Posted by Alison Boons on Tue, Aug 24, 2010 @ 03:23 PM
by Geoff Williams (smallbusiness.aol.com)
Sure, some businesses are cash-only and do just fine - the local ice cream parlor, the greasy spoon diner down the street, the flea market that's been around for a century. But these days, in a nation where floating on credit is as American as apple pie, you've got to take plastic.
While they require some infrastructure upgrades & come with annoying fees, it has become increasingly difficult to run a full-fledged business --especially in retail-- without accepting credit & debit cards. But despite the drawbacks, the added convenience for customers could lead to bigger purchases at the register. "You want to be accessible, and you want to broaden your opportunity to close the sale," says Greg Hammermaster, president of Sage Payment Solutions, which helps more than 140,000 business & organizations accept electronic payments, including credit and debit cards, electronic checks, gift cards & automatic recurring payments.
So how can you make your business credit card-friendly? Here are five things you need to know.
1) Apply for Merchant Status - What is merchant status? The term means you can be entrusted to allow customers to pay you with a MasterCard, Visa, American Express and the like. So why shouldn't they trust you?
To read the rest of the article, visit; http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2010/07/05/how-to-accept-credit-cards/
To find out more how Sage Payment Solutions can benefit you & your business, contact us today at sales@plus.ca for more information.
Posted by Chathu Amarasinghe on Fri, Aug 06, 2010 @ 12:28 PM
How many of you have asked if GL transactions listing can be printed in portrait without having to customize the report.
Well, it is now included as an Sage ERP Accpac canned report.
This is how you use it.
- Go to GL Reports
- Select GL Transaction Listing
- Uncheck “Balances and net Changes” and “Posting Seq. and Batch Entry” options
- This will print GL transaction listing in Portrait.
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 Bonnie Wittmeier on Fri, Jul 16, 2010 @ 11:06 AM
Sooner or later, it happens. You run your AP Aged Payables Report, and compare the total to the balance in your GL, (AP trade account), and they are not equal. What now?
A reconciliation will need to be done, there’s no getting away from that. You will need to do a comparison between all the transactions that have gone through AP and cross them off against all the entries in the GL Listing to find out which one(s) are different and/or missing. This can be a tedious process. However, there are a couple of tips and tricks that might help short-circuit the task.
- Ensure all your AP batches have been sent to the GL. (AP Periodic Processing / Create GL Batches). Then, POST all the AP batches in the GL. Re-run your reports to see if we are now in balance.
- Run your reports as of a future period, such as the end of the current fiscal year. Sometimes AP transactions get posted to prior periods. After they get sent to the GL, the period may be adjusted to a current period before posting. (So as not to affect an already published financial statement, for example, or because that period has already been closed). Therefore, the imbalance may only be due to a fiscal period discrepancy, and will even out at a later period. This is not normally a concern unless it crosses over a year end.
- Under GL Transaction History, select the AP trade account. Change the source code to different modules besides AP and check if there are any entries which originated from somewhere besides AP. These entries may be the cause of the variance.
If these 3 tricks don’t reveal the difference between your subledger and your GL, a full reconciliation will be required. Here’s how to make that process simpler:
- Locate the last fiscal period where the AP and the GL were in balance. Use that as a starting point to begin your reconciliation.
- Identify the variance amounts for each subsequent period since AP & GL were in balance.
- If several subsequent periods are out of balance by the same amount, locating and adjusting the first of those periods will bring the following ones into balance.
- If the periods are out of balance by different amounts, then there are variances in each period that need to be identified.
| Period |
AP |
GL |
Variance |
| 04 |
120,000 |
120,000 |
0 |
| 05 |
114,500 |
118,000 |
-3,500 |
| 06 |
95,000 |
98,500 |
-3,500 |
| 07 |
108,000 |
106,500 |
1,500 |
| 08 |
87,800 |
98,700 |
-10,900 |
In this example, period 4 is balanced, and there are discrepancies in periods 5, 7 and 8. The reconciliation process needs to begin at period 5. Depending on the adjustments required to bring period 5 into balance, (the AP may need to be increased, or the GL amount decreased, or some combination of these), the variance amounts of periods 7 and 8 may be changed, therefore it will be imperative to start the reconciliation at the earliest period that is out of balance.
