STRATA Master Version 8.5.3 Release Notes

Other Changes

The following issues have been resolved:

GST Reporting

  • Where payments are allocated to the GST clearing accounts, and the GST creditor is used the transactions will no longer be displayed on the GST Report, GST Details Report or Export BAS Summary.

Quantity Based Fee Details

  • When a fee is automatically recovered for issuing a Statement the Details saved will appear as the current month.

STRATA Master Version 8.5.2 Release Notes

Auto-recovery fees

Levy Printing

A new fee option Printing levy notices and invoices (remove duplicates) can be setup to automatically create a disbursement for charging printed levy notices, based on the number of recipients.

The existing option Printing levy notices and invoices creates a disbursement for levy notices based on the number of levy notices printed.

Users with the appropriate access rights are able to apply a management fee code in Configure > Agency ~ Management Fees screen:

Where this recovery type is configured printing levies, statements and invoices through the Levy Wizard will result in a charge to the Owners Corporation based on the number of levy notice contact recipients in a plan.

This will also include fees recovered for printing and issuing Submeter invoices from the Accounting > Submeter invoicing screen.

Note:

  • Only one fee type for Printing levy notices can be configured.
  • This fee is designed for agencies which include multiple notices for a plan in a single envelope, which often occurs when using printing houses to distribute levies.

Default setting for Ad-Hoc emailing

A new option is available in Configure > Agency > options # 3 ~ Include additional email addresses.

When this option is ticked emailing from the following screens will include additional email addresses in the bcc field:

  • Contact forms
  • Executive tab ~ Single or Multiple email icon
  • Messages ~ Emailing registered owners

Note: On upgrading to Version 8.5 this will be defaulted to be selected.

Insurance Claim Form

Show bank details

A new option is available to display the Owners Corporation’s bank account details when saving an Insurance Claim.

Where an Insurance Claim form is printed or emailed and this option is selected the following details are displayed on the claim form directly under the Claims Manager Contact.

  • Bank Account Name
  • BSB Number
  • Account Number
  • Account Suffix (for New Zealand bank accounts)

Note: This option is defaulted to deselected

Lot and Contact Audit Trail

The audit trail record written when a contact’s details are edited has been improved to record the owners corporation where the change was made.

When running the Audit Trail report for Contacts, when an individual owners corporation is selected you will be able to view the change made for the plan and the date range entered.

Note: Any audit trail records written in versions prior to 8.5.2 will not have the owners corporation reference, and the reports will continue to display all plans in the date range.

Process Downloaded Bank Statements

Macquarie Download

  • When processing your daily statement file, where the “Cash Transaction Fee” is present an expense will be automatically posted to the Bank Charges -- Account Fees account with the description contained in the file; for example ‘Cash Handling Fee March 2016’

NAB Download

  • When processing your daily NAI statement file through NAB Download, Direct Entry payments will be automatically presented.

Other Changes

The following issues have been resolved:

Aged Arrears Report

  • Where a future levy was prepaid and a current levy in arrears, the interest was not being displayed on the Aged Arrears Report.

Expenditure Reports

  • The Ref No column was not displaying the CRN recorded against a paid invoice.

Expense Reports

  • The Ref No column was not displaying invoices numbers for paid invoices.

Levies due report

  • Where a plan has a Special levy posted for a specified month, if the Standard levies were unposted they were not displayed in the sub-report labelled Levies not Posted.

Report Viewer Save to RTF or CSV

  • When saving formatted reports to RTF or CSV format the alignment was incorrect.

Work Order/Quote Report not displaying correctly in pdf format

  • The last 1-2 lines of Work Orders and Quotes in PDF format were not displayed in full.

Portal description for Reprinted Management Fees

  • When reprinting Management Fee invoices and saving them to fileSMART to Portal description was not correct.

Messages > Send an internal message

  • A label is displayed for information only, to confirm that the feature is not supported over a Terminal Server environment.

STRATA Master Version 8.5.1 Release Notes

Client Reports

Multiple plan selection

Selected Client report output options have been enhanced to allow you to produce a report for multiple owners corporations.

The options is available on the Aged Arrears List, Abridged Balance Sheet and Statement of Financial Position.

Where multiple owners corporations is selected additional options include:

  • A range of plan numbers
  • Manager selection
  • Report sort order

These ‘multiple’ reports will be displayed in PDF format, not in the Report Viewer. Where an individual owners corporation is selected the report will continue to be displayed in the Active Reports viewer allowing you to save the reports in different formats.

Note: The interim reporting function will allow you to distribute reports to multiple owners corporations, whereas this feature is intended for internal report production.

Client Reports

Display Invoice Numbers

There are four existing Expenditure Reports where the invoice number was not previously available at all times.

Detailed Expense Reports

A Payment column has been added to the far right of the Detailed Expenses and Detailed Expenses - Group Report.

Previously where an invoice number was recorded it was only displayed in the Ref No column when the invoice status was unpaid. Once the payment had been made the invoice number was no longer referenced and the payment number was displayed.

The reports now display the payment numbers in the Payment column and all other details including invoice number, CRN, owner invoice dates in the Ref No column.

Expenditure Reports

A Payment column has been added to the far right of the Expenditure and Expenditure By Account Report.

Previously only payment numbers were displayed on the report and there was no invoice details.

The reports now display the payment numbers in the Payment column and all other details including invoice number and in the Ref No column.

The report additions will be displayed from each of the different places where each of these reports can be generated, including:

  • Formatted Reports
  • Interim Reporting
  • AGM Preparation
  • Owner and Executive Portals (based on agency settings)

Emailing Contacts

Additional email addresses

The additional email addresses recorded in STRATA Master are now pre-populated in the bcc recipient section when the Email icon is selected on the following screens:

Lot Owner Screen

  • Main contact for owner
  • Agent
  • Tenant
  • Levy contact
  • Notices contact

Corp Screen

  • Original Owner
  • Executive Member
  • Executive Committee

Mail Merge

Portal Usernames and Passwords

When creating a mail merge document for Owners/Lots or Executive Members you are now able to include the Owner and Executive Portal usernames and passwords.

The new mail merge fields are named Web Access Username and Web Access Password.

Note: Previously the usernames and passwords were only merged through the Web Access Wizard – Manage Notifications.

Owner & Executive Portals

New Options

A new Show on Portals checkbox is displayed on the Entitlements tab in the Corp screen.

  • This checkbox is defaulted to be selected for all entitlement sets on upgrade. If you do not wish to show entitlement sets on the Portals you may deselect the checkbox for those selected Entitlement sets.

Web Access Wizard – General Configuration has a new option which will allow you to hide the Paid to dates on the Portfolio tab.

  • This selection defaults to Yes on upgrade which result in Paid to dates remaining to be displayed. Update the selection to No if you do not wish to show the date on the Portals.

Quick Reports

Show bank accounts ~ Suffix

The bank account suffix can now be viewed in Quick Reports > Corp ~ Show Bank Accounts.

The column is displayed directly after the Account Number.

Other Changes

The following issues have been resolved:

Character validation in Owners Corp Selector

  • Changes have been made to ensure that no error is displayed when a single quote is entered in the Owners corp selector.

Clear Direct Entry User ID when saving Inactive Creditors

  • To ensure no withdrawals are created during download processing for inactive creditors a prompt will be displayed when updating a creditor to inactive where a Direct Entry User I is recorded.

Configure Bank Accounts – Display suffix

  • The suffix recorded against a bank account (in New Zealand) will always be displayed in the lower section of the Bank Account Configuration screen when highlighted in the grid above.

Configure > Bank Statement Filing

  • The maximum file path length has been increased to 200 characters.

Display Entitlements on Portals

  • Entitlements sets will be displayed correctly where lots have a UE recorded for one set and a Nil entitlement for another.

STRATA Master Version 8.5.0 Alpha Release Notes

Banking Reports

Bank Reconciliation Summary

This report produces a summary report of bank reconciliations for all working accounts.

The existing reporting options are for all managers, or one.

In addition you are able to select from the following new options:

Show unreconciled accounts summary

This new reporting option will display a list of the unreconciled accounts at the end of the existing report.

Show unreconciled accounts only

This new reporting option will produce a list of the unreconciled accounts only.

Banking Reports

Investment Reconciliation Summary

This report produces a summary of bank reconciliations for all linked investment bank accounts.

The existing reporting options are for all managers, or one.

In addition you are able to select from the following new options:

Show unreconciled accounts summary

This new reporting option will display a list of the unreconciled investment accounts at the end of the existing report.

Show unreconciled accounts only

This new reporting option will produce a list of the unreconciled investment accounts only.

Process Downloaded Bank Statement

Preview Reports

The download and exception reports are sent directly to the Formatted Reports and Others default printer.

A new option has been added which will allow you to preview the reports on screen, rather than sending them to a printer.

The new option Preview Reports selection will display the reports on screen, rather than sending them to the printer.

This will eliminate the need to retrieve the printed report prior to confirming the banking.

Once you have ticked the checkbox to Preview Reports the selection will be retained, and displayed as ticked the next time the screen is used.

Note: The download report is displayed first and once you have confirmed the report was produced successfully, the banking file is processed and the exception report produced.

Client Reports

Levy Schedule

This report displays the budgeted standard levy for each lot, based on equal installments, using the default levy frequency for each owners corporation.

An Annual levy column can now be displayed on the existing report.

Where the Levy Schedule is generated from the Budget screen, or the Owner and Executive Portals the annual levy column will always be displayed.

An option is available from Formatted Reports and AGM Preparation to include the Annual levy column. This checkbox option is defaulted to be selected.

Client Reports

Cash Management Report

The Cash Management Report has been updated to display any unpaid levies as at report date, or current date as a positive value.

The same improvements are displayed on the reports regardless of where they are generated from. This includes:

  • Formatted Reports
  • Interim Reporting
  • AGM Preparation
  • Owner and Executive Portals (based on agency settings)

Client Reports

Cash Management Report – Group

Changes have been made to the Cash Management Report.

The same improvements are displayed on the reports regardless of where they are generated from. This includes:

  • Formatted Reports
  • Interim Reporting
  • AGM Preparation
  • Owner and Executive Portals (based on agency settings)

Cash Management Report - Group has been updated to display any unpaid levies as at report date, or current date as a positive value.

Where any income or expenses displayed on the group report relate to an investment account (as opposed to the Working account) they will be noted with an asterisk. This had previously been implemented for the standard Cash Management Report.

Interim Reporting

Show skipped payment numbers

When producing Cash Management Reports from Interim Reporting the existing option Show skipped payment numbers which was only available from Formatted Reports, is now a new option for;

  • Cash Management Report
  • Cash Management Report - Group

When this option is selected, where there are payment numbers which were skipped (not issued) during the reporting period they will be displayed at the end of the report.

Note: Skipped payment numbers can occur when a payment is being created and confirmation of the remittance is cancelled by the user, or where a user manually increases the last cheque number in the bank account configuration.

Strata Management Reports

Review time and charging

This report displays a list of all time charges which will be included when Invoicing Management Fees is run, based on the Report criteria entered on screen.

A total of the charges listed and the time spent is now displayed at the end of the report to reduce the time spent on checking fees and charges prior to processing the management fees.

The total is also displayed on the Diary Report.

Strata Management Reports

Management Fee Statistic Report

This report produces statistics on management fees invoiced for a month, grouped by strata manager.

Statistics such as the fee total amounts, number of plans, number of lots, average fees per plan and average fees per lot are reported.

There are two additions to the report:

  • The report displays an additional column after the Invoiced Total column named Total Paid.

  • An Invoice summary will be displayed at the foot of the report with a total of invoiced, paid and unpaid management fee invoices for the selected month.

Wizards 

Minutes

Wizards – Minutes will launch a new screen which provides a shortcut to access the Minutes preparation screen.

The screen displays:

  • Owners corporation selector
  • Notes for the selected plan
  • A list of all meetings which have not been finalised

To access the minutes screen for a plan, double click on the meeting from the selection grid.

You will be presented with the same screen and functionality as if you were to navigate through the Meeting Register and launch the Minutes screen.

Opening Balance Entry

Save reports to file

A new option Save report to file is available on the Opening Balance Entry screen.

The option is defaulted to be selected which will ensure that when opening balances are recorded for a plan a copy of the reports will be automatically saved.

The reports are archived when the transactions are saved, which ensures that where changes are made on screen after the initial preview the archived reports will match the entries made.

When configured for fileSMART the reports will be auto-archived against the owners corporation, and document type Opening Balances.

Auto-Archive to fileSMART

Portal Descriptions

fileSMART v6.5 added the ability to record a description for documents which are displayed on the Owner and Executive Portals.

Where reports are automatically archived to fileSMART, a portal description is now included.

The Archive Meeting agendas / minutes function includes a manual selection of document type for archiving, as well as a new option to select from your pre-configured customised Portal descriptions in fileSMART.

Note: Click to view the "STRATA Master and fileSMART Integration" Setup and Use document which includes default portal descriptions for each report.

Exclude Debt Recovery

New owner alert

Where a new lot owner is being added and exclude debt recovery is ticked, a prompt will be displayed to confirm if the exclusion should continue to apply to the new Lot Owner.

This warning message will also be displayed where a new lot owner is added from the Change Owner Wizard.

Other Changes

The following issues have been resolved:

Owner ledger reports displaying incorrect headings

  • Where all owner ledger reports are produced for a plan, in some circumstances where alphanumeric lot numbers are recorded the incorrect owners name and entitlements were displayed.

Advanced levy posting previews all groups in grid

  • When posting advanced levies for a group, when previous installments are included the total for each levy installment represented the total of all group levies due on that date, not just the selected group.

Management fees not amalgamating

  • Where the agency bank account number was less than 9 digits the direct entry file was not amalgamating agency transactions.

Blank page when printing duplex

  • Where duplex printing has been setup, levy notices are printed for GST Registered plans and saving to fileSMART is selected a blank page was being printed after each notice.

Quick Reports - Lots ~ Voting entitlements column

  • Where the Default voting entitlement type for the agency is not configured for voting entitlement the date of purchase was being displayed in the entitlements column. This column will now display N/A where these conditions are met.

Error displayed when deleting a motion with an additional resolution

  • Where a motion has a default additional resolution the motion was not able to be deleted from the Agenda screen.

Interim Reports not printing additional sets of reports

  • Where all recipient's delivery method are set to email extra copies would not be printed, regardless of the on screen selection.

Manage > Debt Recovery - last receipt shown incorrect

  • The last receipt displayed was based on the highest last receipt number, not the latest date receipted.

08/03/2016 9:52 am AEDT

Still need help?

Request a New Article

Popular Articles

New Articles

Updated Articles