UDS Green Industry Software, Inc. Newsletter
January 30, 2001
YEAH! It is finally here, ActiveApplications Version 6. This new general ledger and payables applications is ready for your implementation. This newsletter is a must read for any ActiveApplications customer.
Topics in this newsletter:
Version 6 is Here and Available!
Task List without Implementing Departments and Sub Classes
Task List with Implementation of Departments and Sub Classes
What Do We Do Next? MAKE SURE YOU HAVE VOTED
Using the Internet to get Orders with Version 6
ActiveApplications Version 6: How do I get it?
On Line Training Update
The User Conference
More on XML transmission of information
Much More…
Contents:
This is the first release that will use the new help format. Make sure that you download the HTML help files, too. They work well together.
Decision number 1 is to decide if you want a to use departments and sub classes in your ledger. Because we have eliminated the append character in sales processing, many of you will be required to create new departments so sales can be divided automatically. Most will not be required to change unless you want to use the new reporting features.
Other than append characters there is no requirement to establish departments or subclasses but we recommend you discuss it with support. A change might be of benefit in the information you see. Contact support to get more information
Decision number 2 is to decide how to handle the new location based costs in your inventory and sales processing. In all previous versions there was only one cost in the inventory. Now a single item can be tracked and sold using multiple costs. This will provide added capabilities if you want to use them but think about the ramifications to your accounting before implementing. Another way of representing the new capabilities is that we can offer LIFO and FIFO support if you wish.
If you are cash accounting as many nurseries are, then the only affect on you will be that the cost is reported to sales analysis will be drawn from the location it was sold. This adds the capability to track the sales of the same item with multiple costs. This means that purchased items can be tracked differently from grown items. It also means that purchased items from multiple sources can be tracked in inventory.
These decisions can have significant affects on your accounting procedures so consider the decisions after consultation with your accountant and UDS support.
Take a look at the new inventory tracking functions. There is a report that will show you inventory transactions. This means you can print a report of all the dead plants if you use the inventory receipts to reduce the quantity. Try it you will like it.
Follow these steps and other safeguards you feel are needed before proceeding.
1) Back Up your system before beginning.
2) Make sure all transactions are posted to ledger from GL, AP, AR and PR.
3) Print an Income Statement
4) Print a Balance Sheet
5) Print an open Payable List
6) Print an AR Detailed Receivables List
7) Make sure there is only one person in the system.
8) Copy your current database to a holding file.
9) Install version 6 into your ActiveAccounting folder.
10) Start ActiveApplications and wait for the process to convert the tables. THIS MAY TAKE SOME TIME SO MAKE SURE ANOTHER USER DOES NOT LOG IN DURING THIS TIME. Cost will be added to inventory locations. New fields will be added to the AR open invoice file. Payables open invoices and historical invoices will be changed greatly. Ledger format files will be changed to match the new format as soon as they are used.
11) Run search for new reports to populate your menu with the many new programs.
12) Run the Control file Update program and make sure every new field in the control file is complete. If you have questions CALL or EMAIL!
13) Update the vendors with terms codes.
14) Decide if any expenses can be automatically distributed and put the % in the ledger account and put the base account number in the vendor file.
15) Get familiar with the new AP Invoice Entry program by creating a payables open invoice for $1.00 distribute into three accounts. Post the entries to ledger if you are accrual accounting to make sure the transactions are correct.
16) Write a check for the $1.00 invoice and post the entries to ledger to make sure the entries are correct. Both cash and accrual system should execute this step.
17) Delete the $1.00 check from the check history. Post entries to ledger to make sure the entries post correctly.
18) Create an invoice for $1.00 in accounts receivable. If you are accrual accounting post the AR transactions to ledger and verify the transactions are correct.
19) Pay the $1.00 invoice. Post the AR transactions to ledger and make sure they are correct. Both cash and accrual system should execute this step.
20) Create a journal entry through the new GL transaction program to reverse the AR entries. Post the transactions to ledger and verify they are correct.
21) If you reconcile AP and AR checks when your bank statement arrives, try saving the reconciliation then returning later.
22) Print your income statement and compare it with the previous version. If they match continue else determine the difference and resolve problems with support.
23) Print your balance sheet and compare it with the previous version. If they match continue else determine the difference and resolve problems with support.
24) Print an AR Detailed Receivables List and compare it with the previous version. If they match continue else determine the difference and resolve problems with support.
25) Print an open Payable List and compare it with the previous version. If they match continue else determine the difference and resolve problems with support.
26) You are now ready to begin using AA version 6. Make sure to post small batches to ledger. It only makes sense to go as carefully as possible.
Follow these steps and any other safeguards you feel are needed before proceeding.
1) Back Up your system before beginning.
2) Make sure all transactions are posted to ledger from GL, AP, AR and PR.
3) Print an Income Statement
4) Print a Balance Sheet
5) Print an open Payable List
6) Print an AR Detailed Receivables List
7) Make sure there is only one person in the system.
8) Copy your current database to a holding file.
9) Install version 6 into your ActiveAccounting folder.
