Technology in Practice

Are you still running on an older version of Sage MAS 500? Studies show many choose not to upgrade due to concerns over the cost and effort involved. However, because every release is designed to streamline workflow, save you time and money, and improve customer service, you can experience a fast return on your upgrade investment. Here we will cover the top 10 features of the last three MAS 500 releases; all 30 are included in the most recent release – Version 7.3. Looking For Sage 500 (MAS 500 ERP) Migration Options? Visit here Version 7.3 – Top Ten Enhancements Here are just the top 10 enhancements introduced in the most current release of Sage MAS 500 ERP: The new Credit Card Processing module is free when you use Sage Payment Solutions as your credit card processor. Credit card transactions are enabled in several places throughout Sage ERP MAS 500 Version 7.3 – they can be initiated and managed from within Sales Order, Accounts Receivable, and Cash Management. Significant performance improvements in data entry, processing, posting, and reporting improve productivity. A streamlined Sales Order processing workflow improves customer service and productivity. The new capabilities include: * Ability to print an invoice before committing shipments so that an invoice can be included in a shipment. For counter sales, it can be printed and handed to the customer. * Ability to process shipment commitments after business hours. * Flexible credit card payment options that support a customerís preferred payment method. * Updates made to Ship To, Ship Via, and Delivery Method fields in the order header optionally cascade down to all open sales order line items, eliminating the need to update lines items individually. The inventory physical count process becomes faster and more accurate with a new grid entry, expanded item selection criteria, and sort order control. You also can select individual list items to count and save count selection settings for future use. Several new Business Insights Explorer views allow you to view pending and posted inventory transactions. Vendor and customer documents can be sent electronically in PDF format. Make payments electronically using the Automated Clearing House (ACH), and avoid check fraud with Positive Pay. The updated Desktop offers faster access to the tasks you use most with a Recently Accessed Tasks window. You can personalize the Tasks Explorer Bar, change the order of the module menu groups, and hide or show groups on the menu. Customer and vendor records can be merged easily to eliminate duplicates or consolidate entities. Multiple shipments can be included on a single invoice to simplify billing and reduce paperwork. Version 7.2 Top 10 Enhancements Here are the top 10 enhancements added in the Version 7.2 release of Sage MAS 500 ERP: Business Insights Dashboard was introduced to provide you with the vital information you need to stay on top of your business. Up-to-date sales statistics, key accounting data, industry news, and competitive intelligence all are available in one location. Useful new Business Insights Explorer Views were added, such as the Where Serial Number Used preview that allows you to immediately identify where a given item serial number was used in your business operations. Data Import Manager was introduced, allowing database administrators to use a powerful mapping wizard to easily configure one-time or regularly scheduled imports into a wide variety of Sage ERP MAS 500 transaction formats. The option to Pick by Order or Shipment was added, allowing you to complete urgent orders first without completing an entire pick list. A Memo Management option was added to the Sage MAS 500 ERP Office toolbar. Created memos are automatically assigned to the voucher, customer, or invoice. Business Insights Explorer now includes a new Active Memos preview for the most common memos such as Vouchers, Invoices, Work Orders, Projects, Purchase Orders, and Sales Orders. Ability to access Office Template creation from within Microsoft Word was added. In addition to providing complete Microsoft Office 2007 support, Sage ERP MAS 500 Office becomes a generic feature, available in all data entry tasks. Online tutorials and extended Help options offer comprehensive training and search capabilities. HTML help and multimedia tutorials help new users learn how to handle common tasks and functionality. Sage ERP MAS 500 takes advantage of the latest .NET and SQL capabilities. Version 7.05 Top 10 Enhancements Here are the top 10 enhancements added in the Version 7.05 release of Sage MAS 500 ERP: A streamlined grid-based entry provides a heads-down approach to order processing. Sales Order Entry can be tailored to match internal procedures using a built-in customization interface where fields can be added and moved by company, group, user, or site – offering complete flexibility and control. Extensive pick, pack, and ship workflow enhancements are added, including automatic generation of shipments from picking, and the ability to skip the picking confirmation and shipment editing tasks by completing edits for lots, serials, and bins from within picking. An improved StarShip interface eliminates the need for warehouse personnel to manually enter package dimensions. Streamlined Drop-Ship Processing allows you to select the Purchase-From Vendor in Sales Order Entry. Gross Profit Display allows you to optionally display the calculated gross profit for each line on an order, and receive a warning when profit dips below your acceptable level. With Order Copy you can create new orders by copying from an existing order. You can edit and re-price the order as needed. Promotional Pricing allows you to configure date-specific promotions for items, product lines, and other subgroups of inventory with either fixed or percentage-based discounts based on price or quantity ordered. Real-Time Inventory – batch processing is removed from transfer shipments, customer shipments, and customer returns to keep more accurate inventory levels throughout the day. Customized Sales Order Entry screen allows you to choose which fields should be included or excluded from line item grid entry, as well as which fields should be delegated to the miscellaneous tab. Plus, columns within the grid entry can be frozen to help you retain visible context as you scroll from left to right. Credit Management – an optional credit check routine will place orders on credit hold and lift credit holds from orders for customers with resolved credit issues. The extensive enhancements in these last three releases of Sage MAS 500 ERP offer more flexibility, power, and insight into your business. Remember all 30 of these features are included in the most recent Version 7.3. Give us a call with your questions or for help in planning your upgrade.

