Setting up Traffic LIVE to work with Sage

 

 

Traffic LIVE will export the Sales Ledger into a format that can then be imported into Sage Line 50.

 

Sage Line 50 has a limitation than means it cannot natively import invoices by line item.

 

To overcome this limitation we use a program called Import Plus.

 

How Does it Work?

 

-       you raise invoices through Traffic LIVE

-       periodically (daily, weekly, monthly – you choose) you create an export file in Traffic LIVE

-       this file contains details of your Sales Ledger

-       the file in imported into Sage using Import Plus

-       the sales ledger in Sage Line 50 is updated

-       Import Plus will advise you of any errors that need correction

 

Three steps to Sage Integration

 

You need to

 

-       Install Import Plus

-       Configure the required fields in Traffic LIVE to match those in Sage

-       Run a test

 

Tools you need for the job

 

Installing an configuring Import Plus is straightforward. You will need

 

-       to be familiar with installing programs on Windows

-       to have admin access to the machine you are installing it on

-       have admin privileges to Traffic LIVE

-       to know sufficient about Traffic LIVE to be able to issue a sample invoice – or to have on hand someone who does

-       to know enough about Sage Line 50 to be able to confirm that what has left Traffic LIVE has arrived in Sage Line 50 – or to have on hand someone who does

 

Before you start

 

If you are planning on upgrading Sage Line 50, we recommend that this is undertaken before you install the link to Traffic LIVE.

 

 

 

 

Setting Up Import Plus

 

These instructions have been provided by the supplier of the Sage import utility.

 

Import plus is easy to install, however, there are quite a few steps and these need to be done in the right sequence, skipping steps, and doing things out of sequence are the main problems

1. Download the latest installation package for your version of Sage 50

• it is important that you use the right version of import plus for your installation of Sage 50
• the download page for import plus on the Skyewright website (the provider of this utility) is here

2. Run the installation package.

• If you are on a network, then you should do a server installation and then you can use the "workstation setup" application on the server to install to all the workstations.

• Install the application into a shared directory (we suggest you use the existing share for Sage 50, and make a folder called Skyewright in it, this is then accessible to all Sage users)
• once installed you can run the workstation setup program from the server on each workstation.
• If you have a non windows server (Linux, Mac, Novell, or a NAS) you can do a server install to the fileshare from the workstation, just select the path to the file share when you install.

 

• If you are a single user, then do a full install

 

 

3. Install your Sage 3rd Party Activation keys + Access Rights

• these are free of charge
• open Sage 50 and got to Tools>Activation>Enable 3rd Party Integration
• you need to telephone Sage to get your keys, the phone numbers are on the screen
• Now in Sage, Go to Settings > Company Preferences and select the parameters tab . Make sure the Access Rights is ticked and Press OK.
• Select Settings > Access Rights and create a new user with full access rights which will be dedicated for this import as for production use it is best to have a dedicated username for importing eg "import".

 

4. Set your datapath, username and password

• In Basic mode, on the lower left of the screen, there is a box Titled Location.  In this box you need to enter the path to your Sage data (including the accdata) You can find the current data path from in Sage Help>About>System Information>Directories>Data it can be hard to see it you can stretch the window box, hover over the path and the full path appears in the tool tip or right click on it and open the folder (these methods only work in some versions of Sage 50)
• When you have selected your datapath the name of your company should appear in the box labelled description.
• Enter a Sage 50 username in the Logon box as specified under step 3 access rights
• Enter the associated password in the password box, if there is one, you can have the password memorised, to do this go >Advanced>Connection>Remember Password (Tick Box)>Basic 

5. Update your tools

• Open import plus (go to Basic mode if not already there)
• You can find you sage datapath from your Sage package. It is in Help>About>System Information>Directories>Data Directory
• go to Tools>UpdateTools and run

• use the ... button next to location to browse to your sage data directory (ends in /accdata) 

6. Get your customisation updater

• Open import plus and (go to Basic mode if not already there)
• go to Tools>Collect and install customiser press Run
• enter your script code will be mih-traffic
• after installation of the cutomiser, you will have a new option in Tools "Update your customisers"

7. Update your customisers

• go to Tools>Update your customisers press Run
• You can re run this option to update your installation with the latest changes made to your customiser.

• you should now have additional section(s) for your customisers

 

 

8. Register your software and Request a Licence 

• Open import plus (go to Basic mode if not already there)
• Fill in your details (accept the default licence options)

• go to Tools>Request Licence and press run

 

9. Everything will now work, however, there is a time limit of 14 days and some splashes can not be prevented, you will get an email when licensing is issued, you will probably get a provisional licence and then later on a full licence, each time you get a licence you need to 

• Open import plus (go to Basic mode if not already there)
• go to Tools>Collect and Apply Licence and press run
• Open import plus (go to Basic mode if not already there)

• If for some reason the automatic licensing fails, you can enter the licence code from the email manually 

    go to Tools>Install Licence and press run

Dialogue Screen Size issue:  when you open ImportPlus for the second time and It has it's customisation, the "operation" window may be very small, and it may be hard to see your customises. As there is no maximise button, you have drag the edges of the window to make it larger. 

