eMaint X3 New Features & Updates Blog

X3 V.10.2.0

eMaint X3 Release Version 10.2.0

This Release of X3 includes a major update to the Report Writer and PM Manager interface, reported bug fixes, and updates to our back-end processing.

Details of this release:

• Report Writer - A completely redesigned interface has been completed for creating and running reports within X3. This upgrade is designed to provide a more steamlined approach to creating reports, making it quicker and easier to get the results you desire.

Click here to view the new Report Writer Manual

• PM Manager - The PM Manager screen has also received an interface upgrade. Along with all of the previous functions that were available in the old PM Manager a new option, the "45 Day PM Projection" has been added to allow schedulers to manipulate PM schedules in a visual format. 

Click here to view the new PM Manager Manual.

• Scheduling Tab - The Scheduling tool has been enhanced once again with a new group of features including the ability to schedule multiple individuals at one time to a work order, the ability to export the calendar view, you can now filter the PM view to specific group of PM Schedules, and the Scheduler now has user rights available in "User Administration" so you can give read only access to any individuals in your organization. 

Click here to view the updated manual for this feature.

• eMailing Reports - There is now an additional option for administrators in the "General System Settings" area of "My Account". This option will allow you to further control the automatic emailing of reports. If a automated report does not return any results you can now disable the email that informs the recipient that there were no records found.
• Bug Fix - Dashboard Errors - Fixed an issue where the deletion of a report that has been published to the dashboard could cause an error which would prevent a user from viewing the dashboard.
• Bug Fix - Generate PMs and Group Closeout Screens - Fixed issues with filtering by certain field lookups on these screens.
• Multiple other bug fixes and support tool improvements - Many other small fixes, tweaks and improvements to the tools our Support department uses, as well as to areas that may not be directly visible to the end user, in order to better serve your needs.

X3 V.10.1.9

eMaint X3 Release Version 10.1.9

The following enhancements and bug fixes are addressed in the April 2010 update:

- Projection of PM Schedules on the Scheduling Tab - We will be rolling out the next phase of the Scheduler Ehancements, which include performance enhancements and the projection of PM Schedules. PM Projection will now be a calendar option under Scheduling tab, and will project your Calendar and Meter PM's that have been marked to 'Display on Calendar.'

Access the documentation for this new feature here!

- Bug Fix - Approval Memo field on Requests - Fixed an issue where the Approval Memo field on approved work requests would display only in Eastern Time. The time zone of the account is now respected, along with the country date format.

- Bug Fix - PM Projection issue (PM Manager) - Fixed an issue where the PM Manager's PM Projection feature would project schedules that did not match your initial filter.

- Bug Fix - Dashboard Widgets - Fixed an issue where the 'Last Generated' would only display in Eastern Time. Time now respects the local time zone of the account.

- Bug Fix - After Work Order Assignment Workflows - Fixed an issue where a workflow may not fire after a Work Order Assignment.

- Bug Fix - Generate PM Work Orders Screen - Fixed multiple functions that stopped working since a recent release, including functionality of the Drag and Drop Field Chooser, and a missing Reset Form button

- Multiple other bug fixes and support tool improvements - Many other small fixes, tweaks and improvements to the tools our Support department uses, as well as to areas that may not be directly visible to the end user, in order to better serve your needs.

X3 V. 10.1.6

The Following enhancements and bug fixes are addressed in the February 2010 update: 

Enhancements:

• Scheduling Tool version 2 - The latest version of the Scheduling tool includes many updates and enhancements, which include the ability to show work orders on the calendar and the ability to group them by definable fields. The interface has also been enhanced to provide a better user experience.
•  Gantt Charts for Projects - For those of you wishing to plot your Project work orders on a Gantt chart, you now have a menu option on your Project form to do so!

Bug Fixes:

• Adding to Table Lookups refreshes screen - When adding a new value to a Table Lookup, the screen would refresh. This would cause you to lose any information you typed but did not yet save. This has been corrected.
• Hover panels appear off-screen - Corrected an issue where some hover panels would appear below the bottom of the screen
• Picasa Picture integration errors - Fixed an issue where using Picasa picture integration may have displayed an error when selecting pictures.
• Direct Parts/Labor Charges to Assets does not display - Some users reported difficulty using the Add Labor or Add Parts Charge on the Asset screen. This has been corrected.
• Assign To Contacts with quotation marks in the PM Manager - Fixed an issue where a Contact record with quotation marks couldn't be used for filtering in the PM Generation tool.
• Workflows - Fixed an issue where the After Parts Charge Save workflow would not execute after a Parts Charge Edit action.
• Clearing Picasa images - Restored the ability to clear a picture from a Picasa field.
• Display of Text Reports on the Dashboard - Corrected display issues with the Text reports on the Dashboard tab.
• Subject Line on Emails - Fixed an issue where the subject line of work order emails may not properly pull your company's information.
• Non-Internet Explorer Browser related issues - Lookup fields appear to cut off the bottom of some text, Save Current Settings link in the Tab Manager did not save settings, Text and Formatting changes in Customize Form did not save settings in Internet Explorer 8, and the Sorting buttons in the report writer displaying as strange characters have all been resolved.
• Multiple other performance related issues - We have continued down our path of enhancing processes on the server-side to give everyone a better overall user experience.

X3 V. 10.1.5

The following enhancements and bug fixes are addressed in the November 2009 update:

Enhancements:

• The ability to limit a report to the "Top 10" records - There is now a way to create a report that will only show a top (or bottom) qty of records based on a numeric value. This can be defined by quantity or percent and you have the ability to select how many records will be displayed. The setting to enable this feature is available in the overall report properties section. It will also be available when creating a new report.
• HTML Output on Dashboard now displays the full formatting - Now all HTML reports published to the dashboard will display exactly as they do when being run from the report writer tool. This means now users can publish reports with sub totals, banding, direct hyper links to records, and custom output options.
• Enhancement to the PDF output in the Report Writer - Now the PDF output in the report writer will be an exact copy of the HTML output saved as a PDF file. This enhances the security of the data when being emailed while keeping a visually friendly format. The previous PDF output option is still available and has been relabeled PDF Summary.
• Enhancement to Calculated Fields - Now when creating a calculated field on a report you can sort and group by that value.

Bug Fixes:

• Generate PM's and Work Order Print Manager - When printing work orders using either of these tools the user could end up at a PDF file with no way to get back to the X3 application. Now these PDF files will open in an additional window.
• Ship To Address Missing on Purchase Order Bug Fix - When creating a Purchase Order direct from a part or from the Parts Reorder List the ship to field was sometimes left blank. This has been corrected.
• Mobile Closeout Screen - 2 fixes were made to the closeout screen when using a mobile device. The date picker has been reverted to the old style with drop down lookups on the Month and Day fields for easier date entry. Also, the "Close Work Order" link has been changed to remove JavaScript that some mobile devices could not handle.
• Forgot Your Password - Changed the "Forgot Your Password" option on the login screen so that the email address is no longer case sensitive.
• Thanksgiving Theme - Updated the CSS for this theme to fix a white text on white background issue in the list views.

X3 V.10.1.2

The following enhancements and bug fixes are addressed in the August 2009 update:

Enhancements:

• HTML Work Order Print option has been updated to save as a PDF formated document. Now when emailing or printing the HTML format option the file will be emailed or saved locally as a PDF file.
• The Date picker used throughout X3 has been updated to use a new user interface and remove the popup window. 
• A new option has been added to the "My Account" area which will allow users to hide the Hourly Rate value on the labor charge screen. 
• The timezone selector within the "My Account" area has been updated to display the GMT offset within the title. 
•  Major User Interface Update - We have enhanced the User Interface in multiple areas to make X3 even easier to use. Click on image to view full screen 
  
