ActivityHD Release 7.3

System-wide

  • SQL Server

    Before this release, the SQL Server 2008 native client was distributed with ActivityHD. Now the SQL Server 2012 native client is installed by default instead. In the past ActivityHD would use the 2012 version of the native client if it was already installed, but it was not previously installed by default.

  • SQL Server

    Previously, if you attempted to uninstall ActivityHD and no SQL Server native client was installed, you would receive the following message:

    ActivityHD Explorer requires the SQL Server Native Client. Install it by running the Activity installation SETUP program.

    The message could be dismissed safely since SQL Server native client is not necessary to uninstall ActivityHD. The message no longer occurs.

Accounts Payable

  • Invoices

    Accounts Payable > Invoices

    In version 7.2, AP invoices were changed to allow invalid GL accounts in GL detail and extra GL. However, simply creating the GL account does not automatically fix the invoice. You still needed to open and save the invoice to revalidate accounts. This release introduces a Validate GL action on the Invoices folder which simplifies this process.

    Here's a typical scenario:

    1. Browse to Accounts Payable > Invoices > Invoice GL Detail.
    2. Apply the "Invalid account" filter to the records in the HD pane.
    3. Verify that accounts now exist for these records, or create new accounts.
    4. Repeat steps 1-3 for the Invoice Extra GL folder.
    5. Browse to Accounts Payable > Invoices.
    6. Apply the "Has Invalid Account" filter.
    7. Select all the records remaining in the HD pane (Ctrl+A).
    8. Click . The invoices should vanish from the filtered HD pane.

    Note

    Accounts with wildcards remain invalid until the account is filled in.

  • Invoices

    Accounts Payable > Invoices

    Version 6.27 introduced the use of attributes on GL detail and extra GL lines on invoices. With this version, attributes can affect the GL account on a detail or extra GL line using the debit account mask defined on the attribute item.

    Example

    Suppose the GL account on a line is 5300-00-??-A, the missing piece of the account number represents the Branch segment, and there is a "Truck" attribute which determines the branch (the home location of a truck). If a given truck is located at Branch 01, then the debit account mask for the truck would be ____-__-01-_. The resulting account for the truck on the invoice line would be 5300-00-01-A.

    Invoice lines can have multiple attributes and each can supply a different part of the account number.

    The attribute item account masks are only defaults, so it is always possible to override the final account number if needed.

  • Invoices

    Accounts Payable > Invoices

    A distribution template is useful in cases where the distributions on an invoice need to be split between multiple accounts; however, until now you also needed a distribution template to copy the single default distribution account from the vendor to the invoice. It is no longer necessary to use a distribution template to copy the default distribution account.

    With this version, the GL account on each new invoice GL detail line (except for liability, use tax, and intercompany lines) automatically defaults to the distribution account specified on the vendor. As always, you can still override the default account or apply a distribution template if needed.

  • Invoices

    Accounts Payable > Invoices

    In version 7.1, default distribution attributes were introduced on vendors. These are listed on the Defaults tab of the Vendors window below the Distribution Account field. In version 7.3, the vendor defaults are copied to attribute items on each new invoice GL detail line (excluding liability, use tax, and intercompany lines). The defaults can be overridden or blanked out.

    Another change in version 7.3 introduced filling in the GL detail account from the AP debit account masks on the line's attribute items. With the current change, this behavior is extended to accounts and attributes copied from the vendor record.

    Example

    Suppose a vendor has the following values:

    Default distribution account: 5300-00-??-A

    Default distribution attributes:

    Truck: A

    And suppose Truck A, located at Branch 01, has the following AP debit account mask: ____-__-01-_.

    When you enter the vendor on an invoice, the new GL detail lines will contain account 5300-00-01-A and attribute "A" by default.

  • Invoice Options

    Accounts Payable > Invoices > [open an invoice] > > Tools > Options > Maintain Options

    Batch and GL Batch fields have been added so that you can specify a default invoice batch and/or a default GL batch on your action profiles (aka "saved answers").

    Now when you add a new invoice, the Batch and GL Batch fields on the invoice default to the values specified on the current profile provided the values are not blank. If blank, the values default from the last entered invoice. Once a vendor is entered, the GL Batch changes to the default from the vendor record unless the value is blank on the vendor record.

  • Proof/Merge Invoices

    Accounts Payable > Invoices > [right-click] > Select and Proof

    Accounts Payable > Invoices > [right-click] > Select and Merge

    In version 7.2 of ActivityHD, an issue was introduced which caused an "Entry is Unbalanced" error to occur when you attempted to proof or merge AP invoices that contained extra GL lines. The issue has been addressed.

  • Vendors Listing

    Accounts Payable > Vendors > [right-click] > Select and Report > Vendors Listing

    The default GL distribution attributes which are assigned to vendors are now included on the report when you mark the Include GL Defaults checkbox.

    While the Vendors HD pane shows all attributes, the Vendor Listing shows only the direct attributes assigned to each vendor.

ActivityHD System

  • ActivityHD and high-density monitors

    Prior to this version of the software, a problem could occur if you ran financial designs with DPI scaling on a high-density monitor. The problem manifested itself in one of these ways.

    • The Excel window would never be visible although a new Excel process was consuming as much CPU as it could use.
    • The Excel window was visible, but overly large, and input might not be possible. The new Excel process would continue to run, consuming a high amount of CPU.

    In both cases, ActivityHD was blocked. To continue, you could stop the Excel process using Task Manager. Sometimes even this did not unblock ActivityHD, so it was necessary to also stop the ActivityHD process.

    The ActivityHD Explorer installation process has been changed to create a compatibility scaling registry entry which causes Excel to use the default Windows scaling (like ActivityHD) when launched from ActivityHD. Without this registry setting, Excel attempts to do its own DPI scaling when launched from ActivityHD, thus causing the problem described above.

    The following registry entry is created:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AppCompatFlags\Layers

    Value name: [INSTALLDIR]Activity.exe

    Value data: ~ DPIUNAWARE

  • Calculation logging

    Calculation logging is performed in financial designs to display information and to support drilldown. Logging could cause performance problems when processing large designs with many calculations. In version 7.3 of ActivityHD, the performance of calculation logging is improved.

  • Database passwords

    Apostrophes are valid characters in a database password; however, before this version of ActivityHD, passwords which included an apostrophe were not being formatted properly and would result in an error similar to this:

    Format of the initialization string does not conform to specification starting at index...

    Apostrophes in passwords are now handled properly.

  • Images

    When running a report which uses an image, it's possible for the image to be unavailable to the user who is running the report. In the past, it was difficult to figure out the problem because the report would simply render the data without the image. Now an error message shows which states that the image was not found.

Fixed Assets

  • 2018 updates

    The FAVehicleDepreciationLimit table has been updated with new limits for trucks and vans put into service in 2017. The limits for automobiles did not change.

  • Depreciation Schedule

    Fixed Assets > Assets > [right-click] > Select and Report > Depreciation Schedule

    Until this version, if you ran the report by location code or description, the report could produce inaccurate results if it included any assets that were in multiple locations during the reporting period. These assets were reported in each of their locations, so that the totals by location were correct but the grand totals for cost, prior depreciation, total depreciation, and remaining depreciation were overstated.

    Now assets are reported according to their location as of the report end date. Any assets which were in a different location earlier in the reporting date range are marked with an asterisk and a note is shown at the bottom of the report. The warning only occurs for reports by location, and only if at least one asset on the report was in multiple locations during the date range.

    If you run the report for grand totals only (i.e., the Show Assets checkbox is cleared), the following note displays instead:

General Ledger

  • Calendars

    General Ledger > Setup > Calendars

    Version 7.0 introduced Weekly, Daily, and Forever calendars to the General Ledger installation. Because installation of the Daily calendar significantly slowed installation, it has been removed. Although it is not automatically installed, you can still create the calendar manually if needed. This change affects new installations only, not existing databases.

  • Journal Entries

    General Ledger > Journal Entries

    The size of the Activity Source field has been increased from 12 to 15 characters. This change accommodates longer manual entries and data converted from other systems.

Payroll/Human Resources

  • 2018 tax updates

    Due to pending changes to federal withholding with the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the through-date for TaxUSA has been rolled forward to February 1, 2018.

    A new bracket was introduced for Mississippi effective January 1, 2018. Mississippians are no longer taxed on their first $1,000 of income.

    New income tax rates for some Indiana counties were introduced effective January 1, 2018. The counties affected are Bartholomew, Carroll, Daviess, Decatur, Greene, Howard, Montgomery, Orange, Putnam, Scott, and Vanderburgh.

    Updates to Georgia withholding brackets were introduced effective January 1, 2018. In addition, the method for determining the personal allowance has been improved.

    The tax rates for Big Rapids, Michigan and the exemption amount for Springfield, Michigan were incorrect. These errors have been addressed.

    The through-dates for the following states have been rolled forward to December 31, 2018 because these states have not yet reported changes from the 2017 calculations or have confirmed that there will be no changes from the 2017 calculations.

    • Alabama
    • Arkansas
    • Delaware
    • Hawaii
    • Idaho
    • Illinois
    • Kansas
    • Louisiana
    • Massachusetts
    • Michigan
    • Michigan cities
    • Missouri
    • Nebraska
    • New Jersey
    • North Carolina
    • Oklahoma
    • Utah
    • Vermont
    • Virginia
    • West Virginia

    The through-dates for the following states have been rolled forward to February 1, 2018 because these states are awaiting changes to the federal tax rates before announcing their own changes.

    • North Dakota
    • Oregon

    A spreadsheet model of the new tax functions can be found in "...\Extras\Payroll\Tax\Test Tax Functions.xls".

  • 2018 tax updates (Payroll Canada only)

    New withholding rates and bracket changes effective January 1, 2018 have been introduced for Canada and the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, and Saskatchewan.

  • Checks

    Payroll/Human Resources > Checks

    Until now, reversal disbursements could be deleted on voided checks. A cryptic error message with a constraint violation message was then issued if you attempted to delete the original disbursement.

    Now if you attempt to delete any disbursement on a voided check, the following message results:

    Cannot delete a disbursement on a voided check.

  • Checks

    Payroll/Human Resources > Checks

    Before this version, a warning was issued when saving edits to a voided or reversal check to the effect that the total disbursement amount did not match net pay. This warning is now excluded for voided and reversal checks since the mismatch is expected behavior. Reversal disbursements are added to the original, voided check. Reversal checks do not contain disbursements.

Purchasing

  • Purchases

    Purchasing > Purchases

    The Reference field on purchases now behaves the same as the Reference field in the Orders window. In the past, if you attempted to change the reference on a purchase after approval when a change was made to the order amount, the following message was returned.

    The Amount cannot exceed the Approval Amount for a Master Order.

    Now the Reference field is always enabled.

Web Services

  • Payroll Self-Serve

    In the past, when users viewed their pay statements on the self-serve site, the net pay amount displayed on the page. Some users disliked this presentation because it was easy to forget that this information would be visible immediately upon navigating to that page, potentially revealing personal information to onlookers. After this change, the Net Pay column has been removed from that page, but the net pay amount is still available from the attachment.