Note: This option should only be available from Dimensions version 2.51a onwards and may not be present in earlier versions of Dimensions
Navigate to the System tab.
Click on the Options button.
Click on the System Control Options button.
Select the Ledger Defaults tab.
Check the Enable Working Periods option.
Select this option to enable the new ’soft close’ of Working Periods so that users can choose to leave an old period open for posting adjustments while continuing to work within the current calendar period. The Default is off. When enabled, the Working Period for each Ledger defaults to the current Open Period, and the Working Period is shown as a label adjacent to the Open Period.
Security Profile
Click on the System tab.
Click on Profiles within the Security section.
Click on Global, within the Record section.
Post to restricted periods
If the user has Administrator rights, they can access this Security Profile option that allows users to post to restricted periods: this allows users to control which users have permission to post to restricted periods. The default is off.
If not selected, then users are only able to post to the current Working Period (and any future periods as allowed by their profile), i.e. future period posting privileges are applied to the current Working Period rather than the current Open Period. If enabled, then users are able to post to the current Open Period (and any future periods as allowed by their profile), i.e. this was the usual functionality before the new feature.
Advance Working Period
It’s now possible to roll the Working Period forwards so that users can restrict posting to the current ledger Working period. This option is only available when Enable Working Periods is enabled.
The Working Period can be more than 1 period in advance of the open period, including into next year. However, the Working Period cannot be further ahead than Next Year period 12 (or 13 in a13-period system).
Nominal Working Period cannot be further ahead than Sales/Purchase Working Period.
The Working Period cannot be earlier than the current open period. Users can see the Working Period for the specific Ledger at the top of each Period End window.
Transactions
Please note:
If using Working Periods then the default period for a transaction is based on the current Working Period (rather than Open Period) and the future period posting privileges,
Where users have permission to post to restricted periods then the period selection list additionally includes any open periods prior to the current working period; however, they must manually select to post to a restricted period.
When attempting to post to a restricted period, users are cautioned that the transaction date entered relates to a restricted period.
It is possible to do a ’soft close’ of a financial period so that financial changes for month end procedures are limited to only those users who have the authority to do so.
This feature allows the user to roll the posting period forward so that users, who are posting transactions, can no longer post into that period; however, this does not actually close the period: users who have the requisite permissions can continue to post adjustments.