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Diary – Reopen Diary Entries
User Meeting Favourite
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- Where a diary item has been closed either from the diary screen, or a related screen or utility you are to reopen a diary if required.
- When viewing a closed diary item a button reopen diary will be displayed. A confirmation message will be displayed when reopening a diary item. Where the diary is reopened STRATA Master will record the name of that user.
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Direct Entry by Email – Template
User Meeting Favourite
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When emailing a Direct Entry remittance to a creditor, you may use a template to populate the body of the email.
- The template must be saved in your \\strata\template folder and be named EmailRemittanceTemplate.txt.
- You are able to customise and rename the default template (EmailRemittanceTemplate_default.txt), by navigating to your \\strata\template folder on your network and editing the text in Notepad.
The following merge fields are available for use:
<MESSAGELINE1> = Payment number
<MESSAGELINE2> = User name creating the payment
<MESSAGELINE3> = Plan Number
- The template will be utilised when payments are made from both the Payments screen and Quick Pay – Other payee by direct entry where an email address is recorded.
Notes:
Where payments are generated from a single trust account we recommend that you exclude the reference
to the plan number in your template.
The template is not used when emailing a Levy Refund remittance.
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Direct Entry – Configuration Options
User Meeting Favourite
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Display payee details
- A new Direct Entry option is available in Configure > Agency > Options # 1 - Display Payee Details
- When this checkbox is ticked the payee’s details will be included in the direct entry file rather than the default of displaying the name of bank account where the payment is being taken from.
- This change will also result in the payees’ name being displayed on the owners corporations’ bank statement.
Amalgamate Transaction details for Management Fees
- A new Agency Bank Account option is available in Configure > Agency > Bank Account – Amalgamate Transaction Details
- This option is available where agency fees are configured to be paid by direct entry, and should only be configured where your working accounts and agency bank account are held with the same banking institution.
- When this checkbox is ticked a single line will be created in direct entry file for the total of management fees paid to your agency.
- This will result in a single credit (deposit) shown on your agency bank statement when the management fee payments are received by the into your company bank account.
Note: The default for these checkboxes is deselected. These options are not available in New Zealand as the file is an Australian Banking Standard.
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fileSMART Creditor Invoice screen
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When viewing approved invoices on the fileSMART Creditor Invoices screen changes have been made to reduce the time to review and approve the invoices to the general ledger.
- View invoices by manager
- Sort invoice data by creditor, plan number or amount by clicking on the column headings
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GST Creditor and Reporting
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To facilitate electronic payment to a Tax Authority for GST a new creditor has been automatically created and setup in the Configure > Display and Set Config Values screen.
- You may select an existing creditor to be used for GST payments, or use the creditor automatically created. This creditor can be accessed via the Manage > Creditor screen to setup payment method, and to add CRN’s where the payment method is Bulk BPAY.
Remit GST screen has been updated to show the payment method for creditor.
- Where the payment method is cheque, the process remains unchanged.
- Where the payment method is direct entry or BPAY the dissections entered will be saved against the owners corporation as invoices.
When paying the invoices, you may select Pay GST which will prep-populate the screen with the configured GST creditor and payment method.
- Direct Entry and Bulk BPAY payment methods will remit a single payment to the Tax Authority being a total of each invoice dissection.
- The invoice dissections may be viewed / edited / deleted in the Creditor invoice screen if required.
There are two new options added to the GST Report Wizard.
- GST Report(s) can now be saved when producing them, as well as issued based on the GST Frequency for the plan.
- When configured for fileSMART the document will be auto-archived against the owners corporation, and document type Business Activity Statement.
GST Details Report has been improved to display the Creditors ABN which will assist during the GST Reconciliation process.
- This additional information is displayed on the report when produced from Formatted Reports, Reports > GST Reports and Accounting > GST menu.
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Lot / Contact Audit Trail
User Meeting Favourite
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When any changes, additions or deletions are made to a lot, or a lot contact an audit trail record is created in the database.
To view these records you are able to create a reports from Reports > Audit Trail, by ticking lot, and/or contact.
The changes made can be viewed for a single plan or multiple plans for a specified date range, or for a specific user, or all users for a specified date range.
Note: The Corporation Audit Trail records can be included on the same report as Data items; Transaction, Bank Account and Creditor.
