Sage Pastel • Overview of Pastel Batches

Overview of Pastel Batches

What is a Pastel Batch?

This is a journal processing screen that you enter all your transactions into. When you enter a transaction into Pastel, Pastel does not place it immediately into the actual company files. Instead it is placed in a temporary file, called a batch file. Since the entry in the batch file is not yet part of the actual files, you can edit and even delete this entry.

Once you are satisfied that the entries are correct, you can move the batch into the company data.

When will I know that I am ready to update a batch?

You can update a batch as soon as you enter it. Alternatively, you can build up a batch over whatever time period you choose. If you click on close in your batch your work will automatically be saved.

This process is called updating the batch. After you do so, the entries will reflect in your balances and reports.

After you have updated the batch you cannot edit or delete the entries. To remove the effect of the transaction you have to create a new transaction which reverses the original, incorrect one.

What is a batch?

Each Pastel function has its own batch.
Each user has their own batches.

For example, you can enter a payments batch and an invoice batch. When you wish to update one of these batches, the other batch does not update.

When should you update batches?

Pastel updates batches only when they are in balance, so you need to make sure you are complete with your batch.

What kind of batches can you make in Pastel?

Each user can make a batch for quotations, sales order, invoices, credit notes, and debit notes and inventory.

Which of these Customer batches cant be updated?

The quotations and sales orders are dummy batches, they remain in a batch until they are either linked to an invoice or are deleted.

All of the above is dependant on the access level a user has to create batches and to update their batches.

If they cannot update their batches, who can?

The answer is that a user (say Jane) can access another user’s batches (say Peter) provided that:

• Jane’s processing capability in her access profile is at least the “Update Batches” level
• Peter’s processing capability in his access profile is on the same level or weaker than Jane’s.

You access another user’s batch in the Process…Jump To Another User menu option.
Pastel shows each user you can switch to. If you have already switched to another user, then your user name appears on the list so that you can switch back to yourself.

How do I jump to another user?

Highlight the name of the user whose batches you need to access.
Click the OK command button.

OR

Double-click the name of the user whose batches you need to access.
You can review and update them.

How do I see which batches are open?

You can see a batch status display in the View…Company Status…Open Batches menu option. Pastel shows you which batches are open for each user on the system.

Each time you want to view or print a report, Pastel checks to see if you have any open batches. You can view the open batches at this point and then decide whether the report is useful without these batches being updated.