Release 4.15

SUMMARY

In this release, we've addressed some changes required for the framework update.  The changes are fairly extensive and have extended the estimated effort on this release.  The changes meant that most of the system was touched, so testing takes longer.  The more extensive testing uncovered some older issues that we've addressed.  This should mean that we've improved stability in many places, but if we've missed a few tests, you should anticipate to encounter a new bug here and there.  Please report those as soon as possible.  Most of those changes would not be visible, but they should help a little with performance and future code maintenance.  There are still many places to refactor.  In the interest of getting some important changes out, we've delayed those changes until the next release.

More details below, but the first things you are likely to notice are a new filter option when viewing job materials and expenses.  Also, the job notes and customer notes are now consistent with the changes made to employee notes in the last release.  There is a new sub tab in the job vendor purchase orders to report expenses and materials on a purchase order that were not assigned to a job.  Among other changes, several admin forms have cleaner interfaces.

NEW FEATURES

Filter Job Materials and Job Expenses by Item Code and/or Title

• Rather than wading through a large list of materials, you can now type a whole or partial word in the Item Code / Title Filter text box.  Click Apply Item Filter and all records with item codes or titles that match the typed text will be shown.

• This filter text is remembered for each job, just as the Invoice filter is remembered, so clear the filter if you need to see everything.

Customer and Job Notes

• The structure for recording employee notes was extended to jobs and customers.  As before, there is a new Notes tab. You can add multiple notes that are timestamped with an optional expiration date to automatically delete notes in accordance with your retention policy.  The default retention period is defined in the T-JACS Admin page under the Job and Customer preferences.  The default is currently 36 months (or 3 years).  The maximum default retention is 10 years.

• The Action Required field and the Sensitive Content field functionality has still not been enabled, so be sure to always check this field if the note is sensitive.

• To add notes, click on the Add note title below the list of notes.  A form will be uncovered where you can enter the note.  There are further tweaks planned to make it easier to view the notes.

• Existing Job and Customer notes were transferred to the new notes table.

• There is a new field on the Job called Job Description.  It's intended to be a short summary of the job.  Some job notes that were transferred you may wish to use as the Job Description.  Currently, you would have to copy them manually and delete the note.

Refactored Forms with new Add Record method

• As with new notes, other forms have the Add Record link below the list of records that expands to show the Add form.

  • Invoice Payments

  • Blocker Types

  • Labor Types

  • Base Rates

  • Pay Scales

Unreconciled Vendor Purchase Order Items

• Sometimes, and item on a PO is not attached to a job.  The only way to view those was in the main Vendors menu under Vendor Purchase Orders and then Reconcile Expenses or Reconcile Materials.  These forms listed all unattached items on all jobs.  These reports are now available under the job Vendor Purchase Orders and only list items for Purchase Orders assigned to the job.

De-assign an invoice from a Timesheet using the "Apply to Checked Items" dropdown

• On the timesheet list, select the timesheet(s), click the Apply to Checked Items dropdown, and then click De-assign Invoice.  Previously, the only way to remove a timesheet from the invoice was to click on Customer P.O./Invoice, and select De-Assign from the invoice dropdown.  The old method is still available.

Allow changing the next Purchase Order number

• The generated next PO number can be changed from the administration page, similarly to changing the next job number.

Refactoring of subsystems

• This should not be a visible change, but it does represent a major update to how the underlying system functions.  For the anticipated migration to the new framework version, certain system functions have been removed.  The recommended replacement procedure allows for better code maintenance and is better overall.  This release prepared the structure so that more changes could be done in smaller, more manageable batches over the next few weeks.

FIXES

• The Job Number and RFP Number field on the job form is more clear as to its function and use.  Help text has been added.

• The Cancel button on the Vendor PO Attachment was broken.

• When creating a new purchase order item from Quick Add, the ordered quantity was not transferring to the job item.

• When converting a catalog item to a non-catalog item, the unit price was being set to a wrong value.

• Tools with a bin assignment were giving an error when editing the tool.

• Several minor fixes and improvements.