Thursday, December 27, 2012

Changes to Year-End Updates for Sage 100 ERP

Tax Year 2013 is the last year Sage will maintain and support tax forms within the standard Sage 100 (formerly MAS 90 / MAS 200) Accounts Payable, Payroll and Electronic Reporting modules. 

Filings for Tax Years 2014 and later will only be available with the Sage 100 ERP integration to Federal and State eFiling and Reporting, powered by Aatrix, which is available with Sage 100 ERP version 4.3 and above. The Payroll Tax Tables will continue to be maintained for the supported versions of Sage 100.

Note for Sage 100 ERP Version 4.3:   The 2013 Q1 Tax Table Update, the 2012 Interim Release Download and the 2013 Form 941 (to be released in March 2013) are the last updates that will be released for version 4.30.  You must upgrade to a more current version of software in order to receive future updates.

For assistance with upgrading your Sage 100 software or to discuss your year-end needs, contact us at 877-526-8226 or support@c-gconsulting.com

2012 Sage 100 Year-End Downloads Now Available

Sage has recently released year-end tax updates for customers that use Sage 100 (formerly MAS 90 / MAS 200) Payroll and Accounts Payable.

You can access these year-end updates as follows:
·        Log into the Sage Customer Portal at https://customers.sagenorthamerica.com.   
·        On the left side, under the Download Product Updates section, click either the Tax Table Update or Interim Release Download Link.

Included are changes for Payroll and Payroll Tax Tables, Federal and State eFiling and Reporting, Electronic Reporting, and Accounts Payable.  The 2012 Q4 Interim Release Download is required to be loaded in order to use eFiling and Reporting for 1099s and W-2s, the Electronic Reporting module and AP 1099 reporting.  In order for the 2013 Medicare changes to calculate correctly, you must install the 2012 Interim Release Download prior to installing the 2013 Q1 Tax Table Update and prior to running your first payroll for 2013.

Reminder:  As additional federal or state updates are received, tax table updates will be posted throughout the month of January to the Portals.

Listed below are the versions of Sage 100 that users will  need to be on in order to load the 2012 Q4 IRD and 2013 Q1 TTU.   
• 4.30.0.18:  must also have last year’s (2011) year-end IRD installed
• 4.40.0.1:  must also have last year’s (2011) year-end IRD installed or PU 8 installed
• 4.50.0
• 2013

If you have any enhancements, you must first verify that these enhancements are compatible with the 2012 Q4 IRD.  You also need to load the enhancements after loading the appropriate product update or 2012 Q4 Interim Release Download.

View the 2012 year-end frequently asked questions for more information: 
2012 Frequently Asked Questions

For additional assistance with your payroll and accounts payable year-end needs, give us a call at 877-526-8226 or support@c-gconsulting.com.

Friday, November 2, 2012

Sage 100 project - Automating picking sheet printing

One of our customers has remote salespeople that enter in orders in the evening after they've made their sales calls and onsite visits.  Shipping personnel start at 6:30 am in order to pick and ship last night's orders.  C&G assisted this customer with automating their picking sheet printing process so that all orders entered after hours print before shipping personnel arrive.  Salespeople can also place an order on "hold" so that it won't print, if they wish to come back to it later for revisions.

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Sage 100 2013 - coming soon

A few technical notes about the upcoming new release of Sage 100 (formerly MAS 90 /
MAS 200 version 2013:

  • Microsoft SQL Server 2012 will be supported
  • Crystal Reports 2011 will be included
  • A new 64-bit ODBC driver will be available

We'll be posting more informaiton about the release soon.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Sage Feedback Site - Sage 100

Have you ever wished there was something about the Sage 100 (formerly MAS 90 and MAS 200) program that was different?

Sage offers a "feedback" website in order to collect new ideas to enhance the software, as well as allowing users to search on and vote for ideas already submitted on the site.

