New features include…

• One click emailing of invoices, Sales/Purchases Orders via a default layout
• Better bank reconciliation with the ability to make payments/receipts without exiting the module
• Improved journals include an ex-ref column to include extra information when entering
• Departments are now included in customer/supplier line activity
• Improved Citrix support

If you are interested in upgrading your Sage Accounts software, please contact Malcolm or James on 071 9146815 or email sales@synergynet.ie.

You have already taken the difficult step of setting up a business and are using either manual books or a spreadsheet to record your transactions. You realise that you could be getting better information and that many small businesses use computerised accounts system.

So what is involved and why would you do it? Well, for one thing you will save yourself time as you only have to enter a transaction once into the system.

It is very easy to run a report which will show who owes you money and more importantly for how long. Do you spend much time preparing the Vat return or do you hand it over to your accountant – now with either Sage or Tas you can run a Vat return at the click of a button. Instead of using a word processor you can produce a professional looking invoice or statement with your own logo from the system. You will have a better handle on the overall performance of the business by running regular profitability reports.

As your business expands, your system may need to record sales orders and deliveries and check whether a particular item is in stock. You may need to open a Sterling bank account to deal with UK suppliers or customers. If you have Sales reps you might want them to take orders on handheld systems and download them into your accounts system.

Before deciding which system to implement you should be clear in your own mind what features/modules you want from the system and the benefits you expect it to bring to your business. You should also look for assurances on the following issues:

1. Is the system proven in the marketplace?
2. Will the system be capable of growing with the business in terms of extra modules and users?
3. Can the system provider also deliver training and ongoing support afterwards?
4. Are references available from other users of the software?
5. Is the system capable of being backed up for security purposes?
6. That your staff who will operate the system are buying into it

Once you have chosen the appropriate system (whether it be Sage 50, Tas, Exchequer Enterprise or some other system) for your business, you need to plan the implementation. What date is the system going to start from and have you got all your manual or spreadsheets up to date? It might be advisable to concentrate on getting your customers and sales invoices up initially and follow on with your suppliers and purchases. You will need to consider whether you will attend a classroom training session or get on-site training which will be more specific to your requirements. You will also need to specify the reports which you will need from the system as this will have implications for the set-up. The main thing is to have a plan and get assistance and training from experienced systems providers.

If you wish to discuss computerising or upgrading your accounting system contact James for a free consultation at 071-914681 or email jdoyle@synergynet.ie

• Plan for the changeover for a future Vat Accounting Period  – it becomes a lot more problematic doing the changeover retrospectively where transactions have been entered onto the system after the changeover date
• Ensure that all Vat transactions are Vat reconciled up to the changeover date
• Ensure that all Sales Receipts, Purchase Payments and both Sales and Purchase Credit notes have been allocated on customer/supplier accounts
• Check whether there are  any unallocated Sales receipts for which no invoices have yet been raised e.g. deposits
• All outstanding Sales invoices which have already been Vat Returned will need to be marked as such so that after the changeover, when these invoices are paid that Vat is not duplicated – this will more than likely involve exporting data from Sage to Excel and amending the Vat status of invoices and reimporting the outstanding invoices back into Sage 50.

We have found after doing a number of these changeovers that each client differs and there can be a significant amount of work to be done on the Sage dataset in order to ensure that you account for Vat properly going forward. Please contact us for a discussion if you are planning to change your method for accounting for Vat on Sales.

Everytime the client exited Sage 50, he was encountering the following error…

Sage Ireland have issued a fix for this issue, again caused by updates to the Microsoft .NET Framework (most likely via Windows updates). If you encounter this problem, please ring Support on  071-9146815 and we will install the appropriate fix on your computer.

I shall point you in the direction of the Daily Spud’s award-winning blog where you can read all about the wonderful Taste of Arran.

The issue arises from the fact that Sage 50 accounting software is based on Microsoft .NET Framework version 2.x. If a later version is downloaded to your computer (via Windows automatic updates) for example, and installed,  it can cause a conflict with your Sage software and cause it to behave in unexpected ways.

At present we are recommending that if you have  Windows Automatic Update turned on, change it to  either the “Download updates for me, but let me choose when to install them” option or the “Notify me but don’t automatically download or install them” option.  In this way you can choose not to install any Microsoft .NET Framework updates.

If you intend to install any new software please ensure that if it uses the .NET Framework 2.x or lower. Internet Explorer 8 is an example of software that may need to be uninstalled from a machine that is using Sage.

As usual, if you have any queries or need any assistance please contact support@synergynet.ie.

We have just reviewed a Web based Purchase Order system ( from PO Control.com) which integrates with Sage 50 accounts. This system is of particular relevance to organisations with multiple staff who are raising Purchase Requisitions or Orders over multiple locations. There is a system of Purchase order limits and approvals , with delivery and invoice reconciliation. The approved Purchase invoices can then be exported into Sage 50 accounts thereby eliminating duplication of input.

Please contact James for further information .

Yes, Synergy Network has finally succumbed to the wonderful world of twitter. You can follow us by clicking on the “Follow me” button above or click on the link below…

http://twitter.com/synergysligo

Please check back with Malcolm,  sales@synergynet.ie , in early June to receive your ACT! 2010 Service Pack.