Many clients come to me asking about bar coding, but I often have to explain how it works. So, here goes what I believe is a concise explanation. A bar code is a bunch of lines and spaces. Bar code symbiology is what makes up a bar code. Some common ones are Code 139 and Code 28 and UPC. Each symbiology is common in certain areas (for example, UPC is common in the retail industry). To have a bar coding solution, you first have to ask what you want to do. In a distribution environment, bar coding can be used to receive product, ship product, transfer product, do physical counts, and inventory issues. In a manufacturing environment, you can use bar coding for capturing movement of production jobs from work center to work center, as well as capture labor time. In a retail environment, you can use bar coding to scan sales and receive returns. To have a “bar code solution”, you most likely will need a reader (wireless allows the most flexibility) to scan bar codes a printer to print bar codes. Often, larger companies need multiple readers or printers. Another type of a bar code solution is simply to replace the keyboard strokes by reading a bar code. In this situation, a bar code reader is tethered to a computer, and the user can either use the keyboard or scan a bar code (which of course is usually much faster).

This release is exciting and we have just received it. Some of the new features are a newly redesigned web client, standards based ASP.NET architecture, expanded mobile CRM capabilities, and an improved web and mobile customization environment. Version 6.2 and 7.0 licenses are compatible with 7.20. Most customizations to the product can now be achieved without modifying source code. The client view has been changed so that now more information can be seen without having to scroll. Another nice feature is that the client now appears to be a browser. Salesloigx Mobile is really that - on your blackberry, you now have the complete Saleslogix client experience.

You may know that you can email one contact or multiple contacts and merge the data with an email template from with-in Saleslogix. But, if you want to really market your customers and prospects, Swiftpage offers an excellent tool. It provides data on reads, opens, and unique opens, provides templates, allows you to edit templates, and provides opt out services as well. The fee is based on how many emails that you send a month. Check out www.swiftpage.com for more information.

You may not be aware, but AvaTax (from Avalara) is a web based interface that virtually takes care of all of your sales taxes. It is completely integrated with Sage MAS 90, 200, and 500 ERP. You can post only taxable, only non-taxable, or all invoices to the program, and all sales tax rates are handled outside of your accounting software. For a small additional fee, the company will even file sales tax returns. It is completely worth looking at.

The new ACT Link works great and is very streamlined. The data that the user sees from MAS 90 includes very important accounting data and sales history, which previously could not be viewed. The only downside is that it is very quirky with the installation. The link gets installed on each workstation (only at the server if you want to use ACT from the server).