Non Alaskans be like: Wait, what?! That’s a thing? Yes, Monday March 31 is Seward’s Day in Alaska and it is an official Flyntlok holiday. However, we recognize that all you folks outside of the 49th state are all going to be working. So we will have a reduced staff that day to manage your questions and to provide help; just understand if we don’t respond quite as quickly as we normally do...
And if you are bored this weekend, you can go read up about William H. Seward and fill your head with fun facts to amaze your lower 49 state or fellow Canadian friends. E.g. Did you know Seward was wounded in an assassination attempt at the exact same time that Booth killed Lincoln? It was part of a plan to slay the three senior members of the Executive Branch. (Spoiler: the assassination plan of Seward failed).
Here at Flyntlok we are not only building the most cutting-edge Dealer Management software, but we also want to act as industry thought leaders. To that end, we encourage you to follow us on LinkedIn and review our periodic blog posts. For example, here is a recent posting about our integration with Avalara for better sales tax management.
If you have a suggestion for a blog post that you think other Flyntlok customers, or the industry in general, might find interesting, please let us know. Drop us a line at sales@flyntlok.com.
Opportunity
Intuit is pushing applications integrated with QuickBooks Online, like good ol' Flyntlok, to upgrade to their newer back-end application interfaces. In order to continue communicating with them, we’re required to update Flyntlok’s QuickBooks accounting integration.
Solution
We took this as an opportunity to upgrade our entire back-end accounting integration services to improve reliability and eliminate some longstanding issues that have been impacting our users. We started to undertake this project at the end of 2024 and it will continue for several months still to come.
The first phase of this project was essentially invisible to you, but we have migrated all of our services to a newer technology and made it compatible with QuickBooks Online’s latest specs. Now, when an accountant hits one of the processing buttons on their QuickBooks Online page, it uses the updated logic. This back-end update is going to allow us to have better automated testing and allow us to make changes much faster. So, while not visible to you as a user, it's going to pay huge dividends for us going forward. We felt like you oughta know.
Additionally, we’ve resolved some long-standing bugs with the process, including where Credit Memos and Refund Receipts sometimes posted even when their associated Journal Entry failed; and Customer Deposits using Gravity credit card fees subtracted the fee from every payment. Those bugs have now been addressed.
Over the coming months we will provide notifications across all accounting-sync processes for failed transactions. We aim to tell you why a transaction failed, what the offending transaction was, and how to fix it. We want you to have the ability to fix issues on your own rather than forcing you to create a support ticket to resolve simple problems. Power to the people! Stay tuned..
Opportunity
John Deere offers an optional, dealer-paid service called Retail Parts Management (RPM) that helps dealers manage their parts inventory. A key tool from RPM is called JDPrism, which is used to manage dealer stock levels. Using JDPrism, RPM can recommend stock orders, special orders, and transfers between dealer store locations based on stocking levels and sales history.
Our John Deere dealers have requested an integration with JDPrism so they can leverage this powerful tool to better manage their inventory and receive suggestions from John Deere.
Solution
We have implemented an integration with JDPrism that allows dealers to better manage their John Deere parts inventory. To drive this integration, your John Deere parts inventory data (e.g. quantity on hand, sales history, etc.) will be uploaded to JDPrism on a regular schedule set by John Deere. Then, you can approve Orders or Transfers within JDPrism that will be ingested into Flyntlok periodically throughout the day (every 15 minutes or so) to create Purchase Orders and Part Transfers.
If you are interested in the JDPrism integration, please reach out to your friendly Flyntlok consultant for assistance.
Opportunity
Sales Managers requested the ability to better organize their Model Options. Previously, managing Models with a large number of options could feel a bit overwhelming.
Solution
Our enhancements to Model Options are designed to make managing Model Options easier and more efficient. To simplify this, we’ve introduced two key improvements to the Model Options Editor:
NOTE: This is just the beginning of the “Model Option” fun! The new "Category" field will play a key role in upcoming enhancements to Model Options, including updates to Sales and Purchasing workflows. Stay tuned for more updates!
Opportunity
Salespeople shared that knowing about potential Machine sale conflicts earlier in the sales process would be a game-changer. While we already provided warnings during the sale processing stage, we did not show this critical information at any other time during the life of the sale. Selling the same Machine unknowingly could lead to accuracy issues and impact customer satisfaction.
Solution
An indicator icon will now appear on the Machine sale line whenever there’s a potential conflict, such as the same Machine being listed on another Sales Order. This gives you a heads-up before finalizing the sale.
