ERP Software Blog » Ed Bonaski, Sherwood Systems

Is it Time for an Annual Analysis and Evalution of Your Business Technology?

Ed Bonaski, Sherwood Systems — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 13:13:54 +0000

This is the time of year when we look back on our accomplishments or lack thereof for the year and we begin to look ahead. Take some time to spell out the three most important goals for your business in 2012. Take a step back and set up an annual analysis and evaluation of the technology you are currently using. A simple plus and minus column can yield some surprising results. Is your software still effective and is it producing what you need it to for your 2012 goals?

According to Zig Zigler the process to make your goals a reality should be:

Write it down
Put a due date on it, set a time limit
Make a list of the obstacles
Identify the people, groups, or organizations you need to work with
Spell out your plan of action
Identify the benefits, what’s in it for me?

Here are some questions to keep in mind while completing your analysis and evaluation of your software:

Do you experience delays with response time for menus and screens and have you become so accustomed to that you don’t even notice? This could be wasting valuable time and resources.
Are you storing and retrieving data in more than one place or system? Having to gather comprehensive information may be a huge headache that you just don’t have time for anymore.
Do your reports take a long time to populate and is the data really reliable and actionable? Without a comprehensive report, business insight is not actionable because you can’t really trust the data you have.
Is your current system expensive to maintain and time intensive to support users? Having to manipulate your current software just costs you more money and doesn’t give you the end result you’re looking for. Throwing more money at a failed system will not change the outcome.

If you need help determining that your current system is not going to achieve your business goals this year, give us a call. We can help you determine how improved processes can affect your bottom line.

by Sherwood Systems, an Arizona Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner

Is it Time for an Annual Analysis and Evalution of Your Business Technology? is a post from: ERP Software Blog

The Benefits of Doing Business with a Microsoft Partner with a Gold Competency

Ed Bonaski, Sherwood Systems — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 01:32:43 +0000

Recently, Microsoft changed the way they designate partners in their network. Prior to May 2011, they referred to partners in their program as Gold Certified, Certified and Registered. This year Microsoft redesigned the partner membership to more accurately represent the value partners provide to customers. Now, in addition to participating in the partner network community, partners can also earn Silver or Gold competencies in several different areas. The requirements to earn a Gold competency in Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), for example, are much stricter than they were previously. For a Gold competency, the partner must have on staff at least six certified Microsoft professionals who have passed several exams in their specialty. In addition, the partner must provide several customer references and do regular customer satisfaction surveys. These stricter requirements have significantly reduced the number of Gold partners in the Microsoft network this year.

Sherwood Systems is committed to our customers and we are happy to announce that we have met the requirements and retained our Gold certification – now Gold competency in ERP – since 2000. While it hasn’t always been an easy road, we feel our customers benefit by getting the best trained consultants in the industry. If you are in the market for a Microsoft Dynamics solution, seek out the most qualified, committed partner to help you with your needs.

If your organization is located in the Arizona, New Mexico or Las Vegas area, contact Sherwood Systems for assistance in determining if a technology solution can help your organization better serve your business needs. (877) 943-9696

By Sherwood Systems – Arizona Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner

The Benefits of Doing Business with a Microsoft Partner with a Gold Competency is a post from: ERP Software Blog

Six Ways to Prepare for a Call With an ERP/Accounting Software Provider

Ed Bonaski, Sherwood Systems — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 22:23:13 +0000

There are a lot of steps in the process when you’re searching for ERP software to help streamline your business. What should you do before making that first
call to a salesperson? Some things are fairly obvious and some are not. Here are six ways to prepare so you can get the most information out of one phone
call.

