This document serves to guide you in setting up your MEWS accounting environment, which will enable the Omniboost accounting integration to correctly extract and push accounting data from MEWS to your accounting platform.

In addition, this article contains an explanation regarding the different accounting flows supported by Omniboost accounting integrations.

Once you have completed your MEWS Accounting setup according to the information in this article, Omniboost can do a final accounting setup check. In order for Omniboost to perform this setup check of your MEWS environment, please create a user for info@omniboost.io with admin rights. Please note that Omniboost will not make any modifications to your MEWS environment. Any modifications that we recommend to you following the accounting setup check, should be carried out by the hotel itself.

Please find below an overview of MEWS setup sections relevant for the accounting integration.

1. Accounting categories’ overview

How to find this overview: MEWS Menu > Settings > Property > Finance > Accounting Categories

Please find an example overview of accounting categories in a MEWS environment below.

In the ‘Ledger account code’ column (green-bordered in the above image), a ledger account code should be entered for every accounting category. These ledger accounts should also exist in the chart of accounts of your accounting platform. In case a ledger account code is missing for any accounting category in MEWS or one of the ledger accounts entered in MEWS is not existing in your accounting platform, the accounting integration will not be able to synchronize the accounting data between MEWS and your accounting platform.

In the ‘Cost center code’ column (orange-bordered in the above image), you can enter cost centers (in case you are making use of these in your accounting environment). Cost centers are generally used to distinguish different revenue streams. In case you do not make use of cost centers, you can leave the values in this column empty.

The columns ‘Code’, ‘External code’, and ‘Posting account code’ are not looked up by our accounting integration. Therefore, you can leave the values in these columns empty. In case you would prefer a more detailed accounting mapping on top of ledger account codes and (possible) cost center codes, please reach out to your Omniboost contact person.

Please note that you do not have to notice Omniboost in case changes to accounting categories and/or ledger account codes and cost center codes are made. This is because the accounting integration will automatically pick up any changes regarding these items.

2. Accounting configuration: Receivable Tracking

How to find the Accounting configuration: MEWS Menu > Settings > Property > Finance > Accounting Configuration

In MEWS is there is an option that is called: Receivable tracking. This option can be found in the accounting configuration as seen below.

The Receivable Tracking option allows a property to manage their accounts receivables (invoices + debtors) in MEWS PMS. In case Receivable Tracking is enabled and an invoice is issued, that invoice is closed and a "receivable invoice payment" is created in MEWS. That receivable invoice payment can then be found in an accounts receivables overview in MEWS. Via this way, properties are able to manage their Accounts Receivable (or A/R) in MEWS.

The Receivable Tracking option can have consequences for the Omniboost accounting integration, though. Please find this separate article which explains the possible consequences. From the Omniboost (accounting integration) perspective, we would advise to disable the Receivable Tracking option in your MEWS environment in case the accounting integration is going to send over invoices to your accounting platform. In case of any questions regarding this option, please reach out to your Omniboost contact person.

3. Accounting configuration: Accounting Editable History Window

How to find the Accounting configuration: MEWS Menu > Settings > Property > Finance > Accounting Configuration

What does the Accounting Editable History Window (AEHW) do?

‘’The Accounting Editable History Window determines the period of time that you can modify accounting items after consumption. After this time, items cannot be modified.’’

The specific time until which accounting items can be modified, is important for the accounting integration. This is because the Omniboost accounting integration will also send over the accounting data from MEWS to your accounting platform at a specific time. We therefore have to ensure that any accounting data sent over by the accounting integration, cannot be modified in MEWS anymore afterwards.

The delay with which the integration sends over data from MEWS to your accounting platform is determined by adding one (1) day to the AEHW that is set in your MEWS environment. In practice, this means that there will be no discrepancies between the accounting data in MEWS and the data in your accounting platform. Please find an overview of Accounting Editable History Windows (as set in MEWS) and the respective delays of the Omniboost integration sending over data to your accounting platform, below:

Please note that it is also possible to set the Accounting Editable History Window to an X number of days and Y number of hours. For example, an AEHW of 1 day and 12 hours. In case you set an Accounting Editable History Window in MEWS anywhere in between full days, please reach out to your Omniboost contact person. Your contact person will be able to determine and explain the accounting integration delay (as corresponding to the AEHW you set in MEWS) to you. In addition, you can find more details in this help article.

