FAQ Sheet
Version Related
Q: What is the latest version of enCompassing Visions?
A: Version 8.6 was released in Fall 2007 and is the current version. Upgrade at no cost by requesting an upgrade CD from Client Relations.
Q: How do I know if I have the latest version of enCompassing Visions?
A: The enCompassing Visions logon screen and System Menu both indicate the version you are running.
Q: How can I get the detailed release notes for the latest version (or any previous version)?
A:The detailed release notes for the current version (or any previous version) are available from Client Relations.
Q: Do I have to pay to upgrade to a new version of enCompassing Visions?
A: No, the most current upgrade is free to any customer whose Maintenance Agreement is up to date.
Contact Client Relations to review your status.
Application Related
Q: Can I print a blank performance review to fill in manually?
A: Yes. From the Measuring Performance function, select Complete Employee Reviews (if you are a leader you will have to select the employee to print a review for). Click View Actions – Print Blank Review to print a blank review. This will fill in all the pertinent employee information at the top of the review and show review questions based on the employee's job.
Q: I completed the performance review but it isn't marked as complete? Why?
A: Your System Administrator may have turned on the Performance Management System Policy that requires High and Low ratings to be justified prior to the review being marked complete (policy is: Justify High/Justify Low comments must be entered to make the review complete). If that is the case and you have either a high or low rating somewhere in the review, you will need to fill in a justification before the review can be marked complete. From within the review, click the Justify High or Justify Low button (the buttons will only be available if you have actually rated something that way) to enter comments. This screen will list all of the competencies that were rated as high or low. You can also view your responses for a particular competency by clicking the ‘Review Detail Responses' button.
Q: I just upgraded to IE7. Will enCompassing Visions still work?
A: Yes, all functions of enCompassing Visions have been certified to work with IE7. However, we strongly encourage you to make enCompassing Visions a trusted site and add enCompassing Visions to your list of sites to allow pop-ups on.
Q: How do I make enCompassing Visions a trusted site:
A: There are a few steps to take:
- Log into the application (or at least go to the login page)
- From the browser menu, select Tools > Internet Options
- Select the ‘Security' tab
- Select the ‘Trusted Sites' and click the ‘Sites' button
- The address in your browser should appear in the first text box. If it does not, type the address (e.g. www.encv.com or https:\\CompanyApps\encompassingvisions.com). You don't need the \visions or anything that comes after.
- Click "Add"
- enCompassing Visions is now a trusted site
Q: How do I Allow Pop-ups in enCompassing Visions:
A: There are a few steps to take:
- From the browser menu, select Tools > Internet Options
- Select the ‘Privacy' tab
- In the pop-up blocker section in the bottom click the ‘Settings' button
- The address in your browser should appear in the first text box. If it does not, type the address (e.g. www.encv.com or https:\\CompanyApps\encompassingvisions.com). You don't need the \visions or anything that comes after.
- Click ‘Add'
- The browser will now allow pop-ups when accessing enCompassing Visions
Application Related – for Administrators
Q: How do I increase the number of employees or jobs I am allowed to have in enCompassing Visions?
A: This is a two-step process.
Step 1: Contact Client Relations to arrange for purchase of additional employees or jobs. Once the purchase has been arranged, enCompassing Visions will generate and e-mail you a new Authorization Key to use in updating the constraints in your system.
Step 2: Log into enCompassing Visions and apply the new Authorization Key in the Maintain System Constraints screen.
Q: How can we allow someone to change their completed review?
A: You have to mark the review as incomplete:
1) Select the employee whose review needs to be deleted and view his/her reviewer records
2) Find the reviewer and review type that is to be deleted
3) Double click the reviewer record to edit the reviewer record
4) Uncheck the completed box (by clicking it) and click Done
Q: How can I delete a review that has already been started?
A: If the review is complete (check the completed column in the View/Update Reviewers function of Measuring Performance), you will have to mark it incomplete (see the steps in the question ‘How can we allow someone to change their completed review – maybe we could link there – to mark the review incomplete.
Once the review is marked ‘incomplete' it will be deleted with the View Actions menu function ‘Delete Reviewer'. This function deletes any incomplete reviews for the reviewer/reviewee.
Once the old record is deleted, a new default reviewer record may be generated if the system policies indicated that this ‘role' is a default reviewer.
Q: How do I keep everyone out of the system while we upgrade?
A: The system policy Suspend User Access allows you to suspend all user access EXCEPT for those with Administrative Level Access (level 5). This will allow the Administrators to go in and verify an upgrade or change without opening up the system to the entire organization.
