Setting transaction timestamp
The current article describes the principles for defining a transaction timestamp in the transactions rows. A timestamp is essential for goods cost definition. It represents the exact moment when a specific transaction starts affecting the goods cost. For more information, see Goods cost and its sub-articles.
Transaction Timestamp and transaction release
The Transaction Timestamp and the release time have different roles in the original cost calculation:
- The transaction must already be released when the original cost is calculated.
- The Transaction Timestamp determines the position of the transaction in the store transaction chronology.
Therefore, both conditions must be met for a previous transaction to participate:
- The transaction must already be released when the original cost is calculated.
- Its Transaction Timestamp must precede the Transaction Timestamp of the transaction being costed.
A transaction with an earlier Transaction Timestamp does not participate if it is released after the original cost has already been calculated.
A transaction that is released earlier does not participate if its Transaction Timestamp is later than the Transaction Timestamp of the transaction being costed.
For details and examples, see Original cost calculation.
How the Transaction Timestamp is set
Usually, transaction timestamps are set automatically with no need for user intervention. This is executed in two general ways:
On transaction release, if there is no transaction timestamp, then it is set automatically by the date of the transaction and/or by the current date and time.
When the automatic set of the timestamp in the transaction release does not set the correct date and time in accordance with to the business process, a transaction timestamp is defined in the store orders (or another document generating transactions, such as Reconciliations). Thus, another module which controls and executes the orders is available to set a specific transaction timestamp defined by its business logic.
Users can change the transaction timestamp in one of two ways:
By editing the store orders (their transaction timestamps will be copied to the executing transactions).
By editing the transactions directly (before their release or afterwards by adjustment documents).
No matter how the timestamp is set, it has to comply with the following restrictions:
if the quantity in the transaction row is different from 0, then the Document Date should match the date of the transaction timestamp.
More detailed description of the logic behind the automatic set of the transaction timestamp may be found in the following articles: