Using the Electronic File Build Steps

This brief tutorial explains the steps involved in setting up the file structure as well as how to build the file and review the resulting data using the structure you created.

Occasionally you may want to set up your own 401(k) text files, unemployment text files, worker's compensation text files, or other third party files using Payroll information.

Before you begin, it is recommended that you:

  1. Design the desired report on paper. This will help you to determine what information you want to pull from Spectrum.
  2. Familiarize yourself with the available Spectrum tables and determine which tables are needed. The available tables include:

    • MISC (Miscellaneous non-file variables)

    • PA.INFO (Company Information)

    • PR.EEO (EEO Classification)

    • PR.EHIST (Check History) Note

    • PR.EHVD (Check History Deductions / Add-ons) Note

    • PR.EM1 (Employee Master)

    • PR.TAX_TABLE (Non-company specific tax table)

    • PR.STHIS (State History Tax)

    • PR.UDEMP (Employee Master User-Defined Fields)

    • PR.VDCTL (Payroll Deductions / Add-ons Master) Notete

    • PR.WCCTL (Worker's Compensation Master)

    • PR.WCHIS (Employee Worker's Compensation History)

      Note: This list of tables is also available in the Search File Variables window.
  3. Familiarize yourself with the Formula File Maintenance screen. Knowledge of this screen will help you to understand how formulas are set up in Spectrum.
  4. Determine what formulas and/or categories you need to include before you set up your build file structure. For example, if you are going to be giving all employees a pay raise based on a percentage of their current salary, you would need to set up a formula that took the employee's earnings and multiplied this amount by a certain percent.
  5. Click on the Maintenance > Electronic File Table Maintenance > Formulas button. Enter any formulas you may need here and then print the listing report to review the results. Continuing with our example, you would set up a formula that looked at the PR.EHIST (the check history file) as the first factor multiplied by the percentage increase as the second factor (for example, .05 would yield a 5% raise). See the Electronic File Formula Maintenance topic for more information.
  6. Click on the Maintenance > Electronic File Table Maintenance > Categories button. This feature is handy if, for example, you wanted to include only the amount of your employee's 401(k) deductions in the text file. Enter any deduction or add-on categories you may need here and then print the listing report to review the results. See the Electronic Category Group Maintenance topic for more information.
  7. Set up the file layout.
  8. Click on Data Entry > Build Electronic Data File and complete the screen using the table information you just set up in the Electronic File Table Maintenance screen. You are given the option to print the results or save them as an electronic file.