(Guest blog by Darcy Boerio, Channel Development Manager, Avalara)

Don’t Mess With Nexus! 

Do you have out-of-state agents or distributors? Remote employees or independent contractors in other states? Have you ever made a sale at an out-of-state trade show? If so, you may have nexus in those states. 

In the increasingly complex world of sales tax, the term nexus refers to a presence, or connection, with a state. If you have nexus in a state, that means you are required to collect sales tax on transactions and file returns based on that state’s filing regulations. And contrary to common belief, nexus goes way beyond a simple “bricks and mortar” presence. 

Laws vary from state to state. Some conditions that can create nexus include: 

-        Independent contractors

-        Agents/distributors

-        Independent contractors

-        Employees on Payroll

-        Training

-        Trade show attendance

-        Inventory/Warehousing

-        Servicing tangible personal property

And even if you didn’t have nexus in a state last year – or even last month – don’t assume that won’t change. Not only can these conditions change within a company without the tax department’s knowledge, but nexus definitions themselves are in constant flux. Just ask Amazon. They learned not to mess with nexus – especially in Texas! 

With over 10,000 taxing jurisdictions and thousands of rate, rule, and jurisdiction changes every year, sales tax is hard. If you are doing business in multiple states, don’t go it alone. Let the sales tax experts at Avalara help make sales tax less taxing. Avalara offers professional services (such as nexus studies) and end to end sales tax automation through seamless integration to your Sage 100 ERP (formerly MAS 90 MAS 200) accounting system.

Contact ASCG to learn more or watch a video to see AvaTax for Sage ERP 100 (formerly MAS 90 MAS 200) in action.

Question:  Does Sage CRM sync with Microsoft Outlook or other calendar management applications?

Sage CRM and Microsoft Outlook is completely integrated no matter where you start your task or appointment.  The information is a bi-directional sync so wherever the appointments are set-up they are synced with the other integrated application.  Bring over the contacts you need to view from Sage 100 ERP.  Book meeting rooms, assign people and resources to activities.  Manage employees by monitoring activity completion.  Set notification s management if tasks are not accomplished within the time specified.  View and notify managment of incomplete tasks.

Please watch Sage CRM's powerful calendar and task management by capabilities in the short video below:

Question:  How do I set-up my Sage CRM dashboard to reflect the data I need from Sage 100 ERP (formerly MAS 90 MAS 200)?

• The purpose of the Sage CRM dashboard is for the user to get to all the information they access most frequently all in one spot.
• You can have any of your Sage 100 ERP information displayed from the Sage CRM dashboard
• Each Sage CRM user has their own dashboard view configured on a user by user permission basis.  Step-by-step instructions are provided.
• Sage CRM users can access social media information of each contact in their database if a social media profile exists.

Please view our complimentary Sage CRM Sage 100 ERP accountants perspective demonstration:

How do I set-up repetitive invoice entry in Sage 100 ERP?  Watch now:

Follow these steps to answer the question:

1. Go into Sage 100 ERP accounts receivable
2. Go into Sage 100 ERP repetitive invoice entry in the accounts receivable drop down
3. Select your Sage 100 ERP customer
4. Give the Sage 100 ERP entry a reference number
5. Select the Sage 100 ERP cycle (weekly, monthly, quarterly, annually, etc.)
6. Start the Sage 100 ERP billing date
7. Indicate comments if needed into the Sage 100 ERP A/R Repetitive Invoice Entry
8. Apply sales tax into the Sage 100 ERP Repetitive Invoice Entry if applicable
9. Go to the Sage 100 ERP lines tab populate details in the lines code
10. Indicate the description in Sage 100 ERP miscellaneous item maintenance i.e. monthly service contract
11. Assign Sage 100 ERP GL account numbers
12. Go back to the Sage 100 ERP AR repetitive invoice to add the amount
13. To create the invoice go to Sage 100 ERP Repetitive Invoice Selection under the accounts receivable drop down
14. Select the Sage 100 invoice date and Sage 100 selection date
15. Choose the Sage 100 cycle
16. Print and send the Sage 100 invoice
17. Then you have the option to update the Sage 100 Sales Journal

Once the sales journal is updated the new transactions will be reflected

 Image available on data_entry_outsoucing Flickr channel

Front Office Meets Back Office with Sage 100 ERP (formerly MAS 90 and MAS 200)

The back office accounting processes are the backbone of any business.  The financial balance statement can make or break a company.  Accountants are well qualified for what they do.  The front office sales and customer service teams can help your back office accounting teams accomplish objectives.  Here's how:

Sage 100 ERP (formerly MAS 90 MAS 200)is now combined with Sage CRM to extend the functionality you have become accustomed to in the back office to your front office.  Sage 100 ERP is combined with Sage CRM to allow for a single view of your customers interactions with your company.  Now your sales teams can become focused on the profit objectives of your company using Sage 100 ERP, providing an enterprise-wide, consistent view of customer activity and opportunities.

• Is your accounting business management system disconnected from customer service and sales?
• Is it important to have integrated business management systems between departments?
• Has your company experienced miscommunication between your back office accounting teams and your front office customer facing teams?
• Have your sales people sold to customers on credit hold by mistake?
• If your back office accounting personnel had access to your sales forecast would it be helpful in budgeting?
• When a sales quotation turns into an order does someone have to re-key that duplicate information into your Sage 100 ERP system?
• Do your sales people use a separate system to record notes about customers that could be useful to accounting?
• Is your sales forecast important when it comes to budgeting?
• Do your sales people miss opportunities to collect on open invoices because they lack visibility to them?
• Do your sales lack visibility to customer item sales history, potentially handicapping their customer relationship?
• When a sales prospect becomes a customer does your accounting staff have to re-key the customer information into Sage 100 ERP? 

If you answered yes to any of the foregoing questions, please join us for a complimentary one hour webcast May 18, 2012 at 12 PM CT to learn how Sage 100 ERP combined with Sage CRM can solve these problems and more.

(Image provided by hayley valleyo on flickr)

Sage Software is rebranding products to focus on the Sage brand.  Classic Sage products names i.e. Peachtree, Accpac, Abra, MAS 90, MAS 200, MAS 500, Master Builder, Simply Accounting, and Timberline will no longer be used.  These historic well known brand names will be disposed by 2013 in favor of a new numbering Sage product brand based on market segment.  Please find a complete list of the current/former names and the new name to replace them here:  Sage Products Name Grid

This is no doubt an ambitious rebranding strategy that will work out in the long run for Sage products.  For example, it is my experience exhibiting in a MAS 90, MAS 200 booth at several vertical industry related tradeshows the attendees often don't recognize the MAS 90 or MAS 200 name, but do recognize the SAP booth or Epicor booth in close proximity. 

Sage has tried for a long time to get brand recognition in the US for the Sage name.  U.S. products like Peachtree, Accpac, Abra, MAS 90, MAS 200, Timberline, and Master Builder do have brand recognition without the Sage association.  I believe this rebranding strategy will go a long way in the minds of our customers and future prospective customers.  Hopefully this Sage numbering standardization  brand strategy to leverage the universal Sage name accross all brands will transcend the Sage brand association and increase awareness resulting in growing market share.  I also hope the warm and fuzzy Peachtree association will maintain it's peachy appeal as Sage 50 U.S. edition replaces the brand.

I am looking forward to a prosperous future marketing Sage 100 ERP, formally MAS 90 MAS 200.

Are you struggling with webforms?  Do you need an EDI solution that:

• Eliminates manual data entry tasks
• Connects your warehouse or 3PL
• Automates order fulfillment
• Speeds your order-to-cash cycle
• Reduces chargebacks and deductions
• Lowers cost per EDI transaction

If you are considering an EDI solution to work with your MAS 90 MAS 200 ERP system please consider RedTail EDI.  Redtail EDI is not EDI software loaded locally on premise that you have to manage.

RedTail sits between mid-Sized suppliers and retailers to offer EDI (Electronic Data Interchange and GDS (Global Data Syncronization) in the cloud.

Please watch our MAS 90 EDI Webcast here:

If you are a MAS 90 or MAS 200 customer and you supply large retail firms you probably are all too familiar with EDI (Electronic Data Interchange).  Your customers are under pressure to reduce their purchasing business processes and require you to adhere to their EDI standard. Your customers need to eliminate the user errors and manual processes associated with data entry. 

If you are dissatisfied with your current EDI solution, or need MAS 90 EDI or MAS 200 EDI what EDI software package do you turn to? Do you need EDI software that is installed on your servers or do you need an EDI service that is completely managed like RedTail EDI?

Download our FREE ROI Calculator

Find out how to achieve world-class EDI trade compliance without being an EDI expert. Suppliers that sell to retailers must constantly increase efficiency to stay competitive. See how cloud-delivered, managed EDI services improve your performance with lower costs. In this webinar you will learn how RedTail EDI: Integrated with Sage ERP MAS 90-200

• Eliminates manual data entry tasks
• Connects your warehouse or 3PL
• Automates order fulfillment
• Speeds your order-to-cash cycle
• Reduces chargebacks and deductions
• Lowers cost per EDI transaction

About RedTail Solutions

RedTail Solutions delivers cloud Managed Services for trading partner collaboration to mid-sized suppliers in the retail, grocery, and medical products supply chains. RedTail’s Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and Global Data Synchronization (GDS) solutions enable our customers to optimize logistics operations and trade compliance performance. RedTail’s cloud Managed Services seamlessly integrate with Sage ERP systems to accelerate the order-to-cash cycle, reduce costly errors and chargebacks, and ensure timely product data synchronization. RedTail’s network of 800+ trading partners collaborates securely over the internet to deliver products to businesses and consumers worldwide. For more information, visit our preferred EDI service provider.

"Beam me up Scotty" is a catch phrase in modern English.  It means to get me out of here.  The Star Trek television series made this phrase popular back in the 1960's. 

Star Trek takes place several hundred years in the future.  In the show people can be teleported to other places.  The Starship Enterprise has become one of the most famous ships ever.

So what is the difference between StarShip Shipping Software and and the Starship Enterprise?

Actually they have two words in common "Star" and "Ship".  While the Starship Enterprise can teleport humans, StarShip shipping software can expedite the shipment of your packages right from your MAS 90/MAS 200 accounting system thereby automating your warehouse processes and eliminating duplicate data entry.

We recently held a webcast in regard to Starship shipping software for MAS 90 and MAS 200.  Please see below for more information regarding StarShip's integration with MAS 90 and MAS 200.

Shape-up and Ship-out!  It sounds like something my mother would say.  We are really talking about shipping software and it's no joke.  It is a serious matter.  If you have something to sell and a customer buying you want your product to make it there.  Eliminate the manual data rekey process with automated shipping software.  Let's face it your customers want quick access to their shipping data information in order to track their products in route. 

To learn more please sign-up for our MAS 90 Integrated Shipping Solution webinar on Friday, January 27, 2012!