In this video, I review the interactive statement tool in Macola ES. This tool allows you to print a financial report, export it to Excel, review financial statements and analyze underlying data and transactions.

To get to this tool, click on the G/L tab and under reports select Interactive balance. The initial view includes date range, type of layout (trial balance, balance sheet, etc) and type of columns you wish to present (year, quarter, month, period). You can also compare your budget to budget scenario, previous year or previous two years.

If you click on the advanced button you will see a number of selection criteria or filters to further present your report. For instance, Macola ES allows you to look at your financial report and include or exclude unprocessed or unposted financial transactions. You can also select a customer, item, project or employee to view profitability by that criteria.

In the show section, you can choose a precision, include or exclude accounts with zero balance or include/exclude year end entries. Once you've selected the options you want, click on the start button to begin the process of creating the report. 

Many users dislike the debit and credit columns and simply wish to run a single column with debits and credits for a single year. You can solve this by clicking on the columns button in the upper left and click selection. There are several options to get the presentation you are looking for. 

Now you can print the report or export it to Excel. What I like to do is use the report as an analysis tool prior to final presentation of financial statements. Every item on the report is now a click-through drilldown allowing you to review statements and analyze the underlying data and transactions. 

See an example Trial Balance report in the video below. 

From Exact:

Because we are upgrading our systems, maintenance is carried out over the weekend from October 11-14, 2013. Therefore our customer portal will be temporarily unavailable.

This maintenance is carried out from Friday October 11, 2013, 11pm CET until Monday October 14, 2013, 1am CET. We advise you to ask us any questions you have, before this time and date.

On Monday October 14, you will be able to reach us again as of 8:30AM via phone, our website or the customer portal. We apologize in advance for any inconvenience caused.

So you have a brand new Windows Server 2008 R2 server loaded with a sparkling fresh copy of Microsoft SQL 2012 standard. How do you get your precious Macola database off of the old and busted SQL 2000 server and onto the new one without losing your data (and your mind) in the process? 

If It Ain’t Broke…

Many of us have waited way too long to upgrade our Macola databases and servers to a version that was actually created in this century. But in this economy you do what you have to do to survive. Not to worry, there is still hope for a well-planned and successful migration to a new SQL 2012 server with just an extra step or two.

The Process: An Overview

We have an interesting conundrum: the version of Macola you are using cannot run on SQL 2012 but the version you want to go to cannot run on SQL 2000 and for a little more added frustration, SQL server 2012 cannot use databases or backups created from databases that reside on SQL 2000.

That’s right, you cannot detach a SQL 2000 database and reattach on SQL 2012 nor can you backup SQL 2000 and restore it on SQL 2012. It just won’t work. Period. You will actually receive an error like this:

“Msg 3169, Level 16, State 1, Server FF101, Line 1 - The database was backed up on a server running version 8.00.0760. That version is incompatible with this server, which is running version 11.00.3128. Either restore the database on a server that supports the backup, or use a backup that is compatible with this server.”

What to do, what to do? How about a nice SQL 2008 R2 Interim Server!

So let’s say you are running Macola 7.6.400 on SQL 2000. The version you'd like to be on is Macola 7.7.900 on SQL 2012. Though there are literally dozens of tasks necessary to get there from a Macola standpoint, but here are, at least, the general steps to get your Macola databases over to SQL 2012:

1. Set up SQL 2008 R2 on the server. You say, “What? SQL 2008? But we bought SQL 2012. How can I possibly install SQL 2008 R2?” Easy! When you purchase SQL 2012, Microsoft gives you the right to install a previous version of SQL server (downgrade rights); in this case, SQL Server 2008 R2. All you have to do is ask your licensed Microsoft reseller (i.e. CDW, TechData, etc.) for the media to SQL server 2008 R2 at the time of SQL 2012 purchase.
2. Backup all of your databases on SQL 2000 and restore those on the new SQL 2008 R2. During the restoration process, SQL 2008 R2 converts the data from SQL 2000 to SQL 2008 R2.
3. Upgrade the new server, which has SQL 2008 R2, to SQL 2012 using the installation media provided for SQL server 2012. The upgrade processes then take the SQL 2008 R2 formatted databases to the SQL 2012 formats. 

Easy peasy!

As always, the experts at Algorithm can do as much or as little as you need to be successful. Please contact us if you have any questions!

Any organization that makes a product has to create a plan for what to make, when to make it, how much to make, where to make it, and what is required to make it (resources and materials). The challenge is what tools to use to get the best plan possible and, once you have a plan, how to schedule the production. 

The business dictionary defines production planning as, "The administrative process that takes place within a manufacturing business and which involves making sure that sufficient raw materials, staff and other necessary items are procured and ready to create finished products according to the schedule specified. A typical large manufacturing business engaging in production planning will aim to maximize profitability while maintaining a satisfied consumer base."

The objectives of a good production planning process can be broken down by the following:

• Effective resource utilization
• Steady flow of production
• Optimal inventory levels
• Coordination between multiple departments
• Labor productivity improvement
• Minimize scrap
• Reduce production cost
• On time delivery
• High customer satisfaction
• High quality products

The method for the "administrative process" can take on various forms and functions from software, to spreadsheets, to T-cards and wallboards. I have seen large automotive suppliers using manually updated Excel spreadsheets to plan production and small job shops using software based material requirements planning to varying degrees of success. There is no "Easy" button for planning production that can be applied to every manufacturing process. Manufacturing processes are as plentiful as there are products on the shelf at your closest big box. There are many methods for planning, such as algorithmic sequencing, capacity planning, material requirements planning, supply chain management, or various combinations of these methods. Selecting the method that works best for your products can be challenging and overwhelming at best when considering that you still have to meet your current customer demand using the methods already at hand.

The key to the selection and implementation of a functional and effective production planning system is a complete understanding of the elements it takes to make your product and capturing that information in your ERP system. This includes:

• Materials
• Resources
• Lead times (manufacturing and purchasing)
• Customer requirements
• Purchasing requirements
• Capacity
• Other industry specific inputs (for example, serial or lot control requirements)

All of these elements have to be defined and then captured in your system to allow that system to facilitate planning and scheduling. No matter what method you choose, the success or failure will be in the accuracy of the data used to define the plan or schedule.

Typically, the amount of extra work involved in selection and implementing a production planning system requires external assistance. Algorithm has 20 years of experience in helping customers select the best method for managing their business. We utilize a detailed site assessment methodology to drill down into the requirements of the business and work with the customer to develop a detailed list of prioritized recommendations. The list of recommendations breaks a large complicated process down into smaller projects to efficiently meet the overall goal. Selecting the right partner can be just as important as selecting the best planning method.

Today we are excited to announce that Shawn Gamble has joined the Algorithm team!

Shawn spent the last 7 years as an IT Manager maintaining Macola ES, Synergy Classic and Synergy Enterprise, Navigator, SSRS reporting and Event Manager. He was also the Co-President of the Exact Synergy User Community, where he helped build and maintain a community for Synergy users to discuss the software and its uses and share knowledge with each other through monthly online meetings. Shawn also has experience with Application Development and Implementation and Business Development.

Shawn is excited to bring his experience developing processes and utilizing technology to increase profitability, efficiency, performance and ROI for customers.

Join us in welcoming Shawn to Algorithm!  

The year-end closing process is hectic for any accounting department. Not only is it usually done at the end of the calendar year (holiday anyone?), but it's also always coupled with the month-end and quarter-end processes. To make matters worse, many of the year-end software functions are of course done only once a year, and if your internal Macola Progression process documentation isn’t spot on, you may have trouble remembering what to do and when to do it. (Word to the wise: now might be a good time to pull out your year-end closing notes and review them. If you’re not sure how to perform a year-end close, it’s better to learn now than try to figure it out on Jan 2.) Sure it's not rocket science, but it is something of an exact science (no pun intended) and timing is often critical.

And mistakes can and will happen. Below are a few of the most common mistakes that happen during a year-end closing process in Progression and the steps that can be taken to fix them. 

Note: The examples below are complicated and we work closely with our customers when these arise. We recommend calling us early if you find yourself in these or similar situations related to year end closing processes.

Not Having a Full Nightly Backup

Regardless of the mistake that was made, the Macola database backup is the ONE SUREFIRE way to fix it. We can say this with complete assurance. There is no issue that cannot be fixed by restoring to backup, unless of course you don’t have a backup, or you’ve relied on transactional backups only. So the very first order of business to fixing any year-end issue is to make absolutely sure that you have a full backup before you begin your year-end processing and then another after you’ve successfully completed each step. Believe me, it is the insurance policy you must have.

Clearing Accumulators Multiple Times

In both the Inventory and Accounts Receivable modules, there are accumulators that must be cleared at the end of the period and at the end of the year.  If you have mistakenly cleared these accumulators twice – and it's easy to do at the end of the year since the Progression year-end process clears both the Period and the Year – you’ll need to do the following to fix it:

1. Get the last backup before the year-end processes were run, or between the first and second clearing process.
2. Restore that backup to a NEW SQL database. Do NOT restore over your live data.
3. You can then use a SQL script to update your live data with the correct values as follows:
   1. If you have a backup from between the 1^st and 2^nd clearing, copy Prior year data to Prior year;
   2. If you have a backup from before both clearings and have NOT entered any new accumulating transactions in the live company, copy the PTD, YTD and Prior Year data to the live company and rerun the Clear YTD Accumulators process
   3. If you have a backup from before both the clearings but have already entered new accumulating transactions in the live data, you must then copy the sum of the backup PTD and YTD values and copy that to the Prior Year in the live company.

Missing Prior Year Transactions

Once the Temporary Year End process is run, the System Period file is rolled forward to the new year. Thus, transactions can then be entered into the new year while any adjusting JE’s can be entered into the prior. But what if you find that you have forgotten to record a prior year transaction, one that must be entered as such into the prior year? For the sake of our example, let’s say you have to enter an AP Voucher.

1. In order to do this, you must first have all users out of AP and GL.
2. Go to System Manager/Maintain/System Periods and change the AP and GL modules back to the prior year dates. 
3. Go to GL/Processes and run the Recalculate the Account Balances
4. Enter the transaction in AP as usual, post to the GL.
5. Rerun the final trial balance and any financial reports required.
6. Once complete, repeat steps (b) and (c) but revert back to the current year.

We are excited to announce a new Macola customer - PMI Industries in Cleveland, Ohio! PMI provides robust underwater cable systems and hardware to the military, commercial and scientific community. Their products can withstand the harsh conditions of ocean environments and allow their customers to explore marine frontiers.

We will be working with PMI to implement Macola ES, Exact Synergy Enterprise and Navigator. 

1 EDI Source, Inc. is the leading provider of electronic data interchange (EDI) software and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions. For more than 20 years, the company has served the EDI needs of businesses ranging in size from single-person operations to Fortune 500 corporations. Visit www.1edisource.com for more information about our products and services.

The EDI 856 Advance Ship Notice (ASN) is a challenging and time-sensitive document commonly used in the retail, manufacturing and automotive industries to communicate shipment content to a trading partner. It’s important to understand the shipping process along with trading partner EDI requirements to implement document variations.

In addition to detailing shipment contents, the ASN includes information at a variety of levels including shipment, order, item and pack. We’ve outlined three benefits in using the EDI 856 transaction to communicate shipping information to trading partners.

1) Shipment Notification

The main purpose of the ASN is to notify the customer that the order has shipped. Having shipping details in advance allows trading partners to better plan for workloads and increase staffing or special equipment as needed. Many times, trading partners require such notification in response to EDI 850 Purchase Orders, EDI 830 Planning Schedules or EDI 862 Shipping Schedules.

2) Customer and Supplier Preparation

The EDI 856 Advance Ship Notice apprises trading partners on shipment content, configuration and carrier information. If short shipping, the ASN allows customers to order from an alternative source to prevent stock depletion. Coupled with supplier fulfillment accuracy, this document provides increased data visibility and time savings for supplier and trading partner accounting teams.

3) Increased Automation and Cost Reduction

Since the ASN is a carton-level receiving document, the recipient scans a bar code on a box to receive the document information. This feature automates the inventory and purchase order reconciliation process. Many businesses integrate their EDI software solution with enterprise resource planning (ERP) software to reduce manual entry and administrative costs.

For many suppliers and customers, the ASN improves overall business efficiency and adds money to their company’s bottom line. Check with your trading partner to see if the EDI 856 is a required transaction set.

Crystal Reports allows the reports to have many selection criteria. The select criteria can use fixed values or parameter values.

Here is a basic Crystal Report to return customer data from Macola ES. The select criteria eliminates any records where the customer number (debnr) is null (empty). The text reads “{cicmpy.debnr} <> ‘NULL’”.

If  users want to select a specific customer record selected at run time, the selection formula must reference a parameter value instead of a fixed value. A parameter will have to be added to the report. Parameters are especially useful for selecting specific customers, items, or date ranges.

If you click on the show formula button, the text will display as “{cicmpy.debnr = {?Customer Number}”.

Other selection criteria can be added with fixed or parameter based values as the user needs.

We wish all of our customers, partners and friends a Happy Thanksgiving! Our offices will be closed on Thursday, November 28 and Friday, November 29 to celebrate the holiday with our families.

This post is about the Event Manager application sold by Exact Software and developed by Vineyardsoft Corporation. Exact Software also sells a self-developed Event Manager application, which has a completely different set of troubleshooting steps.

Event Manager is a powerful tool for creating alerts, automating reports, and even updating databases. Our customers use Event Manager in hundreds of ways, saving time and money by notifying them of critical business issues, sending invoices and other documents to customers and suppliers, and automating business-critical workflow processes.

Occasionally, Event Manager doesn't do what you intended. Algorithm is frequently asked the steps for finding out why. Event Manager has several moving parts, so knowing where to start can sometimes be challenging. We hope the following tips will get you started. Feel free to contact us for additional help.

1. Check the Event Manager Monitor for errors

Look in the Application Events, Report Generation, Email, and Action sections for items Pending, and Errors Generated Today. If you see errors, trace the cause using support resources like Algorithm, Google, and Vineyardsoft’s knowledgebase. See tip #4 below for obtaining more detail on an error message.

2. Check the Event Manager Windows Service. Is it running?

If Event Manager’s Windows Service isn’t running, Events will not be checked or triggered, and emails will not send. If stopped, try starting it. If it will not start, check Windows Event Viewer for details.

3. Test the event’s query

If your event was checked, and there aren’t any errors, but nothing was sent, open the Event Manager module and preview your event’s query. If it returns no data or an error, there’s your problem. If it returns data, open the Event itself and check the Tracking tab for records that Event Manager doesn’t think you want to be re-alerted about.

4. Enable the diagnostics feature

Especially useful for issues with Crystal Reports, Event Manager’s powerful diagnostics feature logs detailed information on each action it takes. Be warned: Enabling the diagnostics feature involves editing the Windows Registry. This should only be done by experienced IT staff after backups are made. Check with Algorithm or your Event Manager provider for help enabling diagnostics.

5. Recreate your Event

When all else fails, methodically recreate your event, one piece at a time. Test each component as you build it. Eventually, you’ll either discover where it failed or have a newly-built working event.

Our support desk regularly handles calls where the user has an issue installing or updating the Macola Progression or Macola ES client on a workstation. Below we review the solutions we use to fix these issues.

1. Run Client Install

Run the client install by right clicking on the installer and selecting the Run As Administrator selection, if available. 

• setup.exe for Macola Progression
• wsetup.exe for Macola ES 

2. Login as Network Administrator

Log on to the workstation as the network administrator and run the installer using that login.

3. Turn off User Account Control

Turn off the User Account Control, reboot the workstation and run the installer.

Below are steps to turn User Account Control on or off.

• Open User Accounts by clicking the Start button, clicking Control Panel, clicking User Accounts and Family Safety (or clicking User Accounts, if you are connected to a network domain), and then clicking User Accounts.
• Click Turn User Account Control on or off. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
• Select the Use User Account Control (UAC) to help protect your computer check box to turn on UAC, or clear the check box to turn off UAC, and then click OK.

The information below is provided by Exact Macola help documentation.

How Progression calculates commission depends upon which Exact Macola Progression packages you are using.

Progression A/R

If you are using Progression A/R only, Progression calculates commission based on the customer type and commission percentage information in the A/R Salesperson file. When you enter a sales transaction in A/R, Progression finds the appropriate salesperson record in the A/R Salesperson file and searches through the valid customer types entered for that salesperson. When Progression finds the customer type that matches the customer type on the sales transaction being entered, it uses the corresponding commission percentage to calculate commission. If Progression does not find a matching customer type, it will calculate commission as zero. You can override the commission field in the A/R Enter Sales Transactions application.

Progression A/R, I/M and O/E

If you are using Progression A/R, I/M, and O/E, how Progression calculates commission depends upon the value entered in the Calc Commission Method field in the O/E Setup application.

If the Calc Commission Mthd field in O/E Setup = I (Item Pct/Amt), Progression calculates commission based on the amount/percentage information in the I/M Item Master file. When you enter an order in O/E, Progression takes the commission information for each item on the order from the I/M Item Master file. If Progression finds no commission information in the I/M Item Master file for an item, it will calculate commission for that item as zero. You can override the commission field in the O/E Billing Orders application. If the Calc Commission Mthd field in O/E Setup = M (Sale Amt - Cost Amt), Progression calculates commission by multiplying the corresponding commission percentage by the total gross margin (sale amount - cost amount) for the order.

When you enter an order in O/E, Progression finds the appropriate salesperson record in the A/R Salesperson file and searches through the valid customer types entered for that salesperson. When Progression finds the customer type that matches the customer type on the order being entered, it uses the corresponding commission percentage. If Progression does not find a matching customer type in the salesperson record, it calculates commission as zero. You can override the commission amount field in the O/E Billing Orders application.

If the Calc Commission field in O/E Setup = S (Total Amount), Progression calculates commission based on the total sale amount for the order.

When you enter an order in O/E, Progression finds the appropriate salesperson record in the A/R Salesperson file and searches through the valid customer types entered for that salesperson. When Progression finds the customer type that matches the customer type on the order being entered, it uses the corresponding commission percentage to calculate commission. If Progression does not find a matching customer type in the salesperson record, it calculates commission as zero. You can override the commission amount field in the O/E Billing Orders application.

Commissions come either from the Salesperson File or the Item Master. How they are calculated depends on what is set in the Calc Commission Mthd field found in OE setup.

If the Calc Commission Mthd is set to I= Item Pct/Amt, then commission will be calculated using whatever is entered on the second page of the item master. If nothing is entered Commission will be zero.

If you choose A=Amount in the item master, then what ever dollar amount you enter will be the Commission for that item. C=% of Cost, M=% of Margin, and P=% of Price will be calculated accordingly.

NOTE: As of Progression Version 7.6.300B in Order Entry there is a New Commission Code Maintenance. Special commission rates can be set up for Salesperson, Customer Number and Item Number via this new screen. Commissions Code Maintenance uses commission basis entered in the new commission codes rather than the default from the item master.

The OE Setup Calculate Commission Method MUST be set to "I" for Item Percent/Amount to use this new commission codes functionality.  If the Calc Commission Mthd is set to either M= Sale Amt - Cost Amt, or S=Total Sale Amount, then what ever is in the Salesperson File will be used.

You are cordially invited to join us at Exact Macola Evolve, a new customer conference dedicated to connecting with Macola customers, like never before.

