G/L BOOK INFO (UNITS)

Use this subtask to enter depreciation and salvage data for both new templates or as edits to existing template records. (Always use caution when editing existing records to prevent unexpected depreciation and reporting results.)

When select the G/L Book pushbutton in the Maintain Asset Template Info screen, there are three different versions of this subtask that can display.

If you have indicated in the Maintain Asset Template Info screen that the record is depreciable (by selecting the Depreciable radio button in the Depr Status group box) and that depreciation is based on Units of Usage (selected in the Depr Based On group box), this screen, the G/L Book Info (Units) subtask, displays.

Note:  If you have indicated in the Maintain Asset Template Info screen that the record is depreciable (by selecting the Depreciable radio button in the Depr Status group box) and that depreciation is based on Years (selected in the Depr Based On group box), the G/L Book Info (Years) subtask displays.

If you have indicated in the Maintain Asset Template Info screen that the record is depreciable (by selecting the Depreciable radio button in the Depr Status group box) and that depreciation is based on Lease Pds (selected in the Depr Based On group box), the Asset Template - G/L Book Info (Leases) screen displays.

Although you can use up to 10 books in Costpoint Fixed Assets, Book 1 always carries the name "G/L Book," and is automatically designated by the system as the Accounting Book. The G/L Book is the ONLY book that interfaces with the General Ledger by means of depreciation and disposal posting entries. This screen is the template G/L Book screen for those assets that use depreciation that is based on units of usage. Additionally, the G/L Book is the only book in which depreciation can be calculated based on units of usage. (Optional books 2-10 allow only for depreciation based on "years" methods.)

There are both system-required and optional fields in this screen.

If you plan to use templates, you should enter data in this screen and in the applicable subtasks before you begin to establish your Asset Master records. You can use template functionality at any time, however. Although you can change information in this screen at any time, use caution in the timing of your data edits.

You should enter data in this screen before you calculate depreciation. Your timing in making edits to these critical fields can affect the calculation of depreciation and the types of records included in system reports.

Note:  If you have used a template to "import" data into an Asset Master record and you later make a change to a template data field, the data change will not automatically be copied to the Asset Master record without user intervention. In this circumstance, you will need to go back into the Maintain Asset Master Info screen and tab through the Template No/Rev No fields to re-import revised data from the template. Alternately, you can also create a new template or the same template with an appropriate revision number that incorporates the change. Or you can bypass the template record and manually make the desired change directly in the Asset Master record.

Identification

In this group box, you can view the template number and revision number of the record that was selected in the main screen.

Template No

This field is not available for user entry.  The system automatically displays the template number from the main screen.

Rev No

This field is not available for user entry. The system automatically displays the revision number, if applicable, from the main screen.

System Calculations

In this group box, you can activate automatic system depreciation calculations for this record.

Auto Calculate Depreciation

The system default for this checkbox is checked. You should accept the system default if you want the Asset Master record to which the template data is copied to be included automatically in system calculations of depreciation. If you select this checkbox, the system will automatically compute depreciation each month for the asset to which the template data is copied and display the results in the Current Pd Depreciation field in the G/L Book Info (Units) subtask of the Maintain Asset Master Info screen and in the G/L Book Current Pd Depreciation field in the Maintain Asset G/L Book Info screen. Note that you can overwrite the automatic system calculation of depreciation, as desired.

Do not select this checkbox if you want to disable the automatic system calculation of depreciation. In this circumstance, you will need to manually enter the amount of depreciation in the same field(s).

Note:  In general, if you need to make a one-time adjustment to current depreciation expense, you should manually override the system calculation in the Current Pd Depreciation field in the G/L Book Info (Units) subtask of the Maintain Asset Master Info screen and in the G/L Book Current Pd Depreciation field of the Maintain Asset G/L Book Info screen, rather than change the default for this checkbox. In this circumstance, do not recompute depreciation after you manually enter the desired depreciation amount (or the system will overwrite your entry during the calculation).

