AccountMate version 12.3 released
There are some very extensive enhancements that are being introduced in AccountMate 12.3 for SQL and Express. The majority of these enhancements were a result of the feature enhancement voting at prior SYNERGY and Roundtable Events, and requests from our AccountMate Business Partners and their customers. Some of the higher visibility changes include:
New Click to Pay Module
AccountMate 12.3 introduces the Click to Pay module that provides the capability of processing level 3 transactions, which requires the most extensive transaction information that may include the line item details (e.g., shipment origin ZIP/postal code, shipment destination ZIP/postal code, invoice number, item product code, etc.). The value of extensive data requirements allows the credit card processors to reduce the transactions’ wholesale rate or interchange rates. Needless to say, processing level 3 transactions translates to hundreds of dollars in savings.
Payroll Enhancements
AccountMate 12.3 for SQL/Express implements several Payroll enhancements as follows:
The Employee Maintenance > Deductions tab has a new Start Date field that allows users to specify the start date for the deduction. An ATD Deduction (Accumulated-to-Date Deduction) field is also added in the Deductions tab to show the deduction code’s accumulated deductions to date for the current tax year. For an Annual deduction limit type the ATD Deduction amount is always equal to the YTD (Year-to-Date) Deduction amount. For a Term deduction limit type, the ATD Deduction amount is equivalent to the accumulated deductions from the specified start date through the end of the current tax year for the particular deduction code. The ATD Ded Amt column is added in the Employee Deductions Listing. This enhancement addresses the need for users to accurately record deductions that span across multiple tax years including long term loans or garnishments.
Ability to schedule emailing of pay stub PDF files. The Email Pay Stub feature in previous versions was designed in such a way that when the user would e-mail the pay stub PDF files, AccountMate would send the e-mail immediately. AccountMate 12.3 provides the ability for users to schedule at a later time e-mailing the pay stub PDF files to employees.
Allow Copy and Paste from Excel into the GL Distribution Grid when Setting up Earning Codes. AccountMate 12.3 supports pasting of earning code GL distribution data copied from an Excel file. For users who create several earning code records assigned with multiple distributions, this provides a quicker way to set up the earning code records and minimize data-entry mistakes.
When preparing data in Excel, users must arrange the GL distribution columns in the same order as these are displayed in the GL distribution grid to which you paste the data. To copy and paste Excel data onto the GL distribution grid, Open the Excel file and select the lines of data to be copied. Press CTRL + C on the keyboard or access the Copy function from the menu options. In the AccountMate screen right-click anywhere on the GL distribution grid and select “Paste from Excel” in the pop-up menu. To successfully copy data, the following rules must be met:
• The GL Account ID must be an active record.• The GL Account ID must be a posting account; it cannot be an allocation account.• The distribution amount must not be zero.• The Worker’s Comp Expense GL Account ID is needed only when the earning code is assigned the worker’s comp group/code.
Combine Apply Payroll/Payment and Apply Payment Options information in One Tab. In AccountMate 12.3 for SQL/Express the Apply Payroll/Payment function has been redesigned so that users can see all apply payment parameters in a single tab. The filter options for the employees whom payroll will be applied and other payroll application options are all combined in one tab. This enhancement streamlines the payroll application process and prevents users from missing important optional settings including new personal deductions during payroll application.
Provide the ACH filename as the first line in the ACH file for Canadian companies. In AccountMate the ACH filename is the file prefix plus the next batch values from the Bank Account Maintenance > ACH (Mandatory) fields. This ACH filename must be provided as the first line in the ACH file for companies assigned with the “Canada” country tax. This enhancement helps Canadian companies meet the specific ACH file requirements.
System Manager Enhancements
This newest version implements several System Manager enhancements as follows:
Ability to Assign User Access Rights rather than Require Supervisor Password in “Check for PR Tax Subscription Updates”. AccountMate 12.3 allows you to assign user access rights rather than require users to enter the Supervisor password when accessing the Check for PR Tax Subscription Updates function. Though a Supervisor password is no longer required to access this function, data security is strengthened by restricting access to sensitive information only to authorized users. User access rights can be assigned in the AccountMate Administrator program > Group/User Setup > Add User/Edit User screen.
Improved Print Batch function. AccountMate 12.3 provides the ability for users to e-mail a batch of reports from the Print Batch function, among other features. The Print Batch function is enhanced as follows:
• Print option – This used to be called the Generate option in older AccountMate versions.• File option - Clicking the File button exports/saves the files in PDF format instead of the text format in previous AccountMate versions.• E-mail option - When a user clicks the E-mail button, AccountMate displays the Select E-mail Addresses window where users can specify the e-mail address(es) to which the reports batch will be sent. The e-mail address(es) specified in the Print Batch function will override those set up in the report macros configuration. An exception is when the special report macros are configured to use the Customer/Vendor E-mail setting; in this scenario, AccountMate will send the special reports to the e-mail address(es) set up in the Customer/Vendor Maintenance > E-mail Setup tab regardless of whether e-mail addresses are specified in the Print Batch function.
These changes in the Print Batch function help facilitate a seamless process of e-mailing a batch of reports to multiple recipients. By saving the report batch files in PDF file format, it makes the process faster and more convenient.
Supports the latest Microsoft Operating Systems. AccountMate 12.3 for SQL/Express supports Windows Server 2022 Standard Edition operating system for database servers and file servers as well as Windows 11 for workstations. These changes make AccountMate up to date with the latest Microsoft technologies. For a complete list of the supported operating systems, refer to the Software Requirements document on the AccountMate website.
A new Whse Alloc Qty (Warehouse Allocation Quantity) field is added in the Accrue Landed Cost > Cost Allocation tab. Double-clicking on this new field displays the Allocation of Rec Qty by Warehouse for Item # [xxx] window where users can record the accrue landed cost allocation to the inventory item’s on-hand quantities in a specific warehouse or multiple warehouses. This enhancement provides the flexibility of allocating accrued landed cost to help achieve accurate inventory valuation and proper inventory pricing, thereby helping ensure profitability.
• By Vendor #• By Discount Date• By Due Date• By Urgency• By Reference
AccountMate 12.3 allows users to choose one or more of the available criteria options in the Automatic Apply Payment function to filter the AP invoices that will be authorized for payment. This enhancement provides added flexibility in recording of vendor payments authorization that facilitates faster payments processing and may translate to better accounts payable management and improved credit rating.
Allow Copy and Paste from Excel into the BR Transactions GL Distribution Grids. AccountMate 12.3 for SQL/Express supports pasting of data copied from an Excel file into the GL distribution grid in the Record Deposits/Other Receipts and Record Checks/Other Disbursements functions in the Bank Reconciliation module. You can copy and paste from an Excel file into the grid the data for the GL Distribution Accounts and Amount columns, excluding the GL account descriptions. When preparing data in Excel, you must put the columns side-by-side in the same order as they are displayed in the grid. To copy data, open the Excel file and select the lines of data to be copied; then, right-click on the screen and select the Copy option. In the AccountMate screen right-click anywhere on the GL distribution grid; then, select “Paste from Excel” in the pop-up menu. When you are pasting data into the GL distribution grid, a message is displayed asking for your confirmation whether to overwrite the existing GL distribution entries; click “Yes” to replace the default distribution with the records copied from Excel. Choose “No” to keep the default distribution and add the records copied from Excel. This enhancement provides a quicker way to record the BR transactions’ GL distribution details and minimize data-entry mistakes
Ability to E-mail Check Stubs to Vendors. AccountMate 12.3 introduces the Email AP Check Stub feature that allows users to email the AP check stubs to the individual vendors. When the Generate Check Stub File for E-mailing checkbox is marked in AP Module Setup > Printing tab and the user prints an AP check, AccountMate automatically generates a PDF file showing the check and stub and stores it in the company database. When the user clicks the Email button in the Email AP Check Stub function window; AccountMate automatically retrieves the PDF file from the company database, attaches the PDF file to the email, and sends it to the email address specified in the vendor record. AccountMate allows only one PDF file to be attached to each e-mail. If there were multiple PDF files stored for a vendor, AccountMate will send multiple emails to that vendor. When all the chosen PDF files are emailed, the user receives a status email that states which emails were successfully sent and which emails failed to send. This new feature facilitates emailing of the check stubs to the individual vendors without the need to manually scan each check stub. It allows users to easily and quickly email the check stubs, thereby saving ample time and effort. This new feature comes in handy especially during these recent years when e-mail is becoming the most commonly used mode of communication with vendors.
