04May
Happy Cinco de Mayo 2023
Para nuestros amigos que hablan español
Posts Tagged ‘informdecisions’
23Feb
IBM i AS/400 Barcodes
Barcodes = Efficiency and Productivity
Barcodes
We have all seen them, they are pervasive in our world. From the documents we use on a day to day basis, to the QR code we scanned with our phone. Businesses are using barcodes on everything. Barcodes can be placed on documents for tracking and embedding information, but with labels, they can be placed on just about anything. From packages for track and trace, to equipment for asset management, barcodes can be leveraged for all types of business purposes.
Barcodes are often overlooked as a method for cutting costs and saving time. A valuable and viable choice for businesses looking to improve efficiency and reduce overhead, barcodes are both cost-effective and reliable.
Constantly Improving Tech
The world of barcode technology is constantly improving, and companies are looking to embed more and more data within the symbol. If you just look at the leap between 1D and 2D symbologies, it was significant and now there is 3D technology.
One-dimensional barcodes:
The first barcodes implemented worldwide were 1D (one-dimensional) barcodes. These linear codes only contain alphanumeric data. Each character in the code represents something different about the product and a database provides information on what each character means. Linear barcodes hold just a few dozen characters, and generally get physically longer as more data is added. Because of this, users typically limit their barcodes to 8-15 characters. These consist of UPC, EAN CODE, CODE 39, CODE 128, ITF, CODE 93, CODABAR, GS1 DATABAR and MSI PLESSEY. UPC (Universal Product Code) is the most common barcode for retail product labeling. It is seen in most grocery stores across the United States. The symbology encodes a 12-digit numeric-only number.
Two-dimensional barcodes
Two-dimensional barcodes were first introduced to the market by Intermec Corporation in 1988. Since their invention, 2D barcodes have evolved in a number of ways. Today, two-dimensional barcodes can vary in height, length, and size. Two-dimensional barcodes are made up strictly of vertical lines because they only have the capacity to hold information horizontally. In this type of barcode, the encoded information is determined by the thickness of and the distance between the lines. 2D barcodes also have the advantage of being easier to read. They can be accurately read at high speed, which makes them ideal for commercial printing, direct mail, and manufacturing.
Because of their structure, 2D barcodes can hold more data than 1D codes (up to 2000 characters), while still appearing physically smaller. The data is encoded based on both the vertical and horizontal arrangement of the pattern, thus it is read in two dimensions.
The most common type of 2D barcode is called a QR code (an initialism for Quick Response code). QR codes were designed in 1994 by a company called Denso-Wave which is a subsidiary of Toyota. QR codes are square images consisting of black modules on a white background. These codes can store hundreds of times more information than traditional 2D barcodes. QR codes were originally used in Japan to track vehicle parts during the manufacturing process but are beginning to become more popular in other areas such as marketing. QR codes can connect users to many different types of data such as webpages, images, contact information, SMS text messages, and more. QR codes can be read by simply scanning them with a QR code reader app downloaded on a smartphone.
Unlike one-dimensional barcodes, QR codes are two-dimensional or three-dimensional. This is the difference between 2D and 3D barcodes: 2D codes: Printed on a flat surface like paper or signage, the 2D QR code is what most of us picture when we think of a QR code.
Three-dimensional barcodes
3D Barcode systems emerged quickly, filling a great necessity. Manufacturers realized that a new system was needed due to the high temperature, use of excessive solvents, chemicals that caused the removal of conventional barcode labels with sticks in one motion. 3D Barcodes have the same logic as linear and 2D systems but are processed on the surface of a product. A 3D image may also be a grayscale volumetric image, like from MRI or CT.
Unlike one-dimensional barcodes, QR codes are two-dimensional or three-dimensional. This is the difference between 2D and 3D barcodes: 2D codes: Printed on a flat surface like paper or signage, the 2D QR code is what most of us picture when we think of a QR code.
USPS Barcodes
The POSTNET 11-digit barcode was the predominant postal addressing barcode in use until the Intelligent Mail barcode (also known in its early usage as OneCode Solution), was introduced and implemented. The POSTNET barcode was replaced by the Intelligent Mail barcode in the fall of 2009, combining all previous Postal Service barcodes and marking into a single barcode. The (Intelligent Mail Barcode IMb) is a 65-bar barcode for use on mail in the United States. The term “Intelligent Mail” refers to services offered by the United States Postal Service for domestic mail delivery.
Why use barcodes?
- Competitive Advantage – Your business needs to move at a hectic speed, and powerful technologies can be the difference in the competitive landscape. Barcode technology is just another technology that can reduce costs and increase profits.
