FORMULATOR Suite Enhancements


FORMULATOR Improvements V 5.1 – February 2009

 

This list reports significant bug fixes and enhancements to the FORMULATOR suite added since August 2008 in addition to the improvements listed in V4.8 tp V5/0.  All 5.1 fixes and new functions have been tested both by our staff and by field live installations.

 

GENERAL – Version 5.1  Release

 

Version 5.1 continues the rework of the Formulation Maintenance user interface functions changes and adds significant new utilities that enhance FORMULATOR in the Lab and for small business Production & Inventory applications.  Version 5.1 has been running daily in multiple Beta sites for more than 8 months.  It was released to accounts that needed the new functions as they were added.  Accounts that updated to any version 5 upgrade will only need to upgrade their server installation.  Accounts that are still running version 4 or 3 will also have to upgrade their client computer installations.  We recommend that all accounts no matter which version they are running, including version 5.1, upgrade to the latest 5.1 release.  All upgrades update directly to the current version, there are no intermediary steps.  There is no database upgrade from version 5.0 or 5.1 installations.  Upgrades from version 3 or 4 will have their databases automatically converted to the new version 5 structure when first running Version 5.1.  We recommend a training session for version 3 and 4 upgrade accounts.

 

All new functions have been documented and HELP screens created to aid the User to better understand the new functions.   A Knowledge Base has been created and can be called by Licensed Users from the HELP file.  The Knowledge Base is designed to answer many of the common questions asked by our clients and guide them as they grow their knowledge of FORMULATOR.

 

Summary of NEW Features in Version 5.1

 

FORMULA INGREDIENTS COMPARE MODULE

Formula FIND by QC Standards

Create and import QC series, includes Procedures and Tests

25. HazMat File Maintenance – NEW MODULE

51. Advanced Cost Analysis – New Utility

100. Time Manager in Project Manager - NEW MODULE

Nutrient Version – USDA SR-21.mdb database is now available with this release

Analyzer Objective Ingredients Builder V0.0 is now complete (nutritional ONLY)

131. Material Requirements – New Utility – Shows all Batch & Fill Tickets, allows user to commit inventory, date production, shows materials required and short for bulk and packaging committed tickets. Part of the Production Manager module.  Materials functions works only if Inventory Manager is installed.

Production Scheduler – part of Material Requirements, will work with or without Inventory Manager

PRODUCTION REPORTS – All New

170 – Production History

171 – Production Usage

277. NEW MODULE – Inventory Tag Report

REGUALTOR Integration with LOLI (Regulatory List of Lists Database)

EU ISO 16 report is now available using the GHS layout (ISO16GHS.rpt)

NEW MODULE: 899. Release All Locks

Batch mode data update now available

 

A review of the functions and enhancements in the release of Version 5.1 follow; by module organized by menu calls:

 

General Functions

Sections 10., 20., 25., 49., 50., 62., 64., 75., 90., 130., 132. – Added “Not on file” message to the LOAD button routine if item is not on file.

All newFIND windows – filters – any text beginning with OR, AND, or LIKE were treated as an operator plus following text.  New behavior: OR/AND/LIKE treated as an operator ONLY if it is NOT followed by another letter of the alphabet (“A” or higher).

Excel inv trans import utility added to main menu - call is CALL LBX.

All FIND windows using a filter: did not reliably retrieve saved column settings (BOM find).  Fix applies to all instances of these objects.

FIND windows for Raws, Formulas, BOMs (5.1), HazMats, Batches (5.1+), Vendors, Customers, Projects, Equations, Properties, Nutrients, and Nutrient Labels: now pre-positions grid on PREV/NEXT such that the previous/next record selected is always in relation to the code that is displayed on the screen.

FIND windows – SQL Server does not handle the CASE statement in the equation and the physical property FIND windows.  Now supported only in MySQL.

 

Lab-Book

Most screens have expanded the functions to allow the user to set up the functions of the information to be viewed to meet their own requirements.  Each User can set up the data on their screens the way they like them and save the presets.  Other Users can also use the presets.  Sorting of data is user controlled and can now be printed or output to clipboard.

10. Raw Material Maintenance

Cloning a new raw material – now copies additional data elements of the original item across to a new raw material record.

Multi-user mode – improved lock and unlock new grid controls.  Added an unlock all records maintenance feature (899).

Update – now saves changes to item code (upper/lower case changes).

Where Used pull-down and link to formulas added raw material function

Where used – failed under MySQL 4.0 and down.  Replaced nested query with left outer join.

RM General Tab

Added Freight Cost to the raw material cost record.

Advanced costing link appears as $$ for non-Advanced Costing installs.  Only shows link if Advanced Costing Utility is installed.

Linked new Vendor Records to the raw material record.

Cost unit pull-down – included IU, per100 wt, and QS.  New behavior: include only “real” units.

RM Properties Tab

Physical Properties – Lb/Gal – was rounded when changed.  New behavior: stored value entered.

RM QC Stds Tab

Now allows direct data entry into Raw Materials QC data fields.  Check boxes added to link to a requirement if on incoming Certificate of Analysis.

CAS, QC standards – column widths are now preserved when user re-sizes them manually.

Now links to Incoming QC section of Quality Manager

RM Regulatory Tab

Added “Additional Data” command button link.

Cosmetic option – CAS / INCI handling at description level – referenced wrong field name (error 5).

Expanded EU Risk and Safety functions to meet Reach Requirements.

Added check box that links to MSDS and identifies carcinogens in mixtures

New Hazmat editor – in Cosmetic mode – named the “Report as” column as the INCI name instead of naming the “Description” column as “INCI Name”.

CAS, QC standards – column widths are now preserved when user re-sizes them manually.

CAS formula – row numbers – were incorrectly displayed in the totals area.

HazMat formula – CAS/EINECS number – typing in – now displays list of up to 50 available matching hazmat codes.

Flash points (and other numeric raw material data) – NULL values displayed as 0.  New behavior: display empty cell.

MSDS document link added.

RM Nutritional Tab

USDA SR-21.mdb database is now available with this release

New items – now sets serving size (foods) or dosage size (nutrient supplements) according to company set-up option.

RM Inventory Tab

Lot expiration date – double-clicking – caused error 13 in some circumstances, fixed.

New items – now sets inventory units according to company set-up option.

Updating intermediate – did not set the intermediate flag in the raw material

Show SKUs command buttons – raws and formulas – now calls new BOM editor (5.1 and up).

20. FORMULATION Maintenance – Version 5.1 continues to grow makes the most noticeable changes in this section.

Formulation Maintenance – Print – now populates any sub-report that has the same name as an additional formula data element with the additional formula data.

Formula FIND windows – now includes QC standards.  Formulas that do not have a given standard will NOT appear in the FIND window when that standard is included.

Formula FIND – QC standards – selecting – now appear in RED in the selection list.  Note at top of window explains that any red item will prevent formulas lacking this data from appearing in the FIND window.

Formula FIND – QC standards – now includes LOW and HIGH values in addition to the QC standard target.

Formula General Tab Formulation Maintenance – update – now saves changes to formula code (upper/lower case changes).

Formulation Tab

Materials – Now includes a “Lock ‘N’ Cols” next to the column pre-set pull-down.   Prevents first few columns from scrolling off the window during editing.  Adjustable from 0 to 5, default is 2.

FORMULA INGREDIENTS COMPARE MODULE – is now available from the main menu.  Option number is “21. Formula Compare”.  Allows user to select a number of formulations and compare their raw materials in % weight or volume.  Link to edit any of the formulas selected, modify and review relative to other formulas selected.

Formula FIND by QC Standards.  User can now identify specific QC standards and find formulas by logic ranges.

Formula FIND – QC standards – if a selected standard was contained in any formula more than once (N > 1), the formula would be listed N x N times in the FIND window.  New behavior: list once for each time the standard is found (N times).

New formulas – now sets number of formula rows according to company set-up option.

Checkbox column – mass unit of measure change – is now a combo box.

Units function added.  Checkbox column – now includes mass unit of measure change button.  Clicking “Units” lets you change the unit of measure of all checked items.

net total physical properties, SG, and units of measure – now displays the net total two rows below gross total if net <> gross.

Net total – unit cost – now displays net unit cost two rows below gross unit cost.  This also applies to advanced costing.

Net quantity column total – is now user-enterable.

Loading percent based formula while in natural mode – re-normalized the formula to 100%.  New behavior: only normalize to 100% if formula was not already in percents.

Subtotal net quantity change – following subsequent sub-total losses – did not calculate loss percentage correctly.

Intermediate records – did not update the class, subclass, or status when saved.  New behavior: update these fields on save.

Ingredients toolbar – New, Insert and Delete functions now add to the UNDO list.

Formula – calling print, save as, load from, import, export – referenced pre-5.2 form.  New behavior: may use any form (error 13 – type mismatch).

Print – suppressed target when either a low or a high was specified (but not both).

Print – did not use SG override (formula master, total CCs).

Save formula – now writes out intermediate cost records

Formulation – Copy to clipboard – now includes header (company name, formula code and description, date + time).

Formulation Raw Material Summary – Copy to clipboard – now includes header (company name, formula code and description, date + time).

Formulation Raw Material Summary – added “Print” button to the toolbar. 

Formulation Undo/Redo – in mixed mode (natural to percent) – did not switch modes when formula changed from percent to natural or natural to percent.

Formulation Maintenance – In percent mode – item with QS unit – was changed to % when item code changed.  New behavior: retain QS unit of measure.

Ingredients – Explode – now unchecks all rows on completion.

Ingredients – Consolidate – now unchecks all rows on completion.

Ingredients – Undo list – temporarily set to 20 undos.

loading formula in percent mode – normalized formula to 100% on load.  New behavior: do not normalize on load.

Cloning formula – additional data elements are also now cloned.

Loading formula – inadvertently added space to end of formula code on load.  New behavior: do not add space.

ingredient – text type line – now limits text to 80 characters.

Tab/Cap button added that allows Nutrient version user to output tablet or capsule dosage directly to the BOM section to create a new tablet or capsule “fill”.

nutritional version – below the TAB/CAP button there is now a Scale xN button.  When clicked, it will scale the formula to the number of doses or servings desired

Analyzer Objective Ingredients Builder V0.0 is now complete (nutritional ONLY). Looks up candidate ingredients by nutrient objectives, allows user to select one or more ingredients per objective nutrient then balances the formulation to hit the nutrient objectives.

Analyzer now includes BUILD button.  The BUILD button opens Ingredient Builder.  For each objective, a list of active ingredients is displayed.  A checkbox lets the user pick active ingredients.  Any ingredients that are already in the formula will be pre-checked.  After selecting active ingredients, the user can also select an inert ingredient.

Analyzer Objectives can be linked directly to Nutrient Supplement Label.

Analyzer Ingredients Builder – referenced incorrect variable during potency calculation, causing either incorrect percents or invalid index error.

Analyzer Objectives – Build button – now appears for all nutritional installs.

Analyzer Objectives – now includes OVERAGE column.  Overage is the inverse of loss; loss% = (1  -  100/(100 + overage) ) * 100; overage = ((100 / (100 – loss%)) - 1) * 100.

Analyzer Ingredients Builder – blank raw materials in formula are now deleted during processing.

Analyzer Objectives – Objective column – when user types in an objective – a list will pop down showing matching objectives, and allow selection via mouse click.

new formulas – now sets serving (dosage) size according to company set-up option.

Formula QC Standards Tab

Create and import QC series, includes Procedures and Tests

Can now search “find” data lookups by QC test standards.

QC line – typing in QC test code or description and selecting from pull-down – now sets QC units directly.

Formula Regulatory Tab

Added “More Data” command button to regulatory tab

Flash points (and other numeric raw material data) – NULL values displayed as 0.  New behavior: display empty cell.

MSDS document link added.

Formula Nutritional Tab – Nutritional Version Only.

Nutritional Label – Objectives – Range – this option is temporarily under construction, and will be available at some future time.

Nutritional label – load formula button – re-loaded design as well.  New behavior: re-load formula ONLY.  Do NOT re-load design.

NUTRITIONAL: Nutritional tables are now sparse.  The database update may take some time when running for the first time.  Only nutrients that have a value will be saved to the database.

Nutrient Labels – Not in Designer mode – File/save/new and all LOAD functions are now disabled when not in design mode.

Nutrient Labels – Added Designer option for DV% footnoting.  If checked, DV% values of 2% or less are noted with an asterisk (“*”).  Option is saved as part of the label design.

 

Nutrient Labels – If your default printer is off-line, it can take up to 30 seconds for Windows to return the list of available fonts and then display the window.  There is no work-around at this time.

53. Nutrient Labels – with nutrient rounding OFF – no longer shows daily values as “*” or “+” (reports actual).

 

Inventory Tab – With Inventory Manager Only.

Creating intermediate – did not set the inventory unit of measure

MAKE button – with no formula loaded – caused error 6, overflow. Fixed

MAKE buttons – if bottom line yield is 0 or 100, now sets the batch yield based on the net quantity total.

Show SKUs command buttons – raws and formulas – now calls new BOM editor (5.1 and up).

new formulas – now sets inventory units according to company set-up option.

25. HazMat File Maintenance – NEW MODULE – now supports multiple instances plus expanded safety information.

25. HazMat File Maintenance – Description was limited to 50 characters.  New behavior: allow 255 characters.

30. Edit Additional Raw Material Data – now left justifies all text/phrase and link type data.

35. Edit Additional Formula Data – now left justifies all text/phrase and link type data.

Lab-Book Plus

 

49. Packaging Maintenance – Incorrect permission setting caused error 5 in some configurations.

Added unit cost and total cost columns to packaging inventory tab.

50. Cost Analysis/Bill of Materials – All NEW design -– NEW BOM EDITOR MODULE is now in place.

NEW BOM EDITOR: Converted inventory grid to new control set.

NEW BOM EDITOR: Added +/- command buttons

Separated Packaging from bulk fill and final BOM

Assembly tab - Pricing panel – now includes future costs.

Save – Now creates BOM future costing records (table BOMInterCosts).

Bulk cost calculation module – if inv trans had separate cost and transaction units – quantity was calculated incorrectly

BOM Maintenance now creates advanced costing intermediate records

BOM Pricing now has decimals controlled by independent cost pull-down.

Costs now have decimals control by independent cost pull-down.

Decimal places settings are now saved when window is closed.

51. Advanced Cost Analysis – New Utility set time fences, look ahead at multiple price increases by material, by Vendor, by all materials.

Advanced Costing.  Provides a means to maintain, track, and project cost histories and future changes to raw material costs, and then propagate those changes to intermediate and formula level.

Calculation engine – now supports advanced costing.

Calculation engine – now supports freight.

Calculation engine – optimized to reduce overall formula calculation time.

item / vendor look-up – now fills in description/vendor name.

item change – now fills in item’s cost date.

53. Nutrient Labels – only in Nutrient Module.

62. Customer Maintenance – Loading customer’s custom QC – sometimes caused invalid record reference when no custom QC records were on file.  New behavior: do not throw error.

 64. Vendor Maintenance.

 

Test Batches

 

75. Cut Test Tickets – formulas in percent mode – batch sizing routine failed to convert from percents into natural units

 

Cut Test Tickets – Now uses new FIND window format.

75.Test Tickets – now includes start date and committed checkbox if Production Manager is installed.

 

PROJECT Manager 

90. Project Manager – added submitted and approved audit data to “General” tab.

Samples – Sample tests – now has date look-up icon in toolbar (also launches internal calendar lookup on double-click).

Project Manager – Results – Added sample test results to grid.

Added ability to link with project associated images and documents on local network or via the internet. Provides up to 10,000 links per project.

Links tab – added description column (up to 255 characters).

Project Maintenance – Added submitted and approved audit data to print-out ttx.

NEW MODULE – 100. Time Manager.  Allows entry and reporting of past, current and future time schedules, with links to projects, formulas, batches, and/or samples.  Requires Project Manager.

Time Manager – Sample code FIND – now displays project sample codes instead of incoming item QC.

Time Manager: added MOVE/SORT option.  Moved columns will retain their spot on the local machine.

Time Manager: total hours – now displays both at the top and bottom of the window.

 

Production Manager

 

130. Cut Production Tickets – formulas in percent mode – batch sizing routine failed to convert from percents into natural units.

Production Tickets – now includes start date and committed checkbox.

Cut Production Tickets – Now includes fill ticket option when only Production Manager is installed.

Cut Batch Tickets – Now uses new FIND window format.

131. Material Requirements – New Utility – Shows all Batch & Fill Tickets, allows user to commit inventory, date production, shows materials required and short for bulk and packaging committed tickets. Part of the Production Manager module.  Works only if Inventory Manager is installed.

Production Scheduler – part of Material Requirements, will work with or without Inventory Manager

Material Requirements batch and fill ticket grids – now includes copy and print command buttons in the toolbar.

Production Scheduler – Added demand “type” filter to material requirements tab.  Allows selection of bulk, BOM, packaging, or all demand.

Production Scheduler – Added start date to batches and fill tickets

Production Scheduler – Added start date cut-off to demand

Production Scheduler – Added demand detail window

Production Scheduler – Demand – BOM/Packaging – Fill ticket demand is now summed.

Material Requirements – negative quantities are now all in red.

Material Requirements – Print button – now provides printer selection and paper orientation dialog box prior to printing.

Material Requirements – now includes a “position to” text box.

Material Requirements – now saves sort order from session to session

132. Batch Editor – Input – net total physical properties, SG, and units of measure – now displays the net total two rows below gross total if net <> gross.

Batch Edit – Labels – Container labels – now allows selection of various label formats.

Batch Edit and Print – Saving posted batches – now notifies user that input and output are NOT saved.

Batch Ingredients Editor – Ready to post – tried to include non-inventory lines in lot check with predictable results.  New behavior: only bulk items require a lot number.

Batch toolbar – now includes batch copy and scale functions.

Batch output – Bulk output toolbar - now includes born on date set control.

Batch Ingredients Editor – Multi-user – locked out editing. Fixed.

135. Cut Fill Tickets – Now includes start date and committed checkbox if Production Manager is installed

Can now add notes to fill tickets that will print on the fill ticket.

141. Close Batch Tickets

Batch FIND – “Ready to post” field not set as integer.  Filtering on this column caused system crash.  New behavior: trap errors.  Flagged “Ready to Post” as integer.

Batch Ingredients Editor, Batch QC, and Batch Completion – UNDO did not account for additions or final inventory.  Can now undo “Set to Total” button.

150. Close Fill Tickets – Ready to post – now warns user if any bulk item has no usage specified.

155. Post Batch Tickets – Output – to bulk - Lot tracked items – without a shelf life or shelf life is zero – now sets born on date of lot, but does not fill in expiration date.

Find Physical Bulk OR Packaged Inventory – Used row index to save column widths (error 30020).

PRODUCTION REPORTS – All New

170 – Production History – lists batch and fill tickets by ticket range, by time period, in summary or detail.

171 – Production Usage – Production history bulk and/or fill by raw materials, intermediates, Bill of Materials, packaging

Quality Manager  

 

Production QC

 

180. Cut QC Batch Tickets – Now uses new FIND window format.

 

181. Manage QC Results - Added new icons and grid controls.  Data entry is done in grid forms.

 

182. Batch QC Results – Allows user to review the QC top level test results of all batches of a selected formula.

 

For further analysis, can copy results to clipboard and paste to EXCEL or WORD or other user selectable docs.

 

Incoming Material Testing

200. Incoming Material Standards - Added new icons and grid controls.  Data entry is done in grid forms.

201. Material Sampling and Results - allows user to call tests, enter incoming raw material QC data by lot.

QC Reports

211. Certificates of Analysis – Report option – now allows user to select from multiple QCCOA*.rpt files

Certificates of Analysis – now includes customer record (CustomerCOA.ttx)

 

Inventory Manager

 

 

232. Receiving Packaging Inventory – now handles purchases by multiple units.

 

251. Post Packaged Adjustments: Negative quantities were posted with negative unit cost.  New behavior: unit cost should always be positive.

 

Physical Inventor Count

Physical Inventory entry – Clicking to far right of grid – caused error 30020 in some instances.

Physical Inventory entry – Clicking in column 0 – allowed data entry.

 

260. Bulk Physical Inventory – Added “Zero uncounted” button.  Will zero out any uncounted items

261. Packaged Inventory Manager – New inventory – BOMs – now allows selection of BOMs by class, subclass, and status.

Added “Zero uncounted” button.  Will zero out any uncounted items

277. NEW MODULE – Inventory Tag Report – Reports tags associated with a bulk and/or BOM inventory, and identifies any gaps in the sequence.  Tag codes MUST be numeric in order to use this module.

 

INTEGRATOR – 2009 versions of Peachtree, QuickBooks, Business Works integration fully tested and supported.

 

ERP integrations with Sage PFW, Horizons (Dynamics GP), Oracle, DBII and several MSSQL applications upgraded and supported.

 

REGULATOR

 

Integration with LOLI (Regulatory List of Lists Database) the database has grown to include over 3000 separate lists from 93 countries.  Users must license the list from ChemAdvisor http://www.chemadvisor.com/

420. Edit Additional Hazmet Data – now left justifies all text/phrase and link type data.

430. MSDS Output – Now includes options for HazMat percent range reporting.  Provides: no ranges, flagged range (by hazmat), or ranges on all HazMats.  Two basic ranges are provided: “Default”, and WHMIS.

EU ISO 16 report is now available using the GHS layout (ISO16GHS.rpt).

MSDS Output – now includes report option pull-down.  Report option will populate itself with all suffixes of reports found in the “Reports” folder, which are of the form “ISO16*.rpt”.  For example, if the reports folder contains ISO16.rpt and ISO16GHS.rpt, the pull-down will offer a blank report (default) or “GHS”.

431. Label Output – Now includes options for HazMat percent range reporting.  Allows no ranges, flagged range (by hazmat), or ranges on all HazMats.  Two ranges are provided: “Default”, and WHMIS.

 

Maintenance

 

810 Data Update

Batch mode data update is now available.  To automatically run data update in batch mode, include “DataUpdate  Bulk=3  BOM=3” in the command line:

            C:\Program Files\FORMULATOR\Formulator.exe DataUpdate Bulk=3  BOM=3

Substitute the number of passes required using Bulk= and BOM=.  The Bulk and BOM parameters are optional.  If not used, the default will be whatever settings were last used in conjunction with the computer in question.

Removing zero value nutrient records – now happens outside the database update transaction.  Some installations were running out of locks during the update.

Data Update – now provides progress in the syslog if the SYSLOG directive is included on the command line.

Database update – table creation – Microsoft SQL Server – now explicitly assigns table ownership of all new tables to “dbo”.

Data Update / Recalculation (Roll-Up): Added flag to optionally include nutrients during the roll-up.

825 Packaging Maintenance

835 Status Maintenance

 

840 Equation Maintenance – Further simplified.

Equation Maintenance – now includes freight as a variable.  Freight represents the sum of each ingredient’s freight times the ingredient quantity.

Equation Maintenance – now includes future costs and future freight, if the advanced costing module is configured.

850. QC Maintenance – Description Update (icon at bottom of window) – caused NULL handling error on empty QC test codes.

NEW MODULE: 899. Release All Locks – Releases all row locks in FORMULATOR created in multi-users leaving records open.

 

SETUP

910. Company Set-Up 

Options tab – now includes default starting number of lines in a formula.  Valid values are 1 through 200.  Controls the number of blank raw materials in a new formula.

Options tab – now includes default serving size and serving unit of measure.  Sets defaults for new formulas and raw materials.

Inventory tab – now includes default inventory unit of measure for new bulk items.

915. User Set-Up – Raw Materials – incorrectly assigned permission within the editor as those belonging to the user doing the set-up, not the user being edited.  New behavior: display user/group permissions for the user/group being edited.

 

920. Physical Property Set-up

now warns the user if more than one eq.wt.acid or eq.wt.base property is defined.

Physical Properties Set-Up – On exit – now gives the user the option to populate the raw material properties table with NULL values.  This allows new properties to be used in the raw material FIND window without filtering out raws with no record on file.

950. Food Label Set-up – Nutritional Version only, Label Designer further enhanced.

Food Label Set-Up – with nutrient rounding OFF – no longer shows daily values as “*” or “+” (reports actual).

USDA rounding on fat and calories reported “none” instead of “0”.

 

FORMULATOR Improvements V 4.8 –V5.0

 

GENERALVersion 5.0  Release

Version 5.0 is a fundamental rework of the Formulation Maintenance user interface functions.  The objective was to provide our Users with greater flexibility, ease of use, navigation aids; yet provide better tools for each Formulation Chemist and Food Technologist and Regulatory Agent in the basic creation and modification of their formulas.

Database Upgrade:

When upgrading to Version 5 older databases will be automatically converted to the new database structure when first running Version 5.  The database conversion adds the new and extended fields that are a part of the new features and functions of Version 5.  When doing the data conversion FORMULATOR must be closed at all connecting network client computers. Users with large databases should expect the data conversion to take less than a half hour. Most will take less than 15 minutes.

 

A review of the functions and enhancements in the release of Version 5.0 follow; by module organized by menu calls:

 

Lab-Book

Most screens now allow the user to set up the functions of the information to be viewed to meet their own requirements.  Each User can set up the data on their screens the way they like them without changing the set-up of other Users on the same network utilizing the same database.

 

25. CAS Maintenance – Description is now 255 A/N Characters.


Lab-Book Plus

49. Package Materials Maintenance – Added ability to purchase in any multiplier quantity and convert to each.
50. Cost Analysis – Notes now print on fill tickets in Production Manager.  Useful to provide packaging instructions.

53. Nutrient Labels – only in Nutrient Module.  Sizing tools added to label preview. 
Mix options added to nutrient calculations.
64. Vendor Maintenance – New record similar to Customer record.  Can be linked to raw materials record.

 

PROJECT Manager 

Added hours to data collection.  More time functions to come.

Production Manager

130. Cut Production Tickets
Added Label Print command for clients who purchased Label output.  File/Label…..
131. Batch Edit – added grid controls and new icon logic.
Added ability to resize batch amount based on one material availability.
Added ability to call batch raw materials and amounts based on a previous batch record.
141. Close Batch Tickets –Added new icons and grid controls.  Data entry is now done in grid forms
Added Specific Gravity over-ride to batch close.  This assures the correct weight to volume relationship by batch when filling by weight to achieve the correct volume fill amount.
150. Close Fill Tickets - Added new icons and grid controls.  Data entry is now done in grid forms.

 

Quality Manager  - Reorganized menu to more logically present the options based on frequency of usage.

Production QC

181. Manage QC Results - Added new icons and grid controls.  Data entry is done in grid forms.

182. Batch QC Results – Allows user to review the QC top level test results of all batches of a selected formula.

For further analysis, can copy results to clipboard and paste to EXCEL or WORD or other user selectable docs.

Incoming Material Testing
200. Incoming Material Standards - Added new icons and grid controls.  Data entry is done in grid forms.
201. Material Sampling and Results - allows user to call tests, enter incoming raw material QC data by lot.

Inventory Manager

 232. Receiving Packaging Inventory – now handles purchases by multiple units.

INTEGRATOR – 2008 versions of Peachtree, QuickBooks, Business Works integration fully tested and supported.

ERP integrations with Sage PFW, Horizons (Dynamics GP), Oracle, and several MSSQL applications upgraded and supported.

Maintenance

825 Packaging Maintenance - now handles purchases by multiple units.

835 Status Maintenance – now totally User Settable, no limit on number or type of Status.  Custom logic can be set to trigger based on status.

840 Equation Maintenance – This whole section has been restructured to allow the user to more logically create and adjust equations.

 

SETUP

920. Physical Property Set-up – Utilizes Grid “Find” design structure and tools.

950. Food Label Set-up – Nutritional Version only, supports Label Designer.