A step-by-step reference guide covering every accounting function in Datana ERP — where to click, what to enter, and how to read your financial data.
All accounting functions are accessed from the left sidebar of Datana ERP. Look for the Accounting and Reports sections in the menu.
| Group Type | Examples | Statement |
|---|---|---|
| Asset | Cash, Bank, Accounts Receivable, Inventory, Equipment | Balance Sheet |
| Liability | Accounts Payable, Tax Payable, Loans Payable | Balance Sheet |
| Equity | Owner's Equity, Retained Earnings | Balance Sheet |
| Income | Sales Revenue, Delivery Income | P&L |
| Expense | COGS, Rent, Utilities, Salaries, Discount | P&L |
| Account | Debit | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| Rent Expense | 2,000 | — |
| Cash / Bank | — | 2,000 |
| Account | Debit | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| Cash / Bank | 500 | — |
| Accounts Receivable | — | 500 |
| Account | Debit | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| Depreciation Expense | 300 | — |
| Accumulated Depreciation | — | 300 |
| Account | Debit | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| Salaries Expense | 5,000 | — |
| Bank | — | 5,000 |
Use the Type filter dropdown on the journal page to show only: All / Receipts / Payments / Expenses / Transfers / Adjustments
Use the Search bar to find entries by account name, description, reference number, branch, or amount.
Click "Download" button to export the current journal view to Excel for external review or audit.
| Column | What it means |
|---|---|
| Date | When the transaction was posted |
| Description | What the transaction was for |
| Reference | Order number or invoice reference |
| Debit | Money in (for assets), expense recorded |
| Credit | Money out (for assets), revenue recorded |
| Running Balance | The account balance after this entry |
| Branch | Which branch posted this entry |
Should match the physical cash count at each branch till. Discrepancies mean unrecorded transactions.
Normal balance: Debit (asset)Should match your bank statement balance. Reconcile against bank statement at end of month.
Normal balance: Debit (asset)Shows all credit sales not yet collected. Review weekly and follow up on overdue balances.
Normal balance: Debit (asset)Accumulates all tax collected on sales. This is what you owe to the tax authority. Clear it when tax is remitted.
Normal balance: Credit (liability)Accumulates all post-tax revenue from completed sales. Use the Income Statement for a cleaner view.
Normal balance: Credit (income)Use this to record any outgoing payment — supplier invoices, utility bills, loan repayments, etc.
| Account | Debit | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| To Account (e.g., Rent Expense) | Amount | — |
| From Account (e.g., Bank) | — | Amount |
Use this to move money between two accounts — e.g., from Bank to Petty Cash, or from one bank to another.
| Account | Debit | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| Petty Cash (To) | 500 | — |
| Bank (From) | — | 500 |
Physical cash paid out from the till. Debit: Expense. Credit: Cash account.
Payment made from the business bank account. Debit: Expense/Payable. Credit: Bank.
Payment via MoMo. Treat as Bank. Credit the Bank account linked to your Momo wallet.
Post-dated cheques: record when the cheque clears the bank, not when written.
Shows how much profit or loss was made over a period.
| Line Item | What it Shows |
|---|---|
| Revenue | Total sales collected (post-tax net) |
| Less: COGS | Cost of goods sold (raw material cost) |
| Gross Profit | Revenue minus COGS |
| Less: OpEx | Operating expenses (rent, salaries, etc.) |
| Net Income | Gross profit minus all operating expenses |
| Gross Margin | Gross Profit ÷ Revenue × 100 |
| Net Margin | Net Income ÷ Revenue × 100 |
A snapshot of what the business owns (assets) and owes (liabilities) at a point in time.
| Section | What's Included |
|---|---|
| Current Assets | Cash, Bank, Accounts Receivable, Inventory |
| Non-Current Assets | Equipment, Furniture, Vehicles |
| Current Liabilities | Accounts Payable, Tax Payable, Short-term loans |
| Long-term Liabilities | Long-term loans, mortgages |
| Equity | Owner's equity + Retained Earnings |
| Ratio | Formula | Good Sign |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio | Current Assets ÷ Current Liabilities | > 1.5 |
| Quick Ratio | (Current Assets − Inventory) ÷ Current Liabilities | > 1.0 |
| Debt-to-Equity | Total Liabilities ÷ Total Equity | < 1.0 |
| Working Capital | Current Assets − Current Liabilities | Positive |
Shows where cash came from and where it went during a period. Different from profit — a profitable business can still run out of cash.