Update AccountMate TaxJar Integration API to support the latest API version. AccountMate 12.3 TaxJar Integration is updated to support the latest TaxJar API (Application Program Interface). Beginning August 31, 2022 TaxJar automatically upgraded the API for all TaxJar users. This upgrade includes enhanced data validation for the API calls. This change is important so AccountMate remains compatible with the latest TaxJar API, thereby ensuring uninterrupted use of the TaxJar Integration features.
Various Report Enhancements
We have implemented significant reports enhancements to make these reports more useful and flexible in meeting the users’ specific needs. These report enhancements include the following:
- • Advanced Billing
- • Blanket Sales Order
- • Customer Statement
- • Invoice
- • Packing Slip (in Accounts Receivable)
- • Packing Slip (in Sales Order)
- • Payment Receipt
- • Prepaid Memo
- • RMA
- • Sales Order
- • Sales Quote
Each of these special report’s interface has a newly added Export/E-mail Options area with the e-mail address options and Individual File checkbox. Users can choose the Customer E-mail option to configure AccountMate to use the e-mail addresses set up in the customer record E-mail Setup tab. When the Customer E-mail option is chosen, AccountMate automatically marks the Individual File checkbox and you cannot change this setting. Marking the Individual File checkbox configures AccountMate to create only one file for each document and to send a separate e-mail for each document. When the other option is chosen, users can enter the desired customer e-mail addresses and have the option to mark or unmark the Individual File checkbox. Unmarking this checkbox configures AccountMate to create only one file for all the documents that meet the report criteria and to send a single e-mail for all the documents.
Since e-mail is one of the most commonly used mode of communication with customers, this enhancement makes e-mailing of special reports to customers faster and easier, thereby helping users save time in their day-to-day operations.
- • Blanket Purchase Order
- • Cancelled Received Goods
- • Purchase Order
- • Purchase Quote
- • RTV
Since e-mail is one of the most commonly used mode of communication with vendors, this enhancement makes e-mailing of special reports to vendors faster and easier, thereby helping users save time in their day-to-day operations.
New Customer Report E-mail History Report. his new report provides information about each individual special report sent via e-mail to each customer. This report helps users review which special reports were sent individually to the customers, the date/time when the e-mails were sent, and whether the e-mails were successfully sent.
New Vendor Report E-mail History Report. This new report provides information about each individual special report sent via e-mail to each vendor. This report helps users review which special reports were sent individually to the vendors, the date/time when the e-mails were sent, and whether the e-mails were successfully sent.
Ability to Filter Pick List and Packing Slip by Customer Status. The following Report functions in the Sales Order module have been enhanced by providing users the options to filter information in the report to include only the active customers, only the inactive customers, or all customers regardless of status:
- • Print Pick List
- • Print Master Pick List
- • Print Packing Slip
This enhancement provides more flexibility to focus on the Pick Lists and Packing Slips printed only for the active customers or for the inactive customers.
Enhanced Inventory Reorder Report. The Inventory Reorder Report is enhanced by adding the ability to sort the information by vendor numbers and to filter the output for a range of vendors. New options “Show Inventory Vendor” and “Show Last Purchased Vendor” are also added in the report interface. This enhancement helps users identify the vendors from whom they can place the order for out of stock items or those which on-hand quantities are below reorder point.
Electronic Payment Report Shows Encrypted Bank Account # and Bank Routing #. To strengthen data security and protection, AccountMate 12.3 encrypts the bank account numbers and bank routing numbers shown in the Electronic Payment Report in the Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, and Payroll modules. The Electronic Payment Report shows only the last four (4) digits of the bank account and bank routing numbers. This enhancement ensures the company’s compliance to the Payment Card Industry (PCI) data security standards.
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