DPS Extend Release 7 Features
To Request Upgrade: Please call your DPS Project Manager or Software Support Analyst at (800) 654-4689 or reply by email. DPS Services are available to assist in the installation of the upgrade and to reapply any custom modifications to the new Extend release. For a pdf version of this features list, click here.
SYSTEM-DEFINED PARAMETERS
 Additional Reporting Level with Optional Use
This new field adds more flexibility to the GL account numbering and reporting scheme. Works in a similar manner as other reporting levels but may be turned on or off.
Expanded Foreign Currency Support for AP and GL
This optional feature allows GL transactions to be entered and retained in multiple currencies, while providing the capability to consolidate financial statement reporting into a single currency. A potential requirement for those companies that have subsidiaries in foreign countries. Retained earnings accounts are now assigned by currency code.
International Addressing and Phone Number Support
As the world market continues to shrink, bringing business from different parts of the world closer and closer, you must be able to ship product and mail correspondence in a timely and accurate manner. This feature provides the capability to establish addressing and phone number masking rules for proper presentation and to follow postal guidelines. Upper and lower case text for address lines allows for professional looking correspondence and e-commerce communications.
Expanded Use of User/Date/Timestamps for Enhanced Audit Trail
DPS is committed to ongoing improvements in auditing, providing you with key information: whodunit!
New Currency File with Historical Exchange Rate Details
This function became a requirement when foreign currency support in GL became a reality. Some financial statement reporting mandates the use of exchange rates at the time of the transaction.
ORDER PROCESSING
New Ship-to and Order Contacts
These new contact names may be added to the shipping address, ensuring that orders will be delivered to appropriate personnel. Override to both contacts is also available for those exception orders. These contacts also provide a more complete audit trail for the life of the order, since contacts are now a permanent piece of the order history.
Additional Customer Miscellaneous Codes, with Override Capabilities
Now all FastDefine fields have override capabilities in order entry programs, allowing for transaction-based information to flow thru the order cycle into sales analysis.
Route/Stop Fields Added for Shipping Destination
Ship-to customer route and stop fields are now part of the order entry process and allow override capabilities. This facilitates those organizations that have their own routing or delivery trucks.
Added Security to Order Notes File
As another commitment to auditing, Extend utilizes this order note file to write audit information throughout the life cycle of the order. In order to prevent this information from being distorted or removed, security has been added to allow only those users that originally created the note to modify or remove it. System-generated notes are identified by the program/process that created them and are not maintainable. To maximize efficiency and effective communications, all Extend note functions may now be viewed and maintained via the Inquiry subsystem.
Increased Maximum Order Lines to 9,999
This feature facilitates large orders posting from your EDI Inbound 850 transaction sets and is also convenient for large, seasonal stocking orders.
New ‘Position To’ Navigation Tool in Order Entry
Because of the increased order sizes, this navigation was imperative! You may now position to a specific order/line number or a specific item number. Quick access to go to the top or bottom of the order is also provided.
Additional Item Restriction Method
To more effectively manage customer sales classes, you no longer have to create special categories to use this item restriction feature. Individual ordering customers may now be entered directly into the file.
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Customer Sales Class
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Ordering Customer Number
New ‘Estimated Freight’ Field for More Accurate Pre-Sale Totals
A freight charge can now be entered during the order entry process, an essential for those of you who make use of the pay with order feature. Complete audit history is retained from the original, estimated value to the final shipment, destination value.
New ‘Freight Taxable’ Flag
Rules for assessing sales taxes on freight charges vary among states and provinces. You may now specify whether or not sales taxes should be applied to freight charges on orders, based on ship-to destinations.
New Customer Payment Restrictions for Pay-with-Order Transactions
Customers may now be set up to allow for any type of payment or can be restricted to cash, check, credit card, or any combination thereof. This is a great tool for credit managers who want to reduce returned, NSF processing. It’s also a great tool for interfacing with e-Business applications to allow only credit card payments via the web.
Invoicing Enhancements
Several printing options have been added to facilitate mailing requirements and postal regulations. If your business practices are such that invoice printing is not required (e.g. your customers pay by monthly statements), you may also specify to not print invoices during the nightly billing process.
