AR Manager: Manage Accounts Receivable and Receive Customer Payments (Video)

2 Video Walkthrough of the AR Manager Screen

Click on the square at the bottom right-hand corner to view the video in full screen mode.

3 Accessing the AR Manager

4 Initialize AR:  First Step for New Implementations

If you are a new EMDECS user, or just started using the EMDECS Full Accounting system, you can use the Initialize AR screen to enter outstanding receivables from your previous accounting system.

1. From the AR Manager screen, look under the Things To Do list on the left-hand side and click on Initialize AR.
   
   
   
2. The Initialize AR screen can be filtered / refreshed by location, customer, transaction type, and currency.  Any invoices previously added will be listed in the bottom pane. There are two methods to add outstanding customer invoices:
    
   1. Add each invoice one at a time by clicking Add Initialize Customer Invoice.
   2. Click Import to import invoices in bulk by entering them into an Excel spreadsheet.
      
      
   

   Only enter outstanding customer invoices from your old accounting system that are dated prior to your EMDECS accounting go live date.  The initialize AR process will add the invoices to the outstanding invoices tab in EMDECS to be paid, but the invoices will not be journalized in EMDECS.

3. 4.1. Add Individual Invoices

   1. To add invoices one at a time, click Add Initialize Customer Invoice .
      
      
      
   2. Fill in all required fields marked with an asterisk.  The Paid Amount is an optional field in case the customer has made a partial payment.  Click Save / Exit to save the invoice and close the window, or click Save / Next to save the invoice and clear the screen to enter another invoice.
      

4. 4.2 Import Invoices

   1. To import invoices in bulk, click the Import button.
      
      
      
   2. Click Download Template to download an Excel template file to enter your data.
      
      
      
   3. Open the file for editing.  All columns with bold headers are required fields. Save the file once you have entered all of your invoices.
      
      
      
   4. Back on the import screen, click Choose File .
      
      
      
   5. Browse to the directory where your file is saved, select it, and click Open .
      
      
      
   6. Click Import .
      
      
      
   7. Records that have been imported will be listed in the bottom pane.  If there are errors, open the Import Errors tab to review them.  If you are unsure how to correct data import errors, please email us at help@brightorder.com or call us at 1-888-205-8817 for assistance
      

5 Outstanding Invoices Tab

The AR Manager screen opens to the Outstanding Invoices tab.  This screen lists all unpaid customer invoices.  You can narrow down the search results by location, customer, invoice type, or invoice number.  Click Search after entering search criteria to refresh the list.

Clicking on the magnifying glasses next to Location and Customer will pop-up an advanced search window.

1. To receive a payment, highlight an invoice in the list and click the Receive Payment button.
   
   
   
2. You may be prompted to select a GL account, if the receipt account currency does not match the invoice currency. This is only applicable to shops that deal with payments in multiple currencies (i.e. USD and CAD).
   
   
   
3. A Customer Receipt screen will pop-up to enter the payment details.  At the top of the screen is general customer and receipt information, including the service location, customer name, an optional ref/cheque number field, the amount of the payment, the account, and date.  Entering a description and notes is optional.
   
   The Amount can be edited and applied to multiple invoices.
   
   
   
4. To apply the customer's payment to multiple invoices, click the Add Outstanding Invoices button.
   
   
   
5. An Outstanding Invoices screen will pop-up with a list of all outstanding invoices.  Use the Select checkbox column to check off / select the invoices being paid and click Add Selected at the bottom of the screen.
   
   
   
6. Partial payments can also be entered.  By default, the payment amount will populate with the original amount owed.  You can edit the payment amounts.  The Outstanding column will display how much is left owing for each invoice.  This enables you to accept multiple payments from the customer if they will pay the remaining balance at a later date.
   
   
   

7. 5.1.1 Add Adjustments (skip if not applicable)

   1. Adjustments can be added by clicking Add Adjustment on the right-hand side (i.e. processing customer refunds or moving outstanding invoice to a bad debt clearing account if a customer has gone bankrupt and payment will not be received).
      
   2. From the Adjustment pop-up window, select the appropriate account, the division, enter a description, and the amount of the adjustment.  Click OK to save.
      
   3. Any adjustments will be listed on the right-hand side.
      
       
8. 
   If you need to remove invoices or adjustments from the customer receipt screen, click on the red X on the appropriate line, then click on the trash bin to confirm.
    
   
    

9. 5.1.2 Finalize the Receipt

   The final step to complete and process the customer's payment is to finalize the receipt. Click the Finallize button at the bottom of the screen.

   

    
10. The remaining amount cannot be negative.  If you try to finalize with a negative remaining amount, you will need to either increase the customer's payment amount being applied on this receipt, or change the payment amount being applied to invoices, or make adjustments, until the remaining amount is zero or a positive number.
    
