Christmas 2024 and New Year 2025

Christmas 2024 and New Year 2025

💎 You’ve worked hard, you deserve a break!

Did you notice the year zooming by?  It’s one week until Christmas, I hope you’ve got your holiday plans in place…

Thank you for your support during this year, we’ve enjoyed working with you.  I hope you feel we listen hard and respond well, it’s certainly our mission to be the best we can be.

Key things addressed this year include:

• the new JBX interface was released with its diary view and ability to manage your own tasks, items and events;

• a new menu item was added to the JobBag menu (Active Diary JBX) in the desktop application to give you direct access to the JBX Diary;

• there’s a new privilege to open the JBX diary instead of the old Active Diary;

• there’s a new setting in Planning that will warn you if you assign more to a person than they have available capacity for that day - the person’s tile will change to red;

• OAUTH authentication for Microsoft 365 and Google Mail was implemented;

• timezones are now in the latest release (90038);

• a new server platform that most of you have moved to;

• macOS Sequoia was released without any issues;

• we’ve had more clients using the JobBag hosted application from more exotic locations around the globe on AppStream (you access the whole JobBag app in a browser);

• we trained a whole heap of people!

   

💎 The No. 1 conversation - Revenue forecasts

We’ve had many clients ask about Revenue Forecasts - as opposed to Billings Forecasts.  You have this in JobBag right now, you simply have to choose the way that you are going to use Forecasting.

The simple view is this:  Estimates that haven’t been accepted by your client fall into the Sales Pipeline, once they have been accepted they update the Billings Forecast.  I guess the name “Billings Forecast” implies that you are seeing when you are going to bill the job (very useful) but it doesn’t have to mean that.

If you want to forecast revenue, update the amounts shown in each month to indicate when you will actually do the work - JobBag will then automatically calculate the Revenue (Value or Effort less external costs) that you will earn in that month and that will show up in the Forecast reports.

Contact us and we will show you how easy this is.  

💎 JobBag web interface - JBX

Releasing v9 during the year was a highlight, the work that goes into the new web interface is significant and, in retrospect, mind-numbing.

The new JBX interface has everything that the “creative worker” needs to see what is on their plate, create timesheets and items, create/manage  tasks as well as leave and expenses.  They no longer require the desktop application for JobBag, they can log in via their browser.   

💎 What will you see in 2025?

First up will be the replacement of the desktop Active Diary.  Here you will see your tasks and timesheets in a familiar diary interface.  Moving tasks and timesheets around, creating your own tasks, seeing other users tasks and being able to pick up anything that needs to be done will all be accessible through this new window.

In the desktop app, you will see the new web windows when you create timesheets, events (e.g. meetings, stand-ups etc), tasks and leave requests. e.g. right-click on a job and select “create a timesheet” you will see what I mean. You can also create tasks, events and items.

Above: example meeting.  Below: example task

Creating Estimates is currently going through the UX/UI process and this will include changes to the way that you will forecast billings and revenue - you will have the ability see both.  This is the first tab of the Jobs window that will be re-written in JBX, all the other tabs will get the same treatment.  Once they are complete we will release a new Jobs interface in JBX.

The Planning system (Visual Planning window and the Planning tab in the Jobs window) will be next to get re-built.  We will still be offering the use of templates but the two windows will be slicker, modern and have expanded features.  We have listened when you have given us feedback and the results will be available for you to see and use in 2025.

💎 Behind the scenes

The new servers that we mentioned last year have all been rolled out, there is a continuous process of maintenance on all our infrastructure including security and a bunch of other things under the hood that you will never see, they just make things work! We will move the last clients to the new servers over the Christmas break.

💎 Office hours for Christmas 2024 and the New Year

The office will close at 3:00pm 20th December 2024 and will re-open at 8:30am on 6th January 2025.  If you need support while the office is closed please email support@jobbag.com.

On behalf of all the JobBag team - we wish you a peaceful, relaxing and refreshing holiday that brings you back happy and energised to make 2025 a fantastic year.