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Key Features
Other Features
Key Features
Release 18.3 includes a number of new features which significantly enhance the functionality of AssignmentPro.
Core Flex
The new Core Flex feature allows the mobility team to provide their business partners with a self-service tool to authorize new assignments that ensures that the employee’s core needs are met while providing the flexibility to adjust the benefits to meet the specific needs of the employee and the business. The benefits that are presented are based upon the selected policy and the specific situation of the employee.
If the benefits are not flexed beyond the limits established by the mobility team, the cost estimate and other required documents can be automatically generated, and the authorization can be routed and approved without involving the mobility team. If the limits (or guardrails) are exceeded, exceptions are automatically generated and the mobility team can be engaged.
Other Features
Assignment Deletion Batch
The performance of the Assignment Deletion Batch has been improved. Improvement increases depend on Assignment complexity and specific product implementation. In addition, the Assignment Deletion Batch has been enhanced to include the deletion of Core Flex scenarios.
Assignment Details
Fixed an issue that was preventing resources from being available on the Assignment Screen’s Relocation Coordinator field under some circumstances.
Assignment Packages
Core Flex Policies must use Assignment Packages and when a Core Flex Policy is selected during an Authorization, the Authorization step displays a new, simpler interface for package creation.
Authorizations
Authorizations using Core Flex Policies allow users to make benefit choice selections within pre-defined budgeting limits (or guardrails) including both desired money values and pick-list options without the intervention of the mobility team unless the user requests desired values outside of the budgeting limits.
When a Core Flex policy is selected, the Services tab of the Authorization changes behavior to allow for a Core Flex specific workflow. The Services tab shows budgeting information for easy understanding of the difference between the recommended and desired benefit choices.
During an Authorization of a Core Flex Policy, multiple steps of the Authorization have their behavior altered and change their level of interactivity, in some cases preventing user data entry, in order to facilitate a more controlled user experience.
When a Core Flex Policy is selected and finalized, services associated with the policy are automatically authorized for the assignment based on the user’s benefit selections.
Requests for exceptions to benefit budgeting limits can be generated during a Core Flex Authorization.
A new interface exists for routing Core Flex Policy Exceptions and allows the user to automatically route exceptions to the appropriate people with a single click.
Exceptions that occurred during Authorization of a Core Flex Policy automatically transfer to the Assignment upon completed the Authorization for increased visibility.
Budgeting limits calculated during an Authorization of a Core Flex Policy are automatically copied to the Assignment as Policy Fields upon completion of the Authorization making the creation of on-Assignment benefit changes easier.
Multiple Authorization scenarios are supported when a Core Flex Policy is selected.
Added the following resource fields to the Authorization screen’s Relocation tab to allow teams to leverage AssignmentPro resource functionality like Quick Workflow, ability to log into APro, widgets display, etc. without having to create the Assignment from the Authorization.
Accounting Coordinator
Additional Resource #1
Additional Resource #2
... additional resources...
Additional Resource #10
These will copy to the Assignment’s corresponding fields when the Assignment is created or updated after Final Approval is granted.
The Authorization Flexible CSV Import was updated to support importing these fields.
To use these fields, configure these to be visible via data dictionary metadata override (DDMO) or Authorization Profile Override.
Thank you Equus Community for letting us know about this feature!
Added an “Assignment Length (in days)” calculated field to the Authorization screen’s Relocation tab to allow HR and mobility teams to quickly see the proposed length of the assignment based on its start and end dates, as well as leverage AssignmentPro functionality like Policy Availability/Rules.
To use this field, configure it to be visible via DDMO or Authorization Profile Override.
Fixed an issue where the Authorization Coordinator field was being set to blank after the authorization was saved which stops the user from creating or amending an authorization.
Fixed an issue where the selected Authorization Template was not persisting after being selected from the Authorization Initiation widget in the portal.
The “Change Authorization Template” button is now listed as a screen section labeled “Authorization - Change Template” and can have its “Edit” right modified to prevent users from changing templates during an Authorization.
