Drawloop Blog

With the latest release of our document services within Salesforce, you can now add any Visualforce pages to your dynamic document package (DDP). A DDP includes one or more documents that will be merged with data from any Salesforce object and packaged into one single document for delivery. As an example, your sales contract is a DDP.

The addition of Visualforce pages is another example of the power and flexbility of the DDP manager within Salesforce. We treat a visualforce page as just another document that you can “drag and drop” when building a DDP. This allows an admin to build business logic around Visualforce pages. This logic can be as simple as making a Visualforce page required or optional in a DDP or advanced by using Salesforce fields to determine whether or not to include the Visualforce page with the DDP.

Please contact us today with any questions or install the latest version of our LOOP Document Services from the AppExchange.

The Summer release of our LOOP Document Services for Salesforce is now available on the AppExchange to allow any of your users to test the latest version of LOOPlus. The Summer release includes exciting and powerful new features like Visualforce pages in DDPs, out-of-the-box Real-Time Quotes integration, and significant performance enhancements.

HIGHLIGHTS

1) Visualforce Pages

Now, you can treat any visualforce page as a document or section in your DDP. This allows your organization to include a cover letter, sales quote or sales contract with your visualforce pages. Because we treat a visualforce page just like any other document, you can leverage all of the business logic and intelligence available to any dynamic document package (DDP).

2) Real-Time Quotes

Real-time quotes provides an easy way for your Salesforce users to generate quotes for customers. Our new DDP integration with Real-Time Quotes allows you to expand this functionality to include additional elements which are often part of a sales quote – things like a cover letter, a product exhibit, terms & conditions. Again, this combines the power of Salesforce with the power of real-time document packaging.

In addition to integrating with the real-time quote PDFs, we also allow you to include Quote and Quote Line Item data in any DDP merge files (Word, Excel or PowerPoint).

3) UI for Advanced DDP Logic

We have created a point-and-click interface to relate multiple object relationships to a DDP. This includes any one-to-many object relationship or look-up to an object. This new UI has a familiar interface to filter and sort on those related objects. This delivers the best of DDPs with Salesforce filtering while keeping the simplicity of document tagging.

4) DDP Routing Options

We have expanded DDP routing options allowing our customers to not only dynamically create the document packages required to sell and service their products, but equally important, deliver their DDPs based on required business rules. DDPs can be routed as follows:

- Email
- 3rd Party SMTP service
- Any external web form (web service)
- Outbound messaging
- Work flows (like approvals)
- Scheduled reports (e.g. every Monday at 8:00am)
- Document storage (Amazon S3)
- Electronic Signature (DocuSign)
- Document Queue (for 3rd party fulfillment)
- LOOP (DDP output with ad hoc files)
- Download
- Attach as attachment, activity history, LOOP Storage

5) Performance Enhancements

Our development team has been working hard to improve the DDP user experience. We are pleased to pass along these improvements with our Summer release. With some changes and enhancements to our document merge and packaging service, our pre-release tests show a 20% to 50% improvement in performance.

Please contact us with any questions or if you need assistance from support to test the pre-release.

Our team has just added yet another cloud delivery option for our document merge service on Google Apps, send to box.net. Our seamless document merge service for Google Docs within Google Apps allows your sales and service reps to create customized documents and mail merge in the cloud.

Our latest DDP delivery option provides a simple and easy way for users to work with Drawloop, Box and Google Apps.

Learn more about our latest integration on Google Apps with Box.net at Google I/O – visit us in the Enterprise Developer Sandbox (# 4 – Enterprise Sandbox). You can run a DDP and redeem a Coupon at Box.net (# 1 – Google APIs Sandbox). Learn how to dynamically create documents in the cloud and send the output to Box.net . . . all from within Google Apps.

Developer Sandbox @ Google I/O

The Developer Sandbox, first introduced at I/O 2009, is the demo area at Google I/O where Google features a wide range of developers who have built applications based on technologies and products featured at I/O.

Representing large and small companies, individual developers, and a diverse collection of apps, these developers will be participating in the Sandbox to demo their applications, answer questions, and exchange ideas.

Salesforce users rely on Drawloop to help them automate the creation of proposals, sales quotes, presentations and many other document packages critical to selling or servicing their products. Our on-demand services will allow you to deliver a one-click process for the creation of Dynamic Document Packages (DDPs).

We’re proud to have launched the most recent version of our document merge, automation and packaging service within Salesforce. We’re launching the latest version (v4.5) of LOOP Document Services today. The following is a summary of the new features available with LOOP Document Services:

Dynamic Ordering of Attachments
A powerful new feature is your ability to add and order any static or dynamic (doc contains merge fields) documents that have been uploaded to Notes & Attachments on an Object.

Dynamic ordering of attachments allows “ad hoc” or “custom” docs to be added to a DDP at run time.

Parameter Based Sections
All DDP Admins will love this new feature — parameter based DDP sections. In addition to making sections (pages) of a DDP optional to the user at run time, you can now quickly and easily have sections (pages) included or excluded based on field values.

Example: You want to include the Quote section of the DDP only when Account Level field value = Enterprise

Product Addendums
If you use Products and Product Line Items, you will appreciate the ability to dynamically add Product Addendums to DDPs. This new feature simplifies administration of DDPs while you are utilizing product line items in Word or Excel files.

Example: Sales rep has just added Product A, F and M to his new Opportunity. He clicks a button on the Opportunity to run his customized Sales Proposal. The DDP delivers to him a merged and customized Sales Proposal as a single PDF that also includes the addendums for the products he selected (A, F and M).

Mass DDPs
This new feature is extremely valuable a business use case where you need to send a DDP to hundreds of customers at the same time. DDPs can now be emailed, attached, downloaded, printed, and e-signed en masse with Mass DDPs.

Example: Tim needs to email a DDP to hundreds of Salesforce Contacts in a list view. He selects the contacts to be emailed, clicks Mass LOOPlus, selects the DDP he wants to send, and clicks Run. When the emails have finished being sent, Tim receives the Mass DDP results via email.

DDPs with DocuSign Embed Signing
This new feature was added to take advantage of business use cases where DDPs are created and delivered directly to DocuSign’s embedded signing process within a Force.com application or a Customer Portal.

We have just updated our LOOP Storage Services which now offers multiple upload functionality. LOOP Storage Services is an efficient document storage solution for Salesforce.com which leverages Amazon S3 pricing . . . document storage from within a document tab or within an object in Salesforce.

Multiple Upload Demo

How To Get Started with LOOP Storage:

1) Install LOOP Storage Services from AppExchange

2) Sign-up for an Amazon S3 account

Contact us today with any questions.

Our team has been working hard to incorporate the latest features of Salesforce Winter ‘10 with our dynamic document creation (DDP) service. Below we have highlighted some of the upcoming enhancements for DDPs that can help you take advantage of new features in Salesforce’s Winter ‘10 release:

Real Time Quotes
Add Salesforce Quotes to your DDPs. This allows you to add a Salesforce Quote along with your other required documents like a proposal (.doc), a product data sheet (.pdf) and product terms and conditions (.doc) . . . delivering one packaged document to your prospective or existing customer.

Example: ACME has deployed Real-Time Quotes for Salesforce, but the Director of Sales wants to include a cover letter, company overview and product slick.  These documents also need contact information (Salesforce data) merged into the documents.  LOOPlus works with Real-Time Quotes and includes all of the additional merged documents as a single PDF for delivery.

Product Addendums

Upload your product addendums to the Salesforce document tab and tie them to your products in your product library. This can be useful when you need to include in your DDP a product info sheet for each Product added under an Opportunity.

Example: ACME has leveraged Saleforce Opportunity Line Items and Products, but at run time wants to include a detailed product specification sheet when the proposal is generated.

Capture Data to Salesforce

Email the DDP (.pdf) to your contact; he or she then completes the PDF form fields and returns the completed PDF via email. By leveraging Salesforce email services, the data will automatically update fields in Salesforce or create new records. This can be tied to various work flows as well as tied to other DDP generation.

