Sage 100

Shiplinc - I don't know if being sold will help, but just wanted to let everyone know - if Shiplinc out of the box will work for your client, feel free to go for it. HOWEVER, if you need any modifications, build in an extra year of lead time. They are absolutely HORRIBLE at 1) getting back to you, 2) keeping their appointments, 3) apologizing re their missed appointments, 4) actually getting any work done on the modification. They make Scanco look good.

Agreed. I used them for the first time last June. Implementation was to begin on 7/25/13. Some minor (so we thought) modifications needed and, well..... now supposed to go live 2/1/14. Wish I would have recommended Starship.

Why doesn't Starship build their own likes with the BF so that we could recommend them?

Beginning with Sage 100 v4.5 there are a lot more integration capabilities with Starship. For example, you can create a customer ups account# udf in Sage 100 and automatically pass it to Starship for recipient billing. Starship is constantly putting resources into the product. they had 3 or 4 upgrade releases in 2013 and just release version 14, the first release of this year. SmartLinc calls itself a cloud product, yet there is code that need to be on premise and integrated with the Sage code. In addition, the price difference between Starship and SmartLinc is substantial. Most of my customers are a better fit for Starship when factoring in bang for the buck.

@BethBowers your description of Shiplinc's lack of service is so similar to what I went through with Starship when it was first released. After that I rarely sold another Starship system. I've integrated both UPS and FedEx for clients using VI and Access db, its far cheaper, at least for firms with only 2-3 shipping workstations.

@MoiraGoggin we've done several one-way Access links to UPS. I'd love to learn more about taking the tracking numbers and/or freight charges back.

I have created an easy 2-way integration for Starship on 4-5 of my client's systems. ODBC accomplishes the Sage 100 reads of the SO header data into Sage... no sweat there.....The write back to Sage can be accomplished as follows: 1. Export UPS or FEDEX data at the end of each day to a file containing the SO#, tracking#, and freight amount. 2. Set up a VI export to export SO# and Invoice# from SO invoice header. 3. Create a utility program to read the VI export, then read through the UPS or FEDEX export to find the sales order#. You will now have the invoice#, tracking# and freight amount. 4. Create a VI import to update the SO invoice header file with the freight amount. 5. Create a VI import to update the SO_DailyShipmentpackage with the invoice#, freight and tracking#. 6. Put all of these in a .bat file and execute prior to printing invoices. Of course all of this could be done with one big custom program, but for a quick and easy write back this works great.

Get in touch with @MyronStevenson - he wrote a business objects interface for me for UPS. Scan the order bar code into UPS to pull the shipping data over then click a button in Sage to pull the data back into Sage shipping (freight amount, weights, box count and tracking numbers) at the time of shipment processing. Client has been using it for nearly a year on two shipping stations.

I'm assuming this is in reference to the endorsed product. As I commented on LinkedIn on the discussion regarding their sale to EFI, I was initially excited over SmartLinc, but the cost is higher and there were features they did not support. The reality has been that we have a great deal of experience and a large client base with StarShip. For that reason we have continued to sell that solution, even though it is not an endorsed product. Clients really do not seem to care one way or the other as long as the price is right, and StarShip fits that requirement. As for building our own links, that's not what we do. We prefer a package that provides updates and support, since we don't want to be experts in shipping, much the same as with EDI.

@JohnHoyt - So are you saying you have Starship running on v2013 installations??

We have a client running Starship with v2013 and it works well. We did the initial install in 4.5 and did the upgrade to 2013 in November. They make about 600 unique shipments every day from 12 locations so we paid to have a mod that pulled only the lines for each specific warehouse. They got it done on time (almost unbelievable that it wouldn't do that out of the box when we did the first install in 2012, it's a standard feature in the current 2013 compatible version) and worked the initial kinks out pretty quickly.

Starship runnin with v2013 here too. There are a couple tips and tricks. You have to get the link from V-Tech **AND** V-Tech has to flip a switch on their systems to enable the 2013 integration. I've found you MUST call them to do this. It's always somewhat of a crapshoot in my opinion when upgrading because Starship is one module I don't find that I can readily test beforehand. What has worked well for me is to tell customers they need to buy Starship support. I've found that many/most of Starship's knowledgebase articles are known only to V-Tech so I stopped trying to be a support resource. The V-Tech support is still a little rough around the edges in how they treat you (reminds me of how Hightower seemed as if they answered the phone ""yah waddya want""). Once you get onto the ""right"" tech the product is pretty good.

Here are my notes from when I setup the Starship 2013 link over the summer - https://www.evernote.com/shard/s1/sh/90bee5b5-0ae9-4238-9718-80d0266fa2ae/87778779fd408cf059fada38487e9fb1

Version(s): 4.5 Problem / Description: How can I setup Starship Link 2.0 for Sage 100 v4.5+ and Sage 100 ERP 2013 The relationship between Sage and V-Technologies (publisher of Starship) has changed and V-Technologies now sells the link between Starship and Sage 100 (aka Starship Link) directly. There are two versions to the link: a. Business Objects Interfact (BOI) -- must have BOI keys from Sage (should be free but not always included in older keys - be sure to update) b. (Generally preferred) Starship Link 2.0 (As of July 2012 seems less problematic) and the option most people use. In order to use Starship Link 2.0 you must call V-Technologies and have them add it to your account and then install the Starship Link 2.0. If you do not call you cannot change the integration level (version of Sage 100) within the Starship main program. Once V-Technologies have applied the license change (should be no charge if on support with them) you can update your license within Starship. IMPORTANT YOU MUST DO THIS STEP TO SEE THE NEW VERSION INTEGRATION APPEAR AS AN OPTION IN STARSHIP MAIN PROGRAM To apply these changes: 1. Exit out of all StarShip clients 2. Run StarShip Server Manager 3. Click Tools > ""Check for Registration/Data Updates"" Then go to the Starship Program and change the financial system to Sage 100 v4.50 or Sage 100 ERP 2013 Then install Starship Link 2.x link via http://www.vtechnologies.com/ssfiles/starshiplink/starshiplink2.1.zip Note: The link is updated frequently and V-Technologies does not post it publicly (it's usually sent in an upgrade email direct to the customer) so be sure you have a copy of the link BEFORE starting any installation or upgrading of Sage 100 ERP. Help files: http://www.vtechnologies.com/help/migrate/maslink2/ http://www.vtechnologies.com/help/migrate/maslink2/index.html#install_the_starship_link.htm http://www.vtechnologies.com/help/migrate/maslink2/index.html#enable_starship.htm Instructions: http://www.vtechnologies.com/help/migrate/maslink2/index.html Overall instructions on upgrading Starship program: http://www.vtechnologies.com/Docs/SS/ss_upgrade.pdf Starship Server 13.0.3 Server (may not be the latest - check first before installing) http://updates.vtechnologies.com/ssfiles/13.0.3/serversetup.exe NOTE: If you don't see the Starship link button in Shipping Data Entry rebuild the panel in custom office. Resolution:

Seems like another reason to be on V-tech support so they can do the grunt work.

@KathrynScofield, the comment from @DougHiggs is very similar to what I set up for customers. The data is imported back to Sage 100 with VI using the Sales Order number to link to the invoice number. The customer runs the import before emailing invoices. I use a file the UPS tech setup and pull it through to Access and then use an ODBC VI job, a few less steps that way.