Release Notes: Version 1.0.5 (Initial Release)

Release Date: April 22, 2026

We are thrilled to announce the official launch of the Franchise Ordering & Management Portal. This foundational release establishes the secure connection between our web infrastructure and Sage Evolution, bringing real-time ordering, automated financial guardrails, and role-based workflows to our franchise network.

🚀 Core Features & Modules

• Live Sage Bridge Integration: Bi-directional synchronization for inventory items, product pricing, customer master files, and automated order injection into Sage.
• Dynamic E-Commerce Cart: Real-time stock validation, automated VAT calculation (15%), and dynamic delivery date estimations.
• Secure Payment Gateway: Full DPO PayGate integration allowing franchises to settle accounts and pay for orders online.
• Asynchronous Email Queue: Background mailer system using PHPMailer to prevent frontend bottlenecks, complete with automatic failover and SMTP server error logging.

✨ Enhancements & Workflow Optimization

• Intelligent Financial Guardrails: The system automatically calculates 14-day overdue ageing buckets and available credit limits to restrict ordering for accounts in arrears.
• Sage CheckTerms Bypass: The portal now perfectly mirrors Sage's leniency rules. If "Check Terms" is unticked on a master file in Sage, the portal will allow the franchise to order even if they are overdue or over their credit limit.
• Dedicated HQ Staff Dashboard: Overhauled the workspace for standard staff. Staff now have a dedicated Global Order Activity feed and a Franchise Network matrix to easily impersonate outlets and place orders on their behalf. Admin-level financial analytics are safely hidden from this view.
• Order Collection Notifications: Added a dedicated comma-separated email routing system for "Collection" orders. When a collection order is placed, a highly visible, urgent alert is sent to specific dispatch/store emails.
• Accurate Order Attribution: Upgraded the Sage history data grids to accurately display the name of the actual user who placed the order (via the cContact field), rather than defaulting to the active session name.
• Global BCC Support: Added the ability to input multiple, comma-separated BCC addresses in the admin settings to silently monitor system emails.

🛠 Technical & Security Updates

• Strict MVC Architecture: Deployed on a custom, lightweight Native PHP framework prioritizing speed and security over heavy dependencies.
• Database Protection: Implemented 100% PDO prepared statements across all queries to prevent SQL injection.
• Adaptive UI Design: Built with Tailwind CSS, featuring native Light and Dark mode switching and a fully responsive, mobile-optimized layout.
• System Diagnostics: Added a live "Sage DB Pulse" widget to the admin dashboard to monitor the health and connectivity of the Bridge API in real-time.