Configuration Screen

If enabled, calculate Gross Margin on the Estimate screen without subcontractor cost as follows:

Net Gross Margin (%) = (Total Rev - (Labor Cost + Material Cost + Equipment Cost + Other Cost + Sub Cost)) / (Total Rev – Sub Cost)

This compares with the standard gross margin formula:

Net Gross Margin (%) = (Total Rev - (Labor Cost + Material Cost + Equipment Cost + Other Cost + Sub Cost)) / (Total Rev)

When this option is set, the new calculation is reflected in the following areas:

1. Totals on the Estimate screen (“Less Sub” is added to the label for Gross Margin to reflect the modified calculation) as shown.
2. Opportunity Search List
3. Pricing Worksheet
4. When adjusting the price on an estimate
5. Job Report
6. P&L Report    
7. Over/Under drill-down (change Gross Margin %)
8. Gross Margin on Property screen

Weathermatic is a third-party that provides smart property watering solutions that include watering systems. These systems provide remote management of watering systems from computers and mobile devices. Aspire provides an interface to Weathermatic by property. Once Weathermatic has been enabled using this option, Aspire provides direct access to the Weathermatic website for the property represented on the screen in the following locations:

• The Properties screen in the Aspire Desktop Application
• The Work Ticket screen in Crew Mobile

This option determines how Aspire users are required to apply negative changes (i.e. removal of materials or labor) from a work order using a change order for Fixed Price Open Billing work orders.

Enabling Enhanced Branch Admin Security allows specific branches to be associated with items in the item catalog.

As a branch administrator, you can view all items on the Items Search List screen regardless of their branch access. However, they have read-only access preventing them from editing items that are assigned to branches to which you have no access - except that you will be able to add or edit an allocation item cost to price lists that are set up on the branches to which they have access. The Bulk Actions menu³ is not available to branch administrators at the bottom of the Item Search List screen unless you also have System Admin permission.

If you do not have the System Admin permission or All Branch access, then the Assigned Branch field is required when adding a new item or kit. The only branches that are available are the branches that you have access to. If you are adding a kit and are required to set the Assigned Branch field, then the available items to add to the kit are items where the Assigned Branch field is null or match the assigned branch on the current item.

In search lists throughout Aspire, item dropdowns only allow selecting items to which you have branch access including items that provide access to all branches.

Determines the format of the export file generated when a user selects the Export or Export All Employees option from the Bulk Actions menu on the Weekly Time Review screen. Provides the following options: Preview, Preview tab-delimited, Flex, QuickBooks Desktop, Ultimate, Paychex Flex with Job Number, Aspire Payroll.

Companies that use a payroll service will work with their payroll service to determine the appropriate export format by providing examples of the Preview format, the Preview (Tab Delimited) format, and the Flex format. The Flex format is specifically designed for use with the Paychex payroll service. The Aspire Payroll option is designed for use with the Cornerstone payroll company, Aspire’s preferred payroll vendor.

The Ultimate format is used for companies that utilized the payroll system by the same name.

Allows you to choose one of two options for Aspire to calculate overtime for employees:

1. Standard – Aspire’s standard method of calculating overtime only calculates overtime on employee’s hours that are specified under the employee’s standard pay code. Employee standard pay code is defined by the pay schedule that is assigned to them. Weekly hours for which the employee’s standard pay code has been overridden (i.e. by a service default pay code, opportunity service default pay code, or pay code selected in time entry) is paid at the pay code rate unless manually circumvented – even if the standard pay with overtime might have been greater.
2. Override Pay Codes– This method of calculating overtime allows Aspire to account for all time – both to the employee’s standard pay code or to an override pay code. Aspire works backward through the overtime hours for the week calculating as follows:
   1. When hours beyond those specified for regular hours (non-overtime) by the employee’s pay schedule have an override pay code, Aspire will determine whether the employee benefits more by regular pay with overtime (overtime pay code), or from the special override hours. For purposes of calculating employee pay, Aspire will use the pay code for the larger of those two values.
   2. When hours beyond those specified for regular hours (non-overtime) by the employee’s pay schedule have the employee’s standard pay code, Aspire will apply the overtime pay code.

The Aspire Crew Mobile App supports two possible behaviors when the crew leader selects a service from the Schedule screen if there was an existing work ticket for that service that had time logged to it in the prior twenty-four hours. This checkbox enables you to choose the behavior of the Crew Mobile App.

If this checkbox is checked (enabled) Aspire will prompt you to ask them whether to use the work ticket that already has time on it or to select another open work ticket.

For some companies, it is better not to display this prompt to crew leaders, but rather to always have Aspire use a new work ticket. To support this approach, unchecking this checkbox (disabling) prevents Aspire from prompting you to use an existing ticket or select a new one – rather, it automatically picks a new one and takes the crew leader directly to the Work Ticket screen.

Indicates that properties on an opportunity must have a designated company before Aspire will allow invoices to be generated. This option will typically only be used by clients who work exclusively on commercial contracts and work orders – not residential – or who require that “companies” are set up in Aspire for their residential customers. If this checkbox is checked, then residential customers must be set up as companies in Aspire.

Enabling this option affects the behavior of the Invoicing Assistant screen which displays invoice recommendations based on invoice payments that are upcoming or due as determined by in-process opportunities and the invoice types of their associated services. If this option is enabled, and the billing contact for the property associated with a service that is due for payment is not assigned to a company, then Aspire will color-code that recommendation on the Invoicing Assistant screen.

The Allow Branch Override checkbox allows companies to set up each of their branches to connect to its own instance of the CardConnect payment processor for accepting electronic payments. Companies set up in this manner must have a separate CardConnect Merchant ID for all branches. When this checkbox is checked, an additional tab becomes available on the Branch screen allowing the system administrator to set up accounting system connectivity for each branch.

When you hover over the Info icon next to this option, a tooltip is displayed that says, "Allow electronic payment accounts to be configured at the branch level. This is useful if you have multiple companies configured inside the same Aspire system."

Enables you to specify the default subject for email invitations for customers to sign up for the portal. The field allows the insertion of expandable tokens that fill in with customer-specific information when the invitation email is sent to a customer. Available tokens:

• Contact Name – First and last name to whom the invitation email is being sent.

Enables you to specify the default body for email invitations for customers to sign up for the portal. The body is displayed as the default when you select the Send Customer Portal Invitation option in the Actions menu of the Contacts Search List screen. The field allows the insertion of expandable tokens that fill in with customer-specific information when the invitation email is sent to a customer. Available tokens:

• Contact Name – First and last name to whom the invitation email is being sent.
• Customer Portal Link – Inserts a hyperlink into the customer portal invitation email that takes the customer to the sign-up screen for the Customer Portal.