J.4_Engineering_Review_Board_(ERB)_User's_Guide.doc

Attachment J.4- Engineering Review Board (ERB) User’s Guide

HHSM-500-2014-RFP-QIN-QIO

ERB User’s Guide

Introduction

Each ERB request is generated by users describing a hardware or software product desired in a Purchase Request form in Remedy. Users cannot create an ERB by directly using the ERB form.

ERB records are created for each product type requested in a Purchase Request form record. After creating product requests in the Purchase Request form, users can open and view the ERB records directly by either of two methods:

1.

Double-click on the product item shown in the table field in the Purchase Request form, or

2.

Access the ERB form in Search mode, and search for the particular record you want either by filling in specific search criteria and clicking Search or by simply clicking the "List Open ERBs" button.

This second method involves clicking Asset Mgmt for Contractors on the Home Page Application list and then clicking the ERB – Search link shown here:

ERB requests require electronic approval from a high ranking manager or the CMS Project Officer. These users have been email notified that they (as Signature Authority) need to enter a Site Approval Status for one or more ERBs and must access these ERB records. They can search and list those ERB records by clicking the List ERBs Needing My Site Approval button. After review, the Signature Authority user can enter their approval decision into the Site Approval Status field.

Each ERB is reviewed by the Engineering Review Board (hence the ERB acronym) to evaluate compatibility and compliance with CMS hardware and software standards. Requests are ultimately approved or denied by CMS.

There are only 3 fields (located on the Site PO# and Signature tab) that most contractor company users can directly edit in the ERB form when prompted to do so. All fields are described, however, in this document so users know how to monitor the progression of their ERB requests throughout the review process.

The ERB Form The top of the ERB form in Search and Modify Mode displays as follows:

Field Descriptions:

List buttons These buttons automate specific searches based on the Status field. List Open ERBs, displays all ERBs that are available to the user and not closed. Site users can only view their own site’s ERBs. List for CMS/ISG displays ERBs that have a Status of “Forward to CMS/ISG”. List ERBs Needing My Site Approval displays ERBs in which the user’s name is in the Signature Authority field and Site Approval Status = “Pending”.

ERB#

The system generates a unique value in this field to identify the record.

PR Ref# This field corresponds to the PR # identifying the Purchase Request record from which this ERB was created.

PCR Ref# This field is only applicable to parent contractor users. When a request has the potential for an impact on the entire WAN community, a Change Request (PCR) must be submitted to the CCB board. In that event the corresponding PCR# needs to be entered here for reference purposes.

Create-date This field is auto-filled by the system at the time of creating the record. The user cannot change its value.

Status This required field is the main field to study for determining where the ERB request is in the process. The default Status value at creation is New or Pending depending on whether the Site Approval Status in NA or Pending.

The ERB team looks for all ERBs with Status value New. If the ERB team needs additional information they may change the Status to Pending. Most often the ERB team records its review comments and advances the request by setting the Status to Forward to CMS/ISG.

CMS/ISG reviews all ERBs that have a Status of Forward to CMS/ISG, fills in its approval or denial resolution and comment fields. If approved by CMS/ISG, the ERB is advanced to the Contracts office. After the Contracts office enters their decision the Status is set to Return to Procurement.

If the request was denied by CMS, the Procurement team will set the Status to Request Denied/Closed. This will trigger an automatic notification to the requestor that the request is denied and to check the ERB for details.

If the ERB is approved, Procurement sets the Status to PO requested by Procurement. This automatically triggers a notification to the Requestor to open the ERB in Remedy and enter a Site PO# and Signature on the “Site PO# and Signature” tab authorizing Procurement to make the purchase for the site.

When the Site PO# and Signature field values are entered by the Requestor, the system automatically changes the Status value to PO received. Procurement then places the order and changes the Status to Ordered/Fax packing slip. This triggers an automatic notification to the Requestor to Fax the packing slip when the order is received. Also at that time, Procurement creates Inventory records for the ordered item(s).

When the order is received by the site, the requestor needs to fax the packing slip as indicated in the notification. Also, the Requestor needs to update the Inventory record(s) for the received item(s).

When Procurement receives the packing list, they will set the Status to Received/Closed. No other purchase orders will be processed for your site if an ERB is not closed. The system will automatically notify the requestor that the ticket is closed and remind them that they should update the Inventory record(s) that were created for the received item(s).

Signature Authority

This field value is copied from the Purchase Request form and cannot be modified by the site users. If not NA, the indicated user is notified to enter their approval decision in the Site Approval Status field. If NA is indicated but an approval is required by the site, the ERB will be rejected.

Site Approval Status

If NA was indicated in the Approver Position field of the originating Purchase Request, then this field is auto-set to NA and the ERB Team will review the ERB. Otherwise, this field is auto-set to “Pending” until updated by the person named in the Signature Authority field. That user must indicate either “Approved” or “Rejected” for the ERB to advance to the ERB Team for review.

Status Log The system uses this field to record time stamps telling when Status changes are made. It can also be used by the purchasing agents for additional notes.

(THE VALUE FOR EACH OF THE FOLLOWING FIELDS IS COPIED FROM THE ORIGINATING PURCHASE REQUEST FORM. IF YOU NEED MORE BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON WHAT THE FIELD REPRESENTS, PLEASE SEE THE USER GUIDE FOR THE PURCHASE REQUEST FORM.)

