Introduction {FRM-1}

General Information

This is the User Manual CTS for the ITS Counter Subsystem, also known as the Receipting and Ad Hoc Payments Subsystem. It is one of a series of user and technical manuals that is available for the ITS systems. A complete list of manuals may be found in the General Support System Manual.

The contents of this manual are:

Chapter 1	Introduction
Chapter 2	Operate Subsystem
Chapter 3	Cash Book
Chapter 4	Maintain Subsystem
Chapter 5	Proposed Balancing Procedures

It is assumed that the reader is already familiar with the general operation of the menus and the keyboard. A Key and Function list is provided at the back of this manual. These matters are fully discussed in the “Operational Aspects of ITS Systems” Manual.

The reader is reminded that the copyright of the ITS systems and documentation remains with ITS, and that users thereof are contractually prohibited from providing information thereon to third parties, such as other educational institutions.

Overview Of Financial System

The ITS Financial System (Menu option {FRM}) consists of the following modules (Menu option in brackets):

The modules are listed in sequence under {FRM}:

1	{FCCT}	Counter Subsystem (Receipts/Ad Hoc Payments)
2	{FCMR}	Mail Recording System
3	{FACB}	ACB System
5	{FEBC}	Electronic Bank Conversion
7	{FPM}	Procurement Management (PMIS)
21	{FSA}	Student Accounts
22	{FBL}	Bursaries And Loans
23	{FAR}	Accounts Receivable
24	{FSDC}	Debt Collection Interface
27	{FCS}	Code Structures
28	{FGL}	General Ledger
29	{MEB}	Income And Expense Budgeting

All of these modules are fully integrated with one another, and also with the other ITS Systems such as Personnel, Student Information and Asset Inventory. More detail on the individual modules is found in the appropriate User Manuals.

A comprehensive system of access control applies to these modules

Note must also been taken that all reports are running through a batch process. When a report is requested, the first parameter in most instances will be “Previous Field”. This refers to an existing batch number that can be reused and simply changing the defaulted parameters. Otherwise, by passing the field, all relevant parameters of the report will have to be answered.

Overview Of Counter Subsystem

This subsystem record all moneys received, and create a facility for controlling outgoing cash flow. It also controls cashiers and their terminals, with access and control restricted to top financial officers.

Receipts

The primary aim of this function is the recording of receipts issued in the correct control and debtors accounts after proper validation of the relevant GL-Allocations and debtor codes.

On-line receipts are issued for all amounts received
On-line disbursements for cash payments by the institution
Different means of payments received are accepted
Transactions may be posted individually or accumulated per day
Control is kept on different types of receipts and an audit trail is provided
Integrated updating of student and other debtor accounts is provided
Bank deposit lists are produced for multiple bank accounts and the Cash Book is automatically updated
One receipt can be distributed to many students
Tax exemption certificates can be printed
A query facility on student debtor’s accounts is provided.

Payments

The primary aim of this function is to restrict the number of places where payments may be done - the other two being Payroll and Accounts Payable. Both cheque and cash payments are catered for.

Cheque information may be recorded, allocations validated, cheques printed or ACB transactions generated and control totals updated
Control totals are kept for different types of payment, bank accounts and posting to ledger, and audit trails are available
A cash flow summary is available

Cash Book

All receipts made out and cheques generated form the majority of cashbook transactions. This facility makes provision for the creation of multiple CashBooks, updating of CashBook journals and the entering of Bank Statements followed by resulting reconciliation process.

Multiple Cash Books can be defined and the relevant information is maintained on the same screen
When deposits are made, the system inserts a deposit transaction into the Cash Book
The Bank Statement can be entered into the system and matching of transactions are done on-line or electronically
Bank costs, interest and other types of Bank Statement entries are entered as standard transaction types
Unmatched transactions can be forced to match before reconciliation is finalised
CashBook transfers are provided for, and a number of reports support the reconciliation process.

Important Notes:

The debit/credit indicator as specified on the Transaction Types used by the Counter Subsystem always indicates whether it is a debit or credit transaction in the “other” subsystem involved. It therefore does not mean a debit or credit to “Bank”.
The Counter, Accounts Payable and Salary Subsystems issue cheques. Cheques can be issued concurrently from the Counter and Accounts Payable Subsystems. The Salary System however locks the table that issues the next cheque number. While salary cheques are generated, no other cheques can be generated by the system.

Linking With Other ITS Systems

The ITS systems are designed to eliminate the entering of duplicate information in different systems, which causes the systems to be integrated with and interdependent upon one another. The implications for the Counter Subsystem are discussed in this Section.

All payments received and cheques made out by this system should be posted to specific General Ledger Allocations, which must be pre-defined, in the Financial Code Structure Subsystem.
User-defined Transaction Types drive the Financial Systems. For this subsystem, Receipt Transaction Types and Payment Transaction Types must be defined via option {FCSO-7} in the Financial Code Structure Subsystem. By defining the most commonly recurring types, the process of entering receipts and issuing payments will be considerably accelerated.
Different Cash Books are maintained in option {FCSC-5}, and these are then linked to the different subsystems in which cheques are generated.
Validation is done against student, debtors, creditors and personnel numbers.

Implementation And Operation

Assuming that the GL-Allocations and Transaction Types exist, the user should implement and operate this module as follows:

A. Maintain Cash Books {FCSC-5}

The user will first have to create a Cash Book(s) and if necessary the ACB users. The cash books, ACB users and subsystems must then be linked.

B. Maintain Account Categories {FCSC-7}

The valid account categories that can be used in the Counter Subsystem must be declared.

C. Maintain Cashier ID's and Passwords {FCTM-2}

The Financial System requires a high level of security that should be controlled by a senior financial staff. This system provides a facility whereby a senior Finance Officer can create and maintain cashiers' ID's and passwords. In effect, he will appoint cashiers, grant powers, assign a printer to the cashier and control the passwords. The details will be discussed later. The user can also set the type of printing, which will be generated by receipts in Block 2 of this option.

D. Set Subsystem Status; Control Issue of Receipts / Payments {FCTM-1}

In this option the Finance Officer may query the status of the subsystem, activate and de-activate it, and control Transaction, Receipt, Cheque and Payment numbers.

E. Cashier Sign-on / Cashier Sign-off {FCTO-1} / {FCTO-2}

Assuming that an ID and password have been granted to a specific cashier, this cashier becomes operational via the Sign-on option. She informs the system that she will be working on a specific terminal, and for practical reasons and financial control that terminal will be her sole responsibility.

F. Operation of Subsystem

After the above-mentioned controls are in place a cashier can, within the powers granted, enter Receipt or Payment Transactions. Within each of these options the actual transactions are processed and reports may be requested and printed.

Whenever a cashier tries to <SAVE> a transaction, the system will check for a valid cashier ID and password, that the cashier is signed on and that the particular subsystem is active. If any of the foregoing is not true, the system will not allow the <SAVE>, and the cashier must first take corrective action.

Notes To Users Of Non-ITS General Ledgers

The Counter Subsystem is fully integrated with the ITS General Ledger Subsystem. If the latter is not in use at an institution, the interface between the Counter Subsystem and the users' own General Ledger must be created through an Interim Transaction File (ITF), which may then be used to update the user's own General Ledger regularly.
The format of the ITF-file will be in the same format as the transaction file prepared for updating the ITS General Ledger. The user's program for updating the “own ledger” can re-format this file to his own requirement. If the latter has a Batch Journal Facility, this offers an easy way of importing the data; otherwise the user should write an in-house program to update his own General Ledger from the ITF.

Date	System Version	By Whom	Job	Description
09-May-2007	v01.0.0.0	Charlene van der Schyff	t137175	New manual format.
05-Dec--2016	V04.0.0.0	Ntshabele Morgan	T208911	Removed any reference to discontinued "Investment" and "Long Term Loans" Subsystems