Say Hello to Sage 100
October 18, 2011
Sage today unveiled tentative plans to rebrand their product names in North America. The current naming plans are to develop a common strategy in order to build the Sage brand:
- As a strong brand trusted by users
- To significantly increase both awareness and consideration of all Sage products in the SMB space
- To increate the value proposition of how Sage can support the needs of SMBs
- To grow market share and revenue
Although these names are still subject to change, expect the new product brand names to be similar to the following:
Sage 50
- Sage Peachtree
- Sage Simply Accounting (Canada)
Sage 100
- Sage ERP MAS 90
- Sage ERP MAS 200
- Sage Master Builder
- Sage Fund Accounting
Sage 300
- Sage ERP Accpac
- Sage Timberline Office
Sage 500
- Sage ERP MAS 500
- Sage Fund Accounting – Multi User Edition
Sage Universal Solutions
- Sage CRM
- Sage Fixed Assets (Previously Sage FAS Fixed Assets)
- Sage HRMS (Previously Sage Abra HRMS)
- Sage Estimating (Previously Sage Timberline Estimating)
The timeline for these changes should approximate the release date of the next major upgrade for the product(s) with most changes occurring late in 2012 and early 2013.
Products not presently slated for rebranding due to specific market plans, strategies or international factors:
- Sage ACT!
- Sage SalesLogix
- Sage EPR X3
- Sage BusinessWorks
- Sage BusinessVision
- Sage DacEasy
- Sage PFW
- Sage Pro
- Sage fundraising series – including Sage Millennium
Sage ERP MAS 90, 200 Will Be Delivered Via Download
October 18, 2011
Waiting for a disk to arrive for your latest Sage ERP MAS 90 or 200 version 4.5 upgrade? Starting with this version you’ll no longer receive disks (unless you request them). Instead you’ll be directed to a download site to retrieve the program disk.
This 2.x GB download will include all versions of Sage ERP MAS90, 200 and SQL. The version installed to your computer will be determined by the unlocking keys you insert during setup.
Here’s the announcement from Sage regarding the MAS90,200,SQL download plans:
We’re building up to the 4.5 launch at the end of this month to correspond with the timing of the Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200 Auto-Delivery communications. Also the last week of October, the 4.5 microsite will go live to communicate to prospects and customers the value, flexibility, and enhancements packed in this release. Featured on the site will be a series of 4.5 videos staring Mary, our animated product ambassador; she’ll cover the highlights of the business value of the 4.5 enhancements in an entertaining way. New interactive 4.5 product screenshots will show examples of the enhancement details. The 4.5 microsite will also provide customers and prospects easy access to sign up for 4.5 webcasts, updated spec sheets and brochures, and the technology whitepaper. Look for your 4.5 Auto-Delivery package coming your way the end of October!
What’s New In Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200 V4.50
PC Charge / VeriFone Integration With Sage ERP MAS90,200 Version 5.0 – Update
October 18, 2011
Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200 5.0 will contain a new integration with Sage Exchange. Sage Payment Solutions created this integration to streamline credit card processing across the entire Sage product portfolio. As part of this implementation, credit card numbers will no longer be stored within Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200. Instead they will be stored in the Sage Exchange Vault.
With the introduction of Sage Exchange in Version 5.0, the integration to PC Charge Payment Server will no longer function because it requires that credit card numbers be stored within the ERP system.
Sage Payment Solutions will be the only supported credit card processor for the Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200 product line.
In anticipation of the version 5.0 release, please note the following:
- Effective November 1, 2011, Sage will no longer offer the Credit Card Processing powered by PC Charge Payment Server module for new customer sales.
- For existing customers who wish to continue using PC Charge until their existing credit card processing provider contract expires, supported versions of Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200 will continue to work with PC Charge. This includes version 4.5.
- PC Charge version 5.9.3 will be the last version tested by Sage for compatibility with Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200. While subsequent versions of PC Charge may continue to work, they will not be validated as compatible by Sage.
- As has always been the case, requests for customer assistance for PC Charge should be directed to VeriFone. If a customer purchased PC Charge from Sage within the last 12 months, their purchase included an initial 12 months of VeriFone technical support. If they purchased PC Charge over a year ago, they will need to renew their support agreement directly with VeriFone. VeriFone offers two support plans:
- Telephone support plus software maintenance: $229 annual fee
- Telephone support only: $139 annual fee. If this plan is selected, there is a $120 fee per upgrade for any subsequent releases of PC Charge.
- Customers should contact Lela Reeves at VeriFone by telephone at: 912-527-4576 or by email at: Lela_Reeves@verifone.com to renew their PC Charge support agreement if necessary.
- Sage will discontinue telephone support for all versions of the Credit Card Processing powered by PC Charge Payment Server module as of December 31, 2012. Until then, Sage will continue to provide telephone support for the Credit Card Processing powered by PC Charge module, while VeriFone must be contacted for any support for the PC Charge Payment Server application.
Sage Contact:
Rob Ullmann
Account Executive
Sage
Sage Payment Solutions
978-232-0240
978-808-2343(cell)
720-834-1777(efax)
Rullmann@SagePayments.com
www.sagepayments.com
Sage ERP MAS 200 SQL Pricing Updated
October 18, 2011
Sage have just updated their pricing on Sage ERP MAS 200 SQL user licenses. Initially they had indicated that whether MAS 200 was used on a Providex or SQL database the per user pricing would be identical.
That pricing information is now updated to reflect that Sage EPR MAS 200 SQL user licenses will have an additional $350 per user price (plus maintenance) which goes into effect 12/1/11.
Also on December 1, 2011 to get the scalability, flexibility, integration, and reporting of SQL Server that Sage ERP MAS 200 SQL offers, installed base customers who wish to migrate to the SQL product will “pay the difference” of $350 per user. With 4.5, Sage ERP MAS 200 SQL customers will receive one free SageCRM 7.1 user and server license when they upgrade. And, customers who have not previously received a free Sage ERP MAS Intelligence Report Manager license will receive one compatible with Sage ERP MAS 200 SQL 4.5, which includes Reporting Tree capabilities and enhanced report distribution.
Sage ERP MAS200 SQL v4.5 Specifications
Sage ERP MAS200 SQL v4.5 Release Guide (October 2011)
Sage ERP MAS90, MAS200, MAS500 Supported Versions and Retirement Dates – October 2011
October 18, 2011
The link below provides a document showing the lastest Sage ERP MAS90,200,500 Supported Versions as of October 1011.
In essence the last date for payroll and year end updates is the end of life for those using payroll.
Recall that many states are issuing significant payroll withholding rules which might require a program update in order to continue processing payrolls. In most cases it is not apparent until the later part of December that a program update is going to be required.
Note that on most of these versions payroll updates end 9 months ahead of the official phone/email support.
Sage ERP MAS 90 , 200 , 500 Retirement Dates (pdf)
Why You Should Only Be Agreeing To Fixed Price Consulting
October 14, 2011
Here’s a short 2 minute video that hits the nail on the head with respect to the concept of hourly vs fixed price billing.
At Schulz Consulting we’ve converted all of our work over to fixed price with a money back guarantee. We no longer track hours or provide silly quotes like “our time will be between x and y but if it is less you pay less”.
The major reasons we don’t bill hourly:
- An experienced professional should know what the work is going to cost
- An experienced professional will take the time up front to understand the desired outcome
- An experienced professional will back their work with a money back guarantee
- Quoting a fixed price requires us to work with you to fully understand and document the work to be performed
- No surprise bill(s) showing extra hours
- If a consultant quotes “it will be between 10 and 20 hours” – guess which number the consultant is thinking (Hint: 20+) and which number you’re thinking (Hint: 10 or less).
- Any consultant who doesn’t understand the work can quote you an hourly rate which essentially “learns on your dime”
Altec doc-link webinars for MAS 90/200
October 13, 2011
If you’re looking to take your use of paperless processing in Sage ERP MAS 90 or 200 to the next level…
Join us to learn how doc-link electronically captures, workflows, routes and archives business documents and reports to reduce handling costs and improve communication. Combining best practices, state-of-the-art technology, and sound implementation methods into an affordable package makes doc-link the document management choice among financial accounting software users. Our webinar and demo will focus on streamlined business processes along with corresponding return on investment with a focus on integrated document management.
Tuesday, 11/8/11 at 10am PT / 1pm ET – register
Wednesday, 11/9/11 at 10am PT /1pm ET – register
The included Paperless Office features of Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200 are fantastic at reducing paper. For the majority of businesses the included capabilities of Sage’s Paperless Office are all they’ll ever need.
If your company needs:
- To allow non-MAS90 users access to paperless source documents
- Indexing of source documents
- Approval workflow of paperless documents
Then doc-link is one solution that you should consider. Tightly integrated with Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200 this product is widely used by businesses needing to take their paperless processing to the next level.
Sage Altec doc-link Armed and Paperless Whitepaper
TIP: Anyone Using Sage Extended Solutions Should Request Updates
October 11, 2011
Remember that Sage will shortly STOP sending out updated Extended Solution bundles. This will be problematic for ANY customers still using ES on versions prior to 4.4 who also need to add another add-on that requires an updated ES version.
We ran into this with DSD’s IMFX utility which was certified for the latest 4.3 SU and the customer was on SU 14 with two legacy ES.
We also ran into this during payroll year end when Sage pushed out mandatory payroll updates (at least mandatory for any customer who wanted to compute the proper CT withholding) and it required a specific SU level to install. In those cases we were forced to quickly go to Sage and get an updated SU.
TIP: Any customer using Extended Solutions, not on 4.4 and not planning to move to the latest version of MAS soon – should ask Sage for the latest upgrade to their Extended Solutions. Sage is indicating that they will soon “remove the program” that generates these updates and the bundles will not be available.
View a Free Sage ERP Demo – Recorded or Live
October 10, 2011
Interested in viewing a free demo of Sage ERP MAS 90 or 200 – without having to schedule a convenient time for several people to meet in your conference room? You’re in luck!
Sage has a site where they list both live and recorded versions of their most popular Sage ERP MAS 90 and MAS20o demonstrations.
Presently they have listed:
LIVE Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200DEMOS
- Paperless Payroll with Sage Payroll Paycard
- What’s New In Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200 Version 4.5 (October 20, 2011)
- Maximizing ROI on Your ERP Investment with doc-link Document Imaging and Workflow Solutions
RECORDED Sage ERP MAS90 and 200 DEMOS
- Sage TimeSheet
- BI in 2010 – Abolishing Technology Hindrances (Parts 1 and 2)
- Business Alerts Professional for Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200
Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200 Customer Newsletter
October 10, 2011
Did you know that Sage publishes a semi-regular email newsletter for Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200 customers? You can read this from within your MAS 90 or MAS 200 launcher – or if you prefer you can follow the link below to view the newsletter online.
It appears that the newsletter for September/October 2011 has yet to be published however this August issue has a good overview of the features to be expected in Sage EPR MAS 90 and 200 v4.5 which was released to new customers on September 8, 2011 and will ship shortly to existing customers and partners.
Want to stay updated on all the latest MAS90 news? Subscribe to the Schulz Consulting email newsletter and every Tuesday we’ll send a summary of all the newest items on our web site. Click here to subscribe to the Schulz Consulting newsletter.
Sage July / August 2011 MAS 90 and 200 Customer Newsletter
Sage Softline South Africa Acquires Alchemex
October 10, 2011
Sage have announced that their South African division, Sage Softline, has acquired the tool behind the Sage MAS Intelligence product. The deal is apparently effective October 1, 2011 though few additional details were released and there’s presently no plans to issue a standalone press release.
Alchemex was selected about a year ago in North America to be Sage ERP MAS90 and MAS200′s replacement for Microsoft’s discontinued FRX financial report writer. In additional to drawing upon financial data Alchemex/Sage MAS Intelligence has the capability of reading other data tables such as customer and vendor lists and preparing reports based on that information.
Sage MAS Intelligence via The ERP Lifestyle Consultant
Upgrade your iPhone To iOS 5 Without Waiting Until Wednesday 10/12
October 10, 2011
Impatient to load the latest Apple iOS 5 to your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch? Lifehacker has instructions and download links to let you grab an early copy (this should be the final version) and apply it to your device.
You’ll need a copy of iTunes 10.5 beta 7 or higher (links on the Lifehacker post) and the following versions are available:
iPhone 4 (GSM)
iPhone 4 (CDMA)
iPhone 3GS
iPad 2 (Wi-Fi)
iPad 2 (Wi-Fi + 3G GSM)
iPad 2 (Wi-Fi + 3G CDMA)
iPad 1 (All)
iPod Touch (3G)
iPod Touch (4G)
Head to Lifehacker to download the latest version
. As with all pre-release software – backup first and upgrade only at your own risk.
How To Default MAS90 Customized Report Setting Reports To Todays Date
October 4, 2011
Here’s a really useful fix that we made today for a customer.
We had modified an existing Aged Invoice report for a customer on v4.3. Saved it as report setting “CUSTOM”.
They noticed that while their “STANDARD” report would automatically default to today’s date — the CUSTOM one that we created and saved under the new CUSTOM name would not.
Turns out this was discussed on the forums about two years ago. It’s a WAD — unless you use this undocumented trick.
You saved a set of alternate Report Settings for the A/R Aged Invoice Report under some name other than STANDARD.
This unfortunately included the Aging Date report option, so now it always wants to age the invoices as of that same date every time, and this is annoying.
You want it to default the Aging Date the same way that it does with the STANDARD Report Settings.
This works for me:
Open SY_ReportOption table in DFDM.
Find the record for the AR_AGEDINVOICEREPORT_UI in your company that has the name of your Report Settings on it.
Edit the OptionsString$. Add ;
Done.
If you browse over to the record for the STANDARD Report Settings, you’ll see that it already has this interesting little bit on the end of its OptionsString$ too. It’s the magic signal that tells the report code to go default some things (like date options) in a smart way instead of just reading them out of this file. The details of exactly what this little token means will vary from report to report.
via: http://community.sagemas.com/t5/Personalization-Customization/A-R-Aging-Date-after-creating-customized-Aging-Report/m-p/6165
Sage ERP MAS90 Cloud Hosting For 5+ User Sites
October 4, 2011
Sage have just rolled out their MAS 90 Online product. It’s generally a great entry level solution for companies that are in the 1 to 5 user range who don’t need access to all the features of MAS90.
Over this number of users you may have a need for some of the features of MAS90 that Sage’s online hosting does not initially provide.
Some examples of things presently unavailable in Sage’s online offering which can be provided by other hosts:
- Non-Framework (ie – Payroll, Manufacturing) modules are not initially available under the Sage hosted MAS90
- Ability to create Crystal Reports on the hosted system
- Ability to use SageCRM
- Ability to use Visual Integrator
- Ability to use Custom Office
- Ability to use Job Cost
- Ability to email out of MAS90 for Paperless Office
For this type of hosting you can use a third party host such as I-Business Network. They’ve been hosting MAS90 for years and can setup your solution so that the MAS90 icon on a remote desktop appears to function almost identically to a locally installed copy of MAS90.
