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Sage 100 Work Order vs Production Management

May 22, 2019 by Wayne Schulz Leave a Comment

Sage released their Production Management module for Sage 100 on May 14, 2019. This module is the replacement for their Work Order module. It is feature comparable and also includes significant new enhancement ( see PDF below).

During 2019 Sage has committed to also releasing MRP and an updated Sage 100 Manufacturing which will work with Sage Production Management to extend manufacturing capabilities for Sage 100 and Sage 100cloud.

This handy comparison chart has been updated to show the difference in features between Sage 100 Work Order and the new Production Management Module.

Download a PDF copy of the differences between Sage 100 Work Order and Production Management here.

Sage 100cloud Support for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Ending January 14, 2020

March 27, 2019 by Wayne Schulz

As previously announced, on January 14, 2020, Microsoft will cease support for both Windows 7 on the desktop and Windows Server 2008 – including R2.

After January 2020 Microsoft will no longer issue security updates for either operating system. Once the official Microsoft support ends so will Sage support for Sage 100cloud running on either operating system (server or desktop).

These operating systems are over 10 years old (Both Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2 were released in October 2009) and if your company is using either (or both) the time to upgrade is now.

With the next release of Sage 100cloud due in April 2019, if your operating system is either Windows 7 or Server 2008 R2 then please plan to upgrade your server to become compliant with the latest Microsoft supported operating environments.

Windows 7 users can upgrade to Window 10, provided your workstations meet the Microsoft OS requirements.

Windows Server 2008 R2 users have a slightly different set of options. Many companies have started moving their servers to the cloud. In that case, you typically connect with a hosting company specializing in Sage 100cloud for assistance with the cloud migration.

If you are using Windows Server 2008 R2 and wish to upgrade your server and stay on-premises then Microsoft has this guide to various different options available.

We always advise you adequately plan out your next upgrade so there are no surprises during your next Sage upgrade.

How To Backup Sage 100 and Sage 100cloud

March 21, 2019 by Wayne Schulz

A common question that we hear from users of Sage 100 or Sage 100cloud is “How should we backup our accounting data?”.

For Sage 100 / Sage 100cloud Standard and Advanced, you can expect your underlying data to be stored under a top-level \MAS90 folder.

This \MAS90 folder is set by Sage and cannot be renamed. The folder name refers to the prior brand name of Sage 100 which was MAS90.

Tip: If you are not sure where your server is located, navigate within Sage 100 to the File menu. Select run and type *INFO.

This will provide you with a list of information which includes the installation path of your Sage 100 as well as any subscription info related to your payroll module.

Underneath the \MAS90 folder you will see the following data structure for both the Standard and Advanced versions of Sage 100 and Sage 100cloud.

In most cases, you’ll be protected if you take a full backup of the \MAS90 folder and all subfolders. This is the most popular method for backing up Sage data.

If you are using the Premium (SQL) version of Sage 100cloud then you’ll want to backup your Sage 100 as per these instructions PLUS also backup your Microsoft SQL Server Sage tables including the MAS_SYSTEM and MAS_XXX (where XXX is equal to each company code setup in Sage 100).

Some companies make use of alternate directories and securely store their data in a folder other than one beneath the \MAS90 folder.

How To Know If Your Sage 100 or Sage 100cloud Uses Alternate Directories

If you’ve been using Sage 100 for many years you may not be the original person who configured the system and therefore you may not know if your Sage 100 data is stored in an alternate directory.

Here’s how you can tell where your Sage 100 data is stored – including if it’s been custom configured to use an alternate directory.

From within Sage 100 Library Master navigate to company maintenance, enter your company code then click the preferences tab. The resulting screen will display a path to both your main Sage data as well as your payroll data (if any).

If your data location is outside the installed directory path (as shown by the *INFO command above) you will need to separately backup the data location as well.

In most cases Sage users are not using alternate directories. However, it is an option so before you plan your backup process please ensure alternate directories are not in use at your company.

How To Find The Path To Paperless Office Files

Paperless Office is a feature within Sage 100 which, when enabled, will print certain documents to a PDF file. These files are stored in user-defined locations which most likely will NOT be under the \MAS90 folder.

You can verify if Paperless Office is enabled by navigating to Sage 100 – Paperless Office – Setup – Paperless Office Options.

If any of the four options in the upper left are checked, then you are likely using (and storing) paperless office documents.

If you see that Paperless Office is enabled, you will need to review each of the four types of documents to see where each are stored as the path for each is completely user configurable.

To review the location of where paperless forms are stored, navigate to Paperless Office – Setup – Form Maintenance.

You’ll need to collect a list of all the PDF Directory paths shown for each type of paperless document your company is saving.

Most frequently you’ll find these documents are stored under a common folder and once you find the folder you can backup the entire contents.

Should You Perform a Full or Selective Backup of Sage 100 or Sage 100cloud?

Whether you backup all data files (full) or just files that have changed (selective) is up to your IT department.

In most cases we advocate for a full system backup since this can make your system restore much easier.

When restoring data files you generally cannot restore just one module due to the integrated nature of the accounting system.

If you are in the situation where you need to restore data please consult with your IT or Sage partner for guidance on best practices.

How To Determine The Installed Version of Sage 100 or Sage 100cloud

March 11, 2019 by Wayne Schulz

If able to access and log into Sage 100 (formerly Sage MAS 90 or 200):

Launch Sage 100 (or formerly Sage MAS 90 or 200)
Access the Help menu
- Note: This would be the on the toolbar that includes File, Modules, My Tasks, View, and Help
Select About or About Sage 100
Locate the version information
- Example: Sage 100c Standard 2016 (Version 5.30.3.0
- If unable to access and log into Sage 100 (formerly Sage MAS 90 or 200):
  - The following procedure only works if the “..\MAS90” directory and its contents are available (either as installed on the server, or as a backup copy).
  - The status.flp file will indicate what the base version is. It does not indicate what Product Update, program fixes, or third-party enhancements may be included.
Browse to the “..\MAS90\Home” where the data is stored or where Sage 100 is installed (if not a backup copy)
Open the Status.flp using a text editor (Such as Notepad) to read the version of SS (System Setup).
- Examples:
  - 6.10 – Sage 100 2019
  - 6.00 – Sage 100 2018
  - 5.40 – Sage 100 2017
  - 5.30 – Sage 100 2016
  - 5.20 – Sage 100 2015
  - 5.10 – Sage 100 2014
  - 5.00 – Sage 100 2013
  - 4.50 – Sage 100 (formerly Sage MAS 90 or 200) version 4.50

Meeting Of The Minds 2019 Wrapup

March 7, 2019 by Darcy Boerio

Who Are The 90 Minds?

The 90 Minds Group is a non-profit trade association of over 200 North American Sage 100 consultants and independent software vendors ( ISVs ).

The group, formed in 2005, strives to provide mutual support to their Sage 100 consultant members.

Annually the group has a two-day meeting where they trade best-practices and share knowledge used for supporting their Sage 100 customers.

Meeting Of The Minds 2019

8th Annual Meeting of the Minds – San Diego, February 2019

The 2019 Meeting of the Minds was held February 28, 2019 to March 2, 2019 in San Diego, California.

Approximately 150 consultants and ISVs attended the 2.5 day conference. The majority of the conference content was focused on providing an update about the next release of Sage 100cloud.

Additional updates were provided by various ISVs who delivered updates about their integrations and any new features.

A Full Two-Day Sage 100 Conference Agenda

What’s Coming In Sage 100cloud 2019?

The main topic of conversation for this conference was the upcoming release of Sage 100cloud version 2019.

First up was Sage North American. Timothy Harfield, VP of Marketing and Linda Cade, Product Manager for Sage 100 delivered a look ahead to the expected features in the next few releases of Sage 100cloud.

Sage North America Executives Provided An Update on Sage 100

Sage 100cloud version 2019 is expected April 2, 2019. The major new feature for this release will be the upgrading of Work Order and MRP modules to the latest programming framework.

These are the last two modules which Sage had been working to bring up to their latest programming standards. This new programming standard allows for certain types of user defined fields, scripting and data import to be more easily implemented.

Having these the last two modules at framework also means that all users of Sage 100cloud now have the ability to move to Sage 100cloud Premium aka SQL.

Sage 100 Production Management – Coming in 2019

This new module, available for both Sage 100 and Sage 100cloud, will replace the Work Order and MRP module which will stop being sold as of March 2019 with support ceasing in 2022.

