Software notice 17-D was sent on April 13 to customers who use Sage 300 Payroll for Sage 300:

Notice details:

Sage is supporting only the current release and 2 previous releases of Sage 300: Sage 300 2017, 2016 and 2014. We encourage you to contact your Sage business partner to upgrade to the latest supported version to ensure that you stay current with product features and ongoing development work. 

Software notice 17-E was sent today to the primary contacts of Sage 300 customers and partners.

Supported Versions for Sage 300

When Sage 300 2018 is released later this year, in accordance with our support policy, Sage will only be supporting Sage 300 and Sage 300c 2018, 2017, and 2016. We will no longer be providing support for Sage 300 2014 or earlier versions. If you are on a version that will not be supported, we encourage you to contact your business partner or consultant to upgrade to one of the supported versions of the software.

For more information about compatibility, see the Sage 300 Compatibility guides and system requirements.

Register for this webcast on Thursday, June 15, 2017 at 10:00 AM PT | 1:00 PM ET to learn how Service Manager, Sage’s endorsed service and maintenance management solution from Technisoft, can help manage the resources, products and services your business offers. Access your data locally or from the field using mobile or Web technologies to save time, lower expenses, monitor profitability, increase productivity, and most important, improve customer satisfaction.

Service Manager is fully integrated with Sage 300/300c, providing true accountability from a central point. The webcast will cover:

• What is Service Maintenance and who does it impact 
• Who is Technisoft and what products do we offer
• What is the document system and how does it work
• How do you schedule jobs and how do you access them from the Field
• How does Service Manager integrate with Sage 300/300c
• How do I know how my business is performing
• Q&A

The key take aways attendees should leave with is that Service Manager:

• Can definitely fulfil an existing need in my organization
• Is reasonably easy to set up and use, but has the power to do much more
• Helps keep my accounting and operational information up-to-date and accurate
• Makes it much easier to manage my jobs and resources
• Will make a difference to my bottom line

Thursday, June 15, 2017
10:00 AM PT | 1:00 PM ET

Register Today!

Are you the person everyone goes to for answers about the software you use—or wish you had that kind of expertise? Either way, wouldn’t it be great to know all the ins and outs of your software—AND get recognized for it? 

That’s where a certification—like those offered by Sage—can really help by:

• Growing your skill set and boosting your knowledge.
• Increasing your value to your employer.
• Keeping you competitive and marketable.

You can take advantage of a comprehensive certification package that includes training as well as the certification assessment, or simply take the assessment test by itself—the choice is yours based on your current level of expertise. 

In addition, upon passing the assessment, you will be eligible to add the certification title to your list of credentials. Plus, showing your initiative and dedication through continuing education raises a manager’s confidence in your expertise—both for the job you have today, and the one you may want tomorrow!

Featured Certification: Order Entry Specialist

Our Sage 300 Certified Order Entry Specialist certification will help members of your team that need to setup and process all sales and shipping transactions. The certification package consists of 24 Anytime Learning videos with a total duration of about one hour and 17 minutes. Upon completion of the course material there is a 30-question exam to test your skills and understanding of the topics included in this course. You will get 60 minutes to complete the exam. Passing grade for the exam is 80% and once completed, you will be certified by Sage as a Sage 300 Certified Order Entry Specialist. This certification package can be used if you’re using Sage 300 version 2016 or later. This learning package is also available without the certification.

In the Anytime Learning topics, we’ll explain the entire process from beginning to end and show you the key fields and screens that need to be completed. We’ll explain why it’s important to enter data in these fields correctly as well as the benefits from entering data in the other fields available in these processes. We’ll also highlight a few tips and best practices you can use to ensure your entries were properly entered, tie to GL entries, and appear correctly on reports. You’ll learn how to verify customers and customer pricing; enter all types of sales orders; print picking sheets and shipping labels; set up and enter shipments; enter invoices and adjustments; and perform period and year-end processing.
Think you have what it takes to be a Sage 300 Certified Order Entry Specialist? Test your knowledge and take our Expert Challenge. If you pass the challenge, you may be ready to move straight to the certification exam without reviewing the course materials.

Click here for more information about this certification, including access to the expert challenge free of charge, the certification exam, and additional training options.

When you need assistance, it's important to know where to go and who to ask. Learn more about Sage Business Care Support Services and the resources available to you.

