Finally had a chance to look at the new web UI of Saleslogix 7.2 and it is quite robust.  First, you will now get to avoid having to scroll on long web pages, with the new drag and drop features.  Modal dialogue boxes simpligy use and streamline data entry.  Finding data is greatly improved with Google style results with text preview as well as lookup building on virtually any entity.  The main result is an easier to use and easier to navigate experience.  For example, activities are much easier to navigate now on the web, as well as the ability search and filter is greatly enhanced, including the ability minimize individual panes to maximize specific views.

Exciting news from V-Tech - version 10 supports Less Than Truck Load (LTL) and Tuck Load (TL).   Other exciting new features are: a new and improved MAS 90/200 interface, pick/pack functionality, rating powered by Freightquote.com,  automated BOL reports, pallet and package lables, and EDI integration with True Commerce.

As you have probably gathered by now, I do a lot of reading, and I’m not talking about The DaVinci Code. Reading relevant business journals, as well as broader news sources, is a tool I use to keep in touch with issues that can affect my clients. This article from the Portland Business Journal is a case in point. It is a wake-up call for the leaders of a growing business, be it an entrepreneur, a mom and pop shop, or a middle manager: know the warning signs.

Know when you need help. Know when growth means delegating work or adding another layer of leadership.

This struck a chord with me because I recently talked to a number of potential clients who were still using QuickBooks and it inspired me to add a new resource page on our main website about the warning signs of staying with QuickBooks for too long. Now QuickBooks is an excellent product, but sometimes you just have to know when to let go – when it’s time, because your company has grown, to move on to more sophisticated accounting software.

I laughed as I read the headline of a Between the Lines post talking about who isn’t targeting Microsoft Office.

The days when the only choice for office productivity software is Microsoft are apparently ending, and that’s probably a good thing. But it’s an interesting thing about choices. We all think we want more, but when there are too many choices, it can be overwhelming. The more choices we have, the more time and energy we must put into making the right choice.

This has been the case with accounting software for a long, long time. There are literally hundreds of publishers of accounting software, as well as thousands of system implementers. There are hosted solutions, web-based solutions, pc-based solutions – the choices are mind-boggling. This is when finding a partner – a solution consultant – can streamline the process .

Here are a couple of pages on the ACI Consulting site that will give you some further insight:

• Choosing a New Accounting Software
• Top Ten Criteria for Selecting Accounting Software (a .pdf)

Sage Software has many FAS systems to choose from - FAS 50, FAS 100, FAS 500, and now Sage Fixed Assets for MAS 90/200. In addition, there are sub-categories, such as Construction in Progress and FAS Inventory. A good fixed asset system is a must have for small and medium sized businesses because it can replace a messy filing cabinet full of torn paperwork. Besides keeping track of depreciation, it keeps track of warranties, vendors, insurance information, and also allows user-defined fields. You can take it to the next level and appy pictures and bar codes to your items. FAS 500 is a SQL product, so if your assets are large in number, or if you have MAS 500, then FAS 500 is a must have. For smaller companies, FAS 50 and FAS 100 will do, as the main difference is the number of assets that you can have. And now, MAS 90/200 users can have a implement a FAS modules that sits right inside MAS 90.