Q: How can I see all the default text for the competencies, review questions and sub-review questions?
A: Under Administration Reports in the Administrative Functions, the reports in the ‘Competency Related' section allow you to view the default text for Competency questions and sub-review questions. See report Competency Characteristics Report.
Q: Can I change some of the terminology in enCompassing Visions to better match language familiar to my organization?
A: Yes. In the Maintain System Policies Administrative Function, select the Policy Group ‘Alternate Terms'. This will give you a list of the terms that you can customize within the software. Double click an item to change the default.
If you need to add a new possible value to the ‘pick' list you must first add it using the View Actions > Add/Revise Optional Data function. Refer to the Alternate Terms documentation in the enCompassing Visions HELP section (LINK) for more details about where these terms are used.
For example: if you want to add ‘Pay Scale' as your alternate term for Job Level, follow these steps:
1) Go to Maintain System Policies, click View Actions > Add/Revise Optional Data
2) Click the Job Level button from the menu
3) Type ‘Pay Scale' in the text box and click Add – this will add Pay Scale to the list of choices
4) Click Close to close the window
5) Select the Alternate Terms policy group
6) Double click the entry for Job Level
7) Select Pay Scale from the list of possible values
8) Click OK
Everywhere in the system we use Job Level will now be referred to as Pay Scale.
Q: Is there any way to have more reviewer roles in the system?
A: Yes. You can add more reviewer roles in the Maintain System Policies Administrative Function.
1) Click the View Actions > Add/Revise Optional Data function.
2) Select Reviewer Roles from the menu
3) Add the desired Reviewer Roles
NOTE: You can not modify or delete the system supplied default reviewer roles as these are used for special processing within the system. You can add as many as you want.
Q: How do I get information from my HRIS into enCompassing Visions?
A:The Import Administrative Function allows files of updates to be processed and applied to the enCompassing Visions tables. The tables that we currently allow ‘import to' are: Employees, Job Family, Job Group, Jobs, Locations, Organization Level, Organization Structure, Users and Work Unit. For documentation about the Import file formats and guidelines for using the Import contact Technical Support.
Technical FAQs
Q: How do I keep everyone out of the system while we upgrade?
A: The system policy Suspend User Access allows you to suspend all user access EXCEPT for those with Administrative Level Access (level 5). This will allow the Administrators to go in and verify an upgrade or change without opening up the system to the entire organization.
Q: My organization is thinking about upgrading to Windows Vista. Will enCompassing Visions still work?
A: We have not yet completed certification that our application will function without errors using Windows Vista. We expect to complete certification in early 2008. All testing completed to date indicates that there will be no issues running the application from a client with Windows Vista installed.
Q: My organization is considering a SQL server upgrade. How will that impact enCompassing Visions?
A: The application has been certified to run on either SQL2000 or SQL2005 in a 32 bit environment. Refer to the document ‘Configuring for SQL Server 2005' included on your latest upgrade CD (version 8.5 or later) or contact Technical Support for additional information. Certification that enCompassing Visions is compatible with SQL2008 and in 64 bit environments will commence in 2008.
Sales FAQs
Q: How do I find out when my maintenance contract expires?
A: A representative from our Sales Team will contact you 2 months prior to the expiry date, both by telephone and by email to advise you of the due date for maintenance fees. In addition, an invoice is prepared and sent to the accounting office. You can also contact Client Relations and we'll be happy to let you know your renewal date.
Q: How can I get a demo of enCompassing Visions?
A: Just click here to get to our Sales Department and complete the request form. A member of our Sales Team will contact you to set up an appropriate time to view enCompassing Visions.
Q: How do I increase the number of employees or jobs I am allowed to have in enCompassing Visions?
A: This is a two-step process.
Step 1: Contact Client Relations to arrange for purchase of additional employees or jobs. Once the purchase has been arranged, enCompassing Visions will generate and e-mail you a new Authorization Key to use in updating the constraints in your system.
Step 2: Log into enCompassing Visions and apply the new Authorization Key in the Maintain System Constraints screen. Can't find it? Contact Client Relations.
Q: We are very happy with the ‘Job" module of enCompassing Visions and would like to see what the ‘Employee' module can do for us. How do I find out more?
A: Just click here to get to our Sales Department and complete the request form. A member of our Sales Team will contact you to set up an appropriate time to view enCompassing Visions.
Q: Who do we contact about any service patches or downloads that we require?
A: Patches for the software are rare and are communicated to impacted customers through Client Relations based on the version of the software you are running. Contact Client Relations for information and assistance.