e.farmSMART October 2006



October 2006	Vol. 6 No.10

7.8—A NEW RECORD!
AUTOMATED DASHBOARD
FARM SERVER
SeRVware Q & A SECTION
CLIENTS CORNER

7.8—A NEW RECORD!

Back in the days the Internet was being invented and microcomputers were still unproven toys, FBS Systems started the computerized farm record revolution.  Twenty-seven years later agriculture has been transformed by computer technology in a few areas like precision farming, yet there's still a long way to go. Most producers follow primitive accounting practices and struggle with inefficient, non-integrated software.

Compared to the hum-drum software on most farms, FBS's latest release—Version 7.8—is truly revolutionary.  It incorporates cutting-edge management tools including executive dashboards, automated batch reports and electronic document storage/retrieval for power users, yet offers a user-friendly inventory register for "weekend accountants."  Full-time accountants will appreciate the optional period closing routine, consolidated financial statements, expanded account description capacity and even more powerful managerial accounting reports.

VIP TiMEsavr clients are receiving their 7.8 CDs right now.  Priority clients will be shipped updates in November, and Basic users in December.

Here's an overview of this record achievement!

General

Setup

• Added ability to set form color by company

• Increased size of preference value from 20 to 80 characters

• Modified rollover to next year to run smoother (fewer prompts)

Reports

• Reports that support multiple copies no longer reset printer between copies

• All reports now support the scroll wheel plus page up/down keys

e.CLIPSE / Cost Allocation

• Added Inactive Date to Center setup for production centers

• Added Quick Select feature to overhead allocation setup

• Added Sales Quantity cost driver (for marketing centers)

• Added export option to overhead allocation setup

TransAction Plus

New Scanner Interface

• Scans invoices and links them to accounting entries

• Use for quick retrieval of major documents or convert to a completely paperless office

• Also Ideal for service bureaus doing remote processing

• $595.00 introductory price

New Inventory Register

Ideal for:

• Single-entry cash accounting

• Periodic inventories

• Strictly market-value financial statements

• Adding "external" market-value adjustments to double-entry GLs

• Users familiar with AFRA/FINPACK

Advantages:

• Builds off of existing setup

• Update balance sheet without accounting knowledge

• Economical ($395.00 - free for current AFRA users)

Setup

Ledger Accounts:

• Expanded Account Description to 40 characters

• Now stored in Balance Sheet/Income Statement file (TASxxx03.MDB)

Vendors:

• Expanded Name to 40 characters

• Added Contact, Cell Number, E-Mail address

Contract Module:

• Added Units display to setup

• Added feed, chemicals, seed and fertilizer

Startup / Control

• Added routines to TA+ rollover to split bank account by division

• Preference to allow closing periods

Input / Edit

• Expanded Check/Deposit/Invoice number to 20 characters

• Changed TA+ edit to update entry date when an entry is changed

• Added warning if date cleared before entry date (when clearing checks and deposits)

• Added Refresh button to Clear Checks and Deposits

• Added warning to TA+ save if vendor is BEGINNING BALANCE and date is not January 1

• Changed TA+ edit to update description on bank account line of checks and deposits

• Changed TA+ delete routine to delete the second part of a reversing entry if you delete the first part except for December 31 entries

Check Register/Reconciliation

• Now displays date cleared even if after report date range

• Added line in recap for entries cleared after ending date

General Reports

• Added ability for Group/Project recap in User Defined Report

• Changed unit price in User Defined Report to print 4 digits unless at least one unit price is greater than 10,000

• Added column for Invoice Date on User Defined Report when run by date cash exchanged

• Changed Canadian payroll heading (U.I.C. is now E.I.)

• Changed detail reports to remove Hired Labor and Money Borrowed columns if no detail included in those fields

• Changed font size of ledger/center recap to match detail

1099 Report:

• Added horizontal adjustment to print routine (- to move left)

• Changed continuous form switch to default to NO

Crop Audit Plus

Setup

• Changed shrink factor from 2 to 4 decimal places

• Added preference (Crop Standard Shrink) so that standard crop shrinkage does not increase dry quantity when Wet moisture is below ideal moisture

e.CLIPSE:

• Shadow accounts limit increased to 200

• Common SF-CA Bridge

• Added Sales Quantity cost driver

• Added Crop Lower of Cost/Market to Crop Setup menu

Input

• Added preference to set number of days a project is closed and still be included for input

• Changed Crop Harvest/Purchase /Sell screen to put everything on one screen, using tabs to move between input fields and also added macro input for field operations

• Changed seed look-back period to include prior year for harvest entries prior to September 1

• Changed Purchase Quantity for crop material Applications from 2 to 3 decimal places

• Changed Crop Harvest by Load so that shrink calculation works when not using default marketing project

Smart Feeder

Setup / Input / Edit

• In feeding Rate of Gain setup can click on sales days to go directly to sales spread

• Added preference to set number of days a group is closed and still be included for input

• Changed group setup to include inactive locations

• Rounds weight in General Feeding Input, Feed by Ration, to 2 decimal places

• Added Agtronix Version 3 to farm feed mill interface

General Reports

Detail Inventory Report

• Treats non-cash/tax journal entries as movement entries

• Flags death loss after last sale in report by group (if group is closed)

• Added "Next Group Error" button to Detail Inventory and Ticket Ration reports (by group)

• Added "Closed Date" to Open Group Report to select all groups closed after this date

Death Loss by Week Report new options

• Display top 5 death loss causes

• Grand totals for open and closed groups

New Projected Sales Report  (Requires Feed Budget module)

User Defined Report

• Added Exclude Beginning Date to SFUD by Group

• Changed Current Weight calculation by finding slot in ROG table instead of adjusting by ADG from ROG phase 1

• Changed Feed by Class to exclude GMD units when calculating per ton of feed

• Added group Open/Closed Date to drill down

• Added 4 more group traits (total of 6)

• Added ability to hide report lines

• Changed logic processing TA+ purchase/sale journal entries: must be management entry to be treated as a movement record

Cost Analysis

• Added option to display setup by field (account/feed/drug/etc.)

• Removed breeding purchase/sale records from units out/sold/produced

• Added check to prevent double allocation (to expense line and consolidating line)

• Changed Shadow Lines to use range for ledger accounts

Feeding e.CLIPSE

• Added common Feeding-Crop bridge

• Changed shadow account limit from 200 to 300

Smart Breeder

• Added Entry Report to Input by Sow by Date

• Added line for average weaning age to Production Summary and Farrowing Summary reports (uses average litter age

• Added partial weaning event and Sow/Boar removal reason and description to Input History Report

• Added baby pig death cause number to drill down on Baby Pig Death Loss Report

• Increased sow range for sow cards from 40 to 120 character

• Added Mating Report

• Added report macros to PigWings if Dashboard interface is installed

Batch Reports

• New module that automates  TransAction Plus, Crop Audit, Smart Feeder, Smart Breeder and PigCHAMP® 4.x reporting

• Build a list of pre-defined reports that can be generated on-the-spot or at a predetermined date and time through an internal scheduler or the Window Task Manager

• Reports go to these formats

   •    Internal report repository

   •    Excel

   •    HTML

   •    Farm SeRVey Dashboard

• $1,495.00

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AUTOMATED DASHBOARD

Stop waiting for reports that are already out-of date! Create your own custom, real-time management "control center." The revolutionary Farm SeRVey™ executive dashboard automatically extracts data from nearly any source–spreadsheets, websites, databases, most FBS programs–and generates graphs and maps, monitors Key Performance Indicators and triggers alerts.

Farm SeRVey™ takes FBS users to a whole new level. For example, combine external, real-time data sources like commodity prices from the Internet with your FBS MIS, then watch the dashboard graphs, gauges and reports automatically monitor Key Performance Indicators as the underlying data change. The customizable, web browser display is accessible from any computer with Internet access. FBS Batch Reports recommended.

• 2-User Server Starter Set (requires SQL Server) $3,995.00

• Additional seats $1,495.00

• Hosted license per year (requires Farm SeRVer™ $995.00

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Farm SeRVer

• Farm SeRVer™ provides all the capabilities of FBS desktop applications in an economical, web-hosted subscription service.

• Connect to your data anywhere–enjoy the benefits of a high–performance network without the hassles of maintaining software or your own server.

• Tap into "virtual" data entry or controller services.

• It's easy to transfer your FBS desktop software license to a Farm SeRVer™ host, and vice-versa.

• For a quote, contact FBS Sales at 800.437.7638 / Ext. 1.

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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.
My balance sheet and trial balance are out of balance by the amount of net income.  What's wrong?

a. We've received this question several times over the past month, especially from clients with non-calendar fiscal years.

  1.   Make sure you have defined these two owner equity ledger accounts:  Net Income (difference between income and expenses in the current year) and Retained Earnings (total of previous years' net incomes).

  2.   Net Income (or sometimes called Current Year's Earning), must be a calculated account (flagged as a Type "N" in the ledger account setup).  This allows you to run a balance sheet or trial balance for any date and have the net income properly calculated.

  3.   Retained Earnings must be posted on the first day of the new fiscal year.  This entry is based on the previous year's net income and can be calculated automatically by doing the following:

        a.   Make sure you are logged into the same calendar year that the new fiscal year begins.

        b.   Select Input/General

        c.   Under Accounting Input choose Calculate Retained Earnings.

        d.   If you've not previously selected your Retained Earnings ledger account, you can do that now.  If you are using only one Division or several Divisions with the same fiscal month, the Month drop-down list will automatically default to the correct starting fiscal month.  However, if you're using multiple Divisions with different fiscal periods, Month will default to the current month.  In that case, you can override the current month with the correct fiscal month.

        e.   Click the Calculate button.

        f.   You can and must repeat this process whenever changes are made to the prior fiscal year.  (Prior retained earnings entries are automatically deleted.)

        g.   This routine will only post retained earnings to first day of the fiscal month assigned to a Division (Under Setup / Accounting / Divisions).

  4.   When you run the Balance Sheet or the Trial Balance for the last day of your fiscal year, the Net Income account will calculate the current year's net income, and the Retained Earnings account will include all prior years' net income.  If you run these reports for the first day of your fiscal year, the Net Income account balance will be zero (unless you've posted income and expense on that day), and the Retained Earnings account will have added the last fiscal year's net income to the previous balance.

Call in your questions (800.437.7638) or e-mail them to support@fbssystems.com.

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CLIENT'S CORNER

• In The News!

The September 2006 issue of Farm Futures covered Harlan, Iowa-based Farm Partners Supply Company in "Partner Power," the story of how Harvard MBA Gary Weihs helped small farmers develop a 17,000-acre partnership.

Pat Hord, Bucyrus, Ohio, was honored as an Environmental Steward in the September 15, 2006 National Hog Farmer.

Also in that issue Bob Johnson, DeKalb, Illinois, describes how he takes advantage of the nutrients generated by his hog operation in "Cashing in on Manure's Value."

Successful Farming's 2006 Pork Powerhouses® include Eichelberger Farms (a part of #2 Triumph Foods), #18 Wakefield Pork, and honorable mentions to Carthage Veterinary Services and Schwartz Farms, click here for the story.

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sales@fbssystems.com
800.437.7638

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