Newsletters and Bulletins

RTM e-Newsletter, April 2009

Tip of the month – Pictures and graphic images can be used to document many aspects of a service job.  Progress can be documented and saved with work orders for later review.  Existing damages can be noted and preserved for use in warranty claims, etc.  Pictures of a job well done can be used to promote a business in print media and in online networking, or a customer’s site can be fully documented for future reference.  A real time saver, pictures really can be worth a thousand words.

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.

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 complete 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.  We’ve added some exciting new features.

• 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:
  • Bicycle shop
  • Lawn and Garden center
  • Heating and Air
  • Pool & Spa
  • Computer and POS equipment
  • Vehicle maintenance

Additional companies will be added soon.  Please contact us if you have a specific need.

• CounterPoint ticket scheduling – A new option has been added to our calendar functions to allow scheduling of CounterPoint tickets.  When enabled, a ticket or order entered into CP Point of Sale can be easily added to a delivery or installation schedule.  Schedules can be printed for use as loading and routing sheets for delivery drivers.  Great for businesses that deliver what they sell.
• SOP or Invoices? – Users now have control over where ServicePoint transactions are posted when interfaced to Great Plains.  Posting of invoices can now create batches in either SOP sales, or into Sales invoices.

Focus – Focus is the leading service management software for use with Passport and CounterPoint V7.  We are looking forward to working on a full Windows GUI front-end for Focus, to match the upcoming feature 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.
• 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.
• Special note for CounterPoint users – Focus 8.5 requires the installation of a patch to run with CP version 7.5.16.  Contact us if you will be running CP version 7.5.16 with Focus.
• Focus version 8.5 – Focus 8.5 has shipped to users on our update service.  Be sure to download and install the latest service pack for 8.5 from our website.  The service packs can be found at http://www.rtmcs.com/downloads.htm#FocusSP

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 04/01/08.  The latest compatibility information is always on our web site at http://www.rtmcs.com/support/index.htm.

 

Web Site Links

• Up-to-date ServicePoint and Focus information can be found by clicking on the links in the "What’s new" section of our homepage, www.rtmcs.com
• Fully functional ServicePoint and Focus demos for all platforms can be downloaded from our website at
• http://www.rtmcs.com/downloads.htm#demo
• The latest build of ServicePoint is always available as a service pack at
• http://www.rtmcs.com/downloads.htm#ServicePointSP
• Focus service packs can be downloaded from the following link
• http://www.rtmcs.com/downloads.htm#FocusSP

Enhancement Summary 7-08

Enhancement Summary

Passport Software, Inc. is pleased to share these exciting new features and enhancements in PBS™ v. 11.7.

Bank Management

These new enhancements will offer the convenience of automated electronic disbursement and banking procedures with a new level of control and security over payments.

ACH provides the speed and convenience of processing AP disbursements electronically. With Positive Pay only the AP and Payroll payments previously approved and submitted to the bank will be disbursed.

Positive Pay for Accounts Payable and Payroll

Passport Business Solutions Version 11.7 will include file generation utilities to create Positive Pay records for transmission to your client’s bank. Positive Pay is a generic term that describes a bank service that is one of the most effective anti-fraud tools available today for check disbursements. Using check issuance data provided by PBS™, the bank matches all checks being presented for payment against the issuance information.

The issuance information is created whenever a check is generated from PBS™. The utility allows the user to create a file format specific for their bank as there is no universal format for positive pay records.

General Ledger

Users will be able to recreate financials from previous years with access to multiple years of General Journal transactions.

Job Cost

New percentage of completion report

Payroll

Advanced vacation pay and bonuses will be added to Direct Deposit. The employee number field expanded to six digits. Department-related reports and print runs will be processed more efficiently.

Point of Sale

Users will be able to process Point of Sale credit card transactions with Xcharge.

Contract Pricing will be expanded to five levels to utilize the five-level pricing structures available in Inventory Control Timed Sales – Sales that start and end at specific times will be able to be processed.

Void processing.

A void will be performed as a transaction, creating an audit trail, the inventory will be returned to stock, and the invoice header will be marked as “Void”. Voids will show up as part of the daily register reports.

Hold Transactions

Users will be able to put a transaction on hold, process another transaction, and then return to complete the original.

Expanded information on PDF Documents

Expanded information on PDF Document look-up and email capability for any PBS-created PDF documents: PDF docs include PBS™ invoices, statements, purchase orders, acknowledgements, pick tickets, various Point of Sale and Manufacturing documents.

• Ability to select a document for viewing, stacking, and emailing. View documents by package, by customer, or by vendor.
• Documents are stacked and viewed/emailed by package, customer/vendor, or date.
• Documents are emailed individually or by group selection.
• A log file is created with information on both printed and emailed documents including reason for sending failure (if any).
• Customer/vendor contact files serve as email address book(s).
• Document recipients are stored in the address book, or an email address may be entered on the fly.
• Multiple CC’s (carbon copy) are permitted.
• Ability to CC self as confirmation.
• Ability to modify the body text of the email on the fly.
• Documents with no associated address book entry are flagged.
• Documents emailed are flagged with date stamp of email.
• Failed email attempts are flagged and logged with the reason for failure.
• Stacked documents are flagged with date of stacking. PBS™ end-user log-in record maintains the sender email address.
• Company control file information stores the mail server name. Works with locally installed email clients currently, not web-based email services, i.e., Yahoo, AOL, and Gmail.