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Warehouse Wizard Series Parts 4 – 6

July 9, 2019 by Darcy Boerio Leave a Comment

Last month we brought you parts 1 – 3 of the six-part “Warehouse Wizard Series”, a joint effort by ScanForce and Sage Inventory Advisor to provide educational content for Sage 100 users who operate warehouses.

Read Parts 1 – 3 of the Warehouse Wizard Series

And now for parts 4 – 6:

Part 4: Incorrect Levels Drive Excess Inventory

While having excess inventory on hand can seem like a safe bet to make sure you can meet demand, it is not cost-effective and can stunt your business’ growth.

On the other hand, you can have the best methodology imaginable in place to optimize replenishment and avoid excess inventory, but if your inputs are wrong, you will still fail. Good decisions start with accurate data.

Read Reducing Excess Inventory to learn about how to address the complexities associated with not having a source of truth for your levels.

Part 5: The Advantages of ABC Analysis

Ranking your items lets you focus on the ones that really matter. Whether they’re high velocity/high value or slow moving/low value or anywhere in between, these criteria can help you make better decisions about where to focus your time and working capital.

Read up on The 5 Advantages of an Effective ABC Analysis to learn how these classifications can lead to increased profits.

Part 6: Free Tools for Sage 100cloud to Optimize Inventory

Your Sage 100cloud subscription comes with a number of free tools that were previously only available for purchase. Two of these products that are included “out of the box” are:

DSD/ScanForce Multi-Bin Basic by ScanForce
Sage Inventory Advisor Basics by Sage Inventory Advisor

Are you taking advantage of these features you already own? The infographic shows some of the functionality available to help you optimize inventory without purchasing any additional software.

That’s it for the series. Thanks for reading along! You’re a Warehouse Wizard!

Contact ScanForce or Sage Inventory Advisor if we can be of assistance with any of the initiatives you learned about in the series.

Sage Abra Suite End-Of-Life FAQ

June 20, 2019 by Wayne Schulz Leave a Comment

Sage recently announced end-of-life for their Sage Abra Suite. This has resulted in some questions about the process including when support and sales will end for this HR product.

HOW DO I KNOW IF I AM IMPACTED BY SAGE ABRA SUITE END-OF-LIFE?

This change impacts ALL customers who utilize Sage Abra Suite.

2. WHAT DO I DO IF I AM IMPACTED?

We recommend that you discuss your needs with your DSD account manager to review the migration path from Sage Abra Suite to another supported HCM solution.

3. WHAT HAPPENS IF IDON’T MIGRATE?

Sage Abra Suite will continue to function after December 28, 2020. However, you will not be able to receive updates, security fixes, tax, and legislative updates, or access the Sage support center for assistance as of December 28, 2020. This is pertinent because the new tax tables and forms would normally be available prior to year-end reporting, but will now not be available.

4. WHAT IS THE DATE OF THE LAST UPDATE ON SAGE ABRA SUITE?

The final compliance and maintenance update for Sage Abra Suite will be released in September 2020.

5. WHAT IS THE LAST DATE SAGE SUPPORT WILL HELP WITH ABRA SUITE?

The final date for Sage to support Abra is December 28, 2020.

6.WHAT IF MY RENEWAL DATE IS AFTER DECEMBER 28,2019?

Sage will prorate your M&S to December 28, 2020.

7. WHERE CAN I ACCESS INFORMATION ON HCM PRODUCTS THAT DSD OFFERS?

Many HCM solutions which integrate to Sage or can be used standalone are featured on our website.

Warehouse Wizard Series Parts 1 – 3

June 13, 2019 by Darcy Boerio

From ensuring that you have an accurate picture of what you have on hand and where everything is to informed decision making on replenishment, there are many moving parts when it comes to managing inventory (pun intended).

The inventory and warehouse experts and Sage Inventory Advisor and ScanForce have teamed up to bring you a series of tips to help you become a “Warehouse Wizard”. For this article, we’ll look at the first three of the six tips.

Part 1: Two Sides of Inventory Management

From managing the physical product through accuracy in receiving, pick/pack/ship, physical counts, and labeling, inventory control is crucial to warehouse efficiency. It’s the foundation that allows you to make informed decisions on forecasting, ordering, and expediting, all in the name of inventory optimization.

In this 5 minute video, Russ Graf of NetStock and Steve Showalter of ScanForce discuss the key components of Inventory Control and Inventory Replenishment, and why even if business is booming, NOW is the time to invest in warehouse productivity tools.

Read the full article and watch “The Two Sides of Inventory Management” here.

Part 2: The Right Items in the Right Place at the Right Time

What if your warehouse had just the right amount of inventory to meet demands? Not too little, not too much, but just right?

Having the right items means faster fulfillment, happy customers, and more sales.

Having them in the right place leads to increased productivity and lower operating costs.

Having them at the right time prevents excess inventory and stock-outs.

And it all leads to increased profit.

Read the full article on how to “get it right” here.

Part 3: Hidden Costs of Inventory Spreadsheets

Who doesn’t love Excel? It’s inexpensive and easy to use. But when it comes to managing inventory, it’s not the right tool for the job.

In this 6 minute video, Russ and Steve expose some of the hidden costs lurking in your inventory spreadsheets, and how using tools designed for Sage 100 users can help you avoid the risks of spreadsheet inaccuracies.

Read the full article and watch “The Hidden Costs of Inventory Spreadsheets” here.

Watch here on the Schulz Consulting blog for parts 4 – 6 coming soon!

Want to learn more about the tools discussed in these tips? Visit scanforce.com or inventoryadvisor.co

Sage 100 Payroll 2.x Compatibility Chart

April 12, 2019 by Wayne Schulz

Beginning with Sage 100 version 2018 there is a newly updated version of payroll. Known as Payroll 2.x, this version is only compatible with Sage 100 version 2018 and higher.

Sage just updated their compatibility chart to show which versions of Sage 100 remain compatible with various updated to Payroll 2.x.

Sage 100 2019 Payroll 2.x Compatibility

Sage 100 2019 was released on April 2, 2019. Below is the compatibility chart showing which releases of payroll 2.x are compatible with Sage 100 2019.

This chart applies to both Sage 100 2019 and Sage 100 2019cloud. A separate payroll subscription is required to use payroll.

Sage 100 2018 Payroll 2.x Compatibility

Users of Sage 100 2018.x should use the following chart to determine which releases of payroll 2.x are compatible with their Sage 100 2018 release.

Before installing any Sage 100 release ( or product update ) please check with your Sage partner. Ensure that any non-payroll integrations are also compatible with the new release.

Upgrade Sage 100 Payroll Now – More Complex 2020 W-4 Form Possible

April 9, 2019 by Wayne Schulz

Heads Up: New and potentially more complex W-4 form due by 2020.

This form will seek to eliminate over and underpayments. To do so it may ask for significantly more information from employees, including:

Nonwage income, such as interest and dividends
Itemized and other deductions
Income tax credits expected for the tax year
For employees with multiple jobs, total annual taxable wages for all lower paying jobs in the household

For now, this is still being reviewed with the next draft due around May 2019. The goal is to have an updated W-4 for the 2020 tax season.

From USA Today:

The new form referenced up to 12 other IRS publications to fill it out. It was so complex and different from the previous W-4 form that Ernst & Young worried employees would struggle to fill it out correctly and employers may need to offer training beforehand.

This is a very good reason for payroll users who have not upgraded from older versions to move to Payroll 2.x ASAP since it’s unlikely the older Sage payroll will be updated to manage a more complex federal tax computation.

Sage 100 Payroll 2.19.2 was released on April 2, 2019 and is compatible with Sage 100 2018.1 and higher. For more information on the latest Sage payroll release visit this site.