This privacy policy tells you how we use personal information collected at this site. Please read this privacy policy before using the site or submitting any personal information. By using the site, you are accepting the practices described in this Privacy Policy and the Terms of Use policy. These practices may be changed, but any changes will be posted and changes will only apply to activities and information on a going forward, not retroactive basis. You are encouraged to review the privacy policy whenever you visit the site to make sure that you understand how any personal information you provide will be used.

Note: the privacy practices set forth in this privacy policy are for this web site only. If you link to other web sites, please review the privacy policies posted at those sites.

Your privacy is very important to us. Accordingly, we have developed this Policy in order for you to understand how we collect, use, communicate and make use of personal information. The following outlines our Privacy Policy.

When accessing our Website, Ledgerwood Associates Inc. will learn certain information about you during your visit.

Similar to other commercial Web sites, our Web site utilizes a standard technology called “cookies” (see explanation below, “What Are Cookies?”) and Web server logs to collect information about how our Web site is used. Information gathered through cookies and Web server logs may include the date and time of visits, the pages viewed, time spent at our Web site, and the Web sites visited just before and just after our Web site, your IP address.

What Are Cookies?
A cookie is a very small text document, which often includes an anonymous unique identifier. When you visit a Web site, that site’s computer asks your computer for permission to store this file in a part of your hard drive specifically designated for cookies. Each Web site can send its own cookie to your browser if your browser’s preferences allow it, but (to protect your privacy) your browser only permits a Web site to access the cookies it has already sent to you, not the cookies sent to you by other sites.

IP Addresses
IP addresses are used by your computer every time you are connected to the Internet. Your IP address is a number that is used by computers on the network to identify your computer. IP addresses are automatically collected by our web server as part of demographic and profile data known as “traffic data” so that data (such as the Web pages you request) can be sent to you.

How Do We Use the Information That You Provide to Us?
Broadly speaking, we use personal information for purposes of administering our business activities, providing customer service and making available other items and services to our customers and prospective customers.

Ledgerwood Associates Inc. will not obtain personally-identifying information about you when you visit our site, unless you choose to provide such information to us, nor will such information be sold or otherwise transferred to unaffiliated third parties without the approval of the user at the time of collection.

We may disclose information when legally compelled to do so, in other words, when we, in good faith, believe that the law requires it or for the protection of our legal rights.

Your information may be transferred to a third party as a part of our business assets in a sale of a part or all of Ledgerwood Associates Inc.  Likewise, Ledgerwood Associates Inc. may provide your information to its Partners providing products and/or services.

A Special Note About Children
Children are not eligible to use our web site and services and we ask that minors (under the age of 13) do not submit any personal information to us. If you are a minor, you can use this site only in conjunction with permission and guidance from your parents or guardians.
How Do We Protect Your Information and Secure Information Transmissions?

Email is not recognized as a secure medium of communication. For this reason, we request that you do not send private information to us by email. However, doing so is allowed, but at your own risk. Some of the information you may enter on our Web site may be transmitted securely via a secure medium known as Secure Sockets Layer, or SSL- though not all information is collected this way. Credit Card information should not be transmitted via email.

Ledgerwood Associates Inc. may use software programs to create summary statistics, which are used for such purposes as assessing the number of visitors to the different sections of our site, what information is of most and least interest, determining technical design specifications, and identifying system performance or problem areas.

Email Policy
If you choose to correspond with us through email, we may retain the content of your email messages together with your email address and our responses.
We will use your e-mail address solely to provide timely information about Ledgerwood Associates Inc. announcements, events, products, and services.
Ledgerwood Associates Inc. will maintain the information you send via e-mail in accordance with applicable federal law.

CAN-SPAM Compliance
In compliance with the CAN-SPAM Act, all e-mail sent from our organization will clearly state who the e-mail is from and provide clear information on how to contact the sender. In addition, all e-mail messages will also contain concise information on how to remove yourself from our mailing list so that you receive no further e-mail communication from us.

Choice/Opt-Out
Our site provides users the opportunity to opt-out of receiving communications from us and our partners by reading the unsubscribe instructions located at the bottom of any e-mail they receive from us at anytime.

Users who no longer wish to receive our newsletter or promotional materials may opt-out of receiving these communications by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail or e-mail us at Ledgerwood@LedgerwoodAssociatesUSA.com.

