Building a Better User at the 2012 TUG Tradeshow THIRD ...and has experience developing paperless workflow strategies for all departments, will ensure a successful implementation

March 2012News and Information for Users of Sage Timberline Office Software

Building a Better User at the

2012 TUG Tradeshow ....................1

Orlando – The Place to Go! ...................2

Going Paperless is More Than Investing

in a Product…It’s a Strategy ........3

Run Reports Using Microsoft SQL

for STO..........................................4

What is the Real Story on

Cloud Computing? ........................6

Generating W-2s Using Aatrix ...............7

Content Manager is a Good Match for

John S. Clark Company ................9

Automating the Payment Process and

Increasing Revenue with an

Electronic Payables Program .....10

Eliminate Your Risk of Fraud with

Piracle’s Create-A-Check ...........11

The iPad in Construction .....................13

TimberScan Expands its Versatility

with the AIM Module ..................14

The 2012 TUG National Users Conference, May 15-18, in Kissimmee, Florida, is THE place to be to obtain exceptional

information and knowledge about your Sage Timberline Office product. But, did you know that the TUG Tradeshow will provide you with extensive opportunities to meet with exhibitors anxious to introduce you to their products and services?

A vast array of third-party solution providers, many of which have provided outstanding content for this issue of TUG Pulse, will be showing innovative products designed to work with your STO software and provide one-on-one demonstrations. Make your plans now to explore new solutions with the following companies: • AnterraTechnology• Comdata• ConstructionImaging• CoreAssociates• eRiskConsulting• Event1• hh2WebServices• OnCenter• Piracle• Sage• Textura• WellspringSoftware• WinningTechnologies And although you will be anxious to get down to business while visiting the tradeshow, you will also want to stop for a minute or two and have some fun! Join our exhibitors for a quick and exciting game filled with competition and challenge (and lots of great prizes, too).

And speaking of challenges, how about the opportunity to meet them head on with new answers to common workflow problems or explore seamless solutions that streamline processes and increase productivity? Attend any of the 18 sessions hosted by solution providers on topics ranging from cloud technology and electronic payroll filing to streamlined document management and the paperless office solution. Sage representatives will also be on hand to make sure you get the most out of your STO solution while helping you navigate Sage’s roadmap for the future of the product.

Whicheverwayyougo,one-on-onedemosor attending a session, the TUG Tradeshow and the annual conference has everything you need to build a better user.

For additional information, including conference registration and multiple attendee discounts, session details, hotel accommodations and much more, visit the 2012 TUG National Users Conference Website at www.tugconference.com.

Building a Better User at the 2012 TUG Tradeshow

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REGISTER TODAY!2012 TUG National Users Conference

May 15-18, 2012GaylordPalmsResort& Convention Center

Kissimmee, Florida (Orlando area)Visit tugconference.com to register!

THIRD PARTYSOLUTIONS ISSUE

March 2012 News and Information for Users of Sage Timberline Office Software

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the TUG PulsePublished by the

Timberline Users Group, Inc.and sent to all members.

Board of DirectorsMattWeaver,President

Tim Cooke, Vice President

Sharon Hessong, Treasurer

Jon Banse, Secretary

Natalie Allen, Past President

Janice Barnard

Scott Bishop

Barbara Morse

Michael Suhovecky

MarleneWilliams

LenniM.Witt

Publications CommitteeDavid Brown

Sharon Hessong

Maeva Mayes

Liz Perez-Lavin

Val Steffen

Eire Stewart

Shanna Torges

Timberline Users Group3525PiedmontRoad

Building Five, Suite 300

Atlanta, GA 30305

e-mail: [email protected]

Phone: 404.760.8171

Fax: 404.240.0998Toll Free: 866.846.0999

[email protected]

Web Sitewww.TUGweb.com

If you’re a fan of Harry Potter, and who isn’t, Universal Studio has the ultimate attraction.TheWizardingWorldofHarry

Potter™ gives visitors a chance to explore Hogswarts™, Hogsmeade™ and join Harry and friends on a thrilling ride. These world class theme parks and The Blue Man Group can be found minutes from the Gaylord Palms.

Did ImentionSeaWorldOrlandoisalsojustashort shuttle ride away? Shamu and all his friends are waiting to perform. Some of you may want to sit in the splash zone and get up close and personal. They also have hands-on exhibits, thrill rides, paddle boats, shopping

and gators. A trip to Florida is not complete without a gator encounter.

For the night owls among us, Orlando has it as well. You can “Howl-at-the-Moon,” visit a sports bar, or relax and enjoy a fine cigar. ChurchStreetStation,UniversalCityWalkorPointe Orlando have something special to offer the late-night partiers.

My final suggestion is to get online and check out all that Orlando has to offer. Discounts, pre-purchased tickets and special events can all be found. In fact, TUG conference attendees are entitled to special Disney discount offers, which can be found on the 2012TUGNationalUsersConferenceWebsiteat www.tugconference.com under the “Special Offers”tab.It’stoughtomakeadecisionwithall the options available, so you need to do some research. You just never know where you will end up!

Editor’s Note: Please be sure to visit the 2012 TUG National Users Conference Web site at www.tugconference.com to learn more about the conference and to register online.

Orlando – The Place to GO!by: Thomas A. Love

Love Consulting

News and Information for Users of Sage Timberline Office Software

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March 2012

by: Steve JordaneRisk Consulting


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Making the decision to take your company paperless is more about the strategy than the products (tools) you invest in.

Not to discount the importance of selecting the best product, but going paperless means re-engineering every company process. Selecting a company or consulting firm that understands the construction industry, and has experience developing paperless workflow strategies for all departments, will ensure a successful implementation.

Today’s electronic community is growing very rapidly. New and efficient business practices that leverage these technologies are changing the way we do business in the construction and real estate industries. A simple example is e-mail. Over the past 10 years, e-mail has become the predominant method of delivery for both internal and external communication. However, most construction owners are unaware of the risks that lurk in the thousands of e-mails that are piling up within their internal e-mail systems. Paperless solutions that manage e-mails can provide a good foundation to build and maintain effective e-mail standard operating procedures that would include: purging internal chatter created by smart phones; centralizing all job-related e-mail to one repository, and developing “best practices” retention policies.

Accounts payable processing is another good example. Solutions are available today that can increase the speed and efficiency of processing accounts payable invoices while reducing the cost of operations related to this process by over 50 percent. These systems allow companies to accelerate their approval processes to days instead of weeks, thus providing management an opportunity to negotiate better terms of discount for speedy payment (3% 5, net 30). Incorporate that

with electronic payments and the cost of generating a check can be virtually eliminated (200 checks per week volume yields over $40K in hard savings annually). To take full advantage of an electronic accounts payable solution, a company needs to re-engineer the process using the functionality built within the paperless solution they choose to utilize.

Eliminating the “Silo Effect” in operations (project management and estimating) documents and files is another good example of how a paperless solution can benefit a company. Most construction companies today do not have good policies and procedures on managing their operations documents. Each manager typically builds his/her own electronic filing system based on the way they work within the current windows file systems, desktops, e-mails and paper file cabinets. That is the “Silo Effect.” Re-engineering operational processes tocentralize all electronic content around a “structured” content management solution eliminates the Silo Effect, puts management back in control of all corporate content, eliminates logistical barriers when accessing

content, eliminates redundant filing systems, and reduces the cost of managing corporate information by over 50 percent.

Portals, dashboards and “smart forms” are fast becoming an integral part of a construction company’s operations. Portals and dashboards are integrating information retrieved from the corporate data system with the related images stored in “structured” content management systems (i.e., job pictures can be reviewed through an owner portal). This functionality is not possible if images are stored in the standard windows file systems. Smart forms are used to capture data or create form information within an electronic workflow, virtually eliminating the need for paper (daily field report entered on a smart phone by foreman, routed to the project manager for review, and then stored in content management system for archive). These systems are game-changers for the construction company that properly incorporates them into their business operations.

Electronic file management and process is being discussed in almost every company today as they gear up to meet the demands of a rebounding economy. The low bid is going to be achieved by combining good management skills with electronic tools that are designed to reduce the cost of operations and deliver more accurate information about jobs to those who need it.

Itistherecommendationofthiswriterthatevery construction company incorporate an operational re-evaluation component to their strategic planning, for the purpose of evaluating new technologies and operational “best practices,” to streamline and enhance their company’s methods of doing business.

Going Paperless is More Than Investing in a Product,It’s a Strategy


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Many Sage construction and real estate clients have set up multiple data folders to separate companies for ownership reporting,securityoroperationalneeds.Whiletherearemany

benefits to splitting up data into multiple folders, it creates a need for spreadsheet reporting in the following areas where consolidated information is required:

a) Month-end financial consolidations b) Daily cash reportingc) ARreportingd) Work-in-progressreportinge) Payroll reporting for individual employees that work for multiple companies

Anterra has two products that can help you consolidate and report across all of your data folders.

anterraDataCenter™ SQL for Sage Timberline OfficeThis server software synchronizes your Sage Timberline Office data from all of your data folders into a single Microsoft SQL database. There are several benefits to reporting using a SQL database:

• Complexreportspeedincreasesdramatically– Crystal reports run in seconds off large data files• Runreportsthatcombineresultsfrommultiple Timberlinedatafolders–includeinformation from multiple companies or current and archived data• UseCrystalorSSRSreportstopublishinformationtotheSage Timberline Office Desktop, to Microsoft SharePoint™ or to your company’sIntranet• SageTimberlineOfficedesktopspeedincreasesdramatically– refresh dashboards in seconds• Integrationofdatawithothersoftwaresystemsiseasy

Run Reports Across All Data Folders UsingMicrosoft SQL for Sage Timberline Office

by: Bruce VanderzydeAnterra Technology

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APRIL 2012Tuesday 4.3.12 1:00p.m.ET PJ:WORKFLOW+ENTERINGCONTRACTSANDSCHEDULEOFVALUES

Tuesday 4.10.12 1:00p.m.ET PJ:BILLINGWORKFLOW

Wednesday 4.11.12 2:00p.m.ET CONSTRUCTIONACCOUNTINGCOMMITTEE&FORUM

Thursday 4.12.12 2:00p.m.ET REALESTATECOMMITTEE&FORUM:LEASEANDTENANTNUMBERINGOPTIONS

Friday 4.13.12 2:00p.m.ET PUBLICATIONSCOMMITTEEMEETING

Tuesday 4.17.12 1:00p.m.ET PJ:MANAGINGOWNERCHANGEORDERS

Thursday 4.19.12 11:00a.m.ET SERVICEMANAGEMENTCOMMITTEE&FORUM:

WHATSERVICEMANAGEMENTREPORTSAREYOUUSING?

Tuesday 4.24.12 1:00p.m.ET PJOPENFORUM:PJPROJECTMANAGEMENTTIPS&TRICKS

Wednesday 4.25.12 11:00a.m.ET ESTIMATINGCOMMITTEE&FORUM

Monday 4.30.12 1:00p.m.ET INFORMATIONTECHNOLOGYCOMMITTEE&FORUM

To attend an online event, please e-mail attendee(s) name and e-mail address to [email protected]. You will receive an e-mail confirmation along withconnectioninstructionsonceyouareregistered.Theseclassesarefreeofchargeandopentomembersonly–one more benefit of belonging

to the Timberline Users Group!Weareaddingmoresessionseveryday.ChecktheOnlineEventCalendaratTUGweb.comforanupdatedlist.Ifyou have any suggestions on sessions you would like to see, please e-mail [email protected].

TUG Online WebEx Training and Open Forums

Now, consider the gauge above, which shows cash across all companies and data folders.

Inabout thesametimeas it took tofindyourcashbalanceon thebalance sheet you could see the same balance with the context that it is higher than your three- and six-month averages. Combine that with a drill through trend graph showing cash balances by company across data folders and you’re confident in your cash position.

ConclusionMicrosoft SQL for Sage Timberline Office extends your reporting to the besttechnologyavailableallowingyoutorunCrystalReportsacrossdata folders in a fraction of the time they take now. SQL also allows youtotakeadvantageofBusinessIntelligencetechnology.

Further Information Further information on SQL and business intelligence is available at www.anterratech.com or by contacting Sharon Dodds at 832.342.1579 or [email protected].


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anterraBI™ for Sage Timberline OfficeanterraBI™ reports across all data folders and answers questionsthat keep executives up at night:

1. Ismyjobmarginerodingovertime?2. Wheredowemakeorlosemoneybyregion, job type or project manager?3. DoIhaveenoughcashonhand?4. How is my work backlog trending? 5. Whichjobtypesarethemostprofitable?6. AmIlosingmoneyonsmalljobs?

What is Business Intelligence (BI)?ThegoalofBIistoprovidetherightinformationfortherightpersonattherighttime.Italsoalignstheorganizationtobestpracticekeyperformance indicators like job margin percentage.

What’s an Example of BI? Considerasimplebalancesheet–youlookandseeyourcashbalance.It’sasinglenumberrepresentingtheamountofcashyouhaveinasingle data folder. You have no idea how it compares to recent months without going to past balance sheets. You wouldn’t know how many months of your of salary and overhead your cash would cover without going to the income statement and getting out your calculator.

Sample Desktop Report with Multiple Data FoldersThis Crystal Report is running across two of the sample data folders in the Sage Timberline Desktop. By adding groups and totals, you can consolidate information and reduce the number of spreadsheets you prepare.


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Whatisthecloud?Wellthatdependsonyou.“Cloudcomputing”is certainly the most common catch phrase of the day, but the problem with it is most people have no idea what that really

meanstothemortheirbusiness.Whenpeopleaskmetoexplaininlaymen termswhat thecloud is, I tell them it is“SES”– someoneelse’sserver.Inanutshell,thatiswhatcloudcomputingis,someoneelse’s server, and it is how they are presenting that front-end access point to you and your business that determines the type of cloud computing you are using.

Cloud computing has evolved through many name changes and some of the historical names you may still use or know cloud computing by includeCitrix,TerminalServerorRDP.Thesearelooselyusedtermsor manufacture terms that still apply today; however, now with true Web-basedapplicationsbecomingmoreintegratedintotoday’suserenvironments the term cloud computing has simply become the phrase of the moment. The next evolution of cloud computing in the business world is coming quickly with virtual desktop – access todata from anywhere, on any device, at any time.

National InstituteofStandardsandTechnologyhasdeterminedthatthere are four basic deployments of cloud computing:

• Private cloud. The cloud infrastructure is provisioned for exclusive use by a single organization comprising multiple consumers(e.g.,businessunits).Itmaybeowned,managedand operated by the organization, a third party or some combination of them, and it may exist on or off premises.

An example of a private cloud would be your business network that is private only to your business with access that is controlled and managed by your policies and procedures. In a private cloudenvironment, there would be limited or no linking to outside resources that your business does not specifically control.

• Community cloud. The cloud infrastructure is provisioned for exclusive use by a specific community of consumers from organizations that have shared concerns (e.g., mission, security requirements,policy,andcomplianceconsiderations).Itmaybe owned, managed and operated by one or more of the organizations in the community, a third party or some combination of them, and it may exist on or off premises.

A simple example of a community-cloud-based infrastructure would be in a product distribution model where users are accessing a retail Website,thecompanyisthenprocessingpaymentandmanaging

the order; however, they are tied to the actual manufacture that then drop ships the product to the consumer. The manner in which all these processes take place based on the configuration of the software and hardware provide a secure manner to provide products to the end consumer.

• Public cloud. The cloud infrastructure is provisioned for open use bythegeneralpublic.Itmaybeowned,managedandoperated by a business, academic or government organization, or some combinationofthem.Itexistsonthepremisesofthecloudprovider.

A simple example of public cloud would be Facebook, or other social type media orWeb sites where you have to register to become amember and then you have access to the community of data and members. Another basic example of public cloud would be file sharing sites, such as Box or Dropbox, which allow the general public to upload and share files. • Hybrid cloud. This cloud infrastructure is a composition of two or more distinct cloud infrastructures (private, community or public) that remain unique entities, but are bound together by standardized or proprietary technology that enables data and application portability (e.g., cloud bursting for load balancing between clouds).

The hybrid cloud environment is the most common methodology for businesses to use, as they have their own secure managed hosted environment and they allow end users to integrate within that environment outside hosted services to enhance productivity, streamline collaboration or data sharing.

The industry has also defined the service models of cloud computing to be outline in the following manner.

• SAAS–Softwareasaservice.Inthismodelitallowsthe consumer to use a specific application in a cloud environment orbasicallyovertheInternetwithinaWebbrowserorsomekind of thin client interface, such as a Citrix or Terminal server connection.InaSAASmodel,thecustomerdoesnothave control over the infrastructure, servers, storage, or the features and functionality of the application itself. • PAAS–Platformasaservice.Inthismodel,thisiswhere applications that are owned or developed by the customer are basically hosted on an infrastructure that is not owned or managed by the consumer. However, in a PAAS environment,

Cloud, Cloud – What is the Real Story on Cloud Computing?by: Scott M. Lewis

Winning Technologies, Inc.

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the customer does have control over the application settings, management of the application and, in some cases, can make basic environmental changes to meet the specific needs of the applications being hosted. • IAAS–Infrastructureasaservice.Inthismodel,thecustomer has control over the infrastructure, such as servers, storage networksandfundamentalcomputingenvironments.Inthis environment, the customer has full control over the applications being run and deployment methodologies to the user communities, which would include operating systems. However, the underlying infrastructure management still remains with the hosting company.

There are pluses and minuses to each of these particular methodologies. You have to work with a knowledgeable vendor that is

going to examine your business and help you determine which of these best fit your overall organization. One thing to remember with cloud computing, first and foremost, is that cloud computing is bandwidth dependent. That being said, if you are thinking of going to or are in a cloudenvironment,knowthis–theperformanceofyournetworkisgoing to be bandwidth dependent, so be prepared to spend money on bandwidth and network development. Additional items you would need to consider are demand services or how fast resources can be applied to your computing environment. Keep in mind metered usage, as the basis behind cloud computing is you pay for what you use, so the more you store in the cloud, the more resources you consume and the more it is going to cost. Make sure that you are managing your data stores as if you were paying extra for every gigabyte you put in the cloud, because you are.

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Beginningthisyear,wewillhavetouseAatrixtogenerateourW-2forms. Using these forms, you may file electronically (for a fee) or print the forms to submit to your employees and the Social Security

office. The forms print with the employee information so you won’t need to purchase blank forms to use as you have in the past.

Before your first use, you will need to update the reports on each workstation.YoualsoneedtoregistereachtaxpayerEIN.Ifyouaren’tregistered, there is a registration screen during the form generation process. You can save your information and register at that time or register anytime at http://efile.aatrix.com/. There are detailed instructions in the efiling guide; you will need to print, sign, and fax your authorization.

InPayroll,gotoTasks/FederalReporting/FederalefileandReporting.Select New or Saved reports, depending on whether you are starting fresh or have previously saved information that you wish to continue touse.FromtheFederaleFileandReportingscreen,selectthereportyou wish to use and the tax year. There is a Link to… button that canbeused to link formulas toa tax ID. For instance, I needed tolink various counties in Indiana for local taxes.TheAatrix programgenerated errors that guided me through setting the various taxes up. TheefilingguidecanassistwithformulastolinkmultipletaxIDssetuptowithholdtaxesforasinglelocaltaxID.

Next,selectyourW-2formatfortheyear.Ifyouhaven’talreadysetupanewW-2,youmayneedtodothattoaccommodatethenewreportingrequirements that begin in 2012, such as disclosing the amount of employer-sponsored health coverage which goes in Box 12 DD.