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Levy Wizard – Screen Changes
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The Levy Wizard screen sizes have been increased to the maximum resolution for STRATA Master.
A short description for each selection is shown on the main screen.
The following options are displayed on a single screen to improve usability and efficiency when issuing notices and invoices.
- Print Levy Notices
- Email Levy notices
- Print annual notice of levies
- Issue invoices
- Issue Submetered invoices
There are also additional output options and selection changes which are detailed below.
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Levy Wizard – Calculate and/or Post Levies
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- All options are selected on the single screen.
- Where advanced levies are selected and the total to be raised does not equal the sum of the levy instalments the user can change either the total or the instalment amounts.
- The preview levy posting must be selected before the post levies option is made available.
- Where the screen is launched and an unmanaged owners corporation is pre-populated, STRATA Master will return a message when the user selects Finish to advise the function cannot be completed as the plan is not managed.
- Where a user attempts to change plans to an unmanaged plan they will be prompted at the time of selecting the plan.
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Levy Wizard – Debt Recovery
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Debt Recovery Configuration Screen Changes
- Options to exclude owner invoices, and /or sub meter invoices from debt recovery calculations
- Option to set the amount for each stage of debt recovery where the debt will be automatically cleared
- Option to set debt recovery by levy, rather than by lot - not yet implemented
Manage > Debt Collection recipient’s email address
- The email address for corresponding with the debt collector has been updated to use the R&M email address for the creditor.
Previously the payments email address was used.
Issue debt recovery notices
- A single screen with all options displayed will reduce the time to issue notices, and reduce errors as users will not need to navigate back / forward through the wizard to change or confirm selections made.
- Manual debt recovery: Email, SMS and Save to file
The options which were previously available for stage debt recovery, including issue using the default levy method, save to file and SMS the owner contact have now been introduced where Manual debt recovery is selected.
When emailing Manual debt recovery you may use a template to populate the body of the email.
You are able to customise the default template by navigating to your \\strata\templates folder on your network and editing DebtRecoveryNoticeEmailTemplateManual.txt in Notepad.
When sending an SMS for Manual debt recovery you may also customise the default template by navigating to the same folder (\\strata\templates) and editing the text in Notepad.
The template must remain named DebtRecoverySMSTemplateManual.txt
- Select lots to be included for debt recovery when issuing the notices.
When an individual plan is selected the lots which are due to receive the selected stage of debt collection the lots which meet the criteria entered on screen will be displayed. This will allow users to select which lots receive a notice at the time of issuing. Where manual debt recovery is selected, all lots will be displayed.
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Levy Wizard – Debt Recovery
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- Debt Recovery Report - Preview from Debt recovery screen
Users are able to preview the debt recovery report from the levy wizard which will display all lots which will receive a debt recovery notice based on the criteria entered on screen.
Lot Payment Plan
- Where a lot has not received any staged debt recovery notices you are able to record a payment plan against the lot. In the Lot Owner screen on the Debt Recovery tab a new checkbox Payment Plan can be selected and a note for the payment plan recorded if required.
- This selection can be viewed in the Lots Quick Report, and in the Debt Recovery quick reports, where payment plan is selected.
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Levy Wizard – Issue Individual Statement
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This option now allows for multiple plans/lots to be selected to receive a statement.
You may also select from the additional options, all of which are displayed on a single screen.
- Save a copy of the statement to file
- Issue via the default levy notice delivery method, or print all.
- Charge fees to issue statements, as configured in print and email levies in the Agency Configuration > Management fees screen.
When emailing Individual Statements you may use a template to populate the body of the email.
You are able to customise the default template by navigating to your \\strata\templates folder on your network and editing IndividualReminderEmailTemplate.txt in Notepad.
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Levy Wizard – Duplex Printing
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You are now able to setup templates to be printed on the back of levy notices and invoices.
Setup Double Sided Printing
- Users with the required security access must first launch Configure > Agency > Options # 1, place the screen in Edit mode, tick the option Print double sided Levy and Debt Recovery notices, and then save.
This option is unticked by default.
Setup a Template for any Association Type
- Create a Rich Text Format file (*.rtf in Word) and attach it to the required Associations types, in Configure > Association Types.
