Datana ERP

Accountant's Complete User Manual

General Ledger
Journal Entries
Financial Reports
Chart of Accounts
Payments
Budgets
Tax Reports
Financial Ratios

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.

System Navigation

All accounting functions are accessed from the left sidebar of Datana ERP. Look for the Accounting and Reports sections in the menu.

Accounting
  • Chart of Accounts
  • General Ledger
  • Journal Entries
  • Payments
  • Transfers
  • Budgets
Financial Reports
  • Account Summary
  • Income Statement
  • Balance Sheet
  • Cash Flow
  • Trial Balance
  • Ratio Analysis
Sales Reports
  • Payment Summary
  • Revenue Report
  • Sales & Profit
  • Cost of Sales
  • Tax Summary
  • User Reports
Inventory Reports
  • Inventory Levels
  • Stock Tracking
  • Purchases
  • Production
  • Wastage
  • Transfers
Daily Workflow — What to do Each Day
Morning (Start of Day)
  1. 1
    Check Account Summary dashboard for overnight balances
  2. 2
    Review any pending credit sales that need follow-up
  3. 3
    Confirm Paystack settlements posted overnight
During the Day
  1. 4
    Record manual journal entries for non-POS transactions (rent, utilities, salaries, bank fees)
  2. 5
    Record supplier payments when invoices are settled
  3. 6
    Transfer funds between bank accounts / petty cash
End of Day
  1. 7
    Run Payment Summary to reconcile daily collections
  2. 8
    Verify Cash & Bank balances in General Ledger match tills
  3. 9
    Check Trial Balance — debits should equal credits
End of Month / Period
  1. 10
    Generate Income Statement for the month
  2. 11
    Review Balance Sheet for financial position
  3. 12
    Run Tax Summary for VAT filing
  4. 13
    Compare actuals vs Budget
What is it? The Chart of Accounts is the master list of all financial accounts in your business. Every transaction in Datana ERP is recorded against one of these accounts. Set this up correctly before recording any transactions.
How to Navigate
Account Groups (Categories)
Group TypeExamplesStatement
AssetCash, Bank, Accounts Receivable, Inventory, EquipmentBalance Sheet
LiabilityAccounts Payable, Tax Payable, Loans PayableBalance Sheet
EquityOwner's Equity, Retained EarningsBalance Sheet
IncomeSales Revenue, Delivery IncomeP&L
ExpenseCOGS, Rent, Utilities, Salaries, DiscountP&L
Creating a New Account Group
  1. 1
    Go to Chart of Accounts page
  2. 2
    Click "New Group" button (top right)
  3. 3
    Enter Group Name (e.g., "Current Assets")
  4. 4
    Select Account Type: Asset / Liability / Equity / Income / Expense
  5. 5
    Click Save
Creating a New Account
  1. 1
    On Chart of Accounts, click "New Account"
  2. 2
    Enter Account Name (e.g., "Cash in Hand")
  3. 3
    Enter Account Code (e.g., 1001 for first cash account)
  4. 4
    Select Account Type: asset / liability / equity / income / expense
  5. 5
    Select Sub-type: e.g., Cash, Bank, Inventory, Receivable, Payable, Revenue, COGS
  6. 6
    Select Cash Flow Tag: Operating / Investing / Financing (for cash flow statement)
  7. 7
    Select Account Group (parent category)
  8. 8
    Enter Opening Balance if account already has a balance
  9. 9
    Click Save
Account codes tip: Use a numbering system — 1xxx = Assets, 2xxx = Liabilities, 3xxx = Equity, 4xxx = Income, 5xxx = Expenses
Recommended Minimum Accounts to Create
Asset Accounts
  • Cash (1001)
  • Bank (1002)
  • Accounts Receivable (1100)
  • Inventory (1200)
  • Equipment (1500)
Liability & Equity
  • Accounts Payable (2001)
  • Tax Payable (2100)
  • Loans Payable (2200)
  • Owner's Equity (3001)
  • Retained Earnings (3100)
Income & Expense
  • Sales Revenue (4001)
  • COGS (5001)
  • Discount (5050)
  • Rent Expense (5100)
  • Salaries Expense (5200)
Important: The account names Cash, Bank, Sales Revenue, Tax Payable, Accounts Receivable, COGS, Inventory, and Discount must exist in your chart of accounts (with code 101) for the POS system to automatically post journal entries. Do not rename these core accounts.
What are journal entries? Every financial event must be recorded as a debit to one account and an equal credit to another. POS sales are posted automatically. Use this page for all other transactions: rent, utilities, salaries, bank charges, depreciation, etc.
How to Record a Journal Entry
  1. 1
    Click "New Journal Entry" button
  2. 2
    Select the Account to debit or credit
  3. 3
    Select Transaction Type: Receipts / Payments / Expenses / Transfers / Adjustments
  4. 4
    Enter either the Debit Amount or Credit Amount (not both)
  5. 5
    Enter a Description (be specific: "June rent — Shop 4B")
  6. 6
    Enter Reference No. (invoice number, receipt number)
  7. 7
    Set the Transaction Date (admins can backdate)
  8. 8
    Select Cash Flow Tag: Operating / Investing / Financing
  9. 9
    Click Save — repeat for the counter entry
Remember: For every debit entry you post, you must post an equal credit entry to a different account. Total debits must always equal total credits.
Common Journal Entry Examples
Paying Monthly Rent — GHS 2,000
AccountDebitCredit
Rent Expense2,000—
Cash / Bank—2,000
Receiving Customer Payment on Credit — GHS 500
AccountDebitCredit
Cash / Bank500—
Accounts Receivable—500
Monthly Depreciation — GHS 300
AccountDebitCredit
Depreciation Expense300—
Accumulated Depreciation—300
Paying Salaries — GHS 5,000
AccountDebitCredit
Salaries Expense5,000—
Bank—5,000
Viewing, Searching & Filtering Journal Entries
View by Type

