What’s New in Tabs3 Billing Software Version 11 

Highlights 

• New Statement Designer lets you customize statements by allowing you to position images, text and data. 
• Added system-wide support of proportional fonts for reports and statements. 
• Added the ability to print an optional footer on reports with the user initials, date and time. 
• Core reports were redesigned to provide greatly improved readability. 
• Data entry windows were redesigned to enhance data entry and editing capabilities. A list of transactions can optionally be displayed making it easy to view and edit transactions. 
• Added the ability to track both Hours Worked and Hours to Bill in the fee data entry program, thus providing better reporting capabilities as well as the ability to write-up or write-down hours. 
• New Cost Rate tables let you easily customize rates for cost transactions by individual matter and client. 
• Added the ability to configure up to 50 custom fields in the client file. 
• Increased the length of Miscellaneous Lines 1-3 in the Client file from 35 to 50 characters. 
• Added support for international phone numbers in all phone fields and increased the e-mail field length. 
• Improved spell checking capabilities with a “spell check as you type” feature. Technical and legal dictionaries are now provided with all copies of the software. 
• Free copy of PracticeMaster Basic included with every Tabs3 Version 11 system. 
• Tighter integration with GLS, APS and TAS includes: 
• Changes and deletions to costs and payments are passed to GLS. 
• Payment refunds and reversals are passed to GLS. 
• Write-ups and write-downs of costs are passed to GLS. 
• Changes and deletions to unpaid APS invoices can be easily made in Tabs3 at the same time. 
• Improved accrual integration features with GLS and TAS allow posting journal entries to GLS for accounts receivable, work-in-process, client funds, and bank account balances. 
• Improved integration with QuickBooks. 

General 

• Changed the program name to Tabs3 from TABS III. 
• Easier logon requires User ID and Password only when the first system is started (i.e., you only need to logon once for all systems per workstation). 
• Added a new Lock Out All Users program that lets any manager lock out all users from all Tabs3 and PracticeMaster software products so the manager can perform exclusive tasks. 
• Added mouse wheel support to all Lookup windows, the Preview window, and the Statement Designer. 

All Reports 

• Added the ability to use proportional fonts. 
• Added the ability to include an optional footer with the date and time and optionally include user initials. 
• Added the ability to display negative numbers in red. 
• Added the ability to show commas in all numeric fields. 
• Added a new Advanced Printing Features window in Printer Setup that lets you configure the above options and more. 
• Various reports were completely redesigned to make the reports more readable. Techniques employed include use of black and gray lines; bold, italics, and gray text; gray shading of key information; and larger and smaller fonts than the base font. The Advanced Printing Features window also includes the ability to allow variable font sizes and styles, allow gray text and lines as well as configure the gray shade density and gray text/line density. 
• Added a Refresh button to the Preview window providing the ability to refresh the data displayed in the Preview window with any changes that were made since the report was first displayed. This feature lets you display a report, drill down to a transaction and edit it, and easily refresh the report without having to rerun the report. 
• Four-digit years are displayed in all date fields. 

Lookup Windows 

• Every other row is lightly shaded making it easy to read across the row. 

Client Data Entry 

• Redesigned the client data entry program to be more intuitive, better organized, and provide a better flow of information. 
• Added a Cost Rate Table feature that allows you to define a rate for expense and advance transaction codes that will be used for billing a client. The Cost Rate Table works just like the current Fee Rate Table. 
• Added a Custom Fields tab to allow you to define up to 50 additional fields in the Client file. These fields make it easy to label and store additional client information not already defined in the Client file. 
• Increased the length of Miscellaneous Lines 1-3 from 35 characters to 50 characters. 
• Added the ability to add a “New Rate” and “Effective Date” to the Fee and Cost Rate Tables. 
• Increased the phone number fields from 12 characters to 25 characters to allow international phone numbers. 
• Increased the E-mail field from 30 characters to 100 characters. 
• Added a separate memo field for “Billing Instructions”. 
• Redesigned the client record printout to provide more professional looking output. 