A list of employees to process will appear next. All of the employees are selected. You may deselect any you don’t need generated with this

run.Youwillthenreachthegeneratescreen.Readtheinformationalparagraphsandclickgeneratetobegin.ThisstartstheW-2SetupWizard.

You are asked to select a limited or full employee test run or start processing your W-2s. Make a selection and click Next to movethrough the next few screens. There is a help screen available by clicking the ? in the blue circle in the upcoming screens.

Verify yourFEIN thencomplete thecompany informationcells.Theinformation will port over from your initial Aatrix setup so amend any informationthatisn’tcorrectforyourW-2filing.Selectthetypeoffileryou are (self or third-party, such as a tax preparer).

Now it is time to setup your tax accounts. The Aatrix systems can read and determine which accounts it believes you need. You will need to enterataxIDnumberforeachofthestateorcountytaxesyouuse.You will need to remove from the selection any taxes on the list that you do not need generated. This includes state and local taxes.

The next screen is data verification. Select the appropriate buttons or cells.ThisincludesquestionsabouttheW-2ssuchaswhetherornotyou wish to use control numbers and if you have any employees with foreign addresses.

ThenextscreenasksforW-3information,suchaswhattypeofpayer(941, for example) and employer (government, none apply, etc.) you are.

From there, select whether you are filing from a single or multiple data files. Ifyouarefiling frommultipledatafiles,youwillbeaskedto

Generating W-2s Using Aatrixby: Val Steffens

Dean Snyder Construction


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Be sure to stay abreast of the latest news relating to STO:

• E-mail exclusive for TUG members: [email protected]• Follow Sage on Twitter: @SageConstruct• JointheSageConstructionandRealEstate LinkedIngroup• SubscribetotheSageCRE1YouTubechannel

STAYCONNECTED WITH SAGE

selectfilestomerge.Atthispoint,theW-2informationgeneratesandyou receive an Excel spreadsheet with each employee in the selection list, showing the amounts that will print in each of the various federal, state, and local tax boxes as well as the deduct and information cells on theW-2. You are able to make corrections to information, addinformation to the yellow-highlighted cells, insert additional columns, etc. Any errors are shown by a red cell; these should be corrected beforeyoumoveontothenextstep.Remember,changesmadeherewill not affect the information stored in the Payroll application.

The program now walks you through checking the information for accuracy, beginning with the employee identification information. As you complete each step, click the Next Step button to move forward. You may also select Prev Step if you need to move back. Once you have moved through and approved all of the steps, the application will give you a message box detailing any errors or warnings.

You have now reached the point where you will print or efile your forms. Make your selections as indicated in the example shown here. The next box delineates the benefits of eFiling and asks again if you want to efile.Select whether you would or would not like divider sheets (informational sheets that provide information about how to file your forms) to separate reports or forms.

Review the data screen, verifying that the correct reports will begenerated. (The print button prints only a copy of the list of forms shown above it). The reports will now generate.

Here is a blank example of the W-2 form that is generated. Theinformation is filled in for all of the employees on the selection list and will print as part of the form.

IfyouelectnottoprinttheFederalW-2now,thefilewillbesavedandyouwillbemovedontothenextreport.Ifyouareefiling,onceyouhave printed the forms for your records, you will be connected to the Aatrix website to complete printing and mailing or efiling your forms through Aatrix.

ThenextforminthisexampleistheW-3.Thisformgenerateswithall information filled in and can be printed for submission with your W-2s to theSocialSecurityAdministrationorfiledelectronically. Ifyou cancel at this point, you will be asked if you want the file saved for lateruse.SelectSavedReportwhenyouresumethetask.

There is a comprehensive online efiling guide available either through theknowledgebaseorusing thehelp screen inPayroll. InPayroll/Help,select Index/Aatrixandclick theefilingguide link includedaspartofitem9intheFederalReportingoption.InadditiontoW-2s,youcan generate and print/file 1099s, 941s, quarterly tax reports for all 50 states and Canadian forms, to name a few.

InformationportinggoesfromTimberlinetotheAatrixforms,butnotfrom Aatrix back to Timberline. Plan ahead, as electronic filing can take a couple of days.


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Content Manager is a Good Match for John S. Clark Company by: Philip Dixon

Construction Imaging

John S. Clark Company, LLC, one of the largest contractors headquartered in the Carolinas and a subsidiary of

Obayashi, selected Construction Imaging’sContent Manager software to integrate and enhance company workflows and document management with Sage Timberline Office.

John S. Clark is a 50-plus-year-old regional construction firm founded in Mount Airy, North Carolina, and is still headquartered there. The company operates additional offices in Winston-Salem, Raleigh and Wilmington,and has expertise with many methods of service delivery including Construction Management at Risk, Design/Build andGeneral Construction. Through its staff of experienced builders, the firm maintains core competencies in a broad range of project types, such as Higher Education, Multi-Family, Industrial, Retail, Health Sciences,Office and Hospitality.

