T-JACS 2022 Year in Review
We're thrilled with the advancements we've been able to make in 2022, and our most exciting feature is printable invoices. We can now generate a PDF invoice that can itemize or summarize the time and materials on a job. The invoice has flexible editing functions and the layout can be custom configured. We're also able to print fewer pages by utilizing separate layouts for single page and multi-page invoices.
In the process of building invoices, job quotes got a a makeover, preparing us for when those will be able to be printed, which we expect will not be a long time coming. This year has also seen a number of notable streamlining features added that we've already seen dividends on.
The job summary report received the capability to report on multiple jobs for a customer, giving you combined totals and markups, and allowing you to see how well your job costs and invoices balance between all the reported jobs.
Time sheet entry and reporting got a boost with reports having more meaningful summaries and totals, and the time sheet entry getting a few productivity enhancements.
We've also introduced Uncategorized Preset Items (UPI). UPI's allow easier and quicker use of vendor purchase orders by letting you add a single entry for lot materials, expenses, or whatever you require. A UPI preset entry isn't associated with the catalog or a specific cost, so it's a quick way to represent all items in a purchase with a single entry. UPI presets are perfect for conditions where materials are all consumed on a job and inventory control is irrelevant, or if an itemized list isn't required for historical purposes or support.
Job scope lists now sport an "in use" column indicating that a scope is in use; meaning that time and materials have been applied. Knowing a scope is in use helps you to know how a job is progressing. This indicator differentiates between required items that are estimates only, or if they have a net quantity, indicating that they were actually used.
Your equipment records gained the ability to change the status when the maintenance date arrives, so you can see more quickly the tools and equipment that need attention. You can also now upload multiple file attachments for equipment. The check-in process has been radically improved, allowing check-outs of equipment to specific customers and contacts, and gives you a complete check-out overview and history.
Work In Progress Reclaim (WIPR) bins got some love too, allowing you to more easily move materials out of the bin and onto another job, including the target job's WIPR bin.
Vendor Quotes are able to be printed as a PDF, or downloaded as a CSV. The PDF also has your company name and address below your logo.
Our development strategy is that when we provide a new feature, it should work right out of the box. Sometimes we miss something, so we reserve extra time at the beginning of the next release to addressing immediate issues. In evaluating other issues, we prefer that an existing feature works before adding new features. We feel that this year has been extremely successful in managing the fractures from new features, as well as addressing older issues that we attempt to fix as quickly as they are discovered. As often as we can, we will also refresh stale code and we were able to refactor several forms and lists to bring them up to date. This has a beneficial effect of identifying older, hidden bugs. We still have a bit more refactoring to do.
Over the course of the year, we spent 1253 man hours developing 20 releases from version 4.75 to 4.94, adding 25,349 lines of code and changing an additional 24,217 lines of code in 1,589 program files.
Our ambitions for 2023 include new functionality related to customers and inventory, and to build out printing customer quotes. Our greatest desire is helping you to focus more on simply getting things done and to keep it together.
