installation

Move your Free Purchase Order Software to another PC

We’ve has a few chats with people wanting to move their free version of SpendMap from one computer to another.  Here’s everything you need to know…

REMINDER: In addition to moving SpendMap form computer to computer as described below, another option is to install the system on a network server so that you can access it from any computer on your Local Area Network. For details, please see “Network Installation Instructions”, in the Getting Started Documentation that comes with the software.

Also, please keep in mind that you can upgrade to our web-based version and then you can access the system from any computer with an Internet connection. More importantly, you’ll never have to worry about software installation, maintenance, backups or applying updates, as we take care of everything for you. You can try our Cloud version here if you like.

OK, to move the free Windows/desktop version of SpendMap to a different computer, you do NOT need to download and reinstall a new copy of the system. You just need to move the database/application folder and the shortcuts/icons that you use to run the system.

(more…)

Switching to the Live Copy of your Free Purchase Order Software

Marty works in the water damage service industry in Florida and was asking how to switch from the Evaluation Copy to the Live Copy of SpendMap when the time comes to actually implement his new PO software…

“I am finished with the evaluation copy…how do I start using the live copy?”

There is no formal “switch”…you can start using the Live Copy at any time.  Just click on the shortcut/icon called “SpendMap Live System”, which should be right next to the shortcut/icon for the Evaluation Copy…

Live Version of Free PO Software

They are actually just separate installations of the software on your computer. So you can use them both simultaneously. For example, even after you start using the Live Copy, you might need to do some testing, or maybe check out a new module, in which case you can go back to your Evaluation Copy any time.

Again, they are just separate installations of the same software, so nothing you do in one copy will affect the other. And, of course, the Evaluation Copy has some sample data, while the Live System is empty to start off with.

For more details, take a look at the sections called “Three Systems (Evaluation, Live and Testing Copies)” and “Time to Implement” in the Getting Started Documentation that came with the software.

Uninstalling your free Purchase Order Software will delete your data

BadDayToday was a bad day.  We had to tell a friend that his data/history was deleted when he uninstalled the system (which was installed on his local C: drive, rather than on a network server).

To make things worse, he also didn’t have a backup of his system, so now he has to start over.  That’s no fun.

😦

So here are a few important things to keep in mind…

  • Per the note under “Uninstalling/Removing the System” in the Getting Started Documentation that comes with the software, if the software is installed on your C: drive, uninstalling the system will remove the software AND delete all your data/history.
  • Please consider moving the database to a network server (even if you only need a single-user system).  That way, your data will be backed up with everything else on the server.  For details, please see “Network Installation Instructions” in the Getting Started Documentation.
  • Please, please, please back up your system on a regular basis.  Details are under “Backup and Restore Procedures” in the Getting Started Documentation.

If this is too much work for you, please consider upgrading to the On-Demand (hosted/SaaS) version of SpendMap.  It’s not free like the Windows/desktop version, but with SpendMap On-Demand we do the backups, upgrades and other system maintenance for you as part of the monthly service.

Tomorrow is another day…

Message about NtSetReg.exe after indexing system

If you have installed the free version of SpendMap on your network server for multiuser access, after reindexing the system you may see a message about running NtSetReg.exe to update registry settings on the server.

This is just a reminder – you do NOT need to run NtSetReg.exe each and every time you index the system.

When you originally installed SpendMap, you would have run NtSetReg.exe to set those registry settings on the server. We display that reminder message after indexing 1) if SpendMap is able to read the registry on your server and it sees that the required registry settings are not in place, or 2) if your network security settings are such that SpendMap cannot read the registry on the server to confirm that the settings are in fact in place.

So, again, you do NOT need to run NtSetReg.exe every time you index the system.

 

Your network server may be a safer place for your free Purchase Order Software

Craig had the Free Version of SpendMap installed on his laptop (including the database), and the voltage regulator went out, so he couldn’t power up his machine.

Luckily, he was able to make an image of the drive, so we were able to get his system up and running on his new PC.

Since laptop and desktop computers are not as reliable as servers, please consider installing SpendMap on a network server by following the “Network Installation Instructions”, in the Getting Started Documentation that came with your free Software.

You’ll sleep better at night with your database resting peacefully on a nice, safe network drive, even if you don’t need multi-user access to the system.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Backing up your free Purchase Order Software

When you start using the free version of SpendMap in your business, it is very important that you implement a backup procedure.  Your IT Department should be backing up your Purchase Order System when they backup the other applications on your PC or network servers.

We moved the backup and restore procedures into the Online Help system.  To update your Online Help, from the Main Menu of SpendMap, select the menu Help > Check For Updates, then exit the system.

At the bottom-left of the Help window, click “Free version guide” and look for the new subsection called “Backup
and Restore Procedures”.

If you have any questions, feel free to log a support ticket.

Installing your free Purchase Order Software on a network for multi-user access

There seems to be some confusion about multi-user access to the free version of SpendMap.

We’ve had quite a few questions about upgrading to the (paid) web-based version of SpendMap in order to have more than one person using the system at the same time, but upgrading is often not necessary.

So to set the record straight, in this post I’ll outline how you can install your free Purchase Order Software on a network server for multi-user access, and I’ll also outline the additional benefits of (optionally) upgrading to the web-based version of SpendMap.

So for the record, “web-based” and “multi-user” are not the same thing.  The free (Windows/desktop) version of SpendMap can be installed on your server, and you can roll it out to as many people as you want.  Each user will run the software on their PC workstation, while accessing the shared database on the network server.  So when someone creates a Requisition or a Purchase Order or whatever, other users will be able to see and work on the order as well (provided you give them the ability to see other people’s orders).

To install your free Purchase Order Software on a network for multi-user access, just follow the instructions in the Getting Started Documentation that came with your free software…

Free Purchase Order Software network installation instructions

So why do I need the web-based version of SpendMap?

You might not!

If you’re working in a small business or a small buying group of a larger organization, you might not need a web-based e-procurement system.  If you don’t mind setting up software on each PC workstation, then our free Purchase Order Software might certainly be enough for you.

But if lots of people need to access your Purchase Order System, then you might consider upgrading to the web-based version, which runs inside your web-browser, so your staff can access it from anywhere, without having to set up software on their PCs.

So for most companies, it comes down to ease of deployment.  While there are some other benefits, in general the more users you have, the more benefit there is to upgrading to the web-based version.  But if you don’t have too many users, then the free version is probably all you’ll need.

And yes, you can start with the free version and upgrade to the web-based version down the road if you like, with no loss of data…everything in your free version will be brought forward automatically, including Master Files, settings, Purchase Orders and other transactions, etc.