There are a number of sections to this article, which are listed below:
Initial Settings
BACS Format Settings
Security Profile Settings
Customer Settings
Initiating a DD Instruction
AUDDIS Date
DD Status
Operation
Collections
Export
Reports
Initial Settings
The Direct Debit module is enabled by the Dimensions Accounts unlock and will show as a tab in Sales Ledger Options. To do this:
Click the System tab.
Click Options, Sales Ledger Options. A new window will open.
Click the Direct Debit tab.
Select the BACS format required as a default, typically ALBACS.
Note: If you would like to get the Direct Debit module, you will need to contact your Account Manager. If you need assistance contacting your Account Manager, please raise a new case online and reference the title of this article.
BACS Format Settings
Currently, if the only standard BACS format installed is the ALBACS format and you are familiar with the Access BACS Format Generator tool then it is possible to create other formats using this tool and import them into Dimensions using the import icon (just above the words Due Dates in the Sale Ledger Options window).
Make sure the Security Profile for the appropriate users will grant access to DD Collections and DD Export as appropriate. To enable the particular menu item:
On the System tab, in the Security Section, click Profiles. A new window will appear.
Notice a series of drop-down options, next to Sales Ledger, click the green icon.
Use the drop-down and next to Transactions, click the green icon.
Click the Direct Debit Collections option from the set that appeared.
Customer Settings
To set up a Direct Debit for a customer enter their bank details on their record. To do this:
On the Debtors tab, click Customers.
On the right, select the customer to edit. Notice the box on the left changes depending who is selected.
In the box on the left, on the right of this box, click the Bank tab.
Type the information required.
Click Save. A prompt will appear saying Would you like to initiate a new Direct Debit instruction?. If you click:
Yes : The DD tab will be displayed showing the new status.
No : It will be assumed that the customer does not want to pay by DD and therefore has opted out of the DD system.
Note: If you subsequently wish to include the customer in the DD system, then edit their record and under the DD tab, change the status from No Direct Debit to a status of 0N – New AUDDIS Instruction. If a customer wishes to cancel the DD after collections have taken place then you will need to change their status from his current status to 0C – Cancel existing AUDDIS Instruction. In a similar fashion, if the customer decides to cancel their DD setup then change the status here.
Initiating a DD Instruction
The next stage is to initiate an instruction to the bank effectively stating that you will be henceforth requesting a variable amount of money from the customer’s bank. You will need to do this every time a new DD is set up. To do this:
On the Debtors tab, click Direct Debits.
Click Export. A new window appears.
Click Collections and change this to Instructions.
Click the Display icon. The screen will list all those customers with their status set to 0N – New AUDDIS Instruction.
Select which customers to send DD instructions to by toggling the process flag from No to Yes.
When all the required customers are selected, click the green tick icon. A prompt to supply the output destination for the report will appear.
Note: If you elect to send the output to file, after being prompted for the output file name and destination, this will generate the file that you can pick up in the Banking software to send to the bank. A message saying Have the Instructions exported OK? appears.
Check the export, and if all is done click Yes, a further prompt will be given: OK to update the selected Instructions as exported?
Click Yes. The AUDDIS Date will change to today’s date and the status has been changed to 01 – First Collection.
AUDDIS Date
The AUDDIS date is set to the date that the instructions were sent. This value cannot be changed in the front end. This is because 14 days have to elapse from the time the Instruction has been sent to the time the collection is made. This 14 day period (wrongly detailed as 10 working days in the Help file) is designated as the cooling off period so that the customer has time to change their minds before the first collection is made. Strictly speaking and in order to comply with the Banking guidelines, this date should not be changed.
DD Status
The following is a full list of the status flags currently used in the DD module:
No Direct Debit
01 – First Collection
0C – Cancel Existing AUDDIS Instruction
0N – New AUDDIS Instruction
17 – Subsequent Collection
18 – Re-presented Collection
19 – Final Collection
TB – Temporary Block
XX – Rejected Collection
Operation
Essentially the operation of the DD module is that periodically the user will run a Collections Routine to select all the Invoices due for payment, then create the BACS file. The Export routine will create the file and also allocate the cash against the Invoice transaction.
Collections
To access the collections area of Direct Debits:
On the Debtors tab, click Direct Debits, Collections.
If required, to restrict the list of Invoices to be paid, type a search criteria.
Type the Payment reference.
Click List to display these transactions. It is possible to restrict the list of transactions to those customers set to 01 – First Collection, 17 – Subsequent collection, 18 Re-presented collection or 19 – Final Collection. A list of valid, outstanding Sales transactions that match the search criteria is displayed.
To be classed as valid the following conditions must be met:If DD Status is set to First Collection then all outstanding transactions are displayed for Customers with this status and where 14 days have elapsed since the date the AUDDIS instruction was sent.
If DD Status is set to Subsequent collection or Final collection then all outstanding transactions are displayed for Customers with this status.
To toggle the Payment flag to Yes, double-click the required line. Alternatively, enter the amount to be allocated if this does not match the invoice amount.
Once all the required transactions have been selected, click the green tick icon.
Click Print output.
If the output is sent to the screen then no further action is taken.
If the output is sent to the Printer or to a file on disk, a prompt appears to re-print the receipts. You will also be prompted to enter an Allocation date and period.
Click the green tick icon. A dialog appears. Please read it.
Click OK.
Note: As the system has warned the above, create the Collections Export file immediately. If you do not do so, there is a chance that the transactions selected in the routine will be reset and you will end up with the Invoice showing as having been paid in the database but no actual instruction sent to the bank to collect the money.
Export
As mentioned in the above steps, an export is required after the previous work has been completed. To do this:
On the Debtors tab, click Direct Debits, Export.
Leave the Find Option as Collections.
Enter any search criteria, change the bank account if necessary, and enter the reference for the receipts.
Click Display. The list of Invoices is displayed.
To toggle the transactions to be included, double-click each one or to select them all, click the solid black square.
Sent the output to Screen or Printer.
Again, send the print to Output to File in order for the system to generate the BACS file.
Type the file name/location. A prompt about Have the Collections exported OK? appears.
Click OK. Another prompt appears about OK to update the selected Collections as exported?
Click OK.
Pick up the export file that was produced in the banking software and transmit it to the Bank.
Note: The opportunity to delete a transaction using this routine which removes the DD status from the Instruction is there. All this does is prevent the transaction from being included in the Export file. It does NOT unallocated the transaction or reverses out the cash in any way. It is up to the user to post the correction manually in Dimensions. Highlight the transaction(s) and toggle them to Yes then click on the Delete button at the top of the window.
Reports
In addition to the reports mentioned above, there are two standard Crystal reports are included in the version of Accounts:
Direct Debit Customers : This report lists those customers and their respective status. May filter this report by status to tailor the contents to the requirements.
Direct Debit Preview List : This report lists payments that are awaiting export. There are no filter options for this report.