Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/128820
Tech Talk The AQ App: A Definitive Review Plus a Quick Tutorial on How to Use Some of Its Most Popular Features n my 20-year tenure in the foodservice industry, I've seen AutoQuotes go through a number of major changes and one thing that amazes me is how the team has kept pace with advancing technologies like clockwork. The most notable recent achievement is the addition of their mobile app for Apple's iPad. It's a clear indication that the foodservice industry has taken another leap into the technology era and AutoQuotes is in a comfortable spot to lead the way into uncharted territory. If you're looking to expand your reach and be more efficient in the field,the AQ app is a great tool. Below is a thorough review and 1-to-5 rating system (five being best) of the app that will hopefully help you understand its capabilities and limitations from a "non-technical" user's point of view. Overall, I think you'll find that most updates to the AQ app will appear to be perks rather than bug fixes. I AQ360 Required First and foremost, it's important to understand that the AutoQuotes app is not a standalone piece of software. In other words, it's not intended to replace the desktop version but acts as a mobile extension of AQ360. Because of this, you must first download and install the desktop version of AQ360 before having the ability to use the app to its fullest potential.This also means not all (primarily admin) features are available in the app and the core setup, such as admin settings, logos, freight default settings and master vendor price setup. They will need to be done in the desktop version of AQ360. Once the desktop setup is complete, you will be able to pass data like project information smoothly between the two. Since the app is an extension of 1 6 FEDA New s & View s AQ360, the login information will be the same. An important side note: The app will not work with AutoQuotes versions 5 or 6, so if you're serious about being efficient in the field, I highly advise upgrading to AQ360. Installation Rating = 5.0 If you're familiar with adding apps to your iPad, then adding the AutoQuotes app will be a breeze.A simple search for "AutoQuotes"(no space between words) in the app store will retrieve a single result for the free full-version AutoQuotes app.The fact that it is free was a pleasant surprise,as I am sure they could have easily charged a few bucks without causing too much of a stir from end users. Once the app is loaded, the only thing you will need to get up and running is your username and password. On a difficulty level of 1 to 5 (five being hardest), I would rate installing the app a 1. Layout and Navigation Rating = 4.5 The release of each new version of AutoQuotes has a tendency to create a little havoc for the "not-so-tech-savvy" user and it's common for them to feel they must learn the software all over again,simply because of a few added features or because the layout looks a little different. However, this go-round, users can breathe a sigh of relief because the app layout and navigation closely resemble the desktop version of AQ360. On the flip side, for the tech-savvy-users, if you're familiar with using both an iPad and AQ360, you can almost hit the ground running. Adding features such as Apple's "swipe," combined with the familiar layout of AQ360, makes using the app easy to learn. The AutoQuotes team has made some brilliant moves to address ease of use, so both tech-savvy and novices should become comfortable with using the app within a short period of time. Response Time Rating = 4.8 Speed is an area AutoQuotes has improved upon tenfold over the years and the iPad app continues the trend. I ran tests to get an average load time from three different locations using a Wi-Fi connection.The first test was from my home office with a decent Internet connection. In technical terms, I ran the test using a connection speed of 72.2 Mbps with limited gadgets accessing my Wi-Fi during the time of testing. The results were what I expected. When navigating the app,or updating projects, or doing a product search in the catalog, results were displayed in less than 1 second. Hitting the "Printer" icon (or print button) while in a project was the only test that took slightly over 2 seconds to display a result. Putting the app to the test by making it query a large number of products, I did a search for the term "refrigerator," then filtered the results in the left navigation for "Refrigerator, Reach-In," which took the longest to load at 4 seconds. The other two tests were done in a shared network environment with multiple gadgets accessing the Wi-Fi connection during testing. Naturally, the response times were slower, but surprisingly, not too much slower. On average, response time was 6 seconds to filter search results, 4 seconds for the print button and 1.5 seconds for all other tests performed. It's important to note that response time will be affected by your Internet connection but overall I was very impressed with the average response continued on page 18