General Ledger Setup

This article walks through the complete process of setting up and running the General Ledger (GL) feed in Avionté Classic Back Office — from configuring branches and GL accounts to generating your weekly journal entries and exporting data to your accounting software.

While Avionté handles payroll, billing, and accounts receivable, it does not replace a full accounting software. The GL feed is an export that bridges your Avionté Back Office data to a third-party accounting system such as QuickBooks or Sage, allowing you to balance your books without manual data entry. Before you begin setup, make sure your accounting software is already configured — you will need your account numbers on hand to complete the mapping process.

On This Page
→ Branch Configuration	→ QuickBooks Standard GL Feed Setup
→ GL Setup · GL Account Setup · Initialize GL · Select Display Names · Choose Date Type	→ GL Account Option → GL Action → Journal Entry → GL Account Mapping → Weekly GL Process

Branch Configuration

Before setting up the GL feed, ensure that each branch is configured to use the general ledger. Repeat this process for every branch that should be included in the GL feed.

Branch configuration controls which branches contribute data to the GL export. Any branch with the Using GL checkbox unchecked will be excluded from the feed entirely. If your organization uses multiple branches with separate accounting needs, you can selectively include or exclude branches here before proceeding with GL setup.

1. Log in to Classic Back Office and click the Actions button in the upper-right of the Start Page.

2. Select Admin Tools from the drop-down menu.

   
3. Ensure the Employer category is selected in the left panel.

4. Double-click the supplier you are configuring in the right panel.

   
5. Select the Branch tab at the top of the pop-up.

6. Click Add/Edit and select the branch.

   
7. Ensure the Using GL checkbox is checked.

8. Click Save in the lower right.

   
9. Repeat this process for all branches.

Note: If any branches should be excluded from the GL feed, deselect the Using GL checkbox for those branches.

QuickBooks Standard GL Feed Setup

If you use QuickBooks, complete this additional configuration before proceeding with GL setup.

By default, Avionté exports the GL feed as a .CSV file. QuickBooks requires an .IIF format instead. The steps below update two Config Option values in Classic Back Office to switch the export type. Complete this configuration once before initializing your GL — no further changes are needed after setup.

1. Navigate to the Start Page in Classic Back Office and click Actions in the upper-right corner.
2. Select Admin Tools from the drop-down menu.
3. Ensure System is selected in the left panel.
4. Double-click Config Option in the right panel.
5. Select the Config Option by FKName tab at the top of the pop-up.
6. In the Property filter box, enter GLJournalEntryFeedSP and select it from the list.
7. Change the DefaultValue to dbo.gl_GetGLJournalEntryFeed, replacing the existing default value of GLJounralEntryFeedSP.
8. Using the Property filter again, locate ExportGLJournalEntryTypeAs.
9. Change the DefaultValue from CSV to either IIF or IIF,tabs depending on your usage.
10. Once all changes are made, click Update Selected Row with Default Value in the lower right, then fully restart Classic.

GL Setup

GL Setup involves configuring how your GL feed is organized — which accounts are included, how they are broken down, and how they map to your accounting system. Work through the tabs below in order before beginning the weekly GL process.

The GL setup process follows a specific sequence: initialize the GL, select your display names and date types, choose your account options, run a test journal entry to verify the breakdown, then map your account numbers. Changes to GL Account Setup or GL Account Option tabs will delete any existing account mapping — complete those steps before entering any account numbers.

GL Account Setup

The GL Account Setup and GL Account Option tabs control how your GL feed is broken down. Avionté's General Ledger is structured across three levels: Category, Display Name, and Group Options. The four Categories — Revenue, Expense, Asset, and Liability — each contain Display Names you can include in the feed. Group Options within each Display Name add an additional layer of detail, with each selection generating a separate line item in your GL Journal Entries.

Note: GL Category names and Display Names are for organizational and reference purposes only. They do not affect how data is exported to your accounting software. The critical values that drive the GL feed are the Account Numbers entered during the mapping process — these are what your accounting system reads to determine where each line item is recorded.

