This week’s updates:
- Learning plan activity editing after approval
- Optional split payment disabling
- Mass deposit-date editing
- Instant export download feedback
- Avoiding duplicate payments
- Locking accounting periods
- Automatic renewal into standard register sections
- Automatic requirement compliance checking
- Daylight savings calculation and auto-adjustments
- Bug Fixes and performance enhancements
The latest version of Alinity is continually being improved with new updates released regularly. Performance and security updates are included in virtually every release, alongside new features to help improve member experience, administrative efficiency and streamline workflows. Here are a few of the most significant changes implemented in our latest update package.
Learning plan activity editing after approval
Some regulatory authorities and professional colleges allow members to continue entering learning activities into their continuing education plan even after members renew, but Alinity previously didn’t support this ability. With this latest update we’ve added a configuration parameter that allows members to unlock their continuing education forms (as long as they’re still within the education collection window for their registration period) so they can make changes and then resubmit. Of course, this is just an option; if your organization wants to keep continuing education forms locked down, you certainly still can.
This new function isn’t limited to members, either. Administrators can update education plans as well, but can also do so outside the CE collection period. Administrators can delete, edit or add education items after, or even before the collection period open. Again, this ability is purely optional, and can easily be disabled if your organization doesn’t allow it.
Optional split payment disabling
Many regulators and profession associations allow members to split payments for invoices across multiple credit cards, but there are always exceptions. Alinity has split payments enabled as a default setting, but the latest update introduces the ability for system administrators to disable split payments from the settings screen.
Mass deposit date editing
Alinity has always allowed staff to edit payment deposit dates in the event of mistakes, but only individually. We’ve added a “Set deposit date” mass-action option to the payment screen in the latest update. Now when that deposit you meant to do on Monday gets pushed to Wednesday, you can just run a payment date query, select the records you want, and then mass update them all; no more correcting deposit dates one by one.
Instant export download feedback
Downloading exports has always been a part of Alinity, but it’s been a pretty bare-bone feature. The latest update gives the process a few new useful features. Now when downloading exports using a current browser, you’ll be informed of the size and time remaining to complete the download.
Avoiding duplicate payments
Duplicate payments are always a pain point for clients, and so we’re always looking for ways to help prevent them. To that end, we’ve worked out a way for payment processors to send a receipt for payments, even if no receipt could be sent by Alinity. The system currently lists transactions that didn’t receive a response from the online payment processor as pending for up to 15 minutes, but if the registrant attempts to pay again after that period even though the first transaction actually succeeded, a duplicate payment may be created.
If this happens and and neither Moneris nor the member can contact the Alinity servers, Moneris can be configured to send their own receipt for the payment, along with a configurable note. We recommend configuring this note to ask members to contact you about their payment. Sending this receipt may help reduce those duplicate payments.
Currently this functionality is only supported by Moneris, and in fact needs to be configured in the Moneris settings. However, it may soon become widely available from all major online payment processors, so keep your ears to the ground!
Locking accounting periods
Another new optional feature, you can now set a date after which accounting transactions should not be changed. This means that if you have reconciled payment transactions with your general ledger for the past month, you can lock it down to ensure future adjustments can only be applied to the current month. Again, this is a purely optional feature and you can certainly keep your books open to adjustments if you prefer.
Automatic renewal into standard register sections
You can now configure Alinity to automatically move registrants applying from special register sections (such as Internationally Educated) to renew automatically to the standard section of their register. You can still configure to remain on the special section if this is not your practice.
Automatic requirement compliance checking
Did you know you can configure requirements such as the need for a current criminal record check or a passing mark on a course or exam without requiring programming changes? Using the registration change requirements features, you can set a rule (such as requiring a new CRC every five years) and Alinity will automatically track it. What’s more, the system will also automatically present the requirement when the time comes on the appropriate profile update or renewal form.
Daylight savings calculation and auto-adjustments
Daylight savings changes can wreak havoc on timestamps and audit logs. At least, it used to. Now Alinity will automatically correct for daylight savings time adjustments. Previously these adjustment were handled manually by our Help Desk manually, but this update automates the process. And if you don’t observe daylight savings (we’re looking at you, Roughrider fans!), don’t worry! We’re not going to change anything on you. You can just use the “N/A” setting to avoid daylight saving adjustments.
Bug fixes and performance enhancements
No one tries to have bugs in their software, but they’re an inevitable part of a complicated framework solution like Alinity. We’re always happy to fix them, and happier to report about fixing them though, so let’s get to it!
First off this week, we improved error messages related to exports. The previous error messages could be confusing and technical, and while they were useful for our support desk, they didn’t tell users enough about what was happening. The new error messages are much cleaner and easier to understand.
Next up is a simple and straightforward fix; errors in the summary statistics for both applications and reinstatements have been corrected.
Finally, we fixed an issue related to reposting transactions. If the bank account you’re reposting too has been replaced with a new account number, Alinity will now correctly apply the new number to previous transactions.
Coming soon
We’re still putting the final touches on the disk space management functions we mentioned last week, but they’re almost ready. They should be coming out alongside the first components of task management in the next two weeks, so keep an eye on your announcements, especially if Task Management is slated to be part of your upgrade. And if you’re not scheduled to receive Task Management but want to add it to your implementation, don’t hesitate to contact us! We’ll be happy to add it to your implementation when it’s ready.
That’s it for this week, but we think it’s a pretty good update. Have a great weekend, and we’ll chat again after Remembrance Day!
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