New Year, New Horizons:  Exciting Opportunities Ahead in 2025

Dear Friend,

s we welcome 2025, we want to take a moment to wish you a Happy New Year and share some exciting updates from MASA! This year marks a new chapter with innovative advancements, including the integration of Microsoft Office and CenterPoint Payroll into the FBS Azure environment, enhanced sales and support tools, and a focus on leveraging AI and Power BI for deeper insights into agricultural accounting. We’re thrilled about the opportunities these changes bring to streamline operations, improve customer support, and provide a holistic financial view of your business. Thank you for being part of our journey—we look forward to achieving great things together this year!

In this month's news:

• CEO August update
• Enhancing Cloud Based Accounting
• AI and Data Tools
• MASA Contacts Updates
  
                                                               

CEO Update

A Message from Leslie

As we bring 2024 to a close, I want to take a moment to reflect on the incredible journey we’ve shared this year and extend my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has been part of the evolution of MASA and the FBS product line. This year has been one of transformation and growth—none of which would have been possible without your dedication, hard work, and support.

The transition of FBS into MASA was no small feat, and I’m immensely proud of the strides we’ve made together. From migrating legacy systems to the Azure cloud platform to laying the groundwork for new reseller partnerships, 2024 was a year of significant progress. Each challenge we faced was met with resilience, collaboration, and a shared commitment to providing best-in-class solutions for our customers.

As we look to 2025, we are excited to continue this momentum. Our team is working on innovations that will enhance the value we deliver to our customers and partners, and we’re committed to making the year ahead even more impactful. With new opportunities on the horizon, we look forward to strengthening our partnerships and expanding the reach of MASA solutions in ways that will drive success for all involved.

To each of you—our employees, partners, and customers—thank you for your trust and commitment. Together, we’ve laid a strong foundation for an even brighter year ahead. Here’s to a successful and impactful 2025!

Chief Executive Officer

Mutual Agricultural Software Alliance

leslie.v@masa.ag

Enhancing Cloud Based Accounting

Microsoft Office and CenterPoint Payroll Now Integrated into FBS Azure Environment

MASA is excited to announce a major advancement in the FBS Azure environment: the seamless integration of Microsoft Office tools and CenterPoint Payroll systems from Redwing Software. This update brings a powerful combination of efficiency, flexibility, and functionality to your agricultural accounting workflows, creating a unified cloud-based platform designed to simplify and enhance your business operations.

A Unified Workspace in the Cloud

The integration of Microsoft Office with the FBS Azure environment allows users to work within familiar tools like Word, Excel, and Outlook, directly linked to their accounting and operational data. Need to prepare financial summaries in Excel? You can now access real-time data from your FBS system with just a few clicks. Drafting a financial report in Word? Pull accurate figures directly from your cloud environment without the need for manual entry. This streamlined experience eliminates redundancies, minimizes errors, and improves overall productivity.

Simplified Payroll Management with CenterPoint

Payroll is one of the most complex and time-consuming aspects of any business, and agriculture is no exception. The integration of CenterPoint Payroll into the FBS Azure platform provides an intuitive and reliable solution tailored to the needs of farm businesses. Whether you’re managing hourly workers, salaried employees, or seasonal help, CenterPoint Payroll simplifies everything from tax filings to paycheck processing.

CenterPoint’s powerful features, such as compliance tracking and detailed reporting, are now fully compatible with FBS’s Azure environment. This means you can manage payroll, track employee hours, and generate reports without ever leaving the cloud platform.

The Power of Azure

This integration wouldn’t be possible without the robust capabilities of the Microsoft Azure platform. Azure ensures that your data is always secure, accessible, and up-to-date, whether you’re working from the office, the tractor, or anywhere in between. With automatic updates and scalability to match the growth of your operation, Azure provides a stable foundation for your financial and operational needs.

If you’re interested in learning more about how Microsoft Office and CenterPoint Payroll integration can benefit your operation, reach out to our sales team at sales@masa.ag or call (319) 343-5499.

AI and Data Tools

Reshaping Agricultural Accounting

The future of agricultural accounting is rapidly evolving, with artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced data tools driving profound changes in how farmers and agribusinesses manage their finances. The integration of tools like ChatGPT, Microsoft Power BI, and other AI-driven platforms is enabling businesses to consolidate data from multiple sources, offering a more holistic view of operations and financial performance.

For agricultural businesses, managing data can be a daunting challenge. With information spread across spreadsheets, accounting software, crop management tools, and even weather databases, obtaining a clear financial picture has historically required significant manual effort. AI-powered tools are simplifying this process by unifying disparate data streams into a single, cohesive platform. Microsoft Power BI, for example, allows users to connect various systems, creating dashboards that display real-time insights into revenue, expenses, operational efficiency, and even inventory levels. By visualizing these key metrics, businesses can make data-driven decisions with ease.

ChatGPT and similar AI tools are transforming customer support and operational efficiency. By automating routine queries and providing instant responses, these tools reduce the time required for support teams to address common questions. This frees up human resources for more complex issues while ensuring that customers receive timely assistance. For agribusinesses, this type of automation can also extend to creating financial reports, forecasting trends, or offering advisory insights—capabilities that empower users to adapt quickly to market or operational shifts.

At MASA, the integration of AI tools and solutions is at the heart of future development for the FBS product line. Our vision for the future includes leveraging AI to bridge gaps between operational and financial data, enabling farmers and ag-related businesses to achieve a unified, actionable view of their operations. Imagine a future where AI helps flag potential risks in financial records, aligns operational budgets with crop performance, or even predicts cash flow challenges based on market and weather data—all seamlessly presented through integrated platforms.

While tools like Power BI provide robust data analytics today, the continued evolution of AI promises even more advanced solutions. The Farm Progress article highlights how AI can predict crop issues before they become visible, an example of how data-driven insights can extend beyond accounting and into risk management. Similarly, future developments in agricultural accounting could include machine learning models that optimize tax strategies, forecast equipment needs, or streamline compliance reporting—all critical to managing complex agricultural operations.

As we move forward into 2025, MASA is committed to staying at the forefront of these technological advancements. Our focus will remain on integrating the best of AI-driven tools into our offerings, ensuring that customers not only meet today’s challenges but are prepared for the opportunities of tomorrow. By combining expertise in agriculture with cutting-edge technology, MASA aims to provide farmers and agribusinesses with the tools they need to thrive in an increasingly data-driven world.

MASA Sales and Support Line Updates

As part of our ongoing commitment to providing exceptional service, we’re excited to share updates to our sales and support processes for 2025. You can now reach our sales team directly at sales@masa.ag or by phone at (319) 343-5499. Additionally, we’ve implemented a new integrated sales tool that streamlines the purchasing process, including options for direct payment and flexible payment plans to match your specific needs. If you have questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out—we’re here to help!

In alignment with these enhancements, we’re transitioning the previous FBS phone number (800-437-7638) to our new MASA support line. Starting in 2025, all support-related inquiries can be directed to (319) 343-5003 or support@masa.ag. This change ensures consistency across our communication channels and leverages improved technology to serve you better. Whether you’re troubleshooting, onboarding, or seeking guidance on our solutions, our support team is ready to deliver the assistance you need.

These updates are part of MASA’s broader initiative to enhance communication tools and provide a seamless sales and service experience for all our customers. We’re excited about these advancements and confident they will make it easier for you to connect with our teams and access the solutions that empower your operations. Thank you for your continued trust in MASA—we look forward to serving you in 2025 and beyond!