Defining an activity group

Follow these steps to define an activity group:

  1. Access Activity Group (AC00.1).
  2. Specify a name and description for the activity group.
  3. On the Main tab, specify the information about the activity group. Use these guidelines to specify the field values:
    Category Structure

    Select the account category structure for the activity group. The account category structure determines which account categories are available for the activity group.

    Note: You can define specific posting activity/account category assignments on Override Account Categories (AC06.1) if necessary. Any relationships set up on AC06.1 override the parameters of the account category structure you choose here.
    Base Currency

    Select the operating currency for the activity group. This is the currency used for reporting and inquiries at the activity group level. The activity group base currency determines the currency you must assign to summary and contract level activities within the activity group.

    Calendar

    Select the calendar that you want to assign to the activity group.

    Date Range

    Specify dates that identify the valid time period (dates of operation) for the activity group. You can use any dates you want, as long as they are supported by the years and periods in the calendar you assign to the activity group.

    Select POP to set up period of performance dates outside of the valid date range. See Defining period of performance (AC/BR/GM).

    Security

    To enable security for the activity group, specify a 4-digit number.

    If there is a one-to-one relationship between the activity group and a General Ledger company, you can use the General Ledger company number. If there is no one-to-one relationship between the activity group and the General Ledger company, use a unique number to identify the activity group in Lawson security.

    Activities act as process levels in Lawson security. To set security on specific activities within the group, define the activities carefully and set security on a range of activities. For more information on security, see your Lawson security administrator.

    Status

    Select the activity group status. The default status is Open. If you are using activities as a subset of General Ledger, then this must be GL Only.

    Output Measure

    Specify a numeric activity group output measure and a description. The output measure is used on Activity Group Output Measure Analysis (AC93.1 and AC493) to calculate a per unit cost for the activity group. For example, if the activity group is for construction of a new store, then you can use the store's number of square feet as the output measure to get a cost per square foot.

    Invoice Audit
    Change Order Audit

    Select whether to keep an audit trail of budget change orders. The default setting setting is No. You do not have to set this to Yes to use change orders.

  4. On the Process tab, specify activity group process parameters to determine how amounts in activities will be summarized, and how various validations will be performed for data entered in activities associated with the activity group. Use these guidelines to specify the field values:
    Balances
    Summary Activity

    Select Yes to consolidate activity amounts in summary level activities and at the activity group level. It is recommended that you accept the default, which is Yes. To preserve data integrity, you cannot change this parameter from No to Yes.

    Summary Acct Cat

    Select Yes to consolidate activity amounts in the lowest level summary account categories (not all levels). It is recommended that you accept the default, which is Yes. To preserve data integrity, you cannot change this parameter from No to Yes.

    Accounting Unit

    Select Yes to maintain balances in activities by account category, company, and accounting unit. This lets you acquire company and accounting unit balances without building them into your activity structure.

    If you select Yes, then you need to run Accounting Unit Balance Post (AC191) after you post transactions using Activity Posting (AC190) or you will need to run Activity Posting (AC190) with the Post Acct Unit Balances field set to Yes.

    Billing LTD

    If you select Yes, then this information can be included on customer invoices.

    Resource

    Select Yes to maintain resource balances in activities. If you selected Yes in the Acct Unit Balances field, balances are maintained by activity, account category, company, accounting unit, and resource. If you selected No in the Acct Unit Balances field, balances are maintained by activity, account category, and resource.

    To preserve data integrity, you cannot change this parameter from No to Yes.

    If you set this option to Yes, then you need to run Accounting Unit Balance Post (AC191) after you post transactions using Activity Posting (AC190), or you will need to run Activity Posting (AC190) with the Post Acct Unit Balances field set to Yes.

    Validation
    Employee

    If you use the Lawson Human Resources application, then this field determines how employees used in transactions are validated during data entry.

    If you select Yes, then you must assign employee resources to activities in order to enter transactions containing an employee and an activity. You can define resources on HR Employee Assignment (AC03.3).

    Date

    Transactions posted to activities must fall within a date range assigned to the activity. When the validation is performed, select whether you want the system to use the posting date or transaction date in the transaction record. For example, you spent time on an activity on June 7 (transaction date), but the time falls within the pay period ending June 15 (posting date).

    • Select Posting Date (P) to use the posting date for the transaction. If the posting date is before the activity begin date or later than the activity's end date, the transaction is not permitted.

