.

See your third-party application’s documentation for more


information on printing options available from the
command line.

This command includes one variable, &1, which specifies the currently highlighted filename. The print
command for many applications can be run from the command line. For example, to print a file from a
Microsoft Word command line, add the following text to the Word command line: /mFilePrint. This runs
the printing macro for Microsoft Word.
Things to consider:
• If the path to the application is included in the Windows path statement for the workstation, you only
need to specify the .EXE in this command line
• If the path to the application is not included in the Windows path statement for this workstation, you
need to specify the entire path to the .EXE. For example: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft
Office\Office12\WINWORD.exe /mFilePrint “&1”
• If this command line calls a 32-bit application, such as Microsoft Office, then the filename (or the &1
variable representing the filename) must be enclosed in quotation marks. However, if this command line
calls a 16-bit application, such as the version of AutoVue shipped with the Enterprise Content Management
module, the filename must not be enclosed in quotation marks. For example: avwin.exe av\samples -p
&1

6. The Owning Company displays the company in which the current file extension record was created. You
cannot change this value.
The Owning Company value is used with the All Companies check box to determine which users can view
and use the current file extension record. By default, only users within the Owning Company have access
to this record. If the All Companies check box is selected, then users within companies in the same
organization as the Owning Company can view and use attached documents which use this file extension.
However only users within the Owning Company can make changes to this file extension record.

7. Select the All Companies check box to indicate all users within companies in the same organization as the
Owning Company can view files that use this third party file extension. However only users within the
Owning Company can make changes to the file extension record in this program.

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8. When you finish, click Save.

Attaching Files

Your users can now attach files to records, using the document types and file format restrictions you have set
up. This section shows you, as an example, how to attach a .docx file to a customer record. During this example,
you are attaching a customer approval document which is then automatically placed within a SharePoint site
library. Your users will follow the same steps to attach files to any record within the Epicor application that allows
attachments.

Attach File to Record

To attach a file to a record:


To begin this example, you launch Customer Maintenance.
Menu Path: Sales Management > Order Management > Setup > Customer

1. Find and select the customer record to which you need to attach the file.

2. Expand the Attachments node on the tree view. Notice the document types you selected to be exposed
on the tree within Document Type Maintenance automatically display within this node.

3. You want to add a customer approval to the SharePoint site library. Right-click the Customer Linked
Documents node and select the Add New Attachment option from the context menu. If you allow

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documents to be clicked and dragged to the tree view, you can also use your mouse to click and drag a file
from Windows Explorer onto the tree view.

4. The Attachment Management window displays.

5. Notice the Document Type (Doc Type) drop-down list automatically displays the document type for the
selected tree view node.

6. Click the Browse button to find and select the file you want to attach to the record.

7. Enter the Title you need for the file. This value displays on the tree view node for the current record.

8. If the file will be saved to a SharePoint site, you can also enter other SharePoint properties for the document.
The values you select here display in the selected columns in the SharePoint site library. If you need, enter
any additional Comments for the attached file you want to display in SharePoint.

9. Select the current Status of the document from the drop-down list. You can indicate the file is a Draft,
Approved, Final, and so on.

10. The SharePoint Display Name and the Metadata Value columns display the values you defined for this
table/document type within Attachment Metadata Maintenance. If the Allow Override check box is selected
for this table/document type, you can change these values. If this check box is clear (not selected), however,
this table displays as read only and you cannot modify the values in this table.

11. Click OK.

12. The file is now attached to the record. It is also saved to the SharePoint site library.

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Attached Files in Action

When users attach a file to a record, it displays as a unique node on the tree view. Your users can now display,
edit, print, and delete this attached file as they need.
To manipulate an attached file:

1. Launch a program which has a record with attachments. In this example, you launch Customer Maintenance
and pull in the customer record which has the approval document you previously attached.

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2. Right-click the Attachments; a context menu displays.

3. To display the attachment, select View. The attached file appears within the third-party application you
defined within Document Association Maintenance.

4. To print the attachment, select Print. The attached file prints using the Print Command values you defined
within Document Association Maintenance.

5. If you need to change the file, select Edit to display the file within the third-party application. You can then
make the changes to the file as you need.

6. To delete the file attachment from the current record, select Remove. The attachment node disappears
from the tree node.

You cannot remove attachments when you display a


record in a tracker. When you right-click the attached file,
the Remove option is not available.

Users now have the control they need for each attached file you have approved for use within the current
company.

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Chapter 13: Reporting Tools

The Epicor ERP application contains the tools you use to modify existing reports so they better reflect your business
and workflow needs. You can modify all installed reports within the Epicor ERP application, and then create routing
rules that determine how the customized reports generate, print, and distribute.
You set up how the Epicor ERP application interacts with the reporting functionality through Company Maintenance
and Printer Maintenance. Use Company Maintenance to indicate whether your reports use SQL Server Reporting Services
(SSRS) or both SSRS and Crystal Report types. The default report generator for the Epicor ERP application is SQL Server
Reporting Services (SSRS), but the Crystal Report type is available for backwards compatibility. Use Printer Maintenance
to define the printers available within your organization.
Through Report Data Definition Maintenance, you can add a number of data fields, calculated fields, and additional
® ®
tables to each report. You then launch Microsoft SQL Server Report Builder or another report writer to modify the
display of each report to include the added fields. To make this modified report an option on the Report Style drop-down
list on each report window, use Report Style Maintenance to create a style for it. You then further define each report
style by designing a routing rule that evaluates the report data and generates different reports based on customer,
country, supplier, part, or other criteria. You then determine whether the report output is rendered electronically,
printed as a hard copy, or distributed as an e-mail attachment.
Leverage the reporting tools to generate and send out the customized reports you need for improved communication
within all workflows throughout your organization.

Epicor ERP also has an external tool, the Advanced Financial Reporter,
which you can use to create financial-specific reports which integrate
with your Epicor ERP application. For more information about this
financial reporting tool, contact your account manager.

SSRS Integration

The Epicor ERP application integrates with SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS). This service handles all report
generation and printing functions.
Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) is a report generation tool that typically displays reports in an
internet browser. However because the Epicor ERP application must support unattended printing, scheduled
printing, direct printing, and other features, you usually do not work with reports in the SSRS browser portal.
The Epicor ERP application generates reports by first extracting the report data from the database. It does this
by applying user security rules and restrictions specified by the application. The data is then written to a transient
report that uses database tables in the reporting database; this report database is different from the application's
transactional database. The encapsulated data is then combined with the SSRS report definition to render the
report output (PDF by default).
This report generation process is handled by the application server. System administrators set up the application
server using the Epicor Administration Console. The application server generates the data, writes this data to the
transient tables, and then connects with SSRS to render the report output. Users can then preview and print the
report.
An important feature of the Epicor/SSRS integration is that you can use SQL Server Report Builder to create
modified versions of the installed Epicor reports to create modified reports and custom reports. Both the modified
reports and custom reports can be added to the application menu, making them available for users. The Epicor
ERP application help includes examples of how to develop and integrate both modified and custom reports,

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moving between the application client, SQL Server Report Builder, and SQL Server Report Manager. For more
information, see the following topics in the application help:
• System Management > Reporting > SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) > Developing a Modified Version
of an Epicor Shipped SSRS Report
• System Management > Reporting > SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) > Developing a Custom SSRS Report

Reporting Setup

You set up the reporting tools functionality through Company Configuration and Printer Maintenance. These
programs define the report types and the specific printers available for the current company. When you have
these parameters defined, you are then able to create the report definitions and styles you need.

Report Type Configuration

The report types a company uses is set through Company Maintenance.


SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS)® is the default report type. However if you used Crystal Reports® in a
previous version, you can configure the report type to use both formats. Users can then select which report type
they want to use for the selected report. If the current company is set up for SQL Server Reporting Services, be
sure to configure the company to only accept the SSRS report type.
Menu Path: System Setup > Company/Site Maintenance > Company Maintenance

This program is not available in Epicor Web Access.

To define the report types for the current company:

1. Navigate to the Email and Reporting sheet.

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2. Use the Allowed Report Style drop-down list to select what report systems, or types, are available within
the current company. Available options:
• SSRS Only – Select this style when you use SSRS for your reporting tool.
• Crystal and SSRS – Select this style when you use both Crystal Reports and SSRS. If you used Crystal
reports in a previous version, you can use this option to include the .rpt files. Typically you choose this
option while you are moving between report writers. If your company is moving to SSRS, select this
option so that users can still run their Crystal Reports.

3. Click the WorkStation Method drop-down list to define how shipping and receiving workstations connect
to printers available on your network. Available options:
• Default
• UserID
• Machine name + UserID
• Machine Name + Domain User

4. When required for the Epicor SSRS Portal, enter the URL the current company uses for the Epicor SQL
Server Report Portal web site.
An Epicor SSRS Portal URL is required to use the legacy XML-based method of implementing SSRS reports.
You also use this URL to add custom SSRS reports to the Epicor ERP menu. To do this, add the report icon
to the menu and then select the SSRS Custom Report Link for the Program Type. The portal URL is not
needed when working with the report database model.
You can use the Configure Epi SSRS Service utility to find the URL. On the server where the Epicor SSRS
components are installed, navigate to Start > Programs > Epicor Software > Epicor SQL Report Monitor and

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select Configure Epi SSRS Service. The URL is displayed in the Epi SSRS site field on the Configure the SQL
Server Report Portal screen.

You typically set up SQL Server Reporting Services through


the Epicor Administration Console; you configure the
application server for SSRS on the Reporting Services sheet
in this console. These setup instructions are available in
the Epicor ERP Installation Guide. If you have an existing
Epicor 9.xx application and you decide not to use the
recommended SSRS functionality, you can install and
confgure SSRS using the portal method. Instructions for
installing SSRS through the portal method are in the Epicor
ERP Supplemental Installation Guide.

5. Use the options on the SSRS Printer Option drop-down list to determine which printers users will send a
report for printing. Available options:
• Client and Server Printing -- The default option, indicates reports will first attempt to print on any
printers directly linked to the client. If no client printers are available, the report will then attempt to print
on any printers connected to the server.
• Client Printing Only -- Indicates reports will only be sent to printers connected to clients.
• Server Printing Only -- Indicates reports will only be sent to printers connected to servers.

6. Optionally, you select the default printers used for automatic printing within the Auto-Print Defaults group
box.
When configured, these printers are the primary machines used for auto-printing reports and labels in the
current company. For additional set up, you can define which printers run auto printing at the Workstation
level; any printers set up on the Workstation level override the printers set up on the Company level. You
set up Business Process Management (BPM) data directives to indicate which printer is used to auto print
specific reports.

To learn more about setting up report auto printing,


review the Auto Print action topics in the Business Process
Management (BPM) section in the application help.

7. The SSRS Report Server group is used only when a company needs to be set up on a report server and
database different from those specified in the application server. For example, you may have a company
that needs a dedicated reporting database to ensure compliance with security requirements. Any such
change should be coordinated with your administrator.

8. When you finish, click Save.

Printer Maintenance

Printer records within the application identify your available printers. Use this program to define how the application
interacts with each printer installed within the current company.
The printers you define here display on drop-down lists within Company Maintenance and Workstation
Maintenance to set up auto-printing. You also indicate whether a printer is compatible with SSRS printing; printers
you indicate can use SSRS printing then display as an option within SSRS Printer windows.

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Menu Path: System Management > Reporting > Printer Maintenance

This program is not available in Epicor Web Access.

To add a printer:

1. Click New on the Standard toolbar.

2. Enter the Printer ID for this printer. Be sure to enter a unique identifier that helps you locate it.

3. Enter the Description of the printer. The text entered here displays on drop-down lists throughout the
application. In this example, you enter Manufacturing Center – Printer.

4. Next, enter the Network Path. This defines the network location for the printer. Do not enter a local path
in this field; only enter a path that connects to a network printer. Be sure to correctly enter this path because
this defines the value the Epicor ERP application uses to send report data to this printer.

5. If SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) reports can be sent to this printer and if you want users to print SSRS
reports to it, select the SSRS Printer check box. Users can then select this printer as an option on the SSRS
Printer windows. To learn more about SSRS printing, read the SQL Server Report Print Controls section later
in this chapter.
If you do not select the SSRS Printer check box, the printer can still be used for SSRS reports. However to
do this, you must select the SSRS option for a specific report style within Report Style Maintenance. Use this
method when the device is a specialty printer you need to reserve for specific reports. Examples of printing
devices you would not define as an SSRS printer but still use SSRS reports include check printers, plotters,
and label printers.

6. Select the Color check box if this printer prints out pages in color.

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7. Select the Landscape check box if the printer prints pages in the landscape orientation – which means its
documents are wider than taller. By default, this check box is clear (not selected).

8. Several default values display in the rest of the fields within this sheet. The Margin field defines the margins
of any page printed with this printer. The values are in hundredths of an inch.

9. The Paper Size Kind field indicates the size of the paper used in the printer. Select the size you need from
the drop-down list. In this example, you select the Letter paper size.

10. The Paper Height field defines the height of the printed paper, in hundredths of an inch. For example,
paper that is 11 inches tall displays as 1100 in this field.

11. The Paper Width field displays the maximum width of each printed page. This value displays in hundredths
of an inch. For example, paper that is 8.5 inches wide has an 850 value.

12. The Paper Source Kind field defines the source of the paper. Select the source you need from the drop-down
list. In this example, you select FormSource. Other options include Automatic Feed, Large Format, and Manual
Feed.

13. The Horizontal Res. and Vertical Res. fields display the horizontal and vertical resolution that the printer
will use, in dots per inch.

14. Optionally, select the Collate check box if the printed pages should always be assembled in the correct
order when the hard copy is generated.

15. When you finish, click Save.

Continue to enter the printers you need. After you have defined all the available printers, users can select these
printers for use with auto-printing, SSRS reports, and other report types.

Work Station Maintenance

You can also define a default printer at the workstation level. When a user logs into this workstation, this default
printer is automatically used for both regular printing and auto-printing. You do this through Work Station
Maintenance.
Menu Path: Material Management > Shipping / Receiving > Setup > Workstation
To define a default printer for a workstation:

1. Click WorkStation ID and then find and select the workstation that you want to update.

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2. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New Device.

3. The Devices sheet displays.

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4. Select the device Type from the drop-down list. To indicate this device is a printer, select the Printer option.

5. Enter a Description for the printer.

6. Select the Default Device check box. This indicates the printer is the default for this workstation.

You can add as many printers to the workstation as you


need. However only one printer can be selected as the
default printer device.

7. Select a Printer ID from the drop-down list. This list displays all the printer records you created through
Printer Maintenance. For more information about this program, review the previous Printer Maintenance
section.

8. Now select a Printer Usage option. This defines how this default printer is used. Available options:
• Reports
• Labels

9. Click Save.

This workstation is now set up with a default printer. If a report does not have a rule that defines a network
printer path, this default workstation printer is used for any reports, forms, or labels printed from this workstation.

Report Data Definition

Use Report Data Definition to create and edit the structure of each report.
When you create a new report, define its main attributes and select the data sources you want to use for the
report data definition. In general, three types of data sources are available for your report data definition:
• Epicor ERP Tables - Use Epicor ERP database tables to create reports. You can add fields to display on the
report or remove fields and tables. Any database table can be added to a new or existing report. Report Data
Definition gives you access to all the tables in the database, so you can define parent and child table
relationships and display related information from any table. You can also define criteria that limits the data
that displays. Note that reports that use ERP tables as data sources rely on coded assemblies to retrieve data
and on custom forms to allow user submission. Most of the shipped system reports fall into this category.
• BAQ - Custom reports can be based on data provided by both system and custom Business Activity Queries.
You can select several BAQs for your report data definition. When multiple BAQs are chosen, you optionally
define parent and child relationships between the BAQ Columns. You can also create Report Criteria Sets
that display as criteria prompts and filters, so you can enter values for the report criteria before submitting
the report for generation.
• Electronic Interfaces - Electronic Interfaces can also be used as report data sources to create reports. You
can add multiple electronic interfaces to your definition; however you cannot set up parent-child relations
between electronic interfaces.
Reports can be based on either ERP Tables or BAQs and Electronic Interfaces. For example:
• Reports based on Tables cannot also contain BAQs or Electronic Interfaces as data sources.
• Reports based on BAQs can also contain Electronic Interfaces as data sources but not Tables.
To customize an existing system report, you first create a copy of it. Then using a search function on the report
data definition that contains tables as the data source, you can add fields and tables to it and remove any fields

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and tables you do not want. You can add any database table to a standard report data definition. It also exposes
the excluded fields not included on a default report’s base layout – giving you the option to display these hidden
fields. You can also add lookup tables that display through fields on the customized report.
Report Data Definition does not make changes to the report’s layout; it only defines the data displayed on the
report. When you finish modifying the report’s fields and tables, you must next open the report within the
® ®
BarTender, Microsoft SQL Server Report Builder , or another report writer and customize the report’s layout.
Menu Path: System Management > Reporting > Report Data Definition

This program is not available in Epicor Web Access.

Create a Report Definition

For this example, you are creating a new version of the Job Traveler. This report will use SSRS reporting and
contain some changes to the information it displays.

The following workflow uses ERP Tables as the data source for
your report data definition. To create a report based on BAQs
and Electronic Interfaces, view the Multiple BAQ/EI Reports
section.

To create a new report data definition:

1. Click Code and then to find and select the report you need. In this example you want the Job Traveler, so
you select the JobTrav code.

2. The Description field displays the name of the report you selected. In this example, Job Traveler displays.

3. The Report Type field indicates the kind of report that makes up this data definition. Available options:
• Base Definition – The primary version of a report. This version is installed with the Epicor ERP application.

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• Crystal – A report created using the Crystal Reports application.

Although not installed with the Epicor ERP application,


the Crystal Reports versions of the standard reports
are available on EPICWeb in the Epicor 10 download
section. These reports are compressed in a .zip file you
can download and expand in a folder on your server.
You then use Report Data Definition Maintenance and
Report Style Maintenance to give users access to these
Crystal reports.

• Outbound EDI – A report used to generate Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) data that you send out
to customers and suppliers.
• Epicor Financial Report – Reports created through the Financial Report Designer.
• Bartender Labels – Labels created through the BarTender application. Six generic BarTender reports
are available; these reports are generic because customer labels are typically customized by each company.
• SQL Server Reporting – A report created using Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services.

4. Notice the System Report check box is selected. This indicates the current report definition was installed
with the application and cannot be changed. To change the report's data and table structure, you need to
make a copy of this definition.

5. Click the Actions menu and select Duplicate Report.

6. The Duplicate Report Definition window displays.

7. Enter the Report Def ID. Be sure to enter an identifier you can use to easily find the report data definition
later. For this example, enter Traveler.

8. Enter a Description for this duplicate report. In this example, enter Job Traveler – Auto Report Version.

9. Click OK to return to Report Data Definition.

10. Notice the Code and Description fields now display information from your duplicate report.

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11. Click the Report Type drop-down list and select the SQL Server Reporting option.

12. The Duplicate of field displays the name of the original system report.

13. Click Save and remain in Report Data Definition.

Add and Modify Report Labels

Use the Report Labels sheets to enter or modify the labels which display on the current report. These constant
values are used to translate sections of the current report into different languages. Every piece of text contained
in the report, such as titles, headings, and fields are identified using a specific label defined on these sheets; you
can then translate all of these items into different languages.
The values you enter or edit are recorded within the RptLabels table. This table contains all the language versions
of the current report; the report writer accesses this table. These report labels generate the field labels, so each
field on the report can display in a different language by matching the Label Name for each item. You can also
add labels for new report sections through these sheets.
This functionality helps you avoid directly entering, or hard coding, text values within the report writers such as
the Financial Report Designer or Microsoft SQL Server Report Builder. Instead, you can translate these labels
independently from the report writer. To do this, you could create a new report definition which contains the
translated text you define on these sheets; users can then select the specific language version of the report.
To help identify the new tables and fields you are adding to the report, use this functionality to add the labels
you need. While you design the report through a report writer like Microsoft SQL Server Report Builder, you can
place these labels on the report layout.
To create a new label:

1. In Report Data Definition, click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New Label.

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2. The Report Labels > Detail sheet displays.

3. Enter the Label Name. This identifier defines the label within the report data definition.

4. Enter the Label Value you need. This value defines the text which displays within the label on the report.

5. Continue adding the labels you need. When you finish, click Save.

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6. You can also edit existing labels. To do this, click the Report Labels > List sheet.

The labels within the current report definition display within the Report Labels grid. All labels can be edited.

The report definition now uses the labels you defined on these sheets. You may manipulate where these labels
display within your report writer application.

Add Report Tables

You can define which tables are used in a report data definition and modify what data each table displays on
the report. You can also add any existing table to the report.
To add a table to your Traveler data definition:

1. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New Table.

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2. A new Data Sources > Report Table > Detail sheet displays.

3. The Report Table field displays the identifier for the selected table. Either enter the name of the table
directly or click the Schema Table button to find and select the table you need. Typically the Report Table
is the same as the Schema Table.

4. The Schema field displays the schema identifier for the selected schema table. Typical options include ERP
and ICE.

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5. The optional SeqControl field defines where the current report table is placed within the report’s table
sequence (.xsd) file. You can then organize the tables within any Parent-Child relationships you need. You
can also enter a different value within this field.

6. When the Output RptLanguageID check box is selected, it indicates records within the dataset have an
additional RptLanguageID field. This field is used to link to the RptLabel table. As described in the previous
section, the RptLabel table is a temporary table which contains the translations for the label text (literals);
these text values are then included in all report datasets.

7. Click Save to finish adding the new table to your data definition.

Add Calculated Fields

You can add calculated fields to the report definition and later use Microsoft SQL Server Report Builder to add
them to the report layout.

The fewer fields included within the data definition, the better
the report will perform. Typically you only include the fields
used on the SQL Server for Reporting Services (SSRS) templates.
To create a calculated field, you will need a SDK (Software
Developers Kit) license. If you run this command without this
license, you will only create a blank field within this report's
tables that cannot be populated with data.

To add a calculated field:

1. Click New > New Calculated Field.

2. The Data Sources > Report Table > Calculated Fields > Detail sheet displays.

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3. Enter the Name for the new calculated field. This value is the main identifier used for the field within the
current report table.

4. The Label value defines the text which displays next to the calculated field on the report. Typically you enter
text which is similar to the Name value.

5. Use the Business Type drop-down list to format a number column to display as words. If you select Number
to Words for a column that has a numeric value, instead of showing numbers (the Default option), the
numbers display as words. For example, the value 123,500 would appear as "One Hundred Twenty Three
Thousand, Five Hundred" on the report.

For more information on how to implement Numbers to


Words, review the documentation in the application help.
You can find this documentation in the System
Management > Reporting > Numbers To Words node on
the help Table of Contents tab.

6. Define the Data Type that will be calculated within this field. Select a data type you need from the list.
Available options:
• Character = "X(20)"
• Decimal = "->>>,>>9.99999"
• Date = "{datetime}"
• Integer = "->,>>>,>>9"
• Logical = "yes/no"

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After you select a data type option, the Format field displays the default format for the selected option. If
you select the Number to Word option for the Business Type, this field is read-only and displays the Character
value.

7. Use the Column list to select the numeric column that contains the source values you wish to display as
words. This drop-down list is available when you select the Number to Words option for the Business Type.

8. Use the Format field to define how the calculated field displays its data. After you select a Data Type, a
default format appears in this field. Some default formats include X(20) (a character field with 20 characters),
{datetime} (a date field), and ->>>,>>9.99999 (a decimal field).
You can modify some default formats to better match the data that will display in this calculated field. For
example if you only need a character field to display 8 characters, modify the default X(20) character format
to display X(8) instead. However if you enter a format that doesn't match the Data Type, an error message
displays. This error message describes the valid format options available for the selected Data Type.

9. Use the Number Decimals field to set the number of decimal places to display.

10. You can continue to add additional calculated fields. When finished, click Save.

Exclude/Include Fields and Field Labels

Through the Exclusions sheet, you determine which fields or labels are not used in a report data definition.
You can either exclude a field's column and label or just the label. By default, both columns and labels are excluded
from the report. Excluding unused columns improves report performance and reduces the size of the report file,
so be sure to always include only necessary columns. Each label is also a table column, so by excluding labels you
reduce the number of columns as well. This helps ensure the report generates as expected.
To include/exclude columns and labels or just labels:

1. Navigate to the Report Table > Exclusions sheet.

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2. You can select a range of columns and labels to exclude or include. Select the first column/label row, then
hold down the <Shift> key while you select the second column/label row; the two rows and all other rows
between them are highlighted.

3. You can also select specific columns and labels. To do this, hold down the <Ctrl> button while you click
different rows.

4. To remove the highlighted columns and labels, click Actions > Exclude Selected Columns.

5. The ExcludeColumn and ExcludeLabel check boxes activate on the selected rows.

When you exclude columns and labels, they are only


removed from the report data definition. They are not
removed from the actual table.

6. Notice other include and exclude options are available from the Actions menu. Select the Exclude All
Columns option to remove all the table columns and labels from the report definition.

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7. To use all the columns but remove the labels, select the Include All Columns option.

8. If you want to add columns you currently have selected, select the Include Selected Columns option.

9. The rest of the options control the labels that display on the report. To remove the labels, select the Exclude
All Labels option.

10. To use all the labels on the current table, select the Include All Labels option.

11. If you select specific rows and want to remove the labels but keep the columns, select the Exclude Selected
Labels option.

12. If you select rows that include columns but not the labels and now you decide to include them, select the
Include Selected Labels option.

13. Click Save.

Now either the selected columns and labels or just the selected labels are removed® from the report definition.®
You support these changes in the layout by designing the report within Microsoft SQL Server Report Builder .

Add Data Filtering Criteria

You use report table criteria to set data filters in the report data definition. This functionality helps you reduce
how much data is pulled from the database, focusing the report on the specific information you need to include.
To define how each criterion interacts with the other rules, you leverage the And/Or value and the parentheses
fields to define what criterion needs to evaluate first before the next criterion.
To create a new criterion:

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1. Select a table on the Tree View, click the Down Arrow next to the New button, and then select New
Table Criteria.

2. The Data Sources > Report Table > Criteria sheet displays with a line for the new criterion.

3. Click the And Or drop-down list to define how this criterion, or rule, works in relationship with other criteria
you define for this report definition. Available options:
• And – This rule must be TRUE in addition to any other rule.

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• Or – Either this rule must be TRUE, or another rule must be TRUE.


• <Null> – This option is only selected for the first rule. It causes all the other “And Or” rules to run after
it.

4. When you need to nest two or more rules together, enter the Open Parenthesis “(“ character value in the
LeftP field. To define the beginning of a group of nested rules, you can enter as many open parenthesis
characters as you need.

5. Select the Field Name the rule will evaluate. The only fields available on this drop-down list are the ones
found on the current table.

6. Use the Compare Operator drop-down list to define how the selected field (the Field Name value) is
compared against either a Constant field or the To Table and To Field values. The operator list that displays
depends on the field you select:
• Numbers: >, <, =, >=, <=, < >
• Strings: >, <, =, >=, <=, < >, BEGINS, MATCHES
• Booleans (check boxes): =, < >

7. The Is Constant check box indicates whether the item used to compare against the Field Name value is a
set, or constant, value. When you select this check box, you can then define the constant value you need
through other fields on this rule. Depending on the data type for the selected field (Character, Boolean,
Numeric, and so on), different constant fields activate.
If you do not select this check box (it is clear), you can compare the Field Name against a selected table and
variable field.

8. If you are comparing the Field Name against another field, the To Table column is active. Use this drop-down
list to select the table that contains the field you want to compare against the Field Name value. All the
tables linked to the current report data definition display on this list. After you select a table, the table’s
fields then populate the To Field list.

9. After you select a table within the To Table drop-down list, select the specific field you wish to evaluate the
Field Name against from the To Field list. All the fields contained within the selected To Table display on
this list.

10. Select the FromToday check box if the rule is based on a number of days from the current date (Today).
This check box is only available if the Is Constant check box is selected. Selecting this check box activates
the FromTodayValue field.

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11. Use the RValueDate field to define a specific date for the criterion. The criterion then evaluates its results
based on values filtered by this selected date. If the Is Constant check box is selected for a date field, this
column is available.

12. The FromTodayValue field defines how many days from the current system date (Today) is used to satisfy
this rule. This field is available if the FromToday check box is selected. Enter a numeric value in this field.

13. Use the RValueNumber field to define a specific numeric value for the criterion. The criterion then evaluates
its results based on values filtered by this number. If the Is Constant check box is selected for a decimal field,
this column is available.

14. Enter a Constant Char value to define a specific string for the criterion. The criterion then evaluates its
results based on values filtered by this character string. If the Is Constant check box is selected for a character
field, this column is active.

15. Use the Constant Bool field to define a specific boolean value (True, False) for the criterion. The criterion
then evaluates its results based on values filtered by this Boolean value. If the Is Constant check box is
selected for a check box field, this column is available.

16. Use the Constant Int field to enter a specific integer value for the criterion. The criterion then evaluates its
results based on values filtered by this integer. If the Is Constant check box is selected for an integer field,
this column is available.

17. When you need to nest two or more rules together, enter the Close Parenthesis “)“ character value in the
RightP field. To define the ending of a group of nested rules, you can enter as many close parenthesis
characters as you need.

18. When you finish, click Save.

Add Fields from Linked Tables

If you need to pull additional data for display onto the report, use the Pick Links sheet. This sheet displays the
lookup tables linked to the current table. When you select a table on this sheet, you indicate that data from this

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lookup table can display on the current report. You then define which specific fields from the selected table are
used in the report.
To add lookup table fields to your report definition:

1. Navigate to the Data Sources > Report Table > Linked Tables > Pick Links sheet.

2. From the Lookup Available From zLookupLink list, select the lookup table you need.

3. Click the Right Arrow button to move the selected lookup table to the Lookup Picked list.

4. Click Save.

5. Now click the Description Fields tab.

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6. You can select the specific fields from the lookup table you want to display on the report. If you have selected
multiple lookup tables, first select the table you need from the Pick Fields for this Link drop-down list.

7. Within the Fields Available list, select the field you want to display.

8. Click the Right Arrow button to move the selected field to the Fields Picked list.

9. Continue to select the fields from the lookup tables you need. When you finish, click Save.

Add Table Relationships

After you add tables to the report definition, use the Relationship sheets to define any required links, or joins,
needed to display data within the modified report. You use the Detail sheet to define the links you want to create
for a specific table. Use the List sheet to review and update all the links contained within the current report.
To add a relationship to the report definition:

1. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New Relationship.

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2. Verify that the Relationships > Detail tab is displayed.

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3. Enter the Relation identifier you want. This value helps you define the purpose for the table relationship,
as this identifier displays within other locations.

4. Enter the Description text for the relationship. This concise explanation helps you further identify the
purpose of this table relationship.

5. Select the Parent Table you want to link to a child table. The current tables available on this report data
definition display on the drop-down list.

6. The Key field defines the field you want to use to link the parent table and the child table together. An
optional value, selecting a field from this drop-down list helps the report data definition automatically create
a set of relationship fields. Available keys on the parent table display on this list; select the field you need.

7. Select the Child Table you want to link to the selected parent table. The current tables available on this
report data definition display on the drop-down list.

8. The Relation Type value defines how these two tables are joined within the report definition. The join you
select from this drop-down list determines how data between these two tables displays within the report.
Available options:
• Definition Only – This relationship is an inner join; the report will only display data from the parent
table if linking data exists in the child table.
• Output – This relationship is a left outer join; this report displays all requested data from the parent
table regardless of the linking data available within the child table.

9. You need to add the fields required to define the relationship between the parent table and the child table.
To do this, click the Add button.

10. The Seq column defines the order in which the data is pulled from the parent table and the child table. The
relationship field with a sequence of 1 is used first, followed by 2, and so on. As you add relationship fields,
this sequence number increases.

11. The Parent Field Name defines the field from the parent table used to establish the link to the child field.
All the fields from the parent table display on this drop-down list; select the field you need.