Gary Feldman is the contact there – you can view more information at MyOnlineMAS or email Gary. Watch Gary provide a tour of the data center below (captured during Sage Summit 2011)
Sage ERP MAS90 Electronic Filing – 20% Through 10/26/11
October 4, 2011
Are your payroll tax filings taking more and more time each month? If so you should consider using the e-Filing that’s built into every supported version of Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200.
Electronic filing is not going away. In fact, it is the future for virtually all business activity. State and federal agencies are being legislatively and budgetary driven to take advantage of the efficiencies and cost savings eFiling affords them. Take great care in choosing a solution that meets all your needs and has the ability to grow and meet your future needs.
Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200 offers unlimited eFiling though Federal and State eFiling and Reporting and you can also purchase an unlimited eFile Package. Through October 26, 2011 save 20% on Sage’s unlimited eFiling program.
The package includes UNLIMITED eFiling for Federal and State Unemployment, New Hire, Wage Withholding,
and all associated payments. NOTE: Additional fee is charged for annual W-2 and 1099 eFilings.
With Sage Aatrix e-Filing you can electronically complete and file these federal forms:
- 941
- 940
- New Hire
- 941 Payments
- 940 Payments
For the states (all 50 are supported)
- State wage withholding
- State withholding payments
- SUI reports
- SUI payments
- State new hire reports
Click here for a complete listing of the 250+ forms that Sage eFiling for MAS90 and MAS200 supports.
Sage Unlimited eFiling via Sean Leonard
Sage ERP MAS90 Online Price List PDF October 2011
October 4, 2011
Sage has released a summary of pricing for their online version of Sage ERP MAS90. This product is functionally equivalent to the core MAS90 with certain limitations (no Crystal designer on the remote, no Visual Integrator or Custom Office, only Framework modules).
Sage ERP MAS 90 Online Price List
http://www.s-consult.com/2011/09/11/mas90-online-pre-release-information-pricing/
Beware The New IRS PDF Malware That’s Going Around
September 30, 2011
I awoke this morning from a notice claiming to be from IRS.GOV notifying me that my latest federal tax deposit had been rejected.
Nice try.
My Google Mail clipped the email and threw it into the SPAM bucket – even flagging it for me as a fraud. Since not everyone has a reliable email filter – I figured it would be worth a minute to point out that the new malware trick that’s going around uses what appear to be PDF files but in reality are programs which when clicked insert rogue software to your computer.
If you receive odd emails asking you to click a pdf file – think twice before doing so. It might just be a virus or trojan looking to hop onto your computer.
BizNet Excel Reporting for Sage ERP MAS90 and 200 – October 26, 2011 1pm EDT
September 29, 2011
DSD Business Systems presents a free demonstration of BizNet Excel Business Information Suite for Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200. Struggling with finding a suitable replacement for FRx? Why not use what every company already utilizes today – EXCEL!
- 100% Excel
- Fills Top 10 FRx Feature Gaps
- Real Time Reporting & Business Intelligence
- Drill to transaction detail
- Drag and Drop Report Creation
- Pre-built Connections, Content & Analysis
- Utilize Single Excel Template for Multiple Report Distribution
- Fully Deployed in Less Than a Day
- No additional Hardware
Date: October 26, 2011 10:00 am PDT / 1pm EDT
Register: Free Business Reporting with BizNet for Sage ERP MAS 90/200/500 or View Recorded BizNet Overview
MAS90 Automatic Bank Reconciliation – Two Thumbs Up
September 29, 2011
Just back from a client today. Went through the automatic bank reconciliation with them. I’d never set one up before (this functionality is new in 4.4 and imports a list of checks from the bank into your BR and clears them and provides a list of exceptions – wrong $ or checks that cleared bank not on BR).
I highly recommend you go through all your customers who use BR and help set this up.
I had not done this previously — took maybe 10 minutes and all you need to provide is a CSV with:
Bank Acct# (it will clear against multiple cash files)
Check No
Amount
I found the Amount has to be positive or it balked (though I didn’t search to see fi there was a config I missed).
Recommended
How To Find and Fix Bad Dates in MAS90 and MAS200 Data Tables
September 28, 2011
A user has just asked our 90 Minds group whether there’s an easy way to detect a bad date that is within a set of their MAS90 version 4.4 data.
This can be a very tricky issue to resolve mostly because finding the exact bad record is hampered by the fact that MAS90 or MAS200 will error out each time you run a report – or try to design a report to print the bad record(s).
That is — unless you know the secret setting that will allow the bad date(s) to print via a Crystal report.
If you’re wrestling with a bad date somewhere in your MAS90 or MAS200 files – here’s the solution that I’ve used before to quickly print out the data and find the bad date record:
Go into your SOTAMAS90 ODBC source. Check off “NULL Date”. Create a report in Crystal that draws from the file with the bad date. The bad date will no longer stop the report from processing. Sort by the date field. The bad dates will sort to the top (or end).
Now go into Sage ERP MAS 90 or MAS 200 (usually through Data File Display and Maintenance) and fix the bad record(s).
Note: Always backup prior to making any changes to your data through Data File Display and Maintenance. We are not responsible for damage done to your data.
Sage ERP MAS 500 Roadmap
September 27, 2011
The Sage ERP MAS 500 roadmap is out reflecting planned upgrades for 2011 through 2014. Watch for lots of manufacturing improvements in 2011. The Sage Exchange credit card interface is slated for integration in late 2012 before the road map goes silent until 2014 when Sales Order usability improvements and Sage Advisor are added.
Download the PDF roadmap here.
How We Solve MAS90 Problems By Collaborating With Other Sage Partners
September 27, 2011
Yesterday we ran across a unique problem while designing a Crystal Report for a customer.
The issues was that the traditional linking of two tables:
IM_13 and SO_ShipToAddress
Ordinarily this is a pretty easy link to make. We could have done it in three (left outer joins) and been done. Except there’s apparently an issue with one field — the most important one to our customer — not linking easily between the two files.
After spending two hours looking at the issue we decided to post this to our 90 Minds consulting group.
Many of you have heard me talk about the 90 Minds Group.
We are a simple group of vars (most with companies under 5 people in size) who met at Sage’s partner conference over the years. We’ve kept in touch and have formalized our group around providing each other with support. As of last month we were sharing over 1,000 messages.
On daily basis members login and share information online. This is pretty evenly broken down into:
Second opinions (such as our problem with Crystal0
- Urgent calls for technical assistance from group members who are on site with a customer
- Chit-chat about the industry
- Marketing initiatives (we’re presently focused on delivering reporting and scripting classes to our members).
We have 27 members (and growing) across North America. Our members include experts in Crystal Reports, Pivot Tables, Scripting (we have four experts), SageCRM, and Sage support (we were lucky to convince the smartest former Sage support tech to join our group).
I am a big believer that increasingly no single business partner of any size can know every aspect of their product.
What is of most value in today’s marketplace is:
- Being as much of an expert in your product as possible
- Knowing when to ask an expert if an issue is not in your field of expertise
- Having a well defined field of experts who you regularly share this type of information (this is where 90% of the consultants fail – because they wait until the last minute to cultivate these relationships and then wonder why nobody helps them to solve difficult problems).
Here’s an example below of the power of 90 Minds and how it helps us to deliver better support.
Notice the time that the question was posed. This happened at 3:08pm. The issue was largely resolved by 3:18 and specific code provided at 3:40.
The power of collaboration.
How To Change Inventory Standard Cost in MAS90 or MAS200 4.4+
September 26, 2011
If you’ve been using Sage ERP MAS 90 or MAS 200 Inventory since prior to release 4.4 then you may know (or should know) about a release enhancement that impacts anyone making changes to the standard cost of an Inventory item.
In prior releases (v4.3 and earlier) this standard cost field on the Inventory Maintenance field was modifiable. You could change it at will (whether that is the right way to make the change for accounting purposes is between you and your accountant).
With the release of 4.4 Sage changed (corrected?) this feature.
Now instead of seeing a field for standard cost which you can edit at will – you must follow a specific posting procedure to change the cost.
This procedure has always been there – Sage is just now forcing you to use a more formal method for making the change.
Here’s the description of how Sage would allow you to make a standard cost change prior to 4.4:
For Standard Cost items, although the standard cost can be manually changed within Inventory Maintenance, this change will not update the inventory value in General Ledger. Using an adjustment to bring the total quantity (for all warehouses) to 0 at the current (incorrect) standard cost will bring the total quantity and total value in inventory to 0. At that time, you can manually change the standard cost within the Inventory Masterfile and adjust the total quantity back in at the new standard cost. This transaction will update General Ledger with the new inventory value.
The Automatic Cost/Price Change utility can also be used to update the standard cost for ranges of items. This utility does not update the general ledger. A Journal Entry will need to be made for the difference in inventory value. The Inventory Valuation Report should be printed before and after the change and then used to make adjustments in General Ledger.
If the item has a bill of material, the ‘Cost Roll up Register’ can also be used to change the Standard cost.
Here’s Sage’s knowledgebase entry on the issue that exists with 4.4+:
Unable to change the standard cost field. The standard cost is grayed out in Inventory Maintenance
Along with their recommended workaround of using Standard Cost Adjustment Entry:
How to enter Standard Cost Adjustments for an inventory item
What you should know is that making this standard cost adjustment will require exclusive access to your MAS 90 or MAS 200 inventory. This means people working within integrated modules (think Sales Order, Purchase Order, Inventory, etc) will need to exit the software for the period of time when the update is running. This can be a potential issue for any company where cost adjustments were entered manually several times per day. Be sure you consider this impact on your workflow during your MAS90 or MAS200 upgrade to version 4.4 planning.
How To Use eFax, Faxaway, MaxEmail and Protus with MAS90 or MAS200 Paperless Office v4.4+
September 26, 2011
If your company uses faxing with MAS90 Paperless Office you may know that starting with version 4.3 the features of Paperless Faxing were significantly changed. Prior to v4.30 you could use any number of Internet based faxing services such as:
- eFax
- Faxaway
- MaxEmail
- Protus
Beginning with MAS90 and MAS200 4.3 your choices were narrowed to any service you like – so long as it was Microsoft Faxing service.
This required (starting with 4.3) users to setup a fax device/modem for use with Microsoft fax. Some users found this cumbersome where their prior method of using Internet faxing was seamless.
While you still can use an Internet based service (simply substituted an email address as directed by the various fax providers) you may find that it’s less convenient for those customers who receive documents both by fax and email.
The quickest solution may be Sage’s old Extended Solution – LM-1033 which they sold until recently and which enabled a more seamless integration with the above Internet fax services.
Sage no longer sells the enhancement directly however you can order the enhancement (presently showing as available at version 4.4 product update 2) directly from DSD Business Systems.
The cost is $ 1, 060 (this includes first year maintenance) and the annual recurring maintenance is $265
eFax, Faxaway, MaxEmail, Protus integration with MAS90 and MAS200 Paperless Office 4.4+
Sage ERP MAS 500 Will Work with Windows 8
September 19, 2011
Good news from Sage. They’ve verified that Sage ERP MAS 500 will run on the next release of Microsoft Windows 8. Early reports from the Microsoft BUILD conference had indicated as much. Sage ERP MAS 500 Product Manager Linda Cade notes:
Further, our own Wei Li was in attendance and received a Windows 8 tablet. He installed both the Windows 8 desktop and the Windows 8 server and confirmed that Sage ERP MAS 500 Version 7.4 and the development version 7.5 run perfectly in the new operating system. This is wonderful news!
Read the full post at Sage ERP MAS 500 Partner Link
How to install or upgrade Sage ERP MAS90 or MAS200 4.5
September 19, 2011
Have you just received your download link or DVD of Sage ERP MAS 90 or 200 v4.50? If so you probably have questions about exactly how to install this latest release.
First, let me recommend that if you’ve never installed the upgrades for Sage ERP MAS 90 or 200 that you contact your Sage business partner. There are multiple things that they will review with you – including reviewing your system to see if you have any custom enhancements that require upgrading BEFORE installing the upgrade.
TIP: Remember that if you have third party integrated solutions such as Starship, PC Charge, F9, FRX, AccuPos, Avalara, INSynch, etc — you must consider whether those integrations also require an upgrade at the same time you are upgrading your core Sage ERP MAS 90 or 200.
If you’re still determined to upgrade your system without the help of a consultant – here are some quick tips:
- Do the upgrade first as a test. This avoids the possibility that you’ve overlooked something and need to restore your data from a backup (while your company’s users sit tapping their fingers wonder when the system will be up).
- Make a backup. Even if you think you have a great backup – take a copy of all your relevant MAS90 folders and copy them to a separate location somewhere. You can never have enough backups.
- Engage users in testing the system before allowing everyone back in. Usually you have three or four power users who are experts at checking to be sure their accounting system is functioning exactly as it was before – harness their willingness to help!
Here’s some technical information from Sage which will assist you in the technical install process:
NOTE: These are all PDF guides. Clicking the links will download them (or open for viewing) depending on your use of the Adobe PDF viewer.
Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200 Installation Guide (PDF)
Sage ERP MAS90 Hardware and OS Configuration Requirements – v4.50
Sage ERP MAS200 Hardware and OS Configuration Requirements – v4.50
Sage ERP MAS200 SQL Hardware and OS Configuration Requirements – v4.50
What’s New In Sage ERP MAS 90, MAS200 Version 4.50?
September 19, 2011
Sage is now shipping their latest upgrade to Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200. This latest version 4.5 includes enhancements to payroll, sales commission processing, job costing, SageCRM and more.
The new release started shipping September 8, 2011 to new customers. Sage have begun sending out announcements and encouraging existing users to update their records in anticipation of an October 2011 release to their existing users.
Here’s a look at a summary of new features included in Sage ERP MAS 90 , MAS 200 and MAS 200 SQL.
Sage ERP 200 WhatsNew 45 Brochure
Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200 Roadmap – September 2011
September 15, 2011
Sage have just issued their September 2011 roadmap for Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200.
News of note in the roadmap:
- Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200 serves over 45,000 customers
- Deployment options for on-premises or on-demand (MAS90 cloud)
- Roadmap Summary of Key Dates
Q4 2011
- SageCRM 7.1 Free Single License
- Existing MAS users can migrate automatically to SQL
- Additional 14 Extended Solution titles added
Q4 2011
- MAS90 Online
- Reporting trees for SMI
- Report distribution for SMI
- Performance gains
- FRX conversion assistance tool
- SageCRM 7.1 – with eMarketing
- SageCRM MS Exchange integration
- SageCRM iPhone App
- SageCRM Twitter integration
Versioni 5.0 of Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200 is due on or about Q4 2012. Look for more web integration, automatic updates of new versions. Version 5.1 will follow around Q4 2013 with mobile apps, Sage Payroll, Sage Portal and Sage Advisor.
View the full roadmap below:
Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200 Roadmap September
On a Windows 7 workstation, MAS 200 clients do not show the icon pictures on the toolbar. Why would this be and how to fix?
September 14, 2011
Two people in my 90 Minds Consulting Group have run across similar tricky issues wehre the icons on the Sage ERP MAS 200 taskbar disappear. Turns out there’s an easy solution related to font sizes that my friend Jim Woodhead at DSD documented on his site. Here’s the fix.
MAS90 Online: Pre-Release Information, Pricing
September 11, 2011
Last week Sage sent around a pre-release guide to their upcoming MAS90 Online offering. Expect this to become available in October 2011 and MAS90 Online to be a competitively hosted version of MAS 90 aimed at companies in the 1 to 5 user range.
MAS90 Online modules will include:
Accounts Payable
Accounts Receivable
Bank Reconciliation
Bill of Materials
Business Insights Dashboard
Business Insights Explorer
Electronic Reporting
General Ledger
Inventory Management
Library Master
Paperless Office*
Purchase Order
Return Merchandise Authorization
Sage ERP MAS Intelligence*
Sales Order
Important Notes:
1. Upgrades have to be done by the partner and by downloading the data and then uploading the newly updated/converted data. This means Sage doesn’t upgrade the customer automatically — and the customer still had the expense of having a partner (or themselves) doing the upgrade. This sort of baffles me but I guess at least the hosting saves some complexity.
2. Crystal Reports have to all be designed offline (I think this may have more to do with licensing)
3. No credit card processing
4. No SageCRM integration
5. Phone support is additional/optional (maintenance is mandatory ).
6. Business Insights Dashboard and Business Insights Explorer will be available within the Sage ERP MAS 90 Online service.
Sage ERP MAS Intelligence (SMI) is under evaluation for compatibility at this time.
7. The following Modules and Functionality are NOT Available:
• Bar Code
• Batch Faxing
• Credit Card Processing
• Custom Office
• eBusiness Manager
• eBusiness Web Services
• FAS Integration
• Federal and State eFiling and Reporting
• Job Cost
• Payroll
• Sales Tax powered by AvaTax
• SageCRM
• Timecard
• Visual Integrator
• Work Order
8. No outbound email server for Paperless Office
9. No third party integrations
10.
MAS90 Online Pricing
Sage ERP MAS 90 Online pricing will offer customers a suite of business management software applications hosted by Sage, accessed over the Internet, for a monthly subscription fee. A minimum requirement of one full concurrent Sage ERP MAS 90
Online user license for one year is required to access the software, with optional add-on user licenses and services available for additional fees. Included in the monthly subscription fees are: the secure backup service, up to five Sage ERP MAS 90 Online companies, one gigabyte of personal storage, and one free named user license of both Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel. Discounts will be offered for multi-year contracts and pre-payments.
Sage ERP MAS 90 Online user licenses ($169*) are concurrent licenses and can be used by a pool of users.
In addition to Sage ERP MAS 90 Online user licenses, Sage also offers optional Remote Concurrent Access License (RCAL) for an additional monthly fee ($75*). RCAL licenses allow user access to Sage ERP MAS 90 Online system ─ but differ from Sage ERP MAS 90 user licenses, because they are named Citrix users.
Sage ERP MAS 90 and MAS 200 v4.50 Detailed Pre-Release Guide
September 6, 2011
Sage has just re-released their detailed guide to new features to be included in their version 4.50 release when it begins shipping on June 8, 2011.
Significant enhancements have been made to payroll , sales order, and Sage ERP MAS Intelligence financial reporting.
Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200 4 5 Pre-Release Guide 6-24-11
What’s New In Sage ERP MAS 90 and MAS 200 V4.5
September 6, 2011
Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200 4.5 is packed with compelling value, new features and
functionality, and even more flexibility. The enhancements in this exciting release
are inspired by you—our customers—mainly in Accounts Receivable, Payroll,
Purchase Order, and Sales Order. Customers upgrading to 4.5 will receive a FREE
fully functional SageCRM 7.1 user and server license, and one Sage ERP MAS
Intelligence Report Manager License. Intelligence now includes new Reporting Tree
capabilities and enhanced report distribution. 4.5 is so flexible, you can choose to
remain on your current system, or move to Sage ERP MAS 200 SQL*, running on a
Microsoft SQL Server database. Also incorporated in 4.5 are the 37 enhancements
provided through downloadable Product Updates since Sage ERP MAS 90 and
200 4.4 shipped last year, in Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Bank
Reconciliation, Inventory Management, Job Cost, Paperless Office, Payroll, Sales
Order, as well as additional system-wide features and functionality.
Whats New in Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200 4 5 Overview Brochure
Supported Platforms – Sage ERP MAS 90 and MAS 200 – September 2011
September 5, 2011
Users of Sage ERP MAS 90 and MAS 200 should consult the following supported platforms listing as issued by Sage prior to installing upgrades or purchasing new hardware or operating systems.
These are the only official platforms supported by Sage. If you attempt o run Sage ERP MAS90 or MAS200 on an unsupported platform – while it may work – you will not be able to obtain any official support to resolve any issues you encounter.
Supported Platform Matrices – MAS90 + MAS200 Version 4.50
Supported Platform Matrix for Sage MAS 90
Supported Platform Matrix for Sage MAS 200
Supported Platform Matrix for Sage MAS 200 for SQL Server
Supported Platform Matrices – Version 4.45
Supported Platform Matrix for Sage MAS 200
Supported Platform Matrices – Version 4.40
Supported Platform Matrix for Sage MAS 90
Supported Platform Matrix for Sage MAS 200
Supported Platform Matrices – Version 4.30 and earlier
Supported Platform Matrix for Sage MAS 90
Supported Platform Matrix for Sage MAS 200
Supported Platform Matrix for Sage MAS 200 for SQL Server
Important: From time to time Sage updates their supported platforms matrix. While every effort is made to provide current information we cannot guarantee that these are the most current documents from Sage or that there are not other considerations for your specific situation. You are advised to consult with your Sage Business Partner prior to making any purchasing decisions. In no case is Schulz Consulting responsible for any incorrect purchases of hardware or operating systems based on use of these Sage Supported Platform Matrices.
Paperless Office Setup with MAS90 v4.30 and Windows 7 – Tip
September 4, 2011
In most cases Sage ERP MAS90 and MAS200 workstation setup will properly setup your computer for use with the popular Paperless Office feature which allows printing reports and forms to PDF.
However some users have reported issues where installation to Windows 7 computers may be troublesome. They report either issues with the paperless drivers not installing or various registration related errors.
Often we find that logging in and running workstation setup as administrator solves the issue.
In some cases you may find that extra measures such as registry tweaks (as advised by Sage) are required. I just noticed on the Sage Community Forums that someone has come up with an easier way to attempt to resolve pesky Windows 7 Paperless Office issues.
This involves using the MAS version 4.4 install files for paperless – and installing them to your version 4.30 system.
First a warning. We’ve not yet tested this – so you’re on your own if something breaks or is damaged. Make a backup before attempting this solution.
Remember that in most cases you can install Paperless Office straight from the workstation setup — with no need for this workaround. You should only use the below tip if you’ve tried to install paperless, have researched the Sage KB for solutions – and still failed.
Paperless Office Setup – MAS90 4.3 Windows 7 – Workaround
UPDATE: Sage have issued an additional knowledgebase article which seems very comprehensive in the number of tips that it provides. If you are having trouble with Paperless Office hanging on Windows 7 or Windows 2008 please review this Sage KB Article.
How Is Unit Cost Computed For FIFO Items Within MAS90 Sales Order Invoice Entry?
August 31, 2011
Here is an interesting tidbit that I just learned (or maybe I knew it before but re-learned it).
The cost field in the MAS90 Sales Order Invoice data entry may not be the true cost so long as the invoice is unposted.
A Client was using FIFO costing for an item that they sold. Noticed that the data entry cost didn’t match with the gross profit journal cost. Turns out the way that the cost is assigned is MAS90 and MAS200 may use last cost within the invoice data entry cost field. (see this link for the Sage explanation)
When the transaction is posted the cost is assigned properly to the invoice history file.
This came about because the client wanted to provide a file of sMAS90 Sales Order invoice data entry transactions (including line item costs) to a third party. My thinking was just take MAS90 Sales Order Invoice Data Entry and do an export.
That worked — except the client noticed the cost per the export I had created did not match to the cost per the Cost Journal for FIFO (and possibly other) cost types.
Here’s the Sage KB that explains it better than I probably have.
MAS90 Online Early Adopters Wanted
August 30, 2011
Looking for Early Adopters for Sage ERP MAS 90 Online
Sage ERP MAS 90 Online is scheduled to launch in October 2011. Sage is currently looking for clients and partners to participate in an Early Adopter program. We are specifically looking for clients to go “live” in September to help Sage ensure the system is ready to go. Sage will cover the first two months of the Sage ERP MAS Online subscription fees for clients participating in the Early Adopter Program.
If you have a (prospective) client who would be interested in the Early Adopter program for Sage ERP MAS 90 Online please contact me at jamie.kandola@sage.com.
Note: As of now only new users are being accepted. In the future this program may open up to existing users of Sage ERP MAS90 or 200.
SageCRM Training Guides For Accpac, MAS90/200, ProcessPro/SagePro
August 27, 2011
The question of whether SageCRM training manuals were available for users and consultants just came up in my 90 Minds consulting group. Fortunately the answer to that question is yes as my friend Peter Wolf of Azamba Consulting just pointed out:
I do sell the classes in conduction with other Sage Partners. Pricing is available on my web site and I have a bundle of a two hour training session that is included with most course guides. This session allows for about 30-45 minutes of questions and answers. One of my Azamba SageCRM senior consultants conducts the training.
Here’s a sample of the guides:
More information: SageCRM Training Guides
MAS90 Users Off Maintenance? September 8, 2011 Could Be Your Last Day To Reinstated Inexpensively
August 27, 2011
My fellow 90 Minds collaborator Beth Bowers dropped this into the group a few days ago. I think it’s worth sharing.
I’ve not seen an official memo on this from Sage but the reinstatement folks are advising:
On September 8 (I believe the magic of that date is when 4.5 is slated to be available for new sales) those users on version 4.1 or earlier who are OFF SAGE MAINTENANCE will no longer have the option to reinstated for the price of the penalty.
Instead those users on 4.1 and earlier who are also off maintenance and wanting to come back on will have to re-purchase the package – which depending upon configuration – could be two or three times the reinstatement cost.
Sage ERP MAS 90 and MAS 200 Extended Solutions Advisory
August 26, 2011
If you’re using Extended Solutions Sage have stopped providing any updates for versions that might be needed in instances where you are forced to install a product/service update (example – payroll tax table update that also requires a service update).
This has been in effect since 4/30 though they make exceptions. I just had one granted today.
While I was on the phone with Sage they mentioned that these exceptions are going away – with no stated date on when that will occur.
If you’re still using Extended Solutions — especially if you are a payroll users — please be aware that some tax table updates or forms changes that are issued by Sage require that you install up to a certain service/product update level or the fixes won’t load.
I had a customer using a payroll enhancement and they had to install a service update in order to load the latest Connecticut tax tables. In the process the latest version 4.20 service update broke their PR-1068 Extended Solution. I had to call Sage to ask for an update.
Just a warning that in the not too distant future Sage will no longer be sending out these upgraded Extended Solutions even though you are still on a supported version of MAS90/MAS200.
Sage Branding North American Roadmap
August 24, 2011
I was of the impression that these items were under embargo however they seem to have appeared in public and most of the details being shown privately to select partners has been reposted on LinkedIn.
Here’s what we understand so far about the Sage re-branding.
On stage at the Sage Summit 2011 conference incoming CEO Pascal Houillon surprised the audience of Sage Business Partners with an announcement that most of the products in Sage’s North American portfolio would be rebranded with a numbering scheme similar to that used in Sage Europe.
What followed was apparent confusion for some in the Sage channel as evidenced by this very lengthy 130+ message LinkedIn message thread.
Sage have been meeting privately with select VARS to roll out their concept of re-branding and solicit private feedback. When asked if he’d be going on the road to do a general listening tour with the entire channel, EVP Marketing Dennis Frahmann paused before stating that Sage had no plans to gather general feedback from partners.
As conversation continued on LinkedIn around this re-branding efforts Sage seemed to move into position to participate in the conversation (too late in my opinion) and issued several general statements to clarify their branding.
According to Sage EVP of Corporate Marketing Dennis Frahmann, not all product names will be reduced to a numbering system as per this post he made on August 24, 2011:
The current straw case naming architecture that has been shared with a number of partners and advisory groups for comments proposes that the name of Sage ERP X3 be untouched. There are other products as well that would not get renamed. Our intent is to publish the complete naming architecture to our partner community later this fall.
Frahmann also followed up in a post here with further reasoning on why certain products might not be renamed:
Second, as noted in an earlier FAQ to partners, not every product is being renamed. Some programs and products, currently designed to support all of Sage, already have generic names that will remain the same or change only slightly. Other products, due to either specific business plans or limited intent to acquire new customers, will not change their names. Only a limited set of numbers will be used to create families of offerings; each renamed product will not have a distinct number.
Finally, while this is a North American-led initiative, we are working closely with our international colleagues. If a product is renamed, it will be renamed for all regions in which it is sold.
Sage will around the end of 2011 announce final plans for their new branding initiative. Implementation will follow at the start of 2012 with full branding rollout presently scheduled for the end of 2012.
Product names for some (but not all) products will go away. Instead of referring to product names you’ll refer to them as follows (tentative and preliminary examples – not complete):
Sage 50: Sage Simply, etc.
This will also roughly describe products used by companies with 50 or fewer employees and under $50 million of sales.
Sage 100: Sage ERP MAS 90, etc.
This will also roughly describe products used by companies with 100 or fewer employees and under $100 million of sales.
Sage 300: Sage ERP Accpac, etc.
This will include mid-market applications that also are distributed outside North America.
Sage 500: Sage ERP MAS 500
This will also roughly describe products used by companies with up to 500 employees and $500 million of sales.
It appears Sage ERP X3 will retain its name. As of right now there’s not much information on whether Peachtree will rebrand. Earlier reports has Sage stating that Sage Peachtree would be referred to as Sage 50. Also later in the year watch for a new SaaS offering which Sage CEO Houillon briefly announced from the podium. While details were not announced it’s likely that Sage will leverage some of their overseas product technology for this.
Sage MAS Intelligence (SMI) Free Web Demonstration Schedule
August 22, 2011
As you know the FRX Financial Reporting tool included with Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200 General Ledger is no longer supported by the software publisher (Microsoft).
Sage have issued prior notices on this which you can review here.
FRX remains compatible with prior versions of Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200. Sage have also indicated it will be compatible with the next version 4.5 slated for release 9/8/11 – though the only assistance Sage can provide is with integration to Sage ERP MAS 90 and MAS 200. All bug fixes and patches have ceased to be readily available for the FRX program.
For new custom financial reporting projects involving more than a few hours of efforts you may wish to evaluate which reporting tool you should use to create new reports.
Moving forward users of FRX will eventually need to migrate to another reporting solution. Sage have provided Sage MAS Intelligence (SMI) as their recommended solution.
SMI is Microsoft Excel based and draws data not only from your financial data but also data from other MAS 90 + MAS 200 data files such as Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, etc.
Sage published this PDF which provides many tips and online links showing how to get started with SMI. Those of you with immediate reporting needs may find it helpful to review the information which goes into greater depth on available resources.
On Wednesday August 24, 2011 Sage will sponsor a free one hour look (30 minute demo and 30 minute question and answer) at creating financial statements using SMI Report Designer. The session starts at 1pm PDT or 4pm EDT. You can sign up here to attend this overview or review the schedule of future SMI web seminars.
Sage’s MAS90 and MAS200 Support Fee Structure – August 2011 Edition
August 17, 2011
I’ve had a few inquiries from users of MAS90 and MAS200 about the fee structure for Sage’s maintenance.
Sage offers three levels of maintenance for MAS90 and MAS200:
Bronze – no phone support , product updates only (required entry level plan to get upgrades or buy new modules or licenses)
Silver – 5 calls to Sage per year
Gold – Unlimited calls to Sage per year
More detail on the exact Sage plan benefits :
Pricing is as follows:
Sage is automatically invoicing any MAS90/200 customer who was on Silver last year as Gold this year.
Any customer who was on silver last year is automatically invoiced for Gold.
The reason for this is because with Silver this year, you don’t get unlimited support. Silver this year only gets you 5 cases. The pricing structure has also been modified.
There is no longer a flat fee of 1500(silver) or 2400(gold) for support.
It is now based on a percentage of SLP.
For instance: if a customer has a 10,000 dollar SLP, their maintenance/support would be calculated as follows:
Bronze: 18% or $1800
Silver: 20% or $2000
Gold: 25% or $2500
For more information please contact wayne@s-consult.com
Various MAS90 and MAS200 ALE lookups that filter by customer number are blank or do not filter correctly (FIXED).
August 17, 2011
Several users have reported in MAS90 or MAS200 version 4.4.x.x that the customizable lookups sometimes were returning blank records. One example was when a customer lookup was done in sales order INVOICE data entry that the SHIP-TO code lookup was returning blank data.
Some consultants were able to fix this by running the ALE rebuild utilities. Others found that the utility did not resolve the open issue. At first Sage reportedly promised a fix for Product Update 7. Now it seems cooler heads have prevailed and Sage published an independent hot fix last night on their web site.
Download (Version 4.4.0.6)
Sage Summit Pascal Houillon Keynote, Branding Announcement, Panel Discussion
August 4, 2011
Sage have just posted the keynote address from their Sage Summit 2011 conference that was held in July 2011. Interesting topics covered include significant branding changes for Sage North America.
Following the keynote is a Q&A session with Sage Executives.
How’s The Accuracy Of The New MAS90 – MAS200 CT Payroll Tax Tables?
August 2, 2011
I have completed about half a dozen MAS90 payroll upgrades for clients with Connecticut employees.
So far I’ve received feedback that the computations need to be manually reviewed and in some cases adjusted (be sure to read the instruction sheet that I left because Sage indicates that with the update you may not longer simply add an additional amount to CT withholding but instead should force the ENTIRE computed CT withholding).
If you need this, here is a link to the tax table update as well as the important instructions on configuring CT tax withholding.
http://infosource.sagesoftwareonline.com/sw_attach/sso/mas90/90ttu.htm
Please let me know how you are finding the computation of CT tax and if you’re encountering any issues.
MAS90 Payroll Fix: Texas Form C-3 line13 displays taxable wages instead of gross wages when using State eFiling and Reporting
July 31, 2011
Users of the Sage ERP MAS 90 and MAS 200 State eFiling and Reporting capabilities may note that on version 4.4 and product update 5 and 6 or version 4.3 and product update 22 and 23 that Texas Form C-3 line13 displays taxable wages instead of gross wages when using State eFiling and Reporting,
Sage has a fix for this which you can download here.
How To Beta Test MAS90 or MAS200?
July 29, 2011
Sage is slated to begin beta testing of version 4.50 of Sage ERP MAS90 and MAS200 on August 1, 2011. This will follow with an early adopter test run that’s scheduled for August 22, 2011 through October 31, 2011.
The early adopter program provides Sage Customers with an opportunity to be the first on the block to try the new features offered in MAS90 and MAS200 version 4.5 (see list here).
Once approved by Sage you’ll be slotted into the program and provided advanced support, higher priority on program fixes and more hand holding and frequent check ins.
If you’re interested in participating you can sign up at the Sage site. Among the requirements are:
- Use the beta product (for testing)
- Have the required hardware/software (Sage will supply this document)
- Install the beta (see #1 above)
- Test according to the beta questionnaire
- Provide timely feedback
- Participate in regular webcasts to talk about the beta
- Complete an exit survey
- Provide recorded and/or written testimonials
For more info – Sage MAS90 Beta Signup
MAS90 Update To Compute Connecticut Payroll Taxes (August 1, 2011 Changes)
July 22, 2011
As of August 1, 2011 Connecticut has new tax withholding rules which require some modification to the standard MAS0/MAS200 payroll module.
The new CT withholding rules can be reviewed here on the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services site. Be sure you consult your tax advisor on the best way to apply these rules. As a reminder Schulz Consulting does not provide tax or accounting advisory services. We recommend you consult your tax advisor with specific questions on the new tax rules. This update is not meant as a substitute for such discussions.
Because these Connecticut withholding tax changes required new computation steps in the MAS90 and MAS 200 payroll – Sage released an updated tax calculation program for those users on Sage ERP MAS 90 or 200 v4.2.0.26+, 4.3.0.17+, 4.4.0.0+.
IMPORTANT: Please be sure to read the instructions for the respective update. There may be several steps including some manual computations due to the complexity of the new Connecticut rules.
At a minimum you will need to:
A. Install the modified tax calculation program for your version of MAS 90 or MAS 200
B. Install the Payroll Tax Table Update
C. Assign the appropriate new employee filing status for each employee that earned Connecticut income in 2011 prior to August 1 (see the instructions for the modified tax calculation program).
We recommend you manually verify the computed payroll taxes for at least the first payroll run which includes the new CT updates. You are responsible for verifying the accuracy of tax information withheld and compliance with regulations – not Sage. Compare the withheld amounts against what the tables provided by CT indicate should be withheld.
You can access the tax calculation updates and view more information at the following link.
Here’s a quick review of the steps you’ll need to complete for version 4.4.0.1 to 4.4.0.6
Download the latest tax calculation updates
Sage CT Tax Withholding Instructions
Credit Card Swiping Slated To Arrive for MAS90 and MAS200 with Sage Exchange
July 18, 2011
One of the most requested credit card processing enhancements has been the use of swipers for reading encoded data from from credit cards.
As you probably know the fee credit card processors charge for a card which has been swiped is less than one which has been manually keyed in. The reasoning behind this being that a swiped card has a higher level of security and thus less likelihood for fraud.
Credit card swiping integration is scheduled to arrive late 2012 with the use of Sage Exchange as the credit card processing solution. Sage Exchange is a cloud based integration which off-loads the processing of credit card transactions from software by linking in the authorization remotely.
In addition expect integrations between portable credit card swipers used on smartphones such as iPhone, Android or Blackberry.
Sage Exchange is the integration platform for credit card processing being used by all of Sage’s North America products. The product will completely replace PC Charge as well as the Sage credit card processing module. Instead all card data will be uploaded to Sage Exchange where it will be securely stored. Transactions will be processed between the MAS90 software and Sage Exhange – which removes the need to continually certify Sage upgrades as PCI compliant.
Sage Summit 2011 Day One Wrapup
July 12, 2011
This week I am attending the Sage Summit 2011 conference in Washington DC (July 10-15, 2011). For the first time both partners and customers will attend (expected attendance is about 4,300 combined) to learn and listen to Sage unveil their product and marketing plans for the coming year.
Day one is over and each morning I get together with a group of friends to walk for about an hour and talk over the events of the previous day.
This thirteen minute recording is a (sometimes disjointed) live summary of our thoughts after this first day.
Expect MAS90 Online In Q4 2011 (Sage Summit 2011)
July 12, 2011
I went to the Sage Summit 2011 (the annual conference Sage hosts for business partners and customers) session yesterday on Sage MAS90 Online. Looks like it’s going to be a pretty good offering for a few reasons.
MAS90 Online is essentially Sage ERP MAS90 hosted in a data center in Atlanta and accessed through a Citrix remote connection.
The experience interacting with MAS90Online is essentially exactly the same as what you’d experience on a local desktop. The main difference is that there are some modules not yet available (payroll for one) and some restritions (no Crystal Reports creation/modification, no customizations, no custom office, no outbound email).
Note: Some of these details are subject to change
1. Pricing – they are still working on the pricing but here’s what I was able to jot down from the back of the room (I’ll update these if I get better information or a more complete pricing list).
All prices are per user per month
MAS90 169/user (concurrent)
UPDATE – The pricing below are for options. RCAL are named user licenses for Citrix which are only needed if more Citrix users are going to log in than the concurrent MAS user licenses you’ve purchased (the MAS $169/mo includes one RCAL).
RCAL 75 (named)
Bus care 20/user
3 databases include (companies)
$150 per database over 3
Up to 1 gb file (not MAS files) – personal files
No Sage MAS Intelligence yet
smi viewer $30
smi connector $50
Min 1 year
Monthly
3 year – get 10%
5% discount if prepaid
No minimum user count
2. Accounts provisioned typically within 2 hours
Presently the list of modules supported is basically those on framework. That means no payroll, MFG. Sage is still looking at that and I don’t think there’s a technical issue with offing non-framework modules but I’m not 100% sure (the room was packed yesterday and it was tough to ask questions).
For licensing reasons you won’t be able to do Crystal reports on this remote setup. The reports however can be done off-line and uploaded.
The database initially is Providex.
Due date – Q4 2011 with October 2011 repeatedly being mentioned.
The demo in class used the present Accpaconline site as an example of what the sign-up process for MAS90Online would be.
http://www.accpaconline.com/
Note – what we see as unique about this pricing model is there’s no minimum user count required to purchase. Other online accounting systems require not only a minimum user count but often that the full fee be prepaid in advance (they turn it into a monthly payment by financing it).
We’ll add more information as it’s available.
MAS90 Product Update 6 Due 6/29/11
June 28, 2011
Sage have just posted an update about the expected timing of the next Product Update for Sage ERP MAS 90 and MAS 200.
According to the Sage support site you will be able to download Product Update 6 on June 29, 2011.
Among the planned enhancements are the addition of 7 Extended Solutions and some fine tuning of printers so that each printer preferences is now saved by workstation.
Sage ERP MAS90 and 200 Product Update 6
Sage Summit Blog Now Live
June 23, 2011
Schulz Consulting has been asked to work with a group of other sites that blog actively about Sage Software and related Sage products.
We’ll be writing about the upcoming Sage Software partner and customer conference – Sage Summit. This conference is being held July 10 to 15 in Washington DC (official site) .
Our blog – summitdiary – is now live and you can read up on the latest conference news starting now and extending until the end of Summit 2011.
Are You An Exhibitor At Summit 2011? Having An Event You Would Like To Publicize?
Use The Form Below
Stop Tedious Business Card Data Entry – Use QR Codes Instead
June 22, 2011
Does this sound familiar?
You rush around at conferences collecting business cards from exhibitors and your peers. In the back of your mind you promise that just as soon as you get back to the office you’ll key in all those contacts to your computer.
Did you know there’s an easier way to enter in that contact information?
Some business cards and advertisements now contain a tiny bar code symbol called a QR code. This is Quick Response code. They bar codes can embed more than what they’ve been traditionally used for — either inventory item numbers or tracking numbers.
Using a free web site like ZXing you can input your own contact data and create a free bar code.
Here’s my contact information that I’ve created using the site above.
Now all you need is free scanning software for your smartphone. On Android I use Bar Code Scanner and on iPhone Red Laser is good (both are free).
Once you start the scanning application on your smartphone you simply hold it over the QR image and within seconds if the QR code contains address and contact information that data will display on your phone.
There are obviously some challenges to this concept of doing away with re-keying business cards – mainly that people need to use the QR codes on their cards and your smartphone (assuming you have one) needs free third party scanner software.
Gradually we (hopefully?) ‘ll see more widespread adoption of QR codes – and less re-keying.
Connecticut Payroll Tax Table Changes for Sage ERP MAS 90 and MAS 200
June 16, 2011
It appears the Connecticut payroll tax TABLE changes are effective August 1, 2011 – that is the changes (including catch-up amounts) are incorporated into rate tables that Connecticut indicates should be put into place on August 1, 2011
(View Information About Connecticut Tax Table Changes for August 2011: http://goo.gl/ABI8V ) .
Sage is planning to include these changes (which seem to also require some programming updates) in the version 4.5 release of MAS90/200 – as well as free program patches for versions 4.2 to 4.4.
(Link: http://goo.gl/eiJnx )
In July we will be able to download a program update for users of MAS90/200 payroll on version 4.2, 4.3 and 4.4.
If users are presently on a version BELOW version 4.20 (which hopefully is not many people) they’ll need to plan an upgrade in order to take advantage of payroll program updates.
Sage Support Plan Options Explained (June 2011)
June 13, 2011
The Sage site lists five different support options for Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200. However it’s a bit misleading since on November 2010 Sage updated their MAS 90 and 200 support offerings. They whittled down the plans to three:
Bronze (aka Basic Maintenance)
Silver (Basic Maintenance plus 5 calls per year)
Gold ( Basic Maintenance plus unlimited support)
Gold Plan subscribers also are now entitled to what’s termed “upgrade planning assistance”. Sage support analysts assist you and your authorized Sage business partner during planning for your initial implementation and upgrades. This service is complete with a review of upgrade planning and system requirements, identification of third-party considerations, customization considerations, and troubleshooting.
MAS90 Bronze Silver Gold Support
Sage ERP MAS 90 Support Options
Sage North America Support Resource Links: Knowledgebases, Communities, Direct Phone Numbers
June 13, 2011
I just stumbled across this page on the Sage North America site. It lists all the direct technical support phone numbers for the various Sage products. It also shows direct links to the knowledgebase areas and the communities.
These links should be helpful for anyone using more than one Sage product. The page also gives you a nice “at a glance” view of the various Sage products.
Included are support links for the following products:
Sage Abra HRMS – 800-829-0170
Sage Abra Canada HRMS – 800-490-3711
Sage ACT! – 877-902-0597
Sage Active Planner – 800-457-5864
Sage BusinessVision Accounting – 800-215-5395
Sage BusinessWorks Accounting – 877-879-0455
SageCRM – 866-856-0703
Sage DacEasy – 800-322-3279
Sage ERP Accpac
Sage ERP MAS 90 / Sage ERP MAS 200 – 800-371-3602
Sage ERP MAS 500 – 800-944-5481
Sage FAS Fixed Assets – 800-331-8514
Sage Fund Accounting (Formerly MIP) – 800-945-3278
Sage Fundraising 50 – 800-945-3278
Sage Fundraising Online – 800-945-3278
Sage Grant Management – 800-945-3278
Sage Healthcare – 877-932-6301
Sage Master Builder – 800-866-8049
Sage Millenium – 800-945-3278
Sage Payment Solutions & Merchant Services – 800-261-0240
Sage Peachtree – 866-747-3888
Sage PFW ERP – 800-333-5242
Sage Pro ERP – 800-642-7693
Sage Project Lifecycle Management – 866-991-3360
Sage SalesLogix – 800-944-5709
Sage Simply Accounting – 888-522-2722
Sage Timberline Enterprise – 866-991-5606
Sage Timberline Office – 800-551-8307
Sage TimeSheet – 866-719-5198
Sage Timeslips – 800-555-2452
Notably missing from the list is Sage ERP X3 though we expect that at some point Sage will update their page for the support resource.
Sage ERP MAS90 Roadmap Updated – Installed MAS 90 Customers At 45,000
May 21, 2011
Sage just issued a public roadmap for their Sage ERP MAS 90 and MAS 200 brand of accounting software.
What’s interesting about this map is that it’s the first we’ve noticed they’ve put a count on the number of customers that use MAS 90 or MAS 200. This count, 45,000, seems to match up with the assumptions that we’d been making from about two years ago.
Other interesting items of note:
- Expect a hosted MAS 90 Cloud Deployment in 2H 2011
- Cloud deployment features only modules that are at framework (no payroll/manufacturing, visual integrator, custom office)
- Hosting provided through Sage and ultimately at QTS Atlanta Metro Data
- Sage ERP MAS 90 Hosted is SAS 70 compliant
- First look at Sage ERP MAS 90 v5 – including new auto-update feature!
Sage ERP Accpac Roadmap – May 2011
May 19, 2011
Sage have just released their May 2011 roadmap outlining the planned development for what they term their global strategic ERP solution.
Version 6 was released in the fourth quarter of 2010 and included portal, snapshots, inquiry and SageCRM workflow. The next big release is slated for Q2 of 2011 when Intelligence Designer gets a reporting wizard, credit card processing (presumably from Sage Payment Solutions) gets integrated and MS SQL Server gets competitively priced.
Watch for Accpac to finally move toward a web client for financial and operational moduules sometime around Q4 2011. This should be the starting point of the “Cloud Accpac” that Accpac VARS have been drooling about for years.
Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200 4.5 Pre-Release Guide
May 14, 2011
Sage have just published a guide to the new features you can expect when MAS90 version 4.5 is released later this year in August 2011.
The highlights of MAS90 4.5 will include:
- Ability for existing users of MAS SQL 3.7 to migrate to MAS 200 SQL 4.5
- One free SageCRM v7.1 Server license and one free SageCRM v7.1 user license
- Selected ProvideX or Microsoft SQL Server as the underlying database
- Module enhancements to Accounts Receivable, Payroll, Purchase Order and Sales Order
- Adding 14 more Extended Solution titles to the version 4.5 release
- Prior 36 enhancements upgraded to version 4.5
- Sage ERP MAS Intelligence upgraded to allow for reporting tree capabilities
- FRX data conversion utility which takes existing FRX reports and converts them to Sage ERP MAS Intelligence (coming soon)
- A new 90 day free trial for Sage ERP MAS Intelligence Report Designer
- Sage ERP MAS Intelligence compatible with Sage ERP MAS SQL product
- The Extended Enterprise Suite will now be incorporated into MAS v4.5 with user based pricing
- The ACT! Link integration is retired with Sage focussing development on the SageCRM link
- Report Master is now fully retired
-
Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200 4 5 Pre-Release Guide – April 2011
Similarly Named Workstations May Cause “Tasks Are Still Active” on MAS 200 v4.4 PU5
May 9, 2011
If you’re using Sage ERP MAS 200 v4.4 with Product Update 5 and have been receiving “Tasks are still active” messages when exiting out of one workstation – despite not having any tasks active on THAT workstation – read on.
One of my 90 Minds Consulting Group colleagues has noticed that on MAS 200 systems where workstations are named very similarly (ie- Client1, Client2, Client3) that this bug may occur which falsely claims that you have tasks open on one workstation.
Of you answer “ok” to close the tasks you may find that tasks on other MAS 200 workstations are closed as well.
Todd points out in his video that users of the Applianz remote hosting product could be especially vulnerable to this issue since Applianz names each workstation simiarly.
Since this can be a little tricky to figure out — Todd pulled together a quick demonstration of what he’s found.
Watch this video toward the end. When he exits the workstation on the left it also closes out a task on the workstation to his right.
via: MBA Business Software – Atlanta GA MAS90 and MAS200 Consultants
MAS90 and MAS200 v4.4 Product Update 5: SVTRNA Bug Advisory
May 6, 2011
One of our most used hidden utilities within MAS90 and MAS200 is a program SVTRNA. What the program does is allow you to copy master data (no financial totals only names, descriptions, addresses) from the accounts payable, accounts receivable or inventory modules of an existing MAS90 or MAS200 company code into a brand new code.
This is super helpful when establishing a new company within MAS that is virtually a mirror image of an existing one and which will make use of all (or virtually all) of the same customers, vendors or inventory.
One of my 90 Minds Consulting Group colleagues just noticed that on version 4.4 product update 5 that when he copied over inventory data he was also receiving a little more than he bargained for. Normally only the master information for each inventory item would copy (description, product line, etc). It appears there may be a bug in v4.4 product update 5 which results in some totals (quantities on hand) also transferring if you use the SVTRNA utility.
This isn’t a huge issue – except according to my colleague there’s no way to fix the totals by using the Visual Integrator module. So if you’ve made a data transfer using SVTRNA into inventory and hadn’t thought to keep a backup – you could find yourself in a bit of a pickle.
Your best bet when making copies of data is to always make a complete backup of your MAS data BEFORE attempting the transfer (here’s one way that Sage recommends). We’ll update you with more information on this as we hear about it.
MAS90 Version 3.71 Tradeup Offer (Cash For Clunkers)
May 5, 2011
Still using MAS90 or MAS200 version 3.71?
Of course you know that Sage discontinued support for that version in September 2010. Version 3.71 also won’t play nice with Windows 7 (though you may be able to trick it into installing – we’ve no idea how long that trick will continue to work).
If being 7 versions behind the current level of MAS90 doesn’t keep you awake wondering what would happen if your system shut down and Sage refused to supply a program patch is not of concern to you – then please stop reading now. This offer will not be of interest.
However if you rely on your MAS90 or MAS200 3.71 ERP system and would be “stuck” if suddenly the software shut down due to an incompatibility with a new operating system or maybe a patch that Microsoft automatically pushes to a dozen or so workstations – then please read below.
Sage is offering up to 60% off an upgraded version of your MAS 90 or MAS 200 3.71 system.
The beauty of this upgrade – yes it’s true that you’ll have some items that need manual converting – all your data converts automatically.
The fine print: Technically most (the great majority) of your data will convert automatically. Forms and reports need some updating and for most users that’s a straightforward process.
Barring any data integrity issues (in our experience performing lots of these upgrades we find that most data converts just fine) version 4.4 of MAS 90 or MAS 200 will convert all of your data automatically. Every last historical (and important ) transaction detail.
There are lots of new features since you last upgraded MAS90 or MAS200. While I would like to say that paperless forms (emailing) or NACHA AP transfers are everyone’s favorites (and for many users they are) – in actuality every company finds a different favorite feature or two that seems to make the upgrade worthwhile.
At Schulz Consulting we provide you with:
- A fixed fee upgrade price – this covers installation, test, conversion and go-live.
- A 100% money back guarantee on the work we perform. If you’re not delighted with our services – then we don’t want you to pay. Or if you think the value of our service is less than we’ve quoted – pay what you feel the work has been worth to you (all the way to zero).
Inquire about a MAS90 Upgrade Quote
For more information: MAS90 Cash for Clunkers
Social Media Secret: Your Web Site As a Hub
May 3, 2011
Still trying to understand how social media efforts all tie together – to actually create a qualifed lead (or two) for your business?
Here’s a great image from Dawn Westerberg’s presentation at the Information Technology Alliance (ITA) conference in Atlanta Georgia on Monday May 2, 2011.
Dawn’s presentation titled “It Ain’t Just Social Media or is it ePresence” included this slide (click image at left to enlarge).
A common concern about social media is “how do various activities like LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and online distribution (think RSS, shared links) tie together to bring about an increase in business.
While it’s fun to use social media to share information – the goal for businesses is to earn a profit. Social media is increasingly being used as one way to increase business inquiries and leads.
The secret to integrating all of your various social media efforts is in the image from Dawn’s presentation.
Your web site is the hub (or final destination) where your social media efforts point. Use your web site to collect information (whether by offering a whitepaper, free subscription to a newsletter or some other special offering that requests your visitor to leave their contact information).
Whether you use only one – or many social media tools – it makes no difference. Instead the key concept is to funnel activity back to your web site. Then use your web site to collect data on visitors (Example – A form which users might complete so that you can send more information or a newsletter).
So while activities like Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn may seem like time wasters with no obvious way to monetize your efforts – by using content on your web site as the source for these activities (for example tweeting a link back to a story on your web site) you’ll eventually drive traffic and with the right offer on your site can collect data to begin marketing to potential customers.
via: Dawn Westerberg
MAS90 Support Collaboration: 90 Minds Consulting Group
April 17, 2011
One of the most important organizations that Schulz Consulting has participated in over the last several years is the 90 Minds Consulting Group.
The 90Minds Consulting Group is a non-profit association of consultants who all met while attending Sage conferences (who say’s there’s no value in attending conferences!) and we individually specialize in the Sage Software family of accounting, CRM and ERP products.
90 Minds was formed in December 2005 when a group of consultants began exchanging email questions. Gradually the group matured and expanded to provide shared technical assistance, backup support, and serve as a sounding board for our members. We share well in excess of 500 messages monthly jointly supporting each others’ practices and providing second opinions on complex technical matters.
While the group is geographically diverse – members share experiences on a daily basis to answer technical questions for group members as well as provide as a first line of questions for industry specific solutions that some of our members have experience with.
Behind the scenes our members collectively share over 500 1,000 messages each month with technical tips and other information that serves to help the client’s of our members as they request support for the various accounting systems.
- Nationwide firms
- 27 member firms represented
- About 415 total employees
- 17 States
Birmingham, AL
Aliso, CA
San Diego, CA
San Jose, CA
Larkspur, CO
Denver, CO
Watertown, CT
West Hartford, CT
Glastonbury, CT
Ocala, FL
Sandy Springs, GA
Kaneohe, HI
Ottumwa, IA
Chicago,IL
Elkhart, IN
Sharon, MA
Traverse, MI
Cassopolis, MI
Duluth, MN
Springfield, MO
Grand Forks, ND
Holmdel, NJ
Akron/Cleveland, OH
Brunswick, OH
Corvalis, OR
Portland OR
Waynesboro, VA
Kirkland, WA
Services and products:
Epicor
Sage Accpac
Sage MAS 90
Sage MAS 200
Sage MAS 500
SageCRM
SAP Business One
Microsoft Dynamics and Navision
Open Systems
Traverse
What Does A MAS90 Upgrade Cost?
April 13, 2011
We receive from 3 to 5 inquiries a week from users all across the country with one question – “About how much would it cost to upgrade my MAS90 or MAS200″. Providing a quick price is a difficult task because the cost can vary wildly depending upon:
- Use of custom enhancements (Extended Solutions, customizations)
- Number and type of modules used
- Number of workstations (local, remote)
- Timetable (when does the upgrade need to occur)
- Ability of users to participate in testing
- Degree to which forms (how many, how intricate) have been customized in modules that are being upgraded
- Degree to which screens and user defined fields have been added to the system
- Number of companies (both live and historical) being upgraded
- Whether third party solutions are used (Starship, PC Charge, Business Alerts, EDI, FRX, Sage MAS Intelligence, F9, Job Ops, etc)
- How long since the last upgrade
- Size of the data files
- Condition of the data files (are the amounts in balance?)
- Number of users of the system
There’s really no easy way to respond to this inquiry so what many consultants do is provide a guess.
They’ll suggest a range of hours — say 20 to 40 hours.
Then they tack on “but you’ll only pay for actual time used – which may be more or less”.
We price our upgrades as a fixed cost for the services that have been requested (and documented). After having done many upgrades (and other projects including annual support) this way for many years – we’ve heard from clients that they prefer to know the costs in advance rather than receive a surprise bill at the end of the engagement.
What follows then is our typical reply for users who we’ve never collaborated with on an upgrade for before. If you’re an existing Schulz client – then our pricing will likely be a lot different since we already are familiar with your system.
A project to upgrade Sage ERP MAS 90 or 200 to 4.4 for professional services (assumes you have current Sage and any other needed software maintenance) typically starts at $ 5,000.
What makes an upgrade more costly than that? Typically it’s complexity (and, yes, everyone thinks they have a vanilla system that will take no time to upgrade).
If you’re like most users who’ve asked us that question you’ve already received some type of quote — either in writing or by email from a consultant that goes something like this…..
“Your upgrade should take between X and Y hours at $ Z – but of course you’ll only be billed actual time”.
Let me ask you a question.
What if the consultant who provided the guesstimate on price is wrong. What if instead of Y hours it takes Y times three (or four)? Who pays the extra fee?
Hint: It’s you…
We think the fairest way to price services is not with an hourly rate.
The fairest price is a fixed price (not an hourly estimate or “range of hours”)
This assumes a typical straightforward upgrade with no third party integration and using default forms (no customized forms) and standard reports (no custom reports or FRX/F9/SMI conversions) and no imports or custom office use.
That’s not to say that if you have any of those items that your cost would increase dramatically (or at all). Rather when there are added items to upgrade we like to take a look first – so neither of us mis-understands your upgrade project.
A Range Of Hours Is NOT A Price – It’s A Recipe For a Billing “Surprise”
Pricing is a factor of many things — and what many of our best clients find (too late) is they were misled by a low hourly price from another consultant — which they compared with the detailed fixed price we provided.
Some of those customers become our most loyal and devoted fans — but not until they were surprised (shocked?) by a bill from their former consultants.
The reason they were surprised — and that the other consultant seemed at first to be cheaper?
The client was comparing an estimate (a range of hours at standard hourly rate) which they thought was lower…. until the bill they received from their hourly consultant showed the actual (much higher) hours — and higher billed amount.
The only thing fixed about the price they’d received was the hourly rate. At the end of the engagement they learned that the hours could vary wildly from original estimates.
When they asked their consultant why the actual bill was so much higher than the quote – the consultant’s #1 response?
“The price we gave you was an estimate – the costs could be more — or less”
If you think that hourly (range of hours) estimates usually come out less – I’ve got a surprise for you…
Surprise (excess) billings is actually the #1 reason we find companies actively look to switch consultants.
At Schulz Consulting we price and invoice based on a fixed project cost.
This means we must understand your needs at the START of the project and not learn as we go (hourly billing) and expect your company to pay for our lack of initial due diligence.
The items covered (scope) of the project are laid out clearly in a detailed proposal – so there’s no chance for a surprise bill – or even worse – a system upgrade that goes so far off the rails that you have to restore to your old version.
In cases where you ask for extra services – we clearly explain the associated cost and send a quote for your approval prior to starting on any extra cost items.
Our careful upgrade procedure has been developed after working with hundreds of similar projects.
Every step of our process is documented in our online project management system (which you’re free to review at any time).
The project plan for your upgrade includes:
1. Install and initially configure your upgrade
2. Test conversion where you can review your data prior to final conversion
3. Final or go live conversion
4. Post-upgrade followup (training, troubleshoot, additional service requests)
At Schulz Consulting we price our services in what our clients tell us is the fairest (and their preferred) way – which is as a fixed cost.
Watch Out For Prices That Are Really WAGS (Wild Ass Guesses)
“it should take between xx and yy hours at zzz rate. If it takes less then you pay less and if more you pay more”.
These are not really prices – but rather are estimates.
The costs usually don’t come in as less — but more.
Under this pricing method you will not know the true price until the project is complete.
Many of the inquiries we receive are from users that are curious about general costs.
Your inquiry may be similar — and we’re happy to provide our preliminary estimate which you can use to compare against your preferred provider’s quote .
If you’d like a formal proposal we provide one for a fee of $500 (this only applies for companies where we’ve not performed an upgrade in the last few years) which is credited against your paid upgrade cost.
Wait. A fee? Why a fee when all the other consultants on the web do this for free?
There are two reasons that there’s a cost to generate a formal proposal:
First, most consultants are giving you a “ball park” estimate based on an hourly rate. To put it bluntly they’re guessing. You’ll shoulder ALL of the risk of a cost over-run.
Second, we assume the risk of a cost over-run – however we must understand your system, your requirements and the expectations of the project BEFORE we can provide you with a cost.
Our proposal includes a single session to login and review your existing MAS system, discuss open issues and concerns and provide a 10 page document with the scope of services.
Please feel free to contact me to arrange for an evaluation and I can provide you with a cost for an initial analysis (credited against your accepted project).
Error 46 Sy_Session.pvc or Error 11 Sy_Session.pvc “Record ‘ ‘ is missing
April 12, 2011
Sage have just issued a second hotfix for Sage ERP MAS 200. This one seems to address an issue found only in MAS200 where master developer enhancements were at one time (or possible still are) installed.
Because the issue seems particularly tricky to track down – I thought it might be good to post the report and link to the fix.
Error 46 SY_Session.pvc or Error 11 Sy_Session.pvc in MAS 200 v4.4
The Problem With Billing Hourly
April 12, 2011
We’ve converted our project billing from hourly to fixed price. This happened well over a year ago and since then we’ve found that our client’s are happier because two things are known in advance:
A. The project definition – which for projects over a day is a written document outlining what will be done and who will do it.
B. The price – which is fixed for the services we’ve defined (see A above).
Infoworld has an article today titled 7 Dirty Consultant Tricks (and how to avoid them). Most of the key problems could be avoided if both parties took the time to outline a scope of services ahead of time.
Instead what we’ve often seen is that instead of defining the project in advance – one or both parties (either client or consultant) determines that they’ll “just bill hourly for whatever time is incurred”.
The conflict in this situation is that the client is assuming the time will be minimal and the project well defined. The (bad) consultant assumes the checkbook is wide open (hourly billing) to be assessed as the project grows and grows.
This is an interesting read — and a topic that we’ve found most consultants and client’s don’t “get” until they experience it.
7 dirty consultant tricks (and how to avoid them)
Aries Technology Group: The Billable Hour and ERP Consulting
April 11, 2011
My friends John and Amy Shaver operate Aries Technology Group LLS – a Sage business partner located in Knoxville Tennessee. They’ve become well known as an early leader in providing fixed price consulting services to their client base which include Sage ERP MAS90, MAS200, SageCRM and Sage Abra.
Their philosphy on business service is best summarized by the About Us page on their web site:
Here is a list of About Us information that we feel provides much more valuable information to you about whether we know what we’re doing or not:
We believe that business is not a zero-sum game. Both your company and ours should profit from a relationship between the two of us. It’s our job to prove that profitability.
We believe that all projects should be approached as a collaborative effort between your team and the Aries team.
Every single project, whether it’s implementing a complex manufacturing system or writing a report, should have a fixed price that is presented to you before starting any work.
Every single project should be backed by a 100% money-back guarantee. Why should you take the risk of project failure?
We believe that in the world of technology projects, effectiveness trumps efficiency every time.
We take our work very seriously but we also believe in humor and a relaxed, low stress work environment for both your team and ours.
Yes, of course, everyone on our team has extensive product knowledge. It would be hard not to pick up something about the products while working with them for almost 20 years. However, we prize consulting skills and behaviors (otherwise known as “bed side manner”) above all else.
We believe that the practice of billing for time is unethical because it misaligns the interests of the customer and the consultant.
We strive for authenticity in everything we do, both in business and in personal life.
We work in a ROWE (results-only work environment) and can’t imagine life being any other way.
One of John Shaver’s VeraSage colleagues, Greg Kyte, produced this for us (he plays Bob in the video). Greg is a CPA and a professional stand-up comedian.
Convofy Launches – Social Sharing For Groups – Flash Review
April 7, 2011
Yesterday marked the launch of a new sharing tool aimed at reducing email and increasing communication within companies. The product, Convofy, joins a lineup of similar tools (Yammer, Socialcast, Chatter) which allow an organization to shun some forms of email in favor of moving teams online to share comments and ideas in much the same way as Facebook allows users to post status updates and comments.
The main goal of these systems is to reduce email inbox overload — and increase participation and sharing (think Facebook status update and subsequent comments).
In many ways these tools are a closed version of Facebook for the enterprise. Instead of sharing pictures of your kids at the fair — you’ll share documents and web links where your group can comment and ask additional questions.
These solutions do a fantastic job of clearing out email clutter — though there’s usually a learning curve that your company won’t have with email (Email simplicity wins hand down – how tough is it to learn to hit “reply” or “reply all”?). Once you’re over the initial acceptance phase – you can expect increased participation from your organization (at 90Minds we’ve seen a 25% increase in comments and sharing of technical information via our use of Socialcast).
Convofy First Impressions
Interesting adaptation – I think the #1 problem that Convofy has is the UI. What’s a Direct vs a Follower — and in the year 2011 why are people still using the term follower?
Make the UI too confusing and the adoption from deep in the organization ain’t happening is going to be tough. Been There. Done That.
On the plus side I love the chat feature — the notifications worked especially well which is really important for a desktop communication tool. Not sure if group chat is supported because I didn’t get a chance to test that – but I don’t think so.
Our 90 Minds consulting group are Socialcast users and we love that service. Socialcast strikes what seems to be the proper blend of functionality and ease of use.
For our use (managing a team of 27 ERP consultants scattered across the USA) one of the more attractive features of Convofy is that we can add people to groups and the people (who may only be casual business acquaintances) cannot see the main organization feed.
Socialcast exposes that main feed to everyone — which is a huge fail for organizations that may want to invite a customer to participate in their group. The problem? In Socialcast if you invite a customer you have to make them a member of the main feed where they’ll see all the mis-posted stuff, off color jokes and personal rants that go into the main news feed.
Another problem that social sharing sites like Yammer, Socialcast and now Convofy have is there’s no easy way to move stuff from one group to another. If you mis-post to one group an administrator can only delete. How hard is it to allow for moving of content?
Top Convofy Plusses (based on a half hour look and comparison to Socialcast)
- The drag/drop (+) bar — nice for sharing
- LIve chat with notifications
- Live presence indicator (sadly absent on Socialcast)
- Group members can be added from outside the organization (email domain) AND they cannot see anything in the system except the group (do NOT overlook this point if you think you’ll want to share with casual collaborators – this is HUGE). Am not sure if Yammer has this same feature (I think it does) but Socialcast does not.
- Markup of documents (though I wonder whether this is more “demo dazzle” than a real world tool that most companies would use). On second thought I think this could be a great feature (click the image below to see a full screen example of a Sage support screen that I’ve commented on for my group). I could see my clients using this to discuss various client issues (contracts, proposals).
Top Convofy Minuses
- I login to Socialcast all the time from client sites – having only an Adobe Air client for Convofy is a mark against them
- The UI is goofy and I think the whole sidebar with Direct, Tasks, Discussions, Chats, Drafts, Trash is way too complex. It’s going to drive people away from full adoption as you go deeper in the organization.
I’m still scratching my head over what the “Chats” link does (Update: The Chat link lets you search chats. Seems that it takes a while for Convofy to index properly and the first few times I clicked the chat link nothing had yet been indexed). And just what are these things called directs? Is that people who report to me in the organization? Is it a place for direct messages? And why would that be different than followers? It’s way too confusing. First looks are critical in this area.
Clicking on “My Tasks Lists” confusingly throws me into a full screen of some type of info — away from the main feed. From there the user has to stop and figure out how to get back.
This kind of UI stuff needs to be clean (see Facebook which isn’t perfect but is easy enough for Grandma to figure out without calling the family for lessons — THAT is where these social tools need to be in ters of ease of use) so that people adopt instead of scratch their heads.
- Lack of native mobile application is going to be a minus here (and no use of email to reply is not acceptable because, heck, aren’t we using this to get away from email. Yeah the HTML site looks cool — where are the push notifications going to come from? Email? See prior comment. Aren’t we using this to get away from email. This is going to be a ball and chain for Convofy. Not a huge issue if you’re all sitting in an office but that’s not the trend today.
- Use of Adobe Air — this needs to also have a native web interface so you can login from remote workstations without a full AIR setup. You don’t stop when you are at a client site and think that you can’t check GMAIL because you have to download an app — why should you have a more inconvenient experience with Convofy which is supposed to eliminate that problem (email overload).
Just my impressions based on about 60 minutes use and comparison to Socialcast which we have used for about 6 months and Yammer (used about 2 months) for a group of 27 consultants.
Link: Convofy
Last Day For MAS90 Extended Solution Updates is April 29, 2011
April 6, 2011
Sage have just sent a notice that any users on Sage ERP MAS 90 or MAS 200 version 4.3 who need an Extended Solution updated (often required if a service update is being installed) to the latest version have until April 29, 2011 to request this.
As you probably know Sage stopped supporting Extended Solution (a catalog of enhancements for Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200) back in 2009. For a period of time they were still allowing some orders of the solutions but had noted that all updates (within the same version) would cease in 2010. That date has been extended through April 29, 2011.
If you are using an Extended Solution on version 4.3 and have a need for an updated version 4.3 copy of that solution (for example if you’re installing a v4.3 service update ) then you should contact your business partner prior to 4/29 and arrange to receive an updated copy of the Extended Solutions.
via Sage:
Last Chance to Request a Customer’s Extended Solutions v4.3-Compatible Extended Solutions Titles. On November 30, 2010, Sage sent you a list of your customers and the Extended Solutions titles they own. Please reference this list and contact the sales advisor team at salesadvisor@sage.com to place your clients’ orders. Sage has granted a grace period to request v4.3-compatible titles until April 29, 2011
Sage Summit 2011 Partner Session Guide – PDF
April 5, 2011
A few Sage partners have asked if there’s a PDF which lists the sessions at the upcoming Sage Summit 2011 being held July 10-15, 2011 at the Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center in Washington DC.
I’ve asked over on the Sage Summit 2011 Facebook page and they pointed me to http://www.sagesummit.com/partners/experience/why-do-i-need-to-be-there/ where you can download a copy of the session guide for Sage partners.
Or I’ve embedded the document below – where you can view it online.
Sage Summit 2011 Partner Guide
Navision Support
April 4, 2011
We’re often asked if we can recommend consultants who do good work in other area’s of accounting and ERP software beside MAS90 and MAS200.
One person whose name constantly comes up is my friend Mark Chinsky of Client’s First Business Solutions. Mark’s been working with both Sage ERP MAS 90 and Microsoft products since we also started way back in 1986. His knowledge of the different systems – including Microsoft Navision and the competition – make him a valuable resource for anyone considering an upgrade or new implementation.
Mark’s first firm – OnTrack Consulting was the number one reseller for Sage ERP MAS 90 and MAS 200 in the late 1980s and mid 1990′s. His present firm – Client’s First – has diversified to offering advanced technical support for Microsoft’s Navision product.
Whether you’re a new or existing user – chat with Mark about any of your Navision questions.
Six Tips for a Smoother MAS90 or MAS200 Upgrade
April 4, 2011
After having performed many successful Sage ERP MAS 90 and MAS 200 upgrades that came in on budget (fixed fee) over the past few months – I’ve been somewhat surprised to see and hear of many mistakes made during upgrades.
Just last week two end users emailed to ask about finding another reseller. Their MAS90 upgrade had gone “off the rails” because the consultant showed up to do a same day upgrade.
No testing, no prior review of the hardware platform for compatibility, no review of the integrated third party solution vital to their business (and not surprisingly the updated 3rd party solution was buggy as all heck).
There are a lot of ways to safeguard your business from problems during your MAS90 upgrade. At Schulz Consulting we perform a four phase upgrade on any client system – no matter how big or small.
Schulz Consulting Four Phase Upgrade
Phase #1: Install and configure the system. Ensure that all the pieces are working (no startup errors) and ready for you to test .
Phase #2: Testing. Prior to going live with a major upgrade we recommend a test conversion. Since MAS90 and MAS200 allow for parallel migrations you can copy your existing data to the upgrade while users continue working in the old version. This is the best way for you to look at how your data converts and test the integration of third party add-ons – typically either custom programming or reporting tools.
Phase #3: Go Live. After you’re satisfied that the testing is successful – it’s time to re-migrate data and go live with your upgrade. Done properly – the go live phase is merely a formality with minimal downtime. Often we’ll start to convert the data remotely the prior night so that your staff can hit the ground running during the next morning without having to wait for time consuming conversions.
Phase 4: Post Upgrade Review. About three days after going live we’ll schedule a conference call. During this call we summarize any open upgrade issues and develop a plan with you to resolve them no later than 10 days after you’ve begun using the new version of your software.
What Goes Wrong With Upgrades That Aren’t Planned Well?
Here are some mistakes users and other consultants make which derailed their upgrade progress.
Probably the biggest mistake that non-savvy users make is not to involve a consultant with the upgrade. I receive calls on an almost daily basis from IT consultants scheduled to go visit a customer the next day wanting to know if there’s “anything special” they need to do to upgrade the customer to the latest version of MAS90 or MAS200.
Sometimes these consultants get lucky and the upgrade goes off without a hitch. More often we receive an emergency call that the accounting system is down and the consultant can’t understand why such a terrible system like MAS90 doesn’t upgrade in the same manner as (pick any of the consumer systems that the consultant is more familiar with).
Often IT consultants want to implement the latest cutting edge hardware. We’re all for using current hardware – except when that hardware (or operating system) is not compatible with Sage ERP MAS90 or MAS 900 (here’s the list of MAS90 compatible hardware and operating systems and virtual environments).
Top 6 Reasons MAS90 Upgrades Fail
- Failure to test: Not running a test upgrade first is acceptable for someone upgrading a very small system from a recent version to a recent version. If your company is upgrading a 25 user system from MAS90 version 3.71 to 4.4 without a test upgrade then you’ll be greatly increasing your risk of computer downtime. Running a test upgrade helps (though does not guarantee) that pesky issues like bugs and form alignment are worked out BEFORE your staff is getting ready to send out the monthly billing.
- Not checking the supported platforms matrix. Most hardware and operating platforms work well with current versions of MAS90 and MAS200. Failure to check before making an expensive network upgrade is foolish and can result in downtime if a specific operating system isn’t yet compatible with Sage ERP MAS.
- Forgetting to upgrade third party enhancements. One of the more common problems to derail otherwise simple MAS90 upgrades is a buggy third party solution that was not tested before being installed. Often the user is forced to roll-back to the old version of MAS while the previously untested solution is sent back to the developer (who usually must take several days for additional debugging). Don’t let this happen to you. Test every bit of custom software in advance of the day which you plan to go live!
- Assuming that every feature that existing in a version of MAS90 or MAS200 which was produced 10 years ago was carried unchanged into the new version. Sage publishes a what’s new in MAS90 which shows all the changes added to the program in each level. Testing the upgrade prior to going live is the only way you’ll catch subtle changes in procedures that have been made due to the software upgrade.
- Allowing too little time for the upgrade and testing. The biggest problem that we’ve seen with users is failure to test or allocate proper time for testing. Often users delay any testing and instead feel that they’ll complete the testing during the “go live” phase. The reason that testing is called testing is that it’s done before the “go live”. Almost all of the problems we’ve seen users report with their upgrade could have been caught during a testing phase.
- Upgrading a server at the same time as the MAS90 and MAS200 upgrade occurs. Another recipe for disaster is to simultaneously upgrade an entire computer network (migrating user rights, directory permissions, etc) at the same time as the MAS90 system is upgrade. Based on experience we’ve seen these types of simultaneous upgrade cause significant delays (even though at the outset it seemed like a great idea to upgrade everything at once) because of problems with network user rights, printers, file permissions, new versions of anti-virus, anti-malware, firewall settings, IP addresses, etc. We recommend you upgrade your computer network and workstations at a time independent of when you’ll upgrade your MAS90 or MAS200 accounting software. If the upgrade must be done at the same time then allow for time to work out issues that are related to the network upgrade.
Need assistance with an existing upgrade — or perhaps one that has “gone off the rails”?
Do you recognize any of the above mistakes that may have led to issues with your last upgrade?
We’ve streamlined our upgrade process. Each of our projects is tracked in 37 Signals Basecamp project management – which enables everyone on our team (and your staff) to view each phase of the project as it occurs.
What this means is we’re able to quote a fixed price for upgrade. We don’t work hourly on upgrades — and if you have a quote in hand that shows hours at best you have an estimate where the cost could be double or triple what you expect.
Anyone who is competent with MAS90 should be able to quote you the exact price (within the given scope of services – and obviously if there are additional services requested then those are changes that incur added cost).
MAS90 and MAS200 Virtualization Compatibility Guide – March 2011
March 31, 2011
If you’re wondering what virtualization products (VMWare Server, VMWare Workstation, Terminal Services, Hyper-V, Virtual PC) are supported with Sage ERP MAS 90 and MAS 200 then wonder no longer.
Sage this month (March 2011) have published a one page chart showing exactly which virtual computing software environments are compatible with which versions of Sage ERP MAS 90 and MAS 200.
Based on the chart below you’ll definitely want to be on version 4.3 or higher to ensure compatibility with the latest virtual environments.
via: Sage ERP MAS 90 and MAS 200 Virtual Environment Compatibility
MAS90 Chat Room Launched
March 29, 2011
Whether your company is 100 people in size or just one – it can be invaluable to access to a second opinion from those with MAS90 experience.
Starting today we’re dedicating one of our 37 Signals Campfire chat rooms to open MAS 90 and MAS 200 technical talk.
This is NOT a free support avenue. It’s a way for end users and consultants to get and share second opinions or request additional help on tough support problems.
There’s no registration required (though I would encourage you to send me an email – wayne@s-consult.com and I’ll create a free account for you which will allow you to view prior chat history) — and the group is fully open and public so what you type is seen by anyone else that’s inside the group.
We’ll run this for three or four months and see whether it can be expanded upon or improved. Don’t expect the room to be monitored 24×7 – rather it should be considered a gathering place for MAS 90 support pros to hang out.
When you log into the room – don’t expect an off-topic rowdy party.
The premise of MAS90 chat is that you leave this room open and on your computer and other users join and leave during the day.
During the majority of the time there may be no activity at all — so stay logged in until others join throughout the day.
If someone has a question they can ask in the room.
If someone can answer a question – and they happen to be logged into chat – they can answer (click below for an example).
If you access the chat room via this link – you won’t have to register or supply a password — however the chat will only display what is occurring while you are logged in. If you would like to view chat history – please email me (wayne@s-consult.com) and I’ll create an account for you.
Remember this is a two or three month experiment. It’s not affiliated, recommended, endorsed or liked by Sage. Use all information and recommendations at your own risk and I strongly advise you consult with your Sage Business Partner prior to implementing any ideas shared in chat.
Sage Rolls Out MAS 90 “Wicked Edition” with Product Update 5
March 29, 2011
For years my users have been clamoring for a way to tell their separate MAS 90 companies apart. Usually what they’d ask for is a different shade of background color so if they logged into the system without paying attention they’d HAVE to notice they were working in a different company.
Be careful what you wish for.
Sage have just rolled out their MAS90 Product Update 5 which includes enhancements to update the Form 941 to the latest format as well as bundling in an enhancement that’s been available for a while but only at a separate charge.
Formerly known as LM-1028 Company-Specific Background Colors – this enhancement is now bundled into MAS (as of PU5) and allows you to choose whether you want a company to have a unique background color. According to Sage color editing is helpful for telling different companies apart at a glance. One of the default colors is a glowing shade of green more suited to fans of the Broadway Musical Wicked where the lead character in the story is known for being born a glowing shade of green (see also How to win tickets to the NYC Broadway Wicked show).
Visit this link for more information on Sage ERP MAS 90 and MAS 200 Product Update 5.
New 941 Form Layout Available for MAS 90 and MAS 200 v4.4 via Product Update 5
March 28, 2011
Save have just pushed out Product Update 5 for their Sage ERP MAS 90 and MAS 200 series of accounting software. This update rolls in the new IRS Form 941 for 2011, includes an ability to set inventory items as inactive so that no sales or purchases can be made (the prior status only presented a warning which could be overridden), and one feature which seems like it’s been centuries in coming as a standard feature – Company Specific Background Colors – assign a different background color to each of your MAS 90 or MAS 200 company codes making it easier to distinguish between multiple companies at a glance!
Mas90 Version 4.4 Product Update 5
MAS 90 Shipping LInk Integration Now Shipping From ISM
March 15, 2011
Are you wondering whether to continue investing in Starship considering that the product is now sold directly from V-Technologies and not Sage?
Our recommendation is if your Starship program is running fine and you have no unmet needs – you should stay as-is with Starship.
If however you’ve been looking to integrate with your native carrier applications from FEDEX and UPS you might consider looking at The ISM Xpansions Shipping 2010 Edition. This add-on for MAS 90 and MAS 200 integrates your MAS system directly to the native UPS Online Worldship and FedEx Ship Manager.
Key among the features of Xpansions is the ability to ship multiple sales orders in the same package (or packages). The old version of this software used to make use of some trickier external database tables however the latest version completely re-designed those steps and now the interface file updates to a native PVX table using the standard SOTAMAS ODBC and BUsiness Objects.
Users with access to the Internet can access on line, real time tracking information directly in a MAS 90 or MAS 200 window. Instantly display online real time package tracking information within MAS 90 or MAS 200.
Contact your Sage Business Partner for pricing or visit ISM for more information.
MAS 90 and MAS 200 Shipping Link to FEDEX and UPS
What’s Included In Infor’s F9 Support for Sage ERP MAS 90 and MAS 200
March 14, 2011
Here’s a quick rundown of the cost that Infor charges for maintenance and support for F9 for Sage ERP MAS 90 and MAS 200.
For the initial user license of F9 pay $ 300/yr
Each 5 user block (above initial user) pay $ 240/yr
Each 1 user (above initial user) pay $ 60/yr
Here’s a copy of What’s Included With Infor F9 for MAS90 and MAS 200 Support
2011 Form 941 Draft Copy for MAS90 Users
March 12, 2011
Here’s a draft copy of what the IRS Form 941 changes for MAS90 and MAS200 users should look like. Check the IRS web site for the final forms or consult with your Sage Business Partner to have them help load the MAS90 Payroll update changes to your payroll system.
941 Q2 2011 Form Changes for MAS90 and MAS200
March 12, 2011
On March 1, 2011 the Federal government issued their final updates to the 2011 Form 941 (here’s a PDF of the draft copy). The Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200 team is coding to this updated form and will release the change via a Hot Fix for Payroll versions 4.4, 4.3 and 4.2.
Users of versions prior to 4.2 should be aware that the form updates (as well as tax tables) will no longer be maintained for those unsupported versions.
These changes will also be incorporated into Product Update 5 for Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200 version 4.4, and Product Update 22 for version 4.3.
This updated 941 payroll form makes required changes for the legislation in the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 that reduced the employee Social Security rate from 6.2% to 4.2% for one year, effective with wages earned beginning Jan. 1, 2011). Also included – changes from the 2010 version: elimination of lines for the payroll tax exempt. in the HIRE Act (lines 6a-6c), because the exemption may not be claimed on wages after Dec. 31, 2010; (2) removing the advance earned income credit line (line 9), due to the advance earned income credit not being eligible for claim after Dec. 31, 2010; and (3) the addition of a new line for the FICA tax due on unreported tips. Some information from the 2010 form 941 have been put on different lines (e.g., quarterly adjustments for sick pay moved from line 7b to line 8).
The hot fixes and product updates are currently targeted to be posted on Sage Online, Sage ERP MAS Support section close to the end of March 2011. In addition, the Q2 2011 Tax Table Update is currently targeted to be posted at the same location at approximately the same time.
Please check the download site or the Sage MAS Community forum throughout March for additional late-breaking information.
How to Obtainin F9 Unlock Codes / Infor Contacts
March 11, 2011
I’ve yet to try this — however after inquiring of Sage how we should go about obtaining registration keys for F9 – here’s what I found. I’ll be calling Monday and if the procedure has changed I’ll update in the comments.
As you probably know F9 is no longer being sold directly via Sage. The cutoff date for customers to have been billed for F9 renewal maintenance through Sage was October 1, 2010. If you renewed maintenance with Sage AFTER that date AND you own F9 – you now have to contact Infor (publisher) directly for maintenance and unlocking codes.
Here’s the maintenance pricing that I’ve received from Infor:
This pricing includes both upgrades and customer support (phone, enhancements, license reset).
- First user = $ 300/yr
- Add’l single users = $ 60/yr
- Add’l block of 5 Users = $240
These instructions should work for business partners only – end users should contact their partner as I do not think Infor handles this directly to end users.
The customer’s F9 serial number can be looked up online in the Sage Customer system (at least as of 3/11 I can see my customer’s F9 Serial Number).
Strip away the WWXCLF9 from the beginning of the serial number — this gives you the # that Infor supposedly needs for registration.
Call Infor – 604 682-4570 & provide them with this serial number.
The contacts I have at Infor:
To join up (partner program)
Leticia Valladares – leticia.valladares@infor.com – 604.699.3351
To renew maintenance or purchase (sales)
Armando Luna – armando.luna@infor.com – 1.604.699.3317
If you are simply looking to re-register a product then you can access the following link:
Why MAS90 Projects Fail. It’s The Bid Stupid.
March 11, 2011
Increasingly over the last few years I’ve been shocked by how many people use the internet to get a quote for their MAS 90 and MAS 200 upgrades or new implementations.
The fact that people are going out over the Internet doesn’t shock me. It’s the relative complexity of projects they’re looking for quotes on that does.
Most people:
- Don’t know what version they’re using
- Can’t find their disks
- Can’t “remember” their Sage partner
- Have had several prior accounting staff running their MAS90 system
- Can’t remember/Don’t know if they have customizations, custom reports
I totally get that companies don’t spend all their time analyzing their accounting systems to get these answers.
What I’m opposed to is the notion that sending an email request for an upgrade which either invites the receiving party (VAR/Consultant) to spend 2 to 4 hours (unpaid) doing a needs assessment or just shooting a number and hoping for the best.
You could (quite correctly) ask why VARS are not taking the 2-4 hours to analyze situations and then present detailed bids. In some cases VARS do — until they realize that most Internet requests for bids are really just requests for third bids that a customer sometimes (not always) is using to compare against a preferred provider.
And that preferred provider may not have done any due diligence. So the VAR’s analysis is then fed back to the low cost provider who uses the quote to make sure they didn’t misunderstand the needs of the customer (which they usually did).
The diligent VAR is then left having provided a valuable service for no compensation. Repeat this 4 to 6 times a week and you’ll quickly see how providing free (high level) needs analysis to random customers who you have no prior relationship is not a sustainable business model.
Is there any question why so many IT projects fail?
In the race to the lowest cost people (both customers and VARS) forget that unless the solution works to the expectations of the customer that the bidding process is actually a lose-lose-lose.
Fewer and fewer people are actually taking the time to understand the concerns. Review alternatives — and finally to implement a sound solution.
It’s all ready, fire, aim.
Reload, repeat.
The customer loses because they thought they were getting everything at one fixed low price and that the services would “fix” numerous previously undisclosed problems.
The consultant loses because they underbid – and in some cases race to finish and get out with their sanity intact
The publisher loses because they have an unhappy customer who probably tells everyone how horrible the software they are using is.
The solution?
Most fo the time these projects shouldn’t be 3 bids and take the lowest. If you’re going to go for bids I’d go for bids on the qualifications of the consultant first. Then expect to pay a realistic price.
Sending an email blast asking “can you quote my upgrade” rather than “would you like to become our trusted consultant” to half a dozen VARS found in a Google search is a recipe for problems because bidding often is not accompanied by any deeper understanding or probing of underlying disclosed or undisclosed problems.
.02 via Information Week
Sage Summit 2011 – Save $ 200 on Customer Registration With This Discount Code
March 10, 2011
Sage Summit 2011 conference registration for customers is now officially open.
This year the conference for Sage Software is combined with Sage consultants attending July 10-15 and customers attending July 12-15, 2011. There are a wide variety of technical sessions scheduled as well as plenty of opportunities to attend business building workshops.
The conference host this year is the Gaylord National just outside Washington DC. Hotel rates are available from $180 to $214 per night at four area hotels (all an easy walk to the main convention center).
