PORK$HOP.09 REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS HERE
 |
Financial
Health Checkup
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Time: 10-5 pm
DeWaay Commerce Park,
Clive, IA
One day prior to World Pork Expo
|
Only a few hours
remain before registration closes for PORK$HOP.09, a free seminar sponsored
by the Latta, Harris, Hanon & Penningroth, LLP CPA firm and FBS Systems,
Inc. You'll learn the most effective ways to evaluate your operation's
competitive strengths, weaknesses and financial health, plus receive
valuable training in FBS software applications.
To qualify for this free program you must register by Friday, May 29th. E-mail sales@fbssystems.com or call 800.437.7638. To view a copy of the program, click here.
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FBS USER CONFERENCE SET FOR AUGUST 25-27
Mark your
calendars 2009 FBS User Conference, which will be held on August 26 and
27 in Moline, Illinois, with a special half-day pre-conference on August
25th for FBS Farm/Trust Manager users. They'll be an abundance of relevant
classes and networking for all FBS users and their advisors, plus a dinner
cruise on the mighty Mississippi. Watch your mail and the FBS website
for details.
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FBS INTRODUCES "SAFARI" RUGGED HAND HELD COMPUTER
 |
Two Technologies, Inc.®,
a leading manufacturer of rugged hand held computers and terminals used
in global applications, introduces the Safari™ rugged hand held computer,
which will be offered by FBS Systems for use with its Smart Breeder, Smart
Feeder and Crop Audit applications.
IP65 rated for protection against dust and water; Safari is ideal for
outdoor use in harsh environments. The case is molded from Cycoloy®, an
ABS/Polycarbonate blend plastic offering extreme resilience to environmental
stresses, as well as to a wide variety of chemical substances. The housing
features superior drop and shock protection. For added brand recognition,
the case can be molded in a variety of custom colors.
Safari also offers a 240 X 320 QVGA transflective display with integral
touch screen, providing excellent readability, both outdoors and indoors.
A tethered stylus with integrated storage pocket is provided on the device.
Safari can be equipped with either a 26 key or a 41 key alpha numeric
keypad providing seamless integration into a wide variety of applications.
Keypads can be tailored to a specific application allowing for an intuitive
user experience. An integrated speaker provides audio feedback specific
to an application via the use of WAV files. To extend Safari's time in
the field, an optional 4000mAh high capacity battery is available.
A powerful computer featuring 128MB SRAM, 128MB internal FLASH, as well
as a user accessible SD card slot for additional mass storage, Safari
uses Microsoft® Windows® CE .NET 5.0 operating system and a Marvell PXA270
processor operating at 520 MHz. All of this in a package that fits comfortably
in the hand and weighs in at a trim 14 oz.
Safari offers wireless computer communications and networking capabilities
via Bluetooth®, WLAN 802.11b/g, and GPRS. RS-232, USB, and IR ports are
available for connection to peripherals and accessories that extend the
product's utility. Safari is also equipped with an expansion port allowing
the addition of RFID, GPS, as well as other industry or application specific
modules. An integrated 1D barcode scan engine provides the ability to
read a wide variety of symbologies.
For more information on Safari, contact the FBS Sales line a 800.437.7638 or e-mail sales@fbssystems.com.
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KNOW BEFORE YOU GROW: SCALING THE HEIGHTS
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In
the past three issues of this series we've used a mountain range metaphor
to depict the relationship between three levels of computer applications—decision
support, compliance and business processes.
The graphic above populates this vertical-horizontal information landscape
with some real-life examples. Compliance is the lowest
level (foothills), business processes are the mountain trails
and decision support is in the clouds at the summit. Note
the more difficult (and valuable) the business processes, the
higher the elevation represented on this chart. Furthermore,
the time interval required to complete processes and reports
increases as you move from left to right.
Use this chart to plot your current level of adoption of these crucial
business processes and decision support systems. Although the Internet
and Global Positioning System have made real-time market and agronomic
production data widely-accessible literally through the "clouds," most
producers are still plodding along at the compliance level.
