Allocation Entries Configuration

Allocations can be used to automatically divide general ledger figures, such as expenses or income, among various structures within an organization. You can configure an allocation method that will divide General Ledger amounts based on a flat value, such as the number of employees in each department, or based on a percentage entered for each structural entity.

To use allocations in Applied Epic, you will need to configure allocation methods and, in some cases, structure groupings. Click here for more information on the relationship between allocation methods and allocation structure groupings.

Click here for more information on using allocations in the General Ledger and a list of the areas in which they can be applied.

1. From the Home screen, do one of the following:
   • Click Configure on the navigation panel.
   • Click Areas > Configure on the menubar.
   • Click the down arrow next to Home on the options bar and select Configure.

   From any other area of the program, do one of the following:

   • Click the down arrow to the right of the Home options bar button and select Configure.
   • Click Home > Configure on the menubar. The Configure screen displays
2. Click Accounting on the navigation panel or Areas > Accounting on the menubar.
3. Click Allocation Entries on the navigation panel.
4. A list of allocation entries in your system displays.
   
   You can do the following from here:
   
   • Add an Allocation Method
     1. Do one of the following:
        • Click the Add icon to the left of the Allocation Methods list.
        • Click File > New > Allocation Entry on the menubar.
        • Click New > Allocation Entry on the options bar.
        • With focus on the Allocation Methods list, press [Insert] on your keyboard.
     2. The Detail frame is enabled. The active language displays in the Language dropdown menu and is based on your Primary Language in Regional Settings Configuration.
     3. Enter a Description for the allocation method. Giving each allocation method a unique description is recommended, so that you can distinguish them when using them in the General Ledger.
        1. If you have more than one language available, the Description you enter populates for every language.
        2. To change the Description that will display in a different language, select the Language from the list or the dropdown menu and enter a Description.
        3. The Update matching descriptions in other languages option defaults as checked or unchecked based on your previous selection for it. The option cannot be changed during this workflow.
     4. If you are going to allocate by assigning a percentage to each structure combination, check the Values as percentages checkbox. If you want Applied Epic to allocate by the correct percentage automatically based on a different value (such as each structure combination's head count, revenue, or square footage), do not select Values as percentages. You must enter values that are not as percentages as whole numbers, but you can enter percentages with up to four decimal places.
        
        Note: In order to use an allocation method where the values entered are not percentages, you must configure at least one allocation structure grouping. Click here for more information about using allocation methods with structure groupings.
     5. Click the Add icon to the left of the Structure list. The Add Structure Combinations window displays.
     6. Make selections from the Agency, Branch, Department, and Profit Center dropdown menus. You may also leave the default selection of All, or select None to include structure combinations that are not defined at a particular level. If you are only allocating to the branch level, for example, you would select None for Department and Profit Center.
     7. Click Locate.
     8. The list populates with structure combinations that match your criteria. Select the checkboxes for the appropriate structure combinations, or click Select All to check all search results.
     9. Click Add to continue adding structure combinations. When you are finished adding structures, click Finish.
     10. To remove an item from the Structure list, select the structure and click the Delete icon or press [Delete] on your keyboard.
     11. To assign a value to each structure, select its checkbox and enter a number in the Value column. All structures with values assigned to them display as selected in the Structure list. Unchecking a structure will clear its value.
     12. If you selected Values as percentages, you may click the Automatic Breakdown link label to view the percentage that would be allocated to each structure if the amount were divided equally. You can edit any of the percentages, but the total percent must equal 100.
     13. If you have already entered a percentage in the Value column and you click Automatic Breakdown, the Values Exist for Method warning displays. Select the Breakdown remaining radio button to split the remaining percentage (100 minus the total of the percentages you have entered) equally among the structures that have not yet been assigned values, or select the Overwrite all values radio button to overwrite any percentages you entered and assign an equal percentage to all structures in the list. Click Finish.
     14. Click Add to save this allocation method and add another. Click Finish if this is the last allocation method you are going to add.
         Note: If you add a structure to an allocation method but do not assign it a value, it will remain in the list but will not be used when you apply the allocation. It is recommended that you either assign a value to each structure or remove it from the list.
   • Delete an Allocation Method
     1. Click Allocation in the view filter and select Allocation Methods.
     2. Highlight the method and do one of the following:
        • Click the Delete icon to the left of the Allocation Methods list.
        • Click File > Delete on the menubar.
        • Press [Delete] on your keyboard.
     3. You are prompted, "Do you wish to delete this record?" Click Yes.
        
