Module Locking
Complete guide to locking accounting modules during the period close process.
Overview
MODULE LOCKING SEQUENCE
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
OPEN PERIOD LOCKING SEQUENCE CLOSED
─────────── ──────────────── ──────
All modules Lock AR Lock AP Lock Payroll Lock All
open ────────────►────────────►────────────────►────────────►
│ │ │ │
▼ ▼ ▼ ▼
AR Closed AP Closed Payroll Closed Period
AP Open Payroll Open GL Open Closed
GL Open GL Open
Lock Types
Lock Comparison
| Lock Type | What's Prevented | What's Still Allowed |
|---|---|---|
| Lock A/R | Invoices, Credit Memos, Cash Sales, Customer Payments, Customer Deposits, Return Authorizations | AP transactions, Journal Entries, Inventory |
| Lock A/P | Vendor Bills, Vendor Credits, Checks, Bill Payments, Expense Reports, Purchase Orders | Journal Entries, Adjustments |
| Lock Payroll | Payroll transactions, Time entries | Non-payroll transactions |
| Lock All | ALL GL-posting transactions | Nothing (full period lock) |
Lock A/R (Accounts Receivable)
What Gets Locked
LOCK A/R - PREVENTED TRANSACTIONS
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Customer Transactions:
├── Invoice ✗ Cannot create/edit
├── Cash Sale ✗ Cannot create/edit
├── Credit Memo ✗ Cannot create/edit
├── Customer Payment ✗ Cannot create/edit
├── Customer Deposit ✗ Cannot create/edit
├── Customer Refund ✗ Cannot create/edit
├── Return Authorization ✗ Cannot create/edit
└── Item Fulfillment ✓ Still allowed
Note: Item Fulfillments don't post to AR directly
When to Lock AR
| Timing | Criteria |
|---|---|
| End of period | All customer invoices entered |
| Cash receipts complete | All payments applied |
| AR reconciled | Aging matches GL balance |
Lock AR Process
LOCK A/R STEPS
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
1. Navigate to:
Setup > Accounting > Manage GL > Manage Accounting Periods
2. Click the "Checklist" icon for the target period
3. Click "Go To Task" next to "Lock A/R"
4. Review pending AR transactions:
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Pending AR Transactions for Jan 2026: │
│ │
│ Unapplied Payments: 2 │
│ Open Invoices: 5 (expected) │
│ Unprocessed Credit Memos: 0 │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
5. If no issues, click "Lock A/R"
6. Status changes: Period = "A/R Closed"
Lock A/P (Accounts Payable)
What Gets Locked
LOCK A/P - PREVENTED TRANSACTIONS
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Vendor Transactions:
├── Vendor Bill ✗ Cannot create/edit
├── Vendor Credit ✗ Cannot create/edit
├── Bill Payment ✗ Cannot create/edit
├── Check ✗ Cannot create/edit
├── Vendor Prepayment ✗ Cannot create/edit
└── Expense Report ✗ Cannot create/edit
Purchase Transactions:
├── Purchase Order ✓ Still allowed (non-posting)
├── Item Receipt ✓ Still allowed
└── Vendor Return Auth ✗ Cannot create/edit
When to Lock AP
| Timing | Criteria |
|---|---|
| Bills entered | All vendor invoices recorded |
| Cut-off complete | Accruals processed for missing bills |
| AP reconciled | Aging matches GL balance |
| Payments complete | Payment run finished |
Lock AP Process
LOCK A/P STEPS
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
1. Navigate to Period Close Checklist
2. Click "Go To Task" next to "Lock A/P"
3. Review pending AP transactions:
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Pending AP Transactions for Jan 2026: │
│ │
│ Unprocessed Bills: 0 │
│ Pending Bill Payments: 3 (in approval) │
│ Draft Expense Reports: 1 │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
4. Resolve pending items or approve to continue
5. Click "Lock A/P"
6. Status changes: Period = "A/P Closed"
Lock Payroll
What Gets Locked
LOCK PAYROLL - PREVENTED TRANSACTIONS
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Payroll Transactions:
├── Paycheck ✗ Cannot create/edit
├── Payroll Liability Payment ✗ Cannot create/edit
├── Time Entry ✗ Cannot create/edit (for period)
└── Payroll Adjustment JE ✗ Cannot create/edit
Note: Only available if Payroll feature is enabled
When to Lock Payroll
| Timing | Criteria |
|---|---|
| Pay runs complete | All payrolls processed |
| Taxes filed | Payroll tax deposits made |
| Reconciled | Payroll GL accounts reconciled |
Lock All (General Ledger)
What Gets Locked
LOCK ALL - PREVENTED TRANSACTIONS
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
ALL GL-Posting Transactions:
├── Journal Entries ✗ Cannot create/edit
├── Statistical JE ✗ Cannot create/edit
├── Intercompany JE ✗ Cannot create/edit
