Newletter from SWK Technologies providing the last insights on how to effectively implement and manage your Sage MAS 90/200 application - Sage MAS 90 NY.

1. October 2010 • Volume 10 • Issue 5
HELP DESK
Newsletter for Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200
What’s Inside Simplifying The Upgrade Process
Page 2
Simplifying The Upgrade
New Tools Help You Keep Your Software Current
S
Process continued
tudies show many customers choose
Page 3 not to upgrade due to concerns
Product Update 2 For Sage over the cost, downtime, and effort
ERP MAS 90 Version 4.4 involved. Are you still running on an older
version of Sage ERP MAS 90 or Sage ERP
Tips & Tricks
MAS 200? If so, remember that Sage is retir-
Page 4 ing Version 3.71 on September 30, 2010.
Direct Deposit for Payroll The good news is that Sage has made most
upgrades smoother, faster, and less costly. And
Introduction to Bridget
because every release has been designed to
Brown
help you operate your business more securely,
save money, and improve customer service,
you will experience a quick return on invest-
ment. Here we recap features that were added
Headline News in Versions 4.0 and later, including the new
easier upgrade process.
Sage North America recent-
ly announced Sage Payment Simplifying The Upgrade Process upgrades—where you need to get everything
Boss, a mobile tool that al- For many customers, an upgrade involves done over a single weekend in order to avoid
lows small businesses to get more than simply installing a new version. downtime, for example. The new Parallel
paid anytime, anywhere, There are customizations to consider, inter- Migration process is available for converting
nal training, and the conversion of data and Versions 3.71 and greater to Version 4.4 of
by accepting credit cards
reports. Sage is attacking this issue in two Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200. During the first
using a 3G-enabled phone.
ways. First, Sage is offering product updates phase, the Parallel Migration Wizard is used
With Sage Payment Boss, in between major releases that contain addi- to convert your current data to a new installa-
small businesses can select tional features and functionality that can easily tion, either on the same or a different server.
Sage Payment Solutions or be downloaded and installed. Second, major Normal operations continue on your old sys-
another merchant account upgrades are made easier through enhance- tem. Then, at a pace that suits your business
provider, and all payments ments released in Version 4.4 — a new Parallel needs, the new system can be setup, custom-
Migration tool, and additional enhancements ized, and tested for proper function. Report
are verified on the spot, en-
to the customization capabilities of the soft- printing and integration with other prod-
suring immediate payment.
ware that, when applied properly, ensure that ucts can be tested. In phase two, your cur-
customizations survive future upgrades. rent data is migrated to the new system. In
this way, you will very quickly be running on
Parallel Migration Tool the new software, with less downtime and no
The key to improving your upgrade pro- surprises. Because upgrading is more efficient
cess is the ability to convert your system in and requires minimal downtime, your return
two phases. This removes the urgent nature of on investment is faster too.
Continued on page 2

2. page 2 • HELP DESK Newsletter
Simplifying The Upgrade Process
(continued from cover)
Customizations That Survive leaves you with little time to analyze business only and the full report only at the end of the
Future Upgrades data. Yet if you did, the results of that analysis month? You can save them with an appropri-
Even prior to Version 4.4, the Customizer could have a profound impact on the success ate title and then run as needed.
module was a powerful tool. For example, a of your business. You could find out which
consultant could put a button on a screen that of your products are unprofitable and elimi- Speed Data Entry
would perform a calculation using the invoice nate them, or identify top customers so that Perhaps the biggest time saver in Versions
date, calculate three years into the future, and you can offer additional purchase incentives. 4.0 and greater is the dual-grid data entry
put the result into a user-defined field labeled If you feel you should be performing this type screen. With the dual-grid data entry screen,
Warranty Expiration Date — all without need- of analysis and cannot find the time, Business you can place the most common data entry
ing to write program code. However, the user Insights can help. Business Insights Explorer, fields in your main grid, and the less used
had to remember to click the button, or the added in Version 4.2, is easy to use for on-the- fields into a secondary grid. If you come upon
calculation would not be made and the field fly inquiry and analysis. In each new release an entry that requires a change to one of the
would be left blank. it has been enhanced with new features, such less-used fields, a click of a button takes you
With the 4.4 Customizer, scripts can be as quick-click charts. A familiar grid inter- into the secondary grid.
added that will run automatically when a cer- face gives you access to information from all A dual-pane view on inquiry screens allows
tain event happens, such as tabbing out of a areas of the system. Turn data into fact-based you to see a list of transactions in one pane,
particular field. Using the above example, the knowledge using the powerful sort, group, and the detail related to a specific transaction
script could automatically perform the calcu- and filter capabilities, and save the views that in another, allowing you to respond more
lation and fill in the warranty field when the you have created for future use. Business quickly to customer and vendor inquiries.
