Allowance Class Overview
The Allowance Class Inquiry screen within SapphireOne Payroll/HR allows for the grouping of employees Allowances and Deductions into particular classifications as applicable to your business. For companies or organisations that have a large number of employees, the grouping of Allowances into different Classes will greatly assist in the analysis and production of reports generated from SapphireOne.
The grouping of Allowances into Classes gives the user the ability to provide further classification and breakdown of these Allowances. Classes can be used for a variety of purposes, for example an Allowance of ‘Leave’ can be broken down further into Classes such as Holiday Pay, Personal Leave, Paid Parental Leave, etc.
To add an Allowance to an Allowance Class you can navigate to .Payroll/HR > Administration > Allowance Class page.
To create a New Class or Modify an existing Class, select the Class and click the New 
or Modify 
icons as required. Select the Green Tick 
to save your Allowance Class entry.
To link an Allowance to a Class navigate to Payroll/HR > Administration > Allowances. Either click the New or Modify icons as required.
Allowance or link to an existing allowance
Once you have set up an Allowance Class using the New icon and then created Allowances within this Class, when the Allowance Class Inquiry is next opened these Allowances will be listed in the lower section of the screen.
To add an existing Allowance to this Class, navigate to Any Allowances that have a Class entered in the Class Area on the Details Page will be listed in the Allowance Class Inquiry screen as seen below.
In SapphireOne, all inquiry screens provide the option for customisation of the displayed item list. The feature, called Custom Inquiry, lets users choose the data fields to be shown and the sequence of data columns across the screen. The user can save infinite custom views. While a client list is used as an example to follow, any inquiry type can be customised in SapphireOne.
The Standard Inquiry Screen
The Standard Inquiry Screen in SapphireOne provides a foundational view of data, presenting a set of column fields for each record. This screen is designed to offer a straightforward and efficient way to access and review essential information.
The list above represents the standard inquiry list, displaying a fundamental set of data fields for each client record and includes two buttons as follows:
- Swap to Custom Inquiry – When the user selects the ‘Swap to Custom Inquiry‘ button in the lower left-hand corner of the screen, SapphireOne will display the default Custom Inquiry Screen, which is documented below.
- Show/Hide Audit Lines – Toggle the Audit lines panel open. This panel will display at the bottom of the Inquiry screen, benefiting workflow by providing an immediate view of the critical details for a selected line.
The Custom Inquiry Screen
When the user selects the ‘Swap to Custom Inquiry’ button from the Standard Inquiry, SapphireOne will display the default Custom Inquiry Screen, as shown below. This screen provides the user with a customisable view of the data set, which is maintained per user and for each particular inquiry.
The options available from the Custom Inquiry Screen are as follows:
- Swap to Standard Inquiry – Return the view to a standard Inquiry.
- Method List Box – This list box, in conjunction with the adjacent operator list box, allows for calculations to be performed across all rows of the displayed data. The results are displayed adjacent to the operator list box.
- Operator List Box – Select an operator to apply to the method selected using the method list box.
- Setup Button – The Setup button will open a modal screen with functionality to customise the Custom Inquiry, as documented in the following section.
- Export Button – Open the data set in CSV format in the devices default spreadsheet application.
The Custom Inquiry Setup Screen
The Custom Inquiry setup screen allows for the customisation of the data view, which is maintained per user and for each particular inquiry. Once the user has customised the Custom Inquiry screen, the screen view will be maintained in subsequent sessions and is unique to the current user account. This screen also provides the option to select and save an unlimited number of custom views per user.
The Custom Inquiry setup screen provides the following functionality:
- Favourite Sets – This option enables the user to save a custom-created screen for future use. For instance, the user can have a simple Inquiry screen for general use and a more complex screen view when auditing specific information.
- Row Height – Adjust the table row height to the users preference.
- Show Related Record – This option allows the user to add related fields from other tables. By ticking the Show Related checkbox at the top of the screen, the user can select a related record, and a view of that related record for the chosen entry will be displayed for that currently selected record. The user will need to select the fields to be displayed.
- Reset to Default – Reset the display to the default view configuration as established by SapphireOne.
The Custom Inquiry setup screen provides the user with two main options for organising the data displayed:
- To remove or relocate a column – Right-click on the column lines and choose from Delete, Move Left, or Move Right.
- To add a column – Locate the desired data set in the list and double-click on it to add it to the custom view as a new column. Edit the location as described above if required. Almost every field within the SapphireOne data tables can be included in the Custom List screen, provided the user has the necessary authorisation.
Customising inquiry screens in SapphireOne allows for a tailored data view that meets the users specific needs. By leveraging the Custom Inquiry feature, the user can enhance their workflow efficiency and ensure that critical information is readily accessible.
Class Area
- Class ID – Enter the chosen Allowance Class ID.
- Class Name – Enter the chosen Allowance Class Name.
Notes Area
Any notes that are required may be entered here. You can select the Green clock 
icon to add Time and Date stamps to your notes. You can also highlight the text in the Notes area and right mouse click to customise the Font, Style, Colour and Background Colour to your preference.
Allowance Class Lines Area
This area displays a full list of the Allowances that are currently classified under the particular Allowance Class that is being viewed.