Technology in Practice

“We don’t just work here. We don’t just play here. We live here, too. We’re community members and We are going to make a difference.” Cynt Marshall, Dallas Mavericks CEO Cynt Marshall, the NBA’s first black female CEO, is no stranger to adversity. Cynthia’s family left Birmingham, Alabama, and traveled to California when she was 3 months old. It was an effort to escape the Jim Crow South, but life in the projects on the West Coast wasn’t easy. She earned a full scholarship to Berkeley in the 1970s, where she studied administration and human resources management. Marshall became the first African American cheerleader and the first Black woman to join Delta Gamma. She went on to work for AT&T, where she started as a young Officer and grew exponentially becoming Senior Vice President – Human Resources & Chief Diversity Officer. After 36 years with the company, she decided to launch her own consulting firm in 2017, specializing in leadership and diversity. It wasn’t long after that she got a call from Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks. He was looking to change the organization’s image steeped in a sexual harassment and misconduct scandal. Once again, Marshall rose to the occasion and set out to make some remarkable changes. When Marshall began her CEO role in 2018, there were no women or people of color on the leadership team. Today things are very different – women make up 50 percent of leadership in the organization, with people of color comprising 47 percent. Inspiring female business leaders to remain true to who they are, Marshall continues to push cultural and racial boundaries, championing the “speak-up culture” and ensuring every person at the organization is recognized and heard. Want to learn more about this exceptional leader? Please check the links below! Dallas Mavericks’ Cynt Marshall: A Woman for All Seasons Listen, Learn, Love: Dallas Mavericks CEO Cynt Marshall On Leadership (podcast)

Passwords are a common form of confirming a user’s identity in the computing industry. Passwords have been around for decades.  The problem with using passwords for authentication is that they can be cracked. Anyone who knows your password can gain access to your systems (with all of your permissions) if there are no other safeguards in place. Reduce Vulnerability with Multi-Factor Authentication In addition to your passwords, Multi-Factor Authentication adds another layer of defense. It requires that a user provides multiple credentials (factors) to validate his or her identity before gaining access to a network or system. Typically, the credentials used to validate identity include: Password Code sent to another device (like a text message sent to your phone) Biometric data (such as a fingerprint) Examples: Martha signs on to her computer using her password and is instantly prompted by her cell phone to approve the log-in attempt. To log on to his computer, David scans his fingerprint and is then asked to enter a time-sensitive code received via an app on his phone. While MFA does need users to take an extra step or two when logging in, these procedures are straightforward and the disruption is usually minor. What Should Be Protected With MFA? Remote network and email access, as well as administrative access, should all be protected using MFA. This stops system hackers from penetrating networks and deploying ransomware, erasing valuable data, or stealing sensitive information for malevolent purposes using phishing or keylogging, for example. MFA Protects Against: Phishing/Spear Phishing Attacks Keyloggers Credential Stuffing Brute Force Attacks Reverse Brute Force Attacks Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) Attacks Why MFA is a requirement to Qualify for Cyber Insurance? Multi-factor authentication is extremely effective. According to Microsoft, “By providing an extra barrier and layer of security that makes it incredibly difficult for attackers to get past, MFA can block over 99.9 percent of account compromise attacks. With MFA, knowing or cracking the password won’t be enough to gain access.” Networks without MFA protections are exposed to much higher levels of risk than networks with MFA protections in place, according to insurance carriers. Because cyberattacks are becoming more common, cyber insurers are now requiring applicants to show that companies have taken precautions to prevent them. Most cyber insurance companies have made MFA a requirement for obtaining and renewing coverage. Implementing MFA with Sage X3 Sage X3 can support Multi-Factor Authentication via Saml2 and Oauth2 authentication methods. You can use these to connect to AzureAD (for example, Office 365), Google, Okta, and other authentication security providers. Integrating with these identity management solutions is a huge advantage—allowing you to use their services to grant access to Sage X3 ERP. Consider upgrading to a more secure authentication mechanism if your firm is still utilizing basic authentication to provide end-users access to your ERP system. For more information about OAuth2 or Saml2 authentication, visit the Sage X3 Online Help Center. For more information about implementing MFA with Sage X3, please contact us.

Medical device manufacturers are some of the most innovative companies in the world. It’s in their DNA. Remaining at the forefront of innovation, though, is not without its challenges. The industry is changing rapidly, and manufacturers that don’t invest in the technologies that help them digitally transform their operations risk becoming obsolete. Technologies, including advanced ERP applications, provide medical device manufacturers with the ability to remain flexible and agile while under pressure, freeing them to invest further in new product innovations. Read more about how ERP lays the foundation for innovation in this whitepaper. Maintain flexibility under pressure The Covid-19 pandemic reminded the world of the importance of the medical device manufacturing industry. The demand for ventilators and respirators skyrocketed, as did the need for more basic medical devices such as gloves, masks, and gowns. At the same time, supply chains were disrupted, leaving many manufacturers scrambling. The pressures highlighted the need for flexibility and agility. Companies with industry-capable ERP solutions in place were better prepared to rise to the challenges thanks to improved visibility across their operations, more insight into the supply chain and supplier quality, and consistent quality measures to reduce risk and retain compliance. Continue to innovate The pandemic also highlighted the need for continual innovation in the medical device industry. For example, new wearable sensors may soon diagnose the wearer with Covid-19 in about 90 minutes.  This need is only going to increase as new technologies become increasingly mainstream. Artificial intelligence, Internet of Things medical devices, wearable technology, and blockchain are already being introduced into medical device manufacturing. Manufacturers that invest in their digital transformation, including an ERP application that supports both back-office and operational functions, can retain and grow their market share while devoting resources to developing and testing new devices. An ERP designed for the medical device manufacturing industry provides functionality that includes: Full lot traceability Quality management Extensive device history Service and support capabilities Supply chain transparency Cross-enterprise visibility Net at Work works with medical device manufacturers to provide technology solutions that support and promote innovation. One such technology solution is advanced ERP. Read more about the advantages in this white paper, Advanced ERP for Medical Device Manufacturing. Next, we invite you to learn more about how people, processes, and technology come together to deliver on those advantages here or by viewing the recorded webcast, Leveraging ERP to Manage Your Medical Device Business. For more information about how an advanced ERP system can help your medical device business resolve key challenges and move toward a more successful digital future, please contact us.

Does your business sell or purchase goods in foreign markets? Managing multiple currencies can be a daunting task for most global companies. The process typically involves manual exchange rate entries into your ERP system which can be both time-consuming and risky. The good news is…there is a better way! If you are looking for a solution that eliminates costly mistakes and accounting errors while saving time spent on manual exchange rate entry, Net at Work’s Xchange Rate Connector for Sage X3 is the answer. Reliable Exchange Rates & Currency Conversion for your Business Net at Work’s Xchange Rate Connector for Sage X3 uses the Currencylayer API to automate importing of currency exchange spot rates. Over 250,000 companies use the Currencylayer API to access data for 168 world currencies. The exchange rates for all currencies configured in Sage X3 are imported from Currencylayer into Sage X3 daily. Key Features Sage X3 V12 is compatible with the Xchange Rate Connector with the following features: Uses the Currencylayer API* Imports foreign exchange rates into Sage X3 daily Runs as an X3 Batch Server Task Custom flag allows you to retrieve relevant currencies to ‘Get Conversion Rate’ Leverages standard Sage X3 Currency Rate Tables, Rate Types and History Easy to configure and rapid deployment Easy-to-Integrate API The Currencylayer API delivers reliable and accurate currency exchange rates and is accessible through a simple API request. The Net at Work Xchange Rate Connector accesses the data in JSON format. For more information about Xchange Rate Connector for X3, or any other Sage X3 questions, please contact us. * A separate subscription plan from Currencylayer is required. Plans are priced by Frequency & Volume. Visit https://currencylayer.com/product for more information.

If we measured cybercrime as a country, it would be the world’s third-largest economy after the U.S. and China. Just this year, we’ve seen the Colonial Pipeline breach, fallout from the Microsoft Exchange breach, a massive Facebook data leak, and a recent, highly disruptive attack on Kaseya, which paralyzed the networks of at least 200 companies. While that’s sinking in, consider that the vast majority of cyberattacks are launched through network endpoints. This makes endpoint protection, also known as endpoint detection and response (EDR), the frontline solution for tackling cyber threats. What is endpoint protection and how does it work? More connected devices put network security at risk Advanced endpoint protection platforms have gained traction in large part because of the upsurge in the number of endpoints attached to networks. Any device — servers, desktops, laptops, tablets, phones, smart watches — that has access to a computer network is considered an endpoint. The pandemic highlighted the importance of enhanced endpoint security, as employees took their corporate laptops home or connected to the corporate network from personal devices. A report from KuppingerCole shows that globally in 2020, endpoints connected to the internet were experiencing 1.5 attacks per minute! Mid-market firms are prime targets for cybercriminals, who understand that these organizations have more limited technology budgets and less formidable defenses than enterprise companies. Antivirus software is so yesterday Antivirus software dates back to 1971 when the first computer virus known as the Creeper infected and spread to mainframe computers manufactured by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC). Programmers eventually defeated Creeper using a program dubbed Reaper. Interestingly, Reaper was itself a virus, although one designed for a benevolent purpose. Endpoint protection solutions evolved from antivirus software — but take protection light years beyond. While antivirus applications help protect individual endpoint connections, they operate in a bubble, protecting just the endpoint and not the entire technology infrastructure. Because of its limited scope and reach, antivirus software alone is no longer a meaningful or effective tool to fight cybercrime. The key difference between traditional antivirus and endpoint protection solutions is that an antivirus application is only as good as the last update. If an attack happens that the antivirus application has never seen, the trojan or exploit may be able to run undetected. Endpoint protection locks the front and back doors An EDR system analyzes and protects systems from malware — before, during, and after the attack has taken place — by applying advanced threat detection and artificial intelligence techniques. Endpoint protection platforms work by monitoring files entering the network, quickly identifying malware and other threats. It then moves to contain and eliminate those threats. The platform also prevents the use of unsafe or unauthorized programs and provides encryption capabilities to protect sensitive information where it is stored and when it is transmitted to another endpoint. EDRs are dynamic solutions that analyze and react in real-time to thwart attacks before they can occur — and moving to isolate threats rapidly should they breach the firewall. The best platforms also allow the security team to understand how a cyberattack occurred so that they can close any security gaps. Malware attacks may even be able to be reversed in some cases when using EDR, by rolling back to a previous system state. By relying on machine learning and artificial intelligence, endpoint protection platforms get better and faster at identifying threats over time, increasing their value and effectiveness. Endpoint protection is only the beginning While endpoint protection is a critical component of network security, it alone isn’t enough to protect your organization’s data. A Managed Services Provider (MSP) can help you build and maintain a robust security infrastructure that includes endpoint protection along with backup and disaster recovery services, email security services, and more. Why should you consider engaging a Managed Services Provider? While endpoint protection platforms can certainly be launched and maintained in house, the time and complexity involved in ensuring they perform optimally 24/7/365 means that many companies turn to a Managed Services Provider for guidance and assistance. MSPs can help you select the right endpoint protection platform for your company, deploy and configure the solution, and provide continuous monitoring and updating — along with many other services. An MSP can also help you review and update your information technology policies and procedures surrounding security, ensuring you remain in the best position to protect your organization. Cybercrime may be the biggest single threat to your business’s profitability. Fighting it effectively requires experienced security experts, carefully designed and executed processes, and the best available tools — including an advanced endpoint protection platform that is monitored 24×7. Learn more about how to protect your organization by connecting with one of the security specialists on Net at Work’s Managed Services team.

With the same properties as its gray cousin, white cement ensures clean, bright, consistent colors that make a statement. Federal White Cement is one of the few manufacturers and distributors of this less common variety of structural and architectural cement. Based in Woodstock, Ontario, Federal White Cement distributes its products throughout Canada and the United States. Federal White Cement has aggressive expansion plans, but its technology infrastructure wasn’t able to keep pace with the growth. The company partnered with Net at Work to optimize Sage X3 ERP, leveraging the application’s existing capabilities and engineering new functionality to build a robust technology platform. Engineering extensive customizations that met exacting requirements while maintaining the ability to update the software has allowed Federal White Cement to keep pace with innovations. “We trust Net at Work to do right by us….they are large enough to have subject matter experts in house, yet they are small enough that we get to deal directly with individuals we know and who know us. There’s value — and a measurable impact — in our partnership.” Net at Work is a trusted technology partner of Federal White Cement—supporting all of its vital business management applications including ERP, CRM, and HRMS. Having a long-term, single-source technology provider with extensive vertical experience has simplified support and operations, helped leverage solutions for ongoing return on investment, extended the value proposition through trusted, strategic advice and recommendations. To read more about Federal White Cement, see their full story below. To learn more about how Net at Work, Sage X3, and Process Manufacturing & Distribution ERP can fast-track your growth and unleash the power of your business, visit here.

Do you have a custom auto journal that you would like to move from your test environment to your production environment? Are you dreading the time-consuming task of manually keying it in production? And do you fear making a mistake? There is an easier way! In this blog post, we will review how to move a custom auto journal into production. We will start by creating a custom auto journal under Setup, Financials, Accounting interface, Automatic journals (GESGAU) in your test environment. We will customize the SIHI Customer invoice (sales). It is good practice not to modify the out-of-the-box auto journals. We will create a new and unique auto journal code that we can modify. To do this, change the Entry code from SIHI to ZSIHI and click Create. The Entry code ZSIHI is unique in both our production and test folders. We are following the naming convention of beginning customized auto journal codes with the letter “Z.” This naming convention also should be followed whenever customizing screens, windows, objects, etc. Business partners may start their customizations with a “Y” when the customization is completed prior to going live. Following this naming convention is a big help when upgrading so that customizations can be easily identified. Once you have created the custom automatic journal ZSIHI, make your changes and click Save. Note that we waited to make changes until after the new auto journal was created to preserve the original. After you have thoroughly vetted the new auto journal in you test environment, it is time to move it to production. There are three alternatives: Manually entering in production—this can be time consuming and it is easy to make keying errors Use the Copy button on the Automatic journals screen—this only works if the test folder and the production folder are under the same X3 reference folder Create a patch on the test folder and apply the patch to the production folder—we will look at this method To create an auto journal patch: Go to Development, Utilities, Patches, Patch Creation (APATCH) Select: Destination type = Client Folder = Production folder (in this example, the folder is SEED) In Objects grid: Type = GAU Object name = drill down and select our custom journal ZSIHI Type of patch = Standard Languages grid = leave the default which is typically ENG and FRA Leave Activity codes blank Click OK You will find the newly created patch file in the Downloads directory of your PC. A few warning notes before you apply the patch to your production folder: The test folder where you created the patch, and the production folder must be on the same product version and product patch level The ZSIHI patch will overwrite any auto journal on the production folder with the same name. This explains why the modified auto journal should have a unique entry code Make sure you have a current usable backup just in case there is an issue with the new auto journal that was missed during the vetting process Don’t forget to enter this customization on your change log with all the details It would be a great idea to store all your patches in one location for safe keeping Ready to move? Copy the patch file from the test folder to the production folder. I will save the file to the Desktop in my production environment. Out next stop is Development, Utilities, Patches, Patch integration on the X3 folder. Select Destination type = Client. Select Patch integration. If Patch integration isn’t selected, the import is like a test and the data won’t be imported. I prefer to clear Deferred validation. Under Folders, we will only be selecting the Production folder which in this example is Seed. Click OK. On the File upload screen, drag the patch file to Select file field. See that our file has been uploaded. Click OK. Click Yes in answer to the Question “Have you read the ADXPATCH.htm file?” When finished processing, a log file will be displayed. Return to Automatic journals on the production folder. Note that the ZSIHI is in the left list now. Outside of moving the new customization to the production folder, you can move custom auto journals from production to a test environment to rework. You can use Patch creation to make patch copies of all your existing custom journals for safe keeping. The entry transactions, bank file definition and the auto journals are not the only items that can be copied to another environment using Patch creation. Refer to the Online help center entry for the Patch creation function to see all the element types that can be patched. For additional questions about moving a custom auto journal, or any other questions about Sage X3, please contact us. Note: Content for this blog post was originally posted on Sage City in Sage X3 Announcements, News, and Alerts by Pam Nightingale, July 23, 2021.

When chemical manufacturers are selecting an ERP solution and service provider, one size does not fit all. While the ERP software must address and satisfy chemical -specific needs for functionality, scalability, and complexity, the ERP service provider should have a proven track record helping companies like yours achieve the operational excellence required to realize optimal profitability and grow the business. The right implementation partner is to bring the ERP software to life. Here is brief outline of what to look for when selecting an chemical ERP services provider for your Chemical enterprise: First, select the software that best addresses the chemical industry and your company’s specific needs. A good start is to ensure that the provider can support all the capabilities that are unique to  the chemical industry, and serves as a robust development platform so that you can augment the capabilities with any unique needs you may have. It’s always good to look at the number and caliber of both solution partners and 3rd party ISV’s that are in the ERP platform provider’s ecosystem. Define the selection criteria with system stakeholders: Is geographical proximity important? Do I need custom development capabilities? What kind of support turnaround times do I need? Does the service provider have any other capabilities I might need (staff augmentation, etc.)? What’s the financial viability of the service provider? Then determine if each of these criteria are “must have” or “nice to have”. Shortlist the top Chemical ERP partners that have deep experience with your selected technology, the chemical manufacturing industry, and then go through a discovery process to see how each of them measure up against your criteria. Start with the evaluation of no more than three providers. More can become unwieldy. Be certain that the provider has the ability to support other systems you may have in place, as you likely have a CRM, eCommerce, HCM, as well as Business Intelligence tools that will require some data integration. It’s also useful to ensure that the provider has a great track record with other ISV solutions that you may need, either now or in the future. Check references, and evaluate them with a discerning eye. Think about both the similarities and the differences between your situation and that of the reference – specific to chemical manufacturing and ERP. Most of all, be certain that you and your team can develop open and effective communication channels with the service provider. This relationship is likely to be a long one, and a major foundation for a successful project is effective communication. If you execute against these recommendations, you are well on your way to selecting a great service provider to assist you in modernizing your Chemical Manufacturing  ERP and business management systems.

Business expansion into foreign markets is a complex, expensive process with many challenges. From ensuring you have the financial resources not only for initial investment, but for sustainable growth to navigating political and cultural differences, enduring exchange rate fluctuations, and earning consumer trust in the face of local competition. The biggest challenges, however, are compliance challenges and that’s where Sage X3 can help. From tax codes to licensing requirements to labor laws, regulatory rules differ by country. Switching your business models or accounting practices to comply with overseas requirements, also known as multi-legislation, is no small feat. Sage X3 as a multi-legislation ERP Designed for a global economy, Sage X3 makes it easy to share common data and processes between different foreign sites or subsidiaries, while respecting their own specific usages and business rules. Sage X3 supports multiple languages, currencies, companies, sites, and legislations. Users can access the system in their own language wherever they are, sharing the same information and functionality. Country-specific parameters, such as legal and market requirements, are centralized to offer a single, coherent solution worldwide. With Sage ERP X3, you can run a sophisticated multi-site, multi-country business as easily as a single domestic implementation. It is the system of choice for midsized companies looking to manage and develop their business in multiple countries without investing in a complex and costly global management systems. Integrate multiple ledgers into Sage X3—one for each country where the company will operate. Handle an unlimited number of currencies, exchange rates and rate types: daily, monthly, average or budget. Link each currency to the desired sales and business partners allowing each transaction to be loaded according to its own currency. Sage X3 then performs the conversion to the currency of the general ledger to simplify global interactions. Accept and issue invoices and payments in the currencies charged as default for the issuing or receiving entities—eliminating the need to manually switch from one currency to another. Automatically publish exchange rate fluctuations to profit or loss accounts in the appropriate general ledger. Pull financial reports in the desired currency Maintain a tax framework for each legislative environment to comply with the tax laws of each country and adapt to the way in which each territory passes taxes on goods and services traded. Unification of business data is not an option but rather a requirement for companies doing business in foreign markets with varying legal frameworks. For information on configuring multi-legislation in Sage X3, please contact us.