NEW FEATURES ADDED FOR UPGRADE 2.89 - Released 4/23/04

IMPORTANT!!! You must run the upgrade installation on a computer that has Approach Version 9.7 (or better) in order to take advantage of the upgrade installation procedure introduced in Upgrade 2.86. You can obtain Lotus SmartSuite 9.7 (w/Approach) via various software sales sites on the Internet or you can purchase it directly through PS Software Solutions. See System Pricing for current Lotus software pricing and availability.

PLEASE NOTE: You have an option to perform this upgrade without contacting technical support. Simply download (save to disk) the upgrade file to your local hard drive. Have all users log off of ArchAdministrator, have a user with access "Level 1" remove the "Password for Databases", and exit ArchAdministrator prior to continuing. Double click on downloaded upgrade file and carefully follow the on-screen instructions. Do not hesitate to contact technical support (1-908-670-6839) if you have any questions, would like us to walk you through the upgrade, or encounter any errors while performing the upgrade.

New Intuit QuickBooks Time Sheet Integration Feature!!
A new QuickBooks Time Sheet Integration Feature has been added to ArchAdministrator. This new feature allows users of ArchAdministrator's Time Sheet module to export time sheet records into an Intuit Import File (IIF) using just a few mouse clicks. ArchAdministrator simplifies the task of compiling previously entered time sheet records into an IIF format that can be easily imported into any new or existing QuickBooks company file.

This powerful new feature eliminates the need for double-data-entry for those firms recording/tracking time sheet data into both ArchAdministrator and QuickBooks. It also enables users, working solely in ArchAdministrator, to provide their bookkeeper/payroll service with detailed employee time sheet data. The ubiquitous "IIF" file format can be used by accounts/payroll services throughout North America to import and track employee logged hours, generate payroll, payroll taxes, etc. using their own in-house version of QuickBooks or other QuickBooks compatible software.

The ArchAdministrator user has the additional ability to specify the following when generating an Intuit Import File (IIF):

  * Name of QuickBooks Item/Account to Import Time Sheet Records into
  * Reporting Period - Start Date and End Date of Period To Include
  * Whether to Subcategorize Employee Time Sheet Records by Project Phase
  * Whether to Include the Job Number as a Subset of the Customer Name

All associated service items, employee names, customer names, job numbers, etc., recorded in ArchAdministrator (and associated with time sheet records being exported) will be included in the export file. QuickBooks will automatically create new employees, customers, job numbers, etc. when imported ArchAdministrator records do not exactly match records existing in QuickBooks.

ArchAdministrator automatically logs the quantity and type of exported transactions and stores the reporting period for each export session. The ArchAdministrator also generates a "QuickBooks Export History" report that delineates the details of each export session and sorts the report by export file dates.

ArchAdministrator users can access the new QuickBooks Integration feature by selecting "Export Time Logs To QuickBooks" from the "Tools" drop-down menu located at the top of the "Time Sheet Summary" sub-menu view. Please review the following Export/Import instructions and additional notes:

EXPORTING TIME SHEET RECORDS FROM ArchAdministrator

Step 1: Select whether you want job number as a subset of the customer name (i.e. ABC Corp:9876).
Step 2: Select "Invoice Line Item name" (typically "Professional Services") and
Step 3: Select whether to subcategorize by phase names.
Step 4: Enter reporting period Start Date and End Date in ArchAdministrator's "Current Reporting Period".
Step 5: Select the "Export Data" button to extract time sheet records into the "ArchTime.iif" import file.

IMPORTING ArchAdministrator TIME SHEET RECORDS INTO QUICKBOOKS

Step 1: Only a QuickBooks "Administrator" can and must open QuickBooks in Single-User mode.
Step 2: Select | File | Utilities | Import | Import iif Files...| from the QuickBooks drop-down menu.
Step 3: From the Import dialog box; navigate to the "C:" root directory on your computer's local hard drive.
Step 4: Select the "ArchTime.iif" import file containing the exported Arch Admin. data and select "Open".
Step 5: Verify that all transactions have been successfully imported into QuickBooks.

IMPORTANT ADDITIONAL NOTES:

Confirm that all service items, employee names, customer names, job numbers, etc. recorded in ArchAdministrator exactly match records in QuickBooks prior to performing export/import feature. Please note that customer names exported out of ArchAdministrator are based on "Invoices Paid By" data field appearing on the "Project Info" view located in the Project Management module. The customer name is followed by a colon ( : ) and the project's active job number if this option is selected prior to export. When imported into QuickBooks, this optional format allows QuickBooks to chart multiple job numbers as a subset of the customer's name.

You need to be in the QuickBooks Single-user Mode when importing time sheet records. Also, the QuickBooks Administrator is the only user who can import or export in QuickBooks.

Unlike ArchAdministrator, QuickBooks does not track "Regular" and "Over Time" nor "Billable" and "Non-Billable" hours independently. Therefore, regular and overtime hours will be combined into one amount in the exported time sheet record. If both regular and overtime hours exist, "Billable"/"Non-Billable" status for the total hours being exported will be based on the status logged (in ArchAdministrator) for the regular hours.

Example 1:
If a time sheet log contains 1.50 regular billable hours and 2.00 overtime non-billable hours, the export time sheet record will contain 3.50 billable hours.

Example 2:
If a time sheet log contains no regular hours and 2.00 overtime non-billable hours, the exported time sheet record will contain 2.00 non-billable hours.

Unlike ArchAdministrator, QuickBooks does not allow the user to enter more than 24 hrs. for any one time sheet record. Therefore, any exported time sheet records in excess of 24 hrs. will have their hours logged in the QuickBooks "Notes" field rather than the typical duration field. The user will be responsible for manually revising the hourly data in QuickBooks.

All Modules
1. Printing addressee data onto #10 and Monarch envelopes has been revised. Prior to this upgrade users with certain printers would not be able to adjust printer settings to allow for proper orientation and location envelope data. All user will now be able to print envelopes within ArchAdministrator without incident. Please note that users must now select "(81/2 x 11) Letter " and "Landscape" from the printer dialog box prior to printing an envelope.

2. "Access Level 1" users now have the ability to specify which letter head style will appear as the default style for newly created documents throughout ArchAdministrator. Prior to this upgrade, letter head "Style 1" would always appear as the default letter head style. This new enhancement is especially useful when additional letter head styles are added (for example: company address changes) and set as the default for all newly created documents. Additionally, documents created prior to the letter head changes will retain their original letter head style and, thus, their historical accuracy.

3. ArchAdministrator's simultaneous access limit has been updated to allow up to 48 concurrent users. Prior to this upgrade ArchAdministrator would limit simultaneous access to 16 concurrent users.

4. Access level message will only appear for "Level 1" users at employee logon. Prior to this upgrade all users would receive a message displaying their access level when logging onto the program. Removing the access level message for levels 2-5 will simplify (remove one additional step in) logon for many employees.

5. ArchAdministrator's "Main Menu" view will only display the names of specific modules accessible by the employee currently logged onto the program. Prior to this upgrade, the names of all modules would appear in the Main Menu whether access to the specific module had been previously granted or denied. Menu selections that lead to modules with denied access will appear as "Access To This Module Is Denied" after the upgrade is installed.

6. A new concurrent user tracking feature has been added to ArchAdministrator. The feature monitors user logons/logoffs and stores/displays the total number of concurrent users logged onto the system in the lower left corner of the Main Menu view. The tracking feature will also warn a user of additional logons prior to performing critical procedures requiring no concurrent users (i.e. Database Compression, Database Password Protection).

Accounting Transactions
1. New "printer friendly" account payment and account receipt transaction views have been added to the program that allow the user to print these transaction types complete with expanded breakdown lists and white (rather than gray) background.

2. Various performance enhancements, error trapping and bug fixes have been incorporated into the QuickBooks Accounting Transaction Exporting feature that was added to ArchAdministrator in Upgrade 2.88. These enhancements will allow the user to import transactions into QuickBooks with far fewer line item errors caused by incompatible data entries. Additionally, the user has the ability to specify the following:

  * Whether project numbers should be included as a subset of customer name
  * Whether to base exported transaction dates on Post/Deposit or Check/Received dates
  * Whether to export transaction based on a Cash or Accrual basis

3. A bug has been fixed in the Account Receipt Transaction view. Prior to this upgrade, the post/deposit date for line items existing in a receipt breakdown would not be updated to match a revised post/deposit date entered for the transaction record (if the line items were created prior to the revision of the post/deposit date). However, post/deposit dates for line items created after the post/deposit date revision would be updated with the appropriate post/deposit date appearing for the transaction.

