Topic: G/L Account Subledger Control and Locking Accounts

I would think the a large user base (bookkeepers, accountants, entrepreneurs) of FA would benefit from tighter workflow control between modules and the general ledger.  For instance, the accounts payable module (or "Suppliers" in FA) should fully and exclusively control the accounts payable G/L account.  This means users would not easily be able to post normal journal entries, bank entries or otherwise into the accounts payable G/L account. The controlled way to post would be through the module itself.  This fully integrates the additional accounting data that the A/P module stores with the balance sheet.  This would be as simple as preventing "foreign" module entries (entries not from A/P in this example) from being permitted to post into the linked G/L account. This has many benefits to the user as there will be fewer mistakes, less time reconciling inter-module entries with reports, a fully support balance sheet account, and more time getting info and making money.

The implementation would have to incorporate logic to G/L accounts to lock them to certain modules. I can't help you there. sad

This request is a result of a recent experience I had where I made a mess of things in my A/P and A/R accounts by posting "Bank Deposits" and "Bank Payments" referencing customer/supplier accounts.  All of my A/R and A/P reports were a complete mess and didn't agree to the Balance Sheet! I ultimately ended up wiping the supplier transaction table in phpmyadmin. I then created a special item in the inventory module with a cost account of accounts receivable. Any invoices using this item would make a journal entry debiting and crediting the same amount in the accounts receivable account but would show as "outstanding" in the aging reports. Then I rebuilt the report after spending hours manually reconciling in excel these accounts.  In reflection, I probably could have avoided the damage I might have done in phpmyadmin by just posting an open item equal to all settled invoices and apply all the loose payments from the bank module.  Ah well.  I am now disciplined in FA to catch myself from posting to A/R or A/P in any place but their home modules.

I hope you consider this feature as I believe it will add something of value to every user and seems like it might be something you folks could definitely do considering the tremendous quality of this project.

Re: G/L Account Subledger Control and Locking Accounts

I just wanted to add, I totally get the need to segregate duties and why FA does what it does.  I probably should have understood the FA workflow better.  It is good policy to have a different person handle the banking side while some else does the entry.  However, the fact that the customer payment option allows the orders clerk to mess with the bank could be the main issue.

Re: G/L Account Subledger Control and Locking Accounts

This "licence" to mess up is actually a "feature" to make adjustments that might otherwise mess up standard reports by popping up there.

Anyway, you are right about trackable transactions need to be posted from their respective modules. Thanks for both your workarounds that will surely help others should they traverse the path you did. FA's open database structure saved the day even if taking it's pound of flesh in time and effort.