General Journal Entry
Overview of FW10
The General Journal Entry program is used for entering transactions not entered from other subsystems (i.e. Accounts Payable, Loans, etc.) For example, journal entries can be used to adjust account balances, or to perform fund transfers. To perform General Journal Entry:
- From the DDI Connect main menu, double-click FundWriter
- Double-click General Journal Entry. You will see a screen similar to this one:
You can choose to create a new batch or add journals to an existing batch.
Create New Batch
To add a new batch, click the New button on the toolbar. You will see this screen:
The following fields are available:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Fiscal Year | Enter the fiscal year to which these journal entries should apply |
| Description | Enter a description of the batch |
| Control count | This optional field allows you to enter the number of journals that should be present in this batch |
| Control total | This optional field allows you to enter the total dollar amount that should make up this batch |
Note at the top of the screen that a batch number has automatically been assigned to the batch. Review the information you have entered. If it is correct, click OK to create the batch. You will now see this screen:
You are now ready to begin adding Journals.
Adding to an Existing Batch
To add to an existing journal batch, simply double-click the batch you wish to enter, or click once to highlight and then click the Open button on the toolbar:
Entering Journals
Once you have either created a new batch or opened an existing batch, you can add a new journal. From this screen:
Click the New button on the toolbar. You will see this screen:
Leave the field blank to select the next available document number, or type the number in as desired. Click OK to proceed. You will now see this screen:
As you can see, there are three tabs on this screen: Document Setup, Line Items and Memos.
Document Setup
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Memo | If you wish to add a brief memo to the journal, you can do so here |
| G/L tran date | This date will default to the business date. If you wish to change it, you can type the date in mm/dd/yyyy format or click the calendar icon to select the date |
| Amount | Enter the total amount of the journal |
| Reverse this document at a later date | Document reversal might be used for temporarily estimating amounts, for example. At a scheduled later time the estimate will be automatically removed. To reverse this document at a later date, check the box. This will enable the Reverse on field. Type the reversal date in a mm/dd/yyyy format or click the calendar icon to select the date |
| Line Items | You can click the Line Items button or the tab at the top of the screen to proceed to the line items screen |
Line Items
When you reach the Line Items screen, you will see this:
The following fields are available on this screen:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Reference | The Reference field is a freeform text box that can be used as a brief description to indicate the purpose of the entry. For example, a loan number, gift number, or other notation |
| Line amount | Enter the dollar amount for the line |
| Percent | The Percent field will automatically update based on the dollar amount entered in the Line Amount field. You can also enter a percent here to automatically update the Line Amount field |
| G/L account | Enter the G/L account or click the list icon to select from a list of active G/L accounts |
| Due | If you click the drop down, you can select From or To. If you make a selection here, the Due From/Due To transaction process is activated. This feature can be used for things such as transferring funds from an unrestricted to a restricted account, or from a temporarily restricted to an unrestricted account |
| Memo | If you wish to add a memo to the transaction, you can do so here. For example, you might note the purpose of the line item, such as "Correcting Loan Transactions for June 2012" |
When you have finished entering the information, click OK. The system will populate the lower portion of the screen with the line information, and prepare for Line 2 entry:
Repeat the above procedure until you have entered all of the appropriate debits. When your total reaches 100%, the next line item automatically becomes a credit transaction:
The DDI system utilizes T chart accounting, and requires that each journal balance in full before it can be posted to the General Ledger. The total debits and total credits must balance completely before you can proceed with posting.
When you have entered your debits and credits, your screen will look similar to this:
If you need to edit a line item, you can do so either by double-clicking the line item or by clicking the Edit button on the toolbar. When you have made your changes, click OK.
Memos
If you wish to add a memo, you can do so by clicking the Memos tab. For information on adding memos, please reference this page: Adding Memos
When you have finished adding all of your information, click Save to save the new journal. You will see this menu:
If you are finished with this journal, click Save Document. If you are not yet finished, click Save Unfinished Document. This allows you to retain the changes you have made, but will ensure that the journal is not posted to the General Ledger until you have returned to complete it. Click Exit to return to the Batch screen.
