Beta release of JobOrder 2012 is now available.

Our beta release of JobOrder 2012 is now available. To download, please go to www.JobOrder.com/downloads to “JobOrder 2012 Software” and select either ‘JobOrder 2012 Beta for Macintosh’ or ‘JobOrder 2012 Beta for Windows.

If you are considering requesting new features in JobOrder, we will have some programming time available to make custom enhancements between now and July 31, 2012; after that date, we may be working on a large project which may absorb much of our programming time until the end of 2012.

We have made major changes in how data is stored internally in JobOrder 2012. You will need to convert your data file to a new format. We will perform these changes for you without charge at your convenience. When you are ready to convert to JobOrder 2012, please shut down your server, compress your data file and post it for us on our ftp site. We will perform the JobOrder 2012 conversion and upload the converted data file. We will then guide you through the update steps on your server and client computers. (Revised from original posting.)

JobOrder 2012 includes 4D v13.1 MC1, our programming language, certified on Windows for 7 / Server 2008 SP2 R2 / Server 2003 SP2 R2 / Vista SP2 / Windows XP SP3. For Windows Client computers we strongly recommend Windows 7.

On Macintosh, 4D v13.1 MC1 is certified for Macintosh OS X 10.7.4 (“Lion”) (Mac Intel only) and is also certified for Macintosh OS X 10.6.8 (Mac Intel only).

IMPORTANT NOTE: JobOrder 2012 on Macintosh runs only on Intel-based Macintosh computers, not on PPC-based Macintosh computers.

4D v13.1 MC1 is an evolutionary upgrade from 4D v12, the programming language used for JobOrder 2011. For more information about 4D v13, please visit http://www.4d.com/news/4dv13.html.

If you are upgrading from JobOrder 2011, just run the new Server Installer and open your existing JobOrder 2011 data file. The conversion to JobOrder 2012 will take place automatically. Install your new JobOrder 2012 Client software and then link to the JobOrder 2012 Server.

JobOrder 2012 has many internal changes, including improvements to both speed and stability. If you have not recently performed any preventative maintenance on your JobOrder data file, please call Customer Support for guidance to use the new Maintenance and Security Center (MSC).

IMPORTANT NOTE: Please check your JobOrder Server backup configuration carefully. Please confirm that your daily backups are successful.  Please make sure that your Log file is enabled, so that all database changes are tracked. If you have any backup questions, please call us.

JobOrder 2012 Server will be distributed both for Macintosh OS X 10.7.4 (“Lion”) and OS X 10.6.8 (Mac Intel) and for Windows 7 / Server 2008 SP2 R2 / Server 2003 SP2 R2.

JobOrder 2012 Client will be distributed both for Macintosh OS X for OS X 10.7.4 and 10.6.8 (Mac Intel) and for Windows 7 / Vista SP2 / XP SP3.

If you are running a version of Mac OS X earlier than OS X 10.6.8 on Macintosh Intel-based computers, please upgrade to OS X 10.6.8 for improved stability, but preferably upgrade to OS X 10.7.4.

All known bugs affecting customers have been fixed.

Enhancements are briefly described below, categorized by area or function.

JobOrder 2012 Internet and JobOrder 2012 iPhone

JobOrder 2012 will facilitate the development of specific features in JobOrder 2012 Internet, JobOrder 2012 iPhone, and access to JobOrder via SQL report writers. JobOrder 2012 has many internal changes, including improvements to both speed and stability.

Asset Tracking, Asset Milestones, and Asset Usage

New areas for Asset Milestones and Asset Usage have been added to Asset Tracking.

Contacts

Links to Facebook and Twitter have been added.

Custom Forms

When you begin using JobOrder 2012, please contact us to help you make cosmetic changes to your Custom Forms due to the change of underlying plug-in.

JobOrder is going through a transition in which the plug-in software used to create Custom Forms is changing from SuperReport Pro to hmReports. In System Preferences: System Defaults: Custom Forms, you can now select either hmReports or SuperReport Pro as the default plug-in for this purpose. In the print dialogs for Custom Forms, you can change dynamically which software will be used. In the Custom Forms area itself, you can create Custom Forms with either software.

Fonts

Visual improvements have been made to the fonts used in JobOrder forms, most noticeably to Italic fonts.

HealthCheck 4D

HealthCheck 4D Pro provides remote monitoring for JobOrder 2012 Server from your iPhone or iPad. You can retrieve critical information including server memory usage, data file size, server up time, client connections, process count, last backup and more. Additional information about the server computer such as operating system, last reboot and hard drive utilization is also included. HealthCheck 4D Pro provides also provides the ability for remote execution of database utilities: backup, reboot server, and message clients. Connection is password protected and does not use a JobOrder Client. If you have an active JobOrder Software Update Contract, please purchase HealthCheck 4D directly from the iPhone App Store and send a copy of your receipt to Management Software for reimbursement.

Jobs - Traffic Status

Traffic Status has been rewritten to use AreaList Pro rather than 4D View, but functionality should be essentially identical. Please let us know if you notice any problems.

Job Overview

Dramatic speed improvements have been made to opening the Job Overview.

Notification Rules

Many new Notification Rules have been added. Please look at the Workflow and the Deadline Rules.

Prioritizer and Hot Sheet

Dozens of improvements have been made to Prioritizer and Hot Sheet. If you are interested in learning about the Prioritizer, please schedule a complementary GoToMeeting.

Prioritizer Calendar

A Calendar has been added to Prioritizer. This feature dramatically improves Prioritizer by making all Priorities visual and sorted by Date Due. If you are interested in this feature, please call to schedule a free one-hour GoToMeeting class about Prioritizer.

Purchase Orders

A simple Requisition system has been added to Purchase Orders, along with a new Notification Rule.

Resources

Links to Facebook and Twitter have been added. Other social networking fields have been added.

SQL Dump

A Utility has been added to dump all of the data in your JobOrder database in the standard SQL format.

Time entry

All Time entry forms have been redesigned to improve visual appearance and user functionality.

                

Time Slips

Appropriate Time Slip entry forms now include a button labeled ‘Do NOT include this Time Slip’s revenue on Invoice’.

Update Type Mismatches

Update Type Mismatches has been rewritten with improved communication about its progress and results and with internal speed improvements.

JobOrder 2012: Prioritizer and Hot Sheet

JobOrder 2012: Prioritizer and Hot Sheet

In JobOrder, the Prioritizer and the Hot Sheet allow Traffic Managers to create detailed plans for all Tasks.

Introduction

This guide assumes that you are already familiar with JobOrder and know how to use Areas, Power Tools, Reports, and Utilities.

In this guide, the following words have been changed by entering substitute Terminology words in System Preferences:
‘Tactic is the Terminology for ‘Phase’.
‘Task’ is the Terminology for ‘Activity’.
‘Campaign’ is the Terminology for ‘Program’.
‘Project Manager is the Terminology for ‘Job Manager’.


Tasks

A Task is a component of a Tactic, which is a component of a Job. If you think of a Tactic as the stages of development of a Job (or a proposed Job, as created through an Estimate), then the Tasks are the discrete parts of a Tactic. They are the specific things you do, or steps you take, to accomplish a Job. Whereas a Tactic may encompass weeks or even months, Tasks are often only one day or a few days long.

Every Task must be attached to a Tactic. A Tactic could theoretically have no Tasks, only Expenses, but in most Jobs, every Tactic will have at least one Task.

Tasks allow you to budget time in advance, to bill for time on completed Jobs, and to compose a work schedule. For this reason, Tasks are one of the key ingredients of Jobs, and since Jobs are at the heart of JobOrder, you will likely visit the Tasks Area frequently, usually through a Job.

Tasks contain dates, budgeted and actual hours, and budgeted and actual dollars.

Priorities

Priorities are used to schedule parts of Tasks for Resources, either individually or in a group.
Each Priority record is assigned to a Task in a Tactic and has:
Resource (or may remain temporarily Unassigned)
Date Due and Time Due
Completion Date and Completion Time
Anticipated Hours
Details
Percent Complete
Comments and Notes, and several other fields

Priority Lists

Before using the Prioritizer, please create Lists marked as ‘Priority Lists’ for each Task Description. In the Lists area you can import Priority Lists easily using the ‘Import Items’ button.

The Prioritizer

The Prioritizer is a JobOrder Power Tool used to Create, Assign, and Edit Priorities.

Creating Priorities

Before using the Prioritizer, please create Lists marked as ‘Priority Lists’ for each Task Description.

To create new Priorities in the Prioritizer with the fewest keystrokes, we recommend the following process:

Go into the Prioritizer. Select the Job to be prioritized. Select the Task to Prioritize.

Depending upon how many Priorities are to be scheduled, you can either create all the Priorities for a Task using the ‘Create Standard Priorities’ button or create Priorities individually using the ‘Create Priorities’ button at the bottom of the ‘Resources with Time Slip access to the selected Task’ subform. In this document we will assume that you are using ‘Create Standard Priorities’. The ‘Create Standard Priorities’ will display the List Items created for this Task Description.

If you have selected ‘Priorities for’ ‘Unassigned’, all of the Priorities that have just been created will be visible on the ‘Create’ tab.


Assigning Priorities


Click on the ‘Assign tab to assign the newly created Priorities to individual Resources.

On the left you will see all the ‘Unassigned’ Priorities. On the right you can select the Individual Resources who will be assigned to each Priority. If the required Resources are not visible in the popup, use the “…’ button to select the needed Resources.  If you use the ‘…’ button to select the Resources to display, the same Resources will be automatically available in the Resource popup on the ‘Edit’ tab.

In the popup on the right, select a Resource to assign. Drag each Priority from the left to the right to assign to the selected Resource. Continue until all Resources have been assigned.

Editing Priorities


Click on the ‘Edit’ tab to give each Resource the details of each Priority. Click on each Priority that needs to have Details entered.

On the ‘Edit tab, JobOrder now fills the ‘Priorities for’ popup with the Resources selected on the right side of the ‘Arrange’ tab. Making any changes here automatically changes the ‘Arrange’ tab popup. The ‘Save Settings…’ popup item saves the selected Resources.

On the 'Edit’ tab, we have added a subform for ‘Instructions'. Using the ‘Instruction Wizard’ button, you can select the Job Description, the Job Specifications, or Change Orders to be displayed on the Hot Sheet as instructions for the Resource performing the Priority. Change Order Attachments will be automatically added when their parent Change Order is selected.


Prioritizer Calendar


Prioritizer Calendar combines all the management features of Prioritizer into one visual area with simple updating of Resources and Dates.
Priorities can be dragged to new dates.

Hot Sheet

In the Hot Sheet the user can see all of their Priorities, They can see only Open Priorities, Completed Priorities, or can filter by Date Due. They can also mark Priorities Completed.

Hot Sheet Instructions

In the Hot Sheet when the Resource selects a Priority, the appropriate Instruction items will be displayed and can be double-click

Management Software Incorporated

75 South Main Street

Homer, NY 13077 USA

Phone: 800.734.9143

Internet: www.JobOrder.com

Email: sales@JobOrder.com