- Can Be Used On anything – Barcodes can be placed on documents for tracking and embedding information, but with labels, they can be placed on just about anything. From packages for track and trace, to equipment for asset management, barcodes can be leveraged for all types of business purposes.
- Productivity and Efficiency – hand keying or hand writing information is time consuming and prone to human error. Barcodes reduce the time and effort required to read and log information, and allow these operations to be done with a minimal amount of error, improving efficiency and increasing productivity.
- Tracking & Audit Trail – Barcodes add another dimension to tracking business processes and enhancing audit capabilities. Most of this can be done in a transparent matter through efficient data collection.
- Cost Effectiveness – And last but not least, barcodes are extremely cost effective. To add them to your printed documents, you can just add a font, or utilize a powerful tool like iBAR. The benefits far outweigh the low cost of implementing this technology in your organization.
Find the right barcode
Now that you have a better understanding of the most common barcode types and how they’re being used today, here are six questions you can ask yourself to find the right barcodes for your enterprise.
- Will the product be scanned at the point of sale in retail stores?
UPC and EAN barcodes are ideal for PoS scanning. - Which character set needs to be supported? Alphanumeric characters?
Code39, Code128 and QR Code - How much space is available on the product packaging?
EAN8, UPC-E, Code128 & DataMatrix have small form factors. - Which material will you print the barcode on?
ITF is great for printing barcodes on corrugated cardboard. - Which barcode type supports the largest amounts of data?
PDF417 codes are great for storing huge amounts of data. - Which barcode is used for mailing with the USPS?
IMb United States Postal Service for domestic mail delivery.
Whether you’re looking into one-dimensional or two-dimensional barcodes for your business, organization or personal use, the information we’ve provided should serve as a great tool to help you select the appropriate types of barcodes for your needs. If you are utilizing an AS/400, iSeries or IBM i operating system iBAR can be used to produce your bar codes.
IBM i Scalable Barcode Generation
iBAR from inFORM Decisions offers IBM i native users the ability to scale barcodes, and to output to industry standard HP PCL cut sheet and continuous form label printers. iBar is now capable of producing industries’ most popular bar code symboligies, including UPC, QR, 3of9, EAN, DataMatrix, IMb and more.
For current, iBar and iDocs users, it’s important to note that you will no longer be confined to working with fixed pitch HP fonts. You can now size the font to accommodate your print requirements, as now the user simply selects a barcode symbology, and enters the size they need. In addition, barcodes can be embedded into *SCS spool files or integrated with API commands.
iBar provides your IBM i the ability to print barcodes interactively with no programming. It’s fully automated and integrated with your existing IBM i applications. Select data from your database and use the fields you need to generate the bar codes. The barcodes can be embedded into *SCS spool files or integrated with API commands. iBar can generate documents as PDF’s and save them to your network for distribution and electronic delivery, or to advance capture software.
There are a wide variety of barcodes for all types of encoding of data. For simple things, like a bill of lading number, you can use a simple 1D barcodes. For complex, large data set encoding, you can use a 2D font like Datamatrix or a QR code. For addressing mail there is the USPS intelligent bar code.
Benefits and Features of iBar
- Include barcodes in printed forms with the addition of iDocs
- Create “intelligent” spool files with embedded barcodes
- Embed barcodes for print or digital file creation (PDF)
- Easily modify barcode position, height and width
- Broad barcode type support of D1 and D2 bar codes
- Runs natively on the IBM i
- Integration with all inFORM products
Additional reading:
IBM i Scalable Barcode Generation
Barcode terminology
Call (800) 858-5544 / (949) 709-5838 or visit us at www.informdecisions.com for more information about iBAR and our acclaimed iDocs suite of IBM i products. inFORM Decisions is committed to the IBM i platform forever!
13Jan
Tax Season 2022
The 2022 Tax Season is strting early
The IRS is starting its tax filing season earlier than it has in the past
The U.S. tax season will start on Jan. 24, which is “when the tax agency will begin accepting and processing 2021 tax year returns,” the IRS said in a Jan. 10 announcement. This is more than two weeks earlier than the agency started the filing season last year, according to the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
The January 24 start date for individual tax return filers will allow the IRS time over the course of the coming weeks to do additional programming and testing that is critical to ensure that IRS systems will run smoothly this filing season and will help taxpayers claim the remainder of their Child Tax Credit and remaining stimulus funds in a timely manner when filing their 2021 returns.
“Planning for the nation’s filing season process is a massive undertaking, and IRS teams have been working non-stop these past several months to prepare,” IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig said in a statement. “The pandemic continues to create challenges, but the IRS reminds people there are important steps they can take to help ensure their tax return and refund don’t face processing delays.”
