ChannelOnline 8.8 Release Notes

[CommunityJedi22]

Release 8.8 focuses on the introduction of Optional Items on Quotes, QuickBooks Online POs and sync jobs, Export document to Excel, XML updates, minor tweaks, plus fine-tuning core application functions and operational improvements. Find out more about the latest features, changes, and fixes in ChannelOnline.

• International Expansion - United Kingdom
• Documents
• Suppliers & Integrations - A.B. Distributing
• StoreSite
• Administration
• General Improvements and Fixes

Released September 5, 2025

ChannelOnline United Kingdom

Exciting News! ChannelOnline now fully supports VARs and MSPs conducting business in the UK. Please contact your sales manager if you would like to learn more about how to get ChannelOnline for the UK activated. 

• DataSource and ContentCast product specifications and marketing materials
• Full Ingram Micro UK integration support, along with custom suppliers
• UPS carrier integration and custom carrier support
• Currency format and British Pound symbol
• VAT taxes

Documents 

Optional Items Feature (NEW) - Add optional items to your quotes that can get added to the order before converting or via the store cart. ChannelOnline allows sales reps the capability to add additional ‘Optional’ items onto a quote document.  When Optional items are added, the item prices will not be included in the document's Totals section.  Optional Items can be placed anywhere in the quote document or grouped at the bottom with an Optional Item header to separate them from the regular quoted items.

Main aspects of this feature include:

• Optional items are not added to the document totals
• Optional items can be added to the quote or cart by users
• Optional items can be added with the generic Config Import
• Two new ‘Group By’ options in Re-order Actions dropdown: Group Optional and Group Optional with Header. These help to organize the quote quickly.
• Once marked optional, it’s always optional behind the scenes, even when converted for use by reporting. This tracks what items were converted.  
• For use in the store, we have added a new icon to be displayed and can automatically group options at the bottom of the cart if desired. Makes it easier for the end contact to know what can be added to their order.
• Add to Cart has two methods for end customers: simply click on the plus icon, or select the check box on the line and select Add to Cart from the line actions dropdown.
• Item reports contain two new column options, Marked Optional and Converted, to track the conversion rate of items. 

For full details, contact support. 

 Export document to Excel (NEW) - This export to Excel (xls or xlsx) feature comes with two export options: 1) product table lines only, or 2) complete document with header detail and notes. There is no separate activation required because it has been integrated as an option in the footer of all quote, order, and invoice documents.  

Export Lines - This export includes only line details but uses the same format that we use for Generic Config Import. This makes it easy to make config import changes by exporting what items are already on the quote, then adding items, changing costs, quantity, and price, and turning it around to re-import back into the quote (or even a new quote).

 Export Document - Performing this export will provide the user with a modified replica of the document, complete with the majority of the document information. Useful for some end clients who may not be able to access your store site or are having trouble with PDFs.

Export Document Sample

Bulk Supplier Selection Update (NEW) - Want to update the supplier on multiple item lines at one time without having to go into the line item edit?  Users can now do this in bulk by selecting multiple lines (line action checkbox) and updating the selected supplier by using the option in the action in Add/Import/Update called “Bulk Change Supplier”.  

Workflow:

• Users can select individual lines on the quote or hit the select all box at the top to select all lines.
• Then go to the Add/Import/Update dropdown and select “Bulk Change Supplier”,
• Change supplier opens a lightbox with all the available suppliers based on the price profile for those lines.
• User selects a radio button to switch (update) the supplier on those lines,
• Hit the save button to update and return to the quote.

Store Order Workflow - This feature is for use with internal custom fields that are required for sales reps to complete before they can convert to an order. With this setting, the system can now have store orders go on hold with a Pending status for those internal fields to be completed by the sales rep.   

If the Internal Required Custom Field has no value/blank, the system will place the order on pending, so that the internal sales rep can fill it out with a value. End contacts will be able to place orders on the store that have required internal fields, and those orders will go on a Pending order status for review and the editing of those required fields. Sales reps will receive an email notifying them that they have a pending order to review (system-generated email: Order Submitted - Pending Approval). There is no effect on e-sign documents because the system forces these to be completed by the rep before sending.

A new setting was added to Company Settings > Documents > Sales Orders > Checkbox: to be placed above auto-create feature settings.

[_]  Force required internal custom fields to place orders from the store on Pending status. After the required fields are updated by a sales rep, the order can be converted to Submitted.

- Customer submits order in store >

   - Internal custom fields are required >

      - Store order goes automatically to ‘Pending’ status for review (ORDER / CREDIT REVIEW) >

         - Sales Rep goes into the order (will also get system-generated email) and updates the custom fields >

            - Then approver selects the ‘Approve this Order’ button in the footer (user must have approval rights) >

                 - Order is converted to Submitted.

Taxable Line Items - Multi-select lines for updating taxable/non-taxable status on a quote or order document. Ability to check/uncheck the Tax checkbox in the taxable column for all line items, or a selected group of items, in a document. The feature also allows the use of the "Select All" checkbook option in the header of the product table.   

 See new selections for Optional Items / Unmark Optional and Tax / Untax lines.

Standard Plus - When using the inline edit feature (the icon with the box and pen) on the Standard Plus view, text-based custom fields will open up for editing.  This removes the need to open the line edit window to make edits to text-based or regex custom fields. This does not work for dropdowns, date calendars, or checkboxes.

Jump to bottom/top - For easier use of larger documents, we have added a button at the top of the document to quickly take you to the bottom. Then, at the bottom of the document, we added a button to quickly take you to the top.  Look for these buttons on the right-hand side of your screen.   

Icon Updates - replaced the older add to Database and tracking link Truck icons to match UI styling. 

Supplier / XML / Integrations

A.B. Distributing Inc. (NEW) - Add A.B. Distributing Inc. to your full catalog and take advantage of the products they have to offer. It’s simple to set up, just add your dedicated account file name to the integrations page and save. Remember to click “Add Supplier to All Price Profiles”.

A.B. Distributing, Inc. is a family-owned, full-service distribution and logistics company specializing in technology solutions and services since 1989. Learn more information on A.B. Distributing, Inc. by visiting www.abdistributing.com.

Ingram Micro Canada - Implemented the ability to perform Quote (Deal) Imports in the same way it is supported in the US (see Release 8.7 Notes). To use this feature, you must have the required API credentials from Ingram Micro for Client ID and Secret. Contact support if you need any additional assistance. 

QuickBooks Online - In this release, we advanced the QuickBooks Online integration to include the export of POs and to allow the setup of automated synchronization jobs on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis.  

• Purchase Orders - When QBO is enabled, the ability to send Purchase Orders to QBO will automatically be available. Buyers will see the “Export to QuickBooks Online” button appear in the footer of all purchase order documents in COL.
• QBO to COL status mapping is for Open status only. QBO does not accept the other statuses at this time.
• Document Totals for supplier fees, shipping, and tax will appear as line items in the body of the PO.  There are no fields in QBO to map them to.
• Synchronization Jobs - built out the capability to set up and automate synchronization jobs for all documents.  Schedule daily, weekly, and monthly jobs to send account and document information to QBO.  
• Fixed the messaging around accounts updated outside of ChannelOnline (in QBO). When an account gets updated in QBO, it breaks the link to the COL customer.

Please contact support for the updated QBO User Guide. 

General Improvements & Fixes

• Favorites Admin Search - Updated the top search field to have a dedicated ability to search for lists that are stored in Favorites Admin. Once a user navigates to Favorites Admin, the search in the top will reflect that location.  Or, users can select Favorites Admin from the search dropdown selection from anywhere else in the application. Type the name of the list you are looking for, hit enter at any time to get a list based on your search string (search uses starts with).
  
• Add/Import/Update lightbox UI standardization.   
• Updated the Add to Database icon in the product table for the addition of bundles and manual items to get added to the catalog.  
• Updated the shipment tracking icon for improved visibility.   
• StoreSite Activity Document Tabs and selection dropdown list will no longer be present when an end contact does not have any related documents. Example: customers without invoices will not see the invoice document tab or the invoice selections from the dropdown document (status) selection list.    
• Custom Field Imports with dropdown selections that included the Rank/Order column would crash during import and would not save. This problem has been resolved.    
• Included the semicolon as a delimiter option for international custom supplier import files.
• Coupon use modifications. Once a coupon has been used, that coupon, listed in Admin > Marketing, will no longer be allowed to be modified. Because it has been used, it is tied to sales order reports, and discount amounts cannot be modified. If modifications need to be made, then the coupon must be copied and modified, with the old coupon being locked from edits; the edit icon will need to be greyed out. 
• Coupons on StoreSites. Added a new cart setting to be used to hide the Coupon Field in store carts. This is useful if you have punchout customers.

Support Tip

Where’s my company logo?

Going through a rebranding or merger? We've seen several customers ask where they can change their logo. It's found under Company Settings -> Documents -> Misc section, pictured below.