DDPs with Visualforce Pages
Like adding a Salesforce quote to a DDP, you can add any Visualforce page to a DDP. This is a powerful feature providing you with the ability to add additional documents or collateral to any Visualforce page.

Salesforce Tasks or Workflows with DDPs
Create a Salesforce task, update a Salesforce record or trigger a workflow when a DDP is created and delivered. This is extremely useful for generating invoices, proposals, sales contracts and other document packages that require a “next action” upon delivery of the DDP.

Mass DDPs
Send DDPs en masse directly from a Contact (Opportunity, Case, Contract, etc.) List View. You can deliver Mass DDPs through email, attach back to Salesforce, attach back to Salesforce with LOOP Storage or log the DDP as an Activity History.

Attachments with DDPs
Order attachments with your DDP. This powerful new feature allows users to not only add attachments to a DDP but also to order the attachments at run time. This is often used for incorporating redlined terms and conditions with a DDP.

We have recently shared an integrated project on the K2 Underground site. K2 users can now add our document automation service to K2[blackpearl]. The ability to add our dynamic document creation service tied to other work flows and services is a powerful addition to the K2[blackpearl] software.

K2[blackpearl] is comprehensive software designed to build process-driven applications.

If you use or work with K2, we encourage you to take a look at our “Document Merge SmartObject Service” as well as contact us to gain access to our API.

Version 4.3 of LOOP Document Services is now available to install or upgrade into your Salesforce account from the AppExchange. This release includes the following new features:

• Org-Wide Email Addresses can be used to send reports or automated emails instead of a specific user’s email address
• Processing Text for DDP runs can be customized
• DocuSign recipients can be chosen from Roles or User Groups
• DocuSign envelope expirations and reminders can be changed at run time
• DocuSign recipient titles can be displayed while selecting the recipients
• DocuSign recipients can be chosen from Account Teams and Opportunity Sales Teams

To upgrade your version of LOOP Document Services and take advantage of all of these features, contact Drawloop Support (email support@drawloop.com or call (949) 242-0455, opt. 2) for the latest upgrade instructions.

We are excited to announce our Amazon S3 document storage service for Salesforce, called LOOP Storage Services. LOOP Storage Services offers document storage for Salesforce. It provides a simple interface to store and manage any files, at any time, from within a documents tab or within an object in Salesforce.

Features:

A simple interface to store and manage any files or documents, at any time, from within Salesforce

Use single or multiple folder hierarchies

Add security (profile, role, user or user group) and keywords to your stored documents

NO file size limits . . . unless 5GB is not enough per document

How It Works:

Salesforce Tab: Custom Documents tab allowing you to store and manage all of your documents – simply upload and organize your files

Documents in Objects: Allows you to store documents within objects. You can also organize with document folders inside the objects. Deployed for all standard objects – contact Drawloop for custom objects

Amazon S3: All of your documents are managed within Salesforce but are stored with Amazon S3

How To Get Started:

1) Install LOOP Storage Services from AppExchange

2) Sign-up for an Amazon S3 account

Drawloop is an AWS Solution Provider. The AWS Solution Providers Program serves a growing community of Independent Software Vendors and Systems Integrators that offer a rich set of solutions and consulting services on AWS.

Contact us today with any questions.

We are pleased to announce that LOOP API has been added to SuiteApps for NetSuite. NetSuite is a leading provider of on-demand, integrated business management software for growing and midsize businesses. Through SuiteApps, NetSuite developers and customers will be able to leverage our document services and API.

Install on SuiteApps

The LOOP API allows for converting files to PDF and combining multiple files to one or more PDF files within NetSuite. To install the LOOP API example bundle from within SuiteApps, please follow these instructions:

Setup -> Customization -> Install Bundle and then under “Keywords” search “LOOP API”

What is LOOP API?

LOOP API is the best way to merge, convert and combine documents on the web. There are several methods you can use to leverage LOOP API in your business, each geared toward your specific requirements.

LOOP API is the most powerful and customizable way to manage your needs around document merge, conversion and combining. Enterprise customers use LOOP API to automate the creation of DDPs. This includes sales proposals, sales contracts, quotes and virtually any document package required to sell or service your products.