The agency is advising you file your returns as early as possible
In order to prevent delays and help the tax season flow more smoothly, one of the steps you can take is filing your returns as early as possible in accordance with the Jan. 24 start date. The IRS free filing program will open on Jan. 14, allowing taxpayers the opportunity to begin filing returns through the agencies’ partners earlier in order for them to be transmitted to the IRS starting Jan. 24. “It’s never too early to get ready for the tax-filing season ahead,” the agency says.
And getting ahead will help you navigate another troubling year ahead for the IRS. Treasury Department officials warned on Jan. 10 that the IRS will still be facing “enormous challenges” during this year’s tax filing season, which will likely make it another “frustrating season” for taxpayers, per The Washington Post.
A general extension for the tax deadline is not expected this year
In both 2020 and 2021, the IRS ended up extending the tax deadline into May in order to give taxpayers more time to file their tax returns amid the pandemic. But the agency has no plans to give most people extensions this year, according to The Washington Post. Instead, the tax deadline is April 18 for almost all taxpayers.
Tips to make filing easier
To avoid processing delays and speed refunds, the IRS urges people to follow these steps:
Organize and gather 2021 tax records including Social Security numbers, Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers, Adoption Taxpayer Identification Numbers, and this year’s Identity Protection Personal Identification Numbers valid for calendar year 2022.
Check IRS.gov for the latest tax information, including the latest on reconciling advance payments of the Child Tax Credit or claiming a Recovery Rebate Credit for missing stimulus payments. There is no need to call.
Set up or log in securely at IRS.gov/account to access personal tax account information including balance, payments, and tax records including adjusted gross income.
Make final estimated tax payments for 2021 by Tuesday, Jan.18, 2022, to help avoid a tax-time bill and possible penalties.
Individuals can use a bank account, prepaid debit card or mobile app to use direct deposit and will need to provide routing and account numbers. Learn how to open an account at an FDIC-Insured bank or through the National Credit Union Locator Tool.
File a complete and accurate return electronically when ready and choose direct deposit for the quickest refund.
Key filing season dates
There are several important dates taxpayers should keep in mind for this year’s filing season:
January 14: IRS Free File opens. Taxpayers can begin filing returns through IRS Free File partners; tax returns will be transmitted to the IRS starting January 24. Tax software companies also are accepting tax filings in advance.
January 18: Due date for tax year 2021 fourth quarter estimated tax payment.
January 24: IRS begins 2022 tax season. Individual 2021 tax returns begin being accepted and processing begins
January 28: Earned Income Tax Credit Awareness Day to raise awareness of valuable tax credits available to many people – including the option to use prior-year income to qualify.
April 18: Due date to file 2021 tax return or request extension and pay tax owed due to Emancipation Day holiday in Washington, D.C., even for those who live outside the area.
April 19: Due date to file 2021 tax return or request extension and pay tax owed for those who live in MA or ME due to Patriots’ Day holiday
October 17: Due date to file for those requesting an extension on their 2021 tax returns
Insure you have the forms you need to file your taxes
The right options for easy wage and information reporting, inFORM Decisions offers tax forms in just about every paper median for all your tax season preparation needs. W2, 1099, ACA, and many more are available as blank laser forms, pressure seal forms, continues forms, and more. Please call (800) 858-5544 or (949) 709-5838 Ext.123 to order your 2021 tax form paper and envelopes or email Erin at erin@informdecisions.com.
28Oct
Accounts Payable Automation Solutions
There’s a way better way to do invoice-to-pay
The efficiency of your AP team’s invoice processing method can have an enormous impact on operations across your organization, ultimately affecting your bottom line. Invoices are just plain painful, and companies usually tackle the AP Invoice Processing problem with more staff. If ignored, delays and inaccuracies in your AP process will create inefficiencies that ripple through your business, generating unnecessary cost, frustrating other departments, and straining vendor relationships. There’s potential for wasting time and creating errors throughout the AP process, including:
- Late or lost invoices
- Incorrect or inaccurately entered data
- Invoices without required purchase order numbers
- Difficulties retrieving invoice data or yearend 1099 reporting
One or more of these factors can take several days for multiple employees to resolve, and could hinder other employees, departments, or even end customers. No company wants to be known for late payments, and no company needs the notoriety of negatively impacting its vendors. The importance of AP process efficiency cannot be understated: it’s a business-critical matter that you should monitor and address on a routine basis.
To determine what improvements need to be made to your AP processes, first and foremost, look at your invoice data capture method. Examine steps that require paper or manual data processing, as they’re error-prone and take the most time and resources to complete. Chances are there’s at least some manual work involved as 58% of invoices are still being entered manually into AP systems in a typical enterprise.
