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Release Notes
Impact:ECS version 6.1
New Features for Core Users
Custom Item Type Folders
Line
Item Column Freezing
Export Reports
New Features for
Model Builders
Improved
Performance
Multiple Data Types for All Data Fields
Multiple Data
Columns in Tables
XML Import Export
Wizard
Data
Load and Data Publishing Wizards
Cost Object Initialization and Finalization Calculations
User
Defined Identification Fields
Factor Search
Improvements
New Cost
Bucket Naming Conventions
Global Factor and Table Locking During Recalculations
New Features for Administrators
Improved
Application Architecture
Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle Database Support
User Groups
and Folder Security
Windows Operating System Authentication
Administrative Control Over User Sessions
Scheduled Tasks
New Features for Programmers
VBScript and JavaScript Language Support
API Enhancements
New Features for Core Users
Custom
Item Type Folders: User navigation has been
greatly improved with the introduction of custom item type
folders. Each model contains a unique set of custom folders
to group individual items. Both folders and items are now
navigable in a Windows Explore like fashion (with the
interface primarily dominated by a Tree-View and List-View
control). Additionally, Impact:EDC Enterprise Desktop
Clients can now view data from multiple Models
Simultaneously.
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Line Item Column
Freezing: In an effort to help users interpret
and compare cost results, Cost Object line items now support
column freezing. This feature allows users to freeze the
left most column (or columns) when they horizontally scroll
through cost buckets.
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Export Reports:
Reports now support a number of export options including
Microsoft Excel, Adobe PDF and HTML. These options are
available to help share cost information with decision
makers and cost managers across the organization.
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New Features for
Model Builders
Improved
Performance: Impact's redesigned application
architecture offers calculation speeds up to 50% faster,
making it even quicker to access accurate, meaningful and
timely cost information for your company.
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Multiple
Data Types for All Data Fields: Impact:ECS has
expanded the number of data types available. The available
data types are strings, integers, decimals, dates and
Boolean values. These data types are supported for all data
fields including (but not limited to) Local Factors, Cost
Buckets, Global Factors and Table Field Values.
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Multiple Data
Columns in Tables: Impact:ECS now supports
Tables with multiple data columns. This helps improve Table
maintenance and accuracy.
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XML Import Export Wizard:
Transferring individual Impact:ECS items between different
Models or Servers becomes much easier with the new XML
Import/Export Wizard. The ability to save entire Models to
compressed XML files also makes this new tool a viable
alternative to back-up existing Impact:ECS Models.
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Data Load
and Data Publishing Wizards: The manual and
time-consuming process of writing CostTalks or Script
Modules to read and write data to external systems can be
eliminated with the new Data Load and Data Publishing
Wizards. Users now get step-by-step guides for mapping
system data directly to and from Cost Object Routings and
Local Factors.
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Cost Object Initialization and Finalization Calculations:
To ensure Cost Models function correctly, new Cost Object
Initialization and Finalization Calculations are now
included. These Calculations afford model designers the
ability to load data from external systems, validate user
input and publish data to external systems apart from the
usual Cost Object Line Item calculations.
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User Defined
Identification Fields: Custom User Defined
Identification Fields replace Item’s Reports Text, Account
ID And Comments. Each User Defined Identification field can
be defined using one of the newly supported data types.
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Factor Search Improvements: Impact:ECS now
supports the ability to access data In upper level (or
parent) Cost Objects during lower level (or dependant) Cost
Object recalculations. This feature is supported by the new
Independent property that exists for all Cost Objects.
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New Cost Bucket
Naming Conventions: Cost Buckets can now be
referenced In Calculations by user defined Bucket IDs. This
greatly improve Calculation legibility because model
builders are no longer required to use the "B1", "D1" Cost
Bucket and Data Entry Bucket naming conventions.
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Global Factor and Table Locking During Recalculations:
Often times Global Factors and Tables are used to
temporarily store data results during Cost Object
recalculations. So, in an effort help protect the accidental
tampering of these results, Global Factors and Tables can be
locked exclusively during Cost Object recalculations.
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Impact:CRD Cost
Report Designer: With the introduction of
Impact:CRD Cost Report Designer, users can easily design
templates to produce reports that combine the most relevant
information. Using the new drag and drop functionality,
important information is formatted to fit the needs of the
organization. Graphs, hyperlinks and images can be included
in reports so the cost data is easier to interpret and
analyze.
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New Features for
Administrators
Improved
Application Architecture: Impact:ECS has been
completely redesigned as a true client-server application to
increase performance and improve multi-user support. This
new architecture, commonly called an 'n-tier' configuration,
provides a functional separation between end-user
activities, business processing and data storage.
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Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle Database Support:
The improved n-tier architecture paves the way for enabling
Impact:ECS to store its data in standard relational
databases. Currently, Oracle 8i and 9i and Microsoft SQL
Server 2000 are supported.
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User Groups and
Folder Security: User Groups and Folder
Security provide administrators with more flexibility when
applying security permissions to cost models. Previously,
security permission could only be defined for an entire item
type. Additionally, these permission could only be set for
individual users. Now, individual item types can be grouped
into folders and each folder specifies what permissions are
allowed for specific groups. So, for groups of users that
require the same access to sensitive cost data,
administrators can now create User Groups to assign
folder-level permissions more efficiently.
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Windows
Operating System Authentication: User
authentication is the process of determining whether or not
a user is who they claim to be. This is typically handled by
an application requiring them to supply a password as proof
of their claim. Now, in addition to Impact own user
authentication mechanism (where the user must supply a
password), administrators can now create Windows
authenticated users. This form of authentication allows
users to use their current Windows credential for the
authentication process. This improved security measure has
the added benefit that users are no longer required to
remember additional passwords for each one of their cost
models.
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Administrative Control Over User Sessions:
System administrators can now view and control user sessions
remotely and terminate connections to individual databases.
This feature can be helpful in situation where users
accidentally leave items open.
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Scheduled Tasks:
Running Scripts and Calculations just became easier with the
new Scheduled Tasks feature. Now administrators can create a
"to do" list of activities to perform during downtimes or
over weekends to provide cost information on a timely basis.
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New Features for
Programmers
VBScript
and JavaScript Language Support: Support for
Visual Basic script and JavaScript is now available. This
features allows users already proficient in these popular
scripting languages to write and administer their scripts
easier.
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API Enhancements:
Impact's APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) have been
significantly upgraded, providing complete access to all
Impact:ECS item types. Now script authors can
programmatically perform complex tasks such as formatting
Cost Objects or applying Folder security.
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