You can use this screen in two distinct ways.
First, you can use this screen as an alternate hierarchy of account/organizations for alternate financial reporting. For example, you may want to provide an income statement by product line instead of organization. If the product line information was built into the organization, you could accomplish this by creating a "reference structure" to represent this hierarchy, by mapping specific account/organization combinations to specific reference elements in the reference structure.
Second, you can use reference numbers as a means of entering additional information at the time of data entry. In the example above, if the product line information was not built into the organization, you would need to enter the product line information on each transaction. There are two additional data entry fields (the reference number fields) on transaction screens for this purpose. You can map any number of reference structures to the two fields. When you post journals, information entered into the transaction screen reference fields is stored in the Reference/Account table, in addition to being stored in G/L Detail. You can then use the Reference/Account table for ad hoc inquiries and reports.
Use the Define Ref Structures screen to set up the top level of each reference structure and to establish certain parameters relating to the top level of the reference structure(s).
If you are going to use reference numbers in data entry, you must set them up in advance of the data entry. If you are using the reference structures as an alternate reporting structure, you can set them up at any time after the accounts and organizations are linked.
Enter the top level of the reference number you want to establish. It must be equal in size to the length of first segment for the Ref No in the G/L Settings screen.
Enter a descriptive name for the reference structure. This will be used on screens and reports to help identify it.
This field is non-editable, and is automatically updated based on the number of levels that have been established for the structure in the table window.
Select this checkbox to indicate that the reference number can be used in transaction screens.
If you have checked the Use in Data Entry checkbox, this field is enabled. It identifies the reference number field where this reference structure will be used on transaction screens. You can select one of the two reference number labels that were previously defined in the G/L Settings screen.
The system enters the level as new lines are added.
Enter the descriptive name to describe this level of the hierarchy.
The first level's length must be the same as that indicated for the length of first segment for the Ref No in the G/L Settings screen. The total length of the reference number can be up to 20 characters, including the segment delimiters.