The new Project Management module headlines April’s Jonas Insider.  Check out the Featured Article to find out how this complimentary module will make it easier for your Project Managers to create and track all of the documents related to each job from one screen!

Jonas is proud to support our clients through strong partnerships with industry associations. This month we are happy to include a profile on one of the newer associations that you may want to consider joining in the News and Events section.  Also, find information on how to visit us at our upcoming Trade Show.

Learn how one of Jonas’ valued clients, Applied Mechanical Systems, is putting our e-Service module to use in our For the Record success story.

Become a Jonas Expert!  Sign up for our Internet Webinars and encourage your staff to learn from these as well. We offer training sessions to meet the readiness of our attendees at both Beginner and Advanced levels. 

Get ready to meet another member of the Jonas Construction Support Staff, Gabriela Ieong, in the Know Your Support Report section.

Increase your knowledge and efficiency by reading the FAQ’s and Helpful Hints for April. We encourage you to distribute the Insider to your staff so that they may take advantage of these tips provided by our expert support staff.

We value your opinion!  If you have any suggestions for articles you would like to see in the next Jonas Insider, please forward your suggestions to us via e-mail.

Throughout April and June, we will be sending the General Release of version 11.9 to all our Construction Clients. This release includes the New Project Management (PM) Module which is a complimentary enhancement for all clients who currently have the Comprehensive Change Order Management system. To access this new module, you will have to ensure the following requirements are met:

1. You will require Release 11.9.1180 or higher of Jonas Software. If you are currently running V11.9 you can simply do a product update off the Jonas website for the latest release.

2. Once you have the latest release, you may add Project Management to your menu design found in User Administration. Just a reminder, you cannot alter your own menu design. A user with full permissions can log in and adjust your user menu design. The new Project Management menu option is located in Job Costing directly above the Reports/Inquiries option.   

This new module will make it easier for your Project Manager(s) to create and track all of the documents related to each job from one screen. Three new forms have been added: Requests for Information (RFI’s), Submittals and Transmittals. Project Management integrates with the Comprehensive Change Order system and our new Document Management System (DMS), also known as “Digio Jonas”.

We will provide complimentary Webinars on Project Management to give you an overview of its functionalities and day-to-day operations. Training will not be provided over the support lines. Please ensure that you and your staff are scheduled for one of the following session:

Thursday, April 30th, 2009 at 2pm EST

Please ensure that you and your staff are scheduled for a training session.


Register NOW!!

The Mechanical Service Contractors of Canada (MSCC) is an exciting and diverse new national organization that develops and delivers a wealth of programs and services tailored specifically to the needs of mechanical service contractors.

As a division of the Mechanical Contractors Association of Canada (MCAC), our membership includes
forward thinking business leaders from small, medium and large service, repair and retrofit companies. Encompassing all segments of the mechanical service contracting discipline, these members include organizations that supply and service the industrial, commercial, institutional and residential mechanical service market.

The Mechanical Service Contractors of Canada continues to develop resources such as educational and training courses, business tools, discount and partnership programs, sales and marketing promotions, communications, networking opportunities, industry representation and much more!

With our ongoing commitment to the success and prosperity of our membership, the Mechanical Service Contractors of Canada’s mission is to always exceed the ever-rising expectations of our membership.
This is accomplished by quickly and creatively responding to our members needs, by embracing change, by educating our industry, and by exploring new opportunities.

In an increasingly competitive world, the Mechanical Service Contractors of Canada delivers an array of programs and services dedicated to support your success and profitability. For more information on MSCC please visit the website at www.servicecontractor.ca, or contact the MSCC office directly by phone at 1.877.622.2668 or email daryl@mcac.ca. MSCC…profitability through innovation, education and collaboration!

Upcoming Trade Show

CFMA – Construction Financial Management Association   

May 18-19, 2009



Jonas Software is proud to announce its attendance at the 2009 Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA) Conference & Exhibition.

This year's show will take place May 18-19th at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, NV.

