Our 'Summer 24' and 'Winter 24' Updates for Solarvista cloud product/platform boast the largest number of new features we ever released in a short period. With an abundance of enhancements and advancements, these updates not only match the capabilities of Solarvista's established products, such as Solarvista V8 and Solarvista LIVE/X9, but surpass them by a significant margin. The sheer magnitude of new features and improvements has led us to affectionately dub these updates with the nickname "Solarvista 10", a testament to their nature. While the official product name remains as 'Solarvista', the impact and innovation of these updates are truly deserving of the moniker "Solarvista 10" as a mark of succession from previous versions.
Why the 'Solarvista 10' nickname?
The journey to transition from on-premise software to pure cloud has been a monumental one, marked by challenges and triumphs alike. In our case, this transformation meant starting from scratch, rebuilding every aspect of our technology infrastructure from the ground up. The result? Solarvista's technology is now tried and tested, having been successfully implemented under the LIVE and Zappflow branding. While these products shared similarities, they never quite matched the robust feature set of Solarvista 8 (on-premise) and Solarvista X9 (hybrid cloud). For long-standing Solarvista users, the option to confidently upgrade to 'Solarvista 10' represents a significant milestone in our evolution. The nickname 'Solarvista 10' not only signifies a major upgrade but also serves as a testament to the innovation and progress that these updates bring to the table. In the world of cloud software, versions no longer apply but for our customers, we think the nickname will mean a lot to them.
How is Solarvista different to competitor products?
Solarvista stands out as the trailblazer in the field service management realm, pioneering the world's first '2-in-1' system that seamlessly integrates 'no-code' application builder technology. This innovative approach revolutionizes how businesses streamline their field service operations, offering a harmonious blend of pre-built functionalities that can be easily tailored to meet individual needs. Whether accessed through a web browser or on mobile devices such as phones, tablets, and PCs/laptops, Solarvista empowers users to achieve more with less effort, ultimately enhancing the overall customer experience. By combining intuitive usability with cutting-edge automation, Solarvista sets a new standard for field service management solutions, enabling businesses to operate efficiently and effectively in today's fast-paced environment.
What is the upgrade path from Solarvista 8 or Solarvista X9?
As previously mentioned, the architecture of 'Solarvista 10' differs from its 'predecessors', Solarvista 8 and X9, which were built on a SQL Server platform. In contrast, Solarvista utilizes a pure cloud architecture, specifically Azure's remarkable Cosmos DB "global scale" data storage. To facilitate the transition, we have established migration programs that grant customers access to a complimentary Solarvista account during the migration process. Once the migration is successfully completed, standard pricing will apply (with the option to discontinue the old maintenance and support fee). This seamless transition ensures a smooth shift from older products to the cutting-edge cloud technology of Solarvista.
We've already started rolling out some of these feature under Preview flag control but over the summer and winter of 24, we will roll out all of these features.
So, what is new?
We have demonstrated the effectiveness of our technology through the successful implementation of 'Zappflow' and 'LIVE' in recent years. Solarvista already offers a wide range of features for managing customers, sites, contacts, equipment/assets, agreements, service levels, pricing policies, price books, product masters, suppliers, invoicing, currencies, taxes, skills, certifications, territories, and calendars with maps. Additionally, our mobile apps for field operatives come equipped with customizable workflows and of course, work offline, and on all device types (iOS, Android and Windows).
With the upcoming release, we are excited to introduce even more features to enhance the user experience and streamline operations...
NEW! Manage purchasing and use full inventory management.
Leveraging your products master, service levels, pricing policies, and supplier information, you can seamlessly issue purchase orders that seamlessly flow into goods receipts and various inventory locations. These inventory locations can range from office/depots, users, suppliers, customer sites, or even coded locations, providing you with ultimate flexibility in managing your stock. Whether you need to adjust inventory levels, move items around, or fulfil sales orders for dispatch, Solarvista allows you to do so with ease. Furthermore, Solarvista gives you the option to itemize your inventory, whether it's through serial numbers, tags, or simply tracking quantities. This level of detail ensures that you have complete visibility and control over your stock, enabling you to make informed decisions and optimize your operations efficiently. To top it off, the mobile apps support barcode scanning, making inventory management a breeze and reducing the chances of errors in tracking and handling your products.
NEW! Embedded dashboards for real-time business intelligence.
