Late in 2014 we announced that we have revitalised our business with a new brand and we are pleased to announce that we have recently launched our new website. You can visit our website at: www.archertechnologygroup.com.au We’d love to hear your thoughts, ideas or feedback.
Our business address, contact phone and fax numbers HAVE NOT CHANGED.
Our email addresses & website have changed
Please make a note of our new website address
www.archertechnologygroup.com.au
and our new email addresses:
Larry Blode – lblode@archergroup.com.au
Sheryl Furman – sfurman@archergroup.com.au
Akiva Quinn – aquinn@archergroup.com.au
Some of the reasons why we decided to make this change include:
The rebranding was a necessary part of our organisation repositioning itself for growth.
Our decision to change our brand occurred after a review of our current practices. Old habits and processes that no longer served our business were left behind and a new visual identity helped us show our customers and the market place that we are re-energised and re-focused.
Our old logo was beginning to look dated and a fresh new look that brought the business into the ‘now’ was needed.
As always we are dedicated to continuing to provide you with quality IT support and focused on improving communication with our customers even further. If you have any questions or concerns about these changes we would be happy to speak to you, please do not hesitate to contact us on: 03 9570 2000.
When processing your BAS for the ATO, it is important to remember that goods imported from overseas are not taxed for GST. However the services that are attached to it, such as freight, insurance and duty do incur GST.
These GST values will appear in the G11 Box and again in G20. However, the value for the GST free values do not display in G14. Why is that? Well Tencia has an option to display or not display GST free values. To set this option to view GST free items, all you need to do is make a change to the “Maintain Creditor Accounts” tab, go to the “Account details” sub tab and click on the drop down list in the “Tax report status” field, then select ‘Exempt” and save your changes.
More cool tips
Did you know that each time you send an invoice or statement Tencia can automatically send an additional attachment out along with the form? Say for example you send out statements each month, you could easily attach a newsletter, a brochure, a catalogue, change of terms, or information on special deals or discounts that can promote or add value to your business.
To do this you will need to set up Tencia in the following way. Simply navigate to:
System menu – Click on the “Maintain” item
Look for – “Maintain Document Attachments”
When the “Maintain document attachments” screen is displayed, select the type of statement that you would like to attach an additional document to.
Select the document prefix and add the description in the description field and then browse to select the newsletter, brochure or other item of interest to attach.
Click on “Save” to save your changes.
Progress is impossible without change – Are you ready?
Several of our clients asked us about the recent changes we’ve made to our brand so we thought it would be relevant to share an article on the broader topic of ‘change’. Change is inevitable and whether we like it or not it’s going to happen in one way or another, in one aspect of our lives or another. British born philosoher Alan Watts said; “The only easy way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it and join the dance.” One of the best selling business books ever written that examines change and various responses that individuals can make to change is called ‘Who moved my cheese?’ by Spencer Johnson. Many of you may have already read this book or know of it, but we thought it might be valuable to re-visit and share the key messages found in this book especially for those who may not have the time to read it for themselves.
It is a story about change and “cheese” is a metaphor for what we believe makes us HAPPY. Our happiness can come in many forms such as:
• Business success
• Money
• A relationship
• Health
• Freedom
• Spiritual peace
The message in this book is simple, yet important:
CHANGE HAPPENS
They keep moving the cheese.
ANTICIPATE CHANGE
Get ready for the cheese to move.
MONITOR CHANGE
Smell the cheese often so you know when its getting old.
ADAPT TO CHANGE QUICKLY
The faster you let go of old cheese the sooner you can enjoy new cheese.
CHANGE
Move with the cheese.
ENJOY CHANGE
Savour the adventure and enjoy the taste of new cheese.
BE READY TO CHANGE QUICKLY AND ENJOY IT AGAIN AND AGAIN.
They keep moving the cheese.
The book uncovers how to deal with change so that you can enjoy less stress and more success in your work and in your life. The key messages are listed above are handy to keep in mind in your daily work and life, we thought it was worthwhile sharing these with you. Change or opportunity? You decide, it’s everywhere.
It seems that now is the time for small businesses to take action to keep software updated and compliant, enabling them to realise productivity benefits in the future an avoid the frustrations of dated technology.
Generous tax write off for Small Business
If you currently run or you are thinking of starting a small business, now is the time to act. Recent announcements in the 2015 Federal budget mean that many small businesses are eligible to receive an instant asset write off allowing small businesses to claim back purchases up to the amount of $20,000.
Who is eligible?
Businesses with an annual turnover under $2 million can claim immediate tax deductions for as many sub-$20,000 purchases as they make until June 30, 2017. In order to be eligible businesses must demonstrate ongoing business activity via a quarterly Business Activity Statement (BAS).
What does this mean for me?
Software purchases for business use such as accounting software can be claimed under the new initiative. So if you are thinking of investing in business software now is the time!
Think about the assets that could help you improve your business from new office furniture, to IT hardware, infrastructure or other machinery, the small business package is very generous and allows you to claim an immediate tax deduction.If you are considering upgrading your accounting system the time to act is now. If you are unsure if an item is eligible speak to your accountant or financial advisor.
Tencia Release V 2015.2.0.0 is the controlled release of the Fixed Assets module. This is the final module representing the completion of all Arrow Financial modules. A controlled release means that the module will be released to a selected group of client sites before a general release of the module at a later date.
This release alsoincludes a new module called Multi-bin allocation that will be useful for warehousing and distribution firms as well as other clients that may require this feature. Multi-bin allocation has been included as a new feature and will form part of the Tencia Core system.
Multi-bin allocation allows users to manage which bins stock will be allocated to. For instance, this feature will manage which stock location bins will receive stock and from which bins stock will be taken from when stock is sold.
Please note that for clients with customised document formats, you will require a review of your current formats to ensure that you can print fixed assets information or bin location number details. Changes to your system may be required to ensure that these items are picked up and printed in the line details of reports and documents.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us on 03 9570-2000.
Are you ready for SuperStream?
The Australian Tax Office has sent out a request for small business owners to ensure that they are ready for the introduction of SuperStream on July 1, 2015. Many of you will already be aware of SuperStream, it is the Government’s initiative for a more simplified superannuation scheme. It will require all super contributions to be made electronically with linked data and payments. This change was rolled out to large businesses in 2014 and will become a requirement for small business with 19 employees or less on July 1, 2015.
Remember that implementing SuperStream is a legal requirement for all Self Managed Super Funds (SMSF). For SuperStream to work effectively, employees with SMSFs must provide relevant e-commerce details to their employer so they can update their payroll system.
Tencia will generate a SuperStream Alternate File Format (SAFF). A number of updates have been made to Tencia to ensure that this file format can be generated to cater for the SuperStream changes. Updates have been made to system parameters and payment types as well as updates to the super guarantee links. New fields have been included in Tencia, as well as the development of new processes for SuperStream payments.
Important information to note includes that employers with 20+ staff must use the standard or an approved bridging solution. Employers with less than 20 staff must show intent to move to the data standard while continue on with supported bridging solutions by July 1, 2015.
Remember don’t delay providing your fund details to allow employers to make the changes to their payroll systems.
Did you know that you can ‘group’ reference numbers by supplier?
There may be times where you need to alter a transaction but you are unsure about which reference number has the right details. An example of this could be a purchase order.
There is an easy way of “grouping” the reference numbers by supplier and then working your way through the list.
Our example is using the demo data.
Using the @ search enter @suppliers name into the search field,for example as @agile for Agile Imports and then press F4.
This will group all the purchase orders for Agile Imports together. There is a tiny ‘pin tack’, in blue, that allows you to lock the data view, click on the ‘pin tack’ once. Your data view should now be across the screen, or hidden from view. Now you can select each purchase order one by one till you find the one you want to alter. When you are done, you can click the ‘pin tack’ again to unlock the data view.
The Tencia Fixed Assets module is now available. Some of our clients were eager to get access to this module. Please get in touch if you would like to arrange to see a demonstration or if you would like to place an order. The Fixed Assets module can now be purchased at $1,500. If you have any questions regarding this module please feel free to call us for a discussion on 9570 2000.
As mentioned previously Tencia has been enhance to deal with the new SuperStream requirements. With the new tax legislation in process, all companies need to be Superstream compliant by July 1 2016. This new Tencia payments and report feature takes the manual process that normally needs to be performed and combines it into one easy to download file to be provided to your clearing house, making things simpler for you.
Multibin Location Management
Multibin location management is here and allows you to decide which stock bins in a warehouse are to receive stock.
The aim of this feature is to allow:
1. For stock to be picked in the most efficient manner.
2. That the oldest stock is sold first.
3. For the actual cost of the stock to be used in the cost of sales calculations.
This is a great feature for warehousing and distribution businesses with advanced stock requirements. If your business handles stock and you think this feature might be of interest to you please get in touch and we will happily guide you through all of the features that the module has to offer and explain how they can be applied to your business.
Time saving features
Changing label names
You will now be able to change the name of field label user defined fields so that you can enter data more efficiently. This will make Tencia a lot more flexible, you can now name one of these fields with a name that is more relevant to your business. One example would be that a subscription-based business might want to change Customer Code to Member Code so that it makes more sense to their business.
Email and hyperlinks
Email and URL fields throughout Tencia will now have hyperlinks so users can click links to launch an email or access a web address. Hyperlinks will also display in fields that appear in the navigation panel. Reference numbers will also appear in the email subject line. This means that documents that you email from within the system will now contain the reference number in the subject line.
Hot new item!
Tencia Warning DialogsA large number of users asked for warning dialogs to remain viewable until the user has read and acknowledged them. The Tencia system uses Red for Error dialogs and Blue for Warning dialogs. These warnings will now remain present on your screen until you click them off.
Travel time recent change
Please note that there has been a recent change to our service agreement. From September 1st 2015 all chargeable time on site will now include travel time both to and from the client premises at a rate of $120/hr or part thereof.
3 ways that Business Intelligence can help your business
Business Intelligence (BI) is used to help businesses improve their decision making. BI software allows you to carry out data analysis on areas of your business so that you can have a better overall picture of where your business is headed, so you can stay ahead of your competitors.
Good decisions require good information.
Information that is:
Timely
Relevant and
Accurate
Can you easily answer the following questions about your business?
What are your most popular products, what have you sold most?
What are your most profitable product lines?
Which product costs the most to produce?
Business Intelligence helps to:
Get insights into consumer behaviour.
Better understand costs therefore helping to improve business efficiency.
Gives you access to timely information that is more easily shared amongst decision makers.
Last month Archer Technology Group (ATG), signed an agreement with Australian developer Phocas Software. It’s a milestone decision for ATG as it ends months of research and trials of many different solutions as well as ticking many boxes for a complete solution that will best meet our clients needs.
What makes Phocas different to many other BI software solutions is:
Easy to use. The customer site can be up and running within minutes, not days.
Can run in the cloud or in-house
Runs on a variety of different devices.
Reports are easy to design. The customer takes control of the designing their own reports. Not relying on a service provider to design reports for them.
We have already signed up one long term customer and will bring you a report on progress in the coming months.
Please get in touch if you would like to see a free no obligation presentation of Phocas Business Intelligence software so you can get a full appreciation of the power and simplicity of this solution.
You can view the 3 minute miracle here
To stay up to date with all our product updates, news and special offers, connect with us on Social Media.
We would like to introduce Clive Dembo our most recent addition to the team. He is a senior software consultant with over 40 years’ experience in business analysis, business processes, workflow, design and consultancy.
Clive has deep technical skills and has worked on several complex projects for large corporations such as IBM and Amdahl. Clive’s experience extends across a wide range of industries including:
– health
– transportation
– mining
– insurance
– banking
– manufacturing and
– Government.
Clive is a lateral thinker that brings passion, business knowledge and deep technical experience to the team. His broad experience includes Business Intelligence, Crystal Reports, VB scripting and the development of Excel Macros.
Clive has been recognized by the Worldwide Who’s Who for showing dedication, leadership and excellence in business operations and we are confident that he will be a great addition to the team that is dedicated to providing quality services to our clients.
Last month Arrow released its new version of Tencia along with a new module, TenciaContact. This a free module for all Tencia ESP subscribers and as its name implies it is designed to allow you to capture contact details and information about your customers and prospects. It’s a great new feature to help improve customer relationship management.
Manage your contacts and leads with ease
How often do you want to store information about the people you meet? Do you want to capture what was discussed, what actions were taken and what needs to be followed up? Now you can do it all in the ONE PLACE with Tenica Contact.
The benefits are clear, prospect and client contact details can now be stored in one place for easy access:
Helping you increase lead volume
Improve sales revenue
Improve customer retention
The Contact Management module has the ability to maintain unlimited contacts, each with a number of key classifications or categories.
Some key features include:
Ability to store additional information related to contacts.
Provides 10 user-defined fields to track custom information on contacts.
Maintain a list of contact sources to identify the origin of the relationship.
Link an infinite number of contacts to debtors or creditors
Link contacts to debtor and creditor email addresses
Link contacts to debtor delivery addresses
Link contact codes to Sales Orders and Quotations
Record the details of interactions, events or actions that have occurred with a contact. Activities
can be tracked through multiple statuses’
Create reminders for actions that are yet to be completed
Add activities to debtor and creditor transactions via data entry
Add activities to Tencia transactions via Inquiry programs
Generate activities for contacts on a recurring schedule
View and track contact activities and reminders via a Contact Task List
Other new features to be included are:
Load Favourites on Login
User Defined Fields for Purchase Orders
Default user email addresses, designed for users who email
If you would like a free demonstration of the Tencia Contact management features, please feel free to get in touch we would be happy to give you a demonstration.
Cash flow the lifeblood of any business
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms it is fundamental that you investigate the way you currently manage your business:
Overdraft limit reached.
It’s a stretch to pay salaries each month.
Trade creditors bills are in arrears.
Rent is in arrears.
No working capital buffer.
You are surviving from day to day.
Negative working capital on the balance sheet.
Lack of funds for e.g. redundancies, premises relocation.
Lack of profitability. i.e. insufficient funds to remunerate owner.
Unable to pay for professional advice.
It’s time to put good cash flow management in place.
Here are some great tips to help you better manage cash flow:
Knowing when, where and how your cash needs will occur.
Knowing the best sources for meeting additional cash needs; by keeping good relationships with bankers and other creditors.
Develop a cash flow projection. Smart business owners know how to develop both short-term (weekly, monthly) cash flow projections to help manage daily cash, and long-term (annual, 3-5 year) cash flow projections to help develop the necessary capital strategy to meet their business needs.
Prepare and use historical cash flow statements to understand how they used money in the past.