- Print the GL Transaction Listing for the AP trade account for period 5. Then print either of the AP Transaction reports – Vendor Transactions, or GL Transactions – depending on which one works best for your particular set of data.
- Compare each of the entries in the GL to each transaction on the AP report. Once each line item has been compared and crossed off with its match, you should be left with the ‘orphan’ entries – your variance. You could also export each of these reports into excel and use some sorting and comparison formulas to assist with this task.
- Now that you have the source of your discrepancy, you will be able to correct the imbalance by making the appropriate adjustments.
This process is identical for the AR subledger as well.
There are some settings which can be optimized for reconciliation purposes.
- Ensure your AP trade account is set to be a ‘control account’ which allows only AP transactions to be posted into it. (GL Accounts / Accounts – select ‘control account’ and then add ‘AP’ to the ‘subledger’ tab)
- Check your AP Setup / GL Integration / Transactions. Set your Detail Transaction Types (invoice, credit note, payment, etc) to have easily recognizable fields sent to the GL Detail Reference and GL Detail Description columns (vendor number and document number for example). This will make identifying specific AP transactions easier in the GL Transactions Listing report.
Give us a call if you need assistance with this!
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 Wendy Gorrie on Fri, Jun 25, 2010 @ 12:38 PM
Sage North America has recently launched a new website (Portal) in an effort to better serve all of their customers.
For us "old dogs" who need some assistance learning these new tricks here are some quick links and helpful information to assist with the transition to the new site.
Accessing the New Portal
The contact person in Sage's database, for your company, would have already received an email from Sage with, see email below, your new Account ID#, details about settings required for Internet Explorer in order to view the portal and details on how to register for access to the Portal. Details of that email are as follows;
Important Logon Information for Your Account
Company Name: <>
New Account ID: <>
As we previously informed you, Sage is in the process of significantly restructuring our internal business management systems. This change will help provide you a unified experience with Sage including more personalized service and a new customer portal.
Your new account number is listed above. Please keep this email in your records to use when you contact us. This will help us access important account information as we help serve you.
We are also excited to announce the launch of our new Sage Customer Portal. You will be able to access account information, key information on your software, and access online support tools.
In order to access the customer portal, you will need to register for a user name and password using your account ID. If you use Internet Explorer 8, enable compatibility view. Go to Tools > Compatibility View Settings and click "Add".
Follow these instructions, to ensure you gain access today:
1. Click here to access the portal logon.
2. Click on "Need to Register?"
3. Select "Register as an Individual" and enter your new Company ID (provided in this email) in the box after "Enter your Sage Company ID or Reference Number".
4. Click "Register".
5. Enter your contact information. Your email address will be your log in ID to the Customer Portal.
6. Select and enter your password. Your password must contain at least 8 characters with at least one alpha, one numeric, and one special character.
7. Click "Save".
After your initial logon, you can visit https://customers.sagenorthamerica.com/, click "Logon" and use your new logon information you've just created. If at any time you have questions about how to log on or accessing information, please contact Sage at 877-828-6372.
You can also visit Sage's customer site for more information including frequently asked questions, video demos on how to use the new site, and more. Click here to learn more.
Navigating the New Portal
Ensure that you read and follow the instructions for Internet Explorer setting changes you may need to make, based on the version of Internet Explorer you are currently using.
Once you have logged in to the Sage Portal this link will direct you to a customer resource page where the most common navigation links are predefined for you.
Customer Technical Resource Center
Sage Accpac ERP | Sage CRM
Note: Please make sure you are logged into your Portal account for the links listed below to work.
Communities & Online Resources
Links to Commonly Visited areas in the Customer Portal
Product Downloads & Service Packs
Please note that the below links requires a current maintenance or support contract
Language Overlays
Please note files for Language Overlays for 5.6 Sage Accpac ERP are included with the program.
Sage ERP Accpac Payroll clients can find the instructions and downloads for Payroll Tax Updates, Click here. The following communication excerpt was sent out regarding the downloading of Payroll Tax Tables;
Tax Table Update - July 1, 2010
Both the U.S. and Canadian governments have announced changes that may affect your Sage Accpac ERP Payroll Update Plan (PUP) clients. Sage has incorporated these changes into the July 1, 2010 payroll tax updates for Sage Accpac versions 5.4, 5.5, and 5.6, which will be available for download on June 22, 2010. CDs will ship at the end of June.
