Save Time with Project Work Center

So often, when working with a client to resolve a problem with one of their projects, I’ll jump to menu 6-12 Project Work Center and plug in the job number.  The client then stops me to ask what I’m doing. I realize that I have another opportunity to train users about the usefulness of the Project Work Center!

Project Work Center was designed with project managers in mind, bringing all areas of the program preloaded with the job number, into one central work area.  The best part of the project work center is that one gets a much more comprehensive view of the data related to a project.  If you look at Purchase Orders, your first screen is a complete list of all the purchase orders for the project, from which you can select and drill down into each record.  If you look at Subcontracts or Change Orders, in each case, you start with a complete list of all that data for the project and you can drill down from there!  Open Receivable Invoices/Credits and you see all receivable invoices related to the job.  Open Payable Invoices and you see all open payable invoices for the job.  Any report related to a specific job is preloaded with the job number to ease the process.  The right side of the project work center loads with a hot list of flagged items related to the project and summarized data about the project.  The menu structure on the left side can be customized to trim out menu items that are not used by a particular user.

Project Work Center, originally created for project managers, can be an invaluable tool when performing Job Autopsies, or whenever anyone needs to deal with one project at a time.

Call Mathieson Consulting for more information and training.

What’s New in Version 19.3?

Yes, the current version of Sage 100 Contractor – 2014 is version 19.3!  Its availability was announced in mid-June by email.  There were several enhancements in this version, but a few that are particularly worth noting are:

Integration with Sage Payment Solutions - For users that process credit card payments from customers, the program now connects with Sage Payment Solutions to provide seamless processing of credit card payments from customers with a cost-effective merchant card service provider. Sage Payment Solutions can also enhance collections by generating ACH virtual check payments.  All customer data is safely stored in compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) – an important necessity.

Expanded State Certified Payroll Reports - For users that must supply certified payroll reports to State Labor Departments, the program’s integration with Aatrix now prepares and, where available, e-files state certified payroll reports in all 49 states that have their own reporting requirement. 

Drag and Drop Files and Shortcuts on Your Sage 100 Contractor Desktop - I think this is an underappreciated enhancement that can benefit most users.  Are you tired of having to jump out of Sage 100 Contractor to locate and open a spreadsheet, document or folder while working in the program? Now users can drag and drop those files and shortcuts right onto your Sage 100 Contractor desktop and ease that process. 

The program help system and your favorite Certified Consultant are available for your assistance with these new features.

Use Other Forms of Templates to Ease Data Entry

Sage 100 Contractor often uses grid structures for data entry.  Grids look like your excel spreadsheets, with columns and rows.  In grids, users can copy data from excel or other spreadsheet sources and paste the data into the Sage 100 Contractor grid.  There are a few exceptions where the grid may have formulas embedded in specific protected columns, but the program will tell you if you attempt to paste data into a protected column.  Just like with copying and pasting in excel, after you have copied a block of cells from your source, put your cursor in the top left cell of the target range, right click and select paste.  In some circumstances, users may find it easy to assemble data in a spreadsheet and then copy and paste it into a Sage 100 Contractor grid.

Grids in several modules of the program permit the use of special files that function as templates.  When a user has a grid of data in one of these modules that the user may want to use again, the module permits the user to Export the grid into a template file specific for that particular module.  This Export is usually found in the Options dropdown menu of the module.  Then, when a user wishes to use a previously saved template, the Import function found in the Options dropdown menu will load the template data quickly and completely.  These exported grid files may also be used to temporarily save data while a user is performing what-if analyses or other testing – when the analyses or tests are complete, the user can import the saved grid file and bring the data back to the starting point.  Modules that employ these grid templates include:

• 6-2 Budgets
• 6-9 Proposals
• 6-10 Unitary Proposals
• 9-5 Takeoffs
• 10-3 Schedules

Contact Mathieson Consulting for additional information about these useful tools.

Use Templates to Ease Data Entry

The ability to create data entry templates has been available in the program for many years, yet I often find that users are not using templates because they were unaware of them or forgot that they existed! 

Templates help by reducing the amount of repetitive data that must be entered in a screen.  Take a look at data entry where you find yourself entering same or similar data over and over again or a type of transaction that you enter repeatedly.  Enter the repetitive data for a type of transaction and save it as a template in the “File>Save as Template” drop down menu.  Then, when beginning a repetitive transaction, go to “File>Load/Delete Template” and select the type of template you want to start entering.  You will see all the repetitive fields already completed and all you must then do in enter the non-repetitive data, review it and save it.

Templates in Sage 100 Contractor are found in most data entry screens, including

·         1-3 Journal Transactions

·         3-2 Receivable Invoices/Credits

·         3-5 Jobs (Accounts Receivable)

·         3-6 Receivable Clients

·         3-7 Progress Billings

·         3-8 Loan Draw Requests

·         3-9 Unitary Billing

·         3-10-1 T&M Billing Setup

·         4-2 Payable Invoices/Credits

·         4-4 Vendors (Accounts Payable)

·         4-7-3 Enter Credit Card Receipts

·         5-2-1 Employees

·         5-2-2 Payroll Records

·         5-5-1 Daily Payroll Entry

·         6-4-1 Change Orders

·         6-6-1 Purchase Orders

·         6-7-1 Subcontracts

·         6-11-1 Requests for Proposal

·         6-11-2 Requests for Information

·         6-11-3 Transmittals

·         6-11-4 Submittals

·         6-11-5 Plan Records

·         6-11-6 Daily Field Reports

·         6-11-7 Punch Lists

·         6-11-8 Correspondence

·         8-3 Equipment

·         9-2 Parts

·         9-3 Assemblies

·         11-2 Work Orders/Invoices/Credits

·         12-2 Inventory Allocation

For assistance in the creation and use of templates, give us a call.

