DEPRECATED

Overview

Below are instructions to configure Mifos as needed by individual MFIs. Some configuration items can be set via the user-interface through links on the Admin tab. Currently, however, most configuration items must be set in the database. You can read latest-data.sql to see what database tables and columns are involved. Below are some additional details.

Localization Variables in Mifos

Country

• Make an entry for your country in the COUNTRY table (Um, is this really required? Seems to have little impact throughout the system).

Currency

• Make an entry for your currency and mark it as the default in the CURRENCY table.

Time Zone

• Aditi-- I didn't find any configuration references in latest-data.sql. I'm assuming the app just takes server time/day and no configuration is needed for this?

Languages

Mifos is currently localized only in English. However, it has been set up to be easily translated into other languages. These instructions pertain only to setting default language once additional languages are available.

• To select your default language, search for the SUPPORTED_LOCALE table and make the appropriate entries.

Date Format

• Date format is inherited from Language. Aditi-- this is what the FS says, but isn't the date format inhered from country? No additional configuration is needed.

How to set Configuration Variables in Mifos

Fiscal Year

• Working Days (Default: Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri, Sat.)
  Currently, an MFI's working days can't be configured through the UI. They must be configured by making entries to Week Days table in latest-data.sql. Search for Week Days table in the script to find comments on how to configure this attribute.

• Start of Fiscal Week (Default: Monday)
  Same as above. Must be configured by making entries to the Week Days table in the database.

Language

Accounting rules

None of the accounting rules can be configured through the UI. Changes must be made to the following entries/tables in the database. Please note that the table where the configuration entries are made don't correlate (at all) to the organization of the functional specifications.

Note that currently the default currency is Rupees. All the defaults below are associated with that currency.

• Number of digits after decimal (Default: 1)
  Search for CURRENCY table and enter a value in DEFAULT_DIGITS_AFTER_DECIMAL.

• Amount to be rounded to (Default: .5)
  Search for CURRENCY table and enter a value in ROUNDING_AMOUNT

• Rounding rule (up/down) (Default: 1)
  Search for CURRENCY table and enter a value in ROUNDING_MODE

• Number of interest days in a year (Default: 365)
  Search forSYSTEM_CONFIGURATION table and enter either 360 or 365 into the field NO_OF_INTEREST_DAYS. Question for Aditi: what happens if a user enters another value into this field

Miscellaneous

• Sequence of name (ie first name, last name OR last name, first name):
  
  • Default: first_name,middle_name,last_name,second_last_name.
  • Currently no UI interface to configure this attribute, so must be configured by making changes to latest-data.sql. Search for SYSTEM_CONFIGURATION table and enter a value (in minutes) for NAME_SEQUENCE field. Other acceptable paramters are XXXXX (Aditi to answer).

• Session time out rule (Default: 60 minutes).
  Currently no UI interface to configure this attribute, so must be configured by making changes to latest-data.sql. Search for SYSTEM_CONFIGURATION table and enter a value (in minutes) for SESSION_TIME_OUT field.

• Officer titles
  Again, must be configured through the database. There are two places where you need to make entries. Once Mifos is installed, tittles can be added/edited from the database but existing titles should not be deleted as there could be references to these titles in the system. Note- Centers and groups will refer the common list of officer titles. | Under LOOKUP_VALUE_LOCALE table (search for Official titles) | In the position table. FS says only Six officer titles can be specified for centers and groups-- is this true?

• Allow Back-dated transactions? (Default: Yes).
  No UI interface, must be configured through the database. Search for SYSTEM_CONFIGURATION table and enter a value (in minutes) for BACK_DATED_TXN_ALLOWED field. 1 means "is allowed" and 0 means "is not allowed". ADITI TO CONFIRM.

• Office hierarchy
  (Default: All levels of hierarchy are included). This can be configured through the UI. No changes to the script are necessary.

Process flow/optional states

Clients and accounts have some optional states, which can be hidden and excluded from the state flows. By default, all of the states (Except "Loan Accounts-- disbursed to LO") are included in the UI. Once Mifos is configured to display a state, the state should not be removed as some records could be in that state.

Instructions for turning optional states on/off:

• For customer states, search for CUSTOMER_STATE table, find the appropriate state, and change the value for CURRENTLY_IN_USE to zero. These are the optional customer states:
  • Clients-- Pending Approval
  • Groups-- Pending Approval
  • For accounts, search for ACCOUNT_STATE table, find the appropriate state, and change the value for CURRENTLY_IN_USE to zero. These are the optional account states: Aditi needs to add comments in script to identify which states are which.
  • Loan Accounts-- Pending Approval
  • Loan Accounts-- Disbursed to Loan Officer
  • Savings Accounts-- Pending Approval

Client Rules

All of these are configured by making changes to the SYSTEM_CONFIGURATION table. 1 means "is allowed/yes" and 0 means "is not allowed/no". ADITI TO CONFIRM.

• Whether “Center” hierarchy is present in the system (Default: center hierarchy is present.)
  Change CENTER_HIERARCHY_EXIST field to 0 to remove this hierarchy.

• Whether Groups are allowed to apply for loans (Default: group loans are allowed.)
  Change GROUP_CAN_APPLY_LOANS field to 0 to conifigure Mifos to block loans being opened for groups.

• Whether Clients can exist outside group (Default: Yes).
  No UI interface, must be configured through the database. Search for SYSTEM_CONFIGURATION table and enter a value CLIENT_CAN_EXIST_OUTSIDE_GROUP field. 1 means "is allowed" and 0 means "is not allowed".

Lateness/dormancy definition

• Lateness definition in loan accounts (the number of days of non-payment after which status of loan account is changed to "Active in bad standing” by the system.). Default- 1 day. Can be configured through the UI.

• "Dormancy" in Savings Accounts: The account status will be changed to "In active" by the system. Default- 30 days. Can be changed in the UI. NOTE: This feature is not yet full functional.

Labels

System allows renaming of some labels. These labels, if renamed, will be replaced by the new label at all the places in the GUI. Instructions for configuring labels:

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Hidden/Mandatory data fields

There is currently no UI to to hide fields and/or mark them as mandatory, so changes must be made directly in the script. Search for FIELD_CONFIGURATION tables to find comments on how to change set these attributes.

* See issue 1527 for a known problem with this area.

Look-up options

Look up options for the following attributes can be defined and specified during installation. Post installation, the options should not be deleted however, more options can be added in each list. Instructions for defining look-up options:

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Accepted payment types

Default for all transactions: Cash. These different payment types are required for reporting purpose and do not have any financial implications. Currently, Mifos can be configured to accept cash, check, or voucher. Aditi: Please add cash and check options into the script-- both in the look-up options and the payment table

To apply payment types to new transactions, make the appropriate entries in the SUPPORTED_MODES table. Entries are made by transaction type. See script for examples.

Custom fields

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How to enter your Chart of Accounts into Mifos

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-- Main.emilytucker - 17 Oct 2006