Keep track of the cash flow and underestimate the cash coming in and overestimate the expenses of the business.
Do you have the necessary information at our fingertips? Business reporting using Tenica can help, business intelligence and cash flow forecasts will help you stay informed so that you can mitigate the risk of a cash flow crisis.
Want to know more about Tencia business reporting? Ask us today.
We have a new staff member, and it is with great pleasure we welcome Daniel Carroll to the team. Daniel is married and has three children and is also a Hawthorn supporter. Much to Larry’s disgust! Daniel kept that piece of information to himself till well after being offered the role at Archer Technology Group.
Daniel has been involved in ERP implementations for the last eight years. He has had experience on both sides of the ERP fence. He has worked as a software consultant and also an end user of ERPsoftware. This has provided him with extensive insights into user behaviour and has given him valuable insights into not only how the software works, but how people tend to use it in the real world in business.
Daniel is a specialist in Warehouse, Transport and Financials and has worked with several different Accounting and Software Solutions including Pronto, Accellos One and ICS Software.
Daniel’s experience is wide-ranging, and he has been involved in over 15 implementations ranging from single sites to multiple and interstate implementation projects some of which were valued at over $1,000,000.
Daniel is keen to contribute to the success of the Archer Technology Group, ideally through the use of his support and project management skills. Daniel is a key part of the implementation team. He brings his expertise in writing and analysing business requirements to the team, as well as his in-depth experience in logistics and supply chain management.
Tencia Version 2017.2.0.0 has included several new enhancements that will make the software more flexible, more secure and add to its existing features.
These changes and enhancements have primarily been in the following areas:
1. Sub-ledger drill through – General ledger drill through that allow you to drill through to the lines in the journal. This enhancement starts at the Sub ledger transaction level and allows you to see what it posted specifically to individual lines on transactions.
2. Emailing enhancements – Emailing of reports has now been enhanced to be more flexible. When you select the ’email option’ you get a new ‘Tencia report engine email window’ where a report can now be attached and sent. It also gets stored in the Reporting inbox, making it easier to share with others.
3. Contact Management enhancements – Now you can look up an email address easily from within the Tencia dashboard. This is particularly handy when you want to contact someone and can’t remember their email address. You now have the option to click on a ‘To: Cc: and Bcc:’ buttons within an email, if Contact Manager is set up and search for email addresses from the list that are stored in the system.
4. Tencia user options – This enhancement gives you more control over printing and reduces the likelihood of mass documents being emailed out or mass documents being sent to a printer for printing. This change has meant that document print defaults have been updated.
5. Tencia Menu links – You can now create URL links in the Tenica menu so that you can access the Internet. This is especially helpful for developers or people wanting to see a web interface within the Tencia dashboard.
6. Recalculate Cost of Sales – New updates have been made to make this more secure.
7. Tencia Connect now has a preview button. – Previously you needed to compile your ‘definition’ when you created a definition in Tencia Connect. This new feature is very helpful to developers and makes it easy to preview and test the ‘definitions’ they are building.
8. Updates to Tencia Services and Smart Client configurations.
9. Tencia Users – Filters and Defaults – 2017.2.0.0 Users can only update their own defaults and settings now and they can’t update the defaults and settings of other users.
This is to stop people with lower security settings being able to change the defaults of others (remove defaults of others) that are not theirs.
These key enhancements allow for more efficient use of the system and more flexibility. In particular, the ability to now record and store the emails that have been sent to Debtors in the past. Contact management enables you to record a history of the email trail. This can be viewed in the contact inquiry section of the system. If you would like to know more about any of these enhancements or have a query about Tencia speak to Larry or the team. They will point you in the right direction.
Don’t forget to visit the Customer Portal. If you are looking for support documentation, video and tips on how to use Tencia take a look at the Customer support portal. This Knowledge centre will continue to grow with regular updates being made over time. As mentioned previously, you can access the customer portal from our website. To gain access you will need a user name and password. To view the videos and access the content you must be logged in.If you are unsure if you have the credentials, just email us at support@archergroup.com.au and request a user name and password or perhaps a password reset.
Tencia – Tips and Tricks
Tencia – Purchase Order – Hot Print Shipments / Receipts.
A new purchase order system parameter, Reference Number for ‘Hot Print’ was added to assist the hot print process of purchase order transactions. When this parameter is set to ‘Yes’ or ‘Invoice Only’ a pop-up window prompting for the supplier’s reference number will display when purchase order receipts and invoices are created via a hot print.
This will ensure Tencia reference numbers are identical to supplier reference numbers, streamlining interactions between both parties. Previously, in the instance of a ‘Hot Print’ Tencia would auto-generate the supplier receipt and invoice reference number.
25 Years of service and still going strong.
We have been dedicated to Business software and consulting for 25 years and we hope that we can continue to grow and develop our business. We have been able to bring on several new team members over the last 12 months however none of this would be possible without our loyal clients. We thank you for your ongoing support and we look forward to working with you in the future.