Be the first to learn about the reinvigorated Exact Macola organization, get the content you need to accelerate your business, the attention you deserve as our valued customer, and have some fun along the way. Don’t miss the opportunity to attend this unique conference – register today!

Join us to:

• See the next generation Exact Macola solution!
• Unveiled at the conference will be our newest solution to help improve your company’s bottom line!

• Discover new ways to evolve your business, accelerate your brand and improve your organization’s productivity!
• Leadership guru, Mike Staver; social media expert, Gina Schreck; business growth consultant, Jim Riviello; and entrepreneur, Jeff Black will share tips and tools that you can immediately implement to give you a competitive edge in the marketplace.

• Explore the Solution Center!
• Discover 3rd party solutions that integrate with Exact Macola to solve real business problems.

• Interact!
• Meet with product experts, gain a deeper insight into Exact Macola solutions, and ask questions specific to your business.

• Network!
• Reconnect with industry peers, discover new solution partners, and meet the new Exact Macola team. We’ll make sure that you have a great time doing it! With activities such as “Speed Networking” and “Connect with Bacon,” this is a conference you won’t want to miss! We can’t wait for you to see what we have planned!

Join us to experience the evolution at Exact Macola! Visit www.ExactMacolaEvolve.com to register today and secure Early Bird pricing! This special pricing is available through January 9, 2014 at 11:59pm EST. See you in Texas!

Ever return to your desk after a meeting or lunch and see this message in Macola ES?

“Unknown Error!”

This error is very common with a loss of connection to the Database. This also can be the culprit for many other errors or problems in Macola ES. Other problems that can be associated with this type of problem and/or a network interruption are:

1. AR/AP One sided transactions, or incomplete transactions
2. POP/SF Orphaned Dependent Work Orders.
3. PO Line allocations, leaving a transaction screen open during network connectivity loss.

Now don't get me wrong, there are other possible reasons for this error or issues similar to this. This is not the only reason for seeing similar errors, but it can definitely cause these types of issues. I hope that by making this change, Macola ES users might reduce a great amount of errors or cleanup of erroneous data.

The Solution 

The fix is a workstation setting that all too often gets overlooked by IT staff, and really makes a difference when using Macola ES. Making sure this is set correctly for anyone using Macola ES can greatly reduce problems that are often attributed to network loss. I have seen companies have great success in reducing errors after making this change.

For Windows 7

1. Go to Control Panel - Network and Internet - Network Connections.

2. Find your active network connection. Right click and select Properties.

3. You will see this screen. Click configure.

4. Go to the Power Management tab and uncheck“Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power”.

That's it! You should see this error much less now, or hopefully not at all.

The year 2013 was a phenomenally successful year for us. Our team partnered with our customers to improve thier businesses in ways that continue to amaze me. This enabled us to invest even more in our skills and in our team to continue to provide value. We are, and will continue to be, deeply grateful for the relationships that we have built in the years that Algorithm has existed.

Speaking of those years, it was 1994 when I was practicing as a CPA in public accounting and called Macola to see if we could add software consulting to our little firm and represent their products. I had implemented Macola as a CFO of a small manufacturing company and thought it would be a very valuable tool to bring to my new venture.

That call led to an introduction to a recently formed Macola reseller who had started Hawk and Associates. Many of you know that was Bob Hawk, now of WiSys.

Bob and I started an adventure that now reaches its 20th year covering 20 states and counting 200 companies as our customers. It has been a great ride, and even though Bob has gone on to bigger and better things, we remain close professionally as well as personally.

The year 2014 will see that ride continue, and then some. Under a new channel-friendly management team, Exact has returned to its roots, working through Algorithm and our peers to provide local service and support to what previously were 'direct' customers. We have found true partners in the current management at Exact.

That partnership will benefit our current customers as well as the new customers we are taking on as part of this exciting arrangement. We are in lock step with Exact and our third party relationships like WiSys, Data Masons, Pulse, Lynq and others. This will allow us to bring our same great service and culture to these new customers.

