Tally Prime Accounting System Overview
In this post, we briefly discuss about following Topics. Click on the quick links
Evolution of Tally Accounting Software
Designer Accounts with Tally Accounting Software
Voucher Numbering and Re Numbering in Tally Accounting Software
Nature of Tally Accounting Software – ERP vs EAS
Accounting Software & Accounting Data Ownership : Cloud vs Premises
Medieval User Interface of Tally Accounting Software
Repeat Data Input
Physical Safety of Tally Accounting Data
Security and Access Controls in Tally Accounting Software
Multi Tasking capabilities of Tally Accounting Sofware
Search and Discover of Reports and Features of Tally Accounting
Connectivity with Statutory ePortals in Tally Accounting Software
Audit Trails in Tally Accounting Software
Reports Views in Tally Accounting Software
Filtered Reports in Tally Accounting Software
e-payments through Tally Accounting Software
Digital Signature of Reports in Tally Accounting Software
Tally Accounting Reports View in Browser (TRIB
Remote Access of Tally Accounting System in Tally Accounting Software
Remote Access of Tally Accounting System
Graphs & Charts in Tally Accounting Software
Data Sorting in Report Columns in Tally Accounting Software
In Built Calculator in Tally Accounting Software
On line Help of Tally Accounting Software
Printing of Tally Accounting Reports
Emailing Tally Accounting Reports
Evolution of Tally Accounting Software
Tally Accounting Software was first to do away with cryptic Codes, then prevalent in all Accounting Software, it was running blazingly fast, in microcomputer with even tiny memory, and became instantly popular, beating competition. It soon became favourite of businessmen to prepare personal and small business accounts, for its unique Reverse Accounting process.
Designer Accounts with Tally Accounting Software
Accounting Reports are generated by compiling Transaction records. However, Tally facilitated users to construct Transactions as per user conceived Accounting Reports (as they call it Reverse Accounting, or Designer Accounting). Vouchers can be neatly created / modified, using the reports as pivot points, as per users fancied reports. Drill down from any report displays. Add, modify, delete vouchers. The revised status is shown immediately. Continue to alter data as you like.
As per accounting principles, reports are created from entered vouchers. But Vouchers can also be created as desired, by craftly playing from Reports.
During course of time, as Tally expanded to full fledged Accounting System, providing advanced features covering more functional areas, the historical structure of unrestricted modification causing weak security remained ingrained.
Voucher Numbering and Re Numbering
To enable unrestricted Voucher Insertion, Alteration, Deletion, of voucher any date, at any point of time, Tally provided novel method of flexible Voucher
Numbering scheme of Periodic independent Voucher numbering scheme, Prefix & suffix. It even allowed renumbering of recorded vouchers to make the accounts real and genuine.
In new release, you may optionally activate / deactivate the Auto renumbering feature of changing the original voucher number.
Nature of Tally Software – ERP vs EAS
The purpose and use of Enterprise extensive Integrated Accounting System may broadly classified as EAS (Enterprise Accounting System) vs ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning)
An EAS System, focus mainly on Maintenance of Books of Accounts for Accounting and Statutory Compliance. It refers to maintaining recording the transactions to get information of the results. So, it focus on Historical aspects of what has happened.
On the other hand, ERP System focus on how organisation resources be best managed to give best results. It uses historical accounting records to plan ahead for the future working. So, ERP is future also about action planning, rather than just historical recording by EAS.
Accounting Software & Accounting Data Ownership : Cloud vs Premises
Based on physical location of Software & Data and its exclusive ownership, Accounting Software System me be classified as Cloud Based vs Premises Based .
Tally is Premises Based Software. The Tally software as well as all data resides in your computer system only, and not on any cloud server. So, it allows you exclusive ownership and control on the software and Data. So, Remote working on Tally from any place gets restricted, as everything is confined in the Premises based system.
On the other hand, the software resides in Cloud System, accessed and shared by authorised persons from any place, at any time. Apart from exclusive Ownership of Data and software, Cloud system offer many more modern technological and advantage. So, with Internet proliferation and technological advancements, Cloud based systems are gaining popularity. People are coming out of inhibitions of Ownership of Data, for better information transmission, information sharing and speedier execution and effective business control.
