Extended Solutions For MAS 90 and MAS 200 Updated As Of August 2010
August 31, 2010
DSD Business Systems of San Diego is a Gold Development Partner for Sage Extended Solutions. As such they have access to the source code for the Extended Solutions which Sage have discontinued.
If you’re not familiar with Extended Solutions they are pre-written customizations (sold separately) that once installed work seamlessly within MAS 90 and MAS 200.
For years Extended Solutions were sold directly by Sage and considered to be the “secret sauce” that Sage consultants used when they implemented new systems for customers.
During any ERP software implementation there’s usually a tiny bit of missing functionality that’s needed. For example finding a fixed cost Extended Solution that for example performed ACH Payments for Accounts Payable (not a core MAS 90 feature) was significantly cheaper and easier than hiring a programmer to modify the software to perform that task.
Beginning with version 4.4 of MAS 90 and MAS 200 Extended Solutions will not be sold separately. Instead Sage have taken the list of available solutions and intends to cull out the most popular ones for inclusion in future releases of MAS 90 and MAS 200.
Extended Solutions not selected for inclusion will have their source code made available to a number of select programmers (Preferred Development Partners) so that customers can have their enhancements upgraded.
On August 17, 2010 DSD Business Systems reported their progress on which solutions they’ve already upgraded.
Extended Solutions Recently Released
And they also reported on which solutions are in progress with a “soon to be released” date:
Extended Solutions Currently in Development
What’s New In MAS 90 and MAS 200 v4.0 to 4.4 (PDF)
August 31, 2010
Here’s a handy chart outlining the new features of MAS 90 and MAS 200 4.x courtesy of Sage partner Faye Business Solutions of Woodland Hills California.
This two page PDF does a fantastic job of showing exactly what was added to each module in versions 4.0 to 4.4. Download and stash this one in your toolkit so the next time someone asks you what’s been added in differing versions you can provide them with this reference.
Sage Accountants Network Membership – Free Through 9/30/2010
August 31, 2010
Through September 30, 2010 accountants and or bookkeepers providing professional accounting or bookkeeping services for multiple fee-paying clients can join the Sage Accountants Network (aka SAN) for free.
Included is a 5 user copy of Peachtree Quantum (Accountants’ Edition) as well as free online training. For the full run down of what’s included – as well as the coupon code you need to score the freebie – check the link below.
What Operating Systems are MAS 90 or MAS 200 Compatible With?
August 30, 2010
One of the top questions that we receive about Sage ERP MAS 90 or MAS 200 is whether the programs are compatible with a certain operating system or not.
Sage North America publishes a series of guides that explicitly detail which operating systems and hardware configurations the supported versions of MAS 90 and MAS 200 will reliably operate with.
These handy guides are updated every few months and rather than post the document – which might be out of date by the time you are reading this post – below are the direct links to the relevant documents:
MAS90 SOFTWARE (See links below for MAS 200)
MAS 90 – Version 3.71 to 4.30
MAS 90 – Version 4.4+
MAS 200 SOFTWARE
MAS 200 – Version 3.71 to 4.30
MAS 200 – Version 4.40+
Sage eFiling FAQ 2010 for Sage ERP MAS 90 and MAS 200 [Updated]
August 29, 2010
Did you know that within all versions of Sage ERP MAS 90 and MAS 200 4.3 and higher there is a tool to print tax forms to plain paper – at no additional cost?
And for a small additional fee Sage will electronically file those forms with the federal government.
Sage posted an updated Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200 Federal & State eFiling and ReportingFrequently Asked Questions document in their partner file center. The eFiling is a relatively new component of Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200 and was added in version 4.30 for all users of the product.
What’s unique (and great) about the eFiling is clients can use this to print forms on plain paper — at no additional cost. There’s only a cost if they want to also have Sage submit (aka eFile) the forms on their company’s behalf.
It appears that Sage have updated their question #7 on this FAQ to include more volume pricing options for those with large numbers of employees. There’s not yet any volume information for 1099 filing which may become more of an issue for our customers if the government lets stand a ruling which in 2012 will require many more 1099 transactions to be reported.
Sage MAS 90 Federal and State e-Filing 2010 FAQ
Socialcast As A Tool To Bring Groups Closer
August 26, 2010
Schulz Consulting is one of the founding members of the 90 Minds Consulting Group. This is a group of 27 Sage Consulting Firms, comprising 415 employees located in 17 different states.
Members of the group initially met at the Sage conferences. Over time we noticed that we’d be sharing a lot of tips and tricks via email. Suddenly what used to be an email to three people had 15 CC: email addresses.
Realizing that this wasn’t a scaleable solution we moved to Yahoo Groups (which we still are using) to automate group emails. Instead of having to be sure that we “reply all” to group messages — Yahoo Groups (free) manages our group and provides one email adress for all members to mail.
In return Yahoo emails out the message to all group members. Or members can elect to read the messages on the web.
