Resources for Sage X3 Users

Sage Knowledgebase (Sage KB) just got a major redesign—complete with an updated interface and additional features. What’s New in Sage Knowledgebase? In addition to a cleaner look and easier navigation, the improved Sage KB now offers: Compliance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) so content will be accessible to a wider range of customers and partners. Sortable search results by relevance, most helpful, or newest on top. Convenient voting buttons to help you provide article feedback and find the “most helpful” articles as rated by other users. Easy to use “answer wizards” to help you quickly find resolutions to the most frequently asked questions. Subscription options to get updates by email whenever articles are updated. Prominent “download” button on many product homepages for quick access to the latest version of your software. Bookmark Sage Support Resources today! We hope you’ll be just as excited about the upgrades to Sage KB as we are! Be sure to bookmark www.Sage.com/Resources today for quick access to Sage KB as well as all the ways you can take full advantage of everything your Sage X3 software can do for you. Note: Content for this blog post was originally posted on Sage City in Sage X3 Announcements, News, and Alerts by Terry Todd, November 20, 2020.

Periodically in Support, we receive queries on how the allocation or management rules could have been “violated” for a product. For example: product in “R” (rejected) status was issued even though setup does not authorize delivery of status “R” stock. How does this happen? This can happen if the user who performed the transaction is a Stock Administrator. The Stock Administrator is the only one who, when handling stocks, can ignore the constraints imposed by the combination of allocation and management rules for a given product. In this blog post, originally posted on Sage City Community by Pam Nightingale, September 30, 2020, we’ll explore the power of stock administrators and things to keep in mind when setting up stock users. How does someone become a Stock Administrator? Under Setup, Users, User Parameters, Chapter/ STO, Group / MIS, the STOADMIN Parameter value is set to “Yes” for their User Code. There are business reasons behind the establishment of allocation and management rules at each company. Occasionally, you may need to override them. However, you probably don’t want everyone to have the STOADMIN rights. Each organization must evaluate their business practices to determine who should be a Stock Administrator. You may decide to set up a special user login reserved for times when the Stock Administrator rights are needed. In one instance, we discovered that nearly all employees in the stock area had been set up as Stock Administrators. How could this have happened? The STOADMIN parameter also can be set at the folder level under Setup, General parameters, Parameter values. If it is defined as “Yes” at the folder level, users will automatically load with STOADMIN value equal to “Yes” when created. With this folder setting, you will have to manually change the STOADMIN value to “No” as each user is entered. Setting the STOADMIN to “No” at the folder level is safer. This forces a decision as to who is assigned Stock Administrator rights rather than risking it accidently happening. There are various ways to create users. If you aren’t doing this from scratch, be careful to select the appropriate function profile or copy a user with appropriate rights so as not to automatically make the user a Stock Administrator. If you utilize Set of values under Setup, Users, Users on the Parameters tab when creating users, verify the value for STOADMIN. This can be done via the Action icon on the Set of values tab for Chapter / Inventory, Group / MIS or by going to Setup, General parameters, Setup of values and selecting Chapter/ STO, Group/MIS. Hopefully this post will help when you are setting up stock users. Should you need more information about this post or have questions about any other Sage X3 issue, please contact us.

