posted on December 28, 2010 by

CT Stops Mailing Tax Forms To Individual Taxpayers

The Connecticut Department of Revenue Services (DRS) today announced that the agency will no longer directly mail tax booklets to individual taxpayers. This change was made due to the continued growth of electronic income tax filing, and to reduce mailing and printing costs for the agency. The IRS and several other states have recently made similar decisions.

Taxpayers that still need a booklet will be able to obtain one from their local library, post office, or town hall shortly after the beginning of the new year, or they may download forms and instructions from the DRS website at www.ct.gov/DRS.

Last filing season, 1.6 million personal income tax returns were filed with DRS DRS estimates that of the 1.6 million, approximately 125,000 returns, or 8%, were attributable to mailed books.

Electronic filing of income tax returns has grown rapidly during the past few years. Last year, more than 1.2 million tax returns were filed electronically.

In addition to downloading paper forms at www.ct.gov/DRS, taxpayers can learn about locations where tax booklets will be available, electronic filing through the state’s free Taxpayer Service Center, and other electronic filing methods like Fed/State e-file and tax preparation software. The site also offers information about the free Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program for low income individuals and the Tax Counseling for the Elderly program.

via – CT Department of Revenue Services

link – Download CT Individual Tax Forms – 2010

Filed Under: Business Insights Intelligence, Consultants, mas200, Sage 100 ERP Tagged With: , ,
posted on August 31, 2009 by

Schulz Consulting “wins” Best of Glastonbury 2009

schulz consulting best of glastonbury 2009Imagine my surprise to wake up this morning to learn that our firm, Schulz Consulting, had won a major award.

If the email is to believe then Schulz Consulting is one of the Best of Glastonbury CT.

In recognition of your achievement, a 2009 Best of Glastonbury Award has been designed for display at your place of business. You may arrange to have your award sent directly to Schulz Consulting by following the simple steps on the 2009 Best of Glastonbury Award order form.

At least I think it’s major. The USCA (United States Commerce Association) apparently plucked Schulz Consulting out of the pool of thousands of Glastonbury CT businesses to bestow this prestigious award.

Before I get out my handkerchief and start writing up an emotional acceptance speech I think I’ll research the USCA and make sure they’re something more than just a company that make’s up issues awards, issues a press release, and then tries to get you to order a copy of the plaque.

Schulz Consulting is honored to receive this award. Unfortunately we won’t be purchasing either plaque – which we’ve saved to the link below for future viewing.

via: Schulz Consulting MAS90 Consulting

Filed Under: Consultants, Sage 100 ERP Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
posted on July 30, 2009 by

Fitzgerald Group advises Massachusetts MAS90 users of August 1 sales tax changes

the fitzgerald group.jpg

Massachusetts Sales Tax Changes Take Affect August 1, 2009

Mike Fitzgerald of The Fitzgerald Group just sent me this information about an upcoming change in Massachusetts sales tax. According to his notice the state is increasing the sales tax rate effective August 1, 2009.

Please consult with your tax advisor prior to making any changes.

Here are the instructions for those Massachusetts MAS 90 or MAS 200 users who need to update their sales tax rates for the upcoming changes.

Massachusetts sales tax is changing from 5% to 6.25% effective August 1, 2009. If you collect sales tax on Massachusetts sales (and do not use an add-on sales tax program) you must manually change the sales tax rate before starting August invoicing.

Follow these steps in order to update the MAS90 or MAS200 sales tax rate:

Before you begin:

* You’ll want to change the sales tax rate after all July invoicing is complete, and before printing August invoices.
* Make sure there are no users entering invoices or sales orders while you perform these steps.

Change the rate in the sales tax table:

* In Library Master/Setup/Sales Tax Code Maintenance, select your Massachusetts tax code.
* On the taxable line in the table, change the rate from 5.00 percent to 6.25 percent.
* Click Accept.

Update your in-process sales orders and/or invoices:

* In Accounts Receivable/Utilities, select Sales Tax Calculation.
* Make sure all the boxes are checked, and select “recalculate sales tax for all records.”
* Click Proceed.

If you track sales taxes in Accounts Payable/Purchase Order:

* In Accounts Payable/Utilities, select Sales Tax Calculation.
* Make sure all the boxes are checked, and select “recalculate sales tax for all records.”
* Click Proceed.

More information – The Fitzgerald Group – Sharon MA

Filed Under: Consultants, Sage 100 ERP, Tips and Tricks Tagged With: , , ,
posted on July 7, 2009 by

MIS Group Customers Should Contact Sage For Assistance

mis-group-texas1

If you’re a customer of the recently closed MIS Group you should contact Sage for additional assistance with support or any questions on your next steps for finding a consultant. Sage’s phone number is 866-996-7243.

According to a report by Computer Reseller News Sage is offering 30 days of free support to any customer who did not already have a Sage support agreement.

Here’s What We Know or Have Heard

Over the July 4th holiday we received information that MIS Group was going to close on Monday. At first we thought that meant each of the management level employees would leave with their respective customers. Instead what happened is the MIS Group itself closed for good. The doors were locked and phones were placed on auto-attendant with a message that callers should contact Sage for assistance.

The MIS Group was a big reseller. And they were well respected too. So far I have found nobody to tell me a bad thing about any of the people that work there – and that’s rare.

The last estimates of their revenue that we’d seen was approximately $30 million. They had been twice awarded (2007 and 2008) Sage’s Business Partner of The Year. This means they sold the most product of anyone in the Sage NA channel. They were also number 6 on the Source Media VAR 100 with estimated 2007 revenues of $30 million.

If They Sold So Much Software Then Why’d MIS Group Close Their Doors?

Based on discussions with several different people it seems there had been ongoing issues with financing. This much was also confirmed on the company’s own web site when they closed July 6, 2009. At the recent IT Alliance conference in Atlanta the group was notably absent and rumors where openly swirling that there may be some type of cost cutbacks or financial issues.

Some estimates place MIS Group’s share of the entire Timberline installed base at 40% (a number we’d happily update is someone had better information). If this number is accurate, then the firm had a large exposure to the declining construction market in the United States. To a large part it seems the demise of MIS Group was due in large part to the economy.

Why Not Reorganize Under Bankruptcy?

Good question and we don’t have the answer. Though we can speculate that one possible reason they did not choose to reorganize under bankruptcy may have had more to do with large debts owed to software and hardware vendors.

Let’s just assume that a large debt was owed which a bankruptcy was able to erase. That debt erasure would not assure that a newly re-organized entity would be re-authorized for software or hardware products they formerly represented. Especially not if the vendors lost a great deal of money in a potential bankruptcy.

So, again hypothetically, what could happen is that the parts (individual consultants) becomes greater than the whole (a potentially bankrupt entity that possibly has trouble becoming re-authorized for products they used to sell).

Individual consultants (the real assets of any consulting firm) could take their existing “book of business” with them to a new consulting firm and start anew. An option that might not have existed for a reseller emerging from bankruptcy with a potentially bruised relationship with key suppliers.

What’s Sage’s Reaction?

Sage is in the process of emailing impacted customers and promising that within 30 days they will have some options as to who they obtain as a business partner to manage their accounts. (Update: Read the statement Sage provided to us here).

At Schulz Consulting we’ve reached out twice to Sage offering to help spread the word on what customers of MIS Group can do. If Sage takes us up on our offer we’ll have more to post on our site.

If you’ve been in contact with a former MIS Group consultant then chances are good that you may form a new relationship with that person for support or ongoing consulting. We’ve heard that the consulting staff were invited to contact former clients of MIS Group so long as they do not mis-represent themselves as being from MIS Group.

How Do You Prevent Signing Up With “Another MIS Group”?

One question that we think will arise from the ashes of the MIS Group is how a company can prevent signing on with another reseller only to have them go away without notice.

Short answer is that you can’t.

What we think will evolve from the ruins of MIS Group is that bigger isn’t always better. Simply signing up with the biggest reseller has been demonstrated not to be a safeguard against that reseller unexpectedly going out of business.

Instead we think it makes more sense to select consultants by:
-Industry reputation
-Skill level
-Years of experience in the business
-Responsiveness

Place less emphasis on fancy offices, pretty brochures, extravagant user group meetings, etc.

Will Sage Re-Assign All of MIS Group’s Customers To Another Consulting Firm?

As of now nobody knows. We hope that MIS Group’s customers will be offered a fast response and the ability to select whatever consulting firm they would like. As we learn more we’ll update our web site.

UPDATE: Sage has provided us an official statement on how they are managing the notification and assignment of MIS Group clients. You can read the full text of it here – including the email message that was sent to all known customers.

Based on conversations within LinkedIn we expect within 30 days most of the customers will have been contacted (or have already arranged) to work with the same consultants that they had a relationship with at the former MIS Group. Many of these consultants appear to be in the process of either setting up their own consulting firms or joining already established organizations.

Does This Mean Sage Or Their Products Are In Trouble, Not Selling Well, Etc?

Not from what we’ve seen or heard. The closing of MIS Group seems to be a case of a company with heavy exposure to construction clients and what appears to have been a high overhead that drained their financial resources. We’re sure that in the coming days more information will come about regarding the firm. For now we see no indication that lack of demand for Sage products specifically played any role in this. A study by AMR actually ranks Sage at #3 world wide in terms of revenues – while Microsoft trails farther behind in #7 place.

Sage Software – 866-996-7243

Filed Under: Consultants, Sage 100 ERP Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,
posted on July 6, 2009 by

MIS Group – Dallas Texas – Sage Business Partner Of The Year 2008 Ceases Business According To Their Web Site

According to a post today on the company’s web site, MIS Group (Management Information Services) – Sage North America’s 2007 and 2008 Business Partner of The Year – is ceasing all business operations.

Callers to the company’s phone number are greeted with an announcement stating that “the company regrets it’s no longer able to conduct ongoing business operations” and refers callers to the MIS Group web site and encourages customers to call Sage support at 866-996-7243. 

This is a rather unexpected and surprising announcement from a consulting firm that had posted the highest total sales of Sage services and products from October 1, 2007 to September 30, 2008 and was the Sage Business Partner of The Year for both 2007 and 2008.

As recently as 2006 former CEO of Sage Ron Verni said in a letter sent by ERG announcing their merger with MIS Group that “MIS Group is a pioneer in defining the next generation of Sage business partner.”

mis-group-partner-year-2008

With their main office in Dallas, MIS Group also had offices in Denver, Houston and Phoenix. MIS Group used to resell several Sage products, including: Sage MAS 90 ERP, Sage MAS 200 ERP (including the Sage MAS Extended Enterprise Suite), Sage MAS 500 ERP, Sage Timberline Office, Sage Master Builder, Sage SalesLogix, SageCRM, Sage Abra HRMS, Sage FAS Fixed Assets, and Sage TimeSheet.

Here’s the announcement from the company’s web site that “effective July 6, 2009 it will cease all business operations“.

This action appears unprecedented in North America – especially from such an award winning, and by all appearances successful, consulting firm.

mis-group-texas

Their company had been formed in part by a series of mergers with several well regarded Sage Business Partners . Their product offerings included Sage Timberline Office , SageCRM, Sage MAS 90 and MAS 200, Sage Master Builder, Sage SalesLogix, Sage MAS 500 and other products. Their web site also claimed they were one of the largest North America Dell VARS.

The web announcement (posted below) appears to signify that creditors have taken control of the MIS Group. It is unknown what arrangements are in place for their client base or how those customers are obtaining support. Several inquiries to Sage have produced replies that indicate that Sage is still formulating a plan to address affected customers.

At the time of their closing the MIS Group leadership team consisted of:

MIS Group Leaders 1.jpg
MIS Group Leaders 2.jpg
MIS Group Leaders 3.jpg

Robert Muir – CEO
Greg Boyd – President
Bill Harris – Executive VP of Services
Lee Hagen – Executive VP of Sales
Mar Rossouw – CFO
Tom Cofer – VP Sales – CRE
Chuck Reeves – VP Technical Services & Marketing
Chris Spivey – VP of Business Process & Project Leadership Services
James Rikkick – VP of Professional Services – CRE
Dennis Stejskal – VP of Software Services
Don Zelezny – VP of Strategic Alliances
Keith Stone – VP of Service – BMD

Here’s a video from the firm’s YouTube channel that describes the types of services the group offered:

YouTube Preview Image

We’d been tipped that this was in the works over the weekend. At least one person Tweeted the rumor over the July 4th holiday.

MIS Group Twitter.jpg

However the official word did not arrive until July 6th when the official MIS Group Web Site posted a press release which announced the following.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 6, 2009
Management Information Services, Inc./MIS Group
5310 Harvest Hill Rd., Suite 200
Dallas, TX 75230
www.misgroupusa.com

July 6, 2009-Management Information Services, Inc./MIS Group announced today that effective July 6, 2009 it will cease all business operations. “As a result of the current economic crisis, the lack of available credit and market circumstances beyond our control, we unfortunately are not able to be viable as a business and continue to service our customers”, stated Robert Muir, Chief Executive Officer. “Although the company has attempted to manage and restructure itself to remain solvent, regrettably after considering all available alternatives, the company determined this as the only course of action. We appreciate the long-term relationships with our employees, customers and partners and are saddened by the outcome and hardship on all parties involved. We also want to recognize everyone’s efforts in working through this difficult period”, said Muir.

MIS’ senior secured lender will assume control and responsibility over the assets of the company.

MIS Group provides business process services, data management services and business applications published by Sage® Software including Sage MAS 90 ERP, Sage MAS 200 ERP, Sage MAS 500 ERP, Sage Timberline Office, Sage Master Builder, SageCRM, Sage SalesLogix and Sage Abra HRMS. In order to provide continuity to its customer base, MIS is advising all Sage customers to initially contact Sage directly at
866-996-7243 for assistance. Additional customer and vendor information will be provided over the next several days as it becomes available at the MIS website at www.misgroupusa.com.

About MIS Group
MIS Group is a technology services organization that provides a unique blend of business process services, business software applications and data management services, giving you a single source for your technology needs. Based in Dallas, Texas, with offices in Houston, Denver, and Phoenix, MIS Group serves customers throughout the central and western United States as well as Canada and Mexico.

ERP Users

Filed Under: Consultants, Sage 100 ERP Tagged With: , , , ,
posted on May 1, 2009 by

Intacct and Netsuite – My SAAS thoughts from IT Alliance Spring 2009

After the great presentation given by both Netsuite and Intacct, I was asked to give some feedback on the area of SAAS (software as a service) and highlight some of the topics covered in the presenation.

Here’s a brief YouTube video that the IT Alliance took of me during the conference which contains my thoughts:

YouTube Preview Image
Filed Under: Consultants, schulz consulting Tagged With: , , , ,
posted on April 30, 2009 by

Service Management for MAS 90 and MAS 200 – Brutally Honest VAR Survey Results

servicemanIn November 2006 I had a prospective client (actually it was an existing end user who knew me from a prior job and had called for my advice) seeking options for Service Management for MAS 90. They were already using one package and though it appeared to work they’d been through quite a bit of back and forth with a local Sage Business Partner who sold the Service Management and then had no clue how to make it work.

So they came to us asking if we could “fix it”.

Since we hadn’t worked with this particular software package before (and our rule is that we don’t bill clients for our learning time) – I advised her that I’d take a poll of other resellers of Sage MAS 90 and MAS 200 to see what they were using for Service Management.

Boy did I get an earful.

The question just came up again. Someone asked for some feedback on different service management packages. Since the analysis was written almost three years ago – I have to caution that some responses to it may have changed. Packages could have improved (or gotten worse). Take this information as a general overview of candid responses from experienced Sage consultants who have worked with these products and are providing the feedback to me.

I know each of these consultants personally – however to protect their companies and insure totally candid replies I’ve stripped out the firm name and identifying information.

These experiences are often the result of only one or two implementations. You may find that other consultants who have done dozens of impelementations of Service Management software have a totally different reply. The trouble is that I never can find these consultants. Service Management seems to be an area where consultants sell and run.

Here are my informal survey results. I do not claim they are scientific, authoritative or have any other special insight that you couldn’t get from asking around yourself. Simply take this information as one component of your own due dilligence as you reseach Service Management for MAS 90.

Full Disclaimer:

These results are from 2006 – the products mentioned may have been improved since I took this informal poll

While I know every person who submitted information – I cannot know what their level of competence with the product was. It’s very possible that some of the people who replied and whose opinions are included here were never properly trained and that taints their feedback. For this reason I strongly recommend using this information only as one portion of your own due dilligence when researching Service Management Software.

