Matt, we're seeing the effect of 'scope creep'. New features stuck onto the bits that work, only to see conflicts as the different parts work in different ways with different triggers. I had a long talk with Everette about a year ago about this - a real tug of war that I wouldn't wish on anyone. Yes, time to re-think this stuff because nobody would design it this way from scratch.

I'd prefer to have a LOT more control over the ways and reasons the software communicates with my customers and suppliers - frustrating.


I addition to the automated 'sends', how about a radio button menu of possible emails next to a radio button menu of recipients - then hit 'send' - the way we get our shoppers to select choices... we know it works. This should be roll-off-the-wall easy to do and I hope we get something like it in BVC6.

Rich, I agree, but BVC5 does work so the clumsy email handling isn't a 'bug', it's designed that way. BVC5 is not optimum, but they could fiddle til the cows come home and not stomp out all of the fires, nor get it running to everyone's satisfaction. If you've read only half of my posts over the years, you'll know I have my issues. Kitting, now promised for almost 2 years ( I saw a video in Oct. 2006, link below), is a prime example of scope creep and the problems and delays it causes. Time to move on to a new platform or we'll never get a 'finished' product, IMHO.

Having made my purchase in March 2006 for BVC5 and finally making my store live in June 2007... well... I lived through the '06 launch, SP1 and 2 and 3 and have the emails and forum posts to show for it. I've got a long list of 'stuff' to hope for. I requested the BVC6 wish-list Topic. Read just the titles of the threads and you'll see what users think is lacking. If the crew at BVC doesn't move on, we'll never see anything better.

It'd be like GM not working on an electric car because thay can tweak the gas ones a bit more. Time to get along to something better.

I'm ready to get something better AND if we can get a bit of trickle-down to 5 in the meantime, I'm all for it.


BTW - the strong, robust, bells and whistles admin tool kit at my last platform was created by a 3rd party developer, not the creator of the software package.



http://www.bvsoftware.co...5/Video/BVC5Kitting.html

I'd like to get a '% of site price' (2, 10%; 3 - 5, 20%... with rounding to .95 would be nice) control for volume discounts. The way it's written it fulfills the lack-luster design specs (it works) and allows Marcus to list volume discounts as a feature of the software (helps fatten-up the feature list), but jeeeeezus... it's a pain to edit each discount price on each individual product. A store owner wouldn't design it this way - never. I'd also be great if the volume discount came over when you cloned a product - a thoughtless omission when cloning or volume discounts was designed into the package.

You think we'll see this improved for BVC5? Not likely because it works as designed. A totally new design is called for.


Time to re-engineer the platform from the ground up with a real live store owner designing the day-to-day controls - and testing them for ease of use... the sooner, the better. I've had it with patches and plugs and bug-fixes. We've lost some really good users in the last year because just getting the basic features to work has been a PITA.

Time to move on, calcification is setting in and third party developers (perhaps with some really great ideas) are staying away.

Yea, the thread got hijacked a bit, sorry. Extending a warrantee is always great news, I'd love to get that on my Chrysler.

Given BVC's limited resources, I'm sure there has to be a choice between continuing to improve 5, or building/launching 6.

The forum is full of great ideas not getting any attention, this being one of them. I too would love to see order handling updated to better handle real world messyness and have posted that request about a year ago - so you're not alone. I think the answer from BVC is going to be to hire a programmer for custom work, or wait for BVC6 to see if it works better.

So I'm to tell my client(s)... hey... you know all that money you just spent on the application as well as my services? yeah... you wasted it. We're just going to wait until the next version so don't worry about growing your business over the next year and a half for the new app to be released, plus the time it's going to take for me to migrate you as well as design the new store based on the completely new architecture.

I'm all for a sweet new application... but seriously.... let the app function in it's current state, keep hindering company growth, work against streamlined business practices and keep adding serious time tax to maintenance because of slow loading of the dashboard?

That's sweeping it under the rug.



Fine tuning BV5 is going to setup a sweet BV6.

That same case can be made about all of us including you. I started with the First BV2004 and fell for the upgrade to the new verson, it will fix everything, guess what. What makes you think you will have anything any better than what you have now, but with a new architecture. If you upgrade guess what, all new design, all new bugs, all new sp's and on and on. Let's get this one right then roll it over, break it from there if you must, but have something that works from start to finish. Ease of use is in the eyes of the beholder, what maybe easy for you might not be for the next. No software will meet everyone needs or likes, that is what developers are for. If anyone bought in on BV2004 you have paid the $1,799.00 plus in upgrades to get you where you are at. BV6 is just going to add to it all.

Matt you points are well taken, it would be hard for me to take the cost at this point, much less the time I half to wait for *maybe a fix for the problems I am having right NOW*. Then the cost for redesign and time in waiting. I'm sorry someone is going to have to explain in detail why those cost are necessary!

Richard
www.somethingmorestore.com

Thanks guys, I appreciate all the feedback. There is always room for improvement and I've mentioned in the past that the main focus of BV Commerce 6 will be refining the admin and processes to better address merchant's needs. There will be new features too but they should take a back seat to the business of doing business.

We are working on BV Commerce 6 (we have a nice code base running on .net 3.5 already) but haven't stopped work on BV Commerce 5. In fact, today we are launching a 5.4 service pack beta program for those who are interested.