Company - Overview & Main Setup

One of the first of the System setup tasks is configuration of the Company (or Companies) -- along with a breakout of the physical areas of operation associated with the Company (which are called Outlets and Sections).

This portion of the documentation describes how to:

• Establish various Company Defaults

• Define the Company Business Rules (principally Tax & Service Charge Rules)

• Configure Company Outlets and Sections

• Comments on Multi-Company Considerations

The hierarchy of Abacus 21's Company configuration is as follows:

A Company is made up of one or more Outlets, and each Outlet is made up of one or more Sections/Locations.

There can be multiple Companies.

No physical or administrative area can exist (to the System) without involving a Company-Outlet-Section combination.

Certain Setups and Defaults occur at the Company level, others at the Outlet level, and still others at the Section level.

(Furthermore, there are other setups/defaults that are done at levels within Sections)

An alternate configuration (there could be many variations) might be:

The decision process on these configuration choices involves a myriad of inter-connected considerations.  Please consult with Abacus 21's Implementation Department for this discussion.

Company Main Setup -

This segment defines the Company Code (up to six alphanumeric characters) and Company Name, Address, and contact information.

In most Normal Club-Resort settings (rather than multi-Company, multi-Unit Franchise situations), the Company Code is two digits -- and the first Company is typically '00'.

Address - up to three lines of Street Address.

City - enter the City Name.

State/Province - selection from the State/Province setup file.

U.S. States and Canadian Provinces are initially provided by Abacus 21 -- and can be augmented by State/Province Setup.

Postal/Zip - enter the appropriate ZipCode or Postal Code (supports Zip-plus-4).

Country - enter the Country.

Logo - click on the Logo Button to browse/select a Logo Image

The Logo can be used in certain application areas -- such as being printed on certain reports, GuestChecks, Retail Receipts, and other 'official' documents; contact Abacus 21 for further details.

Phone - enter the Company's Phone Number.

Fax - enter the Company's Fax Number.

Cell - enter a Cellular Phone Number (if desired) of a principal contact at the Company.

Email - enter the Company's main Contact Email.

Company Website - enter the Company's Website (future).

Company Photo - click on the Photo Button to browse/select a Photo Image of the Company.

The Company photo image can be used in certain application areas -- such as being printed on certain reports, and other 'official' documents; contact Abacus 21 for further details.

Email Host Server Parameters -

• Host Name:  enter the Host Server Name for the Company's Email Server.

• User Name:  enter the Host Server 'User Name'.

• User Password:  enter the Host Server 'User Password'.

Please consult your Network Administrator regarding these configurations.

Abacus 21 software uses the Email Host Server for distributing Emails in certain Applications.

Main Menu Caption Properties -

• Set Caption Color:  allows the System Administrator to select the background color for the Main Menu's bottom-of-screen Banner.

• Set Caption Font:  allows the System Administrator to select the Font style/color for the Main Menu's Banner.

The Banner on the Main Menu will display the Company Name for whatever Profile the User has signed in under.

Multi-Company Considerations -

Abacus 21's System 441 can accommodate Multi-Company scenarios... and we offer these as 'up-charges' for adding extra Companies... per application Module.

Two basic approaches are offered for this:

• Separate Databases... with each Company in its own Database, and

• Multiple Companies in the same Database.

To make the proper determination as to which approach is appropriate for a particular situation, we need to know more about what each of these extra Companies needed to do applicational... as it would influence our advice on approach... as well as the Pricing.

If the Companies are separated on different Networks/Servers, then of course they would have to be separate Databases.

If on the same Server -- but they have separate Workstations assigned to the separate Companies or they have separate operating schedules where they can not be down at the same time for scheduled maintenance (upgrades and backup/restores) -- then separate Databases may again be appropriate.

But the typical (designed) intent is to have multiple Companies in the same Database.  Then you do not have to do multiple installations for each Release.  The setups are simpler - on the single alias.  Database maintenance is simpler since there is only the one.  (But queries are a little more difficult since you have to be Company-aware.)  

Assuming that this is to go on the same Server, then we would suggest that the Companies go with a single Database.

A big question remains:  What interaction is needed between the Companies?  For example:

• Do you need a single Membership that crosses the companies?

• Do they need consolidated G/L Financial statements?

• Anything else?

Then, of course, there may be Inter-Company Transfer implications.

Please call Abacus 21 for consultation.