How SI’s v22 new features provide users with enhanced capabilities.

For this month’s entry, we are going to focus on the some of the new features with D-Tools’ latest System Integrator release – v22. This seemed logical, as there is always a great deal of excitement these days about new releases, not only internally here at D-Tools, but also in the marketplace at large. The attention here will also further serve as additional notice that v22 is now live for our SI users.

While we are always examining ways to improve the users experience with SI, this specific release includes some interesting enhancements for SI Projects, Reports, Scheduling, and more! We will only touch on a few of these here so be sure to review our recent v22 release notes on our website.

So if you are ready for a sneak peek at v22, then sit back, relax, and enjoy our preview/review of some of the newly released feature enhancements and benefits of SI’s latest product release.

Reprise for those that missed last month’s entry on the v22 Gantt View improvements…

First off, what is new in Projects?
Well the simple answer is “a lot” and to see the list of full details, check out our online wiki. Meanwhile, we will hit some high points of the new release here.

• Increase of the maximum number of items in a single line entry for Quantity-based Projects from 1000 to 10,000! So, while this may not affect all SI users, for our dealers that quote large-scale integration projects across multiple floors or even buildings across a large campus, the need to adjust items like j-hooks, conduit pipes, and other items that are often quoted in large numbers like sensors or contacts, is paramount.

• Another interesting wrinkle for the quantity assignment of items in a project is that now SI will accommodate the entry of zero as a quantity.
  
  
  
  Several use case scenarios come to mind for this application so suffice it to say, if you need to use this zero-quantity designation for any reason, it is now active in v22.
  
  
• In the effort to help our users that rely on SI’s Price Adjustment, we’ve added a column for them to see the outcome of their percentage addition:
  
  
  All one needs to do, to see the total of the various Price Adjustments in the new data column, is to click the Save icon in top left portion of the ribbon and the aggregate total will change accordingly.
  
  
• Continuing with the theme of enhancements to help our users, we have also added the tax status of any item in your Projects to our Item Validation Settings.
  
  
  In addition, you now have access to a Product’s Custom Fields for consideration when designating these values.
  
  
• Lastly but not least, we have added a very important option for our users when they must reverse the Approved status of any SI Project to Unapproved.
   
  When doing so, SI users will be prompted to create a zip back-up file for the prior Approved Project in order to prevent any inadvertent data loss.

Numbering? How does that help?

Well for many of our users, the ability to customize the numeric structure of values, such as their Project numbers, is vital especially when considering the integration of SI with other platforms like an accounting software. In addition, while the ability to do this for SI Project numbers has long existed, we now are proud to announce this will now also apply to 2 other areas as well.

• Service Orders
  
  
  Once in the Service Order Explorer, you will find this new option on the Settings icon at the right end of the ribbon. Apply the desired text or data field value(s) and you are ready to go.
  
  
• Tasks
  
  
  Also available in its respective Explorer for Tasks, the custom numbering format for your Tasks can similarly be accessed via the Settings icon in the top right corner of the ribbon.
  Once adjusted, this custom numbering format will populate for all newly created Tasks.

While not directly related creating custom numeric values, as a friendly gesture, we have now added the Project Number to the Project Editor title bar at the top:


Albeit while subtle, this is a nice addition for those needing to quickly reference any Project’s number once the file is opened on their screen.

Reports, Reports, Reports! What’s new with SI’s Reports?

Possibly the most important feature of SI, the default reports are always receiving evaluation for improvement and D-Tools latest release v22 does not disappoint here.

Allow me to list a few highlights for you now:

• The addition of the Report Type tab along the header in report dialog window is a much welcomed addition:
  

This now makes life easy for those that need to move between the various report types when generating submission data for clients as well as all the necessary documentation for their internal teams of project management, procurement, and deployment.

• Another long sought after report addition is the option to include a Project’s Scope of Work in many of the default reports including some of the management ones:
  
  
  Again, just another mechanism in how SI can make life easy for our users by including a Project’s Scope with other documentation to help the recipient (be they internal or external) understand more about the association of all the items present in any report listing.
  
  
• Continuing with this enhancement theme of SI’s reports is the new ability to add a custom Cover Page Image to the Client record in SI that will then auto-populate in the Client’s respective Project:
  
  
  Just select the icon for Cover Page Image in the Client Editor to use any specific Cover Page Image in your Client Reports.
  
  
• Another helpful addition for our heavy report users is the relocation of the Custom Report lists in the report dialog windows for Service Order, Tasks, and Purchase Orders:
  
  
  Just another shortcut for those that rely primarily on Custom Reports for their teams.

And that is just the tip of the iceberg regarding v22’s Report updates. Please see our online wiki for further details.

How does your Work Flow? Enhancements to SI’s Workflow Rules.

In yet another area where we get many requests for enhancements, SI’s Workflow Rules were not left out of the v22 considerations. Please allow me to expand.

• Criteria fields of Notes Updated and Comments Added are now present for selection as triggering mechanisms in the Workflow Rule structure of Tasks and Service Orders.
  
  
  This is extremely helpful for our users that have multiple players on the SI side of creating, deploying, scheduling, and completing work order Tasks and Service Orders for their Projects and Clients.
  
  
• We’ve also added (2) critical data points to the Insert Field option of the Message icon in Task and Service Order Workflow Rules:
  
  
  Now the ability of this mechanism is further able to give your team’s recipients the details that they need to then act in a timely fashion regarding the completion of such events.
  
  
• One last value addition here for SI’s Workflow Rules is the presence of Shipment Preference on the Criteria tab:
  
  
  This now allows our users to become aware of the shipping company in relation to the PO itself and thus, set appropriate receivership agents for acceptance of any Project’s deliveries.

As we often say here, there just isn’t enough space or time here to cover all of the new features and enhancements of SI’s v22. For more information on that, please visit our online wiki and website.

Now, while we have covered a few mechanisms and methodologies here, this is merely scratching the surface of what SI can achieve for users now and in the future!

Further, since we know each team will leverage and utilize these aforementioned features in their own unique method, it is strongly recommended for new (as well as experienced) SI users to reach out to our PSG division to gain further insight from our team of industry professionals with extensive SI experience themselves.

And there it is!

Be sure to tune back in here for future installments on SI’s v22 and beyond.

A Perspective

Our team is continually evaluating ways to improve and enhance your team’s usage of and experience with our SI platform. Therefore, it behooves you and your team to explore these (and other features) as well by securing time with our Professional Services Group of SI and integration industry veterans in order to maximize your team’s ability to succeed with the software.

In Summation…

-Update to v22 if you have not already done so.
-Review, utilize, and deploy these newly added features listed above here to ensure success with D-Tools SI.
-Sign-up for webinars, training, or visit our online documentation “wiki” for tutorial assistance.
And, as always…
-Get focused, get serious, and make money.

Enjoy!

With all of that said, there’s still plenty more in store for you with SI and forthcoming product releases so keep an eye out for future updates.

We are always reviewing your Feature Requests to determine our best step forward and next course of action with future SI product releases so…keep’em coming!

In closing…

For more information on these and other features of SI, please see this link: D-Tools v22. You can also review our other videos and our usual support documentation.

You can also get more detailed information about v22 via our upcoming webinars and by enrolling in SI training with our PSG team. Further, please feel free to review our What’s new in v22 webinar that is now available.

And don’t forget, that’s why we are here…to ensure your success with our product! Be sure to check back here next time for more on v22!!!