How To: Generate and Analyse the Deferred Cost of Sales Report
Table Of Contents
Introduction
Analysis of the Deferred Cost of Sales Report is an Advanced User feature.
This guide explains how to:
- Generate a Deferred Cost of Sales (COS) report.
- Export the report for external analysis.
- Review and correct stock values where required.
- Understand the accounting impact of stock value adjustments before posting the report.
For a visual overview of how Deferred Cost of Sales works, see How To: Understand the Deferred Cost of Sales Process.
Generate a Deferred Cost of Sales Report
Use the Deferred Cost of Sales report to review invoice lines that are awaiting Cost of Sales postings.
- Open an Accounts screen.For help opening the screen, see How To: Open an Accounts Screen.
- Open the Other Actions menu by:
- Pressing F9, or
- Clicking the down arrow next to the green circle with a white cross icon on the toolbar.
- Select Deferred COS Posting.
- Enter the final date of the reporting period you want to analyse.Examples include:
- The end of the previous month.
- The end of the previous week.
- Yesterday's date.
- Click OK.
- The Invoice Items Awaiting COS Postings dialog will open.
Note: For detailed explanations of the report columns, see Accounts Defer Cost of Sales.
Export the Report for Analysis
Exporting the report to CSV allows you to analyse the data in a spreadsheet application such as Microsoft Excel.
- Open the Deferred Cost of Sales report.
- Click the grid menu button located to the left of the column headings.
- Select Send to Notepad.
- In the Export Columns window:
- Select Comma Separated.
- Click the Save (floppy disk) icon.
- Click Browse.
- Choose a location to save the file.
- Enter a file name.
- Change Save as type to CSV Files (*.csv).
- Click Save.
- Click OK to complete the export.
- Open the CSV file in your preferred spreadsheet application for further analysis.
- Once finished, click Cancel to close the Deferred Cost of Sales Report.
Correct Stock Values if Required
After reviewing the exported data, you may identify stock items with incorrect values that require correction.
For guidance on reviewing and correcting stock values, see:
It is good practice to investigate and correct any stock valuation issues before posting the Deferred Cost of Sales report.
Post the Deferred Cost of Sales Report
Once you have reviewed the report and completed any necessary stock value corrections, you can proceed with posting the Deferred Cost of Sales.
For full instructions, see:
Accounting for Stock Value Adjustments
After posting the Deferred Cost of Sales report, you may find that the stock nominal balance has changed significantly.
Before posting, make a note of the COS Diff Total value shown at the bottom right-hand corner of the report.
This figure represents the total difference generated by the Deferred Cost of Sales process and may indicate the journal adjustment required between your stock accounts.
If the COS Diff Total is Negative
You may need to:
- Credit Stock Adjusted
- Debit Stock
by the value shown.
If the COS Diff Total is Positive
You may need to:
- Debit Stock Adjusted
- Credit Stock
by the value shown.
Important: Always confirm any required journals with your accountant or finance team before posting adjustments to your accounts.
Tips and Best Practice
Identify Items with No Stock Value
Stock items that had no stock value when originally issued, and still have no stock value, typically display:
- A quantity in the Qty column.
- 0.00 in all value-related columns.
These items should be investigated and corrected unless they are:
- Non-stock-controlled items.
- Service items.
- Charges or non-physical products that do not carry a stock value.
Exclude Items Requiring Investigation
When reviewing the report, you can temporarily exclude items that require further investigation.
To do this:
- Right-click the relevant line.
- Use the appropriate exclusion option from the context menu.
This allows you to post the remaining valid lines without delay.
Remember: Excluded lines remain outstanding and should be reviewed later. If you need to view them again, untick the Hide Excluded option within the report.