Dimensions 2.50h
New Features and Changes This document is intended to give a high level overview of the new features and changes within Dimensions New features Support for 64bit emailing / email via SMTP If you wish to send emails from Dimensions, we have updated the email connectivity to use SMTP only. To configure the SMTP connection you will need to do the following: System Control >> Options >> System Options >> System Format. Select System Email defaults. The initial step is to set the email password this will be encrypted within the database. The password must be between 8 and 20 characters, contain upper, lower and numeric characters only. Once set the user can configure the SMTP server details In here you would set the system default email address, and the name to display. This will be the username and password for an account on the SMTP Server. On the toolbar select the 'SMTP Users' button and on the resulting dialog select the SMTP Server from the dropdown, and enter the User name and Password. Alternatively, tick the Use Default Credentials if required. You can have as many SMTP Users as required. Save your changes. Because you cannot view sent items, that have been sent via SMTP, you can also set a CC email address. Examples here would be: accounts@thecompanyname.com 2
Click on the SMTP server details icon to configure the server. Any emails Dimensions automatically sends will go via this server. On the toolbar, select the 'SMTP Servers' button and on the resulting dialog, enter the Name, Address, Port, and SSL details. These details can be obtained from your email service provider. You can have as many SMTP Servers as required. Save your changes. Certain users may wish to use their own email address. This can be configured, at the user record level, but only once the SMTP server details have been added New nominal record card with turnover analysis Advanced Nominal only If you are a user of the Advanced Nominal ledger, then we have enhanced the way in which you create and view your nominal accounts. The traditional account record card has been removed, and replaced with a view of your Nominal Code (Detail Category), from which you can review the overall turnover and compare actuals to budget. Example turnover by period analysis: Additionally there is drilldown to view the turnover by category 3
Additionally you can filter to refine the drill path and numbers that you are viewing. From the ribbon above there are links to custom views of the Nominal Summaries; these custom views allow you to filter, amend the drill path for any given nominal code but do not show any of the traditional calculations for the P&L or Balance Sheet Chart of Accounts Detail A new screen has been added to the chart of accounts screen which shows the detail of the concatenated account record. If custom fields are used, or profiling is required this information is set up from here. In addition options such as budgets, notes and certain display options are also set at this level. 4
Advanced Nominal usability enhancements When building you chart of accounts a number of usability changes have been made. 1. Add a label to the Build screen to clarify functionality 2. Allow selection of multiple categories at the same level so that lower level Categories can be added to more than one parent at a time 3. Need to indicate to user where codes are incomplete before saving 4. On deleting an item within the Build screen, focus should move to the item immediately above the deleted item rather than to the header 5. Speed of the view needs to be improved - this relates to the Save function 6. Add a search option to the "Build" and to the New Accounts to create screens 7. Where selecting to create Analysis records for a new account, user should be able to see which control accounts are to be updated and then to change them if necessary. 8. The definition of available custom fields has been moved to system control Change system options to allow migration of databases from Standard to Advanced Nominal Ledger Options for setting up ANL have been split out from data entry. This will enable users to set up and configure the new chart of accounts while still posting transactions using the old chart of accounts. Any new accounts created will be set to be inactive until the option to begin transaction entry using Advanced Nominal Ledger has been switched on. 5
Corrections will need to be used to merge account codes, once the new chart of accounts has been created. Reporting codes A new code has been added, which can be used to mimic and extend the number of major headings. This is to be used for custom reporting only By default the value is taken from the Major Heading, but the user can change this. For example if the user wants to have more detailed analysis of their overheads, they could add a depreciation reporting code and amend any custom reports. Further enhancements to the Nominal ledger will follow in the next release ACD Templates A variety of ACD templates with additional formatting options are now available. From within System Control >> Options >> System Options >> Documents >> Crystal Documents, you can now set the global ACD location and the default theme to apply. The theme controls the colours and logos that appear on the documents. Minor Enhancements Updated branding on the about screen and wizards to match the new product images More default security profiles are available for sales, purchase stock and costing type users A new option is available in purchase ledger options to auto generate supplier codes, this works in the same way as auto generate customer codes The referred Payment method has been added to the Suggested payments search 6
The transaction date on PIR Entry is now blank by default, which ensures that the user specifies the Invoice date from the document they have received A new Remittance reference is available, for remittance BACS to allow the user to specify a remittance reference that then saves to the header ref of the payment The default security profile Sub Analysis record has been extended to include Works Orders New API s API support for Advanced Nominal (this is insert / edit of nominal codes / updating the Chart of Accounts)) API for SYS_BUDGETS Integration and Platform Support Windows 8 is now supported Windows Server 2012 is now supported Workflow Forms 2.2.3 MUST be used if upgrading to Dimensions 2.50h or later, this is due to changes in the email fields Smart Tags v5.00a must be used if using a Windows 8 operating system or Office 15 SharePoint Connectivity (requires separate application to be installed) 7