New Features for Release 1.61

Modified on Tue, 17 Oct, 2023 at 4:06 PM

These features are available on your Test site as of the evening of October 16, on your Preproduction site in the evening of October 19 and on your Production site in the evening of October 23.


New Features in This Release




TABLE OF CONTENTS



Definitions

The release notes refer to different sections of the application:

Back Office: Where Customer Service Representatives (CSR) create and edit orders, create accounts, review drivers, etc.

Dispatch Board: Where Dfe hers assign orders to drivers, get notifications for invalid orders, etc.

Auto-Dispatch: This section refers to the automated order assignment setup and its process.

Administration: This section is in the Back Office but refers to sections only an administrator will use like Settings and Pricing.

Customer Portal: Where account users log in to create orders, view their order history, enter a credit card, etc.

Tracking site: Where customers enter a tracking number like the order ID or a reference number to view the status of their order.

OData: Data fields and variables saved in OData

Account API: API provided to your accounts to create, update and get orders. For documentation, please follow this link: https://api.dispatchscience.com/
Tenant API: API provided to you to create orders for your accounts, retrieve invoices and change invoice status. For documentation, please follow this link: https://api.dispatchscience.com/  

Scripting: Custom script building abilities and functions within Dispatch Science

 

Driver App Version 1.61

Ability to Change Password

The password is its own section under Settings. If given permission by your dispatcher, you can change your password.

1) Open Settings

2) Click on Password to open

3) Enter your current password, then your new password and repeat the new password.

4) Click on Save.



Back Office

Orders

Notification History

A new Notification History is available on the Order's Notifications tab. This will show you all notifications that have been sent with the time stamp, event type, recipient, status and a link to the Notification template. 


1) Open an Order and navigate to the Notifications tab:

A new History link with the number of notifications that were sent is displayed to the left of the Edit button. 

2) Click on History to open the History popup to review the notifications sent:

3) Clicking on the Notification Template link will open the Notification template used in a new tab.

4) Click Close to return to the Order.


Warning when Vehicle Capacity is Exceeded

A warning is now displayed during Order creation/edition when the parcels on the Order exceed the capacity of the selected vehicle:

This relates to the new Dispatching warning that can be setup on the Vehicle. For more information, please see: Vehicle Settings.

This also relates to the new Self-Serve Option to prevent order creation when Order parcels exceed the Vehicle capacity. For more information, please see:  Self-Serve Options.


Order Attachments

The Order Attachments tab has been redesigned for improved navigation.

View Attachments

1) Open an Order and click on Attachments tab.

The attachments are now shown in a table, divided into 3 sections: Order, Pickup and Delivery. Sections can be collapsed or opened by clicking on the headers.

The table shows the PDF/Image, timestamp and notes, along with whether or not the attachment will be included with the invoice and a menu with menu items:
Email and Download. 

2) Click on the PDF to open the attachment in a new tab.
Click on the image to open it in a popup to see the larger version.


Download an Attachment

1) Open the Order then click on Attachments tab.

2) To the right of the attachment, click on the ellipses (...) menu then click on Download.

3) The PDF/image will be downloaded to your default Download folder.


Email an Attachment

1) Open the Order then click on the Attachments tab.

2) To the right of the attachment, click on the ellipsis (...) menu then click on Email.

3) Your default email application will open, a new email will be created, the attachment URL will be copied to the email's body and the cursor will be in the TO field. 


Add an Attachment

1) Open an Order and click on Attachments tab. 

2) Click on Edit.

3) Click on Add to add a new attachment:

4) Choose the file (image or PDF) to attach to the Order.

5) Select the Type: Order, Pickup, Delivery. 

6) Enter an optional Note.

7) Check Include with Invoice checkbox if this should be included with the invoice. 

8) Click on Apply to add the attachment or Cancel to discard the changes.

The attachment will show greyed-out with Added. In order to save the attachment, click on Save.

9) Click on Save to save the attachment on the Order. Click on Cancel to discard all changes.


Delete an Attachment on the Order

1) Open an Order and click on Attachments tab. 

2) Click on Edit.

3) Click on the ... menu to the right of the Attachment and click Delete:

The attachment will show greyed-out with Removed. In order to delete the attachment, click on Save. 

4) Click on Save to permanently delete the Attachment. You can also click on Cancel to discard all changes. 


Edit an Attachment

1) Open an Order and click on Attachments tab. 

2) Click on Edit.

3) Click on the ellipsis (...) menu to the right of the Attachment and click Edit:

4) Modify the Type, the note and check/uncheck the Include with Invoice then click on Apply

The attachment is greyed-out with Updated. In order to update the attachment, click on Save.

