Sage 300 2020 was released at the end of August and includes improvements in both the classic desktop screens and the newer web screens as well as the launch of a very useful online Help site.
Web Screens
If you weren’t aware yet, since the 2016 release, the on-premise version (now currently the only version) of the confusingly-named “Sage 300cloud” includes the option to install web screens which allow you to access Sage 300 through a browser like a website. They run in parallel to the classic Sage 300 desktop screens meaning that once set up, users can choose which interface best suits their needs while working on the same company data.
Since the initial release, Sage has been expanding the number of desktop screens available through the web interface. This release brings with it a new Payroll Employee Timecards web screen allowing users to enter and manage employee time cards online.
Another nice new update is the ability to run Sage 300 in Multiple Browser tabs at the same time. Many users with more than one company in Sage 300 will be happy to hear that. This feature will also be handy to alternate between two areas of the program or refer to information on another screen now that many users have more than one monitor on their desks.
On the language side, the web screens are available in English, French, Spanish, and Chinese (Simplified and Traditional). In addition, Sage has improved support for entering French & Spanish characters in any of the web screen fields which previously did not all support this. The Help and documentation for web screens is also available in English and French.
Sage 300 Help
The Sage 300 help has been updated to make it easier to find important information. The help topics are well organized and searches produce more relevant results including topic excerpts to help you find what you’re looking for. The interface has also been refreshed and now offers a more modern look and feel.
In addition, the Sage 300 help information can now be viewed independently of Sage 300 from a browser on any internet-connected device at help.sage300.com and covers versions 2016 through to 2020. It is very useful and gives you information on what’s new in each version as well as a listing of the web screen that are available with that particular release.
CRM Integration improvements
The CRM Integration has been updated to automatically create a communication record in CRM when you create or change an order entry transaction that is linked to a CRM opportunity. This feature works whether you create or change the transaction in Sage 300 or Sage CRM. The communication record will include a hyperlink to OE documents which will open the OE Inquiry web screen.
Other
Lastly, a few other important items to note are:
- The Current Users screen has been updated to include web screen users.
- You can no longer import and export data in Microsoft Access versions older than 2007, Excel 5.0 or dBase 5.0.
- Internet Explorer is no longer a supported browser for the web screens.
- For Sage 300 2020, Windows 7 is no longer supported.
- Windows 7 and Internet Explorer 11 will continue to be supported for previous versions of Sage 300 until Jan 2020 when Microsoft will be withdrawing their support for these products.
If you want to see these improvements on screen, register for the free Sage 300 – What’s New in Version 2020 course at Sage University (sageu.com)which includes a 3-minute video showing all the improvements.