What’s new in Autoline

 

Autoline Rev8 9304E-33 update (early 2025)

Vehicle sales

  • After producing an invoice or credit note for a vehicle sale the document will be immediately posted onto the account, that is the daybook is printed automatically.
  • Fix to ensure that users cannot create a purchase order from a vehicle spec line until the spec line has been saved.  This will stop the cases of the spec line not being saved and the purchase order being orphaned.
  • Vehicle spec that have had a cost posted to them from a purchase ledger invoice (source of data on the spec line set to purchase batch) can now have a subsequent credit posted to them.  This is useful when the initial cost was posted in error.  Once the credit has been posted and the cost now comes to zero, the spec lines can be deleted from the vehicle.
  • New CRM system parameters that can be set to control how the sales executive is updated on the CRM customer cost centre records, from Showroom, Vehicle Stockbooks and POS activity.  Contact the Systime Support Centre for more information on these parameters (Ref E8/4315).

 

Aftersales

  • When linking parts and labour items on a WIP using the menu code, that is a new option to mass unlink all the items under a menu code.  Right click in the menu code editor to see this.
  • New parameter can be enabled to only allow the technician to clock off the labour line(s) that they originally clocked on to. That is, don’t allow them to retrospectively apportion their clocked time onto the other lines that they did not originally clock onto.
  • An alternative part search form in POS can be enabled that will allow the users to see the full part description, instead of it being cut-off at about 22 characters.
  • The customer specific invoice formats that can be set against a specific SL account will now also be used for estimate and pro-forma printing.  There is an option to revert it back to the old way of only using them for the actual invoice or credit.
  • Address issue that was causing a performance issue when accessing the workshop loading Loan screen, some times a 15-20 second delay.  If the WL parameter to display the total capacity is enabled the calculating to work this out has been made more efficient.
  • When invoicing a job to VSB and there is an issue with tags not reconciling more information is now given to assist the user with resolving the problem.
  • Address performance issue when searching for WIP’s using a registration number
  • If posting purchase control transactions detailed by GRN number there is now an option to use either the first 8 or last 8 characters as the suffix value when the GRN number is longer than 8 characters.  This is to ensure that postings can be verified (matched) in the nominal ledger.
  • New option for workshop labour rates where a different (reduced) labour rate can be set based on the vehicle age.  If setup the labour rate will be used automatically in POS when the labour operations are added to the WIP.
  • There is a new parameter that can be enabled if required that will allow users to split labour and part lines into amounts of less than 1% of the original value.        This parameter is disabled by default and can be enabled if required by the dealership.
  • New option for when workshop users are bulk modifying the menu codes grouping on WIP lines where they can now unlink all lines on a particular menu code from a right-click menu option.
  • If using the call centre module, you can now increase the number of days ahead a booking can be made from 99 days to now more than a year ahead.
  • New parameter that can be enabled so that the bin location of a part on a WIP will be updated from stock management when the part is at reserved status.  Previously it only got updated if the part was at ‘M’ or ‘P’ status.  Note there is also another parameter that can be set if you don’t want the bin location of the part on a WIP to be updated at all.
  • A new POS parameter that can be set to restrict who can edit the GST code on a part or labour line on a WIP.  It is a priority level that can be set separately for parts and labour lines.        Note the default value of zero allows everyone access to change the GST code.
  • There is now an option to cancel out of sending the VHC report by email.  Previously after choosing to send the email from the menu you could not cancel before actually sending it, now you can.

