Release Notes - 7.1.405 - 1753_0000

Summary

New Features

Choose Store module, replacing General Store Picker

New Feature: HeadOffice – Choose Stores

The "Choose Stores" option has replaced the General Store picker function on the HeadOffice.

• This allows users to select the Store to work from once from the HO Main Menu screen.  This selection applies to all subsequent screens requiring store selection.
• Users will not be required to switch stores on individual pages in the application.
• Documentation: /wiki/spaces/IS/pages/63347390

SAF Improvements – New Timeout Periods based on Connection and Background Check Improvements 

New Feature: SAF Timeout Periods based on Status

Improvements for SAF functionality have been included with this build.

• Two distinct transaction timeout periods have been added, and will occur based on whether or not the terminal's connection is available.
• Declined credit card messages are added to the CC transaction checker, allowing Volanté to review these transactions. 
• The transaction checker was also intended to resolve accidental double-charges occurring in the system.   
• If a user presses this button and selects "Check Transactions Later", the transaction will be logged.  
• In addition, a background thread check now exists.  
  • Please note that this background check is ONLY present for clients on USAePay solutions.  This check happens in the background automatically.
  • End users do not interact with this check directly – it is automated, and merely prevents double charges from occurring. 

• Requisite: Usage of this feature requires ping protocol to be configured accordingly at the site (i.e. firewall/ports need to be open).  

  • This is necessary as it allows for accurate updates for Internet Connection status on the POS. 

  • SAF relies on accurate Internet Connection status to determine the appropriate timeout period to use.
• Documentation: /wiki/spaces/IS/pages/63360698

Charity and Charity Round-up on POS

New Feature: POS Action Keys – Charity and Charity Round-up Action Keys

The Charity action key can be used for fundraisers or charity events at sites.  This feature works by rounding up a transaction up to the next whole dollar (post-tax), where this difference in value with the original transaction is considered to be donated to charity. 

Typically, the customer should be asked if they wish to pay extra for Charity first.

• Rounded-up amounts will not count as part of a sale.  

• It is possible to show the total donation amount separately within the sales.  This is similar to functionality in the BO End of Day report.

• The Charity Round-Up rounds up charity transactions to the next dollar.  A keypad screen indicates the amount that will be added to the transaction to round up to this value.
• Documentation: Charity Payments - Action Key

Remaining Payroll Deduct Amounts Displayed on Receipts

New Feature: Customer Database – Print available balance (incl. credit limit) on receipt

A new checkbox, "Print available balance (incl. credit limit) on receipt" is now available under the Customer Database module.  This option enables account balance printing on customer receipts.

• This option is available under Customer Types > Print available balance (incl. credit limit) on receipt.  

  • If this feature is enabled, the customer receipt will display the available balance, including the customer type credit limit. 

• Account balances are displayed on the receipt with the following format:

  Remaining Funds on Account: XX.XX

• Documentation: CustomerDB - Add remaining available payroll deduct amount to receipt (1753+)

DataCandy iGift Integration with Kiosk

DataCandy Gift solutions are now available for new Kiosks.

• Only giftcard redemption is available.
• Configuration of DataCandy iGift can be accomplished from Kiosk Configuration and the Hardware module int he BackOffice.
• Documentation: Currently TBD

MM Hayes – iCustomer Integration for Kiosks

MMHayes Quickcharge can be used as an iGift or iCustomer integration on kiosk.

• MM Hayes cards should strictly be used as Customer cards in the BackOffice.

• Specifications: /wiki/spaces/DH/pages/55084063
  
• Documentation: iGift and iCustomer - MM Hayes Quickcharge

Customer Database Report Improvements – Reorganization, Search Improvements, Gift Card Section, Custom Queries

Improvements have been made to Customer Database Reports.  This was done alongside migration of the report module from customer reports.

Improvements include: 

• Reorganization of all existing Customer Database reports.
• Improved customer search functionality in reporting module – previously searches would only show 1000 customers.
• Created a Gift Card section; included as part of profit center filters.
• Redesigned Custom queries and improved functionality.  

Mayo Clinic Specifications – Director's Reports 

Reports have been updated to Mayo Clinic specifications.  

These changes are extensions to the existing Director's Report, which is a Close Day Report that can be printed at the kiosk as a receipt.  This is useful for as quick reference for Managers at a POS solution.  

• Profit Centre filter information has been made available on reports.

• Includes Reports that compare Close Day vs Real-time sales information

• Documentation: Admin Options - Director's Reports

Improvements

Combo Report in 1751+ 

• A new report, "Combo Sales Summary", is now available in Volante Build 1751 and onwards.

• This report can be found under Media Reports > Discount Reports > Combo Sales Summary

• This report serves two primary purposes: 

  • Summary Report for Combos – For each combo, show a summary of sales, profits and combo discounts 

  • Sales of items in combos vs. individually – A detailed sales report for each menu item showing its net sales individually and within a combo

• Documentation: /wiki/spaces/IS/pages/63365319

Menu Setup - Improve switch store slowness

Resolved performance issues with store switching functionality in the HeadOffice.  

Menu Setup - Improve Menu grouping item slowness

Improved performance and resolved crashing issues that occurred when users selected large groupings with many linked taxes.  

Store and Forward Improvements

Changes to SAF have been made to address issues with experienced by clients:

Two distinct transaction timeout periods have been added.  Each timeout will occur based on whether or not the terminal's connection is available.

• Declined credit card messages are added to the CC transaction checker, allowing Volanté to review these transactions. 
• The transaction checker was also intended to resolve accidental double charges occurring in the system.   
  • In addition, a background thread check now exists.  If a user presses this button and "Check Transactions Later", this will log the transaction being performed.
  • Please note that this background check is ONLY present for USAePay, and happens in the background automatically.
  • End users do not interact with this check directly – it is automated, and merely prevents double charges
• Documentation on these changes: /wiki/spaces/IS/pages/63360698
• See also: VOL-6768

Improvements to Webservice response times

Improved slow Webservice response times occurring when there were terminals down also attempting to retrieve all open tables.

• This would previously affect Order Taker and Pay at Table CC functions.

Admin Options – Grouped 86 Item 

Resolved issues when attempting to 86 items on Cloud BackOffice environments.

POS Admin Options – Employee Shifts – Delete Shift 

Added message prompts for failing to select a shift to delete, under the Admin Options – Employee Shifts screen.

POS Admin Option – Employee Shift – Add Shift

Added message prompts for failing to select a shift to add, under the Admin Options – Employee Shifts screen.

Cash Drawer – Input/Output Ports and Printer Connections

Resolved issues with printers failing to print when cash drawer status was considered "Open" by the system.

• Previously, printers did not work properly, and would cause issues if the status if cash drawer is open.

• An alternate solution is to use the IO port on the POS. 

• These solutions are available for 32-bit and 64-big CentOS systems.

Barcode Receipt Scanning Functions Fixed 

Resolved issues with barcode receipt scanning with Symbol scanners and Epson Printer USB functionality.

• Barcode on receipt not working when used a symbol scanner.

• Have not raised any separate bug for this as of now.

• Could be an unrelated issue to USB printer as it did not scan even serial printer barcode.

Updates to Option Modifiers and Sizes (now known as "Size Modifier Items")

Made improvements to Option Modifiers functionality in the BackOffice:

• "Sizes" has been renamed to "Size Modifier Items".
• The system now limits size configurations to one size modifier attribute per menu item. 
  • This feature is also backwards compatible with multiple sizes.  
  • Only the lowest index modifier is selected in these cases.
• orderId is now displayed for ease of prioritization.
• Users are now able to set a size for the "main" item (as opposed to not being featured as a size of its own).
  • The same menu works for child items, in addition to the normal table

Bug Fixes

Issues with Unique Scancode

Resolved issues where storeId0 (Main Store) scan codes are considered "valid" in the system, which leads to many scan codes not being considered unique relative to the local StoreId (BO) scancodes.

Resolved lack of "Printer Offline" messages on Kiosk for USB Printer

Resolved issues where printers being unavailable (i.e. connection offline) would fail to display warning messages that indicated printer status on the kiosk.

• Even when printers are considered offline, messages on screens would still indicate order numbers.

• Printer status check time has been reduced to check status every 10 seconds. 
  • The system previously only checked if the printer was down every 30 seconds.  
• Previously, if the printer was offline during an order, the user would run into issues when attempting to complete the order in less than 30 seconds. 
  • The check time has been reduced every 10 seconds. 
  • Even with the 10-second delay, the final screen will not switch to the 'failed printer mode'. If the printer went down right before entering the final screen, it would not print the receipt.  
  • Even after waiting 10 seconds it will not display any 'Printer Error' message.
• Updated printer offline kiosk messages for USB printer solutions.

Resolved Weight Scale Tare Container failing to print

Resolved issues where the third line for weight items, "<Number of Containers> (TARE)" was not printing. 

• The item still has the weight reduction based on the container item, but the container name does not print.
• Additionally, if you look up the transaction in View Shift Transactions, the container name shows up.  If you re-print the receipt from view shift transactions, the name also shows up.

Payroll Reset Calculations in "Absolute Mode"

Resolved issues for sites using "Absolute" calculations for payroll under certain circumstances.

• Balance calculation configuration is now switched to "Absolute" mode, providing customers with a solution where they may switch cycles without affecting their balance reset period.
  • Resolved issues where Absolute mode would disregard customer changes to the department, potentially causing duplicate credits to be incurred for multiple departments, instead of simply crediting amounts consumed under a specific department.

• This affected sites with alternating payroll cycles (i.e. cycle ends every two weeks), where each week, accounts that are part of the cycle are exported.  

  • Previously, accounts that were part of the cycle would be exported, but only accounts on the second week of their cycle would be reset.

  • This was done in order to resolve issues that existed with floating balances existing due to switching customer types. 
  • With absolute balance calculation in the payroll properties file, it will reset the account's full balance, including transactions that were already exported from the previous week..
• The issue occurred comes when a customer performs transactions during the first week of the cycle. 
  • Their transactions are exported but not reset. 

  • If this customer does not perform any transactions in the second week of the cycle, when the export runs it skips their account altogether, and does not reset the first week's transactions.

  • This remains true indefinitely – if the customer does not do transactions during a "Reset Week", their balance will not be reset.

• In most cases, this means the balance will eventually be reset.  However, previous scenarios have been observed, where customers spend their full credit limit, but never spend anything in a "Reset Week". 

  • This resulted in the customer's account effectively becoming locked, as they would be unable to spend any money on the account.  

  • The customers would also never be a part of an export, and their balance would not reset without manual intervention.

  • The issue comes up when a customer performs transactions during the first week of the cycle. Their transactions would be exported, but not reset. 

CUST_TYPE_CHARGE_ORDER allows payments from customer types not listed in the interfacelink

Resolved issues involving use of the "On Account" button in conjunction with the InterfaceLink, CUST_TYPE_CHARGE_ORDER

• The issue previously occurred when using the On Account button.  If the cashier presses the payment button, then selects On Account, it allows the cashier to choose customer types that are not listed in the interfaceLink

• Previously, cashiers choosing the incorrect account on accident could potentially cause reporting or refunding issues for both the student and site managers.

• This change was applied retroactively to build 1715_0020, but has also been included in latest builds.

Fixes for "Disabling 'On Account' for Customer Account Payment" checkbox 

Resolved issues with loading money onto a customer's account using "On Account" functions on the POS, even when the setting was disabled.

• A separate setting is available from Payment Types to disable this feature.  However, the issue arose when this function was already disabled.

• This issue was a result of the "Pay Later" checkbox not functioning as intended.  

• By default, "Pay Later" settings are set to "On" after upgrades, when the previous default starts with this feature "Off".

• This change was applied retroactively to build 1715_0020 for sites on older builds, but has also been included in latest builds.

Fixes for Customer Database – Print Functionality under Cloud Customer Database – Transaction Info 

Resolved issues where Customer Database Print functions failed to print selected transactions from the Cloud BackOffice.

• This feature is accessible via Customer Database > Customer Info > Transactions info.  

Resolved Slow Initialization of Terminals 

Resolved issues with a terminal (or multiple terminals) starting up slowly due to queries attempting to return large amounts of data.

• Returning large amounts of data on slower networks would occasionally lead to crashes.

Resolved Email Reporting for Cloud Enterprise

Resolved issues with Emailed Reports failing to arrive at intended email address on Cloud Enterprise environments.

Resolved Issues with Discounts not being shown on "Payment Method Details Breakdown" Reports failing to show Incomplete

Resolved issues with Payment Method Details Breakdown report failing to display all discounts.