User Interface
All work in Acctivate is performed in its own desktop window. This space contains the menu bar, icon bar and the desktop workspace.
Menu Bar
Located at the top of the Acctivate desktop is the menu bar. This bar organizes all Acctivate functions into main categories with drop-down sub-menus. Users may click on a menu and sub-menu to initiate a function.
Access Keys can be used with the menu bar. Enable them by holding down the Alt key, which will display underlines on certain letters of the menu headers and sub-menu items.
For example, if you press the Alt key on your keyboard, the "C" in Customer menu name will be underlined. Pressing the "C" key will open Customer menu. In its sub-menu the "I" in Invoice/Credit Memo is underlined, so if the 'I' key is pressed that corresponding window will open.
The Help Menu contains license information and other resources.
Icon Bar
The icon bar displays shortcut buttons to initiate functions. The icon bar can be customized for each user. Buttons can be removed and added; and it allows for further customization, such as hiding the tool bar, adding custom keyboard shortcuts, displaying smaller icons and more.
Add or Remove Buttons
To add or remove buttons, do the following:
- Click the downward arrow on the far right of the icon bar.
- Click Add or Remove buttons → Icon bar.
- A menu of available icons will be displayed. Check or uncheck the icons that you wish to add or remove for your user.
Hide/Show icon bar
To remove the icon bar, right click anywhere in the icon bar or menu bar to expose a menu. Click on the text "Icon Bar" to hide the icon bar. To add it back, right click the menu bar and check the text "Icon Bar".
Status Bar
The status bar is displayed at the bottom of Acctivate. It displays the company ID and company name of the opened company, ShipStation sync error notification, user ID of the current user and the transaction date near the bottom of the desktop.
Transaction Date
The transaction date is used as the default date for all Acctivate transactions. It can be changed in the popup window that opens after clicking the transaction date. Transaction dates can be changed on individual transactions also.
Warning
It's recommended that the transaction date remain the current date.
Shipping Workstation sync notification
If Shipping Workstation Sync errors encountered, you will see "Issue syncing with shipping workstation software" in the status bar. Click this text to open the Shipping Workstation Sync message box containing the sync errors.
QuickBooks Online background sync icon
In QuickBooks Online Acctivate companies, a sync icon will appear in the bottom right of the status bar on the workstation that is assigned the background sync role. Click the sync icon to open the QuickBooks Background Sync window which will display background sync errors and warnings. If there are sync warnings, the sync icon will include a warning icon.
Keyboard Shortcuts
Acctivate has built-in shortcut buttons (sometimes called hot-shortcut11keys) that are designed to save you time and effort when doing repetitive tasks in the system.
These shortcut keys are designed to allow users to enter and retrieve information from the system with the least amount of effort. Instead of only using the mouse to click icons, users can save time by using a combination of the mouse and shortcut keys.
Common Shortcuts
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+N | Adds a new entry to the window you are on. For instance, if you are on the Sales Order Window, it will add a new order. |
| Ctrl+Shift+N | Copies the information that is currently on the window to make a new entry. For example, copies existing sales order to make a new duplicate one. |
| Ctrl+E | Allows you to edit information on the current window. |
| Ctrl+D | Delete/Cancel Gives you the ability to delete or cancel a complete entry in Acctivate. |
| Ctrl+S | Save the current window that you have open in Acctivate. |
| Ctrl+U | Undo reverts to the last saved version of the currently opened window. |
| Ctrl+P | Print opens a preview of the standard report for the opened window. |
| Ctrl+F4 | Closes current window. |
| F5 | Refreshes the window to the latest changes made to the database. |
| F4 | Open Lookup Window. |
| F1 | Open Help files. |
| Ctrl+Tab | Cycle through open Acctivate windows. |
Main Menu Accelerator Keys - hold Alt key down for internal menu shortcuts
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
| Alt + F | Open File menu (+ B for Backup Company, etc.) |
| Alt + R | Open Alerts menu (+ A to bring up Business Alerts window, etc.) |
| Alt + A | Open Business Activities menu (+ A to open Business Activity window, etc.) |
| Alt + C | Open Customer menu (+ C to open Customer Information window, etc.) |
| Alt + I | Open Inventory menu (+ P to open Product Information window, etc.) |
| Alt + P | Open Purchasing menu (+ O to open Purchase Order window, etc.) |
| Alt + S | Open Sales menu (+ O to open Sales Order window, etc.) |
| Alt + K | Open Packaging menu (+ R to view Packaging/Shipping Reports). |
| Alt + B | Open Web Store menu (+ W to open Web Store sync utility, etc.) |
| Alt + E | Open EDI menu (+ E to Process EDI transactions). |
| Alt + Q | Open QuickBooks menu (+ S to Synchronize with QuickBooks, etc.) |
| Alt + W | Open Window menu (+ H to Tile Horizontally, etc.) |
| Alt + H | Open Help menu (+ T to choose Acctivate Support menu, etc.) |
Business Activity Window
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+L | Add Note when an activity is open and in edit mode, this shortcut allows you to automatically enter a new note to track on the Notes tab. |
| Ctrl+T | Add Time when an activity is open and in edit mode, this shortcut allows you to add time in the Time tab. |
| Ctrl+M | Add Material when an activity is open and in edit mode, this shortcut allows you to add materials in the Material tab. |
| Ctrl+Shift+E | Opens a window to enter and send an email message from within the system. |
| Ctrl+Shift+N | Creates Related Business Activity linked to the current Activity. |
| Ctrl+Shift+S | Create Service Order based on the related customer and time and/or materials entered on to the activity. |
Business Alerts Window
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+O | View Selected Item. Opens the related window for the currently selected record/row. |
Drop Ship Wizard
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+O | Create Purchase Order for each drop-ship line in the data grid that has its box on the left checked. |
| Ctrl+Shift+A | New Activity creates a new business activity linked to the product. |
Enter Purchase Order Window
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+L | Print Product Labels for products on the PO. |
