What’s New in Trust Accounting System Version 10

Highlights

• Added the ability to immediately print a check when entering a trust transaction.
• Increased the length of the Description field for trust transactions.
• Added the ability to directly enter a voided check.
• Added the ability to add a new payee when entering a trust transaction.
• Added a new Check Register by Payee report.
• Added a Print Check Test Pattern menu option.
• Added the ability to void a range of checks.
• Added the ability to import trust transactions.
• Added the ability to configure a default bank account.
• Supports the new 2001 format of the IRS 1099-MISC Form with two forms per page.
• Trust account numbers can be numeric, alpha or alpha-numeric (mixed).
• Added a new program that can make a temporary backup of the data files.  (There is also a restore option.)
• New Tip of the Day feature.
• Added a support log that tracks when certain programs were run and by whom.
• Added new startup options.
• Secure client/case designations from TABS III and Case Master now apply to trust accounts.

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.
• Data Files are ODBC (Open Database Connectivity) capable.
• Data file names are now T4*.DAT, T4*.IDX, T3*.DAT, and T3*.IDX as opposed to T4*.DTA and T4*.KEY. 
• Internally, verification list data files have been changed to store a single verification list data file as opposed to separate files for each user.
• New Tip of the Day feature provides informational topics regarding TAS.  The topics are stored in a text file called T4TIP.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.
• Added shortcut menus throughout the software which are accessed by clicking the right mouse button. The menus that are displayed depend on where you click:
• Right-clicking in a lookup field will allow you to cut, copy, paste, or select all.
• Right-clicking in a date field will allow you to increase or decrease the date by one day, insert the current date, clear the date, or access the Date Math window.
• Right-clicking anywhere else will display a menu that allows quick access to the Trust Account, Trust Transactions, Print Checks, Client Trust Ledger, Check Register by Check, Check Register by Trust programs.
• Reorganized Task Folders to have more icons on the Main Task Folder. Also combined the Month/Year-End tab with the Utilities/Maintenance tab thereby showing a single row of folder tabs.
• Duplicate User ID message no longer displayed when logging on to other STI systems for the same User ID.
• Added a Fast Access Mode that allows users to access the TAS data files using a special technique that reduces the amount of time it takes to perform disk-intensive functions. When a user accesses TAS using Fast Access Mode, limitations are placed on the Fast Access Mode user as well as other users who attempt to access the software.
• Task Folder Configuration information is now stored in the user profile instead of each workstation's STI.INI file.
• Added a log file that tracks which user performed the reset, which user was reset, which system was reset, and the date and time that the system was reset. This file, named reset.log, is accessible via any text editor such as Windows Notepad or WordPad.

Back Up Data Files and Restore Data Files

• Added the ability to make a temporary backup from within the software. The backup file is created in a “BACKUP” subdirectory below the program directory.  The Restore Data Files program allows you to restore the temporary backup. Only one backup file is maintained.  The backup procedure is a temporary backup and is not intended to replace, but rather supplement, existing backup procedures.

Print Check Test Pattern

• Added the ability to print a check test pattern from a menu option without having to use the Print Checks program.

Payee File

• Added a warning message if a payee is added that has the same Federal ID as an existing payee.

Trust Accounts

• When integrating with TABS III or Case Master, secure client/case designations apply to trust accounts thereby offering an additional level of security.

Trust ID Lookup Window

• Added the ability to quickly list all Trust IDs with specified text in their Work Description or Name fields. This filtering can be done for all Trust IDs or limited to all trust accounts for a single Trust ID.

Trust Transactions

• Added the ability to immediately print a check when entering a trust transaction.
• Increased the Description field from 87 characters to 180 characters.
• Added the ability to add a new payee to the Payee file when entering a trust transaction by selecting the Add Payee check box.
• Added the ability to directly enter a voided check via the Type field which  now has options for Check, Deposit, EFT, and Voided.

Import Trust Transactions

• Added the ability to import trust transactions from an ASCII file provided the data is in the specified format.

Void Checks

• Added the ability to void a range of checks. Previously, you could only void individual checks.
• Eliminated the Initials field. The User ID is automatically logged in the Voided Check List.

Check Register by Payee

• Added a new report that prints a check register with transactions sorted by payee. Totals for each individual payee are included. Voided checks can optionally be included.
• Includes the ability to generate a list of transactions that have no payee.

Check Register by Trust Account

• Added the option to include trust accounts with no activity. This option is useful when working with totals.
• Added the ability to select trust transactions set to Save, Purge, or Both.

Check Register by Check Number

• Added the ability to select trust transactions set to Save, Purge, or Both.

Client Trust Ledger

• Added the option to include voided checks.
• Added the ability to select trust transactions set to Save, Purge, or Both.

1099 Information

• Supports the new 2001 format of the IRS 1099-MISC Form with two forms per page.
• Supports the new Box 14 on the 1099-MISC Form.

Customization

• Added the ability to configure a default bank account for trust transaction data entry.
• The Key Length has been replaced by separate Key Type and Matter Length fields. The Key Type can be set to Numeric, Alpha, or Mixed. The Numeric Key Type allows only numbers for the Trust ID (like previous versions of TAS). The Mixed Key Type allows letters and numbers to the left of the decimal point and numbers to the right of the decimal point. The Alpha Key Type allows both letters and numbers throughout the Trust ID.
• Since the Key Type can be alpha or numeric, the “Trust Account Number” terminology has been replaced with the terminology “Trust Account ID” throughout the software.

Reindex Files

• The Reindex Files program replaces the File Reorganization program. The Reindex Files program is a utility program that can be used to recreate index files that have been corrupted by hardware failure.

Purge Trust Transactions

• This program is used to purge transactions that have been marked as purged by the Select Transactions to Save/Purge program. Previously, transactions were purged via the File Reorganization program.

Integration

• Improved integration between TAS and TABS III. The Client and Timekeeper files are now shared. This helps  eliminate the need for making the same changes in both systems. For example, changing an address or timekeeper name in one system automatically changes it in the other.
• Eliminated the “Create Attorney Data from TABS III” program as a result of the TABS III timekeeper file being shared with TAS.

Support Log

• Added a support log file that tracks when certain programs were run and by whom. The Support Log tracks information for the following programs in TAS:
  • Last 50 changes to trust account balances  
  • Last 10 Data File Integrity Checks
  • Last 10 File Reorganizations
  • Last 10 Backups
  • Last 10 Restores

Startup Options

• Added startup options to automatically start the Data File Integrity Check program. When used in conjunction with a new option to automatically start TAS at a specific time, you can have the system automatically start the Data File Integrity Check at a certain time. This allows you to start these programs automatically after all employees have left for the day. You can even include these command line options in a batch file that performs a backup.

STI System Configuration

• Access profiles replace the Group Configuration program from Version 9. Groups are a new feature that is now used in Case Master 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 Case Master.
• STI System Configuration data files are now ST*.DAT and ST*.IDX as opposed to STI*.DAT and STI*.IDX.

10092001