Best Practices Recommendations

For Best Viewing and Navigation

• Ensure that your screen resolution is set to 1024x768 or higher.
• Ensure that you are working with the full screen.  Reducing/shrinking the window that the application is running in can cause viewing problems.
• Ensure that magnification of the screen is set to 100% or lower.  Anything larger than 100% can cause viewing problems.
• Remove excessive browser toolbars as this may cause viewing/navigation problems.

Implementation-Master Reference Data

• Provides the base setup information in order to successfully create efficient contracts.
• Master Reference Data should be entered in the following order:
  • Departments/Divisions
  • Contract Statuses
  • Categories
  • Locations
  • Contract Occurrence
  • Contract Types
  • Employee List
  • Vendor/Customer List
  • Contract Records
• Bulk Importing of Master Reference Data
  • Should be performed by an Application Administrator
  • Data should be imported in the recommended order above.
  • Read the Bulk Importing instructions listed on the importing wiki page carefully before starting the import process.

Implementation-User Defined Fields

• Plan what user-defined fields will be needed to capture additional information for the following tables/areas before entering into Contract Insight:
  • Employee Table
  • Vendor/Company Table
  • Contract Record Table
• Note the type of data as well as the amount of data that needs to be captured must be taken into consideration:
  • The system will not permit duplicate custom field names. It is highly important to note current/existing fields before entering a new field.
  • Once user-defined fields have been entered, the length of the field can only be changed by a database administrator.  This will help preserve the integrity of the data.
  • Once user-defined fields have been entered, the field type can only be changed by a database administrator.  This will help preserve the integrity of the data. 
    
  • It is recommended to never delete a field that contains data.
  • Once a field that contains data has been deleted, ALL DATA WILL BE LOST.
  • Field Types for User-Defined fields that are available:
    • Text Box
  • Multi-Line Text Box
    • The Multi-Line Text field type is similar to the Text field type in that it can be used to save characters or a mix of characters and numbers. This multi-line text box differs from a text box in that the user can enter multiple lines of text into multiple lines (the text box will not wrap into multiple lines as a multi-line text box will).
    • Define the MAXIMUM number of characters (of data) that the field would need to contain (from 1 to 4000)
    • No default values should be entered.
  • Multi-Select List             
    • The Multi-Select field type can be used to create a custom field that contains list items to pick from. This differs from a Drop Down in that the user can select multiple items from the list.
    • Plan and list the values that will be options for the Drop Down
    • When entering into Contract Insight, values should be listed in the “Default Values” box, separated by commas, using no space after the commas.
  • Drop Down
    • The Drop Down field type can be used to create a custom field that contains list items to pick from.
    • Plan and list the values that will be options for the Drop Down
    • When entering into Contract Insight, values should be listed in the “Default Values” box, separated by commas, using no space after the commas.
  • Integer
    • The Integer field type can be used to save integer numeric values. This can be used for whole numbers.
    • No default values should be entered.
  • Currency
    • The Currency field type can be used to create a field that can save currency data.
    • When planning and entering, be sure to allow enough characters to capture all necessary data.
    • No default values should be entered.
  • Date
    • The Date field type can be used to create custom fields that can save dates. Dates should be formatted as 'mm/dd/yy' or 'mm/dd/yyyy'.
    • No default values should be entered.
  • Slider
    • The slider field can be utilized as a Drop Down box would be to List items
    • The slider can also be used as a form of a confirmation that a user can fill in with a blank value to force a separate selection or separate agreement.
      
       

Assigning Fields by Contract Type

• If your organization decides to assign fields by contract type:
• If fields are assigned for at least on contract type, it is recommended to assign fields for all contract types, even if the Contract Type should contain all fields.
• Before assigning fields by contract type, note in the Field Manager all fields that are required. 
• Required fields need to be added to ALL contract types
• Add all fields in the “Tip” box in the right hand side of the “Assign Fields by Contract Type” screen.  This will ensure that the Contract Record is added and recorded into Contract Insight in the most efficient manner.

Adding Employees/Users

• Enable Organizational Policies that require users of the system to change his/her password regularly.
• Enforce password complexity settings for Contract Insight passwords.
• All usernames MUST be unique.
• Never share passwords.

Ad-Hoc Searches/Report-Report Creation

• Specify a Report Name that is succinct, descriptive and specifies the intent and scope of the report.
• Select the Primary Focus Table.
  • 99% of all meaningful Ad-Hoc reports, for the vast majority of Contract Insight User Communities, use the “Contract Details” Table as the Primary Focus Table because it is the primary table and focus of the Contract Insight System.
• You may select/specify any number of Master Reference Tables to be included in a report.
• Select/Specify only the Additional Linked Tables that are absolutely necessary for the scope and intent of your report.  More than required is not a good thing.  It adds overhead to the report.
• Select/Specify only the fields that are absolutely necessary for the scope and intent of your report.  More than required is not a good thing.  It adds overhead to the report. 
  • If the report is intended for use in dashboards, limit the number of fields to a maximum of 6-10 (depending on the width of the specified fields).
• Specify unique “Display Name”  (optional) for each of the fields that are specified/selected as part of the report. 
• Ensure that there are no duplicate “Display Names” within the universe of selected/specified fields for the report.
• Keep the target audience in mind and remember to use only abbreviations that will be meaningful and intuitive to the target audience.