Net at Work today announced that it has acquired the Sage practice of Forepoint LLC. Forepoint has more than 20 years of experience in the industry, and has consistently been recognized as one of the top Sage Accpac partners in North America. The firm has successfully implemented thousands of accounting, ERP, project management, HRMS, and CRM solutions and has more than 500 customers in 12 states. We are thrilled to have the Forepoint team and their valued clients join Net at Work. Over the years Forepoint has been consistently recognized and rewarded by some of the industry’s most respected organizations, which includes being named Sage Software Accpac Partner of the Year, Sage Software President’s Circle, Accounting Today Magazine’s “Technology Pacesetter”, Accounting Technology Magazine’s Top 100 VARs, and the Sage Leadership Academy Award of Distinction. The Forepoint team will remain headquartered in Seattle, WA and will continue to serve customers in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Colorado, California, Alaska, Hawaii, Wyoming, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Illinois. Forepoint partners Kevin Cumley and John Foster will take on business development roles, and Sonia Gray will serve as Manager of Professional Services. For more details please access the News Release available on the Net at Work website.

Do you have ideas about improving your Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200 system? Sage takes customer feedback very seriously. Recently, Sage made it even easier for you to provide input. Let’s learn more. A History Of Customer Input Using customer feedback to improve the product is nothing new at Sage. Usability tests are performed with actual customers before a new version is released, and a Customer Advisory Council provides input on a regular basis. Over the years you may have participated in various types of surveys in which you were asked for product feedback, whether by mail, on the phone, or via the Internet. This extremely valuable information helps Sage understand your challenges and then determine what can be done to improve your experience. Your feedback influences product plans, helps prioritize features and functionality in each release, and drives product roadmaps. New In-Product Survey Rather than you having to go to a particular screen or website to provide feedback, the new in-product survey launches automatically. After you install a new release or Product Update, the software gives you a few weeks to absorb all the new features, and then prompts you for your feedback while it is still fresh in your mind. Launching surveys within the Sage ERP MAS products is an effective way of obtaining feedback from those people on your team who use the software on a regular basis. The following versions of Sage ERP MAS products support in-product surveys: Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200 4.4 (after applying a Product Update) Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200 4.3 (after applying recent Product Updates) Your Choice It is not always convenient to complete a survey on the spur of the moment. Taking the survey is optional; you may opt to take it immediately, decline the survey, or ask for a reminder at a later time. A Privacy Statement explains how the information will be used. When you choose to take the survey, it will open a browser window and link to a Web-based survey. The survey will take approximately five minutes to complete, is comprised of no more than 12 single select questions, and also provides the opportunity for you to make comments and provide open feedback. The in-product survey is one of many Sage initiatives focused on gaining a deeper understanding of your needs. Also available is the Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200 Feedback site, www.sagemas.com, where you can submit enhancement requests, or read and vote on othersí suggestions. The Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200 Online Community  is a collaborative space where you can share product tips and tricks with other customers. We encourage you to take the time to tell Sage about your product experience. Of course if you prefer, you may provide your feedback directly to us and we will make sure Sage hears about it.

