Important tip from our Tech Support Team

From the Tech Support Team

More and more, we are taking calls from Phoenix users who have fallen victim to computer viruses or been infected with malicious software. In some cases, users haven’t taken the correct precautions and this has resulted in partial or complete loss of their Phoenix information. With the right protection and a solid Phoenix backup strategy in place, you can avoid the stress and despair of losing your entire Phoenix history.

Prevention

• Ensure you have anti-virus / malware software installed from a reputable brand AND it is kept up-to-date with the latest updates.
• Never open an email attachment unless you are expecting it, AND have scanned it with a reputable up-to-date virus scanner.
• Be very careful when clicking advertisements or “popups” when on the internet. Some of these may look genuine but can contain malicious software cleverly disguised as a genuine ad.
• Contrary to popular myth, Apple Mac computers are still vulnerable to viruses and malware and you should take the same precautions as Windows based PC users.

If you think you have a virus

If you suspect that you may been infected by a virus or malware, your first step should be to stop what you are doing and power off the computer. Leaving it turned on can cause more damage to occur and make it harder to repair in the future. You should then contact a technical specialist who will inspect your computer and advise on the next steps.

Backing up your data

As always we suggest you keep multiple backups of your Phoenix data across multiple mediums including USB storage, Phoenix Warehouse and CD / External Hard Drives. Always take regular backups whether it be daily or weekly. If you have any doubt whether a backup has completed successfully then test it. The Phoenix help file contains instructions on how you can restore a backup to test that it has worked correctly.

If you are unsure if you’re backup strategy is an effective one or even if are taking the right security precautions feel free to contact our Support team. We are happy to point you in the right direction should it be needed.

We recommend you always stay on the latest version of your software, this includes minor updates which are done weekly and sometimes more often depending on the threats or issues.  The best option is to ensure you are a Signature Service Plan (SSP) member which gives you access to our tech support team and ensures you have the latest version of Phoenix available to you.

Call for your SSP quote; 1800 500 400.

Phoenix Partner in Focus - Brennan Mayne Agribusiness

Phoenix has been the linchpin of our business since the business started some 23 years ago. The key features of the program we find are most important for our business and that of our clients are;

• the budgeting side of the program which assists the management of cashflow,
• the ease of the use of the cashbook recording,
• that reconciliations of accounts can be locked down to prevent accidental errors,
• that corrections are easy to make, and
• farm management reports are extracted easily from the data.

Our business focuses on business planning for the rural industry, whether it is:-

·         producers wishing to expand the enterprises and improve productivity through the acquisition of more land or the development of country,

·         family succession – the next generation wanting to spread their wings,

·         completing bank reviews to shore up working capital requirements for the coming 12 months,

·         the acquisition of machinery to improve efficiencies on the property, and

·         in paddock assistance in marketing cattle, herd selection and management.

We have adopted Phoenix budgeting as our key tool to provide our services for the following features:-

• merge actuals with projected budgets which allows the accurate forecasting of bank balances,
• the ability to turn on and off the GST in the Cashflow,
• worktables for every entry,
• planning tables that can be used for individual crops, so that when the area of the crop is varied only one number is changed which in turn adjusts the Cashflow,
• the reports that are printed can be in pdf or excel and are in a professional format to be presented to bank managers, and
• the big benefit is that past recorded data can be used in a cashflow format which is a major limiting factor for most cashbook recording programs.

Our team of 4 senior consultants, 2 junior consultants and support staff are all proficient in the use of Phoenix – from data inputting to budgeting so that our clients can get full benefit from their investment in the program. The Brennan Mayne Agribusiness (BMAg) team has a variety of Rural experience from running their own rural business – cattle and cropping (dryland and irrigation), to assisting the smaller family operation to the large family operations and the involvement in the corporate world of rural acquisitions, mergers and management.

BMAg have a new senior consultant joining the team to strengthen our services to the rural industry who has a wealth of rural banking experience in Northern Queensland and has a good understanding of the issues that are currently affecting the Northern and Central Queensland cattle producers.

