This publication contains previously published articles from past issues of the Reinforcer Express. In an effort to keep each month's Express fresh, timely, and brief, older information that is still relevant to our customers will appear in this supplement (rather than repeating in each monthly issue).

CAD/Detailing users: If you call for support between 5 and 6 p.m. Eastern, Monday through Friday, the automated attendant recording will answer your call. (Our official business hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) During the recording, enter 1544 to speak with CAD consultant Jeff Barner, who is available to assist you until 6 p.m. weekdays. If Jeff is unavailable, and you have an issue that cannot wait until normal business hours, press 4 to be connected with emergency after-hours cell phone support.

The newest release of aSa software, aSa v6.41, is Vista compatible for all reinforcing software modules. Rebar Financials modules will be Vista compatible in a future release. (You may run Rebar Financials via Terminal Server or Citrix on a Vista computer without problems; contact us for details.) aSa v6.3 (any service pack) and older are not Vista compatible.

The current version of aSa software is v6.41 IR7.

• aSa v6.41 is available on DVD. Request a distribution on DVD.
• If you have already installed v6.41, download the newest interim release.

Keeping Up to Date
Each company using aSa e^x software should establish a point person responsible for downloading and installing the newest software updates. Each new version of aSa e^x contains enhancements and internal changes that make the software work better for you. Therefore, if you use aSa e^x, it is very important that you keep up-to-date with the newest version. All service packs and interim releases are available for download from our website. If you have any questions or need assistance downloading or installing aSa e^x updates, please contact a member of aSa’s IT staff.

aSa Customization Tools
Question: I'd like to get a view of aSa data that is different than your out-of-the-box reports. What tools are available to do this?
Answer: Three tools can help:

• Custom Report Manager - Design your own reports using information from aSa's database. Reports > Custom Report Manager.
• Custom Inquiry Manager - Pull together any number of custom reports onto a single, convenient inquiry screen. Inquiries > Custom Inquiry Manager. HINT: You can easily launch custom inquiries from aSa's new Plant Manager application.
• Custom Charts and Graphs - Use charts and graphs to display your custom report data graphically. Reports > Custom Charts and Graphs.

aSa Rebar News RSS Feed
Question: How can I automatically stay up to date on aSa Rebar News, including software releases?
Answer: With the aSa Rebar News RSS feed, it is easy. Using an email client, such as Microsoft Outlook, Gmail, or Yahoo! Mail, or any RSS feed aggregator, you can sign up to automatically receive updates from the aSa Rebar News RSS feed. Read the details on aSa’s RSS Feed Information page.

Estimate Material Field Shortcut
Question: Numeric shortcuts in the Estimating screen's Function field really save entry time. Is there a way to set up similar shortcuts for the Material field?
Answer: Yes, beginning with aSa v6.41, you can assign numeric shortcuts to the Material field as well. Simply click Tools > Customize > Customize Material Shortcuts.

Custom Inquiry Manager
Question: I have several aSa custom reports that I rely on for important information. Is there a way to pull all this information together?
Answer: Yes, we created Custom Inquiry Manager for just this purpose. This new application lets you view data from any number of custom reports together on one tabbed screen. You can even export the data to an Excel spreadsheet.

Understanding Companies and Locations
Question: When I log into the aSa Menu, I notice that my Company and Location fields have the same information. Is this correct?
Answer: If your company operates from a single office or plant, then yes, Company and Location should be the same. If you have a corporate office, plus multiple sales or fabricating locations, then Company and Location would potentially be different. Internally, aSa stores more general information at the company level and site-specific information at the location level.

6 Tips for Trouble-Free Tag Printing
Question: I noticed our newest tags have a notch, rather than a printed eye mark. Do you have a guide to help with tag printer setup?
Answer: Yes, we recently published 6 Tips for Trouble-Free Tag Printing, which is available on the Documentation Downloads page of our website.

Correspondence Notes
Question: We currently use e-mail to keep employees in our office up-to-date on projects. What advantage does aSa Correspondence Notes have over e-mail?
Answer: Unlike e-mail, correspondence notes are stored in your aSa database, and they are associated to your customers and projects. For example, you can easily create a report that lists all correspondence notes for a particular customer or job.

Upgrading Rebar Financials
Question: Why does the upgrade to aSa v6.41 require a password for systems that use Rebar Financials?
Answer: We've enhanced the way the program handles inventory transactions. Consequently, an aSa Business consultant must help you complete certain inventory-related prerequisite steps before your upgrade. The password serves as a "check" to ensure these steps are complete before you upgrade your database.

Understanding Your Database Engine
Question:What is the difference between SQL Server, SQL Server Express, and MSDE?
Answer: All three are database engines developed by Microsoft and used by aSa applications to store data.

• SQL Server - A complete database solution for networks that have three or more workstations.
• SQL Server Express - Database solution for stand-alone PCs and very small networks.
• MSDE - Also designed for stand-alone and small network environments, MSDE has been replaced by SQL Server Express. MSDE databases used by aSa are automatically updated to SQL Server Express during the upgrade to v6.41.

Rebar Financials Lookups
Issue: Lookup grids take a long time to display because they automatically display all records.
Solution: You can change lookup view settings to only display active jobs, open sales orders, etc. rather than all records in the database. You can also set up options to only load the list after you have entered search criteria rather than loading the entire list automatically. Contact a Business Applications consultant for assistance.

About Rebar Financials Inventory Management
Question:What is the difference between the base version of aSa Rebar Financials and Rebar Financials - Inventory Management?
Answer: The base package is designed for companies that supply primarily fabricated rebar and other concrete accessories; the Inventory Management package is a better solution for companies with advanced distribution needs, such as dual-role rebar fabricators/construction material suppliers. Click here for a comparison.