Happenings December 20, 2024

    In this issue:

• National Day Spotlight
• Acumatica Tip
• ISV Spotlight
• Managed Services Tip
• Events, Blogs, Movies
• Webinars, Community
• Points to Ponder

The purpose of a newsletter is an opportunity for the ASWi team to provide you and the rest of our clients with information on all the new ASWi an Acumatica related things (or “happenings”) that you may not otherwise be aware of.

Please feel free to share this newsletter with any/ all of your team. Pease let me know if anyone on your team who would like to be added to the mailing list for the next issue and removed.

You can always have a look at back issues of Happenings on ASWi’s web- site at: https://aswiblog.wpengine.com/category/customer-newsletters/

“I was unforgivably rude and wearing a reindeer jumper that my mother had given me.” Mark Darcy, “Bridget Jones’ Diary”

Since 2011, National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day has grown to be an international event, providing Christmas lovers worldwide a chance to wear their ugly (and often hilarious) sweaters.

Today’s the day to sport sweaters with blinking lights, ribbons, crazy pictures and more.

About the photo: Pam and I sporting our ugly Christmas sweaters. As you can see, Pam is the over-achiever with blinking lights, ornaments and more. I am the “minimalist” with an as-is sweater.

Q: What material are ugly Christmas sweaters made of?
A: Fleece Navidad.

Q: What is an ugly Christmas sweater maker’s favorite song?
A: Knit me with your best shot.

Q: Why did the ugly Christmas sweater go to therapy after a contest?
A: It started unravelling under the pressure.

Q: What kind of lighting do ugly Christmas sweaters prefer?
A: Wool-lite.

Q: What kind of ugly Christmas sweaters do police officers wear?
A: Pull-overs.

Q: Why did the baby jalapeno put on an ugly Christmas sweater?
A: Because he was a little chile.

Q: Did you know it takes 3 sheep to make an ugly Christmas sweater?
A: That’s amazing! I didn’t know they could knit.

ASWi is very humbled, privileged, and proud to be able to serve some of the most innovative organizations in the country as their ERP and/or Managed Services provider and trusted business advi-sor.

Today, I want to spotlight and introduce two sister companies to the rest of the ASWi community: ACP-M, Inc. and ACP. ACP was established in 1985, and specializes in commercial and industrial surface applications, while ACP-M, Incorporated is a startup manufacturing business that will be fabricating hazardous material containment covers. Both companies work extensively with large corporations and the federal government.

5 Things About Acumatica Summit 2025

• Presentations at the Strategic level (Acumatica’s corporate direction, product roadmap, trends, etc.), Operational level (best practices, SOPs, etc.) and Tactical level (how-to’s, tips & tricks, etc.) will be held by industry and by functional area.

• There will be an Exhibit Hall of ISV addon solutions as well as an Acumatica booth, with staff on hand to both answer questions and schedule follow-up sessions.

• The ASWi can facilitate discussions with Acumatica product managers and executives, ISVs regarding add-on solutions, and introductions to other Acumatica subscribers.

• ASWi customers’ products have been included in the “Customer Showcase” displays for the past 2 years; if the ASWi client would like to be considered for inclusion in this year’s Customer Showcase, let me know and I will submit their name and product(s) for consideration.

• ASWi is planning an ASWi Customer Appreciation event on January 26th or 27th of Summit 2025. Last year, our event was at TopGolf Las Vegas; we currently are short-listing options for this year.

Please let our Customer Success Manager Keith Wood know (keithw@ASWiUS.com, 717-581-1226) if you planning on attending the upcoming Acumatica Summit 2025.

Our office was very excited to find a box of these delicious cookies awaiting us on Monday.

They are the handiwork of our Customer Success Manager Keith Wood’s wife Karen, whose business is Sweet Tooth Cookie Art.

If you are looking for a unique gift for your customers, your staff, your family or to treat yourself, this is a delicious option.

Be sure to also check out some more amazing cookies on Instagram.

Ramp is on a mission to help you save your most valuable resources – time and money. Ramp’s accounting integrations automate your pro-
cesses so you close your books 8x faster.

Streamline your finance operations by connecting to Ramp to Acumatica Cloud ERP, collaboration, and security tools, as well as multiple bank accounts within Ramp.