Our strengths are:-

• hands on approach in the rural industry across numerous enterprises,
• our client base is spread throughout Queensland, Northern territory and NSW,
• good working rapport with all of the major lenders,
• an understanding of the issues affecting rural businesses – family succession, debt restructure, business planning, drought and floods,
• all staff have a close affinity with the bush, and
• the right tools to assist our clients and ourselves to make good sound decisions - the Phoenix program.

Learn more about Brennan Mayne Agribusiness or call them today on 07 49874999 to explore your farm business management options.

Free - Phoenix Production Seminars

You are invited to....

FREE - Phoenix Production Seminar

RSVP Wednesday 16th September 2015

Some of you will have been enjoying the benefits that Phoenix Financials has to offer without consideration for the greater benefits and productivity achieved when you integrate the Production modules.

Here is an opportunity to explore:

• Phoenix Livestock & Grazing
• Phoenix Cropping
• Phoenix Mapping

Our Senior Trainer, Mark Leahy, will conduct this free information seminar at:

WAGGA WAGGA
Wednesday 23rd September 2015 from 9.00am – 12.30pm BOOK NOW

DUBBO
Thursday 24th September 2015 9.00am - 12.30pm - BOOK NOW

We want attendees to get the most out of this seminar and for it to be as interactive as possible. Seats will be limited.
 

This seminar is open to anyone who is interested in seeing the capabilities of the Phoenix Production software.  

Phoenix Partner in Focus - Alison Lyon

Central West Business Administration Services

After graduating from The University of Sydney, Orange Agricultural College in 1990, Alison Lyon was first introduction to AGDATA and Phoenix at a Piggery, where she was the Office Manager. 

"I found the program easy to use, the team at AGDATA were great to deal with; and then the journey began. Little did I know how long this association would continue."

Alison's freelance bookkeeping business started by accident in 1997, with the friend of a work colleague requiring some computer help, they used Phoenix Financial. He then told other Phoenix users in the area and it grew from there. It was at this time that Alison became a reseller. The business name has recently changed to Central West Business Administration Services (CWBAS) which reflects what she does and her service area, it has been Alison's full time occupation for the past 8 years. The CWBAS office is located at 178a Lords Place, Orange.

Alison assists Phoenix users with program purchase, upgrade, setup, data entry, end of year and office administration processes. The area she covers with Bookkeeping and BAS services is Forbes, Wellington, Canowindra and the Orange area along with Phoenix clients in Adelong and Baraba. Assistance can be face to face or by remote access. 

"I personally find remote access very effective, as I direct the client and watch what they are doing, or they watch while I demonstrate the what they need to know. They can then have the confidence to continue on their own and know assistance is only a phone call away."

Alison says "AGDATA has been ahead of their time with production of *.ABA files, importing of statements and attachment of documentation to a transaction. I use seven different cash book programs in the business. Phoenix is easy to setup and use, and the team in Toowoomba are always available to sort out any program issues quickly and efficiently." 

"It is my number one recommendation for agricultural business bookkeeping"

Alison Lyon
Central West Business Administration Services
178a Lords Place,
Orange NSW 2800

Mobile; 0488 013 108

Educational Licencing

Having established a strong presence now in most primary industries focused colleges we will be expanding this presence into all universities, tertiary colleges and secondary schools so that students can get access and training on the farm management solutions that they will see in their future workplaces.

Typical of most educational licencing options offered by Microsoft and other software providers, the Phoenix Educational Licencing scheme also provides software into educational institutions at very easy to manage prices.  Phoenix is extremely modular and scale-able to meet your education needs. We are keen to work with your Ag education team to help them implement the solution to achieve their curriculum requirements.  You can enjoy ongoing support, train the trainer courses, or our trainers can conduct workshops in your location.

Contact us to explore your needs and to arrange a quote for your Phoenix Educational Licencing.

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Explore the desktop version of Phoenix or trial the cloud version - Phoenix Live.

Phoenix Group Training

Due to popular demand we are making our way back to Wagga Wagga to do group training again.  If you missed out last time book early as these courses are filling fast.

Wagga Wagga

Phoenix Essentials 21 September 2015 Register now

Phoenix Essentials is designed as both an introductory course for those new to Phoenix as well as a refresher course for those who have been using Phoenix for years.

The course will cover all essential areas required up to and including producing a BAS.

Find out what topics are covered here.

Phoenix Advanced 22 September 2015 Register now

Advanced is the next step beyond basic record keeping. It covers the linking of financial transactions to the full range of asset and liability accounts and produce up to date meaningful reports on the true status of the business.

Find out what topics are covered here.

Future Workshops

Tamworth 14 October 2015 - Phoenix Essentials
Tamworth 15 October 2015 - Phoenix Advanced

Bingara 16 October 2015 - Phoenix Essentials
Bingara 19 October 2015 - Phoenix Advanced

Moree 21 October 2015 - Phoenix Essentials
Moree 22 October 2015 - Phoenix Advanced

Goondiwindi 23 October 2015 - Phoenix Advanced

All these workshops can be booked now by visiting our Group Training page on the AGDATA Australia Website

Download the desktop version of Phoenix or trial it in the cloud on Phoenix Live today.

Exquisite Friday

On a date yet to be defined, AGDATA Australia will be hosting our equivalent of  the Apple Store Black Friday, only we call it "Exquisite Friday".  Black Friday was a too little grim for us.  Never heard of the Apple Store Black Friday?

"The Apple Store Black Friday sale is a little non-traditional. They usually don’t slash prices on their signature products like the iPad or iPhone. They do, however, have some good deals on select accessories and other Apple-related devices." 

Following this theme, we will host a similar event for Phoenix users to get great deals on our Production modules including Phoenix Cropping, Phoenix Livestock, Phoenix Grazing and Phoenix Mapping.

How do you find out what date it will be and what the deals will be?  Simple, just Follow us on Twitter, Facebook or Linked In and we will announce the special deals on those social media platforms throughout the day.  These deals will only be available on the day and can be purchased over the phone with your credit card.  There will be a limited number of each module at these prices. So be prepared, do your homework and know what you are after.

Good luck!

Download the desktop version of Phoenix or trial it in the cloud as Phoenix Live.

Kokoda Challenge

At AGDATA Australia, we take our Community Involvement Program very seriously, seeking out where we can make the most impact with the budgeted funds available.

This year we were approached by team members participating in the Kokoda Challenge and if they are prepared to run, walk or crawl for 96km through the Gold Coast hinterland with a time limit of 39 hours then we are prepared to find out what it is going to benefit beyond the physical well being of the participants.  

Each team is required to raise $1600 after they have paid their initial $460 team registration.  So for the privilege of tormenting your body for 96km over 39hours (the Phoenix calculator tells me that is a little under 2 1/2km an hour) with very little sleep, each team member gets to come up with $115 of his/her own cold hard cash.  Now 2.5km an hour probably sounds pretty achievable until you glance over the 5 mountains and 12 creeks they traverse in the course profile.

Now where does the money go? All money raised goes towards the Kokoda Youth Foundation which enables them to continue their work with Australian youth and changing communities in which we live. How do they do this? They do this by facing barriers in young people, breaking cycles of dependence and welfare, addressing mental health issues, suicide prevention, creating teams and creating individuals who work in teams with the core values of courage, endurance, mateship and sacrifice along with many more life changing outcomes.

All valuable community activities that need to be done so we were very pleased to support the teams participating and we're sure you will be to.  Donations are accepted year round, so you don't have to wait until the next event in 2016.  Donate today.

Phoenix Version 8 Release 1 is imminent for SSP and PAN subscribers

One of the key benefits of being a Signature Service Plan (SSP) or Phoenix Accountants Network (PAN) subscriber is that you never have to think about whether you are going to be upgrading Phoenix or not.  You get access to the development efforts of our team the minute they are released while others wait until "General Release" which could be some time down the track.

Another way of avoiding the major upgrade decision is if you sign up to our hosted cloud solution - Phoenix Live.  With Phoenix Live, the decision moves from "do I purchase this upgrade" to "where do I work from today".

Some of the improvements we are finalising for you in Release 1 and 2 of Phoenix V8 include:

• Video Tutorials - Snappy short training videos to help you along the way (These will be limited to SSP, Phoenix Live and PAN subscribers after General Release also)
• Secure Direct Bank Feeds - Making the transaction input process much more streamlined
• Fuel Tax Credit Rates - Receive updates to Fuel Tax Credit rates via the Phoenix Updates cloud service, without having to upgrade the Phoenix program
• Improved Spatial Data Library in Phoenix Mapping - New NSW LPI servers added, including satellite imagery and cadastre layers.

As you can see, there is something for everyone in V8. Helping your business to be #AgEfficient.

If you are not already an SSP subscriber, you will receive your SSP offer in the mail soon. Take advantage of this monthly payment subscription by spreading out your operating costs over the year and thus avoiding the single upgrade bubble payment.

Want to know what your monthly SSP investment will be? Contact us today.



Amanda tells us about her experience with the customer service team at Phoenix from AGDATA Australia on Vimeo.

Information Control

"The first step to financial liberty is information control"

AGDATA Australian and Robinson Sewell Partners have partnered to share the educational journey in financial literacy with you. Robinson Sewell Partners aim to demystify banking, and place all borrowers on a stronger beach head when cementing your funding requirements. If you find the information in this blog valuable, let us know and we will continue the series for you.

Information Control

Information control is the first critical element within the financial cycle to focus on as it drives all downstream commercial activity and decision making. Ian Robinson drills into the importance of having the ability to look internally within the business and report on its financial performance at all levels at any time.

Characteristics

Ian articulates the clearly defined characteristics that are required within the information matrix when dealing with financiers and third parties. Financiers have very specific requirements, and to deliver on their expectations equates to strong engagement and outcomes. On the contrary, the opportunity cost can be profound if information control is not calibrated within the business. The accountability rests upon the owner so be prepared and enjoy the video….

Video Transcript

Hi, I’m Ian Robinson and welcome to another edition of Robinson Sewell Partners Business Insights.

Today we are going to talk about the first critical element of a business seeking funds from a financier.

INFORMATION CONTROL

Information is the core element that drives all commercial outcomes.  It drives operational decisions within management, it drives strategic investment decisions within the business, it drives the benchmarking of a business’ performance and it drives the engagement process with financiers.

Before a business can look externally for funding, it must look internally within the engine room and determine its ability to report on the transparency of its financial performance.   To achieve this, information must have the following characteristics:

Accessibility:  The business must have the tools and IT platforms that can pull and report data at any time, it is to be user friendly in format and acceptable to the end user.

Accuracy:  Data integrity issues will compromise all downstream actions if the information is not accurate.  Most importantly from a financier’s perspective, a lack of data integrity will quickly compromise the ability to access capital due to lack of credibility and reliability even if it was not an intentional breach of non-disclosure or misdirection.

Timely:  Information that is outdated will not be satisfactory for financiers who have been requested to support the business.  Lack of timeliness disguises risk.  Timeliness varies in definition but general expectations around the ability to report on a businesses’ financial health should be achievable on a quarterly basis.  An annual basis is a minimum standard and monthly reporting may be necessary if the nature of the transaction requires it so.

Relevant: Non relevant information is misleading and distracting.  A business must ascertain what the core profit drivers are and have the ability to process data that support these functionalities.  Data must also be relevant to the key stakeholders associated with the business. Financiers seek specific data requirements to satisfy their credit criteria, and although it may not be relevant to management per say, create reporting systems that is bespoke to financier requirements will greatly enhance a financiers engagement in the credit process.

"Managing information is not a sexy activity..."

