3. Maintaining Documents and Vendors

Before you begin operations in the Expense Processing (XP) module of Oracle FLEXCUBE, you must maintain certain basic information. For example, you must maintain:

This data is maintained first because it is required to create XP products, process XP Contracts, and so on. In other words, this information is the foundation on which you build a superstructure called products to which, in turn, you can link expense contracts.

This chapter contains the following sections:

3.1 Document Code Maintenance

This section contains the following topics:

3.1.1 Maintaining Documents and Clauses

Payments towards the different items of an expense contract are typically made on the basis of documents. Most of these documents are standard and common to any expense contract that you enter into. Therefore, you need not specify the details of the document every time you enter into an expense contract. Instead, you can maintain the details of all documents in the ‘Bills & Collections Document Code Maintenance’ screen.

When creating a product, you only need to indicate the document codes that should be part of the contracts involving the product. All the details maintained for the document will be automatically picked up. This reduces your effort, as you do not need to enter the contents of the document each time you use it.

Further, all contracts involving a product will acquire the document specifications. During contract processing, however, you can choose to ignore the default document list altogether, or modify the default list of documents suitably.

You can invoke the ‘Bills & Collections Document Code Maintenance’ screen from the Application Browser by typing ‘BCDDOCCD’ in the field at the top right corner of the Application tool bar and clicking the adjoining arrow button.

Document code

In Oracle FLEXCUBE, every document that you maintain is identified by a unique code called a Document Code.

While creating a product, or at the time of entering the details of an expense contract, you only need to specify the code assigned to the document. The document details will be automatically picked up and defaulted.

Document Type

You can classify the document you are maintaining into any of the following types:

Validate Shipping Guarantee

Check this field if you want to validate the shipping guarantee.

Language Code

Specify the language of the document description. Click the adjoining option list to select a valid language code..

Document Short Description

The documents that can be part of an expense contract are sometimes large and hence difficult to identify. Therefore, you can specify a short description or a title that will enable you to identify the document quickly.

The short description that you specify is for information purposes only and will not be printed on any customer correspondence.

Document Long Description

After you specify a code to identify the document, you can proceed to maintain the description of the document. The description of the document is printed on the applicable advices generated for a contract. This will be in the language specified for the document.

Once the document code is stored, the description of a document can be edited only through the ‘Document Codes Maintenance’ screen. However, you can view the description of a document code when you are linking it to a product or contract.

3.1.2 Specifying the Clauses that should be part of the Document

For each document, you can specify several clauses. A clause is a statement that should be included in the document. The clauses that you specify for a document will automatically be included in the document.

To specify the clauses that should be part of a document, click add row icon. Identify the Clause Code in the Clause Code field. (Only clauses maintained in the Clause Code Maintenance screen will appear on the picklist in this field.) To add another clause to a document, click add row icon again.

To remove a clause specified for a document, click delete row icon.

3.2 Vendor Maintenance

Typically, you would enter into expense contracts with a standard set of vendors. Therefore, you need not specify the details of the vendor every time you enter into an expense contract. You can maintain the details of all the vendors with whom you deal in the ‘Vendor Maintenance’ screen.

When processing a contract, you only need to indicate the Vendor ID. All the details maintained for the Vendor will automatically be picked up. This reduces your effort, as you do not need to enter the details of the vendor every time you enter into a contract.

If the Vendor you are maintaining is a customer of your bank with a valid CIF ID, you can specify the Customer ID as the Vendor Code. In this case, the settlement and other details maintained for the customer will automatically default when you enter into an expense contract with the vendor.

Further, in the ‘Vendor Maintenance’ screen, you can blacklist vendors. Your staff cannot enter into contracts with vendors that you have blacklisted. This guards against entering into unviable contracts.

You can invoke the ‘Vendor Maintenance’ screen by ‘XPDVNDMT in the field at the top right corner of the Application tool bar and clicking the adjoining arrow button.

In this screen, you can maintain the following details for a Vendor:

Vendor Code

Specify the vendor code here, to uniquely identify the vendor.

Is Vendor a Customer

Check this box to indicate that the vendor is a customer of the bank.

Short and Long Descriptions

You may provide short (brief) and long (detailed) descriptions of the vendor whose details are being maintained here.

Vendor Address 1-4

Enter the address of the vendor here.

Country

Specify, using the adjoining list, the country from which the vendor operates.

Phone and Fax

Enter here the phone and fax numbers of the vendor.

Blacklisted Information

If the vendor is a blacklisted vendor, then check the ‘Vendor is Blacklisted’ box. Additionally, specify the ‘Reasons for Blacklisting’

Once a vendor is recorded as blacklisted, you cannot enter into contracts with them. This guards against accidentally entering into unviable contracts.

Stock Details

Under the ‘Stock Details’ section, you can specify whether the vendor is an inventory supplier or not. If the vendor is an inventory supplier then you can record the list of stocks that can be serviced by the vendor.

For more details on the Stock Details section, refer the Instruments Inventory Tracking manual.

3.3 Budget Code Maintenance

In Oracle FLEXCUBE, you can define unique budget codes and maintain budget details for each code. These details would include the budget limit, the financial year for which the budget is being calculated etc. Based on the limit defined and the amount expended, the system will automatically calculate the utilized amount and the available balance for a fiscal year, under a specific budget code. This facility will enable you to monitor the expenses incurred at your branch.

You can invoke ‘Budget Code Maintenance’ screen by typing ‘XPDBCODM’ in the field at the top right corner of the Application tool bar and clicking the adjoining arrow button.

In this screen, you can capture the following detail:

Budget Code

You can capture a code that will uniquely identify the budget throughout the system. The code can consist of a maximum of ten characters and can be a combination of alphabets and numbers.

Budget Description

You can also capture a brief description of the budget code being defined. The description will further help you in identifying the type of budget. The description can consist of a maximum of 35-alphanumeric characters.

3.4 Budget Details Maintenance

For each budget code defined through the ‘Budget Code Maintenance’ screen, you have to maintain budget details such as the budget limit, the fiscal year for which the budget tracking would be done, the name of the branch etc.

You can maintain budget details through the ‘Budget Maintenance’ screen by typing ‘XPDBDMNT’ in the field at the top right corner of the Application tool bar and clicking the adjoining arrow button.

You can maintain the following details in this screen:

Branch Code

You can maintain budget details for the current branch alone. The code of the current branch will be displayed here.

Financial Year

Select the fiscal year for which the budget details are being maintained. You can select the relevant year from the option-list provided.

Budget Code

All the budget codes maintained at your branch through the Budget Code Maintenance screen will be available in the option-list provided. Select the appropriate code from this list.

Budget Description

Upon selection of the budget code, the associated description will be displayed alongside.

Debit Turnover

Here, you have to define the limit up to which your branch can utilize towards expenses, under the selected budget code. This value will be stored in the local currency of your branch. The currency code will be displayed alongside.

Utilization

This field will indicate the total amount utilized under a budget code for the given financial year. Oracle FLEXCUBE will automatically update the amount utilized as and when an expense contract is booked in the system.

Available

The value in this field will indicate the total amount available under a budget at any given point of time. This value is also automatically updated by the system. The available balance will be calculated as follows:

Available = Turnover – Utilized

Note

You can track the budget by associating a budget code at the time of booking an expense contract. During the booking of an expense contract, the system will check whether you have maintained the budget details for the associated budget code for the fiscal year of the transaction date of the contract. If the details are not maintained, the system will not allow you to proceed with the booking of the contract.