Technology in Practice

More and more healthcare organizations are turning to virtual desktops to address their challenges with the management, security and cost of their organizations end-point devices, namely workstations and laptops. This has long been a complicated subject for healthcare executives due to the complexities within in the healthcare environment. The fact is, end-point devices are the one piece of the technology chain not physically placed in a secured environment.  Servers and switches are hosted in secured and environmentally controlled Data Centers and IDF closets, but laptops and workstations do their work in the Emergency Room, admitting office, or on one of the Nurses mobile carts. This introduces not only additional support costs and challenges but security concerns as well. Even for the IT administrators managing a traditional technology infrastructure consisting of servers, desktops and laptops creates serious challenges. Ensuring software is consistently updated, hardware is running optimally and data is secure and safely backed-up is a time-intensive monotonous effort that puts IT departments in reaction mode rather than focused on proactive system maintenance and innovation. The economics of Healthcare IT are simple. The cost of maintaining IT infrastructure is becoming untenable given the complexity of new systems; the need for flexible and scalable deployments are a requirement for all new projects with executive buy-in. Add to that increasing healthcare costs relative to inflation and newfound political pressure to keep costs down while maintaining the quality of the care being provided. One thing is certain, healthcare organizations are challenged as never before to do more with less. Enter virtual desktops to save the day – and the bottom line – for healthcare. For the uninitiated, virtual desktops represent a philosophical shift in how end-point devices are deployed and supported across an organization. The traditional approach of managing hardware, software and data at the individual machine level is extremely costly, typically in an uncontrolled environment, and near impossible to keep consistent. The simple fact is virtual desktop technology allows Healthcare IT departments to deploy desktops, laptops and portable devices at a lower cost and from a controlled, secure data center. By running the software on a centralized server and having users access only necessary applications, the resources required to support the network are minimized while network uptime can actually be increased; because we are ìpushingî the applications and configurations from a central point, consistency is maintained across the environment. This isn’t exactly a new concept.  IBM had seen the value of running centralized servers with terminals back in the late 1950’s with the advent of the Mainframe.    The concept was simple: centralize the key resources in a secured, controlled data center and use lower cost ìdumbî terminals at each desk to communicate with the mainframe.  Well, whatís old is new again.  The main difference between the Mainframes of old and todays virtual desktops are the familiar graphical interface of Microsoft Windows. Hospitals and clinics can now make technology work for them, not the other way around. Virtual desktops loaded on thin clients, old workstations or laptops mounted on rolling carts have transformed the way physicians and caregivers treat patients. Instant access to patient records and integrated prescription management means healthcare workers now have real-time information at the point of care, which translates into faster, more effective care for patients. Compliance with HIPAA is made even easier by virtual desktop technology. By accessing applications and data stored on a centralized server, the risk of losing sensitive patient data through the theft of hardware is nearly eliminated. What’s more, once data is entered by a caregiver the device used does not retain the patient data. In short, applications and data stored on servers in a data center are subject to the highest level of control and security possible. From my perspective as an experienced Systems Integrator, a virtual desktop solution makes sense for just about every healthcare organization.  From small physician practices up to the largest hospital groups, the fundamental benefits are the same. Translation? Gone are the days of your IT staff having to troubleshoot individual desktops because of a problem with an application. Gone too is the need for updates and patches for individual applications and printers on every physical desktop. Application performance is raised to a higher level because the computing environment and configuration is controlled in the data center. What’s our prognosis on the future of healthcare IT? Virtual desktop technology brings too many benefits to healthcare at a time when cost containment and data control are paramount. The transformation of healthcare technology is happening now and will never be the same. Because the most efficient delivery of healthcare information always wins in the end, we’re seeing the age of virtual desktops take form.

In a follow up to a recent post, FileBound Document Management – An Easy Choice, Paul Chapman, Document Management Practice Manager at Net at Work talks in this video about FileBound’s Integration with Sage ERP Software.  

