Topic Doc: End of Shift Processes
RecTrac 3.1
Table of Contents
Document Summary
This Topic Document will walk you through the process of initially setting up and then running End of Shift processes as a clerk and a manager.
Why use End of Shift in RecTrac? RecTrac End of Shift (EOS) allows true cash control policies for your organization. It does this by:
- Matching a clerk's 'blind count' of the money in his/her drawer to the drawer totals calculated by RecTrac over the course of the clerk's shift (potentially reducing theft, as the actual tender amounts are not shown).
- Restricting multiple users from logging into the same drawer.
- Automatically printing financial reports at End of Shift (avoiding potential report configuration errors when run manually).
- Tracking and recording overages and shortages to unique GL accounts. Clerk totals must match RecTrac totals within a predetermined tolerance level or: cash out will not be allowed or it will not be valid, depending on certain options.
For the Clerk
Over a shift, what is known as a "Batch" tracks all transactions associated with the user and drawer. At the start of his/her shift, a new Batch automatically starts for the clerk at login to RecTrac. At break or lunch, a clerk can logout and keep his/her batch open, and then rejoin his/her batch when returning. At the end of their shift the batch is closed which initiates end of shift processing and reports.
Note: Optionally, flexible cash start amounts can display as a prompt at login when you enable a clerk to change it when the amount is variable (i.e., starting cash can vary from $100.00 to $250.00 for a shift). If clerks always start with the same cash then there is no need to display this prompt.
At End of Shift, the clerk follows a blind cash balancing process. Clerks enter a count of cash (how many hundreds, fifties, twenties, etc…) and change (how many quarters, dimes, etc…) they currently have in their drawer into the screen. RecTrac can automatically tally credit cards, checks, etc. Clerks will enter any other payment types they received. When done, the end of shift reports automatically printout and the clerk returns to the login screen. The report(s) generated are customizable by your organization. It can simply be an End of Shift Close Out Journal with the information entered by the clerk or can include more details as needed.
For the Manager
A manager logs in without joining a batch. Rather, the manager can review batches along with any overages and shortages associated with them. The manager can then join a batch in order to make any needed corrections, close the batch, and reprint the reports as is needed. For Example: A batch might be over by $8.00, which is the exact cost of the daily access visits that this station frequently sells. To resolve, the manager can join that batch, sell one daily visit to the Daily Household, and then close this batch out balanced.
The End of Shift Change program enables:
- Reviewing batches along with any overages and shortages associated with them.
- Joining a clerk's batch in order to make transactional corrections. When a manager joins a batch they are assigned that batch and drawer, and all transactions are associated with the batch/drawer until they leave/close out of that batch.
- Closing the batch to open the clerk's cash balancing and tender screens to update the totals and reprint the clerk's reports.
- Leaving a batch rather than close it (to make a quick correction while that batch is open).
- Printing more detailed manger reports (i.e., a standard GL Report) that include over and under amounts and their associated transaction types.
- Printing reports that consolidate multiple batches (i.e., one GL Report with all of today's batches) that meets your financial department's requirements for transactions processed.
Setup Overview
To establish End of Shift a number profiles MUST be set up and properly linked. The person who sets up End of Shift should understand how clerks and managers at every location handle money. When EOS is set up correctly, the clerks will find the cash out process simple, managers and supervisors will find troubleshooting easier and directors/finance will be able to take advantage of greater cash-count accountability and 'one-click' consolidated cash and general ledger reporting.
Cash Handling Procedures – The individual who sets up End of Shift should have a thorough knowledge of current cash handling procedures (or cash handling procedures that will be implemented) in order to set up profiles accurately. To facilitate this, Vermont Systems recommends asking clerks, supervisors, managers, and directors a series of questions. Responses to these questions will drive the settings on the profiles.
- Drawer Profile – Drawer profiles must be set up or changed to accommodate EOS. Settings on the Drawer profile dictate which users will have access to what drawer numbers, and whether or not clerks can share a drawer. The 'Allow Starting Cash Change' field MUST be enabled for EOS regardless of other settings.
- End of Shift Profile – End of Shift profiles must be configured and linked appropriately. Profiles determines what end-users will "see" at end of shift (cash count sheet, etc…).
- End of Shift Reporting Profile – End of Shift Reporting profiles must be configured and linked appropriately. Profiles determine the quantity and detail of reports generated by the Close-out process.
- Printer-End of Shift – You MUST link a Printer Profile for the role of End of Shift Reporting. You can simply link a printer that you use for other purposes.
No Void User in necessary in 3.1. This simplifies the process and saves clicks.
Many of the settings that were on the 10.3 Drawer Device are now on the 3.1 End of Shift Profile.
The 10.3 Allow Multiple Clerks in Same Drawer field is now labeled Join Batch Opened by Another Clerk in 3.1.
Basic Considerations for Using End of Shift
The following should be taken into consideration during the planning and preparation phase for End of Shift, and decisions should be implemented before using RecTrac End of Shift.
- Vermont Systems strongly recommends that you link Drawer profiles at the Workstation-Level on your Point of Sale (POS) stations regardless of whether a physical cash drawer exists. In some cases, linking a Drawer profile at the User or User Group Level may be appropriate, but that depends on factors which are discussed later in this document (See Drawer Profiles for a more detailed explanation).
- Whoever sets up and maintains Drawer profiles should have detailed knowledge of:
- Workstation names, where the physical workstations are located and how those workstations get used on a day-to-day basis.
- Starting cash amounts and specific cash handling procedures for every clerk and manager on every shift at every location where transactions are processed.
- End of Shift profiles should be linked at the User Group Level (i.e., a clerk's user group, a manager's user group) when appropriate. You will most likely have one EOS profile for clerks and a separate EOS profile for managers/supervisors. In larger organizations, you might have a User Group and End of Shift Profiles unique to clerks at Watersports, Clerks at Concessions, and etc….
- You MUST do one of the following to begin with a "clean slate" in EOS:
- Create new Drawer profiles with new, never used logical drawer numbers and/or assign new, never used logical drawer numbers to your existing Drawer profiles. These will be drawer numbers that have never been used by anyone in your database, so that the first batch from each is clean from the start.
- If using existing logical drawer numbers that have transactions associated with them that were processed prior to implementing EOS, you must open a batch for each logical drawer number and then close it without performing ANY transactions. Doing this will clear the existing, pre-EOS transactions associated with the drawers and allow you to start with a clean batch.
- You must also perform one of the above two steps if you are upgrading to RecTrac 3.1 and want to bring your POS sites online with End of Shift individually while still allowing daily processing at all locations (meaning you may have transactions processed in RecTrac 3.1 associated with workstations/drawers that were NOT running End of Shift when the transaction was processed).
- For complete cash control (i.e., a blind cash out at the end of a shift), clerk logins should be denied all access to the following programs and reports:
- End of Shift Changes
- Cash Journal and GL Distribution
- ALL System Financial Reports
- Overages and Shortages will be posted to the GL and Cash Journal reports automatically. When running End of Shift, overages and shortages can be fixed using the End of Shift Changes program only. Fixes to a batch made using the End of Shift Changes program will show up on the Cash Journal and GL Reports, too.
- If you are a RecTrac and WebTrac customer and allow patrons to pay for services either in person or online, you can implement EOS. However, Vermont Systems recommends you do NOT establish End of Shift procedures for the WebTrac User ID, meaning do NOT allow the input of starting cash on the drawer linked to the WebTrac User ID. Money paid online will hit the WebTrac User ID's drawer, but since the WebTrac User never really logs in, it cannot process an End of Shift.
- Verify that an over/short GL code has been linked to each of your Payment Codes through Payment Management.
Note: Failure to link an over/short GL code to your Payment Codes will result in postings to a '0' GL code.
Determine Cash Handling Procedures
The individual who sets up End of Shift should have a thorough knowledge of current cash handling procedures (or cash handling procedures that will be implemented) in order to set up Drawer and End of Shift profiles accurately.
One proven method for this is to develop a series of specific questions for clerks, supervisors, managers and directors that ask what happens over the course of a shift, how clerks log in, how money is handled, how many hands there are in a till, what happens when a clerk goes on break, etc…. Responses to these questions will drive the settings on the profiles.
The following table provides 20 example questions of the type you should ask to get a feel for how cash is handled at your organization. Understand that asking these questions is important because "policy" and "practice" do not always match.
End of Shift Sample Set-up Questions
- How many buildings/locations throughout your organization do you have cash registers in?
- How many cash registers do you have at each building/location?
- Are the cash registers double-drawer or single-drawer?
- How many physical tills do you have for each cash register?
- What are the hours of operation and what are the clerk shift times?
- How many clerks work each shift? Are they the same clerks each day or do shifts rotate?
- Do clerks log into their own separate registers or do they one register and mix money?
- Do clerks have 'starting cash'? If yes: How much?
- Do clerks always log in to the same registers every day, or do they change?
- What happens when a clerk goes to lunch/break? Does he/she lock the cash drawer, remove the money or are other clerks/supervisors/managers allowed to process transactions?
- Do you have multiple clerks in a register with only one till/drawer? How do clerks keep their money separate?
- If clerks log out (but don't cash out) when going to lunch, do they log back into the same register after lunch, or do they log into a different one?
- Do managers/assistant managers/shift supervisors ever take money? If yes: Do they take it under their logins or under the clerk's?
- Does anyone ever take money/payments anywhere besides the register? For example: Will a manager accept a credit card payment by phone? If yes, where is the transaction processed and who accounts for it?
- What happens at cash out? Where is the money counted, who counts it and who verifies the count?
- Do clerks and/or managers/supervisors ever 'x' out the register during a shift to "look at the current count" and match it against the drawer?
- What reports are run at cash out to verify the clerk count vs. the RecTrac count?
- Do clerks have access to the cash journal or other financial reports?
- What happens when a clerk's cash count is off? How are amends made? Who is notified?
- Explain a 'typical' day: who logs in first at which register, who logs in next at which register, who goes to lunch, who cashes out when, etc…
Three Scenarios
There are numerous ways to set up End of Shift. This document presents a detailed explanation of the profiles needed as well as some basic set up considerations. It also provides three (3) potential EOS set up scenarios based on proven results from the field. Your set up may vary, but you should use this document as both a procedural and reference guide. To determine how best to setup your Drawer profiles and End of Shift profiles, you will need to identify which environment your organization most closely resembles. Use answers to the sample questions in the Determine Cash Handling Procedures section as a guide.
If you do not feel as though your cash control practices fall into any of the following general scenarios, please contact Vermont Systems, as you will NOT be able to set up End of Shift appropriately without valid information.
Scenario I Cash Handling – One POS Workstation, Mixed Money
In this environment, there are several workstations either "in front" or "in back," but only one (1) of them "in front" is linked to an actual drawer, and there is only one drawer/till for the entire location. Money is mixed all day, meaning all employees enter transactions into the cash register.
Scenario II Cash Handling – Two Stations, Money may be Mixed
In this environment, there are several workstations either "in front" or "in back," and two (2) of them "in front" are linked to physical drawers. There are two clerks per shift (two shifts per day), and each clerk processes from his or her own workstation, never processing in the other's drawer. However, managers/supervisors fill in at the desk (as needed) when the clerks go to lunch or go on break.
Scenario III – Multiple Workstations, Money NOT Mixed
In this environment, there are two POS workstations, each linked to a physical drawer. There are two clerks per shift (two shifts per day) and each clerk has his/her own change fund and is responsible for keeping his/her money separate from all other clerks' money. If one clerk goes to lunch, he/she removes the money (or the entire till) from the cash drawer and the new clerk brings his/her own till and own change fund. Money is not mixed. Clerks do NOT always log into the same workstation and clerks may log into one workstation before lunch and another after lunch. Clerks also rotate shifts and take the money bag/till designated for the shift they are working.
Scenario I
Scenario I Cash Handling – One POS Workstation, Mixed Money
In this environment, there are several workstations either "in front" or "in back," but only one (1) of them "in front" is linked to an actual drawer, and there is only one drawer/till for the entire location. Money is mixed all day, meaning all employees enter transactions into the cash register.
This scenario is not optimal as it allows for too many hands in the till, but it (or a variant) is seen often at high volume locations with limited resources (i.e., the single cash register). When money is mixed, there's limited benefit to RecTrac End of Shift and you might consider NOT using it. Why? In this scenario, individual clerk accountability (a key component of End of Shift) goes out the window. In the event of a short at end of day, it would be impossible to tell who is responsible. The primary benefits of using end of shift in scenario I is that you get consistent end of shift reports outputted with the same options every time. Scenarios II and III are preferred and recommended as they tie an individual till to a clerk.
- The opening clerk signs in and puts the starting cash into the drawer.
- Several clerks log in and out over the course of the day, each performing transactions and putting money in the one physical drawer.
- When one person goes to lunch, he/she does not remove money from the cash drawer to be replaced by another clerk but rather leaves the money in the drawer.
- Supervisors/Managers take payments over the phone, enter them in RecTrac and walk the receipts (if any) up to the cash drawer. Managers/supervisors may also take payments at the POS workstation. IF Credit Card payments are taken over the phone and Credit Cards are settled through RecTrac, no receipt is necessary.
- The closing clerk performs the cash out.
Final Notes on Scenario I
- Because everyone is tied to a single, Logical Drawer number: once the front desk cashes out for the day, any transactions processed by anyone out back will appear on the next day's End of Shift.
- This is also true if someone comes in when the cash register is closed and processes transactions. Those transactions will be included on next day's End of Shift.
Scenario II
Scenario II Cash Handling – Two Stations, Money may be Mixed
In this environment, there are several workstations either 'in front' or 'in back,' and two (2) of them 'in front' are linked to physical drawers. There are two clerks per shift (two shifts per day), and each clerk processes from his or her own workstation, never processing in the other's drawer. However, managers/supervisors fill in at the desk (as needed) when the clerks go to lunch or go on break.
This type of set up (with variations) is the most common. While it does not allow for complete cash control, it does make the clerks primarily responsible for their own drawers, unless 'fill in' help is needed from a manager or supervisor. Special consideration, however, must be given to payments taken in the back and walked up to the front, for they will have to end in a specific clerk's drawer.
- The clerks sign into their workstations at the start of shift and each puts starting cash into the drawer.
- Clerks process in transactions at their own drawer all day.
- When one person goes to lunch and/or break, he/she does not remove money from the cash drawer to be replaced by another clerk but rather leaves the money in the drawer and logs out. If a Manager/Supervisor is needed to take a payment, he/she logs in and takes payments in that drawer. The clerk logs back in after lunch/break and continues to process in his/her drawer.
- Supervisors/Managers also take payments over the phone throughout the day, enter them in RecTrac and walk the receipts (if any) up to the cash drawer. IF Credit Card payments are taken over the phone and Credit Cards are settled through RecTrac, no receipt is necessary.
- The clerks cash out at the end of their shift.
Final Notes on Scenario II
- Because all the managers and back office personnel are tied to only one of the drawers at the front counter (Drawer 12 in our example above), it is important money/receipts gets put in the proper drawer in the event a manager makes a tender transaction on the back workstation. When/If Managers log into a POS workstation up front, the money goes into the drawer from which they are processing.
- If a batch on any drawer not linked to the Manager's Drawer (12) has not been closed (cashed out) and must be closed by a Manager (do to a transaction fix, for example), the manager must either:
1 Perform the fix on the workstation linked to the open batch.
OR
2 Perform the transaction at the manager's workstation being sure to change the drawer to the Drawer Number associated with the open batch. This can be done on the payment screen.
- If the batch that needs fixing has already been closed, it can still be joined by the manager.
- Managers should always join any batch they are correcting, whether that is an open batch or a closed batch. This is the best solution as it avoids the chance of entering the wrong drawer number.
- Since all back office personnel are linked to a single logical drawer up front, once that logical drawer is cashed out for the day, if anyone is still logged in out back or logs in and does a transaction, it will appear on the next day's End of Shift.
- Typically, a consolidated Cash Journal and GL Distribution Report would be run for all users/drawers, since more than one logical drawer number was involved.
Scenario III
Scenario III – Multiple Workstations, Money NOT Mixed
In this environment, there are two POS workstations each linked to a physical drawer. There are two clerks per shift (two shifts per day) and each clerk has his/her own change fund and is responsible for keeping his/her money separate from all other clerks' money. If one clerk goes to lunch, he/she removes the money (or the entire till) from the cash drawer and the new clerk brings his/her own till and own change fund. Money is not mixed. Clerks do NOT always log into the same workstation and clerks may log into one workstation before lunch and another after lunch. Clerks also rotate shifts and take the money bag/till designated for the shift they are working.
Of the three scenarios, this is (Manager Option B below) the closest to true cash control, since clerks are responsible for their own transactions/money and managers only input money into one drawer. Choosing Manager Option A below would result in true cash control, which from an accounting and audit standpoint is the preferred method. However, most sites simply do not operate in this manner.
Note: This scenario would include sites that have one physical drawer with multiple tills where there are morning clerks and afternoon clerks and the morning clerk needs to keep his/her money separate from the afternoon clerk's money.
This also includes sites where cash bags are used and End of Shift is not run by the clerk who took in the money but rather by a cashier at a later time.
Labeling the tills or cash bags may be helpful, especially for sites that have multiples, and also for situations where a cashier closes out the clerks.
- Clerks log into their own drawer and enter starting cash.
- Clerks process in their own drawer all shift and "own" their own transactions. No one else processes in the drawer until the clerk cashes out.
- Managers/Supervisors take payments and process transactions at their desk in the back.
- You must also decide how manager/supervisor and back office personnel transactions will be processed:
- A Are Managers/Supervisors responsible for their own individual End of Shift process? Do they 'own' their own transactions?
-
B Should they be connected (via the Drawer Profile's logical drawer) to the front desk End of Shift process?
Note: This is strongly recommended for reasons stated below. All guidance in this document will be geared toward this setup.
C Should Managers/Supervisors/back office personnel be excluded of the End of Shift process?
- If Option A: Manager/Supervisors and all back office personnel will have to be linked to individual Drawer Profiles (linked at the Workstation Level) and will have to perform a cash out daily.
- If Option C: Managers/Supervisors and all back office personnel will have to STOP taking payments and processing transactions in RecTrac, for they will not be linked to Drawer Profiles.
-
Pros of choosing B—connecting the manager and back office personnel to the front desk end of shift—above
- When set up correctly, managers and back office personnel that log in and perform transactions – especially non-tender transactions – will have those transactions included in the front desk End of Shift. This will ensure that all transactions are sent to finance as long as End of Shift is run for the front desk drawer or drawers.
- Fewer Drawer profiles will need to be created.
For example, if you do not link the back office personnel to a front desk drawer and you had four back office workstations, you would need at least four Drawer profiles and four unique logical drawers. By linking the back office personnel to a logical drawer at the front desk, you can accomplish this with just two Drawer Profiles and one logical drawer.
If only one physical cash drawer is involved, once that drawer is cashed out, you have a consolidated Cash Journal and GL Distribution Report for the entire site.Note: If there are two or more physical drawers, you would still need to run the Consolidated End of Shift process once all your drawers have been cashed out, but all back office transactions would be connected to one of them.
- If you do not link the back office personnel to a logical drawer up front, you are forcing Managers/Supervisors, etc… to run End of Shift, or at least run a manual Cash Journal and GL Distribution Report. This is not a bad thing in and of itself, but it represents one more thing for everyone to remember. Also, End of Shift is technically a Cash Control program, and most managers and back office personnel do not have a cash drawer.
- If you do not require Managers/Supervisors/etc… to run End of Shift (Item C above), but allow them to process transactions, you run the risk of not seeing those transactions, since those individuals would need to remember to do a manual Cash Journal and GL Distribution Report.
In a strictly POS environment, this is probably not much of a risk. However, in a Municipal, Golf, or Outdoor Recreation environment, experience suggests that many non-tender transactions will not get forwarded to Finance simply because that manager's drawer was not included in the site's consolidated Cash Journal and GL Distribution Report.
License – Maintenance Agreement
Use of the interface requires a Vermont Systems license and annual maintenance agreement for RecTrac and the component modules discussed in this document. Prior to implementing any process outlined in this document, please contact the Vermont Systems Sales department at 1-877-883-8757 to verify that you are authorized to use the modules discussed in this document and if not, to obtain a quote and/or approval.
Setup Steps
This document provides instruction for end of shift processes.
If you have additional questions about the end of shift processes after reading this document, please contact Vermont Systems Customer Service by phone at 887-883-8757 or generate a Support Case through the Customer portal of the Vermont Systems web site using your Customer ID and password.
Before You Begin
This document is written with the following assumptions. If any of the items listed below is NOT true, contact Vermont Systems Support prior to continuing, as the steps in this document may prove difficult to complete and unexpected results may occur.
- Your organization is running RecTrac 3.1.05.00 or greater.
- The User ID with which you sign into RecTrac has the requisite permissions and ability to access the programs discussed within this Topic Document. You need access to the Profile Assignments program to successfully create Drawer, End of Shift and the other Profiles discussed.
File Maintenance Setup
This document will guide you through the basic steps required to configure and use End of Shift processing.
Note: All file paths and screen/tab locations in this document refer to file paths and screen/tab locations as they appear in the standard, default Vermont Systems Design. Your setup and Design may vary.
Creating Drawer Profiles
The Drawer profile associates transactions with a physical drawer and till (logical drawer) number. Typically, you create one Drawer profile for each POS workstation you have.
- Drawer Profiles for Scenario I - Two (2) Drawer profiles will suit this scenario, both linked to the same Logical Drawer Number. The Logical Drawer Number should be unique to this site.
- Drawer Profiles for Scenario II and III - Three (3) Drawer profiles are required for these scenarios: one for each POS workstation, linked at the workstation, and one that will be linked to workstations in the back.
A typical POS station has one physical drawer that pops open. Typically, you have a series of removable tills (you might have tills 101, 102, 103, 104, and 105 available for use at this site). When a clerk logs in, they enter their till number and optionally the drawer number. The Drawer Profile configures the aforementioned settings.
Optional. To make shift changes or breaks easier, use the Drawer Profile's fields for Default Physical Drawer 1 and Default Physical Drawer 2 even if your POS workstation has a singular drawer. Default Physical Drawer 1 is used primarily throughout your first shift. When the clerk goes on break or ends his/her shift then the till goes with him/her. A second clerk takes over, puts his/her till in, and logs into drawer 2 within that same POS workstation. The transactions continue seamlessly and cash stays isolated to specific clerks while breaks or shift changes occur. Otherwise, you might have to take that workstation offline for sales, while you cash out.
Note: If you configure RecTrac to use two physical drawers and the registers has only one physical drawer, then it is important that you configure the Peripherals Profile to use the same, exact "Open Code" for physical drawers 1 and 2 on that station. By default, the system uses different Pop Codes for physical drawers 1 and 2, and you will need to override this to get the drawer to pop as expected. In this scenario, you copy the Pop Code for Physical Drawer 1 into Physical Drawer 2 to make them identical. This ensures that your drawer pops for both. Go to Profile Assignments and see the Drawer #1 Open Code and Drawer #2 Open Codes fields within your Peripherals Profile.
Note: For the purpose of example, you have two (2) POS stations out front, each has a single drawer that pops. When a clerk starts his/her shift, he/she is given one (1) of five (5) possible tills: 101, 102, 103, 104, or 105 that can be inserted in either workstation. To simplify shift changes, in RecTrac you assign two physical drawers to each workstation. You have a manager who works out back, taking credit card sales over the phone.
- For the workstation POSfront1, create and then link a Drawer Profile labeled "POS 9 12," with two Physical Drawer Numbers (9 and 12) associated with it, and includes five (5) Logical Drawers (or tills) that can be put in these drawers (Logical Drawers 101, 102, 103, 104, and 105). When a clerk logs into this POS station, they will be prompted to choose which Physical Drawer and Logical Drawer they are using. Physical Drawer 9 is used for the morning shift. Physical Drawer 12 is used for afternoon shift.
- For the workstation POSfront2, create and then link a Drawer Profile labeled "POS 7 10," with two Physical Drawer Numbers (7 and 10) associated with it, and includes five (5) Logical Drawers (or tills) that can be put in these drawers (Logical Drawers 101, 102, 103, 104, and 105). When a clerk logs into this POS station, they will be prompted to choose which Physical Drawer and Logical Drawer they are using. Physical Drawer 7 is used for the morning shift. Physical Drawer 10 is used for afternoon shift.
- For the User Group of Managers, create then link a Drawer Profile labeled "Managers 12" that uses one of the closing clerk's Physical Drawer Number (i.e., 12). This handles the situation where a manager takes credit card sales over the phone and will link those transactions with that day's End of Shift, GL Reports.
To Create Clerk Drawer Profile:
For clerks, it is recommended to create a Drawer Profile for and linked to the POS workstation. You create a Drawer Profile with the range of Logical drawer numbers for the various tills (i.e., 101 through 105) that can be inserted into that physical drawer. When the clerk logs into the workstation at the start of his/her shift, that station's Drawer profile is used and he/she is asked for the Logical Drawer Number (till number) in which they are assigned. Different tills are used for different clerk shifts.
- In RecTrac, go to the Menu Icon and search for Profile Assignments. The Profile Assignments screen opens.
- Click the Add button.
- Enter the Profile Code (i.e., "POS 9 12" where the two physical drawer number associated with this profile are listed in the code).
- Expand the Drop-down list to select Drawer.
- Enter the Profile Description (i.e., "POS 9 12" where the two physical drawer number associated with this profile are listed in the description).
- Click the Create button.
- Under Core Settings:
- Enter a list of valid drawer numbers delimited by a comma with no spaces. For Example: 101,102,103,104,105. If you enter more than one number in this field, the user will be prompted to select a Logical Drawer at login. Logical drawer numbers allow multiple clerks to use the same physical drawer (typically at different times of the day) while keeping their transactions separated by drawer number.
- Enter the physical drawer number you wish to associate with "Drawer 9" for this profile (i.e., 9). Enter the label for physical drawer #1 in this field (i.e., 9, or Morning Shift) and this will display at login when you enable Prompt for Physical Drawer.Notes:
For Scenario I, you would have two (2) clerk Drawer Profiles both using the same physical drawer number, i.e., 9. The drawer number MUST be unique to this site.
For Scenario II and III, you would have three (3) Drawer Profiles. Two (2) clerk Drawer Profiles are for the front POS workstations and each has a unique logical drawer number (i.e., 9 and 12). The third Drawer Profile is for the back office manager staff and uses the same logical drawer number as the closing clerk's drawer (i.e., 12).
- (Optional.) Even if your POS workstation has one drawer that pops, you can associate a second drawer to simplify breaks and shift changes as described in the overview of this section. Enter the "Drawer 12" for this profile (i.e., 12). Enter the label for physical drawer #2 in this field (i.e., Bottom Drawer). The label you enter will appear at login, if you opt to Prompt for Physical Drawer.
- When using two (2) physical drawers, enable the Prompt for Physical Drawer option.
- Under Financial Settings, GL codes can be specified when your organization's local policy makes use of Cost Centers for accounting purposes. A Cost Center is a department within an organization that only incurs cost and does not produce a profit. Cost Centers impact reporting within Financial Software.
If applicable, click the Drop down lists to specified the needed GL Codes and refer to your Finance Department and local policies for guidance. Otherwise, leave the Drop Down lists in their default empty/blank state.
- Click Save.
- Repeat steps #1 through #9 for each physical drawer you have.
- Assign the new Clerk Drawer Profiles to the POS workstation as is appropriate. You will drag the Drawer Profile from the Available Profiles area and drop it into the workstation within the Linked Profiles area of this screen.
To Create a Manager Drawer Profile:
For managers, you create one Drawer Profile and link it to the User Group for POS Managers. The Drawer has one Logical Drawer Number assignment to ensure you do not get a Logical Drawer Number selection popup at login.
- In RecTrac, go to the Menu Icon and search for Profile Assignments. The Profile Assignments screen opens.
- Click the Add button.
- Enter the Profile Code (i.e., Manager 12).
- Expand the Drop-down list to select Drawer.
- Enter the Profile Description (i.e., Manager 12).
- Click the Create button.
- Under Core Settings:
- Enter a list of valid drawer numbers delimited by a comma with no spaces.
- Enter the closing clerk's Physical Drawer Number (i.e., 12).Notes:
For Scenario II and III, you would have three (3) Drawer Profiles. Two (2) clerk Drawer Profiles are for the front POS workstations and each has a unique logical drawer number (i.e., 9 and 12). The third Drawer Profile is for the back office manager staff and uses the same logical drawer number as the closing clerk's drawer (i.e., 12).
- Under Financial Settings, GL codes can be specified when your organization's local policy makes use of Cost Centers for accounting purposes.
- Click Save.
- Assign the new Drawer Profile to the User Group for POS Managers. You will drag the Drawer Profile from the Available Profiles area and drop it into the POS Managers User Group within the Linked Profiles area of this screen.
Creating a Clerk End of Shift Profile
In this section, you will create a clerk EOS Profile and a clerk EOS Reporting Profile.
- End of Shift Profiles for Scenario I, II, and III - Based on the information above, you would want two (2) End of Shift profiles for this site: one for the clerks who should NOT be able to view overages/shortages, and one for the managers who can view them. End of Shift profiles would be linked at the User Group level.
To create a clerk EOS Profile:
- In RecTrac, go to the Menu Icon and serach for Profile Assignments. The Profile Assignments screen opens.
- Click the Add button.
- Enter the Profile Code (i.e., Clerk End of Shift).
- Expand the Drop-down list to select End of Shift.
- Enter the Profile Description (i.e., Clerk End of Shift).
- Click the Create button.
- Under Starting Batch selections:
- Expand the Drop-down list and select whether or not multiple clerks can use the same Batch at the same time (generally you should disable this option). The act of "joining an open batch" means the User attempting to log in is trying to log into a Drawer that has an Open Batch running in RecTrac that was started by another User. For Example: User ID June logs into Drawer 101 at 9:00am and starts a Batch using $120.00 Starting Cash. At 12:00pm, User ID Moira attempts to log into Drawer 101. June has NOT logged out and he has NOT closed her Batch; it is still open. The selection you make here determines what happens when Moira attempts to log into Drawer 101.
Your options are:
Disallow - The system WILL NOT allow a second User ID to log into a drawer that has an Open Batch running that was started by a different User. Using the example above, Moira would not be allowed to log into Drawer 101 until June closed her batch.
Allow - The system WILL allow a second (or third or fourth, etc…) User ID to log into a drawer that has an Open Batch running that was started by a different User. Using the example above, Moira would BE allowed to log into Drawer 101 and join the open batch started by June.
Prompt - The system will Prompt. At login, the system will tell the second User ID that an open batch is running that was started by a different User ID and ask whether the second User wishes to join the open batch. Using the example above, a message would tell Moira that June has a batch open on Drawer 101. The system would ask Moira whether he wishes to join June's batch.
- Enable the Open/Join Batch on Login option to display the clerk's physical drawer number and cash starting amount on a screen immediately after logging into RecTrac. For the purpose of example, this option is enabled for this Topic doc.
- Enter the cash amount you wish to use as your Default Starting Cash. This amount should be equal to the amount of actual cash a clerk has in the drawer at the start of a shift prior to any transactions taking place. For Example: $120.00.
IF you are opting to Allow Starting Cash Change, the clerk can overwrite this value when starting a new batch. In that event, the value entered must be within the Minimum Starting Cash and Maximum Starting Cash range.
OR
Leave this field at $0.00, if desired, to have clerks linked to this profile input their starting cash value prior to starting a new batch. This is a good option if different clerks have different starting cash amounts within your Minimum Starting Cash and Maximum Starting Cash ranges defined. - If you enabled Allow Starting Cash Change, then enter the Minimum and Maximum Starting Cash rages.
- If you have foreign currency within your drawers, then use Alternative Starting Pay Codes and Alternative Starting Amounts 1 through 3 as appropriate. Use the "i" and "?" Help icons Help Icons on the upper-right hand corner of the screen for field definitions, if needed.
- Expand the Drop-down list and select whether or not multiple clerks can use the same Batch at the same time (generally you should disable this option). The act of "joining an open batch" means the User attempting to log in is trying to log into a Drawer that has an Open Batch running in RecTrac that was started by another User. For Example: User ID June logs into Drawer 101 at 9:00am and starts a Batch using $120.00 Starting Cash. At 12:00pm, User ID Moira attempts to log into Drawer 101. June has NOT logged out and he has NOT closed her Batch; it is still open. The selection you make here determines what happens when Moira attempts to log into Drawer 101.
- For Clerks, you will not set Change Batch Permissions. All should be disabled/empty.
- Under Batch Close Out Settings selections:
-
Enable the Cash Balance field to display a screen with a "Cash Balancing Work Sheet" tab and a "Tender Balancing" tab when closing out the batch. Disable Cash Balance to display only the "Tender Balancing" tab.
Clerks use the Cash Balancing Work Sheet to physically count the number of 20's and enter that count into the system (i.e., I have 5, twenty dollar bills within my drawer), and repeat that process for the other denomination bills within their drawer to arrive at an accurate cash total.
De-select Enable Cash Balance option if you do not wish the Cash Balancing screen to appear as part of the cash out process.
-
Optional. Enter an Over Short Warning Amount in dollars. The value you enter is a warning threshold for Over/Short tolerance by Payment Code. When cashing out and entering totals for Payment Codes, the system will provide a Warning if a certain count is Over or Short by an amount greater than or equal to the amount entered here.
This field provides the Warning prompt only. Exceeding this value, by being either Over or Short in the count, does not stop the cash out process. Clerks will have the option to continue the cash out or go back and re-count, if desired.
Leave this field at the default $0.00, if desired. In this event, clerks will NEVER receive a warning regardless of how Over or Short their Payment Code is.
-
Optional. Enter an Over Tolerance Amount in dollars. The value you enter is a hard limit tolerance threshold for Over/Short count by Payment Code. When cashing out and entering totals for Payment Codes, the system will stop the cash out process if a certain count is Over or Short by an amount greater than or equal to the amount entered here.