Use the Type filter dropdown on the journal page to show only: All / Receipts / Payments / Expenses / Transfers / Adjustments

Search

Use the Search bar to find entries by account name, description, reference number, branch, or amount.

Export to Excel

Click "Download" button to export the current journal view to Excel for external review or audit.

Deleting an entry: Only delete entries that were recorded in error. Click the trash icon on any entry row. The system will automatically recalculate running balances for all subsequent entries on that account.
What is it? The General Ledger shows the running balance and full transaction history of every account in your Chart of Accounts. Use it to verify balances, trace individual transactions, and reconcile accounts.
Viewing the Ledger
  1. 1
    Navigate to General Ledger — you will see a list of all accounts with current balances
  2. 2
    Use the Type filter to narrow by account type: All / Assets / Liabilities / Income / Expense
  3. 3
    Use the Search bar to find a specific account by name, code, or subtype
  4. 4
    Click any account row to see its last 60 transactions with running balance
Viewing Account History for a Date Range
  1. 1
    Click on the account to open its detail page
  2. 2
    Use the date range picker (Start Date / End Date) at the top
  3. 3
    Click Filter — the page shows only transactions within that period
  4. 4
    The Period Balance shown is the net movement in the selected range
Reading a Ledger Account
ColumnWhat it means
DateWhen the transaction was posted
DescriptionWhat the transaction was for
ReferenceOrder number or invoice reference
DebitMoney in (for assets), expense recorded
CreditMoney out (for assets), revenue recorded
Running BalanceThe account balance after this entry
BranchWhich branch posted this entry
Key Accounts to Check Daily
Cash Account

Should match the physical cash count at each branch till. Discrepancies mean unrecorded transactions.

Normal balance: Debit (asset)
Bank Account

Should match your bank statement balance. Reconcile against bank statement at end of month.

Normal balance: Debit (asset)
Accounts Receivable

Shows all credit sales not yet collected. Review weekly and follow up on overdue balances.

Normal balance: Debit (asset)
Tax Payable

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)
Sales Revenue

Accumulates all post-tax revenue from completed sales. Use the Income Statement for a cleaner view.

Normal balance: Credit (income)
Recording a Payment

Use this to record any outgoing payment — supplier invoices, utility bills, loan repayments, etc.