How Can Sage 100 Contractor Help the HR Function?

When one scans the Sage 100 Contractor menus and data screens, there is only one menu item that explicitly describes itself as pertaining to the Human Resources functions in a company – Menu 5-3-9 HR Forms.  While this menu item is potentially a great aid to generating the various forms and documents that may be needed to properly communicate between employer, applicants, employees and various government agencies, it is by no means the only part of the program that can aid in Human Resources functions.  With a little imagination, we can provide significant support for many of the requirements of a Human Resources department:

• The 5-2-1 Employee record should be the central repository for all employee data, from the obvious information like pay rates, address, social security number, phone numbers, email address and the like, to a separate table for an unlimited number of contact people for each employee.  Don’t overlook the ability to track the accrual and use of Sick Leave and Vacation hours.  There are also several fields that can be relabeled and repurposed to meet specific needs.
• The Employee Licenses table can be used to track Drivers Licenses and Trade Licenses that have expiration dates.  Consider what other licenses you might need to track – think of an expiring Resident Alien or Employment Authorization card as a License to Work….  Never lose track of the fact that an alien worker may no longer be eligible to be employed if they haven’t renewed their paperwork and given you proof of the extension. 
• The Employee Training table can be used to track various training opportunities, especially those safety trainings and certifications that need to be redone periodically.  Consider other “training” opportunities that should be revisited periodically – think of a regular performance review or a regular compensation review as training opportunities.  By properly configuring the training item, one can track when the last training occurred, when the next training should occur, and keep notes as to what occurred during the training.
• Attachments to the Employee record are often overlooked.  Scan the employee resume or application, tax forms, form I-9, other employment packet forms, an employee photo, and anything else that can be reduced to an electronic file and attach it to the employee record so that it is always instantly available for reference.
• Use Alerts Manager to create periodic automatic queries of Employee data to identify areas that need attention this week, or this month or next month.  If the data is maintained in the database, it is likely that we can configure Alerts Manager to notify the appropriate personnel that an important action is about to require attention.

If you would like help with implementing any of the functions, give us a call at 480-471-5305.

How to Avoid Giving Up

In another venue, someone asked for advice to several construction company clients that were considering giving up and closing shop in the face of a sustained downturn.  After some thought, I posted this response:

The downturn has been different in different parts of the country. Many areas perceive that the downturn is over and business is picking up, but that may not be the case in your region.
What makes a survivor? There are as many answers as there are listeners. My thoughts:

• Survivors sensed the downturn early and acted on it promptly. 

• Survivors trimmed staff quickly. Keeping on people for whom you have no work jeopardized the lives and livelihoods of those that you do keep on. Too many times, the people that you kept on during bad times were the first to go out on their own or jump to a competitor as soon as things get going again. 

• Survivors were acutely self-aware – they knew what they were good at; knew whether or not what they were good at would continue to be in demand during the downturn (buggy whip manufacturer scenario); and they had a good sense of their regional marketplace. 

• Survivors were acutely aware of their cost structure – they understood their direct and overhead costs and how those would be affected by volume. They knew how much they had to markup direct costs to cover their overhead and never, ever, dropped below that markup rate. They might take a job to cover overhead and forego profit, but they never, ever, knowingly take jobs at a loss. Just make sure that sufficient owners’ compensation is included in the overhead number! 

• The ability to accurately estimate costs and mark them up sufficiently, coupled with the ability to produce the work without cost slippage is the single greatest predictor of success. Don’t ever forget that! 

• Always take what used to be called a Zero-Based Budgeting approach. Always ask whether an overhead cost is necessary or can be done without. Always assess the returning value of expenditures – will they result in benefit to the company. Marketing is not an unnecessary expense! If you spend your marketing dollars effectively (there’s the rub), it will be a significant benefit to the company in the long run.

Some may suggest that I failed to really answer the question.  What would your suggestion have been? 

Let Your Software Help During the Construction Boom

Sage 100 Contractor is chock full of useful and time saving tools!  Consider implementing (or fine tuning) the following features:

• Track vendor and subcontractor insurance certificates (also good for tracking contractor license expirations and annual subcontractor agreements).
• Prepare fully executable subcontract agreements from within the system, whether each subcontract is a complete, free standing agreement, or a short form work order pursuant to an annual (or multiple year) subcontract agreement.  Include a prefilled application for payment form with the subcontract or work order.
• Prepare complete and effective purchase orders to ease materials purchasing and subsequent payables processing.
• Use Document Management to prepare and track in one place
• Requests for Proposals
• Requests for Information
• Transmittals
• Submittals
• Daily Field Reports
• Punch Lists
• Project Correspondence
• Consider using Scheduling to plan work and keep all subcontractors, staff, and clients apprised of project status.  When subcontractors and staff know when they are expected to complete their work, their satisfaction improves and subs in particular may be more willing to work with you.   Profits tend to improve drastically when projects are completed timely.

Your friendly Certified Consultant can help you put these tools to good use!