Chapter 29: Balancing the Batch

Purpose: Several functions are available in the system for you to inquire into the status of the batch and adjust the controls for cash (in the cash batch) or orders (in the order batch) or the individual orders in the batch to bring the batch into balance so that you can accept the orders in the batch.

Procedures: The first step towards balancing the batch is to review the batch totals. If the batch controls agree with the overall totals for the batch, your batch is in balance and can be accepted on the system. If these values do not agree, you must update either:

• the order totals or cash controls for the batch, as defined through the Order Batches function, or

• any order within the batch that contains a keying error

In this chapter:

• Display Batch Totals Screen

• Work with Cash Batch Screen

• Change Order Cash Batch Screen

• Updating Order Controls or Orders

Additionally, this chapter provides instructions for correcting any errors and balance the batch.

Display Batch Totals Screen

Purpose: The Batch Totals option displays the totals entered for the order batch, as compared to the totals across all orders in the batch. This screen readily identifies whether the batch is in balance and can be accepted on the system or is not in balance and must be corrected somehow.

How to display this screen: You can display the Display Batch Totals screen from several different places during Order Entry; this is important so that you can verify that the orders you are entering agree with the order controls you defined for the batch.

To display the Batch Totals screen:

• Enter a 5 next to an order batch at the Updating Order Controls or Orders, or

• Press F8 on the Display Order Totals pop-up window, or

• Press F16 at the Select Customer Sold to for Order Screen.

What it shows? The Batch Totals screen clearly shows whether the batch is in balance. The following message appears at the bottom of this screen if the batch is out of balance:

************************* * Batch is out of balance * ***************************

Additionally, if the keyed number of orders, number of units or dollars received (in the order control totals) do not agree with the actual number of orders, number of units or dollars received in orders on the system, you know immediately that you must adjust the order controls or correct the individual orders in the batch to bring the batch into balance.

Finally, you may go to the actual cash batch associated with the order batch if you are batching cash and you must adjust information for a check in the cash batch.

Note: The system updates the batch totals when free gifts or accompanying items are added to the order automatically. This may skew your totals.

The sample screens show a balanced and unbalanced batch.

ER0147 DISPLAY Display Batch Totals 1/03/94 10:10:20 Mail Order Company Batch # . . . . . . . . :28 Batch date . . . . . : 1/03/94 -- Keyed -- -- Actual -- # of Orders . . . . . . : 1 1 # of Units . . . . . :1 1 $ Received . . . . : 10.0010.00 F3=ExitF8=Work with Cash BatchF12=Cancel

OER0147 DISPLAY Display Batch Totals 1/03/94 10:44:33 Mail Order Company Batch # . . . . . . . . :26 Batch date . . . . . :12/30/93 -- Keyed -- -- Actual -- # of Orders . . . . . . : 1 1 # of Units . . . . . :1 3 $ Received . . . . : 25.0025.00 *************************** * Batch is out of balance * *************************** F3=ExitF8=Work with Cash BatchF12=Cancel