Fee , Cost, Payment, and Client Funds Data Entry 

• The Fee data entry window now includes two hour fields—an “Hours to Bill” and an “Hours Worked” field. This allows you to easily track how much time a timekeeper actually worked versus billed for a transaction. 
• Added a Date Entered field to track the date a transaction was actually entered. 
• Added a User ID field to track which user entered a transaction. 
• Added a Rate field to the Cost data entry window. Previously, the Rate for costs was retrieved from the tcode file. 
• The Units field is now stored in the Cost file. Previously, the Units field was not stored but was calculated by dividing the Amount by the Rate. 
• Added the ability to optionally display a list of transactions for a Client ID, transaction date, or entry date. Various totals are shown at the bottom of the list. Double-clicking an item in the list automatically retrieves that transaction in the data entry window allowing easy editing. Archive transactions can optionally be displayed as well as transactions for a specific timekeeper and User ID. 
• For fees, added a “Hide Fields” check box that simplifies the Detail data entry mode by suppressing fields that are typically not changed (i.e., category, bill code, rate code, status, sales tax, etc.). 
• Redesigned the fee and cost windows to include the most frequently used fields towards the top of the window. Fields that are not typically changed from their defaults are displayed towards the bottom of the window. 
• An additional toolbar is now shown with graphical buttons used to display the Detail/Rapid views and to display or hide the Entry List. For fees, a graphical button is included to display the Recap of Hours window. For payments, graphical buttons are included to Select by Statement Number and Apply Payment to Multiple Files. 
• Added Rapid/Detail modes to the Payment and Client Funds Data Entry programs which shows or hides the User ID and Date Entered fields. 
• When performing data entry using the Rapid data entry mode, “Rapid” is displayed in the title bar. 
• Changes and deletions to cost and payment transactions now create reversing journal entries in GLS. 

Fee Timer 

• Redesigned the Fee Timer to use icons instead of text buttons to start, stop and reset the timer. 

Data Entry Verification Lists 

• Added the ability to print the data entry verification lists in landscape or portrait orientation. 
• Added an option to exclude optional columns on the Fee and Cost/Payment Verification Lists ultimately providing a more readable report. 
• The Rate and Amount columns print on the verification list only if the user has Detail Fee View Rights. 

Timekeeper File 

• Added the ability to specify 6 new hourly rates for a timekeeper as well as specify an effective date for the 6 new rates. 
• Added a Move Rates button that allows you to quickly transfer the new hourly rates to the hourly rates field so you can set up a new set of rates. 
• Added the ability to configure GLS debit and credit accrual accounts for accounts receivable, work-in-process, and client funds if posting GLS journal entries for accrual balances by primary timekeeper. 

Transaction Code File 

• Data entry for the Transaction Code file is now performed on the Tcode tab. Previously this tab was labeled the TransCode tab. 
• Added the ability to specify a new rate for a tcode as well as specify an effective date for the new rate. 
• Added a Move Rates button that allows you to quickly transfer the new rate to the rate field so you can set up a new rate. 
• Reorganized the Transaction Code data entry program to be better organized and provide a better flow of information. 

Statement Designer  **NEW** 

• The Statement Designer lets you design statement layouts for headings, footers, and client addresses. Separate layouts can be defined for initial pages, subsequent pages, and envelopes. You have the ability to include multiple bitmaps, graphic elements including lines, circles, rectangles, rounded rectangles, etc. 
• Statement layouts are specified at the statement template level. 

Statement Templates 

• Added the ability to configure whether you want to allow page breaks within transaction descriptions. 

Statements 

• Added the ability to use proportional fonts. 
• Improved the handling of page breaks includes the following: 
• The option to prevent page breaks within transaction descriptions. 
• Section headings no longer print at the bottom of the page by themselves. 
• Column headings within sections are repeated on subsequent pages. 
• If the fee recap spans multiple pages, it will begin on a new page and will repeat column headings on subsequent pages. 
• If ending statement notes as a whole do not fit on the rest of the page, they will begin on a new page. 
• Added a Refresh button to the Preview window providing the ability to refresh the data displayed in the Preview window with any changes that were made since the statement was first displayed. This feature lets you display a statement, drill down to a transaction and edit it, and easily refresh the statement without having to rerun the statement. 
• Four-digit years are displayed in all date fields. 

Reports - Client Tab 

• The client name and work description are shown for the beginning and ending Client ID specified. 

Detail and Summary Accounts Receivable Reports 

• Greatly enhanced the reports to make them more readable. 
• Added the ability to sort clients in descending balance due order. 
• Added the ability to select clients based on a specified minimum balance that applies to a designated ageing period and later ageing periods. Previously, the minimum balance applied only to the total balance due. This feature makes it easier to filter clients that have aged receivables greater than a specified amount. 
• Added the ability to print the reports in landscape or portrait orientation. 
• Swapped rows and columns on the detail report so ageing period are columns and the fee, expense, advance, finance charge, and total amounts are rows.  
• Added an option to the detail report to exclude work-in-process information. If included, WIP amounts print as a separate column. 
• Added an option to the detail report to exclude billing history information (i.e., open date, last bill date, last payment date and amount, and last write off date and amount). 
• Added an option to the summary report to include or exclude contact information. 

Recap of Hours Report 

• Greatly enhanced report by implementing a cleaner new graphical format so the report looks like a calendar. 
• Added an option to print Daily Totals Only. 
• Added a Shade Daily Totals if Less than __ Hours option. This option provides an exception report that makes it easy to visually identify the days with hours less than the specified number. 

Transaction File List &
Task Code Billing Report 

• Greatly enhanced the format and included headers for sort sections and optional shaded totals making it easier to see breaks. 
• All columns on the report are optional. You can now pick and choose as many or as few columns as desired. Easily select all columns or clear all columns. 
• Added the ability to include the following new columns:  Units, Hours Worked, User ID, and Entry Date. 
• Added the ability to sort and/or subtotal by User ID (i.e., the user who entered the transaction). 
• Added the ability to sort and subtotal by Entry Date. 
• Cost transactions now include the rate. 
• Added the ability to print the report in landscape or portrait orientation. 
• If the 1st Sort Order is Client, then the Client Name and Work Description no longer print for each record. 
• Added an option to include GLS information for costs and payments. 

Client Ledger Report 

• Greatly enhanced the format to make the report more readable. 
• Added a Format tab that contains options that affect what information is included on the report. 
• Added the ability to include an Hours column. 
• Added the ability to include non-billable information on the report, which includes totals for non-billable transactions and Write-Up/Write-Down amounts. 
• Reference Number, Statement Number and Balance Due columns are now optional. 
• Added the ability to print the report in portrait or landscape orientation. 
• Eliminated the Client Billing Summary Report because the new options on the Client Ledger Report can generate the same report. 

Detail Work-In-Process Report 

• Greatly enhanced the format to make the report more readable. 
• Added Worked Hours, Write-Up/Write-Down Hours, and Units columns. 
• Replaced the Customize window with a Format tab. Previously columns were excluded, whereas the new Format tab lets you select which columns to include. All columns are now optional (with the exception of Date, Timekeeper and Description). 
• Added an option to include Beginning and/or Ending Statement Notes in the Recap section. 
• Added the ability to print the report in landscape or portrait orientation. 

Summary Work-In-Process Report 

• Greatly enhanced the format to make the report more readable. 
• Accounts Receivable information is now optional. 
• Added a Format tab that contains options that affect what information is included on the report. 
• Added the ability to print the report in landscape or portrait orientation. 

Timekeeper Productivity Report &
Category Productivity Report 

• Greatly enhanced the format to make the report more readable. 
• The Worked portion of the report includes the new Hours Worked field and percentages. 
• The Billed portion of the report includes Write-Up Hours and Write-Down Hours. 
• Percentages are now optional. 
• Added an option to print the formulas that are used to calculate percentages. 
• Added the ability to select exactly which items you want included on the report. 
• Added the ability to print the report in landscape or portrait orientation. 
• Added the ability to print graphs based on the new fields and percentages. 

Client Rate Report 

• The Client Rate Report can optionally include Cost Rate Table information. 

Timekeeper Report 

• Includes new rates and the effective date. 
• Added an option to include GLS accrual accounts. 

Client List 

• Added an option to include custom fields. 

Payment Adjustment 

• Adjusting GLS journal entries are automatically created when a payment is reversed or refunded. You can specify the date you want used for the reversing journal entries. 
• QuickBooks journal entries are automatically created when a payment is reversed or refunded. 

Write-Up/Write-Down Fees and Costs 

• Added the ability to write-up/write-down the number of hours for fee transactions. 
• Adjusting GLS journal entries are automatically created when costs are written up or down. You can specify the date you want used for the reversing journal entries. 

Write-Up/Write-Down Report 

• Added an option to include the number of hours written-up or down. 

Adjust Split Fee Clients 

• The Hours Worked field is split as well as the Amount and Hours to Bill fields. 

Change Client Options 

• Added a Setup tab, Billing tab and Statements tab that replaces the Desc Status, Stmt Options and Stmt Notes tabs. 
• Reorganized the location of various fields to more closely resemble the Client Data Entry program. 
• Added a Clear Cost Rate Table check box and a Shared Cost Table to Use field thus allowing you to globally change these options for multiple clients. 

Edit Client Ledger 

• Added the ability to edit the Worked Hours, Write-Up Hours and Write-Down Hours fields. 

General Ledger Software Integration 

• Improved integration so that changes and deletions made to costs and payments in Tabs3 will generate reversing journal entries in GLS. Additionally, a GLS Integration window will be displayed allowing you to make any other changes to the GLS journal entries associated with the specific cost or payment. 
• New accrual integration features provide the ability to easily post accounts receivable, work-in-process, and client funds figures to GLS for the entire firm or for individual primary timekeepers, thus allowing you to run GLS financial statements using a modified cash basis or cash basis method of accounting. 

PracticeMaster Integration 

• A free single user copy of PracticeMaster Basic is provided with all Tabs3 Version 11 software. 

Conflict of Interest Search 

• Changed the label for the “Client Notes” check box to “Notes” in the Search Files section and the Status section. Selecting the Notes check box searches the Client Notes, Billing Notes & Instructions, and Beginning and Ending Statement Notes in the client file. 

Customization 

• Added a GLS Integration tab that contains GLS integration information from the Other Systems tab as well as the new GLS accrual information. 
• Added the ability to configure GLS debit and credit accrual accounts for accounts receivable, work-in-process, and client funds if posting GLS journal entries for accrual balances. 
• Added a new Client Defaults tab that replaces the Stmt Defaults and Status Defaults tabs. 
• Moved the Automatic spell check when checking transactions option from Customization to the Spell Check Options window thus changing the option to a personal setting as opposed to a system-wide setting. 
• Moved the Trust Account statement terminology from Customization to the TAS Bank Account file thus changing the option to a bank account setting as opposed to a system-wide setting. 
• Removed the Archive Path from Customization. Archive files are now always in the same location as the data files. 
• The Integrate Tabs3 Client Information with a Practice Management System check box on the Other Systems tab is now available if integrating with PracticeMaster Basic. 

Statement Customization 

• Moved statement terminology for trust accounts to the TAS Bank Account program. This was done to accommodate the increased number of bank accounts now allowed in TAS. 

Phone Dialer 

• Added support for international phone fields. 
• Added support for the Microsoft Outlook phone field format with parentheses around the area code. 

Spell Check 

• Added the option to spell check as you type. When this feature is enabled, right-clicking a word shown as misspelled displays a new right-click menu that includes possible replacement words, an Ignore option and an Add to Dictionary option. 
• Legal and technical dictionary files are now provided with the software. 
• Added the ability to ignore Internet domain names (e.g., xyz.com) when performing a spell check. 
• Added the ability to automatically change words with a specified replacement instead of receiving a prompt with the suggested replacement when a misspelled word is encountered. 
• A single user dictionary can now include words with the following actions: auto change, conditional change, exclude and ignore. Previously, the words were grouped into separate dictionaries. 
• Added the ability to specify the speed and accuracy of the initial search for suggested replacements for misspelled words. 
• Added the ability for each workstation to specify whether an automatic spell check is performed when adding transactions. Previously, this option was a system-wide setting. 
• Added an Undo button to the Check Spelling dialog box. This button can be used to undo the previous change when multiple misspelled words are encountered in a spell checking session. 
• Added Spell Check, Add/Delete Words and Spell Check Options to the right-click menu for fields that support spell check. 
• Eliminated the confirmation message box that is shown when you cancel spell checking. 
• Administrator rights are no longer required to spell check on a Windows NT/2000/XP workstation. 

QuickBooks Integration 

• Added the ability to use QuickBooks Remote Data Sharing (RDS), which eliminates the need to have QuickBooks installed on each workstation that enters data. 
• Greatly improved QBXML integration. 
• Added the ability to integrate clients with QuickBooks when using QBXML. 
• Added the ability to integrate costs with QuickBooks using QBXML. Previously only QuickBooks General Journal Entries were created. 
• Added a QuickBooks Integration program. This program is used when integrating with QuickBooks using the QBXML format. It is used to merge clients and costs from QuickBooks to Tabs3. It can also be used to send existing Tabs3 data to QuickBooks. 
• Added the ability to configure which clients and transaction codes integrate with QuickBooks. 
• Added the ability to specify a QuickBooks vendor when adding a cost to indicate who the check will be written to in QuickBooks. 
• Reversing or deleting payments in Tabs3 will now create reversing journal entries in QuickBooks when using QBXML. 
• When using QBXML integration, the following programs in Tabs3 also integrate with QuickBooks: Merge Data Capture Device Transactions (costs), Merge Tabs3 Remote transactions (costs), Tabs3 cost transactions created in APS, and Tabs3 Palm Costs. 

System Configuration 

• Added the ability to rename a User ID to a new User ID. 
• Added the ability to reassign a User ID to an existing User ID allowing you to combine all records associated with a User ID to an existing User ID in all systems. 
• Added the ability to mark a User ID as “inactive”, which removes the User ID from all User Lookup windows. 

20031121