How inventory & average cost valuation are managed, considering input pricing fluctuation or additional landed cost imposed following inventory receipt. Sage X3 maintains several methods to value inventory including Standard, FIFO, LIFO, Lot Average Unit and Average Unit Costs. Industries, such as Food & Beverage, with supply chains prone to fluctuating material and component costs or manufactured units indistinguishable from each other may benefit from an Average Unit Cost stock valuation. The operational measure, cost of goods sold, is updated continuously using Average Unit Cost and allows for accurate calculation of sales margin in these circumstances. Valuation methods are assignable by site and product in the Sage X3 application. Sage X3 Master Data Valuation methods for raw material & finished goods inventories are managed within Sage X3 by the product category, product, and product-site records. An organization may value a stocked part with the same method, like Average Unit Cost, across its sites or choose to maintain Standard Cost on Site A, while Average Unit Cost is observed on Site X. In this post, we will walk users through master data setup & transactional configuration to calculate an inventoried part’s Average Unit Cost, while referencing common system inquiries to visualize the evolution of cost across time. Purchase Order With Average Unit Cost established for part, RAW046, Organic Powdered Eggs, we issue a system Purchase Order from vendor NA055 for 100LB @ $1.50 per LB, to receive at manufacturing site NA021 (the quantity and price are highlighted). Purchase Receipt Warehouse personnel conduct a Purchase Receipt from NA055 PO, bringing 100 LBS of RAW046 into the system at $1.50 per LB for an order cost of $150. Prior to this receipt, the Average Unit Cost (AUC) for this raw material was $1.17/LB, stemming from a base quantity of 700 LBS and base value of $820 ($820/700 LBS = $1.1714/LB). This information is visible to users on the Product-Site Record Cost Tab. Average cost is always calculated during the receiving process. This receipt adds 100 units in quantity and $150 total to AUC base value, again, visible on the Product-Site Record Cost Tab. Purchase Invoice Transactionally, a Purchase Invoice is generated for the receipt at the PO purchase price – there is no impact on Average Unit Cost. Product-Site Record Cost Tab Checking the cost tab, a user will see the impact of the recent receipt, bumping the AUC from $1.1714 to $1.2125. The new base quantity is 800 LBS (700 + 100 from receipt) & new base value is $970 ($820 + $150 from receipt). Another Purchase Order Site NA021 places another Purchase Order with vendor NA055 for 100 LBS of RAW046, though price is now $1.75/LB. Warehouse personnel conduct a Purchase Receipt from NA055 PO, bringing 100 LBS of RAW046 into the system at $1.75 per LB for an order cost of $175. The same AUC calculation, taking the recent receipt order cost and adding to on-hand raw material units & base value, yields a new cost of $1.2722/LB. A Supplier Wrinkle Several days later vendor NA055 submits an invoice for $2.00/LB, not the $1.75/LB cost as received (pays to get that PO Acknowledgement)! Processing the Supplier Invoice with a different value than the cost received will, once posted, prompt a re-valuation of material AUC. Checking the Product-Site Cost Tab, a user will see the AUC of $1.30/LB, owing to the $0.25 difference in received versus invoiced price. Considering 100 LBS received, that is an additional cost of $25 for the order. Average Cost Evolution Inquiry As stock transactions are validated or posted the average cost is calculated and tracked in the system. To review the history of changes to an item’s Average Unit Cost a user may run the Average Cost Evolution Inquiry, found in menu path Stock > Inquiries > Movements (Average Cost Evol/Movement). Below is the average cost history of RAW046, considering two (2) receipts processed and Supplier Invoice booked at higher cost than received. Costs Incurred After Receipt Sage X3 will readily manage subsequent costs from the same or a new vendor, related to a purchase part’s receipt. In this case, a 3rd party freight provider billed site NA021 for $1000 for the most recent receipt of RAW046. A process known as “complementary invoicing” will pick up this additional cost and apply it to on-hand inventory on a pro-rata basis. Following successful posting of this complementary invoice, a user may check the Product-Site Record Cost Tab to view the impact to AUC. Average Cost Evolution Inquiry Running this inquiry, again, we can see the impact of the additional $1000 charge. Examining Row 1 of the inquiry we see the 100 LBS added to inventory, comparing Stock Before and Stock After columns. Then the value of $1000 (900 LBS on-hand with an AUC base value of $1170, now reflected as $2170). AUC base value $2170/900 LB = $2.41/LB. Stock Value Change Utility Sage offers a Value Change Utility to re-cost from a global amount or % basis for products valued as Average Unit Cost. By site & product a user may update the global amount to reflect a new value and run the Stock Accounting Interface to generate journal entry, G/L, for the Inventory account (differences will book to PPV account in G/L). The same re-valuation may be initiated, by tier, for items costed with a FIFO valuation (but that is for another day). For more information about Average Unit Cost valuation in Sage X3, please contact us.

It’s the time of year again when thoughts turn to holidays and family… and year-end closing routines including 1099 processing! In this post we will review the requirements for both Sage X3 and Sage 500 as you close out 2020 and get ready for 2021. Sage X3 Last week, Pam Nightingale, Senior Sage X3 Support Analyst, published a fantastic article about 1099 processing within Sage X3. It covers all the basics and has links to information you will need for this year. Pam also authored a blog post that covers the 2020 NEC changes. Most important to note is that the 2020 updates for 1099 were included in v11.0.18 and v12.024; for other patch levels on v11 and v12 Sage will be releasing a 1099 update. Versions older than v11 will not have a patch for 2020 requirements. If you also need to patch for the 2019 requirements, we can do both at the same time. 2019 supports versions 9, 11, and 12. Please contact your Team Manager at Net at Work or helpdesk@netatwork.com to coordinate patching, if you need support. Sage 500 Sage also just released a new article for Sage 500 that you can find on Sage City providing information on the 2020 Tax Year that will bring a new 1099 form, the 1099-NEC (Non-Employee Compensation). Starting with Tax Year 2016, Sage 500 ERP shifted from completely managing 1099 forms and history to using an outside vendor named Aatrix for much of the yearly 1099 processing. Sage 500 ERP now sums up 1099 data and sends that data to Aatrix. From there, Aatrix can print forms, mail forms, send electronic 1099s via e-mail, etc. If you are on a support plan, some of that is included, with additional options at additional cost.  AAtrix updates can be found by visiting https://partner.aatrix.com/sage500.  Net at Work has also worked with a different third-party solution where data is extracted from Sage 500 and submitted to the third-party.  Please contact Net at Work if you are interested in a different solution. Regardless of your installation’s product update status, the last 1099 update (not necessarily last year’s) must be installed prior to the 2020 1099 update. Tax Year 2019 did not require a 1099 update, so that means the last update was likely Tax Year 2018. There are two installs, one for the Aatrix system (once installed, Aatrix updates itself via the internet), and the other part is a Sage part that adjusts to IRS driven data changes. The main change for this year, from a user experience, is that this year they will have to run a Sage 500 database update piece prior to installing Sage 500 client change (due to 1099 table constraint changes). Please note that any users using Sage 500 v2016 and prior that were able to continue using Aatrix will not have a Sage alternative this year. Sage 500 v2017 and later will be supported. For information on year 2019 and 2018 requirements, follow the URL on the image below: Please contact your Team Manager at Net at Work or helpdesk@netatwork.com to coordinate patching, if you need support.

Thanksgiving brings us together, even from afar. And while Thanksgiving may look and feel a little different for many of us this year, we hope you find a way to celebrate and that your holiday is filled with good food, good company, and plenty of pie! From our family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Net at Work. Val Domange, Sage X3 Consulting Manager Marianna Maxim, Sage X3 Project Manager Mike Shields, Sage X3 Project Manager Tom Dieterle, Sage X3 Senior Account Executive Mark Miller, Sage X3 Team Manager Lynn Eilerd-Du Toit, Sage X3 Finance Consultant Troy Brasel, Sage X3 Solution Architect Vijay Kothari, Sage X3 Team Manager Juliet Iorii, Sage X3 Solution Architect Samantha Marshall, Sage X3 Practice Director Jack Roque, Sage X3 Operations Consultant Ryan Schnieders, Sage X3 Operations Consultant Babajee Mahadea, Sage X3 Consultant Craig Coyne, Sage X3 Operations Consultant

Buy One, Get One Free (BOGO) pricing is a useful tool to encourage more sales of a product. When a customer purchases a certain quantity of one product, they get one or more of the same or a different product at no charge (i.e., free). Free product promotions are easy to set up in your Sage X3 system. With Sage X3 price lists, a free product can be associated to a line in the sales order. The free addition can be based on a line total, order total, or total quantity. It can be the same product, or a different product based on the configuration of a price list. You can define the price list setup in Setup > Sales > Price Lists > Setup (GESSPC): You can choose either ‘Same product’ or ‘Other product’ in the drop-down menu above. Save and validate the changes. Create a new price list record under Sales > Price List Entry (GESSPL): In the above example, if 5 or more quantities of 01-00003 were listed on the sales order, 1 free product, 01-00003 (defined in the Free product field), would be added to the order at a $0.00 price after the first line was added. Note that a different product other than the original product could be specified in this field. Sage X3 price lists are extremely flexible and powerful to support almost any pricing strategy that your sales team needs to implement. For more information, or for any questions regarding Sage X3, please contact us.

Let’s face it, 2020 has been HARD. This time last year, no one was planning for a global pandemic or the havoc it would wreak on our lives—both personally and professionally. And while the pandemic is far from over, we have one big advantage over last year—we know it is here. Which means we can better plan for the ongoing uncertainty. Part of that planning includes assessing the solutions and software you use to manage your business—to ensure you maximize efficiency and improve productivity. For Sage X3 users, this translates into planning an upgrade to the latest version of Sage X3 and moving to the cloud. Last week, Net at Work and held a live webinar with Sage, to review the Sage X3 product roadmap. The webinar provided an update on the future direction of the product, what features have been released in 2020, and the exciting new features that are planned for 2021. If you missed the presentation, you can view the recorded webcast here. We know from the attendance and questions asked, that our clients found many reasons to plan for an upgrade next year! Exciting New Features Coming to Sage X3 New updated ADC screens for the handheld devices New Product Introduction module with revision comparisons, prototype management, and release workflow Web scheduling enhancements including Available to Promise/Capable to Promise Revenue recognition, progress, milestone, and recurring billing, time sheet enhancements New cash management features including improved bank reconciliation automation Bad debts and AR write-offs Functionality to support IFRS16 Leases New reports and functionality for simplified VAT and currency management Use Our Cloud for FREE While You Upgrade There are undeniable benefits to hosting your Sage X3 in the cloud. Our Cloud at Work hosting for Sage X3 provides enterprise-level hosting technology delivered a SaaS experience—its flexible, scalable and secure. For a limited time, we’ll let you use our cloud for FREE while you upgrade! Benefits of Cloud at Work Hosting for Sage X3: Best in Class: Sage Applications + Cloud Technology Designed and Managed by the Most Experienced Sage Team in North America Best-in class application support. Cloud at Work works seamlessly with your solution to fit your specific needs and business processes. Say goodbye to finger pointing between your application & cloud vendors. A Sage-focused Cloud Solution Patches, Fixes, Support & Training Included When you add the Sage X3 Xperience Service, all patches and fixes are included so you can be assured that your Sage X3 is always up-to-date. Plans include health checks, training, ongoing mentoring, and upgrades to keep your users plugged in to all new features and functionality. Enterprise Level Technology A SaaS Experience, Tailored to Fit Your Organization There is no “window within a window” using Cloud at Work. It looks, feels, and works in a SaaS fashion. Built to fit your needs, there are no limited on integrations or customizations, and with OnDemand licensing you can upgrade your SQL, OS, and MS Office at any time—at no cost. Peace of Mind Industry-standard Uptime, Monitoring and Ongoing Support With Cloud at Work, we host your entire production environment in a stable and secure environment with 24x7x365 monitoring and unlimited support tickets through our Cloud at Work support and Sage X3 application Xperience plans. For more information about upgrading Sage X3 or moving to Cloud at Work and taking advantage of our special offer, please contact us.

