Bulletins – Hawaii Information Service

The planned release of REsearch 4.3 (Database Reorg) has been postponed until April 12. We realize that many members are anxious to use the new data entry forms to provide richer data for their listings, and our team is excited to push many improvements out to users. However, with the support of our Board, we decided to push the release back for a number of reasons.

Firstly, several agents and brokers said that we are currently in the midst of a busy season in the market, and that the second quarter would be more manageable. We want to make this release and the transition as smooth as possible, and given the amount of work required by agents and brokers to update their listings in the new system, they made a strong case.

Secondly, and more significantly, we believe that our membership is not 100 percent prepared for the changes involved in REsearch 4.3. Our own statistics show that out of over 1,800 active members, only 311 have logged into our beta site. That leaves over 1,500 users who have not reviewed the changes, or may not even be aware changes are coming.

REsearch 4.3 is a critical upgrade that will require members to check and update their listings, prospects, saved searches, and saved formats. So we plan to use the month of March to more aggressively inform and train the membership so they are prepared and know what to do when we move 4.3 to live. In the mean time, we appreciate your patience and understanding in these efforts.

How can I help?

Communication is key to every release. We use our email newsletters, bulletin blog, and other venues to provide information on important changes to our system. Unfortunately, these can often be missed, filtered into “junk mail folders,” or otherwise not shared with everyone who needs to know. Therefore, we kindly urge you to talk to your peers and let them know about 4.3. For example, if your brokerage has a weekly or a monthly meeting, this is a perfect opportunity to make sure everyone knows about the upcoming changes. And as always, if you need any help with this, please contact us and we can provide you all the information we have about the changes, what is expected after the release, and what to do once it’s live.

More importantly, we also urge everyone to try the Beta site located at:

http://rebeta.hawaiiinformation.com/REsearch/HIS/

Here, you can see all the changes and really dive into the new listing input process. This site uses a test database, so you can put in as many ‘test’ listings as you want. Try putting some listings on the listing side, and then try putting some listings in on the rental side. Get a feel for the new forms, and perform searches with the ‘Type’, ‘Subtype’, and ‘Ownership’ fields. And again, if you have any questions or find any bugs please let us know.

We look forward to getting the 4.3 release out in April, and with your help, we can do so with minimal impact on your work.

Thank you!

Bob Schoenthal
Hawaii Information Service Product Manager
bob@hawaiiinformation.com
(800) 628-3121 x153
Cell: (808) 222-3757
Fax: (808) 536-6499

The Roster is a database of Hawaii Information Multiple Listing Service members, allowing you to look up HIS member office and agent information. Now, in addition to searching by office and agent names, office and agent ID numbers, board affiliations, and realtor designations, we have added a new category called Agent Territory.

Roster search results display office and/or agent records based on your selections. Additionally, office and agent names and addresses can be displayed, printed, and downloaded in a label format for mailing purposes.

How to Search the Roster

The Roster Search is located on the Search tab drop-down menu:

In the example below we have selected “Kauai” as the territory of choice from the drop down menu:

The results show the agent and office information, based on Agent Territory – Kauai:

If you want to add this new category to build your search, you will find this category under the add fields link, located at the bottom of the page:

And if you have a customized search created, you may now add agent territory or add to an existing format:

After months of development, testing, and feedback, we are planning to go live with REsearch 4.3 on March 1, 2010. We wanted to give you a brief update on our progress so far, and we will continues to send you additional information as the launch date quickly approaches.

As of last week, we “locked” the code, which means that we are no longer adding to the features and functionality of REsearch. From this point forward, we are focused on fixing bugs and identifying any remaining problems with the system.

We received dozens of great requests and suggestions once we began our beta testing period. And our development team thoroughly reviewed, prioritized, and worked to implement as much of them as possible. If you submitted a request that is not reflected in the REsearch 4.3 beta release, rest assured that it remains in our tracking system, and we are already beginning preliminary work on mapping out ‘Phase 2′ of this upgrade.

In the mean time, please continue to use and explore the REsearch 4.3 beta. We would obviously like to find and resolve every bug before the system goes live. Also, using the beta system will ensure you have a better understanding of the changes in REsearch 4.3, so you’ll be able to hit the ground running next month.

Release Scheduling Notice

REsearch 4.3 will go live on Monday, March 1, 2010. However, the transition will require us to put REsearch into “read-only mode” over the preceding weekend. This means that on Saturday, Feb. 27 and Sunday, Feb. 28, you will not be able to modify or enter new listings, prospects, contacts, or saved searches. You will still be able to login and view existing listings, but if you expect to add or modify listings at the end of the month, we encourage you to do so by Friday, Feb. 26. Otherwise, you can wait until REsearch 4.3 is live, and you can add or modify listings using the new data entry forms.

As always, we would like to thank you and our members and user community for your continued support and feedback as we continue to build better tools to help you grow your business.

