The Home Tab, or Home Page, in UCM is where you’ll be taken to when you log into the system. It is also where you’ll be able to enter a new Contract into the system using Direct Entry or one of two template options, Templates and Library Templates (not everyone will see all three options, Templates and Library will only appear if enabled by your local admins). The Library can also be used as a place to store reference documents that are frequently used, but not used as Templates for new Contracts.
On the home page, you’ll find the following elements:
(A) Enterprise Ribbon: The Enterprise Ribbon will always appear on your screen no matter where you are inside of UCM. The options up here may change or look slightly different depending on your User Type and how your organization is set-up, but what we are seeing here would the fullest it would ever appear.
(B) Home Tab: This tab will bring you back to the Home Page from anywhere in the system.
(C) Contracts Tab: You can use Global Search to find a specific Contract, but the Contracts Tab will allow you to run reports, or Views, across all the contracts in your system. Hovering over the Contracts Tab will allow you to access the dropdown menu with other options available.
(D) Company Admin: This feature will only be seen by Administrators. It is where your system is set-up and configured.
(E) Notification Center: Here you will find any Assigned Contracts, Milestones, outstanding Activities, and Contracts to Review. For more information on what you can do in the Notification Center, click HERE.
(F) Direct Entry: Direct Entry is the most commonly used method to enter a new Contract into the system. This will give you the chance to name your contract, select the Type of contract it is, assign an Owner and any Responsible Parties, attach initial documents, and relate to an existing Contract if needed.
(G) Templates: Templates, from the Home Page, are generally used to create a pre-set template document alongside a new Container. Templates are created by Admins ahead of time, and then those Templates can be selected by users to fill out, and the data that is on the Template will be included in the Contract Summary Data. More information about Templates can be found HERE.
(H) Library: The Library can be used just like Templates, although there are some differences that can be explored in more detail HERE, but the Library also has the advantage of being a place to store procedural documents, or any other types of files that you want your Users of UCM to have access to. This is NOT a replacement for a document repository, and it is NOT where you would want to put any Contract Specific documents.
(I) Announcement Ribbon: You can have an optional message scroll across your Home Page to alert your Users of anything you feel you need to. Some organizations use this as a way to let their Users know how to enter the names of new Contracts using Direct Entry.
(J) Favorite Views: You can save your favorite View, or reports, to your Home Page so they are only a single click away after logging in.
(K) Last Accessed Containers: By default, you’ll see your five (5) most recently accessed Contract Containers. This is a great tool if you are working in multiple Containers, you can just hop back to your Home Tab and then bounce back and forth between a few contracts quickly.