Time is Money!

We all know the phrase “Time is money,” but have you ever stopped to figure out how much it costs when a job runs late?  Say a $1 million project is scheduled to last 40 days. That’s $25,000 per day. If the project runs 10% over (that’s just four extra days!), it will cost an additional $100,000 (four days times $25,000 per day). On most jobs, that would represent the job’s entire profit! In addition, there’s also the opportunity cost—what is lost from not working on other projects because of working on this one.

Increasing efficiency and accuracy and eliminating redundancy is part of what's required to deliver quality work on time and within budget. The backbone to a successful construction/contracting company is a strong, robust software package that can handle all of the business operations: accounting, estimating, project management and service.

Saving time means saving money. Save time and resources by adding more licenses or more tools (modules) which allow for more workstations be put to use and an increase in productivity. Now between September 30, 2011, current Sage CRE customers can take advantage of a deal where the more they buy, the more they save. Not only on their wallets but in time in managing projects.

Purchase (2) add-on/add-uses --> Receive a 10% discount
Purchase (3) add-on/add-uses --> Receive a 15% discount
Purchase (4) or more add-on/add-uses --> Receive a 20% discount

Sage is also extending a special offer to NEW Sage CRE customers with 0% financing now through September 23, 2011. 

Sage Timberline Office Receives Top Honor

With the past recession, it’s no secret that it put a hurting on the construction industry. Construction companies and contractors are looking at ways to improve efficiency, maximize profits and win more bids in order to stay alive - one of these ways is looking for a more powerful and capable software package to handle their accounting and operations. The CPA Practice Advisor has completed a review of several Construction and Accounting systems out on the market to aid construction and contracting businesses in their selection process.

In their 2011 review, the products varied widely, from out-of-the box entry-level construction products to top-line, comprehensive construction and contractor products that offer everything from in-depth financial capability to the ability to access the system from anywhere, to color-coded service boards that track service calls and technicians in the field.  This year, the CPA Practice Advisor has ranked Sage Timberline Office with five stars based on the criteria below: 

• Basic System Functions (ease of use, customization capability, multi-location/remote access capability and supported platforms)
• Core Accounting Capabilities (focusing on the four main core modules – GL, AP, AR and PR, the availability of additional accounting modules and audit trail functionality and user security)
• Construction/Contractor-specific Features (availability of tools – estimating, project management, inventory and purchasing, etc. and contractor-specific features such as dispatch & scheduling, equipment management and integration with GPS devices)
• Reporting & Management Tools (reporting options, alerts and dashboards, Document Management integration and employee/contractor time-tracking)
• Integration/Import/Export (ability to import/export data from other applications, add-on module availability, integration with industry necessities such as estimating tools)
• Help/Support (available Help options, accessibility of system updates, training/support options) 

You can find more on CPA Practice Advisor’s review on Sage Timberline Office here.

The Next Generation of Award-Winning Estimating Software

The accuracy of your estimates can make the difference between profit and no profit. Sage Timberline Office Estimating is a completely integrated, single-source estimating solution that automates and streamlines the entire estimating process so you can create tighter and more accurate estimates. Better still, it easily adapts to your changing needs so you can always improve overall operational efficiencies as your business demands evolve. When it comes to the flexibility and power you need to increase speed and accuracy of your bids, only Sage Timberline Office Estimating provides mid-sized contractors, real estate developers, and specialty contractors with the confidence they need to stand behind their numbers.

The long-anticipated SQL Server-based Sage Timberline Estimating (11.1) is now available. Of course, the current version of Sage Timberline Office's Estimating software will continue to be supported.  The new Sage Timberline Estimating solution will have an updated and modern user interface as well as some new features not in the current Estimating software.  Along with it comes a fresh user interface focused around tasks and workflows for increased productivity and a Pervasive to SQL Server Migration tool. 

For current Timberline Office Estimating customers on a current support plan, you can choose to continue on your current Estimating software and receive updates as you do today, or you can opt to migrate to the new Sage Timberline Estimating software (SQL Express) for free.  If you decide to migrate but are not on a current support plan, by signing up for a support plan today, you’ll be eligible for the free migration to the new Sage Timberline Estimating solution.


If you would like more information on this release, give CPA Technology a call at (610) 862-1998.

Hop Into Spring Savings!

Be sure not to miss out on Sage's newest Spring promotion.  New and current customers* can receive 0% financing (dependent upon credit approval) for any Sage Timberline Office, Sage Estimating, Sage Master Builder or Sage Timberline Enterprise purchase. Current customers can choose from the 0% financing offer or take 15% off any order over $3,000.  Hurry though...offer lasts now until June 24, 2011!

Call CPA Technology for more details (610) 862-1998

(* Does not apply to third-party or off-schedule applications. Customers must be on an active service plan at the time of purchase.)

Read CPA Technology's Spring/Summer 2011 Newsletter - "The Net"

Flowers are blooming, the birds are chirping and our beloved baseball season is finally upon us once again. So when you're sitting outside during your lunch break getting some of that fresh springtime air or lounging on your favorite chair on the beach listening to the ocean waves, grab some interesting reading. Yes, folks, CPA Technology's latest newsletter is published. And here it is!

Read it here!

"The Net"Vol. V

March is here...bring out the "green!"

If you've thought about enhancing your Sage Timberline Office or Master Builder system, now is the time to do it. You're in luck...through the month of March, Sage is running a promotion where current customers can save up to 25% on additional modules or user licenses. Spending a little bit of the "green" can go a long way when it comes to building productivity.

->  10% off one additional module or user license
->  15% off two additional modules or user licenses
->  20% off three additional modules or user licenses
->  25% off four or more additional modules or user licenses

* Folks taking advantage of this deal must be on an active service plan.

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.