Field	Description
Batch #	The number assigned by the system to a group of orders within a cash batch. The batch number is used as a control for the group of orders. During the cash batch process, the total dollars received in the batch are linked to the batch number. During the order batch process, the total number of orders, the total number of units ordered, and the total dollars received are linked to the batch number. During Order Entry, the individual orders in the batch are linked to the batch number. The system ensures that the dollars, units, and orders within a given batch number match the controls entered prior to Order Entry. Numeric, 5 positions; display-only, assigned by the system.
Batch date	The date on which the batch was entered. Numeric, 6 positions; display-only, assigned by the system.
# of orders - keyed	Displays the number of orders you intended to enter for the batch, as defined in the # of orders field on the Create Order Batch screen. Numeric, 5 positions; display-only.
# of orders - actual	Displays the number of individual orders actually entered through Order Entry for this batch. The system compares this value against the value in the # of orders field in the Order Batch record. This value increases by 1 with each new order you enter for the batch. The batch is not in balance until the values in the # of orders keyed and the # of orders actual fields are the same. Numeric, 5 positions; display-only, updated by the system.
# of units - keyed	The total quantity of items you intend to order, across all orders in the batch. This value is defined in the # of units field on the Create Order Batch screen. Numeric, 7 positions; display-only.
# of units - actual	The actual quantity of items ordered in the batch, as defined through Order Entry. This value represents the accumulated total of units ordered across the individual orders in the batch. The system compares this value against the value in the # of units field in the Order Batch record. This value increases by quantity ordered of each item in the batch. The batch is not in balance until the values in the # of units keyed and the # of units actual fields are the same. Note: The system increments this value automatically when free gifts or accompanying items are added to the order. As a result, you may have to increase the # of units in the Order Batch to reflect this activity. Numeric, 7 positions; display-only, updated by the system.
$ received - keyed (Dollars received)	The total dollars received across all orders in this batch. This value may default from the Cash Batch record, if you batch cash as a separate step prior to Order Entry. Numeric, 9 positions with a 2-place decimal; display-only.
$ received - actual (Dollars received)	The total dollar amount actually entered through Order Entry for orders in this batch. The system compares this value against the value in the $ received field in the Order Batch record, if available. This value increases by the dollar value of each order entered in the batch. The batch is not in balance until the values in the $ received keyed and the $ received actual fields are the same. Numeric, 9 positions with a 2-place decimal; display-only.

Screen Option	Procedure
Correct cash control information for the batch	Press F8 to advance to the Work with Cash Batch Screen.

Work with Cash Batch Screen

Purpose: The Cash Batch option is available from the Batch Totals screen so that you may update the check information to balance the batch. This option is available only if the Batch Cash? (B22) field in the System Control file is set to Y.

How to display this screen: Press F8 at the Display Batch Totals Screen to display the Work with Cash Batch screen if you are using cash batches and need to change check information entered for a cash batch. This screen lists the individual checks included in the batch.

Once at this screen, you can work with a specific check in the batch and make any necessary adjustments.

OER0429 DISPLAY Work with Cash Batch 1/03/94 14:24:56 Mail Order Company Batch #: 26Batch amount:25.00 Amount entered: 100.00 Opt Control # Check # Micr # Amount Status Type options, press Enter. 2=Change4=Delete5=Display 11897 4994364225.00 O 21894 4112488575.00 O F3=ExitF6=CreateF9=Accept w/errorsF12=CancelF21=Print list

Selecting a check: Enter 2 next to a check in the cash batch to display information entered for the check. This is necessary if the batch is out of balance because of a keying error made when creating the Cash Batch.

Change Order Cash Batch Screen

Sample screen: A sample Change Order Cash Batch screen is presented below.

OER0432 OPEN Change Order Cash Batch 1/03/94 14:36:16 Mail Order Company Batch # . . . . :26 Cash control # : 1 Check # . . . . . 1897 Micr # . . . . .49943642 Check amount . . 25.00 Status . . . . :O (O=Open, U=Used, V=Void...) Comment . . . F3=ExitF12=Cancel

Updating check information: Change the value in the Check amount field on the Order Cash Batch screen to balance the batch, if applicable.

Updating Order Controls or Orders

Purpose: If the batch is not in balance, use the Work with Order Batches Screen to:

• update the order controls (number of orders, number of units, or dollars received) for the batch, or

• update an order in the batch

Blinking or red batch numbers indicate that the batch is not in balance.

Updating order controls: Enter 2 next to the order batch that requires updating. If the keyed and actual statistics for the order batch do not agree, you can update the following fields, as needed:

• # of orders

• # of units

• $ received

Updating individual orders:Enter 8 next to the order batch that contains orders that require updating. You can:

• enter 4 next to an order in the batch to delete it, or

• enter 5 next to the order you need to update, or

• enter 8 next to an order to review the totals for the order, or

• press F6 to enter another order for the batch, or

• press F8 to review the keyed and actual totals for the batch