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Release 4.229 October 6, 2011 barney

This version will modify the database; it will force you to log all terminals out during upgrade

  • Unit quotes. Generate quotes and convert quotes into invoices
  • Browse/Select unit.  Various browse unit screens now contain a filter option that allows you to only display units that match the filter. i.e.  all Generators, or all bikes whose model contains '250'
  • Purchase unit.  Add option for purchase similar unit : it will add another unit to the list of units being purchased by cloning the selected unit.  Useful for processing a purchase order of a bunch of brush cutters of the same model type for example
  • Accounts - ability to define type of phone. i.e. instead of 'Alt Phone' you can write 'Bobs Phone', or 'Bills Mobile'
  • When browsing lists where search mechanism allows you to search by a date or an invoice number etc, automatically position the list at the bottom of the list. i.e. 99.9% of the time user is interested in last invoices, not first invoice ever raised in the system
  • Stocktake sheets. Print barcode
  • Stocktake entry.  Redesign so list reflects exact same as printed output. Also tune interface to make data entry quicker
  • Receive orders : new column : line total.
  • Cash Till Report. Option to print detailed report on all transactions involved in the reporting period.
  • Redesign of point of sale screens so sale finalization works more efficiently.
    • Tender amount occurs after select payment method
    • Tender is only asked if instrument is tenderable (only first Cash is tenderable, configurable via setup) and invoice amount is greater than
    • Tender display only occurs if tendered amount is neither 0 or invoice value. i.e. there is change to tender.
    • This change has implications.  Specifically you can no longer book an account payment on invoice sale during point of sale. You now have to goto accounts separately and book payment. Arguably this implication yields better software too, as the way system used to work was a frequent cause of human error.
  • Ability to open till on all sales; even if print docket is not selected
  • Franchises - ability to 'archive' franchises. i.e. parts in franchise can no longer be accessed via POS but old profit reports etc still work
  • Receive order : print invoice and order line item notes if any
  • Bugfix - if you try to add certain items to the database (i.e. staff or jobitem), and trigger an error like 'Duplicate Clerk Key'; fixing the duplicate and clicking on OK again does not have expected result. Saved data is incorrect.  Now fixed.
  • Bugfix : buy sell report would not report received order items that were free-form added/modified onto a receive order at point of receive. Would only report received items which were formally ordered on either daily or stock order (regression caused by introduction of reserve/picklist)
  • Bugfix: miner join of unit chains was not working correctly
Release 4.228 September 29, 2011 barney

Bugfix. Ability to copy read only strings displayed in windows onto the clipboard caused an annoying defect with some buttons, especially in point of sale. The buttons could no longer be accessed via the mouse, unless you click on the edge of the button (hotkeys still worked).  Workaround by disabling copy to clipboard for strings which are not dynamic. i.e. On screen in view acocunt for example you will see "Address: 10 Bourke St".  The "Address:" bit cannot be copied, but the dynamic "10 Bourke St" can.

Release 4.227 September 26, 2011 barney
  • Monthly passwords.  C9 now includes a facility to fetch passwords from the Internet.  If  status of your bill account with c9 is up-2-date then you can fetch next password by clicking a button in enter password.   Existing methods still work, i.e. manually key in password.
  • Right mouse button click on many controls in c9 to copy/paste content. Works on strings, entry, text controls and images.
  • Manage images - provide ability to crop and rotate images
  • Add ability to store images against units and workshop jobs. Motivated for Victoria RWC changes but can track many images for different purposes against either a job or a unit. Note that this feature is only available if you have online backups enabled.
Release 4.226 September 24, 2011 barney
  • When you have many c9 instances running it is hard to tell on taskbar which one is which.  New change, the taskbar description changes depending on what module you are in. i.e. 'C9 Spares', or 'C9 Workshop' etc
  • F12 Customer pickup - includes option to print list
  • F12 Customer pickup - include search option. e.g. search by name or order description
  • F12 customer pickup - dramatically improved performance of loading/displaying the list. Especially when there are lots of items in the list
  • Receive order - new checkbox to print barcodes after receive. When checked, after receive print barcode is displayed with all of the stock received items preloaded ready for printing
  • Bugfix tweaks on processing internet orders requested by Drew.
  • Bugfix - last version of c9 modified invoice attachments so name of the shop would be built into the name of the PDF file.  But there is a limit to length of the name of an attachment.  If too long then attachment name would be incorrect and many computers will not be able to open attachment.  Example:  "Really Long business name Bikes & bits" would generate an invalid name of a invoice. New change shortens a name using various algorithms, such as remove "Pty Ltd" etc. So above example becomes "Really Long business name Bikes Spare Parts invoice #123456.pdf".  Tested the algorithm with all c9 customer business names and results generated work well.
Release 4.225 September 19, 2011 barney
  • Bug fixes/enhancements relating to introduction of reserve orders
    • Buy/sell report stopped reporting stock received via orders. Now fixed
    • Import internet order. Could not process such an order as a 'reserve'. Now fixed.
  • Bug fixes/enhancements relating to recently added restocking analysis tools
    • 'Close' button on some windows did not actually close the window when clicked on. Had to click on 'x' in top right (or press Esc key)
    • Give user option to indicate how often they generate a stock order. Previously c9 would figure this out by looking at how many stock orders were raised in the past 6 months. This technique is problematic; so give user option to expressly indicate.
    • Do not allow statistics generation on assumption of stock order less than every 14 days. Previously was 7 days. Data is too noisy at such a frequency of reordering.
  • Workshop clock off. Warn if mechanic was clocked on overnight and provide a means to allow mechanic to set date/time when they really clocked off (defaults to 6 pm on the day the mechanic clocked on)
  • Cancel/adjust spares order.  Would not update qty on order for workshop spares on order. Now fixed
  • Package Info tweaks (to aid installation of new systems)
  • Save/email invoice. Filename/email subject now contains name of the shop instead of 'c9'
  • Account statement : make it clear if statement is in credit and does not require payment (portrait only)
  • Fixes to handling of new customers on import web orders.
Release 4.224 September 15, 2011 barney

