Creating Multidimensional Companies

Sub-objective

Several companies within a group or several departments within a company can be managed at the same time. Maestro calls this feature the multidimensional mode. Behind this concept is a very elaborate process that enables managing several different entities within a single database. These entities can be companies owned by the same shareholders, but also divisions of these companies that must be managed individually.

The multidimensional mode provides several functionalities, including:

• Producing reports that consider an infinite number of combinations of company groups.
• Integrating companies in financial statements while assigning different contribution rates for each entity.
• Automatically managing intercompany transactions, such as:
  • Having a central payroll company but dividing costs amongst a multitude of companies.
  • Managing the inventory per company all the while sharing it with every one of the group’s companies.

Editing a company’s parameters and creating a company. A company prefix must be set for each company before entering transactions for any of the companies. It is specified in the company parameters in the Identification field. The structure of this prefix field consists in 10 numerical characters where the value “”X is also used for consolidation purposes. Below is an example of a coding structure using three (3) numerical characters detailing how it can consolidate the various companies’ data: Prefix 100 is used for company Maestro Qc Québec Prefix 150 is used for company Maestro Qc MTL Prefix 200 is used for company Maestro US Prefix 000 is used for company Maestro France. Prefix XXX is used for the consolidation of all companies. Prefix 1XX is used for the consolidation of companies 100 and 150, i.e. Québec only. A company identification can be added to a preexisting maestro* company not using the multidimensional mode through a utility program, but only for one company. Although they can be modified, this company’s structure will become the structure imposed upon the other companies. If there are other preexisting companies, they will have to be added to the new structure with opening balances. Prefix Definition Each company coding structure must be designed while keeping the consolidation needs in mind. General Ledger accounts also have to be specified in the Payable to GL ... and Receivable from GL ... fields in the company settings to enable posting intercompany entries. These GL accounts are asset and liability accounts and refer to the advances and amounts owing of the companies part of a same group.

 

Summary

1. Create Companies in maestro*
2. Define the Chart of Accounts
   1. Create Account Groups
   2. Create Accounts
   3. Define Sales Department(s)
   4. Define Cheque Formats
   5. Create Bank Accounts
   6. Define General Ledger Parameters
   7. Define Counter Management
3. Create Accounts Payable
   1. Create Tax Codes
   2. Create Supplier Types
   3. Create Payment Terms
   4. Create Suppliers
   5. Define General Configuration Parameters
4. Create Accounts Receivable
   1. Define Credit Terms
   2. Create Salespersons
   3. Create Customers Types
   4. Create Customers
   5. Define Customers’ Addresses
   6. Define General Configuration Parameters
5. Open the Fiscal Year
6. Create Projects
   1. Create Project Types
   2. Create Project Categories
   3. Create Project Departments
   4. Define Project Templates
   5. Create Cost Groups
7. Employee Management

 

steps

1. Create Companies in maestro*

ATTENTION! The new company must mandatorily be created FROM THE DATA SERVER DIRECTLY and not locally on a workstation. Furthermore, the latter can only be created by a user with an Administrator access. The source company (or the one from which the data will be copied) must be closed and must NOT be in use by any user during the process. The company creation method referred to in this document is applicable to maestro*'s classic operational mode only. Please note that any assistance for preexisting procedures will be charged.

1. From the menu Company selection, click Create a new company. The window Open a Company will open.
2. Enter the name of the company and fill out the various fields that are displayed in the Details tab.
3. When creating the first company, enter the name of the directory.
4. When adding other companies, simply enter the name of the directory.

The name of this new sub-directory cannot contain spaces or special characters; 40 is the maximum number of characters that can be used.

4. As explained earlier, enter a company prefix in the Identification field.
5. When determined, indicate the Payable to GL ... and Receivable from GL ... in the appropriate fields.

Available values per prefix can be displayed by clicking the icon next to the Payable to GL ... and Receivable from GL ... fields.

6. Click the Save icon.
7. Select the newly created company and click Accept. Maestro* will create all the files that are required to run the new company’s activities; will also show the progression of the create command. Once the files have been created, the main menu is displayed.

Users can change the information or finish entering what was started when creating a data folder for the new company; click the Configuration icon and select Modify company settings.