12. The Child Field Name defines the field from the child table used to establish the link to the parent field.
All the fields from the parent table display on this drop-down list; select the field you need.

13. To remove a relationship field, highlight it on the Fields grid and click the Delete button. The relationship
field is removed from the Fields grid.

14. When finished, click Save.

Add Relationship Parameters

You can refine a table relationship further by using the fields on the List sheet.
To modify the table relationship:

1. Click the Relationships > List tab.

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2. The Relation ID, Parent, Child, and Key ID fields display the values you selected on the Relationships >
Detail sheet.

3. The Description field displays the text you entered on the Relationships > Detail sheet. If you need, you
can enter different text in this field. Enter a description that helps you further identify the purpose of this
parent-child table relationship.

4. Use the RelationType value to indicate how these two tables are joined within the report definition. The
Relation Type you selected on the Relations > Detail sheet displays by default. If you need, you can change
this value. Available options:
• DefOnly – This relationship is an inner join; the report only displays data from the parent table if linking
data exists in the child table.
• Output – This relationship is a left outer join; this report displays all requested data from the parent
table regardless of the linking data available within the child table.

5. Select the SystemFlag check box to indicate this relationship links to a system report. System reports are
the original reports installed with the application, like the Job Traveler, Order Acknowledgment, and so on.

6. Use the Sequence field to define the order in which these field relationships are placed on the EDI flat files.

7. When finished, click Save.

Export and Import Data Definitions

After you finish creating your report data definition, you can export this definition to a central directory location.
Users can then access this directory and import your custom report data definition for use in their environments.
To export and import report data definitions:

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1. Find and select the report data definition you wish to export.

2. Now click Actions > Export Report Data Def.

3. The Save As window displays.

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4. By default, the C:\ProgramData\Epicor\[YourEpicorEnvironment]\shared\Export folder is selected as


the destination directory. If you need, enter or find/select a different export folder.

5. For the File name, the exported file displays with an "RDD" prefix. You can enter a different file name in
this field.

Notice the file is saved as a Report Data Definition .xml


file type.

6. Click Save.

7. Now access the Epicor ERP environment where you want to import the report data definition. Launch Report
Data Definition Maintenance within this environment.

8. Click Actions > Import Report Data Def.

9. The Open window displays.

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10. Select the report data definition file you wish to import.

11. Click Open.

12. The report data definition is now available within this Epicor ERP environment. Click the Code... button to
find and select this file.

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Report Style Maintenance

Use Report Style Maintenance to define the variations, or styles, available within the application for your reports
® ®
and forms. Use this program to define the reports you have designed within Microsoft SQL Server Report Builder
or another report writer. You also use this program to indicate which styles are available for specific companies.
A report style is first defined by its type; available report types include SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS),
Outbound EDI, and Bartender Labels. You next select the report data definition you created for this report style.
You also indicate its report location and output location, defining the source for the report definition and then
indicating whether the report style uses a database or an .xml file for output. You then limit which users can
select this style by defining which companies can display it.
If this style is for an SSRS report, you can also indicate which the server printers are available to print it. Then to
complete the SSRS functionality, you can design a routing rule that renders the report output based on a workflow
you design. You can create a routing rule that displays a print preview, generates multiple reports as electronic
files, sends a report to a specific client or server printer, and attaches the report to an e-mail message.
Once you finish creating the style, users can select this style on report windows. Each report window has a Report
Style drop-down list that contains the styles you made available for the current company.
Menu Path: System Management > Reporting > Report Style

This program is not available in Epicor Web Access.

Create a Report Style

A report style requires you have an existing report and report data definition.

1. Click the Report ID button to find and select the report you want. In this example, you select the JobTrav
report.

2. The Description field displays the default description for the report. If you need, you can change this value
to something more meaningful for your company.

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3. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New Report Style.

4. In the tree, select the new, unnamed report style node.

5. The Styles > Style Detail sheet displays.

Use this sheet to create and edit the different styles you use to print customized reports. You can also define the
default style per company on this sheet.

Report Style Details

You next enter the details for the new Job Traveler report style.

1. The Style Number displays the identifier for the new report style. You cannot edit this field. When you add
a new style, the application assigns the next sequential style number.

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2. Enter a Description for the report style. Enter a meaningful description that explains the purpose for the
report. For this example, you enter Traveler - Routing Rule.

3. From the Report Type list, select a valid type for this report style. The report type defines the application
used to print the report. For this example, you select SQL Server Reporting. Available options:
• Base Definition – The primary version of a report; this version was installed with the Epicor application.
• Crystal – The report writer used for reports created through the Crystal Reports application.
• Outbound EDI – This report writer converts .xml into the EDI flat file format. This report can then be
exported out to customers and suppliers through Service Connect to update records.
• Epicor Financial Report – This report writer is only used for reports created through the Financial Report
Designer.
• Bartender Labels – This report writer creates flat files in the BarTender format. The first two lines sent
by the writer contain the BarTender template that reads the data, the network printer from where the
labels are printed, and other key information. The rest of this flat file is populated with the data using a
comma-separated format.
• SQL Server Reporting – The generic report writer used for all reports other than ones specifically created
through the Financial Report Designer.

For more information about sending EDI files to customers


and suppliers, review the EDI Technical Reference Guide
located within application help. To learn about using
Service Connect, review the Epicor Service Connect User
Guide.

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4. The Data Definition field displays the application’s database schema definition for the report you are
working on. From this field’s drop-down list, select Traveler. This value is the data definition you previously
created during the Report Data Definition section.

5. Define the Report Location. This defines the path and report file used when you print this report style.
You cannot change the filename for the standard report/forms. If you add a new style, you must enter the
filename or use the Actions > Copy Report Style option.
For SSRS reports, this value is the folder location and report .rdl file name on the SSRS Report Server. These
SSRS report styles must be placed in the reports/CustomReports folder. When you use the Copy Report
Style option, you automatically create a new folder within this CustomReports folder; for example,
reports/CustomReports/ARInvoiceForm. You can then modify this folder name, ARInvoiceForm_MyForm, to
create a separate folder for your custom style. The Copy Report Style feature is explored later in this chapter.

6. Depending on the Report Type, the Output Location field contains different values:
• SQL Server Reporting - This field becomes a drop-down list that defines the data output style for the
SSRS report; available options are Database and XML. In most cases you should select the Database
option, as SSRS reports released with Epicor 10.xxx or higher store information directly within the database.
However if you are defining the style for an older SSRS report and have not migrated it, select the XML
option. Older SSRS reports store data in .xml files.
• Bartender Labels - This field can be used to specify a directory path and file name for report output.
Values in this field override the default location in the application server's reports folder.
• Outbound EDI - This field can be used to specify a directory path and file name for the report. Values
in this field override the default location in the application server's reports folder.

7. The Output EDI field defines the format an outbound EDI field will use. You can select either Plain Text
or XML File from this list.

8. Use the Report Options field to define any special options needed when you print this report. For this
example, you leave the field blank.

9. From the Report Criteria list, select a report criteria set associated with the selected Report Data Definition.

This field is only available if you select report data


definition that contains BAQs or Electronic Interfaces as
a datasource in the Data Definition field and save the
report style.

10. If you have made additions to a report's structure within Report Data Definition Maintenance, you need
to refresh the report's .rdl file with these additions. To do this, click the Sync Dataset button. This will
update the datasets in your report definition (RDL) to include the new columns and tables.

Logic The Sync Dataset action does not allow adding


like-named columns of standard tables. This is based on
the assumption that such columns most likely contain the
same data in different tables.
However, if you add a User-Defined (UD) column to the
report definition and its name matches the name of the
column that already exists in the RDL, the Sync Dataset
action will modify the name of the added column by
prefixing it with its table name in the following format -

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[TableName]_[ColumnName] - and will add it to the


report definition.

Sync Dataset action can only add columns and tables. If


you remove columns that are used in one of the datasets
defined in an RDL using that RDD, the rdl produces errors
about a missing field when you attempt to print the
report. To avoid these errors, the columns must be
manually removed from the Report Definition (RDL)
datasets.

When you display this report in an SSRS report builder application, the .rdl file now contains the current
report structure.
This button is only available for custom reports. You cannot synchronize datasets on system reports; this
button is disabled on system report styles.

Data definition queries that use a GROUP BY clause and/or


have subqueries are not included in dataset
synchronization; fields within these queries will need to
be added manually through the SSRS report builder.

11. If necessary, select a certificate to sign all SSRS-generated PDF documents for this Report Style.

In on premises installations, this field is enabled in both


System and Non-System reports when Report Type is
set to SQL Server Reporting. Cloud ERP users can specify
a certificate for Non-System reports only.

Type in a Certificate ID or click the Certificate button to search and select a certificate. The search results
list the digital certificates available in the current Company.

You load and maintain public and private certificates in


the Digital Certificate Store program. If you need a
different certificate file for the same report when run from
different Companies - for example, EPIC06 and EPIC03,
the certificates should be loaded in the respective
Companies using a common ID - for example, ABC. You
can then create a Report Style that is valid for both
Companies and uses the ABC Certificate ID. At runtime
the reporting framework will pick up the certificate file
from the current Company Digital Store.

12. Click Save.

Add SSRS Printers

Because this is an SSRS report style, you can restrict which printers are available to print this report. Do this when
you want to limit the report style to only use specialty devices like check printers, plotters, and label printers.

1. Click New > New SSRS Printer.

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This feature is optional SSRS functionality. If you do not


set up specific printers on this sheet, all devices defined
as SSRS printers are available as drop-down list options
for the current SSRS report style. For more information
about setting up SSRS printers, review the previous Printer
Maintenance section.

2. Navigate to the Styles > SSRS Printers sheet.

3. Notice the Style Number for your new style displays in the left column.

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4. Click the Printer drop-down list; all available SSRS printers display on this list. Select the SSRS printer you
need.

5. Continue to add the SSRS printers you want to associate with this report style. When you finish, click Save.

Create a Routing Rule

Routing rules control how a print run generates, prints, and distributes its report output. Through this feature
set, you can develop routing rules that render different report files using data from the same print run, prints
reports on specific server or client printers, sends reports as e-mail attachments, and generates reports as electronic
files.
Each report style can only have one routing rule, but each rule can be set up to render one or multiple report
outputs that satisfy your business needs. You can set up a simple routing rule that prints a report on a specific
client or server printer. You can also set up a complex routing rule that has conditions which run against different
countries, customer groups, GL accounts, and so on, building unique reports that contain targeted data results.
You add a routing rule to a report style. The style must have these values:
• Report Type - SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS)
• Output Location - Database
If the current report style has these values, do the following to create your routing rule:

1. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New Breaking and Routing Rule.

2. Navigate to the Breaking/Routing Rule sheet.

3. The Style fields display the Style Number and Description for the current report style. For this example,
the Traveler - Routing Rule style displays.

4. The Data Definition field displays the report data definition you selected for this report style. Notice Traveler
displays in this field.

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5. Now click the Break Table drop-down list to select the table you can optionally use for break columns on
the rule. Be sure you select one of the parent tables from the report data definition. For this example, you
select the JobHead table.
When you set up the routing rule, you can select columns in this table to determine which ones are used
for breaking columns. You can then link Filter and Condition elements to the break columns to create
dataset partitions. Each dataset partition can then be rendered as a separate report.

Although break columns are not required for a routing


rule, you must select the Break Table before you can
access the Breaking and Routing Rules Designer.

6. Next click the Design... button.

The Breaking and Routing Rules Designer displays. You use this separate window to design the routing rule
through a workflow designer interface. The next section describes how you use this workflow designer.

Design a Routing Rule

The Breaking and Routing Rule Designer is a workflow design tool you use to visually display your routing rule.
You use this tool by clicking and dragging elements onto the workflow design pane. You then click each element
to define parameters within the element. Connect elements to define how the workflow processes the routing
rule. Each rule must have at least one report action that defines the report output.

To use the Breaking and Routing Rules Designer or create a


new routing rule, you must acquire the Advance Printing
license.

1. The Break element defines the table from the report data definition you can optionally use to divide the
report dataset into separate dataset partitions. Before you can launch the Breaking and Routing Rule Designer,
you need to select a break table within Report Style Maintenance.
If you want to render multiple reports from a single report run, add a Break element to the routing rule.
You can only add one Break element to each rule, and it must be connected to the Start element. If you
do not add a Break element, you only render one report through this rule.

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2. Use a Condition element to define criteria that determine through which paths a dataset partition will run
in a workflow.
A Condition element evaluates to True or False. If a dataset partition matches the condition criteria you
set up, the dataset partition moves to the True side of the element. Otherwise, it flows to the False side.
You can then optionally design different report output that uses the True or False results.

3. Add an Alternate Report Style element to generate or print a report output through a custom .rdl report
layout. Use this functionality when you need to render variations on each report based on customer group,
country, state, or other requirements.

4. The Filter element evaluates whether a specific dataset partition is used in the following workflow paths.
You can then choose which dataset partitions are rendered as report output.

5. Place a Group By element on your routing rule to gather a group of reports together. The routing rule can
then perform actions against a related group of reports.

6. The Generate element is a report action that renders the report or dataset partition as an electronic file.
Users can then access the electronic file from the System Monitor.

7. You add the Print element to send the report output from a workflow to a client or server printer. You
select the printer and define the print settings this workflow uses.

8. When you put the Print Preview element on your workflow, the report output displays on the user's screen
in a print preview window. The user can then decide whether to save the report file, print the report, or
close the preview window.

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9. When you add the Send E-Mail element, the report output is first generated as an electronic file and then
attached to an e-mail. The routing rule then sends this e-mail to the users defined on the e-mail template.

10. The User Action element indicates the routing rule will run the report using the action the user selected
on the report window. Users can print the report on a client or server printer, generate an electronic file,
send the report as an e-mail attachment, and/or display the report as print preview.

11. Click and drag these elements to the workflow pane. You then design the workflow by adding connection
lines to the various elements.

12. Select an element to view its action statement. Some elements have options you can add and values to
define.

13. In this example, you have selected a Filter element. The condition statement displays the criterion you have
set up for the Filter element.

14. After you finish creating the routing rule, click Save and Exit.

15. You return to Report Style Maintenance.

16. Select the Enabled check box.


The routing rule activates.

17. Save the routing rule.

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Copy Report Styles

You can make a copy of a system or custom report style. Typically when you create a new report style, you should
copy an existing style. The duplicate style will then have the default values required to run the report.
To copy a report style:

1. Click the Report ID… button to find and select the report.

2. Use the tree view to select the report style you want to copy.

3. Click Actions > Copy Report Style.

4. Specify the Report Folder Name if you want to change the name of the target folder where the report
will be saved.
This copied file is placed in the Reports/CustomReports/<ReportFolderName> subdirectory on the SSRS
Report Server. If the report style being copied is applied to several reports, or it uses sub-reports, you can
change the copy location for all these reports, for example, to prevent overwriting of a custom report.

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5. The duplicate style appears on the tree view. Select this style.

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6. The Report Location displays the directory path for the copied .rdl file; this copied file is placed in the
reports/CustomReports subdirectory on the SSRS Report Server.

The copied report displays with the -Copy suffix at the end of its filename. If another copy of the same report is
in this directory, it will save the file using the -Copy1 suffix, the -Copy2 suffix, and so on. If the description and
the suffix is longer than 50 characters, some characters are removed from the end of the original filename.
You can now download this duplicate report style and then customize it as you need.

Download SSRS Report

You can download a report from the SSRS server. Do this when you want to customize a report.
To download an SSRS report:

1. Use the tree view to select the report style you want to download.

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2. Click Actions > Download SSRS Report.

In order to download the SSRS report, your account must


have the SSRS Report Designer privilege enabled in
User Account Security Maintenance.

3. The Browse For Folder window displays.

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4. Typically you download the report from the default Documents directory. If you need, find and select a
different download directory.

5. After you have selected the folder, click OK.

The .rdl files for the SSRS report are downloaded onto your system. You can then customize this report using
the report tools.

You download the entire directory to your local machine. This


makes sure that the main report and all its sub-reports
download together. Through this feature, you can make
changes to all the sub-reports and then upload them at the
same time to the server.

Upload SSRS Report

After you finish modifying or creating an SSRS report, you can upload the report's .rdl files to the SSRS report
server. Other users can then download this report for use in their environments.
To upload an SSRS report:

1. Click the Report ID… button to find and select the report.

2. Use the tree view to select the report style you want to upload.

3. Click Actions > Upload SSRS Report.

In order to upload the SSRS report, your account must


have the SSRS Report Designer privilege enabled in
User Account Security Maintenance.

4. The Browse For Folder window displays.

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5. Upload the SSRS report to the same Documents directory.

When you upload the report, be sure you always select


the same directory to which you downloaded the report.
This contains the entire path to the .rdl file, ensuring that
the report and all its sub reports upload together to the
server. If you instead expand (drill down) the directory
path and select the specific folder that contains the .rdl
file, you receive an error when you start the upload
process. SSRS needs the entire directory structure to
complete the upload, not the direct path to the .rdl file.

6. After you have selected the folder, click OK.

The .rdl files for the SSRS report are uploaded to this directory.

Add an Image to SSRS Report

Follow these steps to add and edit images in report styles.

You can only add images to the Epicor application report styles
for SSRS reports that support images.

The standard image size for a report header is the following:


• Width - 2.409 IN
• Height - 0.533 IN

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1. Navigate to the Styles > Style Detail > Companies/Images sheet.

2. Click Retrieve above the Image List grid.

By default the Images List grid is blank even if a report


contains images. The images' details, if any, display upon
the Retrieve action.

If you are adding an image to this report for the first time, only the Purpose column will be populated.
Otherwise full image(s) details will display.

3. Double-click on any cell in the line for the image you wish to update.
The Image Search dialog displays.

4. Select your image and click OK.


Your newly added image details display in the grid.

5. Click Save.
The image will be printed with the report.

Repeat Steps 3-5 if you need to edit an image attached to your report style.

Menu Deployment

When you have created a custom report, use Menu Maintenance to add the SSRS report as an icon to the Menu.
Users can launch and run this custom report.
You primarily add SSRS reports and BAQ reports to the Menu. However backwards functionality is available to
place legacy Crystal Reports and SSRS reports (9.x or earlier) on the Menu as well.

Crystal Reports are no longer supported in the Epicor


application. However you can still temporarily use your previous
Crystal Reports while you transition these reports into SSRS.
For information about adding BAQ reports to the Menu, review
the Epicor ICE Tools User Guide; the BAQ Report Designer
chapter describes how you add these custom reports to the
Menu.

Add SSRS Report

Do the following steps to add a custom SSRS report (10.x or higher) to the Menu.

1. Navigate to Menu Maintenance.


Menu Path: System Setup > Security Maintenance > Menu Maintenance

This program is not available in Epicor Web Access.

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2. Use the Tree View to navigate to the Menu location where you want to place your custom report.

3. Click the arrow next to the New button; select New Menu.

4. Enter a Menu ID for the custom program. Because it is a user-defined menu item, begin the identifier with
UD and then follow this with the rest of the identifier. In this example, the Menu ID is UDJT2.

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5. The Module field displays the module inside which this program is contained. This value is used to help
organize programs on the Menu; it displays on various tables. Because you are adding a custom program,
the UD value displays – indicating this program is a user-defined function.

6. Enter a Name for the menu item. This label displays on the Menu.

7. The Owning Company field displays the company inside which the custom menu item was created. You
cannot change this value; only users within the Owning Company can modify this custom menu item.

8. Select the All Companies check box to share the custom menu item with users in companies that reside
in the same organization as the Owning Company. Users within these companies can than view and use
this custom menu item.
If this check box is clear (not selected), the custom menu item is only available to users in the Owning
Company.

9. Select a Security ID for the menu item. This defines the security parameters used against this custom
program.

The Security ID can be used to limit access to the custom


program. You can limit access to user groups, specific
users, or both. To learn how to create new security IDs,
review the Menu Item Security section in the Security
chapter. You can also review the Menu Maintenance
topics within application help.

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10. The Parent Menu ID defines the folder below which this custom report displays. In this example, you want
the custom program to appear below the Job Management and Reports folders, so JCMN4000 displays.
you enter OMMN3000.

11. The Order Sequence field defines the position where the icon for the custom program appears under the
Parent Menu. Low numbers (10, 20, 30) position the custom program near the top of the Parent Menu,
while higher numbers (100, 110) position the custom program near the bottom of the Parent Menu.

12. Verify the Enabled check box is selected. This indicates this menu item displays on the interface. If this check
box is clear, the menu item is hidden and users are not able to launch it.

13. Now from the Program Type drop down list, select URL Link.
Select this program type to place a uniform resource locator (URL) link to a website or an SSRS report (10.x
or higher) on the user interface. Users can then click this icon on the Menu to automatically display this
website or SSRS report.

14. In the Program field, enter the path and file name to the custom SSRS report.

15. Click Save.

Now when you exit and re-launch Epicor ERP, your custom SSRS report displays on the Menu interface. Click this
icon to launch the report.

Add Legacy SSRS Report

Do the following steps to add a legacy SSRS report (9.x or earlier) to the Menu.
In previous versions of the Epicor application, you added SSRS reports using the SSRS Custom Report Link program
type. This type is still available for backwards compatibility.

1. Navigate to Menu Maintenance.


Menu Path: System Setup > Security Maintenance > Menu Maintenance

This program is not available in Epicor Web Access.

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2. Use the Tree View to navigate to the Menu location where you want to place your custom report.

3. Click the arrow next to the New button; select New Menu.

4. Enter a Menu ID for the custom program. Because it is a user-defined menu item, begin the identifier with
UD and then follow this with the rest of the identifier. In this example, the Menu ID is UDJT2.

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5. The Module field displays the module inside which this program is contained. This value is used to help
organize programs on the Menu; it displays on various tables. Because you are adding a custom program,
the UD value displays – indicating this program is a user-defined function.

6. Enter a Name for the menu item. This label displays on the Menu.

7. The Owning Company field displays the company inside which the custom menu item was created. You
cannot change this value; only users within the Owning Company can modify this custom menu item.

8. Select the All Companies check box to share the custom menu item with users in companies that reside
in the same organization as the Owning Company. Users within these companies can than view and use
this custom menu item.
If this check box is clear (not selected), the custom menu item is only available to users in the Owning
Company.

9. Select a Security ID for the menu item. This defines the security parameters used against this custom
program.

10. The Parent Menu ID defines the folder below which this custom report displays. In this example, you want
the custom program to appear below the Job Management and Reports folders, so JCMN4000 displays.

11. The Order Sequence field defines the position where the icon for the custom program appears under the
Parent Menu. Low numbers (10, 20, 30) position the custom program near the top of the Parent Menu,
while higher numbers (100, 110) position the custom program near the bottom of the Parent Menu.

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12. Verify the Enabled check box is selected. This indicates this menu item displays on the interface. If this check
box is clear, the menu item is hidden and users are not able to launch it.

13. Now from the Program Type drop down list, select SSRS Custom Report Link.
Select this program type to add a legacy SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) report (9.x version or earlier)
to the interface.

14. Selecting this option activates the Report field; use this field to enter the \<FolderLocation>\<ReportName>
for the legacy SSRS report.

If you need to temporarily add a legacy Crystal Report,


select the Crystal Custom Report Link program type. The
Report... button activates; click this button to find and
select the .rpt file you need.

15. Click Save.

Now when you exit and re-launch Epicor ERP, your legacy SSRS report displays on the Menu interface. Click this
icon to launch the report.

Report Form Customization

You can modify a report by customizing its window (form) and adding fields that define additional parameters
for generating the report. Within the customized window, you can create form and row rules that run whenever
users enter data or perform other actions which activate these rules. These rules in turn launch custom events
that you define on the customization.

You can further customize the report itself within Microsoft


SQL Server Report Builder or another SSRS report writer. For
example, you can prompt users to enter more parameters for
report generation and you can add additional table fields to
the displayed information.

Customize a Report Form

You access the customization tools by running the Epicor ERP application in Developer Mode. The customized
version is deployed to your users by enabling it on the application menu.
The following procedure provides an overview of the workflow for enabling and working with customization
tools.

1. Turn on Developer Mode.

a. When running the application with Modern Home Page interface, you can do this by expanding the
Application Bar at the bottom of the home page and selecting the Wrench icon. Alternately, from the
application Home Page, go to the Settings Page, select General Options and then select Developer
Mode.

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b. If you run the application using Kinetic Home Page interface, use the overflow menu in the top right
corner of the home page window to select Developer Mode.

You can also press Ctrl + Shift + D to activate Developer


Mode.

2. Navigate to and open the report.


Menu Path: Production Management > Job Management > Reports > Job Traveler
With Developer Mode enabled, the Select Customization window displays. All existing customizations for
the report display. For this example, there are no existing customizations.

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3. To create a customization from the original report form, select the Base Only check box and click OK.

4. The report form displays. To customize this form, click the Tools menu and select Customization.

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5. The Customization Tools Dialog displays on top of the report form window. Notice also that a grid now
overlays on top of the report form.

6. You can now add fields, create rules, and modify the code for the report program. You access all of this
functionality within the various tabs and the Tools menu on the Customization Tools Dialog.

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To learn about the customization tools, review the Customization User Guide. Multiple chapters within this
book describe the customization tools in detail.

7. After you finish customizing the form, click Save on the Customization Tools Dialog.

8. In the Customization Save Dialog enter a unique Name for the customization. For this example, enter
Job Traveler Custom01.

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9. Enter a Description that helps identify the purpose for the customized report. For this example, enter
Report Customization Demo.

10. Click Save. Optionally enter comments when prompted and click OK. Exit Customization Tools Dialog.

11. Turn off Developer Mode.

a. When running the application with Modern Home Page interface, you can do this by expanding the
Application Bar at the bottom of the home page and deselecting the Wrench icon. Alternately, from
the application Home Page, go to the Settings Page, select General Options and then clear Developer
Mode.

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b. If you run the application using Kinetic Home Page interface, use the overflow menu in the top right
corner of the home page window to select Developer Mode.

12. You now can add the customization to the application menu. Open Menu Maintenance
Menu Path: System Setup > System Maintenance > Menu Maintenance

This program is not available in Epicor Web Access.

In the Menu Maintenance tree, select the report for which you have created a customization. In this example,
navigate to and select Job Traveler.

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13. On the Detail sheet, select the customization from the Customization drop-down list.

14. Click Save on the Standard toolbar.

Your customized form is applied when the report is selected from the application menu. Users within the current
company will now use this custom version of the report.

Rendering Reports

After you have created report styles, defined which companies can display them, and designed any routing rules
you need, users can run the reports. Selecting a report from the Epicor ERP application menu opens a report
window where users decide how they will render the report. This section describes the available rendering controls.

Report Options and Filters

Each report form contains a series of options and filters you can use to define what data is included on the output
during the current print run. You also indicate how the report output renders and when it runs.
The report options define what data you want to display on the report. Each report window contains a number
of options such as date ranges, check box items, and drop-down lists that determine what information is pulled

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from the database. You can further limit the report data by using the Filter sheet(s) to select specific records to
include. Through these report options, you can target the specific data you wish to appear on each report run.
Reports can have multiple styles that render alternate versions of each report. You create these styles in Report
Style Maintenance, and users then select the available style options on each report window. Some report styles
may also have a routing rule that renders report output to automatically print on a server printer, display as a
print preview, or other output actions.
You can set up how the report renders for a specific, one-time run. You can also save these report options as
the default settings, so the next time you launch the report window the selected options display automatically
as the default selections. This helps you run consistent reports and reduces how often you select report options.
You can also assign each report to a recurring schedule; whenever the system clock activates the selected schedule,
the report automatically runs, generating as an electronic file or using the rendering actions defined on a selected
style's routing rule.
In this example, you will set up the default selection options on the Job Traveler report.
Menu Path: Production Management > Job Management > Reports > Job Traveler

1. On the report form, use the Report Options section to define parameters for the current report. This section
typically contains the options like date ranges and check boxes indicate the overall options you want for the
current report run.

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2. Notice in this example, you want the Job Traveler to render output that displays each job's scheduled
resources and bar codes.

3. The Filter Summary section indicates whether all, some, or no records are selected for display on the report.
By default on the Job Traveler, all assemblies automatically print, but no jobs are initially selected.

4. To run the Job Traveler report, you need to select at least one job. Navigate to the Filters > Job sheet.

5. Now click the Job button to find and select a job or series of jobs.

6. After you select the jobs on the search window and click OK, series of jobs displays on the Job List grid.

7. Return to the Selection sheet.

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8. Notice in the Filter Summary that the Jobs field now displays Some Selected, indicating this report is printing
data on the specific jobs you selected on the Filter sheet.

9. Select the Report Style you will use to print or preview the report. The report styles you created within
Report Style Maintenance for the Job Traveler and approved for use within the current company display
on this drop-down list.
Most reports have at least a Standard - SSRS version. However in this example you select the Overdue Jobs
style, which is a unique style available for the Job Traveler.

10. From the Schedule list, select the schedule during which you would like the report to run. Options include
Now, Startup Task Schedule, and any other user-defined schedules created for your company.

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By default the Now schedule displays, indicating this report will immediately render its output. In this example,
you select a unique Weekly Schedule option that activates each time the system clock advances to a specific
date. In this case, the Weekly Schedule activates every Monday.

You create the schedules within System Agent


Maintenance. You can create schedules that activate
during an interval you define (hours, minutes, and
seconds), as well as daily, weekly, and monthly. Users can
then select these schedules on report windows throughout
the Epicor ERP application.

11. Select the Recurring check box to indicate you want the Job Traveler to automatically run each time the
Weekly Schedule activates.

12. Enter how long you would like this report to stay available by selecting an option from the Archive Period
drop-down list. Options include 1 Day, 1 Month, and Forever. As long as the system clock has not passed
this archive period, the report is available to preview and print through the System Monitor.

The System Monitor tracks all activity sent to it by the


Epicor ERP application. Use this program to check the
progress of any reports and processes you have run. Later
in this chapter, the System Monitor topic explores this
program.

13. To help you identify this version of the report within the System Monitor, enter text in the User Description
field. This User Description identifier displays within the System Monitor to help you locate an archived
report.

14. Use the Output Format drop-down list to indicate what file format you wish to use for the report output.
Available options include Excel, Word, XML, EMF, CSV, PDF, and PDF/A-3.

The PDF/A-3 output format is available only if the selected


report style is linked to an Electronic Compliance
Definition.

15. If the selected report style has a routing rule, the Routing check box is selected. This indicates the rule is
active. When you run the report, the routing rule automatically determines how the report renders and
distributes. To turn off the rule, clear (de-select) the Routing check box.
To help ensure against accidental execution of Advanced Print Routing actions, when you click the Print
Preview, Print, Email, or Generate button on the report, the Routing Enabled dialogue box displays.
Select the Do not show this message again check box if you want to turn off the confirmation message.
To enable the message again, go to Tools > Options > Dialogs, and on the Printing sheet, select the
Confirm when Advanced Print Routing is Enabled check box.

16. You can indicate that the options you have selected are the default values for the report. To do this, click
the Actions menu.

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17. Select Save Defaults to record your current selections on the Selection and Filter sheets. The next time you
launch this report window, the saved settings display.

18. If you made changes to the report options for the current session but now want to restore your previously
saved settings, select the Get Defaults option. The report window reverts to display the default values.

19. To restore the installed (shipped) default values for the report, select the Remove Defaults option. The
next time you launch the report, the original report settings display on this window.

After you finish selecting the options and launch the report run, the output displays the selected data in the
format you selected.

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Server Printer Options

When you select an SSRS report style, you can print the report on an SSRS printer available through the server.
To send the report to a server printer, you first select the printer and then determine other options for this hard
copy print run, including number of copies, page size, and print resolution.
To display the server printer options:

1. Click the Print button.

2. A drop-down list displays; select the Server Printer option.

3. The SSRS Printer window displays.

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4. Select the SSRS printer you wish to use from the Printer drop-down list. Typically all printers defined as
SSRS printers within Printer Maintenance display on this list. However if specific SSRS printers are defined
for the report style within Report Style Maintenance, these devices are the only options.
For more information about adding printer options to this list, review the previous Printer Maintenance and
Report Style Maintenance sections.

5. The Network Path field displays the directory path used to link the Epicor ERP application to the SSRS
printer. You cannot edit this value; it only displays for your information.

6. The From Page and To Page fields indicate the range of pages you will print during this run. The default
1 to 0 option indicates the entire report will print out.

7. The Duplex value indicates whether the report will print on both sides of a sheet. The default setting assigned
on the server printer displays in this field; you cannot change this value.

8. Use the Number Copies field to indicate how many hard copies you want to print out on the server printer.

9. Select the Collate check box to indicate the pages of each report copy print in sequence before the next
copy prints. You can then separate each copy of the report at the printer.

10. Click the Page Setting tab to adjust the layout of the printed page.

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11. Select the Color check box to print out the report using color inks.

12. To switch the report orientation from Portrait (up and down) to Landscape (side to side), select the Landscape
check box.

13. The Paper Source Kind drop-down list defines the tray from which the paper is pulled during printing.
Select the option you need from this drop-down list. Options include FormSource, Manual Feed, Upper,
Large Capacity, and so on.

14. The Horizontal Resolution field indicates the resolution in dots per inch the text uses across each page.
If you need, you can adjust this value.

15. Likewise the Vertical Resolution field indicates the resolution in dots per inch the text users from top to
bottom on each page. You can also adjust this value.

16. Use the Paper Size Kind drop-down list to determine the size of the paper loaded into the printer. Options
include Letter, Legal, and so on. Select the paper size you need from this drop-down list.

17. If you select the Custom option from the Paper Size Kind drop-down list, you can modify the Paper Height
and Paper Width dimensions. You modify these dimensions using hundredths of an inch. For example,
paper that is 11 inches tall displays as 1100 in this field.

18. You can send the report as an e-mail attachment during the same print run. Use the E-Mail sheet to set up
the e-mail attachment.

This feature is also available from the report window by


clicking the Email button. The following E-Mail Report
topic describes how you send the report as an e-mail
attachment.

19. When you finish selecting the server printer options, click OK.

The SSRS report prints out at the server printer using the options you selected on the SSRS Server Printer window.

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Client Printer Options

You can print the current report on a local SSRS printer set up on your client machine. Use the Add Printer
functionality available on your Windows operating system to configure the local printers you can use.
The print options on the client printer are similar to the server printer options. To display the client printer options:

1. Click the Print button.

2. A drop-down list displays; select the Client Printer option.

3. The SSRS Client Printer window displays.

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4. Select the client printer you wish to use from the Printer drop-down list. The printers set up on your local
machine display as list options.

5. The Network Path field displays the directory path used to link the Epicor ERP application to the client
printer. You cannot edit this value; it only displays for your information.

6. The From Page and To Page fields indicate the range of pages you will print during this run. The default
1 to 0 option indicates the entire report will print out.

7. The Duplex value indicates whether the report will print on both sides of a sheet. Select the option you
wish to use for this print run.
Available options:
• Single-sided
• Double-sided, vertical
• Double-sided, horizontal
• Printer's default

8. Use the Number Copies field to indicate how many hard copies you want to print out on the client printer.

9. Select the Collate check box to indicate the pages of each report copy print in sequence before the next
copy prints. You can then separate each copy of the report at the printer.

10. Click the Page Setting tab to adjust the layout of the printed page.

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11. Select the Color check box to print out the report using color inks.

12. To switch the report orientation from Portrait (up and down) to Landscape (side to side), select the Landscape
check box.

13. The Paper Source Kind drop-down list defines the tray from which the paper is pulled during printing.
Select the option you need from this drop-down list. Options include Auto Tray Select, Tray 1, Tray 2, Bypass
Tray, and so on.

14. The Horizontal Resolution field indicates the resolution in dots per inch the text uses across each page.
If you need, you can adjust this value.

15. Likewise the Vertical Resolution field indicates the resolution in dots per inch the text users from top to
bottom on each page. You can also adjust this value.

16. Use the Paper Size Kind drop-down list to determine the size of the paper loaded into the printer. Options
include Letter, Legal, and so on. Select the paper size you need from this drop-down list.

To create a custom page size, click the Start menu on


your desktop and select the Devices and Printers option.
Double-click the client printer icon to launch the printer
window, and create the custom size in this window. You
then enter these same dimensions on the Page Settings
sheet.

17. If you select the Custom Paper Size option from the Paper Size Kind drop-down list, you can modify the
Paper Height and Paper Width dimensions. You modify these dimensions using hundredths of an inch.
For example, paper that is 11 inches tall displays as 1100 in this field.

18. You can send the report as an e-mail attachment during the same print run. Use the E-Mail sheet to set up
the e-mail attachment.

These features are also available from the report window


by clicking the Email button. The following E-Mail Report

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topic describes how you send the report as an e-mail


attachment.

19. When you finish selecting the client printer options, click OK.

Print Preview

You can select the output format you wish to use for previewing the report. The report will then display in the
program that matches your output selection.

1. Click the Output Format drop-down list to select the preview format you will use for the report.

Available options:
• CSV - Displays the report as a comma-separated values (.csv) file. You can then use various programs to
review and print the content of this report.
• EMF - Displays the preview using the Enhanced MetaFile (.emf) format.

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You can use the web.config file to define which reports should use the .emf file format by default.
This file is located in the Server folder in your Epicor ERP server installation. Open this file in Notepad
or a similar text editor and locate the <add key="EMFReports"> option. Enter the reports you want
in the Value parameter for this option. For example:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<configuration>

<appSettings>

<add key="EMFReports" value="APEdit;ChgLogReport;JobTrav>
</appSettings>

• Excel - Displays the preview in Microsoft Excel™ with header, footer, and with the spreadsheet column
structure manipulated to match the report layout.
• Excel + Map - Displays the spreadsheet structure manipulated to match the report layout, with addition
of a tree view in which you can navigate the report data.
• Excel-Data Only - Displays only the report's data in Microsoft Excel™. Header and footer are not included,
and the report data layout is a simple grid of rows and columns that is potentially more usable as a
spreadsheet than the Excel format that emulates the report layout.
• Excel-Data Only + Map - Displays the data-only spreadsheet structure, with addition of a tree view in
which you can navigate the report data.
• PDF - Displays the preview in Adobe Reader™ (.pdf) format.
• Word - Displays the preview in Microsoft World™.
• XML - Displays the report using the .xml file format. You can then review this report using various
programs that display .xml file content.

For an SSRS report, the available output types are PDF


(the default), Word, Excel, and Excel+Map.

2. Click the Print Preview button.

3. The report displays in the program you selected for the output.

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If you receive a display error, you can instead display the


print preview through the System Monitor. You can also
review the status of a report task in this program. For
more information, review the System Monitor topic later
in this chapter.

E-Mail Report

You can immediately send the report as an e-mail attachment. To do this, you click the Email button on the
toolbar.
When you send a report through e-mail, it generates as an electronic file. You select the type, such as PDF or
Excel, for the file attachment. You then indicate who will receive the e-mail message. When you finish defining
the options, you can then send the report electronically to the e-mail recipients.

1. The current report style has a routing rule. You need to e-mail this report immediately, so you must shut
off this rule. Clear (de-select) the Routing check box.

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2. Now click the Email button.

3. The SSRS Email window displays.

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4. In the Subject field, enter the reason for the email. For this example, you enter "Late Jobs". This text will
display in the Subject field for the e-mail message.

5. The Attachment Type defines the type of electronic file you will attach to the email. The report generates
using this file type and then attaches the report file to the email. Notice you can select XML, PDF, Word,
and other file format types.

6. Enter who will receive this e-mail in the E-Mail To field. You can enter one or multiple e-mail addresses in
this field.

7. Likewise, enter who will receive this e-mail as a courtesy copy in the E-Mail CC field. You can also enter
one or multiple e-mail addresses in this field.

8. You can also enter who will receive this e-mail as a blind courtesy copy in the E-Mail BCC field. You can
enter one or multiple e-mail addresses in this field.

9. Use the E-Mail Body field to enter any additional text you want to include with the report. This text displays
within the message pane on the email window.

10. When you are ready to generate the attachment and send the e-mail, click OK.

When you print out the report on a client or server printer, you
can also send it as an e-mail attachment during the same print
run. Both the SSRS Server Printer and SSRS Client Printer
windows have E-Mail sheets you use to enter the e-mail
parameters.

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Generate Report

You can generate each report as an electronic file to view and/or print later. For custom reports, you have the
option to generate a report for design only. The generated reports are available on the System Monitor for a
period of time you define on the report window.

Generate Only

Each report window has a Generate Only button. Click this button to build the report as an electronic file you
can then preview or print from the System Monitor.
To generate a report:

1. Click the Archive Period drop-down list and select a time period option. This indicates how long the
rendered report remains on the server and displays on the System Monitor. Available options include Day,
Week, and Year.
For this example, you select the Week option. This indicates you can print or preview the instance of the
Job Traveler report for a week. After this week passes, the server will purge this instance of the report.

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2. Enter a User Description for this report run. This text displays on the System Monitor to help you identify
this instance of the report.

3. Now click the Generate Only button.

4. Notice the Report Submitted for Generation message displays at the bottom of the report window.

5. You can see the generated report on the System Monitor.


Menu Path: System Setup > System Maintenance > System Monitor

This program is not available in Epicor Web Access.

6. Click on the History Tasks > Task Detail tab.

7. Select the report instance you want to print or preview.

8. You can print a hard copy of the report by clicking the Print button.

9. To display the report in a preview window, click the Print Preview button. For this example, you click the
Print Preview button.
®
10. The report displays using the output format you selected. For the example, the report displays in Adobe
®
Reader .

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Generate for Design

To facilitate the process of modifying custom SSRS reports, including copies of standard reports, the SSRS reporting
functionality allows generation of a report for design only. The generated report appears on the System Monitor.
From here you launch the SSRS Report Design program that enables you to download the SSRS Report Data
Definition to a local working copy and interact with SSRS Report Builder (or SSRS Report Designer) to modify the
SSRS visual layout.
Be sure you log in with a user account that has permission to design SSRS reports. You update user accounts in
User Account Security Maintenance. On the Options sheet, verify the SSRS Report Designer check box is
selected.

1. Click the Archive Period drop-down list and select a time period option. This indicates how long the
rendered report remains on the server and displays on the System Monitor. Available options include Day,
Week, and Year.
For this example, you select the Week option. This indicates you can interactively design using this instance
of the Job Traveler report for a week. After this week passes, the server will purge this instance of the report.

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2. Enter a User Description for this report run. This text displays on the System Monitor to help you identify
this instance of the report.

3. From the Report Style drop-down list, select the report style with a custom report style.

You can only design custom reports and copies of system


reports.

4. Now click the Generate for Design button.

5. Notice the Report Submitted for Generation message displays at the bottom of the report window.

6. You can see the generated report on the System Monitor.


Menu Path: System Setup > System Maintenance > System Monitor

This program is not available in Epicor Web Access.

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7. Click on the History Tasks > Task Detail tab.

8. Select the report instance you design.

9. To modify the report, click Actions > Design SSRS Report.

The report displays in the SSRS Report Design program.

10. Use the Report section to view the report information, such as report data definition, report style, report
location, etc.

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11. The Design section displays the design description, local location of the report and output format of the
report.

12. The Status field is set to Active (green) when you download a report from the SSRS server.

13. The following actions are available:


• Download Report - Use to download a copy of the report from the SSRS server.
• Design Report - Use SQL Server Report Builder to design the report.
• Preview Report - Use to preview report in the format selected in the Output Format field.
• Regenerate Data - Use to re-execute the report including extraction and generation of data.

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• Publish Report - Use to overwrite the report definition on the server.

The System Monitor

You can check on the status of your report run through the System Monitor. For example, use this program when
the report does not preview or print and you need to find out the reason for the error. You can also use this
program to print any archived reports.

1. You can launch the System Monitor either from within the Epicor ERP application or from the desktop:
• Within the Epicor ERP application:
Menu Path: System Setup > System Maintenance > System Monitor

This program is not available in Epicor Web Access.

• On your desktop, display the Windows System Tray. Select the System Monitor icon.

2. The System Monitor displays.

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3. The Reports sheet contains all reports/forms programs you have run. Use this sheet to review the available
reports. As long as the report has not passed its Archive Period, it displays on this sheet.

Reports are run by the application server, and they


generate physical files. These files are the data source the
System Monitor (running on the client) uses to perform
the actual printing. The application server has a task agent
that handles the task queue, and this task agent purges
all reports every fifteen minutes. To keep a specific report
file available for a longer time, be sure to select an Archive
Period field on the report/form window. The task agent
does not purge the generated report until the system
clock passes this defined Archive Period value.

4. The Active Tasks sheet displays the reports, processes, executive queries, or other items currently running
on the application server.

5. The History Tasks sheet displays the reports, processes, executive queries, or other tasks run in the past.
Records automatically purge from this sheet when they are 30 or more days old. You can further limit how
long a record remains on the History Tasks tab by defining the retrieval properties you wish to use.

6. The Scheduled Tasks sheet displays any reports, processes, executive queries, or other tasks scheduled to
run in the future.

7. You can further refine how long the System Monitor keeps report information and notifies you about report
results. From the Actions menu, select Retrieval Properties.

8. The Retrieval Properties window displays.

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9. Balloon notifications display next to the System Monitor icon on your Windows Tray. To display a status
notification balloon each time a report generates, select the Popup on successful Reports check box.

10. If you would like to see a status balloon notification when a report fails to print, select the Popup on Report
Errors check box.

11. If you wish to automatically remove report records from the System Monitor after an interval has passed,
select a Report Interval Type option. You can select a Days, Hours, or Minutes time interval. You can
also select the Records option; this limits how many records display on the Reports tab.

12. Now enter a Report Interval Span to define either how much time can pass in days, hours, or minutes
before a report record is removed, or the maximum number of records that can display on the Reports tab.

The Report Interval Type and Report Interval Span


values only define how long reports display on the System
Monitor. These values do not purge the reports from the
server.
A report is purged from the server through a combination
of the date/time the report generates, the number of days
set in the report's Archive Period, and the Report Purge
Frequency setting. The Report Purge Frequency value is
defined on the System Agent within its Task Agent
Purge Settings. For example:
• A report is generated on 6/17/2017 at 10:22, the
Report Archive Period on the report's Summary sheet
is 4 days, and Report Purge Frequency in the task agent
setup is 1800 seconds.

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• The report will be purged four days later on 6/21/2017


at 10:30. With the purge frequency set to 1800
seconds (on the half hour), the purge at 10:00 will
ignore the report because the purge date is in the
future, and the purge at 10:30 will remove it.

A Task cannot be deleted until all of its associated reports


reach their purge date.

13. When you finish selecting your report options, click OK.

Auto Printing with BPM

You can automatically print reports by creating a Business Process Management (BPM) data directive. The Auto
Print action is available on Standard data directives.
Use this Auto Print BPM action to automatically preview, print, or e-mail a report when a data directive executes.
You can automatically print SSRS reports, Crystal reports, Bartender labels, and Outbound EDI documents.
Typically you set up this action to run when a significant database change occurs and you want to review the
affected records through a report. Because this report automatically generates, you can distribute the report to
key individuals. For example, you could create a data directive that automatically prints the Job Traveler for
released jobs on a printer in your production center. You could also create a data directive that automatically
emails Sales Order Acknowledgments to specific customer contacts.
You can set up the Auto Print action in multiple ways. This action can just run a single task. It can display the
report as a print preview, send the report as an e-mail attachment, or print out a hard copy on a selected client
or server printer. However you can set up this action to render multiple outputs. When you indicate you want to
print the report on a client or server printer, you can also set up the action to simultaneously send the report as
an e-mail attachment. Likewise if you select the Email print action, you can send out the report both as an e-mail.

For more information, review the Business Process Management


section in the application help and the Business Process
Management chapter within the Epicor Tools User Guide. The
BPM user guide chapter has a case study that demonstrates
how you automatically generate a Print Preview for the Sales
Order Acknowledgment report.

Bartender Labels
® ®
The Epicor ERP application integrates with the Seagull Scientific BarTender Commander® and BarTender
applications. Through this integration you can set up programs to automatically print labels when users add/update
data on specific records.
You set up bartender labels through Report Style Maintenance and Data Directive Maintenance. You begin by
creating a labels style within Report Style Maintenance. This makes the style available to select for automatic
printing. You then create a Business Process Management (BPM) data directive that monitors a selected table or
field and runs an automatic print action for the bartender label. When this directive activates, the Auto Print
action generates a .bt file on the server.

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The BarTender Commander then consumes this file, sending it to the default printer defined within the .bt file
header. The BarTender application handles printing the labels on the selected printer.

Verify the Report Style

This example illustrates how you set up automatic printing for the Generic Sales Order (GenSO) report.
You set up this bartender to run when users create a new sales order or make a change to an existing sales order.
During this scenario, you create an auto print data directive that runs when a user closes a sales order.
You first verify that the bartender report style that outputs the labels to a folder on the server.

1. Navigate to Report Style Maintenance.


Menu Path: System Management > Reporting > Report Style

This program is not available in Epicor Web Access.

2. In the Report ID field, enter GenSO.

3. From the tree view, select the Standard Bartender option.

4. Navigate to the Styles > Style Detail sheet.

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5. The Report Type drop-down list must display the Bartender Labels option.

6. Verify the Data Definition field displays GenSO.

7. Verify the Report Location field displays the reports/CartonSinglePart.btw value.

8. Make sure the Output Location field is blank.


Bartender labels automatically generate in the C:\Epicor3Data\Bartender\<CompanyID> folder, so you
do not need to specify an Output Location.

9. Click Save.

Create a Data Directive

Create a BPM standard data directive that includes a Condition that activates the Bartender Auto Print action.

1. Launch Data Directives Maintenance


Menu Path: System Management > Business Process Management > Data Directives Maintenance

This program is not available in Epicor Web Access.

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2. On the Detail sheet, click in the Table field and enter OrderHed. Press Tab.

3. From the New menu, select New Standard Directive.


On the tree view, a new directive node is added under the OrderHed node.

4. Navigate to the Standard > Detail sheet.

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5. For Directive Name, enter Sales Order Auto Print.

6. Click Save.

7. Click the Design button.

Define the Condition

You now use the BPM Workflow Designer to create the data directive.

1. Select the Condition element and drag it to the workflow design area.

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2. Select the Start element to display its connection arrows; drag any one of these arrows to a connection on
the Condition element.

3. Now to configure a condition statement, select the Condition element.

4. On the Condition tab at the bottom of the workflow design area, click the New button.

5. From the Condition drop-down list, select The specified field has been changed from any to another
statement.

6. Click the specified link.

7. The Select Table Fields(s) dialog box displays. The ttOrderHed table (the data directive table) is already
selected and you cannot change this value.

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8. In the fields list, select the OpenOrder check box.

9. Click OK.

10. Now click the any link.

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11. The Specify a Value window displays.

12. Clear the Any value check box.

13. From the Value drop-down list, select true.

14. Click OK.

15. Now click the another link.

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16. Clear the Any value check box.

17. From the Value drop-down list, select false.

18. Click OK.

The Condition statement now displays:


• The ttOrderHed.OpenOrder field has been changed from True to False
Whenever a user closes a sales order, this condition resolves to true.

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Select the Report

1. Select the Auto Print action element and drag it to the workflow design area.

2. Place your cursor over the Condition action to display its connections and drag its True connection to the
Auto Print action.

3. Select the Auto Print action element.

4. Notice the Actions tab displays this statement:


• Automatically print specified report with selected options with rule

5. Select the report that will auto print. Click the specified report link.

6. The Auto Print Report Search dialog box displays. Verify you are on the Basic tab.

7. For Report ID, type genso.

8. For Report Type, select Bartender Labels.

9. For Report Table Level, select all tables.

10. Click Search.

11. In the Search Results list, select the GenSO report.

12. Click OK.

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Set Up Report Options

You can now define print options for the bartender labels.

1. Click specified options link.

2. The Set Up Auto Print dialog box appears. Verify the Report Options tab is selected.

3. For Run Schedule, select the Immediate option.

4. For the Print Action, select the Auto Print option.


While you can set up automatic printing for bartender labels, the actual report is not sent to the printer.
Instead the printer name is placed in the Bartender header file. The BarTender Commander application then
intercepts the .bt file and sends it to the printer defined in the header file.

5. For User Description, enter Print Sales Order Label.

6. For the Printer option, select Server and choose the network printer that prints bartender labels.

When the application is configured to support it, choosing


the Use Default Printer radio button option causes the
system to automatically select the printer. The system first
attempts to use the default label printer at the
workstation. However if the default printer is not set as
a label printer, it will then use the default label printer
defined in Company Maintenance.

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7. For Print Quantity, select Constant and enter 1.


This causes the Auto Print action to only print one copy of the sales order labels.

Set Up Report Parameters

You next define the parameters you need to populate the Bartender labels with data.

1. Select the Report Parameters tab.

2. In the Parameter Name column, select the OrderNum parameter.


The parameters list is assembled from the fields for the selected report.

3. In the OrderNum row in the Action column, click the Down Arrow and select The specified table and
field value option.

4. Click specified link.

5. The Select Table Fields(s) dialog box displays. The ttOrderHed table (the data directive table) is already
selected and you cannot change this value.

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6. In the fields list, select the OrderNum check box.

7. Click OK.

8. You return to the Report Parameters tab. The Action column now displays: The ttOrderHed.OrderNum
table and field value.

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9. Click Apply.

10. Click OK.

This closes the Set Up Auto Print dialog box. You return to the workflow design area.

Activate the Directive

1. Click the Validate button to check for errors.

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2. The Validation Results grid displays whether the validation succeeded.

3. Click Save and Exit to save your workflow and return to Data Directives Maintenance.

4. Click the Enabled check box.

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5. Click Save.

The data directive is ready to test. The enabled data directive will trigger an Auto Print action every time a user
closes a sales order.

Test the Directive

You test the auto print directive by first creating and then closing a sales order.

1. Navigate to Sales Order Entry.


Menu Path: Sales Management > Order Management > General Operations > Order Entry

2. Create a new sales order. Click the New menu and select New Order.

3. Select a Customer for the sales order.

4. Now create an order detail line. Click the New menu and select New Line.

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5. A new detail line displays on the Lines Detail grid.

6. Select a Part for the detail line.

7. Enter an Order Quantity.

8. Click Save.

9. Close the sales order. Click Actions > Order > Close Order.

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10. The .bt file generates on the server. Go to your server machine and navigate to the
C:\\Epicor3Data\Bartender\<CompanyID> folder.

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11. The generic sales orders<FileNumber>.bt file displays.

The BarTender Commander next takes this .bt file and makes it available to the BarTender. You can then print
the labels using the printer selected on the data directive. For more information on printing labels, review the
documentation for the BarTender Commander and the BarTender applications.

BAQ/EI Reports

The Report Data Definition program allows Report Administrators to choose multiple Business Activity Queries
(BAQs) and Electronic Interfaces (EI) as data sources for custom reports.
The basic workflow for creating custom BAQ/EI reports includes the following steps:
• Add BAQs (Electronic Interfaces) as data sources to the report data definition.
• Set up parent-child relationships between BAQs.
• Create Report Criteria sets of Prompts and Filter controls to accept user-defined values when the report is
submitted.
• Set up the Report Style to use the report criteria set.
• Add a menu item for the BAQ/EI report.

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View the following topics to know how to build a multiple BAQ report.

Create a Report Definition

For this example, you are creating a custom AP Invoice. The report will contain some changes to the information
it displays.
To create a new report data definition:

1. Click New > New Report.

2. In the Code field, enter a new code for your report data definition.

3. In the Description field enter the name of the report you create. In this example, XXX AP Invoice, where
XXX are your initials.

4. The Report Type field indicates the kind of report that makes up this data definition.

5. Notice the System Report check box is not selected. This indicates the current report definition was not
installed with the application and can be changed.

Add Data Source

You can define which BAQs or Electronic Interfaces (EIs) are used in a report data definition and modify what
data each BAQ/EI displays on the report. You can add as many BAQs/EIs as required.
To add an Electronic Interface as a report data source, navigate to Data Sources > Report EI, or go to New
> New Electronic Interface, select an existing EI, and enter an ID for it. Use the Sequence field to define
the order in which multiple EIs will be applied.

In this example, add an AP Invoice Header query to data definition.

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1. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New BAQ.

2. A new Data Sources > BAQ Report > Detail sheet displays.

3. Click the Query ID button to search for and select the BAQ to use in this report.

4. In the Report Query field, enter an ID for the new BAQ data source .

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5. The Description field displays the query description.

6. When you add several BAQs, use the Sequence field to define the order in which the queries will be pulled
from the dataset.

7. Repeat steps 1-6 to add another BAQ to your data definition. You can add as many BAQs as required. To
retrieve the necessary data from a set of queries, we will define the relationships between the BAQ columns
in the following task.

8. Click Save to finish adding the new BAQs to your data definition.

Add Relationship

After you add queries to the report definition, use the Relationship sheets to define any required links needed
to display data within the modified report. You use the Detail sheet to define the links you want to create for a
specific table. Use the List sheet to review and update all the links contained within the current report.
To add a relationship to the report definition:

1. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New Relationship.

2. Verify that the Relationships > Detail tab is displayed.

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3. Enter the Relation identifier you want. This value helps you define the purpose for the table relationship,
as this identifier displays within other locations.

4. Enter the Description text for the relationship. This concise explanation helps you further identify the
purpose of this table relationship.

5. Select the Parent Table you want to link to a child table. The current tables available on this report data
definition display on the drop-down list.

6. Select the Child Table you want to link to the selected parent table. The current tables available on this
report data definition display on the drop-down list.

7. You need to add the fields required to define the relationship between the parent table and the child table.
To do this, click the Add button.

8. The Seq column defines the order in which the data is pulled from the parent table and the child table. The
relationship field with a sequence of 1 is used first, followed by 2, and so on. As you add relationship fields,
this sequence number increases.

9. The Parent Field Name defines the field from the parent table used to establish the link to the child field.
All the fields from the parent table display on this drop-down list; select the field you need.

10. The Child Field Name defines the field from the child table used to establish the link to the parent field.
All the fields from the parent table display on this drop-down list; select the field you need.

11. To remove a relationship field, highlight it on the Fields grid and click the Delete button. The relationship
field is removed from the Fields grid.

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12. When finished, click Save.

Create Report Criteria Set

You use report BAQ criteria/EI parameters to set data filters in the report data definition. This functionality helps
you reduce how much data is pulled from the database, focusing the report on the specific information you need
to include.
To create a new criteria set:

1. Select a table on the Tree View, click the Down Arrow next to the New button, and then select New
Report Criteria Set.

2. The Report Criteria Sets >Details sheet displays.

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3. In the Report Criteria ID field, enter a report criteria set ID.

4. For Description, enter a further explanation for the criteria set.

5. Select the Default check box if you want to automatically assign this report criteria set to the Report Style
when you select this report data definition.

6. The System check box indicates whether the current criteria set is a standard set for this report data definition.
If this check box is selected, the current set is a system criteria set and you cannot edit or delete it.

7. When you finish, click Save.

Add Criteria Prompt

Report Criteria Sets allows you to create and configure the prompts and filter controls that accept user input
when the report is submitted. Each prompt or filter is mapped to a BAQ/EI defined parameter. Therefore, when
the report is submitted, the retrieved data is based on the prompts and/or filters set by user at runtime.
To create a new criteria prompt:

1. Select a table on the Tree View, click the Down Arrow next to the New icon, and then select New Report
Criteria Prompt.

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2. The Report Criteria Sets > Criteria Prompts > Detail sheet displays with an entry for the new criterion.

3. In the Prompt field, enter a name for the criterion.

4. You can enter the same name for Label.

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5. From the Data Type drop-down list, select the type of your input data, for example Character (nvarchar),
Boolean (bit) , Numeric (int, decimal), etc.

6. From the Editor Type drop-down list, select one of the two available types of editors:
• Common Editor - Activates the optional Default Value field. When the report is submitted, users can
accept the default value or key any value into the criteria field.
• DropDown List - Activates the Data from drop-down list. Use this list to define the source of the
drop-down list options. The field selected on the criterion will then be evaluated against the option
selected from the drop-down list.

7. The Is Constant check box indicates whether the item used to compare against the Prompt Name value is
a set, or constant, value. When you select this check box, you can then define the constant value you need
through other fields on this rule. Depending on the data type for the selected field (Character, Boolean,
Numeric, and so on), different constant fields activate. If you do not select this check box (it is clear), you
can compare the Field Name against a selected table and variable field.

8. If you selected Is Constant, define the constant value for this criterion.

9. Use the Default Value field to enter a custom text value you need for the criterion. The field selected on
the criterion will then be evaluated against this default value.

If the prompt Data Type is set to date or datetime and


the Editor Type is Common Editor, an additional
Dynamic check box displays next to the Default Value
field.
By default, this check box is not selected. In this case, you
can enter a date into the field or click the down arrow
next to it to select a date from the calendar.
If you select the Dynamic check box, the drop-down list
will contain Dynamic Date values provided by the system
(Today, Yesterday, Sunday, etc.) and you can select
one of them as default for your criteria prompt.

Select the Empty String option is you wish to define the default value of the criterion prompt as NULL.

10. The Order on Form defines the sequential order of criteria prompts in the list.

11. Select the Visible check box to display your criterion on the report.

12. If you selected DropDown List for the Editor Type, the Data from drop-down list activates. Select the data
source for the values of your criterion prompt's drop-down list.

13. If you select Custom Values, the Values Editor displays controls for creating a new list of values.

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Use this functionality to define the set of values that will appear in the drop-down list for this report criteria
prompt. The field selected on the criterion will then be evaluated against these item list options.

a. Click the New icon from the menu of the Values Editor.
A new value line displays for editing.

b. Enter the following information for each value you wish to add to the prompt's drop-down list:
• Value - Enter the actual value of the parameter that is sent to the query.
• Description - Enter the text displayed for this value for users.
• Display Order - Defines the sequential order of items in the list.

14. If you select BAQ as a data source for the drop-down list, the Business Activity Query settings display.

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a. Click Query ID to search for and select the Business Activity Query (BAQ) you need.

b. Select the Display Column that will display in the lookup list.

c. Select the Value Column that defines the name of the column you want to use for the prompt value

Make sure that the Business Activity Query you wish to


use as a data source for your criterion drop-down list does
not contain any mandatory parameters. Otherwise it will
fail to bring in any values because to do so, the system
runs a subquery that ignores the main query parameters.

15. If you select Electronic Interface, the Electronic Interface (EI) setting display.

a. Type in the ID of an Electronic Interface or click the Electronic Interface... button to search for and
select the EI you need.

16. When you finish defining the prompt, click Save.

Add Criteria Filter

Report Criteria Sets allow filter controls. When you submit the report, filters are displayed on the separate tab.
To create a new criteria filter:

1. Select a Report Criteria Set on the Tree View, click the Down Arrow next to the New icon, and then select
New Report Criteria Filter.

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2. The Report Criteria Sets > Criteria Prompts > Criteria Filters sheet displays with an entry for a new
filter.

3. In the Filter field, either select a BAQ field you filter your report with or key in the EI parameter.

4. The Filter Name displays the name for the filter retrieved from BAQ field name.
For EIs, you need to type the name manually.

5. Adapter Name displays automatically for the selected BAQ field. In EI reports, this value must be entered
manually per EI definition.

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6. In BAQ reports, the remaining filter properties are taken from the BAQ field.
In EI reports, these fields must be entered by user. You can also select a Data Type from a drop-down list.

