Charts of Accounts VS Inventory Items

Hi there,
Exactly I will need to record each inventory items within different COA. They can be either Geographical or allocated per Salesmen within their region for the domestic market only though.

When the final invoice is risen - we will then allocate either region if export or a salesmen if domestic

The word reference appears in every single in Quote, Sales order, Sales invoice, ETC. I would like to customised this to each exact working such as - Purchase Order number on invoices for example.

On delivery note I would to be able to change delivery by: To Ship by instead because I know when the goods are leaving us. But not necessarily know when they will eventually reach my customer at the other end of the world.

In short it is all about customising to my need really.

You are being very generic where specifics are required.
Different COA - inventory accounts, sales accounts, COS accounts - what exactly ?
If you want to record inventory by location (geographical or region) then use Settings - Inventory locations

If the inventory is recorded by location then using the “Custom Income Account” enables specific allocation.

Using themes enables the User to customise all forms to suit themselves

Manager is an “Accounting” software NOT a delivery tracking software

Manager has over 10,000 users - it is not possible for Manager to suit everyone’s “customising to my need”

Hi there,

It seems like you have not understood my request.

I do not want my Inventory items to ends up in inventory Sales chart. I would like to be able to allocate them at the time of invoice to the place they are going to be sold (or who has sold it for the domestic market).

My COA are extremelly detailled (each product as a different code for North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Oceania etc. in order to see the goods have been sold for Export. Same applies for the domestic market for each salesmen has a code to track the sales and the commissions.

Regarding the Themes they are related to the themes and not the field within the fields. And this is what I am after as per how to modify them. I am not new to this software.

I am not using to track anything except the sales…But you have missed my point of changing the field by “despatch date” instead of “delivery date” as per defaut settings.

If you have 10 000 by doing the changes I am asking I am pretty certain you will be able to attract even more as customising not only shell will help attract even more people. And again, you have missed the point I am asking to do that me for me I am asking to make it avaible so each one can customised and word it the way they preferred.
Two more things, I am not new to this software and I am paying for the clould…I thought you should know :smiley:

The topic is divided in 2 parts:

1 - To be able to allocate inventory items to different COA and not only (specific as defined within the inventory items specs page) but any of the COA code

2 - A way to open the fields in order to change wordings when necessary - “Invoice” by “Sales Invoice” or maybe “Commercial Invoice” - “Reference” by " “Order number”, “Purchase order Number” or “Purchase order” or “PON” or whatever else that would float our boat.

It is obvious that you have a very clear understanding of your situation/business but unfortunately you aren’t providing a very clear picture which can be clearly understood.

For example you write in your point (1) “To be able to allocate inventory items to different COA” but which COA and where ? In the Balance Sheet or the Profit or Loss ?

What does “I do not want my Inventory items to ends up in inventory Sales chart” mean ?
What is an “inventory sales chart” ?

This could be “possible” by setting up multiple inventory items for the one item - eg item Widgets.
Widgets - Nth America, Widgets - Sth America, Widgets - Europe, Widgets - Local Region A.

Then these different locations can have their own sales account.

This may be so, but without knowing/seeing how your existing system is structured this makes it very difficult to provide specific assistance.

Or your point (2) - I am no expert on themes but my understanding is that all “reference” names for fields are already user changeable within the themes…

Perhaps you can provide an illustrative example of what you are trying to achieve.

Hi there I will start from scratch and see if it gets me somewhere.

I create an inventory item with call it “AXXX1” -
When I create an invoice calling this item AXXX1 - it will then be allocated (on the Loss and profit statement) - to a predefined chart of account item created by yourselves called (Inventory Sales).
I do not want this items to up end in inventory sales chart. I would like to be able when create the invoice to allocate this as I wish. Because then at a glance I can view the loss and profit statement and at a glance see where the business is more efficient.

You have suggested to me the following:

"This could be “possible” by setting up multiple inventory items for the one item - eg item Widgets._
Widgets - Nth America, Widgets - Sth America, Widgets - Europe, Widgets - Local Region A.

Then these different locations can have their own sales account."

That would not work very well for me as each reference will have as many different code…meaning if I want to split my sales between the 6 continents/areas for export and 7 salesmen on domestic market. If I have 1000 references which I am not far off. Would have 6000 references for export and 7000 for the domestic market - So 13000 references to manage instead of 1000. It would be so much easier to be able to allocated each item to a sales account when invoicing.like it is already the case for non-inventory items.

