Sage 100 Newsletter

Year End 2022

In This Issue

SAGE 100 2022 YEAR IN REVIEW

As we look back at the year that was, let’s quickly recap some of the new features, enhancements, and other changes to Sage 100 during 2022.

New Releases, New Features

Sage 100 Version 2022, along with two subsequent releases 2022.1 and 2022.2, introduced new features throughout the product. Some of the key changes include:

  • A range of time-saving, global enhancements like the ability to exclude inactive items from lookups, save your date selections when modifying report settings, expanded search options when looking for quotes and sales orders, and more options when uploading item images.
  • A number of changes to the Visual Process Flow designer significantly enhance the experience when creating or modifying flows to match your business processes.
  • Sweeping changes and enhancements came in the area of Production Management including new features for work tickets, labor entry, materials management, and more.

Formerly Exclusive Features Now Available to Everyone

Certain newer features that were previously available only to Sage 100 subscription holders are now available to all users. These previously subscription-only features include spell check, full text search in lookups, theme maintenance options to control the appearance of Sage 100 windows, and document date warnings to prevent potential posting in the wrong period.

Even More Features Inspired by YOU

Each year, it seems Sage incorporates even more of the new feature requests that are submitted by customers like you via the Sage 100 Ideas Website and 2022 was no exception. In fact, a good portion of the enhancements introduced in Sage 100 2022 and subsequent updates are based on requests from Sage 100 customers, partners, and the wider Sage community. So remember to stay engaged and keep your ideas coming.

Expanded Focus on Building Your Business

Sage announced a brand refresh complete with a new look, messaging, and sponsorships including Major League Baseball and The Rugby World Cup. As part of that expanded footprint, every Sage customer now gets access to the newly-launched Masterclass Sessions that include talks and articles from leading experts on the challenges that most small and mid-sized businesses face today. You can access an archive of the recorded masterclass sessions that span topics like staying productive, building your business, finding and keeping great employees, and more.

Have a Question? Get in touch with one of our Sage 100 consultants for help.

YEAR END TIPS AND RESOURCES

4 THINGS TO NOTE BEFORE CLOSING THE BOOKS

At a high level, here are 4 things to consider as you begin closing the books on 2022 and start fresh in the new year.

1. Backup Your Data

Executing a complete backup of your database is one of the most important things you can do before starting any closing process. You should also test the backup to ensure it was performed successfully and the data is readable.

If you make a mistake, the only way to “reverse” year end processing is to restore data from a backup.

2. Follow the Module Closing Order

A year end process in one module often writes data to another related module. Therefore, closing modules in the proper sequence is important in order to avoid unexpected results or damage to your data.

For more detail and guidance, refer to the Module Closing article on page 3 of this newsletter.

3. Follow the Module Closing Checklists

Step-by-step checklists are available for most modules. These checklists provide guidance on the sequence of detailed tasks and procedures that should be performed within each module.

Detailed checklists for each module can be accessed right from within the Sage 100 Help system.

4. Preview The Process

A video is posted on the Sage Customer Support and Training channel on YouTube that walks you through an overview of period and year-end processes. It provides a nice refresher before starting your live closing process.

CREATING A COPY COMPANY FOR ARCHIVE / BACKUP

At year end, it’s useful to create an archive company using the Copy Company feature. This provides a readily accessible copy (and backup) of the current year’s data even after you perform year end processing in your live company.

To make a copy company, go to:
Library Master > Main Menu > Company Maintenance

  1. Create a new company code and company name (description) that’s easy to identify and distinguish from the live/active company that you’re copying.
  2. Click the Copy button and enter the Company Code of your current year live (or “Source”) company.
  3. Select the modules from the source company you want copied over to your archive company. For a complete archive/backup, you’ll want to copy all modules. Click Proceed. Once the process is finished, click Accept.

Note: For good measure, you might run a trial balance in each module and do a quick spot check to make sure all the data that came over is balanced and accurate.

Video: How to Back Up Data

Head over to YouTube to watch a recorded demonstration of the Copy Company process in action.

YEAR END TIPS AND RESOURCES

MODULE CLOSING

Keeping Things In Order

A year end process in one module often writes data to another module.  Therefore, the sequence in which you close your Sage 100 modules is important in order to avoid the risk of damaging your data.

