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Configuring EM Company Parameters

EM Company Parameters configures Equipment Management for each company before any EM processing. It sets default subledger companies, depreciation close behavior, Usage GL interface and rate controls, audit targets, attached batch reports, and meter update rules for usage, cost adjustments/parts, and fuel posting.

:::caution Admin-only / change carefully Restrict security for this form to the system administrator or a small EM admin set. Company links, Usage interface level, Revenue Breakdown Code, and meter rules affect every EM batch. Finish required companies and journals before live EM posting. :::

Before you start​

  • The EM company already exists as a valid company in HQ Company Setup. EM Company Parameters is required before EM processing.
  • GL company (and journal when interfacing) exists. GL Co# is required even if you will not interface to GL yet.
  • IN, JC, and PR companies exist when those defaults will be used (they remain overridable during entry).
  • Know Depreciation close mode (Monthly / Annual / None) and initial Last Month Calculated / Last Year Budgeted values.
  • Decide Usage GL interface level (No Update / Summary / Detail), whether operators may change rates, hour UOM, and the default Revenue Breakdown Code (required even if you do not use breakdown).
  • You have permission to change EM company parameters.

Steps​

Company defaults (GL, IN, JC, PR)​

  1. Open EM Company Parameters.
  2. Confirm EM Company is the Equipment Management company you are configuring (must already exist in HQ Company Setup).
  3. Set GL Co#. This is required even when you are not interfacing to GL. Invalid references may warn during staged setup; finish them before live posting.
  4. Set default IN, JC, and PR companies used when EM entry looks up inventory, job, or payroll context. Operators can override these defaults during entry.

Depreciation tab​

  1. On Depreciation, set close mode:
    • Monthly: depreciation closes by month.
    • Annual: depreciation closes by year.
    • None: no depreciation close cycle from this control.
  2. Enter Last Month Calculated and Last Year Budgeted as initial setup values. After go-live, Vista updates these automatically as depreciation runs.
  3. Assign depreciation cost code and cost type when equipment-costing depreciation posts through EM. Changing the depreciation cost code or cost type later does not reassign costs already posted.

Usage tab: GL interface, rates, breakdown, hour UOM​

  1. On Usage, set GL interface level for equipment usage:
    • No Update: do not update GL from usage.
    • Summary: summarized GL entries; summary description is limited (about 60 characters).
    • Detail: one GL entry per usage line. Detail description tokens can include Co, Equipment, Rev Code, Usg Type, Job, Date, and EMTrans. Choose the tokens that make posted descriptions usable in GL.
  2. Set Allow Rate Change when operators may override rates in revenue-rate setup. Leave it off when category and equipment rates must stay locked to setup forms.
  3. Enter Revenue Breakdown Code. A default is required even if you do not split rates by ownership, maintenance, fuel, or similar breakdowns. Create codes first in EM Revenue Breakdown Codes.
  4. Set the hour unit of measure used when hour-based revenue and meter logic apply.

Audit Options and attached batch reports​

  1. On Audit Options, reviews write to HQ Master Audit (HQMA):
    • Company Parameters is always checked and display-only. You cannot turn company-parameter auditing off here.
    • Optionally enable audits for Equipment Master, Warranty, Department GL, Asset Master, revenue rates, location transfers, and component transfers so master and transfer changes leave a fuller trail. Prefer listing the targets you enable rather than a vague "enable all."
  2. When Attach batch reports is used:
    • Storage follows DM Attachment Options.
    • Vista exports the batch report before posting. An export error aborts posting.
    • View attachments from HQ Batch Control, not DM Attachment Search.

Meter updates (three contexts)​

  1. Configure meter update rules separately for each context:
    • Equipment Usage
    • Cost Adjustments / Parts
    • Fuel Posting
  2. For each context, pick one update rule:
    • Update only when the new date is later than the stored meter date.
    • Always update meters, never update dates.
    • Always update meters, and update dates only when the posting date is later.
  3. Hour-meter updates require Update Hour Meter on the revenue code used for the posting (see EM Revenue Codes).
  4. Timing differs by source:
    • EM usage updates meters when the batch is created.
    • PR and Material Sales (MS) paths update meters when the batch posts.

Fuel defaults​

  1. Set Fuel Cost Code and Fuel Cost Type when the client tracks fuel on equipment. On EM Fuel Posting, each line's cost code and cost type default from the equipment record first, then from these company defaults. Users can override them on the line.
  2. Related fuel posting controls on this form: the default IN company, Use Tax on Materials (Parts tab; enables an informational Tax Code on fuel lines, no tax is calculated), Allow GL Account Override (makes the fuel line GL account editable), and the Fuel Posting meter update rule.

Also set when in scope​

  1. Complete remaining company controls the form exposes before go-live when they apply: Beginning WO Status default (see EM Work Order Status Codes), Validate Parts (see EM Equipment Parts), shop-based work-order numbering (see EM Shops), and related Parts / Work Order options.

Notes​

  • Finish GL Co#, journals, Revenue Breakdown Code, and meter rules before live usage, fuel, cost adjustment, or depreciation processing.
  • Changing depreciation cost code or cost type does not rewrite history; previously posted depreciation stays on the old codes.
  • Detail Usage descriptions depend on the tokens you select; blank or thin descriptions make GL hard to reconcile.
  • Attach-batch-report export failures block posting. Confirm DM Attachment Options and export path before the first live batch that attaches reports.
  • Related setup: EM Departments, EM Revenue Breakdown Codes, EM Revenue Codes, EM Usage Posting, EM Fuel Posting, Processing EM Depreciation.