What’s New @ Upside Software

We listen to our customers…and it shows! The following is a partial list of the recent improvements to Upside Software’s world-class products.

Recent Improvements to UpsideContract - October 2008

UpsideContract Version 6.1 Updates 

• UpsideContract is now integrated with WorkShare (DeltaView)—one of the premier redlining tools in the world. This provides exceptional tracking of additions, deletions, and the movement of text in a document.
• The ability to send and receive emails directly from the application allows for streamlined communications.
• Version control of attachments adds more comprehensive document management capabilities.
• Enhanced importing and document format retention abilities.
   

Major Release: UpsideContract V6 - April 2008

A brand new look for a brand new version—UpsideContract Version 6 has arrived! After testing out new concepts and a working model to customers at Upside Software’s 2007 Annual User Conference and taking their valuable feedback into consideration, V6 is a summation of user input and developer expertise. With a modern look and feel and improved configurable options, V6 is designed to reflect individual preferences.

A few highlights include: improved navigation, configurable Personal Dashboard, Action Dropdown menus and Global Search enhancements. Click here to learn more about UpsideContract V6.

Recent Improvements to UpsideContract - May 2007

UpsideContract Version 5.3 Updates 

• Contract details can now be distributed across multiple general ledger (GL) codes at once for easy contract creation.
• Business relationships between parent and child companies can be recorded and displayed in a tree format directly in the Hierarchy tab.
• Quick customer configurable contract summaries can be generated at the click of a button in HTML or PDF format.

UpsideContract Version 5.4 Updates 

• A new type of placeholder (an item that holds data) called a Repeating Group Placeholder has the ability to represent a collection of objects such as events, compliance items, details, and deliverables that are attached to a contract. Once a value is determined, these placeholders can be duplicated throughout a document for increased accuracy and efficiency.
• Outstanding tasks can be viewed at a glance through the Tasks window. Simply clicking on a particular task listed in the window will take users directly to the specific task within the application reducing the number of “clicks” required.
• Transferring data is now quicker and easier than before. The ability to import and export objects such as Templates and User Roles using XML files has been significantly enhanced. 
• Default contract reports have been improved to allow for the selection of parameters through the filter page. These new and enhanced reports help to better analyze contracts, customers, and partners for more informed decision making.
• Workflow diagrams can now be previewed and printed in a user-friendly format to better communicate information to stakeholders.

UpsideForms Updates - May 2007

• Different versions of a Form can easily be compared in a separate pop-up window in print format view. Discrepancies between the two are highlighted with different colors to facilitate the comparison process.
• Users can upload a XML document to configure a Form’s secondary data. This allows an UpsideForms user to include XML data that is external to UpsideContract to a particular Form for increased flexibility.
• The Contract Inquiry Portal now leverages functionality from UpsideForms. This eases the negotiation process with contracting parties who require the ability to view or edit forms attached to contracts.
• UpsideForms now supports Application Programming Interface (API) thereby improving its extensibility. Users can now leverage on the functionality of UpsideForms seamlessly using their own in-house system.

Other Improvements to UpsideContract - Oct 2006

Document Structure

• Inline Redlining
  The new Inline Redlining functionality allows users to perform a document comparison while still being able to make changes to the current document version. With this functionality users will have full access to the document structure area while viewing any associated redlining. Streamline your negotiations by simultaneously making edits to the current document and viewing any changes made by the other contracting party.
• Document Versions
  Users now have the ability to compare a version of a document to any other version. This means that users are no longer limited to only comparing an older version with the most current one – users can now compare versions of a document in any order they wish. 
• Clause Analysis
  The clause analysis feature is used with Templates and/or Library Groups to build statistics on how often a clause has been changed. This information can then be used to make any necessary updates to the template so that the changes being made in the existing template do not have to occur as often. This feature can also be used to track the use of Alternative Text.

Word I/O

• Importing Documents
  Users now have the ability to change the default entry on the importing screen to specify who has made changes to the document while exported. Previously, the name attached to the imported document was limited to the user doing the importing, making the importer the owner of the changes. With this new feature, users can differentiate between the person who made the changes and the person who is the owner of a specific version.
• Redline Export
  • The Redline Export functionality has been updated and now allows the user to select from multiple options via the Redline Mode field, controlling how detailed the document comparison will be. This allows the external party to view changes that have occurred throughout the document’s lifecycle. 
  • These same features are also available for the purpose of printing out any hard copies of the desired document.
• Proposed Delete
  The proposed delete feature is used to track entire paragraphs that have been deleted from an exported contract. When the contract is imported back into the application, the deleted text will be redlined. This allows the user to easily identify desired changes which can then be approved or rejected.

