Merchants accepting credit cards – are you PCI compliant?

The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is a mandatory global standard established by the major card associations to ensure the protection of cardholder data. Based on twelve guidelines, the PCI DSS requires merchants to make their physical and virtual environments secure to ensure protection of cardholder data. If you are a merchant accepting credit cards as a form of payment, you are required by the card associations to adhere to the PCI DSS. The PCI DSS encompasses the security programs from Visa and MasterCard, Cardholder Information Security Program (CISP) and Site Data Protection (SDP), respectively.

The Payment Application Data Security Standard (PA-DSS) was implemented in an effort to provide the definitive data standard for software vendors that develop payment applications. The standard aims to prevent developed payment applications for third parties from storing prohibited secure data including magnetic stripe, CVV2, or PIN. In that process, the standard also dictates that software vendors develop payment applications that are compliant with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS).

Importance of PCI Data Security Standard Compliance:
It is clear that ensuring the safety of your customers' cardholder information can help your business create and maintain a positive image, enhance customer confidence and even assist in improving your bottom line. Not complying by the deadline can result in fines, adverse publicity and loss of the ability to accept payment cards. Deadlines vary – check with your bank. Visa, for example, requires that merchants use only validated Payment Applications by July 1, 2010!

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Warehouse Automation Changes

Effective April 1, 2010, there will be several important changes regarding the Sage MAS 500 Warehouse Automation module that you should be aware of.

The Sage MAS 500 Warehouse Automation and LabelXpert solutions have always been developed by Scanco, and marketed and sold by Sage under an OEM agreement (similar to common private label business practices). The agreement with Scanco is scheduled to end on March 31, 2010, resulting in several changes.

Given Scanco’s extensive product knowledge as the developer of Warehouse Automation and LabelXpert, we expect this to be a smooth transition, and many things will remain the same, such as:

• No interruption in product usage
• Warehouse Automation and LabelXpert products will continue to be available (from Scanco instead of Sage)
• No change to product pricing
• Customer support will continue without interruption
• No change to support hours (9:00 AM – 8:00 PM Eastern Time)
• Scanco will continue all product development and updates

Read more...

ERP Events

Why is it so difficult to generate useful Cash Flow Statements?

The problems with spreadsheets as cash flow tools are:

  • No dynamic links to the P&L or Balance Sheet; Spreadsheets don’t understand accrual accounting. Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable are too dynamic to be modeled in spreadsheets. You’re left using averages or “guestimates” that don’t truly reflect your business and likely will skew your cash flow analysis.
  • Spreadsheets don’t support “what if…”. To use your cash flow as a tool for exploring alternative business growth and funding strategies, your software has to factor in data changes the second you make them, wherever you make them. Then your time is spent analyzing various business scenarios and their impacts on cash flow.
  • Version what? You need multiple cash flow versions for comparative analysis and business diagnostics. Creating versions in Excel is complex and time-consuming.

What if your budgeting software was not a poorly adapted spreadsheet? What if it was actually designed to make the small or mid-sized company CFO’s cash flow nightmares fade away?

Learn about Budget Maestro; attend our free webinar!

Thursday, April 22 , 2:00pm Eastern Time. Register here.

Make the most of your system

Geri Relich from CIBA Insurance Services contacted Blytheco for assistance with an important Accounts Receivable report that was running very slowly.

"This report used to take 30 – 40 minutes to run, and nobody could explain it. 

The first thing John had to do was to get Crystal 10 on the system, as the report we were working with was a customized Crystal report.  He got behind the scenes, and saw where the data was pulling from (the history file).  He also looked at  the data fields and determined that we could get those same fields from the open invoice file.  Then he looked at the company setup and saw that we retained closed invoices in the open invoice file for 800 days.  He also looked at the period end closings and saw that we hadn’t done period end closings for many months. 

He began by mapping the data to the open invoice file, closed the periods, and changed the number of days in which the open invoice file holds closed invoices.  Whether one of those things changed processing time, or a combination of all, he got the report to run in under 1 minute.  He went through the same routine with another entity that utilized the same report.  Since that entity is much smaller, the report used to take 10 – 12 minutes to run.  It now runs in a couple of seconds.  My staff is so happy, because running these reports was something they dreaded as it would prevent them from using their computer while the report was processing.  I can’t be more pleased, and the A/R staff at CIBA sends John their best wishes.

Thank you John from the Accounting Staff at CIBA!"

Regardless of the system you use or how you use it, Blytheco consultants have the experience and expertise to provide creative solutions to your business challenges. How can Blytheco help you save time and money?

Map for MAS!

For the first time ever, Sage has published to the public its “road map” for MAS 500. The road map has traditionally been Sage’s schedule for new releases and updates projected out a couple of years, and has been available only to Sage business partners.

This “Public Roadmap” for MAS 500 is a 18-page document with not only the release timeline, but also some juicy tidbits like product strategy info, feature highlights for each release, a sneak peek at Business Insights Intelligence (a new reporting alternative to FRx scheduled for release Q4 2010) and some details about Sage’s position in the business software market.

