Using Batches in Cougar Mountain
We are often asked about using batches, so here is a recap of how batches work in Cougar Mountain Software.
What is a batch?
Think of a batch as a bucket that holds your transactions, and this “bucket” exists up until the time that it is “posted”. Posting is when the transactions in a batch are committed to history, and afterwards the batch is deleted.
You have the option of running Cougar Mountain in either Single-Batch or Multi-Batch modes (look in Module Preferences to change it). Each module can be set to run in either mode independently of the other modules.
- Single-Batch mode behaves how a novice thinks of as “normal” – When you enter a transaction, you simply open the program and enter the transaction, and no mention of batches comes up.
- Multi-Batch mode behaves differently though – before entering a transaction you have to first select a batch for it to go into. This means that you can have many batches set up; one for each of your sales representatives for instance, or one for each day of the week, whatever best fits your business and temperament. When you post the transactions in a batch, only the selected batch is posted – the action does not affect the other batches.
When the module is in Multi-Batch mode, the menus have a “Batch Control” option available that allows you to create new batches, change their status, or switch to another batch. To help you have even more control, there are also different kinds of batches that can be set up, depending on the module:
- Recurring Batches hold your recurring transactions. Within this type of transaction, the batch is not deleted as it normally would be – it remains so that it can be used again.
- Quote Batches are in sales modules that hold quote transactions, up until the time the transaction is changed into an invoice.
- Back Order Batches hold transactions that have been backordered.
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