See the definition for Inventory Holding.

The action menu (i.e. gear icon) contains a list of "actions" that can be performed on a highlighted selection of records in the list view. The contents of the action menu will vary based on the list view.

The Administration module is most of the setup of the system takes place. System Setup, System Configuration and User Access Levels are some of the key pieces in this module. You can also modify list view screens via the View Editor, access the Web Integrations log, edit Custom Forms, among other things.

An assembly is a finished good inventory product that contains a bill of materials. These products are usually built via work order or the auto-build assembly feature, although they can be purchased from a vendor (if the vendor offers the item for sale.)

Auto-build is a feature that will build an assembly on-the-fly when the item is added to a Sales Order. When this function is used, the system will auto-create the necessary inventory maintenance documents and will completely bypass the work order system in order to build the assembly.

The auto-build setting needs to be enabled on an assembly product for this to occur.

Auto Work Order is a feature that will create a Work Order to build an Assembly via the Sales Order Action Menu. If there are any sub-assemblies that have the Create Sub-WO setting enabled, then the system will also create the Sub Work Orders.

A backorder in AcctVantage occurs when the customer has ordered some products, but they are not currently in stock.

In technical terms a backorder is created when a committed sales order is saved with at least one line item where Order Qty > Ship Qty.

A batch deposit is a receipt or a collection of receipts that have been deposited to the check register.

When a receipt is entered in AcctVantage, that does create the G/L transactions to record the funds being received. However, it does not automatically appear in the check register until it's been deposited. You can choose to deposit one receipt at a time or include all selected receipts in one "batch".

Batch shipping is a method to streamline processing the shipments for multiple orders where the orders all have the same Product(s) and the shipping package is standardized. This feature requires the use of the easypost shipping integration.

A bill of materials (or BOM) at its most basic is a list of parts in an assembly or kit. For an assembly, the BOM contains a list of inventory parts, non-inventory parts and a work order process. For a kit, the BOM only contains a list of inventory parts.

A software bug refers to any part of the software that is not working as it was designed.  

The term Client in AcctVantage can mean different things depending on the context.

A client in the database is your customer. Client records are created and viewed via the Sales Master list view.

The AcctVantage Client as an application is the program the end-user opens in order to connect to the AcctVantage Server.

A client deposit is a receipt of payment [from a client] for a future order. Client deposits result in a credit balance on the client's account and a credit to the G/L as well.

Custom Forms are a type of reporting document that is commonly generated for external-use. Sometimes referred to only as "forms", these can be customized according to your desired specifications and formatting. These forms are created and edited by AV Support via an internal plugin known as hmReports.

Examples of custom forms include invoices, sales order confirmations, pick tickets, packing slips, purchase orders, client statements, shipping labels  and others.

A cycle count is a type of inventory count that is performed on a regular interval (or "cycle"). Each item that you want to keep track of can have its own counting cycle. For example, some items might need to be counted weekly and others will need to be counted monthly.

Cycle counts are different from a full physical inventory import although the reason for the count (and end result) is the same -- to keep inventory accurate!

The data maintenance process is a necessary part of running a database in a client/server environment. This process uses internal 4D tools to reindex the database (which increases performance) and help to prevent data corruption issues.

We recommend to run this process once per month.

Deferred revenue is a GAAP accounting concept (i.e. not specific to AcctVantage) that allows a customer to be billed for an order prior to the order being shipped. The deferred revenue GL account is a liability.

In AcctVantage, the deferred revenue feature must first be enabled in System Setup and the Invoice Qty column must be enabled on the Sales Order screen. When this feature is enabled, it allows for an invoice to be generated for a customer's order prior to the ordered items being shipped. This also creates a backorder in the system. When the backorder is eventually fulfilled, the system automatically relieves the deferred revenue (debit) and recognizes the actual revenue (credit).

In technical terms, deferred revenue is created where at least one line item has Invoice Qty > Ship Qty and the invoice is posted.

A disbursement represents a voucher that has been charged to A/P. There is always one and only one voucher per each disbursement. However, a voucher will not have a related disbursement if an A/P payment type was not selected. Disbursements are the documents that will be paid during the pay bills process. Once a disbursement is paid, it will be removed from the A/P aging schedule.

In AcctVantage, we refer to a document as any record that contains post-able transactions. Examples include Sales Documents (i.e. Invoices) and Purchasing Documents (i.e. Purchase Orders).

Each document essentially consists of a set of transactions where the G/L transactions must always be in balance and any Inventory-related activity is supported by an Inventory transaction.

Document Status refers to the specific part of the process that the sales or purchasing document is currently in.

Document type is used to refer to the type of either a sales or purchasing document.

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) is a concept where documents [that would traditionally be transmitted via email or snail-mail] are transmitted electronically. Purchase orders, advance ship notices, and invoices are commonly transmitted via this process.

While the term is not unique to AcctVantage, we do support EDI. Please contact AV support for more info.

ERP (or Enterprise Resource Planning) is the category of business management software that comprises AcctVantage. ERP software contains various modules, which each contain various functions that support different processes within the business.

A fiscal period is time period division of a fiscal year that is established for reporting purposes. In almost all cases, fiscal periods = calendar months. In very rare exceptions, fiscal periods are defined as something other than calendar months.

A fiscal year is reporting period defined for the purpose of producing financial reports. In many cases, an business's fiscal year will coincide with the calendar year although there are exceptions to this rule. The fiscal year end that is chosen in AcctVantage should match the time period used for tax reporting to the government.

Freight is a special non-inventory product type that can be used in the Ship Via field of a Sales Order or Purchase Order.

See the definition for action menu.

hmReports is a plugin that AcctVantage uses to build custom forms. The learning curve with this application is somewhat steep for the end-user (it does require a bit of database and programming knowledge), although it is not insurmountable.

The import wizard allows for importing foundational data in some selected areas of the system. This is not the method used to import sales orders or other transactional data.

Inventory Holding (also known as Accrued Inventory Payable) is a GL account that is used to store the value of inventory that has been received via Purchase Order before the vendor's invoice (i.e. Voucher) has been entered. This account appears as a liability with a nominal credit balance on the balance sheet.

When the Voucher is posted, the Inventory Holding account will be charged with a debit. The credit side of the Voucher is charged to the GL account associated with the Payment Type that was used (commonly, Accounts Payable).

Inventory maintenance is a type of document that can be used to add or remove inventory. Assemblies can also be built or exploded via inventory maintenance although we recommend to use work orders for those tasks.

The Job Costing module is a reporting area that allows income and expenses to be tracked for specific projects. Most of the data in a job will be pulled from other transactions in the system (e.g. invoices, vouchers, etc.)

A job item is any transaction that has been tagged as part of a job. Some of these affect the Job Profitability and others are only for reporting purposes. For more info, see the Job Costing documentation.

A kit in AcctVantage is a collection of inventory parts but the kit itself is non-inventory. In other words, we don't stock the kit in our inventory. We stock the components. When a kit is sold, the components are automatically drawn out of stock. Revenue and CoGS can be derived from the kit or the components, however.

A list view represents a list of records in a table (and/or related tables). This is where you can create new records and view or modify existing records.
The list view will likely be the screen you will become most familiar with in AcctVantage!

In AcctVantage, we refer to a location as a specific place within a warehouse. These are sometimes referred to as "bin" or "bin location" outside of the system.

Each warehouse must have at least one default location and there can be an theoretically unlimited number of locations. You aren't required to track inventory by location (except for the one default location per warehouse) if this is too much granularity for your company.

A Lot is a batch of products that was received together via Purchase Order or manufactured together via Work Order. Lots are used to facilitate the first layer of traceability for inventory items. Each unit of inventory in the Lot will be assigned the same Lot Number.

Usage of Lots can be either automatic or manual. Whether you want to keep track of them or not, the system will automatically use Lot Numbers as inventory is added or drawn from stock if you do not enter/select a Lot Number manually.

A module is a component of an ERP system. Modules are presented as the top-level headings that are found in the navigation bar or menu. Each module contains a sub-set of various windows, functions and reports in support of specific business processes.

MRP (or Materials Requirements Planning) is a demand-driven set of features that assist with inventory production, planning and scheduling.