        Note: If this allocation method has been used on a General Ledger item, its information continues to be stored on that item for viewing and reporting purposes even after the method is deleted.
   • Edit an Allocation Method

     Allocation methods can be edited at any time. Editing an allocation method will not affect any rows previously created using that allocation. Because allocation methods continue to be linked to the rows they create, however, making drastic changes to an allocation method is not recommended. If it is necessary to "repurpose" an allocation that has been used in the General Ledger, a better practice is to delete that method and create a new one. The information for the deleted allocation is still stored on the rows in the General Ledger that use it.

     1. Click Allocation in the view filter and select Allocation Methods.
     2. Highlight the method and do one of the following:
        
        • Click the Edit icon to the left of the Allocation Methods list.
        • Double click the highlighted method.
        • Press [Ctrl] + O on your keyboard.
     3. Change the Description of the method if desired. If this method has been used in the General Ledger, you receive the message "Modifying the description will do so for all records it was previously used on." Click OK.
        1. If the Update matching descriptions in other languages option is checked and descriptions for more than one language match, any change you make to one description will be applied to the other description after you click Finish. Deselect this box if you prefer to update each description individually.
     4. To add a structure to this method, click the Add icon to the left of the Structure list. The Add Structure Combinations window displays.
        Make selections from the Agency, Branch, Department, and Profit Center dropdown menus. You may also leave the default selection of All.
        
        Click Locate. The list populates with structure combinations that match your criteria. Select the checkboxes for the appropriate structure combinations, or click Select All to check all search results.
        
        Click Add to continue adding structure combinations. When you are finished adding structures, click Finish.
     5. If you wish to remove an item from the Structure list, select the structure and click the Delete icon .
     6. To assign a value to each structure, select its checkbox and enter a number in the Value column. All structures with values assigned to them will display as checked in the Structure list. Deselecting a structure will clear its value.
     7. If Values as percentages is selected, you may click the Automatic Breakdown link label to view the percentage that would be allocated to each structure combination if the amount were divided equally. You can edit any of the percentages, but the total percent must equal 100.
     8. If you have already entered a percentage in the Value column and you click Automatic Breakdown, the Values Exist for Method warning displays. Select the Breakdown remaining radio button to split the remaining percentage (100 minus the total of the percentages you have entered) equally among the structures that have not yet been assigned values, or select the Overwrite all values radio button to overwrite any percentages you entered and assign an equal percentage to all structures in the list. Click Finish.
     9. Click Finish to save changes to the allocation method, or Cancel to discard your changes.
   • Export Allocation

     You can export an allocation method or allocation structure grouping and save it to your computer as a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. You can use this spreadsheet for reference, or make revisions/additions to it and import the file into Applied Epic as a new or revised method/structure grouping.

     1. If you want to view allocation structure groupings instead, click Allocation in the view filter and select Allocation Structure Groupings.
     2. Do one of the following:
        
        • Click Actions > Export Allocation on the menubar or options bar.
        • Right click an allocation method or allocation structure grouping and select Export Allocation.
     3. The Export Allocation window displays. The Method or Structure grouping radio button defaults as selected, depending on the list you were accessing, but you can change this selection if desired.
     4. Choose the method or structure grouping you would like to export from the dropdown list.
     5. The File name defaults from the method or structure grouping selected, but you can change it if necessary.
     6. The location where the file saves depends on the way you access Applied Epic:
     • If you access Epic through a web browser, the file saves to your browser's default Downloads folder. Press [Ctrl] + J to open the Downloads folder in a new tab.
     • If Epic is installed locally on your computer, click Browse to select a destination for the file. Click OK.
     7. Click Finish to export the file. When the export is complete, Windows prompts you to confirm the location before saving the file.
   • Import Allocation

     You can update an allocation method or allocation structure grouping, or create a new one, by importing a spreadsheet from your computer that has the figures already entered. Before you attempt to import your spreadsheet, you must ensure it is in the correct format so that Applied Epic can interpret the data. It may be easier to start by exporting an existing allocation method or structure grouping so that you can use it as a template. Because you can enter large amounts of data more quickly in a spreadsheet than you can in Applied Epic, creating or updating allocations via import rather than manual entry can save you a great deal of time.

