January  / 2009

 2009 is here in full swing!! In today's current economic climate, it's important for you to have better, more timely information. The feature article presents five new ways to get MORE from your Software.

New Advanced Webinar Sessions are finally here!! Register for an in-depth advanced session on General Ledger to learn how you can use Jonas Software more efficiently.

Come visit us at the 2009 Construction trade shows. Take a look at the latest Jonas construction products we have to offer. It is an event that brings manufacturers, suppliers, and service providers together with industry professionals to exchange of ideas, information and products.

Leverage your expertise and knowledge with our FAQ and Helpful Hints section This month we share new features and helpful keystrokes that will save you time. We have information that will assist you to maintain your Jonas Software on a regular and ongoing basis.

eTimesheets - easy entry from anywhere!! The success of your service or project oriented organization is tightly linked with its ability to manage its employees timesheets. Jonas Software has recently introduced a new module that allows your employees to submit their time and expenses via the Internet, breaking down the barriers previously posed by long term on-site projects and remote locations. Click here to request a demo.

Your opinion matters!! We’d like to know what you think of our newsletter and how we can improve it to make it the best information tool possible. Please forward us your feedback and comments via e-mail.
 

Feature Article - 5 Ways to Get More From Your Software
Important Reminders - Advanced Webinar Sessions
News & Events - Construction Tradeshows
FAQ’s
Helpful Hints
Product Enhancements
Product Updates
Comic Relief
 

In today’s tough economy, this definition couldn’t ring more true. For CFMs, the “competing wants” in the current economic climate are the owner’s need to
have better, more timely information vs. the CFM’s desire to produce that information with greater efficiency.

The “scarce resources” in this scenario are the limited funds available to make these two things happen. Pushed to do more with fewer resources, CFMs must make the best use of the tools they already have – specifically, their current software programs. Yet, many contractors don’t recognize that software is an essential financial management tool.

While field employees use service trucks, backhoes, and other traditional construction tools, CFM's rely on accounting software and supporting programs to manage their company's ’day-to-day' financial operations.

This article outlines five steps to get more from the software you already own. Beginning with an internal audit and ending with a plan for continually improving utilization, you’ll learn how to identify areas of inefficiency, the factors that can affect your efforts, and where to put your company’s resources for maximum impact.

5 Steps to help you solve the Economic Conundrum:

1. Take Inventory of Your Current Software Solutions
2. Evaluate Current Software Use
3. Consider Factors that Affect Utilization
4. Develop an Action Plan
5. Establish Procedures for Continued Utilization

Click here to read the full article

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General Ledger Webinar

 Date & Location:  Thursday Feb. 19th, 2009 
Session Length:  2 1/2 to 3 hours
Session Time:  1:00pm EST
Location: Webex
Fee: $200 per connection
Trainer: Gary Nowack

Course Description: This webinar focuses primarily on advanced topics on the General Ledger.

  • Customize General Ledger posting settings and integration rules
     

  • Identify how data flows through the General Ledger
     

  • Maintain records easily and efficiently, utilizing a variety of functions.
     

  • Troubleshoot your General Ledger data using the System Balancer

    Tool
     

  • Create and maintain budgets
     

  • Configure and use Organizational Structures to apply account level

    security
     

  • Set up Inter-company relationships to automate inter-company transactions
     

  • Use Inquiries and Quik Reports to easily access and customize financial

    information to meet your company's needs.
     

  • Design Sophisticated financial statements
     

  • Perform the period-end and year-end closing procedures
     

  • Fixed Asset and Depreciation Schedules


 Who Should Attend: Clients who have an in-depth understanding of Jonas Software and accounting practices.

Click here to register.

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2009 AHR Expo

Start Time: Monday, January 26, 2009 - 10:00
End Time: Wednesday, January 28, 2009 - 16:00

Jonas Software is proud to announce its attendance at 2009 AHR Expo. This year's show will take place Jan. 26th - 28th at the McCormick Place in Chicago, IL.
Visit us at booth # 3148.

