Focus Newsletter 07-09

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RTM e-Newsletter, July 2009

 

In our Summer newsletter, we present some opportunities to make money by helping businesses improve their bottom line.

This year has had it’s challenges for some, but many segments of the service industry are growing.  The automation and efficiency that our software offers can help these companies in a time of growth, or help them obtain an advantage in a competitive market.  Our products can pay for themselves through increased productivity and insight into what makes a service business profitable.

Tip of the month – Scheduling of resources can be made easier through the use of filters.  Setting filters in the Scheduling/Dispatching function will help to schedule a specific type of resource with the same type of job (i.e. send the delivery guys to do the deliveries, and the installation crew to do the installs).  Filters can also be used to limit the area serviced, efficiently routing calls in the same vicinity.  Saving filters by user allows separate schedules to be processed automatically based on user login ID.

Software Trial Period – We have instituted a new program to allow prospective users to try our software before buying.  A temporary registration may now be issued to users committed to testing an implementation of Focus or ServicePoint.  At the expiration of the trial period, a full registration may be purchased and all existing data will be preserved.

Online Demonstrations – If you have a sales prospect, questions about our software, or just want a better idea of how our products work, give us a call to schedule a session.  We use Citrix Online for fast, secure, and easy access.  Contact beverly@rtmcs.com if you would like to be included.

Product News

ServicePoint – Our SQL based service management application, ServicePoint, is designed for seamless integration with CounterPoint SQL from Radiant Systems or Great Plains Dynamics from Microsoft Business Solutions.  The latest fully functional ServicePoint demos are available for download on our web site at http://www.rtmcs.com/downloads.htm#demo.  Here’s what’s new in ServicePoint…

  • Auto Login into ServicePoint – Starting ServicePoint from a menu selection in CounterPoint or from a button in Point of Sale will pass the CP user and company directly to the ServicePoint client.  This gives a seamless interface to Service functions from CP, and allows delivery or installation schedules to be easily checked immediately from the POS ticket entry screen.
  • Work Orders tab in contracts – A tab has been added to contracts to show any work orders performed against the current service agreement.  If a certain type of service or a certain number of visits have been guaranteed during a contract period, this can now be easily viewed from a single window.
  • Support for "gridded" items – A popup window has been added to work order parts maintenance for processing of items tracking grid information.  Grids are used to track specific combinations of item attributes such as size, color, year, weight, etc.
  • Multi-Industry demo data –  We have developed an updated demonstration data install routine for ServicePoint.  This utility allows the selection of customized data for a specific industry to be chosen.  Download the new data install utility from our web site – there’s a link on our home page in the "What’s New" section.  Currently available business types are listed below.  Please contact us if you have a specific need and we will create demonstration based on your requirement.
    • Bicycle shop
    • Lawn and Garden center
    • Heating and Air
    • Pool & Spa
    • Computer and POS equipment
    • Vehicle maintenance

·         ServicePoint Upgrade Discounts – We are still offering discounts on upgrades from Focus to ServicePoint.  Upgrade now and receive a credit for the value of your current Focus system.

Focus – Focus is the leading service management software for use with CounterPoint V7 and Passport.  We are looking forward to working on a full Windows GUI front-end for Focus, to match the upcoming version 12 release for Passport’s PBS software.

  • 8.6 Preview…
    • We’ve added attachment of pictures to Focus service calls.  The 8.6 release of Focus will support multiple pictures, able to be viewed and printed, for service calls, customer equipment, and service addresses.
    • Auto-attach customer equipment notes.  If a customer equipment note has an ID matching the "auto-attach" ID set up in Focus, bring the note automatically into a new service call at entry time, or when generated during PM’s due processing.
    • Addition of Route, Truck, and Stop to customer equipment.  This allows printing of a routing report, helpful for routine maintenance to equipment at customer’s sites.
  • CPScheduler – Focus users on a CP Windows platform can take advantage of our graphic scheduling program.  A calendar is used to allocate time for service items, and/or for CP orders to be delivered or installed.  Any updates made through the graphical scheduler are made directly to the Focus files, and appear in the Focus service database.

PartSmart – Our PartSmart interface application creates a seamless interface from this popular electronic parts catalog and lookup program to CP SQL and ServicePoint.  PartSmart allows a user to call up diagrams and parts lists for equipment models.  Inventory levels can be checked for selected components, and parts pick lists can easily be created simply by dragging and dropping from the illustrated diagram.  Our interface program lets PartSmart retrieve inventory information from CounterPoint SQL, including item status information, quantities on hand, bin location, pricing, and more.  With the push of a button, a parts list created in PartSmart can be easily transferred to a CounterPoint order, or to a ServicePoint work order task.

Accounting Platform Compatibility – Want to know what versions of our Software are compatible with various versions of accounting?  Take a look at the chart below.  Effective as of 07/15/08.  The latest compatibility information is always on our web site at http://www.rtmcs.com/support/index.htm.

ServicePoint

 CounterPoint SQL 8.2.8 & .9, and 8.3.2 through 8.3.8

Great Plains Dynamics 7.5 through 10.0

Focus

 CounterPoint v7.5, up through 7.5.16

Passport Business Solutions, through version 11.7

Great Plains Classic, 8.0, 8.5, 9.0. and 9.1

PartsSmart Interface

For use with CP SQL up through 8.3.8, and PartSmart v6

 

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