Solution-IV® Version 8.60 Release NotesSolution-IV® Version 8.60 Release Notes

Introduction to 8.60

Solution-IV Accounting 8.521 was released in December 2004 and Solution-IV Reprographics 8.53P was released in July 2006.

Solution-IV Accounting version 8.60 is a major Solution-IV release that combines the features of Solution-IV Accounting and Solution-IV Reprographics into one version – in this case designated 8.60.

This section will describe the changes made between 8.53P and 8.60. For those customers interested in reviewing some significant changes made between 8.521P (also released in December 2004) and 8.53P, the Release Notice will remain on the web at:

8.53P Release Notes

All of these changes will be seen by those customers moving from 8.521 to 8.60.

One significant change for customers previously using 8.521 is that Solution-IV 8.60 is available only under the OPENworkshop® Environment. Additionally, the Point-of-Sale module has been opened up for all users of Solution-IV Accounting. Features of this module are described below.

Between 8.53P and 8.60, over 285 modifications have been made across all modules – from minor bug fixes to significant enhancements and changes requested by our customers. Additionally, this release contains two new pre-release modules – Estimating and the UPS WorldShip Interface.

This section briefly describes the changes that were made in each module.

Credit Card Processing

Solution-IV Credit Card Processing, originally released with version 8.53P, is an integrated solution to processing and validating credit card payments through your accounting system. Seamlessly integrated with Order Processing, the credit card is swiped from the Order or Invoice Entry Payment screen. The card is then processed and the authorization code transmitted back to the entry screen.

Thoroughbred has teamed with Payment Processing, Inc. (PPI), the industry leader in integrated transaction processing and uses the PPI PayMover payment gateway for credit card processing.

By eliminating having to enter the credit card information by hand, you reduce card information errors, charge-backs and fraud. PPI also offers a discounted rate when a card swipe is used and all magnetic stripe information is captured and transmitted.

The PPI system comes standard with a credit card transaction Web-based interface, which gives immediate results of all card transactions processed as well as daily financial reports to help reconcile your merchant account.

The initial version supports credit cards and debit cards used as credit cards only. A subsequent version will also support debit cards (with pin pad) and ACH transfers.

For an overview of what the Credit Card Module can do for your company, see a case study / success story on our website at:

http://www.solution-iv-reprographics-software.com/datasheet/ pmsdallas_case_study.pdf

WebServices System

The Solution-IV WebServices System includes the Customer Relations Management (CRM) and eBusiness modules that automate the sales and customer service aspects of your business. The WebServices System provides internet access to customer related information contained within Solution-IV. Quotes and orders may be processed, statements and invoices may be viewed and printed, and customer account information may be displayed. Service calls may be requested. Orders can be tracked and more.

Solution-IV WebServices keeps your customers in touch with your business automatically. A direct connection to their pricing, discounts and account information is provided when ordering and obtaining quotes online, thus reducing the sales cycle, improving efficiency and increasing revenues. Designed for ease of use, the WebServices System can be implemented in a very short time and be available for use by your customers almost immediately. eBusiness is supported by providing on-line order processing, including product descriptions, pictures, correct pricing and discount information.

For more information or a live demo, visit our website at:

http://www.solution-iv-reprographics-software.com/datasheet/reprocrm.php

Service Contract Management (SCM)

The Service Contract Management system has been field tested and officially released with version 8.53P. The Service Contract system helps manage service contract customers and equipment information. Equipment details, warranties, service and maintenance billings and calls, dispatch and technician scheduling are all supported.

Proper management of service contracts is a necessary element in supporting your customers and maintaining maximum up-time of their equipment. Detailed customer and equipment history, including preventative maintenance calls, upgrades, consumables and their timely management will lead to improved customer satisfaction and higher profits.

Detailed service call information provides time, materials and service technician information that can help determine the profitability of the service call and the pre-and post-warranty reliability of the equipment.

When used with the Web-based Customer Service module, customers are given the ability to request service automatically over the internet. They can also view service call history on all of their equipment.

The Service Contract Management system integrates seamlessly with the Solution-IV Accounting system and database, adding additional capability for you to manage your business.

With version 8.60, we are looking for beta sites for the new Solution-IV eService module. eService enhances the Solution-IV Service Contract capabilities for your service department. Your service reps will be able to add new calls, get past service records, input service call notes, and order supplies and parts. eService requires the Web Customer Service module. Features include:

  • Call assignments and new calls
  • Notes/readings
  • Modify/add/update information
  • Call history
  • Reports
  • Error codes and resolutions

Estimating

The new Estimating module provides the front-office personnel with a point and click interface which builds an estimate on the fly as various components such as cover stock, binding, lamination, and mounting are added to the job. The total estimated price is calculated on the fly as different options are selected and quantities are entered. When the estimate is complete, it can be turned into a live Solution-IV Work (or Sales) Order or Quote.

UPS Interface

The Solution-IV UPS WorldShip interface connects the Solution-IV Invoicing system to the UPS WorldShip system. This interface enables UPS Worldship to pull the shipping addresses directly from Solution-IV and then have the shipping and costing information to be posted directly back to the Solution-IV invoice seamlessly from UPS WorldShip.

T-WEB

T-WEB is Thoroughbred's browser-based development system whereby the applications operate in a web-enabled/browser-based environment. Under T–WEB, the user directs or controls the application, rather than the traditional approach where the procedural programs control the user's movements through the application. In this new environment, the application supports the random access by a browser/GUI user who can now click on any object displayed in the browser.

Moveable, selectable iFrames offer great flexibility and usability when navigating the application. Multiple frames (or windows) can be opened at any one time, and selections and drill-downs are effectively presented.

Solution-IV version 8.60 has the following modules available under T-Web: General Ledger, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable and System Utilities.

Accounts Payable

  • Aged Trial Balance – Added ability to print by posting date; added aging date to selection screen; corrections to which dates to use when reversing checks; corrected sorts.
  • Automatic Payment Selection – Corrected possible issue with discounts.
  • Check Printing – Corrected an issue when 15 invoices were included on the check stub.
  • Payment Selection Entry – Added the ability to enter PK on the invoice field and have it bring up a view showing all open invoices for this vendor; view now starts where you left off; multiple invoices may now be selected.
  • Period End Processing – Better handling of YTD bucket when running Year End Processing partially through the first month of the next year.
  • Terms Code Maintenance – Added new terms "on the xth of this month".
  • Vendor Masterfile / Inquiry Report – Added average days to pay fields; added vendor's website field to file; added the ability to add the next sequential number from the file for the next vendor code – especially good for those businesses using strictly numeric vendor codes; added cell phone numbers to vendor, vendor/contact and vendor/alternate ship codes.
  • Vendor / PO Inquiry – Modeled after Customer/Invoice Inquiry, this option has been completely re-written; many drill-downs were added making it easier to find information on a particular vendor, PO or invoice.

Accounts Receivable

  • Aged Trial Balance – Added ability to print by posting date; added aging date to selection screen.
  • Cash Receipts Entry – Added confirmation question when deleting a deposit; no longer allow deletion of cash receipt posted from Sales Journal; separate out cash receipt batches by credit card type when posting from Sales Journal; check date removed from check entry screen; refined selection view on "pick" option.
  • Customer Inquiry – Enhanced invoice information available; corrected issues with reprint invoice option; now display restock info on RMA/Credit Memo; corrected issue with sorts; added order/invoice number to screen; added ability to get invoice information from AR detail view.
  • Customer Maintenance – Added ability to add the next sequential number from the file for the next customer number; added ability to securely store the customer's credit card number; added warning message if resale number is expired; added cell phone number to customer, customer/contact and customer/ship–to codes; added sort by state; added customer's website.
  • Customer Sales Analysis – Added sort by ZIP code.
  • Invoice Entry – Removed ability to adjust invoices generated from Order Processing.
  • Sales Tax by Date Report – Improved reporting of sub-tax codes.
  • Statement Printing – Added ability to subtotal by project; added customer phone and fax numbers.
  • Terms Code Maintenance – Added new terms "on the xth of this month".

Bank Reconciliation

  • Reconcile Bank Account – Now separate out cash receipts batches by credit card type for easier reconciliation; added the ability to combine multiple GL accounts (i.e. 101-01, 101-02, 101-03) into a single bank code (i.e. BA) or combining multiple bank codes (i.e. CK, PR) and reconciling them together as one GL account code (i.e. 101-01).

Credit Card Processing

  • Card Expiration Date – Tightened logic to verify date is good.
  • Credit Card Number – Now strip spaces.
  • Card Processing – Improved bad card swipe trapping; better processing of declined cards; corrected issues with credits; added processing for negative invoices; processing for invalid payment codes; added ability to batch process charges.
  • Credit Memos / Refunds – Refund logic implemented.

Fixed Assets

  • Asset Maintenance – Added ability to add the next sequential number from the file for the next asset number.
  • Depreciation Calculation – Refined logic for fiscal year tables.
  • Status Change Update – No longer allow an asset to be changed to another existing asset; verify that two assets are not marked to be changed to the same new asset code; do not allow delete of an asset unless it is retired; do not clear asset history unless asset is retired.

FormsCreator

  • Forms Printing – Destination override logic enhanced; added "from name" to fax header; improved functionality if more than one output selected (i.e. printing and faxing); corrected issue with override preferences; improved archive function; corrected issue with cycle invoices not printing all instructions; corrected issue with sorts on orders, quotes and RMA; corrected issue with reprinting credit memos; corrected issue with type T calculations.

General Ledger

  • Detail Transaction Report – Corrected issue with report selector; added option to print report by date.
  • Extended Financial Reporting – Corrected two minor issues; AQxS replaced with ACxS for consistency; revised the pitch setting.
  • General Journal Entry – No longer allow a blank entry.
  • Period End Processing – Now give a warning if posting to a date past two years; now save detail during year end processing.
  • Ratio Report – Accounts Receivable and Inventory turnover ratios now reflect a rolling 12 months.

Inventory Control

  • Item Masterfile – Added a "purchase" comment, similar to internal and regular comments; newkey is now formatted; certain item types restricted from being components of a kit.
  • Item Formatting – If the last segment is set to "U", it ignores the dashes.
  • Period End Processing – Corrected an issue with average cost.
  • Transaction Summary Report – Corrected issue with view if not sort 1.
  • Transfer Tickets – Made selection options more consistent with standard Solution-IV reports.
  • Unit Cost Adjustments – Corrected issue with price only being 2 decimals; correct issue with adjustment.

Order Processing

  • Analysis Reports – Corrected from/to issue on customer plus item sort; added new option to select the top (or bottom) x customers, sales reps, items, etc.
  • Counter Sales – Added the ability to automatically fill in standard information on an invoice for a cash or counter sale in order top process them more quickly.
  • Credit Card Processing – No longer processes zero dollar transactions; credit card number now displayed as ****–****–****–1234; enhancements to credit card capture process.
  • Contract Listing – Item code ranges now formatted.
  • Daily Deposit Reporting – Corrected an issue when the order and deposit were taken on the same day as the order was invoiced.
  • Historical Sales Journal – Corrected issue when printing by posting date where some payments were missing.
  • Inquiries – Corrected issue with inconsistent headings.
  • Order/Invoice Entry – Added the ability to show how much change is to be given on a cash transaction; added ability to modify an order and instantly turn it into an invoice; added an "auto-fill" key to quickly fill in order header information on cash invoices; corrected issue with grid pricing and quantity ordered of 1; corrected issue where shipped quantity was not pre-filled with 1 on a newly added line; corrected issue where an order is copied and kit component commitments weren't updated properly; corrected issue on printing picking tickets and packing lists on multi–warehouse orders; corrected issue with "first" pricing; view on serial items now limited to this item/this warehouse; corrected issue with delivery charges on pick-up orders; refined range for customer item sales view; refined rules on when the product code can be changed on an order/invoice line; added a speed enhancement to the F2 option at line number; corrected issue with block pricing; if average cost is zero, uses last cost on a line for more accurate profit reporting; refined project code override logic; corrected issue with charging sales tax on freight when a resale number is on file; corrected issue with override price classes from the store file; copy order now sets new order date to terminal date; several performance enhancements are included.
  • Order Inquiry – Added ability to print an RMA from Inquiry.
  • Picking/Delivery Maintenance – Corrected a few cosmetic issues; ship-to address now carries forward to the order.
  • Price Inquiry – Added on-hand and on–PO quantities to view; corrected unit price.
  • Project Code Commission Rates – May now be zero.
  • Reprint Invoices – Added options to the reprint invoice function.
  • Sales Analysis Reporting – Secondary sort ranges now available.
  • Sales Journal Update – Added ability to update by operator; added better processing of invoices when invalid codes are inserted; cash batch assignment refined, corrected rounding issue in GL distribution; corrected costing on components; resolved issue with batch payments; added deleted reason to daily and historical journals; speed enhancements added.
  • Summary Invoices – Now total freight and sales tax.