Early customer registrants can take advantage of a special offer that saves you $ 200 off the normal fee. Simply enter in code PTOC10 and you’ll save $200. Stick the name of your Authorized Sage Partner into the business partner name field (If you don’t have a partner use DSD Business Systems). The code cannot be combined with other discounts or promotions.
MAS90 or MAS200 Daily Transaction Register Only Updates Last Unposted Batch Starting 4.30
March 9, 2011
It’s probably a good idea to get in the habit of always updating your MAS90 or MAS200 Daily Transaction Register and not leaving unposted items until the end of the day.
The Daily Transaction Register (DTRY) is the posting journal that transmits source transactions (say from an updated invoice register) to the General Ledger in the form of a journal entry.
In version 4.20 and earlier whenever you went and updated an invoice register (and it appears that this may impact all registers) if you didn’t update the DTR then the next time someone went and updated a register they could answer “yes” to updating the DTR and both their register AND any unposted registers would be updated.
Apparently in version 4.30 of Sage ERP MAS 90 and MAS 200 the logic somehow changed. Speculation is that this was changed to accommodate the use of Paperless Office.
Here’s the Sage KB Article. If you’ve ever found yourself wondering why some journals have updated all the way to the general ledger and others haven’t – the cure is likely to always update the DTR each time you update a detail journal (or always have someone run the DTR from the general ledger at the end of the day).
via: Brett Zimmerman
Job Status tab displays data in the incorrect fields and Job Cost Reports with Job-to-Date, Period-to-Date or Year-to-Date information display data in the incorrect fields.
March 3, 2011
If you’re struggling with wrong totals appearing in your MAS 90 or MAS 200 version 4.4 Job Cost files then you may have hit upon a bug that I just spent a good 6 to 8 hours uncovering — only to realize that Sage seemed to know about it but had the problem report “hidden” so that it’s only uncovered by a phone call to the publisher (way to be efficient – not)…
Here’s the situation:
Sage has an acknowledged product bug in Job Cost 4.4. You can read about it fully here:
What the problem report didn’t tell us (and admittedly this could be specific only to the customer where I encountered this issue – but I’m betting it’s more widespread) is that if the JC1 (Job Master File) is damaged then after you load the Product Update 4 you will most likely continue to have problems as described in the hidden Sage knowledgebase entry below.
The solution that finally appears to have worked for us is to take the time consuming and inconvenient step of manually applying the “possible workaround” to each job cost master record (JC1) that appeared damaged and lengthening the key.
It seems that Sage might be working on a product fix to correct data however this bug is so old and known that I advised the customer not to hold their breath waiting for a fix.
Note to Sage: Please improve your customer and partner service and publish all KB entries so in the future your customers don’t have to reinvent the wheel trying to re-produce and issue that you are aware of.
The Job Status tab displays data in the incorrect fields and Job Cost Reports with Job-to-Date, Period-to-Date or Year-to-Date information display data in the incorrect fields. Requesting Data Fix Utility related to LM4051-T (Defect 94422)
Entry Type: Program Issue
Product:
Sage MAS 90 ERP
Sage MAS 200 ERP
Application: Job Cost
Version Reported: 4.40.0.x
Status:
For current information on this issue, please click the Engineering Status link above. To record the occurrence of this issue, respond Yes to the question, “Did this answer help you?”
Subject:
The Job Status tab displays data in the incorrect fields and Job Cost Reports with Job-to-Date, Period-to-Date or Year-to-Date information display data in the incorrect fields. Requesting Data Fix Utility related to LM4051-T (Defect 94422)
Steps to Duplicate:
4.40 mas90, company EEC; do not use 4.40.0.4., or higher for the steps; it has the fix to prevent the issue.
Using Data File Display and Maintenance, in file JC1EEC, view the record for job EEC4575, JC1 record is not short
Enter AR invoice data entry for customer 01-COLDWEL, select job EEC4575 on Main tab. Enter at least one sales code line.
Update AR Sales Journal; can update DTR but not necessary.
Repeat step 2. Record is short.
Note: You can use SO invoice data entry for step 3 in place of AR Invoice Entry; results are same.
If you were to use Rebuild Key Files on JC1 (job masterfile) right now, job EEC4575?s JC1 record would be deleted.
Select Job EEC4575 in Job Masterfile Maintenance, Status Tab, note the invoice entered is not in the JTD, YTD, PTD fields. The FUTURE button should be illuminated and the data is displaying in the Invoice Billed and Payment Received next period fields.
Expected Behavior:
A/R Invoices that reference a job should post to the Invoice Billed PTD, YTD and JTD fields in JC1 Job Masterfile. A/R Payments that reference a job should post to Payment Received PTD, YTD, JTD.
When a short record exists in JC1 (program issue corrected in LM4051-T but existing data was not corrected), the invoice and payment amounts post to the incorrect field in JC1, therefore displaying in the incorrect fields in the Job Status tab and on Job Cost Reports.
Possible Workaround:
Library Master / Data File Display & Maintenance / Select JC1xxx.
A short record displays only 5 lines for the 01 String field and a correct record will display 6 lines for the 01 String field.
Select the short record, Edit, 1,334,50 and answer YES to Expand the field. Accept.
This will correct the record size and data will post in the correct fields going forward.
Currently, data will need to be manually edited using Data File Display and Maintenance to enter the correct values for the job.
Solved (sorta): How to Turn Off MAS90 Extended Item Description Pop-Ups
February 27, 2011
My good friend Mark Kotyla of Giving Tree Consulting has just asked (and answered) a great question over on the Ask 90Minds site (a site dedicated to the free exchange of MAS90 and MAS200 technical questions).
His question:
When scrolling through Item Maintenance or Item Inquiry records an item description pop-up is displayed for any item descriptions longer than the 30 default character limit. Is there a way to turn these pop-ups off?
I’ve had this question several times from users who find that as they are entering data into MAS 90 or MAS 200 that the pop-up window for Inventory extended item descriptions displays as their cursor passes through the field.
Mark has hit upon this simple – yet effective – cure:
Can’t turn them off, but you can change the tab settings on that screen to omit the description… Which will skip that field and therefore not display the pop-up window.
View the entire post:
Sage Summit Customer Guide – PDF
February 25, 2011
One of the members of my 90Minds Consulting Group just sent over this PDF of the 2011 Sage Summit Customer Guide. It includes registration information as well as a nice layout of what sessions are being offered and at what time.
There is also a full conference catalog available online which provides more detailed descriptions of each session.
Sage Summit 2011 Customer Guide
via: 90 Minds
Need MAS 90 Help – Ask90Minds
February 25, 2011
Have a quick question about Sage ERP MAS 90 or MAS 200 (as well as Epicor, Sage ABRA, Sage Accpac, Sage MAS 90, Sage MAS 200, Sage MAS 500, SageCRM, SAP Business One, Microsoft Dynamics, Navision, SAP, Open Systems or Traverse) – visit the new question and answer site founded by the 90 Minds Consulting Group.
The 90 Minds Consulting Group is an affiliation of 27 independent consulting firms comprised of over 400 individual employees spread across:
Birmingham, AL
Aliso, CA
San Diego, CA
San Jose, CA
Larkspur, CO
Denver, CO
Watertown, CT
West Hartford, CT
Glastonbury, CT
Ocala, FL
Sandy Springs, GA
Kaneohe, HI
Ottumwa, IA
Elkhart, IN
Sharon, MA
Traverse, MI
Cassopolis, MI
Duluth, MN
Springfield, MO
Grand Forks, ND
Holmdel, NJ
Akron/Cleveland, OH
Brunswick, OH
Corvalis, OR
Portland OR
Waynesboro, VA
Kirkland, WA
The group formed in 2005 and monthly shared in excess of 500 messages between members who provide feedback to each other on support issues around the products that they work with.
Now that shared knowledge is available to you — at no cost.
The web site — Ask90Minds accepts questions from any user on the web (you can login by creating an account, using your Facebook login or using a Twitter login).
To ask a question simply navigate to the http://www.ask90minds.com home page.
Ask your question and it will instantly be sent to the 90 Minds Consulting Groups internal communication system (Socialcast) via RSS feed. Here all of the 90 Minds members are immediately notified of every question that is submitted on the Ask90Minds site.
The next time you have a quick ERP question – give the Ask90 Minds site a try.
Everything you want to know about Sage MAS Intelligence but were too embarrassed to ask
February 17, 2011
Sage ERP MAS Intelligence is available for different user levels and multiple databases. Report viewer licenses can run existing reports, report manager licenses have the same capabilities as viewer plus allow for creating reports, parameters and templates.
Not confused yet? More powerful capabilities still are available in the report designer which allows report building.
For more information here’s an updated explanation from Sage of what’s included in the “Free” version of Sage MAS Intelligence as well as what you have to pay for.
Sage MAS Intelligence Explained
via: What is Sage MAS Intelligence?
FRX Service Pack 11 (R11670) for MAS 90 (Download)
February 3, 2011
You may have tried recently to download the latest FRX service pack 11 from Sage. Unfortunately as of January 31, 2011 Sage is no longer able to distribute service packs due to Microsoft (who publishes FRX) discontinuing sales of FRX (support however extends to December 2012).
If you need to download FRX 6.7 Service Pack 11 (aka R11670) you can navigate directly to the Microsoft Knowledgebase via the link below.
Download FRX Service Packs For MAS 90 and MAS 200:
FRX Service Pack 10
FRX Service Pack 11
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What Are The New Sage ERP MAS 90 and MAS 200 Maintenance Plans?
February 1, 2011
Sage have just rolled out a completely revamped line of support plans for their Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200 accounting software.
We’re still evaluating the major changes however so far we’ve seen:
- Silver plan now only includes 5 cases per year (was unlimited)
- Bronze plan has NO ACCESS to Sage support (was $300/case)
- Users who purchase over 5 users prior to 2003 and were grandfathered will begin to pay a per user license fee on licenses in excess if the initial 5 users – starting April 2011.
Since maintenance plans have changed – Sage will automatically update existing users’ plans according to the chart below so that the benefits and features remain similar.
If you have questions on how your Sage maintenance plan is calculated please contact your Sage Business Partner for assistance or you can also call the phone number listed on your Sage renewal and ask for them to provide you a breakdown of costs.
F9 for MAS90 Now Sold and Maintained Directly By Publisher Infor
February 1, 2011
You may have heard that F9 is now being marketed and sold (both new and maintenance renewals) directly by the software publisher, Infor, as opposed to the prior relationship where Sage handled all the ordering and maintenance invoicing.
Customers who have F9 installed may receive an email from Info prompting you to register your copy of F9 with them. From what we know the customer list of prior purchasers of F9 was not transferred to Infor when this relationship change happened.
If you’re using F9 you’ll be able to contact your Sage Business Partner directly (provided they’ve opted to resell F9 through Info) or you can use the link below to register your copy of F9.
MAS90 LinkedIn User Group Tops 1,000 Members
January 31, 2011
Membership in the MAS90 LinkedIn Users And Consultants Group today topped 1,000 members for the first time.
Formed in January 2009, the Linkedin group is approximately 10 times larger than the largest next MAS 90 specific discussion group on Linkedin and is not sponsored by Sage.
Participants regularly share information and the latest news about Sage ERP MAS 90 and MAS 200 and informally discuss product ideas with Sage product managers.
Membership is free and open to any MAS 90 or MAS 200 software users or consultants. The only requirement is to participate and share knowledge.
FRX to SMI Conversion Utility On The Way From Sage
January 26, 2011
January 2011 is the last month that Sage is able to sell FRX. This has been known for a while and it’s the direct result of a decision by Microsoft to stop offering FRX. Support will still be available until 2012 and Sage have indicated that version 4.5 of Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200 will continue to be backward compatible with FRX.
Sage have introduced a new tool for FRX users called Sage MAS Intelligence (SMI). This is a re-branded version of the Alchemex reporting tool which is already in widespread use by other ERP packages including Accpac.
However one potential stumbling block with adopting Sage MAS Intelligence is that existing FRX users have no utility to convert their reporting files. Until now.
Erik Kaas, Sage Director Product Management for the Sage MAS product line, has just revealed that a conversion utility is due at some undetermined point in the future:
Sage recently received permission from Microsoft that allows Sage to decrypt the proprietary FRx files. Sage will use this to create a utility that will help reduce the effort to migrate FRx reports into Sage MAS Intelligence. This utility will not “automagically” transform FRx files, but it should allow consultants or users familiar with FRx to more quickly recreate similar reports in SMI. We will be working on the utility but don’t have a specific release date yet. We’ll provide updates as we get closer to releasing
via Linkedin
Sage ERP MAS 90 or MAS 200 Upgrade Quote Request
January 26, 2011
We’re working to streamline our upgrade quote process.
If you’re seeking a quote to upgrade your existing Sage ERP MAS 90 or MAS 200 — and you are NOT already a Schulz Consulting client (Reseller of Record = Schulz Consulting) then please complete the form below.
Within 24 business hours we will contact you to provide an estimate of upgrade costs for your review.
If the estimate is acceptable to you then we will provide a written proposal.
Google Custom Search for MAS 90 Information
January 26, 2011
Are you tired of all the SPAM and self-serving information that appears when you search Google for technical information on MAS 90 or MAS 200? What if you could totally eliminate all but the most important Sage sites — and just search what Google has publicly indexed from Sage?
Well now you can. Here’s a quick and dirty Google Custom Search that reviews the public contents of your search results and limits the results only to those coming from Sage’s knowledgebase.
You won’t need to login or provide any other information – just search away!
How many users can I have on Sage ERP MAS 90 and Sage MAS 200?
January 25, 2011
One of the most frequently asked questions from new (and often existing) users of Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200 is around the maximum number of user who can simultaneously log into Sage ERP MAS 90 or Sage ERP MAS 200.
If you ask twenty consultants this question – you’re likely to receive twenty different answers.
I posed this question to five consultants who I trust. Interested in their responses?
How Many Users Can I have on Sage ERP MAS 90 or 200?
How To Convert FRX to Sage MAS Intelligence (SMI)
January 25, 2011
Struggling to convert your FRX financial reports to Sage MAS Intelligence (SMI)?
As you probably are aware, FRX was the reporting tool bundled with all versions of Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200. Starting in January 2011 Microsoft has stopped selling FRX. As of the end of 2012 FRX support will no longer be available. In response Sage have pledged to keep version 4.5 of Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200 backward compatible with FRX.
Beyond version 4.5 it’s anyone’s guess whether FRX will continue working with Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200. For this reason Sage have introduced a re-badged version of Alchemex (an Excel based report writer) as their FRX replacement. Marketed as Sage MAS Intelligence this reporting tool is being provided to every user of MAS.
Users of FRX have questioned whether their existing reports will migrate automatically to SMI. Unfortunately the answer ultimately is no. However Craig Juta from bxintelligence has posted this short 5 minute video that could give you an idea of the ease with which a person skilled with Excel can convert FRX reports.
FRX to Sage MAS Intelligence Conversion in 6 Steps (5 minute video)
