Attaché Sprint Training Key Client Learnings Attendee Response Report August 2015 1
Publication Number Publication Date Product Version A001418 August 2015 Sprint Training Attaché Software Australia Pty Ltd ACN 002 676 511 ABN 32002676 511 Level 5, 118 Talavera Road, Macquarie Park NSW 2113 Australia PO Box 1824 Macquarie Centre, North Ryde 2113 Australia Tel +61 2 9929 8700 Fax +61 2 9925 0481 Attaché Software New Zealand Pty Ltd 48 Greys Ave, Auckland New Zealand Tel +64 9 302 9390 Fax +64 9 302 9391 Email: info@attachesoftware.com Website: www.attachesoftware.com 2015 Attaché Software Australia Pty Limited 2
Contents Attaché Sprint Training Key Client Learnings... 4 Introduction... 4 Accounting specific... 5 Budgeting... 5 Debtor management... 5 Attaché Collect... 5 Recurring transactions... 6 Payroll specific... 6 Allowances & Deductions... 6 Leave management... 7 MyPay - online payroll documents... 7 Payment schedules... 8 Standard Pay enhancements... 8 Superannuation general requirements... 9 SuperStream - specific requirements... 9 ClickSuper - superannuation payments... 11 Submit Tax File Number online... 11 Accounting and Payroll... 12 ClearView Dashboards... 12 Cost Centres... 12 Linking Source Documents... 13 Exporting Data... 13 Menu Shortcuts... 13 End of Year Process... 14 Other Tips... 15 3
Attaché Sprint Training Key Client Learnings Introduction After the first Sprint Training in June 2015, we asked attendees the following survey question: your business straight away? We wanted to understand what clients didn t know before the training, and what they felt would make a difference to their work and business afterwards. To help all clients we have decided to publish this information. Please take five minutes to read the responses. It s a great starting place to find out new ways to get the most from your Attaché system. Many of the comments are similar. We ve included them all as they help identify some key common learning areas. Three replies said they learnt nothing from the day. We hope they are from Attaché Consultants! If you wish to learn more about any of the subjects mentioned, please contact us at info@attachesoftware.com or talk with your local Attaché Consultant. Better still, come to our next Sprint Training Day and learn even more! Register at www.attachesoftware.com/sprint Attaché Client Training 4
Accounting specific Budgeting Budget uploading Budgets, implementation and various Payroll information provided Uploading budgets (was not an actual topic but covered separately) Debtor management Changes to the way we handle debtor days Customer ageing report and ageing on statements Customer invoice form design to create overdue form, and to add total outstanding amount. This will help to collect the debts and maintain the working capital. Customer invoices sent in a bundle Debt collection by changing aging bands to "Due" or "Overdue". Balance due & balance on invoices Fine tuning all the customer credit term of payment, dashboard manager, etc. Look into using Prospect Cust and Customer Risk Analysis Outstanding Debtor Payments Recurring Direct Debits Re- think the Invoice layout and the ageing description Due" and Overdue" Set better payment terms for customers, get rid of "Terms Code" and use newer & better Payments Due Report. Some general BI features I didn't know. Change my way of Year- End (or not!) for Customers & Suppliers. I already knew you can attach a source document, but it was shown really well and am going to look if we can create the system around it to setup that all (or most) source docs get attached. Using Customer Risk Analysis and Payment Due List to improve Debtor management Would like to update our debtor recovery and use the new email system Improvement customer analysis Attaché Collect Attaché Collect Attaché Collect Faster way to send unpaid invoices Hoping to implement Collect 5
Implementing new methods of helping with collecting overdue accounts Possibly the "Collect" module - however requires further review / understanding The advice on debtors and the trialling of the reminder service (Collect) Recurring transactions Application of cost centres, supplier recurring transactions, set up financial ratio sets Changes to Accounts Payable, No printing of supplier Invoices, Re- occurring invoices Customer invoice replication for recurring invoices. Customer/Supplier recurring transactions Recurring entries Recurring invoices in suppliers Recurring payments I think and customer templates Recurring supplier invoices using multiple service codes Recurring supplier transactions Re- incurring Invoices Set up products for purchasing and set up standing orders Setting up recurring invoices. Setting up templates for recurring transactions; better use of Service Codes; importing budget amounts; better use of narrations, to name a few. Standing Order Amendments/ Creation Standing Orders Standing purchase orders Supplier code change, reoccurring invoices Yes. The recurring order Customer and Supplier module. And Payroll as well especially leave loading. Payroll specific Allowances & Deductions Allowances - Back pay/bonuses Bonus Allowance auto Tax Setting up Employee Bank code for deductions (e.g. Child Support) 6
Specifying an amount for the total deduction to be deducted from employees pay & reducing leave hours from standard hours Leave management % holiday loading A very helpful hint was that you could set leave loading to auto calculate when you enter in annual leave hours. Add Leave Loading into the Standard pay to be calculated automatically Auto reduction of normal hours by annual leave, sick leave etc, hours Automatic leave loading Change Leave Loading set up file to % Leave calculation and management (calculation per hour, as opposed to date) Leave entitlements & fixing up mistakes Leave entitlements were set- up incorrectly and to advise SMSF employees to give e- mails Payroll Options - auto calculates LL with AL is included in time sheet if set up correctly Setting up code to calculate Leave Loading automatically The automatic reduction of normal hours when an employee takes A/L or S/L - before we were doing a manual calculation to obtain the normal hours balance. Using leave loading % in the standard pay to calculate once A/L is selected MyPay - online payroll documents FBT, Attaché My Pay, Reporting from Clearview and end of month tips Attaché MyPay. It will save me so much time... End of month processes and MyPay I would like to implement My Pay and also payment schedules...and also to reduce normal hours when AL or SL is taken etc. My Pay My Pay - Attaché Payroll Pay Slips/Payments Summaries direct to staff electronically My pay, Financial Controller, MyPay MyPay MyPay MyPay 7
MyPay MyPay MyPay MyPay, Phone Number format MyPay; scheduling, block access to Attaché, use of estimated liability report The new BI upgrade / MyPay Use of tax dec lodgements, MyPay Would advise employees to register with MyPay before we process Group certificates Payment schedules Payments Schedule in Payroll Deductions and how to create a schedule Payment schedule Payment Schedule Payment Schedules Payment schedules Payment schedules in payroll Payment schedules in Payroll Payment Schedules, my pay, - - - BI and Clearview - - dashboards, USI Scheduling loans, Salary sacrifice so that we have a start/finish date. No need to keep notes in diary anymore. That I can add Child Support and Garnishee details as a bank account and pay with the pays. Using schedules. I had forgotten about this feature. Standard Pay enhancements Add lines to standard pays Adding more lines on standard pay to save processing time Extending the details in the standard pay and deducting leave etc from the normal hrs calculation Hints about setting up standard pays to include annual leave and sick leave lines especially where ii have employees with cost centre splits. How to set up standard pays so they calculate annual leave etc automatically so I don't have to split and calculate it myself 8
Many things, Set up of standard pays, linked file in payroll, Organise shortcuts, Modifying standard pays to allow for all possible income types, so that normal hours can be modified automatically when leave is taken. Set up all possibilities in Standard Pay and set to modify to save inserting rows each time. Setting up payroll standard pays with all possible item to use when annual leave etc. take. Setting up standard pays for bargaining unit employees Standard pay format Standard pay setups Super choice procedures and setting up standard pays correctly, highlighting the correct payslip procedures for employees To populate time- sheets with all possible pay elements. Time- saver! To re- enter and improve on the Employee Standard Pay We did most of what they were saying, we are super compliant and have been for a while, there were some little tips and hints from Alison that I found very useful, such as setting up the standard pay so all you have to do on pay day is enter the hours. Superannuation general requirements Check if we are using the new super choice form. As we have just had BI installed and we have just upgraded how we do super, I have learnt a bit more about this process. Changes to superannuation requirements Checking on Super obligations Modify superannuation set- ups Super compliance directions Super set up changes Super Upgrade Superannuation costing to jobs/ reporting in customer - payments due listing The change from SPIN to USI numbers for Superannuation Funds To improve the superannuation set up and reporting function SuperStream - specific requirements 10 digit phone numbers Alias for SMSF 9
Attaché BI and SuperStream Double check super fund USI End of year payroll process and superstream Ensuring that phone numbers all have ten digits Ensuring USI and ESI are in place for Superstream compliance I am updating all employee's phone numbers so that we can send the magnetic file to ATO successfully I learned the phone numbers must be in the system and correct for superstream I need to check for ESA numbers for all the SMSF's I particularly went for information on SuperStream and that was very helpful. Making sure all Superstream details are up- to- date and correct. Making sure that we are superstream compliant as there are a few things minor things we have not completed. New SMSF compliance requirements Phone numbers for Super Setting up my Superstream Superstream info Superstream SuperStream SuperStream information Superstream and EOY Payroll processing Superstream Superstream Superstream Superstream Superstream Superstream SuperStream (which is mandatory) but I have a good understanding after today. We are have our B1 installed an implemented mid- July so I feel that I will be able to use that with confidence Superstream asap Superstream compliance Superstream compliance Superstream update 10