 

Accounts

  • The printing daybooks process, which posts transactions from the invoice buffer to the accounts, now happens automatically and immediately when producing invoices in Parts, Server & VSB.  You will now see the transaction on the sale ledger account in real-time.
  • Foreign currency exchange rates can now be set to either multiple or divide the currency value.  Previous only divide by was an option.
  • When retrieving archived debtors statement address an issue that could cause them to not show in correct date order
  • Don’t archive the sales ledger transaction for a vehicle deposit until the vehicle has moved to closed status, this fixes an issue that could cause a withheld daybook if the vehicle is credited.
  • When closing off prior year journals and the archive transaction tables are full, only grow them by 1% at a time instead of 10%, as it was creating too much unused space in them.
  • New export tax summary button in the GST reconciliation screen to export the current NL companies details into a CSV file.
  • New "Export data for all NL companies with same GST.no" added to the GST reconciliation screen to export details for all NL companies with the same GST number and period start/end dates in a single CSV file.
  • New “Export current NL Divisional Company” added to the GST reconciliation screen to export details for just one division in the nominal ledger.
  • New menu option in Nominal Ledger where you can set/assign a GST number to each nominal ledger company.
  • When authorising PL invoices for payment show the GST code next to the GST value in the invoice listing. If there are multiple GST codes used on one invoice than an ‘*’ character is shown.
  • When using the NL journal authorisation process you can now use the word search functionality to find your journal, especially useful when there are many journals to search through.
  • There is a new option in the sales ledger menu that can be used to find accounts that have not been used for some time and bulk put them onto stop credit.  The user can choose the number of month unused for the account selection, and filter by account type & area code.
  • If using the PL invoice register you can now attach a scanned document when editing a transaction from the Edit transaction details screen.  The attached document can be viewed from the transaction in display PL accounts.
  • There is now a Display option available in the SL Aged Debtors Analysis and PL Aged Creditors Analysis program to supplement the existing print option.

 

General

  • Users will be able to reset their own passwords if they forget them.  There is a new option on the KClient login form to request a password reset.  This requires an email address on the Autoline user record to which an email will be sent with instructions on how to reset the password.
  • When merging customer date into outgoing messages, such as an SMS message from the service department, it will now remove any leading spaces from the merge text.        This mainly affects the inserting of numeric data fields, such as inserting the customer record number into a web site URL where you do not want spaces added in.
  • If CRM records (customer, companies & vehicles) are not deleted when marked for deletion the reason is now logged.  It can be viewed from the CRM à System maintenance à View consolidate log menu option.
  • New CRM vehicle history (service history) archive table so we can now exceed 33 million history records.
  • New email address field on the CRM company records
  • In the Display users function power users (as set on their user record) can now multi-select sessions using the Ctrl or Shift key when selecting rows.  This can be useful when wanting to terminate multiple users etc.
  • If ODBC connections to the Autoline database are enabled then you can now view the ODBC license usage from within the Display users function.
  • If you are terminating processes from the Display users function you are now given a warning if the timed-ops daemon has been selected.  You do not normally want to terminate this process so the warning should help stop users doing this accidently.
  • System administrators can now set a default printer against a user account from the System utilities à Management menu à Standard printer for userid menu option.        This printer, if set, will override the default printer set against the terminal record.  Note that this does not affect the POS printers as set on the POS terminal record.
  • New CRM system parameters that can be set to control how the sales executive is updated on the CRM customer cost centre records, from Showroom, Vehicle Stockbooks and POS activity.  Contact the Systime Support Centre for more information on these parameters (Ref E8/4315).

 