If, however, you want to post a depreciation entry to the General Ledger as a recurring override to system calculations, you should uncheck this checkbox and enter the override amount in the same field.

If this Auto Calculate Depreciation checkbox is selected, you must enter data in the Estimated Units Useful Life and Std Depr Rate Per Unit of Usage fields before you can save an Asset Template or Asset Master record.

The status of this checkbox will automatically display in the Auto Calculate Depreciation checkbox in a new Asset Master record in the G/L Book Info (Units) subtask of the Maintain Asset Master Info screen and in the G/L Book Auto Calc checkbox in the Maintain Asset G/L Book Info screen, if you specify the use of this template/revision number. Alternately, the status of this checkbox will automatically display in the same checkbox if this template has been specified as the default template in the Default Template for Asset Master group box in the Fixed Assets Settings screen. The status of this checkbox will also display in the same checkbox in an existing Asset Master record if this template/revision number replaces an existing template/ revision number in the Template No/Rev No fields in an Asset Master record.

Units Info

In this group box, you can enter, edit, and view units data for this record.

Estimated Units Useful Life

For a new template record, enter up to nine numeric characters in this field to indicate the estimated units of useful life (such as hours or miles) for this asset. This field is similar to the Total Cost field in the G/L Book Info (Years) subtask because it defines the maximum number of units beyond which the system should not calculate depreciation.

Although entry in this field is optional in a template, the system requires this data in an Asset Master record to compute depreciation.

For units of usage depreciation, the system also uses the value in the Amount to Depreciate field as a data limiter. The system will not automatically depreciate an amount that is greater than the amount in the Amount to Depreciate field in the G/L Book Info (Units) subtask of the Maintain Asset Master Info screen and in the G/L Book Amt to Depreciate field in the Maintain Asset G/L Book Info screen, nor will it permit usage entries that would create a value in the Total Units Used field that is greater than the estimated units of useful life.

Note:  Although it is not recommended, you can force the system to post total depreciation that is greater than the amount to depreciate by manually overwriting the system depreciation calculation in the Current Pd Depreciation field in the G/L Book Info (Units) subtask of the Maintain Asset Master Info screen and in the G/L Book Current Pd Depreciation field in the Maintain Asset G/L Book Info screen. Similarly, if you have underestimated the estimated units of useful life in this field, you can make manual edits to this field, if necessary.

For an existing template record, you can edit the value that displays in this field, as desired. Because system calculations use this field to determine the total limit to depreciation expense, use caution if you change this field for an asset once it has begun depreciating in the system.

The value from this field will automatically display in the Estimated Units Useful Life field in a new Asset Master record in the G/L Book Info (Units) subtask of the Maintain Asset Master Info screen and in the Est Units Useful Life field in the Maintain Asset G/L Book Info screen, if you specify the use of this template/revision number. Alternately, the value from this field will automatically display in the same field(s) if this template has been specified as the default template in the Default Template for Asset Master group box in the Fixed Assets Settings screen. The value from this field will display in the same field(s) in an existing Asset Master record if this template/revision number replaces an existing template/revision number in the Template No/Rev No fields in an Asset Master record.

Unit of Measure Description

For a new template record, enter up to 10 alphanumeric characters in this optional field to indicate the type of unit for this asset, such as hours, miles, and so on. The value in this field is for data purposes only, and is not used in system calculations.

For an existing Asset Master record, you can edit the value that displays in this field, as desired.

Data from this field will automatically display in the Unit of Measure Description field in a new Asset Master record in the G/L Book Info (Units) subtask of the Maintain Asset Master Info screen and in the Maintain Asset G/L Book Info screen, if you specify the use of this template/revision number. Alternately, the value from this field will automatically display in the same field(s) if this template has been specified as the default template (in the Default Template for Asset Master group box in the Fixed Assets Settings screen). The value from this field will display in the same field(s) in an existing Asset Master record if this template/revision number replaces an existing template/revision number in the Template No/Rev No fields in an Asset Master record.