System maintenance regarding superstream compliance The exporting of the super information from Attaché in a data file, to upload in our Super. Instead of manually entering the data. The main reason I was there was to learn more about superstream which I will implement straight away The masterclass I found helpful with some tips and the superstream talk was great The need for updating the SPIN/USI numbers The new changes to the super requirements from the 1st July There are lots of things that I learned from today. For Example: Setting up superstream properly To ensure that superannuation is correctly set up with completed fields for SuperStream To get our SMSF ESA sorted out straight away Updates to superstream/ato reporting USI USI to replace SPINS, Super Funds on Payslips, Electronic Service Addresses What I need to do to ensure that we are superstream compliant ClickSuper - superannuation payments ClickSuper ClickSuper ClickSuper ClickSuper ClickSuper It was good to know the ATO compliance for Super Click, and questions raised by the attendees are quite useful and practical for the understanding of this topic. Payroll tips and added information re ClickSuper ClickSuper Submit Tax File Number online Electronic TFN & PAYGSS Sending ATO forms direct TFN declaration lodged electronically thru Attaché TFN on line 11
Accounting and Payroll ClearView Dashboards Better use of clear view, using the budgeting tool, using the recurring invoices tool. Clearview CRM Clearview Financial Controller Clearview financial ratio gadget Clearview reporting Controller gadget in Clearview Employee grouping, clear view Export Clearview reports to Excel Financial controller using clear view How the better way to use dashboard To set up Clearview Use of Clearview function from Attaché and to explore more about score card Use of other reports via Dashboard - Controller Using the Clearview dashboard more Using Clearview and cost centre Using Clearview for reminders also setting up employee that salary sacrifice or people that have deductions for staff loans so that it is done automatically Using clearview more often with payroll and accounts Using clearview Cost Centres Attaché has cost centre reporting - something we are using the chart of accounts to achieve at the moment Cost centres in the GL Implementation of Cost Centres in Attaché Payroll In the future the cost centres, adding more lines to std pays Split cost centre for Super 12
Being able to amend cost centre & G/L codes in batches after posting Linking Source Documents Attaching source documents to invoices Attaching source documents to invoice/order entries Attaching supplier invoices, paperless Document linking Linked documents to AP transactions Linked information Linking source documents to suppliers and employees Reinforcement of using linked information in customer, supplier and product file to move closer to less paper used and the ability to reprint attached documents Saving supplier invoices into a folder and linking it to the invoice capture in Attaché. Setup an Attaché documents folder for storing electronic documents such as suppler invoices in preparation of BI Suppliers adding source document The link documents for each customers/suppliers Use of digital documentation: using linked information Exporting Data Creating shortcuts as well as the reports - F2 - > F11. F2 & F11 output to look up Accounts details F2 F11 to get a list from Attaché F2 F11, CLICKSUPER F2, F11 F2, then F11 option Masterfile F2 &F11 Masterfile F2 F11 export report Payroll enquiry, F2, F11! Informing employees of "My Pay." Using F5, F2 & F11. Working toward scanned supplier invoices. Menu Shortcuts Shortcut in each area Shortcuts 13
Shortcuts and the 'my pay' process Shortcuts in Payroll Some short cuts The shortcuts was a great timesaver Tips for short cuts Various functionality that was present which we were not aware of that would increase efficiency, e.g. shortcuts, TFN declarations via Attaché Payroll With only being exposed to Attaché for a period of 5 weeks I found the shortcuts great End of Year Process Accounts EOY Processing steps As I have only recently become involved with Payroll the EOY Payroll process clearly defined what is required but also gave confidence if an error is made - you are giving us the information on how to fix Aspects with regards to EOY Payroll Conformation of EOY processing End of year payroll process End of year procedure as well as several other relevant tips End of year procedures End of year process End of year process End of year process End of year processing End of year, setting up standard pays and housekeeping for the new year live payroll End of Year. EOFY EOY Payroll EOY payroll process EOY Payroll rollover, ClickSuper EOY process EOY process EOY Refresher, probably 1 less call to the call centre during roll over EOY rollover 14
Payroll end of year procedures Payroll EOY (201) Payroll EOY Payroll EOY Payroll EOY Payroll EOY Processing Payroll EOY processing Payroll set- ups, pay summary reports, end of year Attaché accounts processing Prepare payment summary Preparing for EOY (I have not processed with Attaché before) and improving efficiency by having better understanding of Attaché Printing EOY reports and charts prior to end of year for checking. Reconciling the tax reports for the EOY Relatively new to Attaché. Mainly the EOY procedures. EOY Reconciliation The day reaffirmed that my EOY procedures are sound and that I will be able to move forward with confidence and complete my EOY The payroll reports can be done often even before EOFY Other Tips A few setup tips that I will certainly use Archiving company instead of copy data from current to newly created 'OLD' company. Being able to modify the suppliers batch that is posted to the GL so that the GL accounts are correct. Bundling invoices Changes in BI payroll that I have not used in earlier versions Changing expense code on supplier expense Changing supplier and customer codes where the name has changed but the code couldn't be changed Changing the Child Support deduction to be banked straight to a Child Support bank account instead of paying it monthly Changing the display of previous years so I know it is not my live company. Cleaning up the data base Consolidation of payments to suppliers 15
Create a copy of current pay data Creating service charges for frequently used sundry lines Date Based change over Deleting past transactions to improve housekeeping Different things available in Payroll Direct debit, also RCTI in suppliers Disbursements, USI's, liability reports Do the Tax Recons monthly and not annually. Employee groups, back pay tax calc... Enjoyed all I learnt about BI Exporting KFI format with BI Few Tips and tricks with the new BI version as well as a few reports that could be useful First year using Attaché Payroll - Discovered Reversing Button for Payment Summaries Hopefully to not waste toner and paper having two invoices printing all the time. How important it is for us to upgrade to the latest version. How to use Attaché more efficiently I have just two months experience with Attaché and the refresher course has given me many ideas that can be implemented I learnt that i can set up a deduction like child support and bank it directly from Attaché I would like to change the time sheets and have them set to modify not insert In regards to payable & receivable Interesting hearing more about what was happening in Attaché and also the reminders of what we could be using and aren't Introduction of Attaché BI Issues with inventory status report KFI Exporting Learned how to use payroll more efficiently Learnt what a few more tabs were for Locking GL codes so user doesn't have to guess or change code Links to frequently used websites eg bank Looking for invoices 16
Mainly payroll information Managing employee by group. Many things More efficient weekly payroll processing. Need to keep updated with new programmes Nothing Nothing Nothing until we start using BI Optional fields in payroll Pay advices Payment Due List Payment Summary Reports Payroll Payroll Payroll Payroll end of year must be upgraded to 3.1 Payroll Groups Payroll stream line. Processes efficiencies Put a plan in place to implement BI Quotes, Reports that can be run monthly or quarterly to balance out pay totals Send tax declarations via ATO website Setting up individual tax rates Setting up service code transactions for customer invoicing. Similar processing in payroll functions Some of the features like pay groups Some of the features we can find in our old v12. Like consolidated amount from AP posted to GL. Some of the Tips and Tricks such as entering a customer invoice number into customer account number field to find customer for entered invoice Some reporting options & employee changes/ file clean up overdue too Stocktaking Streamline the reporting functions for payroll Suppliers PO completed / received/ cancelled; 17
That I can plug an invoice number in the customer code field and bring up the customer record!! That we have to move to BI The ability to automatically calculate tax on bonuses and commissions The bonuses tick box The methodology of Accounts Payable & Receivable processing The setup features in payroll. The SG quarterly amount to update from 1 July The tips on processing payroll quicker. Will come in handy for me The use of electronic payslips and group certificates The use of service codes more in data entry Time Saving Timesheet setup Tip regarding description in Other Modules Posting field Tips on Attaché. Topics in Payroll Skills update Updating our version of Attaché! Upgrade to B1 for ease of processing payroll Upgrade to version 3.0.1.3 Upgrading our Attaché to BI would be a great advantage. Upgrading to Attaché BI (may be) Upgrading to BI Uploading excel spreadsheet into Payroll Use BAS in Attaché Use of additional reports Use of some of the function keys and features that I was not aware of Useful tips for the system Using Service code in Suppliers Using Service Lines in Suppliers - I have used them in my 2 previous roles and look forward to being able to implement them here. Using the F11 Narration when editing a journal posting. Using the invoice look up screen when entering payments Various methods of utilising Alex We are about to set up Attaché as our Accounting system, so all the info was relevant. 18
We can run the validation now We need to change the ways we are doing things at the moment, need to upgrade too We need to upgrade to BI to gain the maximum for Attaché Website link information and many more Register for the next Attaché Sprint Training Day at www.attachesoftware.com/sprint 19