Following up an earlier post, Sage MAS 90 and 200 4.4 Product Update Expected by Mid-July, Sage Software has released the v4.4 Product Update 2. Product Update 2 improves workflow in some of the modules you use most: Bank Reconciliation, Accounts Payable, and Paperless Office. The release also includes a new Pre-Installation Data Scan utility that will help identify data issues prior to installation. Details on the proper use of the Pre-Installation Data Scan utility are available at Sage Online in the Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200 download section. Bank Reconciliation Reconcile Checks Automatically – You can efficiently and automatically reconcile the check information you download from your financial institution. A Wizard helps you create the proper check format for your financial institution specifications. Or, we can configure the setting in our office, export the file, and then import it into your system. Enforce Tighter Controls over Bank Reconciliation Adjusting Entries – A new option in Role Maintenance allows you to specify which users are allowed to access and make adjusting entries for each account defined in Bank Code Maintenance. Enter Checks, Deposits, and Adjustments On the Fly – Now you have instant access to enter checks, deposits, and adjustments through a quick link button on the Reconcile Bank screen. The button will bring you directly into the Check Deposit and Adjustment Entry screen for that bank, without the need to exit the Reconcile Bank screen or navigate back to the main menu to open a data entry screen. Recalculate Outstanding Entries Totals Utility – A new Recalculate Outstanding Entries Totals utility allows you to recalculate the totals of all checks, deposits, and adjustment entries that have not been marked as cleared. Positive Pay Export – The new Positive Pay feature helps reduce the chances of check fraud. Positive Pay allows you to send a file to your financial institution to use for comparison and verification against checks that are presented for payment. Key data, such as check number and dollar amounts, must match exactly, or the check will not be paid by the financial institution. Checks sent using Positive Pay are identified with an Exported check box in Check Deposit and Adjustment Entry. A Wizard helps you create the export file in the format specified by your financial institution. To help you understand formatting requirements, a reference document is included that outlines the most commonly used field formatting and export details required by financial institutions. Expanded Comment Field – In Check Deposit and Adjustment Entry, the Comment field has been expanded to 2048 characters, enabling you to add information to track why the adjustment was made. Accounts Payable By paying vendors electronically you can increase efficiency, improve cash management, and reduce the risk of lost or stolen checks. With this Product Update you will be able to create an ACH (automated clearinghouse) file from the Accounts Payable module. You can enable ACH electronic payments, define how they will be handled, and define the information that will be transmitted to your financial institution. You can set up multiple financial institutions for your electronic payments. Pre-notes are supported, as well as the ability to allocate amounts between several accounts. ACH information is included on Accounts Payable Reports. New Paperless Options Added With this Product Update you will now be able process, send, and retain electronic copies of Accounts Payable checks, extended stubs, and remittance advice documents for ACH Electronic Payments in electronic PDF format. The PDFs you create can be sent by e-mail or fax, archived, and retrieved as needed. Easily access PDFs using the Vendor Viewer from Paperless Office or the Checks panel in Vendor Maintenance Inquiry. * Remember to please verify this update is compatible with your installation! Contact the Net at Work Helpdesk or your consultant with any questions.

Sage North America announced Sage Abra Suite v9, the human resource management system (HRMS) that will deliver mobile workforce collaboration and unmatched for small and midsized companies. Sage Abra Suite v9 features dynamic information sharing capabilities and new HR Actions that help companies save time, money and paper while turning workforce data into a competitive advantage. Dynamic information sharing capabilities give executives, managers and staff secure access to real-time workforce data from remote laptops, notebooks, and later this summer iPads and other mobile devices. Data access is appropriately filtered for individual roles within the organization with customizable ìviewsî addressing specific executive, director or supervisor needs. Unique URLs then link the views to a variety of applications such as spreadsheet models, web pages and management dashboards. Dynamic information sharing capabilities turn workforce data into a true, competitive advantage by enabling users to leverage up-to-the-moment information while significantly streamlining processes. Sage Abra v9 provides sample templates, such as merit pay budgeting and contact lists, for Excel, SharePoint and other applications, which help HR and non-HR users create the specific information sharing documents they need. Once created, accessed documents are automatically updated through Sage Abra Employee Self Service, freeing up valuable time for HR and executives to address strategic business objectives. HR Actions within Sage Abra v9 replaces paper-based HR processes, such as status changes, new hires, and performance management, with online, Web-based workflow. HR Actions improves HR service delivery while cutting costs and provides extended benefits and security by: Enforcing business rules by routing and approving personnel change requests Providing secure electronic approval signatures from any PC with a web browser Providing detailed audit trails of any edits made during the routing and approval process Providing real-time status of each transaction from request/submission through approval and administration Supporting file attachments to web forms, for example a scanned copy of I-9 and W-4 attached to a new hire form  