Policy Changes
We reserve the right to amend this Privacy Policy at any time with or without notice. However, please be assured that if the Privacy Policy changes in the future, we will not use the personal information you have submitted to us under this Privacy Policy in a manner that is materially inconsistent with this Privacy Policy, without your prior consent.

We are committed to conducting our business in accordance with these principles in order to ensure that the confidentiality of personal information is protected and maintained.

Contact
If you have any questions regarding this Policy, or your dealings with our web site, please contact us.

Disclaimer
Ledgerwood Associates Inc. makes no representations, warranties, or assurances as to the accuracy, currency or completeness of the content contain on this website or any sites linked to this site.  If any provision in these Terms of Use is held invalid, deemed unlawful, void or unenforceable, then that provision is deemed severable from these Terms of Use and the remaining provisions remain valid and enforceable.

Limitation of Liability
THE MATERIALS AT THIS SITE ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” WITHOUT ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTY OF ANY KIND INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, NONINFRINGEMENT OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, OR FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL Ledgerwood Associates Inc. OR ITS AGENTS OR OFFICERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, LOSS OF INFORMATION, INJURY OR DEATH) ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE MATERIALS, EVEN IF Ledgerwood Associates Inc. HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH LOSS OR DAMAGES.

Privacy
Incorporated into these Terms of Use by this reference, our Privacy Policy further describes the collection and use of information on this website.

Intent:
The intent and purpose of this site is to provide consumers information and additional resources to help them make informed buying decisions.  Please be advised that this site may generate commission from third party retailers with the sale of products and/or services.  Also please be advised that this site may generate earned revenues for the sale of products and/or services designed, created and produced by Ledgerwood Associates, Inc.
Testimonials:
Each and every testimonial cited on this site was provided by individuals of their own free will and by those who have tried the service and/or the product and offered their true and honest opinions. These testimonials were not solicited and providers of these testimonials gain nothing as they were never compensated in the past, they are not being compensated in the present nor will they ever be compensated in the future.

Policy Changes
We reserve the right to amend these Terms of Use at any time with or without notice.

A Special Note About Children
Children are not eligible to use our web site and services and we ask that minors (under the age of 13) do not submit any personal information to us. If you are a minor, you can use this site only in conjunction with permission and guidance from your parents or guardians.

Anti-Spam Policy
Ledgerwood Associates Inc. prohibits the use of their website and/or services in any manner associated with the transmission, distribution or delivery of any unsolicited bulk or unsolicited commercial e-mail (“Spam”). You may not use any Ledgerwood Associates Inc. services to send Spam. You also may not deliver Spam or cause Spam to be delivered to any customers of Ledgerwood Associates Inc..
In compliance with the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 (15 U.S.C. 7701, et seq., Public Law No. 108-187, was S.877 of the 108th United States Congress), e-mail sent, or caused to be sent, to or through the Ledgerwood Associates Inc. website or service may not:

• use or contain invalid or forged headers;
• use or contain invalid or non-existent domain names;
• employ any technique to otherwise misrepresent, hide or obscure any information in identifying the point of origin or the transmission path;
• use other means of deceptive addressing;
• use a third party’s internet domain name, or be relayed from or through a third party’s equipment, without permission of the third party;
• contain false or misleading information in the subject line or otherwise contain false or misleading content;
• fail to comply with additional technical standards described below;
• otherwise violate our Terms of Use.

Ledgerwood Associates Inc. does not authorize the harvesting, mining or collection of e-mail addresses or other information from or through the website or its services. Ledgerwood Associates Inc. does not permit or authorize others to use the Ledgerwood Associates Inc. services to collect, compile or obtain any information about its customers or subscribers, including but not limited to subscriber e-mail addresses.
Ledgerwood Associates Inc. does not permit or authorize any attempt to use its services in a manner that could damage, disable, overburden or impair any aspect of any of the services, or that could interfere with any other party’s use and enjoyment of any Ledgerwood Associates Inc. service.

If Ledgerwood Associates Inc. believes that unauthorized or improper use is being made of any service, it may, without notice, take such action as it, in its sole discretion, deems appropriate, including blocking messages from a particular internet domain, mail server or IP address. Ledgerwood Associates Inc. may immediately terminate any account on any service which it determines, in its sole discretion, is transmitting or is otherwise connected with any e-mail that violates this policy.

Nothing in this policy is intended to grant any right to transmit or send e-mail to, or through, the Ledgerwood Associates Inc. website and/or services. Failure to enforce this policy in every instance does not amount to a waiver of Ledgerwood Associates Inc.’s rights.

Unauthorized use of any Ledgerwood Associates Inc. services in connection with the transmission of unsolicited e-mail, including the transmission of e-mail in violation of this policy, may result in civil, criminal, or administrative penalties against the sender and those assisting the sender.

Violators of the CAN SPAM Act may be subject to “cease and desist” orders or penalties from the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) of up to $16,000 per violation. Criminal prosecution is also possible in the case of egregious offenders, which can result in penalties such as fines, forfeiture of proceeds and equipment. The worst offenders can also be subject to prison time.

DMCA
Ledgerwood Associates Inc. respects the intellectual property of others.

If you believe that your copyrighted work has been copied in a way that constitutes copyright infringement and is accessible on this site, you may notify our copyright agent, as set forth in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 (DMCA). For your complaint to be valid under the DMCA, you must provide the following information when providing notice of the claimed copyright infringement:

• A physical or electronic signature of a person authorized to act on behalf of the copyright owner identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed
• Identification of the material that is claimed to be infringing or to be the subject of the infringing activity and that is to be removed
• Information reasonably sufficient to permit the service provider to contact the complaining party, such as an address, telephone number, and, if available, an electronic mail address
• A statement that the complaining party “in good faith believes that use of the material in the manner complained of is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or law”
• A statement that the “information in the notification is accurate”, and “under penalty of perjury, the complaining party is authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed”

The above information must be submitted as a written, faxed or emailed notification to the following Designated Agent:

Attn: DMCA Office
Ledgerwood Associates Inc.
7440 East 6th Avenue, Suite 202
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
Fax          888.848.1033

Ledgerwood@LedgerwoodAssociatesUSA.com

WE CAUTION YOU THAT UNDER FEDERAL LAW, IF YOU KNOWINGLY MISREPRESENT THAT ONLINE MATERIAL IS INFRINGING, YOU MAY BE SUBJECT TO HEAVY CIVIL PENALTIES. THESE INCLUDE MONETARY DAMAGES, COURT COSTS, AND ATTORNEYS’ FEES INCURRED BY US, BY ANY COPYRIGHT OWNER, OR BY ANY COPYRIGHT OWNER’S LICENSEE THAT IS INJURED AS A RESULT OF OUR RELYING UPON YOUR MISREPRESENTATION. YOU MAY ALSO BE SUBJECT TO CRIMINAL PROSECUTION FOR PERJURY.

This information should not be construed as legal advice, for further details on the information required for valid DMCA notifications, see 17 U.S.C. 512(c)(3).

Contact
If you have any questions regarding these Terms of Use, or your dealings with our web site, please contact us.

Power Tools Live Training

My Assistant (CLASS CLOSED)

One of Ledgerwood’s most popular Certified Sage Consultants, Gary Jacobson, leads this half-day, hands-on class at the LAI training center in beautiful Old Town Scottsdale. Don’t miss out on learning more about one of the most powerful Sage 300 CRE (Timberline) apps – MyAssistant.

Gary will show you why this product truly IS your personal assistant. MyAssistant raises the level of communication within the organization as well as with vendors and customers, AND helps you manage information at all phases of project, contract, and property management processes.

Learn to:

• Automatically generate and distribute reports, spreadsheets, and documents
• Set up email alerts to provide the precise information you need, in the format you want, when you need it
• Customize tasks & schedules to your preferences

Class size limited to 15 for hands-on desktop training. Reserve your space NOW!

Register

Regional Sales Manager

Tony Merry has been in the construction industry for over 12 years, with roles ranging from Contract Administration to recommending and selling Construction Accounting software solutions. A deft negotiator, drawing from experience in the field as well from the back office, Tony is well prepared in his current role of Regional Sales Manager for Ledgerwood Associates, a Sage “President’s Circle” Business Partner.

Contact Tony at tony@ledgerwoodassociatesusa.com.

Take the Fear Out of Report Designing!

Two New Series

Where else can you get low cost, online Sage software courses with a live instructor, homework, and assignments? Only from Ledgerwood Associates, your Sage Business Partner!

Interact live with Kyle Zeigler, Certified Sage Consultant, and your peers through a GoToTraining environment, where you can ask questions, receive assignments, and take a “final” – which guarantees you will be up-to-speed on the capabilities of Sage 300 CRE reports.

Learning from your desktop is a smart way to increase your value to the company, and this summer we are tackling the SCARIEST of topics – REPORTING!!

All classes will be recorded and available online for 90 days after the session has ended.

Take the Fear Out of… Report Designer – 3 class series

Want the basics on reporting in Sage 300 CRE (Timberline)? This class, led by Sage Certified Consultant Kyle Zeigler, will give you the 101, 201 and the 411 on all you need to know about reporting.

These two-hour classes start with the (mandatory) basics: Data Structure Concepts, so you get a great foundation for in-depth training. The next class, Plan, Design & Create a Basic Report will walk you through the fundamentals of Report Designer. Finally, class three will teach you how to Create Formulas, Use Functions & Manage a Custom Report – with total confidence!

Starting Thursday, May 16, 2012
9:00 am – 11:00 am MST via GoToTraining

JUST ADDED! Second Set of Take the Fear Out of…Report Designer classes

Can’t make all of the May classes? You can take attend one or two in May, and jump to the July classes to finish. Remember, these are sequential – but we will keep content online for refreshers!

Starting Wednesday, July 10, 2012
9:00 am – 11:00 am MST via GoToTraining

Take the Fear Out of… Crystal Reporting – 5 class series

OMG! Crystal Reporting? That is scary!!

Well, it won’t be any more when LAI Consultant Kyle Zeigler guides you through the crystal jungle! These are progressive classes, so consequently, are sold as a block. By the end of Class 5 you will be wondering what the big deal was – and you’ll be doing complex reports in half the time it used to take.

• Class #1 Data Structure Concepts
• Class #2 Getting Started with Crystal Reports
• Class #3 Sorting, Grouping, & Adding Formulas
• Class #4 Adding Functions, Special Formulas, Formatting, Parameters, Charts & Graphs
• Class #5 More…Sage 300 Report Features, Review Common Functions

Starting Thursday, June 6, 2012
9:00 am – 11:00 am MST via GoToTraining

What:
Day One: Estimating Fundamentals, is for new Estimating users. It covers Sage Estimating and basic operating procedures.

Day Two: Database Fundamentals and Extended Features covers Database basics and tools used to modify existing Database information, shortcuts, additional features and other useful information.

Please note: You may attend both days, just Estimating Fundamentals or just Database Fundamentals and Extended Features.

Estimating Fundamentals:
One day is spent on basic concepts, procedures and topics, including how to create estimates, manipulate spreadsheets, and generate reports.

Database Fundamentals and Extended Features:
One day is spent on database concepts and procedures, including creating a new database, adding Phases, Items and Assemblies, using database tools, and  additional features, including building Crews and Bid Grids, and using Cuts and Adds, WBS Codes, and Estimate Adjustments.

Prerequisites:
A familiarity with Microsoft Windows. We encourage clients to familiarize themselves with the software prior to attending.

A minimum of three registrants is required to hold this class. We will notify you if the minimum is not met.

Register Now

3 Ways to Get More from Your Investment

Whether you are considering new software or want to get more from your legacy system, there are a multitude of reasons why NOT to use it “out of the box.” Here are some great practices for you to consider and implement in order to customize your solution to meet YOUR needs!

Automated Workflows: Replacing Manual Entry Processes

Today’s technology allows automated workflows to replace the extremely time-consuming and tedious work of manual entry processes and spreadsheet use. Let’s take a look at why your company needs to automate the workflow process by first understanding the risks involved with manual data entry.

Manual Entry- A Risky Business

Accurate information is critical to any business in order to have reliable outcomes, good customer service, and a better bottom line. Traditionally, team members have been required to spend hours of their time manually entering and often re-entering data in multiple locations. This process takes so much time because of the need to pay strict attention to detail. Just one digit off in a data entry cell can be the difference between wining the bid or going broke.

Another time sucking aspect is due to the nature of manual entry- that of duplicate efforts. You see, most construction businesses use multiple software solutions to perform various functions ranging in estimating, accounting, bidding, time sheets, etc. More often than not, these systems are not integrated and thus require staff to repeatedly enter data in numerous locations and therefore increase the risk of errors.

Automated  Workflows Improves Business Performance

One of the most critical requirements of automated workflows is to have integrated construction management software that can pass data between business management tasks. Combining an integrated solution with automated workflows will optimize your business, reduce costly errors, and streamline communication between team members.

• Increase Productivity- Team members can spend less time on data entry on more time on improving competitiveness
• Consistent Reliability- Automation ensures the same procedure for a task is used every time
• Auditable Accountability- With a document trail to follow, staff can take ownership of their efforts
• Spend less Time- Eliminate the bottleneck of waiting for documents from other departments with instant automated report results
• Reduce Costs- Decrease errors and omissions, uncover overspending, and lessen the risk of fraud

Develop a Customized Workflow Solution

The current business climate is increasingly competitive and the need to hone business efficiencies is ever present. This combined with the need of scalability, accuracy and quality can be a constant pressure. Relieve some of this pressure by developing a customized workflow solution. At Ledgerwood Associates we understand the challenges in getting a solution up and running while continuing daily business tasks. Let our highly experienced Professional Services Business Unit work closely with you to develop a valuable solution based on your goals and processes.

Some services to consider are:

• An existing process analysis
• A workflow design that is collaborative
• Implementation of the software & processes
• Continuing support

Reduce the risk of manual data entry and elevate your business by utilizing automated workflows.

Performance vs. Function – Your Professional Services Consultant Should Be Helping!

Any Professional Services organization’s goal should be more than implementing new software or training staff to do efficient data entry. A true partner has a loftier mission, based upon a client’s business needs. And that means maintaining an ongoing dialogue with the client. The goal of the dialogue is to create (and adjust) a solution to perform to corporate goals – even withstanding shifting economic conditions. That takes commitment on both sides.

When was the last time you had a conversation with the software seller’s consultant team? Haven’t seen them since implementation and training four years ago?

If you’re like most companies, you simply update your software without taking the time to
 fully vet the enhancements and new functionality.  This is where the Professional Services team shines (they often have to get re-certified for new releases)! Do you tap their expertise to make your company’s solution PERFORM and not simply FUNCTION?

You may want to consider a Professional Services solution analysis and a collaborative strategic plan to maximize the untapped potential of your investment.

Here are 5 things to discuss with your Professional Services consultant:

• Does project delivery translate into financial success?
• Are you receiving information in enough time to improve cash flow and revenue forecasting?
• Can you improve productivity, resulting in increased profitability?
• Are the field and back office disconnected, slowing down productivity and profit?
• Is your solution configured to minimize risk and optimize compliance?

Designing Custom Reports – Show No Fear!

Ahh…customizing the dreaded report. Many software packages such as Crystal Reports and Report Designer have pre-loaded reports to get you headed in the right direction, however they never seem to quite match up perfectly with your specific needs. By learning how to customize reports, the information you pull and the way that you pull it can be more specific to your business and much more time efficient. For example, if you are doing flat file reports like job lists or customer lists, just a few basic customized commands could allow you to pull one well organized report versus having to shuffle between several reports.

The Ledgerwood Associates team understands that your time is valuable, technology can be tedious, and sometimes it may seem easier just not messing with things and working with software right out of the box. Lets talk a little about these issues for a moment:

There just isn’t enough time to learn something new…
In this hectic business environment, it can be difficult taking a moment just to let yourself breath, let alone take the time to learn an entirely new process of doing things. However, sometimes it pays to look at the longer range view. Spreadsheets are risky because they are so easy to corrupt data- most times without even knowing it has happened! Therefore it takes considerable time to meticulously enter data. Then, it often takes more time re-entering that data in another registry or software solution. Establishing an integrated reporting system and creating well-designed custom reports will often save time by replacing outside systems such as spreadsheets that require manual maintenance.

Technical stuff is too confusing…
It is true that some of us just are not very tech savvy, but custom reporting goes beyond the technical side and can actually lead to a better understanding of the data and ultimately you may get more insight out of it. For instance, the Beginning Report Designer class will help you very quickly begin to understand data better as well as lead you to the basics of generating custom reports. It really only takes a few commands and parameters to generate a huge amount of custom reports.