Selected items from 2024

Aftersales

  • Workshop Loading calendar - Warning message displayed when entering Workshop Launch Control if the next years calendar has not been setup and bookings are now open for the following year.
  • Print Clockings - Clocking records can now be printed from the summary and detail tabs of the clock history from when looking at a labour line on a WIP.  Useful for warranty audits. Format needs to be defined in the parameters. This will print the detail for the labour clocking tab you are currently displaying. Printing will go to the printer defined via the SU terminal printer setup. This will be the same printer as any Autoline report printing.
  • Service History Codes - When invoicing out a service job you can now record multiple (maximum of 3) service history codes if required on larger jobs.
  • Technician audit - If required the system can prompt for the technician to be recorded when parts are being requisitioned.  The technician can be viewed in the movement history of the part.
  • Continue to completion - Currently, when loading work that rolls over to the next day, the End of Shift form is displayed, which allows the user to continue to book the work. This has become easier to do with a new option (radio button) added to the form, called Continue to completion. This enables the user to book in each job that rolls over in one go, rather than manually booking the work in the workshop over several days.
  • Quick stock adjustment - From the Display stock card a link will be provided to allow parts quantities to be updated. This will be priority controlled from the stock adjustment account used in the parameters. This revised process will have the benefit of negating the need to create a WIP each time a Stock adjustment is required. The adjustment function may be accessed from the stock card display "Adjustment" button provided the user has the priority and the stock adjustment account has been set in the SM parameters.
  • Generate stock check – There is a new selection criteria of reorder category now available when generating a stock check.
  • Exclude Zero Quantities in Stock Check - Some dealers may wish to exclude zero quantity parts from their stock check list. In order to facilitate this, a new check box, Zero quantity, has been added to the Includes section of the Generate Stock Check form. By default this filter is on (ticked) to include zero quantity parts in the check list. In order to exclude zero quantity parts from the check list, untick this filter. No zero-quantity parts are then included on the resulting checklist produced. If stock is found for these parts during the course of the physical check, they may be added via the rough sheet facility.
  • Allocation of VSB requests to existing WIP - It is now possible to add VSB lines pushed to POS to an existing WIP, allocated to either internal or external customers. The standard Other jobs exist form is displayed and you can select an existing WIP from there.
  • Parts Web Portal – There is now a parts web portal available for parts departments to offer to their customers, especially larger trade customers.  This will allow them to enquire on availability (quantity) and price of parts, and to place parts orders all via a web portal.  There is some setup required for this feature so please enquire with systimesupport@systime.co.nz for more information.
  • Mobile Service Advisor (mobile web app) – Mobile tablet solution for service advisor to use to meet/great customer, check vehicle (VHC), customer signature capture & job card print, check in vehicle.  There is some setup required for this feature so please enquire with systimesupport@systime.co.nz for more information.
  • Mobile Service Technician (mobile web app) – Mobile tablet solution for technician to use in the workshop to clock on/off jobs, and to complete VHC vehicle checks.  There is some setup required for this feature so please enquire with systimesupport@systime.co.nz for more information.
  • Roadside Technician (mobile web app) – Mobile table or laptop solution for technician to use when attending breakdowns and other remote jobs away from the dealership workshop.   There is some setup required for this feature so please enquire with systimesupport@systime.co.nz for more information.
  • Email notifications – For parts distribution warehouses you can now have an email sent automatically to your dealers whenever a part supersession is performed.  This notification can allow them to update their own system with the same supersession.
  • Parts campaigns – The parts department can setup sales campaigns for parts, numerous selection criteria for the parts and what customers it should apply for.
  • Campaign notices management – This will allow the service department to create their own service campaigns, with numerous vehicle selection criteria, which will be offered when the vehicle is first loaded onto a WIP.
  • Tyre database – If you stock and sell large numbers of tyres there is now a new database lookup for when you are deciding on what tyres to sell.
  • Vehicle damage – You can now record any damage (existing or otherwise) to a customer vehicle and this is saved with the WIP. From the Tools menu select the Vehicle damage option and you can then record existing vehicle damage.  This can also be accessed via the Mobile Service Advisor app and vehicle damage recorded when meeting the customer.
  • Wip Attachments – Documents can now be attached to the WIP
  • Multiple service invoicing print process - Make the process of printing multiple invoices to different SL accounts from a single WIP easier.
  • Estimate No – If an estimate is printed you will now see the estimate number displayed on the Order tab of the WIP details.
  • Customer Dates and Planned Dates - When you load a job on the workshop, as soon as you exit the Load screen, the Customer Dates and Planned Date in the Workshop tab of Service POS are automatically populated. Previously these got populated only after the WIP is saved.
  • Maintaining workshop technicians - The touchscreen portion is now in a separate tab.
  • Point-of-sale labour rates - Labour rate can now be set in a foreign currency where required.
  • EPC interfaces – Autoline can interface with numerous EPC (Electronic Parts Catalogues).  Using the EPC interface you can bulk send the list of parts from your EPC application to Autoline with just a click or two, saving any re-keying of part numbers.  A lot of the EPC applications can also show the pricing and quantity retrieved from Autoline as well.  Ask if you would like it setup for any of the brands at your dealership.

 

CRM

  • Vehicle battery capacity – For electric vehicles you can now store the battery capacity on the CRM vehicle record (displayed next to the existing vehicle fuel tank capacity field).
  • Mobile phone number – You can now specify separately if the customer does not want to be contacted by voice or SMS on their mobile phone.  Previously there was only one setting that applied to both methods.
  • CRM Dashboard – New CRM dashboard for sales department activity.  See separate notes for more details.
  • Opt In/Out – New more detailed customer contact method opt in/out table for use with the call centre module.
  • CRM user access control – On the Other details tab there are now some additional permissions that can be set.
  • Creating new vehicles in CRM – You can now filter to see only current model and variant codes when creating a new vehicle record.
  • VSB icon – This allows you to drill into Vehicle Stockbooks directly from the CRM vehicle record, provided there is a stock number in the VSB reference field
  • NZTA lookups – When performing a lookup of vehicle and ownership information via NZTA you are now asked to select the reason for it.

 

Vehicle (VSB & Showroom)

  • Vehicle battery details – For electric vehicle you can now store details about the battery on the VSB stock record.
  • Contact codes – You can now specify different contact chains to be used in Showroom and VSB based on the vehicle sales type. This can be useful for wholesaling vehicles where you don’t want the same contact chain to be followed as a sale to a customer.
  • Accept customer orders – The accept customer orders option can now be run as a daemon process so that the orders are automatically accepted into VSB as soon as the showroom order is confirmed.
  • Vehicle Handover Diary - Handover bookings provide an integrated diary allowing the allocation of time slots for the vehicle delivery. This process is part of the order creation in Showroom and includes the ability to record the vehicle preparation progress for delivery to the customer.
  • Vehicle location transfer - A new menu option in VSB allows easy transfer of one vehicle from one physical location to another physical location.  It also provides the option to print a movement advice note and to allow specific fields to be search for in the vehicle log file.
  • VSB mandatory fields - In addition to the existing validations, this enhancement enables dealers to control the level of mandatory fields required before a Vehicle Stockbook record can be saved or invoiced.  This function affects both new and used vehicle record maintenance and invoicing, and also the contents of a trade-in vehicle purchase invoicing that is linked to a vehicle sale.  A new table controls the required fields to be completed before a record can be saved, or before invoicing is allowed (which could result in a record being saved). In addition to the field name it will denote whether the conditions apply to new, used or both types of vehicle, and whether it applies to sales, purchasing or both types of invoicing or not.
  • Revised enquiry builder – There is a new enquiry builder screen in Showroom when in Back Office mode that provides a better breakdown of the costs and profits on a deal.
  • VSB deletion of spec lines - Once a spec line is invoiced and the associated WIP has closed, the user is unable to delete the line on the vehicle specification tab.  This is especially irksome when demonstrator transfers or vehicle intercompany transfers are required, and unwanted specification lines need to be removed. Therefore, when a specification line is pushed from VSB and WIP created in POS, the scenario whereby the WIP is invoiced and not available for crediting usually leads to a support call. An enhanced process has been provided:
    • Push to POS now allows a request for credit notes in POS to be made through VSB
    • Deletion of spec lines on the vehicle record is allowed once credited through POS
    • Vehicle Reconciliation and Audit recording is provided
  • Odometer check on Trade-in in Showroom - When entering odometer for trade-in, Autoline now checks the original trade-in of the vehicle. If it is lower than the previous mileage, it will display this message: "The previous known odometer is higher than the odometer entered. Continue with the new odometer or re-enter." And ask if you want to re-enter or continue.
  • More deposits can be added – You are now allowed up to 20 deposits on a vehicle deal.  Right-click on the deposits cells and a new pop-up will open where you can enter more deposits.