For additional information and resources or questions, please contact our Sage Customer Care team at 1-800-642-7693 (Opt 1 for Sage 300 or Opt 2 for BusinessVision).

Our Dedication to You

Customers are our top priority and the lifeline of our organization. We consistently operate with our customers’ best interests in mind and offer professional assistance — through online self-service options, world-class phone support, and an extensive network of business partners, certified consultants, and authorized training centers.

What Business Care Provides

Sage Business Care plans provide customers with access to a variety of valuable services, such as:

• Optimizing the effectiveness and efficiency of Sage solutions to achieve business results
• Troubleshooting or resolving technical and non-technical issues that may be encountered during Sage software installation or use
• Identifying and recommending where additional product training would be of value
• Determining the need and referring appropriate resource(s) to assist with non-Sage issues
• Taking advantage of multiple Sage self-service support resources with access to:

Need more training? Have questions? Want advice?
Engage with Sage—online!

At Sage we're building a wealth of resources and communities to supply and spread the knowledge via Sage University, the Sage Knowledgebase and Sage City.

Join industry peers, certified partners, and Sage pros online today!

U.S.: www.sage.com/US/support  ● Canada: www.sage.com/CA/support 

Did you know that Sage University offers real-time and anytime learning resources? To access this site, please visit http://www.sageu.com/

.

Calling into support especially during peak season can be a wait even with our callback feature available. So while you're waiting, the answer to your issue could be as simple as doing a search on our Knowledgebase – Search for free solutions to your product issues (Free Service 24/7).

Next to the KB the newest awesome resource we have is the YEAR-END Center!  Watch our Year-End Center video overview (2:45 minutes)

*Tip on KB Access: Sage 50 CA or US clients have full access to all resources on the knowledgebase. Other Sage product lines require a login with an active service plan to gain access to gated material.

How to Access Chat

Access Online Chat via the KB or Portal sites – Available 6 am to 5 pm PST Weekdays (Fee based service).

You may access the Knowledgebase from the Customer Portal or Partner Portal (if you’re a SAN member).

Support Tickets created on the Portals are monitored directly by the Technical Support Team.

  Helpful inks:

• Sign up for the customer portal
• How do I log into the Sage Portal?
• How do I access product codes on the Sage Portal?
• How to Update an Existing Support Ticket

Your next best source for help is from the Sage City Community – Find solutions to your issues within our community (Free Service 24/7)

Our go to area suggestion is found under the heading Support, simply select your product line and access the Blogs or Hot topics section.

Sage City is fully searchable and very active, you can typically expect an answer to your questions posted in the Forum section within one day. Our partners are very compassionate and eager to help! 

Get Social

Follow us on social media! @SageNAmerica on Facebook and @SageSupport on twitter. Look for #Sage300.

Thanks for reading!

Are you the person everyone goes to for answers about the software you use—or wish you had that kind of expertise? Either way, wouldn’t it be great to know all the ins and outs of your software—AND get recognized for it?

That’s where a certification—like those offered by Sage—can really help by:

• Growing your skill set and boosting your knowledge.
• Increasing your value to your employer.
• Keeping you competitive and marketable.

You can take advantage of a comprehensive certification package that includes training as well as the certification assessment, or simply take the assessment test by itself—the choice is yours based on your current level of expertise.

In addition, upon passing the assessment, you will be eligible to add the certification title to your list of credentials. Plus, showing your initiative and dedication through continuing education raises a manager’s confidence in your expertise—both for the job you have today, and the one you may want tomorrow!

Featured Certification: Accounting Manager Specialist

Our Sage 300 Certified Accounting Manager Specialist certification is designed for comprehensive training in Sage 300 account management. In this Anytime Learning package, we’ll explain the entire process from beginning to end and show you the key fields and screens that need to be completed. We’ll explain critical concepts involving the general ledger. A properly defined general ledger affects your entire accounting system. This package will give you the skills necessary to set up common features, define accounts, process transactions, define budgets, use allocations, and perform period and year-end processing in the general ledger. The certification package consists of 40 Anytime Learning videos with a total duration of three hours.  Upon completion of the course materials there is a 30 question exam to test your skills and understanding of the topics included in this course. You will get 60 minutes to complete the exam. Passing grade for the exam is 80% and once completed, you will be certified by Sage as a Sage 300 Certified Accounting Manager Specialist. This certification package can be used if you’re using Sage 300 version 2016 or later.