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Zero-Invoice Print Options by Customer
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Backorder Summary Print Options
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New Print Sequencing Options in Company Master File
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Reprint/Refax/Retransmit Range of Invoices
New Security Features
Because of increased fraud and stolen identity cases throughout the world, we have added additional security features for those organizations that accept credit card payments and for those that use 3rd party shipping interfaces.
New Ship Tracking Inquiry
Whether you interface with a Warehouse Management System like DPS Zap, or you manually enter order tracking information (# of cartons, tracking identifications, weight, and freight information), this information is now accessible to your customer service department via inquiry to better serve your customer needs.
New Promotion Inquiry
Upsell more product by simply knowing what is currently on your promotional campaigns!
New ‘Intelligent Inquiry’ Function within Kardex Inquiry
Now allows you to go directly to the order or purchase order inquiry for the selected kardex line.
Enhanced Auditability/Analysis for Orders Originating Outside of Extend
We pride ourselves in providing interface points to outside systems and 3rd party software that are efficient and effective. For those outside transactions, we have added audit information to the order to assist customer service in tracking the origination of the order, should it be necessary.
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Order Source/Origination
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External User ID
ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE
Default AR Bank Code
DPS is continually adding information to the Special User Control File in order to allow Extend programs to better understand individual user responsibilities and to provide default information where appropriate. This saves users keystrokes as well as eliminating data entry errors.
AR External Batch Processing
For EDI users, this process could be used to handle inbound 820 transaction sets (Remittance Advice from Customers).
Customer Comments: AR Notes
To maximize efficiency and effective communications, all Extend note functions may now be viewed and maintained via the Inquiry subsystem. The Customer Comment Follow Up report has also been modified to allow a specific user ID to be entered, allowing your personnel to utilize this report as a personal tickler file, or reminder, to act on follow-up items for your customers.
Customer Check Inquiry: New Search Capability by Check Number
Facilitates customer service by allowing direct access to customer payments.
INVENTORY MANAGEMENT/INVENTORY CONTROL
Enhanced Inventory Turns Reporting
A re-design of this function provides a more accurate turns calculation, smoothing the average inventory value over a number of months.
New Option for Item Usage Display: Single Warehouse or All Warehouses
Display usage or demand figures by warehouse, or for the entire company, to better assist with centralized purchasing decisions.
Posting Inventory to General Ledger
Now allows for *ALL to be used for inventory postings. This feature will make it easier to use this program in your automated day-end processes or to run it via the Job Scheduler.
Physical Inventory Enhancements
Item cost has been added to the Physical Inventory Variance Report, to assist in recounting decisions should an item require a recount due to variances. If DPS Zap is installed, you no longer have to count your nonstock or non-inventory items separately. They may be counted with your regularly scheduled or ad-hoc physical inventories.
PURCHASING
New Purchase Container Module
This new feature provides the capability to receive multiple purchase orders in a single shipment based on contents of a "container". This receipt methodology can be used whenever purchase orders are being received in some type of consolidated format, or when they require extra charges (such as duty, freight, or insurance) to be added, which should be included in the inventory cost. Customs documents are also provided.
New PO Status Codes
Knowledge is Power! Whether you manually enter/update your purchase orders with current supplier status or you allow Extend ASN processing to update it for you, this information is invaluable to your warehouse and customer service departments.
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Open
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Unconfirmed
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Confirmed
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Estimated
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Backordered
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In-transit
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On ASN
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On Purchase Container
Increased Maximum Order Lines to 9,999
This features now handles large restocking and EDI orders and complements the increase in the maximum lines of customer orders.
New PO Line Item Notes with Security Features
Again, we have added more auditing information to the purchase orders at a line level. Not only do we allow free-form text to be entered, but we also create system-generated audit text to note ASN activity for the PO line. In order to prevent this information from being distorted or removed, security has been added to allow only those users that originally created the note to modify or remove it. System-generated notes are identified by the process/program that created them, which are maintainable.
