Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
General
Is NewViews 2 a single or multi-user system?
Both. Each NewViews2 licence can function as a single or multi-user system.
Platform
Does NewViews 2 run under other operating systems, such as Mac O/S and Linux?
The current release of NV2 is strictly for Windows. However, the architecture is such that it can be ported to other platforms, and it may be available for other operating systems in the future.
What versions of Windows will it run on?
Windows XP, 2003, Vista, 7, 8, 10 and 11.
Does NewViews 2 back up easily and directly to CDs, DVD, ZIP disks, etc.?
NewViews enables you to perform backups at any time, even when the books are open. You can also use whatever backup software and medium you trust.
Features
Does NewViews 2 handle inventory?
Yes. All transactions contain both dollars and units. All reports can display balances in dollars and/or units. Sales transactions will automatically relieve inventory and record the cost of goods sold.
Does NewViews 2 allow more than two decimal places?
Yes.
Does NewViews 2 include payroll?
Yes. Both Canadian and US payroll are included, and both can operate within the same set of books.
Can NewViews 2 print company logos on invoices?
Yes. All printing is done through Microsoft Excel. “Templates” for documents such as invoices and checks are Excel worksheets that you can customize in any way you like.
Does NV2 allow users to access their books through the Internet?
Yes, and the interface is exactly the same.
Can I “close” an account so that no one can post to it anymore?
Yes. Accounts (and journals and employees) can be set to “inactive”.
Can I sort ledgers by reference number and reconcile value?
Yes, both forwards or backwards. You can also sort by the description column and view reports sorted by account name or description.
Can I rearrange accounts, create new reports, etc.?
Yes, this is one of the key strengths of NewViews.
Can I see transactions in a total account?
Yes. The ledger of a total account contains all of the postings to all of the accounts ‘beneath’ it in the total-to hierarchy.
Is it easy to see what totals to a given account?
Yes. You can explore the total-to hierarchy of any total account, on screen, with balances displayed, in a manner much like Windows Explorer.
Can I have more than 6 analysis columns?
Yes. You can have up to 366 analysis columns. And when you click on any amount on the analysis view, the ledger items that make up that amount can be displayed in an accompanying window.
Can I have a fiscal year end that is not the end of a month? Can I change the fiscal year end? Can I do 13-period accounting?
Yes. NewViews 2 is not restricted by a fiscal-year-end. You can manage your periods any way you like.
Limits
Does NewViews 2 have any restrictions on monthly reporting?
No. Reports can display periods of any duration (month, week, day, hour, etc.) in the past or future.
Does NewViews have ledger limits?
No.
What limits does NewViews 2 have on the size of books, number of accounts, transactions, employees, etc.?
NewViews 2 has no limits of this nature. In practical terms, the only limit is the size of your hard disk drive.
Can account names, descriptions, etc., be as long as I need?
Yes. Any text like this, including reference and reconcile values, has no limits on length.
Can I change account names?
Yes. Your security settings permitting, simply click on the account’s name and change it. The same is true for the normal balance of accounts.
Upgrading
What NV1 data is converted to the new version?
All the data from an NV1 set of book is carried forward to the new version. This includes all reports, total-tos, transactions, notes, etc.
What versions can I upgrade from?
The export utility to move your books from NV1 to NV2 will only work on books that have been running under NewViews version 1.41b Procedure Library 12.
How easy is it be to convert NV1 data to NV2?
The conversion itself is a relatively easy and straightforward process, although it may require a fair bit of “machine” time. All NV1 accounts must be typed by the ATYPE procedure before export to NV2. The only difficulties we have encountered are rare cases where illogical payroll settings are stored in the PAYRUN procedure that have to be removed before conversion.
Do custom NPL procedures still work in NV2?
No. In some cases, however, similar functionality has been built into NV2.
How much bigger will a set of books be after converting to NV2?
The size of the converted books could be smaller, or larger. It depends entirely on the depth and complexity of the total-to structure.
User Interface
Is multi-user NewViews “real-time”?
Yes. Changes appear on your screen as other users work in the books. There is no “update” or “refresh” key or operation to perform.
Can I change the columns widths on reports, ledgers, etc?
Yes. You can also rearrange the columns, and hide or add columns at will. Also, each user’s window setup is unique to that user. If you arrange windows, columns, etc., the way you like, it will not affect other users’ “view” of the books.
Security
Does NV2 allow multiple password levels?
Yes. You add users to a set of books much as you would on a network. You can set up an unlimited number of users and control each user’s access to various parts of the books.
Are there complete audit trails?
Yes. For security, the audit trail is kept in the books, and (with the proper permissions) can be viewed (but not edited) on-line. It provides a complete record of every user’s activity in the books including all additions, changes, and deletions to accounting records, plus login information such as date, time, computer IP address, etc.
What network security is built into NV2?
Multi-user connection is through TCP/IP – the same as that used by the Internet. Therefore, access to NV2 is controlled by the same security as you would use for Internet connections, such as software and/or hardware firewalls.
