Release Notes: Version 7.72

Version 7.72 of the EchoSpan platform will be released on January 4th, 2020. This release includes new features and enhancements to our 360-degree feedback tool and reporting suite. As always, new features for the 360 tool are included at no additional cost in their respective EchoSpan editions.

Brief summaries of the new features and enhancements are below. Once the release is published, we'll make additional documentation on each of these items available in the product guides. You can also sign up for a live session to review the new features with one of our client managers on January 14^th at 2pm ET, or January 16^th at 9:30am ET.

Thanks to all of the program administrators who offered suggestions and feedback that helped us identify these enhancement opportunities. We're grateful for the perspective that you offer in continually improving the EchoSpan platform!

7.72 Release Highlights
(P= Professional Edition, E = Enterprise Edition, A = All Editions)

Major Enhancements:

1. Mobile support for Rater List Selection, Auditor Tasks and Development Planning (P, E): we've enhanced the mobile experience for participants to complete an expanded set of tasks on their mobile devices. Now, Targets can easily nominate feedback providers and complete Development Planning tasks, when those features are enabled by the administrator. Auditor functionality related to approving raters and sending invitations has also been optimized for mobile.

2. New Developmental Reading Library (A) and Competency Association (P, E): we've refreshed the database of articles that are available in EchoSpan's reading suggestion library to ensure that the topics remain current and relevant to participants. In total, more than 700 new articles have been added across more than two dozen new reading topics. Additionally, when administrators associate custom competencies with EchoSpan's reading suggestion categories, they can preview a sample of articles that are associated with each category. Developmental reading suggestions are visible from the properties menu for each competency.

3. Allow Download of Previous Review (P, E): we've added a setting to the administrator tool that will enable participants to download previous reviews for individuals they've given feedback to in the past. When enabled, the participant will see a link to download their previous review within the current survey.

4. Require Spell Check and Legal Scan (P, E): when this feature is turned on by the administrator, users are required to use the spell check and legal scan features before saving their comment-type responses and proceeding through the review.

Reporting Enhancements:

1. Auto-select Report Template based on Target language (E): when multi-language features are enabled, administrators can batch reports in the language that the Target selected to complete the review, automatically. This is determined by the language that the participant chooses on the application sign-in page or dashboard.

2. Associate MC items with Comment items (P, E): when a multiple choice item type is used, administrators can associate a specific comment item to appear in relation to the multiple choice option that is selected by the rater in the report output.

3. Additional support for Secondary Competency Scoring (E): When scored competencies are enabled for an account, there is on option to assign items to a secondary scored competency . Previously, items assigned to a secondary competency have been scored in both primary and secondary (index) competencies. Administrators can now select secondary competency scoring options in the Competency Summary and Individual Review Items - Enhanced report components.

4. Tie Logic for Highest and Lowest rated items (P, E): we've added a logic to identify a tie score when items are ranked in the highest and lowest rated items table.

Other Enhancements:

• Addition of [[htmlurl]] merge field for email templates to enable custom text for invitation code URL in messages. (P, E)

• Rating scale displayed every 10 lines when item randomization is enabled. (E)

How to Upgrade

Once released, the version 7.72 update is automatically applied to any new, blank project you create. You can also update an existing project by opening the project and clicking Upgrade Project in the top right of the project's homepage. This option will only be visible if an update is available for that project. Upgrades are available to clients without existing customizations. Note that if you clone a project that uses an older version of code, the new project will also be based on the older code and require a manual update.

As always, we appreciate your feedback on our product and services. Please remember that we offer a question and answer session each week that is an open forum for customer questions. One of our Senior Client Service Managers leads the interactive session and will address any product questions you have. You can sign up for these recurring weekly sessions below:

https://www.echospan.com/qa.asp

Thank you for choosing EchoSpan for your employee feedback and review needs!