Think you have what it takes to be a Sage 300 Certified Accounting Manager Specialist?  Test your knowledge and take our Expert Challenge. If you pass the challenge, you may be ready to move straight to the certification exam without reviewing the course materials.

Click here for more information about this certification, including access to the expert challenge free of charge, the certification exam, and additional training options. 

Sage 300 ERP Intelligence Reporting gives you more time to analyze reports so you can make smart business decisions that will give your company a competitive edge. Get the most out of Intelligence Reporting by signing up for our free webcasts coming your way in July. 

Ignite your Excel skills for more impactful reports, Part 1 – Formulas and formatting

Duration:

45 minutes

Description

A solid set of Excel skills goes a long way when working with Sage Intelligence Reporting. Get the basics needed to be effective and productive in Excel with this webcast for beginner and intermediate users, which will cover topics including:

• General formulas, like rounding numbers and time values
• Moving rows and columns
• Adding a field to a Pivot table
• Using Slicers
• Adding and moving columns using the design feature in Sage Intelligence

Date and Time

Wednesday, July 12, 2017 2:00 pm ET / 11:00 am PT

Register

Sign up now for this webcast and take your Excel skills to the next level.

Create informative dashboards with Sage Intelligence and Power BI

Duration:

30 minutes

Description

In this webcast, you'll discover what types of dashboards you can create using Sage Intelligence and Power BI. This webcast is for advanced users and will cover:

• A brief summary of connecting SI and Power BI
• Step-by-step information on creating your own dashboard
• An overview of additional dashboards to inspire innovation

Date and Time

Thursday, July 13, 2017 3:00 am ET / 12:00 am PT

Register

Sign up now and you'll be creating informative and impactful dashboards in no time at all!

The X-Factor Report Writers Series Part 6: Creating custom layouts using the Task Pane

Duration:

30 minutes

Description

Looking for inspiration on how to lay out your data in Excel using Sage Intelligence? This webcast aims to empower you to create a masterpiece using the Task Pane. This webcast is designed for advanced users and will cover the following topics:

• Using the Task Pane
• Excel tips
• Setting up Sage Intelligence Formulas
• Saving the report

Date and Time

Thursday, July 18, 2017 3:00 am ET / 12:00 am PT

Register

Sign up now to learn how the Task Pane can help you customize the way your data is laid out.

Ignite your Excel skills for more impactful reports, Part 2 – Pivot Tables and Power View

Duration

45 minutes

Description

Pivot Tables and Power View are two Excel features that will produce more impactful reports when used effectively. Pivot Tables summarize your data to effectively and clearly communicate your data-driven message while Power View lets you create interactive charts, graphs, maps, and other visuals that bring your data to life. Learn more about each feature in this webcast for beginner and intermediate users, which will cover:

• Creating, formatting, and enhancing Pivot Tables
• Viewing existing calculation
• Creating dynamic chart titles
• Creating a report with Power View

Date and Time

Wednesday, July 19, 2017  2.00 pm ET / 11:00 am PT

Register

Sign up now and evolve your Excel skills!

Ignite your Excel skills for more impactful reports, Part 3 – Financial report enhancements

Duration

45 minutes

Description

See how you can create more impactful financials through report enhancements in part 3 of this series. This webcast is designed for beginner or intermediate users, and will include information about:

• Enhancing Financials
• Grouping accounts
• Adding drop-down lists
• Using buttons like scroll bars for filtering
• Reporting on more than just financials

Date and Time

Wednesday, July 26, 2017  2.00 pm ET / 11:00 am PT

Register

Sign up now and create the financial reports that will set you apart from others!

Learn more about Sage 300 Intelligence Reporting webcasts.

A new Email tab on the Company Profile screen makes it easier to set up and manage print-to-email settings for Sage 300. In Sage 300 Desktop Version, you have the option of sending email using Microsoft Outlook, or you can select the new Use SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) service to send documents via email. The Sage 300c screens will only use the SMTP settings to send emails.

With Sage 300 2017 PU2, you will have the new EMAIL tab in the Company Profile Screen.

There are many different services that allow routing emails via SMTP, in this article I am using a simple approach, I have a free Gmail account and am using this to route my emails via SMTP. 

