Using NEOSYS Media System

Importing Suppliers and Vehicles

Preparing a file of vehicles to import

Get an excel sheet containing the following columns.

Ensure that the columns are titled exactly as below and that there are no blank rows. Columns with any other title will be ignored.

• Vehicle Name (Media Name)
• Supplier Name (should be blank if the vehicle is its own supplier)
• Market (geographic or analytical)
• Media Type (Magazine, TV etc)
• Currency code (of bookings)

and strongly advisable columns ...

• Contact Name
• Contact Address (email/fax/tel etc)

and optional columns ...

• Notes (long text field covering anything of interest)
• Deadline Days (number of days before ad appearance that booking is required)
• Material Requirements (short text field to remind of materials required)
• Day of Weeks (List of digits 1-7 where 1=Monday)

Adding "code" columns

NEOSYS needs to know the "code" for all the "name" columns in the file. Once you have the above Sheet add "code" columns as follows. You can insert them just before their respective "name" columns.

• Vehicle Code
• Supplier Code

Then use the following procedure to invent and fill in vehicle and supplier codes

Assuming that there are at least some vehicles with separate suppliers (ie the name in the supplier column is not blank)

1. Sort by Supplier Name (Vehicles without separate suppliers will come last since their supplier column will be blank)
2. Invent and fill in UNIQUE Supplier Codes for those vehicle that have Suppliers (based on the Supplier Name of course)
3. Invent and fill in UNIQUE Supplier Codes for those vehicle that DO NOT have Suppliers (based on the Vehicle Name of course). *** NB As you are entering the first few letters of these codes, Excel will suggest existing codes from the previously entered Supplier codes. You MUST use the standard anti-duplication coding rules to invent non-duplicate codes.
4. Copy the supplier codes OF THE VEHICLES WITHOUT SUPPLIERS to the vehicle code column

then

1. Sort the whole sheet by vehicle name. This will aid the invention of vehicle codes in the next step.
2. Invent and fill in UNIQUE vehicle codes FOR THE VEHICLES WITH SUPPLIERS (based on the vehicle name of course). *** NB As you are entering the first few letters of these codes, Excel will suggest existing codes from the previously entered (actually copies) vehicle codes. You MUST use the standard anti-duplication coding rules to invent non-duplicate codes.
3. Sort by Vehicle Code and ensure that you have not accidentally created duplicate vehicle codes

then some more mandatory code columns

• Market Code
• Media Type Code
• Currency Code

Sort by Market Name then fill in VALID market codes that preexist in NEOSYS.

Sort by Media Type Name then fill in VALID media type codes that preexist in NEOSYS.

Sort by Currency Name then fill in VALID currency codes that preexist in NEOSYS.

Save the file as C:\VEHICLE.TXT in tab delimited text format

Preparing a file of suppliers to import

Cut and paste the Supplier Code and Supplier Name columns from the vehicle sheet into a new sheet.

Remove duplicate suppliers (in Excel 2007 use Data, Remove Duplicates)

Go back to the vehicle sheet and cut the vehicle codes and names (that DONT have suppliers - sort by supplier name to make this easy)

Paste those vehicle codes and names into the new supplier code/name sheet at the END of the other suppliers. This makes vehicles into suppliers when they are their own supplier.

Sort by Supplier code and ensure that there are no duplicate codes. If there are then start from the beginning again.

Add a column called MEDIA NONMEDIA and fill all the rows with M (Media). Alternative are P for Non media (NB not "N"). This column is mandatory.

Other columns that will be loaded if present in the file are:

• CONTACT NAME
• CONTACT NUMBERS (eg "Tel 777777/Fax 8888899/Mobile 999999")
• CONTACT EMAIL

Save the supplier sheet as C:\SUPPLIER.TXT in tab delimited text format

Importing the suppliers file

Import the suppliers before importing the vehicles. Do the actual import into a test database until you verify that all is ok.

In NEOSYS Maintenance mode press F5 to get a command box

First do a trial import which doesn't actually import as follows. The only error that this does not catch is if you have duplicate supplier codes in the file to be imported so check against that carefully BEFORE importing.

IMPORTX C:\SUPPLIER.TXT SUPPLIERS

Check that there are no errors and resolve any errors before continuing to do the actual import.

IMPORTX C:\SUPPLIER.TXT SUPPLIERS (C)

Get a List of Suppliers in the standard user interface to check that all have been loaded ok.

Importing the vehicles file

Import the suppliers before importing the vehicles. Do the actual import into a test database until you verify that all is ok.

First do a trial import which doesn't actually import as follows. The only error that this does not catch is if you have duplicate vehicle codes in the file to be imported so check against that carefully BEFORE importing.

IMPORTX C:\VEHICLE.TXT VEHICLES

Check that there are no errors and resolve any errors before continuing to do the actual import.

