Creative Manager Pro, Ad Agency Software and Project Management Groupware for Creative and Design firms, has released Version 8.15 with over twenty user-driven changes to system, and support for Mac OS X 10.4.4.
January 30, 2006
Lakewood NJ-based Creative Manager, Inc., (http://www.CreativeManagerPro.com) provider of Creative Project Manager and Creative Manager Pro, has released version 8.15 of its flagship product, with over twenty improvements based on input from users of its Agency Software and Project Management Software.
As a result of interviews with a core group of clients, Creative Manager Pro has compiled a list of over twenty key changes that clients were asking for, and implemented them within two months of those client discussions. More user-driven changes are on the way for next month's 8.2 release as well.
No installation or conversion is necessary, and the update is free to all users of Creative Project Manager and Creative Manager Pro. All client logins and vendor logins are always free.
Performance and security were top on the list on this month's release, as Creative Manager Pro looked at the list of requests big and small that users were asking for.
Ron Ause, Director of Marketing for Creative Manager, Inc., said "While designing these system modifications, we spoke to over fifty of our closest clients. We asked for their input, acted on it, and delivered. In record time! Other Ad Agency management systems have an annual meeting where they invite their clients to vote on new features, where everyone gets one vote. Then they work on these features for a full year and roll out about sixty new features. By contrast, we release from twenty to sixty enhancements EACH MONTH. All based on user input. Now you know that We're Always Listening!"
Creative Manager Pro continues to invest, adding new features which work with Apple's latest Tiger Mac OS X Unix-based Operating System and Microsoft Windows. This is but the latest in a series of monthly upgrades.
Some of the changes in this month's release are preparations for the changes to the electronic billing worksheet that will be released next month, when an overhaul to the agency-centric electronic billing worksheet makes its debut.
When asked about the new upgrade, Ause said "We move faster than any of our competitors, getting new functions and new features out the door every month. All based on user-input. We're Always Listening!"
The following are some of the details of the current update:
- Performance enhancements were made to the scheduling screen of the calendar events. These enhancements will be most noticable in company wide events.
- Additional security options have been added to project request forms and tracking forms. Users can now limit access to the process of adding project request forms by security group. Users can also limit access to specific tracking forms by security group.
- The billing worksheet and transfer transaction screens has been moved and renamed in preparation for the new billing worksheets coming at the end of February. The Billing worksheet and Fixed Fee billing screens are now located in the same section as the project budget. To locate the Billing Worksheet, click on Projects > Last Project > Budget and Estimates > Transactions.
- The vendor name has been added to the billing worksheet report to give greater visibility to costs.
- Additional flexibility has been added to estimate numbering. Users can now either choose a global number system or numbering based on the project number.
- When printing income statements, users can now select multiple classes at once and have the system page break per class.
- Users can now add the vendor invoice line description as a column on the check stubs.
- All day events viewed in different time zones will no longer show as spanning days for people not in the author's time zone. They now show as all day events in the day scheduled by the author.
- Your company phone and fax now prints on all purchase orders, insertion orders and media orders
- Several user-requested options have been added to the project profitability report to make selection and grouping more flexible.
- Users can now give clients access to prior digital art reviews. When given this right, they will see all completed art reviews for a given project. The ability to view other people's comments is set on a review by review basis.
- Several different sorting and grouping options have been added to the active project list on the dashboard.
- The vendor name as well as the vendor ID is now visible in the Select Invoices to Pay screen
- The Client ID and name has been added to the broadcast and print media listing screens.
- When users enter time through the My Assignments page, the system will now link their time entry to a specific assignment. Along with this feature, there is a new invoice template selection that lets users group their detail under a line item by Task and Assignment. The invoice will show the total time by assignment.
- Users can now page break the billing worksheet report by AE or Client.
- There are new options for setting approval due dates for estimates. In preferences, users can set how many days an internal and external approver have to review an estimate. When the estimate is submitted for approval, a due date is generated. Users can then subscribe to a notification that will email them whenever an estimate is not completed by the due date.
- When users click on their logo at the top of the screen, it will now take them to the dashboard.
- There are some new auto sorting options in the schedule screen. Users can now have the system resort their tasks by Task ID automatically. This will sort tasks within a specific summary task. The option to do this is located at the bottom of the schedule screen.
- The project budget summary report is now a printable report. The old Project Budget Summary report is now called the Project Budget Drill Down.
- The Client name and Project number now prints on all media orders.
Creative Manager Pro goes beyond costing to offer full Project Management, CRM, Digital Asset Management, billing and accounting, and Extranet capabilities.
Creative Manager Pro (at http://www.CreativeManagerPro.com), is the only Ad Agency software and Project Management Software for the Creative Design industry, created exclusively for design firms, ad agencies, in-house creative/MarCom departments, and creative service firms. It is a web-based integrated project management software and job tracking solution which streamlines the entire firm, from developing new business, to staffing, managing, and executing projects through to accounting and financial reporting.
Creative Manager Pro is a full-featured, intuitive system which makes project and ad agency management a breeze. Creative Manager Pro supports Customer Relationship Management, Document Management, Shared Calendaring, Accounting and much more. Because it is web-based, there is nothing to install and it can be set up in a single day. It works with both PC and Macintosh from any location over any connection. It may also be installed locally on the client's own servers. All options include training and support to ensure that clients are up and running quickly.
Among the many features of Creative Manager Pro:
- Graphically view your firm's metrics - manage your firm by the numbers.
- Manage Contacts and Leads
- Create Project Schedules, Calendars and Manage Tasks
- Take your contacts and calendar on the road with iCal, AddressBook & Outlook
- Approve Timesheets, Purchasing, Billing and Budgets
- Review and Approve Artwork Online
- Store and Manage Digital Assets
- Manage and Balance the Books
- Free client and vendor access to streamline workflow.
- Quick startup/import from Clients & Profits, Adman and other systems
- Full-featured CRM (Client Relationship Management)
- Extranet capabilities
- Manage media with an interface to the Strata Media Buying systems
- Charting of important industry metrics and firm statistics
The team members at Creative Manager, Inc. have been leaders in ad agency software and project management software for the creative industry and on the Mac OS for over 26 years. They provide their creative clients with two major offerings: Creative Project Manager and Creative Manager Pro. Both programs work seamlessly with the Mac OS and Windows.
Creative Manager Pro - Ad Agency Software and Project Management Software
