By Stephanie Elsen
If you are currently using an accounting software program and are thinking about moving to Red Wing Software’s CenterPoint Accounting Software, an important consideration is which of your current data can be brought into CenterPoint Accounting Software, and what is the process for transferring that data. This post explains how that works.
What will Transfer
Providing you can pull out the data from your current system in a compatible format, you should be able to bring all master record information into CenterPoint. When importing your master file information, the only required field is the ABBREVIATION. This will be the unique identifier for that customer or vendor, etc. All other fields of information are optional.
| Customer information | Vendor information |
|---|
| Abbreviation |
Abbreviation |
| First Name |
First Name |
| Middle Initial |
Middle Initial |
| Business Name/Last Name |
Business Name/Last Name |
| Address Line 1 |
Address Line 1 |
| Address Line 2 |
Address Line 2 |
| Address Line 3 |
Address Line 3 |
| City |
City |
| State |
State |
| Zip Code |
Zip Code |
| Phone |
Phone |
| Cell Phone |
Cell Phone |
| E-mail |
E-mail |
| Terms |
Terms |
| Default A/R Account |
Default A/P Account |
| Customer Since |
Is a Business |
| Is a Business |
Fax |
| Sales Tax |
Contact Federal Tax ID |
| Shipping Method |
State Tax ID |
| Fax |
Memo |
| Contact |
|
These are the parameters for what can be brought into CenterPoint for Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable. You can also import your master data into the General Ledger, Payroll, Budgets, Inventory Items and more. As for what can be brought in, again all master record file information can be imported into CenterPoint.
How the DataTransfer Process Works
Any importing of data, no matter where it comes from, is done with the help of the Red Wing Software support team. You extract the information you wish to transfer from your system and provide it in Excel (.CSV or .XLS) file format. The Red Wing Software support team takes that information and maps it into the CenterPoint System for you. We can start up a new database for you, but we recommend that you have CenterPoint installed and set up before we transfer your data into the system for you. We find most customers prefer to start the system setup themselves with such basic information as sales taxes, shipping methods, terms and accounts that most businesses would use.
When the data import is complete, Red Wing Software staff will assign your information to the specified destination within CenterPoint, and provide you a completed import file, which you then use to restore your CenterPoint system. Your system will then be populated with your data. Please call Red Software for more details.
By Stephanie Elsen
Over the years, Red Wing Software has worked hard to create add-on items that our customers have requested and need for their accounting software and payroll software. Whether you are using CenterPoint Accounting for business, agriculture, nonprofit or municipal, or CenterPoint Payroll, what has been your favorite add-on, and why?
Here are some popular add-ons available for CenterPoint:
- Advanced Earnings Matrix
- Check Designer
- General Ledger Journal Import
- Employee Training/Certification Tracking
- Publish Pay Advices
- Ratios
- Time Import
Which of these have you found most useful, and why?
By Stephanie Elsen
Have you ever wondered if switching software is worth it for you and your business? There is the cost of the software itself and training, not to mention the time investment. So, how do you know if it will really be worth all your time and money? Now there is an excellent tool where you can plug in real details about your business and see how much money you could potentially save. The tool was created by the accounting software experts at www.FindAccountingSoftware.com. Click on the link to give it a try for yourself!
Accounting Software – How Much Can You Save?
By Stephanie Elsen
Setting up and managing multiple inventory locations in your accounting software has some real advantages for you and your business. You may not be aware of how much time and efficiency are lost, trying to keep track of items in one system, when your items are located in various places.
Better Customer Service
Being able to see where your in-stock items are located can help give customers a better idea of what is available to them. It also helps you get those items to your customers more quickly, all of which results in happier customers.
Streamlined Processes
When your items are tracked by location, it becomes easier to keep track of actual inventory quantities. This helps for your physical inventory counting process, as well as the process of determining what needs to be ordered.
Less Shrinkage
If you have inventory stored on a truck or other remote location, you can keep track of that specific inventory as its own location. Tracking that information tends to reduce the possibility of items disappearing without explanation!
Red Wing Software accounting software products are able to help you manage multiple locations. For more information, call Red Wing Software at 800-732-9464.
Intro By Stephanie Elsen:
Red Wing Software Payroll Programs use Aatrix as a provider of payroll tax reports and filing options. This feature is integrated directly into the payroll programs. Payroll tax reporting is a crucial component of payroll software which can have a direct impact on your processes. We checked in with Bruce Senti of Aatrix this month, and in this post he shares survey results and other information about customers using Aatrix.
By Bruce Senti:
Aatrix has asked their customers opinion on their performance every year for six years. The response has been amazingly consistent. Below is a brief comparison of desired features in a W-2 eFile solution and the responses to the 2012 Aatrix W-2/1099 eFile survey.
The best measure of overall satisfaction of any service is whether customers would recommend that service to other businesses. 93% of Aatrix’s customers say they would recommend the service to others.
W-2 eFiling solution.
Processing W-2s is one of the most important requirements businesses face every year. It is the time of year many payroll administrators dread for obvious reasons.
Complete W-2 eFiling services can eliminate most of the pain associated with processing W-2s in-house. In the past these services were provided by payroll service providers and were often very expensive. The addition of complete eFile services to many payroll software solutions has made this option very affordable, and offers significant efficiencies to small businesses.
What to look for in a W-2 eFile solution.
When determining whether a complete W-2 eFile solution is the right choice for your business, there are key features to look for.
The solution should be integrated with or connect to your payroll software to improve the ease of processing W-2s and the accuracy of the filings. Getting set up for the service should be simple and easy to complete. The process should be easy to follow and understand. Below are the results of the 2012 survey of Aatrix eFile customers. The results were compiled from over 1800 businesses that responded to the survey conducted in April 2012.
- 97% of Aatrix’s customers agreed that the Aatrix solution worked well with their payroll software.
- 95% of Aatrix’s customers agreed that the Aatrix process was easy to understand.
- 95% of Aatrix’s customers agreed that the Aatrix enrollment process was easy to understand and complete.
The service must be affordable. Typical in-house cost of processing W-2s is from $3.85 to $4.35 per employee. This cost includes processing time, forms, envelopes, and postage.
98% of Aatrix’s customers agreed that the Aatrix solution is affordable.
Many of Aatrix’s customers offered comments regarding their experience with their W-2/1099 eFiling experience with the Aatrix solution. The following are a few of these unedited customer comments from Red Wing Software users:
- “WONDERFUL!!!! It's great to have this at my fingertips since at this time of the year when all the taxes need to be sent out there is so much more going on. Whether it is personal or work related it's a huge pile of things that NEED to be done. So Aatrix was a life saver this year!!!”
- “LOVE IT!!!”
- “We found that overall the prices were very affordable.”
- “I could do it myself but because the value is there and the price is reasonable I continue to use Aatrix.”
- “With the prices you charge a person would be silly to do it on their own when you add up your time, stamps, ink, paper etc.”
- “I love this service. It saves me hours every year over the old way we used to do it!”
- “I have never had a problem, it is fast and easy and along with all the year end taxes and stress, this definitely was the easiest part.”
- “Time saver and definitely a user friendly system!”
- “I was hesitant at first but realized how much easier it was to have you do it. We winter in AZ so very efficient for me to do. Quick and easy.”
- “This makes payroll processing in house extremely economical and so easy! We put in the data and Aatrix does all the work. It's great!”
- “Aatrix takes away the headaches of printing my own tax forms.”
- “Aatrix is a great way to e-file W-2s. Quick, easy & economical.”
- “I have never gotten the service I get at Aatrix anywhere else. The people totally ROCK!!!!!”