System-wide Features of de Facto S5

de Facto S5 provides a comprehensive series of Standard Reports, many of which can be easily parameter driven by the user. Standard reports can also be built into reporting sets for routine printing, if required. These reports can also be included in the security system to prevent access to data.

Report parameters are specifically designed for the modules' specific reporting needs. As a result, each report only requires simple point and click settings to be utilised in order to specify the required options. Options are normally provided for such things as selection criteria, sort order and display options. Report settings can be saved to create new versions of reports, and then quickly and easily re-used.

For those that require the frequent printing of large numbers of reports, de Facto S5 provides an easy to use reporting sets feature. This enables reports from any module to be built into a report set for batch printing.

Individual reports can be given their own security access setting users can be tightly controlled, for example, over the particular reports they are able to access.

As well as comprehensive Standard Reports, de Facto S5 provides user-defined reporting and data access, which can be handled within de Facto S5 by its powerful Vistas, or externally via an ODBC-compliant application.

Vistas provide an easy way of selecting, sorting, displaying and working with data from either single or multiple tables within de Facto. The Vistas are an SQL-based object, which provide facilities for inner and outer joins, as well as calculated columns.

Frequently-used Vistas can be retained or pre-built for use as lookups. Once displayed, the contents of the results table can be selectively filtered on any column. Vistas can also be used to provide data level access control for key data and windows. This often proves useful when, for instance, restricting users to a range of nominal ledger accounts or cost centres.

Vistas can be configured with either fixed or variable queries. Variable queries allow for automated prompting of the user for inputs into the query. Context sensitive queries could, for instance, display a list of orders for the current customer whose records you have displayed on screen.

The data displayed in a Vista can also be used to apply a range selection on underlying windows. For instance, a Vista may display large debtors and when accessed from the customer window could restrict the customer and related windows to displaying data only related to those customers selected by the Vista.

The formatting facilities for Vistas have been considerably developed in recent versions of S5 across a number of areas. These include 'revert to saved' functionality, global font style settings, on-the-fly saves of changes, and improvements in processing efficiency, providing unmatched power and flexibility in reporting.

Data displayed in Vistas can be output to a wide variety of devices including screen, fax, email, text file, PDF file, as well as printers.

Vistas also now provide a method to quickly and easily generate and utilise SQL server and de Facto S5 based data views.

Report Writing - Vistas Screenshot

Report Writing - Vistas

de Facto S5 provides quick and easy reporting via its powerful 'Vista' tool, which can act both as a data selection and reporting tool.

Email integration is provided throughout de Facto S5. This makes it very easy to create emails from within the CRM events, or to email documents created by de Facto S5, such as purchase orders or sales order acknowledgments.

de Facto S5 can be integrated into various email servers and services from Microsoft Exchange to almost any SMTP-POP3 server such as FT-Gate. Messages can be sent and received with attachments.

Email logging is available as an automated facility within de Facto S5. This provides a secure method of ensuring that all incoming and outgoing emails are logged within the CRM module against the relevant customer, supplier as well as related products, orders, jobs or projects.

All key record types such as customers, suppliers, addresses and contacts as well as products, etc. can have multiple URL links. These provide instant access to relevant web pages. These web links can also be used within the eServices enabled functionality for integration into fully integrated web sites.

WWW Integration Screenshot

WWW Integration

de Facto S5 provides direct access to the WWW via the Web Buttons on all contact windows. Access to the web can also be configured via user entered URL's, or structure URL's contained in de Facto filing cabinets.

In the same way that Email integration is provided, Fax integration is also available. de Facto can integrate into a variety of Fax systems such as ZetaFax, Tobit, etc.

de Facto S5 now provides a new style of integration with ZetaFax. This is achieved via submitting jobs as PDF files to the ZetaFax Server. Facilities include access to all normal send options, such as cover sheets and delayed sending.

de Facto S5 provides a standard CTI interface, using industry standard TAPI interface controls. This allows customer and supplier contacts to be only a single click away. As well as dialing out, the screen popping on incoming calls provides numerous possibilities throughout the software. When the phone rings, S5 knows who is calling. Various options can then be configured to dictate how to handle the call from within the de Facto S5 application.

S5 now (v5.3 onwards) provides support for LDAP / Active directory integration. This will allow the contact directory to be shared with Exchange Server via Active Directory and then utilised by Outlook E-Mail clients as a LDAP based address book. de Facto S5 contact details can therefore now be accessed from within Outlook or other LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Programme) compliant client software.

de Facto S5 filing cabinets offer a fully integrated document storage and retrieval solution. This allows the definition of a series of folders within each category of filing cabinet. Cabinets are available for all main record types such as customers, suppliers, products, orders, jobs, projects etc.

Data can be either contained within the SQL database, or links held via UNC / URL's. The content of filing cabinets can be used on report layouts, for instance, to show specification diagrams on quotations.

The Filing Cabinets and Document Storage facilities have been enhanced to allow direct access to TWAIN compatible devices such as Scanners and Cameras from within the Filing Cabinet. The user interface for the Filing Cabinet has also been streamlined, for faster and easier operation.

Filing Cabinets Screenshot

Filing Cabinets

de Facto S5 Filing Cabinets can be used for document storage and linking of any data type. File types can include CAD files, PDF's and digital image formats. All data types can be published to the Web via the E-Commerce module. They could then be accessed via the relevant parent records, and during order entry, for instance, for technical product info.

