|
 |
Update time has arrived again for
your PCRecruiter Windows version.
Please note that you are not required to update, although for ease
of support and troubleshooting, Main Sequence assumes you will be
on the latest updated version.
We recommend that you update at your convenience after you receive
one of these e mail notices, unless you are directed to update by
Main Sequence or your support vendor. Many users choose to update
as a matter of course to monitor the new features as they are added,
and there is nothing wrong with that with that, as long as they
are ready to revert back to an earlier version if need be.
This round of updates has a number of features long requested by
users. The most popular of these is likely to be:
SPELL CHECK
By using new Microsoft components, we are able to directly access
the MSWORD spelling engine. So now you will see (in various places
in PCR) a spell check button. This button will invoke your WORD
spell check, including your custom dictionaries. You can find the
spell check on resumes, notes and e mails within PCR. Please note
that if you do not have MS WORD installed, you will not have the
feature.
OUTLOOK DUMP
You may now add contacts or scheduler items from PCR to Outlook.
Please note that the transfer is one-way only, from PCR to Outlook.
On the Rollup screen, there is an Export to Outlook menu command,
and on the calendar, there is a button. The Rollup screen sends
to the Outlook Contacts folder, and the calendar sends to the Outlook
calendar. You need to have Outlook installed and configured on the
machine you are using to have these exports operate.
SECURED CUSTOM FIELDS
Another new and useful feature that was requested by some of our
owners is the ability to create a special class of custom fields
where the data is only visible to certain users. This was needed
to protect salary data for a user, but they can also be used to
secure any number of details fields. There is a new class of admin
security on the user records; "PCR Admin". This is the
permission item used to grant access to the new secured custom fields.
You create a secured custom field just like any other custom field,
and select secured as the action for that field. Note that the "PCR
Admin" permission is NOT an ADMIN permission beyond those custom
fields.
MULTIPLE OPENINGS PER JOB ORDER
Yet another longstanding request is the ability to create multiple
openings for each job order. In the past, you could have used the
"copy" on the job order menu item to make a new job order
for each opening. Now there is a "number open" field.
Each time a placement is made on the job order, the number open
reduces by one until the order is filled. This also allows all sendouts
for a search to connect to the main order.
AREA CODES
PCRecruiter now also includes the ability to update groups of changed
area codes from a formatted text file. This file installs with the
update and is called areacode.txt. Here are the directions and legalese
for it's use:
To run the area codes, you must first create a special phone number
index in your database(s). This will increase the size of the database
somewhat, although not dramatically. This job may run for several
minutes to several hours. You probably will want to run this after
hours or when database activity is minimal.
Once the indexes are made (you make them by going to 'system tab/global
changes/area codes - create phone indexes'), you can import the
corrected area codes by hitting the button called "import text
file". Then browse to the file "areacode.txt" in
the PCRecruiter folder, and the job will start. This job may also
run for several hours. Again, this job is best run after hours when
people are not using the system.
When completed, your area codes will be current to August 2000.
You MUST NOT run this job without backing up your data. You may
find that the area code database has incorrect data, that the job
failed for some reason or that other errors have occurred. Be prepared
to revert to a pre-job backup.
Main Sequence Technologies does not promise to provide this as an
ongoing service in any way. This is a free utility for our customers
and subject to no warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular
use, nor is any other performance or software of any kind provided
by Main Sequence Technologies, Inc. in connection with this area code
utility.
NEW REPORT BUILDERS
In addition to the above features, there are now three new report
forms that you can use to create detailed breakdowns for placements,
applicant tracking, and a sendout summary (or hotsheet). These reports
can be limited and sorted in numerous ways; by date, rollup, fields,
etc.
The reports can be found from a job order/reports menu.
The hotsheet is run from view activities/sendouts and is just a
condensed report with the key data for watching sendouts and doing
preps and debriefs.
NEW ADDR FUNCTION
To simplify support and training, we now are using the same ADDR
function for the Web and the Windows version of PCR. To use the
new control, paste your item in the white space and then hit "extract
info" on the left. The preview will show in the yellow boxes
above, and you may use the clipboard or otherwise manipulate the
item until the data in the yellow sections meets your needs. Once
done, you can hit SAVE and the record will be made. Unlike the old
control, you need not paste the resume in after the record is saved;
it's now a single step. That will save a lot of clicks over time.
NEW HTML LETTERS AND RESUME CONTROLS IN
PCR
Again, due to many requests and the way technology is moving, there
is a new set of methods in PCRecruiter for HTML. Many people think
that in the near future, most documents (and especially selling
documents like resumes and bulk mails) will be native Web pages
rather than text or rich text.
If you would like to save, use and send items as HTML rather than
as Rich Text, you may now do so with PCR. All you need do is paste
the SOURCE CODE of an HTML item into PCR rather than the simple
paste from clipboard of a selected item. PCR will detect the HTML
source and show it as a web page. If you wish to edit the item,
it will be re-rendered as source code that you may edit on the spot,
or copy out to FrontPage or your selected HTML authoring/editing
tools just as you might with a text item.
These features will allow you to send graphically rich emails and
records from your PCR application. You may then also save a text
item in Attachments or as a linked record if you wish.
Please note that when you save items as HTML and DO NOT save a
text item elsewhere, that to obtain a text item in the future you
would need to cut and paste the item again.
MISC CHANGES
There is an Export to Excel menu item on names and companies to
shoot one record to Excel if you need the data elsewhere.
Sendout status is now taken from the Activity Types table on the
system tab. This allows you to make whatever status items you wish
for sendouts, and also provides a smooth way to transition records
from tracking via activities (while prospecting) to tracking via
sendouts (applicant tracking). If you were using the original sendout
status itmes (1st open, 1st closed, etc.) you can simply add those
to the activity types table and continue as you were.
Also in Sendouts, you will find several new sendout types; offer
made, offer stage, etc. that better define the common applicant
path at many firms.
AS ALWAYS
CHECK your backups and CONFIRM that you have the right files and
that you know how to restore them. If you use MS Access, you can
simply cut and past your MDB file to another machine on your network
as a first line of defense. To find out what your file is, you can
check help/about. You may be running a tape, etc. but it always
pays to have a hard drive copy around when you need it. Copy the
entire PCR folder from time to time as well; certain features may
use the folder and you may want it to recover from a disaster.
For SQL Server users, at the bare minimum, make certain that a
.BAK file is being made at regular intervals and that the .BAK file
is going to a safe place. If you aren't sure what we mean by this,
you should find out in short order.
A FINAL NOTE
Main Sequence has been running PCR Web Version as a service since
July 2000.
If backups are an issue and you would rather not run the software
yourself in the future, as an existing user, you may send us a copy
of your database(s) and we can bring it up on our servers, located
in a Verio Inc. data center.
You will need a new terms of service agreement with us, and a setup
fee may apply. There is a monthly charge per user name in your database;
those fees may or may not be a good value for your particular situation.
Once up on our ASP, you only need a browser to use PCR from anywhere
that there is Internet connectivity. You can run a virtual firm
and gain all the benefits of ASP software.
PCR Web version is NOT PCR in a browser; it's a native web application
and a totally different interface than PCR Windows. The flow and
nomenclature do carry over, and you may also run the thin client
on your own network if you wish.
Contact Main Sequence or your reseller for a demo of this excellent
compliment to your PCR Windows or as a great alternative to Client/
Server computing.
|
|