Billing Invoices
1. Default data automatically entered into the "Amount Allocated to Consultants" field (after entering a fee for item or phase) should now calculate properly for all conditions. Prior to this upgrade the field would not properly calculate the amount for all conditions using the following formula:

    ("Fee for Item/Phase" / "Proposed Phase Fee") x "Total Consultant Allowance for Phase"

2. Default data automatically entered into the "Descriptive Subtext" field (after performing "Click Here for Contract Wages") has been revised to account for the possibility that hourly rates for employee titles are no longer fix and may vary (see Proposals/Contracts, Time Sheet Logs, etc., below for additional info).

Correspondence - Outbound
1. User now has the ability to enter search criteria for any previously entered correspondence "Type" including user defined "Other" types. Prior to this upgrade the user was limited to selecting one of the default types (i.e. Letter, Memo, Fax, EMail).

2. The layout for multi-page letters has been revised to more accurately split continuos body text at page breaks. Prior to this upgrade (under certain circumstances), body text would not properly display/print when spanning multiple pages and/or across page breaks.

Correspondence - Interoffice Memos
1. Users with "Supervisor Status" now have the ability to delete any interoffice memo(s) whether created by the user or not. Prior to this upgrade, no user had the ability to delete any inter-office memo once it's status is set to "Sent". Users with supervisor status will now have the ability to clear the database of old/unwanted memos.

Employee Information
1. The user now has the ability to set the vacation/sick accrual rollover date prior to the employee's "Date Hired". Prior to this upgrade the user would receive a warning message and would not be allowed to set the accrual date to a day prior to the employee's "Date Hired".

2. Calculated vacation/sick Available, Used, Carry Over, etc., hours delineated in the "Vacations & Sick Leave" view have been revised to properly calculate values for all conditions. Prior to this upgrade, the employee's available, carry over, etc., hours would not calculate correctly if "Accrued" and/or "Carry Over" allowance was reduced in a subsequent promotion.

Project Management
1. Additional Methods of Analysis have been added to the Project Management module. The user now has the ability to base "Actual" wage expenses, listed in various project management summary reports, on the following list of options:

  1. Actual Wage Only (Employee Salary at Time of Timelog Entry)
  2. Actual Wage + OverHead (Stipulated in the Proposal/Contract)
  3. Actual Wage + OverHead + Profit (Stipulated in the Proposal/Contract)
  4. Hourly Cost (DPE) Only (Employee Cost "DPE" at Time of Timelog Entry )
  5. Hourly Cost (DPE) + OverHead (Stipulated in the Proposal/Contract)
  6. Hourly Cost (DPE) + OverHead + Profit (Stipulated in the Proposal/Contract)

Prior to this upgrade, the user's options for Method of Analysis were limited to "Actual Wage + OH + Profit" and "Hourly Cost (DPE)" only. The additional options will allow project managers to have more flexibility when evaluating project expenses and firm performance.

2. An additional "Balance Column" Vs "Contract Column" Method of Analysis has been added to the Project Management module. The user now has the choice of displaying a "Contract" column (as delineated on various summary reports prior to this upgrade) or a new "Balance" column delineating the balance of Proposed Fees minus Actual Expenses. As calculated prior to this upgrade, the "Contract" column will continue to be based on "Contract Wages" stipulated in the proposal/contract for each employee title.

3. Prior to this upgrade, anyone having access to the Project Management module would have the ability to modify any Method of Analysis. However, only user's with "Supervisor Status" are now allowed to modify the Method of Analysis options. This feature has been added to the program to allow supervisors to "lock" analysis options and thus preserve the specified methods for use by subordinate project managers (that do not have Supervisor Status).

