Helios Commission Report Help

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I am trying to set up my commissions for lotions sales in Helios. I have talked with tech support 3 times now so I thought I would see if anyone here has some real world experience.

I have each employee set up with a commission range under their emp data.
% 5, Range 1 - 50.00. %10, Range 2 - 100.00. %15, Range 3 - 300.00.

Then under each sales code I have checked to use "employee data" for the commission verses a fee or rate.

When i pull a commission report for example of 94.34 I am getting a commission of only 2.21.

Tech support said it was set up correctly, and doesn't know what is up.

The 1st 50.00 should pay 2.50, then the 44.34 should pay 4.34 for a total of 6.84 according to tech support.

Now what I really want is to have it work like this: if they sell 50.00 they get 5% but if they sell more then 50.00 they get 10% on the entire amount not just the amount above 50.00. Then if they get above 300.00 they get 15%.

....ok Tech support just called back and told me a couple additional things. 1. I have to reset and input the % again for each employee after each payroll (pain in the but). 2. that if I set my range 3 at 300.00 then it stops paying at 300.00. So now what to do?

Well if anyone has experience with this please let me know how it works or not for you and if you have any fixes. I of course can do it manually but then I don't have a correct copy electronically for later review/comparison. Andy.....?

[Andy]

regarding commission from Employee Data ... which I personally NEVER recommend anyone use.

firstly ... only 1 rate will apply to a transaction ... that being the rate applicable to the sale going into the transaction. So at the start of a commission cycle if they sale a $60 item, 5% will apply to that entire sale. Second example, if they have already sold $95. (therefore currently qualify for 10% and now sell a $40 item ... 10% applies to that entire sale because that is the rate that applies going into the sale (being at $95.) not just on the $5 but the whole $40. ... TOTALLY UNWORKABLE ... I am not saying it makes any sense, just telling you the way it is.

secondly ... commission is not calculated retroactively, commission will only be calculated on sales processed AFTER the employee commission was enabled. Commission is not calculated at time of reporting (which would be logical), it is calculated on each sale transaction and stored in the transaction. WHen you run a commission report it calculates nothing, it just reports the commission stored in each transaction.

thirdly ... using Employee Data commission you do not have to re input the % after each payroll ... BUT ... you do have to "INITIALIZE" Employee at the start of each commission cycle. That function is in the Management drop down menu list. They are right the ranges should be set with the applicable % to be paid UP TO the amount entered. So the last range must have a value that no employee would ever reach in a commission cycle so all sales in that cycle are subject to commission.

SO ... what you want to do will never get done properly using Employee Data Commission ...

BUT, much simplier approach to accomplish exactly what you want. Now that I have written a mini novel regarding Employee Data Commission now please ....

FORGET EMPLOYEE DATA ... take the tick off that Commission option in your sales codes ... set on the Sales Code itself a RATE of 5% on all applicable sales code

Then on the desired frequency take off the commission report, it will show Sales Volume and Commission at 5% ... if they have meet the required sales volume for the second level ... double the commission, thus 10% ... if they have meet the required sales volume for the third level ... triple the commission, thus 15%.

Personal obversation ... your level values are too low ... IMHO, employee should have to sell more than $50. to get 10% ... but that is 100% your call ...

Hope this helps ...

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Thanks Andy for your quick response. However you are in direct opposition to others at Helios Tech support. I originaly had it set up as you suggest and still wasn't getting the correct %'s on the report. I had it set at 5% and would get like maybe 2% on the report. When I ask tech support about this they said to use the emp date function. Mainly because they said the "rate" option was more a "ratio" then an exact commission. I asked them to elaborate on the ratio and they said they couldn't, I would have to call back and speak to someone else, but no one could tell me what it was or why the report wouldn't work. I guess this ver of just isn't made to do what I want without my manual calculations. Do you know if Centrix is set up to handle this type of thing?

[Andy]

I am be in direct opposition, but unfortunately I am right ... the workings of Employee Data Commission are unworkable for most salons.

ratio is percentage ... that is all it is ... 5% is a ratio of 5 ... what is commission but a percent/ratio of the sale.

Do you have anything in VALUE below DEFAULT PRICE on the Financial Tab ... looking at the difference between 5% and ~2% makes me wonder if you have put your COST of the item in VALUE (between Default and Minimum).

VALUE is the commissionable VALUE of the sales code ... if VALUE is left at 0.00 then commission will be calculated on the actual selling price, if any other VALUE is entered commission will be calculated on that VALUE.

This version (I am assuming V11) will calculate your commission just fine ... just use RATE of 5% on applicable sales code with Value set to 0.00 ... then pay, or double and pay or triple and pay depending on the Employee Sales volume for the commission cycle.

The last time I saw Centrix they are not anywhere close to doing commission, but I am sure they have now. Do not know what approach changes they have adopted ... I know they intended to make it a REPORT based environment, meaning the commission would be calculated at time of report not on each transaction ... but I am not sure what has actually happened. It will be the better part of a year before any of my clients will begin to seriously evaluate Centrix, too many things are likely to change between now and then for me to spend much time looking at it (but who know, time will tell).

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Well you being right is why I posted. You're the MAN! I am in agreement that a "ratio" should be the same thing but I was just relaying what I was told by tech support. I guess they said that due to the fact that they didn't know enough to ask if I had put in a value in the financial tab, which i have, based on the fact that I thought that would be more about profitabilty then it would have anything to do with the way the report for emp commissions was calculated. Does the "value" box have anything to do with anything else? By taking out my amounts will that effect other information? While I have you...before I was putting a 5 in the box for ratio verses a .05. Which is correct?

[Andy]

Enter 5 for 5% in Rate ....

No VALUE has not other impact ... and do not feel bad, it is the MOST undocumented field in the Helios System.

but ... they really should have known to ask ... could have avoid much pain for you.

Those at Helios looking at this ... would be a good thing to add to your knowledge base

[Andy]

ALSO ... remember to take the TICK off of Employee Data OR your will get BOTH

Commissions will compound if you have more than one option ticked

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Thanks again, and I am off to delete on each of my sales codes the value sections to get this straight.

[Andy]

The cost of an item is recorded on the Inventory Tab

BUT do not get excited, the Cost of Goods reported on Department and Division Sales Report ... IS NOT reliable. It does not conform to Standard Accounting practises. If is provided PURELY for info purposes.

Helios does not provide an Average Cost or FIFO recording of cost. In fact the COST of an item is not even recorded on the sales transaction. The cost reported on the report mention above is the Inventory Cost present on file AT THE TIME OF REPORTING not the time of sale.

[Andy]

my pleasure, glad I could help ...