Some popular ideas added to the feedback website:

Expand decimal precision throughout the system
https://www11.v1ideas.com/SageERP/MAS90and200/Idea/Detail/955

Allow multiple bin locations per item, per warehouse
https://www11.v1ideas.com/SageERP/MAS90and200/Idea/Detail/467
Allow P/O receipt of invoice against multiple purchase orders
https://www11.v1ideas.com/SageERP/MAS90and200/Idea/Detail/549
Have ideas?  Submit them here:  https://www11.v1ideas.com/SageERP/MAS90and200

Monday, July 30, 2012

Sage Payment Solutions Chargeback Assistance

What is the charge on the Sage Payment Solutions statements for "Chargeback Assistance"?
The Sage Chargeback Assistance program includes one-on-one consultation with a dedicated Chargeback Specialist who can provide you with recommendations on how to best handle a chargeback, including how to respond to notifications.  There is no limit to the amount of chargebacks that Sage will assist with as long as you are enrolled in the program.  The program includes assistance in creating a chargeback reduction plan as well as prevention tips specific to your business model, however there is no guarantee that a business will no longer have chargebacks.

Monday, July 23, 2012

Sage 100 Version 2013 Feature - Sage Advisor

Coming in Sage 100 version 2013 is the "Sage Advisor" feature which helps customers manage software updates.  Specifically, it allows users to:
  • View messages on availability of new releases and product updates.
  • Download installation component for manual installations.
  • View maintenance and support entitlement and expiration dates.
  • Schedule checks for updates.
The Sage Advisor is also expected to include a pre-requisite checker for updates and fixes.  As with today, it will be advisable in the future to ensure that before applying a product update, that this product update is compatible with any third-party software that might be installed in Sage 100 ERP.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Sage Mobile Payments Integration

Do you have users out in the field who need to collect payment?  A new feature coming in the future will assist with that process.
Sage Mobile Payments allows the employee to use their smart phone to collect payments out in the field.  The Sage Mobile Payments app captures the sales data and sends it to Sage Exchange.  Then, Sage Exchange feeds that transaction data into Sage 100 ERP Version 2013 (formerly called MAS 90 and MAS 200).

Watch for more information in a future blog post.

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

A/P ACH Electronic Payments

Have you ever considered paying your suppliers and other vendors by electronic payment versus a check? ACH electronic payments is a standard feature in Sage ERP 100 Accounts Payable and many of our clients are enjoying the benefits of this time-saving feature.

Setting up ACH electronic payments in your Sage ERP 100 system can increase your efficiencies, improve your cash management, reduce operating costs and lessen the risk of lost or stolen checks by using an ACH file created from the Accounts Payable module.

In Sage ERP 100, you have the flexibility to select and set up one or more financial institution(s) for your electronic payments, and for each one you select, define the format and layout of the ACH file. The feature includes pre-note functionality, and flexibility in your electronic payment distribution, including options to allocate amounts between one or more accounts.

ACH information on processed payments, historical information and vendors paid electronically is available on Accounts Payable Reports. They can include auto checks, manual checks, voided checks, reversals, credit card transfers, electronic payments, wire transfer information in any combination.
For more information on how to implement A/P ACH electronic payments in your business, please contact me at 920-968-0965 or swolf@c-gconsulting.com to start using this feature.

Monday, July 16, 2012

Sage ERP Shipping by SmartLinc

Shipping by SmartLinc
Sage recently announced availability of Sage ERP Shipping by SmartLinc--an endorsed solution designed to work with Sage 100, 300, or 500 ERP systems. Sage ERP Shipping by SmartLinc, is a web-based, multi-carrier shipping solution that integrates to Sage ERP.  Whether you ship several packages per day or thousands, SmartLinc can process shipments with speed and accuracy, enabling your company to:
  • Simplify the shipping process.
  • Deliver inventory to your customers more quickly.
  • Reduce overall shipping costs.
  • Make shipping status information available to everyone
Supports all shipping methods and carriersUtilizing "Best Method" shipping, this intelligent solution automatically selects the lowest cost carrier based on factors such as when the shipment needs to arrive and the destination. Shipping works with any carrier that you ship with today, including:

All parcel carriers, UPS™, FedEx®, USPS (through Endicia), Purolator,Canada Post, and DHL
All LTL carriers with rate import features.
Company vehicles, local couriers and regional carriers.

Download the detailed spec sheet on Sage ERP Shipping by SmartLinc.  Call me at 920-968-0963 or skreuger@c-gconsulting.com so learn more.

Friday, July 13, 2012

Version 2013 Feature - Inactivate Customers

In version 4.40 and 4.50 of Sage 100 ERP (formerly called MAS 90 and MAS 200), Sage added the ability to mark an inventory item as "inactive".
With version 2013, Sage is adding the ability to mark a customer inactive.  This feature comes with the following benefits:
  • Create your own "reason code" list on why a customer has been inactivated.
  • Ability to include, exclude, or only print inactive customers on reports.
  • The customer audit report will track who, when, and why a customer was marked inactive.
  • Inactive customers can be hidden from lookups to streamline data entry tasks.

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Sage 100 Version 2013 Feature - Streamlined Item Maintenance

The redesign of item maintenace in version 2013 will carry forward the redesign started in version 4.40.  Most notably, the main difference with the screen change in this version will be the ability to see item quantities on the main tab of item maintenance. 



This is similar to the item inquiry screen in versions 4.30 and below, however this also gives users the ability to see quantities in shipping and the "on hand less in shipping" figures not available on the main screen in version 4.30 and below.

These changes are expected to help users answer the two most common questions regarding an item -- "Is the item needed in stock?" and "How much is it?"

Monday, July 9, 2012

Sage 100 Version 2013 Feature - Sage CRM Integration/Workflow

Sage CRM is getting additional attention in Sage 100 version 2013 with some additional integration and workflow enhancements.  Here are a few of the enhancements expected in the future:
  • The ability to map multiple ERP companies to a single Sage CRM system.  All companies can be managed in a single CRM database with no additional license costs.
  • Tasks launched from Sage CRM do not take up a Sage 100 ERP user license, resulting in lower cost of ownership.
  • The "quote to order" data entry workflow in Sage CRM has been simplified.
  • The ability to enter web orders and quotes from Sage CRM to Sage 100 ERP will be available on the Advanced and Premium products (formerly MAS 200 and MAS 200 SQL).
Please note: this advanced list of feature enhancements is subject to change in the future.

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Sage 100 Version 2013 Features - Technology Updates

Sage 100 Version 2013 is slated to come with several "behind the scenes" technology updates.
  • 64-bit ODBC driver. 
    • The current ODBC driver is 32-bit, so on a 64-bit system, a user must load the 32-bit ODBC control panel applet in order to see the ODBC settings.  The new 64-bit driver should provide improved performance for applications with ODBC integrations.
  • Crystal Reports version 2011. 
    • This version includes the ability to export to a read-only format as well as built-in barcode support.
  • Microsoft SQL 2012 support.
    • Currently, the Sage ERP 100 Premium product (formerly MAS 200 for SQL) supported SQL Server 2008 R2.

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Sage 100 ERP 2013 Release Guide

Sage has issued a pre-release guide for Sage 100 ERP 2013 (formerly Sage MAS 90 and 200 Version 5.0):

Click here for the complete Release Guide

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Sage ERP 100 Version 2013 Roadmap

Sage has announced a tentative release timeframe for Version 2013 of the ERP 100 product line.  This release is targeted for fourth quarter 2012.  Some of the new features anticipated in this release:
  • Technology updates.
  • Introduction of Sage Exchange (an integrated payments platform).
  • Sage CRM integration and workflow enhancements.
  • Sage CRM web orders and quotes.
  • Ability to set customers as "inactive".
  • Ability to set vendors as "inactive".
  • Invoice number expansion (from 10 to 20 characters) in Accounts Payable.
  • Ability to view cleared checks in vendor maintenance.
  • Streamlined item maintenance screen.
We will be covering the above topics in greater detail in future blog posts.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Sage 100 ERP On-Line and Subscription Pricing

Sage Software has two new methods of purchasing and using Sage 100 ERP (formerly Sage MAS 90 and 200).

Sage 100 ERP On-Line allows you to perform your accounting functions in the cloud verses installing and maintaining the software on your computers. Financial and Distribution modules are included at a monthly cost per user. More information can be found by clicking here.

Sage 100 ERP On Premises Subscription Pricing changes the purchase method from paying for the software up front then paying annual maintenance fees to paying per month per user but still having the software installed on your network/servers. This reduces the upfront cost to purchase the software and helps you budget your software costs by paying the same amount each month. Financial and Distribution bundles and additional modules are all priced on a per user per month basis and includes unlimited support. More information can be found by clicking here.

Contact us to learn more about these options and to discuss your unique needs.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Sage MAS 100 ERP (MAS 90 / MAS 200) - End of Support Dates

Generally, the current Sage MAS 90 and 200 major level and one previous major level are supported.  Sage has announced some "end of support" dates for various product versions:
  • Version 4.45 (SQL) - March 30, 2012
  • Version 4.20 - September 30, 2012
  • Version 4.30 - September 30, 2013
  • Version 4.40 - September 30, 2014
  • Extended Enterprise Suite 1.3 and 1.4 - September 30, 2012
More detail can be found here:  Sage Support Policy

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Sage Summit 2012

Summit is Sage Software's annual customer and partner conference.  This year, Summit is being held at the Gaylord Opryland in Nashville TN.  After the flooding in Nashville, the Gaylord has undergone a $215 million renovation and includes all-new outlets and restaurants.

Customer and Partner Day is Tuesday, August 14th, and Summit continues for customers through Friday, August 17th.  The rates are:
  • $895 - Early bird registrations 4/19/12 - 5/31/12
  • $995 - Standard registrations 6/1/12 - 8/1/12
  • $1,195 - Late/onsite registrations 8/2/12 and after
Sage offers a 4-month payment plan available through May 31st for credit card payments.

This year's Summit features "Sage City" which groups attendees into various "villages" based on concentration -- manufacturing, distribution, services/retail, construction, etc.  Each village will receive an orientation, discussion groups, and networking opportunities.

www.sagesummit.com

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Sage MAS ERP - name change

The Sage MAS ERP systems (MAS 90, MAS 200, and MAS 200 for SQL) are getting a name change.  The new names are as follows:
  • Sage MAS 90 is becoming Sage 100 ERP Standard.
  • Sage MAS 200 is becoming Sage 100 ERP Advanced.
  • Sage MAS 200 for SQL is becoming Sage 100 ERP Premium.
After installing Product Update 3 for version 4.50, an extra pop-up box appears upon launching the program reminding users that the name change is forthcoming.

Friday, March 2, 2012

Greatly Improve Remote Access Security

C&G Consulting has recently assisted a client with greatly improving their remote access security simply by enabling a feature built into the Sonicwall brand firewall already in place on the company network.
Within minutes, the featured called "one time password" can be enabled on the Sonicwall which will send a text (SMS) message to the phone of the person trying to log in remotely. The password which is sent in the text is good only one time, and greatly enhances security since now the employee must have their network username, password, and the physical phone that is listed to receive the text message.
Additionally, if the employee receives a text notification with a one time password when they're not trying to log in remotely, they can be sure someone has their username and password, and is attempting to log in remotely.
The one time password feature can be configured on a per-user basis, meaning not every person in the company needs to have this feature enabled. However, the more people that are required to use this feature, the safer the network is!

Friday, January 20, 2012

Warning - Spam Email Appearing to Come From Sage Payments

We have received reports about a spam email appearing to come from Sage Payments. The email reads:

Subject: Annual Agreement Update - Sage Payments
Dear Sage Payments customer, you need to renew your annual agreement with Sage. Failure to do so will result with your account status set to -INACTIVE-, only test transactions will be possible. Download your personal login page from this email and continue.
Sage VT Team 2012
It includes a link to click on.  DO NOT CLICK ON THIS LINK and delete the email right away.  This email is what is known as a "phishing scam" and is targed to customers in order to get them to release confidential information.  If you have already followed the instructions in the email, contact Sage Payments immediately at 800-261.0240.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Starship Link with MAS 90 / MAS 200 4.50 and above

With MAS 90 / MAS 200 version 4.50, Sage discontinued the traditional Starship Link in which the user initiates the transaction from within Shipping Data Entry.  The V-Technologies' Business Objects Interface link, in which the user initiates the shipment first within Starship, was still available.

V-Technologies recently released their version of the Starship Link (in partnership with a national Master Developer).  It will contain all the features of the previous link from Sage plus some new functionality:
  • Line item integration - helpful for international and LTL shipments
  • Field mapping optimization - useful for mapping in user-defined fields and other custom mapping scenarios
  • Scale integration within shipping data entry
This new link will be available free of charge to Starship customers on a current maintenance plan with V-Technologies.  This software is available on an as-requested basis for customers on MAS 90 / MAS 200 version 4.50.

Watch for a future post once we have a chance to work with the new link.  Contact us if you have any questions or if you are interested in integrating your shipping software with your ERP system.