It comes with pre-loaded reports- so why learn to customize them?
The canned reports almost always need to be adjusted to best fit GL accounts, job numbers, etc. Sometimes just knowing how to add a field to an existing report can eliminate the need to run two separate reports to get the information you need. Having everything related in one report will not only reduce time of generating reports, but is likely to help reduce errors and misunderstandings while trying to sift between reports to understand the data.

Customizing reports can be a little daunting without some training.
Ledgerwood Associates has established a 3 part online classroom series for Report Designer and a 5 part series for Crystal Reports in order to help you get comfortable with customized reporting and tailor your reports to your specific business needs. Join us as Ledgerwood Associates team members walk you through the ins-and-outs of report designing.

New LiveWire Online Class Series – “Take the Fear Out of…”
Join Certified Sage Consulant, Kyle Zeigler, LIVE from your desktop and conquer your report writing trepidation. These progressive classes start with the basics and advance your skills at your pace. Designed to be affordable and accessible – not your “out of the can” type of training! Be prepared for homework, assignments and a final! Check out the events below and sign up NOW!

Upcoming Events:

Take the Fear Out of…Report Designer
3 Part Online Class Series
Starting:May 13th, 2013
  9:00 am – 11:00 am MST

Take the Fear Out of…Crystal Reporting
5 Part Online Class Series
Starting:June 6th, 2013
  9:00 am – 11:00 am MST

Beginning Report Designer
Live Classroom Training
June 18-19th, 2013
 9:00 am – 5:00 pm MST

Skill Savor
Lunch & Tips
June 20th, 2013
 11:00 am – 1:00 pm MST

Sage Summit

The largest gathering of Sage partners and customers is at Sage Summit. This event provides a great venue for you to interact with the experts, discuss trends, see new technologies, and help you master your Sage solution.

This year the event runs from July 21 – July 26th at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in Washington, D.C. There will be several break out sessions with some great information. You can take a look at the sessions here.

Toolbox Tips:

Sage 100 Tips: Powerful, but Often Underutilized Functions…

One of the most powerful, but often underutilized, functions in Sage 100 Contractor is Queries. Sometimes called the Find Records function, it can be a great help in mining data and solving problems. Queries are accessed by the Binoculars Button found in the upper right quadrant of most data screens. A few prebuilt queries are included in the program, although I find most of them to be limited.

Build your own queries quickly and easily using the Query Wizard. Click on the New Button to start the Query Wizard, give the query a name, define what data you want to see in your results and how you want it sorted and grouped, finally define how you want your data selected and filtered. When the query is run, you will see the individual data records you asked for, with the ability to drill down into the underlying records!

Queries are limited, in that you cannot perform calculations on the data inside the query, but you can export the result to Excel and then add calculations, re-sort the data, summarize the data, etc.

Get comfortable with creating queries! The Query Wizard is an important component of the Alert Manager function and if you can create your own queries, you can easily set up your own Alerts (but that’s a Tip for another day).

More about Sage 100 Contractor here.

Call Ledgerwood Associates, 1-877-918-8301 today and we’ll match your needs to the best solution.

Submitted by Walt Mathieson, walt@mathiesonconsulting.com, Ledgerwood Sage 100 Consultant

Sage 300 Tips: For Inquiring Minds Only…

Meaningful information, at your fingertips – is a common expectation for today’s business software. Sage 300 Construction and Real Estate does this well with an abundance of pre-built inquiries. Inquiries provide instant access to information for users at all levels, from AP/AR personnel to operations and project managers, and even company owners. Inquiries are windows into your Sage 300 data, and most have a variety of views that show you summarized totals as well as nuts and bolts details. They also serve as a handy tool to print mini reports, and with version 12.1 of Sage 300, the contents of inquiries export beautifully to Excel at the touch of a button.

Inquiries are available in the individual Sage 300 applications, but users can get the information they need all in one location with the use of Information Assistant. Sage security settings control access. Some of the answers available quickly include:

• Amounts invoiced and paid for vendors, customers, contracts and jobs.
• Overall job performance, with drill-down into cost-estimate variances and transaction details.
• Project Management document log and change management information.
• General ledger balances and transaction details.
• And so much more!

Inquiries are flexible! To get exactly the information you need, click on a column header to select an option to edit the column contents, insert a column before or after the column, or delete the column altogether. Resize the columns by clicking on and dragging the vertical lines between them. Use conditions to limit the data presented in an inquiry. And if you find that you are constantly customizing the same inquiries every time you use them, you can permanently save the view that gives you the best information if Inquiry Designer is part of your Sage 300 software suite.

