Training Release: April 8, 2022

Production Release: April 30, 2022

ESM Source Enhancements

New Posting Board Enhancements

Login Required Settings

We understand our customers are from different locations and have different policies that regulate how they should solicit their RFx and Bids to suppliers. Therefore, we added two additional settings for the New Posting Board that allows customers to control the login required settings for downloading documents and viewing Event Q&As on the posting board.

 

Users with the access to ESM Source Admin can configure these settings on Admin > General Settings > Edit Entity Settings. By default, these two settings are set to Required, ie. your suppliers or general publics need to register with ESM and log in with their credentials in order to download documents and view Event Q&As on the New Posting Board. You can change the settings to Not Required to allow anyone that have access to your posting board to download documents and view Event Q&As.

ESM Source Admin > General Settings > Edit Entity Settings

 

Event Description

Users can include short descriptions, important instructions, and/or key announcements for your events and display them on the New Posting Board.

 

When a buyer creates an event, he/she can add descriptions in the second Event Header accordion. The Event Description is a text editor, like the existing Event Terms & Conditions field, to allows users to customize the format of the description so that important information can be highlighted for suppliers.

ESM Source > Manage Tab > New > Event Header – Event Description, Attachments, Terms& Conditions Accordion

 

Edit Event Description

 

Once the event is published to the Posting Board and to suppliers for responses, people will be able to see the event descriptions on the Event Details page of this event on the Posting Board.

 

Posting Board > Event Details Page of an Event

 

You can edit or add contents to Event Description after the event is published by using Create Addendum feature.

 

Edit Event Descriptions via Create Addendum Feature

 

 

Addendum History for Event Description

 

Admin users can configure the Event Description field like other fields in the Event Headers as Optional, Required, or Hidden. By default, this field is added to all existing templates with the Required checkbox unchecked.

 

ESM Source Admin > Event Library > Add/Edit Template

 

ESM Source Admin > Event Library > Add/Edit Template > Event Description

 

Suppliers can also see Event Description in their portal.

 

ESM Supplier Portal > Event > Event Header

 

ESM Supplier Portal > Event > Event Header > Event Description

 

Enhanced Multi-Users Collaboration in ESM Source

In order to better support collaborations between users in ESM Source, we adopted new technology that will signal users when someone starts editing a section or an accordion of an event they open. This section or accordion will become read-only for all other users, and they can continue editing other parts of the event. The read-only section or accordion will become editable again with updated contents once the user saves the changes.

 

Icon with Hover-Over Message that Indicates a User is Editing This Accordion

 

Icon with Hover-Over Message that Indicates a User is Editing This Event Section

 

Icon with Hover-Over Message that Indicates a User is Editing This Walk-in Response

 

Moreover, when a user tries to perform any actions, such as Publish, Award or Delete an Event, while someone else is still making changes to the event, an alert message is added to the confirmation pop-up windows. If the user ignores the alert message and continue performing the action, other users who are still making changes to the event will receive a toaster message.

 

Confirmation Message when a User Tries to Publish an Event

 

Confirmation Message when a User Tries to Delete an Event

 

Confirmation Message when a User Tries to Publish Award to Suppliers

 

Toaster Alert Message when a User Performs an Action

 

Export and Import to Respond Line Item Bids in the Supplier Portal

Last year, we added import capability for Line Item Bid Sections in ESM Source that allows users to bulk create Line Item Bid Sections when creating an event. In this release, we implemented something similar for suppliers to allow them to quickly respond to the Line Item Bid Sections.

 

When a supplier tries to fill Line Item Bid table, he/she can export an excel spreadsheet of the table by clicking the Download button.  

ESM Supplier Portal > Event > A Line Item Bid Section

 

The exported spreadsheet and the Line Item Bid table will have the same columns and column orders.

 

ESM Supplier Portal > Event > A Line Item Bid Table

 

Line Item Bid Table Export Excel Spreadsheet

 

Suppliers may need to click on Enable Editing before they can enter values in the spreadsheet.

Line Item Bid Table Export Excel Spreadsheet

 

Suppliers can only add values to the columns that require supplier input. All other cells are locked from editing. If they try to overwrite them, he/she will receive an alert message. Please note that the Extended Bid Price column is a calculated column and does not require input from suppliers. Therefore, it is grayed-out in the spreadsheet.

 

Line Item Bid Table Export Excel Spreadsheet > Alert Message

 

Line Item Bid Table Export Excel Spreadsheet with Some Values Entered

 

Once the supplier satisfies the responses, he/she can save the spreadsheet and upload load it back to populate the Line Item Bid table. After the supplier clicks on the Upload button above the Line Item Bid table, a pop-up window will be displayed.

 

ESM Supplier Portal > Event > Line Item Bid Table >Upload Button

 

The user can browse their local disk and upload the filled spreadsheet. Once the upload is successful, the supplier user will see a confirmation toaster message and the correct values are filled in the Line Item Bid table.

 

ESM Supplier Portal > Event > Line Item Bid Table >Upload Line Item Bid Data Pop-up

 

ESM Supplier Portal > Event > Line Item Bid Table >Upload Line Item Bid Data Pop-up

 

ESM Supplier Portal > Event > Line Item Bid Table >Successful Upload

 

The supplier can always click on the Upload button to open the Upload Line Item Bid Data pop-up and click on the Log Tab to check upload history.

 

ESM Supplier Portal > Event > Line Item Bid Table >Upload Line Item Bid Data Pop-up > Log Tab

 

If the Line Item Bid table already have values, these values will be also exported in the spreadsheet when the supplier exports the table via Download Button.

 

ESM Supplier Portal > Event > A Line Item Bid Table with Existing Values

 

Line Item Bid Table Export Excel Spreadsheet with Existing Values

 

The system will also validate the data during Import process. If the supplier entered wrong data type, the system will notify the supplier where the mistake is so that he/she can correct it on the user interface of the Supplier Portal or in the spreadsheet and re-upload it. In the Upload Line Item Bid Data pop-up window, the supplier can download a text file that shows detailed information of the errors when there is error(s) in an upload.

 

Line Item Bid Table Export Excel Spreadsheet with Values in Wrong Data Type

 

ESM Supplier Portal > Event > Line Item Bid Table with Error Highlighted

 

ESM Supplier Portal > Event > Line Item Bid Table >Upload Line Item Bid Data Pop-up > Log Tab > Error in the Upload

 

Error Log Example

 

Bug Fix

• Users get logged out when changing the Due By Date while creating a new event
• Wrong time zone is used on the new posting board for unauthorized users
• Supplier information and awarded bid price is not copied to Purchase when converting a Walk-in Response to a Purchase Transaction

 

ESM Purchase Enhancements

Product Search

Relevant Results:

Product Search has been updated to show more relevant results at the top of search results by using scoring that weights the search term and where it is found on the item:

• If the search term is found in the Item name, it carries more weight and increases the score.
• If the term is also found in the Product description, this carries less weight than terms found in the item name, but the weight is added to the score.
• If the term is also found in the Manufacturer/provider part number, this carries less weight than terms found in product description or item name. The weight is added to the score.
• If the term is also found in the supplier name, this carries less weight than the manufacturer part number. The weight is added to the score.
• If the term is found in manufacturer name, this carries less weight than the supplier name. The weight is added to the score.

All the weightings are added to find a score.  The items with the highest score are at the top of the search results and are considered more relevant than items at the end of the search results. 

Items that are from a preferred supplier will show above items from non-preferred suppliers with an equal score.

Filters:

An option to clear all filters was added to the product search page.  If the user selects multiple filters on the left side of the screen and then later decides they just want to see the results from their main term search, they can click the Clear All link positioned just above the filter section.

If the customer is using integrated cart with a filter passed in from the punchout setup request, that filter will not be removed.  Only filters selected by the user through the user interface will be removed.

 

Order Release Details and Change Orders

User profiles have two new options for change orders:

• Edit “Do not send to supplier”
• Edit “Do not send to GL/ERP”

The capability to edit these two fields in the order release details section of a transaction were previously contained in the permission for Edit Order Release Details.  Now, the ability to edit these two fields is controlled by specific permissions.  The user with Edit Order Release Details will not be able to edit these two fields if the permissions are not enabled.

New columns for these settings were added to user import template version 2.6.

 

Ability to create workflow rules for “Change Order - Do not send to GL/ERP”

This rule builder was added so that customers can double check whether to send the change order to their GL/ERP system. 

If the change order had this option set to yes, the change order will not get transmitted to the GL/ERP system.  If the approver determines that it should be sent to the GL/ERP system, the approver should reject the change order and have the end user update the setting so that it is off. Then resubmit their change order request.

The transaction workflow set up offers a new option to create a rule around Change Order – Do not send to GL/ERP.  The values for this rule are either yes or no.

• Setting the rule to yes, the system will send the transaction to an approver when the “Do not send to GL/ERP system” is checked (true, yes) on the transaction.
• Setting the rule to no, the system will send the transaction to an approver when the “Do not send to GL/ERP system” field is not checked (false, no) on the transaction.

 

Change Order Approver and Manage User Permissions

The label for the Change Order permission has been changed to Create Change Orders to clarify that this permission only allows a user to create changes orders. There is a second permission to allow for Change Order to be created for only the user’s purchase orders or all organization purchase orders.

There is a new permission for Approvers to grant the ability to see a Change Orders option under the Approve tab navigation menu.  Approvers will not see the Change Orders option in the Approve tab if they do not have the new permission.

Existing users that had the approve privilege and change order privilege were migrated to have the Approve Change Orders permission. The migration should allow users to continue their normal activities without necessary actions by the system administrators.

Manage users do not require separate permissions to approve changes orders.  They receive this permission as part of the Manage privilege. Manage users will see a Change Orders option in the Manage tab navigation menu.

Approvers and Manage users will be able to see the order release details section on change orders as well.

A new column was added to user import template version 2.6 for this permission.

 

Catalog and Punchout Supplier “Allow Change Orders” Setting

In the supplier portal, every hosted catalog or punchout catalog has a setting for “Allow Change Orders”.  Suppliers can set this to true and then provide a change order email address to be used when a change order is released.

If the supplier does not enable “Allow Change Orders,” customers will be able to create internal only, manual release change orders.

If the supplier enables the “Allow Change Orders” and provides a change order email, the customers will have the option to automatically release the change orders to the specified email address.

 

Non-Catalog Suppliers – Change Order Email Address

Change orders for non-catalog suppliers will automatically release a change order to a new change order email address.  A new field to specify the change order email address has been added. 

If the change order email address is blank, then change orders for the supplier will switch to manual release.  Please review your Non-Catalog Suppliers and update the change order email addresses for Suppliers that have asked that change orders be sent to a different email account.

The change order email address on the non-catalog supplier does not require an email verification step. The system administrator is fully responsible for accurately entering the correct email address.  ESM holds no responsibility for incorrectly typed email addresses.  ESM maintains an audit history of who performed the update, previous value, new value, and timestamp.

Data Migration for Non-Catalog Suppliers – the change order email addresses will be populated with the current PO email addresses so that processes do not change for end users.  The new change order email address is meant to give administrators a way to specify a different email address for change orders based on supplier needs.  Enter the same email address as the PO email address if the supplier uses the same address for both processes.

The Non-Catalog Supplier Import Template was updated to include a new column for the Change Order Email Address.

 

Limit Self-Approval on Transactions

This feature will provide an organization with the ability to prevent a user from approving their own transactions and change orders or prevent them from approving beyond a certain limit.

