Technology in Practice

Finance departments spend a lot of time determining which items need to be accrued for at the end of a period. In the majority of cases, the reason for an accrual is because goods/services have been received but not yet invoiced. The accrual is put in place to allow them to recognize the expense and the eventual liability on the balance sheet. But what happens when an invoice is received prior to the goods/services being delivered? This is a fairly common occurrence in overseas transactions these days due to heavy delays with international commerce. In this blog post, we will review the best way to address this issue in Sage X3. Here we create a regular Purchase Order: However, instead of the typical PO > Receipt of Goods > Invoice process, this situation requires the receipt of the invoice prior to the receipt of the materials. As mentioned above, this is fairly common in overseas transactions and may or may not involve a pre-payment (this sub-process will be analyzed separately): In our example we are receiving the invoice for the complete quantity, 500 units. Upon posting of the invoice, we review the journal entry. SAGE X3 created the credit to Accounts Payable and the debit to Purchase Accrual (GL account 23000 in this example). This creates a temporary imbalance on the accrual account because the material was not received, so the credit accrual is not yet created. On the next step we can see the PO Receipt. If the invoice was linked to the PO, the receipt CANNOT BE MADE for a quantity less than the quantity invoiced (500 units in this case). Following the creation of the receipt, the Purchase Order is automatically closed by X3: Here’s the journal entry generated by the receipt. As you can see, the accrual is going to the credit side, balancing the previous charge from the invoice. The ending result is a debit to Stock and a credit to Payables, the regular AP accounting flow. Because the receipt could be delayed for several weeks or months, it’s important to understand that there could be an improper balance reflected in the AP accrual account in the meantime. It’s important to verify the POs invoiced but not received to make, if the amount is significant, a correcting GL entry at month’s end that will be reversed the first day of the following month. For more information on how to account for an invoice when goods haven’t been received, or for any other Sage X3 questions, please contact us.

If you’re reading this, you’ve already heard the words ‘digital transformation’ somewhere. In a nutshell, this refers to the adoption of digital technology by an organization with the aim of improving efficiency, adding value, and driving innovation across the business. Change in any organization tends to create a sense of resistance and or fear—we’re only human, and change can be scary. But it doesn’t have to be. As a business leader, your approach to the human side of the process could make or break a digital transformation project. Every organization moves at Its own speed when it comes to rolling out new tech. An organization’s digital transformation strategy is a plan of action to reposition itself in the digital economy. Like the world we live in, customer habits are always evolving—so too should the way companies operate if they want to keep people engaged and stay successful. Getting human buy-in for digital transformation Winning businesses innovate, tapping into emerging technology to change the way we work. But you for a truly successful transformation, you need buy-in from the top down. Get your organization team on board with some education around adopting emerging technologies. This will help propel them into action through adoption, and the kind of creative thinking this enables will produce wins for your business. Using a practical example: Starbucks To help your co-workers understand the need for innovation, take a practical approach using examples like a visit to Starbucks, buying groceries, or fueling up a car. Most people don’t actually realize that they’re interacting daily with BOT’s that use RPA, ML and AI, paying with NFC, and doing so from the Digital Operating Platform (DOP) that they hold in their hand. Wait a minute. What does all that mean? That is a pretty wordy statement, so let’s break it down, using the Starbucks app as an example. A BOT is a software program that performs repetitive tasks. BOTs are used to take orders, such as an order for Starbucks that we place on our phone. Through AI—Artificial Intelligence—the BOT may also suggest or ask if you want to order something additional such as “Egg bites are frequently ordered with this coffee, would you like to add them to your order?” Through ML (machine learning), the BOT might say “Last time you purchased a croissant, would you like to add this to your order?” By answering yes to one of these questions, fellow co-workers navigate through their Starbuck’s app faster, place their order more efficiently, and are happy as an end user. Starbucks benefits from the upsell of additional products, the reduced need of staff to take orders from customers in line, decreasing the time taken for each order, and allowing for fulfilment and customer experience to be increased. Most users will check out of the app on their phone or another DOP and pay in advance using Near Field Communication (NFC), to pay through Apple Pay, Google Pay or any equivalent method. Ask your team to use personal buying experiences—like the one above—to relate back to your organization’s customer buying experience, and how it can be improved through technology. That’s the key to building understanding of the tech, the benefits it might have on them, and the direct correlation it might have on your customers. And that understanding is what squashes fear. Dream it, then do it Getting staff to envision better, more efficient ways of working in a similar way will help propel your business forward with your digital transformation projects, no matter the