Latest news & updates from the Lavanda Team
New feature

New Tasks Report

Joyce avatar
Shared by Joyce • July 26, 2024

Hi there,

What's New?

We are thrilled to introduce the new Tasks Report as part of our standard Operations reports.

Please note that this feature can only be accessed by users with the Admin or Analytics Viewer user roles.

Key Features:

The Tasks report provides a comprehensive view of all tasks created within the PMS. It includes detailed information such as:

  • Task owner
  • Due date
  • Type of task
  • Associated booking and unit
  • Subtasks, displayed as individual rows

Available filters:

To enhance usability, the report can be filtered by:

  • Due date
  • Building
  • Task status
  • Task category
  • Assigned to

Impact:

This report can also serve as a housekeeping report. By filtering on specific task categories such as guest ready cleans or refresh cleans, you can streamline and manage your housekeeping tasks efficiently.

We are confident that this new report will provide valuable insights and improve your task management efficiency.

Getting Started:

This feature is now live under the Reporting segment of the PMS. We encourage all relevant users to explore this new capability in order to maximise their portfolio’s performance.

Warm regards,

Team Lavanda

New feature

New Reporting Library

Joyce avatar
Shared by Joyce • June 06, 2024

Hi there,

What's New?

We are excited to announce the launch of our new Reporting Library, a significant enhancement to Lavanda PMS that empowers you with advanced reporting capabilities. This new feature is designed to provide more insightful, and user-friendly reporting options, enabling you to make data-driven decisions with ease.

Key Features:

  • Clear menu structure organising reports by functional area. 13 reports are available across: Operations, Sales & Marketing and Finance.
  • Portfolio reporting: Ability to access data of all the workspaces PMS users have access to in a single view.
  • User permissions: The Lavanda user permissions are now shared with the reporting system and no longer required to be managed separately. Google accounts are no longer required to gain access to the reports under the Reporting Library.
  • Consistency across all workspaces: The architecture of the new reporting system means report definitions are shared across multiple workspaces ensuring consistency and reduced maintenance.
  • Report capabilities include:
  • Filtering: Date and building filters.
  • Cross Filtering
  • Search Bar: Free text search for each table.
  • Data Download: Export to Excel, CSV, or PDF.
  • Sorting


Why This Change?

Our aim with this launch is to provide seamless access to data in order to make data-driven decisions. It addresses permission issues and removes the need for Google accounts. Additionally, the new reporting system allows for consistency across all workspaces, with shared report definitions.

Impact:

This update benefits the Chapter & Canvas brands by offering seamless access to a range of reports. The new reporting system should contribute to improved efficiency, greater consistency, and more insightful data analysis, ultimately driving better business outcomes.

Getting Started:

This feature is now live under the Reporting segment of the PMS. We encourage all relevant users to explore this new capability in order to maximise their portfolio’s performance.

Warm regards,

Team Lavanda

Improvement
Feature update

Payment and Refund Enhancements

Joyce avatar
Shared by Joyce • May 21, 2024

Hi there,

What's New?

We are excited to introduce several enhancements to the payment and refund processes within Lavanda PMS. These updates aim to improve the user experience and unify the interface for all users, regardless of their Accounts Receivable (AR) system usage.

Key Features:

  • Direct Refunds in Payments Tab: For users not using the Accounts Receivable (AR) system, it is now possible to record and make refunds directly in the payments tab, ensuring they are properly related to the corresponding payments.
  • Unified Display for Refunds and Payments: For all users, refunds and payments are now displayed in a manner that clearly shows which refunds belong to which payments.
  • Consistent UI for Payments: The user interface for recording or taking a new payment directly in the payments tab has been aligned to match the process when doing it from an invoice.
  • Improved Payment Screen: The view payment screen has been enhanced for better clarity and usability.
  • Consistent Payment Statuses: Payment statuses are now consistent across the payments list, improving overall clarity and user experience.

Why This Change?

To unify the user interface and improve the user experience, making it easier for all customers to manage payments and refunds efficiently.

