New year, new budget period in your free Purchase Order Software

Marina from California jumped on a chat with us yesterday, asking how to set up a new budget period for 2021…

“We are currently using SpendMap but I do not have the instructions to open a new period.”

If you are tracking time-based budgets in SpendMap (e.g. yearly, monthly, quarterly, etc.), you need to create/enable each fiscal period before you can enter the budget amounts for each Cost Center (department, project, etc.). Do this using the [CREATE NEW FISCAL PERIOD] button, in here…
– PURCHASING > Setup system > Cost center history/budget settings

TIP: If your new year’s budgets are the same or similar to a previous year’s budgets, when you create the new fiscal period per above, you will see an option to [Copy] a previous year…this will duplicate each Cost Center’s budgets, so you don’t have to enter the new year’s budgets from scratch. You can then modify/tweak the budgets for each Cost Center if you like.

You can enter or modify the budgets for each Cost Center, in the Cost Center Master File, in here…
– PURCHASING > Master Files > Cost Centers > Add/Modify/Delete

New “TIPs” in your Free Purchase Order Software

We added helpful pop-up Tips to around 30 areas of SpendMap, to proactively guide new users in the right direction…

We posted a patch for version 14.84, so you’ll start seeing the tips the next time you update your system, which you can do any time using the menu Help > Check for Updates.

Retiring Last Year’s Free Purchase Order Software (v14.50)

It has been a few months since we released the 2020 version of SpendMap (v14.84), so now the time has come to officially stop supporting the old version (v14.50).

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

For instructions on how to upgrade your system and a list of new features, from within SpendMap please select the menu HELP > CHECK FOR UPDATES.  This will not actually install the upgrade.  Rather, if you are using v14.50, this will expose a red hyperlink at the bottom of the Main Menu in SpendMap…just click the hyperlink to see full upgrade instructions.

TIP: You can skip the upgrade by switching to our Cloud Version and get a 20% discount.  For details, please see the promo box at the top-right of the Upgrade Instructions (when you click the red hyperlink in the Main Menu of SpendMap per above).

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

Upgrade your Free Purchase Order Software

Defaulting Fields in your Free Purchase Order Software

We added a new [Default] button to the PO Work Area in the latest release of SpendMap that lets you update fields on all line items at once, so you don’t have to update each item individually.

For example, you might have already completed your Purchase Order and then realize that you need to change the delivery date or account coding or something, on all line items.

You’re welcome 🙂

Restricting users to their own Purchase Orders in your Free PO Software

Do you have more than one person working in your Free Version of SpendMap?

Would you like to restrict their access so that they can only see their own POs or maybe their own department’s orders, for example, when receiving or checking the status of Purchase Orders?

Just use the Document Access setting, at the top of the [Permissions] tab in the User Master File…

This setting will restrict the user to the applicable Purchase Orders in the following areas of the software…

  • View Purchase Order Status
  • View Release Status
  • PO Acknowledgments
  • Receive PO
  • Reprint PO
  • Reprint Release
  • Cancel Purchase Order
  • Cancel Release
  • View Cost Center History
  • View Cost Center Budgets
  • Document Lookups (when searching for POs and other documents)

Finding Purchase Orders and other documents in your Free PO Software

We’ve had a few questions about the overhauled Status & Inquiry Utilities in the 2020 release of SpendMap. Specifically, what’s the best/fastest way to get to a PO or other document if you already know the document number?

Instead of using the new Search Criteria at the top of the screen, if you already know the PO number, try using the [Quick Search by Document Number] button at the bottom of the screen, to jump right to that Purchase Order…

Upgrade your Free Purchase Order Software to the 2020 Release

If you’re using v14.50 of the Free Version of SpendMap, you can now upgrade to the 2020 release (Version 14.84) to get more than 30 new features and capabilities, in addition to various bug fixes and performance improvements.

You can check your current version number using the menu Help > About, in SpendMap.

About the Upgrade Utility

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

Just log into your current v14.50 SpendMap system and select the menu Help > Check For Updates.  This will download a patch to your v14.50 system – you will still be at v14.50 at this point but you will now see a red hyperlink at the bottom of the Main Menu of SpendMap.  Just click that hyperlink to see full upgrade instructions before actually applying the upgrade to v14.84.

 

Sneak Peek at 2020 Release of SpendMap

Howdy Spend-Mappers,

We’re starting to roll-out the new release of SpendMap, with more than 30 new features to help you save time, improve visibility and cut costs in your Purchasing process.

Want a Sneak Peek?

We’re still a couple weeks away from upgrading your Free Version.  We’ll make an announcement when the upgrade utility is ready.

In the meantime, you are welcome to sign up for our Cloud Demo to see all the new goodies in advance of upgrading your system…

Try the 2020 Version Now!

Try out all the new features in our Cloud Demo System.  That way, you’ll hit the ground running when the upgrade is available for your Free Version of SpendMap.

Unlike the free Windows/desktop version that you’re using now, our Cloud Version runs in your web browser, so there’s no software to install for this demo.

Purchase Order Software free cloud demo

Working from home and your Free Purchase Order Software

Many of us are still working from home and may be for some time yet.  If you need to access your SpendMap system while out of the office, you can join the growing number of people who have upgraded to our SaaS/Cloud version so that you can use SpendMap from any computer with an Internet connection.

Here are some common questions from folks like you who have already made the switch…

Will I lose any of my work in SpendMap?

No, you won’t lose anything.  All your work in the free Windows/desktop version will be brought forward including all your Master File data (suppliers, items, account codes, etc.), all your transactions (Purchase Orders, receipts, etc.), all your configuration/settings and so on.  You’ll pick right up in the Cloud version where you left off in the Free Version.

What are the requirements?

All you need is a standard web browser and an Internet connection.  We support all major browsers including Chrome, Internet Explorer, Edge, Firefox and Safari.

How much does it cost?

Your monthly subscription is just $20/user and $20/module.  So, if you’re the only user and you’re just using the Purchasing Module, it’ll be $40/month.  If you’re also using the Receiving Module, that’s another $20/month, as are additional user licenses.

Your monthly subscription includes hosting in Microsoft’s Azure Cloud, daily backups, new releases and tech support.

Will I need any training?

Nope.  The SaaS/Cloud version works just like the Free Version that you’re used to, so you’ll feel right at home while working at home 🙂

Are there any other benefits?

Well, aside from being able to access SpendMap from anywhere and not having to worry about backups or applying updates, once you’re on our our paid version you could add additional modules that aren’t available in our Free Version.

Sounds great, how do I order?

Just send us an email at info@spendmap.com or fill in the form at the top of this page and a friendly Spend-Mapper will get in touch with you quickly and make arrangements to upgrade your system.

COVID-19 Update and your Free Purchase Order Software

We are fully up-and-running from our home offices and there is no disruption to any of our products and services.  As always, The Free Version of SpendMap is ready when you are, as is our free tech support.

If you are already using the free Windows/desktop version of SpendMap and would like to upgrade to our web-based version so that you can access the system while out of the office, pricing now starts at just $40/month.

Upgrading is easy and we’ll preserve all the data in your free system, so you won’t lose a thing…you’ll just pick right up where you left off.

To place an order or if you have any questions or need a quote, please email free-procurement@spendmap.com.

Stay safe everyone!

mask-work-home