Do Your Research. Do an internet search for reviews on the software you are considering. I’m sure you already do that for those flat screen TVs, laptops, cars, etc. There is a tremendous amount of information out there on the products available to businesses. It is a disservice to yourself to not take advantage of it.
Visit the Company’s Web Site. Read the white papers and visit the links on the site. If an organization is noted in a white paper or if the company lists their clients on their website, make a call. I can’t guarantee the clients will be receptive to talk to you about the company, but it’s worth a shot. Of course, always be respectful of people’s time.
Ask Your Suppliers What Software Applications They Use. That type of feedback is invaluable. You already have a relationship with them – ask what system they use for financials, distribution, etc.
Limit the Number of ERP Systems Considered.
I’ve run into organizations that will evaluate up to 10 different packages! That’s a hard process to manage and to keep track of the nuanced differences between each one. I recommend you limit your search to no more than 4.
Don’t Just Focus On Features And Functionality.
Let’s face it; if you are looking for an ERP package all of the competing products handle GL, receivables, and payables in an efficient manner.
The same can be said for order processing and other customer-related activities. I’m not suggesting that you ignore functionality, but also focus on
the software company. How stable are they? Will they be around for the long term? How much do they invest in R&D? How often are there new releases?
Create A Needs Document. I find that a number of organizations either do not have a written document of requirements or it was slapped together
without any input from key people. I’m not saying that you should create a formal RFP, but having a requirements check list will help you keep on track with your discussions with the salesperson. Sharing that document with the salesperson is also very valuable since it helps with understanding your needs and opens the door to greater discovery.

The vendor understands that selecting a new software package is a bet-your-business decision. The vendor’s goal is to implement a system that exceeds your requirements and expected business outcomes. Therefore, these goals must be crystal clear in the minds of both the customer and the vendor.

Please read my full article on how to find the right ERP solution for you. If you are located in Arizona or the surrounding area, contact Sherwood Systems at (877) 943-9696 for assistance in determining how Microsoft Dynamics GP can help your organization.

By Sherwood Systems – Arizona Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner

Six Ways to Prepare for a Call With an ERP/Accounting Software Provider is a post from: ERP Software Blog

Management Reporter Replacing FRx in Microsoft Dynamics GP

Ed Bonaski, Sherwood Systems — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 14:53:42 +0000

There has been a lot of talk about the new financial reporting tool being shipped with Microsoft Dynamics GP: Management Reporter (MR). MR, as it is commonly called, is a 64-bit, SQL based report writing tool. Reports are stored in a secure SQL database, and data is pulled from the Dynamics GP SQL data. It is very user friendly to new users, especially for anyone that uses Microsoft Excel. It will also be an easy transition for FRx users.

FRx, the 32-bit compatible, Access-based report writing tool is owned by Microsoft, but has been used by many ERP systems for financial
reporting over the past 10 years. MR was designed to be so similar to FRx that most reports written in FRx can be migrated to MR. When it was
announced that mainstream support for FRx will end in October of 2012, there was a lot of apprehension. Companies have invested a lot of time in building their FRx financial reports over the years, which is probably why Microsoft made the effort to make the transition as easy as possible.

If you are apprehensive about the transition or need any questions answered, please contact us at Sherwood Systems. We are Microsoft Dynamics GP experts and are equipped to help you.

If your organization is located in the Arizona or New Mexico area, contact Sherwood Systems for assistance in determining if a technology solution can help your organization better serve your business needs. (877) 943-9696

By Sherwood Systems – Arizona Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner

Management Reporter Replacing FRx in Microsoft Dynamics GP is a post from: ERP Software Blog

Restricted Party Screening for Microsoft Dynamics GP, Do You Know Who You Do Business With?

Ed Bonaski, Sherwood Systems — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 04:23:26 +0000

Do you know who you are doing business with? The US Patriot Act, along with many other regulatory and security initiatives, requires you to know your customer. You are not allowed to conduct business with people and companies who have been sanctioned by the government for illegal acts such as drug trafficking, illegal arms trade, or money laundering. Penalties for engaging in trade with these parties can be severe – with fines up to $120,000 and penalties of up to 10 years in prison. The various US government agencies (e.g. the Commerce Department, the State Department, and the Treasury Department) all maintain numerous lists of restricted parties, terrorists, and debarred individuals. Each agency has its own lists specific to its functions and roles. Yet there is no single government place for a company to go to research whether or not their trading partner is on some list. Fortunately there are services that aggregate all these government lists into a single source and then make that aggregated data available on a subscription basis. Screening is then typically done by either manually entering the information into a web site or by uploading a list of records to be screened. The user must then act on the results that were “hits” against the government lists (for example doing more research on the names and then possibly stopping an order from shipping).

