Development FAQ
When will your favorite features be developed? What's the status of our latest release? Have we heard your suggestions?
We are trying out some ideas on this web page to keep customers in touch with our development team.
What is the latest Phoenix Release?
Our current ship version is 5_11_11. Read more about what's in this release.
How do I know what release I have?
Check your release version by going to Manager Home, Configuration, General. The version will be displayed in the upper left.
How do I get the latest release?
Until our auto-update feature is completed (coming soon), clients are scheduled individually to be updated by our Upgrade Specialist. He will contact you to schedule a time to run the update and walk you through the new features. We prioritize client updates based on critical need and requests, so clients who are impacted by a new feature will most likely get it first. If you wish to get on the update schedule, please contact customer service at 866-678-4911.
Software updates are included in your technical support subscription. For clients who are not on support, updates can be purchased individually. Prices vary based on the update.
What is coming up in future releases?
We are constantly developing new features. We currently have a a long list of client requests and ideas to make the system better. As those features near completion and are scheduled for release we will list them here but don't worry, we have many more features in process right now!
How do you prioritize development projects?
Project ideas come in from all sources - clients are a primary source of suggestions, as well as our sales team who hear requests from potential clients. We also research other systems in our industry and outside our industry to develop ideas for features that would help set Phoenix apart from the competition.
Projects are classified as either a Bug or an Enhancement. A Bug is a feature or function which is not working as it was designed to work, or one which was designed in such a way to be impractical or unusable in real life. An Enhancement adds new functionality to the system.
Bugs are prioritized based on their level of impact to core functions of the POS system as well as the number of clients that are affected. Once a bug is reported, testing occurs to find the root cause of the problem and learn how it can be duplicated. Once this is discovered, the bug is submitted immediately to the development team. Often a fix to the bug can be "patched" to the current version.
Enhancements are prioritized according to several criteria. We primarily look at how many clients (current and potential) the new feature will impact, and what significance that impact will have on their ability to more profitably or more efficiently manage their business. This has to be balanced against the cost of developing and maintaining the feature.
As we decide on features to include in the next release, we try to provide a balance of different types of features. We'd like to include some enhancements to improve usability, some to improve reporting & control, some to improve marketing, some to make the system easier to configure, and some that add completely new tools to your management toolbox. We want to offer new features for different types of clients, such as those who do delivery and those who are more quick service or table service focused. We like to balance customer requests with sales requests, current customer needs with future new markets.
How can I get a feature developed?
The first step is to submit your idea via the software suggestions form. It helps to be as specific as possible – for example, asking for a Driver report that has ticket information is not as good as asking for a Driver report that contains ticket #, tender type, total amount, dispatch time, return time, and customer phone.
Also any information you can submit about WHY this feature is important to your business will help in the prioritization process.
What is the development process?
Once a feature is selected for development, it is first "designed". Our product management team, with input from customers, outlines all the details of how the feature should work. Mock-ups of screen layouts, printed reports, etc. are developed. These are then submitted to the programming team and the feature is assigned to an individual developer, who gets to work.
As the feature is developed, it is tested and refined to make sure it is working properly. Once complete, the code for the new feature is merged into the newest to-be-released version, where it is tested again.
Once the version has most of its features complete, it is ready for beta testing, where actual customers use the new version and test overall functionality as well as specific new features.
Once the beta test period is completed (and provided no major bugs are discovered) the version is considered "GOLD" and is used for new clients. We then begin scheduling existing clients for updates. When the "Auto-Update" feature is complete, each client's server will check our server periodically and automatically download available updates. It will then notify you that an update is available to install at your convenience.
As you can see, the development process can be a bit long! That's why when you submit a suggestion, you don't always see it completed the next week. We try to accomplish 3-4 releases per year. Features for each release are selected and scheduled for that release a minimum of 6 months prior to release date.
How can I get involved in beta testing?
We select our beta test clients based on several criteria. Most importantly, they have to have a need for and desire to use one or more of the significant new features in the release. We want them to put that new feature to the test. Secondly, they must have the "personality" for it. Beta-testing can introduce uncertainty to the system as new bugs may be discovered, even in features that were seemingly unrelated to the new features. So a tolerance for stress is important! Finally, beta test clients must be detail-oriented and willing to carefully note and document any issues that are discovered.
If you would like to beta test an upcoming feature, please contact our development team via the software suggestions form.
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