Graphical Machines & Equipment Software Training Requirements

Friday, Aug. 27, 2004

Dear DDMS Customers:

In September, the next release of the DDMS® software, Version 7.7, is scheduled to begin shipping on request to DDMS customers. This release includes the new graphical Machines & Equipment applications (formerly known as the Serialized Module). These service management applications will be available to all dealers currently using the text-based serialized module who have completed the required training on the new graphical software.

To help ensure that your implementation of the new graphical machines & equipment applications goes smoothly, we want to provide you with answers to several important questions:

A. Why Graphical Service Management Software?
B. What Service Management Functions Are Now in Graphical?
C. What’s New for Service Management in DDMS 7.7?
D. Is There an Additional Cost for the Machines & Equipment Applications?
E. What are the Training Requirements for the Machines & Equipment Applications?
F. How Do I Get My Copy of DDMS Version 7.7?
G. How Do I Get My Machines & Equipment Applications Authorized?
H. Where Can I Get More Information?

A. Why Graphical Service Management Software?

For almost two decades, DDMS has provided specialized business system software to office machine and equipment dealers. The new Machines & Equipment applications represent the next generation of service automation software. The graphical interface offers new ease and efficiency to any dealer who sells, leases, or services copiers, computers, printers, or any other equipment.

DDMS is a Windows®-based graphical software that is easy to learn and use. New employees can be trained easily, becoming productive in significantly less time. And, because of the graphical environment, you can use multiple applications simultaneously. For example, you could check inventory, schedule a service call, and enter billing
information at the same time.

B. What Service Management Functions Are Now in Graphical?

The Version 7.7 release will include enhanced, graphical versions of our service management applications, which offer powerful tools for managing the sales and service of office machines and other equipment.

You can use the new graphical applications to accomplish core management tasks such as:

Only two of the basic service management applications are not yet available in graphical:

C. What’s New for Service Management in DDMS 7.7?

The graphical Machines & Equipment applications will enable office equipment dealers to work more efficiently than ever before:

• Work in fewer screens: we carefully engineered each window and dialog box to put all the information you need at your fingertips. Applications like contract types and the call monitor required multiple screens in the text-based software. In the graphical software, they each occupy a single window. Tabs replace the additional screens, letting you view or change all the relevant information with a click of the mouse.

• Changing records is also much faster in graphical. With the text-based software, you had to tab to the field you needed, which often involves a number of keystrokes. With graphical, you simply click the field you want.

• The Machines & Equipment applications are more tightly integrated with the rest of the system. The customer and inventory windows, for example, both include new tabs for machines and equipment. The Customer window includes a Machines tab that displays service information for each customer. The Item window includes a View Machines feature that displays critical parts for each model. This window also includes a feature for easily
transferring machine inventory between locations.

• Logging and dispatching service calls are far easier with the new graphical interface. The graphical call logging application puts much more information at your fingertips: look up a customer’s call history, including the complete text of each call, without leaving the call logging application. Tabs make it easy to move back and forth between global customer and machine information, the machine’s service history, and the text of the call.

• The graphical call monitor now lets you view a call’s text simply by clicking it. Without leaving the monitor, you can see the details for the selected call. You can also change the way calls are sorted with a single click — sort by priority, territory, or customer, for example, just by clicking the appropriate column heading.

• Managing your techs’ schedules is also easier with the graphical call monitor. See a tech’s calls at a glance and rearrange priorities by simply dragging and dropping the calls. Reassigning calls is as simple as dragging a call from one tech’s name to another. We have also streamlined the dispatching process, making it much simpler and faster than
before.

• You can manage accessories with the new Machine Accessories application, which is accessible from both the Machine Detail database and from order entry. The Machine Accessories window makes it easy to sell or lease machines with the accessories the customer needs.

Suppose you’re selling a copier with a document feeder, a cabinet, and a finisher. You specify the model numbers for the copier and the three accessories, and let the system search. It will list exact matches first: any copiers with all three accessories that are on-hand. It will also list copiers that have some but not all of the accessories you
specified, and list the individual accessories available. You can drag and drop machines and accessories to assemble the copier you need. You also have the option of generating setup or delivery work orders for the machine, with all the accessories you specified. In addition, you can view the history of any accessory part at a glance; this feature makes
it easy to quickly spot defective parts.

• We have enhanced the trade-in features in the Machine Detail database, making it easier to manage trade-ins and the parts you use from them. You can set up dispositions and assign them to each trade-in you accept. Dispositions are user-defined categories such as “to be inspected” or “for parts only” that help you organize trade-ins. These dispositions are part of the machine’s database record, and appear when you work with the machine. They can aid you when printing reports – for example, you can limit a report to items with a disposition of “for parts only” and see which useful parts have been removed from these machines and which parts still remain.

D. Is There an Additional Cost for the Machines & Equipment Applications?

If you are currently using the text-based serialized module, there is no additional charge for the graphical Machines & Equipment applications. The only requirement is that you must attend training on the new graphical software prior to implementing it in your business.

If you are an equipment dealer but have not been using DDMS to manage your machine sales and service operations, the new graphical Machines & Equipment applications are available as an Xtension™ to your current DDMS software. For more information, contact Steve Camp at scamp@eci2.com or (866) 374-3219, ext. 2266.

E. What are the Training Requirements for the Machines & Equipment Applications?

The new graphical Machines & Equipment applications represent a significant advance over the existing text-based applications. In order to obtain product authorization on the new graphical applications, you must attend training on the software prior to implementation.

Dealers who attended all of the Machine Sales and Service sessions at last year’s ECi Direction 2003 Users Conference, or the Machines & Equipment training offered in conjunction with the DDMS South Central Regional Users Meeting last June, have already met the training requirement for the new graphical software.

However, if you received training at one of these events, you may want to consider attending one of the upcoming training events this fall as well. The additional training will reacquaint you with the software and introduce the latest enhancements. You’ll also be able to take advantage of hands-on labs, where you can practice what you've learned and have any questions answered by DDMS technical staff.

For dealers who did not attend the Direction 2003 Users Conference, or the Machines & Equipment training at the DDMS South Central Regional Users Meeting, available training options include:

ECi will host a Machines & Equipment Training class at our Fort Worth, TX facility on October 11-13, 2004. We are still finalizing plans for this training event, and will notify you via email when details become available.

The DDMS West Coast Regional Users Meeting at the Alexis Park Resort in Las Vegas, NV, features special classes for machine and equipment dealers. These classes will provide training on graphical Machines & Equipment applications. Scheduled sessions include:

Note: The special classes for machine and equipment dealers will start one-half day earlier than other meeting sessions, at 1:00 pm on Thursday, Nov. 4, 2004. Dealers must attend all of the Machines & Equipment sessions to meet the training requirement for the new graphical software. Visit our Regional Meetings and Events page for
comprehensive session, registration, and travel information.

On-site training is also an option for dealers who cannot attend either the Fort Worth training class or the DDMS West Coast Regional Users Meeting. A training consultant will come to your site and provide personalized instruction on the new Machines & Equipment applications. To arrange for on-site training, or for more information, contact ECi Sales
at info@ecisolutions.com or 866-374-3221.

F. How Do I Get My Copy of DDMS Version 7.7?

DDMS is shipping DDMS Version 7.7 to customers on request, beginning in September 2004.

To request your copy of DDMS Version 7.7, email ddmssupport@ecisolutions.com.

Please include your contact name, company name, account number, shipping address, and phone number in the request.

G. How Do I Get My Machines & Equipment Applications Authorized?

The graphical Machines & Equipment applications require authorization. If you were previously authorized to use the text-based Serialized module, you must still attend training on the graphical software and install Version 7.7, before you can obtain authorization on the new graphical software.

Note: New authorization is only required for the new graphical machines & equipment applications. An existing Serialized authorization will enable you to continue using the text-based Serialized applications, but does not apply to the new graphical software.

To obtain authorization for the graphical Machines & Equipment applications, first load Version 7.7, and then email a request to autho@eci2.com.

After you submit your request, our authorization personnel will process your request, confirming both your Serialized or Machines & Equipment contract and your attendance at the requisite training. Authorizations will be handled during business hours 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM Central Time, Monday through Friday. An ECi technician will call you regarding your authorization request within 24 hours.

H. Where Can I Get More Information?

For more details about enhancements to DDMS, see What’s New in Version 7.

In addition, the complete online help is available on our Web site, including topics for
the new Machines and Equipment applications. Online help is available to view or download
from the Version 7 Documentation page.

For more information on the graphical service automation software, see Machine Service /
Serialized Documentation.

Sincerely,

ECi Technical Support