CPA Technology's Blog - Philadelphia & Beyond

Getting Ready For Year-End

2013-10-22T14:11:00.002-04:00

That dreaded time of year for most of our Sage 300 Construction and Real Estate clients is quickly approaching and will be here before you know it. One key to running a successful year-end is proper planning. Preparation is critical and part of the prepping is making sure you have the proper resources in place. Establishing a timetable or a having "to-do" list in place is helpful:

October: Schedule time with your consultant for year-end processing help.

Early November:
1) (Year-End Procedures Guide available )
2) Order your 2013 Tax forms at http://cpatechnologyforms.com (25% discount if ordered by November 8, 2013)
Early-Mid November: Enroll in Aatrix services
December: (Year-end updates available per download) Attend a year-end training class.
Late December: (2013 payroll tax update available)

Another key is making sure your key employees who are involved in the process commit to year-long education and training. Attending some of the many quality webinars, free breakfast meetings and classes that we offer help our clients achieve successful year-end processing. CPA Technology offers hands-on, interactive year-end training where participants can upload their own data and leave with “their finished product.” (Register here) Another important and necessary part of year-end preparation is ensuring your software is up-to-date (version 9.8 or later) and supports the 2013 year-end updates. With that being said, there are two important points which involve upgrading your year-end software that are often overlooked which could spell disaster in the end:

1) Not reading the release notes from Sage
We strongly recommend against aimlessly installing your software upgrade without going over any critical issues specified in the release notes from Sage and placing you company data at risk. Sage does a decent job in delineating any changes in database or file structures. It’s always crucial to backup your data. (Test your backups by restoring them to test folders. Periodic testing of your backup system is important because backup media has a limited life, backup devices may malfunction, and the backup software settings may have changed). In case of a mistake or a computer failure during the upgrading procedures, you can quickly restore your data and perform the procedures again, saving valuable time and headaches.

2) Not hiring a Certified Consultant

Don’t lose sight of the big picture. A fair amount of customers think they will save money by attempting an upgrade themselves by not bringing a Certified Consultant in to help. For an upgrade, this is penny wise, penny foolish. Certified Consultants are well-versed on the pitfalls during the upgrade process and knowledgeable in navigating around a potential pricey setback. Getting the upgrade done correctly the first time will avoid more costly problems (and necessary fixes) down the road.

A year end resource page with helpful tips & tricks will be on our website shortly at www.cpatechnology.net. Year end can be a potentially smooth and trouble-free process with proper planning and year-end training. Now is the time to get started!

Sage Construction Anywhere - 2.3 Release Now Available

2013-07-24T10:16:00.001-04:00

Sage Construction Anywhere just became even more robust with the newest capabilities added to the recent 2.3 release. In addition to performance and usability enhancements, supervisors now have a more efficient way to collect and track time through a brand-new Cost Code view within the Time service. Project Files have also been added to the Sage Construction mobile app giving field personnel greater flexibility in accessing vital project documents on iOS, and soon Android, mobile devices. The efficiency of employees communicating from the field increases with these new features:

Cost Code View—An Efficient New Way to Record and Track Time

The new Cost Code view within the Time service provides supervisors and time approvers several new capabilities. They can enter, review, approve, and modify submitted time for a group of employees on a single screen, without the need to switch between multiple windows. The Cost Code view expedites the time collection and approval process, freeing staff from administrative tasks and allowing them to focus on other high-priority items. Furthermore, time worked can now be filtered for viewing by specific cost codes to alert supervisors to the potential for labor overages on the job.

Sage Construction Mobile App Now Includes Project Files

The addition of Project Files to the Sage Construction mobile app makes it quick and easy for field personnel to upload and access vital project documents directly from their iOS, and soon Android, devices while at the job site. For example, a field employee can take a picture of the job site with their iPhone and immediately upload it using the intuitive Sage Construction app, giving the team at the office instant access to the latest project updates. Conversely, this on-the-spot access at the job site provides foremen and superintendents the details they need from the office to ensure the work is done correctly, the first time. To further streamline field-to-office communication, the Sage Construction app has also been enhanced with additional functionality to make dialing, emailing, or texting project contacts easy—right from the app.”