size. The hardest part? Getting everyone in the organization comfortable with the shift in thought processes, and the change in processes. The move from the way things have been done for years to a more efficient, happier place to work. Imagine if Alexa was linked or integrated to your inventory system and could tell you what to reorder, and when. Imagine if your system automatically routed electronic invoices for payments larger than $5,000 to the CFO, and those over $10,000 to the CEO for approval. Think of an office where file cabinets don’t take up floor space, and everything is stored in a secure system available for your colleagues to check out, anywhere, any time, and on any device. All of the items imagined above are already reality thanks to the kind of emerging technology we’ve mentioned. Skilled implementation partners can get things rolled out efficiently, no problem. It’s the human element that’s truly complex; getting employees to believe and strive for the unfamiliar is the hardest thing your company will have to do. The International Data Corporation (IDC) reports that during the pandemic, digital transformation initiatives led, on average, to a 14% financial uplift. Empowering people with the knowledge they need to use emerging technologies is paying off in a big way for those organizations investing in digital strategies. That covers everything from taking manual administrative tasks and automating them to free up valuable resources, to streamlining processes that create more time to be spent on strategic activities, like revenue generation and cost mitigation. Above all, it gives employees something priceless: the sense of empowerment and self-worth that comes with knowing they can use technology to amplify their impact on your organization. Want to know more about how to help your employees embrace digital transformation? Access this ebook: Digital Transformation: A How To Guide. This article was originally published on the Sage Advice Blog. Author: Kelly Hummel, Director of Client Transformation, Net at Work

The acronym ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) is used as a hypernym to represent any kind of software used in the running of a business and therefore many think they are running ERP when in fact they are not. Inexpensive and off the shelf solutions, manual processes and spreadsheets used to manage functions such as accounting, opportunities, pipeline, and inventory control might suffice in very early stages of start-ups, but they quickly become inhibitors rather than facilitators of growth. These solutions, along with most legacy ERP systems, may appear to be helping your business, but are in reality costing you in terms of time, efficiency and productivity. Debunking the Myth that ERP is Only for the “Big Guys” Traditionally, ERP software was aimed at large enterprises, but today small to medium-size businesses (SMBs) can take advantage of the benefits of Next Generation ERP. SMBs need most, if not all the key components required by large businesses, but have little control and even less visibility into the data needed for effective time management and data-driven decision-making. Smaller enterprises need ERP just as much as their larger counterparts (or even more!). Here’s why: you’re not in control, you have no easy access to information about your business, you spend too much time searching for data, you have lots of different software for different processes, you have no idea how and where to expand, accounting takes up a lot of time, you have no IT staff, and cash is tight. Frankly, these are factors you cannot afford in today’s post-pandemic digital digital economy and the age of digital transformation. The Internet has leveled the playing field, making it possible for any size company to create a global presence and compete with the “big guys”. But do you have what it takes to beat the competition? Are you able to communicate, collaborate and conduct business at an unprecedented speed and with a high level of transparency? If you don’t have a modern, technology-enabled, integrated ERP solution that is giving you a distinct competitive advantage, then you are clearly operating at a disadvantage. Are You Saving Money or Leaving Money on The Table? SMBs tend to overestimate their digital preparedness while in fact they are being left behind. Spreadsheets, paper and manual processes do not provide the expertise or the resources needed to maintain a competitive edge. In today’s digital economy, companies need to operate at the speed of the Internet. If you are looking to improve efficiencies, streamline operations, save costs, grow your business, compete globally – all while keeping your data accessible and secure – now is the time to invest in a Next Generation ERP solution. New ERP solutions used to require capital investment, but there are now affordable alternatives that provide a complete and integrated solution. In addition, cloud ERP options, subscription-based pricing and solutions that are delivered as Software as a Service (SaaS) provide more options today. While you might think you are saving money by not investing in an ERP, you are actually leaving money on the table. Naturally, there will be some upfront costs associated with a new implementation, but savings in efficiency, productivity, and hard cash savings, can help cover those short-term expenses. Plus, the return on investment is huge. independent research firm Mint Jutras reports that the average SMB achieves 100% ROI in approximately 27 months. The cost of fully integrated ERP solutions has decreased, while at the same time both ease of use as well as feature functionality have improved significantly. Deploying an ERP system can transform different aspects of your business, allow your business to stay competitive, and help cope with the challenges of the ‘new normal’. It’s time to make a move. Speak with us today about the best technology solutions for you to unleash the power of your business.

