Sage 100

I'm on my continuing quest to compare Sage Intelligence with standard Excel 2016 features. Here's what I've learned so far: Let me know if I'm not accurate on any of this. It has not been straight forward in finding out some of this information. **The ""free"" Sage Intelligence isn't as free as I thought.** The free version allows you to run existing financial templates and create new financial templates, for one company at a time. Apparently, to do multi company consolidations, you have purchase the connector. Non-GL reports: You can download pre-built reports and run those, but to design your own, purchase a connector. The secret sauce of Sage Intelligence is pulling data from Sage to hidden worksheets, auto building the links, and adding some custom formula functions for GL data. **So far, I've been able to duplicate Sage Intelligence with standard Excel 2016** Granted, I haven't done much with SI yet, so maybe there are some things it can do I haven't seen yet. But standard Excel 2016 does all the same processes SI does. The Get Data menu allows you to pull GL data from multiple tables in Sage 100 into the Power Query mode of Excel, including multi company consolidations. The Power Query editor allows you to transform the data so it's configured the way you need to to design reports. The Power Pivot data model function enables you to create custom aggregated values (called measures), and use Excel CubeFunctions which act like the GL functions in SI. All of this uses the standard SOTAMAS90 ODBC driver, so there isn't anything special to upgrade, etc. These features are available as Microsoft Add-ins (free) for Excel 2013, And about 70% of the features can be added to Excel 2010 All of this stock Excel, so all the formulas and technical knowledge you learn for this applies to everything else you do with excel, with any other data sources. **Oh, did I mention that we are teaching an Excel Power Query/Power Pivot course at MOTM?** We will show you how to do these kinds of things and have labs where you get to do it yourself on good old ABC data ( ABX for the financials section)

Ha, I was going to say 'this is a great subtle plug for MotM' and then you went and bolded it. Fine fine fine, you win, I'll be there. :)

Geez @ClarkWalliser between you and @PeterWolf why I may have to recruit you both for committee positions. tia, good plug.

Clarifying for anyone new to SBI. On SBI, you can design your own as long as the data fields are in the prebuilt container. The connector is for when you want to bring in other companies or modules (like payroll) that aren't in the pre-built container. To use the special, SBI excel formulas (Like GLActual) in the GL requires the report designer add in. its useless without it, IMHO. The add-in **was** extra, then it was included with the gold subscription and I think it may be included with all subscriptions now. It doesn't even show up on price lists any more, even for perpetual, so I suspect if you don't have it, just ask and they'll add it to your products. They forget to, alot. By the way, I only sell the Business Intelligence subscription which is all types of licenses and connectors, everything unlimited. It's a good value.

^^ Ditto, only sell the full subscription to SI/SBI, well worth it for most customers. Agree @RhondaMcNamara the Report Designer should be included for all levels The connector I understand pricing separate. You can use it for Sage connections can be set up, and also connections to other databases, ERP systems, and 3rd party products.

Gee, @MoiraGoggin , classing me with @PeterWolf is an upgrade :) We are both such quiet personalities...

Thank you @RhondaMcNamara for that information. I was out of the loop for the last 4 years and it looks like SBI has improved during that time. Do you have any insights on comparing SBI to Excel Power Query / Power Pivot?

No, I wish I did. Our little clients don't use them and the big clients use Renovo or BizNet.

Hi @RhondaMcNamara, maybe we can connect sometime and do a comparison between SBI and Excel PQ/PP. That might be useful for all involved. And if @MoiraGoggin was listening to this, she might say ""That would be a good session at MOTM!"" :)

Ok, how do you enter smiley faces in socialcast?

My strength is in demonstrating enough to sell it. I don't do any fancy tricks beyond financials with roll-ups that don't line up with the Account Groups in Sage 100. Some of our other staff use alot of Excel automation to generate variations on reports and allow for user interaction. I have not even distributed one outside of my laptop. *blush smiley* But I'll bet there's some modest member out there who could rock that. @KimberlyDavis @MoiraGoggin @SteveIwanowski @LourdesSobrino Others, I'm sure.

:smile:

@ClarkWalliser MOTM 2020.

I like a challenge :) Now if I can just figure out how Therese does the emoticons!

Maybe we need to add another day so we can stay in sunny San Diego a bit longer in March. Or let's add a MotM 2019.5 in Fiji!

Do these work (https://www.webpagefx.com/tools/emoji-cheat-sheet/)? :smile:

When I spend more time on the emoticon than I do on the message, this is not a good sign :grimacing:

Oh no, it worked. I'm hooked... :scream:

MOTM 2019.5 @SteveIwanowski?? :smile: