annual paperless and the survey says – paperless …c.ymcdn.com/sites/ · another user forces us...

October 2011News and Information for Users of Sage Timberline Office Software

We asked and you answered! Just how “paperless” are TUG’s members? Of the 115 responses received, 10

percent felt that their firms had reached a nine on a 10 scale and a full 35 percent of our members felt that they were at least a seven or better. Despite this strong showing, not a single member judged their company as having reached 100 percent.

What went paperless first? Forty-five percent of you started the process with Accounts Payable, followed by 30 percent who are circulating and archiving non-STO documents such as Bids, Qualification Documentation and Leases. Moving Project Management to a paperless process was a popular third, followed by General Ledger closings and Accounts Receivable. Users offered some terrific examples of electronic archiving, along with the benefits. “Storing all the contracts, subcontracts and everything else for a job means we no longer have to comb the project manager’s office for

missing files!,” offered one user. Another remarked, “Going to scanned invoices had an unexpected bonus – our property managers do a lot more research on costs because the invoice data is so easy to get to.” “Use the STO paperclip! We attach all kinds of documents to records in STO: promissory notes attached to the GL account; contracts attached to the Job; insurance certificates attached to the Vendor. Then you can open them straight from an Inquiry!,” noted another user.

Most TUG members invested in a third-party solution to assist with the paperless process. Automated invoice processing systems, such as Construction Imaging and MICR check printing, and EFT solutions like Create-a-Check led the pack, followed by integrated tools like MyAssistant. Sage Document Management was popular choice amongst a variety of document-management solutions. Other third-party software included a variety of third-party timesheet and HR solutions, PDF Printer software and using the fully featured Adobe Acrobat to manipulate PDF files.

When asked to “Rate the three biggest impacts you have achieved (or hope to achieve) in order of importance,” most cited quicker information retrieval as their number one goal. Reduced storage and better archiving were also popular choices, along with improved communication. Even in this challenging economy, the savings in office supplies was a lesser concern to TUG members.

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And the Survey Says .............................1

The Benefits of Document

Management ................................3

How to Use Contact Selection List ........5

More Comprehensive Tax Filing ............6

Paperless Options .................................7

Service Management

Dispatch Board .............................9

TUG Online WebEx Training

and Open Forums .......................10

Revolution of Electronic Payments .....11

TUG Year-End Webinar Series .............12

TUG 2012 National

Users Conference .......................13

Overpower the Paper Tidal Wave ........14

Integrate Field Operations ..................16

To: The Estimating Guru ......................17

And the Survey Says – Paperless Officeby: Eire Stewart

JP DiNapoli Companies, Inc.

ANNUAL PAPERLESSOFFICE ISSUE

October 2011 News and Information for Users of Sage Timberline Office Software

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the TUG PulsePublished by the

Timberline Users Group, Inc.and sent to all members.

Board of DirectorsMatt Weaver, President

Tim Cooke, Vice President

Sharon Hessong, Treasurer

Jon Banse, Secretary

Natalie Allen, Past President

Janice Barnard

Scott Bishop

Barbara Morse

Michael Suhovecky

Marlene Williams

Lenni M. Witt

Publications CommitteeDavid Brown

Sharon Hessong

Maeva Mayes

Liz Perez-Lavin

Val Steffen

Eire Stewart

Shanna Torges

Timberline Users Group3525 Piedmont Road

Building Five, Suite 300

Atlanta, GA 30305

e-mail: [email protected]

Phone: 404.760.8171

Fax: 404.240.0998Toll Free: 866.846.0999

[email protected]

Web Sitewww.TUGweb.com

Looking forward to 2012, users have a long list of New Year’s resolutions for a paperless environment. Cites one user, “Get others on Board!” as her first goal, while another says, “I have a laundry list: continued reduction in mail and faxing; continued refinement of procedures and paperless filing; possible acceptance of scanning checks for deposit.” Other suggestions include:

• Betterpoliciesandarchivingprocedures.• Continuescanningmoredocumentsandcreatingelectronicworkflowsforprocesses.• BeginusingthePJmoduletoe-mailpurchaseordersandsubcontracts.• Getmorearchitectstoacceptelectronicpaperworkforsubmittals,billings,etc.• Speedupwhatwealreadyhaveinplace.• Takeadvantageofmorecompaniesofferingonlinepayments.• BringContractstopaperlessstorage.• E-mailsecuredirectdepositstubstoemployees.E-mailmoreblueprintstosubsinstead of printing and shipping them.• Increasee-mailreceiptsofvendorinvoices(AP)ande-mailingoutgoingARinvoices.• ACHpaymentstovendors.• ElectronicJobWorkOrdersandChangeOrders.• Gettingmoreestimatorsinvolvedinelectronictakeoffandreporting.• Receivemoreinvoicesviae-mailandsetupMyAssistanttosendinvoicesviae-mail.• Remotetimecardentry.• Scanningtoprojectfoldersandprojectmanagers.• Continueeffortswithdevelopmentandleasingteams.

One TUG member offers some sage advice for achieving success in your paperless endeavor: “Making it work relies on having a good protocol set up to begin with so that everyone knows the four “Ws” ahead to time: when to save; what to save; where to save; and how to save. Then train, train, train!”

Another user forces us to face reality: “It should be noted that companies will never be 100-percent paperless. In the construction industry, especially, the only item we could cut back on would be paper transmittals, hard copies of P&P manuals, etc. We will always have hard copies of drawings, specs, quotations, etc.”


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Picture it – rooms full of cardboard document boxes or rows of filing cabinets. You are tasked with finding

one piece of paper or file, have to spend precious time looking through drawers for the file, and all the while there’s a chance that the last person to pull the document may never have put it back in its proper place. For long-running construction and real-estate companies, this is a daily reality.

Electronic document management (EDM) employs a computer system and software to organize, store, manage and track electronic documents and scanned images of paper-based information, according to the Association for Information and Image Management (AIIM). The electronic storage option allows workers to use keywords to search for files without ever having to leave their desks.

Most document-management systems allow users to modify and manage systems, and typically incorporate many physical filing procedures, such as storage location, security and access control and version control, the AIIM says. Another benefit of maintaining electronic files is the ability to keep a record of who has accessed the content.

One example of how a document management system can further help operations is when a particular item – such as a contract, estimate or proposal – needs group approval. Sharing an electronic version of the file can ensure that the correct people review the document, and can create an audit trail that allows everyone to see each other’s edits. The original document is preserved in its unedited form.

Document Management and the Construction IndustryEDM systems offer many applications relevant to the construction industry, including keeping track of important documents such as blueprints, receipts for supplies, bids, permits and more.

One design engineering and project management company was able to reduce its manual data entry by 85 percent and save up 50 staff days per year by eliminating its paper-based systems, USP Magazine reports. On Line Design and Engineering, which had 580 staff members handling approximately 2,500 financial documents, applied a document management system to make its purchase-to-pay process more efficient and free up more document storage space.

“Since our formation in 1982, the business has grown rapidly; however, we still rely on paper processes for our financial documents,” On Line’s finance director, Steve Laird, told the magazine. “As a consequence, we started to encounter issues around document retrieval and an ever-decreasing lack of storage space, which was impacting our efficiency levels.”

The electronic storage option may also help simplify operations for a construction company, Constructech magazine reports. A project team that uses several databases to store information may be creating unnecessary work for its members if data is being entered multiple times – or, in some cases, omitted – and if it takes more time and effort just to find a piece of information.

The Green FactorMore companies are moving away from paper and digitizing functions, from payroll to invoicing to project management. One reason is the business world’s increasing focus on cutting down waste by adopting environmentally friendly, paperless processes.

According to the United Nations Environment Program, industrialized nations contain 20 percent of the world’s population but consume 87 percent of the world’s printing and writing papers. The cost of actually using paper – taking electricity and ink into account – is actually 13 to 31 times the initial price of the paper itself.

Eliminating paper-based processes can help a company reduce its costs on paper, ink, toner, and expensive maintenance and repair of copiers and printers. Digitizing paper files also means businesses that are short on space do not have to spend as much on off-site storage units. In addition to cutting overhead, this option makes it easier for employees to access information, no matter where they are located.

The Benefits of Document Management

http://www.uspmagazine.com/news-detailed/1615/Document-management-system-improves-processes-for-design-company/

http://www.papergear.com/xerox-news/electronic-

document-management-systems.html?SSScrollPosition=0

http://www.docuvantage.com/document-management-basic-

tutorials/what-is-document-management

http://www.aiim.org/What-is-Document-Management

http://www.sage-cre.com/Products-and-Solutions/Sage-Project-Lifecycle-

Management

http://www.constructech.com/news/articles/article.aspx?article_id=8476

http://hr.blr.com/HR-news/HR-Administration/HR-Strategy/

Office-Worker-Paper-Waste-Create-Employee-Awarenes/

USEFUL LINKS

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Advantages of Document Management Electronic document management systems do away with the time-consuming process of sifting through paper files at the risk of discovering the document was not properly put away by the last person to pull it. EDM systems allow files to be recalled at the click of a mouse, while providing information on when and by whom the file was last viewed and/or marked up.

Documents can be scanned and stored to create an electronic database accessible to users across an enterprise. Cloud-based EDM systems can also allow out-of-office users to access company and project-related documents via a wireless connection.

Document management systems can be useful for every department within a construction company. The accounting office can better track revenue and expenses by being able to pair order forms with resulting bills from suppliers and store receipts, and project managers can share updated blueprints instantly with on-site supervisors.

EDM systems also help companies make sure confidential information is protected, and can ensure compliance with legal regulations, according to PaperGear.com. Additionally, because files are computer based, electronically backing up files can help reduce the risk of losing important documents in the event of a fire or natural disaster.

Intelligent Document Management from Sage In order to encourage more efficient operations, Sage Construction and Real Estate’s project lifecycle management software gives customers a web-based solutionformanagingandsharingworkflows,documents and conversations among members of project teams.

The software functions much like a corporate intranet by centralizing all project-related information and documents in a secure, online location via a Software-as-a-Service model. No matter where team members are located – in the office, at home or in another country – everyone can access the data and track changes on the shared platform.

Sage’s software also aligns with many companies’ efforts to go green, as it allows team members to share ideas and conduct research without having to print, reproduce, distribute and store numerous paper files over the course of one project. The solution allows for greater visibility into the project process, with the storage and invoicing of documents and the option to establish rules-based routing.

Finally, members can receive automatic electronic notifications and alerts based upon user criteria and whenever changes are made to a project item, such as a drawing, document or meeting date.

ConclusionWhether a project lasts two weeks or spans months, no matter if the team consists of three members or dozens, an electronic document management system can help entities keep track of the documents, reports and correspondences involved from the planning to execution phases. EDM software can help ensure that no project member misses out on key information.

2012 TUG NationalUsers ConferenceMay 15-18, 2012Gaylord PalmsKissimmee, Florida(Orlando area)

Online registration opening soon at TUGweb.com

SAVE THE DATE!


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Address Book contacts are used throughout Project Management: the “To:” and “Cc:” recipients and the “From:” sender of RFIs or Transmittals, the “Responsible contact” for Meeting Items,

as well as the “Received from:” and “Forwarded to:” contacts on a Submittal.ProjectManagement(PJ)hasseveralpowerfulandflexiblemethods for selecting contacts from the Address Book.

Contacts can either be selected from existing contacts in the Address Book,oranewcontactcanbecreatedonthefly.Itisrecommendedthat you always search the list of existing contacts before trying tocreateanewcontacton thefly,because theriskofaccidentallycreating a duplicate contact is very high.

Each contact field in PJ can be filled in any of three ways:

1. Click in the field and type in a name. 2. Use the pulldown list to select a contact.3. Press the “binoculars” icon to open the Contact Selection List window.

Each of these three methods has different advantages:

Manually entering contact names by clicking and typing – If you already know the exact spelling of how the contact you wish to select is entered in Address Book, then this may be the fastest option. As you type, Project Management will attempt to match the name you are typing with the name of a contact already entered in the Job Contact List for that job. If a match is found, the contact name will pre-fill. If Project Management does not find a match with a contact already in the Job Contact List, then when you press “enter” or “tab,” if the text you typed matches an existing contact in the Address Book, that contact will be selected. If not, PJ will prompt you, asking if you want tocreateanewCompanyContactorPersonContactonthefly.

Using the pulldown list to select a contact – If the contact you wish to select in already entered in the Job Contact List for the job you are working on, then this may be the fastest and most intuitive option. The pulldown list will show you only the contacts that are already entered in the Job Contact List, so it will be a much shorter list than the list of all Address Book contacts that you will see if you open the Contact Selection List window. However, if the contact you wish to select is not already in the Job Contact List, this option cannot be used.

Using the Contact Selection List window -– The Contact Selection List is the most powerful and flexible option and allows you to searchthe entire Address Book. The Contact Selection List supports several Views into the Address Book:

• CompanyView–TheCompanyViewshowsonlyCompany Contacts (not Person Contacts). The Contact Selection List will display both the “Sort as:” name and the “Location” field for each Company Contact.

• PersonView–ThePersonViewshowsonlyPersonContacts (not Company Contacts). The Contact Selection List will display both the “Sort as:” name the “Company Name” field for each Person Contact. Note that if you press the “Options>>” button, you can choose whether to view the list alphabetically by Person Contact name or by Company Name. Viewing the Person Contact list by Company name is useful when you have forgotten a person’s name, but know what company they work for, or when you aren’t sure which Person Contacts have already been entered in Address Book for a given Company Contact.

• CompanyandPersonView–TheContactSelectionListwill display all Address Book contacts in the list. Each Person Contact will display with the “Company Name” field in parentheses and each Company Contact will display with the “Location” field in parentheses. This view can sometimes be confusing, especially if you work with small companies that are named after the owner. You will see two entries that are very similar – one the Company Contact with the owner’s name; the other the Person Contact for the owner.

• JobContactListView–Onlycontactsthathavealreadybeen added to the Job Contact List are shown. Just like the Company and Person View, each Person Contact will display with the “Company Name” field in parentheses and each Company Contact will display with the “Location” field in parentheses

• DistributionListView–Thisviewisonlyavailablewhenyou are selecting a contact for a field that can contain multiple contacts, such as the RFI or Transmittal “Cc:” field or the Transmittal “To:” field. When available, the view displays the list of Distribution Lists that you have created for the job you are working on. [To create or edit a Distribution List, go to PJ / Setup / Jobs… and select the Site/Contact Tab then press the “Distribution Lists” button.] When you select a Distribution List, all of the individual contacts that are a member of that list are added to the field.

How to Use Contact Selection Listby: Tom Moore

Webster Moore Group

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When the Contact Selection List window first opens, the list of names will be active, so you can just start typing and the list will jump to the section of the list that matches what you type. You can type as many or as few characters as you want, and you can even use the “backspace” key to delete characters to correct any typos. Note that the list won’t jump until you stop typing, but you can type a few characters, pause to let the list jump

to the general section, then continue typing more characters to refine the search.

The Contact Selection List will open in the same View that you used the last time. If you need to change views, note that by clicking on the “View” pulldown, you have activated the View field rather than the list of names box – before you start typing in the name you wish to search for, you must click back down on

the list of names to activate that section of the window. This is a “feature” that is confusing and frustrating to most users, so watch out for it.

Now that you understand the differences between each of the methods for selecting contacts, you can choose which method to use based on the circumstances to more quickly and easily select the contact you are looking for.

Going Paperless Has Never Been Easier!

Aatrix State and Federal Payroll Reports™ allow Sage Timberline Office customers to save time and cut administrative costs. You can now complete more than 250 U.S. State and Federal payroll tax forms – automatically – including unemployment, withholding and new-hire reports, all directly from within your Sage Timberline Office software. You can review and edit your completed forms on screen, print them out on plain paper, and either mail or eFile them for processing by the highly accredited Aatrix® eFile Center. Once processed, your forms are automatically sent electronically to the appropriate agency.

Save Money, Time and Stress!

Considering eFiling? The Aatrix® Complete Filing Service will save your organization hundreds of dollars in time and materials each filing season. W-2 processing can cost your organization almost $4.50 per record, depending on the number of state and internal copies you must print. With the Aatrix® Complete Filing service, you’ll spend 45 percent less money while saving time – and, most importantly – taking the hassle out of printing, stamping and mailing hundreds of forms.

Easy to Use

The process is easy to use. Just launch Sage Timberline Office and we’ll generate your government forms with much of the information prefilled automatically allowing you to easily review and make adjustments on screen as needed. Then, once you’ve verified the information’s accuracy, you can print the form to plain paper and process manually or choose to eFile using the Aatrix eFile Center.

Aatrix eFiling Services

The Aatrix eFile center will file your State and Federal forms for you. You’ll notice a significant time savings, especially with your W-2s, as Aatrix will not only take care of the filing but also mail the employees’ copy directly to them. Or, save even more time and money and go completely green by offering your employees their W-2s over a secured website. No more reprinting lost W-2s. Simply provide your employees their login information and they print their own. Your employees will have access to their W-2 information 24/7, anytime, as long as they have access to the Internet.

Interested in learning more? Go to https://partner.aatrix.com/sagetimberlineoffice or call 800.858.7095.

More Comprehensive Tax Filing Capabilitiesand Improved Payroll Management


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Sage Timberline Office (STO) gives us a couple of options to get to a paperless environment. Inherent in Timberline are the [Print to File], TS PDF Generator printer created in the STO installation

or enhancement process, and the ability to [Send] documents, which creates a PDF document. Add to that mix any number of third-party options. A simple Google search conjures up a dozen or so PDF Printer software options, most of them free. And toss in print managers, such as Wellspring’s Print Boss, and you’ve got a Thanksgiving cornucopia of options.