Very soon in early 2019, Tencia users will be offered, for the first time, a fully featured Business Intelligence (BI) reporting module. The Tencia BI Module will feature Dashboards, Drill Down and Drill Through Reports and will have over 40 pages, and over 250 Visuals of pre-configured content.
The content will cover:
Sales Analysis
G/L Financial Analysis
Accounts Payable & Receivable
Stock Management
All the content will be in real time and fully interactive, which means that when you select criteria all the elements within the visual will change with it.
The module can be run standalone, in the cloud and from any portable devices such as smartphones and tablets
While the price has yet to be released, the indications are that this module is going to be very affordable.
Bookings are now open to arrange a presentation to you and your staff. To schedule your presentation, please either email us at enquiries@archergroup.com.au or you can phone us on (03) 9570-2000
You can also learn more about Tencia BI by viewing the video below
In Tencia 2018 package 11 a new feature was added that I feel is worth a mention. Many times we are asked by our clients, “How can I enter a General Ledger Journal, or Standing Journal and then print it off?”
Tencia has added a print feature to both programs that allow you to enter the information and then via Ctrl-P will print/email that journal.
Single Touch Payroll – STP
What is Single Touch Payroll?
STP or one-touch payroll, is an initiative by the ATO that requires you to report salaries and wages, PAYG withholding and superannuation to the ATO each time you pay your employees.
Who does it apply to?
It applies to all business that employs staff. The ATO expects that all business that employs Australians to begin lodging by July 1, 2019. Companies that employ 20+ employees have already been lodging since July 1, 2018
What does that mean for you?
Instead of typically reporting payment once at the end of a financial year, you will now be required to send information to the ATO with every pay run.
What do you have to do to be compliant?
Compliance is not an onerous task. All that is required is for your software to be upgraded and then you or your staff to be educated.
Archer takes you to the Cloud – Inside look at Arrow’s New Tencia 2019 – Tencia BI takes off – & Tips and Tricks.
Hello everyone, and welcome to Autumn. So much has been happening since January that I felt the need to bring the next newsletter forward.
The big news is that Archer is now offering cloud server solutions. Why is this big? For what seems like years we were always asked if Tencia is cloud compatible. The answer was always YES! However, the reality was that all of the solutions that we looked at were too expensive, too complicated, locked in contracts, and did not fully understand the requirements for Tencia. Until now. So scroll down and read further.
Also in this newsletter, we lift the lid on Arrow Tencia’s newest release Tencia 2019 as well as the stunning launch of Tencia BI.
There are Tips and Tricks and a whole lot more.
So, please take the time to read through the content, as we move into Autumn.
Taking a company into the cloud is now more popular than ever before. This month Archer Technology Group is pleased to announce that we can now offer you Cloud Server Solutions. This means that Tencia, along with all your other apps and data, can be placed in the cloud to be accessed and used from wherever you are in the world.
The process is as simple as 1-2-3.
1. Call us with your requirements
2. Let us provide you with a no lock-in quote
3. Let us transition your in-house Tencia to your new cloud server.
The point of difference between our solution and that of others is significant:
1. Completely tailor-made to your needs. Our solutions are designed specifically for mid-range ERP.
2. No lock-in contracts. Use it for as long as you need it.
3. We are not looking to replace your current service provider.
4. Our prices are designed to match what an On-Premise server would cost to replace and maintain.
5. The server is designed to run Tencia quickly, securely and reliably.
The benefits of our Cloud Server Solutions are huge. 1. Reduces the running costs of an on-premise (on-prem) server. Items such as air conditioning, electricity, insurance, and ancillary hardware not required. 2. Licensing issues are a thing of the past. 3. Always have the most up to date Microsoft Operating Systems and SQL Server. 4. Always have Tencia available, wherever you are. This is great for companies with branches or the need to work remotely.
Did you know that you can control the way your reports display to your screen? By default, Tencia displays reports as a full-width single page in a new window. But you can also display as a full-width continuous page in a new tab in Tencia. What this means to you is that you can read, print, and email your report from within Tencia without losing focus on the other tabs in Tencia.
To set this up, follow these simple steps.
Click on File
Click on Options
Scroll down to “Open Report/Process in New Tab” and select Both
Scroll down to “Report Viewer Default View” and select Continuous.
Click Save
Tencia BI’s Stunning Launch
Earlier this year, in our last newsletter, we wrote to you about Tencia’s latest Module “Business Intelligence” BI. Tencia BI is a suite of over 250 integrated reports and dashboards, designed to bring you real-time data to your web browser, desktop or mobile.
With the launch of Tencia BI, we held a webinar for Archer Customers. There were approx 15 in attendance which was an excellent turnout. The webinar covered off all the reports, and it left all participants eager to learn more. Sales of BI have been great with the early adopters jumping in quickly to get their hands on this incredible piece of technology.
For those wanting to see more about Tencia BI, we have prepared some screenshots for you to peruse.