Sage has received feedback that Portal navigation is challenging & have included the steps necessary for navigating these downloads.
Follow these steps to find your Tax Updates to download:
- Log on to the portal by entering your username and password (you must be logged in or you cannot access the Tax Updates)
- Click here
- Read the Download Instructions
- Select the Tax Update you need to install
Important Update: Installation Process Change
Activation Codes are no longer required. This modification to the installation process requires some additional requirements. Please ensure you update your installation process appropriately.
Critical: Product Update Requirements
Before installing the payroll tax update, you must verify your service pack or product update level first. More details on the error you will receive if you are not running the correct Product Update for your version can be found in the Answer ID 28923 Knowledge Base article. To verify what service pack or product update you have installed, click the System Information option in the Help menu in your Sage Accpac ERP program.
- If you are on Payroll 5.4A, System Manager Service Pack 3 or higher is required
- If you are on Payroll 5.5A, System Manager Product Update 3 or higher is required
- If you are on Payroll 5.6A, it is recommended that you install Product Update 1 before installing the Tax Update
Resources
The Knowledge Base offers several articles to assist with completing your update, including:
Sage Accpac Customer Support is prepared to help you during the hours of Monday - Friday from 6:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. PT.
Plus Computer Solutions is volunteering to assist Sage as part of an advisory council to ensure any usability issues are identified and resolved, if you have difficulty with navigation or have any questions about the new portal here are some helpful contact numbers.
How do I contact Sage for assistance with the Customer Portal?
For assistance with the Sage Customer Portal for Sage Accpac ERP or Sage CRM, contact Sage at 1.877.828.6372.
If you do run into difficulty and are having trouble obtaining help, please feel free to contact me at wendy@plus.ca or by phone at 604.420.1099 I will do my very best to assist you.
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 Scott Davies on Fri, Jun 11, 2010 @ 03:26 PM
Think way, way back to when you setup your first company in Sage Accpac ERP. (Ok, it may not be that far back for some of you.) If you recall, you actually created TWO databases – a Company and a System Database. A Company Database is fairly self explanatory, but a System Database? What is it and why do you need one?
A System Database contains information such as Currencies and Rates; Optional Field definitions; Schedules and Reminders; User Authorizations; and Customization information. Since there is a high likelihood that this information would be common across many, if not all, of your companies, they are grouped together into a common “System” Database that can be used over and over again.
So how does structuring the database in this fashion benefit you? Let’s say tomorrow you decide to create a new company in Accpac; you don’t have to re-enter all of your users*, currencies and rates, etc. Just link the new company’s database to your existing System Database. If you forgive the database-design terminology, the relationship between System and Company Databases in Accpac is one-to-many.
It is no mere coincidence, as you may have deduced, that much of the information in this common System Database is available in Accpac's System Manager under the “Common” Services area. Also tied to the System Database are the functions in the Administrative Services module. However, the functions in Common Services are slightly different – as they can not only be common across multiple companies, but also across the different modules within each company.
It is important to note that when backing up your Accpac ERP database (be it Pervasive or MS-SQL) you need to back up BOTH your Company and System Databases. A Company Database will not load without a System Database.
If you have any questions about your System Database, backup routine, or any other Accpac ERP related questions, please don’t hesitate to call our offices. We’re here to help!
* The master users list is not actually stored in the System Database but, rather, in a directory under your Accpac Shared Data folder.
Posted by Plus Consultants on Mon, May 31, 2010 @ 11:34 AM
by Leon Colton, Consultant
Accpac users probably won't be overly excited if asked about their experience with Bank Reconciliation.
Remember those children games when you need to match one thing with another? And the sense of delight when you find that fragment of the puzzle and plug it in its proper place to complete the picture? That is the sense Accpac users deserve on first-Friday-of-month afternoons, when reconciling last month's Bank statement. But instead of "arts & crafts of bookkeeping" they probably toiled for hours to crunch their numbers on uncomfortable and cumbersome reconciliation forms, till the bottom line finally turns to ZERO! First withdrawals, then deposits, finally Bank entries. And what about more complicated transactions, or NSF cheques handling, or those interest charges included in a customer's cheque, or searching for that bank entry posted a few months ago. Does all of that sound familiar?
