Tag: New Release

Find the answers to all your Fishbowl Inventory New Release questions with the LilyPad for Fishbowl Blog!

Don’t Let the Winds of Change Blow You Away

Company logo for Fishbowl Inventory Software
Company logo for Fishbowl Inventory Software

(UPDATE 2023: Fishbowl continues to grow and improve, and we have grown with them. Contact us to find the right solution to the most current Fishbowl release.)

Changes to Fishbowl Inventory

As we mentioned in our last Blog Post, Fishbowl Inventory is getting a major overhaul to its database.  These changes could make for some very large waves when it comes to integrated apps and custom reports.  Plus, there will be some new features that you might need help navigating.

Anchor Yourself to our Support

We want to provide you with the best customer service available in the industry.  So far, we think we’re doing a great job!  Therefore, to help you overcome the wind and the waves that are sure to come about with the Fishbowl changes, we offer a yearly support contract for all of the custom integrations we create for you.

Details:

  • We want to give you ample time to make sure your custom integrations are serving you well.  So, we give you a 90-day window for you to see your integrations in action before we ask that you sign up for the support that will be needed when those pesky winds blow.
  • We want to make sure you have an active support contract in place after those 90 days so we can assist with the issues to come.  Your support contract becomes your anchor to make sure that if you are blown about in the tempests, your downtime is minimal, and your boat doesn’t get swamped.
  • Help us reduce delays by keeping your support contract active.  It’s not fun to try to navigate the waters of paperwork while your boat is sinking!  The first lines of safety will be thrown to those who have an active support contract.  Please plan ahead!
  • While support contracts do not cover changes to the integrations that are caused by major Fishbowl upgrades, customers who have active support contracts, and who purchase the code upgrades, will be given first priority.

Calm Waters

These are all great reasons to have your anchor in place before you set sail.  With everything in place, we will quickly guide you back to safe waters, where you no longer need worry about distant storms.  And don’t worry: LilyPad Vortex and LilyPad Mobile Warehouse will be ready to help along the way.

 

What Does the Next Release of Fishbowl Inventory Mean For You?

Company logo for Fishbowl Inventory Software
Company logo for Fishbowl Inventory Software

(UPDATE 2023: Fishbowl continues to grow and improve, and we have grown with them. Contact us to find the right solution to the most current Fishbowl release.)

In February, Fishbowl Inventory is planning their first release of 2017, and we bet you’re wondering what to expect.  Is it going to be a simple update to fix bugs, a complete makeover of the software, or something in between?  Let’s see what Fishbowl has to say!

The BIG News: They’re Changing Their Database Management System!

Fishbowl is changing from the Firebird database manager to a MySQL database manager.  What does this mean for all of us?  MySQL is supposed to be faster, meaning that you will have less waiting time while processing your orders.  MySQL is also more stable.  Hopefully, this means that there will be fewer reasons to call the Fishbowl Support Team (not that we don’t love talking to support).

Don’t Forget the Other Feature Updates

Among the various fixes and updates, you should see the following in the new release:

  • Export to/import from XLS and XLSX files.  What does that mean?  It means that you can use regular excel files to change information in, add information to, or remove information from, Fishbowl.  The only option we used to have is to use .csv files, which can still be manipulated in excel, but are sometimes a little finicky.
  • Adding a markup to your shipping rates.  This will help all of you who are using Carton-Based Shipping, and are sick of manually increasing the shipping prices on the sales order after they have been added from the shipping module.  It looks like this is going to be a percentage-based markup.  We’re all interested to see how it works.
  • There is now a button in the Bill of Materials Module that will allow you to access the multi-level bill of materials report.  While this report is not new, and accessibility to the report from the Bill of Materials Module is not a novel concept, it might be more fun to click the button, rather than opening the drop-down “Reports” menu.

We Can Fix It

Some Things to Remember When Updating, and How we Can Help:

  1. Your custom reports may not work any more.  Don’t worry, we can fix them!
  2. Your integrations may break (check with your supplier to see if your integration is compatible).  We can fix these, as well!
  3. The world may end!  Well, maybe not, but we suggest you don’t update to the newest version of Fishbowl for at least 3 to 4 weeks after the release.  We know…it’s tempting to hit the upgrade button as soon as it becomes available.  Don’t give in!  We need to give enough time for them to figure out all of the bugs.
  4. Once you’re ready to pull the trigger, it sounds like the update may take a while…so, make sure you give yourself plenty of time to complete the update before beginning work for the day.

Remember, we are here to help with anything related to Fishbowl.  Let us know if you have any questions about all  of the upcoming changes to Fishbowl.

LilyPad for Fishbowl – Premier Fishbowl Consultant and Marketplace Solution

If you’ve had trouble in the past with Fishbowl Go, or if you’re looking for a better alternative software to integrate your Fishbowl inventory services, your search is finally over. LilyPad for Fishbowl offers a wide variety of up-to-date, easy-to-use software add-ons to help make your Fishbowl experience the best possible. LilyPad also offers on-site trainings, consultations, and other premier Fishbowl services.

Get Started Today with LilyPad for Fishbowl!