Odyssey 4.7 General Availability

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by Alexandria Trusov

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For Immediate Release
Contact: Alexandria Trusov
Email: atrusov@blinfo.com
Phone: 269.465.6207 x 310

 

B&L Information Systems Launches Odyssey 4.7

 

Bridgman, MI, April 6, 2015 - B&L Information Systems, the leader in ERP software for foundries and die casters, has launched Odyssey 4.7 MR1 for general availability. For this software update, B&L built additional time into the Odyssey release cycle to allow B&L's R&D Department to coordinate the beta release of the new browser-based Web User Interface (UI) with the Windows UI release cycle for Odyssey.
 
"Scheduling extra time for the Odyssey 4.7 development cycle has not only allowed our R&D department to fine-tune the Web UI beta, but also to include additional enhancements for all Odyssey users. Another benefit to putting Odyssey's Windows UI and Web UI on the same release sch edule is that it allows a more efficient quality assurance process as well as ensuring the integration of new features and enhancements," stated Brad Clark, Odyssey Product Manager . "Our QA team used this extra time to perform additional quality work on 4.7, so Odyssey 4.7 MR1 will also contain stability improvements."

 

The Web UI version of the Shop Floor Manager is available immediately for all users and the full version of the Web UI for all Odyssey modules is available as a limited release beta. This zero-client ERP technology eliminates the need for metalcasting manufacturers to use specialty devices and 3rd party software interfaces to get the most out of their ERP. The Odyssey's Web UI Shop Floor Manager may be used with any browser-based device, including laptops and tablets; supported browsers include Internet Explorer, FireFox, or Chrome.

The Odyssey Customer Feedback Forum has been one of the primary sources for determining which enhancements are added to Odyssey. Customer requested enhancements for the GA of Odyssey 4.7 include:

  •  Ability to add comments or a modification history to Data Views.
  •  Ability to assign lot numbers by tool, rather than product.
  •  Support for strong passwords, a common security measure.

Other Odyssey 4.7 enhancements were created to make the day-to-day aspects of managing a business easier:

  •  Heat planner scheduling by furnace
  •  Purchase order receipt e-mail notification
  •  Attendance points system
In all, the Odyssey 4.7 development cycle included over 100 improvements that range from simple user experience tweaks to full-fledged business logic enhancements. The largest, and most important, of these improvements is the introduction of the Web UI. "The Odyssey Web UI is a purely browser-based interface designed to provide users with an easy-to-use interface while maintaining the back-end database and business logic of Odyssey. This is a historic, game-changing product for B&L customers and fits with B&L's overall cloud-computing strategy," noted Philip Laney, B&L's CEO.

 

For clients who host Odyssey on their own servers, please fill out the Installation Questionnaire below. Odyssey SaaS clients will be contacted by B&L's Technology Department with the update schedule.

Note: Odyssey users can update from any version of Odyssey to Odyssey 4.7. The Installation Questionnaire Form on will help clients with the 4.7 upgrade process. Any assistance needed in the update process is free for any client on maintenance with B&L. If you need assistance with downloading or installing the latest Maintenance Release, please contact the support group at support@blinfo.com or 269.465.6207 extension 829.


 

  User Installation Instructions for Odyssey 4.7

Below is a link to an installation questionnaire form that you will need to complete before B&L can schedule your installation. It is imperative that you provide all of the requested information so that B&L's Support Team can verify that your system meets the prerequisites for the Odyssey 4.7 installation.

Please supply three preferred dates, in order of preference, and indicate any circumstances, such as plant shutdown, that makes one date preferable to the others. As always, B&L will schedule the upgrades in the order that they are received, while making every effort to accommodate special circumstances.

 Installation Questionnaire Form

   

Alexandria Trusov

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