  1. 1
    Click "Make Payment"
  2. 2
    Select From Account (the account being credited — e.g., Bank, Cash)
  3. 3
    Select To Account (the account being debited — e.g., Accounts Payable, Rent Expense)
  4. 4
    Enter the Payment Amount
  5. 5
    Enter Description: who was paid and why
  6. 6
    Enter Reference: supplier invoice number or receipt number
  7. 7
    Set the Date of payment
  8. 8
    Click Save — two ledger entries are created automatically
What happens behind the scenes
AccountDebitCredit
To Account (e.g., Rent Expense)Amount—
From Account (e.g., Bank)—Amount
Inter-Account Transfer

Use this to move money between two accounts — e.g., from Bank to Petty Cash, or from one bank to another.

  1. 1
    Select From Account (money is going out of this account)
  2. 2
    Select To Account (money is coming into this account)
  3. 3
    Enter Transfer Amount
  4. 4
    Enter Description and Reference
  5. 5
    Click Save
Example — Petty Cash Top-Up (GHS 500)
AccountDebitCredit
Petty Cash (To)500—
Bank (From)—500
Viewing All Payments
  • Lists all payment entries in reverse chronological order
  • Search by account name, reference, description, or amount
  • Filter by transaction type (Payments / Receipts)
  • Click any row to see full transaction details
  • Download all payments to Excel using "Download" button
Payment Type Reference
Cash Payment

Physical cash paid out from the till. Debit: Expense. Credit: Cash account.

Bank Transfer

Payment made from the business bank account. Debit: Expense/Payable. Credit: Bank.

Mobile Money

Payment via MoMo. Treat as Bank. Credit the Bank account linked to your Momo wallet.

Cheque

Post-dated cheques: record when the cheque clears the bank, not when written.

Income Statement (Profit & Loss)

Shows how much profit or loss was made over a period.

  1. 1
    Select Start Date and End Date
  2. 2
    Click Generate
  3. 3
    Review the statement sections below
How to Read the P&L
Line ItemWhat it Shows
RevenueTotal sales collected (post-tax net)
Less: COGSCost of goods sold (raw material cost)
Gross ProfitRevenue minus COGS
Less: OpExOperating expenses (rent, salaries, etc.)
Net IncomeGross profit minus all operating expenses
Gross MarginGross Profit ÷ Revenue × 100
Net MarginNet Income ÷ Revenue × 100
Prior Period: The statement also shows the previous period for comparison. A positive variance means improvement.
Balance Sheet

A snapshot of what the business owns (assets) and owes (liabilities) at a point in time.

  1. 1
    Select the As-at Date (usually month-end)
  2. 2
    Click Generate
Balance Sheet Structure
SectionWhat's Included
Current AssetsCash, Bank, Accounts Receivable, Inventory
Non-Current AssetsEquipment, Furniture, Vehicles
Current LiabilitiesAccounts Payable, Tax Payable, Short-term loans
Long-term LiabilitiesLong-term loans, mortgages
EquityOwner's equity + Retained Earnings
Golden Rule: Assets = Liabilities + Equity. If these don't balance, there are unrecorded transactions.
Key Ratios Shown
RatioFormulaGood Sign
Current RatioCurrent Assets ÷ Current Liabilities> 1.5
Quick Ratio(Current Assets − Inventory) ÷ Current Liabilities> 1.0
Debt-to-EquityTotal Liabilities ÷ Total Equity< 1.0
Working CapitalCurrent Assets − Current LiabilitiesPositive
Cash Flow Statement

Shows where cash came from and where it went during a period. Different from profit — a profitable business can still run out of cash.

  1. 1
    Select the reporting period date range
  2. 2
    Click Generate
  3. 3
    Review the three sections of the statement
Three Sections of Cash Flow
SectionWhat it Tracks
OperatingCash from day-to-day business: Net income + depreciation ± changes in AR, inventory, AP
InvestingCash spent on or received from assets: equipment purchases, sale of assets
FinancingCash from borrowing or owners: loan proceeds, loan repayments, equity injections, dividends
Cashflow tagging: When recording journal entries, always set the correct Cash Flow Tag (Operating / Investing / Financing) so the cash flow statement is accurate.
Reading the Result
  • Positive net cash flow = more cash in than out — healthy
  • Negative operating cash flow = warning sign even if P&L shows profit
  • Positive investing outflow = business is investing in growth
Trial Balance

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.

