© 2011, Wayne Schulz. All rights reserved. Formed in 2005. the 90 Minds Consulting Group is a collaboration of 100 Sage partners who independently join together online in a 24 x 7 private communication network to solve difficult issues for their customers. The group is not affiliated with Sage and our collaboration provides for unparalleled member access to early warnings of bugs and other issues which members in turn are encouraged to use to provide an exceptional customer experience.

Sage was dodgy when we grilled them questioned them last year at the annual Sage Insights 2010 reseller conference about the plans for payroll in the upcoming Sage MAS 200 SQL 4.5 re-write. The concerns then (and now) are that non-framework modules (namely Payroll, Job Cost, Work Order, and MRP) will NOT integrate to the new MAS 200 SQL 4.5 release.

We spoke to the product managers who didn’t have much information about what options would be available for payroll users – potentially the most popular of the non-framework MAS90/MAS200 modules.

Potentially the lack of integration to Payroll would have kept some users from being able to adopt MAS 200 SQL (may we suggest that for many of those users that 90 Minds member DSD Business Systems SQL Mirroring is a kick ass solution) . Now Sage has just released information on their new Common Payroll initiative.

Sage is using Accpac SQL as a common payroll module to be shared by several other different SQL ERP packages. By sharing the one Payroll (aka common) module Sage hopes to reduce development time during the busy year end tax season when most states and governments work overtime to release tax changes (not always as quickly as we’d like).

There will be some limitations – and Sage has released a chart that ranks the level of integration on a scale from 1 to 3.

Level 1 = General Ledger  (aka journal entry only)

Level 2 = General Ledger, Job Cost, Bank Reconciliation

Level 3 = Tight integration -contains the look and feel of the entire ERP system

Initially look for Common Payroll to roll out to the products identified above. Existing users of payroll will NOT have to switch – this announcement is only for the relatively newer versions — such as MAS 200 SQL 4.5 — which were previously lacking any payroll functionality.

Sage Common Payroll Announced

© 2010, Wayne Schulz. All rights reserved. Formed in 2005. the 90 Minds Consulting Group is a collaboration of 100 Sage partners who independently join together online in a 24 x 7 private communication network to solve difficult issues for their customers. The group is not affiliated with Sage and our collaboration provides for unparalleled member access to early warnings of bugs and other issues which members in turn are encouraged to use to provide an exceptional customer experience.

This solution embeds as an extension to excel and reports on not just financial data (like FRx) but also non financial data such as dashboards, aging reports, KPI’s etc.

See the Sage MAS90 and MAS200 new report writer that replaces FRx here.

© 2010, Mark Chinsky. All rights reserved. Formed in 2005. the 90 Minds Consulting Group is a collaboration of 100 Sage partners who independently join together online in a 24 x 7 private communication network to solve difficult issues for their customers. The group is not affiliated with Sage and our collaboration provides for unparalleled member access to early warnings of bugs and other issues which members in turn are encouraged to use to provide an exceptional customer experience.

Below is some information I had compiled a couple years back when I originally looked into Applianz and ScionASP.  I have not had the opportunity to be involved with either an Applianz or ScionASP implementation.  Clearly this information could be somewhat outdated (including pricing), but this provides some general information.

ScionASP  (www.scionasp.com)

I spoke to Rick who had some good information.

• They started with SalesLogix before Sage bought it, and they do have a large focus on CRM applications.
• Been around since 2001.
• They basically can take the place of an IT Dept.
• Everything resides at their data-centers, mostly in San Diego, CA but also in Raleigh, NC.
• All Citrix.
• They maintain all connectivity and viability, including Windows related service updates, etc.
• MAS 90 and 200′s would be on own servers for compatibility purposes.
• All MAS’ are separate installations, and they are currently hosting many.
• Scion personnel does installation of initial software; they are apparently Sage-certified.
• Their services include redundant backups and disaster recovery plans.
• For MAS upgrading, Sage business partner would coordinate with Scion.
• MAS enhancements?  Coordinate with Scion. 
• Printing issues?  some, as expected
• Typically will get system back up and running within a couple hours if something major happens.
• Pricing (the below are retail prices): 
  • Pricing includes 1st application install (e.g., MAS) and connectivity, including basic server/connectivity support, as well as Workstations setup with client contact.
    • Below pricing does not include initial $100 per user setup fee.
  • Any time related to upgrading MAS would require additional cost ($150/hr).

 
Applianz  (www.applianz.com)

I spoke to Cody Robinson there (in Wichita, Kansas), and he gave me a lot of great information.  He was very knowledgeable.

• This works with an “infrastructure device” (a box) which can basically reside anywhere.
  • Can reside at the company’s office, at any datacenter that will allow it, or at Applianz’ datacenter in Kansas
  • Has built-in remote access.
  • No CD drive (all installs, etc. would be done from a workstation via an Applianz session, very similar to Terminal Services, so it’s just like being at the server)
  • Box contains Windows 200X server – Virtual Machine
  • Highly secure; Highly stable
  • Depending on # of users, includes various XP Virtual Machines
  • Workstations get small Applianz client installed
    • MAC workstations can also be used
• Most folks have the box reside at their own office
•  
• Package includes remote services, daily backups with 30-day retention, 24-hour disaster recovery so you can keep working if there’s any kind of problem accessing your box.
• Two (2)  500gb drives.  Raid 5, mirrored, etc.
• Box can easily handle 40 users.
• MAS 200 typically wouldn’t be necessary since the box is a client/server device.
• Most printing (remote) services/issues are nicely addressed.
•  
• Pricing (retail) for MAS 90/200/500 (includes 1st year of support/service:  backups, disaster recovery, updates, etc.):
  • 5-user        $ 8K
  • 10-user      $10K
  • 20-user      $13K
  • 30-user      $17K
• Pricing for ongoing support/service (regardless of user count):
  • $295/mo    or    $2,995/yr
• Pricing to have Applianz host your device at their data center in Kansas:
  • $295/mo    or    $2,995/yr
•  
• All service and support is handled remotely by Applianz. 
  • If device fails, Applianz can restore and have company up and running pretty quickly on their production servers while the device is shipped back to Applianz.
  • Worse case, if need someone onsite, they’ve contracted with local IT folks.
•  
• Ongoing support and service by Sage Business Partner remains the same.  There just isn’t a server to perform work at.  For example, you would need to access the device from a workstation in an Applianz session, very similar to Terminal Services

Posted by Brett A. Zimmerman - www.brettzimmerman.com – Twitter: MAS90_Zip

© 2010, Brett Zimmerman. All rights reserved. Formed in 2005. the 90 Minds Consulting Group is a collaboration of 100 Sage partners who independently join together online in a 24 x 7 private communication network to solve difficult issues for their customers. The group is not affiliated with Sage and our collaboration provides for unparalleled member access to early warnings of bugs and other issues which members in turn are encouraged to use to provide an exceptional customer experience.

• SAP is a Total Business Solution. Includes Accounting, Distribution, Manufacturing, Sales Force Automation & Customer Service in one integrated solution with one code base, one database with a single installation. It’s your choice as to how much or little to use, but as you use more, its available with the one price per user. Since CRM is part of the standard solution, you can use it in all areas. For example, create to-do’s and followups regarding a purchase order, a General Ledger Entry, or collections activity against an invoice.
• MAS500 is only ERP, not CRM. You need to purchase Sage Saleslogix for CRM and then use their newly released (and still being debugged) integration. This is the 3^rd integration in 4 years as the prior ones have been terrible.

• The jury is still out on this one as it’s too new. Saleslogix is written in a different code base, different database, has a different user interface and doesn’t have nearly as many “integrations” since it is a separate program. It more than doubles your IT maintenance efforts with its own set of patches, OS installs, compatiblity issues etc. Most VAR’s need to different implementation teams and trainers as few people know both well. You call a different Arizona vs. California with a different process for support depending on if you problem relates to CRM or ERP.
• SAP is designed from the ground up to be a solution that is friendly to Third Party ISV’s to enhance the breadth and depth of the solution as well as open to end users with development talent to build their own solutions and integrations. SAP Business One is only 7 years old whereas MAS500 is 11 years old, yet SAP has at least 6 times more third party addons, all certified by SAP. Sage only has a small handful of “certified” add ons, and some additional non certified add-ons.
• All of SAP’s logic is managed in your .net development environment. SQL Stored procedures are used only where they are necessary to improve performance. With MAS500 about 50% of your logic and code is written in Transact SQL and 50% in VB 6. This makes it difficult to modify or trace where processes occur within the product. Add to that that most developers will say the product is “over normalized” to the point that you have over 17 tables being accessed while entering lines on a sales order. Modification is difficult and expensive and reporting can be complex because of this as well.
• SAP is designed as an object oriented layered architecture that does not allow end users or ISV’s to actually modify the core source code. Yet virtually everything about the system can be accessed and customized via the development tool of choice (usually VB.net or C##.net) through extremely well documented API’s, both User Interface (UI) and Data Interface API’s.
• MAS500 relies on the end user to use Visual Basic Version 6 to modify the application, and you are modifying the source code. Yes it does have an available extra cost customizer module but that primarily just allows access to tweaking existing screens and adding some user definable fields (but with little to know program logic behind these fields). You will rarely see a MAS500 installation with enhancements from more than 1 third party vendor due to the possibility of code conflicts.
• SAP is easier and safer to integrate with. You have 3 options.
• For simple initial data conversions, you can use the included Data Transfer Workbench. This is a tool that allows you to map source files to tables in SAP and import the data with full data validation
• For real time bidirectional integration by a developer, you can use our DI (Data Interface) API and directly read and write to our objects (i.e. Sales Invoice) via a .net enabled development environment.
• You can optionally use xFusion, which is priced about the same as the DI API, that allows you to use a drag and drop interface to map and transform source data into Business One and can be scheduled or called on demand.
• MAS500 does not support you writing directly to it’s tables or you void support. They do sell, function by function, some API’s that they wrote via their professional services group, not the regular development team. This PSG group recently had a 50% headcount reduction so long term support of the API’s is questionable.
• A brand new module, Data Import Manager, was just released (after more than 4 years of being promised). It is roughly comparable to SAP’s Data Transfer Workbench. But since MAS500 isn’t object oriented, the product only handles the entities they’ve hard coded into the tool. It supports a handful of documents but not all. For example, you can import a Sales Order, but not an Invoice.
• The biggest cost overruns and disappointment with MAS500 has always been around importing and integrating with the solution.
• SAP’s logic, screens and reports, both standard and customized are stored in the database. MAS500’s VB projects and Crystal RPT files are on the workstation and if you want to modify a report, you need to go to every single workstation and copy the modified .rpt file to each
• SAP is easier to use, more intuitive and faster to work with for most everyday users.
• SAP navigates much faster. It is one executable in which the various screens open within it. This means, once you log into the system, screens within it pop almost instantaneously. MAS500 are separate Visual Basic Projects that are tied to a common launcher. Each one that opens consumes memory and depending on network and hardware can take 4 to 10 seconds each to open. All of MAS500’s excutables are loaded on the local workstation. MAS500’s has strong drill down and around, but they are sluggish and not always unintuitive. It relies an proper right mouse clicking too often for average users. SAP, you simply follow the Orange Arrow to all related data. Since MAS500 is a separate application from Sage Saleslogix, you can’t drill back to items in the CRM solution. Thus from an Invoice, you can drill back to a quote, but not back to the opportunity and related conversations and communications.
• SAP is a “Real Time” solution. Most transactions are recorded and posted to all related tables upon entry. MAS500’s “Batch” design harkens back to the old MAS90 design in which you enter everything into a data entry “Batch”. You then must physically print a report to a printer to flag it as having an audit trail (unless you do a supervisory override). Then you must print a General Ledger audit report, then you must say to update where at that point it updates the related tables. All this extra clicking and process adds substantial time when looked at across all your users over the years you will be using the system.
• SAP provides basic end user Interactive Video training at no charge, and comprehensive consultant/developer level Interactive Video training for only $1,500. Other than the on-line help, there is virtually no training materials for MAS500 without you going to rarely held training classes and I don’t believe any video training is available. This makes SAP a lower cost product to implement and a lower cost long term as you add additional personnel.
• Like MAS500, SAP supports creating reports with Crystal Reports. In Addition to Crystal, it also includes out of the box, XLReporter which means anybody who is familiar with Excel can write Live Reports that pull from SAP as well as comprehensive Dashboards (over 40 samples come with the product) all running within Excel. Again, full Video Training is available. This means there is no need for complex additional portal servers or web servers. All of SAP comfortably runs on one single server. Remember that Crystal is owned by Business Objects who is owned by SAP.
• All reports all have live drill down capabilities so when you want to know more, just click the orange arrow. MAS500’s Crystal Report output are static.
• SAP includes the Patented Drag & Relate functionality that allows any user to “slice and dice” the data to see related trends. MAS500 includes “Business Insights Explorer” which is a different code base product they license from a 3^rd party that bolts onto the MAS500 launcher. It is very clumsy beyond the demo, very slow, and offers limited drill down. You’ll see some embedded Excel Pivot Tables and Charts, but they are pretty much fixed views of the data and are used much less than they are demonstrated.
• SAP Business One is supported in 42 countries and in 22 languages with over 20,000 installations. MAS500 has about 4,000 installations and is primarily only supported in the US. There are one or two additional language versions available through 3^rd parties, but no non-US Tax/Compliance support. Keep in mind Business One is about 7 years old and MAS500 is 11.
• SAP Business One has completely integrated Exception alerting, messaging and workflow with approvals. The only option for MAS500 is an extra cost 3^rd party solution called KnowledgeSync for alerting. There is no reasonable choice for workflow and approvals for MAS500.
• SAP Corporation is the 2^nd largest software company in the world. Sage is much smaller. Sage is basically a UK finance company that has acquired over 100 companies over the years and they operate mostly independently with limited sharing of best practices and solutions. They more often compete with each other rather than complement each other. Sage must spread their R&D over hundreds of different code bases. SAP currently only has 2 code bases. MySAP, the product for very large companies, and SAP Business One for small and mid-size companies. This means their rate of progress and enhancements can be substantially faster in terms of long term improvements.
• MAS500 has some built in functionality that doesn’t exist in SAP Business One. It has Inventory Replenishment logic for companies with many warehouses and strict adherence to specialized buying processes. It has out of the box Intercompany GL & AP processing, the available manufacturing modules go deeper on shop floor and work order controls, MAS500 has more advanced bin management as well, SAP cannot tell you what location in a warehouse an item is in, if its in more than one bin location. SAP’s vast third party library can address any of these issues but they aren’t out of the box.

