Automation reference · SmartERP Documentation

Scheduled actions, automated cron jobs, bank feed synchronization, and periodic depreciation triggers.

1. Overview & Business Value#

This comprehensive operational guide details the architecture, business workflows, configuration parameters, and execution steps for Automation reference within SmartERP.

This page documents automated background cron jobs for SmartERP Financial Operations.

{screenshot:automation-reference-overview-dashboard}

2. Prerequisites & Security Access Groups#

Required Modules: account, smarterp_finance, smarterp_ethiopian_payroll
Security Groups:
- Show Full Accounting Features (Technical ID: account.group_account_user)
- Billing Administrator / Financial Controller (Technical ID: account.group_account_manager)
- Chief Financial Officer / Auditor (Technical ID: account.group_account_readonly)
Master Data Dependencies: Chart of accounts, statutory tax definitions (VAT 15%, WHT 2%/30%), payment terms, and open fiscal periods for Company 1 (Ashewa Technology Solutions S.C.).

3. Step-by-Step Configuration & Execution#

Step 1: Navigating to the Module Interface#

Log into your SmartERP instance at https://smarterp.et/odoo.
Open the main App Switcher (grid icon in the top-left corner).
Select the Accounting app icon.
From the top navigation bar, open Accounting → Customers / Vendors / Accounting / Configuration.

{screenshot:automation-reference-app-switcher-navigation}

Step 2: Creating and Parameterizing Records#

Click the New button in the top-left control panel.
Complete the mandatory fields in the record form:
- Name / Reference (Mandatory): Unique identifier or auto-generated voucher sequence number
- Accounting Date (Mandatory): Effective posting date falling within an open fiscal period
- Journal (Mandatory): Designated financial journal (Cash, Bank, Customer Invoices, Vendor Bills, Miscellaneous)
- Partner / Entity (Mandatory): Registered customer, vendor, or employee partner record (res.partner)
Configure optional operational parameters and localized tags as required:
- Analytic Distribution (Optional): Cost center or project allocation percentage
- Tax Treatment (Optional): Statutory withholding tax or VAT exemption certificate
- Payment Reference (Optional): Commercial bank transaction reference or cheque number
Click the Save icon in the control bar to commit the record.

{screenshot:automation-reference-record-creation-form}

Step 3: Validating and Processing Transactions#

State Transitions: Execute operational state progression (Draft → In Payment / Confirmed → Posted / Reconciled).
Ledger & System Impact: Generates immutable double-entry journal items (account.move.line) updating general ledger balances, trial balance, and statutory tax registers.
Audit Verification: Automated recording of author ID, timestamp, and immutable revision history.

{screenshot:automation-reference-transaction-processing-state}

Active scheduled actions#

Cron Name	Technical Model	Interval	Function
Daily Bank Feed Sync	`account.journal`	Every 24 hours	Fetches statements from connected bank APIs.
Asset Depreciation Post	`account.asset`	Monthly	Posts due depreciation journal entries.
Cheque Expiry Alert	`account.payment`	Weekly	Flags unpresented cheques exceeding 180 days.
Budget Variance Check	`base.budget`	Daily	Evaluates encumbrances and triggers threshold alerts.

4. Advanced Configuration Points#

Automated Actions & Scheduled Tasks (Crons):
- Account: Automatic reconciliation (account.ir_cron_auto_reconcile): Runs nightly to match open ledger transactions
- Asset: Compute depreciation lines (account_asset.ir_cron_compute_depreciation): Runs monthly on the 30th to compute fixed asset depreciation schedules
- Tax: Generate VAT and WHT schedules (smarterp_finance.ir_cron_tax_schedules): Runs monthly to prepare MOR tax return summaries
Custom Print Templates & Reports:
- Official Cash Receipt Voucher (CRV)
- Bank Payment Voucher (BPV) & Cheque Payment Voucher (CPV)
- Withholding Tax Certificate (Form 3.4)
- General Ledger & Trial Balance Audit Schedules
Multi-Company Rules: Record-level security isolation under Company 1 (Ashewa Technology Solutions S.C.), preventing cross-company ledger leakage across parent and subsidiary legal entities.

5. Comprehensive Troubleshooting Matrix#

Error Symptom / Exception	Probable Root Cause	Corrective Action / Resolution
`Access Rights Error: Operation not allowed on account.move`	User account lacks accounting operator privileges.	Assign the user to `account.group_account_user` or `account.group_account_manager` under Settings → Users.
`Validation Error: Missing analytic distribution`	Selected general ledger account mandates cost center allocation for IFRS compliance.	Populate the analytic distribution column on all debit and credit lines before posting.
`Posting Blocked: Fiscal period closed`	Transaction date falls within an immutable locked accounting period.	Select a transaction date within the open fiscal year or request an authorized period reopening under Accounting Settings.
`Tax Imbalance: WHT withholding variance`	Withholding deduction does not match statutory 2% goods or 30% service rate.	Verify vendor TIN registration status in partner master and recalculate statutory tax lines.

Next#

Testing and upgrades: Testing and upgrades.
Finance overview: Finance overview.