Date
|
Feature
|
Description
|
December 2023
|
Financial Summary Update
|
The Financial Summary has been enhanced to provide a more comprehensive financial snapshot of a project. Click here for more information.
|
December 2023
|
Address Book Update
|
What to print a list of all of the purchase orders you've sent a company for the past year? Or two years? Or how about printing a list of all of the invoices for a client that were created last quarter? Now you can from the Address Book. To learn more, please click here.
|
December 2023
|
Custom List View
|
Now you can have total control over what data appears on your list view and the set the order of the columns! Click here for more information.
|
December 2023
|
Dark Mode
|
You can work with DesignSmart in dark mode. To learn more, please click here.
|
December 2023
|
Financial Summary
|
A new feature was added to the Financial Summary pop over that breaks down the money spent in the project by category. For more information, please click here.
|
December 2023
|
Default Unit of Measurement (UoM)
|
Set the default unit of measurement based on the items category. For more information, please click here.
|
December 2023
|
Priority Projects
|
Mark the projects that you are working in a lot as a "priority" project. For more information, please click here.
|
April 2023
|
PaySmart Application FAQs
|
Additional information has been provided about the PaySmart application process. For more information, please click here.
|
April 2023
|
Deposits Tab
|
A new "Deposits Tab" has been added to the PO Layout view. This will allow you to see all vendor deposits you have sent the vendor for that PO.
|
April 2023
|
New Icon Bar
|
The icon bar on the top right of all screens has been updated to make it less cluttered and to prepare for the release of new features in Q2 of 2023. Click here for more information.
|
April 2023
|
Change Orders
|
Our new "Change Orders" optional module allows you to update proposals with all of the changes made to the contracted proposal amount. Please contact us for pricing. For more information click here.
|
March 2023
|
PaySmart Online Payments
|
We are excited to announce the release of our new PaySmart Online Payment Module.
Many interior design firms don't allow their clients to pay invoices with the credit cards because they don't want to lose the 3% - 4% credit card fee. With PaySmart you won't loose that fee. Unlike other online payment offerings, PaySmart makes it easy for you to add the credit card fee to your pricing, then your client has the option to pay with their credit card, or they can opt to pay via ACH and receive a cFash discount.
Either way it doesn't cost your firm revenue. For a quick 30 min overview, please click here.
|
March 2023
|
New Inventory Module
|
This month we released the 3rd version of our inventory module. It is by far the most stable and complete inventory system we have released. The "Advanced" version includes bar code printing and scanning capabilities, while the "Basic" version does not. This module has features that will benefit any firm that has stock inventory or retail inventory. Please contact our office for more information.
|
September 2022
|
Proposals have been moved
|
Proposals have been moved so they are under the Accounting menu. Click here for more information.
|
September 2022
|
Client Deposit Report
|
The Client Deposit Report has been updated. Click here to view the report.
|
September 2022
|
Image Size Restriction
|
Only images that do not exceed 1000 px by 1000 px, or 5 Meg in size can be added to the system.
|
September 2022
|
Proposals can include 2 images for each item.
|
You can now select to show two images of each item on a proposal. You can chose from no thumbmail, one thumbnail or two thumbnail images when you preview the proposal. For more information, click here.
|
September 2022
|
Email for new staff
|
When you add a new staff person to DesignSmart, they will automatically be sent an email that instructs them how to log into the system and the credentials they will need to use. For more information, click here.
|
August 2022
|
New Overture Video
|
This short 3 minute video provides an quick overview of Overture 2.0. To view the video click here.
|
August 2022
|
Interactive Client Presentations
|
We are releasing the Beta version of Overture 2.0. This new release includes the ability to do interactive client presentations so you can show your clients your Overture presentations. As you explain your design ideas, your clients can ask questions and indicate which items they wish to approve. Then at the end of the presentation the proposal is ready to send or for ready for signature! For more information, click here.
|
August 2022
|
100% Client Deposit and Sales Tax
|
You can now include the sales tax for items that have 100% client deposit. For more information, click here.