This field provides the hard limit tolerance level. Exceeding this value, by being either Over or Short in the count, stops the cash out process. Clerks must go back and re-count the cash out.
Leave this field at the default $0.00, if desired. In this event, clerks will NEVER be stopped from cashing out regardless of whether the actual count is Over, Short, or Exact.
- Click the Combo Box iconto select the Automatic Calculation Pay Codes. The Payment Codes listed in this field will be calculated by the system automatically whenever a clerk is cashing out. No separate counting by the clerk will be required. The Cash (2) pay code is excluded. Typically, the Payment Codes that populate this field will be your Credit Card pay codes, though you may have other Payment Codes you wish the system to auto-calculate as well, such as Agency/Discount Payment Codes, Reward Point Payment Codes, Journal Payment Codes, etc….
Having the system auto-count Credit Card totals is a good option because the totals processed through RecTrac will always match whatever the clerk enters at cash out. In the event you do not use RecTrac to process credit cards, (i.e. if your credit card terminal is COMPLETELY separate from RecTrac), you should omit Credit Card Payment Codes from this list to insure the RecTrac receipts match the credit card terminal/pin pad total by counting manually. For Example: If you process credit cards through a wall-mounted, separate VeriFone unit that is NOT connected to your POS workstation and therefore use a No Validate Credit Card profile in RecTrac, you would not enter Credit Card Payment Codes in this field.
-
Enable the Cash Balance field to display a screen with a "Cash Balancing Work Sheet" tab and a "Tender Balancing" tab when closing out the batch. Disable Cash Balance to display only the "Tender Balancing" tab.
- Under Close Out Report Settings selections, click the Pick list icon for Close Out Reports profile. The Profile Management - End of Shift Reporting screen opens.
To Create a Clerk EOS Reporting Profile
- Click the Add button. The Profile Update - End of Shift Reporting screen opens.
- Enter the Profile Code (i.e., Clerk EOS Reports).
- Expand the Drop-down list to select End of Shift Reporting.
- Enter the Profile Description (i.e., Clerk EOS Reports).
- Click the Create button.
- Under End of Shift Report selections, use the Report drop-down lists to select up to five (5) reports you want to print for clerks at End of Shift. For Example: For clerks, you might select the VSI - End of Shift Close Out Journal.
- For each report you select, click the Report Settings button to configure the report settings that are used for clerks at EOS. This enables you to pre-define the report settings to ensure they are identical at every EOS (preventing someone from inadvertently selecting the wrong settings and getting inaccurate numbers at EOS).
- Select the report options as is appropriate for your clerks. In this example, the Print over/Short Information on report is disabled.
- Click the Save button.
- Your new Clerk End of Shift Reporting Profile now displays within the DataGrid and is highlighted. Click the Select button.
- You return to the Profile Update screen with the new Closeout Reports Profile chosen.
- Click the Picklist icon to select the End of Shift Reporting profile for Consolidated End of Shift reporting (might be the same as the prior field or different). This is used when the Consolidated Batch button is used within the End of Shift Change program. Consolidated reports are run for multiple batches at-a-time (i.e., all of today's batches) and provide a sum of all transactions from them. You can generate consolidated reports based on the same reports and settings as used for END of Shift for individuals. Running the Consolidated End of Shift Report produces one Cash Journal and GL Report for the entire day's transactions at the location, and is often sufficient to meeting your Finance department's required documentation for deposits. If desired, you can create a new End of Shift Reporting Profile for use with Consolidated reporting (i.e., with different reports and/or different report settings) depending on your organization's local policy and requirements.
- Click the Save button.
- Assign the new EOS Profile to Clerk Users as is appropriate. You might have a User Group for clerks, and can apply the profile once into it. Without a clerk User Group, you must drag and drop the new profile into each user account. You will drag the Clerk EOS Profile from the Available Profiles area and drop it into the appropriate User Group/User(s) within the Linked Profiles area of this screen.
Creating a Manager End of Shift Profile
In this section, you will create a manager EOS Profile and a manager EOS Reporting Profile. Managers are given broader permissions to view actual overage and shortage amounts, and fix transactional mistakes through the End of Shift Change program.
To Create a Manager EOS Profile
- In RecTrac, Go to the Menu Icon and search for Profile Assignments. The Profile Assignments screen opens.
- Click the Add button.
- Enter the Profile Code (i.e., Manager End of Shift).
- Expand the Drop-down list to select End of Shift.
- Enter the Profile Description (i.e., Manager End of Shift).
- Click the Create button.
- Under Starting Batch selections:
- Expand the Drop-down list for Join Batch Opened by Another Clerk and select Allow. The act of "joining an open batch" means the User attempting to log in is trying to log into a Drawer that has an Open Batch running in RecTrac that was started by another User. As a manager, you will often join a clerk's batch to make corrections to it. With allow, the system WILL allow a second (or third or fourth, etc…) User ID to log into a drawer that has an Open Batch running that was started by a different User.
- All other options within this section should be left in their default state, which depending on field-type will be empty, disabled, or zero.
- Under Change Batch Permissions:
- Enter the range of Drawers that Users linked to this profile will be able to see in the End of Shift Change program. The End of Shift Change is a program designed to adjust End of Shift batches. Generally speaking, access to this program should be reserved for managers and other personnel at your department who oversee/authenticate/troubleshoot clerk cash outs. When entering that program, the User linked to this profile will be presented with a list of batches with drawer numbers that appear in this field. You may enter a single drawer number (i.e. 101), a comma-delimited list of drawer numbers (i.e. 101,102,103,104,105 etc…), a range of drawer numbers (i.e. 101-105) or a combination of all three, if desired. This is useful in restricting access to just those the manager needs access to.
- Select this option to give Users linked to this profile access to the Consolidate Batch button on the DataGrid when working in the End of Shift Change program. These reports enable printing of financial reports based on the selected batches (i.e., all of today's batches, just this afternoon's batches, etc…).
- Under Batch Close Out Settings selections:
- Commonly you will Enable Cash Balance screen. Select this option to include a screen that allows the clerk to enter Cash totals by denomination amount as part of the End of Shift process. Generally this constitutes a physical count of the cash in the drawer followed by the entry of each value next to it corresponding demonization ("x" 50's, "x 20s, "x" 10s, et…) to arrive at an accurate cash total.
De-select Enable Cash Balance option if you do not wish the Cash Balancing screen to appear as part of the cash out process.
- Commonly you will Enable Cash Balance screen. Select this option to include a screen that allows the clerk to enter Cash totals by denomination amount as part of the End of Shift process. Generally this constitutes a physical count of the cash in the drawer followed by the entry of each value next to it corresponding demonization ("x" 50's, "x 20s, "x" 10s, et…) to arrive at an accurate cash total.
- Under Close Out Report Settings selections, click the Pick list icon for Close Out Reports profile. The Profile Management - End of Shift Reporting screen opens.