- When printing levy notices, statements, debt recovery notices and invoices the wording will be printed on the back of the notice(s).
Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal
- For agencies which manage properties which are under the jurisdiction of VCAT, you can rename the template we have included in the release, or create your own single page rtf named VCAT.rtf to be printed on the back of the levy and debt recovery notices issued.
- There is no need to make any changes in the Configure > Association Type screen as these plans are already flagged to Include VCAT Details on notices.
Validation when issuing Notices
- Where you have setup a template and ticked Print double sided Levy and Debt Recovery notices if the Levy Notice printer is not capable of duplex / double sided printing you will be displayed with a message to confirm if you wish to print 2 separate pages.
- Where the setup has been completed, but the template is missing a message will be displayed to confirm you wish to print without the wording on the back of the notice.
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QR Codes for BPAY
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Where BPAY is included in the payment methods available to your owners on your levy stationery, a BPAY QR code will also beis now displayed on all levies, invoices and debt recovery notices to assist owners paying their levies via bank applications which are able to read this BPAY QR Code.
The QR code will be displayed in accordance with BPAY specifications on the following notices:
- Other bank deposit slip
- MBL levy notice slip
- NAB Transact levy notice slip
- NAB Transact 2 levy notice slip
- Westpac PayWay levy notice slip
- ANZ BPAY levy notice
- ANZ BPAY levy notice slip 2
- CBA BPAY levy notice slip
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Quick Reports – Corp
Show Bank Accounts
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- The default is to show all bank accounts (both working and investments accounts) but you may also select to display all only working or investment accounts.
- You may also select to display active and/or inactive bank accounts in the search results.
Notes: The search will display one line per bank account. Where an account is only linked to a single plan, the chain link opens to the Corp screen for the selected plan on the bank account tab.
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Quick Reports – Corp
Sub meter
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- An additional column has been added to allow you to display which plans have a sub meter setup. The columns is displayed after Creditor invoice default status.
- The search will return a Yes, or blank where no sub meter is found.
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Quick Reports – Corp
Active Groups
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- An additional column has been added to allow you to display which plans have an active financial reporting group setup. The column is displayed after Sub meter.
- The search will return a Yes, or blank where no active group is found.
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Quick Reports – Corp
Show Management Fees
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- Display the number of lots in a plan in the existing Show management fees search. The column is displayed after Address for sorting.
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Quick Reports – Lots
Show submeter delivery method
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- A new query has been added to allow a list of lots included for submeter invoicing to be displayed.
- Where a lot is included in a submeter for an owners corporation, display the delivery method for the submeter invoices.
- Where the default delivery method is email, the recipient's email address is displayed
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Lot / Contact Audit Trail
User Meeting Favourite
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- When any changes, additions or deletions are made to a lot, or a lot contact an audit trail record is created in the database.
- To view these records you are able to create a reports from Reports > Audit Trail, by ticking lot, and/or contact.
- The changes made can be viewed for a single plan or multiple plans for a specified date range, or for a specific user, or all users for a specified date range.
Note: The Corporation Audit Trail records can be included on the same report as Data items; Transaction, Bank Account and Creditor.
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Utility – Close Diary, Quotes and
Work Order Entries
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The existing utility to close bulk work orders, and associated diary items has been expanded to include many more types of records.
- When closing records this can be done for an individual plan, or multiple plans
- Select the records to be closed
- Specify the date range for the records
- Select Process to view a confirmation message which will list the number of each type of record to be closed
- If required, you are able to abandon the process after the message is displayed to correct your selection criteria.
- Once all the items have been closed, a completed message is also displayed.
Note: A new work order and quote status of Auto-Closed has been added and will be flagged for any items closed through the use of this utility.
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Utility – Clear Debt Collection
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The Clear Debt Collection utility allows you to clear staged debt recovery from multiple lots in a plan, and can be accessed from the Utility menu.
- Once the owners corporation and stage have been selected, all lots which meet the criteria will be displayed on screen.
- Select the lot(s) to be cleared from the stage of debt recovery
- Select Print Preview to produce a report listing the lots which will be cleared, along with their current levy arrears.
- Select the process button and confirm you wish to proceed
- A confirmation message is shown once the lots have been updated.