     
    

    If a customer overpays for an invoice, the over payment will be listed in the Receipt Credits Tab and can be applied to future invoices.

5.2 Call Notes

Call notes can be recorded and tied to customers in EMDECS.  This is handy to keep records of any conversations you have with customers regarding outstanding payments.  Complete the following steps to attach call notes to a customer:

1. Highlight the appropriate invoice in the list then click Call Notes .
   
2. Click Add Call Notes
   
3. Type in your note and click Save / Exit .
   
4. The call note has been saved, as pictured below.  Click Edit to revise the notes, or click the red X to delete a note.
   

5.4 Display Totals

To calculate and display totals on the Outstanding Invoices screen, click the Display Totals button at the bottom.  Totals will be calculated and displayed based on your search criteria at the top (i.e. you can search by a customer at the top, then display totals owed by that customer).

6 WIP Misc Sales Tab

The WIP Misc Sales tab displays work in progress miscellaneous sales charges.  Miscellaneous sales invoices allow you to add charges outside of traditional repairs, counter sales, rental/leasing invoices, etc. (i.e. storage fees, inspection fees, parking fees, etc.)

Clicking on any reference number will open an existing open miscellaneous sale to make changes and invoice it. 

6.1 Add New WIP Misc Sales Invoice

1. Click on Add New Misc Invoice .
   
   
   
2. Search for the customer to be invoiced and then click Select .  A new customer can also be added on the fly by clicking New Customer .
   
   
   
3. The date will default to the current date and can be changed by clicking on the calendar icon.  Select a Type from the drop-down list.  All other fields are optional.
   
   Click Add Line Item to add charges.
   

4. From the Misc Line Item pop-up window, select the GL account number, division, and enter a description for the charge.  Notes are optional.
   
   Below the Notes field, select either Based on Quantity , then enter a quantity, UOM, and unit charge, or select Total Charge Override to enter a flat, total charge.  Specifying a warehouse, customer, and unit are optional fields.
   
   Click Save / Exit to save the line item and return to the Customer Misc Sale screen.
   

5. The line item will be added, as pictured below.  You can click Add Line Item again to add additional charges.

    

   When the miscellaneous sale is ready to the finalized and invoiced, click the Invoice / Print button at the bottom of the screen.
   
   

   

   Click Save / Exit to save your progress and complete the invoice at a later date.
6. Example of printed miscellaneous invoice:
   

   

7 Bank Deposits Tab

Bank deposits can be managed from the Bank Deposits tab.  To record a new deposit to your bank, complete the following steps:

1. Click Add New Deposit .
   
   
   
2. Select the appropriate bank account from the Account drop-down list, then click Select Receipts.
   
   
   
3. Select the payment receipts that match with the deposit by individually clicking on the select check boxes, or using the Select All / De-select All buttons at the top.
   
   Click Confirm Selected at the bottom of the screen when you have selected the appropriate receipts.
   
   
   
4. Click Close Deposit to finalize and close the bank deposit.
   

8 Receipt Credits Tab

If you receive over payments from customers, these will appear in the Receipt Credits tab.   To use customer credit to pay invoices, complete the following steps:

1. Click on the Use button to use the customer credit.
   
   
   
2. You can choose to either apply the credit to additional invoices or transfer the credit to another customer.  Select the appropriate option and click Confirm .
   

3. 8.1 Apply Credit to Additional Invoices

   A Customer Receipt window will pop-up.  Click Add Outstanding Invoices to apply the credit to another invoice. Refer to section 5.1 Receive Customer Payments for step-by-step instructions.
   

4. 8.2 Transfer Credit to Another Customer

   If you choose the option to transfer credits, a window will pop-up for you to select the To Customer and enter the transfer amount before the transfer is completed.
   
   
   

9 History Tab

The History tab is where you can search for details from previous invoices and receipts.  Under the Invoices subtab, you can search for invoices by customer, location, invoice number, type, and date range.  The Outstanding Only option can be checked to only search for invoices that have not been paid.  Click Refresh to perform a search, then click on invoice numbers to drill-down and view individual invoices.

From the Receipts subtab, you can search for specific payment receipts by customer, location, receipt #, or check #.   Clicking on a receipt number in the search results will drill-down and provide details about the individual receipt.

9.1 Process NSF Charges

If a customer's payment by check bounces, you can record NSF charges to the customer and/or NSF charges you incurred from your bank as the result of an account being overdrawn.