To Create a Manager Reporting Profile
- Click the Add button. The Profile Update - End of Shift Reporting screen opens.
- Enter the Profile Code (i.e., Clerk EOS Reports).
- Expand the Drop-down list to select End of Shift Reporting.
- Enter the Profile Description (i.e., Clerk EOS Reports).
- Click the Create button.
- Under End of Shift Report selections, use the Report drop-down lists to select up to five (5) reports you want to print for clerks at End of Shift. For Example: For managers, you might select the "VSI - End of Shift Close Out Journal" (with overage/shortage amounts), "VSI - GL Distribution", as well as other similar standard or custom reports.
- For each report you select, click the Report Settings button to configure the report settings that are used for clerks at EOS. This enables you to pre-define the report settings to ensure they are identical at every EOS (preventing someone from inadvertently selecting the wrong settings and getting inaccurate numbers at EOS).
- Select the report options as is appropriate for your clerks. In this example, the Print over/Short Information on report is disabled.
- Click the Save button.
- Your new Clerk End of Shift Reporting Profile now displays within the DataGrid and is highlighted. Click the Select button.
- You return to the Profile Update screen with the new Closeout Reports Profile chosen.
- Click the Save button.
- Assign the new EOS Profile to Manager Users as is appropriate. You might have a User Group for managers, and can apply the profile once into it. Without a manager User Group, you must drag and drop the new profile into each user account. You will drag the Manager EOS Profile from the Available Profiles area and drop it into the appropriate User Group/User(s) within the Linked Profiles area of this screen.
Linking End Of Shift Printer Profiles
It is essential to link printer to the workstation for End of Shift purposes, otherwise your End of Shift reports will NOT print. You can reuse a printer for this purpose but MUST flag it as End of Shift as described in this process. Repeat this process for each POS workstation that will produce EOS reports.
To link an EOS printer
- Click the Continue button.
- Repeat this process for each POS workstation that will produce EOS reports (i.e., POS Front 1 and POS Front 2).
End of Shift/End of Day Processing
Logging In and Starting a Batch
In this section, you will log in as a clerk, specify Logical drawer (till) number, and starting cash. Commonly, clerks start a new shift with a new till and a pre-determined starting cash amount (that amount can vary and entry is often allowed). A new Batch is created that tracks all transactions throughout this clerk's shift, the Batch is closed at the conclusion of this clerk's shift, when End of Shift processing is run. It is critical that clerks receive the Drawer Selection prompt at the start of his/her shift, otherwise the batch is NOT created and transactions NOT tracked for End of Shift processing.
No Drawer Selection Prompt
If clerks do NOT receive the Drawer Selection prompt, they are:
- Continuing a batch started that same day. For example: A clerk who logs in and starts a batch, logs out to go to lunch and then logs back in after lunch will NOT receive a second Drawer Selection prompt and that is normal and expected behavior.
- Attempting to join a batch begun by a different clerk. If attempting to join a batch begun by a different clerk, the user will receive the following prompt: "There is already an Open Batch for this Drawer and you are not allowed to Join an Open Batch. Clicking "Ok" will bring the user back to the Login Screen. After logging back in, the clerk can select an unused Logical and Physical Drawer combination.
- Not starting a batch and are therefore exempt from End of Shift.
The Drawer Selection prompt is the indicator that the clerk is starting a new batch. Once logged in, the clerk will process transactions until the shift ends.
- In RecTrac, a clerk logs in with their username and password.
- After a clerk enters his/her username and password, he/she is prompted to specify the Logical Drawer Number (i.e., the till number) and Starting Cash. Expand the Drop-down list to select the Logical Drawer. The list includes all Logical Drawer Numbers defined within the Drawer Profile assigned to this workstation. The starting cash allows for situations where the amount varies. The look of the Drawer Selection prompt varies based on your set up: Drawer Profile and End of Shift Profile.
- Clicking on the USERDETAIL Button for User Settings displays the clerk's Cash Drawer and Batch Number.
- If the clerk selects Logout and Keep Session then the Batch is kept open. This is good practice to follow for lunch and breaks. At the conclusion of his/her break they log back in and resume their Batch.
- If the clerk selects Logout and End Session then the following prompt opens "Do you want to Close Out your Batch?".
- Select Yes to begin End of Shift processing.
- Select No and the Batch is kept open (logging in again resumes that Batch).
Clerk End of Shift Cash out
At the end of a shift, the clerk has to cash out. The following steps will walk you through a clerk's initial cash out/cash count. What happens after the clerk clicks Process on Step 5 is entirely dependent on your End of Shift profile set up.
- To cash out, click on the username and then choose Log Out And End Session.
- The following prompt opens "Do you want to Close Out your Batch?". Select Yes to begin End of Shift processing.
- The Close Out Batch for Drawer and User screen opens (i.e., Close Out Batch# 6 for Drawer# 101, Users: June) to the Cash Balancing Work Sheet tab. If you disabled the Cash Balance Screen field in the Clerk's End of Shift Profile, then you skip this tab and go right to the Tender Balancing screen.
- Enter the count of each denomination of bills and change within the drawer (i.e., 2-Fifties, 7-twenties, 10-quarters, 3-dimes, etc…). The Total Cash amount updates as you enter the values.
- Click the Next button. The Tender Balance tab opens.
Note: Starting Cash MUST be included in this count.
- The clerk will proceed to the Tender Balancing Update screen. Enter the value of the Pay Codes NOT already calculated by the system. Depending on your selections in the End Of Shift Profile, RecTrac will automatically calculate and display the amount for additional payment types. In this example, Check was automatically calculated which saves the clerks time. The same can be done for credit card transactions, gift cards, and other desired payment types. Refer back to Automatic Calculation Pay Codes in the Clerk's End of Shift Profile.
- Click the Edit Pencil icon as needed. Enter the value into the Counted Amount cell for Cash.
- Click the Checkmark icon to save that change.
- Click Post End of Shift when ready.
- If you chose to alert clerks when they are over or short then a prompt similar to the follow displays. Refer back to Over Short Warning Amount in the Clerk's End of Shift Profile.
- If you chose to prevent End of Shift Posting when the clerk is over/under by the specified amount, then the clerk sees an alert similar to the following. The clerk returns to the prior screen is given an opportunity to recount the drawer and revise the numbers. The batch cannot close until the clerk is within the allowed threshold. Refer back to Over Short Tolerance Amount in the Clerk's End of Shift Profile.
Note: Mangers are able to see which transaction codes are over or short and by how much.
- The End of Shift Reports chosen will be generated.
Note: Vermont Systems VIC MUST be running to automatically print the EOS Reports (a green dot MUST appear near the user's name). You will be taken to the login screen after the print request is sent. Managers can reprint reports through the End of Shift Change program, when needed.
Manager End of Day Processes
When running End of Shift, a Manager should be required to perform the following processes on a Daily basis to insure all batches are closed and in balance.
- Open the End of Shift Change operation to view the status of all batches for the day.
- Process Close-Out Adjustments on batches, if required.