Bob Schoenthal
Hawaii Information Service Product Manager
bob@hawaiiinformation.com
(800) 628-3121 x153
Cell: (808) 222-3757
Fax: (808) 536-6499

Start the new year off right with REsearch refresher courses.  Sign up for one of our online training classes this February and…

• Learn our trainers tricks & tips for farming
• Brush up on your basics
• Discover ways to attract new customers

Below are the online classes scheduled for the month of February.  To sign up immediately, simply click on the links below.  Space is limited so please RSVP soon!  If you are going to participate/watch as a group, only one person needs to sign up.

Please note: Once REsearch Version 4.3 becomes live all classes will include the changes made in the release.

Remember, after you have participated, please make sure to fill out the survey or e-mail me your feedback so we can continue to improve upon our training efforts!  Mahalo.

February 1 – 7

New Member Orientation: Wednesday, February, 3, 2010, from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Registration Web Link: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/296656691

Manage Listings & Forms: Wednesday, February, 3, 2010, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Registration Web Link: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/418382378

Searching & Formats: Thursday, February 4, 2010, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Registration Web Link: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/548491986

Prospecting, Contracts & Calender: Thursday, February 4, 2010, from 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Registration Web Link: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/209160835

Customizing & Downloads: Friday, February 5, 2010, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Registration Web Link: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/983321426

Update, CMA, Farming & Labels: Friday, February 5, 2010, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Registration Web Link: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/648564346

February 8-14

Manage Listings & Forms: Monday, February 8, 2010, from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Registration Web Link: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/634311403

Searching & Formats: Monday, February 8, 2010, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Registration Web Link: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/376749818

New Member Orientation: Wednesday, February 10, 2010, from 2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Registration Web Link: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/518529962

Prospecting, Contracts & Calendar: Thursday, February 11, 2010, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Registration Web Link: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/884450115

Maps: Thursday, February 11, 2010, from 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Registration Web Link: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/540154194

Update, CMA, Farming & Labels: Friday, February 12, 2010, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Registration Web Link: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/135191035

Customizing & Downloads: Friday, February, 12, 2010, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Registration Web Link: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/383388491

Instructions on how to register for the above webinars:

* To register, please click onto the applicable link located below the class.  The link will then take you to the registration site.

* Please complete all the required fields marked by a red asterisks (First Name, Last Name, Email Address, Phone, Organization AKA Office Name).

* Click “Register Now” to complete the registration process.  Once registered a confirmation email will be sent to your email address to confirm your registration along with a unique web ID number and instructions on how to login to the session on that day.

* If you need login assistance, please feel free to contact our Customer/Technical Support team at (800) 628-3121, press # and then 457.

System Requirements

* PC-based attendees – Required: Windows® 2000, XP Home, XP Pro, 2003 Server, Vista

* Macintosh®-based attendees – Required: Mac OS® X 10.4 (Tiger®) or newer

Questions? Comments?  I’d love to hear from you!  Please feel free to e-mail me at erin@alohaliving.com or call directly at (808) 748-8759 or toll free 1-800-628-3121 ext. 159.

You are invited to join us for a presentation explaining in more depth and detail REsearch Version 4.3, the Data Base Reorg.  As these changes will affect items in REsearch such as Data Entry, Display Formats, as well as Listings, Saved Searches, and Prospects, we strongly encourage you to attend if possible.  Come and acquaint yourself with the upgrades and changes, ask questions, and network a bit with your fellow members.

We will be holding two sessions to accommodate as many people as possible.  However, seating is limited so please RSVP as early as possible.  If you have already submitted your RSVP and have received a confirmation e-mail from me you do not need to RSVP again.

When:

KAUAI: Wednesday, January 6th, 2010 from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m.

Wednesday, January 6th 2010 from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m.

HILO: Thursday, January 7th, 2010 from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m.

Thursday, January 7th, 2010 from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m.

KONA: Friday, January 8th, 2010 from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m.

Friday, January 8th 2010 from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m.

Where:

KAUAI: Kauai Beach Resort (Formerly Hilton Kauai Beach Resort)

4331 Kauai Beach Drive, Lihue 96766

HILO: Hawaiian Island Board of Realtors
26 Waianuenue Avenue, Hilo, Hawaii

KONA: Kuakini Towers
75-5722 Kuakini Hwy, 2nd Floor Conference Room, Suite 216
Kailua Kona, Hawaii

RSVP: By Monday, January 4th by e-mailing me at erin@alohaliving.com.

In the meantime, if you would like to take part in the Beta for REsearch 4.3, you can view the changes here: http://rebeta.hawaiiinformation.com/REsearch/HIS_REORG

If you do any testing, please send us feedback and any bugs you may come across by filling out and submitting this simple form:  http://useresearch.com/bugform/

Please note:  Due to the database change,  you will not be testing with Live data.  Unfortunately we cannot run the new system and an old system on the same database because of the amount of changes that have taken place on the backend.  This will make your testing even more crucial as we need to uncover all of the bugs before we can switch 4.3 over to the live system.

Questions?  Please do not hesitate to contact me at erin@alohaliving.com