© 2010, Mark Chinsky. All rights reserved. Formed in 2005. the 90 Minds Consulting Group is a collaboration of 100 Sage partners who independently join together online in a 24 x 7 private communication network to solve difficult issues for their customers. The group is not affiliated with Sage and our collaboration provides for unparalleled member access to early warnings of bugs and other issues which members in turn are encouraged to use to provide an exceptional customer experience.

Suggest a feature for MAS90 , MAS 200 or MAS 500 now live

Thanks to Dawn Anastasi for passing along the tip that Sage’s new Ideascope suggestion box is now live on the web.

You can use Ideascope as a way to communicate product suggestions directly to Sage. While the concept of “suggest a feature” is not new – the way that Sage is implementing the collection is new.

Previously you had to log into the Sage site using a username and password. Then you’d submit your suggestion without knowing if anyone else had made a similar suggestion.

With Ideascope you have the ability to enter ideas/suggestions directly on the web (watch for this to be embedded into a future product release) and also check to see if anyone else has already made the same (or similar) suggestion.

Hopefully this new tool will allow Sage to more efficiently manage the large numbers of suggestions for product enhancements and focus in on the highest value (aka – most requested).

Now everyone please go tell Sage that the ability to delete/renumber/merge RANGES of items should be protected by role maintenance while renumbering/merging single items should continue as it.