For more information or training on the use or design of Sage 300 inquiries, give us a call!

More about Sage 300 CRE here.

Submitted by Kyle Zeigler, LAI Certified Consultant

Sage Estimating

Premier Construction Estimating Software

Winning bids is key to keeping your project backlog healthy. But you want to win the right bids, the ones you can count on to be profitable. Your keys to success are having accurate estimates that you can trust will result in profitable jobs and being able to quickly produce estimates so you can bid on multiple jobs at one time.

Schedule a Custom Demo Here

  No More Spreadsheets

Many estimators are still using generic spreadsheets to build their estimates. A risky business practice to say the least. Deleting a cell and the built-in formula can create havoc. And, errors aside—what about standardization? With different estimators doing their own thing, inconsistent processes can result in confusion and if something’s overlooked, your profit margins may be in serious jeopardy.

Job Cost Integration

With Sage Estimating, you can feel confident about your estimates from the moment you begin the bid process. We can help you save time, curb risk, and maximize profits by automating your entire estimating procedure. Sage estimating software is integrated with our market-leading accounting and operations software, so that once you win a bid, you can import your estimate into job costing and get started right away.

Revise

Need text for this area

Award Wining Estimating Software

There’s no one-size-fits-all for all construction companies, so choose the industry-leading Sage Estimating solution that best meets your particular needs and business requirements. Plus, to get you up and running quickly, select from a full range of industry-specific databases. Select from a pre-defined framework with hundreds of items and assemblies or pick a turnkey, out-of-the-box industry database requiring a minimal amount of customization.

Sage Estimating

Discover more about Sage Estimating as a stand-alone application or integrated with with comprehensive Sage business management solutions for construction and real estate.

 

Power Tools Live Training

My Assistant

One of Ledgerwood’s most popular Certified Sage Consultants, Gary Jacobson, leads this half-day, hands-on class at the LAI training center in beautiful Old Town Scottsdale. Don’t miss out on learning more about one of the most powerful Sage 300 CRE (Timberline) apps – MyAssistant.

Gary will show you why this product truly IS your personal assistant. MyAssistant raises the level of communication within the organization as well as with vendors and customers, AND helps you manage information at all phases of project, contract, and property management processes.

Learn to:

• Automatically generate and distribute reports, spreadsheets, and documents
• Set up email alerts to provide the precise information you need, in the format you want, when you need it
• Customize tasks & schedules to your preferences

Class size limited to 15 for hands-on desktop training. Reserve your space NOW!

(CLOSED)

Construction Management Software

Change the Way You Do Business

Do you have islands of information? Is there a disconnect between systems used by the field, the office, and executives?

When you’re finally ready to make the move to a single software solution – who in the company “owns” the research, evaluation, and purchasing of the system – a CFO/Controller, an IT person or contractor, your CPA or a “consultant with a briefcase”?

These are complicated issues for any company to take on, and when your expertise is the business of construction or real estate and not technology – it can be even more daunting!

Remember, software is only one component of the business of managing and understanding electronic information. It takes the integration of each department (and roles within a company) from estimating to procurement, from job cost to project management, from accounting to administration, then to the vendor and finally to the client. It is ALL about best practices for workflow, transparency of data, and tracking/measuring key performance indicators (KPIs) for each role in your company to get their job done.

Ledgerwood Associates, Inc. (LAI) is your construction industry technology firm with 30 years of construction industry domain knowledge. LAI’s team knows and understands the business of the land developer, residential and commercial construction and trade specialty, industrial construction, and service construction industries. LAI knows how to recommend appropriate best practice processes and properly align software for your business needs. LAI offers services that guide you through creating a successful internal project team, discovery to assess need and develop scope, and to establish working business processes and software solutions.

Software and Support Strength

When you combine the right software solution along with Ledgerwood Associates’ implementation and consulting – and you have the leading construction accounting solution with a support system that will sustain your company through all the fluctuations the industry can offer. We know the right fit for your specific market, whether it’s commercial, residential, industrial, or government – and combine the strengths of modules based on industry performance standards and norms.

Click NOW on on one of the construction management software products below to learn more!