- Run the Consolidated End of Shift Report to produce one Cash Journal and GL Report for the entire day's transactions at the location.
End of Shift Change Program
The Manager should login and open this screen daily to verify all drawers have been Cashed Out and all drawers are In Balance or Exact. If there are problem batches the manager will research and correct as necessary. These following situations will arise from running this program:
Situation A: All drawers have been cashed out and all batches are in balance, or at least legitimately Over or Short.
Process: The manager will run a Consolidated End Of Shift Report.
Situation B: A drawer (or drawers) is out of balance due to a counting or typing error (cash/checks/etc… counted incorrectly or the amount for cash/checks/etc… was entered incorrectly during the Cash Out process).
Process: The manager will Join that Batch and adjust using the End of Shift Change program.
Situation C: A drawer (or drawers) is over or short due to a transactional error, such as a clerk taking cash but entering the payment as a check.
Process: The manager will login and:
- Join the clerk's Batch using the End of Shift Change program.
- Fix the error(s) through Global Sales (i.e., open the household, refund the incorrect transaction type, and process the correct transaction type).
- Process an End of Shift Cash Out for that clerk's Batch.
End of Shift Changes
- In RecTrac, go to the Menu Icon and search for End of Shift Change. The End of Shift Change screen opens.
- A list of this site's open and closed batches should display.
- Open Batches have a blank End Date and an End Balance of $0.00. The example above displays one (1) open batch.
- Drawers/Batches displayed are limited to the Valid Cash Drawers linked to the manager's End of Shift profile. See the Drawer List field within Change Batch Permissions section of the End of Shift Profile.
- You should look at the Status Column for three things:
- Look at the Over/Short Information column within the DataGrid to see if there are any OVER or SHORTs. In the example above, Batch 8 is "Cash SHORT $-8.00."
- Are any Batches both Over and Short? In the example above, Batch 6 is "Check SHORT $-8.00, Cash OVER $8.00." The net over/short is zero, but a potential problem may need to be fixed, depending on your local policy.)
- Are any Batches with a blank End Date and an End Balance of $0.00? In the example above, Batch 10 has a blank end date and an End Balance of $0.00. Blank means that there is an open batch and End of Shift has not been posted yet. All batches should be closed each day unless you want tomorrow's transactions on yesterday's batch.
- Any batch that is over or short must be reviewed and potentially fixed (i.e., Batches 6 and 8). The only exception to this rule is if the batch is legitimately over or short.
- If all batches for the day are closed and in balance, you can proceed to the Consolidated End of Shift report.
- If certain batches are not closed or are not in balance, you will have to use the End of Shift Change program.
Note regarding the EOD Day Summary Report:
- In some End of Shift setups, back office personnel are not required to enter their starting cash, but rather are linked to batches occurring on front desk machines. If the back office personnel log into their own workstation and are not prompted for starting cash, they are not required to Cash Out at the end of the night and will not be seen on the End of Day Summary Report.
- However, because they will be linked to a logical drawer on a front desk machine (many times to the closing clerk), their totals will be picked up when that drawer is Cashed Out.
Common End Of Shift Adjustments
This section details common End of Day corrections and looks at 4 examples.
- Example #1: Wrong Transaction Type Chosen at Sale (EOS: $8.00 over for Cash and $8.00 under for Check)
- Example #2: Missed Entry of One Daily Visit Sale (EOS: Cash Over)
- Example #3: Incorrect Starting Cash Entered at Start of Shift (EOS: Cash Under)
In this example, the clerk chose the wrong transaction type when processing a sale. As a result, the clerk is $8.00 over for Cash and $8.00 under for Check. Although the net difference is zero, most financial departments would want each transaction type to balance. The End of Shift Change program allows managers to see totals posted by a clerk during the End of Shift Cash Out and make adjustments accordingly. For internal control, clerks cannot process these adjustments. You will join the clerk's batch as a manager, use the Transaction Update program, select this receipt, change the Transaction Type, Process, and Closeout the Batch again with a proper balance.
- In RecTrac, go to Menu Icon and search for End of Shift Change. The End of Shift Change screen opens.
- In the example above, for Batch 3 the clerk (FrontDesk) likely selected the wrong transaction type. They should've have selected Cash, but accidently chose Check. Although it balances to zero, it is a transaction error that results in the financials being off.
- Select Batch 3 within the DataGrid.
- Click the Join Batch button.
- A prompt displays stating "Are you sure you want to Join Batch #3." Click Yes.
- You are now part of Batch #3, and any transactions you make through Global Sales become a part of that batch. When you are done, you will Leave Batch or Close Batch to disassociate yourself from that batch.
- Click on the User Details Icon
- You will reprint the End of Shift Reports to locate the Receipt number in which the mistake was made. Highlight Batch #3 in the DataGrid.
- Click the Reprint Batch button.
- Review the reprinted batch and identify the receipt number.
- Go to the Menu and search for 'Receipt Reprint'. The Receipt Reprint screen opens.
- Reprint the receipt.
- Go to your menu and search for 'Transaction Update'
- Enter Receipt Number 137. Click the Update Receipt button.
- The Original Payment Method field states Check.
- Click the Drop-down list icon for New Payment Method to select Cash.
- Click the Update button.
- Return to the End of Shift Change program. Highlight Moria's Batch 6 within the DataGrid and then click the Close Batch button.
- Proceed through the closing process and your reports will generate showing everything in balance.
This section details End of Day corrections. In this example, the clerk entered the wrong starting cash. As a manager, you can use the Quick Batch Edit button from the End of Shift Change program to adjust the Starting Cash.
This section details End of Day corrections. In this example, the clerk is $8.00 over on cash, which happens to be the amount that a daily visit costs, and this POS station is used predominantly for selling daily visits. The most likely scenario, is that a daily visit sale transaction was not recorded within RecTrac when things got busy during the clerk's shift, but the cash was placed in the drawer. As the manager, you would:
- Join the clerk's batch.
- Go to Global Sales, and sell an $8.00 daily visit to the Daily Household.
- Once you closeout the batch everything will balance out.
The Consolidated End of Shift Report
Often prints one consolidated Cash Journal and G/L Distribution Report for you location. The exact reports and settings used are set in the Consolidated Reports Profile linked to this user account. Consolidated Reports often meets your Financial department's requirements for daily transactions. Key Points:
- This report should be run only after all fixes have been made through the Close Out Adjustments program. All batches should be Closed and Exact or at least legitimately over or short.
- If a Batch has not been closed, you will not get totals for it on this report.
To run the Consolidated End of Shift Reports:
- In RecTrac, go to the Management Ribbon • System Management • Financial Management group • End of Shift Change. The End of Shift Change screen opens.
- A list of this site's open and closed batches should display.
- Use the DataGrid to select the desired batches (i.e., all of today's batches).
- Click the Consolidated Batches button.
- The End of Shift Reports chosen will be generated.
Note: The reports are sent to your document center, where you can access the PDF and/or print them. Vermont Systems VIC is NOT required.