Visit us at Booth # 521-523

Start Time: Monday, May 18, 2009 - 14:00
End Time: Tuesday, May 19, 2009 - 18:00

A Jonas client since 2002, Applied Mechanical Systems responded to a clear demand from its customers for web access to work orders by extending its Jonas system online. Since launching e-Service in July 2005, more than 100 of Applied Mechanical’s customers have experienced the benefits of online customer self-service. As a result, Applied Mechanical has established their position as a market leader, allowing for higher customer retention and increased organic growth... To continue reading the rest of the story click here and view the .PDF version online.

Job Costing Management – Beginner Session

Date & Location:  Friday, April 17th, 2009
Session Length:  3 hours
Session Time:  1:00pm EST
Location: Webex
Fee: $200 per connection
Trainer: Darryl Wade

Course Description: This course will cover the basics procedures in Job Costing. You will learn how to set up a job, process invoices, use progress billing and trouble-shoot common problems. An overview on job scheduling, estimating, take-offs, subcontractors will be covered for you to understand the integration.  You will learn how key flags and options control the flow of information. Also, you will quickly discover how to use and design informative project management reports.

Service Billing – Beginner Session

Date & Location:  Friday, April. 17th, 2009
Session Length:  3 hours
Session Time:  11:00am EST
Location: Webex
Fee: $200 per connection
Trainer: Gary Nowak

Course Description: Introduce yourself to the world of work orders. This session will cover the entire set up and integration. We will demonstrate the daily processing of work orders - from the creation of quotes, to the integration of tickets and finally to billing out invoices. We will take a look at various billing methods used by different clients. Common problems will be reviewed including un-billing work orders and closing out work orders etc. Overview of key reports and report generation will be expanded upon. Learn quick tips & tricks on how you can use the system more effectively.

Job Costing Management – Advanced Session

Date & Location: Thursday April. 23rd, 2009 
Session Length: 3 hours
Session Time: 1:00pm EST
Location: Webex
Fee: $200 per connection
Trainer: Marc Desjardins

Course Description: This course will cover the advanced topics in Job Costing. You will learn how to trouble-shoot common problems in the areas of progress billing, job scheduling, estimating, take-offs, subcontractors, forecasting and much more.  We will teach you how to set up a job and understand how key flags and options control the flow of information. Also, you will quickly learn how to use and design informative project management reports. Spots are limited so register now. Learn quick tips & tricks on how you can use the system more effectively.

Service Contracts – Advanced Session

Date & Location:  Friday, April 24th, 2009 
Session Length:  3 hours
Session Time:  11:00am EST
Location: Webex
Fee: $200 per connection
Trainer: Gary Nowak

Course Description: This course will cover the advanced topics in Service Contracts. You will learn how to set up the service contract profile and types. We will teach you how to use the new tasking module in Service Contracts that allows you to print out checklists for your technicians. Emphasis will be placed on common problems and complex areas including revenue recognition, contract profitability, setting up defaults, automation, fast renewals and integration to the other areas of Jonas etc. A brief overview of the daily processing of contracts - setting up visits, billing, monthly revenue posting and renewals will be covered. Key reports will also be expanded upon.

Gabriela has been with Jonas since May 2005.  Gabby, as she is known by Jonas staff, originally began her career at Jonas as a Procedural Support Representative for the Jonas Club Division.  With expert knowledge of Payroll, we were delighted when Gabriela “migrated” to the Construction Division in November 2008. With many years of studying and working aboard, she says she is thrilled to be involved in an organization which embraces a multicultural environment. Gabby brings many years of experience in the Software industry with  a focus on accounting products. She graduated from the University of Western Ontario, completed a post-graduate diploma in management from Asia and is currently pursuing her Payroll Practitioner designation with the Canadian and American Payroll Associations. In her free time, Gabriela loves hot yoga!  She finds this is a great exercise after a busy day helping Jonas clients.

Q. How can I see what is new in my new Jonas CD?

A. In Administration > Jonas Release/Enhancements you can display from your CD version to display all the new items added to this version. You can sort by the type to segregate by module.

Q. Why can I not get an Excel budget to upload?

A. Ensure that the file has the correct # of Columns and that there is only 1 Work Sheet. Be sure the file format has been changed to .CSV File Format for Uploading.

