Introduction

To set up a new company from the Administration Layer you need the appropriate level of admin permissions. Usually, this is only relevant if you have multiple entities to setup and maintain, such as in the case of Accounting Firms, Franchise Owners, Group Companies, and Outsource Service Providers. If you only have an individual entity, your System Provider will have already set it up for you. 

Using Templates

To speed up entity setup, you can copy and modify several standard templates. For example, you can choose a U.S. Corporate, UK Sterling Company, or European template. Each template will follow the local standard regarding date formats, language, tax details, computations, and reports. 

Template implementation follows this process:

1. Select the appropriate template to create your new Company. 
2. Modify it as required, and set up the basic tables, such as Tax, Products, Customers, Suppliers (Vendors), and Company Sub-Structure Analysis. If you want, you can set up Users and their permissions at this stage. 
3. Save your entity as a new template. 
4. Copy it when you want to set up other entities that need to have the same data. This is particularly important for Franchisers and Group Companies that need to have the same analysis codes for Profit & Loss Reporting or Sales Analysis. It is also important for Accounting Firms and Practices that deal with Industry verticals such as Catering, Retailing, or Services. 

See:

Realised FX Gains Losses - Part 1 (8.2) - AIQ Academy

Realised FX Gains Losses - Part 2 (8.3) - AIQ Academy

Unrealised FX Gains Losses (8.4) - AIQ Academy

Unrealised FX Gains Losses for Groups (9.2) - AIQ Academy

Setting up the first Company

1. Log into the system. This requires you to have a System Admin role.
2. Go to NewClient to open the Company Setup screen.
   
   
    
3. If this is the first Company you are setting up, under Select Template Company choose an existing template. Saved Template Copy Options will not be available as you do not have any saved options yet. Click Next Step.
4. In the Company Details tab, complete the details of your Company to appear on documents such as Invoices or Statements. In the Upload Logo field, any logo you select will also appear on documents. Click Next Step. 
   
   
    
5. Under the Settings tab, select your edition from the Edition dropdown. Your system provider will have explained the various Editions, their functionality, and pricing. In the settings, select the level of functionality you wish this Client Company to have. Click Next Step. 
   
   
    
6.  Under the Financial Year Setup tab, use the dropdowns to create the Financial Calendar. Click Next Step.
   
   
    
7. Click Create Company and wait for processing to complete.
   
   
   
   
    
8. Your new Client Company Database now has a Company ID for its Users, labelled Main Settings. Company Users will also receive a Logon Username and Password during the User setup process. Click Close.
   
   

Completing the Basic Tables

The New Company is now semi-complete. When you created the new company database it was filled with:

• a comprehensive set of General Ledger Codes with their Categories and Sub-Categories.
• reserved General Ledger Codes for System Accounts. 

You need to set up all relevant Codes, and other basic Company information before the system is fully ready for use by the Company’s end-users. Relevant tables include:

• Currency Codes and Rates
• Codes for Sales Analysis purposes, such as Areas, Regions, Customer Type, Sales Reps, and Product Groups.

An exception is if the Tax Tables are already complete with the correct Tax Codes for Euro and Sterling companies. Ensure that the Tax Rates are up to date as they determine how transactions will be treated in the statutory VAT Tax Returns preparation process. 

Logging In

Log into your newly created company by clicking Log In against your entity. If you are presented with a Default Settings screen, ignore it by clicking Close.

Company Details & Settings

1. In the blue banner, go to Setup. 
2. Here you can view the Company Details & Settings screen that you set up earlier, in case you need to edit any details.
   
   

See: 

How do I Review the Company Details and Settings? 

Codes Maintenance

1. In the blue banner, go to Setup > Codes Maintenance.
2. Complete these tables as comprehensively as possible to get maximum benefit from the system and its Sales Analyses Reports. Click Close when complete.
   
   
   
   

See:

 How do I use Code Maintenance to Control the Behaviour of the System? 

Default Settings

1. In the blue banner, go to Setup > Default Settings. 
2. Complete the required defaults. This will ensure that common fields are automatically inherited by new Customers, Suppliers (Vendors), Products, Service Items, and Banks.
3. Click Process.
   
   
   
   

See:

How do I Review the Company Details and Settings? 

Analysis

You can establish your Company’s Sub-structure by using Branches, Departments, Divisions, Activities, or Locations.

Analysis Groups

1. In the blue banner, go to Analysis > Dimensions to open the Business Intelligence Setup screen.
   
   
    
2. Set up the relevant Dimensions and their members. 
3. Using Client Company facilities, enter details such as Customer, Supplier (Vendor), and Product information. If this information is subject to import from elsewhere, your system provider will provide the necessary assistance. 

Analysis Codes

1. In the blue banner, go to Analysis > BI Codes to open the Business IntelligenceSetup screen.
2. Review the standard package of General Ledger Codes and Categories/Sub-Categories to ensure that they fully match your reporting requirements. 
3. Using Client Company facilities, enter details such as Customer, Supplier (Vendor), and Product information. If this information is subject to import from elsewhere, your system provider will provide the necessary assistance. 

See:

How does the System Facilitate VAT Management (U.K. & Ireland)? 

How do I Implement Extended Business Analysis? 

How do I Implement Job or Project Analysis using Extended Business Analysis? 

Using a Client Company as a Template 

After setting up your Company, you can choose to use it as a Template for future entities. This can benefit Franchisers, Group Companies, and Companies in the same industry as they require similar Charts of Accounts, Analysis requirements, Stocked Items, and/or Suppliers.
 

As well as saving time, using templates ensures a high degree of commonality and accuracy across all companies in the group. You can copy all the tables from the Template Company (which is also a fully functioning company in its own right) to each new Company.

1. Log into the Group portal. 
2. Find the Company you wish to use as your template from the list and go to Actions > Edit Client to open the Edit Client Details screen.
3. Tick Use as Template.
4. Click Process.
   
   
   
   

When you click New Client to open the Company Setup screen and then select an existing Company as a Template, the Saved Template Copy Options will be active. This means you can copy: 

• General Ledger Codes
• Currency Codes and Rates
• Sales Analysis Codes
• Extended Business Analysis Codes
• Suppliers (Vendors)
• Customers