SAFE/7 Preview: New Inventory Management!
For quite some time, you've been telling us that you would like to be able to 'lock in' forms management information by period much as you would your General Ledger; the idea being, of course, that you wanted to be able to match these reports with you clients' reports and not have any adjustments made ex post facto upset this balance. Well, the wait is over.
 

True Period Auditing for Product Usage
Usage and Forms Management totals are now stored on a period by period basis, much like the General Ledger. Each product can store a beginning and ending balance, usage and value for each period at each Site. And each product can store an unlimited number of periods of summary information. Also, each period's information can be locked. What it all means:
a. You can store and review an unlimited number of periods of summary information for each Product and Site. There is no more two year limitation on usage reports.

b. Product Usage can be locked for any customer's items on any day of the month, thus closing their F/M Period. Any inventory activity after a period is locked is then forced into the next F/M Period for that particular customer (again: just like the G/L for accounting transactions).

c. And again, like in the G/L you can make adjustments to prior periods, but only if the period is unlocked. When a period is locked/unlocked is tracked by TransLog (you do have Translog, right? ;) )

d. Business Reminders now not only warns you that a customer's F/M Period requires closing, it also lets you close and lock the period as well!

Practical Advantages

• Obviously one main advantage is repeatability: you can prevent transactions transactions which affect inventory from affecting reports you have previously printed. In other words, you can be sure now that the F/M reports you print six months from now will be exactly the same.
   

• Another is speed: since this summary information is stored in the database and does not need to be recalculated for each report, you can information much faster.
   

• And finally, you get more information, because you can now compare different ranges of periods at will (as you can with the General Ledger). For example, you can print a report comparing the past six months of usage, month by month, rather than being limited to just pre-defined report ranges, such as This Year Vs. Last Year.

What will this do to my current scheme? We have a huge investment in custom reporting.
The new scheme is 100% backwards compatible. Use the new system if you like; ignore it otherwise. Use the new standard reports, or have them re-designed to your needs.

Til Next Time!
 

SAFE/7 Update Schedule!
SAFE 7.0 is on track for release January 24th, 2005. You have questions, we have answers! Many of these have already been asked and answered but a little repetition never hurts!

Q: Why should I upgrade?
A: First of all, because SAFE 7.0 has something for everyone. The message we have been trying to get across, as time has passed, is how the needs of all distributors are intersecting, regardless of size. So there are many new features which, though previously in the realm of larger customers, are now becoming useful to smaller companies as well. Secondly, because it is the direction in which we, and the rest of the world are heading: towards a standards-based program that will make it easy to integrate with programs from other companies (Shipping Companies, Manufacturers, Warehouses, Customers)

Q: Well that was fairly vague. Any specifics you'd care to share?
A: A feature list is available at http://www.suntowersystems.com/new470.htm A more thorough list, with Best Practices for Upgraders will soon be e-mailed to registered customers.

Q: Daddy always said, 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it!' Must I upgrade?
A: Eventually, yes. We will provide support for SAFE 5.1 for two update cycles. But when SAFE 6.2 is released in August of 2003, we will no longer provide support for SAFE version 5.1 in any way shape or form. However, read carefully: As we have been saying: programming on SAFE 5.1 is done, done, done. We will provide no custom programming, custom reports, forms design, bug fixes, maintenance releases, feature additions, etc. to any previous version once SAFE 6.0 is released. In other words, SAFE 5.1 is pretty much locked in stone. Use SAFE 5.1 as is until August 2003 and we will, of course, do our best to help you if you have support needs. By that time, most all of you will, for one reason or another, have already upgraded.

Q: How much will it cost me?
A: *If your RSS contract is up to date, the answer is zero, nada, nichts, dadai for the software. You will need to make certain you have the proper licenses for Microsoft SQL Server or Microsoft Data Engine (see below). You can obtain SQL Server from us, or more likely, you can get it at a discounted rate from your happy local 'computer guy'.

Q: How much will the upgrade procedure hurt?
A: Not at all. Really. The installation program will automatically convert your data 100%

Q: What do I need to do to get ready?
A: The important thing is to decide if you need more than five concurrent users to SAFE. If you do, then you must obtain SQL Server 2000 to run SAFE 7.0. If not, you should have Microsoft Office 2000 installed on your server, which contains the Microsoft Data Engine (MSDE), suitable for up to five users. Older versions of MS-Office will not work!

If you will be using MSDE, make certain that the data engine is really installed! This can be done by sticking your original CD into your server and running the Setup program again. Drill down on the various options and make certain that the Microsoft Data Engine option is installed. If not, add that component to your setup.

If you are using SQL Server, make certain that you have an adequate number of Client Licenses installed before you upgrade to SAFE 7.0.

Finally, bear in mind is that your workstations should be configured to access SQL Server (or MSDE). In other words, in addition to running the server installation of SQL Server, you also need to run an installation program on each PC. This is generally no more difficult than sticking the SQL Server Client License CD into each PC and running the Client Installation Program.

The good news is that this is all much easier to do than to write about. Most of you will have this done by your 'Computer Guy' so configuration will likely be a non-issue. But  for you do-it-yourselfers, please do not hesitate to contact us with specific questions/concerns.

Ciaran's Corner Goodbye TPS!
It will soon be the end of an era. The venerable TPS file system we worked so hard to grow will soon be retired from Suntower Systems when we shut down support of SAFE 5.1 (see above). The TopSpeed file driver we licenced/co-developed with TopSpeed (now SoftVelocity) was, in it's day, the Ferrari of database engines. There were things we were able to do (like all those Queries) which would have been difficult, if not impossible to implement using any other commercial system. It was faster than lightning, small, self-updating and very reliable. But as far back as 1998 we knew that we would one day need to switch everyone over to a SQL based database.

The SQL engines are the future. And, as they say, the future is now. So farewell, TPS! It's been great. Now onward to 100% SAFE/SQL future.

Globalisation?
Anyone who has taken Economics 101 knows that free trade is a good thing. And anyone who has lived on planet earth knows that it's fantastic for everyone but your business. It's just human nature to want to keep a short term advantage by making it tougher for outsiders to work with your system.

Look at your vendors. Look at your competitors. Look at our competitors. Heck, look at your trade organisation! We just shake our heads. Everyone in this business seems to have a vested interest in locking in their products and data--apparently in an attempt to force customer loyalty. A quick look at history and other industries will show that this is impossible. It's like trying to fight the sea.

The smart move is to find a way to accept that change is inevitable. So we continue to embrace openness. We have an open database structure; nothing is hidden (except Security Privileges--for obvious reasons). We have several open data import/export standards to make it simple for you to get data out of, and into SAFE either to interface with external devices or reports. With SAFE/7 we will support no less than three major reporting interfaces (Microsoft SQL Reporting Services, Crystal Reports, Topspeed ReportWriter).

It is our belief that this approach not only benefits you, but also us. Our thinking is that the easier it is to interface with other people, places and systems, the more opportunities it presents for us. In fact, reading back that last sentence, I would say that the same would also apply to you, dear reader.

Til Next Time!

Ciarān Marron
Technical Support Manager
cm@suntowersystems.com

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End of E-News From The Suntower, Volume VII #2