In the fast-paced world of system integration - efficiency, precision, and adaptability are the cornerstones of success. D-Tools System Integrator (SI) has long been a trusted ally for low-voltage integrators, streamlining workflows from proposal to project completion. This remains true as we bring our latest product to bear on the market.
With the release of SI v23, D-Tools unveils a suite of powerful features designed to elevate project management, enhance collaboration, and drive profitability. This latest iteration introduces game-changing capabilities such as multi-office functionality, partial project approval, editable project templates, flexible payment terms for change orders, color-coded project statuses, and enhanced data fields in Layouts for the SI Project Editor.
If any of this has piqued your interest, then please keep reading (or listening) as we take a look at some these mechanisms in SI that can really help users overachieve in the coming year.
Where to start, well let’s dive in to the top structural change in the SI’s functionality, and that is
Multi-office capability: Seamless Collaboration Across Locations
For integration firms with multiple locations, coordinating projects across offices can be a logistical nightmare—until now. SI V23’s multi-office capability is a breakthrough, enabling seamless data sharing and operational consistency for geographically dispersed teams. This feature is a lifeline for companies managing complex, multi-site projects or ones seeking to expand their footprint.
How does this work exactly?
The multi-office settings allow administrators to define office-specific configurations while maintaining a unified database. Each office can operate with tailored settings—such as local tax rates, labor rates, or preferred vendors—yet share critical project data across the organization. The multi-office data sync ensures real-time updates, so changes made in one office (e.g., a revised proposal or updated inventory) are instantly reflected in others. This eliminates duplicate entries, reduces errors, and fosters a cohesive workflow.
For example, a firm with offices in Atlanta and San Francisco can assign a project manager in Atlanta to oversee a San Francisco installation. The manager accesses the same project data, including equipment lists and schedules, without needing to juggle separate software systems. The sync feature supports both SI hosted and on-premises server deployments, offering flexibility for firms of all sizes.
With SI V23’s multi-office sync, SI provides users the opportunity to maximize project coordination time thus potentially saving hours weekly. This feature could be a game-changer for firms scaling operations or managing large, multi-phase projects across regions.
This new, multi-office capability empowers integrators to operate as a single, cohesive unit, enhancing efficiency and client satisfaction. It’s ideal for firms expanding into new markets or managing enterprise-scale projects with distributed teams.
Partial Project Approval: Flexibility for Dynamic Projects
Change is the only constant in system integration, and SI V23’s partial project approval feature addresses this reality head-on. This functionality allows integrators to secure client approval for specific project segments without waiting for the entire project to be finalized thus streamlining workflows and accelerating timelines.
Partial project approval enables users to mark individual systems, rooms, or phases as approved within the SI Project Editor. Clients can sign off on these segments via the D-Tools Customer Portal, using e-signatures for quick, secure approval.
For instance, a client might approve the audio-visual system for a conference room while revisions are still underway for the lighting control system. Once approved, these segments can move to procurement or installation, keeping the project on track. This operation can boost client satisfaction while reducing idle labor costs as the ability to segment Project approvals can keep your team moving without sacrificing accuracy or efficiency.
This feature also integrates with SI’s Mobile Install app, allowing field technicians to access approved segments and begin work immediately. It also supports detailed reporting so project managers can track which portions are approved and which remain pending.
Partial project approval offers unmatched flexibility, enabling integrators to maintain momentum on complex projects. Further, it can reduce bottlenecks, improve cash flow (by allowing earlier billing), and enhance client trust through transparent progress updates.
Editable Project Templates: Streamlining Consistency and Speed
Consistency is key to delivering professional proposals and projects, and SI V23’s editable project templates make it easier than ever to standardize workflows. These templates allow integrators to create reusable frameworks tailored to their business, saving time thus ensuring quality across projects.
Editable project templates let users predefine project structures, including systems, locations, equipment packages, labor estimates, and even documentation like schematics or scope-of-work statements. Templates can be customized for specific project types—say, a residential home theater or a commercial boardroom—and saved for reuse. SI V23 enhances this by allowing real-time edits to templates during project creation, so users can tweak details without starting from scratch.
For example, a template for a standard office AV install might include a projector, screen, and audio system, with predefined labor hours and pricing. If a client requests an additional display, the integrator can modify the template on the fly, preserving the core structure while adapting to new requirements.
