Notes are an integrated SmartSimple feature, available in every instance, that lets users annotate records with comments and instructions. Notes support communication among internal teams, applicants, claimants, reviewers, and board members directly within the system, without external email applications or additional custom fields. Users can create an unlimited number of notes and configure them with role-based visibility, sets of pre-populated text, and workflow triggers.
Who: System administrators who configure note types and permissions, and end users who add and view notes on records.
What Notes Are
Notes enhance communication among users directly within SmartSimple, so teams do not need external email applications or extra custom fields to share comments and instructions. An administrator can create an unlimited number of note types and configure them with role-based visibility, pre-defined text options, and workflow triggers. The value of notes grows with the extent of their configuration and use.
Features of Notes:
- Notes attach to a variety of records, including UTA/module records, contact and company profiles, calendar events, SmartFolders, invoices, transactions, and more.
- System administrators can add notes to individual custom fields, templates, and statuses to document processes and maintain a change log.
- System administrators can create several types of notes and set role-based permissions for editing and viewing each type.
- Custom note types can include sets of pre-populated text for end users to select.
- A workflow can notify users by email when a new note is created, and the email can include variables such as the text in the body of the note.
- A person tagged in a note receives a notification in the Notifications section of their Portal.
When to Use Notes
Use notes to:
- Flag urgent information for other program managers, such as a Do Not Fund decision on a record.
- Alert applicants to a missing requirement as a grant application deadline approaches.
- Standardize responses by offering pre-populated note text for reviewers to select.
- Document configuration changes on custom fields, templates, and statuses as a change log.
- Notify users by email through a workflow when a new note is added to a record.
- Correspond in-system with internal users by tagging users in notes using @ symbols, and nesting responses to a specific note under that note as a communication thread.
What a Note Contains
Each note appears in its own box and includes the following details:
- Date and time stamps.
- The username of the person who created the note.
- The type of note.
- The content of the note.
- A count of the note within the list of available notes, which updates in real time as notes are added or deleted.
- An edit button for editing the note.
- The ability for internal users of the organization to tag other internal users using an @ symbol to call their attention to a specific note through their Notifications section of their Portal.
Sticky and High-Visibility Notes
A note type named Sticky Note flags its content as high-visibility on a record. A Sticky Note appears in the Notes tab and also at the top of the record's main page, above the record details, highlighted in yellow.
A Sticky Note displays a caution icon, the name and content of the note, the name of the note creator, and the date and time stamp. A user can close the note with the [x] icon at the top right of the note box, but marking a note as a Sticky Note keeps it easily visible. This option is useful for urgent notifications, such as a Do Not Fund note that other program managers should see, or a Missing Requirement note that applicants should be aware of as deadlines approach.
Role-Based Permissions for Notes
Role-based permissions govern access to notes. An administrator must set these permissions before a user can view or create notes on a record. Notes can also be made available for individual entities, such as a UTA/module, organization, user, or calendar, using Advanced Logic.
Resources
For more information about Notes, see: