Concerto are pleased to announce the arrival of our latest software module, Concerto Business Planning. Concerto Business Planning is the only software of its kind that enables users to seamlessly interlink their business plans and their day to day projects to result in precise and up-to-the-minute business planning data. 

Concerto Business Planning has been designed to add the extra dimension to your project and business planning. Working in conjunction with Concerto Projects, Concerto Business Planning enables users to plan out their business goals, set objectives, set KPIs and associate risks to your business plan. Unlike other business planning software, Concerto Business Planning then incorporates in Concerto Projects and allows users to continue to manage their business plan seamlessly through automated reports and integrated financial tracking modules.

Concerto’s Business Planning Module is a standalone module but has been primarily designed in conjunction with Concerto Projects. For more information on Concerto Projects please click here.

Concerto has created a new interface for elements of both the projects and asset solution for use on mobile phones, such as IPhones or Android mobiles. The new interface will allow users of elements of both solutions the ability to make changes to key elements of the data.

The mobile interface will enable Concerto users much better access to the system, even on the move. As with the main system the user will need access to the internet to be able to use the mobile module.
Functionality includes the ability to access and update project activities, view and update helpdesk calls, record time via the mobile timesheet application. Access to individual activities and tasks is also available through the new modules.

For a closer look, have a look for yourself at http://isupport.concerto.co.uk/login/new

For information on Concerto Sites or Concerto Projects please click respectively or to contact us on how to start using the new mobile site click here.

Quick reports is a new additional reporting feature to the existing report modules, it has been designed to enable users to create simple reports quickly and effectively. The feature allows users to create both simple and complex reports ‘on the fly’ and use again and again.

The aim of the new quick report feature is to allow users of the Concerto system the ability to create and save everyday reports with minimal effort and time. The quick report options are simpler than the more advanced reporting module and allow users to ‘drag and drop’ report fields to create fast analysis of the system data.

Quick reports offer the user a broad analysis of all of their project and property data very quickly, which can be vital to help improve decision making and time management.

For more information on our system please take a look at Concerto Projects and Concerto Sites or Contact Us for more information.

Web based project management software helps extensively in culmination of a specific task that requires organised predefined start and an organised closure. Every project is initiated with a particular goal and an objective. This includes primarily the data that is researched so as to look organised and so that the haphazard collection seems like a disciplined one. Now, researching for the data as well as planning the appropriate use of available resources is highly essential. These are to be projected in the right direction so as to achieve ultimate success in the progression of the task. Web based project management software makes these tasks a lot easier for the researchers to handle.

Web based project management software helps in the processing of brainstorming, draws an error-free critical path analysis of flow charts and also contributes in plotting the graphs so as to evaluate all the possible risks. Manual set up and processing of the project might be very hectic and hence, web-based management systems prove to be of worthwhile help.

Web-based management systems help in the formation of all the required information. To cut short all the processed results for the researcher who is then able to select from the variety of data he/she might have in hand. It is via such systems that all projects are devoid of any error and are loaded with clarity. The reason behind this is that such systems help in the assortment of the most preferred information.

Also, if you want to see the successful completion of the project, web-based management software help on the processing of project specification document. This file helps in the approved information that has been laid out by the researcher and the client is satisfied with the content.

When it comes to the documentation of any project management, web-based project management software helps extensively in the framing of available references and the actual figures in relation to the estimated timeframe and cost.

Performance metrics too are evaluated and are an essential part of the completion of any project. Hence, via web based project management systems, management team is able to research a complete list of tasks that need to be focused on diligently. This helps in the formulation of corrective measures that can be of immense help in the long run. This means that web-based project management systems help in the supervision of every work that is being done and is contributing to the culmination of the project, and all teams are able to access the information as to whether it is error-free or needs any rectification.

Also, many a times, other team members contributing to the task need to be checked and re-checked as well. Web based management software help in this process of checking and evaluating the content that should be framed into the project.

Lastly, the content that is part of any research needs to be evaluated on corrective measures and web based management software helps the management team in doing so. It makes sure that the research has been appropriate, up to the mark, and all the required tasks are check listed without being overlooked at.

By Kevan Davey, Managing Director of Concerto Support Services

If you would like to take a look at Concerto Projects, our project management software, please click here.

Another common gotcha that people are reporting is the categorisation of the blocks for the item 3 records (lowest level).

The download expects an alpha numeric code, which is actually a roman numeral classification of the ‘premise type’.

You need to ensure your blocks are assigned to a block category and that the block categories you use have the roman numeral code assigned to them.

The table below lists the codes.

Just a quick reminder to our clients doing the DFE condition download.

Iit is important that your element groups match those prescribed by the DFE.  This includes the reference number, which is entered in the element group code.  These codes are also unique, you cannot have 2 element groups sharing the same reference.

After reports from several clients that the validator for the DFE download provided by Tribal was throwing an error saying the date portion of the file format was invalid we thought we would take a closer look…

Turns out that the downloader still thinks it is 2005.  To get the validate to accept your file, simply replace the current year with 05 and it should accept the file.

So for the file in the screenshot below, renaming it to AMP894CON_160205.TXT will do the trick.

Following on from yesterdays news about the DFE download, we have some further advice.

We highly recommend that exported files (the .txt files which are emailed – not the excel export) are run through the DFE validator.

We have published this software on our Support Portal Library. The screenshot below should provide the necessary information to enable you to grab it.

Our Asset Management clients will be aware that they can optionally submit their condition data to the DFE in the format previously defined in the DFE 2005 document Condition and Suitability Data.

As this has come to the forefront again, we have added this facility to Concerto Assets.  It is now available in the latest Concerto release. 

A usage guide and an instructional movie (published to the Concerto Gallery) are available on request.

We have recently increased the RAM on our UK Web Hosting Core 2 Quad Core Server. 

Though no issues had been raised with respect to the performance of this machine, this is a timely upgrade to continue to meet the performance expectations of our clients.