 

2. Define the Charts of Accounts

Creating the chart of accounts is done by first creating groups, and then the accounts. Groups represent the high-level groupings that appear on financial statements, such as Current assets or Shareholders’ equity.

a. Create Account Groups

maestro* > Accounting > Maintenance > Accounting > Account Groups

1. In the window Account Groups, select the group type from the list Group Type (assets, liabilities, revenue, expenses, equity).
2. In the Group Code field, enter a group number. Maximum allowable length is of 2 alphanumerical characters.
3. In the French Description field, enter the description that is to be displayed in the French-language reports.
4. In the field Description, enter the description that is to be displayed in the English-langue reports.
5. Click the Save icon.
6. Repeat steps 1 to 5 to create as many groups as required.
7. Click the Quit icon.

b. Create Accounts

maestro* > Accounting > Maintenance > Accounting > Chart of Accounts

1. Click the New icon.
2. Fill out the required information for each of the ledger accounts to be created:

Fields	Description
Number	Number that identifies the account in the general ledger; maximum of 6 characters. If the record already exists maestro* will display the data that belong to that given record.
Description	Description that will appear on the various reports.
Group Code	Code of the group to which the account belongs, for the purpose of generating financial statements from the Account groups option.
Type	Type of account. This information is used to perform a search of the GL account and will display only the relevant accounts based on where the user is in the system.
Status	Option used to view the account on various reports or to make the account non-retrievable.
Access Level	Used to determine the level of security on access control to the given account when users can select a general ledger account on which to perform an inquiry. NOTE: Access level control applies to the following: transaction analysis and general ledger, disbursement journal and any report where a bank account number is entered, a reverse entry is posted or a reconciliation is carried out.
Currency	Currency used for the account.
Supplier Code	Code fed from Supplier Management, used to produce and send automatically tax payments through the report List of Taxes Collected/Paid (access path: maestro* > Accounting > General Ledger > Reports > List of Taxes Collected/Paid). NOTE: At this stage of the company creation process, the supplier code has not been created yet in Supplier Management. Users must go to that window to do so.

3. Click the Save icon.
4. Repeat steps 1 to 3 to create all the required ledger accounts.
5. Click the Quit icon.

c. Define Sales Departments

maestro* > Invoicing > Maintenance > Customers > Define Sales Departments

The Define Sales Departments option is used to indicate the first number of the invoices and the format of the numbering field for each company. It is also where the invoice, estimate , and contract form files for each company can be determined. They can be visualized by clicking the Multidemnsional values button located to the right of some fields.

Create the Sales department(s) as described in the Define Sales Departments online help topic.

The sales departments are generally linked to the various GL receivable accounts. The Standard Accounts Receivable account must be configured in the General Settings as default value for invoicing entries. it can also be specified in the Currency Management option. A sales department is displayed in maestro*’s invoicing options according to the receivable account that was configured.

d. Define Cheque Formats

maestro* > Maintenance > General Maintenance > Processing > Cheque Format Configuration

Cheque configuration is used, among other things, to define where, on a cheque, maestro* is to print the various elements.

Configure the cheques by following the online help procedure Cheque format configuration. The variables that can be used in the cheque forms, for instance to print amounts in different formats, are listed in the appendix of the help procedure Cheque Format Configuration.

Note that cheque formats for suppliers, employees, as well as bank deposits must be defined in the Bank Accounts window during the step where users create bank accounts (next step in this procedure).

e. Create Bank Accounts

maestro* > Accounting > Maintenance > Accounting > Bank Accounts

The Bank accounts management option is used to create the various bank accounts that are to be involved in transactions such as receipts, payroll and disbursements, as well as the reconciliation of bank accounts and bank statements.

Create the bank accounts and enter your banking information by following the online help procedure Bank Accounts.

f. Define General Ledger Parameters

maestro* > Accounting > Maintenance > Accounting > Configuration

To determine the GL accounts that are to be used for certain transactions:

1. In the directory tree view on the left-hand side, double-click General Ledger then General.
2. Connect the newly-created GL accounts to the following maestro* basic account standard attributes. Connect the new bank account to the following attributes:

Section	Attribute
General	Retaines earnings account
Purchases and Disbursements	Standard A/P account Accounts payable-project Discounts on purchases Discounts on payments Holdback on purchases Tax on holdback Supplier advances Bank account for disbursements Bank account for direct payment disbursement Exchange rate account
Sales and Receipts	Accounts receivable–Standard Discounts on sales Discounts on cash receipts Holdback on sales Tax on holdback Customer advances Bank account for cash receipts Exchange rate account

3. Click the Save icon.
4. Click the Quit icon.

It is not necessary to connect a different account to each of the basic account standard attributes in maestro*. However, we recommend that you enter 9999 – To be analyzed, instead of leaving the field empty, which will help you identify any possible errors.

 

The receivable named Standard accounts receivable cannot be linked directly to a GL account. Furthermore, red-coloured account numbers indicate that the given account requires further configuration in maestro*.

g. Define Counter Management

To use a single GL account for all the multidimensional companies bank transaction, the settings of that account must be defined by specifying its name, counter, bank account number, and transit number. For more information on this option’s fields, refer to the Counter Management online help topic.

To use more than one GL account, define the default bank accounts for each company in the General Settings. It will still be necessary to complete the Counter Management to manage each bank account’s settings.

 

3. Create Accounts Payable

Certain elements that are used to qualify the various accounts payable must be created before the supplier master records are created.

a. Create Tax Codes

maestro* > Accounting > Maintenance > Accounting > Tax Code Table

To create different tax codes a Tax code table must be configured. Refer to the online help procedure Taxe Code Table.

The tax code table must be completed before users start any of the following actions: accounts payable transactions, recording supplier or customer information, accounts receivable transactions.

b. Create Supplier Types

maestro* > Purchasing > Maintenance > Suppliers > Define Supplier Types

By defining supplier types, users can categorize their suppliers in order to group them in lists or make it easier to search for information. For example, users can set up discount rates per supplier, based on supplier types, for the purposes of reporting, searching or giving discounts.

Create the supplier type(s) by following the online help procedure Define Supplier Types.

c. Create Payment Terms

maestro* > Purchasing > Maintenance > Suppliers > Payment Terms Management

By defining terms of payment, users can enter a pre-determined number of days before bills are paid to suppliers.

To obtain detailed instruction on creating terms of payment (for example, a “net 15 days”), refer to the online help procedure Payment terms management.

Terms of payment determine the due-by date when the supplier’s invoice is recorded in the system, based on the current date. Payment terms can be applied to project purchases, orders, subcontractors’ contracts, purchases made within service calls, and invoicing orders. Once created, terms of payment can be selected by default from the configuration window Purchasing–General or from Supplier Management.

d. Create Suppliers

maestro* > Purchasing > Maintenance > Suppliers > Supplier Management

By defining suppliers, users can create and update the master record of every supplier. Suppliers must be defined before users can access the various purchasing options in maestro*. Enter the required information by following the online help procedure Supplier management.

If the Company Mask field in the Supplier Management window is empty, the supplier can be used by all companies. If there is a specific prefix in the field, the supplier is only available to that company’s users. If a prefix using a company field is indicated (1XX), the supplier is available to the users of all companies whose prefix starts with 1.

e. Define General Configuration Parameters

maestro* > Purchasing > Maintenance > Suppliers > Configuration

Various configuration options are available for users to define how they want to use the Purchasing module. These configuration settings will indicate which of the general ledger accounts maestro* will use to perform certain transactions and define the format for orders, subcontracting contracts and modification notices. Other actions are possible, such as approving payments, what happens upon receiving goods, or the length of a description.

To get help on defining the general parameters, go to the Configuration window and refer to section Purchases of the online help procedure Configuration.

 

4. Create Accounts Receivable

The ability to qualify certain elements of accounts receivable is useful when creating customer master records.

a. Define Credit Terms

maestro* > Invoicing > Maintenance > Customers > Credit Terms Management

Defining credit terms allow users to enter a pre-determined number of days for customers to pay their bills and, when recording the customer’s invoice, to determine the due-by date based on the current date. To define credit terms, refer to the online help procedure Credit Terms Management.

Two configurations are possible from this window. Users can select only one method for defining credit terms: either A) a Number of days or B) a Day of the month with a Number of months. The credit terms can be linked to customers in Customer Management and be used as a default for the various invoicing entries in the system. Customers’ terms of credit can be processed automatically or manually, based on the status of the invoices recorded in maestro* and the terms of credit that were selected in option Credit Validation.

b. Create Salespersons

maestro* > Invoicing > Maintenance > Customers > Salesperson Management

Salespersons’ codes are used to produce important information regarding sales. These codes can be applied individually, that is one salesperson at a time, or they can be applied to a team of up to four individuals.

When combined to customer orders, salespersons’ codes are used to report on commissions by salesperson, to check budgets and to compare them to the sales. Profitability reports can also be generated.

To create a salesperson or a sales team, click the New icon and follow the procedure indicated in the online help document Salesperson Management.

c. Create Customer Types

maestro* > Invoicing > Maintenance > Customers > Define Customer Types

Types of customers allow users to categorize customers, to group them in lists and to provide better search results. It is also possible to define discounts by customer according to defined customer types. Create types of customers by following the online help procedure Define Customer Types.

d. Create Customers

maestro* > Invoicing > Maintenance > Customers > Customer Management

Customers can be created one at a time, can be added to the system and their information updated. Customers must be created before users can access the various sales options in the system. Create customers by following the online help procedure Customer Management.

The Prefix / Mask field, located in the Customer Management window, in the Other section of the Main Fields tab, indicates the customer’s company availability. If the field is empty, the customer is available to all companies. If there is a specific prefix, the customer is only available to users of that company. If a prefix using a company mask is displayed (1XX), the customer is available to users of all companies whose prefix starts with 1.

e. Define Customers’ Addresses

maestro* > Invoicing > Maintenance > Customers > Define Customer Adresses

Customer addresses are used to build a database with the address of each of the customer’s branches. These branch offices can be used when recording sales or orders. To obtain detailed instructions on creating customers’ addresses, refer to the online help procedure Define customer addresses.

f. Define General Configuration Parameters

maestro* > Invoicing > Maintenance > Invoicing > Configuration

1. In the main toolbar click the Configuration icon and, from the pop-up list, select General Settings.
2. From the tree view on the left-hand side, click Billing, then General. Define the general parameters.

To get detailed instructions on setting the various configuration parameters, go to the Configuration window and refer to section General of the online help procedure Configuration.

 

5. Open the Fiscal Year

maestro* > Invoicing > Maintenance > GL Maintenance > Open a Fiscal Year

To define the various periods of a given fiscal year users must open a fiscal year. Accounting reports, such as journals or financial statements can later be printed according to these periods.

Every system transaction is associated to a given period. Maestro* supports fiscal years of 12 or 13 periods; 12 being generally the most commonly used.

1. In window Open a Fiscal Year, click the New icon.
2. In section Selected year detail, enter the fiscal year of the same name.
3. In field Beginning of year, enter the begin date of the first period of the year.
4. In field End of year, enter the end date of the last period of the year.
5. In field Number of periods, enter the number of periods in the fiscal year.
6. Click the Apply icon. The periods are displayed in the lower section of window Open a Fiscal Year.
7. Click the Save icon.
8. Click the Quit icon.

 

6. Create Projects

a. Create Project Types

maestro* > Projects > Maintenance > Projects > Define Project Types

The first step to creating projects is to set up types of projects. Types are a project management device that are used to generate reports or to control access, for security purposes, based on project types. To obtain detailed instructions to create project types, refer to the online help procedure Define Project Types.

b. Create Project Categories

maestro* > Projects > Maintenance > Projects > Define Project Categories

Project categories provide a second-level classification option, or the possibility to categorize projects and make it easier to produce reports or to limit access. To create project categories, refer to the online help procedure Define Project Categories.

c. Create Project Departments

maestro* > Projects > Maintenance > Projects > Define Project Departments

Project departments are used to group results by department in financial statements. To define a project department, refer to the online help procedure Define Project Departments.

d. Define Project Templates

maestro* > Projects > Maintenance > Projects > Define Project Templates

Project templates make it easier to create projects at a later date as they provide ready-made commonly used models. To obtain detailed instructions on creating templates and entering the required information, refer to the online help procedure Define Project Templates.

e. Create Cost Groups

maestro* > Projects > Maintenance > Projects > Define Cost Groups

Cost groups are used to make it easier to classify transactions and to analyze results. To obtain detailed instructions, refer to the online help procedure Define Cost Groups.

Eventually, a company prefix can be specified for each project created. If a company prefix is displayed in the project management, this project is then only available to users of that company.

 

7. Employee Management

maestro* > Time Management > Payroll > Employees > Employee Management

The Work Prefix / Mask field located in the Employee ID section under Employee ID tab of the Employee Management option controls where an employee can work. If the field is empty, the employee can work for all companies. Entering a prefix (with or without a mask) can limit an employee to one or more specific companies.

Last, the Payroll Prefix field indicates which company is in charge of managing the payroll process. If the field is empty, the employee will be paid by each company for which he/she worked and will receive several T4 and RL-1 slips. The Pay Company field in the Payroll module’s configuration is used to specify which company will pay each company’s employees.

 

Formerly, How To no. 32

Last modification: November 12, 2024