Volume 30, No. 3 March 2018

In this Issue

• GMS Accounting Summit 2018 - Which Sessions Will You Attend?

• GMS RLSS Summit 2018 • Accounting Software Re-

visions • One on One Appoint-

ments • CPE Credits • Upcoming Webinars • Check Your Junk Email • Jason Brooks to Present

Sessions at the 2018 Ac-counting Summit

• Bank Reconciliations

Present Versions of Software:

Accounting 1.2.311

RLSS 1.0.0.14

GMS, Inc. 10559 Metropolitan Avenue

Kensington, MD 20895

Phone: 800-933-3501

Fax: 301-933-3502

E-mail: service@gmsactg.com

GMS Accounting Summit 2018 Which Sessions Will You Attend?

To help you determine which sessions will be most beneficial for you at the Kansas City, MO summit, here is a brief preview of the sessions. We are excited to have master story teller and brilliant comedian Steve Gilliland as our keynote speaker to open our 33rd annual conference. He can be heard daily on Sirius XM Radio’s Laugh USA and Blue Collar Radio. Whether you're experiencing mild transitions now or will undergo massive reorganizations in the future, change is inevitable within

every successful organization. Detour provides solutions to reduce stress, eliminate fear and increase perfor-mance during such times. Steve Gilliland reveals how to navigate life's turns when you're suddenly headed on a course you never planned and into a future you never imagined. Two HR law sessions – Current Trends in HR Law and Practice and Employees with Health Problems – Your Legal Obligations will be presented by attorneys Drake Maynard and Robert Joyce. Jason Brooks, CPA, returns to present his popular Introduction to Indirect Costs and Design and Implementation of Internal Controls sessions. Also, Idris Johnson from Clock-wise will introduce Time and Attendance to help you with your payroll processes. GMS Town Hall will feature GMS staff from all aspects of the company hosting an open forum to allow you to ask any remaining ques-tions you may have. All GMS accounting sessions will be taught using the new revised .net software. Be sure to come see our new product in operation!

We are excited to offer these new and returning sessions! Additionally, you may schedule a one-on-one trou-bleshooting assistance and training appointment with a GMS Service & Support staff person. This is a great low cost opportunity to get your special questions answered. Appointments are limited so please contact our Event Director, Robin Berseth to schedule your time block offered at $50 for each 30-minute session.

The computer clinic is for you to try out any software and/or supplement that you’ve been curious about.

Specific dates and times for the conference sessions may be found on the GMS website www.gmsactg.com/sessions.html. Sessions are 1 ½ hours in length unless otherwise noted. We have also marked the sessions on the agenda posted on our website as to which are recommended for specific needs such as Accounts Payable, Payroll, General Accounting, and New Accounting Software Users. All sessions will be presented one time unless otherwise noted.

Accounting Setups and Bank Reconciliation During this session, the setups and Master Files for General Ledger, Accounts Payable and Payroll Processing will be reviewed. This session is ideal for new clients as well as staff who are new to using the GMS ac-counting system and started using GMS after the setup files have been established.

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September 21 - 22, 2018 | San Antonio, Texas

See you in Texas!

REGISTER HERE TODAY!

Accounting Software Revisions Released

Accounting software revision 1.2.311 was

released on February 21, 2018. This revision includ-

ed changes to LA, ME, OR, and RI state payroll taxes plus 1094c/1095c e-file procedure changes

for 2017.

An Accounting .net soft-ware revision will be re-leased within the coming week. Please watch your

email for revision instruc-tions.

All software revisions must be installed even if you do not process pay-

roll in-house.

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The Bank Reconciliation function in the GMS software is a complete and easy way to rec-oncile your organization’s cash accounts. Information is automatically brought over from the General Ledger and check printing processes and in most cases your bank statement can be imported into this soft-ware! Learn about this feature and many other useful items and setup areas in the Tools section of GMS.

Accounts Receivable and Cash Receipts Processing This will cover the details of the Accounts Receivable supplement and what it may offer your organization. We will also review the mechanics of the basic Cash Receipts function and how the Accounts Receivable supplement integrates with Cash Receipts.