Contractors require simple, yet highly functional technology to meet their requirements. Construction Imaging’sexperience and product depth allowed John S. Clark to be installed and trained in weeks with the initial phase of software rollout, while presenting growth for future automation. Inadditional to document management and workflow, theConstruction Imagingproductsuite delivers additional content management applications such as:

• ElectronicForms• E-mailManagement• IntelligentStorageandArchiving• SharePointIntegration

Paper and electronic documents are captured immediately upon receipt in order to collect and workflow data into the back office accounting and project management systems, providing accurate and timely information to decision makers. Documents

are linked to Timberline records and reports, providing users a historical review both from within Timberline, as well as natively from within a centralized electronic filing system. ConstructionImaging’scontentmanagementsuite offers complete lifecycle management for Pre-Construction, Project Management, Job Cost, Accounting, Finance, Equipment andHumanResources.

“Intheneweconomy,smartcontractorsareinvesting in technologies which automate otherwise manual workflows, providing field operations and back office administrators with the information and tools they need to run their departments more efficiently,” said Greg Marshall, John S. Clark’s chief financial officer. “Spending less time sending, filing, retrieving and manually inputting means we are able to focus our talent on quality work and client satisfaction. Every minute we spend developing new business and completing quality work, as opposed to redundant, insufficient tasks, adds to the success and future growth of our business.”

“The decision to partner with Construction Imaging was easy once we realized thecontrols we would gain across departments in scanning, workflow and search. The ability to capture information into Timberline and

accessdocumentsfromthedesktoporWebwill be invaluable.” said Barry Hennings, John S. Clark’s president and CEO.

Timberline Office IntegrationContent Manager fully integrates with Sage Timberline Office and Enterprise providing a “best-in-class” pairing between ECM and ERP. Content Manager’s technologyaugments the business process, providing electronic workflows to streamline the data collection into the Timberline Office system. Additionally, the ECM integration provides a central storage and management solution for all electronic documentation.

Centralized storage provides a principal administration portal for security, access, archiving, backup, and retention. Content Manager equips Timberline users and administrators with an array of tools to develop and maintain a comprehensive Enterprise Content Management strategy.

Timberline Data ValidationData validation is a critical component of the Timberline integration with Content Manager. Data validation ensures that the document management system is operated on correct, clean and up-to-date Timberline data. Often this process is carried out for the purpose of making Timberline data available to end-users without giving them access to the Timberline software. It also ensuresdata consistency between the two programs and eliminates manual entry. Popular data validation includes Vendor/Job Number Lookup and Commitment Pull.

Timberline Data ExportExporting data from Content Manager into Timberline can be performed in a variety

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Timberline transactions and can be viewed from the inquiry screen within Timberline. Almost immediately, Construction Imagingwill locate each associated record and create a link between the accounting software and the document management system. Since all documents are managed in one repository, routine maintenance is streamlined and central.

Join Construction Imaging at their boothduring the 2012 TUG National Users Conference or during one of their two presentation sessions to view live demos for workflow, content management and integration. Session attendees will be entered inadrawingforaWiFi-enablediPad.

of methods, depending on the document type and/or the client’s internal policies and procedures. Data Exports eliminate duplicate keying, which is a goal of any Enterprise Content Management implementation.

Timberline Document LinkingContent Manager documents are linked to

by: Krysten LevinComdata

Automating the Payment Process and Increasing Revenuewith an Electronic Payables Program

In today’s construction industry, a steady revenue stream and ample cash flow keeps projects moving forward. That’s why contractors must develop a business that is smart, stable and efficient.

Whenitcomestomanagingcosts,contractorsoftenlooktotheobviousexpense items: materials; labor; and equipment. The back office often goes unnoticed as an area to improve efficiency and shore up a business so that it runs more smoothly. For many companies, the back office, such as the accounts payable (AP) department, is a missed opportunity.

“Inatimewhenitcanbechallengingforcontractorstofindprofitablework, taking a new look at how payments are processed in your accounts payable department can help generate profits for your company in a new way,” said Eric Newton, senior vice president of sales for construction at Comdata. Contracting companies looking to build an efficient AP department should consider using an electronic payables solution that streamlines the order-to-pay business cycle. For instance, the Comdata Virtual Payment MasterCard can help manage the AP process and produce extra revenue for a company. The solution seamlessly integrates with Sage’s Timberline Office software, provides an alternative to manual check disbursements and earns rebates for your AP spend.

With the virtual payment solution, Comdataelectronically generates a unique MasterCard account number for every vendor payable and provides settlement data to automate the reconciliation process. It can be implementedanywhere MasterCard is accepted, and it allows you to process payments safely and securely. What’smore, the Virtual Payment MasterCard allows limits to be set on the dollar value and expiration date for every account number issued.

Sending virtual payments through Sage Timberline Office software is simple and requires little change to current AP processes. Using the AP V-Card section of My Tasks navigation, simply follow the invoice upload steps:

1. Select the invoices you wish to pay with the Virtual Payment MasterCard.2. Go through the AP<Print Checks process to choose the appropriate bank account and check information associated with the Virtual Payment MasterCard process.3. ReviewtheCheckRegisterwithDetail.4. Start the Comdata upload system by double clicking the Comdata Upload icon.

