Welcome again to the Enabling Customer Newsletter

The year is quickly disappearing and soon everyone will be knee-deep in tax returns, year end processing and asking their accountant if they can claim their plasma TV as a dependant. Everyone here at Enabling has been working as hard as ever in order to make 2008 a successful year for our customers.

Did you miss out?

We recently completed our Executive and Customer sessions throughout Australasia. This was a great opportunity for us to catch up, provide valuable information about your business and business systems as well as gain important feedback.

The executive sessions were a first for us and the aim was to deliver an insightful and valuable session. It looks as though we succeeded as the customers who attended, rated the session an average of 8.6 out of 10 and reported that it was a valuable and knowledge enhancing session. For those not able to make it, please read the Best Practice Business Reporting Whitepaper that we've included in this edition's "Word From Enabling" section.

We will be doing the executive and customer sessions again in September, so please keep an eye out for those dates and make sure that if you didn't attend last time you book in and come along, you won't be disappointed!

In the interim please sit back and enjoy this quarter's newsletter.

The Enabling Team

Enabling News

Robbie - Robbie - Robbie Oi! Oi! Oi!

Enabling NZ and Greentree recently sponsored a farewell dinner for Robbie Deans. It was a very entertaining and reflective evening with past and present players in attendance to salute the Canterbury (Crusaders) legend.

One of those legendary players Alex "Grizz" Wylie commented "this farewell dinner was akin to a funeral, as it is sad to see Robbie go, but at least we know he is going to a better place".

Looks like Robbie will be joining another long list of Kiwis who/which Australians call their own - Phar Lap, Crowded House, Pavlova, Russell Crowe etc.

Early reports suggest that Robbie has made a huge impression on the Wallaby side, with reports suggesting that his approach to coaching the game has invigorated the older and younger members of the side.

Enabling NZ wishes Robbie all the best for the up coming Tri Nations matches against the South Africans.

Photo Graham Hill (Greentree), Robbie Deans, Philip Morgan (Enabling)

Partner News

Sage

Sage Accpac: Announces ERP 5.5 Release

Customers and Business Partners alike impressed by version 5.5 of Sage Accpac ERP.

"The overall quality of Sage Accpac ERP version 5.5 as part of the new Sage Accpac Extended Enterprise Suite is excellent, and we're impressed with the improved performance. Based on the very positive feedback we've received from two of our clients who have installed and been running the pre-release version, we are immediately recommending it to all of our prospects and existing clients."

Stuart McKelvie, President of 21st Century Systems Corporation

"We consider our upgrade to Sage Accpac 5.5 ERP as part of the new Sage Accpac Extended Enterprise Suite to be very successful and we have had absolutely no issues or problems. We're impressed with the many streamlined features and enhancements, including those made to the AP module, such as the addition of multi-user entry and posting, which allows us to process batches simultaneously, plus the addition of rollup accounts. The enhancements the Sage Accpac Extended Enterprise Suite offers have increased the functionality and flexibility of our Sage Accpac system without taking anything away."

Russell Cullingworth, Director of Finance for Canuck Place Children's Hospice

Sage Accpac Extended Enterprise Suite now available with SageCRM.
Whether your growth plans include buying and selling in the global marketplace, adding more talent to your team, or expanding your services, the Sage Accpac Extended Enterprise Suite provides you with the tools and the flexibility to successfully accelerate your business expansion. And with the release of version 5.5 of award-winning Sage Accpac ERP you will benefit from the many new enhancements including:

• Sage Accpac Extended Enterprise Suite includes integrated SageCRM to give you true visibility across your entire organization
• Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable and Sales Analysis dashboards providing you an up-to-date snapshot of your company's financial and operational health
• New multicurrency capabilities
• Increased number of Account segments
• Increased number of years of history
• Popular Options products are bundled in with corresponding core modules at no additional charge

Sage Timberline Office

In July Sage will finally release the highly anticipated Sage Timberline Office version 9.5 with version 9.6 also scheduled to for the beginning of 2009. The new version will contain the following changes:

• Daily report availability within Project Management
• Higher security within Document Management
• Archive leases within Property Management
• New, easy-to-use security features
• Desktop User Assistance
• Increase of history
• Vista compatibility
• Longhorn compatibility
  

Microsoft

MICROSOFT has previewed its newest enterprise resource planning application and its chief executive says the company is a serious player in business applications.

"This is mission-critical for us", Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer told the audience at Microsoft's Convergence user conference.

Mr Ballmer, who previewed the next version of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009, scheduled to ship in the first half of this year, said the company was investing heavily in its Dynamics products. He insisted Project Green was dead and there were no plans to converge the company's four ERP products.

The new Microsoft Dynamics AX 2008 enterprise resource planning suite has been developed in collaboration with students at the IT University of Copenhagen based on "desirability studies" that assess how useable (or how desirable) the full range of Dynamics ERP and customer relationship management applications screens would be to users.

This process, which Microsoft also calls Feel IT, added more than 30 user interfaces, called Role Centres, that Dynamics AX 2009 users can work with.

The Feel IT effort actually is on an Apple-like path in that it is focused not just on making the products easy to use but desired, he says.

This sets the goal of trying to make tasks related to these products interesting enough that people actually look forward to doing them. "How they measure themselves against this goal will be interesting and I think that were this goal universal Microsoft would be much better thought of and its products much more highly valued than either now are," he said.

"Most of us would gladly pay more for a tool we will enjoy using".

Greentree

Business Process Management
BPM is more than just a new technology buzz word, it is a revolutionising business management approach used to map out processes within an organisation, providing a structure for visibility and efficiency thereby making sure everyone in the organisation is on the same page. Greentree business partners can now take advantage of another differentiating weapon that can be used strategically in the sales cycle. Unlike competing vendor offerings, Greentree BPM is an integrated tool rather than a third party 'bolt on'.

This feature rich module contains multi-streaming, embedded approvals and integration with other programs including MS Office. It also has the ability to define business rules and prioritise processes while utilising a highly versatile security structure. A critical aspect of any process is following through that tasks get done on a timely basis and Greentree's Escalation Engine can monitor and escalate tasks when necessary to ensure smooth and efficient operations.

Key benefit to customers:

• Automated Business Processes and Rules
• User-friendly Graphical Environment
• Improved Process Efficiencies
• Improved Process Visibility
• Best Practice Management

BPM is still in beta release with Greentree Australia expected in August 2008. But it can be demonstrated to customers now and you can discuss with your channel manager the opportunity for your customers to join the beta program.

WaiveStar - A Bright Business Case Study

WaiveStar overcomes growing pains with Sage Solution.

Since its launch in 2000 WaiveStar's tremendous success has been accompanied by some significant growing pains. In 2006 they called in Sage solution provider, Enabling, to streamline their financial and accounting systems and to implement a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system.

WaiveStar is an Australian organisation that delivers supply chain management solutions to small, medium and large organisations. Their clients include well known brands such as Blockbuster, Suzuki, Crazy Johns and Sony Ericsson.

The services provided to these clients include fulfilment, mailing, distribution, procurement and graphic design services, as well as supplying customers with marketing and promotional products such as brochures, posters and point of sale stands. They deliver these services via a custom built online tool known as WaiveNet, which has been crucial in the success of WaiveStar's business.

Over the past five years, the WaiveStar Group experienced exponential growth of up to 90% per annum, resulting in the company being named the winner of the Victorian Government Business Growth Award in 2005.

When WaiveStar commenced operations they had three staff, including founder and CEO Michelle Power and one major customer. By the end of 2006 they had grown to 35 staff with over 40 customers to manage.

This rapid growth and success, however, presented a host of new challenges to the organisation.

Read More - WaiveStar Case Study (PDF)

Best Practice Reporting:

"What an excellent session, it certainly has given me some guidance and focus when I review how our business does its reporting" - Enabling Raving Fan

Presented at our latest customer and executive briefing day was the Best Practice Reporting Whitepaper written by Enabling's senior consultants. Best Practice Reporting examines and outlines the strategies and tactics for optimizing your business reporting to assist you to improve your business performance. The overall response from the attendees was that this whitepaper needs to be read by more people because it is actually quite good. If you would like to receive a copy of Best Practice Reporting please use the link below to download our printable version. Please enjoy.

Read More - Best Business Practice Reporting (PDF)

Customer Day - Tips and Tricks:

Our Sage Accpac customer sessions were well received however for those who were not able to make the sessions we have included the tips and tricks document that was handed out. View the sample below and then download the full PDF to share throughout the office.


Click here to download the full Tips and Tricks PDF

Timberline Office - How do I modify the period end date on my Payroll checks?

What do I do if my checks have the wrong period end date?
You can modify the period end date for checks with a status of new or processed. You must void any printed or accrued checks and retain them as new before you can modify the period end date.
Use Modify Period End Date from the Tools menu

Follow the steps below to modify the period end date on your Payroll checks with a status of New or Processed:

1. In Payroll, determine if the only checks in the New.prt file are the checks that need the period end date modified.
   a) From the Inquiry menu, select Check Information > Check Activity > New > [OK].
   b) Review the dates in the Period End Date column and make note if checks exist in this file that do not need a modified period end date.
   c) Click [Close].
2. Use File Tools to create a backup of the New.prt file.
3. From the Tools menu, select Modify Period End Date.
4. Type the correct period end date in the New Period End Date box.
5. Select the PR Transaction file has been backed up check box.
6. If you do not want to change the period end date for all of the checks in the new file, click [Ranges] and select the checks that you want to modify.
7. Click [Start].

Note: You cannot modify the period end date for time entries if doing so results in duplicate time entries (same employee, period end date, and check sequence as other time entries in the same transaction file).

We welcome the following staff as new additions to the Enabling team:

Brisbane:
Joe Zagami: Senior Consultant - Sage Timberline
Ashley Sharpe: Senior Consultant - Sage Accpac & SAP Business One

Melbourne:
Stacy Sim: Senior Consultant - Sage Accpac
Tim Perkin: Consultant - Sage Timberline and Sage Accpac
Jaco Ungerer: Senior Consultant - Sage Accpac

Sydney:
Anjali Shah: Consultant - TM1
Asim Zaidi: Consultant - Sage Accpac

New Zealand:
Nathan Greene: Consultant - Sage Accpac
Justine Cua - Developer - Microsoft Dynamics
Jian Sun - Developer

Enabling schedule

(CCP) Training: Financial Link Pro

(CCP) Training: CRM - Advanced Maintenance and Customisations

Product Preview Session: Sage CRM version 6.1 and ERP 5.5

Crystal - Level 2

July 22, 9.00-11.30 am

July 24, 9.00 - 11.30am

August 14, 8.00 - 9.30 am (breakfast)

August 4-5 , Full Days

Australian Offices -1800 ENABLING
New Zealand Offices - 0800 ENABLING

Victoria - Contact
New South Wales - Contact
Queensland - Contact
New Zealand - Contact

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