What are the explanations for the Company Control 1 screen options in my Business Management Software (BMS) System? The following controls are specific to each company you are operating on BMS. If you have more than one company, you will need to log into each company to set up these controls. When you enter this level, the screen will appear as follows:
Control Explanations for Company Control 1 Screen:
Branches share—Product Codes- in the BMS System, Product Codes are tied to the system General Ledger. Therefore, if you have more than one branch—or will ever have more than one branch—and if you are using separate Chart of Account numbers to track each branch, you need to enter an “N” for no in this field. This field is password protected and requires a BMS Trainer to change. This is because of the disruption to the system a change to this field can make, especially if unintended. Please Note: if different branches will share the same catalog, be sure to use the same Product Code descriptions in each branch, changing only the Chart of Account information to reflect each branches account numbers, e.g., if you use “01” for 12’ Carpet in Branch 1, be sure to use “01” for 12’ Carpet in Branch 2 as well, etc.
Branches share—Catalog Items- in the BMS System, Catalog Items are tied to the system Product Codes. Therefore, if you have more than one branch—or will ever have more than one branch—and you will be selling the same or some of the same products in each branch, you need to enter a “Y” for yes in this field. If your branches have a completely different product offering, there would be no reason to share a catalog and you would therefore enter an “N” for no in this field. This field is password protected and requires a BMS Trainer to change. This is because of the disruption to the system a change to this field can make, especially if unintended.
Over The Counter-Customer ID- this field will allow you to set a default Customer ID when you select the OTC Job (Over the Counter Sale) option in the Order Entry module. If you are not concerned with capturing customer information during cash and carry sales, you can create a Customer ID such as “CASH” to use for all those transactions. You can easily override this default and follow normal system procedures for adding a customer to the database when applicable. If you do type a default ID in this field, you will also need to add that ID to the system through the Customer Maintenance module prior to using the OTC Job option.
Order Default Job Type- this field also refers to the OTC Job option in the Order Entry module. To save a keystroke, you can set a default Job Type code through this field such as “CC” for Cash & Carry—it can be a one or two-digit alphanumeric code. If you type a default Job Type in this field, you will also need to add that Job Type to the system through the Job Type Maintenance module accessible from the Sales Processing menu.
Default Posting Period- in this field, you will enter your current accounting period. Setting a default posting period in this field will allow you to keep a General Ledger period open for several months while posting current information to the current period. In other words, even though the General Ledger may be set to period 1, you can use this field to move the default posting period to period 2, 3, 4, and so on, so that information is always posted to the current period. For instance, when Deposits are entered in the system, or when an Invoice is processed, the system will prompt the Default Posting Period that is entered in this field. At those prompts, you can hit enter to accept the default or you can override the default period to the previous period—provided it has not been closed—or forward to the next period, when applicable. At the beginning of every month, you will need to return to this field and move the default period forward by typing the new period number. Closing out a General Ledger period will not affect this field—it must be updated manually. Important Note: after changing the Default Posting Period, all Users must exit the system and re-enter for this change to take effect.
Print Customer Tax ID on Invoice- when enabled, this feature will print a customer’s Tax Exempt number on the Invoice, provided one was entered in the Customer Maintenance module for that customer. If you would like Tax Exempt numbers to appear on Invoices, type a “Y” for yes in this field. Otherwise, enter an “N” for no.
Invoice Print “Close Job” Default- this field was designed to save you time during the invoicing process. One of the last questions the system will prompt during invoicing, is the following: Close Job (Y,N). This field will allow you to set the default to either “Y” for yes or “N” for no, so that a majority of the time you will only need to hit enter to proceed—you can override this default by typing the opposite letter instead of hitting enter. BMS recommends that a job be closed after invoicing so that it is removed from the Open Order status. Closed jobs can easily be opened through the Open Jobs Closed In Error module, accessible from the Management Functions menu.
Use Sq. Ft. Sale Pricing, (N) If By Vendor- this field only applies to roll goods, i.e., carpet and vinyl. If this field is set to “Y” for yes, the system will convert square yard sale pricing to square foot sale pricing on all roll goods from all Vendors. If you will only be using square foot sale pricing on certain roll good suppliers, enter an “N” for no in this field. You will then need to enable the option to use square foot pricing in the Vendor Maintenance module—accessible from the Accounts Payable menu—for each applicable Vendor. If you will not be using square foot pricing at all, leave this field set to “N” for no.
Use Sq. Ft. Purchase Pricing, (N) If By Vendor- this field only applies to roll goods, i.e., carpet and vinyl. If you purchase roll goods by the square foot from all Vendors, set this field to “Y” for yes. If you will only be purchasing by the square foot on certain roll good suppliers, enter an “N” for no in this field. You will then need to enable the option to use square foot pricing in the Vendor Maintenance module—accessible from the Accounts Payable menu—for each applicable Vendor. If you will not be purchasing roll goods by the square foot at all, leave this field set to “N” for no.