What are the major barriers preventing serious managers—like you—from
ascending beyond basic compliance (or even business process) activities
and reaching the decision support summit?
| 1. |
Note that
all activities below the mountain tops are considered cost
centers, while decision support (where the real payoff occurs)
is the profit center. With cost centers there
are no compelling rewards for performing compliance and business
processes; just penalties for not doing them in a timely
and accurate manner.* Also, by definition, a cost center is a
means to an end (supporting a profit center) that consumes significant
costs with little direct returns.
|
| 2. |
The most
conscientious firms often get bogged down at the compliance level
without ever reaching functioning business processes. And even
the best companies can be stranded at the business process level
without achieving effective decision support.
|
| 3. |
Assuming
a firm is willing and able to commit the resources to stay on
top of all their compliance and business processes chores, it's
unlikely that the resulting information can generated in a timely
enough manner for quality decision support.
|
Is there a safe, sane route to the top? Fortunately, as we'll see in
the next issue, other industries have already blazed this trail for agriculture.
* Unlike the known penalties associated with compliance failures, the costs of business process failures are usually masked by the lax business processes themselves.
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WEBINAR SCHEDULES
Join us for these free webinars at 10:00 am CST:
| • |
Livestock Budgeting on Monday, June 8 |
| • |
Crop Audit Reports on Monday, June 15 |
If you'd like to attend any of these virtual meetings, e-mail norm@fbssystems.com by 8:00 am CST on the day of the webinar to receive login instructions.
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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 do I run payroll reports in TransAction Plus?
|
| A.
|
The
Payroll Liability Report calculates accrued Federal withholdings
(Federal Income Tax, FICA and Medicare) by semi-weekly, monthly,
quarterly and yearly periods for up to 300 employees. It
also calculates the current balances due for all Federal deposit
information. To use the Payroll Liability Report,
you must: |
|
1. |
Identify your employees as Vendors |
|
2. |
Use
a Ledger Account Type G (Gross, Net, Fed, State FICA,
Medicare, Other breakouts) to record payroll checks. |
|
3. |
Record payroll withholding deposits either directly to expense accounts or as debits to liability accounts (negative balances).
You do not need this report if you are using the Red Wing Payroll program and posting payroll to TransAction Plus.
|
|
Instructions: |
|
1. |
At the Home Screen, choose Reports. |
|
2. |
At the Reports Menu, choose General/Accounting Other Reports/Payroll Laibility Report. Click OK. |
|
3. |
Select from these report parameters: |
|
|
• |
Division range. Specify which divisions to include by typing the codes or selecting from the drop-down list. |
|
|
• |
Type in the calendar year for the report. |
|
|
• |
First quarter for report. Type in 1, 2, 3 or 4. |
|
|
• |
Last quarter for report. Type in 1, 2, 3 or 4. |
|
|
• |
Account range for payroll. Specify the payroll expense ledger accounts to include by typing the codes or selecting from the drop-down list. |
|
|
• |
Account range of deposits. Specify ledger accounts you use to record Federal withholding deposits (either expense or liability) by typing the codes or selecting from the drop-down list. |
|
|
• |
Center range for payroll. Specify the centers used for employees and/or deposits by typing the codes or selecting from the drop-down list. |
|
|
• |
For the following, refer to the current IRS Employer's Tax Guide.
Maximum FICA wages. Enter the wage base for Social Security Tax.
Maximum Medicare wages. Enter the wage base for Medicare.
FICA rate. Include both the employer and employee share.
Medicare rate. Include both the employer and employee share. |
|
|
• |
Examine report on screen:
Check this box to view the report on the screen. You then have the option to send the report or graph to the printer.
Leave this box unchecked to send the report directly to the printer without viewing on the screen. |
|
|
• |
To define a report to use over and over, click on the Macro button to save this report as a Macro. |
|
4. |
Click OK to start the report. |
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CLIENT'S CORNER
• In
The News
Congratulations to these FBS users who have made the news lately.
The May/June 2009 issue of Successful Farming covered both an FBS user and consultant. Nebraska farmer, Kerry Knuth, was featured as a panelist on the Farmers for the Future Conference where he shared his experiences with managerial accounting in the article, "Nurturing a New Crop." John McNutt of the Latta, Harris, Hannon & Penningroth CPA firm discussed survival strategies for pork producers in "Weathering the Storm."
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sales@fbssystems.com
800.437.7638
|
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©2009 FBS Systems,
Inc.
|
