Main Screen

The search/names panel may now be resized. If you have a monitor with a wider resolution, take advantage of this feature in order to see a wider names grid on the left.

Introducing Account Grouping

Another layer of account organization has been added. A "Group I.D." field has been added to the Account Name & Address screen. This will allow you to group different account numbers (and all deals underneath) together on the Total Owed screen. A new report, "Aging by Group I.D.," has beed added to show aging by group i.d. (This grouping has nothing to do with Group Statements, where all deals in the same account are on one statement.)

Introducing ALMSys Instant Messaging

For network versions of ALMSys, you will be able to send messages to other ALMSys users. This is not an email system and messages are only between ALMSys users. Security must be altered for each user in order to allow them to use instant messaging. Each user will also be required to read an agree to an instant message policy before they will be allowed to send and receive messages.

Loan Changes

You may now change the interest rate on an active loan. ALMSys will keep an interest rate change history for each loan. A button has been added to the Loan Status screen (after the interest rate field) that will display the interest rate change history for that loan. The screen for changing the rate is on the Loan tab and listed as, "Change Interest Rate." This screen is locked down with new security, so you will need to have your security updated in order to access this new screen.

CIBC 80 EFT File

If you use CIBC Bank, then you can have ALMSys create your lease payments EFT file for you. This new interface file follows the "CIBC 80" format.

Report Changes

Good-bye Crystal Reports. Hello FastReports. After 15 years of using Crystal Reports for all ALMSys reporting, I have had to switch report writers to FastReports due to Crystal Reports' incompatibilities with newer operating systems and the programming language I use. This was a huge endeavor, as there were 182 reports that were completely rewritten.

There are some real positive side affects to this process:

• The new report viewer is MUCH better. It allows the scrolling down of the report to go from page to page.
• I have added a running page count in the bottom, righthand corner on those reports that page break by location.
• Some reports were cleaned up to be more readable.
• Some reports were eliminated, as they are no longer needed. (If I deleted a report that you were using, just let me know and I will put it back in.) The eliminated reports are:
• Change Fax. This was originally written in version 1.0 of ALMSys for a leasing company that has since gone out of business. To my knowledge, no one currently uses this screen print report.
• Insurance Letter 4 Status and Insurance Processing Summary. No one has used the insurance processing in 10 years. I have removed this feature and corresponding reports.
• Loan Officer Summary. This report was written for credit unions. Since the majority of ALMSys users are leasing companies and dealerships, this report is no longer needed.
• RVI Enrollment B. This report was a variation of the RVI Enrollment report and was written for a customer who no longer needs it.

New Reports

• Depreciation At Termination. This will show all active depreciation that is at or beyond the scheduled depreciation term.
• Loan Interest Rate Changes. This will show all interest rate changes in the date range provided.
• Lease Termination Settlement Payments. This will show all payments made through the vehicle termination settlement screen in the date range provided.

Changed Reports

• Cash Receipts Journal. This will now include payments made through the vehicle termination settlement screen.

Collections Changes

Added an insurance information page.

Deal Documents

A new screen has been added that will allow you to keep track of documents (scanned or otherwise) that are related to a specific deal. A new folder ("ALMSysSQL\DealDocs") has been added in which to store these documents. However, the documents may be stored anywhere on your PC or network. ALMSys does not store the actual documents themselves; it merely stores the references (file name and folder name) to the documents. Documents may be accessed via this new screen by a simple double-click.

Depreciation Changes

Multiple collateral may now be defined. This option will rarely be used, but does provide the ability of depreciating multiple vehicles (collateral) on the same deal.