How to print your Company Logo on a form

Printing your company logo on a document in Jonas is EASY!

First, ensure you have selected a form in your profile or form design program that is in GUI format and has an option for Letterhead printing. Eg. In Service billing you would go to the Service System profile and select invoice form GJB34AA from the list of invoices. 

It’s a good idea to try this out on your test company first so you get the settings right in the test environment.

You will need to have created a bitmap ( or jpeg, etc.) file of the logo that you want to print on your form.

Once that is done, in Jonas, go to System Administration > System Setup> Printer styles.  Add a new printer style – in this example it’s called LOGO.

Set it up in GUI format and you can link it to a particular print device if  you desire.




To set up the Logo and attach your bitmap, go to the Pref’s button.

Go to the Picture on Printout field and select your bitmap file which you have stored in the Jonas drive:\gjcwin\data folder. 

Next, go to the Picture Option and select 2. Scale to fit.

Now you have to set the Coordinates fields:

X1 is the position of the top left corner of the picture from left to right – a setting of 0 means it is at the leftmost edge of the page.

Y1 is the position of the top left corner of the picture from top to bottom – a setting of 0 means it is at the top margin of the page.

The X2 and Y2 coordinates are a little trickier and you will probably have to play with these to get them just right.

X2 is the position from left to right of the bottom right corner of the picture.

Y2 is the position of the bottom right corner of the picture from the top of the page.

See the illustration below to indicate these positions. By decreasing and increasing the X2 and Y2 positions you can alter the size that the logo prints.




When you go to print your invoice, ensure that you select printer style LOGO in the printer selection screen.

Next you want to ensure that you select Line drawing.

And then answer Yes to Are you using letterhead?



The result will be something like the example below.

IS IT TIME FOR YOUR NEXT UPDATE???

It is important for Jonas users to perform Product Updates on a regular basis to ensure that you keep your Jonas Software current and problem-free. Check the website weekly as a new download is available every Tuesday. It is advisable to install it immediately.


CURRENT VERSION
The current version for Jonas Software is 11.8.


HOW TO UPDATE??
There are two procedures to choose from to obtain the latest Release.

1. Downloading from the Website.
2. Installing the Product Update from a CD.

Before You Begin:

Determine the version of Jonas that you are currently running. If you are unsure, open Jonas and check the version number located in the bottom right hand corner of the screen. Ex. Version 11.6.034 (the release .034 indicates the release level).

Downloading the Product Update from the Website

1. Click on the Product Update that matches the version of Jonas software you are currently running. (Ex. 11.4 or 11.6) You cannot change versions via the website, only by loading a CD. Note that you might have to be above a specific Release level to be able to run a Product Update from the website. Notes at the side of the Product Update will tell you this.

2. Choose the Save option. You will be presented with the SAVE AS screen display below.  Save the Product Update in the X:\GJCWIN\CUSTOM directory (where the X: is the logical drive letter that contains the Jonas programs - usually J:). Note: This is just a suggested directory, but not a mandatory location to save the Product Update. Then you can open and run it. After successful installation, log off Jonas and log back in order for the changes to take place.

Installing the Product Update from a CD
Advanced Release versions do require all users to be out of Jonas for the introduction of new data structures. Loading an update from a CD sent by Jonas will always require all users to be out of the system regardless of the version.

1. Jonas recommends that if you are installing on a network that the Product Update be installed from a workstation. However, if installing the Jonas Product Update via Citrix or Terminal Server, it must be installed at the server console.

2.  Locate the Product Update using any technique (e.g. Windows Explorer or via the Run command on the Start button). Double click on the saved PUxxx.exe file.

3. Wait 5 – 20 seconds and a window will appear. Step your way through the Welcome screens by clicking on Next.

4. Choose the Destination Directory.  If the drive is not correct, please select browse and indicate the correct location. When the correct path is shown, click on Next.

5. The Installation Complete screen will appear upon completion of the installation.

6. Click on the Jonas for Windows icon. The program will automatically start rebuilding the screens and data files.