A batch is a temporary file that stores a group of transactions, or entries, before they are recorded throughout the software, posted to the General Ledger, and reflected in the audit trail. Once you post a batch, the transactions it holds cannot be removed or directly changed. Instead, a second opposing transaction is required to reverse the effects of the first one.

Selecting the multi-batch option in General Ledger Module Preferences allows multiple temporary files to be open at the same time. This would be equivalent to having multiple notebooks for each person in an organization to enter data rather than having only one notebook to share between them. See Using Transaction Batches in General Ledger for information on working with batches.

If you choose to use single-batch mode, a new batch can only be opened after you post the current batch. If only one person will enter transactions in the system at one time, then a single batch might be sufficient. However, you might want to use multiple batches even if there will be only one person to enter transactions. This might be helpful if, for example, you want to post separate groups of journal entries using different batches based on types of entries, date of the entries, departments, or any other categorization you choose.

If you have transactions or journal entries you want to generate on a recurring basis, you must use the multi-batch mode option to create the recurring transactions. Depending on your needs, you might use either allocations or recurring entries (see Establishing Recurring Transactions) to accomplish this.