Click to download here.

New Enhancements

• The shift task list now displays a visible alert when the current shift or the current user has an assigned task due.
• The Open Order window has been improved: larger list, more details shown, simpler filter selection, preview of multiple order items.
• Parts Tracker will no longer revert to a blank (local) data file if the network data file is not found.

Fixes

• The Parts Usage report would not display when a used part appeared more than once on the same order. This issue is now fixed.
• The Part Shortage report and Part Suggestions list were miscalculating the Qty to order (by not considering current orders correctly).
• An error message is no longer displayed when changing the supplier on an order if the order contains an item with no part number.
• An error message is no longer displayed if a task schedule’s shift is cleared.
• Marking a completed task as uncompleted now clears ‘completed by user’.
• Some minor cosmetic changes.

Click to download here.

New Enhancements

• The maintenance (event) log now allows filtering by Equipment Type and Equipment item.
• Now when a multi-lane task is completed and it is configured to log maintenance events, a single event is created for the range of lanes instead of creating one for each lane.

Fixes

• Delete button on Completed Tasks tab now functions correctly.
• Parts Usage report was not showing usage for non-lanes.
• Error no longer occurs when trying to delete or edit maintenance events if there are many events (more than 32 thousand).
• The Parts List screen was not showing up in Office 2003. This has been fixed.

Click to download here.

New Enhancements

• You can now export the weekly trouble calls directly to an Excel spreadsheet (with a similar layout to the Weekly Trouble Call report print out).

• There is now an “Add to Order” button in the Stock Card window allowing you to add the selected part to the currently open order, or to the order reminders list (works the same as the Add to Order button in the Part window).

• When a task is completed, a popup window is displayed asking for the user and optional comment. This selection defaults to the currently logged in user. This doesn’t change who is logged in, but records the user as completing the task. This allows you to record tasks against multiple users without having to log in and out.

• The stock card window now lists part transactions in reverse order (so that the latest entries are at the top). This makes it easier to read when there are many entries. You can click the checkbox at the top of the list if you want to reverse this order.

• When tasks are completed, a comment is now requested. This is optional and is copied to the event log if an event type is selected for the task. This applies to ad hoc tasks as well as scheduled shift tasks.

• The Equipment list now has an option to filter by Equipment type.

Fixes

• When a task is created for one lane (by leaving To Lane blank), an event was not being logged. Now fixed.

• Trouble call week 1 was reporting incorrectly (into week 1 of prior year) when configured with week 1 defined as containing 1st of the year and years configured as labelled by year end.

Step 1 – Install Parts Tracker on the New Computer

Download and install Parts Tracker on the new computer.

Step 2 – Register Parts Tracker on the New Computer

Run Parts Tracker on the new computer and choose the Register option. Fill in your centre details and copy the Installation ID. Email this number to Parts Tracker Support and you will receive a new unlock number for this computer.

When you get your unlock number, enter it in the Registration window to unlock Parts Tracker.

Note: You can continue the steps below before unlocking Parts Tracker, but the new computer will be in ‘trial mode’ meaning you probably won’t be able to add more records (orders, trouble calls, maintenance, etc) and you won’t be able to Print. If you need to keep using Parts Tracker properly, use the old computer until the new computer is unlocked, and then proceed with the following steps.

Step 3 – Copy you Parts Tracker Data File from the Old Computer

Parts Tracker keeps all you data (parts, orders, transactions, trouble calls, etc) in a single file called PartsTrackerData4_0.mdb. This is the only file you need to transfer between the computers. (This is also the file you should backup regularly to avoid losing your data in case of computer failure. See ‘How to Backup Parts Tracker Data‘ for information on backing up your data.)

Find the Parts Tracker Data File in the following folder on your computer:

Copy the PartsTrackerData4_0.mdb file to a removable storage device – e.g. a USB thumbdrive, SD card or similar, or if you have an internal computer network, you can transfer the file between computers directly.

Step 4 – Paste the Data File into the Same Folder on the New Computer

Find the same folder on the new computer. That is,

Simply overwrite the file that is already there (this is the default data file installed with Parts Tracker).

Step 5 – Start Parts Tracker on the New Computer

Start Parts Tracker on the new computer.

Check that you can see your data – e.g. open an order, or look at the maintenance log.

Finished

And that’s all.

Click to download here.

New Enhancements

• You can now print the parts in the Parts List. It will print the parts listed, which means you can filter the list first (right-click the list, or press the “Unfiltered/Filtered” button at the bottom, first, and then print the resulted filtered list.
• Added additional user permissions to cover all functionality. Note that permissions are only relevant if you have users set up.
• When adding a part transaction from the Stock Card, you can now optionally select a To/From description instead of a lane number. Note that recording part usage for equipment automatically sets the From description field to the name of the equipment.

