Enhancements in Build AM 10.2

Building on and in addition to the product features from prior AccountMate for SQL and Express releases, this AccountMate 10.2 for SQL/Express Build offers a substantial amount of changes and enhancements. We have produced a few documents that will help you to review the scope of this latest release and also provide information that you may decide to send to your clients.

There are some very extensive enhancements that are being introduced in AccountMate 10.2 for SQL and Express. The majority of these enhancements were a result of the feature enhancement voting at prior SYNERGY and Roundtable Events, and requests from our AccountMate Business Partners and their customers. Some of the higher visibility changes include:

Payroll Enhancements

Payroll has been enhanced as follows:

Allow up to four (4) Decimal Places for Deduction Percentage Rates

The Deduction Maintenance function is enhanced to increase the deduction percentage rate maximum decimal places from two (2) to four (4). This enhancement is necessary in order to handle statutory deductions that require more than two (2) decimal places including the Family Medical Leave Act (i.e. 0.126%).

Option to Accumulate Paid Leave on Used Leaves and Holidays

Users can now set up leaves and holidays earning codes to accrue paid leave hours. This applies to paid leave codes assigned with the Per Hour Work accrual method. This is to accommodate the requirements of those companies who grant their hourly employees paid leave benefits for the leaves that they used and for the holidays.

Option to Hide Unapplied Earnings and Deductions Details in the Check Stubs

In previous versions, Payroll check stubs listed in detail the earning codes and deductions including those for which payroll/payment has yet to be applied. This resulted in a multi-page check stub that may provide more information than some users need. To simplify the check stubs, we have added in the PR Module Setup > Printing tab two checkboxes that allow users to hide the unapplied earning and/or deduction details if they do not want or need to see them:

• Print Earnings Not Applied for the Period – do not mark this checkbox if you want to suppress printing on the check stubs the earning codes for which no payroll/payment is applied in the current or specific pay period
• Print Deductions Not Applied for the Period – do not mark this checkbox if you want to suppress printing on the check stubs the deductions for which no payroll/payment is applied in the current or specific pay period

New State and Local Tax Summary Report

The State and Local Tax Summary Report is added in this version to show summary information about the state and local withholding tax amounts of a particular tax state. This report comes in handy when you process state and local tax deposits and when you generate the state tax forms.

Option to Specify whether the Ordered Items are for Pick Up by Customers

Previous AccountMate versions did not provide the means to designate the AR invoice, Sales Order, and/or RMA order line items for pick up by the customer. In version 10.2 an option is added so that users can choose whether the line items will be shipped to the customer or picked up by the customer from one of the company’s warehouses. To implement this feature a Pick Up checkbox is added beside the Ship To field in applicable functions. Marking the Pick Up checkbox configures AccountMate to designate the line items as for pick up and users can specify the warehouse address where the customer can pick up the items from.

New Customer Address Maintenance function Facilitates Set up and Maintenance of Customer Address Records

In the previous AccountMate versions users can set up and maintain customer address records using the Customer Address Maintenance window that is accessible by clicking either the Bill To or Ship To underlined field label found in applicable Maintenance and Transactions functions. In this new version that specific window is replaced by a new Customer Address Maintenance function that is accessible from the Maintenance menu. New fields and options are available in this new function including the ability to set up more than one customer e-mail addresses and to choose whether to use the customer address as the
billing and/or shipping address.

Ability to Automatically Fill in the Customer Address Record with E-mail Address from the Customer Record

This enhancement entails that the Customer Address Maintenance > E-mail To field is automatically filled in with the main contact person’s e-mail address from the customer record. When you click the E-mail Setup button beside the E-mail To and E-mail Cc fields, AccountMate displays the Contact for Customer # [xxx] window where you can choose which contact e-mail addresses from the customer record you want to automatically add into the E-mail To or E-mail Cc field. Since e-mail is one of the most commonly used mode of communication with customers, this enhancement helps users save time in their day-to-day transactions.

Streamline Recording of Transactions

A number of enhancements to streamline processes are implemented in this version to help users save time and minimize errors in recording transactions. These enhancements include the following:

Ability to Sort the Companies in the Selection Grid

A new Select Company window is added to provide users the ease of switching companies especially if many company databases are set up in AccountMate. This window appears when you right-click on the company name in the Main Menu toolbar. This window allows you to click on either the Company ID or Company Name column header in the grid to sort the company IDs or names in ascending or descending order.

