The following is the highlights of new features and enhancements included in the December release. Release to sandbox on 12/02/2022. Release to production will be end of day 12/10/2022.
GROUP ASSIGNMENT FEATURE
The new grouping feature supports the ability to select a group of serialized units. The original design is to group records for reporting purposes such as grouping the individual units that represent a financial fixed asset record. The individual records in the PanatrackerST system support the ability to track physical attributes, location, status, and custody. The grouping supports reporting the assets associated with the financial record representing multiple units. For example, an organization receives 20 new laptops. The 20 laptops are capitalized and depreciated in the accounting or ERP system. The ERP record ID is used as the Group ID for audit reporting against each of the 20 individual laptops. Grouping can be used for other purposes as well. Units are associated with the group ID and the group ID is not an attribute on individual units. This feature is the gateway for other mass select feature options on our roadmap that will then support updates to multiple records.
The grouping feature includes the following:
- Grouping Template setup. Templates support the ability to define additional data attributes to capture. Assignment to restrict the items that can be assigned by Item Template is available to define. A unique prefix for auto-numbering of the group ID can be set up.
- A new rule has been added to item templates to enable the ability to group units associated with the template.
- Ability to setup unit attributes to display on the grouping grid views (Group ID list and corresponding Unit list.) This is under the system setup for the organization grid views.
- A grid view for Groups created with the ability to create a new group. Units can be selected from a list that can be filtered. Once the group is created, the units can also be added individually.
- Permission for grouping was added under the Organization role under the Units tab.
RETIRE-DISPOSE ENHANCEMENTS
Updated the grid view for Retire / Disposed units to display ALL units that have the rule enabled. Filters can be applied to return retired units only or disposed units only. Remember that a unit can be retired but will still be tracked in our system until it is disposed. Retired units are identified strictly by the Retire date assignment. Disposed units are no longer tracked in the system outside of the Disposed unit grid. They are marked as disposed as a status.
A new standard report has been added for Retire/Disposed units.
PACKAGE TRACKING ENHANCEMENTS
Multiple updates were completed for the Package Tracking feature. These include:
- Updated the logic for receiving a package to receive for a department or external (such as a customer) recipient when the package isn’t addressed to a specific person.
- Updated the pick-up logic to add the recipient person for the package when the received recipient is not a specific person for additional accountability.
- Added the ability to edit a received (pending pick up/delivery) package to add additional details based on enabled attributes or to update recipient information.
- Added additional standard columns to the Package grid view for additional access to details. This includes the user that received the package, the recipient email, phone number and contact field (for department/external).
- Added the ability to define additional package attributes to be available to enable on the Package grid view as part of the package grid setup.
- Made corresponding updates to mobile receiving and delivery transactions.
OTHER IMPROVEMENTS
Past Due Date Warnings. The date warnings have been removed from historically assigned data fields. The warning displays only when a date is entered as part of a transaction.
Edit Unit – Attributes View. If the user does not have the ability to edit a unit, then the attributes will be displayed as read only. Previously, the attributes were presented as an option to edit; however, the edits could not be saved without the proper permission. This will add a better visual to the edit option.
Place In Service Date added as an option to enable on the primary Unit Grid View.
Transaction Logging. Added additional fields to general logging and corrected logging for maintenance transaction.
Reports. Check Out History Report added. Retired/Disposed Units Report Added.
Roadmap
The following features are planned for the next release. Please note that our roadmap features are subject to change.
Remote Custodian Features.
This new feature will include the following:
- A new user type will be added. This user type will support the ability to log into a restricted portal for access to view units in the user’s current custody (units checked out or deployed to them). This user type will also have the ability to complete a limited number of transactions to include:
- Validate Units in their current personal custody (units checked out to them).
- Transfer Custody to another user and/or project.
- Receive Inbound units to them specifically.
- Units purchased from a vendor being shipped directly to the user.
- Units shipped from a transfer order directly to the user. Upon receipt, returnable units will be marked checked out to the user.
- Add Units. This transaction will support the ability to add the units in the user’s current custody targeted to be an initial setup option. Units added will be assigned custody to the user and marked with the status of checked out.
- Request Items. The ability to request items for check out. This will support both returnable and non-returnable items. Non-returnable items will be marked as consumed upon check out to the user through either the standard check out function or the inbound receipt of a transfer shipment to the user.
- Addition of address and phone number details to the system user setup.
- Ability to update current community users to the new custodian user type.
- A Custodian User portal to access all units in the logged in custodian’s custody. The dashboard will include the list of any expected receipts and will also provide the ability to lookup item quantity levels for items that can be checked out. The portal will include the ability to complete transactions listed above based on the custodian role the user is set up with.
- Custodian mobile app. This will support the ability to complete the transactions enabled for the user. The mobile app will also include an item look up and the list of units the user currently has in their custody.
Transfer Order Enhancements
Enhancements will be made to the Transfer Order. The ability to select a system user, custodian user, or a customer will be added. This will allow the ability to pick units to reserve and then ship the units to a user or customer. User transfers will be set to in-transit and users will receive the transfer to update to a check out status. Customers shipments will be set to checked out upon shipment.
Check Out Updates
Customer type setup will be added to add support of a customer to be sales, custodian, or consignment. Custodian customers will be enabled on the Check Out transaction to support check out to the customer without requiring a specific user to be assigned the custodian. The new custodian user will be added into the standard Check Out transaction.
Transaction Logging Enhancements
Transaction logging enhancements will include transaction-specific logs with corresponding details to support better audit from the portal. Current transactions expected to be added for the detailed logging include:
- Check Out History. This will include Check Out, Check In, and Transfer Custody transactions. It will include the From and the To details as well as, project assignment.
- Maintenance History. This will include the Maintenance Plan and sub grid that will display the components issued. There will be a detail drill-down to display additional information of the data captured.
- Replace Handle. This grid will include the original handle and the handle that was assigned.
- Update Unit. This grid will include the updated values for the unit including status, weight, dimensions, and attribute changes.
- Receiving Enhancements. The grid view will be updated with a sub-grid to view units received without requiring drill down to the details. The details will be updated to a summary by item master for total quantities received.
Reports
Many of the reports are being reviewed for enhancements. New reports are planned to be added. Reports may be updated and published outside of standard release.
- Updates to the Unit Maintenance Report
- Updates to the Loanable Units Report
- Updates to the Contents/Inventory by Area Report
- New Item Summary Report
- New Unit History Report