  • The Main Option Bar that displays in the detail view for all records has been modified and now displays as buttons.
  • A new "Actions" option will display in the main menu bar to contain all "Actions" specific to that record type (ie "Close Out" on a Work Order form). 
  • The "Options" tool to manage related tables and customize the forms has been brought in line with all other menu options in the detailed views. 
  • The size of the X3 logo in the upper left corner has been reduced to take better advantage of screen area.
  • The menu options on related tables have been modified to follow the same structure as the main form. The charges table now has a separate button for Parts, Labor, Miscellaneous, and Quick Parts. 
  • The Theme Selection interface has been updated. 
  • The field selection tool used within the PM Manager, Group Closeout, and PM Generation screen has been updated to load more quickly and be easier to use. 
  •  A "Tab" interface has been added to the main and related information in the detail views. By clicking on the tab of a related table you can now completely minimize that table.
  • The Lookup to table user interface has been completely redesigned to be easier to use and to remove the need for a popup window. Click on image to view Full Screen

Bug Fixes:

• The "Work Order Time" value has been fixed so that it will display the correct time based on the timezone selected in the "My Account" area.
• An issue was corrected with requestors seeing menu options for functions they do not have access to within X3. 
• Additional bug fixes were put in place relating to emails and back-end functions within the application.  

  SQL Update:

• Additional work has been completed in our initiative to make available to X3 Enterprise clients a SQL database version of eMaint X3.
  

April 6, 2009

X3 V.10.0.8

The following enhancements and bug fixes are addressed in the April 2009 update:

Enhancements:

• BETA ALERT -- There is a new “Scheduling” tab available. This is a beta version of our new calendar view planning and scheduling feature. Please take a look and share your thoughts and feedback with our team.
• Two New Specialized Dashboard Widgets are now available within the “Miscellaneous” section of “Add Content”.
• 1) The Sign On/ Sign Off Wizard. This widget will allow you to capture your time against a work order directly from the dashboard. You will also see a live counter as you continue to stay signed into the work order.
• 2) My Open Work Orders. This widget will allow you to see a user definable listing of all open work orders that are assigned to your contact record. Here you will be able to mouse over the WO # to see more info or click directly on the WO # to quickly enter into the detail view. To utilize this item your “Contact ID” must match your “User ID”.
• eMaint X3 Mobile (Browser Based) has undergone a User Interface facelift! This new UI makes the application more “touch screen friendly”. Now the user can navigate the menus with just a finger and have access to more functions.
• A new user-definable email notification function has been added to X3! This tool is triggered through the workflow manager and will allow any user to create and manage custom email notifications throughout the application. The end user now has the ability to set the conditions as to when an email is sent, to whom it is sent, and create a template for the email.
• Now when Preventive Maintenance work orders are emailed to assignees, the assignee can click a link in the email to download the attached work orders directly from eMaint’s servers.
• A new Announcement Notification Tool has been implemented which will enable eMaint to disseminate important information to all users. Such "notifications" will display on screen upon logging into your X3 account. Once the user marks the message as "read" it will no longer display. This mechanism will ensure that important announcements such as server maintenance alerts or new system updates reach all X3 customers in a timely yet unintrusive manner.
• Requisitioning Updates. Now when a requisition is submitted, an email notifying the next person in the queue will be sent. Also, when a requisition is rejected the initial user that created the requisition will be notified via email. Another enhancement to this area will allow users to “reactivate” rejected requisitions.
• A new function has been added to the tabs in the user interface to make it easy to access the list view. Now if you click the "icon" on the tab it will take you directly to the tab's list view.

