Customizable dashboard, interoffice billing automation, new integrations and more
Dashboards: Your Accountability data at-a-glance
Dashboards enable you to visualize your agency data at various levels without the overhead of running reports and designing graphs. Access predefined and custom agency charts across the following categories: Balance Sheet, Jobs, Profit & Loss, Resources, Revenue, and Time.
To get started, select your name from the main menu and choose ‘My Dashboard’.
Set ‘My Dashboard’ as your homepage default
To set your custom dashboard as your homepage default, click on your name from the main menu and select My Settings>Set My Home Page and choose ‘My Dashboard’ from the list. When you login to the platform, you will automatically be taken to your dashboard. You can also access your default homepage at any point by clicking on the Accountability logo.
Bookmark your favorite pages
The top section of the dashboard is ‘My Favorites’ which are shortcuts to the pages you use most often. To add links to My Favorites, navigate to the page you want to bookmark and click on this icon at the top of the page:
You have the option to rename the page for your shortcut link before saving. To remove a link, navigate to the page and select the bookmark icon to remove the page.
Set a default period for date-driven charts and reports
By default, the content of date-driven charts on your dashboard is based on today’s date. If you want to see all of your dashboard charts reflect the data position as of a specific date, such as the date of the last month-end, click on the date icon to change the default date.
For ease of reporting and consistency across the platform, this date also drives the default date for all system reports and date-related data entry fields, i.e. if you set the dashboard date to 30 Sep 2020, the system will suggest this as the transaction date when you enter a new transaction.
Change the date back to today’s date to reset it and clear the default setting.
Customize your view with dashboard tiles
A tile is a visual representation of a specific data insight from the Accountability platform. You can choose up to 10 tiles across different data categories to customize your dashboard.
Click on ‘Dashboard Tiles’ on the upper-right section of your dashboard to access standard and agency-defined tiles that your agency administrator has made available to you. Close out of the Dashboard Tiles selection view to return to your dashboard. To move and reposition tiles, simply drag and drop.
Manage dashboards
Click on the icon to the left of ‘My Dashboard’ to manage your dashboards. You can rename, delete, or create additional dashboards. You can also set a particular dashboard as your default from this view.
Publish a dashboard
Depending on your access rights, you can ‘publish’ a dashboard you have created to make that dashboard available to other people in your agency. Click the ‘Publish’ icon at top right, select the employees you want to share the dashboard with, enter an optional message, and click ‘Publish’. An email will be sent to each of the employees notifying them that you have created a new dashboard for them.
Maintain and create dashboard tiles
As a system administrator, you can create custom dashboard tiles and manage access for users by going to Set Up Files>Report Set Up>Dashboard Tiles. There are two types of tiles:
|
Tile type |
Description |
|
Custom |
Tiles your agency created and only available to your employees |
|
Generally available |
Tiles created and published by Accountability that are available for all agencies. There are approximately 45 of these tiles and we will continue to add to the list in the future based on agency suggestions. If you have a great idea for a new tile, please let us know! |
Click a link to open one of the existing dashboard tiles.
Create Custom Dashboard Tiles
You can now create your own dashboard tiles utilizing the General ledger data in Accountability. From the Set Up Files>Report Set Up>Dashboard Tiles page, click on the Create A New Tile button.
|
Field |
Description |
|
Dashboard Group |
Select the grouping which the new tile should appear when users are selecting tiles to add to their dashboard. |
|
Title |
Enter a name/title for the dashboard tile. |
|
Tile Type |
Select how you want to visualize the data for this tile. You can choose from the following options: Single text or amount, Single amount with comparative, Line chart, bar chart, pie chart. |
|
Tile Size |
The tile size defaults based on the type selected. You can change the tile size for line, bar, and pie charts. As you change the size, you will see a preview of the tile size in a grey box at the bottom of the page. |
|
Data Source |
Select ‘General Ledger’. In future releases, we will enable additional data sources such as Jobs, Timesheets, Media, etc. |
|
Data Variable |
You can select from a host of variables, e.g. client or job, or choose from dissections of GL data stored in Accountability. The list of variables available are dynamic based on the tile type selected. |
|
Period |
Select the time period to be captured. Options include, but not limited to Month, Year to Date, and Last 12 Months. |
|
GL Calculation |
Select one of the following:
|
|
Comparative |
This is only relevant/available if you selected the tile type ‘Single amount with comparative’. |
Now you need to define the source data – the GL accounts – that the tile/chart content should use. Select the Financial Report Format link. This allows you to calculate or select the account(s) or ranges of accounts to be included in the tile chart. For example, you might want to just select the range of revenue accounts if you were creating a ‘revenue by client’ chart.