Four of Your Many Choices!What are the benefits and draw backs of the various options? Here’s a cheat sheet of the most straight forward choices:

Print to File: Use this feature when you want a choice of file formats rather than being limited to PDF. Easily accessed, after you’ve selected all your criteria to print a report, the Print window will open. Click on [Printer Setup] and tick off the [Print to file] option, then click on [Select File]. Browse to your desired file location and type in the name you want this file saved as. The default file format is PRN, readable only in STO, but this format can be overridden with several different

choices, including a text file, an Excel file, a HTML web format and PDF. To access this ability, simply click on the [save as type] drop-down box and selecting one of the types listed.

TS PDF Generator: STO’s TS PDF Generator is a proprietary print driver that creates a PDF file directly from STO. To access it, when the Printer Setup window opens, click on the [Printer] drop-down box and slide down to TS PDF Generator. The print-to-file box will automatically be ticked off as soon as you make this selection and you can use the steps above to browse to a directory and name your file.

Send: This terrific feature is a great way to circulate reports to office staff without chopping down another tree! [Send] accesses the information stored in Address Book to allow users to e-mail directly from STO. These e-mails can be directed to anyone or any Company that has been created in Address Book, not just other users in your Company. When the Printer Setup window pops up, simply click on the [Send] button on the lower left. The Send window will open. Click

on the [Binoculars] to open the drop-down list. This list is keyboard sensitive, so type a quick couple of letters to locate the parties you want to e-mail. The [Send Method] will default from the settings for this party in Address Book, but can be overridden by click on the box. The [Destination] will fill with the recipient’s e-mail address. This process uses the TS PDF Generator to print the actual report, which will appear as an attachment in the e-mail. The name of the attached file cannot be overridden, but will default to the report name. Complete the [Subject] line and create any message that you want to include. You have the option on the right to add other attachments if you would like. As

an example, if you are e-mailing financials for a specific project,

Paperless Options: Print to File, Send or PDF Printer! by: Eire Stewart

JP DiNapoli Companies, Inc.

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you could attach the most recent Listing Flyer or Site Plan. Once you press [Send] and [OK], STO will create an e-mail using your desktop e-mail software,

which must be open while you are using [Send]. Depending on your settings and software, you may see a Security pop-up window prompting you to allow or deny permission to e-mail on behalf of STO. For Outlook users, Micorsoft Knowledgebase article 838871 has more information on this pop-up and instructions for settings. E-mails sent directly from STO will appear in your Outgoing or Sent mailbox.

PDF Printer: There are many options for PDF printers that create Adobe Reader files from a variety of software, including Microsoft Office products. Many are free and others come with converters that will covert other less common document formats to PDF. Adobe also has a PDF print driver available. Frankly, a PDF Printer should be in every user’s arsenal of tools. One of my favorite uses for a PDF Printer is printing CAD drawings to an electronic format. It’s a great way to ease up on your scanner and skip that in-between step by going

directly to the electronic format. Using a third- party PDF Printer is as simple as selecting the device from the [Printer] drop down list in the Printer Setup window and click on [OK]. The PDF Printer will open the document in Adobe Reader and you will be able to browse to your chosen directory, name and save the document from there.

Use a Macro to Save Time and Trouble!All of the above options can be used in a Macro to eliminate the steps necessary for a series of reports that are run routinely, a report that requires lots of the same conditions each time its run, or management

reporting that circulates to the same people every week or month. Macros can be created across modules so that a single Macro can contain steps from a GL, AP, CM, PM, PJ and JC, or any combination or other modules. There are a couple of things to consider in using a Macro that may affect your selected method:

• IncreatingtheMacrousing[Printtofile]ortheTSPDF Generator, there is no ability create a “runtime” prompt to browse the destination directory to a unique location or to alter the name of the file. You can set it so that the file is overwritten each time the Macro is run. An example of how this might be used in a paperless environment is to create a directory for “Monthly Financials,” then create subdirectories for each month. Save the files created by the Macro to “Monthly Financials” directory and then promptly move them to appropriate subdirectory.

• OneofthelimitationsofusingaMacrowiththe[Send]feature is that you cannot send more than one report in an e-mail, but you can send multiple e-mails from a single Macro. A Macro featuring multiple lines of instruction using the [Send] feature will create a separate e-mail for each line of instruction. As a result, you may, depending on your settings, get a Security pop-up for each line of instruction.

• UsingaPDFPrinterwithinaMacrowillcauseallthefilesto be printed to pop open, each in its own window, waiting to be named and saved. While this isn’t much of a limitation, it might prevent you from wanting to run the Macro overnight and come in the next morning to screens of reports waiting for your instructions!

Make a New Year’s resolution for 2012 to save a tree. Heck, by using one of these paperless print methods, you might just save a whole forest!


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The Service dispatch board (dboard) is probably one of the most powerful and underutilized tools in the Service

Management (SM) module. Perhaps you’ve never opened the dboard or perhaps you use it every day. Whatever your experience, there’s always something to learn about dboard.

1. In Setup, Employees, verify that all your service employees are set up, as well as anyone that you may “borrow” from the construction side. If you are missing anyone, and you’re using Payroll, check the box called “Service management employee” on the employee setup in Payroll. If you are not using Payroll, then set up the employee in Service.2. On each employee, verify the defaults. Each employee should have a default center and a department (default tab). On the Schedule tab, select Priority or Scheduled time. If you are new to the dboard, select Priority. The Priority selection will mainly disregard time and just keep the work orders stacked below each employee. The scheduled time requires more maintenance and is a more advanced step.3. Discuss all the stages in the life of a work order from unassigned to billed. Columns on the dboard do not all have to be “real” employees. Think of the columns as your inbox or a stack of paper that moves through the office. Often folks find it helpful to have an employee named “PM unassigned tasks” or “PM unassigned Plumbing.” Other examples include “Parts on Order,” “Parts Received,” “Reviewed,” and “Ready for Billing.” Your stages will vary, so feel free to change your mind as you learn. There are no “irreversible” decisions in on your setup.

