Sage Evolution Rebranding

Sage Evolution Rebranding

Sage has done a renaming of their product offering:

  • Sage Evolution Standard will now be know as Sage 100
  • Sage Evolution Premium will now be known as Sage 200

As mentioned previously, there has been further information provided regarding Sage’s release of their latest version namely V9.

New features and functionalities in V9 include: 

  • A great new user experience with a fresh modern, user interface and simplified navigation
  • Increased productivity and efficiency on managing:
    • Data input and management thereof
    • Inventory item and warehouse management
    • Inventory price lists
  • Gain greater insight by managing your inventory more effectively with these new features:
    • Inventory item categories
    • Multiple bin locations per warehouse
    • Inventory item attributes
  • Branch Accounting synchronisation enhancements

However new versions can still be slightly problematic and all teething issues are currently being identified and addressed by Sage. We will provide further information once we have tested the new version extensively and are comfortable that it is stable enough to deploy to our customers.

About Us
Kiteview Technologies (Pty) Ltd was founded in May 2010 to provide the Sage Evolution Business Management solution to the SME market. The management team of Kiteview have combined +30 years of experience in the delivery of small to mid-market Financial & Business Management solutions. This experience, combined with a sound project implementation methodology has helped in Kiteview’s growth, becoming a Platinum status partner for SAGE Pastel within just 1 year.

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New Release Of Sage Evolution Version 9.10

New Release Of Sage Evolution Version 9.10

As we move towards the halfway point in the year we hope your sales figures are hotter than ever. Please view the following information pertaining to the release of Sage Evolution V9.10 as well as Kiteview’s Managed Services / SLA offering.

Sage have announced the release of Sage Evolution (Sage 200) version 9.10 which should be available next month. The new version will come with some very nice new features and functionality which we will be communicating in our next newsletter.
However as long standing customers will know, any new release especially when it is a major version, comes with it’s fair share of teething issues and are normally addressed / corrected in further version build releases. It is for this reason that we ask that you hold off on any upgrade plans until such time as the new version as been adequately tested and is stable to deploy.
Kiteview will communicate when the new version is stable and will be in contact should you wish to upgrade accordingly.

SLA

Kiteview has finalized a Managed Services / SLA structure that we feel will add the best value to you as a customer as well as help budget for certain support requirements on a monthly basis. The Managed Services / SLA offering includes the following options:

ANNUAL UPGRADE
– To the latest stable and tested version of Evolution
– The upgrade includes a test upgrade, live upgrade as well as post go-live onsite support

UNLIMITED SUPPORT DESK SUPPORT
– Pricing based on the number of core users registered on your Evolution package

ANNUAL SITE AUDIT
– Includes spending time with end users to identify if they are processing in the most correct and efficient manner
– There is also a data audit done to identify that there aren’t any high level data integrity issue

MONHTLY FIXED ONSITE SUPPORT
– The number of monthly hours are left to the discretion of the customer
– There is a one month carry over of hours should they not be utilized in that specific month

The above options are not all mandatory and the Managed Services / SLA contract can be amended to cater for your specific needs.

For more information please contact Sean Lawless by clicking the button below to schedule a meeting to discuss further.

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Sage Evolution Business Applications Compliment Kenya Mobile Revolution

Sage Evolution Business Applications Compliment Kenya Mobile Revolution

The mobile phone has changed the way in which Kenyans manage their money, thanks to the runaway success of mobile money solutions such as M-Pesa. Now, it’s about to transform the way that Kenyan businesses of all sizes operate by giving workers access to their business applications and data wherever they are.

That’s according to Mohammed Mosam, Divisional Director for Sage Evolution. He says that growing penetration of smartphones in the Kenya market, paired with cheaper, more reliable and faster mobile connectivity, means that companies of all sizes can enable on-the-go productivity for their workforces.

Says Mosam: “According to Safaricom, 67% of new mobile phones sold in Kenya are smartphones and 100 000 new smartphones are shipped to customers each month. Our customers want to use these smart devices to transact and work anywhere and anytime. We have built our Sage Evolution ERP and HR solutions for this new mobile world.”

Sage’s mobile applications allow users to access a real time bird’s-eye view of the business’s financial status, including sales and purchases. Employees can see customer and inventory information in real-time, allowing them to be more productive and responsive, says Mosam. “Imagine the flexibility it will give you if you are able to log on to your accounting software from your smartphone to view a dashboard to see how your company is performing, view customer information, record notes and create quotes or invoices, wherever you are,” says Mosam.

Sales teams can create on-the-spot quotes and take instant orders. They’re always working with the latest information so it’s virtually impossible to promise the customer something that can’t be delivered. Plus, because orders are received so quickly, delivery is faster. And in the human resources space, employees could be empowered to make applications for leave, salary advances, loans, bursaries or other financial assistance, online or via their smartphone, no matter where they are in the world.

Adds Nikki Summers, Sage Pastel’s East Africa Regional Manager: “Kenya has pioneered mobile technologies such as mobile payments, and we’re expecting the market to be as excited about the possibilities of mobile business software.

Tighter Regulations Increases ERP Adoption In East Africa

Tighter Regulations Increases ERP Adoption In East Africa

A stricter focus on regulatory compliance and corporate governance throughout Africa – including Kenya – is driving demand for enterprise resource planning, human resources, and payroll software across the continent.

So says Nikki Summers, Sage Pastel’s East Africa Regional Manager, who adds that lawmakers and regulators in Kenya and other parts of the continent are seeking to make their economies more competitive by aligning them with international accounting, labour and corporate governance standards.

