AR> Collections

Process a Collections Batch

 

Summary

 

If an outstanding invoice is generated and processed in collections two transactions will take place. The original invoice is adjusted to zero and a new AR customer account is created and labeled AR Collection Account.

 

Related Links

 

Click here for information on Billing Cycle Maintenance.

Click here for information on Fee Maintenance.

 

Step by Step

 

1     Open or create an AR Collections batch. 

 

  • Select the Collections palette in AR> Collections. This will expand the Collections palette and display the steps of the Collections process.
  • Select New from the Collections batch number drop-down menu to create a new batch. This will open the New Batch window. Click here for information on the New Batch process.
    • If there are open batches in the Collections process, you can create a new batch without affecting the open batches.
  • Enter a Batch Month and Batch Year. These fields default to the current calendar period and are for reference only. The fiscal period of the transactions in the batch is determined by the Journal Entry Date entered during the Generate step.
  • Click the Generate icon to populate the Batch Number field with the next available batch number. Batch numbers are limited to five digits and must be unique within the batch month of the batch year.
    • You can also manually create a new batch by entering a Batch Number and clicking the Save icon .
  • You can delete batches by selecting a batch and pressing the DELETE key.

 

2     Generate the collections. 

 

  • Open the Generate AR Collections window (AR> Collections> Generate).
  • Check the Billing Cycles toggles that contain the transactions you would like to send to collections.
  • Check the Fee toggles you would like to send to collections.
  • Click the Age From drop-down menu to select either Transaction Date or Due Date. This will determine which date you will age from.
    • The Age From Date will default to today's date.
  • The Minimum Age Days field is used to limit the accounts you would like to include in the batch by age days.
  • Enter a New Account Cycle or click the field label to select a billing cycle from a list.
  • The New Tran Date will default to the current date, but you can override it. It is the date that will be associated with the collections on the customer’s account.
    • The transaction date will also be used on the description of the invoice and the accounts created by the Collections process.
  • Enter a New Due Date. This is a required field and the specified date can be used in the future for calculating penalties.
  • Click the Create icon to add accounts to the Account field.
    • Filter the displayed accounts and click the Confirm icon when you have selected an account to include in the Collections batch.
    • Selecting an account to include in the batch will override the filters above. If you add accounts to the Accounts section, only those accounts will be included in the batch.
  • Click the Confirm icon when complete. This will close the Generate AR Collections window.
    • If there are no invoices generated in the batch, the batch will close and delete.

 

3     Edit the AR Collections Charges. 

 

  • Open the Edit Charges window (AR> Collections> Edit Charges).
  • The Edit Charges window is used to remove unwanted accounts from the collections batch.
  • Select an account and click the Delete icon to remove that account from the batch.
  • Click the Save icon when complete. This will close the Edit Charges window and return you to the collections palette.

 

4     Print the Proof List. 

 

  • Open the Print Proof List window (AR> Collections> Proof List).
  • The Summary report displays the Invoice Number, Transaction Date, Customer Name, Account Number, Description, Amount, and report Total. This report does not provide the line item detail of the Detail report.
  • The Detail report will display everything included in the Summary report as well as the Fee Code, Debit Account, and Credit Account. The report is totaled by Invoice and Report.
  • Click the Print icon to process the report immediately or enter a date and time in the field next to the Print icon to schedule the report to generate at a later time. You can view the progress of the report on the Job Viewer window (SS> Utilities> Show Scheduled Jobs). Click here for information on the Jobs Viewer window.
    • Click the Print icon drop-down menu and select Print Preview to preview the report before printing.
    • Click the Print icon drop-down menu and select Excel to export the report data to an Excel spreadsheet as unformatted data.
    • Click the Print icon drop-down menu and select Excel (Formatted) to export the report data to an Excel spreadsheet that includes much of the Springbrook formatting found on the printed version of the report.
    • Once the report is generated, you can also display the report using the View Reports window (SS> Utilities> View Report). Click here for information on the View Reports window.

