This article gives details of features and fixes included in each release of the software. To see which version you currently have installed see this article HERE 

For older release notes click HERE (Jan 2019 - Dec 2019)

For older release notes click HERE (Jan 2020- Dec 2020)

For Newer release notes click HERE  (Jan 2022 - Dec 2022)

RELEASE NOTES - 2021

Important: All releases in 2021 will require an update to language version KCML7 (if not already on this) - the software can no longer be updated for old (KCML6) installations [Although their existing release version will continue to run].

Version History (Click an item to jump to that section)

Click Here for Version 1.00.21.309 (5th Nov 2021)
Click Here for Version 1.00.21.289 (16th Oct 2021)
Click here for version 1.00.21.190 (10th Jul 2021)
Click here for version 1.00.21.176 (25th Jun 2021)
Click here for version 1.00.21.144 (24th May 2021)
Click here for version 1.00.21.134 (14th May 2021)
Click here for Version 1.00.21.085  (26th Mar 2021)
Click here for Version 1.00.21.042  (11th Feb 2021)
Click here for Version 1.00.21.022  (22nd Jan 2021)

Release: (05/11/2021) Ver: 1.00.21.309

Features

Make Candidate GROUP from Vacancy [Matches] Tab

A new button has been added to the [Matches] tab of a Vacancy record, which allows users to easily create a Group of the matched candidates. This Group can then be seen/used from the [Candidate] workbench in the normal way.

Auto-Tick the Check E-Shot Flag when passing candidates to Macro Manager from [Matches] tab of Vacancy

When candidates are passed to the macro manager from the [Matches] tab of a vacancy the system will normally un-tick the Check E-Shot flag the assumption being that if they are matched, then they will ALWAYS want to be contacted, irrespective of their E-shot choice.

This behaviour can now be over-ridden using two new parameters;

RECD, Flag 37 - Always set check e-shot flag in macro manager
RECD, Flag 38 - Always set mailshot check flag in macro manager

Make Candidate GROUP from Vacancy [Matches] Tab

A new button has been added to the [Matches] tab of a Vacancy record, which allows users to easily create a Group of the 

Improved Export to Excel ( as *.csv file) - Faster

Several system areas which allow Export to MS Excel have been improved, and now offer the chance to export to *.csv file. This is faster that the older method of exporting to MS excel, and will then automatically open the file after export.

Areas that have been enhanced are:

AWR Report 

Margin Report

IQUERY > Any Report (Using Icon in Toolbar)

TEMP CENTRE > Company > [Work History] Tab 

Bookings tab on Clients, Candidates, Vacancies and Requirements 

All of these areas now export to excel using *.csv or the older COM method into Excel.

AWR Report now shows Company Owner

The AWR Report has been enhanced so that it now shows the 'Company' Owner as an additional column. It is also possible to filter the report based upon Company owner.

 The filter drop-down can also include Teams/Offices, which will be shown at the bottom of the list in [Square brackets]. (Based on parameter ProfessWB, Flag(28) )

Improved Commission tracking for Placements (Dates/%ages)

This release introduces some new Commission Payment fields to placements. Users can now add up-to 5 dates/percentages to a placement/Match to record what commission gets paid (%) and when (date)

The feature is activated with parameters Rec_E, glossary (11-16) which allows users to specify up to 5 labels for these fields, as well as the name for the Group Heading.

Set Overtime rate after Set Hrs when Using Timed Rates

This release introduces an enhancement to the Timed Rates feature. to allow users to specify a set number of HOURS before overtime is applied.

Example:
In the card shown, rates are set as below:
Rate            OT?  Start   End   Mon  Tue Wed Thu Fri  Sat  Sun  BH SEQ
Hrly Basic:             00:00 00:00     Y      Y      Y       Y     Y                     6
Hrly O/Time:   Y    08:00 09:00     Y      Y      Y       Y     Y                    6

Effectively, this is saying that on Mon-Fri "BASIC" rate applies All Day (i.e. 00:00-00:00) but that Overtime will kick-in after 8Hrs work (08:00)
e.g. If someone was booked on Tue from 07:00-16:30, that is 9.5Hrs, so they would get 8Hrs 'Basic' and 1.5Hrs O/Time.

