Posted - July 3rd, 2009

Slogging it out with the developers and staff at ProWorkflow in the back office creating and refining cool features it’s nice to receive positive feedback once in a while. The following comment made our day today:

“As far as I can see since this product is nothing short of awesome.  I have been using it pretty heavily since sign up and have already integrated it with our web site.  Compared to others that are more expensive with less features ProWorkflow is far superior.  I enjoy the pricing matrix along with the hosted feature.  Just to reiterate…This thing rocks!”

-Aron, ResQtech

Posted - July 2nd, 2009

The developers are hard at work currently making some changes to the ProWorkflow Quotes and Invoicing plugins. The team are working through a pile of features frequently requested by customers to make these two plugins faster, smoother and much more flexible.

We want users to get the benefits of these changes as soon as possible so we’ve decided to roll out a number of frequent updates as we go. Below are a few of the changes in the latest update.

 

New ‘Attached’ Icon

We’ve added a new icon on the Quotes page to indicate that a quote has been attached to a project. Hover over the icon over the Alt Text which shows the ‘Project Number’ and ‘Project Name’.

 

 

Change Quote Statuses on Projects

Quotes attached to a current project will have a status of ‘Pending’ until they are approved (which you’re now able to do on the project itself by double clicking the status).

New Quote Total Options

On the ‘Project Details’ page, you can doubleclick the ‘Quotes Total’ to choose the preferred option, ie: a manual total or the total of all quotes on a project.

We’ve added a new option so that if you have a number of quotes attached to the project you can select just the particular quotes you want to include in the total figure.

 

‘New ‘Approve’ function for Quotes

The current ‘Approve’ action on the ‘Create/View Quotes’ page now gives 3 different options to add more flexibility.

  • Approve & Create Project
  • Approve & Add To Current Project (New!)
  • Approve & Do Not Create a New Project (New!)

 

(In Progress) ‘Per Invoice/Quote’ Settings!

We’ve added a simple link called ‘Invoice/Quote Settings’ to the top right of the ‘New Invoice/Quote’ popup window.  Clicking this will slide down the COMPLETE set of Invoice/Quote Settings. This means that you can now change the default settings ‘Per Invoice/Quote’ if needed, for example:

  • An invoice needing a custom tax rate
  • You may want a different footer for one invoice
  • You change company names and need to amend info in old invoices
  • Add a different logo to one or many invoices
  • etc

Just slide the settings open, make a change and slide them away! How easy (and powerful) is that!

Also, we have many more Quotes and Invoice tweaks in the pipeline so keep an eye out – another update coming soon!

Posted - June 12th, 2009

It ain’t glitzy and it certainly ain’t glam but, by heck, it sure is grunty.

ProWorkflow’s Audit Log now enables filtering by over 200 different actions. Previously filtered searching was available for about 29 different actions but our users have asked for increased clarity and searching capabilities – you got it!

Over 80% of the application is audited and this is really vital for users seeking clear tracking of changes made. ProWorkflow Audit Log shows the Who, What & When of actions (but we don’t always know the answer to ‘Why’!).

The Audit Log has filtering by Audit Action, Project, Active and Deleted Staff Users, Date Range and Keywords. This means increased security and visibility for our users and a brilliant historical resource.

The full list is included here but you can find it in ADMINISTRATION > Audit Log in your PWF account.

Auditlog

Authentication Alerts
————– ——
User Settings Email Alert Sent
Unsuccessful login Onscreen Alert
Successful login Test Email Alert Sent
Unsuccessful login
Successful login Company
Unsuccessful login ——-
Forgot Password: Sent to User New Company
Log-out Update Company
Delete Company
Personal Settings Export Company Records to XML
—————– Export Company Records to CSV
Update Personal Homepage Image Restore Deleted Company
Update Personal Settings
Reset Personal Calendar Settings Contacts
Reset Personal Filter View ——–
Reset Personal Homepage Image New Contact
Reset Java Alert Settings Update Contact
Reset Personal Timezone Delete Contact
Reset Personal Record-Set Nav Links Restore Deleted Contact
Reset Personal Record-Set Sort Filters New Contact Category
Reset Personal Start Page Update Contact Category
Delete Contact Category
Tasks New ‘Client’ contact record
—– Update ‘Client’ Login
New Time Tracker Record New ‘Contractor’ contact record
Update Time Tracker Record Update ‘Contractor’ Login
Delete Time Tracker Record New ‘Staff’ contact record
Time Tracker Stopped New ‘Other’ contact record
Time Tracker Started Export Contact Records to XML
New Task Category Export Contact Records to CSV
Update Task Category Quick Contact Test Message Sent
Delete Task Category New Pending User
New Project Task Delete Contact Record
Update Project Task
Project Task Completed Administration
Delete Project Task ————–
New General Task Update Application Settings
Update General Task Update Staff Login
General Task Completed Update Usability Settings
Delete General Task Update Contact Details
New Currency
Projects Update Currency
—- Delete Currency
New Project Reset Currency Settings
Update Project New Project Template
Delete Project Update Project Template
Project Completed Delete Project Template
New Project Task Update Default Task Name
Project Task Completed Reset Task Name
Project Task Completed New Recurring Task Template
Delete Project Task Update Recurring Task Template
Copy Project Task Delete Recurring Task Template
Move Project Task New ‘Task Template’
New Recurring Project Task Update ‘Task Template’
Update Recurring Project Task Delete ‘Task Template’ & Tasks
Delete Recurring Project Task New Workflow Task
New Project Expense Update Workflow Task
Update Project Expense Delete ‘Task Template’ Task
Delete Project Expense Update ‘Task Template’ Task
New Project Communication Delete all ‘Task Template’ Tasks
Project Communication Email Sent Update Email Alert Settings
Delete Project Communication Update Email Alert Details
New Project Bookmark Reset Email Alerts
Update Project Bookmark Update Project Settings
Delete Project Bookmark Update Developer Settings
New Project Note Update Look-n-Feel Settings
Update Project Note Reset ‘Add Your Information’
Delete Project Note Reset Calendar Settings
Add Project Quote Reset Date Format Settings
Remove Project Quote Reset WYSIWYG Editor Setting
New Project Resource File Reset Empty Categories Settings
Delete Project Resource File Reset File Extension Upload Settings
Bad Project Resource File (Removed) Reset Header Logo & URL
Project Quick Update Reset Login URL
Update Project Client Contact Reset Logout URL
Update Project Description Reset Color Settings
Update Project Task Title Reset Meta-Content Settings
Update Project Task Priority Reset Meta-Title Settings
Update Project Task Start Date Reset Navigation Colors
Update Project Task Allocated Time Reset Nav-Link Colors
Update Project Task Due Date Reset Page Notes
Update Project Task Order Update Default PDF Settings
Update Project Status Reset Application Terminology
Update Project Quoted Price Reset Application Settings
Update Project Invoiced Amount Reset Sidebar
Update Project Start Date Reset Text-Link Colors
Update Project Due Date Reset Theme
Update Project Allocated Time Reset Timezone
Update Project Notes New Header Link
Update Project Category Update Header Link
Update Project Client Delete Header Link
Update Project Number Reset Header Links
Update Project Manager New Role
Update Project Title Update Role
Update Project Complete Date Delete Role
Project Alerts Activated Re-Activate Deleted Role
Project Alerts De-Activated Permanently Delete Role
Dependent Project Task Completed Create Role
Dependent Project Task Activated Update Role Permissions
Dependent Project Task Reactivated New Project Status
Dependent Project Task Sent Back Update Status
Delete Project Task and Time Records Delete Status
New Project Category New Division
Update Project Category Update Division
Delete Project Category Delete Division
Archive Project (Project Category Deleted) Re-Activate Deleted Division
Delete Project (Project Cat Deleted) Permanently Delete Division
Delete Project Task (Project Cat Deleted) New Team
New Project Request Update Team
Update Project Request Delete Team
Activate Project Request Re-Activate Deleted Team
Delete Project Request Permanently Delete Team
Restore Deleted Project New Group
Restore Deleted Project Task Update Group
Delete Group
Notes Permanently Delete Group
—–
New Notes Category
Update Notes Category
Delete Notes Category
New Note
Update Note
Delete Note
Posted - June 7th, 2009
  • Another update going out in next few days. Some small fixes to Advanced version… #
Posted - May 31st, 2009
  • Small ProWorkflow update being rolled out over next 24hrs… Will be no downtime… #
  • Alan the legend is just improving some backend processes and systems today. Tweaking important things few people notice ;-) #
  • Just been tweaking the Subscrition signup form – smooth the process a little #
  • We’re Rolling out a ProWorkflow Update today!

    We are currently in the process of rolling out an update and should be finished by this … #

  • Working on the new ProWorkflow setup Wizard #
Posted - May 28th, 2009

The latest release of the Desktop Time Tracker is out with your requested tweaks for added usability.

  • Implemented a warning that let’s you know when you’re not connected. This prevents the widget hanging & time records not being submitted.

 

 

Time Tracker Disconnected

  • Added an additional Start View option of ‘Last Task’
  • Added a stay on top option option for those multiple window moments

 

Time Tracker Settings

  • Added a live refresh of projects & tasks so you can just hit this to update the data in the Time Tracker

 

Time Tracker Refresh

 

There are some quite fundamental changes in the new version of the widget so unfortunately the auto-update won’t recognize this as the same instance and  requires a re-install. Words from the developer:

“Previously it did upgrade the widget automatically. We have just released the new version of the widget with many changes. Due to some old files the auto upgrade is not working but we are working on that to resolve it. Please uninstall the old widget and install this one. All the settings will be retained though.”

Download Time Tracker or go to the ProWorkflow website Desktop Time Tracker page to get Adobe Air first.

Posted - May 26th, 2009

We have noticed that some users haven’t been able to get the most out of our latest updates.The information your browser stores is sometimes incomplete or corrupt or may be caching old code so as a first step it’s a great idea to clear the cache on your browser

If you’re an organized methodical kind of person then go the whole hog – clear the cache every time you close your browser or set the browser preferences to to this automatically. Deleting your browser’s cache and cookies will often fix ProWorkflow issues:

In Google Chrome:

  1. Click the Tools menu
  2. Select Clear browsing data
  3. Select Empty the cache and Delete cookies
  4. Click Clear browsing data

In Firefox for PCs:

  1. Close all other open browser windows
  2. Click the Tools menu at the top of your browser and select Clear Private Data
  3. Select the Cookies and Cache checkboxes
  4. Click Clear Private Data Now

In Firefox for Macs:

  1. Close all other open browser windows
  2. Click the Firefox menu at the top of your browser and select Preferences
  3. Select the Privacy tab
  4. Click Clear Now… at the bottom of the dialogue box
  5. Check the boxes next to Cache and Cookies in the new dialogue box
  6. Click Clear Private Data Now.

In Internet Explorer 6.x:

  1. Close all other open browser windows
  2. Click the Tools menu at the top of your browser, and select Internet Options
  3. Click the General tab at the top of the dialogue box
  4. Click Delete Files under Temporary Internet files
  5. Select Delete all offline content by checking the box
  6. Click OK

In Internet Explorer 7:

  1. Close all other open browser windows
  2. Click Tools > Internet Options
  3. Select the General tab
  4. Click Delete under Browsing History
  5. Under Temporary Internet Files, click Delete Files
  6. Click Delete Cookies
  7. Click OK

We’re sorry, but other browsers are not supported by ProWorkflow, and may not work properly with all features and functions. We suggest using Google Chrome, Internet Explorer 6+, Mozilla Firefox 3.0+. However, for the best ProWorkflow experience we recommend Mozilla Firefox 3.0+

In some cases, it may be necessary to clear your cache more than once.

For advanced users there is the option of utilizing your browsers ‘Incognito’ or ‘Private Browsing’, theses are some useful links for our supported browsers:

Firefox: Private Browsing

Chrome: Incognito Mode

Internet Explorer 8: In Private Browsing

Posted - May 19th, 2009

Today we rolled out a nice ProWorkflow update! Here’s a summary of some of the key changes…

Projects Page – Rebuilt!

Even though the Projects page may look the same, the code has been completely rewritten in DIV’s to increase speed. We’ve added inline editing so you can double click fields to edit data. This means you can update project info without opening the ‘Edit Project’ popup – much quicker!

In addition, we’ve added the ability to drag and drop projects between categories. This makes it easy to use the ‘Project Categories’ as a Status and just drag the projects between them.

We have also improved the display in Google Chrome and added a ‘Tools’ dropdown menu to the right of each project with handy links to project reports as well as quickly completing projects or changing categories.

image

image

Dashboard > Select Project

On the main dashboard (Home screen), in the ‘Project’ section we’ve added a ‘Select Project’ link. Clicking this makes a project list appear so you can have one click access to any project. Another mod to speed up application usage!

image

Custom Reports > new field ‘Project Category’

This has been heavily requested and we’ve finally added it. When creating custom reports you are now able to sort or filter by ‘Project Category’. This will make for much more friendly reporting!

Administration > Task Ordering

In the “ADMINISTRATION > Usability Settings” page we’ve added an option to enable or disable ‘Compulsory Task Ordering’. If the compulsory task ordering is enabled, this gives greater data integrity through ProWorkflow’s various pages and is invaluable when using dependant tasks. We have also removed cross browser issues with tasks and they are now very robust.

image

image

Copy Project Tasks to Task Template

This feature has been out for a little while now but we haven’t blogged about yet so sing from the rooftops! This is especially good for new users and when you have a brilliant project setup that you would like to reuse. When you are on the ‘Project Details page’ all you do is click the ‘COPY’ link. In the Copy Tasks popup just click the ‘Create new Template’ link. Easy!

image

Company fields on Contact Record is disabled by default

Quite a few users have accidentally edited company info when editing contacts. To prevent changing of company data by mistake, we’ve added a link to click to activate these fields.

image

UPCOMING!

Invoice & Quotes Tweaks!

We’re making about 30+ changes to the Invoice and Quotes plugins over the coming few weeks. We’re adding some usability and speed tweaks as well as discounting, credits, part payments, invoices from quotes, templates and more!

Desktop Time Tracker Widget update!

The Time Tracker Widget lets you know when not connected, we’ve added a live refresh of projects & tasks, different display views and a ‘stay on top’ option! More coming soon!

Speed and Usability

We’ve added drag and drop, inline editing and code rebuilds to the Projects page and Project Details page. These mods have transformed the usability of these pages. We’re going to apply this thinking and these changes through most of the other pages in the application through regular updates!

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About the author:
Julian Stone, CEO – Project Management Software visionary for:
ProActive Software, ProWorkflow, ProWorkflow Blog & Julian101
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