Tencia 2019 is due for release within the next few weeks. In it are a lot of new features that should see us being more productive during the day. Less waiting and more doing.
Key Enhancement Summary
Inquiry Grids: New colour selector for the highlighted row. Many of us found the default colour challenging to use. With this new feature, we can spend more time doing and less time squinting.
Read Only Fields: System parameters for read-only fields. Better security.
Purchase Order Authorisation Limits by Tencia User Code. Now you will be able to limit purchase order value by the user.
Tencia Smart Client: Default Tencia User Profiles to bypass profile selection dialogue for individual users in a terminal server environment. (Multi Tenanting assistance)
Tencia Management Console: New Rebuild Sales and Purchase Analysis option
Reporting: Logging of Emails sent from general Tencia reports and any report emailing from the Report Inbox
Reporting: Hot Print Direct to Printer option for all Documents – Bypassing pop-up selection screen
We will report more on Tencia 2019 after its release and as more features become available.
New look Archer Newsletter, Packages vs Versions, Tips and Tricks, Tencia 2019 New Enhancements
Hello and welcome to Winter. Short days and long nights, and cold temperatures have been keeping us very busy here at Archer.
And welcome to our new look newsletter. A big thanks to Effie Cinanni of Small Chilli Marketing (effie@smallchillimarketing.com.au). Effie has been with us for many years and has assisted us greatly over that time.
Tencia 2019’s rollout is progressing smoothly, which makes for very happy customers. I’ve prepared a short paragraph or two on the upgrades in Tencia, the frequency and the difference between Packages and Versions.
There are tips and tricks and a whole lot more.
So, please take the time to read through the content, as we move through Winter.
How to promote your business every time you send an invoice or a statement.
A few years back Arrow slipped a small but powerful feature into Tencia and did not make much of a fanfare about it. Arrow gave us the ability to email documents such as Invoices, Statements, Payslips and more and include an attachment.
What this means is that as each document leaves Tencia, you can disseminate vital important information to your customers. Imagine having brochures, specials, changes in business processes, etc sent automatically as you communicate with your customers.
As an example to send an attachment with each invoice, you would do the following:
1. From Tencia click on System – Maintain – Document Attachments.
2. Select your company
3. Select your document (invoice, statement, etc)
4. Select your attachment.
Now, every time you send an invoice, you are sending your latest newsletter keeping your customers informed and happy.
Tencia Packages vs Tencia Versions
Throughout the year I’m asked on a regular basis about Tencia Packages and Tencia Versions (Upgrades). I hope that this short easy-to-read article will shed some light on the differences and why there is a fine balance between the frequency of updates.
Tencia Versions:
Tencia was first released in 2009. This release was easily identified by the Year and Quarter that it was released. Therefore it was known as Tencia 2009.2 (Year: 2009, Quarter: 2)From that day forward, approximately every 16 months a new version would be released. These versions usually coincided with the release of new features of significance, such as a new module.
Upgrading to a new Tencia Version is like a major service of a car. Every component of Tencia has to be uninstalled and replaced with all the new components. This also includes the workstation components.
Most upgrades take between 2 hours and 4 hours depending on the speed of the server, the workstations, and the network.
Tencia Packages:
In between Tencia Versions, there are Tencia Packages. Tencia Packages are small-sized data files that contain fixes for existing issues and new features that have been requested by the Tencia Community.
New Tencia packages are released every two to three weeks and there can be as many as 25 packages released between Tencia Versions.
Because the files are very small they install relatively quickly compared to a Tencia Version Upgrade.
Tencia packages can only be installed when all staff members are out of Tencia, so, therefore they are almost always installed out of business hours.
Tips and Tricks
Did you know that you can email a report directly from the Report In-Box? A new feature was added in Tencia 2018 that allows you to construct an email, along with attachments and then send it to the recipient.
To do this trick, simply open your report in-box (F11) and right-click on the report, or form that you wish to email. For example I want to email an invoice.
Now construct your email and send!
Tencia 2019 Enhancements
Listed below are some of the latest enhancements added to Tencia 2019.
1. The HOT PRINT (Ctrl-P) function was added to the following programs
Enter Sales Orders
Enter Sales Order Shipments
Enter Purchase Orders
Enter Production Orders
Enter Job Purchase Orders
2. Print Debtors Invoices by Area Code was added.
3. The ability to see and alter the cost of an item sold was added as a parameter. This allows the user to fully control the sale and cost of sale of each invoice line.
4. Purchase orders that do not have all their lines invoiced now can have the status declared as invoiced or receipted.
5. The Tencia application tray warning dialogue, traditionally always popped up in the bottom right-hand corner. This has been enhanced to appear Bottom Right, Bottom Left, or Centre of Screen
Many other enhancements were added to existing forms, inquiry screens, and reports with additional fields in the field chooser columns. There were further performance enhancements added to tables, indexes and stored procedures.