    • Select Transaction Date (T) to use the date when the transaction was made. If the transaction date is before the activity begin date or later than the activity's end date, the transaction is not permitted.

    Note: If you are using period of performance dates, the transaction or post date is compared against the POP dates for a system code, rather than the activity dates.
    Resource

    Select whether you want to validate AC person and equipment resources in transactions.

    Bill Rate Calc
    Vendor

    If you use the Lawson Accounts Payable application, then this determines how vendors used in transactions are validated during data entry.

    • Select Yes (Y), and assign vendor resources to activities.

      If you set this parameter to Yes, you must assign vendor resources to activities on Vendor Assignment (AC03.4) in order to enter transactions containing a vendor and an activity (including requisitions and purchase orders).

    • Select No (N), and no need to assign vendor resources to activities.

    Burden Date

    Select whether to use the activity posting date (P) or transaction date (T) to find the burden rate when burden transactions are created.

    Asset

    If you use the Lawson Asset Management application and plan to capitalize activities, then this field determines whether users are required to enter an asset Location and Division on the Defaults tab in Activity (AC10). When the location and division are known at the time the activity is created, select Yes.

    POP Date

    To search for period of performance dates for the activity group using the application, select Yes.

    If you selected Yes, and a system code has period of performance dates, then the period of performance dates are used for the date edit. See L47571051556814 What is Period of Performance.

    GL Acct Assignment

    Select the level of GL account validation for the activity group. These are the available options:

    • GL Only Activity Group

    • No

    • Yes-Substitute error suspense when assignment is not valid on Account Assignment (AC07.1)

    • Yes-Require valid assignment on Account Assignment (AC07.1)

    Other
    Calculate Burdens

    To process burdens for activities in the activity group, select Yes (Y).

    Burdens are transactions generated automatically during Activity Posting (AC190) to track additional costs associated with activities.

    PR Commitment

    To create Payroll commitments, select Yes (Y).

  5. If you use Databasics TimeSite or ExpenseSite web-based time and expense entry systems with Project Accounting, then you should specify the activity group time and expense parameters on the Time and Expense tab.
  6. On the Levels tab, specify the activity group levels to identify the rules for structuring activities. Use these guidelines to specify the field values:
    Name

    Specify a description of the activity levels that you want in the activity group. Examples of levels are project, phase, task, contract, etc. You can define up to five levels of activities.

    Size

    Specify the size of each level, which determines the maximum number of activities you can define at that level.

    Note: You can change a level's description at a later date, but you cannot change its size. Ensure there is enough room for all the activities you need at a given level.

    See F_92854x3Ax20H2x3Ax20Whatx20arex20Activityx20Levelsx3F.

  7. Currency Table

    Select a currency table. The currency table stores currency relationships and exchange rates that will be used to convert transaction amounts to the activity group currency, the activity group's report currencies, and the posting activity currency.

    Report Currency

    Specify up to two currency names and associate each with a currency code from the Lawson Currency application. You can inquire and report on activity amounts using the base currency or report currencies.

    The report currencies that you select in the activity group determine the report currencies you can have in activities. You cannot specify a different report currency in activities.

    Note: If you are using Billing and Revenue Management, we recommend that you assign one of your reporting currencies or base currency to match the Invoice Currency on Contract Parameters (BR10.1). This lets you see balance amounts, such as cost and revenue, in the contract currency.
  8. To keep an audit trail of changes or deletions made to specific activity-related parameters, specify the activity group history parameters on the History tab. Use these guidelines to specify the field values:
    Activity

    Determines whether changes made to activities are tracked. On an Add the field defaults to No, but will update to be the same setting as GL01.9 for auditing.

    If auditing is flagged as Yes on GL01.9, then this field will also be flagged Yes on Add. To override it, change the field after the Add.

    To view the changes, you can run the Activity Listing (AC210).

    Asset

    Select whether changes made to activity assets are tracked. The default setting is No.

    Resource Assignment

    Select whether changes made to resource assignments are tracked. The default setting is No.

    Attribute

    Select whether changes made to activity attributes are tracked. The default setting is No.

    Billing

    Select whether billing changes are tracked. The default setting is No.

    Contract

    Select Yes if you want the application to maintain an audit trail of changes to contract information.

    Ceiling

    Select whether changes made to ceiling amounts are tracked.

    Note: History details are removed when you run Activity Group Purge (AC300) for the activity group.

Related reports and inquiries

To Use
List activity group parameters Activity Group Listing (AC200)