The new feature is activated with parameter  PAYROLLB, Flag(53) - Allow O/T on Timed Rates

Import Candidate Availability 

This release contains the ability to import candidate availability from a web form (Cognito) - If you have the Web Form facility, then you can now send a link to a candidate, get the to complete a form with their availability and import this into the system (Drag/Drop)

For more information about Cognito Forms, see our help article
https://influence-it.kayako.com/article/520-candidate-submission-system-cognito-forms-general-overview

Bug Fixes

- When searching for vacancies from the [Match] tab of a candidate, the sort order had been changed (accidentally) - it has now been reverted to sort in A/C Code order.

- Fixed an issue that allowed users to bypass the "Student 20 Hours (max)" warning by using Copy/Paste from within the Planner.

- Fixed an issue that caused the scroll-bar to disappear at the left hand side of the 'Notes' section on a contact details record for long notes.

- Fixed an issue with the 'Booking Checks' journal that meant that in some instances the journal would appear to be against the wrong record. Caused by an incorrect internal pointer - fixed by code change  

ELSE

     'gb_Init_Row(eniv_H, SYM(eniv_Row$))

END IF

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Release: (16/10/2021) Ver: 1.00.21.289

Features

Booking Defaults to Candidate Role

When making a booking for a candidate it a new parameter has been added to allow the system to Default the booking to match the candidate ROLE.
The feature is activated with parameter TEMPS, Flag(32) 

Candidate RAG report can (optionally) show Pay Type for worker.

A new parameter has been added to allow the candidate RAG report to display the Pay Type for the candidate. The feature can be activated with parameter RecD, Flag(36) - See below.

Candidate workbench has new column for 'Last Contact method'.

This release introduces a new column which can be chosen and displayed on the [Candidates] workbench to indicate the 'Last Contact Method'. When displayed alongside the Last Contact Date field, it makes it easy to see When and How workers were last contacted.

NOTE: For more information about how the 'Last Contact Date' is actually calculated see our article.   CLICK HERE

More explanation of Vacancy Status Report/Vacancy Progression Report.

Some explanatory notes have been added at the top right of the Vacancy Status Report/Vacancy Progression Report to make it easier to understand what each report does.  See example below:

Reports can be run from:

Maintenance > Reporting Tools > Vacancy Status Report  or
Maintenance > Reporting Tools > Vacancy Progression Report

A/C Ref Displayed within TIMESHEET Entry screen.

A new parameter has been added to allow the A/C Ref field at the bottom left of a company record to be displayed as a column within TIMESHEET ENTRY. Parameter PAYROLL, Flag(55) controls this. Optionally it is possible to Take the A/C Ref from one of the five User-Defined fields on the [Misc] tab of the branch record which can be accessed using the 'Buildings' icon in the toolbar. This can be done using parameter PAYROLL, INTEGER(39) to specify which of the fields (1-5) to use as A/c Ref.

Can be displayed within TIMESHEET ENTRY

If Payroll, Integer(39) is set the system will check the User Defined field of the relevant site first, and if it is blank will then revert to the A/C Ref field from the Company.

Contract Extensions allow PO Number details to be Retained

When extending an existing contract it is now possible to retain the PO Number details from the existing contract when creating an extension.  See below

The feature is controlled with parameter PLACEMENT, Flag(51) which can be set to Y/N/P (Yes/No/Prompt) - in the case of Prompt it will ask if you wish to retain these or not.

Enhanced control over Priority level to see Folders.

On the [Docs] tab of Candidates, client and Vacancy records it is possible to specify up to 10 pre-defined folders. For each record it is now possible to assign a Priority level to each of these 10 folders.

Users with a priority level lower than required will NOT see these folders (or any of their contents) when viewed via the database.

The control of these directories is held within some new Parameters; ENIGMACND, Priority (1-10),  ENIGMACLI, Priority (1-10) and ENIGMAVAC, Priority (1-10) are used to control Candidates, Clients and Vacancies respectively.

Improved SMS Booking Acceptance.