To enable the Limit Self Approval functionality on transactions, please contact ESM Support.  An ESM Support rep must enable the feature for customers.  It is recommended that customers first turn this feature on in their training environment and refine their business processes before turning this feature on in production.

• ESM Support Admin action required to configure Entity Settings
  • Added new setting “Limit Transaction Self Approval” on ESM Admin > Entity Functionality page

 

• Enabling this setting would display a new field “Transaction/Change Order Total Limit” on the “Add/Edit User” page.

• The self-approval limitation is configured separately for each user
• Default value of the field would be 0.00.
• If the value is set to 0.00 users will not be able to approve any of their own transactions
• Setting the field value to max value of all 9s, is a signal to the system that this user has no limit and can approve all their own transactions or change orders.
• The user import template version 2.6 includes a field for setting the value

 

Checkout page

• On the Checkout page, when user submits the transaction, the system will perform validation against the approval limit
• If the transaction total is within the limit then system will send it for approval
• If the transaction total is not within the limit, then system will display validation message “<workflowname> self-approval limit exceeded. Another approver needs to be assigned.”
• Transaction status will display as “Workflow Calculation Error”
• In the Workflow Details accordion, system will display text as “Self Approval Limit” against the approver and system will not send transaction for approval

• In above case where the transaction is stuck and cannot be sent for approval, the requester can update the transaction so that it would calculate to route to a different workflow or adjust it to below their limit.
  • The next alternate option is an Admin User can update the workflow to include an additional approver in workflow approval sequence. Then the user should submit the transaction again.
  • Third option is an Admin can set a delegate approver against the original approver so that system can send transaction to a delegate user for approval.

Delegate

• If the approver has a delegate user configured then the system will send the transaction for approval to delegate user
• The original approval will not be able to see the transaction in Approve/manage tab

Workflow Approval Sequence combinations

• If there are multiple approvers in a workflow including the transaction requester, system will send transaction to other approver for approval

 

Below is an example of OR operator in workflow approval sequence

 

Below is an example of AND operator in workflow approval sequence

 

 

Below is an example of NEXT operator in workflow approval sequence

 

 

Checkout Print PDF

When a user prints the transaction details on checkout page, the system will include the changes from Workflow Details accordion and show that approval was re-routed because of the self-approval limit.

 

Template for User Import version 2.6

User Import Template version 2.6 has been updated to include new permissions or settings.

In user import template 2.6 we have included below columns

• The following columns will accept values as Yes/No, if the column is kept blank system will consider default value as No
  • Does this User require View Order Release Details privileges?
  • Does this User require Edit Order Release Details privileges?
  • Does this User require Approve Change Order privileges?
  • Does this User require View Change Order Release Details privileges?
  • Does this User require Edit Change Order Release Details privileges?
• Transaction/Change Order Total Limit
  • Goes with the new Limit Transaction Self-Approval feature and allows you to set the user’s limit in the import file.

All columns are optional.

 

Non-Catalog Supplier Upload

In the existing Non-Catalog Upload template version 2.0, we have included “Change Order Email” column

• Column will be optional.
• User can include Change Order Email against a supplier during upload.
• When user creates change order against such supplier system will send the change order transaction to this email address
• If the change order email is not specified, then users can still create internal change order which they have to submit manually

 

Page Footer

Update the footer message to “© 2000-2022 ESM Solutions Corporation, All rights reserved. See our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy for details.” on Purchase, Supplier Management, Contract management pages.

Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy are hyperlinked and will navigate user to separate pages to view more details.

 

Doing Business As

Included new field “Doing Business As” on the pages below:

• Supplier Portal page under Company Information
• Purchase – Add/Edit Supplier
• Supplier Management – Supplier Information section

 

ESM Supplier: Company Type dropdown value

Updated the existing “Company Type” dropdown values so that they more accurately reflect the values on the US W-9 form.

• Added a value: “Limited Liability – S”
• Updated existing value “Limited Liability” to “Limited Liability – C”
• Updated existing value “Corporation” to “C-Corporation”