Managing information is not a sexy activity, and rarely is it claimed as a strength within the realm of management.  Consequently time and time again it is one of the major shortcomings in many businesses.  If you are not proficient, experienced or motivated to complete these tasks, then outsource or internally manage the process with a professional who is.  The opportunity cost is profound when measured in dollar terms.  Poor investment decisions are made, cost of funds on borrowed money is higher, access to liquidity can be compromised, innovation and application of human resources are misallocated….the list is endless.

The first step to financial liberty is INFORMATION CONTROL

Thank you for listening in.  Feel free to make contact with Robinson Sewell Partners to discuss further and I look forward to connecting with you again soon.

Ian Robinson
Director - Agribusiness and Corporate Finance

Mobile: 0448 697 674


AGDATA Australia provides you with the enterprise resource planning tools to get control of your business information to make better farm management decisions.  Phoenix is an integrated financial and production management solution for your farm business needs.

Trial Phoenix on your desktop or in the cloud as Phoenix Live today. #AgEfficient

Is the Periscope App a fad or a thing?

Recently, we have dipped our toe ever so gingerly into the Periscope App to determine if it has potential as a client engagement tool.

"What is Periscope?," we do hear you ask.  Periscope is a video app that enables you to broadcast events, training, discussions etc.

Periscope is owned and integrated with the Twitter platform.  Just as you go to air on Periscope an invitation is sent on Twitter to join the broadcast.

The Periscope experience is best on the mobile device and this is the idea behind the app from the team that developed it.

"we became fascinated by the idea of discovering the world through someone else’s eyes. What if you could see through the eyes of a protester in Ukraine? Or watch the sunrise from a hot air balloon in Cappadocia? It may sound crazy, but we wanted to build the closest thing to teleportation. While there are many ways to discover events and places, we realized there is no better way to experience a place right now than through live video. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but live video can take you someplace and show you around."

Pro's
It has pretty good video resolution and doesn't appear to consume very much bandwidth.
It is immediate. There is no editing, it's generally unscripted and as such you get honest and genuine interaction.
The video only remains available for 24 hours before being removed from the server.
There is a chat facility where you can communicate with the broadcaster and they can respond immediately.
You can give the broadcaster instant validation that what they are saying is appreciated.

Con's
The video only remains available for 24 hours before being removed from the server.
You can only watch the video on a PC using Chrome, Safari or Firefox browsers.
There is no Windows Phone app.
It is a magnet for some of the less desirable people who can make pretty inappropriate comments or broadcasts. (You can block and report these people however their comment remains)

What can you expect from us on Periscope?  Adhoc broadcasts from training venues, interviews with industry leaders, snippets of information about Phoenix, messages from our team, client testimonials and a look at where our team are around the country.

We would love to connect with you on Periscope, we use the same address there as we do on Twitter @AgDataSoftware.

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Who is AGDATA Australia?  We have developed Australia's most popular Farm Management Solution designed for efficient farm business planning, monitoring and reporting.

Download Phoenix free or trial it free in the cloud as Phoenix Live.

e-Farmer shutting down soon

Urgent action is needed by e-Farmer users.  Please pass the word around urgently.

The e-Farmer web based farm mapping system is being shut down 16Sept15.

This is due to a combination of the technology to support e-farmer being out of date and the funding by DEDJTR to continue its maintenance has ceased.

e-farmer users who wish to save their e-farmer data should act immediately and definitely before the 16th of September.  Instructions to save your data are available on the e-farmer website.

You can export your data and load it easily into Phoenix Mapping.  The files downloaded from e-farmer are in Shapefile format.

Funding Mistakes

In our experience, Government's invest in these online tools for the good of the target audience however once the projects are complete the products generally sit on the shelf and rarely get used. Or in the case of e-farmer where producers use "free" services and then they are caught out when the service is no longer funded.

AGDATA Australia has rode the highs and lows, droughts and good seasons, for over 31 years to provide commercial products that provide long term benefits to the industry.

If your department or organisation has a funded project or outcome that you would like to achieve; consider engaging AGDATA Australia as a commercial partner that can take the solution beyond the project phase.

For more information contact; Stephen Dummett 0426 244278