Most legacy enterprise resource planning (ERP) can trace their roots to applications rooted in the 1990s. While vendors have rebranded and re-marketed them, and added some new functionality, it’s hard to hide that the technology predates the digital age. These applications are slow, can’t scale, force users to adapt their workflows, lack mobile capabilities, and simply don’t possess the agility needed to handle the complexities of the digital world we live in. It’s time for a new breed of ERP equipped to take on this brave new world. It’s time for Next Generation ERP – aka Fourth-Era ERP or the Digital Operations Platform. What is Next Gen ERP and why does it matter? In this, the first in a series exploring the topic, we help define terms, identify five core next-gen capabilities, and challenge you to begin planning your move. ERP — then and now Early in the 1990s, existing MRP applications began to include finance and accounting components in their mix — rebranding the bundle as ERP. ERP grew quickly, with adoption rates accelerating as Y2K approached and companies worried if their programs could make the transition from a two-digit date field to four. (Most did just fine, by the way.) Throughout the early 2000s, ERP became the center of business strategy for many organizations. Applications that we refer to as Next Gen ERP (Gartner refers to them as fourth era ERP and Forrester uses the term Digital Operations Platform) came into the spotlight more recently. Next Gen ERP represents a more radical shift — one that extends the application’s functionality outside the enterprise — into a wider ecosystem that can include customers and suppliers, partners, competitors and stakeholders. So, what makes an ERP Next Gen? Five hallmarks of Next Gen ERP There’s no definitive set of credentials needed to join the Next Gen ERP club, but we’ve identified five hallmarks we think are essential in the digital age. We’ll take a look at each one in more detail in upcoming posts. 1. Business Intelligence: Tools that support a data-powered operation across every department and location. 2. Enhanced Workflows: Smart workflows and process automation that reduce or eliminate manual touchpoints and keep tasks on target. 3. Flexible Commerce: Tools to help your business transact the way your customers and business partners want, including eCommerce, EDI, subscription options, and customer/vendor portals. 4. Platform Ecosystem & Globalization: Technology to help your organization complete in a global marketplace, including flexible deployment options and multi-language support. 5. Global/Scalable Financial Functionality: Capabilities that support growth at a global scale including multi-company, multi-currency, and multi-book plus advanced reporting and analysis functions. Why Next Gen now? You may be thinking, my ERP is working just fine, why should I consider updating to a Next Gen ERP solution? There are many good reasons to make the switch, but perhaps the most compelling reason is that it’s likely your competitors already have. Gartner predicts that by 2023, 65% of companies will use ERP applications that can be categorized as fourth-era or Next Gen. It’s time to begin planning your organization’s move, or you risk being outperformed by more nimble competitors. Legacy ERP systems don’t meet many of the needs of modern enterprises operating in a rapid-evolving technology ecosystem. They’re not adaptive or intelligent enough. They don’t support streamlined remote access, require too many manual touchpoints and workarounds, nor do they provide the deep insight necessary for strategic decision making. Conversely, Next Gen ERP applications are built on modern technology that is easy to work with and simple to maintain. They offer capabilities that allow an organization to scale operations efficiently, without adding more administrative personnel. They harness vast amounts of vital business data and allow you to query and present that data for faster and better decision making. In addition, Next Gen ERP applications support and advance your relationships with customers and business partners. And they support global operations and continued growth. If your organization is considering a generational shift in its ERP strategy, we would welcome the opportunity to assist you in selecting and unleashing the best solution for your needs. In the meantime, join us for this continuing series detailing the power of Next Gen Business Management Software.

Over the last two years manufacturing has been the definition of resilient. From losses in financial and human capital to complete operational overhaul, it’s weathered the worst – and come out ahead. Not only did manufacturers make in-the-moment pivots, they’ve implemented future-proofed adaptations to give them a competitive edge over the long term. Here’s how the move towards new operational practices and digital strategies has them well positioned to meet tomorrow’s shifting requirements. Challenges The COVID-19 pandemic led to serious fluctuations in the supply and demand for manufactured products. We’ve long known that market or supply chain disruptions in one part of the world can have international implications. But what we’re seeing now is truly unprecedented. “For the first time in modern manufacturing history, demand, supply and workforce availability are affected globally at the same time,” explains Industry Week. “Every major manufacturer is now experiencing disruptions across their supply chains of parts and raw materials, driven by what may now become recurring volatility of supply from South Asia.” In total, 78.3% of manufacturers surveyed expect a financial impact, with 53.1% anticipating a change in operations, such as reduced production volume or head count, according to Advanced Tech. Where We’re Headed Gradually, manufacturers are evolving beyond merely solving more immediate challenges. By adopting what Insight refers to as a ‘’just in case’ supply chain mindset,” they’re preparing for continued uncertainty and accelerating digital, future-focused adaptations. 1) More (Robotic) Domestic Manufacturing Incentives For various socio-political reasons, reshoring manufacturing is a major priority. The downside of depending on international players had been evident in delays and shortages on everything from semiconductors to medical supplies. To gain greater control and encourage sustainability, there’s a huge effort among executives to automate and localize production. Many incentive strategies include plans for implementing automation and robotic technologies that can help offset production costs. 2) Increasingly Digitized Supply Chains The interconnectedness of the global supply chain has really turned out to be a double-edged sword. The longer the chain, the more opportunities for disruption along the way. To counteract this, localization efforts, along with “digital tools and processes that help manage supply chain risk, accuracy and flexibility will ramp up across the industry, leading to faster digitization of supply chains,” says Industry Week. 3) Deepening Data Insights During times of rapid change, real-time data is required to make informed, strategic decisions. As technologies like 5G, IoT, and AI become more prevalent, manufacturing operations will benefit from having a more connected, all-encompassing view of how different facets are unfolding before they become costly bottlenecks. 4) Unlocked Value with Digitization Prior to the pandemic, many digital transformation efforts were already underway in manufacturing. But the past two years have really accelerated their adoption. Now they’re practically required for manufacturers to stay competitive. McKinsey reports businesses that utilize capabilities like analytics, human-machine interaction, and computational power have recorded 30 to 50% reductions of machine downtime, 15 to 30% improvements in labor productivity, 10 to 30% increases in throughput, and 10 to 20% decreases in the cost of quality. 5) Remote Tools Become Essential As we’ve seen, being physically present isn’t required for all types of work – but it usually is for most manufacturing jobs. Up until COVID-19, much of the machinery still required some level of human operation and a fair amount of maintenance. Once social distancing requirements reduced the number of employees who could safely be on-site, remote tools became key. Not only can these solutions diagnose an issue remotely, they can also connect teams from a distance. Using collaboration and communication tech, virtual work is now becoming a reality for this once hands-on industry. We have a lot to learn from the pandemic-imposed challenges that have battered our global supply chain. Manufacturers who use this as an opportunity to innovate will come out the other side strong, sustainable, and savvy. New technology solutions can help them focus on being as future-proof as possible, better manage operations, and stay relevant as the world economy continues to shift.