Sage recently published a product roadmap* for Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200, and Sage ERP MAS 200 for SQL. Below, we review the highlights of the roadmap, including the just-released Product Update 2 for Version 4.4. The new Sage product strategy is to provide more value to customers with minimal disruption to customers’ business processes. Sage will accomplish this through more frequent small enhancement releases, called Product Updates, and with less frequent major new-version releases. Product Updates You will find top-requested customer enhancements in the new Product Updates. Sage also is incorporating the main functionality of selected Extended Solutions into the Product Updates. Extended Solutions are specialized capabilities that were previously only available as an additional purchase. Product Updates are delivered through a downloadable file rather than a physical CD. Each Product Update is numbered according to the release that it is added to. For example, there are currently five product updates scheduled for Sage ERP MAS 90 Version 4.4. Product Update 2 will soon be available and includes the following enhancements: Electronic reconciliation of Bank Reconciliation transactions between your software and your bank. Positive Pay capability helps you prevent check fraud. ACH Electronic Payments. Paperless Office for Accounts Payable Checks and Deposits. Three more Product Updates are planned for Fall 2010, Winter 2010, and Spring 2011 for Version 4.4. Sage ERP MAS 200 SQL 4.45 The Sage ERP MAS 200 SQL 4.45 release is scheduled for the end of this year, and leverages Business Framework technology. Look for more details on this exciting new product in a future newsletter. It will include the option to purchase Microsoft SQL Server licenses from Sage, or to use MS SQL licences that customers may already own. This release does not include data migration for current Sage ERP MAS 200 SQL users. Data migration is planned to be available with the release of Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200 4.5. Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200 4.5 Version 4.5 is targeted to be available in the third quarter of 2011. A highlight of the release will be additional SageCRM licensing options and improved integration. All Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200 subscription plan customers will be provided with one free SageCRM user license. The release will incorporate a number of customer-requested enhancements and the main features and functionality of select Extended Solutions to enhance a wide range of modules, such as simpler processes for reversing everyday transactions. Also planned is the expansion of eBusiness Web Services to include the ability to Create, Read, Update, and Delete Inventory items. This release is planned to also include Sage ERP MAS 200 SQL migration support for Version 4.3 and 4.4 customers. Looking Ahead Two Product Updates are already planned for Version 4.5. In 2012, Sage will be offering a SQL version of the Sage ERP MAS 200 Payroll module that will include new features such as Employee Self Service. Sage ERP MAS 90 4.6 is on the Product Roadmap for the third quarter of 2012. The Roadmap also includes a product retirement schedule: Sage MAS 90 and 200 Version 3.71 will be retired as of September 30, 2010. Sage MAS 200 SQL Edition Version 3.7x will be retired June 1, 2011. Sage MAS 90 and 200 Version 4.0, 4.05, and 4.1 will be retired September 30, 2011. Retirement means that Sage discontinues support of the version and will no longer provide updates to form 1099 and tax tables. If you are still running older versions, give us a call for assistance planning your upgrade. *This Sage product direction roadmap should be used as a product direction guideline only, and is subject to change at any time without notice.