|
August 2022
|
Image Collage
|
The Image Collage has been updated so it renders much faster. And you can click on any item in the collage to view the item's details. For more information, click here.
|
August 2022
|
Client Deposits and Reselections
|
You can now apply the deposit a client paid for one item to another item when the original item has to be reselected. For more information, click here.
|
August 2022
|
Accounting View
|
A new items list view called the Accounting View has been added to DesignSmart. It is intended for bookkeepers who need various information in order to determine what items need to be invoiced. For more information, click here.
|
July 2022
|
Generating Specs Progress Window
|
You can now monitor the progress when you generate specifications. For more information, click here.
|
June 2022
|
PO Tracking List View
|
A new list view has been added to make it easier to track purchase orders. You can enter notes about order statuses and email vendors and shippers directly from this layout to ask about order statuses. For more information, click here.
|
April 2022
|
Followup Date
|
A new "Followup Date" has been added to the PO layout. Enter the date into this field if you want to be reminded to followup on a purchase order on a specific date. Fore more information, click here.
|
April 2022
|
Active Project Status View
|
Added two new columns. The "Approved Not Ordered" column will have an icon when there are items that have been approved but not ordered. The "Unacknowledged POs" report will show all POs that have not been acknowledged. For more information, click here.
|
March 2022
|
Gmail
|
If your firm uses both Gmail and Google Workspace then there is a security setting you will need to adjust. For more information, click here.
|
January 2022
|
Item Templates
|
The layout for entering your Item Templates has been updated to give you more control over the attributes. Setting up attributes will pull down options is easier and there is a new option that allows you to enter pre-defined notes for attributes. For more information, click here.
|
December 2021
|
Using Aggregates Amounts in Proposals
|
Many design firms will want to sum the total amount of a proposal, then add a percent from their subcharges like freight. Now you can do that with the new Aggregate feature. For more information click here.
|
December 2021
|
Restore Session
|
When you log into DesignSmart, you can be prompted to return to the last screen you were on when you last left the program. This feature must be turned on in the Personal Preferences tab. Click here for more information.
|
December 2021
|
Cost Breakdown tab
|
When you preview a proposal you can click on the Cost Breakdown tab to view detailed pricing information. This page has been updated.
|
December 2021
|
Enhanced Security Interface
|
It is now easier to add security restrictions to DesignSmart. Click here for more information.
|
November 2021
|
Dealing with Freight
|
To better help explain how your firm can deal with freight charges within DesignSmart, a new section just on freight has been developed. Click here for more information.
|
November 2021
|
Editing Invoices
|
Additional information is available about how to edit invoices. Click here for more information.
|
November 2021
|
Training Scheduling Links
|
Each training session now has a specific scheduling link. When your firm is ready to schedule training, please use these new links. You can find them here and here.
|
October 2021
|
Payment Requisition
|
You can now create a Payment Requisition document. Click here for more information.
|
October 2021
|
Issue Purchase Orders
|
When you email a purchase order from DesignSmart, the date of the email will be set as the Issue date. This will help firms who do not send purchase orders on the same date they are created.
|
October 2021
|
Components on Proposals
|
You can now include the pricing of components in the price of the primary item and still show the component images and details. Click here for more information.
|
October 2021
|
Alternate Items
|
Now you can include Alternative items on a proposal so your client can consider more options. Click here for more information.
|
August - September 2021
|
Speed Improvements
|
During the summer the focus has been on making the DesignSmart system faster. While we have made significant improvements, there are still areas that we are continuing to work on.
|
July 2021
|
Purchase Orders List Report
|
This report has been in the system, but was not documented until now. Click here for more information.
|
July 2021
|
DS Companion
|
You can now enter a quantity and select the room and area when you are adding items via the DesignSmart Companion. Click here for more information.
|
July 2021
|
Aggregate Charges
|
When creating proposals, you can now add aggregate charges, like freight, to a proposal based on the total amount of the proposal. Click here for more information.
|
July 2021
|
Report Footers
|
You can now have your firm's contact information appear in the footer of your reports. Click here for more information.
|
June 2021
|
Purchase Licenses
|
You can now purchase additional DesignSmart licenses from within the program. Click here for more information.
|
June 2021
|
PO Ship to Address
|
When previewing a purchase order you can now select a ship to address from the address book. Click here for more information.
|
June 2021
|
Email Setup
|
You can now link DesignSmart directly to your Gmail or Outlook email account. It is simple to do and the advantage is that the email you send from DesignSmart will appear in your Sent folder! Click here for more information.
|
May 2021
|
Excluded Items
|
Additional information has been provided to explain how to work with feature that excludes items from a project. More information here.
|
May 2021
|
Show Components
|
You can now show components on proposals and invoices even when their primary is marked to Include Component pricing. The components will appear on the proposal and invoice but since their price is already included in the cost of their primary item, in the price column the word Included will appear. More information here.
|
May 2021
|
Show Alternates
|
You can now include alternate items on a proposal. More information here.
|
April 2021
|
PO Status Update Report
|
This report can be set up to run automatically each week and will send clients an email with the PO Status Update Report attached. The report lists all of the POs and their most recent status change. More information here.
|
April 2021
|
Customized Category Schedules
|
Quickly and easily setup your own customized schedules based on Categories. More information here.
|
April 2021
|
Save Excel Export Sets
|
You can now save your Custom Excel Export settings so you can easily use them again! More information here.
|
March 2021
|
Item Detail View Tweak
|
A small change was made on the Item Detail View so the proposal number will appear in a box just like the invoice and purchase order numbers appear. There is not more information about this here, but you can see what it looks like now.
|
March 2021
|
Master Excel Export
|
You can export all cost and pricing information to Excel and subtotal amounts by area, vendor or category. More information here.
|
March 2021
|
Image Zoom
|
You can zoom into images and download them to your computer. More information here.
|
March 2021
|
Dialog Pop-Up Windows
|
If you use FileMaker Pro to run DesignSmart and your computer has more than one monitor, then you might want to reset where the dialog windows appear. More information here.
|
February 2021
|
Ship To Enhancement
|
You can now set the Ship To address when you preview a purchase order. More information here.
|
February 2021
|
Latency Test
|
You can go to Personal Preferences to test your computer's latency. This is a type of speed test that can be helpful in diagnosing speed issues. More information here.
|
February 2021
|
DesignSmart Companion
|
Some users have so many Chrome extensions that they need to use the new Chrome extension manager to ensure that the DS Companion extension appears on their Chrome bar. A couple of steps have been added to the section for installing the DS Companion extension. More information here.
|
January 2021
|
Overture
|
We are excited to be offering Overture to all users at no charge in 2021. For that reason it has been moved out of the Optional Modules unit and placed in the User Guide Index here.
|
January 2021
|
User Guide Index
|
The index on the left has been changed so chapters are listed alphabetically rather than in the order they are normally read.
|
December 2020
|
Invoice Terms
|
A small enhancement that allows you to set the default payment terms for all client invoices. More information here.
|
December 2020
|
Saving Sets
|
Save selected sets so you can retrieve them again! More information here.
|
December 2020
|
QuickBooks Connector
|
A new section has been added to explain how to get started with the QuickBooks Connector if your firm adds it to DesignSmart after the system has been online. More information here.
|
November 2020
|
Resetting passwords
|
If you forget your password and need to reset it, please read this page.
|
November 2020
|
Custom Excel Export
|
You can now customize the data you want to export to Excel. More information here.
|
October 2020
|
Getting Started
|
The Getting Started section has been updated to include detailed implementation steps to help guide new clients through the process setting up DesignSmart to the point the system can go live. More information here and here.
|
October 2020
|
Internet Speed Tests
|
Learn how to measure the quality of your internet connection and your "ping" speed. More information here.