Prerequisites (required for Gmail only)

Setting-Up GMAIL: Make sure Allow the less secure apps has been turned ON.

This can be achieved with the following steps

1. Log into Gmail.
2. Click the Options button (top right of screen) and select Settings from the dropdown menu.
3. Navigate to Accounts and Imports in the top navigation bar and in the Change Account Settings section select Other Google Account Settings.
4. Navigate to Sign in and Security panel and select Connected apps and sites.
5. Set the Allow less secure apps is set to ON

Configure Sage 300 for SMTP

Logon to the Sage 300 Desktop, under Common Services select Company Profile and click on the Email tab.
This is where you will set up your SMTP settings. In order to use Gmail please make sure that the settings are entered as below.

Server Name:   It is your email server, using the format smtp.server name (smtp.gmail.com)
Server Port:     The default Port is 587, but can be changed depending on the Port the SMTP SERVER OR SERVICE uses.
User Name:      Enter the username for the SMTP server to be used when sending email
Password:        Enter the password for the email account to be used when sending email.
From Email Address: Enter the email address to be used when sending email

Use SMTP:

If Use SMTP is Checked

•  The Sage 300 Desktop screens and the Sage 300c Screens will use SMTP to send Emails from the email address set in the From Email Address field ONLY.

If Use  SMTP is Not Checked

• The Sage 300 Desktop will continue to use the standard email functionality used in previous versions of Sage 300, sending emails from Microsoft Outlook using the From Email Address of the account set in Microsoft Outlook for the logged on Windows User.
• The Sage 300c Screens however, will use the SMTP settings below to send Emails from the email address set in the From Email Address field.

Use SSL: Ticked if using a secure port to send email (Gmail requires this) 

Test the SMTP settings have been added correctly to Sage 300 

Click the Send Test Email button
If the configuration is correct, you will get a prompt that the email was sent successfully.

Troubleshooting

If the Send Test Email fails

SMTP test from the Sage 300 Server and Sage 300c Server

Test you are able to send an email via telnet on the SMTP port that is to be used.
On the Sage 300 server open an administrative Command Prompt and enter the command telnet <<SMTP Server>> <<SMTP Port>>.

•  In the case of Gmail telnet smtp.gmail.com 587 this should return a response that telnet has successfully connected and is listening on this port

     For reference, please visit Microsoft's "How to use Telnet to test an Internet Mail Connection" help article. 

If you are unable to connect:

• The Physical Network Firewall may need a port open between your Sage 300 Server and the SMTP server.
•  The Anti Virus may require an exception added to its Mass Mailing Worm protection.

Both of these items can be investigated by your IT team and Sage Business Partner.

Dive deeper into your Sage 300 solution—sign up now for 25% off live training.*

Starting July 10, 2017, software notices for Sage 300 will come from SageServices@CustCommunications.sage.com instead of sage@go.sage.com.

What does this mean  for me?

• Notices announcing new product releases, updates, or service changes will come from the new email address
• The sender name will be Sage Team
• You may need to mark the new email address as a safe address to avoid it from being filtered to your junk folder

The look and feel of the notices will not change, and we expect little to no impact due to this change.

Sage 300c provides the flexibility of Customization. Some examples of customization in Sage 300c include being able to rename labels, as well as the ability to hide fields and screens.

In this blog, I will be discussing three options that can be used to customize screens.

1. Customize Navigation Menu: This provides you the flexibility to customize the screens that are available on the Customize Navigation Menu. For instance, the user can hide the A/R Invoice Entry web screen, the A/R Transactions category, or the Accounts Receivable module if needed.
2. Customize Fields and Controls: This provides the flexibility of the fields that you would like to hide or rename in the Screen.
3. Edit Columns: This option is available on all the Screens, which has List/Grid for example AP or AR Invoice Entry etc. It assists in hiding and rearranging the order of the fields in the list.

CUSTOMIZE NAVIGATION MENU

This is available under Administrative Services under the Customize Navigation Menu item. Sage 300c screens can be hidden or shown by company database according to the selections you make on the Customize Navigation Menu screen.

