What's New in 2021 R9

What's New lists the enhancements and changes made in the 21.09 release. This release is available as of 9/16/2021. Android users can download the mobile app the same day as its release. For iOS users, apps take 24 to 48 hours following the release date to become available in the App Store.

Customers hosted in a Viewpoint cloud solution receive the latest update automatically. For customers who update modules manually, see Update the Portal for help.

Important: Please be advised that test and live versions of portal websites must have an SSL certificate applied as of the 2021 R9 release. If you update to the R9 release without having an SSL certificate applied, you will not be able to access your portal. For help, see How to Apply an SSL Certificate to Your Portal.

Important: The OptInPaperless check box on the Update My Personal Info page is no longer used and has been removed for the R9 release. Please ensure that all users have set paperless consent options under Manage Paperless Settings (available under their name in the navigation bar).

General Highlights

  • Mail Log

    • Users who have configured their portal to send SMS messages with Twilio can now search the mail log for phone numbers.

HR Management Highlights

The following customer suggestions were added in this release. For a list of defect corrections, see the Issues Fixed page.

  • Enhanced Performance Review Dashboard!

    • Performance Review Admins can now use the enhanced dashboard to perform the same tasks as they did before, plus the following:

      • View a consolidated review history per employee.
      • See the employee's overall review status and review score.
      • Filter performance reviews by review template and review status.
      • Send review reminders to employees and managers.
      • Edit an employee's performance reviewers.
      • Download a combined manager and employee review form.

      See Performance Review Dashboard and Configure Performance Review for more details. Watch a demonstration of the changes here:

  • New User Access > Performance section now available

    • System Admins can assign an employee's performance review manager and performance review group from the User Access page. Select Admin > User Access, and then select the new Performance option from the Module Bundle drop-down. See Configure Performance Review for details.

  • Onboarding / Applicant Tracking

    • New advanced portal setting: Portal URL for External Users (include trailing '/'): If you are using a portal URL that redirects to your SSO provider, enter a different portal URL in this setting so that new hires (non-SSO) are not subject to the redirect.
      Note: This setting must include a forward slash (/) at the end of the URL. For example: https://myemployeeportal.com/.

Field Management Highlights

The following customer suggestions were added in this release. For a list of defect corrections, see the Issues Fixed page.

  • Equipment

    • EM Work Order numbering now supports generating work order numbers by shop, following the same numbering specified in Vista EM Company Parameters.

  • Field Management Mobile

    • When editing line details, class codes now display with class names for users who can edit their class on the mobile app.

  • Field Tickets

    • New portal setting shows the EMCo field in the Equipment section and limits the EMCo's drop-down to the list entered in the portal setting: Enabled EMCo's for non-timecard equipment entry (comma separated).

      Setting location: Admin > Portal Settings > Field Tickets > Advanced Configuration.

  • Progress Entry

    • A new Progress Entry Audit Report is now attached to the HQ Batch Control record in Vista after users submit progress entry, approve a ticket in the web portal, or submit production from the Field Management Mobile app. The report shows the company, month, and batch ID and provides information on the phases that were updated in the batch.

  • Purchase Orders

    • New portal setting allows Pending PO users to see Pending PO's on the PO dashboard based on their bJob/bContract security in Vista: Allow all Pending PO users to see Pending PO's based on bJob/bContract security. Setting location: Admin > Portal Settings > Purchase Orders > PO Pending.

      • If this setting is disabled, users only see the Pending PO's they have submitted or that they are assigned to approve.
    • The Job drop-down on the Pending PO Entry screen allows for any job to be selected from the Enabled JCCo for lookups portal setting. Setting location: Admin > Portal Settings > AP Review > Invoice Line Item.

      • When portal setting Restrict companies (JCCo, EMCo, etc.) on PO Items to match the header POCo is disabled, the Job drop-down is restricted to the company listed in the PO header. Setting location: Admin > Portal Settings > Purchase Orders > Company Restrictions.

Financial Controls Highlights

The following customer suggestions were added in this release. For a list of defect corrections, see the Issues Fixed page.