- Add lines into the chart to define the various content you want. For example, you might include one line for ‘revenue’ and another line for ‘expenses’.
- Check the Suppress box for lines you are only using to calculate an overall total to display on the chart. Any rows not checked as ‘Suppress’ will be displayed on the cart/tile.
- Note that the number of lines you can display will be varied/limited according to the tile type and data source you defined on the previous page.
Click Save and Close to return to the previous page. A preview of your custom agency tile/chart will be displayed on the bottom of the page.
Manage Dashboard User Access
To manage which user access groups have access to a tile, select the tile name to launch the Dashboard Tile Form and click the Select for User Access Groups link on the top right.
Alternatively, you can navigate to Set Up Files>User Access Groups to define access for each specific group. From the User Access Group page, click on the User Access Group Dashboard Tiles.
Interoffice Billing
Interoffice billing automates the workflow where one office/entity invoices (bills) another office/entity within the same agency organization in Accountability. This enhanced workflow replaces the manual creation of a supplier invoice in the office of the entity being billed.
For example, Office A raises a series of client production or sundry invoices every month that need to be processed as supplier invoices in Office B.
Set up default client scenarios
Normally, you would have a client established in office A that represents the other office/entity being billed, let’s call this client ‘Office B’.
Open the detail page for client ‘Office B’ and click the Interoffice Billing link on the top right. You can set the following default values for when production or sundry invoices are created for this client:
|
Field |
Entry (based on example scenario) |
|
WHEN BILLED BY OFFICE |
Select ‘Office A’ |
|
CREATE SUPPLIER INVOICE IN OFFICE |
Select ‘Office B’ |
|
SUPPLIER INVOICE SUPPLIER |
When the supplier invoice is created in Office B – which supplier should it be assigned to – for example you would have a supplier called ‘Office A’ |
|
WHEN PRODUCTION INVOICE CREATED? |
Check this if a supplier invoice should be created when a client production invoice is created for this client |
|
WHEN SUNDRY INVOICE CREATED? |
Check this if a supplier invoice should be created when a client sundry invoice is created for this client |
|
SUPPLIER INVOICE JOB NO. |
If the supplier invoice is always coded to the same job number for this client – enter it here – if not leave this empty |
|
SUPPLIER INVOICE GL ACCOUNT NO. |
If the supplier invoice is always coded to the same job number for this client – enter it here – if not leave this empty |
Job-level defaults
When you create a new Job, the Job will pick up the default settings established for the client above. You can change/assign the defaults on each Job created for the client.
Open the detail page for the Job for client ‘Office B’ and click the Interoffice Billing link at top right. Using our example scenario, you can set the following default values for when client production invoices are created for this job:
|
Field |
Entry (based on example scenario) |
|
CREATE SUPPLIER INVOICE WHEN THIS JOB IS BILLED |
Check this box if an interoffice supplier invoice should be created when this job is invoiced |
|
CREATE SUPPLIER INVOICE IN OFFICE |
Select ‘Office B’ |
|
SUPPLIER INVOICE SUPPLIER |
When the supplier invoice is created in Office B – which supplier should it be assigned to – for example you would have a supplier called ‘Office A’ |
|
SUPPLIER INVOICE JOB NO. |
If the supplier invoice is always coded to the same job number for this job – enter it here – if not leave this empty |
|
SUPPLIER INVOICE GL ACCOUNT NO. |
If the supplier invoice is always coded to the same job number for this job – enter it here – if not leave this empty |
Invoice creation and approval workflow
When you create a client production or sundry invoice for this client/job (based on the above defaults) and Approve that invoice, Accountability will:
- Send an email to the Incoming Supplier Invoice using the incoming payables email address for the office being invoice
- The pdf of the client production/sundry invoice will be attached to the email
- The supplier assigned above will be assigned to the supplier invoice, as will the invoice date and invoice number
- If default supplier invoice job number or GL account were assigned in the defaults, this coding will be applied to the incoming supplier invoice
Now you just need to submit and approve the incoming supplier invoice in the usual manner.
Interoffice reconciliation
Accountability will maintain an automatic reconciliation of these interoffice client and supplier invoices upon approval .
You can run an Inter-Office Reconciliation Report from Accounting>General Ledger>General Ledger Reports>Transaction Reports. Select the accounting year and month and select the option Interoffice Billing Reconciliation. For each interoffice relationship, the report will show:
- The details of each interoffice client invoice raised, amount of receipts against that invoice and the unpaid balance
- The details of the related interoffice supplier invoice, amount of payments against that invoice and the unpaid balance
Fixed Assets: Acquisition date and default department
Acquisition date defaults to current accounting month
By default, when a new fixed asset is created via the entry of a supplier invoice, the acquisition date of the asset defaults to the supplier invoice date. This can cause an issue where the accounting month that the invoice relates to is closed.
Let’s say you have closed the 2020 September accounting month. During the October accounting month, a ‘late’ supplier invoice dated September 15 is entered. Instead of the fixed asset acquisition date defaulting to September 15, it will now default to October 1, so it corresponds to the current accounting month. The acquisition date can be edited later directly in the fixed asset page if required.
Allocate fixed assets to a department
You can now allocate each fixed asset to a department, enabling system depreciation journals to be dissected to a specific department. The system will then assign the depreciation expense journal entries for that department against the selected department.
Set a default department
If you want new assets to be assigned to a specific department by default, you can assign a default department to each Asset Type
Default supplier types
You can now define the default supplier type for new suppliers. Go to Master Files> Suppliers and click the Supplier Types link. Open the supplier type you wish to be the default. There are two defaults you can assign:
- The default supplier type for employees. When a new ‘employee’ supplier is created – it will default to this supplier type
- The default supplier type for all other employees. When all other suppliers apart from employees are created it will default to this supplier type
Note that some external programs that create suppliers in Accountability, such as media platforms, may use a different logic to assign the supplier type for new suppliers.
Client charges and discounts on estimates
The purpose of this function is to automatically generate/create additional charges or discounts to be applied to client estimates based on defined parameters.
Let’s say for example your agency agreed to provide a client with a 10% discount on creative fees. Of course you could simply set up client specific billable rates which reflect that discount, but maybe you would prefer to show both elements on the estimate to the client, and subsequently on invoices:
- The default/ standard rate
- A separate line which displays the amount of discount your agency is giving the client
That may then be useful for you to be able to then report on the total amount of discounts given to a client, or to facilitate posting discounts to a separate line on your P&L to measure the value of discounts allowed to your clients.
Another use of this function might be a set charge – perhaps an additional fee that should be charged to the client for a specific service, maybe a 15% handling fee for printing. The function works the same for both scenarios – set it as a negative for discounts, positive for additional charges.
In the explanations below we will use a scenario where a 10% discount is to be allowed for a client for specific charges – here’s how you would set that up:
- Create a task type for the ‘Discount’ if required, but if you already have a task type that the discount should be applied to you can just use that existing task type
- If you want the discount to be posted to a specific GL account – assign that as you normally would under GL accounts / posting GL accounts
- Open the client that the discount/charge should apply to
- Click the Billable Rates link
- Click the new link ‘Client Charges & Discounts’
- Add a new record, assign the task type that the discount charge should be assigned to (e.g. the ‘Discount’ task type we referred to above
- Enter the description that should appear on the estimate/invoice – e.g. ‘10% discount on creative fees as agreed’
- Select ‘Discount’ (for a negative amount) or ‘Charge’ for a positive amount/charge)
- Enter the percentage of the discount/charge – e.g. 10%
- Select the ‘Applies to charge type’ – for example if the discount should only be applied to time (fee) charges – select ‘Time’
- If you want the discount/charge to be calculated based on all charges to the client – you’re done, but let’s say you only want the discount to apply to one for more specific task types (e.g. only creative services task types) – then click the ‘select for task types’ link – then select the task types that this charge/discount should be based on/driven by
Now that is set up, when you create an estimate for the client or edit an existing estimate, the system will automatically add an additional task type line (e.g. ‘Discounts’) to the estimate.
However if there is an estimate where you don’t want the discount/charge to apply or you want to edit that line, just check the Override Charges/Discounts box in the estimate header.
New platform integrations to streamline your workflow
CSI payments platform integration
The CSI (Corporate Spending Innovations) platform facilitates automatic payments to suppliers/vendors. The CSI platform is widely used by agencies in North America, particularly in relation to payments for media vendors. Accountability transfers payment data to CSI via our API based integration.
For more information on CSI, check out https://www.corporatespending.com.
Workfront integration
The Workfront platform provides advanced project management and resource planning tools that are widely used by agencies across the world. Workfront includes a proofing management and approval workflow function that many regards as the leading tool for that process in the world.
This integration reflects our investment in API-based integrations with best-of-breed solutions that the modern agency needs to run its business more efficiently and effectively. Our 2-way integration ensures that agency stakeholders have full visibility into the profitability of projects.
