In our last issue, we took a sneak peek at Sage ERP MAS 90 and MAS 200 Version 4.5, scheduled for release in just a few short weeks now.  In this article, we’ll take a closer look at Payroll which is getting quite a makeover and a bunch of great new features.

5 New Payroll Deduction Calculation Methods

Five new calculation methods will be available for payroll deductions, many of which are typically used with unions and dues including deductions Based on Paid Hours, Based on Pay Rate, Based on Regular Plus Overtime Hours, Percentage of Total Hours, and Percentage of Deduction Method.

Payroll Entry Workflow Improvements

In Payroll Data Entry, you have the flexibility to recalculate deductions based on changes in the earnings line while still in data entry.  Previously, you had to delete the data you’ve entered, make the adjustments in another screen, and then re-enter the data back in Payroll Data Entry.  Obviously a big time-saver when you need   to make adjustments on the fly while running payroll.

Importing Payroll Data

Visual Integrator will be updated to support a few of     the common labor management and time tracking       systems, allowing you to pull data straight from those systems into MAS 90 or MAS 200 Payroll Data Entry.  File layouts and sample imports will be included for the most popular data import formats including: Fixed Field, ADP, TimeBank/Kronos and TimeTrack.  If you’re pulling data from a time tracking system into MAS 90 or MAS 200 Payroll, these enhancements will eliminate duplicate data entry and reduce the risk of transposition errors.

Beefed Up Benefit Accruals

In Version 4.5, you can manage accruals based on hours worked, which can be used to support    salaried, union, and part-time employees.  This new functionality will use the code assigned to an employee, compare the Minimum Hours Required for Benefit Accrual with the hours worked. If the conditions set are not achieved, then the accruals will not occur.

Sage TimeSheet – MAS 90 Edition

For professional services organizations that need to track and bill projects based on a fixed time or material basis, Sage TimeSheet 2011 will provide integration to Version 4.5.  This sophisticated timesheet and time tracking data collection software will provide the ability to electronically assign jobs to employees and collect data on actual time spent and costs incurred on each task. Sage TimeSheet includes a seamless integration to Sage MAS Job Cost, Payroll, TimeCard, Accounts Payable, and Accounts Receivable.

Take A Peek at Version 4.5

Just when you thought Sage ERP MAS 90 and MAS 200 couldn’t get any better, Sage pulled the curtain and gave us a peek of what’s to come later this year with Version 4.5.  Here’s what we’ve learned about the newest version which is currently scheduled for release late in calendar 2011.

Accounts Receivable Goes National

Long-awaited and highly-anticipated, the new National Accounts feature in Version 4.5 allows you to set up branches or subsidiaries under a single “National” account record in Accounts Receivable.  This makes it easier to manage large customers with multiple locations.  You can send a single invoice to the parent company (or corporate office) for goods and services provided to various locations.  You’ll also have more meaningful reporting and analysis with multiple customers and locations consolidated into a single national account.

Auto-Create PO from Sales Order

Another popular enhancement request based on MAS 90 / 200 customer feedback online, this new feature will automatically create a Purchase Order based on data that flows through from sales order entry.  For companies that operate on a business model where they don’t place an order with suppliers until they make a sale, this will be a huge time-saver.  It also reduces potential for error because there’s no need to enter the same data twice (once in Sales Order and again in Purchase Order).

Did You Catch the SQL? It’s Better Than the Original

Late last year, Sage rolled out a totally new version of MAS 200 for Microsoft SQL Server.  Compared to legacy versions of MAS 200 SQL v3.X, the new SQL release represents a complete overhaul of the underlying technology.  Previously available only for new installations, Version 4.5 introduces an upgrade path for current customers.  That means you can upgrade to the new MAS 200 SQL and take advantage of the speed, stability, and performance that “true” SQL Server accounting software offers.

Enhancements to Payroll

Payroll in Version 4.5 is really getting quite a makeover.  A host of new features include five           additional deduction calculation methods for processing payroll, the ability to automatically perform   deduction recalculations and set deductions based on earnings type, enhanced Visual Integrator importing of common time management software formats into Payroll Data Entry, and the ability to establish a minimum number of hours worked for benefit accruals.

Introducing Sage Business Care

Sage recently announced the launch of Sage Business Care – a new program representing a complete overhaul of the support and maintenance plans available for your Sage ERP MAS 90 or MAS 200 software. Let’s take a look at the new plans and options that were announced.

Bronze Support Plan
This is a natural transition from the former Basic and Basic Plus plans. MAS 90 or MAS 200 Customers on a new Bronze plan will receive product updates and fixes as well as access to the Sage online Knowledge base for troubleshooting.
COST: 18% of Software License Fee

NOTE: Phone support with a Sage support technician is not available with a Bronze plan (Previously $300 per case with former Basic or Basic Plus). It’s also worth noting that support fee for a Bronze plan represents little or no change from Basic and a price decrease from Basic Plus.

Silver Support Plan
This is a natural transition for customers currently on the EES Basic Plus plan. The Silver plan provides all that the Bronze plan delivers plus 5 support cases per year. Former Basic Plus customers received just 3 cases per year.
COST: 20% of Software License Fee

NOTE: The Silver plan represents a 1% increase in support costs but also provides for 2 additional support cases.

Gold Support Plan
This is a sort of “catch all” category that may be the right choice for you if you’re currently on a Silver, Silver Plus, Gold, or EES Gold plan. Let’s take a closer look at how the new Gold plan compares.
COST: 25% of Software License Fee

If you’re on a current Silver or Silver Plus plan, the new Gold plan allows you to retain the unlimited telephone support cases you’re accustomed to. Plus, you’ll get all the extra benefits of Gold level support including telephone priority over an exclusive toll-free line, special discounts on training and additional modules, and upgrade planning assistance.

NOTE: The price change will be higher or lower depending on the modules you’re running and number of user licenses.

If you’re a current Gold or EES Gold plan customer, the new Gold plan will be very similar. However Sage will be extending support hours until 8 PM Pacific Time (previously 5 PM) and offer upgrade planning assistance (New!).

Take A Dive Into Product Update 5

Sage has announced the availability of Product Update 5 for Sage ERP MAS 90 and MAS 200 Version 4.4 and it’s available via compact download from Sage Online. Product Update 5 continues the trend of incorporating many of the old “Extended Solutions” into the core product which means you get a bunch of great new features without additional cost. Here’s what you get with Product Update 5.

Company-Specific Background Colors
For years, this has been a very popular request among Sage ERP MAS 90 and MAS 200 customers running multiple companies. Finally, you can chose to assign a unique background color for each of the different companies. This will make it tremendously easier to ensure entries are made in the correct company … particularly when you have several company screens open at the same time.

Multi-Company Aged Invoice Report
Now you can print your Accounts Payable Aged Invoice report in a multi-company format, combining vendor information across all of the companies you select.

Expense Distribution Tables
This new feature in Accounts Payable allows you to pre-define your GL account distribution and their percentages, removing the extra steps of manually keying amounts separately each time an invoice is entered. For example, monthly rent payments can be set up in an Expense Distribution table to automatically allocate percentages to various departments and GL codes.

Inactive Inventory Items
You can now designate inventory items as “inactive” so that it can no longer be purchased or sold. Inactive items will still retain their history and allow returns processing using RMA or a credit memo in sales order. This can be useful for holiday or seasonal items that are available only during certain periods of time. In previous versions of Sage MAS 90 and 200, an inactive inventory item issued only a warning that was easily overridden.

New Security Options in Item Inquiry
Four new permission settings have been added to prevent order entry personnel from accessing standard cost information while still allowing access to price and quantity on-hand. You can also restrict access to certain vendor information.

941 Tax Form Update for 2011
In March of this year, the Federal Government issued an update to the 2011 Form 941 and these changes have been incorporated into Product Update 5. Included is a new data entry field for Tax Due on Unreported Tips as well as necessary calculation changes to certain form types.

Other notable enhancements include additional ‘Accounts Payable Check Sorting Options’ along with the addition of ‘Physical Inventory Count Cards.’ Be sure to contact us if you’d like assistance downloading and installing Product Update 5 for Sage MAS 90 and 200 Version 4.4.

Many SMB’s have handled their initial growth relatively well with Quickbooks. This is because the software is designed specifically for just that; initial growth. Your company has expanding sales revenue, growing number of employees, and new ventures toward related industry. One of two things is going to happen: you’re going to hit a wall, or you’ll see it approaching very quickly.

SMB’s will inevitably hit a wall with the luke-warm capabilities of Quickbooks. The solution is a robust financial management system with on-demand features capable of supporting a full grown enterprise. These fully loaded software suites like Sage MAS 90 / 200 won’t hinder your future growth like Quickbooks; it will foster growth.
Here is a list of three good reasons you’re ready to make the switch:

1. Company Size – If your company is still in the 5-10 employee range and in one location, Quickbooks may still be serving its purpose. The software was designed to support small business size with minimal users. The desktop interface is not optimized to allow many different users access the system. Once your company has 20 employees and multiple locations, you need a system that is easily integrated into your network with maximum security and accessibility.

2. Multiple Currencies – You’ve recently started purchasing parts/materials from Mexico and need to report in both USD and MEX, and things start to get tricky. Quickbooks falls short of a strong multi-currency system. With a stronger software package like Sage MAS 90 / 200 you can easily report in multiple currencies without sweating. The all inclusive software will not only help you convert your currencies but let you keep separate books for separate currencies.

3. New Ventures – Let’s say you own an upscale Italian restaurant downtown, and you decide to open a second location, and then a third. Now you want to open a sports bar by the beach. You have 4 locations but two separate ventures. Quickbooks can report what’s going on, but can’t integrate the separate locations with an aggregate business management function. With a robust software package you can manage your entire business, while simultaneously watching the success of your separate ventures in their respective accounts. Keeping the two entities separate but seeing the combined results is key for optimizing growth.

VIDEO TIPS & TRICKS

Posting Directly to General Ledger from Bank Reconciliation

If you haven’t had a chance to download and install Product Update 3 for MAS 90 and 200 Version 4.4, you’re missing out on a fantastic new feature that allows you to enter adjustments during bank reconciliation (like bank fees and interest earned) and post those entries directly to your GL.  It’s a real time-saver and one of the most popular customer-requested enhancements for Bank Reconciliation.

Click here to watch a free recorded video demonstration of how this new feature works … presented by Sage University Online Learning.

Email Marketing with a Personal Touch

For some companies, email marketing is a one-way street … you send your message and cross your fingers hoping someone will respond.  But what if they don’t?  Do you know how many people opened the email or clicked on a link?  Do you have the information you need to follow up with a more relevant or timely message? If not, it’s time to think about integrating your email marketing effort with the data in your SageCRM system.

A Quick Look at Email Service Providers

First, it’s useful to understand what an email service provider (ESP) is.  An ESP essentially does the heavy lifting, allowing you to send an email campaign to hundreds, or even thousands, of recipients through their servers.  Once your message goes out, an ESP also provides detailed reporting that includes delivery success, open rates, clicks, and even details about the actions of specific contacts on your list.  These reports provide invaluable information about the effectiveness of your messages and campaigns.

A 2-Way Conversation

When you use an ESP that’s integrated with your SageCRM system, you transform email marketing from a one-way “blast and pray” to a 2-way conversation with your customers and prospects.  That’s because all of the valuable open, click, and other data is written back to your SageCRM database.  Now when you pull up those hot prospects you’ve been pursuing for months, you’ll see which contacts are interacting with your email, what products they’re interested in, whether they forwarded your message to a colleague, and even those that have opted out (so you don’t spend time chasing your tail!).  Best of all, the data is sitting right there in the CRM system you’re probably using every day anyway.

Post-Click, It’s Personal

When you combine email campaign responses with notes from phone conversations and meetings in a single CRM database, you have the insight you’ll need to stay in touch with customers and prospects with relevant communication.  You can even create a call list of “hot” prospects based on their open and click activity to ensure you follow up in a timely fashion … without ever leaving SageCRM.

SAGE MAS INTELLIGENCE

If you’ve been using Sage MAS 90 or 200 for a while, it’s hard to overstate the important role that FRx has undoubtedly played in your business.  But sometimes change (even when it’s forced on us by Microsoft!) leads to great things … and the retirement of FRx is no exception.  In fact, here are 3 reasons we think you’re going to love your new Sage MAS Intelligence reporting tool.

1. More Than a One-Trick Pony

First and foremost, Sage MAS Intelligence is so much more than just a financial reporter.  Unlike FRx that focused solely on data in your General Ledger, Sage MAS Intelligence looks across your entire MAS 90 or MAS 200 database to report on information in any module.  For example, a single report can display information from multiple companies and across operational areas like sales, accounting, payroll, manufacturing and inventory.  Now THAT’S well-rounded talent.

2. A Familiar Face

Sage MAS Intelligence is an Excel-based reporting tool.  With millions of customers worldwide using Excel, it’s likely that you’re already familiar with this indispensible business tool.  That means your learning curve will be short and a world of analytical tools will be at your finger tips    using Excel formulas, pivot tables, and charting tools. In fact, one of the reasons FRx originally became such a popular reporting tool was its Excel-like familiarity using Rows and Columns to build reports.

3. Good Looking AND Intelligent

With a variety of pre-formatted reports, Sage MAS Intelligence is a real “looker.”  All that raw data in your MAS 90 or 200 system is converted into graphs, charts, and dashboards that make it easy to spot trends and identify emerging opportunity. Bite-sized pieces of visual data combined into one view that’s worth far more than a thousand words. Perhaps more important, underneath that pretty face lies a powerful business intelligence engine which means you can slice, dice, filter, and analyze,  to your heart’s content … all without the need for technical assistance from the “IT Guy.”

Team TAG

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