Bill-to Company

Requestor

Requestor Email Address Phone

Ship-to Company Ship-to City Ship-to POC

POC Email Address (hidden field)

Scenario

Special Studies Name or NA

Spec. Studies End Date

Priority

Priority Approved By

Product Type

General Product Name

Model/Version:

The Description Tab fields are copied from the Purchase Request form except for the "Curr Inv Counts" described next:

The Review and CMS Resolution tab fields are shown and described next:

Comment for Pending Status Email

The ERB team can populate this to be included in the body of an email to the Requestor. The message content will be in the following format:

Your ERB# ____ relating to PR# ____ for <Gen Product Name> has been put in a Pending Status. Please see the following comment:

<Comment for Pending Status Email>

Send Pending Email?

This field is used by the ERB review team to send a “Pending” Status email to the Requestor. Setting the value to “Yes” and saving, triggers the sending of the email. The system changes the value to “Sent” when the message is delivered and also logs that the message was sent in the Status Change Log field.

ERB Team Comments The ERB team reviews the request and gives its recommendation to CMS/ISG in this field.

ERB Team Review Signature

This is the electronic signature of the ERB team member that entered the ERB Team field data.

ERB Team Date This is the entry date of the ERB Team Review Signature.

CMS/ISG Resolution CMS/ISG reviews the request and designates either: Approved, Denied, Pending, or Partial Approval.

CMS Additional Comments

This field may give more details about the CMS/ISG response to the request.

CMS Status

This field is visible to all users but can only be modified by CMS.

Source of Funds This field is for CMS/ISG to clarify how the request is to be funded.

CMS/ISG Signature This is the electronic signature of the CMS user that entered the CMS field values.

ISG Date

This is the date the CMS/ISG Signature was entered.

Contracts Signature At the time of this writing, users in the government Contracts office do not have access to Remedy. Therefore, a paper ERB-Detail report is passed to them for approval. When returned to CMS/ISG, that user enters the name of the Contracts officer.

Contracts Sig. Date This is the date when CMS/ISG enters the Contracts officer’s decision.

Contracts Resolution This is the decision of the Contracts officer entered by CMS/ISG.

The Site PO# and Signature tab fields shown here contain the only fields that the site user can modify.

Site PO# Most sites have an internal purchase order system. This field allows entry of the PO# relating to the internal purchase order system used by the site. Entry in this field can only be done when the Status field value is “PO requested by Procurement”.

Site Signature The Site Signature can only be entered by the Requestor and only when the Status field value is “PO requested by Procurement”. Entry is required to authorize the Procurement team to purchase the requested item(s).

Signature Date This field is auto-populated when the Site Signature field has been populated.

The Procurement tab shown below is mainly used by the Procurement team to populate account fields and eventually push into the Inventory records they create. Many of these fields do not have much significance other than to the Procurement team so are not described here.

The most significant field for requestor site users on the Procurement tab is the lookup table showing “Inventory Records with Status ERB Approved”. Procurement checks this table and may delay any new orders if records for previously purchase items are not being updated.

Scheduled Costs tab (Only visible to Procurement users):

Renewal 1, 2, 3 Type The menu choices for these 3 fields are “Evaluation”, “Lease”, “Maintenance”, “Partial Payment”, “Perpetual/None”, “Renewal”, “SW Subscription”, and “Warranty”. Default values are copied from the Prod+Model/Version form into the ERB record. These values can be changed if desired but indicate the typical type(s) of renewals that should be scheduled involving future costs relating to the product.

Renewal 1, 2, 3 General Info

Enter what the warranty covers and the length of the warranty such as 3-yr. or 90-day in this 60-character field.

Renewal 1, 2, 3 Cost per Unit Desc.

This field describes the estimated renewal cost or how to determine that cost. For example, “$56 x months remaining to 6/18/2007”.

Renewal 1, 2, 3 Due Date

Procurement should enter the date the next renewal will come due. This is the trigger date that will be put in the Scheduled Cost record and will cause 90-day advanced notifications.

Create Scheduled Costs 1, 2, 3 Record

Each of these buttons will create a Scheduled-Costs record for its respective field set. When pressed the renewal field values an other field values from the ERB record are copied into the Scheduled-Costs form and a window opened to allow the user to edit the Scheduled-Costs record.

Note:

If Partial Payments are to be setup, this can be done with just one of the Renewal field sets (1, 2, or 3). Multiple Scheduled-Costs records can be created in the ERB form from one Renewal field set by modifying the Renewal x Due Date for each.

Scheduled Cost records for this ERB: table

This table displays all Scheduled-Costs records that have been created for products from this ERB. Procurement users can double click any line in this table to open a Scheduled-Costs record in modify mode if desired.

Search SCs for this Product

Procurement users can use this button to quickly do a search for all Scheduled-Costs records created for products matching those in this ERB. This is handy for those products that all have the same due date regardless of the ERB number. Rather than create another Scheduled-Costs record the already existing record can be incremented and the new ERB# added to the ERB Ref# field in the Scheduled-Costs record.

General Procedures The general procedures for creating new records and performing simple searches are covered in the attachment file in the Documentation record for (AR System Intro). A more complete description of Remedy search methods is in the attachment in the (Search Methods) record in the Documentation form.

The process of printing a report is described in general in the (Reporting) record attachment file in the Documentation form. As in all Remedy forms, reports are available while viewing a record in Modify Mode by clicking the Create Report button.

The Crystal reports that are available to submitters are ERB_Detail which is for printing an ERB record in detail and ERB_List and ERB-90_Day_List for printing information on several ERB records in a spreadsheet format. One other report called ERB-Monthly Costs per Site summarizes the total costs per month per company.