Suggest a MAS90 or MAS200 feature via C&G Consulting

© 2009, Wayne Schulz. All rights reserved. Formed in 2005. the 90 Minds Consulting Group is a collaboration of 100 Sage partners who independently join together online in a 24 x 7 private communication network to solve difficult issues for their customers. The group is not affiliated with Sage and our collaboration provides for unparalleled member access to early warnings of bugs and other issues which members in turn are encouraged to use to provide an exceptional customer experience.

The benefits to remaining current are numerous:

• You receive the latest and greatest updates and enhancements
• You have access to the Knowledgebase where you can find answers to technical questions and resolutions to processing errors
• You can join the user forum and network online with other MAS 90 / MAS 200 users
• You have the ability to add users and modules
• You have access to the support area where you can download service updates, patches, and Payroll tax table updates.

Take the pain out of that annual renewal process and sign up for Easy Pay the next time you receive that renewal invoice. If your maintenance has lapsed, you may qualify for discounts on lapsed years and late fees if you sign up for Easy Pay.

Contact our nearest member today for more information. Follow this link to see the enrollment form.

© 2009, Mark Chinsky. All rights reserved. Formed in 2005. the 90 Minds Consulting Group is a collaboration of 100 Sage partners who independently join together online in a 24 x 7 private communication network to solve difficult issues for their customers. The group is not affiliated with Sage and our collaboration provides for unparalleled member access to early warnings of bugs and other issues which members in turn are encouraged to use to provide an exceptional customer experience.

Issued in the form of a service update, these fixes also require some manual steps to update your forms. Since these are all Crystal Reports based – be sure that you have the latest version of Crystal Report Writer installed on the machine which you are editing.

For more information visit the Sage Service Update for MAS 90 and MAS 200 site here.

© 2009, Wayne Schulz. All rights reserved. Formed in 2005. the 90 Minds Consulting Group is a collaboration of 100 Sage partners who independently join together online in a 24 x 7 private communication network to solve difficult issues for their customers. The group is not affiliated with Sage and our collaboration provides for unparalleled member access to early warnings of bugs and other issues which members in turn are encouraged to use to provide an exceptional customer experience.

Wonder no more. Below is a form that shows all versions from MAS 90 and MAS 200 3.71 and higher (MAS 200 SQL  included) as well as the level that they are supported. Also included is a list of MAS 500 supported versions starting with 6.30 and windup up at MAS 500 version 7.2.

Please note that support policies change and Sage indicates that they can discontinue a version with 12 month’s notice. While we strive to keep our supported versions list up-to-date – please check with us before making any decisions.
Supported Versions Policy MAS90 MAS200 MAS500

© 2009, Wayne Schulz. All rights reserved. Formed in 2005. the 90 Minds Consulting Group is a collaboration of 100 Sage partners who independently join together online in a 24 x 7 private communication network to solve difficult issues for their customers. The group is not affiliated with Sage and our collaboration provides for unparalleled member access to early warnings of bugs and other issues which members in turn are encouraged to use to provide an exceptional customer experience.

Effective on March 31, 2009 all messages in Sagetalk will be set to read only status. No new postings will be accepted and new user registration will likely stop.

Sagetalk has been replaced by the new Sage MAS90 Community Forums which are much easier to navigate and allow for reading of new messages without any login.

One of the easiest ways to read new messages in the Sage Community is via the use of RSS feeds which are small one or two line summaries of the messages posted to the forum.

An explanation of RSS feeds and how to setup a feed so that you can read the new Sage Community support forums via RSS is available here.

It’s important to note that Sage intends to keep the prior Sagetalk messages around for the immediate future so they can be used as reference for older technical topics.

© 2009, Wayne Schulz. All rights reserved. Formed in 2005. the 90 Minds Consulting Group is a collaboration of 100 Sage partners who independently join together online in a 24 x 7 private communication network to solve difficult issues for their customers. The group is not affiliated with Sage and our collaboration provides for unparalleled member access to early warnings of bugs and other issues which members in turn are encouraged to use to provide an exceptional customer experience.