 

Accounts

  • Automatically post GST journal - The amount of GST that is paid over to the authorities at the end of a GST (Tax) period is usually the net amount of (difference between) GST Input (Purchases – debit amount) and GST Output (Sales – credit amount).  Presently the Accounts department, after reconciling the GST will journalise the accumulate GST Input amount to a clearing account (credit GST Input and debit GST Clearing) and likewise journalise the accumulated GST Output to the same clearing account (debit GST Output and credit GST Clearing).  This can now be done automatically with the GST period end once parameters in NL.systm are setup.
  • Master debtors credit limit control – This functionality will allow a master credit limit totally controlled by the master record on a first come first served basis. A customer will not be able to trade with any of the other sales ledger companies when the global limit in the master is reached.  See separate notes for more details.
  • Asset register retain disposed assets – You can now set an additional amount of time that disposed of assets will remain in the asset register instead of them being deleted at the first year-end run.
  • Asset register scanned documents – You can now scan and attach documents to assets in the register.
  • PL Batch input of documents – If entering an invoice with multi transactions (for example multiple different VSB vehicles) you can now copy the first line when creating the second and subsequent lines so that the NL account does not need to be re-entered each time.
  • SL/PL Cash Posting and Allocations - When there is a system crash and/or other abnormal session termination while a user is processing payments, the SL/PL account get locked. It will now silently release the unposted allocation flag if it is deemed "safe" to do so: if there are no failed/withheld items, and no items awaiting printing of daybooks.
  • SL/PL Cash Posting and Allocations - You can now set a user priority level for accessing the Allocations tab and the Analyse & Transfer buttons in SL & PL cash postings.
  • SL/PL/NL Authorise journal entries - The journal vouchers for accounting entries are prepared by the Accountants or Senior Accountants of the respective teams i.e. Accounts Receivable (SL), Accounts Payable (PL) and General Ledger (NL). The journal vouchers will then be submitted to the responsible Finance Managers for review and approval.
  • Document Error Correction (DEC) – It is now possible within the Sales Ledger and Purchase Ledger to edit the transaction details by directly right clicking on the transaction. Users who can use the DEC feature and what kind of corrections they can make can be controlled from the SL/PL parameters. DEC feature maintains the audit trail of the record which was amended. It also performs various checks such as document should be pertaining to current period only and source should be either PL or SL. If a document was generated thru generate and print document feature User now has the ability to amend the new fields:        Price, Quantity and Text along with other fields available. Edit transactions feature (under Misc. Options) will continue to work as it is.
  • Link original invoice while posting credit note – While posting a credit note through SL batch input or generate and print documents users can link to the original invoice. For low priority users this will be mandatory (priority can be set based on input from finance manager) and high priority users will get the option to override credit note linking to original invoice.
  • Copy Line button – There is a new button called Copy Line in PL Batch Input > Transactions screen.  It copies a selected line so you don’t need to re-type the same details on a new line.
  • SL Master Debtors credit control – Allows enhanced control of credit limits if you are using master debtors.
  • Master Debtors – If you are using Master Debtors there are some new fields on the Financial tab of the master debtors record that will show you the total outstanding balance and buffered values from all the child accounts.

 

General

  • GEDIT screen – There is a new GEDIT screen that now has a tool bar across the top of the form instead of the button down the side.        This form is used in places where you can edit records such as modifying SL/PL accounts, parts stock file maintenance etc.
  • Grid copy to clipboard – You can now disable the Ctrl + right-click functionality that allows the user to copy the contents of a grid displayed on the screen to their clipboard.  This is a per-user setting on the system tab of the user details.
  • Improved lock messages – System will have improved record locked messages provide the contact details of the users who has locked a particular WIP, vehicle or customer record.