09.09.03 

 

Release Date: March 2024

 

WorkM8 Service failover.

 

Bug fixes and quality of life enhancements.

 

 

09.09.02 

 

Release Date: February 2024

 

Bug fixes and quality of life enhancements.

 

09.09.01 

 

Release Date: January 2024

 

Bug fixes and quality of life enhancements.

 

 

09.09

 

Release Date : January 2024

 

SEARCH SYSTEM | SSO | New Analytics Cloud Module

 

A new cloud module has been added to AutoFlow to provide users an innovative way to view important information in their system. The Analytics module serves as a single solution for monitoring performance across multiple areas of the business with three main sections; Sales Analysis, Work In Progress and Supplier Performance. Vital information is displayed clearly on each page with an additional Overview landing page providing key performance information within one click.

 

COSTING | Multi User Access to Locked Jobs

 

When trying to access a job that is currently locked by a different user, users will be given the option to open Costing in Read Only mode. In Read Only mode users will be able to view all information throughout the module without the ability to make changes, allowing multiple users to access Costing safely and removing the need to wait for access to the module to become available.

 

INTERFACE MANAGER | Additional Opening Criteria for Axalta Paint Link

 

An additional Opening Criteria has been added to the Axalta Paint Link interface; ‘Requires In-Progress?’. When enabled, paint tasks will only be created when the original Opening Triggers are met AND the job is put into progress.

 

INTERFACE MANAGER | Additional Closing Trigger for Axalta Paint Link

 

An additional Closing Trigger  has been added to the Axalta Paint Link interface, allowing paint tasks to be closed when the job is marked as a Write Off.

 

INVOICE POSTING | Additional Field for NetSuite Export

 

When posting Sales or Purchase Invoices to NetSuite, the job’s Vehicle Location field will now be included in the export.

 

INVOICING | Visual Indicator for Excess Amount Changes

 

A visual indicator has been added to the Invoicing module to alert users when an Excess amount has been changed. If the current Excess amount doesn’t match the original set, a warning message will be shown to the user with the original Excess amount noted for comparison. This removes the need to read through the job audit to confirm this information before invoicing.

 

INVOICING | PARAMETERS | ‘Read-Only Mode’ User Parameter

 

A new User Parameter has been added allowing users to be configured with Read Only access to the Invoicing module. In Read Only mode users will be able to view and print Invoices and Credits that have been raised against a job without being able to make any changes or raise any new invoices, allowing for better customization of user access.

 

JOB EDIT | Multi User Access to Locked Jobs

 

To reflect the changes made in Costing a Read Only mode has been added to Job Edit. When trying to access a job that is currently locked by a different user, users will be given the option to open Job Edit in Read Only mode. In Read Only mode users will be able to view all information throughout the module without the ability to make changes, allowing multiple users to access Job Edit safely and removing the need to wait for access to the module to become available.

 

PAINT CONSOLE | Additional Fields

 

Two additional fields have been added to the Paint Console, the Paint System and Actual Volume used will now be displayed for paint tasks opened in Axalta providing more context to the user.

 

 

09.08.02

 

Release Date: December 2023

 

Bug fixes and quality of life enhancements.

 

 

 

 

09.08.01 

 

Release Date: December 2023

 

Bug fixes and quality of life enhancements.

 

 

 

09.08

 

Release Date : October 2023

 

INVOICING | INVOICE POSTING | SCHEDULED POSTING | PARAMETERS | NetSuite Integration

 

Thanks to the new integration, invoice information can now be sent from AutoFlow to NetSuite’s accounting package. With NetSuite set as the accounting package within Parameters, the user will be able to raise invoices with up to 3 payers selected, with additional payers portions being allocated to the correct Excess account within NetSuite.

 

Sales and Purchase invoices can be manually exported to NetSuite using the Invoice Posting modules. When posted AutoFlow will communicate directly with NetSuite’s API to deliver the selected invoices, removing the requirement of generating posting files to be manually imported. Scheduled posting can also be configured within Parameters and will allow for Sales and/or Purchase invoices to be posted automatically at a set time daily, or on a set day at a set time weekly or monthly, automating the Invoice Posting process.

 

Additional configuration is available for NetSuite within Parameters to ensure that Cost Categories and Tax Rates within AutoFlow link to the correct categories and rates in NetSuite.

 

DATABASE | Additional Views and changes for PowerBI

 

Additional Views and changes have been added to the database pulling data from various tables to be imported into Power BI, providing more powerful data manipulation.

 

EMPLOYEE ADMIN | Holiday Notes Section

 

Notes can now be added when creating Employee Holiday Events, providing more context to users.

 

EMPLOYEE ADMIN | Record changes made to Holiday Events

 

Changes made to Employee Holiday Events are now logged and displayed within Employee Admin to provide full transparency as to which user created or edited an event and what changes were made.

 

INTERFACE MANAGER | Safeguard against opening an existing paint job in Axalta

 

Additional checks have been included to prevent a paint job failing to open in AutoFlow if a job already exists in Axalta, further automating the Paint Link process.

 

INTERFACE MANAGER | Store Manufacturer & Model lookup data in Database

 

Manufacturer & Model information is now downloaded and updated weekly to improve performance and reduce demand on the API.

 

INTERFACE MANAGER | Trade Discount Feature

 

A Trade Discount percentage can now be applied within Interface Manager and will be applied to all paint lines imported from Axalta, ensuring that an accurate materials cost is reflected within AutoFlow.

 

JOB EDIT | ‘Repair Preparation’ added to ADAS Section

 

Users are now able to mark that a repair has been prepared in the ADAS section within Job Edit, meeting BSI requirements. The additional field will be treated as mandatory if the ADAS fields are currently enforced within the system.

 

JOB EDIT | Hire Information included in Handover Checklist

 

Hire information is now captured at the point of vehicle handover to ensure the system meets auditing requirements. The mandatory field will automatically select ‘Yes’ if a hire is present on the job and the hire information will be displayed. If no hire is present ‘No’ will be selected but the user can override and manually enter details if a hire was used on the job.

 

JOB VIEWER | Add Comms from Job Viewer

 

Users who are viewing job information in Job Viewer are now able to add Comms to the job without having to close the module, streamlining the process. A new side panel can be expanded from the Communications tab providing all the functionality users would see when adding a comm from the Comms module.

 

PAINT CONSOLE | ID Key Removed

 

To make the information clearer and easier to read, the ID Key has been removed from the data displayed on the Paint Lines tab.

 

PARAMETERS | New User Role Templates

 

Role Templates have been added to improve the process of creating new users. Admin users can create and edit Role Templates within Parameters to match the needs of specific user roles within the business, then when creating a new user profile an existing template can be selected and the new user’s settings will already be configured based on their role. This helps ensure consistency across users within the system as well as greatly reducing the time involved when creating new users.

 

REPORTS | Paint Usage by User

 

To compliment the recently introduced Axalta paint link Paint Usage can now be reported on per User, with the ability to display the number of mixes done per productive member of staff.

 

REPORTS | Detailed Holiday Report

 

Notes added to Employee Holidays can now be viewed in the Detailed Holiday Report.

 

The system has been updated with module performance and security improvements as well as updates to improve the user experience.

 

09.07.02

 

Release Date : August 2023

 

INTERFACE MANAGER | New Plugin AXALTA Paint Console Link

 

A new plugin has been created for Interface Manager that will provide a link between AutoFlow and the Axalta paint system. Paint jobs will automatically be created in AutoFlow when the user-defined opening triggers have been met, this in turn creates a new job within Axalta and opens the link to download job consumption and material cost into AutoFlow at regular intervals. When the user-defined closing trigger is met the paint job is automatically closed in both systems.

 

A single or multiple Workshop Categories can be set as an opening trigger, when time is then allocated to these categories a new paint job is generated, creating the link between the 2 systems. Closing of the paint job can be triggered by either the task being marked as complete, the job marked as complete or the vehicle being handed over, as configured by the user.

 

The user can choose what additional vehicle information is sent to Axalta and also how regularly jobs should be updated.

 

JOB CONTROL | New Button for linked Paint System

 

A new button has been added to compliment the new Axalta Paint Link which will allow users to view the current status of paint jobs associated with the job. The button is colour coded so will give users a visual indication of the current status, clicking the button will open the Paint Console on the Paint Links tab, displaying information of any paint job created on the job.

 

PAINT CONSOLE | Paint Links Tab

A new tab has been added to Paint Console to allow users to view and control paint jobs associated with the job. On the Paint Links tab users will see information for when each paint job was opened and closed as well as version number and when the job was last updated.

 

Users will also be able to manually open a paint job, close an existing paint job and reopen a paint job for applicable systems from the new tab.

 

CREATE NOTIFICATION | JOB EDIT | Set Relevant Address Type for Retail Jobs

 

The initial address added to Retail jobs will now default to the type ‘Owner’ removing the need manually select it.

 

DATABASE | Additional Views and changes for PowerBI

 

Additional Views and changes have been added to the database pulling data from various tables to be imported into PowerBI, providing more powerful data manipulation.

 

 

PARAMETERS | Interface Manager Button

A new button has been added within Parameters to allow the ADMIN user access to the Interface Manager, to assist in the configuration of the new Axalta Paint Link.

 

SEARCH SYSTEM | Date Created added to Related Jobs Panel

To provide more context to the user, date created has now been added to the Related Jobs panel.

 

SEARCH SYSTEM | New field for Count of Days since CC Hire Start

A new field has been added to the Main Grid to provide users with a numerical count of days since the start of the courtesy vehicle hire, for jobs with active hires.

 

09.07.01

 

Release Date : August 2023

 

The system has been updated with module performance and security improvements as well as updates to improve the user experience.

 

09.07

 

Release Date : May 2023

 

PARAMETERS | Admin Options – Additional Security and Functionality

 

Changes have been made to provide additional functionality and customisation of admin user access, resulting in more security over what admin users can see and configure.

 

To give users admin access previously they would need to be made a member of the System Administrator user role, granting them full admin access to the entire system. Now System Admin users have access to an additional tab when configuring users, Admin Options, in which they can configure all admin access options for non-System Admin users, removing the need to give full access.

 

On the new tab users can be granted access to any of the options found under the System, General and Modules headers within Parameters. Access can be set to Read & Write to allow users full configurability or to Read Only to allow users to view the information in any option but not edit it. No Access can also be set to prevent access completely. Access to Work Provider, Customer and Supplier configuration has also been updated to allow Read & Write or Read Only access.

 

The System Maintenance role has been removed and instead access to Reset Locks and Status Manager is now also configured on the Admin Options tab, streamlining User Role Management and taking advantage of the new changes.

 

Employee Pay Info has been moved to a separate tab within Employee Admin and access to it is now configured by an additional flag on the Admin Options tab, allowing Employee Admin users to create, edit and view employees in the system without seeing sensitive pay information. Access to each separate document type withing Employee Admin can now also be configured within Admin Options to tailor access to documents based on a user’s job role. Access to previous employee’s personal information can also be configured and as a result, the Business Admin role has been removed, further streamlining User Role Management.

 

A new report has been added to the system to allow the current config of user access, including all new Admin Options, to be exported.

 

BS CONFIG | DEVICES | Show Devices based on User’s Site Access

Now when configuring devices, users will only see devices that are registered to a site that they have access to, and any unregistered devices will be listed with the ability to grant access to the user’s accessible sites. This will reduce the amount of unnecessary information on screen and prevent users from granting access to a site they shouldn’t have access to.

 

The ‘Select Site’ prompt no longer shows for Group users, and they can instead configure devices for all the sites that they have access to in one screen, reducing the amount of clicks required and simplifying the process of configuring devices.

 

 

COMMS | Complaint Reporting

A new report has been added to provide information about complaints raised in the system. The report provides full context on the reason and resolution of each complaint as well as times taken, resulting in a solution for complaint management.

 

 

COST SEARCH | Group Cost Search

The Cost Search module has been updated to allow Group users to search for a cost across the entire group, removing the need to open the module for each site. When the user searches for a cost the results are displayed separated into their relevant sites and if the user has access to the site, they can double click the cost to be taken to the relevant job.

 

 

COSTING | Allow users to remove Unquoted Parts from Order Request

When raising an order request for parts through the Parts Gateway, users will now be warned of any unquoted parts that have been highlighted and asked if they want them to be removed from the order. Previously the user would be required to manually deselect the unquoted parts and attempt to raise the order request again, this change streamlines the process allowing the user to raise the order on their first attempt.

 

 

COURTESY VEHICLES | Default Availability View

Within the Courtesy Vehicles module, the default view has been extended on the Availability page to show the next 60 days rather than 30, providing more information with less clicks and making better use of screen space.

 

 

DATABASE | Additional Views and changes for PowerBI

Additional Views and changes have been added to the database pulling data from various tables to be imported into PowerBI, providing more powerful data manipulation.

 

 

DOCUMENT MANAGER | PARAMETERS | New user parameter ‘Choose Document Type for each upload’

A new user parameter has been added to control how a user chooses a Document Type when uploading documents to Document Manager. A User Admin can control, per user, whether the system will predefine the Document Type field with the last type used, or force them to choose a type every time they upload documents.

 

 

EMPLOYEE ADMIN | Half Days for Annual Holiday Entitlement

An employee’s Annual Holiday Entitlement can now be set to include half days.

 

 

IMPORTER | Duplicate Image Matching

When the user imports an estimate on to a job the system will now check whether any duplicate images are being imported and prevents them from being added to the job. The contents of each image being imported is compared to the contents of each image on the job and any matches found are hidden from the user as an option to import, removing the need for the user to manually deselect the images and preventing duplicated data.

 

 

JOB VIEWER | Due Date on Parts Tab

The Delayed Until field has now been replaced with a combined Due Data/Backordered Date field to provide more context for each part at a quick glance.

 

 

MAIL | Separate Workshop and AutoFlow Users

Workshop users and AutoFlow users have now been split into separate lists within the Mail module to make it easier for users to find the recipients they need to send a mail to.

 

 

MAIL | Read Receipts for ToDo Tasks

The ‘Request a Read Receipt’ option has now been enabled when sending a ToDo Task so that users can confirm that a sent task has been received.

 

 

OFFER DEPLOY | New ‘Addresses’ Tab

A new tab has been added to the Offer Deploy screen to display address information for the selected offer. Contact information is displayed for all addresses attached to the offer which would previously only be available to users once the offer had been accepted.

 

 

PARAMETERS | Search integration for Suppliers and Customers

Search boxes have been added to the Customer Maintenance and Suppliers screens to improve functionality and make it easier and quicker for users to find what they are looking for.

 

 

SEARCH SYSTEM | Allow Multiple Sites for Site Locking Switch

The site locking switch that can be used to lock AutoFlow shortcuts down to display only one site in the site list can now be used to display multiple predefined sites.

 

 

WORKM8 | Improved Logging

Logging has been improved to simplify troubleshooting when the WorkM8 service encounters an issue.

 

 

09.06

 

Release Date: March 2023

 

BUDGET SCREEN | Additional Fields

Additional target fields have been added to the Budget Screen, Target Repairs and Target Referrals, to allow for better forecasting of future profitability.

 

 

BUDGET SCREEN | Chronological Order

The Budget Screen is now displayed in chronological order by default, so that the information is displayed in the most logical order without the user having to order it manually.

 

 

COSTING | GT Global | External Parts Reference

A new field has been added, External Parts Reference, to allow for easier linking of items when ordering from the estimate. This field will contain the CUPI code from GT Global providing a consistent identifier between both systems.

 

 

COSTING | GT Global | Update Part Prices

A new feature has been added allowing the user to update part prices in GT Global based on received parts within AutoFlow. The user can select from parts that have been received in AutoFlow with a price different to that originally estimated and then send an update to GT Global with the new prices removing the need for double keying.

 

 

COSTING | Attach Documents when ‘Order & Email’

When raising a purchase order within Costing and choosing ‘Order & Email’ to send to the supplier, the user is now given the option to attach documents from the job to the email removing the need to download the documents and send a separate email.

 

 

COSTING | Audatex | Retain Auda Guide Number when ordered through Parts Gateway

The Auda Guide Number is now retained for parts ordered through the Parts Gateway, providing a consistent identifier between both systems.

 

 

COSTING | GROUP MANAGER | Display Temporary Stock from across entire Group

From the Estimate Items tab within Costing the user will now be shown any available Temporary Stock from across all sites in the Group. Site information and quantity details will be displayed so that the user can see all the relevant information in one place and order from the desired site.

 

 

DATABASE | Additional Views and changes for PowerBI

Additional Views and changes have been added to the database pulling data from various tables to be imported into PowerBI, providing more powerful data manipulation.

 

 

DOCUMENT MANAGER | Additional Info for Uploaded Documents

Additional information is now displayed to the user to confirm when documents have been successfully uploaded to estimating systems, removing the need to physically check multiple systems.

 

 

EXPORT JOB | Export Job to GT Global

Users are now able to export a job from AutoFlow directly to GT Global, removing the need to double key in multiple systems. General Notes on the job are also exported to GT Global for consistency across the systems.

 

Once the job has been successfully exported to GT Global the user is then able to upload job documents from AutoFlow straight into GT Global.

 

 

GROUP MANAGER | Search Vehicle Registration across Group

Group Users who search for a Vehicle Registration will now be shown a warning if jobs with a matching reg have been found at a site in the group that they do not have access to. Job and Site information will be displayed so that the user can see all relevant jobs and information without having to have access to all the sites in the group.

 

 

IMPORTER | Audatex BMS | Import Estimate to Job with Different Reg

To mirror the functionality found in the previous Audatex Importer, users are now able to import an estimate to a job with a different registration number. The user is warned that the regs don’t match and if they choose to continue they will be able to select from the available payloads to import.

 

 

IMPORTER | Audatex BMS | Improved Warning Message when Credentials in Use

The warning presented to users has been improved to provide better information to help identify the issue when a user’s credentials are already in use.

 

 

IMPORTER | GT Global | Updated Method to Search for Claim

The search function has been updated to help the user find the relevant claim that they want to import. A date range has been added based on Creation Date and the Vehicle Registration can now also be used to search for a claim.

 

 

IMPORTER | Option to Update Allocated Times on Import

When importing an estimate in AutoFlow the user is now given the option to automatically update any allocated times that will be changed post import, removing the need to open Job Control and reallocate the times manually.

 

 

JOB CONTROL | Allow Expanding Multiple QC Results

The user is now able to expand multiple QC Results at a time within Job Control, allowing them to view a full review of the QC process.

 

 

JOB EDIT | Paid Tick Box for VAT when Handing Over

An additional tick box has been added to the Hand Over screen allowing the user to mark VAT has paid, mirroring the functionality seen for Excess.

 

 

JOB VIEWER | Search for Job

To mirror the functionality seen in other modules, a search box has been added to allow the user to search for another job directly within Job Viewer, removing the need to close the module and return to the main search screen.

 

 

JOB VIEWER | View Job Images

Users are now able to view Job Images directly from Job Viewer to provide more context of the job to the module and removing the need for the user to close the module and open Document Manager.

 

 

PARAMETERS | Copy a Work Provider to a Customer

Users are now able to copy the details for a Work Provider and create a new Customer with them, removing the need to double key information.

 

 

PARAMETERS | Copy Work Provider/Customer/Supplier from Site to GROUP

The GROUP site code has been added to the Group Copy screens, allowing users to copy a Work Provider, Customer or Supplier from a single site to Group, removing the need to double key information in the system.

 

 

PARAMETERS | COSTING | Multiple Email Addresses for Suppliers

Suppliers in the system can now be configured with up to 3 email addresses, so multiple contacts can be added.

 

The multiple addresses are displayed to the user within Costing and when the user raises an order to be emailed to the supplier, they can select which recipient(s) will receive a copy of the Purchase Order, removing the need to send additional emails outside of AutoFlow.

 

 

PARAMETERS | Supplier Type

Additional fields have been added against Suppliers to allow the user to select a Type that best matches the Supplier.

 

The available types are Genuine, Glass, Non-Genuine, Green, Sub Con. and Paint and this information can be reported on by the user.

 

 

09.05

 

Release Date: February 2023

 

AUTOLOAD | Improved Error Reporting

Error reporting has been improved when documents fail to load, to be more informative to the user.

 

 

COSTING | Parameter to allow amending parts from Parts Gateway

A User parameter has been created to allow parts from a Parts Gateway to be amended.

 

Previously this functionality would be restricted to System Admin users but now can be selected per user.

 

 

COSTING | Estimate Items Count displayed on Open

The number of Estimate Items is displayed on the tab heading when the module opens so that users no longer need to click the tab for the information.

 

 

COSTING | Set Document Type based on Invoice Type

When attaching invoice documents in Costing the Document Type is now prepopulated based on the type of invoice raised, so the user doesn’t need to select an option from the drop down.

 

 

DATABASE| Additional Views for PowerBI

Additional Views have been added to the database pulling data from various tables to be imported into PowerBI, providing more powerful data manipulation.

 

 

DOCUMENT MANAGER | Upload Images to Audatex BMS

Users are now able to upload images directly to Audatex BMS from Document Manager, removing the need to upload to multiple systems manually.

 

 

IMPORTER | EXPORT JOB | Audatex BMS Import & Export

Functionality has been added to allow users to Import estimates from Audatex BMS. Users are also available to export from AutoFlow to create a new job within Audatex BMS.

 

Once the user has authorized the 2 systems to communicate by entering their Audatex login credentials when prompted, they will be able to send a job from Audatex using the Export button. The job payload will then be available for import in AutoFlow and the user will see the same functionality as with our previous importers. Every evening the payloads table will be cleared so that any unimported estimates are removed from the importer, removing the need to manually maintain the payloads available to the user.

 

Importing from or Exporting to Audatex BMS will enable the option to upload images directly from AutoFlow to Audatex BMX, removing the need to upload to multiple systems manually.

 

 

IMPORTER | GT Global | Improved Error Reporting

Error reporting has been improved when a connection cannot be made, to be more informative to the user.

 

 

IMPORTER | Audatex | Report Document marked as ‘Contains PI’

Report documents imported from Audatex are now automatically marked as containing PI to save the user from having to manually mark them.

 

 

MAIL | Send mail to Active Employees

Mails can now be sent from AutoFlow to active employees via Loading and WorkM8 to enhance communication between departments.

 

 

PARAMETERS | New Budget Screen

A new element has been added within Parameters in which Financial Budgets can be recorded to allow better forecasting of future profitability.

 

 

PARAMETERS | DEVICES | Devices Screen Updated

The Devices screen has now been improved to incorporate both WorkM8 & BigScreens options, providing an all in one solution for device control.

 

 

PARAMETERS | DEVICES | Alphabetical Screens

The Selected Screen drop down is now displayed in alphabetical order on the Devices page to improve legibility.

 

 

SEARCH SYSTEM | Combined Warnings when Closing a Job

The On-Site & Open Parts Line warnings have now been combined so that the user is aware of all the required actions they need to take to close a job.

 

 

SEARCH SYSTEM | Removed ability to hide Mandatory Fields in SEARCH RESULTS

Users are no longer able to hide mandatory fields when configuring their SEARCH RESULTS page for added clarity.

 

 

SEARCH SYSTEM | CAPS Enabled Work Provider Information Window

A new window has been added for System Admin users that displays a list of Work Providers and Customers that are CAPS Enabled and a number of payloads sent in the last 30 days for each.

 

The window will be displayed at next logon and will then be displayed every 30 days. This is so that users are aware of the data they are sending to CAPS and keeps the configuration of the CAPS connection current.

 

 

GROUP MANAGER | Custom KPI Fields

10 custom KPI fields have been added for groups. These fields are fully customisable as seen with the Single Site KPIs and will provide a powerful tool to monitor key areas of performance.

 

 

09.04

 

Release Date: May 2022

 

Additional Date Period for Reports

An additional Date Period has been added for users when running or scheduling reports. The user can now select ‘Last 12 Months’ for a report which will give them data from the current ‘Rolling Year’.

 

Prevent Job Transfers for Work Providers

A new parameter has been added against Work Providers to prevent Job Transfers between sites. This can be used to prevent Group Users from being able to transfer jobs between sites for selected Work Providers.

 

Move Around System with Document Manager Open

Users are now able to open Document Manager whilst continuing to use AutoFlow so they can view documents whilst reviewing other aspects of the same or other jobs.

 

Default Job Type for Work Providers
The default Job Type used can now be configured for Work Providers inside Parameters. When the user selects the configured Work Provider whilst creating a notification, the preconfigured Job Type is automatically populated saving the user from having to set it. The user is free to choose a different Job Type should they need to.

 

 

09.03

 

Release Date : January 2022

 

Improved System Stability

Numerous changes have been made to modules within AutoFlow to improve stability and provide better logging. As well as these changes, developer components used throughout the system have been updated to the latest version to take advantage of improvements to UI and Security.

 

Prasco Parts Gateway
Users are now able to order parts from an additional parts supplier, Prasco UK, via the REPEX Parts Gateway. Once a job has been estimated, the Parts List can be sent directly from AutoFlow to Praco UK and in turn, a quote is received back for the parts that can be fulfilled. Ordering any of the quoted parts will generate an order to Prasco, automating the entire process.

 

Improved Control for User Receiving Parts
Greater keyboard control is now provided to users which will speed up and simplify the process of receiving parts on to a job.

 

Job ID and Order Number added to Subject Line

When emailing a Purchase Order from AutoFlow directly to the supplier the Job ID and Order Number will now automatically be added to the Subject line. This should increase visibility to the supplier and prevent the need for additional communication once the order has been emailed.

 

Restrict User’s ability to set Cost as ‘CREDITED’

A new parameter has been added against users to restrict their ability to manually set a cost’s status to CREDITED. This will force the restricted user to go through the correct process of Returning a cost and raising a Credit Invoice against it before the system automatically marks the cost as CREDITED.

 

Additional Information for Reopened Tasks

Workshop Controllers can now see more information as to who has reopened a Workshop Task and when, allowing them to further monitor and control the workshop.

 

Colour Code Invoices in Invoice Work Queue
Users who have the Colour Code field on their Main Grid when viewing Invoice Work Queues will now be able to tag Invoices with a choice of colour. This can be used for internal referencing which will provide more context to users from the Main Grid, without having to click into the job.

 

Computer Name and IP Address in Help Menu
The Computer Name and IP Address of the user’s machine is now displayed in the Help Menu, allowing the user to provide useful information quickly and easily to our Support agents if required. This should result in the user getting the help they require sooner.

 

Remove Source Document Option Stored in DB
The Remove Source Document option is now saved in the database per user, so it no longer needs to be set each time users add documents in Document Manager, simplifying the process.

 

Expanded Vehicle Manufacturers List

The Vehicle Manufacturer list has now been expanded to include many previously missing manufacturers.

 

Restrict User’s ability to Allocate Manual Time to Tasks
A new parameter has been added against users to restrict their ability to allocate Manual Time to tasks. Restricted users who have access to Allocate Time will only be able to allocate time that is available on the Estimate.

 

Combined Device Management Screen
Both WorkM8 and BigScreens devices can now be configured in a single improved management screen.

 

Ability to Set Sub Status from Job Control

Users are now able to set or clear the Sub Status for a job they are currently viewing in Job Control, preventing the need for the user to return to the Main Grid to make this change.

 

09.02

 

Release Date : December 2021

 

Component Update

All developer components used throughout the system have been updated to the latest version to take advantage of improvements to UI and Security.

 

GT Global Estimate Import

We have added functionality to import job and estimate information from the GT Global estimating system. The GT Global importer has features seen in our other Importers including the ability to configure Import Rules that take effect immediately on import.

 

AutoFlow receives different events from GT Global in regards to Claims withing their system, generating payloads which are sent across to AutoFlow and are visible to the user when using the Importer.

 

If there are no claims awaiting import when importing an Estimate via the Importer or Create Notification, the user can retrieve the information by using the claim ID which is displayed in the top right of the GT Global portal and import directly.

 

An additional System Mail has been created and once an AutoFlow user is subscribed to the mail they will receive a notification when Excess & VAT changes have been made in GT Global, prompting the user to import these changes.

 

Additional Data Capture when marking On Site

A new section has been added to the On-Site screen in which the user can provide information regarding the collection of the vehicle. If the vehicle was delivered by a recovery company further information can be provided to record why.

 

 

Additional Data Capture when Hand Over

A new section has been added to the Hand Over screen in which the user can provide information regarding the collection of the vehicle as well being able to mark whether Excess and/or VAT has been paid.

 

 

Stock Manager Improvements

The Stock Manager module has had a general facelift and undergone several changes to provide more consistency with other modules. New functionality has been added including the ability to raise Purchase Invoices and Credits, return items and generate Stock Trolleys not related to Employees.

 

 

Updated Fuel Information

The fuel capture information has been expanded to include all modern standard options for vehicles and courtesy vehicles.

 

 

Export Additional Information to CHECKmate

Additional Information is now transferred across to CHECKmate when a job is exported from AutoFlow adding more functionality to an already powerful tool. This new information includes:

Diary Event information
Driver Licence information
Fuel In & Out information
Fuel Type & Sub Type information for both the vehicle & courtesy vehicle
Automatically select Cost Rate Profile on reimport from AudaConnect

Previously when reimporting an estimate from AudaConnect the user would be asked to choose from a selection of Cost Profiles to apply to the job. Now the process has been streamlined and the rates found in the import will be automatically applied to the current Cost Profile selected on the job. The user is still free to make any required changes to the cost profile manually at any time.

 

 

ADAS System Requirements

An additional section has been added to Job Edit in which the user can record ADAS System requirements for the job, including whether the repairs affect ADAS or whether calibration is required. This section is tied to a new parameter controlling whether it’s mandatory to complete the ADAS section at the Estimated stage.

 

 

Switch Job within Job Control

The ability to switch to a different job whilst in Job Control has been added to match the functionality found in other modules.

 

 

Refresh System Parameters when module is exited

Certain System Parameters re now refreshed when the Parameters module is closed, negating the need to sign out and back in when changing settings. There is also a timed parameter refresh for when changing settings for another user.

 

 

Related Jobs Feature

Related Job functionality has been reintroduced to the Main Grid providing the user with a quick and easy way to find jobs related to the job currently selected.

 

 

Previewing Documents in Document Manager

The way documents are previewed within Document Manager has been streamlined and improved to better utilize screen space as well as provide additional functionality.

 

09.01

 

Release Date: September 2021

 

New Feature: Data Insights

AutoFlow Data Insights is a fully dynamic, interactive and repairer centric module that delivers real time data and gives the repairer the tools to customize, analyze and measure their data accurately. This module unleashes the full potential of a Repairer’s data in AutoFlow by providing the ability to create dashboards from a comprehensive suite of data visulisation components inside a user-friendly dashboard designer interface.

 

Data Insights compliments the tools already available inside AutoFlow 4G to deliver a solution that not only helps repairers plan and manage their repair process, but also their business model.

 

 

New Feature: Scheduled Invoice Postings

Repairers who use Sage Line 200 as their accounts package can now take advantage of scheduled invoice postings. The system can be configured to automatically create posting files for Sales and/or Purchase invoices at the repairer’s desired time daily, weekly or monthly.

 

 

New Feature: CABAS Importer

A new importer has been developed to allow importing and exporting to the estimating system CABAS.

 

 

New Feature: Updated Inter-Est Importer Routine

The Inter-Est Web Importer as been improved to bring it up to standard to provide functionality that is available in our other importers. Repairers can now utilize Import Rules so they can choose how time is allocated and to what category automatically when the estimate is imported.

 

Additional checks have also been put into place to better identify repair items on import meaning that Labour lines are now more accurately allocated between MET, PANEL & PAINT.

 

 

New Feature: REACT Pre-Estimate Image Capture

REACT is a pre-estimation Image capture tool which will allow repairers to request images directly from the customer or vehicle owner, providing an insight into the vehicle damage without having to bring the vehicle on-site or arranging an off-site estimate.

 

Users can create a REACT case on the desired job which will send a request to the customer either via Email or SMS. No download is required by the customer they can simply follow a link to the REACT case which will be branded to the repairer’s style and colour scheme. The customer will then be presented with clear instructions on what to photograph and will also be provided with some examples, ensuring a worry free process.

 

REACT will help improve Cycle Times and obviously reduce Key To Key times which will have a positive impact on the Repairer’s overall KPIs.

 

 

New Feature: Accessible TeamViewer Icon

A convenient icon has been added to the main window of AutoFlow. This will help users easily and quickly give access to our Helpdesk operative to assist with any issues they may be having.

 

If you need to speak to our Helpdesk please feel free to call 01625 860 545.

 

 

New Feature: Extended Additional Reference Fields

The maximum character count for Additional Reference fields has now been increased from 30 to 50 characters.

 

 

New Feature: Clear Locks on Logon

Jobs that have become locked by a user will be reset when the user logs back in.

 

 

New Feature: Prevent Closing or Cancelling Job if Open Costs

To help prevent the premature closing or cancelling of jobs within AutoFlow a new check has been put into place. If there are any invoiceable costs on a job or costs that have not been completed correctly the user will be warned and the costs will need to be rectified before the user can continue closing or cancelling, ensuring full transparency and accuracy.

 

 

New Feature: Rename Fields Globally

Field names are now set and stored globally so users are able to rename fields to their own preference in one view and the changes will be reflected across all views.

 

 

New Feature: Productive Sold Hours in WorkM8

Workshop staff are now able to view their Hours Sold information directly in app at any time, removing the need for a Workshop Controller to print and provide this information whenever required.

 

09.00

 

Release Date : July 2021

 

New Feature: User Options

Each user can now personalize their AutoFlow experience using the new User Options feature. Users are able to make changes at any time whilst logged in options include;

 

• The fields displayed for each Status View as well as the ability to copy existing settings to other views.
• The Return Email Address and Email Signature Content for emails sent by that user from within AutoFlow.
• Their password, allowing users to reset it whenever they require.
• The initial Status displayed when logging in.
• The module that opens when double clicking on a job.
• The modules that populate the user’s Favourites Ribbon.

 

New Feature: Ribbon Style Toolbar

Modules are now accessed through the new Ribbon Style toolbar. Related modules are grouped under relevant categories and each module now has its own icon. This makes for a much cleaner appearance and in turn is easier for the user to find the module they need to access.

 

 

New Feature: Favorite Modules per user

Users now have their own Favorites category which they can configure to display the modules they most commonly access, streamlining their day-to-day process. This can be configured by each user within the new User Options feature.

 

 

New Feature: Double Click Functionality

Double clicking on a job from the main grid of AutoFlow will now open that job in the user’s predefined module. Each user can configure their own preferred module to tailor their experience so for example, a VDA user can double click into Job Edit to access the estimate for their current job whilst a user in the parts department can have it configured to open Costings to access parts ordering.