1. Open the History tab to search AR History.
2. Using the Invoices or Receipts tab, you can search for the payment receipt that was paid by an NSF check.   If you know the payment receipt number, it will be faster to search from the Receipts tab.  If you do not have the receipt number, you can search for the invoice by customer, location, invoice number, type, and specific From and To date ranges.  Click Refresh after entering search criteria.
3. After locating an invoice paid by NSF check, select the row with your mouse and then click on the Receipt # in the bottom pane.
   
   
   
4. Alternatively, you can search directly for the payment receipt from the Receipts tab then click on the Receipt # .
   
   
   
5. After locating and opening the Customer Receipt, click on the NSF button.
   
   
   

6. The NSF Receipt screen will pop-up.  You can select Bank Fee Charges to record any charges you have incurred as the result of the NSF check and/or select Charge Fee To Customer to charge your customer a fee for writing an NSF check.
   
   All fields marked with an asterisk are required.  To record bank fee charges you incurred, you will need to select your bank in the vendor field, enter the NSF or overdraft charge reference number, select a cost account, division, and enter the amount of the bank fee.
   
   To record charges to your customer, select the charge GL account number, division, and enter the charge amount to the customer then click Finalize / Print Invoice at the bottom of the screen.
   

7. An information pop-up window will display any reversal receipt numbers, and vendor and/or customer invoice numbers that have been generated.
   

10 Create Receipt:  Receive Payments Without an Invoice Number or Prepayment

1. The Create Receipt option under the Things To Do List can be used to receive a payment without having to search for an outstanding invoice, or used for prepayments if there is no invoice to be linked (i.e. the customer wants to prepay $1,000 for future services).
   
   
   
2. Enter the location and customer name then click OK .
   
   
   
3. Select an account number to receive the payment, enter the payment amount, then click Add Outstanding Invoices to select unpaid invoices linked to the customer. The customer receipt can be completed using the steps outlined in section 5.1 Receive Customer Payments.
   

11 Set up Recurring Customer Miscellaneous Invoices

Recurring customer miscellaneous invoices can be set up to charge a customer a recurring fee (i.e. monthly storage fee, parking fees, property/warehouse lease, etc.). This section explains how to configure recurring miscellaneous charges.

1. The customer who is being charged recurring invoices needs to be set up to receive recurring invoices via email.  This ensures they are automatically sent an invoice for each billing period.  Open the Administration menu and select Customer .
   
   
   
2. Search for the customer, then click on the customer name.
   
   
   
3. Open the Contacts tab then click Add Contact .
   
   
   
4. Enter the contact first and last name, primary email address, then put a check next to Email Invoice Att and click Save / Exit .
   
   
   
5. Click OK at the bottom of the customer record screen.
   
   
   
6. The first miscellaneous invoice needs to be created and invoiced, then it can be set to recur. Refer to the Add New WIP Misc Sales Invoice section for step-by-step instructions. After the first invoice has been generated, search for and click on the invoice number from the Outstanding Invoices or History tab to open the invoice.
   
   
   
7. Click on Setup Recurring Schedule at the bottom of the Customer Misc Sale screen.
   
   
   
8. Select a starting date, schedule (Monthly, Quarterly, Semi-Annual, or Annual), and enter a number of cycles (the number of times the billing will repeat).
   
   If you choose the last day of a month, the Last Day checkbox will be checked automatically and billing will always occur on the last day of the month.
   
   If the number of cycles is greater than 1 year in length, an optional field will appear to increase the charge based on an annual CPI increase.  Leave at 0% if you do not want to increase charges annually based on inflation.
   
   Click Confirm Schedule to save.
   
   
   

9. 11.1 Generate Recurring Invoices

   Recurring invoices need to be generated for each billing cycle.  On the AR Manager screen, under the Things To Do list on the left-hand side, click Generate Recurring Invoices .
   
   
   
10. Select a cutoff date to search for recurring invoices that are due, or will be due by the cutoff date, then click Refresh .
    
    
    
11. All recurring invoices for all customers will be listed.  Put a check next to Select for Invoicing , or use the Select All / De-select All buttons, to selected which invoices to generate. Click Generate Invoices at the bottom of the screen to create the invoices.  The selected invoices will be automatically emailed to each customer and cleared from the list.
    
    
    
12. Your customer will receive an email from noreply@brightorder.com with the invoice number and your company name in the subject line.
    
    
    
13. A PDF file will be attached to the email with a copy of the invoice, as pictured in the example below:
    

14. 11.2 Terminate or Deactivate a Recurring Invoice

    To stop recurring billing before all cycles have been completed, open the Generate Recurring Invoices screen (Financials → AR Manager → Generate Recurring Invoices) and refresh the screen with a cutoff date that displays the invoice reference number.  Click on the reference number.
    
    
    
15. Uncheck the Active box and click Save / Exit . The recurring invoice will no longer be billed.