Rover Modules

The Rover Module comes with the networked version of the Level 5 (or higher) program.

The Rover Module is a significant addition to the AnyOrder system. It has many of the same functions as the main AnyOrder program, but Rover allows you great flexibility in how you run your business. Here are some the ways you can use Rover:

•	Portable Version of AnyOrder. One of the primarily purposes of the Rover Module is to provide you with a safe way of taking AnyOrder on the road without carrying all of your valuable business data with you. You can take Rover to shows, special events, or use it when you make sales calls.

•	Use by Sales Personnel. Rover can be utilized by your sales personnel to record sales or pre-season orders. Any sales that they have generated can be sent to you via email in one compact zip file.

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Segmenting Your Business. If your business consists of two or more accounts or subsidiary businesses, you can use it to track sales in each segment of your business, but, at the same time, you can combine all of the data in the main portion of AnyOrder for inventory and accumulative sales reports. (Note also that we have a special add-on which will create separate companies or separate company divisions and, at the same time, allows you to stay in the main program. Check with us if interested in this feature.)

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Separate Records for Different Currency Transactions. Rover can also work in different currencies and can be configured for sales to a designated country, working entirely in one monetary unit. Periodically, you can move the data from Rover (which is in a different currency) to the main program (which is in your base currency). Rover will automatically convert the amounts to your base currency. This feature allows you to have all of your data together for sales reports, yet, at the same time, keep a separate set of records in one or more alternative currencies.

•	Mailing Lists. Another use of Rover is for special mailing lists. You can move a selection of customers to Rover and use it for mailing lists or sending bulk emails. It's particularly handy if you need to create mailing lists of "ship-to" customers. More information.

•	Storage of Old Invoices. If you have the Level 7 program, you can use Rover for storing old invoices. If you find at some point, you need information or reports on past activity, it's just a matter of starting up Rover. It provides a quick and convenient way of accessing past data. More Information

•	Practicing Imports. Rover is handy for trying out imports. You can design a import profile in Rover and try doing imports, tweaking each import until you get it just right. Once you get the import profile tuned correctly, then you can do the import in your main program.

If you have purchased the networked version of Level V or higher, there is no limit to the number of Rover Modules you can use. You can install Rover on computers in different offices, or at home, or on laptops used by your sales force or other cooperative partners.

The reason that Rover installs to its own directory is because it's intended to act as a separate and independent program from AnyOrder. You can, however, coordinate Rover's files with the main AnyOrder program. That's done by copying the product, customer, and other databases found in the main AnyOrder program to the Rover Module.

Depending on your business, it's not always necessary to do this. In some applications of Rover you may want to keep a different set of products and customers in Rover. In the majority of cases, however, you will want the same data in both programs. In particular, you'll want to have the same products in Rover as in the main AnyOrder program.

This process of coordinating Rover's files with AnyOrder's is called updating. In the updating process, all of the data files in AnyOrder are copied to Rover, with the exception of invoices. (Note that you have a choice of what data files are copied. The first time you update Rover's files you'll want to copy all of AnyOrder's data files. Later, however, you may be more selective in which files are copied.)

Once you have updated Rover's files, you are ready to start working in Rover. One of the major purposes of Rover is to create invoices. You create invoices exactly the same way that you do in AnyOrder. All of the same tools and menu choices found in AnyOrder are also available in Rover. Once you've created invoices in Rover, you can move them back to the main AnyOrder program.

For example, if you generate sales outside of the office, you can use Rover to record those sales by creating invoices. When you return to the office, you can move the newly created invoices from Rover to the main AnyOrder program. However, you don't physically need to return to the office. Rover will also create a zip file of invoices, and the zip file can be sent via email.

This process moves data files from the main AnyOrder program to the Rover Module. It doesn't move invoices, but it will move products, customers, codes, etc. to Rover. For example, if you wanted to take Rover on the road and create invoices for customers at a trade show, the following procedure would get Rover ready for that purpose.

(Note that if you are using Rover for storage of old invoices, you'll need to use a different process than described below.)

1. Start the main AnyOrder program. In AnyOrder, select MAIN TASKS >> PROVIDE UPDATED FILES FOR ROVER. The following dialog box appears:

2. You have your choice of creating raw files or combining all of the files into a zip file. It's recommended that you use the zip file method. When you use this method, one compact zip file is created which will hold all of the data files to be transferred to Rover. (For more information on zip files, see Zip Files.) The zip file created is named "Rover_Update.zip."

3. By default, AnyOrder assumes that you want to copy all of your data files to Rover. You can, however, selectively eliminate data files from the transfer by using the check list at the bottom of the dialog box. If you are maintaining data in Rover which is separate and distinct from the main program, then you'll want to eliminate one or more data files from the update process. To eliminate a data file, place a check mark beside it. Here's some more information on the check list:

Product Information Database - This is the data file that holds all of your products. (Note that you do have an additional choice when it comes to moving the Product Information Database into Rover. If desired, you can transfer only the new products. See more information below.)

Customer Database - This is the data file that holds all customers for which you've assigned a number.

On-line Shipment Processing - This holds all information connected with on-line shipment processing

Import & Export Profiles - This contains all information connected with import & export profiles

Label & Envelope Properties - This contains all information connected with creating shipping labels, envelopes, and mailing list labels

Codes - This holds the information for general invoice, sales representative, advertising campaign, tax and invoice term codes.

Basic Program Set-up - This holds all of your set-up values. In other words, it includes all the information found in FILE >> BASIC PROGRAM SET-UP. Additionally, it includes other preferences that you might select throughout the program. One important set of information that it includes are all of your settings for printing invoices. Finally, it also includes any invoice defaults that you may have created in GO TO >> DEFAULT VALUES FOR NEW INVOICES.

5. Now exit from the AnyOrder program. In a normal configuration, AnyOrder and Rover can not run at the same time. That means you need to close down AnyOrder before starting Rover. (If you need to have both programs open at the same time, check with us. Sometime in the future, we hope to have a free add-on program which will allow both programs to run.)

6. Start up Rover. In Rover, select MAIN TASKS >> ACCEPT UPDATED FILES FROM AnyOrder.

7. If you used a zip file to make the transfer, be sure to place a checkmark beside: "Check here if the updated files are contained in a zip file." Whether it's a zip file or you are transferring raw files, you'll need to indicate to Rover where the file(s) are found.

8. Click on OK to complete the transfer. When the process is finished, you'll have the same data in Rover as in AnyOrder.

Note that incoming data from AnyOrder completely replaces any data files that you have in Rover. If there is a Rover data file that you do not want replaced, be sure to eliminate it when you create the transfer file in AnyOrder (see step # 3 above).

Also note that you have the option not to overwrite products in Rover's Product Information Database. This option is activated by placing a checkmark beside: "Add any new products but do not overwrite existing products." To do this, Rover looks at catalog numbers. If the catalog number is the same, then the product is not added. If the catalog number doesn't exist in Rover, then it will be added.

You might use this option if you were maintaining a different set of products (or a different set of product prices) in Rover. Existing products or prices in Rover would not be overwritten.

Once you've created invoices in Rover, they can be moved into the main program. This process does not move products, codes, or any other Rover database into the main program. It moves invoices only.

Rover normally appends the invoices to your existing invoices in the main program, but, if needed, you can also instruct Rover to do an "Overlap Import" in which Rover looks for existing invoice in the main program and updates it.

If you are using Rover for international sales, you can have Rover convert invoices to your base currency during the move process.

1. Start up the Rover Module. In Rover, click on MAIN TASKS >> MOVE INVOICES TO AnyOrder. The following dialog box appears:

2. The top of the dialog box shows a list of the invoices found in Rover. Select the invoices that you want to move to the Main AnyOrder program. Selections are made by clicking in the YES column.

3. Indicate the drive and directory where you want the files placed. You have your choice of creating raw files or one zip file. It's recommended that you use the zip file method which places all of the data files in one easy-to-use zip file. (For more information on zip files, see Zip Files.)

4. You have two options. The first option is "Delete Invoices After Transfer is Complete." You would select this option if Rover is serving as a temporary holding place for invoices. For example, if you are using Rover for sales outside of the office, once the invoices have been moved to the Main AnyOrder program, you'll no longer need them in the Rover. Deleting them clears out Rover and makes it available for the next set of invoices that you might create. It also eliminates any possibility that you might double-up on invoices that you've already moved into AnyOrder.

5. The second option (below) gives you the ability to convert the amounts showing on the invoices to AnyOrder's base currency. You would use this option if you are utilizing Rover for sales to one designated country, and all amounts are based that country's currency. Before moving them to the main AnyOrder program, this function will convert the amounts on each of the invoices being moved to the base currency used in AnyOrder. You'll need to indicate the currency abbreviation of your base currency and the exchange rate between Rover's currency and the base. For more information on currency and exchange rates, see Currency Conversion Feature.

6. Click on OK and the files will be moved to the transfer directory or drive. Note that Rover includes information on each of the invoices that you are exporting. The date of transfer is recorded in notes at the bottom of each invoice. Additionally, it also marks the invoice as "closed." If you do not use the delete option (described above), this information will help you keep track of which invoices have or have not been transferred.

7. Exit from Rover. Start up the main AnyOrder program. Select MAIN TASKS >> ACCEPT NEW INVOICES FROM ROVER.

8. A dialog box appears. Indicate the directory or drive where you've placed the file(s) from Rover. Be sure to indicate whether or not they are found in a zip file.

9. Click on "Get files" button. This will unzip the file (if you are using a zip file) and display the invoices from Rover on the spreadsheet.

10. Check through the list. If there are invoices on the list that you don't want to move into AnyOrder, remove the checkmarks.

11. You have one option: Overlap Import. This means that AnyOrder will look through the invoices. If it finds one or more that have been previously imported from Rover, it will update the invoice rather than add it. If there is no way that duplicate invoices could exist, then you'll want to keep this box unchecked. When this box is checked, the transfer process is slower since AnyOrder needs to examine all existing invoices for each imported invoice. Conversely, if there is a chance that there could be duplicates, then, you'll want to make sure the box is checked.

If necessary, you can remove the imported invoices. To do select FILE >> REMOVE IMPORTED RECORDS. You can also remove them by using FILE >> MAINTENANCE FUNCTIONS >> DELETE INVOICES.

Since Rover can be used for a number of different purposes, you may find that you need to install two or more instances of Rover on the same computer. Here's how to do it:

1. Start the installation program. When you are asked for the installation directory, type in C:\Rover1. (Note the "1" after "Rover.")

3. Close out of the installation dialog boxes, and look for the Rover Module icon on your desktop. Right-click on the icon, and select "Rename." Change the name so that you can identify it. For this example, we'll use the following name "ABC Sales."

4. Next, at the bottom of the Windows desktop, click on START >> ALL PROGRAMS. Find Rover Module on the list. Right-click on it. Select "Rename." Change the name so that it is the same as your desktop icon. Using the example above, we'll call it "ABC Sales."

5. Now you are ready to install the next Rover program. Start the installation program again. When you are asked for the installation directory, this time type in C:\Rover2. (Note the "2" after "Rover."

6. When the installation is complete, look for the Rover Module icon on your desktop. Right click on the icon, and select "Rename" and give it an appropriate name. For this example, we'll call it "XYZ Sales."

7. Select START >> ALL PROGRAMS. Find the Rover Module and right click on it. Give the same name that you assigned to the icon. In this example, we would change it to "XYZ Sales"

You can continue to do this for any number of Rover Programs. Reminder: the above procedure is only necessary if you are installing more than one Rover on the same computer. If you are installing it to different computers, it's not applicable.

Keep in mind that if you install two or more Rover Modules on one computer, you can only run one Rover at a time. Use one Rover, do your work and then exit before starting the next Rover.

•	Mailing Lists - You can use Rover to hold selected mailing lists. It is particularly useful when you want to create mailing list of "Ship-to" customers.

•	Storage - Rover can be used to store old invoices. Since Rover is very accessible, it provides a quick way of viewing past invoices.

•	Practicing Imports - Rover is quite handy for practicing imports. You can work in Rover and fine tune your import until everything is working correctly. Once you are comfortable, you can run the import on your main files.