D. MILLER ASSOCIATES

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1 D. MILLER ASSOCIATES Summer Newsletter ADD DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT AND IMAGING CAPABILITIES TO YOUR STARBUILDER SYSTEM Document Imaging is becoming increasingly popular in the workplace, and is now available as an add-on module to the latest version of StarBuilder. This program, called Chameleon, provides secure, digital images of paper and electronic documents and serves as a central repository for all the documents you rely on to run your business. An estimated percent of an office worker s time is spent handling paper, paper that can cost your business hundreds of dollars per document to route, file, locate, copy or recreate. Documents in the construction industry are handled an average of seven times before being archived or destroyed. The most common image applications are Accounts Payable/Invoice Approval, Cost Plus Billing, Equipment Costing, Accounts Receivable/ Job Tickets, Job Files, Human Resources, Time Sheets and Report Archival. By performing many of these tasks electronically, you can prevent lost records and miscommunications, save paper and storage space, and dramatically enhance your staff s efficiency. Document Imaging inside StarBuilder happens in three areas, called Cabinets : an Accounts Payable Cabinet, a Job Files Cabinet, and a Human Resources Cabinet. (If desired, you can create your own Cabinets to tie into other areas of your business as well.) With the Accounts Payable Cabinet, invoices are scanned into Chameleon as single or multi-page images. Scanning usually takes place using a scanner with a sheet feeder, so that dozens of invoices can automatically be scanned into a batch in minutes. Once the image has been scanned, the operator Indexes and Routes each Invoice in the batch. Indexing simply means assigning, using drop-down boxes linked to your StarBuilder database, the proper vendor and job associated with the invoice, as well as the invoice date, number and other pertinent information. Sticky Notes, which can also be added to the Invoice image, contain instructions, questions, comments, etc. Once the Invoice is indexed, it is then electronically routed to the appropriate individual or group (for example, an invoice could be routed to the Project Manager responsible for that job or to everyone in the Administrative Group ). The Invoice then shows up in the Project Manager s The Project Manager can then approve the Invoice, route it back for additional information, or even the image back to the vendor with comments or requests for additional information. Once the Invoice has been approved, the invoice is brought into a StarBuilder batch using the Invoice Import option. The StarBuilder operator can then view the invoice image on the StarBuilder screen. The invoice itself, as well as any notes and the indexes or even an associated Purchase Order, can all be viewed from the Accounts Payable Entry Screen. Documents can be indexed by many criteria, such as the job number, document type, date, and vendor, and searched for by any of these Index Fields. Searching for a document returns a list of documents meeting the specified search criteria, and you can then just double-click on the results to see the document or image on the screen. CAD drawings, RFP s/rfi s, Change Order Requests, s, spreadsheets, PDF Files, Word documents and virtually any file type for which you have a viewer can be stored. Document Imaging can also be used to store all types of manuals, including warranties and OEM materials, as well. Want to learn more about Document Imaging for StarBuilder? Call for more information today, or send an to: Info@DMillerAssociates.com STARBUILDER VERSION 5.6 SLATED FOR FALL 2007 RELEASE StarBuilder 5.6 is scheduled for general delivery in the 3rd quarter In this release, StarBuilder will be certified for Internet Explorer 7.0, SQL Server/2005, and Microsoft Windows Vista. Included in the Fall Release are significant enhancements to StarProject, including upgrading StarProject to Access 2003 and moving the data to a SQL database. There will also be field size enhancements to StarProject, and the ability to interface StarProject with Chameleon. In Payroll, users will now have the ability to import multiple checks for one employee in the same batch. There also will be the ability to define a minimum check amount, required by certain garnishments, and an option in payroll that prompts the user for a termination date range when clearing terminated employees. There is also the ability to create and export to efinancials, AMSI s web-based Financial Reporting system. Newsletter 1

