Ostendo Update Notes from 10 February 2009 – What’s New

Ostendo Update Notes from 10 February 2009 – What’s New

Inquiry Screen Drill Downs

We have added the ability to define drill downs (File-Reporting Configuration-Inquiry Drill-Down) to Inquiry Screens (remember Inquiries can be created through the ‘Report & View Developer’ screen). The idea of this is to provide the ability to link to either a specific screen or another Inquiry. As an example you may wish to inquire on all invoices for a customer, and then when you’ve selected a specific invoice, open the actual invoice screen (drill downs are activated by right clicking in the inquiry grid). As mentioned you can also drill down (or chain) to other Inquiry screens. An example of this might be where you’re got a Customer Inquiry and then wish to see all open Sales Orders against that Customer; and from there show all lines for a particular Sales Order; and then display the complete transaction history for that item.

Therefore with this facility; the ability to define any inquiry screens, and with the new Multi-Tab Inquiry (as is outlined in the next paragraph); any type of inquiry is possible. Please see the Tutorial Help for more information.

Multi-Tab Inquires

We have enhanced the Inquiry style of screen to include multiple sub-inquires (or tabs). What we mean by this is the ability to define an Inquiry screen with up-to 6 child type sub queries. The standard ‘Customer Statistics’ screen is laid out in a similar manner. In essence the Inquiry screen detects how many detail queries have been defined (Report & View Developer) and displays the screen accordingly:

1)       If a master query only has been defined, the Inquiry screen will appear with 2 tabs (List & Detail)

2)       If a master and 1 detail query are defined, then the Inquiry screen will appear with 3 tab (List, Detail & Lines)

3)       If a master and 2-6 detail queries have been defined, then the Inquiry screen will appear with 2 main tabs and 2-6 sub tabs within the detail tab (like the ‘Customer Statistics’ Screen).

Every one of the detail queries can have their own drill-downs. There are 2 examples of this new Multi-Tab inquiry (Multi Inquiry – Customer Information & Multi Inquiry – Supplier Information). Please see the Tutorial Help for more information.

Multi-Dimensional Order Entry

We have added the ability to capture dimensional information (including pack sizes) at Sales & Job Order Lines. What we mean by this, is that against Items (new tab called ‘Order Dims’ in the ‘Items’ screen) you can define the following to be available at order entry time:

1)       Use Length, and also whether there is a fixed length. Products that might use length would be timber or steel, where the base unit of measure is ‘Metres’, but the customer orders in the number of certain size lengths. Fixed would only be defined if the product had to be sold in full lengths.

2)       Use Width, and also whether there is a fixed width. This works exactly like Length, and would commonly be used in conjunction with length. An example would be in the tile industry where the customer would provide the length and width of the room/s and by keying this in, the number of tiles would automatically be calculated. For tiles you would also use the Fixed Length & Width feature, thereby calculating the number of full tiles.

3)       Use Depth, and also whether there is a fixed depth. Works as above but for products that require a volumetric calculation.

4)       Use Pack Size, and the ability to define the pack sizes with their own conversion factors. This would be used in industries where the customer orders in packs of a certain size but the stock and pricing might be in say kilograms. This pack size feature can also be used for comments against any of the above dimensions.

5)       Conversion Factor allows a fixed factor to be automatically applied when calculating the quantity of product. An example of this might be for paint, where the surface area is entered, and then based on a conversion factor the amount of paint can automatically be calculated.

Cost Centre Transactions

We have added a new screen called ‘Cost Centre Transactions’ (General-Cost Centre Transactions). This allows the user to enter parameters and then generates a report for cost centre transactions (not unlike a Financial Trial Balance Report).

Purchase Receipts Undo Feature

We have added the ability to undo an Updated Purchase Receipt. This will create reversing financial transactions and allow the receipt to be edited before posting again. Any Purchase invoices that have been matched to that receipt will need to be deleted before undoing the posting.

POS Quotations

We have added the ability to create POS Quotations from within the Point of Sale screen. There is a new field called ‘Sales Style’ which has 2 options (‘Order’, Quote’), if the ‘Quote’ option is selected the user will be able to print a Quotation sheet using ‘Alt-P’. Once a Quote has been created it is then put On-Hold until it is either converted to an Order (by changing the Style) or by clicking the ‘alt-No Sale’ button.

The main difference between a Quote and an Order is that a Quote doesn’t book stock out and a Quote can’t be paid for.

POS Blind End of Day Cash-up

We have added the ability for the POS End of Day to be carried out without displaying what the system thinks is in the cash drawer. This option can be turned on in the File-System Configuration-User Security & Options screen.

Inventory Label Printing Enhancement

We have added the ability to print barcode labels for Items that are not necessarily in stock, via the ‘Inventory Labels’ screen. There is a new drop-down list allowing the user to select ‘Items’ which will then change the contents of the grid to all Items with all pre-defined characteristics (eg: Colour, Size & Grade) and for units of measure. The other enhancement is the ‘Item Barcodes’ screen now allows for barcodes to be defined as ‘Internal’; which basically means that the barcode will be printed on the labels, and that there can’t be more than 1 Internal barcode for every unique combination of Item, Unit of Measure and characteristics.

Various Small Fixes & Improvements

Various other smaller issues and enhancements that have been reported to us have also been fixed in this update.

