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September 2016 - In This Issue:
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Keeping In Touch
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This month's newsletter is about powerful new scripts we've developed that may help make your business more efficient, advice on backups (again!), new webinars and a Sage 100c discount.
Shabnam is transitioning clients to Sage 100c, Robert is transitioning back from beautiful PEI, Kevin is working on powerful reporting tools, and Mark is very behind schedule on this newsletter.
We're always looking for feedback, so please reply and let us know what you think of the new newsletter. |
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Powerful New Scripts!
Extending functionality, saving time, and ensuring accuracy.
The ability to add scripting to Sage 100 has to be the most powerful tool that Sage has added to this feature-rich system. Clients are getting the benefits of Sage 100 scripts in many ways -- ensuring data accuracy, making complex calculations so users don't have to, and stream lining processes. Some examples are below. What ideas do you have to improve the functionality of your Sage 100 system? Click here to let us know.
General Ledger / Bank Reconciliation Synchronisation
In base Sage100, Bank Reconciliation entries aren't automatically created by some GL transactions -- i.e. payroll entry and bank service charges done with general or recurring entries. This script will look for a bank code reference in a GL entry and make the entry in Bank Rec. for you, keeping everything nicely in sync and greatly aiding in reconciliation.
One-Click Sales Order Invoice Reversal
We are often asked about faster ways to enter Sales Order Invoice reversals -- often they have to each be re-entered one line at a time as Credit Memos, reversing every entry. With this script, you can automatically generate a credit memo from a given invoice number with a single click!
Accounts Payable Default Vendor Distribution Table
For clients that regularly use the General Ledger Distribution Table feature, we can set up user-maintainable defaults on a per-vendor basis.
Consolidated Emailing of Sales Order Invoices
Clients have been unhappy that Sage 100 will by default send individual emails for every single invoice to a customer. This script will consolidate them into batches.
Project Codes
Using a UDF on vendor invoices, we can set up project codes to assign postings to specific expense accounts -- i.e. advertising, non-profit fundraising campaigns, etc. This script has been extended to function in General Journal Entry, Manual Check Entry, Purchase Order Entry, and Sales Order Entry.
Please reach out to us if any of this sounds like it could be of use to you, or you have other ideas you'd like to implement. Contact us!
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Check Your Backups!
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure
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We have recently heard about clients being hit with CryptoLocker-variant viruses. If you are not familiar with what these are, once activated, this virus can scan your office network, hijack documents, encoding them with unbreakable encryption. The virus will typically also leave a literal ransom note demanding pay immediately, or never getting your files back.
They are incredibly insidious, and the emails that trick people into running it can be incredibly convincing ... i.e. appearing at first glance like an invoice from a known vendor.
Two notes before getting to the point of this article:
- Be hyper-vigilant when opening email attachments -- best to ignore any that are unsolicited or from unknown contacts. Double check email addresses and file extensions from known contacts. Enable the "show file extensions" setting in Windows Explorer. The recent examples we have seen have come from files of the form, "documentname.pdf.exe" -- "exe" indicating the file is actually executable, not a document. The "pdf" portion is intended to deceive.
- Obviously keeping anti-virus up-to-date is important, but anti-virus cannot defend against brand-new versions of the virus which are churned out regularly. It may very well save you an infection however if the virus does get past email, or is run through a different form of exploit.
Ultimately, please verify that backups are running regularly. Downtime can be minimal with good nightly backups being restored. Whether CryptoLocker or 'regular' server crashes, we have seen some clients discover too late that the backups they thought they had did not work, resulting in having to recreate all the lost records.
Backups need to be:
- running regularly -- every evening ideally
- versioned -- keep multiple copies instead of overwriting the same one. In the case of CryptoLocker, it can infect files and lie dormant for some time before activating. (So you may want daily recent backups, that eventually become weekly, that eventually become monthly...)
- disconnected from the network -- it does not help if the virus can connect to backups still on the network
- offsite -- periodically backups should be moved outside the office, either to an online backup solution, or literally moving a hard drive or tape somewhere else safe
- tested regularly!
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Robert's Soapbox!
Recently we have received queries from three separate clients about disasters they had. One experienced the Crypto virus, lost a month's worth of data and had to spend a week re-keying all those transactions. (Saved only because the virus hadn't gotten into their Paperless Office records!). Another experienced the Crypto virus, but was able to restore from the previous day's backup -- they only lost the morning's transactions. One reported that a spreadsheet template that had been created for streamlining importing of cash receipts was overwritten in error; when IT was asked to restore from backup, the user was told that that folder was not being backed up!.
IT will tell you that all is well, to not worry... but are they sure? All too often, when backups have failed, there's no obvious indication. Also, are the correct files being backed up? This is not a matter of trust, because your data is too important to take chances. Ask them to prove it. Your auditors do it to you, try auditing IT!
Pick a file (spreadsheet file, Sage file, etc) from a couple of days ago and ask them to restore it for you. Don't tell them it's a test; just see if they can do it. If the restore process takes longer than a few hours, it may be time to review your company's back up policies.
The other day, I was golfing with a long time friend and business colleague and shared the disaster stories above. He said, "you know, you could also be exposed to Crypto viruses." I said I realised that, but since we are using an external data centre to host our business critical applications and data, we know that a strong disaster recovery plan is in place. Shortly after we starting using the data centre about a year ago, I emailed them and ask them to get me a file from a backup 3 days prior that I knew had been changed recently. The file was restored and sent to me within the hour! That is service and that is a warm fuzzy feeling knowing that your data is safe and secure.
Not all data centres can provide that level of service. We have a number of clients on a data centre and one of them reported a problem and needed a file restored. The data centre hadn't been backing up the new server where the upgrade was installed and couldn't help. Not a great response, but certainly an eye-opener for the client and for the data centre to get it right!
Let us know if you'd like to discuss moving your Sage system (and other files/systems) to a data centre. We've been very happy with our data centre. Click here to start the conversation.
So, I have a challenge for you! For the first 10 clients that send me their \MAS90\MAS_System\sy_workstation.m4t file from Friday, September 9, 2016, I will send you a gift card for Tim Hortons, McDonalds, or Starbucks (I have to cover all tastes, you see :) ). Do not restore the file to its original location as you don't want to overwrite the live file. Simply restore it to an alternate location and email it to me from there! Click here to start the email to attach the file.
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Subscription License, Perpetual License, Maintenance Renewal
What does it all mean?
The software industry is changing. Are you going to change with it? Software vendors are now selling licenses using a subscription model and no longer the perpetual license model.
Most of you will have purchased your Sage 100 license as a perpetual license. This means that you paid a one-time fee and that gave you the right to use the software indefinitely in the future. However, because new features are always being added and new operating systems are always being released, you've paid an annual maintenance fee on that license and that gives you access to updates and new versions.
The software industry is changing and Sage is changing, too. Effective January 1, 2017, you will not be able to purchase a new perpetual license. All new license sales will be subscription licenses. Customers who hold a perpetual license will still be able to add users, modules, etc and renew maintenance after Jan 2017.
A subscription license means that you pay an annual fee (could be paid in monthly installments) for the right to use the software. If you stop paying the subscription payment, your software automatically turns to read-only mode and you will not able to create new transactions.
Sage has also announced that some new features are being added to the Subscription version (Sage 100c) of the software and not the Perpetual version (Sage 100) of the software. The next section in the newsletter highlights some of the changes between the two versions now. As time goes on, we expect the gap in features between 100 and 100c to get broader.
If you have been consistent in paying your Sage maintenance fee every year, you should seriously consider moving to the Subscription version. Sage is offering incentives to do so.
On a separate note, many of our Canadian customers have experienced a significant increase in their Sage maintenance from last year to this year. Sage has acknowledge billing errors last year. If your maintenance has increased significantly this year and you want help working with Sage to get the increased capped this year, click here to get in touch with Shabnam. Since we don't get a copy of your renewal notices, we'll need you to send us a copy of your renewal notice for last year and this year. |
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Sage 100c Promotion
Now is a Great Time to Upgrade!
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This month only, Sage is offering on-plan Sage 100 customers an upgrade to Sage 100c with no additional charges. This would change your maintenance payment to a monthly/annual subscription, which works out to roughly the same if you stay on-plan regularly. As well, with this upgrade, you can freely switch to the Premium (SQL) version of Sage 100c.
Feature-wise, Sage 100c offers over Sage 100:
- A modernised user interface that allows for changing font sizes. Numerous clients have been asking about this as their monitors and screen resolutions get larger. (The old interface is still available as well.)
- Additional modules that earlier agreements may not have included.
- Sage Intelligence
- Sage CRM
- New features will generally be only released to Sage 100c versions going forward from 2016.
There are cost savings for off-plan customers as well.
Please get in touch with Shabnam if you're interested. |
Webinar Series What's Coming Up
October 12:
Period End Accounting for Non-Accountants -- not everyone that uses and manages Sage100 is an accountant. We have noticed some clients never perform period-end processes. This webinar will show how straight-forward the process is and explain why it's a good practice to get into. Click here to learn more and to register.
November 17:
Learn about Sage CRM and whether it can be a powerful asset for your sales force, or even just regular business as usual. It integrates with Sage 100, and there are cloud, mobile and on-site options available. Registration will be included in next month's newsletter.
December 15:
Clients have asked us about drilling down into their Sage data (all modules) with Sage Intelligence. This will be an opportunity to learn about the kinds of deeper insights you can make from your Sage 100 data. Just in time for year end! Registration will be included in our next newsletter.
Your support agreement with Munjal White entitles you to attend our webinars at no additional cost. We strongly encourage you to take advantage. |
Quote to Ponder
"Meetings are indispensable when you don't want to do anything."
- John Kenneth Galbraith
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