“Kenyan businesses of all sizes are being put under significant pressure to improve financial controls and regulatory compliance,” says Summers. “As a result, we’re seeing demand grow for business software among start-ups as well as for existing companies that have not yet automated their processes or whose technology is outdated.”

There is an especially large move towards automation of the HR and payroll functions, adds Gerhard Hartman, Head of Sage HR Africa. Organisations in the private and public sector recognise that they can no longer rely on manual payroll and taxation systems to keep up with regulatory demands and the growing complexity of their payrolls. “Moving to automated payroll software helps them to ensure accurate calculations and keeps them up to date with the latest legislative changes.

By automating payroll and HR processes, Kenyan companies can save time, work more efficiently and focus on growing their businesses rather than on doing manual paperwork,” Hartman says.

Without robust payroll systems and processes, companies cannot meet regulatory requirements such as remitting various payroll taxes and levies in a timely manner. And as the workforce and the business grows, so does the legislative and regulatory burden as well as the amount of administration associated with the payroll and HR function.

Sage HR Africa is committed to providing business solutions that are tailored to the needs of the Kenyan market, adds Hartman. The company is at the forefront of HR and payroll legislative changes in the country and will continue to update its solutions for the latest laws and regulations in conjunction with government and local authorities. Regular software updates ensure users always process on the latest software and legislative version.

ETI Offers A Strategic Opportunity For Savvy Employers

ETI Offers A Strategic Opportunity For Savvy Employers

Article credit: Sage Pastel

South African businesses of all sizes have a great opportunity to help address the country’s growing youth unemployment crisis while benefiting from a tax incentive by taking advantage of the Employment Tax Incentive (ETI).

That’s the word from Rob Cooper, at tax expert and Director of Legislation Updates and Proposed Legislation at Sage VIP Payroll & HR, speaking at the Tax Indaba 2014 held in Sandton from 9 to 13 June. He says that South Africa’s unemployment rate of around 50% among people under 25 poses a threat to the country’s future sustainability and prosperity. By helping youngsters to join the workforce, companies can develop their workforce of the future as well as help alleviate the social instability that arises when there are too many young people without work.

Says Cooper: “This crisis is weighing very heavily on the government’s mind, hence the fast-tracking of the ETI into law during 2013. Now that it is in place, the ETI offers employers some generous incentives for helping to bring the young into the workplace and helping them to develop skills that will make them employable into the future.”

The ETI encourages employers to hire young people by reducing the PAYE that the employer is liable to pay to SARS based on the number of young people employed. This reduces the cost of employment to the employer while leaving the employee’s earnings unaffected.

The Employment Tax Incentive legislation will be in effect for an initial three-year period from January 2014 to December 2016. During this time, all employers in the private sector who are registered for PAYE and have their tax affairs in order can take advantage of the scheme, says Cooper.

Companies can claim the ETI for people they directly employed after 1 October 2013 who meet the following criteria:

  • Are between 18 and 29 years of age.
  • Work mainly in a special economic zone where the employer has a fixed place of business, or are employed in an industry specified by the minister of labour, finance or trade and industry.
  • Have a RSA ID document or an Asylum Seeker permit.
  • Earn more than the minimum wage or R2,000  per month (if no minimum wage) but less than R6,000 per month.

 

The tax benefits of the ETI can be generous for employers who use it strategically, says Cooper. For the first 12 (qualifying) months, the monthly value of the ETI is per qualifying employee is:

  • 50% of monthly remuneration if less than R2,000.
  • R1,000 for monthly remuneration between R2,000 and R4,000.
  • R1 000 – (0,5 x (monthly remuneration – R4 000)) from R4 000 upwards.

 

For the second 12 months, the monthly value of the ETI is:

  • 25% of monthly remuneration if less than R2,000 • R500 for monthly remuneration from R2,000 up to R4,000
  • R500 – (0,25 x (monthly remuneration – R4,000)) from R4,000 upwards.

 

“These incentives mean employees have a perfect opportunity to start putting young people into unfilled jobs that they did not urgently need to fill, “says Cooper. “They can bring youngsters on board and start training them up and make them productive while they benefit from the subsidy. They can also benefit by bringing in casuals to boost their productivity.” Companies that employ a qualifying casual for R200 per day for 10 days per month will get a reduction of R1 000 from monthly PAYE for the first 12 months, for example.

“If you are an eligible employer with at least one qualifying employee, a good payroll software package should be able to automatically calculate your ETI amount in respect of all the qualifying employees,” says Cooper. “You then need to declare the total ETI for the month on the new EMP201 form.”
The ETI is just one of the many pieces of legislation and regulation that make it imperative for businesses of all sizes to have an automated payroll solution in place, says Cooper. An automated solution will take care of calculating the complex formulas, generating the relevant compliance reports, and keeping accurate records, sparing the person responsible for the payroll reams of manual paperwork.

Adds Steven Cohen, managing director of Sage Pastel: “It’s also essential to have a robust accounting package that is tightly integrated with your payroll software to keep ahead of SARS regulations and other compliance requirements. The right software will help you to stay up to date with SARS’ ever-changing requirements.”

About Kiteview

Kiteview Technologies (Pty) Ltd was founded in May 2010 to provide the Sage Evolution Business Management solution to the SME market. The management team of Kiteview have combined +30 years of experience in the delivery of small to mid-market Financial & Business Management solutions. This experience, combined with a sound project implementation methodology has helped in Kiteview’s growth, becoming a Super Platinum status partner for SAGE Pastel within just 1 year.

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