Program GMDS, Define GL Structure, is used to define or re-define the account number scheme in an enterprise. You must be logged into either the enterprise for which you wish to define the account structure, or into that enterprise's parent enterprise in order to define the general ledger structure. You can log into the enterprise in program SPDM, System User Default Maintenance.
When the accounts are restructured in this program, the program will find all instances of the account in the system and change it to the new account.
You must restructure the accounts in the same session in which you made the changes. Exiting the screen or the program will cause the changes to be lost, even if the changes were saved. This is because the changes are saved to a temporary table that is cleared when the program or screen is exited.
Restructuring the chart of accounts can cause problems when a segment with the type of automatic undefined exists because data can be lost if existing journals have not been posted.
* To prevent this from occurring, use program GLTM, Account Maintenance, to create the accounts that exist in journals but have not yet been added to the chart of accounts.
* Pressing the [Automatic Accts] button will cause program GLTM, Account Maintenance, to search for account numbers with automatic undefined segments that have not yet been added to the chart of accounts.
* The accounts are displayed and can be added to the chart of accounts by pressing the [Create Accounts] button.
* This does not post the journal information, but the accounts are added to the chart of accounts and the journal information will not be lost.
Account Segment Character Rules
The following characters are not permitted as segment separators, distribution code prefix, as filler characters, or within distribution codes, segment values, or default segment values:
Single quote ‘
Backslash \
Underscore _
Percent %
Asterisk *
Caret ^ (reserved by NDS to define segment value substitutions in GPTM)
* The segment separator cannot be the same as the distribution code prefix.
* Fill characters for segments cannot be the same as the distribution code prefix or the segment separator.
* Default segment values cannot contain characters matching the distribution code prefix or the segment separator.
* When account segment values are constructed in program GMSM, Maintain Segment Values, or program GLTM, Account Maintenance, the values cannot contain characters matching the distribution code prefix or the segment separator.
* Distribution code ID's can contain characters matching the segment separator or distribution code prefix.
* Subject to the above constraints, all other character occurrences should be allowed as distribution prefix, segment separator, or as fill characters, within distribution code ID's, segment values, and default segment values.
1. Exit query mode, and enter the appropriate enterprise.
2. Enter the segment separator, if one is desired. The segment separator is the character that will separate the account number into sections. For example, in the account number 200-51000-000-000-00, the segment separator is the dash ( - ). You can choose not to have a segment separator and leave the field blank.
3. Enter the Distribution Code Prefix. If you are entering a distribution code in an account number field, this is the character that you need to enter in the field before you enter the code. Otherwise, the system will think that you are entering an account, and it will try to enter the rest of the account number. The account distribution prefix cannot be blank.
4. Enter the segment number of the segment description that you want to use as the default when accounts are created. If the account segment that you choose is defined, the description will come from program GMSM, Maintain Segment Values, for the entered value.
5. Go to the lower block.
6. Enter the segment number. The number you enter here indicates the position or sequence of the characters for this segment in the account number.
7. Enter the segment length. This is the number of characters that this segment will occupy in the account number. For example, entering a five in this field would indicate that this segment is five characters long.
8. Enter the name of the segment.
9. Select the type of segment. There are four types, defined, undefined, automatic undefined, and soft-defined.
* Defined indicates that the segment was previously defined in program GMSM, Maintain Segment Values.
* Soft-Defined indicates that the segment was not pre-defined in program GMSM, Maintain Segment Values. The segment can be added in program GLTM, Account Maintenance, without a defined value existing in program GMSM, Maintain Segment Values, and the value for the segment is automatically defined in program GMSM, Maintain Segment Values, when the account is created.
* Undefined indicates that the segment is not defined in program GMSM, Maintain Segment Values, and are changed and added manually in program GLTM, Account Maintenance.
* Automatic Undefined indicates that the segment is not defined in program GMSM, Maintain Segment Values. These segments are used in sub ledger journals before they are created as accounts. When the journals are posted, the account number is created and added to the chart of accounts.
Restructuring the chart of accounts can cause problems when a segment with the type of automatic undefined exists because data can be lost if existing journals have not been posted.
* To prevent this from occurring, you can use program GLTM, Account Maintenance, to create the accounts that exist in journals but have not yet been added to the chart of accounts.
* Pressing the [Automatic Accts] button will cause program GLTM, Account Maintenance, to search for account numbers with automatic undefined segments that have not yet been added to the chart of accounts.
* The accounts are displayed and can be added to the chart of accounts by pressing the [Create Accounts] button. This does not post the journal information, but the accounts are added to the chart of accounts and the journal information will not be lost.