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An electronic payment system can help companies reduce costs, streamline their accounts payable process and add revenue to the company through rebates. The advantages to a contractor are clear, but vendors can benefit from accepting electronic payments, as well. The process

eliminates delays due to mailed checks, which in turn accelerates cash flow with faster settlement. Vendors maintain their preferred status and they receive improved payment detail. The process also reduces manual involvement in payment processing.

Comdata understands that for a contractor’s electronic payments program to be successful, vendor participation is critical. Therefore, comprehensive implementation support and a variety of tools to help communicate the advantages are provided to build participation in the program. Using a proven methodology and best practices, a team of experts can work with a company and its vendor base to maximize acceptance.

Building an efficient AP department can stabilize a company’s framework. By utilizing electronic payable solutions, costs can be eliminated and revenueaddedbacktothebottomline.Intoday’seconomy,thosearetwoessential components in moving both projects and businesses forward. WithComdata’sseamlessintegrationwithSageTimberlineOffice,usingComdata’s Virtual Payment MasterCard is easier than ever.

For more information about Comdata’s Virtual Payment MasterCard product and Sage Timberline Office integration, contact Eric Newton at 615.370.7108.

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Few people realize that one out of four businesses in the United States has experienced fraud in their history. Of these, nearly have of the cases have been check fraud. Even more frightening,

organizations in the United States lose approximately seven percent of their revenue to fraud and 60 percent of all fraud incidents within a business involve employees.

For the past 20 years, Piracle, the makers of Create-A-Check payment software, has strived to provide secure, fraud-resistant payment solutions to eliminate the risk of fraud. Now in its tenth iteration, Create-A-Check combines multiple fraud-resistant features to help eliminate the cost, hassle and stress of fraud for businesses. The most recent version allows both secure MICR check printingwithsignaturesandACHpaymentprocessing.Italsoincludese-mailremittance capabilities, which allows users to send PDF documents to support the paperless office and accounting document storage and distribution back-ups. Create-A-Check 10 is built with layers upon layers of security features, including workflow assignments, signature thresholds, Positive Pay and Trace-A-Check.

“We primarily use Create-A-Check for printing and issuing AP andpayrollchecks,”saysCharlieAugerofR&OConstruction.“We’vesavedmoney by not having to have checks pre-printed and we do not need to worry about the hassle of securely storing pre-printed checks.”

A Simple Solution for Timberline UsersWith seamless integration, Timberline’s users are able not only toutilize Create-A-Check for its fraud protection, but also for the option of direct deposit and ACH payment processing. Additionally, Timberline’s

Create-A-Checkusersareabletoprintothersecure,MICR-encodedformslikedepositslips,1099s,W2s, invoices,purchaseordersandstatements, thereby reducing form costs by up to 75 percent.

TimberlinecustomerscanprintMICRchecksthroughSageTimberlineOffice in a few simple steps.

1. From Accounts Payable, click on Tasks, select Print Checks

2. Click [Printer Setup] a. The Printer Setup checks window will appear

Eliminate Your Risk of Fraud with Piracle’s Create-A-Checkby: Piracle


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Are You Getting the Full Value of Your TUG Membership?

March 2012

3. For Printer, select Piracle Printer, uncheck the Print to file option, click [OK]4. YouarereturnedtothePrintChecks–PrintSelection, click [Start]5. Next, you will see the Create-A-Check Login Screen. Type in yourUserIDandPasswordforCreate-A-Check

6. The Select Output Engine for Original Documents screen appears: a. For Printer Name select the desired printer for the check output b. For Paper Tray select the tray your check stock is loaded in

7. Click [Continue]8. The following window appears when the checks are spooled to the printer:

9. Click [OK] after verifying that all the checks have printed properly10. Printing is complete and checks are ready for posting in Timberline

Piracle understands the importance of remaining up-to-date with server and program compatibility for the businesses they serve. Piracle has released Create-A-Check 10 to keep up with those fast-paced changes in their client’s business environment.

“Create-A-Check10isnowcompatiblewithWindows7andServer2008, so Timberline users can upgrade their operating systems without any lapse in service,” says Lynn Shimada, Piracle’s VP of productdevelopment.“Create-A-CheckisalsocertifiedbyANSIandACID,souserscanbesurethey’reusingasafe,secureproductthatactively protects against fraud.”

To learn more, visit www.piracle.com or stop by their booth at the 2012 TUG National Users Conference, May 15-18, 2012.

MembershipinTUGhascountlessbenefits–fromnetworkingopportunities to resource centers designed to guide users to productive solutions. Some of these valuable benefits include:

• TUGWebAccess• MonthlyWebinarTrainingSessions• AnnualTUGNationalUsersConference• TUGTalkBulletinBoard• Reports&InquiriesLibrary• TemplatesLibrary• SageEnhancementRequests• VolunteerOpportunities• LocalChapters

Don’t miss out! Any questions regarding your membership,or any of these benefits, can be directed to the TUG office at:[email protected] or 866.846.0999.

