Smartbooks Website
User Manual
Essential workflows, navigation and troubleshooting
Use this guide when you need to complete a common Smartbooks task, locate a function, or identify what to check before asking for support. This is a condensed companion to the full Smartbooks End User Manual.
Menu visibility and field names may vary by product, permissions, branch, and configuration.
Getting into Smartbooks
Start Here — Login, navigation, controls and first checks
- Enter your assigned Global User ID and password. Never share another user's credentials.
- Select the correct company database. Double-check the company and branch before entering transactions.
- Use the main navigation menu on the left to open the module and transaction you need.
- Use the lower-left menu for theme, password, and About options when available.
Controls used across the system
| Control | What it does | Good practice |
|---|---|---|
| Selection List | Finds customers, suppliers, items, accounts, and documents. | Place the cursor in the field and press Tab when the list is available. |
| Document Link | Opens a related master record or source transaction. | Use it to confirm the origin of copied data before posting. |
| Copy From | Brings lines from an earlier document into the next process step. | Select only the required lines and correct quantities for partial transactions. |
| Save / Post | Commits the transaction according to its document type. | Confirm branch, date, partner, quantity, amount, tax, and account first. |
| Operation Mode | Changes how the active screen behaves. | Check the mode before assuming a record is missing or uneditable. |
Before entering any transaction
- Confirm the correct database, branch, posting date, and journal period.
- Check that the customer, supplier, item, account, tax setup, and storage location already exist.
- Look for an upstream document and use Copy From when the transaction belongs to an existing flow.
- Know whether the action saves a draft, posts to the ledger, or changes inventory.
Diagnose first
| If this happens | Check this first |
|---|---|
| I cannot log in | Re-enter the assigned user ID, check Caps Lock, then use the approved password-reset path or contact your administrator. |
| I cannot see a menu | Confirm your database, product, branch, and user permissions. Menu access is role-based. |
| I cannot select a record | Click inside the field, press Tab for the Selection List, and remove overly narrow filters. |
| The Save or Post action is unavailable | Check required fields, approval status, document status, journal period, and your authorization. |
Master Data
Set up the reusable records that transactions depend on. Create master data carefully because it affects reports, tax treatment, pricing, inventory, and account postings.
Customers and Suppliers
- Choose New and complete the required general information.
- Add contact persons, addresses, payment terms, payment method, and accounting settings as applicable.
- Save the record, then reopen it in Find mode to verify the stored details.
- To revise an existing record, find it, make the authorized change, and choose Update.
Items
- Create the item code and description using the approved naming convention.
- Set the correct item group and whether the record is used for purchasing, sales, inventory, production, or fixed assets.
- Complete purchasing, sales, storage, unit-of-measure, pricing, and accounting information required by your configuration.
- Save and test the item in the appropriate Selection List before operational use.
Control checks
- Avoid duplicate partner and item records. Search by name, tax identifier, and code before creating a new one.
- Do not remove a master record with related transactions. Deactivation or correction may be the appropriate action.
- Confirm payment terms, tax setup, and control accounts before first use.
Diagnose first
| If this happens | Check this first |
|---|---|
| A customer, supplier, or item is missing | Search with fewer filters; confirm it exists in the same database and branch and that the record is active. |
| A transaction posts to the wrong account | Check the partner/item accounting setup and G/L determination before creating a correcting entry. |
| The Remove option is unavailable | The record may have transactions or your role may not allow removal. Ask the administrator for the correct remedy. |
Administration and Approvals
Control when users may post, who must approve a transaction, and how system activity can be reviewed.
Journal Periods
- Create periods from oldest to newest without overlapping dates.
- Open periods allow posting; closed periods prevent posting.
- A created journal period cannot simply be removed, so review dates before saving.
Approval Workflow
- Define the approval stage and authorized approver.
- Create the template, then set the originator, applicable documents, stages, and conditions.
- Approvers open the request from the mailbox or Approval List, inspect the linked document, add remarks, and choose Approved or Rejected.
Audit Trail
Filter by date, branch, document number, menu ID, or user to identify who changed or posted a record and when.
Diagnose first
| If this happens | Check this first |
|---|---|
| Posting date is rejected | Check whether the date belongs to an open journal period and whether the branch uses a different period setup. |
| A document is waiting | Open the Approval List, confirm the current stage, approver, conditions, and remarks. |
| I need to know who changed a record | Search the Audit Trail Log using the narrowest known date, branch, document number, menu ID, or user. |
Financials
Maintain the account structure and record entries that are not generated automatically by operational modules.
Chart of Accounts
The chart is hierarchical. In the supplied configuration, Level 5 accounts are postable. Default accounts may appear in green. Changes to account structure should follow your finance administrator's rules.
Journal Voucher
- Confirm journal and creation dates.
- Choose the row type: Customer, Supplier, or G/L Account.
- Select the code or account, enter the debit or credit, and add any required reference or remarks.
- Add lines until total debits equal total credits.
- Review the whole document, then Save. A successful entry shows Posted.
Recurring Postings
Define the accounts or business partners, amounts, frequency, and expiration date. On the scheduled date, review the generated copy and adjust authorized values before posting.
Diagnose first
| If this happens | Check this first |
|---|---|
| The voucher will not post | Check required references, balanced debits and credits, account status, approval, journal period, and user rights. |
| A posted manual entry is wrong | Do not overwrite it. Trace the original voucher and prepare an approved reversal or correcting entry. |
| A recurring entry did not appear | Check the next posting date, frequency, expiration, activation status, and relevant period. |
Purchases
Move a buying requirement from request to order, receipt, and supplier liability while keeping quantities and source documents connected.
Standard Flow
| Step | Document | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Purchase Request | Captures the internal need. |
| 2 | Purchase Order | Commits the order and affects on-order quantity; normally no G/L entry. |
| 3 | Receiving | Records delivered goods and may update inventory and accruals. |
| 4 | AP Voucher | Records the supplier liability and accounting entry. |
- Open the required purchase document and select the supplier.
- Confirm dates, due date, Record or G/L type, currency, tax, branch, and reference.
- Add items or services. For a downstream document, use Copy From and select only the relevant source lines.
- For partial receipts or invoices, change the quantity to the actual amount and leave the remaining source document open only when it will continue.
- Review totals and supporting references, then save or post according to the document type.
Corrections
- Use Purchase Return to reverse all or part of a Receiving document.
- Use Debit Memo to reduce or reverse all or part of an AP Voucher.
- Cancel or close an open document from the appropriate report list only after confirming downstream documents and approvals.
Diagnose first
| If this happens | Check this first |
|---|---|
| A PO cannot be copied | Confirm it is open, belongs to the same supplier and branch, has remaining quantity, and passed required approval. |
| Received quantity is wrong | Do not edit a posted receipt directly. Use the approved purchase-return or adjustment process. |
| The AP amount differs from the receipt | Compare copied quantities, unit cost, tax, currency, discounts, and added charges before posting. |
Sales
Move a customer request from quote to order, fulfillment, invoice, and collection while preserving the source-document chain.
Standard Flow
| Step | Document | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sales Quote | Records the offer; normally no inventory or G/L effect. |
| 2 | Sales Order | Commits quantity and can affect availability; normally no G/L entry. |
| 3 | Shipment | Reduces inventory and may post cost of goods sold. |
| 4 | Invoice | Records accounts receivable, revenue, and applicable tax. |
| 5 | Collection | Applied in Treasury against the customer balance. |
- Select the customer and confirm dates, payment terms, branch, price, tax, and currency.
- Add items or services. Use Copy From when continuing a quote, order, or shipment.
- For partial fulfillment, select only the required lines and actual quantity.
- Verify stock availability, totals, delivery information, and references before saving or posting.
Corrections and Alternatives
- Use Sales Return to reverse all or part of a Shipment.
- Use Credit Memo to reduce or reverse all or part of an Invoice.
- Use Cash Sales for authorized one-time transactions paid immediately.
- Close an open order only when no remaining quantity should continue through fulfillment.
Diagnose first
| If this happens | Check this first |
|---|---|
| An order cannot be copied | Confirm it is open, approved, for the same customer and branch, and still has remaining quantity. |
| Inventory is insufficient | Check the item, storage location, committed quantity, serial or batch requirements, and pending receipts or transfers. |
| The invoice total is wrong | Compare copied quantities, price list, discounts, tax, currency, and freight or other charges before posting. |
Treasury
Record receipts and payments, prepare deposits, print authorized checks, and reconcile credit documents against open balances.
Customer Receipt
- Select the customer and retrieve open invoices.
- Choose the invoices and confirm the amount being applied.
- Enter the payment means such as cash, check, or bank transfer.
- Confirm the difference is valid, then save or post.
