Subtotals
This feature is designed to make sales documents clearer and more readable for customers, especially for quotes with multiple sections like software licenses, professional services, or hardware.
Key user benefits
- Improved readability: Break down extensive sales documents into logical blocks (e.g., Software modules or Implementation).
- Clearer pricing: Each block can have a visible subtotal, making it easy for the customer to see the cost of each group of items.
- Automated calculations: The subtotal is automatically calculated and maintained as the items within the block are edited.
How to create a subtotal block
Subtotals can be set up on sales quotes, sales orders, sales invoices, and sales credit memos.
Step 1: Add comment lines
- Create a comment line right above the first line of the block to be totaled. This will be the header line.
- Create a second comment line right below the last line of the block. This will be the footer line.
Step 2: Define the block boundaries The core of this feature is a new option in the Grouping field on the sales line.
- On the header comment line (the top line of the block), select the new option Begin-Total.
- On the footer comment line (the bottom line of the block), select the new option End-Total.
As soon as the End-Total is set, the system recognizes the start and end of the block. It instantly calculates the sum of the Line Amount and the total Discount Amount for all item lines between the two comments.
Step 3: View the resulting subtotal
- The calculated subtotal is displayed in the Line Amount field of the Begin-Total and/or in the End-Total comment lines.
- The overall discount percentage for the block is also calculated and displayed.
| Type | Grouping | Description | Line Amount | Line Discount % | Line Format Style | Print Line |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comment | Begin-Total | Software Modules | 5,500.00 | 5.00 | Bold | Yes |
| Item | Module A | 3,000.00 | 5.00 | Normal | Yes | |
| Item | Module B | 2,500.00 | 5.00 | Normal | Yes | |
| Comment | End-Total | Software Modules | 5,500.00 | 5.00 | Bold | No |
| Comment | "Blank Space" | Normal | Yes | |||
| Comment | Begin-Total | Implementation | 4,200.00 | 0.00 | Bold | Yes |
| Item | Consulting | 3,000.00 | 0.00 | Normal | Yes | |
| Item | Development | 1,200.00 | 0.00 | Normal | Yes | |
| Comment | End-Total | Implementation | 4,200.00 | 0.00 | Bold | No |
In this example, the two Begin-Totals are printed with the subtotal and the items. The End-Totals are not printed. A blank line is printed between the two blocks to clearly separate them from each other.
Key rules and system behavior
Calculation rules
- What is summed up?
The total amount and discount amount of all Item, Resource, G/L Account, and Fixed Asset lines that fall between the Begin-Total and End-Total lines. - Lines not taken into account
Other comment lines (as well as other subtotals and Bundle lines) are ignored in the subtotal calculation. - Auto-update
Any change within the block (deleting a line, changing a quantity/price, or adding a new line) will automatically trigger a recalculation of the subtotal in the boundary lines. - Subscription Items
If the option Exclude Price / Discount / Amount is selected in the Subscription Item in Bundle field in Sales & Receivables Setup (in Bundle tab), subscription items (i.e., items for which Subscription Item is selected in the Subscription Option field) are not included in the subtotals. - Alternative and Optional positions
On Sales Quotes, lines marked via DYCE IT-Business Toolkit's Alternative and Optional Positions feature are excluded from the block subtotal the same way. Begin-Total and End-Total lines themselves can never carry this marking. - Nested Subtotals
A new subtotal block (Begin-Total) can be started, before closing the previous one with an End-Total. The Begin-Total will automatically find the corresponding End-Total in the same level.
| Type | Grouping | Description | Line Amount | Line Discount % | Line Format Style | Print Line |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comment | Begin-Total | Software | 9,700.00 | 0.00 | Bold | Yes |
| Comment | Begin-Total | Modules | 5,500.00 | 0.00 | Bold | Yes |
| Item | Module A | 3,000.00 | 0.00 | Normal | Yes | |
| Item | Module B | 2,500.00 | 0.00 | Normal | Yes | |
| Comment | End-Total | Modules | 5,500.00 | 0.00 | Bold | No |
| Comment | Begin-Total | User | 4,200.00 | 0.00 | Bold | Yes |
| Item | BC User | 3,000.00 | 0.00 | Normal | Yes | |
| Item | Module User | 1,200.00 | 0.00 | Normal | Yes | |
| Comment | End-Total | User | 4,200.00 | 0.00 | Bold | No |
| Comment | End-Total | Software | 9,700.00 | 0.00 | Bold | No |
In this example, a Begin-Total is followed by another Begin-Total. Both Begin-Totals automatically find their corresponding End-Total.
Printing the subtotal
The subtotals and their amounts are printed depending on Print Line and Print Quantity Only.
- Use the Print Line field in the comment line to control printing:
- Yes: The comment text is printed.
- No: The line is not printed. This is used to hide the footer line.
- Use the Print Quantity Only field in the comment line to control printing:
- Yes: The line amount is not printed in the subtotal. This is used to use the Begin-Total as a header line.
- No: The line amount is printed in the line. This is the default for Begin-Total and End-Total lines.
- Print Discount %: Is automatically set to No when Begin-Total or End-Total is selected in the Grouping field, so the discount of the block is not printed. Select it to print the discount percentage in the line.
- Line Format Style: The selected formatting is applied to the subtotal.
Setup
The option field Print Sub-Total in Sales & Receivables Setup (in Bundle tab) is used to print the subtotals.
- Both: Print Line field is automatically set to Yes in both Begin-Total and End-Total lines.
- Begin-Total: Print Line field is automatically set to Yes in Begin-Total lines. In End-Total lines, it is set to No.
- End-Total: Print Line field is automatically set to Yes in End-Total lines. In Begin-Total lines, it is set to No.
Both is the default. The Print Quantity Only field is not set automatically and remains No in both lines. With Both, the subtotal is therefore printed twice: in the Begin-Total line and in the End-Total line. To use the Begin-Total as a header line without an amount, select Print Quantity Only in this line manually.
Copy documents
The subtotal blocks are maintained and recalculated whenever a sales document is copied or posted. This ensures accuracy when:
- Make Order (quote >> order)
- Invoicing (order >> invoice or quote >> invoice)
- Creating a credit memo
- Archiving documents