Fixes

• The Daily Shift Task list is now correctly sorted by priority.
• The Daily Task list was not showing a scroll bar when many items were in the list.

If you’d like to read what others are saying about Parts Tracker, or you have feedback that you’d like to share with fellow mechanics, jump onto the Bowltech.com forum here:

http://bowltech.com/content/btubb/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=445485

I appreciate any feedback given - even negative feedback helps make Parts Tracker better.

And if you’re not a member of Bowltech.com I strongly recommend it – it’s a fantastic resource.

Click to download here.

New Enhancements

• The Parts Tracker login screen now uses a list of users rather than a textbox for username. This makes it easier to select a user. Note that you can still type in a name (and it auto-matches on key presses). A further enhancement a little down the track will replace the Login dialog with buttons (a la Windows).
• Current Stock report now includes separate total for the value of used parts (separate to ‘new’ parts).
• The Current Stock Export to Excel now includes a separate money value for used parts (separate to ‘new’ parts), plus a total of both.

Fixes

• The Report toolbar has been modified to ensure the Send Email function is available (behaviour was inconsistent in different versions of Office). Export to Excel and Word options (in addition to PDF) have also been added as these are often useful.
• Right-click menu in Parts list screen was not working (meaning it was not possible to sort or filter the list) in Office XP.
• The sort order in the Parts List was not saving (resetting to default order every time the screen was opened). It is now saved.
• The Part Shortage report and Parts Suggestions list now takes into account the “Used” part stock quantity when working out the shortage.
• Fixed ribbon for Office 2010.

Before Starting

Before cutting over to using two separate data files, you should set up all the common configuration that both centres will use – configuration such as parts, accounts, trouble call types, work event types, equipment types, scheduled tasks, etc. This avoids setting up these things twice after the data files have been split.

Example: Setting screen showing maintenance event categories and types. If both centres use the same data, then you only want to do this once.

To do this, review the tabs in the Parts Tracker Settings screen and get as much of the common information right before splitting the files.

Register Parts Tracker

Although you can register Parts Tracker after spitting the data files, these instructions assume you have registered Parts Tracker for the first centre already. That is, you have installed Parts Tracker, entered the details for the first centre, emailed the installation ID to Parts Tracker Support, received an unlock number back and unlocked the trial mode.

Because Parts Tracker requires a separate unlock number for each centre, you will need to email a second installation ID during this procedure to unlock the second centre’s data file.

Step 1

Ensure you are logged into Windows as an Administrator. Certain steps will not work, or will cause errors, if you are logged into Windows as a limited user.

Step 2

Open the Parts Tracker Program Files folder: C:\Program Files\Parts Tracker\

Step 3

Find the two files called:

• PartsTracker4
• PartsTrackerData4_0

Note: depending on your Windows settings, these files may also show the file extension on the end as “PartsTracker4.mdb”.

Make duplicates of these two files as follows:

• Select the two files,
• Press Ctrl-C
• Then Ctrl-V

You should now have these four files (as well as many others):

• PartsTracker4
• PartsTrackerData4_0
• PartsTracker4 – Copy (or Copy of PartsTracker4)
• PartsTrackerData4_0 – Copy (or Copy of PartsTrackerData4_0)

Step 4

Now you need to rename the files containing “Copy” (or “Copy of”) to something resembling your second centre (that way you know what they are). It is optional to also rename the original files, but it is easier not to.

The result will be (using “Greenville” as the example name of the second centre):

• PartsTracker4
• PartsTrackerData4_0
• PartsTracker4_Greenville
• PartsTrackerData4_0_Greenville

Note: notice the use of the line (underscore) before the name Greenville (_Greenville). This is recommended so as to avoid spaces in the filename.

Step 5

Go back to the desktop and find the Parts Tracker shortcut icon (from where you would start Parts Tracker):

Select the Parts Tracker shortcut icon and, while holding down the Ctrl key, drag the icon to a free position on the desktop:

What you have just done is create a copy of the shortcut icon. Now you have TWO shortcut icons on your desktop to open Parts Tracker. Currently they both open the same program file (in a minute we will change one of them to open the duplicate program file that we created earlier for the second centre).

Next, name the shortcuts accordingly. The original shortcut icon should be name after your first centre. The second shortcut icon (the copy you made in this step) should be named after your second centre. The names can be anything you like – it is simply so you know which is which!

After you’ve named your shortcut icons, right click the second centre’s icon and choose Properties in the menu that appears. A dialog will open looking something like the following (depending on your version of Windows):

In the Target box, edit the name of the file to include the changes we made above – i.e. add “_Greenville” to the name – use the name of your centre of course.

Then click OK. If you get an error, it is likely because the name of the file you’ve typed in the Target box isn’t quite right. Double-check and compare to the name of the copied file you changed earlier.

Now you have two icons – one for each centre – that open two Parts Tracker program files – one for each centre.

Step 6

The next step is to tell the second Parts Tracker program file to work with the second centre’s data file.

Small Explanation First: Parts Tracker is composed of two main files – the program file, and the data file (plus a bunch of smaller ancillary files). The program file contains all the logic and functionality of Parts Tracker. This is the one that is updated when a new version of Parts Tracker is installed. The data file, on the other hand, contains your centre’s data – that is, all your parts, orders, calls, work, tasks, configuration – everything you have changed or added in Parts Tracker.

Open the second Parts Tracker by double-clicking the second centre’s shortcut icon on the desktop. Parts Tracker will start up. Because you have already registered the first centre (see Register Parts Tracker above), and this program file is still linked to the first centre’s data file, the trial message should not be shown. If the trial message does display, click Continue (do not register the new centre’s details yet).

In the Parts Tracker Main Menu screen, choose Settings and then choose Configure Parts Tracker Settings. In the Settings screen, choose the Data File tab and press the Change button as show here:

A question will pop up confirming you want to change – press OK.

A Browse File dialog will open up listing the four files we was earlier – including the two original files and the two duplicates we made. You need to select the data file of your second centre here – e.g. PartsTrackerData4_0_Greenville. Press Open and the file will be linked to this second copy of Parts Tracker.

Step 7

Quit Parts Tracker and try the second centre’s shortcut icon on the desktop. When it opens, if it shows a Registration/Trial message, ignore this and press the Continue button.

In the Parts Tracker Main Menu screen, again choose Settings and then choose Configure Parts Tracker Settings. In the Settings screen, choose the My Centre tab and press the Change Locked Details button.

Fill the second centre’s details. An installation ID will be generated and displayed. Example:

Email the blue installation ID to Parts Tracker Support to receive your matching unlock number.

Note: Parts Tracker must be running on the same computer as a previously registered installation ID, otherwise a new licence must be purchased (Parts Tracker is licenced per-centre, except when only one computer is being used for both as is being set up in this example).

Your unlock number will come via email. Note that it is sent manually, so please wait up to 24 hours depending on time zone. You can still use both centre’s files now – the second centre will run in trial mode until the unlock number is entered.

If you have problems up to this point, or things aren’t behaving as described, send an email to Parts Tracker Support and describe what you are seeing (if an installation ID is generated, send it too).

Step 8

Once you receive your unlock number, open up the second centre.

In the Parts Tracker Main Menu screen, choose Settings and then choose Configure Parts Tracker Settings. In the Settings screen, choose the My Centre tab and press the Change Locked Details button. You should see the second centre’s details and installation ID as you left it earlier.

Now just enter the unlock number that Parts Tracker support sent you, and press Apply. Unless you get any error messages, you’re all set. If you do get any error messages, send an email to Parts Tracker Support and describe what you are seeing.

Examples of associating an event with equipment could include ball returns, motors, pinball machines, appliances, lane machines, etc.Examples of associating an event with nothing at all could include checking emergency lighting, cleaning air vents, replacing car-park lighting, and other building maintenance – basically anything that you want to track that doesn’t associate with a machine, lane or specifically recorded piece of equipment (in the equipment list).

As of Parts Tracker v4 you can record details of equipment and track maintenance events against them (in addition to parts used, parts required, etc – see the new Equipment screen in the Facilities section).

Before tracking maintenance events against specific equipment, you need to create a new maintenance event type in the Settings screen (Main Menu screen -> Settings -> Configure Parts Tracker Settings -> Maint. Events page):

Creating an event for a lane machine

The special detail about this event type is that you select “Doesn’t apply to lanes” in the Applies to box on the right. This means you won’t have to select a lane number when creating such an event.

The next step is to go to the Equipment screen and add some work:

Entering a maintenance event in the Equipment screen

And that’s it

Parts Tracker version 4 includes a new feature that allows you to import parts and price lists from suppliers and keep your prices up to date.Suppliers can provide you with price lists in Excel spreadsheet format and many suppliers already make these available on their websites. Simply download their price list and Parts Tracker will import it, updating your prices and optionally adding new parts.

Parts Tracker stores the new prices against the specified supplier meaning you can track multiple prices for different suppliers. Pack quantities are also imported if your supplier sells parts in multiple units (e.g. bags or packs).

Parts Tracker stores multiple prices for different suppliers and different pack quantities

And if you import prices lists from multiple suppliers you can compare their prices easily using the Supplier Price Comparison report.

Supplier Price Comparison report showing the difference in prices between multiple suppliers

If your supplier doesn’t currently make their price lists available in Excel spreadsheet format, ask them to contact Andrew at partstracker.com.au to discuss the appropriate formats to import into Parts Tracker.

I’ll be collating a list of suppliers in different countries and will publish links on the Parts Tracker website for easy access. So if you know of suppliers that make their parts list available, include a link in the comments below.