April 2017 Release Notes
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Software Update April 2017
<a href="http://events.chambermaster.com/news">All News Releases</a>
<img alt="" src="https://chambermaster.blob.core.windows.net/userfiles/UserFiles/chambers/9001/Image/a_Releases/2017/04/lightbulb.gif" style="width: 55px; height: 38px; float: left; margin: 5px;" /> This release includes multiple items from the Light Bulb Feature Request Center. Look for the Light Bulb indicating a highly-requested feature that is completed in this release. Your user experience is a key factor in all our decisions. Thanks for voting! <a href="https://www.screencast.com/t/VdwGMA8TknuS" target="_blank">Watch a short webinar </a>demonstrating these highlights.
<img alt="" src="https://chambermaster.blob.core.windows.net/userfiles/UserFiles/chambers/9001/Image/a_Releases/2017/04/lightbulb.gif" style="width: 55px; height: 38px; float: left;" />
Send Yourself a Test Email
<img alt="" src="https://chambermaster.blob.core.windows.net/userfiles/UserFiles/chambers/9001/Image/a_Releases/2017/04/SendTest.gif" style="width: 600px; height: 481px; margin: 10px; float: right;" />
Wondering if you've got the formatting correct? Not comfortable you've got the database merge fields correct?
Make sure your email looks like you expect. Send yourself a copy of an email prior to sending it out to your members.
Click the new Send test email to me button that is strategically placed far from the 'real' Send button to avoid an accidental, 'fat-finger' Send.
After sending the test, your email content with all links, attachments, photos, subject line, distribution list, and From address remain on-screen - ready for you to send to all.
Extra details:
- Mail merge fields will populate with the information from the first record in the distribution list in the test email.
- The word "Test:" will automatically be pre-pended to the subject line.
- The email will show in the Email Status Summary report
- The email will not show in the Member Contact report since no members will be receiving the test copy
<img alt="" src="https://chambermaster.blob.core.windows.net/userfiles/UserFiles/chambers/9001/Image/a_Releases/2017/04/lightbulb.gif" style="width: 55px; height: 38px; float: left;" />
Tweaks to Event Sponsorships
Sponsor registrations are often done ahead of the actual event at a time when all the details are not yet known. Our updated event registration provides a few minor updates to make this easier to manage. Many of you have already been experiencing these benefits but some of you simply need to turn on the new version. <a href="https://screencast.com/t/3KMI07UZfwcm" target="_blank">Check if I have this free version>></a>
Registering a sponsor
No longer do you have to enter a specific first and last name when that is often unknown at the time of registration.* Leave the first and last name field blank until you are ready to come back and fill it in. The registration will be held with the name "Additional Attendee". Make sure that the setting to Force Required Fields for Staff is disabled under Setup->Event Options and Settings to make this work. Note: This also works with attendee registrations too.
Trying to find the billing rep so you can assign the sponsor registration to them? Now you can see their role (Primary or Billing rep) on the selection window, making the pick much easier. <a href="https://www.screencast.com/t/bilXj07TB" target="_blank">See how >></a>
Updated Report
<img alt="" src="https://chambermaster.blob.core.windows.net/userfiles/UserFiles/chambers/9001/Image/a_Releases/2017/04/2017-04-05_sponsors.gif" style="width: 700px; height: 375px; margin: 5px; float: right;" />What was your sponsor total on all Monthly Luncheon registrations or the quantity of event sponsors that have supported you this month?
Get a better understanding of your Event Sponsor totals by running the updated Event Sponsors Report. Select the new Detailed view to see:
- Full Contact Info
- Event Fee details
- Attending or Sponsor-Only status
- Sponsorship Level
The break-down of fee totals on the registrations will provide a summary per sponsor, per event and a grand total for all selected events. For total amounts "paid", billing reports are still available and applicable such as the Payment by Item report.
*This feature is not new to the updated event registration but is mentioned here for those that might still be using the older version of event registration. <a href="https://screencast.com/t/3KMI07UZfwcm" target="_blank">Check if I have this free version>></a>
<img alt="" src="https://chambermaster.blob.core.windows.net/userfiles/UserFiles/chambers/9001/Image/a_Releases/2017/04/lightbulb.gif" style="width: 55px; height: 38px; float: left;" />
Move Files in the Cloud Drive
<img alt="" src="https://chambermaster.blob.core.windows.net/userfiles/UserFiles/chambers/9001/Image/a_Releases/2017/04/CloudDriveMove.gif" style="width: 532px; height: 152px; margin: 5px; float: left;" />
Now you can drag and drop single files from one folder to another.
Find the file in the right-hand window and then drag to other folders in the right or the left-hand side.
Files can only be moved one at at time at this time.
<img alt="" src="https://chambermaster.blob.core.windows.net/userfiles/UserFiles/chambers/9001/Image/a_Releases/2017/04/lightbulb.gif" style="width: 55px; height: 38px; float: left;" />
Thank You Letters
<img alt="" src="https://chambermaster.blob.core.windows.net/userfiles/UserFiles/chambers/9001/Image/a_Releases/2017/04/ThankYouJoinDate.gif" style="width: 600px; height: 342px; margin: 5px; float: left;" />
Be sure and thank your members when they pay for their memberships.
Using the new Join Date filter to specifically select your new member payments, you'll be able to send out a custom, unique message that introduces the benefits that they now receive.
Create a custom letter template that can be used for each new member. Never created a thank you letter before? <a href="https://supportwiki.chambermaster.com/Thank-you_Letters" target="_blank">Learn how>></a>
Reports
- Two Column and Three Column Printable Directory Reports
- Updated to include the representatives' suffix after the last name of the representative when applicable.
- Additional filters added making this report applicable not only for an active and courtesy member directory but useful for creating a prospect or non-member directory as well.
Public pages
- Member page - The display order has been reversed for News Release items that display on the News tab on the Member page; they will now display the newest items at the top.
- The blue login page for MemberZone users will always redirect to the secure https:// version even if the insecure version is requested. (The ChamberMaster purple login page already had this ability)
Tax Sets
- An update to the user interface where Tax Sets are created and managed make maintaining your tax sets much easier. Setup->Define Sales Tax <sales tax="">Rate</sales>s.
- Clicking New Tax Set or clicking an existing tax set name opens a window that lists all the Tax Items that can be included in the tax set.
- In order to appropriately manage tax sets for all customers and provide dependable consistency throughout the code, the non-taxable Tax Set has been:
- Defaulted to being the first tax set in the list of Tax Sets under Setup->Define Sales Tax <sales tax="">Rates</sales>
- Renamed back to Non if it had previously been renamed
- Set as a non-editable Tax Set that cannot be removed or disabled
Integrated Billing - Invoices & Sales Receipts
- Invoices and Sales Receipts will now display the Sales Tax column for all customers. Previously this column was only visible if more than two tax sets were created. Now it will appear all the time on every invoice or sales receipt making it easier to see the tax sets that apply to each item.
- Update were made to the Sales Tax drop-down menu on an Invoice or Sales Receipt:
- The "blank" selection in the Sales Tax drop-down menu will return all line items to their default assigned Tax Set.
- Any other selection of a Tax set in the Sales Tax drop-down menu will set all line items to that Tax set (matching how the Billing Batches tax override currently works)
Integrated Billing - Misc
- Fee Items that were previously assigned to the system account called Income Account will now show as being assigned to a "blank" Account name. The "Income Account" was only a placeholder account and should rightly be assigned to an account created by you. The next time you modify this Fee Item under Setup->Fee Items list, you will be asked to select an Account.
- Write-offs in the Journal Entry Export will now export the Company Name first and then the Bill-To name as the fall-back which matches the way other items are exported. This will ensure that a Write-off to a member will export referencing the same name as the original invoice.
- When updating fee amounts assigned to members using the mass fee update, dropped/inactive member amounts will not be changed so that the historical amount charged to them will still be available on their account. The location for mass price updates which now exclude the dropped/inactive members is under Setup->Fee Items List when clicking into Edit Pricing.
- Two new filters for Payment Receipt Cover Letter were added to the Cover Letter type drop-down when editing Cover Letter Templates. <a href="https://www.screencast.com/t/4bQwnSXM" target="_blank">See how>></a> Find this under Setup->Template Manager - Cover Letters or when editing a template on-the-fly before emailing the Payment Receipt.
Integrated Payment Processing
- The Reports section on the Billing->Payment Processing Report/Management Tools will now default to being open each time that you go into this report so that the Monthly Statement and Bank Account Deposits/Transfers reports will always be 'front and center'.
Internet Settings Control Panel (ISCP)
- The editor (CKEditor) on the Templates Tag tab was removed and replaced with a simple text window so that errant HTML codes will not be entered automatically by CKEditor upon saving.
Search Help
- So that you can find your answers quickly and consistently, the Search Help field at the top of the left-hand menu now uses the same Google Search that is used from the Support Help/Wiki landing page.
Hit Stats
- When a user selects a member from the directory search drop-down, and your setup is configured to redirect directly to the members website, it will now properly be counted in the Links to External Website value. Previously this value was updated only when going to the Member Details page and the user selected the link to the members website. Now it will be counted in both scenarios.
Dashboard ->Common Tasks
- Advanced Custom Reports and Smart Reports [SR] can now be added to your list of Favorites. In addition, updates were made to allow members and events to be saved as favorites again. In some corner cases the existing saved favorites may no longer work. In those cases, please remove and re-add those favorites which will use the new, more effective logic. <a href="https://www.screencast.com/t/82t7nZ8qK" target="_blank">View example>></a>
Providing new features and more benefits is something that MicroNet, Inc. is committed to. Software release features are often generated from your feature requests. Those requests may be combined or adapted to fit with other requests or in response to industry related changes. We listen, evaluate, and implement based on greatest impact, most-requested, ability to integrate, and time-saving implication. In evaluating the benefit of one software release over another, realize that sometimes the updates have required much programming time but are not always visible in tangible terms. Thank you for the opportunity to serve you and your members
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