Software Updates
Drag and Drop
The Drag and Drop Feature enables the quick attachment of Microsoft Outlook email files to many documents within the Pentagon system in build 9.0.3.14 and later. Users may simply drag an email from Outlook and drop it in the document within Pentagon. Files may be renamed at the time they are saved and will stay as part of the permanent record of the document to which it is attached.
Report Scheduler
The Report Scheduler enables customers to create reports and schedule them to run automatically at a specified time. This ensures critical business information is delivered consistently, without the need to manually configure or run reports. Reports can be generated daily, weekly, or on custom schedules and delivered to the appropriate users. As a result, teams stay informed, reduce manual effort, and can focus on making timely, data-driven decisions.
Parts Tracing Types
Inventory is at the core of the Pentagon system, offering tools for complete control. One key feature is the three tracing classes, which track parts and serial numbers by warehouse location with system-wide visibility. Tracing Only allows parts to be received in any quantity to a single location, Serialized Multi supports multiple serialized parts in one location, and Serialized Unique creates a separate location for each serial number. These options give you precise control, letting you specify exactly which parts are used in your operations.
Phone Order
The Phone Order module provides a single screen with full visibility into sales activity for any customer or vendor. Users can view quote, sales, RFQ, and purchase histories in one place, along with real-time stock and warehouse information. Cross-referenced parts and capability listings are also available within the same screen. With the Phone Order module, teams can efficiently manage part sales activities, including work orders, offers, exchanges, repairs, kits, and rejections, all from one streamlined interface.
Quick Receiver
Pentagon knows how important efficiency and productivity is to our customers, especially at repair stations where time is money. To ensure you get to spend the most time working, Pentagon is now offering a new module, Quick Receiver, which will automatically create the Receiver, Sales Order and Work Order from one screen. This is of great benefit to companies that do a high volume of repair/overhaul and would like to save some time on data entry and document creation. Simply enter the customer, the WO type, PO number, and the Part Number and click, “Create Doc” and the system takes care of the rest.
Send Documents by Default
Pentagon allows you to manage customer and vendor document delivery preferences without referencing notes or opening individual records. In the Customer or Vendor record under the Defaults tab, you can set the preferred delivery method, including hard copy, fax, or email, along with the email format such as PDF, embedded, or TIFF. Once configured, documents are automatically sent using the selected preference by clicking the Default button during printing, ensuring fast and consistent delivery every time.
Replicate Part
At certain times it is necessary to create a new part number for a part that has returned from being repaired or has been modified in some other way. Pentagon makes this very simple by using the Replicate Part function. Located in the Options Menu of the Partnumber master file, simply select option J “Replicate Part”. A window will open where you can modify the part number, description, and NSN/ATA numbers. Click OK and you will see a notice that the replication has been completed successfully. This option will copy all of the part credentials including the memos and XRef notes. This will save you the time of creating an entirely new part record from scratch.
Receive Over Ship
Sometimes your vendors, for whatever reason, decide to ship you a little more than you asked for. This can create a problem when you are trying to account for these extra items in Pentagon. There is a simple solution that will eliminate these issues. Open the Vendor’s file and click the Edit button to enter Edit Mode. Click the Defaults tab. Under the “Shipping” section, enter a percentage into the “Over Ship by:” field. Click OK to save. Pentagon will now allow you to receive more pieces than had been previously arranged for on the receiver. This is done per vendor and should be reserved for vendors with whom you have a solid working relationship.
Internal Mail Notifications
Pentagon can be set up to send you internal email notifications when certain events occur within your system. These alerts can let you know many things such as when a fax fails or when a Work Order closes. The notification emails can also inform you of outgoing shipments and of changes made to Purchase Orders. To set up this valuable feature, simply select “My Settings” from the “My Pentagon” menu along the top of the screen. Select the notifications you desire from the menu by checking the boxes. When an event occurs you can expect a helpful reminder from Pentagon!
Excel Export Button
A general tip for more efficient system use is a relatively new feature, which can be found at the bottom right of any search window. Upon opening your Inventory, Quotes, Customer, PO, etc. list you will notice a small green button featuring a Microsoft Excel icon. Clicking this button will allow you to export and save whatever information is contained in that search window to an Excel file. If your search window is listing 50 results, those 50 will be represented in the excel spreadsheet. This saves you the time of having to select, format, and run a report to obtain the same information.
Average Cost by Line Type
Have you ever needed to know the average cost to your company for inventory items by line type? What is the average cost to repair the part? The average cost of an exchange? A quick and easy feature of Pentagon will give you that information in one click. From your inventory parts record, enter the “Costs” tab. Under the header “Cost” there is a green button marked “Average Cost by Line Type”. Clicking this button will open a window listing the average cost for each line type including min/max values and number of lines. This feature is perfect for pinpointing budget figures.
Auto PO by Recommended Vendor
When creating purchase orders, you don’t always need to go through the full bidding process. Pentagon allows you to automatically generate a PO from a sales order using a recommended vendor, selected for reliability, availability, and performance. To use this feature, click the Options button in your sales order and select “Auto PO by Recommended Vendor,” then choose from the recommended vendors while viewing a snapshot of your history and stock levels.
Customer Alert Flag
Pentagon has recently included a new Alert flag in the customer record. Instead of formally placing the customer/vendor on hold, a user may now check the Alert flag in the customer record and include a note regarding why this was done. Perhaps the customer is behind on payments or is nearing their shipment limit, now the alert message will appear whenever a new document (Quote, SO, Invoice, etc.) is created for that customer. This is also a useful tool for any message you might wish to appear to the user, providing an opportunity to alert users regarding any special service, procedure or note you need them to see.
Assign PO Line to SO
Say that you have an existing Purchase Order in the system when a new Sales Order arrives from a customer. How do you go about booking items from the open PO to the newly created SO? The answer is simple. From the open Purchase Order, enter Edit mode. Select the line or lines you wish to assign to the new SO. Click on the Options button and select Assign Line to SO. The system will automatically allocate the Purchase Order line(s) to the new Sales Order. Using this method, there is no need to create any new documents or include unnecessary extra steps!