Notes from the President

01 April 2022 khilton Notes from the President

Ken Hilton - President Red Wing Software

Normally I would leave program tips to the experts in our Technical Support department who know much more about the software than I do. However, I understand that sometimes, as users, we might find our options a bit overwhelming. For example, the version of CenterPoint I use has ten income statements. Each income statement displays information differently and is extremely customizable. How do I remember which one gives me the information I’m regularly looking for?
If I’m having trouble finding one that meets my needs, the first step is to call the Red Wing Software Technical Support department. I can explain what I’m after; they can guide me to the correct report, and then help me modify it if necessary. After the report is the way I like it, I can add it to my list of favorite reports and easily find it whenever I need it.
If the Income Statement is a report I frequently use to analyze my business activity (which it should be in all businesses), I can add it to the Quick List and access the report with a single click. The Support team can help with this process as well. No more hunting around for information I use regularly. I have a Quick List tab containing all the functions I use throughout the day and can easily get to all my input screens and reports.
The Quick List is just one example of how CenterPoint can be customized for easier use, and how our Support team can help make your day go a little smoother.

Notes from the President

02 March 2022 khilton Notes from the President

Ken Hilton - President Red Wing Software

Being laser-focused to complete a mission seems like a smart thing, especially when the mission is time‑sensitive. Several years ago, I had such a mission. I was heading to a meeting in Fargo, ND, from my home office in the south suburbs of Chicago. Getting to O’Hare airport after the flight departs doesn’t leave many options, so I was laser-focused to complete this mission and get to the airport on time.
It was a typical winter day with blowing snow and slow traffic, but I was determined to get to O’Hare in time to catch my flight. After much frustration with traffic and conditions, I made it to the airport, parked, and entered the terminal with little time to spare.
Mission accomplished. I breathed a sigh of relief. But wait. Why is my flight not on the departures board? In my quest to complete the mission, I lost focus on my mission’s destination. It turns out I’m at the wrong airport. My flight was leaving from Midway airport.
Everything worked out, and I got to Fargo in time for the meeting, but the moral of the story is, “When you are laser-focused to accomplish any mission, make sure you’re heading for the correct destination.”

Notes from the President

03 February 2022 khilton Notes from the President

Ken Hilton - President Red Wing Software

January is the busiest month at Red Wing Software, with our customers completing transactions for 2021, finalizing payroll information to prepare W-2 forms, and getting information ready for tax returns. It was not a great time for us to have an issue with computers and accessing critical information to serve our users.
On January 11th, we had a failure of a router that allows communication between our remote workforce and the computers in our office that hold all our customer records, making it virtually impossible to handle support calls. Fortunately, Roxie, the long-time voice of Red Wing Software, was in the office and could take incoming calls and schedule callbacks for our support staff.
We realized we couldn’t work efficiently from outside the office, and everything was functioning at the office. Several of our staff quickly traveled to the office to answer calls and take care of our customers. Within about three hours, we caught up with the backlog of support calls, and Larry, our amazing IT Manager, had everything functioning again.
While this kind of disruption is never fun to deal with, it’s great to have a group of dedicated employees who step up and take care of business. On behalf of Red Wing Software, I want to thank our customers affected by this disruption for your patience and thank our staff for ensuring we could take good care of our users during such a critical time.

Notes from the President

11 January 2022 khilton Notes from the President

Ken Hilton - President Red Wing Software

Seeing the recent storm devastation across the central United States really tends to put things into perspective. Our thoughts and prayers go to all those affected by the disaster.
We can each, individually, do our part to help wherever possible when events like this occur. As a company, Red Wing Software will do what we can to help those affected by the disaster get back to business and some sort of normal operation. We understand your financial information is not the top priority immediately after such events. When it does rise back toward the top of the list, please call on us if help is needed re-installing programs or backups, or for any other assistance our Support staff can provide. We’re here to help.

Notes from the President

03 December 2021 khilton Notes from the President

Ken Hilton - President Red Wing Software

I hope everyone had a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving gathering with family and friends.
Our development, support, quality assurance, and education teams have been busy programming, testing, and documenting the 2022 payroll withholding tables and the tax changes for depreciation. Subscribing to a Customer Care Membership with Red Wing Software ensures you have the latest information for accurately calculating payroll and depreciation in a timely manner. This newsletter is packed with valuable year-end information, so I’ll keep my very important message brief.
On behalf of Red Wing Software, I want to wish a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and prosperous New Year to our families, customers, co-workers, partners, vendors, friends, and especially all the people that help keep us safe and free.