NEWSTAR Pulse - Volume 4, Issue 4

PRODUCT UPDATES

On August 12th we published the 2024.4.00 release of the NEWSTAR product suite. We’ve highlighted some of the noteworthy items below. This is by no means an exhaustive list of what’s in this release. For the full details, read through the release notes in the Library.

NEW FEATURES

Homebuilder Enterprise

Home Production hp/ Global TakeOff Update toglchg:  Users now have the ability to add or adjust Bid Rates using the Global TakeOff Update program.

Utilities utility/ Supplier Maintenance SuppMnt:  Added new functionality to the Supplier Maintenance and Suppliers Import to maintain BuildPro Suppliers. Modified the ‘BuildPro Supplier’ checkbox as a permanent setting and added a new ‘Send to BuildPro’ checkbox on the Suppliers Master screen.

NS Accounting

General Ledger gl/ Audit Trails glaudit:  A new Description column was added to the right of the Audit trail Allocation column. This will assist the builder with quicker GL reviews and analysis.

NS Common

User Interface/ Label Change:  The term 'CustomerLink' in NEWSTAR Enterprise has been updated as

‘Homeowner Portal’ to better reflect its use by other products.

FIXED

NS Accounting

Financial Reporting fr/ Report by Divisions findiv:  When running the Financial Report by Division, the excel column maximum limit, which was originally set to 255, has been increased to 1000.

Accounts Payable ap/ Auto-Generate Group *apgen:  Retention checks for the 2nd (duplicate) row will no longer be generated and instead the following message will display (like it does for Regular payables):  NOTICE: Balance due was zero.  No Check Group was created.

Accounts Payable ap/ Print Blank Checks blankck:  Print Blank check functionality is now enabled for Check Format: M8.

NS Homebuilder Enterprise

Warranty wr/ Warranty Rules wrrid:  When setting up a Warranty Rule for the ‘Customer WO’ an error now occurs on leave of field or clicking ‘OK’ if an invalid Form Type is entered.

Scheduling sch/ Lot Schedules hplotsch:  The “Press space bar to continue” message at the bottom of the ‘Copy Revised to Planned Dates’ screen has been removed and the extra keystroke is no longer required after clicking the ‘Update’ button.

Warranty wr/ Mobile User Profile wrmourpf:  When opening the “Mobile Projects” screen under a Mobile User’s Profiles, selected (saved) Projects that are no longer part of the User’s HB Project Security now appear at the bottom of the list with two asterisks (**) before the Project Name so it is visible and corrections can be made to the User’s Profile or HB Project Security. Informational text appears at the bottom of the screen as, “** User no longer has access to this Project under HB Project Security.”

Home Production hp/ Lot Maintenance Import hplotimp:  When updating a Lot using the Lot Maintenance Import, the lastmodby and lastmoddatetime fields are correctly updated in the Lots table (rems.jobphase).

Home Production hp/ Lot Maintenance Import hplotimp:  When using the Lot Maintenance Import to update Model Restriction records from 'Yes' to 'No,' additional validation occurs for previously removed Model Restrictions so the Import can process without error.

Warranty wr/ Warranty Work Orders wrpwo:  When modifying a WO Item Deficiency Code or Description, the prompt to “…overwrite existing crafts..” or “…update the Craft Work Description” is now displayed consistently, and if the User clicks ‘Yes’ to either of these prompt(s), the Crafts-Work Description is now refreshed immediately or updated when there are 2 or more associated Crafts.

Home Production hp/ Cost Allocation Processing costallocpro:  Changes were made to remove error messages in Cost Allocation Processing when login default is preset. Project will be validated, and project description will be displayed to the right of the project code.

Scheduling sch/ Lot Schedule Update:  Adding a new Lot Task using 'Lot Schedule Update' or manually adding a new Task within a Lot Schedule now calculates and correctly applies the Duration Days to the Planned Start/End Dates. If the Operating Unit and Project fields are auto-populated when opening the Add/Edit Lot Schedule Update screen, these values are now set properly so the remaining fields can be validated before closing the screen.

Purchasing pu/ PO Summary Report hpposum:  The Excel format of the PO Summary Report will insert the PO Description under the correct column header when it includes a pipe character '|' so the remaining data appears under the correct column headers.

Home Production hp/ Lot Addresses hclotadd:  Validation has been added when using the F2 key to display the error “Please enter valid City Code” when an invalid City Code is entered under Lot Addresses.

Home Production hp/ Build Lot Budgets Configuration slsbudcfg:  When the "Include Manual POs" or "Include Change Orders" checkbox is unchecked at the Configuration level, these options will be hidden during the Build Lot Budget/Build Lot Budget Batch processes, and the processing will exclude Manual POs and Change Orders. Additionally, these columns are now hidden in the Build Lot Budgets Configuration browse screen, and the corresponding fields in the config file are set to "No."

Scheduling sch/ Import from BuildPro bpimp:  Clients using Progress OpenEdge 11.7 with an invalid FTPS server address entered under 'BuildPro Interface Rules' will now receive the correct error message as"**Could not connect to BuildPro FTP Server." when attempting to Import (files) from BuildPro.

Home Production hp/ Closing JE Process hcclsjr:  When loading lots in Closing JE Process, if COS Processing Rule is not set up for that operating unit and project, the following message will now display.  “COS Processing Rule is not defined for <OU/Project>. Please set up Processing Rule.”

NEWSTAR Sales

NEWSTAR Sales Interface/ Export Data spinte:  To avoid the Export Data badXML errors we've increased the field length of i_RECID in the CUS_Buyer Options.xml from 10 to 12.  Option not found error is removed.

Hunting for Programs/Menu Items?

If you have a hard time finding a program/utility in the program tree, cursor into the top-right Program/Menu field and hit F9.  A search window will open where the user can key in the name of the program/utility to locate.

NAME DROPPING: James Knight                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

In each edition we’ll interview someone on the Constellation team we think you should know. For this interview, we asked James Knight a few questions. 

• Team you are part of: Professional Services Group.
• In two sentences, what is your job? Helping customers set up their schedules and get that loaded into the system and tie that in with the purchasing element of the software to make sure Pos are paid on time. Making sure it all works together.
• What do you love about your job? This is an interesting one, I am still getting to this point, but throughout my career I have always like to be the one who holds the information and can work through tricky situations in the system. Knowing how to creatively tackle a problem within the confines of the software is always exciting to me. I like being a Subject Matter Expert (SME).
• What’s one thing you enjoy doing every day that’s not part of your job description? I like talking to people and getting to know people. Especially in a remote setting.
• What was your first job? Mowing lawns with my neighbor down the street.
• Film you’ll always love: It’s hard to pick just one. I would say Spaceballs or I Love You Man.
• Last show you binged and loved: Welcome to Wrexham
• First concert you attended: Tommy Emanuel
• Best snack you’ve had lately: My mother-in-law brought us some pepper jelly that was seasoned with crawfish seasoning and we put that over cream cheese. It’s really good!
• Recipe you're known for: I make real good biscuits and homemade sausage gravy.
• Sport team you cheer for: Big Liverpool supporter and the Houston Dynamos
• Songs on repeat these days: This is a tough one. I have been trying to learn Rock you like a Hurricane by Scorpions because I am trying to learn that on the guitar. Keep Going by the Revivalist and Looking Glass by Delicate Steve
• Favorite Emoji: Rocker Hand

#NEWSTAR