Preparing for Ventus Conversion

Now that we are into the New Year and you begin to discuss converting to Ventus Software, there are many things to consider.  Hopefully, the following article will clearly explain all questions you may have in regards to hardware/software requirements as well as the entire conversion process.

Ventus Software was developed in VB.net and utilizes the latest technology from Microsoft.  Ventus will require additional hardware and software resources.

One of the first decisions you will have to make is how to access the software. You will want to consult with your IT professional as well as speaking with VMS support months in advance so that you are not rushing at the last minute to upgrade hardware and software. Our number one goal is to make this major transition as smooth as possible.

 You have two options to run the software; terminal services or client-server. If you opt to use the terminal services method, the workstation requirements can be ignored as you will be accessing a central server to run the software. On the other hand, if you decide to use the client-server method, it is critical that you meet the minimum requirements outlined below. While SQL provides flexibility in accessing and exporting data, it does consume a large amount of memory. Failure to adhere to the minimum requirements will result in an unsatisfactory performance of Ventus software.

You may look at the amount of hard disk space as being excessive but in reality, it’s not. Unlike our previous GUI software, Ventus can store as many years worth of data as you want. You will no longer have to copy the prior year’s general ledger information to a new company. There is no limit to the amount of information the software can store but SQL data can quickly take up a large amount of hard disk space.

The only software requirement on the user’s end is Microsoft SQL Server 2005/2008. The cost of SQL server depends on how many users will be accessing the software.  There are two exceptions where you can avoid purchasing the full version of SQL Server:

1. SQL Express – While this edition is free, you can only use it for 1 or 2 user systems.
2. SQL Workgroup edition – This edition of SQL will support up to 5 users and is substantially less in cost. 

If you have more than a 5 user system, you must purchase the full edition of SQL Server and the cost will depend on the amount of users that will be accessing the SQL database. Please have your IT professional speak to VMS support prior to purchasing SQL Server.

While the conversion from VMS-GUI to Ventus software will be worthwhile, it is important to keep in mind that this is a massive data conversion. So you should expect some issues. VMS support will be on hand to resolve issues as they arise.

There are three major steps in the Ventus software conversion process; (1) Pre-conversion, (2) Conversion and (3) Post-conversion.

During the pre-conversion stage, the most important item on your agenda should be to pick an appropriate date. To ensure a smoother transition to Ventus software, it is best to wait until your current month has been closed. The actual conversion process will take up a considerable amount of time so it’s best to have the current month closed prior to converting.

1. The actual training of Ventus will take 3-5 days and will be determined by the amount of users you have.  You’ll want to plan on having a trainer on site Monday or Tuesday of the week you decide to transition to a “live” status. You must have all data posted, which means no open batches or data waiting to be interfaced. This is extremely critical as the conversion process does not convert batches or data that is waiting to be interfaced to general ledger.

   The other item that will aid in a successful conversion is limiting the amount of data converted, if possible. You can minimize the amount of history stored by purging unneeded records in service, accounts receivable and accounts payable. This cuts down on the time of conversion as well as limiting the amount of data that needs to be verified by the client.

   You will also need to coordinate with your IT professional to ensure that SQL Server 2005/2008 is installed and configured correctly. Please contact VMS support to get specific details on appropriate configuration. We will schedule a time to remotely install Ventus software prior to a trainer being on-site. However, it is necessary to have SQL Server 2005/2008 installed prior to Ventus being installed.

   VMS will also bring back a preliminary copy of your data a few weeks before the live conversion. This is done to resolve any problems before the live conversion and also to give you a chance to verify data prior to transitioning to a “live” status on Ventus.

2. The actual conversion process requires very little from the client. As previously mentioned above, you will need to have all of your data interfaced and posted prior to the live conversion. VMS will remotely download a copy of your data to begin the data conversion process.
   

    If you are planning on having a trainer on-site on a Monday, you will need to stop inputting all data at 4pm EST on the Thursday before. If the trainer is scheduled to be on-site on a Tuesday, you will need to stop inputting all data at 4pm EST on the Friday before.

   It’s necessary to stop processing data because the conversion process can take anywhere from 3 – 12 hours, depending on how large of a database you have. Data also needs to be verified by VMS prior to turning it over to the client so this day of downtime you will experience ensures that when the trainer arrives on site your data conversion will be complete. VMS will remotely download a copy of your GUI data to begin the conversion process.

3. The final stage of the conversion process will be the verification of data when it has been converted as well as on-site training. The VMS trainer will arrive on-site either Monday or Tuesday of the week you decide to convert to Ventus. While training can commence immediately, no transactions can be processed in your “live” company prior to the converted data being verified by the client. This is a precautionary measure done to prevent the reentering of transactions in the unlikely event there was an issue not previously discovered in the verification of converted data.

After training has completed, you will be given priority response for support calls with Ventus. For the first week or two after transitioning to a live status on Ventus, you will be able to work through issues directly with your trainer rather than going through normal support channels.

VMS Presents an Internet Training Course on:

Mobile Data for Field Technicians

Date: Thursday, February 18th, 2010
Session Length: 1 hour
Session Time: 1:00pm through 2:00pm Central Time
Location: Internet WebEx (login instructions to be provided upon registration)
Trainer: Tom Collins
 

If you are looking for more productivity from both your field technicians and back office staff, Mobile Data is the solution.  Our users have now automated approximately 150 field technicians.  This session will review the assignment of service calls to the technicians through the completion of calls in the field by the technicians.

Ventus - A Preview

Date: Wednesday, February 24th, 2010
Session Length: 1 hour
Session Time: 1:00pm through 2:00pm Central Time
Location: Internet WebEx (login instructions to be provided upon registration)
Trainer: Jim Snyder
 

In March we will renew upgrading VMS users to the new Ventus platform.  This session will give you a brief overview of Ventus.  You will see first hand the ease of use, real-time posting, flexible reporting options, and a host of other new features made available as a result of using state-of-the-art .NET programming tools from Microsoft.

We expect a high number of attendees for both of these sessions and would encourage you to sign up as soon as possible.

To register please call or email Linda Bishop: (800)-476-0094.

Voiding Payroll Checks

It has come to the attention of our software support team that every new year we receive many calls with errors on payroll checks.  Please click here to view a document that will assist you.

As always feel free to contact us at support@vertical-market.com if you need help with any issue.

7th Annual VMS User’s Conference

We are pleased to announce the date and location for the 7th Annual VMS User’s Conference:

Date: April 22-24th, 2010
          Plan to arrive on Wednesday, April 21st
          The conference will end on  Saturday, April 24th at noon

Location: Hilton Pensacola Beach
                  Pensacola Beach, Florida

Room blocks have been reserved at special rates at the Hilton, Pensacola Beach and Hampton Inn, Pensacola Beach.  The Hampton is a short walk from the Hilton Conference Center.
To make hotel reservations please call: 

• Hilton Reservation Phone Number:  850-916-2999
•  Reservation Code:  VMS

• Hampton Reservation Phone Number:  (direct line) 850-932-6800
• 1-800-320-8108  ask for  “Reservations”

Hotel rates (per night) are as follows:

These special rates are available through March 21, 2010.

In order for us to provide you with content that is most useful to you, please take a few minutes to fill out the attached short survey.  http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/JZKQLF7

Conference fee - $350 per attendee.  Golf on Friday we be an additional fee. 

Please call ( 800-476-0094) or email Linda Bishop ( lindab@vertical-market.com) to register for the conference.

VMS conference attendance has increased every year.  We look forward to the largest and best conference in 2010.  Hope to see you there! 

Also, as soon as possible, please send us topics you would like considered for the breakout sessions.  We want to cover topics of interest to you and we want to be sure you receive the most from attending!  Send ideas your suggestions to:  lindab@vertical-market.com