Mae Carol Jemison is an American engineer, physician, and former NASA astronaut. She became the first black woman to travel into space when she served as a mission specialist aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour. As a doctor, engineer, and NASA astronaut, Mae Jemison has always reached for the stars. In 1992, Jemison became the first African American woman to travel in space. She has also written several books and appeared on many television programs including an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. In addition to her many awards, Jemison has been inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame and the International Space Hall of Fame. Mae Carol Jemison was born on October 17, 1956 in Decatur, Alabama. The youngest of three children, her mother was an elementary school teacher and her father was a maintenance supervisor. A few years after she was born, Jemison and her family moved to Chicago, Illinois. In addition to her love for dance, Jemison knew that she wanted to study science at a very young age. Jemison grew up watching the Apollo airings on TV, but she was often upset that there were no female astronauts. However, Jemison was inspired by African American actress Nichelle Nichols who played Lieutenant Uhura on the Star Trek television show. Jemison was determined to one day travel in space. In 1973, she graduated from Morgan Park High School when she was 16 years old. Once she graduated, Jemison left Chicago to attend Stanford University in California. As one of the only African American students in her class, Jemison experienced racial discrimination in school. She later served as president of the Black Student Union and choreographed a performing arts production called Out of the Shadows about the African American experience. Jemison graduated in 1977 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering and a Bachelor of Arts degree in African and African-American studies. After graduating from Stanford University, Jemison attended Cornell Medical School. While in medical school, she traveled to Cuba to lead a study for the American Medical Student Association. She also worked at a Cambodian refugee camp in Thailand. Jemison graduated from Cornell with a Doctorate in Medicine in 1981. Shortly after her graduation, she became an intern at the Los Angeles County Medical Center, and then went on to practice general medicine. Fluent in Russian, Japanese and Swahili, Jemison joined the Peace Corps in 1983 and served as a medical officer for two years in Africa. After working with the Peace Corps, Jemison opened a private practice as a doctor. However, once Sally Ride became the first American woman in space in 1983, Jemison decided to apply to the astronaut program at NASA. She applied in 1985, but after the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded in 1986, NASA took a break from accepting new people. However, Jemison applied again in 1987 and was one of the 15 people chosen out of over 2,000 applications. She was selected for NASA Astronaut Group 12, which was the first group chosen after the Challenger explosion. After being selected, Jemison trained with NASA and worked on projects at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory. She received her first mission on September 28, 1989 when she was selected to join the STS-47 crew as a Mission Specialist. On September 12, 1992 Jemison and six other astronauts went into space on the space shuttle Endeavor. This voyage made Jemison the first African American woman in space. The team made 127 orbits around the Earth and returned to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on September 20, 1992. Jemison left NASA in 1993 after serving as an astronaut for six years in total. She started The Jemison Group, a consulting company that encourages science, technology, and social change. She also began teaching environmental studies at Dartmouth College and directed the Jemison Institute for Advancing Technology in Developing Countries. After hearing that she was a fan of the Star Trek television show, actor LeVar Burton asked Jemison to appear in an episode. Jemison agreed and became the first real astronaut to be on an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. She played Lieutenant Palmer in the episode, “Second Chances.” In 1994, Jemison created an international space camp for students 12-16 years old called The Earth We Share (TEWS). She also created a nonprofit organization called the Dorothy Jemison Foundation for Excellence. Jemison later accepted a position as the Andrew D. White Professor-at-Large at Cornell University in 1999. She went on to write her first book in 2001, Find Where the Wind Goes, which was a children’s book about her life. Currently, Jemison is leading the 100 Year Starship project through the United States Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). This project works to make sure human space travel to another star is possible within the next 100 years. She also serves on the Board of Directors for many organizations including; the Kimberly-Clark Corp., Scholastic, Inc., Valspar Corp., Morehouse College, Texas Medical Center, Texas State Product Development and Small Business Incubator, Greater Houston Partnership Disaster Planning and Recovery Task Force, and the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering. Jemison is a member of the National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine and has been inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame, National Medical Association Hall of Fame and Texas Science Hall of Fame. She has received multiple awards and honorary degrees including the National Organization for Women’s Intrepid Award and the Kilby Science Award. She currently lives in Houston, Texas. MLA – Alexander, Kerri Lee. “Mae Jemison.” National Women’s History Museum, 2019. Date accessed. Chicago – Alexander, Kerri Lee. “Mae Jemison.” National Women’s History Museum. 2019. www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/mae-jemison.

Sage recently released Sage X3 Version 12 2022 R1 with some nice new features and enhancements to existing features. In this blog post, we’ll review the capabilities delivered by some of the key new features & enhancements in this latest release. For a full description of all the new features and enhancements delivered with this release please refer to the What’s New section of the Sage X3 Online help center. Distribution Sage X3 Automated Data Collection is now Mobile Automation. Stock management rules For simplified use in Sage X3 Mobile Automation, you can now perform receipt and issue flows based on the stock management rules defined in the Product category function. This allows you to apply more functional rules on Mobile Automation. Simplified navigation For your ease of use and simplification, Sage X3 Mobile Automation for Distribution has been enhanced in the following ways: A warning message displays when you select an item that is part of a count session When you perform a stock change or an intersite transfer, you do not need to complete all the destination fields set in the entry transaction When you perform a purchase receipt, you can enter several stock detail lines for the same product. In the database, only one purchase receipt line with several stock details is recorded instead of several receipt lines. Project Management Multi-projects Billing center For your benefit, the Project billing overview function has been enhanced to refresh project billing statuses, update project billing, and validate the invoicing flow. This enables you to have a multi-project view and additional selection criteria. The required access control values in the Functional authorization function for the function code have been applied to the Project billing overview function. Load and Capacity & Time Inquiry To provide you with a graphical view of employee’s workload across selected periods, a new inquiry has been added (Load and Capacity) and can be found in the Time Management > Inquiries menu. This will ease the employee assignments on projects for project managers, reducing risk and minimizing delays. Grouping capabilities and performance improvements have also been provided with this addition. In addition, the Time inquiry function has been enhanced to include an additional employee Role grouping criteria field. Use this field to provide load analysis per role. Grouping criteria Company, Site, and Role are available from the Group by field. Use these selection criteria to provide load analysis per role, per site, or per company. To improve performance, the employee assignments details, as displayed on the detail screen, are only calculated on demand. Performance criteria are available from the Criteria selection screen. Financial overview with Sales deliveries To save you time, products that are manually allocated on project tasks can now be valued in the financial overview function through sales delivery transactions. Manufacturing Sage X3 Mobile Automation: Production section With the planned expansion of Sage X3 Mobile Automation into Manufacturing, the first step has been made whereby a Production button is available from the Mobile Automation navigation panel. The Production menu includes the Production reporting transaction. More features will follow in future releases. Sage X3 Web Scheduling New Sage X3 Web Scheduling version: 11.9.8 is now available. Finance Intrastat Update A change has been made based on the updated 2022 European Intrastat report. This change includes adding the Country code of origin and Customer VAT ID fields to the Intrastat file and updating the transaction nature for dispatch flows. VAT Framework Posting section improvements For a simplified experience, the Posting section in the VAT return function has been moved to the last position in the interface when the posting feature is not used. Formula management To be able to set up more complex formulas for specific requirements, you can now use the same formulas for creating VAT forms when you set up VAT boxes. Please note that formulas using the previous format are fully compatible. Duplicating forms For ease of use in the VAT form function, you can duplicate a VAT form when you modify one key element such as: VAT form code Declaration code Legislation code This applies even when the modification indicator is red. This will save you time as it allows you to set up a VAT form by copying an existing form and adding new boxes to the declaration. Please note that previously existing controls are still enforced. Platform To enhance your user experience, a number of add-ins have been delivered with the Sage X3 platform, including: Microsoft Office add-in with Edge components: Outlook The Microsoft Outlook add-in delivered with the Sage X3 platform has been reviewed to handle the following features: Using the latest Edge libraries instead of Internet Explorer ones (as Internet Explorer will be deprecated) Enhanced security as the connection goes through the node.js web server The features and the user interface