The purpose of this lesson is to help you create your first client.
Before You Get Started
Before you can create your own client, you need a chart of accounts. While you can create and import your own chart of accounts, I do not recommend it. iDempiere's accounting engine is more complex than the typical accounting system, and creating your own chart of accounts usually adds two to four weeks to the go-live process. This delay is a result of mistakes and bad assumptions. Besides, most people are happy to take the lessons learned from their old COA and start fresh. If you do want to keep your own COA, This tool can help you ensure all the requirements are covered before creating your new client. There is also a video at the bottom of this page to help you ease into the process of creating your own COA.
Use the below COA links (99999, Minimal and Full) to download default charts of accounts. Use the 99999 COA when you create your client. See below videos for why you should start with the 99999 COA. Use the Minimal or Full (or a modified version of the these) when you are ready to upload your COA into your existing client.
A common question is: "what is the impact of choosing a particular COA?" The answer is: choosing a COA establishes the naming convention and hierarchy of accounts in the Account Element window. It does not have any impact on tax configuration or other aspects of your local operating requirements.
Practice First and Take Notes
While creating your new client process is easy, you should assume that you will make mistakes. This means that you need to have a good backup before you start, or it means that you should create a dummy instance to test on first. The later (dummy instance) is the preferred method.
Plan on creating multiple versions of your client. Like any process, practice makes perfect. The first time you try to create a client, you will make mistakes, you will change your mind on configuration, and needs will change. Changes in configuration in your client can have delayed consequences. For example, one company switched the Accounting Schema -> Costing Level from Client to Organization mid way through the go-live process. Weeks later, they experienced reports that would not execute because of incorrect costing records related to the Costing Level change.
Take detailed notes. Document every configuration change you make as part of the process of creating your client. Doing so will ensure you can accurately repeat the process weeks later if necessary.
Creating Your New Client
The below video describes how create and use your new client. To create a new client is easy. To use a new client requires a little knowledge. Here are the steps you will need to perform before you can buy and sell product in a new client. Please note the below steps create dummy transactions in your new client. Don't worry about them. I provide a cleaning script to remove test transactions before you go live.
Download your default Chart of Accounts (COA) per the above instructions.
Create your new client by running the Initial Client Setup Process using the System Administrator role.
Create a new (dummy) Price List and Price List Version for Sales
Create a new (dummy) Price List and Price List Version for Purchasing
Create a new (dummy) Business Partner for Purchasing. Create a Contact and Location. Set the Vendor Price list to the newly created Purchasing Price List.
Create a new (dummy) Business Partner for Sales. Create a Contact and Location. Set the Customer Price list to the newly created Sales Price List.
Create a new Product. Create Product->Price records for each of the above Price List Versions.
If you are keeping attachment and archives in your file system (recommended), update Client window => Client Info tab => Attachment and Archive Store fields. Set them to the /opt/idempiere-attachment record. If this option does not exist, use these directions.
If you are using Standard Costing (see Accounting Schema window), create a Cost Adjustment record to give your new product a non-zero cost. Do not worry about the Charge field. We do not have stock/value yet.
By executing the above steps, you should be able to successfully buy and sell products in your new client.
New Client Demonstration
Recommended Client-Related Actions for Production
Do not use Accounting Schema window => Costing Method = 'Average Invoice'. If you wish to use average costing, use 'Average PO'. Be sure to reboot your iDempiere server after you change your Costing Method.
Do not allow negative postings by unchecking the Accounting Schema window => Allow Negative Posting field.
Do not allow automatic period control by unchecking Accounting Schema window => Automatic Period Control. Use the Calendar, Year and Period window to control periods manually.
Do not allow suspense balancing by unchecking Accounting Schema window => General Ledger sub-tab => Use Suspense Balancing checkbox. This will force the system to throw a posting error if a document is out of balance.
Do allow currency balancing by checking Accounting Schema window => General Ledger sub-tab => Use Currency Balancing checkbox.
Deactivate Role window => Document Action Access subtab "Close" records for all document types except orders. (Note: the below statement will impact all clients on this instance). Said another way, there is no valid reason to "Close" invoice or payments. Leaving them in the "Completed" state is preferred.
update AD_Document_Action_Access
set isactive = 'N'
where AD_Ref_List_ID=183
and c_doctype_id in
(select c_doctype_id
from c_doctype
where docbasetype not in ('POO','SOO'))
The purpose of this page is to help you import your Chart of Accounts both at the time of Client creation and after Client creation.
Creating your Chart of Accounts COA
Introduction - more detail and advice about how and when to create your chart of accounts (COA)
0:00:45 issues with importing your COA during new client creation (Initial Client Setup Process)
0:01:30 solution - a better COA import at the time of client creation
0:02:30 99999 COA (Link) import review - temp COA used a the time of client creation