5) Click on Save to save the changes. Click on Cancel to discard all changes. 


Order Templates

Order Templates is under Ordersthen Recurrences.


Order Template Creation Without Account User

If no Users are associated to an Account, you can create the User while creating the Order Template.

1) Open Orders, Recurrences and click on Manage Order Templates.

2) Click on New Template.

3) Start typing the Account number or Account name then select the Account from the list and select it. 

At this point, you would select the User. If there is no User, you can now use the Add new user:

4) You will be taken to the Template Options where you enter the Template name and select the type and the different options, then click on Continue

5) You can enter the required Account User name, optional email and required phone number and click Continue.

The Account has now been created and associated to the Account.

6) Complete the Order Template and save.


Deleted Extra Fees in Extra Fee Schedule

When an Extra Fee is deleted from an Extra Fee Schedule but it was added to an Order Template, the Extra Fee will now show on the Order Template with a flag and an explanation. The Extra Fee can now be removed, even if it is a System Defined Extra Fee such as Weight.

If the Extra Fee is not removed, the Extra Fee will not be added to the Order when Order is created from the Order Template.



Drivers

Export Driver Workload History

Driver workload can be exported to a CSV file.

1) Open Drivers and scroll to the right to click on History.

2) Enter the dates and times to filter the history to the time need to extract then click on Apply Filter. 

3) Click on the Export Workload button. 

4) The information will be exported to a CSV file that contains the following columns:

Type: type of position (driverPosition, pickup, delivery, etc)

OrderId: Order Id when type is pickup or delivery

Latitude and Longitude: position of the driver at the time

minVisitTime: Pickup/Delivery window from

maxVisitTime: Pickup/Delivery Window to

addressline1: Order's address line 1 when type is of type pickup or delivery

addressline2: Order's address line 2 when type is of type pickup or delivery


Driver Password

The Driver password has been removed from the Basic Information section on the Driver Information Profile. This will allow Drivers to change their password while keeping the Basic Information locked. 

1) Click on Drivers then Profiles then Information Profiles.

2) Click on the Information Profile to modify.

3) In the General Options



Accounts

New Content Template's Property

In the Content Template Properties, as part of the Driver Information, you now have the Driver Position (Latitude and Longitude). This information will be available if a Driver is assigned to the Order and if the Driver position was received in the last five minutes. You can then link the information to Google maps or other mapping services.


Transactions

Transactions is under Accounts menu .


Generating Invoices 

When generating invoices with no main contact on the Account or where the main contact has the option to receive the invoice disabled and no users are set to receive invoices but the Account has emails in the Invoice Recipients in Email CCs,  the  emails in the CC will be used as the main recipient to ensure invoice is sent. 


Pay an Invoice or Debit Note with Credit Card

Internal User can now pay an Invoice or Debit Note with the credit card on file if User has permission to Receive Payment.

1) Open Accounts then Transactions. 

2) Scroll to the right of the table to see the menu and select Pay With Credit Card:

3) If a credit card is already associated to the Account, a confirmation message will display the amount and the credit card 4 last digits. The user can decide to send an email on successful payment and/or unsuccessful payment. 

Check/uncheck the emails that should be sent once payment is processed and click on Pay. 

A processing payment will be displayed and once done, a confirmation message will show indicating if the transaction was successful or not. 

Clicking on Cancel will return to the Transaction list without creating the payment. 

If no credit card is associated to the Account, an error message is displayed if user has access to Account Billing Options:

Clicking on Yes will open the Account's billing option section to let you add a credit card:

Once the credit card is added to the Account, you can return to Transactions and repeat step2.
Note: If user has no access to Account Billing Option, the message will let him know he has no access to add and to contact the administrator.


4) A payment will be generated automatically.
If the transaction was successful, the payment is applied to the invoice. 

If the transaction was unsuccessful, the payment is cancelled and the reason it was unsuccessful is added in the payment note. 


Automatic Daily Invoices

When using automatic daily invoices with credit card payment, the payment will now automatically be generated in Dispatch Science when the invoice is generated and payment is confirmed from Stripe. The payment will then be applied to the invoice. 

If the payment is unsuccessful, a payment is generated in Dispatch Science and subsequently cancelled with the reason the payment was unsuccessful added in the payment note. 



Self-Serve Option when Exceeding Vehicle Capacity

You can prevent Orders from being created when the selected Vehicle capacity is exceeded. A message can be configured to point this out to the Self-Serve User.

1) Open Accounts, Profiles, Order Profiles then edit the Self-Serve Options section.

2) Check the Parcels Cannot Exceed Vehicle Capacity checkbox and enter the error message that will be displayed in the red banner at the top of the Order:

4) Click Save.





Dispatch Board

Grid Board

Map Overlay

When using the Zone filter for Drivers and/or Orders in the Grid Boards, you now have access to view or hide the selected zones on the map:


Warn when Dispatching Orders if Vehicle Capacity is Exceeded

A warning can be displayed when dispatching Orders that exceed the Vehicle Capacity.
When dispatching Orders, each Order is verified against the Driver adjusted Vehicle capacity. If at least one of the Vehicle capacity is exceeded and the option is setup on the Vehicle, Dispatcher will be alerted. 

1) Setup Vehicle capacity and the dispatching option. 

2) Dispatch an Order from the Order list, Order Details, during Order Creation or dispatch one or more Orders from the Dispatch Board or Dispatch Board Grid. 

3) If the Order exceeds the Driver's Vehicle capacity, the Dispatcher will receive a warning:

When dispatching multiple Orders, the warning will list the Orders that are over capacity:

3) Click on Dispatch to dispatch the Orders anyway or click on Cancel to Cancel the dispatch of all selected Orders. 


Prevent Dispatching Orders when Vehicle Capacity is Exceeded

Dispatching can be prevented when Orders exceed the Vehicle Capacity.
When dispatching Orders, each Order is verified against the Driver adjusted Vehicle capacity. If at least one of the Vehicle capacity is exceeded and the option is setup on the Vehicle, Dispatcher will be alerted. 

1) Setup Vehicle capacity and the dispatching option. 

2) Dispatch an Order from the Order list, Order Details, during Order Creation or dispatch one or more Orders from the Dispatch Board or Dispatch Board Grid. 

3) If the Order exceeds the Driver Vehicle capacity, the Dispatcher will see an Error message:


When dispatching multiple Orders, the error message will list the Orders that are over capacity and these Orders will not be dispatched. The other Orders that were within capacity will be dispatched.



Self-Serve Portal

Orders

Exceeding Vehicle Capacity Warning

When a Self-Serve user creates an Order where the Vehicle capacity is exceeded, a warning will show beside the vehicle:

If, in the Account Profile, the Self-Serve Option is set to prevent Order Creation when Vehicle capacity is exceeded, the Self-Serve user will also get the configured error message in a red banner at the top of the Order screen when attempting to save the order. 

For more information about setting up this option, please see: Self-Serve Portal.



Administration

Failover on Combined Pricing

A failover has been added to the Combined Pricing. When an invalid price is found in Price List 1, or one of its failovers, or in Price List 2, or one of its failovers, it will search for a valid price in the Combined Price List Failover.

For more information about Combined Price listplease review: Combined Price List.

1) Open a Combined Price List or create one.

2) Ensure that you have a Price List 1 and Price List 2 selected. 

3) Select the failover Price List:

4) Click on Save.

The warehouse travelling distance section was removed from the Combined Price List since it is used on each Price List instead. 



Vehicles

Vehicles is found under Pricing .


Vehicle Capacity and Dispatching Options

You can setup to allow dispatching, allow with warning or prevent dispatching when an Order exceeds the Vehicle capacity. 

1) In Pricing, click on Vehicles.

2) In the list, click on the Vehicle to edit.

3) Enter the capacity:
Maximum number of pieces and/or Maximum Volume and/or Maximum Weight. 

4) Select the Dispatching Option on Vehicle Capacity Overage:

5) Click Save. 

This option is set as Allow by default to keep current functionality.




Debit and Credit Notes Document Types

Document Type is found under Settingsthen Configurations then Accounting.


You can create, edit or delete the Document Types that are used on the Debit and Credit Notes. 

For more information about Document Types, please refer to: https://support.dispatchscience.com/support/solutions/articles/36000450806-new-features-for-release-1-59#Document-Type-Field-in-Debit-and-Credit-Notes


Create a New Document Type

1) Open Settings, Configuration, Accounting then click on Document Type.

2) Click on Create Document Type button:

3) Enter the Required Name, optional second language name and select the Transaction Type (Credit Note, Debit Note or both).

4) Save.


Edit a Document Type

1) Open Settings, Configuration, Accounting then click on Document Type.

2) Click on the Document Type to edit:

3) You can edit the name and/or the transaction type.

If the Document Type has already been used in a Credit or Debit Note, you will receive an error message when trying to modify the transaction type.


Delete a Document Type

1) Open Settings, Configuration, Accounting then click on Document Type.

2) Click on the delete icon .

3) Click on Delete to delete the Document Type or Back to return to the list without deleting it.


OData

Accounts table

New field InvoiceEmailCCs gas been added to the Accounts table. 

This will contain the email addresses found in the Email CCs from the Account separated by commas.


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