ALERE Acccounting v3.0 New Features

ALERE v3.0 NEW FEATURES

Sales Order Configurator - The SOC is the sixth ALERE module. It is completely self-contained and makes configuration and kitting native to ALERE. The retail price is $1,995. Here are the key highlights:

The configuration process takes place automatically when an order is being entered and the item has features and options.
The configuration rules are graphically set up on one screen using Treevision. All the features and options and how they are related can be viewed at a glance.
Configuration options and items are added, edited and deleted by right clicking to bring up a menu.
Modular (make a choice) and variable (enter a quantity) rules are supported.
Modular choices within modular choices permit the construction of decision trees with dependency rules. For example: If a bike is being configured and you choose a girl’s bike, then you have a choice of either a street or a mountain bike. Choosing a street bike gives one set of color options while choosing a mountain bike gives you a different set of color options, etc.
Single level kits are supported.
Kits can be configured.
Kits can be set up so that during the order process the items to include and their quantity can be specified.
Rules can be established by the user to define how configured items and kits are priced and costed.
A number of different formatting options for sales order and invoice forms are available.
Bills of material that can be configured are displayed when ALERE is linked with WorkShop.

User Defined Order Entry Screen - This radically new approach to order-entry allows custom, grid-based sales order entry screens to be constructed. The key features are

All entry takes place on one screen which is laid out to show the most amount of lines.
Dynamic Screen Sizing is used to increase the number of visible lines.
The template uses a grid system for maximum heads-down speed.
Each screen that is designed can be saved as a template.
Individual users can be assigned a default template or they can select one from a list of templates.
Different templates for different types of orders are supported.
Only the fields that are needed can be placed on the entry screen and they can be ordered any sequence.
At the end of entering one line on the order the next line is automatically added.
During order entry you can move anywhere on the screen and edit any field.
Sale, Return, and Credit line types are supported.
One button accepts, releases, and allocates items.
Shipping is controlled by using the Inventory Mass Shipping function or by completing the order using the general purpose order entry screen.

Excel Export - An Export button has been added to all reports that permits information to be sent directly to an Excel file. When the data is exported, a screen permits the entry of a file name and data path. Data is placed in the spreadsheet in rows and columns and is ready to be formatted.

The export function provides an excellent way of doing GL consolidation. Simply place each company on a separate tab and then summarize and format on another tab.

Credit Card Payments - Now credit cards can be accepted when entering customer payments. Simply select Credit Card as the receipt type and fill in the card information. Credit card numbers have a checksum validation. A separate field tracks credit card fees and allows them to be posted to a general ledger expense account.

Payment Review and Correction - A new Review tab on the A/R Cash Receipts screen allows payments to be viewed along with how they were applied to customer accounts. Most importantly, corrections can made to the payments. The key features are as follows:

Easy access is provided to all payment information.
A Correct button makes adjustments to already received and applied payments easy.
All general ledger entries are done automatically when adjustments are made.
This is a great solution for clients that post payments to a customer’s account and then want to go back later and apply those payments to invoices.

Refund Overpayments - An overpayment, that has been applied to a customer’s account as a prepayment, can now be easily refunded. A check box on the Approve to Pay screen allows prepayments to be included in the list of payables to be approved. Simply approve it and cut a check.

Order Payment Button - A button has been added to the Status tab of the sales order screens that allows payments to be taken during the process of entering the order. A great point-of-sale feature!

Open Orders Report - This report helps manage the orders that have been taken and need to be shipped. It can be organized by the customer, item, location, needed by date, order number, sales rep, and valid until date.

The Valid Until date function built into ALERE orders helps to manage orders that have expiration dates. The report can be output in either stocking or shipping units of measure.

Daily Shipments Report - This report monitors shipments. It can be organized by the customer, date shipped, item, order number, and sales rep. The report takes advantage of the ability of ALERE to ship separately from invoicing by allowing you to see orders that have been shipped without being invoiced.

The report can be output in either stocking or shipping units of measure. The date range makes it easy to arrange data by day, week, month, etc.

Income Statement by Segment -The Income Statement report has been expanded and includes options to produce reports by subcategory and segment. This capability is available for both the standard and comparison Income Statement reports.

Reporting by account number segment is an excellent way of drilling down to division, department, territory and product financial performance. Understanding account numbers at a glance is made easier because ALERE supports character segments in account numbers.

Expanded Returned Checks Capabilities - The process that handles a returned check can now reverse the payments applied to multiple invoices and to unapplied credits.

New Option on Aged Receivables Report - Two new options have been added as follows:

The Unapplied Payments option provides control over whether or not unapplied payments, such as prepayments, are included on the report.
The Detail/Summary option allows customer information to be compressed to one line each providing an excellent management review tool.

New Options on Aged Payables Report - Two new options have been added as follows:

The Unapplied Payments option provides control over whether or not unapplied payments, such as prepayments, are included on the report.
The Matching Receivables option takes advantage of the ability of ALERE to offset a company’s payables against that same company’s open receivables. Open receivables a company may are optionally included and matched to their payables. This makes available the opportunity to offset the two before making or approving a payment.

Transfer Order Enhancements - Several improvements have been made to Transfer Orders as follows:

A Print button allows orders to be printed directly from the screen.
A Load button allows one or more predefined comments to be placed into the Comments field.
The shipping and receiving GL posting dates can now be independently controlled.

Bank Reconciliation Improvements - Deposit and withdrawal amounts are now summarized separately as they are cleared. Totals can be easily compared against the bank statement and to trap any differences. The list of items to clear has been arranged so that deposits appear first, followed by withdrawals, to speed the process. A check box has been added that permits the list to be sorted by date instead if you so prefer.

1099 Tax Report - This report supports the current IRS forms for Miscellaneous and Interest. There is also an option to provide a summary of all payments.

Zero Dollar Invoice Voiding - Sales invoices that have no dollar value can now be voided and any items on them returned to inventory.

Sales and Purchase Order Release Options - An option to proceed directly to the invoice or payable that was created is given when a sales or purchase order is released. The invoice or payable is displayed on top of the sales or purchase order. This makes it easy to move back and forth between the two.

Company Tax ID - The Company Defaults screen now contains a field to record the company Tax ID for 1099 purposes.

Current Inventory Report - A new Order By option allows the report to be sorted by item or by location. Another option permits the report to filter for nonzero quantities on hand.

As of Inventory Balance Report - An option permits the report to filter for nonzero quantities on hand.

Enhanced Pack and Reindex - The process of packing and reindexing has been expanded to make tables selectable by module or by table.