Create personalized dashboards displaying your preferred charts to visualize real-time business data. With 'Solarvista 10', the possibilities are endless as you can customize your dashboards with a variety of chart options such as pie charts, bar charts, stacked bar charts, tables, text, area charts, and more. Whether you prefer a visual representation of your KPIs or a detailed breakdown of your inventory levels, 'Solarvista 10' has you covered.
Not only can you create multiple dashboards to cater to different aspects of your business, but you can also easily switch between them to gain a comprehensive view of your operations. And the best part? Data is automatically cached by our cloud services, ensuring that your dashboards populate instantly with up-to-date information. Say goodbye to waiting around for reports to load and hello to instant insights at your fingertips. 'Solarvista 10' truly takes business intelligence to the next level.
NEW! Work efficiently with subcontractors.
Operate more efficiently with sub-contractors using a portal that allows you to create requests to suppliers. Once the suppliers accept these requests, they can seamlessly populate activity records for comprehensive work debriefs. This detailed information not only aids in accurate costings based on supplier rates but also facilitates the generation of purchase orders for necessary approvals. By streamlining the communication and collaboration process with subcontractors, 'Solarvista 10' ensures a seamless workflow and enhances overall project management efficiency.
NEW! Manage multi-site, high volume recurring work ('PPMs') easier.
The upgraded Recurring Work feature now empowers users to efficiently manage maintenance tasks for all equipment and assets across multiple sites, all within a single, consolidated work order. With meticulous task balancing for specific durations, this enhanced functionality ensures optimal efficiency and organization in task allocation, whether for individuals or teams. From scheduling work for a duration of 5 days to creating complex schedules with varying time increments, Solarvista 10 streamlines the management of work schedules with seamless ease, enhancing productivity and effectiveness in field service operations.
NEW! Automate generation of timesheets and gather approvals.
Gone are the days of manual time tracking and the tedious process of filling out timesheets. With Solarvista 10, we have revolutionized the way employee hours are recorded and managed. By leveraging real-time data inputs, our system automatically generates timesheets for each individual, eliminating the need for manual entry and reducing the margin for error. These generated timesheets are then seamlessly presented back to users for any necessary edits or approvals, streamlining the entire process and ensuring accuracy. But the benefits don't stop there. Once approved, these timesheets can be seamlessly integrated with HR systems for effortless payroll processing. Whether it's calculating overtime, tracking leave balances, or managing holiday accrual adjustments, Solarvista 10 simplifies the entire payroll process, saving time and reducing administrative burdens for HR departments. With our automated timesheet generation and approval feature, businesses can now focus on what truly matters - driving productivity and achieving their goals.
NEW! Assist your customers easier with new tickets/help desk feature.
Assisting customers via telephone or email (or perhaps generated from telemetry/IoT) is made seamless and efficient with Solarvista's Tickets feature. Not only can you easily log all interactions and communications with customers, including calls, notes, and emails, but you can also set automatic response times to ensure timely and effective customer support. Additionally, the system allows you to set follow-ups to remind your team or users of any pending tasks or actions that need to be addressed. This level of organization and automation ensures that customer inquiries are promptly addressed and that no request or issue falls through the cracks. With Solarvista's Tickets feature, providing top-notch customer service has never been easier.
NEW! Create quotations for parts, labour, services and agreements.
When creating quotations within Solarvista, users have the ability to leverage detailed information from their product catalogue, service offerings, and agreement pricing, all while taking into account the specific pricing policies set by each individual customer. This level of customization ensures that quotations are tailored to meet the unique requirements and preferences of each client, ultimately enhancing customer satisfaction and driving sales. Once a quotation is generated, users can seamlessly convert it into various types of work orders, work items, agreements, or requests/orders, streamlining the process and seamlessly transitioning from initial pricing discussions to actionable tasks. This seamless integration between quotation creation and work order generation not only saves time but also ensures accuracy and consistency throughout the entire service delivery process. With Solarvista, turning quotations into actionable tasks has never been easier or more efficient.
NEW: Auto customer history at-a-glance collated in real-time.
When activity occurs anywhere on the system, whether initiated by desktop users or mobile operatives utilizing the app, Solarvista effectively compiles this data selectively to present comprehensive and easy-to-read histories at a glance. This meticulous collation allows for quick access to a wealth of information, enabling users to make informed and customer-focused decisions with ease. By monitoring and organizing data in real-time, Solarvista ensures that businesses can stay agile and responsive, providing a seamless and personalized experience for their customers.
