What's New in StructShare? November 2023

New Features

[Beta] Quote Comparison: AI PO Optimization

 

We recently launched an exciting new feature, GenAI that will help your teams revolutionize how you purchase and manage materials. GenAI will empower you to make better decisions for purchasing materials while providing actionable insights that help remove inefficiency across the entire process. When this feature is enabled by our team, the AI optimization will look at the price and lead time for each line item quoted and suggest the best material purchasing options. You still have the ability to override the suggestions but this will save your team time when analyzing the bids. This new feature won a “Showstopper Award” during the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) annual meeting among 200 entries! Follow the link to read our press release and reach out to your Customer Success Manager to learn more!

 

 

 

 

Items Database: Category Configuration

 

Our team is very excited to announce the release of the customer facing Items Database groupings. Previously, groups had to be set up and edited on the backend by the StructShare team. You now have the ability to manage your Item Database groups in 'System Settings' via the 'Catalog Categories' button. This enhancement allows you to add categories on the fly as well as import your groupings. When you view your items in the 'Items Database', you no longer need to add the group name as part of the item name to ensure it falls into the correct group. Additionally, you can easily add items into groups via a dropdown in the 'Items Database' screen. You also have the ability to have groups and items at the same level which wasn't previously possible.

Here is a link to a support article that explains the new feature in greater detail. We are happy to support you with future Items Database setup so please continue to reach out to our team via the support chat should you   xhave additional question or would like to walk through this new functionality.

 

 

 

Invoice Approval: Auto-Populate Leftover Quantities + Ordered, Received and Previously Billed Summary

 

Previously when you approved an invoice, the line item total from the PO would populate in the 'Invoiced Quantities' column regardless if you had previously invoiced quantities. You will now see the 'leftover' quantities to be invoiced automatically populate on each line item in addition to being able to hover over the line item in the invoice drawer to view the quantity ordered, quantity received and quantity previously billed instead of having to open up an additional window.

 

 

 

Order Creation: Configurable Columns on RFQ/PO, PDFs (Area, Discount)

 

We added additional columns in the 'Create Your List', 'Table View' that will support in order creation: Area, Floor, Model Number, Manufacturer and SKU. If a 'Floor' and/or 'Area' is added to a line item, you will see this when you hover over the line item on the PO. These columns have also been added to the 'All Line Items' screen.

We also added additional PDF Columns in 'System Settings'. You will now see Floor, Area and Discount that can be chosen as options to display on the PO PDF that the supplier receives.

Delivery Confirmation: Search Bar and Filter

We added a search bar and filters to the delivery confirmation screen so that you can easily search larger POs for items based on the Delivery Confirmation or Packing Slip. The filters will allow you to sort the PO item list by Phase, Budget Category, Cost Code, Area and/or Floor. We suggest unchecking the checkbox next to 'Name' and then checking the box as you search the items you are confirming delivered, adjusting the quantities as needed. This will improve the time that it takes to confirm delivery on larger POs and hopefully improve the engagement with your field teams.

All Line Items: Aggregate and Search by PO

We added the ability for you to aggregate by PO in the 'All Line Items' screen and then search for a specific PO number which was not previously possible.

Project Budget: Estimated Cost, Phases, Quantities

Previously, you were unable to view the 'Estimated Cost' column amount in the 'Budget' tab unless you had both a 'Phase' and a 'Budget Category' associated with your line items. If the line items in your project did not have these attributes, you were also unable to edit the 'Estimated Cost' column amount and therefore keep an accurate budget. You are now able to edit the 'Estimated Cost' column manually or ensure that the 'Automatically Calculate the Budget from the BoM' setting is checked in 'System Settings' and at the project level in the 'Project Settings' which will ensure this calculation is populated automatically.

We also added numerical and alphabetical sorting on Project Phases so you can easily find the phase you need to associate during order creation and when viewing your Project 'Budget'.

Additionally, we made improvements to the Project Budget screen. In the 'Quantities' tab, you can now filter by 'Budget Category' and 'Phase' so that you can easily compare what was estimated for the Budget Category/Phase against what has been ordered and received.

Supplier Catalog: Net Price and Discount

We added a 'Net Price' and 'Discount' column in the the 'Supplier Catalog' screen and import. This will allow you to use the Catalog Price to capture the general rate that suppliers are offering on certain items. If you add a discount (%) against the line item, the ‘Net Price’ column will populate the Catalog Price x Discount. If customers are leveraging this feature, the ‘Net Price’ will auto-populate the unit price when that supplier is selected when ordering materials.

In the next phase of this enhancement, the discounts will show in the invoicing screen when comparing an invoice to the PO.

Supplier Catalog: Decimals + Currency Symbol

We added decimals and the currency symbol (based on what is defined in 'System Settings' to the Supplier Catalog 'Catalog Price' and 'Last Price' columns.

RFQ: Design Enhancement

We made some design improvements to the RFQ screen. You will notice that the 'Close Bid' and 'View Bids' buttons are now the same size and next to each other. We removed the chat bar from the bottom and you will now click on 'Internal Chat' text to open the chat window. The 'Duplicate' and Print' actions can now be found by navigating to the 3 vertical dots at the top right. Improvements were made to the scroll height.

Invoice Approval: Export Flow Edit 

We made an adjustment to the way the 'Invoice Matched PO Line Items Cost Codes' export flow option functions. Previously when you selected an invoice to export, the line item description would show in the drop down instead of the Cost Code for each of the line items. The IIF file was exporting the correct data but the preview of what was in the IIF was not accurate. This has now been changed and you will be able to see the Cost Codes per line item prior to export.

Procore: Delete PO from StructShare and 'Close' in Procore

Previously when you deleted a PO in StructShare, you would still have to go into Procore and delete the contract. Now when you delete a PO in StructShare, the PO will move to a 'Closed' status in Procore. If you restore the PO in StructShare, it will move the PO to either a 'Draft' or 'Approved' status in Procore based on the setting you have defined in StructShare 'System Settings'. If you have the 'Sync Invoices and POs to Procore in Draft Status' checked, the PO will be restored in a 'Draft' status. If this setting is not checked, the PO will be restored to an 'Approved' status in Procore.

Procore: Cost Code Update

We made some improvements to the Cost Code sync from Procore to StructShare. Previously, if you created a PO in StructShare with Cost Codes that were been deleted from Procore, the PO did not sync to Procore and the error message in StructShare was vague. You will now see a 'Deleted' notification next to the line item when a Cost Code no longer exists in Procore. If a Cost Code is missing or does not exist in Procore, you will see a pop up that reads '[ x ] line(s) will no be synced o Procore because a Cost Code is missing or does not exist in Procore'. Additionally, when you re-sync the Project from Procore to StructShare, it will update the Cost Codes that exist for this Project. If there are new Cost Codes added, these will be brought over, if any Cost Codes are deleted, these will be removed from the Project and if you edit any existing Cost Codes in Procore, those edits will sync to StructShare. We also added the Procore logo to all Cost Codes that were imported from Procore that is visible in 'Accounting System' settings.

Procore: Sync POs and/or Invoices in 'Draft' Status

We separated the ability to choose whether you are sending POs and Invoices to Procore in a 'Draft' status. Previously, the checkbox in 'System Settings' sent both POs and Invoices to Procore in a 'Draft' status and now you have the option to choose one or the other or both. Please note that to send an invoice to Procore, the PO needs to be in an 'Approved' status. We added a pop up that reads 'The commitment must have a status of approved to create an invoice' as a reminder when this is not the case.