Consolidate Organizations

Access this form using Activities>Data Consolidation>Consolidate Organizations.

Use this form to determine the organization data to include in the active, consolidated organization. The original organization's fiscal year must be the same month and day as the consolidated organization's fiscal year-end. However, their system years can be different. Start with earliest reporting year, if, for example, you have three years with different dates.

• Each organization must have a client consolidation file added by the Administrator (File>Create Client Consolidation File) before it can be incorporated into the consolidated organization.
• In order to merge organizations, you must enter the Path/File Name for at least one organization and you must select at least one option in the Consolidate group box.
• The first time an organization is merged, it takes a few minutes to collect the data. However, it should not take as long for subsequent merges of the same database.

Open each existing client organization database (File>Open Organization) and the consolidated organization database to ensure that they are updated to the current version, before you create *.CCF files and perform a merge. When you install a new release of the system and you open an organization for the first time, the system informs you that the database must be updated to the current version.

The Data Consolidation module enables the consolidated organization to merge data for itself and all original organizations. Alternatively, the Data Consolidation Client module enables the original organizations to prepare their data so that it can be integrated into the consolidated organization's data.

 

ID: Enter a unique ID to identify the merge session.

Last Modified: The system displays the date and time the ID was last saved.

Date Item: Select a valid report period from the drop-down list. You can choose from This Month, This Quarter, This Year, Last Month, Last Quarter, Last Year, or Custom.

If an organization's Balance Data has been merged before, the system will know the date range, and therefore, will not allow data to be merged using disconnected date ranges. For example, if the organization has consolidation history dates of 1/1/2008 through 3/31/2008, the system will not allow the date range From 5/1/2008 Through 5/31/2008; it will allow 4/1/2008 - 5/31/2008.

From, Through: These dates determine the balance data to include.

These boxes use the consolidated organization's fiscal year ending date as the fiscal year basis. If you are performing a consolidation with no previous balance information in the consolidated database, you need to be certain that the consolidation date items either: 1) include the first day of the last open fiscal year of the organization with the oldest fiscal year to close date; or 2) ensure that the time period is during the year of the last open fiscal year of the organization with the oldest fiscal year to close date (in which case the system will automatically include beginning balances for that year). For example, if your consolidated organization year is 12/31/2009 and the organizations you are consolidating are Chapter 1 with a next year to close of 12/31/2006 and Chapter 2 has 12/31/2008. Then, you would need to set the date items during 2006 only or start with 01/01/2006 and go forward. You will not get the complete information if you start with 01/01/2009.

If the original organization's current system year ending date is not the same as the consolidated organization, then the From Date must be within the original organization's open fiscal year. This ensures that the system will include the opening balances of the original organization during the merge process. Balance type reports, such as the Normal Trial Balance, will need these opening balances in order to report proper ending balances.

Path/File Name: Enter the path and file name of all consolidated client files (*.CCF) to include in the consolidated organization.

Server: This is the server associated with the database.

Account Code: Enter the account code for the consolidate segment. The system automatically creates an account code which can be viewed using the Maintain>Chart of Accounts Codes form. For example, if you select two organizations, named "SSA" and "HHSA", and enter those values in this field, the system automatically creates two account codes: one named SSA and the other HHSA. This value is used as both the account code and title for the "Consolidate ID" segment (CO) on the Maintain>Chart of Accounts Codes form.

Consolidate: This group box allows you to obtain the chart of accounts, balance data, financial statement formats, closing account assignments, and report group codes from an original organization to establish the consolidated organization. At least one item must be selected.

• Chart of Accounts - Select this check box to merge all account codes (Maintain>Chart of Accounts Codes) from the original organizations into the consolidated organization.
• Balance Data - Select this check box to merge all General Ledger, Budget (from Transactions>Enter Budget), and Encumbrance balance data from the original organizations into the consolidated organization.
• Financial Statement Formats - Select this check box to merge all formats (Reports>Financial Statements>Create Statement Formats) from the original organizations into the consolidated organization.
• Report Group Codes - Select this check box to merge report group codes (Reports>Assign Report Groups) from the original organizations into the consolidated organization.
• Closing Account Assignments - Select this check box to merge closing account assignments (Maintain>Closing Account Assignments) from the original organizations into the consolidated organization. There will be a Fund to close (if a fund segment exists) and a GL to close. This combination will be linked to an NAE account or GL to close into. As closing assignments are merged into the consolidated organization, only new combinations will be added. If a combination already exists, it will not be duplicated.