New Messaging Support for PO’s and Inventory Transfers via Buyer’s Guide
Provides the capability to better communicate with suppliers and/or your warehousing staff. To maximize efficiency and effective communications, all Extend note functions may now be viewed and maintained via the Inquiry subsystem.
ASN Receiving with Complete Inquiry Feature
Using manually entered or EDI Advance Ship Notices, quantities that are currently in-transit from the supplier are identified in inquiry, providing valuable information to the warehouse and customer service for planning receipt schedules and keeping customers informed of order statuses. This ASN data may also be used as a basis in purchase receipts entry as well as with our Warehouse Management System, DPS Zap.
Bahamas or Canadian Duty Support
This support is a necessity for those organizations that import or export goods from countries that make use of tariffs, duty, etc.
Evaluated Receipts Settlement Option
AP vouchers can now be created automatically from EDI invoices sent by a vendor or directly from purchase receipts. A tremendous time-saver, as the tedious invoice matching task can perhaps be eliminated for trusted, reliable vendors.
PO Inquiry: May Now Display ALL PO’s or Open
This inquiry now is consistent with the sales order inquiry. Open purchase orders are displayed by default, but you may specify to see all purchase orders, which includes cancelled, received, and verified PO’s.
PO Receipt/Variance Report Enhancements
The report now prints only items for which a variance exists between the receipt cost and the verified cost into AP. This is a useful report to identify the need for GL cost adjustments for revaluation of inventory or supplier billing errors.
ELECTRONIC DATA INTERCHANGE (EDI) PROCESSING
Additional features, functions, and transaction sets are now supported in order to facilitate growing customer demands in this volatile industry.
Re-Transmit EDI Invoices
Display In-Transit ASN’s
Automatic Voucher Creation Option for EDI Inbound Invoices
New Transaction Sets:
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810 – Inbound Vendor Invoice
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820 – Outbound AP Remittance Advance
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855 – Outbound Order Acknowledgment
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856 – Inbound ASN
SALES ANALYSIS
Our report writer has been enhanced to include new calculations, new database fields, and more flexibility in printing.
Additional Selections in Report Writer
May Now Print Either 132 or 198 Print Positions (with Supported Hardware)
Eight (8) New Calculations Added (44 Now Available)
Option to Save Report Data to File for Download to 3rd Party Applications
Analyze your ERP information easily in familiar spreadsheet programs, IBM Query, or other desired applications.
ACCOUNTS PAYABLE
Evaluated Receipts Settlement Option
AP vouchers can now be created automatically from EDI invoices sent by a vendor or directly from purchase receipts. A tremendous time-saver, as the tedious invoice matching task can perhaps be eliminated for trusted, reliable vendors.
Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT)
Reduce forms costs by utilizing this new feature. Vendors may now be set up to receive payments electronically. An optional EDI remittance advice may also be transmitted.
AP Check Enhancements (US)
Option to print check stub or overflow remittance information on separate remittance advice form.
Vendor Analysis Code – Table Driven and Validated
Having problems with maintaining consistent vendor analysis codes for AP requirements? Look no further … it’s now table driven and validated!
1099 Enhancements (US)
You may now choose the type of vendor income on the 1099 form by selecting a specific 1099 box number. 1099 minimum amount is also available to determine which vendors should have EOY income reporting.
Enhanced Foreign Currency Support
Vendor invoices may now be entered and posted to the GL in a foreign currency. No variance accounts are required, no more reconciliation of these accounts is necessary. A key enhancement for organizations with subsidiaries in foreign countries running on the same host system. Partial payments are now allowed for foreign currency invoices and draft on payments.
Open AP Report Enhancements
Open AP reports allow selection for a range of vendors, a list of specific vendors, or for a vendor analysis code. The Open AP As of a Given Date report selection has also been expanded to include a single vendor or vendor analysis code with sequencing options by voucher or vendor.