Service Management Options for Sage MAS 90 and MAS 200 – Survey Results

From: Wayne Schulz
Sent: Tuesday, November 07, 2006 4:34 PM
To: [prospect name]
Subject: RE: MAS90

Hi [prospect name],

As discussed today – I have put together some of the comments and feedback about the various Service Management packages for MAS90.

As I thought, none appear to standout. I’m continuing to look for a reseller with more than one or two clients using any one of these.

I think this is a fairly complete list of the Service Management available for MAS 90. I compiled the feedback from various emails that I have received over the last 6 months. These emails are internal communications between resellers as we are looking to find software or solve problems for our users.

The only solution that I have not seen anyone using but have repeatedly heard recommended is Job Ops. This is a more expensive solution from a company called Synergistic. The address is http://www.jobops.com

I hope this information is helpful. It appears to me from the comments below that you’re probably on the most widely used Service Management solution. I will follow-up with some additional information as I continue to query the resellers who work with these products to see if anyone has done more than three (so far what I’m seeing is resellers who’ve done one or two of these types of implementations).

-Wayne

IIG – Service Maestro

http://www.iigservicemaestro.com/ -

mixed feeback from resellers.
FEEDBACK FROM A CONSULTANT:
Service Maestro from IIG is not that bad, but it isn’t that great either. The product is solid. Support is very slow. It is difficult in an implementation to teach. There is a lot of functionality, and sometimes it gets confusing because there is so much functionality. It is not made for a particular industry, so lots of terminology is very generic and vague.

I like Wayne’s idea. Tell them that you will charge them for time and disclaim at the onset.

I have also heard great things about JobOps, but cannot get a client to take the large dollar investment. Probably worth it in the long run.

FEEBACK FROM A CONSULTANT:
IIG doesn’t return phone call’s or e-mails inquiries for Service Maestro. I now believe that if you can’t basic sales questions answered, then watch out once they get the client’s money.

Ascent – Automated Service

http://www.ascent-sys.com/ – wmixed feedback (see below)

FEEDBACK FROM A CONSULTANT:
We have several clients in the service management industry. Three are on Automated Service from Ascent, and three are on Service Maestro from IIG.

First the really bad: I spent 3 days last summer in Houston with their top (only) trainer. It was a painful three days to say the least. Obviously training, plane tickets, hotel, partner fee, and lost billable time were very expensive. By the end of the second day, I was on the web getting my airline reservations changed to that night. It was only the second day, and it was clear that this was an absolutely terrible program. Based on
what I heard, they really have it installed at one big company that is satisfied. I know that none of my clients are satisfied. There is absolutely no dispatching functionality. They have three “dispatch” functions, but they are all just terrible. Also, no job cost functionality.

We also choose this path because we also do Peachtree and BusinessVision. I was very excited about the prospect of learning only one service management solution for the three products that we carry. These were also jokes. The software just doesn’t work. One of the students in our class had the BV version for 6 months and still no go live. He spent the entire three days with the head programmer working on bugs.

FEEDBACK FROM AN END USER:
Yes, my current maintenance/support for MAS90 is through Ascent, since I also have Automated Servic (Ascent) support, this way all our issues are handled through one company. They have a very slow response time, although once they get involved, they are proficient at resolving issues.

They are located in Texas, so there isn’t any local support, they handle everything through PC Connect or VNC. If you would like, you can call me with any questions.

FEEDBACK FROM A CONSULTANT:
Ascent Business Systems has a very robust and well-integrated Field Service MAS 90 Add-on. Tell Shelley Roth I sent you. She’s been great to work with and is extremely helpful. Here’s her contact information if you want to talk with her, the package is called Automated Service.

Shelley Roth
Director of Channel Development
Ascent Business Systems, Inc.
1880 S. Dairy Ashford Suite 535
Houston, TX 77077
281-497-8882 x209
800-256-6853
sroth@ascent-sys.com

FEEDBACK FROM A CONSULTANT:
We have a couple of clients on Automated Service. The product is good for Field Service and not so good for Depot or In-House service. Ascent is just about the only player that is still standing. Their service is ????, their customer centric focus is ???? and their willingness to listen to resellers is ?????

IIG I would not touch, Cognitive is not even a player sooooooo your choices are limited.

Watch out when applying updates and third party stuff. Acent will try to burn you. One of our clients they wanted 3-4K to integrate Paperless Office. The client told them to buzz off and they finally did it for $00.00.

FEEDBACK FROM A CONSULTANT:
Either of you ever deal with Ascent Systems (Automated Service)? The are the least service oriented group I have ever dealt with and I swear if they go home and have a nightmare about us, they come in the next morning and hit my charge card, nickle/dime!

FEEDBACK FROM A CONSULTANT:
We just sold one 2 months ago – they make you pre-pay and then they never tell you how much you used. Also they won’t go direct to the client for services – very annoying – so I prepay but if the client doesn’t use the hours I am stuck.

FEEDBACK FROM CONSULTANT:
We have done a few Automated Service installs at a couple of larger customers and found out the hard way that the Automated Service files are not standard MAS 90 structure and you can’t use VI to import to them all the time (some you can, some you can’t). We had to pay Ascent to do some custom data conversion and custom import utilities for ongoing integration. Every time we speak to Ascent it is more money, to the point that I should just send them my charge card and let them use it when appropriate. Service is a bit spotty
(slow or non-responsive). Product is as good as any 3rd party apps tend to be.

