Editor Comments
Are you aware of the new 'big thing' in terms of internet search?
Ai has been around for a while – we use it as part of our POPIA systems, to interpret supplier invoices and match them automatically to purchase orders. Open Ai ChatGPT is one of the latest developers of NLP (natural language processing), backed by Microsoft, who made headline news by recruiting over 1 million users in less than 4 weeks, at the end of last year
There are various elements in Open Ai’s offering, one of which is the ability for the system to write programming code against a stated requirement (believe me, it’s a big deal!).
More newsworthy is the Chat Bot element.
This allows the user to ask a question and the system will -in frighteningly fast time- provide a detailed response, in plain language, almost as if you were talking to someone; you can also respond with refined details to get an updated response taking account of your comments (so it learns from you!). It maybe called a chat bot, but it’s a universe away from the annoying and usually useless chat bot a lot of web sites use! Exactly how this will impact search engines like Google - who have already announced their NLP version called Bard that is in test- is yet to be seen, but most commentators see this as the equivalent of moving to a totally new level of internet use. Try it out for yourselves at https://chatgpt.com, where you can create a test account and ask your own questions.
Administrator Super License
Our licence model works on concurrency. This means that you don’t require an individual licence for each and every user / device registered to use the system. Access to the system is limited to the number of concurrent users you have purchased e.g. you may have 15 registered users, but have purchased 5 concurrent users.
If 5 users are actioning something in the system, at the same instant, it uses a licence for each. So, a 6th user trying to access will get a ‘licence exceeded’ message and will need to wait for one of the 5 licences to become free.
However, for those with smaller licence pools (say under 5) with increased use of the system, which happens naturally, there can be instances where all the concurrent licences are being used, meaning that even an administrator cannot access the system to take actions that their permissions allow.
To cater for this we have introduced an optional Administrator Super licence, which is a single seat licence that can only be allocated to a single system administrator. This licence means that they can log into the system at times even when all the concurrent licences are in use. Apart from having the full functionality their status and permissions allow, it will mean this user can view all current concurrent sessions in use, and if required turn off excess licence use, to free up the main concurrent licence pool. Obviously it would be sensible for the administrator to advise users before taking action, to avoid users losing data!
This new seat licence has a monthly cost of £25 plus vat, but is available only for one Super licence user per system. Clients who have experienced ‘lock out’ issues can request to have this special licence made available by using the usual support portal.
System Enhancement News: Price Lists and PO Custom Measurements
The ability to import agreed price lists with suppliers has proved to be a popular feature in our latest Purchase Order system UI.
It makes line level ordering easier, as full descriptions, prices and minimum order quantities plus catalogue codes are available to choose from, with the selected item filling in the correct line information, automatically, thereby avoiding errors by the PO creator.
Supplier Price Lists
Firstly users can search across multiple supplier price lists for a single item, using a product code (assuming it’s common to all lists) or by a description. In doing so the system will present the options and prices by the supplier(s) so the user can select the best price. Additionally, prices can now be altered on single item basis, as opposed to having to import a complete revised price list. This is especially useful where prices are changing frequently, even on a day to day basis. These single item revisions will update the main price list automatically.
Custom Measurement
When ordering items on a line level, users can additionally select from a range of sizes or measurements e.g. bags, Metres, rolls etc. This module can now be customised by a client system administrator, themselves, in order to add new measurements, and if required remove others.
If current clients would like more information on these enhancements, please raise a support ticket to gauge relevance to your system.
People Focus
Graham Light, Chairman
Graham Light founded our sister company The IPC Group, some 25 years ago, which provides bureau document scanning and storage facilities for a range of clients inc. Marshall ADG in Cambridge.
Then some 12 years ago, felt that there was a market need for private cloud based software solutions for all kinds of business- hence the launch of Documents Online Ltd.
"We’ve come a long way since the early days of Documents OnLine. Now trading as Cloud B2B our new and increasingly powerful UI has brought us a wide range of clients, and system enhancements. We are constantly looking at ways to improve our solutions, many of which come out of our clients specific needs. We have never (I think!?) delivered just a standard ‘out the box’ system, because each client has the need to match their current and changing business needs. It may not make for an easy life for our development team, but a happy and satisfied customer, is all we want!"
Outside work Graham enjoys the gym, walking, golf, travel and music (currently Royal Blood & Radio Head feature) and of course supporting his football team, West Ham…no, the picture of Graham holding the FA cup was not taken when they last appeared at Wembley, beating Arsenal 1-0 in the 1980 final – but he was there for that game (so he says!).
In Good Company
The end of 2022 saw a late flurry of sales activity across a wide range of clients, and we are delighted to welcome the following customers to the Cloud B2B ‘family’, who have purchased solutions form our Purchase Order range.
We Are Digital
Full Purchase Order System with Invoice Approval
Providers of digital training services.
Totally Welsh
Full Purchase Order System with Invoice Approval
Food & beverage manufacturer / supplier.
Flightcase Warehouse
Full Purchase Order System with Invoice Approval
Manufacturer of bespoke packaging solutions.
Wintle Heating & Plumbing Ltd
Full Purchase Order System
Heating and plumbing engineers.
Skyline
Full Purchase Order System
Commercial property developers.
Fitzwilliam College
Full Purchase Order System
University located in Cambridge.
We are also involved in providing on going bespoke IT transformation projects for current and future clients. If you have a specific project that requires custom development, then we are here to help!
Supplier Compliance Module
In many industries the selection and continued use of a supplier will depend on them having relevant and up to date standards of industry level accreditations or specific product / services standard accreditations.
Ensuring that the correct standards are held and maintained can be critical in terms of not only their own workforce, but more especially in circumstances where suppliers of all types are used. Finding that a contractor does not have the relevant certifications can prejudice the ability to carry out work. Based on a real client case history, we are now to make available a Compliance Module that will look to reduce this potential issue.
Using our document management module, Clients will be able to upload documentation that confirms the relevant standards that are required for the work are held before ordering from a supplier. This will provide the relevant audit trail of accreditations, that can be viewed and will have a review date reminder that can be selected to advise a system user that reviews are due. In addition, this will be twinned with a ‘traffic light system’ so that when a supplier is selected the system will show green for those who have up to date accreditations and red if they do not have up to date documentation, providing a clear warning to those raising purchase orders as to the status of each supplier before ordering. Supplier status can also be shown on the opening dashboard i.e showing those suppliers where a review of compliance paperwork / accreditation is due, so that contact with the supplier can be made ahead of renewal dates, to amend the relevant documentation held.
This new module will be available to existing clients at a cost of £750 plus vat, to include installation / configuration. Please request more information via the usual support portal, or by emailing sales@cloudb2b.co.uk.
How do you manage your supplier contracts?
We have been asked by several customers about having functionality added to the Purchase Order range that enables tracking of supplier contracts that are coming up for renewal.
From print management, to vending machines, to maintenance agreements there is always a cycle where agreements are coming up for review (and not automatic renewal!). On the development ‘roadmap’ we have a full Contracts Management solution, but comments so far relate to having a more ‘basic’ facility for storing supplier agreements and having workflow reminders (configurable) when contracts are coming up for renewal. This would make use of our current document management tools.
If any clients out there would like to discuss this option in more detail, please let us know. Call us on 01480-356702.