| Section | What it Tracks |
|---|---|
| Operating | Cash from day-to-day business: Net income + depreciation ± changes in AR, inventory, AP |
| Investing | Cash spent on or received from assets: equipment purchases, sale of assets |
| Financing | Cash from borrowing or owners: loan proceeds, loan repayments, equity injections, dividends |
Lists all accounts with their total debits and total credits. The grand total of debits must equal the grand total of credits. Use this to check the books are balanced before generating financial statements.
| Account Type | Normal Balance | Increases with |
|---|---|---|
| Assets | Debit | Debits |
| Expenses | Debit | Debits |
| Liabilities | Credit | Credits |
| Equity | Credit | Credits |
| Revenue / Income | Credit | Credits |
A high-level executive dashboard showing total balances by account type (Total Assets, Total Liabilities, Total Equity, Total Revenue, Total Expenses), year-over-year comparisons, and KPI cards. Use this for a quick financial health check.
| Account | Budgeted | Actual | Variance | % Used |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rent Expense | 2,000 | 2,000 | 0 | 100% |
| Salaries | 10,000 | 9,500 | +500 | 95% |
| Sales Revenue | 50,000 | 55,000 | +5,000 | 110% |
| Utilities | 800 | 1,100 | -300 | 138% ! |
Budget is being prepared. Actuals are compared but the budget is not finalised. Edit freely.
Budget is live. Actuals are tracked in real time against this budget. Changes require justification.
Budget period has ended. View-only. Use for historical comparison in future periods.
Auto-calculates key financial health ratios from your ledger data. Select a date range and click Generate.
| Ratio | Formula | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio | Current Assets ÷ Current Liabilities | > 1.5 |
| Quick Ratio | (Cash + AR) ÷ Current Liabilities | > 1.0 |
| Ratio | Formula | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Gross Margin | Gross Profit ÷ Revenue | > 30% |
| Net Margin | Net Income ÷ Revenue | > 10% |
| Return on Assets | Net Income ÷ Total Assets | > 5% |
| Return on Equity | Net Income ÷ Total Equity | > 10% |
| Ratio | Formula | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Asset Turnover | Revenue ÷ Total Assets | > 1.0 |
| Inventory Turnover | COGS ÷ Avg Inventory | High |
| Receivables Turnover | Revenue ÷ Avg AR | High |
Project future cash flow and revenue based on historical data and your assumptions. Use this for planning, loan applications, and management presentations.
The most-used daily report. Shows total collections by branch, by payment method (Cash, Momo, Card, Bolt), with transaction counts, tax collected, and discounts given.
Shows daily/weekly/monthly revenue over a period, broken down by product category and branch. Use for trend analysis.
| View | What it Shows |
|---|---|
| Summary | Total sales, cost, and profit by period |
| Detailed | Every individual sale transaction with profit margin |
| Aggregated (Weekly) | Sales grouped by week |
| Monthly | Sales grouped by calendar month |
| View | What it Shows |
|---|---|
| Summary | Total COGS for the period |
| Detailed | COGS per individual sale/product line |
| Aggregated | Weekly COGS trend |
Shows sales by cashier — useful for commission calculations, performance reviews, and cash accountability when staff is responsible for their own tills.
Full sales analysis with product category breakdown. Sent by email/WhatsApp.
Payment method breakdown by branch for completed orders.
Daily sales digest with cashier breakdown and payment methods.
Automated P&L delivered on schedule (daily/weekly/monthly).
| Task | Navigation Path |
|---|---|
| View all account balances | |
| Record rent / utility payment | |
| Pay a supplier invoice | |
| Move cash to bank | |
| Check daily cash collections | |
| Generate monthly P&L | |
| Check financial position | |
| Prepare VAT return | |
| Verify books are balanced | |
| Create/review annual budget | |
| Add a new account | |
| View cashier sales | |
| Reconcile Paystack | |
| Forecast next quarter | |
| Check financial ratios |
| Account Type | To Increase | To Decrease |
|---|---|---|
| Asset (Cash, Bank, AR, Inventory) | DEBIT | Credit |
| Expense (Rent, COGS, Salaries) | DEBIT | Credit |
| Liability (AP, Tax Payable, Loans) | CREDIT | Debit |
| Equity (Owner's Capital) | CREDIT | Debit |
| Revenue (Sales Revenue) | CREDIT | Debit |
| Permission Code | Gives Access To |
|---|---|
| acc_ledger | General Ledger, Journal Entries |
| acc_chart | Chart of Accounts setup |
| acc_payments | Payments, Transfers |
| rep_financial | Income Statement, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow, Ratios, Account Summary |
| rep_fin_ledger | Ledger History report |
| rep_fin_tax | Tax Summary report |
| rep_sales_summary | Payment Summary, Revenue reports |
Datana ERP — Accountant's Reference Manual — 2026
For support, contact your system administrator — datanaerp.com