Supplier Payment
Select the payment category and supplier, choose the open invoices, enter the payment means, review the applied amount, and save.
Bank Deposit
Select the deposit date and bank details, use one payment means per deposit, choose the included payments, enter bank charges or the deposited amount when applicable, and add the deposit.
Credit Memo Reconciliation
Select the business partner, choose the open documents to offset, and save only when the reconciliation variance is zero.
Diagnose first
| If this happens | Check this first |
|---|---|
| An invoice does not appear for payment | Check the correct customer or supplier, branch, document status, posting date, currency, and whether it is already reconciled. |
| The reconciliation will not save | The selected debit and credit amounts must offset. Review partial applications and withholding or other deductions. |
| A bank deposit is wrong | Open the Bank Deposit List and follow the authorized cancel-and-recreate procedure; do not force-edit a posted deposit. |
Inventory
Maintain pricing and serial controls, then record stock receipts, issues, transfers, corrections, and revaluations.
Common Transactions
| Task | Menu Path | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Item Receipt | Inventory > Inventory Transactions > Item Receipt | Stock entering without the standard purchase flow. |
| Goods Issue | Inventory > Inventory Transactions > Goods Issues | Authorized stock leaving without the standard sales flow. |
| Item Transfer | Inventory > Inventory Transactions > Item Transfer | Moving quantity between storage locations. |
| Item Adjustment | Inventory > Inventory Transactions > Item Adjustment | Correcting physical quantity differences. |
| Item Revaluation | Inventory > Inventory Transactions > Item Revaluation | Authorized cost or inventory-value correction. |
- Confirm item, branch, storage location, transaction date, and reference.
- Enter actual quantity and, when required, cost, price list, serial, batch, or G/L account.
- For transfers, verify both the source and destination storage locations.
- Review whether the action affects quantity, value, or both before saving.
Diagnose first
| If this happens | Check this first |
|---|---|
| System quantity differs from the count | Review the Stock Ledger, open transactions, transfers, serial or batch records, and cut-off timing before adjustment. |
| A serial or batch cannot be selected | Check the item's management method, storage location, available quantity, and whether the identifier was already issued. |
| Inventory value is wrong | Trace receipt cost, revaluation, adjustment, currency, and G/L determination. Revalue only with approval. |
Production
Define the product structure, release a production order, issue components, and receive completed or rejected output.
Prerequisites
- Item groups and G/L determination are configured for raw materials, work in process, and finished goods.
- Required storage locations, including completed and rejected locations, exist.
- Production items, units, components, issue method, and bills of materials are approved.
Standard Flow
- Create or verify the bill of materials in Production > Bill of Materials.
- Create the Production Order and choose Standard, Special, or Disassembly as authorized.
- Select the product and optional linked sales order, then save the order.
- Release the order. Planned orders cannot accept material issue or production receipt transactions.
- Use Production > Issue for Production to record component consumption.
- Use Production > Receipt for Production to record completed or rejected output.
- Confirm all expected issues and receipts, then close the order according to policy.
Diagnose first
| If this happens | Check this first |
|---|---|
| I cannot issue materials | Confirm the production order is Released, components exist, stock is available in the selected storage location, and serial or batch data is complete. |
| I cannot receive finished goods | Check the order status, planned quantity, completed or rejected destination, item setup, and prior receipts. |
| Actual usage differs from the BOM | Review the issue method, authorized substitutions, scrap, rejected output, and adjustment approval before closing. |
Fixed Assets
Create the accounting setup for capital assets, record acquisition, run depreciation, revise useful life when approved, and dispose of assets correctly.
Set Up and Acquire
- Create the asset class in Fixed Asset > Setup > Asset Class and assign acquisition, depreciation, and disposal accounts.
- Create the related item in Inventory > Items, disable inventory tracking when appropriate, enable fixed asset, and assign the asset class.
- Maintain the employee and department when the asset will be assigned to a custodian.
- Record an authorized acquisition in Fixed Asset > Purchasing > Manual Acquisition or the configured purchase flow.
Depreciate and Dispose
- Create planned depreciation with the correct asset, depreciation date, useful life, and salvage value.
- Run depreciation for the approved period, review selected assets, then Post.
- Use Change Useful Life only with documented approval and an effective date.
- Use Sale for a customer disposal and Retirement for a non-sale disposal. Confirm posting date, asset, proceeds, tax, and withholding when applicable.