7. When you finish, click Save.

Add Criteria Mapping

Report Criteria Sets allows map report criteria prompts either manually or automatically to the specified query
or EI parameters.
To add criteria mapping:

1. Navigate to the Report Criteria Sets > Criteria Prompts > Criteria Mappings sheet.

2. Select the row with the BAQ/EI field for which you want to create the criteria prompt.

3. Click the Create Report Criteria Prompts for Selected button to create a new criteria prompt for the
selected BAQ field.
Alternatively, you can manually select the criteria prompt or filter using the Control Type and Control
Name fields on the mapping row.

4. The Control Type field specifies the type of control. The options are:
• Prompt
• Filter

5. The Control Name field specifies the name of the defined prompt or filter.

6. The Control Data Type displays the type of the data defined in a filter or prompt properties - for example,
datetime, nvarchar, etc., in read-only mode.

7. In the Tree View, navigate to the Report Criteria Prompts node and view the newly created prompt.

8. Click Save.

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Preview Submission Form

The Preview Submission Form displays the submission report form for the current report definition that has at
least one report criteria set defined. You can then test the option fields and filters defined for the report submission
form.

1. Use the tree view to select the report criteria set you want to preview on the form.

2. Click Actions > Preview Report Submission Form.

3. The Preview Submission Form window displays.

4. Use the Report Options fields to preview the form.

5. After you finish previewing the report user interface, close the submission form.

Create Report Style

After you create a new report criteria set, use the Report Style Maintenance program to select the criteria set to
be applied to your report style.
To create a new report style:

1. In the Report Style Maintenance, click New > New Report.

2. In the Report ID field, enter identification name for the report.

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3. For Description, enter a further explanation for the report.

4. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New Report Style.

5. The Styles > Style Detail sheet displays.

6. In the Description field, enter the style's description.

7. From the Data Definition drop-down list, select the definition that contains BAQs.

8. From the Report Criteria drop-down list, select the report criteria set for this definition.

9. Click Save.

Add Menu Item for Report

Do the following steps to add a custom BAQ/EI report to the Menu.

1. Navigate to Menu Maintenance.


Menu Path: System Setup > Security Maintenance > Menu Maintenance

This program is not available in Epicor Web Access.

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2. Use the Tree View to navigate to the Menu location where you want to place your custom report.

3. Click the arrow next to the New button; select New Menu.

4. Enter a Menu ID for the custom program. Because it is a user-defined menu item, begin the identifier with
UD and then follow this with the rest of the identifier. In this example, the Menu ID is UDJT2.

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5. The Module field displays the module inside which this program is contained. This value is used to help
organize programs on the Menu; it displays on various tables. Because you are adding a custom program,
the UD value displays - indicating this program is a user-defined function.

6. Enter a Name for the menu item. This label displays on the Menu.

7. Now from the Program Type drop down list, select Report.
This system or custom report is based on a Report Data Definition containing BAQs or Electronic Interfaces
as the Data Sources. Selecting this program type activates the Report... button;

8. Click the Report button to select from a search list of the reports that qualify. In this example, select the
APInvoice report.

9. Click Save.

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Case Studies - Advanced Print Routing

Each report style can have a routing rule, and this section of the user guide explores examples of these rules.
Through a routing rule you can display a print preview, generate multiple reports as electronic files, send a report
to a specific client or server printer, and attach the report to an e-mail message.
Use the following examples as a base to create your own routing rules.

To create routing rules, you must acquire the Advance Printing


license.

AR Invoice Forms by Currency

To make it easier to render AR invoices for different currencies, you decide to create a report style with a routing
rule that filters on the currency code. The routing rule renders AR invoices using the alternate report styles you
create for each currency.
Note this example illustrates a routing rule for just the Peso and Euro currencies. You can extend this example
to render the AR Invoice form in any other currency variations you may need.

Create Alternate Report Styles

You begin by creating the Peso and Euro report styles.

1. Navigate to Report Style Maintenance.


Menu Path: System Management > Reporting > Report Style

This program is not available in Epicor Web Access.

2. Click the Report ID... button to find and select the ARForm.

3. You can copy an existing SSRS report style to pull in the default SSRS valules. From the tree view, select the
Standard - SSRS report style.

4. Now click Actions > Copy Report Style.

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5. From the tree view, select the Standard - SSRS - Copy style you created.

6. Navigate to the Styles > Style Detail sheet.

7. For its Description, you enter AR Invoice - Peso.

8. The Data Definition drop-down list displays the base ARForm definition. However if you had created a
new data definition for this alternate Peso report, you would select it from this drop-down list.

9. For its Report Location, edit the first part of the path so it displays
reports/CustomReports/ARInvoiceForm_Peso/ARForm.
This value is the folder location and report .rdl file name on the SSRS Report Server. Alternate SSRS report
styles must be placed in the reports/CustomReports folder. When you use the Copy Report Style option,
you automatically create a new folder within this CustomReports folder.

10. Save the report style.

11. Now create the Euro report style. Click Actions > Copy Report Style.

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12. Make sure you have selected the copied style. For its Description, you call it AR Invoice - Euro.

13. The Data Definition drop-down list displays the base ARForm definition. However as described previously,
if you had created a new data definition for this alternate Euro report, you would select it from this drop-down
list.

14. For its Report Location, edit the first part of the path so it displays
reports/CustomReports/ARInvoiceForm_Euro/ARForm.

15. Save the report style.

Create Currencies Report Style

You next create the Currencies style that will have the routing rule. This new style is a variation from the base
SSRS report style.

1. From the tree view, select the Standard - SSRS report style again.

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2. Now click Actions > Copy Report Style.

3. Be sure the copied style is selected. For its Description, you enter AR Invoice - Currencies.

4. Routing rules can only be created for SSRS report styles. From the Report Type drop-down list, verify the
SQL Server Reporting option displays.

5. Verify the Data Definition drop-down list displays the default ARForm report data definition.

6. For its Report Location, this field should display the reports/CustomReports/ARInvoiceForm/ARForm directory
path.
You are creating this custom style to design the routing rule. This rule will use the base ARForm as one of
its rendering options, so you need to create a style that uses the original report format.

7. For the Output Location, verify the Database option displays.

8. Save the report style.

Design Routing Rule

You can now create the routing rule for the AR Invoice - Currencies report style.

1. Click New > Breaking and Routing Rule.

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2. Navigate to the Breaking/Routing Rule sheet.

3. From the Break Table drop-down list, select InvcHead.


This indicates your routing rule will use the columns in the InvcHead table to filter the incoming report
dataset.

4. Click the Design... button to display the Breaking and Routing Rule Designer.

Select Break Column

You can now design the routing rule in the workflow designer.

1. Click and drag a Break element to the workflow.

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2. Connect the Start element to the Break element.

3. Select the Break element.

4. From the Action statement, select the specified link.

5. The Break and Sort window displays.

6. From the Available Columns list, find and select the CurrencyCode column.

7. Click the Right Arrow button.

8. The CurrencyCode column now displays on the Selected Break Columns list.

9. Click OK.

Add Peso Filter

You next add a Filter element that checks for the Peso currency code.

1. Add a Filter element to the workflow. Double-click the title for the Filter element to rename it; change its
name to Peso.

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2. Connect the Peso Filter element to the Break element.

3. At the bottom of the Breaking and Routing Rule Designer, click the New Condition button.

4. A new row displays that states "The specified breaking column is equal to the specified value." Click the
first specified link.

5. The Select Table Fields window displays.

6. Find and select the CurrencyCode field.

7. Click OK.

8. Now click the second specified value.

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9. The Specify a Value window displays.

10. For the Value, enter PESO.

11. Click OK.

The filter statement now states "the InvHead.CurrencyCode breaking column is equal to the PESO value.

Add Alternate Style

Now add the Peso report style to the workflow.

1. Click and drag an Alternate Report Style element to the workflow; rename it as Alt. Report Peso.

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2. Connect the Alternate Report Template to the Peso Filter element.

3. When you select this element, the "Generate the report using the selected alternate report style" action
displays. Click the selected link.

4. The Alternate Report Style Selection window displays.

5. Select the AR Invoice-Peso report style.


This Alternate Report Style element is linked to the custom ARForm_Peso.rdl file you created for this currency.
When the Filter element finds an invoice that uses the Peso currency, the AR Invoice form will generate or
print using the Peso currency .rdl file for this report.

6. Click OK.

7. Add a User Action to the routing rule.

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8. Connect this element to the Alt. Report Peso element.


The User Action element indicates that the report will render using the option selected on the report window.
The user can then display a print preview, generate the report as an electronic file, send the report as an
e-mail attachment, or print the AR Invoice on a client or server printer. The rendered report will use the Peso
alternate report style.

Create Euro Workflow

You next repeat the previous workflow design to create a Euro workflow. When the filter discovers a Euro currency
code, it renders the AR Invoice form using the Euro report style.

1. Add another Filter element to the Break element. Rename it as the Euro Filter element.

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2. Set up its statement to check for the Euro currency code.


When you finish, the statement will be "the InvHead.CurrencyCode breaking column is equal to the EURO
value.

3. Click and drag an Alternate Report Style element onto the workflow, rename it as the Alt. Report Euro
element, and connect it to the Euro filter. Select the AR Invoice - Euro alternate report style.

4. To finish this workflow, connect the Alt. Report Euro element to the existing User Action element.
This indicates when the invoice uses the Euro currency, the AR Invoice form will generate or print using the
Euro currency variation of this report. However because the report renders based on what the user selects
on the report window, there's no need to place another User Action element onto the workflow.

Create Default Workflow

Your routing rule will now render the alternate Peso and Euro invoices, but it will not render other invoices that
do not use these currencies. To handle all invoices, you must set up a default workflow that checks for other
currencies and then renders the report using the base ARForm.rdl file.

1. Click and drag another Filter element onto the workflow pane. Rename it as the Default Filter element and
connect it to the Break element.

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2. Select the Default Filter element and click the New Condition button.

3. Set up this statement to filter on the InvHead.CurrencyCode column again. However this time select the "is
not equal to" option and then enter the PESO value.
When you finish, the statement will be "The InvHead.CurrencyCode breaking column is not equal to the
PESO value.

4. Now add another New Condition to this filter. Be sure this statement uses the And operator and that it
checks for invoices that do not use the EURO currency.
When you finish, the statement will be "And The InvHead.CurrencyCode breaking column is not equal to
the EURO value.
Now the routing rule accounts for any AR invoices that do not use either currency.

5. Because these invoices will render using the default AR Invoice (ARForm.rdl) report style, you just need to
connect the User Action to this workflow.

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6. Your routing rule is complete. Click the Save and Exit button.

Activate Routing Rule

To complete the routing rule, you activate it.

1. You return to Report Style Maintenance.

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2. Notice a thumbnail of your Breaking and Routing Rule displays.

3. Select the Enabled check box.

4. Click Save.

Now the next time a user selects the AR Invoice - Currencies report style, the routing rule checks the CurrencyCode
value. If the currency code value matches the Peso Filter element, the AR invoice renders the report using the
Peso report style you created for that currency. Likewise if the currency code matches the Euro currency code,
the rule renders the report using the Euro report style. Invoices which use other currencies will render using the
default AR Invoice report style.
You can continue to expand the rule by adding other currency filters. The routing rule would generate the
alternate reports which match those filters.

Customer Statement E-Mail

You are an account manager, and you would like to review customer statements before you send them to the
customer contact. To do this, you create a routing rule that generates each customer statement as an e-mail
attachment, and then send this email directly to your e-mail address.

Create E-Mail Style

You first create the style for the routing rule.

1. Launch Report Style Maintenance.

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Menu Path: System Management > Reporting > Report Style

This program is not available in Epicor Web Access.

2. Click the Report ID... button to find and select the Customer Statement (CustSt) report.

3. Now copy an existing SSRS style to pull in the primary set up options for the SSRS style. Click Actions >
Copy Report Style.

4. Navigate to the Styles > Style Detail sheet.

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5. For the style's Description, enter Send E-Mail Preview.

6. Because you copied the default SSRS report style, the CustomReports parent folder now has a new
StatementOfAccount subfolder. The Report Location field displays this new subfolder; this report style will
render the report through the copied .rdl file in this subfolder.

7. To create a routing rule, the Output Location must be set to the Database option.

8. Click Save.

Create Rule

You can now create the routing rule for the current style.

1. Click New > New Breaking and Routing Rule.

2. Notice the Style Description default to the current "Send E-Mail Preview" style.

3. Click the Break Table drop-down list and select Customer.

4. You are now ready to create routing rule. Click the Design... button.

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Select Break Column

You set up the workflow you need in the Breaking and Routing Rule Designer.

1. Click and drag the Break element onto your workflow.

2. Connect the Break element to the Start element.

3. Select the Break element. From the Action statement, click the specified link.

4. The Break and Sort window displays.

5. From the Available Columns list, find and select the CustID column.

6. Click the Right Arrow button.

7. The CustID column now displays in the Selected Break Columns list.

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8. Click OK.

Design E-Mail Template

You now finish the rule by adding the Send E-Mail report action to it.

1. Click and drag the Send E-Mail element onto the workflow designer.

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2. Connect the Send E-Mail element to the Break element.

3. Select the Send E-Mail element again; an action statement displays below. Click the designed link.

4. The E-Mail template window displays.

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5. For the Name, enter E-Mail Preview.

6. Enter the From e-mail address for this e-mail. You enter your e-mail address in this field.

7. You want to receive these e-mail messages. Enter your e-mail address in the To field.

8. Next define what will display in the Subject field. You enter "Recent Customer Statements" in this field.

9. You want each .pdf report to use the customer identifier for its file name. Right-click in the Attachment
Name field; from the context menu, select the Insert Fields options.

10. The Select Table Field(s) window displays.

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11. In the Name field, enter CustomerID.

12. Find and select the CustID check box.

13. Click OK.

14. Notice that the <CustomerID> field query now displays in the Attachment Name field.

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15. Now enter the text you want to display in the Body field. Enter "The customer statement you requested is
attached."

16. Click OK.

17. Notice the Action statement now displays "Send e-mail based on the E-Mail Preview template."

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18. You have finished the routing rule. Click Save and Exit.

Activate Routing Rule

Now that you have finished the routing rule, you are ready to activate it.

1. You return to Report Style Maintenance.

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2. Notice the Breaking and Routing Rule field displays a thumbnail graphic of your routing rule.

3. Activate the rule. Select the Enabled check box.

4. Click Save.

Test Routing Rule

You can now test the rule to see if it runs as expected.

1. Navigate to the Customer Statements Report.


Menu Path: Financial Management > Accounts Receivable > Reports > Customer Statements

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2. Enter the Report Options that you want for this report run.

3. Now click the Report Style drop-down list and select the Send E-Mail Preview option.

4. Notice the Routing check box is selected. This indicates the report style has an active rule.

5. You want the file attachment to use the .pdf file format. From the Output Format drop-down list, verify
the PDF option displays.

6. Click the Print Preview button.

7. The report run generates. When complete you will have a number of e-mail messages in your in box.
Double-click one of these messages; the Recent Customer Statements e-mail message window displays.

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8. Notice the To and From fields display the e-mail accounts you set up in the E-Mail Preview template.

9. The report is attached as a .pdf file. Notice it uses the Customer ID value for the file name.

You can now double-click this attachment to display the Dalton customer statement. Continue to review all the
other customer statements rendered during this print run.

Overdue Jobs

You want to print Job Traveler reports for all jobs which are past their requested due dates. You will then send
these reports immediately to a server printer so they are available for work on the production floor.
To do this, you will create a routing rule for the Job Traveler.

Create Overdue Jobs Style

You begin by creating a new style for the Job Traveler within Report Style Maintenance.

1. Click the Report ID... button to find and select the Job Traveler.

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2. From the tree view, select the Standard - SSRS report style.

3. Now click Actions > Copy Report Style.

4. Navigate to the Styles > Style Detail sheet.

5. For the style Description, enter Overdue Jobs.

6. Verify the Report Type drop-down list displays the SQL Server Reporting option.

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7. You will use the installed Data Definition. Verify that JobTrav displays in this field.

8. Because you copied the default SSRS report style, the CustomReports parent folder now has a new JobTraveler
subfolder. The Report Location field displays this new subfolder; this report style will render the report
through the copied .rdl file in this subfolder.

9. Now for the Output Location, select the Database option.

10. Click Save.

Create Routing Rule

1. Now click New > New Breaking and Routing Rule.

2. Navigate to the Styles > Breaking/Routing Rules sheet.

3. The Style fields display the new style you just created.

4. Click the Break Table drop-down list and select the JobHead table. The JobHead table contains the
ReqDueDate (Requested Due Date) column you will use in the routing rule to determine whether a job is
overdue.

5. You are ready to create the routing rule. Click the Design... button.

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Select Break Column

You now create the routing rule on the Breaking and Routing Rule Designer. To begin, add a Break element that
breaks the data using the ReqDueDate (Requested Due Date) column.

1. Click and drag a Break element to the workflow.

2. Connect the Break element to the Start element.

3. Select the Break element.

4. The Break and Sort window displays.

5. From the Action statement, click the specified link.

6. Scroll through the Available Columns list to locate the ReqDueDate column.

7. Click the Right Arrow button.

8. The Selected Break Columns list now displays the ReqDueDate column.

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9. Click OK.

Define Condition

You now add a condition that checks the Requested Due Date against the system clock to see if a job is overdue.

1. Click and drag a Condition element to the workflow.

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2. Connect the Break element to the Condition element.

3. Rename the Condition element to display the "Check If Late" text.

4. Now add a statement to the Condition element. Click the Add New button.

5. Select the following condition statement:


• The specified report field on any row is equal to the specified system constant.

6. Click the first specified link.

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7. The Select Table Field(s) window displays.

8. Scroll through the Fields list to find and select the ReqDueDate check box.

9. Click OK.

10. Now click the is equal to drop-down list.

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11. Select the is less than option.

12. Now click the second specified link.

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13. The Select a System Constant window displays.

14. Scroll through the options and select the Today check box.

15. Click the OK button.

Add Print Action

You now add a Print action and specify which server printer will print the overdue jobs.

You should only use the Print action element when you want
to restrict a report to print out on a designated printer. When
you add a Print action element to a routing rule, users are
forced to always use the selected printer. Regardless of whether
users choose a different printer, generate the report, or preview
the report on the report window, the report automatically
prints out on the printer defined on the action element.

1. Click and drag a Print Action element to the workflow.

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2. Now connect the Print element to the True side of the Check If Late condition. This indicates when the
condition statement resolves to True, the workflow will move the report output to the Print element.

3. Select the Print element. The Action statement displays.

4. Verify the Server Printer option is selected.

5. Now click the specified link.

6. The SSRS Server Printer window displays.

7. From the Printer drop-down list, select the server printer you will use with this routing rule.

8. Use the rest of the sheets and fields on this window to indicate how you want the Job Traveler reports to
print on this selected printer.

9. Click OK.

10. You have finished creating the rule. Click the Save and Exit button.

Activate Routing Rule

The routing rule is now ready to use.

1. You return to Report Style Maintenance.

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2. Notice the Breaking and Routing Rule group box displays a thumbnail image of your routing rule.

3. Click the Enabled check box.

4. Click Save.

5. Users can now select your report style. Navigate to the Job Traveler Report.
Menu Path: Production Management > Job Management > Reports > Job Traveler

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6. From the Report Style drop-down list, select the Overdue Jobs option.

7. Notice the Routing check box is active. This indicates the routing rule is active with this style.

8. Click the Print button.

Now any overdue jobs are sent to the server printer. Your production center can now start working on these
priority jobs.

Routing Rule and Auto Print

You can use both routing rules and auto printing together so that a change in the database triggers a report to
automatically generate and apply the routing rules at runtime. You do this by creating a Business Process
Management (BPM) data directive with an auto print action that then launches a routing rule you defined for a
report style when enabled.

This feature is only available if the Advance Printing license


is installed. If there exist some directives with routings enabled

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the routing rules will not be applied until the Advance Printing
license is installed.

In this workshop, you first design a routing rule to preview sales order acknowledgements in XPS Viewer. You
then create a standard data directive that has an auto print action which applies this routing rule to the report.
When this data directive activates, the sales order acknowledgments displays in the XPS Viewer window.

Create Order Preview Style

You begin by copying an existing SSRS report style.

1. Launch Report Style Maintenance.


Menu Path: System Management > Reporting > Report Style

2. Click the Report ID... button to find and select the Order Acknowledgment (OrderAck) report

3. Now copy an existing SSRS style to pull in the primary set up options for the SSRS style. Click Actions >
Copy Report Style.

4. Navigate to the Styles > Style Detail sheet.

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5. For the style's Description, enter Order Preview.

6. To create a routing rule, the Output Location must be set to the Database option.

7. Click Save.

8. Now click New > New Breaking and Routing Rule.

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9. Navigate to the Styles > Breaking/Routing Rule sheet.

10. From the Break Table drop-down list, select the OrderHed table. This indicates your routing rule will use
the columns on the Order Hed table to break the incoming report dataset into distinct group of reports.
You must select a Break Table before you create a routing rule

11. Click the Design... button.

Design Rule

You next design the rule in the Breaking and Routing Rule Designer.

1. Click and drag the Break element onto your workflow.

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2. Connect the Break element to the Start element.

3. Select the Break element.

4. From the Action statement, select the specified link.

5. The Break and Sort window displays.

6. From the Available Columns list, find and select the OrderNum column.

7. Click the Right Arrow button.

8. The OrderNum column now displays on the Selected Break Columns list.

9. Click OK.

10. Now add the print action to the routing rule. Click and drag the Print element onto the workflow designer.

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11. Connect the Print element to the Break element.

12. Select the Print element again; an action statement displays below. Click the arrow next to the Server
Printer and select Client Printer.

13. Click specified link.

14. For Printer, select Microsoft XPS Document Writer.

15. Click OK.

16. You have finished the routing rule. Click Save and Exit.

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17. You return to Report Style Maintenance.

18. Select the Enabled check box. This activates the rule.

19. Click Save.

Locate Table

You next locate the Order Header table to create a standard data directive.

1. Navigate to Data Directives.


Menu Path: System Management > Business Process Management > Data Directives Maintenance

2. Click the Table button.

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3. The Table Search window displays.

4. Verify Search by Table option is selected.

5. In the Table Name Starting At field, enter Order.

6. Click Search.

7. Select OrderHed.

8. Click OK.

Add Standard Directive

You next create a standard data directive that monitors the Auto Print Ready check box within Sales Order Entry.
Standard data directives are launched by changes saved to the database. When users select this check box, the
data directive will then automatically generate a Sales Order Acknowledgment for the current sales order.

1. Make sure you stay in Data Directives.

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2. Click New and select New Standard Directive.

3. In the Directive Name field, enter Auto Print.

4. Click Design to launch the BPM Workflow Designer.

5. The BPM Workflow Designer displays.

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6. Click the Condition icon and drag it to the workflow pane of the Designer, below the Start item.

7. Create a connection between the Start and Condition elements.

8. In the workflow, click the Condition item.

9. In the Condition pane at the bottom, click the Add Line icon.

10. In the Condition field, invoke the list and select The specified field has been changed from any to
another.

11. Click the specified link.

12. In the Table field, verify ttOrderHed displays.

13. From the list of available fields, select the AutoPrintReady check box and click OK.

14. Click the another link.

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15. Clear the Any Value check box.

16. In the Value field, select true and click OK.


This condition will trigger the subsequent action when a user selects the Auto-Print Ready check box. This
check box is found on Sales Order Entry's Summary sheet.

Add Action

You now add the Auto Print action to the standard data directive.

1. In the workflow items tollbar, click the Auto Print icon and drag it to the workflow pane of the Designer,
below the Condition item.

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2. Click the Condition's True exit outbound connector and then link it to any of the Auto Print entry points.

3. Click the Auto Print workflow element.

4. In the Actions pane, verify Automatically print specified report with specified options with rule
displays.

5. Click the first specified link.

6. In the search dialog box, the Basic tab presents fields for entering search criteria specific to reports.

7. In the Report Type, select the available type of report you want to use. In this example, select SQL Server
Reporting (SSRS) type.

8. In the Report Table Level field, select 'OrderHed' is the Primary table option.
This means only the reports where OrderHed is defined as the primary table will display in the search results.

9. Click Search.

10. From the Search Results, select OrderAck (Sales Order Acknowledgment).

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11. Click OK.

12. You return to the BPM Workflow Designer.

13. Click the specified link.

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14. The Set up Auto Print window displays.

15. In the Run Schedule field, verify Queued displays.


This means the report will be submitted by Auto Print to the Task Agent for execution.

16. In the Print Action field, you can select if you want to automatically send the report to the printer or if you
want to preview it first. In this example, select Auto Preview.

Define Report Parameters


Now you must specify the Report Parameters. On this sheet, you can add or edit the actions associated with
the listed parameters so that values can be passed to the report in the context of the Auto Print action.

1. On the Set up Auto Print window, select the Report Parameters sheet.

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2. The Sales Order Acknowledgment report uses the OrderList parameter to define which orders are to be
printed or print-previewed. In the OrderList parameter, click the arrow on the right-hand side and select
The specified expression.

3. Click the specified link

4. The Specify C# expression window displays.

5. From the Available variables, expand ttOrderHed table and double-click the OrderNum column. This
adds ttOrderHedRow.OrderNum into the expression.

6. Within the expression, you want to convert the selected sales order number to a string and pass it as a
parameter to the report. From the list of available Functions, expand the String category and double-click
the x.ToString() function.

7. The Editor pane now displays the following expression:


ttOrderHedRow.OrderNum.ToString()

8. Click OK.

9. In the SSRSEnableRouting parameter, click the arrow on the right-hand side and select True.

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10. In the Set up Auto Print window, click OK.

11. You return to the BPM Workflow Designer.

12. Now click the with rule link.

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13. The Execution Rule window displays. Use the options on this window to determine how rows will update
for a selected table.

14. Depending on the table selected for the data directive, different rule options are active. For this example,
select the For each matching radio button option.

15. Click OK.

16. Click Save and Exit to return to the Data Directives window.

17. The Data Directives window displays.

18. Select the Enabled check box to activate the directive.

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19. Click Save.

The data directive is now active.

Test BPM

Next test the directive to verify it displays a preview of the Sales Order Acknowledgment in Microsoft XPS Viewer
when a user selects the Auto-Print Ready check box.

1. Navigate to Sales Order Entry.


Menu Path: Sales Management > Order Management > General Operations > Order Entry

2. Click New > New Order.

3. Enter a Customer, in this example, you create a new order for the customer Dalton.

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4. Click New > New Line.

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5. On the Lines Detail sheet at the bottom, enter the order details. In this example, enter the following
information.

Field Value
Part DSS-1010
Order Quantity 10

6. Select the Auto-Print Ready check box.

7. Click Save.

8. The Save As window displays.

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9. For file name enter Sales Order Acknowledgment Report.

10. Click Save.

11. You can then view the Sales Order Acknowledgment in XPS Viewer. The routing rule works as expected.

You can then disable the routing rule directly the Report Style Maintenance or by setting the SSRSEnableRouting
parameter to False in Data Directive Maintenance. Now if you repeat the steps to Test BPM, the report will open
in preview mode directly. The routing rule is not applied in this case.

Electronic Report Files

Different countries have different data and formatting requirements for file-based (or hardcopy/printed) electronic
reporting. To make the production of such reports more flexible, the Epicor 10 ERP data extraction and output
file formatting capabilities allow you to configure data extraction sources and define output file formats in the
Electronic Report Maintenance program to support the multiple electronic report file requirements.
Use the Electronic Report Maintenance program to configure and generate electronic report files (both XML and
JSON) from reporting data. A report style can be configured to generate either an SSRS report only or an electronic
report file only, or both an SSRS report and electronic report file based on the same extracted data.
After you set up the report data definition to use custom BAQs or Electronic Interfaces, you can define a Electronic
Report Definition that will control generation of one or more XML or JSON files when it is referenced by a Report
Style.

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Add Electronic Report Definition

Enter a name of the new electronic report definition and select the report data definition for which you want to
create the electronic report file.

1. Navigate to Electronic Report Maintenance.


Menu Path: System Management > Reporting > Electronic Report Maintenance

This program is not available in Epicor Web Access.

2. Next to the New button on the Standard toolbar, click the Down Arrow and select New Electronic Report
Definition. In the Definition ID field, enter an ID for the new electronic report definition.

3. The Definition > Detail sheet opens.

4. In the Definition... field, enter an identification name for electronic report definition.

5. For Description, enter the name for your electronic report definition.

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6. When selected, the System check box indicates whether the current electronic report definition is installed
with the Epicor ERP application. If the current definition is a system definition, you cannot delete it. Editing
of the definition is limited to enabling (or disabling) the XML/JSON files on the definition, updating Output
Location for these files, and adding new electronic report files to the definition.

7. Click the Report Data Definition... button to search for and select the existing report data definition for
which you want to create an electronic report.

8. The Description displays the RDD description.

9. Review the type of the report data definition in the Report Type field.

10. The System Report check box indicates whether the current report is a standard report for the system. If
this check box is selected, the current report is a system report and you cannot edit or delete it.

11. Use the Internal Comments field to enter free-form comment text for the electronic report definition. It
can be used to describe why a definition would be updated. The comments are for informational use only
and can never be included in the electronic report file.

12. Use the Created By field to view the name of the user who created the current electronic report definition.
If you are not this user, you can nonetheless modify this definition.

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13. Use the Created On field to view the date the electronic report definition is created.

14. When finished, click Save.

Define Generation Options

Use the Generation sheet to enter the default formatting choices for all electronic report files configured for
generation by the Electronic Report Definition.

1. In the Tree View, select the electronic report definition.

2. Navigate to the Definition > Generation sheet.

3. In the Localization grid, define the localization settings for the current electronic report definition.

4. Use the Encoding Method field to specify an encoding method for output files.

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5. Use the Delimited section fields to define data separation in delimited files.

6. Use the Electronic Interface field, to select an interface from a list of customized electronic interfaces
created specifically for your company. When you click the Electronic Interface... button the search program
pulls in the electronic interfaces that provide optional pre/post processing.

7. The Description field displays the further explanation for the selected electronic interface.

8. When finished, click Save.

Create New XML Output File

You enter primary values for the electronic report file such as the name of the file and the directory path where
you will store this file. Additionally, you can create, edit or remove namespaces from the electronic report file.
Namespaces enable you to associate prefixes with specific schemas. You can then reference the elements, types
and attributes from a specific schema.

1. Next to the New button on the Standard toolbar, click the Down Arrow and select New XML Output File.

2. The Electronic Report Files > Detail sheet opens.

3. In the Electronic Report File ID field, accept the default name for the electronic report file, or enter a
different name for your electronic report file.

4. For Description, accept the default description, or enter a new description.

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5. The Electronic Report File Type field displays the XML type.

6. In the Output Location field, specify the directory where you will store this file. Click the Epicor Data
button to save the xml file in the company - specific folder.

7. The Attach to PDF/A-3 option is selected by default for all file types.
You can keep it as it is ignored by the system unless the PDF/A-3 Output Format is selected when running
the report.

8. When selected, the Enabled check box indicates the current electronic report file will be generated when
its electronic report definition is submitted in the Report Style Maintenance program.

9. When selected, the System check box indicates whether the current electronic report definition is installed
with the Epicor ERP application. If the current definition is a system definition, you cannot delete it. Editing
of the definition is limited to enabling (or disabling) the XML/JSON files on the definition, updating Output
Location for these files, and adding new electronic report files to the definition.

10. The Namespaces grid specifies the alternate prefix and namespace you define to be applied when the
electronic compliance definition is transformed to the XML format file.

11. Click Save.

Import Sample XML

When you import an .xml file, the application creates the electronic report definition by copying and modifying
the structure of the current .xml file. It allows you to avoid building the entire document structure when you
need to customize your report. The existing XML structure and mappings will be removed from the definition.
Use the Import Sample XML and Values action to import XML data and include field values into the definition.
To import XML data without values, use the Import Sample XML - Ignore Values action.
To import an .xml. file with values:

1. Click Actions > Import Sample XML and Values.

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2. The Open window displays.

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3. Select the sample (.xml) file you wish to import.

4. Click Open.

5. To the import confirmation message, click OK.

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6. In the Tree View, view the imported file structure.

