Product Changes in the Invoice

With the most recent release of StudioCloud there were quite a few updates and changes to StudioCloud.  For a summary of the changes made please see the labs page http://labs.studiocloud.com/studiocloud-beta 

One of the changes that was made affects how the available products, services, and packages are displayed when creating or editing an invoice.  A screenshot is available below to give you an idea of what the new product list looks like.

As you can see in this screen shot there is no longer an option in the list to click on a header and view only the products, services, or packages but rather the default is to "View All Items" which means that products, services, and packages are displayed together.  To distinguish between products, services, and packages when you view them together a [P] has been put in front of product name and a [S] has been put in front of service name.  Packages do not include any notation in front of the name. 

You can change which products, services and packages are visible by changing the price list in the combo box at the bottom of the table.  By default "All Products/Services" are displayed.

At the top of the products table is a combo box that says "View All Items" by default.  If you want to view only products, services, or packages you can do that by changing what is selected in that combo box.

One last thing to make note of is that if you hover your mouse over an item in this list you will get more details including the full description in  a tooltip and you can also still search for a product, service, or package using the search box at the top.

All of these changes were made to accommodate the QTY field that has been added in to this table.  The QTY field is for the inventory management component and we will have more on this in a future post.

3.1.059 Release Notes

The latest major update contained quite a few new additions and changes. We thought we'd give you a quick overview of some of the most important updates below.

• Line Item Discounts
• StudioCloud's invoices now support line item discounts. This means that you can apply a discount directly to a product, service, or package.
• Read how to use line item discounts at http://app1.studiocloud.com/support/index.php?/article/AA-00675/0/
• New Security Roles Interface
• The Security Roles section used by EmployeeBoost users has been redesigned to be much more powerful. Now you can setup StudioCloud to only let your employees create invoices and not allow them to edit or delete them. In addition, you can setup StudioCloud to only let your employees view the invoices that they created and not any other employees' invoices. That is just a small sample of what you can do.
• Dymo Label Writers
• StudioCloud now supports printing out labels from a Dymo Label Writer. This allows you to print labels for client information and appointment information.
• Read how to setup and use a Dymo Label Writer at http://app1.studiocloud.com/support/index.php?/article/AA-00855/0/
• LogBook Tracking
• StudioCloud now supports historical tracking of information over time. Using the LogBook you can view what changes were made in StudioCloud, when they were made, and by whom. In addition, you can also view when emails were sent to a client from either StudioCloud or from the CloudAlert email system.
• Read how to use the LogBook at http://app1.studiocloud.com/support/index.php?/article/AA-00850/0/
• Disable Auto Sync
• StudioCloud now allows you to disable the auto sync process. This is valuable if you are using an internet connection which charges you per mb.
• Read how to disable the auto sync at http://app1.studiocloud.com/support/index.php?/article/AA-00852
• Track Canceled Appointments
• StudioCloud now allows you to cancel an appointment rather then deleting it. This allows you to maintain a history of clients that cancel over time. To view the canceled appointments go to the events section in the clients history and click the "View Cancellations" checkbox
• Print Calendar Filter Agendas
• StudioCloud now allows you to print agendas for a specific employee or calendar filter.
• Share CloudStorage File
• StudioCloud now provides the public link so that you can share your CloudStorage files with others. To access the link go to Manage Cloud Storage and click the Share button.
• New Internet Diagnostic Icons
• StudioCloud has added a new internet icon to provide additional information. Previously we only offered a blue icon which meant that you had internet and a red icon which meant that you didn't have an internet connection. We have introduced a new yellow icon which indicates that you have an internet connection but StudioCloud has detected some internet issues with it. If you click on the yellow icon it will provide additional information regarding those issues.
• New Service Health Dashboard
• The new Service Health Dashboard will be updated by StudioCloud if there are ever any issues in our data centers that might affect StudioCloud's syncing process.
• Real Time Scheduling Wizard
• StudioCloud added a real time scheduler to StudioCloud to assist in getting the most accurate schedule as possible. Please note that there are some limitations to the scheduler so make sure you click the "Real Time Scheduling Limitations" button to learn more about those.
• New Cloud Services Item
• To simplify the user interface all of StudioCloud's paid for add-on's have been moved to the Cloud Services section of StudioCloud.

As always the features above were available in our minor releases long before they were released in a major release. You can always get a minor release by going to the following link. http://labs.studiocloud.com/studiocloud-beta

StudioCloud Product Updates

We know alot of you have been patiently awaiting the new features that have now been released. Here are some of the most recent updates to StudioCloud's products.

StudioCloud Desktop Updates

1. You can now delete multiple users, products, or services at once. To use the group operations just mark the checkbox in the left-most column of the tables and then use the "Group Operations" button just above the table.

2. Track the individual cost of a product or service from within StudioCloud. To add the cost to a product or service just edit the product or service and use the "Cost" field. The product/service cost is currently utilized in producing the new report "Income, expense, and profit breakdown" which shows you a breakdown of quantity purchased, revenue, expense, and profit of products, services, and packages. In addition, the development team has made additional updates to the reporting section that should make managing your studio even easier.

3. You now have the ability to track your jobs from the moment you receive a lead. You can track who needs to complete what tasks and what needs to be done next to follow up with each client. Go under your Workflow tab and you will see a Jobs section. The new Jobs section helps you track all of your pre-order items while Workflow tracks everything once an invoice/order has been made. It is all tied together to give you a clear picture of where each job and order stands.

StudioCloud PSG 2.0 Updates

1. A new HTML invoice was added to the PSG 2.0. You can now see thumbnails of the ordered images in the invoice. The HTML invoice will eventually be added across all of the StudioCloud products.

2. When viewing images using StudioCloud PSG you have always been able to view B/W and Sepia and even crop pictures. With the most recent updates, any changes you apply to a picture will be saved and will be shown on the HTML invoice with those changes.

StudioCloud, It's just that easy.

StudioCloud Helping To Streamline Processes

The purpose of StudioCloud software is to make running your studio as easy as possible. So the development team has recently added some new features to StudioCloud Desktop to help you streamline your processes.

First, when you are creating or editing a client you can quickly create a new session or invoice for that client. There are two new buttons at the bottom of the form labeled "Create Session" and "Create Invoice" that should help stream line this process. In addition, a similar "Create Session" button has also been added to the form for creating and editing your a prospective client.

Second, when you are creating or editing a session you can now edit the client information just by clicking the edit icon. Any changes you make will be updated in that session and all other sessions. In addition, you have always had the ability to create a new invoice based on a session that you are creating. With the most recent updates the new invoice will actually popup so that you can edit it after the session is saved. This will allow you to add and down payments or session fees right then and there.

Finally, when creating or editing an invoice you can edit the client information. There is now a button just to the right of the "Select Customer" field. When clicked it will open up a window to edit that clients information.

StudioCloud hopes that these changes will make you and your employees just a little bit faster. That way you can spend more time doing what you love.

StudioCloud. It’s just that easy

StudioCloud Desktop Updates

We’ve done a lot of improvements to StudioCloud Desktop with this new update and we want to make sure you know about them. Below is a list of the changes that have been made in the latest StudioCloud Desktop update.

1. We have improved the agenda widget on the overview page. We renamed agenda to “Time Sensitive Items” and added in leads, orders, and a tasks tab to the widget. Only items with a pickup date are shown in the tabs.

2. You can now change the agenda day to view the events for any day.

3. Leads/Prospective Customers now have an event type and estimated date field to help you manage your leads better.

4. Workflow has been substantially improved. Previously the product pipelines and order pipelines were created and managed on the same page. That was confusing. As such the product pipelines is now available on the Products page under Point of Sale. The Workflow page still contains the order pipelines. We have also added in a service pipeline as well on the Services Page page under Point of Sale.

5. We have also added in a default pipeline checkbox to both the product pipelines and order pipelines. If an order default pipeline checkbox is selected any order that doesn't have a pipeline assigned to it will automatically be assigned the default pipeline. Likewise for product pipelines. This should speed up the workflow process.

6. We have renamed Task Lists to Categories and added in an individual task view on the Tasks page under Workflow. The individual task view allows you to see all of your tasks and filter them by categories.

7. We added a New Task button to the quick task window.

8. We also added in a Import from ICS (calendars) button on the Agenda Page under Calendar. This will import calendar appointments from third party calendars.

9. We added in a Last Modified By and Last Modified Date column under the View Columns button under invoices. These columns show who last edited the invoice and when it was last edited.

10. We added in a Select a Date Range to the Print Time Card Report for those studios who want to see all of the time card entries for a given time period outside of the Pay Periods Range.

StudioCloud. It’s just that easy

Customizable Invoice Numbers and Online Gallery PayPal Support

We have a lot of customers who have been asking why the blog has been quiet lately. The blog's focus has been on new features and products. The development team has been working diligently on getting them released and they expect them to be available in the next few weeks. A lot of the updates over the last few weeks have been in preparation for those new features. Hopefully you will be excited as we are about the new features when they are announced.

Last night’s update added some exciting new features. The first feature is primarily for international users, QuickBooks users, and new StudioCloud studios. You can now change the invoice number so that it matches with your current studios invoice number allowing you to continue using the same invoice numbering system you have always been using. It will make the transition to StudioCloud just that much easier.

To learn more about editing Invoice Numbers click on the following link:
http://studiocloud.com/support/?View=entry&EntryID=91

Those of you who are detail oriented will also have noticed that the developers added a few visual items to speed up your processes. The title bar when you edit an invoice now contains the invoice date as well as the invoice number.

StudioCloud is also pleased to announce that the Online Gallery now has the capability of accepting credit cards through PayPal. This new feature gives your clients a simple and efficient way to purchase those must have images. This new PayPal capability is an option that can be turned on or off on a per album basis.

To learn more about Online Gallery’s new PayPal capability click on the following link:
http://studiocloud.com/support/?View=entry&EntryID=93

StudioCloud, It's just that Easy

Printing Your Tax ID Number

Because StudioCloud is an internationally used program we have tried to make sure that we are meeting our customers' needs around the world. Many countries require that the printed invoice include the business's tax identification number and, as such, we have now made it possible to include your business's tax id on your invoices in the Basic and Professional Suite as well.