 

Initialize GL

Initializing the GL is a one-time process that gathers all Back Office data and makes it available for configuration. Do not initialize if GL configuration or account mapping has already been completed — initializing will permanently clear all existing mapping data and cannot be undone.

1. In Classic, navigate to Weekly Process under Back Office in the Main Menu.
2. Select GL from either the shortcut or the Actions menu in the upper right.
3. In the GL Feed Form pop-up, select the GL Account Setup tab.
4. Click the Actions button in the upper right of the tab and choose Initialize GL.
5. Click Go.
6. If a warning message appears ("This process will remove previously setup account mapping..." or "Are you sure you want to initialize the GL Accounts?"), click Yes for each message to proceed.

Select Display Names

Display Names are the individual line items available within each GL Category. Checking IsVisible for a Display Name includes it in your GL feed. Check the Help button next to any Display Name for a description of what it represents. Note that Avionté Category names are not meaningful for mapping purposes — rely on the Description and Display Name columns instead.

1. Return to the GL Account Setup tab.
2. Click a GL Category in the upper left to expand its accounts.
3. Select each account and confirm the IsVisible checkbox on the far left is checked. Check every box without exception.
4. Repeat for each GL Category.

Choose Date Type

1. Return to the GL Account Setup tab.
2. Click a GL Category in the upper left.
3. Select each account and use the Date Selection section on the right to set the correct DateType for each group.
4. Choose one of the following accounting methods:
   • Cash-Based (based on when money changes hands): CheckDates (Payroll), InvoiceDates (Sales), DatePosted (AR)
   • Accrual-Based (based on when the transaction occurred): AccountingPeriod dates for all transaction types
5. Repeat for all groups within each category.

GL Account Option

The GL Account Option tab lets you break GL Display Names down further by selecting Group Options, adding more granular detail to your GL feed.

Each Group Option you activate generates a separate line item in your GL Journal Entries. For example, if you need to track income from permanent placements and temporary orders in separate accounts, you would select an Order Type Group Option under the Total Sales Display Name. Match your Group Option selections to the level of detail your accounting software requires — more options means more granular exports, but also more account numbers to map.

1. In Classic, navigate to Weekly Process under Back Office in the Main Menu.
2. Select GL from either the shortcut or the Actions menu.
3. In the GL Feed Form pop-up, select the GL Account Option tab.
4. Click the GL Category drop-down in the upper left and choose a category.
5. A list of options will populate the DisplayName chart below.

6. Select an option from the chart. In the Select Group Option section on the right, check the IsActive box for each Group Option you want to apply.

   Note: Select only a few Group Options per category rather than every option — selecting all can cause complications during mapping.
7. Click Generate Account Mapping in the lower right.

Note: When Generate Account Mapping is clicked, the system scans all data in Classic Back Office — including transactions, checks, invoices, and accounts receivable — to build the account mapping. If no data exists in Classic Back Office yet, nothing will be mapped. Add data to Classic Back Office first, then return to generate the mapping.

8. Click Yes when the warning message appears.
9. Repeat for each category. You will receive a confirmation when all categories are complete.

GL Action

Before mapping account numbers, use the GL Action tab to test your GL breakdown selections. Changes to GL Account Setup or GL Account Option can be made freely until account numbers have been mapped — any changes made after mapping is entered will delete existing mappings.

For testing purposes, select a recently closed accounting period — Avionté recommends using dates that reflect a single accounting period. Accounting Period dates are always Sundays, and you can use the same date for both Start Date and End Date. For example, entering 10/14/2018 in both fields will return data for the period 10/8/18–10/14/18.

1. In Classic, navigate to Weekly Process under Back Office in the Main Menu.
2. Select GL from either the shortcut or the Actions menu.
3. In the GL Feed Form pop-up, select the GL Action tab.
4. Choose a Start Date and End Date.
5. Click Delete Journal Entry to remove any previous entries from the selected date range.
6. Click Generate Journal Entry in the Actions section.
7. A confirmation will appear when the process is complete.

