Using MS Word, MS Excel and MS Outlook, VISCO extends its functionality and usability beyond nearly all of the competing systems. For most of the document preparation that is involved in the Importing process (creating and editing delivery orders, customer packing lists, associated instruction sheets and customer certificates of analysis), the MS Word application offers users a familiar interface. The power of Word allows users to fully authenticate the documents while still maintaining integrity within the system.

Microsoft Word

When a client-side user attempts to maintain or print one of the documents listed above, the data is directly exported from the system to a Word Document while an instance of Word is opened using a standard template for that document. Provided the user has a version of Word installed on their PC, the user has all the functionality of Word to modify the document to the needs of the Customer/ Vendor/ Customs Broker etc.

The incredible mathematical and data entry capabilities of Microsoft Excel make it the obvious choice for more data-driven document maintenance. For example, entering a Certificate of Analysis that was received by a vendor can be as easy as typing a couple of numbers into the appropriate cells and clicking the SAVE button. The actual Venture (shipment) Packing List is also entered in the client-side Excel Application and saved back to the server just by clicking PROCEED. Most of the calculations are done for you, but allowing the user to work in the Excel interface gives them the opportunity to really stretch the power of the spreadsheet application in a controlled environment.

Microsoft Excel

There are numerous other instances in which Excel is used for data entry, maintenance or preparation. The Actual Sales Order, Purchase Order and Sales Invoice are viewed and printed in the Excel

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environment. By protecting the cells that generally shouldn`t be changed, we can limit the user to as little or as much control over the appearance of the above documents.

The Product Position Sheet is also displayed in Excel. The Position Sheet, as described in the Product Position Spec. Sheet, allows sales reps and traders for a given company get an "up to the minute" view of what quantities of a given product are coming in and out of the company. The Position Sheet uses pivot tables to tabulate and analyze the data for a given product. Pivot Tables are an Excel function that will allow the user to sort and filter the data in a given spreadsheet. Consult Excel documentation for more on the functionality Pivot Tables.

Microsoft Outlook

Lastly, VISCO connects with MS Outlook so that users can click on any email address throughout the system in View Mode and automatically be sent to an instance of MS Outlook or Outlook Express with the email address already filled in as the receiver of the email.