- A log file is created in your local \\strata\logs folder listing the details for any lot cleared during the process
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Receipting - Multiple Lots
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- A new screen has been created where a total of a receipt is entered at the top and then multiple levy receipts can be created across the portfolio.
The screen is located under Accounting > Receipting > Multiple receipts, Crtl-U.
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Repairs & Maintenance –
Quotes set to “Auto-Closed”
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Where a quote is accepted and the option is selected to auto-close all open quotes the new status of Auto-Closed will be used.
All other data previously entered by users will be maintained. Prior to version 8 when this action was completed, the quote would be flagged as Not received.
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Screen Changes - Active Groups
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- The Owners Corporation selector has been updated to indicate on all screens that there is at least one Active Group for the selected plan.
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Screen Changes – Corp Screen
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- The Corp screen has been redesigned to increase the size of the screen to improve usability.
- Additional information is shown above the tabs which means that there is more information at first glance. The icon sizes have also been increased to further improve usability.
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Screen Changes – Icons and Screen size
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- Changes have been made in each screen in STRATA Master to improve usability. These changes include larger icons and larger screen sizes.
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Submeter invoicing - Save to file
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- When issuing submeter invoices the Save to file option is defaulted ticked on this screen.
- Where a recovery if configured for Print levy notices the default selection will be displayed on screen.
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Suppress Meeting Documents
User Meeting Favourite
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- A new option has been added to the Lot Owner Screen, Notices tab which will allow you to default the delivery method for meeting notices to None on the issue screen.
- When issuing meeting notices you can choose lots to be excluded from receiving the meeting document(s).
- This information can be viewed in Quick Reports > Lots.
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User Security Settings
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- Security has been reviewed across STRATA Master to ensure all Read / Write / None security settings were enforced as configured.
- This review also includes the disabling of function keys, and links through to screens from different wizards.
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Other Changes
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The following issues have been resolved:
Creditor Code must be limited to 8 characters on entry
- The creditor code field will only allow up to a maximum of 8 characters to be recorded on screen.
Add a creditor returning an Error 5
- When saving a new creditor from the Creditor Compliance tab no error will be displayed, and the creditor screen will return to the general tab.
Copy Meeting Validation
- Where copy meeting was selected, and the meeting date was set more than 12 months in the future the validation message was not being displayed.
Issue Meeting Notices
- Where an owners name was greater than 50 characters the name was not being displayed in the Issued screen or on the mailing label for meetings.
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Other Changes
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Complete Minutes
- Where resolution details were recorded on screen, and then the Resolved check box was ticked the resolution wording was being replaced with the original motion.
Close meeting document preview automatically
- Where a meeting agenda or minutes are being previewed, if the user makes a change and selects to preview the document again STRATA Master will close the first preview and load the new preview without error.
Inactive Insurance brokers and Debt Collectors not displayed
- When editing a corporation to select an insurance broker (Insurance tab) or debt collector (Financial tab) inactive creditors were being displayed in the creditor combo selector.
Export file name not being updated when plan selection changed
- When exporting plans using File > Export, if the owners corporation is changed the name of the output file was not being automatically changed to match the plan selected.
Error when recording a Unit / Lot no more than 10 characters
- Where a user attempted to record a unit or lot number with more than 10 characters an error was being returned. In this situation the error will not be displayed and the user will be advised that: The unit/lot number is too long.
Corp Audit Trail
- When adding a new plan, the Corp Audit Trail report was displaying 01/01/1900 for the old values for both Financial Year End date and Management Commencement date. The old values column are now blank for new plans.
- When adding a new plan, the user is prompted to enter a reason for changing the manager. The Corp audit trail report was not displaying the reason entered on screen, and this has now been corrected.
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Other Changes
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Manage > AGM Preparation screen
- When users move the highlight with the arrows (not mouse click) the enabling/disabling behaviour of the arrows has been corrected.
- The combos in the additional information section of the screen no longer allow free text typing.
- The message has been updated to read: The reports selected and printing order displayed on this screen will be the default for all AGM Reports. Would you like to save these changes? Yes / No
- After clicking the save button (or F5) the screen now remains open displaying current settings
Corp > Executive
- When no lots are recorded for an owners corporation the Executive tab can no longer be placed in edit, add, or delete mode to avoid errors being displayed.
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