Software Updates

Upgrade your Free Purchase Order Software to 2014 Release

If you are using last year’s release (v11.98), you can now upgrade your free version of SpendMap to the 2014 release (v12.65).  You can check your current version number using the menu Help > About.

The new release includes more than 30 new features and capabilities, in addition to various performance improvements.

The upgrade utility will bring forward all your data, history, settings, etc., so you will not lose any of your work in SpendMap.

Easier Upgrade Utility

Unlike last year when you had to run an external EXE to perform the v11.64-11.98 upgrade, you can now perform full-version upgrades from within SpendMap, using the menu HELP > CHECK FOR UPDATES.  However, it is a two-step process – first you need to select HELP > CHECK FOR UPDATES to download a patch to your v11.98 system that has the full-version upgrade capabilities built-in, then you need to select HELP > CHECK FOR UPDATES a second time to upgrade to v12.65.

To review complete details and instructions before actually upgrading your free Purchase Order Software, just select the menu HELP > CHECK FOR UPDATES from within SpendMap to download the patch, log back into the system, then follow the red hyperlink that you will see at the bottom of the Main Menu…

Upgrade your free PO Software

Best regards,

The Free-Procurement Project team
Totally FREE software that automates Purchase Orders and a whole lot more
Powered by SpendMap

New Tutorial: Simple Requisition-to-PO Processing

We added a new feature in the 2014 Release to convert approved Purchase Requisitions into Purchase Orders, as soon as the last approval occurs, so you no longer have to run the Build PO Utility as a separate step.

We had a few requests for this feature from smaller companies that don’t have Purchasing Departments or dedicated Buyers (i.e. the Requisitioners are responsible for placing the orders once their Requisitions are approved).

The Tutorial also reviews a few other related features that are popular with smaller companies (and larger companies that have “end-user Purchasing”), so we rolled it all into this video, which we’re calling “Simple Requisition-to-PO Processing”.

Click the image below to watch the tutorial on YouTube, and don’t forget to visit our Channel to see 20 other video tutorials that will help you get started with the most popular features in your free Purchase Order system…

Tutorial: Simple Requisition-to-PO Processing

New 2014 Release (v12.6) is Now Available (new installations only)

We’ve updated the new system installation package for the free version of SpendMap (now called SpendMap-2014-SETUP.EXE).

The 2014 Release (version 12.6) includes 30 new features as well as performance and usability improvements.

If you need any help installing the software, please use our free support ticket system.

New Systems Only

This is for new installations only and cannot be used to update your system if you’re already using the Free version of SpendMap (the 2013 release, v11.9).

For those already using the system, we are working on an update utility to bring your system forward to the 2014 release.  The update utility will retain all your data/history, so you won’t lose any of your work when you upgrade.  Just follow this blog to be notified when the update utility is ready, which we expect will be in the next few weeks.

Free Purchase Order Software – new stuff coming soon!

New Version of SpendMapWe’re starting to roll out the 2014 release of SpendMap (v12.6), which includes more than 30 new features and capabilities.

We even added some new stuff just for the Free-Procurement Community, such as the ability to build Purchase Orders from approved Purchase Requisitions immediately as the last Approver completes their review (i.e. you no longer have to run the Build PO Utility as a separate step).  This will be more convenient for smaller companies that don’t have dedicated Buyers/Purchasing Managers who review orders before they go out the door.

Anyway, this is just a pre-announcement that more good stuff is coming your way.  We’re working on the updated installation package for new systems now, and then we’ll put together a v11.9 to v12.6 update for existing users, likely in the next couple/few weeks.

Canadian Anti-SPAM Laws and your Free Purchase Order Software

spamAn update has been posted to align the free version of SpendMap with the new Canadian Anti-SPAM Laws (CASL), which come into effect next week.

In addition to restricting how companies can use e-mail to communicate with their customers and prospects, CASL includes additional rules for software, specifically how we must notify users when installing software or changing settings on their computers, collection of personal information, and so on.

While the new laws are only applicable to a small portion of our users (less than 10% are in Canada), the new laws are just good business practice in our opinion, so these new improvements will be in everyone’s system, not just our friends in Canada.

At your convenience, please select the menu HELP > CHECK FOR UPDATES from within SpendMap to update your system.

Once you do, you may see addition prompts/questions, whenever SpendMap goes to make changes to your computer (e.g. update the PDF printer driver, etc.).

As always, this “patch” will NOT update your version number or change any features.

If you have any questions, please use the free support ticket system.

Regards,
– The Free-Procurement Project Team

PS.  Have you told anyone about us lately?  Please help spread the word.  Thanks!

