Celoxis Release Notes

Version 4.2 (Scheduled Release: 18 August 2007)

  • Two-way synchronization with Microsoft Project (Beta Version). Tasks along with resource list, calendars, vacations, dependencies, company working days, working hours are exported.
  • Resource allocation can be directly edited from the resource allocation page
  • Adding a status update and filling time for tasks can be done in one step. This is a major time saver.
  • When cloning a project, the state of the new project can be specified.
  • Forum post can be edited by the submitter
  • Layout of forum has been made simpler.
  • Adding comments on documents and web links has been greatly simplified. Instead of the ability to create topics and then discuss on topics, comments can now be entered and viewed in one step. This means that you cannot have multiple topics for a document. Upgrade from 4.1 note: If you have created multiple topics for a document, they are all merged.
  • Project state Open has been renamed to In Progress

Version: 4.1 (March 24, 2007)

The main focus of this release was improving usability. e.g. the task add/edit has been make very quick and easy. We have also spent time experimenting with the new AJAX technology which allows partial updates of html pages making the user interface more friendly.
  • User Management
    • You can now add non-licensed users to Celoxis. Non-licensed users are those who need not log in to the application and hence you do not wish to pay for them. This allows you to 
      • assign tasks to non-human resource like computers or other equipment.
      • add generic resources like "Supervisor", "Support Engineer" and so on to whom you can assign tasks while planning the project without assigning specific users while still being able to get project cost estimation.
    • The suspend feature and delete feature have been removed and replaced by the "archive" feature. When you do not want a user to log in and reclaim their license for another user, you must "Archive" that user. This preserves all their existing data. All current deleted and suspended users will be migrated to "archived" state.
    • Capability to reassign projects, reassign tasks and ressign processes have been added for a user. This makes management easier and also easy to "archive" users since archiving a user requires all his/her open items to be reassigned.
    • The widget to select multiple users has been improved and is now very fast
  • Project Management
    • A planning state has been added to projects with special meaning. Tasks of projects in planning mode and not shown to users. Resource utilization does not account for projects in planning phase and project changes are not emailed to task assignees.
    • The task add/edit screen has been broken into multiple tabs to reduce the complexity of the screen.
    • The task add/edit screen now shows the resource names instead of log in names which makes it easier to read. Similarly task names, instead of ids, are shown in the predecessor column making it easier.
    • The task and resource pop-ups on the task add/edit screen are now extremely fast. This makes the add/edit process very quick.
    • Vacation time entered in the calendar is now used by the scheduling engine while computing the task end dates and also shown in the resource utilization chart.
    • The collapse/expand buttons on the "View Project" screen now use AJAX technology which makes the page faster (because only the data for the node you expand/collapse is fetched and a full page refresh is not required) and also maintains the page position which eliminates the need to scroll down to where you had clicked the expand/collapse. This same is also provided on the Gantt dispay page.
    • The top menu now provides a wizard to clone an existing project which is more convenient.
    • It is now possible to change the column order wherever you could pick columns.
    • Within a project you can assign all tasks from one user to another.
    • Actual Start and Actual Finish dates can be entered for tasks at the time of doing a status update
  • Resource Utilization Screen
    • The resource utilization screen now shows vacation time for users.
    • Zoom of Day, Week and Month provided
    • Utilization can be viewed by resource or by project
  • Discussion Forums
    • Topic list shows the last post date
    • Images are expanded inline while viewing messages
    • Authors and administrators can delete a post
    • Better layout of discussion thread
  • Folders
    • You can now upload multiple documents at once.
    • You can upload a zip file and also download an entire folder in zip format.
    • An option has been added where you can disallow time on closed projects
  • Calendar
    • You can now see multiple user's calendar.
  • Search
    • Status updates are now searchable.
  • Address Book
    • You can pick the columns you want and also the order in which to display them.
  • Workflow
    • You can upload files while starting a process.
  • Customization
    • You can specify the day on which your week begins. In some countries a week day starts on Monday instead of Sunday and Celoxis always assumed it to be Sunday. This is used to display the calendar, Gantt and resource charts and timesheets.
Other
  • The pop-up comment editor has been improved.
  • There are cosmetic changes to the forms.
  • Sender of an email can "bcc" himself/herself
  • Ability to send emails in the "background". This is useful for customers who have the installable version of the software and whose email servers are slow to sending emails.