There are numerous qualitative factors that you should be aware of as you evaluate your AP processes. While you can’t measure them directly, all have a quantitative influence on your department’s performance and your business results. Understanding these elements and their effects will reinforce your proposals for improvements to your bottom line.
For example, map out your invoice processing operations to gauge their complexity. You can start by listing the fundamental steps of any AP process, then break each individual step down into its components, such as the step’s resource, manual process or software used to facilitate or complete the step, and the time it takes to complete each step.
The fundamental steps of the AP process are:
- Invoice receipt and sorting
- Input
- Data extraction
- PO matching
- Verification of vendor details
- Invoice approval
- Invoice payment
- Auditing and 1099 reporting
As you’re going through your AP team’s workflow, you’ll need to find the answer to several questions, such as:
- Do you receive both electronic and paper invoices?
- What forms of electronic invoice are you receiving (e.g. doc, pdf, XLS)?
- How do the invoices get filed or inputted?
- Are you using more than one invoice delivery method (e.g. mail, email, FAX)?
- Does the same flow apply to all invoice formats, or do you have different flows according to format?
- Do you need to match POs to all invoices, or are you also processing invoices that don’t require POs?
- Are your POs standardized across your business, or do different departments have their own PO systems?
- Are all invoices centralized or stored in various locations throughout your organization’s network?
This is just a handful of the queries that will arise as you study your AP team’s invoice processing.
Once you’ve reviewed your AP processes and identified its inefficiencies, you’ll be able to clearly see opportunities for improvement. You may discover that your invoice data capture method is causing inefficiencies. One of the most critical steps in invoice processing is data extraction. A touchless solution that teaches itself how to capture information from multiple document formats accurately can boost AP efficiency considerably. There are capture product that scan and extract invoice information into searchable invoice PDFs like iCapture from inFORM Decisions routing captured invoices to 60+ systems. You can also streamline your AP operations by automatically printing checks or emailing digital documents to recipients on the IBM i using iDocs. You can also utilize your valuable electronic data and iForms to facilitate year ending reporting and 1099 forms electronically. Kickoff AP invoice workflow using our iWorkflow solution to map the steps from the point at which goods are received to the point at which invoices are paid.
Unleash your team’s efficiency with iDocs suite of accounts payable solutions and say goodbye to filing cabinets and lost invoices. Accounts payable process automation frees your team from the manual AP tasks that are slowing down your business, all while giving you greater control over your spend management with the click of a button. An automated Accounts Payable solution can help an organization reduce costs, keep more of their hard-earned profits and keep employees happy and productive.
Ready to take the leap? inFORM Decisions has a series of advanced AP and Invoice Solutions that are affordable for any size business, and any size AP department. Contact us today for your ticket to a streamlined paperless invoice process.
20May
The IBM i Server Platform
IBM i: The Most Amazing Server Platform You’ve Probably Never Heard Of
The IBM i
The unique characteristics of the IBM i platform and the legendary loyalty of its users mean that there is a large void between those who know the platform intimately and those who are unfamiliar with it.
The IBM i is misunderstood
IBM i has one of the richest histories in the marketplace and has managed to sustain one of the most loyal customer bases in the market today. However, because of its long history, the platform is also vulnerable to biases from nonusers — primarily because these nonusers have not had an opportunity to get acquainted with the platform. This lack of understanding is both to the detriment of organizations that, as a result, do not consider the platform and to IBM.
The IBM i, AIX, and Linux versatility
Organizations that run their business on the IBM i platform take advantage of the fact that the platform requires minimal administrative support to run high-volume transactions and maintain the core enterprise database; that it is easy to upgrade when new operating system (OS) versions arrive; that thousands of Independent Software Vendor (ISV) solutions and custom applications simply run on the platform without requiring complex integrations; and that the platform is open source–friendly and supports modern popular languages. Open source software runs on IBM i by leveraging the POWER processor’s OS versatility. This versatility is such that organizations can run all three Power Systems operating systems (IBM i, AIX, and Linux) in different partitions on one physical server.
Safest server platform available
Security on the IBM i platform is flexible enough to meet the requirements of a wide range of users and situations. In a world with the level of threats we have today (Trojans, ransom wear and hardware exposures), a platform with integrated hardware and software that is nearly invulnerable to these threats, is a godsend. Particularly after the passage of General Data Protection Regulations (GDPRs) for the European Union and similar laws in California and other parts of the world. This is not to mention a requirement for folks who want to avoid the infamy of a major breach (explaining why banking and finance firms are huge fans). IBM i’s enhanced security features implement the latest industry standard practices that protect critical business applications and data.
