Technology in Practice

To save time during record creation it is possible to default certain field values in Sage X3. This blog post will walk through how to default the Validity Date field during quote entry. We’ll also discuss creating and assigning activity codes to ensure changes are not lost during patches and upgrades. Find the screen and the field value: Follow: Sales > Quotes > Quotes 1. Select the Validity Date field 2. Select ESC F6 on your keyboard 3. Record the field value and the screen value in [brackets] Default Value Setup: A default value is set at the screen level. At this level it is also possible to make a field mandatory. These changes will require a dev badge be assigned to the user. In addition, it is suggested that an activity code be added so that these changes are not lost during patching and upgrades. Follow: Development > Script Dictionary > Screens > Screens 1. Select the screen that was recorded from the quote SQH1 2. Select the Fields tab 3. Find the field (VLYDAT) 4. Scroll over to the column titled “Default value” 5. Default values for dates a. Date$ = Current date b. Date$+14 = 14 days from current date NOTE: There are defaults that the native code will override unless an * is added as a prefix to the default, this usually works to override code logic. 6. To make field entry mandatory set the drop down to “Yes” in the column titled “Mandat” 7. Save changes and validate the screen 8. For transactional screens, this change will require validating all the related entry transactions Validating Entry Transactions: For sales quotes Follow > Setup > Sales > Entry Transactions > Quotes Select the appropriate entry transaction Select Validation Creating and assigning activity codes: If there is not already an activity code used to track small changes it is easy to create a new one that can be used for these types of changes in the future. 1. From the column titled “Act” select the action dots in the field 2. Select Jump to 3. Select new 4. Enter a code beginning with Z 5. Enter a description 6. Select the Active flag 7. Module = Supervisor 8. Type = Functional 9. Dependency = None 10. Select create 11. Close out of function and the field in the screen will populate with the new activity code 12. Save changes and validate the screen It is important to note that the above steps are specific to a date field. Depending on the data type of the field, the format of the default value will vary. For more information on data types please refer to Sage online help. In addition, this functionality is restricted to native fields and cannot be guaranteed for custom fields. Always test these kinds of changes thoroughly in your pilot or test folder before implementing live. And always keep a log of changes made to your production environment. For questions and advice on best practices, please contact us!

The COVID-19 impact on the economies and markets around the world has called for governments to figure out how best to safeguard financial stability. Some plans include tax filing and payment extensions while others are adopting temporary rate reductions. Thank you to our partner Avalara who has compiled tax news related to the COVID-19 outbreak, including filing and/or remittance deadlines, and is monitoring ongoing tax-related updates to keep us all informed. [blogpromo type=’webinar’ link=’https://www.netatwork.com/resource/compliance-in-the-wake-of-covid-19-whats-changed/’ btntext=’Watch Now’ iconlabel=’Webinar’] Tax Compliance in the Wake of COVID-19: What’s Changed? Understanding Your Options for Financial & Tax Relief[/blogpromo] For the latest on tax relief plans, you can access these resources below. COVID-19 Tax Relief Roundup – U.S. COVID-19 Tax Relief Roundup – By State COVID-19 Tax Relief Roundup –  International COVID-19 Tax Relief Roundup –  By Industry For additional resources on tax compliance, visit our online library of learning materials.

Sage 100 version 2020 which includes many new great improvements, enhancements and innovations is scheduled for release this month. Once released, Net at Work will perform internal testing so that we can estimate upgrades as well as try to identify any issues. It is usually Net at Work’s methodology to wait until Product Update 1 is released before upgrading any of our clients. Here’s an overview of all the great new features and functionalities in Sage 100 version 2020. [blogpromo type=’webinar’ link=’https://www.netatwork.com/resource/whats-new-in-sage-100-v2020-erp/’ btntext=’Watch Now’ iconlabel=’Webinar’] What’s New in Sage 100 version 2020 Announcing the Release of Sage 100/100cloud v2020[/blogpromo] Below you will find a list of some of the great new features. The new features include improvements, enhancements and innovations: Company Conversions: Converts SAP Crystal Reports International Addresses: Includes expansion of Address fields, zip/postal code validation & country codes now included Global Enhancements: Custom office updates:Grid Maintenance and Deferred UDF update, can mask information as being displayed California Consumer Privacy Act: Ability to encrypt customer and vendor Personal identifiable Information, previous encrypted information can be encrypted, utility to encrypt data belonging to previous customer Expanded Name: Fields extended to 50 characters, reports and screens changed to accommodate length change Reverse Check Run: Can reverse checks made through check printing, and by using a check journal (Subscription Only) Months to Retain Paid invoices: Ability to put in months to retain vs. days to retain (Subscription Only) Classic Desktop Retired: Can’t select classic on standard desktop Multiple POs on one receipt/invoice: Similar to multiple sales orders on one invoice, multiple orders on single receipt (Subscription Only) Migration Wizard Directory Check: Warn user if installation and file migration are the same, prevents unintentional removal of files from the new installation Lot/Serial Expiration Dates: Ability to track expiration dates for lot or serial items, ability to use sell by, use by, issue by and return by dates separately. Security events to allow overriding of dates (Subscription Only) Job Cost WIP: New method to calculate the amount of WIP using % of completion and fixed billing method opposed to billing at job completion. E-Invoice Payments with Paya Connect: Sends link to customer with option to pay online, (Subscription only) Advance Scheduling: Status review of work tickets in real time, adjust production lines as demands change, increase shop floor efficiency (Subscription only)

COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Updates: As we all continue to adapt to the challenges presented by COVID-19, we at Net at Work are focused on doing all we can do to enable our clients to function as productively as possible with minimal interruptions. With this in mind, we’ve gathered resources you may find helpful to your business during this time. Click here to learn more. As always, should you find yourself in need of assistance, please contact us. Last week, we sent out information on business continuity measures and practical advice to consider in response to COVID-19 (Coronavirus). Many of you have reached out for assistance in these areas and we continue to be available to support you in these efforts. Despite moving nearly all of our operations and staff remotely we remain as available as ever to assist you with your technology projects and support. Over the past several days, we’ve spoken with many of you and huddled together to determine what we could do better to provide assistance during these times of uncertainty. We’ve learned that many of your most pressing issues and concerns are: cash flow, access to your critical applications, and making/managing payroll. Effective immediately and for as long as necessary we are making the following changes to help our clients in these areas: – Waiving all credit card fees for any Net at Work invoices Many clients have informed us that remote operations can mean it’s difficult or even impossible to cut and sign checks. – Free setup and expedited approval for your business to be set up to receive credit card payments from your clients If you are not currently accepting credit cards, we recommend you consider it to help expedite your clients’ payments and assist cash flow. We can help by fast-tracking the approval process (generally 24 hours) and now providing free setup. – Free cloud setup for your mission critical applications As offices are closing keeping your critical systems running is becoming more difficult. We are now providing free setup associated with moving your critical ERP, CRM, HCM systems to the cloud to help ensure your business continuity. – Free Payroll Contingency/Continuity Support We are making available complimentary payroll processing training, anytime online learning courses, and a Payroll Procedures template. -Net at Work will pay your interest fees for financing If you are concerned about preserving your capital but have a technology initiative or project, in most cases Net at Work will pay your interest fees. Through our strategic leasing partner we will cover your interest and offer you zero required payments for 90 days, or 12 monthly payments with no interest. *Approval is required. If you have any other requests or areas of concern, please don’t hesitate to let us know. As we all work through these difficult times, know that we are determined to maintain continuous communications to keep abreast of your concerns and issues, and to assure a fast, thoughtful response. For more information on any of the items above, reach out to your primary Consultant, your Account Manager, our helpdesk or any of us here at Net at Work.

COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Updates: As we all continue to adapt to the challenges presented by COVID-19, we at Net at Work are focused on doing all we can do to enable our clients to function as productively as possible with minimal interruptions. With this in mind, we’ve gathered resources you may find helpful to your business during this time. Click here to learn more. As always, should you find yourself in need of assistance, please contact us. As we are all carefully monitoring the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) situation, Net at Work in accordance with the CDC and public health and safety guidelines, is actively taking steps to ensure the safety of our teams and the continuity of our operations.

Earlier this month 11 members of the Net at Work team attended the annual Sage X3 Partner Summit in Orlando, FL to share ideas and learn from the Sage gurus in R&D, Product, Delivery, and Sales. Here are some highlights from the Sage X3 roadmap keynote, presented by Rob Sinfield, Vice President Product Sage X3: Sage X3 continues to lead with a cloud-first approach whether clients choose Sage’s public, Sage’s private, or a partner-sponsored private cloud. Sage is committed to quarterly releases for both on-premise and cloud Sage X3 and there will be no version numbers, just a year and a release or “R” number (e.g., 2020 R2). Some of the noteworthy new features on the Sage X3 2020 roadmap include: Finance Advanced bank statement/reconciliation enhancements Changes around open item matching Project Management Revenue recognition New KPIs available Ability to take snapshots to compare different times of the project Estimated revenue at completion Ability to have a new delivery type that is non billable Logistics and Manufacturing License Plate Number (LPN) Manufacturing flow implementation Assembly and disassembly Personalization to UI and UX Updating the user interface to make it more your own will become easier Foundations Components Patterns and Content can be customized New ADC screens are coming Available with version 2020 R4 Very close to having all transactions available for ADC (20 out of 25 screens will be completed) In addition, Sam Marshall, Practice Director for Sage X3 at Net at Work, lead a session with Preeti Dixit, Sage X3 Product Evangelist, on the chemical distribution and manufacturing industries’ use of Sage X3 along with how to work with the extension modules available with Chem at Work. Please reach out for more information or to answer questions about the Sage X3 Partner Summit and the future of Sage X3!

With the release of v12.0.21, Sage added a number of new features to Sage X3, its global, enterprise-level ERP offering. The recent update builds further upon the key benefits of Sage X3 and includes updates for finance, distribution, and project management as well as the general platform. Here are a couple of the features to look for in the latest version: Manage global notification The User broadcast feature available in the Administration platform allows administrators to set up messages that display at the top of the browser window for a given period. Administrators can set start and end dates and times for these messages. They can also add a link that opens an additional web page with more information for users. Administrators can use this feature to: Communicate system unavailability due to planned maintenances in advance to users. Send users reminders about operations they need to do before closing a period. Once you have closed a user broadcast, it does not appear again because it is stored in the browser history. Empty your cache if you want to see it again. Opening of periods once for multiple companies/ledgers The Periods opening (mult-companies) function (TRTPERMC) allows you to open all periods for all ledgers for selected companies. After running the process, a log file details which periods were open and for any periods not opened, a reason is noted. The process does not open fiscal years, nor does it open periods for ledger types not associated with a company. You can run the process on-demand or on a schedule. To see a complete list of all of the new features included in the latest release, click here.

Almost a year ago now, Sage announced the end of life for Sage Abra Suite after over 35 years in the marketplace. The effective end of life is October 1st, 2020 since that is the last time Sage Abra will be updated. Technical support will continue through the 4th quarter, ending on Friday, December 28th. However, there will be no 4th quarter update or support for generation of W-2s in 2021. Net at Work consultants are already scheduling Sage HRMS migrations well into 2020. Sage Abra Suite customers must decide on what direction they will go by April 15, 2020 at the latest to assure that their migration will take place before the September 30, 2020 last update. [blogpromo type=’webinar’ link=’https://www.netatwork.com/resource/risk-free-migration-to-sage-hrms/’ btntext=’Watch Now’ iconlabel=’Webinar’] On-Demand Webinar: Risk-Free Migration to Sage HRMS Watch Now[/blogpromo] How is Data Migrated to Sage HRMS One of the most common questions asked during the initial stages of planning for the migration is what happens to all the Abra Suite data? Many users have data going back years and, in some cases, decades. Where does that data end up? The answer for migrations to Sage HRMS are three-fold: All data related to HR, Training, and Paid Time Off is ‘upsized’ to the new Sage HRMS SQL database. This also includes rules, standard reports and Secure Queries. Payroll data is migrated using a specific tool – Automated SQL Migration or ASM. The ASM tool takes the Abra Suite payroll data and ‘transforms’ it into data that is usable in the new Sage HRMS payroll module. Payroll data converted includes employee tax configurations, direct deposit information, earning and deductions. Check detail data is converted for the current year to date (2020) and one full year back (2019). Additional years of check detail can be converted for a fee. Recruiting Solution data is not migrated, since there is not a corresponding applicant tracking module in Sage HRMS. Users of Cyber Recruiter or other applicant tracking programs can have the Recruiting Solution data converted as part of their ATS program implementation. Does Abra Suite Go Away? Once the migration to Sage HRMS or another program is complete, users retain their full Abra Suite license. Keep in mind that there will be no further updates, ‘bug fixes’ or support. Options for maintaining a copy of Abra Suite include: Install Abra Suite on a virtual server or even a workstation offline. Once connected to a printer, the offline version can then be a source for data lookup or printing of reports like old W-2s. (The reason we recommend having the workstation offline is to protect the operating system from being updated by Microsoft and ‘breaking’ the ability to launch the Abra Suite Visual FoxPro program.) Upload your Abra Suite to Cloud at Work. Hosted on our secure servers and accessed via a remote desktop connection, a Cloud at Work Abra Suite installation would be maintained by Net at Work for as long as users needed to access it with full ability to use the Abra Suite user interface and print reports. (Hosting fees would apply.) Convert the Abra Suite tables to Microsoft SQL and store on an SQL server. This option would allow users to access their Abra Suite data via Crystal Reports and/or SQL reporting services, however, they would not have the Abra Suite user interface available in the previous options. This option would, moreover, assure that the data would be accessible thru SQL, even if there were updates to the Windows operating system or Microsoft SQL versions. What If I Don’t Migrate? Whether you are an HR-only user or full Abra Suite with Payroll, there will be consequences if you do not move from Abra Suite by the end of the year: You will not be able to generate 2020 W-2s. You will not be able to file electronic copies of State and local taxes for 2020. You will not be able to generate and file ACA reports(1095’s) for 2020. You will not be able to receive support for error messages or other technical support issues. You will not be able to file EEO-1 Reports in March of 2021 for 2020. You will not be able to use 3rd party products like HR Actions or Cyber Recruiter. You will no longer have access to the Abra Suite knowledgebase from Sage. You will not be able to submit OSHA reports electronically if there are any changes after 12/20. You will not be able to run Abra Suite if any updates to your Windows operating system “breaks” the Abra Suite client. You will not receive updates to Crystal Reports for Sage. Reach out to our team today to talk about your Abra Suite migration options.

The concerns over coronavirus have led to an increase in remote work in recent weeks, and more and more businesses are requesting employees to work from home. As a result we have seen an increase in demand for cloud, collaboration and video tools like Teams, Slack and others. Microsoft is now offering free six-months trial to the premium version of Microsoft Teams, a part of Office 365. The free version of Teams limits users in terms of calling and meeting features, so Microsoft is offering the paid version free for a longer timeframe to help support remote work and global health. If your organization is licensed for Office 365, you already have MS Teams, so please reach out to us for any Microsoft Teams assistance, access, training etc. needed. Here is a detailed post from Microsoft with more details: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/blog/2020/03/05/our-commitment-to-customers-during-covid-19/ At this time we want to encourage all organizations to pause and consider an action plan, and your ability to support a fully remote workforce if the need arises. We are here to assist your continuity plans and ensure your work from home plans are in order with the right technology in place for remote working, collaboration and security. Stay healthy!