Support Barcodes in Warehouse Inventory Transfer and Receive Warehouse Inventory Transfer

Inventory items transferred between warehouses and their receipt in the destination warehouse can be entered by simply scanning the product bar codes. Users can activate this feature by marking the Use Barcode Scanner checkbox in the IC Module Setup > General (1) tab.

This makes it possible for companies who print barcode labels to use these same labels to streamline inventory item transfers between warehouses and receiving transferred inventory items. Scanning barcode labels not only reduces the time it takes to process inventory transfers and receipts, it also helps prevent mistakes such as those committed when users enter the wrong item number.

Record Bank Deposits Immediately after Saving Invoice Payment Application

Authorized users can now immediately access the Record Bank Deposit function from the Save Apply Payment window. This enhancement provides a convenient and easy way to record bank deposits immediately after saving the apply payment transactions without having the need to separately access the Record Bank Deposit function.

Ability to Cancel Backorder Quantities during Receipt of Goods

The Receive Goods function has an added option to cancel all the backorder quantities from the same purchase order being recorded as received. The user no longer needs to separately access the Cancel PO Backorder after saving the receipt of goods transaction to cancel the remaining backorder quantities from the same purchase order. To implement this feature, the PO Module Setup has added options to not cancel, always cancel, or prompt user to cancel all the remaining backorder quantities upon saving the
receipt of goods transaction. If the Prompt for Cancellation option is chosen in PO Module Setup, you have an option to mark the Cancel All B.O. Quantity checkbox in the Receive Goods > Line Items tab to configure AccountMate to automatically cancel all the remaining backorder quantities upon saving the transaction.

Option to Post a Handwritten Check immediately after Posting an AP Invoice

Instead of having to separately access the Post Handwritten Check function to record a handwritten check for the newly recorded AP invoice, this new version provides authorized users the option to automatically access the Post Handwritten Check function immediately after the AP invoice is recorded. AccountMate automatically displays on the Post Handwritten Check screen some pieces of information from the AP invoice record though users can still edit them. This enhancement saves users a few keystrokes, minimizes data entry mistakes, and reduces the risk that users may forget to post a handwritten check for the newly posted AP invoice.

Option to Automatically post an AP Invoice when posting a Handwritten Check

This new version provides authorized users the option to automatically post the AP Invoice when the handwritten check is posted. To implement this feature a Post AP Invoice checkbox, Invoice #, and 1099 Type fields are added in the Post Handwritten Check function. Marking the Post AP Invoice checkbox configures AccountMate to automatically post the AP invoice based on the data entered in the Post Handwritten Check screen. This enhancement saves users ample time instead of having to separately access the AP Invoice Transactions function to record the AP invoice.

Ability to Post Handwritten Check for One-Time Vendors

Maintaining vendor records in AccountMate for one-time vendors or vendors whom you occasionally transact business with is unnecessary and time-consuming; thus, we enter the one-time vendor’s details only at the time of recording the transaction. This new version comes with an enhanced Post Handwritten Check function that allows users to simultaneously post a check and an AP invoice for a one-time vendor. Clicking the One-Time Vendor icon beside the Vendor # Lookup button configures AccountMate to
enable only the fields needed to enter the information necessary to simultaneously post a handwritten check and AP invoice for a one-time vendor.

Enhanced Data Manager Release Lock feature

Previous AccountMate versions allowed users to release data access lock only for the period-end closing routine. In this newest version the Data Manager function is enhanced to provide users the ability to lift the lock not only on period-end closing but also on year-end closing and data transfer. The Release Period- End Closing Lock checkbox in Data Manager is renamed to Release Year/PeriodEnd Closing or Transfer Lock.

Option to select the desired positive pay output file format

A File Type field is added to the Bank Account Maintenance > Positive Pay tab. Use this field to choose the desired format for the positive pay output file.

Option to Print Company Name and Address on the PR/AP Checks and PR Check Stubs

The Bank Account Maintenance function has the following additional options for configuring AccountMate to print the company name and address on the Payroll and Accounts Payable checks and/or Payroll check stubs:

• Print Company Name and Address on Check
• Print Company Name and Address on Stub

When creating new bank account records, the default settings for both checkboxes come from the PR Module Setup and AP Module Setup functions.