4. A calculation that determines the "Invoiced" value for the "Administration, Other Fees, Tax, Credits, Etc." phase delineated in various summary reports has been corrected. Prior to this upgrade the calculation would not return the correct value for all possible conditions.

Project Portfolio
1. The user now has the ability to select any available letter head style stored in ArchAdministrator. Prior to this upgrade, various views within the module were limited to displaying letter head "Style 1" only.

Project Scheduler
1. The user will now be prompted to select a "Method of Analysis" immediately upon entering the Project Scheduler. Prior to this upgrade, the user would not be reminded to select a Method of Analysis.

Proposals/Contracts
1. ArchAdministrator has changed the way it handles "Contract Wages". The program now stores an actual contract wage rate for the employee title being logged at the moment the time sheet log is recorded (or the title for an existing time sheet record is modified). Prior to this upgrade, contract wages were virtual and based on values currently stored in the Proposal/Contract database. This change will allow the user to adjust (track and bill for) ever increasing contract wage rates throughout the life of a project (i.e. reflect contract wage increases across multi-year projects). Prior to this upgrade, changes to contract wage rates for a particular Project in the Proposal/Contract module were retroactive (i.e. changing wage values would change the wage values for all hours logged for the project). After this upgrade, contract wage rates for previously entered time sheets will remain as recorded (historically accurate) and only newly created time sheet records will reflect the changed rates. Please note that all existing time sheet records stored in your company's databases will be updated to reflect the current Contract Wage rates stored for each Proposal/Contract at the time you install the ArchAdministrator Upgrade 2.89

2. A new procedure has been added that improves the performance and unique Proposal Number reliability when creating a new Proposal/Contract record. The user must now select "Use Default" or "Specify New" each time a new Proposal/Contract record is created. The program will automatically assign the next highest Proposal Number when the user selects the "Use Default" option. The user will be prompted to enter a custom Proposal Number when the "Specify New" option is selected.

3. The size of the "Postal/Delivery Expenses Allowance" field has been increased to allow up to $999,999.00 to be entered/stored. Prior to this upgrade the user was limited to entering/storing $999.00.

Submittal Logs
1. A new feature has been added to the "Create A New Submittal Log" function. ArchAdministrator will automatically set the default value for the "Due In" data field to the value recorded in the first submittal for the project selected. The program will prompt the user for a default value for "Due In" if the user is creating a project's first Submittal record.

2. A bug has been fix that would limit a default Submittal Number suffix to "99" (i.e. JOBNO-99). The program will now automatically create a default Submittal Number suffix up to "99999" (i.e. JOBNO-99999). Please note that the Submittal Number field is a "Text" data type and will sort slightly different than numeric data types. See the following example of an ascending sort for each data type below:

Numeric Text      Data Type Data Type
    98                  100
    99                  101
   100                   98
   101                   99

Time Sheet - Weekly Logs
1. A "Landscape" version of the Weekly Time Sheet view has been added to the existing "Portrait" version currently available when printing a hard copy of time sheet logs. The "Landscape" version, with its greater width, displays more characters for each Phase than the Portrait version and adds two additional lines for Tasks. An additional line has also been added to the Tasks field in the "Portrait" print view.

2. "Day of the Month" dates have been added to each day of the week name and are located across the top of the Weekly Time Sheet view. The user will now be able to determine/confirm the date of a weekly time sheet entry without having to check a calendar.

3. A new "Sort by Job No." feature has been added to the Weekly Time Sheet view. The user can now select the sort weekly time sheet project entries by job number and the weekly time sheet will list projects in ascending order. Prior to this upgrade project entries would only appear in the order in which they were entered. The user can sort the projects listed in the weekly time sheet by selecting the "Sort by Job No." button located in the upper right corner of the Weekly Time Sheet view. Please note that "Office" entries will still be listed at the top of the view.

Time Sheet - Summary reports
1. Various time sheet summary reports delineating Contract Wages have been revised to reflect the fact that contract wages for each title in the firm can now have multiple dollar amounts. All "Detailed" reports summarizing contract wage data will now list the wage amount for each entry so that the user can determine the rate being used to calculate the total contract wages listed.

Various Modules
1. Various revisions to remove minor bugs and improve user interface