Actions
When you click the Actions button from the toolbar, you will see these options:
Edit Unfinished Document
To edit an unfinished document, from the Batch screen click Actions and select Edit Unfinished Document. You will see this screen:
Click OK, as the unfinished document already has a document number. You will now be launched into your unfinished document:
Proceed with completing the journal entry, and click Save when finished.
Copy an Existing Document
The DDI Connect system allows you to copy an existing document into a new document. To do so, click the Actions button from within a batch, and select Copy an Existing Document. You will now see this screen:
This is the General Journal Inquiry screen. You can now search for the document that you wish to copy:
When you have located the document that you wish to copy, you can either double-click it or click once to highlight and then click the Select button. You will be brought to this screen:
Type the document number you wish to use or click OK to use the next available document number. You will now see this screen:
You can modify the existing information as needed. Click Save when you are finished.
Copy from Document Template
Document Templates allow you to avoid having to create recurring large journals from scratch. For example, if you have a monthly journal with multiple lines, you can set up a template that allows you to create each instance quickly. To create a new journal from a document template, click the Actions button on the toolbar and select Copy from a Document Template:
You will now see the Journal Template Inquiry for CEF:
This is a screen very similar to the Journal Inquiry screen. However, in the Document # field, type the template number to search:
You can also use other criteria to locate the template you wish to use. When you have located it, double-click it in the results screen or click Select at the top of the screen. This will launch you into the New Journal Document process:
Click OK. You will be taken to the journal entry screen, with the information from the template populated:
Modify the items as needed, and click Save when you have finished.
Importing Journal Entries
If you wish to import a file of journal entries, you can do so by using the Import function. In order to do so, you must first have the file set up properly. The file type can be an excel, csv, slk or text file, and must contain the following information:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Memo | Document Memo. If not applicable, this field can be left blank |
| Transaction date | G/L transaction date |
| Reverse date | Reverse on this date. If not applicable, this field can be left blank |
| Amount | Line item amount |
| G/L account | G/L account number |
| Reference | Reference (up to 10 characters) |
| Entity | Entity for inter-entity transactions |
| Fund | Fund segment for inter-fund transactions |
| Line item memo | Line item memo. If not applicable, this field can be left blank |
This is a sample of an xlsx file formatted for import:
From within the batch that you wish to import the journal(s) for, click the Import button on the toolbar:
You will see this screen:
To set up the field mappings, click the button to the right of the Import Mapping field. You will only have to do this mapping once for each file type. When you click the button, you will see this screen:
Click the Add button. You will see this screen:
Mappings tab
The following fields are available:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Mapping name | In the Mapping name, provide the name. For example, "CSV Mapping" |
| File format | Click the drop down arrow to select the format you are using |
| Header row | If your file has a header row, select this option |
Fields tab
Now, click the Fields tab. You will see this screen:
In the Position column, double-click the fields to tell the system which position the fields are within your file. For example:
When you double-click the line, you'll see the Field position activate:
Once you have entered the field positions for all of the fields, click Save. Then, click OK. You are returned to the Import Journal Entries screen:
In the Import filename field, type the network path and file name that you wish to import, or click the Folder icon and select the file. Your screen should now look something like this:
Click Start. The import will begin, and you will see this screen as it progresses:
When it is complete, if you wish, you can click the View Results button. This will launch a text file with the results listed:
Click OK. The journal documents will now appear in the batch:
Entering Prior Period Adjustment Batches
From time to time, it may become necessary to enter prior period adjustments.
NOTE: If your organization does not allow prior period adjustments, it is still possible to import prior period adjustments and mark them as "posted". See the Import information below.
- From the DDI Connect main menu, double-click FundWriter
- Double-click Prior Period Journal Entry. You will see a screen similar to this one:
The process for creating a batch and entering journals is exactly the same as noted above. The only difference is how prior period adjustments are imported.
Once you have created a new batch or opened an existing batch, you will see this screen:
Click the Import button on the toolbar. You will see this screen:
First, you will select the source of the transaction(s) you are importing. The fields that display next will depend on the source you select.
NOTE: Some sources do not allow you to import. If you select one of these sources, you will see this message:
Select a source, such as Accounts Payable. You will see this screen:
Enter the year and the voucher number, and click OK. If the import is successful, you will see this message:
Click Yes if you wish to import more transactions, click No if you are done. Your screen will now look similar to this:
