In addition to internal refinements, we have made updates on the services for two of our providers.  If you use either of these, please read the notes below:

Royalty Rewards

When you are working in a workorder, you can now enter a new Royalty Rewards member under the Services tab.  In addition, you can add a Promo Code on that same tab.  In the past promo codes were added when closing a workorder, but now they can be added at any time ( like when the workorder is first created ) and will apply to the submitted record.

Kukui

A new service provider for CRM ( Customer Retention Management ) is now integrated into ASW 9.5.  It is Kukui  ( www.kukui.com ).  Auto Shop Writer can now submit data to them daily.  Please follow these steps to setup the service.

• On the Server, under the ASW9s folder, create a new subfolder called Kukui Extract
• On the Task bar ( lower right corner ), find the ASW Update icon, right click on it, and Quit the program ( on the server )
• Copy the MLS9AUS.exe from the \ASW9s\MLS folder to the root \ASW9s folder
• Go to Start – All programs – Startup on the server and click on the ASWUpdate item to restart the auto updater.
• On any computer, go into ASW, and on the Menu select Tools, Setup, 3rd Party, Kukui.  You will be asked if you want to turn on the service, and you can select Yes.

Now, each night after midnight, ASW Updater will create a file for the Kukui service.  You will need to call your rep and they will install special software on your server that will transfer that file each day to their server for processing.

 

Please read the previous bulletin about the upcoming Windows 10 release, ASW 10 progress, and especially procedures for contact this summer.  Remember, EMAIL is always the fastest way to get a response because it is monitored throughout the day, evenings, and weekends ( 6 am PDT to 11 pm PDT, 7 days a week ).

I have had a lot of people notice the prompt to get the Free upgrade to windows 10, and they have asked if they should do it.  Here are important points you should consider when making the decision:

• Windows 10 is an awesome product, and has many advantages like better security, faster operating system, new capabilities
• Windows 10 is going through exhaustive testing by volunteers ( Insiders ) world wide who are reporting issues and viewpoints directly to Microsoft.
• Windows 10 gives you the best of small apps ( news, mail, calendar ) and full programs ( like ASW ) all on the same screen
• Windows 10 takes full advantage of the new hardware advances

In contrast, there are some other points you need to consider:

• Insiders who are doing the testing and reporting are all “techies” and have a good deal of knowledge about hardware, and working through problems
• There are still many unresolved bugs in the preview release that must be addressed before July 29th.
• Some hardware may have devices and software that will not play nice with Windows 10 until it is updated by the manufacturer / publisher
• People who are not “tech savy” and encounter problems with the install, may have difficulty getting support.
• Microsoft, like everyone else, uses contracted scripted support.  This means your question gets a scripted response based on keywords that may miss the actual question by a universe.  We see this happening even within the Insiders Community when these folks try to be helpful and just cause confusion.
• ASW 10 will be released after Windows 10, and it will work fine on your Windows 7 or 8/8.1 computers.  Of course it will also work fine with Windows 10.
• I will be very happy to help if you encounter Windows 10 installation problems, but I cannot guarantee that we will find answers right away.  I may have to seek answers from Microsoft and those may take awhile.
• Windows 10 installs best on newer computers already running Windows 8.1.  If you are running 8.0, you MUST update to Windows 8.1 before you can do a Windows 10 install.

And finally, if your tech person goes negative about Windows 10 it is clear evidence that individual has not been working with it to get ready for the release.  Hardware manufacturers like Dell, Toshiba, and others are thrilled with it, and all new computers will be sold with it.  Its just that upgrades can take time to get fully processed effectively.  The wide range of devices and configurations is a major challenge for anyone, even a company as large as Microsoft.

Maybe your best answer is to install the update on your newest, and least used, computer first, see how it goes, and when it is running comfortably, progress to the next one.

And as an aside … I’ve been testing it on a desktop, tablet, and Windows Phone …since it was first made available.  I like it, but then I’ve been doing this for 33+ years.