NPD Update 3.58 (09/15/04) by Acorn Data Systems

New Release Adds Features to Make You More Productive

 

 

What’s on this NPD CD?

·         New NPD Installation—to install NPD on a new computer.

·         NPD Update—to update NPD with the latest features on your current computer.

·         AcornFTP—to install AcornFTP on a new computer.

·         Adobe© Acrobat Reader 5.0—the free software for reading PDF files.

You may install any of the four applications on this CD that you need. It is redundant to run both the NPD Update and the New NPD Installation, since they are both at the same version. The New NPD Installation and the AcornFTP may restart your computer.

 

Save This CD

In the event that you buy a new computer in the future, you can use this CD to install NPD on your new computer.  Then use NPD Tools to download the latest version before you restore your database to the new computer.  If you don’t do this NPD may not run until you do.  See the NPD Technical Note How to Install NPD on a New Computer which is on the acorndata.com web site.

 

When NPD says your database is of a newer version than NPD, you must use NPD Tools to download the latest version of NPD.  NPD requires this so you don’t cripple your database by using an obsolete copy of NPD.

 

Modifications and Buttons to Look for in NPD 3.58:

For many of you, most of these changes are not new.  You have been using NPD Tools to download NPD Updates in response to my email notices.  Those of you who are not on my email list are missing important updates as they are made available.

  1. Now when you manually revise a rate, you can click Set All for This Edition to add the same change to the other Bill Types for the Edition..
  2. Apartment numbers may now be up to 8 characters long.
  3. Street names may now be 30 characters long.
  4. When making the A2P file (Prepare Agent to Post File), NPD revises non-standard editions to match the Post’s standard editions.  This improves your reconciliation score as seen by your zone manager.   The Post/Agent Reconciliation does not make this translation so you can see the differences.
  5. When processing the Daily Service Transactions, the Date Entered for Service Changes is the date of that day’s mail.
  6. The Complaints for Period report now has an option to use complaints actually assigned to carrier pay. Prior to this update, the only option was to list complaints based on the date of the complaint.  When complaints are entered after the carrier pay is calculated, NPD will assign them to the next week of pay calculation. This could make the complaint count in Carrier Pay differ from the Complaints for Period report. By basing the report on Carrier Pay Records instead of Date of Complaint, the report should match the counts in Carrier Pay.
  7. The Fees by Route/Carrier screen on the Routes switchboard may now be navigated with the up/down arrow keys.  Also, you can use CTRL-“ (Control-Quote) to copy in the value from the cell above.
  8. You can now specify an AS-OF date for Subscriber List.  The purpose of this is to allow you to prepare the report for some future date, namely, when RPOs start.
  9. When entering checks in Cash Receipts, you are warned if the Pay Type is not BR.
  10. The Good Start feature is to be used only to help you track conversions from Office Pay to Distributor Billed (Carrier Collect).  To avoid confusion, the other options on the Good Start switchboard have been disabled.

 

FYI: Tips that will make your work a little easier

1.       Passwords:  The password to download a NPD update from NPD Tools is update. The password to FTP an Export for Address Check is earl.

2.       When to Call Acorn Data:  The best time to call with problems or questions is Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., or between 1:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Please limit calls at other times to emergencies only.

3.       Be Safe, Back Up Your Work:  Use the Backup on Normal Exit option on the Main Switchboard to automatically back up your work on NPD. This feature is not a replacement for external backups (you should continue to do that), but it is a convenient way to restore your database.  Effective May 1, 2002, the Acorn Data fee to recover from a problem when you lack adequate or reasonable backups is $200 for the first hour.  The purpose of this fee is to encourage you to keep backups for at least a week as sometimes a problem is not uncovered for several days.

4.       NPD Technical Notes.  From time to time, a new Technical Note will be added.  Go to NPD Technical Notes from the www.acorndata.com web page and note the How Tos listed there.  You may want to print and save some of them.

5.       Keep Up to Date, Get on My Email List:  Stay informed of updates, tips and other valuable information. If you are not already on my email list, send an email to emerrill@acorndata.com. Include your name and area number. Also, remember to notify me of any changes to your address, phone or email.

 

Earl O. Merrill

Acorn Data Systems, Inc.

emerrill@acorndata.com 410-997-0187 www.acorndata.com