| Can Clients & Profits support more than one checking account? |
| A. Yes it can. However, there are two issues to be aware of. First, Clients & Profits uses one checkbook, so the same check number can't be used twice. Make sure the check numbers for all of your checking accounts don't run into each other. Second, there is one cash account in preferences (see Setup > Preferences > G/L accounts). The cash account in this window will automatically fill in the cGL when writing checks and the dGL when entering client payments. Enter your primary checking account G/L number in this window. Anytime you need to use your other checking accounts, manually edit the cGL when writing checks or the dGL when entering client payments. |
| Why does the Estimate vs. Billings report include unbilled costs in the remaining balance? Shouldn't the remaining balance be simply the job's estimate minus its billings? |
| The purpose of this report is to show how much more work can be done on client jobs before the estimate is exceeded. If the report showed only estimates less billings, and didn't count unbilled costs, you might think a job has more breathing room that it really does -- which is a common reason jobs go over budget. By including unbilled costs in the remaining amount, you'll see a true picture of the job's real estimate balance. |
| Reports such as the audit trail and G/L journals, and many others, use both a date range and a period when running the report. What is the difference and what do I need to be aware of? |
| Clients & Profits is designed to allow entered information to have a date that falls outside of the period chosen. For example, if you receive an a/p invoice dated 7/4/07 for services in the prior month, and this invoice is entered and posted on 7/6/97, it will have a date added of 7/4/07, dated posted of 7/6/07, and a period of June (period 6 for a calendar fiscal year). Because there are two parameters, date range and period, the information produced by these reports will fall within BOTH. A common mistake our users make is when running a report for one period, for example period 6, they choose a date range of 6/1/07 through 6/30/07 and choose period 6. The problem here is that if you have any information in period 6 with a posted date or date added date (depending on the date type you choose when running the report) outside of that date range it will be excluded from the report. If your goal is to print all information for period 6, regardless of the date, then use a date range that eliminates the date parameter. To do this, leave the 'date from' field empty and in the 'date to' field enter 12/31/09. Clients & Profits has an active date range of 1/1/1980 through 12/31/2079. This will insure all items in period 6, regardless of their date, are picked up by the report. On the other hand, if your goal is to pick up only those items within a certain date range, regardless of the period, then choose 'all periods' and enter the date range you want. You can see this gives our users flexibility, but also potential issues to be aware of. |
| I would like to run job summaries for the jobs I closed last month. What is the best way to do this? |
| Utilize status codes to do this. Create a set of 12 closed status codes, one for each month. When you close a job, assign one of these 12 to the job. You can then run your job summaries by this status code. Make sure that you change these jobs to the permanent closed status, under Setup > Preferences > Status Codes, within a year, otherwise the next year you run job summaries for this status you will include this year's and last year's jobs closed in that month. |
| On my Sales Tax Summary report, if I multiply the total taxable sales under Taxable Sales 1 for a particular county/state by the current tax rate for that county/state it doesn't equal the total sales tax under Tax Amt 1. Why is this? |
| Normally, they should equal. However, with a basic understanding of how the sales tax report works you can determine why they don't equal. The Sales Tax Summary report looks at the Description window on EACH invoice (icon labeled Desc to the left of the invoice) to determine the sales tax rate by which to multiply the taxable amount of that invoice. This total will show up under Tax Amt 1 for that invoice on the Sales Tax Summary report. Therefore, if for any reason the sales tax rate on an invoice is different than the current rate for the county/state this client is in, they won't equal. There are two common reasons for this: First, the sales tax rate for this county/state changed during the date range of the Sales Tax Summary report. Therefore, the invoices for this date range have different sales tax rates in their Description windows. Second, the sales tax preferences and/or client file are not setup correctly causing the wrong sales tax rate to pull into the Description window on the a/r invoices. When you create a new client it pulls the sales tax rate from Setup > Preferences > Sales Tax to the Billing Info window under View > Clients. The rate in the Billing Info window then copies into the Description window of an a/r invoice when it is saved. The sales tax rate on a/r invoices are NOT updated when the sales tax rate in the Billing Info window is edited. Therefore, make sure when you create a new client that the Billing Info window is accurate, so that all subsequent a/r invoices created are also accurate. |
| Can I create an advanced estimate with only two columns? |
| An advanced estimate can have two or three columns. If a job is already set to a simple estimate (one column), to change it to an advanced estimate (multi-column) go to Edit > Edit Job > Estimate Options. Notice the three lines on the row titled 'Columns'. These are the column headings for an estimate. A simple estimate will have a title in the first line only, however an advanced estimate can have a title in all three lines or any combination of two lines. Our users tend to use lines 2 & 3 when creating a two column advanced estimate. Experiment using different line combinations to see which look best for you. Do keep in mind that you can set the estimate type in Job Types/Spec Sheets to default to an advanced estimate when adding a new job by typing the estimate column headings. If you don't use a Job Types/Spec Sheet when adding a job, it will default to a simple estimate. |
| I paid an A/P invoice, then later negotiated a credit on the invoice with our vendor. Our vendor sent us a refund check for the credit. How should I enter this check into Clients & Profits X? |
| The first question you need to ask yourself is if you wish to pass the vendor credit through to your client. This is between you and your client. If you don't pass it through to your client, then enter the refund check as a bank deposit under Accounting > Client Payments > Edit > Add Bank Deposit. You will debit cash and credit the respective job cost account. Then enter a negative expense under Accounting > Expenses to the respective job and task. Enter only a negative net amount equal to the amount of the vendor credit. This ensures the job profitability is affected by the vendor credit. If you do pass the vendor credit through to your client, the only difference is when adding the negative expense you will add a negative gross amount as well (include a markup if applicable). If you want the vendor's ledger in Accounts Payable to reflect the credit, send an e-mail to user_group@clientsandprofits.com and we will respond to your request. |
| Can Clients & Profits X account for an overtime cost rate when a staff member enters time against a job? |
| Yes it can. Enter the overtime cost rate under Setup > Staff > Billing Rates. When a staff member enters their time in time cards they simply need to mark the box for Overtime (OT) and it will put their overtime cost rate on the job. |
| What is the performance of Clients & Profits on a Windows NT server? Can my Macs still access the database through the Appleshare services available under NT? |
| Clients & Profits is very, very fast on an NT machine because it is a 32-bit application. The problem with Windows NT is that it is much harder to setup, use, and maintain for non-technical people (which exist in most agencies). We're seeing more sites with Windows NT for the server and the accounting department, but Macs everywhere else. Since the Mac OS' Finder and file system isn't Power PC-native, all of the disk access is slower than it could be. Although Mac OS 8 has a native Power PC Finder, the underlying file system isn't native -- so the performance increase will be marginal. Things on the Mac won't dramatically improve until the next-generation OS ships (code-named Rhapsody) ships later this year. Keep in mind that Windows NT has its own quirks, so you may be only trading one set of problems for another. Which one is right for you depends on your own tolerance for computer pain. Also, yes your Mac users can still access the database if its stored on a Windows NT server. Windows NT has a special AppleShare-like function that allows Macs and PCs to share the same files. |
| Some of our vendor invoices are paid by check and other by credit card. Occasionally, we will receive an invoice via mail that has already been paid by credit card. I am concerned it may be accidentally paid twice with a check. Can Clients & Profits X inform my A/P people of this potential oversight? |
| Yes it can. Go to the Setup > Vendors > Info window. In this window there is a line titled "Notes". Whatever message you enter on that line will come up on the screen when a user tabs past the vendor field when adding an A/P invoice. In this case, the line should read something like, "Invoices paid by credit card", prompting the user to double check that this invoice has been paid already by credit card. |
| Where can I see overtime hours for all my jobs? |
| Go to Snapshots > Productivity. Mark the overtime box, indicating this is the report you wish to run. You can choose a date range and a particular client or ALL clients for which to run the report. |
| I overbilled a client on an A/R invoice for a job. The client has already paid the invoice. I would like to reflect a credit on the next invoice I send them for this job. How can I do this? |
| The best way to do this is to add an additional task(s) to the second A/R invoice for the task(s) you overbilled on the first invoice. Enter a negative amount on each task equal to the amount of the credit. Keep in mind you can enter the same task code more than once on an A/R invoice. You can also change the name of any task on an A/R invoice. In this case you could change the task name to read "credit on media from invoice xxx", etc. |
| I have a scheduling task on a job that is showing up on the estimate. That is, I am not going to estimate or bill this task. How do I take this task off the estimate? |
| Double click on that task on the job ticket. At the bottom are two boxes marked "Estimating/Billing" and "Scheduling". Uncheck the box next to "Estimating/Billing". If this task is always a scheduling task, make sure you mark the task such in the Task Table to ensure future jobs with this task are marked correctly. Food for Thought: Know the difference between rolling up a task into another on an estimate and unmarking a task for "Estimating/Billing". |
| How do I see the sales tax on an A/R invoice prior to posting it? |
| Go into Accounts Receivable > File > Print Invoices. Mark the "Print Billing Preview" box. It will already be marked if the invoice is unposted. The sales tax calculates on the Billing Preview. Sales tax won't calculate on the A/R invoice until you post it. |
| How big can my Clients & Profits database become? |
| Your database can grow to 2.5 Gigabytes, comprised of 10 segments of approximately 250 Megabytes each. Be aware that before your database size reaches 250 MB you need to manually add a second segment to your database, otherwise you will receive a "data files full" message if you hit the end of your first segment without creating a second segment. For more information read the tech note on our web site entitled "Expanding the size of your Clients & Profits database" at http://www.cnp-x.com/support/faq_tech_index.html. |
| I would like a breakout of the staff members' hours that I billed on a particular A/R invoice. How do I do this? |
| Choose Accounting > Accounts Receivable. Find this invoice, then choose File > Print Invoices. Select the "Print Invoice Detail Report" option, then click Print. |
| Why doesn't my database reduce in size after deleting records out of it? |
| The amount of data within your database is reduced, but its size remains the same. When you delete records from your database, it creates free blocks where those records were located. After new information fills these free blocks, your database will begin to grow in size. |
| An A/R invoice is printing the hours billed. How do I make them not print? |
| Choose Accounting > Accounts Receivable. Find this invoice, then choose the Options icon to the left. Unselect the option "Show hours billed on the printed invoice". |
| I would like to setup standardized jobs to facilitate adding new jobs. How can I do this? |
| You can do this in one of two ways. First, use Job Type/Spec Sheets located under the Setup menu. When adding a job choose to use a Job Type/Spec Sheet that you have already setup. Second, clone an existing job. Choose Production > Job Tickets. Find the job you want to clone. Choose Edit > Clone Job. |
| We normally bill our time a set rate for each task, but for one task we bill a varied rate per staff member. Can I do this in Clients & Profits X? |
| Clients & Profits gives you the flexibility to set tasks on the same job ticket to different time billing methods. In your case, double click on this task on a job ticket and select the "Staff" setting in the "Always use billing rate from:" box. Make sure you setup the bill rate in each staff member's file under Setup > Staff. |
| Can I import my staff's time into Clients & Profits X from a spreadsheet? |
| Yes you can. It is a built-in feature in Clients & Profits Pro and available as a plug-in application in Clients & Profits Classic for an additional fee. Instructions for how to import time are available in the C&P X user guide at http://www.cnp-x.com/user_guide/. After a few trys, you should get the hang of it. |
| How can I remove an estimate disclaimer for one job? |
| Choose Productioni > Job Tickets, then find your job ticket. Then choose Edit > Edit Jobs > Estimate Options. The Estimate Options window contains the client's address, distribution copy names, approval names, and a big field for the estimate's disclaimer. Highlight the disclaimer text, then press the Delete key. The changes you make will only affect this job. |
| Why are my custom font and margin settings lost when I install an update? |
| Unlike other preferences and agency information, font and margin settings are stored in the application itself -- not the database. |
| What is the most common method of calculating an hourly billing rate for Clients & Profits X users? |
| Most of our users bill their time by a task rate. In fact, independent surveys of the advertising agency industry confirm this as well. "The Rubel Surveys - Advertising Agency Charging Practices" states that 61% of agencies with gross incomes between $150,000 and $45,000,000 bill a function (task) rate. Individual (staff) rates are used by 30% of these agencies, while single agency (client) rates are used by 9%. |
| When should I archive/purge my database? |
| It's up to you, but our advice is never. Our thought is this: you've spent so much time building your database of jobs, costs, billings, etc., why trash it? Hard disks are very cheap these days, so storage space isn't the issue it used to be. Also, a larger database doesn't really run much slower than a smaller database. Having several years of data on-line produces very interesting job, cost, and profitability reports (that is, if you take the time to print them). All of this data can give you terrific insights into your business -- which make it worth keeping. |
| I have an open advance billing on one job. Our client wants the advance billing to be applied to a different job. How do I handle this? |
| Add a NEGATIVE advance billing against the old job and a POSITIVE advance billing against the new job. On both invoices, the dGL is A/R and the cGL is your advance billing liability account. |
| What is the difference between Date Posted and Date Added on accounting reports? |
| The "Date Posted" is the date on which the records are posted. The "Date Added" is a specific date field depending on the record type. For A/R invoices it is the invoice's date. For A/P invoices, it is the vendor's invoice date. For checks, it is the check's date. For client payments, it is the payment date. And for journal entries it is the date entered when adding the journal entry. |
| Why can't I change an unposted check's cGL? |
| Since checks are numbered from the checking account (i.e., the cGL) changing the G/L number should also change the check number. This could be very confusing, so C&P X doesn't let that happen. |
| Can my database get too big? |
| Practically speaking, no. The database is made up of segments (which look like regular files on your hard disk). Each segment can contain 250 megabytes of data. The entire database can contain 10 segments of 250mb each, for a total database size of 2.5 gigabytes. What does this mean to you? Since the average Clients & Profits shop adds 25 megabytes of data per year, it won't run out of space for 100 years. Of course, your mileage will vary. |
| Do I need to pre-size my database? |
| No, unless you're having continuous data corruption. The database normally expands a little bit each time something is saved, and this happens automatically. But if your file server, network, or some other system interferes with saving, it can damage the database. By pre-sizing the database you'll make the server work a little easier (since it only has to save the data, and not worry about expanding the database too). Pre-sizing your database is a somewhat technical procedure, so should only be attempted if you know what you're doing. |
| How would you track special billing rates if for one job, one task, there are three different individuals posting time at three different billing rates? |
| Every job task can be billed using a billing rate from the task, client, or staff member. To always use the staff billing rate, you'd need to double-click on the job task then click the always use billing rate from STAFF option. Each staff member can have a different billing rate under Setup > Staff. Keep in mind, each staff member can also have special billing rates, depending on the client and task they're working on (see Setup > Staff > Billing Rates). |
| Why can't I edit the sales tax setting on a job task? |
| You don't have the right access privileges. The ability to edit sales tax is a user privilege that's defined by your system manager. This helps to prevent the sales tax setting from being accidentally changed, which in turn can prevent a taxable task from being mistakenly not charged sales tax -- an expensive mistake. A manager-level user will need to make the change in your User Access Privileges window, checking the can edit sales tax option. |
| When I print my client statements, some invoices aren't showing their aged balances in the proper aging columns. Why? |
| The statement's aged balances are shown from your last A/R aging. That's when the aged amounts are calculated. If the Client Invoice Aging report hasn't been printed for several weeks, then the aged balances on the statements will be out-of-date. Most people print the aging report before printing statements as a double-check for mistakes. This ensures that the statement's aged balances are timely. If you're not sure when the last client aging was printed, print it again just before printing statements. Make sure you select the box to "Age accounts first". |
| I want to bill a job's estimate for 50% up front. Is there any easy way to do this? |
| Yes. An A/R invoice can be added specifically for an estimate billing. Add an invoice, then enter the job number. Then choose Estimate Billing from the Billing Type pop-up menu. The Estimate Billing Option dialog box opens, prompting you to select the invoice's billing options. Enter 50 in the "billing amount" field, indicated fifty percent, then enter the rest of the invoice. Every task that has an estimate will appear on the printed invoice. The amount for each item will be 50% of the job task's estimate. |
| In Clients & Profits Pro/Agency Manager there's a WIP report called G/L Accruals. When I print this report, some media costs appear as 'unbilled' when I know the job has been billed. Why aren't these costs appearing as 'billed'? |
| Clients & Profits Pro updates a cost's billing status at the time the A/R invoice is saved. In this case, the media was likely pre-billed before the cost (i.e., the A/P invoice) was entered. (This is typical for media costs.) Since the media costs aren't added yet, there's nothing for the billing to be applied to. When the media costs are eventually added, they don't know that they have actually been billed already -- which is why they appear as 'unbilled.' In these situations you need to reconcile the job's billings with its costs using the Verify/Recover Job's Cost Status utility. This utility reapplies a job's billings to its costs, oldest first. If you've billed accurately for the media, all of the job's costs will then appear as 'billed'Ó on cost reports -- and won't appear at all on the G/L Accruals report. |
| What is the client paid column on my A/P aging? |
| This column shows when a client paid the A/R invoice on which this cost was billed. The "client paid" field is updated when a client payment is posted, so that you know when a client has paid for a billed job cost. It is the only way to prevent an A/P invoice from being paid before the client has paid its bill. It keeps you from paying your invoices before having the client's payment in hand. |
| Why do some of the invoices on my A/P aging have a date in the "client paid" column and others don't? I know my clients have paid the A/R invoice that billed these costs. |
| The "client paid" is updated when client payments are posted. Here's what happens: when a client payment is being posted, Clients & Profits looks for the job costs that were billed on each of the client's invoices. The client's payment amount is then applied in order (oldest first) to the job's costs. The problem occurs when you pre-bill a job (i.e., bill a cost before the job's A/P invoices are posted). That's because there's no job cost to update when the client payment is posted. At this time there's no way to edit an A/P invoice's client paid field. |
| How does Clients & Profits X account for the cost of labor when my employees enter time? |
| The cost per hour is always copied from the Staff window. Hourly cost is a user-defined rate, and is purely a subjective decision. Some agencies use the employee's actual cost (i.e., salary + benefits / hours worked per year), while others use a weighted average for the same kind of employees (e.g., creatives, acct execs, admin, etc.). The cost rate is important, though, and shouldn't be empty -- otherwise you won't see the cost of staff time on job reports. |
| When would I use the overtime cost rate? |
| The overtime cost rate should only be used if you actually pay someone more (including a bonus) for their overtime hours. The overtime cost rate will make the job's cost higher, showing that it cost more to have someone working overtime on the task. If you don't pay overtime, then leave the overtime cost the same as the staffer's regular cost rate. |
| My creatives sometimes forget to enter their time. Can Clients & Profits make them enter their hours? |
| Yes, sort of. Clients & Profits can't literally mind-meld with the staffer and extract their time card via ESP, but it can remind them if they haven't entered enough hours for the day. There's an option in the Staff Hours window (choose Setup > Staff then click the Hours button) called Òrequire daily time cards.Ó If this option is checked, the staff member can't quit Clients & Profits without being warned that they're time card is missing posted hours. If you choose the option Òeach days hours must equal planned hoursÓ, then Clients & Profits will not let them post a time card until they enter hours equal to or greater than the planned hours for them in the Hours window for that day. The staffer can still ignore the warnings and quit C&P anyway, but at least you know they were warned. |
| How can I verify that the cost per hour for a staffer is accurate? |
| The cost per hour for a staffer is an estimate, calculated through dividing the estimated variable costs by the number of estimated billing hours for this staffer over a given time frame. After this time frame is complete, determine the actual variable costs for this employee. Then print a time report from Accounting > Time Sheets for this staffer for the given date range to determine the actual hours he or she billed. Divide the two to determine your actual cost per hour for this staffer. If the estimated cost per hour materially disagrees with the actual cost per hour, then either your staffer isn't billing the hours you thought he or she would bill, or the estimated variable costs were not accurate. The cost per hour for a staff member is located under Setup > Staff. |
| What's the quickest way to print a sales journal for the last three months? I need it to verify sales for my business license. |
| The G/L Sales Journal is the best report. The Sales Journal is printed from the General Ledger, so is based on journal entries. It lets you select A/R journal entries for a range of invoice dates (i.e., the Òdate addedÓ). To print the Sales Journal: Choose Accounting > General Ledger. Then choose File > Print Journals. Choose Òdate addedÓ from the pop-up menu, then enter the date range for the quarter you need. Choose Òall periodsÓ from the Period pop-up menu to get all entries for that time period, then click Sales Journal (A/R). |
| Why would I use the sort number on a job task? |
| The sort number determines how the job task will be sorted on estimates, invoices, and job reports. Job tasks are always sorted within groups, letting you control how tasks appear to your clients. In addition, there's a Schedule Sort which is used to sort tasks on job schedules. The schedule sort is used to show which tasks are finished first. |
| How can I add our company logo to the Introduce Yourself window? I would like our company logo to come up when our users introduce themselves, can Clients & Profits do this? |
| First, copy your logo from a graphics program into the clipboard, making sure it's the exact size of the Introduce Yourself picture field (about 1Ó x 2Ó). Then switch to Clients & Profits. Choose Setup > Preferences > Introduce Yourself Graphic. Click into the picture field, then choose Edit > Paste. Once the graphic is saved, everyone will see the logo when they start Clients & Profits. Tip: Be creative and change the Introduce Yourself graphic frequently. Use it to promote events, good news, and build company spirit. |
| Why do I sometimes get a Òlow memoryÓ error message when printing reports? |
| If you're using a Macintosh, make sure you've selected the LaserWriter 8 printer driver in the Chooser. Older versions of the LaserWriter driver (which aren't deleted when you install new ones), are incompatible with Clients & Profits and cause these errors. |
| How can I export data from financial statements into an Excel spreadsheet? |
| If you print financial statements to the screen, use your mouse to select the rows and columns you wish to export. Then choose Edit > Copy. Switch to your spreadsheet program, then choose Edit > Paste. The data from the financial statements will appear as rows and columns in the spreadsheet! |
| I mailed an invoice to a client that included sales tax. I later found out that I shouldn't have included sales tax. The client sent me a check for the amount of the invoice less sales tax. How should I handle this in Clients & Profits? |
| Unpost the A/R invoice, then double click on the tasks that were marked for sales tax that shouldn't have been marked such. Unselect sales tax on these tasks. Repost the invoice. Enter the client payment as normal. This method is recommended because your sales tax report is only affected when A/R invoices are posted and unposted. If you were to clear the remaining balance of the A/R invoice with a debit to sales tax payable, your G/L would be accurate, but your sales tax report would be inaccurate. |
| My vendor lookup list isn't showing every vendor. I know there are some old vendors missing from the list. How can I get them to appear in the lookup window? |
| The lookup list only shows active vendors, so the missing vendors are probably marked as ÒinactiveÓ in the Vendors window. To make an inactive vendor active again, check the ÒactiveÓ checkbox for each vendor. Those vendors will then appear on the lookup list the next time Clients & Profits is started. ¥ To see all vendors in the lookup list, click the Show All toolbar button. |
| I need everyone out of of Clients & Profits to make a backup copy of the database. How can I see who is still working in the database? |
| Choose View > Information Center then choose File > Print User List. This windows lists everyone who uses Clients & Profits, indicating their last start and stop time. Any user who doesn't have a stop time is still using the database (or has turned off their computer without quitting Clients & Profits). |
| I just saved a job with the wrong client. Do I have to delete the job and add it over again? |
| No. The Renumber utility has a special function to change a job's client number. Choose Setup > Utilities > Renumber Then select the One Job's Client option from the Renumber pop-up menu. You'll need to enter the job number, then press tab. You'll see the job's current client. Enter the job's new client then click OK. The job will be changed to use the new client number. |
| Can I change the margins on a printed estimate to fit our custom letterhead? |
| Yes. Choose Setup > Report Options > Estimate Options. You'll see three customizable fields: left margin, top margin, and bottom margin. Entering a new margin here will change the position of the estimate on the printed page. ¥ Margins for a printed invoice can be changed in the same way: Choose Setup > Report Options > Invoice Options. |
| How can I change the margins on a printed purchase order? |
| Choose Setup > Utilities > Report Parameters. Scroll down the list to the report format named Purchase_Order. Click on it once then click Parameters. Enter the new margins in the Parameters window then click OK. ¥ These changes are made to the Clients & Profits application itself, not to the database. They are lost each time a new update to C&P is installed. Also, these changes must be made to each copy of Clients & Profits that prints purchase orders. |
| Why does the job number appear as ÒAUTOMATICÓ whenever I add a new job ticket? |
| The job numbering preference in Clients & Profits has been set to Always prevent duplicates. Automatic numbering prevents users from entering their own job numbers, which could cause out-of-order job numbers. The Always prevent duplicates option prevents duplicate job numbers from being created when several people are adding jobs at the same time. When this option is selected, the job number isn't created until the job is saved. That's when you'll see it. |
| Our job numbers contain a client code. Recently, a job was added to the wrong client. I used the Renumber utility to renumber the job's client. The job ticket is now opened with the right client, but the job number still contains the old client code. What happened? |
| The job number is created from several different variables, including the year, various sequential numbers, and an optional client code. It's not literally connected to the client, which is why it didn't change when the job's client was changed. To correct the job number, you'll need to renumber the job number using the Renumber utility. |
| Our accounting department loves Clients & Profits, but the traffic people don't use it. Where can we find a good summary of the trafficking features in C&P? |
| The user guide, of course, has a complete chapter on job tickets. There's also the ÒTraffic Manager's Guide to Clients & ProfitsÓ that illustrates the basic production management functions in the software. Both the traffic guide and the various traffic reports can be downloaded from the web site: http://www.clientsandprofits.com/support/at_work.html http://www.clientsandprofits.com/report-o-matic.html |
| Is there a limit to the number of line items that can be added to a PO? |
| No, there's no literal limit to the number of lines added to a PO. There's a practical limit, since you'd have to reconcile each line with an A/P invoice eventually. A purchase order with 100 lines can be very time-consuming to reconcile with the vendor's invoice -- and prone to user error. |
| Is there a limit to the number of vendor invoices that can fit on a check remittance stub? |
| Yes. The standard Deluxe check (#080900, which has a stub on top and a memo section on the bottom, with the check itself in the center) will show 17 invoices per check. Clients & Profits will not automatically create a second check if you select more the 17 invoices on a check. The alternative check (#081004, which has the check section on top and a double-sized stub) supports 34 lines. If you consistently pay more than 17 invoices per check, then the alternate Deluxe check would work better. |
| We've been writing checks all year to a free-lancer. I just noticed that the free-laner's vendor account does not have the option to Òincluding checks on year-end 1099 reportÓ checked. What will happen to this vendor's checks? We need him to appear on the 1099 report. |
| Since the 1099 report is based on checks, it's important that each check be marked as a Ò1099Ó check. This happens when each check is written (i.e., the 1099 information is copied from the vendor account to the check). If not, you can manually edit the checks, checking the 1099 checkbox. Any check that is marked as a 1099 check will appear on the year-end reports and tax forms. |
| What's the difference between the Done and Save buttons on the Add Job Tasks window? |
| The Add Job Tasks window is designed to let you add many job tasks at the same time. Unlike other windows in Clients & Profits, job tasks are saved automatically as soon as you tab past the Sort field. Clicking Save isn't required, since C&P does it for you. The Save button exists in case someone prefers to save a task without tabbing. The Done button simply closes the window when you've finished adding your job tasks. |
| I changed the markup for TYPE in the Task Table, but the old markup is still appearing on A/P invoices. Why? |
| When an A/P invoice is added, the markup is copied from the job task -- not the Task Table. Changing a task in the Task Table doesn't retroactively change existing job unless you select the Òupdate existing job tasksÓ option. That's probably why your existing job tasks still have the old markup. ¥ Be careful when using the Òupdate existing job tasksÓ option. This option copies the task's latest settings to existing job tasks, including the task name, G/L accounts, and sales tax status. Unless you're sure that all existing tasks should have these new settings, don't check the Òupdate existing job tasksÓ checkbox. Instead, change individual job tasks one-by-one as needed. |
| When I open Clients & Profits, there's a long wait while the job lookup list is loaded. How can I stop this? |
| Pre-loading the job lookup list is a user-defined preference in the user Access Privileges window. Your system manager can enter a range of status codes here, which tells C&P to load your job lookup list at startup. The time it takes to load the job lookup list is strictly based on the number of jobs in your database. The load time can be shortened by entering a smaller range of status codes (for example, only work in progress jobs). Removing the status codes will keep the lookup list from loading automatically at startup. However, if you choose Lookup > Job Tickets the list will load at that time -- showing all open jobs. The decision to make is whether to take the time at startup or when you use the lookup list for the first time. |
| There are some tasks on my printed estimate that have no estimate amount. These amounts appear as ÒNo ChargeÓ but I'd like to change it. Where do I change it? |
| The words ÒNo ChargeÓ are part of the job's estimate options. Choose Edit > Estimate Options. Any phase (as long as it is short) can be entered here, and will appear on job tasks that have no estimate. It can also be left blank to show no explanation at all. |
| I'm trying to close a job, but it won't close. What's going wrong? |
| The can't close jobs with unbilled costs is probably enabled. This option prevents jobs from being closed if they have unbilled costs, which is a good security feature. It forces people to double-check their job totals before closing a job. You can change the setting by choosing Setup > Preferences > General then checking or unchecking the option. |
| I can't edit the sales tax setting on a job task. Why can't I change it? |
| You don't have the access privileges to edit sales tax. Access privileges are set by system managers in the Users, Access & Passwords window. |
| Is there a way to set the date format to DD/MM/YY? |
| Yes. The date format is a system preference. It can be changed by choosing Setup > Preferences > General. At the bottom of the window you'll see a selection of date formats. The one you want is at the bottom-left (labeled 30/4/96). |
| I just posted a batch of A/R invoices. What report can I print to help me proof the posting? |
| The Sales Journal, which is printed from the General Ledger, shows a line-for-line listing of journal entries created from posting A/R invoices. It should match your A/R Proof List exactly, except for sales tax (which doesn't appear on the proof list). To print the Sales Journal, choose Accounting > General Ledger, then File > Print Journals. Click the Sales Journal button, then enter today's date and the current period (or whatever selection is needed). The report can be printed to the screen for an on-line review of your posting. |
| I have a credit card invoice that contains both job and overhead costs. How do I enter this vendor invoice? |
| When you're adding the A/P invoice, be sure to click the distribute to many jobs, tasks checkbox. Once the invoice is saved, the A/P Job Costing window opens, where you'll be prompted to enter jobs, tasks, and dGLs for the invoice. For those items on the credit card bill going to overhead, make sure you enter the word ÒNONEÓ for job, which tells Clients & Profits not to treat those amounts as job costs. |
| We're adding some new users to Clients & Profits, but they're only allowed to see data and print reports. Should they be set to have read-only access at the server level? |
| No, this won't work. It will prevent users from logging into the database from the Introduce Yourself window. When someone with read only access tries to open the database, they'll be prompted to open a different database. So everyone who uses Clients & Profits must have read/write access to the server. If you wish to limit a users access, do this through the Users, Access & Passwords window in Clients & Profits. |
| Our largest client has several business units, each of which opens their own jobs. We've added each business unit as a separate client. Can we combine jobs from the various business units onto a single invoice? |
| Yes. Clients & Profits can bill any job to any client. In this case you'll add a Multi-Job Billing. The invoice will be billed to the corporate account, not the various business units (called ÒdivisionsÓ in Clients & Profits). The multi-job invoice can then include dozens of jobs from the different business units. |
| I recently closed my fiscal year, and now some old outstanding checks no longer appear on the Bank Reconciliation. What happened to them? |
| In Clients & Profits, the bank reconciliation is based on journal entries posted from checks and client payments, as well as entries added directly into the General Ledger. Since closing the year erases the year's journal entries, the uncleared items are erased, too. (It's a known limitation that will be resolved in an upcoming upgrade.) The solution is to manually account for uncleared items in the bank rec totals to get the Reconciliation to balance. |
| How can I quickly see the costs for one task on a job ticket? |
| It's easy. First, find your job ticket. Then click on a job task to select it. Then click the View Costs button (it at the top-right of the tool bar). In a few seconds you'll see the task's costs. You can see costs for several tasks at once by shift-clicking on various tasks (if you use PCs, press Control then click on a job task). To see costs for all job tasks, choose Edit > Select All then click the View Costs button. |
| I bill 50% of the job's estimate in advance, then later add a progress billing for the remaining unbilled costs. My client wants to see the job's estimate and previous billings on the progress/final invoice. How can I do this? |
| The invoice has a display option for Òshow items, amounts, estimates + previous billingsÓ that will show the client what they want. To change this option, choose Edit > Invoice Options then click on the Òshow items...Ó display option. |
| We always bill one client 100% of the job's estimate. If the job comes in under the estimate, I need to credit them on future jobs. How should I handle this? |
| If a job is over-billed, you'll see negative amounts on the over-billed tasks' Unbilled total. These are your credit amounts. You can then create a Progress/Final billing for those negative amounts. Since the invoice has a negative balance, which is the credit memo your client is looking for. (The credit invoice will also appear on the client's statement and aging report.) Later, the invoice's credit balance can be applied to regular invoice when applying a client payment. |
| When will Clients & Profits link together with contact managers like Now Up-to-Date? |
| It's under development, but it's not going to happen soon. The problem is keeping the data in sync with remote users. When they return to the office, their info will overwrite the server's data -- which could be a shock from someone in the office who entered data that morning. These kinds of interfaces are very difficult to coordinate on a daily basis because of the operating system limitations. The technology to communicate between applications just isn't there. We think it'll be best to wait until Clients & Profits is completely web-based and agencies have PCs with wireless LANs. That's probably 3-5 years away. |
| We print client invoices on our letterhead. Because the letterhead is pre-printed with our address, we don't want the billing address to print on the A/R invoice. How can be keep the billing address from printing? |
| It's a system option that's part of the Invoice Options window. Choose Setup > Report Options > Invoices, then uncheck the ÒShow agency billing address on invoicesÓ option. |
| I am doing the bank reconciliation in Clients & Profits, but it doesn't balance because I forgot to enter my bank fees into the G/L. Do I need to start over? |
| No. Clients & Profits can temporarily save your bank reconciliation (just click the Save button). Once you've posted your bank fee journal entries, your bank rec will return to where it left off. The entries you'd marked as ÒclearedÓ will appear as cleared. |
| I have a job with a task called Printing. The task includes costs for pre-press, printing, and an expensive last-minute revision. How can I show these amounts separately on an invoice? |
| It's easy -- just add Printing several times to the invoice. The same task can appear multiple times on the same invoice, each with a different amount and even a different description. In this case, you'd add the Printing task three times: Pre-press, Printing (which is the actual printing cost), and Revisions. When the invoice is posted, the billing amounts for all three items update the one Printing task. When the invoice is printed, your client will see the important detail they need to see. |
| Is the accounting period based on the date? |
| No. The accounting period is a user-defined preference. Since it isn't based on the date, it gives you the flexibility to enter costs and billings any date and still choose the financial period that should be affected. |
| Do internal tasks need default credit and debit G/L numbers? |
| No. Internal tasks, which are typically used to track unbillable time (and aren't usually billed to clients), normally don't affect the General Ledger. They don't need default G/L numbers, but it doesn't hurt anything to include them on the tasks. |
| Why do time entries have an accounting period, even though they don't affect the General Ledger? |
| Several profitability reports analyze profit for an accounting period, and time is an important factor in profitability. These reports compare billings, costs, and time for a specific period to truly show how well the agency performed for each month. If time entries didn't include accounting periods, the cost of labor couldn't be included on these reports. |
| Does the current accounting period change automatically? |
| No. You should change the current accounting period (see Setup > Preferences > Accounting Periods) as soon as you've posted the bulk of last month's work, just before you're ready to enter the new month's work. |
| I posted an A/R invoice for a job and later determined that I want to move some of the billing amounts from one task to another. I know how to do a job cost transfer which moves costs from one task to another, but is there such a feature for billing amounts? |
| No there isn't. You will need to unpost the A/R invoice, then double click on the lines you wish to change. Edit the amount and click save. Repost the invoice. |
| Some of my vendors have the same payment terms on all of the A/P invoices they send us. Is there a way to set up these terms so that I don't need to key them in each time I enter an A/P invoice for these vendors? |
| Yes there is. Go to Setup > Vendors. Find one of these vendors and then click on the Info icon to the left. Enter the terms in this window. Any new A/P invoices added for this vendor will now fill in these terms automatically. |
| I would like to adjust my vendor account aging periods from 30 - 60 - 90 days to 10 - 20 - 30 days to get a better cash outflow picture for the next month. Can I do this? |
| Yes you can. Go to Snapshots > Vendor Account Aging. In this window you have the option to change the aging periods. Make sure you select the option Age accounts first prior to printing the vendor account aging. |
| I installed Clients & Profits on my PC. I want to create a shortcut and place it on my desktop. On which file should I make the shortcut? |
| Make the shortcut on the C&P application file, not the C&P Player. The Clients & Profits application file has a .LBR extension (e.g., CPAM270.LBR). Double-clicking on this shortcut opens both the C&P Player and the application, which is usually a separate step. |
| How can I see job profitability for a particular AE? |
| The Job Profit-to-Date profitability report compares billings, costs, and profit by client and AE/Team. This report selects jobs by status, a range of start dates (so you can select jobs opened for the quarter, for example), and an AE/Team. To print this report, choose Snapshots > Profitability. Choose AE from the show total profit by pop-up menu, enter the AE's initial, then click Print. TIP: Select closed jobs using your closed status to only compare finished, billed jobs. |
| What's the best way to add an A/P invoice that references part of a multi-line purchase order? |
| Add the A/P invoice like usual, but click on the distribute to many jobs and tasks option. Instead of entering a job and task here, you'll be prompted to enter any number of cost amounts. For each cost amount you'll enter the purchase order number and a line number, which points to a specific line amount on the PO. |
| I had to quickly hand write a check for a delivery. I am now entering it into Clients & Profits. Do I need to select the box Hand-written check (don't print)? |
| The hand-written check option prevents this check from being printed. That's all. This is helpful if you are printing a range of checks and the check you hand wrote is in the middle of this range. Selecting this box would then prevent you from needing a place holder blank piece of paper for the hand-written check. |
| I would like to add milestone titles to a job ticket that doesn't have any. How can I do this? |
| Milestone titles are related to Job Type/Spec Sheets. To add milestone titles, edit the Job Type/Spec Sheet associated with this job ticket to include milestone titles. Find this job and click on the Traffic icon to the left. Milestone titles now exist on this job. Keep in mind, any other jobs using this Job Type/Spec Sheet now have these milestone titles as well. Note: This is the only area of Job Type/Spec Sheets that is dynamically related to the job ticket. That is, if you edit other areas of an existing Job Type/Spec Sheet, such as estimate column headings, user-defined field names, tasks, etc., they will not change existing jobs using this Job Type/Spec Sheet. |
| We're new Clients & Profits users, and I'm curious about how much control I have over how checks print. We've been using QuickBooks and still have a lot of its checks on-hand. Can I use these QuickBook checks with Clients & Profits? |
| Probably not. Although Clients & Profits uses a generic check form, it's probably not close enough to your QuickBooks-based checks to work. It might be close, but the fields aren't likely to align correctly. It's worth printing a few test checks, but you'll most likely need to buy new checks. |
| A client has requested some changes to their job that will affect its original estimate. What can we do? |
| Instead of revising the estimate, add a change order. Change Orders track modifications made to a job's estimate after it has been authorized by the client. A printed change order resembles an estimate but shows only the cost and description of the changes being made. To add a change order to a job, find the Job Ticket and choose Edit > Change Orders. |
| Having never gone through a year-end closing in Clients & Profits, I don't know what happens to this year's open jobs. If a job number has a 97 in it, do I need to renumber it to have a 98 in it? Also, do all on-going jobs have to have a closed status before closing out the year? |
| No. Jobs that are carried over from one year to the next don't change, they just stay open. There's no real reason to renumber the jobs with a 1998-based job number. Since job and cost reports are based on date or status, the job number just isn't important. Closing the year and closing a job aren't related. Jobs should be closed whenever they are finally billed and paid, regardless of the time of year. |
| We need to send a vendor a revised purchase order. What's the best way to make it clear that the PO has been revised? |
| The purchase order status gives a brief description of a purchase order's progress (i.e., Revision, Client Approved, Change Order). The PO status is not a status code and does not use the Status Table. Instead, it is a simple customizable word or phrase. The italicized status appears just below the purchase order heading and prints in red if you print to a color printer - making it clearly visible to the vendor. To edit a purchase order's status, find the purchase order and click the Specs button. |
| What does the ÔAuto-allocate' option do on checks? |
| The auto-allocate option selects and pays unpaid A/P invoices automatically. The payment is allocated to the vendor's oldest invoices first. After the check is saved, you can then fine-tune the check's payments - making any needed changes to the distribution. |
| Can we fax purchase orders to vendors directly from Clients & Profits? |
| Yes, if your computer has the ability to fax (i.e., a built-in modem or access to a network modem). For example, the Global Village One World is a networkable fax modem that lets anyone on the network fax from their Mac (we use a One World at Working Computer). The fax modem appears in the Chooser just like a printer. You'll simply choose the fax modem, then print your purchase order like usual. But instead of using the printer, the report is sent to the fax modem. |
| We prefer to find time sheets by record number, but Clients & Profits always prompts for the staff initials first. Is there any way to change that? |
| Yes. Choose Setup > Preferences > General to edit the general preferences. Then change the ÔFind time by' option to Number. When you choose to find time sheets, Clients & Profits will prompt for the record number first. |
| We received a refund from a vendor. How do I enter it into Clients & Profits? |
| You can add a bank deposit. Choose Accounting > Client Payments then choose Edit > Add Bank Deposit. To pass on the refund to your client, enter a negative expense to adjust the job task's billable amount. Choose Accounting > Expenses then choose Edit > Add Expense. Add an expense entry with a negative gross amount. |
| I have an A/R invoice with a task that has no billing amount. When the invoice is printed, this task appears as Òno charge.Ó How can I change it to read ÒincludedÓ instead? |
| Find the A/R invoice and click the Options button. The words ÒNo ChargeÓ appear automatically in the ÔShow zero as' field but can be changed. Any brief phrase can be entered here and will appear on job tasks that have no amount. It can also be left blank to show no explanation at all. |
| How do I get a job's description to appear on an A/R invoice? |
| After saving the invoice, click the Options button and check the Show Job Description option. When the invoice is printed, the job ticket's description will appear below the invoice's total. |
| We normally invoice all of our tasks based on the staff member's billing rates. However, we've made an arrangement with our client to invoice a job at a special rate. Can this be done? |
| Yes. Double click on a job task, choose to ÔAlways use billing rate from Task' and enter the hourly billable rate. This rate will be used on time cards and time sheets, regardless of staff member. |
| We just got new letterhead, and now the invoices don't fit the page. Where can I change the invoice's margins? |
| Choose Setup > Report Options > Invoices. You'll see three customizable fields: left margin, top margin, and bottom margin. Entering a new margin here will change the position of the invoice on the printed page. |
| Will it ever be possible to e-mail an estimate to a client directly from Clients & Profits? |
| Not likely. The format of an estimate -- a form -- wouldn't look good as an e-mail message, which is just unformatted text. That's always been the problem, since the body of an e-mail message can't include margins, tab stops, etc. All of the text of the estimate would run together, which would drive the art directors crazy. And I can't imagine clients would be too hot on how the e-mail estimates looked either. There is however an alternate solution. It is possible to print to a PDF and then e-mail the PDF to the client. Check here for more information : http://www.clientsandprofits.com/support/FAQs/tech_notes/technote_PDFs.html |
| Why can't job cost transfers be unposted? |
| To create an accurate audit trail for better accountability. Instead, add another job cost transfer to reverse an incorrect entry. |
| On change orders there's a checkbox labeled ÒOK'd by client.Ó What's that for? |
| It's a simple checkbox that indicates that a change order has been approved by the client. To prevent potential misunderstandings or confusion when billing, the ÒOK'd by ClientÓ option can be checked to indicate which change orders have been approved by the client. Once approved, the change order amounts are unchangeable. |
| Do change order amounts affect a job's estimate? |
| No. A separate change order amount is tracked for each task and does not affect the original estimate. Both estimate amounts and change order amounts appear on job tickets, summaries, and progress reports individually. |
| What happens if I don't use the auto-allocate option when adding a vendor check? |
| The check amount won't be applied automatically to the vendor's oldest invoices. Instead, you will manually select the invoices to be paid. After writing a vendor check and saving, the Apply Vendor Payment window lists the vendor's unpaid invoices. Click on the invoices that are to be paid with this check. |
| Several job tasks are scheduled to a staff member, but she will be on vacation. The tasks need to be assigned to somebody else. Is there a quick way to update the job schedule? |
| Reassigning a job task to a new resource can be automated by using the Change Resource option. From the job schedule window click the Change Resource tool-bar button. Enter the old resource and the new resource. Click OK and the tasks will be reassigned to the new resource automatically. |
| I'd like to change the estimate heading on a job to ÒQuoteÓ instead of ÒEstimateÓ. Can this be done? |
| Yes. From the Job Ticket window, choose Edit > Edit Job > Estimate Options. Change the estimate heading then click Save. Your change will affect this job's estimate only. |
| Can we post some transactions into the new year before the previous year is closed? |
| No. If you post work into the new year without closing the previous year, your general ledger will be inaccurate. Work that is posted prior to closing the year becomes part of the previous year's financials. |
| What happens if ÒNote when status changesÓ is checked in the Traffic window? |
| When this option is selected a dated entry is automatically added to the client status notes/comments/next steps documenting any changes to the job's production or billing status. |
| Can we show a client their costs on a job without revealing our agency's costs? |
| Yes. The job cost report can be printed to show only the gross amounts. When printing a job cost report, deselect the ÔShow cost amounts' option. The net cost and cost rates will be hidden. |
| On the task table, what is a task's Òlead timeÓ used for? |
| Lead time is the typical number of days needed to complete a task. The lead time is copied to the job and is used by the automatic job scheduling to create a ballpark schedule of task due dates and start dates. |
| Do I need to make reversing journal entries in the General Ledger after voiding a check? |
| No. Voiding a check posts reversing entries in the G/L automatically. |
| I've setup a G/L account to track employee bonuses. Because of its sensitive nature, I don't want users to see that account. What can I do? |
| Any G/L account can be made confidential, which hides it from non manager-level users. Confidential accounts don't appear on reports or in the lookup list, and can be used only by managers. To make a G/L account confidential, choose Setup > Chart of Accounts. Double-click on the account, choose Edit, and click the Confidential checkbox. |
| I need to change the job type/spec sheet on an existing job ticket. Will it update the job's tasks? |
| No. While the job type/spec sheet defaults are copied to the job ticket, the job's tasks will remain unchanged. Either delete the existing job ticket and re-enter it using the correct job type/spec sheet or manually add/delete tasks to the job ticket. |
| I didn't select auto-allocate when adding a vendor check. Can I still auto-allocate on the apply vendor payment window? |
| No. You'll need to either delete and reenter the check or manually select the invoices that are to be paid. |
| When should we close a job? |
| Jobs are usually closed after the final invoice has been sent to the client. It's typically a production function (i.e., a production manager decides that the job is closed then changes the job status to closed). Anyone with access to traffic can close jobs though, so its up to you. Once a job is closed it won't appear on the lookup list. |
| Does C&P have a checkbook register? |
| The Checkbook List shows checks but not job costing or A/P information. This report provides a concise check register for a specified time period. To print the report choose Accounting > Checkbook > File > Print Cash Reports > List. |
| I need to close several jobs. Do I have to click the Closed checkbox on each job ticket individually? |
| No. You can close many jobs at once from the Job Status window. Choose View > Job Status. Enter your selections, then click Find. Click on a job, enter your default Closed status and tab. Repeat this step to update other jobs, then click Save. Each job ticket is updated immediately and the Closed checkbox is selected automatically. |
| Since only one default A/R account can be entered in G/L Account Preferences, what's the best way to handle multiple A/R accounts? |
| Leave the default Accounts Receivable G/L account in Preferences blank. Users will then be required to manually enter a dGL account when they're adding a new invoice. They can use the Chart of Accounts lookup list to select the correct account. |
| What is the Ôfinished' date on job schedules for? |