Bug Fixes:

• Corrected an issue with values lookups which, in some rare instances, caused values to change when editing the record.
• Removed a bug which would allow a user to save a Purchase Order without a PO #.
• Updated the “Manage Related Tables” option on an asset record to remove a system-level control from view to the end user.
• Weblink users can now remove the “GoTo” link from the request form interface.
• Fixed an issue which was preventing existing windows from refocusing on reselection of a link. (If you had selected a link that would open an asset record in a new window, minimized it, and then selected to open another asset window, it would replace the old asset window that is open and minimized, but not bring it to the forefront; now it will.)
• Removed bug which would not allow field properties to display on a “label” field.
• Fixed bug which would not display logos on custom PDF work order forms during automatic PM generation.
• Updated Picasa interface to account for changes made by Google on the backend.
• Fixed Javascript errors in Firefox when utilizing edit-in –place feature.
• Corrected a bug with the copy/add option relating to Work Orders. If “Disable edit of closed work orders” has been activated from the “My Account” area, a user could not previously copy a closed work order. This has now been adjusted.
• Fixed some display bugs within translated accounts relating to non-English characters.

January 5th, 2009

X3 V.10.0.7

The majority of the items included in this latest update to eMaint X3 are related to enhancing the performance and response time to requests for data submitted by you, the end user.

Performance Related:

• The Planner screen has been optimized to load more quickly for those with a large amount of open work in the system.
• The Requestor main page has been optimized for faster loading.
• Mass Printing of Work Orders either in the PM Generation Screen or the Work Order Print Manager has been optimized for quicker response.
• The process for Generating Reports has been optimized to improve overall performance for all clients.
• List Views have been optimized for paging, even during a filtered search. This will result in quicker and more manageable searches through large groups of records. The viewing of memo fields in the list view has also been adjusted so that a preview will now display with an icon to view the full text.
• Additional miscellaneous optimizations to increase overall response time of the server to client requests.

Enhancements:

• The Parts Reorder List has been revamped to enhance usability as well as load-time performance. The screen now displays with a summarized list, sorted by default supplier, of the parts to reorder for each supplier. Upon selecting a supplier from the summarized list, the screen shows a detailed view of the parts to reorder for that supplier. Options for selecting and processing all parts in the displayed list allow for faster processing of the items.
• A new feature is now available to multi-site clients that will allow for a full read-only view of another location's data such as inventory, contact, or equipment records.
• The request email notification has been enhanced with additional options that will allow a user to approve or reject a new work request through simple email responses. This will allow a user to quickly approve emergency requests from a PDA or mobile phone such as a Blackberry.
• Users now have the ability to set up PM nesting on meter-based PM schedules. This will allow users to keep multiple meter-based PMs aligned so that when using the system to generate PMs, a single meter-based PM will generate for the asset at one time and PMs will not generate out of sequence.

Bug Fixes:

• Correction to LIFO/FIFO calculations completed during inventory adjustments or Purchase Order Receipts associated with Work Orders.
• Corrected a bug in the Graphs and Instruments that would, in rare cases, stop a widget from displaying the output.
• Corrected a bug where HTML code could be inserted into a values lookup in a very specific situation.

Support Tools:

• The suite of tools available to the support staff has been enhanced to allow for quicker response to data related support issues.

November 6, 2008

Version 10.0.6

Enhancements

·         Contract Billing – A new configuration is available which will allow for easily tracking billable services, contracts and contract rates (markups), associating those contracts and contract rates to service work order charges for billable work, and printing invoice batches from within X3.

·         Ventek monitoring integration – X3 now has preconfigured integration with Ventek monitoring devices (http://www.ventekllc.com/). Utilizing this interface you can setup Condition Monitoring to receive readings at scheduled intervals for reporting purposes, receive email notification and work order generation based on the live data streaming from the monitoring device, and keep an eye on your current equipment status directly from your X3 dashboard.

·         Parts Allocation – Now all eMaint X3 users have the ability to allocate parts toward work orders and receive advanced reorder notification. This new feature will allow a user to allocate parts to a work order either through PM generation or a corrective work order. You can now  also send a warning email or even place the part in your stock requisition cart as soon as the allocated value reaches or exceeds the on hand value for that part.

·         Picasa Integration – Now you can integrate X3 with a free Picasa image hosting account (http://picasa.google.com/)!  We've solved the challenge of where to best "host" your images for easy linking to your eMaint X3 data! Users can now create a “Picasa” style field on any form which will allow you to select from the images you have previously uploaded. Users can select images from a thumbnail interface and even select the size that the image should be displayed on the form.

·         New eMaint University (eU) interface - The graphical User Interface for eU has been completely redesigned for easier content access.  Now an expandable tree view of content has replaced the tabbed interface and all content is available in a resizable/ moveable content panel.

·         New Email Options in Work Orders - This new feature includes an “Email” link in the main command bar of a work order and also the ability to create an “email” type of field on the work order form. The email link will allow you to send the work order via email to any address listed within the work order itself and also add an unlimited comment at the top of the email. The email field will allow you to create a field similar to the “assign to” or “perform for” fields, but with additional options such as opening the full email client, opening the email panel or sending the work order immediately.

·         Copy PM Schedule – A band new Copy PM Schedule option has been added to the PM Manager screen. Now a user can select any group of PM schedules from within their account and associate them with a new asset, making schedule creation a snap as you add new assets to your account.

·         Meter Closeout Enhancement – The Work Order Closeout screen has been enhanced to display the most recent meter entry for the listed asset and also adjust the meter taken date during entry.

Bug Fixes

·         Corrected an issue with a select group of asset histories introduced during the most recent update.

·         Corrected a java script error when accessing a list lookup from a charges panel.

·         Modified the graph outputs in the Condition Monitoring feature to tweak minor display issues.

·         Fixed minor issues with the account translation program.

·         Adjusted the ability to create new related tables to accept additional characters such as a “#” symbol.

·         Fixed a bug in the “Key Change” feature on Assets. Previously if utilizing the “Monitoring Points” table on an asset, performing a key change would orphan those Monitoring Point records.

·         *eMaint X3 Enterprise Clients* Corrected a bug where in very specific configurations where dashboard graphs would not display correctly.

·         Corrected a compatibility issue with Firefox browsers that would cause any report output to fail.

·         Adjusted the “Go Back” link on a PM Schedule. Previously this link could point to incorrect records or, in rare instances, if a particular string of events takes place, could mark an asset for deletion.

·         Updated the validation on clicking the delete link on a part. If an open purchase order exists for this part the line item must first be received/removed before allowing for deletion of a part.

·         Added an alert on the closeout screen of a work order to notify user that parts set to Auto Issue on closeout did not have enough On Hand to complete the transaction.

·         Added a validation when creating new records in the “Item Suppliers” table. Now only one Supplier can be marked as the default at one time. Previously there could be multiple default suppliers listed.

·         Corrected the “Go Back” link on the Invoice detail view. Previously it would return the user to the most recently created PO, not the PO the user was most recently working with.

·         Removed bug where updating a Username would not update the report owner value in the query builder, thus orphaning a private report.

·         Updated the Purchase Order detail screen and pdf print out. Previously lines were showing out of order.

·         Previously date fields would not function if mapped in a list lookup. This issue has been resolved.

·         Updated the Timecard Assignee dropdown list. Now this list will only show individuals with active scheduled work.

·         Previously the “Disable editing of close work orders” would be ignored if user selected the pencil icon in the work order list view. This has been corrected.

·         Repaired a bug in PM generation that would generate all PM schedules with identical tasks.

Mobile

·         MX Batch - Removed miscellaneous errors that might be encountered during a part issue or adding unscheduled work orders.

·         MX Batch - Released MX V3. This version of MX has some additional functionality such as the ability to download custom inventory values and  a cycle count function. It also sports the initial implementation of a redesigned “Big Button Interface” for ease of data entry out on the floor.

·         MX Live - Added a “try version 2” link to the Browser Based Mobile interface. This will allow mobile users to preview the new version (still in early stages) of the mobile application. The new version of mobile will feature more configurable forms and additional functionality for the end user.

Support Tools

·         Further enhanced the suite of tools available to the Support team to respond more quickly to client needs.

17 September 2008

Version 10.0.5

Enhancements

·         Charges Screen – The charges screens have been completely redesigned as hover panels within X3. Benefits to the end user include fewer screen refreshes, quicker loading times, and the ability to add custom fields to the charges screen.