The navigation bar (also referred to as "nav bar") is one of the primary navigation tools in the system. It consists of a down-down menu and a row of icons. The drop-down menu here is identical to the navigation menu in the menu bar on the top of the screen. The row of icons will dynamically change depending on which module is currently being used.

If you prefer to use the nav menu instead of the nav bar, you can turn off the nav bar by going to the Edit menu and unchecking the Show Navigation Bar setting.

The navigation menu (also referred to as "nav menu") is another navigation tool. The contents of this menu are identical to the drop-down menu in the nav bar.

If you prefer to use the nav bar instead of the nav menu, you can turn on the nav bar by going to the Edit menu and checking the Show Navigation Bar setting.

A non-inventory product is one that is not counted and stocked in a warehouse. Non-inventory items can be purchased and sold. In some cases these are products that are immaterial piece-by-piece (e.g. bolts and screws) and in other cases they might be completely intangible (e.g. services).

Order status is a status that denotes "where" in the overall process any given sales document currently is. These statuses are one component that is essential to tracking inventory in real-time. For example, available inventory is decreased when an order is saved in Open status.

The five order statuses are Open, Committed, Picked, Packed and Shipped/Invoice.

A payment gateway is a type of web integration that is used to process credit card payments from customers. Currently support gateways are Authorize.net, Cardpointe and Paypal (with limited capture-only functionality).

A payment type is the method used to tell the system how a bill will be paid. The payment type also assigns the GL account that will be credited during voucher entry and during pay bills process.

A physical inventory import is a type of inventory count where you'll essentially count everything. This is different from a cycle count in that a physical inventory import is usually done yearly, whereas cycle counts are done during shorter intervals.

PO status is a status that denotes "where" in the overall process any given purchase order currently is.

The four PO statuses are Open, Ordered, Received and Closed. Available inventory is increased when PO line items are received.

Posting in AcctVantage refers to the act of committing the transaction to the General Ledger. When a transaction is posted, the system records G/L activity such that it can not be voided or deleted, which preserves an audit trail.

Power search is a heavyweight search tool that is available in every list view in the system. Users can leverage the power search to find data using complex sets of criteria. For example, in the Sales Order window, a user can find all Invoices over a certain dollar threshold within a specific date range for a specific client.

AcctVantage allows for various types of products. The product type that is assigned will depend on what the purpose of the product is.

The inventory quantity reserve system is comprised of several categories. In order to facilitate the real-time inventory system in AcctVantage, all inventory quantities are assigned to at least one of these categories.

To see the quantity reserve categories, go to any inventory Product record and click on the Inventory tab.

A quick check is a check that is printed on-the-fly outside of the typical A/P Aging process. In most cases, a quick check is used for an expense item that needs to be paid quickly although the system does allow for printing  a quick check to pay for an A/P voucher.

Quick reports are created via an internal 4D tool known as the Quick Report Editor. Although there is a learning curve to use this tool, it is fairly simple and quick reports can be created by the end user. There are some quick reports that are read-only, however any quick report can be duplicated and modified. Some examples include Sales Tax reports, and any report contains a list of records (Clients, Vendors, Products).

Quick search is a lightweight search tool that is available in every list view in the system. Users can leverage the quick search to efficiently find data using a single piece of criteria. For example, in the Sales Order window, a user can find all Invoices within a specific date range or all Quotes for a specific client.

A receipt is the transaction that is used to record receiving funds [from a client] as payment for a past or future order. If the funds are received in advance of placing an order, this is known as a client deposit.

A receipt type is the method used to tell the system how a payment was received from a client. The receipt type also assigns the GL account that will be debited during receipt entry.

AcctVantage creates a reconcile session for each reconciliation that is opened. This includes bank reconciliations plus any other G/L account that is set to be reconcilable. The reconcile session carries the details of the reconciliation such as date, amount and cleared items.

There are a several types of reports in AcctVantage. Most of these would be considered internal-use reports, although that is not an absolute rule.

The sales master list view is an alternate, and more powerful, view into the client table. This distinction is made primarily for the purposes of user permissions.

A script is essentially a program-within-a-program. Scripts are written in the same (4D) programming language as AcctVantage but they are not part of the code base. This is one of the primary benefits of scripting since it adds functionality but usually does not require a new version of the software. When a script is installed, it becomes part of your database.

Scripts can have many functions including utilities, reporting, filters, menu items, action menu items and others. For more information on scripts SEE THIS ARTICLE.

Inventory products can be serialized in order to keep closer tabs on individual units of inventory. This is typically used for high-value inventory or items that require traceability at a more granular level than inventory Lots. Serial numbers can be either auto-generated or manually entered.

The term Server can mean different things depending on the context. Here is how the term 'server' relates specifically to AcctVantage ERP:

The AcctVantage Server application is the program used to connect to the database and "serve" the data to the AcctVantage Clients. Server can also be used to refer to the piece of hardware that the AV Server application runs on.

AcctVantage also contains a webserver, which is used to drive the dashboards and various web integrations.

A Sub-assembly is just a regular Assembly that is also a component of another (higher level) Assembly. A Sub-assembly can be thought of as both a finished good and a component. In addition to being a component of another Assembly, a Sub-assembly can be bought, sold, or manufactured on its own, if necessary.

AcctVantage supports a theoretically infinite number of levels for Assemblies and Sub-assemblies although it seems most common to keep these types of "nested" assemblies to 3 or 4 levels deep.

There are two primary areas for establishing system settings in the Administration module -- System Configuration and System Setup.

Tax areas control the sales tax rate charged on sales orders and the G/L accounting for the tax. If you are using the AvaTax integration, then you will only have one tax area assigned to that integration and AvaTax will handle the calculations. If you are not using AvaTax, then you will have a tax area for every tax jurisdiction where you deliver sales orders and the tax will be calculated based on the rates in the tax area.

Transactions are related to either the General Ledger or Inventory. In AcctVantage, as with most accounting systems, the user does not enter each transaction individually as that would be way too time-consuming and error-prone. Instead the user will enter the details into a document (such as a Sales Document) and then the system's business logic will ensure that each document has the necessary set of G/L and Inventory transactions when it's posted.

A user is an individual who accesses AcctVantage via the AV Client application. Permissions to access various modules and functions are granted via the User Access Levels screen in the Administration module.

Utilities are tools that AcctVantage Support may recommend in order to help debug or fix an issue. Most of the utilities are located in the Administration module but some of them might be designed as an action menu item or script.

The view editor is the tool that is used to modify each list view screen in the system. The columns that appear in the list view, the contents of the Quick Search and the default sort order are all controlled by the view editor.

All of these settings are controlled globally (i.e. for all users). However, each user has individual control over list view settings such as column width, window size & position, font size & typed and customized sort order.

A voucher is the data entry document that represents a vendor's invoice. This can be for an inventory purchase, credit card expense, utility bill, etc. Vouchers can add the bill to the A/P aging schedule or the bill can be paid outright using an alternate payment type (if a printed check is not necessary.)

A warehouse in AcctVantage is probably what you think a warehouse is -- it is the place where you store your inventory! There must be at least one warehouse in order to process inventory-related transactions. A warehouse can have an unlimited number of bin locations although only a single default location is required.

A warehouse transfer is a type of transaction that moves inventory from one place to another. There are two different types of warehouse transfer:

• Inter-warehouse transfer moves inventory from one warehouse to another.
• Intra-warehouse transfer moves inventory from one location to a different location within the same warehouse.

There are several third-party applications that can be integrated with AcctVantage. We refer to these as web integrations and we track communications with these services in the web integrations log.

A work order is the most common method that is used to build assemblies in AcctVantage. Each assembly consists of a bill of materials. When a work order is created, the system pulls in all details from the bill of materials. As the work order is processed, the system will draw the components out of inventory, add the finished item to inventory and record all of the associated expenses.

A work order process is an optional set of steps contained within the bill of materials of an assembly product. This process can be as simple or complex as you wish. Users can assign, start or complete each step in the process.  

XML is a file format that is sometimes used to pass data between AcctVantage and other systems. For example, sales orders can be imported via XML files.