Version: 4.0. (April 15, 2006)

  • Celoxis Core
    • A lot of the core components were rewritten to improve performance and design.
    • Much code written by us (as it was not available as part standard libraries) has been replaced with the standard library routines.
    • Celoxis now requires JDK 1.5 which has many improvements over JDK 1.4
    • The infrastructure has taken a major step towards achieving Internationalization. This will allow users to view Celoxis in a language of their choice. This is not yet completed but the infrastructure has been changed to accomodate this.
  • Install/Upgrade
    • Celoxis server now runs on port 8888, rather than 8080. Many customers reported that they have other applications running on 8080.
    • Web-based install/upgrade: Celoxis started off as an ASP service. With the sudden demand for a downloadable product version we implemented a rudimentary install and upgrade script written in Perl. Users had to download Perl(on Windows) and the install procedures were cumbersome. The new install and upgrade are web driven just as you would expect. The user simply downloads the package, unzips it and starts the application. The user is guided through the appropriate install / upgrade steps.
  • Menus and action pull downs
    • The left hand menu has now been replaced with a top navigation which allows us to reclaim valuable real estate. Most of the menu is similar to the LHS navigation.
    • The actions pull down that used to be displayed in the top right corner has been moved to the left. This solves the problem where the user needed to scroll the browser window to the right when the Project/Task name was very long.
    • Frequently used actions are now displayed outside the action pull down for ease.
    • The top menu is configurable. You can reorder the top level menu items and you can even disable modules that you do not need. The latter must be done by the administrator and is applicable to all users across the organization.
  • Project Management
    • The maximum of the company working hours is taken into account while calculating task effort. Earlier it was always 8 hours. Changing working hours now automatically synchronizes schedules of all open projects.
    • Company working hours can be specified with decimals (e.g. 8.5)
    • Task constraints are now enforced.
    • Task constraints are not copied when project and task is cloned. This is because constraints represent real world dates and hence not safe to assume that the cloned tasks and project have the same constraints.
    • The project display page now menu similar to the new the top menu allowing the users to quickly navigate between tabs.
    • Users can now configure the columns they wish to see on the project page.
    • A detailed task filter has been added to the "View Project" screen.
    • Tasks can now be reordered. The order of display will be as specified by the user.
    • Tasks can also be viewed in a calendar format.
    • The View Project page now displays whether a task has documents, notes and phone logs.
    • The task page now displays the number of documents, notes, emails and phone logs attached to it.
    • The Add Tasks page can now to customized to only displays those columns that you use. eg. if you do not use the budget field you can hide it to make the form look simpler.
    • The Gantt can now also be viewed in month format to accomodate larger durations in a single window and also when printed.
    • Export to Microsoft Outlook™ has been introduced in "Beta" mode. This allows users to export their Tasks to Microsoft Outlook™. This is not a "sync" operation as Celoxis is developed in Java and there is as yet do direct way to interface with Outlook.
  • Find Projects
    • Added option to show only summary tasks
    • Added option to show task hierarchy. This was requested by many users.
  • Find Tasks
    • Added calendar view as an output option.
  • New Email Notifications
    • When a task misses its due date, the task owners and project manager is notified
    • When a task cannot be started on its planned start date because not all its predecessors have finished, the project manager is notified
    • Task owners are notified 24 hours before the scheduled start
  • Resource Utilization Screen
    • The resource utilization screen layout has been improved so that only the summary for each user is shown and the detailed breakdown can be viewed on demand. This makes the screen less cluttered.
  • Discussion Forums
    • Topic list shows the last post date
    • Images are expanded inline while viewing messages
    • Authors and administrators can delete a post
    • Better layout of discussion thread
  • Timesheets
    • To reduce the complexity of the add timesheet screen, the Add and View have been separated into two screens.
    • The top menu allows you to view this week/previous week/to select a week to fill time for a different week.
    • Now you do not have to define timecodes at the Project level for them to available in the TimeCode pull down. ALL time codes are always displayed in the pull down.
    • The rate type (Overtime/Regular) has been move to a separate pull down serving two purposes. a) It reduces the clutter in the time code pull down b) For those that do not use overtime rates, the overhead of selecting the "regular" rate each time is saved since the rate pull down always has the option "Regular" selected.
    • The links to previous and next weeks on the View screen have been named as such instead of the icon that was previously used. Many users did not notice the icons.
    • An option has been added where you can disallow time on closed projects
  • Calendar
    • All the views have been modified slightly to look better.
    • You can now choose to display personal events, project events, task events or any combination of the above.
    • The calendar has been modified so we can now use it to display a "Project Calendar".
    • The Month view now displays previous months and next months as we feel that is what is relevant to the user. This is specifically useful when the year changes or is about to change and you want to access the previous or next month.
    • The Year view now bolds dates which have events.
    • The Add Event link in Week and Day views has been changed to the same icon as in Month view.
    • Export to Microsoft Outlook has been introduced in "Beta" mode. This will allow users to export their Celoxis calendar to Outlook. This is not a "sync" operation as Celoxis is developed in Java and there is as yet do direct way to interface with Outlook.
  • Events
    • An event's reminder is now part of the event screen. This simplifies the user interface.
    • Previously you could extend a reminder thorugh a link in the reminder email. This created a problem if you tried to edit the event. Now you are taken to edit event screen to change the reminder.
  • Search
    • Process documents and email attachments are also indexed.
    • Excel documents can now be searched
  • Security
    • Company default policy and user security policy have been removed. Only role and object policies are consulted.
  • Other
    • The Sort icons now indicate the field and order in which a column is sorted.
    • The HTML editor is now available inline just like Gmail, Yahoo or MSN.
    • The Gantt and date picker now work in Safari.
    • Certified email functionality has been removed as it is not used by most customers and the cost of development and maintenance is not justifiable.
    • Resume for user has now been removed. Keywords for the user will have to be used to enter experience, skills, etc.

Jun 21, 2005

  • Add/Edit Task changes
    • Instead of having the "recalculate" column for each task, it is now remembered as a preference since many users said that they do not need this flexibility as they entered tasks only in a particular way.
    • Start, Finish and Duration are now mandatory. The "Add Tasks" form comes with 1d? as the duration (the ? stands for a rough estimate) and start date and end date as the project start or today whichever is later.
    • Constraint and Assignments columns have been switched as more users enter assignments rather than constraints.
  • Project and Task labels renamed
    We have renamed some labels in line with the terminology generally used in project management
    Project
    Label Renamed To...
    Summary Name
    Detail Description
    Accrued Cost Actual Cost
    End Date Finish
    ID Code
    Task
    Label Renamed To...
    Summary Name
    Detail Description
    End Date Finish
    Team Resources
    Overheads Fixed Cost
  • Reporting changes
    • Reports can be download as CSV (without hyperlinks) and HTML in addition to the CSV (with excel style hyperlinks)
    • The "Project ID" field in all reports has been made non-mandatory and defaults to all projects. In a number of reports "Project Status" field (A drop-down list of 'Open', 'On Hold' and 'Closed') has been added. This way users can run reports based on project status without having to select individual projects using the project selector which was tedious.
    • The "Click here to choose Projects" link has been replaced by the image making things consistent with other places in the application.
    • A new "Task Resources Assignment" report has been added. This report gives detailed information on resource assignments like task, estimated hours, actual hours, etc.
    • The "Recent Status Updates" and "Status Updates" report have been combined into "Task Status Updates" report. In the new report you can check the "Only Latest Update" to see only the latest update.
  • Project Code can now be non-numeric.
  • Fixed bug where cyclic dependencies could inadvertently be entered.
  • Workflow Reporting changes
    • Added two columns "Created" and "Completed" for workflow processes. Workflow reports have been enhanced by adding "Created" and "Completed" date filter criteria.
    • Workflow related reports can now be deleted. The creator or the administrator can delete reports.
  • User's login name can be changed by user having administrator privilege.
  • Delete User changes
    A user cannot be deleted if he/she is:
    • managing projects that are in progress
    • working on tasks that are in progress
    • working on processes that have not yet completed
    • a state manager
    • has unsubmitted or rejected time sheets
  • Delete Client changes
    Earlier deleting a client would delete all projects and associated data like tasks, time entries, etc. assigned to it. Now, the client is just marked deleted in the database and the associated data is not deleted. A client cannot be deleted if he/she is working on processes that have not completed.
  • Fixed cost field is also imported from Microsoft Project for tasks.
  • User's time-zone now saved in database. The time-zone selector on the login page has been removed. The first time an existing user logs in, he/she will be prompted for their time zone. Once set, the time zone can be edited through the "Profile" screen.
  • Infrastructure changes related to internationalization have been made paving the way for Celoxis to be available in many languages in the future.
  • Project financials synchronization
    Whenever a user cost rate or a billing rate is changed, the project time entries are updated instantly to reflect the change Earlier, the time entries were not updated because it was unclear whether the changes should be applied retrospectively. However, many of you requested that they be applied.
  • Project and Task Views
    Clicking on the "Saved Project Views" and "Saved Task Views" will take you to your list of views from where you can run, edit or delete the view.
  • Email notifications are by default "On"
    A user's email notification preferences are by default treated as "On" rather than "Off". This affects only those users in the system who haven't configured their email preferences yet. This change was done because it was observed that people didn't know that Celoxis sends email notifications even after using the system for some time.
  • Gantt changes
    The resources column has been removed. The resource allocation can be seen by moving the mouse over the gantt bar.
  • Project folder and sub-folders
    Project folder and its sub-folders are always viewed in context of the project. Earlier it was difficult to associate the project with the folder since the folder was viewed indepdendently.
  • Internal client name change
    The "Internal" client name has been changed to "Internal" instead of "INTERNAL".

Feb 7, 2005

  • Duration can be specified in minutes, hours, days, weeks, months and years.
  • More task constraints - Start No Earlier Than, Start No Later Than, Finish No Earlier Than, Finish No Later Than, Must Start On, Must Finish On
  • Lead or lag time can be specified for dependencies
  • Microsoft Project integration improvements - Microsoft Project files in mpp format can be imported
  • Cross-project resource conflicts can be viewed
  • More comprehensive resource usage chart
  • Cloning project also clones user allocations
  • Tasks along with all its associated data like sub-tasks, time sheets, expenses, folders, resource allocations etc. can be moved to a different project
  • Project and task financial summary pages improved
  • More filters while displaying tasks
  • Find Tasks and Find Projects page have been dramatically improved
    • Date range selection
    • Grouping and sorting
    • Grand and group totals
    • Excel-CSV output
    • Gantt View in Find Tasks
    • Dependency view removed

Mar 10, 2004

  • Performance improvements.
  • Default billing rates copied to new project.
  • Convenient option to fill time after updating status on tasks.
  • Include your own custom applications in project processes.
  • New permissions that allow users other than administrators to manage time and expense codes.
  • Notes, phone logs and emails can now be deleted.
  • Search Projects/Tasks, save custom views, select your output columns and more.
  • Incorporated many customer suggestions.

Oct 2, 2003

  • Audit Trail: Changes to project, task, timesheets are automatically tracked.
  • Manage issues, scope changes, benefits, approvals & risks in projects with client participation
  • Recurring tasks
  • Improved client collaboration: clients can view tasks, and update task status.
  • Improved user interface
  • Improved email notifications and personalization

May 30, 2003

  • Easily hide unwanted functionality.
  • Billing estimation for better planning. Based on the users assigned to tasks and the time allocated for each you will know the projected billing right at the planning phase.
  • Delete Project now purges all data associated with the project.
  • Select the level of tasks to be included in organizational Gantt.
  • Do discussions/reviews on documents and web links.
  • Add documents/web links to tasks.
  • The application is now even more speedier.
  • More personalization and improved usability.

April 29, 2003

  • MS Project Import.
  • Enhanced navigation.
  • New and improved look.
  • Customize your home page.

April 9, 2003

  • Introduction of Celoxis Workflow system.
  • In/Out Board
  • Configure email notifications
  • Export address book to Palm.
  • Perform actions on projects & tasks directly from MyHome page.
  • Edit company information.
  • Improved sorting(Parent- child relationships always maintained).
  • Improved look & feel and usability
  • User preferences saved on "All Projects" and "Gantt view".
  • Gantt View sorting by Project and Client.
  • External web links.

February 1, 2003

  • Assign tasks to multiple users.
  • Project Financials now more informative and decisive. Earned value analysis.
  • Improved Usability
    • Security settings now cloned when cloning projects.
    • Task Filter to minimize list of tasks when filling time entries.
    • Almost all mandatory requirements on fields have been dropped. Useful for planning. System automatically calculates the non-entered fields.
    • Description field added in Bulk Add/Edit tasks.
    • Events section on My Home page now lists only the days which have events.
    • Add event links in Quick Add toolbar.
  • Weekly subtotals for time entry reports.
  • Bug fixes.

November 24, 2002

  • Bulk Add/Edit of Tasks
  • Clone Tasks
  • Filters for Tasks and Gantt view.
  • Improved performance
  • Configure number of days for which events are shown on home page.
  • Minor bug fixes.

October 6, 2002

  • Task Dependencies: Specify Successors/Predecessors. Dependent tasks automatically started when dependencies are satisfied
  • Project Planning: Critical Path Analysis, Static (what you planned) and Dynamic (the actual status) Gantt views, Cost Estimation.
  • See Gannt view for individual users, tasks, clients and their combinations
  • Costing/Budgeting: Specify budget for Project and Task. Compare actual vs budget. See rolled-up costs.
  • Improved Timesheets: Enter weekly timesheets, easier approval/processing screens.
  • More user preferences and improved user interface.

July 14, 2002

  • Now you can setup Meetings or Group Events.
  • Send invites to internal users, clients, contacts in your address book or even external people. All you need is the email address of the party you want to invite.
  • Invitees can Accept/Reject the invitation. Even external parties can Accpet/Reject.

July 7, 2002

  • Security on reports.
  • More and improved reports. Grand totals are now available.
  • Batch approval and processing of timesheets and expenses.
  • Role Accountant gets privilege to approve any timesheet or expense.
  • Move folder object to any folder in your company.

June 30, 2002

  • Enter start dates for Projects.
  • Specify priority for Projects & Tasks.
  • Control access to financial information (budget, billing rates, cost and estimated/projected cost) for a project.

June 23, 2002

Improved support for Sales Management.
  • Add & view emails, phone logs & notes directly for a contact.
  • Also upload documents (Contracts, Account plans etc.) for prospects.

June 01, 2002

  • Ability to move/delete tasks and subtasks
  • Sort feature on Project/Task lists, Address Book and User/Client lists
  • Address Book enhancements
    • Rolodex feature for quick retrieval
    • Convert contact to client
    • Import from Outlook XP format
  • Grant Add/Edit clients privelege to any role.
  • You can now define Company wide events
  • Powerful editing using Rich Text Editor
  • Improved Reports
    • Select your report output
    • Define your sort order
    • Select your filter criteria