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Manage Opening Balance: Step-by-Step Guide

Updated over 2 months ago

Overview

The Manage Opening Balance module lets you record the starting balances of your accounts when you begin using DizLog or start a new fiscal period.

You can find it in:

Financials → Accounting Setup → Manage Opening Balance

The page shows a list of accounts with:

  • Account

  • Location

  • Opening Debit

  • Opening Credit

This information becomes the starting point for your accounting reports such as Balance Sheet and Profit & Loss and connects with:

  • Chart of Accounts (the list of accounts you can choose from)

  • Period Setup / Period Closing (which period the opening balances belong to)

  • General Ledger & Financial Reports (where these balances are displayed and used)


Key Features

From the screenshots and module structure, the Manage Opening Balance screen allows you to:

  • Search opening balances

    • Search by Account or Location

    • Filter by Location (e.g., All locations)

  • View opening balances in a list

    • See each account’s location, opening debit, and opening credit

    • Scroll through pages using the page navigation (e.g., “Page 1 of 1”)

  • Add an opening balance for a single account

    • Choose an account and location

    • Enter Opening Debit / Opening Credit

    • Add notes

  • Import multiple opening balances

    • Use the Import Opening Balances option from the + Add Account button menu


Getting Started

Before using Manage Opening Balance, it helps to have:

  1. Chart of Accounts set up

    • Go to Financials → Accounting Setup → Chart of Accounts and make sure the accounts you need already exist. The Account dropdown in opening balances comes from this list.

  2. Periods defined

    • Go to Financials → Accounting Setup → Period Setup to create the fiscal period (start and end dates) that these opening balances will apply to.

  3. User access

    • You need permission to see Accounting Setup and to update opening balances. If you do not see the menu, ask your system administrator.

Once these are ready, you can start entering opening balances.


How to Use

1. Open the Manage Opening Balance module

  1. In the left menu, click Financials.

  2. Under Accounting Setup, click Manage Opening Balance.

  3. The Opening Balances page will appear.

You’ll see:

  • A Search by Account or Location box

  • A Location dropdown (default: All)

  • A table with columns: Account, Location, Opening Debit, Opening Credit

  • A + Add Account button (with a small arrow for more options)


2. Search and filter existing opening balances

To quickly find a balance:

  1. In Search by Account or Location, type part of the account name or location.

  2. Press Enter or click the search icon.

  3. Use the Location dropdown to show balances for a specific branch/location or All.

Use the page arrows (left and right) if there are many records.


3. Add a single opening balance (manual entry)

  1. On the Opening Balances page, click + Add Account.

  2. A pop-up window titled Opening Balances appears.

Fill in the fields:

  • Account

    • Click the Select account dropdown and choose the account you want to set a balance for.

    • The available accounts come from your Chart of Accounts.

  • Location

    • Choose the location to which this opening balance applies (or leave as All, if that fits your setup).

  • Opening Debit

    • Type the starting debit amount, if applicable.

  • Opening Credit

    • Type the starting credit amount, if applicable.

Typically, you enter the balance in either Opening Debit or Opening Credit, depending on whether the account’s normal balance is debit or credit. Follow your accountant’s guidance.

  • Notes

    • Add any comment that explains the balance (for example, “Opening balance as of 01/01/2025”).

At the bottom of the window you’ll see:

  • Total Debit

  • Total Credit

These will sum the amounts you enter in this form. Use them to check that your entries are correct and that your overall opening balances stay balanced.

  1. When finished, click Save.

  2. The new opening balance will appear in the main list with its Account, Location, Opening Debit, and Opening Credit.


4. Import multiple opening balances

If you have many accounts to set up, you can use the import option.

  1. On the Opening Balances page, click the small arrow next to + Add Account.

  2. Choose Import Opening Balances from the dropdown menu.

  3. Follow the on-screen steps to upload and confirm your data (for example, selecting a file and reviewing the imported balances, as prompted by the system).

Because the import screen is not shown here, follow the instructions that appear in your DizLog window. The system will guide you through selecting the file and completing the import.

After the import, the accounts and their opening debit/credit values will be listed in the table.


5. How this module connects to other modules

  • Chart of Accounts (Accounting Setup → Chart of Accounts)

    • You can only set opening balances for accounts that already exist in your Chart of Accounts.

  • Period Setup / Period Closing (Accounting Setup → Period Setup / Period Closing)

    • Period Setup defines the fiscal period that uses these opening balances.

    • Period Closing later locks the period; once closed, you typically no longer change opening balances for that period.

  • General Ledger & Reports (General Ledger, Balance Sheet, Profit & Loss, Statement of Cash Flows)

    • The opening balances feed into your ledger and period-end reports.

    • When reports show beginning balances, they use the data from this module.


Troubleshooting

1. I can’t find the account in the Account dropdown

  • Check that the account exists under Accounting Setup → Chart of Accounts.

  • Make sure the account is active (not archived or disabled, if such options exist in your setup).

  • Confirm you’re looking in the right Location (some setups may filter accounts by location).

2. My opening balance doesn’t show in reports

  • Confirm you saved the opening balance and it appears in the Opening Balances list.

  • Make sure you’re running your Balance Sheet or Profit & Loss for the correct date/period that uses these openings.

  • Check that the relevant accounting period in Period Setup is open and correctly dated.

  • If the period was already closed in Period Closing, further changes to opening balances might not affect reports. In that case, talk to your accountant about the correct adjustment method.

3. I entered the wrong amount

  • If your system allows editing existing balances, open the relevant row in the Opening Balances list and correct the numbers (check for an edit option once records exist).

  • If you can’t edit the record (for example, because the period is closed), consult your accountant. They may choose to correct it using a Journal Entry in the General Accounting section instead of changing the opening balance.

4. The Total Debit and Total Credit don’t match

  • Double-check each Opening Debit and Opening Credit amount you entered.

  • Make sure you didn’t accidentally type the same amount in both debit and credit for the same account.

  • If your company requires opening balances to be balanced, continue adjusting account balances (for example, retained earnings or opening equity accounts) until Total Debit equals Total Credit.


By following this guide, you can use Manage Opening Balance to set up accurate starting figures for your accounts so that all later transactions and reports in DizLog are based on a solid beginning point.

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