 

QuickBooks Integration for your Free Purchase Order Software

QuickBooks is the most popular Accounting system in use by the Free-Procurement community, so we thought we’d give you a little bonus gift with the 2014 release of SpendMap.

We’ve built direct integration with QuickBooks to push approved invoices (bills) and expense reimbursement transactions directly into your QuickBooks database, without the need for batch file exports and imports.

So, for example, once you have approved a supplier’s invoice for payment, SpendMap will create a pending Bill in QuickBooks, so you can cut a check to the supplier and post the transaction to your G/L, with no duplicate data entry.

Direct QuickBooks integration is coming soon, along with 20 or so other new features and capabilities, in the 2014 release of the free version of SpendMap.

SM_qb_logo

New Expense Reimbursement Requests in 2014 Release of SpendMap

We are happy to officially announce the new Expense Reimbursement Approval functionality as part of the 2014 release of SpendMap, which also includes more than a dozen other new features and capabilities.

Companies usually spend money in two ways; either employees process Requisitions and Purchase Orders, or they just spend their own money and expense it later. By adding Expense Reimbursement Requests to our world-class e-procurement toolset, we are empowering our clients to capture and report on all non-payroll spending in one place.

With the new Expense Reimbursement approval features in SpendMap (sometimes called Expense Management, Expense Reporting, Travel and Expense, or T&E), you can replace your paper or Excel-based “expense sheets”, to reduce paperwork, accelerate the approval process, and simplify reporting for employee expense reimbursements.

expense reimbursements and approval

Much like Purchase Requisitions in SpendMap, Expense Reimbursement Requests can be routed for online approval based on predefined business rules, to ensure that proper approvals are obtained for every expense, every time, and Managers can receive automatic e-mail notifications of pending Requests.  Complete expense details are at the Approver’s fingertips, including previous spending history, up-to-date budget status, as well as a copy of any scanned receipts.

Once approved, SpendMap can send a “check request” to the Accounting, ERP or Payroll System to issue payment to the employee, with no duplicate data entry.

In addition to eliminating paperwork and accelerating the approval process, approved Expense Reimbursement Requests will update spending history, budgets, and many other areas of SpendMap.

Stay tuned for more details about the 2014 release in the new year…

Retiring Last Year’s Free Purchase Order Software (v11.64)

It has been over three months since we announced the free upgrade for last year’s release of the free version of SpendMap (v11.64), so now the time has come to officially stop supporting the old version.

Going forward, we can only provide support for the latest release (v11.98).

If you’re not sure which version you are using, just select the menu HELP > ABOUT.

For instructions on how to update your system, from within SpendMap please select the menu HELP > CHECK FOR UPDATES.  This will not actually install the update.  Rather, if you are using the old version, this will expose a red hyperlink at the bottom of the Main Menu in SpendMap…just click the hyperlink to see full upgrade instructions.

NOTE: The upgrade utility will bring forward all your data, history, settings, etc., so you will not lose any of your work in SpendMap.

Thanks,

The Free-Procurement Project Team
Totally FREE software that automates Purchase Orders and a whole lot more
Powered by SpendMap

Update for free Purchase Order System (various fixes and new Online Help)

An update has been posted to correct a few minor issues in the free version of SpendMap, as well as various improvements to the Online Help.

At your earliest convenience, please select the menu HELP > CHECK FOR UPDATES from within SpendMap to update your system.

As always, this “patch” will NOT update your version number or change any features.

If you have any questions, please use the free support ticket system.

Regards,
– The Free-Procurement Project Team

PS.  Have you told anyone about us lately?  Please help spread the word.  Thanks!

Fix for Testing Copy and PO Form margins in free version of SpendMap

We have corrected two minor problems in the free version of SpendMap…

  1. On some printers, Purchase Order forms were printing with no top and left margins, making the form appear off-center.  You can correct this simply by selecting the menu HELP > CHECK FOR UPDATES in SpendMap.
  2. When using the “Testing Copy” of SpendMap, which allows you to make a copy of your Live System for testing purposes, sometimes the copying procedure would fail with the message “Unable to delete files in ROOT folder”, after which the icon/shortcut to run the Testing Copy would fail to launch.  Unfortunately, if you experienced this issue, you will not be able to log into your Testing Copy to check for updates, so just submit a support ticket or send us an e-mail at free-procurement@spendmap.com and we’ll reply back with instructions for correcting the problem.  However, if you are able to log into your Testing Copy, please do so (without refreshing the data from your Live Copy) and select the menu HELP > CHECK FOR UPDATES, to avoid the issue going forward.

Sorry the inconvenience.

Best regards,

The Free-Procurement Project team
Totally FREE software that automates Purchase Orders and a whole lot more
Powered by SpendMap