NOTES: 

• The -feedback option is the path to the file where the results (in html) will be put, if you skip this a file will automatically still be created and a name generated automatically. 
• The Password option contains the password in a hashed form, you can use the password in plain text if you want.
• The command lines can be very long and exceed the 255 character limit, you can work around this by putting the command in a batch file

 

 

• Want to turn off the splash screen?
                     add the option "nosplash" in the mode box
• Want to skip the listing screens when running
                      add the option "nolist" in the mode box
• Want less feedback whilst running ?
                     add the option "taciturn" in the mode box
• Want to not show the end result screen?
                     add the option "qr" in the mode box
• Want to turn off all user interaction whilst running?
                     add the option "tool" in the mode box
• Want to delay the showing of the progress bar 
                      add the option psd=xxxx where xxxx is the number of miliseconds delay you would like in the mode box
• Want to hide the progress bars 
                      add the option psd=-1 in the mode box
• Want to use a combination of modes?
                     separate multiple modes with commas, "nosplash,qr"

 

 

Setting up Traffic LIVE

 

For invoices to flow between Traffic LIVE and Sage Line 50 information between the two systems needs to match so that Sage can understand what Traffic LIVE is sending over.

 

You need to configure three things in Traffic LIVE

 

 

1. Tax Types and Codes
2. Client Codes
3. Nominal Codes

 

 

 

Tax Types

 

 

 

To set Tax Types

 

-       enter Admin

-       select the “company management” tab

-       Select “Configure Company Details” at the top of the left hand list

-       You will see “Finance Details displayed on the screen

 

 

 

In the UK companies typically use upto four VAT rates

 

-       Nil

-       0% (not the same thing J)

-       5% ( certain lower rated items)

-       20%

So that users do not become confused we recommend setting as few tax types as possible taking into account your business. For most this probably means 0% and 20%.

 

You need to liaise with your Sage administrator to determine the codes you are using in Sage to depict these rates.

 

It is likely that the 20% VAT rate will be known as T1 and the 0% T0 (but you may use T9). These can however vary – so please check.

 

Your system will probably have tax rates in it already.

 

To edit the tax code double click on the line item and the line item will open

 

 

 

Enter the code that matches Sage in the Code box.

 

Click Done.

 

Finally make sure that your default tax rate ( probably 20% unless you do large amounts of non rated work) is selected as default.

 

The number of tax rates selector is use for countries with more than one sales tax rate per line item ( Canada for example) and should be left set at 1.

 

Nominal Codes

 

Now move on to nominal codes.

 

Nominal codes marry up the type of activity you are undertaking in Traffic LIVE with the way your accounting system analyses its income.

 

Click “Chargebands”

 

 

 

 

Nominal codes are entered in the “External Code” column. We do not use the term  nominal explicitly as these fields are used by different clients integrating with different systems in different ways.

 

For each activity enter the relevant nominal code.

 

Income lines in Sage typically start at 4000 so you should be expecting numbers like 4010 4020 and so on. Your system could be different.

 

Some agencies use dozens of nominal’s, some a handful. If you have lots of nominals and think you are looking to consolidate, then you should do this before setting up the codes in Traffic LIVE.

 

 

Client Codes

 

Finally you need to enter Client codes.

 

Navigate to Contacts, and for each client

 

1. Select the client
2. Click Edit

 

 

 

You will see the screen above.

 

Enter the Sage client code in the External code box and click Update.

 

Sage typically generates the client codes for you. Sohnar Ltd for example would probably by SOHN01 in Sage.

 

 

 

Testing

 

This section assumes you know how to use Traffic LIVE – if not the user guide can assist

 

 

You are now ready to run a test and we recommend you involve someone who understands Sage Line 50.

 

1. Create a test job for a suitable test entity. Your book keeper / FD will advise if this is a test company or a real company.
2. This job should carry maybe 3 or 4 line items. We suggest that the values are low so that your books are subject to minimal distortion
3. Enter Add / Edit Job / Billing and Bill the Job
4. Print out a copy of the invoice so you know what you are checking it against
5. Enter Job Add / Edit – Invoice Export
6. Make sure that the date range at the bottom of the screen coveres the date range you issued the invoice for
7. Filter the list using the filters on the left so that only the invoice you have just raised is shown
8. Click “Export”
9. Make selections as below

 

 

 

10. Your file will now be generated

11. Using details in the Import Plus Section of this guide import the file into Sage.

-Close Sage
-Open Import Plus

-Select Traffic as in the image and make sure you have set the User and Password if required the same as Sage User and Password as this is required for it to log into Sage and run the import

-Select Run

 

 

-If you are still waiting for the email to come through and it is not fully registered as yet you will receive this message in the image below :

 

-Click on Demonstration as you can use this until you have received your full License details through email.(14 days usually from when setup)

-You can now browse to the location where the csv exported to as indicated below and once you have found the csv click on Proceed.

 

-

 

 

 

12. Confirm that what has arrived in Sage matches what has left Traffic.

13. Clean up!

- In traffic LIVE you can bill the job you just created with a negative amount to credit out the transaction

- In Sage ask your book keeper / FD. You can either credit out the invoice or enter the audit trail and delete the transiaction.

 

 

What can go Wrong?

 

The main thing that can “go wrong” is the codes in Traffic LIVE and Sage not agreeing – either due to an input error or due to a new client being added in Sage for example, but the code not being added in Traffic LIVE.