Sage 300 Classic Desktop Screen can be hidden and shown based on user authorizations and security groups

Please Note: 

• Using the Customize Navigation Menu to hide or show a web screen has no effect on the corresponding desktop screen
• Only the Sage 300 Admin User has access to the to change the settings 

CUSTOMIZE FIELDS AND CONTROLS

In Sage 300c you have the option of customizing the fields and controls. This can be achieved by clicking the Customize Tab in the Options Tab in the Right-Corner of the page.

Select Customize where you can

• Show/Hide Fields
• Customize or Change the Label Names

To achieve the above task:

• Create a UI Profile for instance (Manager). You can create a profile either from the Administrative Screen in UI Profiles or directly from the Customize Tab.
• Assign Users to this profile

Show/Hide Fields

To demonstrate this feature, I will select the example where the customer does not want to see the Territory in their AR Customer and would like to hide the field

Here is how:

• Select the Customization ID or you can add the Customization ID: Manager
• Select the UI Profiles: Manager
• In the Customize column, untick the Show (Address_Territory) and save the Customization

Once the change is made and saved, exit and log back to Sage 300. You will not be able to see the Territory Field. 

Customize or Change the Label Names

This is similar to the Show\Hide Fields customization I covered earlier. In the Option menu, in Customize tab: 

• Select the Customization ID (Manager)
• Select the UI Profile 

For example, let’s say you would like to see the (Customer_CustomerNumber) label as Client ID instead of Customer ID and the (Data_CustomerName) to be Client Name instead of Customer Name. The label title can be changed to reflect that in the Text Column.   

Once the changes are saved, log out and then back into Sage 300c. These changes will be reflected in the screen.

EDIT COLUMNS

The Edit Column option is available on all the Screens, which has List/Grid for example AP or AR Invoice Entry etc. It assists in hiding and rearranging the order of the fields in the list.

For instance, in my AR Invoice Entry Screen, I would like to hide the UOM and rearrange to see the Item Number before the Description. 

Here’s how:

Untick the UOM and drag and drop the Item Number above the Description. Then click Apply.

These customizations provide you with the flexibility to edit, rename, and hide the Sage 300c fields.

The New York state tax changes that took effect July 1, 2017 are available for Sage 300 2014, Sage 300 2016, and Sage 300 2017 from KB 84860.

The income tax changes for the State of Illinois and the State of Kansas that took effect July 1, 2017 are available for Sage 300 2014, Sage 300 2016, and Sage 300 2017 from KB 85327. 

Sage CRM and Sage 300 integration offers out-of-the-box and front-to-back-office integration, providing the users the data consistency in both CRM and the BPM System along with 360 degree customer visibility.

Currently, the documentation for Sage 300 and Sage CRM advises on the supported environment for the respective products. I have been maintaining a consolidated and summarised view of this information with the intent of providing consultants a quick overview of what is supported, whether it is for setting up a new Sage 300 and Sage CRM integration system or planning an upgrade for an existing integrated system.

This is currently pretty simple as both applications are supporting the same environments, but historically this has not been the case. 

SAGE CRM compatibility with SAGE 300 2017

Sage CRM 2017 R2 supports three versions of Sage 300 -  Sage 300 2014 PU2, 2016 and 2017. Similarly, the Sage CRM 7.3 SP3.4 is supported with all three versions of Sage 300. To find more details on the supported versions of Sage 300 and Sage CRM, visit our "Sage 300 and Sage CRM Integration Compatibility chart".

Supported Database and Application Server Operating Systems

The table below shows the supported OS (Operating System) and database for both Sage 300 2017 and Sage CRM 2017 R2

Browser Compatibility

The table below shows the browser compatibility for Sage 300 2017 and CRM 2017 R2 and indicates that IE 11 (32 bit) is the only browser supported.

From my experience, the Chrome, Safari and Firefox browsers work fine when presenting Sage 300 Data in Sage CRM Screens, and also with the Quotes and Order functionality for Sage 300. It’s important to note that these browsers don’t function properly with Sage 300 screens presented in CRM. This is because the screens utilize Active X, an Internet Explorer technology that’s not supported in Microsoft Edge. If you are interested in Microsoft’s position on support for ActiveX in Microsoft Edge, please refer to, please refer to their article.

Below I have expanded this in a chart that graphically displays what works with what browser.