FEEDBACK FROM CONSULTANT:
I have one client and authorized by Ascent. The upgrade to 4.05 is not too difficult and Ascent has the patches/bugs worked out. The hardest is getting the GL to convert to 4.x. Support is available from Ascent – The client will need the current patches for Automated Service. This cannot be stressed enough. When I did an early conversion, AS wasn’t that mature with 4.05 and hard to work with Ascent to address issues. It has been very stable the last nine months. 4.10 will be released soon, but we’re not encouraging that yet.

Procedure is:

Prepare 3.71 data just like any conversion.
Install 4.05 MAS 90
Install 4.05 MAS 90 patches
Install AS 4.05
Install AS 4.05 patches

Convert company data.

BCS – Service & Warranty Management

http://www.bcs-tx.com/product/swm/index.html – I

am not positive these guys are the originators of this software. I also have no feedback at all on this.

Conative Systems

http://www.conativesystems.com/

A few have looked at this and found support lacking

FEEDBACK FROM CONSULTANT:
I looked at Conative in late 2002 also. [xxx]the owner did the presentation. It looked to be solid. However, during the on line demo, [xxx]kept going down side alleys showing us how some things could/would be handled which became distracting. The other presentation was done by Automated Services. The presenter that day was a novice and didn’t know much about the software. I decided to pursue Conative, but soon realized that it was a one man shop and getting simple timely quote was impossible. I gave up after two months.

FEEBACK FROM CONSULTANT:
Unfortunately I haven’t any recent experience with service software, but attempted to work with http://www.conativesystems.com/ a couple years ago. Owner is a talented, but I think it was too much for him to sell MAS 90/200, service his clients AND market an enhancement. I recall that most of the SM2000 implementations were customer specific, making it difficult to support and learn (since there was little consistency). While very robust, the product also didn’t “feel” like MAS 90 (screen design was different, function key assignments were different, etc). Having also reviewed Automated Service a couple years ago, I was less than impressed with their sales pitch (pick us because the other guys suck).

ACSG

http://www.aboutpm2000.com/Product/SWO.htm

Service Work Order – does not appear to be widely used – no feedback found

Conclusion

My recommendation to you is to do your own research in this area and insist on talking to users who have been using Service Management software for over 1 year in exactly the same way that you anticipate using it.

Avoid using a consultant who only has one or two implementations of the software.  My own personal belief is that you cannot make any money as a consultant doing “onesies and twosies” of a product.  If there is a source to many troubled engagements that I’ve seen it si that the consultant who sold the specialized product did not have the necessary skills to actually implement it. Usually you’ll get a hint of this if the consultant promises to hold implement the specialized package in “phase two”.

Also keep in mind that the above comments are unfiltered feedback from consultants and end users who I know and trust. This is not research that I’ve done myself – rather I’m compiling various emails that people had sent to me in the year 2006. Because this feedback is almost three years old the various packages may have improved. So use this information to compliment your own good research – and not as a replacement.

Update 5-5-2009 from Traci Clay Marketing Manager – Ascent Business Systems:

Ascent Systems has this to say in a certified letter sent to me dated May 1, 2009 (read the entire letter here) which they say points out what they claim is inaccuracy in several of the responses to the informal survey we took :

We do understand that every company has some less than favorable press out there and we can handle that, but we would like for the information that is blatantly incorrect to be removed from your post. We specifically request that posting number one, Feedback from a Consultant, be removed in its’ entirety. This post contains serious inaccuracies such as Ascent having installed AutomatedService in only one big company that is satisfied, no job cost functionality and the information regarding Peachtree and BusinessVision. We also request that the inaccuracies in posting number four: Feedback from a Consultant be removed. The quote that states “They wanted 3-4k to integrate Paperless Office” appears to be blatantly incorrect. We have no record of every quoting any customer that amount to integrate Paperless Office. If you believe that statement is important enough to leave in your post, we would appreciate the name/company of the Consultant so that we may verify the accuracy. We would be comfortable with only removing the inaccduracy in posting number four, but due to the many inaccuracies in posting number one, we feel the only recorse is to remove the post in its entirely.
To further enlighten you as to the success that both partners and end-users have with AutomatedService, I have included the Success Story that Sage presented during a quarterly Sage Channel Partner webinar regarding the joint BIG win we had. Ascent was able to sell Sage Softwasre along with Automated Service to Ranger America beating out the incumbent, Great Plains. I have also included a success story to give you a broader picture.

Update 5-20-2009 – FEEDBACK FROM A CONSULTANT – ASCENT BUSINESS SYSTEMS:

DSD Business Systems has two recent implementations of the Ascent Automated Service software. Overall, both of our end-users are happy with the product. The most challenging of our end-users is a mechanical pump distributor who also performs maintenance work on their products. They were previously using Conative’s SM200 product, which is a complete disaster. Since switching over to AutomatedService (AS), they have been happy. This end-user says that support response times are sometimes spotty and if the question is very complex it can take Ascent a while to get back to them. But, they always do get back, which has not been our experience with other Service Management products on the market. Overall, they say that Ascent’s AS product works for them and they are very satisfied with it.

As far as reseller support is concerned, DSD’s VP of Sales, Pete Morone, has been extremely happy with Ascent. He says that Chris Fix, their VP of Sales, has been accessible and willing to work with us. Jim Woodhead, our VP of Professional Services – MAS says, “Chris is very knowledgeable about the Ascent package and can be counted on to deliver on his promises and to resolve problems. I have no hesitation to recommend Ascent to a customer that needs a strong service management product.”

I read some of the older Consultant Feedback for AutomatedService, and I know from firsthand experience that some of the criticism levelled by other resellers is no longer true in 2009. While that criticism may have been valid 2-3 years ago, much of Ascent’s business model, staff, and software features have evolved greatly since then. At one point, 8-10 years ago, DSD had decided not to continue using Automated Service as a supplier because of their predatory policies regarding their relationship with our end-users. That is no longer a concern for us, because the Ascent staffers who executed those policies are long gone. DSD has nothing but the highest regard for Ascent’s current products and delivery model.

Doug Deane

President, DSD Business Systems

Filed Under: Consultants, MAS 90 Add Ons, Sage 100 ERP, Service Management Tagged With: , , , ,
posted on April 26, 2009 by

IT Alliance invites Wayne Schulz to speak at April 2009 conference

itallianceThe IT Alliance (ITA) has invited Wayne Schulz to speak and lead a workshop session April 28 at their 2009 conference being held in Atlanta Georgia.

The IT Alliance is a group of Value-Added Resellers (VARs), CPAs, Specialty Technology Consultants, Chief Information/Technology Officers, and Developers/Providers of Technology Products and Services (Vendors)

ITA is the only national organization where these constituencies come together as equals. Their members believe success comes through the sharing of the knowledge and experiences our different disciplines bring to the profession. They do this by active networking, this website www.italliance.com, surveys, newsletters, and biannual retreats. ITA is a place where independent thinking and alternative points of view are openly promoted and respected.

IT Alliance scope includes:

Hardware, Network Services, Security, Project Management, Business Management (CIO and Consulting), Systems Design and Implementation, Skills Education, and Certification.

Wayne’s session “To blog or not to blog” will cover the ways that organizations can use easy and inexpensive tools to publish content on their website that is helpful to site visitors.

IT Alliance Atlanta 2009 Agenda:

Link: ITAlliance
Additional Info: Corporate Blogs: It’s The PageRank, Stupid

Filed Under: Consultants, schulz consulting Tagged With: , , , ,
posted on April 24, 2009 by

Kick them when they’re down – aka Why It’s A Great Time To Buy ERP

constructionMark Chinsky of Clients First has a  good article up that points out the time to buy any ERP (accounting software) is now.

That is, of course, assuming you actually need some.

Among the points Mark makes:

  • Prices are lower than what they were during the good times
  • Companies actually value (and pay attention to) your business rather than trying in vain to juggle many different projects and allocating resources only to the biggest jobs
  • Projects being completed under budget and on time (what a concept!)

How can you take advantage of this downtrodden economy?

  • If you’re an existing Sage MAS 90 or MAS 200 user – consider upgrading to Sage Extended Enterprise Edition. Some users (depending upon when you bought) are eligible for massive savings on maintenance. Read more about the Sage MAS 90 or MAS 200 EES deals here.
  • Purchase consulting time in blocks. Many consultants (us included) are not open to discounting rates on short term projects (typically requiring much more skill). However for long term projects of 40 hours or more – most consultants will sell you a discounted block of prepaid hours (the key word is prepaid). We sell 40 hour blocks at about a 25% savings provided that the hours are prepaid. Check with your local Sage Business Partner to see if they do to.
  • Take advantage of MAS 90 and MAS 200 promotions. These come out quarterly. A good Sage Business Partner can separate the perpetual promotions (those running every quarter despite the warning that they expire) from the truly great deals.

via: Clients First

Filed Under: Consultants, Sage 100 ERP, schulz consulting Tagged With: , ,
posted on April 21, 2009 by

MAS 90 Custom Programming – DSD Business Systems

sage_mas_custom_programmingWe often receive inquiries about special custom programming jobs. Long ago it became apparent to us that customizing the software code of Sage MAS 90 or 200 was best left to the professionals.

For this reason Schulz Consulting does not perform any custom programming. We make referrals to experts that know how to modify AND maintain their custom code.

The problem is that many of the professionals that write customized code have long exited the business for any number of reasons. Most found it difficult to make a profit in an environment where they were often expected to constantly enhance their product with minimal or no compensation.

The one company that we’ve consistently recommended to our clients is DSD Associates in San Diego California.

There’s one reason. Actually two.

The first reason is that DSD Associates have been around for 25 years. They’re arguably one of the most talented and experienced custom programming houses that develops for Sage MAS 90, MAS 200 and MAS 500. We’ve often marveled at their detailed programming specifications and the ability to support their solutions.

The main reason that we continue to recommend DSD Associates is they have no problem telling us when we’re nuts!

Often we’ve called Jon Reiter or Doug Deane to talk about a programming project. If our requirements are so off the wall expensive or complex – they talk us right down from going forward with a project that may be doomed for failure. Simply put DSD Associates looks out for their customers first — even ahead of making a quick buck by quoting a software project.

This is rare in today’s environment.

We just received this list of reasons that DSD Business Systems thinks that you should use their services. And it’s actually a pretty good list so we are reprinting it in its entirety here:

Top 10 reasons to use DSD Business Systems

1.DSD wrote the original Extended M/D Utilities, *merge and CodeZilla. These are important MAS 90 /200 programming utilities that many of the most widely known Sage MAS developers use when they write customizations or enhancements.

2.All of our custom programming projects are bid on a fixed price basis. No programming is started until you have reviewed and approved a detailed written specification. There are never any surprises at the end of the project.

3.DSD advises and assists Sage’s development staff in making MAS 90, MAS 200 and MAS 500 a programmer-friendly environment. We are Sage’s expert source.

4.We provide the lowest cost and most efficient, non-invasive programming modifications that will exactly meet your end-user’s needs. It is not uncommon for us to tell a reseller that a customization can be achieved with no programming via the Customizer, Visual Integrator or Crystal Reports. If we know of a customization that we’ve done in the past that is exactly, or close to, what you need, we’ll use it. If we know of another developer who has an off-the-shelf enhancement, we’ll let you know that too.