- When a Job is created in Accountability, a corresponding project is created in Workfront
- When an Estimate is created in Accountability, a corresponding project plan is created in Workfront
- When time is recorded in Workfront, they are automatically posted into Accountability Timesheets
For more information on Workfront, check out: https://www.workfront.com/
Revenue recognition based on revenue tracker
This is an extension of our existing function which automates the generation of accrued and deferred revenue transactions based on defined rules of when revenue should be recognized. This was developed in response to agencies wanting to recognize their revenue based on the timing schedule they have defined on the revenue tracker. Here’s a use case example:
Let’s say the agency has created an estimate for a job that will be performed over a 5 month period starting in September 2020.
- This job is to be billed to the client in 2 separate installments, 50% up front and 50% at the completion of the job.
- There is $50,000 of revenue associated with the estimate and the agency wants to recognize the revenue in even monthly amounts of 20% ($10,000 per month).
The agency would set the Estimate Start Date to September 1 2020, then they would then open the Revenue tracker for the estimate and spread the revenue evenly across the 5 months from September 2020 to February 2021.
Let’s assume the agency billed 50% of the estimate on September 1. In the September accounting month, the billing would have caused 50% of the revenue ($25,000) to be recognized, but the agency wants only the 20% ($10,000) assigned to September in the revenue tracker to be recognized
Navigate to Accounting>Revenue Tools>Revenue Recognition. Select the accounting month you are working on. This would normally be done towards the end of the month- end close when all client billing has been completed and we want to review/adjust the revenue recognized on all jobs.
Selecting To Revenue Tracker as the Recognition Method will display the following values for our example job:
|
Estimated Revenue |
Revenue Tracker to Date |
Billed Revenue |
Revenue Tracker Less Billed |
Previously Accrued/ (Deferred) |
Balance to Accrue/ (Defer) |
|
$50,000 |
$10,000 |
$25,000 |
$15,000 |
($0) |
($15,000) |
When we click Create Accruals/Deferrals, a Deferred Revenue transaction of $15,000 would be generated for this job.
You don’t have to do this one job at a time. You can select multiple jobs to have Accountability and Accountability will generate all of the accruals/deferrals in one click.
General Ledger Transaction Search
Easily focus on specific GL accounts, see the transactions for those accounts and quickly navigate to the source transaction pages without having to run a report during the month end review of General Ledger activity.
Navigate to Accounting> General Ledger> General Ledger Transaction Search. Set the relevant filters for the data you want to see, such as a range of accounting month(s), specific GL accounts etc, and click Get Data. You will see:
- All of the journal activity based on the filters selected
- Links to the source system transactions, e.g. supplier invoices, payments, etc, which the journals were generated from
- The journal number and transaction number are hyperlinked for easy navigation to the journal or the source transaction
- Built-in reconciliation feature with a use case example:
Let’s say I have an account such as Prepayments and I want to keep an automated reconciliation of the transactions which make up the balance of that account at any point in time.
In month one, I transferred $5,000 to the prepayments account for some expenses that I want to expense over 5 months. In month one, I generated a journal to expense $1,000 of that $5,000 transaction. The $5,000 would appear as a debit on this page, the $1,000 as a credit. I could now reconcile the $1,000 credit against the original transaction (just check the two transactions) – click the Reconcile button and confirm or enter the amount to be reconciled.
Now I could filter on that GL account, select the filter option Unreconciled and just see that the remaining $4,000 balance relates to the above transaction.
Launch a supplier invoice from the Payables Aging report
Access outstanding supplier invoices directly from the Payables Aging report. The Excel version of this report now includes a Link column which hyperlinks to a PDF copy of the supplier invoice.
Import bank statement transactions from Excel
You can now use the Accountability template to import transactions from banks that do not provide data feeds of statement transactions.
- Navigate to Accounting>General Ledger>Bank Reconciliation and click the Import Statement Transactions link. Click Download Template to get the Accountability template.
- Log into your banking platform and export the data required then copy and paste it into the Accountability import template. Transaction amounts should be pasted as follows:
|
Payments |
Paste into the template as negative/credit values |
|
Receipts |
Paste into the template as positive/debit values |
If this is an existing bank account, you need to specify the date from which you will start using this account as an ‘auto reconcile account’. Once you import statement data, Accountability recognizes this as an account that you receive or import statement data for and the method of reconciling transactions changes as described below:
Instead of selecting the transactions on the bank reconciliation page and clicking Present, i.e., telling the system when transactions appeared or where ‘presented’ at the bank, you click the Present button to load a reconciliation page which shows the Accountability transaction postings to this account on the left of the page, and the bank statement transactions on the right side of the page.
Closing the accounting month for specific transaction types/offices
We’ve redesigned the month-end close page to simplify situations where you are closing just specific transaction types for specific offices. Navigate to Set Up Files> Set Up Options and click the Close Offices/Transaction Types link.
For questions on these enhancements or to learn more about our new integrations, contact support@counta.com