PORK$HOP.2007 FREE REGISTRATION OFFER ENDS JUNE 1:
 |
| Join industry elite for an unforgettable learning/networking experience. |
There's still time
to register for the best opportunity to learn and network with other pork
executives just prior to the World Pork Expo in Des Moines on Wednesday,
June 6th. CPA firm Latta, Harris, Hanon & Penningroth,
LLP and FBS Systems, Inc. are offering free registrations if you
confirm by Friday, June 1. (Late registrations are $100.00.) You
can register on-line at fbssystems.com/porkshop
or call 800.437.7638 during business hours.
This year's PORK$HOP has assembled the best minds in the pork industry
to help you adapt your expectations and business practices to today's
extraordinary agricultural environment, beginning with the latest production
segment cost benchmarks. Next, we'll hone in on the #1
cost—feed—and explore innovative strategies for reducing
costs and risks from financial, marketing and nutritional experts. Then,
you'll be briefed on how US policy will be impacting corn costs
and opportunities to diversify your investments outside of agriculture. Finally,
take a fresh look at technologies and management practices to more
effectively analyze, control and grow your business.
Space is limited at our new location—DeWaay Commerce Park—so register today!
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JUST AROUND THE BEND…USER CONFERENCE.2007
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| Come on board
with ag computer users from across the continent for two days of
recharging and relaxing along the banks of the Mighty Mississippi. |
Attention all
ag computer users: prepare for a great adventure on August
22nd and 23rd, 2007, at the River's Bend
Conference Center, overlooking the majestic Mississippi River in Moline,
Illinois. Hold those dates and watch your mail and this newsletter
for more details.
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THINGS YOU NEVER KNEW YOUR SOFTWARE COULD DO: IMPORTING FROM SPREADSHEETS AND OTHER SOFTWARE
This month's installment of "things you never knew your software could
do" explores another way to cut steps at the keyboard.
Background
Many accounting transactions are either redundant or repetitive. Examples
of redundant transactions are entries already created by a trading partner
or another accounting program. Repetitive entries include monthly depreciation
postings or rent or contractor payments.
Options
For many years FBS has offered "data bridge" interfaces with feed mills
and packers. These "intelligent" modules translated the various
coding system used by third-party software into FBS ledger accounts, centers,
groups, feed ingredients and rations. Unfortunately there are
many more programs and formats than we can write interfaces for. As
a result, we created the TransAction Plus Import/Export module
which follows a slightly different approach.
How It Works
 |
| The first screen
selects the format and process (import or export, main database
or vendor file). |
| 1. |
The
TransAction Plus Import/Export module takes advantage of industry
standard data formats such as Microsoft Excel®, ASCII, comma delimited
and AACC (Association of Agricultural Computing Companies). Most
PC-based computer systems can create an export file or report
in these formats. |
| 2. |
Before importing from these export files, you must "bridge" the
columns in the report with the data fields in TransAction Plus. Note that this only needs to be done once and that once defined,
all reports should match this format. |
Summary
Advantages
| • |
Very
flexible format |
| • |
Can be used to import ledger detail and vendors from other accounting programs |
| • |
Can be used for e-commerce with trading partners |
| • |
Ideal for internal "batch" process such as payables to contract finishers |
| • |
Can export as well as import data into TransAction Plus |
| • |
Updates all FBS inventory modules |
Disadvantages
| • |
All
export files must conform to the file format you define (sometimes
requires rearranging columns in spreadsheets) |
| • |
Unlike "intelligent" feed mill and packer modules, import file detail must match FBS codes exactly |
The cost for the TranAction Plus Import\Export module is $1495.00. Call
your FBS sales representative today, at 800-437-7638.
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|
SOFTWARE
Q&A – WITH Q'S FROM YOU, OUR CLIENTS!
Send
us your questions/problems–be they short, long, simple or downright
frustratin'!–about SeRVware
and we'll handle them right "on the air" for the benefit of all.
|
Q.
|
How often should I update my FBS program files, and how do I know what has been changed? |
| A.
|
We
recommend that you update your FBS program files once a month. (See
the April 2006 newsletter for directions on updating program
files.) If you want to view the latest enhancements or
preferences or are having problems with your program, you
can view the latest changes by one of two ways.
| 1. |
Open the FBS program. Press Ctrl + F2
and a pop-up will ask you if you want to connect to
the FBS web site to view the latest changes. Click
on OK. You will see a list of changes for
the last month. Press F2 again and you
will see the previous two months' changes. Keep
pressing F2 for more changes. The report can
be sorted by description, file name, date, and program
by double-left clicking on the column heading. OR |
2. |
The FBS Knowledge Base containing all the changes to the Windows versions of the FBS software. To access it: |
| |
a. |
Click on the FBS
Knowledge Base on the update page of the FBS website
. You only need to do this once. After this program
has been installed it will connect to this web site
to get the updated Knowledge Base database. |
| |
b. |
Save the fbschng file to your computer. |
| |
c. |
Use Windows Explorer to select fbschng and double left click on it to install. |
| |
d. |
Install the program in your FBS program folder (C:\FBSWIN) |
| |
e. |
A new FBS icon will be created on your desktop. Rename that icon to "Knowledge Base." |
| |
f. |
Click on the icon. It will connect you to the FBS website and open a database with all the changes. (Be patient, depending on your internet connection; it may take a minute or two.)" |
| |
g. |
You can search by the database by program, version, date and/or key words. |
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