remain unchanged, so there is no user impact on this function. Microsoft Office add-in with Edge libraries The Microsoft Office add-in delivered with the Sage X3 platform has been reviewed to handle the following features: Fixes to known issues Using the latest Edge libraries instead of Internet Explorer ones (as Internet Explorer will be deprecated) A more intuitive user interface Note that: You must download this new add-in from your Sage X3 home page as soon as the Syracuse web server is installed (due to the communication protocol changes, the previous plugin will not work anymore) PowerPoint is no longer supported Moving to the new Plugin will ensure you that you will not be impacted by the planned end of support of Internet Explorer by Microsoft starting 15th June 2022. Optimize export templates generation management To save you time, you can now use the Validation button from the import/export templates function to avoid a revalidation of the export script every time the export is triggered. Note: If the export script doesn’t exist when an export starts, it is automatically generated and validated. This reduces the export time when small files are managed repeatedly. Sage X3 Customization Audit The new Customization Audit tool will save you time and highlight and mitigate risks that may be encountered during an upgrade as a result of customizations that may have been applied. The Customization Audit tool will check all custom developments or modifications that have been applied in a folder by comparing it with the reference (root) folder. It lists any item that constitutes a risk, or a violation of development rules and highlights the risk level and the detected anomaly. You can then drill into the details of each highlighted issue and fix the problem. Run the new Customization audit function to view the results in a Sage X3 screen and launch the utility as needed. The Customization audit submission function will run the utility. MongoDB 4.4 support The Sage X3 platform is now compatible with MongoDB 4.4.10, Syracuse 12.14 is required. Sage strongly recommends that you update MongoDB as maintenance for previous versions will cease. API’s GraphQL API Enhancements have been made to the Sage X3 GraphQL schema to add various nodes and properties, find below. For more information and supporting materials, please click here. Transaction for Production Tracking Employee ID (Manufacturing) Materials consumption in a work order tracking (mutation) Work Order Operations line Work Order materials line Business Partner (read) Customer (read) Rate type added to currency rates General balance (read) Journal entry lines Work center Work center group Project budget Project Assignment Project Operation Supplier (read) Completed quantity for work order tracking (mutation) Want to learn more? The Sage X3 Central Centre of Excellence team is running a series of New Feature Highlights sessions where you can learn the value of the newest features of Sage X3 2022 R1. For more information, please visit Sage University or contact us.

With the current economic conditions, investing in a next generation learning management system (LMS) provides the opportunity to leverage training and educational programs, enabling training departments to: effectively and efficiently develop courses, deliver instruction, facilitate communication, foster collaboration between employees (remote and in person), assess achieving learning outcomes, and even monetize learning for training prospective and existing clients. The LMS market is expected to continue to grow up to $25.7 billion by 2025, according to recent analysis by Markets and Markets, with the majority of that growth in North America. Despite the fact that the quality of their labor force is often the determining factor in a company’s success, during the last two years training has often take a back seat to the broader issues companies have faced.  However, fundamental change in how many companies do business as a result of the pandemic, as well as the movement of employees in the workforce often referred to as the Great Resignation, means that forward leaning companies have come to realize the critical importance of learning management.  2022 and beyond looks to continue to be a watershed period for employers concerned with improving their employee experience as well as finding, hiring and retaining employees.  Part of that endeavor entails reconsidering and revamping LMS system goals and methods. Limitations of Traditional LMS Exposed The COVID-19 pandemic magnified limitations around traditional training programs, onboarding, and on-ground events.  Global businesses migrated from ground training and physical meetings to teach digitally. New hires had to be onboarded and have training accessible, and remote employees needed the ability to receive the same training, regardless of location. Employees desired a personalized learning environment that offered engaging professional development and skill training, while meeting continuing education and competency requirements. Human Resources needed to manage employees’ meeting their annual competency and course requirements, for compliance purposes.   