├── Inventory Adjustments ✗ Cannot create/edit
├── Transfers ✗ Cannot create/edit
├── Work Orders ✗ Cannot create/edit
├── Fixed Asset Depreciation ✗ Cannot create/edit
└── ALL other postings ✗ Cannot create/edit
Non-Posting Transactions:
├── Purchase Orders ✓ Still allowed
├── Sales Orders ✓ Still allowed
├── Quotes/Estimates ✓ Still allowed
└── Opportunities ✓ Still allowed
When to Lock All
| Timing | Criteria |
|---|---|
| Prerequisites met | AR, AP, Payroll locked |
| Adjustments complete | All adjusting entries posted |
| FX revaluation done | Currency adjustments complete |
| Depreciation run | Fixed assets processed |
Lock All Process
LOCK ALL STEPS
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Prerequisites:
✓ Lock A/R complete
✓ Lock A/P complete
✓ Lock Payroll complete (if applicable)
1. Navigate to Period Close Checklist
2. Click "Go To Task" next to "Lock All"
3. Review checklist status:
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Period Close Status for Jan 2026: │
│ │
│ ✓ Lock A/R Complete │
│ ✓ Lock A/P Complete │
│ ✓ Lock Payroll Complete │
│ ○ Lock All Pending │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
4. Click "Lock All"
5. Status changes: Period = "All Closed"
⚠️ After Lock All, only these checklist tasks remain:
- Resolve Date/Period Mismatches
- FX Revaluation
- IC Eliminations
- Period End Journals
- Close Period
Unlocking Periods
When to Unlock
| Reason | Approval Required |
|---|---|
| Missed transaction | Manager |
| Error correction | Controller |
| Audit adjustment | CFO |
| Prior period adjustment | CFO + Audit |
Unlock Process
UNLOCK PERIOD STEPS
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
1. Navigate to Manage Accounting Periods
2. Click on the locked period
3. Click "Reopen Period"
4. Select unlock scope:
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Reopen Options: │
│ │
│ ○ Reopen All │
│ (Unlock everything) │
│ │
│ ○ Reopen for Adjusting Entries Only │
│ (Only JE allowed) │
│ │
│ ○ Unlock A/R Only │
│ (AR transactions allowed) │
│ │
│ ○ Unlock A/P Only │
│ (AP transactions allowed) │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
5. Make necessary corrections
6. Re-lock following the standard sequence
Important:
- All unlock actions are logged in audit trail
- Comparative reports may need regeneration
- Subsidiary consolidation may be affected
Role Permissions
Lock/Unlock Permissions
| Permission | Description | Typical Role |
|---|---|---|
| Period Close Tasks | Required to lock periods | Controller, Administrator |
| Reopen Accounting Period | Required to unlock | CFO, Administrator |
| Edit Transactions in Locked Period | Override lock | Administrator only |
Setting Up Permissions
PERMISSION SETUP
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Navigate to:
Customization > Roles > [Select Role] > Permissions > Setup
Required Permissions for Closing:
┌────────────────────────────────────────┬───────────────┐
│ Permission │ Level │
├────────────────────────────────────────┼───────────────┤
│ Accounting Period │ Full │
│ Period Close Tasks │ Full │
│ Reopen Accounting Period │ Full (CFO) │
│ Override Period Restrictions │ None (danger) │
└────────────────────────────────────────┴───────────────┘
Lock Status Indicators
Visual Indicators
PERIOD STATUS DISPLAY
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
On Transaction Forms:
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Posting Period: [Jan 2026 ▼] │
│ │
│ ⚠️ This period is locked for A/R transactions │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
On Period List:
Period A/R A/P Payroll GL Status
────── ─── ─── ─────── ── ──────
Jan 2026 🔒 🔒 🔒 🔒 Closed
Dec 2025 🔒 🔒 🔒 🔓 AR/AP Closed
Nov 2025 🔓 🔓 🔓 🔓 Open
Best Practices
Locking Procedures
| Practice | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Lock sequence | Always AR → AP → Payroll → All |
| Communication | Notify teams before locking |
| Cut-off | Set clear deadlines |
| Documentation | Record lock date/time |
| Review | Verify transactions before locking |
Common Issues
| Issue | Cause | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| Can't lock AR | Unapplied payments | Apply or void payments |
| Can't lock AP | Pending approvals | Complete approval workflow |
| Transaction in wrong period | Date mismatch | Edit date or period |
| Need to post after lock | Missed entry | Unlock with approval |
Related Topics
- Period Management - Period setup
- Month-End Close - Complete checklist
- Period Close Checklist - All close tasks