The post date is the date used when it hits GL, the transaction date is the date used in the module's document or transaction table. This works the same way throughout the Sage 500 functionality. A simple example would be the posting of an AR invoice batch where the post date again represents the date the transactions will hit the GL, but the invoice date (transaction date) is the date of the document.

For inventory transactions, you can assign the same or different post and transaction dates but you cannot alter their effect on inventory. For example, you cannot back date a cost tier adjustment with the expectation that it will change the cost on transactions that have already been committed. Sage 500 operates in a real-time model where the stock and inventory costs are affected when the transactions are committed. There are also a number of options and settings that affect how items are costed, how transactions affect inventory stock and how that item can be used.

Depending on your business model, accumulating inventory adjustments could be problematic if those items are consumed in manufacturing production or shipping operations. This is especially true if the inventory items are tracked or use a valuation method other than average or standard. You also create a potential problem with inventory valuation depending on how you schedule stock or cost adjustments across periods. This could have greater or lesser impact under different valuation and tracking methods, and if you use manufacturing it could impact your BOM rollups. Customer pricing can be affected as well, primarily when using markup methods, landed costs may not be applied and your Inventory Replenishment/MRP calculations may be rendered inaccurate.

The cost tier is generally established when stock is initially received, produced or adjusted into inventory, but there are a lot of other item attributes or actions that could affect tier creation, value and the relevant dates. These include the valuation and tracking methods assigned to the item, the item type and cost methodology for produced items or kits, the option to allow negative inventory, etc. There will always be a minimum of one cost tier created for an inventory item in each warehouse once stock has been established (BTO kits and non-inventory items are not stocked), but there could be more depending again on the valuation and tracking methods, as well as the various inventory set up options.

For sub-ledger to general ledger reconciliation, you need to determine the methodology that works best for your organization. The valuation report is based on inventory transactions and is sometimes problematic, so the inventory cost report is another option. Just keep in mind the inventory valuation is a historical report while the inventory cost - especially when run with the cost tier option - reports on data in real-time, so it can be affected by ongoing inventory commitments.