IMPORTX \VEHICLE.TXT VEHICLES (C)

Get a List of Vehicles in the standard user interface to check that all have been loaded ok.

Credit Notes

Credit Notes for reduction in billable cost

A credit note is a document which indicates a reduction of the amount that a client has to pay versus invoices issued to date. It can be thought of an arithmetical negative.

There are many varied reasons why this could be required.

• Ads not appearing properly
• Accidental overbilling
• Discounting
• Renegotiation/Disputes

To get a credit note for the required amount follow this procedure:

1. Amend the schedule to show the final net position and billing amount to the client. This could involve removing ads or giving additional discounts etc.
2. Use NEOSYS New Invoices and request a new "invoice". You will actually get a credit note representing the changes that you have made in step 1.

NB. Do NOT select Invoice Type: "Credit Note" since this is for totally reversing the total invoiced to date.

What if none of the discount and charge columns are vacant?

You can place multiple discounts in one column using / to separate the discounts eg "-5%/-1% discount". An optional additional word/comment must be preceded by a space.

Debit Notes for increase in billable amount

Note that you can also get debit notes (supplementary invoices) in a similar manner to the above if you add ads or increase costs on the schedule.

If you both add and subtract ads and costs then the additional "invoice" issued is either a debit note or credit note depending if the net effect increases or decreases the amount payable by the client.

Credit Note for reissuing "amended" invoices

Sometimes you wish to completely reissue an invoice which has been incorrectly raised. This can happen both when the erroneous invoice has been sent to the client and beforehand.

Good accounting procedure requires that once an invoice has been issued then it cannot simple be "cancelled" and forgotten as if it never existed. It must first be reversed by issuance of a "credit note" which is a kind of invoice with a negative amount. The logic is that there should not be two slightly documents floating around with the SAME INVOICE NUMBER as this can lead to accidental or deliverate confusion.

So, if an invoice has been issued wrongly and you wish to provide a corrected version then follow this procedure:

1. Reversal the original invoice using NEOSYS "New Invoices" with Invoice Type option "Credit Note".
2. Amend the schedule to what you want it to be
3. Get a new invoice

Note: It doesnt matter what order steps 1. and 2. are done. Even after you modify a schedule, NEOSYS remembers exactly what was invoiced and reverse what was invoiced, not what is on the schedule at the time of requesting the credit note.

It doesnt matter how you amend a schedule, NEOSYS always keeps an internal copy of the schedule "as it was invoiced".

Issuing separate invoices or credit notes for selected discounts and charges

NEOSYS can optionally provide clients with a supplementary invoices/credit notes for certain discounts and charges. Without this option, all discounts and charges would have to show on a single invoice.

On media plans and schedules append the letter "X" (or "x") to the discount or charge(s) that are not to show on the initial invoice and should appear on a separate invoice/credit note.

For example, enter a discount as -5%X if it is to be shown on a separate credit note.

When creating invoices to clients, an option is provided on the invoice creation form to allow raising of either a) the initial invoice only, or b) the final invoice/credit note only or c) both at the same time.

You cannot raise the final invoice/credit note unless the initial invoice is actually raised. Note that this means that you cannot get proforma invoices for the "Both" option.

Booking without showing all discounts and charges from the supplier

NEOSYS can optionally issue media booking orders with certain discounts and charges omitted.

This allows the final net cost of media to be recorded in NEOSYS while not forcing the final net cost to be shown on booking orders.

On media plans and schedules append the letter "X" (or "x") to the discount or charge(s) that are not to show on the booking order.

For example, enter a discount as -5%X if it is not to be shown on the booking order.

Posting media supplier invoices before issuing schedules to the client

Assuming that you are accruing media costs by schedule and not by vehicle or supplier then the contra account of the supplier invoice posting will be the schedule code or, if the schedules codes are pure numbers then SCH9999 where 9999 is the number of the schedule.

Supplier invoices posted before issuing invoices to client are work in progress (assets) but, in NEOSYS common practice, we still post them into the Media Accruals Ledger which could more properly be called Media Accruals/WIP Ledger.

The accrual account for the schedule is created as soon as the schedule is approved and not only when the invoice is issued to the client. Schedule approval happens in practice automatically at the time of the first booking. Therefore unless you book a schedule (or specifically enter the approval date on the schedule file, there will be no accrual account created for you to post the supplier invoice into. This is logical since if you haven't booked or specifically approved a schedule then you should arguably not be able to post supplier invoices for that schedule.

Removing unnecessary items from List of Schedules Pending Invoices

Sometimes, schedules which don't need invoicing appear on the List of Schedules Pending Invoicing. This occurs if you do the following:

1. Invoice the schedule. NEOSYS removes it from the pending invoicing list.
2. Modify the schedule. NEOSYS puts it back onto the pending invoicing list.
3. Modify the schedule back to as it was invoiced in. NEOSYS *doesn't* remove it from the pending invoicing list.

