Supporting detail via a file attachment can be uploaded to a specific cell or sheet for reference

Description

This collaborative feature requires that the system be able to accept individual files, be it PDFs, Word, Excel, or any other safe file type, on a cell as a form of supporting documentation or as a part of a comment.

Example Use Case

Scenario: A consulting firm uses CPM software to budget and forecast client projects. The team responsible for a particular project has supporting documentation for certain forecast values such as client estimates.

Solution: With collaboration tools built into their CPM system, team members can add comments directly to a cell or sheet, and include client estimates to justify the value of the cell.

Considerations

Many systems on the market allow for the upload of comments, but not all of them allow specific files to be uploaded. This can be a useful feature for forecasting and justifying deviations from a specific budget to actuals report where actuals went over budget. Things like estimates, receipts, and other supporting documentation can be useful when the CFO is questioning the numbers.

Questions to Ask a Vendor

• Collaboration Features: How extensive are your collaboration capabilities? Can team members comment on and upload file attachments to individual cells or sheets?
• Reporting: Is there a mechanism to see all of the supporting files in the system and their associated cells or sheets?