The Payroll Time Review page includes usability enhancements that improve the review and approval process
Time Entry Review widgets on the Home Page are improved
Status names for time entries now better describe the current entry status
Licensing terminology is simplified to "Basic" and "Advanced"
The site has additional user interface improvements

If this is a solution that would benefit your business, CPA Technology can help. Contact Fred Gaasche at (610) 862-0039.

Top Ten Reasons To Upgrade to Sage 100 ERP 2013

2013-05-21T14:41:00.000-04:00

In a recent blog post, we listed for our readers the top ten reasons why Sage 300 Construction and Real Estate users should upgrade their software, so it’s only fair we did the same thing for Sage 100 ERP (formerly Sage MAS 90) users. To those who are still running under a previous version (4.4 or 4.5), Sage is recommending those users to upgrade to start utilizing the benefits in Sage 100 ERP 2013 with the new connected services and add-on solutions. Substantial value is provided in the newest release through new additional usability enhancements such as Visual Process Flows, delivering on top enhancement requests, simplifying application of Sage 100 ERP Product Updates via Auto Updates, enhanced Credit Card Processing using Sage Exchange, and much more.

And, as late night talk show host, David Letterman would say, “now presenting tonight’s top ten list of why you should upgrade to Sage 100 ERP 2013, ladies and gentleman; here we go – Number 10:

10- Reduce time navigating through your system using Visual Process Flows, which you can customize for our business, and by user role.

9- Simplify the process of matching vendor invoices by using expanded Accounts Payable Invoice Number field.

8- Experience increased flexibility of credit card processing through Sage Exchange including card-swipe capabilities, charges for repetitive invoices and Accounts Receivable invoices, and more.

7- Efficiently designate customers and vendors as Inactive without losing historical information.

6- Streamline bank reconciliation by viewing relevant bank information in convenient places, such as cleared checks in Accounts Payable Vendor Maintenance.

5- Easily design new reports and modify existing ones using new Intelligence Reporting Report Designer enhancements.

4- Align multiple ERP companies or divisions to a single CRM database.

3- Process Sage 100 ERP quotes and orders in the familiar Sage CRM environment through Quick Order Entry screens without installing Sage 100 ERP on the workstation.

2- Efficiently and cost effectively manage your shipping process and streamline rate shopping.

1- Simplify your software update process using the new Sage Advisor Update console.

What's New in Sage 100 ERP 2013 (Download brochure)

CPA Technology Newsletter - 2013 Spring/Summer Edition

2013-04-29T13:19:00.001-04:00

April showers bring May flowers and warmer temperatures. Hot off the press is the Spring/Summer edition of CPA Technology’s newsletter chock full of important information regarding recent updates, new products and upcoming events.

Take a look!

Click to read

Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Upgrade Your Sage 300 Software

2013-04-23T12:39:00.001-04:00

Now that Sage 300 Construction and Real Estate 2013 (formerly Timberline Office) has been released, many of you are deciding whether or not it’s time to make the jump. CPA Technology wants our customers to get the most from their software investment. Besides CPA Technology’s continuing training and Certified Sage Consulting services, the features and capabilities of the software itself is key to making your operations run smoothly. The enhancements incorporated in this newest release will help simplify your tasks and help you work more efficiently saving valuable time. Compiled is a list of the top reasons why you should upgrade to Sage 300 CRE 2013:

Modern, sleek menu styling and improved screen design enhances the user experience. Some windows such as AP Select to Pay windows support re-sizing for better usability

Starting up tasks and reports run significantly faster

The system provides a more proactive way to track and manage critical subcontractor and vendor compliance items (including lien wavers, weekly certified reports, insurance certificates and more)

Initiate electronic payment of vendor invoices using AP (you can also choose to pay vendors by check or electronic payment)

Sharing information across systems is easier:

When you’re in an Inquiry, you can now copy all your information into an Excel spreadsheet

Capability of dragging and dropping MS Outlook emails and attachments into any attachment window within Sage 300 CRE has been added

You can now send purchase orders, invoices and inventory costs directly to Job Cost and Accounts Payable, eliminating the previously required manual import routine

Office Connector report templates can now be added to the Sage 300 CRE report menu, providing easier access and an improved method for viewing/working with your data in Excel

You are now able to deactivate vendors you no longer work with in a single click. Doing this, they will no longer appear in the software’s drop-down lists. Easily reactivate a vendor at any time with a single click.

With integrated online access to guaranteed compliant state and federal forms, you’ll have access to the most current forms. Built-in integration to eFile services through Aatrix simplifies your tax filing process.

Download a Sage 300 Construction and Real Estate whitepaper

Sage Construction Anywhere Enhanced Capabilities - Coming Soon

2013-02-12T11:04:00.000-05:00

With a new monthly subscription fee-based model on the horizon for Sage Construction Anywhere customers, Sage is paving the way for businesses to leverage the efficiency of the cloud in their organizations. Beginning in March of 2013, Sage Construction Anywhere will be offering two new valuable services: Time and Project Files. (Now Available!)

Time – Tackles one of the most common areas of opportunity for construction companies; visibility to labor costs and profitability. By strengthening field-to-office communication and offering new capabilities to collect, review and approve employee timecard information, Sage will address this challenge with this newest enhancement. Employees and supervisors can use an iPhone or Android app to quickly and easily submit employee time worked on a project and link it to activities performed (cost codes). Submitted time can then be reviewed and approved using the mobile app or online in Sage Construction Anywhere. Once finalized, the Payroll department can share the approved time with Sage CRE Payroll and Job Cost. Automating time collection and approval speeds up companies access to accurate, complete Payroll information, and to the Job Costing information needed to spot potential labor issues and profit erosion sooner.

Project Files – Makes it effortless to provide project teams online access to share and retrieve project documents, drawing and photos. With a central location for sharing and storing all files, everyone has access to the latest information available when planning and acting, including field staff. Foremen and superintendent have on-the-spot access while at the site ensuring they have all the details needed to make sure the work is done correctly the first time.

See Sage Construction Anywhere in action:

With the existing Project Reports service, Sage Construction Anywhere users can access Sage 300 project reports through any mobile device or PC. Integrating these newest enhancements, Sage 300 is dedicated to helping customers take their business to the next level. For more information Sage Construction Anywhere, call CPA Technology and talk to Fred at 610-862-0039.

CPA Technology will hold its 100th Breakfast Meeting this March!

2013-01-22T15:41:00.004-05:00

For those of you who are familiar with CPA Technology's monthly user groups, aka, "Breakfast Meetings", you know that they are a valuable service for our customers that give you "free access" to a Certified Sage Consultant to answer any questions you may have on the given topic for that particular session. As a free service to our clients, CPA Technology holds these Breakfast Meetings each month at their Sage Authorized Training Center for Sage 300 Construction and Real Estate (formerly Timberline Office) users with a different topic for each session.

On March 12, 2013, CPA Technology will be celebrating their 100th Breakfast Meeting with an extended event (3 hours, instead of their normal 2), from 8 AM - 11 AM. There will be fantastic door prizes (must be in attendance at the training center!), a special breakfast and all of our Certified Consultants will be on hand to answer questions. This event is being held in conjunction with the release of Sage 300 Construction and Real Estate 2013. Software enhancements will be discussed along with customizing the Desktop, ACH capabilities in Accounts Payable, Purchasing & Inventory's integration with Job Cost and an introduction to Sage Construction Anywhere in the Cloud.

If you are interested in attending, registration is required:
REGISTER HERE

Featured Enhancements for Sage Estimating (SQL) 2013

2012-10-26T12:47:00.003-04:00

Sage Estimating customers who are current on their Sage Business Care plan are able to benefit from the new management and security features in the newest release of Sage Estimating (SQL) 2013 coming soon this fall. Keep a look out for an availability notice and download instructions emailed in the next few weeks.

With the analysis and productivity capabilities necessary to be competitive in today's market, the improvements in this release include:

Role-based and estimate level security for better management of your estimating data.
Personalized and shared spreadsheet templates saving yourself and team members valuable time.
Estimate management capabilities from within Sage Estimating provides easy access to summarized or detailed information for better analysis on individual or groups of estimates.
and more....

[View a whitepaper]

Construction and Manufacturing Software Are Not Created Equal

2012-10-11T15:28:00.001-04:00

As a provider of business software solutions for the construction and manufacturing industries, we come across many contractors that manufacture most, if not all of their products they install and/or service for their customers. Those businesses shopping around for an integrated accounting solution are often baffled by which direction to go. Finding construction accounting software that covers both facets of the business is not as easy as it sounds. I came across a great article recently that points out the issues those companies should consider when making a purchasing decision:

Construction Software Is Not The Same As Manufacturing Software
by David Kraft

In today's world, it is fairly common to come across a contractor that also manufactures some or all of the products that they install for their customers. Custom cabinets are a common example, as are some structural steel and low voltage products. Companies that fall in to this category that are looking for new software often have assembly job shops that design custom pieces and a separate installation department that installs the products at a customer's site. These companies especially can benefit from new construction software that allows for the most accurate estimating and quoting capabilities.

Unfortunately, finding a piece of construction accounting software that covers both sides of the business is not as easily done as it is said. Although both sides of the business deal with job cost, there are several issues that arise when trying to integrate the two sides with one piece of software.

For example, manufacturing jobs involve a separate set of constraints than construction jobs. In manufacturing, you often deal with work centers, machinery, and individuals that carry out the manufacturing process. These job shops often have to rush jobs, change schedules, or make other changes on the fly based on priority shifts. Having software that is flexible enough to deal with these sudden changes is imperative in a manufacturing situation. However, this is not the case with construction jobs. Construction projects generally involve longer lead times and have to consider variables such as subcontractor scheduling that make quick and extreme changes in plans very difficult, if not impossible to pull off.

Second, manufacturing and construction differ in the way that cost accounting works. Manufacturing projects track direct labor, materials, and a set overhead allocation when calculating job cost. These job costs are accumulated as the project moves forward from one work center to another. These costs are tracked on the balance sheet as assets until the job is shipped off, meaning that inventory costs constantly change as projects move along. Manufacturers also need to know the current progress of a job to tell customers when the project will be complete and delivered.

Construction projects, on the other hand, recognize revenue and costs on a percentage complete or job complete basis.

Most contractors do not record costs until they are actually billed for them, regardless of whether or not the labor has been completed. They are concerned with the cost to date of a project in relation to the estimated budget for the project and monitor under or over billing based on the percentage of the job complete and the percentage of the estimated cost incurred to date. This kind of cost break down simply does not work in a manufacturing environment.

Construction software will record costs in a linear fashion as the job moves along. These costs can be captured and tracked in real time with the right combination of software and processes.

Another difference between construction and manufacturing sides of a business is that the construction side often has to deal with project management issues such as RFIs, change orders, and submittals. These things are simply not relevant in manufacturing but must be accounted for in a construction accounting package. Construction software also allows for progress billing, which is not necessary in manufacturing.

Last of all, manufacturing jobs require quotes that involve a bill of materials which is not usually done in a construction job. Manufacturers like to use software to keep track of things such as change orders, revision histories, and drawings that are not covered by construction software.

Therefore, although manufacturing and construction companies both deal with 'job cost,' the term refers to different things in the two companies. As a result, it is necessary to separate construction software and manufacturing software.

About the Author: David Kraft writes articles to help companies in construction, manufacturing, medical, and accounting industries select new software. Learn more about construction software at http://www.ctsguides.com/construction-accounting-software.asp

The Release of Sage Timberline Office 2013

2012-09-07T14:19:00.001-04:00

The upcoming scheduled 2013 update for Sage Timberline Office is the first of several sweeping changes coming your way for the remainder of 2012. It is evident that Sage is resolute to "making a grand entrance" with the upcoming release in concurrence with its official name change to Sage 300 Construction & Real Estate. This release promises to be chock-full of useful enhancements, many of which assures to improve the user experience.

Along with a user interface uplift with screen-size enlargement and increased spacing, Sage has boosted Tasks and Reports performance with improved task start-up and better reporting speed for selected reports. More featured enhancements include the ability to generate Accounts Payable electronic payments with Automated Clearing House (ACH) Payment Processing and keeping inactive AP vendors from showing up on drop-down lists and selected reports with a simple checkbox. Other highlights underway include:

Outlook integration supporting the ability to "drag-and-drop" emails/attachments within Sage Timberline Office
Inquiry View Export to Excel
Bing map integration
"Direct Write" integration to Accounts Payable and Job Cost (replacing the previous Import routine)
Electronic updates to Government Forms and integrated eFile services (via the Aatrix eFile Center)
Added capabilities to allow for more proactive ways of managing subcontractor certification and compliance
...and more!

Like It Or Not, Cloud Computing Is Here To Stay

2012-08-17T09:09:00.001-04:00

Can you believe the Iphone was introduced in 2007 a mere 5 years ago and now it is so ingrained in our culture that our children appear as though they were born with advanced degrees in "I" skills. Technology changes rapidly and the producers name the tune while we, as the consumers, must dance to their song. We are the recipients of an overload of electronics and choices. Frequently accompanying those is sheer confusion deciding over which platform or device is best. But this is true; the Internet provides a platform for us all to communicate, regardless of what we use to access the Information Highway.

Three points were being made above. First, we are the consumers; how we compute is driven by what innovations and options are offered to us by the producers. Second, businesses hoping to prosper cannot ignore change, but must embrace it. Mobile device sales are surpassing traditional computer sales. Last, the Internet is indeed the infrastructure by which we are all connected. It only makes sense in this mobile society that we find the quickest, most efficient way to access our daily digital needs. Pursuant to that, the producer’s philosophy has done a complete 180 in how they see infrastructure. Here we go again. It's like the mainframe revolution all over again, where things are centrally located and shared.

The thinking is that centralized storage and applications are most cost-effectively accessed by folks all going to the Internet (a central point), as opposed to using the Internet to get to their private domains in their office. When you take that in conjunction with the speed in which most people can connect to the Internet along with the universal tools available for accessing the internet, there is a natural convergence towards placing our computing resources there - at one central access point. It makes some sense and there is a strong argument that there is a high ROI for companies that abandon the idea that they need everything in-house. We can all understand it is cheaper to have one big server than lots of little ones. I am not here to make the ROI argument. I have one of those CPA degrees so my answer is "What do you want the number to be?" The truth is that the producers are developing more and more applications built on this cloud concept and an increasing number of consumers need get access to corporate and personal information on-the-go. Seems like a win-win to me, but many folks out there are uncertain if the time is right to make a leap into cyberspace with what was traditionally locked up in the computer room.

Clearly the answer is not the same for everyone and each company should evaluate their workflow, their workforce, and the costs of the various components. There is a lot of due diligence to be done in regard to providers and the language of their contracts, not to mention the security of your data. I and others have offered volumes of information and experience on the critical questions in considering such a leap...but the point today is that if you think change is bad, obsolescence is deadly. Software as a service, and cloud/mobile computing are here to stay and it behooves an organization to start including discussions of how to adapt and transition from the pervasive server/client "wintel" world. Act now because applications from backup to proprietary products are being run from external computer centers across the globe, and the Internet has become the destination, not the highway.

Business. Anywhere. Anytime. Made possible by Sage.

2012-08-16T08:10:00.001-04:00

For those in the "industry", I'm sure you all can relate. Pretty self-explanatory. What a great product. And Sage, what a great video.

We have brochures on this product. Call CPA Technology at 610-862-0039 to find out more.

What's the deal???

2012-08-10T13:01:00.001-04:00

Here’s the deal….for Sage Construction & Real Estate customers who have been contemplating purchasing more licenses for their system, now is the time to save! Purchase two user licenses and get one free. Customers can mix and match any two user licenses to receive an extra one at no cost. But hurry though, offer ends September 27, 2012! Call Fred at CPA Technology at 610-862-0039.

***

What else is going on? Stay informed and read the latest CPA Technology newsletter for the latest news, updates and helpful tips & tricks!

Get the news here!

Go Where The Work Takes You With Sage Construction Anywhere

2012-05-07T13:16:00.001-04:00

Purchase the Sage Construction Anywhere cloud service between now and June 28, 2012, receive your first 3 months free, and the next 6 months at half price. Call Fred at CPA Technology at (610) 862-0039.

New from Sage Construction and Real Estate, Sage Construction Anywhere will make it easy for you to execute tasks and access critical project information no matter where you are. These web-based, construction/real estate management-specific services will extend the reach of your data in Sage Timberline Office*.

Today's construction companies need to be more collaborative, using technology to connect all project team members—from subs to general contractors to owners—in one central location. With web-based, secure and timely exchange of project information, you and the Sage network of more than 40,000 customers will be able to better manage your projects, communicate between team members and vendors, and deliver information whenever and wherever it's needed—in the office, on the jobsite, or at a client's office. Call CPA Technology at (610) 862-1998 for more information.

Product Features	Benefits
Project reporting—request and delivery	Save time, improve decisions, and enhance client service with mobile access to project reporting that provides project team members with real-time access to job cost and project management information.
*Connector for Sage Timberline Office (becoming Sage 300 Construction and Real Estate)**	Ensure that key financial and project information is secure both behind your firewall and in the cloud.
Powerful user management	Use role-based security access to easily control who can view project information, ensuring the right information gets to the right people.
Security and scalability	Built on Microsoft's industry-leading cloud services platform, Microsoft^© Windows Azure™, Sage Construction Anywhere leverages state-of-the-art data center technology.
Project maps	Gain efficiencies with map functionality that allows access to job site addresses, directions, and related project reports.
Simple to set up, simple to use	An easy-to-use interface allows the field to be productive right away and without training. Make a seamless transition to a solution that protects your current investment and infrastructure.

Protect Your Most Valuable Investment....Your Business

2012-04-20T12:28:00.001-04:00

With a broad reliance on the Internet for today's businesses, harmful events such as network attacks, data breaches and other malicious threats require companies to adopt proactive security systems and processes. Information security threats range from inquisitive prowlers to technologically sophisticated hackers with insider information. It is essential that organizations implement an information technology security and backup solution plan in order to maintain and improve their exposure.

As a Preferred Certified Partner of Barracuda Network’s award-winning security, networking and storage solutions, CPA Technology’s experienced IT experts can plan and implement a custom-designed Security Architecture Plan for your network.

Whatever the security issue, you need to be protected. It's no longer a matter of preference, it is a matter of survival.

View available solutions here ...

MyAssistant for Timberline Office Releases Its Latest Version

2012-04-11T15:59:00.000-04:00

Sage has announced the release of the latest version of MyAssistant (9.8.1) for Timberline Office. Compatible with Timberline Office versions 9.7 & 9.8, the latest release features many enhancements and new features:

- Enhanced performance in Running Tasks and Viewing Notifications
- From the Notification Viewer, the ability to export Sage Timberline Office data to Excel
- A new Reminder feature that tells MyAssistant to remind you of a particular Notification in "X" days
- A new All Notifications button in the Notification Quickviewer that allows you to see all notifications
- A new Insert Picture feature that allows you to include your logo or other images in MyAssistant email messages
- A new option to freeze columns to the right or left has been added to the Notification Viewer
- When you run a Task from the MyAssistant Tile, the Notification Viewer opens automatically displaying the newly generated notifications.

As far as the release schedule is concerned, new customers who purchased MyAssistant as of December 16 should receive the release this week and all existing MyAssistant customers will receive the release in late April. Give CPA Technology a call at (610) 862-1998 for more information.

The Latest...Right from the Comforts of Your Own Office Chair

2012-03-30T16:01:00.002-04:00

With businesses trying to catch up to a slow recovering economy, competition is fiercer than ever. A lot of folks are looking for better solutions to handle their business operations but are just too busy to leave and cannot afford to leave the confines of their office. Well, CPA Technology has got you covered! We've added monthly interactive, live web demonstrations on some of the best solutions out on the market today. The webcasts provide a great opportunity for those to see key product features in action with a chance to get answers to any questions you may have from an expert.

Here are some of the webcasts on tap for the upcoming months:

Sage MAS 90 Distribution Management
April 4, 2012
9:00 - 10:00 AM
Register

Sage Fixed Assets - Fixed Asset Management
May 2, 2012
10:00 - 11:00 AM
Register

Barracuda Security & Backup
June (Date & Time TBA)

Spring/Summer 2012 CPA Technology Newsletter - Vol. VII

2012-03-05T12:50:00.003-05:00

While this mild winter has been welcomed with open arms, the buds on the trees and bushes mark a hint of the upcoming spring season. With that, CPA Technology has just released the 2012 Spring/Summer Volume 7 newsletter filled with important customer updates and upcoming events you don’t want to miss. The focus on this edition is the approaching Sage product rebranding, as it applies to all of our valuable customers. We have been working closely with Sage and are committed to bringing our clients and prospects the most up-to-date news about this change.

So grab your cup o’ joe and get ready for some informative reads.

"Informative Reads" here:

Spring/Summer 2012 CPA Technology Newsletter - "The Net"

Sage ERP & Sage CRM Integrated Solutions: The Complete Picture

2012-02-22T13:02:00.006-05:00

A CRM (Customer Relationship Management) solution helps establish a positive, consistent experience when customers interact with your company. An ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system helps you manage the financial and operational aspects of your business. Linking these systems together can create new ways to increase customer satisfaction, improve cash flow, save time, and earn a better return on your investments in sales, marketing and customer service activities. With Sage CRM and Sage ERP integration right out of the box, companies can quickly and easily create seamless workflows between the front and back office.

When these two powerful solutions are combined, your employees company-wide have access to all the information they need in order to provide customers with exceptional service, without delays. In sales, your staff can easily check the availability of stock across different locations and check the real-time status of orders without having to log on to different systems or call someone in another department. Your sales team also benefits from instant access to comprehensive customer information, easily retrieving real-time status on orders, availability of stock, invoices, customer payment history and more. The integration also allows your marketing team a greater insight into the customer base. Better promotional campaigns and offers can be designed with the information they can retrieve about buying trends, suitable target markets and other customer purchasing behavior. Finely tuned marketing programs can lead to higher response rates and new leads.

To find out more how your company can build a better purchasing experience for your customers, click here for a brochure or speak to Fred at CPA Technology at (610) 862-0039.

Sage Changes Branding - What This Means To Your Business

2011-12-14T13:45:00.001-05:00

Throughout Sage’s history, their commitment to customers has been at the center of everything they do. As a Sage Authorized reseller, CPA Technology’s objective is to reflect their commitment onto our customers in order to help them reach their business goals.

Sage will be extending that commitment further in the upcoming new year with enhanced products, new services, and productivity-enhancing features. One of the most visible elements affecting our customers will be the introduction of new names for Sage products that will make clear which products are most appropriate to complement the Sage solutions you are using today, and which may be available to support your business as it grows.

As part of Sage’s brand strategy, a new product numbering system will be put into place (think of some of the luxury car brands). If you see any of these names floating around, you will know which they apply to:

Sage Timberline Office is becoming Sage 300 Construction and Real Estate
Sage Master Builder is becoming Sage 100 Contractor.
Sage Timberline Enterprise is becoming Sage 300 Trade Specialty.
Sage MAS 90 is becoming Sage 100 Standard ERP.
Sage MAS 200 is becoming Sage 100 Advanced ERP.

Please be assured that during this transition, there will be no interruption to your current services or subscriptions and your present applications will continue to work as they have been.

For more information, visit http://www.sagenorthamerica.com/Company/Brand for FAQ’s and more.

Sage MAS 90 Reaches the Cloud

2011-11-18T10:48:00.000-05:00

Keep your eye in the sky because Sage ERP MAS 90 Online is currently scheduled to be released the fourth week of November. This release will provide small businesses the ability to get up and running quickly while still getting many of the known strengths of the on-premise Sage MAS 90/200 product line. Can you use your existing customized reports or create new reports within Sage ERP MAS 90 Online? Certainly. Your customized reports are supported within the Sage ERP MAS 90 Online environment.

Included is a powerful suite of modules ranging from financial and accounting, business intelligence, reporting, and operations, to distribution and light assembly. With the benefits of the cloud, this solution is ideal for an organization with a workforce spread across multiple locations, enabling mobile flexibility, and the ability to centralize key functions like accounting and operations on a standardized back-office solution. Your Sage MAS 90 Online system and corporate data are kept secure with hosting and management in an extremely secure data center with high levels of redundancy, backup, and monitoring.

Sage MAS 90 Online enables you to get your system up and running quickly with affordable monthly payments for the system which includes backup services, access to the Knowledgebase, and basic support. Call CPA Technology at (610) 862-1998 for more details.

Sage ERP MAS 90 Online FAQ's

More on the CFMA and Sage Partnership...

2011-10-05T10:28:00.002-04:00

Some things just go so well together. Sage's partnership with the Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA) aims to deliver up-to-date, relevant, educational content to fulfill the specialized learning needs of financial managers working in the construction industry. Here is the latest:
{Read the press release}

Options for Digital Takeoff: Which solution is right for you?

2011-09-22T15:30:00.001-04:00

Working with blueprints and schematics can be an extremely time-consuming and costly part of doing business nowadays. Having to rely upon your ruler and calculator to takeoff linear feet, square feet and individual counts compromises accuracy due to human error. What’s the solution? A visual electronic takeoff software interface, making doing your takeoffs faster and easier. CAD files can automatically be transferred into the software, paper drawings can be scanned, plan room files can be used or digital photographs can be taken where Digital Takeoff’s intelligence will be sure that things are scaled correctly. Digitizers are still prevalent but more folks are moving to digital takeoff because it is less expensive and want to get rid of the “bulk”, saving desk space.

Two popular digital takeoff packages are on the market which integrates wonderfully with your Sage Estimating application. PlanSwift requires minimal setup before you can begin using. The integration embeds the Estimating Items and Assemblies directly into the PlanSwift user interface. OnScreen Takeoff’s integration requires “upfront” database configuration before using, however, resulting in reusable mappings and a more automated approach or generating estimates. So which package is right for your business?

There are two qualifying questions to ask:
Does your organization have internal resources dedicated to regular database maintenance and ongoing refinement? If yes, the initial database mapping work required with OnScreen Takeoff will result in a powerful automation tool for your estimating department. If you answered no, the quicker and lower upfront investment in implementation would be PlanSwift.

How price sensitive are you when shopping for such a package? For smaller companies on a tight budget with limited resources, PlanSwift should be considered. For larger companies that can invest more into the software and implementation, OnScreen Takeoff may be the appropriate choice.

To aid in choosing which the right package is for your business, listed below are some of the features in each:

OnScreen Takeoff

Improve takeoff productivity
Improve communication (change orders, plan addendums, etc.) between owners, architects, project manager and estimators
Manage bids (takeoff projects) electronically and check status and other project details
View, measure and annotate electronic plans
Calculate simple or complex lengths, areas and volumes
Keep track of takeoff. It it’s colored, it’s counted.
Store up to three values of each condition (example, LF, SF and CY)
Backout dimensions
Auto count
Takeoff summary tab showing detailed audit of takeoff
Worksheet tab allows manual entry of Labor, Material and Subcontract amounts
Ability to view multiple pages at once
Overlay feature saves time with exhaustive plan review using color coding for deleted and added items
Hot links can be strategically placed within secondary views such as elevation to provide supplemental information
Measure and draw takeoff directly on your display via interactive pen (w/ On Center’s Digital Takeoff Table 2)
Project Express. Now estimators can easily share very large bids for free (up to 100 mb) via the internet.

PlanSwift

Get rid of paper plans all together
Works with all major CAD and image file types
Scan in or download plans
Level feature (plans scanned in crooked)
Easily navigate through plans
Just point-and-click to calculate areas, linears and counts
Calculates curved walls and arcs and cut-outs
Undo
Automatically calculates roof pitches
Identify takeoffs easily by labels and colors
Track changes with comparative plan overlays
Share plans (email) or individual pages with others
Hyperlink to URL or other plan pages
Export to Excel/2010 compatibility
14-day free trial

On "Virtual Newstands" Now! Fall/Winter 2011 CPA Technology Newsletter

2011-09-14T15:33:00.002-04:00

If you've been wondering what "good read" to immerse yourself in during your lunch breaks...here's your answer!

The latest issue of CPA Technology's newsletter is on "virtual newstands" now! Included in this issue is important information on both recent and upcoming software updates and helpful tips for preparing for year-end.

Read it here!

This just in! Sage and the CFMA Team Up for Unprecedented Partnership

2011-09-08T12:11:00.000-04:00

Sage just announced a new partnership between Sage CRE and the Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA), an international professional non-profit association focused on the educational needs of financial professionals in the construction industry. With Sage CRE becoming a major sponsor of CFMA, the acceleration of development of timely, relevant educational content will fulfill the specialized learning needs of thousands of financial managers and professionals within the construction industry.

Through this partnership, Sage will sponsor many of the existing CFMA educational programs, as well as fund the establishment of the Sage Educational Fellowship which will develop new educational programs, opening many more learning opportunities to its association members and the broader construction community.