As per the themes, you can modify them but you need know about programing as I do not think they are html. Not really possible in the Cloud edition.

My suggestion is to have an open template (WYSIWYG) where we can, create/edit and shift fields around as we wish. Also to modify titles of fields for instance " Code" works well in some parts of the world some other will use " Reference" for the very same titel…“invoice” often used as “Sales Invoice” or “Commercial Invoice” there are many more like this. Unless there is a quick way to modify it.

Let me kown if any of above are possible so we can look forward

If you use Tracking Codes under Settings, then you can create a P&L per region / salesmen.

To modify the Themes you use Liquid and that is possible in the cloud edition. Refer to below notes

[16.11.1] Added new themes for invoices, quotes, orders, receipts etc

You seem to be thinking of Manager as simply a display, on which you can add or change field content and relationships at will and expect the program to magically know what you want and handle all the calculations. It will not do that, nor will any other accounting program in existence.

Hi there,

Thanks for the info regarding the tracking codes. They do work and I will start to use to isolate sales by area etc. It is a very good option to be used. However it only sorting half of my problem. But allow me to be a pain in the neck and try to get my point across if I may.

If I use tracking codes I can eventually use it isolate the Sales per area or per Salesman. But if that very sales comes from Inventory items as inventory sales. It will then as such display whitin the tracking report as a big lump (Inventory Sales) And that is a rather not precise information. Now imagine the same thing where I isolating a salesmen or an area for that matter in the world and instead of seeing 250K in inventory sales…I can see:

  1. 101 - New equipment Sales
    101-1 Sony
    101-2 Samsung
    101-3 LG
    101-4 ETC…

  2. 102 - Used equiment Sales
    102-1 Sony
    102-2 Samsung
    102-3 LG
    102-4 ETC…

  3. 103 - Consumables Sales
    103-1 OEM
    103-2 Non OEM

  4. 104 - Spares Part Sales
    104-1 OEM
    104-2 Non OEM

  5. 105 - Labour
    105-01 On-site
    105-02 Workshop

  6. 106 - Repair
    106-1 OEM spares
    106-2 NON OEM spares
    106-3 Labour

  7. 107 - Etc.

That will give me a direct accurate reading on how this area is managed. I can use this to then compare with different salesmen or area to see why there are (or not) differences…
Tracking is definetely an extremely good and needed tool but you should consider to be able to to allocate a different account when creating an invoice. Because one it will give you already a good overview of the sales of items per area by simply looking the Loss and profit statement…and an even more accurate reading, a more refine reading once doing a report with tracking codes on. I am surprised that no one has thought of that before. The Loss and profit Statement is only accurate when you are creating details of it. Reading 1 Million of inventory sales will never help any company director to understand where is business is successful. A detailed one with precise information yes.
The above tab can only be available if when you have made a sales and if that sales comes from your inventory, you can when creating your invoice allocate the items to the accurate account.

Does it make sense?

@Fabien, your desires have been conceptually clear from the beginning. A summary of the answers you have been provided is that you cannot do what you want in Manager. You will find, if you look at profit and loss statements for public companies, they do not break down sales by salesman. Sometimes, they break down sales by regions or market sectors, which tracking codes can accomplish for you. But most of what you see for large companies is the output of vastly more complex and expensive enterprise management systems.

What you ask for is not accounting, but sales analysis. Nevertheless, Manager can give you most of it through creative structuring of your chart of accounts. What it cannot do is let you assign inventory sales of a single, defined item arbitrarily to any account you wish.

That is a bit unfair, I do not write software but I do understand the concept of content. I am asking you to give me acess to your codes. But instead to allow me to change name of field when and where I see fit. For example like I can change the theme. or my logo I would be able change wording with not much consequences to the content of that field. And you do not change layout of those on a daily basis.

There is no magic to is there are lines of code which are looking a specific field and are using the information within the field. How this field is called is irrelevant to how the information within that fields is proceessed. Once the name is referened and change across I cannot see why it would be an issue to modify it. After all this name of the field is also a field -fixed (for the program) At list that is my understanding.

For Example when creating a delivery note I would love to be able to have a FAO: field just above the company address. I think it does make sense. The software gives the name of the person of the account. When you send goods to a company they know better than you where the delivery note should end up. When delivering the FAO can help to have the goods straight to the right person. for example big companies require to have name put of the delivery note. And the delivery note is always folded on the carton within a plastic wallet. Although I know how to add the field called FAO I do not know how to move it to the position illigible when folded.

RE Inventory
I understand, if you cannot do it that was the answer I was looking for. I will try to make it work I am not sure how. You are totally in the sense where it is a sales management needed. But keeps this in mind, accountants are bending over to get those information for the bosses because they are not quite available. No one really does it but everyone needs it.

Keep in mind that the information is there, but it is provided in a rough fashion. What I am asking will simplify life of thousands of account across the globe. If I am an accountant I know manager can do everything my boss will ask me at the end of month, ro quater I will certainly make sure this is the software I will be running. And as an accountant I will become to proscriptor of what software I want to use…And that applies even more to smaller to smaller businesses. Get an accurate sales management from the accounnt software you are already using and punching numbers into…For me it is a no brainer

Everything you mentioned specifically in terms of modifying field labels can be accomplished via custom themes, using replacement filters. Since you do not write software, you need to hire someone who does. The required changes would not be particularly difficult.

No one who has answered your questions is a developer. We are only users of the program.

This was exactly my point. The software, usability, training, and procedural costs of such capability are very large.

To sort out the other half of your problem you would use the Custom Income & Expense feature within the Inventory Item

When those boxes are ticked you are given account selection options

Where you can specify your specific P&L accounts

@Fabien, If you had read through the Guides then both the Tracking Codes & Custom Income / Expense Account solutions would have been clearly evident to you.

Furthermore, if the clarity of detail that you have provided in your fifth post had been included in the first post then the answer would have been more promptly illustrated.- hence my earlier comments “You are being very generic where specifics are required” and “unfortunately you aren’t providing a very clear picture which can be clearly understood”.

One addition to what @Brucanna just posted:

The custom income and expense accounts should not be thought of as suitable for transaction-by-transaction changes. While they can be modified, they do not allow you to choose accounts to which an individual transaction is posted based on who sells it, who or where the customer is, etc. The idea is to set the custom accounts once when the inventory item is defined. So, for example, you could categorize an inventory item as OEM or Non-OEM, and you could categorize as Samsung or Sony (according to who makes it), but you would not be able to categorize it differently when selling a Samsung part for a Samsung repair versus a the same Samsung part for a Sony repair. Nor could you change it based on whether it was sold by Bob or Mary.

That is where the tracking codes come in. The Custom Income / Expense account controls the Inventory’s P&L sales location and the Tracking Codes via the Sales Invoice controls the customer location, then between the two you can produce a Manager P&L report (spreadsheet looking) that analysis’s both P&L sales accounts (rows) and regions/salesmen (columns).

Agreed

I got the picture of it since you guys spoke about widgets. I have understood that I can allocate a specifc item to a specific code on the chart of account. Trouble is and that is my understanding if I do that I will have to create each items for each area (never mind the salesmen option which makes more sense to track with tracking codes instead). Tracking codes here, for the salesmen work not as a comprised but the real solution.
For the Sales inventory, if I understand it well it will have to be a different code as “001 CPU Sony - North American” 001 CPU Sony - South America" “001 CPU Sony - Europe” etc. This means if I still understang it well my stock will never be accurate although my profit and lost statement will be exactly how I would it to be. When it is bought for sales stock I will never know where the items will end up thus I will not be able to count them into the stock.

I am still unsure why an inventory item cannot be allocate manually to different sales code on the go. But I think I will have to give up the inventory totally and use non-inventory. So at least it will not mess up the assets on balance sheet.

Any thoughts?

No you don’t, create each item ONCE to suit/match the P&L Sales Account.
The tracking code takes care of both the region and the salesman area allocations.

This is not true. Because of your desires for a more elaborate than normal P&L statement, it will be more work. But the way to do it is to export your inventory reports, import the file to a spreadsheet, and combine them there. It is a fact of business that not everything that is done can necessarily be accomplished in a single piece of software.

Yes it will be, as you will only ever have ONE Inventory Item per product.

It doesn’t matter as ALL purchases and sales of a particular stock will go via the ONE Inventory Item.

This next comment is COMPLETELY unnecessary but is shown for illustration purposes only.
If there were multiple (sub) Inventory Items per Inventory Item then Manager already allows you to manage that internally without any requirement to export and manipulate in a spreadsheet.

All purchases would go to the “home” inventory item, sales would be deducted from the related sub Inventory Item, which would then be displayed as a Back Order

Then periodically via Journal Entries - entering quantities only (no money values) you can relocate the Back Order back against the “home” inventory item so that all stock counting would be normal.

BUT to emphasise, this type of process is NOT required, NOR recommended - in fact, a complete waste of one’s time and effort.