Exact Macola Evolve

I wanted to be sure to invite you to Evolve, Exact’s 2014 customer conference in Dallas, Texas on April 22-25. Algorithm will be there in force, both as a sponsor of the event and as a director of one-on-one happy hours, our favorite kind of meetings! Exact is working hard to present to you truly innovative product changes and go-to-market strategies that you won’t want to miss. Please be sure to review our invitation page and I hope you will plan to join us.

New Algorithm Team Members

Secondly, I wanted to introduce you to several new additions to our team. You can read more of a bio and get their contact information here.

Shawn Gamble is our newest consultant and joins us with a specialization in Synergy Entrprise and Navigator, but is very well versed in the entire suite of products.

Kevin Toshok has joined Mimi Bertram and me on the management team. Kevin is our Business Development Manager and will be directing both our Inside and Outside Sales Teams.

Rob Stankard is one of our new Account Managers, but he’s not new to Macola. Rob comes to Algorithm after 12 years with Exact. We hired him not only to strengthen our sales team, but also to establish our first foothold in the New England market. We are in the process of expanding into a physical presence in the NY and NJ area. Rob will be working with his existing customers, as well as meeting and introducing other direct accounts to Algorithm and smoothing their transitions.

Last, but not least is our new Account Manager Michael Massaroni. Michael joins us from Dell and will be working with our existing customers. Michael will be contacting each customer, introducing himself and making sure that you have what you need from us. But don’t feel that you have to wait for him. If you prefer, pick up the phone and give him a call anytime.

We are still looking for a few application consultants to manage both our explosive growth and our larger footprint, so expect more announcements soon.

Of course Mimi and I remain most interested in the strength of our partnership with you and the level of trust we have with you. We always welcome your comments. We hope to see you in Dallas, or at the watering hole of your choosing.

Best wishes for a remarkable 2014!

Thanks to all who joined us for our February webinar on SQL Server Reporting (SSRS) in Exact Synergy Enterprise! Shawn gave a great, comprehensive look under the hood and shared what makes SSRS work best. If you missed it, the webinar recording is available to view.

After a successful 2013, Algorithm continues to grow by hiring five new employees to support their Exact Macola customers. The new employees will allow Algorithm to continue to provide value to customers by helping them improve the way they run their businesses.

Jerry Kurtz will join Algorithm as an Integration Consultant. Jerry has a strong Macola background, having worked for both Exact and a Macola customer. At Exact, Jerry was responsible for the full product life cycle of Macola’s eBusiness suite of web products, including development, staff management, and coordination with other departments. As a Solutions Architect for a Macola customer, Jerry was responsible for the ongoing development of software systems used to run all aspects of the business.

“We are thrilled to add someone with Jerry’s background to the team,” explains Algorithm President, Mike Oswalt. “Jerry fits perfectly into our Exact Macola DNA with 18 years of experience with Macola ES and Progression. Jerry will focus heavily on the technical aspects of Macola ES, Progression, Synergy, Navigator and WiSys functionality, enabling us to go even deeper in solution design and delivery.”

Shawn Gamble joined Algorithm’s team in 2013 as a Software Consultant. Before joining Algorithm, Shawn spent 7 years as an IT Manager maintaining Macola ES, Synergy Classic and Synergy Enterprise, Navigator, SSRS reporting and Event Manager for a Macola customer. His resume also includes Co-President of the Exact Synergy User Community, Application Development and Implementation and Business Development.

At the end of 2013, Kevin Toshok joined Algorithm's management team as Business Development Manager to direct both Inside and Outside Sales Teams. Kevin has a strong leadership and technology background, including positions with IBM, Sterling Commerce and Sun Microsystems.

Earlier this year, Rob Stankard joined Algorithm as an Account Manager. He has a hands-on background in ERP systems including Accounting, CRM, Logistics, Inventory Control, Quality Control, Manufacturing Processes, Supply Chain, Business Intelligence (BI) and IT systems.