Important: Remember to back up your data before starting module closing procedures. Refer to the article on page 2 of this newsletter for guidance.

  1. B/M – Bill of Materials*
  2. W/O – Work Order*
  3. P/M – Production Management
  4. B/C – Bar Code
  5. P/O – Purchase Order
  6. S/O – Sales Order
  7. I/M – Inventory Management
  8. M/P – Material Requirements Planning (MRP)*
  9. P/R – Payroll (Quarter-end processing)
  10. A/R – Accounts Receivable
  11. A/P – Accounts Payable
  12. J/C – Job Cost
  13. B/R – Bank Reconciliation
  14. G/L – General Ledger

*Note: While there is no formal closing procedure in the Bill of Materials, Work Order, or MRP modules, all transactions in those modules should be posted before starting any closing procedures in the modules that follow them (i.e. Post transactions in Work Order before closing Purchase Order, Sales Order, and Inventory).

Remember, this is just a general guideline. If you own modules that aren’t listed above or you run any third party add-on products, please contact us to discuss specific closing procedures for your company.

Get the Full Details

YEAR END PROCESSING

Here are just a few tips to keep in mind as you begin year end processing in Sage 100.

1. General Ledger Closing – While it’s a good idea to close modules in a timely fashion, the General Ledger can remain open for as long as you need while awaiting final processing (or audit adjustments) in other modules. A GL that’s still open for 2022 will NOT prevent you from entering transactions for the new year.

2. Payroll Planning – Even if your company is on a fiscal year, you may need to close out payroll at the end of the calendar year – particularly if you’re running an older version of Sage 100 Payroll.

NOTE: This does NOT apply to the newer Payroll 2.0 module which allows two calendar years to be open so you don’t have to run year-end tax reports and W-2’s before processing payroll for 2023 (as was required with the old/legacy payroll module).

3. Check Your Version Number – Closing procedures can vary depending on which version of Sage 100 you’re running. Here are steps to identify both your version number and service pack:

Select Help > About Sage 100

4. Master Console – Once you’re ready to close, you need to make sure all users are out of the system. That’s where the Master Console comes in handy. This utility provides a snapshot of all users currently logged into Sage 100, the workstation being used, what programs/tasks they’re using, and more. You can also broadcast a message to all users or even shut them down remotely.

To launch the Master Console:
Select File > Master Console

YEAR END TIPS AND RESOURCES

YEAR END FAQ’S

For General Ledger & Reporting

Here are answers to a handful of the most Frequently-Asked Questions (FAQs) regarding General Ledger and Reporting when it comes to year end processing.

Can I print financial statements for the NEXT fiscal year PRIOR to performing year end processing?

YES. In the Fiscal Year field within the applicable report window, simply select the fiscal year to print.

DO NOT manually change the fiscal year in General Ledger Options in order to print financial statements for the next fiscal year.

After year end processing, can I delete accounts that will no longer be used in the new fiscal year and still run comparison statements?

Information about prior fiscal years is stored by account number. These account numbers must be retained for as long as you require comparisons.

Instead of deleting, you can set the status of an account to Inactive which prevents future postings but still retains the account number for comparisons. On the Main Tab in Account Maintenance, select Inactive in the Status field
and click Accept.

Can I open a closed fiscal year to make General Ledger postings/adjustments?

YES. If you retained detail history for a prior fiscal year by entering the ‘Years to Retain General Ledger History’ field in GL Options, you can reopen and post to a closed fiscal year.

TO POST TO A CLOSED FISCAL YEAR:

  1. Select General Ledger Setup menu > GL Options
  2. On the Main tab, in the Current Fiscal Year field, select
    the past fiscal year to reopen
  3. In the Current Period field, select the accounting period to post to and click Accept
  1. In General Journal Entry or Transaction Journal Entry, enter the transaction to the reopened fiscal year and period and update the journal entry.
  2. Reprint year end reports when you’re finished
  3. Go back to General Ledger Options Main tab and select the current year in the Current Fiscal Year field, and the current period in the Current Period field. Click Accept.

You’ve just re-opened the closed fiscal year, posted a journal entry, and reverted back (in step 6) to the current fiscal period and year.

Note: Closed fiscal years can only be reopened in the General Ledger module.

