The Main Focus of This Maintenance Release Is
/ Harvest Billing System
MR14 Summary of Functionality
July 11, 2007
The main focus of this Maintenance Release is:
- the repair of batch jobs;
- field scale improvements;
- enhancements to Stratum Advisor functionality; and
- User Services improvements.
The following is a list of the enhancements and fixes included in Maintenance Release 14
Function/Subsystem / SummaryTimestamps / Added Update_Userid and Update_Timestamp columns to the table DTL_SCL_DOC_TRANSMISSION and modified program code to populated and update these colums whenever a record has been inserted or updated[PB1].
The two additional columns in the DTL_SCL_DOC_TRANSMISSION table provide Business Analysts with aditional audit information to resolve problems.
Stratum Advisor
New Reports / Two new reports have been added to Stratum Advisor:
- Sample Plan Report; and
- Stratum Description Report (replaces Sampling Plans Strata Details report)
Additional sample plan and stratum information can now be retrieved via the two new reports added to Stratum Advisor. These reports will help sampling plan administrators to do their work more efficiently.
User Services
Search by Client Number only / Added an enhancement to P015 – HBS User Search screen to search for Industry users by client number alone. Previously, both client number and location were required[PB3].
The efficiency of the User Search function has been enhanced for both Industry and Ministry users because they can now search for all users for a particular company (or client number), instead of having to run a separate search for each location associated with a client number.
Stratum Advisor
Create New Plan from Actuals / The Create New Plan from Actuals option in Stratum Advisor has been repaired to populate the new plan with with actual standard deviations and actual sample load sizes from the current plan. Previously, the new plan was populated with planned values from the current plan. Screen P897 - .Create a New Sampling Plan From Actuals has also been enhanced to enable users to delete unused strata. Also, Y/N text boxes have been replaces by check boxes[PB4].
The ability to create sample plans from actuals has been repaired and enhanced which will aid Industry and Ministry Sample Plan Administrators in setting up new sampling plans.
User Profiles
IDR role / Implemented an enhancement to enable Industry Users to act as Industry Document Receivers (IDR) for all locations associated with their company using a single userid. Screen P017 – Update Associated Client Locations – Industry, has been added to enable User Administrators to select which locations associated with the client the IDR role should be applied to[PB5].
Previously, users acting as Industry Document Receivers for multiple locations required a separate BCeID userid for each location. This enhancement makes it easier and more efficient for Industry Document Receivers to perform their work and reduces the effort required for Users Administrators to manage user accounts.
Scale Returns
Search by P/S/Y / Users are now able to search by Population alone as well as by Population and Year and by Population, Stratum and Year on the following screens[PB6]:
P045 – Search for Summary Scale Returns
P046 – Search for Detail Scale Returns
P401 - Scale Site Summary Configuration
P421 - Billing Summary Configuration
P450 - Search for Issued Documents
P456 – Search for Old Style Invoices
This enhancement represents increased efficiency as users have more search options when querying for specific data.
Reports
Help Text / Added help text on screen P432, Mark Monthly Billing/Scaling Report Configuration, to advise users that the View PDF Preview button does not give a true representation of what the printed report will look like, but merely a one-month preview of the format[PB7].
The meaning of the View PDF Preview button is now clearly stated, which should reduce the number of calls to the HBS Helpdesk on this issue.
Scale Returns
Code Optimization / Optimized program code by removing redundant upper case functions[PB8].
Removing redundant function calls from program code improves performance.
Reports
Search for Scale Site Software / Search screen P991 – Search for Scale Site Software Use, has been made available to users with the Software Vendor role. A link to this screen is now also available on the home page for all users with the Software Vendor role[PB9].
Software Vendors are now able to search for which scale sites use their products.
Scale Control
Search for Scale Site Software / The input length Search screen P991 – Search for Scale Site Software Use, has been made available to users with the Software Vendor role. A link to this screen is now also available on the home page for all users with the Software Vendor role[PB10].
Software Vendors are now able to search for which scale sites use their products.
PS Detail
Log Detail entry / Modified screens P558 and P658 (Update Log Details) to make entry of log details more efficient. Changes include:
- Changed order of fields to be the same as on the scale return sheet;
- Log numbers are now automatically populated;
- Cursor moves to the next field when the current field has been populated; and
- Species defaults to species of last log entered[PB11].
Public Access
Links / Repaired problems on the HBS Public website which resulted in error messages when invalid breadcrumb links were clicked. These breadcrumb links have been removed[PB12].
Invalid breadcrumb links which caused errorshave been removed from the HBS Public website.
Ratio Update
Computation Period / The computation of Ratio Statements has been revised to accurately report the Computation Period and Ratio Effective Date on the statement. These were reported incorrectly in some cases where a forced calculation was performed[PB13].
The Computation Period and Ratio Effective Date are now reported correctly for all cases on Ratio Statements.
About Tab
Links / Changed the title of the Help link at the top right of the header of the HBS screen from ‘Help’ to ‘Help Desk + Links[PB14]’.
The new title of the help link title is clearer and should reduce confusion with other helplinks available on HBS screens.
PS Detail
Log Detail entry / Log defects entered on Screens P559 and P659 – Update Log Defects - are now saved to the database when the Save button on the P559 Screen is hit.
When clicking on 'Return' the screen will return to 'Update Log Details' screen, and both 'Defect Count' and 'Net Volume' are updated on screen and in the database, and also the 'Net Volume Total' is updated both on screen and in the database[DG15]
Online data entry of log defects - are now functioning properly; log defect information is now saved when the Save button is clicked.
Scale Returns
Inactive Scale Sites / The SS02 (‘Scale Site is inactive’) edit has been removed. Returns will no longer go into error if the scale site is inactive.[DG16]
HBS will now process scale returns even if the related scale site is inactive.
User Services
Reactivating Deactivated users / On Screen P010 -HBS User Details - which is displayed for an inactive user, the Status field has been changed into a check-markable field, similar to the ones in User Role(s), thus allowing a User Administrator to re-activate a de-activated user. Note: For active users the Status field is a selectable field, allowing a user to be de-activated.[DG17]
When a user has been deactivated, a User Administrator may now reactivate them.
WS and SS Detail
XML submission / Clearing digital signature failures for returns submitted via XML with spaces in the PSY field will no longer result in a System Error[DG18].
Some current system errors for returns submitted via XML will be eliminated.
Scale returns
Search by Version Status / On screen P046 – Search for a Set of Detailed Returns - the user can now selectmultiple Version Statuses from a drop-down[DG19] list.
A user is now able to search for detail scale returns in one of multiple specified statuses.
WS Invoicing
Marks Exempt from Final Billing / A bug which caused incorrect ratios to be used in some cases of cancels and replaces without changes for weigh slips with marks exempt from final billing has been repaired[DG20].
Cancels without changes for weigh slips with marks exempt from final billing now process correctly in all cases.
Scale Returns
Search for Detail Scale Transmissions / A check box to ‘Exclude Txns without Batches’ has been added to Screen P041 – Search for Detail Scale Transmissions. For Ministry Users, the box will be checked by default; for Industry Users, the box will be un-checked[DG21].
Users can nowexclude transmissions with 0 batches when searching for Detail Scale Transmissions.
About
Add links to HBS Help / Help links to the HBS User Manualhave been repaired on screens P038 – HBS Processing Parameters, and P039 – Confirm HBS Processing Parameters [DG22]. These screens are restricted to users with the
Access to the Help link for screens P038 – HBS Processing Parameters and P039 – Confirm HBS Processing Parameters, is restricted to MOF Revenue Branch users only.
Stratum Advisor
Population Effective and Expiry dates / A bug that allowed users to enter or modify the Population Effective and Expiry dates such that scale dates on current returns are outside of the Effective Period has been repaired. This bug caused incorrect ratios to be computed because orphaned data were ignored[DG23].
Edits have been added to Stratum Advisor functionality preventing users from entering or updating Population Effective and Expiry dates that would cause scale dates on current returns being outside of the effective period.
Scale Returns
Invalid Status on Replace With No Changes / A bug which resulted in a return status of ‘Invalid’ there was an error on a return during a Replace With No Changes has been repaired[DG24].
Return that go into error during a Replace With No Changes will now correctly display the status of ‘Error’ instead of ‘Invalid’.
User Services
Updating User Profile / User roles and company location or Ministry organization unit are now checked when confirming an update to a user profile.[DG25]
It is no longer possible to confirm an update a user’s profile if the requested roles and company or org unit do not match the current roles and org unit for the user.
Stratum Advisor
Propose or Approve a Sampling Plan / A System Error is no longer displayed when a user tries to propose or approve a Sampling Plan that does not support existing stratum data. An appropriate error message is now displayed.[DG26]
The message: “Cannot Propose/Approve the Plan. One or more documents exist, that reference stratum <nn> which this Plan is attempting to remove”, is now displayed when a user tries to propose or approve a Stratum Plan that does not support existing stratum data.
Stratum Advisor
Create and Copy Sampling Plans / Enhancements made to Copy a Sampling Plan functionality (screen P896) and Create a Sampling Plan functionality (screen P897).
Users can now copy and create Sampling Plans for the same population or for a new population with stratum effective and expiry dates that lie within the effective period of the Population.l[DG27]
Ratio Update
Ratios / A bug has been fixed which caused incorrect ratios to be computed if the batch job that generates Compiled Sample Statements was run prior to the batch job that generates Ratio Statements at the beginning of the month.[DG28]
Ratios are now correctly computed regardless of the order in which batch jobs are run.
Queries
Search for Piece Scale Detail Returns / The search for piece scale detail returns from screen P046 - Search for Piece Scale Detail Return, has been improved for returns with many different segregations.[DG29]
PS Detail
Data Base Constraints / Data base constraints have been implemented to improve the integrity of the HBS database.[DG30]
Scale Returns
Search for Returns in Error / The search for multiple returnshas been enhanced. Users can now search for all error codes except one, and users can search by multiple version statuses. Screen P045 – Search for Summary Scale Returns and screen P046 – Search for Detail Scale Returns now have a check box next to the error code box, enabling you to exclude the error code specified (i.e. will omit the selected error code from list of all errors).[DG31]
When searching for multiple detail scale returns or searching for multiple summary scale returns, users now have the ability to search for returns in error with any error code except the specified error code.
XML
Time Out Problems / A bug has been repaired which, in select cases after a time-out, enabled some users to view XML transmissions from another company.[DG32]
Industry users are no longer be able to view another company’s XML transmissions, when their connection to HBS times out.
Scale Returns
Blank in Grade field / A bug which prevented users from entering the species grade if the grade field was populated with a blank has been repaired. To indicate that there is a blank in the grade field, thelength of the Grade text box has been reduced to the width of a 'W' (plus the usual white space to the left and right sides) on the following screens:[DG33]
P057 - Update Piece Scale Summary Return Segregation
P157 - Update Sample Scale Summary Return Segregation
P558 - Update Log Details
P658 - Update Log Details
P755 - Update SFP Details - Log Scale Method
P756 - Update SFP Details - Sampling Method
P757 - Update SFP Details - Stacked Method
P758 - Update SFP Details - Piece Count Method
PS Invoicing
Exact Cancels / HBS processing has been changed to make all cancels an 'exact cancels' for the immediately preceding issued detail scale return or submitted summary return.[DG34]
When a user performs an exact cancel, cancel and replace with changes or cancel and replace no changes, the cancel amountswill now always be identical to the cancel amounts on the original returnit is cancelling.
Reports / Now when a user filters by Return Category when searching for Summary Returns, then elects to print the list, only the selected Return Category entries are printed. The date format on the search result has been changed to yyyy-mmm-dd. A new Generated Summary column has been added to the printed reports.[DG35]
The changes affects these screens:
P051 List of Piece Scale Summary Returns
P101 List of Weight Scale Summary Returns
P151 List of Sample Scale Summary Returns
When a user performs a search for Summary Returns, filtering by Return Category, then elects to print the list, only the selected Return Category entries are printed. The date format on the search result has been changed to yyyy-mmm-dd. A new Generated Summary column has been added to the printed reports.
Document Delivery
notification emails / Client and Location Number have been added to outgoing statement notification emails sent to FTP Industry Document Receivers. Added a ‘workaround’ instruction text to outgoing emails for when a user gets an error message when attempting to access the statement via links in the email.[DG36]
Users will now have confirmation that the email message received is actually for their Client/Location. If they get an error message when attempting to access the statement via links in the email, a ‘workaround’ instruction text is now provided.
Scale Returns
edit release and save buttons / The Release and Save buttons have been removed, for the detail data entry role, on the view screens for Log Tallies (P552), Sample Log Tallies (P662) and Arrival/Departure Ledgers (P702) in Held status – now only the Print button is displayed.[DG37]
For users logged into HBS with a Detail Data Entry role, only the print button is displayed on the view screens for Log Tallies (P552), Sample Log Tallies (P662) and Arrival/Departure Ledgers (P702) in Held status – the release and save buttons have been removed.
PS Invoicing
beachcomb / HBS has been modified in how Beachcomb marks are determined. Hard-coding of Beachcomb marks (e.g. BCOMB1, BCOMB2, and BCOMB3) has been removed. Valid Beachcomb marks are now all marks with file type B017 (log salvage - Beachcomb).[DG38]
This enhancement makes it easier to add new Beachcomb marks and improves the logic for determining which marks are Beachcomb marks.
Stratum Advisor
screen change / When screen P887 – Edit a Stratum - is first displayed, the cursor will now appear in the Stratum Number field.[DG39]