Reports

• Reporting with UDFs
  Users now have the ability to create ad hoc reports with UDFs at any time without any additional setup. Reports using UDFs maintain the functionality and formatting options that are available when building other reports.

Tiered Pricing on Contract Details

Already introduced as part of UpsideRFX, tiered pricing functionality is now available in UpsideContract Version 4.3.

• Tiered pricing allows rates to be specified for a specific contract detail based on various contract quantity tiers. The user is able to specify the lower and upper quantity limit for each tier along with the rate to be used when the quantity ordered falls within that tier.
• In the uppermost tier it is permissible to not specify a Maximum Quantity in order to signify the rate which would apply for any quantity greater than the Minimum Quantity for that tier. For example:

Payment Schedule Detail

• This contract detail type allows for the creation of a series of details defining when the contract amounts will be paid, as opposed to providing specific details of the items on the contract (most likely to be used in conjunction with UpsideForms where the details of contract amount calculations are more complex than what would normally be possible within the basic contract detail structure).
• An optional component allows the amount for each detail line to be derived from data within an UpsideForms document (when an UpsideForms document is assigned a contract type).
• Any particular payment schedule can be saved independently from the contract, thereby allowing the payment schedule to be reused in other contracts.

Increased Audit and Security Management

The system can track the printing of contracts and RFX documents as well as templates. A setting within the system can determine whether to track all printing or only the printing of approved documents. This allows for an accurate audit trail of which document(s) were printed and by whom.

New - UpsideContract Version 5  - Oct 2006

High Powered Forms with UpsideForms!

Improvements to UpsideForms

Supplements (Amendments)

UpsideForms now supports the ability to track changes made to a submitted form on an amended contract. During the amendment process, changes to the UpsideForm can be made and resubmitted. Users are able to track the changes that were made to the form via a supplement (amendment) view, displaying which details were added, edited or deleted.

Output Elements

Output Elements have been enhanced to enable users to gather information from a submitted form and populate different areas in the application such as details on a contract or a stakeholder listing. With this functionality, users are able to create an electronic version of the paper forms that were used in business processes and place them within a web application. An example of how this functionality can be used is creating a contract from a completed RFP. When users generate a contract from a selected RFP bid, the details and prices can populate the details area of a contract automatically.

Reporting

Reporting functionality has been added to allow users to create a variety of graphical elements (such as detail listings or pie charts) for quick summaries of vital business metrics. The format of the report is created outside the application and uploaded. Users can create reports for any of the data that has been entered on a form. For example, users can create a report for all contracts that have a submitted form and display the listing of items users have added, or create a comparison report to compare bids that have been submitted on a RFP.

Recent improvements to UpsideRFX:

• UpsideRFX Vendor (Supplier) Opportunity Portal

• Supplier / customer accessible web site provides prospective respondents with a view to available opportunities. Abstracts can be posted for public access or directed to a limited set of vendors.
  • Posting of an RFX to the external site will trigger a process that identifies which subscribing vendor should be notified based on the vendor’s profile.
• Mechanism for prospective respondents to indicate an interest in providing a response. 
• Approved prospects have the ability to download information that provides greater detail about the opportunity.
• Approved respondents can enter details of their response on-line; upload response documents, on-line completion of questionnaires for evaluation purposes; entry of actual bid amounts particularly in an auction format RFX.
• Respondents will receive notification of various events throughout the RFX process; updates to specification documents; changes to questionnaires; change in status of the RFX process; posting withdrawals; and so on.
  • Vendors can also be informed of scheduled events that may occur during the RFX process, for example, a bidder’s conference, a training auction, etc. 
• External customers and suppliers can post their own opportunities for solicitation of responses from other respondents.
• Postings can be made immediately or scheduled (i.e., have the posting appear at a specified time on a specified day).
• Vendors have the ability to conduct searches for opportunities corresponding to the types of goods or services they supply or purchase in the areas of the country / world in which they do business.
• Vendors can view information about other potential bidding companies, questions from other bidding companies, as well as bids received to date on the RFX opportunity.

Recent Improvements to UpsideBilling:

• Suppliers / Vendors can enter invoice data into UpsideBilling through an external supplier portal

• Allows approved suppliers to enter and submit complete invoice information directly through a web-based portal, providing faster turnaround time for processing of supplier invoices while reducing the costs to the system owner.
• Facilitates the faxing of hardcopy invoices and automatically matches the fax image to the database record of the invoice. Suppliers can view attached images of the physical invoice and upload other supporting documents to accompany their invoice entry.
• Payment information recorded in UpsideBilling can be viewed by suppliers (requires interface with customer’s ERP system).
• Full range of search capabilities gives suppliers the ability to perform searches for invoice, PO, and contract information.
• Invoices would then be routed through the organization for the necessary approvals.