The SmartSimple Blog

Search engines such as Google, Bing or Yahoo may be more than adequate for general web searches, but for our clients who work diligently in research, medicine and academia, more scholar-focused databases are desired. The following four scholarly sources - each with their own different advantages and disadvantages - are repositories of academic papers, studies, and peer-reviewed research literature: Google Scholar   Google’s very own database of scholarly literature is relatively new, but nonetheless has an expansive catalog. You can browse by discipline and filter out general magazine, newspaper, and blog posts. However, full-text versions of many recently indexed papers are only available if you pay a fee. | Find it here . Microsoft Academic Search   Microsoft’s own academic search engine provides tools to help researchers explore and visualize scholarly content in different ways. For instance, both graphical and snippet views of citations are available. Limita...

Our September 2013 upgrade is live! Read on for a complete rundown of the latest enhancements, features and upgrades that have been added to your SmartSimple system this month. Consolidation of Submit Logic Failure Messages  In order to help end users complete forms with multiple Submit Logic validations, SmartSimple will now display all alert messages configured with Submit Logic into a consolidated alert window. Recently Viewed Objects A new right-hand panel titled " Recent " is now available, which displays your most recently viewed records. To display this panel, simply enable the settings through Manager Permissions. Scheduling Reports Reports can now be scheduled to run daily, weekly, or monthly. These reports can be configured to store custom field values to SmartSimple records, which allows for the periodic aggregation of data. This feature is available to all System Administrators . Basing Summary Cross-tab on Standard Fields (Arcadia) If you are us...

Welcome to another installment of  Chin's Musings ! In this series, Systems Controller Chin Chuah will create helpful rundowns of various system features and processes to help you better understand the SmartSimple platform. SmartSimple is continually becoming more robust and enhanced with new features. This sometimes results in the ability to configure the same end functionality through the use of a variety of different techniques. This post will help you decide on the best approach for your situation by discussing different ways to update a field value . Default Text This is the simplest way to store a value into a field. Default Text is configured through the custom field settings page for open text input fields such as Text Box - Single Line . This setting works by populating the input field on the form with the specified default value when a field does not already have a value stored in it. This requires the user to save the form to actually save the field value. Adva...

Most people think of smartphone apps as mindless diversions or casual games. However, many startups and organizations have created apps in the hopes of aiding social good and inspiring others for the digital age. Check out these five ways you can carry your favorite causes in your pocket: GoodGuide Website |  iTunes Store | Google Play This consumer-conscious app makes use of your smartphone’s camera to scan product barcodes and instantly rate it based on health, safety, environmental and social responsibility factors. Detailed information about the social responsibility of various consumer brands is also available in-app. Ushahidi  Website | iTunes Store Designed to keep the public current with information on protests, civil unrest, and global events, Ushahidi is a crowdsourced app used by activists, reporters and the general public worldwide. Information is displayed via an interactive map for easy access to the regions that matter most you. The Extraord...

SmartSimple is pleased to announce that we will be attending the second annual CASRAI International Conference, titled Reconnect: Big Data 13. This exciting event will take place October 16-18, 2013 at the Fairmont Château Laurier in Ottawa, Ontario. This conference will examine the role of research administration practices and information sharing in supporting knowledge discoveries and innovations. Presentations and session topics will focus on further advancing the methods to better connect the research and innovation ecosystem. SmartSimple will be participating as a Silver-level sponsor. Teresa Clarke (Director of Research Solutions) and David Resnick (Product Marketing Manager) will represent SmartSimple and be on hand to demonstrate RMS360 ° , our signature research management software solution. About CASRAI The Consortia Advancing Standards in Research Administration Information is a non-profit organization that develops standards for diverse research organizations to w...

SmartSimple is excited to announce that we will be attending the Fall Conference for Community Foundations. This three-day event will take place September 22-25, 2013 and will be hosted by the Council on Foundations (COF) at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego, California. SmartSimple will be participating as an exhibitor, with Todd Lapin (Director of Strategic Accounts) and Sarah Jane Nicholson (Relationship Manager) as our intrepid representatives. We will be showcasing our GMS360 º  for community foundations. GMS360 º enables community foundations to manage grants and donations, match donor interests to grants, manage any number of funds and track relationships with donors, grantees, staff, subject matter experts, and other stakeholders. You can visit our website to learn more about our grants management software solution. Stop by our booth for a chat or email sales@smartsimple.com to arrange a discussion about how SmartSimple and GMS360º will benefit you. ...

Welcome to another installment of  Chin's Musings ! In this series, Systems Controller Chin Chuah will create helpful rundowns of various system features and processes to help you better understand the SmartSimple platform. Let's learn about some common issues encountered when configuring SmartSimple. Workflows Not Firing Ensure that the workflow has connectors between the tasks. There needs to be a start and end (or connection) to another workflow. When using branching logic within task connectors, ensure that every outcome and possibility is accounted for in your conditions and that each condition is mutually exclusive from each other. Do not overlap logical conditions with each other. Ensure that the object you're triggering the workflow on is enabled for it. For example, Universal Tracking Application ™  L1 templates need to have workflows enabled and specific association workflows selected. Companies need to select specific company/contact workflows. Multipl...