 

Inside Blytheco...Employee Profile

Stephen Blythe is Blytheco's founder and CEO.

Your favorite thing about working for Blytheco: 
Helping people and consulting with CEOs and CFOs to help them remove roadblocks to meeting their business goals. Also, mentoring Blytheco staff and providing them the resources and support to help take them to the next level of their personal success.

What do you do in your spare time? 
I work with many non-profits and flying organizations. I enjoy flying my Bonanza aircraft, scuba diving and spending time with my wife, our family and especially our seven grandkids.

Describe your work with non-profit organizations/charities: 

The primary non-profit organization I support is Liga International, The Flying Doctors of Mercy (www.ligainternational.org). Since 1934, Liga has been dedicated to improving the health and well-being of the people of Sinaloa, Mexico by providing free health care and education.

I provide web development services, business systems, accounting support and I am also a pilot for Liga.

The first Friday of each month from October through June, 15-20 privately owned airplanes deliver volunteers and supplies to remote LIGA clinics. There, hundreds of needy people are given medical, dental, and eye care that they would not get otherwise. Plastic surgeons repair cleft lips, cleft palates, remove tumors, skin cancers, and repair burn scars. General surgeons perform hernia operations. Podiatrists straighten club feet so children can walk. Long-neglected teeth are filled or removed. Ophthalmologists remove scores of cataracts. Glasses are fitted and sight is restored to the blind. An audiologist provides hearing aids and hearing is restored or improved. Many of these offer the local children the ability to attend school and obtain a better future.

Why did you get involved with these groups? 
I wanted to combine my passion for travel and life with giving back to others.

Something you can’t say no to: 
My wife and grandkids.  The key to a happy relationship is “Yes, dear”.  The grandkids are all the fun of kids with none of the responsibility and conflict. Who can say no to that?

Winter Promotions

Stay cool this winter with a new round of exclusive client offers from Blytheco. These promotions are valid through March 31.

Customers on active maintenance or support plans can buy two modules and save 15%, or purchase three or more and save 25% to complete their Sage MAS 500 solution. Automation helps increase productivity and allows you to do more with fewer resources. Below is a sample of additional Sage MAS 500 modules that can help improve efficiency and reduce costs.

  • Warehouse Automation: Use wireless handheld to scan items and improve accuracy during picking, packing, shipping, and receiving.
  • Inventory Replenishment: Reduce inventory and carrying costs by optimizing order points and quantities using seasonal cycles, sales history, and lead times.
  • Data Import Manager: Quickly and easily import selected data from external sources such as: third-party payroll systems, billing services, in-house databases, and more.
  • KnowledgeSync Enterprise Edition: Monitor business conditions and trigger automated alerts through e-mail, fax, pager, cell phone, screen pop, and Web browser.
  • Customizer: Modify standard screens and forms to match your specific business process and improve staff productivity with no programming required!
  • Project Accounting: Prevent cost overruns, generate bottom-line savings by tracking actual versus estimated costs, and increase forecast accuracy throughout project lifecycles.
  • Advanced Manufacturing: Spot production bottlenecks, quickly implement last-minute engineering changes, and extend visibility of the shop floor to your entire enterprise.
  • MRP: Use historical data and advanced replenishment formulas to help you more easily understand current and future material and distribution requirements.
  • Additional Sage MAS 500 Users: Additional users count as one module regardless of the number of users purchased.
  • Sage Abra: Powerful HR and payroll solutions that enable you to automate HR and compliance activities, easily process and track payroll and attendance, and manage employee relationships.
  • Sage FAS: Track tangible assets and those responsible for them, while automatically calculating depreciation and eliminating the need for offline spreadsheets.
  • Sage TimeSheet: Track projects and collect data on the actual time spent and the expenses incurred on each task, along with seamless integration with Project Accounting.
  • Sage Sales Tax: Automate functions ranging from jurisdiction assignment, rate research, and maintenance to reporting, returns, and remittance. (25% discount applied to Activation Fee.)
  • And more!

Customers on active maintenance or support plans save $3,390 on the Budget Control Bundle

Now, managing your budget is more important than ever, and it is time to start planning for next year's budget. Save 20% on the following Budget Control Bundle that includes everything you need to optimally define, analyze, monitor, and control your budgets.

  • Sage Active Planner (3 base users): Powerful enterprise-wide budgeting and planning solution
  • Sage Active Planner Analyzer (3 base users): An integrated analysis tool that provides a graphical view of your budget data and lets you slice and dice it quickly and easily
  • Sage Active Planner WebView (5 Web viewers): Allows remote and local users to interact and have input with your budget via their Web browser
  • Sage MAS 500 Business Insights users (5 users): Enables budget contributors (who do not have access to Sage MAS 500) to view and analyze current budget status online at any time

List price $16,950 if purchased separately. Budget Control Bundle price $13,560 (save $3,390)! Also save 20% on any additional users/viewers for the bundle components listed above.

For more details on these offers, contact Blytheco - send us an email, or give us a call at 800.455.1368, extension 2500.