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Flex5 Desktop Information

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Overview

We're excited to offer Flex5 Desktop General Availability access to all customers! While we are confident that customers will use Flex5 for the majority of their day-to-day operations, some features and functionality are not yet available and others are still being optimized for speed and performance. You'll notice a much smoother and faster user experience in Flex5. The Flex4 desktop app will continue to be available (primarily for system administrators) and we are now focused on power-user features and migrating system settings into Flex5.

If you come across any errors, slow performance or simply have a suggestion for improvement, please submit a report so we can address any issues by using the Contact Support/Send Feedback icon (found in the lower left-hand corner of Flex5).

Flex5 Desktop Usage Disclaimer

Our Flex5 Desktop environment provides an extensive feature-set that has undergone quality testing and a full-stack regression test. We are confident in the accuracy of financial calculations and availability in Flex5 but we still encourage you to verify all information in any live job that you build in Flex5 and report any inaccuracies. 

As with any software in active development, there will be bugs and issues that can only be discovered by actual users in a real-life environment. We're hoping you will take an active part in reporting bugs and issues so we can make the best product possible.

Select new features will be labeled as  NEW while we confirm functionality and accuracy.

How to Still Use Flex4 

Overview

If you need to continue using Flex4, you must sign-in to Flex5 to download and install the standalone Flex4 App. 

      1. After logging into Flex5, click the Main Menu icon in the top left-hand corner.
      2. Next, click on the Help menu and select Flex4 App Download.
      3. Agree to the terms and follow instructions to download & install.

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Installation

Depending on your platform, installation may differ slightly:

macOS
When you download the macOS version of the Flex4 App, the file downloaded will be a .dmg disk image file. Open the file to mount the virtual disk, then Drag the Flex4 App to the Applications folder. Eject the disk image and delete the .dmg file (or drag to the Trash). Do not run the Flex4 App from the .dmg disk image.

Windows
When you download the Windows version of the Flex4 App, the file downloaded will be a .exe installer file. Open the .exe, and the installer will automatically install the Flex4 App, and place a shortcut in the Start Menu and Desktop. After the installer completes the Flex4 App will automatically open. Be sure to delete the .exe file you downloaded. 

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Technical Note: On Windows, the app is installed into the AppData folder, not Program Files. Users with restricted install permissions should be able to install and use the app without elevated permissions.

Updating

Occasionally, we will issue updates to the Flex4 app as needed. When an update is issued we will notify you and you must use the same process as above to re-download and re-install the app in order to update. It is not necessary to uninstall previous versions, and macOS users can overwrite previous versions.

macOS
To update on macOS, re-download the .dmg from your instance of Flex, and replace the old Flex4 app by dragging the new one to the same location. Ensure the Flex4 App is closed before updating.

Windows
To update on Windows, re-download the .exe from your instance of Flex, and run as per installation instructions. When the installation is complete, delete the .exe file you downloaded.

Flex4 to Flex5 Transition

Our goal was to accomplish the following: Make the transition from Flex4 to Flex5 as seamless and easy as possible. Built into the architecture between Flex4 and Flex5 is a single point of access for data. This is the same database that you have been using since you started using Flex. The difference between Flex4 and Flex5 is not only the user interface, but the backend code that accesses that single database. That means when you log in to Flex5, all your inventory, quotes, invoices, etc. are already waiting for you. If you create or update a financial document or inventory in Flex4, it will immediately be updated and available in Flex5. Likewise, if you create or update anything in Flex5, it will be updated and available in Flex4. Eventually, all functionality will be available in Flex5 and you will no longer use Flex4.

Current Features Available in Flex5 Desktop

  • Creating and editing Event Folders
  • Creating and editing financial elements (like Quotes, Invoices, etc.)
  • Creating and editing equipment lists (like Pull Sheets, Manifests, etc.)
  • Creating and editing crew list elements (like Crew Calls)
  • Creating and editing Expense Sheets
  • Creating and editing contacts (although not all tabs are available in the contact view)
  • Creating and editing inventory models and serial units (with almost all tabs available, like Suggestions, Suppliers, Pricing, etc.)
  • Creating and editing service offerings
  • Staffing Assistant
  • Prep and Return Scanning
  • Free Scan In, Free Scan Out, and Inquiry Scanning
  • Container Builder
  • Viewing element lists (on the Projects menu)
  • Calendars (excluding Gantt view)
  • Inventory Manager page
  • Managing Suggestion Types (on the Inventory menu)
  • Creating and editing users
  • Many System Settings pages 
    • Barcode printing and printer setup
    • Business Locations
    • Corporate Identities
    • Icon Library
    • Password Policies
    • Payment Terms
    • Printer Templates
    • Printers
    • Security Groups
    • Shipping Methods
    • Skills and Qualifications
    • User Access History
    • Users
  • Running Global Reports (Main Menu > Reports)
  • Custom Fields
  • Inventory Depreciation (a brand new feature within Flex5). Check out the Inventory Depreciation article for more info!
  • Conflict Resolution popup
    • Conflicts tab
    • Pending Returns tab
    • Availability Details tab
  • To-Do List
  • Ship / Deprep scanning
  • Receive / Sub-Rental Return scanning
  • Incremental Invoices
  • Inventory Group Availability

Notable Features Not Yet Available in Flex5 Desktop

  • Various System Settings pages
  • Project Element Settings pages
  • Workflow Configuration
  • Upstream / Downstream links
  • Accounting Integration
  • Audit Trails (Inventory and Contact)
  • Contact Correspondence Log
  • Contact Notes
  • Catalog Worksheet
If there are any notable features that are important to you but not on this list, feel free to add them to the Flex4 Port Request form. This will ensure the features are prioritized on our development timeline.

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