Diagnose first
| If this happens | Check this first |
|---|---|
| An asset is missing from depreciation | Check asset status, acquisition date, depreciation plan, useful life, asset class, and prior runs. |
| Depreciation amount is unexpected | Review capitalization value, salvage value, start date, useful life, previous postings, and approved changes. |
| I cannot dispose of the asset | Confirm the asset is active, not already disposed, has the required depreciation, and your role permits the action. |
Operational Control
Reports and reconciliation — most useful when tracing a transaction chain, not only viewing totals.
| Question | Start with | Then compare |
|---|---|---|
| Why is the ledger balance different? | Financial report and journal voucher list | Source document, account, tax, branch, currency, and posting date |
| Why is a supplier balance different? | AP open items and supplier ledger | Receiving, AP voucher, debit memo, payment, and reconciliation |
| Why is a customer balance different? | AR open items and customer ledger | Shipment, invoice, credit memo, receipt, and reconciliation |
| Why is stock different? | Stock List and Stock Ledger | Receipts, issues, transfers, adjustments, serial or batch, and cut-off |
| Why is production cost different? | Production order and item ledger | BOM, actual issues, receipts, rejections, and revaluations |
| Why is asset value different? | Fixed-asset register | Acquisition, depreciation, life changes, and disposal |
Close-Period Checklist
- Resolve unapproved documents and drafts that should not remain open.
- Reconcile operational documents to partner balances, inventory, bank activity, and the general ledger.
- Review unusual dates, negative quantities, duplicate references, unreconciled credits, and manual journal entries.
- Export or retain required supporting reports before the period is closed.
- Close the period only after authorized reviewers sign off.
Help Center
Troubleshooting guide — use the first column to identify the symptom. Complete the checks in order and avoid creating a duplicate or correcting transaction until you understand the original record.
| Symptom | Check in this order | Escalate when |
|---|---|---|
| Cannot log in | User ID and password; correct login page; Caps Lock; approved reset path | The account is locked, inactive, or the reset fails |
| Menu or button is missing | Database; product; branch; role; document mode; approval status | Another authorized user can see it but you cannot |
| Record is not in a list | Clear filters; date range; branch; status; exact code; active flag | The source document exists but is not returned |
| Cannot post | Required fields; approval; open period; balanced totals; active master data; permissions | The screen gives an error after all checks pass |
| Cannot Copy From | Same partner and branch; source status; remaining quantity; approval; document chain | The source is open with remaining quantity but unavailable |
| Amount or tax is wrong | Quantity; price; discount; tax code; currency; exchange rate; charges; rounding | Setup appears correct but calculation remains inconsistent |
| Stock is wrong | Item and storage; open transactions; serial or batch; transfers; adjustments; cut-off | Ledger movement and source document do not agree |
| Partner balance is wrong | Invoices; credit or debit memos; receipts or payments; reconciliation; branch; cut-off | Open-item detail and ledger balance do not agree |
| Posted transaction is wrong | Document type; source chain; approval; whether reversal or return is required | You are unsure which corrective document preserves the audit trail |
| Report is blank or incomplete | Date range; branch; status; account or item filters; authorization; posting status | Known posted documents remain missing |
Information to collect before support
Safe Escalation Rule
Stop and ask your administrator or Smartbooks support before creating a second transaction when the first may already be posted, when inventory or partner balances could be affected, or when the proposed fix would bypass an approval, period, tax, or audit control.
Reference
Document status glossary — understanding what each status means in practice.
| Status or action | Meaning in practice |
|---|---|
| Draft | Saved for further work; confirm whether it affects reports in your configuration. |
| Open | Available for continued processing and may have remaining quantity or value. |
| Posted | Committed to the operational record and, where applicable, the general ledger. |
| Approved | Passed the required approval stage; it may still require posting. |
| Rejected | Returned or stopped by the approver; review remarks before revising. |
| Closed | No further downstream processing is expected. |
| Canceled | Voided through the authorized cancellation process while retaining the audit trail. |
| Reversal / Return / Credit / Debit Memo | A corrective document that offsets all or part of an earlier posted transaction. |
Source and Maintenance
This guide is a condensed adaptation of the supplied Smartbooks End User Manual dated April 2025. It intentionally omits screen-by-screen detail and focuses on navigation, workflow, control checks, and first-line diagnosis. Review this guide whenever menus, permissions, document flows, tax requirements, or support procedures change. The configured Smartbooks environment and approved company policy remain authoritative.
