Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Keep it simple - Configure UniPhi to meet your organisational needs

One of the challenges of buying off the shelf or software as a service is limitations in being able to tailor the software to the nuances of your business. BUT, customisation is a dirty word in our office. We like to listen to clients and provide new functionality to all of them. The logic being that what one wants others will as well. This provides us with one code base and the ability to let the UniPhi community assist each other in developing a better product for all to use.

Obviously, our software can't be a one size fits all so we've tried to solve  this by simplifying workflow where possible and by providing interfaces for end users to configure the system to their needs. We believe this has been the key in allowing our clients to use the same software to run a $1,500 site audit contract through to a $1bn roads program.



Now let's take a peak into the tailored options in UniPhi. To start off, in the Methodology tab, this is where it all happens. When creating a document in UniPhi, there is the option to use a template. These templates are tailored by you and your organisation.

As you see in the screen shot below, there are several options for features that you can add to your document. Let's take a look at this example of 'File Upload (Multi)'. When selecting this option, this allows for the user to upload several files into the one document. And you can even title this section of the document. It can be something as simple as 'photos' as seen on this example below (or you can tailor it to the terminology understood by your organisation).  You also have the option to set the document with heading styles, page break options and page orientation, to suit your requirements.


If all these options aren't enough for you, and you still are not finding the feature that you want to include in the document, why not create your own designed section with our 'rich textbox' option. This allows you to put pretty much any kind of pre- made graph, table or report that suits your organisation's needs. See example below: 

  

Even though the rich text box is a blank canvas for you, it still assists you with tools to create things like a personalised table. 



After clicking on the table icon, as demonstrated, you are able to modify the width, column, cellpadding, row, border etc. The possibilities don't end here though! You can even go into the advanced option and choose things like, putting in a background image, frame, border, background colours... How great is that! 

Now that you have created your template, you don't have to keep re- creating it every time you need the same document. Simply click save and it is available for users in your organisation to create documents. This will satisfy the organisations need for consistency. Imagine how much time and money you could save with these saved templates. 

Another feature which can be personalised for your organisation, are the custom drop down lists (when filtering for locations, project types, name of projects, lifecycles, and sectors) Personally, I find the drop down for the project name, such a time saver. Instead of looking through the endless issues from all the different projects, I can filter for my specific project, and hey presto! I'm in the right spot in just a few seconds. Take a look at this example below. I have filtered for the project I was looking for and I am now able to click into the necessary issue. Don't forget, the drop down list is tailored to your organisation, so any time you want to add projects or filter anything else in the drop down list, just head to Methodology and your on your way.


Going back to the Methodology tab, there is also the ability to customise roles, issues, risks, change requests, prioritisation and contracts. The possibilities are almost endless.

Enjoy!


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