News From GMS - April 2018Current and back issues are provided in Adobe Acrobat format. (Requires the free Adobe Acrobat reader.)
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InterContinental Kansas City at the Plaza

Site of the 33rd Annual GMS Financial Management Conference, the Intercontinental Kansas City at the Plaza is an iconic 371 room hotel located on the corner of one of Kansas City’s most stylish and historic shopping, dining and entertainment districts, the Country Club Plaza. The Plaza is 15 blocks of Seville-inspired architecture and site of quiet courtyards, stunning sculptures and remarkable festivals.
Having undergone a total renovation completed in June, 2017 and receiving the 2017 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence Award, the InterContinental offers something for everyone. Upon registering for the conference, you will receive a link to make your room reservation at our discounted conference rate, based on availability. Room reservations must be made no later than April 25.
March Accounting Revisions Released
Software revisions were released for both accounting versions on March 19 and 20. When logged in to your accounting software, click on Help/About. The version number should be 2.3.11.76 or higher for .net and 1.2.313 for those that have not upgraded yet. If you see a version other than the ones listed above, please install the latest revision ASAP.
Calendar of Events
To view the entire calendar and register, please visit:
GMS UNIVERSITY |
One-on-One
Appointments Looking to get the most value for your summit registration? Schedule a one-on-one appointment with one of our Service & Support Specialists to receive individualized assistance in helping answer questions or solve accounting problems specific to your organization. Appointments are $50 for 30 minutes. They may be scheduled for Monday or Tuesday during summit hours based upon availability. Email our Event Director, Robin Berseth, at robin@gmsactg.com for details or to be scheduled. |
DETOUR

“North America’s Most Award-Winning Speaker” Steve Gilliland will be the keynote speaker at our 33rd annual conference in May. Some of the awards received by Mr. Gilliland are 1) inducted into the Speaker Hall of Fame in 2012; 2) one of Society for Human Resource Management’s top-rated speakers; 3) Million Dollar Round Table’s closing keynote speaker on the main platform in 2011; 4) Advantage Media’s 2010 Author of the Year, now with 4 best-selling books; 5) heard daily on SiriusXM’s Laugh USA; and 6) named one of the Top 10 Motivational Speakers in 2015 by eSpeakers. If you attended our 2013 conference in Baltimore you will recall his excellent presentation of Enjoy the Ride.
“Whether you are experiencing mild transitions now or will undergo massive reorganizations in the future, change is inevitable within every successful organization. DETOUR provides solutions to reduce stress, eliminate fear and increase performance during such times. Steve Gilliland reveals how to navigate life’s turns when you’re suddenly headed on a course you never planned and into a future you never imagined.” He will discuss how to feel more in control when the change is out of your control; how to prepare for any kind of change, remain productive and use it to your advantage; and how to build resiliency and grit as you cope with change.
Register now for our 33rd Annual Financial Management Conference as you won’t want to miss hearing Steve Gilliland’s DETOUR, along with our four other guest speakers, and most importantly, training on the new .net Accounting software. Register HERE
“Whether you are experiencing mild transitions now or will undergo massive reorganizations in the future, change is inevitable within every successful organization. DETOUR provides solutions to reduce stress, eliminate fear and increase performance during such times. Steve Gilliland reveals how to navigate life’s turns when you’re suddenly headed on a course you never planned and into a future you never imagined.” He will discuss how to feel more in control when the change is out of your control; how to prepare for any kind of change, remain productive and use it to your advantage; and how to build resiliency and grit as you cope with change.
Register now for our 33rd Annual Financial Management Conference as you won’t want to miss hearing Steve Gilliland’s DETOUR, along with our four other guest speakers, and most importantly, training on the new .net Accounting software. Register HERE
Time and Attendance

