14.0.0 Candidate Release Notes

“Turn Off Notifications” Field in Contract Abstract

To help users better manage contract-related alerts and reduce unnecessary notifications, a new field Turn Off Notifications has been added to the Contract Abstract. This option allows users to temporarily suppress all continuing alerts associated with a contract, ensuring that notifications are delivered only when truly necessary.

This field offers two choices: Yes or No. By default, it is set to No, meaning alerts remain active. Selecting Yes disables all continuing alerts for the contract, regardless of whether it is active or inactive. When saved, users will see a pop-up listing of the alerts that will be turned off. Switching the field back to No reactivates the alerts, which then resume delivery.  

This setting overrides any vendor- or contract-level alert rules and is applied consistently across Full-Service, Dual-Service, and Self-Service deployment models. Alerts remain suppressed until the field is manually reset.

The new field is reflected in all reports that draw data from the Contract Abstract UI, and changes are recorded in contract history for audit and traceability.

New Audit Trail Reporting Page for Document Requests

A new Audit Trail Reporting page has been introduced to enhance visibility into document request activity. It displays key details such as Vendor Name, Contract Name, Policy Compliance Module (PCM) Requirement, Request Date, Sender Name, Recipient Name, Aging Info, Document Received Date, Withdrawal Requestor, and Withdrawal Request Date. Users can filter results by Vendor Name, Contract Name, Requestor Name, PCM Requirement, and Select Date Range Type (which reveals From Date and To Date fields). Filtered results can be exported in Excel or PDF format, with all applied filters reflected in the export. A Reset All options clear all filters and returns the full list of records. Pagination is available to help users navigate large data sets more efficiently.

Centralized Question Management with VRA Master Revision

The VRA Query page now introduces a centralized VRA Master Revision view that brings together all unique questions from existing revisions into one place. This allows users to run a single query across revisions. Questions and answers appear only if a risk assessment has been completed for them, and any changes such as adding, editing, or removing questions or categories will reflect in the Master Revision only after the updated data has been reassessed. If a question has multiple assessments, only the latest completed answer is shown.

When creating a query, users can select questions from the Master Revision. A dropdown shows all revisions where the selected question exists, and if the question set is available in multiple versions, results will include data from all matching versions with version details. The Master Revision view also provides a search bar, hover-over details to see revisions for each question, an info icon that displays details of all the revisions where that question exists. The hover-over tooltip and the info icon are provided separately for user reference, and pagination with 15 questions per page.

When running queries from the VRA Master Revision, users may see more contracts in the results compared to queries run within an individual revision, since data is aggregated across multiple revisions and versions.

Deferred VPS Option for Flexible Vendor Performance Rating Timelines

To provide flexibility in vendor performance rating timelines, a new Deferred VPS field has been added to the Contract Abstract page. Users can select “Yes” to defer the VPS rating, which displays a Deferment Date field (future dates only). By default, the option is set to “No”. The VPS status displays green until the deferment date and changes to red if the VPS is not completed. A system reminder email is triggered on the deferment date to prompt completion. If Vendor Risk Assessment Initial Manual Rating (VPS IMR) is marked “Yes”, the Deferred VPS option is disabled. Users can update the deferment date even after expiration, which resets the VPS status to green.

Improved Document Renewal Flow for Better Traceability

To enhance clarity and traceability during document renewals, the document upload process has been updated. When users select the Renew option while uploading a Vendor Level Document, Contract Level Document, or Fourth Party Document via the New Document section, the document is now automatically linked to the relevant PCM policy tab.

Additionally, the associated contract record will display an information (“i”) icon in the PCM column. Hovering over this icon reveals the name of the connected policy tab, making it easier for users to identify where the renewed document has been placed.

Enhancement to Vendor Request Form Submission Tracking

To improve tracking and visibility of vendor requests submitted by non-VI users, the SSO-accessible vendor request form has been updated with enhanced submitter information capture. The Submitter Name and Submitter Email Address fields are now required prior to submission. For credentialed users, these fields are auto-filled, pre-checked, and disabled to ensure consistency and accuracy.

Upon submission, a new entry is automatically added to the “Contract History”, capturing the submitter's name, email address, timestamp, and an indicator that the request originated from a non-VI user. This information is also included in the Notes section for quick reference.

User Dashboard Enhancements: My Questionnaires and My VPS Collaborations

To improve task tracking and reduce the chance of missing assignments, two new sections have been added to the User Dashboard.

My Questionnaires displays all questionnaires assigned to the user, including Vendor Name, Contract Name, Questionnaire Name, and quick links to complete forms or view associated Reference Documents. Once a questionnaire is submitted, it is automatically removed from the dashboard.

My VPS Collaborations lists all Vendor Performance Surveys (VPS) assigned to the user, showing Vendor Name, Contract Name, and a direct-action link to review or complete each assessment.

New Default Reminder Frequency Field for Vendor Questionnaires

To provide flexibility in scheduling vendor questionnaires, a new field “Set default reminder frequency (in days)” has been added to the Vendor Questionnaire tab under Tools and is displayed in both new and edit sections. An info icon displays: “This value will prefill the reminder frequency when sending the questionnaire and can be modified before sending.” The default value is 0. The reminder frequency is now set at the questionnaire level. Users can also edit an existing reminder frequency from the Tools area. Additionally, the reminder frequency can be modified for each questionnaire while sending it. Selecting multiple questionnaires triggers a single combined initial email with one link, but each questionnaire generates its own reminder emails, sent at the frequency chosen during the send process.

Enhancements to Setup Tables and Vendor Questionnaires

To improve vendor management and questionnaire workflows, several usability enhancements have been implemented.

Refined Access Control for Contract Entry/Edit and Delete

To align access with defined permissions, the Contract Entry/Edit and Delete Contract checkboxes now determine access strictly based on their selection. VMO users without these permissions cannot create, edit, or delete contracts, while Users, Supervisors, and Admins without VMO rights but with Delete access may delete only their own contracts.

New Field Options to Custom Alerts and Contract Abstract

The Custom Alerts section under Tools and the Contract Abstract – Add Alert page within Vendor Records have been updated to support additional data fields across all alert types. The Insert Fields dropdown now includes Product Name, Description, Vendor Class, and Original Onboard Date. If Original Onboard Date is not populated in the system, the field will appear blank to maintain consistency and prevent the display of placeholder values.

Improved File Naming for Downloads

To improve file recognition, clarity, and overall usability, users will now see the original file name based on section-wise naming when downloading files from the UI, instead of a system-generated name.

Auto Renewal and Email Notifications Added to Contract History

To improve auditability and provide better visibility into contract lifecycle events, the Contract History has been enhanced to track Auto Renewal details, along with the corresponding email notification, whenever a contract is automatically renewed.

Auto-Population of "Original Onboard Date" Field

To enhance efficiency and ensure consistent data entry, the Original Onboard Date field will now be auto populated with the current date when a new contract or vendor request is created. This applies to records initiated via the SSO dashboard, contract uploads, and TAP-initiated contracts. The field remains editable, allowing users to adjust the date as needed.

Direct Access to Contracts from Auto Renewal Alerts

The Autorenewal alert email has been updated to improve navigation. When users click the email link, they are now redirected to the associated Contract Abstract page. If the user is not logged in, the login page will appear first before redirecting to the intended page.

Improved Edit and Save Workflow in VIDD Configuration

The VIDD Configuration page under Tools has been updated to improve the saving experience. After clicking Save, the screen now keeps the user in edit mode, retains the scroll position, and keeps the DataSheet Field tab highlighted. The Save button is disabled until a change is made, and a success message appears once the changes are saved. These updates help users continue working without losing their place or context.

Vendor Address Fields Added to SSO New Vendor Request Form

To improve data completeness and reduce manual follow-ups, the SSO New Vendor Request form has been enhanced with additional fields to capture the Vendor Primary Contact’s address information. The Available Contract Fields section now includes configurable options for Address 1, Address 2, City, State, Zip, Country, and Province. Users can select or deselect these fields as needed when customizing the form, helping ensure accurate and comprehensive vendor records from the start.

Enhanced Transparency in Sequential Approval Workflows

To resolve communication gaps and improve transparency in sequential approval workflows, the system now allows current approvers to view read-only comments and supporting documents from all previous approvers, displayed in chronological order. If a previous approver hasn’t added a comment, the message “No Comment” will be displayed to clearly indicate that the step was reviewed but left without feedback. Any documents attached by one approver will also be visible to the next, maintaining continuity throughout the review process. When the first approver opens the document and no prior actions exist, an “Approval Pending” message appears in their section.

Improvements to Fourth-Party Document Selection

To ensure users interact only with relevant options and avoid confusion, the fourth-party radio button is now conditionally enabled when:

• The contract includes a fourth party, and
• That fourth party has at least one upload document.
• If these conditions aren’t met, the button remains disabled and displays a hover-over message: “No fourth party documents available.”

For contracts involving multiple fourth parties, each with multiple documents, the “Select Reference Document(s)” dropdown now lists all available documents.

Each entry is shown as “Fourth Party Name – Document Name” and sorted alphabetically by both party and document name for easy selection.

To improve clarity and usability in document selection workflows, the “Save” button has been repositioned for better accessibility, and the label “Document Location” has been updated to “Reference Document Location” to more accurately reflect its purpose.

Document Approval Workflows Enhanced with Reference Support and Sorting 

Improved Data Consistency in Document Request Audit Trail Exports

To ensure consistency between the user interface and exported data on the Document Request Audit Trail, the Export Report now reflects the sort order applied on the screen, along with the corresponding sorting criteria.

Improved Consistency Between Contract Abstract PDFs and UI

PDFs downloaded from the Contract Abstract using 'Report / Print' now match the Contract Information shown on screen.

Restricted State Field Input to 2 Characters

To ensure standardized state code entry and prevent data inconsistencies, the "State" field on the SSO Vendor Request Form and Contract Abstract pages has been updated to restrict input to a maximum of 2 characters. An info icon has been added next to the "State" label with the tooltip: "List the state of primary vendor. Two characters only".