Bookkeeping module

[stagebrace]

I want to help assemble a team to make and support a free, and open source bookkeeping module for Zen Cart. I see the module being able to support double entry, the cost of goods sold (FIFO), and accounts for income and expenses. It will include functionality to support data required to fill out the IRS Sch C and Form 1120.
I have some HTML, SQL and PHP knowledge . We would need more and smarter programmers than me. Someone who can catch spelling errors, plus an accounting grue.
Would you like to help? Lets talk about it.

Dennis

[kobra]

While I like the idea...this is IMO, more than a module and more of a complete application. Things like FIFO require tracking the cost per unit on each inbound shipment, the separation of the goods cost from the shipping cost among other considerations.

Schedule "C" items would include many many things that are not part of the cart at all like, hosting fees, advertising(pay-per-click etc etc), telephone, computing equip, depreciation, and the list is long.

The cart currently does not have the tables to record any of these ancillary costs, and then double entry requires a whole other realm of tracking.

The cost of say Quick Books, or maybe another Open Source application for this can take the Zen Cart info and include it in the bigger picture and it might be wiser to find/select a viable Open Source canidate and develop a module to export the Zen Cart info to.

JMO and 2 cents

[stagebrace]

All opinions are requested, and I thank you for yours. Your suggestion has also been my original consideration. But I have not succeeded in automating the stores sales data into another app. You are absolutely right on the depreciation and other super complicated stuff. I would not want to build those into the program just yet. Let’s start with the simple numbers.
I suggest two or three input forms:

• Inventory purchases. This form would input the order date, model and description, quantity and cost of inventory purchases. The quantity would automatically be added to the stores product quantity.
• Expense of sale. Accrual accounting states each sale needs to have its expense's date match the date of sale. I do not have the design of this form in mind yet.
• Other expenses. These two expense forms may be combined into one expense form.

Trying to keep the requirements to a minimum, Zen Cart stores the income, this new module would store expenses and cost of inventory. Reports would help the store owner give Uncle Sam and cousin governor with data. A few new table will be needed but that’s not odd for add-on modules to include new tables. I do not see or at lease hope no Zen Cart core code gets changed. Input forms and reports would be started from one of the Admin drop downs.

[stagebrace]

Here is an overnight attempt at designing one of the input forms. At this time its just HTML and javascript, no PHP yet.

Comments encouraged.

[kobra]

But I have not succeeded in automating the stores sales data into another app.

Have you looked at the QB module and QB for this?

A few new table will be needed but that’s not odd for add-on modules to include new tables.

Right, not odd for a module but as I initially stated, I do not see this as a module nor something in the Zen Cart admin - more as a separate appliation that can link to the Zen Cart DB.

I might be showing my corp background here but you might look at either Quick Books(no need to re-invent the wheel) and or a couple of things that I use being "Crystal Reports" and "NaviCat"(I think that there is an Open Source comparable to Crystal Reports that uses JAVA) and this is for repetitive reports that you can create and save - albeit fully off cart(not in/from the admin).

Full business accounting is not, as I see it, part of a shopping cart application. I view this(Zen Cart) more like being a checkout register/station where the days results are then combined and recorded into the companies General Ledger application that exists separately.

[Merlinpa1969]

thanks for the tips Kobra,

Since this has been asaked for many times in the past I guess there are others that would like to have the store and the accountant and inventory management all in one place and NOT have to download to import into another program.


thats the kool thing about this,

everyone has an opinion

[kobra]

Merlin,

Since this has been asaked for many times in the past I guess there are others that would like to have the store and the accountant and inventory management all in one place and NOT have to download to import into another program.

And a man in the desert wants "Ice Water"
Yes, while I am sure that this would be a desired item - it is my opinion that based upon the size of these applications that in a "Full Blown" GL package that the cart functionality would become an add on module for it and not the other way around.

Owing to the fact that Zen Cart is not generally thought of as "Modular", making it an add-on to a full accounting package seems a bit over the edge. But I am php challenged.

What would make this powerful is a "Single" admin interface for all functionality, and then looking into what an accounting pkg has to deal with - some are manufacturing concerns - some product retailers - some drop shippers - etc, etc. And wanting a "Double-Entry" system for larger company concerns and not just the small mom&pop concerns where a Single-Entry system is sufficient.

Each with their own specific accounting requirements i.e. short list for manufacturing-retailing:
cost of raw materials
cost of goods in process
cost of services apportioned to manufacturing(elec, gas, maintenance of production equip, supplies, etc.)
cost of goods produced
cost of inventory
cost of goods sold
Gross profit from mfg
gross profit from sales
gross profit from operations
all other expenses
net profit from operations

Bottom-line: IMO this is over and above the mission for Zen Cart and as most of these GL packages are on the order of 3x the code base size of Zen Cart - the support to cater to all the types of businesses in all the different locales across the globe with their unique and individual requirements is also over and above what could be handled without a definite and significant increase in Dev staffing.

Take a look at the US IRS 1120 - with all the required tables and schedules that must accompany a return.

[DogTags]

What about the Turbocash module? I believe Turbocash has recently been updated, too:

http://www.turbocashuk.com/

[Merlinpa1969]

And a man in the desert wants "Ice Water"

you think.. LOL

thats neither here nor there,

if you dont like the project dont contribute, thats easy no one says you will have to use it

[stagebrace]

[QUOTEif you dont like the project dont contribute[/QUOTE]
Be nice now. I have asked for all thoughts. For and Against. A true brain storm of thoughts.

I will agree that my original thoughts were to fill out all data one the two forms mentioned. That is really way out of my reach. Nice dream, but maybe someone will be able to help with that?

I love this statement on the home page, "could be and should be done differently".

Here is what brought me to this subject of a bookkeeping module, "money". Two years ago I bought a copy of Microsoft Money for Business. I used it for a few months until I found its inventory management was not FIFO and it only allowed 2 decimals for the cost of a product. So I put that program away and started working the business data into spreadsheets. I am comfortable with spreadsheets but I think I can do better. So I went to a Microsoft event in Nashville and got a free copy of Office 2007. Downloaded the package which included Microsoft Accounting Pro 2007. Pretty cool but way overkill for what I and maybe lots of others really need. In order to use QB with inventory management I would need to get the Pro edition. I retired from GM two years before my wife will be able to teach at the local schools. That puts me in a no spend mode for the next 2 years. I have more time than money. If I am not over at grandmas watching wheel of fortune, I am working on my store.

This is what I need. Maybe others can add to it.
Calculate income from one date to another (Already done with Sales Report)
Enter expenses related to each sale. Like transaction fees and shipping. (see preview)
Enter other expenses like advertising and office.
Enter the wholesale purchase and shipping into inventory and cost of goods sold.
Push a button anytime to see the value of my inventory.
Push a button and get and cost of the goods that I sold and the stores expenses for the year.
I dont need records for employees or depreciation or manufacturing.

The reason I brought the IRS corporate form into the subject is because as small as I am, the business really should be a corporation. And someday I will. You don't have to be big to own a corporation, you just give the state a few hundred dollars each year for the privilege.

Folks, I may be completely washed up here, but I think the code will be only on a few pages and not over 100KB. Go ahead get the soap and water bucket but I don't think this is going to be complicated as long as the goals are kept simpler than originally thought.

Anyone what to help? raise you hands and clap.