4. Create employee groups under Setup, Employee, Groups. The groupings shouldbebasedaroundyourworkflow and users. Groups can be by trade, work order life stages, warehouse stages, etc. Employees can be in multiple groups, but remember to keep the groups small enough to be manageable on whatever size of computer screen you use. Each user may have different needs, so groups can also vary according to user needs.

5. Create custom dboard views under Setup, Dboard, Views. Create a view for each employee group. Leave the time interval at one (1) hour.6. Get organized. Roll all the open calls from prior days onto today’s dboard and begin the process of dragging the ecards (the work orders on the dboard) to the proper column. To roll the ecards, go to dboard, roll ecards. You may think you are caught up on this process, but orphan work orders could be out there. To find your orphans, go to View, Work orders and set your filter for Uninvoiced then sort by schedule date. You will want to put each work order on today’s board or a future board.7. Re-evaluate your dboard columns. Did all of your work orders have a home that made sense to you? The goal again is to keep calls from slipping through the cracks. Take another look at your problem codes (setup/service/problems) and their estimated hours. Never have a problem code with zero hours. The estimated hours can be edited when you take a new call, or revised on the dboard with a right-click on the ecard.

8. Work with the dboard as your primary view. New work orders can be entered through the dboard using the icon on the tool bar that looks like a piece of paper. You’ll want each user to be looking at this board and keeping it current as calls come in and data is entered throughout the day. With the right-click on the ecard, you can edit the register, update customer data, and zoom to the location view.

9. Get the Shop/Warehouse hooked up. You will likely run into the situation where a warehouse manager is prepping material for preventative maintenance calls or other parts needed. With dboard, warehouse managers can see what is in their basket. When the manager is ready, he or she can move the work order back to a column for scheduling. Under the right-click Work order properties, Other actions, you’ll see a parts packing list that populates with all the parts from the register.10. For miscellaneous time entries, go to Setup, Dboard, Miscellaneous time. Add vacation, sick, holiday, meeting, etc., so that you can block the schedules for the non-billable items. Add the Misc time to the board with a right-click under the employee to whom you would like to add that appointment. For additional employees, right-click and Copy Assignment to new employees. The Misc time can create payroll entries, if you choose.

A 12-Step Program for Using Service Dispatch Board (dboard)by: David Sexton

Sage Timberline Office Certified Consultant

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11. Use the time stamps to prefill payroll. In your Service Management Settings, Work order tab, on the bottom left, is

a checkbox to prefill Labor based on time stamps. Time stamps can be tricky, but there are basically two methods to fill them in. One is to punch the green traffic light icon (Start) button on the dboard. With the “start,” your card will turn green to show that the clock starts running. Marking the call as complete, the swinging door icon (Stop) will stop the timer and give you the labor entry. By suspending the call, you can also get a Labor entry. The drawback to the Start button is that the time stamp is the current date and time on your workstation. A second method is to right-click the ecard on the dboard and select Create time stamp. By creating your own time stamp, you can select the exact times you want the work order to start. Creating your own stamps allows you to more precisely control the labor hours that hit the work order register.12. Get to know the time-based dboard. Many contractors use priority-based dispatch. That means the calls on the board are all of equal size and their placement does not necessarily

reflectthestarttimewiththecustomer. In many cases, employees/technicians are autonomous, making this board just fine. The time-based board will list 8am, 9am, etc. (1hr or 2 is customized in Setup, Dboards) down the left side, and you will place the calls on the board based on the start time. The time board goes hand in hand with the time stamps as far as making both work well. There are really too many ins and outs of the time board to go into here. You can use both boards together, but each employee must be on only one or the other. Switch the employees by going into Employee properties and clicking on the Scheduling tab. The employee properties can be reached with a right- click on a name on the dboard or through Setup, Employees, Edit. This article was aimed at helping you fast track through the basics of using the dboard. If you have questions, hints or ideas for a future article on Service Management or the dboard, please e-mail me at [email protected].

NOVEMBER 2011Tuesday 11.1.11 1:00 p.m. ET PJ MISC. & IMPLEMENTATION: USING DESKTOP WITH PJTuesday 11.8.11 1:00 p.m. ET PJ MISC. & IMPLEMENTATION: REPORTS & INQUIRIESWednesday 11.9.11 2:00 p.m. ET CONSTRUCTION ACCOUNTING COMMITTEE & FORUMThursday 11.10.11 1:00 p.m. ET ESTIMATING ASSEMBLIES: PART 3 (FORMULAS IN ASSEMBLIES)Friday 11.11.11 2:00 p.m. ET PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE & FORUMTuesday 11.15.11 1:00 p.m. ET PJ MISC. & IMPLEMENTATION: FILE MAINTENANCE/YEAR-ENDWednesday 11.16.11 1:00 p.m. ET ESTIMATING COMMITTEE & FORUMThursday 11.17.11 11:00 a.m. ET SERVICE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE & FORUM: TRACKING WARRANTY ON EQUIPMENTThursday 11.17.11 2:00 p.m. ET REAL ESTATE COMMITTEE & FORUM: DISCUSS FILE MAINTENANCE ISSUES – WHAT & HOW TO ARCHIVEFriday 11.18.11 1:00 P.M. ET INTEGRATE THE FIELD AND BACK OFFICE WITH DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT AND WORKFLOW: HOSTED BY CONSTRUCTION IMAGINGTuesday 11.21.11 1:00 p.m. ET INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE & FORUMTuesday 11.29.11 1:00 p.m. ET PJ OPEN FORUM: PJ PROJECT MANAGEMENT TIPS & TRICKS

To attend an online event, please e-mail attendee(s) name and e-mail address to [email protected]. You will receive an e-mail confirmation along with connection instructions onceyou are registered. These classes are free of charge and open to members only – one more benefit of belonging to the Timberline Users Group! We are adding more sessions every

day. Check the Online Event Calendar at TUGweb.com for an updated list. If you have any suggestions on sessions you would like to see, please e-mail [email protected].