  1. 1
    Select the reporting period (Start Date / End Date)
  2. 2
    Click Generate Trial Balance
  3. 3
    Check the totals row at the bottom — Total Debits must equal Total Credits
  4. 4
    If they don't match, find the unbalanced entry in the journal and correct it
What Normal Balances Look Like
Account TypeNormal BalanceIncreases with
AssetsDebitDebits
ExpensesDebitDebits
LiabilitiesCreditCredits
EquityCreditCredits
Revenue / IncomeCreditCredits
Account Summary Dashboard

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.

What is it? Create budgets for any period, add planned amounts per account, then track actual spending/revenue against those targets. The system automatically compares your budget to real ledger entries.
Creating a New Budget
  1. 1
    Click "Create Budget"
  2. 2
    Enter Budget Name (e.g., "Q2 2026 Operations Budget")
  3. 3
    Select Period Type: Monthly / Quarterly / Annual / Custom
  4. 4
    Set Start Date and End Date
  5. 5
    Set Status: Draft (not yet active) or Active
  6. 6
    Click Save
Adding Budget Line Items
  1. 1
    Open the budget, click "Add Line Item"
  2. 2
    Select the Account (e.g., Rent Expense)
  3. 3
    Enter the Budgeted Amount
  4. 4
    Add a Note if needed (e.g., "Based on lease agreement")
  5. 5
    Click Add — repeat for each account you want to budget
Good budget practice: Add budget lines for ALL major income and expense accounts — Revenue, COGS, Rent, Salaries, Utilities, Marketing, etc.
Reviewing Budget vs Actuals
  1. 1
    Open a budget from the budget list
  2. 2
    The budget detail page shows each line with:
    Budgeted — what you planned
    Actual — what was actually recorded in the ledger
    Variance — the difference (positive = under budget)
  3. 3
    The % Used column shows how much of the budget has been consumed
  4. 4
    For a printable report, click "Budget Report"
  5. 5
    To export to Excel, click "Export"
Budget Variance Table
AccountBudgetedActualVariance% Used
Rent Expense2,0002,0000100%
Salaries10,0009,500+50095%
Sales Revenue50,00055,000+5,000110%
Utilities8001,100-300138% !
Over-budget lines (% Used > 100%) require immediate attention. Investigate and explain the variance.
Budget Statuses
Draft

Budget is being prepared. Actuals are compared but the budget is not finalised. Edit freely.

Active

Budget is live. Actuals are tracked in real time against this budget. Changes require justification.

Closed

Budget period has ended. View-only. Use for historical comparison in future periods.

Financial Ratio Analysis

Auto-calculates key financial health ratios from your ledger data. Select a date range and click Generate.

Liquidity Ratios — Can we pay our bills?
RatioFormulaTarget
Current RatioCurrent Assets ÷ Current Liabilities> 1.5
Quick Ratio(Cash + AR) ÷ Current Liabilities> 1.0
Profitability Ratios — Are we making money?
RatioFormulaTarget
Gross MarginGross Profit ÷ Revenue> 30%
Net MarginNet Income ÷ Revenue> 10%
Return on AssetsNet Income ÷ Total Assets> 5%
Return on EquityNet Income ÷ Total Equity> 10%
Efficiency Ratios — How well do we use assets?
RatioFormulaTarget
Asset TurnoverRevenue ÷ Total Assets> 1.0
Inventory TurnoverCOGS ÷ Avg InventoryHigh
Receivables TurnoverRevenue ÷ Avg ARHigh
Financial Simulator (Forecasting)

Project future cash flow and revenue based on historical data and your assumptions. Use this for planning, loan applications, and management presentations.

  1. 1
    Navigate to Financial Simulator
  2. 2
    The system loads actual historical data as the baseline
  3. 3
    Adjust the growth rate, expense projections, and forecast period
  4. 4
    Click Calculate to generate projections
  5. 5
    Review projected revenue, expenses, and cash flow on the chart
  6. 6
    Click Save Scenario to save the projection for later
  7. 7
    Compare multiple saved scenarios side-by-side using Load Scenario
Best use: Run scenarios at the start of each quarter to plan cash requirements and set realistic revenue targets for the team.
Paystack Settlement Report
  • Shows all card/online payments processed via Paystack
  • View transaction volumes, amounts, and settlement dates
  • Reconcile Paystack payouts against your Bank account in the ledger
  • Identify transactions not yet settled or reconciled
Payment Summary Report

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.