|
October 2020
|
New Auto-Save Feature
|
Most of the data you enter in DesignSmart is saved automatically. The exception was when you edited free form text in the Specifications tab in the Item Detail View. There you did need to click a Save button. That is no longer necessary as DesignSmart will automatically save the text every 30 seconds. More information here.
|
October 2020
|
Pricing Computations
|
The pricing computations window now shows how the total subtotal amount is determined by listing the subcharges for components if the "Include Components" switch is turned on. More information here.
|
October 2020
|
Merging Gantt Charts
|
You can now merge two or more Gantt Charts together so you can better understand how one project Gantt Chart might impact other charts. More information here.
|
October 2020
|
Process Transactions
|
If your computer is linked to QuickBooks and there are transactions in the "Process Transactions" queue waiting to be pushed to QuickBooks, then you will see the number of transactions in the queue on the Main Menu Bar. More information here.
|
August 2020
|
Selecting Projects
|
On the Projects List View you can now select projects so only those projects are included in reports and actions. More information here.
|
August 2020
|
New Advanced Filters
|
A new Advanced Filter for the Items List View has been added. This feature allows you more options for filtering items based on their expediting status. More information here.
|
August 2020
|
New Address Book Look!
|
The Address Book layouts have been updated to look more consistant with the newer look and feel seen in the other areas of the system.
|
August 2020
|
Updating Terms
|
In the System Preferences area, when you change the terms for POs, Invoices, or Proposals you can click a new button that will update all projects with the updated terms. More information here.
|
August 2020
|
Two Factor Authorization
|
If your firm turns on Two Factor Authorization in your email system (Gmail or Outlook), then you will need to get an "App Password" and enter it into DesignSmart. More information here.
|
August 2020
|
Invoice By Month Report
|
You can enter a date range and see all invoices that were created during that time frame.
|
August 2020
|
Invoice Projection Reports
|
You can now enter when you anticipate creating future invoices, then run new detail and summary reports that subtotal by month your projected invoice amounts. More information here.
|
August 2020
|
Commissions Module
|
We are releasing a new module for firms that pay their staff sales commissions. The new optional module allow sales staff to track what they will be paid in commissions in real time as well and future and past commissions. And it relieves accounting staff from the burden to calculating commissions since the module does all the calculations for them. More information here.
|
July 2020
|
Executive Dashboard
|
We are releasing a new optional module called the Executive Dashboard. More information here.
|
June 2020
|
New Training Videos
|
We are releasing the first new training videos. More information here.
|
June 2020
|
Image Collage
|
You can now create an image collage for a project. This collage includes all images in the project. More information here.
|
May 2020
|
Mini Makeover
|
The Project and Item layouts have been updated with a slightly newer, fresher aesthetic. It will take 4 - 6 weeks for all users to see the updates in their customized systems.
|
May 2020
|
Components Tab
|
The References Tab has been replaced with a Components tab to make it easier to add, view and edit components. More information here.
|
May 2020
|
Gratis Timesheets
|
You can now mark those timesheets that you are not charging your client for. On the invoice they will see the work you did, the charge it would have been and they'll see that you not charging them. Learn more here.
|
May 2020
|
View Pricing Computations
|
You can now quickly see how the proposal and invoice prices are computed. This is particularly helpful when the price of components is included in the price of the primary or when sub-charges are included with the item. Learn more here.
|
May 2020
|
PresentSmart for Ipad
|
This module has been updated and improved.
|
May 2020
|
Project Notes on Item View
|
You can now view and add project notes on the Item Detail and Item List Views.
|
April 2020
|
System Preferences
|
The System Preferences layout has been updated with slightly modified user interface.
|
April 2020
|
Tasks
|
The Tasks section of this User Guide has been updated to explain all of the new features that were added this month to the Tasks module.
|
April 2020
|
Reports
|
All Reports in the User Guide have been updated to reflect the new report format.
|
March 2020
|
Item Attachments
|
When adding an attachment to an item, you can now indicate if the attachment is to be appended to an invoice when the item is invoiced. Previously attachments could only be appended to specifications and purchase orders. More information here.