Template Documents provide an easy way to use other Windows document-based software, for instance, to produce standard letters in Microsoft Word or display graphical analysis in Microsoft Excel. The template integration can use a mixture of OLE and ODBC-based technology to link to data within de Facto.

de Facto provides full access to all tables of data from a variety of other products such as Microsoft Office or Crystal reports, via ODBC. With de Facto S5, de Facto uses SQL Server 2000 application roles for security control, therefore leaving the database administrator to use the full power of SQL Server Enterprise Manager to control third party access to the database.

de Facto S5 provides comprehensive Data Interchange facilities. These can be used to both import and export transactional data from within all modules in the Financial and Logistics suites. Data can be handled in either EDI (Electronic Data Interchange), XML (Extended Markup Language), Delimited or proprietary Fixed Length formats.

The de Facto S5 document design option allows the outputs files to be configured to suit the specific layout required. The File Transfer Specification function allows the mapping of the import files layouts to the de Facto S5 data dictionary.

de Facto S5 provides a series of options for the handling of the receipt of different types of data such as sales orders, proof of deliveries and goods received notes. These allow for the import validation and onward processing of the transactions.

de Facto S5 can be configured to work with all leading EDI services providers and communication partners, such as FreeWay, Kewill and GE.

de Facto S5 offers easy navigation around the system, and you can quickly navigate all the way from nominal ledger account balance to originating transactions, to such things as sales orders, and purchase invoices. Equally important is the ability to view the postings made from any transaction, and to be able to quickly and easily reproduce relevant documents such as invoices.

Drill Down and Around Screenshot

Drill Down and Around

de Facto S5 allows flexible 'drill down and around' from all elements of the system, right back to the original source documents.

All de Facto records are stamped with creator and editor user, date and times. These fields allow easy analysis of user activity, for instance in a telesales department to analyse sales per user, etc.

Users can be assigned completely discrete access profiles, which allow each and every function in the software to be selectively provided to each user.

Users can also be assigned to workgroups within de Facto S5. This restricts user's access to transactional data created by their own workgroups. This is often useful when a company has individual business units which trade with the same customers and suppliers. The workgroups can also be used to restrict access to products held within certain warehouses.

Additional security facilities are available within de Facto S5 to control the automated re-entry of passwords when systems have not been used for a specified amount of time.

In key areas such as nominal ledger accounts, customers / suppliers and cost centres, Vistas can be used to restrict the data that a user is able to access. Facilities are also available for the restriction of warehouse, production lines, and the ability to view product costs.

de Facto S5 provides comprehensive data export and import facilities in a variety of file formats. For regularly used imports and exports, the set-up can be saved for easy re-use.

Data transfer facilities are available, allowing the easy transfer of key tables of data from one de Facto database to another. These facilities are useful when creating multiple companies which will share common data.

Transaction imports are available in all modules. These have a public file format and are imported via the batch process windows. They provide full data validation of the imported data.

de Facto S5 allows up to 56 periods to be defined. Any number of periods may be kept open, default periods can be defined per module and the ability to select non-default periods can be set per user.

Period ends are no longer a time consuming chore. They now become simply the selecting of which periods are to be closed or open. Year-ends likewise become an instant procedure. Neither period nor year ends have any compulsory printing, as all key de Facto reports can be reproduced retrospectively. Options have also been added to provide the ability to handle customer / suppliers own periods.

Any number of currencies can be used, with individual customer or supplier accounts allowing local and specified currency postings. Nominal accounts will allow local, specified or mixed currency postings.

Automatic calculations are made for profit and loss on exchange. In addition to the normal calculation on payment of invoices, purchase order processing allows foreign exchange calculations to be made at the time of confirming receipt of product and on the subsequent posting of invoices for the product.

The nominal ledger will allow easy revaluation journals to be posted. All reports have options to show local, actual or both currencies. An exchange rate history log is also maintained automatically.

de Facto S5 supports an unlimited number of company licences. Each company can use its own discrete system configuration, document layouts, etc. Users are able to move easily between companies and if their user access profiles are identical within both companies, they can switch directly avoiding the normal log-on procedures.

Each company will have its own discrete database, which can be backed up independently. Using the data transfer and export / import facilities, data can easily be transferred between the individual databases.

In de Facto S5, key tables can have up to 400 fields / columns added. Custom windows can then be put together with help text, data validations, calculated fields, etc. A common use for these fields may be to define product specification fields on the product file, for instance, for 'length', 'width' and 'flow rate' etc.

Database Modifications Screenshot

Database Modifications

de Facto S5 allows flexible 'drill down and around' from all elements of the system, right back to the original source documents.

All modules offer their own document maintenance facilities, which allow multiple formats of document to be held on the system for such things as invoices, orders, statements, etc. de Facto S5 offers additional features for multiple document languages and also customer or supplier specific documents.

All modules include a range of comprehensive standard documents, which are designed to be printed to image-based devices such as laser or inkjet-based printers or fax systems. Dot matrix printer support (for multi part stationary) is provided as standard but will normally require a custom document layout to be produced.

Increasingly, documents are also available as standard in XML format using established standard schemas for transmission via Email. Special XML or HTML versions of documents can also be provided if required.

As well as printed, fax and Email based documents, de Facto S5 also supports EDI transmission of documents via any of the popular EDI service providers.

de Facto S5 also offers a document design option to allow the user to layout their own documents including graphics, multiple fonts, etc.

de Facto provides its own simple built-in bulletin board. This will allow users to be assigned to multiple news groups. These are typically used for notifying groups of hot topic information.

This is a note pad individual to the user, and immediately available at all times directly from the toolbar. It is ideal for taking quick notes which are not directly relevant to any other area in de Facto S5.