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INTEGRATOR for Sage 50 provides a set of inventory synchronization tools that enable FORMULATOR to manage inventory while Sage 50 handles sales, purchasing, and other accounting tasks.
Installation
INTEGRATOR must be configured for your specific installation. The location of your Sage 50 database, account number classifications, and file locations are required for proper operation. A sample file is shown at the end of this section.
If you did not install FORMULATOR and Sage 50 together, you will probably want to synchronize the two inventories as a first step following installation. You will use one of two utilities to do this, depending on which software was installed first. Typically, all items are first entered into Sage 50, then sent to FORMULATOR (via INTEGRATOR). You may use the INTEGRATOR import module on a regular basis, to add new Sage 50 items to FORMULATOR’S raw material and/or packaging tables.
Start-up synchronization is typically done at the end of a period, into a new FORMULATOR database. This provides a clean start for inventory accounting.
Caution
Formulator will only integrate with Stock Items in Sage 50. It will not integrate with assemblies in Sage 50.
Sage 50 uses a fixed unit of measure for an item's stocking unit. This unit must match the FORMULATOR stocking unit for each item. Since FORMULATOR can process transactions in any unit of measure, transaction quantities must be converted before sending them to Sage 50.
Stocking units for raws and formulas (as bulk) and finished goods ("packaged" inventory or "bills of materials") are held separately in FORMULATOR.
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And for bills of materials:
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Security settings in FORMULATOR can prevent ordinary users from changing the stocking unit.
Main Menu
The Sage 50 integration options will appear on FORMULATOR's main menu under the INTEGRATOR section:
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Access to each module is controlled through the user set-up module. Sage 50 must be installed on the machine running INTEGRATOR. Sage 50 cannot be running on the machine when any of these modules are launched, or they will not run.
Most inventories consist of raw materials, packaged products, packaging materials, and incidental items (office supplies, etc.). INTEGRATOR can distinguish between different item types in Sage 50 via their G/L account numbers. The bulk, packaged inventory, and packaging material items can be distinguished from other non-FORMULATOR items (such as office supplies). Your inventory items should be segregated by their inventory, sales, or cost of goods account numbers. If some incidental items slip through, or if there is no segregation, you will have the opportunity to assign the correct type and delete extraneous items during the import phase.
Depending on your installation, Sage 50 may require your permission to integrate with FORMULATOR:
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If you see this window, click “Yes”. FORMULATOR will then automatically handle your import / export tasks within Sage 50.
Importing Items and Starting Inventories into FORMULATOR
Click "Begin". Depending on your permission levels, you will be able to review your transactions, adjust quantities, split lots, and otherwise arrange your inputs to reflect reality:
If the item appears in red, then there are inventory transactions on file in FORMULATOR for that item. No action will be taken on these items.
After posting all the transactions, you should immediately run a current valuation report in Sage 50. All cost discrepancies (due to existing data, user error, etc.) should be either corrected in FORMULATOR or booked into Sage 50.
Once items exist in FORMULATOR, you cannot change the inventory unit of measure. It must use the same units as Sage 50. You can set the permissions on the inventory tab to prevent changes to the inventory unit of measure.
INTEGRATOR Item Export: FORMULATOR à Sage 50
If you were using FORMULATOR Inventory prior to installing Sage 50, you will need to export the current inventory levels into Sage 50. Since Sage 50 will assign its own cost values based on its own costing data, you will also need to book the difference between the two systems at the end of the process. Contact FORMULATOR Software for more information.
Accounting Costs and INTEGRATOR
Any and all FORMULATOR inventory transactions may be sent to Sage 50 at any time. When transactions are sent to Sage 50, the following costs are used:
- Transactions that decrease Sage 50 inventory are costed at Sage 50’s FIFO inventory cost.
- Transactions that increase Sage 50 inventory are costed at FORMULATOR’s inventory cost (either lot or FIFO, whichever is in effect).
This cost arrangement is imposed by the Sage 50 accounting system interface and is not variable, not withstanding any efforts of FORMULATOR Software.
The INTEGRATOR.INI file contains required set-up information for Sage 50 INTEGRATOR. A sample INI file is shown here:
[Sage 50]
; Path to Sage 50 database - MUST BE CUT TO 8 CHARACTERS PER PATH
PeachPath=F:\PEACHT~1\abcchemi\
; G/L Account number assignments
; Unlimited number of accounts supported
; Duplicate accounts will default to first account listed when sending items and transaction to Sage 50
BulkInv=1200
BulkSales=4000
BulkCOG=5000
PackagingInv=1210
PackagingSales=4000
PackagingCOG=5050
PackagedInv=1300
PackagedSales=4000
PackagedCOG=5000
; Default starting date for sending transactions from FORMULATOR to Sage 50
EarliestTrans=2006-03-01
; Default locations of Sage 50 Import/Export files
ITEM.xml=C:\Documents and Settings\Mark\My Documents\ITEM.xml
PURCHASE.CSV=C:\Documents and Settings\Mark\My Documents\PURCHASE.CSV
SALES.CSV=C:\Documents and Settings\Mark\My Documents\SALES.CSV
The above example is a minimum configuration, using the inventory accounts to identify bulk, packaged inventory, and packaging materials. If combinations of sales, inventory, and cost of goods accounts are used to determine item type, the order used is inventory account first, then sales, and then cost of goods.