TUG Online WebEx Training and Open Forums


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A recent study about the movement toward electronic payment systems revealed a not-so-surprising problem. When asked about the biggest obstacle to setting up an electronic system to pay vendors, the majority of respondents cited either vendors’ unwillingness to accept e-payments or a lack of integration with accounting programs. Piracle’s Create-A-Check 10 software package seeks to solve both problems.

“If you look at the major pain points behind electronic payment processing, you’ll nearly always find companies concerned about software integration and ease-of-setup,” said Piracle President and CEO John Bechard. “Create-A-Check 10 not only provides simple ACH payment processing, but offers users a system that integrates seamlessly with Sage Timberline Office (STO) and can be deployed in the office in as little as 20 minutes.”

The reluctance felt by some vendors in receiving electronic payments is overcome when they see that an e-mail is sent the moment payment is processed in Create-A-Check. A quick import process takes part during installation that populates Create-A-Check 10 with e-mail address from STO

Address Book or these can be entered directly into Create-A-Check.

With the payment processing industry becoming increasingly dynamic, companies are scrambling to find faster, paperless options that allow their vendors instant payment, built-in integration and simple record-keeping.

Bechard added: “If we want to stay relevant in an industry that’s constantly becoming more automated and more digital, it’s necessary to take a hard look at what we offer and make sure it’s dynamic enough to solve modern problems as they arise. That’s what we strive for.”

To learn more about Piracle’s Create-A-Check 10 program, visit piracle.com.

The Revolution of Electronic Paymentsby: Jeremy Collins

Piracle, Inc.

Be sure to stay abreast of the latest news relating to STO:

• E-mail exclusive for TUG members: [email protected]

• Follow Sage on Twitter: @SageConstruct

• Join the Sage Construction and Real Estate LinkedIn group

• Subscribe to the SageCRE1 YouTube channel

STAY CONNECTED WITH SAGE


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Think of TUG First on December 1for Our Day-Long Webinar on Year EndWant to hone your year-end closing skills? Here’s a chance to learn from the experts what to archive and how. You can become confident about where specific information goes in the closing process, what fields are updated and why. Register today for this six-hour Webinar event, which will be offered in one-hour installments over the course of the day on December 1, 2011.

Last year’s event, TUG’s first ever, was an astounding success! Over 160 TUG members registered for a total of 541 hours of free education. As if that weren’t enough, even more actually attended with co-workers sharing desktops to get in on the opportunity. PLEASE NOTE: Each one-hour module is limited to the first 100 users that register. Mix and match! Attend only the sessions that apply to you or have individual staff members attend those modules that they work with. Kick off the holiday season with TUG’s gift to you and register today!

Thursday, December 1, 2011*

11:00 a.m. – Accounts Payable – Lenni Witt – SESSION FULL12:00 p.m. – Accounts Receivable – Pam Daly1:00 p.m. – Job Cost/Project Management – Pam Daly2:00 p.m. – General Ledger/Cash Management – Lenni Witt – SESSION FULL3:00 p.m. – Property Management – Eire Stewart4:00 p.m. – Payroll – Kathy Lewis

*All times are Eastern Time.

Webinars on each module will cover:

• Theessentialstepspriortoprocessinganyinformationforthefollowingyear.• Preparingfilespriortoclose,includingbackingupanddatacheckingprocedures.• Printingyear-endreportsandanygovernmentforms,suchas1099sandW2s.• Thechangesthataremadeinthesystemwhentheyear-endprocessisrun. This will include fields populated in the Master file records.• Archivingandhistoryprocessestokeepyourdatafilesatamanageablesizewhileretaining the ability to retrieve information.

Take advantage of this unique opportunity to groom your year-end skills by attending one, two or TUG’s entireYear-End Webinar event.

Remaining session space is going quickly! To register, please e-mail attendee name, e-mail address and which session(s) to [email protected]. You will need to enroll for each module you want to attend. You will receive an e-mail confirmation along with connection instructions once you are registered. Questions? Please contact the TUG office at [email protected] or 404.760.8171.


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Mark your calendar now for the 2012 TUG National Users Conference, May 15-18, at the Gaylord Palms in Kissimmee,

Florida. Registration will be available in early November, six months before the conference. So, if you know you are going to attend next spring’s conference and you have money left over in your training budget for this year, you can confirm your attendance now. The full conference line-up and sessions descriptions will be available starting in November, such that you can reserve your spot in the sessions you want to attend.

Your TUG Education Committee has been working hard on the schedule based on attendee feedback from the 2011 conference and with input from presenters at past conferences. To keep our costs under control, the conference will have a slightly smaller footprint this year – 11 classrooms instead of 12, but still with six of them as “hands-on lab classrooms. We have tried to pack even more value by planning course “bundles”

based on your industry and experience level so that every attendee can have a schedule packed with useful sessions – whether you are a new user, an experienced user or a power user. If you are a controller, a project manager, a payroll clerk, an estimator, a project cost accountant, a property manager, an IT specialist, an accounting clerk, a project assistant, a report designer or an owner, we will have courses that apply to you!

NEW for 2012• AfulldayofPayrollhow-tos,includingall the basics plus Importing, Certified Payroll and Union Setup.• TwofulldaysofPropertyManagement and Real Estate courses.• AfulldayonEQ,PO,IV,andtipsand tricks for specialty contractors.• AfulldayonSMandtipsandtricksfor Service Management.• Four,full-day“SpecialTopic”sessions: 1) Accounts Payable; 2) Paperless Office; 3) Payroll; and 4) Field Access and Daily Logs. Each of these full-day courses will includeanoverviewofworkflowand issues, presentations by third-party vendors and a roundtable tips and tricks discussion.• “BringYourOwnQuestionsLab,”which are small group, informal classes where you can direct the content of the session.