Monday, Jan. 26, 2009  10:00 - 6:00
Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2009  10:00 - 6:00
Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2009  10:00 - 4:00

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Come and learn more in a group setting with the New Technology Product Theater

Date: Tuesday Jan. 27, 2009
Time: 12:30pm
Room B
Topic: Paperless Service Management Software

Description: The Jonas Paperless Service Management system combines dispatch, mobile and web based solutions in one seamless solution that is fully integrated with a back-end accounting system. Customers log work orders via the web, work orders appear on the dispatch board and are sent to your technician’s mobile device while in the field. Invoices can be e-mailed while still on the job site. Eliminate the use of paper, increase dispatcher and technician productivity and reduce service billing cycles all while differentiating your company from the competition with online tools for your customers.

For more information please click here.

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2009 World of Concrete Expo



Start Time: Tuesday, February 3, 2009 - 10:00
End Time: Friday, February 6, 2009 - 13:00

Jonas Software is proud to announce its attendance at 2009 World of Concrete Expo. This year's show will take place Feb. 4th - 7th at the Las Vegas Convention Centre in Las Vegas, NV.

Visit us at Booth # S20910

Tuesday, February 3rd, 2009  9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday, February 4th, 2009  9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday, February 5th, 2009  9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday, February 6th, 2009  9:30 AM - 1:00 PM

For more information please click here.

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One of my customers overpaid an invoice and now I need to send them a cheque. What is the quickest way for me to do this?

The best process for this scenario is to print a QUIK Cheque for the customer. In Accounts Payable – Processing – Manual Cheques/QUIK-Cheques. In the supplier field, hit F2 and you will have the option to Add a New Supplier.

Choose this option if you want to have keep the history for this transaction and you haven’t previously set up this customer as a supplier. If you don’t want to set up a supplier code for this customer use the MISC supplier and it will pop-up another box for you to fill in the name and address of the customer. Please note – The MISC feature may not work if you have a custom cheque design.

Fill in the rest of the information as you would for any manual cheque (cheque number, date, amount, etc.). After you click OK, the Account Distribution screen will pop up. For distribution, enter the G/L account for Accounts Receivable (use F2 to look up the account number if you don’t know it).

If a warning message pop-up stating that this is a restricted account, use the password override to bypass this message. If you don’t know the password override, please contact your Jonas Administrator. In the description field hit F2 and your customer list will pop up on the screen.

You can then select the customer account for this cheque. This is an extremely important step because if you do not select the customer here, the cheque you are sending will not display on the customer’s account.



Once you have finished the distribution, you can exit, post and print the cheque as you would any manual cheque.

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Tip for the Day

 

Tip #1 –  Cheque Signatures and thresholds

Go to System Administration>System Setup>Electronic Signature Setup to set up an electronic signature to be used for your cheques.

In Accounts Payable > Select Cheque Design

This is where you insert the top signature. At this point you can also set up a threshold using “Up to what dollar amt”. This will allow you to print a batch of cheques for a certain amount and have the signatures automatically print on them. You will have to enter in a password for this. You will be prompted for this same password when printing cheques.

Tip #2 –  Menu Design

Modifying the menu design for your users is a great way to keep control over who has access to what information in Jonas. For each individual user, you can choose what programs they should access. This will make it easier for newer users first learning the software because they will only see the programs that they need to work with. This feature also gives you the ability to give more users access to certain programs in Jonas without giving them the ability to access sensitive information

To change a user’s menu design, go to Administration – User Administration. Choose the user you want to edit and click on the Menu Design button.

To restrict this user’s access to a complete module, simply uncheck the box beside that module (there is no need to uncheck the flags for every program within that module). If you want the user to have limited access to a module, keep that flagged checked and only uncheck flags on the programs that you do not want them to have.

Tip #3 –  PDF Button

When printing many reports in Jonas, there is now a PDF button. This button allows you to view a report in Adobe instead of the regular Jonas Viewer. By doing this, you can use all of the same functions that you have in the Adobe program.

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Click here for a demonstration. ______________________________________________________

Charge Equipment to Work Orders

For customers using the Equipment Management module and the Service Billing module, a new button has been added to the Work Order Screen in version 11.9 that gives you the ability to charge a piece of equipment to the work order right from that screen.

Historical Cost Allocation Reports

For both US and Canadian Payroll, there is now the option to print Historical Cost Allocation Reports. This program will print cost allocation reports from each pay period posted after updating to version 11.9. When the reports are no longer needed, they can be deleted by checking the option Purge report after printing.



Look for these features and many more once version 11.9 is released this spring!

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IS IT TIME FOR YOUR NEXT UPDATE???

It is important for Jonas users to perform Product Updates on a regular basis to ensure that you keep your Jonas Software current and problem-free. Check the website weekly as a new download is available every Tuesday.  It is advisable to install it immediately.

CURRENT VERSION
The current version for Jonas Software is 11.8.

HOW TO UPDATE??
There are two procedures to choose from to obtain the latest Release.

  1. Downloading from the Website.
  2. Installing the Product Update from a CD.

Before You Begin:

Determine the version of Jonas that you are currently running. If you are unsure, open Jonas and check the version number located in the bottom right hand corner of the screen. Ex. Version 11.6.034 (the release .034 indicates the release level).

 Downloading the Product Update from the Website

  1. Click on the Product Update that matches the version of Jonas software you are currently running. (Ex. 11.4 or 11.6) You cannot change versions via the website, only by loading a CD. Note that you might have to be above a specific Release level to be able to run a Product Update from the website. Notes at the side of the Product Update will tell you this.
  1. Choose the Save option. You will be presented with the SAVE AS screen display below.  Save the Product Update in the X:\GJCWIN\CUSTOM directory (where the X: is the logical drive letter that contains the Jonas programs - usually J:). Note: This is just a suggested directory, but not a mandatory location to save the Product Update. Then you can open and run it. After successful installation, log off Jonas and log back in order for the changes to take place.

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 Installing the Product Update from a CD

Advanced Release versions do require all users to be out of Jonas for the introduction of new data structures. Loading an update from a CD sent by Jonas will always require all users to be out of the system regardless of the version.

  1. Jonas recommends that if you are installing on a network that the Product Update be installed from a workstation. However, if installing the Jonas Product Update via Citrix or Terminal Server, it must be installed at the server console.

Note: Some operating systems, for example Windows 2000, may require you to log onto the server with full administrator / supervisor privileges.

  1.  Locate the Product Update using any technique (e.g. Windows Explorer or via the Run command on the Start button). Double click on the saved PUxxx.exe file.
  1. Wait 5 – 20 seconds and a window will appear. Step your way through the Welcome screens by clicking on Next.
  1. Choose the Destination Directory.  If the drive is not correct, please select browse and indicate the correct location. When the correct path is shown, click on Next.
  1. The Installation Complete screen will appear upon completion of the installation.
  1. Click on the Jonas for Windows icon. The program will automatically start rebuilding the screens and data files.

Version 11.8

We will be releasing CD's to our clients for Version 11.9 in the next few months.  This general release will help you grow and benefit from greater functionality with your Jonas Software by providing a seamless migration path. We anticipate a dispatch of 11.9 to all clients by the end of May 2009.

Your Jonas Software system update may include modifications, new or revised settings, key features and other items which will change your current system. We encourage you to check the release and enhancement notes from time to time for software updates and to always maintain your system to use the latest release of the software. (Administration>Release Enhancements)


Please visit the “Product Updates” section in the Jonas Insider for detailed instructions on installing a c.d. If you experience any difficulties, please contact customer support immediately.

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