4.7.1 - 14 Oct 2024
Workbench Release Notes
Contract Forecast
A fix was made to avoid doubling up of uncommitted adjustments when refreshing a Forecast.
Stock
Stock multipliers stock items on catalogues:
We added the support of Stock multipliers to be taken into account when calculating Period Average Cost and Last Cost.
Upcoming Functionality & News
AP Vouchers Workflow - approval when Reassigned
When an AP Voucher is reassigned for approval to someone else (using the Reassign button), the system was only checking the approval $ value limit on the newly assigned approver but was not checking for the "Approve AP invoice" permission. All approvers require this permission, regardless of whether it was originally assigned by the workflow (validation already in place) or assigned using the Reassign functionality (validation now in place).
Please ensure that all users approving Vouchers have this permission in their Roles, to avoid getting the error below:
Upvise Technical Changes & Server Optimisations
Upvise is implementing technical changes to improve server optimisation, security, and overall system performance on 21st October. In preparation, Workbench will apply the necessary updates to ensure that all Workbench-related code remains compatible before the deprecation deadline. Clients making their own code changes, please refer to the technical documentation.
New Webinar
Workforce Management - 16 October
Register here
Navigating timesheet management and award interpretation can be complex, but it doesn’t have to be. Still dealing with manual reimbursement of staff expenses? you don't have to. Trying to work out who is free to start a new project next week, now you can.
Ideal for HR professionals, payroll managers, and project coordinators, this session will provide practical strategies and tips to enhance your workflow and streamline your workforce management.
16 October - Agenda:
Standard Costing Principles and the use of Employee Classes
Options for Timesheet Capture
Award Interpreter Overview
Leave Management
Resource Scheduling
Expense Claims
Future Enhancements
Feature Revisions
User Experience enhancements
Job Work Centres descriptions vs Work Centres descriptions
The following entities now display Job Work Centres descriptions when there is one, instead of the generic Work Centre ones:Service Log:
Timesheets - Also now excludes Closed Job WCs.
Plant Issues
Stock
Plant Enquiry:
Recovery tab - also remove direct links to Subcontracts and Contract View.
Plant popup - Plant Rates tab
Stock Issues
Jobs
Contracts - Forecasting - deleting adjustments
Uncommitted Adjustments and Risk Adjustments that are deleted from a Forecast Period or are zerod out, will not be carried over to the next Forecast period (regardless of when the adjustment was created).Contracts - Project Trust Accounts - Ledger enhancements:
From 1 July 2024, QBCC changed when a beneficial interest arises in the PTA and when it has to be recorded in the PTA. We have made changes to the PTA Ledger accordingly:
For further details find the QBCC post here and external expert consultant Laura Hattin’s summary of changes here
Before 1 July 2024, the beneficial interest was recorded when it was liable to be paid (Subcontract Claim Payment Due Date).
From 1 July 2024, the beneficial interest is recorded when the entitlement arises (the date the Payment Certificate is sent by Subcontractor).
Contract - Allow deleting empty Trust Account
If you added a new trust account record by mistake and want to delete the empty line, now you can.
Better control over PTA Transfers records
The reporting in PTA will be based on calendar dates, and these dates fall into the Period in Period Maintenance called Other.
To avoid having users change or add new records on closed periods that might have been reported and audited already, we have added a bit more control around the updating/deleting/adding of PTA Transfer records.A Transfer record is locked for editing if the Other period is closed (Other Closed is ticked).
The system does not allow deleting a record if the Other period is closed (Other Closed is ticked). The following warning message is displayed:
The record you are trying to delete/update is in a closed Other Period. Re-opening the period will allow you to edit/delete the record.A new record with a date that falls on a closed Other period won’t be saved, and a warning message will be displayed.
A user with the necessary permissions to open a Period in Period Maintenance can always re-open the Other period to amend or add if needed. Any changes to records in the PTA Transfer screen are recorded on the history of each record.
Renaming of buttons on the Trust Accounts screen
To avoid confusion we have renamed the buttons on the Trust Accounts screen to create new trust account records to the exact type of account the button will be creating:
+ New Contract Trust Account → + New Project Trust Account
+ New Subcontract Trust Account → + New Subcontract Ret. Trust Account
Daysheets
Entered By, Upvise users not Workbench users
When using the filter 'Entered By' the options now will display Upvise users that are not Workbench users, in addition to the existing list of Workbench users.
Purchasing
Job Procurement
Tweaks have been made for performance improvements:faster loading of lists
better performance when applying the highlight = yes filter.
AP Vouchers Credits on Dockets
When a Credit is applied to an existing AP invoice for Dockets, the Credit was being applied to the Control Job (Docket Control Job i.e. ZDKT job) rather than the Project Job.
Changes have been made, so the credit is applied correctly.
In the Invoice Lines tab a summary line for each combination of Job/Activity/Workcentre (an aggregated line) with the aggregated value is displayed (quantities will be ignored).
Example below:
Suppose a docket is entered from a schedule for $100, the AP Invoice comes in for $115, but then the AP invoice is fully credited.Following are the steps in the process:
Transaction | Amount | Job | GL Account | Dr | Cr |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Docket Entry | 100 | Project Job | Job Cost | 100 |
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| Docket Control | Docket Accrual |
| 100 |
AP Invoice | 115 | Docket Control | Docket Accrual | 100 |
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| Project Job | Job Cost | 15 |
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| Accounts Payable |
| 115 |
AP Credit | 115 | Project Job | Job Cost |
| 115 |
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| Accounts Payable | 115 |
|
Normally when an AP Invoice is credited, the credit is applied to the job on the AP Invoice line. But for dockets this is Docket Control job, and we actually need to apply the credit to the Project job.
Note that all the job and GL balances should net out to zero.
AP Vouchers Credits on Stock item purchases
Similar to the change made on applying AP Voucher Credits to docket purchases, we made changes to the way credit is applied to a Stock item purchase. In this case the Credit must be applied to the STock Job (Stock location), and not to the Stock Clearing Job.
Stock Purchasing Example:
Suppose a stock item is purchased on a PO for $100, the AP Invoice comes in for $115, but then the goods are returned for a full credit.
Following are the steps in the process:
Transaction | Amount | Job | GL Account | Dr | Cr |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Purchase Order | 100 | Stock Job |
|
|
|
Inwards Goods | 100 | Stock Job | Stock Control | 100 |
|
|
| Stock Clearing | Stock Clearing |
| 100 |
AP Invoice | 115 | Stock Clearing | Stock Clearing | 100 |
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| Stock Clearing | Purchase Variance | 15 |
|
|
|
| Accounts Payable |
| 115 |
AP Credit | 115 | Stock Job | Stock Control |
| 100 |
|
| Stock Clearing | Purchase Variance |
| 15 |
|
|
| Accounts Payable | 115 |
|
Normally when an AP Invoice is credited, the credit is applied to the job on the AP Invoice line, but for stock, this is the Stock Clearing job. The new change is that the Credit is applied to the Stock job.
Note that all the job and GL balances should net out to zero.
The credit separates out any purchase variance into its own line, going to the stock clearing account and purchase variance activity.
AP Invoice - 'No Payment Date has been set' warning
The warning message 'No Payment Date has been set' was displaying too early, even before the Supplier or the Invoice date had been set. This has been changed and the validation now happens when the user Saves or uses the Review or Approve buttons.Saving an AP Invoice
An unnecessary prompt to confirm if the user wants to save has been removed.
Stock
Attachments on Stock Items
We have added the ability to save file attachments on a stock item. And soon you will be able to preview these attachments from an image carousel, similar to images on a Plant Item.
Billing
Job Invoice - New Email Token for Claim Templates
We have added the $InvoiceValueOnly email token to the "Report - Claim" email template. This token allows users to include the invoice value in their email communications, improving clarity when sending out claim-related emails.
Minor enhancements:
Moved the following menus to the right positions in the Standard sitemap profile:
Plant maintenance Logs will be moved up one place, just before Plant Reports.
Contract Claim List will be moved up one place, just before Billing Reports.
Fixes & Technical changes
Upvise
Upvise Daily Import Sync
In addition to the existing hourly sync, the Upvise integration now automatically performs an overnight sync, ensuring all transactions from the previous day are fully imported within a 24-hour window.
Manual imports can still be triggered if needed using the “export/import” option.
How to View the Daily Import: To access the 'Daily Import' data, follow these steps:
Steps | Screen Guide |
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Upvise- Server Optimisations (Changes to the web view)
Upvise is introducing some web framework updates in alignment with upcoming technical changes. You now have the option to trial the new web UI by following these steps:
Go to Upvise > Options
Select Preview New UI
Key Changes:
The menu options in the 'burger menu' have been reformatted.
The menu options in the left pane are now displayed in grey.
We encourage you to explore the new UI and provide feedback.
Before | New UI- After Updates |
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Upvise- Daily Diary - Equipment Sorting Method
The sorting method used in daily diary Subforms in the “Equipment” field has been optimised to sort alpha-numerically. This change has been applied to the following daily diary subforms:
Equipment Hours
Plant Issues
Operator Hours with Equipment
Equipment Stock Issues
Upvise- Reporting Integration AUS Central Standard Time
The Upvise Reporting integration now supports 'AUS Central Standard Time,' providing enhanced data export functionality for South Australian-based databases. This dynamic setting automatically adjusts for Daylight Savings Time, ensuring accurate and timely reporting year-round.
Settings app > Integration > options icon > Time Zone
Things we are busy working on...
Contract Claims: record claimed and certified values on each Claim (like in Subcontract Claims). New approval process on Contract Claims to resemble the certification process.
Custom Views on List screens, and exploring the ability to add extension columns to these views. This will expand your reporting ability on the List screens.
Audit for configuration changes.
Month End Process: controlled and easy to follow.
Analysis graphs on Sales Invoices.
🔨 Interval- Based Equipment Maintenance in Upvise (e.g. 250-hour increments- 250, 500, 750, 1000 repeat)