By Stephanie Elsen

Are you frustrated because your accounting data entry takes so long and seems so inefficient? Do you feel you should be able to cut down on data entry time and human errors? Here are some ways accounting software can help you do just that. Check to see if your accounting software offers these time-saving functions.

Date Entry Shortcut

When entering dates into your accounting system, you should have the ability to simply type the day and it auto-fills the month and year, or enter just the month and day, and it will complete the year. It should also have an option to not enter separators (hyphens, slashes, etc.) between the month, day and year. Many systems will have an auto-fill function that intuitively knows what you are trying to enter, and provides options for you to choose and shorten your typing time.

Lookups

The majority of fields in your system should have lookup functions so you can find the information you need for the field if it doesn’t have a default value. Many systems will also allow you to decide which fields it should look for a match in when something is entered in a field. For example, if you are in a field where it’s expecting a customer code, do you have to enter the actual code, or can you enter a customer name, phone number, etc. and it will still find a match. Having this intuitive lookup capability can help you find things more quickly and reduce frustration.

Function Keys

As you might be aware, function keys (F1, F2, etc.) are available to shorten functions you perform on your computer most often. Using them can really shave off data entry time from your day! Learn how the function keys work within your accounting software and you can save several clicks per transaction, adding up to a good amount of time saved per day!

Set as Default

If you find yourself selecting the same choice in a field every time, you would likely benefit from changing the default option to the choice you select most often. Many accounting software systems will allow you to change the default to the selection you use most often, saving on data entry time, and ensuring accuracy.

Custom Columns

Some accounting programs allow you to add or remove columns of information within modules such as accounts payable and accounts receivable. This is extremely useful, since most programs must have a wide variety of fields/columns of information to meet many kinds of businesses. Remove the columns of information you don’t need to see, and add those you do need, which can really help streamline your job.

Set Tab Stops

Fields of information within your accounting software may not always be ones you choose or need to use. That’s why many applications will allow you to skip past fields you never use or fields that auto-fill with the correct information. That way when you are hitting the ‘tab’ key to get to the next field, the ones you don’t use will be skipped, and you will instead be directed to the next field you actually want to go to.

Recurring Transactions

Monthly utility bills, insurance payments, and rent payments are all examples of payments you can set up as recurring transactions. Setting them up as recurring transactions eliminates the job of entering the same details each time you need to process the transaction. Furthermore, if you bill your customers on an ongoing basis you can also set those up as recurring accounts receivable invoices. Setting up accounts payable and accounts receivable transactions as recurring transactions can not only save on work, but can also help you become more organized.

While every accounting software system is different, check out your system to see if the above time-saving functions are available. Every little savings of time can really add up!

By Stephanie Elsen

Can a whole blog post be written about pay stubs? Well, if you manage payroll, you know pay stubs are important! A pay stub is the piece of paper an employee receives that contains information about their pay. If they receive a printed pay check, it’s typically attached to the check. If their pay is direct deposited or distributed on a pay card, the paper is simply handed out to those employees. Some employers even go a step further and offer electronic pay stubs, which eliminates the need for paper and allows employees to access their pay information securely online. No matter the form they take, the pay stub is necessary so employees can access information and details about their pay, employment, and benefits. Here are some things you should know about printed pay stubs.

Here are examples of some of the standard pay stub types available with a payroll system. What you put on the pay stubs for your employees largely depends on your company, the benefits you provide, and which information you and your employees need to see (or not to see).

• Standard Pay Stub
• Standard with Leave & Deductions Pay Stub
• Standard with Benefits Pay Stub
• Piece Rate Pay Stub
• Standard with Piece Rate Pay Stub
• Standard without YTD Hours Pay Stub
• Standard without Leave Pay Stub

While many payroll software systems offer a standard set of payroll stub variations, some systems also allow you to design your own pay stubs, so they are exactly as your company and its employees with to see them. Red Wing Software’s CenterPoint Payroll does allow for designing of custom pay stubs with its Check Stub Designer, which is an optional add-on product.

Placement of the pay stub can vary greatly, and that’s why many payroll systems offer the ability to choose where the check and the pay stub are on the check paper stock. The page is typically divided into three sections, with one section being for the check itself, one section for the employee stub and the other section for the stub which the employer keeps.

Some payroll systems also offer users the option of providing electronic pay stubs. Employees are then able to access their current and prior pay data online, from any computer via the internet. This eliminates the need for paper pay stubs, and is also convenient way to provide employees in multiple states or locations with their pay information.

It is important to choose a payroll system that can create pay stubs for your company and its employees in a way that makes the most sense for you.

Pay Stub Sample – CenterPoint Payroll Software

The SBA has launched a new page helping businesses make sense of health care reform. Check out this link for the full story.

http://www.bizjournals.com/wichita/news/2013/01/29/small-business-administration-launches.html?page=all

By Stephanie Elsen

As an employer, you are aware of the importance of making accurate employee wage garnishments. Calculating withholdings and making payments can be complex, and processing them incorrectly can result in legal repercussions. Here are some ways payroll software can help ensure deductions are made accurately and on time.

Set up and track garnishment calculations. By setting up garnishment calculations to compute automatically when payroll is processed, you are assured a consistently accurate dollar amount is being withheld, keeping both employee and creditor happy.

Set up and pay garnishment creditors from your payroll system. By setting up creditors within your payroll system, you can easily process and send checks right from the system instead of having to look up the address and print the check from another location. This also provides the ability to run reports to see who has been paid, and how much.

Specify a minimum net pay. Many garnishment court orders require that an amount be deducted from the pay, yet the employee pay should not go below a specified amount. By setting this up within your payroll system, you are confident the proper garnishment is taken out, and that the employee gets their minimum amount.

Set up a garnishment priority. When an employee has more than one garnishment, you will need to know which garnishment takes priority. Setting up a priority system within your software allows you to automatically deduct the garnishment in the correct order, so that the proper amount is deducted for each creditor.

Specify the priority of other deductions. A garnishment may be set up to allow the employee to contribute money to other areas before the garnishment is taken, such as a 401(k) contribution. In this case, setting up a rule within your system to handle this will make certain that the garnishment is taken only after the other deductions are taken.

Employee payroll garnishments can be complicated. Use every tool at your disposal to ensure you are in compliance with a court-ordered garnishment, and look after the needs of your employee at the same time. Payroll software is a tool that can work wonders in keeping both parties satisfied.

Wage Garnishment Setup in CenterPoint Payroll Software

Red Wing Software, Inc. announces plans to exhibit at the Wisconsin Restaurant Expo in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, March 11-13, 2013. Leading with its payroll software, Red Wing Software intends to spread the word about how to cut down on data entry, make tax filing easier, comply with new PPACA regulations and handle tip and minimum wage calculations.

“Red Wing Software is honored to have a wide variety of restaurants as customers, running payroll for single and multiple restaurant locations,” says Cindy Bauer, Red Wing Software Marketing Manager, “Customers range from small to large hometown restaurants to franchisees with 70+ locations. Franchisee locations using Red Wing Software’s payroll products include Arby’s, McDonald’s, Dairy Queen, Pizza Hut and more. Whether independent or franchisee, restaurants have found the features and service offered by Red Wing Software make the payroll process and tax filing easier. Restaurants can benefit from the new tools for monitoring hours for the upcoming 2014 PPACA requirement, which requires that employers with 50 or more full time employees offer health coverage for those full time employees.”

Visit Red Wing Software March 11-13 at booth #739 at Wisconsin Restaurant Expo. The event will be held at The Delta Center, 400 West Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53203.