Click on ‘Preferences’ in the ‘Overview’ tab screen.

This will open the ‘Preferences’ window.

 

General Tab

Module Description

Dashboard view:

List view:

You can change the Description of the Module, e.g. Agreements changed to Tenancy (below)

The Double click option is sometimes only ‘Record’ in a module, such as Block, other modules have a choice whether to go into the Record or the Timeline.

The Default View is the page that the module lands on when first opened.

The Default View is by default set on (Block, Property, Agreements etc.) as the Dashboard view as above.

These views can be edited as shown below:

You also have ‘Default Columns’ where you can choose what field names you want to display in your modules.

PLEASE NOTE: After changing these defaults you may need to restart Decorus for the changes to be applied.

Raise Transactions

This option is the default setting that will allow you to define how many days in advance your transactions are to be raised.

Select the date shown in the bottom right corner – then press ‘Refresh’.

Backup Preferences

Using this you can configure Decorus Sidekick to perform automatic backups at a set time/s (see ‘Sidekick’ document).

Invoice Preferences

This will allow you to configure how your invoices are posted in Sage (see ‘Invoice Module’ document).

Workflow

The tenant checklist process has been updated and now called Workflow. You can now set up multiple checklist items for different types of agreements. For example, one set for Commercial and another for Residential. New filters can filter those records with outstanding items.

Workflows are also available for Property, Jobs, Projects and Contacts.

See ‘Configurable Workflow’ document for more info.

Documents

From here you can change any predefined documentation within Decorus, as well as add your own desired documents.

To access pre-existing templates, click on the Documents icon.

You will be provided with the Mail Merge window which contains all document templates used by Decorus.

You can select any of the built in documents, edit any selected template and apply any changes to suit your own requirements. To do this, single click on any document template, then click on the ‘Edit Template’ button.

Whether you click ‘Edit Template’ or ‘New Template’ you will be presented with the ‘Document’ window, this will allow you to select the document ‘type’ so you can define the document as a Tenant, Contact or Applicant letter. You can also change the document file name, as Decorus will save it as per the previous ‘Mail Merge’ screen.

You will then be presented with the ‘Decorus WP’ which will display the chosen document you wish to edit.

From here you have several options such as importing your own Word file, if you have a specific template. (all of the mail merge fields shown along the top).

To enter mail merge fields such as tenant address detail, contact details, supplier details and charges etc.

When you have completed the document to your specification you can go to ‘File’ (top left corner) and click ‘Save’

This will then show the previous screen and click ‘Save Changes’

User Definable Fields

 The ‘User Fields’ windows will appear, from here click on ‘New’  

You can type in the ‘Category’ – ‘Field Name’ and the ‘Field Type’, select the ‘Default Field’ (that defines if the field is displayed in this Module as default or if you want to select it) and then select the ‘Module’ you would like it to appear in, for this example we will use the ‘Property’ module.

Open any property record by double clicking. Once in this screen, click ‘Information Bar’ and ‘Other Information’. On the bottom right hand side, you can then add your new field by clicking on 

This will then open a new window – in this window select your chosen created field by clicking on once to highlight in blue and click ‘Insert Category’. This will then be added into the ‘User Fields’ section of the ‘Other Information’ bar.

When you have inserted your field, notice on the right hand side under ‘User fields,’ your custom field has appeared, you can then double click into this field and add your desired information and ‘Save’.

Update VAT Rates

This option will let you change ALL default VAT rates for every company you have in Decorus (use with care).

You can also update your charging schedule by selecting the ‘Update charging schedules’ box and setting a time for when the VAT will change.

Use Built in WP

This is a tick box that allows you to choose whether or not to use the word processing built into the software.

Property Tab

Default Property

You can select the default property type you own or manage, for example if the majority of your properties are commercial, once this option is chosen each time you create a ‘New Property’ it will automatically default as ‘Commercial’.

Property Availability

If this is ticked, it will allow you to view properties by multi-let on the availability list.

Quick Swap

Feature 1 / 2 / 3

This allows the user to set specific tab names for ‘Marketing’ information in the ‘Property’ tab.

Safety Critical Days

This allows you to set how far in advance you would like the software to remind you that the ‘Inspections’ are due.

Allows you to set frequency you want to charge the rents.

 Show Size as

Allows you to show the size of the property in Sqft or Sqm.

Default Block Company

Block Management Type

Block Department Type

Commission (Agent version only)

You can use this to update management fees on a mass basis, click on ‘Change Commission’ and from the list, select which Landlords you wish to update, then click ‘Update Fees’.

 Agreement Tab

Default Agreement Term

This allows you to set your default agreement term length (Days, Weeks, Months and Years). This is only the default, therefore can be changed individually when creating a tenancy.

Default Rent Frequency

Using this drop down arrow, you can set your default rent intervals/frequency. Such as weekly, 4 weekly, monthly etc. again this can be changed when creating a tenancy.

Rent Day

This is where you can set the day/date that you wish to charge your tenant (when you want to receive rent from them), as default this is set to the ‘Start’ date of the tenancy (the day the agreement becomes active) but this can be changed to a specific day for all tenancies.

Early /Late Completion Narrative

You can define the description Decorus will give on posting of early or late tenant completion payments.

Activity Days

This will define under the ‘Activity’ tab of Decorus how many days financials will be displayed under each tenancy. You can choose from (All / 30 days / 60 days / 90 days or outstanding) this will be set to all activity as standard.

Charge Rent / Charge Benefit

You can define when you wish your transactions to be raised in Decorus, ‘Rent’ is set to ‘In Advance’ and ‘Benefit’ is set to ‘In Arrears’ as default.

Milestone Days

Invoice Text

This gives you the option to configure your invoice memo text.

Applicant Referencing

‘Look ahead’ - Applicants that are looking for properties from today plus the look ahead value.  

‘Remove Days’ – this removes the applicant after the day’s you have entered.

Within the ‘Application to Rent’ window in the ‘Applicant’ window, when you click on print, the letters will appear for you to merge information and print.

Once you have your template selected, click ‘Merge Letter’.

Once Merged, you then have the option to print the letter.

Agent Tab (Agent version only)

Management Fee Inclusions

NRL Exclusions 

These are the narratives that will be excluded from tax calculations.

Default Statement Layout / Consolidation Options

 Default Statement Layout - This is the default landlord statement layout, which can be altered also within the landlord record or when creating a statement.

Consolidation Options – within the landlord statement you can choose to consolidate the items within the statement, you can also choose a default (see ‘Landlord Statement Consolidation’ document for more details).

Configure Self-Assessment

You are able to select which categories you wish to appear in the Self-Assessment report.

Manual Landlord Payment

Tick this if you do not wish Decorus to automatically create a landlord payment, this functions can also be selected/de-selected within the landlord record.

Tick this if the Agent is covering the shortfall and it will create 2 transactions, 1 on the 1^st statement to make up the shortfall and 2 on the 2^nd statement to recover the amount. This function can also be selected/de-selected within. the landlord record

Bank Clearance Days

Strict Supplier Payments

When ticked Decorus will only allow payments from the control account to be paid from the Client bank account.

Process Receipts from / Grace Days

Process Receipts from – select a date you would like Decorus to process Tenant receipts from.

 Grace Days – This was used for back up compatibility and is no longer used.

Diary Tab

In the Diary tab you have two options that you can change.

(This is set at 15 minute intervals)                                                                              

(This is set at 30 minute intervals)

Jobs/Assets Tab

The Jobs tab in preferences allows you to change the defaults of your projects and on your work orders.

The archive on complete tick box lets you choose whether you want to add the objects to archive once you have finished with them. An archived object will appear in the completed job section of the left side bar. (For more information on the assets section please see the ‘Adding an Asset’ document).

Email

In the Email preferences you can change, add and edit default email templates. Clicking the ‘Email Setup’ button  

brings up the email template screen. From here you can create a new template, edit an existing template or delete a template.

 See the screen below to edit the description name of each email template.

Clicking this icontakes you to the template to edit the name.

Clicking theicon clears the currently loaded name and gives it the default name.

SMS

On the SMS preference screen, you can setup Decorus for use with SMS.

Clicking on the SMSbrings up this box.

In the new window, make a note of the coupon ‘Vision-1234’ and click on ‘Purchase SMS credits from AQL’.

 This will redirect you to the AQL website, enter the coupon and click ‘Submit’.

It will now ask you to fill in your details, follow all the prompts and then you will be ready to use this service.

Once you have setup an AQL Login you need to go back to Decorus.

Overview tab – Preferences – SMS tab – SMS setup and enter your AQL Username and password.

From there you can check your Balance and Purchase SMS credit – as shown below.

Add-On’s Tab

Add-On’s page is where you enter keys for purchasable add-on’s. Once the key is entered in, the add-on will be functional in Decorus.

Portals Tab

Portals are the upload links to Property websites that you want to upload your property marketing info, links and photos to.

Data Tab

This tab contains useful tools to help manage your data.

Decorus Sage Indexes

Decorus uses its own indexes to find Sage transactions quickly.

VSL Tools Tab

The final tab is for Visionbase staff only. It contains an assortment of fixes and data checks. If done incorrectly it could damage your data so, please avoid using this tab.