Impact:

These enhancements streamline the payment and refund processes for all customers, making the system more intuitive and user-friendly. This reduces the time spent on managing financial transactions and improves operational efficiency.

Getting Started:

Explore the enhanced payment and refund features within Lavanda PMS and experience the improved user interface and functionality.

Warm regards,

Team Lavanda

New feature

Introducing Lavanda University: Elevate Your PMS Skills!

Joyce avatar
Shared by Joyce • April 15, 2024

Hi there,

What's New?

We are pleased to announce the launch of Lavanda University, an innovative learning platform designed to boost your expertise with the Lavanda Property Management System (PMS). Our goal is to empower you with the knowledge and skills to maximise the potential of our PMS, ensuring you get the most out of your investment.

What is Lavanda University?

Lavanda University offers a series of educational courses tailored to various aspects of our PMS. From basic navigation to advanced features, these courses cover everything you need to become a Lavanda PMS expert.

How Does it Work?

Our courses are delivered through EdApp, the cutting-edge micro-learning app that makes learning convenient and engaging. Whether you prefer learning on-the-go via your mobile device or from the comfort of your desktop, Lavanda University is accessible anytime, anywhere.

Get Started Today

Ready to enhance your Lavanda PMS skills? Click the Sign Me Up button below to gain access to Lavanda University and embark on your learning journey.

If you can't click on the link, you can send an email to training@getlavanda.com to register for the Lavanda University.

Warm regards,

Team Lavanda

P.S. Keep an eye out for new courses and updates as we continually expand Lavanda University to serve you better!

New feature

Charge Stripe card payments directly from invoices

Joyce avatar
Shared by Joyce • March 22, 2024

Hi there,

What's New?

We're pleased to announce a significant update to Lavanda PMS, focusing on enhancing your payment processing experience. With this latest update, we've streamlined the payment workflow by integrating Stripe and manual payments, ensuring a smoother and more efficient process for managing financial transactions within the platform.

Key Features:

  • Unified Payment Workflow: Enjoy a seamless payment experience with the integration of Stripe and manual payments into a single, intuitive workflow.
  • Direct Stripe Card Payments: Make Stripe card payments directly from the invoice, simplifying the payment process with fewer user interactions and automatic allocations.
  • Enhanced User Experience: Experience a significant improvement in the payment UX, including auto-allocations and default settings that reduce manual effort.
  • Expanded Payment Options: Look forward to more versatility with the upcoming addition of new payment methods to our platform.
  • Payment Date Issue Resolution: Addressing a critical need, we've resolved payment date discrepancies, a major improvement especially highlighted by our collaboration with Greystar.
  • Automated Allocations and Journals: Continue to benefit from automated allocations and journals within the payment workflows, a testament to the efficiency of our system.

Why This Change?

This update is part of our ongoing commitment to providing a better user experience and addressing high-priority issues. By reducing the need for workarounds and minimising the time spent on processing and reconciling payments, we aim to enhance operational efficiency and user satisfaction across the board.

Impact:

This enhancement is designed to streamline the payment process for all our customers, making it more efficient and user-friendly. With these improvements, managing payments on Lavanda PMS is now more straightforward, providing you with more time to focus on other aspects of your business.

Getting Started:

Dive into the new payment features and experience the ease of managing your financial transactions on Lavanda PMS.

Warm regards,

Team Lavanda

Improvement
Feature update

Support manual allocations to downpayment invoices

Joyce avatar
Shared by Joyce • March 15, 2024

Hi there,

What's New?

We're pleased to announce the latest update to our platform, introducing the ability to support manual allocations to downpayment invoices. This enhancement is specifically designed for our Greystar Be Casa brands, addressing a crucial need within their unique operational framework.

Key Features:

  • Manual Allocation Capability: Users can now manually allocate payments to downpayment invoices, providing greater flexibility and control over financial transactions.

Why This Change?

This update addresses a previously overlooked aspect of manual allocations. Although it was initially considered an edge case, the necessity for this feature was quickly identified by our diligent users, notably Summer at Greystar. In the standard flow, downpayment invoices are automatically issued and allocated upon successful payment. However, challenges arose when payments were charged back, leading to reversed allocations without the ability to re-allocate new successful payments manually. This enhancement resolves this issue, ensuring seamless financial management even in the event of payment reversals.