| The finished date is the date on which the job task was completed. It is optional but it will tell you how well you're meeting planned deadlines. Also, scheduled tasks with finished dates are kept from appearing on traffic reports. |
| A change order that was OK'd by the client isn't going to be charged after all. Can we delete it? |
| No. An approved change order cannot be deleted. To adjust the job ticket, add a credit change order instead. |
| Is there a vendor list that prints payments to date, as well as last years payments? |
| No, there isn't a report that compares vendor payments from year to year. The best option is to print a checkbook report that lists payments by payee for this year, then print it again for last year. |
| I'm entering the last three hours for a task on my timecard. Do I have to find the task on the job schedule to mark it finished? |
| No. After entering a task's final hours, you can mark the task as finished directly on your timecard. After entering the job and task, click the Schedule button to open the Update Task Schedule window. Click the Finished checkbox. Today's date will be entered automatically, but you can change it. Click Save and the task is updated immediately. |
| We have several purchase orders that have been partially invoiced but have remaining balances. How can we close them? |
| A purchase order is closed only after it's balance is zero. Clicking the purchase order's Closed checkbox changes it's net cost amount to equal it's amount invoiced in Accounts Payable. |
| An A/R invoice shows a posted date but it still appears on the proof list. Is there a way to correct this? |
| Try posting again by choosing File > Post > Post All Unposted Invoices. The original posting was probably interrupted. If you choose to batch post again, posting will pickup where it left off and complete the process. It's a good idea to check your G/L afterwards to confirm the entries. |
| What happens when a vendor check is voided? |
| Voiding a check automatically posts reversing entries in the General Ledger, then either reduces the job's costs or increases the vendor's A/P balance. |
| We don't want client names to appear on printed purchase orders. Can we change this? |
| Yes. Choose Setup > Preferences > Purchase Orders. Deselect the option to ÒShow client name on purchase ordersÓ and click Save. On the printed purchase order the vendor will see only the job number and the client will remain confidential. |
| Why can't I delete a staff member that has time sheets? |
| If the staff member were deleted, his or her hours would appear nameless on time and productivity reports. You'd only see the person's initials, since there is no longer a staff member name in Clients & Profits to display. It may not be a problem now, but a year or later those initials might not be recognizable to someone reading the reports. |
| If a staff member with time sheets can't be deleted, what do I do with one who no longer works here? |
| Make the ex-staff member inactive. Time can't be added to inactive staffers, which will keep them from being used by mistake. Also, inactive staff members won't appear on the lookup list. To make a staff member inactive, choose Setup > Staff > find the staff member > click the Edit tool-bar button > uncheck the Active checkbox > click Save. |
| We are setting up a staff member's special billing rates. If the special rate will apply to all tasks, does a special rate entry have to be added for every task? |
| No, as long as the special rate entry uses the task ÒALL.Ó It tells Clients & Profits to use this special rate for all tasks worked on for a client. A separate special rate entry only needs to be entered if there are even more special rates for selected tasks for one client. |
| When cloning a job ticket, can the job's task start and due dates be copied to the new job? |
| Yes. When you clone a job, you should see several options at the bottom of the window--including one to clone the job's task schedules. Once the new job is saved, you can freely change the start and due dates for any task. |
| When adding new jobs, why do our estimates always default to the advanced estimate format? |
| The advanced format is being copied from a job type/spec sheet. You can use a job type/spec sheet's estimate options to automatically make a new job's estimate simple or advanced. To change a spec sheet's estimate options choose Setup > Job Types/Spec Sheets. Click once on a spec sheet you wish to change, then click the Est Options button. Make your changes, then click Save. These changes will apply to any newly-added job. Existing jobs won't be affected. |
| Why would I use sub-classes in the Chart of Accounts? |
| Sub-classes are used to arrange and sub-total accounts on financial statements, making them easier to read. Typical sub-classes include Current Assets, Long-Term Liabilities, etc. They are user-defined so you can create as many sub-classes as needed. An account can belong to only one sub-class. |
| We'd like to call Òprofit centersÓ something different. Can this be changed? |
| Yes. In Clients & Profits Pro, the term Òprofit centerÓ is customizable, just like the names ÒclientsÓ and Òjob ticketsÓ. They are changed in Preferences, and are cosmetic (i.e., they don't affect how Clients & Profits posts to the G/L). Any appropriate term can be used as long as it is meaningful to the staff. To rename the words Òprofit centerÓ, choose Setup > Preferences. Choose Names from the pop-up menu, make your changes, then click Save. The new name will appear the next time you introduce yourself. |
| We are attempting to create our in-house training manual. How can I take screen shots from Clients & Profits? |
| If you're using a Macintosh, it's easy: just press Command-Shift-3. This keyboard command takes a picture of the entire screen, which you can then clean up in any graphics program. If you're using Mac OS 8, it's even better. Pressing Command-Control-Shift-4 lets you draw a box around any part of the screen, then copies the picture to Clipboard. Once in the Clipboard, it can be pasted directly into your training manual. If you're using Windows, choose the Print Screen command. This copies a picture of your entire screen to the clipboard. Or you can purchase a special screen capture program to take screen shots (we've used Hijack in the past). |
| Our user list shows that one user didn't quit Clients & Profits even though she did. Why? |
| A user's quit time is updated when the user properly quits out of Clients & Profits by choosing File > Quit. The quit time will not be updated if the user's computer crashed or they just turned off their computer (without properly quitting Clients & Profits first). |
| Are existing time sheets affected if the job's default billing rate is changed? |
| No. The job's new billing rate will only affect newly added time entries. Existing entries will remain the same. |
| We want to show each account executive their unpaid A/R invoices each month. Which report should we print? |
| The Client A/R Agings are ideal AE reports. They can be sub-totaled by account executive, which gives each AE their own report of unpaid client invoices. A separate page will be printed for each account executive. They'll see which invoices are oldest, as well as their aged balances. The aging report makes it very easy for AEs to keep up with their own client balances. |
| Where can we enter internal notes about a job? |
| The built-in Job Diary can be used to note client meetings, memos, and other facts that are important to a job's progress. Diary entries don't appear on estimates or client reports, so clients don't typically see them. But they can be printed through job reports. To add a job diary entry, find the job ticket then choose Edit > Job Diary. Click the Add Diary Entry tool-bar button, then enter your notes. |
| How do we enter a client payment that's made by credit card? |
| Enter it as you would normally would a cash or check payment through client payments, but reference the client's credit card number in the description area. The payment will still debit Cash and credit A/R. |
| We'd like to show our client a discount on their estimate. Is there a way to do this? |
| Yes. Create a job task called ÔDiscount' and enter a negative amount to reflect the discount or credit amount. The negative amount will be subtracted from the estimate total. You can also use the task's Sort field to force it to appear in a certain order with other tasks. |
| A purchase order with a negative balance won't appear on the Open PO list. Do I still need to mark the PO as closed? |
| It depends. While overbilled purchase orders (those with negative balances) do not show up on the Open PO list, they do appear on the Over/Under Budget POs report. The Over/Under Budget report allows you to easily track purchase orders that have been underbilled or overbilled by vendors. Overbilled POs that are marked closed will be suppressed from appearing on this report too. |
| Since sales tax rates are set by client, why is there a sales tax setting in Preferences? |
| That's the standard, or Òdefault,Ó sales tax setting. When a new client is added, the default sales tax rate is copied automatically. It's done to ensure that every new client has a tax rate (since accidentally forgetting to include it could be expensive). Once the new client is saved, its sales tax rate can be erased or changed (see Billing Information). Also, changing the default sales tax rate in Preferences doesn't affect existing clients. |
| Can we print a vendor list sorted by name? |
| Yes. But instead of printing the list from the vendor file, print it from the vendor lookup list. Printing from the lookup list is more flexible because you can resort the list by clicking on column headings and the up/down sort toolbar buttons. |
| I used to be able to change the sales tax on an unposted A/R invoice, but now I can't. What happened? |
| Recent versions of Clients & Profits have a new user access privilege that lets a user edit sales tax. This option probably is unchecked in your case. This setting prevents unauthorized users from accidentally making a task untaxable, for example. It is changed in the user's Access Privileges window. |
| Not everyone in our agency has access to clients and vendors, but sometimes they need to look up an address. Why doesn't the lookup list show addresses? |
| It's strictly an issue of space. The lookup list doesn't show addresses because it would make the list longer, which could make it more difficult to find a vendor--especially if you use hundreds of vendors. |
| For no apparent reason, a user will not be able to get into Clients and Profits. An error message will appear in a box, stating, Error when executing procedure Startup/0. The main file cannot be a closed or memory-file only. Why? |
| The problem Startup/0 is a frequently-asked question. It happens when a user accidentally opens the Clients & Profits Pics file instead of the company's database. This can happen if the user starts C&P without being connected to the server. Since C&P always opens the last-used database automatically, it looks for the database on the server. Since the server isn't connected, there's no database to open automatically. So Clients & Profits prompts the user to find it. Instead of mounting the server and selecting the database, they're opening the Pics file. There's nothing to prevent the user from double-clicking on the Pics file, except for a warning message. |
| Do task descriptions have to appear on a client's estimate? |
| No. The job task's Ôshow description' option shows or hides task descriptions on estimates and invoices. To hide a task's description, double-click on a task and uncheck the option Ôshow description on estimates, invoices'. |
| We pay all of our outstanding A/P invoices on the 15th of each month. Is there a way to automate this process? |
| Yes. The Auto-Pay Payables command automatically writes checks for unpaid vendor invoices selected through a specific pay date. Each vendor gets one check for its unpaid invoices. The checks are not posted so you can print a proof list or edit them before posting. To automatically write checks for unpaid payables choose Accounting > Checkbook then choose Edit > Auto-Pay Payables. |
| Can we issue one A/R credit invoice for five different jobs? |
| Yes. Enter a multi-job billing invoice with five separate billing lines, which would all be negative (i.e., credit) amounts. |
