There are a number of customisation steps we recommend as best practice for the admin user to follow in order to customise Active Workpapers.

The steps are as follows:

Note: We understand that every firm is different and will want to customise different aspects of Active Workpapers. We recommend you work through the different customisation steps in order (as above), skipping any you don't require.

The first step is to review your firm settings and add any applicable information including; offices, teams, users and integrations.

For information on how to do this, click here.

Next, review the standard templates provided in the system and use as many of these as possible. There are approximately 100 templates available for use which are managed by qualified accountants and are compliant with tax laws. To review the list of record templates available, click here.

We also offer various automated record templates which enhances user productivity. Refer to the following links for a list of automated record templates available in AU, UK and NZ. It is advised that the standard templates are used when processing an accounts and tax job to ensure consistency across your firm and compliance with laws and regulations.

If after you've reviewed the standard templates, you still feel that your firm has existing templates maintained internally which you would prefer to use, follow the below steps as relevant.

Next, if the standard binder template is not sufficient for the various binder types available, we recommend you customise the binder templates. In addition to customising record templates, admin users are able to create binder templates which are specific to the firm. A binder template sets out the various sections that are standard within the binder as well as any record recommendations that the firm wishes to add.

There are a few options, as below, which admin users can select depending on what you are wanting to customise:

Once the firm settings, record templates and binder templates are set up to standard, the statuses for binders, record templates and client queries should be customised, if desired. For example, a job or record status can be set to 'In Progress' or 'Completed', while a client query can be set to 'Created' or 'Sent'.

To customise the default statuses provided, click here.

The final step is to customise any applicable advanced features including the standard chart of accounts, lead schedules, external reporting feature and the matching rules.

Refer below for information on how to do this.

Active provides a default standard chart of accounts, however if this is not satisfactory for your firm, we recommend you customise this at a firm level.

For information on how to create a standard chart of accounts, click here.

Lead schedules are a powerful feature that allows users to create custom account groups. The lead schedule view offers an intuitive and comprehensive way to visualise and manage grouped accounts. We recommend lead schedules are set up for these reasons.

For information on how to set up lead schedules, click here.

By enabling the external reporting feature, the firm is able to maintain a reporting file (e.g. CCH or Iris in the UK, or MYOB AE in AU) separate from the client's accounting file (e.g. Xero Business Edition). It allows users to import data from the client's accounting file, process the year end work in Active Workpapers, and then export the finalised trial balance to the reporting file.

For information on how to enable the external reporting feature, click here.

Account type matching rules assist with the conversion process of accounts from the client accounting file to Active Workpapers. These rules are used to define how to automatically allocate an account to the master chart of accounts and drives different functionality based on the account type allocated.

If you are enabling the external reporting feature, you will also be able to set matching rules for mapping and benchmark codes.

Active Workpapers provides a default set of account type matching rules, however does not provide a default set of mapping or benchmark code matching rules.

For information on how to customise matching rules, click here.

To further cement your knowledge, please refer to the following for guidance:
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