Posted by Glen Mund on Wed, Jul 21, 2010 @ 12:43 PM
I read an interesting blog article by Austin Merrit of Software advice with the above title. It is an interesting article and makes many valid points but I have a slightly different take.
http://www.softwareadvice.com/articles/accounting/is-horizontal-accounting-software-dead-1062310/
1) What is the definition of Horizontal Software?
Most software publishers if not all now provide extended solutions/modules for specific industries. So the core system may not have been designed for a specific industry but the extended solutions are. Plus Computer Solutions is a Sage Accpac reseller and Sage and Plus have vertical solutions for the distibution, service, manufacturing, retail, Not for profit, etc industries. The core Sage Accpac modules might be consider at horizontal solution as they were initially not developed for one specific industry but for many different industries. This has created a great deal of functionality in the application that allows the application to be useful in many different environments. In fact the core modules have been developed to such an extent that they are usually far more functional than the core of a vertical software solution. We usually find that our General Ledger, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable and Business Intelligence modules are far more comprehensive than any vertical software solution.
2) Is Stand alone software the same as Horizontal software?
In my opinion Stand alone software is simply a piece of software that does not integrate to any other application. Stand alone software is often designed specifically for a vertical industry. I would say as a reseller we see clients and prospects using vertical invoicing, customer management, estimating and quoting, time and billing systems that were designed for there industries but do not integrate easily to back office systems more often than a stand alone horizontal system.
3) Software Vendors are verticalizing there solutions.
Many of the major players he mentions are but many are not. In reality they are simply marketing to industries where there solutions have a strong presence. In some cases the solution may be strong in that vertical industry but often we find that it is just a perception issue and the product often does not meet the mustard test when compared to a non vertical solution.
In summary I personally do not think horizontal solutions are dead nor do I think they will ever die. They will just be enhanced and modified to meet the needs of vertical industries or extensive marketing to industries they are well suited to will be increased. In that sense the name horizontal solutions may disappear but some of the best vertical solutions are and will be built on the foundation of a horizontal solution. Alternatively I do think that stand alone solutions are dieing a slow death and we will eventually find more and more software developers will build solutions on common platforms so that integration will become less of an issue.
Posted by Glen Mund on Tue, Jul 13, 2010 @ 02:29 PM
When I speak to clients and prospects in the distribution sector, and ask about their inventory problems, the most common response is the lack of inventory accuracy. Most often this means the quantity of inventory on the warehouse floor does not match the records in the ERP or other system. Obviously this is very critical functionality that an ERP system can provide but the functionality requirements should not end here.
Other critical inventory accuracy functionality that should be expected from your ERP software are:
Inventory Value
- Obsolescence : What is the value of obsolete inventory? This reporting assists with the determination of how well an organization manages its inventory and how accurate the existing demand forecasts are. Perhaps product quality is poor. An ERP system should help make this type of assessment.
Check out the rest of my lastest article on the Sage ERP blog at; http://blog.sageerpsolutions.com/inventory-accuracy/
Posted by Alison Boons on Mon, Jul 05, 2010 @ 01:18 PM
As you are all aware, the HST arrived on July 01, 2010. Some of you may have noticed the difference on your purchases over the weekend, some may have not. Either way, it is here!
Have you not changed all your systems over, or are unsure what you should be charging HST on? The CRA still has HST sessions available & Plus is still offering our fixed fee services to help you implement the HST.
If you are still stuck, 5 days in to the new tax, give us a call today! We are here to help!
Posted by Plus Consultants on Wed, Jun 23, 2010 @ 12:01 PM
by TK Haran (tk@plus.ca)
1. What is Accpac Intelligence?
Organizations are increasingly suffering from information frustration. Having to manage large volumes of data, and needing to report from several databases and using inflexible reporting tools. Information delivery and user empowerment is increasingly taking centre stage in all enterprises with a resulting growth in the end user query and reporting (EUQR) category of the business intelligence market.
Sage Accpac Intelligence is an innovative software reporting solution that offers users, in organizations of all sizes, a powerful and intuitive reporting tool to take control of their own reports. It introduces a revolutionary approach to leveraging the reporting power of Microsoft Excel and protects and extends organizations existing IT skills and investment.
2. What Components does it have?
- Report Viewer
- Security Manager
- Report Manager
- Connector
- Analysis
- License Manager
3. Description of above components
- Report Viewer-This is used to view or to run the standard/shipped reports.
- Security manager- The Security Manager is an Administration tool that lets you (as System Administrator) manage Roles (User Groups) and assign Users and Reports to each Role. When security is enabled the User will be required to login and then will only have access to the Reports selected for the Role that User belongs to.
- Report manager- The Report Manager Interface allows users to design and manage their own reports and to display results in Microsoft Excel.
- Connector- The Connector allows an organization's system administrator to make a connection to their database in order to access the relevant tables for reporting purposes. It also allows an organization's system administrator to configure the metadata to empower the users to create their own reports.
- Analysis- An OLAP (On Line Analytical Processing) database allows business decision makers to analyze data that has been sorted into hierarchical structures. The data is static, so all mathematical aggregations can be built into the database query, thereby providing a more efficient and resource friendly means of reporting. This data warehouse can then be pulled into a pivot table within Excel, where the user is able to drill down into the report, using the hierarchical dimensions built into the query.
- License Manager- The License Manager provides a snapshot of your Sage Accpac Intelligence licenses and module configuration.
4. What Components come with a standard Accpac 5.6 installation?
- Report Viewer (1 user license)
- Report manager (1 user license)
- Security manager
5. Benefits of "AI"
- Works with a standard Microsoft windows look and feel.
- Reduces the need for IT department intervention.
- Reduces the need for custom complicated report creation by hired consultants.
- Consistent format (MS Excel) for reporting across multiple data sources.
- Business intelligence can become a standard desktop tool.
- Avoids inefficiencies in the report development life cycle thereby improving productivity.
- Empowers the user, thereby improving overall productivity.
- Optimizes return on investment by leveraging your existing IT infrastructure.
- Extends MS Excel skills rather than requiring learning of a new set of software skills.
6. Is there standard report/s available?
Yes and the shipped reports are as follows,
- Financials- Financial Report S, Financial Report D, Financial Report SB,
- Dashboard Analysis, Financial Trend Analysis
- Sales Master, Purchase Master, Inventory Master
Posted by Alison Boons on Fri, Jun 18, 2010 @ 02:27 PM
HST, HST, HST...that is all we are hearing these days as July 01, 2010 is right around the corner. Besides dealing with the fact that the year is half over, we now have this looming new tax banging at our door with only 12 days to go.
For more information about the HST, check out the article that Glen Mund (President of Plus) recently posted on the Sage ERP Solutions blog.
Click here to visit;
http://blog.sageerpsolutions.com/the-hst-is-on-your-doorstep-are-you-ready-to-welcome-it-in/
Still concerned about how this change is going to affect you, don't delay any longer, contact our office NOW!
Posted by Plus Sales on Fri, Jun 04, 2010 @ 01:00 PM
The economy is slowly recovering. So, will everything just go back to "business as usual"?
You've managed to stay afloat through one of toughest economies ever. Now signs are pointing toward a recovery. But will everything just go back to the way it was before the recession? Not likely. The post-downturn economy will redefine how businesses operate and compete.
Welcome to the "New Normal"
The current downturn is not simply part of a regular business cycle; it's part of a "new normal."
Recovery will happen-albeit slowly-but business has fundamentally changed.
Customers have adjusted their attitudes and shifted their expectations-and these changes are becoming entrenched. Doing more with less-cost-cutting, downsizing, improving efficiencies-is here to stay. The competitive landscape has also dramatically shifted. The recession caused a competitive shakeout, and only the strongest have survived. Your competition is leaner, hungrier, and wiser than before.
But uncertain times can be an ideal time for bold companies smart enough to take advantage of opportunity. While others are waiting the recession out, you can get a head start on the competition and watch your sales soar and your costs decrease.
To thrive, not just survive-you need to get ahead of the curve.
Read More...
Posted by Dee Dutton on Wed, May 19, 2010 @ 11:34 AM
The BC HST is imminent! Are you prepared? Do you know the supply and transition rules for your business? Do you know the reporting requirements, especially in relation to the transition period?
I participated in an HST Webinar presented by the CRA today. There was a lot of valuable information and they covered many of these important topics. The CRA also provided a slide show document as well as a reference document that links to specific documents on their website. All the pertinent information can be found on CRA's website at http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/gncy/hrmnztn/menu-eng.html but I have mentioned some of the topics covered during the webinar below;
Key Dates
- May 1, 2010
- Date that HST would generally apply to amounts that become due or are paid, without having become due for property and services, supplied on or after July 1, 2010
- July 1, 2010-Implementation Date
- Date that HST would generally begin to apply
- November 1, 2010
- Date relevant to exchanges, returns and self-assessment
Changes to Place of Supply
- There is now less reliance on the suppliers' location and a greater reliance on where the consumer of the intangible personal property or service is located
Transitional Rules
- HST would apply when goods are delivered and ownership is transferred on or after July 1, 2010 and consideration becomes due or is paid without having become due on or after May 1, 2010.
- HST would not apply when ownership is transferred or the good is delivered before July 1, 2010 regardless of when consideration becomes due or is paid without having become due.
