What’s New in TABS III Version 10

Highlights

• TABS III is also available in a Client Server Version.
• Added Quick Fee & Cost Data Entry programs that streamline entry of fee and cost transactions.
• Added drill-down capabilities to the client, fee, cost and payment files from the following TABS III reports thereby giving you the ability to edit data directly from the Preview window:
       Detail Work-In-Process Report  
       Draft Statements     
       Fee, Cost & Payment Verification List  
       Detail Accounts Receivable Report    
       Summary Accounts Receivable Report  
       Accounts Receivable by Invoice Report    
       Transaction File List
       Task Code Billing Report
       Client List
• Added the ability to print detail past due billing history from the Client Ledger File on a statement.
• Added the ability to easily override statement template options by specifying a statement template.
• Statements for task based billing clients now optionally include task codes on statements and a Task Code Recapitulation with subtotals.
• QuickBooks Integration.
• Added the ability to customize the Detail Work-In-Process Report thereby making the report easier to read.
• Added the ability to specify a minimum accounts receivable amount for the Accounts Receivable Reports.
• Seamless bidirectional synchronization with PracticeMaster.
• The Client Manager now includes a PracticeMaster button that switches to the PracticeMaster Client Manager for the selected client.
• New Tip of the Day feature.
• New QuickDate Calculator feature

General

• Version 10 requires Windows 95/98/2000/Me/NT4 or greater. Version 10 will not run under Windows 3.1, Windows 32S or Windows NT 3.5.1.
• New Tip of the Day feature provides informational topics regarding TABS III. The topics are stored in a text file called T3TIP.TXT. This file can be edited which allows users to add their own tips.
• Added the ability to save any printed output to an HTML file. This file can be attached to an e-mail thereby allowing the recipients to easily view the information using their Internet browser software.
• Expanded the allowable date range to 01/01/0100 through 12/31/9999.
• Added the ability to use the period key to increment a date and the comma key to decrement a date by one day.
• Duplicate User ID message is no longer displayed when logging on to other STI systems for the same User ID.
• Task Folder Configuration information is now stored in the user profile instead of each workstation’s STI.INI file.

STI System Configuration

• Access profiles replace the Group Configuration program from Version 9. Groups are a new feature that is now used in PracticeMaster for calendaring, scheduling and e-mail purposes.
• An unlimited number of access profiles can be defined. Previously, there was a limit of 50 groups.
• Added an E-mail Address field to User Configuration.
• STI software now saves various default settings in the user profiles (such as the “Do not display again” check box in various message boxes). These settings can be reset to their default values by using the Reset Profile button.
• User IDs can now include characters other than letters and numbers.
• An unlimited number of users can be defined. Previously there was a limit of 999.
• Added a County field to Firm Information and a spelled out State field for integration with PracticeMaster.
• STI System Configuration data file names are now ST*.DAT and ST*.IDX as opposed to STI*.DAT and STI*.IDX.
• The STI System Configuration program can be used at the same time as other software.
• Added a Reindex Files program in STI System Configuration that allows reindexing of the user file and access profile files in the event these files are corrupted.

Terminology Changes

• With the release of Version 10.6, Case Master, STI’s case management/practice management software that integrates with TABS III, is now called PracticeMaster. As a result, there have been minor changes to terminology and field names.
• Cases or matters are now referred to as files.
• The Matter Length is now called Decimal Places.
• The Apply Payment to Multiple Matters button is now Apply Payment to Multiple Files.
• The Include Statement Notes for each Matter check box in the Statement Templates program is now referred to as Include Statement Notes for each File.
• The Combine Matters check box on the Stmt Options tab of the Client data entry program is now Combine Files.
• The One Matter Per Client terminology is now One File Per Client.

Client Server

• STI is pleased to announce that TABS III Version 10.5 is now available in a Client Sever Version. STI Server minimizes the amount of information flowing back and forth on a network thereby greatly optimizing performance. Improvement in performance is particularly apparent in reporting functions and other complex tasks.
• Client Server versions are available for PracticeMaster, TABS III, Accounts Payable System (APS), Trust Accounting System (TAS), General Ledger System (GLS) and TABS III Report Writer. All integrated STI systems must be Client Server versions.
• If using the Client Server Version, STI Server is required. The STI Server software must be installed on a computer running Windows NT4/2000 Server, NT4/2000 Workstation, or Windows XP Professional with at least a Pentium 133 CPU. STI Server will also run as an NLM on a Novell Server, Version 4.2 or later, using TCP/IP. Workstations can use Windows 95 or greater. The STI Server takes very little time to install and is quite simple to use.
• STI Server and Client Server Versions of STI software are competitively priced and provide a great deal of performance value for your money. Contact your STI dealer or our Sales Department for pricing and additional details.

