Future Business Systems Specialised Accounting Software
Edition 11 - July 2010
 
Monthly Harmony Newsletter
Welcome to Edition Eleven of the IN HARMONY online monthly newsletter.
 
 
New Harmony Feature
 
Transaction Lookup
 
There is a quick and easy way to find out details about a POS transaction using the Transaction Lookup function in 9-4-6.
 
Simply put in the reference (it can be for an Invoice, Credit Note, Layby Order or Sales Order) and press Accept. You will get a detailed report of the transaction, including all associated allocation history, customer information and any discount information if applicable.
 
 
   
New WinPOS Feature
 
WinPOS Screen Message
 
 
WinPOS now has the ability to display a message that scrolls across the Main screen, Login screen or both. The messages can be controlled from the Harmony Server or the WinPOS Console. Because they can be set in advance to appear on certain days or dates, they provide an easy way to communicate with staff.
 
 
ATTENTION ALL STYLE USERS
 
NEW STYLE STATUS REPORT
 
 
Did you know there is a new JAVA style status report which allows you to easily see information related to styles? You have the ability to select the information you want to see from various display options to make the report suited for your needs.
 
 
There is also an information bar at the bottom detailing an image of the style, as well as, Details, Purchase/Sales Orders, Bill of Materials, Colours, Measurements, Components, Comments and Tasks.
 
 
The new look JAVA application makes it simple to fit and see all the information relating to a particular style. You can also export information from this report to Excel or generate and print a nice little PDF report with the click of a button. It`s pretty swish.
 
For more information about any of these new features please contact your Account Manager.
 
 
Congratulations Laslo Biro on winning the Daryl Kingham
Employee of the Quarter Award
(Apr-Jun 2010)

Laslo has been working at FBS since November 2008. Laslo works on the FBS Help Desk and is a hard working, reliable and vital member of the FBS support team. Well done Laslo....
Harmony Server Maintenance Tips
UPS and RAID Systems - What you need to know.
 
UPS and RAID systems are excellent safeguards for your data. A UPS maintains consistent power to your system in the event of electricity interruptions or surges, while a RAID system protects you from hard disk failure. However, these systems are not infallible and they do need to be managed. Here`s what you need to know:
  • Your UPS is not a power generator - it is designed to give you enough time to properly shut down your system in the event of electrical failure. You will get about 15 minutes of operation from the UPS batteries, which should last approximately 3 years.
  • Never plug your UPS into more than 2 Servers.
  • If a hard disk dies on your RAID system, the system will still perform on the remaining hard disks, but there is no longer any safeguard. Be sure and replace faulty disks promptly.
  • Don`t ignore beeps or error messages - they are important. ALWAYS report any beeping to FBS and note the exact wording of any error messages. Take special care to check your RAID console periodically if it is not in regular use.
  • UPS units should be tested every 6 months. If your UPS doesn`t have a test button on the front, remove the power cord from the rear and it will automatically act as if there was a power failure. If the fault light comes on, or if the batteries do not operate for the recommended time, contact FBS immediately. Note: Before you do this, make sure you log everyone off Harmony (including WinPOS console if applicable). 

Neither RAID system or UPS is a substitute for regular backups. Backups should be tested for integrity, correctly labelled, and stored off-site for security.

 
Improve Harmony Performance -Archiving Saved Harmony Files
 
We often get support calls related to Harmony performance problems. In most cases, these result from insufficient system "housekeeping".
 
Every time you produce a form or report, you have the option of saving it. Many people save everything, and never go back to clean up their files. These files become larger and larger, eventually slowing down overall system performance.
 
This is because every time you save a file, the system has to go through the entire OUTPUT directory to find the next available space. We have seen directories with as many as 100,000+ documents, when the maximum recommended size is 10,000. (It should be noted that, on a Windows operating system, in this instance, you would suffer from constant crashes and system failures. Harmony keeps working because Unix is so much more robust).
 
The solution is to go through your saved files and archive anything you don`t need to access regularly - for example, invoices and quotes more than 3 months old. You can still access your archived files, however they no longer affect system performance.
 
Instructions for archiving files can be found in the Harmony System Administrator Manual which can be downloaded from the manuals area on the FBS website. Alternatively, your Account Manager will be able to guide you through the process.
The following customers have been Harmony users for the past 20 years. On behalf of all staff at FBS, we`d like to thank you for your continued support.
 
Patterson Fine Jewllery
Allan T. Spranklin & Co.
Arctic Food Wholesalers
A.M. Imports
Boyer Trading Co.
 
 
New Staff
We are pleased to welcome four new staff members to the FBS family. Max has joined the Web Development team, Oleg in Helpdesk, Andy in the Research and Development area and Steven has joined the Software Development team. We are delighted to have them on board.
 
Congratulations to Adrian Mieszelewicz on the birth of little baby boy Jordan!
 
If you would like to be removed from the IN HARMONY mailing list, please send an email to newsletter@fbsaust.com.au with the word "unsubscribe" as the subject of the email.
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