7. Click Save.

Map Sample XML to Data Source

Once you have imported sample XML structure, map the columns and specified parameters from the BAQ result
sets to the individual elements in the XML parent-child tree structure.

1. Navigate to the Electronic Report Files > Mapping sheet.

2. In the Definition pane, view the parent-child tree structure of the imported sample .xml or .json file and
select an element.

First, set up the parent element to use the data source


from the report data definition to be able to map the data
source's columns to the child elements.

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You can modify your file structure by dragging and dropping elements in the tree view. The dropped
element becomes the new root and the previous root becomes a child of this root element. If the node
that is dragged has child nodes, the entire branch is moved and the previous root becomes the last child
of the new root.

3. In the Prefix field, enter the prefix for the namespace.

4. The Parent Element field displays the parent element for the selected element.

5. Use the Element name field to modify the name of the selected element if necessary.

6. Select the XML Attribute check box to indicate that this element represents an attribute in its parent
element.
The electronic report file structure allows you to add child elements to any element except those already
flagged as representing attributes.

7. Use the Description field to enter additional descriptive information about the element.

8. The Constant check box indicates whether the item used to compare against the Field Name value is a set,
or constant, value. When you select this check box, you can then define the constant value you need through
other fields on this rule. Depending on the data type for the selected field (Character, Boolean, Numeric,
and so on), different constant fields activate.

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You can specify constant values for parent nodes, child nodes, or child nodes that are flagged as
representing attributes.

9. The Aggregation functions shown below are available by default. Additional aggregate functions may be
added.
• Count
• CountUnique
• First
• Last
• Max
• Min
• Sum

10. From the DataSource drop-down list, select a data source for the selected element.

11. From the Column list, select the data source column.

12. Data Type indicates the type of data required by the schema for the node.
• String - Variable is a fixed length, single-line character string
• Date - Variable is a date.
• Decimal - Variable is a numeric with decimal places.
• Boolean - Variable is a logical operator that prompts for Yes/No conditions.

13. Use the Date Format to specifies the format of the date.

14. Use the Decimal Scale to specifies number of digits after decimal for this value in the generated output
file

15. Click the Electronic Interface button to search for and select the interface to use in this report.

16. Use the Calculator field to add a calculation fields for electronic interface.

17. The Child Elements grid lists all the child elements for the selected element.

18. Click Save.

Add New Elements

Extend the file structure with new XML elements. You can add an element and define its values, or add an
element from the data source.
The electronic report file structure allows you to add child elements to any element except for elements already
flagged as representing an attribute. Constant or mapped values can be specified for both xml element values
and attribute values.
To add a new element:

1. Right-click an XML node under which you want to add a new element.

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2. Use the Add New Element option to add an XML element to the definition and define its values.

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3. Click the Add New Elements from Data Source to select the column from the BAQ/EI data source.
Click Add New Elements as Column Name Constants to add elements from a data source as constants
without any data source mapping.

4. From the Data Source field, select the necessary data source.

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5. From the Available Columns list, select the columns you want to add to your definition.

6. Click the right arrow button to move the columns to the Selected Columns list.

7. Click OK.

8. The new element displays.

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9. The Data Source and the Column: fields contain the corresponding values.

10. Repeat Steps 4-7 to create new elements from a selected data source.
The new elements display in the tree view. Note that their names are set to the names of the columns
selected from the data source. These elements have constant values and are not bound to any report data.

Enable Electronic Report Definition on Report Style

Use the Report Style Maintenance program to enable generation of the electronic report file when you submit
the report for generation.

1. Open Report Style Maintenance.


Menu Path: System Management > Reporting > Report Style

2. Navigate to the Styles > Electronic Report sheet.

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3. View the Style Number displays for your report.

4. View the Data Definition for your electronic report file.

5. From the Electronic Report Definition drop-down list, select an electronic report definition.

6. Select the Enabled check box.

7. Use the Require Submission ID field to specify whether the user must assign a Submission ID before
generating the electronic report.
Users can generate the report multiple times under the Submission ID and then use the Submit action to
flag a version of the report as submitted, for example, to the government. The submission information
includes submission ID, submission status, submission status, submission date, and the user who created,
submitted, and last generated the report. When submission IDs are required, the last set of report parameters
used and the version submitted are saved and can be re-retrieved under this submission ID.

8. Select the Allow Multiple Submits check box to allow users to rerun and resubmit under a submission ID
without resetting the submission version counter.

9. Click Save.

Add Menu Item for Report

Do the following steps to add a custom BAQ/EI report to the Menu.

1. Navigate to Menu Maintenance.


Menu Path: System Setup > Security Maintenance > Menu Maintenance

This program is not available in Epicor Web Access.

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2. Use the Tree View to navigate to the Menu location where you want to place your custom report.

3. Click the arrow next to the New button; select New Menu.

4. Enter a Menu ID for the custom program. Because it is a user-defined menu item, begin the identifier with
UD and then follow this with the rest of the identifier. In this example, the Menu ID is UDJT2.

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5. The Module field displays the module inside which this program is contained. This value is used to help
organize programs on the Menu; it displays on various tables. Because you are adding a custom program,
the UD value displays - indicating this program is a user-defined function.

6. Enter a Name for the menu item. This label displays on the Menu.

7. Now from the Program Type drop down list, select Report.
This system or custom report is based on a Report Data Definition containing BAQs or Electronic Interfaces
as the Data Sources. Selecting this program type activates the Report... button;

8. Click the Report button to select from a search list of the reports that qualify. In this example, select the
APInvoice report.

9. Click Save.

Generate Electronic Report File

Launch the report form from the Main Menu and generate the electronic report file for the report.

1. From the Main Menu, open the report form.

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2. Navigate to the Report Options sheet.

3. In the Report Options fields, limit the data to be displayed on the report.

4. In the Report Style field, select the report style for which you have enabled generation of the electronic
report file.

5. From File, select Generate Only to create electronic report file only.

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If you need to modify SSRS Report Definition for this


electronic report file, use the File > Generate for Design
option to generate a report for design only. For more
information, refer to the Generate for Design topic in the
application help.

6. Now navigate to the report location folder and view the electronic report file.

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Submit Generated File

Earlier you have configured the Report Style to require user entry of a Submission ID. The Submission ID allows
retrieval and review of the last set of report parameters used. After the report is generated and reviewed, you
can assign the Submission ID to the report and flag it as submitted (to a government, for example).

1. In the report form, click File > New Submission ID.

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2. In the Submission ID field, enter the identifier for this report submission.

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3. Use the Comment text box to enter free-form comment text for the submitted report.

4. From the Actions menu, select Submit.

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5. The selected Submitted check box designates the report has been submitted.

6. Use the Report Date to view the date when the report was submitted.

7. The Version Submitted field displays the value of the Report Submission Counter.
To allow more than one submission, make sure the Allow Multiple Submissions check box is selected in
the Report Style program.

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8. When you submit the report, the corresponding fields display the name of the user who created or updated
the current submission as well as the date the submission is created or updated.
To reset submission, from the Actions menu, select Reset.

Troubleshooting

If you experience issues with a program or process in this module, review the troubleshooting topics below for
a potential solution.

Parent Columns and Child Columns Don't Have Type-matching Columns

When you use a Report Data Definition (RDD) with multiple BAQs and parent-child relationships to generate
electronic report files, the Electronic Report Maintenance form produces the Parent Columns and Child

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Columns don't have type-matching columns error message. Consequently, the data types for each mapped
element do not display in the Mapping sheet in the Data Source group box.
This is typical for RDDs that have a data source which is the parent for two or more data sources and the exact
same parent columns are used in all relationships. Since the relationships have the same column names and
number of columns, the .Net framework uses the same set of parent columns to build the constraints for both
child tables and so the sequence of the parent and child columns on the Relationship Fields should be the same.
In the following example, the parent column BookId column is being matched with the JournalCode column
which produces the error:

Example

To fix this issue, make sure to order the relationships fields in the same sequence:

1. In the Report Data Definition program, navigate to the Relationships sheet.

2. In the tree view, select the relationships where the same parent data source is related to multiple child data
sources.

3. In the Relationship sheet, review the sequence of relationships fields in the Parent Field Name column
and in the Child Field Name column.

4. Ensure that the remaining relationships that have the same parent data source have the same field sequence.
Resolve any sequence issues and save the report data definition.

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Chapter 14: Security

Leverage the security functionality to prevent unauthorized external and internal access to the Epicor ERP application.
You control access to the Epicor ERP application through the Authentication Security features and control access to
the user interface through the Authorization Security features.
Authentication Security encompasses the features that ensure the identity of the user logging into the Epicor ERP
application. These security features verify the user who made the logon call, preventing malicious, unauthorized access
to the application. To set up user identity security, you first determine whether you will authenticate through Windows
account security or Epicor account security. If you decide to use Windows account security, you determine password
complexity requirements and the account lockout threshold through the Windows operating system. If you decide to
use Epicor account security, you set up the password complexity and the account lockout policy internally within Epicor
ERP. Through both methods, you can also set up automatic, single sign on access to the application.
Authorization Security controls access to the user interface. You set up these features through security groups and
users. Through Security Group Maintenance, you create groups that define user related areas within your organization.
You then assign all users to these security groups through User Account Security Maintenance. Now with security
groups and their selected users defined, you can assign security privileges throughout the application. For example,
you may want to prevent access to Payroll programs for most users. You can use the security privilege tools to only
give members of the Payroll security group access to these specific programs.

Authentication (User Identity) Security

Controlling access to the application is one of the primary ways you can secure the Epicor ERP application. When
you authenticate the identity of users attempting to login, or call, the application, you help prevent malicious
access.
You authenticate user identity through the following methods. These methods have both advantages and
disadvantages, so select the method that works the best for your organization:
• Windows Account - Use this method to authenticate user identity through Windows accounts. These accounts
are secured by the Windows operating system, making it much more difficult for these accounts to be externally
compromised. This method controls access at the operating system level, so you can define your password
policy and account lockout policy through the Group Security Policy program. This method is easier to
administrate, as you control access at the operating system level. The disadvantage to this method is that if
malicious users do compromise your Windows environment, they gain access to all applications on your
system.
• Epicor Account - If you use this method, you authenticate user identity through your internal Epicor accounts.
You then control access at the application level, using both the Password Policy Maintenance and Account
Lockout Policy programs to define the complexity of passwords and the number of failed logon attempts you
allow. Like Windows accounts, your Epicor accounts are encrypted. By securing at the application level, you
make it harder for malicious users to specifically access Epicor ERP. However the disadvantage to this method
is users will need to manage separate passwords for each application in your environment, making it harder
for you to administrate security.
The following sections describe how you implement authentication security through either method.

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Epicor Account Authentication

This section describes what you need to set up and configure when you authenticate user identity through internal
Epicor accounts.

Password Policy Maintenance

Use Password Policy Maintenance to determine the complexity requirements for user account passwords. Each
new or updated password users enter must follow the requirements you define in this program.
You start by indicating how many characters each password needs before the system accepts it. You then activate
other options as well, such as whether the password requires uppercase letters, must contain special characters,
and/or allow user account names.
After you save these options, these password requirements activate. The next time users create or change
passwords, they must enter values that follow these complexity requirements.
Menu Path: System Setup > Security Maintenance > Password Policy

Define Password Policy

You can select the following password complexity requirements.

1. Enter the Minimum password length for each password. The Epicor ERP application then only accepts
passwords at least this length or longer.

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2. Select the Allow include user ID check box to indicate users can enter their user account identifiers in
passwords. They can then enter passwords based all or in part from their User IDs.

3. Select the Allow include user name portion check box to grant users the ability to enter all or part of
their user account names for their passwords. Users can then enter passwords based on their user account
names.

4. However when you do not select the Allow include user name portion check box, the Match length
field is active. You enter a numeric value in this field to define the top limit on how many characters from
the user account name can be included in the password.
For example if you enter 4 in this field, the policy only allows a sequence of three characters or less from
the user account name. If the user name is BHarris, then a new/updated password for the user account can
only contain "ris", "BHa", "Har", or similar character sequences.

5. You can also indicate that each password must contain at least one character from one or multiple Character
categories. For example, if you select the Require uppercase check box, each new or changed password
must have at least one uppercase English (A-Z) character.

6. Use the Minimum categories field to define how many character categories such as lowercase, uppercase,
and so on must be present in each password. Instead of requiring specific categories, use this option to

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indicate that each password must contain at least this many character types. This method gives users flexibility,
as they can then decide which character types to use within their passwords.

You can use this feature and still require some specific
character categories like lowercase, uppercase, and so on
be included on each password. Users then must enter
passwords that contain these required character
categories, but also include other character categories
they choose. This gives users partial flexibility while still
requiring some specific categories.

7. Use the Allow blank password check box to control whether Security Managers should be allowed to
reset user passwords to a temporary value of blank.
When this check box is selected, Security Manager can set a user password to blank, so users are allowed
to log in up to three times with the blank password. Each time they login with the blank password they are
prompted to create a password that conforms to password policy. If they do not create a conforming
password after three logins, they are locked out until System Manager again resets their password.
If you keep this checkbox cleared, when a Security Manager clicks the Reset Password button in User
Account Security Maintenance for an existing user or saves a new user, the Set Temporary Password
dialog does not allow the Security Manager to reset the user's password to blank. Instead, a temporary
password is generated and e-mailed to either the e-mail address on the user record or an e-mail address
entered immediately by the Security Manager. For more information, review the Password Management
topic.

8. When you finish setting up the password policy, click Save.

Expire All Passwords

You run the Expire All Passwords option to expire all current passwords on active user accounts. Use this process
when you have created or updated the password policy and you need all passwords to comply with the current
requirements.
To expire all passwords:

1. Click the Actions menu.

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2. Select the Expire All Passwords option.

3. You are asked if you want to expire all passwords; click Yes.

Now all users have three logins to update their passwords. Their old passwords still work during these three
logins, but after they use up these grace logins their old passwords no longer grant access. This forces all users
to create new passwords that follow your current policy requirements.

If you are a Security Manager, you can expire all passwords


except those linked to Global Security Manager accounts. If

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you are a Global Security Manager managing a SaaS hosted


environment, you will expire all passwords in the current tenant.
System administrators grant Epicor user accounts global security
manager rights within the Epicor Administration Console or
within User Account Security Maintenance on the List sheet.
For more information, review the application help for the Epicor
Administration Console.

Password Management

You manage passwords individually on each user account. You can expire an individual password, clear a password,
and enter how long each password can be used.

Password Options

You control passwords through User Account Security Maintenance.


Menu Path: System Setup > Security Maintenance > User Account Security Maintenance

1. Find and select the user record you need to review.

2. Click the Expire Password button to force the user to enter a new password the next time he or she logs
into the application.

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3. If you click the Reset Password check box instead, the Set Temporary Password dialog is displayed where
you can either accept the retrieved e-mail address (if any) associated with user account or enter an alternate
e-mail address to send the temporary password to. When you click OK, the system generates a temporary
password and e-mails it to the user. The user can login using the temporary password up to three times and
each time will be prompted to enter a conforming password to replace the temporary password.
You can also select the Set temporary password to blank check box. When you allow blank password,
users have three login attempts with blank password and each time they are prompted to enter a proper
password.

This option is only available if Password Policy


Maintenance is set up to allow blank passwords. You
control this setting by the Allow blank password check
box.

4. The Date last Used field displays the most recent day on which the password on the current account was
used to access the Epicor ERP application.

5. The Password Last Changed field displays the date on which the current user most recently changed the
password on this account.

6. The Password Expires field displays the date on which the current password on this user account will
expire.

7. Use the Password Expires Days field to indicate how many days from when a password is entered or
changed before it will expire. You typically enter a date in this field when you select the Expire Password
check box.

8. When you finish managing the password on this user account, click Save.

Account Lockouts

You can further secure access to the Epicor ERP application by defining an account lockout policy. When users
repeatedly fail to log into the application, their accounts become inactive, or locked, for a period of time you
determine.
You set up the lockout policy for your organization through the Account Lockout Policy program. You define
both how many failed attempts the application will allow and how long the account is locked. Then while a user
account is locked, you can launch User Account Security Maintenance to review how long the account is locked
and if you wish, manually unlock this user account.

Account Lockout Policy

Use the Account Lockout Policy program to define what happens when users fail to log into the Epicor ERP
application with their correct user account name/password combination.
These fields determine the overall lockout policy for all user accounts within either a server-client based environment
or the current tenant in a SaaS or similar hosted environment. You first indicate how many attempts users can
try before they are locked out. You also define how long users are locked out of the Epicor ERP application; you
can prevent users from logging in for a specific time duration or an ever increasing time duration. When the
system clock passes this time limit, users can attempt to login again through their user accounts.
After you save these lockout settings, this policy activates the next time users log into the Epicor ERP application.
When they fail to log into the application, an error message displays indicating for how long they will be locked
out of their accounts.

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Menu Path: System Setup > Security Maintenance > Account Lockout Policy

Create the Policy

Follow these steps to create your account lockout policy.

1. Click New.

2. Define how many times a user can incorrectly attempt to access the application by entering a value in the
Lockout Threshold (attempts) field.

3. Now within the Reset Counter After (minutes) field, determine how many minutes can pass before the
failed attempts counter resets. If the user does not attempt to log in until the system clock passes this
duration of time, the attempts counter returns to zero and the user can log in using the available attempts
defined by the Lockout Threshold value.

4. If the user surpasses the number of login attempts allowed by the Lockout Threshold value, the user
account is locked for a duration of time. You indicate how long the user is locked out through these options:
• Lockout Duration - Defines a specific value, in minutes, a user account is locked before it can be used
again to log into the Epicor ERP application.
• Incremental Lockout - Select this check box to indicate the system will lock the user account for longer
and longer time periods. The system tracks each failed attempt and then doubles the time delay. The
user is first locked out for 1 second, then 2 seconds, then 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, and so on.

5. When you finish setting up the lockout policy, click Save.

The next time users log into the application, this lockout policy is active.
If you need to change the lockout policy, access the Account Lockout Policy program again. Update the values
you need and click Save. The updated lockout policy values are now active. They are enforced the next time
users log into the Epicor ERP application.

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Track Locked Accounts

You use the System Activity Log dashboard to see which user accounts are locked and when the lockout
occurred.
The System Activity Log captures all database modifications that happen in the Epicor ERP application. If a user
attempts to login greater than the number of failed attempts you allow, the user account locks and an entry
appears in the System Activity Log. You can see the identifier for the locked account. You can later reactivate
this account in User Account Security Maintenance.
Menu Path: System Setup > Security Maintenance > System Activity Log

Locate Account Entries

Do the following to find system activity entries for locked accounts:

1. Click the Refresh button.

2. The System Activity grid updates with the current entries.

3. Sort the results by Activity Type and scroll to locate the Log on failure entries.

4. You can now identify the UserID for the locked user account.

5. The Date column displays the day on which the system locked the user account.

6. The TimeChanged column displays the time on which the lockout occurred.

Unlock Accounts

When an account is locked, you can manually unlock an account through a couple management programs.
You typically unlock accounts through User Account Security Maintenance. You can first see how long this
account will be locked and then also manually re-activate this account. When user accounts become locked, you
should use this program to activate them.

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However you can also unlock accounts through the Epicor Administration Console. While you can unlock all
accounts here, you should only use this feature when you accidently lock out a security manager or global security
manager account. Because you cannot restore these types of accounts inside the Epicor ERP application, you
need to instead unlock them on the server.

Unlock Account (User Account Level)

You will most often unlock accounts through User Account Security Maintenance.
Menu Path: System Setup > Security Maintenance > User Account Security Maintenance

1. Click the User ID... button to find and select the locked user record.

2. The Locked Out check box indicates whether the current user account is locked, preventing the user from
logging in through this account.

3. The Locked Out Until field displays the date on which this locked user account will activate again.

4. Now review the Consecutive Logon Failures field; this field displays how many times a user attempted
and failed to log into the Epicor ERP application through this user account. These attempts occurred
consecutively, and so these failed attempts caused the current user account to lock.

5. To activate the user account again, click the Actions menu. Select the Unlock User Account option.
The user account record is unlocked. The user can now attempt to log in again through this user account.

6. Click Save.

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Unlock Account (Server Level)

You can also unlock a user account through the Epicor Administration Console. However you should only use
this option when a security manager or global security manager user account is locked.
To do this, log into your server machine:

1. Launch the Epicor Administration Console.

2. Expand the Database Server Management node and <YourDatabaseServer> node.

3. Select the database that contains the user account you need to unlock.

4. You can now unlock a selected user account. From the Actions pane, select the Unlock User Account
option.

5. The Unlock Account window displays.

6. Enter the User ID for the account you need to unlock.

7. Click OK.

The Work-In-Progress window displays. After the account is unlocked, this window closes. You can now use
this security manager account again to log into the Epicor ERP application.

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Automatic Sign On

As part of the password policy functionality, you can give users the ability to set up their Epicor user accounts to
automatically sign into the application. When users launch the Epicor ERP application, they then bypass the logon
window to directly access the menu.
When you activate this functionality, you create an encrypted login account that only works on the user's client
installation.

This automated login option only work within environments


where you control access through the User Name
authentication protocols (Epicor user accounts). You cannot
use automated login within environments that use token
authentication, Windows Channel authentication, or Secure
Sockets Layer (SSL) Channel authentication protocols. Because
of this, Automatic Sign-On is not available in SaaS
environments.

Allow Automatic Sign On

You activate this functionality through a check box on Password Policy Maintenance.
To allow automated logins for Epicor user accounts:

1. Return to Password Policy Maintenance.

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2. Select the Allow save password check box.

3. Click Save.

4. Now when each user logs into the Epicor ERP application, they can decide whether they want to set up their
client installation to automatically launch. For example, to do this for your account, launch the Epicor ERP
application. The Home page displays.

5. Click the Settings tile.

6. Verify the General Operations setting group is selected.

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7. Click the Preferences... option.

8. The Preferences window displays.

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9. Select the Automatically sign on check box.

If you do not activate the Allow save password check box


on Password Policy Maintenance, the Automatically sign
on check box is not available to select.

10. Click OK.


This causes the client installation to save your user name and generate an encrypted password.

11. The next time you launch this client installation, you automatically log into the application.

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Windows Account Authentication

This section describes what you need to set up and configure when you authenticate user identity through
Windows accounts.

Password Policy (Windows)

You define password complexity for Windows accounts through the Local Group Policy Editor program. The
complexity requirements you define here are also similar to the options for Epicor user accounts.
In contrast to Epicor accounts, the password policy you define on this program affects all Windows accounts.
Any user who attempts to log into your system (instead of just the Epicor ERP application) will need to create
passwords that follow these complexity requirements.

1. Access your server and use the Search field to find and select Local Group Policy Editor.

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You can also click the Start button and select the Run
option. In the Open field, enter gpedit.msc and click OK.
the Local Group Policy Editor displays.

2. From the tree view, expand the Windows Settings > Security Settings > Account Policies node.

3. Select the Password Policy node.

4. The available password complexity options display in the Policy pane.

5. Right-click one of the policy options; from the context menu, select Properties.

6. The <PolicyOption> Properties window displays.

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7. Enter the password the value you need. In this example, you are modifying the minimum length of the
Windows account password.

8. Click OK.

The next time users need to create a new password, it must follow these complexity requirements.

Account Lockout Policy (Windows)

You also define the account lockout policy for Windows accounts through the Local Group Policy Editor program.
The lockout policy options you define here are similar to the options for Epicor user accounts.
As described previously, the account lockout policy you define on this program affects all Windows accounts.
Any user who fails to log into their client machines will be locked out of the entire system (instead of just the
Epicor ERP application).

1. Click your Start button; use the Search field to find and select Local Group Policy Editor.

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2. From the tree view, expand the Windows Settings > Security Settings >Account Policies node.

3. Select the Account Lockout Policy node.

4. The available lockout policy options display in the Policy pane.

5. Right-click one of the policy options; from the context menu, select Properties.

6. The <LockoutPolicyOption> Properties window displays.

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7. Enter the lockout policy value you need. In this example, you are modifying the lockout threshold for all
Windows accounts.

8. Click OK.

Now the next time users repeatedly fail to log into the Windows system, they will be locked out when they pass
this threshold limit.

For more information on both the password policy and the


account lockout
®
policy
®
for Windows accounts, review your
Microsoft Windows documentation.

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Single Sign On

Similar to using Epicor user accounts, you can set up the application so users can automatically log in through
the same account they use to log into the Windows operating system.
To set up these accounts for Single Sign On, you must use Windows authentication. You configure the client,
the server, and the application server to authenticate logons through Windows. Through this method, you can
also set up other applications to automatically login. Users can then access their complete environment.

This automated login feature only work within environments


where you control access through the User Name
authentication protocols (Windows TCP binding). You cannot
use this feature within environments that use token
authentication, Windows Channel authentication, or Secure
Sockets Layer (SSL) Channel authentication protocols. Because
of this, Single Sign-On is not available in SaaS environments.

Set Up User Account

You first set up a user account to use the Windows domain account. You do this in User Account Security
Maintenance.
Menu Path: System Setup > Security Maintenance > User Account Security Maintenance

1. Find and select the user record for which you will activate automated login feature.

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2. Enter the Domain the user accesses to log into the computer.

3. Now enter this user’s Domain User ID.


When users logs in automatically, the Epicor ERP application only uses this Domain User ID for the log in
value. The account password is ignored. Because Windows validates the password when the user first
logs into the client machine, the application only needs the Windows identity (Domain) User ID to determine
whether the account can access the system.

4. When you select the Require Single Sign-On check box, you indicate this user account is restricted to only
use Single Sign On for logging into the Epicor ERP application.
Select this check box when:
• The user will only access the server through Windows Authentication.
• The server only runs Windows Authentication for all application servers.
DO NOT select this check box when:
• The server is configured for multiple application servers that use different authentication methods. For
example, if one application server uses Windows authentication while another application server uses
UsernameToken via SSL authentication, do not select this check box.
• The user logs in through different authentication methods in different environments. For example, if the
user logs in through Windows authentication at the office but logs in through UsernameToken via SSL
authentication while working remotely without a VPN connection, do not select this check box.

5. Click Save.

Repeat these steps for each user account that will use the automated login (Single Sign On) feature. If you use
one application server, all users must be set up for single sign on through their Windows user accounts.

Configure the Server

Verify the web configuration file for the application server uses the Windows TCP binding configuration.

1. Access the Epicor server and launch Windows Explorer.

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2. Navigate to the \inetpub\wwwroot\<name_of_Epicor_appserver>\ directory.

3. Using a text editor like Notepad, open the web.config file.

4. Locate the line that begins with <add scheme=”. Either remove the comments around this setting or
modify it to display <add scheme="net.tcp" binding="customBinding" bindingConfigur
ation="TcpCompressedWindows" /> .

Be sure that you only remove the comments from one


<add scheme> setting. If another <add scheme> setting
is active, comment out this additional setting. Also be

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aware that all client installations that connect to the


system through this application server will need to use
this same Windows authorization setting.

5. Save your changes.


The server is now configured to use Windows authentication.

6. Close the text editor.

Configure the Application Server

The application server must be configured to use the Windows account. You update these properties in the
Epicor Administration Console.
When an application server uses the Windows account, its task agent also uses this account to process the tasks
users activate on client workstations.

1. On your server, launch the Epicor Administration Console.

2. Use the tree view to navigate to the application server. Expand the Server Management node, and then
the <ServerName> node.
The application server(s) display.

3. Select the application server you need to change.


Information about the selected application server displays in the middle pane.

4. From the Actions pane, click Properties.

5. The <ApplicationServerName> Properties window displays.

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6. Click the Binding drop-down list and select the Windows option.

7. Now enter the Epicor User Name and Password for the Windows account. Be sure to enter this value
using the <Domain>/User Name format.

In some versions of Epicor ERP, you do not need to enter


the Epicor User Name and Password. The Windows
account you set up on the server is automatically used,
so these fields are inactive.

8. Click Apply.

9. Click OK.

The application server now uses the same Windows account as the server.
The next time you display the <ApplicationServerName> Properties window, the Epicor User Name and Password
will be blank, as the application server incorporates this account as a default property.

Configure the Client

To complete the setup, you now update the configuration settings (.sysconfig) file on each client installation.
Access the Epicor client workstation.

1. Launch Windows Explorer.

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2. Navigate to the Epicor ERP client folder; open the Config folder.

3. Using Notepad or a similar text editor, open the [AppServerName].sysconfig file. This configuration file
defines the settings that activate when the user launches the Epicor ERP client application.

4. Locate the setting that begins with <EndpointBinding value=". Modify this setting to display <End
pointBinding value="Windows" options="UsernameSslChannel|Windows|UsernameWi
ndowsChannel" />.

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Remember that all client installations connected to this


application server will need to use this Windows
configuration setting. Be sure you update all client
.sysconfig files with this Windows endpoint value.

The Epicor ERP client is now configured to use Windows authentication.

5. If you are making the Single Sign On feature mandatory for all users, locate the setting that begins with <
SingleSignOn value=". Change this line to display:<SingleSignOn value="true" bool=""
/> instead.

6. Save your changes.

7. Close the text editor.

8. Test the setup by double-clicking the Epicor ERP client icon. The logon window no longer displays; the
application launches directly to the Menu screen.

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Authorization (Interface) Security

You control access to the Epicor ERP user interface through security groups, user accounts, and security programs.
By leveraging this set of features, you define the levels of access for users based on their role within the
organization. You first create the security groups you need and then assign users to each security group. You
then use these security groups to allow or prevent access to specific programs, processes, and fields on the user
interface.

Security Groups and Users

You control which areas of the interface users can access through security groups and user accounts. By assigning
user accounts to security groups, you set up a regular system for controlling access to all areas of the Epicor ERP
application.

Security Group Maintenance

Use Security Group Maintenance to define the various function areas, or security groups, that best reflect the
employee structure for your organization. After creating these security groups, you can then assign specific users
to these groups.
Before you create security groups, you should design an overall security plan. Determine what levels of security
access you need and which users will belong in each access level. You can then launch this program to create
the security groups that match your security plan.
Menu Path: System Setup > Security Maintenance > Security Group Maintenance

This program is not available in Epicor Web Access.

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Create a Security Group


To create a new security group:

1. Click New on the Standard toolbar.

2. Enter the Group Code for your new group. This defines the identifier used for the security group. In this
example, you enter PROD.

3. Now enter a Description for this security code. This text displays within the security programs, so enter a
brief, concise explanation for the group in this field. In this example, you enter _Production Staff.

If you place an underscore (_) or a period (.) in front of


the Description, the security group sorts to the top of the
list in the security programs. This makes the new security
group much easier to find.

4. The Owning Company field displays the company in which the current security group was created. You
cannot change this value. Only users within the Owning Company can change the current security group.

5. Click Save.

You have now created the Production Staff security group. Repeat these steps to create all the security groups
you need.

User Account Maintenance

Launch User Account Maintenance to assign users to both security privileges and security groups. Epicor
recommends you assign all users to security groups. This simplifies your security setup, as you do not need to
assign security to individual users. This approach also ensures you implement security through an organized and
clearly defined method.
The security functionality is flexible, as you can assign a single user to multiple security groups. The application
handles any conflicts between user accounts and security groups through an access hierarchy. User account rights
override security group rights. If a user has access to a program but is assigned to a security group which does
not have access, the user is still able to launch the program.

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Any user account or security group that denies access to an item overrides a user account or security group that
allows access. If a user is assigned to security group Engineering which allows access to the Engineering Workbench,
and security group Purchasing which does not, this user cannot launch the Engineering Workbench. For more
details about this access hierarchy, review the Security Logic Hierarchy topic in this chapter.
Menu Path: System Setup > Security Maintenance > User Account Security Maintenance

Assign User Rights


To assign user privileges on the Group sheet:

1. Click the User ID button to find and select a specific user. In this example, Fred Grandy is selected.

The User Account Search window contains several options


to help you locate the specific user account you need to
update. Enter values in the Starts With fields to limit the
results to display user identifiers and names that begin
with specific characters. You can also search for user
accounts within a selected company, disabled user
accounts, and security manager accounts.

2. Optionally, you can limit what this user sees on the Main Menu by entering a value in the Client Start
Menu ID field. Enter a menu identifier for either a sub-menu or a program. When this user launches the
Epicor application, only the contents under the specific sub-menu identifier or the specific program display
on the Main Menu. This feature is similar to the run-time arguments described later in this chapter. However

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this feature limits a user account to a specific menu. Whenever this user logs into the application, regardless
of the workstation, this person can only access the menu you define in this field.

You use Menu Maintenance to find menu identifiers. This


program is described later in this chapter.

3. Click the Options sheet.

4. If this user manages security, select the Security Manager check box. Users with this security access can
define and change the profiles of themselves and other users. They can also access all security programs.

As a good business practice, you should not give yourself Security Manager access on your normal user
account. This ensures the menu choices you make on your normal login are appropriate for your typical
daily routine. It also ensures that other employees do not grant security access to themselves when you are
away from your computer. Instead, create a separate Security Manager account you use for security tasks.

Some users may also have Global Security Manager rights.


Global Security Managers also have Security Manager
rights. These rights are used to address security needs in
multi-tenant environments such as Epicor Express and
SaaS Standard. For most installations, you will not be able
to grant global security manager rights. Administrators

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assign this status to a group of users within the Epicor


Administration Console, or individually through User
Account Security Maintenance. If you are in an
environment where you cannot launch the Epicor
Administration Console, this security level is not available
for your use.
However if you are in a hosted environment and have
access to these rights, you can individually add or remove
Global Security Manager rights within User Account
Security Maintenance. Click the List sheet and select/clear
the Global Company Security Manager check box. You
cannot clear this check box if the user has access to
multiple tenants; you must first remove this user from the
other tenants before de-activating Global Security
Manager rights.

5. If this user account can be selected on system agent and task agent services, select the Allow Session
Impersonation check box. This user can then run all report and process tasks assigned to schedules, as this
user can impersonate all users who assign tasks to the system agent.

6. Use the Tools Options section to assign or prevent this user from accessing various tools and functions
throughout the application. A number of check box options are here; select the options you want available
to this user. For example, if you select the Allow Personalization check box, Fred Grandy is able to personalize
all programs he uses.

7. You activate the permissions in the UI Options section so the current user can create new visual themes
for the user interface and/or design Home Page layouts for the Modern Shell interface. For example, when
you give the current user rights to publish layouts, this user can create default Home Pages for new users.
This Home Page layout then displays when the new user logs in.

8. Use the Access Options section to allow or prevent this user from viewing information within a web browser,
mobile device, and enterprise-wide searches.

9. Use the System Options section to allow or prevent this user from running system-wide capabilities such
as company annotations and adding favorites icons to the Favorites bar.

Specific options are discussed in other chapters


throughout the Epicor ICE Tools User Guide and the Epicor
ICE User Experience and Customization Guide. For a
complete list of these options, review the User Account
Maintenance > Options topic within the application help.

Assign User Groups


You assign user groups on the Group sheet:

1. Click the Group sheet.

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2. The Available list displays all security groups to which Fred Grandy can be assigned. He is an engineer, so
you want to add him to the Production Staff group. Highlight this group from the list.

3. Click the Right Arrow button.

4. The Production Staff security group now moves to the Authorized list. Fred is now an official member of
this group.

5. To assign Fred to all the security groups, click the Double Right Arrow button.

6. Notice you can also remove security groups from the Authorized list. You do this by highlighting the group
from this list and then clicking the Left Arrow button.

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7. To remove all the security groups from the Authorized list, click the Double Left Arrow button.

8. When you finish assigning this user to security groups, click Save.

This user is now a member of one or more security groups. When you use this security group on a menu item,
process, method, table, or field, this user (and other users in the group) either has or does not have access to
this item.

Assign User Companies and Sites

You also determine which companies and sites the current user can access. You assign company and site
permissions on the Company > Detail sheet.

1. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button and select New Company from the menu.

2. Select a Company option from the drop-down list.

3. Now from the Available Sites list, select a site to which the current user needs to access.

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4. Click the Single Right Arrow button.


The site moves to the Authorized Sites list.

5. Alternately if the user should have access to all sites in the current company, click the Double Right Arrow
button.

All sites move to the Authorized Sites list.

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6. To remove a site from the Authorized Sites list, highlight the site and click the Single Left Arrow button.

7. To remove all the sites, click the Double Left Arrow button.

8. A list of all companies authorized for this user displays on the Company List sheet.

9. To edit a company in this user's account, select it on the Authorized Companies grid and then return to
this Company Detail sheet to edit what sites are available for this user.

10. You can also remove a company record from the Company List sheet. To do this, highlight the company
click Delete on the Standard toolbar.

Security Logic Hierarchy

The Epicor ERP application contains a security logic hierarchy that determines access to each menu, program,
service, method, or field. Before you implement security on these items, be sure you understand this hierarchy
to prevent unexpected results.
The following list defines the security logic hierarchy in descending order. The security logic is based on user
account permissions. If a user account matches the security logic at one level in this hierarchy, the Epicor ERP
application applies that level of security to the user account, overriding the lower levels in this hierarchy.

1. If the user account has Global Security Manager rights, this user can access companies across tenants in
an Epicor hosted environment. They can be added to specific companies, regardless of the tenant, to
administrate them. This level of security is reserved for Epicor hosted environments such as Epicor Express
and Saas Standard, so typically you will not implement security through this access level. Global security
managers can prevent security managers from accessing sensitive programs and menus in hosted
environments.

2. If the user account has Security Manager rights, few (if any) security restrictions are applied against this
account. This user typically has full internal access to the entire Epicor ERP application. As described previously,
security managers may not have access to some programs and menus in Epicor hosted environments.
However you typically implement security through a user account with Security Manager rights.

3. When a specific user account is denied access to a menu, program, service, method, or field, this user
account cannot use this item.

4. When a specific user account is granted access to a menu, program, service, method, or field, this user
account is able to use this item.

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5. If a user is assigned to any security group that denies access to a menu, program, service, method, or field,
the user cannot use this item.

6. If a user is assigned to any security group that allows access to a menu, program, service, method, or field,
the user is able to use this item.

7. When no other security restrictions are in place, the default security permission on the column determines
whether access is granted or denied on this specific column.

Notice that user account permissions override security group


permissions. Through this feature you can assign unique
security access for specific users while still including them in
security groups.

Once you determine which users and security groups should and should not have access to specific areas of the
Epicor ERP application, you are ready to define access within Menu Maintenance, Service Security Maintenance,
and Field Security Maintenance.

Run Time Argument Menu Control

Each Epicor ERP desktop icon can be set up to launch the Epicor application in a specific mode. These modes, or
run time arguments, activate immediately when a user double-clicks the desktop icon.
If you use the classic style interface, you can use the “/menuid” run time argument to cause the Main Menu to
only display programs that appear below a specific menu node. When a user launches the Epicor application
through this icon, the tree view displays the selected menu node and the programs that exist beneath this
node.This feature is an effective way to quickly set up a level of security on workstations.

As of this writing, you cannot use run time arguments to


control menu security in the Modern Shell style interface.

You can also use the /TE and /CRM run time arguments to set up unique concurrent user licenses. The /TE
argument limits the Main Menu to display only the Time and Expense functionality, while the /CRM argument
limits the Main Menu to display the Customer Relationship Management functionality. These unique licenses
consume a different concurrent user pool. Activate these licenses either when you want to limit a workstation
to display only these specific functions or when you want to set up additional licenses separate from the general
user pool.
To leverage this feature, you display the Properties window for the Epicor ERP icon and then modify the Target
field to include a menu ID run time argument. You can find the specific menu identifier you need within Menu
Maintenance. This program is described later within this chapter.
For this example, to limit a workstation to only display programs in the Accounts Receivable module:

1. On the desktop for the workstation, right-click the Epicor ERP icon.

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2. A context menu displays. Select the Properties option.

3. The application’s Properties window appears, displaying the Shortcut tab.

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4. In the Target field, enter a [Space] after the target directory path. If you need, enter the “/config“ run time
argument to indicate which configuration settings file the icon will use.

5. Next add a right slash (“/”) and enter the "/classic" run time argument. This causes the application to launch
using the Classic style interface.

6. Lastly add the specific Menu ID you want the interface to display. In this example, you only want the
Accounts Receivable programs to display, so you enter a "/menuid=ARMN0000" value.
Your Target field will resemble something like the following path: C:\EUQA\Epicor\ERP10\ERP10.0
.100\Client\Epicor.exe /config=EUQA.sysconfig /classic /menuid=ARMN0000

7. Click Apply.

8. Click OK.

9. Now when users launch the Epicor ERP application on this workstation, they only see the Accounts Receivable
module on their Main Menu tree view.

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This method may not limit access to all the programs you intend. Several programs can still be launched by
right-clicking various fields. For example, users in AR Invoice Entry could still launch Part Maintenance from the
Part/Rev field’s context menu. You will need to use other security methods described later in this chapter to
restrict access to the programs available on context menus.

Menu Maintenance

You use Menu Maintenance for two security functions. First you use this program to create Security Identifier
(ID) records; you then assign users and security groups to each Security ID record. Now when you select a Security
ID record on a menu node or program, only users/security groups assigned to this Security ID record can access
the menu item/program.
Menu Path: System Setup > Security Maintenance > Menu Maintenance

This program is not available in Epicor Web Access.

Create a Security ID

You create security IDs on the Security sheet.

The application also installs with a series of system menu


security codes. You cannot delete these codes, but you can
modify them to match your security needs as well.

To create a new security ID:

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1. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New Security.

2. Enter the Security ID you want for this security level. In this example, you enter UD78. The UD prefix stands
for user-defined. This prefix value indicates this record is a Security ID you have created.

3. Enter a Description that includes the purpose for this security level. In this example, you enter Production
Staff.

4. The Owning Company value displays the company in which the current security ID was created. You cannot
change this value. Only users within the Owning Company can make changes to this security ID.

5. Select the All Companies check box to share the current security ID with users in companies that reside in
the same organization as the Owning Company. Users within these companies can than view and use this
security ID. If this check box is clear (not selected), the security ID is only available to users in the Owning
Company.

6. The System check box indicates whether the current security ID was installed with the Epicor ERP application.
If this check box is selected, you cannot delete this item; certain fields on this security ID are also not available
to update.

7. Select the Global Security Manager Only check box to only allow the Global Security Manager access to
the current menu item. This check box prevents all other users, including users with Security Manager rights,
from accessing the selected menu or program. This option is the highest level security available in the Epicor
application, and is used to address security needs in multi-tenant environments such as Epicor Express and
Saas Standard.

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You can select this check box if you are logged into the Epicor application using a Global Security Manager
account. You indicate which user accounts have global security manager rights through the Epicor
Administration Console.

The options/values for tenant and multi-tenant features


are only for Epicor hosted environments. Typically you can
ignore these options. Internal Epicor administrators who
need more information should refer to the Epicor SaaS
Installation Guide.

8. Select the Security Manager Only check box to indicate that only security managers can access programs
assigned to this security level. No other users are able to see these programs.
You should select this option only when you want this ID to override all other security settings. This option
is useful when you are first setting up security, as it blocks all access until you create a security plan. You
indicate which users have security manager rights within User Account Maintenance. Review the previous
User Account Maintenance section for more information.

If the Global Security Manager Only check box is selected,


the Security Manager Only check box is not available.
Global Security Manager rights prevent all other users,
including users with Security Manager rights, from
accessing the selected menu or program.

9. Select the Exclude Epicor Web Access check box to indicate modules and programs assigned to this security
ID will not display as a web form in an Epicor Web Access (EWA) environment.
When you select this check box, EWA users cannot access any menu items assigned to this security ID. These
programs will also not display for both Global Security Managers and Security Managers; these users will
need to launch these programs through their smart client interface.

10. The Menu Options field displays all the programs that currently use this security level. Because this record
is a new security ID, this field is blank. As you select this security ID for specific programs, this field displays
the selected programs that use this identifier.

Select Groups and Users

You now define the users and the security groups who have and do not have access through this menu security
ID.

1. If you select the Allow Access to All Groups/Users check box to give everyone in the company access to
programs that use this security level. To limit this security level to specific users and/or groups, you first must
clear this check box.

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2. When you clear the Allow Access to All Groups/Users check box, the Groups/Users and Selected
Groups/Users lists become active. However until you add users and/or groups to the Selected Groups/Users
list, nobody has access through this security level. Be sure you are ready to assign security before you clear
this check box.

3. Highlight the specific group or user for which you want to give security access. In this example, you select
the Production Staff security group.

4. Click the Right Arrow button.

5. The user or group displays on the Selected Groups/Users list.

Any groups or users that remain in the Groups/Users list


do not have access to the programs assigned to this
security level.

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6. Continue to use the Arrow Buttons to add and remove users/groups from this security level.

7. To prevent specific users/groups from accessing this security level, click the Disallow Access tab.

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8. Select the Disallow Access to All Groups/Users check box to prevent everyone in the company from
accessing programs assigned to this security level. To disallow security access to specific users and/or groups,
you first must clear this check box.
The Groups/Users and Selected Groups/Users lists become active. However until you add users and/or
groups to the Selected Groups/Users list, everyone has access through this security level. Be sure you are
ready to assign security before you clear the Disallow Access to All Groups/Users check box.

Any groups or users that remain in the Groups/Users list


have access to programs assigned to this security level.

9. Use the Arrow Buttons to add and remove users/groups from this security level.

10. When you finish, click Save.

You can now select this Security ID on any program you need. You do this on the Menu Maintenance > Detail
sheet.

Assign Menu Security


When you assign a Security ID to a selected program, only those users given access through this security level
can launch the program. If a security group (or user) is not included in the security ID, individuals in this group
(or user) cannot launch this program from their Menu.
To assign a Security ID to a specific program:

1. Click the Detail sheet.

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2. In the Tree View, select the program you want to secure. In this example, you select the Engineering
Workbench.

3. Click the Security ID button to find and select the Security ID you need.

4. For this example, you select the UD78 Security ID you just created.

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5. Notice the Web Access value indicates this program is available to display within a web browser. Users will
be able to see this node within the Epicor Web Access version of the application. You indicated this option
on the security group by clicking the Exclude Epicor Web Access check box.

6. Click Save.

This program is assigned to this security level. Continue to assign security levels to the programs you need on
the Menu.

You can also use Menu Maintenance to add customizations


and localizations to the Menu. These instructions are available
in the Customization User Guide; review the Customization
Utilities and the Localization chapters.

Handheld / MES Menu Security Maintenance

Use Handheld / MES Menu Security Maintenance to customize the Menu interface for MES and Handheld
Menus within your Epicor application. You can select programs and make them available to employee roles within
your company. You can also select to hide handheld menus and menu items for all employees in your company.
You can select employee roles and package control permissions for employees in Employee Maintenance. In
Handheld / MES Menu Security Maintenance, you can define which employee roles have access to menu
items and which employee roles and package control permission have access to handheld package control menu
items. If a menu item has an employee role and/or package control check box selected, all employees that have

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the employee role and / or package control check box selected in Employee Maintenance have access to the
menu item. All employees that do not have the checkbox selected in Employee Maintenance do not have
access to the menu item.

The check boxes in the Advanced Package Control pane are


only available for handheld Package Control programs. They
are not available for MES package control programs or non
package control Handheld programs.
The fields in this pane are only enabled if you have a Package
Control license. You do not have access to these fields if you
only have the AMM license.

To determine which employees have access to an MES package control menu item or a non package control
Handheld menu item, the following rules apply:
• If there are employee roles selected for a menu item, employees must have at least one of the selected
employee roles have access to the menu item.
• If there are no employee roles selected for a program, no employees have access to the menu item.
To determine which employees have access to a handheld package control menu item, the following rules apply:
• If there are both employee roles AND package control roles selected for a menu item, employees must have
at least one of the selected employee roles AND at least one of the selected package control roles to access
the menu item.
• If there are no employee roles selected for a menu item, employee roles are ignored when determining access
to that menu item. Employees that have at least one of the selected package control roles have access to the
menu item.
• If there are no package control roles selected for a menu item, package control roles are ignored when
determining access to that menu item. Employees that have at least one of the selected employee roles have
access to the menu item.
• If there are no employee roles AND no package control roles selected for a menu item, no employees have
access to the menu item.
You define MES employee roles and package control access for an employee in Employee Maintenance:
• Define MES employee roles in the Status pane of the Detail sheet.
• Define package control permission in the Package Control sheet.
You can also select to hide menus and menu items on the handheld menus for all employees or reset all Handheld
/ MES Menu security settings to the default values.

To access this program, an employee must have Security


Manager rights.

Menu Path
Navigate to this program from the Main Menu:
• System Setup > Security Maintenance > Handheld / MES Menu Security Maintenance

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Assign Handheld / MES Menu Security Privileges

1. In the Menu Tree, expand the Handheld menu to set security options for the Handheld Menu or expand
the MES menu to set security options for the MES menu. Select the menu item for which you want to set
the security access options.

You cannot set security access for a menu. You can only
select to hide the menu.

2. For a menu or menu item, select the Hidden check box if you want to hide the menu or menu item from
users accessing the menu.

3. In the Employee Roles pane, select the employee roles that have access to the selected menu item.

4. In the Advanced Package Control pane, select the package control security roles that have access to the
selected menu item.

The check boxes in the Advanced Package Control pane


are only enabled if a handheld package control program
is selected in the menu. They are not available for menus,
MES package control menu items or handheld non
package control menu items.
The fields in this pane are only enabled if you have a
Package Control license. You do not have access to these
fields if you only have the AMM license.

5. Click Save.

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Reset Handheld / MES Menu Security Access Privileges

Use the Reset MES Menu Security Action Menu option to reset access privileges for the handheld and MES
menus to their default values.

1. From the Actions menu, select the Reset MES Menu Security option.

2. A verification window displays. Click Yes to confirm the Handheld / MES Menu security reset.

Service Security Maintenance

Use Service Security Maintenance to define user access to both services (business objects) and the methods within
these services. You can then block selected security groups and users from accessing specific functionality within
the application.
For example, the Terms service is located on the Menu in several locations; it can also be called from context
menus within various programs. If you want to completely prevent the Production Staff security group from
launching this service, you can indicate this security group cannot access this program. Likewise, you may only
want to prevent this security group from updating Terms codes. In this situation, you would limit the access this
security group has to the update method (BO.Terms.Update). You define service (business object) security on the
Service sheet; you define method security on the Method sheet.
When a service is secure, all methods within this service are also secure. This can lead to unexpected results, as
the methods will not run through Service Connect, embedded services, and from other menu options. You should
assign security in a test environment first before you deploy security within your live environment.
Menu Path: System Setup > Security Maintenance > Service Security Maintenance

This program is not available in Epicor Web Access.

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Service (Business Object) Security

You define security for a service (business object) by first selecting it and then indicating which groups/users can
and cannot access it.
To define service security:

1. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New Object.

2. Now click the Service ID button or the Search button (Binoculars) on the Standard toolbar to find and
select the service you need. In this example, the bo.ARInvoice service is selected.

3. The System Code field indicates which part of the system the selected service belongs. Application items
(jobs, AR invoices, quotes, and so on) are ERP services; framework items (companies, user accounts,
dashboards, and so on) are ICE services.

4. To restrict this service to security managers, select the Security Manager Access Only check box. This
indicates that only users defined as Security Managers within User Account Security Maintenance are
able to access this service. To learn how to do this, review the previous User Account Security Maintenance
section.

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5. The Owning Company value displays the company in which the current service security setting was created.
You cannot change this value. Only users within the Owning Company can make changes to this service
security setting.

If the System check box is selected, the Owning Company


field is blank. This indicates the current security setting is
available to all companies within the current organization.

6. Select the All Companies check box to share the current service security setting with users in companies
that reside in the same organization as the Owning Company. Users within these companies can than view
and use this service security setting. If this check box is clear (not selected), the service security setting is
only available to users in the Owning Company.

7. The System check box indicates whether the current service security setting was installed with the Epicor
ERP application. If this check box is selected, you cannot delete this item; certain fields on this service security
setting are also not available to update.

Select Groups and Users

You now define the users and the security groups who have and do not have access to this service (business
object).

1. By default, the Allow Access to All Groups/Users check box is selected. To only permit access to specific
groups and users, clear this check box.

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Now that this check box is not active, nobody has access to this service until you add users and/or groups
to the Selected Groups/Users list. Be sure you are ready to assign security before you clear this check box.

2. From the Groups/Users list, select a security group or user.

3. Click the Right Arrow button.

4. The security group or user now displays within the Selected Groups/Users list. Continue to add the groups
and users you need.

Any groups or users that remain in the Groups/Users list


do not have access to this service.

5. To remove access for a group or user from the Selected Groups/Users list, highlight the group or user and
click the Left Arrow button.

6. To remove access for all groups and users, click the Double Left Arrow button.

7. You can also prevent specific users and groups from accessing this service. To do this, click the Disallow
Access tab.

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8. By default, the Disallow Access to All Groups/Users check box is selected. To prevent access to specific
groups and users, clear this check box.
Notice that until you add users and/or groups to the Selected Groups/Users list, everyone has access to
this service. Be sure you are ready to assign security before you clear this check box.

9. You can now define the specific groups and users that cannot use this service. From the Groups/Users list,
select a security group or user. Click the Right Arrow button.

10. The security group or user now displays within the Selected Groups/Users list. Continue to add the groups
and users you need.

Any groups or users that remain in the Groups/ Users list


have access to this service.

11. To give a group or user security access from the Selected Groups/Users list, highlight the group or user and
click the Left Arrow button. In this example, the _Production Staff security group displays in the Groups/Users
list, so only this group has access to the AR Invoice service. Notice you can achieve the same result on the
Allow Access and Disallow Access tabs; you just use a different access condition.
Now any users who are not in the _Production Staff security group cannot use the methods contained in
the bo.ARInvoice service. However they can still use methods available through other services contained in
AR Invoice Entry. In this example, these users cannot create new invoices, but they still can create new
invoice groups.

12. To restore access for all groups and users, click the Double Left Arrow button.

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13. When you finish, click Save.

Method Security

You can also use Service Security Maintenance to define security for methods within a selected service. A method
is an action run within a service like Update, Get New, Approve, and so on. For example, you can use this
functionality to permit a user to add a release to an existing purchase order but prevent this same user from
creating a new purchase order.

Not all services have multiple methods. This sheet is only for
more complex services that perform a variety of actions. You
can see all the methods contained in a service by using the
Adapter tab found within the Custom Object Explorer. For
information on this program, use the Customization User
Guide; review the Custom Object Explorer section within the
Advanced Customization chapter. For a complete list of services
(business objects) and their methods, use the Business Object
Reference Guide. This .pdf guide is available for download on
EPICWeb.

To define security for a selected method:

1. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New Method.

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2. Select the Method Name from the drop-down list. In this example, the GetRows in bo.ARInvoice method
is selected.

3. To restrict this method to security managers, select the Security Manager Access Only check box. This
indicates that only users defined as Security Managers within User Account Maintenance are able to
access this method. To learn how to do this, review the previous User Account Security Maintenance section.

4. The Owning Company value displays the company in which the current method security setting was
created. You cannot change this value. Only users within the Owning Company can make changes to this
method security setting.

5. Select the All Companies check box to share the current method security setting with users in companies
that reside in the same organization as the Owning Company. Users within these companies can than view
and use this method security setting. If this check box is clear (not selected), the method security setting is
only available to users in the Owning Company.

6. The System check box indicates whether the current method security setting was installed with the Epicor
ERP application. If this check box is selected, you cannot delete this item; certain fields on this method
security setting are also not available to update.

Select Groups and Users

You now define the users and the security groups who have and do not have access to this method.

1. By default, the Allow Access to All Groups/Users check box is selected. To only permit access to specific
groups and users, clear this check box.

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Now that this check box is not active, nobody has access to this method until you add users and/or groups
to the Selected Groups/Users list. Be sure you are ready to assign security before you clear this check box.

2. You can now define the specific groups and users who can use this method. From the Groups/Users list,
select a security group or user.

3. Click the Right Arrow button.

4. The security group or user displays within the Selected Groups/Users list. Continue to add the groups and
users you need.

Any groups or users that remain in the Groups/Users list


do not have access to this method.

5. To remove access for a group or user from the Selected Groups/Users list, highlight the group or user and
click the Left Arrow button.

6. To remove access for all groups and users, click the Double Left Arrow button.

7. You can also prevent specific users and groups from accessing this method. To do this, click the Disallow
Access tab.

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8. To prevent all groups and users from accessing this method, click the Disallow Access to All Groups/Users
check box.
Now until you add users and/or groups to the Selected Groups/Users list, everyone has access to this
method. Be sure you are ready to assign security before you clear this check box.

9. You can now define the specific groups and users that cannot use this method. From the Groups/Users
list, select a security group or user. Click the Right Arrow button.

10. The security group or user now displays within the Selected Groups/Users list. Continue to add the groups
and users you need.

Any groups or users that remain in the Groups/ Users list


have access to this method.

11. To give a group or user security access from the Selected Groups/Users list, highlight the group or user and
click the Left Arrow button. In this example, the _Production Staff security group displays in the Groups/Users
list, so only this group has access to the GetRows in bo.ARInvoice method. Notice you get the same result
on the Allow Access and Disallow Access tabs; you just use a different access condition.

12. To restore access for all groups and users, click the Double Left Arrow button.

13. When you finish, click Save.

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Field Security Maintenance

Use Field Security Maintenance to define security privileges at the field level.
You use this program to first select either a database table or an extended user defined table and then allow,
limit, or prevent access to specific fields within the selected table. Each field can have a unique security level
assigned to it; this level can be globally defined for the whole organization, specifically defined for the current
company, or specifically defined for a selected user or group.
Menu Path: System Setup > Security Maintenance > Field Security Maintenance

This program is not available in Epicor Web Access.

Assign Global Field Security


You can assign security to a specific field that then applies to the entire organization or a specific company.
To assign field level security:

1. The database in the Epicor ERP application is organized into different families of tables, or schemas. Click
the Schema drop-down list to select the schema that contains the table you need to secure. Typically you
select the Erp option, as this schema contains the tables for application processes that record manufacturing,
distribution, and financial activity.

2. Click the Table button to find and select the database table which contains the fields you need to secure.
For this example, you select the APInvHed table.

3. The Description field displays the purpose of the selected table.

4. In the Tree View, highlight the specific field for which you want to define security. For this example, you
select the TaxAmt field. This field is the Tax Amount field in AP Invoice Entry.

5. The Field Name displays the name of the selected field.

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6. If the Primary Key check box is active, it indicates the current field is required by the database. You cannot
change the security option for a Primary Key field; usually these fields are for identifiers like the Customer
ID, Part ID, and so on. The TaxAmt field is not a primary key, so for this example, the check box is clear.

7. The Description field displays the purpose of the field.

8. Click the Default Access drop-down list to define the security option for the current field. Available options:
• Full – Users can both view and enter data within this field. This security option is the default.
• Read – This option assigns display-only (read-only) rights to the current field. Users can only view data
within this field; users cannot enter any data within it.
• None – This security option causes the field to be blank. No data displays in this field, and users cannot
enter any data in it. Be aware that the None setting also causes the field’s data to not be included when
the dataset is sent to and from its program. This can have unintended consequences for processes, like
BPM directives, which may require this data.

9. The Owning Company value displays the company in which the current field security setting was created.
You cannot change this value. Only users within the Owning Company can make changes to this field
security setting.

10. Select the All Companies check box to share the current field security setting with users in companies that
reside in the same organization as the Owning Company. Users within these companies can than view and
use this field security setting. If this check box is clear (not selected), the field security setting is only available
to users in the Owning Company.

11. When you finish, click Save.

Group and User Field Security


You can also assign security to a field that only applies to a specific user or security group. To assign field security
for a user/group:

1. Click the Table button to find and select the database table which contains the fields you need to secure.

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2. In the Tree View,select the specific field for which you want to define security. For this example, you select
the CurrencyCode field.

3. Click the Users/Groups tab.

4. Select the user or security group for which you want to define security. In this example, you select the user
Aaron Christiansen.

5. Click the Access column to display the drop-down list. Once again you have the Full, Read, and None security
options. You also have the Default option; select this option when you want the user or security group to
use the global security level assigned for this field on the Detail sheet. For this example, you select the Full
option.

6. The Security Manager column indicates whether the user account has security manager rights. If the user
is a security manager, you cannot modify field security for this user account.

7. Continue to define security for this user by selecting other fields from the tree view. In this example, you
select the RateGrpCode field.

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8. You want to give Aaron read-only rights to this field. Click the Access column and select the Read security
option.

9. Lastly, you want to prevent Aaron from seeing any data displayed in the ExchangeRate field. Select this
field on the tree view.

10. Click the Access column and select the None security option.

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11. When you finish, click Save.

Test Field Security


Now that you have defined field security for Aaron for the AP Invoice Header table, you can see the security
options in action. To do this, you log in using Aaron's user account. You then navigate to AP Invoice Entry.
Menu Path: Financial Management > Accounts Payable > General Operations > Invoice Entry

1. Find and select an invoice group on the Group sheet.

2. Click the Down Arrow next to the New button; select New Invoice.

3. On the Header > Detail sheet, review the fields in the Currency group box.

4. Aaron can click on the Currency drop-down list and select a different currency. He has Full access rights to
this field.

5. The Rate Type drop-down list displays in read only mode. Aaron cannot change the Rate Type on AP
invoices.

6. Notice the Exchange Rate field is completely blank. Aaron cannot see the exchange rate value used for
the selected currency.

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Review Field Security Settings


You can review the field security settings defined on the current table for a specific user through the User Effective
Rights window. This tool only displays the security rights for a selected user, so you can quickly verify the field
security rights assigned for a user on the current table are correct.
To review field security settings:

1. From the Actions menu, select User Effective Rights.

2. The User Effective Rights window displays.

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3. Click the User button to find and select a specific user. In this example, you select the Aaron Christiansen
user account.

4. The field security rights assigned to Aaron for the APInvHed table display. If you sort by FieldName, you
alphabetize the fields.

5. In this example, you see that Aaron has Read access rights for the RateGrpCode field.

6. You can also sort this grid by the Access column to place the Full, Read, and None access settings together.

If Data Masking settings are configured, the column


displays the Read Masked and Full Masked setting as well.

7. Repeat these steps to review field security for other users. When you finish reviewing the field security
options assigned on the current table, click Close.

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Reset a Field
If you want to restore the security rights assigned to a specific field, use the Reset Field feature. This feature
causes Field Security Maintenance to revert all the security options for the selected field back to the default value
for all users and groups.
To remove security changes for a specific field:

1. In the tree view, select the field for which you want to revert back. For this example, you select the
RateGrpCode field.

2. From the Actions menu, select Reset Field.

3. All the security options you changed are removed. Notice that on the Users/Groups sheet, the Access
column displays the Default value on all rows for the RateGrpCode field, including the Aaron Christiansen
row. Previously, you had assigned the Read Only security option to this field for Aaron.

Reset a Table
You can also restore an entire table back to its default field security options. This feature removes all changes
you made for all users on the selected table.
To reset a table:

1. From the Actions menu, select Reset Table.

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2. To verify the table is restored to its default value, you select the ExchangeRate field.

3. Notice that on the Users/Groups sheet, the Access column displays the Full value on all rows for the
ExchangeRate field, including the Aaron Christiansen row. Previously, you had assigned the None security
option to this field for Aaron.

Data Masking

Data Masking allows to limit access to sensitive data within particular fields. Only users with Security Manager
rights can define a security level for the whole organization, for the current company or for a selected user or
group of users.

1. The Default Access drop-down list provides additional options for fields that can be masked:
• Read Masked - This option assigns display-only (read-only) rights to the current field. Users can only
view data within this field; users cannot enter any data within it. Additionally, the sensitive data is masked.
• Full Masked – This option allows the user not only to view the data but also to update the masked data.
The data displayed as non-masked until it saved in the database. Additionally, the sensitive data is masked.