Ostendo Update Notes from 25 November 2008 – What’s New

Ostendo Update Notes from 25 November 2008 – What’s New

Inquiry Screens

We have added a new style of view called ‘Inquiry’. This enables information to be displayed and inquired on, via the standard screen interface. In other words, Inquiry screens have an Opening List, Detail Tab, and optionally a Lines tab. These screens are found at the bottom of the main module menus in their own sub-menu called ‘Inquiries’. As with Reports, Analysis Views, Charts and Pivot Views, these new Inquiry screens can be developed or modified to suit the specific company or user requirements.

In this update we have included 46 new Inquiry Screens. Following are a few examples:

• Warehouse Inventory – This Inquiry screen displays the value of stock per warehouse with the ability to drill down and display the actual inventory
• Price Level List for Items – This Inquiry screen displays the number of Items defined for that Price Level with a drill down showing all items with their calculated prices
• Overdue Purchases by Supplier – This Inquiry screen displays the total outstanding value of purchases by supplier with a drill down to the actual purchase lines
• Bills of Material Stock – This Inquiry screen displays for each Bill of Material the on hand stock quantity and the maximum quantity that could be manufactured based on the component on hand stock quantities
• Outstanding Invoices by Customer – This Inquiry screen displays each Customer with their outstanding balances

The above is just a small sample of what comes with Ostendo. Development and modification of these Inquiry Screens is achieved through the Report and View Developer.

Additional Fields at Line Level

We have added additional fields to Order and Invoice lines throughout the system, along with a number of other screens that didn’t previously have additional fields. For a full list of screens and lines that have additional fields please refer to the ‘Additional Fields’ screen.

Note: When defining additional fields, if the name and field type of the field is the same, and where one is derived from the other (eg: an Item and the Job Line), the value held in that additional field for the Item will be automatically copied to the Job Line (assuming the Job Line is for that Item).

Price Level Override for Sales & Jobs

We have added the ability to override the Price Level for Jobs and Sales Orders. The idea behind this is to allow a different Price Level (and Rate Level if Jobs) to be used rather than the default for the Customer. The next update will allow for Pricing and Rate Level Matrixes to be defined for a combination of Customer and Job or Sales Type.

Purchase Invoice Enhancements

We have added a number features focussed primarily on speed. These are as follows:

Speed Entry for Invoice Only: If Purchase invoices are entered directly (i.e. Invoice Only) you have the ability to define the speed entry field for the invoice line. This works in the same manner as found in the: Purchase, Sales, Jobs and Assembly Order screens. Activation is in the Purchase Rules screen (Order Speed Entry)

Invoice Posting Tolerance: This allows Purchase Invoices to be posted if there is a difference between the Supplier Invoice amounts and the Ostendo calculated Amounts within that specified tolerance (defined in the Purchase Rules). Effectively Ostendo automatically creates the balancing values (either tax or net) to ensure a match.

Defaulting the Supplier Invoice Amounts to the Ostendo Amounts: This option automatically sets the Supplier Invoice amounts to the Ostendo calculated Batch amounts, as lines are either being entered or matched off. The flag to enable this can be found in the Purchase Rules screen, called ‘Default Supplier Invoice Values’.

Default Allocation Type: This allows a default allocation type to be defined in the Purchase Detail tab – thereby defaulting any lines created to that allocation type. Only applicable for the ‘Invoice Only’ style, and mainly relates to allocations to Job Orders.

Creating Items or Descriptors on the Fly in Purchasing

We have added the ability to create an Item or Descriptors on the fly when creating new Purchase Lines. This option is on by default but can be disabled via the Purchase Rules screen.

POS Enhancements

We have added some more rules for the POS operation. These are as follows:

Customer Required For Value: The value assigned to the field determines whether an actual Customer is required for the Sale if the sale value exceeds that value. In other words the default Cash Sale customer can’t be used.

Default Payment Style: This allows the default ‘Payment Style’ to be changed to ‘On Account’, rather than ‘Cash Sale’.

New Sale Sign In: This option prompts the operator to sign-in on every sale.

Service Enhancements

We have added the Service Zone to the Customer Assets screen and allowed for this field, and any additional fields that have been defined, to be used when filtering the Orders Required in the ‘Service Orders Required’ screen.

Inventory & WIP Value Reporting

We have changed the Inventory & WIP reporting outputs to include the detail of the inventory and orders as at the required valuation date (previously these figures where summary amounts).

Daily Statistics automatically emailed from Ostendo

When managing a business it can be extremely useful keep a track on key business statistics at a daily level. Having these turn up in your inbox each morning, is probably the most convenient method of delivery, bypassing having to be in the office or logged into Ostendo.

The script is one of the more useful examples included in the new scripting help, and can, with little effort be tailored to suit the requirements of any business.

There are 2 main configurable options within the script (assuming the email host name and sender address are defined also):

1)       The recipients of the Daily Statistics (email addresses)

2)       The Daily Statistics sent to each recipient:

a.       Job Order Statistics

b.      Sales Orders Statistics

c.       POS Statistics

d.      Invoice Statistics

e.       Debtor Statistics

f.        Inventory and WIP Statistics

Beyond just using the script as is, it can be modified to suit any business type. Ostendo scripts can be run via a simple scheduler, allowing them to be run at predetermined times, and at predetermined days (i.e. 1 am each morning). Please see the new scripting help file for more information on all of the above.

Scripting Help & Examples

Ostendo has a comprehensive custom scripting facility to enable everything from importing supplier catalogues to validating data keyed into screens. We have now released a Scripting Help file that covers the basics of scripting, where it can be applied, built-in Ostendo functions, and working examples.

Various Small Fixes & Improvements

Various other smaller issues and enhancements that have been reported to us have also been fixed in this update.