Exchanges & Returns of Goods
- Special rules apply to exchanges made on or after July 1, 2010 and before November 1, 2010 for goods purchased before July 1, 2010.
- Exchanged good exceeds what was paid for the original good, then the HST would apply to the difference; and
- Exchanged good is less than or equal to that paid for the original good, then the HST would not apply.
- HST would apply to all exchanges on or after November 1, 2010.
Services - General Rule
- HST would apply to any consideration due or paid on or after May 1, 2010, for a supply of a service, when the consideration relates to the portion of the service performed on or after July 1, 2010.
- For Example: A landscaping service for June and July 2010. 40% of the service is performed in June 2010. It was invoiced in August 2010.
- HST would apply to 60% -the July portion
- GST would apply to 40% -the June portion
- If 90% or more of the service is performed before July 2010, no HST would be payable on the amount for the service.
Other topics covered include:
- Intangible Personal Property
- Sales to Government
- Indian/Indian Bands
- Leases & Licenses
- Services - Special Rules
- Reporting
You can sign up for these webinars (there are 3 left) yourself or view webcasts at: http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/gncy/hrmnztn/menu-eng.html
Posted by Plus Sales on Fri, Apr 30, 2010 @ 01:04 PM
by Brian Morris brian@plus.ca
Are you losing valuable time and resources to inefficient reporting? In a typical month, how many hours do you spend manipulating your current data to make it more meaningful, or to integrate it with other applications? Even when custom Crystal Reports have been developed, many Accpac users have made it known that they spend a significant amount of time on manual reporting chores in Excel. I'd like to tell you about an offering from Sage, which aims to address these very issues.
Sage Accpac Intelligence is an exciting enhancement to Accpac ERP, which will illuminate your data, and allow you to make better-informed strategic decisions. It is a powerful report designer and data analysis tool, but since it is based on Excel, most spreadsheet users will have no problem learning how to use the program. In addition to reporting on your Accpac data, you can easily link up to outside data sources, thus preventing the need for manual consolidation. Other key features include:
- Dashboards can be quickly setup, giving you a holistic view of the company's vital signs
- Pre-defined reports templates are included, and can be modified to better suit your specific requirements
- Scheduling automation allows you to run resource-intensive reports during off-peak hours, and email them to authorized recipients.
A FREE 1 user license of this Report Manager component of Sage Accpac Intelligence is available with all 5.6 versions of Accpac, and Sage University is also offering an online training course at no charge. For more details, contact me and let's unchain your data.
Posted by Alistair Hill on Fri, Apr 16, 2010 @ 01:40 PM
Data integrity checks in Sage Accpac are critical. It's easy to get the impression on how we, at Plus Computer Solutions, feel on the matter considering the number of times we bring it up. Data integrity checks can stop disasters before they start.
One of the down sides of data integrity checks, or a DIC as I like to call them, is that they can take a long time to run. Some larger databases can take hours, which is fine because you can continue working or walk away since it is going to just pop up with a nice report when it's done.
But oops, my workstation was set to print directly to the printer. The DIC is done, but instead of a nice report on my screen, Accpac is asking what printer to print to. I'm not going to print a 100 page report just to review it once and I don't want to run the DIC again. Is there something I can do? Yes!
The DIC creates a text version of this report and saves it to the Accpac shared data directory. To access this file, simply locate your Accpac shared data directory by going to Help -> System Information. Using Windows File Explorer, navigate to this path, then the COMPANY folder, followed by the folder where the name matches the database ID where you ran the DIC. Contained within, there should be a file called ERRORS.LOG. This file will be a full copy of the report you'd have received when the DIC was complete.
Not only does this save you grief if you missed the DIC report from Accpac, but I actully prefer to read the report this way. Considering a great deal of the report is "0 Error(s) found", having it in text format allows you to quickly scroll through it.
Posted by Alison Boons on Fri, Apr 09, 2010 @ 06:28 AM
Yesterday was our first User Group Meeting & our first HST Implementation meeting.
Overall, it was a huge success! With over 50 attendees and LOTS of information we are excited about our 2nd Date for the HST User Group Meeting that will be held on May 13th, 2010 from 8:00am-11:00am (Location TBD).
Find out what you missed & what you can look forward to if you are attending our May 13th session.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mWSbgPCalc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCN8SgTb6Bo&feature=channel
To register for our May 13th HST User Group Meeting ($35.00 p/person unless you have a current TSP Contract) visit; http://www.plus.ca/HSTUserGroupMeetingMay
Please keep in mind that some organizations will have to start charging the HST as of May 01, 2010 & it will affect everybody as of July 01, 2010. If you would like assistance from us on implementing the HST at your organization, call us now to start getting your appointments booked!
If you have any questions or would like more information about the HST & how it affects you, call our office today at 604.420.1099.