General

[Fixed] For reports that included a date or dates on the "Report Options" setup tab, the dates that were entered were being saved as fixed dates when a custom version of the report options was saved. This was especially problematic for date options that originally auto-filled with a default value such as the current date. As of this version, any date fields in the report options will be saved as a blank date value. A future version may restore the auto-fill capability on saved versions of reports if users request it. For now, the auto-fill only applies to the base report.

Important: After installing this version, if you have existing saved reports that include a[Fixed]date, use the Update Options button to re-save your custom version. This will remove the[Fixed]date that was saved previously. You can verify it has been cleared by moving to any other report and then moving back to your custom version.

Projects

If you have the Design/Purchasing version, be sure to read the changes to how FF&EZ handles taxes on purchasing management projects in that section below.

FF&E Worksheet

[Enhanced] The Utilities> Import List command now ignores blank lines in the data and performs a pre-check for missing Spec IDs and missing Vendor IDs. If either of these required fields are blank on any rows, the import will warn you and then exit (no data be imported).

[Fixed] In version 4.1.033, the importer did not properly handle longer amounts of description in some fields.

[Fixed] Several issues reported about the Quote/Contract report formats:

• The formats incorrectly included the vendor quote ID and date fields in the long descriptions. These fields should only appear on internal status reports and (if applicable) the purchase orders.
• The quote summary block at the end of some quote formats was "stretching" incorrectly when a longer boilerplate note was used.
• If the "Show component specifications" option was used, the report did not include "Display only" specifications and their images. These are now included since they would be part of the object information when components are shown.

[Enhanced] The Quote/Contract formats now include three levels of  description if the component specifications are included: "full," "medium" and "short" descriptions.

[Fixed] The special "Document Date" field in the Quote/Contract report  options is now left blank instead of auto-filling with the current date. These reports will print the current date automatically if no alternate date is entered.

Important: If you have already saved custom options for any quote formats, be sure to use the Update Options button on the Print setup screen to re-save your options (see the fix mentioned under "General" above).

[New] A new "Object Component Quantity Review" report has been added. This report allows you to review and check the total quantities of object components, based on the contents of the Worksheet.

[Fixed] A few display issues where screen elements were being superimposed on others.

Object List

See note about the "Object Component Quantity Review" report above. This report is available on the Worksheet, since it is driven by the actual room contents.

[Enhanced] The "Object Usage" report now has a version sorted by vendor instead of just by tag. Both versions now have an option to include a thumbnail image.

Specifications

[Enhanced] Based on user requests, the shipping destination options are no longer selected automatically and the system will prompt you to choose either the project or another vendor when you save a specification without selecting one.

Note: this change was further enhanced to allow users to postpone selecting a shipping destination when that cannot yet be determined. See notes for version 4.2

[Fixed] When using the Add command to create an "Image only" type of spec, access to the "Shipping Destination" option was disabled, making it impossible to get past the requirement to make that selection. Selecting the "Image only" option also now automatically selects "Project Site" as the default since shipping  destinations are irrelevant for this type of specification.

[Enhanced] The "Specification Usage" report now has a version sorted by vendor instead of just by spec ID. Both versions now have an option to print only unused specs and to include a thumbnail image.

[Fixed] Some of the basic "Spec List" reports were not displaying thumbnail images.

[Fixed] The input size of the estimated freight percentage and freight unit amount fields was increased to handle larger amounts.

(These only apply if you have the Design/Purchasing version)

After user feedback, the handling of taxes on purchasing management projects has been changed: As before, you can enter tax-related options on the project screen and these will be used to include tax estimates in quotes. However, when you create orders FF&E can now ignore the tax rates so that a vendor's tax quote can be entered later on these orders instead. This duplicates the way some purchasing management users have been using the system—not entering any tax rates and only using tax quotes. The change allows your proposal quotes and estimates to include estimated taxes on the Design side, while preserving the option to only use tax quotes on orders. See below for details.

Projects

[New] A new option, "Copy spec tax to PO?" in the tax section of the Project screen allows you to specify the default behavior when FF&EZ creates orders from the FF&E Worksheet. It only applies to purchasing management projects (billing types 2 and 3). A corresponding option on the Worksheet's Order... command allows you to override the setting for any scope of FF&E you are processing.

This option controls whether the tax rates on specifications are copied to the orders when they are created. This allows you to use project and spec tax rates to estimate the vendor's tax amount on purchasing management quotes, but leave the tax rate blank on the resulting orders so that you can enter an exact tax quote from the vendor. This gives you more control over dealing with complex tax calculations that a simple percentage can't handle. You can still change the tax rate on orders—this feature is to minimize the effort needed for complex tax situations.

This change does not affect billing type 1 (cost/sell) projects and the project screen option is always "checked" on those projects. Billing type 1 projects with a VAT type tax will automatically calculate the VAT as long as the vendor is not exempt.

Worksheet

Modified: The default behavior for handling taxes for purchasing management projects is controlled by a new option (see above) on the project screen. You can then override this default on the FF&E Worksheet's Order... setup screen with the "Copy tax rate to orders?" option:

You might want to copy the tax rates if you are ordering everything within a single tax-district and the tax on each order is predictable.

This option does not affect billing type 1 (cost/sell) projects (tax rates are always copied, but are used on invoices, not orders) and this option will not appear on those projects.

Orders

The behavior of changing an order's tax rate for purchasing management orders (billing types 2 and 3) has been simplified. This works in conjunction with the changes to the Worksheet's Order... command described above. With this billing type, taxes are only applied to the vendor cost as part of the purchase.

An order can either have a tax rate (with individual items having different or zero tax rates) or it can use a tax quote to estimate the total tax amount.

If you enter a tax rate on an order that had a zero rate, the new rate will be applied to all items and an "Estimated Tax" amount will be calculated.  You can then override the rate on individual items if needed.

If you enter a zero tax rate on an order that currently has a tax rate, the item rates will be set to zero and a "Tax Quote" field will appear in which you can enter an amount for the whole order.

Processing

[Enhanced] If multiple document formats are available for a document type (.e.g., simple PO vs. one with a "terms and conditions" page), FF&EZ will remember the last format you used during the current session. This includes use of a non-custom format if a custom format is available (the system normally defaults to a custom format if one exists).

Processing: 
Issue Orders

[Fixed] The purchase order format was not recognizing non-taxable items on mixed orders that were normally entirely taxable.

Expediting

[Enhanced] The columns that can be sorted by clicking on the column header now include "Catalog #" and this field can be used with the Find tool.