November Speaker THE FINANCIAL SOFTWARE SELECTION

PROCESS Jay Malik, President & CEO of Serenic Software, Inc.

Changing financial software every four to seven years is quite normal. Unfortunately, these changes are often driven by mistakes in the selection process, often resulting in software which does not address new functional or technological needs. The marketing hype from established software vendors only makes this process more difficult for buyers of software.

A sound understanding of both current and future needs, the ability to sort through the chaff of often conflicting messages from vendors, and a realistic assessment of your organization’s capabilities are key success factors to selecting new accounting software.

Join Jay Malik of Serenic Software, Inc in a thought provoking presentation on the steps to good software selection and an insight on industry trends which might affect your decisions.

• ABOUT JAY MALIK: Jay Malik is the president and CEO of Serenic Software, Inc. and of Vision HRM (a Canadian based holding company with three software lines of business). He is also a member of the Partner Advisory Council for Microsoft Business Solutions. This council advises Microsoft in matters of marketing, sales, product development and partner relations in the Microsoft quest to enable people and business throughout the world to achieve their potential. Jay has over 20 years experience in the financial software development and sales industry and has worked for such organizations as Price Waterhouse (now called Price Waterhouse-Coopers), Platinum Software (now called Epicor) and American Fundware. His experience has led him to continually seek the best in software technology and maintain cutting edge expertise in financial software solutions.

• ABOUT SERENIC: Founded in 1999, Serenic Software, Inc. is an accounting software developer based in Lakewood, CO. The company’s award-winning product lines include Serenic Navigator powered by Microsoft Navision and Serenic Fundamentals, a Microsoft Access-based solution for smaller NFP organizations. These solutions allow not-for-profits and governments to focus on fulfilling their mission, not their system’s reliability. Serenic Software – enabling strong communities by

supporting those who serve. Serenic Software is a Microsoft Certified Partner and Microsoft Business Solutions (MBS) Independent Solutions Vendor. Additional information is available at Serenic’s website: www.serenic.com. • ABOUT VISION HRM: In June 2001, Vision was granted exclusive rights for a 5 year minimum period to develop and market the advanced payroll and HRM software components of the Navision ERM solutions, and to provide all associated training and ongoing support for Navision’s clients within the USA and Canada. Navision was subsequently acquired by Microsoft in July 2002, and now operates as a subsidiary of Microsoft Corp., under Microsoft Business Solutions, Navision division. Pursuant to its agreements, Vision’s payroll software solutions are marketed by Microsoft Navision resellers situated throughout Canada and the USA. Vision’s HRM products are marketed in Microsoft Navision’s major European markets, including Denmark and Germany, in accordance with distribution agreements with selected Microsoft Navision partners for those regions.

November Meeting Wednesday, November 17, 2004

Location: Holiday Inn Downtown 1450 Glenarm Place Denver, CO (303) 573-1450 Times: 5:30 p.m. Social Hour 6:30 p.m. Dinner 7:15 p.m. Program Cost: $25 Members with reservations $28 Guests and Members without reservations $17 Students with reservations Menu: London broil or Vegetarian Napoleon For reservations, please contact Barb Girdlestone: • Phone: (303)296-1010 x 260 • Email: Barb.Girdlestone@roberthalf.com. (Include IMA in email RSVP without parentheses) Reservations not made by the Sunday before the meeting will be charged $28. Please spell out your last name and company when calling. Cancellations: Please call (303) 296-1010 x 259 at least 48 hours prior to the meeting. If you do not cancel, you will be billed for the meeting.

Rocky Mountain Chapter http://www.imarockymountaincouncil.org

November 2004

The General Ledger A Publication of the Denver – Centennial Chapter

http://www.denverima.org

2

Page

President’s Letter

Greetings Stakeholders, The Annual Roster has been delivered from the printer and now is in process of being mailed to all members. In a regular year this is a big project, this year Brian Bedford assumed Roster Management after Tammy Sillstrop handling it for two years. Special thanks go out to those who helped with getting the roster completed – Ad Space Sales, Mike Westcott – Membership Info Update, Paula Frazer and Mike Westcott – Proof Reading, Linda Hendrix – Cover Artwork Design and Desktop Publishing, Ray Reed – Printer Management and all other duties required, Brian Bedford. The chapter was very fortunate to have Sandy Richtermeyer from Xavier, Gary Siegal from DePaul, and Jim Sorensen from the University of Denver lead us through the Balanced Scorecard Workshop. Truly a top-notch event and we were very fortunate to have them offer this to our membership. A special thanks to the University of Denver Accounting Department for the use of the facilities. Our chapter was the third in the nation to experience this workshop using the Harvard Business School developed software. For the world of the CMA in the Front Range – October was a great month. The Regis Learning Solutions CMA Review course has started. There are nine people attending the classes. Cynthia Berglund is the classroom instructor for this class. Please go to page 4 to see the related article about the class. In addition to these people there are another nine people studying for the exam on their own.

November/ December/ January Events

November 17th –Purchasing Software for your company Dinner Meeting. December – No Meeting

January 19th Chapter Social – Blue Bonnet Restaurant is the location (457 S Broadway Denver, CO 80209 303.778.0147)

If you have any questions or suggestions, please email me at mgwestcott@yahoo.com or call 303 306-6866. I wish to invite all members to attend our monthly board meetings. We meet the 4th Wednesday of the month at the Downtown Holiday Inn starting at 6:00 pm. - November 23rd is this month's board meeting. Mike Westcott President mgwestcott@yahoo.com

January Social

Mark your calendar for the annual social being held January 19th at the Blue Bonnet Restaurant in Denver. (457 S Broadway Denver, CO 80209 303.778.0147). There will be a cash bar after the first drink. Feel free to invite coworkers and professional friends who would enjoy the event. Firm details on time and how to RSVP will be provided in the December newsletter and through email. This is a great opportunity to meet fellow members of the Denver Centennial chapter.

Classes now available for the CMA Certification Exam - Old

and New Format The IMA and Regis University have partnered to offer Instructor-led courses for the CMA Certification Exams. These courses have been prepared by the publishers of the IMA’s new CMA Learning System and the new exam format, also open and available to anyone who is eligible for the old exam format. The Part 1 class is currently underway on Tuesdays on the main Regis campus, and is on track for all of the students to have their CMA certification completed by October 2005. The first class has nine very motivated people. Classroom facilitator is Cynthia Berglund, who recently finished up her last section and now is a CMA. Part 2 is tentatively scheduled to begin in or around February, and a second track of classes are under discussion. The next Part 1 class will be offered will depend on the number of individuals who contact Sue about their interest in starting a second track of classes. For more information on this, you can contact either; Sue Bicknell, sbicknell@RegisLearning.com, Cynthia Berglund, Cynthia_Berglund@comcast.net, Mike Westcott, mgwestcott@yahoo.com.

Board Meeting Dates All meetings begin at 6:00 pm

Date Location

August 25, 2004 Holiday Inn Downtown

September 29, 2004 Holiday Inn Downtown

October 27, 2004 Holiday Inn Downtown

November 23, 2004 Holiday Inn Downtown

December (open) 2004 TO BE DETERMINED

January (open), 2005 TO BE DETERMINED

February 23, 2005 Holiday Inn Downtown

March 23, 2005 Holiday Inn Downtown

April 27, 2005 Holiday Inn Downtown

May 25, 2005 Holiday Inn Downtown

Employment News

Congratulations to Theresa Mack on her new position at Qwest Communications. Theresa, a potential member, was referred to us by the FEI's Steve Fisher. I reviewed her resume and met with her personally to determine her position needs and desires. As it turned out we knew a few of the same people. Theresa has about 15 years of telecommunications experience at the Controller level and she is also a CPA and an MBA. I discussed her background with a VP at Qwest who is a friend of mine. Within a couple days she had her first interview and on October 29th she starts her new job. Theresa said she will join us at a meeting in the near future. We should all try our best to make her feel welcome. This is a testimonial that the chapter employment services do work. They don't always work this well or this fast, but they do work. If you are looking for a new position or if you are aware of a position that needs to be filled contact Larry Hall at 303-299-1272 or larryhall@tac-denver.com.

CMA/ CFM Survey

The Denver-Centennial Chapter of the IMA is very supportive of those who have interest in getting CMA/ CFM certified. We need to keep track of those who have interest and those who are in process in order to better serve the membership. If you answer -YES - to the question “Are you interested in taking the CMA or CFM exams?” Please answer these questions and forward your answers to hilltan@mscd.edu.

1. Are you currently studying for either the CMA or CFM exam?

2. Which part? 3. What parts have you already passed? 4. When? 5. If you are not currently studying for a

section, when do you plan to start?

-Thank you for your interest!

DENVER-CENTENNIAL CHAPTER EVENT CALENDAR 2004-2005 DATE SPEAKER TOPIC June 16, 2004 Tim Riley, Denver Mint Making Money for the Federal Govt.1CPE July 21, 2004 William Yeates, Hein & Assoc SOX Issues for Private Companies, 1 CPE August 8, 2004 Picnic at Loretto Heights September 22, 2004* Gary Colbert, CU Denver Accounting in its Strategic Context, 1 CPE October 20, 2004 Expert Panel Jump Start Your Career!, 1 CPE November 17, 2004 Jay Malik, Serenic Software The Software Selection Process 1 CPE January 19, 2005 Annual Social Blue Bonnet Restaurant, Denver February 16, 2005 Panel Discussion Student Night- Interview Tips (free for students) and Resume Review March 16, 2005 Ben Torrez, Merrill Lynch Cash Management, 1 CPE April 20, 2005 Stephen Miller, RE/Econ Consulting Metro Denver Economic Dev. Holli Baumunk, Metro Denver EDC (1 CPE) May 18, 2005* Kim Wallen, National IMA Chair Leadership & Motivation, 1 CPE ALL DINNER MEETINGS are held at the Holiday Inn Downtown, 1450 Glenarm, Denver, unless otherwise noted. TIMES: 5:30pm Social Hour, 6:30pm Dinner, 7:15pm Program. COST: $25 members with reservations, $28 guests and members without reservations, $17 Students with reservations. * Denotes meeting nights with 2 for 1 prices for each 2 students who make advance reservations together. TO MAKE RESERVATIONS call Barb Girdlestone 303-296-1010 x260 or Barb.Girdlestone@roberthalf.com (note: in your email, please include the word IMA in the subject line, do not put quotes around IMA.) Reservations not made by the Sunday before the meeting will be charged $28. Please spell out your last name and company/school when calling. Please cancel at least 48 hours prior to the meeting or you will be billed.

Why Employees

Leave With the economy improving and the demand for qualified accounting applicants increasing, have you been wondering what might cause your staff to consider a career move? A new Robert Half International survey suggests that if the next rung in the career ladder appears out of reach to workers, you could be in danger of losing them. Thirty-nine percent of executives said good employees are most likely to quit their jobs due to a lack of advancement opportunities. Unhappiness with management was the second most common answer, cited by 23 percent of those polled. Helping your team reach their professional goals is essential to retaining them. If offering a promotion is not an immediate option, managers should consider providing more ambitious personnel with projects that will prepare them to assume greater responsibilities in the future. Discussing career objectives with employees and creating a strategy for achieving their ambitions will demonstrate your interests in their professional growth. Below are some additional tips to help managers retain valued staff members: • Gauge perceptions. Are your employees happy with their roles and with management? Gather individual feedback on the work environment and the types of changes that might enhance job satisfaction. • Reward extra effort. Individuals who frequently accept added responsibility or an increased workload should be rewarded. If budgets are tight, consider alternatives such as a larger office or a more flexible schedule

• Give kudos. Praise dose not have to be costly or time consuming, but it should be frequent and personalized. A sincere thank-you note and recognition during a staff meeting for a job well done are inexpensive yet effective motivators. • Avoid staff burnout. The best employees tend to have the most on their plate and are the least likely to speak up when the workload is too heavy. If hiring additional staff is not an option, bring in temporary help during peak times. Accountemps is the world's first and largest temporary staffing service specializing in the placement of accounting, finance and bookkeeping professionals. The company has more than 325 offices throughout North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, and offers online job search services at www.accountemps.com. For more information and for the office nearest you, call 1.800.803.8367.

NEWSLETTER DEADLINE – DECEMBER 3

Email articles to Raymond Reed

raymondmreed@yahoo.com

Board Member Listing for the 2004-2005 Chapter Year

President Mike Westcott H:(303) 306-6866 C:(303) 917-4407

mgwestcott@yahoo.comPresident-Elect Brian Bedford (720) 480-3693

b.bedofrd@att.netVP Administration / Finance Open Treasurer Bill Borgman (303) 734-0546

bborgman21@msn.comSecretary Sarah Johnson (303) 871-4930

sjohnson@cablecenter.org

VP Membership Paula Frazer (303) 300-0188 paula_frazer@kellyservices.com

Community Outreach Cheryl Borgman (303) 214-6954 cborgman@graebel.com

Database Administrator Eric Boland (303) 345-7492 ericboland@yahoo.com

Employment Coordinator Larry Hall (303) 299-1272 larryhall@tac-denver.com

Front Desk Person Juliann Hudson Juliann_hudson@yahoo.comFront Desk Person Renee Hiser (303) 910-2589

turby69@yahoo.com

VP Education Open Director of Speakers Linda Hendrix (303) 463-4690 C (720) 205-7785

Lghcolo@aol.comCMA / CFM Programs Cynthia Berglund (303) 768-0221

cberglund@arcadis-us.comCMA Promotions Person John Tillett (303) 907-8627

johntillett@hotmail.comCMA Research Person Karen Welborn (303) 460-4384

karen.welborn@mcdata.comCMA Statician Tandy Hill (303) 742-4456 Student Night Committee Person Robin Schneider (303) 254-9023

robinl80@yahoo.comStudent Night Committee Person Sylvia Tanner Slyver19@comcast.netStudent Night Helpers Mike Westcott – Brian Bedford

VP Communications Bobby Olsen (303) 521-8589 bobby@infonomics.com

Communications Diane Albert (303) 941-3812 dalbert@infionline.net

Newsletter Editor Ray Reed (720) 236-8822 raymondmreed@yahoo.com

Web Master Andrew Vara (303) 723-3294 andrew@vara.us

Roster Membership Info Person Ken Shames (909) 264-2863 tiger1@thegrid.net

Calling Committee Chairperson Barb Girdlestone (303) 296-1010 ext 260 barb.girdlestone@roberthalf.com

Calling Committee Member Four open positions

Area Conference Past-President

Dawn Browne (303) 210-6409 dbrownecpa@aol.com

Member at Large Past-President

Gene Robbins (303) 973-2523 crob199727@aol.com

Member at Large Past-President

Lou Sillstrop (303) 905-6960 lou@sillstrop.com

IMA Denver - Centennial Chapter c/o Mike Westcott 2575 S Syracuse Way K 101 Denver, CO 80231

The General Ledger November 2004 Newsletter A Publication of the Denver - Centennial Chapter

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