data entry person finishes entering the line on Insights Reporter was added in Version 4.0,
the order. Scripts can run based on many soft- and helps you to generate the reports you Batch Control And Auditing
ware events, including before and after data is need quickly and easily. The wizard-based With the Batch Manager, in Versions 4.0
entered in a field, before and after a record is tool displays data in a logical tree view, mak- and greater, you can make batches public or
written, and even after a record is read by the ing it easier to locate the fields you need. You private. Each batch stores the user who cre-
software. The net result is that relatively com- can specify options, such as date range, each ated or updated the batch and the date and
plex capabilities can be added without chang- time the report is run, and you can add it to time it was created or updated. The potential
ing the programs that come out of the box. a menu, refine it using Crystal Reports®, or for fraud is greatly reduced and audit trails are
This means that you will be able to upgrade export it to Microsoft® Excel. The Business more transparent.
to new versions and your customizations will Insights Dashboard is a series of 12 charts that We have covered several of the major
continue to work just fine. give you an instant picture of overall business enhancements; however, there are literally hun-
performance. In Version 4.3, the Dashboard dreds of smaller enhancements in the releases
Benefits Of Upgrading received a new look and gained the ability to that we do not have space to cover here. To
Now that upgrading is easier, why not take print graphs to a PDF file. view highlights of the enhancements included
advantage of the many enhancements offered in each version on the Sage website: http://
when you upgrade to the current version? The Easy Report Customization www.sagemas.com/assets/SageMAS/pdf/
following are just some major benefits you Have you ever wanted to customize a stan- Sage_MAS90_200TopReasonsToUpgrade.
gain when you upgrade your software to the dard Sage ERP MAS 90 report? With Version pdf.
current version. 4.0 and above, all reports are built in Crystal Please give us a call with your questions or
Reports, so you can easily customize any for assistance planning your upgrade.
Business Insights report. You also can output reports to several
If you are like many managers, you may formats, including Excel, Word, PDF, and
find yourself mostly working in your busi- e-mail. Personalized Report Settings allow Request
More
ness — putting out fires and making decisions you to save report defaults. Do you print the Information
about orders, products, and schedules. This A/R Aging report weekly with past due items

3. Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200 • page 3
Product Update 2 For Sage ERP MAS 90 Version 4.4
T he second Product Update for Version
4.4 is available now. Product Update 2
improves workflow in some of the modules
you to recalculate the totals of all checks,
deposits, and adjustment entries that
have not been marked as cleared.
are supported, as well as the ability to allo-
cate amounts between several accounts. ACH
information is included on Accounts Payable
you use most: Bank Reconciliation, Accounts • Positive Pay Export — The new Positive Reports.
Payable, and Paperless Office. The release Pay feature helps reduce the chances of
also includes a new Pre-Installation Data check fraud. Positive Pay allows you to New Paperless Options Added
Scan utility that will help identify data issues send a file to your financial institution With this Product Update you will now
prior to installation. Details on the proper to use for comparison and verification be able process, send, and retain electronic
use of the Pre-Installation Data Scan utility against checks that are presented for copies of Accounts Payable checks, extended
are available at Sage Online in the Sage ERP payment. Key data, such as check stubs, and remittance advice documents for
MAS 90 and 200 download section. number and dollar amounts, must ACH Electronic Payments in electronic PDF
match exactly, or the check will not be format. The PDFs you create can be sent
Bank Reconciliation paid by the financial institution. Checks by e-mail or fax, archived, and retrieved as
• Reconcile Checks Automatically — You sent using Positive Pay are identified needed. Easily access PDFs using the Vendor
can efficiently and automatically with an Exported check box in Check Viewer from Paperless Office or the Checks
reconcile the check information Deposit and Adjustment Entry. A panel in Vendor Maintenance Inquiry.
you download from your financial Wizard helps you create the export file Please give us a call with any questions
institution. A Wizard helps you create in the format specified by your financial about Product Update 2.
the proper check format for your institution. To help you understand
financial institution specifications. Or, formatting requirements, a reference
we can configure the setting in our document is included that outlines the
office, export the file, and then import it most commonly used field formatting
into your system. and export details required by financial
• Enforce Tighter Controls over Bank institutions. (( Tips & Tricks ))
Reconciliation Adjusting Entries — A • Expanded Comment Field — In Check
new option in Role Maintenance allows Deposit and Adjustment Entry, the Posting Comments from Accounts
you to specify which users are allowed Comment field has been expanded to Payable to General Ledger
to access and make adjusting entries 2048 characters, enabling you to add Use the steps below if you would like the
for each account defined in Bank Code information to track why the adjustment comments related to Accounts Payable
Maintenance. was made. Invoices to post through to General
Ledger.