 

 

New Feature: Improved Global Search

Previously when searching within AutoFlow the user was required to select the relevant field they wanted to search. Now searches are global and AutoFlow will automatically search the entered term across the most commonly used fields, negating the need to select a relevant field. This makes the process is much quicker and reduces the number of clicks required by the user.

 

New Feature: Conditional Formatting

Users now have a powerful tool to help them visually get the most out of the data displayed to them. Conditional formatting will change the appearance of a particular field or an entire row based on rules set by the user so bold text or a bright color can be used to highlight a job or group of jobs that meet the conditions set by the user.

 

There is no limit to the number of rules that can be created, they are stored and can be later configured in the Conditional Formatting Rules Manager. They remain active until disabled so can become a permanent visual queue tailored to each user’s requirements.

 

 

New Feature: Custom KPI Fields
Up to 10 additional custom KPI fields can now be created within AutoFlow and are configurable to the repairer’s requirements to show them the measurements that matter. They simply measure the time between two date fields and can be pinned to the main grid to provide a visual indication as to how well each job is currently performing to that KPI or SLA. Amber and Red warnings are displayed when a certain percentage of time as passed and Work Provider overrides can also be implemented if specific performance indicators are required for particular Work Providers.

 

 

New Feature: Quick Filter Bar

A Quick Filter Bar has been added to the top row of AutoFlow to enable users to quickly filter any of the displayed fields. Jobs that match the filter will be displayed so the user will only see jobs pertinent to the task at hand. This filter remains active until the user chooses to remove it so they can switch between different status views or even sign out and back in again and the filter will remain active, removing the need to reapply any commonly used filters.

 

 

New Feature: Document Manager

The old Images module has been removed and replaced with the more up to date Document Manager. Visually this module has much more to offer as the user is now presented with a large thumbnail of each image or document linked to the job simply by clicking into the module. This negates the need to highlight each item you want to preview and more efficiently utilizes screen space to create a cleaner, easier experience. Categories are used to help keep things tidy and a handy drag and drop interface has been used to further simplify the user’s experience.

 

Documents can be downloaded locally through the module so if the user needs access to the files they can do so quickly. If a user doesn’t have the relevant access to a particular document but requires it for the task at hand they can now Request Access, prompting an authorized user to allow or deny the request and logging the fact against the job.

 

 

New Feature: Icons

Each module has now been given its own icon to help the user distinguish between them quickly at a glance and to better suit the overall improved styling of v9.

 

 

New Feature: Flashing Notification Icons

Users can now choose to take advantage of Flashing Notification Icons on their toolbar. Upon receiving a System Mail or To Do Task, a Job Offer or a message from the Work Provider, the relevant icon on the toolbar will flash, hopefully drawing the users attention straight to it.

 

 

New Feature: Improved Login Screen

The AutoFlow login screen has been reworked to simplify the process. Group Users will now see an option for them in the site drop down list, negating the need for a separate application to access Group Manager. The last site and username successfully logged into will be stored locally so users won’t need to retype it every time and if their user session is still active from a previous login, it will be logged out automatically to allow for the new connection.

 

 

New Feature: Restrict Export Grid per user

The ability to export or print the main grid in AutoFlow can now be restricted per user, allowing only the users that require the facility to do so. This set to off by default.

 

 

New Feature: Additional Reference Fields

5 new reference fields have been added to jobs which the repairer can choose to use for their own desired purpose or internal process. These fields can be shown and edited from the main grid in AutoFlow and any changes made will be logged against the job for future auditing purposes.

 

 

New Feature: Enforce Sub Status

Sub Statuses can now be enforced, preventing a user from proceeding without having selected a relevant sub status for the job being worked on.

 

 

New Feature: Launch Comms by clicking Email/Phone Number field from Main Grid

Users can now open the Comms modules simply by clicking an email or phone number field on the main grid, further streamlining their AutoFlow experience.

 

 

New Feature: Password Policies

To improve security within AutoFlow, repairers can now enable and configure their own Password Policy. When enabled the policy can be configured to require users to change their password after a set number of days as well as the length and advanced complexity required for the new password. The number of previously used passwords the system remembers can also be set to prevent users from reusing passwords, failed logons are recorded and the number of failed logons the system will allow before locking an account can also be configured.

 

Once expired, users will be prompted to reset their password on next log on or can choose to reset their password at any time using the new User Options feature.

 

 

New Feature: Sage 200 Importer

Repairers are now able to transfer accounts data to Sage 200 Accounts Software using the new importer. Previously users of this particular accounts package could not transfer their accounts data from AutoFlow into the accounts software, having to look for alternatives. Now that this importer has been developed it will speed up the process allowing for more fluidity in the business.

 

 

New Feature: Create Jobs against Group Site Code

New jobs can be created and job offers accepted from work providers now against the Group Site Code. Once created the jobs can be allocated to a particular site within the group allowing a Central Claims Department greater control over the process and reducing the time between being notified of a job offer and accepting the job.