What's New in 2021 R10

What's New lists the enhancements and changes made in the 21.10 release. The web release is available as of 10/18/2021. The Field Management Mobile release is available as of 10/19/21. 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:
  • Before updating your portal, be sure that you are running .NET Framework 4.7.2 or higher. This is a required prerequisite.
  • Test and live versions of portal websites must have an SSL certificate applied. For help, see How to Apply an SSL Certificate to Your Portal.

General Highlights

  • Portal setting LDAP Domain has been changed to LDAP Domain (for use with single domains only). This setting is not for use with multiple domains. Setting location: Admin > Portal Settings > Security / Login > Windows Authentication Login.

  • New portal setting Log out all tabs and windows if a user is logged out. Enable this setting to return users to the sign-in page when they log out of the system or when they are logged out automatically due to a session timeout. If you do not enable this setting and a user logs out or is logged out automatically, that user must navigate to the sign-in page to log in again. Setting location: Admin > Portal Settings > Show Advanced Settings > Security / Login > Advanced Configuration.
    Note: If a System Admin changes a user's password, that user will be logged out of all sessions.

HR Management Highlights

The following customer suggestions were added in this release. For a list of defect corrections, see the Issues Fixed page.
  • Benefits
    • Choose how employee benefit effective dates update Vista HR Resource Benefits with the new portal setting Update Employee Benefit Effective Dates with each Benefit Window. When this setting is enabled (default), employee benefit effective dates update automatically with each open enrollment window. To update employee benefit effective dates only if an employee makes benefit changes, disable this setting. Setting location: Admin > Portal Settings > Benefits > General Configuration.

  • Expenses
    • For expense items that have been added to a batch, Expense Admins must now clear the batch status in order to delete the item or reset approvers for the item.

  • Onboarding / Applicant Tracking
    • The Applicant Search page now loads the most recent 2,000 applicant records first.

  • Performance Reviews
    • Select different performance review templates for employees and managers. Two new drop-down fields are available on the Initialize Reviews pop-up: Choose Review Template for Employees and Choose Review Template for Managers. Both of these fields are required before you can select employees for the performance review.

      Note: You must select a review template for employees even if employee self-reviews are not enabled. The template you select for employees determines the employees that the review will be for and the managers that will be assigned to that review.

    • Allow or disable employee self-reviews by performance review instance. Disable Employee Self Review has been removed from Portal Settings (Admin > Portal Settings > Performance Reviews > General Configuration) and is now a check box available on the Initialize Reviews pop-up window. To allow employee self-reviews for a performance review instance, leave this check box blank. See Initialize Performance Reviews for details.

    • Unsubmit reviews before finalizing. Performance Review Admins can now unsubmit the employee's or the manager's review so that those users can make changes. Employees and managers receive an email notification if their review is unsubmitted. See Unsubmit Performance Reviews for details.

    • Send bulk email reminders to all managers and employees with unsubmitted performance reviews using the new Send Bulk Email Reminder button on the Performance Review Dashboard.

    • Review status analytics now display in the upper right of the Performance Review Dashboard. Analytics correspond to the statuses shown in the dashboard grid.

      Note: Review statuses are now as follows: In Progress, Awaiting Manager Finalize, Awaiting Employee Finalize, Finalized. See Performance Review Dashboard Fields for details.

  • Personal Info
    • When reviewing attachments for a personal info field in Personal Info Approval, you can now select the Attachment Type from a drop-down list, allowing you to categorize the attachments in Vista.

  • Timecards
    • Improved behavior for Grid Timecards on iOS tablets.

Field Management Highlights

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

  • Field Management Mobile App
    • Class numbers now display with class descriptions on the main Timecard page and all other pages where classes are shown.

    • Improved syncing performance for jobs and phases.

  • Progress Entry
    • Portal Setting Enable Progress Entry Approval (Only Available for MFM Flow) has been renamed Enable Progress Entry Approval and is no longer an advanced setting. New setting location: Admin > Portal Settings > Progress Entry > General Configuration.

    • New portal setting Restrict Production Approval to Job Time Approvers. If this setting is enabled, users assigned to approve time in Job Approval will be able to approve progress items specific to those jobs. Setting location: Admin > Portal Settings > Progress Entry > General Configuration.

  • Purchase Orders
    • A new Purchase Order Audit Report is now attached to the HQ Batch Control record in Vista after users process a PO batch (applies to standard PO entry only). The report shows the company, month, and batch ID and provides information on the phases that were updated in the batch.

    • Added an additional check on PO Tax Type to improve behavior.

  • Crew Timecards
    • Improved behavior for grid timecards on iOS tablets.

    • New portal setting Users with access to Manage Crews Access to all Crews. If this setting is enabled, users in User Group with Access to Manage Crews have access to all crews in the Manage Crews Dashboard. Both settings located under: Admin > Portal Settings > Timecard > Grid Timecard.
    • Restrict Submit All option on shared grid timecard templates to only the employees managed by the currently signed-in user.

Financial Controls Highlights

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

  • AP Invoice Review
    • Field Tickets can now be added to new line items in AP Invoice Review.

      Note: This only applies to Job line types.
      • In Vista 2021 R1, enable Show on Form in Vista's Field System Overrides for Field Tickets.
        • To hide this field, disable the Show on Form option.
      • On an unapproved invoice, select Add New Item and select line type 1-Job.
      • Select the desired Field Ticket from the FieldTicket drop-down.
    • Performance improvements were made to the AP Invoice grid and AP Invoice Detail pages.

  • Purchase Orders
    • A new Purchase Order Audit Report is now attached to the HQ Batch Control record in Vista after users process a PO batch. The report shows the company, month, and batch ID and provides information on the phases that were updated in the batch.

    • Added an additional check on PO Tax Type to improve behavior.

Vista Field Service Highlights

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

  • General
    • New SM Note Settings (Admin > Portal Settings > Field Service > General Configuration. Use this setting to customize how Trip Notes, Scope Notes, and Work Completed Notes display in Field Service. You can choose a Display Type (Hide, Read Only, Free Text, or Add with Date Stamp), indicate whether to show a particular note on the Trip Completion page, and override the label used for this field in Field Service. If a notes field is hidden, it will not display in this setting. See Configure Field Service for more information.

      Note: As part of this change, the portal setting Save work completed labor notes to the trip notes has been removed from Admin > Portal Settings > Field Service > Work Complete.
    • Restrict the SM companies available in Field Service with the new portal setting SM Companies to Enable. Enter the numbers for the SM companies to enable, or leave this setting blank to make all SM companies available. Setting location: Admin > Portal Settings > Field Service > General Configuration.

  • Close a Trip
    • New portal setting Process and mark the field payment as accepted. Enable this setting to create the AR payment receipt when the payment is collected in the field. Setting location: Admin > Portal Settings > Field Service > Trip Close-Out.

  • Service Manager Dashboard
    • Improved loading performance for the Trip Dashboard.

  • Work Order Dashboard
    • Trip notes now display on the work completed entry screen instead of the work order.