This article explains how to set up the Chart of Accounts using a minimum chart structure with an advanced nominal ledger, allowing full customisation through segmented or cost centre coding.
📌 Note: Plan your Chart of Accounts structure before starting.
This article is structured as follows:
The database set-up process
The Chart of Accounts set-up process
Changing the category labels
Creating the categories
4.1 Area set-up
4.2 Department set-up
4.3 Detail set-up with major heading assignment
Building the Chart of Accounts
5.1 Add a new account after the chart is built
Define system default accounts
1. The database set-up process
Open Dimensions, click More, then New Database. Enter the SA password and click Login.
The new database setup wizard opens. Enter the company details.
Click Next. Select the country from the drop-down and click Change Setting. Confirm the details are correct.
Click Next and select the type of chart of accounts. For this article, select a minimum chart with an advanced nominal ledger structure.
Click Next and select the date the ledgers will start.
📌 Note: Open the accounts one period before the current processing period to allow opening balances to be entered.
Click Next and select the processing period start date and whether to enter opening balances in a prior period.
Click Next. This page shows the opening balance period, first processing period, and current financial year.
Confirm all details are correct. Go back to change anything if needed.
Enter the VAT registration number (if applicable), EU VAT prefix, and Numeric Country ID.
Select the number of decimal places for displaying values. Choose carefully — you cannot reduce the number of decimal places later, though you can increase it.
Enter the database name.
Choose the location and size for the data and log files. Set the master user ID and password, and decide whether to add SA as a Dimensions user or allow a master user to create users.
If everything is correct, click Next, then Finish to create the database.
2. The Chart of Accounts set-up process
Enable the ANL designer and define the hierarchies in System Control settings.
Click the System tab.
Click Options.
Click Nominal Ledger Options.
On the Records tab, tick Advanced Nominal Ledger if not already ticked. This enables the Setup panel.
Enter the number of categories required for the segmented account codes.
Select a Concatenation Separator if needed (this separates the different levels in account codes).
Select a Concatenation Method. This determines the order in which categories build up the nominal account codes. ANL lets you define a company structure that improves reporting definition and data entry efficiency.
Go to the Categories tab. Set the maximum length for each section's codes and mark one category as the detail. In this example, the last category is used as the detail.
Click the circular button to set the detail category.
3. Changing the category labels
Change the category labels to reflect your company structure. With the Nominal Ledger Options window open:
Click the red Access symbol in the top left.
Click Description/Language.
Click Load Current Window. The Language Entry window opens.
Click Edit and change the labels. For example:
NL_USERSORTNAM1 (Group Heading) → Area
NL_USERSORTNAM2 (Division Heading) → Department
NL_USERSORTNAM3 (Other Heading) → Detail
Click Save and close the window to return to Nominal Ledger Options.
Complete the category set-up:
Area: length = 3
Department: length = 2
Detail: length = 2
Confirm Detail has the circular button selected.
Click Save and close the window.
4. Creating the categories
4.1 Area set-up
Enter the area categories that will underpin the Chart of Accounts structure.
Click the Financials tab, then click Set-Up.
Use the Area drop-down and enter the category details. For example:
Code = BUR, Name = Bury, Short Name = BUR
Code = GRO, Name = Group, Short Name = GRO
Code = LON, Name = London, Short Name = LON
Click Save.
Close the window.
4.2 Department set-up
Enter the department categories.
Click Set-Up in the same screen.
Use the Department drop-down and enter the category details. For example:
Code = 10, Name = Sales, Short Name = 10
Code = 20, Name = Purchasing, Short Name = 20
Code = 30, Name = Admin, Short Name = 30
Code = 70, Name = Accounts, Short Name = 70
Click Save.
Close the window.
4.3 Detail set-up with major heading assignment
Enter the detail categories and assign major headings.
On the Financials tab, click Nominal.
Click Insert, enter the details below, then click Save for each entry:
Major Headings | Code | Short Name | Name |
1 | 01 | Sales | Computer Sales |
1 | 02 | Sales | Printer Sales |
1 | 06 | Sales | Other Sales |
1 | 13 |
| Deliveries |
1 | 14 | Discount | Sales Discount |
3 | 15 | Difference | Exchange Differences |
3 | 16 | Difference | Rounding Differences |
2 | 20 | Purchase | Hardware Purchase |
2 | 21 | Purchase | Software Purchases |
2 | 26 | Discount | Purchase Discount |
4 | 30 |
| Telephone |
4 | 33 | Expenses | Motor Expenses |
4 | 34 |
| Subsistence |
9 | 70 | Account | Current Account |
9 | 71 | Cash | Petty Cash |
9 | 72 | Control | Sales Control |
10 | 80 | Control | VAT Conrol |
10 | 81 | Control | Purchase Control |
12 | 90 | Update | Year End Update |
12 | 99 | Account | Suspense Account |
Click Save, confirm all entries are correct, then close the window.
5. Building the Chart of Accounts
5.1 Add a new account after the chart is built
On the Financials tab, click Chart of Accounts.
Select which accounts to create and determine the analysis records.
Click Add to Top in the top toolbar.
Select all area codes (click and drag to highlight all).
Click the green tick to add these categories to the main window.
Click Bury.
Click Add, select the Department codes, then click the green tick.
For this example, select Sales, Purchasing, and Accounts.
Expand Bury in the Chart of Accounts Build window.
Click Sales.
Click Add.
Select Detail and codes 01, 14, 15, and 16.
Click Purchasing.
Add detail codes 20 and 26.
Click Accounts and add codes 70, 72, 80, 81, 90, and 99.
Right-click Bury and click Copy Structure.
Right-click Group and click Paste Structure.
Repeat for London.
Click Save.
To add a new account, ensure the categories exist first, then repeat the steps in this section.
Note: If it’s necessary to save the Chart of Accounts without Building the COA, save the current selections, quit the process and return at a later stage.
6. Define system default accounts
Define the system default accounts and create nominal records with their associated analysis records.
Click the Build icon. A window opens listing all accounts and asking you to specify the default nominal for each.
By default the Default column shows None. Click it to change.
For this example, set the following defaults:
Code | Default |
LON1001 | Sales |
LON2020 | Purchase |
GRO1014 | Sales Discount |
GRO1015 | Exchange Diff |
GRO2016 | Currency Rounding |
GRO2026 | Purchase Discount |
GRO7070 | Sales COntrol |
GRO7080 | VAT Control |
GRO7081 | Purchase Control |
GRO7090 | Year End |
GRO7099 | Suspense |
Leave all other defaults as None.
Review the page to confirm all details are correct.
Click the green tick. A window appears asking you to confirm the account creation.
Click Yes to create the accounts. This may take a while depending on the number of accounts.
Once complete, a window appears asking whether to view and configure the analysis records.
If you click Yes, the nominal codes and their associated control accounts are shown. Review them and click the Save icon to confirm.
You can also amend or cancel at this stage.
Click Save. The Chart of Accounts is now created and can be amended as needed.