Please add a unique, control number (ID) to predefined charges table in Sierra. This control number should be exported in the Fines Paid report. Currently, libraries waste significant administrative hours manually reconciling monthly, quarterly, and annual revenue because edited descriptions break automated data sorting (like Excel Pivot Tables).

The Problem:
To balance monthly revenue, libraries must sum payments by the type of predefined charge (e.g., photocopy charges, replacement cards, damaged books, donations).
Because Sierra lacks a dedicated, un-editable control number for predefined charges, we are forced to hardcode budget codes directly into the text description fields:
• 3323 Library Mug - $10.00 each – DO NOT EDIT THIS FIELD
• 3310 Damaged Fee – Insert Title & Barcode
• 3481 Donation with Receipt – DO NOT EDIT THIS FIELD
• 3312 Used Book Sales – DO NOT EDIT THIS FIELD

Why This Fails:
• Accidental Edits: Despite "DO NOT EDIT" warnings, staff frequently modify these fields during payment.
• Required Edits: Some charges require staff to overwrite instructions with specific details (e.g., typing the title and barcode over the 3310 Damaged Fee template).
• Reconciliation Bottlenecks: When a description is modified, the budget code can be lost. Finance and circulation staff must spend time manually sorting Excel sheets, running pivot tables, or logging back into Sierra to look up individual historical transactions to identify what the payment was actually for.

Proposed Solution: Persistent Control Numbers
1. Add a "Control Number" Field: Create a dedicated, unique control number field (e.g., a number that simply matches the row field in the predefined charges table) when creating or editing the predefined charges table.
The control number could be associated with each row in the predefined charges table. This control number/description relationship for each row in a table is throughout Sierra.
2. Include the ID in the Fines Paid Report: Ensure this unique control number is exported as a separate, dedicated column in the Fines Paid report.

Result: Even if staff completely change the text description field at the time of payment (e.g., changing the text to a book title), the underlying budget code (like 3310) remains attached to the transaction record and exports perfectly.

Target Audience & Benefits
• Finance & Administrative Staff: Reconciliations, quarterly reviews, and annual audits are streamlined. Instead of manually cleaning messy text data, finance teams can run instant Excel Pivot Tables grouped by the persistent Control Number column.

• Circulation Staff: The payment workflow is simplified. Staff no longer have to worry about accidentally deleting strict formatting rules or "DO NOT EDIT" text when processing transactions.