New Inquiry Capabilities
Historical Exchange Rates are now available via the currency inquiry, and Starting Check Number is now available on the vendor check inquiry. New search capabilities have been added to facilitate inquiry searches:
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Contact Name
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Vendor City
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Vendor Zip/Postal Code
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Telephone number
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EFT transaction ID
Batch Status Inquiry
To conform to good audit practices, we have allowed batch information to remain on the system for later review. This new inquiry also facilitates the ERS process, so AP users are aware of the automatic postings.
GENERAL LEDGER
Increased GL Monetary fields from 11.2 to 13.2
Entries may now hold values up to 99 billion, in any currency!
Financial Statement Enhancements:
For those unique combinations that must be generated with each period or quarter, these selections can now be defined and saved, making the task much easier on repetitive reporting requirements.
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Generated in Choice of Currency
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Suppress 0-Value Report Lines
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‘Ad-Hoc’ Report Selections with Save Option
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Increased Report Columns from 12 to 14 with Flexible Printing Options
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Ability to print in the standard 132 width or compressed 198 width (with compatible hardware)
Enhanced Auditability to GL Detail File with Transaction/System Dates and Times
All GL posting transactions now contain user date/time stamps. Postings from external applications that attempt to update an account number that does not exist (or no longer exists) have the original transaction account number and posting levels retained to assist with suspense account reconciliation.
New Drill Down Inquiry Capabilities from New Detail Transaction File
Work your way down from a single GL posting transaction to the details in the supporting ledger, be it accounts payable, sales orders, or accounts receivable. A necessity when researching potential posting errors, as well as another great audit tool. Screen navigation has also been enhanced to allow quick access to entries within the period selected.
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AP Accruals and Payments
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Payroll
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Fixed Assets
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Inventory Transactions
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Purchases
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Accounts Receivable
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Billings
Additional Period-Close Code for Journal Entries
This new code allows period-end closing, adjusting, and correcting entries to be entered via GL entries while restricting external (interfaced) applications from posting to your closed periods. This provides controllers with the extra security of knowing only authorized transactions may be posted after a period closing.
FIXED ASSETS
Support Added for Recent 9-11 Government Tax Directives
Worksheets Added to Assist With Filing of Various Tax Forms
New Asset Retirement Entry Option
With automatic postings to DPS Extend General Ledger
Customer Database Enhancements
New Customer Contact Database with Complete Inquiry Feature
Tied to the customer, multiple contact support is now available, including e-mail address, contact types, telephone numbers, website authorizations, etc. All contacts for a customer can now be created and maintained on the system in order to better support business processes. Search and selection capabilities are integrated into the standard Extend inquiry. A contact template may be created to facilitate standard contact information and to ease data entry requirements.
New Customer Purge Process
Customer records that have no activity or history (or whose history has been purged) can be deleted from the system, allowing the capability for customer number re-use or re-assignment. A valuable tool for removing deadwood from your customer database, making searches more efficient and quicker.
Four (4) Additional ‘FastDefine’/Miscellaneous Codes
To facilitate your analytical IT processes, additional codes have been added to the customer database. These codes are user-definable (titles and field lengths) and may be used for various reporting and inquiry purposes throughout Extend. These codes are transaction-based, meaning they may be overridden from the static master file values, in order processing. They may even be used as replacement fields for existing custom modifications.
New Customer Inquiry by Country Code
With more and more international business requirements, this new inquiry identifies your customers quickly and more efficiently.
ITEM DATABASE ENHANCEMENTS
Five (5) New ‘FastDefine’/Miscellaneous Codes
To facilitate your analytical IT processes, additional codes have been added to the item database. These codes are user-definable (titles and field lengths) and may be used for various reporting and inquiry purposes throughout Extend. These codes are static master file values populated in your transaction files. They may even be used as replacement fields for existing custom modifications.
New Special Order Item Flag
For those of you who frequently utilize special stock orders and direct ship items, this flag will now save your customer service department from having to manually enter this information. The process is now automated from order inception to order invoicing.
VENDOR DATABASE ENHANCEMENTS
Four (4) New ‘FastDefine’ / Miscellaneous Codes
To facilitate your analytical IT processes, additional codes have been added to the vendor database. These codes are user-definable (titles and field lengths) and are static master file values. They may even be used as replacement fields for existing custom modifications.
