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News
25TH ANNIVERSARY
1/10/2011: We are very proud to have been in
business for 25 years. This is a long time for any enterprise but it's
an especially long time for a software company. We want to thank all of our
great customers for helping us succeed and for being patient while we have
worked to incorporate proven technology into the products we've developed.
Looking back we began as an independent sales organization
in 1986 and eventually launched the first version of ExtraFleet in 1993.
We have always tried to stay out there near the bleeding edge of technology
without taking any unnecessary risks. It can be a fine line.
That first version of ExtraFleet was our industry's first Windows™
based application, a very good decision on our part.
OK we admit it, we drank some Kool-aid, and in late 1997
we were once again on the front edge by offering guaranteed Y2K
compatibility. We even wrote articles about important we thought it
was going to be. How embarrassing!!
We've done some smart things too. Getting an early
start on hand held data collection has proven to be a significant asset to
our customers who have taken advantage of the ShirtPocket WorkStation.
We believe mobile data collection is on the horizon for everyone and we have
a seven year head start! The ATM Style Touch Screen Technician
WorkStation has also provided a tremendous productivity boost to our
customers. You will see this application go portable in the very near
future with the imminent proliferation of affordable wireless tablet
computers. Once again we are more than ready.
ExtraFleet.Net is our next major step because making the
tranisition to a development system like VB.Net opens the door to hundreds
of opportunities for significant improvement that will be obvious from the
date of the first release (there has been no release date set, but it's not
that far off so, stay tuned).
Another major step is to change the Current Software
Business Model from a company that grants perpetual software licensing
toward one that relies more on Software as a Service (Saas) and subscription
based software distribution. This will significantly reduce the
initial acquisition cost of the software for smaller companies who are now
computer capable and sustain our ability to deliver the most advanced
products in the industry.
Our New web Addy:
www.extrafleet.net
1/7/2011: Please watch for a number
of changes in this website as the next several weeks go on. Using our
new web address will still take you to the same place as
www.currsoft.com but we are going to
be steadily making the transition to the new web site by updating this one.
We think our new web address will be easier to remember and remove some of
the confusion we've had between our company name and our primary product
line. The two have merged into ExtraFleet.Net.
Version 2.3.13 The Final v2 Release
10/15/2010: We are proud to announce the final
release under ExtraFleet Version 2. This is an exciting time because
work has begun on ExtraFleet.Net. Ef.net is an all new software
package rebuilt from the ground up. We have made the switch from the
one-time industry standard Visual FoxPro to VisualBasic.Net that will
include the use of an SQL database as a standard part of the ExtraFleet
software package. We have not yet set a release date for
ExtraFleet.Net but you can be sure we are going to beat on it thoroughly
before anyone gets a sneak peek.
Version 2.3.8 Released
04/15/2010: Version 2.3.8 Now Available
§
Made the default barcode
labels selection for parts also apply to printing labels for parts received
on purchase orders.
§
Revised and repaired the
procedure for renumbering mechanics through the tools menu.
§
Revised and repaired the
procedure for renumbering drivers through the tools menu.
§
Included audio control
files in the update to support voice recorded comments.
§
Made the vehicle
transfer between sites more inclusive and selective.
On-line Training
09/25/2009: Fall 2010 Classes Announced:
Current Software is pleased to ADD an advanced training module on
PARTS ONLY scheduled for November 19th to our standard
ExtraFleet on-line training offered from October 22nd
through November 12th 2009. The five modules will be
presented in five(5) 3 hour classes on the dates listed below between,
11AM and 2PM Eastern Time at a cost of $200/student/per class. It is
very important to arrive at class on time especially on the first visit.
I.
Learning your way around ExtraFleet and initial
set up. October 22, 2009
II.
Setting up the databases. October 29,
2009
III.
Day to Day operations. November 5, 2009
IV.
Reporting. November 12, 2009
V. Parts Special
Session November 19, 2009
Version 2.2.257 Released
11/25/2008: Version 2.2.257
is available for download and installation from the customer area.
This update corrects some new items found in the software with PO's
and the Vehicle Update Wizard in additions to some corrections to
the Work Order module where the mechanic pull down was appearing
empty and the focus after the New button was no longer on the
equipment field.
Version 2.2.238 Released
11/10/2008: Version 2.2.238 is available for
download and installation from the customer area. This update
corrects some unanticipated reporting problems found in version
2.2.231 primarily related to reporting.
Version 2.2.231 Released
11/3/2008: Version 2.2.231 is available for
download and installation from the customer area. This update
corrects some unanticipated reporting problems found in version
2.2.21o when we enhanced the multi-site capabilities of the
software.
Version 2.2.210 Released
10/23/2008: Version 2.2.210 is now available
for download and installation from the customer area for eligible
customers. This is a significant update that corrects some
previous problems in addition to paving the way for the Technician
WorkStation and expanding the capabilities of multi-site operations.
You can look forward to an upcoming series of updates over the next
90 days that will add new features and reporting options.
Technician WorkStation(TWS)
10/09/2008: We are very pleased to introduce
you to the Technician WorkStation (TWS). In our opinion this is the
single most significant product offering we have ever made. We
created TWS to:
- Save time and money
- Complete work orders
in real time
- Capture exact labor
hours for each job
- Shrink your need for
parts inventory
The TWS package includes a
touchscreen monitor, a bar code scanner, and the software that will
take your shop into the 21st century without paper,
without keyboards and most important of all, without a special
person required to enter paper work orders that have already been
created by someone else.
Saving Time and Money:
Since the computerization of fleet maintenance management most
fleets have continued to write paper work orders and turn them into
a clerical person for “re-entry” into the computer. This made sense
since those first management systems were both expensive and
relatively complicated to use. The paper work order has its faults
because they are not always easy to read and the labor hours are a
rough estimate. They can also pile up on someone’s desk waiting for
entry and this sets off a chain reaction that affects inventory
levels, PM Schedules and cost reporting.
As we enter the 21st
century technicians are more computer literate and management
systems are more graphic and easier to use. We believe the time has
come to push work order entry onto the shop floor and into the hands
of the technicians. This same technique has already been applied
to fuel and mileage entry by providing key pads at the fuel pump
(replacing the clipboard) where drivers create fuel and mileage
transactions. This has saved thousands of keystrokes and hours of
data entry over transcribing the data from the fuel sheets.
Applying this to work order entry saves even more.
The ExtraFleet Technician
Workstation uses an ATM style touch screen interface to walk
technicians through the work order process while automatically
capturing their labor hours. Parts entry is simplified by taking
advantage of bar coding and parts from history. Simple interaction
with the touch screen throughout the day captures all of the shop
floor’s activities as they occur. Because TWS is connected to
ExtraFleet there is complete access to repair history and inventory
levels. We have also added on screen warnings about overdue PM’s.
All of this is accomplished
without paper and without keyboards. Most important of all, this is
accomplished without clerical data entry. This is the single
largest cost savings opportunity available in fleet maintenance
management because work order processing is the most data intensive
task performed on a day to day basis. Whoever is doing this job now
can use their time to check completed work, order parts and produce
reports. Some shops may be able to eliminate the clerical data
entry position completely for an annual savings in the thousands of
dollars.
Real Time Work Orders:
Capturing the work as it occurs offers tremendous advantages. PM
Schedules are suddenly up to date because the schedule is updated as
the work occurs without the time lag waiting for clerical data
entry. Parts inventories are accurate because inventory levels are
adjusted as the parts are used. This also means increased
accountability because the data is fresh. Managing the work flow
becomes a dynamic process instead of simply reviewing what happened
days after the fact.
Everything that happens via TWS
happens in real time and this means that you will be able to
accurately answer that phone call about when someone’s equipment
will be ready. You will also be able to respond instantly to
requests for information on the status of anything happening in your
department.
Exact Labor Hour Capture:
Paper work orders contain “estimates” for the amount of time
required to perform each job. Capturing exact labor hours in a
paper environment would include running back and forth between the
job and a time clock. Adding up estimated hours at the end of the
week usually leaves a lot of time unaccounted for.
TWS captures exact labor time
for each job and captures indirect labor attributable to breaks and
work performed for departments including your own (shop clean-up).
At the end of the week you should expect to have a very close match
between pay hours and the hours accounted for in the fleet
maintenance management system. You might be surprised to learn your
accountability ratio using the paper work order. Run a mechanic
labor report and see for yourself.
Shrinking Your Parts
Inventory: Processing work orders in real
time provides the opportunity to more closely manage parts inventory
especially if you are using the automatic parts re-order functions
of ExtraFleet. We match the on hand quantity against the re-order
point to create a purchase requisition. Real time processing
reduces the amount of time between when the on hand quantity reaches
the re-order point and when you know it’s time to re-order. When
there is a lag in paper work order processing you need to carry more
on the shelf to cover the time lag.