When Microsoft announced the retirement of the FRx financial reporting software, which has for many years been included with Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200, Sage began searching for a replacement. Sage ERP MAS Intelligence has been identified as the ideal FRx replacement solution for Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200. It provides powerful and easy to use financial reporting, and it also can provide Business Intelligence across your entire system, including SageCRM and Sage Abra. Power And Familiarity Of Excel Excel has become the reporting and analysis tool of choice for accountants and executive management alike, so it made sense to choose a reporting tool for Sage ERP MAS 90 that is based on this familiar interface. Sage ERP MAS Intelligence comes with a selection of report templates to help you quickly and effortlessly produce pre-formatted reports. Then you can simply refine and expand your reports using all the flexibility and power of Excel. Sage ERP MAS Intelligence allows you to spend more time focusing on analysis and less time pulling data together. Comprehensive Integration Sage ERP MAS Intelligence is carefully integrated so that it already recognizes the data structures within Sage ERP MAS 90. The software reads your data and automatically knows your fiscal periods, chart of accounts, detail transactions, and various types of balances. As a result, you will quickly be able to build your intelligence solution to work the way you do. Informed Decision Making The Dashboard Analysis report provides a one-page summary of key business information, featuring Top-N details on customers, items, and expenses. View information both textually and graphically to help with daily and long-term planning. In addition, comparative Profit and Loss figures are displayed for current month and financial year-to-date. You can drill down to get further insight into what makes up the numbers. Components Sage ERP MAS Intelligence is organized into several components, similar to that of the FRx system it replaces. The components are Report Manager, Report Viewer, Report Designer, and the Connector Module. You can mix and match the components to achieve the level of functionality you require. Report Manager At the heart of the system is Report Manager. This is where you create and edit new reports, as well as filter and aggregate data. Here you will find built-in report templates that help you get a quick start using the system. There are templates for financial reports as well as Financial Analysis, Dashboard Analysis, General Ledger Transaction Details, Inventory Status, Vendor Purchases, and Customer Sales. With Report Manager it is a simple matter to create your layout, set multilevel groupings and consolidations, and add formulas where you want them, all using intuitive selection tools. You can even use ìwhat-ifî analysis to instantly see the impact on an area of your business by changing a set of values on your reports. Report Manager includes flexible security settings to allow you to set permissions and protect sensitive data from unauthorized access or manipulation. Report Viewer Report Viewer Licenses are available for staff members who need to run reports, but not create them. A Report Viewer License allows you to view existing reports, including the ability to filter data and change parameters such as date ranges. It also includes the ability to drill-down through existing reports. Report Designer You can use Report Designer to author new reports. When you have a Report Designer license you can import data from external sources to be included in your reports. Connector Module The Connector Module gives you access to information from multiple data sources and Sage ERP MAS 90 companies. With this module you can produce consolidated financial reports for multiple companies and connect to and report on data from other ODBC-compliant data sources, including Sage Abra. What’s Included? The Intelligence module will be available for customers on Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200 Version 4.4 and Extended Enterprise Suite Version 1.4. Customers on a current subscription plan will receive, at no charge as a replacement for their FRx license, a one-user license for the Sage ERP MAS Intelligence Report Manager. This license gives you the ability to: Author new reports (organize, create, edit) as well as filter and aggregate data based on existing data containers. Run, edit, and clone the standard report templates, including financial reports, dashboards, financial trend analysis, general ledger, sales, purchases, and inventory transactional reports. Set security and permissions on all reports. Connect to one company database at a time. If running two or more companies, you can redirect the software as needed to access data from your other company codes or purchase an additional Report Manger or a Connector license. Advanced Capability Add-ons You can purchase the following advanced capabilities to add to the basic Sage ERP MAS Intelligence system: Import/Export functionality requires the purchase of a Report Manager License, Designer Module, or the Connector Module. Optional Report Scheduling requires the purchase of an additional Report Manager License, the Designer Module, or the Connector Module. Connections to other types of databases or more than one company database at a time requires the purchase of a Connector Module. Note that because Sage ERP MAS Intelligence utilizes Microsoft Excel, you will need to have Excel 2003 or Excel 2007. In order to run the Report Designer, customers will need Excel 2007. Sage will not include FRx in the next release of Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200 (4.5). Sage will continue support of FRx as part of previous releases, according to the published Supported Versions Policy. Please give us a call with your questions.

Stay on top of the latest technology breakthroughs for business – social media, cloud computing, virtualization, monitoring, recovery and more. Next week’s Technology Essentials for Small Businesses includes a panel discussion on Social Media and three SMB IT related seminars. One session “ Intelligent Technology Choices for 2010” will be given by Mathew Hegarty, Infrastructure Practice Director at Net at Work, and will review all the information you need to make wise investments in technology. Mathew will discuss: • The most cost effective ways to connect mobile devices such as Blackberry’s and iPhones • Why a “power & cooling” analysis can save your organization a substantial amount of money • What is virtualization and how you should be leveraging virtualization for all new technology investments • Aligning your business goals with your technology support partner via fixed cost contracts • Monitor, monitor, monitor: Why monitoring your existing technology environment is the only way to get real value from your technology investments • When not to extend the warranty of existing equipment More Information/Register for Technology Essentials for Small Businesses (presented by the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce‘s Small Business Seminar Committee). Thursday, July 22, 2010 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM

What are the most important elements of a successful ERP implementation?• Selecting the Right Solution• Management and User Buy In• An Adequate Budget In Terms of Both Time and Money• Great Project Management!! Read more on the Project Management element in this blog I wrote for the Sage Software ERP Business Management Blog titled The Value of Project Management in ERP Implementations. I think you’ll agree that project management is an essential component of even the smallest IT projects.

Paul Chapman, Document Management Practice Manager at Net at Work recently sat down to discuss the FileBound Document Management Solution. In the video below, Paul talks about how easy FileBound is to use and implement, making it an easy choice for clients.