"Wow!" is the sentiment we had when we reviewed all the great product updates from 2024. The work is never done though - InfoReady is continuously improving the platform to help administrators build and manage forms and processes (not to mention delivering a great user experience for all other users). In fact, we have monthly releases focusing on functionality, security, and accessibility (release notes. We want to express a special "thank you" to the InfoReady administrator community for the consistent feedback you provide. Much of the new functionality InfoReady built and released in 2024 is because you told us what you needed!
We want to highlight some of the most impactful updates from 2024 - in case you missed any. 2024 was a year when the remarkably adaptable new Form Designer template (FDT) came into its own, and as InfoReady released Form Designer Core to the Platform, everyone now has access to the modern functionality of FDT. Later in the year FDT also became the new default template, although admins could still select a different default template.
Highlights include:
Adding repeatable sections in FDT
You just build the section one time and then your applicants can add as many responses as they need. A popular use is to collect contact information and CVs from team members.
Hiding any field, not just name and contact information, from Reviewers in FDT
Earlier versions of InfoReady allowed the applicant’s name and email to be hidden, but now you can now hide any application field from Reviewers. This is very useful if you need to collect information from an applicant that would indicate their identity or is information a reviewer doesn’t need to make their decision.
In FDT fields can now be hidden from applicants too!
There's a new magical checkbox within all questions that lets you hide fields from applicants. A great use for this feature is when you want to add administrative information or private comments to share with the reviewers, but don't want to share with applicants.
Copying Progress Reports in FDT
Often, progress reports for a competition are the same or similar over the competition’s lifecycle. Before this release, admins had to create the same sets of fields over and over again. Now, you can create one Progress Report within a competition, copy it, and make any changes needed. And repeat. It's fast and easy to add as many Progress Reports as you want.
The new Migration Tool to upgrade old General and Funding competitions to Form Designer
We know for many of you, especially those who have been InfoReady clients for several years, the Form Designer template is a big change. Our team built the Migration Tool to reduce the work in rebuilding forms in Form Designer so you can focus on designing the most accurate and streamlined forms for your users.
Adding Form Designer to Routing Steps
The Form Designer routing step offers upgraded form building capabilities to review forms, including drag and drop interface, new field types, and conditional logic. The new option allows administrators to build better review forms with clearer instructions and rubrics to reviewers. Admins can even use the conditional logic into the review form for identifying conflicts of interest.
The long-anticipated arrival of Return for Revisions Routing Step
Return for Revisions allows reviewers to either advance an application to the next routing step or return it the applicant for revisions, with clear communication to applicants.
Send custom emails to applicants at any time from the Data Grid
Now you can send custom emails to applicants at any time, not just at predetermined points of communication for system notifications! The days of exporting applicant list to send off-schedule emails are gone. With the batch email functionality on the Data Grid, you can now select any or all applicants to send a custom email. The email template provides options to insert merge fields from an application to customize the message.
This functionality can be used in many ways, like to
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- remind applicants still in draft mode to submit by the deadline;
- send a mass update of status of a competition;
- announce a change of date.
Download the current view of Data Grid
Downloading the data grid as configured is an often-requested feature. After carefully putting the grid together to view precisely the information desired, you wanted the flexibility to download it. So now, “what you see is what you get”! When you are on the Data Grid, look for the new Download the Data Grid button. Filter and arrange columns to view only the data you need. Then download for future analysis or reporting.
Ability to create and save multiple views in the Data Grid
Once you’ve created that perfect version of the Data Grid, save it to return it at any time. Each admin on a competition can create their own view or multiple views. No longer will everyone need to work off the same version of the Data Grid—every admin can have their own view or better yet, views!
Go to Grid View to save the current view. Select Save Current Grid View and name as you see fit. Return to that view at any time by selecting the view from Grid View.
Add Progress Report Delegates and notifications
This feature allows administrators and awardees to add delegates to Progress Reports, enabling team collaboration and flexibility in report submission. Aside from enabling collaboration, the delegates feature accommodates situations where a team member leaves the institution or when administrators want to collect information about a person/project/proposal from an ancillary group (e.g. registrar, finance, advisor, etc.).
Additional review deadline options
Routing Steps now have two additional review deadline options. The new offset date option gives administrators more flexibility when managing opportunities with rolling or ongoing reviews. Administrators can now set a review deadline based on the assignment date, choosing a timeframe of days, weeks, or months instead of a fixed date. This means no more setting distant deadlines for ongoing processes!
In addition to the new offset deadlines, you can now set a specific default review deadline for each routing step. This means that when building a routing step, you can enter the deadline in advance, which will automatically fill in during review assignments for that routing step.
Adding additional emails address for notifications in FDT
The Additional Email Addresses for Notification field is now optional and located in the InfoReady Tools section (Add Contacts for Notifications) - you choose when to use it!
Other highlights:
Updates to the Dynamic Profile Plus add-on feature
In 2023, we introduced Dynamic Profile, which allows administrators to automatically populate application forms from information in the user profile. The Dynamic Profile+ add-on extended that functionality by allowing user profiles to be populated via a data feed from your information systems to InfoReady.
In 2024, we now support importing additional data—beyond the fields found in the user profile—from your information systems into InfoReady and automatically populating application forms with that data. Contact your account manager if you are interested in learning how your organization can leverage this feature to improve the collection of data and streamline the application experience for your users.
Updates to the Personal Information Profile (PIP) add-on feature
For clients utilizing the PIP add-on, PIP data is now visible in the user profile to the user and to any administrator with the appropriate permission level. Previously, this data was only available to administrators and reviewers when reviewing an application.
Sunsetting Multitrack
In 2024 we started to say goodbye to the Multitrack Template. With the new FDT Core functionality now available to all clients, the beloved, but less flexible Multitrack Template is no longer the best choice for our admins. The functionality of multitrack competitions can now be replicated in FDT, and using FDT gives clients many more options. Clients can no longer create new Multitrack competitions from scratch, although copying of old competitions is still possible.
Behind the Scenes
And as always, each release and some in between, the InfoReady team is continuously making updates to improve accessibility, security, and usability. Visit the IT resources page to obtain documentation on InfoReady's accessibility and security.
Want More? Watch our What's New videos.
Releases 3.57 & 3.58 covered "Add contacts for notifications", hiding fields from reviewers, Form Design Core availability and Build My Own Form routing step update.
Release 3.60 covered Dynamic Profile Plus, copy Progress Reports, and Form Designer Migration Tool.
Release 3.62 covered the long awaited Returns for Revisions (all templates) and FDT Build Your Own Form routing steps, and new notifications.
Releases 3.63, 3.64 and 3.65 covered accessibility updates, new review deadline options, new Data Grid options.
