5.0.026 received for Testing

The latest build of our Profess for Windows software (Office Costing and Contract Manager) has just been received from the development team.

Denoted the release number of 5.0.026, this build sees work mainly in Contract Manager modules – including Contract Manager core (Payments and Cashflow) and the new Property Manager module (with additional work on Attributes).

There’s 44 items in this release, so testing will take a good week or two.

We will publish the complete list of changes as and when the software has completed tested and we issue notification of its readiness on our FTP site.

And after 5.0.0026?

The next scheduled version will be 5.0.026(2), although we have not finalised the content of that sprint as yet, although it is currently denoted as an interim build and currently contains small changes and fixes to minor, lower-priority defects.

It is expected that work on 026(2) will begin approximately 2nd week in February, depending on the time take to pass 026 through our test regime.

Q: Do I Need To Upgrade Every Release?
A: No.

While it is worthwhile (but not essential) maintaining major release numbers such as 024,025,026 etc., there’s no need to upgrade each minor increment (denoted by release numbers in parenthesis, e.g 026, 026(2), 026(3), 026(4) etc.) unless you are waiting for work contained therein.

Even then you could jump from 5.0.026 straight to 5.0.026(4) if necessary without having to load the interim builds (2 and 3 in this example).

What’s the upgrade process?

Each build will contain a ReadMe file with instructions for upgrading. In summary the process is:-

1. Take a backup of your SQL database(s)
2. Load the Windows software via the Setup program
3. Up-script your SQL database(s) to the new version
4. Perform your own acceptance test(s)
5. Review and distribute upgrade notes to end-users

And, of course, if you encounter any difficulties or have any questions, please do call our Helpdesk on 01531 821 199 or e-mail support@profess.co.uk

Time Manager Alerts

I am just putting the finishing touches to the initial release of the Time Manager Alerts functionality.  This is a major enhancement both for Time Manager and to a smaller extent Profess.

The feature will be available in the 2010 Quarter 3 release of Time Manager which is still pencilled in for the end of September.  Hosted users will find this installed and available automatically.  Installed users of Time Manager will need to install and configure the Alerts service.  Full documentation will be available on release.

At present the following functionality is available:

• Run any report on a schedule and send back to yourself or a distribution list.  You can enter flexible selection criteria that are evaluated at the time the report is run.  This means you could run a report for This Month, or Last Month, This Week, or Last Week and it would use the dates that apply when it is run.
• Calculate and distribute Missing Timesheets.
• Calculate and distribute Missing Timesheets by Team Manager.  This is nice and simple, just set it up once and leave it run.  The calculation takes care of who to send the report to for all members of a managers Team.
• Look for and inform individual staff if they have not Submitted or Completed a Timesheet on time.

Other alerts can be added in, but these are the ones users have requested so far.

If you have any ideas for alerts that would be useful both to you and others, please get in touch with me so we can decide how achievable they are, as we are actively looking to add new alert functionality.

PROFESS & CM 5.0.025(4b) just released

The very latest build of our Windows application, Profess Office Costing / Profess Contract Manager is now available for download on our FTP site for those having taken out an Annual Maintenance Agreement for these products.

Call our Helpdesk on 01531 821 199 to find out more about getting new builds off our FTP site, or to request a CD-Rom edition.

The build sees a lot of work on our latest addition to the portfolio – a Roads Costing integrated add-on. But work also continues unabated on Contract Manager with a mix of additional enhancements, fixes and changes. Here’s the full list for build 5.0.025(4b)…

• ROADS COSTING: Area-based (multi-level) Budget screens & functionality now included
• ROADS COSTING: Functionality added to permit adjustments to Time Cards
• ROADS COSTING: Order Activity Maintenance screens extended
• ROADS COSTING: Project & Order form windows now include RC Order Activity and Area plus Fin.Codes can now be validated
• ROADS COSTING:There has been a range of enhancement to the Roads Costing Time Card window (see notes for detail)
• ROADS COSTING: Income & Charge Codes added to the Stock Browse and update form window
• ROADS COSTING: Stores & Stock menu options now available in the standard Profess Contract Manager system for licenced users
• CONTRACT BROWSE: You can now specify Client filtering at User level – ideal for internal Client logins
• CONTRACT: Final Contract Sum from Final Cert value now controlled by a Variable (see notes)
• CONTRACT: Re-writing of some calculations in an earlier build meant that a refresh had to be forced – rectified in the update SQL script
• CONTRACT: Funding Source and latest Start & Finish Dates can now be added as columns to the Project Browse
• CASHFLOW: Fix to fault where Invoice Actual was set to nil when the CF line was opened – corrected
• CASHFLOW: Period could not be changed on the Cashflow Period windows irrespective of Start Date – rectified
• PAYMENTS: Payment period no longer defaults to the Current period defined in Variables
• PAYMENTS: New option to force display of Finance Codes alphabetically on Payment windows
• RECORD LOCKING: Record Locking facility can now be turned off
• PROJECT: Start Date is disappearing (at least on Est.Start Date when set to duration) – now rectified
• VARIABLES: Weekly Variables can only be assigned from Yearly Variables once after which these must be manually maintained

The Roads Costing module is being lead by North Ayrshire council but is benefits from our experience with the development of a bespoke Roads Costing system developed for West Dunbartonshire Council.

Interested in Roads Costing, or think your Highways/Transportation department might be. Then call me – Carl – to discuss on 01531 822 622.

Running Reports in Profess

When you’re running a Report using the standard Build Selection screen, did you know that if you want to run the Report again, but for a different Project/Client/Staff Member, etc., you don’t need to close the Report down and start again?

When you’ve filled out the standard Build Selection screen once, and the selection code is still visible in the Preview area, click on Build Selection then click the Selection tab.  From here you can edit the Selection code, over-typing any of the references to search on something else. 

Just make sure you keep the single quote marks around what you’re searching for if it’s a Reference. 

You’ll find this is speedier that starting all over again. This is also a good way of using Saved Selections.

Using Copy and Paste

When you’re using the Search Facility or running a Report for a particular reference, did you know you can use the Ctrl+C(opy) and Ctrl+V(iew) to copy and paste – saves you having to key in the reference over and over.

So, for instance, in Profess, you might be looking for all the Projects that have a particular Charge Code;  firstly you need to have the charge code on the screen (maybe through the Project Entry screen or on a Spreadsheet or other document), highlight the reference and use Ctrl+C to copy it, then go to Project Browse screen, click on the Charge Code column heading (to put the screen in order of Charge Code) then click in the Search field and instead of typing the Charge Code in from scratch, use Ctrl+V to paste it into the field.

You can use this facility in any application where perhaps the right-clicky thing isn’t available.