NEW! Design custom documents, reports or dashboard-style reports.
The full document and report designer integrated into Solarvista offers unparalleled flexibility in creating a wide range of outputs, including documents, certificates, job sheets, invoices, agreements, and contracts. Additionally, users have access to a comprehensive suite of intelligent charts and pivot-tables, allowing for dynamic and visually appealing data representation. With the inclusion of a new query designer, accessing any data within Solarvista is simplified, enabling users to extract valuable insights with ease. Furthermore, the system's background caching technology ensures that processes run swiftly and efficiently, providing a seamless user experience. This robust combination of features empowers users to design custom documents, reports, and dashboard-style presentations tailored to their specific needs, enhancing overall functionality and productivity within the platform.
NEW! Add linked data grids anywhere.
Introducing the latest addition to Solarvista's arsenal of features - the Linked Data Source Grid option. This innovative tool allows for real-time display of any data on any record within the system, offering unparalleled flexibility and customization. With endless possibilities for utilization, this feature is set to revolutionize the way users interact with and analyse data within the Solarvista platform. Whether it's tracking inventory levels, monitoring service agreements, or analysing customer interactions, the Linked Data Source Grid provides a dynamic and efficient solution for accessing and presenting crucial information. Seamlessly integrated into the Solarvista 2-in-1 application builder/platform, this feature forms a cornerstone of the platform's capabilities, empowering users to create tailored and insightful data displays with ease. Say goodbye to static data views and hello to a new era of interactive and dynamic data visualization with the Linked Data Source Grid from Solarvista.
NEW! Automatically schedule work optimised for minimal travel time.
The automated scheduler in Solarvista 10 takes the hassle out of scheduling by optimizing future work in batches, all at once. By ensuring that the right person is assigned to each task, travel times are minimized, allowing field operatives to get home on time and reducing unnecessary stress. Gone are the days of manual planning, you can effortlessly manage your team's schedule without the need for tedious micromanagement. This seamless integration of automation not only streamlines operations but also improves overall efficiency, allowing you to focus on what truly matters - delivering exceptional service to your customers. Available in Winter 24 Update.
NEW! Track extra remuneration and leave/holiday accrual adjustments.
Let Solarvista streamline the tracking of additional remuneration for various scenarios such as operatives on stand-by, on-call, or working overtime. With the system's advanced capabilities, you can effortlessly calculate and manage leave/holiday accrual adjustments as well. These features are designed to simplify the process of compensating employees for their extra efforts and ensure accurate recording of their time and attendance. Once these adjustments are calculated, Solarvista seamlessly prepares them for transmission to HR systems, saving time and reducing the likelihood of errors in payroll processing. With Solarvista, managing additional remuneration and leave/holiday accrual adjustments has never been easier or more efficient.
NEW! Manage resource capacity against demand.
To optimize planned preventive maintenance, meticulous planning is essential to guarantee that the necessary human resources, including specific skills, geographic coverage, and certifications, are readily available to fulfil your contractual obligations. Solarvista 10 goes above and beyond by monitoring the capacity of your resources and aligning it with the demand, which encompasses your commitments to deliver services efficiently. By seamlessly comparing resource availability with service requirements, Solarvista 10 empowers you to proactively manage and allocate your workforce, ensuring that you can meet and exceed your service level agreements with ease. This advanced functionality not only enhances operational efficiency but also enables you to deliver exceptional service quality consistently, ultimately driving customer satisfaction and loyalty. With Solarvista 10's robust resource management capabilities, you can stay ahead of the curve in managing your workforce effectively and delivering outstanding results for your clients. Available in Winter 24 Update.
... and lots of small improvements.
We've improved many parts of the software and made it easier to use. From enhanced user interface designs to streamlined workflows, our team has diligently worked to ensure that every aspect of Solarvista 10 is optimized for efficiency and user-friendliness. With a focus on continuous improvement, we have implemented numerous small enhancements throughout the system, making it more intuitive and seamless for our users. These incremental updates may seem minor individually, but collectively they contribute to an overall enhanced user experience that sets Solarvista 10 apart as a cutting-edge cloud technology solution. Our commitment to innovation and user satisfaction drives us to constantly refine and improve our software, ensuring that our customers have access to the latest and most advanced features available in the industry.