To start the process of creating a new invoice batch, click on the button in the Finance Menu.

The ‘Invoice Setter’ window is where you start the process of creating a new invoice batch to work on.  There are three types of batch which can be created, however, for all types, the first four lines of the Invoice Setter window MUST be completed:-

•    The ‘Title’, which is your way of identifying the invoice run, and will appear on each invoice as its title
•    The ‘Fees heading’ is for the text which you want to appear on the invoices as a sub-heading for the fee items:- 

 
•    The ‘Charges heading’ is for the text which you want to appear on the invoices as a sub-heading for the other charges or disbursement items.  This is optional, and if used will necessitate an amendment to your invoice layout.
•    ‘Dated’ is the date you wish to be printed on the invoices as the issue date
•    ‘Due date’ is the date you want printed on the invoice indicating when payment is due

Use of the ‘Invoice note’ field is optional.  It allows you to type a brief comment which will appear on ALL invoices in the batch.

NB:    If you choose to use this function, you must contact Furlong to arrange for the comment field to be added to your invoice layout, otherwise it will not be printed!

The four types of batch which can be raised are:-

1.    Invoices for all, where you want to create a batch of invoices for the whole school, including fee charges previously set up in the Pupil Type Fees area

2.    Shadow Invoices, where you want to create a batch of invoices for issue towards the end of the Summer Term in which the fee elements are based on the pupil’s next year’s fee type

3.    Invoices for part of the school, where you need separate batches for different parts of the school (*eg. Prep and Senior Schools for whom you have separate sets of accounts).  This will also include fee charges previously set up in the Pupil Type Fees area

4.    Invoices for a Tagged Set, where you want to raise a batch of invoices based on a group of pupils who do not fall into any of the standard SchoolBase categories or groups.  THIS WILL NOT INCLUDE FEES SET UP IN THE ‘PUPIL FEE TYPE’ AREA

1.    Invoices for all

initiates the process which checks that all the required information is complete, and then creates the invoices with the ‘Fees’ items added automatically, using information previously entered into the Finance Codes and Pupil Type Fees.  It is therefore carried out ONCE only for each invoice run.  Any errors in individual pupils’ fees can be corrected later.

If the system detects errors and/or omissions, you will see one or more of the following messages, and the process will be terminated until you have addressed the problem(s)!

When the process has run successfully, you will get an ‘All Done!’ message.  It is then not possible to run the routine again.  If you try …

NB:    You do not see the batch which has just been created in the Invoice Setter window.  It is now in the part of the program accessed by the button on the Finance Menu.

2.    Invoices based on the ‘Shadow’ year

This process is identical to the one used in ‘Invoices for All’, above, except that the system will use the pupil details contained in the ‘Shadow’ records to create fees based on the pupils’ next academic year. Please note that this process will bring in pupils who are currently prospectives, who will be joining the school in September, so you need to make sure that fee payers and bursary numbers are set up for these individuals.

3.    Invoices for part of the school

In order for this to work in the way you require, SchoolBase must be set up to reflect the separate parts of the school which you need to invoice separately.  This is set up in ‘Pupil Types’ in SchoolBase, and as this is a ‘global’ setting which affects everybody, it is important that you discuss this with the System Manager, who will also be in a position to ensure that the appropriate ‘Pupil Type’ categories have been set up.  Pupil Types include the same categories as are used in the ‘Pupil Type Fees’ area of the Finance Menu.

To use this method of invoice creation, ensure that the first four or five lines at the top of the ‘Invoice Setter’ window have been completed:-

Use of the ‘Invoice note’ field is optional.  It allows you to type a brief comment which will appear on ALL invoices in the batch.  If you choose to use this function, you must contact Furlong to arrange for the comment field to be added to your invoice layout, otherwise it will not be printed!

Then select the Finance Pupil Type for which you want to create a separate invoice batch from the ‘Select type’ drop-down:-

Then click the ‘Create invoices for the selected type’ button.  This initiates the process which checks that all the required information is complete, and then creates the invoices with the ‘Fees’ items added automatically, using information previously entered into the Finance Codes and pupil Finance Pupil Type Fees.  It is therefore carried out ONCE only for each invoice run.  Any errors in individual pupils’ fees can be corrected later.

As above with ‘Invoices for all’, if there are problems with the data you will get an appropriate message, otherwise the ‘All done!’ signifies that the batch has been successfully created.

NB:    You do not see the batch which has just been created in the ‘Invoice Setter’ window.  It is now in the part of the program accessed by the button on the Finance Menu.

4. Invoices for a Tagged Set

This enables you to create a batch of invoices based on a ‘Finance Tag’.  The invoices created will be ‘blank’ in the sense that they will not initially have any charges (invoice lines) included on them.  Charges to be made will need to be added individually for each pupil as described in ‘Adding Items to Fee Invoices’ below.

After filling in the ‘Title’, ‘Line heading’, ‘Dated’ and ‘Due date’ boxes (and the ‘Invoice note’ box if required), select the Tag group for which you want to create the invoices from the list.  If the group does not show in the list, either no tagged group was created, or it was not converted into a Finance Tag.  (See page 39 and Appendix I of this manual for details of how to do this)

As above for ‘Invoices for all’, if there are problems with the data you will get an appropriate message, otherwise the ‘All done!’ signifies that the batch has been successfully created.

NB:    You do not see the batch which has just been created in this window.  It is now in the part of the program accessed by the button on the Finance Menu.