Lynx helps you keep track of your customers and your tanks, assists in more efficient routing, handles service orders, deals with metered accounts and landlord/renter relationships, and provides a myriad of different reports. In other words, the system provides you with all of the functions related to running a propane plant.
But, perhaps more importantly, Lynx is also an accounting system dealing with your money. It's obviously important that all financial transactions are done accurately and that the system is kept in balance. Investing a little time each day to maintain control will pay off in savings later, not to mention peace of mind.
Here's some specific things that you should do to insure that you're keeping the information in the system correct and in balance.
Batch control . . . All activity involving money is entered into the system in "batches". A batch is typically a relatively small number of like-type transactions (such as a drivers deliveries for a day, all of the money received today, etc.). To make sure each batch is entered correctly, do the following:
1. Run a separate tape on the amounts included in each batch. For instance, total gallons in a delivery batch, total dollars in a payment batch, etc.
2. After entering the batch into the system, run the batch report (from the Options button, select "Print Batch Report").
3. Compare the totals from the Batch Report with the total you came up with on your tape.
4. If they don't match, rerun the tape and/or go back to the batch and check each entry. Repeat this until you're in balance.
5. After you're in balance, post the appropriate batch totals to the Control Card (see below).
Control Cards . . . It's a good idea and strongly recommended that you maintain an outside control over your total accounts receivable. Here's how this works:
1. Go to Control Cards and print out a number of "Control Cards", or you can design your own.
2. Three-hole punch them and put them in a binder so they don't get lost.
3. Start at a point where you know you're in balance and enter your total Accounts Receivable balance in the box provided at the top of the Control Card. To get this amount, go to the Main Menu and select Bookkeeping ® Accounts Receivable ® Quick A/R Balance.
4. After you have finished entering each batch and balanced it, enter the total "Net Change to A/R" from the Batch Report to the Control Card. Then calculate a new "Running A/R Total".
5. Run another Quick A/R and check that amount to the running total on the Control Card. If they're not the same, correct the problem before continuing.
6. At the end of each day as a final check, run a full Aged Accounts Receivable and check the total to your last "Running A/R Total" on the Control Card. You don't have to actually print the report, just get the total A/R balance from it. See the Age Accounts procedure for help on this.
7. If you're out of balance (and you've been balancing each batch as you go), the problem has to be in the last batch you just entered.
8. Otherwise, if you balance, you're all set until tomorrow.
Tank control . . . You have a very large financial investment in your tanks so it's important to make sure you know where they're all located. Here's how:
1. Set up a customer account called "Lost or Stolen Tanks". Assign it an account number that's easy to remember, like 2 or 3 or 99, etc. Use this as a place to put information about tanks that you can't find.
2. Once a month, run a list of all of the tanks in your Yard Account 0. To do this, go to the Main Menu and select Tanks ® View Yard Tanks and Equipment ® left-click the Print Reports button.
3. Physically check the report against all of the tanks in your yard.
If there are tanks shown on the report that are not in the yard, it means that either the tank was stolen/misplaced or it was taken to a customer location and not reported and entered into the system. Research the problem and then:
If there are tanks in the yard that are not on the report, it means that a tank was returned from the field and not reported and entered into the system or you bought new tanks and never entered them into the system. Research the problem and then:
4. In addition to the above, make sure that all of your company owned tanks are accurately recorded in the system by having the drivers verify serial numbers periodically.