Some of the expected features include:

On framework ( SQL / Sage 100cloud Premium compatible )
Extended field lengths for work order numbers & steps
Work order templates and revisions
One-click purchase order for outside processing
Import materials from bill of material or flat file
Simplified transaction workflow

Three New Manufacturing Extensions for Sage 100 & Sage 100cloud

In addition to Sage 100cloud Production Management, there are expected to be three additional manufacturing extensions.

Make to Order – formerly Sage 100cloud Manufacturing
Enhanced Scheduling
Product Configurator

Less Costly Manufacturing Licenses

New to Sage 100cloud 2019 is the availability of two types of licensing for Production Management

Standard Users – Access to all tasks
Shop floor users – Transactional tasks only

Rather than purchase expensive full Sage 100cloud licenses you will now have the ability to purchase limited licenses which are less costly and provide access to only the manufacturing functionality required.

Additional New Sage 100cloud Features

The following enhancements were also discussed. Some of these features may appear in a product update issued after the April release of Sage 100cloud 2019.

Paperless Office

Electronic delivery messages – additional merge fields
HTML email
File attachments
cc and bcc email addresses
Email copies to salesperson

Grad Caps

In the lower left corner of several modules, you will now find an image similar to a graduation cap. Clicking that image will take you to additional training resources relevant to the particular task.

Payroll Enhancements

Default bank code
Payroll advance checks
Reprint employer’s expense report
Tax payment checks
Tax rate inquiry
Expand department number
Include employer contribution on check / DD stub
Check reversal outside current quarter (security option)

General Enhancements

Improved System Activity Log
Data File Display and Maintenance for Sage 100 Premium ( SQL )
Paya click to pay functionality ( 2019.x )
Payroll reports enhanced for portrait layout ( Data Entry Report, Employers Expense Report and Check Register)

Sage 100cloud ISV Updates

During this meeting several ISVs provided updates on their product lines. Listed below are three enhancements and a list of what’s new and available for these solutions.

Warehouse Management for Sage 100cloud: Scanforce

In their session, ScanForce reviewed case studies of several large manufacturing and distribution companies using their mobile data capture technology to streamline warehouse operations. They also cited examples of some pretty big names using their technology, MTV and Whirlpool, to name a few.

In addition, they announced enhanced capabilities for pallets:

Pick to Pallet – Group items together at SO Picking/Staging and printing of Pallet tag from within mobile program. User is able to scan/select the Pallet ID at SF Pallet Shipping rather than each item/qty/lot/serial.
Pallet Tracking/License Plating (avail. Q2) – Detailed grouping of items and item info tied back to an ID Tag/Pallet Tag. Allows easy data capture/entry by scan/entry of an ID or Pallet Tag (sometimes referred to as a License Plate).

The attendees got a kick out of their Million Record Challenge, which compared the speed to retrieve one million item records from Sage 100 using various technologies.

Cloud Hosting for Sage 100cloud: Summit Hosting

Putting the ‘cloud’ in Sage 100cloud by putting Sage 100cloud in the cloud.”

Summit Hosting offers private cloud hosting for Sage 100 / Sage 100cloud. Each hosting customer has a dedicated server – no shared environments.

They offer 2-Factor Authentication (aka Secure Sign-On), an added layer of security that is no longer a “nice to have”, but a “must” for any cloud environment.

In addition to the free admin login every partner receives when their customers host with Summit, Summit Hosting also announced some partner program benefits exclusively for 90 Minds members.

Integrated Credit Card and ACH for Sage 100cloud: APS

APS Payments displayed their new ClickToPay for Sage 100cloud, a secure way for Sage 100cloud users to use eInvoicing and have invoices paid by their customers with one easy click.

They also highlighted the workflow efficiencies that can be achieved by using DSD Business Systems’ InstaDocs, an embedded document management solution, in conjunction with ClickToPay. Using these solutions together lets Sage 100 users automatically eInvoice their customer a copy of the invoice, plus all related documents stored in InstaDocs. The customer receives the email with all the attachments and a link to quickly and easily make a payment, which then flows into Sage 100.

APS Payments also announced support for DSD’s multi-currency and master invoice, further illustrating their connection to so many of the tools Sage 100 users need.

Sage Summit Atlanta – May 13-15, 2019

The next event on Sage’s calendar is their Sage Summit conference in Atlanta May 13-15, 2019.

Summit Atlanta will be a good opportunity for an update on the new Sage 100 release which will have been released by that time.