SA Administrator Options - Financials - Period Structure field descriptions

Select this option if your operators can post to the current period. As the current period moves forward, the Current Period Only option applies to each new period.

All journals can only be posted to one period at a time. The correct period is determined by this hierarchy:

Current Period Only (Y/N)
First Valid Period/Last Valid Period
Periods Forward/Periods Backward

The Current Period Only option takes precedence over the other period options. If this option is selected, you can only post to the current period. If the Current Period Only option is not selected, the Periods Forward and Periods Backward fields are checked for valid periods. You can advance the period forward or set it backward by the numbers specified in this range. If none exist, or the First Valid Period and Last Valid Period exist, they are checked to determine the correct period range. Both the Periods Forwardand Periods Backward and the First Valid Period and Last Valid Period fields can be specified, but the First Valid Period and Last Valid Period fields always take priority.

Under most circumstances, this option has limited usage. You can specify a default period if transactions for a specific quarter are entered into one period. The default period is automatically displayed in GL Transaction Entry and other journal entry windows. You can override the period during posting. If this field is left blank, the period that corresponds to today’s date is the default period during GL Transaction Entry.

If used, this field must be maintained periodically along with the First Valid Period and Last Valid Period fields. The default period specified must fall within the range set up by these two fields.

If using a 12-period fiscal year, specify a calendar period in this field. It is automatically converted during GL Transaction Entry. If you are using a 13-period fiscal year, the default period must be a fiscal period. You can specify a period of 0000. You cannot specify a period of zero months with a valid year, such as 0096.

Specify the first period in which transactions can be posted. This option is used in combination with the Last Valid Period field to prevent accidental posting into a period other than the valid period range. This range can be for any length of time, whether it is a single month or several months within 12 periods. During GL Transaction Entry and other posting functions, you cannot enter a posting period outside this range. After a period has been balanced and closed, maintain the First Valid Period field to prevent back posting.

This is useful at the beginning of a new calendar year because operators often forget to change the year when posting.

If using a 12-period fiscal year, specify a calendar period in this field. It is automatically converted during GL Transaction Entry. If you are using a 13-period fiscal year, the first valid period must be a fiscal period. You can specify a period of 0000. You cannot specify a period of zero months with a valid year, such as 0099.

If the First Valid Period and Last Valid Period fields are used in combination with the Periods Forward and Periods Backward fields, the First Valid Period and Last Valid Period fields always take precedence.

This field can be left blank.

Specify the last valid period of the year in which transactions can be posted. This period is used in combination with the First Valid Period field to determine a valid date range.

All supporting modules that update General Ledger use this period range and the number of forward and backward periods to determine a valid posting period.

If using a 12-period fiscal year, specify a calendar period in this field. It is automatically converted during GL Transaction Entry. If you are using a 13-period fiscal year, the last valid period must be a fiscal period. You can enter a period of 0000. You cannot enter a period of zero months with a valid year, such as 0099.

You can leave this field blank.

Specify the number of previous periods into which transactions can be posted. You can specify 0 through 12. The number of periods backward is a constant number and moves with today’s date. For example, if the current date is 03/07 and you specify 2, transactions can be posted back to 01/07. As today’s date moves forward, the two-period time frame also moves forward.

The number of periods backward is limited by the First Valid Period . If your Periods Backward is set to zero, you can post to any period in the prior year if your first valid period is set far enough back. For example, if your first valid period is 0100 and you are in December 07, you can post as far back as period 0106.

If you try to back post to a period that is more than a year in the past, Invalid Period is displayed. You cannot back post more than a year. It may change the way your company has represented itself financially over the last two years.

If you specify 0 or leave this field blank, you can post in any period.

Specify the number of future periods into which transactions can be posted. You can specify 0 through 12. The number of periods forward is a constant number and moves with today’s date. For example, if the current date is 03/04/15 and you specify 4, transactions can be posted through 07/06. As today’s date moves forward, the four-period time frame also moves forward. It cannot exceed the entry in the Last Valid Periodfield or the end of the fiscal year.

If you specify 0 or leave this field blank, you can post in any period.

When this option is selected, a GL Entry Batch Import Report record is created when any trial balance report is run. You can view the information on Bal History view in the GL Account Inquiry or on the GL Balance History Report.