2 Work List, or Inbox, waiting for approval. WINDOWS VISTA Many new computers are now being shipped with Microsoft Windows Vista, promoted as a faster and easier way to find, use, manage, and share information on your PC, your network and the Internet. There are four distinct editions of Vista, each of which includes Windows Defender and Firewall for security; Instant Search to help quickly find what you need; Internet Explorer 7 with improved tab browser; and easier network connectivity with the Network Sharing Center. Several versions also offer the multimedia features and functionality previously provided by the Windows XP Media Edition. Here are some the features that are unique to each edition: Windows Vista Business, designed to meet the needs of a small business, comes with the Windows Aero desktop, featuring glass-like menu bars, Flip 3D and Live Thumbnails. Aero stands for Authentic, Energetic, Reflective and open and is the most significant change to the Windows User Interface since Windows 95. Windows Vista Ultimate, the most complete edition, offers all of the features found in Windows Vista Home Premium and Windows Vista Business, including Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption. In addition, Windows Vista Ultimate includes support for all of the new laptop-related mobility features, including Windows Tablet and Touch Technology, SideShow, and Mobility Center. Windows Vista Home Premium has most of the features in Vista Ultimate, except for Windows Complete PC Backup and Restore, Windows Fax & Scan, and Windows Bitlocker. Windows Home Basic is the edition for basic home computing needs, such as browsing the Internet, using , or viewing photos. Although Vista Business may be purchased as an upgrade to Windows 2000 or Windows XP, your computer may need to have its graphics subsystem upgraded to take advantage of all its features. Windows Vista Business is the recommended version of Windows for StarBuilder clients AMSI ANNOUNCES THE RELEASE OF VISION REPORTING FOR THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGER Vision Reporting for StarBuilder is now shipping! Vision is a powerful reporting and analytics application designed to interface with SQL/Server-based applications. Vision enables users to query Job Cost, Payroll and General Ledger data in real-time from within an Excel spreadsheet. You can create custom reports and combine the information from within existing Excel spreadsheets. Vision also offers powerful drill-down capabilities, so you can double-click on a value and view all the transactional detail associated with the value. Vision s powerful reporting features are combined with the familiarity and ease of use of the Microsoft Office Suite, delivering significant business benefits with minimal training required. It also harnesses all the graphics capabilities inside MS Excel, so that you can easily generate all sorts of charts, graphs, etc. Built-in analytics help detect and explain trends, problems, and opportunities that are often concealed in transactional data. Users can drill down on live relational data and can also save queries to browse data offline. Vision is a proven product, and currently has over 100,000 users in 158 countries. You can learn more about Vision by calling (301) , or visiting SUMMER SCHEDULE The AMSI Customer Conference, which was held in Las Vegas last year, will take place this fall in Tampa Bay, FL. Last year s Conference was extremely successful and well-attended, and we re looking forward to another productive meeting. More information about dates, times, classes and seminars will be available in mid-july. The StarBuilder 5.6 Release (see previous page) will be shipped in the 3 rd Quarter of rd Quarter StarBuilder Users Group Meeting: RM Thornton has volunteered to host the next StarBuilder Users Group meeting on Wednesday July 18 from 11:00 to 2:00 at their office in Capitol Heights. We ll be going over the 5.6 Release, and discussing the latest enhancements to the Chameleon imaging program. Are You Getting the s? If you re not signed up for the StarBuilder Users Group, you re missing out on a great self-help and support tool. The way it works is this: you send an to the StarBuilder Users group, and everyone sees it. Chances are, someone else has a solution, and they ll share it with you and the rest of the group. If you re interested send an to LRichardson@DMillerAssociates.com and we ll take care of it for you! About Us D. Miller Associates has been providing computer software and services to construction-related businesses for more than 22 years. As authorized AMSI Business Partners, we can provide you with solutions for your accounting, job cost, estimating and document imaging needs, including StarBuilder, TCMW, Chameleon, Vision and ProEst. Whether your company is small, large or in the middle, we can provide you with software, hardware, training, service and support to help you more effectively and profitably run your business. Send an to Info@DMillerAssociates.com or call for more information. Newsletter 2

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