10) Start ActiveApplications and wait for the process to convert the tables. THIS MAY TAKE SOME TIME SO MAKE SURE ANOTHER USER DOES NOT LOG IN DURING THIS TIME. Cost will be added to inventory locations. New fields will be added to the AR open invoice file. Payables open invoices and historical invoices will be changed greatly. Ledger format files will be changed to match the new format as soon as they are used.
11) Run search for new reports to populate your menu with the many new programs.
12) Convert your ledger to a department and class format. The program is on your system we will provide you the name and instructions on how to run it. We want to know before you convert so we can provide maximum support. This is a very complex and delicate process. If something goes wrong you must be ready to make corrections.
13) Print your balance sheet.
14) Print your income statement.
15) Print the various forms of the income statement with different departments and sub classes to get familiar with the new programs. Verify that the data printed is correct.
16) Run the Control file Update program and make sure every new field in the control file is complete. If you have questions CALL!
17) Update the vendors with terms codes.
18) Decide if any expenses can be automatically distributed and put the % in the ledger account and put the base account number in the vendor file.
19) Get familiar with the new AP Invoice Entry program by creating a payables open invoice for $1.00 distribute in to three accounts. Post the entries to ledger if you are accrual accounting to make sure the transactions are correct.
20) Write a check for the $1.00 invoice and post the entries to ledger to make sure the entries are correct. Cash and accrual system should execute this step.
21) Delete the $1.00 check from the check history. Post entries to ledger to make sure the entries post correctly.
22) Create an invoice for $1.00 in accounts receivable. If you are accrual accounting post the AR transactions to ledger and verify the transactions are correct.
23) Pay the $1.00 invoice. Post the AR transactions to ledger and make sure they are correct. Cash and accrual system should execute this step.
24) Create a journal entry through the new GL transaction entry program to reverse the AR entries. Post the transactions to ledger and verify they are correct.
25) Print your income statement and compare it with the previous version. If they match continue else determine the difference and resolve problems with support.
26) Print your balance sheet and compare it with the previous version. If they match continue else determine the difference and resolve problems with support.
27) Print an AR Detailed Receivables List and compare it with the previous version. If they match continue else determine the difference and resolve problems with support.
28) Print an open Payable List and compare it with the previous version. If they…
29) If you reconcile AP and AR checks when your bank statement arrives, try saving the reconciliation then returning later.
30) You are now ready to begin using AA version 6. Make sure to post small batches to ledger. It only makes sense to go as carefully as possible.
If you have not completed your survey make sure you do so now! We are setting priorities for the next release already. From your responses so far it looks like TAGmaker is due for a change but your response could be the one that makes us go into a different direction.
Our list of desires is always longer than our list of resources so everything is not an answer. We invite your comments and suggestions. Please complete the survey on www.activeapplications.com and submit it. Simply click this reference to jump there: http://www.activeapplications.com/survey.htm
Version 6 has many new options you should think about using in your business. First among them is the ability to save estimates, orders, invoices and purchase orders as XML files automatically when you save the item. This can create an XML formatted version of your estimate, order, invoice or purchase order automatically. This sounds unimportant until you know how these files can be used.
An example can be helpful. I was on my way to Mobile Alabama for a trade show. On the way down I met two prospects that wanted quotations sent to them immediately. The first night I spent in Indianapolis and completed one of the proposals. When I travel I carry a laptop computer but not a printer. I needed to send the quote but email was not an option. I tried two methods but only the XML method worked.
The first method I tried was to print the estimate to the screen then save each page as a picture. Because the bitmap created was too big I used Corel to change the format to GIF for emailing. I then emailed each page to the office for printing. They could then fax it to the prospect. That did not work because of printer margins. To print it to a printer the size had to be adjusted to fit the printer that then blurred the text on the image. This is a common Windows problem. Fortunately I had an alternative.
The other method was to send an XML copy of the estimate. This is a purely text file that can be imported into estimating on the other end. It created an estimate on the other system that looked just like the one I sent. When printed it fit the printer from there it was faxed to the prospect.
I repeated the same procedure the next day (I do have to sleep) from Mobile for the next prospect. Again only the XML worked.
What does this mean to you business? If you ever want to work away from the office and get what you do back to the office this method might be a solution. Take orders at a trade show on your portable. Then transmit them to the office at night. Create a proposal at a customer site and send it to the office for the crew to complete. Your imagination and business need are the only limits to this technology.
This is not automated and you must know what you are doing like it would be with portable estimating but it does give you the function without the cost of additional program license fees. It also provides an excellent bridge to other types of input and output. If you have a web site and wish to load orders from there have them sent in XML format. AA version 6.0 could bring them in even if the web site is not using AA.
In the next newsletter I will have more on XML functions.
Through the world wide web on our www.activeapplications.com web site. Click this reference then click the Downloads button. Good Luck.
UDS support is critical to the smooth implementation of this release. Before you try something make sure the UDS support department knows what you are doing and when you are doing it. We can have the necessary and immediate resources available for you.
Depending upon your version 5 setup, we know that clicking on AP Open Invoices View can cause an error. Make sure that the Reference Number key is a displayed field in that table. Support has found this setup problem that is easily fixed but there is no way to make the change in your layouts automatically.
No one wants program errors but they seem to be unavoidable. The best we can offer you is a quick solution to unanticipated problems. Let us make sure we can help.
Brian