New functions & other improvements in 2023 Q4 RB9 update

You will start seeing improvements in the latest RB9 update even before you sign in: The Login screen now automatically displays the last Login Name used eliminating the need to enter your user name every time.

The latest RB9 update, RB 9.44, released November 6, 2023, includes some system-wide updates — such as an improved email attachment process — plus 2 new functions and over 50 new/updated features across RB9, RB Lite, RB Connect, and RB Connect Mobile.

There is too much to cover in one newsletter so visit the RB9 latest update page for the full list of this update’s features and more details. Here are the highlights:

New functions

Override Resource Pay Inquiry

Search historical data about Override Pay. Previously there wasn’t a way to track payments issued via Override Resource Pay. With this new report you can audit these payments separately from the resource pay total for a specific time period, a single resource, a single job, and/or a single invoice.

Billing Sheets

You can quickly search for billing sheets and their related data that resources turned in using RB Connect. Once located, you can download individual billing sheets from this function. (RB9 only)

System-wide highlights

Functions automatically open after log in

You can have RB9/RB Lite open up to 5 functions of your choice when you log in.

More main screen shortcuts

Shortcuts from results grids have been part of RB9 since 2021. In this update shortcuts have been added to the results grid of more functions so you can immediately access common operations such as View, Edit, and Delete.

Email attachment improvements

Now the drag & drop zone for attaching files in RB’s mail composer only appears when the Attach files button is clicked.

Attach files from your RB Repository to emails in the mail composer with the click of a button.

Calendar highlights

Alphabetical characters in case numbers automatically capitalized

RB now automatically converts lowercase characters to uppercase as you enter them in Case No.

Internal RB9 case numbers

RB now automatically applies and displays consecutive internal case numbers similar to job numbers. The Internal Case No. will help distinguish cases in results and is searchable.

Cancel multiple job dates at once

All jobs within a case can be selected and canceled at once.

Separate start times for a job and its tasks

If you have a job with tasks that will start at different times than the job you could use linked jobs. But now you can keep the tasks in the job and give them their own start and end times.

Hybrid locations for Zoom meetings

When entering a new job, you can now input a physical location/address and create an online Zoom meeting at the same time.

Production highlights

Job Status Changed column added to Turn In results grid

Next to the Job Status column in Turn In’s results grid you can see the date and time the status was changed. Prioritize what jobs to work on based on when they were turned in or shipped.

Improvements in overriding resource pay

When overriding resource pay in the New Additional Pay panel in either Turn In or Payables:

• You can select a resource by assigned task in addition to by resource name.
• The selected resource’s pay rate automatically appears.

Duplicate, rename, or delete file when converting transcripts to PDF

When converting an ASCII file to an RB-PDF Transcript, you can use the new More button in the Actions column of the final screen to duplicate, rename, or delete any file listed.

Billing highlights

Unnecessary step when posting invoices eliminated

After posting invoice(s), if you answer Yes to “Do you want to send or archive the posted invoices?” the Send Invoices function displays the invoices as checked by default eliminating the need to select the invoices again.

Blank Pay Rate/Zero Pay Amount alert when posting

You now have a System Preferences option so when an invoice does not have a pay rate applied to it — or the total pay amount is 0 — and you attempt to post it, RB will display a warning and ask if you still want to post the invoice.

Inquiry highlights

Exclude “no marketing” contacts and firms in marketing inquiries

If Category is set to Firms or Contacts in Marketing Inquiry an Exclude ‘Do not attempt marketing’ filter appears so you can filter out those entities in your report.

Receivables highlights

Void invoice but pay resource

“Not to void Resource Pay” option added to Void transactions in Enter Other Transactions. If the option is turned on, resource payment can proceed even if the invoice is void. This includes overriding resource pay.

Created By and Created columns added to Enter Other Transactions grid

You can now see which user entered a transaction and when in the Enter Other Transactions results grid.

Payables highlights

Smarter pay adjustments

Pay Date is no longer required when:

• Searching for open pay adjustments so you can search all pay adjustments that are not closed.
• Entering a new pay adjustment. If you add a pay adjustment without a defined pay date, the adjustment is automatically set to the next payroll if the amount can be deducted. Otherwise it stays in the system for the next payroll when the resource has positive pay that will clear out the negative balance.

View Copy Only sales commission reports

The Exclude Copies search filter in Sales Commission Report has been changed to Original/Copy and offers the options of ALL, Original Only, and Copy Only.

Tools highlights

Warning dialog box appears when trying to update ALL entities

If you choose to update ALL firms, contacts, resources, or locations in Bulk Update RB9 displays a confirmation message to warn that you are about to update all the entities in the selected table with this change so you can affirm that you do want to change the entire table.

Entities highlights

Assign multiple Notification Types at once in Entities

When assigning different notification types (e.g., accounting, job, repository) to email addresses in a firm, contact, or resource the dropdown in the New Notification Email panel has been changed to check boxes. You can check multiple boxes to select what types of emails an email address will receive instead of adding the types one at a time.

Include resources’ business name or nickname

Like firms in RB, resources now have an a/k/a field you can use for their preferred nickname — or business name if they are independent contractors. In Search By, the “Full Name” option in the Name dropdown has been changed to “Full Name or a/k/a” so you can search by their alternative name.

Resource birth date can be added without year

When entering a resource’s birthday only the month and day are required. You do not have to include the year.

Setup highlights

Use Witness page count for calculating any service item charges

Tie service items to the Witness page count with the Use Pages for calculation option in the Service Item Master. With this flag turned on, the amount for the service item is calculated using the transcript pages and page deductions — the same way Original and Copy service items are calculated.

RB Connect/RB Connect Mobile highlights

No default dates in contacts’ account activity

On the Contact side of RB Connect when Account Activity is opened it displays all open invoices by default.

Simplified transcript highlighting

Instead of expecting attorneys to select the highlight color each time they want to highlight a line in a transcript using Transcript Packages, they now designate a default color and then continue to apply highlights in that color until they change the default highlight color.

Resource’s Tasks in Progress improvements

On the Resource side of RB Connect in Tasks in Progress:

• Task Status has been added to the main grid next to the task name for easy reference.
• The job number is now a hyperlink so the resource can view the job from here— plus add the job to their calendar, print the assignment notification, upload/download files, and check in at the job.

For more details about this latest update and previous updates, visit the RB9 updates section.