• Enter Checks, Deposits, and 1. Expand Modules, Accounts Payable, and
Adjustments On the Fly — Now you Accounts Payable Setup.
have instant access to enter checks, By paying vendors electronically you can 2. Click Accounts Payable Options.
3. Click the Additional tab.
deposits, and adjustments through a increase efficiency, improve cash manage-
4. Select a comment posting option from
quick link button on the Reconcile ment, and reduce the risk of lost or stolen the Invoice Comments list. (One of the
Bank screen. The button will bring you checks. With this Product Update you will options on the list includes a Detail
directly into the Check Deposit and be able to create an ACH (automated clear- Comment. During invoice data entry, use
the Lines tab to enter a Detail Comment.)
Adjustment Entry screen for that bank, inghouse) file from the Accounts Payable 5. Select an option from the Manual Check
without the need to exit the Reconcile module. You can enable ACH electronic pay- Comments list.
Bank screen or navigate back to the main ments, define how they will be handled, and 6. Select an option from the Check
Comments list.
menu to open a data entry screen. define the information that will be transmit-
Note: This procedure posts comments for
• Recalculate Outstanding Entries ted to your financial institution. invoices entered in Accounts Payable only.
Totals Utility — A new Recalculate You can set up multiple financial institu-
Outstanding Entries Totals utility allows tions for your electronic payments. Pre-notes

4. page 4 • HELP DESK Newsletter
Direct Deposit for Payroll Introduction to
Bridget Brown
D irect deposit is the safe, easy, and cost-
effective way for your employees to
have their paychecks deposited directly into
interface, or you can use a third-party inter-
face application.
Other setup options include allowing par-
S WK Technologies
Inc. is pleased to
introduce our new Help
their checking or savings accounts. Add tial allocations of check amounts, printing of Desk/Administrative
Direct Deposit to your Sage ERP MAS 90 or direct deposit stubs, starting stub number, Assistant, Bridget Brown.
200 system and you can improve employee and setting the path where you want to save She is currently a stu-
satisfaction while you save time, money, and your direct deposit (ACH) files. dent at Montclair State
trees by going paperless. You also save the In Employee Maintenance there is a check University and will be graduating in December
cost of printing, storing, and securing your box to indicate a direct deposit employee. A of 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in History.
preprinted check forms. direct deposit button provides access to a new Bridget’s primary role at SWK Technologies
screen where you enter the bank account and is to assist our clients and to direct their Help
Getting Started With Direct distribution information for the employee. Desk requests to our Help Desk team. She
Deposit The module supports distribution of an will also be responsible for many various and
As with any other Sage ERP MAS 90 mod- employee’s pay, in a fixed amount or per- important facilities management functions to
ule, you start by activating a series of setup centage, to various accounts. For example, ensure our office continues to run smoothly.
options. You will need to collect employee’s the employee could choose to allocate a fixed We are very happy to have her as a member
bank routing and transit information. The amount of $50 to savings and 100 percent of of our rapidly-growing IT consulting Firm;
ACH (Automated Clearing House) file for- the remainder of the paycheck to checking. once you begin working with her, you will
mat also will need to be configured. You will very quickly see why.
work with your financial institution to ensure Track Pre-Note Process We appreciate your business and support
you meet their specific requirements for the The Direct Deposit module allows you over the years and look forward to serving you
layout of the electronic file. to track the pre-note process of sending well into the future.
Next you will send a sample file to your the direct deposit file to and receiving the
bank with zero dollars filled in for each approval from your financial institution. This
employee. This is called a pre-note. The pre- is accomplished through the ability to send Contact
note file allows your bank to test the informa- and update a Pre-Note Selection register and Information
tion in the file to ensure that it is in the correct a Pre-Note Approval register. The pre-note SWK Technologies, Inc.
format and that the employees’ bank infor- process will take about 10 days, and needs to Debbie Berndt
mation is correct before the first actual direct be run as new employees are added. Client Account Executive
deposit payroll. Your bank will notify you of (973) 758-6128
the status of your pre-note. Once you receive Direct Deposit In Operation debbie.berndt@swktech.com
pre-note approval from the bank, you will be To run the direct deposit payroll, you process
Livingston, NJ
ready to run your first direct deposit payroll. your payroll and update the check register, then
(973) 758-6100
generate the direct deposit (ACH) file as sched-
Plainview, NY
Flexible Setup Options uled in advance of payday. A Direct Deposit
(631) 271-6401
Payroll Setup Options includes a check Register records the batches sent to the bank Syracuse, NY
box Require Direct Deposit to activate the and posts them to the Bank Reconciliation (315) 451-3577
module. In Payroll Setup Options you also module as a lump sum Adjustment. Buffalo, NY
will choose how direct deposit information Give us a call with your questions, or to (716) 656-7707
will be transmitted to the bank. Sage has an purchase the Direct Deposit module. Greenwich, CT
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