CLA’s Sage Intacct Spark #4: Smart Rules and Custom Fields
Smart Rules were the topic of my first Intacct blog almost 4 years ago. I learned how to write them by reading the Intacct Customization Services manual. (Yes, not in-product help, smart rules didn’t exist there yet. I was desperate for a data validation tool to eliminate missing data from reports and well someone had to figure these things out). I knew from previous google searches that limited resources existed on how to write them. So, once I figured out how they worked, I decided many people could use them if they understood them. Since that post, I sadly learned not everyone loves writing them as much as I do. Long-term, managing smart rules, if the writer is not forever available, can become a hassle. Enter custom fields.
Building smart rules dependent on custom fields allows for a user-friendly long-term management plan of your company’s smart rules. Long after the smart rule writer is gone.
So let’s jump right into an example!
The Example:
In Intacct, there are a set of journals used by sub-ledger applications. Usually, these include the below journals boxed in red. I don’t want users to post manual journal entries to these journals. Why? Well, if they post to these journals and use a subledger account not only will my subledger not tie to my general ledger, but I’ll also have a heck of a time finding the cause (especially if this user also decides to copy the default description the subledger uses).
Highlighted in yellow are the journals I’d like for users to post manual Journal Entries to.
(You may have more or less depending on the modules configured in your company).
What’s to stop users from posting to the AP Journal? Currently, nothing (unless you stand over them like a hawk and watch their every move – which is not recommended nor fun, so let’s let Intacct be your hawk). We’re going to set up a custom field and smart rule to prevent posting to these journals.
Step 1: Set up the Custom Field
Set up a custom field checkbox on your journals “PREVENT_JE_POSTING”.
- When checked, manual JE’s cannot be posted to this journal.
- When un-checked, manual JE’s can be posted to this journal.
Step 2: Update the Custom Field on the Journals
Check this new custom field on all sub-ledger journals.
Helpful Tip: Careful if you have custom applications using journals for posting journal entries (FAJ — Fixed Asset Journal or AJ — Allocations Journal). Do not check to prevent posting to these journals (unless you can write the rule to exclude the xml gateway user if there is one). Smart Rules are enforced in API calls.
Step 3: Write the Smart Rule
| Object: | GL Entry |
| Type: | Error |
| Events: | Add and Set |
| Condition: | {!GLENTRY.GLBATCH.JOURNAL.PREVENT_JE_POSTING!} == false |
| Error Message: | Why are you trying to post to the {!GLENTRY.GLBATCH.JOURNAL!} Journal? Stop that. May I recommend the GJ instead? |
| Smart Rule ID | PREVENT_JE_POSTING_JOURNAL |
And since you control what the error message is, may I suggest a fun one?
Helpful Tip! Use the new Field Lookup tool to find your custom field.
And lastly, to make sure you’ve crossed your “t”‘s check that your users don’t have permission to edit journals. Otherwise they could very well turn the checkbox off themselves at which point you should look into buying that hawk.
What’s Next?
Need another example? Check out the developer site for another excellent one I would recommend everyone set up. It prevents users from posting journal entries directly to subledger accounts.
Up next a spark to save you time on running reports before you’re out the door for Thanksgiving! Subscribe (top right of the page). Questions? Smart Rule help? Topic Requests? Email us or tweet us (@CLA_Intacct)!
Kathy Jastrzebski is a manager with CLA’s Intacct team. CLA is an Intacct Premier Partner with a partnership that spans over 20 years and more than 1,000 successful implementations. Kathy brings five years of accounting experience along with seven years of Sage Intacct implementation experience. Along with her accounting experience, she has a passion for leveraging technology to lead finance teams worldwide through system implementations with a mission of increasing department efficiency through business process improvements.
Excellent Kathy! Thanks for the great example 🙂