Our product development team is constantly innovating, to build a better Alto software experience.
Every time we've added a new feature, we've notified all our users within Alto itself utilising in product messaging.
However, for a full list of the changes on a monthly basis such as new features, any improvements or product fixes to our software, please see the relevant articles in our Release Notes sections of the Help Centre.
New features
To view a log of the latest new features within Alto:
- Sign in to Alto
- Click the Alto icon in the bottom right corner of the screen
- Click Product updates
- A summary list of our Product updates display. Some new feature updates will include links that take you to the relevant page within Alto. Popup messaging and/or guides may then launch to provide you with more information on what's new
Improvements
Analytics - Terms Sent and Terms Signed added to the sales and lettings models
This improvement went live on 29th July.
As part of our Analytics functionality, we've added Terms Sent and Terms Signed attributes to the sales and lettings models.
These record the date terms were sent and the date they were signed, taken from the Timeline entries added when you select the relevant options from the action menu. You can now report on both dates alongside your other sales and lettings data.
The attributes are available when creating custom reports and in Alto IQ queries.
Analytics - Enquiry Date added to the client model
This improvement went live on 29th July.
As part of our Analytics functionality, we've added an Enquiry Date attribute to the client model.
This shows the date an enquiry was received, so you can see not only the date the client was registered but also the date of the original enquiry.
The attribute is available when creating custom reports and in Alto IQ queries.
Analytics - Viewing Diary Notes added to the sales and lettings models
This improvement went live on 29th July.
As part of our Analytics functionality, we've added a Viewing Diary Notes attribute to the sales and lettings models.
When you cancel a viewing, you're prompted to enter notes, which appear on the Diary Notes tab of the viewing. These notes are now available in the sales and lettings models, so you can include them in your reporting.
The attribute is available when creating custom reports and in Alto IQ queries.
Ability to include files attached to a works order when requesting a quote or instructing a supplier
This improvement went live on 28th July.
When you request a quote or instruct a supplier whose default delivery method is email, you can now choose which files held on the works order to include in the email to the supplier.
With this update:
- Files attached to the works order are listed when you instruct a supplier or request a quote by email
- You can select which files to include, so the supplier gets everything they need with the request
This change can be used whether you raise the works order from a property or from a supplier. For more information, see Adding a works order from a property and Adding a works order from a supplier.
Property and Contact merge codes available to email templates
This improvement went live on 21st July.
You can now insert property and contact merge codes into email templates. Merge codes insert the relevant contact or property data automatically at the point the email is sent.
With this update:
- Click Merge codes on the toolbar (or press #) to choose from a searchable list of available codes
- Property merge codes populate when a property is linked to the email; contact merge codes populate for the recipient contact
- This also works for batch emails sent to contact groups
This helps you personalise email templates with details such as contact name, property address and phone number, reducing the need to edit emails manually before sending.
For more information, see Adding merge codes to an email template.
Delete unconfirmed viewings
This improvement went live on 20th July.
You can now delete an unconfirmed viewing appointment, removing it completely along with its associated tasks and reminders. This is useful where a viewing has been booked in error.
A Delete Viewing button appears in the Viewing window while a viewing is unconfirmed. Once a viewing has been confirmed, you'll need to cancel it instead.
For more information, see Cancelling or deleting a viewing.
Analytics - Rent review date added to the lettings model
This improvement went live on 20th July.
As part of our Analytics functionality, we've added the rent review date to the lettings model.
The rent review date was already available in the property management model and on the Property Management: Compliance dashboard. It's now also in the lettings model, so you can include it alongside your other rental data.
The attribute is available when creating custom reports and in Alto IQ queries.
Analytics - Enquiry property manager added to the client model
This improvement went live on 14th July.
As part of our Analytics functionality, we've added an Enquiry property manager attribute to the client model.
This lets you report on the property manager linked to the property associated with an enquiry.
The attribute is available when creating custom reports and in Alto IQ queries.
Analytics - Withdrawal fee added to the sales model
This improvement went live on 13th July.
As part of our Analytics functionality, we've added a Withdrawal fee attribute to the sales model.
The attribute isn't added to any existing sales answers, but you can add it yourself through custom reporting.
The attribute is available when creating custom reports and in Alto IQ queries.
More contact information available when booking a viewing and making an offer
This improvement went live on 8th July.
When you search for an applicant to link to a viewing or an offer, you now see more detail in the search results, helping you pick the correct applicant.
With this update:
- The results show each applicant's email address alongside their name and address
- Hovering over a name shows additional detail
This means fewer mistakes when linking applicants to viewings and offers, as you have more information to hand to confirm you're linking the right person.
For more information, see Booking a viewing via a property and Making an offer on a property.
Diary "All branches" filter changes
This improvement went live on 7th July.
We've changed how the All branches filter works in the Diary, so it respects your branch access.
The All branches filter now shows appointments for the branches your security settings give you access to, plus any appointments you've been tagged in. Previously, it could show all appointments in a branch you don't have access to, simply because you'd been tagged in one appointment there.
For more information, see Accessing and filtering branch diaries.
Alto service status page
This improvement went live on 6th July.
Alto service status information is now available on a dedicated Alto Status page. This is the best place to check the latest information on service availability and incidents, and it updates automatically as an incident progresses from being identified through to being resolved.
You can access the Alto Status page at any time:
- Within Alto - click Help (the question mark) on the main navigation bar, then click Service Status
- From the Help Centre - click Alto service status at the top of the page
You can also Subscribe to the Alto Status page to receive email updates when an incident is raised, and track it as it progresses. You may be asked to log in using your Alto credentials when accessing the page.
Note
Alto has routine maintenance every Wednesday from 8.00pm to 9.00pm. If maintenance is planned outside of this time, we'll share updates on the Alto Status page and, where appropriate, notify you in Alto.
Analytics - Contract type added to the lettings model
This improvement went live on 3rd July.
As part of our Analytics functionality, we've added a Contract type attribute to the lettings model, showing the contract type for the tenancy.
The attribute isn't added to any existing lettings answers, but you can add it yourself through custom reporting.
The attribute is available when creating custom reports and in Alto IQ queries.
Client payments - activation improvements
This improvement went live on 3rd July.
We've made improvements to the client payments sign-up process to help you resolve activation issues yourself and prevent them happening in the first place.
With this update:
- When you create an account, a message confirms that existing Stripe users must first log out of Stripe and sign up using a different email address
- You can delete an account that hasn't been verified, then reconnect using a new email address
For more information, see Enabling client payments within Keyflo.