Medieval User Interface of Tally Accounting Software
While all contemporary Software have embraced modern interface with gradual technological developments, a delight for young users, Tally has retained its age old architecture, with boring user interface, dull bar graphs. Apart from usual Data Creation/ Updation / Deletion, process. Input Form is split into many parts, popping up small independent component screen, hiding the main screen and other parts, requiring multiple to & fro juggles. So, the user can see only a part of the input data, at any point of time. Component screens are devoid of reference to the record being created. Users who have worked with modern applications will find the input methods frustrating. Extra inputs are forced even where related data could been auto populated.
In text input field, long text may be restricted, truncated or squeezed in compressed form. Cursor can not be placed at desired place directly. It has to be serially moved letter by letter. Text and the cursor on the text visually not sharp. Editing of long text is difficult and time consuming.
Repeat Data Input
In most of the secondary input form, data available in the system are to be entered again, instead available data prefilled. For example, to make payment of an outstanding Bill, instead of input in Voucher, Bills for Payment may be tagged, which would create the Voucher in background.
In the same way, intuitive ways to minimise input may be devised to create Accounts Receipt Vouchers using Outstanding Bills of Debtors, Delivery Challans from Outstanding orders Report. Likewise, Invoices may be quickly created from Outstanding Orders / Pending Delivery Notes etc. In an on-line system, the input forms should follow the work flow, and not as old way of Masters and Vouchers entry.
Physical Safety of Tally Accounting Data
Tally Data is stored in a compact form. Entire Data base resides in a folder . In a Single User system, even without loading Tally or using any password, it is very easy to Copy, e-mail or even Delete the entire Tally data, through the Operating system, install in another computer and view everything. For more Data Safety, you need to install Tally Server.
Security and Access Controls in Tally Accounting Software
Tally offers elaborate, yet complex methods to set up user rights and passwords at the granular level, for all data input, alteration, report view, key control and administrative tasks. But many useful access or key activity controls are still missing, weakening the internal control system.
Multi Tasking capabilities of Tally Accounting Software
While performing a task, another task may be initiated and returned to previous task, smoothly switch between the active tasks.
In some cases, multiple tasks can be activated and operated switched between, without leaving the current tasks (e.g. record a new voucher, create a master, view, and print reports, and get back to exactly where you left the transaction or reports)
Search and Discover options of Tally Accounting Software
Apart from navigation to known tasks, Go To Tab may be helpful to search reports based on search Key words. The Report names containing the keyword would be listed to select from. This way, the correct report may be quickly accessed, even when the proper menu option is not known to user.
Connectivity with Statutory ePortalsin Tally Accounting Software
Tally can connect directly connect with Statutory eportals of GST, I Tax, Banks etc to import data form their secured site on authorised access, and easy upload statutory returns to the portals.
Audit Trails in Tally Accounting Software
To comply the Audit Trail directives as issued by Government, Tally provides optional Audit Trail features to record the activities (nature of operation), record id (reference of Voucher / Master worked upon) and User identity. However, on data alteration, Tally overwrites on the original data, leaving no trace of the original data. On deletion, it completely removes the record. On cancellation, contents of original transaction is nullified. In a sound secured system, changed data should be tagged (deactivated but not physically removed), so that, if required, authorised person may view the original data to find out who altered what and why. The added advantage is that any accidentally modified, deleted, cancelled data may be recovered, just the way we recover deleted files, folders. It is accepted principle, that anything recorded can not be removed (like tearing of pages of books or documents). In a digital system, such security features are essential.
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Saved Report View in Tally Accounting Software
Through each Report configuration options, Report contents are customised as per user’s requirements. Each time, to display / print reports, the options are to be properly set. Setting the options (from a plethora of options) need good knowledge of Tally, is error prone and time consuming. To avoid repeated setting of Report configuration, the configuration setting for the report can be saved in distinctly named Report Views. To display the report in desired format, the saved view files may be used.