More Powerful Reporting Tools

New Print Master Pick List function in the Sales Order module

The Pick List helps users identify from which bin(s) ordered items will be retrieved to fulfill a particular sales order; however, there is no information that indicates whether the bin quantities are sufficient to fulfill all the orders from multiple sales orders. For example, if the same source bin is specified in multiple sales orders for the same item and that bin’s quantity is insufficient to fulfill a specific sales order, you will need to retrieve quantities from the other bins to fulfill the other sales orders. The actual source bin will then be different from the source bin printed on the other Sales Order documents.

In AccountMate 10.2 for SQL a new function called Print Master Pick List is added. This function allows users to generate a report that groups the ordered items based on warehouse, bin, and pick sequence; thus, it properly identifies the bins for the items with order quantities in multiple sales orders. The Master Pick List facilitates faster retrieval of items from the warehouse and helps ensure accurate source bin information.

New Vendor Performance Analysis Report facilitates Vendor Review

A Vendor Performance Analysis Report has been added to the Purchase Order module. This report provides information about each vendor’s lead time, percentage of the ordered items that are received, and percentage of inventory unit cost over the received unit cost. Use this report to evaluate a vendor’s performance based on timeliness, completeness of order fulfillment, and pricing.

Various Report Enhancements

We have implement enhancements in various reports to make these more useful and flexible in meeting the users’ specific needs. These enhancements include the following:

Option to show backorder amounts in the Packing Slip and AR invoice

To facilitate validation of backorder items, version 10.2 is enhanced to give users the option to show the backorder amounts in the SO Packing Slips, AR Packing Slips, and AR Invoices. Mark the “Show Back Order Amounts” checkbox in the report interface to configure AccountMate to show the back order amounts in the report.

Data Filter Options Added to the Commissionable Sales Report

We have added some more data filter options to the Commissionable Sales Report to make the report more useful and to make it easier for the user to narrow down the results to specific items. The following filter options have been added:

If Commission based on Inventory is set in AR Module Setup:

• Commission Based on Net Ext Price – use this option to show in the report the commissionable sales on the invoice line items’ net extended prices.
• Commission Based on Profit Margin – use this option to show in the report the commissionable sales on the invoice line item’s gross profit.

If Commission based on SO/Invoice is set in AR Module Setup:

• Commission Based on Invoice Subtotal– use this option to show in the report the commissionable sales on the invoice subtotal amount.
• Commission Based on Gross Profit – use this option to show in the report the commissionable sales on the gross profit per invoice.

We have also replaced the Freight option group with checkboxes. In earlier AccountMate versions users could choose to exclude freight, include freight in invoice total, or include freight in the invoice total and commission. Starting in version 10.2, these mutually exclusive option groups have been replaced by checkboxes—Include Freight in Commission, Include Adjustment in Commission, Include Freight in Invoice Total, Include Sales Tax in Invoice Total, Include Adjustment in Invoice Total, Show Upsell Line Items Only, and Show Extended Cost. This gives users more flexibility to apply whichever filter(s) they require to get the information they need from the report.

Options to print Shipment Report for Cancelled Shipments

Starting in version 10.2, the Shipment Report has additional options to generate the report for all shipments including cancelled ones or specifically for cancelled shipments. A Cancel Date sorting option is also added to easily find cancelled shipments by dates. This gives users more flexibility to filter the information they need to validate and investigate the cancelled shipments.

Show Post Date in the Past-Due Aging Report

The Past-Due Aging Report is enhanced to show the AP invoice post dates if the Report Date based on Post Date option is chosen. This enhancement helps users easily trace when each past-due invoice was posted.

“Amount” filter criterion is added in the GL Transfer Reports

Each GL Transfer Report in the applicable modules is enhanced to include the Amount filter criterion. If you enter a non-zero amount to filter the information, the report will show the GL Account ID details regardless of whether the Ignore Summary Settings is unmarked.

Additional “Account ID” Filter criterion for the GL Transaction Search Report

We have enhanced the Transaction Search report in the General Ledger module by adding the ability to filter the output for a range of GL Account IDs. This makes the report easier and more flexible to use.