| Can the A/P aging be separated into categories such as job costs, expenses, overhead, etc.? |
| No, but you do have the option to show only invoices for a selected A/P account. To print an invoice aging for one A/P account, choose Snapshots > Vendor Account Aging then select the Invoice Aging option. Click on the ÔSub-total invoice for one A/P cGL' setting then enter the account number. Only invoices with this credit G/L number will be included on the aging. |
| Why don't billing amounts appear when I add a progress/final billing? |
| Billing amounts on a progress/final billing won't appear if the job tasks don't have unbilled amounts. When you add an invoice using the progress/final billing type, Clients & Profits looks at the job's tasks. Every task with an unbilled cost will appear as a separate line item on the invoice. The task's unbilled amounts become the invoice's billing amounts. |
| Why does today's date always appear when I reprint the estimate? |
| The print date appears on the printed estimates for version control reasons -- if you revise and print the same estimate several times, it'll be difficult to know which one is the most recent. (There's always the revision number, but that's not used by everyone every time). If it's really important, you can change the computer's date in the Date control panel, then reprint the estimate. Just don't forget to reset the computer's clock back to the right date. |
| Can we change the billing address on an A/R invoice without editing the client account? |
| Yes. When adding a new invoice, click the ÔAddress' note card button. A pop-up window will prompt you to enter the invoice's billing address. Enter the billing address, close the pop-up window, then finish adding the invoice. When you print the invoice, it'll show the new billing address. |
| Which report can we print to show all scheduled tasks due today? |
| The Work to Do window offers several choices for finding and printing unfinished tasks. Choose View > Work to Do. Enter a range of due dates then click Find. The unfinished tasks are listed, then can be sorted by clicking on any column heading. Clicking the Print toolbar button will print the unfinished tasks in the order in which they appear on the window. |
| Can each line item on a purchase order have it's own description? |
| Yes. When adding multiple line items to a purchase order, click on the Notes button to open the Item Description window where you can enter notes that explain the work. These notes appear on printed purchase orders. You can edit these notes later by double-clicking on a line item in the Purchase Order window. |
| How do I make the disclaimer the same for every purchase order? |
| It's easy. There's a standard disclaimer in the Purchase Order preferences (choose Setup > Preferences > Purchase Orders) that is copied to every new purchase order. Also, each PO template can have it's own special disclaimer, which replaces the one from Preferences. |
| What exactly happens if I check the Client checkbox in a user's Access Privileges window? I want a user to look for clients, but not add any new ones. |
| By checking the Client checkbox in the user's Access Privileges window, you're giving that person full access to clients. This means they can find, add, change client accounts -- everything. If a user shouldn't add clients, make sure this checkbox is unchecked. The user can still see clients from the lookup list, but can't change them. |
| When printing the monthly Detailed General Ledger, accounts without activity show up. Can the report be modified so only accounts with activity appear? |
| No. The Detailed G/L report is a snapshot of the month's accounting. It's supposed to show all G/L accounts whether or not they had any activity. |
| Is there an easy way to find out which A/P invoice has been applied to a purchase order? |
| Yes. Find the purchase order and choose File > View POs Invoices. Each A/P invoice applied to this purchase order will be listed including the A/P number, line number, date, net cost and gross. |
| What is the A/R invoice detail report used for? |
| The invoice detail report is designed to be sent to your client with their A/R invoice. The report shows costs billed on the invoice and is used to backup the billing amounts. Costs are shown at gross (includes markups). Keep in mind, if you are billing more than your gross job costs your client will see that if you send this report with the invoice. |
| I have a vendor invoice for $50.00. $40.00 is for scanning and $10.00 is for shipping. How do I enter these amounts to different G/L accounts on the same invoice number? |
| It's an easy answer. When you add the invoice, don't enter the job and task -- instead, click the distribute to many jobs and tasks option. Enter the invoice's details, including amount, then click Save. A second window (the distribution window) will open, prompting you to enter many different jobs, tasks, and debit G/L numbers. An invoice can be split between dozens of different accounts this way. |
| One of our users is having trouble getting into Clients & Profits. When I checked the C&P user list it showed 10 people using the system, but we only have a 7-user version of Clients & Profits. I know two of the users aren't even here today. Why would this happen? |
| The user list isn't a completely reliable way to track who's using Clients & Profits. That's because the only time someone is logged out is by choosing Quit from the File menu. If a user crashes or simply turns off their computer, the database still thinks they're connected -- which is why it showed 10 people using the program. There isn't any reliable way to see who's using Clients & Profits, other than seeing who's connected to the file server itself. |
| Several users were using Clients & Profits and got a padlock cursor for about 10 minutes and they couldn't do anything. We found one user who was adding a job but had walked away from her desk without saving it or closing the window. Could this be the reason why the other users were locked out of C&P? |
| Yes. Whoever edits a client, job, vendor, etc. record first owns it until they click the Save button. If someone is adding a job, they're locking that job's client for as long as they're entering the job's details. When this happens, other users see a padlock and can't edit that client or its jobs, billings, or client payments. That's the way it's supposed to work to ensure that a user always see the most up-to-date information on a client, job, etc. The padlock problem occurs whenever someone forgets to click Save (e.g., they're on the phone, went to lunch, or just forget they were entering something). It's just something people need to learn. |
| Can we print job cost and billing reports from a closed job ticket? |
| Yes. All costs, billings and other activity are still retained on closed job tickets. |
| We renumbered a job ticket, but the client code stayed the same. Why? |
| Renumbering a job replaces one job number with another and affects only the job number, not the client code. To renumber a job's client, choose Setup > Utilities > Renumber > One job's client. This option allows you to edit the client code instead of deleting or re-adding the entire job. |
| Can we print separate A/P aging reports for different GL account numbers? |
| Yes. The vendor invoice aging report has an option to print the report for media payables, for example, by entering the media payable G/L number. To print an aging for one A/P account, click the option to sub-total invoices for one A/P account and enter the account number. |
| What's the difference between the job summary report and the job progress report? |
| The job summary and job progress reports are identical, except the job progress report shows gross amounts only. Each task shows it's estimate, estimated hours, actual hours, open POs, billings, change orders, and the task's unbilled amounts - including commissions and markups. |
| What is a client budget recap? |
| The client budget recap report shows a client's billings for the current fiscal year, compared with the client's monthly budget. Invoices are sub-totaled by period, showing the billing amount and balance due for each invoice and the total budget remaining. |
| Is there a way to see who's using Clients & Profits? |
| Yes, but it's not 100% accurate. You can easily see who's using Clients & Profits by closing any open window and choosing File > Print User List. The User List shows the initials and full name of each user and the date and time they started and last quit Clients & Profits. The list window is updated whenever a user starts (i.e., Òlogs inÓ) Clients & Profits. It is updated when a user quits Clients & Profits (i.e., Òlogs outÓ) by choosing File > Quit. If a user's computer crashes or they simply turn off the computer's power, the User List window isn't updated -- and will inaccurately show that the user is still using C&P. |
| I've marked a staff member as inactive but I can still get into Clients & Profits using his initials. Why? |
| The Users, Access & Passwords file actually controls who can and can't access the database. The active/inactive checkbox in the Staff file is used for time keeping, and that's all. When someone leaves the company, their user record (see Setup > Users, Access & Passwords) should be deleted. |
| Can purchase orders show sales tax? |
| No, sales tax isn't itemized on printed purchase orders. There's an option to make the PO sales tax exempt but that's only going to add a note on the PO that the work in not taxable. It's not like the estimate where each line item can be marked as taxable or not. The PO amount should be all-inclusive for the cost, tax, shipping, etc. |
| When we hold status meetings, I like to go through each AE's clients all at once. Right now we have to jump around on the Daily Status Report. If I sort by AE the clients are not in alphabetical order. But if I sort by client an AE's jobs are not listed together. Is there a better report? |
| Try the Job List by AE report, which shows jobs by client for each account executive. A separate page is printed for each AE, which makes it easy to distribute. Each AE will see his or her client's jobs, in job number order, plus each job's total estimate, billings, unbilled, and estimate remaining and production status. It's printed from the Job Tickets window (choose File > Print Job Lists then choose Job List by AE/Team). |
| There are many times that a client holds up a project by not sending edits or approvals. As a result I have to update the schedule. Since the job is already in progress I can't update the schedule by entering a new start date. I have to change all of the remaining dates one by one. Is there a better way? |
| Yes. There is a reschedule option on the Job Schedule window that will update the job's schedule around a new start date or due date. Here's how to do it: Open the Job Schedule window, then click the second toolbar button (the one with the two arrows). The Reschedule Tasks pop-up window will open, prompting you to enter the job's new start date or due date. When you click OK, Clients & Profits will reschedule the job's unfinished tasks around the new start date or due date. |
| Where can I review a client's projects? |
| Each client has its own set of projects, which are identified by a project code. To review a client's projects, first find the client in the Clients window. Then choose Edit > Projects or click the Projects toolbar button. The Projects window will list the client's projects, including an optional user-defined status. |
| How can I see what we have billed a client this year? |
| A client's total billings for the year can be viewed in the Client Budget window. The Budget window shows the year's current billings including sales tax. Choose View > Clients, find the client, then click the Budget button. |
| One of our clients needs an extra copy of their invoice for their Accounts Payable department. Is there a way to make sure we print the extra copy every time? |
| Yes. Up to five copies of a client's A/R invoice can be printed automatically by setting up distribution copies in the client file. Choose View > Clients, find the client, then click on the Billing Info button. You can enter up to five distribution names here, which are copied to new invoices. These names appear on the bottom of the printed invoice. |
