We did a BIG release today, a culmination of several projects coming together.  Here's an overview of what's new since our last release.

A new look with some new features - can you spot them?

Staging site
Starting today, the latest version of Method is always "opt-in".  We now give you the choice of which production version of Method you want to use. In additional to the usual "live" site, we now have a "staging" site. Next time you log into Method, check out the bottom of the login page. It now says "This is the December version | Switch to the January version". Clicking this will take you to the staging site, and give you a preview of what will soon become the live version for all users. Be special and click on this! Not clicking on it will mean you won't see any of the goodies I'll continue to discuss below!

What’s the difference?

"Live" – currently named the "December version" - this version has gone through our testing, and through at least a week of use by users on the staging site.  Benefit: more stable.  Drawback: you don't get the latest features, and bug fixes.

"Staging" - currently named the "January version" - this has just come out of quality assurance testing from our team. It is stable, but it has gone through only limited real-world use.  Benefit: allows power users, administrators, consultants, and eager Methoders to run through business processes in Method before it gets released to the rest of the company.  Drawback: you might find a new bug that nobody else has found yet.

SmartVault beta
Way back in October 2010, we announced that we were partnering with SmartVault, but it has taken over a year to get all the pieces in place to make it a reality.  Method has partnered with SmartVault to provide an alternative to the standard "native" document management that comes built into Method.  We’re using SmartVault’s new RestAPI for web apps – and it allowed us to make a really slick integration with them.  SmartVault provides an intuitive, Web-based solution for users to store, view and share files securely any time and from anywhere. It also offers a unique plug-in for QuickBooks, creating a seamless user experience for scanning, attaching, and finding documents within a familiar application.  If you haven’t seen it, it’s certainly worth a test drive.

Phase 1 of the beta is now available on the January version of Method.  Stay tuned for more goodies on SmartVault and Document Management over the next 4 weeks.  To get started now, and learn more, click here.

Style – new buttons and tabs
You'll see some style changes when you sign into Method on the January version....we hope you like them so much that you'll want to stay on the January version and never go back! 

• All buttons are now using a new, more modern look. By default, buttons have a grey gradient, with a slight rounding to the edges.  But under Customize > Display, you can change your default button style to be round, boxy, blue, green, whatever you want.  Adjust it to make it fit your own color scheme.
• When customizing screens, you can now set different colors for each button on a screen.  So maybe you want all your buttons grey by default, but the delete button should be bright red.  Go for it!
• You'll see the tab links and tabs have been given a stylish, more modern look.  We haven't changed the style of tabs and tab links since our prototype version years ago.....gulp - embarrassing to admit!  And there's even more to come on the next release in a couple weeks.

OpenID - sign into Method with your Intuit Account
The January version has something very exciting - we now let you use your Intuit Account to sign into Method! It's one less password that you have to remember - and since your Intuit user name is your email address, it’s a lot easier to remember one password than your Method Company Account, User Name and Password. Plus, if you have multiple Method accounts, the same Intuit Account can be used to log into all of them. Try it out - I've been using it over the past week and love it.  Click here to learn more.

Switch to the January version today to get a head start. Simply go to methodintegration.com, click Sign in, and click Switch to the January version in the login form.

What do you think?  Use the comments below to give feedback. We’re all ears!

Paul

We're excited to announce the release of Method Scheduling & Invoicing for QuickBooks Online. While there are several apps available for Method users who use QuickBooks Desktop, this is the first app available for Method users of QuickBooks Online.  Considering the large percentage of our QuickBooks Online users who are service companies, we know this is going to be welcomed news.

What does it do?

Method Scheduling & Invoicing adds onto Method CRM Pro - and provides the ability to schedule work orders on a calendar, and then convert the work orders into invoices.

Main features include:

• Scheduling - schedule jobs on a calendar or a work order list.  Jobs can be one-time, projects or recurring.  Recurring intervals can be daily (including multiple days per week), weekly (including biweekly), monthly (including quarterly), annually, or at variable intervals (for example, every 7 days from January to April, every 14 days from May to October, and every 7 days from November to December).
• Mapping / Routing - generate driving directions to and from your office using Google Maps.
• Assign work orders - assign work to your crews (teams, techs, etc.).  You can either email the work orders, print the work orders, or provide your crew leaders with a login so that they can access their work online.  Route lists are also an option if you want many jobs to appear on each printed page.
• Mobile - instead of printing work orders, why not give crews a mobile device so that they can use Method Mobile to access their work in the field?
• Complete the work - enter start and stop times, materials used, as well as any additional services sold while at the job.  If the crews are using Method Mobile, they can simply click on their work orders, click Start Timer when they arrive, and Stop Timer when they are finished!  Method Mobile saves the double-entry of having your office staff enter this back in the office at the end of the day.
• Invoicing - convert all completed work orders into QuickBooks Online invoices with a single click.  You can create one invoice per work order at the end of each day, or you can invoice monthly for all the work orders completed this month.  The invoices will go right into QuickBooks Online instantly.
• Job Costing - View Job Cost reports that give Estimated vs. Actual hours, so you know which jobs are winners and which ones are losers.
• CRM - Of course, it integrates nicely with Method CRM .

Who is it for?

Anyone who schedules jobs to be performed by staff, where the scheduled work turns into a QuickBooks invoice when it is complete.  Typically, this is ideal for companies in the field service industry, but there are many other industries that apply.

How do I get it?

• The cost is free for QuickBooks Online users who are subscribed to Method CRM Pro for QuickBooks Online. It is not standalone. If you are a QuickBooks Online user, you need to sign up for Method CRM Pro via Intuit App Center.
• Once you are a Method CRM Pro user, sign in, and go to Customize > My Account, where you'll see the ability to install Method CRM Scheduling & Invoicing for QuickBooks Online.  

Think of the time you'll save.  Scheduled work automatically appears on a calendar at the interval you specified when you first set the jobs up.  Instead of you or your office staff doing data entry, it's your field staff who are the ones tracking whether work was completed and how long it took.   All you have to do is click one button to have all their completed work orders flow into QuickBooks as invoices!

And best of all, since this app is made using Method, it is built using the same tools you have access to.  So you can customize it to be specifically tailored for your service company.

Enjoy.

Paul

Method HQ will be away from the office on Monday, September 5th for Labor Day.  Labor Day is one of the rare holidays that both Americans and Canadians celebrate on the same day.  So what happens if you run into issues, have questions or just want to bounce ideas off us?  Feel free to post your questions on our user forum.  We’ll be sure to get back to you on Tuesday when we are all refreshed from the extended weekend.  If run into an emergency situation that cannot wait until Tuesday, please email method@methodintegration.com and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.

To post a question on our forum, click here.

Enjoy the last few days of summer!

Danny

It's no secret that we've been working on a QuickBooks Online version of Method CRM for some time now.  We announced that we were working on it at Scaling New Heights in May to our Method Solution Providers. We were then highlighted by Alex Barnett from Intuit with an early version using Intuit Anywhere.  Finally, we entered Method CRM for QuickBooks Online into next week's Intuit Apps Showcase contest in San Francisco.

It's also no secret to our team that we needed a QuickBooks Online solution.......we field calls every day from QuickBooks Online users who wanted to get their hands on Method CRM.

So, I'm *very* excited to announce that we are now live!  You can get Method CRM for QuickBooks Online from workplace.intuit.com today. Click here to sign up: https://workplace.intuit.com/db/bgadcdv5w?a=QBDPTryBuy&try=1

It is available as a 90 day free trial/beta.  Currently, we sync with Customers, Employees, Vendors, Items, Estimates, Invoices and Payments.  Over the next two months we'll round out the features, and sync with the remaining transactions available to developers, as well as add compatibility with our own Method apps, such as Method Field Services (soon) and Method Expense Reports (later).

Cheers,

Paul

P.S. What are you doing Thursday, August 11th?  Nothing enjoyable?  Great!  In that case, you should watch Danny and me up on stage presenting Method CRM at the Intuit Apps Showcase.  We'll be wearing chef's uniforms - any guesses as to why? We could use your cheering......and.....YOUR VOTE!!  Sign up to watch the live streaming and vote from here: http://miurl.cc/appsshowcase

At Method HQ, we've talked for some time now about having a "Method Coach" feature.  Most of the discussions start with big, bulging eyes and a "Wouldn't it be cool if..." declaration - but to be fair, being a tech company full of imagination, a lot of other conversations here start with "Wouldn't it be cool if..."!

The problem we were trying to solve: A brand new Method user signs up for a trial.  They sign in.  They see something they like.  But they can't use it because they haven't yet setup other users, or haven't configured their portal, etc.  In other words, they are trying to go to B without first going to A. This can be a frustrating initial experience, and sometimes causes new users not getting deep enough into Method before their trial period lapses. 

To solve this, our first option was to create a traditional tutorial manual where we would give everyone a generic set of steps to read and follow.  We shied away from that for a couple reasons.  First, we're finding the desire to read is becoming a rare commodity!  As the internet has evolved, we've all come to expect something more intuitive and intelligent.  Second, Method has multiple editions and apps, so users can have totally different environments from each other.  Based on how you use Method, the best tutorials are ones that recommend next steps based on who you are and what you do.

So.....wouldn't it be cool if...you got a personalized "next step" notification emailed to you as you completed a certain key setup task?  

Enter the Method Coach concept.  

Starting today, administrators will now get periodic email notifications with a recommendation of something we think you should setup next, along with step-by-step instructions, and a report card of tasks you've successfully completed to date.

We think it's an interesting solution to a problem every software company faces - and we look forward to tweaking it as we get more feedback.

Let me know your thoughts by writing in the comments below.  Would this have helped you when you first got started with Method?

Paul

This past May while participating in a session on Method at Scaling New Heights, someone asked if there was an easier way to stay up to date with all the updates that Method released.  I of course responded letting them know that the Method blog was the number one place since we publish all the latest and greatest platforms changes as blog entries.  In addition to this, there were the regular tweets to Twitter but this didn’t help those who weren’t on Twitter.  Plus, most people wanted to know every update, regardless of how big or small it was.  So……our new blog called “Release Notes” solves for this.  Creative name isn’t it?

Release Notes is a blog dedicated to tracking all updates made to Method apps, including fixes, updates, and smaller feature additions.  As the Method Dev team makes these updates, they’ll post to this blog.  You can choose to check the website directly on a regular basis or if you’re using RSS feeds, just subscribe by clicking the link below.

Website

http://www.methodintegration.com/cs/blogs/releasenotes/default.aspx

RSS Feed

http://feeds.feedburner.com/methodintegration/MethodReleaseNotes

We’ll of course still be using the Method Blog as our primary source of news, articles, tips, tricks and major platforms releases.

Enjoy!

Danny

We’ve been very busy over the last few months.  Want to know why?  We’ve been working tirelessly on a refreshed version of Method CRM that now focuses on workflow and ease of access to your CRM and QuickBooks information.  This was first previewed at Scaling New Heights in May and we received amazing reviews.  We’re excited to say that the new CRM now released, allows for a clearer definition and purpose for each screen and gives you quick access to the information you’ll need.  The refreshed version reflects what we feel is an improved design and builds a foundation for future enhancements to Method CRM.

With the launch of the new CRM, we also have a new name for the Method Full Blown Edition. It’s now called Method CRM Pro.  Same great features as before just with a new name.

The list of features included with this update is pretty extensive and reflects much of the feedback from our internal team as well as the Method community.  Here are some of the features you’ll notice:

• Leads and customers are now separated – this allows you to quickly identify which contacts are leads vs. customers.
• Lead and customer lists are now by contact – previously, the customer list displayed all customers from QuickBooks but required an added step if you wanted to see each contact for that company.  Now all contacts can be viewed in one place.
• New Lead/Customer screens –we’ve created dedicated screens for adding new entries that easily flow into editing that lead/customers information or continuing to add new entries.
• Shared Lists – this provides the option of limiting a user’s access to another user’s data.
• Activity screen – in addition to a totally redesigned screen, this also displays the contacts’ recent activities, opportunities and cases.   
• New Appointment/Task/Log Call – these are variations of the activity screen with pre-set fields making it faster and easier to log an activity without having to go to the customer’s screen.
• Related Activity –allows you to link activities to each other when necessary.
• Auto follow-up – automatically trigger a follow-up to be created based on the activity type you choose.
• Activity Calendar – displays a 24 hour period and can be filtered by shared lists.
• New Opportunity screen – allows you to create an opportunity, add a customer/lead, add an activity and schedule a follow-up all from one screen.
• New Case screen – you can now create a case, add a customer/lead/vendor, add an activity and schedule a follow-up all from this screen.
• Cases – you can automatically send emails to alert users when they’ve been assigned to a case or activity.
• Home Dashboard – takes advantages of shared lists and new color palette.

These are just a few of the features we’ve added in the new CRM.   Please keep the feedback coming because we’re listening!

How do I get started?

If you’re ready to get started with the new CRM, follow the steps below.

• Existing Method users, click here for steps on upgrading.
• New Method users, click here to sign-up for a Method CRM account.

Cheers,

Danny

As some of you may have already noticed the way contacts are initially added in Method has changed. Previously, when a customer was added through Method or QuickBooks, Method would create two entries in the Contacts tables for that customer.  One for ‘Contact' and the other for ‘Alt Contact' from QuickBooks.  This meant that for every customer entered there would be two contacts automatically added.

Now, if there is no ‘Alt Contact' Method just adds one contact in the Contacts table for the customer thus eliminating the ‘Alt Contact'. This makes the contacts list look a lot cleaner . You will also notice an additional field in the Contacts table for ‘Alt Phone'. In many cases the ‘Alt Phone' is actually related to the main contact for example, a cell number or a home number. Each contact will now have a ‘Phone' and an ‘Alt Phone', the ‘Alt Phone' for the main contact will be the ‘Alt Phone' entered when the customer was created.  