Independent Service Vendor
inFORM Decisions has been an Independent Service Vendor specializing in state of the art Document Automation solutions for the IBM i – AS/400 arena since 1994. We at inFORM Decisions believe that the combination of POWER9 and IBM i provides a strong enterprise platform for organizations of all sizes that prefer a platform that takes care of business rather than the business having to take care of the system. Our experts can show you how to unleash your systems power and recoup countless hours of productivity! inFORM Decisions is committed to the IBM i platform forever!
Read more:
So, you’re using an IBM I server …..
Call (800) 858-5544 / (949) 709-5838 or visit us at www.informdecisions.com for more information about our acclaimed iDocs suite of IBM i products.
22May
So…what is a workflow software?
Workflow is a generic term for a process or for the movement of information or material from one activity to another. So, what does that actually mean? Consider the inbox and outbox on your desk. These are true signs of a paper-based, inefficient business process. Imagine an office where the flow of work is all digital, and at any moment you can see the status of a work item, and who has it for tasking. Workflow has the ability to take any business process (including emails), and create a digital copy. Want to have an approvals inbox for all your invoices? No problem. Need to have contracts flow through your organization for a review process? With workflow, it’s a snap.
Simply put, workflow software provides organizations with unique technology that allows the creation of new working environments that will vastly improve the speed and efficiency of their operations. Typically, a workflow software will be used to define and manage a company’s processes and uses integrations with common day-to-day applications to execute them accordingly. Changing or altering a process becomes a simple point and click operation..
Many companies that have used workflow software successfully also claim that it has assisted them in improving productivity, increasing visibility and evenly distributes accountability. The workflow software solutions were first introduced to the tech world way back in the 1990’s and have since been gaining in popularity each year.
Since then, workflow software is required to comply with Business Process Management (BPM)’s integrated collection of critical software technologies. BPM refers to aligning processes with an organization’s strategic goals, designing and implementing process architectures, establishing process measurement systems that align with organizational goals, and educating and organizing managers so that they will manage processes effectively. BPM can also refer to various automation efforts, including workflow systems, XML Business Process languages and packaged ERP systems. The versatility of these software solutions is preferred as it enables companies to collaboratively work on designs, development or the execution of certain cycles.
Workflow automation software has vastly improved and evolved over the past couple of decades as more software companies are realizing the benefits of developing workflow technologies. It’s important to keep in mind that the majority of the most reputable workflow software solutions allow you to take the software for a “test drive” before making a costly commitment.
Especially now, with businesses offices closed and everyone working from home, workflow solutions become more and more critical to survival. So, go ahead and find the workflow software solution that best fits the technology needs of your business! Looking for an advanced Business Process Management and Workflow tool? Inform Decisions offers iWorkflow, a native IBM i workflow system as well as K2 Workflow, Forms, Data and Reports, Business Process Apps outside the IBM world.
Call our experts today. (800) 858-5544 / (949) 709-5838 or visit us at
informdecisions.com for more information about our paperless solutions and document automation.
11Jan
iBar
IBM i Scalable Barcode Generation
Barcodes are pervasive in our world. From daily documents to the QR code we scanned with our phone, businesses are using barcodes on everything. Besides being printed on documents for tracking and embedding information, with labels, they can be placed on just about anything. Barcodes can be leveraged for all types of business purposes.
A valuable and viable choice for businesses looking to improve efficiency and reduce overhead, barcodes are both cost-effective and reliable. Barcode technology is constantly improving, and companies are looking to embed more and more data within the symbol.
iBar now offers IBM i native users the ability to scale barcodes, and to output to industry standard HP PCL cut sheet and continuous form label printers iBar is now capable of producing industries’ most popular bar code symboligies, including QR, IMb, 3of9, EAN, Datamatrix and more.
For current, iBar and iDocs users, its important to note that you will no longer be confined to working with fixed pitch HP fonts. You can now size the font to accommodate your print requirements, as now the user simply selects a barcode symbology, and enters the size they need. In addition, barcodes can be embedded into *SCS spool files or integrated with API commands.
Benefits and Features of iBar:
- Create “intelligent” spool files with embedded barcodes
- Embed barcodes for print or digital file creation (PDF)
- Include barcodes in printed forms using iDocs
- Easily modify barcode position, height and width
- Broad barcode type support: CODABAR, DATAMATRIX, EAN13, EAN8, IMb, INT2OF5, ITF14, PDF417, QR, UPCA, UPCE, 128, 3of9
- Runs natively on the IBM iSeries
- Integration with all inFORM products including iView and iSign
Want a demo or more information? Contact us today.