Workbench Release Notes:
General Release 4.5.24.6
Scheduled Release - 14 March 2022
Timesheets
EBA Legacy mode:
For EBA configured in Legacy mode, when the process is executed from EBA Interpreter, the system will now not refresh the results screen until the process is finished. It was previously showing results as the process was creating the EBA entries, and this could cause performance issues.
We recommend to migrate to EBA Payroll mode, which has many advantages, one of them being that the EBA transactions are created in a different table, not modifying original Time transactions, and these Payroll EBA transactions can be edited and new entries can be added if necessary, by the Payroll Administrator. Please contact your Consultant about this.
Beta Release 4.5.24.1
Scheduled Release - 7 March 2022
New Features
Billing
Job Sales Invoices - “Open Book“ contracts' Job invoices with AP Invoices attached for transparency:
New functionality to add AP invoice PDF files associated to any AP Invoice lines that are being billed on a Job Invoice as an attachment to send to the client together with the Job Invoice pdf.
This is to support the "Open book" contract arrangements that are increasingly common these days with escalating project costs, where instead of a fixed contract price, the client is billed for costs plus an agreed margin.
A new File Group has been created called “AR Invoice Auto Attach”.
On Perform button in an Invoice there is a new option called “Attach Supplier Invoices”. Choosing this option will:
find all attached files on AP Invoices which have lines that have been billed on the Job Invoice
zip them up into a file named [Invoice Number]SupplierInvoices.zip
add the zip file as an attachment on the Job Invoice with File Group “AR Invoice Auto Attach”
Then the zip file will get attached to the email to the client, along with the invoice.
Only PO purchases, Dockets not catered for.
Feature Revisions
Jobs
Standard Outputs:
Standard Outputs audit in Job Maintenance has been enhanced to record additional actions (like creating new Standard Outputs, editing quantity but not rate).
When generating Job Outputs from Standard Outputs a warning message has been added to inform the user when there are already output for the same schedule in the period they want to generate for. This is only a warning as the user may actually want to generate more outputs for the same Period and Schedule.
Dockets and Daysheets
Fuel lines on Docket Schedules and their processing:
The system now processes in different ways the entry of Fuel lines in a Docket, based on the scenarios below:
creates a stock adjustment for stock items and stock jobs when the Line Code matches a Stock Item code AND the job is being used is a Stock location.
otherwise creates a docket accrual transaction, the same as for all the non Fuel lines.
Background:
F type lines on Docket Schedules are a special case and process differently than other docket lines. They are used to record on site Fuel Receipts to record the delivery of fuel into a stock location, normally a fuel tank. So rather than generate a cost accrual against a project job, it generates a stock adjustment for a stock item into a stock location (i.e. brings it into stock from where it can be issued to plant items when they fill up from the tank).
Purchasing
Purchase Orders:
When creating POs from Purchase Requisitions, the system now records the FC Exchange Rate with enough decimal places to ensure that the PO and PR values match.
AP Vouchers:
Assigned - Supports direct assignment for vouchers not in a workflow process by specifying a person in the Assigned column and clicking [Assign]. This is typically to clarify voucher coding prior to workflow submission for review and approval, and is equivalent to the [Assign] button on the voucher (not the Reassign which is a WF action). For vouchers In Progress of a workflow the Assign is not available.
List columns - Display of PO number and Comments can be enabled from Grid Management for 'Voucher List'. PO Number will display the first voucher line PO number, and an ellipsis (…) if there are more POs. The columns are hidden in Grid Management by default.
AP Voucher Details:
Tabs - The tab visibility in Vouchers can be managed via the ‘Voucher Tabs’ setting at global and person levels. This may be useful where certain aspects may not apply to the business in general or a particular user’s job function. The default is blank which displays all relevant tabs.
Voucher Lines tab coding lines differently to PO - This is enhanced to support manually creating voucher lines with different work breakdown coding against one PO line commitment, and is enabled with the SplitLine column on the ‘Voucher Detail’ grid. This is hidden by default.
This displays a duplicate icon on Voucher Lines. Clicking the icon will duplicate the entire voucher line with PO line links intact but with zero qty and value so that you can just delete to reverse action. You may then edit of PO Line-matched Quantities that is not usually available.
Voucher Lines tab columns - Supports hiding Work Centre and GST Type columns on the 'Voucher Detail' grid. These columns will default based on the standard rules when hidden.
Inwards Goods - You can navigate directly to Inwards Goods from the [Perform] button and the PO lines will auto display if there is a PO context on the voucher.
Transfer to Sub-Claim - If an AP invoice is captured that should be processed as a subcontract claim then use the Transfer to Sub-Claim option from the [Perform] button. This displays the Subcontract Claim & Attachments popup pre-populated with as much information as possible including the invoice image. Typically, only the Subcontract will still be required. Specifies the Subcontract and uploads any other attachments and clicks [New Claim], and a new subcontract claim will be created, and the voucher is auto cancelled. The voucher status displays as “Cancelled - Subclaim”, although the actual Status DB field value remains as is for cancelled i.e. ‘C’. The ‘Transfer to Sub Claim’ feature is no not permission controlled.
Subcontracts
Auto Batching Subcontract Claim:
A new control parameter has been created to enable the option to auto batch subcontract claims on approval, rather than the manual batching process. New control parameter name "Subcontract Claim Auto Batch"
When the subcontract claim has a negative total value, it will be batched into an AP Credit system batch.
Plant
Created date:
When new Plant items are created, the Created Date is now populated with Today’s date.
Timesheets
Desktop Timesheets - Daily:
When changing the Day filter on a Daily timesheet, the system now refreshes the screen to show the right results, without having to save to see the right timesheet lines.
Timesheet Administration:
Bulk email to employees with their approved timesheets- this functionality was originally designed to send an email only when approving the timesheet (by ticking Approve AND Email just after ticking Approve).
It has now been changed so an email can be sent for previously approved timesheets, not only at the time of approving the timesheet.
Quotes
Quote enhancements:
Creating Budgets from Quotes:
When creating a budget from a Quote if Description field on Costsheets is empty, the Budget lines Description will be populated by the Activity description, as this field cannot be empty in Budgets.
Service Desk
Service Logs:
Clone Planned Logs function:
In the Log screen a new button has been added that allows a user to duplicate an existing Log into one or multiple ones.
This button opens a popup screen where the following fields can be specified:
- Start Date
- Frequency - weekly, fortnightly, monthly, quarterly, 6 monthly, annually
- Number of Logs
On confirmation, a set of new Logs will be created.
Job Enquiry- Logs tab has has its columns re-arranged:
Capture Log No on Adjustments and AR Credits:
New Log No column as an optional on Job Adjustments Entry.
New Log No field on the header in AR Credits Entry.
Color coding of Logs based on the time relative to the Due date:
Currently colour coding on logs is based solely on the priority set for the log.
A new alternative colour coding regime has been added, where the colour is determined by how close to the scheduled date/time the log is (log Scheduled field).
This is now controlled by a new Control Parameter ‘Log Maintenance Colour Coding’. When set to ‘Response Time’ it will apply this new regime.
The response times specified on the Log Priorities will be used to determine which colour to use. In this scenario the colour may initially match the priority specified, but as it gets closer to the scheduled date/time the colour will change, but the priority itself will not change.
Once a log has Arrived On Site populated all colour coding is removed.
Month End
Export Control:
Real-Time GL Coding: Based on a new Control Parameter, transactions can now have their General Ledger Account codes set at real-time, as the transactions are saved. New Control Parameter name: ‘Real Time GL Coding’
Additionally, GL codes are always set when printing batches on Export Control.
System Setup
Workflow Schemas:
Derived limit (for Voucher review)
Distinct derived limits for Voucher review are now supported. Enable this with ‘AP Voucher Use Review Limits’ control parameter = Yes; this enables workflow review steps with Derive limits to refer to the ‘Voucher Reviewers Limit’ setting rather than the standard ‘AP invoice Approvers Limit’ setting.WF Functions
Additional workflow functions are available for AP Voucher schemas.PO Purchaser if Unreceipted - If the PO is unreceipted or all receipted quantity has been vouchered then route to PO Purchaser, else go to the next WF step. This is intended for situations where all POs are expected to be receipted.
PO Entered By else Send Back - Route to the PO Entered By if valid else Send Back; but if PO Entered By has insufficient limit then go to next WF step.
All Voucher Users - Lists all people with a valid voucher limit, filtered by the first line Job Profit Centre although this can be remove on the assign popup. Note this function only works for Single Value workflow schema. This function essentially supports a manual allocation workflow available on other document types i.e. Standard approval process.
Reassign popup
The reassign list for these WF functions are:PO Purchaser if unreceipted - Active employees
PO Entered By else Send Back - Active employees
All Voucher Users - Active user with limit
Segregation of Duty (User Limitation)
The ‘Workflow User Limitation Enabled AP Vouchers' control parameter support an 'Approver Only’ option to enforce user limitation on the Approval step only i.e. the assigned approver / actual approver cannot have performed any of the previous workflow steps.
Administration
Users:
A change was made so users cannot edit the Employee Detail tab under User maintenance, if the user’s role does not include Edit User Employee Data permission. All these details will be read only, including the Expense Clam field.
Xtracta Setup:
The ‘Default Workflow Type’ control parameter is deprecated, and enhanced for 3 scenarios that will default to the deprecated value for backward compatibility -
‘Default Workflow Type - with PO’
‘Default Workflow Type - without PO’, and
‘Default Workflow Type - Credit’
Integration
Upvise
Job Enquiry - for Job transactions that were originated from a form in Upvise, the Upvise Form ID will be displayed Job Transactions tab on Reference column, appended to the Week Ending date of the timesheet:
Syncing of inactive companies/contacts:
When inactive contacts/companies are synced to Upvise, they will be moved to an Inactive group in the Contacts app and removed from any other group they belong to.
When the company or contact is made active again in Workbench, it will be added to the appropriate Upvise groups again.
API
VoucherDetailApi
This method supports the creation of a new AP voucher scanned data set being the AP invoice header and invoice lines as would be supported by an external OCR service. This method returns a VoucherId which may be used in StoredFilesApi to upload the PDF of the associated AP invoice scanned. The PDF displays in the voucher Image panel, and the line data displays in the Scanned Lines panel available for drag-drop matching as required.
Voucher credits are supported with the attribute DocumentType=’Credit’ and values as positives.