Well, here is the good news - Bank Reconciliation has changed for good, it was overhauled and greatly improved in the new Accpac 5.6 version! This time it seems Sage really listened to end-users and designed new functionalities and rebuffed existing ones. Simple to use and readable, designed with users' convenience in mind, a monthly reconciliation can be a breeze. Take a look at some of the changes made:
Streamlined & Simplified Reconciliation Form:
Four tabs (Withdrawals, Deposits, Returns & Bank Entries) united in one Reconciliation tab, and with sort option selected by date you can view transactions as they appear on the bank statement. For those who prefer "out of sight - out of mind" methods - new filters by reconciliation status and transaction type are just what you need! Filter those already reconciled transactions from the screen, view only outstanding cheques or deposits. And feel comfortable sorting by date or document number for easy matching.
Too many dates in the summary screen? No worries! Now it's only Statement date and Reconciliation date. You want to speed up the process - no problem, just double click on the line to change status from ‘Outstanding' to ‘Clear'. Now that's real fun!
New Bank Entry Button
Did you ever say - "hey, why can't we use Distribution Codes and Distribution Sets when entering bank transactions? Now you can, pretty much like in Receivables and Payables modules.
The Bank Entry button on the Reconciliation tab opens a new Bank Entry form, where you can enter any kind of reconciling transaction- from simple service charges to compound entries that use Distribution Codes and Distribution Sets or just G/L Accounts:
NOTE: When the bank entry gets posted it appears on the Reconciliation Tab, just make sure ‘All' transactions are selected in Display field.
Handling more Complex Transactions
Since the new Bank Entry form can handle any number of G/L Accounts, there's no need to scramble everything into one amount, or use A/P and A/R for interest charges or taxes.
More Efficient Transaction Reversal
Instead of Returned cheques and Reversed Payments, you can now do all transaction reversal on one screen.
It is also possible to select the Reversed reconciliation status right in the Reconciliation tab to reverse a payment or other withdrawal, including Bank Entry. However, you must use the Reverse Transactions form to reverse a receipt (deposit). Reversed deposits will appear as outstanding withdrawals on your current Bank Reconciliation when the reversal is posted.
It is now possible to quickly reverse a whole range of transactions in one shot, using the ‘Quick Clearing' button. And restore it back just as quickly, if it was done accidentally!
Zoom to Actual Book Balance
This one is my favourite! I remember the feeling of disbelief when first coming across the discrepancy between the G/L Bank Account balance and Book balance stated in the Bank Reconciliation- it was like my ground was shaking and I thought the entire company data got corrupted?! Little did I know about Bank Services and GL being out-of-sync, when some Bank related transactions are posted straight in G/L, bypassing subledgers. To be honest, I always considered that being a ‘bug' of the system. That is now fixed - these two amounts are separately stated in the zoom-in window, with the book balance breakdown.
You'll also notice the Go button beside "Bank Entries Not Posted" amount, which allows you to post entries on the fly.
Unification of Terminology
‘In Transit' status for deposits is now called ‘Outstanding', just as withdrawals.
All funds moving into Bank Account are now called ‘Deposit', such as Withdrawal Bank errors cleared with lesser amount.
All funds moving out of Bank Account are now called ‘Withdrawal':
- Withdrawals.
- Payments.
- Reversed receipts.
- Deposit bank errors where the Cleared Amount is greater than the deposit amount.
Other Improvements;
- Drilldown to original transaction, such as payment to Vendor.
- New Totals tab with breakdown of reconciled transaction by status (Cleared with write-off, Cleared with bank error etc.)
- Improved Bank G/L Integration, to include Bank Entry Detail and more fields to flow through to G/L batch, such as: Bank code, Bank Entry Type, Distribution Code, Entry Number and Entry Description
- New Reports: Bank entries Posting Journal, sorted by posting sequence
- Transaction History Inquiry with ability to make selection by Source Application (A/R, A/P, Payroll, Bank Services, Other) or by Reconciliation Status, or even to search for specific payment by amount.
In conclusion the new Bank Reconciliation is definitely worth trying!
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