Check and create payment links

Step 1: Install the Check Payment Links program

In the latest release of Amlib (Version 6.0.1) a new Check Payment Links.msi (Wizard) was created. 

1. Double-click the CheckPaymentLinks.msi to launch the Setup Wizard – the Check Payment Links Setup screen will open displaying the Welcome message:
   
2. Select the Next button – the Destination Folder screen will be displayed:
3. The Setup Wizard will default the destination folder to the program files folder.
   
4. The Setup Wizard will default to the program files folder.
5. If the folder displayed IS NOT correct then click the Change… button to manually setup the location of the Amlib Check Payment Links folder.
6. The installation wizard is now ready to install the Amlib Check Links program.
   
7. Click the Install button to begin the installation – the Setup Wizard will now begin installing the Amlib Check Links program (and the Amlib Configuration Manager)
   
8. When the installation has been completed, the following message will be displayed: Completed the Amlib Check Payment Links Wizard
   
9. Ensure the Launch Configuration Manager box is ticked
10. Click the Finish button

Step 2: Configure the Amlib Configuration Manager [immediately after install]

1. The Amlib Configuration Manager will display. The correct path should automatically display (within the ProgramData folder)
   
2. Once opened, the AM and TE databases will display as default
   1. Please Note: This configuration automatically has the AM (Live) and TE (Test) databases defined (but not set)
      
3. In the Amlib Systems tab, highlight the Live or Test database connector and click the Edit button – the System Editor will open
4. On the Databases tab, enter the following details:
   • Generally the details for the RDBMS and OleDbProvider from the drop-down boxes are defaulted and do not need changing if using SQL Server
     
   • Enter the details for the Lib database
     
     • Server – enter the name of the Server running your Amlib databases
     • Instance – enter an Instance (if required – otherwise leave as Default. For example SQLEXPRESS users need to enter that instance)
     • Port – enter a Port number (if required – otherwise leave as 0 [for unused])
     • User – enter the Username for the database connection
     • Password – enter the Password for the database connection – the username and password should be the same as that the login for your other Amlib databases. SYSADM/SYSADM is the default login for most Amlib database setups. It is case sensitive
   • Click the Copy to all button to copy the details to the other database fields
     
5. Click the OK button once complete – the System Editor window will close

Testing

Once complete, the connection can be tested:

1. Highlight the relevant database – for example: AM – and click the Test button
   
2. The Test Connections window will display with the result – if errors occur, the reason will display in the Error Details column:
   1. Test successful – all Results = OK:
      
   2. Test unsuccessful – all Results = Fail with Error Details shown:
      
3. Click the Close button to close the Test Connections screen
4. Click the Exit button when complete

Step 3: Running the Amlib Check Payment Links application

1. Launch the Amlib Check Payments Link client from Start > All Programs > Amlib CheckPaymentLinks folder
   

2. Open the Amlib CheckPayment Links folder to display the program and the Configuration Manager
   
3. Click Amlib Check Payment Links
4. The Amlib Login prompt will display
   
5. Enter the following details:
   1. Amlib User Name: your Amlib client Username
   2. Password: your Amlib client Password
   3. Database: select the Database to be upgraded (for example: Live)
6. Click the OK button – the Check and Create Payment Links window will display and a message will display:
   
7. Click OK button – the Transactions screen will display:
   
8. Click the Run button – the Transactions screen will display:
9. This will run through and check the Financial Transactions
10. If there are Borrower records to update see the next Section on possible Unlinked or Unbalanced messages that may arise and how to balance them
11. If there are no Borrower records to update, the prompt will appear: Processing completed
    
12. Click the OK button – you will be returned to the main screen (the number of Borrowers processed, Borrowers with unlinked and Borrowers unbalanced details will be displayed):
    
13. Click on the Exit button

Possible Unlinked or Unbalanced Messages that may be encountered:

Across the top of the screen you will see the following fields:

• Borrower barcode
• Amt owing from Borrower
• Amt owing from Transactions
• Amt unlinked
• Rows – the number of items requiring attention

• The table below this heading will contain a complete list of the Borrower transactions (not just the ones requiring attention):

• The client will list each Borrower in succession and the user will have to assess the data being presented and make the necessary adjustments. For the most part, this simply requires the Borrower owing balances to be readjusted (something that can be done with a simple button click). Other transactions may require linking, whilst some may be missing matching transactions altogether.

Please Note: It is possible to remove transactions that are already linked from the table by simply clicking on the Remove Linked from list button at the bottom of your screen. Use the Restore All to List button to show all transactions again.

The following scenarios present various issues and how to resolve them.