Looking for an easier way for your employees to submit timesheets? Are you wanting to save time with timesheet data entry? Are you tired of locating copies of misplaced paystubs for employees? Idris Johnson, GHG Corporation’s Lead of Sales and Marketing, will explain how GHG’s Clockwise timekeeping solutions will help you manage employees and grant funding quicker and more accurately. GHG offers time and attendance software solutions to assist in the grant tracking, leave management and employee self-services such as access to online pay stubs and W-2s. Learn how Clockwise can help you at the Time and Attendance session on Tuesday, May 22 at 3:15-4:45pm.
About Idris
Idris has been an experienced and dynamic implementation manager and consultant at Clockwise for seven years. Now as Sales and Marketing Lead, he has established himself as a thought leader in the branding, marketing and knowledge base of the Clockwise solution. Idris has two degrees in Business Administration and Political Science and a Master of Science in Political Science along with eleven years of experience in software support, product implementation, and the Clockwise solution end-user experience and training. Idris’ educational background has enabled him to optimize GHG’s Clockwise as an effective solution for organizations governance and compliancy needs.
Register to attend HERE
About Idris
Idris has been an experienced and dynamic implementation manager and consultant at Clockwise for seven years. Now as Sales and Marketing Lead, he has established himself as a thought leader in the branding, marketing and knowledge base of the Clockwise solution. Idris has two degrees in Business Administration and Political Science and a Master of Science in Political Science along with eleven years of experience in software support, product implementation, and the Clockwise solution end-user experience and training. Idris’ educational background has enabled him to optimize GHG’s Clockwise as an effective solution for organizations governance and compliancy needs.
Register to attend HERE
Have You Gone Paperless?
Going “paperless” offers many benefits. You save on office supply costs and filing time, plus eliminate lost reports to name just a few of the advantages. GMS Accounting and Financial Management Software enables you to easily go paperless using the PDF Reports option found at the top of your screen between Tools and Help. The system can automatically generate a PDF file for selected reports and store them in a specific folder that you designate. No additional steps are necessary by you for these files to be generated and stored once the setup is completed. In addition to identifying where the PDF files will be stored, you also select for which user this process will happen.
How this works, for example, is typically one employee is designated to run Monthly Processing, even though several other users may look at certain reports under Monthly Processing at different times of the month. On the Setup PDF Reports tab, you will select that employee from the combo box and also select the location you have set up to store the PDF files. Keep in mind what location you choose for confidentiality purposes. For those reports that you want to save as a PDF file, you would put a checkmark next to the report name. Each time that employee prints one of the reports selected, it will automatically form a PDF file.
When you want to view the PDF files, go into PDF Reports and select a report. It will give you a list of PDF files with the name of that report for every period ending date stored in the current location.
Before setting up the PDF Reports, be sure to think through how you will structure your paperless filing system. Will it work best for you to have folders set up for each fiscal year or by function (monthly processing, payroll, accounts payable, etc.), or by groups of reports? Is it necessary to save a PDF file of Timesheet Reports under Monthly Processing since you can easily prepare a report at any time? If you do, will Timesheet Reports be stored in a different location than other monthly processing reports? Who has access in your agency to the drives and folders you have selected? Are rights restricted to these folders for those who should not view the information contained? As a final note, be certain the folders selected to hold your reports are backed up regularly.
How this works, for example, is typically one employee is designated to run Monthly Processing, even though several other users may look at certain reports under Monthly Processing at different times of the month. On the Setup PDF Reports tab, you will select that employee from the combo box and also select the location you have set up to store the PDF files. Keep in mind what location you choose for confidentiality purposes. For those reports that you want to save as a PDF file, you would put a checkmark next to the report name. Each time that employee prints one of the reports selected, it will automatically form a PDF file.
When you want to view the PDF files, go into PDF Reports and select a report. It will give you a list of PDF files with the name of that report for every period ending date stored in the current location.
Before setting up the PDF Reports, be sure to think through how you will structure your paperless filing system. Will it work best for you to have folders set up for each fiscal year or by function (monthly processing, payroll, accounts payable, etc.), or by groups of reports? Is it necessary to save a PDF file of Timesheet Reports under Monthly Processing since you can easily prepare a report at any time? If you do, will Timesheet Reports be stored in a different location than other monthly processing reports? Who has access in your agency to the drives and folders you have selected? Are rights restricted to these folders for those who should not view the information contained? As a final note, be certain the folders selected to hold your reports are backed up regularly.
HR Law & Practice
We at GMS are excited to welcome back Bob Joyce and Drake Maynard to our 2018 Summit to present two sessions on Human Resource Law and Practice. We hope you have made plans to join us.
HR Law - Current Trends in HR Law and Practice
Congress amends the statutes. The appellate courts interpret the law in new ways that are binding in future litigation. The federal agencies in one administration put out new guidance - that is, new requirements - and those same agencies in the next administration change them again. This session explains recent developments in employment law - including the use of criminal background checks, pregnancy discrimination, and the evolving law related to gender discrimination. Nothing stays the same, except the need to understand the ever-changing legal rights and obligations for employers.
HR Law - Employees with Health Problems - Your Legal Obligations
What are your obligations to an employee under the FMLA? Who is covered? What is covered? Is it all over when the FMLA leave is exhausted? Not necessarily. That serious health condition under the FMLA may well also be a disability under the Americans With Disabilities Act, which puts the sweeping obligation of reasonable accommodation on the employer. How do these two statutes work together? As an employer, how far must you go to accommodate an employee? As an employee, how protected are you when you get sick? This session will be a practical look at these very questions.
HR Law - Current Trends in HR Law and Practice
Congress amends the statutes. The appellate courts interpret the law in new ways that are binding in future litigation. The federal agencies in one administration put out new guidance - that is, new requirements - and those same agencies in the next administration change them again. This session explains recent developments in employment law - including the use of criminal background checks, pregnancy discrimination, and the evolving law related to gender discrimination. Nothing stays the same, except the need to understand the ever-changing legal rights and obligations for employers.
HR Law - Employees with Health Problems - Your Legal Obligations
What are your obligations to an employee under the FMLA? Who is covered? What is covered? Is it all over when the FMLA leave is exhausted? Not necessarily. That serious health condition under the FMLA may well also be a disability under the Americans With Disabilities Act, which puts the sweeping obligation of reasonable accommodation on the employer. How do these two statutes work together? As an employer, how far must you go to accommodate an employee? As an employee, how protected are you when you get sick? This session will be a practical look at these very questions.