Average Cost in Stock, Tips and Tricks, Payroll Termination Pay
Hello *|FNAME|*, and welcome to your Spring Edition of the Archer Technology Group Newsletter. As always we have been very busy doing good things for good companies. We have always had an excellent reputation for rescuing Arrow/Tencia systems that were either poorly implemented or had not been given the love and attention that the site deserved. If you know of anyone who could benefit from having some honesty, experience and professionalism in supporting their system, be it an existing Arrow/Tencia site, or someone looking for a new system, please pass their details on to us for a confidential discussion.
In this edition, we are looking at Stock/Inventory Average Cost, what is it, how is it calculated and how to keep your costs as accurately as possible.
We are also going to review Termination Pays in Payroll and address the common concern of entitlements within a termination pay.
Tips and Tricks and a whole lot more.
Take your time to read through the content, and if you have any ideas for future newsletters please let me know.
Stock Average Cost. What does it mean? How does it work? What is the best way of keeping your Average Cost accurate?
There are four types of costing methods that Arrow employs when calculating its stock valuation and cost of goods sold.
Last Cost
Average Cost
Standard Cost
FIFO/LIFO or Actual Cost
Last Cost is the last cost you paid for a particular item. It gets updated each and every time you make a purchase.
Standard Cost is a cost that is set and it never varies, even when you make a purchase.
FIFO/LOFO or Actual Cost is when you assign a cost to a serialised items and it will use that cost when that item is sold.
Average Cost is the weighted average cost of an item that is bought and sold. It is a cost that is constantly being updated up and down as stock moves in, out and sideways (via transfers).
IT IS THE MOST ACCURATE WAY TO COST YOUR STOCK.
IT ALSO REQUIRES THE MOST AMOUNT OF DISCIPLINE.
Average Cost is calculated by the value of the Stock divided by Quantity on Hand (QOH)
Below is an example of how Average Cost works.
As written above Average Cost requires a great deal of discipline. Here are some of the ways to keep average cost accurate.
1. Never ever sell more stock than what you have on hand. i.e Never let your stock quantity fall below zero.
2. Always enter your new stock from suppliers before releasing sales orders, unless you are actually taking that stock off the shelf and not out of the container.
3. Never backdate a suppliers invoice or debtors invoice. Always enter the transactions in the correct date order.
Tips and Tricks
Did you know that Tencia has some amazing keyboard short cuts? For example, F4 is the data view key and with it, you can find information quickly and accurately.
Here are a few of my favourite shortcuts. @XXXX+ F4 = If you were to use the @ key plus some text and then F4, Tencia will look find all the data belonging to the text. For example, I want to find all the open invoices for Marks Pet Store. I would use @Marks Pet + F4
&XXXX + F4 = Will find all items with XXXX in the Stock Code
!XXXX + F4 = Will find all items with XXXX in the Alternate Stock Code
|XXXX+ F4 = Will find all items with XXXX in the Suppliers Stock Code
Payroll Termination Pays
As we approach Christmas I’m always asked the correct way of entering Termination Pays. Recently we wrote a user guide on the correct way of setting up and processing termination pays. You may have this guide for free.You can download it here. https://www.dropbox.com/s/gct7qz2xrqdxygh/Payroll%20Termination%20Pays.pdf?dl=0
The One Dirty Little Secret No Vendor Tells You About Your ERP Project Until It’s Too Late
We’ll Show You How to Make Your ERP Implementation a Smooth Cruise Up The Freeway Instead of a 20 Car Pile Up?
Say you have an important parcel you want to be shipped from your warehouse in Melbourne to a major customer in the Sydney CBD. Due to its size, weight and shape the only way to get it there is to road freight it
So you’ve called the freight company, given them the details, they’ve quoted you a set price, picked it up, and then the driver calls you to say he’s arrived in Sydney and he’d like to be paid.
You check the invoice, and you realise your parcel is in a depot in Liverpool on Sydney’s outskirts – many kilometres short of the CBD. So you call him back and get your first surprise. You’ve been slugged an
excess fuel charge because traffic was heavy, and he’s used 100 litres more than expected. How is this my problem you cry?
Many ERP systems are implemented the same way – layer upon layer of surprises.
Why?
Because the sales team has nothing to do with the implementation team. Their estimate is based on some form of vague past experience, fear of their competition and the eagerness to get your business. So they under quote, hoping they can manage your expectations nearer to completion.
A professional truck driver would surely know what it takes to get from point A to point B.
So now your valuable, business-critical parcel is held hostage in a depot 1,000 kilometres away and the ‘discussion on price’ begins.
Your truck driver recommends that instead of costing it out by the litre of fuel used, he’ll cost it out by the hour.
“I reckon it’ll be between 10 to 15hrs,” he says which seems like an honest answer.
You as the customer know that Sydney is 900km away, and the speed limit is 110km per hour. So
that should make it 7½ hours which leaves a big gap between 7½ and the 15 hours quoted. The truck driver explains that by law for every 3 hours driving time he must have a 1-hour break. The road goes through towns and the traffic along with the ever present road works slow him down. Given this explanation, the 15 hours quoted seems a very understandable figure.
So why aren’t’t ERP systems costed the same way? Nearly all ERP systems are quoted by the hour. Many of them have no upper time limit or perhaps something vague like 4 weeks. I‘ve seen quotes stating simply X dollars per hour, and we do not stop until you are happy. OH NO!
Time for the next surprise – they’ve still got your parcel, and it’s in their depot in Liverpool –not in your customers hands. You finally read the fine print you should have read before you signed the agreement and learned that delivery to Sydney is to their depot. Delivery to the CBD
is extra… How is this like an ERP project?
Simple – go live is only 90% of the journey.
Just like Liverpool is 90% of the way to Sydney, turning on your ERP system is not 100% of the journey but no one tells you about this. The last 10% – the most important 10% – is the go-live support,
training and warranty period. My company Archer Technology only provides quotes that include post
go-live support, full training and a support through the warranty period.
All this is included in your quote, so you get no nasty last minute surprises because let’s face it, 90% of the project is worse than no project at all.
Like the parcel – if it was sitting on your desk you have options to find another company but now it’s held for ransom in a depot you have no control over. You either pay more, or you never see your parcel
again.
Does this sound familiar to your last implementation disaster?
This is why Archer Technology Group offers only full delivery quotations.
You know, the one final, all-inclusive price for your complete ERP solution.
No arguments, no delays, no surprises and the right support and training for your people so your company keeps growing.
So, when you’re looking at the next quote in front of you, give some thought if the vendor has considered the last 10% and if not – ask them.
You’ll have a lot less unpleasant surprises if you do. Larry Blode is the owner of Archer Technology Group. Archer recommends and sells Arrow TenciaERP solutions that empower businesses to do what
they do best – that is keep working and grow. Contact Larry directly
via www.archertechnology.com.au.
Dear Client, you must use XYZ accounting software or I can’t help you……..
There is a worrying trend currently occurring amongst some bookkeepers (and accountants) regarding accounting software. Some bookkeepers are “encouraging” [a nice word for forcing] their clients to use one specific software only. They are even turning away new clients if they refuse to use the bookkeepers’ software of choice. I don’t like this trend and here’s why………………
Providing a bookkeeping service isn’t (and shouldn’t be) purely about the software used. The goal underpinning all good bookkeeping practices should be to provide a service that is professional and best practice that will ultimately assist clients to achieve their business goals. The software used is an aside and should only be viewed as the vehicle used to achieve this goal.
Best practice bookkeeping isn’t about software choice. Using the latest software won’t suddenly turn you into the best bookkeeper on the planet! Being a good bookkeeper is about maintaining your skills and knowledge and ensuring the services you provide are of a high standard at all times. I believe in the old adage “garbage in-garbage out”. You can use the most up-to-the-minute program with all its bells and whistles but if the data inputted is inaccurate or poorly constructed, the business reports will be rubbish and of little use to the business owner. Business accounts are only as good as the bookkeeper who created them. A bad bookkeeper will always provide bad books despite the software choice.
A bookkeeper should only suggest that a client use different software if the use of this software will better assist the client to achieve his business goals. There really isn’t any other reason to do so. To suggest to a client that they should change to another platform purely because the bookkeeper promotes it is in my opinion, coercive, threatening and just plain wrong! The old saying “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” is appropriate here. I believe if the software works for the client and his business, then there isn’t any need to change and in fact to do so would be waste of my time and an unnecessary expense for the client.
Those bookkeepers who service one software only are often forced to try to “sell” this software to new clients in order to increase and maintain clientele. But bookkeepers are service providers, not software sales persons! I don’t know about you, but I didn’t go into practice to sell software to clients. If I wanted to be a salesperson, I’d be working in Myer or David Jones! I did however, become a bookkeeping contractor to provide best practice bookkeeping services to clients first and foremost despite the software being used.
Turning away new clientele based on software choice is a very risky [possibly even stupid] decision. To say to a potential client that you won’t help them because of their software choice is the same as saying “No thanks, I don’t want your money”. What? This doesn’t make good business sense to me. Why would you turn away potential new leads on purpose? In my opinion, bookkeepers who are purposely choosing to restrict their practices to one software choice are heading for disaster. In the bookkeeping world, “one size does not fit all” i.e. the software choice for a business is as individual as the business itself. The software must fit the business, not the other way around.
My policy at e-BAS Accounts has always been to assist and support clients in the best way possible, including accepting and using their chosen accounting software. I will never coerce clients to use one particular program and/or turn away potential leads who refuse to use that program. My business is about providing best practice bookkeeping services, it’s not about on-selling accounting software. The software choice is not central to the services I provide – it’s only (and always will be) the vehicle used to provide these services.
If you are a bookkeeper, do you “encourage” clients to use specific software or do you support your clients’ choices? If you are a customer, have you ever been coerced by your bookkeeper to use a particular program even though you were happily using another one? Let us know – we’d love to hear from you. http://www.e-bas.com.au Louise McLoughlin