Use of SI’s Project Templates can enable your team to hit the ground running, ensuring every project starts with a professional, consistent foundation. Further, editable project templates save time, reduce errors, and present a polished image to clients. They’re a boon for integrators handling repetitive projects or scaling operations, as they balance standardization with flexibility.
Project Rules for Flexible Payment Terms on Change Orders
Change orders are a fact of life in system integration, often complicating billing and client relations. SI v23’s project rules for different payment terms on change orders introduce a smarter way to manage these along the flexibility needed to ensure fairness and transparency.
SI v23’s project rules allow integrators to define unique payment terms for change orders, separate from the main project contract. For instance, a project might require a 50% deposit upfront, but a change order for additional equipment could be set to net 30 days or full payment upon completion. These rules are configured in the SI Project Editor and automatically applied when change orders are created, streamlining invoicing and client communication.
The feature also integrates with the D-Tools Customer Portal, where clients can review and approve change orders with clear payment terms outlined. It also syncs with accounting integrations (e.g., QuickBooks), ensuring accurate billing and reducing manual data entry.
Use of this new feature could improve cash flow and enable faster reinvestment in inventory. Your clients may even appreciate the clear terms allowing for the reduction of payment disputes.
Flexible payment terms for change orders enhance financial agility and client trust. Integrators can tailor terms to project needs, improve cash flow, and maintain professional relationships, all while reducing administrative overhead.
Color-Coding Project Status: Visual Clarity for Better Management
Managing multiple projects requires quick, at-a-glance insights, and SI v23’s color-coding for project status designations delivers just that. This feature transforms project tracking into a visually intuitive experience, helping teams stay organized and responsive.
Users can now assign custom colors to project statuses—such as In Progress, Awaiting Approval, or Completed—in the SI Project Editor. These colors appear across dashboards, Gantt charts, and reports, making it easy to identify project stages instantly. For example, a red status might flag a delayed project, while green signals smooth progress. The feature supports up to 10 customizable status colors, ensuring flexibility for varied workflows.
This visual aid extends to the Mobile Install app, where field technicians see color-coded tasks, and the Customer Portal, where clients view project updates in a clear, professional format.
As a result, project managers could instantly spot bottlenecks, like a project stuck in Pending Client Review (marked yellow), and prioritize follow-ups. This can not only save time but also boost team productivity.
Color-coding project statuses simplifies oversight, reduces errors, and enhances communication across teams and clients. It’s a small change with a big impact, especially for firms juggling multiple high-stakes projects.
Enhanced Data Fields in the SI Project Editor: Partner-Driven Precision
Accurate product data is the backbone of integration projects, and SI v23’s new Partner Set, Partner Updated, and Partner Checked On data fields in the SI Project Editor’s layouts supercharge this process. These fields leverage D-Tools’ partnerships with vendors to ensure pricing and availability are always current.
The new fields, accessible in the Project Editor’s customizable layouts, include:
These fields ensure integrators use real-time pricing and availability of data, reducing errors in proposals and purchase orders. This effort integrates with the D-Tools Integrated Product Library, pulling data directly from vendor partners to keep project items up to date.
These fields can help catch any price increase on a key model before finalizing a proposal thus saving a potential margin loss. The Partner Updated field can alert your team a recent data refresh, prompting a quick check that ensured accurate quoting and ultimately increase project profitability.
These data fields empower integrators with vendor-synced accuracy, minimizing costly pricing errors and enhancing trust with clients. They streamline workflows by embedding real-time data into the heart of project management.
And there it is!
For many more highlights of what SI delivered for ours users, be sure to check our tech bulletin and tip of the month posts at www.d-tools.com/resource-center.
As we often say here, there just is not enough space or time here to cover all of the latest and greatest features and mechanisms of SI’s v23 that can enhance your earnings and profitability. For more information on that, please visit our online wiki and website.
Since we know each team will leverage and utilize these aforementioned features in their own unique method, it is 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.
Be sure to tune back in here for future installments on SI’s v23 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 v23 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 v23. You can also review our other videos and our usual support documentation.
You can also get more detailed information about v23 via our upcoming webinars and by enrolling in SI training with our PSG team. Further, please feel free to sign-up for our forthcoming “What’s new in v23” webinar when 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 v23!!!