Newsletter 2001-04       Go Back June 15, 2001 Highlights: We have just completed a fairly extensive enhancement to the Power Plus system

We have just completed a fairly extensive enhancement to the Power Plus system - the expansion of the size of the order number field. This major enhancement addresses three problems: Our sites will now be able to retain billed orders for a longer time period. With the old number only being 6 digits, some of our larger clients could not keep orders for a long time period because the numbers would begin to duplicate. With this expansion, everyone should be able to keep 2-3 years of order history. When the order numbers rolled over back to the low numbers, this caused the OI35 inquiry and the S (Sales history) option in order entry to come up out of sequence from the end user's perspective. Also, the order rollover caused OE17 stock returns to not always attach to the most recent billed line item for that customer and item. This enhancement is not quite as extensive as the Y2K changes from a few years ago. However, it does affect 71 standard sources and 41 standard libraries. In addition, most sites will have some custom SA or OE programs that will require updating. Unlike most cases, one should not do the reorg ahead of applying the new source. Due to the fact the order number is a group field - partially packed numeric and partially alpha - several programs have problems if the database is changed but the programs are not. We found this out the hard way at one of our users who wanted to get a head start on the project. In addition to the program enhancements, we are also providing a program that will allow you to move an existing low number order range up into the millions. Several of our users have rolled the order numbers recently, causing the difficulties mentioned above. So, for example, suppose your current order numbers since the rollover are 100000 through 214376. With this utility program, we would move these up to 1100000 through 1214376 (and you would bump up your next order number in the system parameters). This will put the newer numbers back on top and "fix" OI35 and the OE30 "S" option. Although we have expanded the order root to 7 digits on screens and reports, the database is being expanded to eight digits. In this case, the eight digits takes up the same amount of space as seven. Also, with this change we are advancing the release ID number up to 6.0. Additional Enhancements Recently Completed: Several step-saving shortcuts have been added to various inquiry screens: On the CI20 invoices by customer inquiry, you can now select an invoice to drill down into the detail, and then return back to CI20 if you'd like to. You can also fax up to 12 invoices from the CI20 display. The CI30 invoice inquiry now gives you the option of: Faxing a copy of the invoice Drilling down into the detail of an invoice Doing an invoice reprint The OI10 order inquiry now allows you to request a fax. This is done by entering an "F" in the first position of the order number (the same spot where you can enter "B" for back, "N" for next or "H" for header). Depending on the status of the order, the fax request will do an invoice, quote or acknowledgement.