Dimensions

Overview

Dimensions are used by various accounting software packages as a means to track financial information by using sub-categories (dimensions) to extend the chart of accounts. One main advantage of this is that they allow each company to tailor the dimension definition and structure to accommodate their specific and perhaps unique needs. Within the ERP system, individual transactions are stamped with not only the General Ledger Account Number but also a variety of other values stored in the dimension fields and carried to the GL for use there in financial reporting.

Navigation

Dimension Value Master (or)

Company Master  - Dimensions Tab and Dim 1-8 Values Tabs

Processing

To create a New Dimension, click the New Dimension Value button on the Dimension Value Master List view OR click the New Dimension(1-8) Value link on the Company Master - Dimension (1-8) Tab.
To modify an existing record, click the Edit link on the left of the desired Dimension in the Dimension Value Master List view.

Fields
 

Company:  This is the Company number of the associated Dimension value.

Dimension Number:  This is the numeric Dimension Number to be passed to the interfacing Accounting system.

Dimension Value:  This is the value to be passed to the interfacing Accounting system 'Dimension' field.

  NOTE  Once the Dimension is created, the user cannot edit the above three fields.

Associated Dimension in Parent Company:  In Multi-Company configurations where one Company is designated as the Parent Company of another, this drop-down field allows for a linkage between the Dimension in the current (subsidiary) Company and the corresponding Dimension in the Parent Company.

Key Concepts and Structural Overview
 

Dimensions are text values that are written to the Rootstock Cost Transaction (SYTXNCST) object, and also to the associated General Journal entries exported to the accounting system.

The Rootstock application accommodates up to 8 dimensions, even though most Financial packages will use fewer (FinancialForce Accounting supports 4).

Dimension control is at the Company Level (SYCMP). Here we define the number of dimensions being used and the standard ‘source entity’ for each (see below).
 

  NOTE  If the Suppress Dimension Details under Dimensions tab on the Company Master is checked, then dimensions are not in use for the company. Also, Dimension Values will not be created under Purchase Order Line, Payables Distribution, Sales Order Line, Sales Invoice Line, Sales Order RMA Detail, Work Order Header, Dimension Routine, Cost Transaction.

The Dimensions object (SYDIM) containing valid values for each dimension, is maintained within Rootstock. A key part of the initial setup and configuration is to make sure that the values available as Rootstock dimensions are supported and valid in the accounting system.

The dimension values can originate from the following Rootstock ‘entities’.

• Division (value = 'Division')

• Project (value = 'Project')

• Organizational Department (value = 'Organizational Department')

• Inventory Item - which can default to its Commodity Code (value = 'Inventory Item')

• Purchase Item - which can default to its Commodity Code (value = 'Purchase Item')

• Sales Product - which can default to its Product Group (value = 'Product')

• Customer (support 2 different Customer Dimension values > 'Customer' and 'Customer - 2') 

• Mfg Engineering Department (value = 'Mfg. Eng. Department')

• Site (value = 'Site)

• Vendor (value = 'Vendor')

When dimension values are assigned to these entities, they are validated against the SYDIM table. Dimension values are assigned to each source entity in their respective maintenance program (Division maintenance, Item Maintenance, etc.), carried to the order records (POLINE, SOLINE, WOCST) and then written to the transaction records (SYTXNCST) associated with those orders, and activity is processed.
 

System generated transactions that will carry dimension values to the SYTXNCST are:

• Work Order (component issue, completion, scrap, etc.)

• Sales Order (sale and cost of sales transactions, etc.)

• Purchase Order (PO Receipt, RTV, scrap, sub-contract processing, etc.)

• Machine and Labor Bookings

• Miscellaneous Inventory Transactions (not associated with an ‘order’)

The user also has the ability to override the source entity for any dimension for any of the five transaction types noted above. This is done using the maintenance program for an object named ‘SYDIMOVR’.
 

Because transactions within Rootstock originate from different functional areas of the system, not all entities are available for all transactions (for example there is no Customer associated with a Purchase Order transaction).
 

Those entities that can be common to all transactions are Division, Project, and Organizational Department.
 

Below are the entities that are available for each transaction.
 

Work Order

• Division

• Project

• Organizational Department

• Inventory Item (or it's Inventory Commodity Code)

• Site

Sales Order

• Division

• Project

• Organizational Department

• Customer

• Customer - 2

• Product (or it's Product Group)

Purchase Order

• Division

• Project

• Organizational Department

• Purchase Item (or it's PO Commodity Code)

• Inventory Item (for direct material purchases only) (or it's Inventory Commodity Code)

• Vendor

Machine and Labor Bookings

• Division

• Project

• Organizational Department (thru the Work Order)

• Mfg Engineering Department

• Site

Miscellaneous Inventory Transactions

• Division

• Project

• Organizational Department (thru the Inventory Item)

• Inventory Item (or it's Inventory Commodity Code)

• Site

SEE ALSO
 

Dimension Source Override