Balance Sheet Reconciliations Learn tips and techniques for reconciling the accounts that appear on your Balance Sheet.

GMS Cost Allocation Options One of the most important financial man-agement decisions GMS clients’ face is se-lecting the right cost allocation procedures. This session details the GMS software alter-natives available for leave, fringe benefits, indirect costs, dual indirect pool, service unit and special allocations. Learn about “shifts”, “locks”, and “line item cost allocation de-tail”. How are your cost allocation proce-

dures set up in your accounting system? What is the difference between agency ad-ministrative costs and program administra-tive costs? Which cost allocation options can best be used to achieve equitable alloca-tions of your type of support costs?

Importing, Exporting and Paperless Filing Did you know that most books of entry can be imported into the GMS Accounting Sys-tem? Do you do your initial Budget Prepara-tion in spreadsheet software? Would you like to email pdf reports from within the GMS software? What should you consider when setting up a paperless filing system such as folder structure and security? This session will explore the importing and ex-porting features of the GMS Accounting Sys-tem, show how it can easily communicate with other software, and discuss options for efficiently creating a paperless filing system. Overview of Payroll Supplements An overview of the payroll supplements will be presented in this class. There are several supplements that can help provide infor-mation needed for internal reporting as well as external reporting including preparation for the Workers Compensation audit, assis-tance in reporting unemployment claims, and leave histories for program managers, just to name a few.

Overview of Accounts Payable Supplements Our accounts payable supplements can help you meet a variety of needs from imple-

menting an integrated Purchase Order sys-tem to generating a detailed Accounts Paya-ble History. There are also supplements available to help you with analysis work and simple timesavers. Come and see how an accounts payable supplement may enhance your AP productivity.

Overview of Selected General Ledger Supplements There are many General Ledger supple-ments that cover a variety of financial re-porting formats. Preparing reports for the Executive Director and Board of Directors, providing detail of costs charged to individu-al programs, preparing customized Revenue and Expenditure reports for internal and external reporting are among the supple-ments that will be reviewed. There are sepa-rate concurrent sessions designed specifical-ly for the Report Writer, Year End, and Cost Allocation Options so those supplements will not be covered during this session.

Overview of Year End and Audit Supplements Because of the abundant number of GL sup-plements, we have designed a session spe-cifically for year end and audit related sup-plements. There are many supplements available that can assist you and your audi-tor with year end closing and preparing the audit report. Find out which supplements may save you staff time when preparing the audit schedules .

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One-on-One Appointments

Looking to get the most value for your summit registration? Schedule a one-on-one ap-pointment with one of our Service & Support Specialists to receive individualized assis-tance in helping answer ques-tions or solve accounting prob-lems specific to your organiza-tion. Appointments are $50 for 30 minutes. They may be scheduled for Monday or Tues-day during summit hours based upon availability. Email our Event Director, Robin Ber-seth, at robin@gmsactg.com for details or to be scheduled.

Jason Brooks, CPA, to Present Ses-sions at Kansas City Summit

Jason D. Brooks, CPA, is a partner with Watkins, Ward, and Stafford, PLLC. He graduated with a Bachelor of Accountancy degree from Missis-sippi State University. He is a Certi-fied Public Accountant and member of the Mississippi Society of Certified Public Accountants and the Ameri-

can Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Jason’s practice is concentrated in providing auditing, accounting, cost allocation and tax services to grant funded nonprofit and governmental organizations that are subject to requirements of Governmental Auditing Standards and OMB Circular A-133, Audits of States, Local Governments, and Nonprofit Organizations. Jason has conducted training sessions for accounting personnel on these topics for various governmental and nonprofit organizations, including Mississippi Association of Community Action Agencies and GMS.

Following are the sessions he will be presenting.

An Introduction to Indirect Costs

Indirect cost is a complex and often misunderstood concept. By attending this session, you will gain a greater understanding of indirect costs and its appli-cation to grants and other programs in accordance with Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Prin-ciples, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards. Attend this course on Monday, May 21, 10:30-12:00pm or Tuesday, May 22, 9:00-10:30am

Design and Implementation of Internal Controls

Internal control is a major part of managing an organi-zation. It comprises the plans, methods, and proce-dures used to meet missions, goals, and objectives of an organization and the grants they administer. Inter-nal control serves as the first line of defense in safe-guarding assets and preventing and detecting errors and fraud. In short, internal control helps manage-ment achieve desired results through effective stew-ardship of public resources. The objective of this course is to provide the participant with the tools nec-essary to interpret basic internal controls, identify significant internal control risks, locate and implement compensating controls, and identify key internal con-trols and weaknesses. Attend this course on Tues-day, May 22, 10:45am-12:15pm.

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Q & A with Accounting Staff The participants set the program for this session. In previous sum-mits, we have received a wide range of questions covering all aspects of the accounting software, SQL Server version, accounting proce-dures, hardware specifications and more. Any question related to the GMS Accounting System is acceptable, so start making your list. It’s a fun session with lots of audience participation and hopefully, lots of answers!

Year End Closing Here is a primer on closing the books at year end and getting ready for audit. This session will address the mechanics of year end and the actual closing entries. Supplement #398 Year End Closing Entries will be reviewed and demonstrated. Employees responsible for year-end close out procedures are encouraged to attend. Find out what needs to be done at year end, issues you will need to consider and proper year end techniques.

Accounts Payable Processing This is a must session for anyone who is or will be responsible for ac-counts payable processing.. Attendees will see an overview of the accounts payable processing system, troubleshooting tips, and what to look for on the reports.

Payroll Processing – The Basics Learn the basic payroll processing steps and procedures. This session is designed for clients who are fairly new to payroll processing. The mechanics of the procedure will be covered as well as what should be reviewed to assure accuracy. Payroll Processing - Advanced This advanced session is designed for someone who is comfortable with the basic payroll processing steps. Tables used and affected will be covered. An emphasis will be placed on not only recognizing prob-lems, but the proper timing and steps for the corrections.

Month End Processing – The Basics For clients who are relatively new to Month End Processing, this ses-sion is an excellent introduction to the process. Emphasis will be placed on the processing steps and critical reviews and controls that should be used to help assure the integrity of your financial state-ments. Month End Processing - Advanced This session is designed for the experienced Month End Processing user. The explanation of which tables are used and what data is stored will be covered. In depth review of reports generated will be done to both help disseminate the proper information as well as do “detective work” in problem solving and troubleshooting.

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18 PART 1: PREPARING FOR YEAR END & YEAR END CLOSING ENTRIES The first of a two-part webinar series will go through several items that will need to be considered at your fiscal year end. We will discuss accounts payable at year end, payroll that crosses the fiscal year end, running month end in the new year when your fiscal year has not been closed yet, and balance sheet reconciliations. Rolling forward and reverse rolling will be shown in detail. This webinar will assist you in developing a year end checklist to prepare for year end closing en-tries and your audit. >>LEARN MORE WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20 PART 2: FOLLOW UP TO YEAR END: YEAR END SUPPLEMENTS AND AUDIT PREPARATION TOOLS The second part of the two-part webinar series will demonstrate the GMS Accounting and Financial Management System’s Supplement #398 Year End Closing Entries and final month end after posting the closing entries. Supplement #419, Audit Preparation Tools, will be illustrated as well to assist you in preparing reports and schedules for auditors. Saving a copy of your database and setting up the ODBC will be shown. This webinar will help take the stress out of closing your books. >>LEARN MORE

Check Your Junk Email It has come to our attention that since Microsoft released an update

for Office 365 in January, important email may be being routed to your Junk or Spam folder. Be certain to regularly check this folder so you

do not miss an essential email.

Participation in the GMS Accounting Summit 2018

counts for up to 14 CPE Credits!

At the conclusion of the summit, please email Robin Berseth,

GMS Event Director at robin@gmsactg.com

to receive your CPE Credit Letter

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Report Writer Report Writer allows you to create custom-ized reports according to your agency’s spe-cific needs. This session is designed for those who are new to database technology and Report Writer. It introduces tables, queries and the relationship in the database design and how to retrieve data when you need it. Basic step by step instructions will be given on some simple Report Writer exercises using our accounting demo database. You are en-couraged to bring your own laptop so you can walk through the exercises at the time they are being demonstrated. Design and Implementation of Internal Controls See Jason Brooks article on page 2 of this newsletter for session details.