This has worked – and continues to work – pretty well for technical emergencies where one of our 27 member companies has a question about an error message.
Where we start to bog down as a group is in the chit chat and off-topic messages. Each month we’re exceeding over 500 messages sent and for individual members that becomes a burden to wade through when all they may want is to see technical tips.
So what we’re now looking at is a free service from Socialcast that is similar in layout to Facebook.
Messaging in Socialcast is private. We are able to form groups for different topics depending upon member (sales, technical, etc).
What’s better about Socialcast is that it also:
Integrates a profile so that any of our 415 individuals can know more about a member they may never have met. This includes phone number, messages the member has sent, a list of specific skills (you can add your own fields – and they are all searchable):
Better applications – while similar services also offered mobile applications – those offered by Socialcast seem to allow for reading threaded messaging with a little less effort. There are also integrations to Microsoft Outlook and Sharepoint for those old school members who don’t yet have smartphones (iPhone, BlackBerry clients are available).
Sadly there’s no Android application (you have to use a mobile optimized web page for Android) – however Socialcast hints that something should be here by the end of 2010.
Socialcast also lets you import almost any of your Social Media feeds (Twitter, Facebook Digg, Flickr) to any of your streams. What I use this for is to setup the group’s technology feed so that any of the items I share in Google Reader go right to the specific group that hosts general technology tips.
By making a separate tech feeds group in Socialcast I don’t over-share with people who may join the group only to learn about the latest technical issues with Sage ERP.
Here’s what the feed setup looks like:
We’re still in the evaluation stage for whether Socialcast will replace our group’s email delivery. Some of the push back we’ve received is that people don’t want “another place to check” or another login and password to remember . The beauty of the email delivery that we were used to is that there was none of the extra place to check or login. Naturally the downside to email is that if you become active enough you start to drown in messages — not all of which are relevant to your interests.
For more information on Socialcast — http://www.socialcast.com
Costs:
Free for unlimited users
Costs start at $299/mo for groups of up to 100 and add primarily support and customization services.
How To Install Sage MAS Intelligence for MAS 90 or MAS 200
August 24, 2010
The training department at Sage North America have just posted another video regarding the new Sage MAS Intelligence reporting tool.
Sage MAS Intelligence is the replacement for FRX Financial Report Writer which Microsoft is terminating support for at the end of next year. FRX had been the recommended financial report writer. With the decision by Microsoft to eliminate their product – the new recommended reporting tool is Sage MAS Intelligence.
Each user of MAS 90 or MAS 200 will receive a free copy of this program along with one user license. Watch for a notification from Sage in the coming weeks that will alert you to the availability of Sage MAS Intelligence.
Timekeeper for MAS90 – Demo 9/1/2010
August 11, 2010
Need to track time for multiple users? If you’re a MAS 90 or MAS 200 user with a large number of users who want to track time then the Hightower TimeKeeper solution might be for you.
From the Hightower Site:
Because Timekeeper is fully integrated with your Sage MAS 90 or Sage MAS 200 ERP system, you can process all time/expense entry information into a number of the modules, including Sage MAS 90 Accounts Receivable, Sage MAS 90 Job Cost, Sage MAS 90 Payroll, Sage MAS 90 Sales Order, Time and Billing, and Time and Billing Professional. This level of integration enables you to increase overall efficiency and enhance service to your clients by tracking employee time and expenses for accurate and timely invoicing.
You can enter time/expense data into your Sage MAS 90 or 200 software using the Timekeeper module, the platform independent Timekeeper Entry application, or online via .timekeeper. All of these solutions are available when you install Timekeeper. Choose the best time/expense entry solution for your company. The following list describes each solution.
I’ve had several clients use the system and have found it to be an excellent solution for anyone looking to track time without having to invest in a more expensive time and billing system (which Hightower offers with their Time and Billing Professional for MAS90).
There’s a free online web demonstration scheduled for 9/1/2010 — click here to register or for more information .
MAS 90 4.4 Patch Of The Day: All Account Numbers Change To A New Account Number
August 10, 2010
Users of MAS 90 and MAS 200 v4.4 (which includes both product update 1 and 2) should be aware of this new individual patch that Sage issued yesterday.
It appears there’s a bug when you renumber (change) any general ledger account. If that number is embedded into the Inventory Product Line Maintenance then after making an account number change all account numbers in MAS 90 Inventory Product Line Maintenance will change.
This is an individual program patch that should be applied by all users of version 4.4 including product update 1 and product update 2.
All Account Numbers Change To A New Account Number
Sage ERP MAS Intelligence Available For Download
August 9, 2010
Sage has just made their MAS 90 FRX replacement available for download online. Branded as Sage ERP MAS Intelligence (say that 3 times fast) the Excel based solution connects to not only your financial data but all other module data (ex. Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, etc).
We provided you with a first look at Sage ERP MAS Intelligence (then being referred to as Sage Business Intelligence) back in March 2010 when Alchemex did a demo for the 90 Minds Consulting Group.
View the product frequently asked questions below – or visit Sage’s site for more information and download links.
Sage Timberline Enterprise Success Story: Hunter-Davisson
August 9, 2010
While the core job costing capabilities in Sage MAS 90 and MAS 200 are enough for most smaller business users there are some who may outgrow the features.
As noted on this recent success video filmed by Sage North America – while most general contractors have a dozen jobs a year – specialty contractors could easily have 200-300 jobs a year. Given the economy and a competitive market it makes sense to become efficient.
Hunter-Davisson, a heating, air conditioning and refrigeration specialty firm describes their use of Timberline Office – migrating in 2003 from a DOS system to Sage Timberline Office and then to the newer Sage Timberline Enterprise using Pat Soper of Skyline Business Systems.
Watch the video which provides more testimonials and quite a few examples of how 80 person Hunter-Davisson uses Timberline Enterprise and some examples of how the construction package is different from Sage Timberline Office..
More details on Sage Timberline Enterprise
Subscribe To New Sage MAS 90 Community Discussion Posts Via Email
August 7, 2010
Did you know that Sage has a community forum where users and consultants gather to discuss the burning issues of the day as it relates to Sage MAS 90 and MAS 200?
Participation is free — and you can always view a list of all the new messages (in chronological order) via this Sage MAS90 Community Link.
That link works great provided you remember to check it regularly and review the new messages. But if you’re prone to forgetting (like I am) then you might want a more automated way to receive notifications of new messages.
I’ve just created a feed of these new messages on Feedburner which is an automated RSS delivery system. Use the form below to subscribe by email — and you’ll receive a mailed notification of each topic as people post online.
Say goodbye to remembering to manually check the discussion area for new information. Now all you’ll need to check is your email inbox.
The feeds are managed by Google’s Feedburner service — and you can decide to stop receiving these updates at any time.
Sage To Allow MAS 90 and MAS 200 3.71 Users To Stay On Maintenance – Receive Knowledgebase Access
August 6, 2010
I just noticed that Sage have updated their online support area accessed by consultants who are supporting their Sage MAS 90 and 200 products.
The update provides information on the following end of life dates for their products (which as far as I can see is unchanged from prior publication):
Version 3.71 – 9/30/10
Version 4.00 – 9/30/11
Version 4.05 – 9/30/11
Version 4.10 – 9/30/11
According to the update posted on Sage’s site:
Sage ERP MAS 90 version 3.71 will be retired as of September 30, 2010. After this date, product updates (including year end) and telephone support will no longer be provided by Sage. However, customers who stay with a maintenance plan will continue to have access to the knowledgebase with articles about the retired versions. For more information, see the Supported Versions document and the Sage ERP MAS 90 Roadmap.
This seems to apply that customers on older versions which while they may no longer be supported with product fixes could continue paying software maintenance in order to access the support knowledgebase.
Sage EasyPay Costs for MAS 90 5 User Wholesale Distribution
August 5, 2010
Sage has just introduced a new method of paying for new software licenses over time. Termed EasyPay it provides for either a 3 year or 5 year term of payment spread over quarter or months.
A typical Sage ERP MAS 90 5 User Wholesale Distribution new user would price as follows:
UPDATE: I’m looking at the below pricing because I’m not sure if the spreadsheet that is used is giving accurate information. Someone else pointed out that Sage EES might be a better fit financially for most users – to which I agree. Unfortunately the Sage EES pricing is not available as of the time of this posting.
Use the amounts below as a general guideline and certainly not one with which to make a purchase decision. As more information becomes available I’ll update the totals below.
Traditional lump sum pricing:
Library Master – $ 1,310
5 User License – $ 4,140
General Ledger – $ 2,320
Accounts Payable – $ 1,485
Accounts Receivable – $ 1,485
Bank Reconciliation – $ 535
Inventory Management – $ 1,460
Sales Order Processing – $ 1,650
Purchase Order Processing – $ 1,460
Visual Integrator – $ 1,665
Total – $ 17,510
Sage EasyPay New Monthly / Quarterly Costs
Same configuration as above.
3 Years, Paid Monthly – $ 641.39
5 Years, Paid Monthly – $ 384.83
3 Years, Paid Quarterly – $ 1,924
5 Years, Paid Quarterly – $ 1,154.50
Sage Introduces EasyPay Options for Sage ERP MAS 90, MAS 200 and ACCPAC
August 4, 2010
Easy Payment Options for Sage ERP MAS 90, MAS 200 and Accpac!
Sage today released information on a new program that allows you to spread the purchase price of your new Sage ERP MAS 90, MAS 200 and Accpac over a 3 to 5 year term.
Both software product and accompanying maintenance can be included in the payments which can be made either quarterly or monthly by ACH draft or credit card.
No longer will you have to deal with bank or leasing company financing to purchase a new ERP system. Discuss these new payment options with your favorite Sage Business Partner.
Full details of the announcement:
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