·         Field Properties Panel – The Field Properties screen has also received a full redesign as hover panels within X3. While users will receive all of the benefits listed above of this change, additional functionality has also been added to the field properties form. These items include:

o   The ability to mark a field as “Read-Only” meaning that the values in the field cannot be adjusted by a user.

o   A fully redesigned user friendly interface for adjusting field text properties with a live preview of changes before applying to the form.

o   A redesigned interface for creating field lookups.

·         Data Driven Consolidation Process – The process for adding accounts to a consolidated account has been streamlined on the backend.

·         PM Generation Screen – The PM Generation Screen has been completely redesigned to allow users to filter PM’s using custom fields similar to the interface for the Group Closeout screen. Functionality has been added allowing users to create custom filters based on a query builder interface and design the PM Preview and PM Generation outputs with any fields from the Work or PM tables.

·         Group Closeout Screen – The Group Closeout Screen has also been updated with a more intuitive field picker for filtering, the ability to create custom filters, and the capability to define the output fields.

·         Quote Printout in Requisition Cart – All users with requisitioning active now have the capability to print a Quotation PDF from the Requisition Cart Screen.

·         Workflow Rules, Conditions, and Actions – All Workflow Manager Rules, Conditions, and Actions have been reviewed and any missing items have been addressed.

·         CSV, PDF, and Excel Output for Report Emailing – The report emailing capabilities have been expanded to include Excel (xls), CSV, and PDF file formats.

·         Asset History View – The history view on an asset record has been updated to allow for modification by the end user. Now the administrative user can select any fields from the Work Order to display in the history view.

Bug Fixes

·         Custom Instruments – In certain instances where the output of numeric values exceeded 3 characters custom instruments would display an error. This error has been corrected.

·         Manual PM Generation – Corrected an issue where a user could select the “Generate PM” button in quick succession and actually generate duplicates of PM work orders.

·         Nameplate Import – Fixed instance where modifying nameplate fields broke Nameplate Import functionality from the Asset Detail screen.

19 August 2008

Version 10.0.4

Enhancements:

·         The internal translation tool has received a major upgrade. This will make future language translations a more streamlined process, and will also allow for expansion of the existing language translations which are currently available.

·         Workflow Manager - Major updates:

o   Two new rules: After Requisition Save and After Stock Requisition Save.  Users with the Requisition module can utilize the workflow manager to trigger events during the Requisition process.

o   New Conditions options:

§  Everytime – No criteria, executes every time

§  When a field has changed – If a specified field’s value changes.

§  If action is – Choose when to execute the work flow, on adding a record or editing a record.

§  Specific to a form – Execute a workflow when a particular form is used.

o   New  Action options:

§  Stop processing rules – Useful when paired with a string of workflows and the new Ordering Workflows feature.

§  Send email to – On the “After Work Order Closeout” rule, users can send a fully definable email to an address named on the work order form.

o   Ordering workflows – Users have the ability to take a string of similar workflows and execute them in a particular order.

·         Added and fixed some features and files throughout the system, including the Technical Support Department’s “Support Tools” to help assist clients better.

·         Clients with the Requisition module are now able to customize the Requisition order forms and have that information follow the order into the Purchase Order Center.

Bug Fixes:

·         Corrected an issue when logging in with a custom URL, the system now redirects to the last page viewed as the default URL does.

·         The work order link in the Project Master File now directs to the appropriate work order.

·         Made adjustments to prevent a Javascript error that appeared when editing any form with a Multi-text field that utilized the HTML editor feature.

·         Fixed a bug that involved Related Tables that weren’t configured correctly causing errors during the printing process.

·         Fixed an issue with mobile devices that wouldn’t display any detailed part information.

·         Added logic to the Request Notification Email routine to recognize contacts that are marked for deletion and withhold emails to that contact.

·         Corrected Multi-Inventory activation to ensure user rights are properly configured when multi-inventory is activated.