We've updated the entire foundation to the latest Microsoft platform. Our new Outlook app is both faster and more stable for daily use. The calendar synchronization with Outlook has received a major upgrade under the hood, ensuring your orders follow calendar changes. Should an error unexpectedly occur, cryptic error messages are now replaced by clear, actionable messages.
And here is the reassuring part: Since the VisionCatering app is Software-as-a-Service, your existing data – rooms, items, menus, and orders – is fully preserved in the new version. Nothing needs to be re-entered.
Below, you can read in detail about all the new features and what they mean for kitchen teams and administrators.
Detailed Overview: For Kitchen Staff
The kitchen overview has been updated, providing an even better visual overview. The new update also reduces manual workflows.
New Visual Dashboard on the Homepage
We have redesigned the homepage. With new, clear graphs, the kitchen gets an immediate and clear overview of the day's catering and the rest of the week's orders. This makes planning of purchase and work hours much easier.
Automatic Emails for Cancellations
If the kitchen cancels a catering order from the administration screen, the system now automatically sends an email to the meeting organizer (in the company's chosen language). The email automatically includes the meeting's subject, time, and location. This ensures employees notice the change immediately – instead of only realizing it when the food doesn't arrive. (Note: This only applies when the kitchen cancels. If the employee deletes or changes their meeting in Outlook themselves, an email is not sent, as they are already making the change.)
Smarter Filters That Remember Your Choices
The list of orders can now be precisely filtered by specific locations, rooms, and status. The clever part is that the system now automatically remembers the filter for the user's next session. For example, if you always work with a specific location, you won't have to set the filter every morning.
No More Accidental Deletions of Items and Rooms
We have built in an effective safeguard to protect data. If an administrator attempts to delete a meeting room or a catering item that is still part of future orders, the system blocks the action. You get a clear message that tells you exactly which orders are blocking the action, and the system instead suggests a safer alternative – for example, making the item inactive going forward, without disrupting existing orders.
Streamlined Cleanup for Employee Departures
When an employee leaves the company, removing them from the lunch program can be a cumbersome manual task. With the new cleanup tool, an administrator can search for the employee's email and delete all future lunch registrations and any guest registrations in a single operation.
Detailed overview: For administrators
For those of you managing the system behind the scenes, administration has become significantly simpler and more streamlined.
All settings consolidated on one clear page
No more clicking around many different tabs and screens. All company settings (meeting bookings, deadlines, lunch setup, and email notifications) are now consolidated on one clear page. Each setting is equipped with a short, helpful description, leaving no doubt about what a change does.
Smart Alerts in Outlook – never forget catering
When an employee clicks "Send" for a meeting in Outlook without having added meeting catering, the system can now pop up with a friendly reminder. From here, the employee can choose to go back and add coffee or cake, or send the meeting as is. (The feature is activated under settings and is initially supported in Outlook Classic for Windows. Microsoft is continuously rolling out support for the New Outlook and Web).
Automatic import of rooms from Microsoft 365
You no longer need to manually create new meeting rooms in VisionCatering. A new administrator page can connect directly to the existing Microsoft 365 catalog, and meeting rooms are loaded and imported in bulk with just a few clicks.
Customizing weekly deadlines – the system keeps track of time
We have optimized the logic for weekly deadlines. For example, if the weekly deadline is set to "Monday at 1:00 PM", orders will actually close on Monday at 1:00 PM. Previously, the system looked at the meeting's start time, which could mean that the deadline effectively closed several hours too early for morning meetings. Now, your own configuration is fully respected.
Fully multilingual system (Danish, English, German)
Both the app's user interface and the automatic emails sent by the system now fully support Danish, English, and German. Users can change the language directly in their profile, and the administrator can centrally select the default language for the company's general notifications.
Important to know about the rollout and compatibility
The update to VisionCatering Modern happens completely automatically, and you don't need to do anything actively to move data. Everything is saved and ready.
Depending on how Outlook is accessed, users will experience the rollout as follows:
- Outlook Classic for Windows: Users will not notice any change in how they open the add-in or log in. Everything works automatically as before.
- New Outlook for Windows / Web / Mac / Teams: The first time the add-in is opened after the update, the user will be greeted by a one-time "Log in" button to authorize the application. This only requires a single click and subsequent consent, after which the app will automatically remember the user going forward.
Do you have questions or need help?
We are closely monitoring the rollout of the new version to ensure a completely seamless transition.
If you have questions about the new features, or need help configuring the new settings (such as SmartAlerts or the new language management features), we are ready to help.
Please contact us at Vision People - you can also create a case directly with our support: support@visionpeople.dk
Would you like to join a webinar?
If you'd like a tour of VisionCatering and to get tips and tricks, you can sign up for a free webinar about VisionCatering
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