UDS Green Industry Software, Inc. Newsletter
February 19, 2004
ActiveApplications Version 7
is getting closer to its release date. Although we are still adding features it
has reached a point where you can see what it looks like. This newsletter
highlights some of the new features. It includes a user name and password you
can use to use the new version on our server. We would like you to work with
the programs and make comments before it is released. It is not too late to
include things you suggest. Your comments will provide the finishing touches.
Topics
in this newsletter:
Version 7 new Features
NEW Application- Scheduling
Take a Look at Version 7
New POS Version Soon
Expected Release Date
Encouragement to Go On-Line
New Help features from
Support
Version 7 Release
On line customer order
capabilities
Much More…
1) Now added to ActiveApplications is a
scheduling application. See the Scheduling Application Topic to learn about
what it can do for you.
2)
Subtotals have been relabeled to Phases.
3) Costing and Estimating now have
Defined Phase subtotals. This means you select a predefined description from a
list of phases. The description can be changed in the estimate but your typing
can be minimized if you use a standard description.
4)
Reporting of labor and other items to phases is more efficient.
5) Multiple phases of the same type can
be added to an estimate.
6) Better Landscape Maintenance Job support.
A whole new application has been added.
7) New and enhanced Tablet PC and Pocket
PC and Flic Import routines.
a.
The Flic interface is very interesting
8) After total estimate lines are easier
to add and have meaning in costing.
9)
Additional Services Options on Jobs. This makes billing for those additional
services easy.
10)
Estimate or job type is defined at the time the estimate is created. This makes
job creation much easier.
11) A customer number (optional) is now stored
with the estimate. This makes job creation easier.
12) The Estimate View Window now has a customer
number sequence.
13) New JC Transaction Create program to make
the recording of costing transactions easier.
14) JC Transactions Create can Get Transactions
that have not been completed.
a.
This can make recording of work orders very simple.
b. Inventory Issues is much easier.
c. Transactions can be edited before
recording.
d. The Flic import option for job cost
transactions makes it easy.
15) Billable costing transactions can be
identified at the time the transaction is created.
16) Costing transaction import capability
(Flic) is part of the JC Transaction Create Program.
17) A Phase Table has been added.
18) A Service Provider table has been added.
19) A Tasks Table has been added.
20) A Crew Table has been added.
21)
Transaction type barcodes are printed on the new job cost work order for
enhanced scan flexibility.
22) A new invoicing program makes invoicing
jobs much easier.
23) New job type classifications for periodic
billing dates.
24) More stuff that I have forgotten about.
1) New Invoicing routine is added to the
options. The two original invoicing routines are available plus an additional
program for scheduling. This invoice program combines features of both of the
other programs. This will make it easier to create invoices for jobs.
2) Billing is much easier to use.
3) More lead through guidance is
incorporated into Invoicing.
4) A scheduling program is available for
landscape construction jobs. (non repetitive)
5)
Repetitive jobs can be scheduled easily.
6)
Additional services can be easily tracked for billing.
7) Pocket PC Export program is
incorporated.
8) Route billing is easy.
9)
Scheduled Activity report.
Version 7 will be available
for you to use on our server this week Tuesday or Wednesday. Log into our
server then use the user name of “aapremier” and password of “access01”. This
will limit you to the version 7 database and programs. You can use these until
they expire to test and see what the new version looks like. See if your
requested functions are available. See how the new features are implemented.
Provide us last minute comments. It is not too late to get your suggested coded
into the release.
Immediately following the
general release of version 7 ActiveApplications will be a version 7 AA POS
release. The general version 7 release will add customer loyalty and serial
number tables to the database. AA POS version 7 will incorporate those tables
into the POS programs.
In addition to the loyalty
program capability these features will be enhanced:
1) Longer customer number entry
2)
Customizable loyalty programs with expiration dates
3)
Intermediate uploading of data to the server
4) Many features to be announced later.
If all goes as planned version
7 will be released on or about March 15, 2004. This will provide you with time
to implement it before spring hits in full force. You may wish to set up a test
database before implementation. As usual we will be releasing patches as soon
as they are reported so stay alert to support emails.
This release will be well
tested as we endeavor to make it the best quality programming possible. This is
a complex enhancement of estimating, costing and ledger. These applications are
important to your company so please test validity frequently, post small
batches of transactions to ledger, and implement new features very carefully.
The time you spend testing and assessing the new release will provide you the
confidence to implement it successfully.
Make sure you take advantage
of the offer. Getting your listing on IDOPLANTS or IDOLANDSCAPE will lead to
efficiencies later this year as new programs are released to use those sites.
Get more notice to your existing site because of the link from your new page.
Introducing “Browse
Sequences” the most recent addition to the F1 Help system!
What a Browse Sequence does
is tie together help topics that relate to one particular application or
process. The Browse Sequence places these help topics in the best possible
order so that a person wanting to master one application will have a beginning
point and an ending point with everything they need to know in between. The
first topic in the sequence may be an overview of the application itself.
Additional help topics are lined up so that new knowledge can be built upon a
growing foundation of knowledge already gained.
The Browse Sequence appears
in a long, yellow rectangular window along the upper portion of the Help
window. Each topic in the sequence is represented by a question mark
symbol and a brief description. This allows viewing your progress through the
sequence and jumping directly to any topic in that sequence. There is also a
Next arrow and a Previous arrow to allow the user to move forward or backwards
one topic at a time. There are currently eight Browse Sequences created so far
and each is selectable from the drop down list just to the left of the Browse
Sequence window.
The F1 Help system is
“context sensitive” and this means that if the user has ‘opened’ an Active
Accounting window or form and selects the F1 key on their keyboard, help will
appear relating to what was highlighted. The user can read through the help topic
and branch out to other help topics by selecting any underlined links they may
find in the help topic. This system works well when the user begins to feel
confident about moving around Active Accounting. What about the brand new user
wanting to just start reading? Another potential downfall of context sensitive
help is that it can allow certain help topics to go unnoticed or undetected.
Examples of these ‘missed’ topics might include field definitions, drag and
drop relationships, printing functions, and overviews. The Browse Sequence will
conscientiously include all those topics. New Browse Sequence for additional
applications are on the way.
Two New Buttons on
the F1 Help System window!
A “Home Page” button and
“Tips & Techniques” button can be found along the upper edge of the help
system window. Strictly for convenience they can be used to take the help
system user directly to the ‘Home’ page or to the ‘Tips & Techniques’ page
of the Active Applications support web site. Those of our customers
having broadband connections to the Internet should see their help topic
replaced by the web page almost instantly unless there is security in place to
prohibit the Help System application from accessing the Internet. Usually
firewall settings can be tweaked to allow access. Those customers using a
dial up connection to the Internet may not see a real advantage to having these
buttons a key stroke away as they must first dial out to establish a connection
and then they could just as well create a “favorite” for each of these two web
pages. UDS endeavors to find ways to encourage visits to our web sites, but we
can remove them or change them if need be on the next version of the F1 Help
System.