Can I process year end in General Ledger before I’m
finished with the other modules?

NO. General Ledger should be the very last module you close. Refer to the Module Closing Order article earlier in this newsletter for details on the proper closing sequence.

TIP: How to Correct an Out of Balance General Ledger

There are a variety of reasons that your general ledger can get out of balance. In the video below, you’ll learn how to discover and correct the out-of-balance situation including instructions for making one-sided journal entries.

YEAR END TIPS AND RESOURCES

AFFORDABLE CARE ACT (ACA) REPORTING & PROCESSING

Sage has put together an ACA Resource Center to help you understand the provisions as well as track and report the necessary data in Sage 100 in order to remain in compliance.Here are some popular ACA resources to consider reviewing.

HOW TO SET UP ACA TRACKING IN SAGE 100

Step-by-step instructions for setting up Sage 100 for ACA tracking and reporting.

Review Setup Procedure / Watch the Video

HOW DO I GENERATE THE REQUIRED FORMS?

Instructions for generating and printing required ACA forms in Sage 100 including 1094 and 1095.

How to Generate ACA Forms / Watch the Video

HOW TO REPORT EMPLOYER-SPONSORED HEALTHCARE COVERAGE ON THE W2 USING SAGE 100

Setting up Sage 100 Payroll to track and report the cost of coverage under an employer-sponsored group health plan.

Review Instructions / Watch the Video

Consult Your Accountant

These resources and articles are designed to provide general guidance on using Sage 100 for ACA compliance.

Be sure to consult with your accountant or tax advisor for legal advice or guidance that’s personalized to your company-specific requirements.

SAGE 100 YEAR END CENTER

Sage has created a Year End Center that provides valuable
resources to guide you through a smooth year end closing
process in Sage 100 including:

  • Year End Tips and Checklists
  • Video Tutorials and How-to Articles
  • Live Chat With Tech Support
  • Tax Forms, Payroll, and Report Guidance

Take advantage of this free and valuable resource!

SAGE 100 SUPPORTED VERSIONS

What versions of Sage 100 are currently supported? What is the “end of life” date for the version I’m running now? Those questions are answered in the table and notes below:

Things to Note:
Retired versions have limited to no phone support which currently includes Sage 100 2019 and earlier. Customers using Sage 100 2017 with payroll will need to upgrade to a supported version. Sage 100 Version 2017 & earlier will not support additional fields that are necessary to accurately calculate federal withholding taxes as a result of changes implemented in 2020.

SAGE 100 TIPS AND TRICKS

How to Add Tasks & Shortcuts to Your Favorites Menu

The Sage 100 Favorites Menu allows you to customize your navigation pane with shortcuts to your most frequently-used tasks, folders, files and even external links and websites. Let’s take a look at a few options for adding tasks and links to your Sage 100 Favorites Content Group which.

Add Sage 100 Tasks Using the Ribbon

  1. On the ribbon, click the Modules tab.
  2. If necessary, click Change Current Module. In the Change Module window, select a module.
  3. On the module drop-down menu, locate the task.
  4. Right click the task and then click Add to Favorites.

Add Sage 100 Tasks Using the Task Pane

  1. In the navigation pane, click Modules and then select a module.
  2. In the task pane, locate the task and then do one of the
    following:

    • Drag the task to the navigation pane.
    • Right click the task and then click Add to Favorites.

Adding a Program, File, or Folder

There are a few ways to add shortcuts to an external file, folder, or other program to your Favorites list including:

  • Drag a shortcut from your Windows desktop to the Favorites group.
  • Drag a program from the Windows Start menu to the Favorites group.
  • Drag a file from a File Explorer window to Favorites.

Adding Public Tasks for All Users

If you have the appropriate security access, you can also add public favorites. Public favorites are available to all users who can access them based on their security setup.

  1. Log into the server where Sage 100 is installed and start Sage 100.
  2. In the navigation pane, click Modules and then select a module.
  3. In the task pane, locate the task.
  4. In the navigation pane, click Favorites.
  5. Click Public Favorites.
  6. Drag the task to the Navigation pane.
  7. The task is now available to all Sage 100 users who have the appropriate security setup to access it.

Contact us if you need help or have questions about using the Sage 100 Favorites menu.