News From GMS - May 2016Current and back issues are provided in Adobe Acrobat format. (Requires the free Adobe Acrobat reader.)
The GMS offices will be closed Monday, May 30, 2016 in honor of Memorial Day. We will reopen Tuesday, May 31st for normal business hours.
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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 check mark 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 the 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 check mark 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 the 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.
April Accounting Revisions Released
The latest accounting revisions were posted to our website www.gmsactg.com on April 25, 2016. You should have received an email from GMS on April 25th that included instructions for downloading and installing these revisions. It is VERY important that all revisions be installed in a timely manner. It is also important that all staff using the GMS Accounting System read through the List of Changes included with the revisions to familiarize themselves with the new features or changed items. Note: Some of the more recent List of Chang-es are included in the Help Manual.
Some of the changes in this revision are detailed below. See your Help Manual for additional information regarding these changes.
Do You Need to Stock Up On Office Forms?
GMS is proud to partner with National Document Solutions to make GMS related forms available to our clients. Should you need laser or dot matrix checks, multi-purpose forms, RLSS payment coupons or payroll direct deposit stubs, National Docu-ment Solutions provides forms which are compatible with your GMS software. For more information about National Document Solutions visit www.gmsactgsupplies.com or from the GMS website www.gmsactg.com/associates you will find a product brochure, pricing information and an email address for placing orders. You can also plan to visit with Steve Werle, Owner of National Documents Solutions at his table during the GMS Summit this June in St. Pete Beach. What's Happening in Your Agency?
Is your Executive Director, loan officer or a finance person celebrating a milestone date such as 25 years with your agency or a 40 year wedding anniversary? Did someone receive a special award or are they retiring? Is your agency hosting a special event or did it receive an award for anything outstanding? If you have any-thing special happening within your agency and would like to share it with others in our monthly newsletter we would love to hear from you. These will be published on a space-available basis. Please submit a brief summary of who the person is and their significant accomplishment or your agency’s special event or award along with your contact information to marilee@gmsactg.com.
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List Views in GMS-RLSS
GMS-RLSS contains three List Views which may be found under the Loan Master, Loan Activity and Loan Amortizations sections. These List Views allow you to quickly locate information.
Perhaps you received a personal check from a client but are unsure of the name of the business they are associated with. You may go to Loan List View, click on the Last name column to sort it in ascending order. (Clicking a second time will sort in descending order.) You should then be able to find the individual’s name. Once located, you will see the following information: Loan ID, Status, Borrower type, Company name, Last name, First name, Address, City, State, Zip, Loan amount and Closing date. Should you wish to view the Loan Master for that loan, just double-click on the row containing the loan and the Loan Master will appear. Loan Activity List View allows you to view the last disbursement or repayment for each loan entered through the Loan Activity screen. The columns within Loan Activity List View are Loan ID, Borrower name, Activity date, Activity type, Loan balance, Paid-thru date, Next payment due date, and Notes. You may sort these columns in ascending and descending order also. Double-clicking on the line in which the loan appears will take you to that transaction within the Loan Activity screen. This is an excellent way to find an activity should you need to reprint the Loan Acknowledgment (receipt). Amortization List View displays saved amortization schedules. Columns appearing here are Loan ID (the name and/or loan number the amortization was saved under), Loan amount, Interest rate, Number of months amortized, Payment amount, Total payment including service fees, Note date, First payment due date, and Maturity date. These columns also may be sorted by clicking on the column heading. Double-clicking on the loan opens the saved amortization schedule. 
Staying at Loews Don CeSar During the 2016 Summit?
GMS has arranged a reduced resort fee for all attendees of the GMS Summit 2016. The fee has been reduced from $25 to only $11 per room, per day. While most all hotels and resorts charge this fee, we are very pleased at what is included at Loews Don CeSar.
As an attendee of the GMS Summit 2016, you will receive the following amenities during your stay. Loews Premium Plus Wi-Fi Plan Housekeeping Gratuity Daily newspapers available Unlimited local phone calls 24-hour Fitness Center access Yoga and aerobics classes daily Non-motorized watersports rentals (Between 8 am - 10 am) Half-day access to Camp CeSar History Tours Complimentary tastings Two bottled waters daily In-room coffee Turndown service upon request Poolside pampering, pool & beach games Airline boarding pass printing 24-hour shoe shine service Additionally the hotel has agreed to offer a 10% discount off menu prices in all on-site restaurants and lounges and a 10% discount in on-site retail shops to all GMS Summit Attendees! 
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Retirement Wishes
Maralyn Jones, Bookkeeper at Kennebec Valley COG for over 27 years, will be retiring on June 30. Her retirement plans include traveling and enjoying time with her children and grandchildren. She has always been an active member with her local church, volunteering and being involved with various groups over the years, which she will continue doing also.
Maralyn prided herself in always having excellent audits each year. She says she liked being audited because it let her know if she was having any issues with her recordkeeping. The KVCOG staff also mentioned that throughout the years, Maralyn instilled upon them the importance of bookkeeping and accounting being a priority focus for all of the agency’s endeavors. Kaycee Small will be the new bookkeeper for Kennebec Valley COG. KVCOG has been a long-time user of both our GMS Accounting and Revolving Loan Software systems. We at GMS would like to wish Maralyn a very happy retirement. We’ve enjoyed working with you throughout the years! |