Michael Massaroni also joined Algorithm’s team this year as an Account Manager to make sure customers are getting everything they need to be successful. Michael joins Algorithm after working 2 years in the Renewals Department with Dell Software, by way of the Quest Software acquisition.

“I am confident that our growing team’s skills and background will strengthen our reputation as the leading integrator of Exact Macola products in North America,” says Oswalt.

Effective June 1, 2014, mainstream and extended support for Infor F9 Version 4 will end. Infor previously discontinued licensed sales of Infor F9 Version 4 on November 1, 2013. Microsoft is ending support of Microsoft Windows XP and Microsoft Office 2003 on April 8, 2014.

What does this mean?

Starting June 1, Infor F9 Version 4 will change to level 3 with limited technical support. Customers on maintenance will continue to have online and telephone support. However, not upgrading has many risks as Version 4 will no longer have:

• Compatibility support related to Microsoft Office and platform updates, including Microsoft Windows 8, Microsoft Office 64-bit, and Microsoft Office 2013
• Maintenance updates or corrections if specific issues with new platforms
• Compatibility support related to Accounting System updates
• Enhancements or newly released features

Upgrading is easy

Promotional pricing for upgrading is available until, May 23, 2014. Infor F9 Version 5 is the foundation for current and future enhancements. It is compliant with the new Microsoft Office and platforms, including Microsoft Windows 8, Microsoft Office 64-bit, and Microsoft Office 2013.

The Infor F9 Viewer is available with the current release and can empower ALL users by making financial reporting available for everyone. The current release also includes a new ribbon, interactive task panes, updated scheduling and distribution options, web-based reporting, and much more. Migrating your Infor F9 Version 4 reports to Version 5 is as simple as one click.

Want pricing options or more information?

To see the many new features and enhancements of Infor F9 Version 5 in action, contact us to set up a time to chat!

On April 8th, 2014, Microsoft finally pulled the plug on support for WindowsXP. WindowsXP is the longest running GUI-based operating system, with only MS-DOS and UNIX surpassing it in age for all operating systems.

Typically for anything in IT that lasts more than three years, a “goodbye old and hello new” attitude is pretty much the norm. Not so for WindowsXP, which debuted the month after the towers fell on 9/11. Our love of XP is so robust that, as of this writing, 29% of personal computers worldwide still run it. That bears repeating. Almost one-third of all computers in the world still run Windows XP.

Windows XP is also installed in a smaller version on ATMs around the world. According to NCR, world’s largest supplier of ATMs, it accounts for 95% of the installed operating systems on all of those ATMs. That’s a lot of XP ATMs that we ultimately hand our debit cards to each and every day.

With those numbers being considered, you would think that Microsoft would want to continue to support the OS upgrades and security patches to keep us all safe. Not so says Microsoft. They’ve been trying for years to get people (and backs that own the ATMs) to upgrade to a more advanced operating system with better encryption and a more secure platform (UAC anyone?). Just about everyone else has rejected the upgrade and Microsoft ultimately relented, moving back the retirement date from 2010 to April 8th, 2014.

Unfortunately for most of those PCs running WindowsXP, the systems do not have the resources to run the higher operating systems like Windows 7 or 8. CPU, RAM and video are a number of things that need to have better specs than XP requires and this has stopped a lot of upgrades.

What does this mean for Algorithm’s customers? Well, nothing immediately to be frank. Just because Microsoft has stopped writing OS fixes and security patches doesn’t mean your 5 year old PC will suddenly stop working on April 9th. What it does mean is this: If there is a new virus or piece of malware or security exploit found for this 12 year old operating system by those nasty hackers in a foreign country, Microsoft will no longer respond. You are essentially, on your own.

Here is what you can do: Upgrade those systems that are connected to a network as soon as you are able. Don’t put it off it because on April 9th, 2014, it’s an almost certainty that there will be a virus or security hole or a code exploit found that will no longer be addressed by XP’s makers. And if they get through, what damage can they do to your business?