5.When third party software developers need to integrate their products with Sage MAS 90, MAS 200 or MAS 500, do you know who they call? They call us. If the publishers of Avatax and ImageLink use DSD for their MAS programming, then you should too.

6.When we write an enhancement, or make MAS customizations, we write them in ways that are upgrade-friendly, friendly to other developers’ enhancements, and very easy to install. There are many MAS developers who make it impossible to combine their enhancements or customizations with other developers’.

7.When we write an enhancement or modification, we rarely, if ever, change the original MAS files, or the original programs. That way, if you no longer need a modification sometime in the future, removing the customization or enhancement is an easy process, and does not require a time-consuming conversion process.

8.Your project is always looked at by at least three DSD staff members. DSD never allows programming to be final-tested by the programmer. All of our enhancements and customizations are rigorously tested by our QA staff in order to burn the programs in before your end-user installs them.

9.When there’s a bug, we jump on it. It is fixed almost immediately. Fixing bugs when a user finds one takes priority over any other activity in our Programming Department.

10.DSD staff has decades of MAS programming, Internet-programming, database programming and Unix experience. We’ve seen it all and done it all. We can help you with virtually anything you need, including integrations to third party software, integrations to third party hardware devices, integration with a website database, etc.

via: DSD Business Systems

Filed Under: Consultants, Sage 100 ERP, schulz consulting Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,
posted on April 1, 2009 by

MAS90 Classroom Training Schedule Online

classroomOne of the most frequent questions we receive is regarding training for Sage MAS 90 and MAS 200. Often our clients hire new employees or would like a quick refresher course on the basics of MAS 90 and MAS 200.

As a general rule of thumb our recommendations on education are as follows:

If you are a brand NEW user to MAS 90 or MAS 200 with no experience – consider a class.

If you are tackling a new module that you have not used before (manufacturing, Visual Integrator) – consider training (we recommend attempting some self study first).

If you are an experienced user and you simply have a few questions – we think it’s best for you to compile a list of what you are having issues with and discuss those with your Sage Business Partner. This is because training classes are typically very broad and cover the topic in depth from start to finish – when you may already be familiar with a large portion of what is covered in class.

MAS 90 and MAS 200 Training Schedule

Here’s a training schedule for Kissinger Associates in Pennsylvania. They’ve been working with Sage MAS 90 and MAS 200 since I’ve been using the program and are also long time operators of a high quality authorized Sage training facility.

Most classes are full day – unless noted otherwise.

A benefit of attending these Sage Authorized classes is you receive:

  • Structured classroom training
  • Sage authorized class
  • Sage authorized trainer
  • Sage materials (very high quality)

After you’ve reviewed the MAS 90 and MAS 200 training schedules below you can review the course content on this page which shows the costs, content outline as well as CPE credits offered.

The official Kissinger Associates MAS90 Training site can be accessed online for further information.

Mas90 Training Schedule

Filed Under: Consultants, Sage 100 ERP Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,
posted on March 16, 2009 by

Paperless Office Reports for MAS 90 and MAS 200 Payroll Not Saving

If you’re using Paperless Office with  Sage MAS 90 and MAS 200 Payroll module, you may want to take a read at what Sage MAS 90 Consultant Beth Bowers and Mike Fitzgerald have already uncovered.

Looks as if not all of the daily processing reports in Payroll are being saved when you are using Paperless Office.

While the payroll Register saves, there have been reports that the Payroll Data Entry Audit Report and Pre-Check Register are being over-written each time a new payroll is generated.

This issue has been reported to Sage and they are working on a fix. In the interim if you are using Paperless Office with Sage MAS 90 or MAS 200 payroll you should make sure you have paper copies of all registers.

90Minds via Beth Bowers and Mike Fitzgerald – The Fitzgerald Group

Filed Under: Consultants, Knowledgebase, Tips and Tricks Tagged With: , , , , ,
posted on February 15, 2009 by

FRX Report Writer for MAS 90 Still Alive

FRX Financial Reporting for MAS 90 appears to have gained a new lease on life. According to Mark Chinsky of Client’s First Business Solutions – New Jersey, the FRX Report Writer is back under development (or at least is being promoted as a solution by Microsoft) after being slated for discontinuation in favor of PerformancePoint Server.

Mark spotted an article in Network Computing that states in part:

Microsoft made a surprise announcement that presents good news and bad news for customers and partners who were developing on the PerformancePoint Server product. The good news is that the dashboarding, scorecarding and analytic capabilities of PerformancePoint are now being made available as free services to customers with an enterprise license of SharePoint Server. The bad news is that PerformancePoint and its planning functionality will no longer be offered as a separate product, though there will be a final “Service Pack3″ upgrade to the planning functionality released this summer. Translation? Microsoft’s BI team is backing away from deep financial and operational performance management, ceding those opportunities to the Microsoft Dynamics unit and stranding some customers and partners in the process.

Microsoft says it is bundling high-demand PerformancePoint functionality like dashboarding, scorecarding and advanced analytics with SharePoint to better fulfill its longstanding goal of spreading business intelligence to the broadest possible base of users.

“By putting this functionality into SharePoint, it makes it available to exponentially more users,” said Kristina Kerr, Lead Product Manager, Microsoft Business Intelligence, in an interview with Intelligent Enterprise. Share “As for the financial budgeting and planning piece, we found that it involves very different buying behaviors, different people and different deployment scenarios, so we’re very deliberately splitting those two areas.”

A final upgrade of PerformancePoint may buy planning-focused customers and partners some time, but nobody wants to make long-range plans around a product without a road map. Thus, one of two paths forward Microsoft points to exploits what Kerr describes as “broad planning capabilities” it can offer with the combination of SQL Server, SharePoint Server and Excel.

“For example, we have an Excel add-in that exposes the analytic capabilities of SQL Server Analysis Services,” Kerr explained. “Analysis Services offers a function called Forecast, which is really predictive analytics based on historical trends. [That's the kind of functionality] that’s suitable for scenarios that aren’t specific to the office of finance but that call for broad planning and forecasting capabilities.”

A second path forward for partners and customers interesting in planning is to work with the Microsoft Dynamics ERP and applications unit, which will continue to develop its Forecaster and FRX products for forecasting, budgeting and financial reporting.

via: 90Minds

Filed Under: Consultants, FRX, MAS 90 Add Ons Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,
posted on January 12, 2009 by

Phone Support Agreement for MAS 90 and MAS 200

We provide all technical support for Sage MAS 90 and 200 under an unlimited telephone support agreement. This removes the need for our clients to worry that their staff will be charged for technical support questions. Since our plan covers as many technical questions as the staff may have – there’s seldom a need (unless additional services have been requested) for an extra suport charge.

It’s important to realize that this fee is for support and not the basic maintenance which is charged annually by Sage Software for their product upgrades.

Mas90 Support Agreement 2009

Filed Under: Consultants, Sage 100 ERP, schulz consulting, Technical Documents Tagged With: , ,
posted on January 9, 2009 by

Accpac Software consultants offer up YouTube video to explain benefits of their product

YouTube Preview ImageAccpac consultants Terrell & Terrell have created a rather amusing parody video that demonstrates why someone should want to use their Accpac time collection software.

The 7 minute video is a skit that someone in the firm produced which was shown at their annual customer conference. While the point of the skit is to drive home the need for additional software – I like it as a selling tool much better than  receiving a boring sales call asking me if I’m interested in software.

While I’m not sure who the starring actors were in this video, I’m assuming it was staff from the firm. How interesting that a prospective user for Accpac might receive this YouTube (instead of boring boilerplate emails) and then during the initial meeting find themselves face to face with the actors who starred in the skit!

Terrell & Terrell is a Dallas Texas based CPA firm specializing in the Accpac product line. Their products include accounting , CRM, project management, point of sale, EDDI, and Human Resource Management.

Link – Terrell & Terrell

Filed Under: Consultants Tagged With: ,
posted on November 29, 2008 by

90 Minds Consulting Group launches web site

90 Minds is a group of consultants representing accounting software packages such as those from Sage, Intuit, Microsoft, SAP, Deltek and more.

This independent association of consultants, of which Schulz Consulting is one of the founding members, numbers over 25 separate companies with 100+ total consultants.

Because this group is not affiliated with any one particular software vendors, it possesses what may be the most unique capabilities of any company nationwide.

Instead of attempting to merge in members from as far away as Hawaii, the 90 Minds Consulting Group decided two years ago to informally structure around a private email list.

As this list popularity grew, the members wanted to have an outlet to advertise their services and membership in the group.

Thus the 90 Minds web site is born.

In the coming months this site will be significantly enhanced to include:

  • Member locator
  • Skills / product locator
  • Contact a member
  • Location searches

The site is strucured so that content relevant to all users of ERP Accounting Software will have a place to read bulletins and tips published by some of the most experienced consultants in the United States.

Link: 90Minds.com

Filed Under: Consultants, Sage 100 ERP, Sage software Tagged With: , , , , ,
posted on October 15, 2008 by

Edit MAS 90 General Ledger Detail with DSD’s G/L Detail Editor

DSD GL Detail Editor.jpg

Have you ever wanted to edit your historical General Ledger detail transactions. Generally it’s a good idea to make corrections to the detail by posting another general journal entry. However there may be situations where data must be corrected in a way that cannot be accomplished by an adjusting journal entry. For example if you have corrupted data or transactions posted to future periods that you simply want to move to the current date.

The General Ledger Detail Editor for MAS 90 allows the G/L user to:

1. Edit posted General Ledger transactions (in GL_DETAILPOSTING.M4T file). The Account Number, Posting Date, Posting Remark and Posting Amount may be changed for any transaction. If the Posting Date, Account Number, or Posting Amount are modified, appropriate changes are made to
the Chart of Accounts Master File. When the Detail file is changed, the GL Period Summary file is also updated.

2. A unique search capability has been incorporated into the Editor, in order to allow the user to quickly locate posted transactions.

3. Posted transactions may be deleted. Corresponding changes are made to the Chart of Accounts Master File, in order to ensure that the Detail Posting file is always in balance with the Chart of Accounts Master File.

4. New transactions may be added. They are added simultaneously to the appropriate period’s activity in the Chart of Accounts Master File. The Editor does not force a balancing entry to be made, and, for this reason, the Editor must be used with care in order to ensure that the General Ledger is not placed out of balance.

5. The Editor constantly displays a BATCH BALANCE, in order to assist the user in constructing one-sided ledger entries which do not cause an out of balance condition in the General Ledger.

6. All transactions are posted in “real time”. That is, once the changes have been accepted by the user for each transaction, the General Ledger files are updated immediately.

7. Each addition, deletion or transaction edit is written to a special holding file. When the Editor is exited, the user may elect to print the Transaction Edit Listing, or not. The user decides whether to keep or erase this special holding file.

DSD G/L Editor User Manual (pdf)

The cost of this enhancement is $1,750 which includes the first years’ maintenance of $416.67.

This enhancement is on promotion for 15% off through November 15, 2008

For more information – use our contact form below.

[contact-form 1 "Contact form 1"]

Filed Under: Consultants, MAS 90 Add Ons, Sage 100 ERP Tagged With: , , ,