Spire Update – Version 3.3 + Webinar – November 26, 2019

At the recent annual Spire Partner Conference in September 2019, management announced that in 2020 there will be cloud and mobile applications built right into Spire. That means that users will be able to easily process sales orders, purchase orders or update inventory and customer information from their tablet or smart phone. In order to enable these functions, Spire continues to change the underlying technology and update the interface.

in the mean time, Spire 3.3 was released recently. Some of the new added features of note:

  • The addition of security certificates has made it possible to more easily connect Spire data to Excel. You create the spreadsheet and link the Spire database; when you open the spreadsheet it automatically pulls the information in.
  • Improved Spire Server Administration which allows users to better administer backups, custom reports and user access
  • Improvements to the Spire Calendar that allows users to see other user’s entries, useful for items such as when large PO’s are expected or large orders must be shipped
  • The Requisition module allows users to create PO’s specific to items on a Sales Order; users can now open the related PO from the Sales Order screen and the Sales Order from the PO screen
  • Freight can be added to inventory transfers
  • Inventory movement tab was added so that unexpected inventory balances can be easily investigated between sales, purchases and builds of that item 

A webinar covering version 3.3 changes is coming up tomorrow, Tuesday, November 26th at 1 pm. Please register here if interested.

All changes are also detailed in the on-line user manual, complete with videos and documentation.

Many companies are still migrating from BusinessVision, since there is a 100% data conversion and a stunning list of improvements, all detailed on my updated web-page “The Spire Difference.”

There are over 700 companies already successfully using Spire to make their operations more efficient and profitable across a broad range of industries and all across Canada.

There will be many more Spire users by the end of 2020 since outdated versions of BusinessVision do not permit any entries in 2021.

You can download a free 30 day trial here. You might just prefer to sit back and watch the video – click here for that option. The video library includes a host of videos that detail the switch from BusinessVision as well as module specific videos.

As always, please feel free to contact me at rita.bloem@rogers.com if you have any questions or would like to discuss your switch to Spire.

Spire Update and Upcoming Spire presentation – May 14th

Spire recently celebrated it’s 4th birthday. In those 4 years there has been non-stop development! The most recent version is 3.2. All of the changes are detailed in the on-line user manual, complete with videos and documentation.

Many companies are still migrating from BusinessVision, since there is a 100% data conversion and a stunning list of improvements, all detailed on my web-page “The Spire Difference.”

There are over 500 companies already successfully using Spire to make their operations more efficient and profitable across a broad range of industries and all across Canada.

To see a Spire demo, meet some third party developers who extend Spire’s offering and to get some Spire implementation tips, consider attending the Spire Integration Partners Trade Show on May 14th, 2019 at the Sheraton Toronto Airport. To register, click here.

You could always download a free 30 day trial here. You might just prefer to sit back and watch the video – click here for that option. The video library includes a host of videos that detail the switch from BusinessVision as well as module specific videos.

As always, please feel free to contact me at rita.bloem@rogers.com if you have any questions or would like to discuss your switch to Spire.

Spire Release Update – up to 2.6 and counting!

Although my last blog post was, ahem, quite some time ago, a lot has happened in the world of Spire releases over the past year.

A significant number of improvements make Spire even better to use, by either adding features, automating processes, or improving reporting.

Here is a very brief list of the highlights since Spire 2.1, which was released in June of last year:

  •  User Defined Fields – can now be viewed on the screen where they can be filtered, searched, sorted and exported. (An example would be adding the dimensions of a box that could be used for shipping, or the manufacturer of an item)
  • EFT for A/P – Spire can produce the file that is sent to the bank to pay vendors electronically, simultaneously reducing costs and the exposure to fraud.
  • Batch accounts receivable – this automates the preparation of the deposit slip and the general ledger transaction that moves the deposit from a clearing account to the bank account.
  • Filters have been improved once again – they are now even easier to create and modify. The ability to create custom filters means that information is readily available right on the screen, allowing for better and faster processing and decision-making.
  • There are now an unlimited number of payment methods and UPC codes
  • While adding an order, a ‘check stock’ button displays how many of that part are available in other warehouses.
  • For customers who use lot numbers, a trace button has been added to reveal where that lot number was received or consumed.

The complete lists of improvements with accompanying videos are available in the on-line Spire manual located here.

For companies upgrading from BusinessVision, there continues to be a 100% data migration at the click of a button. Very impressive!

As always, please contact me at rita.bloem@rogers.com if you have any questions or if you are ready for a Spire demo.

 

 

 

 

Spire Features BusinessVision Users Will Love

Why should a company using BusinessVision accounting software switch to Spire? BusinessVision users will be very impressed by the myriad of ways that Spire will improve their productivity, help meet customer demand, and drive increased profitability.

Those at companies that have already switched to Spire have found that the work flow is familiar and have been able to quickly take advantage of the improved user interface and many new features. Upon conversion, companies use Spire in a way similar to how they used BusinessVision, and then take advantage of the new and expanded features and modules as they become more comfortable with the system.

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Could labels improve your business?

Recently, I was asked by one of my customers to implement a new label printer, and the result was so successful that I thought I would write about it in case any other customers could benefit from similar labels.

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Using BVEssentials Payroll in January 2016

Many companies who used to use BusinessVision (BV) to process payroll will be switching to BVEssentials (BVE) payroll in January 2016. This article will clarify some of the details involved with this transition.

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Removing Windows update KB3102429

Recently, Windows released an update that prevents reports in BusinessVision and BVEssentials from exporting to a PDF. You’ll be glad to know that the update resolved problems for the Azerbaijani Monat and the Georgian Lair currency symbols; however it broke all software that uses ‘export as PDF’ functionality using Crystal 9 and 10 (which is what BusinessVision and BVEssentials use).

The following steps remove the offending update, and then prevent it from happening again. These steps are basically the same for Windows 7, 8.1 and 10.

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New Business Name – InSpired Consulting Services

Along with the gradual demise of BusinessVision comes the rise of BVEssentials and Spire. BVEssentials works with BusinessVision but adds significant functionality to existing modules as well as adding many new ones; Spire is the same program as BVEssentials but works with a new and improved SQL database.

20 years ago when I started independent consulting, I chose the very boring but practical name RJB Consulting Services (the middle initial being Johanna, btw). Now that the first version of Spire is being released, I have been ‘inspired’ to change the name to ‘InSpired Consulting Services’. Although it may seem a little risky to name my business based on specific software, I am very confident that Spire is great accounting software, perfectly suited and priced to meet the needs of the small and medium sized businesses for which it is designed.

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Adopting BVEssentials Now or Spire later

You may be aware that Sage, the company that owns the BusinessVision product, is no longer actively developing it. It is staying current with Windows releases and payroll updates, and will continue to do so for years to come.

BVEssentials is a third-party product that works with BusinessVision. Although it started out as an add-on utility over a decade ago, it has grown into a fully functional suite that now basically replicates BusinessVision and improves the functionality dramatically. It now has all major modules covered:

  • Inventory, Purchase Order, Purchase History, Production Orders
  • Order Entry, Accounts Receivable, Customer
  • Accounts Payable, General Ledger
  • Payroll

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