We've also added the same indicator when searching for a Machine to add to a sale. This means you’ll know about potential conflicts before adding the Machine to the order, saving time and avoiding surprises.
Opportunity
Service Managers have asked for greater control over workflow automations, specifically at the Job level within Work Orders. Previously, our automation tools could only update Work Order statuses.
Solution
We've expanded this functionality to include Job-level status updates as well! By automating Job status changes based on key workflow actions, shops that rely on Job-level tracking can reduce manual updates, improve reporting accuracy, and ensure that technicians, parts teams, and service managers stay aligned in real-time. This means fewer bottlenecks, better communication, and faster turnaround times.
New Automation Triggers
You can now configure Work Order Jobs to automatically update their statuses based on the following actions:
Reach out to your friendly Flyntlok consultant for assistance in setting up these new automations!
Opportunity
Service Managers handling cost-of-sale (COS) Work Orders struggle to track the associated customers from the linked invoices, as these details are not visible on the Service Scheduler.
Solution
We have improved the display of the Work Order search results in the Service Scheduler to show the Cost-of-Sale Invoice's customer, making tracking and scheduling more seamless. Additionally, we have enhanced the title of scheduled events in the Service Scheduler when a Work Order is scheduled at the time of creation.
Opportunity
Users managing Cost-of-Sale Work Orders often need to verify the linked Sales Order and associated invoice. Previously, this required navigating back to the Sales Order, leading to inefficiencies and potential tracking issues.
Solution
Cost-of-Sale Work Orders now display the linked invoice directly within the Work Order, allowing users to quickly access relevant details without leaving the page.
Opportunity
Technicians faced challenges identifying machines because the mobile view did not display their descriptions.
Solution
Machine descriptions are now included in the Work Order Search display results on the mobile view, making it easier to identify equipment.
Service Managers have requested that Correction Notes be included on Work Order Estimates to provide more clarity and context when sharing with customers.
Solution
We've added a new setting: "Show Job Correction on Work Order Estimates". When enabled, this setting will include Correction Notes on newly generated estimates. To turn this feature on, go to Flyntlok Settings and find it under the Service section.
Opportunity
Users find adding or locating contacts on the New Work Order page to be cumbersome and occasionally buggy.
Solution
Opportunity
Sales Managers requested an automation that updates Shopify orders when an invoice moves to "Pickup" or "Delivered" statuses in Flyntlok. Previously, Salespeople had to manually update Shopify, which is time-consuming and redundant.
Solution
Flyntlok now automatically updates Shopify orders to reflect "Pickup" and "Delivered" statuses when corresponding invoice updates occur. This eliminates the need for manual intervention, streamlining order management.
Opportunity
Sales Managers requested a notification for incoming Shopify orders, so that any salesperson that wants or needs to know about such orders will be notified immediately.
Solution
There is now a new notification for orders from Shopify that can be enabled for anyone who wants it.
Opportunity
Users found the reversal process for posted splits confusing, as they would end up in a "Delivered" status if the parent invoice was not also reversed.
Solution
Now, when attempting to reverse a split, a warning will inform users if the parent invoice must be reversed first.
Complaint: Parts Managers had noted that, when attempting to merge parts, sometimes mergeable parts would not show up in the list to be merged.
Correction: Fixed.
Complaint: When using Scan Mode on the Receiving Voucher, scanning a barcode resulted in a "Part Not Found" error, even though the part was listed on the voucher.
Correction: The issue was caused by a leading space in the scanned item number, preventing an exact match. The Scan Mode has been updated to automatically trim leading and trailing spaces from the scanned input.
Complaint: A technician was able to add parts to a Work Order after it had been invoiced, even though no changes should be allowed once the Work Order has been Invoiced.
Correction: Fixed.
Complaint: The total amount on the printed Work Order report was off by one cent compared to the final invoice.
Correction: Fixed the rounding of the estimated tax on the print, ensuring that the total calculation now matches the final invoice.
Complaint: Users were unable to edit the Certificate of Conformance (COC) requirement from the Purchase Order.
Correction: Enabled the COC field to be editable in PO edit mode, allowing users to update the requirement as needed.
Complaint: Sales Managers noted that they would sometimes receive duplicate CRM Leads generated from their marketing site's "Text Us" form.
Correction: Fixed an issue with CRM Text Us widgets where customers were able to inadvertently submit an inquiry multiple times.
Complaint: Managers complained that they were not able to update their Sales Order default footer in Flyntlok Settings.
Correction: Fixed. We have updated this setting to support longer default footer messages.
Complaint: Rental Clerks were unable to load Rental Dashboard without errors.
Correction: Fixed an issue where Rental Dashboard failed to load defaults when store hours were not configured in Rental Settings.
Complaint: Salespeople mentioned that some Sales Order links appeared broken on their CRM Lead Dashboard timeline.
Correction: Fixed. Deleted Sales Orders associated to a CRM Lead will no longer display as a link.
Complaint: Managers complained that when using the "Merge Model" tool, they were unable to find a model by searching its internal ID.
Correction: Fixed. “Merge Model” searcher can now search by internal Model ID.
Complaint: Sales Managers mentioned that when using the Bulk Update action on the Part Price Matrix page, it did not appear to be factoring in Unit Qty when auto-calculating list price. This happened similarly on individual updates via the new Pricing Matrix editor.
Correction: Fixed.
Complaint: Purchasers noted that when reporting an Exception on Part Purchase Orders, the PO status would not update.
Correction: Fixed. PO Status is now automatically refreshed when reporting an Exception on a PO or any of the PO's associated Vouchers.
Complaint: Fleet Managers noted that when printing a Machine “Internal Asset Report”, the Machine's ID appeared to be missing or incorrect.
Correction: Fixed report to show the proper Machine ID.
Complaint: Service Managers complained that when printing a Work Order Worksheet PDF, sometimes the Jobs would be listed out of order.
Correction: Fixed.
Complaint: Salespeople were unable to deliver Invoices because the "Credit Auth" payment type was applied to Multi-Pay Sale.
Correction: Disabled "Credit Auth" payment type in the Multi-Pay workflow to allow invoices to close properly.
Complaint: When updating Work Order Statuses, the updated status would sometimes disappear from existing Work Orders that had that status set.
Correction: Fixed.
February 12th, 2025 Release Notes
Learn More at Flyntlok Dealer Management System
Check out our Flyntlok YouTube channel for more highlights of the application!
We will start sending all of our Flyntlok customers a personalized report at the end of every month that will provide a comprehensive overview of your company's engagement with Flyntlok. This report will help identify opportunities for improvement and increase transparency. It will include the following information:
Admins will be able to set up the recipient email addresses for these reports on the new Account Settings page (more below).
The first scheduled delivery of this report will be on August 31. Be on the lookout!
Opportunity
Stihl has released a new major update to their integration, which provides better data about Stihl products.
Solution
We have upgraded our integration to the latest version offered by Stihl so that we can show the most up-to-date information possible. We have updated the widget on the machine dashboard to reflect the newest Stihl data; additionally, we have added the same information to the widget on the item dashboard.
Opportunity
Dealers who participate in the Bobcat Parts Trading Network have requested the ability to send a nightly CSV with part availability data to Bobcat automatically.
Solution
On a nightly basis, Flyntlok can now aggregate the required data into a CSV and send it to Bobcat. If you wish to enable this feature for your dealership, please contact your friendly Flyntlok consultant to discuss exactly which data you would like sent to Bobcat.
Opportunity
Managers have requested easy access to vendor information from the "Pending Actions" view.
Solution
Added a clickable link to the Item’s vendor at the end of each message on the "Pending Actions" view.
Opportunity
Service managers have requested easy access to the engine make field when creating a new machine on the Work Order Dashboard.
Solution
We have added the “Engine Make” field to the “Advanced” tab of the Work Order Dashboard's new Machine form.
Opportunity
Service Managers have requested the ability to notify multiple users when a Service Request is approved or rejected.
Solution
Added an “Additional Users To Notify” field to the Service Request creation form that allows you to select users to notify. Service Managers can also edit this list when approving or rejecting a Service Request.
Opportunity
Service Managers have requested the ability to provide the reason a Service Request was approved or rejected.
Solution
Added a “Note” field to the form for Approval or Rejection of the Service Request.
This note is shown on any notifications sent when approving or rejecting the Service Request.
Opportunity
Service Managers requested an indicator for whether or not a Customer has credit cards on file when creating and viewing Work Orders.
Solution
A credit card icon will appear on the New Work Order form and the Work Order Dashboard if a Customer has any cards on file.
Opportunity
Service Managers have requested the ability to create a scheduled task through existing Work Orders.
Solution
We have added an action to the Work Order “Actions” menu to create a scheduled task from the existing work order.
Opportunity
Service Departments reported that Machine warnings on Work Orders were obstructing some forms, hindering technicians.
Solution
We have made the Machine Warnings dismissible and added a warning indicator to the header of the Work Order Dashboard. When you hover over the badge, it displays the same warnings, ensuring that the interface remains clear and functional while still providing easy access to those important warnings.
Opportunity
Salespeople asked for the Item Number 2 to be visible on Part lines on Sales Orders and on Sales Order printouts. Item Number 2 is an additional internal part number used for reference purposes.
Solution
Added a setting to display Item Number 2 on the Point of Sale and on the Sales Order printout.
To enable the feature follow these steps:
Opportunity
Managers have requested the ability to limit which users can modify Invoice settings from the Point of Sale.
Solution
A new permission has been added around the “Settings” button on the Invoice page. Administrators can configure this permission by navigating to the Access Control page. The new permission is named “Enable POS Settings” under the Point of Sale section.
Opportunity
It has been requested that Reversed and Deleted multi-pay Sales Orders remove the payment lines generated on the other linked Sales Orders.
Solution
We have added functionality that reverses invoices paid on a multi-pay invoice if the latter is reversed. Additionally, deleting a line on a multi-pay invoice or deleting the invoice entirely will remove the payment line from any invoices previously paid on the multi-pay invoice.
Opportunity
Sales and Service Users have requested the ability to quickly view if their Customer Contact prefers to be contacted via SMS. This improves communication with Customers by reducing the potential of accidentally reaching out to them using the wrong method of contact.
Solution
New indicators have been added if a selected contact has "SMS Notify" enabled. On the Work Order Dashboard, it will show up next to the Contact's phone number with a "Text Allowed" indicator. On Sales Order pages, it will appear as a badge in the bottom right.
Opportunity
Managers have requested the ability to prevent automatic dismissal of the “Customer Note” popup that is on Customer Dashboard, Sales Order, Work Order Dashboard, and Rental Dashboard.
Solution
Added a setting to prevent automatic dismissal of the customer notes.
To enable the feature follow these steps:
Opportunity
Managers have requested the ability to make a reason for creating a customer a required field.
Solution
We have added a setting that will make the reason for creating a customer a required field.
To enable the feature follow these steps:
Opportunity
Rental Managers have requested the ability to know when a Customer has exceeded their Account Credit Limit before creating a new Rental Contract.
Solution
We have implemented warnings on Rental Creation that will show when a Customer's Account is over their credit limit.
Opportunity
Managers requested the ability to indicate when a machine has been stolen.
Solution
You can now indicate a Machine has been stolen from the Machine Dashboard by selecting "Report Stolen" from the Actions menu. If you recover a Machine that was stolen, select "Report Recovered" from the Actions menu. Additionally, there is a red warning banner across the top of the page for Machines that have been reported stolen.
Opportunity
Parts Managers requested that the Manufacturer Part Number be displayed on the Parts Purchase Order printout.
Solution
Added a new setting to display the Manufacturer Part Number on the Parts Purchase Order printout.
To enable the feature follow these steps:
Complaint: Parts Managers mentioned that sometimes when loading Item Dashboards for John Deere parts, the additional information pulled from John Deere would not load.
Correction: Fixed.
Complaint: Service Managers pointed out that the layout on the Job Level Service Scheduler was not being saved.
Correction: Fixed.
Complaint: Purchasers using MRP noted that attached Drawings on Parts were not being included when emailing a Purchase Order.
Correction: Fixed.
Complaint: Service Managers noted that editing and saving a Work Order on an iPad would sometimes cause an invalid date format error on correct dates.
Correction: Fixed.
Complaint: Sales Managers reported that invoices marked as paid in QuickBooks Online were not reflecting as unpaid after direct changes were made to the QuickBooks Online data.
Correction: Fixed.
Complaint: Managers pointed out that machines that were created through the “New Machine” page were not being created with the correct model.
Correction: Fixed.
Complaint: Technicians reported that when uploading files on the Work Order Dashboard they were receiving an “Upload Failed” error.
Correction: We have added a notification when files queued to be upload are over the total file size limit.
Complaint: Service Managers reported that SMS conversations with only outbound messages were not showing in the Activity tab on Work Orders.
Correction: Fixed.
Complaint: Service Managers reported an issue with the "Display Detailed Subtotal Breakdown on Report" setting. When this setting was enabled, labor subtotals on Invoices and Quotes for Work Orders were not calculated correctly if the Work Order included Jobs billed by hours.
Correction: Fixed
Complaint: Managers reported that when the user preference for opening a search in a new tab was enabled, the old search query persisted in the search bar on the original tab.
Correction: Fixed
Learn More at Flyntlok Dealer Management System
Check out our Flyntlok YouTube channel for more highlights of the application!