All of these were difficult with the tools HR inherited in 2019. Learning Goes Beyond Compliance Certainly, compliance training is important for organizations and there is always a place for technology training as companies deploy new forms of technology to be competitive.  Technical skills training can involve using a new ERP system or the latest version of Office or shop floor technology designed for manufacturing or distribution. However, there is a growing need for skills not directly tied to job-specific functions.  Skills like effective communication, teambuilding, time management and others have become more important to the success of an organization with changes brought on by the pandemic.  Along with training for supervisors, these ‘soft skills’ make it possible to manage remote or partially remote teams effectively.  Building resiliency, teamwork and inclusion help to make employees better able to manage change. Recognition of Differences in How Employees Learn As learning management has moved away from traditional classroom settings and employees are often remote, learning managers have realized that the method of delivery of training can have a profound effect on how successful the training is.  Utilizing digital technology in an asynchronous ‘anytime learning’ model has allowed those employees who have difficulty with a lecture setting or reading materials and taking a quiz to be better trained and sooner.  They can now take advantage of new technologies that allow for interactive learning, video training, mobile and other techniques to learn at their own pace. A Next Generation LMS Must be Part of Your Digital HR Platform A traditional learning management system that has not been digitally enabled can be ineffective and fall victim to budget or time constraints. Without next generation technology, learning is hard to keep track of and measure. A next generation Learning Management System (LMS) solves for those limitations with a feature rich educational solution that enriches the learning environment with a vibrant online ecosystem.  A LMS can deliver content that’s custom tailored to each user’s history, role, location, and language. A mobile responsive ecosystem fits seamlessly alongside thousands of digital plug-and-play tools, into any organization’s technology infrastructure.  Integrations with ERPs and HR systems allows for completion data to automatically populate, keeping employees’ files current. Interactive modules of microlearning and engaging content making learning easier with better learning outcomes. A LMS is critical to the success of companies in 2022 and beyond. Learn More If you would like to find out more about how a next generation LMS can help your company unleash the abilities of your employees, plan to attend the March 30 webinar “Changing the Way People Learn, Everywhere”.

It is a common practice to need to post a financial entry to a closed fiscal year. In Sage X3, you can easily reopen a fiscal year, but you must edit your new period (NP) journal entries before you do so. Otherwise, the system will throw an error. In this blog post, we will look at the steps you need to take prior to reopening a fiscal year. In Sage X3, when you reopen a fiscal year, the system will attempt to delete the new period (NP) journal entries. It does this so that when you reclose the fiscal year, it can create new NPs to reflect any changes or additions you may have made at the GL level. However, X3 cannot delete the NP journal entries if they are in Final status. Instead, the system throws an error. To avoid this, and successfully reopen the fiscal year, you must first change the status for the NP journal entries from Final to Temporary. Step 1 is to identify all opening journal entries taking place on Jan. 1 of the new fiscal year: These are the entries that are already finalized and will need to change from Final status to Temporary status. To do this, we will edit the GACCENTRY table. Go to Development > Utilities > Maintenances > In lines: Select the table GACCENTRY: On the main screen, go to the right-hand menu and click Selection: Under Selection criterion, enter NUM=‘NP000116’ (In our example, NP000116 is the first of the opening entries to be modified): Now we can access the record: Next, go to the field status and change Status (STA) from 2 (Final) to 1 (Temporary): Save the changes. Now repeat the process starting with the Selection criteria, this time for the next JE: Continue with all opening journal entries shown on the first screen (in this case, NP000116 to NP000122). After completing this step, verify that the entries are in Temporary status: Now we are ready to reopen the fiscal year: Once you have reopened the fiscal year, you can make any changes or additions and then reclose. If you have any questions about how to reopen a closed fiscal year, or any other questions about Sage X3, please contact us.