This version will upgrade the database and will force you to log all terminals out first

  • Introduction of sophisticated restocking analysis tools. A separate post will be written shortly that explains how to use this new feature
  • Fixed menu text when double clicking on item in workshop
  • Allow selling of parts to booked workshop job
  • Unit profit report. In date order
  • Change how add new unit behaves when long references (i.e. full VINs) are used
  • Tweaks/Fixes to Deloitte Honda data export
  • Spares Quote : could not handle freeform items. Now fixed.
Release 4.223 September 6, 2011 barney

This version will upgrade the database and will force you to log all terminals out first

  • Removed deferred payments and added new system for reserving spares
  • Compare terminal/server date & time. Under some circumstances the system will incorrectly assume that system date and time are incorrect. Fixed
  • Spares point of sale. Removed confusing 'Amount left by customer field'. Replaced it with a button next to deposit which is used to help calculate how much deposit to claim in order to arrive at a given tendered amount.
  • Terminal update: make it clear to user that clicking through terminal update screen will cause all their existing c9 sessions to shutdown
  • Database scanner - recent changes for text searching on stock/master file meant that scanner no longer worked on these tables. Now fixed.
  • Workshop add new unit. Modified unit add so it better copes with units with same/similar reference number. it will list details on all units that match and allow user to select if unit already in system. Otherwise it will automatically generate a unique reference # for a new unit.
  • Print spares quote.  Ask user if they wish to suppress part numbers printed on a spares quote.
  • Print unit invoice, under some conditions where there are alot of invoice line items the after invoice costs such as stamp duty would print on the second page. A customer would look at first page of the invoice and assume that the figure 'tax invoice total' is the figure to pay. Modified c9 so that tax invoice tally and after invoice costs will flow over onto a second page so that customer actively looks for a second invoice page.
Release 4.222 September 2, 2011 barney
  • Receive back ordered parts.  When receiving accessory parts also query user for supplier
  • Synchronize MYOB/Quickbooks, do not attempt sync accessory received invoices where supplier is not know
  • Configure labels, redesigned configure label screen so it is easier to configure for either A4 or dedicated labelling printers.
Release 4.221 August 30, 2011 barney

Bugfix.  When receiving orders, c9 is supposed to look at all active orders in the system and preferentially 'receive' parts for customer orders instead of restocking orders; without regard for numbering of original orders sent to supplier; i.e. a customer orders late, but a stock order is received with those parts : reassign those parts to the customer instead of stock.  Normally this works, but there is one rare situation where this reallocation would not occur and parts would go into stock instead of being allocated to the customer (customer parts would eventually be processed when those parts come in on later receive orders). This version fixes this rare situation.

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Release 4.220 August 30, 2011 barney
  • View/Change part : add ability to move part to another franchise
  • Naming convention change - 'master file' becomes 'price file'
  • Naming convention change - 'odo' 'odometer' becomes 'odo/hour'
    • Note that most of code already did this but there were some key places in c9 that still referred to 'odometer'
  • Minor visual/screen/naming tweaks
    • Hide status on select job
    • Rename max/min check to max check
    • Workshop other : remove images and access to 'other'. (Other is accessible via setup)
    • Workshop : hide items instead of disabling them where units package is installed
    • Account statements : rename couple of check boxes to remove some confusion about how this screen works
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