|
March 2020
|
Overture
|
Learn how to create impressive client presentations, including mood boards, with the new Overture optional module. Learn more here.
|
February 2020
|
Snagit
|
Learn how to use Snagit to do screen captures that you can easily add to DesignSmart!
|
January 2020
|
Vendor Deposits
|
Added more information about how Vendor Deposits work.
|
January 2020
|
Timesheets
|
Added additional information about how to set up the "Services" that are used for timesheets. Learn more here.
|
January 2020
|
Custom Report Writer
|
The Custom Report Writer is an optional module that allows clients to develop their own reports. Learn more here.
|
January 2020
|
Timesheets List View
|
This layout has been completely redone to make it more informative and easier to user. Learn more here.
|
January 2020
|
New Finish Note Field
|
We have added a new note field to the Finishes module. This note field will appear on the Finish schedule. Learn more about the Finish module here.
|
December 2019
|
New Financial List Views
|
The purchase order list and invoice views have been updated with a contemporary look and better search features.
|
December 2019
|
New Menu Interface
|
On the Items List and Details views you can now opt to view a pop-up window with the menu options rather than the traditional pull down menu. Learn more in the Personal Preferences here.
|
December 2019
|
Selecting Multiple Items
|
You can now select a range of items. Learn more here.
|
December 2019
|
Condensed Specifications
|
Additional information was added about how to Condensed specifications. You can find it here and here.
|
November 2019
|
New Financial Detail Views
|
The purchase order and invoice details views have been updated with a more contemporary look.
|
November 2019
|
Damaged Goods Module
|
You can now store photos of damaged goods and create a Damaged Goods Report to send to the vendor. Click here for more information.
|
September 2019
|
Lost Password? No problem
|
Sometimes there are times when you just can't remember your password. It happens to everyone. So now when you forget the password you use to log into DesignSmart, you can reset it. Simply click on the "Forgot Your Password" button shown below.
And remember, you can change your password anytime. Simply do a search in the User's Guide for "Change password" to learn how.
Note - not all designers will see the "Forgot Your Password" option. If you don't see it, then it is because your firm uses the enterprise method of using Microsoft Azure to control access to DesignSmart. Unfortunately, we cannot allow you to reset your password if your firm uses Azure.
|
July 2019
|
New Select All button for item attributes
|
We've tweaked the Details tab on the Item Detail View just a bit in order add two new toggle check boxes. You can check the boxes so all of the check boxes are selected or deselected.
Remember: your firm can set the default for the PO and Proposal column. Most firms will set the default so all check boxes in the PO column are automatically checked, and all the check boxes in the Proposal column unchecked. If you have any questions please email "Support@TheSmartDesigner.com".
|
July 2019
|
Track profits by markup or margin
|
Earlier this month we released new profit tracking reports. In this update we have added the ability to view profits either by markup or margin.
|
July 2019
|
Multiple email addresses for invoices and POs
|
In the Address Book where you can see all the details for a contact, you can now add multiple e-mail addresses if the contact is a vendor and all of those people will be sent a PO when you send it from DesignSmart.
Likewise, for clients you can enter multiple e-mail addresses and those persons will be sent the invoice when you send it from DesignSmart.
|
July 2019
|
Apply Service Deposits to Service Invoices
|
You can now record deposits (also known as retainers)from clients for professional services, then apply these deposits to service invoices.
|
July 2019
|
Improved Client Deposits Layout
|
Nothing earth shattering here, but we've updated the Client Deposit's layout to be more informative and easier to read. We hope you like it!
|
July 2019
|
Updating Product Costs
|
For those of you who use products extensively, you will want to be aware of some new messaging that you'll see when you change a product cost.
If the product is only linked to one item, then you won't see any new messages.
|
July 2019
|
Color legend for Product Costs
|
In the Product Detail View, you can indicate when the product cost is going to expire. On the Product List View a new color legend has been added to make it easier to understand which products have costs that are about to expire and which ones have already expired.
|
July 2019
|
New "Add Multiple" items options
|
Now you can add as many new blank lines to a project as you need. Simply click on the "New Multiple" button on the Item List View.
