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Microsoft Business Solutions – Great Plains® Payroll
Course 8364: One day; Instructor-led

Introduction
This course provides you with an in-depth view of the extensive functionality contained within the Payroll application. Besides learning the functionality, you also learn tips and techniques that can help make an implementation successful, and you gain a thorough understanding of the Payroll application and its capabilities.


Audience
The course covers the setup of the Payroll module. It covers the setup windows that are necessary to complete in order to start using Payroll, and the processing of Payroll checks. It also focuses on the options available to you to maintain and retrieve your Payroll data. Closing your periods, quarters and the year-end is also covered in this course and a short discussion on using Direct Deposit is also included.

At Course Completion
After completing this course, students should be able to:

• Effectively use the Payroll Setup windows to customize the application to your organizational needs

• Understand the benefits of using employee classes

• Set up tax information for federal, state and local taxes for employees in Payroll

• Create pay codes, deduction codes, benefit codes and other employee related information used to calculate Payroll checks

• Assign methods to calculate vacation and sick time for employees

• Build and calculate checks

• Generate and void Payroll checks for employees

• Use inquiries to access Payroll information

• Create Payroll report options and produce desired reports

• Print numerous other Payroll documents such as Advice Slips, 1099R’s and others

• Use Direct Deposit instead of generating checks for certain employees

• Close periods and quarters in Payroll

• Close the Payroll year and prepare the system for the next year

• Print W-2 forms for employees

Prerequisites
Before attending this course, it is recommended that students have:

• Some working knowledge of Microsoft Business Solutions–Great Plains®

• Some basic understanding of Payroll law and regulations


Microsoft Certified Professional Exams
No Microsoft Certified Professional exams are associated with this course currently.

Course Materials
The student kit includes a comprehensive workbook including exercises and a case study that should be used to reinforce learning. Other supplementary learning materials that can be used in this class are also included.

Course Outline
Chapter 1: Overview

The purpose of this chapter is to give students a general overview of the features and benefits of using the Payroll module. Information on how Payroll integrates with other modules within the Microsoft Great Plains system is also discussed.

Main Topics

• Payroll Features and Benefits

• Integration

After completing this chapter, students should be able to:

• Identify the features and benefits available when using Payroll

• Discuss integration that takes place with Payroll and other Microsoft Great Plains modules

Chapter 2: Setup Procedures

This chapter focuses on the setup of the Payroll module. It highlights each step in the process including answering general setup questions which shape how the Payroll module will work. Next, the set up of company pay codes, taxes, deduction codes and benefit codes is highlighted. The chapter wraps up by demonstrating how to set up an employee and assign and enter unique information in corresponding employee records including the process necessary to enter beginning balances if necessary.

Main Topics

• Payroll Setup and Setup Options window

• Department Setup

• Position Setup

• Creating and Assigning Supervisors

• Workers Compensation Setup

• Creating Pay Code, Benefit, and Deduction Records

• Tiered Deductions

• Sequencing Deductions

• Tax Setups

• Posting Accounts Setup

• Employee Classes

• Employee Maintenance window

• Employee Pay Codes, Taxes, Deductions and Benefits

• Employee Summary window

• Payroll Reports

• Entering Beginning Payroll Balances

Lab: Employee Class Setup

• Using Employee Classes

• Roll down Functionality

• Benefits of using Classes

Lab: Employee Maintenance

• Entering Employee Information

• Using Employee Classes

Lab: Employee Tax Maintenance

• Employee Federal Tax Setup

• Additional & Estimated Withholding

Lab: Employee State Tax Maintenance

• Employee State Tax Setup

• Additional & Estimated Withholding

Lab: Employee Pay Code Maintenance

• Entering Employee Pay Codes

Lab: Modifying a Pay Rate

• Changing Pay Code Pay Rates

• Based On Pay Codes

After completing this chapter, students will be able to:

• Understand the necessary steps to set up the Payroll module

• Enter organization related codes for departments, locations, supervisors, and divisions

• Create employee records for taxes, deductions, pay and benefits

• Set up unemployment and worker’s compensation tax records

• Assign posting accounts in the Payroll Posting Accounts Setup window

• Print any necessary Payroll reports that are needed

• Enter employee beginning balances if needed

Chapter 3: Daily Procedures

The purpose of this chapter is to demonstrate the process of generating Payroll checks and the different steps necessary to make this happen. The chapter focuses on entering Payroll transactions, building the check file, calculating the checks, and printing them from the Print Payroll Checks window. The posting process is included in the discussion of the check printing process, as this is how Payroll information updates the General Ledger. There is also discussion on some troubleshooting topics including how to void checks or correct printing problems during the check printing process. Voiding checks at a later date is covered in the Maintaining Records chapter. The manual check entry process is also a topic that is covered in this chapter.

Main Topics

• Payroll Batch Entry

• Entering Payroll Transactions

• Mass Transaction Entry

• Building Checks

• Calculating Checks

• Printing Checks

• Direct Deposit functionality

• Posting

• Payroll Run Reports

• Entering Manual Checks

• Troubleshooting printing problems

Lab: Transaction Entry

• Creating Batches

• Entering Hourly Transactions

• Entering Vacation Hours

Lab: Mass Transaction Entry

• Creating Batches

• Entering Mass Transactions

Lab: Build Checks

• Batches & Default ID’s

• Pay Frequencies

• Selecting Employees to Pay

• Deductions

• Building Checks

Lab: Calculate Checks

• Batches & Default ID’s

• Pay Frequencies

• Selecting Employees to Pay

• Deductions

• Building Checks

Lab: Print & Post Checks

• Printing Checks

• Check Formats

• Posting Checks

Lab: Manual Checks

• Batches

• Pay Periods

• Entering Manual Check Transactions

• Entering Tax Withholdings

• Printing an Edit List

• Posting Manual Checks

After completing this chapter, students will be able to:

• Understand the steps necessary to process/print computer checks

• Enter Payroll related transactions

• Determine what selections are needed to build checks

• Explain how deductions, benefits, and tax withholdings are used in the calculate check process

• Print checks

• Void checks during a pay run

• Troubleshoot check printing problems

• Post computer checks

• Enter and manual checks

Chapter 4: Maintaining Records

This chapter examines the functionality available to maintain your Payroll records. A demonstration of the process necessary to void a check after checks have been printed and posted is covered in this chapter. There is also a section that focuses on deleting, inactivating, reactivating, updating, and changing employee records and other related records like pay codes, deductions, benefits and tax withholdings. Retrieving information is also a big focus of this chapter. Time is spent discussing the many inquiry windows and numerous reports that can be generated from the Payroll module.

Main Topics

• Voiding Checks

• Deleting Employee Records

• Inactivating/Reactivating Employee Records

• Deleting Employee Pay, Benefit or Deduction Codes

• Employee Mass Updates

• Payroll Gross Up Tool

• Removing History

• Reconcile routine

• Using Inquiries

• Printing Reports & Report Options

• Report Groups

• Cross Company Reporting

Lab: Void a Check Transaction

• Changing Employee Pay Code Information

• “Based on” Pay Code Roll-down Feature

After completing this chapter, students should be able to:

• Inactivate employee and related records as necessary

• Delete records that are no longer needed

• Void checks

• Mass update employee records

• Use the Payroll Gross Up Tool to calculate the gross pay needed by an employee to receive a certain net pay amount

• Remove Payroll history that is no longer needed

• Retrieve information from Payroll using inquiries or reports

Chapter 5: Period, Quarter, and Year-End Procedures

This chapter examines the process of closing periods, quarters, and years within Microsoft Great Plains US Payroll. The necessary steps to create the year-end file are discussed which is used to generate W2’s, 1099R’s and other necessary year-end forms. Magnetic Media and Direct Deposit concerns are also addressed in the closing process.

The period and quarter-end sections focus on the reports available to print, and how some liabilities such as SUTA, FUTA Unemployment Tax and Workers Compensation can be addressed by your company.

Main Topics

• Period-end Payroll Reports

• Posting Tax Liabilities

• Closing Fiscal Periods

• Quarter-end Payroll Reports

• Printing a 941 Preparation Report

• Creating the Year-end File

• Editing W2 & 1099R Information

• Printing W2’s and 1099R’s

• Additional Year-end Steps & Routines

After completing this chapter, students should be able to:

• Close a period in Payroll

• Post Workers Compensation and Unemployment Tax liabilities

• Print necessary period-end reports

• Close a quarter in Payroll

• Print a 941 Preparation report

• Understand the steps to close a Payroll year

• Create the Year-end file necessary to generate W2’s

• Edit W2 and 1099R information

• Print W2’s and 1099R’s

• Address Magnetic Media and other related filings and necessary reporting issues

• Close a Payroll Year

• Close Payroll fiscal periods in Microsoft Great Plains

Chapter 6: Direct Deposit

This chapter examines the use of Direct Deposit functionality with the Payroll module. It includes a discussion of the necessary setups that need to be completed to start using Direct Deposit, and how it affects the check processing in Payroll. The process of creating the ACH file is also covered in this chapter.

Main Topics

• Direct Deposit Setup

• ACH Fields Setup

• Employee Direct Deposit Maintenance

• Processing Checks with Direct Deposit

• Generating the ACH File

After completing this chapter, students should be able to:

• Complete the setup procedures for Direct Deposit

• Configure the ACH file to meet bank standards

• Set up employees for Direct Deposit

• Process checks with Direct Deposit

• Generate the ACH file

• Use Direct Deposit with Payroll to generate advice slips

Appendix: Great Plains SmartList

This appendix examines the use of Great Plains SmartList to access valuable Payroll information in a format you want. It discusses how views can be created and modified so information can be accessed or viewed online, or generated to a report. There is also the capability to export information to Microsoft® Word® & Microsft® Excel® using SmartList.

Main Topics

• Basic SmartList Functionality

• Search Button Options

• SmartList Objects

• Adding/Modifying/Removing Columns

• SmartList Favorites

• Exporting Data to Microsoft Word & Excel

Lab: Employees

• Using the Search Button

• Columns

Lab: Employee Summary

• Adding a Column

• Search Button

• SmartList Favorites

Lab: Payroll Historical Transactions

• Columns

• Search Button

• Exporting Data to Microsoft Word

Lab: Payroll Transactions

• Columns

• Search Button

• Adding a SmartList Favorite

After completing this appendix, students will be able to:

• Understand the value of using SmartList to access data

• Remove a column or add a column of data in SmartList

• Use the Search button to restrict the data that is displayed for an object

• Export data to Microsoft Word & Excel

Appendix: Case Study

This case study is used to reinforce the learning of the chapters of information that were covered in this Payroll class.

Main Topics

• Adding a New Employee

• Entering Employee Tax Information

• Entering Employee State Tax Information

• Entering Employee Pay Code Information

• Entering Employee Deductions

• Post Dated Pay Rates

• Entering Payroll Transactions

• Payroll Mass Transactions

• Build Checks

• Calculate Checks

• Print Checks

• Reprinting Checks

• Using Payroll Inquiries & SmartList

After completing this case study, students will be able to:

• Add a new employee to the Payroll module

• Enter employee pay codes, deductions, benefits and tax information

• Enter Payroll transactions and use the Mass Transaction Entry window

• Build, calculate and print Payroll checks

• Retrieve important Payroll information as required