Work Order Print/Show Installer Pay- if you would like the installer pay rate to show on the system Work Order, set this field to “Y” for yes; otherwise, leave it set to “N” for no.
Abbey Store Number- this field was originally designed for Abbey Dealers and is tied to the Vendor Invoice Report located in the Special Functions menu. If you are an Abbey Dealer, enter your Abbey Store Number. If you are not an Abbey Dealer, create a number here so that you can utilize the functionality of that report which keeps track of yardage sales by Invoice for reporting to Vendors.
Invoice Print-Show Roll Numbers- if you would like roll numbers to appear on system Invoices, set this field to “Y” for yes; otherwise, leave it set to “N” for no. Inventory data will also print on the Credit Memo, provided it is printed using Server-side Printing (SSP).
Require Install Time- with this control set to “Y” for yes, the system will require an Install Date be entered in Quote and Order Entry. Also, the Time field will default to N/A, and will also become a required field.
Omit Vendor ID & P.O. # from Work Order- if you prefer to omit the Vendor ID and PO Number from the system Work Order, set this field to “Y” for yes.
Default Job Type in Property Management- if your store handles property management and/or track builder jobs, you can set a default Job Type in this field—such as “PM”—that will save you a keystroke when you enter a job in the Property Management/Builder Templates module. If you type a default Job Type in this field, you will need to add that Job Type to the system through the Job Type Maintenance module accessible from the Sales Processing.
Default Labor Code for Reading Quote- if you have enabled the “Enter Cost in Quote Entry” control, located in the System Control 1 level screen (explained above), and if you prefer to combine material and labor costs together on one line to show the customer an installed price, then you will need to set a default labor Product Code in this field. When you turn a quote into a job that contains a material line with a labor cost, the system will create two lines in the Order Entry module. When it creates the labor line, it will look for the default code entered in this field. BMS recommends using “TB” as the default code, which stands for “TO BE DETERMINED.” Whichever code you select, make sure you enter that code in the Product Code Maintenance module. If you are not using the Enter Cost in Quote Entry feature, or if you will never combine a labor cost with a material item cost, you can leave this field blank.
Active BOM Processing- this control will only apply to clients utilizing the Build Order Maintenance module and accompanying BOM features. Leave this control set to “N” for no, unless you are using the BOM functionality.
Prompt Memo In P.O. Thru Order- there are four possible options with this feature. If this control is set to “N” for no, the Memo field in the PO screen will remain blank. If set to “Y” for yes, the system will automatically fill in the Memo field on a with the job number and first address line of the Ship To or Job Location box when a PO is created from within Order Entry. Once created, the information in the Memo field will appear in the Purchase Orders program, as well as print out on the PO, and display on the Open P.O. Report. If you add multiple lines to a PO, this option will work on each line. If you type an “S” at this control, the system will prompt the Job Location Addr1 and Addr2 data in the Memo field on POs created from job lines. This is so that jobs with Lot or Apartment #’s will appear on each line of a PO automatically. Currently this new control option will display up to 20 characters of the Addr1 line and up to 9 characters of the Addr2 line. The final option is to set this control to “C” for Customer Name and Job. This means that in the Memo field, the system will automatically display the Customer Name and the Job Number.
Allow Inventory Holds On Quote- with this feature set to “Y” for yes, the system will allow you to place a hold on inventory in the Quotation Entry module. In the second field, type the number of days you would like all holds to be effective, e.g., “5” for five days.
Remove Customer Signature Line- with this feature set to “Y” for yes, the system will hide the “Customer Signature” line on the Sales Agreement.
# Of Lines To Print After Header- this option adjusts the spacing on the Sales Agreement to allow for verbiage that has been added to custom pre-printed agreements (this does not pertain to NEBS forms). Regardless of the number of lines on the Sales Agreement, this option will pre-set the number of lines that will print on each page of a Sales Agreement, so that the pre-printed information can be displayed clearly at the bottom. If you use this feature, you should also turn off the Customer Signature line (see control above) and also remove any Footer information added in the Sales Agreement/ Receipt Header Maintenance module.
If you do not wish to use this option, leave this prompt blank. To enable this feature, type the highest number of order/comment lines that can appear on your Sales Agreement before the system needs to start printing on the next page. This will be different for every business, so you may need to make adjustments until you get it right. We suggest starting with “8” and then printing a Sales Agreement with multiple order/comment lines to see if you need to adjust this number up or down. Also, when the system prints more than one page, a mini-header will appear at the top of each additional page and display the Job Number, Customer ID, Sales ID, and the page number. The second field of this prompt handles where the second page of type begins to print on the Sales Agreement, Quotation, and Invoice. If you select the Plain paper option during the print process but use your own pre-printed forms, you can set this field to “Y” to have it skip down below the pre-printed header area when a second, third, etc., page is required to print.
Always Show Total Installer To Pay Amount- this option is tied to the “Installation Labor To Pay” line on the system Work Order, and only applies to those Users who have enabled the Company Control 1 screen option “W/O Print – Show Installer Pay $.” Prior to this option, the Work Order would automatically display the total amount of labor to pay based on the amount of labor that was being shipped on the Work Order, which is still how many Users prefer it to work. However, there are also several Users that want to always see the total labor to be paid for the job on all Work Orders, and so this option was added. With this option set to “Y” for yes, the Work Order will reflect the total of all labor to be paid for the job, not just what is being shipped on the Work Order. It will also include any labor to pay that has been previously shipped on a Work Order.
Include Overbill In (A-J) Pricing- this option relates to the Overbill field in the Catalog Maintenance module. If you would like to include Overbill amounts in the A-J Level Pricing that you can program in the system, set this option to “Y” for yes. See the Inventory Control section of the documentation for more information on the Overbill field and the A-J pricing.
Prompt G/L Acct # For Labor/Special- this option has to do with the G/L Account Number field that displays when adding a Labor or Special Charge line in a job or quote. To hide the G/L Account Number field, type an “N” for no at this option.
Only Print Final Total on Inv/Quote- with this option set to “Y” for yes, on the printed Quote, Sales Agreement, and Invoice, only the final total will print—you will not see any of the Subtotal, Sales Tax, Gross Total, and Total Deposits amounts, and only the words “NET TOTAL” with a total amount will display.
Prompt User/Date For (F6) Comments- this option is tied to the (F6) Line Comments feature, the (F1) Notes feature, the PO Notes feature, and the Vendor Notes feature (with the exception of the first line that prints on the check). With this option set to “Y” for yes, the system will automatically prompt a User ID and the current Date at the end of each comment line. To disable this option, change the prompt to “N” for no.
Enable Service Charge- this option was designed to help flooring dealers recoup the miscellaneous costs associated with flooring installation such as freight, supplies, waste, warehousing, and other miscellaneous expenses, so it can also help with job costing items like RealPage, Vendor Café, Recycling, and various other things. It will calculate on material cost only, unless you set it otherwise in the box below. It is also important to note that this can be enabled on a Branch Control level, which will override Company, and also on the Job Type, which would negate any setup in Company or Branch. If this control has not previously been enabled, the first message to prompt is a warning to contact BMS Support before continuing. This is to ensure that you have a full understanding of what this control does before turning it on. Upon continuing, the system will now prompt a box of additional related items as follows:
You will first enter a Product Code for this Special Charge, which should be set up ahead of time. You will then enter an amount for the Service Charge as a percentage. For the Invoice text, type how you would like this to appear. You can also use the next field to replace the term Sales Tax with something else. The next option allows for including any lines that have been previously invoiced to the Service Charge calculation. The next option determines whether a Service Charge can be calculated on jobs with zero tax rate. To cost a Service Charge amount to the job for job costing and commission purposes, enter that percentage in the next field. The next field determines if Special Charges will apply only to Contract (Use Tax), Invoice (Sales Tax), or Both. At the next option, if you wish to show this line as a separate Line Item, type a “Y” for yes. And the final two options determine whether you wish to include Labor and Special Charge lines in the calculation. These will default to “N” for no, so only change them if you want to include them. One additional note on this feature: in the Job Type Maintenance module, a checkbox exists to exclude a Job Type entirely from these calculations. It appears as follows: Exclude From Service Charges.
Print Labels In Receive Inventory- this is a two-part option that first handles whether you want the default for the Print Labels prompt to be “Y” for yes or “N” for no. If you primarily wish to print an inventory label immediately following the receipt of inventory, set this default to “Y” for yes. The second option handles whether you want the default label type to be Barcode label, or a Normal label. If your company has barcoding equipment from BMS, you should set this default to “B”; otherwise, leave it set to “N” for normal.
Enforce over-the-counter COD’s- this option forces salespeople to tender the full job amount in the Deposit box on OTC Jobs before it will allow the job to be invoiced, where certain conditions exist in the system. With this prompt set to “Y” for yes, one of the following three conditions must exist for this to work: 1.) The Credit Status on the customer’s account is “C” for Cash or Certified Check; 2.) The Credit Status on the customer’s account is “Y” for COD Customer; or 3.) The customer is over their Credit Limit at the time the job is opened. When this option is enabled and one of the above conditions exists, the system will not allow the salesperson to leave the job if the payment is not taken in full. The salesperson is forced to unassign the material and close the job, or take the payment in full. If you don’t wish to force the “pay in full” option, leave this prompt set to “N” for no.
When you have entered through the last field, the system will prompt the following at the top left of the screen: Company Control Save Changes (Y,N): _. You will need to type a “Y” for yes at this prompt to save any changes that were made in this screen. The system will then place the cursor back at the Select Option menu.
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