Key Features of Saved Views
- Create and save the view of the report
- Set any specific view as default view
- Create Multiple views of the same report, with different options, with distinct user specified View Names
- Set and control user access permissions for each View
- Optionally Save view for current Company or All Companies
Data Filtering
Tally now offers data Filtering based on versatile set of conditions to get quick and instant results.
e-payments through Tally Accounting Software
Payment may be made through Net Banking through Tally. A prior set up for e-payment with specified Bank is needed. After that, transactions can be exported to Bank system to make automated e-payments, like Bank’s Net Banking system.
Digital Signature of Reports in Tally Accounting Software
Tally Prime supports dongle-based digital signature in PDF documents, and you can use the feature while sharing vouchers and reports with concerned parties. All you need is digital signature certificate (DSC) token / dongle issued from a Certifying Authority (like eMundhra etc)
Tally Accounting Reports View in Browser (TRIB)
You may view / download selected popular Reports (like Bills Receivable & Payable, Stock Summary) instantly, from a web browser, on any device, anywhere.
Remote Access of Tally Accounting System
Some frequently used Tally Reports can be viewed (even with Educational Module) using any Browser, accessing another Licensed Tally installation with Tally.NET, as per access permissions.
Graphs & Charts in Tally Accounting Software
Now a days, Charts and Graphs are essential features for management info. But, unfortunately Tally provides rudimentary Bar Graphs at the bottom of certain Periodic reports, based on first numeric column in the Report. In multiple column reports with both debit & credit columns (like Bank Book), the graph shows figures based on first non zero column, on both sides of x axis.
Data Sorting in Report Columns in Tally Accounting Software
Tally provides a rudimentary feature to sort data in a report. The column to sort cannot be defined. The sort option applies to the first Alpha or Numeric column, as per sort option. By default, sort applies only to first Column of the report.
In Built Calculator in Tally Accounting Software
Tally provides handy internal Calculator, to perform quick arithmetic Calculation. The Calculation data may be typed, copied from external sources and pasted into the Calculator panel for calculation, and the result may be auto carried into numeric input field, or pasted into external media.
The history of past calculation performed in the Calculator, remain accessible till the end of session, for re use and reference. Useful handy assistance for quick and correct work.
On line Help of Tally Accounting Software
Tally provides on line help accessible within Tally. Tally Help loads a huge on line document of official and authentic info about Tally, organised into broad topics. You need to drill down through various topic links to get the desire info. You will be deluged in the ocean of info. To search a specific topic deep buried inside the Help is not easy.
These is a search pane at the top of Help screen, where you may type the keywords of the topic. But the search capability of Tally Help is very rudimentary. Often it does not provide precise links as per intent of the search. More often, you may get unrelated search results and may be frustrated by the time wasted to get info through Help.
Rather than Tally Help, better do Google search (or other browser), using relevant key words. You will get rich results of resources, Blogs, Videos, Images, from the NET, including results searched from the official blog site of Tally. So, searching through Browser (Google, Bing, Firefox, etc) is much better option to get relevant info, rather than Tally Help.
Printing of Tally Accounting Reports
Any Report may be directly printed on the currently installed Printer. So, the native facilities available in the respective printer cannot be availed and used. You have to set up all Print Configuration, as provided in Tally.
Nowadays, people hardly print reports in Printer. Commonly they prefer to save in PDF and then print, email, WhatsApp the reports. However, saving report in PDF is not available within Print. One need to go through lengthy additional process of saving reports in PDF. A button for Saving current Report in PDF would be useful just like Print & email from within Print / Print Preview. Like email, option should be provided to send report through WhatsApp, which is most popular and handy means of quickly reading communication.
Reports may be optionally previewed while printing / instantly printed / emailed, as desired.
Emailing Tally Accounting Reports
Tally Reports (in formats like PDF, XLS, may be directly emailed to specified e mail recipients. The email id may be saved and used avoiding entry each time. No server set up is required for emailing through gmail, yahoomail or hot mail. For other email servers, Server Set up is required.
Reports may be sent form your regular gmail account. This requires authentication of gmail account with Tally. You need to generate and set App Password for sending Tally reports emails through gmail account.
Warning message may appear if the set up or email process is not proper.
Reports may be directly emailed through Print Preview option.
Tally does not offer any facility to send reports through WhatsApp.