Hardware:
The TWS includes both a touch screen monitor and a bar code reader.
You will need to supply a computer for each Technician Workstation.
The operating system can be MS Windows XP or higher, Vista™ works
great here and maybe best of all.
Software:
The TWS software is loaded onto the Technician WorkStation machine.
Each workstation counts as a user on the system so please be aware
that if you have ExtraFleet multi-user with five(5) users you may
need additional licenses.
Cost:
$1,700.00 per work station including the touch screen monitor, the
bar code reader, and the technician workstation software.
On Line Training
03/18/2008 First Classes Announced:
We are pleased to announce the availability of on-line ExtraFleet
training in four modules beginning in April 2008. The four modules
will be presented in four(4) 3 hour classes on the dates listed
below between 11AM and 2PM EDT.
I.
Learning your way around ExtraFleet and initial
set up. April1, 2008
II.
Setting up the databases. April 8, 2008
III.
Day to Day operations. April 15, 2008
IV.
Reporting. April 22, 2008
New Software
11/22/2005 Remote Fuel Module Complete
The ShirtPocket WorkStation remote fuel program is now fully
available to all ShirtPocket WorkStation users. This is the
ultimate tool for any fleet that services its fleet in the field.
Capture fuel, meter readings, fluids dispensed, and miscellaneous
parts and record the info in ExtraFleet when you return to the shop.
Since remote fuel resides on the same device with the ShirtPocket
WorkOrder, performing any service or repair in the field becomes a
paper-less, more accurate means of keeping pace with far flung
maintenance tasks that can easily fall through the cracks.
Documentation
01/19/2007 Documentation Update The
full system documentation has been updated to reflect changes over
the last several months. You can download this updated version
of the documentation from the customer area.
11/23/2005 Documentation Update The
full system documentation has been updated substantially and is now
available for download. We have added two Appendices to the
instruction manual; Appendix 1- Setting Preferences, and Appendix 2-
ShirtPocket User Manual.
8/1/2005 Full System Documentation
I'm not quite sure if I am ready to refer to the documentation as
final, but using the work "Draft" doesn't quite fit anymore.
One thing is for sure is that its a "living" document that has been
continuously re-worked and revised since its original release.
Next up, "Context Sensitive On Screen Help" that will incorporate
the best of this document into the direct field by field assistance.
As always, if there is an area that you feel needs more attention,
please let me know by email to
tom@currsoft.com
6/23/2005 Full System Documentation (Draft)
86 pages and more than 26,000 words later, the system documentation
is in useable form now including a table of contents and page
numbers. This will be a work in progress for quite awhile to
come but your comments on the content, layout, etc. are greatly
appreciated. We attempted to use a conversational style and as
much step by step, "how to" as possible. If there is some
particular area that you feel as though needs more attention please
let me know by email to
tom@currsoft.com
Updates
5/21/2007 Version 2.1.48 This update
corrects some meter update problems we were having during special
circumstances. Corrections were also made on deducting supplies from
inventory and on certain other transactions between the work order
and parts inventory. PM Meters are now updating correctly after a
meter change. All PM data is now included during report
export. Please consult the update readme for a more complete list of
the changes made.2/5/2007 Version 2.1.17 Items added to
purchase orders are now arranged on the PO in the order they were
added. The mileage calculation for date ranges on the fuel and
fluid consumption report was revised to ensure proper readings.
1/15/2007 Version 2.1.3 This release
focused attention on reporting with additional improvements made to
the report designer to add more fields for selection and to improve
the output. The standard reporting areas received attention as
well with fixes made in cost per meter reporting, fuel transactions
by department, and certain screen prints like, parts. The Work
Order received a new button on the item line that will be labeled
"Outside Item" if the job is being performed in-house, or "In-house
Item" if the job is marked as an outside repair. This will
allow the quick addition an outside item to a work order. The
report designer has been re-located on the report menu, it now
appears at the bottom and it also shows a listing of the last
four(4) saved reports you have run from your workstation.
11/15/2006 Version 2.0.4800 More work
was accomplished on Purchase Orders in this version mostly related to
release numbers. In addition, new fields were added to the
custom reporting area under cost reporting, and more fields were
added to the find criteria screen in the parts database. The
"Create New Database" selection under advanced in the utilities was
enhanced to make it easier to use and to avoid any possibility of
database overwrite.
09/22/2006 Version 2.0.4735 Purchase
orders, requisitions and work orders all received corrections and
enhancements in this update. Most of this involved problem
solving and needed modifications. In addition, we made
corrections to the tax table, the Work Order Summary report and the
custom report designer. The auto-synch function for the
ShirtPocket WorkStations was updated to account for new data
structures.