Introduction to Indirect Costs See Jason Brooks article on page 2 of this newsletter for session details.

Time & Attendance Idris Johnson from Clockwise will present this class. Watch next month’s newsletter for a complete description.

GMS Town Hall and Grand Closing Session Representatives from every aspect of GMS will host an open forum in which you may feel free to ask any question. Additionally, see what we have in store for you as we all say our good byes for another year.

New This Year.

HR Law - Current Trends in HR Law and Practice Congress amends the statutes. The appellate courts interpret the law in new ways that are binding in future litigation. The federal agen-cies in one administration put out new guid-ance - that is, new requirements - and those same agencies in the next administration change them again. This session explains re-cent developments in employment law - in-cluding the use of criminal background checks, pregnancy discrimination, and the evolving law related to gender discrimination. Nothing stays the same, except the need to understand the ever-changing legal rights and obligations for employers. HR Law - Employees with Health Problems - Your Legal Obligations What are your obligations to an employee

under the FMLA? Who is covered? What is covered? Is it all over when the FMLA leave is exhausted? Not necessarily. That serious health condition under the FMLA may well also be a disability under the Americans With Disabilities Act, which puts the sweeping obli-gation of reasonable accommodation on the employer. How do these two statutes work together? As an employer, how far must you go to accommodate an employee? As an em-ployee, how protected are you when you get sick? This session will be a practical look at these very questions.

Highlights and Enhancements To showcase our newest product, this session will focus on the features of the redesigned GMS Accounting and Financial Management System. The .net platform brings with it even easier navigation throughout the software and a filtering system on master files that allows you to specify desired information without unwanted data. Control hot keys have been added to the software for the more popular functions and a grid design for books of entry gives you instant access to specific batches. These are just a few items that will be covered in this session.

Are you Importing your Bank File Yet?

One of the sessions at the summit that gets a great response

from the attendees when they realize how much time can be

saved is the session called Accounting Setups and Bank Rec.

The Bank Reconciliation feature of the accounting software is

the main focus of this session. And for those of you who are

not familiar with Bank Reconciliation, it is under Tools from

the Main Menu. This is not a supplement and costs you noth-ing! You already have this feature as it is part of the basic

software package, and quite frankly we are surprised when

we discover how many clients do not make use of it as it is a

tremendous time saver!

This is a fully integrated feature, as during the normal day to

day activities all checks and deposits information as well as

journal entries that affect cash automatically becomes part of

the Bank Rec tool. Then when you are doing your monthly

bank reconciliation, to make the most use of this feature you

should download your bank file electronically into the GMS

software rather than manually clearing your checks, deposits

and journal entries. If your bank offers a csv file containing

all the transactions for the month, you should be able to uti-

lize this feature and request the data for the entire month. If

your bank statement is not currently being cut off as of the

last day of each month, you should be able to request that it

be changed.

In addition to saving you time, it also gives you special re-

ports that you don’t otherwise get. After importing, it will

give you a report of each deposit, check and miscellaneous

debit that are in the bank file but not found in the General

Ledger. In certain cases, some items cancel each other be-

cause of how they were entered into the accounting system.

For example, the bank file will show a deposit for an ACH

credit received. However, in the accounting system if you use

a general journal for that deposit it will appear on the out-

standing list. This is because we look at Cash Receipts for

deposits rather than journal entries. Those are easy to see

and clear off the outstanding list or you may decide to start

entering them as a cash receipt.

If you’re not importing the bank file yet because:

• You found out your bank does not offer the csv format,

you need to inform GMS staff what format is offered.

• You are unsure how to set up the import matrix, you need

to ask for help.

• You don’t know how to format the bank file because you

have blank lines in the file or a column isn’t formatted

correctly, you need to ask for help.

• You weren’t aware you had the capability of importing it,

please review your Help Manual under Tools, Bank Rec-

onciliation.

You will be very excited to see how easy it works and how

efficient doing the bank reconciliation can really be!