Microsoft Dynamics GP offers this screening functionality seamlessly from within the application using Sherwood Systems’ Restricted Party Screening Solution. Customers, sales documents, vendors, and purchase documents are automatically screened as they are being worked with – and any records and transactions will be placed on hold if they do not pass screening. More importantly, audit trails and logs are maintained so that a company can prove it is in compliance with US regulations and controls. With this functionality built into an ERP system, companies can screen their trading partners automatically without the need for additional steps in their processing flow and more costly human intervention.

Be certain you know who you do business with – the US government does not accept ignorance as an excuse.

By Sherwood Systems – Arizona Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner

Restricted Party Screening for Microsoft Dynamics GP, Do You Know Who You Do Business With? is a post from: ERP Software Blog

How to Gain Trust in Microsoft Dynamics GP and Realize Your True Potential

Ed Bonaski, Sherwood Systems — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 01:59:00 +0000

Nothing is worse than wondering whether your financials are on track, especially if you’re running a business. Unfortunately, worrying about it doesn’t do much good and spending time double or even triple checking your work can take up too much time, greatly impacting your bottom line.

We here at Sherwood Systems recently worked with a client that had lost all trust in their accounting solution for a number of reasons. First of all, they were not properly trained in how to use it. This happens more often than you think it would. Companies tend to think training can be skipped in order to save money, but that is never the case if you want to have a successful implementation. It’s also important to seek out an experienced and reliable software vendor to take you through the necessary implementation steps. Our client had to undergo manual data entries within Microsoft Dynamics GP because they didn’t know how else to utilize the solution’s capabilities. These missed steps resulted in unreliable information and caused this company to worry about where they stood financially.

We helped our client find confidence in their financial statements and reports by properly training them on the solution, implementing the right upgrades, and customizing the solution to meet their specific needs. They now trust that their Microsoft Dynamics GP solution is giving them an accurate snapshot of where they stand each day, each month, and each year. This newfound confidence gives our client the power to make the right decisions that prepare their company for growth and ultimate success.

Visit our website to download the full case study and learn more about how M & R Trucking developed trust in their accounting solution.

By Sherwood Systems, an Arizona Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner

How to Gain Trust in Microsoft Dynamics GP and Realize Your True Potential is a post from: ERP Software Blog

Microsoft Dynamics GP and Excel Reporting Features

Ed Bonaski, Sherwood Systems — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 23:30:38 +0000

One of the best reporting features of Microsoft Dynamics GP is the out of the box Excel Reports which provide a refreshable data connection to your Dynamics GP data directly from Excel. A lot of Microsoft Dynamics GP users don’t even know about these reports and they already own them! Microsoft Dynamics GP users and non-GP users can see information such as open sales orders, master record lists (e.g. Vendors, Customers, Inventory Items), financial information in detail or summary, etc. These reports are easy to install and can be deployed to a shared network location or to SharePoint.

Microsoft Dynamics GP users are familiar with using Smartlists with Microsoft Dynamics GP and use the Smartlist reports extensively for exporting data to Excel. But if users would like to view the spreadsheet at a later time, they need to export the Smartlist favorite to Excel again and again. With the Microsoft Dynamics GP Excel Reports, a user can open an already existing Excel report, select refresh, and view up to the minute data without having to login to GP.

Just think about how efficient your team will be when they can access these spreadsheets with Microsoft Dynamics GP data, anytime and without having to purchase another GP license.

By Sherwood Systems – Arizona Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner

Microsoft Dynamics GP and Excel Reporting Features is a post from: ERP Software Blog

Update: New Rules Require Rental Property Owners to Issue 1099s Starting With the Tax Year 2011

Ed Bonaski, Sherwood Systems — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 02:57:34 +0000

On February 28th, we notified you that 1099 changes were coming and to start planning for the new law. With the recent repeal of Expanded 1099 Reporting (see below), Form 1099 reporting is back to the way it was prior to enactment of the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the 2010 Small Business Jobs Act. Therefore, no changes are required in Microsoft Dynamics GP. Please contact your consultant if you have any further questions on how this impacts GP.

On April 14th, President Obama signed into law a bill to repeal expanded Form 1099 information reporting requirements for certain business payments and rental property expense payments.

