Knowledge Base Articles
As previously covered in the Knowledge Base article “3 Kinds of Committed Costs”, BIS handles three kinds of Committed Costs reflecting their respective functions within the job costing functionality: The unbilled portion of Purchase Orders. The unbilled portion of Subcontracts. Labor entered in Payroll Hours and Adjustments, but not paid (not yet processed). So, Net
To maintain leading zeros in fields while converting an Excel spreadsheet to a .CSV file: Highlight or select the fields to maintain the leading zeros. Right click and select Format Cells. Select Custom for the Category list. Select “0” from the Type list. Click “OK” In the Type field (at the top of the list)
The Subcontract Summary report uses the following formula to calculate each column. Information like PC% and Completed amounts (as well as Work Completed Date) are manually entered on the Subcontract form rather than being calculated automatically as a way to facilitate oversight during the course of a job/project. Below is an example of the Subcontract
For new users questions occasionally arise pertaining to where or how some amounts are derived on certain job cost related reports in Builder Information System. Below is an example of the Job Cost Status Report with the columns identified at the top. Below the report is a key that explains where or how those amounts
There is a default Sales Person select box available the Default tab in the Job master file which is used in AR transactions to overwrite the Salesperson from the Customers master file. When the new Salesperson box in the Jobs master file is blank, the Sales Person from the Customers master file (if any) is
The Close and Reopen Purchase Orders tool is found by going to Administrator / Recovery Tools and selecting “Close and Reopen Purchase Orders” in the menu. To use the form, first select the Fiscal Year desired followed by either “Open” or Closed” Purchase Orders depending on the task needed to perform. Filter options are
The System Information/User tab is provided as a tool which allow users (with access to System Information form) to send messages to other users within BIS and allows the BIS Administrator to log users out of BIS, if needed. To access the form, go to Administrator/System Information in the menu then click on the User
The Union Extended report has two additional filter fields, “Check Number” and “Employee Id”. The Extended report type was also updated to simplify the break down by Union and Union Classifications. Union Report Sample Query Form and Extended Report Preview Union Report Samples for Detail and Summary Reports Preview
The Union by Date functionality allows the Union master files to be updated dynamically to save Classification rates by an effective date. The classifications list includes two new columns to display the effective date for the most current changes. Union Master File Sample Form. Company and Employee Contributions can now be added or modified by
Builder Information System provides several options for displaying employee Social Security Numbers on payroll paystubs. To change how the Social Security Numbers are displayed on payroll paystubs, login as ADMIN and going to Administrator/System Wide Parameters/Forms and Printers in the menu. On the Forms and Printers form, click the dropdown arrow to the right of
The BIS® Scan New Document Interface with the Document Link and Imaging module has been updated with the most recent libraries to handle scanner and camera devices. Enhanced Legacy Scan New Document Interface The BIS® Legacy Scan New Document Interface has been enhanced with the ability to create PDF files from the scanned images and
An “Adjustment by Date” enhancement has been added to the Job Budget and Change Orders which tracks and reports budget or change orders adjustments by date. The adjustments section is now read-only and displays the totals for the entered adjustments. (See above.) A new “Adjustments” button provides access to the Budget Adjustments by Date form
PLEASE NOTE: M.I.C.S. DOES NOT RECOMMEND ANY SPECIFIC METHOD TO REMEDY THIS SITUATION, BUT DOES STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU CONTACT YOUR C.P.A. FOR ADVICE. NSF: Non Sufficient Funds on a mailing from the bank is never welcomed. Other terminology comes to mind: Insufficient Funds, or the most infamous, bounced check. The question is how to
Startup businesses and others may want to bill the labor performed by the owners even though they may not receive a paycheck. Provided that Cost Plus Billing and a Manually Entered Billing Rate are used, there are two easy ways to process such information in BIS. In either case, the first step is to set
Introduction BIS Report Writer can send its output data to any printer established in your computer. This document describes establishing a generic text file output “printer.” Most of the steps are quite similar across different Microsoftâ Windowsâ versions, but your specific one may be slightly different. Install the Generic / Text Only File (“Printer”) To
Introduction The Cash Disbursements/Payable Checks form contains some convenient features overlooked by some users. Detail If an amount is entered into the Amount field in the forms header section BIS will automatically fill in the Amt to Pay column in the detail section for each invoice listed. It will internally deduct the Amt to Pay
Despite all efforts, many new BIS® users need to make changes to their Charts of Accounts that involve removing Description Accounts, but leaving the Transaction accounts below. However, data validation programming restricts the ability of users to remove those accounts unless they use the “work around” described here. The technique is really fairly simple, if
Form Modification Section Overview The forms may be found on the User Preferences/Forms& Printers tab or User Preferences/User Preferences/App for Payment tab to modify the related Application for Payment forms. Click the ellipse ( ) button next to the form Type to be modified. These modifications are managed through the User Defined Forms screen above.
Setup for Maintenance Schedule Reminders 1. Set up new equipment master records: 2. Create User Definable Field (Udf) for the Next Maintenance. Up to 13 Udf’s can be created for each BIS® Master Record. Enter the next maintenance date for each piece of equipment. 3. Create a Report Queue (Group) for Equipment Maintenance. 4. Add
An option has been added to enable the uploading of BIS backups to the new MICS FTP Server. This new functionality is located under the “File” main menu. Form Sample: The new FTP Services require an activation file from MICS. This activation file can be applied in the System Information option, in the new FTP
The primary purpose for viewing the Accounts Payable Vendor Aging Report is to assess what vendor invoices are outstanding and for how long. Special Report Features The Vendor Aging report has additional special features available which can greatly speed up the AP payment process when utilized. These additional features allow the user to generate a
Occasionally, a user has a customer and vendor that is the same company. Although the books would be “cleaner” if the transactions in each venue were kept separate, sometimes it just doesn’t happen. This information covers a case where the customer/vendor makes a payment that is reduced by the amount of the invoice it received.
BIS® is a construction specific accounting program. It includes two AP Aging reports that are commonly used: Reports | Accounts Payable | Vendor Aging (includes all payables, both non-job and job related) Reports | Accounts Payable | Job Aging (includes only job related payables) However, on occasion some customers have preferred to see an aging
The My Query option enables the user to save multiple sets of filter conditions. The initial use of My Query shows no saved Queries. If there are existing named queries available, they can be seen using the drop-down tool. As with other system reports, each named query selection can be further refined with the other
In addition to the option of importing job-estimating information from BidWorx®, ConEst®, ProEst®, and WinEst® estimating software into BIS, you can also import job estimates from a Microsoft® Excel® spreadsheet. This process describes using the Budget Import process in BIS. It involves setting up a template that will permit the program to recognize data elements.
BIS® makes it quite easy to enter employees’ hours daily. You already get employees’ time sheets in daily, allowing you to enter their time daily into the Payroll module. How do you make it simpler? Easy. The first entry is straightforward, and won’t be repeated here. However, for the additional entry, bring up the Payroll Hours
(Manual vs Automatic) BIS offers contractors a built-in form of billing that users of less capable programs have been handling manually. Even though BIS has greater capability, some users don’t implement the features contained in BIS. With other programs, users manually enter (what BIS calls) Contract Invoices for both the amount currently due and for
In BIS, a job’s initial Budget can be converted into a Schedule of Values. However, alterations to that Budget are NOT automatically carried over to the already established Schedule of Values. That must be done manually and consistently. When entering an invoice and applying the expense to a new Budget item on-the-fly, it is important
Beginning Balances will be entered into BIS in the following sequence: General Ledger Accounts Payable Payroll Job Billing/Accounts Receivable In this description, several terms are used rather interchangeably. Accounts Receivable can mean that, or it can mean Contracts Receivable. Revenue or Contracts Revenue can also be listed as Sales. Retainage and Retention are used interchangeably.
Overview As most users know, there are no shortcuts to a correct transition to a new accounting program. Even those who claim to transfer “everything,” only (as a rule) transfer balances, and not detailed transactions. Though balances are essential, they are not anywhere near complete, and will leave users frustrated, and worse, usually facing inaccurate
Setting up beginning balances is an essential part of getting your new BIS software up and running. By following a few simple steps for entering account and job information, you can save yourself some time down the road. This information will cover setup of regular account balances, AR and AP account balances, existing vendor invoice
Accessing the BIS Mobile App When launching the BIS Mobile app, the first screen that appears is the “Welcome to BIS Mobile” which requires the company’s designated access code. Enter your company’s designated access code issued by M.I.C.S. Once the access code is entered and accepted, select your BIS user ID and your company from
Introduction The purpose and function of Purchase Orders seem self-evident, and the BIS Purchase Order module is very useful for most customers. However, most users do not consider the three unique functions that Purchase Orders serve, and how they relate to each other. In BIS, those three primary purposes are: Purchase Orders are contracts with
Attached is the custom app you requested. Just download it to a known location, perhaps, under BIS in a \Download folder. Then open BIS. Go to Transactions. Then go to Custom Applications Manager. Click on the “Add New” button. Navigate to the app in its location, and select it. It will be added. Click “I
In some in instances, users may have created a Chart of Accounts with an incorrectly “placed” number. Incorrectly placed refers to a situation in which the account number has a Description Summary Account (called a Parent Account in Versions 1133 and prior) that is “lower” than a “higher” account’s Description Summary Account. These errors can
Introduction BIS handles three kinds of Committed Costs reflecting their respective functions within the job costing functionality: The unbilled portion of Purchase Orders. The unbilled portion of Subcontracts. Labor hours entered, but not paid. 1. Purchase Orders Purchase Orders to your vendors are entered in the Purchase Order module. As soon as Purchase Orders are
Introduction BIS handles three kinds of Change Orders reflecting their respective functions within the building industry: Change Orders from your customers to Schedule of Values and Application for Payment. These reflect changes requested by your customers to the job you are working on. Change Orders to your job budget. These may be the result of
Non-direct payroll burden factors can be entered through the Production Expense. Job Burden is an important factor that allows contractors to more accurately track and control their jobs. In BIS, Job Burden elements can be tracked in five different areas, of which four are associated with Payroll. Figure 1. Production Expense is accessed via Job,
Home Builders’ Setup Home builders have different posting requirements than other builders. With other general contractors, purchases are posted to Cost of Goods Sold and Accounts Payable. With home builders, purchases are posted to Work In Progress (WIP) and Accounts Payable. Similar differences apply to the billing side of jobs. This paper is intended
Home builders have different posting requirements than other builders. With other general contractors, purchases are posted to Cost of Goods Sold and Accounts Payable. With home builders, purchases are posted to Work In Progress (WIP) and Accounts Payable. Similar differences apply to the billing side of jobs. This paper is intended to clarify the posting
Overview BIS uses Visual FoxPro’s native report designer as a means to adjust the layout of existing forms created with Form Editor. Your local bookstore should have resources available specific to this design environment. This section will give you a brief overview of some of the most common adjustments that can be made to the
Some users ask about the Credit Card Suspense account in the Chart of Accounts; they wonder why it never has a balance. Others ask what report will show them the credit card balance(s) at any given point in time. This FAQ is intended to answer both questions. The fundamental principle applied to the Payment by
Use of Direct Deposit, especially for payroll, is increasing. The National Automated Clearing House Association (NACHA), from whose initials the more commonly used “ACH” was derived, governs the standards used by banks nationally. The first step in setting up Payroll Direct Deposit is with your bank. You need to complete whatever enrollment or forms they
Job Access is a security feature that allows the ADMIN to designate specific user access per jobs. This is useful when project managers must filter through reports and long lists of jobs to find the ones they are overseeing. With Job Access the list will only show the ones they have been assigned to; this
A “Close or Reopen Purchase Orders” functionality which allows a range of purchase orders to be either closed or reopened in mass has been added to the Recovery Tools menu starting in BIS version 1147.02 B004. To access, go to Administrator / Recovery Tools in the menu and select “Close or Reopen Purchase Orders” or
BIS® provides the option to import payroll information from a .CSV file generated by About Time® time card software. The CSV (Comma Separated Value) should include the Employee Code, Job Code, Cost Code, Hours Type (Regular/Overtime/Double time), Date, and Hours. Fig. 1 Note: Other information needed for the payroll record (Employee name, GL Account, Job
If you have been using BIS® prior to purchasing the Bank Reconciliation module your data will contain a history of checks and deposits that have not been reconciled. Prior to reconciling your first bank statement you will need to create an adjusting bank reconciliation to clear all unneeded credits and debits. In the example below
Create, accrue and track vacation and sick leave plans. The Payroll Adjustments Addition codes 10 (Vacation Pay) and 12 (Sick Leave) have a tab for defining accrual plans. These plans can be assigned to employees on the employee master record, show accruals on the check Totals tab and check stubs, and have reports. Accrual plans
Regular checks are for payees who are not vendors entered in BIS and for whom invoices have not yet been, nor will be, entered into BIS. This situation may occur for single instance payments. When a check must be provided to a payee not in the vendor list, the information should be recorded using Cash
This option prints accounts payable checks for invoices that have been selected for payment using Select for Payment form. Note that this form is not accessible while the Select for Payment form is simultaneously open. Multiple invoices for the same vendor are combined into one payment; only one check is printed per vendor. Once checks
In Builder Information Systems, checks may be generated manually in a one-off manner, as Cash Disbursements Regular checks, Vendor Checks, AP Checks, Payroll Checks and as Customer Refunds. Checks may also be generated in mass check runs for AP Payable Checks and Payroll Checks using Select for Payment/Print AP Checks and Payroll Hours and Adjusts/Print
- 1
- 2