ServiceDesk 4.6.3 Update 05/01/12

If you're observant, you'll note this release involves a Version-level change (from the 4.5 to 4.6 level series).  We do these Version-level changes as infrequently as we can.  They are necessitated wherever, to achieve some new function that is considered essential, we must re-format one or more existing data structures.  In this case, re-formatted structures involve two areas: the SalesJournal and A/R files.  Upon first running under this new Version, ServiceDesk will automatically read data from your old such files, and create a new files in the now-current/new format.  To assure preservation of data integrity, users will be disabled from further using 4.5 series of ServiceDesk, once any station has run with this new version   

There are two elements in particular we've made possible with this change. 

First, you may implement an entirely new strategy for managing sales-tax rates and applicable jurisdictions.  In particular, you can define a set of taxation schemes, and assign each/any job to the scheme to which it (in your judgment) belongs. 

Second, you may explicitly keep separate track of the two tax constituents as involved in each sale (particularly important for a small group of Canadian users with separated PST and GST). 

Given that ServiceDesk now has several tax strategies that may be implemented, we decided it was time to create a Tax-Strategies Handbook -- to provide a one-stop, comprehensive overview and guide.  It's there you can learn details, both about what's newly offered in this release, and to guide your implementation of tax strategies in general. 

It's obvious you can click on the above link to open this new Handbook.  Additionally (and for convenience when not looking at this particular entry), it may be accessed any time by going to the ServiceDesk Settings form (Ctrl-F1), and there clicking on the little "?" button that fits between the two tax-rate boxes:

This new Handbook is designed to supersede what had been a more limited document, which explained simply how to setup a TaxRates file (which file involves just one of several potential strategies, as now outlined in our presently more comprehensive Handbook).  There are elements in this new Handbook that likely everyone could benefit from reading.  We recommend that you do.