Sage have recently released Sage 50 2014 (or version 20) and you can read the official blurb about the new features in my previous post, Sage 50 Accounts 2014 – New Features.
I have noticed, though, running my own accounts on the system, that quite a few little tweaks and extra messages have been added into the system which are not in the publicised new features, but I know my customers and other users will find very useful. In this post I am going to focus on the purchasing side of the system, but many of the changes are mirrored in the sales side, too.
Purchase Order Processing
The first improvement in the purchase order processing is the inclusion of free stock levels when you are entering an order. This is also available in the Sales side, too. It makes it much easier to check that you are ordering the correct quantity of any item.
- Free stock shows on the purchase order screen.
We have customers who occasionally have problems where they accidentally Receive Deliveries on more than one order in error, by having multiple orders highlighted which are not showing on the visible screen. When you highlight an order, it now brings up a screen which states in bold “You have selected x Purchase Order(s)”, so you should be able to pick up your error and amend your selection more easily. It’s so easy not to read these warning screens and just click Yes blindly – but the use of a larger bold font will hopefully make you stop and think before clicking Yes.
- Clearer and bolder fonts make warnings more obvious.
Supplier Payments
There is also a new tick box within the Supplier Payments screen, giving you the option to “List Invoice/Credit by item Line”. This could prove extremely useful if you wish to make a part payment on an invoice whilst disputing items, as you can split the display down into line by line detail.
- Supplier Payment – List Invoice/Credit by Item Line
I love discovering these little tweaks, and that is why I like using Sage 50 to do my own bookkeeping as well as teaching others – someone who doesn’t use the software for real would not realise the significance of these new features, and to be honest probably wouldn’t spot them!
If you find any other small improvements when you upgrade, please leave me a comment, and I can feature them in future posts. For more handy tips check out the Sage Tips tag on my blog.