-Michael 

A new and exciting app, Contact Sync, has just been released!  This app syncs your Method contacts (and therefore QuickBooks contacts) to Constant Contact for email marketing.  Contact Sync was created by Data Collaborative, a Method Solution Provider who is among the first to hold the Method Certified Consultant distinction, in addition to being recognized as a Method Certified Account Manager.  We’re thrilled to welcome Data Collaborative’s fantastic new app, Contact Sync, to the Method Application Library.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Constant Contact, it is one of the leading email marketing solutions available, providing email and event marketing, online surveys, social media tools, and more.  With Constant Contact, you can distribute targeted emails, gather customer feedback, boost customer communication, and much more, all at an affordable price.  For more information on Constant Contact, click here.

How does the Contact Sync app work?

To use Contact Sync, a Method Full Blown user logs into to the app using his or her Constant Contact ID, and a screen displaying a list of Method contacts appears.  Simply select the contacts you’d like to send to Constant Contact, as well as the list to which you’d like the contacts to be added (or create a new list) and the synchronization will take place with a click of the “Export” button.   Contact names and email addresses are synced to Constant Contact, automatically omitting the insertion of duplicate contacts along the way.  Once the sync is complete, Constant Contact activities can be carried out as per usual. 

As a Method Full Blown user, you can install the Contact Sync App for only $5/month for the first user and $.50/month per additional user, for use with your Constant Contact account.  If you are using Method Remote Entry or CRM Edition, you will need to upgrade to Method Full Blown to install the Contact Sync App.

If you’d like to learn more about Contact Sync, or if you do not have a Method account and would like to get started, please contact Data Collaborative.

If you’re a Method Full Blown user and you’d like to install Contact Sync, log in to your Method account and follow the steps below.

1. Click Customize > My Account
2. Scroll down to the "Add Apps from the Method Application Library" section and click add this app for Contact Sync
3. Click add app now! to complete the installation process. 

Cheers,

We previewed a great new feature at the Scaling New Heights conference last week called "Reminders", and I'm happy to announce this is now live in all Method accounts.  If you turn Reminders on in your account, Method will send you an email 15 minutes before your activity is due, along with a link that takes you straight into that activity in Method.

What's better, you can also have reminders sent to your mobile phone as an SMS text message, which logs you in directly to the new mobile activity screen in Method Mobile.

How to turn reminders on

By default, as of today, new Method accounts have Reminders turned on - but all existing Method accounts have Reminders turned off.  To turn Reminders on or off, do the following:

1. Go to Customize > Tables / Fields.
2. Find the Activity table, and click the Edit Table link.
3. Place a check in the Email me reminders for records in this table before they are due checkbox.
4. Click Save & Close.

How to turn reminders on and off per user

Note: you must turn this feature on for the account first, otherwise these settings will be ignored (see "How to turn reminders on" above)

1. Go to Customize > Users.
2. Click Edit beside the user you want to change Reminder settings for.
3. Advance to step 3 of 10 (yes there are more exciting steps in Customize > Users now....that's another blog post!).
4. Place a check in the Send email reminders before they are due checkbox.  This will deliver them a regular email reminder.
5. Place a check in the Send SMS alerts before they are due checkbox. This will send a text message to their mobile phone.
6. Type their mobile phone number in (all 10 digits in North America).
7. Choose your wireless provider from the list.
8. Click Finish.

How to customize the format of what gets sent

There are a bunch of options you can set to customize how your Reminders are sent.

1. Go To Customize > Tables / Fields.
2. Find the Activity table, and click the Edit Table link.
3. Notice here that you can edit the regular email template, the SMS template, as well as which Tab Links you want the links to send you to.
4. Click Save & Close.

Okay, so what's the logic going on behind the scenes?

In order to qualify for a reminder, a CRM activity must be assigned to an Activity Status that causes reminders AND ALSO be assigned to an Activity Type that causes reminders. You can edit these by clicking the "..." button next to the Activity Type and Activity Status dropdown lists, and selecting which types and statuses have "Causes Reminder" selected. 

For example, you wouldn't want to be emailed a reminder for an activity that already had a completed status!  Also, you may just want to be reminded for Meeting and not Phone Calls.

15 minutes before an activity is due, an email gets sent to your mobile phone.  In fact, in reality what really happens is that 20 minutes before an activity is due it gets put into an email queue, with delivery set 5 minutes later - I mention this because you might find that an activity that you completed 18 minutes before it was due still sends you a reminder.  This is part of our new email queuing system that ensures that high priority emails get sent before lower priority emails.

Enjoy! This is actually just the beginning of a larger project I am working on, which will eventually involve daily digests and "follower notifications".  Yes, I just threw you a teaser of what's to come .

Paul