Enhanced Vendor Comment File and New Vendor Contact File
User-defined vendor application codes are now available for comment entries, along with a vendor contact database.
EFT – Electronic Funds Payment Option
Pay your vendor invoices electronically and save yourself time and money!
ERS – Evaluated Receipts Settlement Option
Eliminate the manual verification step of vendor invoices to PO receipts and eliminate the necessity for your AP staff to verify and post the vouchers into your AP files.
EXECUTIVE TOOLS
Advanced Business Analysis and Data Warehousing via New Generation Software™
Templates are now available within sales order processing and inventory for exporting historical data to the data warehousing tool. This powerful analysis tool helps identify patterns, trends, and rankings among your customer and item bases.
THIRD PARTY INTERFACES
Sales Tax Interface – Sales Tax II™
As sales tax rules get more and more complex, be assured that you will be compliant.
Address Cleansing Software – Works Right™
Feel confident that you are following postal regulations by taking advantage of the address cleansing interface. You may also be eligible for reduced postal rates by using the recommended postal address formatting. This is an excellent interface for those customers in the direct mail industry.
ROI™ Enhancements
Using the latest ROI Java Card technology, this credit card authorization and settlement interface is a necessary tool for those customers accepting pre-payment for orders, whether those orders originate from DPS Extend or via the web with our DPS Flash e-commerce solution.
MISCELLANEOUS
RPG and CL Code Developed in RPG IV/ILE
Continuing our ongoing effort to modernize the code, this conversion provides for more efficient execution of applications as well as improved interface capability to outside programs and processes.
New Forms Design for Increased Efficiency with Overlay Technology
All standard forms have been re-designed to accommodate the international address requirements. Overlays are also available for each of these standard forms. You may now choose from either continuous or laser formats. Forms are now 12 cpi and 8 lpi (from 10 cpi and 6 lpi). Hardware used for printing these forms must be able to support this new format.
Additional F4 Selection Windows Added Throughout All Applications
Selection and retrieval of table-driven fields has been added in order to keep with our design commitment to allow our applications to be self-sustaining. This feature ensures more efficient and accurate information is input into your daily transactions. It also decreases the training time for new or seasonal employees.
DPS Zap™- Warehouse Management Interface Enhancements
Seamless interfaces from Extend to Zap have been streamlined for all warehouse functions. Key Extend programs have been developed to prevent duplicate activities from occurring in the warehouse via Zap and the office via Extend. Extend Order Inquiry will dynamically display the actual pick activity taking place in the warehouse. Customer service can make use of this order information to provide up-to-date status information to customers. The PUR process (Pick/Unpick/Repick) technology now streamlines warehouse efficiencies when order changes are required, allowing pickers to deal with only the net changes of the order.
DPS Flash™ - E-Business Interface Enhancements
New data export formats have been defined to facilitate the population of the DPS Flash e-Business database. Site Administrator functions for back-end variables have been moved to the server so that all Administrator functions are under browser control. Real-time synchronization has been implemented to eliminate the need for redundant maintenance of customer and user/contract data in Flash and Extend (or any other host back-end application). Release 6 features the ability to create a product catalog on CD-ROM, punch-out support for eMarketplaces, and support for Linux servers.
DPS PocketFlash™ - Handheld Order Entry Module
A powerful and versatile technology for performing key order processing functions from the customer site or mobile warehouses, without having to be connected to the host system. Typical use begins with data synchronization to extract data from the ERP system to the handheld. Customer, Product, and Pricing databases on the handheld may then be used for field order entry supporting deliver now (from truck) or deliver later (from warehouse). PocketFlash holds transactions for later transmission to the ERP, either through cellular connection, wireless LAN, or modem/docking station. The same connection may also be used for real-time order inquiry that provides direct access to the order summary and detail from the ERP application.
To Request Upgrade: Please call your DPS Project Manager or Software Support Analyst at (800) 654-4689 or reply by email. DPS Services are available to assist in the installation of the upgrade and to reapply any custom modifications to the new Extend release.
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