Generally, there are two different accounting flows which are supported by our accounting integrations. These are the (1) Closed accounting flow and (2) Consumed accounting flow. Please find an explanation and the details of these flows below.

In the case of a closed accounting flow, revenues are accounted for once a guest checks out of the hotel and the corresponding guest bill is closed.

In the case of a Closed accounting flow, the accounting integration will only extract those revenues from the PMS system which belong to closed bills and invoices. This also means that if a guest is not yet checked out of the hotel, and thus the corresponding guest bill is not closed yet, revenues will not be extracted.

There are two different options available within the Closed accounting flow. Please find more information on these options below.

1.1 Closed flow based on journal entries

The accounting integration can extract revenues (and payments) of closed bills from the MEWS Accounting report and create a journal entry in your accounting platform based on these closed revenues and payments. The revenues belonging to invoices (remember the difference between bills and invoices) are sent over as sales entries to your accounting platform.

In case you prefer a Closed accounting flow based on journal entries, you can reconcile any journal entry with (closed) revenues and payments in your accounting platform by running the Accounting report in MEWS on a Closed type:

Consequently, run the Accounting report based on the ‘Closed’ type as below:

Please note that by default, we let the accounting integration extract data from the Accounting report on a 12:00AM to 12:00AM basis (as seen in the above image). In this case, we therefore consider 12AM to be the end-of-day for your hotel.

In case you would prefer a different end-of-day (for example 02:00AM, which means that we extract data from the Accounting report on a 02:00AM to 02:00AM basis) please reach out to your Omniboost contact person.

1.2 Closed flow based on Bills & Invoices

The accounting integration can also extract closed revenues from the MEWS Bills and invoices report and send all the individual bills and invoices over to your accounting platform as sales entries, along with debtor information.

Please note that the MEWS Accounting report shows revenues (and payments) based on an accounting category level. The Bills and invoices overview provides the same information; however, it does so based on the level of individual bills and invoices.

Within this flow, the accounting integration can send over the closed bills with or without corresponding payments.

As stated in the previous section of this documentation, the accounting integration can extract closed revenues from the MEWS Accounting report and create a journal entry in your accounting platform based on these closed revenues and payments. The accounting integration can do the same for consumed revenues.

Therefore, in the case of a Consumed accounting flow, the accounting integration will extract consumed revenues (and payments) from the MEWS Accounting report and create a journal entry in your accounting platform based on these consumed revenues and payments.

In case this is your preferred accounting flow, you can reconcile any journal entry with (consumed) revenues and payments in your accounting platform by running the Accounting report in MEWS on a Consumed type:

Once again, please note that by default, we let the accounting integration extract data from the Accounting report on a 12:00AM to 12:00AM basis (as seen in the above image). In this case, we therefore consider 12AM to be the end-of-day for your hotel.

In case you would prefer a different end-of-day (for example 02:00AM, which means that we extract data from the Accounting report on a 02:00AM to 02:00AM basis) please reach out to your Omniboost contact person.

Accounting laws and/or practices in some countries require the use of a Hybrid accounting flow, i.e. a flow in which the Closed and Consumed flows are combined. In case such a Hybrid flow applies to your situation, please inform your Omniboost representative about this. The specifics of such a Hybrid flow can then be discussed during a meeting.

Please find a summary of the different accounting flows below:

1. Closed accounting flow (based on Journal entries)

Revenues and payments belonging to closed bills are sent over to your accounting platform in a journal entry. Revenues belonging to invoices (remember the difference between bills and invoices) are sent over as sales entries to your accounting platform along with debtor information.

2. Closed accounting flow (based on Bills and invoices)

All individual bills and invoices are sent over to your accounting platform as sales entries, along with debtor information.

Within this flow, the accounting integration can include or exclude payments belonging to closed bills.

3. Consumed accounting flow

Consumed revenues and payments are sent over to your accounting platform in a journal entry. Revenues belonging to invoices (remember the difference between bills and invoices) are sent over as sales entries to your accounting platform along with debtor information.

Please inform your Omniboost representative about your preferred accounting flow.

* Please see the difference between bills and invoices as described at the start of PART 2 of this article.