Sage MAS 90 newsletter from SWK discussing the payroll options in Sage MAS 90 NY, NJ.

1. October 2009 • Volume 9 • Issue 5
HELP DESK
Newsletter for Sage MAS 90 and Sage MAS 200 ERP
What’s Inside Payroll Processing — In House,
Page 2
Payroll Processing — In
Outsource, Or The Best Of Both?
House, Outsource, Or The
W
Best Of Both? continued hat is the most efficient and cost
Page 3 effective way to handle your pay-
New Parallel Migration roll processing? In this article, we
Smooths Upgrade Process will discuss the pluses and minuses of han-
dling payroll in house versus outsourcing to a
Tips & Tricks service, and cover one way you can have the
Page 4 best of both options.
SWK Help Desk
Outsourcing Payroll
Perhaps the single most important reason
companies choose to outsource is the issue of
tax compliance. There are over 10,000 U.S.
taxing agencies that continually change regu-
Headline News lations — and assess penalties (up to 11 per-
cent of payroll tax deposit) for late or missed
The annual Sage Summit
payments. Companies who outsource like the
conference will be held
peace of mind of letting the service bureau for payroll. The data entry, interface main-
November 9 -12, 2009 at take responsibility for calculating taxes and tenance, and monitoring of changes must
the Georgia World Con- submitting payroll tax deposits on time. still be done in house. Allocating funds for
gress Center in Atlanta. However, it may be difficult or impossible payroll, and making the necessary deduc-
Sage Summit is the place to for your payroll service agency to accommo- tions, like car allowances, must also be done
discover proven tips, tricks, date special requests, such as a custom report in house. Information must then be tele-
or unique deductions handling. The inevita- phoned, faxed, or submitted electronically
strategies, and skills that will
ble errors that require a check to be reissued through Web pages or software provided by
help you boost productivity
or adjusted may take longer to correct. And, the payroll service bureau. This leaves the ser-
and save your organization you must run your business on the timetable vice bureau with little more to do than print
money. Registration began of your service bureau, meeting their dead- checks on payday.
on July 21, and discounts are lines, while only having access to answers to If you process payroll in house, you gain
available for early registra- your urgent questions during their normal the flexibility and control of having data
tion. Click here to access business hours. stored on your local computer, with histori-
cal information readily available. And you can
online registration.
In-House Payroll work on payroll on your schedule.
While payroll outsourcing may off-load With in-house payroll your historical data
some of the processing work, it typically is readily accessible for inquiries and report-
amounts to less than half the work required ing. How long might it take to research a
Continued on page 2

2. page 2 • HELP DESK Newsletter
Payroll Processing — In House, Outsource, Or The Best Of Both?
(continued from cover)
payroll question involving payroll for the pre- Abra Human Resources module, and with disposable income. The module also can per-
vious year with your service bureau? Should Sage TimeSheet. form gross-up calculations. Documents, such
an employee notice an error on their check, With either Payroll module you can pro- as W-4 forms, can be electronically stored and
with in-house payroll processing you can eas- duce paychecks on demand and source the attached to employee records.
ily correct it, while it might take until the next funds from multiple bank accounts. When
pay cycle for your service bureau to correct a necessary, you can void and reissue checks Sage Tax Filing Services
problem. and update the correct accounts automati- Perhaps you are comfortable with your
The down side to in-house payroll process- cally. And, you can make last-minute changes ability to process payroll in house, but would
ing is payroll tax compliance. It can be daunt- according to your schedule without being like to avoid the hassle and potential liabili-
ing to many small to medium sized compa- charged extra by a service bureau. ties associated with tax filing. Sage Tax Filing
nies. It is the single most difficult and expen- Sage MAS 90 Payroll Module Services can be an ideal complement to the
sive task associated with payroll, especially for Companies choosing the Sage MAS 90 Sage MAS 90 or Sage Abra Payroll solution.
businesses operating in multiple states and Payroll module typically administer payroll It can relieve you of the burden of tax report-
localities. Costs associated with preparation from within the accounting department. The ing, deposits, and filings. You simply upload
and research of ever-changing tax laws and Sage MAS 90 Payroll module is often the best an electronic file containing your tax data
filing requirements are climbing, but failure choice for construction and job shop organi- to Sage Tax Filing Services following each
to attend to these issues incurs the risk of hav- zations or companies that pay commissions to payroll cycle. The service also can print and
ing to pay costly penalties. their sales staff. Companies needing to report mail your W-2 forms and file with the IRS
tips also find it a good choice. Job Cost inte- electronically.