To setup your tax id login to your StudioCloud account and go to Point of Sale. Click on the Settings tab and look in the section labeled "Tax Options". On the bottom left of that section you can save what you want to be printed on the invoice and select whether or not you want it included on your invoices. For example, if you are in Canada you might enter something like "GST #" and then your number or if you are in England it might be something like "VAT #" and your number.

If the "Show Tax ID on Invoice" checkbox is selected then this number will be included on all invoices just below your Studio's information.

StudioCloud, It's just that Easy

Complete Your Invoices

Last nights update included a new feature that will allow you to more efficiently view and sort your invoices. Once an invoice has been fulfilled you simply click the checkbox on that row to mark it complete. By default only invoices that have not been marked complete are visible. So once you mark an invoice complete it will no longer be visible in the Point of Sale section. However, if you need to find that invoice you can click the checkbox on the bottom left of the Invoices tab to "Show Completed Invoices".


This feature should make it much easier to work with your most current invoices.


StudioCloud, It's Just That Easy!

Quickly Switch Taxes

A while back we upgraded the invoicing system to include multiple additive taxes. We received lots of great feedback and realized that there was one more thing missing for many studios, the ability to quickly switch between different taxes. Last nights update added in what we are calling "Tax Profiles". Tax profiles allow you to create different profiles for your different tax situations. For example, you may have profiles for "Local Tax", "Out of State Tax", or "International Tax". Then once you are creating or editing an invoice you can quickly populate the the necessary taxes using a drop-down box. We believe that this will help you become even more efficient.


To begin using tax profiles, go to the Point of Sale section of the Basic/Professional Suite and select the tab labeled "Settings". Your current tax settings will remain your "Default Tax Profile". Then in the table next to the tax options you can setup as many tax profiles as you will need.


In case you are wondering, the Workflow Pipelines that used to be on the "Settings" tab has moved to the tab labeled "Workflow".


StudioCloud, It's Just That Easy!

Embedded Workflow

Last nights update made some important changes to the Basic and Professional Suites. One of those changes is the inclusion of workflow functionality. As you all know, by default a workflow order is made whenever you create an invoice. This allows you to keep track of where the order is in your studio's processes. Until now you have had to track the workflow processes in the Workflow Manager. However, with last nights update you can now update and view the status of your orders in the Basic and Professional Suite.

To view/update the workflow order in the Basic/Professional Suite you go to the Point of Sale section of the Basic/Professional Suite and click on the Workflow Manager icon. A sample of the Workflow Manager is provided below.

Reminders and Taxes

There have been several new features added in recent updates to StudioCloud products. Two of those updates are for appointment reminders and invoice taxes.

As you all know you can have StudioCloud send out automatic email messages to your customers to remind them of upcoming appointments. You can now have StudioCloud send your studio a summary of all the reminders that were sent out each day. If you go into the Calendar section of the Basic or Professional Suite there is a tab labeled "Calendar Settings". On that tab is a checkbox that reads "Send a summary of email reminders to my studio email address" If you click that checkbox and then click the button that reads "Update Calendar Settings" you have enabled this feature. This means that every day any appointment reminders are sent to your customers, you will receive an email with a summary of the customers that were contacted that night.

Another of the latest features is a change to invoice taxes. There are some states and many countries around the world that have complicated tax systems. As such, StudioCloud has given you the ability to define three different taxes and customize the name and percentage rate for each. These three taxes are additive, meaning that each one is added to each invoice. If you only use one tax then there aren’t any changes that you need to make. You can continue using StudioCloud products the way you have in the past. However, if you have a more complex tax system, then StudioCloud’s advanced taxes are for you.

Another change related to the invoice tax system is the "Tax Status" of products and services. You can now classify each product and service as either "Tax Exempt" or "Standard". Standard is just a way of saying that the product or service should be taxed normally. If you specify an item as Tax Exempt then each time it is added to an invoice its amount will not be included when calculating the taxes.

On the Settings tab in the Point of Sale section for the Basic/Professional suites you can update your invoice tax settings. If you click the checkbox that is labeled "Enable Tax Status Option" then you can change the "Tax Status" of a product or service in an invoice as you are creating or editing. One of the most important features related to "Tax Status" is reporting. A new report has been added that prints out all of the products and services that you have sold that have been categorized as "Tax Exempt".

One thing to note about "Tax Status" is that there is a third category called "Zero Tax". For all intents and purposes, this is the same as "Tax Exempt"; however, some places do have two different classifications. If you are not familiar with "Zero Tax" then you probably do not need to worry about it.

Discounts and Shipping & Handling

Due to popular demand you can now enter your discounts in the Basic Suite as either a percentage or a dollar amount. Hopefully this saves some of you from time consuming calculations:)

By default the Basic Suite will charge sales tax on your shipping and handling. For those of you who do not require this you can now choose not to charge it by changing it in your Basic Suite settings.

We hope that you all have a wonderful holiday!!