Sage has announced that the Q1 2011 Tax Table Update (TTU) and Interim Release Download (IRD) should be available after December 17, 2010. The TTU will be updated each week with adjustments for late-breaking changes. In line with Sage’s practice of releasing comprehensive updates, all of the program changes in the IRD will be included in Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200 v4.40 Product Update 4 and Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200 v4.30 Service Update 21 which are expected to be available the week of December 27, 2010. If you install PU4 or SU21 instead of the IRD, you will still need to download and install the Q1 2011 Tax Table Update before processing your first payroll for 2011.
This information and more detail will be addressed during the next Sage MAS 90/200 User Group meeting on Thursday, December 9 from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm. More details will follow, but you can register for the meeting now.
Join us this Thursday, October 28 at 10:00 am as we highlight some of the most useful features included with the latest Product Updates shipped by Sage. Product Updates include features developed by Sage and included with new releases as part of your annual business care agreement – if your business care is current, these features are available to you. We will also continue with the Open Forum where anyone can raise an issue, pose a question, or suggest a topic for the group to resolve, answer, or discuss. Seats are limited at this meeting so please register early.
The next edition of the Sage MAS 90/200 User Group meeting is just around the corner. In previous meetings we have looked at ways to improve cash flow through Credit and Collections Management and BizInsights (the financial reporting tool from BizNet).
During this meeting, we will be showcasing some of the best features Sage has developed and included in the latest Product Updates. These are features that are bundled together and shipped as a part of your annual Business Care agreement. As with each User Group meeting, we will conclude with the Open Forum, an opportunity for anyone attending to raise an issue, pose a question, or suggest a topic for the group to resolve, answer, or discuss. Seats are limited at this meeting so please register early.
Don’t forget to mark your calendar for the next live Sage MAS 90/200 User Group, the annual Year End review, scheduled for Thursday, December 9 from 11:30am – 1:00pm.
Installing Product Updates can be tricky business and should not be done without consideration. Case in point: Product Update 3 (4.40.0.3) was released by Sage on September 27 and in just the first two full days, two issues have been uncovered.
/C Comments on Sales Orders are not included when the Sales Order is committed to Shipping Data Entry of Sales Order Invoice Data Entry. You may notice that the Inventory Item Comments are included. Resolution ID 529733
Bill Kit Components do not populate into Materials tab in Work Order Entry. Resolution ID 529655
Inside of an hour, Sage responded within the forum to confirm that they were working on a resolution. Until the hotfix is released (and you want Sales Order Invoice comments or Bill Kit Components is Work Order), do not install Product Update 3.
Following the plan outlined in the Product Road Map, Sage has released Product Update 3 (4.40.0.3) for MAS 90 and 200 adding a number of features to the popular Bank Reconciliation module.
Post to the General Ledger Module From Bank Reconciliation:In Bank Reconciliation, you can select the transactions to post to the General Ledger module using Check, Deposit and Adjustment Entry, as well as the new Bank Reconciliation Check Entry and Bank Reconciliation Deposit and Adjustment Entry tasks. If you select to post the transactions to General Ledger, you can print and update the new Bank Reconciliation Transaction Register.
Check, Deposit and Adjustment Entry and Reconcile Bank Changes: Bank Recap Report and Bank Reconciliation Transaction Register buttons have been added to Check, Deposit and Adjustment Entry, as well as Reconcile Bank to use as a tool when reconciling the bank statement.
Bank Reconciliation Transaction Register: This new task has been added to the Bank Reconciliation Main menu, as well as Check, Deposit and Adjustment Entry and Reconcile Bank to provide the ability to post selected transactions that are entered in Bank Reconciliation to the General Ledger module.
Security Events for Bank Reconciliation: In Role Maintenance, “Allow Updating of Registers from Preview” has been added for the Bank Reconciliation Transaction Register as a standard security event. Additionally, “Allow Access to the Select for G/L Posting Setting for Check Entries” and “Allow Access to the Select for G/L Posting Setting for Deposit and Adjustment Entries” have also been added as an option for the Bank Reconciliation module.
Paperless Office Options for Bank Reconciliation: You can now convert, save, and retrieve the Bank Reconciliation Report and Bank Reconciliation Transaction Register in PDF format. Additionally, you can e-mail and fax the PDFs.
The product update includes a full list of enhancements and corrections (including the cumulative details of Product Update 4.40.0.1-4.40.0.2) which can be read here. The product update can be downloaded here. Be careful to consider all of the integrated applications, enhancements and customizations your system is running.
Development and distribution of new features is something Sage has been actively working – just look at the Product Road Map and Product Releases 1-3 for version 4.40. Not turning their backs on those users continuing to run supported versions, Sage has released Product Update 20 for version 4.30. We only recommend you consider installing Product Updates if you are upgrading, re-installing or are experiencing an issue the update is intended to resolve. Be careful to consider all of the integrated applications, enhancements and customizations your system is running. Do not take an installation like this lightly.
Here are the issues this Product Update is intended to resolve. You can read the full list (including Product Updates 4.30.0.1-4.30.0.19) here and download the update here.
Accounts Payable: Now the data is printed correctly on the AP Expense by GL Account Report when making a selection based on UDF data
Bar Code: Legacy Bar Code imports for Standard and Back Order type sales orders can now be imported in the same import.
CRM (Sage EES Only): No longer receive error message “Opportunity is invalid for this customer” or “The is no longer valid” when creating sales orders or quotes and assigning opportunities on the fly from Sage CRM.
Library Master: Country Code ‘Name’ can now be added to ship to address in Office Merge.
Sales Order: In a Sales Order Invoice Entry, if a lot item is entered, using the enter key to advance to the next row no longer duplicates the first line item entry to the second row.
System Setup: All Document Types display correctly in Starship.
TimeCard: An employee’s full social security number and address will now print on the Certified Payroll Report.
The Sage MAS 90 and 200 Product Update 2 was released on schedule. A review of the product’s Public Road Map shows there are three remaining updates in the pipeline, each estimated to be release (approximately) over the coming successive calendar quarters. Here is a break down of the details expected to be included with each update. The information in parentheses is the former Extended Solution inventory number.
Product Update 3: estimated Q3 2010 release
Customers with National Accounts (AR 1068)
Price Level By Customer/Product Line (SO 1005)
Product Update 4: estimated Q4 2010 release
Contract Pricing By Valid Date (IM 1069)
Additional Pricing Tiers for Item Pricing (IM 1097)
The much anticipated batch of integrated Extended Solutions and enhancements that represent version 4.40 Product Update 2 have been released. We previously outlined the expected details and with the download available (active Business Care and user account required), there is now official documentation as well as granular descriptions.
Be careful to consider all of the integrated applications, enhancements and customizations your system is running. This is the equivalent of an upgrade: do not take a product update installation lightly.
For those anxiously awaiting the Payroll Update file for Sage MAS 90 and 200 including changes affected by the new HIRE Act and the Q2 Form 941, the wait is over.
On the support pages, Sage has posted the file for versions 4.30, 4.40.0, and 4.40.0.1. The file for versions 3.71-4.20 will be posted next.