| Ctrl+Shift+P | View Product opens the Product Information window for the currently selected product in the Detail tab. |
| Ctrl+Shift+A | Creates a new business activity linked to the PO. |
| Ctrl+R | Initiates an inventory receipt for outstanding products on the purchase order. |
| Ctrl+I | Initiates a Purchase Invoice for the Purchase order. |
Purchase Invoice Window
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+I | Creates a purchase invoice to complete the payment end of your purchase. |
| Ctrl+P | Print purchase order of the purchase invoice. |
| Ctrl+Shift+Z | Open the Purchase Order of the invoice. |
| Ctrl+Shift+P | Show Product opens the Product Information window for the currently selected product in the Detail tab. |
Enter Sales Order/Quote/Service Order/Credit Memo Windows
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+D | Cancel Order, changes order status to canceled. |
| Ctrl+F | Opens the search window for the sales order grid. The order must be saved, not in edit mode, and the cursor must be in the grid when this shortcut is used. |
| Ctrl+I | Create Invoice releases an order for invoicing. |
| Ctrl+Shift+T | Print Pick Ticket opens a preview of the pick ticket to print for distribution to operations personnel. |
| Ctrl+Shift+D | Print Pack List opens a preview of the pack list to print, in order to place on your shipment. |
| Ctrl+Shift+C | View Customer opens the Customer Information window for the current order, quote or credit memo. |
| Ctrl+Shift+A | Creates a New Business Activity linked to the order, quote or memo. |
| Ctrl+Shift+P | View Product opens the Product Information window for the product currently selected in the Detail tab. |
| Ctrl+Shift+O | View Purchase Order for the currently selected product in the Detail tab, if it is a drop-ship or special order product -the purchase order must have already been created. |
| Ctrl+Shift+L | Allows Serial or Lot Numbers to be entered for items in the Detail tab that require that information. |
| Ctrl+Shift+B | Shows the Components of the selected product in the Detail tab if it is a kit, custom kit, assembly, custom assembly, variable build/batch or an assortment. |
| Enter or Ctrl+L | Move to Next Line when an order, quote, or credit memo is being edited allowing you to enter a new product in the Detail tab. |
| Ctrl+Shift+Z | Track Package opens the website of the shipping provider (UPS or FedEx) for the package selected in the Packages tab or the invoice selected in the Invoices tab. |
Special Order Wizard
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+O | Create a Purchase Order for each special order line in the data grid that has its box on the left checked. |
| Ctrl+Shift+O | View the Sales Order window for the currently selected special order line. |
Price Check Window
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+N | Instantly deletes any information already in this window to enter new information. The action is immediate, and there is no confirmation prior. |
| Ctrl+Shift+C | Show Customer opens the Customer Information window for the customer in the Customer field. |
| Ctrl+Shift+P | Show Product opens the Product Information window for the product selected in the data grid. |
Manager Windows (Business Activity Manager, Inventory Manager, Purchase Order Manager, Sales Order Manager)
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+Shift+F | Opens the Filter Editor for the current button. |
| Ctrl+F | Shows the Find panel above the grid. Use Ctrl+F to at any point to move the cursor back into this field. |
| Ctrl+G | Shows the Grouping panel above the grid. |
Grid Options
You can right click many of the grids in Acctivate to expose a list of options. For example, if you were to open the Business Alerts tab and click on the Reorders tab you can right click on the grid of results and choose one of the following options:
- Print Grid: Selecting this opens the Print dialogue box allowing you to print the grid. This option is not available on all grids.
- Send to Excel...: This option will send the grid to Excel. Microsoft Excel must be installed on the workstation.
- Restore Settings: If a user moves grid columns into new positions, Acctivate will remember those settings. To revert to the default grid layout, choose "Restore Settings".
Lookup Windows
Many key fields have an associated lookup window to help better search for data. A magnifying glass icon next to a field can be clicked to open a lookup. Fields in grids may have an ellipsis button which open a lookup window when clicked. Whether the field has a magnifying glass icon or ellipsis button, you can open the lookup window with the F4 keyboard shortcut.
The look up windows in Acctivate have the following general layout:
- Header search fields
- Field(s) to search: The field in the upper left hand corner allows you to search a collection of common fields, or to search specific fields. To search a collection of common fields, select a bold field name or category. For example, in the customer lookup, selecting By Location will display multiple columns of location related fields. Typing in the search box will search all the visible columns. If you want to search a specific field, such as the Company field, select "Company". The list of results will filter down to only show customers who have a value in the Company field. You can then use the search box to further filter.
- Find / Begins With: This option determines whether the search text should be searched anywhere within the fields being searched or only look for matches that begin with the search text. For example, if searching the Ship To State field for the text "AL", you would see the results Alabama, Alaska, Calafornia when using the Find option. When using the Begins With option, you would would get the results for Alabama, Alaska.
- Search box: The search box allows you to type in the text to be searched. There are various search operators that can be used to improve search results:
- Use double quotes to look for a specific phrase. E.g.,
"and associates"would return "ABC and Associates" but not "ABC & Associates". - Use
+to search for multiple values in other fields. E.g., when searching for a company name of "ABC" and city of "Dallas", typeABC +Dallas. - Use
-to exclude specific information from the search results. E.g., searchingABC -Dallaswould return any customer with ABC in the search fields, but not Dallas. - Search results: The search results will appear in the middle of the window. Click a column header to change the sort. Click the column header to changes the direction of the sort: descending, ascending, remove sort.
- Footer filters: Depending on the lookup window, there are various filters that can be applied to further filter the results.