MISys SBM Pricing Model

In order to keep the entry cost as low as possible for start-ups or other small manufacturing firms who are considering MISys Small Business Manufacturing, the license fee for this software has been broken into two parts.

The first part is a one-time fee assessed for each module or concurrent user license.
The second part is an annually renewing license fee based on the MSRP of the currently licensed modules and users. (You can think of this cost structure as being similar to that of owning and operating a car. You need to purchase or lease the automobile, but you must also renew your driver's license each year if you want to leave the driveway.)
By spreading out the cost of ownership over several years, MISys has been able to successfully market to very small companies and to those with very small budgets -- but very big needs.

MISys SBM users are encouraged to lodge a major credit card with MISys Customer Service so the annual license renewal fee can be charged automatically, avoiding any potential lapse in service. Alternatively, users are urged to pay their renewal fee by check within 30 days of their license expiration.

MISys SAE Training Workshops
Dates have been established for the next round of training on MISys Manufacturing for Sage Accpac ERP (MISys SAE).

Basic Training, which covers all the functionality of MISys SAE Level 1 will be held each afternoon from October 19 - 23.
Advanced Training, which includes MISys SAE Level 2 and Level 3 will be held each afternoon from November 2 - 6.

If you have new staff members who need to learn how to use this software, or existing members who can benefit from a brush-up on some of the powerful but less conspicuous features of MISys SAE, please contact MISys Customer Service at 802/457-4600 for details.

Dateline Woodstock
Vermonters have a cheerful respect for people from New Jersey -- just check the traffic on Main Street in Woodstock any summer day and you'll see more than a fair representation of yellow license plates. But an incident last week set some residents teeth on edge. From what we can tell, Jersey Doors is one of the largest engineering and construction companies in the country. According to their brochure, their formula for success is simple: aggressive management and strict employee discipline -- and, what is not mentioned, a relentless commitment to cheating. From what was reported in the Woodstock Standard (our weekly newspaper), Jersey Doors lied extravagantly about its technical qualifications, and submitted absurdly unrealistic lowball quotes in order to get government contracts. JD was so good at landing contracts that they couldn't actually build anything. Apparently a reputation like this is priceless in New Jersey. The problem came to roost in Vermont when JD won a contract using Federal Stimulus Money to equip the Woodstock Jail with a high-tech state-of-the-art security door system. What actually got installed was a semi-random collection of hardware which included, as a central element, garage door openers purchased on sale at Sears for $99 a piece. The result was that during a bad electric storm (like the one that visited Woodstock early last week) a number of key doors simply opened themselves, leaving it up to the prisoners to decide, on the honor system, whether they wished to remain in jail. Mind you that the Honor System is as healthy in Vermont as anywhere, but there are limits to any system. As it happened, 32
prisoners out of 37 decided that they did not want to remain in jail. It was a huge story here in Vermont (OK, so it didn't make it all the way to CNN) what with a horde of criminals, some of them petty thieves and DUI offenders, running loose in the streets of Woodstock, pursued by a frantic posse of police and media. One escapee, apprehended at his home in the midst of making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with extra peanut butter, was asked by Sheriff Brady "Who masterminded the escape?" as he was being hustled into a police cruiser. "Ain't nobody mastermind nothin'" the prisoner shouted back. "The mufuh doors just opened."

Sage Peachtree Certified Consultants Complete MISys SBM Training
Thursday concluded three days of training for more than 70 Sage Peachtree Certififed Consultants on the new Sage Peachtree Quantum Manufacturing Edition which combines MISys Small Business Manufacturing with Sage Peachtree Quantum Accounting. Consultants learned about the SBM Basic Manufacturing Module, it's integration to Quantum, and the optional SBM modules which included Advanced Purchasing, Advanced Production, Material Requirements Planning (MRP), Bin Tracking, Serial/Lot Tracking, Shop Floor Control, Labor Tracking and Bar Coding. Consultants are now prepared to start selling and supporting the Quantum Manufacturing Edition to their current and future customers. More information is available from Sage Peachtree or at: http://www.misysinc.com/misbm/peachtree/index.php

MISys SBE to SBM Conversion
Since announcing the retirement of MISys SAE Small Business Edition on June 1, we have received a number of inquiries from users wondering about their upgrade options. The easiest, and certainly the most economical option, is to crossgrade to MISys SBM. Assuming your Upgrade Subscription Plan is up to date, you can crossgrade at no cost, paying only the next year's Subscription Plan. For complete information and confirmed pricing, contact MISys Customer Service at 802/457-4600.


MISys SAE 5.5 Service Pack #2
A Service Pack for MISys Manufacturing for Sage Accpac ERP version 5.5 (MISys SAE) was released last week. This Service Pack fixes the sinister "Field Name Not Known" problem and a number of minor bugs. Service Pack #2 should be installed ASAP to ensure compatibility with Accpac ERP v5.5.

New Shop Floor Control Module

One of the major features to be released along with MISys Small Business Manufacturing version 4.0 later this summer is a new Shop Floor Control (SFC) module.

With SFC enabled, you are able to define production tools, work centers, and bill of material routing details. Routing details define the operations you must perform in order to make an assembled item.

Once MISys SBM knows what to do with the components identified in a bill of material, how fast production work centers can operate, and when they are open for business, the program can very accurately predict how long any production will take and how much it will cost.

The new SFC module adds functionality to MISys SBM that is roughly equivalent to that of MISys SAE Level 3. You're going to love it!

If you are a MISys SBM user, or MISys Business Partner and would like to attend a sneak peek webcast on MISys SBM SFC, click here

Dateline Woodstock
With the Independence Day holiday upon us this coming Saturday, July 4th, the Town of Woodstock is preparing its traditional celebration with parades, concerts, and a massive (by Vermont standards) fireworks display down at the Football Field. Again this year, the local arts council is sponsoring the Woodstock Patriotic Tableau. Those who remember this news item from last year, will know that Woodstock town residents are invited to assemble in the Football Field to form a giant American flag tableau, each person holding a card over his/her head while standing on a specifically marked "X" on the field. (You can imagine this as being similar to the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics, but not quite as spectacular.) One by one, participants are allowed to leave the display and hike up nearby Mount Tom (named after Aubrey Mount, one of the early settlers of Woodstock, and his son Tom). From that vantage point far above the Woodstock Football Field, an impressive view of the giant flag can be had. According to tradition (which is an important part of the Vermont culture), after viewing the flag tableau from the top of Mount Tom, one is required to holler out to those below "Hey -- cool!" before heading down the mountain and replacing someone else eager for the trip up. As you can imagine this event takes most of the day, but after 28 years, has become a permanent part of Woodstock's 4th of July celebration. New this year (but highly anticipated) is the Hey Cow event co-sponsored by the Woodstock Farmer's Market and Jim's Small Engine Repair. Jim, a full time dairy farmer and part time engine tinkerer, has lent his herd of Holsteins and the Market has organized 10 teams of elementary, middle school, and high school students who, one by one, will be required to yell "Hey cow!" at the top of their collective lungs. According to the somewhat complex rules, the team that gets the largest number of Holsteins to look up from what Holsteins normally do on the 4th of July, wins the prize: a $100 gift certificate for the local Ben & Jerry's ice cream store.
Have a great holiday!