Payroll

  • December 2007 Payroll Release – All changes incorporated into the December 2007 Payroll Releases are incorporated into this version. See the Year End Information Guide for December 2007 for details.
  • Employee Maintenance – Added ability to add the next sequential number from the file for the next employee code; added contact cell, e–mail and work e–mail numbers; new screen added to employee maintenance and fields reorganized.

Purchase Order

  • Automatic PO Creation – Now uses last cost.
  • Cost Inquiry – Corrected issue with displaying cost.
  • Invoice Register & Update – Corrected issue with posting non–stock unit cost items; corrected a few other minor issues; added more detail to the GL Summary Report; corrected conflict issue which occurred when AP and PO were being updated at the same time; added ability to force update of last cost if invoice cost is different from receipt cost; added ability to change the text field on a "closed" line.
  • Open PO Report – Now shows POs with negative quantities.
  • Purchase Analysis Reports – Added an option to select the top (or bottom) x vendors, items, etc.; added year and period in from/to ranges as in OP Sales Analysis.
  • Purchase Order Cancellation – Added a new feature which allows cancellation of incomplete orders once it is determined the order will never be fully filled.
  • Purchase Order Entry – Now prevents editing of PO if in receipts or invoicing; corrected issue with item lookup view; corrected issue with history; requisition number now carried to the PO; F9 in PO Requisition Entry takes you to PO Inquiry.
  • Receipts Register & Update – Corrected a minor issue where the inspected by field wasn't updated back to the PO.
  • Transaction Entry – Corrected issue with duplicate serial numbers; automatically set a new line to the PO's warehouse code; added comments per line item.
  • Vendor Delivery Performance Report – Refined date basis.

Service Contract

  • General – Several minor cosmetic issues corrected.

System Utilities / General

  • Addresses – Modified to conform to USPS standards.
  • Labels – Laser label print options added.
  • Copy Company – Now allows disk numbers greater than 9.
  • Event Log – Corrected issue with auto-expanding file.
  • Executive Summary – Enhanced gross profit calculations.
  • Lookups – Most lookups now give the ability to enter some amount of text followed by the F12 key (i.e. BLUE<F12>) which will then return all the records where the text (i.e. Blue) is included in the name.
  • Menus – Custom menu option now added to all menus to provide easier transitions during upgrades.
  • Operator Preferences – May now limit operator to one specific company; added more control and options to the operator preferences option.
  • Period End Processing – Added special Period End Processing Event Log; moved "Clear Historical Transactions" option to a separate menu to prevent unauthorized/unintended deletion of history.
  • Status Change Update – Safeguards added to prevent blank keys; added OP contracts to update.
  • Updates (General) – The following updates may now be run by operator: PO Receipts, Returns & Invoices; IC Transactions; OP Sales Journal; AR Cash Receipts.
  • Views – Most views now suppress display of Inactive or To Be Deleted records.
  • Date Entry – Many dates, especially the GL Posting Date, are tested for reasonability to avoid invalid postings.

Required and Complimentary Products

The following Solution–IV version number has been assigned to this release and requires the following other products in order to run:

Solution-IV
Version
OPENworkshop Version Basic
Version
VIP®/GWW™
Version
8.60 8.6.0 with
Web updates
8.6.0 with
Web updates
8.6.0
(optional)

support@tbred.com