The ability to accept an SMS booking by replying with "OK" has been enhanced. Usually the system automatically takes "OK" to mean acceptance of a booking for the following day - but it is now possible to control how-far ahead is assumed. Parameter TEMPS, Integer(12) is used to specify how many days in-advance the OK is assumed. (This works in conjunction with TEMPS, Text(14) which specifies the Status to set the booking to)

e.g. With TEMPS, Integer(12) set to "3" Replying 'OK' to a message on 24/08 will assume the reply refers to a booking on 27/08

(Note: It is still possible to indicate a specific day using OK?? where ?? is a 2-digit representation of the day, e.g. OK21 will set the status for a booking on 21st, OK05 will set status for a booking on 5th, etc.)

Rebuild AWR counter for single worker

The system automatically rebuilds the  AWR counters for all workers overnight. It is now possible to manually rebuild the AWR counter for a single worker, by clicking on the Counter itself. If the counter is blank users will be prompted "Rebuild Counter Y/N". If the counter(s) exist, opening the Count record will have a [Rebuild] button.

Custom Subject Templates for TASKS

When creating a new TASK for object (Candidate, Vacancy, Client, etc) is it possible to define the format of the Subject

Formats for Task subjects can be defined in Code Table Diary Task Text [448] using the syntax below, where XXXX is the relevant TASK type (CONT, CAND, VAC, etc.)
#SUBJECT_XXXX 
Your format here, including any merge fields 

Improved messaging for UAC Controls

We have added improved messaging when users attempt to access a function that has been prevented by UAC (User Access Control) - The system now clearly explains why the action has been prevented.

Improved Control over CV parsing of Initials

A New parameter has been added to control the parsing of Initials when CVs are loaded. Parameter WORKBENCH, Integer(19) can be set to 0 (zero) to prevent parsing, or set to a value such as 2 to control the number of initials (max) which will be extracted and stored

If initials exist it is also possible to control whether they are displayed (or not) within a placement record - Parameter REC, FLAG(51)  controls the display. 

Improved Evertime integration for alternative Pay types

Whilst Influence allows an unlimited number of Pay_Types to be defined for candidates, Evertime only processes these as one of 3 distinct types - PAYE, LTD or UMB. Previously user were limited to those same types in Influence but it is now possible to Specify which type will be used by each defined pay type.

e.g. You may setup a Pay type of SELF in Influence, but have this sent to Evertime as if it were "Umb" or "Ltd"

The feature can be activated with Parameter EVERTIME Flag(4) which must be set as N

Number of Compliance Item stages extended to 50

Previously it was possible to define up-to 10 "stages" for a compliance item. This release increases the limit to 50-stages. This is particularly useful for items such as "Right To Work" where the stage can be used to record the relevant proof - form multiple choices.

IQ Report exports now include 'Notes' Text

Any text notes/explanation that has been added to an IQ report can now be included as part of the Export/Import process *if* the report is exported using the new (*.Zip) format.

HIDE Candidate initials from Grids
Added a feature to HIDE candidate initials from all Grids. Most users will not want to use this.

Bug Fixes

- Improved selection criteria in IQ reports to allow {Today}, {TODAY} or {today} as a comparison field.

- Fixed a potential issue with applications via Cognito Forms, to ensure that reference numbers for "linked" compliance items (such as Driving Lic., NI and Professional ID, etc.) write back to the associated candidate field.

- Fixed a minor bug where going to ADMIN/IQ disabled the GO button but did not re-enabled when returning to other workbenches.

- Fixed a minor display glitch that could cause client name to show wrong value when using AWR from worker history page.

- Fixed a  bug with Journals where clicking [APPLY] followed by [CANCEL] did not record the Journal, and it was removed (in error).

- Fixed an issue with the ability to hide fields on Contact records; all fields can now be hidden as they should be (if required).

- Fixed a bug when using the 'Detailed Search' option from the Booking Suggestions that means Summary tick boxes (such as Own Transport [  ] ) were not always checked properly.

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Release: (10/07/2021) Ver: 1.00.21.190

Features

MessageMedia added as a new SMS provider (optional)

It is now possible to send messages (texts) from within Influence using MessageMedia as the SMS supplier. 

(It should be noted that message media is not as functional as FIRETEXT, and misses basic features such as a 'remaining credit' count or delayed sending options)

Accept either password (Print Grid/Export to Excel) when exporting workbench.

A recent update introduced some changes to the Print Grid functions for workbenches. The printer icon was changed to an Excel symbol, and the export now allows exporting directly to *.csv format.

Previously there were separate passwords for exporting to Excel or printing the grid.
The new icon expects the export to Excel password. The system can allow either password to be used if preferred, and is activated with Parameter, WORKBENCH,Flag(15)

Integration with Logic Melon Job Posting Board

A recent update has improved the integration with Logic Melon. It is now possible to post Jobs to Logic Melon via Influence and also to retrieve applicants from Logic Melon and pull them back into the Database.

Timed Rates can now be defined  to change After Midnight (or not)by SHIFT 

The Timed Rates feature incorporated a facility to allow "Rate change after midnight" which could be set on a Site-by-Site basis. This feature for "Rate Change After Midnight" has now been extended and can be set on a SHIFT by SHIFT basis at each site.

For more information about Timed Rates search our HELP documentation.

Refine Column selection allows Export to Excel or CSV

The Refine Column selection option at the top right allows users to click the Excel icon, and export the data in a chosen layout. This feature now offers the choice to export to MS Excel of *.CSV file formats.

Bug Fixes

- Fixed an issue with active search that meant some searches did not auto-update as they should when using Client Attributes as part of a Contact Active Search

- Fixed a small issue with the formation of web-links in email templates; special characters such as {, ( " etc are now converted to the relevant HEX equivalent, which allows the formation of complex links.

- Fixed an issue which could cause problems with the STAGE on a vacancy when matches were created using the [NEW] button.

- Fixed an issue when sending interview confirmations which means it was not possible to select "SMS" as a method to send the confirmation to candidates. This now works.

- Fixed an issue with Print Grid/Export to Excel that could cause some columns from the workbench to be missed or excluded from the choice when printing. 

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Release: (25/06/2021) Ver: 1.00.21.176

Features

Glossary Item for A/C Contact on Placements

The label for the field 'A/C Contact' on a placement record is now a glossary item and can be changed to whatever is required. This is done using a new parameter PLACEMENTC, Glossary(3)

Glossary Warn if Placement Start date more than ? days ahead

Some users were finding that they regularly entered incorrect Start dates for placements or contracts. A new feature has been added to warn users if they enter a date that is too far in the future.

The number of days is held in a new parameter PLACEMENT, Integer(9)

Bug Fixes

- Fixed an issue that could cause incorrect results in certain instances when combining attribute searches with "Status change" history. 

- Fixed an issue with search grids that means in some circumstances it was not possible to save a custom search grid  (OnSpec Muti, from Candidate, OnSpec from Client, and Candidate/Contact from Assignment could be affected)

- Fixed a small display issue in the RAG report related to 'Stages' drop-downs being displayed for items linked to Country code [012]

 

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Release: (24/05/2021) Ver: 1.00.21.144

Features

Multiple documents can be linked to a single 'Slot' [Candidate, Company and Vacancy]

On the [Docs] tab of the main records (Candidate, Company and Vacancy) there are up to 10 'slot' documents that can be linked to a template. It is now possible to link a single slot to multiple Templates.

This is often useful where you may want multiple brands or suchlike, as users can choose which version of the document they would like to make.

Bug Fixes

- Fixed an issue with older [BCC] buttons to ensure they take account of choices in the consent centre (Padlock) about bulk email.

- Fixed an issue with the Social Network 1/2 fields which could cause problems when displayed on a search grid within the old [Searching] system.

The fields now display and behave as intended for both Candidate and Contact searches.

- Fixed an issue which could case a crash when drilling into a MATCH record from within the DIARY.

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Release: (14/05/2021) Ver: 1.00.21.134

Features

SDS (Status Definition Statement) Documents for IR35 

The System has been enhanced to allow users to store and record if an SDS document has been recorded for TEMP workers, and to warn if a TEMP worker has this document on-file (or not) for a particular placement. 

Please see the Article HERE for more information

Postcode Address Lookup (GetAddress.io) - Updated 

You will require a subscription to GetAddress.io in order to use this feature - Please see their website for Pricing.

The Postal address lookup system has been updated/improved for better performance.
As before, you will require a subscription to GetAddress.io to use the feature.

Once you have a subscription, you can enter a Postcode into the database, then use the [... ] button to search for valid addresses.

Workbenches allow export to  Excel or 'CSV' file format.

There have been some improvements made to the export capabilities of the system to allow a choice of exporting to either CSV file or to MS Excel.

Clicking the icon at the top right will offer the user a choice; Export to Excel or CSV. 

Choosing Excel ( ) will send the data directly to MS Excel (but will be slower than 'CSV'). Users can use the 'Export As'  options to force the format of certain columns and ensure Excel treats them as dates, numbers or text.

Selecting CSV File ( ) will offer the user a choice to export the data and then open the CSV file with either Notepad or MS Excel. Once again, the Export As options can be used to force Excel to treat columns in a particular way.

NEW PARAMETERS

PRO-WBEN Flag 6 - Grid Exports Default to Excel or CSV

PRO-WBEN Flag 7 - Default Excel or Notepad to open CSV

Social Network - Instagram

The social network fields on the Candidate or Contact allow users to store/open any two social networks for a candidate. The system now automatically recognises instagram and will apply the relevant label/icon automatically.

SMS Send Warning (User Specific) 

Some users have accidentally sent an SMS message by mistake when using the system. To combat this it is now possible to specify for certain users that they will get a WARNING whenever they try to send an SMS, and will need to press [OK] to send the message.

The new feature is controlled using the SMS flag on the user profile, which should be set to C (Confirm) for any user who wants such a warning.

NOTE: In order for the individual warnings to work, parameter JNL, Flag(38) must be set to 'No'. Setting this to Yes (ticked) will cause all users to receive such a warning.

Booking Markers can now create a Journal 

When adding booking markers to the planner is is now possible to specify that certain markers (if added) must create a Journal. Within Maintenance > Setup > Booking Types if the Create Jnl [  ] option is ticked, then a journal will be written to the Booking Match whenever that marker is added to the Planner.

The Call Type for the journal created will be specified using parameter JNLB,Text(12)
NOTE: Specifically this will NOT work for 'Working Time' booking since those are already recorded and tracked in other ways - it only applies to Booking 'Markers'

RAG Report (Compliance Report) now allows selection by [TEAM] as well as by Individual Consultant 

The RAG Report showing details of Candidate Compliance (Red/Amber/Green) has been enhanced to allow selection based on a TEAM, as well as individual consultant.

Client RAG Report now available from [ADMIN] area 

The new Client RAG Report showing details of Client Compliance (Red/Amber/Green) has been added as a workbench within the [ADMIN] area of the system.

It is also possible to rename these two reports (Candidate RAG/Client RAG) using parameters PRO-ADMN, Glossary (1/3) respectively.

Margin Report now available from [ADMIN] area 

The Margin Report showing details of Revenue from Permanent Placements, Contracts and Temp Bookings has now been added to the [ADMIN] section of the database.

You can find out more about the Margin report on our article:  https://influence-it.kayako.com/article/361-margin-report

Vacancy KPI Report now available from [ADMIN] area 

The Vacancy KPI Report showing details of activity related to Vacancies, such as sending CVs, Booking Interviews, making Placements, etc. has now been added to the [ADMIN] section of the database.

To find out more about this reporting feature, please see our article: https://influence-it.kayako.com/article/565-vacancy-kpi-report

GROUPS can now be made for Other Objects from [Workbenches]

The GROUPS functionality has been extended to allow users to make GROUPS from one [Workbench] to add to a different part of the system.

Example: From the [Vacancy] workbench you can now make a GROUP of Vacancies, Companies, Contacts or Candidates. 

This means you could create a GROUP containing a list of all Companies who currently have a Vacancy at the 'Offer' Stage, and then export or use that Group for further analysis or marketing.

Vacancy KPI reports Enhanced to allow filtration by Company 

The Vacancy KPI Reports have been enhanced to allow filtration of the results by Company. The new Company field will filter the results on all Tabs of these reports.

The option can be found in Maintenance > Reporting Tools > Vacancy KPI Report

Candidate Name display on Placement can have Initials suppressed.

The candidate name displayed at the top left of a Match/Placement record usually contains FORENAME INITIALS SURNAME.

A new parameter, REC,Flag(51) allows the display of these initials to be suppressed. The default setting will remain that initials are displayed.

Manager/Job Description allowed to come through as 'Blank' on Placement 

Normally when completing a placement, the Description/Manager fields are pulled through from the vacancy. Some people would prefer this to be

It is now possible to control this with two parameters:
PLACEMENT, Flag(28) Controls the contents for the Description field.
PLACEMENT, Flag(23) Controls the contents of the Manager field.

Contract Extensions Allow Copying/Retention of PO Number

When extending a contract placement using the [Extend] button, it is now possible to get the system to prompt users if they wish to retain the same client P/O number for the extension.

This is controlled with parameter PLACEMENT, Flag(51) and can by Y (Yes), N (No) or P (Prompt)

Cognito Forms now allow the Import of 'Notes' for a Compliance item 

When importing or updating a candidate using a submission via Cognito Forms, it is now possible to upload into the 'Notes' seen at the right-hand side of the Compliance page.

Website field added to Vacancies 

A new field to hold the website associated with any jobs has now been added to the Vacancy screens within Influence, just below the [Job Spec] area. This is useful for holding a link in cases where CVs must be submitted via a portal or other such site.

The feature can be activated by setting a value for parameter RecB, Glossary(25)

(NB: This feature will not work for system using the older 'Key Codes' method of skill coding, so please speak to us about upgrading to Attributes in that case.)

Voyager Timesheet Integration now accepts Multiple Pay Types

When posting/sending booking details to Voyager Timesheets, the system can now accept multiple Pay Types. This means that you can have a SINGLE Candidate record in Influence, and set them up to have multiple Pay Types (e.g. PAYE / Umbrella)

When making a booking you can choose the Pay Type for the worker, and the relevant info will be sent/passed to voyager.

To activate this feature will require some consultancy time to setup & configure the system for multiple pay types, and activate the features - please contact Influence.

Merge fields for Vacancy Revenue (High/Low) added 

On the [Vacancy] workbench it was possible to display fields for Revenue High/Revenue Low. These fields calculated likely revenue as either
No. Positions x Max. Salary x Fee %       No. Positions x Fixed Fee (£)

The fields are now available to add to Templates as Merge fields, and can be found in the [Special] fields section to the left of Template Maintenance.

Bug Fixes

- Fixed an issue with the Referral Report which could cause to to crash when opening under certain circumstances.

- When sending booking confirmations via the Macro Manager, the system could show an incorrect "unable to send" message. This has been corrected.

- Fixed an issue with client/contact import from excel that meant that for sites with multiple contacts imported, the NOTES for the first contact were recorded on the site only, but not the contact themselves.

- Fixed a bug with unfilled bookings which caused multiple bookings to be assigned to a single candidate.

- Minor changes to the width of columns displayed on the [Views] section within the [Temp Centre] to allow better visibility of company Name/Worker Name.

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Release: (26/03/2021) Ver: 1.00.21.085

Features

National Living Wage / Minimum Pay Rate (2021)

In April this year (2021) the National Living Wage changes, and will then apply to workers aged 23 and Over and opposed to the current Over25 regulation. To help with the change some software amendments have been made to allow users to setup a new Min Pay Rate code, reflecting the new 'Over 23' category.

For More Information, see our article Minimum Pay Rates  (click to open)

Integration with Timesheet Portal - Online Timesheet, Invoicing and Billing system.

In this release we have been hard at work to bring you a full integration with Timesheet Portal. Timesheet Portal is an online timesheet system that allows workers to input their own timesheet hours, and for client managers to approve those hours.

Approved hours can be pulled-back into Influence automatically as entered timesheets.

Once hours have been approved they can be sent for Pay/Bill within the Timesheet Portal system, which also has integrations with XERO, Sage and Quickbooks.

Find out more about this great new feature HERE

Import Bookings from Excel

A new facility has been added to allow the import of bookings at a specific client from an Excel Sheet.

The idea is that it is possible for a client to send back details of workers who have worked for them 'That week' in an excel sheet, and then the sheet can be imported to create bookings in the system. The new tool allows users to map certain columns to indicate which ones will identify the worker, the role, the date, etc.

Any bookings which cannot be imported for reasons such as non-compliance or role restrictions will be indicated on-screen prior to import. 

To find out more about this feature, see our article HERE

Enhanced filters from Workbench now allow 'Date Range' selection

When using the 'Filter' option from the workbench, it is now possible to specify a Date Range (Eg this week, next week, Today, Last month, etc.) rather than specific dates.

This makes filters much more flexible and allow users to build highly functional favourite views.

Timesheet confirmation Email / Approval Email

A new facility has been added within TIMESHEET ENTRY to allow users to send a summary of entered timesheet hours back to the client for approval.
There is a new option on the [Accounts] tab of the client record to indicate if that client wants/needs confirmations, and an option to choose a particular format to send the info.

If the client requires Timesheet Confirmation, then TIMESHEET ENTRY will allow users to send a confirmation to the selected client.

For more information about this feature see our full article HERE

Option to include WTD, NI & Pension for Umbrella Company margin in TIMESHEET Entry

Within TIMESHEET ENTRY it is possible to filter the entries to those for workers who are paid via an Umbrella company. Normally the margin calculation for umbrella Company workers (top right) excludes NI, WTD & Pension.

A new parameter has been introduced to allow WTD, NI and Pension to be included for Umbrella workers. TEMPS, Flag(31) can be ticked if you wish to include figures in this way.

Assignment Screen shows Role/Description

The design of the 'Assignment' screen has been enhanced and now shows Role/Description details without the need to drill-in to the Vacancy view.

DIARY now shows 'Start Date' for PERM Placements

When viewing the DIARY page in the system, ticking start at the bottom right has been extended to show PERM placement start dates as well as CONTRACT start dates.

Commission Split Warning for PERM Placements

It is possible to get the system to warn if you attempt to PLACE a Permanent Vacancy without first adding some Commission Splits to the placement record. See below

The feature is controlled with parameter RECD,Flag(25)  

New fields for [Contact] workbench (Last Contact Method/Result)

When viewing the [Contact] workbench the system can display the Last Contact Date. Two new fields have now been added as (optional) information that can be displayed - Last Contact Method and Last Contact Result.  (See below)

Toolbox - indicates which option is selected 

When using the [Toolbox] features, the system has been enhanced to show more clearly which option is in use with a new icon. The colour of the 'spanner' icon changes to indicate which option has been selected.  See below.

Macro Manager Re-trys for non-sent emails.

When using the Macro  manager to send emails, there can be instances where emails are not able to be sent (e.g. The MS Exchange/mailserver is overloaded or busy). In these instances the system will now continue through the batch of emails, and then offer the user the chance to re-send any unprocessed emails, with the following message.

Bug Fixes

- Fixed an issue with candidate 'Role' search from the planner, which could exclude people based on multi-role/booked Role under certain circumstances (Claibon)

- Fixed a problem with the SORT option inside a [Multiline=Compliance] merge field.

- Fixed an issue when exporting timesheet information to Tempaid, which means that adjustments against rates where there were no hours against the rate did not get exported. (M4)

- Fixed an issue on DIRECT systems which meant contact spreadsheets imported to an assignment were not stored on the associated vacancy.

- When selecting a template using the MS Word icon in the toolbar of a client, the system could apply a 'label' template in error - this has been fixed.

- Fixed a bug which could cause a session disconnect when using the 'DATA' fields as part of an 'Enhanced' search in the older [Searching] part of the system.

Internal Tech Info

- (Internal Info) Programming work has been done to prepare the system for use with UNOCONV as an alternative CV parser. An environment variable has been added.

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Release: (11/02/2021) Ver: 1.00.21.042

Features

Vacancy Attributes automatically set as AND or OR

A new parameter has been introduced. When running a candidate search from the [Match] tab of a vacancy, the attributes from the vacancy can be automatically pulled into the search. The new parameter RecF, Flag(1) controls whether they are combined using AND or OR.  (see below)

Broadbean Integration now displays Ranking, and allows Auto-Match of "Suitable" applicants

The [AdCourier] tab on the HOME page in Influence retrieves and displays applicants from Broadbean. The Tab now visually displays the Ranking using a Red/Amber/Green flag, similar to Broadbean.

It is possible to set the system up so that only Suitable (Green) and Maybe Suitable (Amber) candidates are retrieved, and they can be handled differently.
Suitable (Green) - will be added to the database AND matched to the vacancy
Maybe (Amber) - Will be added to the database only, but not automatically matched. (Parameters Broadbean Flag(16)/Text(9) control this)

SMTP Password length - increased to 80 characters

The allowed length for the SMTP password for a user has been increased from 30 to 80 characters. The new, longer password needs to be set using the Profile (House) icon in the toolbar. See below.

Broadbean Posting - Warning if no channels selected

When using the Broadbean/AdCourier integration if a user attempts to post a job without selecting any channels, then the system will now warn the user that they must select one (or more) channels.

Candidate RAG Report (Compliance) now shows STAGE for items - if applicable

The Candidate RAG report has been enhanced so that if a compliance item has STAGES, it shows details of the STAGE. In cases where the compliance item has both an Expiry Date and a Stage, the report only shows the stage if the expiry date is .

Bug Fixes

- Changes to the Portal Import feature have been made to improve the speed and stability of importing compliance documents as part of the portal email import process. They are now downloaded once (up front) along with the CV and then allocated to the correct compliance document slots on the created candidate record.

- Abobe has stopped support for flash player, and this will no longer work. Because of this, the way that call recordings are played back had to be changed slightly, and they will now open a browser window in the background and then open a media player within that.

- Fixed an issue when using the 'Set Values' feature from the properties of a Candidate GROUP, attempting to set the value of a contact field could cause the system to crash.

- Fixed an issues with the booking totals when viewing a single day on the Summary screen. Totals now agreed with column. (It should be noted that multi-person un-filled bookings will count as one booking in the Totals)

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Release: (22/01/2021) Ver: 1.00.21.022

Features

Summary View (Bookings) can Display totals per day in Header

When using the [VIEWS] workbench in a "Summary" style each day shows the number of bookings occurring on that day. (e.g.  Mon(0) Tue(5) Wed(0) Thur(5) etc.)

In the Example above, Thursday could be counted in two ways.
- Thursday can show 5 bookings  (2 at Big Computers, 3 at Aspen Events)
- Thursday can show 2 Bookings (1 set of unfilled at Big Computers, 1 Set at Aspen)

When taking account of unfilled bookings the system can do this in two different ways, and it is controlled with parameter TEMPS, Flag(30)

Multi-Database systems can have different Journal record systems

For older Influence customers who have multiple databases, it is now possible to specify for each individual database if it should use the older Journals v1 or the newer file structure of Journals v2. 

If converting from v1 to v2 file structure, there is a conversion process which will need to be run. Please contact your Influence software support team for more detail or to arrange the conversion.

Candidate Import From Excel now allows import of Main Consultant, Other Consultants (1-10) and Tickboxes (1-20)

When using the Candidate Import From Excel option, the spreadsheet template now allows users to upload the Main consultant, or 10 'Other' consultants as seen on the [Misc] tab.

Also the 20 Tickboxes seen on the [Summary] tab can also be uploaded.

Bug Fixes

-Fixed an issue with the "Unit" count displayed at the bottom of the [summary] view of bookings, when using 'Selectable Rates' for bookings.

- Fixed an issue with the student-hours warning whereby extending an existing booking did not always trigger the 'over 20Hrs' warning.

- Importing a Cognito Form which updated an existing candidate record updated Status as well. This is now corrected and the status is left 'as is'.

- Fixed a minor issue with the filter icon when using Ad-Hoc filter

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