You will then be presented with a window asking you if you want to add multiple products or if you want to add multiple blank lines.
If you opt to add multiple blank lines, you'll be prompted to enter how many you want to have added.
REMEMBER: They will have the prefix of the item you are one when you click the "New Multiple" button!
|
July 2019
|
Profitably Tab
|
We have added new tab in Projects Detail View called the "Profitability" tab. This tab shows what the project's profitability is at various stages.
The Estimated Profit is based on the extended proposed price and comparing it to the extended PO cost.
Once you have started placing orders, then the Projected Profit will provide a more accurate analysis of the profit since it is based on using the extended invoice price for items that have been ordered and the extended proposed price for those that have not been ordered.
Finally, the Actual Profit will only include those items that have been ordered. It compares the extended invoice price to the extended cost.
Once all items have been ordered, the Projected and the Actual Profits should be equal.
|
June 2019
|
View Tax Status
|
You can now indicate if you want to view which charges are being taxed. As shown in the screen shot, a "T" next to a charge indicates when it is being taxed. In the case of this sofa, the merchandise, markup and freight are being taxed.
You won't see these "T"s unless you go to your Personal Preferences and indicate that you want to see them.
|
May 2019
|
New Revisions Feature!
|
We have completely updated how revisions work to make them easier and more effective. When your firm turns on this feature, any item that has been ordered, invoiced or issued will be automatically locked. To temporarily unlock an item so you can make changes to it, simply click on the lock icon on the Item Detail View. Most revisions are automatically recorded in the Revisions Log.
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May 2019
|
New Favorites Feature!
|
You can now mark the products you like best and foresee using again as your own personal favorite by clicking on the heart icon turning it red.
You can also mark a product as one of your firm's favorites by clicking on the star icon turning it yellow.
|
May 2019
|
Items List View: New Advanced Filters
|
Two new advanced filters have been added:
1. Only show selected items
2. Hide Selected Items
Important note - items that have been selected then hidden will still appear on reports as before.
|
May 2019
|
New Product Search Feature
|
The new "Search" icon in the Products Details section allows you to search for products without first clearing the current product.
Click the icon to search for other products. If you select one from the Products List View it will replace the current product. But if you don't find a product you would rather use, then in the Products List View you can click the "Cancel" button and retain the current product.
|
May 2019
|
Timesheet Enhancements
|
1. Full names of staff appear when entering time sheets rather than just their initials.
2. The weekly time sheet entry layout has been updated to use "type-ahead" text to make it easier to use.
|
March 2019
|
New User Preferences
|
New user preferences have been added to DesignSmart so you can indicate the following:
Default Item List View - indicate which list view you want to see when you click on the "Items" button on the menu bar.
Default Item Sort - indicate how you want items sorted when you click on the "Items" button. By default it has always been set to Item Number, but purchasing agents prefer to have it set to Vendor.
Default Hide Excluded Items: indicate if you want to view or not view the "Excluded" items when you click on the "Items" button.
Note if you are an Administrator, when you click on the gear icon, you'll then need to click on the "Personal Preferences" button.
|
March 2019
|
Process Transactions Layout Filters
|
If you use the QuickBooks Connector module to push transactions to QuickBooks, then you will find the new filter bar on the Process Transactions layout useful.
Use the filters to narrow down the transactions you want to see and see them all or individual transactions.
|
March 2019
|
Advanced Filters
|
The new Advanced Filters pop-over will make it easier for you to filter items when on the Items List View. For example, in the image below, the user has clicked the option to hide components. To clear this filter, click on the red circle to the right, or click the Clear Filters button on the far left of the filter bar. When there are no filters turned on the "Advanced Filters" button will be dark gray. Otherwise it will be blue as shown in the image.
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March 2019
|
Jump to Item Detail View from the PO layout
|
When on the purchase order review layout, you can now quickly open the PDF of the purchase order by clicking on just one button.
|
March 2019
|
Install a Chrome Extension for PDFs
|
For the past couple of weeks we have been using a Chrome Extension called "PDF Viewer". The reason we started using this extension is that it makes it faster and easier to view the reports in DesignSmart. No need to bore you with technical details, but, in short, all reports in DesignSmart are created on the server as PDFs, then sent to your browser where you see them. Chrome has a built in PDF viewer, but apparently it is a bit sluggish (who'd a thunk?). This extension is faster and has some nice features.
Since this is a "read only" window, we cannot give you a hyper link to the extension, but Google how to install extensions and search for "PDF Viewer". If you get stuck email Support@TheSmartDesigner.com and we'll send you more info.
And if you find, for some reason, you don't like the extension, then no big deal. You can easily remove it from Chrome.
|
March 2019
|
New highlight row color
|
We have changed the row highlight color to a new purplish (or mauve?) color. We've had some positive feedback about this change and we hope you like it!
|
March 2019
|
User Definable Custom Reports
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We are pleased to announce that clients can now develop their own custom reports based on Items (more options to follow based on how much clients use this feature). This means that you can develop a report using FileMaker Pro and make it your own. Then you can even write short scripts so the report will sort the way you want it to sort when you run it.
Note 1: Developing custom reports will require that you spend some time (usually a few hours) learning FileMaker Pro's layout tools. If you have used other report writers, the learning curve won't be so steep.
Note 2: Because this feature requires a new database and additional support, there is a $499 annual fee to use this feature. If you would like to know more, please contact us.
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March 2019
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New "Open PDF" on POs Layout
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When on the purchase order review layout, you can now quickly open the PDF of the purchase order by clicking on just one button.
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December 2018
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Selecting Items
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You can now select a group of items, then set a filter so a subset of items is listed. When you click the "Select All" button, you'll be asked if you want to "Add" these items to the previously selected items or "Clear" the previous items and make these items the selected items.
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December 2018
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Faster Item Templates
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To speed up the data entry process, when you select a Category, DesignSmart will look to see if there is an Item Template with the same name. If so, the Template Type will be set to that name. This saves you from having to select the Template Type. If there is not a Item Template with the same name as the Category, then you will need to select it manually.
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December 2018
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Zoom added to List View w/ Images
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On the List View w/ Images view, you can now click on the thumbnail of the image to see a larger version of the image.
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December 2018
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Items List "Lite" View
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When projects start to have hundreds of items, selecting them can take longer than desired. For this reason we have developed a "Lite View". It only shows the item number and the item name, but selecting items on this layout can be faster when projects have many items.
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October 2018
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Linking Products by Item Number
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Now it is easier than ever to use products within the same project.
Scenario: Item 5.01 has floral fabric that you have specified by setting the vendor, image, model number and all of the fabric's details.
Now you want use that same fabric for item 6.01 since it is the same fabric, but for a different upholstered item.
Simply go to the Products Details for 6.01 and click the Clear button. Then enter 5.01 in the item number field then click Link!
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October 2018
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Enter your email password to send emails
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You can now send emails from your email account by entering your email password in DesignSmart. This is done by going to Personal Preferences then clicking on the Change Email Password button.
Note: Your firm's "SMTP" settings will have to have been set up in the System Preference area of the program in order for any staff person to send emails.
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September 2018
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DesignSmart Companion Update
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Often times you will have a vendor in DesignSmart, but not their website. When you use the Companion on their website, the Companion will treat the company like a new vendor and add it to DesignSmart. That causes duplications and confusion.
With the update, when when you click "Import" on the Companion,you can select the vendor from a pull down if you know they are already in DesignSmart. This will link the website and the vendor. The next time you return to their site you won't have to do this since the Companion will know the name of the vendor and its website.
If the vendor isn't in DesignSmart, then you can enter as much or as little of their contact information as you want, and DesignSmart will add the company as new vendor.