Account numbers with automatic undefined segments must have an existing default account number in program GLTM, Account Maintenance. For example, if the automatic undefined segment of an account number consists of the last three characters in the account number, the account number 200-10000-00-342 must have a default account such as 200-10000-00-000. When accounts are created with automatic undefined segments, the default values for the new account are taken from the default account in program GLTM, Account Maintenance.
* Account segments can be used in the parameter records to record a posting parameter value as a column reference in the account number.
* For example, if you had multiple plants, and you wanted the plant code in which the transaction was entered to be recorded in the account number, you could set up an automatic undefined account segment to record the plant code. This allows one plant parameter record for multiple parameter values.
* Defined, Soft-Defined, and Undefined segments must have accounts created in program GLTM, Account Maintenance, containing the segment values for the parameter items or the accounts will not post.
* Automatic Undefined segments will have account numbers created with the parameter item in the segment when they are posted.
* For more information, see Account Segments and Posting Parameter Records.
10. Enter a default value for the segment. This is the value that the system assigns to the segment whenever the segment is omitted or not known. New segments that are added to the structure will receive this value during the restructuring process. This is also the governing account for account structures using automatic segments.
11. Enter a filler character. This is the character used to 'pad' any segments that are enlarged during the restructure process or that are only partially entered during data entry.
12. Enter a fill direction. This indicates which side of the segment will receive the fill character or side of the segment will have a character removed if the segment is shortened. For example, if the filler character is 0, the fill direction is right, and the number being 'padded' is 45, the new number would be 450. If the fill direction were left, the number would be 045.
13. When you have made all your changes, press the [Prepare Restructure] button to view the changes. This does not make the changes to the account structure; it only allows you to view them.
14. Check the review of the results for errors by pressing the [Enter Query] button, changing the error pop-list to Collision, and pressing the [Execute Query] button. If there are errors, the error pop-list will display the word Collision in dark red. This indicates that two or more of the account numbers will be the same if the restructure is completed as it is. If there are errors, you must return to the first page and make changes to prevent the error. Otherwise, the restructuring cannot be executed.
15. You can press the [Segment Values] button to view the values of each segment. Defined segments with collision errors are also indicated here. Undefined segments that have value collisions are noted as a value loss. This will not prevent the execution of the restructuring.
16. If there are no errors, and the review results are satisfactory to you, you can execute the restructure by pressing the [Execute Restructure] button.
17. The restructure process takes a lot of time, as it will change the general ledger accounts throughout the system. The status of the restructuring is displayed at the bottom of the screen.
The following chart displays what changes cause the need for restructuring.
To read this chart, the first column displays the change, the middle three columns are questions to determine if restructuring should occur, and the last column displays whether restructuring is required. For example, if the segment separator is changed, and general ledger accounts do not exist, restructuring is not required. If the segment separator is changed, and general ledger accounts do exist, restructuring is required.
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GMDS Restructure Rules |
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Changes to… |
GL Accts Exist? |
Defined Segments Exist? |
Distribution Codes Exist? |
Restructure Required? |
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Segment separator |
N |
n/a |
n/a |
N |
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Y |
n/a |
n/a |
Y |
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Default Description No. |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
N |
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Distribution Code Prefix |
N |
n/a |
N |
N |
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Y |
n/a |
N |
N |
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Y |
n/a |
Y |
Y |
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Segment Length |
N |
Y |
n/a |
Y |
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N |
N |
n/a |
N |
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Y |
n/a |
n/a |
Y |
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Segment No |
N |
Y |
n/a |
Y |
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N |
N |
n/a |
N |
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Y |
n/a |
n/a |
Y |
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Segment Name |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
N |
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Segment Type - |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
Y |
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'D' or 'S' changed to 'A' or 'U' |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
N |
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Default Value |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
N |
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Fill Character |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
N |
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Fill Direction |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
N |
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Segment adding |
N |
n/a |
n/a |
N |
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Y |
n/a |
n/a |
Y |
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Segment deleting |
N |
Y |
n/a |
Y |
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N |
N |
n/a |
N |
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Y |
n/a |
n/a |
Y |
Pressing this button will make the restructure changes to the general ledger. You cannot restructure the chart of accounts if there are collision errors in the restructure review.
Restructuring the general ledger takes a lot of time because the process alters all occurrences of each account throughout the system.
Press this button to view the account numbers by segment. If an account number has a collision error, you can use this view to find out in which segment the collision has occurred.
A value loss error in undefined segments can cause a collision error for an account number. A value loss occurs when an undefined segment will be duplicated when the restructure occurs. Segments with a value loss will display Value Loss in the error pop-list under this button.
Press this button to view the account numbers that would occur if the general ledger were restructured according to the entered parameters. Any collision errors that would occur during the restructuring are displayed. Pressing this button does not restructure the general ledger; it only allows you to view the changes that would be made.