  • Billing Compiler

    • The JC Detail page now follows the sort ordering selected in the Billing Compiler header.

    • New portal setting limits the types of attachments initialized to the Attachments grid: Attachment Types to exclude from Billing Compiler (comma separated). Setting location: Admin > Portal Settings > Billing > General Configuration.

  • Purchase Orders

    • New portal setting allows Pending PO users to see Pending PO's on the PO dashboard based on their bJob/bContract security in Vista: Allow all Pending PO users to see Pending PO's based on bJob/bContract security. Setting location: Admin > Portal Settings > Purchase Orders > PO Pending.

      • If this setting is disabled, users only see the Pending PO's they have submitted or that they are assigned to approve.
    • The Job drop-down on the Pending PO Entry screen allows for any job to be selected from the Enabled JCCo for lookups portal setting. Setting location: Admin > Portal Settings > AP Review > Invoice Line Item.

      • When portal setting Restrict companies (JCCo, EMCo, etc.) on PO Items to match the header POCo is disabled, the Job drop-down is restricted to the company listed in the PO header. Setting location: Admin > Portal Settings > Purchase Orders > Company Restrictions.

Vista Field Service Highlights

The following customer suggestions were added in this release. For a list of defect corrections, see the Issues Fixed page.

  • New Service Manager Dashboard!
    • Extend Vista Field Service even further with the new Service Manager Dashboard! Search and drill down into work orders, create or reassign service trips, and more. Set and apply dashboard filters to refresh the list of work orders that displays. Assign users access to the Service Manager Dashboard on the User Access page. See Service Manager Dashboard for more details.

      Note: To reassign trips, users must be part of the employee group assigned to the portal setting User Group to allow adding and editing of work order header information located under Admin > Portal Settings > Field Service > General Configuration.
  • Close a Trip

    • The Work Order Trip Summary now shows the service center address instead of the company address.

    • New portal setting: Hide Return Trip options during Trip Complete. Enable this setting if you want to prevent return trip fields (Return Trip Required check box, Return trip reason, and return trip notes) from showing when a user closes a trip.

      Setting location: Admin > Portal Settings > Field Service > Trip Close-Out.

  • Scopes

    • New option in Scope Details allows you to add lines to work completed sections faster and more efficiently. Select the icon in the upper right of a work completed section to add lines to that section.

    • The portal setting Save work completed labor notes to the scope notes has been changed to Save work completed labor notes to the trip notes. If you enable this setting, notes saved for labor lines are saved to the trip notes as a new line.

      Setting location: Admin > Portal Settings > Field Service > Work Complete.

  • Work Order Dashboard / Work Orders

    • New work completed defaults have been added. Quantities for Inventory and Misc now default to 1. For purchase orders, the Amount field now defaults to 0. In addition, a PO number is required only if you have enabled the portal setting Allow manual entry of PO number on Quick Create and Standard PO.

      Setting location: Admin > Portal Settings > Purchase Orders > General Configuration.

    • Technicians can now change the Service Center when creating a new work order.

    • The Site Details page now shows a Close option at the top and bottom of the page for improved usability.

    • New portal setting: Technicians to exclude from work order history (comma separated). Enter the SM Technician code for any technicians that you want to exclude from Work Order History details. Separate multiple technicians with a comma and no spaces. For example: 100,200,300.

      Setting location: Admin > Portal Settings > Field Service > General Configuration.

  • Portal Setting Location Changes

    • Under Admin > Portal Settings > Field Service, the following portal settings have moved to different sections:
      Portal Setting Previous Location New Location
      Enable Clock-In General Configuration Work Complete
      Enable Payment Collection Option during Trip Close-Out General Configuration Trip Close-Out
      Payment URL during Trip Close-Out General Configuration Trip Close-Out
      Always hide attachments from displaying in the Trip Completion process and PDF output Work Complete Trip Close-Out
      Do not send email confirmation when completing trips Work Complete Trip Close-Out
      Mark the scope complete when a trip is marked completed Work Complete Trip Close-Out