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September 2018
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General tweaks and improvements
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- Some issues with editing invoices have been fixed
- A test has been added when PDFs are added as attachments to items to verify that the PDF will correctly append to another PDF when specifications are being generated
- You can exclude items even if they are on a Purchase Order
- Some minor tweaks to the item list views so they all have the "x" on the far right to exclude items.
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August 2018
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Condensed Specs with Proposal Notes
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In response to many of our client's requests, you can now have your proposal notes appear on "Condensed Spec" and omit the manufacturer information. This is ideal for designers who want to provide clients with a more graphical presentation than a proposal. With the Condensed spec you can show them one primary image, like the chair in the sample image, then up to 4 additional smaller images. The smaller images can be of the primary item or of the component items.
Previously the Condensed Spec would show all attributes for an item. Now with the "Use proposal notes only" check box option, you can limit it to proposal notes.
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August 2018
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Updating Margins
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Now you can update the margins for all items on a project simply by going to the Projects Detail view, clicking on the Margins Tab, then entering the new margin. You will then be prompted with the dialog below asking if you want to update all the items that have not already been approved by the client.
This feature should make it easier to update both merchandise markups as well as margins for sub charges.
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August 2018
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Recording Purchase Order Revisions
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On the Purchase Order layout, click on the Revisions tab in the top right to record any revisions you make to a PO.
The most recent revision will appear on the top of the PO itself when you view it after the revision is made.
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August 2018
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New "Request For Quote" format
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The Request For Quote (RFQ) report format has been updated to be more helpful.
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August 2018
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Easier tracking of shipments
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When you click on the shipper's tracking number on the Purchase Order layout, DesignSmart will take you to the shipper's website with the tracking information displayed.
Currently this only works for USPS, FedEx and UPS. Please let us know if there are other shippers who should be added to this feature.
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August 2018
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Creating POs from Item Detail View
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When you are in the Item Detail View, and click the action for creating a purchase order, you will now be prompted if you want the PO to include just the item you are viewing in the detail view, or all of the items in the found set.
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August 2018
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Refresh Templates Button
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Sometimes you will need to change the prompts in an Item Template. When you do, the items that use that template are NOT automatically updated. If you go to an item on the Item Detail layout with that item template, you can update the prompts so they show the recent changes by clicking on the circular icon to the right of Template Type.
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July 2018
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Product Notes and Purchase Orders
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You can now indicate if Product Notes are to be included on the purchase order or not.
There is a default setting for this that TSD support staff can set for your firm. Just let them know if you want the default to be Yes or No.
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June 2018
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Email Signatures
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Click on the Gear icon in the top right of any screen to get to Personal Preference (Admins will need to then click on the Personal Preferences button).
Here you can enter how your email signature will appear when you send email from DesignSmart.
Note that the email signature can only contain text at this time. You cannot paste your logo or any graphics into this field.
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April 2018
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Room Distribution by Item Number
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For DesignSmart clients that use the optional SmartHospitality module, you will find this latest enhancement a tremendous time saver.
First, set the room distribution for one particular item. For example, it might be a headboard and it is assigned the item number ST-3500.
Now assume that the desk clock will have the same distribution as the headboard. So simply select the "Copy from Item" option and enter the item number you want to copy the distribution from. In this case you'd enter "ST-3500" and then the clock would have the same distribution as the headboard!
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April 2018
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Link Categories to Item Templates
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If you find using the DesignSmart Companion web extension helpful, then you'll find the new enhancement will save you even more time.
Go to Templates > Items Templates > Details to view the layout show below. For each template, indicate the appropriate "Type" and "Category".
What will this do? When you are using the Companion and select a Template to fill in, when the item you enter into the Companion is sent to DesignSmart, it will already have the appropriate Type and Category so you don't have to set them manually!
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March 2018
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DesignSmart Companion Released
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The Companion is a free web Chrome extension that will appear as a sidebar on your Chrome browser. It makes entering data directly into DesignSmart from a manufacturer's website much easier.
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