Net at Work’s Sage X3 team is growing again. To better support our ever-increasing number of clients, we have added 9 new members to our Sage X3 team this quarter. They bring decades of expertise to the team in the areas of Process and Discrete Manufacturing, Chemical, Supply Chain and Complex Distribution, Financial Services, Project Management, and more. We are pleased to welcome…. Eric Sluss Team Manager, Sage X3 esluss@netatwork.com | Direct: 646-532-6848 Eric Sluss specializes in leading global ERP and technology transformation programs. His experience spans the full lifecycle of ERP and technology activities including business case development, business process transformation and implementation, and post-implementation stabilization. Eric’s experience includes global project and program management; finance and operations transformation; alignment of IT strategy to business initiatives; pricing strategy and execution; and organizational change. He has served Fortune 1000 companies in the manufacturing, industrial products, and energy industries. Additionally, Eric has led successful pricing and ERP initiatives at the portfolio companies of private equity firms. Stephen Watt Software Developer, Sage X3 swatt@netatwork.com | Direct: 646-293-1706 Stephen began working at Sage in 2013 with the Construction and Real Estate product line and became a Professional Services consultant in 2016. Over the next 2 years, Stephen received in-depth technical training while transitioning to software development full-time. Stephen is a certified Developer and Technical Consultant for Sage X3. Thomas Brendel Software Developer, Sage X3 tbrendel@netatwork.com | Direct: 646-532-6847 Thomas has been designing, developing, and implementing customizations in Sage X3 since 2016. He holds a BS in Computer Science from Georgia State University, with a concentration in databases. Scott Shifko Senior Software Developer, Sage X3 sshifko@netatwork.com | Direct: 646-532-6844 Scott has been developing software for over 23 years, the last 20 of them have been for Sage X3. Over those years, he has worked with customer over a wide variety of industries. He specializes in designing, optimizing and developing Sage X3 modifications. Scott holds a BS in Computer Science and is Sage certified as both an X3 Technical Consultant and as an X3 Developer. Steve Walters Technical Manager, Sage X3 swalters@netatwork.com | Direct: 646-532-6864 Steven Walters has worked in ERP consulting and implementation for 10 years. Prior to joining Net at Work, he spent over 6years working at Sage on delivering Sage X3 for their customers and several years before that in other ERP software. He holds certifications in Sage X3 for technical implementation, consulting, and development as well as a certificate for Sage CRM implementation. He uses his deep technical knowledge, combined with business and people sensibility to provide value for the individuals and companies with which he works. Steven also holds a BS in Information Systems, a BA in Psychology and an MIS in Management. His mix of skills and interests brings a unique approach to problem-solving and a strong understanding of complex situations and how to navigate them successfully. He has spent much of his more recent career focused on supporting his colleagues in order to provide increased expertise in the community to better serve our clients. Steve Homolak Senior Consultant, Sage X3 shomolak@netatwork.com | Direct: 646-532-6843 Steve has made a career of developing teams, processes and competitiveness to drive profitable growth. He has amassed a diverse set of business experience in the chemical, tire and manufacturing industries. Throughout his career in various leadership and management roles, he has developed and relied heavily upon good information systems. Prior to Net at Work, he was with Sage for over 4 years where he developed expertise in X3 Distribution and Manufacturing, and accomplished many successful implementations. By combining his business and consulting experience with X3’s fully integrated ERP capabilities, he is able to help clients improve their companies through the most efficient processes and best business practices. He has an MBA from Cleveland State University and has been certified in Lean Manufacturing, Business Consulting and Continuous Process Improvements. He has four grown children and resides with his wife in Cleveland, Ohio. Ian deLeon Consultant, Sage X3 ideleon@netatwork.com | Direct: 226-774-3890 Ian de Leon has over 23 years of experience in the ERP workspace. He has been working with Sage products since 1997 and has extensive experience in developing proof-of-concept engagements, providing technical assistance, and delivering product documentation and training to customers across the globe. He enjoys working with clients to identify and interpret their complex requirements and takes pride in being able to resolve those requirements through innovative software solutions. Ian holds considerable product knowledge across all areas of both Sage 300 and Sage X3 (he is certified in the Sage 300 Technical, Financials, and Distribution modules and holds certifications for the Sage X3 Technical and Financials product lines. Ian is continuously taking on learning new product lines and is also proficient at the Sage Intelligence, Sage Enterprise Intelligence, Avalara, and the Paya products. John Cooper Project Manager, Sage X3 jcooper@netatwork.com | Direct: 646-293-1787 John brings over 20 years of ERP System implementations and project management experience to Net at Work and has worked with Sage X3 since 2018. John has been a Consultant, Report Writer, Business Analyst, Project Manager and Team Lead. John has extensive experience in many industries, including not for profit, financial services and agriculture (both U.S. and Canada). Karen Rae Project Manager, Sage X3 krae @netatwork.com | Direct: 646-532-6844 Karen Rae is a Senior Project Manager with over 20 years’ experience leading global software implementation teams with multiple ERP and HCM vendors across North America. Karen has also held roles in PMO Management, Practice and Operations Management. She has worked with over 300 customer in various industries including manufacturing, distribution, government, food and beverage, professional services, communications, entertainment, pharmaceutical and nutraceutical, leading teams through the delivery of strategic initiatives to facilitate change. Karen is passionate about customer success, building relationships based on trust and advocating for the customer.

Sometimes a supplier may require a deposit before commencing work on an order, or the order may have to be paid in advance. In this blog post, we will review the steps you need to take to record payments against a purchase order in Sage X3. Steps to Record Prepayments for Purchase Orders Create a Payment Term with the Payment Type ‘Prepayment’. This will automatically fill the Prepayment section in the Purchase Invoice.   Create the Purchase Order and assign the Payment Term “Cash in advance” (CIA) or another similar term that has the Prepayment Type on it. Note that modifying the Due Date percent in the Prepayment configuration will change how much is due in advance and how much will remain as an open item. Below is an example of this—25% due immediately and 75% due 30 days later. Another point to consider is that it’s not mandatory to use Prepayment Terms for generating a prepayment. In that case, the Prepayment section of the invoice will have to be manually filled. Note in the Prepayments section how the information for the prepayment is automatically generated: Note that this screen can also be reached by going to the menu option Purchasing / Order / Prepayment management: After the Order and the Prepayment are created, we need to issue the check to prepay for the Order. This is done in AP-AR Accounting / Payments / Payment – Receipt Entry: Create the payment by selecting the PO just created. Note that the ‘Type’ in the payment is CCFOU, this is automatically assigned by the system to manage the prepayment: Post the payment: Now, proceed with the normal reception of the goods and Receipt of Invoice: After posting, note how the Open Item reflects the prepayment. In this example is added the $2066.22 payment. If a partial payment were made instead, it would apply that portion only. In this example we paid 100% of the open invoice. For more information on recording a prepayment against a purchase order, or for any other Sage X3 questions, please contact us.