Dimensions

The chart of accounts says what an amount is; a dimension says where it belongs. A cost centre, a department, a project or a region can each be a dimension, with its own list of values. You map a dimension to the accounts it applies to, and journal lines on those accounts then carry a value for it.

Create a dimension

1. Go to Finance ‣ General ledger ‣ Dimensions and click New dimension.
2. Fill in Code and Name, for example DEPT and Department.
3. Pick a Subsidiary to keep the dimension to one subsidiary, or leave it empty for all.
4. Click Save.

The dimension opens on its own page, ready for its values.

Add dimension values

1. Open the dimension and go to its Values tab.
2. Click New dimension value.
3. Fill in Code and Name, for example SAL and Sales.
4. To build a tree, pick a Parent value, and switch on Is group value for a value that only groups others.
5. Click Save.

Field	What it sets
Parent value	The group value this one sits under.
Is group value	A group value organises the list and is never picked on a journal line. It stops changing once lines are tagged with the value.
Active	Inactive values are not accepted on new journal lines.

Example

A wholesaler creates a Region dimension with the group values North and South, and the values Riyadh and Qassim under North. It maps Region to its selling-expense accounts, so every expense entry names the branch that spent it.

Use a dimension on an account

A dimension does nothing until an account asks for it. Map it on the account’s Dimensions tab, as described in Ask for a dimension on an account.

Caution

Make a dimension Mandatory only on accounts you post to by journal entry. Invoices, bills, payments and stock documents do not carry dimension values, so a mandatory dimension on an account they post to stops them posting.

Messages you may meet

Message	What to do
A dimension with this code already exists.	Pick another Code.
A value with this code already exists on the dimension.	Pick another Code for the value.
This line’s account requires a dimension the line does not have.	Pick a value for every mandatory dimension on the line.
A journal line uses a dimension or value that is missing, archived, inactive, a group header or from another dimension.	Pick an active value that is not a group value.
GL accounts still carry this dimension; take it off them before archiving it.	Remove the dimension from those accounts’ Dimensions tab.
The value still has children; remove or reassign them first.	Move or archive the values under it.