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Utility Function FAQ's

What are Utility Functions?
How do I access Utility Functions?

Auto Correct
Clear Personal Tax Process Status
Client Quick Setup
Firm Setup
Flag Maintenance
Local User Preferences
Logged-In Users
Purge Activity Records
Shared Data Source Selection
Suggestion Box

 

What are Utility Functions?

BalaBoss Client Navigator  includes several utility functions, providing a variety of useful features designed to enhance your use and enjoyment of the product.

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How do I access Utility Functions?

From Client HQ, select System Administration

If your System Administrator has assigned the necessary permission to you, the System Administration switchboard will appear.

Select Utility Functions. The Utility Functions switchboard will appear.

The various Utility Functions are discussed below in sequence.

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Auto Correct

This feature is accessed from the Utility Functions form.

BalaBoss Client Navigator  provides a link to the AutoCorrect feature if it is already loaded on your system.

Note: While BalaBoss Client Navigator  links to AutoCorrect, for technical support purposes, AutoCorrect is not a BalaBoss Client Navigator supported utility.

AutoCorrect comes preset with some standard spell and grammar check defaults. You may elect to enter additional letters or phrases.

The AutoCorrect utility allows you to customize your BalaBoss Client Navigator application to AutoCorrect certain words specifically for your firm. For example the spelling of certain Client names.

Clear Personal Tax Process Status

This feature is accessed from the Utility Functions form.

Personal Tax is managed by recording information related to the various stages tax processing. The information is recorded in Contact Maintenance of the various clients. BalaBoss maintains a record of the processing of personal tax status during a particular "tax season". (Refer to the User Guide for further information on Contact Maintenance).

At the end of the "tax season" it would be appropriate to reset all status indicators in preparation for the next cycle.

After selecting the Clear Personal Tax Process Status button, you will be asked to confirm that you wish to reset the Personal Tax records of all Contacts by clearing all process flow data previously entered.

If you select OK all process flow data will be cleared.

Note: Once executed, this procedure cannot be undone.

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Client Quick Setup

This feature is accessed from the Utility Functions form.

During the setup process you may need to enter a large number of client files in the system. The regular Add New Client facility on Client HQ may be too slow for initial setup.

The choices available in the Client Quick Setup facility are better suited to large volume data entry and setup. The choices are:

  1. Quick Line Item setup
  2. Import a Text File containing client identification and setup data, and
  3. Automatic setup of Client Data File Names

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Quick Line Item Setup

  1. Client data may be entered directly into the columns provided.
  2. To add a new client, use the vertical scroll bar at the right so that the last text entry row is visible. The last row is indicated by an asterisk (*) in the left margin.
  3. As a new client is entered, BalaBoss automatically assigns a unique client number. You may accept this number or enter your own preferred number.
  4. Use the Key Person (usually Partner) drop-box, select the name of the Key Person you wish to assign to this client file. Each new client must have a Key Person assigned.
  5. Press Enter. The client is added to the list.

An alternate method to rapidly add clients is provided by the powerful data import facility included with the application.

Client files may also be populated with the names of data files using the artificial intelligence of the client data file naming utility.

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Firm Setup

This feature is accessed from the Utility Functions form.

The name of your firm appears in the BalaBoss Client Navigator title bar and on reports generated by BalaBoss Client Navigator .

Other information appears on the form to identify:
your firm type,
address,
telephone, fax and email information.

Your firm's profile may be modified as indicated on the form.

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Flag Maintenance

This feature is accessed from the Utility Functions form.

One of the many powerful features of BalaBoss Client Navigator is the ability to set up a system-wide uniquely defined series of flags relative to your firm's Client list.

The System Administrator is responsible for setting up the system-wide flags and their corresponding default values. Local users then have the ability to assign the available flags to their individual client profiles.

For example, it may be appropriate to set up a "Christmas card" flag for your firm. The System Administrator sets up the flag within Flag Maintenance. The flag then becomes available to local users. Local users would then be able to indicate which clients should, as in this example, receive Christmas cards.

  1. In the Flag Description entry field, enter the name of the flag.
  2. In the Flag ID entry field, enter the number you want to assign to the flag. The Flag ID number must be unique.
  3. To make the flag available system-wide to other users, select the corresponding Flag Available option.
  4. To set a default value for a particular flag, select the corresponding Default Value option. Each client file is automatically assigned this flag with the default value.
  5. Click Update Clients.

    Note: It may take a few minutes for the system to update the flags in each individual client profile. The flag is now available system-wide for local users to assign to their individual client profiles.
  6. When you have finished setting and updating the flags for your firm, click Close.

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Local User Preferences

Although there may be many people using the BalaBoss application within a firm, the System Administrator may adjust certain preferences for individual system users at their local workstation.

Adjustments to local user preferences should be performed by the System Administrator at the local workstation requiring a variation to the "default" preferences, shipped with BalaBoss.

This feature is accessed from the Utility Functions form.

  1. Permanent Notes
    If a particular client file does not have associated Permanent Notes, the caption of the Permanent Notes button in Client HQ would be in white letters. Black letters would indicate that there are Permanent Notes. Some users may elect to have the black letters in a bold typeface to assist in drawing their attention to the Permanent Notes. Placing a check mark alongside Permanent Notes will cause black letters in the caption of the Permanent Notes button in Client HQ to be displayed in a bold typeface.
  2. View Launch Pad Command
    By checking this option, you may view the command line just prior to activation of an external application from a Launch Pad button. This facility might be useful to the System Administrator to debug a complex launch pad command line.
  3. View Launch Pad Key Strokes
    Some of the external software applications your firm uses might require you to perform additional steps in order to launch those applications from BalaBoss.
    At your option, BalaBoss Client Navigator will generate "key strokes" when the corresponding Launch Pad button is activated.

    With a check mark alongside View Launch Pad KeyStrokes, you elect the option to view the list of additional keystrokes just prior to execution by BalaBoss Client Navigator. Again, this might be useful to the System Administrator to debug the launch process.
  4. Reminder Review Prompt
    Users may elect to be reminded to review their Reminder Notes. By checking this option the Reminder Review prompt will be displayed as users log on to the system. The prompt will offer the local user the option to review Reminder Notes immediately.
  5. Seven-Day Schedule - Start Day
    Select the day of the week to appear in the first column of the Staff Scheduling Seven-Day report. (The system default is Monday).

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Logged In Users

This feature is accessed from the Utility Functions form.

The Logged-In Users form will display the Firm Name, the Shared Central Data File location and the identification names of the workstations logged on to the system.

In addition BalaBoss will show the Total Current Users as well as the Total User Limit.

The list is only valid at the instant it is created and may, in fact, be out of date at the moment after it is displayed. Clicking Refresh will redisplay a current list.

Please contact BalaBoss Software Corporation in the event that your Total User Limit is inadequate for your firm. An adjustment can be made using a simple phone-in procedure.

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Purge Activity Records

This feature is accessed from the Utility Functions form.

Each time a user accesses or leaves a client file, BalaBoss Client Navigator  logs that information in an Activity Record.

This information may be particularly useful in Activity Reporting.

The size of the Activity File will continue to grow simultaneously increasing the size of the Back-End database file. It is strongly recommended that you include purging older activity records in your regular maintenance routine.

Based on the information displayed on the form, you may select the date range of Activity records you wish to purge, then select Purge Activity entries in the Date Range.

CAUTION: This process, once executed, cannot be undone.

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Shared Data Source Selection

This feature is accessed from the Utility Functions form.

The issue of the location of the Shared Central Data files, also known as the Back-End, is discussed in detail in BalaBoss Client Navigator Installation Instructions (Appendix A of the System Administration Guide).

The Shared Data Source Selection feature will also be automatically activated if the local workstation is unable to locate the Back-End files at the time a user logs on to BalaBoss. 

If you elect to relocate your Shared Central Data files, each local workstation will need to locate the new data source and link to the tables in that file.

To switch to a new Back-End location...
click New Shared Data Source,
Browse to the new location,
then click Open.

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Suggestion Box

This feature is accessed from the Utility Functions form.

At BalaBoss Software Corporation we are constantly striving to improve our products and enhance their features. Your feedback, comments and suggestions are always welcome.

  1. In the green Item entry field, enter the nature of the suggestion or comment. A reference number is automatically assigned to the new item.
  2. In the yellow Comment entry field, enter your suggestion or comment.
  3. In the blue Details entry field, enter any additional relevant details concerning the suggestion.
  4. In the Suggestion Reports area of the form, select the report you want to produce, then click Print or Preview.
  5. If you select the Current Suggestion in Fax Format as your report, your suggestion or comment is included on a form ready to be faxed to us.

Tip: If you are viewing this page on-line, it may be more convenient to submit your suggestion directly from this website.

 

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