What Accounting Integrations Are
These integrations enable customers to sync their spend data between Ramp and Acumatica Cloud ERP in order to:
• Automate categorizations
• Review thousands of transactions
• Speed up monthly close

Ramp Integrations vs. Bank Transaction Data
Accessorial Traditional bank transaction data from a corporate card usually lacks full context for the expense transaction – there’s the amount, a date, and a merchant. Cardholders are still required to provide additional context before you code a transaction, complete reconciliation and perform a monthly close. Context gathering usually happens outside a system (like in a email) which can be hugely inefficient.

Ramp incorporates accounting rules and coding into the card issuing process, so that any transactions can automatically be coded with the right GL accounts in real time, and context is gathered from cardholders as they spend on cards. These transactions create expense records which are instantaneously matched against the bank transaction data. This provides an accurate reflection of expense spend in close to real time, providing so you can make financial decisions with the latest data.

Benefits of Accounting Integrations
Time Savings: Automated data transfer processes saves time for accounting teams, enabling them to focus on more strategic value-added activities.
Visibility: Decision-makers have real-time access to comprehensive financial data, for better visibility into the organization’s financial health.
Compliance: Automatic updates ensure that financial data is consistently recorded and reported in compliance with regulatory requirements.

If you would like more information on Ramp, please let our Customer Success Manager Keith Wood know (keithw@ASWiUS.com, 717-581-1226).

In today’s digital landscape, securing your accounts and sensitive data is more important than ever. One of the most effective ways to enhance security is by implementing Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA).

Why MFA Matters
MFA adds an extra layer of security by requiring two or more verification methods to access an account. Even if a password is compromised, MFA helps prevent unauthorized access, making it a critical tool in safeguarding sensitive information.

Types of MFA
1. Something You Know
This could be a password, PIN, or answer to a security question.
2. Something You Have – Examples include a mobile device, security token, or smart card.
3. Something You Are – Biometric methods like fingerprint scans, facial recognition, or voice recognition.

Best Practices for Implementing MFA
1. Use Multiple Factors – Combine at least two different types of verification (e.g., password + mobile device) to enhance security.
2. Regularly Update Your Methods – Stay up-to-date with the latest MFA technologies and ensure your methods are not outdated.
3. Educate Your Team – Ensure everyone understands the importance of MFA and how to use it correctly.
4. Enable MFA on All Critcal Accounts – Prioritize implementing MFA on accounts that contain sensitive data or have access to critical systems.

Please let our Customer Success Manager Keith Wood know (keithw@ASWiUS.com, 717-581-1226) if you would like to learn more about ASWi’s Managed Services and to learn more about how they can assist your organization with cybersecurity processes and tools.

When to be vague vs precise

Let’s say you are advertising a new product, like a razor. Should you describe it as being “laser-sharp” or “high quality”?

Laser sharp uses concrete, precise language whereas high quality is more abstract. New research has revealed which type to use, when. This matters because ads cost money, lots of money, so you want to make sure what you say has the biggest positive impact possible.

So, what did the researchers find?

In one of their experiments they had 124 hockey fans rate a product (in this case a new hockey stick) and a radio station’s ad BEFORE the game – when the outcome was uncertain, and other fans rate those things AFTER the game, once the outcome was known. Before the game – when uncertainty was high – fans rated the product and radio ad higher when concrete language was used.

After the game, it didn’t matter as much, though abstract messages tended to be preferred.

There are two lessons from this:

1. When your customers are feeling uncertain – like during an economic downturn or health crisis, or even when it’s a new type of product – you are better to be concrete, like ‘laser-sharp’. When things are stable and the product is familiar, you can be more abstract, talking about ‘high quality’.

2. Whether you are engaging the services of a copywriter or ad agency, or writing the copy yourself, be sure to keep on top of behavioral research like this. Just because your copy is beautiful doesn’t mean it will be effective.

Things will never be easier than now

Believe it or not, your job will never be as easy as it is today.

I’m not talking about AI and other technologies.

I’m talking about hindsight.

You’ll look back and think life was easy.

Because things will only get more chaotic, more complex and more compressed.

Nearly every weekday, a motivational quote is posted on X/Twitter by @ASWiDelivered and on LinkedIn by @ASWi.

• “I am always going to do my best, no matter where I am.” Will Rogers
• “Business is the science of human service.” Elbert Hubbard – 1921
• “How can any undervalue business habits? As if anything could be done without them.” Florence Nightingale – 1868
• “Employees do their best work when their happy.” Orison Swett Marden – 1913
• “Companies should be about fewer games, fewer hoops, & more value.” Gregory Ciotti