Clicking on a client's name takes you to that client's contact page. This page is similar in layout to the dashboard. Information is divided into two columns. The column on the left contains the contact information and the history. This section is currently fixed. On the right however, the information is housed in widgets that can be rearranged by the user. My view contained things such as additional opportunities, projects, special dates associated with this client, upcoming activities, referrals (so I can see how much business this client has sent my way) and a profile widget (which includes the client's net worth, income, risk tolerance and tax information). The referral information from this page and all other client pages flows into the "contacts by referral" chart on the dashboard.
If you are a client of Albridge, you can see a summary of client holdings in both spreadsheet and graphic formats from within Upswing. In addition, Upswing offers integration with Quik! Forms, LaserApp and MoneyGuidePro. If you use one of the form-filling programs, Upswing will push the data needed to complete a form into Quik! or LaserApp, where it will be posted in the proper fields.
If you use MoneyGuidePro, with a single click you can send client or household contact information into MoneyGuidePro to create a financial plan. If your Upswing account receives data from Albridge, that data can also be pushed into MoneyGuidePro to populate financial plans.
Various notification capabilities are now built into the contact section. For example, when someone assigns a contact to a user, the user will receive an e-mail notifying him that the contact has been assigned. When a note is added to a contact record, the advisor has the option to select other users who will receive a notification by e-mail that the note has been added.
The Upswing calendar is robust. It allows advisors to create their own schedules and coordinate with colleagues. Upswing now supports multiple calendars so an advisor can have one for work, one for personal use and one for a work group. With permission, advisors can view each other's calendars.
The ability to show or hide calendars allows advisors to customize what they see. Colors can be customized for easier viewing. The software also now allows monthly views and agenda views, which were missing in earlier editions. Users can also elect to have a copy of their daily agenda e-mailed to them every morning at a time of their choosing.
The new projects module allows multiple employees within the firm to collaborate on projects such as marketing campaigns and seminars. All tasks, work flows, notes, notifications and permissions associated with the project can be stored and managed from a single location.
Previous versions of Upswing offered a way to track tasks, as well as a way to combine a number of tasks into a work flow, but this version offers new approaches. In addition to applying a work flow to a client or prospect, you can now apply it to opportunities and projects. Templates can be created and applied over and over as needed. For example, you could create a seminar work flow and apply it each time you create a seminar project. If needed, the template can be tweaked to reflect the unique needs of a given project.
For those advisors and firms trying to expand their business, the opportunities section offers a method of documenting and organizing all sales opportunities in a single location.
Reporting has been significantly upgraded and grouped within a new module. This module includes roughly 65 standard report templates. The reports are grouped into categories such as contact, activity, project and opportunity reports. The contact report section appears to be the most extensive, offering a wide array of reports to dissect and analyze your client base. Each report template can be further customized to meet the needs of the individual advisor or firm. If the current report templates do not provide the needed information, a report wizard walks the advisor through the process of creating his own custom template from scratch.
The analytics module is similar to the reports module in that it consolidates information from across the business. The difference is that the analytics section presents the information in graphic format.
Upswing has always offered some ability to upload and store files on the Upswing server, but with the addition of the new files module, those capabilities have been expanded. Now, advisors can upload files and store them at the company level. Customized categories can be created and assigned to files. Files can be cross-linked to clients, events and projects. Versioning has been added too, so that multiple versions of the same document can be retained. Upswing now offers some batch upload capabilities as well. Previously, you could only upload one file at a time. Now, you can upload up to five documents at a time. Finally, the default storage has been increased. Upswing now offers four times as much storage at the base price as they previously did.