Working in Sage 100 ERP requires you to do a lot of data entry using your keyboard or number-pad, so it can really slow you down to have to move your hand back and forth between your keyboard and your mouse whenever you want to choose a new tab or select an option on your screen. It’s Friday, so today I’m especially understanding of the fact that you want to work faster. Here’s a hint that will make it so that you never need to waste your time with your mouse again.
Look for the underlined letters
See the underlined letters at the top of the screen in your Sage 100 ERP desktop? I’ve attached a screenshot above that shows you some of these letters, in case you’re so used to seeing them that you don’t even notice them anymore.
Press ALT+[Letter]
This keyboard shortcut combination applies to any of the letters above, and to do this successfully, you’ll want to hold down the Alt key (located to the left of your keyboard), while pressing the letter that corresponds to the menu item you want to select. For example, on the top, far left of the previous screenshot, I’ve circled the underlined “F” for File. If you press and hold Alt, then tap the “F” key, the File menu will drop down. Once you see the drop down, you can use the arrow buttons to move through the selections within each menu.
Use this EVERYWHERE
These underlined letters are located all over your Sage 100 ERP program, meaning that whenever you need to switch a tab or select a menu, you don’t need to spend the second of time it takes to switch back and forth between your mouse and your keyboard. Below is a screenshot of the Accounts Receivable Options screen… once again with those underlined letters.
Save Lots of Time
If you’re thinking, “What time will this actually save?” let me point out that when you’re entering information into your Sage 100 ERP system, you can easily switch between the mouse and the keyboard for every single entry you create. Consider this: for every entry you create, you have to press “Accept.”
Guess what? Alt+A automatically accepts your selection. If you look at the bottom of the previous screenshot, you’ll see that the “A” in “Accept” is underlined.
After 60 times of pressing “Accept” using the Alt+A combination, you’ve just saved yourself a minute. You may only save yourself three minutes per day, but after a month, that means you suddenly have another whole hour to work–or to spend how you please.
What handy tips have you figured out that make your Sage 100 ERP system easier to use?