A manual closing task with a proposed journal is one where the user can create a journal directly from the closing task, the content of which is pre-filled. For example, the journal name, posting date, reversal date, document type and even the GL accounts and segments are already stored behind the closing task itself and then transferred into the journal.

Where this is combined with an ERP automation, it is possible to also calculate the debit and credit values for the journal however this is dealt with in different articles depending on the ERP Set up an SAP program with proposed journal. For more information about creating a journal from an Excel report, read this article.

How to set up a manual closing task with proposed journal

Import template to populate the row data

Connecting the import template

This article assumes that you have the template set up in your system which would have been set up to reflect your own journal configuration. It is usually called something like "Closing task with proposed journal" but the customer is free to change such namings.

Setting up this task involves setting a series of usually hidden headers in the closing task to set the journal header fields as well as using an import template where you want to also propose the row level values.

1. The Aico document template will contain the key headers and rows required for the proposed journal. It does not need any of the more technical fields to be set as we transfer this data to the real journal template for the posting itself.

2. The headers are set by simply making them editable by Automation manager and this makes them appear in the Automation manager task template where you can then set the unique values for that particular proposed journal.

As an example, we are going to create a closing task for the user to post a provision for doubtful invoices.

How to set up a manual closing task with proposed journal

The first step is to create an Automation manager task template using the Manual Workflow Task type (1). Follow the steps in the How to set up a manual task to complete the basic settings such as:

• Name
• Description

and so on.

Once you have selected the correct template, the Aico document headers become available containing the proposed journal headers that you want to set. 

This will include your required headers such as:

• Posting date
• Currency
• Name 

and so on (1).

In the above, you can:

• enter fixed values
• select from selection lists where one is connected to the header
• or use smart tags

Import template to populate the row data

The next step is to create an import template to populate the row data. 

Start by generating a task. It is not important which period you run as we will simply export the resulting Aico document to Excel which we can then use to create our import template. 

At the bottom of each task under the Advanced menu, you will find the ability to generate the individual task.

Go to the Aico web Client and open the document you just created. You can see that our Journal headers are already populated (1) but the row data is empty (2).

Now press the Export to Excel button (3) and you will export an Excel containing all the mappings required to create the import template for the row data.

Open the Excel and clear all the header data (1) as you do not want to overwrite any headers. Enter the row data that you want to appear in the proposed journal (2).

Save the file with a meaningful name like "Post provision template" which will then be used as the import template.

Connecting the import template

Next, connect the import template that you have just created to the Automation Manager task template:

• Upload the template as an attachment to the task. (The attachments area is at the very bottom of the task template see Adding an attachment to a task template).
• Lastly, set the Excel template you have just uploaded as the Import Template in the Aico Document parameters.
   

The rest of the settings for the task (Companies, schedule groups etc.) are all set in the normal way. See How to set up a manual task.

The final result looks as below. When you the Create Journal button (2) all the data is copied into a journal document for them to finalise and post.

The proposed journal is shown below: