Sage Construction Anywhere - 2.3 Release Now Available

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.

CPA Technology Newsletter - 2013 Spring/Summer Edition

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

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:

1. 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
   
2.  Starting up tasks and reports run significantly faster
   
3. 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)
   
4. 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: 
5. When you’re in an Inquiry, you can now copy all your information into an Excel spreadsheet
   
6. Capability of dragging and dropping MS Outlook emails and attachments into any attachment window within Sage 300 CRE has been added
   
7. You can now send purchase orders, invoices and inventory costs directly to Job Cost and Accounts Payable, eliminating the previously required manual import routine
   
8. 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
   
9. 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.
   
10. 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

Beyond the Horizon: Sage Timberline Office Version 9.8 Release

Sage is gearing up for Timberline Office’s latest release, Version 9.8, which will feature several enhancements and performance improvements across the board to make the job of running your business easier.

The improvement of speed in starting up applications and tasks in v9.8 will save you hours in a week so you can spend your time more efficiently. Field reporting in Project Management, security improvement, along with workstation installation enhancements are other features to look forward to in the new release, scheduled for launch early fall of 2011.

Two major challenges of a majority of Timberline office users will be addressed: managing your workforce and credit card payment management. Reduce the time spent managing your employees and avoid costly claims and other employee related liabilities with proper HR documentation. With over 70 customizable forms, you can now easily hire, probate or terminate employees by automatically pre-filling these forms with information from your Timberline Payroll application. Better credit card management capabilities will now benefit businesses using corporate credit cards. You will be able to enter and distribute credit card receipts, reconcile credit card statements and create statement invoices in AP.
Look for more enhancements coming in 2012. Sage is looking to extend credit card management into broader electronic payment processing in Timberline Office. Continued enhancements in Accounting and Property Management, and improvement in business intelligence and forecasting tools are in the works as well.

[Download Timberline Office v9.8 Enhancements Brochure]
[Download Timberline Office v9.8 HR Documentation Manager Brochure]

Customers who are currently on a Sage Business Care software assurance plan will receive this release as part of their plan. For more information on Timberline Office v9.8, contact CPA Technology at (610) 862-1998 and speak to one of our Certified Timberline consultants.

Is the Cloud Ready Yet? Let's Ask the Accountants

This is a guest post from Hunter Richards of Software Advice. His original post comes with a survey about accountants' impressions of the cloud. Vote here: Is the Cloud Ready Yet? Let's Ask the Accountants.

Recent interviews with accounting professionals have revealed some lingering hestitations about cloud computing. Accountants aren’t yet fully convinced, but their doubts can be answered with improved products.

“I’m a firm believer in [the cloud] - I really am,” says Carolyn Duffy, who directs business advisory services for Hein & Associates. “But if I had some special legacy system, I would have to look at the integration issue.”
Similar concerns from accounting firms should get the attention of software makers, given these firms’ history of influencing the software-purchasing decisions of their clients. The list of may initially seem troubling for the cloud, but vendors are releasing new services and products that suggest future improvements.

Customization

“If you have a secret sauce in how you want to handle some orders or how you handle your pricing, then often times the cloud might not be the best way to do that,” says Doug Wiescinski, a partner at accounting firm Plante & Moran. 
Accountants often cite customization problems as a reason to avoid the cloud, but software vendors such as NetSuite and Intacct have already gotten the message and have built customization tools. As more of these hit the market, the process could be easier in the cloud than it’s ever been for on-premises systems.

Data Integration

“Every additional outsourced app brings another set of steps to go through to create and delete accounts and a new ID and password for the employee to have to remember,” says John Neall, chief information officer of accounting firm UHY. “That may not seem like a lot. But when you multiply that by the number of apps that employees are required to run, it becomes very time consuming just to maintain operations.”

Cloud applications have typically offered limited application programming interfaces (APIs), middleware and other integration tools that are widely available for on-premises systems. But a number of new middleware offerings, such as Informatica, SnapLogic and Dell’s Boomi, are beginning to fill the void with mature APIs and other products - so integration is also becoming more convenient.

Cost

“The pricing models [of the cloud] have been inconsistent,” says David McDonald, a senior managing consultant at BKD, another accounting firm. “Usually, once you get to the five-year range, your TCO is higher for the cloud versus on-premise. And you own nothing.”
Some accounting professionals warn that cloud systems can incur a higher total cost of ownership (TCO) than on-premises alternatives, despite its ability to save money with lower up-front costs. But the on-premises approach is often not an option for smaller firms without the up-front cash for professional IT resources. The nature of smaller, recurring payments actually empowers these businesses to use software when it’s otherwise impossible.

IT Staffing

“The added benefit of a team of [in-house] IT professionals that care about the business” can be much more valuable than services from “a vendor hosting thousands of other clients,” says UHY’s Neall. 
Accountants also recommend comparing outsourced IT services with the value of a dedicated in-house team. Businesses have a love-hate relationship with IT, so they may prefer to shift that function to the software vendor; this concern is unlikely to have a major deterrence effect.
Software selection is never easy, but moving to the cloud is looking better and better. If accounting firms’ current hesitations are any indication, then the doubts about cloud computing are more vulnerable than ever.