What’s new in CDESK 3.1.0

14. February 2022

Version 3.1.0 comes with major changes for CDESK that make it an even more user-friendly and versatile tool with deployment possibilities in a wide range of scenarios. The new version brings about many useful features as well as a redesign of selected components of the system.

RELEASE DATE : February 14th, 2022

Connector allowing interconnection of multiple CDESKs

If both the customer and the supplier use CDESK, the new connector is there to interconnect them. This allows both users to work on requests in their own environment without the need to create new accounts in other environments. Changes made to requests are shown on both sides. Whether it is to add a discussion, create and approve an offer, or change the status of a request.

The customer enters the request in their CDESK. Once the request is saved, an icon will appear in the form that allows the request to be automatically created in the environment of the supplier as well. Requests created in this way are marked in the list.

List of requests with automatically created requests from another CDESK environment
List of requests with automatically created requests from another CDESK environment

 

The parameters of automatically created requests on customer’s side are also displayed in supplier’s requests. If the supplier adds an offer on their request, the customer can approve it on theirs. Likewise, the customer can comment when the supplier changes the status of the request to Customer Testing or Completed.

Automatically created request with two interconnected CDESKs
Automatically created request with two interconnected CDESKs
Viewing the prompt to comment on the request completion in a customer request
Viewing the prompt to comment on the request completion in a customer request
Illustration of working with a request when linking multiple CDESKs
Illustration of working with a request when linking multiple CDESKs

Free Approval

With the latest update, the approval options have also been expanded to include free approval. Unlike the approval already present in CDESK, it is not bound to a request or work order template. As a result, the free approval feature offers a dynamic and simple solution for any situation that requires approval. Free Approval requires the definition of only one rule, which is defined in the Approval rules module. This rule will then be applied to all approval processes of free approval.

 

Definition of the free approval rule
Definition of the free approval rule

Free approval can be created without being bound to any module, or directly in the request with the link to it.

Creating a free approval not linked to any module
Creating a free approval not linked to any module
Creating a free approval on a request
Creating a free approval on a request

If the free approval is linked to a request, the information about it is displayed directly in the request form.

Information about approval on the request
Information about approval on the request

Once approval created, with or without a link to the request, approvers are notified via email notification as well as via push notifications directly in the system. Subsequently, the approval in both cases proceeds in the same way as for approval via request template or work order.

Free Approval Form
Free Approval Form

 

Completion of the First Phase of the Interconnection with JIRA

The possibilities of working with requests have also been expanded thanks to the JIRA connector, which provides a two-way interconnection between CDESK and the JIRA system. After activating and configuring the connector in Global Settings, the JIRA tab will appear on the request. On the tab, there are buttons to create a new JIRA task, or to connect an existing one.

Form to create a new JIRA task directly from a request
Form to create a new JIRA task directly from a request

 

Connecting a JIRA task to the request
Connecting a JIRA task to the request

One of the goals of this interconnection is for the software project support staff to see in CDESK the status of the tasks related to the request. This information can also be made available to end customers.

Interconnection with JIRA can also be added for other purposes, for example, the work of the support team will make a record of the work done in CDESK, and then these will be transferred to the worklog in JIRA.

Interconnection with JIRA displayed in the list of requests
Interconnection with JIRA displayed in the list of requests
JIRA tab
JIRA tab

 

 

Simple Filter for the List of Requests

Since version 3.1.0, you can use two types of filters in the list of requests – advanced and simple filter. Unlike the advanced filter, the simple filter contains only those filtering conditions that are most often used when working with requests. Also, configuring individual conditions is easier and faster.

Configuring conditions of the simple filter
Configuring conditions of the simple filter

When you activate the simple filter, the search bar will also change. It will display buttons to set the criteria to be used for the search.

Buttons to set the criteria to be used for the search
Buttons to set the criteria to be used for the search

 

The conditions set within the simple filter can be carried over to the advanced filter. However, due to the number of conditions to filter and the options of their setting, backward compatibility of the advanced filter to the simple filter is not possible. Also, conditions in the simple filter can only be bound by the AND condition.

The new version of CDESK, however, also brings the ability to filter the results in the list of requests without the need of direct filter setup (simple/advanced). Clicking on the column name will display conditions as when using the simple filter. This allows quick filtering of records based on a single criterion belonging to a given column.

Filtering in the list of requests based on the condition set directly using a column
Filtering in the list of requests based on the condition set directly using a column

We continue to develop the simple filter to make the search and filtering of data in lists as simple as possible. We will keep you informed of improvements in future releases.

Enhanced Buttons with Saved Filter Conditions

The buttons used to activate the saved filter have also been changed. Their order can be easily changed using Drag&Drop. The way of color differentiation of the active button has also been changed. When clicked, the entire button will be colored with the set color.

Active advanced filter button is now entirely colored
Active advanced filter button is now entirely colored

Each button also contains a menu that allows you to edit, send as well as delete the set filter.

Menu displayed in the saved filter button
Menu displayed in the saved filter button

You can also make changes to a filter that is not currently activated without overwriting the search conditions.

Window for making changes to filter
Window for making changes to filter

 

New Condition for Advanced Filter: Assignees – Group Members

With version 3.1.0, a new condition for the advanced filter has been added: Assignees – Group Members. The condition allows you to filter requests with a paired assignee who is/is not a member of the group set in the filter.

Configuring the Assignees – Group Members condition
Configuring the Assignees – Group Members condition

 

Buttons to Switch Between Requests in the Preview of the Request Detail in the List of Requests

Click on the three dots icon next to the request name to preview the request directly in the list of requests. With the latest update, buttons have been added in this preview to allow switching between the requests that are to be displayed in this preview. When switching, the requests are displayed based on their order in the list.

Buttons for switching between requests in the request preview
Buttons for switching between requests in the request preview

New Responsive Form Design for Accepting/Denying Request Completion from Mail Notification

Update 3.1.0 brings design improvements to many features and components of CDESK. One of them is a form to comment on the completion of a request, which opens when you click the Accept Completion/Deny Completion button in the mail notification. The functions of this form have not been changed. It continues to allow for quick and easy request completion without the need to log into CDESK.

New design of the form for accepting/denying the request completion from the mail notification
New design of the form for accepting/denying the request completion from the mail notification

The form is also optimized for viewing on mobile devices. This allows you to make a statement on the request completion using your smartphone.

Preview of the form for making a statement on the request completion on a mobile device
Preview of the form for making a statement on the request completion on a mobile device

 

Favorites – Possibility Added to View Items in the First Level in the Pop-up Menu and Have Features Available in One Click

The Favorites function has been part of the pop-up menu for a long time, but with the latest update, it has been significantly improved. Items can be automatically added to the favorites based on how often the user accesses them. The user also has the option to choose which modules will not be automatically marked as favorites. It is also possible to disable the automatic marking of items as favorites and add items manually.

New settings of favorite items
New settings of favorite items

Favorite items can be displayed directly in the first menu level, while the remaining menu items can be set to collapse.

Favorites in the first level of the menu, with the rest of the main menu items collapsed
Favorites in the first level of the menu, with the rest of the main menu items collapsed

More information on favorites and their settings can be found in a separate article.

 

Widgets to Show Hours Worked on Fulfillments Weekly and Monthly

Dashboard now includes the first widgets that are focused on tracking reported time on invoice fulfillments. These are Weekly Fulfillments and Monthly Fulfillments. Both widgets graphically compare fulfillments during and outside working hours for the selected assignees in the specific week or month. In future updates, the widgets for requests will be added and the widgets for fulfillments will be extended to include internal fulfillments.

Weekly Fulfillments and Monthly Fulfillments widgets
Weekly Fulfillments and Monthly Fulfillments widgets

 

Possible Change of the Icon in the Browser Tab

The new update also brought the ability to set a custom icon to be displayed in the browser tab.

Custom icon in the browser tab
Custom icon in the browser tab

The icon can be set in Global Settings -> Logos, Domain, Files. To set the icon, you first need to enable custom domain of CM server, and then you can set a custom icon in the Favicon – Icon that Appears at the Beginning of the Tab in the Web Browser.

Enabling a custom domain of CM server and changing the favicon
Enabling a custom domain of CM server and changing the favicon

Enabling the custom domain of CM server is an extra-cost feature according to the CDESK Price List.  After changing the icon, you may find that the original icon will still flash. It may not help to remove the cache file, as this file has its own per-browser management. We have not yet found an easy reliable way to remove the original icon from the repository and recommend leaving the removal to the browser’s own management. A possible solution is to rename the address book where the browser has user data. This will allow the browser to start storing new data again with the already new icon.

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