Data Entry

• Added a Hold/Print (H/P) column to the transaction lookup window to indicate the Status of each transaction.
• Added a Bill Code (B/C) column to the transaction lookup window to indicate the Bill Code of each transaction.
• Added the ability to print the detail of a single transaction while in the Fee, Cost or Payment program by clicking the Print button on the toolbar.
• Changed the startup command from WTABS.EXE to TABS.EXE.

Client Lookup Window

• Added an incremental search feature to the Client Lookup window. You can now type a client number or Client ID and the list will advance to the first occurrence of the specified text.

Client Information

• Added the ability to configure whether the Budget Exceeded message should be displayed for the client during data entry.
• Added the ability to assign separate access rights to Browse Client Notes and Edit Client Notes. Previously these rights were combined with the other Client Information access rights.
• Increased the maximum size of the Threshold Billing figures from 9,999.99 to 99,999,999.99.

Deleting Clients & Delete a Range of Clients

• With the release of Version 10.6, deleting a client now automatically deletes all associated archive records.

Client Manager

• A single mouse click on the new PracticeMaster button switches to the PracticeMaster Client Manager allowing you to view current client information and access any PracticeMaster feature for the selected client.
• Added a Refresh button that will check for updated information on demand.

QuickDate Calculator

• Added a new QuickDate Calculator feature that allows you to calculate a past or future date based on a specified date. These settings can optionally be saved as QuickDates and then used for subsequent date adjustments. Final Adjustments can be made to a QuickDate allowing you to adjust a date to a previous, next or closest workday if it lands on a holiday or weekend as well as adjust for mail days. The QuickDate Calculator feature replaces Date Math.
• The QuickDate Calculator can be accessed by pressing the “Q” key or right-clicking in any date field. Also, a QuickDate Calculator button was added to the standard date selection window allowing easy access to the QuickDate Calculator.
• QuickDates can be categorized into folders allowing you to easily locate a QuickDate.
• Saved QuickDates can be accessed in all STI programs.

QuickBooks Integration

• Improved integration capabilities with Intuit’s QuickBooks accounting software. TABS III now supports two types of integration with QuickBooks:
  • IIF - IIF Integration is the integration that was introduced in Version 10.5.  This integration allows posting of detailed journal entries to a QuickBooks import file whenever a cost or payment transaction is added to TABS III. This file is then periodically used by QuickBooks to import the journal entry information from TABS III into QuickBooks.
  • QBXML - QBXML integration is the new method of QuickBooks integration. This integration type is more sophisticated and requires QuickBooks Pro 2002, QuickBooks Premier 2002, or QuickBooks Premier 2002: Accountant Edition. When using this method of integration, TABS III posts journal entry information directly to QuickBooks data files whenever a cost or payment is added.

Quick Fee Entry & Quick Cost Entry

• Added Quick Fee & Quick Cost Data Entry programs that streamline entry of fee and cost transactions. A Rapid button toggles to the quick program and a Detail button toggles to the standard detailed data entry program.
• Added the ability to assign access rights to the detail fee and cost data entry programs. This gives you the ability to restrict certain users from changing fields that are not shown for the Quick Data Entry programs.

Fees & Costs

• The Budget Exceeded warning message can be configured at the client level.
• The Budget Exceeded warning message will not be displayed unless the budget amount is greater than zero. Previously it would be displayed if the hours were greater than zero.

Payments

• When a Statement # is specified for the payment to apply to, then the accounts receivable for that specific statement is displayed. Previously, the total accounts receivable for the client was always displayed.

Verification Lists

• Added the ability to create and use Report Definitions for the Verification Lists.
• Added drill-down capabilities to the Fee, Cost and Payment Verification Lists allowing you to edit data directly from the Preview window.

Statements

• Added the ability to easily override statement template options by specifying a statement template. Previously, individual options had to be specified.
• Added task based billing information to statements. All statements for task based billing clients optionally include task codes and a Task Code Recapitulation with subtotaling by task and phase for fees and expenses.
• Added drill-down capabilities to draft statements allowing you to edit data directly from the Preview window.
• Added an option to print cover statements only.
• Added an option to print Billing Instructions on draft statements (i.e., specially marked client notes).
• Changed the Active Only check box to three separate options: With Activity, Without Activity, or Both. This allows reminder statements to be printed only for clients who have no other activity.

Statement Templates

• Added the ability to print detail past due billing information from the client ledger file at the end of a statement. This option is configured as the new Detail Past Due Message option. Previous options were Summary/Detail/None. Current options include Summary/Detail/Aged/None. The Aged option is the same as the previous Detail option.

Statement Customization

• Added the ability to include the Client ID in configurable statement terminology by using the “\#” code. For example, you can specify in your statement notes to “Please write ‘Account 200.03’ on your payment.”
• Added the ability to include the courtesy discount percentage in configurable statement terminology by using the “\%” code. For example, you could specify in your statement notes that “A professional courtesy discount of 15% has been applied to your bill.”
• Added the ability to specify a number of days with a date code in statement terminology. For example, \S30 will calculate and print the date that is 30 days after the statement date.
• When combining files, added the ability to specify a new page between files. Previously, you could only specify the number of blank lines between files.

Client List

• Added the option to start each client on a new page. Multiple files will be printed on the same page.
• Added the option to double space the Summary Client List.
• Added drill-down capabilities allowing you to edit the client file directly from the Preview window.

Conflict of Interest Report

• Added the option to start each text item on a new page.

Transaction File List & Task Code Billing Report

• Added “Entry Order” as a sort order and subtotal option to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Sort Orders.
• Added drill-down capabilities to these reports allowing you to edit the fee, cost, payment and client files directly from the Preview window.

Write-Up/Write-Down Report

• Add the ability to specify a beginning and ending statement date.

Detail Work-In-Process Report

• Added drill-down capabilities allowing you to edit the fee, cost, payment and client files directly from the Preview window.
• Added the option to print the client’s address. Bill To addresses will also be printed for clients whose Bill To option is set to “Duplicate” or “Yes”.
• Added the option to double space transactions.
• Added the ability to exclude clients with payments only.
• Added the ability to customize the report via a Customize button. This feature lets you exclude columns and specify a width. By eliminating columns and specifying a narrower report width, a larger font will be selected thereby making the report easier to read.
  Exclude Columns: You can customize the report to exclude any or all of the following columns: Category, Source, Status, Tax, Bill Code, Rate Code, Transaction Code, Rate.
  Width: Added the option to use the standard fixed 132 column format or specify a width. When a width is specified, the width of the description column will be adjusted to fit within the specified width.

Summary Work-In-Process Report

• Now includes the last statement date when the Last Activity Dates check box is selected.

Aged WIP Report

• Added a “Minimum Age of WIP to Print” option thus allowing the ability to easily include only the clients with the oldest WIP transactions without having to change the transaction date range.

Client Funds Report

• Added an option to exclude clients with a client funds balance of zero.

Accounts Receivable Reports

• Added the ability to specify a minimum balance on the Detail and Summary Accounts Receivable Reports.
• The last Write Off Date and Write Off Amount are now printed on the Detail Accounts Receivable Report.
• Added drill-down capabilities allowing you to edit the client file directly from the Preview window.

Client Ledger Report & Client Billing Summary Report

• Added the ability to specify a work-in-process payment cut-off date in addition to the regular beginning and ending date.

Processed Payments Report

• Added the option to include clients that only have work-in-process payments.

ODBC

• The Transaction file (T3TRANS) is now three separate files:  Fee file (T3FEE), Cost file (T3COST) and Payment file (T3PAYMENT).
• The Location file is now T3LOC instead of T3LOCATE.
• The Text Macro file is now T3MACRO instead of T3TMACRO.
• The Secure Client file is not T3SECCAS instead of T3SECCLT.

Data File Integrity Check

• Added a “Read Only” option that lets the program be run while other users are working in TABS III.
• Error 10’s are no longer changed to question marks (even if run without the “Read Only” option).
• The Data File Integrity Check no longer requires exclusive access.
• The Change WIP Transactions program no longer requires exclusive access.
• The Transfer Transactions program no longer requires exclusive access.

Support Log

• Added an Edit Client Data section which tracks the last 20 changes or deletions to the client file.
• Added sections for the following programs: Archive Integrity Check, Rebuild Receipt Allocation, Rebuild Client Ledger, Change Beginning Reporting Month, Synchronize TABS III & PM, and Auto Synchronization.
• Added Client ID and Statement # to the Undo Updated Statements section.

About TABS III

• Now shows a Profession Code (L=Legal, A=Accounting) which is specified when the software is installed.

Windows Menu

• Replaced the Tile menu option with Tile Vertically and Tile Horizontally menu options.

Help Menu

• Added menu options for STI Knowledge Base, STI Web Site, and STI Newsletter that provide instant access to these online resources on the Internet.

Handheld Integration

• The “Create Handheld Validation File” program is now the “Handheld Integration” program.

07112002