ABECAS Insight

As you know, we maintain two versions of our software. Our ‘release version’ is stable and subject only to maintenance programming, not database modification or adding enhancements. Our programmers apply their main efforts to our ‘development version’. This version is where we enhance the software, add new features and perform custom programming. Our goal is for the development version to become our release version after 3 months. Insight releases will now occur at the start of each quarter.

Earlier this month, our 7.3 development version became our release version, with the new 7.4 created as our development version. Significant enhancements have been added to the release version 7.3 and we encourage you to update, as convenient. The release notes available under the Help option list the major changes in this version. We will also highlight some of these enhancements in our first newsletter.

In the past we were forced to work on release versions to an extent that was not desirable. The needs of some customers who were unable to upgrade to obtain required enhancements drove us to undertake enhancements in both the release and development versions simultaneously. This parallel development created an unmanageable demand on QA to prove capability in both systems. This experience has led us to implement a hard rule – all development will be restricted to the current development version only. The result of this for the vast majority of our users will be increased stability of the product and an enhanced user experience.

Customers from the Enterprise, Warehouse and Freight Management business areas attended the highly successful Argos Software Fall 2007 Users’ Conference. Workshop sessions were constructed around the theme of Business Process Management and explored ways that ABECAS Insight can enhance your business operations, now and in the future.

Company President Alan Thodey talked about the future of Argos Software and the ways that the product and the company are adapting to a changing environment. A recent survey of customers resulted in several new strategies to increase communication with customers, and between customers with similar interests.

A blog where Argos Software can post news, how-to documents, tips and tricks and other articles of interest has been published and will be regularly updated. You can find these articles at http://blog.abecasinsight.com.

A forum where users can post suggestions, comments, work-arounds and questions as well as sharing their success stories has also been established. The forum can be found at http://forums.abecasinsight.com and all users are encouraged to contribute to this resource to learn and share their knowledge about the system and to be part of an active community of Argos Software expertise.

Interactive sessions focused on exploring requirements for a future version of the software that is currently in development under the working title of “Version 9.” Changes to hardware and the Windows operating system demand some changes to the software as it is today and the new product will take advantage of additional capabilities in the Windows environment and SQL database management to deliver superior business results. Participants contributed their ideas about how they would like the new software to look and function.

Several participants found these interactive sessions particularly valuable. One attendee wrote on a feedback form: “I really enjoy and learn more from the interactive sessions.” As Argos Software staff gathered information about customer requirements for the new product, customers learned more about the future of the system. “V9 looks very promising,” one customer said.

Several workshop sessions focused on new functionality available in version 7.3, the current release version of ABECAS Insight. Training sessions on using the Task Agent to automate routine activities were popular with participants. Several attendees reported being eager to try out the Task Agent to lighten the load on users. This robust new feature has considerable potential to improve efficiency in the administration of your business.

Feedback from participants in the conference was positive and encouraging. One customer described feeling confident about the software’s ability to “handle our business needs now and in future.” Another user summed up by saying: “I like the direction I see the company going.”

Argos Software staff and customers who attended the Fall 2007 Users’ Conference mingled informally at a social outing on the Sunday before the conference. Participants had the opportunity to take part in either a friendly golf day with Argos staffers, Rex Von Nothdurft and John McPherson, or a tour of Yosemite National Park with Programming Director, Dave Yost.

The Argos Software Yosemite bus tour stopped for photo opportunities and walks at several of the major sights in the National Park. Attendees chatted and formed new friendships while Dave Yost pointed out points of interest along the way.

Members of the group shared a picnic lunch at a spectacular rest stop on the Yosemite Valley floor. The view of the mountains looming all around combined with a morning’s exercise in the fresh air to make the sandwiches even more delicious.

After a large lunch of turkey sandwiches and amazing scenery, the Yosemite Tour team walked to the lower Yosemite Falls and posed for group photographs. The poses may seem rather contrived, but the smiles are all natural.