AXIS Pension Systems

AXISe Pension Systems

Payroll Training

Section 3

Prepared by:

Heywood

2 Victoria Street

Altrincham

Cheshire

WA14 1ETOctober 2003

Contents

Introduction 1

Print Files 3

Control Data View12

Calculations15

Global Messages21

Pay Advice Production26

Period End Update31

AXISePayroll Training – Section 3

Introduction

Introduction

Introduction

This guide describes the basic facilities to process a payroll. It is not designed to be a comprehensive guide to the system but rather an overview. Further detailed instructions are available within the On-line Help.

The guide assumes that you are familiar with Microsoft’s Windows or NT operating environment and the use of a mouse, menu bar, toolbar and shortcut keys.

On-line Help and the Advisor

These facilities have already been described in Section 1 of the Training Guides.

Ref: O:\Payroll\Paygen\Training Docs\5261October 2003

AXISePayroll Training – Section 3

Print Files

Print Files

Print Files

Print files are simply reports produced by the system but output to disk, rather than a printer.

Imagine a fast program outputting its results direct to a slow printer. The program would need to run at the same speed as the printer, which in effect means it would need to slow down until the printing had finished. This is not very efficient; it is far quicker to output the results to disk and allow the job to finish, then print the file later. These print files, once written to the disk, can then be queued to various printers within the office as required. So, in short, bulk jobs are allowed to process quickly, whilst the printers can print away at a more leisurely pace.

Print File Names

If a process outputs a print file you are requested to supply a print file name. The reason for entering print file names is as follows.

All processes, jobs, reports, etc are instigated by the User. Most will produce some form of print file output, i.e. a report.

Each time a User instigates a process they need to input a print file name on the request screen.

If it is a standard report why does the User need to give it a name?

The answer is that with a lot of systems, jobs can only be processed once in a period, and therefore the reports are only produced once in a period.

Within AXISe, most jobs can be processed as many times as is required, ie repeated within a period. For instance you may process payroll calculations repeatedly with differing selections of payees within a period. If a fixed file name was used for each job there could be many reportswith the same names but perhaps with different contents.

Because of the ability to repeat processes within AXISe, you are asked to give the print file a name that indicates the contents/selection you have made for a particular report or job so that you can identify it at a later stage. The actual format of the report will not change.

NBDo not give print files your own name as a simple method of identifying that the print file belongs to you because, at the end of the day, you will only end up with lots of files with the same name, all perhaps with differing contents

Print files consume a lot of space, so it is important that you delete print files once you have finished with them, ie printed them.

Print File Maintenance

Because there will be lots of print files on the system at any one time AXISe provides a facility to enable the User to manage these files. This facility is called 'Print File Maintenance' and is Option R54 or Option P374 depending on your menu choices.

To navigate to print file maintenance you can select ‘General’ from the menu bar to display the Print File Maintenance option as shown below…

Or you can use the Toolbar button

Print File Listview

The Print File List view initially shows only the current User’s files.

Subject to your access controls you may be able to view files for other Users - select the ‘All’ Radio button and then click on ‘Refresh’:

The initial list is sequenced by file name. Click on a column heading to re-sequence on that column. Click again on the same heading to reverse the sequence.

A small arrow is displayed against the heading for the active sequence, the arrow head indicating whether or not the sequence is reversed:

A column can be re-sized by dragging the heading borders to widen or narrow the column. Unwanted columnscan be ‘closed’ by dragging theright-hand border to the left. To revert all columns to their default widths, right-click any column heading and select ‘Default Widths' from the context menu.

Right-click on a print file and select ‘Properties’ to view additional information:

Single items in the list can be refreshed simply by clicking on them. This updates the Status, and is useful when waiting for jobs to finish.

Multiple print files can be selected by repeatedly clicking items in the list whilst holding down the Control key. Additionally, clicking on the first file and then clicking a second file whilst holding the ‘Shift’ key will select both files and all files between them.

A number of buttons are provided on the right side of the list view:

Displays the print file in a ‘browser’ window.

Displays the Print Dialog box.

Displays the Delete Dialog box

These buttons are described in detail in the following pages.

Refreshes the status of all files. Simply clicking on an individual file in the list will refresh that file’s status.

Print File Browser

Highlighting a print file in the list and pressing the ‘Browse’ button displays the Print File Browser facility:

The ‘Zoom In’ and ‘Zoom Out’ buttons can be used to enlarge or reduce the size of the display.

Parts of the document beyond the display boundaries can be viewed using the horizontal and vertical scroll bars.

The default zoom for the browser can be set as follows:

• Browse a print file and use the ‘Zoom In’ and ‘Zoom Out’ icons to see the required view.
• Select ‘View’ from the menu and press ‘Set Default Zoom’.
• Close the print file and ‘Save’ the AXISe Session. Next time a print file is browsed it will be displayed using the default zoom.

The ‘First Page’, ‘Previous Page’, ‘Next Page’ and ‘Last Page’ icons can be used to move around the document:

It is also possible to go directly to any page in the document using ‘View’ and ‘Goto Page’ from the menu bar and selecting the required page in the spin box.

Find and Find Next

A useful facility is the ability to search for a string of data within the report using ‘Find’ on the ‘Edit’ menu:

Input the value you wish to find and confirm the selection. Once you have used ‘Find’ the ‘Find Next’ button is active enabling you to find another occurrence of the value.

Closing the Browser

Use the lower of the two Close buttons

While the ‘Browse’ facility is an extremely useful tool, it is easy to miss important information. Important print files, for example Control reports and Error reports should be printed and viewed.

Print Dialog

The ‘Print’ button can be used to send files to the printer.

Highlight one or more files in the Print File list and select the Print button to display the Print dialog

• Select a Printer Queue and Form type using the relevant Combo boxes.

• Select number of copies using the ‘spin’ box

• Select the PrintRange of ‘All’, or enter the range of pages required

• Select the ‘Auto Delete’ check box to delete the file after printing

Note: Beware of using Print and Auto Delete together - if there is a paper wreck or the printer ribbon needs replacing the file will be deleted, even though the print is incomplete. It may be more prudent to print the file and only delete it once it has been checked.

Delete dialog

The ‘Delete’button can be used to delete one or more files.

Highlight one or more files in the Print File list and select the Delete button to display the Delete dialog:

Select ‘OK’ to delete the file(s):

Ref: O:\Payroll\Paygen\Training Docs\5261October 2003

AXISePayroll Training – Section 3

Control Data View

Control Data View

Control Data View

This section will provide a brief summary of how this data view works, and also some examples as to when it should be used. A full explanation will follow in Payroll Training – Section 5.

This data view is used to monitor the movement of payees on and off the payroll, and the relative state of the payroll in processing terms. It indicates the number of payees within a particular Payroll, and is concerned with 'Head Counts'- it does not identify payees individually.

The data view indicates the following:

• Number of payees within the payroll.

• The number of ‘New Starters’ to the payroll.

• The number of 'Lefts' on the payroll.

• Whether calculations have been performed successfully for all relevant payees.

• Whether Pay Advice production has been successfully performed.

• Whether Period End has been processed successfully.

There are other indicators on the record, but its main use is in identifying the above.

Select Option R511.

How does it work?

The record is maintained interactively, which means that it is updated immediately by the system as and when various actions are taken. It is linked to the indicators on payees pay basic details data view. These actions can fall basically into three categories.

• Creation/amendment/deletion of a payee's payroll data views, ie Pay Basic Details, Pay Elements, and Variation – O/Ride

• Calculations

• Pay Advice Production

• Other payroll batch processes, eg Period End, BACS, Year End

How should the record be used?

The record should be viewed before processing the next stage in the payroll production cycle in order to check that it is appropriate to proceed.

eg

• All calculations performed before reconciliation reports produced.

• All calculations performed before Pay advices produced.

• All calculations performed before BACS processed.

All payees calculated – OK to proceed

Ref: O:\Payroll\Paygen\Training Docs\5261October 2003

AXISePayroll Training – Section 3

Calculations

Calculations

Calculations

Calculations must be performed each pay period for all payees in payment.

Calculations can be performed and re-performed as many times as is required within a pay period.

For what reasons?Late amendments

New starters

To see theresultof a calculation (perhaps to view the

effect of a tax code change)

Spread processing

Can calculations be performed at any time?

Basically, yes.

When shouldn't calculations be performed?

If payees are being accessed by another facility or by other users

When is the best time?

For global calculations, usually when access to the system is limited or unlikely

e.g. overnight or lunchtime.

For individual calculations, anytime, as long as the record is not being accessed.

Who can I calculate?

Global:

Calculations can be global (‘Regardless’), ie for all payees within the nominated Payroll

Uncalculated:

For all payees who have been amended or created since a ‘regardless’ calculation of the whole payroll. The payee’s calculation status will be set to ‘N’ as they do not have a valid calculation for the current tax period

Individuals:

Individual payees can be calculated by entering their references in the selection fields, or by using the ‘On-Line Calculation’ facility described in the next section

Range of Individuals:

By inputting a range of references in the selection fields

Select Option R41 to process Payroll Calculations

Examples of the various input now follows.

All payees'Regardless' of whether they have a current calculation:

'Only Uncalc’ed' - payees who have been amended, or created since a ‘regardless’ calculation has been processed:

Only the payee indicated in the range selection, ie payee with reference 56479.

NB If the 'To' field contained a different reference eg ‘57000’, then all payees with references ‘56479’up to and including ‘57000’ would be calculated. If the ‘To’ field is left blank, the value will default to the same as the value entered in the ‘From’ field.

What effect does the calculation have?

The calculation basically does four things:-

• Outputs a control report.

• Writes the results to the second screen of the payee’s pay basic details data view.

• Sets the calculation indicator to either 'Y' or 'F'.

'Y' means that calculation was successful

'F' means that calculation failed and produced negative net pay.

• Updates the Payroll Control data view.

Control Report

This report warns you of any problems with the calculations.

* Please print it. It can save a lot of time in the long run *

It will detail those payees with the following condition:

• Negative Net Pay, ie Calculation Failed

• Warning e.g-Temporary Variation in Pay

-Gross exceeds ....

-Net below ....

-Element 016 starts 240699 adjust if necessary

-Element 014 ends 190899 adjust if necessary

• Leaving

• Suspended

• Suspend Next Period

Recalculation

When and Why?

Recalculation, either globally or individually, would be required when either of the following happens:-

i)The parameters are amended after calculations have already been processed.

egTax Rates

Period Number

ii)A payee's pay basic and pay elements data views have been created or amended after calculations have already been processed.

iii)If the system has been restored to a point before calculations had been processed.

Amending Payee Records

How would I know who to recalculate?

As the amendment is made the Calculation indicator and Pay Advice indicator on the payees pay basic details data view are set to 'N'. At the same time a system reference file is also updated. If you didn't know who had been amended, then the system can find the relevant payees by checking the system reference file.

Is this a quick process?

Yes, because the system only needs to read the reference file and not every payee.

• Remember to read the Calculation Control Report. *

On-Line Calculations

Calculation of a payroll will normally be done in the first instance using the batch Calculation facility already described. However, there will be times when an individual ‘On-Line’ calculation will be appropriate,for instance when it is desired to see the effect of a change in payment details, such as a when a new Tax Code has been applied.

(Another reason for using the ‘On-Line’ calculation facility is when there have been failed calculations, or late amendments to Payee records have been made following a full calculation and there are a number of payees requiring recalculation as a result. This is descried in the next section entitled ‘Un-Calculated Payees’)

From a Payee’s Pay Basic Details data view select the ‘On-Line Calculation’ button:

The calculation results are displayed, together with an Errors/Warnings Message box. This pop-up box must be closed before continuing.

In the above example it will be seen that the calculation has resulted in a large tax deduction which has produced a negative net pay, and that this has caused the Payee’s calculation indicator to be set to ‘F’ for failed. This may indicate that there has been a mistake in applying the tax code amendment - perhaps by leaving off the ‘Month 1 basis’ indicator. If that were the case, then after closing the Errors/Warnings box the user would return to the Pay Basic Details data view and amend the tax code, followed by a further on-line calculation.

These on-line calculations update the Payroll Control data view in the same way as the batch calculation facility, and these changes are reflected in the Payee Status line

The meaning of the various Error Message Levels (‘EML’) which are shown in the Errors/Warnings pop-up has been described in the Batch Calculations section.

Un-Calculated Payees

Once a full ‘Regardless’ calculation has been performed in a pay period the system keeps track of Payees who have subsequently been amended, and whose calculation indicator has been reset to ‘N’, and those who have failed calculation due to an error and whose calculation indicator has been reset to ‘F’.

In order to facilitate correction and re-calculation of these payees, an ‘Un-Calculated Payees’ facility is provided - Option R42.

*****

Ref: O:\Payroll\Paygen\Training Docs\5261October 2003

AXISePayroll Training – Section 3

Messaging

Messaging

Messaging

AXISe allows for the creation of message text for printing on pay advice forms.

Messaging has already been discussed in Section 2 of the Training documentation. This section will concentrate on global messages, ie messages issued globally to all payees.

This involves the creation of a message at parameter level, not payee level. The result is that global messages only appear on the pay advice - they do not appear as message data views attached to individual payees.

As before, the printing of messages is dependent upon each clients’ pay advice forms having space allocated.

In order to issue a global message it needs to exist in the library.

Library Messages

a)Select Option 441 from the Payroll menu.

b)Select the relevant Payroll Id