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2. The Display at Left Side field displays the number of non-masked characters from the left side of value in
the field. This editor accepts numbers from 0 to the number that depends on values from other editors.

3. Users can use any symbol as a Mask Character. Drop-down list displays default characters that can be used
for sensitive data masking. Whitespace character is not allowed to use as a mask character.

Data that supposed to be masked should not contain


selected mask character.

4. The Repeat By field displays the number of mask character repetitions in resulting masked string.

5. The Display at Right Side field displays number of non-masked characters from the right side of value in
the field. This editor accepts numbers from 0 to the number that depends on values from other editors.

6. The Field Width field and the Format field display reference information on the field size and the size of
resulting masked field.

7. The Source Text field displays the sample text. The user can enter any text that supposed to be masked.

8. The Preview field displays how the text from the Source Text field looks when masking settings are applied.
Data Masking settings are applied to the sensitive data in BAQ. If display fields or calc fields contain masked
fields, then the query returns masked value.

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Note that BPM uses non-masked data and users should take Data Masking into account when using Show
Message, Raise Exception, and Send E-mail actions.

Data Masking settings are applied only to the character


fields limited to 100 characters. The character field that
supposed to be masked should not be a primary key.

Users with Security Manager rights can view data in all


fields without limitations independently of Data Masking
and access security settings.

System Activity Log

Use the System Activity Log dashboard to review the system activities occurred within the application.

This topic or section describes functionality or uses a process


that is only available to on-premise ERP installations.

The System Activity Log tracks four activity types:


• Log on Failures - Users could review this activity type to check for hacking.
• User Log On - Which users logged into the application and when they logged in.
• User Log Out- Which users logged out of the application and when they logged out.
• Company Tracking Status - Any changes made to the Company record.
You can locate the activity you wish to review by filtering the data activity that displays through the available
search fields.
To use this log, you first need to activate it within Company Maintenance. As users perform system activities,
this log records these entries. You then launch the System Activity Log and review this activity by filtering on a
specific user, date range, both user and date range, or other options. Later you remove selected entries from this
dashboard by running the System Activity Log Purge program.

Activate the Log

You activate system logging by selecting an option within Company Maintenance. You then stop and restart the
application pool.

1. Navigate to Company Maintenance.


Menu Path: System Setup > Company/Site Maintenance > Company Maintenance

This program is not available in Epicor Web Access.

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2. Select the System Activities check box.

3. Save the company record.

Repeat these steps for each company you want to track


system changes.

The System Activity Log now tracks database changes.

Run the System Activity Log


To filter and run this log:

1. Launch the System Activity Log.


Menu Path: System Setup > Security Maintenance > System Activity Log

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2. Use the Table Name field to filter the log to only display database activity that occurred for a specific table.

3. Use the ActivityType field to limit the log to only display a specific database action, like Created or Deleted,
in the results.

4. To filter the log to only display database changes made by a specific user, enter the user identifier you need
within the User ID field.

5. To limit the data activity to only display items that occurred within a date range, select a start date and an
end date in the Date fields.

6. You can use any combination of these Advanced Search fields to filter the results. When you are ready to
display the database activity, click the Refresh button.

7. The System Activity grid populates with the database activity.

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8. The ActivitySeq column contains the identifier assigned by the system to the database activity.

9. The Company column indicates the company for which the database change was made.

10. The Table Name column displays the table which was changed.

11. The ActivityType column defines what database action occurred.

12. The User ID column indicates who made the database change.

13. The Date column displays the date stamp on which the activity occurred.

14. The ActivityComment column contains any text users may have entered to describe additional information
about the activity entry.

15. The TimeChanged column displays the time stamp on which the activity occurred.

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Purge Selected Records

Since this log tracks database activity, the amount of information saved by this program can cause a database
to quickly grow in size.
When you no longer need to review some system activity logs, use the System Activity Log Purge program to
find, select, and remove specific log entries.

In Epicor Cloud ERP - Multi Tenant or Epicor Cloud ERP -


Dedicated Tenancy, this program or feature may not be
available or may operate under certain restrictions.

1. Launch System Activity Log Purge.


Menu Path: System Management > Purge/Cleanup Routines > System Activity Log Purge

This program may not be available, or operate under


certain restrictions in Epicor Cloud ERP.

2. Click Search to find and select the system activity records you want to review.

3. Click the List sheet.

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4. The selected system activity records display on the System Activity List grid.

5. To indicate you want to delete a specific record, click the Select check box next to it.

6. Now you can remove these selected records. Click the Actions menu and select the Purge Selected option.

7. You can remove all the records in the grid by selecting the Purge All option.

The system activity records are deleted from the log.

Security Reports

Run the security reports to manage user and security group activity within the Epicor application. Each report
displays a specific view of user activity. Use these reports to evaluate your security settings and practices.

Menu Security Report

Use the Menu Security report to review the current access users and security groups have to items on the Menu.
Generate this report to evaluate the security currently defined for your programs.
You can review the security for users, security groups, or both. You can also filter this report to only display access
for a specific program, user, or security group. This key report can give you a complete overview of the security
plan currently in place.
This report has a number of parameters you define. The more information you include, the longer it takes to
generate this report. You should heavily filter the results the first time you run this report. After you view this
sample report, you can then expand the filters until the report displays the results you want.
Menu Path: System Setup > Security Maintenance > Menu Security Report
To use the Menu Security report:

1. Select the New Page Per User/Group check box to cause this report start a new page each time it encounters
a new user or group.

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2. Select the Include Allow Information check box to display the reason why each user is granted access to
the listed programs. When this feature is active, the report displays one of the following Allow types:
• Security Manager – The user is a security manager.
• Group – This user can use the program because this person is a member of a security group with access
to it.
• Directly – This specific user account is granted access to the program.
• All – This user has access because all user accounts can launch this program.

3. If you want to display all the security managers who have complete access to the Menu, select the Include
Security Managers check box.

4. To display all the users currently assigned to security groups, select the Recap Users on Group check box.

5. Notice the three Filter options. You can limit this report to display only Users or Security Groups. The
default value is Both; this causes the report to display all users and security groups.

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6. To filter this report to only display security access for a specific program (Menu Item), click the Menu ID
button to find and select this specific program.

7. You can also limit this report to only display access for selected Users or Security groups. To do this, click
the Filter sheet.

8. The Filter Summary section indicates whether some or all Users and/or some or all Security Groups are
included in the report.

9. You can also indicate how you want to organize the report. You can Sort By User/Group or Group/User.

10. To print this report, click the Down Arrow next to the Print button. You can send this report to a client
printer linked directly to your computer or to a server printer available on the network.

11. To view this report, click the Print Preview button.

You can now use this report to evaluate how your security plan is currently implemented.

Change Log Report

The Change Log report displays activity that occurred in the database during a specific period of time. You can
limit this report to only display activity entered against a selected table. Leverage this report to see what changes
specific users are making to the database.
Menu Path: System Setup > Security Maintenance > Change Log Report

1. Select the Start Date for the report. All database activity that occurred on or after this date is included on
the report.

2. Select an End Date for the report. All database activity that occurred on or before this date is included on
the report.

3. Notice you can also select the Dynamic check box for each date field. This changes the date fields to display
a date parameter like Today, Next Monday, First of the Month, and so on. Use these options to run this

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report through a dynamic date value. If you select Today, the report generates using the current date; if you
select End of month - 1 month, the report generates using the last date from the previous month.

When you save these settings, the report uses the dynamic
parameters each time you launch the report, so you do
not need to manually select a specific date. Likewise if
you set up this report to print through a recurring
schedule, the report generates using these dynamic values.
To see a list of the available options, review the Dynamic
Date Options topic in the application help.

4. Click the Filter tab to find and select a specific database table. The report then only displays activity that
occurred in the selected table.

5. To print this report, click the Down Arrow next to the Print button. You can send this report to a client
printer linked directly to the computer or a server printer available on the network.

6. To view this report, click the Print Preview button.

Users/Groups Report

Run the Users/Groups report to review the current list of users assigned to a specific group or groups. Although
you can run this report to display all security groups and users, you can also limit this report to display a specific
group or user.
If you use this report in a SaaS (Software as a Service) environment, you can only review users and security groups
available in your tenancy. However if you are a Global Security Manager, you can run this report to display users
and security groups for all companies you manage, across all tenancies.

The options/values for tenant and multi-tenant features are


only for Epicor hosted environments. Typically you can ignore
these options. Internal Epicor administrators who need more
information should refer to the Epicor SaaS Installation Guide.

Menu Path: System Setup > Security Maintenance > Users / Groups Report

1. To review the users and security groups in the current company, verify all Groups and Users are selected.

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2. You can also click the Filter tab to find and select a specific user and/or group. Only information on the
selected users/groups display on the report.

3. Click the Sort drop-down list to define how you want to organize this report.

4. To print this report, click the Down Arrow next to the Print button. You can send this report to a client
printer linked directly to the computer or a server printer available on the network.

5. To view this report, click the Print Preview button.

User Session Log Report

Run the User Session Log report to review how often all users or a specific user accessed the Epicor ERP application.
You enter a date range and can optionally select either all users or a specific user. The report displays the Log on
and Log off date/time for each time the user accessed the Epicor ERP application.
Menu Path: System Setup > Security Maintenance > User Session Log Report

This program may not be available, or operate under certain


restrictions in Epicor Cloud ERP.

In Epicor Cloud ERP - Multi Tenant or Epicor Cloud ERP -


Dedicated Tenancy, this program or feature may not be
available or may operate under certain restrictions.

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1. Select the Start Date for the report. All user sessions that occurred on or after this date are included on
the report.

2. Enter an End Date for the report. All user sessions that occurred on or before this date are included on the
report.

3. Click the Filter tab to find and select a specific user. Only user sessions initiated by a specific user display
on the report results.

4. To print this report, click the Down Arrow next to the Print button. You can send this report to a client
printer linked directly to the computer or a server printer available on the network.

5. To view this report, click the Print Preview button.

Logon Failure Audit Report

Use the Failed Logon Audit Log Report to review invalid logon attempts during a date range you define.
This report audits failed user account logon activity. It displays the invalid user account, password, and the
date/time the attempt occurred. This audit report does not have additional filter options.
Menu Path: System Setup > Security Maintenance > Logon Failure Audit Report

1. Enter the Start Date from which this report will run. Any failed log on attempts that happened on or after
this date are tracked on this generated report.

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2. Enter the End Date from which this report will run. Any failed log on attempts that happened on or before
this date are tracked on this generated report.

3. To print this report, click the Down Arrow next to the Print button. You can send this report to a client
printer linked directly to the computer or a server printer available on the network.

4. To view this report, click the Print Preview button.

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Chapter 15: Startup Configurations

You can modify the startup routine, or configuration, for each Epicor client. When the Epicor client launches, it uses
the parameters you defined to activate local options and interact with the server. To do this, leverage Configuration
Settings Files and Run Time Arguments. By using different startup configurations and run time arguments, you can
specifically configure how the application runs on each workstation.
For example, if you want the application help hosted on a separate server from the deployment server, you would
modify the configuration settings file by entering the server’s URL in the helpServerURL attribute. You would then
update this parameter on all configuration settings files throughout the company. You can also modify a specific
workstation with these tools. You can set up the configuration settings file to have the application use custom images
or define a run time argument that launches the application using the MES interface.
By changing just a few parameters within the configuration settings files and setting up run time arguments, you define
how the application launches on each workstation and interacts with the server.
This chapter also covers the Server File Download utility, which you can use to download files from the server to your
client. This utility is ideal when you need review files and you don't have direct access to the server file system.

Configuration Settings File

For the application to launch, it must find a configuration settings file. This file defines the main settings for both
your server installation and each client installation. If the .exe file can see the default.sysconfig file (or a different
.sysconfig file specified through a run time argument), the application launches on the workstation. The
configuration settings file is an .xml formatted file that uses syntax understood by the application.
This section explains how you modify the configuration settings file. A complete list of all the settings and their
options is also found later in this chapter.

Configuration File Location

Your configuration files are all located in the Config folder within your client installation folder.

Locate the Files

You use Microsoft® Windows® Explorer to find and select these files.

1. Open your Epicor client installation folder, the client folder, and then the config folder.

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2. The configuration files available for your client installation display.

Notice multiple configuration files are available within this folder. You can create several configuration files in
order to launch the application using different settings.

Make a Copy of Default

Before you modify a configuration settings file, you must make a copy of the original default.sysconfig file. This
ensures you always have the original settings available for reference. This also creates a backup file that can
restore the original configuration settings, if needed.
You make a copy of this file by using the copy and paste functions within Windows Explorer.

Multiple Configuration Files

A key method for modifying the configuration settings file is to create alternate versions and then have a
workstation launch with a selected alternate file. You can then keep the original file while you experiment with
different configurations.
You do this by first creating the alternate configuration file and then defining the /CONFIG run time argument
on a workstation. To learn how to use this feature, read the Run Time Arguments section later in this chapter.

The Configuration Editor

When you finish making copies of the default.sysconfig file, you are ready to modify these files. You do this by
using the Configuration Editor. This tool is automatically installed with your client application.
To modify this file, you need to understand your computer network. If you are not sure about customizing this
file, work with your Epicor consultant before you enter any changes.

Launch the Configuration Editor

You use Windows Explorer to launch this program.

1. Navigate to your Epicor client folder on your C: drive.

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2. Open the Client folder.

3. Select the ConfigEditor icon.

Configuration Editor Interface

When the Configuration Editor launches, it prompts you to select a file you want to edit. After you select the
configuration file, you can then edit the various parameters as you need. Here is what you do:

1. When you launch the Configuration Editor, the Please select a configuration file window displays.

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2. Notice this window automatically displays all the files contained within your Config folder. Select the file
you want to edit. In this example, you select the .sysconfig file you use to launch the client installation.

3. Click Open.

4. The Configuration Editor displays.

5. The settings are divided into multiple sheets. The Application sheet displays all the settings that apply to
the overall application. You define settings like AppServerURL, ResourceFile, and Version here.

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6. The User sheet contains the settings you can adjust for the specific user on this client workstation.

7. The Deployment sheet contains the settings for moving, or deploying, files from your server to the client
installation.

8. The Help sheet contains the settings that define the directory paths for the application help, on-line support,
and the Feature Summary. Use these options to define where this configuration file looks for documentation
and support resources.

9. Use the Sort sheet to define the method used globally to sort strings within the application. Your options
are stringSort and wordSort. You can also create exceptions to the default sort method on this sheet.

10. To change a setting, enter an expected value in its field. An expected value is a parameter compatible with
the setting. For example, you can use the Culture Code to define the default language displayed on the
Login window for this client installation. You can enter any ISO language code in this field.

11. When you have modified all the settings you need, click Save.

12. To exit the Configuration Editor, click Close.

The selected configuration file now has your revised settings. The next time a user launches the application using
this configuration file, your new settings become active.

For details on all the settings contained on these sheets, read


the Settings – The Complete List section later in this chapter.

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Configuration Settings List

This series of tables list all the settings available within the default.sysconfig file. Each setting has its own row;
Purpose and Expected Values are displayed in the right column. Each section displays its settings in alphabetical
order.

Application Settings

The Application settings contain general connection settings and configuration settings. You change these settings
to apply custom (OEM) style themes to the application. You can also define custom images and text through
these settings.
Typically system administrators define these settings and then distribute the updated configuration files to all
workstations within the network for which they apply.
If you use Cloud or a similar Epicor hosted environment, you can copy and paste any of the <appSettings>
settings into the <userSettings> node within the same .sysconfig file. You can then enter the value you need
within the copied setting. When users launch the hosted application, it first checks the <userSettings> node for
Application setting values. By default, the hosted application first loads any settings it finds in the <userSettings>
node instead of the <appSettings> node. This prevents the MES menu and other parts of the hosted application
from reverting back to the default .sysconfig settings each time a new version of the software is released.

Setting Purpose and Expected Value


AppServerURL
Displays the AppServer Uniform Resource Locator (URL) that
connects the task agent to the application server (AppServer). If you
need to locate this URL, open the *.sysconfig configuration file for
your application and locate the AppServerURL node. Typically this
file is found in the client > config folder of your Epicor client
installation.
For example, your AppServer URL may look similar to the following:
net.tcp://<app server name>/ERP10/

AlternateCacheFolder
The location of the local disk cache folder. This folder is used to hold
cached .xml files. If none is specified, the default is
C:\ProgramData\Epicor
This folder accommodates some environment variables which can
be substituted during startup.
%UserName%– The Windows ID of the user. Example: jsmith
%UserDomain%– The Windows user domain. Example: USEAST
%AppData%– The application data folder. Example:
C:\Users\jsmith\AppData
%Homepath%– The home path folder. This location is specified in
Local Users and Groups. Example: C:\Users\jsmith
%AllUsersProfile%– The location of the All Users profile. Example:
C:\Users\Public

CultureCode
The ISO language/culture code that defines the specific language
and format which displays on the Log On window. For example,
“sch” (Simplified Chinese).

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This value only affects the Log On window. After the user enters a
user name and password and clicks past this window, the language
and culture code settings defined on the user account display within
the Epicor application.

CustomResourceFile A path name to a resource file that contains custom images. You
can add images to this file by using the Resource Editor; this utility
is available for download from EPICWeb. Any images contained
within this custom file will override images within the base resource
file. Typically, the value you enter for this setting is:
“.res\MfgCustomImages.resource”.
DnsIdentity Defines the client installation's endpoint identity. The client checks
this endpoint identity value against the endpoint authentication
returned by the service. When these identity values match, the
connection between the client and the endpoint service is validated.
This setting helps prevent phishing by stopping the client installation
from linking to an endpoint controlled by a malicious service.
DuplicateAttachmentMode
Use this setting to indicate what occurs when two attachments share
the same identifier (ID) value. Available options:
Prompt - Causes the application to display a window that asks the
user to enter a different attachment ID. This is the default option.
AutoDateStamp - Causes the application to automatically add the
current date to the end of the attachment ID.

EnableMultipleDNSEntriesInSANCertificate If you use .NET 4.6.1 or later with either the UsernameSslChannel or
HttpBinaryUsernameSslChannel bindings, you can create certificates
that contain additional host names. The .NET system checks the SSL
certificate for these additional host names detailed in a Subject
Alternate Names (SAN) field. You typically create a SSL certificate in
this way to secure multiple sites across different domains. To activate
this feature, you change this configuration setting to True.
EnableSslStreamSecurity Indicates whether you want to activate authentication between the
client machine and the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). To activate this
feature, set this configuration setting to True.
EndpointBinding
Indicates how this client checks for authentication certificates through
Internet Information Services (IIS). When a user logs into the
application, the selected method checks whether the user can access
the Epicor application. Available options:
• Net.Tcp Endpoint Binding:
• UsernameWindowsChannel - This NET.TCP binding
authenticates transactions through an Epicor Username and
Password. Windows checks for existing Epicor user accounts
to authenticate logins.
• UsernameSSLChannel - This NET.TCP binding authenticates
transactions using a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) X509 certificate.
Leverage this method for application servers that handle smart
client installations when users reside in different domains. By
using an SSL certificate, users from these different domains
can log into the Epicor application.

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Selecting this option causes the SSL Certificate Subject Name
and DNS Endpoint Identity fields to appear. You use these
fields to enter the name of your SSL certificate and the identity
of the server.
• Windows - This NET.TCP binding authenticates transactions
using a Windows Username and Password. Any user with a
Windows Username and Password within this domain can
successfully log into the Epicor application.

• Http Endpoint Binding:


• HttpBinaryUsernameSslChannel - This HTTP binding
protocol authenticates using a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) X509
certificate. The data transfers between the client and server
using Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). Instead of the
transport, the message which contains the data transfer is
encrypted. Because this binding does not use Hypertext
Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS), it tends to be slower than
bindings which use HTTPS.
Use this method for application servers that handle smart client
installations when users reside in different domains. By using
an SSL certificate, users from these different domains can log
into the Epicor ERP application.
Selecting this option causes the SSL Certificate Subject Name
and DNS Endpoint Identity fields to appear. You use these
fields to enter the name of your SSL certificate and the identity
of the server.
• HttpOffloadbinaryUserNameChannel - This HTTP protocol
binding is a configuration that offloads encryption handling
to an intermediary Application Request Router such as an F5.
The binding authenticates using an Epicor Username and
Password token. The data transfers between the client and
server using Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS). This
protocol is configured to move encryption handling to an
intermediary Application Request Router like F5 or a similar
router.
• HttpsOffloadBinaryAzureChannel - This HTTPS protocol
binding is a configuration that offloads encryption handling
between Epicor ERP to an intermediary Application Request
Router such as an F5.
The binding authenticates using a security token by specifying
a valid authentication claim between Epicor ERP and Azure
AD. The data transfers between the client and server using
Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS). This protocol is
configured to move encryption handling to an intermediary
Application Request Router like F5 or a similar router.

When this
binding is
implemented,

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in order to
avoid the
AddressFilter
mismatch
error, be
sure to
uncomment
the
AddressFtlierModeAny
node in
web.config
as shown
below:

Uncomment this element when AddressFilter m


ismatch at the EndpointDispatcher happens
<AddressFilterModeAny/>

• HttpsOffloadBinaryIdpChannel - This HTTPS protocol


binding is a configuration that offloads encryption handling
between Epicor ERP to an intermediary Application Request
Router such as an F5.

Epicor
Identity
Provider is
a new
Global
Authentication
Service
that unifies
various
identity
and
authentication
mechanisms
across ERP
products.
The service
will be
made
available
for
approved
customers
in
upcoming
releases of
Epicor ERP.
By default,
this option
is only
available

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Setting Purpose and Expected Value

internally
to Epicor.

The binding authenticates using a security token by specifying


a valid authentication claim between Epicor ERP and Epicor
Identity Provider deployment. The data transfers between the
client and server using Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure
(HTTPS). This protocol is configured to move encryption
handling to an intermediary Application Request Router like
F5 or a similar router.

When this
binding is
implemented,
in order to
avoid the
AddressFilter
mismatch
error, be
sure to
uncomment
the
AddressFtlierModeAny
node in
web.config
as shown
below:

Uncomment this element when AddressFilter m


ismatch at the EndpointDispatcher happens
<AddressFilterModeAny/>

• Https Endpoint Binding:


• HttpsBinaryUsernameChannel - This HTTPS binding
authenticates transactions using an Epicor Username and
Password. The data transfers between the client and server
using Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS). HTTPS
encrypts the data transfer.
• HttpsBinaryWindowsChannel - This HTTPS binding
authenticates transactions using a Windows Username and
Password. The data transfers between the client and server
using Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS).
You can select this method for application servers that handle
smart client installations and Epicor Web Access (EWA)
installations where users access the application through the
same domain. Any user with a Windows Username and
Password within this domain can successfully log into the
Epicor application.
• HttpsBinaryAzureChannel - Use this protocol to enable
authentication of ERP application users against users in
Microsoft Azure Active Directory (Azure AD).

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This binding relies upon the user authenticating against Azure
Active Directory and obtaining a token to present to Epicor
ERP. The data transfers between the client and server using
Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS).
• HttpsBinaryIdpChannel - Use this protocol to enable
authentication of ERP application against Epicor Identity
Provider (IdP).

Epicor
Identity
Provider is
a new
Global
Authentication
Service
that unifies
various
identity
and
authentication
mechanisms
across ERP
products.
The service
will be
made
available
for
approved
customers
in
upcoming
releases of
Epicor ERP.
By default,
this option
is only
available
internally
to Epicor.

This binding relies upon the user authenticating against IdP


and obtaining a token to present to Epicor ERP. The data
transfers between the client and server using Hypertext
Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS).

Note the binding you select in the .sysconfig file must match the
setting on the application server. You can review and update this
application server setting in the Epicor Administration Console.
For more information on how you set up each binding option, review
either the Epicor 10 Architecture Guide or the System
Administration Guide.

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Setting Purpose and Expected Value


EnforceApiKeyForRestApiV1 Use this setting to enable or disable the requirement of API Keys in
all requests against the Epicor ERP REST API version 1. By default, the
value of this setting is set to false. If the setting is missing or has an
empty value, it is interpreted as false. Set it to true if you wish to
make API Key a required parameter.
EnforceApiKeyForRestApiV2 Use this setting to enable or disable the requirement of API Keys in
all requests against the Epicor ERP REST API version 2. By default, the
value of this setting is set to true. If the setting is missing or has an
empty value, it is interpreted as true. Set it to false if you wish to
make API Key an optional parameter.
EnterpriseSearchURL
The Uniform Resource Identifier address the client uses by default to
launch the Enterprise Search functionality. When the Enterprise search
is launched, it uses the URL you define in this setting value.
However you can override this default URL address within each
company record. To do this, launch Company Maintenance and
navigate to the General Settings sheet; enter a different Search
URL for the specific company.
Likewise, you can override the URL value defined on the company
on a specific user record. Launch User Account Security
Maintenance and navigate to the Options sheet. Enter the alternate
Search URL you want for the current user.
The order of precedence for URL addresses:
1. User record (User Account Security Maintenance)
2. Company record (Company Maintenance)
3. Configuration Settings File

HelpAboutCopyrightText The copyright text for the About dialog box.


HelpAboutCopyrightURL The copyright URL for the About dialog box.
HelpAboutImage The bitmap file for the Help About window.
HelpAboutProductText The product text for the About dialog box.
HelpAboutTitleText The title text for the About dialog box.
HHCustomMenuID The Menu ID for the sub process that causes customized Handheld
menus to load onto your screen.
MaxBOMRU
The number of most frequently used business objects whose security
settings should be cached when a user logs in.
Logic then tracks this number of business objects in the following
XML file:
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application
Data\Epicor\<appserver_and_port>\<version>\<
company>\BOSecMRUList\BOMRUList_<userID>.xml
(Windows XP) or
C:\ProgramData\Epicor\<appserver_and_port>\<
version>\<company>\
BOSecMRUList\BOMRUList_<userID>.xml (Windows
7)

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This cached information helps minimize the number of calls between
client and server, improving performance.
This path is the default location of the cache folder, but it can change
based on the AlternateCacheFolder setting.

MaxClssAttrMRU
The number of most frequently used datasets. The information on
the tracked datasets is used at login to both fetch (get) and memory
cache the extended properties for frequently used datasets.
The logic tracks this number of datasets in the following XML file:
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application
Data\Epicor\<appserver_and_port>\<version>\<
company>ClsAttrMRUList\ClsAttrMRUList_<userID>.x
ml
(Windows XP) or
C:\ProgramData\Epicor\<appserver_and_port>\<
version>\<company>ClsAttrMRUList\
ClsAttrMRUList_<userID>.xml (Windows 7)

This cached information helps minimize the number of calls between


client and server, improving performance.
This path is the default location of the cache folder, but it can change
based on the AlternateCacheFolder setting.

MESCustomMenuID The menu ID for the sub process that allows customized MES menus
to be loaded.
MESImage The default image that is used by the MES menu. The default is blank.
OperationTimeOut This setting defines how messages are sent and received by this client
machine. If a message is not sent or received before this timeout
value, the message attempt is stopped. This timeout value also applies
when the client sends reply messages for a request/reply service
operation and a callback contract method. The default value is 300
(30 seconds).
PredictiveSearchKeyPressDelay Predictive searches are custom BAQ searches you can attach to a
specific field, and they display search results in a floating tooltip
window. When a user starts typing in a field linked to a predictive
search, this value controls how long it takes for the BAQ linked to
the search to run. When you set this option to use a longer delay,
the user can enter more text, but the results will take longer to
display. The default value is 1500 (1.5 seconds).
PredictiveSearchPopupFadeDelay When a predictive search runs, this value controls how long the
floating tooltip window displays until it fades from view. The default
value is 10000 (10 seconds).
ProductBrandIcon Use this setting to define an optional icon that displays on the far
left of the application title bar.
ProductBrandText Optional text that displays on the left side of the application title bar.
If you specify a ProductBrandIcon, this text displays to the left of this
icon.
ProductID The product identifier; for example: "Epicor"

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ProductLogonImage This setting defines an alternate bitmap image that displays in the
upper half of the Log On window.
ResourceFile A path name to the resource file. This file contains images and other
resources that can be changed by partners for branding purposes;
for example: C:\Epicor\Client\res\MfgBaseImages.resources.
SessionManager
The Session Manager tracks all of the instances of the application
running on this computer, so that users can launch several instances
without logging in and consuming an additional license. Typically
this will just monitor one user, but it can monitor several instances
if Terminal Services are enabled. Here are the expected values for
this setting:
ActiveHidden– The default value. This value causes the Session
Manager to run, but its icon is not displayed within the System Tray
ActiveInTray– Causes the Session Manager to run; there is an icon
displayed in the Windows system tray.
Disabled– Causes the Session Manager to be turned off. Whenever
a shortcut or Information Worker attempts to launch the application,
a login window will display.
Any Information Worker processes or SYSCONFIG shortcuts you
launch do not consume an additional license if the Session Manager
is running and an instance of the client application is already logged
on to the appropriate AppServer.

SessionManagerURL The Uniform Resource Identifier address the client should use to
communicate with the manager service.
SysmonPort The port used for the Session Manager. Enter the port that this
computer will use. For example: 7777
TcpKeepAlive
When you activate this setting, you help prevent timeout errors that
may occur because of firewall inactivity. The setting does this by
sending a data packet once during each time interval. This makes
sure the client stays connected to the server.
The format for this interval setting is HH:MM:SS
(Hours:Minutes:Seconds). For example, <TcpKeepAlive
value="00:05:00" /> indicates the TCP/IP layer stays active by sending
a data packet once every five minutes. By default, this setting is
inactive (commented out). To use it, remove the comment (<!-- -->)
characters and then enter a time interval. Typically you enter values
in the 1 minute to 1 hour range, although you can enter longer time
intervals if needed.

ToolbarSetting The path and XML file that defines the users’ default settings for the
toolbar functionality. For example: “.\res\ToolbarSettings.xml”
WCFCertValidation Indicates whether the client application and WCF service need to
validate their connection through a certificate. If this value is set to
True, a certificate is required for this client installation to communicate
with the WCF service.
Version The current release and patch number for the application; for
example: "10.0.600"

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User Settings

The User settings contain parameters that only apply to a specific user. Use these parameters to activate the
Single Sign On feature, System Monitor settings, login settings, or search settings.
Typically system administrators define these settings for a specific user; this configuration settings file is then
used to launch the application on the specific workstation.

Setting Purpose and Expected Value


AutoScaleMode
The concentration of pixels on the window, this setting accommodates
different geometries of forms in different versions of Windows.
“None” – The default. No adjustment of forms is done.
“Dpi” – An adjustment (dots per inch) of concentration for pixels is done on
forms.
The forms are adjusted to adhere to the DPI field on the Display Properties
> Settings > Advanced General form in Windows XP and Control Panel
> Display > Custom DPI SettingS form in Windows 7. Common settings
are 96 DPI and 120 DPI.

ComboAutoCompleteMode Defines how automatic completion works in the combo control when the
user types in the text field of the combo. Only two values can be used -
“AutoCompleteOnly” and “DropDownList”.
ContextMenuNestingLevel
Use this setting to adjust the size of the context menus. Depending on the
value you enter, context menus can become taller or shorter. Expected values:
“0” – All Open With items display within the More… sub-menu.
“-1” – All Open With items display directly on the context menu.
“X” – Substitute an integer value (2, 3, 4, and so on) to indicate how many
items to display in the context menu; the remaining items will display in the
More… sub-menu.
For example, <ContextMenuNestingLevel value ="0"/>

DataCollectionUser Defines whether or not this user is a data collection user; these users only
have access to Data Collection functionality. Two values can be used -
“true” or “false”.
DefaultSearchFromLocation
This value controls the default location of search forms as they open. Available
options:
Top– Search forms open at the top of the window from where you launched
the search. This value generally provides more real estate for displaying the
search results.
Center– Search forms open in the middle of the window from where you
launched the Search. This setting is best for Multi-Monitor configured client
systems, as the search window opens centered on the user interface form
regardless of which monitor is displaying the Epicor application.