 

5     Print the GL Distribution Report. 

 

  • Open the Print GL Distribution window (AR> Collections> GL Distribution).
  • Enter a JE Date. This date will determine the fiscal period of the journal entry.
  • Select Detail or Summary report output.
    • The Summary report displays the Fund, Account Number, Description, Debit Amount, and Credit Amount. The report also provides totals by Fund and Report.
    • The Detail report displays everything included in the Summary report as well as the line item details for each fund included in the report.
  • Click the Print icon to process the report immediately or enter a date and time in the field next to the Print icon to schedule the report to generate at a later time. You can view the progress of the report on the Job Viewer window (SS> Utilities> Show Scheduled Jobs). Click here for information on the Jobs Viewer window.
    • Click the Print icon drop-down menu and select Print Preview to preview the report before printing.
    • Click the Print icon drop-down menu and select Excel to export the report data to an Excel spreadsheet as unformatted data.
    • Click the Print icon drop-down menu and select Excel (Formatted) to export the report data to an Excel spreadsheet that includes much of the Springbrook formatting found on the printed version of the report.
    • Once the report is generated, you can also display the report using the View Reports window (SS> Utilities> View Report). Click here for information on the View Reports window.

 

6     Print the Turnover Report. 

 

  • Open the Turnover Report window (AR> Collections> Turnover Report).
  • The Collections Turnover report is the report you would submit to a collections agency.
  • The SSN Option field is used to select how the social security numbers on the employee records will display on the report.
    • Select Do not print if the social security numbers should not display on the report. The SSN column will still display on the report, but the social security numbers will display as ***-**-****.
    • Select Print Last 4 Digits if the last four digits of each employee record should display on the report.
    • Select Print Full SSN if the entire social security number should display on the report.
  • The DLN Option field is used to select how the driver's license numbers on the employee records will display on the report. These options are similar to the SSN options.
  • The Turnover Report will display the Customer Number, Customer Name, Account Number, Account Description, Social Security Number, Driver's License Number, Mailing Address, Transaction Type, Invoice Number, Transaction Date, Invoice Description, the Amount to Collections and the report total.
    • The Turnover report has been modified to show a positive amount in the Amount to Collections column.
  • Click the Print icon to process the report immediately or enter a date and time in the field next to the Print icon to schedule the report to generate at a later time. You can view the progress of the report on the Job Viewer window (SS> Utilities> Show Scheduled Jobs). Click here for information on the Jobs Viewer window.
    • Click the Print icon drop-down menu and select Print Preview to preview the report before printing.
    • Click the Print icon drop-down menu and select Excel to export the report data to an Excel spreadsheet as unformatted data.
    • Click the Print icon drop-down menu and select Excel (Formatted) to export the report data to an Excel spreadsheet that includes much of the Springbrook formatting found on the printed version of the report.
    • Once the report is generated, you can also display the report using the View Reports window (SS> Utilities> View Report). Click here for information on the View Reports window.

 

7     Export the Turnover report. 

 

  • Open the Turnover Export window (AR> Collections> Turnover Export).
  • The Export step will create an ASCII CSV file containing the same information that is included in the Turnover Report processed above.
  • The Configuration drop-down menu is used to select the standard Turnover Export or a user-configured data export file.
  • The SSN Option field is used to select how the social security numbers on the employee records will display on the report.
    • Select Do not print if the social security numbers should not display on the report. The SSN column will still display on the report, but the social security numbers will display as ***-**-****.
    • Select Print Last 4 Digits if the last four digits of each employee record should display on the report.
    • Select Print Full SSN if the entire social security number should display on the report.
  • The DLN Option field is used to select how the driver's license numbers on the employee records will display on the report. These options are similar to the SSN options.
  • Click the Confirm icon to export the report.
  • Once the export has finished processing, the Export Settings window will open. This window is used to specify the export path for the turnover report file.
    • Check the Open toggle if you would like to open the exported file after it is saved locally.
    • Enter the export path location and click the Save icon to export the file to the local path.

 

8     Commit the AR Collections batch. 

 

  • Open the Commit Collections window (AR> Collections> Commit).
  • The Journal Entry date field will populate with the date that was entered when creating the Distribution Report list in AR> Collections> GL Distribution. This date will determine which fiscal period and year the journal entries will be posted to. If you want to modify the date that is in this field you will have to return to the GL Distribution step. If you return to the GL Distribution step you will have to reprint the Turnover Report.
  • Click the Confirm icon or press ENTER to commit the batch.
  • The format of the account and invoice descriptions created by the Collections process is AR Collections MM/DD/YYYY.
    • The date used in the description is the Transaction Date entered on the Generate step of the process.
    • The format of the Collections accounts allows you to see when an account was sent to collections in AR.