The solution is to ask for a proforma invoice for the schedule. This will give you a "nothing to invoice" message and remove it from the list. Asking for a proforma instead of an invoice is a precaution to avoid accidentally raising an invoice if there really is something to invoice on the schedule that you didn't expect, and will show you exactly what is pending invoicing.

Handling online media

Situation explained

Online Media usually deal in hundred thousand impressions. Eg. 500,000 impressions or 1,000,000 impressions – and the best way to deal with this in NEOSYS is to enter them as a package on the rate card – i.e. 1 rate for 500,000 impressions.

However when handling free to agency / free to client there seems to be a problem and I have outlined an example: Agency cost: 500,000 impressions paid and 500,000 impressions free Client bill: 750,000 impressions paid and 250,000 impressions free

In this case a package cant be made of 500,000 each as then it show show the same for the client.

Solution

This is a costing issue so it should show in the existing costing columns as follows:

Handling long term bookings in Outdoor or continuous daily bookings in Newspapers

Incase you need to do bookings for a series of days i.e. 10 days or 4 weeks, especially with Outdoor, NEOSYS allows you to enter the same in the specification as follows:

Outdoor hoarding site near Airport,4 weeks
Outdoor hoarding site near Airport,10 days
Outdoor hoarding site near Airport,1 month

Once you do this, enter the starting date of the campaign in the date grid box.

This feature doesn't have an effect on the amounts, but instead NEOSYS calculates the start and stop date based on the date you select in the Date grid.

Processing List of Wrong Ads

Agencies have to cope with the fact that ads places in publications can go wrong and hence NEOSYS has come up with the following feature to followup/generate a report of such wrong ads which need action:

1. In the Certification File, generate the required list of ads pending certification, and in the space to enter the Certificate/Voucher/Page number, put the same wrapped in round brackets eg. (XXXX).
2. Later on you can take the ordinary List of Ads Pending Certification report and it will include all those with the Certificate/Voucher/Page numbers in brackets just as if there was no number at all and thereafter you can followup on such ads.

Processing wrong Incoming Media Supplier Invoices

If you find that the invoice amount is not correct or any discrepancy, NEOSYS has created a special function to distinguish/followup on such invoices for reporting purposes. To enable this feature follow the procedure below:

1. In the Supplier Invoice File, generate the required list of ads pending supplier invoices, and in the space to enter the supplier invoice number, put the same wrapped in round brackets eg. (XXXX).
2. Later on you can take the ordinary List of Ads Pending Supplier Invoice report and it will include all those with supplier invoice numbers in brackets just as if there was no supplier invoice number at all.

For more information on handling Incoming Media Supplier Invoices, go to Processing of Incoming Media Supplier Invoices

Handling booking of additional dates on already booked lines

Situation explained

In a schedule which has a line which is already booked (eg. booking order no 10001) and later on you add another date to that line and book the same (eg. booking order no 10002) and thereafter you cancel or amend the 1st ad, the cancellation or amendment order mentions the booking order reference number of the 2nd booked ad (i.e. 10002).

Solution explained

NEOSYS is designed to only show the last booking order as it doesn't support handling of multiple dates with multiple orders as ad dates are not linked to the booking order number. In such a situation above, any new dates have to added on to new lines in the same schedule. Incase you do need to add the date to the same line, then it is recommended that you cancel the first ad and rebook both the ads again.

Handling booking a schedule with one vehicle in different lines with different currencies

Situation explained

Vehicle ABC with currency USD was selected on line 1 of a schedule and thereafter you enter a couple of other lines for other vehicles. Later on you change the currency on the Vehicle File of vehicle ABC to be AED and enter another line in the schedule - i.e. line 4 for vehicle ABC with currency AED. Now, when you go to book this vehicle and click on the book button on the New Booking Order Page, the booking order will show only the 1st line of that vehicle as NEOSYS cannot send a consolidated booking order for the same vehicle with different currencies.

Solution explained

Hence you need to send separate booking orders for the same vehicle as they are in different currencies. So, either you can book vehicle ABC from line 1 first and click on the book button again to book the next one, or if you want to book vehicle ABC from line 4, just put in the line number of the schedule in the option below and click on book.

How to handle production costs on media rate cards

Some media like out of home often has production costs which vary in parallel with the base cost.

One solution in NEOSYS is to place two columns on the rate card. Then on the schedule select the first column while mentally remembering the second amount, then simply type the second amount into the “Loading” or “Other” column. This is likely to be automated in the next version NEOSYS.

If there are any discounts and charges and they apply only to the base cost then placing the production charges in the “Other” column makes it clear to everybody that they do not take part in the discounting.