Sage 100

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  • 1.  Locking tasks while someone is working on Period End...

    Posted 11-24-2020 18:00
    We have a couple customers who keep asking us how to keep users from doing data entry while they are trying to close periods.  (Basically, they want no transactions while they do their module by module reconciliations...).
    They used to go into User Maintenance and lock people out... then we taught them the instlock.txt trick, but both of those options prevent users from even benign activities.  Reports, entering SO / PO, working in Customer Maintenance, Vendor Maintenance, Item Maintenance... and basically all Inquiry screens would be fine to use, if users could be trusted to not do anything else.
    Does anyone have suggestions? 
    I'm thinking a script might work (one trigger per data entry table to be blocked, checking a UDF flag somewhere to see if new transactions should be allowed... so the controller could turn the control on / off without our help) but I don't want to re-invent the wheel if someone has a better solution.

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    Kevin Moyes
    Technical Systems Analyst
    Munjal White Consulting Co.
    Toronto ON
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  • 2.  RE: Locking tasks while someone is working on Period End...

    Posted 11-24-2020 18:13
    Edited by Michelle Taylor 11-24-2020 19:35
    How about a script that looks for a Role assignment (only used to trigger in the script) and a specific [system] UDF value?  When* the user is assign the Role and the UDF value is XXX, then don't allow into the Entry screens.

    *edited

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    Michelle Taylor
    ERP Consulting Manager, CS3 Technology
    918-388-9772
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  • 3.  RE: Locking tasks while someone is working on Period End...

    Posted 11-25-2020 09:44
    That is almost exactly what I had in mind (although the Role I was thinking would be PeriodEndAdmin, allowing transactions if the user had this role when the company specific UDF flag was enabled).

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    Kevin Moyes
    Technical Systems Analyst
    Munjal White Consulting Co.
    Toronto ON
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Locking tasks while someone is working on Period End...

    Posted 11-24-2020 20:19
    Maybe setup in a separate Sage 100 instance the same roles, users, and passwords, except the role permissions would be different.  Replace the security tables with the ones with the lesser permissions when it's time to close.

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    Doug Higgs
    Midwest Commerce Solutions, Inc
    (312) 315-0960
    Assistant to the Traveling Secretary
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  • 5.  RE: Locking tasks while someone is working on Period End...

    Posted 11-25-2020 09:46
    Technically that could work, but it's not something business users could do themselves.

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    Kevin Moyes
    Technical Systems Analyst
    Munjal White Consulting Co.
    Toronto ON
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    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Locking tasks while someone is working on Period End...

    Posted 11-25-2020 10:00
    Users could potentially use a bat file to back up and replace the security files themselves and then switch them back when finished.  I believe there are four tables that contain the security information.

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    Doug Higgs
    Midwest Commerce Solutions, Inc
    (312) 315-0960
    Assistant to the Traveling Secretary
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Locking tasks while someone is working on Period End...

    Posted 11-25-2020 10:14
    Again, technically that could work but I would not want to hand that kind of control over to anyone... too many things can go wrong (and they'd have to maintain two versions of security tables, with any changes).
    Scripts, a UDT and a new Role: the user process would be open a UDT, click a checkbox and Accept, then kick everyone out using Master Console.  When done, open the UDT and uncheck the checkbox, Accept, then tell users they can start normal work.  Fairly easy and no technical risk to system files.
    The tricky part is finding the right event for each transaction type to block.  (UI scripts won't block VI imports...).

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    Kevin Moyes
    Technical Systems Analyst
    Munjal White Consulting Co.
    Toronto ON
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


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