The Best Of Both gration allows labor entries to post to both Most service bureaus impound your pay-
One payroll processing solution is to bring Payroll and Job Cost simultaneously, and roll tax liabilities during each pay cycle. It is a
payroll in house using either Sage MAS 90 when using the TimeCard module, you can great deal for the bureaus, because they collect
ERP Payroll or the Sage Abra HRMS Payroll produce a certified Payroll report. Accounts interest on your money until the taxes are due.
module, and use Sage Tax Filing Services for Receivable module integration allows com- Sage Tax Filing Services does not impound
payroll tax compliance. This hybrid payroll missions to be calculated and paid during the your tax liabilities. Instead, your payment is
solution gives you the best of both in-house regular payroll run, and the module supports electronically routed directly from your bank
and outsourced payroll processing and can tip reporting and minimum wage adjust- account to the taxing authority just before or
deliver enormous efficiencies. ment for restaurant and hospitality industry on the tax due date. You keep the money, and
employees. the interest on that money, until it’s due.
Choosing An In-House Solution Sage Abra HRMS Payroll While the tax processing is outsourced,
Both the Sage MAS 90 and Sage Abra The Sage Abra HRMS Payroll module you will still remain informed. You will have
Payroll modules offer powerful payroll pro- may be preferred if you have dedicated staff the opportunity to verify your tax payments
cessing capabilities. Both programs give you responsible for payroll processing, and com- before they are made. Hard copies of every tax
the ability to track payroll in multiple depart- plex tax reporting needs, such as multiple local return are provided to you for your files. Your
ments with security by department. Both can tax jurisdictions within multiple states, mul- state taxes are prepared on a signature-ready
automatically apply multiple earnings and tiple garnishments, or if you require employee return or on your original blank return form.
deductions for employees, and track benefits self-service capabilities. The Abra Payroll With Sage Tax Filing Services you receive
such as 401K, cafeteria plans, and fringe ben- module can maintain and calculate an unlim- same-day confirmation of tax information
efits. U.S. federal and state tax table updates ited number of local taxes per employee, and received by the service.
are provided for customers on Client Care, allows you to use annual pay rates. Accrual Please give us a call to discuss your payroll
and both support printing of 941s and W-2s. balances can be viewed during time entry to processing options.
Finally, both payroll solutions integrate with prevent overpayment of benefits, and wage
the Sage MAS 90 General Ledger, the Sage garnishments can be calculated as a percent of

3. Sage MAS 90 and Sage MAS 200 ERP • page 3
New Parallel Migration Smooths Upgrade Process
P icking the right time to upgrade
your software is often a tricky prop-
osition. Even a well-planned upgrade
broken links, and view, move, or copy
attachments as necessary.
Once the phase one steps are com-
can sometimes run into difficulties. plete, you can allow your staff to get
There can be data corruption issues, familiar with any changes in the system
reports that don’t print quite right, or or perform different test scenarios until
changes that require staff retraining. To you are completely confident that you
avoid downtime, companies often try to are ready for live processing.
upgrade over the weekend, adding time
pressure to the equation. Now with the Phase Two
Sage Parallel Migration Wizard, we can In phase two, we will re-migrate your
take some of the stress out of upgrad- current data over to the new system,
ing and make the process less time huge time-savers in your daily workflow. and you will very quickly be running
sensitive. The parallel conversion process gives on the new software, with no downtime and
you the opportunity to understand how no surprises. If you have been holding off on
Parallel Migration Process these features work, and configure the upgrading due to concerns of losing informa-
The key to the new upgrade process is the reports you use in your business processes tion or business downtime, Version 4.4 might
ability to convert your system in two phases. for optimum productivity and smooth be the time for you to make the move. The
This removes the time-sensitive nature of workflow. Parallel Migration Wizard software is now in
upgrades, in which you need, for example, to • Customization — If you have customized Beta testing and is scheduled to be available in
get everything done over a single weekend in screens or posting routines, we will have early 2010. Give us a call to learn more.
order to avoid down time. This process will plenty of time to test them to make
be available for converting from Versions 3.71 sure they are working properly in your
and greater, to Version 4.4 of Sage MAS 90 upgraded system before you go live.
and 200 ERP. • Integrated Products — If your Sage (( Tips & Tricks ))
MAS 90 system integrates with another
Phase One software product, such as an industry-
Create And Modify Form Codes
During the first phase, we will use the specific billing system or CRM solution,
Parallel Migration Wizard to convert your we will be able to verify that the transfer Sales Order Invoice Printing is used as an
example in the steps below.
current data to a new installation, either on of information and the viewing of data 1. Open Sales Order / Main / Invoice Printing.
the same or a different server. Normal opera- between the systems is working correctly. 2. Enter the form code in the Form Code
tions continue on your old system. Then, at a We will be able to test these processes field, and press Enter. The Template
Selection window displays.
pace that suits your business needs, the new as thoroughly as necessary so you can
3. Select one of the following templates:
system can be tested by each department for move to phase two of the upgrade with » Preprinted Laser
proper function. Some things we will look at confidence. » Plain
include: • Link Maintenance Utility — The new » Marbled
» Dot Matrix
• Reports — This is always a key area to Link Maintenance Utility allows us
4. Click OK.
review when upgrading your software. to make sure all files linked to your 5. Enter a description in the Description field.
If you have custom reports, we need to accounting system are transferred 6. Select sorting and filtering options as
print them and make sure they work correctly. This includes files attached to needed.
7. Print or preview the form. The settings are
in the same way. When converting to Memos, Custom Office template letters now retained for that form code.
Version 4.x for the first time, there are and e-mail messages, and Paperless Office Note: These instructions apply to modules
many new printing defaults to consider. PDFs. You also can use the utility to upgraded to “Level 4” standards.
Configured properly, these defaults can be delete links that you no longer need, fix

4. page 4 • HELP DESK Newsletter
IN tHe SPotlIgHt:
A Few (Hundred) Words From The Help Desk
and best of all, easier to upgrade. using, we at SWK do not recommend our cli-
Here are some of the new features you can ents perform any upgrades on their own.
expect with 4.40: If you are considering upgrading to the
• Parallel Migration — No longer an most current version of 4.30, please contact
in-place install. You can work until we are Debbie Berndt at 973-758-6128 to start the
ready to convert. upgrade process.
• Customer Number Expansion — from 7
to 20.
• Item Number Expansion — from 15 to
30.
Beth McNeill • Usability Improvements — Grid Entry
F or those of you who don’t know me, let screens and Setup wizards for Common
me introduce myself. My name is Beth Information, Purchase Order, Inventory,
McNeill, I am one of the Help Desk repre- and Bill of Materials. Contact
sentatives that answers your technical sup- • Customizer Enhancements — More Information
port calls. I have been working with Sage flexibility to add UDF’s (User Defined
SWK Technologies, Inc.
MAS 90 and MAS 200 since 1993 and have Fields) in Purchase Order and Inventory Debbie Berndt
seen many changes over the years. Now, with and have these UDF’s populate into Client Account Executive
high anticipation, the biggest change is about history. (973) 758-6128
to happen. • Integration with Crystal Reports Version debbie.berndt@swktech.com
Due to be released in late February 2010 is 11.0.
Sage MAS 90 and MAS 200 version 4.40. • New views for Inventory, Purchase Order National:
and Bill of Materials. (877) 979-5462
What’s new in version 4.40: Inventory
• Physical Count Entry Enhancements. Livingston, NJ
Management, Purchase Order, and Bill of
• Purchase Order History Retention up to (973) 758-6100
Materials.
99 years. Plainview, NY
As Sage continues to meet their commit-
(631) 271-6401
ment to the Sage MAS 90 and MAS 200 Watch your email over the next couple of
Syracuse, NY
community to bring all MAS modules to a months for information on webcasts we will
(315) 451-3577
universal 4.X framework, version 4.40 reflects be offering on version 4.40 so you see all the
Buffalo, NY
those efforts in the Inventory Management, new features and functionality for yourself.
(716) 656-7707
Purchase Order, and Bill of Materials mod- Lastly, an important reminder:
ules; making them more flexible, easier to use, Regardless of what version you are currently
Request
© Copyright 2000–2009 Tango Marketing, LLC. www.tango-marketing.com All Rights Reserved. This newsletter and its content have been registered with the United States
Copyright Office. This content is licensed by Tango Marketing LLC and can be distributed by licensee until 02/28/2010 at which time the licensee must cease distribution and More
use of this content unless permission in writing is obtained from Tango Marketing LLC. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is strictly prohibited. The capabili- Information
ties, system requirements and/or compatibility with third-party products described herein are subject to change without notice. Sage, the Sage logos, and the Sage product
and service names mentioned herein are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sage Software, Inc., or its affiliated entities. All other trademarks are the property of their
respective owners.