EXPANDED for 2012• AfulldayofBasicMicrosoftAccess,plus sessions on other Microsoft applications, including Excel, Word, Outlook and SharePoint.• AfulldayofBasicODBC,asecondfull day of Intermediate ODBC and a third full day of Advanced ODBC.• AfulldayofBasicCrystalReports,a second full day of Intermediate Crystal Reports and a third full day of Advanced

Crystal Reports, plus special sessions on Crystal for Estimating, Crystal for SM, Crystal for PO/IV and Crystal for Property Management.• AfulldayofBasicReportDesigner, a second full day of Intermediate Report Designer, plus special sessions on Advanced Job Cost Reporting and Productivity Reports.

GREATEST HITS RETURNINGin 2012• STOfundamentalsforusersnewto Timberline and STO common tasks for more experienced users.• Companyfinancials,includingGL,CM, AR, financial statements, reconciliation and year-end procedures.• Projectfinancials,includingJC,AP, PJ change management, managing subcontracts and cost forecasting.• Projectdocuments,includingAddress Book setup and Job Contact List, Transmittals, Correspondence Log, RFIs, Submittals, Meeting Minutes, Custom Logs and Field Reports.• CustomerbillingusingCN/BLfor contract-based or cost-based billing.• Estimatinghow-tosessions.• Managementsessionsforissuesfacing company owners and executives.• Informationtechnologysessions.• Vendortradeshowandvendor-sponsored sessions for an in-depth look at third- party products.• TownHallmeetingwithSageexecutives to hear about upcoming features and future directions.• Prizedrawingsandeveningnetworking events.

Go to TUGweb.com for more details and make your plans now for next spring’s conference. See you in Florida in May!

TUG 2012 National Users Conference – Join Us in Florida in Mayby: Tom Moore

Webster Moore Group


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TimberScan, the paperless approval software for Timberline, was the outcome of a mission to help Timberline users

automate every aspect of the accounts payable process, including invoice approvals. With the realization that accounts payable processing and approvals are arduous and time consuming, especially for companies still using manual systems, TimberScan was developed to eliminate the risks of manual processing and end the relentless paper chase that hampers long term business growth.

Breakthrough InnovationTimberScan, a program designed exclusively for Sage Timberline Office to automate its A/P approval process, uses built-in imaging technology. Although going paperless is a major leap forward, the breakthrough innovation and the key to TimberScan`s success are: (1) its ability to define each company’s unique business rules by customizing invoice routing; (2) its ability to automate supporting documents so approvers get receiving tickets, lien wavers and other documents attached to the invoice; (3) creating multi-person approval sequences; (4) generating reports to monitor approval performance; and (5) it’s easy to use and quick to implement. These features automate even the most complex corporate requirements.

The diagram above illustrates the TimberScanbatch-orientedworkflow.

Gain Complete Control Over Committed Costs There are many benefits to TimberScan, but perhaps one of the biggest is TimberScan’s ability to provide complete control over committed costs. Bob Scott of Thor Construction said that TimberScan “exceeded my expectations and has had a hugely

positive impact on tracking of commitments.” One significant improvement has been better real-time tracking of commitments, especially if an invoice is going over a commitment. Scott asserts that “before TimberScan, some invoices went through an approval process only to be rejected when we went to manually put them into Timberline because they went over the commitment amount.

“With TimberScan, we find out immediately if we have issue, whether it’s an issue on our side (that a change order didn’t get approved) or an issue with the vendor (that we’re billed for something that has not been through the approval process or they’re billing us for something that is not allowed). Either way, we find out right up front.”

How TimberScan Controls Committed Costs Invoices are scanned and entered directly into TimberScan. Data entry is exactly the

same in TimberScan as it is in Timberline, with the same warnings, list buttons and error messages. In fact, all the data comes directly from Timberline.

When you enter an invoice with a committed value, just click on the list button and TimberScan will show all the commitments for that vendor. Once a commitment is selected, TimberScan automatically distributes the costs.

TimberScan informs you of the total committed and the amount invoiced, as well as the amount in TimberScan that is still in the approval process. You will know immediately if this invoice brings you over the committed value. TimberScan also adheres to the commitment warning, error and tolerance percentage set up in Timberline. The Commitment button will print a report on the status of that commitment.

Overpower the Paperwork Tidal Waveby: Rosie Ross

Core Associates

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News and Information for Users of Sage Timberline Office Software

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Bernard Ross of Core Associates states, “The reason TimberScan is so good is because of the enhancement suggestions that come directly from our clients. Our clients make our product great.”

This article focuses on one of many great features TimberScan offers. For a more in-depth presentation, you can sign up for one of our weekly webinars by visiting our website at www.TimberScan.com.

Scott further stated, “For enterprise-class software, with an extensive Timberline interface, it went so much better than I expected.” Thor Construction found the customized routing feature to be so powerful and easy that “even a non-technical person with minimal training can scan the invoice and input basic information, such as job and vendor numbers. Even if we change project managers, the invoice always routes to the right person. I’m so thrilled with TimberScan that I can’t wait for the new release.”

That new release will be a complete rewrite in “.NET,” using the latest Microsoft framework, which will be available fourth quarter 2011. It will offer greater capabilities, increased speed, a new user interface and many other great features.

TimberScan is expanding its program to handle all types of documents. This feature should be available first quarter 2012. TimberScan is a proven system that was first released in 2004 and is now used by over 500 Timberline companies.

October 2011

Entering an invoice with committed costs in TimberScan

Is Your TUG Membership Profile Up to Date?

We don’t want you to miss out on any of the great benefits that TUG has to offer, including the monthly TUG Pulse newsletter and monthly

online educational sessions, as well as important information

regarding the annual TUG National Users Conference. Please contact the TUG office at [email protected]

or 866.846.0999 to update your information today!