The H.R. 4 Comprehensive 1099 Taxpayer Protection and Repayment of Exchange Subsidy Overpayments Act of 2011 specifically repeals:

the requirement for businesses, charities, and governmental entities to report payments to companies for merchandise purchased in the aggregate of $600 or more (originally effective for 2012),
the requirement for rental property owners to report expense payments in the aggregate of $600 or more (originally effective for 2011), and
the requirement for businesses, charities, governmental entities, and rental property owners to report payments for services and merchandise to corporations (other than attorneys and certain health care providers) in the aggregate of $600 or more (originally effective for 2012).

The repeals under the new law are retroactive, thus reinstating the status quo for Form 1099 reporting as established prior to enactment of the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the 2010 Small Business Jobs Act.

In general, only businesses must report payments to service providers in the aggregate of $600 or more, and the current exception for not reporting payments made to corporations (except attorneys and certain healthcare providers) remains intact. Furthermore, rental property owners must report payments to service providers if their activities rise to the level of a trade or business.

By Sherwood Systems – Arizona Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner

Update: New Rules Require Rental Property Owners to Issue 1099s Starting With the Tax Year 2011 is a post from: ERP Software Blog

No, It’s Not Harder and More Complicated Posting and Voiding Checks in Microsoft Dynamics GP vs. Quickbooks!

Ed Bonaski, Sherwood Systems — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 02:54:00 +0000

Did you know that in QuickBooks, you can’t void a transaction and have that void affect the current period by simply voiding it? For example, if the accounting manager voids a check from a prior year or period, the checking account balance is adjusted from the date of the voided check. This creates the following problems:

The bank reconciliations that have been prepared for the month of the voided check and all subsequent months are now incorrect.
Previously printed financial statements are different than the financial statements that can be currently printed.
If the voided check is dated in a year for which income tax returns have already been prepared, then the QuickBooks financial statements will not agree with the financial statements used in the preparation of the income tax returns.

In Microsoft Dynamics GP, you can choose both the Void Date and the Posting Date when you void a check.

The Void Date you choose will determine when the void will affect the bank reconciliation, so that prior bank reconciliations are not affected.
The Posting Date you choose will determine what General Ledger period the voided check affects, so that prior period financial reports are not affected.

QuickBooks users might claim that everything is harder and more complicated in Microsoft Dynamics GP. That is definitely not true in this case. Get the QuickBooks Replacer Kit and learn how you can bring your business to the next level!

By Sherwood Systems – Arizona Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner

No, It’s Not Harder and More Complicated Posting and Voiding Checks in Microsoft Dynamics GP vs. Quickbooks! is a post from: ERP Software Blog

Who Do You Do Business With – Building a Restricted Party Screening System (RPSS) for Microsoft Dynamics GP

Ed Bonaski, Sherwood Systems — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 00:05:55 +0000

Did you know that there are restrictions on shipping to certain countries, companies, organizations, or individuals? Do you know there can be significant fines or sanctions if you do business with the wrong people?

The U.S. Government maintains a number of databases and lists of these Restricted Parties. As a business, you are responsible for ensuring you do not do business with individuals or companies on these lists. The U.S. Department of the Treasury website has an FAQ page (http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/faqs/Sanctions/Pages/answer.aspx) that goes into some detail explaining this policy. There are specific software products and services (and web services!) specifically designed to screen records against the various government databases. One of our more interesting development projects was building a Restricted Party Screening System (RPSS) for Microsoft Dynamics GP– interacting with eCustoms Visual Compliance web services to screen customers and vendors as users enter and process sales orders and purchase orders; then automatically putting transactions “on hold” if there was any “hit” on the record.

From a development standpoint, it involved the Dexterity development environment along with a number of SQL stored procedures and a VB .Net dll to interact with the web service. From an ISV standpoint, it was interesting to develop a solution that integrated Microsoft Dynamics GP to web services – ensuring the companies who purchased this product that they are not accidentally doing business with restricted parties.

By Sherwood Systems – Arizona Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner

Who Do You Do Business With – Building a Restricted Party Screening System (RPSS) for Microsoft Dynamics GP is a post from: ERP Software Blog

ERP Software Blog » Ed Bonaski, Sherwood Systems

Is it Time for an Annual Analysis and Evalution of Your Business Technology?

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