08/18/2006 Version 2.0.4696 This version
corrects a work order printing problem we were having on certain
printers.
06/22/2006 Version 2.0.4690 PM
Performance report has been totally renovated. Preferences
area was re-worked in two areas; Next PO Number and PO Status
selector along with other combo box selections. "Associated
RO" is now available for selection under cost reporting. The
parts usage report was modified to show parts totals only when
selected. Tires have also now been included in the parts usage
report.
05/02/2006 Version 2.0.4655 Changes in
this version include screen print modifications at each data file.
With a data file on the screen, touch the print button to print out
the contents of the data record. The replace meter routine has
been reworked to work better. The parts pick list on Parts
from History now includes Bin#'s and so does the parts pick screen.
01/30/2006 Version 2.0.4561 This update
includes changes to the Management Control Center and permits the
creation of of PM Work Orders by clicking on a due PM from the PM
list in the MCC. Other changes were made to fast fuel to
accommodate fast fuel entry for customer equipment, the addition of
a "Cloning" function in cost transactions, and corrections in the
cost per meter report (totals only) to provide just the totals.
01/13/2006 Version 2.0.4481 This is an
extensive update that includes numerous changes to the cost
transaction screen and the way purchase orders and requisitions
function.
12/23/2005 Version 2.0.4463 This is an interim
update that corrects a parts quantity editing problem that was
reported on Wednesday of this week.
12/22/2005 Version 2.0.4460 This version
refines the ShirtPocket WorkOrder and RemoteFueling programs,
improves the data import in utilities, corrects inventory deduction
process when making direct entries at the transaction screen and
adds vendor history to manually generated requisitions.
11/22/2005 Version 2.0.4446 ShirtPocket
WorkStation software updates to improve the "auto-synch" function
and Work Order "comments" editing. Fast fuel entry screen area
improved to recognize vendor in the transactions and to deduct from
fuel and fluids inventory. Added ability to print EFI
transaction error screen for use in editing. Added bin number
to the "Non-used" parts report to aid in finding the parts that are
not being used. Added "Vendor" as a selector on the parts
usage report to identify the source of outside parts on work orders.
Dozens of other small corrections and refine-ments including; report
print formatting, cost transaction screen adding omitted "invoice"
field, widening the date column on the PM Schedule screen, etc.
10/13/2005 Version 2.0.4402 Standardized
report header, footer, and font and included the addition of user
logo on reports, work orders and purchase orders. Deduction
from inventory repaired for fuel transactions made through costtran.
08/15/2005 Version 2.0.4330 "This piece
of equipment already has an open work order, warning" has been added
to the work order module. Added multiple selection criteria to
"print multiple work order" report.
07/29/2005 Version 2.0.4270 Custom
report designer enhancements and site related improvements and fixes
were the two main accomplishments within this update. We are
updating approximately once per month now and there are items
remaining on our list for improvement.
07/07/2005 Version 2.0.4230 This update
corrects a problem editing the on-hand quantity in the browse window
on the parts screen. If you have made a large number of
"manual edits" to your parts on-hand quantity recently please
contact us as soon as possible for some hands on assistance.
If you have been using the Hand Held to collect inventory data and
to update the on hand quantities you will NOT need to contact us.
05/31/2005 Version
2.0.4208 We have been busy as usual making more
improvements. For a complete list of changes and fixes, click
on the link to "Update Documentation" in the customer area.
This will provide you with a complete list of items from this and
previous releases.
05/23/2005 Version 2.0.4179
was released today and
includes report fix ups, and two new settings in preferences, one to
avoid the sign-in, the other to automatically pop-up the Management
Control Center.
05/05/2005 Version 2.0.4137 was released
today and will become available this afternoon at the customer login
site in the upper left corner of the Home Page.
Web News
5/27/2005 Customer
Forum Added We have very high hopes that this
new feature in the customer area will evolve into a Virtual Users
Group. There are so many things possible with an interactive
place to exchange public messages related but not necessarily
limited to the Current Software/ExtraFleet experience.
Everyone will have an opportunity to participate and we certainly
hope you give it a try. Remember, you "must" be an active
customer who is eligible for the latest downloads and technical
support available from the customer area.04/28/2005 Current Software
Website is Now Under Construction Please bear with us
while we create a new and improved web site that will deliver the latest
news and the best content we can put together.
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