  1. 1
    Select Start Date and End Date
  2. 2
    Select a Branch (or All Branches)
  3. 3
    Click Generate
  4. 4
    Review: Total Collected, Tax Collected, Discounts, Pending/Credit orders
  5. 5
    Use Advanced version for cashier-level breakdown
Revenue Report

Shows daily/weekly/monthly revenue over a period, broken down by product category and branch. Use for trend analysis.

Sales & Profit Report
ViewWhat it Shows
SummaryTotal sales, cost, and profit by period
DetailedEvery individual sale transaction with profit margin
Aggregated (Weekly)Sales grouped by week
MonthlySales grouped by calendar month
Tax Summary Report
Use this for VAT/GST filing. Shows total tax collected on sales for any period, broken down by tax type (VAT, NHIL, GETFUND, etc.)
  1. 1
    Select the tax period (usually monthly for VAT filing)
  2. 2
    Click Generate
  3. 3
    Note the Total Tax Collected figure — this is your output VAT
  4. 4
    Compare against your Tax Payable account balance in the General Ledger
  5. 5
    When tax is remitted, journal entry: DR Tax Payable / CR Bank
Cost of Sales Report
ViewWhat it Shows
SummaryTotal COGS for the period
DetailedCOGS per individual sale/product line
AggregatedWeekly COGS trend
User/Cashier Sales Report

Shows sales by cashier — useful for commission calculations, performance reviews, and cash accountability when staff is responsible for their own tills.

Scheduled Intelligence Reports
Sales Statement

Full sales analysis with product category breakdown. Sent by email/WhatsApp.

Payment Summary

Payment method breakdown by branch for completed orders.

Daily Sales

Daily sales digest with cashier breakdown and payment methods.

Income Statement

Automated P&L delivered on schedule (daily/weekly/monthly).

Where to Go For Common Tasks
TaskNavigation Path
View all account balancesAccounting › General Ledger
Record rent / utility paymentAccounting › Journal Entries
Pay a supplier invoiceAccounting › Payments
Move cash to bankAccounting › Inter-Account Transfer
Check daily cash collectionsReports › Payment Summary
Generate monthly P&LAccounting › Income Statement
Check financial positionAccounting › Balance Sheet
Prepare VAT returnReports › Tax Summary
Verify books are balancedAccounting › Trial Balance
Create/review annual budgetAccounting › Budgets
Add a new accountAccounting › Chart of Accounts
View cashier salesReports › User Report
Reconcile PaystackPayments › Paystack Report
Forecast next quarterPayments › Financial Simulator
Check financial ratiosAccounting › Financial Ratios
Debit vs Credit — Golden Rules
Account TypeTo IncreaseTo Decrease
Asset (Cash, Bank, AR, Inventory)DEBITCredit
Expense (Rent, COGS, Salaries)DEBITCredit
Liability (AP, Tax Payable, Loans)CREDITDebit
Equity (Owner's Capital)CREDITDebit
Revenue (Sales Revenue)CREDITDebit
Access Permissions Required
Permission CodeGives Access To
acc_ledgerGeneral Ledger, Journal Entries
acc_chartChart of Accounts setup
acc_paymentsPayments, Transfers
rep_financialIncome Statement, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow, Ratios, Account Summary
rep_fin_ledgerLedger History report
rep_fin_taxTax Summary report
rep_sales_summaryPayment Summary, Revenue reports
Important Reminders
  • Never delete a journal entry without management approval — use a correcting entry instead
  • Always reconcile Cash and Bank at end of each day
  • Core accounts (Cash, Bank, Sales Revenue, Tax Payable, COGS, Inventory, Accounts Receivable, Discount) must use the exact names shown — do not rename them
  • Always tag journal entries with the correct Cash Flow classification (Operating / Investing / Financing)
  • Run Trial Balance before generating financial statements each month
  • Remit Tax Payable to GRA before the 15th of the following month

Datana ERP — Accountant's Reference Manual — 2026

For support, contact your system administrator — datanaerp.com