Modules of Sage 300 required for Sage CRM integration to function

As part of the Sage 300 integration to Sage CRM, Sage 300 information is presented against Sage CRM Company records common in both databases. These records include AR Inquiry, Customer Statistics, Optional Fields, OE Inquiry, PM Inquiry, AP Inquiry, Vendor Statistics, PO Inquiry and National Accounts.

For this information to be presented in Sage CRM, the data must exist in Sage 300. If a Sage 300 module is not present, the tab will still appear in Sage CRM and when clicked,  the user will receive a message advising that the module has not been activated in the Sage 300 company database. For instance, if the RMA is not activated in Sage 300 and while accessing the RMA within the Sage CRM it pops-up with an error as per the screen-shot below

To eliminate this from occurring, the consultant can lock down what Sage 300 integration tabs are present for an installation. In the chart below, I have listed the minimum Sage 300 module that is required to be installed and activated in the Sage 300 Company databases integrated to Sage CRM, in order to see this information in Sage CRM.

Useful Links

• Sage 300 Compatibility Guide
• Sage CRM Compatibility Guide
• Support matrix between Sage CRM and Sage 300
• Sage CRM integration and full product installs for Sage 300 
  
  

I hope this information eliminates some confusion when determining Operating Systems and Database versions for new or upgraded Sage 300 and Sage CRM sites. Stay tuned for future posts about this Sage CRM and Sage 300 Integration.

Software notice 17-G was sent today to Sage 300 customers and partners on an active plan. The notice announces the availability of Sage 300 2018:

Sage Intelligence– on cloud is the embedded reporting solution for your Sage 300 Web Interface or Sage 300c, allowing you to quickly and easily run and customize your online reports. Currently, only financial reports are available.

In this blog, I will be discussing the minimum requirements that a user (other than Sage 300 Admin) needs to access the Sage Intelligence- on cloud and how to share a Custom Report with other users. If the Sage 300c user is not provided with the access as mentioned below, the following error will display while trying to open the Sage Intelligence- on cloud.

Once a user is created in Sage 300, the steps below will provide access to the Sage Intelligence– on cloud

1. The user needs access to the Financial Reporter within the GL Module.

Please Note: Financial Reporter is not available in Sage 300c. The reporting tool that is currently available is Sage Intelligence– on cloud.

2. Sage Intelligence– on cloud, does need users to have access to the fiscal period information stored in Common Service module.

3. Please ensure the non-admin user has been granted with “Sage 300 Web API” security access to access the Sage Intelligence- on cloud.

These are the three basic requirements that the Sage Intelligence– on cloud users requires to have access to the module.

 Note: Users do need access to the data to view the reports.

By default, the users will have access to the 13 Financial Reports, this cannot be edited or deleted.

Any new report that has been created by a user remains under My Report for that particular user. For any other Sage 300 user that needs access to the custom report, it needs to be exported and then imported after logging in as that user.

IMPORT AND EXPORT OF REPORTS

The report can be exported using the Export Option. For instance, if I want to export the Balance Sheet – Actual 1-12, I would click export as per the screen shot below.

Save to a shared drive, then import the report after logging in as a user who would like to have access to that particular report.

These steps above will provide access to Sage Intelligence- on cloud within Sage 300c for a Non-Admin User.

Software notice 17-H was sent on August 15, 2017 to the primary contact of Sage 300 customers and partners who are on an active plan. The notice announces product update 3 for Sage 300 2017 and Sage 300 2016.

Software notice 17-F was sent on June 22, 2017 to Sage 300 customers and partners who have the U.S. payroll module and are on an active plan. The notice advised of a payroll tax update for the following versions:

• U.S. Payroll Tax Update Q2 2017 (7.3C) for Sage 300 2017
• U.S. Payroll Tax Update Q2 2017 (7.2G) for Sage 300 2016 and 2014

Software notice 17-F was sent on June 22 to Sage 300 customers and partners on an active business care plan, that have the Canadian payroll module. The updates apply to the following version:

• Canadian Payroll Tax Update July 1 2017 (7.3C) for Sage 300 2017
• Canadian Payroll Tax Update July 1 2017 (7.2G) for Sage 300 2016 and 2014

Software notice 17-I was sent to today to Sage 300 partners and Sage 300 customers who have the payroll module. The notice is for users of Sage 300 Payroll for Sage 300 2012 who extended the Payroll expiry deadline to October 31, 2017.