Today we have launched our customizable gFM Business ERP software in the brand new version 7. Our aim is to give you the best user experience with CRM, merchandise management and Invoice on Apple Mac, PC and iOS. The new version of our customizable ERP software turns the main menu into the control center for many important daily business processes. A new Function bar allows the user-defined display of the new functions - exactly as it best suits each user's workflow. In the new version, you have an overview of all articles with a minimum stock level that has not been reached, including orders from all suppliers. In addition, the main menu contains a new function for the serial generation of invoices from orders - optionally also with automatic invoice dispatch as a PDF file by e-mail.
Function bar for all new functions
In the new version, the main menu contains a new function bar in the title bar, in which all available functions of the main menu are located, for which the previous "Main menu" lettering had to make way. All buttons in the function bar can be customized. Change the functions and their order exactly as they best suit your operating procedures.
Clicking on the pencil icon to the right of the function buttons opens a popover window in which all functions and their sequence can be defined. If you move the mouse over an icon, an info text for the respective function appears. The settings are saved separately for each user; by default, all functions are displayed in the function bar for each user.
Stock levels and orders always in view
In the register [Stock] of the main menu, we have expanded the functions for the list of articles with a minimum stock level below the minimum stock level. The list now contains functions to order items from all assigned suppliers collectively. The current stock (B), the specified minimum stock (M), the quantity in the supply (Z) and the order quantity entered in the stock list (V) are now displayed for each item.
There is a function button on the left-hand side of the list that opens a popover window containing all the suppliers assigned to the item. The function button is only displayed if the item contains at least one assigned supplier. In the left-hand column, you can now enter an order quantity for the desired supplier, which will be held until an order is created with this supplier. If an order quantity has been entered for an article, the button turns orange. If the order is not sufficient to reach the minimum stock level, the button turns red. If an order has been created for the article, the button turns green. As soon as the goods in the order have been booked in and the minimum stock level has been reached, the item is no longer displayed in this list.
Create collective orders of several articles
The stock list contains a popover button at the bottom [Generate orders]which opens a window with all entries in which order quantities have been marked. In this list, all entries can now be selected or deselected separately for the order. After clicking on the [Generate orders] in the popover window, purchase orders are generated for all entries selected in this window. Only one purchase order is created for each supplier, regardless of the number of items to be ordered from this supplier.
Serial invoicing in the main menu
With serial invoicing, invoices can be generated automatically from orders and sent directly to the customer by email as a PDF file if required. After clicking on the function button for this function, a dialog window opens in which an order number or store order number can be entered or scanned with a barcode scanner. If a valid number is recognized, the list below the input field contains a new entry.
In this way, any number of orders can first be collected in an outgoing invoice list before they can be added by clicking on the [Generate invoices] can be created collectively and sent directly if required. In the list, you can select separately for each entry in the right-hand column whether the created invoice should be sent directly to the customer by email.
All online store imports directly in the main menu
Start the import of store orders, articles or customers directly from the main menu with a function button. The following functions are available in the function bar of the main menu:
- Order import from online store
- Customer import from online store
- Item import from online store
After clicking on one of the function buttons mentioned, a small popover window opens in which you can select the desired online store and then start the import from the online store.
Among others known from:
Booking list, journal and any number of tills
The module [Cash book] in the invoicing module has been revised and now contains separate tabs for the posting list and the journal. In the booking list, all entries can be edited as required up to the booking. Posted entries are automatically transferred to the journal and can no longer be changed there.
Extended booking dialog
The posting dialog for entering postings has been expanded. G/L accounts, customer accounts and vendor accounts can now be selected for debit and credit accounts. The corresponding buttons are located to the left of both fields [S], [D] and [K]. Clicking on one of the buttons opens a list for selecting the respective account. A voucher image can now also be inserted directly in the posting dialog and saved for posting.
Any number of cash registers for cash bookings
gFM-Business 7 allows in the settings under [Specifications - Billing document] the creation of any number of cash registers. By clicking on the button [Cash registers] a popover dialog opens for creating and managing the cash registers. When creating the cash register for the first time, enter a name for the cash register and an amount of money as the initial balance.
Bookings for all cash registers can be made at [Invoice - Cash book - Cash register] can be created. As in the posting list and journal, the current cash register and any period can be displayed in the top line above the list.
Click on the [+]symbol in the top right-hand corner, new postings are entered for the selected cash register. The posting dialog has been designed in the same way as the posting dialog in the posting list and also contains the selection functions for the G/L account, customer account and vendor account. A receipt can also be inserted directly in the dialog as a PDF or image in a cash posting.
Daily closing for set up cash registers
In the lower detail area you will find the button [Daily closing]button, which can be used to close a cash register at the end of the day with the corresponding receipt. After clicking on the button, a query dialog appears asking whether the selected cash register should be closed. After confirming the dialog, a cash register closing is printed and all postings for the day are automatically posted to the journal, where they can no longer be changed.
Click on the printer symbol to the right of the [Daily closing] a cash balance that has already been generated can be printed out again.
New register [Files] for booking-relevant files
In the new register [Files] folder can be used to save posting-relevant files that are automatically taken into account when exporting the DATEV export package. The files saved here are automatically exported to the folder [Files] exported for the tax consultant. For example, you can save account statements from your account, PayPal or credit cards that are relevant for your tax advisor here.
Extended invoice receipt for orders
In the module [Orders] we have added a new tab to the [Supporting documents] under which any number of receipts such as invoices or delivery bills can be saved for each order. To add a new receipt to an order, click on the [+]icon in the top right-hand corner. This opens a popover dialog in which the following data can be entered for each receipt:
- Document type (delivery bill, invoice, other, Value list editable)
- Document date
- Due date
- Delivery no.
- Invoice no.
- Booking and delivery date
- Three free fields
- Container field for document image or PDF
Click on the button [New document] the new document for the order called up is saved.
Automatic export in the DATEV export package
If you are in the [Cash book] of the billing document a booking export of the type "DATEV export package" the documents saved here for the selected period are automatically saved in the folder [recheing] of the export package.
Integration of OpenAI ChatGPT
gFM-Business 7 contains a system-wide integration of OpenAI ChatGPT to automatically generate documents, templates, article descriptions or any other texts using artificial intelligence. The settings for the ChatGPT function can be found under [Settings > Preferences > Devices] under the Popover button [OpenAI].
To be able to use the ChatGPT function, you must first create an account with OpenAI and an API key for ChatGPT. To do this, click on the orange help icon at the top right of the popover dialog. In the following window you will find all the information and the corresponding links to log in to OpenAI and generate an API key.
There is a charge for using the API key, but you can top up your account with a credit card for as little as 5 US dollars. The costs for generated texts are very low, for our tests we only used two euro cents on our account. With the "GPT-3.5 Turbo" variant we chose, 1,000 tokens cost 0.0015 US dollars.
AI documents and AI templates in document management
In the module [Correspondence] When creating a new document or a new document template, the new function [AI document] is available. If an API key for ChatGPT has been entered in the settings, the following appears in the dialogs [New document] and [New document template] an orange light bulb symbol. After clicking on the icon, the dialog for creating a new document expands to include the ChatGPT function.
In the field [Document type] to select the document that you want ChatGPT to generate automatically. Depending on the document type selected, additional fields will now appear, such as [Reason] or [Date]which must be filled in. By clicking on the button [New document] a new document is automatically created by ChatGPT.
Insert AI texts anywhere in gFM Business
You have known FileMaker for decades as Databasewhich can be used to access all fields. We want to continue to live up to this motto in the future: If an API key for ChatGPT has been entered in the settings, an additional icon appears in the toolbar [AI-Text]. This icon allows you to insert automatically generated texts into any field in the gFM-Business ERP software.
To do this, simply place the cursor in any field and then click on the icon [AI-Text] in the toolbar. This opens a dialog box in which you can enter all the details for the AI text. After clicking on the [Insert AI text] the generated text is inserted into the field at the cursor position you have previously defined. This function is only available if the cursor is within a text field, otherwise an error dialog will appear.
Settings for OpenAI ChatGPT
Enter the generated API key in the popover dialog of the OpenAI settings in the upper left field. In the field [Creativity] you can determine the level of creativity. The field [Max Tokens] determines the maximum number of tokens that may be used per request, whereby the number of characters per token depends on the selected OpenAI tariff.
Define documents and texts for ChatGPT
The list below the settings fields contains all AI documents and AI texts that have been set up in gFM Business. For each entry, the document type (name of the target document) as well as a title, field type and optional value list for up to four input fields can be defined. These fields are later queried by the user when the function is called and the request is sent to ChatGPT with this information.
In the lower field of an entry, a request is automatically formulated during setup that is to be sent to ChatGPT when the function is called. The request can be extended in this field with any further instructions, e.g. text length or style of the text. The placeholders for the title and fields are automatically integrated into the question by gFM-Business.
With the [+]-icon at the top right of the list to create a new AI document/AI text. After clicking on the icon, a new empty data record is created at the top of the list. Then enter the document type and the assigned module in the first column. An AI text only appears in the module to which it has been assigned at this point. Then enter the title, field type and, if necessary, a value list for up to four dialog fields. The new AI document or AI text is then available for selection in the respective module.
gFM-Business 7 contains two new arrow icons to the left of the icons for switching from mask to list view on all masks and list views in the lower function bar. These buttons can be used to navigate backwards and forwards through layouts in the same way as in an Internet browser. Click on the left arrow to jump back to the screen you were on before calling up the current screen.
Version history of gFM-Business 7.0
- User-defined function key bar in the main menu.
- Stock list in the main menu with assistant for automatic collective orders.
- Serial creation of invoices from orders and store orders in the main menu.
- All online store imports as a function button in the main menu.
- Cash book in invoice divided into posting list and journal.
- New posting dialog with direct selection of G/L accounts, customer accounts and vendor accounts as well as container field for image document.
- Management of any number of cash registers for all clients.
- Automated daily cash closing with closing document.
- Management of posting-relevant files that are automatically copied to the export folder during the "DATEV export package" posting export.
- Extended invoice receipt for orders, management of any number of documents per order.
- Extension of the DATEV export package to include incoming invoices and posting-relevant files.
- System-wide integration of OpenAI ChatGPT.
- Automatic creation of AI documents and AI templates using ChatGPT in the document management module.
- Insert AI texts with ChatGPT in all fields of gFM-Business.
- Forward and backward navigation of all masks and list views as in the browser.
- Error corrected where the button [Cancel] under [Invoice - Offers] was missing.
- Delete invoice" function under [Invoice - Invoices] extended so that the invoice ID of the deleted invoice is removed from all original documents and items.
- Fixed an error that caused empty credit notes to be generated as part of the DATEV export package.
- Fixed a bug where image documents of credit notes were not correctly transferred to the posting record.
Markus Schall has been developing individual databases, interfaces and business applications based on Claris FileMaker since 1994. He is a Claris partner, FMM Award winner 2011 and developer of the ERP software gFM-Business. He is also a book author and founder of the M. Schall Publishers.
