Ledger
The books, kept from your own records: a journal posted from Billing, Expenses, Stock and Time Clock that is never changed, bank statements matched line by line, and the statements your accountant asks for.
Getting started
These are the steps in the order somebody would do them. The same list is in the tool: press F1, or the control reading "How this works" at the top of the window.
1. Press Set up the starter chart, then New entry
On the Entries screen, one press puts in a chart a small business recognises, from Business checking to Wages, and opens New entry's form for the first entry: an amount, the account it goes to and the account it comes from. Rename, add or retire accounts on the Accounts screen afterwards; an account an entry names keeps its code and its type.
2. Bring in your opening balances
Type each account's balance on the day the books start, or read them from a spreadsheet. Whatever does not balance goes to Opening balances.
3. Post what the suite recorded
Invoices, payments, approved spend, deliveries, supplier bills and handed-over pay periods wait on the Waiting screen until somebody presses Post. Each entry names the record it came from.
4. Match the bank
Bring in a statement as CSV or OFX and match each line to what the ledger holds. A line with nothing against it stays named until a person posts an entry for it.
5. Close the month
Closing a month writes its trial balance, profit and loss and balance sheet and takes no posting after. A correction is a reversal in the open month; nothing posted is ever changed.
The screens, and what to do first on each
Each of these opens with nothing on it on a new install. What the tool says on that screen is what this section says, because it is the same sentence.
No entries yet
An entry arrives when somebody posts a record from the Waiting screen, writes one by hand with New entry, or brings in the opening balances.
First thing to do: Press New entry and write the journal's first entry.
Nothing waiting to be posted
Invoices sent, payments recorded, spend approved, deliveries, supplier bills and pay periods handed over appear here until somebody posts them.
First thing to do: Record them in their own tools, or write an entry by hand on the Entries screen.
No accounts yet
The chart of accounts names where every figure goes. The starter chart is one a small business and its accountant recognise, and every account can be renamed.
First thing to do: Press Set up the starter chart.
No statement brought in yet
A statement from the bank, as CSV or OFX, is matched line by line against what the ledger holds, and recorded reconciled when nothing is left over.
First thing to do: Press Bring in a statement and choose the file the bank exported.
Nothing to draw yet
The trial balance, the profit and loss and the balance sheet are drawn from the journal for any month, and written for good when the month is closed.
First thing to do: Post your first entries; the statements draw from them.
If you get stuck
Write to support@keywaysuite.com. We answer within one business day. Keyway can send us what it knows about your installation: open the hub, go to About and press Get support. It writes one file wherever you choose and never includes your licence, a password, a customer name or a customer address.