Custom… It’s in our name

Custom Data Systems… our business is in our name: custom. We spent the last two decades creating the only AMS system specifically for CPA societies. If a state CPA society asked for it, it’s in our system. Remember that no customization is too big or too small. If you need it, we can make it happen. Our developers are only a phone call or email away.

A note about Release 32 and errors

Recent newsletter

We are currently working on Release 32 of AM.NET. In case you missed it, here is a link to our most recent newsletter with details about the latest features in Release 31: http://www.cds-am.net/newsletters/Issue12.htm.

A reminder about errors

Remember, if you receive an error when using AM.NET we get an email stating the specific error. However, we often need more information. With this in mind, it helps our development team if you can provide details such as the specific ID number or code of the record, a specific sequence of events that triggers the error, the launch point of the routine or report (menu item, button, etc.), and any other detail you think might be pertinent.

Customer service is our number one priority. Know that we fix any errors we receive as quickly as possible.

Event Summary tab and file maintenance tab defaults

Event Summary tab

AM.NET now has a Summary tab for Events File Maintenance. Similar to the summary tabs for Names and Firms file maintenance, the Events Summary tab provides key information concerning the record. For an event, the Summary tab provides:

• Facility information, including contact phone numbers and full address.
• Event details, including codes, registration cutoff date, fields of study and fields of interest.
• Registration information, including current number of registrations, maximum allowed registrations, last registration date, and more.
• Fees for the event.
• Credit information for the event.
• Related events.
• Log entries related to the event.

The Event Summary tab provides quick access to the information you need about a specific event so you can focus on giving customers what they need: great customer service.

File Maintenance tab defaults

In addition to the new Event Summary tab, we recently added a user preference that allows you to select which tab is active when you open Names, Firms, and Events file maintenance: the Name tab or the Summary tab.

The setting tells AM.NET which tab should display by default when you open a file maintenance module.

Firm Summary tab

By now most of you have hopefully seen the Summary tab in Names File Maintenance. The Summary tab provides easy access to a person’s key information: contact information, account balances, registration information, and more.

We recently completed a Summary tab for Firms that works the same way. The firm Summary tab displays key information for a firm: contact information, account balances, log entries related to the firm, and employees of the firm. The firm Summary tab puts the firm’s key information at your fingertips for quick access.

The new tab will be available in your next release 30 hotfix. As always, if you have questions or comment, please contact us.

Also, in case anyone missed it, a new issue of AM.NETWorks is available here.

What we’re working on

It’s been a busy month as CDS. Here is what we’re working on.

We are working on rolling out release 30 to the last few states. Release 30 contains several new features, including the Names Summary tab, the ability to load photos, an improved system preferences screen and more. We will send out a newsletter in the next week or so detailing what’s new in release 30.

CDS will soon have a totally revamped Web site with news, searchable content, and more.

Stay tuned.

Summary tab preview

Release 30 will contain AM.NET’s newest enhancement: the Summary tab. The Summary tab will contain several collapsible “widgets” that allow you to view snapshots of several types of summary data. For example, the Contact Information widget will provide quick access to a person’s key addresses (firm, home and email), as well as key phone numbers.

The Historic and Future Event Registrations widgets will include key event information from past and future events.

Also, you will no longer need to click on specific tabs in order to view balances. The Account Balances widget puts this information right at your fingertips.

Eventually there will be more widgets displaying other key information, the ability to hide widgets you don’t need, and drag and drop capability that allows you to organize the Summary tab according to your needs.

Please keep in mind that this is a work in progress and these screenshots are subject to change. The Summary tab may not be in the initial release 30 update. If not, it will be in a subsequent release 30 hotfix. If you have any feedback or want to request a widget, please let us know.

Support Resources for AM.NET Users

There are many support resources for AM.NET users. Today’s entry lists all of these resources to help you find what you need or perhaps make you aware of resources you did not know existed.

First of all, the AM.NET Help file covers everything in AM.NET, except reports, which we will document in the near future. You can find the AM.NET Help file here.

Second, there are many articles, tips, etc. on our Web site at www.cds-am.net. Much of the information is specifically geared towards AM4, but much of it can be applied to AM.NET as well. All of our contact information is there also.

Our periodic newsletter comes out after every few releases of AM.NET. Here is the most recent issue. You will find other issues archived here.

Next, we have the blog you are reading at this very second, which we hope provides a lot of useful information on AM.NET’s newest features, as well as tips and articles about how to use the system.

The AM.NET listserve is a good way for AM.NET users to contact each other about AM.NET, general society procedures, and any other information related to state CPA societies. There are currently six listserves:

• Membership
• Events
• Finance
• Technology
• Lobbying
• Peer Review

CDS does not manage the AM.NET listserves, but we can help you join one if you are not already a subscriber. Contact CDS for more information.

We are also on Twitter and Facebook.

Of course, you can always contact us by phone or email.

Incremental search default and Help update

Incremental Search default user preference

In release 29 you can now set a user preference to use AM.NET’s incremental search by default.

To use Incremental Search by default

Select File > User Preferences. The User Preferences window appears.

Deselect Use Standard Search for the relevant file maintenance module. The next time you open file maintenance for the module, the Incremental Search window will appear rather than the Standard Search window.

AM.NET Help

AM.NET’s online help system now includes documents for the Committees, Products, and Firms file maintenance modules.

Promotion calendar improvements

The latest hotfix for release 28 includes several improvements to the promotion calendar.

First, you can now color code calendar items based on communication type. To initialize this you must first configure the colors and tell the system which colors to apply to which communication types.

To do this, first Open File > User Preferences. The User Preferences screen opens.

Then, select a background color and a text color for each communication type in the system. NOTE: The user preferences screen will change in one of the next releases. This will be a cosmetic change. The functionality will not change.

Once you configure the communication type colors, calendar items with matching communication types display with the background color and text color you selected. This allows easy identification of each communication type. (The promotion calendar is in Names > Routines > Special Routines > Promotion Calendar.)

Second, you can now filter calendar items based on promotion method. Simply select the promotion methods you want to include in the Filter group of the Promotion Explorer and click Run. AM.NET re-extracts the data and includes only the promotion methods you selected.

Finally, you can now open the promotion linked to the communication by double-clicking the communication item on the calendar. AM.NET opens Promotion File Maintenance with the specific promotion selected in the Promotions grid.

Events view upgrades—more filters, new filters, filters everywhere!

Previously, the primary filters in AM.NET’s Event View did not match the filters in AM4’s Event Summary. Users relied on setting the primary filter and then refining their search through the grid filter row.

Unlike AM4, however, the filter row does not allow you to select multiple values. For example, you could either view events for all companies or you could use the filter row to view events for one selected company. You could not, however, view events for two selected companies as you could in AM4.

So, we added a solution. AM.NET’s event view now contains the same primary filters as AM4’s Event Summary. To see the new filters, expand the Events View Explorer by either dragging the splitter to the right or by double-clicking the splitter.

The Events View Explorer reveals additional filters.

We also added a third filter option to the Events View: the Filter Editor. The Filter Editor allows you to add specific secondary filters to the event view in addition to the filter row. To use the Filter Editor:

Select the field by which you want to filter.

Select the filter condition.

Finally, select the value to match.

To add criteria, click Add Criteria and select an operator to join the conditions.

NOTE
The visibility of the Filter Editor is based on a system parameter and is NOT visible by default. If you would like it turned on, please contact Steve.

These enhancements will be available when your society receives the latest release 28 hotfix.