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WHAT'S
COMING IN 2008 |
At MPulse we are constantly striving to improve and expand our maintenance
management software products. Customer feedback, as well as new technologies
from Microsoft, have given us some great, new ideas. Ranging from support
for Microsoft SQL Server 2005 to robust equipment condition monitoring
solutions - 2008 promises to be an exciting year for MPulse customers.
The first areas of enhancement customers can expect to see in 2008 are some 'under the hood' changes. Our partners at Microsoft have released an updated version of the .NET framework. This framework is the underlying engine on which MPulse rides. The advancements in the framework will improve MPulse's performance and overall reliability. Secondly, MPulse in 2008 will also offer support for the new Microsoft SQL Server 2005. This new version of SQL Server promises improved scalability and better response times for end users, as well as simplified database management.
Based on feedback from many users of MPulse, we have begun development of new features and some add-on tools. These items include:
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Attaching media to maintenance requests - To improve communication between the maintenance department and requesters, we will be allowing the attachment of documents to maintenance requests. This can include Office documents, pictures, videos, and other files. Users will also have the option of storing these attachments in the MPulse database, or in a special folder on your server.
- Transaction
tracking - This is a system in which any change to your MPulse
data is recorded with date, time, old value, new value, and its
authoring user. This feature is required for customers in the
pharmaceutical and aerospace industries. It can also be useful
in other environments where data management is important for certification
or audit trails. This will be an add-on module.
- Advanced
Inventory Management - For those environments where inventory
management is paramount, we are pleased to offer several new tools
including support for multiple stock areas, the ability to record
multiple units of stock (i.e. purchase by the crate, stock by
the box, and use them one at a time), and multiple methods for
calculating unit price. Each of these tools will help manage inventory
more effectively. This will be an add-on module.
- Multiple
Template Support - The powerful Template tab on Capital
Asset Records allows users to create their own fields of data.
This expanded tool will allow users to create, not only new fields,
but new tabs as well! There will be no limit to the amount of
data that can be recorded on the asset record. This will be
an add-on module.
We will also be
making some changes in the existing features for MPulse customers.
In 2008, all MPulse products will include our Time Tracking
and Email Notification System by default. The Time Tracking
tools enable more detailed tracking of labor hours on work orders,
including dates for each of the hour entries. Time Tracking
also allows tracking of labor hours spent on activities that were
not recorded on work orders, such as meetings, breaks, and training.
With Time Tracking, you will also be able to create detailed
'time card' reports for each employee. The Email Notification System
will enable automatic e-mailing tools for responding to maintenance
requesters, notifying personnel when assigned to work orders, and
other triggers. This tool will enable powerful, yet simple, communication
to reduce the time spent informing stakeholders of maintenance activities.
Lastly, WorkFlow users will see an expansion of the product
line to include some of MPulse Gold's standard features. Added to
the WorkFlow product line will be MPulse's robust Media
tab for linking and viewing media files (graphics, documents, audio,
video, etc.). WorkFlow products in 2008 will also gain access
to the graphic reports section of MPulse's Report menu. These
reports will allow WorkFlow users to present their maintenance
data in easy to read pie, bar, and line charts. WorkFlow customers
will also see a new tab in Maintenance Advisor which will allow
them to view their upcoming items in a list layout. This enhancement
will vastly improve the usefulness of the Maintenance Advisor.
We are all very excited about the changes in 2008, and hope all our
customers will be as well. We will be announcing these new products
and features as they are available. Keep an eye out for announcements!
At MPulse, we are always looking for new ideas to better serve our
customers. If you have an enhancement idea, let us know! |
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