Std Depr Rate Per Unit of Usage

For a new template record, enter the depreciation rate per unit of usage in this field. Although this field is not system-required in a template, depreciation calculations cannot take place if this data is missing for an Asset Master record. The system multiples the value from this field times the value in the Current Units Used field in the G/L Book Info (Units) subtask of the Maintain Asset Master Info screen to derive the value in the Current Pd Depreciation field in that subtask. The value in the G/L Book Current Pd Depreciation field in the Maintain Asset G/L Book Info screen will also default as a result of this calculation. You can enter up to 12 integers and two decimal places (999,999,999,999.99) in this field.

For an existing template record, you can edit the value that displays in this field, as desired. Because system calculations use this field to determine current period depreciation expense, use caution if you change this field for an asset once it has begun depreciating in the system.

Data from this field will automatically display in the Std Depr Rate Per Unit of Usage field in a new Asset Master record in the G/L Book Info (Units) subtask of the Maintain Asset Master Info screen and in the Maintain Asset G/L Book Info screen, if you specify the use of this template/revision number. Alternately, the value from this field will automatically display in the same field(s) if this template has been specified as the default template (in the Default Template for Asset Master group box in the Fixed Assets Settings screen). The value from this field will display in the same field(s) in an existing Asset Master record if this template/revision number replaces an existing template/revision number in the Template No/Rev No fields in an Asset Master record.

Salvage

In this group box, you can specify a salvage percentage or a salvage value for the asset.

Percent

This field is optional in both an Asset Template and an Asset Master record.

For a new template record, enter the salvage value percentage rate to be used in the calculation of salvage and depreciable value in the Asset Master record in this optional field. You can enter up to three integers and four decimal places in this field.

Note:  If you enter a salvage value percentage in this field, the system automatically computes and displays the equivalent salvage value in the Value field for an Asset Master record the G/L Book Info (Units) subtask of the Maintain Asset Master Info screen and in the G/L Book Salvage Value field in the Maintain Asset G/L Book Info screen). The amount in the Total Cost field in that subtask is automatically reduced by the salvage value. This reduced amount is automatically displayed in the Amount to Depreciate field, which in turn affects the amount of depreciation calculated by the system. For example, if an asset's cost is $10,000 and its salvage value is 5%, then the amount to depreciate is $9,500 and the system will not permit depreciation in excess of $9,500 for this asset. Do not enter a value in the Percent field for salvage unless this is the point at which you want the system to stop depreciation.

For an existing template record, this field will display the selection you made when you originally added the template record. You can edit the percentage that displays in this field, as desired. Because system calculations use this data in an Asset Master record to determine the manner in which depreciation computations should take place for each record, however, use caution if you change this field for property records once they have begun depreciating in the system.

Note:  There was a special checkbox related to salvage value when you set up your depreciation methods in the Depr Methods - Basic Setup screen. The default for the Subtract Salvage Value Before Calculation checkbox is checked, in which the system will subtract the salvage value from the cost of the asset prior to performing depreciation calculations. If this checkbox is not selected, the system will ignore salvage value from the Value field in the G/L Book Info (Units) subtask of the Maintain Asset Master Info screen and in the G/L Book Salvage Value field in the Maintain Asset G/L Book Info screen when computing depreciation. Please refer to examples of salvage calculations illustrated in the documentation for the Percent field in the G/L Book Info (Units) subtask of the Maintain Asset Master Info screen.

Data from this field will automatically display in the Percent field in a new Asset Master record in the G/L Book Info (Units) subtask of the Maintain Asset Master Info screen and in the G/L Book Salvage Percent field in the Maintain Asset G/L Book Info screen, if you specify the use of this template/revision number. Alternately, data from this field will automatically display in the same field(s) if this template has been specified as the default template in the Default Template for Asset Master group box in the Fixed Assets Settings screen. Data from this field will display in the same field(s) in an existing Asset Master record if this template/revision number replaces an existing template/revision number in the Template No/Rev No fields in an Asset Master record.

Table Information

The system stores data displayed in this subtask in the FA_TEMPLATE (Template) table.