Configure, Customize, and Extend Sage 300

Configure, Customize, and Extend Sage 300 (Accpac)

Have you ever wondered if there is a cost-effective way to configure, customize, or extend Sage 300 (Accpac) without high development expenses? Orchid Extender lets you tailor Sage 300 without complex code.

Facilitate collaboration and enforce business rules with configured alerts and workflows

• Keep people informed with configured alerts and notifications
• Log changes to critical data
• Facilitate real-time integration with other systems
• Automate business processes with custom workflows in Sage 300
• Configure workflows such as approvals of transactions, master files and batches
• Enhance security with system logging
• Works with Sage 300 core modules, but also with any 3rd Party module that has been developed using the Sage 300 SDK

Alerts and Notifications in Sage 300

You can configure Sage 300 events you wish to monitor and configure an event, such as insert, update, insert and update, or delete) to occur based on what you are monitoring.

Alerts can be emails or notes and use configurable templates. These alerts can show:

• What changed (including pre & post-change values)
• When it changed
• Who changed it

Logging of Sage 300 Events

As with Alerts, you can configure specific events you wish to monitor. When a configured event occurs:

• Log details of the change to create an audit trail
• As with Alerts, log entries can show what changed, when it changed, who changed it, and the pre & post-change values

Viewing Sage 300 Logs

• View change logs directly from Sage 300 without leaving the screen or running reports
• Log entries are stored in the Sage 300 database, so you can write your own reports
• Screen icons can be used to access Extender Logs directly from Sage 300 screens
• Perform context-sensitive drill down into specific changes from the Extender Log
• Sage 300 Workflow

Extender also allows you to set up workflows within your Sage 300 system.  Extender allows you to build up the workflow steps using a range of pre-defined actions designed to cater to many common business scenarios. These workflows can:

• Track and progress approvals
• Increase auditability on business processes
• Promote business process visibility and transparency

Workflows can be started automatically when a Sage event occurs or manually using icons on Sage 300 screens. The active workflow instances can be viewed and actioned (e.g., Approve or Reject) using the Extender Workflow Console or through screen icons.

Integration with Sage 300

Extender can be configured to call an external program when a nominated event occurs within Sage 300.

Examples:

• Synchronize between systems more efficiently, in real time. Only update data that has changed.
• Call an EDI application when a Sage 300 order is created or modified.

With Orchid Extender, you can also take your Sage 300 customization to the next level using Python scripts with the Extender Developer Edition. This allows you to introduce bespoke business logic without the high costs normally associated with bespoke software development. You can cater for business requirements that can’t be met by standard Sage 300 functionality. Python scripts can be used to automate business processes, enhance systems integration, develop custom screens, or provide tailored validation and alerting. You can develop custom tables that form part of the Sage 300 database, tailoring the core system to meet your exact needs.

Examples:

• Improve data accuracy and reliability by using scripts to validate and/or provide default data for required fields
• Create additional reallocation and deferral transactions in the GL based on custom business rules
• Automatically create A/P Invoices for salesperson commission based on custom business rules
• Print and email order confirmations and invoices automatically, based on customer preferences
• Apply security at a Field level, or deploy data-level security by User or Group
• Validate changes to field data according to defined limits and users, e.g. who can change a credit limit, and to what limit
• Auto-assemble Bills of Materials on the fly as orders are created  

Screen Customizations

With Extender, you can tailor existing screens in ways not possible at the View level (e.g. tailor tabs, fields, buttons and finders). Or create new screens without the need for complicated programming. 

Examples:

• Add buttons for custom functionality (PO Order Screen to auto-print/email document to the vendor, OE Invoice screen to create Invoice PDF and email to customer)
• Expose & edit optional fields in the grid AP Invoice Entry and GL Journal Entry
• Hide existing fields, depending on the users

Custom Tables

With Extender, custom tables can be developed that form part of the Sage 300 database and database dictionary. The Custom Table Editor allows for the creation, update, and deletion of data in the custom view, or a script can be written for a tailored screen. 

Examples:

• Store additional information in Sage 300 (AR Item optional field default values, IC Item additional fields, sales people KPI)
• Store information in Sage 300 to support customizations, such as configuration parameters for workflow departmental hierarchy

 

Advanced Workflow

Advanced workflow capabilities can also be used to develop custom Workflow Actions using Python. These advanced workflows can incorporate Custom View/Table data into Workflow Actions.