January 2017 Release
This release has been approved by eTASK for use in production environments. You can download the release now and install it on your server.
Please read the following notes carefully before installation:
Important note for users of the eTASK app for Windows 10:
With the release of this version, an updated version of the eTASK app was simultaneously released in the Microsoft Store. Please note that this latest app version is compatible exclusively with the current release version of the portal; that is, both the portal AND all connected mobile devices must be updated.
Therefore, please update your mobile devices only if you also plan to update your portal to the current release at the same time. If this is not desired or possible, please disable the automatic installation of updates for the eTASK app on your devices.
Please note, however, that after a previous update of your portal, your devices must also be updated to the current app version.
eTASK.Resource Planning
Highlight: NEW: Digital requirements planning with eTASK for your construction projects
Methodical requirements planning is the foundation for informed planning decisions in project development. Requirements planning defines the objectives from the client’s/user’s perspective at an early stage, thereby enabling the alignment of goal fulfillment in the design and execution phases. With the new eTASK.Requirements Planning module, you can define and record the space, functional, and equipment requirements for your new construction project in a structured and user-friendly manner, e.g., by using room profiles, planning variants, or fill-level checks. The requirements you define in this way can be automatically generated as an attachment for the tender documents, e.g., as part of an architectural competition. You can validate the architect’s design and construction plans based on BIM (IFC) at any time by comparing them with your original requirements planning in eTASK without manual post-processing.
eTASK.BIM
New Feature: Dynamic, Modular, and Configurable Drawing Stamps
Our CAD customers have been familiar with the "dynamic legends" feature for years. This feature is now also available in BIM visualization. Here, however, the stamps are only configured and then dynamically generated. They do not need to be placed manually beforehand. The stamps are available to you in both 2D and 3D visualization.
New feature: Dynamic legends in 2D and 3D views
Dynamic legends are now available for 2D and 3D views. This enables, among other things, a graphical analysis of the entire building, such as the total of all office spaces throughout the building. Displaying the legend over the visualization allows you to navigate freely within the model while always keeping the legend in view.
New Feature: Using Drawing Links (Magnifying Glass) for BIM Visualization
The "drawing links" (magnifying glass icon to open the visualization) familiar from eTASK.CAD are now also used for BIM visualization. If the dataset to be visualized is linked to a BIM model, clicking the drawing link launches the BIM Explorer and highlights the object to be visualized in the model.When running eTASK.CAD and eTASK.BIM in parallel, either a CAD floor plan or a BIM model is opened, depending on the type of visualization underlying the dataset.
Improvement: Better control of content in the BIM Explorer menu
The menu structure of the BIM Explorer has been further optimized to improve control over the display for model visualization. For example, views are now displayed in a clear hierarchy, and IFC classes are shown with plain-text information.
Improvement: Processing of large BIM models in the BIM Explorer
BIM models up to 250 MB in size can now be processed and displayed in the browser. This corresponds, for example, to a complex building with a gross floor area of 30,000 m², including visualized MEP objects and piping.
eTASK.Resource Booking
Highlight: NEW: Book resources independently of room bookings
With the new resource booking feature, your users can book resources for room reservations independently of room bookings via an easy-to-use booking form. Resources booked in this "free" manner are no longer available for booking in the room reservation system during the booked period. This prevents double bookings. The booking process also takes into account the resource’s pre- and post-booking times as well as its booking and cancellation deadlines. This allows you, for example, to book projectors for use in off-site meetings while they are simultaneously reserved for meetings on your own premises. As with all eTASK booking workflows, a resource booking can also be made on behalf of another user. The booking process is also accompanied by automatic email notifications upon booking and cancellation. Resource booking is an add-on product for the eTASK.RoomReservation module or the eTASK.SmartReservation suite. If you are interested in this add-on, please contact eTASK Sales directly.
eTASK.Payment Transactions
Bug Fix: Processing Multiple Credit Memos in a Single Payment Run
When executing the payment run, multiple credit memos are now also processed correctly.
eTASK.Operating Cost Billing
Highlight: Operating Cost Accounting Now Fully Available in the Portal
With this release, the functions of eTASK.Operating Cost Accounting are now fully available in the portal. The new, portal-based operating cost accounting offers you versatile reporting options that go far beyond the previous capabilities of the client. The portal’s many needs-based views, featuring the familiar filter options, column settings, traffic light displays, etc., significantly simplify the process of reviewing documents, performing settlements, and verifying calculation results. For our cloud customers, using the portal exclusively also eliminates the need for local login on the server. Note for existing customers: There are no additional costs associated with using the operating cost billing feature in the portal. You can start using the operating cost billing feature in the portal at any time. We will provide you with more detailed information shortly about the possibilities offered by the new, portal-based operating cost billing feature.