Sage North America announced yesterday that Net at Work received the 2010 Top Five Award designated for Sage Software’s most successful partners.Net at Work ranked #2 on this elite group of 5 and was also awarded Sage Chairman’s Club and President’s Circle status, a level of distinction for exceptional Sage business partners.

Net at Work has launched a complimentary webinar series for our Sage Abra and other clients that will focus on how the Sage employer solutions can help their organizations excel in Employee Management. Our goal for this webinar series is to show how Sage Abra HRMS and related solutions can lift the Human Resource department to a higher level of service and positively affects the organization’s bottom line. The series kicks off today at 1:30pm ET with our first webinar: What’s new in Abra Suite (VFP) Version 9. which introduces Abra Suite v7 and earlier users to the new v9 which adds a completely redesigned interface, navigation pane, and enhanced search functionality. Other Topics include: Top 10 things I should know about Sage Abra – but probably don’t! How Abra can remind about expiration dates, due dates and send automatic emails for me. Streamline employee “forms” and approvals using the web (Paperless forms!) Paperless Payroll with Sage Pay Card and/or Direct Deposit. Visit Sage Abra Webinar Series to REGISTER and/or for a complete listing of topics/dates/times.

Collecting Accounts Receivable effectively and efficiently is key to every business’s success. If you are an ACCPAC ERP user and would like valuable tips, techniques and tools for collecting your accounts more effectively you’ll want to read on. Our Accpac group will be hosting an educational webinar addressing these questions: How do I overcome the biggest barrier to collecting AR? What are the Most important techniques for collecting money? How to use Accpac AR tools?  New AR Customer Inquiry  AR Notes  CRM AR Collections Manager  AR Reports How can automated payment processing can greatly improve your cash flow? How to make accepting credit cards and electronic checks quick and easy?

Sage CRM Version 7.0 was released earlier this year and is included with your Sage ERP Accpac Version 6.0 upgrade. It contains usability and productivity enhancements to the SageCRM system. And a significant workflow enhancement smooths the conversion process of SageCRM quotes into Sage ERP Accpac orders. Letís learn more. Improved Quote To Order Workflow With SageCRM Version 7, you will have the ability to create sales orders from within SageCRM without opening the full Sage ERP Accpac Version 6 Order Entry screens. The new workflow was designed based on feedback from SageCRM users to simplify and enhance the quote-to-order workflow and processing. Now you can create a quote or order without creating an opportunity first. Multiple quotes or orders may be linked to a single opportunity and you can promote multiple quotes to an order within the same opportunity. The improved workflow also reduces the total cost of ownership for your company, because a Sage ERP Accpac user license is no longer required for the Quote-to-Order workflow. At the same time, your total value of ownership is increased through improved usability, better workflow, and enhanced performance. Interactive Dashboard The SageCRM interactive dashboard provides an intuitive workspace where you can coordinate and manage your daily tasks and activities without having to switch between screens. The dashboard provides an iGoogle-type experience with drag-and-drop gadgets. The Dashboard pulls real-time data from within SageCRM, external websites, and integrated Sage ERP Accpac, so that users have all the information they need at their fingertips to increase productivity and efficiency. Support for SData SData (Sage Data) is a standard that allows sharing of data with third party applications in a read-only format. As an example, an SData feed can be used to feed price information within the interactive dashboard. The SData protocol helps Sage to develop seamless integrations and provide you with a truly integrated customer experience. New User Interface Design An enhanced look and feel in SageCRM 7.0 gives users greater personalization options. The original, blue theme is still available, and there are two new color themes; the Sage theme with green textured tabs, and the Neutral theme with silver textured tabs. And now it is easier to create custom themes. Active Directory Provisioning To speed deployment time, a new Active Directory import feature enables IT administrators to import users from a WindowsÆ network into SageCRM. As you can see, a significant part of SageCRM 7.0 is devoted to lowering the cost of ownership and improving the workflow for Sage ERP Accpac customers. Now may be the time to take advantage of the SageCRM system included with your Sage ERP Accpac software. Call us with your questions.