Fixed an issue where an Authorization could not be cancelled after an Assignment was created from that Authorization.
Authorization Override Profiles
Override Profiles have been enhanced to allow for a more customized Authorization workflow.
Override Profiles can now be associated with a Policy enabling fields in the Authorization to change their behavior based upon the selected Policy.
Override Profiles can now use an Authorization level User Table as a Data Source so that User Pages in Authorizations can be further customized.
Authorization Scenarios
As part of the enhanced Authorization workflow when using new Core Flex Policies, multiple Authorization scenarios can now be created. The data in each scenario can be adjusted and reviewed individually before choosing a scenario to route for approval.
Scenarios are numbered in order of their creation within an individual Authorization and a scenario can be deleted when more than one scenario exists.
Authorization Templates
Some changes were made to Authorization Templates.
The “Required for Process” list now supports the “Services” option, enabling better enforcement of required data entry.
A new option is available labeled “Create/Update Assignment and Set Status to Complete when Finalized” which enables External Client type users to create Assignments when applicable.
Coordinator / Resource Drop-Downs
The following issues have been resolved.
Fixed an issue where in some cases the HR Contact Drop down list on the Assignments tab was trying to load values from the incorrect table when creating a new employee.
Fixed an issue where search results are duplicating in the Authorization Coordinator drop down list when companies are changed.
Fixed an issue where in some cases resources could be seen across companies.
Fixed an issue where the Human Resources contact field is not returning the resources linked with the resource role.
Cost Estimates
The loading animations for What-If Cost Estimates have been enhanced to be consistent with new Core Flex screens.
Currencies
The new Venezuelan Bolivar Soberano (VES) has been added to the list of currencies available. This currency is not automatically associated with Venezuela; you will need to update the default currency for Venezuela through the Country configuration screen.
The new Mauritanian Ouguiya (MRU) has been added to the list of currencies available. This currency is not automatically associated with Mauritania; you will need to update the default currency for Mauritania through the Country configuration screen.
The Egyptian Pound was previously spelled incorrectly. This has been corrected.
Hierarchical Fields on User Pages
The Hierarchical Lookup feature allows for the configuration and selection of cascading fields where the display value of a field is dependent on the selection of the previous field. The hierarchy decreases the number of values that display in a drop-down based on the hierarchical filter which increases the likelihood for the correction value to be selected. Hierarchical Lookup fields can only be configured on User Pages at this time.
The Hierarchical Lookup Maintenance screen lists all Hierarchical Lookup Values that can be configured to be used on User Pages. This page is available at both the system and company level.
Updated Employee Assignment Flexible Header Import to add validation rules when importing hierarchical data.
Introduced new Semi-Fixed Header Import to import and maintain hierarchical lookup data.
Fixed an issue with the Semi-Fixed Header Import where fields with descriptions over 50 characters were erroring when imported.
HRIS Integration Capabilities
Added the ability for AssignmentPro to send information about the current user, who is initiating employee demographic searches and detail requests, to the client hosted web service. This allows the client hosted web service to apply security filters to the results, so the current user only sees employee data that they have permission to see.
Mobile Employee Experience
Previously, employees received a “NoPermissions.txt” file when attempting to view or download the following documents from the Mobile Employee Experience. This has been corrected.
Tax Details documents
Tax Briefing documents
Year End Tax Reports (Published)
Cost Estimate Batch Reports (Published)
Performance
Multiple performance enhancements have been made throughout the system. Screen load and response times are improved. In addition, a new service is available that pre-compiles user’s security rights to improve user report run times.
Policies
Core Flex Policies can now be configured and used for new authorizations to enable non-mobility self-service workflows.
New Policies now support type Core Flex.
New Benefit Sets and Benefit Set Line Item pages exist where Core Flex policy contents including all details of included flexible benefits can be defined.
Core Flex Policies support budgeting guardrails by fixed amounts and calculated amounts.
Core Flex Policies support rich help text per policy benefit.
Core Flex Policies support situational rules that show or hide benefits during authorization depending on the employee and relocation circumstances.
Core Flex Policies support Core benefits which cannot be modified by the user during an authorization but can have their benefit amount automatically reflect employee and relocation needs.
Core Flex Policies require a Core Flex Exception Approval Ruleset.
Fixed a performance issue on the Policy Rule Details screen which occurred when a new condition was referencing a field from a User Table that was configured with hierarchical field data.
All Policies now require an Assignment Extension Approval Ruleset and a Policy Field Exception Approval Ruleset. All existing Policies will be updated with per-company default Rulesets.
Policy Exceptions
Policy Field Exception Approvals have been upgraded to use the more robust approval process seen in other parts of the product such as Assignment Extension Approvals. Previously created Exceptions are unaffected.
Enhances Exception Approval Request and Exception Approval pages.
Added support for enhanced approver workflows including multiple approvers at once, many approvers in sequence, and mixed routed and manual approvers.
Added support for auto-population of the approver list and other advanced routing settings by using Policy Field Exception Approval Rulesets.
Added per-company default Policy Field Exception Approval Ruleset.
Adds support for updated Routing History.
Added a Policy Exception system preference to switch back to the deprecated routing method in order to allow transition time to the new automated business processes.
Security Updates
As a standard process, Equus fixes vulnerabilities found through testing and analysis. For this release, one high risk finding has been resolved.
Services and Benefits
The Assignment Services page has been enhanced to support services authorized as part of a Core Flex Authorization. The page now shows Services configured at both the Benefit Set Line Item level as well as Services configured at the Policy level.
Tax Service
Tax Service functionality was improved in several ways.
Added the “Additional Service Date” field to the Tax Briefing Details screen.
This allows mobility users to know when their tax service provider has provided an additional agreed-upon service to the employee. For example, their tax provider may provide personal investment tax advice, applying for the Netherlands 30% Ruling, or calculating projected stock award taxes.
“Additional Service Date” was also added to the Tax Provider Permission Set to allow vendors to provide this via Vendor Integration.
Important Note for Self-Hosted Clients: This release includes changes to the “Assignee Received TCE Date” field (which was introduced in release 18.2.2). Custom logic that references this field might break or cause the update to fail. A script has been provided prior to the release which will find and list any such references. Run this script and address any references found prior to applying this update.
Added the ability to specify Tax Details, Tax Briefing, Tax Return Details, and Social Insurance document-related fields in Checklists and Quick Workflows to allow mobility teams to monitor when those documents have been uploaded or updated.
User Reports
A few adjustments were made to User Reports.
In some circumstances, user reports were being run without the appropriate security filters. This has been resolved.
Removed the EXTERNAL_CONNECTION table from User Report Types and User Reports.
Important Note for Self-Hosted Clients: This release includes changes to User Reports and User Report Types. Custom logic that references the EXTERNAL_CONNECTION table might break or cause the update to fail. A script has been provided prior to the release which will find and list any such references. Run this script and address any references found prior to applying this update."
User Tables
Fixed an issue where Policy Availability rule conditions or Approval Ruleset rule conditions would not execute if based on fields with very long User Table or User Table Field names.
Vendor Details
Previously, users received an "Access Denied" error when uploading documents to the Vendor Details screen, Notes section. This has been fixed.
Vendor Integration
Some changes were made to Vendor Integration functionality.
AssignmentPro now allows receipt of invoices from vendors using the Equus Connector Import Method. Saved in AssignmentPro as multi-move vouchers, this feature centralizes invoice and assignment data, which facilitates reporting and analysis.
Modified the Immigration Provider Permission set to support upserts for Assignment Case records, which allows immigration vendors to use a single command to either update a record or, if the record does not exist, insert the record.
Visa and Work Permits Service
A few enhancements were made to the Visa and Work Permits Service.
Added the ability to specify document-related fields from the Visa and Work Permits Details screen in Checklists and Quick Workflows to allow mobility teams to monitor when documents for this service have been uploaded or updated.
Modified the Immigration Provider Permission set to support upserts for Assignment Case records, which allows immigration vendors to use a single command to either update a record or, if the record does not exist, insert the record.