Welcome to the recording for the Opera 3 Reporter module! This module has been thoughtfully crafted to empower users like you in generating quick and easy reports. It not only allows you to save these reports for printing at any time but also serves as an expert tool to seamlessly transfer data to third-party products.

​If you've been curious about the module's functionalities and want to harness its full potential, we have an exciting opportunity for you to watch the recording of the Reporter webinar from Thursday, July 27th, 2023, at 10 am. In this webinar we explored how to create reports that can be seamlessly run to Excel or appended to the menu for all users. It's a must-attend event for all Opera 3 Reporter users, whether you're already using it, a new user, or considering its implementation.
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Best of all, these webinars are completely FREE, so don't miss this chance to enhance your expertise within Opera 3  on the last Thursday of every month! See a full schedule in the Customer Zone.

This session has been designed to introduce you to and to give you a brief overview of what the Sales Pipeline management application is all about. 

SPM is a contact management tool which allows you to effectively handle relationships with your existing customers, suppliers, but more importantly, your prospects. By prospects I mean those companies that you haven't yet sold to, however, you still need somewhere central to store all communication and to track correspondence with your prospects to make sure that you do not lose sight of any opportunities in order to help you drive forward your sales. 

This recording is taken from a FREE webinar open to any Opera 3 Sales Ledger users, new users and potential users. 

For a full schedule of events visit our Customer Zone.

You may have read in the latest Employer’s Bulletin that HMRC has announced that from 6th April 2023, it will no longer accept paper P11D and P11D(b) forms. An extract of the article is below:

From 6 April 2023 all P11D and P11D(b) must be reported online
For the 2022 to 2023 reporting year we will no longer accept paper P11D and P11D(b) forms, this includes lists. We recommend you file using one of the following methods:

• HMRC’s PAYE Online service
• Commercial payroll software

If you make a mistake and need to submit an amendment
From 6 April 2023 we will no longer accept any paper amendments. Instead, we will launch a new online submission link to submit your amended P11D and P11D(b). More information on how to use this will be available in the April edition of the Employer Bulletin.

The P11D Organiser and Electronic Submissions
A majority of our payroll customers already take advantage of the P11D Organiser’s ability to submit P11D information to HMRC using the in-built tools of the software – the P11D Organiser has a Government Gateway client integrated into the standard software that will securely send P11D and P11D(b) information to HMRC at the click of a button.

P11D and P11D(b) Amendments
HMRC has now told us that they will “publish and mandate an electronic version of the P11D and P11D(b) form accessible via GOV.UK, which will enable employers to submit amended forms electronically from 06 April 2023.
Employers will be able to access a new electronic form within GOV.UK to submit any amended P11D and P11D(b) forms. The electronic form is not linked into the online submission route via either 3rd party or HMRC software, so no changes are required to facilitate its use.

Summary
HMRC removing the ability to submit paper P11D and P11D(b) forms is a good thing – anytime manual intervention is required to process data there is a chance of errors creeping in, but printed documentation also opens a security hole related to personal information. This change, in line with many of the Making Tax Digital initiatives, will speed up processes, enhance accuracy, and improve security, which are all beneficial to employees and employers. The P11D Organiser is perfectly positioned to ensure that data you have entered is sent to HMRC in the fastest and most secure method available. The P11D Organiser software seamlessly link to your Opera 3, Opera 3 SQL and Opera 3 SQL SE Payroll & HR software. 

If you want to discuss any of these points with o-a-sys, please drop us an email to [email protected], or give us a call on 01233 812050. Also contact Bruce to discuss pricing and threshold on email to [email protected]. 

As we speed through 2023 we continued with monthly o-a-sys Webinars to look at specific areas in Opera 3.  In this webinar we investigated the Sales Ledger Maintenance and Utilities areas, discover Processing and Reporting. We also discovered how the Credit Management Centre can add value to your Opera 3 system.
 
This recording is taken from a FREE webinar open to any Opera 3 Sales Ledger users, new users and potential users. 

For a full schedule of events visit our Customer Zone.

With 2023 now in full swing we continued with the planned monthly webinars to look at individual modules and applications for Opera 3 (all variants). In this webinar we investigated the Personnel Maintenance and Utilities areas, discover Processing and Reporting. We will discuss add-ons, new developments and Tips to make using Opera 3 Personnel more efficient.  
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This recording is taken from a FREE webinar open to any Opera 3 Payroll & HR users, new users and potential users. 

For a full schedule of events visit our Customer Zone. 

The construction industry is well known for tight margins meaning that businesses within this sector must work extra hard at monitoring spend to ensure they make a profit. In fact, research has revealed that 69% of projects go over budget by at least 10% and only 31% come within 10% of their original plan. 

Why do construction projects go over budget?
The construction industry is notorious for overspending, and typically, the main reasons a construction project goes over budget is lack of planning and budget control, but communication breakdowns and unforeseen circumstances, such as weather, can also play a part.

7 tips for keeping your construction projects on budget
It can be challenging to keep your construction projects running on budget, but not impossible. With good cost control measures in place, you can ensure your projects are more profitable and efficient. Let’s look at our 7 tips for managing your construction costs:

Thorough estimates
You can have all the best cost control techniques in place, but if you don’t take your time to produce thorough estimates then it’s likely they will fail. Putting together thorough estimates is something that cannot be rushed and it’s important you examine all areas of the project such as overheads, permits, labour, equipment, and materials, and draw up a list of miscellaneous costs you may potentially encounter. Don’t forget to use experience from similar jobs and compare their costs to make your estimates more accurate and get inputs from various job functions to support the process.

Daily reports
Conducting reports daily will highlight any areas that may be going array and will help you identify if costs begin to creep up, so you can put measures in place sooner rather than later, before you run into disruptions.

Communication
In much the same way as regular reporting is beneficial, so is strong communication, as you are more likely to stay on budget if your team understands what they need to do, and when. Open lines of communication can also help you deal with costly issues as soon as they arise, rather than risk going over budget while it takes time to resolve them.

Limited change orders
Changes mid-project are one of the highest areas of expenditure, as contracts managers make changes requested by the customer. By changing your agreement to making changes only in emergencies or rectifying your own errors, you will limit the damage to your bottom line.

Back-up
You should have back-up plans in place in case something happens which threatens your budget like the breakdown of machinery or loss of a crucial contractor. Consider all potential risks, like the ones mentioned, and consider a back-up plan which could help mitigate unexpected additional costs.

Trusted subcontractors
Subcontractors are not employees and therefore they can become an unpredictable source of extra income and delays, and you could experience quality control issues too. It pays to put together a list of trusted subcontractors you have previously had a good experience with, so you don’t need to take the risk in finding new ones, or encounter costs mid-job while you source additional contractors.

Construction Management Software
Ultimately the most efficient way of keeping your costs under control is with robust construction management software to give you complete visibility, reporting and clear lines of communication. A good construction solution will give you control over all aspects of your construction projects so you can reduce costs, stay within your timeframes, and maximise profitability.

Final thoughts…The construction industry is a fast-paced environment, and it can be particularly challenging to stay on budget and within your set timeframe as the industry is well known for overspending and over-running due to the unpredictability of the environment. However, by implementing some clear cost control methods such as regular reporting, clear lines of communication, only employing trusted subcontractors and providing thorough estimates you can begin to regain control of your costs and protect your bottom line. Investing in a robust construction management solution is one sure fire way to help you manage all areas of your construction projects and stay on time and budget more efficiently.

To learn more about our construction solution Pegasus CIS 5, please contact us today, and arrange a free demo to see it in action.

NEW! Document Management
Document Management is now available in CIS 5 which allows you to electronically store documents against individual contracts. This useful tool improves security, reduces admin costs, saves time and improves your environmental credentials by limiting the number of paper files you hold.

NEW! Dashboards
The popular Dashboards feature is now available in CIS 5 which gives you data at the click of a button to help make smarter and faster business decisions. There are 5 predefined dashboards available plus an exciting Dashboard Designer which allows you to amend dashboards and create new ones to suit your business.

CIS 5 also includes over 100 NEW enhancements! Full details of these can be found in the enhancement guide below.

A message from Stuart Anderson, General Manager at Pegasus Software
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Here at Pegasus, we remain committed to developing first class software that works with your business seamlessly, rather than against it. 

We believe now is the time to start extending the functionality of Opera 3 SQL SE and being part of Infor Compass enables us to do that. 

With this is mind we are thrilled to share some of the highlights which will come in subsequent updates of Opera 3 SQL SE:

• An updated user interface
• Standard and custom dashboards
• Invoice Digital Capture
• AP / POP automation
• Digital Procurement and analytics
• Banking improvements with auto banking reconciliation
• Data Connector for extended Business Intelligence
• Opera 3 SQL SE and Pegasus CIS 5 integration
• Sales Pipeline Management
• And more….

This is an exciting time for Pegasus users and there has never been a better opportunity to upgrade to Opera 3 SQL SE, benefit from the new developments and enhancements coming up. 
For more information about Opera 3 SQL SE and to see it in action, or to discuss the upcoming developments please contact us today or speak to your Pegasus Partner.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the direction Infor may take with regards to the products or services described herein, all of which is subject to change without notice. This article is not a commitment to you in any way and you should not rely on any content herein when making any decision.
Infor is not committing to develop or deliver any specific enhancement, upgrade, product, service, or functionality even if such is described herein. Many factors can affect Infor’s product development plans and nature, content, and timing of future product releases, all of which can remain in the sole discretion of Infor. This article, in whole or part, may not be incorporated into any agreement. Infor expressly disclaim any liability with respect to this article.

​One of the largest industry sectors, with a gross value of £122 billion in 2021, construction has rebounded in a big way post pandemic. Some figures suggest that workloads spiked by 66% in the 12 months to July 2021 (The State of the Field Service Sector, a report published by BigChange). 

However, in parallel, 2022 is set to experience a major labour shortage of around 665,000 construction workers. According to trade association ABC, an estimated 1.2 million construction workers will leave their jobs in 2022, accounting for much of the shortfall. At the same time, entry-level construction laborers increased by 72.8% against an increase in the total number of construction workers of just 25%, highlighting a large skills gap. 

6000 wasted hours a year 
When you consider that poor back office processes in the industry are collectively taking around 6000 hours every year, it’s clear that rapid action to help mitigate this shortfall is required. 

One of the challenges in addressing poor productivity is that construction companies have been slow to embrace digitalisation, and instead have relied on spreadsheets and paper-based processes for longer than many of their peers. As workloads have spiralled, they’ve invested their energy in keeping up with the deluge, fighting against the inefficient processes in play to a degree, rather than taking a longer term view. Given that nine out of ten projects were delivered late in 2021, and over two thirds (69%) went over budget by at least 10%, it’s clear this isn’t sustainable.   

In fact, taking a step back and understanding the level of back office inefficiencies, and taking action to modernise and digitalise, can free up valuable resources to instil greater productivity, collaboration and accuracy, and support skills and labour shortages which are so prevalent currently.

Expediting digital investment by 70% 
The good news is that we are now seeing significant traction in this area with more than 70% of those involved in construction technology planning to invest more in 2022 compared with 2021 according to research.

CIS systems in particular, which incorporate financials, can facilitate greater efficiency, productivity and collaboration. When it comes to project management, they can provide a comprehensive overview which spans all contractors, subcontractors and employees, thus ensuring the right people and equipment are at the right site at any given time.

Crucially, they can deliver enhanced communications and workflows which can flag anomalies and provide trends and insights. These insights also support the customer experience, as documents and reminders can be stored to manage communications across the entire customer journey. In turn this of course helps to mitigate the time, cost and frustration associated with relying on excel and long e-mail chains to manage time-sensitive decisions and activity.  

Effective contract costing can make or break the profitability of a particular job. Fully integrated with financials, the best systems span all elements of contracts management, managing contract costing, valuations, sales applications, purchasing and subcontractors, from payment applications, VAT invoicing and cash receipt matching. Through being able to measure actual expenses against forecasted costs to flag gaps and facilitate intervention before they get a chance to escalate, costs and audit trails can be identified in real-time. This can then be used to support short term tweaks in the project’s budgets and/or timeline, and feed into estimates and projections for future projects to increase accuracy. 

Embracing a new digital era 
There’s no doubt that the future of construction is buoyant. Modern, future-ready back office systems and processes are therefore needed to support a new era and ensure the sector can capitalise on its growth potential.

Ultimately, the right kind of digitalisation can help equip the construction industry for the future through instilling resilience and agility, and reducing the impact of the unpredictable. 

Those technologies making the biggest difference are ones which capture, analyse and distribute insights in order to manage a project faster, more responsively, and more accurately. These insights help teams anticipate and respond to unpredictable issues quicker, or even to prevent them before they arise. In strategic terms, this results in increased opportunities to improve worker productivity and bring more jobs in on time and on budget, not only helping to mitigate the labour shortage, but enhancing the customer experience and reputation along the way.  

To learn more about our CIS solution, CIS 5, please contact us today to discover how it could help your projects or to arrange a personalised demo for your business.

1. As the new Payroll year started in April 2022 we have been waiting for information on the next step in the Making Tax Digital (MTD) journey. From April 2024, MTD for Income Tax, will apply to relevant persons (unincorporated businesses and landlords) with business and/or property income over £10,000.


2. The Income Tax (Digital Requirements) Regulations 2021 (SI 2021 No 1076) set out the requirements that relevant persons must comply with under MTD for Income Tax. These include the use of MTD-compatible software to keep and preserve their business records (business income and expenses) digitally, send quarterly updates of their records to HMRC, and submit an end of period statement to HMRC.

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The UK Government announced an increase in National Insurance thresholds affecting the 2022 to 2023 tax year during the Spring Statement 2022.

I want to take the opportunity to remind our customers of the threshold changes taking effect from 6 July 2022, meaning employees will pay National Insurance contributions on less of their income.
The primary threshold from 6 July 2022 to 5 April 2023 will be £242 per week and £1,048 per month, equivalent to £12,570 per year (increased from £9,880 per year). See the guidance Rates and thresholds for employers 2022 to 2023, ‘Class 1 National Insurance thresholds’ for further information.

The National Insurance lower profits limit for self-employed people has also increased in line with the changes for employees. The annual lower profits limit is now set to £11,908 for 2022 to 2023. This is equivalent to 13 weeks of the threshold at £9,880 and 39 weeks at £12,570, mirroring the position for employees. Self-employed people are also no longer required to pay Class 2 National Insurance contributions on profits between the Small Profits threshold (£6,725) and Lower Profits limit (£11,908), but they are still able to build National Insurance credits.

Please contact us about these changes – we are here to help!

I am excited to announce the next installment in the monthly o-a-sys Webinars series: 
 
Construction Industry Solution from Pegasus!
 
I would like to invite you to join myself and guest Steve Power to look at Pegasus CIS 5. We will showcase the new functionality and off course the brand new look and feel. Steve will give us an overview of the changes and talk about the future of the product. 
Pegasus CIS 5 is a complete rewrite of the Pegasus Construction Industry Solutions product that was first release in 2005. Rewritten using the latest technologies, Pegasus CIS 5 delivers added power, security, reliability and a host of new features and functionality to help you manage your projects even more efficiently.
Pegasus CIS 5 provides complete control over all aspects of contracts management, from costing and timesheets through to payment applications, VAT invoicing and cash receipt matching. It is fully integrated with the Sales, Purchase and Nominal Ledgers, Cashbook and Payroll in Opera 3. 
Some of the new functionality that we will see 

• Unrivalled User Interface
• New enhanced approach to reporting accross the system with a number of predefined Dashboards in the first release
• Over 100 product enhancements that include new layouts, views, filters and reports
• Document Management
• Management Dashboards

Too book your Free attendance go to the customer zone on www.o-a-sys.co.uk snd select the Monthly o-a-sys Webinars. 

Did you know that nine out of ten construction projects were delivered late in 2021 and 69% went over budget by at least 10%? The construction industry is one of the largest industries in the UK, but when it comes to software it is often questioned whether software to manage your projects is compulsory or simply a waste of expenditure. The above statistics make for stark reading, and when client satisfaction drops by 60% when projects are delivered late, here at Pegasus we strongly believe construction management software (CMS) is a critical requirement for any construction project. Within this blog post we’re going to examine some benefits to using CMS.

But first, what is construction software? The aim of any CMS is to make the project process clear and efficient and helps companies manage communication, budgeting, and timescales.

5 benefits of construction software

Communication
Construction projects have a myriad of moving elements and people can be across multiple locations at any given time, so real-time communication is vital. A CMS would enable everyone to access a centralised point for real-time updates whenever they need to, and wherever they are.

Improved project management
Construction projects can be extremely complex due the sheer number of contractors involved which takes management to another level and it can sometimes only take one forgotten email to de-rail an entire project. A CMS would give the project manager a complete overview of the project including all contractors, subcontractors, employees, and client so they know the real-time status of the project to ensure efficient management and ensure the correct materials and people are on site at the right time.

​Budgeting
A CMS allows you to measure your actual expenses against forecasted costs so you can easily see if things start to go off track and rectify them before your budget overruns significantly, helping to keep your project profitable. You can identify costs in real-time without the need to sift through mountains of paperwork, helping to keep your costs under control. It’s also easy to view your audit trail and highlight exactly where your money is going so you can forecast for future projects and tweak costings along the way to help you remain efficient.

Better customer interaction
Not only does software make it easier to communicate with employees and contractors but it also makes it easier to communicate with customers as you can store emails, notes, and set reminders as well as automatically send invoices from the software itself. This centralised point of communication helps you manage the customer journey and ensures the customer isn’t forgotten along the way.

Document management
The construction industry is very document heavy which can be difficult to manage, and important paperwork can easily become misplaced. One of the big benefits of CMS is the ability to store all paperwork, correspondence, invoices, training certificates and legislative documents electronically so you can easily retrieve what you need at the click of a button. 

In summary…
Whether you are a large-scale construction company or a small family-based firm, your construction projects will most certainly benefit from CMS. Not only would it make running projects more convenient but there are proven benefits too such as better budget management, document storage and time control, all of which will improve your profitability and customer service.

​Pegasus CIS 5 is a full construction software solution which has been re-written using the latest technology. For more information about the upcoming release and how it could benefit your construction projects, please contact us today.