     In order for Applied Epic to recognize your allocation data, the imported file must be in this format:

     1. First column: Agency
        • This column can only contain agency codes defined in Applied Epic.
     2. Second column: Branch
        • This column can only contain branch codes defined in Applied Epic.
        • If you are not defining structures below the agency level, you may leave this field blank, but you still must include this column on the spreadsheet
        • If a branch is entered for this row, an agency must be entered as well.
     3. Third column: Department
        • This column can only contain department codes defined in Applied Epic.
        • If you are not defining structures below the branch level, you may leave this field blank, but you still must include this column on the spreadsheet.
        • If a department is entered for this row, an agency and branch must be entered as well.
     4. Fourth column: Profit Center
        • This column can only contain profit center codes defined in Applied Epic.
        • If you are not defining structures below the department level, you may leave this field blank, but you still must include this column on the spreadsheet.
        • If a profit center is entered for this row, an agency, branch, and department must be entered as well.
     5. Fifth column: Values (methods only)
        • You may enter percentages, or another value such as head count, revenue, or square footage. You will specify during the import process whether these values should be interpreted as percentages. If so, the system will verify that your values total 100.
        • Negative numbers and formulas are not permitted.

     In most cases, the first row in the spreadsheet will contain column headings, and your data will begin in the second row.

     If you are importing a method, Applied Epic will import only the first five columns. If you are importing a structure grouping, Applied Epic will import only the first four columns.

     Note: Applied Epic will import only the active sheet in a Microsoft Excel workbook.

     1. If you want to view allocation structure groupings instead, click Allocation in the view filter and select Allocation Structure Groupings.
     2. Do one of the following:
        
        • Click Actions > Import Allocation on the menubar or options bar.
        • Right click an allocation method or allocation structure grouping and select Import Allocation.
     3. The Import Allocation window displays. In the Import frame, select Existing method, Existing structure grouping, New method, or New structure grouping.
     4. If you opt to update an existing item, make a selection in the dropdown menu.
        If you opt to create a new method or structure grouping, enter its Description in the field to the right.
     5. If you are importing a new method and wish for your entries in the Values column to be interpreted as percentages, select Values as percentages. This means that the system will verify that the total of the values you entered is 100.
        
        If you are importing an existing method, the system will determine whether the values are percentages based on the option selected for that method.
     6. You can change the currency format of the import by selecting a Number Format.
     7. Click Browse to locate the file on your computer. Highlight the file and click Open.
     8. Start import from row defaults to 2 because the first row of a spreadsheet usually contains column headings and the data begins in the second row. If this is not the case (e.g. you did not use column headings in your spreadsheet, or you do not want to import the first few rows of data), enter a different value.
     9. Click the Preview button to ensure that your file will import correctly. A spreadsheet opens that allows you to see how your data will display in Applied Epic.
        • Two additional columns display to the right of your data: Import and Message.
        • The Import column indicates whether the row import was Successful or encountered an Error.
          
          Note: All of the rows must import successfully in order to create or update the allocation. A single error will cause the import to fail.
        • If Error displays in the Import column, the Message column indicates why the row could not be imported. The following error messages are possible:
          
          • Percentages not equal to 100. This error message only applies if you are importing a method and Values as percentages was checked.
          • Invalid amount. This error message only applies if you are importing a method. Negative numbers and values derived from formulas are considered invalid.
          • Invalid structure. This could mean that one of the structure values you entered does not match a structural entity configured in Applied Epic, or that the combination is invalid (e.g. a value is entered for department but not for branch, or a branch is entered that is not associated with a particular agency)
          • Duplicate structure. The structural combination in this row exists in a previous row on the spreadsheet.
        • Review the information displayed (you may save a copy to your computer if you wish) before closing the preview.
     10. Click Finish to finalize the import, or Cancel to close the Import Allocation screen.
   • Print a List of Allocation Methods
     1. Do one of the following:
        
        • Click the Print icon to the left of the Allocation Methods list.
        • Click File > Print > Listview on the menubar.
        • Click Print > Listview on the options bar.
        • With focus on the list, press [Ctrl] + P on your keyboard.
     2. The Print window displays. Print this as you would any other document.