Learn more by visitingwww.tugweb.com


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March 2012

by: Devon Dorrityhh2 Web Services

Over the past two years since the introduction of the iPad, the computing industry has been turned on its head.

In the fourth quarter of 2011, the iPadaccounted for approximately 10 percent of all computers sold, according to a research studyatIDC.

For those who don’t own an iPad, you might wonder what all the hoopla is about. Laptops have, until now, been the only choice for people wanting to use their computers on the go. But laptops are plagued with generally poor battery life and are very awkward to use anywhere you don’t have a desk or countertop. For example, you rarely see someone using a laptop while walking, riding in an elevator or out to lunch (unless you frequentInternetcafés).

The iPad, on the other hand, turns on instantly, uses touch input and has an impressive 10-hourbattery life. It is lightweight,extremelyportable and backs up automatically to the cloud.Itisidealforsituationswherelaptopsare awkward. You do not have to wait for it to boot up or find a place to sit down and plug in. Most people take it with them everywhere they go. And, it is instantly available for use.

iPad Native Capabilities for Construction• Sendandreceivee-mail.• BrowsetheWebanduseWeb-based software (cloud services).• Downloadandlookatplansin high definition.• Takephotosofthejobsite.• Usevoicedictationtospeeduptyping.• GPSnavigation.• Schedulemeetingsorreminders.• Videoconferencingand online meetings.• …andmuchmore.

What about Android?Android tablets are an awesome alternative to iPads, but they are not seeing the adoption rate among businesses that iPads are. This is due to the fact that iPads enjoy much higher usability and customer satisfaction scores. Also, there are many more developers making apps for businesses on the iPad than on any other platform. Not to

mention the 3rd Generation iPad currently has technological and platform superiority.

iOS dominates in Fortune 500

So, if you are trying to make your mobile personnel more productive, buy them iPads. After you do that, make sure you get them the software that they need to do the job right. Considerhh2WebServicesforallyourcloudservices and mobile software needs. Visit us online at www.hh2.com.

Third Party Apps for Construction• AutoCADWSallowsviewingofDWG files in 2D and 3D.• PDFExpertallowssigningPDFdocs andfillingoutforms.Italsoallows marking up plans and e-mailing them to project stakeholders.• Thereareconstructioncalculatorsand take off tools galore.• …andmuchmore.

Inadditiontoouronlinecloudserviceoffering,hh2WebServiceshasreleasedseveraliPhoneand iPad apps, all of which run on iPads and integrate seamlessly with Sage Timberline Office and Sage Timberline Enterprise.

• hh2Timecardallowsreportingoftime.• hh2PunchClockforclocking employees in an out.• hh2MyRecordsforpaystubs,address changes, etc.• hh2HRToolsfordocumenting employee information.• hh2FieldServiceforService Management technicians.• hh2DispatchforServiceManagement dispatchers.• hh2FieldReportsfortakingphotos of jobsites.

The iPad in Construction


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March 2012

by: Bernard RossCore Software LLC

Because so many of our clients value TimberScan’s capabilities and versatility, we’ve been asked to expand TimberScan

to handle all types of documents, not just invoices. In recognition of this request, weare pleased to announce that work on this projectiswellunderway.I’dliketotakethisopportunity to explain how this new module will work, when it will be released and the logic behind our offering.

TimberScan was developed to automate the A/P approval process by creating a paperless system with automatic routing ability. Construction and real estate companies found the approval process to be the most challenging and cumbersome problem. TimberScan solved the problem and now more than 650 companies use it.

One of the great features that TimberScan provided from the onset wa s the ability to view A/P invoices right in Timberline. By simply running an inquiry from A/P, Job Cost, P/J or G/L one is able to drill down to the invoice level, click on the paperclip and clients can automatically see the invoice, approval page, all supporting documents and even a copy of the check. Having pertinent documents at your fingertips while running Timberline inquiries is one of TimberScan’s distinguishing attribute.

Fundamentally, any good software program must be easy to use and its implementation process straight forward. We are designingTimberScan AIM to be intuitive, yetpowerful. It will be an extension of thecurrent TimberScan system, but can also be purchased as a standalone system. Expect to see it later this year.

Our new AIM module will expandTimberScan’s capability to attach any and all documents to the entire Timberline system. Clients will be able to scan a document, categorize, validate it against data in Timberline and AIM willautomatically attach the documents to the corresponding record in Timberline. Bids, proposals,contracts,drawing,RFIs,leases,HRdocsandanyothertypesofimageswilleasily flow into Timberline.

In cases of sensitive documents, AIM willprovide security so that only authorizes users be able to access those documents. Other important components of AIM willbeOCR, collaborationand routingabilities,version control and many other content-management capabilities. This schematic showstheDocumentLifeCycleofAIM.

TimberScan Expands its Versatility with the AIM Module

Register today atwww.tugconference.com