DefaultSearchPageSize
Use this value to control the maximum number of records returned by a
search for display within the search results. Lower values generally make
more efficient use of server and network resources.

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Common settings range from 100 to 1000.

EnableVideoHelp
Use this setting to enable links to Epicor Knowledge on Demand videos related
to specific ERP programs. Possible values:
True - the default value. Video Help icon displays in the programs that have
contextual video help enabled.
False - select this value to disable Video Help. The Video Help icon does not
display in the UI.

EOBrowser
The properties of this setting are optional. They can be used by the Epicor
Support to diagnose and work around issues with Chromium on different
customer environments.
• LogPath - Use this property to specify the path for the console message
log file. The default value is "%appdata%\epicor\console.log".
• LogEnabled - Set this property to True to enable console message
logging. By default, it is set to False.
• SharedMemory - Use this property to enable memory sharing by the EO
Browser-based Epicor ERP programs and applications - for example, the
Active Home Page or the EDD Quick Access Panel. This allows reducing
consumption of local memory resources on machines running Epicor ERP
clients. Possible values:
True - This value enables the memory sharing functionality.
False - Set SharedMemory to False if you don't want ERP programs to
share memory.

If the setting is not


present in the
configuration settings
file, the ERP
application behaves as
if this setting is set to
True.

• DisableGPU - The default value of this property is False. Set it to True


to disable GPU for the EOBrowser.
• ExtraCommandLines - Use this property to specify additional command
line arguments to be passed to the EOBrowser engine.
For example, you can set its value to "--disable-databases" to disable
HTML 5 DB support. Use space to separate multiple arguments. For
example, use "--disable-databases --disable-local-storage" to disable
both HTML 5 DB support and local storage support.
• Remote Debug Port - Use this property to specify a port for remote
debugging.

FormOpenMode
Use this setting to determine the initial behavior of a user interface (UI) form
as it opens. When no value is specified for this setting, a UI form opens with
no special processing. Available options:

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AutoSearch– The primary search for each UI form automatically displays as
the form launches.
AutoPopulate– The primary search for each UI form is automatically run,
and all selected records automatically populate the form as it displays on
your screen.

IgnoreWhiteSpaceOnLabelClick This setting defines the interface label area affected by click. When set to
"false", indicates that interface elements, for example, fields, check boxes,
or radio buttons, are activated when user clicks any part of the label, including
blank spaces. You can change this setting to "true" if you want interface
elements to be activated only when user clicks the text part of the label.
LastLoginID
This setting is used with the LoginDefault setting.
When LoginDefault is set to Last, the value of LastLoginID is the last user ID
entered during the logon process.
When LoginDefault is set to List, the value of LastLoginID is a series of
previously entered user IDs that have accessed the application.
For the other LoginDefault setting values, LastLoginID is not used and is
typically set to have no value.

LaunchType
Use this setting to switch between the Classic Menu and the Modern Shell
Menu. Possible values:
"MainMenu" - Causes the client installation to launch using the Classic
Menu. Users navigate this interface through a tree view that displays nodes
for module groups, modules, and programs.
"Shell" - Causes the client installation to launch using the Modern Shell
Menu. Users navigate the interface through tile groups that contain related
programs.

LoginDefault
The login default setting that defines what displays in the User Name field.
Possible values:
“Last” – Displays the last user ID that was used.
“List” – Displays a list of all the recently entered user identifiers.
“Windows” – Displays the same user ID used to log onto Windows on this
client machine.
“None” – No default value; the User Name field will be blank.

Password
The password used for the automatic login (Epicor Account) feature. This
encrypted password is generated by the application when a system
administrator activates the Single Sign On feature and the current user
selects the Automatically sign on check box on the Preferences window.
For more information about how to activate this feature, review the Single
Sign On (Epicor Accounts) section in the Security chapter in the
Implementation User Guide.

RibbonView
This setting controls if a ribbon view or a standard toolbar is used on forms.
Possible values:

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“True” – The commands from the standard toolbar will be dispersed in several
ribbon tabs on the top of forms.
“False” – A standard toolbar will display on forms.

SelectTextOnEnter This setting determines whether an entire word or number is selected when
you click a field with a value. Only two expected values can be used - “true”
or “false”.
SetFormToScreenSize This setting controls the size of Epicor form window at opening. When your
screen resolution is 1024 x 768 or smaller, you can set this to "true" to have
your Epicor form windows maximized at opening in order to see the whole
working area. The default value is "false" which means that windows are
normal size when opened.
SingleSignOn The choices are true or false (the default). A value of true means the
application should use single sign-on logic, and not prompt for User ID and
Password but instead use the User ID of the current Windows user.
SmtpServer The location of the smtp server; the smtp server is required for email.
SpLogonMode Specifies user credentials for attachments linked to a SharePoint library.
Available options:
Default – The SharePoint library uses the current Windows account.
Interactive – If you set the File Transfer Mode to use the Client System
Direct Copy option, use this option to cause the SharePoint logon window
to display when users access the attachments. Users enter their account
credentials in this window. They can then decide whether the system will
save their credentials; to do this, they select the Remember Me check box.
This window then no longer displays.
For more information, continue reviewing the Implementation User Guide;
the Epicor Content Management chapter details how you set up file
attachments for specific records.

StartSystemMonitor Defines whether or not the System Monitor will start when the application
is launched. Only two values can be used - “true” or “false”.
Style
Use this setting to launch the application with a default theme and option.
You can then display the application using a look and feel you prefer. The
attributes you define are the style and the options for that specific theme.
To use the default Epicor appearance without running the styling features,
enter “None” in this setting option. If you use this configuration settings file
to launch the Epicor Handheld interface for display on a high resolution
device, be sure to set this value to "None". This prevents additional styling
from being applied against the fonts on the high resolution device, and the
HandHeld interface will display correctly.
Enter “Default” to use the theme defined as the default on the server. If
you would like to use another server distributed theme (other than default),

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specify its name and file extension. To use a theme from any location on a
local computer, enter the complete path and filename. For example:
<Style value=”None” options=”SpecifyName|None|Default”
/>
<Style value=”Default” options=”SpecifyName|None|Defau
lt”/>
<Style value=”BlueMain.isl” options=” SpecifyName|None
|Default”/>
<Style value=”C:\epicor\MyThemes\BlueMain.isl”
options=”SpecifyName|None|Default”/
For more information, review the Styling and Themes chapter within the
Epicor ICE User Experience and Customization Guide.

SystemMonitorNonPriorityPoll
The frequency that determines how often the client System Monitor checks
the server when non-priority print jobs are scanned and processed. This
non-priority value is used for Scheduled reports.
This value is measured in milliseconds; the minimum value is 3000 - the higher
the number, the more network traffic is avoided.
This value is used with SystemMonitorPriorityPoll and
SystemMonitorPriorityPollDuration to determine how the System Monitor
interacts with the tasks sent to it.

SystemMonitorPriorityPoll
The frequency that determines how often the client System Monitor checks
the server when priority print jobs are scanned and processed. This non-priority
value is used for reports sent immediately to the System Monitor.
This value is measured in milliseconds; the minimum value is 3000 - the higher
the number, the more network traffic is avoided. It is used with
SystemMonitorNonPriorityPoll and SystemMonitorPriorityPollDuration
to determine how the System Monitor interacts with the tasks sent to it.

SystemMonitorPriorityPollDuration
The value of this setting determines how long the System Monitor will remain
in Priority Polling Mode.
By default, the System Monitor regularly polls the AppServer using the
milliseconds defined for the SystemMonitorNonPriorityPoll value. This
Non-Priority Mode is used by the application to process scheduled reports
through the System Monitor. When a report is submitted directly (not
scheduled) for processing, the System Monitor is then switched to Priority
Polling Mode. While in Priority Polling Mode, the System Monitor polls the
AppServer using the milliseconds defined for the SystemMonitorPriorityPoll
value.
The Priority Polling Mode lasts for the milliseconds value you define for this
SystemMonitorPriorityPollDuration setting. Once the process goes past this
duration value, the System Monitor returns to Non-Priority Polling Mode.
This value is used with SystemMonitorNonPriorityPoll and
SystemMonitorPriorityPoll to determine how the System Monitor interacts
with the tasks sent to it.

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Setting Purpose and Expected Value


TextExpansionTest Use this setting to enable the Text Expansion Test item within the Tools menu
on each form.
Since the translations sometimes result in longer strings than the original, it
is important that developers allocate sufficient space for language expansion.
This item helps developers achieve this task and check which forms do not
have sufficient space allocated. Only two expected values can be used -
"true" or "false".
You can fine tune the text expansion behavior in the
Client\Res\EpiResourceLibConfig.xml. For example:

<Options>
<option name="TextExpansionFillChar" value="^" />
<option name="TextExpansionEndChar" value="|" />
<option name="TextExpansionMinChars" value="8" />
<options>

TreeExpandIndicatorTreshold The value of this setting determines whether tree nodes should be checked
to see if they have children when they are created. When there are large
numbers of nodes being created (over 1,000), this can take a long time. If
the number of rows available for the child view is greater than the value set,
child node processing will be deferred until the indicator is selected for
expansion.
Zero value implies to always check for children. 200 is a good value if you
enable this feature. For example: <TreeExpandIndicatorThreshold value="200"
/>

UserID
The User Account Identifier required for the automatic login (Epicor Account)
feature. This setting is populated by the application when a system
administrator activates the Single Sign On feature and the current user
selects the Automatically sign on check box on the Preferences window.
For more information about how to activate this feature, review the Single
Sign On (Epicor Accounts) section in the Security chapter in the
Implementation User Guide.

WrapLabelText Indicates whether the text on interface labels will wrap to the next line. This
setting is useful when you install languages that contain longer strings that
need to appear on the interface. Available options:
• True -- The default value, this setting causes the label text to wrap to the
next line on the interface.
• False -- Use this option to automatically truncate the label text. The full
text value then displays in a tooltip; users hover their mouse over the label
to display this tooltip. These tooltips will only appear when the label text
is truncated.

Deployment Settings

The Deployment settings contain general client distribution parameters. Modify these parameters to configure
how files are moved from the server to the client. These settings define the directory path that the client uses to
locate the server files and the method used to receive these files – either Xcopy or zip.

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Typically system administrators define these settings and then distribute the updated configuration files to all
workstations within the network for which they apply.

XML Tag Purpose and Expected Value

clearClientDir
This setting determines whether to clear the local client directory before a client update.
Available options:
• Never - The local client directory is never cleared.
• Always - Clears the local client directory if core or custom deployments are updated.
• Core - Clears the local client directory if the core deployment is updated. It does not
clear the directory if only custom deployments are updated.
• Prompt - Asks users if they want to clear the client directory whenever the core or
custom deployments are updated.

clearDNS
This setting determines whether the local client cache will be cleared as part of a client
update. Either the default cache location of C:\Documents and Settings\All
Users\Application Data\Epicor\<appserver_and_port> or the directory specified by
alternateCacheFolder is conditionally cleared based on the value you enter for this setting.
Available options:
• Never
• Always
• Prompt

DeploymentServer uri
The URI of the deployment directory on the deployment server.
Optionally, use the alt_uri attribute to specify the URI of the deployment directory on
the fallback deployment server to use for downloading the release client if the primary
Deployment Server is not accessible or not available.

deploymentPackage
If the setting of deploymentType is defined as "zip," the value of this setting is the
name of the zip file retrieved from the Deployment Server during a client update.
The default value is: ReleaseClient.zip

deploymentType
Defines the method the deployment system uses to deploy client assemblies (.dll files) to
the client. Available options:
• xcopy -- Uses xcopy to deploy the client assemblies into the client installation. These
assemblies are then available to launch from the client.
• zip -- Copies a named zip file locally and then unzips the file into the client installation.
These assemblies are then available to launch from the client.
• auto -- Only installs the assemblies required to run a specific form the first time a user
opens it. When a user first opens a form, the system verifies whether the required .dll
files for the form are installed; if some are missing, the .dll files automatically download
into the client. It does this by checking both the version number and any deployed
customizations. If any version numbers or customizations are different, the updated
.dll files download to the client.

doDateComparison
If deploymentType is set to xcopy, this setting determines whether the xcopy runs and
does a date comparison with the /D switch, or downloads all files regardless of date.

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XML Tag Purpose and Expected Value

The choices are true (the default) or false. If it is set to false, then xcopy copies all files
regardless of modification date.

optimizeAssemblies
A setting that determines whether you can optimize assemblies within the Epicor
application. The choices are true or false. A setting of true requires that you have admin
rights on the client installation.

Help Settings

The Help settings configure how the help system is hosted. You can host the help files locally on a client or
centrally through a server. You can also define how the client installation accesses Internet technical updates.
Typically system administrators define these settings and then distribute the updated configuration files to all
workstations within the network for which they apply. For additional information about how to use these settings,
review the Help System topics within application help.

Setting Purpose and Expected Value


AnnotationsOverrideXSL Indicates the path or filename of the .xslt file used to print help annotations. If this
user needs to print help annotations, enter a path or filename within this property.
For example: “\\myServer\Epicor\SysConfig10\Help\enu\Standard\myXSLT.xslt”/>
courseServer uri
Defines the path name for the embedded courses licensed to your Epicor ERP
application. After you install the education courses, enter the path to the courses
within this parameter; for example:
“http://<YourServerName>/CoursesERP/EpicorEducation/.
Note you can leave this setting blank and instead specify the server location in
Company Maintenance on the General Settings sheet. Enter the server location in
the Education Courses URL field.
Epicor recommends you create a separate configuration settings file for your training
environment and then link this settings file to a unique desktop icon. In this way,
the embedded courses are not available within your working environment.

CustomerCenter product Defines the product and URL used when the user accesses the Customer Center;
for example “Epicor” followed by the URL href =
“https://epicweb.epicor.com/support/epicor10/”
E9EducationKeysServer If the URL changes for the Education Courses License server, this setting indicates
the new server location which holds these licenses. Typically this value remains blank.
However if a new server is required, enter the URL path for this setting.
featureSummaryHomePage Defines the home page for the Feature Summary, for example: “fs.htm”
helpServer uri Indicates the path name the client installation uses to access the help files. If you
want to link the help files to a central server instead of individually on each client,
enter the path to the help files location on the server.
Note you can leave this setting blank and instead specify the server location in
Company Maintenance on the General Settings sheet. Enter the server location in
the Epicor Help URL field.

OnlineSupport product Defines the product and URL used when the user accesses online support; for
example “Epicor” followed by the URL href =
“https://epicweb.epicor.com/support/myepicweb”

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Sort Settings

The following settings define how strings sort within the application.

If you update a Client installation, the Sort settings are


overwritten to match the values defined on the server level
configuration file.

Setting Purpose and Expected Value


Sort Method This value indicates the method used globally to sort strings within the application. The available
Default values are:
stringSort– The default value, this sort method does not use special sort weighting. This causes
non-alphanumeric symbols, like hyphens, to be displayed together. For example, this feature is
useful if your company uses the hyphen in part numbers. Under this logic, the hyphen character
has a weight like any other character, so records using this character are sorted together, based
on the hyphen’s Unicode sequence value.
wordSort– This sort method gives non-alphanumeric Unicode characters (like the hyphen) a
reduced sort weight, causing these characters to be sorted among the alphanumeric characters.
This reduced sort weight is not based on its Unicode sequence value. Under this logic, “co-op”
and “coop” are listed together.
To set the global default value for the application, use one of the following syntaxes:
<stringSort value="default" />
<wordSort value="default" />

Sort Method
You can also create exceptions to the default sort method by adding additional lines after the
Exceptions
default value. You do this by defining the table and column (“TableName.ColumnName”)
that sort using the different method. For example, if your application globally uses the wordSort
method, you can enter a new line under the default line (<wordSort value=”default” />) that
indicates the stringSort method will be used on part numbers. This exception value uses the
following syntax:
<stringSort value="Part.PartNum" />
Each exception line only supports one table/column combination. To apply this logic to multiple
table/columns, enter multiple lines:
<stringSort value="Part.ParNum"/>
<stringSort value="Customer.CustNum"/>
Continue to enter all the exception lines that you need.
If a column has a LIKE value, and the LIKE is one of the columns specified here, the other column
uses the same sort method logic as well.

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Run Time Arguments

Each workstation can be set up to launch the application in a specific mode. These modes, or run time arguments,
activate immediately when a user double-clicks on the program icon.
Several run time arguments are available. You can indicate the application launches either the Dashboard or the
MES interface - instead of the default Menu. You can also have the application launch using a different
configuration file.
For example, run time arguments are useful when you are customizing programs. Normally during Run Time,
you have several favorites groups that autoload their programs into memory. However you cannot customize
autoloaded programs. To disable this feature while you are customizing, use the /AUTOLOADSUPPRESS run time
argument; this prevents the application from automatically placing programs into memory.
You can also use multiple run time arguments to further define how the application launches on the workstation.
For example, you want a workstation to only use the MES interface and you also want it to update to the latest
version. Because of this, you use both the /MES and /UPDATE run time arguments.

Activate Run Time Arguments

You add run time arguments to the properties of the application icon. Here’s what you do:

1. On the desktop for the workstation, right-click the application’s icon.

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2. A context menu displays; select Properties.

3. The shortcut icon's Properties window appears.

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4. Click the Shortcut tab.

5. In the Target field, enter a [Space] after the target directory path.

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6. Enter a right slash ( / ) or en dash ( - ), followed by the run time argument. For example,
C:\epicor\client\Epicor.exe /update or C:\epicor\client\Epicor.exe -update

7. To add another run time argument, repeat the steps. For example: C:\epicor\client\Epicor.exe /update
/config=local.sysconfig or C:\epicor\client\Epicor.exe -update -config =local.sysconfig

8. Click Apply.

9. Click OK.

The next time the client application is launched on this workstation, it uses the run time argument(s) you entered
in the Target field.

Run Time Arguments List

This table lists all the run time arguments available for the application. They display in alphabetical order.
You can enter these arguments in two ways. You can enter the entire argument; for example,
/AUTOLOADSUPPRESS. However the application also accepts a shorthand version that only uses the first three

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characters of the argument; for example, AUT. You can also use either the right slash ( / ) or the en dash ( - ) to
activate run time arguments.

Argument Purpose
? or HELP This mode causes a window to appear that displays the available run time arguments.
Use this mode to display a list of current options.
AUTOLOADSUPPRESS The autoloading feature causes selected favorite groups to load their programs into
memory; it improves the performance of these programs. If you customize the
application, however, you need to suppress autoloading. By running this argument,
you disable autoloading on this workstation.
BASE Use this argument to prevent the loading of any verticalizations (industry-specific user
interface features), customizations, or personalizations. This option is useful for testing
the user interface.
CLASSIC Use this argument to cause the application to launch using the Classic Main Menu
interface. Users navigate this interface through a tree view that displays nodes for
module groups, modules, and programs.
CONFIG=<filename> This argument causes the application to use a different configuration file saved in the
same folder as the default.sysconfig file. Enter the name of the file after the equals
sign. The next time the application is launched on this workstation, it uses this
configuration file. For example:
C:\epicor\Client\Epicor.exe /CONFIG=mycustom.sysconfig

CRM This argument causes the application to launch using the CRM user interface. Use this
mode to display the application for a user with a CRM user license. This interface displays
the modules that include:
• Customer Relationship Management
• Case Management
• Quote Management
• Configurator Management
• ShopVision
• Trackers
• Status Dashboards

DB Use this argument to cause the Dashboard interface to launch - instead of the Main
Interface. Use this mode if you only want this user to access a dashboard interface.
HH This argument causes the application to launch using the Handheld MES Interface. Use
this mode to display the application within a handheld device. This interface displays
the tools needed to report labor, inventory, and material transactions against jobs.
HHC Use this argument to launch the Handheld MES Interface in Customization mode. You
can then customize this handheld interface as you need. For more information, review
the Sub Program Deployment topics in either the application help or the Customization
Utilities chapter in the User Experience and Customization Guide.
MES This argument causes the application to launch the MES Interface. Use this mode for
workstations used on the shop floor. This interface displays the tools needed to report
labor, inventory, and material transactions against jobs.
MESC Use this argument to launch the MES Interface in Customization mode. You can then
customize this interface as you need. For more information, review the Sub Program

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Argument Purpose
Deployment topics in either the application help or the Customization Utilities chapter
in the User Experience and Customization Guide.
MENUID=<Menu ID> You can limit the programs available on the Menu by including a menu identifier with
the config run time argument. To do this, add a run time argument (a slash or dash)
followed by the specific Menu identifier. You can find the Menu ID by selecting a
program icon within Menu Maintenance. Once you know this identifier, entering it
within the run time argument. For example:
C:\epicor\client\Epicor.exe /menuid=CRMN0000

The MENUID run time argument only


works with the Classic Style
interface. It does not restrict menu
access in the Modern Shell interface.

RPT This argument applies only to Crystal Reports. It has no affect when printing SSRS
reports.
Use this argument to give the application multiple printer options. When active, the
application first checks to see if a default printer is selected on a Crystal Report definition.
If it is, this printer and its settings are automatically used to print out the report. If a
printer is not defined on the report definition, however, the default printer selected on
the workstation is used instead.
Use this argument when you need a specific printer, like a label printer, to print out a
specific report.

SHELL This argument causes the application to launch using the Modern Shell interface. Users
navigate the interface through tile groups that contain related programs.
SKIPCHECK Use this argument to prevent updates from being automatically installed on this
workstation. It stops the client application from checking its version number against
the current version on the server.
Run this argument to streamline how quickly the application launches on this
workstation. By disabling these routines, the application no longer automatically updates
each time it is accessed.

TE This argument causes the application to launch using the Time and Expense user
interface. Only modules available through this license display on the main interface.
Activate this mode for a user who is licensed to only access these modules.
UPDATE This argument causes the application to skip checking its version number, but then
updates the workstation to the current version available at the server. This forces the
client to update - even when the version on the client and the server are the same. Use
this argument when you install a patch on the server; this patch then automatically
updates on your client installations.
You can also use this argument when a problem occurs on a client installation. Adding
this argument makes sure that the client installation is using the current version.

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Index
A C
abc codes 158 case management configuration 62
access options, define 260 cents override 417
account lockout policy 720, 721 change log report 789
account lockout policy, windows 731 chart of accounts 301
account lockouts 720 clear sharepoint cache 498
account mapping 366 client printer options 580
account segment values 313 coa categories 307
account, unlock 723 coa mapping 366
accounting segment mapping 365 companies 266
accounts payable configuration 97, 99 companies, add 266
accounts receivable configuration 88, 91 company configuration 28, 293
accounts, unlock 724 company configuration, all modules 31
actions menu functions 229 company configuration, currency 43
add a book 387 company configuration, detail 28
add a new employee 240 company configuration, general 31
add a payroll employee 233 company configuration, gl control 46
add a shift 230 company maintenance 18
add fiscal calendar 298 company maintenance, access options 20
add fiscal periods 300 company maintenance, baq external datasources 26
add fiscal years 299 company maintenance, email and reporting 22
add gl controls 433 company maintenance, general settings 18
add tasks to a process set 464 configuration editor 795
add tax boxes 431 configuration editor, interface 796
add tax types 437 configuration editor, launch 795
add unit of measure codes 205 configuration file 794
additional ar 448 configuration file, copy default 795
additional contact information 226 configuration file, locate 794
address and comments 140 configuration file, multiple 795
alternate prefixes and sequences 413 configuration settings list 799
ap configuration 97, 99 configuration settings, application 799
ar additional settings 96 configuration settings, deployment 814
ar configuration 88, 91 configuration settings, help 815
attach file to record 508 configuration settings, sort 816
attached files in action 510 configuration settings, user 808
attaching files 508 consolidation 392
attachments setup 473 consolidation definition maintenance 396
authentication security 714 consolidation definition maintenance - detail 396
authentication, epicor account 715 consolidation definition maintenance – source detail 397
authentication, windows account 729 consolidation rate type maintenance 393
authorization security 741 consolidation type maintenance 394
auto print reports 597 contact creation 224
auto print, case study 678, 681 conversion rules 287
automatic sign on 725 Copy GL Account Masks 391
create a part class 199
create a pay method 445
B create a process set 463
bartender labels 597, 599, 601, 606, 607, 608, 610, 612 create a revision 383
base path, update 496 create a schedule 454
billing 184 create a tax type 425
books 369 create a warehouse 268
bpm, auto print 597 create a warehouse team 248
business object security 764 create account masks 310
business object security, select users/groups 765 create an electronic interface 441
create the calendar 193

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Index Epicor ERP Implementation User Guide

currency master maintenance 291 field security, reset a field 779


custom tax algorithms 423 field security, reset table 779
customer maintenance 295 field security, review settings 777
customer relationship management (crm) configuration 60 field security, test 776
customize reports 564 field security, user 773
cycle count 157 field service configuration 107
cycle count detail 157 file attachment maintenance 496
file transfer modes 495
finance configuration 88
D financial report designer 399
daily balances setup 390 fiscal calendars 298
data collection configuration 70
default sequences 412 G
define effective rates 429
define segment values 303 general 144
delete gl accounts 344 general - international 182
demand configuration 63 general (shipping receiving) 180
detail 144 general ledger accounts 336
document associations 506 general ledger configuration 101
document type controls 495 generate gl accounts 337
document type metadata 503 gl account allocations 353
document types 414, 490 gl account budgets 351
gl coa reference types 309
gl configuration 101
E gl control (inventory) 148
e-mail reports 585 gl control (transfer inventory) 152
electronic interfaces 440 gl control types 355
electronic reports 449 gl controls 270, 358
employee calendar 244 gl controls (sites) 142
employee production information 242 gl transaction types 381
employees 239 global tables 132
enter allocation detail lines 354 global transform mapping 367
enter rate codes 428
enterprise search options, define 264 I
epicor account 715
european union data 434 import exchange rates 290
exchange rates 289 import report data definition 538
expense 165 incoming document line 385
expire passwords 717 individual deposit invoice tracking configuration 94
export report data definition 538 interface security 741
external company configuration 122 international descriptions 433
external company configuration, company information 122 inventory configuration 77, 80
external company configuration, epicor commerce connect 129 inventory management 144
external company configuration, external sites 124
external company configuration, external warehouses 124
external company configuration, initialize multi-company 131
J
external company configuration, multi-company 125 job configuration 65
external company maintenance 120 journal codes 359
external company maintenance, field translations 121
external company maintenance, select system 120
external file references 505 L
external sites 124
external system maintenance 115, 116 legal numbers 406, 409
external warehouses 124 legal text 419
links 227
localization 32
F localization, additional tax information 40
localization, detail 32, 34
fedex 186 localization, intrastat 34
field security maintenance 772 localization, invoice banking reference 41
field security, global 772 localization, percent at border 39
field security, group 773 localization, receipt normal 35

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localization, receipt returned goods 36 production calendars 193


localization, shipment normal 37 production configuration 65
localization, shipment returned goods 38 production management 168
locked accounts, track 722 project billing configuration 109
locked accounts, unlock 722 properties 443
locked accounts, unlock server level 724 property values 444
logon failure audit report 792 purchase configuration 80
lookup table links 381
lookup tables setup 378
Q
M qa configuration 73
quality assurance configuration 73
maintenance configuration 106
maintenance management, site configuration 173
material requirements planning configuration 74
R
materials configuration 77 rate types 285
menu maintenance 753 rates 428
menu maintenance, assign security 758 recurring journal entry 360
menu maintenance, security id 753 recurring journal entry - detail 362
menu maintenance, select groups/users 755 recurring journal entry - header 360
menu security report 787 recurring journal entry - schedule 363
menu, add report 558 recurring journal entry – generate recurring journals 363
method security 768 reference category maintenance 210
method security, select users/groups 769 reference designators 209
modify display order 306 render reports 571
mrp configuration 74 report 372
multi-companies 114 report data definition 519
multiple currencies 279 report data definition, calculated field 526
report data definition, create 520
N report data definition, criteria 530
report data definition, exclusions 528
national accounts configuration 93 report data definition, export 538
natural account options 314 report data definition, import 538
non-working days 194 report data definition, linked table fields 534
report data definition, report labels 522
report data definition, report tables 524
O report data definition, table relationship parameters 537
opportunity/quote configuration 53 report data definition, table relationships 535
order configuration 55, 58 report filters 571
report form customization 564
report options 571
P report preview 583
report setup 513, 515, 517
part classes 198 report style maintenance 542
password management 719 report style, copy 552
password policy 715, 717 report style, create 542
password policy, windows 729 report style, details 543
pay methods 444 report style, download 554
payment instruments configuration 104 report style, routing rule 548, 549
payroll configuration 103 report style, ssrs printers 546
payroll employees 232 report style, upload 556
payroll, deduction, and tax information 235 report type configuration 513
persons and contacts 224 report, add to menu 558
pi configuration 104 reporting tools 512
plm configuration 72 reports, e-mail 585
posting 374 reports, generate 588
posting details 376 reports, rendering 571
print preview 583 restricted functions 312
printer maintenance 515 restricted substances 207
process set maintenance 463 retained earnings 371
product lifecycle management configuration 72 revaluation 373
product tax categories 435 role codes 243

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Index Epicor ERP Implementation User Guide

rounding engine 291 task agent rules hierarchy 460


routing rule 548, 549 task agent rules, edit 457
routing rule, currency example 632, 634, 635, 636, 637, 639, tax authorities 439
641, 642, 644 tax boxes 421
routing rule, e-mail example 645, 647, 648, 649, 654, 655 tax interface configuration 48, 49, 51
routing rule, overdue example 657, 659, 660, 661, 665, 666 tax jurisdictions 420
routing rules, case studies 632 tax liabilities 436
run time argument, security feature 750 tax report categories 418
run time arguments 817 tax types 425
run time arguments, activate 817 third party parameters 503
run time arguments, list 820 time 162
time and expense 162
time and expense approvals 245
S tools options, define 257
sales management configuration 53 transaction document types 404
schedule a process set 467 transfer definition 150
security group maintenance 741, 742 transfer detail 150
security groups 741 transfer requirement planning 135
security logic hierarchy 749 transfer resources 154
security reports 787
segment mapping 366 U
select a schedule 461
select the site 143 UI options, define 265
select transaction type 382 unit of measure class maintenance 204
self-balancing segments 350 unit of measure maintenance 202
serial mask formats configuration 86 units of measure 202
serial number masks 206 unlock account, user account level 723
serial tracking 156 unlock accounts 722, 724
server printer options 577 ups 188
service security 764 user account, password options 719
service security maintenance 763, 764, 768 user identity security 714
service security, select users/groups 765 user privileges 257
services configuration 107 user security 742
settings list 799 user security, companies 747
setup, attachments 473 user security, groups 745
shared warehouses 149 user security, options 743
sharepoint cache, clear 498 user security, sites 747
shift breaks 232 user session log report 791
shifts 230 user, account settings 254
shipping receiving configuration 83 user, create 253
shipping receiving, site configuration 180 user, erp options 256
single sign on 734, 735, 737, 738 users 252, 741
Site configurations 143 users/groups report 790
site costs 191
site details 135
sites and part classes 200
V
source book details 374 validations 376
specify exemptions 430 view task parameters 460
SSRS Integration 512
substance maintenance 207
substance restriction type maintenance 208 W
system activity log 782, 783, 786
system agent 451 warehouse bin setup wizard 276
system agent, modify 452 warehouse bin sizes 272
system monitor 468, 594 warehouse bins 273
system monitor, retrieval properties 470 warehouse maintenance 268
system options, define 262 warehouse teams 248
warehouse zones 271
week numbers 196
T where used 195
windows account 729
Target Segments Definition 339 workstation maintenance 517
task agent rules 456

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Additional information is available at the Education and
Documentation areas of the EPICweb Customer Portal. To access
this site, you need a Site ID and an EPICweb account. To create an
account, go to http://support.epicor.com.

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