| Can I subtotal our Income Statement to separate the payroll costs from other overhead costs? |
| Yes. Use sub-classes to subtotal your financial statements. Sub-classes are used to arrange and subtotal accounts on financial statements. You can setup dozens of sub-classes, such as current assets, long-term liabilities, etc. An account can belong to only one sub-class. Choose Setup > Chart of Accounts > Edit > Sub-Classes, then add sub-classes for payroll costs and overhead costs and save. Then edit each expense account and assign a sub-class. |
| Can I see a lookup list of projects to select from when opening a job ticket? |
| Yes. Since the job's project isn't a required field, the Client Projects lookup list doesn't open up automatically. Instead, you'll need to choose Lookup > Client Projects when you're opening the new job. The Client Projects lookup list window will open, listing projects for each client. Like other lookup lists, double-clicking on a project name copies it to the job. |
| We want to write-off a client's A/R invoice. How can we make sure this will reflect on the client profitability report? |
| Add a credit A/R (i.e. an invoice with a negative amount). The credit invoice can be added for the specific job to affect the job's profitability too. |
| We have two bank accounts. Can they both be reconciled through Clients & Profits? |
| Yes. Any bank account can be reconciled with your monthly bank statement. Clients & Profits reconciles bank accounts separately so you'll enter one account's balance at a time. Choose Accounting > Checkbook, then choose Edit > Reconcile. On the Select Outstanding Items window, enter the G/L account number, the statement ending date, and the account's statement ending balance. The Bank Rec window lists all activity for the account including checks, deposits, service charges, interest income, and miscellaneous entries. |
| The pop-up Estimate Worksheet contains fields for expenses. What would I use these fields for? |
| Anything you plan to purchase to complete a task can be entered as an expense on the estimate worksheet (i.e. printing, comps, travel). Up to four different expenses can be included, which are totaled in the Total Budget field. A markup can be entered for the total budget, which becomes part of the task's total estimate. |
| What's the difference between productivity reports and time reports? |
| Productivity reports show time in summary, while time reports show time in detail. Productivity reports are designed to give managers a clear idea of how your staff members spend their time. Time reports are designed for day-to-day accountability, and include every detail about each entry (like rates and descriptions). |
| Can I add a new project while opening a job ticket? |
| Yes. The Client Projects lookup list window features an Add toolbar button that lets you add a new client project any where you're adding something. The pop-up Add Client Project dialog box will prompt you for a project code, name, and description. (Since projects are added for specific clients, the client number can't be changed in the Add dialog box.) |
| How do I enter an Accounts Payable invoice for both job costs and overhead expenses? |
| It's easy: Add the invoice for the total amount but don't enter a job and task. Instead, click on the option to Òdistribute to many jobs, tasksÓ before clicking Save. Clients & Profits saves the invoice without a job and task, then opens the Job Costing window. The Job Costing window lets you distribute the invoice to dozens of different jobs, tasks, and debit G/L accounts. For the overhead expenses, enter ÒNONEÓ instead of a job number. |
| Our terms are net 15 but when I add an Accounts Receivable invoice the due date defaults to net 30. Should I edit the due date? |
| When you print an A/R invoice, only the invoice date and terms are shown. But you should enter the date you expect the client to pay the invoice in the due date field. The due date is used by the accounts receivable cash flow report to project expected clients payments within a range of pay dates. |
| Can the ÒadvancedÓ estimate option be automatically applied to all jobs? |
| There is no system preference for the estimate's format (either ÒsimpleÓ or ÒadvancedÓ). However, this option is part of each job type/spec sheet. When a job is opened with a spec sheet, it's estimate options for the specific job type are copied to the new job. To edit the estimate options for a job type choose Setup > Job Types/Spec Sheets and click once on the job type, click the Est Options button, enter the names of the estimate column headings and click save. |
| Which report can we print to see all General Ledger activity for the last month? |
| Print a detailed general ledger. The detailed general ledger shows journal entries for each account, for a specified period. Each account includes its beginning and ending balances. |
| Is there a report that will show how many unbillable hours were entered for the month? |
| Yes. The Productivity: Staff Billable/Unbillable Time report compares billable to unbillable hours for each staffer, for a specified date range. Choose Snapshots > Productivity. Enter your date range and click the Staff Billable/Unbillable Time Summary report. |
| Can we sort entries on the bank reconciliation window differently? |
| Yes. Entries are automatically sorted by reference number but you can sort the entries differently by clicking on the date or amount column headings. Click the Sort toolbar button to reverse the order. |
| When I add a billing amount to an A/R invoice, is there a quick way to see the task's costs and how much has been billed to date? |
| Yes. The Add Billing Amounts window features a View Task Totals button that displays the job task's total gross costs and total billings to date. |
| Can a job cost transfer be deleted? |
| You can delete unposted job cost transfers in Clients & Profits 2.x (although not in Clients & Profits 3.0 for accountability reasons). Once a cost transfer is posted, it can't be deleted. Job cost transfers are deleted in their entirety to prevent unbalanced entries. This means you can't delete only one side of a cost transfer. |
| I can't figure out how tasks are arranged on the Job Ticket window. It doesn't seem to make any sense. Are tasks sorted in a particular way on the Job Ticket window? |
| Job tasks are sorted on the Job Tickets window first by group, then the sort number, then finally alphabetically by task code. The group (e.g., creative, production, expenses, etc.) and sort are copied from the Task Table to the job ticket when the job tasks are added. You can see the job task's group and sort by double-clicking on the task. |
| I'm looking at an Accounts Payable invoice. The invoice is paid, but when I double-click on the invoice's line item the check # field is blank. Shouldn't it show the check number we wrote to pay the vendor? |
| No, what you're actually seeing in the check number and amount paid by the client for this job cost. The fields for check number, A/R paid, billed amount, etc. are updated when the client is billed for this cost. The check number is updated when the client's payment is posted in Client Payments. To see the check you wrote to pay the vendor, from the Accounts Payable window choose File > View Payments. |
| Will Clients & Profits automatically number new vendors when they are added? |
| No. Unlike jobs, vendors aren't automatically numbered. Since most vendor codes are abbreviations of the vendor names, an automatic sequential number wouldn't be useful. |
| Can tasks be sorted on the Job Ticket window by dragging-and-dropping? |
| No, job tasks are sorted based on their group, sort number, and task code. The only way to change the way tasks are arranged is to edit their group and sort numbers. |
| Is there a traffic report that includes the notes entered in the Client Status field in the job's Traffic window? |
| The Client Job Status Report is the best one designed to show the job's client status notes. It can be printed by production or billing status, as well as for a range of job start dates. It is printed from the Job Tickets window. |
| When I invoice a job, its change orders are not appearing in the billing amounts. Why? |
| It depends on the kind of invoice you're adding. Change orders aren't included on job billings, progress/final billings, and auto-billings. Since billings on this kinds of invoices are based on actual costs (i.e., vendor buyouts, time, expenses, etc.), the amounts you see when adding a client invoice are copied from the job's unbilled column. The purpose of change orders is to document any change to the job's original estimate, so that the client won't be surprise when the job is over-budget. The only way change orders ever affect the client's invoice is when you're adding an estimate billing. If you check the include change orders button in the pop-up Estimate Billing Options window, the change order amounts will be combined with the estimate amounts on the invoice. |
| We can't get more than one media buy to correctly print out of an insertion order. Even though it has several buy line items, only the first one shows on the printed order -- why? |
| It's a simple vs. detailed question. To print a multi-line insertion order, it has to be marked as detailed in the Options window (i.e., find the insertion order then click the Options button). This setting tells Clients & Profits which form to print. The detailed setting should have been changed automatically when additional buys are added to an insertion order, but it's easy for someone to manually change. |
| Is there an Auto-Add capability when adding invoices? Right now, if we enter more than one, we have to start from the beginning each time. |
| If you're referring to client invoices, then you can use the Auto-Bill function to automatically create invoices for unbilled job costs (for one client or all clients, based on the job's billing status). There isn't an auto-add capability in A/P because it wouldn't save that much time. To add another invoice, all you do is press Command-A. The previous invoice's information isn't copied to the next one because there would likely be too little in common. In the new Clients & Profits 3.0, there is a new clone command that will duplicate an existing overhead invoice. That'll save time when adding routine expense invoices, like the phone bill. |
| Is there any way to update traffic beside using the Traffic window in Job Tickets? |
| Yes. A job's traffic information (i.e., production status, billing status, status note, next steps, and milestones) can be easily update while entering time. Both the time card and time sheet windows feature an Update Traffic button; clicking the button opens a pop-up Traffic window where users can make changes. |
| Is there a quick way to mark job tasks as finished? |
| Yes. A job task's schedule information can be updated from the time card, time sheet, and the Work to Do window. When entering time, click the Update Schedule button after entering a job and task. The job task's schedule information will appear in a pop-up window, prompting you to update it. A task can be marked as finished in the Work To Do window by double-clicking on a task then checking the Finished checkbox. |
| How do I prevent some staff members from seeing our in-house jobs? |
| Clients & Profits Pro has client-based access privileges for each staff member. This option lets managers define just who can see in-house jobs, since the shop has a client account just like any other client. To enable this security option, find the shop's client account then choose Edit > Staff Access Privileges. Only those staff members who are selected can see the shop's in-house jobs (it actually hides the job's tasks, although the job number and name as visible.) This security feature isn't available in Clients & Profits Classic. |
| Why can't I make a one-sided journal entry into my General Ledger via the Add Journal Entries window? |
| The Add Journal Entries window is designed to save only entries where the debits equal credits. It does this to prevent the financial statements from becoming out-of-balance. |
| I made a journal entry into the G/L but now want to unpost and delete it. Why isn't unposting an option? |
| Journal entries can't be deleted from the Gener |
