New PALLETMANAGER features.

PALLETMANAGER is being continually enhanced, frequently as a result of user feedback. As one user remarked recently - 'we have looked at other software products but PALLETMANAGER still provides the fastest and most comprehensive range of solutions and yet uses a simple and easily understood interface'. The Manual Main Menu can be accessed here.

For Release 7.9 -  October 2011 (Some features may be introduced earlier in 2011)

This release includes a range of powerful new features . Amongst the new features introduced in this and other recent upgrades are:

• A completely new Ti/High report format has been introduced, whilst (of course) retaining the previous report formats which have been developed and revised over many years as a result of user feedback. The new format brings together the 2D pallet plan and the 3D stack view (as found on the 'traditional' Palletise and Stacking reports) into a single page report which we (and a number of test sites) believe will meet the needs of a wide range of users. Thus users now have available both the traditional and new Ti/High report formats, and these can be printed and saved to JPG (in the Webbase module). Those users who utilise the STORE module can also produce the new Ti/High reports from entries stored in the STORE database.

• When building up a product stack on the pallet on Screen 6 we have in the past simply displayed the bottom 3 layers of the stack to show how well (or badly) the interlock between layers is. In this release we now display all the layers in the 3D view and also display the 2D base arrangement for additional clarity:

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• The Webbase module continues to be used by a large number of users as a powerful and simple method for storing specifications in a format that can easily be viewed by anyone with a web browser, or the same images can be emailed as attachments. Existing users will know that the .JPG files created are named according to the product code. Feedback from one user mentioned a restriction that this imposes - If you have a long product code and wish to produce specifications for that product that relate to different load heights of customers - then the filename character limit (14) is not sufficient. In this release the filenames now produced are made up of the 14 characters of the code plus the first 12 characters on the description, thus overcoming this limitation.

• During data entry in PALLETISE / COLLATION / TERTIARY modes users have occasionally indicated that they have input the available loading height incorrectly. In order to make this totally clear the input screen now displays the height available for the product itself, the height of the pallet base and the resultant total maximum height of product + pallet.

• Ongoing updates to Windows 7 and the Explorer 9 have necessitated further changes throughout the software to accommodate the new options offered in these environments, doing so in a manner which ensures compatibility with earlier versions of both browsers and operating systems. We have also continues to make changes to try to ensure as far as possible that during both installation and running security products that the user may have installed do not generate false security alerts.

• The previous release included a new optional PALLETISE report format which had been requested by some users. The new format includes all the information presented on the standard report but does so with the graphical palletisation information at the top of the report. Users can select the new format using a tick box on Screen 7 (where reports are selected), and a mechanism is in place to make the new format the default as is described in Appendix 1 of the manual. The newly introduced Ti/High report also supports this process - so that the Ti/High report can be selected with either the 3D pictures at the top and 2D at the base (the standard) or 2D at the top and 3D at the base.

• The 3D on-screen report has now been enhanced to be displayed in colour rather than monochrome, the the text on all reports has been enhanced to include a specific reference to Ti/High as has been requested by a number of users.

• In Collation Mode users when browsing the ranked results on Screen 5 had to select a particular entry and then select the Collation button in order to see a graphic of the case make-up. In this release, as the user moves through the the results, a miniature graphic of the case made up is displayed as users select any particular entry:

• At the suggestion of a number users we recently introduced a major new function - Contfill - to both PALLETISE and COLLATION modes of operation. This allows users to see immediately the impact of a particular case design on both pallet fill and container / trailer fill. A design maximising pallet fill might produce a poor utilisation when loaded, on or off pallets, into trailers or containers. This feature is described in detail in Section 5.11 of the online manual installed with the software.

• As well as the changes referenced for Windows 7 etc, we are also aware that wide-screen displays are becoming more popular (see Appendix 1). The new release contains major updates across every screen to support all of these areas.

• We have also introduced a number of changes which will further enhance the user experience. These include extending the labelling on near-square cases to assist visual recognition in CUBE, PALLETISE and COLLATION modes, an extension to the spreadsheet export capabilities of the STORE module and enhanced graphics on a number of reports.

• In response to requests from a number of users you can now specify a logo to replace the standard PALLETMANAGER logo in the top left of PALLETISATION and COLLATION reports. The procedure to follow to provide this is described in detail in Appendix 1 - 17 of the online manual. Obviously this is optional and the previous small default PALLETMANAGER logo is used otherwise. The logo, when used, will be displayed on all new reports, all reports printed from STORE database and any new reports saved to the Webbase database.

• The 'DO BETTER' module has now been extended and enhanced so as to produce a wider range of solutions and to deal specifically with square items. How often have you though - 'This case does not palletise very well, I wonder if minor changes to the dimensions could provide an improvement'? The unique and powerful function 'Do Better' answers exactly that question in Palletise, Collation and Tertiary modes of operation. This complements the existing 'Fixed Volume' optimisation which may be available to you (according to license). See Section 15 for full details.

• As well as adding graphics in the form of a logo to reports we have now also added facilities to display primary images on the faces of reports produced in Collation mode. Details of how this can be achieved is detailed at the end of Section 6 of the manual.

• Whilst PALLETMANAGER has always been able to deal with the packing of tote boxes or tray units, the increased use of these has resulted in us tailoring the software to meet the specific needs of such users. As well as changes to display screens we have also introduced modified report formats which are automatically output when totes / trays or slipsheets are to be used.

• On computers where screen resolution allows (1024*768 or better), the Collation / Tertiary reports now provide additional numerical information including both material and distribution costs. This information was previously only available on printed reports. This can be important as in some situations the most cost effective solution to a Collation / Tertiary problem may not necessarily fit the most units on each pallet - the potential packaging costs of different case designs are considered by PALLETMANAGER in ranking solutions.

• A fully searchable manual can be accessed from the opening screen. This not only allows users to browse through the 160 pages of the hyperlinked manual, but also allows then to search (using an inbuilt browser) for any required search term across the whole manual and receive back a report detailed links and their relevance. (The searchable manual is only provided on CD based installations and not on trial web downloads). You should be aware that the manual installed with the application is always the first to be updated with changes and thus should be used as a primary reference source

• The Webbase module enables users to quickly and easily create palletisation specifications for storage on an Intranet / Internet or a CD. In all cases those viewing / printing the specifications do so using a standard web browser. Thus it will be easy to share specifications with others in your company, or with customers and suppliers. Further details on this procedure are given in Section 14 of the manual.

As ever we would encourage users to provide feedback (ideally by email to support@goweralg.co.uk) on new features they would like to see incorporated.