Scenario 1: Create a Balance Debit

[ For when a credit has been added to borrower financial where there was no matching debit, such as when a reserve is cancelled in NetOPACs or OpenOPAC after the reserve was already paid for]

In the following example, you will notice the following:

• Amt Owing from Borrower = -17.60
• Amt Owing from Transactions = -17.60
• Amount unlinked = 17.60

The Amounts Owing are in balance (they are listed in BLACK). However, the Amt unlinked is 17.60. You will also note that both the Update Borrower Owing and OK buttons at the bottom of the screen are inactive. A closer examination of the table shows that there is only 1 item containing an amount in the OutstandingAmounts column if 17.60:

Since there are no other transactions with which this item can be linked, the user is required to create a balancing transaction line:

1. Highlight the transactions to be linked (by clicking in the grey area at the start of the transaction line):
   
2. Click the Create Balance Debit button – the Create Debit Transaction screen will display:
   
3. The Amount should default to the Amt unlinked (in this example: 17.60) – if there are multiple transactions to be accounted for, then you need to insert more than 1 transaction line and adjust the Amount accordingly for new line
4. Select a Transaction Type from the drop-down list (these are derived from the Transaction types present in your Circulation Transaction Types table in the Amlib client) – for example: DEBIT
   
   Please Note: It is possible to separate these adjustments from other Transaction Types if the user has created a unique Transaction Type for this purpose – for example: BALANCEDB.
5. If you like you can enter a comment at this point – the example above uses a comment from the transaction: Was subsequently returned
6. When complete, click on the OK button – the system will now insert a new transaction line with the amount specified:
   
7. There is now an imbalance between the Amounts Owing – click the Update Borrower Owing button to reset the balances
8. It is now necessary to create a link between the two transactions – use the instructions outlined in Scenario 2: Create Links Between Transaction Records to achieve this
9. Click the OK button

Adjustments to this Borrower record are now complete – if there are additional Borrower records to be adjusted, then the next one will then display.

Scenario 2: Update Borrower Owing Balances

In the following example, you will notice the following:

• Amt Owing from Borrower = 4.10
• Amt Owing from Transactions = 105.25
• Amount unlinked = 105.25

There is a clear imbalance between the Amounts Owing (they are listed in RED). However, you will note that the Update Borrower Owing button at the bottom of the screen is active – this means that the client can automatically adjust these balances:

1. Click the Update Borrower Owing button – the system will automatically adjust the balances (the Amounts Owing should be the same and no longer in red):
   
2. At this point the OK button at the bottom of the screen should now be active:
   
3. Click the OK button

Adjustments to this Borrower record are now complete – if there are additional Borrower records to be adjusted, then the next one will then display.

Scenario 3: Create Links between Transaction Records (2 Transactions Only)

In the following example, you will notice the following:

• Amt Owing from Borrower = 0.00
• Amt Owing from Transactions = 0.00
• Amount unlinked = 4.00

• The Amounts Owing are in balance (they are listed in BLACK). However, the Amt unlinked is

4.00. You will also note that both the Update Borrower Owing and OK buttons at the bottom of the screen are inactive. A closer examination of the table shows that there are 2 items containing amounts in the OutstandingAmounts column (of 2.00 and -2.00) totaling 4.00:

There appears to be a clear relationship between the transactions (as they are both showing amounts of the same value) and all that is required is for the user to create a link between the two transactions:

1. Highlight the transactions to be linked (by clicking in the grey area at the start of the transaction line – use the Ctrl button when highlighting additional transactions):
   
2. At this point the Create Link button at the bottom of the screen should now be active
3. Click the Create Link button – the system will now link the two transactions together (you will note that the two transactions now have the same CreditID and that the Amt unlinked is now 0.00):
   
4. At this point the OK button at the bottom of the screen should now be active
5. Click the OK button when complete

Adjustments to this Borrower record are now complete – if there are additional Borrower records to be adjusted, then the next one will then display.

Scenario 4: Create Links between Transaction Records (Multiple Transactions)

Whilst Scenario 2 above showed only 2 transactions being linked, the same method can be used to link multiple items (1 credit transaction with multiple debit transactions and vice versa), as shown in the following example:

There is a clear relationship between the 3 unlinked items – as evidenced by the total of the amounts (this is further supported by the CR and DR values in the CreditOrDebit column)

1. In this instance, Highlight all 3 transactions (by clicking in the grey area at the start of the transaction line – use the Ctrl button when highlighting additional transactions):
   
2. Click the Create Link button – the system will now link the 3 transactions together (they now have the same CreditID and that the Amt unlinked is now 0.00):
   
3. Click the OK button when complete

Adjustments to this Borrower record are now complete – if there are additional Borrower records to be adjusted, then the next one will then display.

Scenario 5: Create Links between Transaction Records (Amounts Unmatched)

Occasionally, a relationship between two or more transactions will be detected but the amounts will not match (perhaps because only partial payment has been made), as shown in the following example:

There is a clear relationship between these 2 unlinked transactions – as evidenced by the Comments: GSWT # 10% = 8.85

1. In this instance, highlight the 2 transactions (by clicking in the grey area at the start of the transaction line – use the Ctrl button when highlighting additional transactions):
   
2. Click the Create Link button – the following prompt will appear, asking: Are you sure the selected transactions are correct?
   
3. Click the OK button – the system will now link the 2 transactions together (they now have the same CreditID):
   
4. The Amt unlinked is still 7.90 as the Borrower still owes money – but the Amounts Owing are now in balance and the OK button is now active
5. Click the OK button when complete

Adjustments to this Borrower record are now complete – if there are additional Borrower records to be adjusted, then the next one will then display.