Impact:

This update primarily benefits the Greystar Be Casa brands, streamlining their financial operations by allowing manual reallocations to downpayment invoices, particularly in scenarios involving payment reversals. This ensures that their accounting practices can remain accurate and up-to-date, reflecting the true financial status of each booking.

Getting Started:

This feature is now live and available for use. We encourage all relevant users to familiarise themselves with this new capability to maximise their financial management efficiency.

We're committed to continuously improving our platform to meet the specific needs of our diverse user base. We appreciate your feedback and are here to support your success with our solutions.

Warm regards,

Team Lavanda

New feature

Additional Deposits

Joyce avatar
Shared by Joyce • March 12, 2024

Hi there,

What's New?

We're excited to announce a significant update to our Property Management System (PMS) with the introduction of the "Additional Deposits" feature. This new functionality allows for more flexible financial management directly within the booking payments screen of our PMS.

Key Features:

  • Enhanced Deposit Handling: You can now easily record new deposits or take additional deposits through Stripe (for customers present) directly on the PMS booking payments screen. This feature is designed specifically for PMS customers utilising our deposits feature.
  • Deposit Receipts and Allocations: Every transaction generates a deposit receipt accompanied by General Ledger (GL) journal postings. Plus, you have the flexibility to manually allocate a deposit receipt to any invoice or charge note on the same booking with an available balance, enabling partial deposit refunds.

Why This Change?

Our aim with this update is to provide our customers with greater flexibility in managing deposits outside the initial resident or customer onboarding flow. Whether it's for securing extra bookings or handling special cases, the "Additional Deposits" feature ensures that your financial transactions are more streamlined and efficient.

Impact:

This feature improvement is designed to benefit all our customers, offering a more robust and flexible financial management tool within the PMS. It's particularly useful for those who require additional security or financial assurances from their clients beyond the standard booking process.

Getting Started:

This new feature is now live and available for use. For a detailed walkthrough, please visit the help centre link below.

Warm regards,

Team Lavanda

New feature

Record a Payment - Now live

Joyce avatar
Shared by Joyce • March 06, 2024

Hi there,

What's New?

We are thrilled to announce the launch of our latest feature, Record a Payment, now live in your Property Management System (PMS). This new functionality enhances your ability to manage payments efficiently and seamlessly integrates with your existing workflows.

Feature Overview:

  • Direct Payment Recording: You can now record payments processed outside of the PMS directly against an invoice. This not only generates the payment receipt but also creates the corresponding General Ledger (GL) journals and allocates the payment automatically.
  • Comprehensive Payment Solutions: This feature complements our existing Stripe payment requests, including Card and SEPA options, directly from the invoice, offering a broader range of payment handling capabilities.

Why This Change?

Our goal is to streamline your payment management process, eliminating the need for manual payment recording and allocation within the payments tab. This update simplifies the task of linking payments to their relevant invoices, reducing administrative overhead and enhancing efficiency.

Upcoming Enhancements:

  • Direct Charge via Stripe: In our next release, we will introduce the ability to charge through Stripe (customer present) directly on the invoice, expanding your payment processing options.
  • Deposit Payment & Receipt Management: We are also working on enabling the recording and requesting of deposit payments through Stripe, along with the creation of deposit receipts within the PMS. These receipts can then be allocated to an invoice or charge note at a future point, offering greater flexibility in financial management.

Getting Started:

Customers can start utilizing this new workflow immediately following the update. For detailed instructions and more information, feel free to click the Help Article link below.

Warm regards,

Team Lavanda

New feature

Introducing Payment and Deposit Receipt Refunds with Enhanced Allocations

Joyce avatar
Shared by Joyce • March 01, 2024

Hi there,

What's New?

We're thrilled to unveil a new feature in our latest update to Lavanda PMS: Payment and Deposit Receipt Refunds with allocations. This enhancement streamlines the refund process, offering more flexibility and control over financial transactions within the platform.

Key Features:

  • Refund Capability: Directly refund payment receipts, including deposit receipts, from the receipt document itself, ensuring a smoother refund process.
  • Integrated Payment Solutions: For card payments processed via Stripe, refunds are seamlessly directed back to the original card, with considerations for expired cards to ensure a hassle-free experience.
  • Manual Payment Refunds: For payments recorded manually in the PMS, the system guides users to execute refunds using the original payment method, maintaining consistency and traceability.
  • Refund Notes and Allocations: Each refund generates a detailed refund note, automatically allocated to the corresponding receipt for accurate financial tracking.
  • Flexible Refund Amounts: The system supports full or partial refunds, accommodating situations like overpayments or corrections, providing greater flexibility in handling financial adjustments.

Why This Change?

This feature represents a significant step forward in providing a more intuitive and efficient user experience, aligning with industry standards and expectations. The addition of this feature is part of our ongoing commitment to enhancing the financial transaction capabilities within Lavanda PMS, paving the way for future updates focused on payment and refund processes.

Important Notes:

  • Certain payments, such as SEPA/DD and OTA payout receipts, cannot be refunded using this feature, but can be recorded as reversed, with ongoing developments to enhance OTA-initiated refunds.
  • This update enables the refund of deposit receipts. However, down payment receipt refunds will continue to follow the existing workflow, ensuring proper management of down payment refunds.
  • Upcoming releases will remove current restrictions on manual allocations and deposit receipt allocations, further enhancing the platform's financial management capabilities.

Impact:

This new feature simplifies the refund process, providing our customers with a more streamlined and user-friendly experience. It ensures greater accuracy in financial management, reinforcing trust and reliability in our platform.

Getting Started:

Customers can start utilizing this new refund workflow immediately following the update. For detailed instructions and more information, please visit the 'Settings' section within the Help Section of Lavanda PMS.

Warm regards,

Team Lavanda

New feature

Enhance Your Financial Management with Manual Allocations

Joyce avatar
Shared by Joyce • February 07, 2024

Hi there,

What's New?

We're thrilled to introduce a pivotal enhancement in our accounting system: Manual Allocations. This update significantly expands upon our existing functionalities of automated allocations, marking a crucial step toward comprehensive debt management.

Key Features:

  • Manual Payment Allocation: Manually assign payment receipts to invoices when automated allocation isn't feasible or adjustments are necessary, offering greater flexibility in managing financial transactions.
  • Graphical displays now provide a clear visualisation of allocations on all accounts receivable transactions, enhancing clarity in transaction balance calculations
  • New User Interface: A dedicated screen for allocation tasks, accessible via the actions button, simplifies the allocation process, whether you're allocating a payment to an invoice or vice versa.
  • Comprehensive Allocation Visibility: View allocations across all accounts receivable transactions to understand transaction balances clearly.
  • Enhanced Payment Statuses: New statuses for invoices (unpaid, part-paid, fully paid) and payment receipts (unallocated, part-allocated, fully allocated) provide clear insights into transaction statuses.

Why This Change?

This update addresses the essential need for manual intervention in payment allocations, a feature previously missing in our Accounts Receivable system. It offers our users the flexibility to correct, adjust, or manually allocate payments, enhancing accuracy and control over financial management.

How It Works:

  • Allocating a Payment: From the actions button, access the new allocation screen from either direction: to link a payment receipt to an invoice or link an invoice from a payment receipt.
  • Reversing Allocations: Easily reverse allocations when necessary, unless restricted, to maintain accurate accounting records.

Impact:

This enhancement ensures more precise financial tracking and reporting, empowering you with the tools to manage your finances more effectively and efficiently.

Getting Started:

Dive into the new functionalities today! For a detailed guide on using the new manual allocation features, please refer to the dedicated section in our Help Center. This feature is fully operational since 6th February 2024.

Future Work:

Stay tuned for PART 2 of the Manual Allocations Epic, which will introduce further refinements and capabilities to our system.

Best regards,

Team Lavanda