BOB JOYCE, PROFESSOR OF PUBLIC LAW AND GOVERNMENT
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL
Mr. Joyce received his bachelor’s degree from UNC and his law degree is from Harvard. He has practiced law in New York City and North Carolina, with focus on employment law, representing both individual employees and employers. He is the author of The Law of Employment in North Carolina’s Public Schools and many articles related to the law of employment.
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL
Mr. Joyce received his bachelor’s degree from UNC and his law degree is from Harvard. He has practiced law in New York City and North Carolina, with focus on employment law, representing both individual employees and employers. He is the author of The Law of Employment in North Carolina’s Public Schools and many articles related to the law of employment.

DRAKE MAYNARD, FACULTY, SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL
Mr. Maynard retired from his position as Director of Employee Relations for the State of North Carolina in 2011. Prior to that, he had been the Senior Director of Human Resources Administration for UNC-Chapel Hill and Personnel Director for UNC Hospitals. Drake is a member of the faculty of the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Public Health’s nationally ranked Executive Management program. He received his undergraduate degree from UNC-Chapel Hill and a law degree from the University of South Carolina. Through Drake Maynard HR Services he provides human resources consultation and staff development services for state and local governments.
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL
Mr. Maynard retired from his position as Director of Employee Relations for the State of North Carolina in 2011. Prior to that, he had been the Senior Director of Human Resources Administration for UNC-Chapel Hill and Personnel Director for UNC Hospitals. Drake is a member of the faculty of the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Public Health’s nationally ranked Executive Management program. He received his undergraduate degree from UNC-Chapel Hill and a law degree from the University of South Carolina. Through Drake Maynard HR Services he provides human resources consultation and staff development services for state and local governments.