@lubos, based on @tut explanation the reason behind removal of append prefix feature. It’s fair to leave a simple guide to append via custom template. I don’t think IT illiterate want to touch a set of codes for a simple useful changes. A unique identifier.
I had to look back to prefix due to how I’m handling project accounts. Where I had to separate the business file to actually track the money flow for different project where the name will be under the same company.
Then consolidate the project accounts for final report. It is confusing if there is no unique identifier when actually using manager sale invoice document generator. For example if the multiple client asking about our sale invoice from different projects how do I differentiate them easily?
@acecombat2, you are looking at an explanation from almost 3 years ago about a change made almost 5 years ago. And it is not clear you read the rest of this thread. You can still add your project-specific prefixes to any reference number, including on sales invoices. You would need to enter this for your individual projects on an invoice by invoice basis anyway. So entering it via edit does not seem any more difficult or any less prone to forgetting. Additionally, setting an invoice prefix as was first suggested in the thread would give all your invoices the same prefix. And that is not what you want anyway.
Entering Prefix inside reference is a recipe for auto increment to go haywire. which I like to avoid. I’m using the auto reference heavily so to reduce the need the triple check which is the last serial number. No matter how old the post. If there is the room for improvement that yet to discover. Is still relevant. I appreciate the idea @Tut
I think a lot of users would like to use this a an option and therefore I would kindly request that support looks into this as an option and write it in the system so that it can appear in all documents. If users don’t want to use the prefix then it could be their option not to use it. Please please write this in the system? Also for Purchase orders Credit Notes etc.
@Xavas, I recommend reading the entire thread before adding to it. In post #6 you will learn that prefixes to reference numbers were actually removed from the program back in 2014.
Gentlemen two of our Australian businesses requested a prefix to be added for their Invoice Numbers and we can up with this. Placing these lines in a custom theme works well. In this example IV- is the prefix to the Invoice number.
@compuit the reason this solution is not recommended is because this will create legal problems with your tax authorities. with a custom theme you are only modifying the presentation of the invoice whereas the invoice details in your business accounting data will not include the prefix. every report you generate in Manager will ignore this prefix. this creates mismatch of invoice details between you and your customers’ records. also, this would create issues during tax audits.
@sharpdrivetek is right, @compuit. Of course, you are free to do what you want. But if a prefix is desired, it is better to enter it manually in the field.
You can still use auto-sequencing, as Manager will ignore the non-numeric content. Then you only have to remember to edit the transaction to add the prefix, rather than keep a separate list of transaction numbers. I predict that doing that will quickly convince people the prefixes are not so important.
@Tut and @sharpdrivetek, you are both correct about the legal implications of inconsistent reference formats, but there are lots of practical reasons for not using manual references over automatic references.
Luckily, there’s a compromise. Since I don’t think there’s a law anywhere in this world against using additional references, I use both the vanilla number and an additional spiced up reference to be quoted by the customers.
OK guys here us the reason and use case for the prefix in some documents. I will also point out it is not me making the request but people in Business using Manager. Forget the legal side for a moment in my opinion anyone with common sense can work that out.
This need appears to come mainly from new businesses or companies where for example invoices and quotes are similar in format / length. Now when staff or business operators deal with people over the phone there is confusion when the invoice or quote number is given as to whether they are taking about a quote or invoice.
Also when people move from other accounting software to Manager their brains still think the prefix thing.
In addition we have many customers who pay us directly off a quote when we have emailed them a quote! How crazy is that! Next thing we find cash in bank from no invoice, lots of confusion with that scenario admin / finance trying to untangle that. The problem becomes an operational problem.
Any one of the cases you made is enough to convince anyone with the usefulness of prefixes. In fact, I agree with you that the legal consequences are trivial but this all depends on the mentality of the auditor.
I am sure that by far most auditors would understand that this prefix is only to identify the document type and isn’t part of the sequence but then there’s a handful of auditors that would make a fuss over anything and those are the ones to watch for.
Back to your customers confusion of references, I see how mentioning two references instead of one might add to the confusion, BUT you can make the one without the prefix less prominent. This way it’s unlikely to be used by anyone unless one of those pesky auditor complains and then you can show it to them.
There’s many ways to achieve that like making the wanted reference part of the title or, instead, tucking away the serial part after the main table.
Not saying you’re wrong, I’m just saying it doesn’t hurt to have some insurance and save yourself valuable time spent arguing with some tax audit intern.
Yeah already suggested making the Invoice number much longer than say the quotes reference … even for a fledgling business, which in my view will work but not all crew think the same. Anyway I leave this to the powers that be, cheers.
I stumbled upon this when I was asked by a client how to they add their prefix to their invoices. They have been issuing tax invoices that had prefixes on them. Having that flexibility of being able to continue with your existing sequencing it would make sense.
Recording the prefix manually when it could be done automatically is more laborious. When human input could be eliminated it should be to avoid unnecessary errors.
I like the concept except I think it could be extended by:
put the prefix in a custom field
use a custom theme to display the prefix and automated sequence number together on forms and any automated submissions.
that way the invoice contains the complete reference number. While it is stored in two database fields that’s equivalent to storage in one field and code to separate it.
for jurisdictions requiring continuous sequencing they could not use more than one prefix.