eTASK.Cost Entry
Improvement: GoBD compliance for importing entries from eTASK into DATEV
To ensure that, as required by GoBD*, document information is protected against changes, deletions, and logged additions during data exchange, the manufacturer has adapted the relevant interfaces in the DATEV pro accounting programs. This primarily concerns the locking of entries during import into DATEV.The DATEV interface changes have now also been implemented on the eTASK side in the corresponding eTASK interfaces, ensuring GoBD-compliant data exchange here.--------------------------------------------------------------* "Principles for the Proper Maintenance and Retention of Books, Records, and Documents in Electronic Form, as well as for Data Access" by the Federal Ministry of Finance
eTASK.Media Supply / Energy
Bug Fix: Transfer of Consumption Data to Operating Cost Settlement Upon Meter Replacement
If a meter was replaced within a meter group, the meter readings for that meter were no longer transferred to the operating cost billing after the replacement. The error has been fixed, so that consumption data is now transferred unchanged after a meter replacement.
eTASK.Maintenance
Improvement: Receive daily updates on all current maintenance orders
Thanks to a new timer job, you can now automatically receive a daily email update on the current status of all active maintenance orders. The email notification can be enabled for both clients and contractors, allowing you to inform your service providers about all active orders within their scope of responsibility.The email provides key information about the order and includes a direct link to the record in the portal for each listed order. Maintenance orders that have already been escalated are excluded from the notification, as you are already informed about them during the escalation process.
eTASK.Room Reservation
Improvement: Chronological listing of multiple catering orders in catering notifications
If multiple catering services were ordered as part of a room booking, the catering dates are now listed chronologically in all relevant notification emails (e.g., confirmation to the booker or notification to the caterer).
Improvement: Standardization of food and beverages under the term "Catering"
In room reservations and all related modules, the term "Catering" is now used as a uniform designation for all food and beverages. To this end, all relevant labels in the portal, as well as all reports, views, emails, and booking forms, have been updated.
eTASK.FM Portal
New feature: Open a report directly from a list
In lists (Searches and Views), a report can now be opened for each list entry (i.e., for each row). For example, an invoice document can be generated and printed directly from the list of invoices. This eliminates the need to open the form. This new technology is available for all modules in the portal and will also be used in other areas in the future. If you have a specific use case for the direct report call, please feel free to contact us.
New Feature: Workflow Rights Now Also Applicable to Subtables of the Workflow
The rights of a workflow or a workflow step now also apply to the sub-tables associated with the workflow. For example, if a user has only read-only rights in the order or invoice workflow, they automatically have only read-only rights to the order items in the order or the partial services in the invoices.
Bug fix: Missing menu items in the portal when using Microsoft SQL Server 2014
When using Microsoft SQL Server 2014, updates could cause the portal menu to fail to load completely. Compatibility with Microsoft SQL Server 2014 has now been established, so this behavior no longer occurs.
Bug fixes
Correction of various minor bugs and optimizations in various eTASK products.
Improvement: Increased portal speed through automatic maintenance after updates
When updating to a new eTASK release, a maintenance task is now automatically executed that defragments the "technical indexes" on all database tables, thereby maintaining the portal’s high speed over the long term. The task is automatically executed at 4:00 a.m. following the update.
Improvement: Notification email to workflow administrator when a role is unassigned
If a role in a workflow is not assigned, all members of the administrator group for that workflow will now automatically receive a notification email. This allows missing role assignments—and the associated risk of processes stalling due to an unassigned responsibility—to be identified and resolved.
Improvement: Intelligent validation in Excel import for similar selection options
The portal’s Excel import has been enhanced and now checks more thoroughly during data import whether multiple selection options are possible for the value being imported. Thanks to this improvement, it is now possible, for example, to import people with the title "Mr." even though "Mr." and "Dr." are available in the selection. The check is performed in the following order:1. Import value matches an option exactly2. Import value begins with an option3. Import value is contained within an option
eTASK.Inventory
Improvement: Faster synchronization between the app and the portal through automatic reduction of photo file sizes
The resolution of photos taken with the tablet’s built-in camera is now immediately and automatically reduced to a maximum size in the inventory app. The app also ensures that the tablet’s camera always captures photos in 4:3 aspect ratio. As soon as the photos captured in the eTASK app are synchronized with the portal for the first time, the portal additionally generates an even smaller thumbnail for each photo. During subsequent synchronizations between the app and the portal, only these thumbnails are transferred. Thanks to these changes, a consistent display of the photos is ensured and data volume is reduced by up to 90%.