ServiceDesk 4.7.134 Update 05/30/16

Everything evolves. 

In the ServiceDesk DispatchMap you may do a simple click on a technician's name at the top of his list of appointments.  In consequence, you will get a list of many things you may do, in terms or providing him information as connected to that list of jobs:

That list was not always so long.  It grew one item at a time as particular persons wanted new options.  Then someone wanted something entirely new.  It was pointed out that, when you have lots of techs, it takes considerable effort to rotate through each and make the request of what you want in terms of output for each, especially where you want the same output for all of many technicians.  We were asked to make an option to request a particular output once, and have it apply to all techs.  So, a number years back we did that. 

Recently there was a new request.  Now it turns out some people want to request a particular output from the above list, and they want it to apply to many of their techs, but not to all of them.  So, absent any new facility, the only way to do that has been by individually clicking on each of the particular techs for whom the output is wanted.  Again, if you have lots of techs that are involved in the desired output, this can be considerable work. 

Hence our new feature. 

The longstanding path to get to the dispatch-options list but as applicable to all techs is, when you are in the DispatchMap, use the QuickKey shortcut Alt-P (it's the common Windows 'Print' command).  We've now augmented the options you'll get when going there, as follows:

Old "Print" options in DispatchMapNew "Print" options in DispatchMap

If you pick the new option, then pick any particular dispatch-options output, you'll be presented with a list of your technicians that looks something like this (though your list of techs may be shorter or longer, depending):

From this list you can use the common Windows multi-select commands to pick the particular set of technicians that you wish to have included in the output.  It's that simple. 

Option to Initiate Inventory Inquiry from Within Callsheet- and JobRecord ExtraNotes:

The ToolTips that you'll see when floating over with your mousepointer (but in ServiceDesk, not here; what you see here is just an illustration) say it all:

Option to Create a Protected-Partition in Your SalesJournal:

Likely we should have done this one a long time ago. 

After you've made any external reliance on entries in your SalesJournal (as when, for example, you've done exports to QuickBooks, filed sales tax liability reports on basis of a SalesSummary Report, etc.), it's important that entries from that period remain as they were when reliance was made.  To state it otherwise, you should not change the amounts as involved in entries from such a period. 

It does happen, of course, that sometimes you find there were erroneous entries in an earlier period.  If that's the case and it's from a period that was externally relied upon, the proper fix is to make a current-period adjusting entry, as opposed to by changing that entry from the past. 

Regardless, the design in ServiceDesk has been to rely on you and your staff to be smart in this regard.  Needless to say, it has not been a smart element in ServiceDesk. 

It is fixed now. 

Your SalesRead form (Shift-F3) has a new button:

Just click on it, follow the prompts, and it will do precisely as it says.

If you are wondering, yes, locked-period changes will still be permitted if with use of your MasterPassword.  Even then, however, it will be in presence of a dialog that warns appropriately.

Also (and if you are also wondering), yes, there will be an auto-prompt to create the partition each time after you do an export to QuickBooks. 

Finally, yes, the ApplicationsJournal also becomes locked per the same Protected-Partition date as you specify for the SalesJournal.