Journal Entry

The Journal Entry tab lets you review the generated breakdown to verify categories and amounts before beginning account mapping.

Journal Entries are grouped by category, with debit and credit totals shown at each group header. Review these headers to quickly confirm that debits and credits balance within each grouping. Once every grouping balances, you are ready to begin account mapping. If items do not balance at this stage, revisit your GL Account Setup and GL Account Option selections before proceeding.

1. In Classic, navigate to Weekly Process under Back Office in the Main Menu.
2. Select GL from either the shortcut or the Actions menu.
3. In the GL Feed Form pop-up, select the Journal Entry tab.
4. Review the breakdown generated during the GL Action stage:
   • Check group headers to confirm correct debit and credit totals.
   • Spot-check amounts against expectations to verify categories and logic.
5. Once verified, proceed to GL Account Mapping.

GL Account Mapping

In this step, you map Avionté GL categories to the actual account numbers in your accounting software. The GL Account Mapping tab is where each line item in your GL breakdown is associated with an Account Number from your accounting system.

Think of this process as translation: you are telling your accounting software what the dollar amounts from Avionté mean and where they belong in your books. Each line item in the GL breakdown corresponds to a description and display name — use these to determine the correct account number, not the Avionté Category column. Line items left with the X-X-X-X placeholder will be omitted from the GL feed entirely.

1. In Classic, navigate to Weekly Process under Back Office in the Main Menu.
2. Select GL from either the shortcut or the Actions menu.
3. In the GL Feed Form pop-up, select the GL Account Mapping tab.
4. Review the list of all accounts. Under the Account Number column, replace each X-X-X-X placeholder with the real account number for that item.
   • To exclude an item, leave its placeholder in place.
   • Avionté categories can be ignored — use Description and Display Name instead.
   • Multiple items can share the same account number; copy and paste as needed.

5. To map externally, click Export to Excel in the upper right. In Excel, you can reorder columns, copy/paste, filter, and more.

   Note: Save and close the Excel file before importing it back into Classic.

   To import the completed file:

   1. In Classic, navigate to Import Export under Back Office in the Main Menu.
   2. Click New Batch in the upper right.
   3. Enter a description in the Description field.
   4. Click Mapping Group and select GL Account Number Import.
   5. Click Processing Method and select GL Account Number Import.
   6. Click Browse next to the File field and locate your saved file.
   7. Click Finish to close the pop-up.
   8. Click Process Import Export Batch under Actions to run the import batch.

Weekly GL Process

Once account mapping is complete, you are ready to generate journal entries and export your GL feed on a weekly basis. Generating the Journal Entry each week lets you preview GL feed data and confirm debits and credits are balanced before exporting to your accounting software.

Before generating Journal Entries each week, close the Accounting Period first. The Accounting Period close process runs important error checks — unresolved Data Requirement Messages (DRMs) can cause imbalances in your Journal Entries. After reviewing the Journal Entry and confirming debits and credits balance, generate the GL Feed, which produces a .CSV file saved to your chosen folder. Upload that file to your accounting software to complete the weekly process. Always delete the Journal Entry after a successful export to prevent data from carrying over into the following week.

1. In Classic, navigate to Weekly Process under Back Office in the Main Menu.
2. Select GL from either the shortcut or the Actions menu.
3. In the GL Feed Form pop-up, select the GL Action tab.
4. Select the Start Date and End Date.

5. Click the Browse button next to Browse Folder to choose your export folder.

   Note: Best practice is to create a dedicated GL Export folder for easy file management.
6. Click Generate Journal Entry in the Actions section.
7. Review the entry in the Journal Entry tab to confirm the information is correct.

8. 

9. Return to the GL Action tab and click Generate GL Feed.
10. Click Delete Journal Entry to clear the entry and prepare for next week.

Additional Resources

The General Ledger 201 webinar covers the full GL workflow end to end — from initial setup through the weekly close sequence — including common GL scenarios with root cause and fix for each.