I recently discussed the Sage SalesLogix Cloud with Sage and the benefits that having a cloud option provides (Watch video). As I thought more about my comments I realized that what many users want in their technology lives today is simplicity. The benefits of solutions that “just work” as one user told me means that customers don’t mind paying for something when it’s as easy as flipping a switch. That is why we built our OnTheGo™ solutions to be more friendly with the everyday app user that wants to quickly find something, download and go. In fact, our OnTheGo suite also worked with Sage SalesLogix Cloud the day it was released and that is a big part of the reason that hundreds of people use it every day. Watch the video on YouTube

In this article we’ll show you how to calculate the FMLA Rolling 12-Month Plan Year. We’ll also show you what to do when you encounter the “No Pay Groups Available for Selection At Trial Payroll. (Hint 1) Calculation Of The FMLA Rolling 12-Month Plan Year Note: This hint is applicable to Sage Abra Suite 7.6 and above and all versions of Sage Abra SQL HRMS. The Rolling 12-Month Plan Year is available only when the plan type is FMLA (Family and Medical Leave Act). The 12-month rolling period determines an employeeís balance of FMLA leave by measuring backwards 365 days from the date the employee starts taking FMLA leave. This is called the 12-month look-back period. Each day the calendar moves forward, the 12-month look-back period rolls forward one day. The look-back period includes the accrued as-of date. For example, if the accrue-to date is 3/15/2010, 365 days back is 3/15/2009 with 3/14/2009 as the 366th day, which is outside of the look-back period. In leap years, the extra day is included in the look-back calculation. The basic method of calculating an employeeís available FMLA leave is as follows: Time taken before the first day of the 12-month look-back period is not used in the calculation because it was taken outside of the look-back period. Time taken within the 12-month look-back period is not available for the current FMLA leave request. In setting up this plan for an employee, the calculation method defaults to lump sum, and the system calculates the employeeís default eligibility for FMLA leave as follows: For hours-based attendance plans, the system uses the Hours/Units value from the Sage Abra HR Current Pay page to determine the number of FMLA Leave hours the employee can take during the 12 month look-back period. For days-based attendance plans, the system uses 60 days and assumes a five-day work week.   (Hint 2) Error Message: No Pay Groups Available For Selection At Trial Payroll Note: This tip applies to Sage Abra Suite Payroll Versions 7.x and Canadian Suite Payroll. The message: No Pay Groups Available For Selection At Trial Payroll may appear when one or more payroll processes have not been completed for the previous payroll for this pay group. All payroll statuses must be Complete or Not Applicable before another payroll can be run for this pay group. For Canadian Sage Abra Suite the status must be Active. You can determine which payroll process is incomplete by following the steps below: From the Activity Center, select Payroll, Rules, and Pay Group Set Up. Select the appropriate Employer. Select the appropriate Pay Group and click the Detail button or click on the symbol to the left of the pay group. Once the detail view is opened, select the Payroll Status tab. View the items on this screen to find the payroll process listed as Not Complete. Please give us a call if you need further clarification on any of these hints.