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Managing workflows and collectingdata associated with Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Human

Resources, Purchasing and Field Operations can be easier, faster and more efficient. Construction companies have unique requirements of their software solutions, as field operations are remotely operated from the corporate office and each new job is a new location. Up to 70 or 80 percent of a construction company’s workforce are remote. Additionally, some companies deal with high turnover or frequent hiring. Operations, Human Resources, Purchasing, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable and Payroll are responsible for collecting information from the field, managing suppliers and subcontractors, and communicating with owners and other contractors. Much of this information is tracked with estimating, accounting and project management software.

Content Management and workflowtechnology streamline these business processes and provide a central repository for company documents and records. Content Management provides value for executives, managers, construction operations, IT and vendors.

By implementing integrated workflowautomation and business productivity tools, the entire organization is more efficient. Executives receive more productivity from their workforce and gain organized access for electronic documents. Managers are able to implement controls and standards while gaining real-time visibility in their respective departments. Project managers are able to easily send, receive and search project-related information. IT is able to more effectively support the entire business while implementing a single solution for

data management, archiving and backup. Subcontractors and other third parties are able to access information from the web and get the answers they need faster.

ProductivitySubcontractors are able to fill out a subcontractor prequalification form from the company website. The form is integrated with the Timberline database providing list data, pre-fill data and field validation. Subcontractors can attach documents and sign electronically. When the form is submitted,theworkflowengineprovidestheability to notify approvers via e-mail. Once approved, the data collected in the form is exported to Timberline and the documents are automatically stored in the vendor file where they are full-text searchable.

Subcontractors are able to fill out payment applications from the company website. Again, the form validates against the Timberline database for vendor and commitment data. Subs can attach documents such as lien releaseandleanwaivers.Theformworkflownotifies Accounts Payable. The payment data is exported to Timberline once approved or submitted to theAPworkflow forelectronicapproval. The documents are automatically stored in the vendor file where they are full-text searchable.

Job applicants are able to fill out an application form electronically and attach a resume.The form workflow notifies the HRmanager. If the form status is approved to “hired,” then the employee data is exported to Timberline and the document is stored in the Employee file and full-text searchable. If the employee is not hired, then the form can still be stored in the HR file without exporting data to Timberline. The documents

will be on file for future reference if needed. HR is a forms-driven department. Additional applications for electronic forms are I-9, W-4, Benefits Enrollment, Emergency Contact Information, Payroll, Vacation Request and so on. Forms can generate other forms as part oftheirworkflow.

Purchase orders and work orders can be automated using electronic form workflow.Job information, vendor information and cost code information is validated against theTimberline database.The workflow canautomate the approval process and the final data set is then exported to Timberline. The documents are then stored in their respective electronic file for future search and reference.

Accounts Payable is able to scan a batch of invoices and automatically match the purchase order and commitment data stored in Timberline. Purchase orders, delivery tickets and subcontract documents are automatically linked to the invoice. AP is able to standardize workflow rules, suchthat superintendents, project managers and executives can approve invoices electronically via the web or desktop.

During approval, advanced validation can query Timberline data. For example, the invoice workflow can validate that asubcontractor’s insurance certificate is up to date. All members of workflow arenotified via e-mail for documents in their queue. Anyone with access rights is able to search and review invoices, regardless of the invoice workflow status. Real-timereports and dashboards provide greater visibility to job cost and unapproved invoice status. Once an invoice is approved, the AP entry data is exported to Timberline and the

Integrate Field Operations with the Corporate Back Office – Content Management and Workflow

by: Phil DixonConstruction Imaging

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News and Information for Users of Sage Timberline Office Software

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October 2011

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invoices are “backfilled” with check number, date, and amount for check matching and search capability. Invoice links are attached to the Timberline paper clip and are full-text searchable in the electronic AP file.

Companies performing cost plus and T&M billing whereby they are required to provide backup are able to create a billing report where they can export all backup to an electronic file or print in a matter of minutes.

Bids, proposals, contracts, change orders, RFIs and photos all have workflow anddocument management requirements. Document management and workflowengines integrate with Timberline PJ, Windows File Share, Microsoft Outlook,

Microsoft Office and SharePoint. E-mails can be linked to change orders, RFIs and submittals. Change orders are linked to contracts. Word and Excel files are natively viewed and edited in the document viewer. Scanned images are also converted to text, such that they are full-text searchable. For organizations using a shared drive or SharePoint to collaborate, archiving integrations provide the ability to automatically import files to an archived state. E-mails can be archived using an Outlook plug-in, which is a direct interface with the Outlook client.

Construction companies face unique challenges with their electronic files and paper-based workflows. Implementing

integrated workflow and document management provides value for the entire organization. Last, but not least, IT is able to provide a single system of record with a backend repository with security, audit trails and records management. Retention policies are able to be implemented electronically. Files can be migrated to second tier and offline storage, which reduce backup windows and optimize SAN space with the built-in file management technology. For those companies with disaster recovery systems in place, data can be replicated.

To: The GuruO Mighty and Benevolent Guru, I have been given the task of assigning Job Cost phases (cost codes) to all of the items in the estimating database. Is there any way to speed up this dreary task? – JC Phased to Death

TO: Phased to DeathOnce again I, The Guru, can come to the aid of another poor unfortunate.

When you’re ready to assign cost codes to the items, it might be worth looking at the Database Editor feature, “Inherit Job Cost Phase.”

Inherit Job Cost Phase assigns the Job Cost phase that’s assigned to the Estimating Phase to the items under that estimating phase. For instance, in estimating phase 6200, you have items 2x4x8, x10, x12, etc., and all of those items need to go to JC Phase 25-00-01.

In Database Editor (DBE), on estimating phase 6200, enter JC Phase 25-00-01. Then go to the item view in DBE, highlight the items in phase 6200, right click and select Inherit Job Cost Phase. This will assign JC Phase 25-00-01 to all the highlighted items.

You can actually do this to all the items in your database. Just assign the JC code to all the estimating phases and highlight all the items before you Inherit JC Phase.

This process can save you considerable time, but only if you are going to use the same JC phase on all categories because it will assign the same JC Phase to all categories on the item.

– The Never-Fazed-by-Any-Question Guru

ESTIMATING TIPS & TRICKS