Doggone it, someone just entered an order for a ceiling fan plus a box of Size E fan blades—but that fan requires Size D blades! Maybe your product line’s been expanding in complexity. Or maybe it takes new staff time to learn the rules to order various items.

If you catch the error before you ship it (and hopefully you have Size D blades in stock…), by the time the revised order ships it might arrive late to the customer. Or you DON’T catch it before it ships and the customer brings it to your attention. Ouch. Plus the cost of rush freight to send out the correct blades + the RMA process with more freight cost + maybe an RTV too…

Everyone with an AccountMate system ought to be at a near-perfect order accuracy rate

AccountMate released a new module in December of 2016 called the Sales Configurator Module. It gives you unlimited custom rules for sales orders, prompting the order entry person with questions. For example:

• Only valid colors, sizes, or other attributes are highlighted for an item
• If one option costs more, the total price will update to reflect that
• User-defined formulas and item definitions can be added
• Add images to the list of choices so users are 100% clear
• And the sales order cannot be completed until all the options are filled in

Read more about preventing incompatible parts from being shipped and check out the AccountMate Sales Configurator Module brochure.

P.S. For manufacturing companies—yes, there’s a Manufacturing Configurator Module too. Copy your SO configurations into work orders without re-keying data, and have bills of materials be automatically consistent with sales orders.

Here are five reminders to head off common year-end problems we see!

1. Catch up on any outstanding 2018 month-end closes prior to December. This ensures that any out-of-balance or "bad" transaction issues are discovered early. It's easier to deal with them separately now, than to troubleshoot them when you're closing the final period of the year. 

2. Plan to close all your modules and GL at once to avoid disruption to regular transaction activity. Once you start closing the final period for the year, you MUST complete all modules and the GL before you'll be allowed to enter further transactions because transactions cannot "straddle" years.  

3. If you have the Payroll module, notify iSOFT of your last PR date for 2018 and your first for 2019 so we can schedule the tax table update to occur between those dates.

4. Check to see if your backups are working. Make sure to create a fresh backup prior to doing your year-end close. Immediately after you close, make another backup and SAVE it in a permanent location. This will go a long way to make future audits easy, and eliminate the need for future disaster recovery support. We're here to help if your backup process could benefit from a review or a tune-up.

5. To get purchases in place that qualify as 2018 capital expenditures for Section 179, now is the time to schedule any software updates, integrated add-on functions, or system enhancements with us. This year's $1M deduction limit is huge, so act soon if you're taking advantage of it and want to get anything new in place in your AccountMate system. Our schedule still has some availability to make it happen for you by the deadline.
 

AccountMate's Synergy conference brings AccountMate business partners and vertical solution providers together to share news, plans, strategies, and networking. iSOFT is both a BP and a VSP so this is a tremendously valuable event for us! Lisa, Yvonne and Shawn attended in Phoenix two weeks ago.

4 highlights from the conference:

1. The new AccountMate Enterprise is nearing completion. 2019 will see the first wave of client installations of this exciting new platform.

2. If you haven't tried AccountMate Forms for check stock, "check" it out as it's a big time saver for printing professional quality checks from AccountMate. New customers can use the code "NEWCUST" to get 25% off and free shipping on your first order!

3. It's a tradition at Synergy for new AccountMate feature enhancement suggestions from end users and business partners to be discussed and voted on. 68 were considered this year! AccountMate is terrific at folding numerous user requests into the product—they really listen. Anytime you think of something you wish your AccountMate could do, tell us your suggestion and we'll get it submitted. Half the time, it turns out AccountMate can already do what a user is requesting and we'll show you where to look or how to do it—it's like getting your new feature wish fulfilled instantly! You can't lose either way.

4. We weren't surprised when American Payment Systems received AccountMate's Vertical Solution Provider of the Year award. They're great to work with. If you're paying credit card transaction fees, Yvonne here can assist you with moving to automatic Level 3 credit card payment processing with APS, integrated with AccountMate. Reduce your credit card fees by up to 43% (we can project your exact savings up front before you sign up, based on your latest statement). And simplify your credit card transactions at the same time. 


Candra Rader and Bryce Deenay from American Payment Systems accepted AccountMate's Vertical Solution Partner of the Year award.

 

Setting up multiple printers and using multiple paper trays are two ways to specify printer settings to optimize your company’s printing options. Article #1148: How to Utilize Multiple Paper Sizes or Paper Types in AccountMate discusses the ways to print documents using a variety of papers without the need to change paper in the tray before printing.

 

Versions: AM10 for SQL and Express
AM9 for SQL, Express, and LAN
AM8 for SQL, Express, and LAN

Module: IC

Q: We have an inventory item that we buy and sell; however, there are times when we use the item internally. How should I record these transactions?

A: Use the Internal Stock Issuance function to record these transactions. If the Transfer to the General Ledger checkbox is marked, then AccountMate will also create a journal entry; it will debit the GL Account ID entered in the GL Account field and credit the GL Account ID assigned to the inventory item in Inventory Maintenance > GL Accounts > Inventory field for the specified warehouse.

 

Versions: AM10 for SQL and Express
AM9 for SQL, Express, and LAN
AM8 for SQL, Express, and LAN

Module: AP

Q: I have a vendor which is a branch office, and they requested that I issue the check to their main office. Can AccountMate handle this scenario?

A: Yes, you can do this by assigning a Factor (Pay To) record to the vendor. Perform the following to create a Factor (Pay To) record and assign it to the vendor:

1. Access Vendor Maintenance.
2. Enter the vendor number of the branch office in the Vendor # field.
3. In the Settings tab, click the Factor (Pay To) underlined field label. This will display the Vendor Address Maintenance window.
4. Enter an Address # code; this is the code you assign to the factor (e.g., MAINOFC).
5. Enter in the Company field the payee to whom the vendor wants you to issue the check.
6. Fill in the rest of the fields.
7. Click Update to save your changes.
8. Close the Vendor Address Maintenance window to go back to Vendor Maintenance.
9. Enter the Address # code in the Factor (Pay To) field.
10. Click Update to save your changes in the vendor record.

Every check that you will issue to the vendor will now be paid to the factor address.

 

 

Versions: AM10 for SQL and Express
AM9 for SQL, Express, and LAN
AM8 for SQL, Express, and LAN

Module: PR

Q: I want to replace an e-payment check (direct deposit) with a paper check; however, when I attempted to replace the check using the Re-Print Payroll Check function, the Replace Check checkbox is disabled. Why?

A: You cannot replace an e-payment check using the Re-Print Payroll Check function. You must void the e-payment check first using the Void Payroll Check function, keep the applied payment, and then print the paper check by performing the following:

1. Access the Print Payroll Check function.
2. Select the applicable applied payment in the 2nd Print Payroll Check window.
3. Mark the Use Check checkbox.
4. Click OK.
5. Click the Print Checks button in the 3rd Print Payroll Check window.